5 HERBS THAT BELONG IN EVERY KITCHEN GARDEN

Savory and pungent, herbs hold a special spot in the kitchen arsenal, providing the X factor in many home-cooked meals. Judiciously measured in a pinch here and a dash there, herbs add complexity and depth to dishes in subtle and profound ways, rounding out flavors as food hits the tongue.

Perhaps the best way to make the most of them is to try growing your own. Regardless of the size of your home, there’s always room for a pot on the windowsill or a small container. Homeowners with more room can go the edible landscape route for an abundant supply of leafy greens and fresh herbs. From seed to plant to your cooking pot, herbs keep right on giving. Snipping off small quantities stimulates the plants to produce even more. Get your kitchen garden started with these five basic herbs.

Flat-leaf parsley

Much maligned as a garnish, fresh or dried parsley is a kitchen staple. The leaves give a bite to salad greens, and when dried they add depth and complexity to sauces. Once established, parsley beds grow in loose clumps with delicate serrated leaves and spindly stems.

Oregano

With pungent, tight, oval leaves, oregano works wonders in Italian dishes, which favor sweet and savory flavor combinations. Oregano is one of the few herbs that tastes even better dried than fresh. This herb also works wonders as a companion plant to help keep bugs at bay in the vegetable garden.

Sweet Italian basil

The bright green plant with shiny broad leaves loves warm weather. Considered a staple in pasta sauce and summer salads, basil shines in homemade pesto.

Rosemary

A hardy bush with woody branches, rosemary makes the herb garden complete. The needle-like leaves emit the piney aroma of Christmas trees. Rosemary pairs well with roasted meat and savory breads, and it creates one of the most divine kitchen fragrances, sending appetites into overdrive.

Dill

The delicate fronds of this prehistoric-looking  plant creates an indelible impression on the taste buds. Fresh dill is used to cure salmon and season dips, and it is the main attraction in pickles, too.

Herbal Teas

Herbal teas are all the rage for the many medicinal qualities they are supposed to possess. It's claimed they can help with everything from easing a cold and indigestion to fighting infection and nausea. But when choosing a herbal tea remedy, make sure you pick the right one. While fruit flavoured teas - such as rosehip, apple and orange - tend to be delicious, they are developed for their flavouring more than anything else. Herbal teas on the other hand, such as thyme, peppermint and ginger have greater therapeutic virtues. Susan Curtis, a homeopath for Neals Yard Remedies, says that fruit teas tend to be blended from synthetic ingredients, but herbal teas often contain real herbs. 'This means they make effective remedies if drunk at least three to four times a day,' she says. Susan suggests reading the ingredients first. 'If the label mentions real herbs then the quality will be good,' she says. 'Avoid any teas with artificial flavourings. The best quality herbal teas tend to be organic.' We've rounded up ten herbal teas picked for their medicinal benefits and explain what each could do for you. Elderflower: {4} The white blossom from the Elder tree is a traditional cure for colds. It is an effective decongestant because it helps clean the nasal passages of catarrh. It is also a good diaphoretic - meaning it encourages the body to sweat. Naturopaths believe that viruses are unable to breed in a raised body temperature.Lemon Verbena: Lemon Verbena - like citrus liqueurs such as Poire William and Calvados - are traditionally used in France as a digestive aid. This is because the citrus content helps to break down fats in the digestive tract. Ginger:{7} Ginger is an excellent remedy in the early stages of an infection because, as a warming spice, it can promote a fever and hasten healing. Ginger's warming effects are also said to relieve rheumatic aches and pains by widening the blood vessels and stimulating circulation. Nettle: A British herb that is good to take when feeling run down. This is because of its rich mineral content. Nettle is a good source of iron, calcium and silica. Iron produces red blood cells, essential for energy. Calcium and silica are important for building bones, hair and teeth. Chamomile: {6} The small golden buds of chamomile give many people relief from mild insomnia. Chamomile is the principal ingredient in many 'sleepytime' tea blends. This is because chamomile contains tryptophan, an amino acid known for its tranquilizing effects. When taken as an infusion, these properties act as a relaxant in our bodies and help to promote sleep. Green Tea: Japanese green tea leaves strengthen tissue cells found all over the body, and so protects the body from ageing. This is because green tea is high in antioxidants - compounds produced in the body that protect the cells from damage such as pollutants.Thyme: {3} This Mediterranean herb is an effective treatment for colds. This is because thyme contains volatile oils - constituents in the plant that protect it against virus and infection. When taken as an infusion, these properties act as a good decongestant for the chest in our bodies. Fennel: A Mediterranean herb that has anti-spasmodic properties. This means it works on relaxing the intestinal muscles and is particularly good for constipation, colic and flatulence. Fennel is also a good detox because it is a diuretic - meaning it creates the urge to urinate. This helps to clean the kidneys and so rid the body of impurities, which then promotes a clearer skin. Peppermint: {5} A traditional remedy used for nausea and vomiting. By stimulating bile production in the gall bladder, peppermint breaks down fat in the digestion system, thus relieving nausea. St John's Wort: St John's Wort is an extract of a small yellow flower commonly found in Britain and Europe. It is a mild anti-depressant and shown to be an effective treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Recent medical research shows that St John's Wort helps with depression by raising chemical levels in the brain.

About Herbs !

What are Herbs?

Plants that are prized for their scent, flavor, medicinal or other asset is known as an ‘herb’. Herbs are usually used in foods, for making medicines, for pest control, and also for spiritual purposes. Since ancient times, the culinary and medicinal values of different herbs have been appreciated by almost every part of the world and among many different cultures. Herbs can be classified into innumerable categories depending on their scientific family and genus.

Why Herbs?

For most people, herbs are an enigma. In a world where electricity makes radios work, gas makes cars work and drugs make bad bacteria die [sometimes], it is a huge mental leap to the complexity of why herbs work. When asked this question, my mind was immediately flooded with streams of facts, attributes and a numerous of reasons why I choose herbs almost exclusively over modern pharmaceutical.  If I feel a tickle in my throat, I grew up a tea. If I get chills, body aches and a runny nose, I’m on top of it with some diaphoretic herbs. If my knees feel achy or a little swollen, I apply the topical remedies. Too much worry? A soothing bath infused with essential oils is my cure. 
My moisturizer is a blend of pure nut and seed oils enhanced with therapeutic-grade essential oils. My shampoo is made from soap nuts.

Health benefits of herbs:

To improve the overall health of the body, herbs have been playing a major role for decades;  they help in healing wounds faster, make up for nutritional supplements and also deliver a host of benefits. Herbs strengthen the immune system, lower blood sugar and cholesterol, have anti-inflammatory properties, and prevent Alzheimer’s diseases and various types of cancer.

Herbs eliminate the nutritional deficiencies in your body and thus restore the correct function of the body. Herbs rectify problems rather than suppress them. It is also said that herbs nourish every part of the body with their vitamin and mineral content. In short, our body needs certain essential dietary nutrients to meet the everyday demands of life because herbs provide us with most of the necessary components for a healthy life.

Herbs are normally used as flavoring additives to culinary dishes. Along with that, herbs are now an integral part of various medicinal practices in most countries.

Many herbal extracts like those derived from mint, licorice, fenugreek, ginkgo, and aloe Vera are used in medicines. The health benefits of herbs vary with their type. For example, ‘Artichoke’ cures different kinds of digestive problems, whereas ‘American Ginseng’ works as a health tonic and ‘Rosemary’ promotes healthy brain function. Almost all herbs have some health benefit and you can consume herbs for their comprehensive benefits after acquiring the recommendation of a medical practinior.

BEST HERBAL TEAS TO LOSS WEIGHT

Herbs play vital role in our life. herbs solve our many problems without hardwork.Its also help to loss our weight. Here are some teas we can called them magical teas.

Cinnamon Tea

Blood sugar has a direct impact on your weight as it affects how hungry and how energetic you are (if you have energy you’re much more likely to exercise!) If your blood sugar is balanced you are less likely to have a disproportionally large appetite, and your body will be more apt to use fat (energy) rather than storing it. While debate about its effectiveness drags on, more and more preliminary studies are coming out showing that cinnamon can help manage blood sugar levels, so why not whip up a spicy cinnamon tea?

You will need…

-1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

-1 cinnamon stick

-8 ounces of fresh water

Directions

Place the cinnamon in a mug and cover with 8 ounces of boiling water. Steep for 15 minutes before straining. Drinking 1-2 times a day.

Green Tea & Ginger

Green tea has long been debated as a weight loss aid, and more research is needed to confirm or deny how well it works. While some studies have turned up nothing, others have identified three main components in green tea that could help manage weight-caffeine, catechins, and theanine. Caffeine is just an overall boost to your system, and speeds up a number of bodily processes, including metabolism related to weight (technically speaking, metabolism refers to any and all biological processes in a living organism needed to sustain life.)

Catechins are considered anti-oxidant flavonoids, and are superior in green tea rather than black tea due to a difference in processing (black tea is fermented.) While the mechanism is yet to be determined, in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that catechins can help lower the absorption of lipids (fats) via the intestinal track. Theanine is an amino acid in green tea that can encourage the release of dopamine, the chemical that makes you “happy” and relaxed. If you tend to eat due to stress, this may be useful. It also counters the caffeine so you don’t get all jittery. The ginger added to green tea will help improve digestion and add a little flavor-no sugar or milk in this tea!

You will need…

-1/2 inch of fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped OR ½ teaspoon ground ginger

-1 teaspoon of green tea

-8 ounces of fresh water

-Raw, organic honey (optional)

Directions

Place green tea and ginger in a strainer or sieve and cover with 8 ounces of boiling water. Steeping green tea for too long can leave it with a bitter taste, so don’t exceed 3-4 minutes. You can stir in a little raw honey if you really need to sweeten it, but avoid milk or sugar at all costs. Drink 1-2 cups daily on an empty stomach.

Herbs that can help to fight CANCER

Here are some herbs that just might help your fight against cancer. You will be pleased to know.  This article was prepared with help from two of the UK´s top herbalists, Alan Hopking and David Broom. Almost all the research studies are in vitro, and/or with animals. However, top Herbalists obviously have years of experience knowing what works with cancer patients.

1 ASTRAGALUS (Huang Qi): A Chinese herb; an immune system booster, known to stimulate body´s natural production of interferon. It also helps the immune system identify rogue cells. Work with the herb in both cancer and AIDS cases has been encouraging. The MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Texas conducted research showing that taking Astragalus when having Radiotherapy doubled survival times.

2 BERBERIS FAMILY (e.g. Podophyllum peltanum):Slow active purgative. Research has shown these herbs to have a strong action against cancer and they have been used with many cancers, especially Ovarian cancer. In Cancer Watch March 2015, the herb was shown in research to outperform brain cancer drug, Temozolomide in vitro.

3 BLOODROOT (Sanguinaria canadensis): Research shows consistent anti-neoplastic activity. It has been shown to be effective against cancer tumours, and can shrink them; it is one of the herbs in an anti-cancer poultice called Black Salve; and has proven useful with sarcomas.

4 BUTCHERS BROOM (Ruscus aculeatus): The active ingredients of this herb has been found to be the ruscogenins which have tumour-shrinking and anti-oestrogenic abilities. Thus its use in the treatment of breast cancer.

5 CAT´S CLAW (Uncaria tormentosa): An adaptogen and powerful immuno-stimulant, it enhances the white cells clean up process (phagocytosis). It is an excellent companion to astragalus, curcumin and echinacea. Research indicates it can reduce tumour size, particularly with skin cancers. It also helps reduce the side-effects of chemo and radiotherapy.

6 CHAPARRAL (Larrea mexicana): Cancer Watch covered a major research study from the US which heaped praise on this herb. It appears to boost the immune system, stop metastases and reduce tumour size. Seems especially interesting with breast cancer and is another ingredient in Black Salve. It is also an anti-oxidant and anti-microbial, with low toxicity.

7 CURCUMIN (Turmeric): This spice (Curcuma longa or Turmeric root) has been shown to have significant anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory activity. That alone seems enough for certain hospitals in America to consider using it in the treatment of polyps and colon cancer. However new research shows that it can both shrink cancer tumours and inhibit blood supply growth to tumours. It is a powerful antioxidant with liver protective benefits, and outperformed several anti-inflammatory drugs without side-effects in research.

8 DANG SHEN ROOT (Codonopsis pilosula): increases both the white blood cell and red blood cell levels, so can be extremely helpful to patients having chemotherapy and radiotherapy, or to patients whose cancer diminishes levels of either.

9 ECHINACEA: Another known immune system booster, it gained a populist reputation in treating colds.  There is research on its helpfulness with brain tumours apart from its abilities to increase the levels of certain immune white cells in the body.

10 FEVERFEW: This herb caused a storm when research from Rochester University in New York showed it to be more effective than the drug cytarabine in killing leukaemia cells. The US Food and Drug Agency put the active ingredient, parthenolide, on to its fast track programme. Nothing has yet been heard. But then, the FDA has never approved a herb for use as a cancer treatment.