Herbs
Herbs play an integral part of life – whether used to add flavor and scents to dishes, add aromatherapy elements to your home, or taken as herbal supplements – providing powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits that support overall wellness.
Herbs are a large category of plant species with aromatic or flavorful qualities used for seasoning food or medicinal applications, such as flavoring and garnishing dishes or for medicinal uses. Herbs differ from spices in that culinary herbs refer only to leafy green parts (fresh or dried) of plants (excluding vegetables); spices on the other hand are usually dried and come from roots, bark, seeds or fruits.
Vegetables provide our bodies with essential macronutrients like protein and carbohydrates, while herbs add additional micronutrients like vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that have numerous healing benefits including boosting immunity, improving cardiovascular and digestive function, as well as combatting chronic diseases like cancer.
Herbs can be enjoyed in the form of fresh or dried leaves, flowers, roots and roots, which is easy to do at home. When purchasing medicinal herbs such as teas, creams, oils or extracts be sure to read their label thoroughly to make sure it has been tested scientifically for safety and efficacy, not simply rely on claims by their producers. While herbal supplements may provide benefits more directly than their whole-herb counterparts.
Herbs have long been used as part of many cultures and religious traditions for both culinary and medicinal use, dating back centuries. Popular examples of herbs with health-promoting properties are cinnamon, turmeric and ginger; all available at your local supermarket or health food store in various forms. Other popular options are holy basil in Hinduism; chamomile for Christianity; cannabis for Wicca; etc.
