Go healthy with herbs!
Violeta West, BSN, ThD, PhD, DNM
It’s a good idea to eat fresh organic herbs daily. Eat them at various times throughout the day for maximum health benefits. They add a boost of flavor to any meal. They help prevent and fight many chronic health conditions, including cancer. Add in herbs in fresh form to smoothies or chop them up and add to your vegetables, salads, soups, sauces, or any entrée. May also prepare as a tea. I find it more effective to drink my tea in the morning. Morning time is the best time to remove toxins (drinking herbal tea, etc.) from the body since the body does its detox regimen at night. Remember to drink the tea before eating anything. A good plan is to drink tea or any natural and fresh drink first thing in the morning (water still ranks first) and/or eat a fruit (if you don’t like to drink) and eat breakfast 30 minutes later. Experiment on this time spacing to see the different effect it has on your body.
Cilantro (aka Chinese parsley or coriander) helps remove heavy metals like mercury and lead from the body. It is a strong antioxidant, decreasing oxidative stress. It possesses antimicrobial and heavy metal chelation factors. Popularly used in many detox juices and drinks. It also helps with anxiety and sleep problems, lowers blood sugar, and supports cardiovascular health.
Parsley has a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer property. It contains a compound known as apigenin, which has been known to be the main compound that kills breast and pancreatic cancer. Apigenin also reduces MCF7 gene which is linked to cancer growth. The phytochemicals in parsley slow the speed of cell division, allowing enough time for the cell to correct DNA errors which activates cell death. It has also been known to prevent growth of blood vessels that supply tumors with nutrients. Chewing parsley is excellent as a breath freshener.
Mint possesses anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It promotes digestion and inhibits harmful bacterial growth in the mouth. Popular ingredient to toothpaste, mouthwash, and breath fresheners. It is excellent for common colds and other congestion problems. It provides protection against radiation, radiation therapy, and is commonly used in cancer treatment. Mint is not just a free-radical scavenger, it also is effective as a metal chelator. It is popularly and safely used as anti-mutagenic, DNA-repair enhancer, and a tumor growth blocker agent. It blocks blood vessels that supply oxygen to tumors. Amazing how God can create a natural product that’s very selective. It does not affect healthy blood vessels at all.
When these three herbs are used simultaneously in salad, smoothie or any menu, you have a super chelator, antioxidant, anti-cancer, health-promoting natural medicine. And it is super easy to raise them in your backyard or counter for daily use. You are also assured of the nutrition you get from your home-grown herbs. What a steal! Shalom!