THE old saying ‘you are what you eat’ is only partly true.
It requires a great deal more than just food to create a healthy body.
Herbs that are included in your cooking can help to promote inner body health, which will provide many benefits.
The regular use of herbs will add vitamins and minerals to your diet, replace salt as a flavouring agent, help to prevent flatulence and promote better digestion of food, and transform a good plain meal into a gastronomic delight.
Herbs can help to bridge the gap between what our bodies need and what vitamins and minerals they are in fact getting.
Whenever possible add fresh herbs to your dishes!
However, some herbs are not always available fresh throughout the year, in which case dried herbs will suffice.
You can replace salt in your diet with the following easy to make herb condiment.
Yet like all condiments it should still be used with discrimination so as too not overpower the natural flavour of the food.
All the ingredients are available from your local health food store.
Mix together one tablespoon each of the following dried herbs: ground celery seeds, thyme, oregano, roasted and ground sesame seeds, finely crushed garlic, parsley, ground coriander and paprika.
Reduce the combined ingredients to a powder in a blender or by rubbing through a fine wire sieve.
You can add 10 parts of mild brewers' yeast flakes if you wish to boost the vitamin B content.
For those who find it hard to give up that salty taste in their food add one tablespoon of dried powdered kelp.
Store the herbal salt substitute in an airtight glass jar, but for no longer than twelve months.
Meals can also be made more appetising with this delicious throw together salad that is quick and simple to make. It can also be eaten on its own as a light and nutritious lunch, or just included as a side salad to any meal.
For variety and interest, use different types of lettuce torn into smallish pieces.
To this add lots of watercress, alfalfa and red clover sprouts, chives, parsley, and very young dandelion leaves torn into small bits.
Older and larger dandelion leaves have more of a bitter taste!
Then add smaller amounts of basil, dill, lemon balm and nasturtium leaves, with a very small garnish of mint, oregano and lemon thyme.
Just before serving you can toss the salad in wine vinegar, or better still, one of the many herb vinegars now available and serve.