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 in cooking can help to promote inner body health, providing many benefits and this is especially important during the festive season when many people tend to over indulge.
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.
Dried herbs can also be used as a salt substitute for use at the table or in cooking. To replace salt in your diet use the following easy to make herbal substitutes.
Like all condiments it should still be used with discrimination so as too not overpower the natural flavour of the food. All 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, ground garlic, parsley, ground coriander and ground 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 and for those who find it hard to give up that salty taste in their food add one tablespoon of dried kelp. Store the herb substitute in an airtight glass jar, but for no longer than 12 months.
During the festive season you should also eat plenty of those great summer vegetables and fruit.
The following delicious throw-together salad, which is quick and simple to make, can be eaten on its own as a light and nutritious lunch, or included as a side salad to a main evening meal.
Two or more different types of lettuce torn into smallish pieces will add variety and interest to the salad. To this add lots of watercress, alfalfa and red clover sprouts, chives and parsley. 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.
Herbs will not only provide zesty and delicious alternative to summer meals but will help to ensure a healthy and balanced diet.