Tag Archives: minerals

Herbs & their Nutritional Content Part 1

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Have you ever wondered what so great about the Herbs you see in the stores? Why should we buy them & put them in our stews, teas, sandwiches, salads, etc. There are so SO many reasons why we should utilize these amazing ‘foods’ more often. Herbs are a prime example of where Food can truly be Medicine & Medicine can be our Food.

The following is a small Alphabetical list of Herbs along with some of the Vitamins & Minerals they contain. Go ahead & add them to your Soups, Stews, Teas, Stir Fry’s, Salads, & more!

Alfalfa is a Wonderful Resilient Herb that can be grown quite easily on a window sill. It contains  Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Protein, Manganese, Selenium & Zinc. It has been used to treat a number of Digestive issues as well as the Digestive tract & Kidneys.

Astragalus Root is harvested for its roots, but adorded for it’s beautful Purple flowers. Known to Increase Energy & Build resistance to Dis~ease by Strengthening the Immune System, it also helps the Adrenal Glands. Astragalus contains Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese & Zinc.

Burdock Root is a Biennial Herb that can be easily found in most Health food stores. It is used as a Blood Purifier & Cleanser, can help with Acne & Eczema, has been used against Cancer, has AntiBacterial & AntiFungal Properties & can stimulate the Digestive & Immune systems. Burdock Root contains Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B5, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Manganese, Phosphorous, Selenium, & Zinc.

Cayenne comes from a fruit. It is typically Red but can come in Orange, Purple & Yellow. Paprika is a mild form of Cayenne. Cayenne has been known to Cleanse the entire Digestive & Circulatory systems, it promotes normal blood pressure, helps prevent muscle aches, headaches, ulcers, sore throats, & more. It contains Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Iron, Calcium, Selenium, & Magnesium, Potassium.

Chamomile is a popular Hardy Evergreen, used for herbal tea, it is a beautiful Perennial bud. Traditionally used for cramps, digestion & a sleep aid, Chamomile can also be used as a diuretic, to calm nerves, reduce stress, relieve flatulence & headaches.  Chamomile contains B1, B2, B3, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Selenium, Zinc

Dandelion is found everywhere it seems, but care must be taken when picking them. Pesticides are used on them quite heavily, so you must trust where you find them. Organic is a minimum here! This amazing ‘weed’ will stimulate your liver to eliminate toxins, cleanse the blood, act as a diuretic, lower blood pressure, & can be used for Urinary Tract Infections. Dandelion contains Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Calcium, Copper, Manganese, Iron, Boron, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, & Zinc

Fennel Seeds are a wonderful addition to any herb & spice cupboard. Organic is always better, keep them in a cool dark space in an airtight container. Fennel Seeds contain Vitamin A, B1, B2,B3, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Selenium, & Zinc.

Flax seeds look like Apple seeds only flatter & must be ground to gain any health benefit. Flax Colours range from Dark Brown, Deep Red, to a Golden Yellow. Flax contain Vitamin E, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium & Manganese, Phosphorus, Iron & Copper.

Goldenseal Root is Native to Siberia it is a Perennial with Pink or Yellowish flowers. Goldenseal has been shown to help regulate Liver Function, to Kill Poisons in the Body, Cleanse Mucous Membranes, aid in Digestion, Fight Infection & Inflammation, Strengthen the Immune System, Colon, Liver, Pancreas, Spleen, Lymphatic & Respiratory system. Goldenseal contains Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Calcium, Iron & Manganese.

Green Tea, Native to SouthEast Asia, it is an extremely popular drink & with good reason. Green Tea leaves have been used for Cancer treatment, lowering Cholesterol, Blood clotting, to Stimulate the Immune System, regulate Blood Sugar, Combat Fatigue & help with Weight Loss. Green Tea Leaves also contains the elusive Vitamin K!

Hops is an ingredient not often used unless there is Beer involved, but it should be due to its amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B12, Vitamin C, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Selenium, & Zinc.

Kelp  Found in the sea, Kelp is an amazing addition to any stew, soup, stirfry, pasta or rice dish. Kelp contains, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin B12.

LemonGrass is a great addition to soups & can add a nice touch to plain filtered water. LemonGrass contains Vitamin A, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium & Selenium.

Nettle is mostly thought of as a weed, but this prickly plant can do many amazing things for us. Stinging Nettle has been used to treat Urinary Tract Infections & Kidney Stones. It has Anti~Inflammatory properties, is used in Detoxing (flushes out toxins) & can improve short-term memory. It contains Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B5, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Calcium, Chromium, Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc.

Parsley is best known as that green stuff on the side of your plate when dinning out. It is also known as a breath freshener, & contains Vitamin A, Vitamins B1, B2, B3, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron & Zinc.

Peppermint is an easy to grow perennial, it makes a nice fresh tea. Peppermint contains Vitamin A, Vitamins B1, B2, B3, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Selenium.

Raspberry Leaf is a great tea during the last trimester of Pregnancy to strengthen the Uterus, it contains Vitamin A, Vitamins B1, B2, B3, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium & Selenium.

Red Clover is seen as a weed or Bunny food to most, but is known to contain Vitamin A, Vitamins B1, B2, B3, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Calcium, Chromium, Magnesium, Manganese.

Rose Hips are a wonderful addition to many teas, as they are rich in Anti~oxidants. They are used as blood & Kidney tonics, can help with Colic & Urinary Tract Infections. They contain Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Calcium, Iron, Manganese, Selenium, Zinc

Yarrow  has anti~inflammatory oils & is known to help with purifying the Blood, regulating Liver & Thyroid, balancing Hormones. It can aid in the treatment of Ulcers, Hemorrhoids & can stimulate the liver for Detox. Yarrow contains Vitamins B1, Vitamin C, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese & Selenium

Yellow Dock , found 1st in Europe & now everywhere, it is a Blood Purifier & a wonderful Lymphatic Cleanser. It is known to improve the Colon & Liver Functions, help with Psoriasis, Eczema, Hives, Herpes & Rashes. It can help eliminate Intestinal Parasites, reduce Inflammation in Nasal passages & Respiratory Tract. Yellow Dock contains Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B5, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese & Selenium.

Wild Yam a Hardy plant with long knotty root stocks found all around North America. It contains a hormone precursors to Female Progesterone. It can Relax muscles & Cramps, treats Chronic Gas & Colic and may be good for IBS & Kidney Stones. Wild Yam contains Chromiun & Zinc.

A few to Review

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On a visit to Parksville & Qualicum Beach in December while looking for our New Forever Home ‘Town’, we stumbled into a busy Christmas Craft sale. Thinking it was the perfect way to meet some locals & get some Xmas Shopping done we went right in.

Right away we found ‘Free Spirit Botanicals‘ (based right here in Victoria BC) & man was her stuff AMAZING!!!! I am always looking at soaps #1, because I love nice smelling bathroom stuff, & #2 because my youngest has a difficult time finding soap that doesn’t dry & irritate his skin. My first question is always “do you have anything for dry & sensitive skin”? Usually they show me something with too many ingredients, some have even shown me soaps with *gasp* phthalates & parabens! But for my little man I prefer simple natural soaps. The one we choose this time was the Goat’s Milk & Honey. It’s made with 3 basic ingredients ~ 100% salphonated Olive Oil, & it’s a gentle cleanser with the Honey as the moisturizer. There is wheat germ added as an exfoliation & has Vitamin E added. I was worried about the Wheat Germ (because we are gluten intolerant, but so far he’s been fine)!

I personally went for the soap pictured above. The LemonGrass Loofah. I thought it was pretty ingenious to add the Loofah right in the soap, I’ve never seen that before! I have a weird love affair with LemonGrass, & the smell of this one doesn’t disappoint! My hubby also picked up a soap that had Olive, almond, Calendula & palm oils. Ground almond, cinnamon, cloves & turmeric. He smells so manly when he gets outta the shower! The Cinnamon & Cloves especially is nice!

Here’s another Gem that I absolutely love! It’s made by a company called YoungBlood from the USA.

This is a very different, very cool kind of face/body mist that uses: Grapefruit, Lime, Rosemary, Hematite, Malakitte, Rhodolite & Zincite to rejuvenate & protect your skin. I use it throughout the day when I feel like my skin needs a little boost of energy. You know the feeling, when your face & skin feel tired~ that’s when this baby works it’s majick & you feel Refreshed, Restored! They have 3 different mist’s to choose from. I’ve only used the Restore one, but I have to say that it is SO SO nice. I picked it up a while ago when my hubby went off to Brewing School in Europe. Being at home with the kids without him for 3 months was really very hard, but using this spray (when I remembered) was a very nice way to treat myself & get away from the craziness, even if it was short lived!

I have one other product to show you here, but I’m not sure if I love it or if I hate it……. I’ve been using it for 2 weeks now, & funny enough, I’m still not sure. One day I like it, one day I hate it, & one day I love it….. so strange. This one is made my Green Beaver.

It’s one of their many different toothpastes. Toothpastes, just like Rice Milk, Peanut Butter, Dried Currants, & Candles, we just can’t seem to keep enough of in our house. I’m not quite sure why, but I’m always going out to get more. My kids usually ask for a new flavour, & it’s getting hard to accommodate them. Around here we stick to Fluoride Free, & although that’s getting easier to find, some of the ingredients are still kind of iffy! This one caught my eye because of bright green colour at first, then I noticed that it had Cilantro. Well ~ Cilantro is a love or hate herb. I personally love it, so I thought I would give this paste a try. As it says on the tube, they use real flavours, & it’s true. Everytime I use it, it tastes 100% of Cilantro & Mint & 0% of ToothPaste. Maybe that’s the problem….. I do like the taste, but it doesn’t taste like I’m brushing my teeth……

Do you like Cilantro? If so, how do you use it?