Herbal Foods
By Nathaniel Whitmore
Many of the best herbs can be used as daily foods, rather than or in addition to standard preparations such as infusions, decoctions, and tinctures. By actually eating the herb, one is able to easily take high doses of medicine. Eating is usually not the best way to regularly take herbs, though, for we tend to tire of the same food every day. Also many wild herbal foods are only available for a short season.
Several medicinal roots can be used as food, such as Burdock and Thistle. The medicinal herbs that can be used as greens are plentiful and include Chickweed, Violet, Dandelion, Nettles, Purslane, and Poke*. There are many other ways that herbs can be used in your diet.
Before discussing herbs as foods, it is important to point out that many foods are medicinal. Medicinal foods can be used occasionally in the diet preventatively or they can be used in higher or more regular doses as herbal medicine. Blueberries, for instance, are a common food that is very nutritious and high in antioxidants; making them an anti-inflammatory food. Walnuts are considered to be “Kidney Yang” tonics and are high in omega fatty acids. Winter Squash is a food that is healing for blood sugar imbalances. Onions, Garlic, Ramps (Wild Leeks), and other members of the family can help to move mucus from the lungs and parasites from the intestines. Oats help to calm and nourish the nerves. Lettuce is a mild sedative. Shiitake boosts the immune system. The list goes on and on.
There are also many spices that are in common use that are great medicines. Thyme is one of my favorite expectorant and anti-microbial herbs. Pepper, Cayenne, and Horseradish are all stimulating expectorants. Fennel is a great digestive aid. Cinnamon helps digestion and is used for arthritis. Ginger is used as an expectorant and diaphoretic herb. Turmeric is used for liver congestion and inflammatory diseases. Again, the list goes on and on.
Many herbal foods “nourish the Yin,” which means that they help to nourish and moisten the bodily tissues, and that they counter inflammatory diseases. They also nourish a calm reflective mind and a cool temper. Such herbal foods include many of the wild greens: Violet, Purslane, Chickweed, and Plantain. Many berries are also Yin Tonics, including Blueberries, Blackberries, and Raspberries. Plants with a definite bitter taste, such as Dandelion and Lettuce, usually do not fit into this group of herbs. Rather they have a drying effect and are used to clear up mucus.
In general, natural foods benefit the immune system. The immune system is actually difficult to differentiate from the body as a whole, and it can be said that healthy food benefits the whole body, including the immune system. Still, there are certain foods that stand out as immune system tonics. Shiitake stands out as a food that benefits the immune system, preventing colds and cancer. Burdock, Sea Vegetables, and Blueberries can also help to directly aid immunity. And there are spices that can add some antimicrobial, expectorant, and diaphoretic properties to your foods. Garlic and Thyme are potent antimicrobials. Ginger and Cinnamon are diaphoretics that help push out fevers. The expectorant spices are numerous. Are you seeing the makings for an immune-boosting soup?
Burdock is a strengthening tonic that also helps to remove toxins and inflammation. Shiitake helps to break down fat in the body. Many of the herbal greens are both very cleansing and deeply nourishing. Dandelion and Nettles are very high in calcium, for instance.
Compare these healthy foods to the common foods of the American diet: white flour and white sugar, packaged foods that are highly processed and full of chemical additives, fatty meats, and snack foods… Nature gives us so many health producing foods. This is where health starts. If our diets are no good, no amount of scientific medicine can save us.
All beings under Heaven are given food to eat. It is through food that life and health is maintained. This is why I repeatedly say that herbal medicine is an extension of diet. It starts with the food.
Poke should not be eaten raw. It is prepared as food by cooking in several changes of water.
Nathaniel Whitmore teaches about herbal medicine throughout our area and beyond. Join him for the following events:
- HERBAL MEDICINE CLASS- June 4th at 7 p.m. at Sacred Spaces Alternative Healing Center in Hollisterville, PA
- MEDICINAL HERB GARDENING- June 8th at Fort Delaware in Narrowsburg, NY MUSHROOM WALK- June 14th 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. at PPL land in Ledgedale, PA
- BIO BLITZ- June 20th 3 p.m. – June 21st 3 p.m. at Monroe County Environmental Education Center
- POCONO NATURE FEST- June 28th at Lacawac Sanctuary
To contact Nathaniel, call (570) 224-0264 or e-mail wathakes@gmail.com.
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