Healthy herbs to eat, and spices prevent chronic inflammation while keeping you physically glowing.
My top Picks For simple Healthy herbs to Eat and have in your kitchen
I love to cook. I’ve always fancied cooking but I really didn’t think of the impact of food and what you consume till I suffered severe pains from ovarian cysts which ultimately ended in surgery.
The anxiety was crippling, the entire thing felt strange. I didn’t want to be held down by sadness as that could make my immune system worse off. I decided to look inwards, into the food I eat and my lifestyle.
My food resolution wasn’t absolute until I was diagnosed with yet another cyst. I promise you the fear of another surgery plus I already lost a fallopian tube to inflammation.
I had quite a tumultuous run with my emotions and my health but thanks to my father’s tough love, and the support of everyone who actually loves me, I was able to sail through and manage my condition better.
“Wisdom is the most principle thing, therefore in all your get, get understanding”
Proverbs 4 vs 7
As a Christian, sometimes my first reaction to negative situations is to blame the devil, Satan, and his demons. While all good things are from God and bad things are from the devil. It’s important to never forget the truth. We are naturally predisposed to making errors.
Life is so intricately detailed that we make so many drastic overlooked mistakes.
On my journey to healthy food and living, I realized that we are indeed what we eat. And the world leaks with highly unhealthy food. What’s worse is the ease of access and even affordability of these unhealthy foods.
Even the unaffordable food, we can’t really trust the sources and truthfulness of its ingredients. We are just to believe in stamps and whatever we are told. There is really no agency protecting you, remember, the end result of every business is to make money. Sometimes, these regulations agencies can’t save you.
I spent a good quality of money and time eating unhealthy food. Junk, sweets, and all things fast. I was in college so healthy food was specifically the last thing on my mind.
Thankfully, I was given what I believe to be another chance at life. I changed my food and tried to change my life, consciously and daily.
6 Common but powerful Healthy herbs To eat
Herbs and spices are something we use in our cooked meals regularly. Cooking a healthy meal for yourself or even consciously ensuring a healthy meal for yourself is self-love. You can only change from the inside out and start with your physical body. Give your body the proper nutrients and watch your life transform from the inside out.
These are the herbs I use in my meals. I’ve been using them for over a year and have been having significantly fewer problems with my physical and mental health, to be honest. I discovered them over the research of course. They are food items still in use in most households, cultures, and regions. As long as centuries-old recipes for food, medicine, and in some cases, skin care.
1 Ginger:
This is one of four kitchen spices/herbs I swear by. It’s ridiculous how I used to hate ginger as a child. My dad would randomly chew on a fresh piece of ginger. The little child I was may not have understood. But thank goodness for the grace of growing. Now, no one forces me to, I just eat healthily of my own will.
Ginger is a spicy root plant that contains 6-gingerol. According to PubMed, Ginger’s 6 gingerol is the active substance in ginger. Research has backed up the use of ginger as a “potential therapeutic agent” for the prevention of chronic diseases and inflammation. It has anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidation properties and is safe to consume, of course in rational amounts.
Ginger is used in raw powdered/dry form. It is an ingredient for making healthy shots and cooking. I use ginger as one of my go-to chicken/meat spices and for making a spicy stew. I drink ginger tea with a mixture of other similar herbs, one cup daily ( when I remember to).
2 Garlic:
Garlic is the second kitchen spice/herb I swear by. Yes, it has a pungent stench and the smell lingers a whole lot. I use garlic to cook so much I feel comfortable with the smell. Again, I work from home so I’m just stinking garlic at home. Hippocrates often referred to as the father of modern science often referred to food for medicine. Chinese, Indian, Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek, etc civilizations all used garlic in some medicinal form, historically.
Garlic contains sulfur amongst other things. Sulfur is of two types in case you’re wondering how anyone would suggest consuming sulfur. Unfortunately, most food has stopped containing sulfur thanks to the continuous use of pesticides and herbicides and manures/fertilizers. It is high in anti-microbial and anti-cancer agents. It also beautifies your skin from the inside. Importantly, it greatly improves your heart’s health, improves your digestive system, amongst other numerous benefits. Lastly, garlic is great for managing hormonal imbalances and fibroids.
Garlic is another meat-spicing staple of mine. I use it for making sauces, stews, herbal tea, soups, broth, etc.
3 Black pepper
Known as the “king of spices”, with its mildly spicy but sharp flavor. The active ingredient called piperine endows the spice/herb with a lot of anti-oxidant benefits. It fights free radicals that cause diseases in your cell. For centuries, it has been an ingredient of Indian Ayurvedic medicine due to its bioactive components.
According to Pubmed, It helps in chemoprevention and inhibits the growth of tumors, helps in improving brain function, gastrointestinal function, and how well the body absorbs nutrients. It also helps improve your blood sugar.
4 Turmeric
I’ve written a step-by-step on how to DIY turmeric powder. Turmeric fresh or dry can be a herbal tea, a spice, a skincare ingredient, etc. With its high antioxidant, anti-inflammatory turmeric tea. According to Johnhopkinsmedicine.org, turmeric contains curcumin, an active polyphenol that may help the body in neutralizing disease-causing radicals. It can also manage inflammations. As someone who suffers from ovarian cysts, I religiously sip a lot of turmeric tea, and blends of herbal tea. Especially during ovulation. Further, this spice can help with joint inflammatory conditions as well. This includes osteoarthritis.
Turmeric is the 3rd spice/ herb I swear by for delivering a unique taste to my meals. Together with garlic and ginger, these three are my faithful kitchen companion. With its deep gold-orange pigment, the fresh variation might prove difficult to use because the color can get anywhere and will stain.
Turmeric also has positive benefits in managing anxiety. According to turmericforhealth.com, turmeric can improve cognitive function and reduce anxiety occurrences.
It basically enables your brain to produce more “feel good” hormones such as serotonin, according to bestfornutrition.com. I can testify that I feel some form of mild excitement when I perceive my turmeric-ed-up chicken, who knows? Never take little things for granted. Scents are therapeutic
Its anti-inflammatory properties also make it great for keeping your skin free of radicals from the inside.
Moreover, turmeric contains vitamins C, which is known as an anti-aging and skin-brightening agent in the beauty industry. Give yourself some vitamin c love and benefits from the inside out.
5 Onions
One thing about colorful fruits/vegetables, they always have a lot of healthy benefits. Onion is a relative of garlic. This purple-colored tear-inducing spice/herb adds taste to food. It smells really great when used in a stir-fry dish.
Onion contains a lot of vitamins and minerals. Particularly, onions contain vitamin C. This is useful for healthy skin, it induces collagen growth and also helps in repairing damaged tissue.
Onions also contain other vitamins that aid in boosting metabolism, nervous system function, and red blood cell production, among other super-healthy benefits. Onion contains quercetin which helps in fighting cancer, according to WebMD.
It is also great for your heart’s health. It contains potassium, manganese, and copper, all of which are needed by the body to prevent and fight inflammations and promote growth.
Further, onion is great anti-bacterial properties and is good for your gut health.
It is the fourth taste-enhancing spice/herb I use every time I cook a meal.
6 Cayenne peppers
Rich in vitamins A, C, B, and K, this spicy hot number helps the body function in many ways. Inside out. It improves your gut health, your vision, your immune system, etc. These vitamins such as K, B, and C are key to healthy moisturized glowing skin.
It contains antioxidants that fight the free radicals that can cause diseases and chronic inflammation which could lead to terminal diseases.
It’s quite spicy and hot and could literally burn your skin so badly. It also helps manage inflammations like arthritis. In some folk medicine, this hot spice is used to treat fractures although I can hardly imagine that sort of hellish pain.
Conclusion
I will admit, I haven’t worn makeup or used any extra skincare items in exactly 2 years now. But all my skincare concerns simply ceased to bother me.
I still have acne but I know now it’s a part of my cycle and using any product could and has only resulted in more acne (for me). I have dark spots but I must say they are insignificant and not prominent, compared to 2 years ago.
My skin looks healthy and glows naturally. I don’t hate my naturally oily skin anymore. In fact, I appreciate it.
Self-love is completely a process with many parts. You can’t love yourself if you consciously consume food that hurts your insides more than it helps.
Self-love is eating the things which provide your body with the right things like vitamins and other nutrients which help your body stay active.
Healthy meals contain all classes of food in more than one way. Healthy oils, healthy carbohydrates, etc.
How can you go on no carbohydrates when your body literally needs carbohydrates to give you energy?
Learn about food, get familiar with healthy food, and use their goodness to your advantage, with a balance.
Be patient with yourself, these herbs aren’t magic potions. Self-love teaches you the grace to understand life and living. Slow down and appreciate the world more.