Medicinal Uses for Herbal Teas

Herbs have been used for centuries to treat a variety of medical illnesses. Many of the uses have come from folklore or cultural traditions. Scientific evaluation of herbals has only recently begun, here we will review 10 common herbal tea preparations and their effectiveness to treat certain ailments.

Tea Preparation
Teas can be prepared from either fresh or dried herbs. Bulk dried herbs or dried whole tea leaves can be found at specialty tea stores or through online distributors. Whole leaves are pure herb and are less processed than herbal tea bags, so the plant oils are better preserved. Therefore, you obtain a more concentrated tea with no filler.

Infusion:
This is the most common way to prepare teas.
Pour 1 cup boiling water over the tea bag or dried herbs. Steep (let herbs remain immersed in hot water) for designated time. Remove tea bag or strain off dried herbs. Drink full cup of tea.

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June is National Headache Month; Headache Triggering Foods

June is National Headache Month, specific foods and dietary habits such as fasting, skipping meals or dehydration can trigger headaches in certain people.

Some of the most common foods, beverages and additives associated with headaches include:

1. Aged Cheese - Cheeses may be a trigger in a some patient's with migraines. For people who take monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) medications, avoidance of all foods containing tyramine —including aged cheeses, red wine, alcoholic beverages and some processed meats — is essential.

Tyramine is found naturally in some foods. It is formed from the breakdown of protein as foods age. Generally, the longer a high-protein food ages the greater the tyramine content. Types of cheeses high in tyramine: Blue cheeses, Gorgonzola, Mozzarella, Muenster, Parmesan, Swiss, Processed cheese, Brie, Cheddar, Feta

2. Alcohol— Blood flow to your brain increases when you drink alcohol. Some scientists blame the headache on impurities in alcohol or by-products produced as your body metabolizes alcohol. Red wine (see above), beer, whiskey, Scotch and champagne are the most commonly identified headache triggers.

3. Nitrates- Nitrates and nitrites are typically preservatives found in: Hot dogs, Sausage, Ham, Bacon, Lunch meats and deli-style meats, Pepperoni, other cured or processed meats

Or Some heart medicines; these substances dilate blood vessels, causing headaches in some people.

4. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a food additive/flavor enhancer that may trigger headaches. MSG is one of the active ingredients in soy sauce, meat tenderizer, Asian foods and a variety of packaged foods. Be aware of labeling such as “hydrolyzed fat “ or “hydrolyzied protein” or “all natural preservatives” since these are terms used synonymously with MSG.

Most symptoms begin within 20 to 25 minutes after consuming MSG. They include:

• Pressure in the chest
• Tightening and pressure in the face
• Burning sensation in the chest, neck, or shoulders
• Facial flushing
• Dizziness
• Headache pain across the front or sides of the head
• Abdominal discomfort

5. Cold foods -- This condition is caused by eating cold ice cream quickly or gulping ice drinks. It's more likely to occur if you are over-heated from exercise or hot temperatures. Pain, which is felt in the forehead, peaks 25 to 60 seconds and lasts from several seconds to one or two minutes. About one-third of people experience “head rushes,” and more than 90 percent of migraine sufferers report a sensitivity to ice cream.

6. Caffeine -- found in chocolate and cocoa; beverages such as coffee, tea and colas; also found in certain medications.

7. Artificial Sweeteners- Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners are linked to headaches in some people.

The Headache Prevention Cookbook: Eating Right to Prevent Migraines and Other Headaches A more complete diet listing is here: http://www.headaches.org/education

Adapted from The Cleveland Clinic

Feng Shui and Food

Chi or "energy" - the basic premise of Feng Shui must be free-flowing in order to be in balance. All things in the Universe have two opposite yet complementary energies known as Yin and Yang.

You can enhance the energy in the kitchen with colors, materials and shapes, as well as good lighting and ventilation. When everything is in balance, meals will taste better, are easier to digest, and are healthier. This vital balance of energy, applies to everything in your environment, including the food with which you nourish your body.

Each food relates to one or more Feng Shui elements - wood, fire, earth, metal and water. By combining the elements, you can enhance the Yin and Yang components of food, saturating it with energy and health-giving properties.

You will feel best when both Yin and Yang energies are equally strong and balanced within your body. After eating, you will feel good when your food has provided you with sufficient energy or you may feel cold or tired when your food did not provide you with enough.

In the cooler climates, there are about four times as many people with Yang deficiency as with Yin deficiency. Your body desires a balance between Yin and Yang and it will give you signals when your diet is not balanced. When you feel satisfyingly warm, your food is correctly balanced.

Source: Feng Shui and the 5-Element Kitchen, written by Llse Maria Fahrnow, Jurgen Henrich Fahrnow, Gunther Sator

Roasted Chili Peppers

If you want to try roasted pepper at home, the chilies can be roasted under a broiler; outdoor grill or stove-top gas flame.

In all cases, they should be slit along one side or pierced with a fork to prevent explosions and then roasted until the skin is blistered, turning frequently for even charring.

Remove them when the skin is almost all black and the flesh underneath is cooked but not mushy. The roasting makes it possible to remove the tough, transparent outer skin of the chilies.

Protect your hands from burning when preparing chilies by wearing rubber gloves or coating your hands with shortening or other solid fat; don't touch your eyes or other sensitive areas after handling chilies.

If you want milder chilies, remove the seeds and trim the veins from the chilies before roasting.

To broil, preheat broiler.
Place chilies on a foil-lined tray or cookie sheet 3 to 6 inches below the broiler unit; leave oven door open.

On an outdoor grill, place the rack close to the charcoal (or select high heat setting on a gas grill); place chilies on rack, when briquettes have an even white coating. You can add soaked wood chips if you like a smoke flavor.

If you want too freeze the chilies, cool them and bag them without peeling; they will peel easily after they've been defrosted.

If you want crisper chilies, plunge them into ice water directly after cooking and before peeling.

For softer chilies, place in a bowl or pan and cover with a towel, or place them in a paper bag and close loosely, to steam until they're cool enough to handle. Peel the chilies from the stem end down.

Recipe from mex-recipes.com

Find out more about clever kitchen decorating with Chili Peppers

Nutrition and Children

What You Should to Know
Proper nutrition is key to leading a healthy life, and healthy eating habits are best formed during childhood.

Teachers and parents can teach children good eating habits by being positive role models in their own choices and by explaining to their children the importance of a balanced diet and how to choose healthy options from each food group. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid for Kids can be a useful resource for talking to kids.

Recommended Daily Portions.

A child's age, gender, and activity level are all factors that determine how much he or she needs to eat every day to stay healthy. Boys and girls grow at different rates and thus may need more or less calories than each other, even when they are the same age.

For food intake recommendations for children visit www.mypyramid.gov.

What You Can Do
Serving healthy snacks to our children is important to providing good nutrition for growth and development, supporting lifelong healthy eating habits, and preventing costly and potentially disabling diseases, like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.

Snacks are a bigger part of kids' diets than in the past, and can make positive or negative contributions to kids' diets-depending on the choices we offer.

Below are ideas of healthy drinks and snacks to serve to children.

Healthy Foods

1. Fruits and vegetables: Almost all of the snacks served to children should be fruits or vegetables. Do taste tests, or let kids choose (or vote for) new fruits and vegetables to try. Fruit can be served whole, sliced, cut in half, cubed, or in wedges. Canned, frozen, and dried fruits are easy and usually need little preparation.

Healthy options include fresh fruits and vegetables; frozen fruit; applesauce; fruit cups or canned fruit (in juice or light syrup); dried fruit and fruit leathers (without added sugars); fruit salad; fruit juice popsicles; and homemade smoothies.

Vegetables can be served with dips like hummus, bean dip, or salad dressing; in salads; or as veggie pockets in whole wheat pita.

2. Healthy grains (whole grains that are low in fats and sugars): Serve mostly whole grains, which provide more fiber, vitamins, and minerals than refined grains do. (Whole wheat [or other whole grain] should be the first ingredient listed.)

Healthy whole grain options can include English muffins, pita, or tortillas; breakfast cereal; crackers; rice cakes; popcorn; tortilla chips; granola; cereal bars; breadsticks; or flatbreads. Refined grains, such as pretzels and goldfish, should not be everyday offerings.

Be sure to read nutrition labels to pick options that are low in sugars, saturated fat, and trans fat.

3. Low-fat dairy foods: To protect children's bones and hearts, make sure all dairy foods are low-fat or fat-free, such as yogurt and low-fat pudding.

Since cheese is the number two source of heart-damaging saturated fat in children's diets, choose lower-fat cheeses, serve small portions, and serve cheese with other foods, like fruit, vegetables, or whole grain crackers.

4. Nuts and trail mix: Since nuts are high in calories, it is best to serve small portions (a small handful) and serve them along with another snack, such as fruit.

Healthy Beverages

1. Water: Water should be the main drink served to kids at snack times. Water satisfies thirst without adding calories or sugars (and it is low-cost!).

2. Seltzer or sparkling water: Look for calorie-free varieties, flavored or unflavored.

3. Low-fat and fat-free milk: Milk is a terrific source of calcium and vitamin D, but it is also the number one source of heart-damaging saturated fat in children's diets.

Choose fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) instead of whole or 2% (reduced-fat) milk.

Soy and rice "milks" (fortified with calcium and vitamin D) also are healthy options.

3. Fruit juice: Choose only 100% fruit juice, but limit juice to no more than 6 ounces (a little less than a cup) for 1- to 6-year-olds and no more than 12 ounces (1 1/2-2 cups) for 7- to 18-year-olds.

Avoid juice drinks, which, nutritionally, are no better than soda pop. The label should list 100% juice. Avoid drinks with sugar or high fructose corn syrup in the ingredient list.

Reprinted with permission from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, "Healthy Snacks for Children," www.cspinet.org.

Foods to Nourish Your Brain

An Intelligent Diet

Boost your brainpower by feeding your brain "brain foods".

Here are 6 tips for an intelligent diet:

1. Balance your glucose - it provides fuel for your brain. Try to eat carbohydrate foods in the evening, as it promotes relaxation and sleep.

2. Eat essential fats - ensure your diet is rich in omega-3 fats found in oily fish.

3. Include plenty of protein rich foods in your diet. Proteins are essential to make neurotransmitters which are vital for the thinking process. Try to eat a protein based lunch to optimize your mental performance and alertness throughout the day.

4. Eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals to 'fine tune' your mind.

5. Drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day to keep your brain well hydrated.

6. Oxygenate your brain by exercising and eating little and often. Eat your main meal before 7pm.