Category Archives: herbs and spices

Some Like It Hot

by Tenaya Craigadditives, artificial colors, herbs and spices, ingredients

Spicy heat is an interesting flavor to consider since it is not typically included among the five generally-recognized tastes – sweet, salt, bitter, sour, and umami. These five sensations are experienced when receptors on the surface of the tongue become activated by food, triggering nerve fibers that run to the brain to signal a specific taste. Spicy heat is not perceived in the same way.

Spice Perception

Your trigeminal system controls spice perception and the ensuing heat sensation. The system detects pain and irritation through nerve endings that are sensitive to touch, temperature, and pain. Capsaicin, the molecule that gives hot peppers their “kick,” for example, binds to a receptor on nerve cells that detect temperature and those that send messages of pain. Piperine, a compound found in black pepper, and allyl isothiocynanate, the burning compound in mustard and radishes, function similarly.

“Send messages of pain” might resonate with those of us who cannot handle spice. The reason we might feel a painfully “hot” sensation when we eat jalapeños, for example, is because the receptors that jalapeños trigger are usually turned on at temperatures higher than 107 degrees – this hurts! There’s no obvious biological reason why we should tolerate this chili sensation, and yet many actively seek it out and enjoy it.

These spice lovers likely curated their tolerance by eating an abundance of spicy foods and peppers. Through repeated exposure, the taste receptors eventually stop responding so strongly to the compounds found in peppers – known as capsaicin desensitization – which may explain why some are able to tolerate more spice than others. Cultural norms can also contribute to a higher tolerance for spicy food. In places like India and South America, hot peppers and spices are a part of the daily cuisine. However, even with this proclivity toward spice, these cultures don’t seem to participate in the competitive, insane heat-seeking activities that Americans pursue.

Hot and Spicy Trends

Despite the fact that nature seems to have created capsaicin and its heat sensation to repel us, food manufacturers are now using it to draw us in. Spicy foods appear to be trendy, particularly spice added to processed foods. Nearly every major commercial snack brand has some form of hot sauce flavored potato chip or cheesy puff product from Sriracha to Tapatio and Trader Joe’s currently boasts a bag of extremely spicy Ghost Pepper potato chips.

Many processed foods are now promoted for their extremely spicy and “fiery” flavors as we can see in this slideshow.

Cognitive scientists have studied how relief and pleasure sensations are intertwined in the brain, suggesting that this may explain what motivates someone to eat the world’s hottest chili pepper, the Carolina Reaper, and post it on YouTube. What we might view as pure torture and physical agony, appears to produce satisfaction from the relief felt after the painful chili flavor subsides. Psychologist Paul Rozin argues that activities such as this allow us to believe we’re doing something dangerous without any real repercussions and he coined the term “benign masochism.”

A senior manager of consumer insights for General Mills explains, “You get endorphins when you eat something really spicy,” which can feel intensely exciting to flavor-seeking eaters and can “create a lot of loyalty.”

General Mills and other food manufacturers have found a way to capitalize on this trend and continue to increase the heat of foods in pursuit of this “loyalty.” Fast food chains boast fiery fries and chicken wings, while commercial items are branded as hot habanero, ghost pepper and “wicked wasabi,” complete with goading marketing to entice the heat-addicted among us to purchase and consume them.

Perhaps spicy heat is not among the five biological taste sensations we normally experience for a reason. Pain is not typically something most of us intentionally seek out. However, if you enjoy a modicum heat and don’t experience gastrointestinal distress or other concerning side effects – more power to you.

How to Enjoy Spice Healthfully

Ideally, we can get our spice fix by consuming natural foods without ingredients such as added sugar or xanthan gum, which is often added to hot sauces to make them thicker. Instead, we can add heat through fresh ginger, wasabi, curry or chili powders, crushed red pepper, and jalapeño or chipotle peppers while staying far away from fast food’s gimmicky “extra spicy” menu items.

What’s Really In Your Food

by Miraadditives, dairy, herbs and spices, ingredients, recipes

As you know I spend a lot of time at the grocery store and in people's pantries looking at labels. The other day I was at a grocery store for a book signing. I was there for two days. While I obviously couldn't see every person in the grocery store I was sitting in an area where I had a pretty good field of vision for quite a few aisles. It took until halfway through the second day before I saw someone actually look at a label. I was so excited that this woman actually read the label that I ran over and told her so. Most people either simply selected their favorites or only looked at the front of the package to compare products.

Unfortunately when we shop on autopilot we don't realize what's in our food. Reading the label is the only way to know what you're really eating.

Below is a list of ingredients that belongs to a very common item found in many homes. It's also especially popular with children so they consume quite a bit of it:

Soybean Oil, Water, Egg Yolk, Sugar, Salt, Cultured Nonfat Buttermilk, Natural Flavors (Soy), Spices. Less than 1% of Dried Garlic, Dried Onion, Vinegar, Phosphoric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Modified Food Starch, Monosodium Glutamate, Artificial Flavors, Disodium Phosphate, Sorbic Acid and Calcium Disodium EDTA as Preservatives, Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate.

So what is it?

Ranch dressing. Specifically Hidden Valley Ranch. I'm not focusing on them, I simply had to pick a bottle and a label.

So let's break this label down and understand what we're looking at:

Genetically modified – the soybean oil and quite possibly the modified food starch which often comes from corn.

Sugar – added sugars in the diet increase inflammation, lower the immune system response, and, in things like dressing, are, in my opinion, not necessary.

rBGH – the buttermilk almost certainly contains this hormone which was given to the cows to make them produce more milk. Linked to an increase in IGF-1 which is linked to diabetes it's not something you want in your food.

MSG – flat out, right on the label. This ingredient may make things taste better but it can cause a wide range of symptoms from headaches, rashes, and flushing to muscle weakness and fatigue.

Artificial flavors – why would you want to eat anything fake?

Unknown ingredients – do you really know what Phosphoric Acid, Disodium Phosphate, Sorbic Acid, Calcium Disodium EDTA, Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate are? If you don't know what it is you shouldn't eat it. Just as a brief example of some of the health risks, phosphoric acid may be linked to lowered bone density, and calcium disodium EDTA is a preservative which has the potential to cause kidney damage.

I cannot recommend strongly enough how important it is to know what's in your food and to read the label.

Looking for an alternative to packaged ranch dressing? Try making your own, simple to make, fresh tasting, tangy and the flavors can be modified to be exactly to your personal preference.

homemade ranch dressing

Homemade Ranch Dressing

1/2 cup organic whole milk*
1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 teaspoon fresh chopped chives
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons organic sour cream
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Pour apple cider vinegar into milk and let sit
In a separate, wide mouth bowl place garlic and salt
Mash together with a fork until garlic turns into a paste
Add chopped herbs, mayonnaise, sour cream, and black pepper
Blend this mixture with milk, combine well
Best served immediately, however leftovers store well in the fridge for up to a week

This is delicious not only on vegetables but as an addition to mashed potatoes, as a dressing for pasta salads, and is the perfect dipping sauce for homemade wings.

*Note: there was a typo in the original which called for 1 cup of milk. That will make a very thin ranch dressing. I prefer mine a little creamier and so have amended it to reflect my initial recipe.

photo: Diádoco

The Benefits Of Garlic

by Miraherbs and spices, immune system, Uncategorizedasian style wings, garlic, garlic health benefits, garlic recipe

Are you a garlic lover? You may not have realized that with all that garlic breath you’re actually improving your health (and maybe warding off vampires). In fact, its health benefits have been noted dating all the way back to ancient Rome and Egypt, but what exactly does it do for you?

Nutritional Profile

A great source of vitamin-C, vitamin B6, phosphorus, potassium, copper, iron, zinc, selenium, calcium, magnesium, and manganese, garlic’s secret lies in the compound called allicin. This compound is responsible for all the purported health benefits by increasing the body’s production of hydrogen sulfide and leading to a number of changes.

Health Benefits

Believed to protects against cancers, it is an anti-inflammatory vegetable that boosts the immune system, It is also antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal. As if that's not enough, it's also highly supportive for detoxification.

With the increase in interest in detoxing your body, it’s good to know how garlic helps with this process. Remember those sulfur compounds mentioned above? Those compounds activate liver enzymes that rid the body of toxins. On top of that, it provides both allicin and selenium, which protect the liver from damage. So next time you’re looking for a new detox recipe, try using garlic.

An interesting health benefit of garlic is that it helps with cough, sore throats, and stuffy noses or congestion. [editor note: when we have illness in our home a favorite remedy is to chop up a fresh clove of garlic and swallow it down with water. It may be a bit pungent but it seems to do the trick. Note of caution, do not do this on an empty stomach or you may vomit.]

Also good for circulation; the hydrogen sulfide compounds found in this vegetable relax the blood vessels. It is believed to increase blood flow and may even help protect the heart. Because of the changes in blood and circulation, it may also improve aerobic performance.

Adding Garlic to Your Diet

You can easily maximize the health benefits that you do get from garlic by putting a little thought into preparation. The healthy compounds are boosted and can withstand cooking when the cloves are crushed or cut at room temperature and then allowed to sit for 10- 15 minutes.

To get the most out of your garlic for health and flavor, cook it the least amount as possible. When adding it to a recipe that calls for onions and other aromatics always put the garlic in last. Finally, researchers believe that aged garlic contains the healthiest properties.

Possible negative effects: If you’re a garlic lover, you may not even care about the negative effects, but for some, they can be a large deterrent. Negative effects include bad breath, gastric upset, body odor, heartburn, and bloating. However, if you’re opting for supplements rather than fresh, some rare effects can happen including headaches, fatigue, and dizziness. Lastly, because it is a blood thinner, you may bruise more easily or if you combine a high garlic intake with blood thinners, you run the risk of severe bleeding.

Randi Upshaw, a Certified Athletic Trainer, contributed to this article.

Garlic Recipe

I’m a huge fan of Instant Pot. It’s so convenient and a great way to get a meal on the table. While the Instant Pot is great for soups and stews, it’s actually a very versatile kitchen appliance and can be used for a number of recipes. Like these quick and easy wings. After they’re done in the Instant Pot you can toss them into the oven for the quick broil and you’ve got a fabulous appetizer or side dish (although we have been known to eat just wings and salad for dinner on occasion — shhh, it’ll be our secret)

Instant Pot Asian-Style Wings

Time Tip: This recipe calls for fresh or thawed wings. If you want to use them already frozen you’ll need to add 4 minutes to the active cooking time.

Budget Tip: If you buy whole wings at the grocery store they’re going to come with the tips. There’s not much meat on those so I recommend cutting them off with a good pair of kitchen shears (just trim right at the joint). Save the tips in the freezer and add them to the pot the next time you make bone broth .

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Ingredients

4-4½ pounds organic chicken wings, segmented
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 cup water
White sesame seeds as garnish
Sauce
¼ cup coconut aminos
2 Tbsp sesame oil
3 Tbsp honey, raw and local preferred
1 Tbsp organic butter, unsalted
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated finely
2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

Season wings with salt and pepper
Place metal trivet inside the Instant Pot® and add one cup of water
Arrange seasoned wings on top of the trivet, secure the cover, and set the vent to “Sealing”
Turn on “Manual” setting for 8 minutes
In a small sauce pan heat the coconut aminos, sesame oil, honey, butter, ginger, and garlic
Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until butter is melted
Remove from heat and set aside
Allow natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release remaining steam
Remove lid, place wings in a large bowl, and set aside to cool slightly
Place an oven rack in the top position and pre-heat broiler to high
Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat and put a wire baking rack on top
Pour 1/2 of the sauce onto the wings, toss to coat
Place wings on the wire rack and broiler for 3-4 minutes or until the wings start to get crispy. Turn the wings over and repeat on the remaining side
Remove wings from the oven and toss with remaining sauce
Sprinkle with white sesame seeds and serve immediately

For more delicious Instant Pot Recipes check out:

Basil Mania

by Miraherbs and spices, recipes

Bay-sil, bah-sil, whatever you call it, it's one of the most fragrant and delicious herbs around. High in vitamin K, basil also has some healthy properties to it's oil which is anti-bacterial and also highly anti-inflammatory. These properties combine to make it a very heart-healthy herb to include in your diet. Recently I went to The Arbor Gate nursery and took their Basilmania class. Starring Chef Chris Crowder and Herbal Expert Ann Wheeler it was an information packed event.

It turns out that there are a vast number of different varieties of basil. According to Ann there are 64 native species of basil, however we now have hundreds of varieties because it is a “promiscuous cross polinator.” I also learned that pepper basil is the only one which does well in the shade. Three years ago I was given a gift of pepper basil from my friend Paula and it has indeed done well on the shadier west side of my house. Now, due to rather mild winters, it's still going strong. And it does indeed taste like a pepper plant. The one basil which I was really taken with while at the nursery was the lime basil. It is so powerfully fragrant and the leaves so deliciously citrus-y that I kept wanting to nibble at it.

In addition to talking about basil, there were demonstrations of different recipes using it. Recipes mentioned included adding basil to tartelettes, a bellini, a vegetable mousse and more. Here's one recipe created by Chef Chris Crowder shared from The Arbor Gate website:

Frozen Basil Strawberry Mousse

2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup sugar plus 1/3 cup
3 cups quartered strawberries
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup sliced strawberries, for garnish
1 tablespoon chiffonade of fresh basil, for garnish

Process the basil and the 1/2 cup sugar in a blender or small food processor and pulse until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Place quartered strawberries in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the basil sugar. Allow the mixture to stand for 20 minutes.

Cut parchment paper into 5 long strips, about 2-inches wide and 12-inches long. Wrap one strip of parchment around the top of a 3-ounce ramekin and secure with string or tape to form a collar that extends above the top of the ramekin. Repeat with the remaining 4 strips and ramekins. Set aside.

Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form and refrigerate until ready to use.

Combine the lemon juice with 3 tablespoons of water and the gelatin in a small bowl. Allow gelatin to soften, about 5 minutes. Place the macerated berries and sugar in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh strainer and press to release the juices; you will need about 1 1/4 cups of the strained juice. Discard the pulp and seeds.

In a small, heavy saucepan, combine 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree and the 1/3 cup sugar over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Just before the mixture begins to boil, remove the syrup from the heat and stir in the gelatin mixture until well incorporated and dissolved.

Combine the gelatin mixture with the remaining strawberry puree in a medium bowl. Set the medium bowl inside a large bowl filled with ice water. Stir the strawberry mixture until cooled and syrupy.

Fold the reserved whipped cream into the syrup mixture, gently but thoroughly, until well incorporated and the mixture is one solid color. Fill the prepared molds with the strawberry mousse, cover, and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

Allow mousse to stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving. Remove the parchment paper from the molds and garnish with fresh sliced strawberries and basil.

However you pronounce it (and whether you think it's an -erb or a herb) basil is a delicious plant which definitely deserves to be made into more than just pesto.

Garden Update

by Miragarden, gratitude, herbs and spices, vegetables

I woke up this morning to a deliciously cool morning, breezy, sunny, birds singing, perfect garden weather. So I took myself out into the garden for a little early morning weeding and puttering around in the dirt.

This has been a horrible year for vegetable gardening for me. I confess I'm a wimp. If it's raining or over 90 degrees I don't like to be out there. We didn't get rain but we certainly had more than our fair share of extraordinarily hot days. And we had a drought. The end result of which is that we got peas, beans, tomatoes and hot peppers. But the zucchini didn't grow (I had always thought it was impossible to NOT grow zucchini — shows what an expert I am), the broccoli and sweet peppers were stunted and bitter, and many of my herbs grew so poorly that I was unable to harvest anything. I'm afraid to try to dig the potatoes, I don't think anything is there.

This morning however I was thrilled to see some things survived and are actually doing well. Here in East Texas our Fall weather is mild enough that many folks refer to it as a second spring. We are fortunate enough to have an extended mild season that allows us to grow another set of crops. Given the hope that follows the soaking rain we had a week ago I'm recharged and ready to get back into the garden.

the cabbage is starting to recover

a baseball sized lemon – the only one on the tree

our eggplants are starting to fruit

the harrdier herbs survived: oregano, sage, chives, pepper basil, a curry plant and yarrow

our fig tree is producing a bumper second crop

Being outside made me realize how much I have been shut inside during the heat of our summer. Yes, I went for walks and bike rides, but to just spend extended amounts of time outdoors enjoying the yard and my surroundings — didn't happen. I'm grateful for the cooler weather, the opportunity to be back outside and the resiliency of mother nature.

Black Bean Casserole

by Miraflexitarian, herbs and spices, legumes, recipes, vegetarian

black beans | photo: Paul Goyette

Unfortunately this got eaten before a picture was taken so no casserole picture. [note to self: learn to take more photographs of food]

Over on my Facebook Fan Page I posted a Meatless Monday menu of black bean casserole, roasted asparagus, spring onions, cauliflower and cauliflower greens. It was a delicious dinner. I received a request for the recipe and decided to post it over here at the blog.

I love oven roasting veggies, it's such a simple way to put them together and really makes fabulous leftovers. And black beans are a great flexitarian choice; they're tasty, easy to prepare, and go well with so many different types of dishes.

Adding beans to your diet, if you don't already eat them, is such a healthy thing to do because not only are you getting protein, you're getting lots of fiber. One cup of black beans provides 15 g. of fiber and 15 g. of protein. A pretty good deal in my book. Even better you're also getting a lot of B vitamins, primarily thiamin and folate, plus iron, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and manganese.

This black bean casserole is one of my favorites because with the addition of the corn tortillas it makes a complete protein. The original recipe that I developed calls for a generous sprinkling of shredded cheese on top however due to my new dietary restrictions I am avoiding cheese. I've discovered that the rice cheeses and other “fake” cheeses are just too unpleasant for my palate, both in taste and texture so I've been feeding what I bought to the dogs (who are thrilled) and just leave out the cheese altogether. But if you're a cheese fan and can eat it, use about 3/4 C.

Being where we are in the growing season at the moment with tomatoes so very expensive (and my garden burned to a crisp due to drought) I've turned to my favorite Pomi Chopped Tomatoes which come in a box rather than a can so there is no BPA. When tomatoes are in season and not hideously expensive I definitely prefer them and use about four in this recipe.

Black Bean Casserole

2 T. olive oil
1 large red onion chopped small
2 cloves garlic minced (more if you like lots of garlic)
2 ribs celery chopped small
1/2 of a 26 oz box of chopped tomatoes
2 cups cooked black beans
1 t. cumin
6 medium size corn tortillas cut or ripped in half
2 T. minced cilantro
1 T. lime juice
2 spring onions chopped
sea salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F
Lightly grease a medium round pie dish
In a pan heat olive oil, saute onion until wilted
Add celery and garlic and saute until celery is wilted
Add black beans, tomatoes, and cumin, cook until heated through
Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste

In pie pan layer 4 corn tortilla halves with 1/3 black bean mixture
(the top layer is where the cheese goes if you're using it)
Repeat layers ending with bean mixture
Cover and bake 30 minutes
Remove from oven, sprinkle with spring onions, cilantro and lime juice

Note: when tomatoes are in season and I use fresh I often top this with some chopped tomato

Growing A Garden

by Miragarden, herbs and spices, recipes, tomatoes

Rosemary | photo: Nataraja

It's been very dry here in the Eastern Piney Woods of Texas. So dry that there are now warning signs all over town about the potential for fire hazard. Needless to say this is not boding well for my garden. This is our third year here and each year we do a little bit better than the year before. But we also spend a lot of time and energy moving things around trying to find just the *right* spot on our postage stamp-sized property. We seem to have finally found the right spot for the tomatoes and they're producing faster than we can eat them which is a delicious thing. If I start to get too many I make something my friend Libby calls Tomato Junk and shove it in the freezer ready to use at a moments notice for pasta dishes, salads, egg scrambles and more.

I've just gotten back from the store where I have purchased, yet again, a rosemary plant. This is my fourth one of the season. I had one last year. It did pretty well. We enjoyed using it in a lot of recipes, especially veggie marinades, last summer. Then winter came. It was a bad winter (for Texas) and many things in my yard did not make it. One of them was that poor rosemary. Okay, it happens. So I went and bought another one. For some reason it wasn't happy where the first one was and it died. I bought another one and moved it to the bed across the way. That one died too. Then I bought another one and planted it in a pot with the lavender. The lavender is still going but the rosemary? Yup, dead as a doornail.

So I've bought another one (luckily they are just $4 a pot so I can afford to keep shelling out until I get it right) and I'm really hoping this one will make it. I've got a different location in mind, a little more shade, hopefully a better location and nowhere near the areas where the others have not survived.

Along the way I keep being reminded that gardening is an ever-evolving process. Especially after learning how to garden in one area of the country and then moving to a vastly different agricultural zone and temperate climate. Learning what plant where takes time and attention and effort. Luckily most of what my husband and I plant in our garden seems to grow well or I probably would have given up by now. I also like playing in the dirt and this certainly gives me an excuse to keep on doing it. And it's a great way to get some sunshine and fresh air, something I recommend for everyone.

Since I mentioned it, here's the recipe for Tomato Junk. There are no precise measurements, I just throw it all together but somehow it always works out.

Tomato Junk

a lot of very ripe tomatoes, washed, cored, peeled and quartered
a sweet onion, chopped
a clove or two of garlic, minced
a bunch of basil, minced

Using a generous amount of olive oil in the pan saute onions and garlic until the onion starts to wilt
Add tomatoes and cook until they start to break down
Add basil and cook another 5 minutes

Remove from heat, let cool and then package for the freezer in 1 cup containers

I do not add salt or pepper to this as I season it when I use it

The High Density Orchard

by Mirafruit, garden, herbs and spices, vegetables

Indus Valley Sustainable Living Institute

Recently I visited the Indus Valley Sustainable Living Institute run by my friend Priyanka. It was wonderful to see all the amazing things that they do there and learn about recycling and reusing on a bigger scale. One of their tag lines is “eco-logical design.” I love it. What a perfect phrase and concept for living sustainably and in harmony with our environment.

While I was there I was able to see the high density orchard. It's amazing to see all the different fruit trees that are planted in a very small space. They can be grown closer together in part because there is no need to plant them wide enough for commercial machinery to get through for harvesting. There's also no need to prune/thin to maximize production. The trees will be shaped to make getting through the orchard and around the trees easier, but they will produce enough to be sustainable.

I was very happy to see the way the orchard was laid out. Priyanka shared that they have 6 citrus, 3 figs, 3 persimmons, an avocado, 2 apples, 4 bananas, an olive, two pomegranates a loquat, black berries, blueberries, grapes, strawberries, and “a few more growing around here.” Their combined orchard and vegetable garden is all in within a 1/6 acre piece of the 1.25 acres that encompass the property.

It made me realize that what we are doing with our little 1/4 acre property is just right, at least for us. It also made me realize that yes I can have an avocado if I simply move the butterfly ginger just a pinch to the right. Another interesting concept was that in the orchard squashes were growing in between the trees. Priyanka told me that many times vines are encouraged to grow up the tree trunks as a means of support. I think that's great and plan to figure out how I can protect baby squash from the ravages of my little terrier-mix puppy and try to put some in there.

Having your own vegetables and fruit is a great way to connect with your food. On a very basic level there is just something fabulous about picking tomatoes and basil from your own garden to toss into the pan and make a meal.

I have been using Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening for years. It's been great and allows me to grow a large number of vegetables in a relatively small space. For those who don't have a yard, container gardening can be the way to go. There is quite a lot that can actually be grown in containers and a well done container garden is very attractive. From Container to Kitchen, The Vegetables Gardener's Container Bible, and Bountiful Container are all good choices to help you get started with container food and herb gardening.

Another good book is Rosalind Creasy's Edible Landscaping. With a lot of great information about incorporating food plants into the garden in an aesthetic and pleasing way it's a good resource and has a lot of useful ideas for those of us (okay mostly me) who aren't good at landscape design.

While there isn't a similar book that is specifically focussed on growing fruit trees and bushes there are a number of books related to small scale homesteading. These include The Backyard Homestead, Mini Farming, and The Practical Homestead. I'm going to check them out and see if there is information there that I can pass along.

In the meantime if you garden, in the yard, in a container, on your windowsill, I'd love to hear about it.

Foods To Lower Blood Pressure

by Mirahealth, herbs and spices, questions, substitutionsblood pressure, high blood pressure, salt

Hypertension is a growing concern in this country. Especially when coupled with the unfortunate reality of restaurants that over-salt their food. But our over exposure to salt is not only from eating at restaurants, even at home, we are consuming far more than we need. Many people tend to over-salt their food, probably due to the influence of high salt when eating out. You can then become addicted to that level of salt flavor and it can take some time and effort to readjust your palate.

Causes of high blood pressure

Blood pressure is measured in milimeters of mercury (mm HG). A moderate adult blood pressure is usually considered to be 120/80. The upper number is called the systolic pressure and indicates the force of your heart beat on the walls of your arteries. The lower number is called the diastolic and this number shows the force of your heart between beats.

Factors that can cause that number to go up may include a diet high in fat, sugar and sodium. A high stress lifestyle can also contribute to high blood pressure. It is very important to note that if you have blood pressure problems you need to let both your doctor and any nutrition professional you are working with know if you are making any changes to try to address blood pressure issues. Herbal remedies, lifestyle changes, and medication implemented together may cause a significant drop in blood pressure. Hypotension, blood pressure that is too low, can be just as bad for you as hypertension.

Fake Salt

If you have high blood pressure you may be advised to go on a low sodium diet. For many people that means switching to "fake" salt which is usually made from potassium chloride. Because it's not sodium it's deemed to be better for you by some medical practitioners.

If you need to avoid excess sodium, I think it's better to also avoid the potassium chlorides and look for other taste alternatives. Adding herbal blends like no salt-seasoning mix is a great way to add flavor without the salt. Or you can use lemon juice on things like black beans or sweet potatoes where you might normally use salt. The added tangy flavor really adds a boost without the need for salt.

The difference between salts

Table salt

This is typically a highly processed form of salt. It is often stripped of minerals, has chemicals added to prevent clumping, and then a low bioavailable form of iodine is added.

Sea salt

I confess I prefer to use sea salt. It has no additives and all the minerals are still in there. Sea salt does tend to have less iodine than table salt and iodine is important for our health so you’ll want to make sure you’re checking your levels and consuming iodine as needed. Adding sea vegetables to your diet is one way to help you get enough iodine. There are a wide variety of sea salts depending on where they’re harvested from.

Kosher salt

is a coarse salt named for the process by which it is created. To my knowledge, there are no additives, and it is not stripped of minerals. But the larger crystals limit some of the uses for it depending on the flavor profile of the dish you are making.

Foods that support lowering blood pressure

Alfalfa is an herb with a reputation for lowering blood pressure. Other herbs believed to be beneficial for lower blood pressure include parsley, ginger root, nettle, and sage. Often taken as an infusion or a tea, these should be avoided if you are on any sort of blood thinners.

Celery is an easily available food that has been recognized in Chinese medicine as being effective for lowering blood pressure. Studies done in Western medicine appear to confirm this benefit. Containing both potassium and sodium, celery is not only a vasorelaxant it is also a diuretic helping to relieve the body of excess fluid.

Garlic is also known to be very beneficial for reducing not only blood pressure but also cholesterol. Fresh garlic is better as the beneficial allicin is fully available when chopped or minced. Letting the garlic sit for 5-10 minutes after cutting allows the allicin to fully develop. Cook garlic lightly for 10-15 minutes (in other words closer to the end of the cooking time) to get full benefit.

Hibiscus tea is known to be very effective for lower blood pressure. The dried flowers can be purchased either through health food stores or even some larger chain grocery stores. A double-blind study published in 2009 in the Journal of Human Hypertension concluded that non-medicated hypertensive diabetic patients had a positive outcome from drinking two cups of infused tea every day for one month. The report further stated, "This study supports the results of similar studies in which antihypertensive effects have been shown for [Hibiscus sabdariffa]."

Nitric Oxide

Nitric oxide is a supplement that can be supportive for lowering blood pressure. This is because it helps your blood vessels to dilate, which can help regulate blood flow, inflammation, and also blood pressure. There are several studies using inorganic nitrate and beet juice supplementation, that found nitric oxide can support a reduction in blood pressure levels. Studies with beet root and beet juice have shown such promise that they have been considered as complementary treatment for hypertension. Beets are rich in dietary nitrates. By consuming beets or beet juice, your body has the components to convert it to nitric oxide and keep your blood vessels more open.

Another way to increase nitric oxide is through meditation. One study found that “meditation groups showed a significant higher level of serum nitrate & nitrite concentration…” Several different types of meditation have been observed to help reduce blood pressure levels. These can include zen-meditation, trans-meditation, and breathing awareness meditation.

In conclusion

The average person should get from 1,500 to 2,300 mg of salt per day.
1 teaspoon of salt has about 2,000 mg
Restaurant foods tend to be heavily salted, if you eat out a lot this may overbalance your palate to a high sodium preference
It is possible to restructure your palate and learn to use less salt
Changing your diet, adding nitric oxide, and including meditation may all be helpful strategies to lower blood pressure

With hypertension becoming a growing challenge, making changes can be an important strategy for controlling blood pressure levels and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Aromatherapy Field Trip

by Miraherbs and spices, meditation, stress

Steve and I recently took a trip into Houston. We were headed for the Museum of Natural Science but would up making a little detour before visiting the museum. Across the street from the Museum, located at One Hermann Street, is a garden that is open to the public. One part of the garden is an Aromatic Garden. Filled with raised beds of mints, culinary herbs, rosemary and other aromatics it is truly a delight for the senses.

We wandered through the beds delighting in the plantings and stroking the different plants to release their scents, admiring how many different kinds of mints and basils and thymes, and more there are. The smell, the texture, the setting all combined to make a very relaxing and delightful stroll. I confess that my hands smelled quite delicious by the time we were done.

Next door to the Aromatic Garden is the Rose Garden. Abounding with blooms of all sizes and colors we wandered from bed to bed exclaiming over the different colors and scents. Some of the showiest roses had no scent at all while some were so overpoweringly perfume-y that one small sniff was more than enough.

I could feel my blood pressure dropping and a sense of calm envelop me as we enjoyed both of these gardens. It was a moment of mindful meditation. Even now, thinking about them as I write I find a peaceful feeling rising forth. Such is the power of scent and beauty that it can help us to slow down and enjoy the moment. Not for nothing do we have the phrase “take time to smell the roses.”

While I have aromatic herbs in my garden I'm now considering adding some roses to I can recreate a small dose of the experience we had this morning for those days when I can't get all the way into the city. If you have a small corner of your garden available you might want to consider doing the same.

photo courtesy of Stan Shebs | Wikimedia Commons