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Food as medicine?
“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine by thy food.” - Hippocrates.
It’s October and I am planting my garden! This time of year, we usually clean up our gardens for winter’s rest, to begin again in the springtime.
What am I planting? Garlic. Each garlic bulb is made up of many segments called cloves. Plant the cloves in the fall. Mulch. Watch the new growth in the spring. Harvest garlic bulbs in early July. Hang up to dry. Save your largest bulbs to plant in the fall.
Garlic adds flavor and aroma to our favorite foods. But did you know that garlic has been used for medicinal purposes throughout history? Many ancient cultures used garlic for nutrition and health benefits. Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician regarded as the ‘Father of Medicine,’ prescribed garlic for a variety of conditions.
Current research is confirming the medicinal properties of garlic in this online article by healthline.com
11 Proven Health Benefits of Garlic
1. Garlic contains compounds with potent medicinal properties.
2. Garlic is highly nutritious but has very few calories.
3. Garlic can help protect against illness, including the common cold.
4. The active compounds in garlic can reduce blood pressure.
5. Garlic improves cholesterol levels, which may lower the risk of heart disease.
6. Garlic contains antioxidants that may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
7. Garlic may help you live longer.
8. Garlic supplements may improve your athletic performance.
9. Eating garlic may help detoxify heavy metals in the body.
10. Garlic may improve bone health.
11. Garlic is easy to include in your diet and adds flavor.
Keep a jar of minced garlic in your fridge. It is easy to stir into soups and sauces or anything you are cooking. It’s a simple way to add more nutrition and health benefits into your daily diet.
Consuming raw garlic may maximize the health benefits as the compounds with medicinal properties are released after chopping or crushing the clove. Fresh, raw garlic is often used in dressings, salsa and pesto.
Tip: Avoid eating raw garlic if you have an important business meeting, or date! Garlic breath.
My go-to remedy if I feel sniffles coming on.
Raw Garlic Appetizers
• Chop a large clove of garlic. Let rest for five minutes to enhance the medicinal properties.
• Slather a few crackers with organic butter.
• Top with chopped garlic. Now it will stick to the cracker.
• Drizzle with raw honey.
Pretty tasty and very powerful! I usually eat this with food, like chicken bone broth or soup.
Stock your kitchen with garlic. Stir it into whatever you are making. And let this food be your medicine.
Jeanna Anglin is a health coach residing in Putnam County who supports individuals and small groups in making lifestyle changes to improve their health. jeannaanglin.com