The title of my blog is: Eating for the Ego. Ergo, I once thought of food as a pleasurable experience... which it still is! But for me, I have toned down the pleasure scale, discontinuing to eat everything in sight and have begun to think of food as a means of healing. Several years ago, I was fortunate enough to begin reading Diana Gabaldon's series in which a wily and adventurous female enters a portal which transports her back to the distant past. Formerly a nurse, the woman begins to use her medical skills in eighteenth-century to heal members of a Scottish tribe using mostly herbs, the only remedies at her fingers in a pre-industrial era. For the first time, my mind opened to a new use for food. Here within, a list of useful herbs:

Rosemary: "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance." Apparently Shakespeare knew what he was talking about in that rosemary is thought to improve one's memory and concentration. It also contains calcium, vitamins A, B and C as well as iron. It can also be used to treat dandruff. I'm not sure how but I'd love to get the procedure for concocting this remedy.

Saffron: While expensive, saffron can be used in treating stomach disorders. I cite a remedy for stomach disorders because I believe that some of these disorders arise from the use of heavily processed foods in our society. Many herbs, such as ginger, ease our digestive issues and I haven't heard too much of natural, whole foods (besides beans perhaps) leaving us hunched over a toilet. The use of herbs, in my mind, not only relieve our gastrointestinal stress they also provide an avenue away from foods that are heavily processed.

Turmeric: On 101cookbooks.com, I read an interesting post on creating turmeric tea. Heidi Swanson, the author, was mentioning pain in her back which she wished to ease. Remembering  turmeric as an anti-inflammatory, she whipped together a tea based on the above spice and honey (with added pepper). I cannot wait to try this recipe as I am always intrigued by an anti-inflammatory.

Parsley: Parsley, luckily, carries vitamins A, B, K and loads of vitamin C. Vitamin A is great for your skin and vitamin C is great for protection from immune deficiencies. Parsley, can also freshen your breath, help strengthen your teeth and reduce joint pain. I'm not sure how quite to increase my intake but plan on bring out recipes soon.

Paprika: Somewhat related to the topic of anti-inflammatories, paprika helps in maintaining the health of one's veins and capillaries. It also contains vitamins A, C, E and K. Impressively, paprika has also been claimed to aid with depression and lethargy. 

Oregano: Oregano contains vitamins A, C and K as well as calcium and iron. Thankfully, it has been known to help with migraines; good news for anyone that has suffered from one.

These are only some of the herbs/spices that carry medicinal qualities. Oftentimes, herbs and their list of remedies are organized alphabetically as I did in reverse order. Coming soon, herbs M-A. Looking forward to writing.