Good Medicine Everyday: Garlic

The therapeutic benefits of garlic have been known way before the invention of modern medicine. Hippocrates even used to prescribe garlic! This tiny but mighty allium (same family as onion) is often used as an herb or spice and many people love the flavor of garlic! Raw it’s kind of spicy and intense, but slow roasted gives garlic a whole new flavor profile. I personally can’t get enough garlic (especially that slow roasted kind). I’ve chomped on raw cloves when I’m sick/getting sick and that in itself is an experience! I use it in almost every savory dish I make. I’ve even had it in juice, which isn’t as bad as it sounds!

Most of the health benefits of garlic can be attributed to sulfur compounds. Here are a few of the ways consuming garlic daily can boost your health (1):

• Supports the immune system - daily garlic consumption can result in fewer colds and reduce the duration of colds. This is due to garlic’s antimicrobial, antifungal and antiviral properties. Like I mentioned, I chew a raw clove if I feel something coming on. It’s really intense, but it definitely feels like potent medicine!

• It supports cardiovascular health and may reduce blood pressure (this would probably be most effective in supplement form).

• Garlic contains antioxidants that can help fight Alzheimer’s and dementia.

• It can help reduce heavy metal toxicity in the body. That means things like lead, mercury, copper, aluminum, etc. Too many of these heavy metals in the body can lead to a host of health issues that is beyond the scope of this little article.

• The National Cancer Institute actually recognizes garlic as one of several foods with potential anticancer properties - woah! (2)

Garlic is relatively inexpensive and widely available, making it feasible for everyone to reap the health benefits. Hot tip: chop or crush your garlic and allow it to sit for 10 minutes before cooking with it. The chopping activates an enzyme which helps maximize garlic’s health benefits. Honestly, I only remember to do this about half the time, but that’s better than nothing!

Use garlic in any vegetable, meat, or seafood dish, soups, stews, tomato sauce, etc. Use it raw in dressings and marinades. Roast it right along with your vegetables. Definitely add it to your guacamole. There’s no bad way to eat your garlic!

Good Medicine Everyday: Citrus

We’ve known about the power of citrus way before any scientists could come up with proof that it was good for us. Back in the day, we figured out that citrus prevents scurvy and could mean the difference between life and death.

The category of “citrus” includes lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruits. What makes these acidic orbs so amazing? Read on to find out!

• Vitamin C - almost everyone knows that oranges contain vitamin C, which not only prevents scurvy but gives our immune system a serious boost AND supports skin health since vitamin C is essential for collagen production.
  

• Fiber - all fruits and veggies contain fiber and snacking on an orange is a really sweet way to get your fiber in!
  

• Kidney stone prevention - citrus fruits raise levels of citrate in your urine, which helps to prevent kidney stones.
  

• Antioxidants - high levels of antioxidants reduce cancer risk and support heart health.
  

• Flavonoids - these compounds are anti-inflammatory and can help prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

I love going into citrus season because oranges and tangerines are the best portable snack - they come in their own compostable packaging, feel like a treat and are giving me a pop of vitamin C during cold and flu season. My personal favorite are Cara Cara oranges, which have a slight pink hue to them :)

Lemon water is a favorite amongst my clients. It seems like a super simple recommendation, but squeezing half a lemon into your water makes it more tasty, boosts digestion, gives you a dose of vitamin C and energizes you. A lot of them prefer to do it in the morning on an empty stomach, and one just sips on lemon water all day long.

I love adding lemons and limes to juices I make and using their juice in sauces and cooking.

I’ve never personally been a big fan of grapefruits - too bitter for me and I don’t really want to have to sprinkle sugar on something in order for me to want to eat it. But I occasionally enjoy it in juices!

HOT TIP: Try to eat some of the pith (the white stuff) when you’re eating citrus. It contains high levels of all the nutrients discussed above and while some people think it’s bitter, it doesn’t usually have much of a flavor. I always leave a little on when I’m juicing and try to eat a little when I’m eating an orange whole.

What’s your favorite way to incorporate citrus? Let me know below!

Good Medicine Everyday: Ginger

I love ginger. Ginger tea, a knob thrown into smoothies, grated into sauces, ginger juice shots, crystallized ginger candy... I could go on. Something about ginger is just so invigorating! It feels life-giving. Ginger is a prominent spice in the Ayurvedic tradition. According to the tradition, “not only does ginger stoke the digestive fire, but it also whets the appetite, improves assimilation and transportation of nutrients to targeted body tissues, and clears the microcirculatory channels of the body”. (1)

One time I recommended that a friend try adding ginger to her smoothies. She's obsessed and chalks up her amazing energy, her sense of wellbeing and high immunity to the ginger in her smoothies. And she's probably not wrong.

Ginger has been used medicinally for many many years, even outside of Ayurveda. What makes ginger so amazing? (2)

1. Digestion is perhaps what comes to mind when most people think of ginger (gingerale when you're sick, anyone?). Ginger can help alleviate nausea so it's great for anyone with a stomach bug, morning sickness or undergoing chemo. It can also help with indigestion since it speeds up the rate at which the stomach empties food into the intestines.

2. Gingerol is the main anti-inflammatory compound in ginger that gives it so many of its health benefits. Consuming ginger regularly can help with muscle soreness from working out, pain and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis, and cramps in women during their period.

3. Ginger can help lower LDL cholesterol and also help lower fasting blood sugar, both of which are factors that contribute to heart disease.

4. Because ginger can inhibit the growth of many different kinds of bacteria, it's great for protecting yourself from colds and other germs. It might also be effective against viruses.

5. The antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects can positively affect our bodies in a variety of ways - including Alzheimer's and cancer prevention.

Pretty amazing, isn't it!? So go load up on ginger and if you're feeling really bold - try drinking ginger juice straight up! Nothing makes me feel more bright-eyed and alive. Other ways to incorporate ginger into your everyday: ginger tea, add a little knob to smoothies, grate over veggies, eat a thin slice or two before meals, make or choose juices with ginger in them, make a sauce with grated ginger.