Nutrient dense and filled with flavor, home-grown herbs will rock your world!
Adding herbs to your diet can have a remarkable impact on your health. Herbs are nutrient-dense, meaning that they are low in calories and provide nutrients for the body. These strong little plants contain antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, essential oils, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
What’s incredible about herbs is that a little bit goes a long way. A few teaspoons or tablespoons can make all the difference to your meals. Ideally, you want them fresh, but if they must be dried, make sure they’re organic and not old or stale.
Herbs are not difficult to take care of, even if you have a black thumb. Most herbs only need watering every other day, and you can even keep them in small pots indoors. Herbs make your food taste better and give many healing and health benefits.
Growing your own herbs will increase the flavor of your herbs, and they are richer in vital vitamins and antioxidants than herbs you purchase in store.
There are numerous easy ways to include herbs in your diet, such as adding them to your salad dressing, sauces, stews, dip, and vegetable dishes.
Cilantro
Cilantro is an ancient and popular herb used since Egyptian times. Individuals will either love cilantro or absolutely hate cilantro; for the latter, even a tiny amount can ruin a dish. It has an anise-like taste and an earthy, fetid aroma. A small amount will enhance the flavor and taste of dishes. Cilantro has many health benefits including lowering bad LDL cholesterol while increasing good HDL cholesterol. Cilantro also regulates energy, aids digestion, and relieves intestinal gas, pain, and distention. Cilantro is a good source of Vitamin C and an excellent source of Vitamin A. Vitamin C increases your immune system while Vitamin A helps maintain healthy skin and eyes.
Grow your own: Cilantro grows best in the late spring, between the months of March and May. In order to grow, cilantro requires full sun exposure and should frequently be watered (1 inch of water per week). Once it is out of the ground, less water is required. Cilantro will grow for 2 or 3 more cycles after it’s harvested and then coriander seeds will grow.
Dandelion
Although dandelions are unwanted on lawns they offer many health benefits. Dandelion leaves can be used to replace spinach in a salad. The leaves also make a great tea that has many health benefits for your body that you should take advantage of. Dandelion leaves provide health benefits for your pancreas, stomach, kidneys, and liver. A wonderful advantage is that it is great for digestion and has the ability to stimulate liver function and reduce inflammation. Dandelion is a great source of Vitamin A in the form of antioxidant carotenoid, potassium, as well as calcium. For non-dairy consumers, it provides a good alternative to get your calcium requirements.
Grow your own: Dandelions require full sun exposure. Place compost around the area you want to grow, and place an opaque fabric on top of the dandelions a few weeks before you want to harvest them, and less bitter herbs will result.
Parsley
Parsley is the world’s most popular herb, which is also a biennial plant that will continue to grow every season after first planted. Parsley can be used in vegetable dishes, as a base for salad dressings, or used in large amounts in stews or casseroles. Parsley helps with digestion in a way that detoxifies the body by flushing out fluid from the body and therefore supporting kidney function. It assists in stimulating the bowels and helps prevent hypertension as it controls blood pressure. The essential oil Eugenol in parsley treats teeth and gum diseases and controls blood sugar levels, which makes it great for people with diabetes. Out of all the herbs, it is the richest in vitamin K, which aids in bone health as it helps build bone mass and is thought to treat Alzheimer’s disease by limiting the neuronal damage in the brain.
Grow your own: Parsley requires partial sunlight to grow and can be grown both indoors next to the windowsill or outside. It should be watered at least once a week and planted in the early spring. Start to harvest when three leaves are developed.
Rosemary
This aromatic herb will make your food look good. Rosemary contains a compound known as a carnosic acid that fights cancer cells. It is believed that just smelling this herb can enhance your memory and concentration, which is beneficial for students and aging adults. It is also good for heart health and relieves stress.
Grow your own: The best way to grow rosemary is to get a rosemary cutting from another rosemary plant and place it in soil. This herb requires infrequent watering and can grow in various conditions including snow.
Sage
Sage is peppery in taste and treats the consequences of aging. It is a memory enhancer, and mild Alzheimer’s sufferers will benefit from this herb. Sage lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels as it contains a substantial amount of Rosmarinic acid, which is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It can also be used to prevent hot flashes in menopausal women.
Grow your own: Sage grows easily and does not require a lot of care. This herb should only be watered when the soil is dry and ideally should be kept in sunlight. However, it can grow in hotter shady areas. In the first year it grows, remove the leaves when harvesting and in subsequent years the stems can also be used.
Basil
Basil is a common herb that has a sweet and earthy aroma when fresh, and it combines well with many other herbs. It is most commonly used in pesto. Basil has over fifty varieties including a sweet, bush, and purple type. Basil is beneficial for individuals who have lung or stomach-related complaints. This herb can also be used to treat mild depression, anxiety, headache, or menstrual pain. It contains phytochemicals that may lower cortisol that is released when you’re stressed.
Grow your own: Basil is extremely easy to grow, and it grows inside or outside. It only needs to be watered every other day. A few leaves go a long way and can grow inside and out.
Dill
Dill is an aromatic, warming, and pungent herb that looks similar to fennel. Dill has the ability to improve digestion and alleviate insomnia due to indigestion. It increases your immune system, is anti-inflammatory, and relieves troubles with menstrual cycles. Dill can be used to relieve hiccups and intestinal gas.
Thyme
Thyme is related to mint and is balmy and aromatic. This herb will help treat your acne and your cough as it contains anti-bacterial properties. In addition, a thyme extract will lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Thyme is great as it relieves lung digestion, candida, and indigestion.
Grow your own: Growing thyme can be done indoors, but it still requires full sunshine. After three years, the plant should be replaced, as it will get woody.
Chives
This herb is part of the allium family, which also includes onions, scallions, garlic, and leeks. It can be used as a garnish or in dishes to add more flavor. Chives boost the immune system, and studies have concluded that chives help prevent cancers, especially stomach and colorectal cancers. They also protect against breast, esophageal and prostate cancers (most likely because of the organosulfur compounds in chives).
Grow your own: Chives require full sun and frequent watering until they are well-rooted. As soon as they look like they are ready to use, they can be harvested.
