Dear Subscribers,

At the moment, there are two really important "hot" items. The first is curry powder:

This was discussed on the Dr. Oz Show by Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary. I didn't see the show, but there was a run on curry powder and many seeds. In actuality, curry powder is a mixture of spices so your own creativity sets the limit on what you can conjure up. This is not merely a matter of how mild or hot the curry powder is but whether you want it to be more carminative, i.e. add cumin, fennel, dill, fenugreek, and ajwan or more cooling with some coriander. More cinnamon adds to the sweetness, more cloves gives a bit of a bite. Cayenne, of course, is the primary determinant of how hot the curry is whereas ginger helps with flavor and stills the angry dragons that are aroused by the cayenne. There are lots of different kinds of curries from many cuisines but all start with turmeric, the spice that gives the curry the yellow color. Turmeric is a little pungent but also astringent and a bit bitter. Some people use mustard seeds also. These usually need to be popped before adding onions, garlic, and other vegetables to the dish. The powder is added after the liquid which can be water or coconut milk or perhaps some soup that you want to jazz up to titillate the palate. In general, all spices create a sensation of anticipation that stimulates the flow of saliva and secretion of gastric juices. Spices also promote deeper assimilation of food at all stages of digestion and they aid peristalsis. In high enough doses, some spices are parasitides and most are antifungal as well. Many, especially cinnamon and cloves, have extremely high antioxidant ratings, and many relieve nausea, especially ginger and galangal. These latter two spices can be used as dry powders (much hotter than the fresh rhizomes) or peeled and sliced thinly and added to anything from a smoothie to a casserole. Being hot, spices antidote sweetness which is the main cause of weight as well as high cholesterol and blood sugar.

If you have never eaten North African or Asian food before, I would suggest going to a really good restaurant that specializes in such cuisines so that you have a good idea of what the food should taste like. I am personally partial to Ethiopean and Thai food, but with Jupiter in Cancer, I love just about all foreign cuisines. Any pasta sauce can be made more savory, not just with marjoram and oregano or basil but with various curries and seeds such as black cumin seeds and fennel. It's time to garden so try something new and different and delicious.

The second big news is about holy basil and fluoride.

I am still looking for further details on this study, but basically, the bottom line is that dropping a few tulsi leaves into fluoridated water and leaving them there for eight hours produced a dramatic reduction in fluoride in the water. There is no mention of what happened to the leaves. I have ordered a lot of holy basil seeds for the reopening of seedseva.com. In India, this one of the most revered plants and is often grown indoors because it is believed that it will purify the space. Tulsi is a major rasayana herb. There are many varieties, some with green leaves, some with purple leaves. The wild variety has an extremely high eugenol content. It is perennial but not frost tolerant. This one has considerable medicinal uses as well as more fragrance. Eugenol is also found in cloves and is what is used to ease pain, especially related to teeth and abscesses in the gums. Chewing these leaves could well relieve a variety of oral hygiene problems and would result in wonderful breath.

This is the week's summary of Ayurvedic herbs in the news. My personal news is that I will be on the radio very early Tuesday morning. Since I don't own an alarm clock, this is a bit challenging. There is a listen line and a call in line: http://drhurley.net/. The subject is radiation, but Dr. Hurley is very up to speed on the medical ramifications of chemtrails so we'll see what happens when we are live on internet radio. You are, of course, invited to tune in as well as to call with your questions and comments.

With many blessings,

Ingrid

Copyright by Ingrid Naiman 2013

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