The Healing Kitchen
by Elizabeth Renter
~Let food be thy medicine~ Though Hippocrates’ phrase about food being medicine has become the slogan of the new natural health wave, man has been healing with foods since the beginning of time. One could argue that’s why so many foods and herbs are here—precisely to heal us, not just to look pretty in a pot or on our plate. Holistic health is whole health and the very foundation of whole health is in a healthy diet. You must eat, so, as Hippocrates so simply said: let food be thy medicine.
Whatever ails you, there is a modern chemical concoction that promises to help. Ironically, most of them do more harm than good, and rarely do they actually heal you at all. If anything, they mask the symptoms through artificial pain relief or sedation. To truly heal, you have to be healthy. And to treat your symptoms with minimal side effects and maximum effectiveness, try natural plant food and healing sources.
Ginger: The healing kitchen should never be without
this cure-all. You can find ginger root at nearly any grocery
store. Slice it thinly and place several slivers into a pot of
water. Let simmer for five minutes, add a squeeze of lemon,
and you’ve got something to ease: heartburn, nausea,
indigestion, sore throat, and coughing. Ginger’s anti-
inflammatory properties mean it’s even good for arthritis and other forms of aches and pains. Finally, ginger has been shown to annihilate cancer cells.
Honey: Some true vegans don’t eat honey—and to each
his own—however, honey is another golden elixir. Like
ginger, it makes a wonderful tea for soothing cold symptoms.
When local honey is taken preventatively, whether in tea or
by the spoonful, it can combat local allergies (as you expose
yourself to minute doses of the very pollen that would normally make you miserable). But, more than the common uses—honey has been used as an antibacterial agent for hundreds of years. It heals wounds and can prevent infections, even fighting traditional-antibiotic infections like the deadly MRSA.
Cinnamon: Cinnamon is one of those spices that should be a
mainstay in your daily, or at least weekly diet. It has
long-term and preventative healing properties. In traditional
Indian Ayurvedic medicine, it is recognized for its heating and
energizing properties. It combats illnesses as common as the cold and flu, but it also
Elizabeth Renter is a freelance writer and editor by trade, homeschooling mother by heart, and Empress by design. She writes for a variety of sites on the topics of natural health and the criminal (in)justice system. You can see more of her work and contact her through her website www.elizabeththewriter.com