The fresher the food you eat, the better it is for your health. Food that comes in boxes or does not have an expiration date is typically processed and holds little value in terms of nutrients. Whole, fresh food is always best for your health, energy levels, weight management, and disease prevention, like heart disease and diabetes that effect millions of people and are major causes of premature preventable deaths in the United States.
Plant foods are some of the best sources of vital nutrition, and herbs provide a plethora of health benefits and add low calorie flavor to a variety of dishes. Herbs can also be used medicinally as all natural and very cheap remedies to common minor injuries.
If you have a small plot of land or even a sunny window that can accommodate containers, you can grow herbs in your home that make a great addition to a healthy diet and contribute to your overall health.
Herbs tend to be easy to grow and are dense in nutrients. Some herbs have been found by research or through traditional Chinese Medicine to help you stay healthy through plant phytochemicals contained in them.
Top 5 Healthy Herbs You Can Grow At Home:
Echinacea – Echinacea is also called the purple coneflower and it grows from 1-2 feet tall in your garden or around your house. It was used in ancient cultures as a way of reducing many of the symptoms of viral infections, such as the cold or flu, and other infectious illness. It is also available at health food stores and some pharmacies in pill or tincture form. You can make a tea of the Echinacea plant whenever you feel a cold coming on.
Echinacea contains many valuable substances for your health. These include phenols, which are strong antioxidants and which regulate certain enzymes and human cell receptors in the human body. These herbs also have alkylamides in them, which directly affects your immune system when faced with an infection.
Basil – Basil is an annual herb that is especially perfect for container gardens. All you need to do is harvest the leaves and stems of the herb. It flavors many different dishes and is used in the making of pesto sauce. Pesto sauce is made with fresh basil and garlic that also holds a wide variety of healthy nutrients. Try to harvest the youngest leaves as possible. Besides being delicious, basil can help improve your appetite, control flatulence, and improve healing of cuts or scrapes.
Chamomile – This plant grows as a white, daisy-like flower and is best grown near the house where you have ready access to it. The heads of the flowers are what are used for their health benefits including the management of colic, indigestion, skin irritations, inflammations, and anxiety. It can be infused in a tea form or worked into a salve that can be directly applied to the skin for better health.
Feverfew – This is best grown in flower gardens because they make nice white, daisy-like flowers. Both the leaves and flowers of this healthful herb can be brewed into a tea or chewed directly for the relief of various kinds of headaches, arthritis, pain, and various skin conditions. It can also be made into a salve so that it can be directly applied to affected skin.
Lavender – You can incorporate this herb into your flower garden as it makes lovely purple flowers. It is used as an essential oil for aromatherapy. It is said that to smell lavender is relaxing and calming to the mind and body. It is also a great pain reliever and can be directly applied or incorporated into a salve in order to apply it to bruises and cuts. It acts like an antiseptic herb when applied to affected areas of the skin.
