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| Herbs and spices have a long history as healing foods, one that dates back at least as far as the first century A.D., when Dioscorides wrote the first Western book on medicinal foods. But as with other foods, herbs and spices temporarily lost their healing cachet when Americans became caught up in modern technology and modern medicine. Not only that, but they lost much of their wonderful flavor as well, relegated to dusty bottles that often spent years on cabinet shelves. |
| Recently, however, they've enjoyed a two-part renaissance. First there was the gourmet-ization of America, as more people discovered an appreciation for fresh, flavorful foodsand in the process threw out their old condiment bottles and started growing their own herbs and purchasing spices of the best quality. Then came increased awareness and acceptance of alternative medicine, and people began looking at herbs and spices as healers. |
| Today Americans are catching up to most of the world's peoples, who've continued to use herbs as their primary medicine. While pharmaceutical companies spend vast amounts of money recreating the chemical makeup of herbs, more and more people are reaching for the real thing. |
| THE KEYS |
| Condiments boost the healing quotientand flavorof your meals. Herbs and spices provide and amazing variety of health benefits. Try some new ideas for incorporating herbs and spices into your favorite dishes. Avoid pitfalls by learning the herbal dos and don'ts. Try out a sprinkling of healing recipes. |
| An Important Note |
| Experts recommend that pregnant women avoid taking herbs; some may induce uterine contractions and induce miscarriage. Talk to your obstetrician about what's safe and what isn't. |
| This chapter looks at herbs and spices that truly qualify as healing foodsthose you can (and should) incorporate into your everyday meals both for their nourishing qualities and for their flavor. Many other herbs, such as echinacea and St. John's Wort, are used purely for medicinal purposes and are therefore not included here. |
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