Register

Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

How to curb your cravings and stay away from the ice cream!
User avatar
Posts: 62
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:16 am
Location: Sussex

Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby Frillz » Sat Apr 28, 2012 11:34 am

Inspired by the tomato thread I thought a separate place to mention foods and drinks which are meant to have particular health benefits would be a good idea.

Here's a link to the claimed benefits of cider vinegar and honey, which I think someone first told me about when I had shingles and I did take it for a while. I like sharp and sour tastes, so it was easy to get used to.
http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/vinegar-and-honey.html

The same site also talks about benefits of cinnamon combined with honey
http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/honey- ... namon.html

Turmeric was the other ingredient mentioned on the tomato thread and there's been a lot of interest and press coverage about the benefits of that too, so here's a link as a starting point
http://ezinearticles.com/?Turmeric-Heal ... id=6822951

* NOTE
obviously these are articles for discussion purposes only, not medically proven

(am sure everyone realises I know this, but just in case)
Longtime lapsed BBC Food Board contributer

User avatar
Posts: 187
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 2:43 pm
Location: Northern France

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby Tatihou » Sat Apr 28, 2012 11:40 am

Frillz! How lovely to see you. :D

Along with about 2 or 3 women at our craft group, I've been doing the cider vinegar (tbsp in a glass of water) for about 6 months. The reason they were and I now am doing it is apparently it's good for joints. I think it is. I don't have arthritis or anything (yet - rushes off to touch copious quantities of wood) but I do get achey joints (especially after doing a 3-bedroom changeover with all the associated ironing) and I think they've improved since the cider vinegar regime.

On t'other hand, of course, my joints may just be getting used to the exercise. :? I'm sticking with the cider vinegar though.

User avatar
Posts: 62
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:16 am
Location: Sussex

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby Frillz » Sat Apr 28, 2012 11:46 am

Hi Tats - we have been chatting - about beds and all that ;)
Always nice to see you too though.

The way I see it, lots of 'folklore' remedies may be over-hyped or mythical, but, if you feel better, or you think it does you good, then why not - so long as there aren't any contraindications.
Mr Frillz is still disappointed that he's not really allowed grapefruit because of his blood pressure medication.
Longtime lapsed BBC Food Board contributer

User avatar
Posts: 62
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:16 am
Location: Sussex

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby Frillz » Sat Apr 28, 2012 12:36 pm

Just heard on Saturday Kitchen.

Tarragon is good for sore gums and toothache (apparently)
Longtime lapsed BBC Food Board contributer

User avatar
Posts: 1861
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:01 pm
Location: Berkshire

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby hungryhousewife » Sat Apr 28, 2012 4:44 pm

Well found! those links are very interesting!
I love the fact that a lot of this 'folk lore' stuff is now being recognised!

When you think that years ago, people were burned at the stake for using things like willow bark to heal ailments - now aspirin, made from willow bark, is haled as the new cure-all!! :lol: :lol:
HH

User avatar
Posts: 3832
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 6:28 pm

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby jeral » Sat Apr 28, 2012 7:51 pm

Ginger to aid digestion. Peppermint for indigestion. Lime juice to help prevent cramp.

Cider vinegar has been around for decades recommended for arthritic joints and rheumatism. All empirical rather than proof so possibly a panacea. Also for dieting minus any sweetener - possibly partly to accustom tastebuds to sour instead of sweet, or perhaps because the glass of water in which it was drunk 20-30 mins before a meal quelled "ravenous" hunger pangs so wouldn't "eat a hose", or perhaps its bitterness underlined the determination to eat less.

Dried sage, or mint or fennel, infused as a tea in just boiled water, strained then sipped even cold to help stop the urge for a cigarette.

User avatar
Posts: 4357
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:58 pm
Location: Clayton-le-Woods

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby Renée » Sun Apr 29, 2012 9:01 am

Lemon Balm seems to help almost everything. I grew it last year and it makes a lovely drink.

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/lemo ... 000261.htm

User avatar
Posts: 3687
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:53 am
Location: Cheltenumb

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby Gillthepainter » Sun Apr 29, 2012 11:02 am

I'm with you on the vinegar. I've regularly drunk it as a tonic.

Recently I've discovered barleygrass and flaxseed oil.
Mixed with orange juice first thing in the morning, otherwise it's difficult to drink, it aids the gut.

And flaxseed oil is supposed to keep the mind alert, and benefit the heart/ b.pressure. You have to use the oil that is in the chiller cabinet for benefits.

A note on linseeds.
There's not difference between the golden and brown ones. But you need to process them in small amounts to get the benefits, and use them within 15mins for their goodness to be absorbed.

I'm starting to read up about the benefits of the budwig diet: http://www.cancertutor.com/Cancer/Budwig.html

User avatar
Posts: 1861
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:01 pm
Location: Berkshire

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby hungryhousewife » Sun Apr 29, 2012 11:35 am

Hi Renee! I love lemon balm - just a bunch of leaves in a mug with hot water on top. It is supposed to be good for the memory!! So is sage!

Hi Gill - re the flax oil, I take it too. I mix a teaspoon of flax oil, a teaspoon of lemon juice, a teaspoon of agave syrup into a bowl of natural yoghurt with a tablespoon of oatbran - yummy and very good for the gut!
HH

User avatar
Posts: 4357
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:58 pm
Location: Clayton-le-Woods

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby Renée » Sun Apr 29, 2012 12:56 pm

What a great thread this is!

I grind up a few days supply of linseeds, keep them in the fridge and sprinkle a tbsp, on my syrup-flavoured Oats so Simple, also a tbsp of wheatgerm and oatbran. Chopped up dried appricots and prunes are microwaved with the Oats so Simple. I finish off with a grated apple stirred into it.

User avatar
Posts: 62
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:16 am
Location: Sussex

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby Frillz » Sun Apr 29, 2012 2:32 pm

Renée wrote:What a great thread this is!


Thanks :)

I was a bit doubtful as to how to phrase it because a lot of natural remedies can be scorned, or at least, the sites you can link to may lay themselves open to mistrust.
Och, am sure you know what I mean.

I always think if you try something and it works for you, then why not. I do like mint tea and ginger too, which I started to take many years ago to counteract morning sickness.
I grow my own herbs and always have ginger root in the house, but I like Tea Pigs tea bags in the cupboard too.

I'll return and read through properly when I have no background distractions as hopefully it's a thread with legs :mrgreen:
Longtime lapsed BBC Food Board contributer

User avatar
Posts: 3832
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 6:28 pm

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby jeral » Sun Apr 29, 2012 3:16 pm

By the mention of barleygrass, I'm reminded that my mum used to boil/simmer dried pearl barley to ease rheumatism. Use enough water to make the liquid drinkable as too little makes it more a floury paste. She'd add lemon juice; logically one could add Marmite instead for the Vit B and taste. A cupful a day. I'll ask mum if she still makes it. I think there is some proof for the benefit of pearl barley, which presumably applies also to barleygrass if it's the same family.

User avatar
Posts: 4139
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 2:02 pm
Location: Stoke Newington, London

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby Stokey Sue » Sun Apr 29, 2012 4:49 pm

Frillz wrote:Just heard on Saturday Kitchen.

Tarragon is good for sore gums and toothache (apparently)


That seems fairly possible - coming at it from the other side, I can't eat tarragon, it makes the entire lining of my mouth unpleasantly numb, sometimes for hours

User avatar
Posts: 1861
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:01 pm
Location: Berkshire

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby hungryhousewife » Sun Apr 29, 2012 5:31 pm

Hi Jeral!
Re your boiled barley remedy, I made a delicious barley, pomegranate and parsley salad the other day.

When I was cooking the barley it really reminded me of when we used to cook great vats of it for the horses! It is the best thing for putting condition on a horse, and we used to put linseed in with the barley for a shiny coat!

Glad to say that when the salad was eaten it tasted divine and not at all like horse feed!!

Sue - poor you, what a horrid reation! I've never come across anyone with a bad reaction to tarragon! What a shame. Does dried tarragon effect you too?
HH

User avatar
Posts: 1268
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:14 am
Location: South Wales

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby Puss-in-boots » Sun Apr 29, 2012 6:10 pm

HH,

that salad sounds absolutley delicious, can you post the recipe please? Another question, could i add linseed to the salad or not? I`m thinkinig it may make my hair shine...

User avatar
Posts: 1861
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:01 pm
Location: Berkshire

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby hungryhousewife » Sun Apr 29, 2012 7:51 pm

Hi Puss - I can't post it as it was in Diana Henry's book Plenty - actually, I've just found this link to something very similar -

http://theladybites.co.uk/2012/02/ottol ... dded-feta/

It really was delicious - I served it with some Greek style meatballs - full of pine nuts, fetta, allspice etc. Yumaloo!!

HH

User avatar
Posts: 1861
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:01 pm
Location: Berkshire

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby hungryhousewife » Sun Apr 29, 2012 7:58 pm

Puss, re the linseed - I'm not sure. When I had horses we were told that it was poisonous raw and had to be boiled fast for 10 minutes - rather like kidney beans - then mixed in with the barley - the only thing about cooking linseed is that it goes very gooey - so it might not be very nice in a salad - might be OK in porridge?? I haven't tried it - but I thought Flax Seed was very similar.
HH

User avatar
Posts: 4357
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:58 pm
Location: Clayton-le-Woods

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby Renée » Sun Apr 29, 2012 10:51 pm

I have read that linseed is another name for flaxseeds.

I have just found this information and the last paragraph is interesting and perhaps the reason why it had to be boiled before given to the horses.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whatto ... axinfo.htm

User avatar
Posts: 1861
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:01 pm
Location: Berkshire

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby hungryhousewife » Mon Apr 30, 2012 8:56 am

Well done Renee - that's cleared that up. They are obviously very good things!
I usually have flax seeds raw - sprinkled on salads or on yoghurt. The flax oil has a fishy taste and a very very oily texture, but it counter balanced well with lemon juice.

HH

User avatar
Posts: 4986
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 8:30 pm
Location: Provence

Re: Remedies and Foods with Health Benefits

Postby Joanbunting » Mon Apr 30, 2012 10:23 am

I love flax/linseed bread (in French it is called lin - same word as linen). I have tried adding brown flaxseeds to my usual multigrain bread but can't get the same taste/texture as the bread I buy.

As I don't eat much bread anyway, I do like what I do eat to taste good.

Next

Return to Healthy Eating

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest