Culinary herbs are for more than just cooking!
We know that culinary herbs are great in your food. But did you know they are an ally for your health.
We all know herbs can be used in foods. And as a rule the properties they contain are mostly related to our gut, gut health and/or digestion, although they have other superpowers too.
You can also infuse these herbs into vinegars and oils. With both of these infusions being used alone or mixed with other ingredients for your food, or they can used on the skin or in salves & balms too.
Before going on, I want to take just a minute to explain the difference between an essential oil & infused oil so there’s no confusion..
Essential oils are the oils derived from the steam distillation of the plant material. They are what we use in diffusers to fill a room with either their fragrance or the properties that specific plant has to offer. These oils are highly potent and can be irritating to the skin when used alone on the skin without a carrier oil. It takes a lot of plant material to make very little essential oils.
Infused oils are oils that the plant material has soaked in it for up to 6 weeks allowing the plant constituents to be left behind in the oil once it’s strained. Sometimes people will heat the oils slightly to help extract those constituents faster. These oils can be used in food, on the skin or in products made to use on the skin without the fear of it burning or irritating the skin (unless you have a specific sensitivity to the plant material itself.)
We’ll briefly run through some common culinary herbs that can be used for all manner of other purposes besides just adding to your spaghetti sauce.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis):
Rosemary is from the mint family. It will help warm you up when your feeling chilled.
It’s also great for cognitive function. There are studies being done on the positive effect it can have on Alzheimer patients.
It’s anti-inflammatory actions have been used for arthritis pain. And as a tea it’s great for sore throat pain. You can brew a rosemary tea, which is really great by the way, or you can infuse honey to add to a tea or anything else for that matter. Rosemary is great tasting and a rosemary infused honey would be wonderful in many different different dishes.
As with all these herbs, avoid medicinal amounts during pregnancy or breastfeeding, although culinary amounts are fine.
You can find more in-depth information on Rosemary here.
Sweet Basil (ocimum basilicum):
Also a warming herb, basil is known to help relieve tension in the body. It has an overall antispasmodic effect that is super handy for relieving gas pain and encouraging the rest & digest mode for our bellies. Use basil in your heavier meals to help with digestion and prevent gas and bloating.
It’s good for uplifting a mood and increasing alertness, all while calming your nervous system.
Basil is another one, that when drunk as a warm tea, can help bring on the sweat to get you to the other side of that fever and to help you rest.
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris):
Another hot tea from the mint family. Are you sensing a theme here?
This one is great for fungal infections, toothaches and congested sinuses. This herb is actually hot and not just warm, thus why it’s so good at what it does.
You can infuse honey or vinegar to take by the spoonful. Or infuse an oil to use as is, or to make a salve. The oil or salve would be great for joint soreness and pain relief.
It’s antispasmodic properties can be used as a tea or honey, to stop that spasmodic coughing you just can’t seem to catch your breath from.
Again pregnant and nursing mothers should not use medicinal amounts of thyme or thyme essential oils. In larger doses thyme can stimulate uterine contractions or menstrual flow.
Oregano (origanum vulgare)
Another hot mint family plant we all know and love.
It’s high in antioxidants and is antimicrobial. It can help with infections and sore throats or it can just help warm you up.
Again, it’s another one of those herbs that’s great for digestion.
It can help with a fever by warming you up and by disbursing the heat throughout your body. This allows the fever to do it’s job in a much faster and more efficient manner. Have a nice hot cup of tea, wrap up in a blanket, take a nap and let the heat do it’s job. The antimicrobial properties will help protect against secondary infections that might try to pop up when you’re sick.
Using more than culinary amounts of oregano is contraindicated with pregnancy because the effects it can have in stimulating menstrual flow.
Garlic (alium sativum)
And finally garlic. This is one of those immune modulating herbs if it’s used raw. But go lightly because too much raw garlic can cause some stomach upset in some folks.
It’s another warm herb that’s great for heathy digestion, helping to relieve gas & bloating.
It’s also high in inulin. Inulin being what’s called a prebiotic. And a prebiotic is food for the probiotics in your gut. That’s the gut flora that keeps your belly working correctly and happy.
You can infuse it in oil or honey to use in food or as a medicine. Both are great ways to use garlic.
It’s excellent in relieving congestion. Use an infused oil on your chest like your mom used to use Vicks and let it do it’s job. Or you can actually use that oil on the bottom of your feet and put your socks on for the same effect. Really…that’s true. Try it and tell me after a short time you don’t taste garlic.
For its best potency, crush it and let it set for 10 to 15 minutes. Then go ahead and do whatever you want to do with it. This allows the enzymes it contains to react to oxygen which accounts for its potency.
From infusing a dish with vibrant flavor to soothing a tired mind, these culinary herbs offer benefits that extend far beyond the kitchen.
So next time you reach for a sprig of rosemary or basil, remember that you’re not just adding some seasoning to your food, you’re tapping into ancient wisdom and natural wellness.
Which one are you going to try first? Let me know in the comments below.
