inflammation

More often than not when life gets busy with work, responsibilities, or kids, couples decide that sleep is the new sex! But before you choose to snooze rather than canoodle, remember that sex is as powerful a stimulant and relaxer as sleep (even when you don’t quite hit the peak)…

Up until recently, mangosteen was illegal to import into the United States. When I first moved to the U.S. from Canada, no one understood what I was inquiring after when I asked grocery stores if they carried this superfruit. In Vancouver, British Columbia, where I grew up, mangosteen can be bought at Asian grocers or large markets like the popular Granville Island, where I often bought this delicious fruit for special occasions. Where I first found out about them, in Tahiti, mangosteen is sold like green juice is in the U.S.

Today’s walk through Mother Earth’s Medicine Cabinet will lead us down a path to check out Pine Pollen. All pine trees produce this magnificent pollen that can be harvested or purchased at a health food store. The pollen is not actually pollen -- it is technically considered to be a form of seed. It isn’t packed with flavor but it has a light nutty taste.

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is intensely fragrant and very pleasing to look at, but don’t let the perennial’s cute, daisy-like appearance fool you. Centuries ago, the flower was used in certain areas of Greece, Egypt, and ancient Rome for its many healing purposes. The medicine is said to be contained in the flower area of the herb, which contains strong oils. There are many kinds of chamomile, and they can be used in things like teas, oils, tinctures, soaks, homemade salves, vapors, washes, and more.

Allergy season is here! Itchy watery eyes combined with sneezing and a stuffy nose can really be a drag. Today’s walk through Mother Earth’s Medicine Cabinet will take us through a small section of natural antihistamines to help you through allergy season.

Join Basmati.com every week for a Q&A session with one of Basmati’s practitioners, Melissa Hill (FDN-P)! We know that there is a lot of confusing information out there, which can make applying health advice overwhelming.  Sometimes, it’s best to ask a practitioner directly, so each week we’ll cover a common health question!

Often times when we think of medicinal plants we see flowers, stalks, and stems, but the medicine goes much deeper with some. Today’s walk through Mother Earth’s Medicine Cabinet will take you deep into the ground to have a look at some plant roots that heal.

Join Basmati.com every week for a Q&A session with one of Basmati’s practitioners, Melissa Hill (FDN-P)! We know that there is a lot of confusing information out there, which can make applying health advice overwhelming.  Sometimes, it’s best to ask a practitioner directly, so each week we’ll cover a common health question!

It wasn’t until I started running (very) long distances that the need for proper nutrition became clear to me: I needed to reduce inflammation in my body and to do that, I needed to focus on anti-inflammatory foods. The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book by Jessica K. Black, N.D., was the perfect guide, or so it seemed.

I first came across turmeric in our family kitchen as a child. My mother had printed out a recipe for curry cauliflower, and while the curry powder gave the roasted cauliflower its delicious taste, turmeric was responsible for the subtler taste and stronger hue. Since then, I’ve seen turmeric in everything from egg and tofu scrambles to salad dressings to cookies–I kid you not. Most recently, I stumbled upon a recipe in Meghan Telpner’s The UnDiet CookBook for Jamu Juice.