FitSugar

The Skinny on Rhodiola

FitSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 13:30:00 PDT

In a recent Runner's World article, Jennifer Beals (actress and avid runner) said, "Rhodiola has been really helpful in terms of healing. . . . I have since discovered a lot of runners and a lot of athletes use it because it's an anti-inflammatory."

I had never heard of this supplement, but have since learned that it comes from a plant with yellow flowers and bears the full name Rhodiola rosea. It's also called arctic root since it grows at high altitudes in cold regions. It's been used in traditional medicine in Russia and the Scandinavian countries for centuries to treat a whole slew of issues including fatigue, poor attention span, migraines, and decreased memory. It may also prevent depression, enhance the immune system, and increase sexual energy. Fruit flies taking Rhodiola in a study lived 10 percent longer than fruit flies that did not, and it had anticancer effects on rats.

Athletes take Rhodiola to increase their physical endurance, combat anxiety when in stressful situations (such as a competition), and for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Rhodiola sounds like some miracle plant, but it also has some negative side effects. To hear about them

read more. Taking Rhodiola may cause headaches, an upset stomach, drowsiness, irritability, and difficulty sleeping. It's not recommended for people with bipolar disorder. The roots of this herb are dried and sold on their own, as a powder, as a tincture, or in capsule form. Like many herbal supplements, there aren't a ton of scientific studies about Rhodiola. That's not to say it doesn't help people with various ailments and issues, but it should be taken with caution.

View 4 Photos ›

Source

DIY: Grow an Herb Garden Indoors

CasaSugar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:00:08 PDT

Want an easy way to get into gardening? Then try an indoor herb garden!

Supplies:

1 large container with 20-inch diameter (plastic or clay, with a drainage hole)
1 saucer to fit container
Certified organic potting soil mix
Herb plants
Gravel or screen mesh
Certified organic fertilizer

To learn the steps,

read more. Here's how, compiled from Beautyjust4you and GardenGuides:

Choose a location for your garden that gets at least 5 hours of sun a day, preferably near a Southern or Western window.
To keep the soil from coming out of your container's drainage hole, cover it loosely with some gravel or screen mesh.
Sit your pot in a saucer to catch the drainage.
Fill your pot with 2/3 organic potting soil mix.
For better selection and advice, go to a nursery that specializes in herbs to buy your plants.
Choose herbs that need similar amounts of sunlight (i.e., rosemary, thyme, parsley, basil, and oregano all need 5-6 hrs.)
Place the taller herbs (i.e. rosemary) in the center of your pot, and the others around the sides. Place them at about the same depth they were growing in their nursery pots.
While planting, gently loosen the soil around each root ball.
Fill the pot with more soil, to about 2 inches from the top.
Give them a good first watering, but don't overwater them or let them stand in a saucer full of water.
Soak once or twice a week, and allow the soil to dry out before watering again.
Feed your garden once a month with a bit of organic fertilizer.
Your herbs should be ready for use in a few weeks. Always clip the outer leaves only as you need them, leaving plenty of growth on the plant.
To maintain your indoor garden long-term, repot it once a year, and renew your annual herbs (i.e. basil, dill, fennel, mint, parsley, rosemary, coriander).
Check out my post to read about five easy herbs to start your garden.

Source

Fast & Easy Dinner: Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Couscous

partysugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:30:31 PST

Normally I stuff chicken breasts with creamy cheese or buttery ham. When I came across this recipe for herbed couscous stuffed chicken, I got very excited. A much healthier alternative to cheese or pork, couscous is equally delicious. I love how it makes an entire meal in one chicken breast!

Feel free to get creative, if you have a bunch of parsley on hand use that instead of mint. Want to know how it's made?

Weekend Well-Being: Start Your Garden Now

FitSugar — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 02:00:00 PDT

I love gardening. Playing in the dirt is relaxing for me and growing stuff to eat is a big bonus. Growing your own herbs and veggies is a sure fire way to know how they have been grown and that they are pesticide free. Plus they are going to be very fresh when you eat them. Now is the time to give your garden a head start, even if you can't get to the soil yet. You can start your garden inside.

Here are some tips for starting your garden:

Get your seeds. You can use seeds that you saved from last year's veggies or go to the store and pick some up. Don't forget the herbs and flowers too.
Make sure you have some little containers where you can grow your seeds. If you're using old ones from last year, just make sure you clean them out thoroughly to get rid of any diseases that could kill your new seedlings. If you use plastic ones like old yogurt containers, make sure you poke a couple of holes in the bottom for drainage. I like to use biodegradable peat pot containers that you can plant directly in the ground. Make sure you have some trays to put them in too.
Pick up some potting soil and some lush compost.

Want to see the rest? Then

You want to start sprouting the plants that take the longest to grow so that means herbs like basil and rosemary, tomatoes, and peppers.
You'll want to wait to plant root vegetables like carrots and parsnips until it gets warmer. These seeds need to be planted directly in the soil because once they've started growing, they hate to be moved.
Plant twice as much as you think you'll need. Seedlings are very delicate, and sadly, some may not survive.
Keep the seeds moist. If you have kids, watering the "garden" can be their job (just make sure you watch them - you don't want your seeds to be swimming).
Once your seeds have sprouted, you'll want to put them in a nice sunny spot. If you don't have a window that gets a lot of sun, you can buy grow lights.

That's it. I love when the first seeds begin to sprout. Then I know summer weather is not too far away. If you've got any more tips, I'd love to hear them, so tell me below.

Valerian Root: Nature's Valium

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 08:45:00 PDT

Valerian Root may smell like disgustingly stinky feet, but it's great for relaxing the body and the muscles. It has been used for centuries in Europe and Asia as a sedative, and is believed to help you fall asleep faster, and improve the quality of your sleep. The Greeks also used valerian root to treat digestive problems.

It's a hardy perennial flowering plant with heads of sweetly scented pink or white flowers. It is dried and used in herbal supplements such as tablets, capsules, tinctures, teas, and liquid extracts. Many Herbalists, Naturopaths, and Chiropractors recommend taking valerian root to relieve tension headaches, insomnia, anxiety, or for muscular pain because of its ability to act as a muscle relaxer.

What else is great about this amazing herb? Although valerian root has been referred to as "nature's Valium," it is not at all addictive. It's not recommended to take more than 15g a day. Though side effects are rare, some people who use valerian root for long periods of time may develop headaches, insomnia, or feel irritable, which are similar side-effects experienced with prescription sleep-aids.

Fit's Tips: If you are taking valerian root for muscle pain, it won't knock you out and make you feel totally spacey like most prescription muscle relaxers, but it is recommended that you take it at bedtime because it'll calm you down and help you fall asleep, that is why I love Extra Sleepytime Tea - it is fortified with valerian root.

Comfort Yourself With Comfrey

FitSugar — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 13:05:00 PST

Comfrey is a pretty miraculous herb. The roots and leaves contain a substance called allantoin, which promotes healing and tissue regeneration. Applied to wounds, it reduces inflammation and promotes healing of damaged or injured tissues.

Taken internally, comfrey has been used to treat a wide variety of ailments ranging from bronchial problems, arthritis, stomach pains and diarrhea, even asthma. But it isn't recommended to be taken internally due to the presence of dangerous, cancer-causing compounds.

However, it is widely applied externally in ointment form and is great for bruises, sprains, severe burns, dislocated bones, joint pain, acne, and other skin conditions.

Comfrey is purported to have bone and teeth building properties in children, as well as to be beneficial in treating many "female disorders." It was even believed way back when that comfrey could repair the hymen and thus "restore virginity." What would Madonna say to that?

It's a great idea to keep some comfrey along with arnica in your medicine cabinet if you prefer to use natural pain relieving remedies. Try this one from Burt's Bees called Dr. Burt's Res-Q Ointment for only $5.

Cilantro Kills Bacteria So You Don't Have To

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 16:00:00 PST

Popular in Mexican and Thai food, the herb cilantro (also called Chinese parsley) contains a chemical known as dodecenal, which has been found to kill the Salmonella bacteria that causes food borne illness.

Dodecenal is present not only in the leaves of cilantro, but also in its seeds, which are more commonly known as coriander.

This info could lead to expanded use of dodecenal as a tasteless food additive to prevent food borne illness - perhaps as a protective coating for meats in processing plants, or even as a disinfectant to be used in cleaning and hand washing.

But don't rely on cilantro alone to safeguard your food: There's only a small amount of the potent antibacterial in a typical serving.

So while it's nice to know that this herb is doing its best to keep us healthy, it won't necessarily save your life. But it can save your salsa, because I tell you, nothing beats the flavor of fresh cilantro.

Epazote Curbs Your Flatulence

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 02:00:00 PST

Epazote (pronounced Eh-pah-zo-tay) is an herb used for its strong licorice-like flavor, similar to that of anise, fennel, or tarragon, but it's much stronger in fragrance and flavor. It can also be compared to cilantro.

It is native to Central America, South America, and Mexico, and is also called Mexican Tea, Jesuit's Tea, Skunkweed, or Wormseed.

The plant is pretty amazing - It has been used in the treatment of malaria, asthma, and as an expectorant. Not only that, the oil from the plant can kill intestinal worms. And the first birth control pills were derived from research on epazote.

The great thing about epazote is that not only can it be used to add flavor to fish, corn, and beans, but it is known for its ability to prevent flatulence.

You can buy the dried herb chopped or as whole stems. Recipes will often call for a stem of epazote, which is roughly equal to a teaspoon of it dried.

Fit's Tips: You should be aware, however, that this pungent herb is poisonous in large quantities, but don't let that stop you from using a pinch or two.

6 Things to Do With Scallions

Susannah Chen — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:23:26 PST

Ever buy a bunch of herbs for a recipe, only to use a scant stem and find the rest wilted with dehydration a week later? This has admittedly been a long-standing problem in my kitchen, and I've been determined to cultivate a solution for it. This week I'm addressing an aromatic I have a chronic problem forgetting about: scallions.

When they're fresh, green onions have a biting smell and are resilient to the touch, but days later, the exact same stalks will take on a muted brownish hue, made slimy thanks to dehydration, and hunched over in sadness and neglect.

Since they age quickly, the key is to make sure you use them up before they get to such a sorry state! Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to do that; scallions have a mild pungency that's versatile enough to go into just about every savory dish. A few examples:

Slice green onions as thinly as possible, then toss a handful into a garden salad.
Make a four-ingredient ginger scallion sauce to drizzle on eggs, chicken, and fish.

For four more suggestions, keep reading.

Oyster Lovers: Make These!

Katie Sweeney — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:45:11 PST

Although you can essentially enjoy the briny bivalve all year round, it's widely known that oysters are best eaten in months that have a letter "R." Oysters are delicious on the half shell, but my favorite way to prepare them is casino-style. Bacon and butter make everything taste better! The best thing about this recipe is that it can be prepared in advance. The herb butter will keep for a couple of days in the fridge, and the bacon can be crisped the night before you plan to serve the oysters. Bake them just before eating. Offer the oysters with sparkling wine and you've got the perfect appetizer. Here's the uncomplicated recipe.