By Bruce Burnett

Hippocrates, known as the Father of Medicine, told us as far back as 400 BCE to “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.” Sun Simao, who lived to be 101 in the seventh century and was one of the most influential physicians in the history of Chinese medicine, also instructed his students to “Treat an illness first with food. Only if this fails should medicine be prescribed.” What was true then is even truer today as we struggle against an excess of processed foods, pollution, radiation and pesticides, all of which contaminate our bodies with free radicals.

What exactly is a free radical? It’s an atom with an unpaired electron. Like an unstable, aggressive suitor seeking a mate, a free radical waltzes through your body, grabbing electrons from cellular tissue and wreaking havoc like a philandering home-wrecker. Each free radical may exist for only a tiny fraction of a second, but the damage it leaves behind can be irreversible. Although some free radical activity is vital for immune function and hormone and enzyme production, too many will accelerate the aging process, suppress the immune system and be a major factor in age-related diseases, such as cancer, heart disease and arthritis. The formation of free radicals stimulates the development of even more free radicals, snowballing their production and disrupting living cells.

The American Dietetic Association compares free radicals in your body to the rust on your car. The same process of oxidation damages cells. Dietary antioxidants, such as those found in fruits, vegetables and herbs, act as enzymes or co-enzymes (essential active components of enzymes), which seek and destroy free radicals.

Although fruits and vegetables have been traditionally regarded as the best dietary source of antioxidants, a recent report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry reveals that common kitchen herbs have higher antioxidant content.

For example, oregano has 42 times the antioxidant intensity of apples and four times more than blueberries. The herb is also a rich source of nutrients, including vitamin A, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, iron, calcium and zinc. Oregano, with its full-flavored, slightly peppery sharpness, is famous for enhancing the flavor of tomato-based dishes, such as pizza and pasta sauces.

Other herbs mentioned in the report include bay, a tangy herb perfect in winter soups and stews; dill, with its crisp grassy, citrus flavor, well-suited for fish, mild cheeses, potatoes, cucumbers and salad dressings; thyme, a robust Mediterranean herb with a subtle lemony-mint taste, perfect with meat and poultry dishes and root vegetables; aromatic, astringent rosemary, particularly tasty with chicken or potatoes; and sage, a pleasantly pungent herb, de rigueur in stuffing and conferring a deliciously rich tang to vegetarian dishes.

The herbs with the highest levels of antioxidants are oregano, sage, peppermint, lemon balm, Scutellariae radix (Baical Skullcap Root), and the spices clove, cinnamon and Cinnamomi cortex (Chinese Cassia Bark). With the obvious exceptions, these herbs are undemanding in your garden and/or easy to find in your local market, farmers market or garden center. Apartment dwellers will find that herbs do well in balcony pots, especially facing south or west. Most herbs thrive in full sun in dry, rocky, slightly alkaline soil; water seedlings until well established, then water minimally.

With a few exceptions, fresh herbs are better than dried (bay leaves are better partly dried), not only for taste, but also for antioxidant activity and nutrition, for the same reasons that fresh vegetables are preferable to canned or frozen. Also, to retain their nutritional and antioxidant qualities and to avoid the herbs becoming bitter due to overcooking, herbs should be added toward the end of the cooking process, usually within the last 10-15 minutes. A good recipe will always offer instruction in this regard. There are exceptions; for example, bay leaves do not become bitter and impart more flavor to the dish when added at the start. Some dishes, like curry, are more flavorful when the meat and/or vegetables are married to the spices in a long, slow cooking process. Try lightly sprinkling fresh uncooked herbs over the dish after it’s out of the oven. There are no hard and fast rules here, and of course, personal preference plays a considerable role. For instance, in my view, salad dressings are incomplete without herbs, fresh or dried.

Be aware that as a rule of thumb, dried herbs are three times as potent as fresh. Therefore, if the recipe calls for one tablespoon of the fresh herb and you have only the dried version, use just one teaspoon. Too much of the herb, especially if dried, will impart an unpleasantly bitter taste to the meal.

Herbed Salad Dressing

Spring is when a young man’s fancy turns to salads and other lighter fare on the kitchen table. (In weight-conscious Los Angeles, women tend to eat more salad year round.) Oregano is typically used to dress a classic Greek Salad, but is also frequently found in Italian dressing. However, although intense in flavor, oregano makes a surprisingly pleasant addition to fruit salads, especially citrus salads.

¾ c. extra virgin, organic olive oil
¼ c. lemon juice (white wine vinegar or a blend of the two may be substituted)
1 Tbsp. liquid honey or maple syrup
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 tsp. fresh oregano leaves, chopped
1½ Tbsp. fresh tarragon, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tsp. organic tamari sauce (or to taste)
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of cayenne

Mix all ingredients in a blender or shake vigorously in a jar.

Sage Cornbread

Sage has an affinity for other muscular Mediterranean herbs, such as rosemary, oregano and thyme, producing a rich flavor in robust soups and stews. However, fresh sage contains delicately flavored oils that are a delight in contrast to the pungent taste of dried sage, which all too frequently has languished in the kitchen cabinet. Sage contains potent antioxidants that retard spoilage, endorsing the herb’s traditional use as meat preservative. This has lead to a convention of using the herb in sausages, but it’s under-utilized in vegetarian dishes. This delicious Canadian (hence the use of maple syrup as a sweetener) recipe for corn bread makes a perfect accompaniment to a salad or other light meal.

¾ c. organic yellow cornmeal

1 c. unbleached, organic white flour

3 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. sea salt

1 c. milk (dairy, nut or coconut)

1 egg

2 Tbsp. maple syrup

2 Tbsp. olive oil*

2 Tbsp. fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped

Heat the oven to 425º F and lightly oil an eight-inch pan. Mix together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. In another bowl whisk together milk, egg, maple syrup, olive oil and sage. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Pour the batter into the oiled pan and bake until golden brown on top, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and check for doneness with a toothpick. Return to oven for further cooking if necessary. Cool for about 10 minutes before turning out on to a rack. Allow to cool thoroughly before slicing.

*Sesame or walnut oil may be substituted for olive oil, but high omega-6 oils, such as safflower, are not recommended since most diets—and especially vegetarian diets—tend to be too high in omega-6.

Bruce Burnett is an award-winning writer, Charted Herbalist and author of HerbWise: growing cooking wellbeing (HerbWise Inc.), from which the Sage Cornbread recipe is adapted.

❋❋ If you liked this story you might also enjoy . . . ❋❋
❁ The Food Intolerance Kerfuffle
❁ How Your Brain Affects Your Weight

Share:

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

Pinterest

StumbleUpon