“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” Hippocrates
Hippocrates was considered the father of medicine and he was definitely onto something when he made that statement. We often look to “medicine” to fix what ails us, when all we really need to do is eat our medicine. Food really can heal you. Take garlic as an example. It has been know for centuries as a medicinal food.
In ancient Greece and Egypt it was given to workers to enhance their work capacity. It was prescribed to treat respiratory disorders, improve circulation and cure worms. It was even recommended to early Olympic athletes to enhance their performance. In ancient times it was recommended by many different countries and cultures to treat many ailments.
Now centuries later many studies have been done on the health benefits of consuming garlic. Entire books have been written about garlic. It has been affectionately called “the stinking rose”. It is used to treat common colds, yeast infections, lower blood pressure and so much more.
Garlic is a member of the allium family. It belongs with vegetables like onions, leeks and chives. Garlic is rich in a variety of sulphur containing components which gives it its health benefits. Garlic is an excellent source of B-6, vitamin C, manganese and selenium.
The best way to get maximum benefits from garlic is to consume it raw. There are many ways to get more garlic into your diet. Foods like bruschetta, guacamole and salsa. If you can’t stomach raw garlic right away, add it to your meals, but add it last to preserve its health benefits.
For a small vegetable, it definitely has a big and well deserved reputation. It may not always ward off evil spirits or keep vampires at bay, as was reputed folklorically, but it is sure to enhance any meal in a bold, aromatic and healthy way.
