50 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition
sugar. It is a very useful thickening agent in foods. Three cups of
fenugreek tea a day will help people gain weight. It will also calm an
acidic or ulcerated stomach and increase milk flow for mothers with
poor production, and it strongly supports the pancreas.
Garlic (Allium sativum) is the paragon of blood cleansers and, with its abun-
dance of sulfur (eighty different sulfur compounds), it is capable of killing
viruses, bacteria, and fungi. It can calm and feed the nervous system and
help correct faulty digestion. The fresh juice is effective for cramps, spasms,
and seizures. Combine it with ginger, French tarragon, or marjoram to pre-
vent gas. Combined with onions it is very beneficial for colds and flu, but
simmer rather than boil it, or it will lose much of its goodness. Those with
high cholesterol will find that it is reduced by garlic. It is a major anti oxidant,
proven to help reduce the incidence of cancer and many other diseases.
Garlic juice, diluted to 1 part in 125,000, inhibits the growth of most types of
bacteria. In fact, the odor alone does so. Garlic is nature’s own broad-spec-
trum antibiotic, but it works without killing off friendly bacteria, as drug an-
tibiotics do. In addition, garlic is positive for your heart, as it lowers blood
pressure and reduces clots and platelet aggregation. Garlic not only encour-
ages white blood cell formation but also produces a bacterial agent that
halts tumor growth. Garlic protects the body from toxic chemicals, harmful
food additives, and rancid oils. It is also helpful in the treatment of AIDS,
where lymphocyte clumping encourages the spread of HIV from cell to cell.
Cooked and raw garlic should be a part of everyday life; a recommended
dose is between one and three cloves daily. (However, 1 percent of the
population cannot tolerate it.)
Those who shy away from garlic because of its smell should add freshly
grated ginger to it; provided you wash regularly, keep generally healthy,
and don’t get constipated, the garlic odor will be minimized.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is one of the most versatile herbal stimu-
lants. It is of great benefit to the intestines, circulation, and stomach.
Use as a tea when you are feeling sick or headachy. It enhances the
effect of all other herbs and spices. Make your own ginger honey
(organic, cold-pressed) and use instead of marmalade. Avoid use if you
have very high blood pressure, or in cases of extreme inflammation,
dry skin, or liver inflammation.
Lemon (Citrus limonia) is not only delightful in flavor, but also one of nature’s
best kitchen healers. Gypsy lore says it is among the five foods that should
always be in the kitchen. The fresh skins of whole organic ones can also be
used. Lemon juice can be added to so much — including teas. Rich in vitamin
C, a natural antioxidant, it encourages the immune system. Suck on an or-
ganic lemon if you have swollen glands. Lemon is so powerfully acidic that
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