National Veggie of the Month: Garlic
Garlic is an herb widely associated with cooking, but it also has been used as a medicine throughout ancient and modern history to prevent and treat a wide range of conditions and diseases.
Research shows that garlic can help improve your blood system and heart to help ward off hardening of the arteries, high cholesterol, heart attacks, coronary heart disease and hypertension.
Garlic is also used to help prevent a variety of cancers including lung, prostate, breast, stomach, and colon.
A healthy dose of garlic in the diet can help fight off osteoarthritis, and it can act as a natural antibiotic.
How much is enough?
To receive the health benefits of garlic an adult should eat at least two medium-sized cloves per day. If you think two cloves sounds like a lot, keep in mind that in countries like Italy, Korea and China, consumption is as high as eight to 12 cloves per day.
While two cloves of garlic might sound like a lot, it's actually quite easy to increase your consumption to five or more cloves a day simply by using garlic every time you cook.
You can also make a habit of eating more garlic-based dishes like hummus or take supplements. Talk to me on your next visit about your options.
Get the most from garlic
Many people make the mistake of immediately cooking garlic after crushng or chopping it. To get the most out of garlic it's best to crush it at room temperature and let it sit for about 15 mintes. Letting it sit will trigger an enzyme reaction that boosts the healthy compounds.
Battling bad breath
Although garlic can cause indigestion for some, for many the bigger concern is that it can make your breath and sweat smell like…garlic. While individual reactions to garlic vary, eating fennel seeds can help to neutralize the smell.
Add in garlic
Make garlic a more permanent staple on your dinner plate this month and hopefully you'll continue the habit throughout the year. It's a natural and savory way to boost your health, and it can be the perfect way to spice up any meal.
Research shows that garlic can help improve your blood system and heart to help ward off hardening of the arteries, high cholesterol, heart attacks, coronary heart disease and hypertension.
Garlic is also used to help prevent a variety of cancers including lung, prostate, breast, stomach, and colon.
A healthy dose of garlic in the diet can help fight off osteoarthritis, and it can act as a natural antibiotic.
How much is enough?
To receive the health benefits of garlic an adult should eat at least two medium-sized cloves per day. If you think two cloves sounds like a lot, keep in mind that in countries like Italy, Korea and China, consumption is as high as eight to 12 cloves per day.
While two cloves of garlic might sound like a lot, it's actually quite easy to increase your consumption to five or more cloves a day simply by using garlic every time you cook.
You can also make a habit of eating more garlic-based dishes like hummus or take supplements. Talk to me on your next visit about your options.
Get the most from garlic
Many people make the mistake of immediately cooking garlic after crushng or chopping it. To get the most out of garlic it's best to crush it at room temperature and let it sit for about 15 mintes. Letting it sit will trigger an enzyme reaction that boosts the healthy compounds.
Battling bad breath
Although garlic can cause indigestion for some, for many the bigger concern is that it can make your breath and sweat smell like…garlic. While individual reactions to garlic vary, eating fennel seeds can help to neutralize the smell.
Add in garlic
Make garlic a more permanent staple on your dinner plate this month and hopefully you'll continue the habit throughout the year. It's a natural and savory way to boost your health, and it can be the perfect way to spice up any meal.