Fennel and Juniper for starters maybe
Are you drinking juniper tea or using fresh fennel in your rice and salad dishes? Maybe you are accustomed to the Asian and Indian use of fennel seeds to clear the breath and aid digestion. My message ~ shift your comfort zone to embrace pure, unadulterated oils that yield powerful results and have delicious aromas. Use them in food. They are in fact concentrates of food. (Just as sugar is.) Interestingly, both juniper and fennel were used to protect against and repel evil spirits during medieval times in Europe. Here are 10 facts for each.* (See if you get the hidden references to evil spirits ~ they're not invisible.) FENNEL ~ 1. Of the parsley family; the oil is distilled from crushed seeds 2. anti-inflammatory 3. anti-tumoral 4. estrogen-like 5. digestive aid 6. anti parasitic (worms) 7. antiseptic 8. antispasmodic 9. analgesic 10. great for women JUNIPER ~ 1. Of the cypress family; the oils is steam distilled from berries, branches and twigs 2. antiseptic (Until recently sprigs were used to reduce infection in French hospital wards.) 3. digestive cleanser/stimulant 4. purifying 5. detoxifying 6. increases circulation through the kidneys (diuretic) 7. promotes excretion of toxins 8. promotes nerve regeneratioin 9. good for liver problems 10. great for men Women/Men ~ #10 on both lists ~ is from personal and group sharing among "oilers." Gender is not the emphasis, but it is good to know how these have shown up in people's lives. Fennel is often found in pro-hormonal balancing recipes for women. For another example, juniper is said to help people stop smoking. Juniper berry tea is used to reduce addictions generally, according to herbal books. Tea and oil usage are not the same; again, the oils are concentrates of "nature's living energy." This is why they are preventive tools we can add to the diet to increase immunity. This statement is evidenced-based BTW. Finally, I'm sharing this bc this AM I dropped 2 drops of fennel oil into my coffee. It has its own sweetness that I like. I'm reminded to be on the lookout for raw fennel next time I shop for food. Maybe fennel is something to consider growing in a pot.