Ashwagandha

Withania Somnifera (Winter Cherry)

The Prince of Herbs

If you are unfamiliar with ashwagandha, you may be wondering as much about how to pronounce it as you are in knowing what it does. Ashwagandha (pronounced: osh – wa – gon – da) is an herb long used in Ayurvedic medicine as a ‘life extender’, to boost endurance, and to reduce stress. When I say, long used, I mean it. Ashwagandha has been in use for over 3000 years; some sites I’ve researched reference 5000 years. Although sometimes called, The Indian Ginseng, it is not in the ginseng family. The ashwagandha plant is a shrub with yellow-green flowers and orange-red berries native to Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka.

Today, ashwagandha is a key ingredient in the personal health tool kit of many people around the world. It has also found its way into mainstream medicine and is being studied for its effects on fighting certain types of cancer cells.(1)

As an herbal remedy, ashwagandha is most often used for:

Stress & Anxiety Reduction – It is said to reduce levels of stress and anxiety. Some studies have shown a reduction in cortisol levels in persons with chronic stress.(3)

Combat Insomnia – Improvements in sleep have been tied to the stress reduction and anti-inflammatory properties of the herb.

Joint Pain and Inflammation Reduction – Speaking from personal experience, I began taking ashwagandha to help with some plantar fasciitis (heel pain) I was experiencing. Within just a few days of taking the herb, I noticed a significant reduction in pain which I attribute to its anti-inflammatory properties.

Improve Cardiovascular Health – Enhances cardiorespiratory endurance for all of you runners and stair climbers out there.(3)

Improve Sports and Sexual Performance –Enhances the body’s endocrine function in both the testes and adrenal glands, stimulating the thyroid and the body’s natural ability to regulate healthy hormone production. The herb is also rich in iron.(2)

Supports Brain Function – Found to have positive impact on cognition, long and short term memory and information processing speed.(4)

So what allows ashwagandha to impact so many different areas of the human body? Scientists, doctors and herbal practitioners alike say that Ashwagandha is a very complex plant, and that it is probably this complexity of its systems working in a symbiotic fashion which gives it its power to positively affect so many diverse areas of the body. One feature of the plant that stands out are the flavonoids it provides which are called withanolides. Withanolides are chemical plant compounds which appear to act as natural steroids in the body. Their impact in the human physiological processes seems to be in the area of hormone regulation.(3) Hence, Ashwagandha’s ability to help with endurance, sports activities, sex drive and even cognitive functions. In addition to finding these flavonoids in the ashwagandha plant, they are also common in the nightshade family, particularly in tomatillos.(5)

Ashwagandha runs in another high ranking circle with a limited number of herbs as it is known as an ADAPTOGEN. An adaptogen (in herbal medicine) is a natural substance considered to help the body adapt to stress and to exert a normalizing effect upon bodily processes. Ashwagandha is one of the most popular adaptogens because of its ability to both reduce stress and improve cognition. A few of the other high ranking adaptogens are(2):

Amla
Cordyceps
Eleuthero
Ginseng
Holy Basil
Maca
Rhodiola

You can rest assured that ashwagandha travels in good company!

With all the prescription drugs made from harmful synthetic chemicals, it is wise to have your own personal medicine cabinet filled with natural healers and helpers. One of the ‘must haves’ in your cabinet should be Ashwagandha. It appears to be a powerful multi-faceted work of medicinal art, compliments of Mother Nature.

Warnings: Ashwagandha is not for pregnant women or those with overactive thyroid conditions. Consult your practitioner or a qualified advisor when considering using a new herbal product.

Article Resources:
(1) www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/ashwagandha
(2) www.betternutrition.com/seven-ways/adaptogen-herbs
(3) images.info.newhope.com/Web/NewHopeNaturalMedia/%7Ba8e1eff6-8c23-4d9c-8261-1e64c2ea76db%7D_Ashwagandha_NatureWise_RD_v1.pdf
(4) articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/05/11/ashwagandha-improves-memory-cognitive-function.aspx?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=
facebookmercola_ranart&utm_campaign=20180916_ashwagandha-improves-memory-cognitive-function
(5) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withanolide

If Cost is Your Issue – Dried Beans are the Winner
Dry beans cost less per serving than canned beans.

One pound of dry beans, after they’ve been soaked and cooked, yields about 4 cans of beans. The average cost of 1 pound of dry beans = $1.80. To purchase 4 cans costs anywhere from $2-$10 depending on if they are organic or not, on sale or not, etc.(3)

By purchasing and cooking dry beans instead of canned beans, your family can save a tremendous amount of money over the course of a year.

The savings from buying dried beans will be reduced somewhat by the increased cost of the electric or gas used to cook the beans, but overall, there is still a relevant cost savings.

The above money savings does not factor in the value of your time. Your heart has to be into cooking beans from scratch for the value/cost formula to add up.

If Health is a Key Factor – Dried Beans are the Winner
As mentioned earlier, both canned and dried beans are very nutritious. 1/2 cup of cooked beans – whether you made them yourself or picked up a can on your way home from work – has 110 calories, 8 grams of protein, 20 grams of carbs, 8 grams of fiber and no fat. Most beans also meet more than 10 percent of your daily value for folate, thiamine, iron and magnesium in that 1/2-cup serving.(2)

Some things to watch out for……

Canned beans usually come in tin cans which may or may not be BPA free. Be sure to look for can options w/out BPA. (Did you know?: All of the canned beans at the Harvest Moon are BPA free).

Canned beans also have an assortment of other ingredients including:

water
sugar
dextrose
salt/sodium
calcium chloride
calcium disodium
edta (to protect color)

Do you want or need all these extras? Not every can or manufacturer uses all of these ingredients but it’s worth looking at the ingredients of the brand you buy to see what’s inside.

Also look closely at the salt content in canned beans. A ½ cup serving of pinto beans cooked from dry beans with no added salt is virtually sodium free while a ½ cup serving of canned pinto beans can contain up to 200 milligrams of sodium. You can drain and rinse canned beans to remove about 40 percent of the sodium. You can also buy lower sodium versions of many canned bean products.(1) (Note: The Harvest Moon does carry a low sodium option).

The process of canning requires extremely high pressure that breaks down the starches in beans and makes them more accessible in the digestive system. But by doing so, it can also remove some of the key benefits of the resistant starch (which helps to maintaining the intestinal flora and normalizing of bowel movements).

The Little Things – Dried Beans are the Winner Again
There are a number of little ‘things’ that come with making your beans from scratch. In addition to the secondary source of home heating and the wonderful scents wafting around that were already mentioned, you also get nutrient rich and colorful water from the cooked beans. This water (especially from cooked red beans) adds a lovely color to other items such as rice or pasta.

If flatulence (gas) is a problem for you when you eat beans, it may be best to skip using the cooked bean water. Beans with lower levels of complex sugars tend to produce less gas such as your mung, adzuki and dhal varieties.

As you probably already know, when you spend time cooking in the kitchen, folks just seem to congregate. Is it the food, the warmth, the smells, the conversation?

Yes and more!

There are some unintended (or maybe intended) consequences of bringing the family together for conversation, laughter and connection when you’re cooking those beans from scratch.

Whichever you choose: canned, dried or both, beans offer you and your family a healthy and diverse food choice packed with protein, vitamins and energy!

(1) beaninstitute.com/dry-vs-canned-beans-which-is-better/
(2) healthyeating.sfgate.com/dried-beans-vs-canned-beans-nutritional-values-3026.html
(3) gogingham.com/2013/01/why-cook-with-dried-beans/

Directions

●Rinse beans well and pick through for stones. Put beans into a large (4 to 6 quart) Dutch oven or deep saucepan. Add cold water to cover by 2 inches. Heat to a boil, and then remove from heat and let stand 1 hour.

●Add water if need so that beans are covered by 2 inches. Add ham hocks. Heat to a boil, and then reduce to very low. Partly cover the pan and let simmer, stirring often and adding water as needed to always keep beans covered by at least 1 inch. Cook until the beans are tender to the bite, usually 1.5 to 2 hours. Add 1 tsp salt and simmer 10 more minutes.

At this point you can refrigerate the beans for several days in their liquid. Remove the hocks and pull the meat off the bones and chop it finely and save.

●Put chorizo and onion into a large, deep saucepan or deep skillet. Se over medium heat. cook and stir to break up the chorizo until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, cook 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms, pepper and chili powder.

●Strain beans over a bowl to catch their liquid (save some for rice making too)! Stir 3 cups of the strained beans, 1 cup of the saved liquid, and chopped ham hock meat and the okra into the chorizo mixture. Simmer, partly covered, over medium heat about 10 minutes. Season to taste with remaining salt.

Service in wide bowls topped with rice and cilantro.

Save remaining beans for another meal.

6 Unusual Signs of Heart Disease

I was talking with a new customer a few weeks ago, and she mentioned that heart disease runs in her family, and that one of the signs of heart disease is creases on the ears.

I had never heard of this before and went in search of more information. Guess what? Creased ear lobes can be an indicator of heart disease.(1)

Clubbed Fingernails
A phenomenon known as digital clubbing may also be a sign that all is not well with your heart. This is where the fingernails change shape, becoming thicker and wider, due to more tissue being produced. The change is usually painless and happens on both hands.

The reason this change indicates heart issues is because oxygenated blood is not reaching the fingers properly and so the cells produce a “factor” that promotes growth to try and rectify the issue.(2)

Rotten Gums & Loose Teeth
The state of your oral health can also be a good predictor of the state of your cardiovascular health. Once again, studies have found an association between poor gum health and heart disease.(4)

One train of thought is that the mouth is full of bacteria, both good and bad. The “bad” bacteria can enter the bloodstream from the mouth and cause inflammation in the blood vessels, which can lead to cardiovascular disease.(2)