Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum L.) also known as Coriander or Chinese parsley is part of the ‘Umbel Family.’ The ‘Umbel Family’ are aromatic flowering plants related to some common vegetables currently in most of our diets. Cilantro is also part of the genus type Apium which has relation to celery, carrots, and parsley. They are also related to cumin, dill, and fennel. Variations in certain genetic markers can actually make cilantro taste like soap to some people. If this is the case, you will have to either eat soap or choose one of the other 3 foods mentioned below to help with your nutrition and good health. To incorporate into your diet, take a handful of cilantro and throw it in many dishes like guacamole or grind it up and mix it up in a veggie smoothie. However you consume it, make it happen because this is a wonder plant. Per Dr. Singletary, from the University of Illinois, “For all brain regions, dosing with coriander resulted in significant decreases in lead concentrations and increases copper and zinc concentrations, compared with controls. Thus, this extract surpassed lead-indices brain damage by its ability to suppress oxidative stress and chelate metals.”1
Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is from the family Alium, which is a bit similar to Apium in name, although this one is a bulbous flowing plant. Garlic is well known to be super nutritious due to its ability to treat infection, cold, diabetes, heart disease, and a ton of other disorders.2 We have many ways of getting garlic into our diets. When I was younger, I remember my cousin eating garlic raw after he peeled it in for my aunt to use in her cooking. This sparked a thought in my head that later I would revisit and start doing myself. Now, I am not saying to eat garlic straight up but you can incorporate it into many dishes like on top of a good steak or if you are vegetarian, mix it in a mushroom/onion side dish cooked up with coconut oil. Try it, because it is delicious. This same cousin of mine also introduced me to a super good restaurant in San Francisco called, the Stinky Rose on Columbus Avenue. They have a whole restaurant with dishes dedicated to garlic. The Stinky Rose even has garlic as a condiment on the table. If you haven’t tried and love garlic, please check this restaurant out.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) or also referred to as curcumin, is a flowing plant in the family of Zingiberaceae. Curcumin has been in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Chinese, veterinary, and folk medicine throughout South‑East Asia.3 Back in 2015, when I was wandering through the aisles of Whole Foods (of all grocery stores - go figure :), I overheard a dude say; “hey, did you know that rates of stomach cancers are much lower in men in India.” I was compelled and went immediately home to do my research and sure enough, the dude was right and I am sure the dude abides. Many publications are mentioning the same thing. This is when I began incorporating Turmeric into my diet. Through my research, I learned black pepper assist in getting this powerful yellow molecule into your bloodstream. So, I put a variety of things into my oats like apples, blueberries, cinnamon and when you put all this together you don’t even taste the black pepper. Turmeric has also been known to cure many diseases; from gastrointestinal issues to coughing, and liver disease.3 Make sure you are careful with this one because it stains like you know what. It won’t even come off granite tops. I have ruined many countertops and cutting boards preparing my elixirs. However, if you keep working at getting the stains out, it will eventually come out and you will get your deposit back at the end of the lease or be able to sell your home without Turmeric stains in the kitchen.
If you have any suggestions for recipes or how to incorporate these 3 foods into your diet please leave a comment below and remember to subscribe to this newsletter if you like what you are reading. Thank you! And until next time. I love you:) <3
In Good Health,
Coach Chris
Singletary, Keith, PhD. Coriander: Overview of Potential Health Benefits. Nutrition Today™. Spice Series. 2016;51(3):151-161.
Chia-Wen Tsai a, Haw-Wen Chen a, Le-Yen Sheen b, Chong-Kuei Lii a, Garlic: Health benefits and actions. Biomedicine. 2012; 2:17-29.
a Department of Nutrition, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
bInstitute of Food Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Hima Gopinath and Kaliaperumal Karthikeyan: Turmeric: A condiment, cosmetic and cure. Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology. 10.4103/ijdvl.IJDVL_1143_16