Friday, June 21, 2013

Cilantro - the wonder herb!

People either love Cilantro, or they hate it.  There's quite a few studies out there that say the reason there are cilantro haters is due entirely to their genes.  Who knows how much truth there is to that, but it's interesting for sure!  There are so many cilantro haters, that there is actually an I Hate Cilantro website!

I happen to be one of the people who love cilantro.  And for me, it's a good thing!  Most of you know that I suffer from Lyme Disease.  I'm constantly looking for food that can help with the healing.  The more I read, the more I learn that Cilantro really is something I should consume regularly to help my body heal itself.

There are a ton of studies out there showing that cilantro cleanses the body of heavy metals.  Heavy metals aren't good for anyone, but they are especially bad for people who have any sort of inflammatory disease.  In fact, heavy metal toxicity could be part of the reason some inflammatory diseases exist - not always of course, but sometimes!


Cilantro also has more antioxidants than almost any fruit or vegetable out there!  It's a great source of fiber, magnesium and iron.  It's full of vitamin K and B vitamins.  It also helps protect against heart disease, Alzheimer's and cancer.

What else does this wonder herb do?

It helps to prevent cardiovascular damage.
Aids in detoxification
It can calm anxiety
It's extremely beneficial to those with diabetes due to it's ability to help level blood sugar
It has strong anti-fungal and antibacterial properties
Helps aid in digestion
Can kill Salmonella
Eases hormonal mood swings and reduces cramping
Helps give your liver a little boost
Helps eye diseases
Wards off urinary tract infections

The good news?  Cilantro is super easy to grow!  I have mine growing in a pretty shady area and it flourishes.  The easier the access, the more you will use it in your diet.

How can you fit more cilantro into your diet?  I regularly mix it in with an avocado and lemon juice for instant guacamole.  I also found a fantastic smoothie recipe that I've been making regularly - you'll find the recipe below.   It works well in almost any green juice/smoothie that you make.  You can throw it in with your salad - or make salad dressing. How about cilantro pesto or fish tacos? Or you could always make some Thai food!

Moral of the story?  Eat more cilantro!

Cilantro Smoothie
1 Papaya
Frozen Peaches (I used an entire bag)
2 cups of vanilla almond milk (unsweetened if you want to go sugar free)
handful of cilantro