USES
Eat rice daily if you suffer from chronic dyspepsia—excellent for heartburn, particularly that associated with pregnancy.
Use rice bran for the treatment of hyperalcuria.
Use rice flour to make a poultice for relieving inflammation of the skin, including acne, measles, burns, and hemorrhoids.
A natural diuretic—increase your intake prior to menstruation if you suffer from bloating and symptoms of PMS. Eaten regularly, rice can prevent edema.
The seeds are used to treat urinary ailments.
Rice water helps to overcome stomach upsets.
PROPERTIES
Rice contains high levels of carbohydrates (87 percent of white, uncooked rice)
Rich in B vitamins (folic acid and pyridoxine), iron, and potassium. Brown rice also contains the B vitamin thiamine, which is present in the bran
White rice has 1 percent of fat; in brown rice the amount of fat is higher
Rice contains low amounts of sodium and is also free from cholesterol
A natural tonic
Diuretic
Digestive
Controls sweating
Lowers blood pressure
Anti-inflammatory
PERSICA AMERICANA GRATISSIMA
AVOCADO
Avocados are the fruit of a small, subtropical tree. They are rich in vitamins A, some B-complex, C, and E vitamins, and potassium, and because they contain some protein and starch, as well as being a good source of monounsaturated fats, they are considered to be a perfect—or complete—food. Traditionally, avocados have been used for skin problems. The pulp has both antibacterial and antifungal properties.
USES
An avocado paste can be applied to rashes and rough skin to soothe and smooth.
To make a face mask, mash a ripe avocado with a little olive oil and apply to the skin.
Avocado oil can be used as a base oil for massage.
Eat an avocado each day when convalescing.
The pulp, applied to grazes and shallow cuts, and covered with sterile gauze, can prevent infection entering the body and encourage healing.
Eat regularly for digestive and circulatory problems.
The flesh of a ripe avocado soothes sunburned skin.
PROPERTIES
Excellent restorative food, particularly during convalescence
Traditionally used for sexual problems
Helps with skin disorders
Antioxidant
Used to treat circulatory problems
Digestive
Antibacterial
Antifungal
CAUTION
Do not eat avocados or take any product containing avocado if you have been prescribed maoi antidepressants.
PIPER NEGRUM
BLACK PEPPER
Black pepper, a traditional seasoning for food, is a warm, aromatic, and comforting spice with therapeutic uses. The fruit, or corns, of the vine and the essential oil extracted from them are used. Black pepper is the whole, sun-dried, unripened fruit of the vine; white pepper is the ripe fruit, from which the skins have been removed.
USES
Black pepper is useful for treating indigestion and flatulence—add to food daily for preventive action.
Its essential oil eases muscular aches and pains, and is used to treat colds and flu.
When used as a homeopathic remedy for fever, pepper can help to lower the body temperature.
Pepper is an effective emetic and expectorant, and can be taken internally, or rubbed onto the chest (a tiny amount of oil in a suitable carrier oil), to prevent catarrh and to encourage healing.
In Ayurvedic medicine, black pepper mixed with ghee is used to treat nasal congestion, sinusitis, and inflammation of the skin.
PROPERTIES
Stimulating
Expectorant
Anesthetic
Tranquilizing
Analgesic
CAUTION
The essential oil may irritate those with sensitive skin. Large amounts of black pepper used regularly may result in overstimulation of the kidneys. When using black pepper for medicinal purposes, follow the recommended dosage.
PRUNUS AMYGDALMUS DULCIS AND PRUNUS AMYGDALMUS AMARA
ALMOND
The almond tree produces the oldest and most widely grown of all of the world’s nut crops, and is indigenous to western Asia and North Africa. Of the two major types of almonds grown, the sweet almond (P. dulcis) is cultivated for its edible nut. The bitter almond (P. amara) is inedible but contains an oil—also present in the sweet almond, and in the ripe kernels of the apricot and peach—which, when combined with water, yields hydrocyanic (prussic) acid and benzaldehyde, the essential oil of bitter almonds. The oil is used in making flavoring extracts and in some sedative medicines.
SPECIAL NOTE
Eat almonds with foods rich in vitamin C to encourage maximum absorption.
USES
Combine almond milk with barley water for urinary problems.
Almond milk is an excellent tonic during convalescence.
Drink almond milk daily to reduce frequency of digestive disorders, and to relieve respiratory problems.
PROPERTIES
Sweet almonds are high in protein
Almonds reduce inflammation: used in the treatment of bronchitis
Rich in protein, fat, zinc, potassium, iron, B vitamins, and magnesium
Aids respiration
Acts as a digestive
SINAPIS ALBA
MUSTARD Brassica Nigra
Black and white mustards are used for culinary and medicinal purposes. The leaves, flowers, seeds, and oils of the black mustard are used, while only the seeds of the white mustard are useful. Black mustard powder is an important herbal remedy because it draws blood to the surface of the skin quickly, which means that