The Power of Food Culinary Herbs for Body and Mind

Written by Marci Moreau

If someone asked me to choose a favorite aroma, it would be a toss-up between parsley and the smell of sunscreen on a baby, probably because they both remind me of summer. Summer always brings me back to our tiny beach house that was truly a small house that held hundreds of people. And with lots of people, especially when those people are part of a big Italian family, there is always, lots, and lots, of food.

Every weekend, my grandmother and flock of aunts, arrived, armed with platters of vegetables, of course, chicken cutlets, reused ricotta cheese containers filled with homemade tomato sauce, and bunches and bunches of parsley and fresh herbs wrapped in damp paper towels to keep them from wilting.

My grandmother loved summer herbs and she used them in everything. She snipped them with scissors, or as she told me, “gently rip them into pieces and sprinkle them like confetti.”

When I asked her, “Sprinkle them where, grandma?” She smiled, and said, “Everywhere.”

My grandmother was not the first one to fall in love with the power of summer herbs. Used as medicine for thousands of years, because of their anti-bacterial, anti-viral, or as I like to say, anti-everything properties, culinary herbs have been recognized by most every culture. They are multi-faceted in their abilities, enhancing the flavor and depth of recipes, and they are also a powerful source of healing, for the body, and the mind.

In the nutritional wellness world we consider these culinary herbs botanical adaptogens and anxiolytics, natural substances that help the body adapt to stress, reducing the harmful impact on our body and mind. Even more, the latest research is suggesting remarkable antidepressant potential, making these culinary herbs a small miracle.

Parsley tops the list, not only because I am biased, but because it really is a culinary health champion, especially when it comes to chlorophyll and apigenin. Chlorophyll, sometimes called green blood, helps to give plants their green color and absorb energy from the sun, and apigenin, a plant compound, or phytochemical, are both more than abundant in parsley. This Herculean duo is a master detoxer, an immune booster, and reduces harmful inflammation throughout the body and the mind.

The flat, or Italian parsley, has more flavor than its curly counterpart, so it is most often used in food preparation, but when it comes to antioxidant ability and health benefits, they both deliver huge results.

And it turns out parsley not only smells like heaven but it is pretty much omnipresent in all that it can do. There is new research to suggest parsley can reduce cortisol levels, thus creating a better platform for improved physical and mental wellness. No wonder my grandmother told me to sprinkle this everywhere.

You would think parsley is a hard act to follow but basil, otherwise known as the King of Herbs, with over 60 varieties, definitely holds its own. Sweet basil, with a spirited robust flavor, plays a central role in the culinary scene, seasoning many summer dishes, and thanks to eugenol, an essential oil in basil that you can actually feel on your hands when you “gently rip the leaves,” it also delivers potent health benefits to almost every system in our body.

Cardiovascular, respiratory, digestion, and the immune system are all the lucky beneficiaries but the king does not stop there. Also reign- ing as the herb with the highest level of magnesium, basil decreases our stress levels, improving memory and enhancing cognitive function, creating a whole lot of good for our mental health too.

Chives are just as powerful and although I have heard some people complain chives are too much and can overtake a garden, considering the immense health benefits chives bring to our body and mind I say move over and give them as much room as they want.

From the impressive Allium family, that also includes garlic, leeks and scallions, chives contain vitamins A, C, K, as well as folate, the B12 vitamin that promotes red blood cell production and DNA synthesis. All of this makes us very healthy, and chives can also improve digestion creating a healthier gut microbiome, making us much happier too.

Even better, the flavonoids in chives stimulate the production of glutathione, considered the “master antioxidant” because it does a clean sweep of our body removing toxins anywhere they may hide, and for its ability to make every other antioxidant even more powerful.

All the summer herbs are truly phytonutrient superheroes and it’s no surprise Simon and Garfunkel chose to sing about sage, rosemary and thyme too. Sage grants us a nutritional profile as strong as its flavor, rosemary has mineral properties as intoxicating as its aroma, and thyme bestows us with even more vast medicinal benefits.

All of this power makes me want to sing too however I will make music in the only way I know how; with food, and share with you my recipe for Powerhouse Pesto, for you to use “Everywhere.”

Powerhouse Pesto

This pesto sauce is a winning combination of antioxidant ingredients. I cannot say enough about it! Packed with super foods, it is a potent source of vital energy our bodies can use to stimulate healthy processes. It is so versatile it can be used every day. I use it as a sauce for pasta, rice, grains and pizza. It is an amazing base for dressings or marinades and to flavor meats, poultry, seafood and vegetables. It does not matter how you use it, rub it all over you body if you want to, just use it, and eat it often! Your body and mind will thank you! The sauce will keep well refrigerated for a week or freeze up to three months. Makes 4 cups.

• 1 cup broccoli, chopped

• 1 cup lacinato kale leaves (ripped in small bite size pieces)

• 1 cup spinach

• 1/2 cup dandelion greens

• 1/2 cup basil

• 1/4 cup parsley

• 1/4 cup wheatgrass

• 1 cup basil

• 1/4 cup chives

• 1 cup almonds

• 1 cup olive oil

• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiana reggiano

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1/2 piece of large turmeric root

• 1 large piece ginger root, peeled

• juice and rind of one lemon

• salt and pepper to taste

Pulse broccoli, kale, spinach, dandelion greens, parsley, basil, wheatgrass, garlic, turmeric root, and ginger root in a food processor, slowly adding olive oil , and process until almost smooth. Add the almonds and a little more olive oil at this point if needed and pulse for about a minute. Next add the parm cheese, lemon juice and rind, salt and pepper, and blend a couple of minutes more until smooth and all the ingredients are well blended. Enjoy the power!