The Tulsi Plant: India’s Wonder Herb

Tulsi PlantThe Tulsi plant is a basil-like herb originating in ancient India; and has been used as an integral ingredient in organic medicinal products for thousands of years by holistic and homeopathic health practitioners who understand and appreciate the medicinal qualities of this sacred or holy basil. This amazing herb is now available in a number of quality organic medicinal products and food supplements, enabling you to maintain better health and improved quality of life. Tulsi users swear to the miraculous healing qualities that this “queen of herbs” has given them; and can do the same for you as well.

The most sacred herbs of India include Soma, Tulsi and Lotus, and of these Tulsi, no doubt, inspires the most personal devotion to the Vishnu, or Lord Krishna. Tulsi is considered to be a Goddess connected with Krishna. One legend notes that this Goddess was incarnated after spending a lifetime as a very close devotee of Krishna, becoming the herb Tulsi, which leads to one of Tulsi’s many names, Vishnupriya (the beloved one of Vishnu). There are some followers of Krishna who have such a high regard for Tulsi that they would never dream of actively consuming Tulsi as a medicine, but rather choose to passively receive her healing power from her presence alone, which explains why many temples in India, as well as private homes, are adorned with Tulsi plants.

India is well known for its natural diets, particularly since the majority of its population are Hindu, and as such are not meat eaters. Supplements liker Tulsi and other herbs help Indians to add variety to what would otherwise be very bland and uninteresting foods. Curry, that Indians call the ’spice of life’ also features prominently in their diets as well.

Tulsi has traditionally been used in India as a medicinal herb to treat everything from coughs and bronchitis, to skin diseases and malarial fever. It is also recommended to help increase sexual stamina, and is mentioned in the Kama Sutra, the ancient Indian book on love and sexual expertise. It is said that offering a young damsel a mixture of Tulsi leaves and betel nuts, is an expression of deep affection for her.

Modern uses for the Tulsi leaves and flowers include drinking them as a tea to counteract negative environmental effects on the body; and to rid the system of toxins.

The plant itself if rich in antioxidants, as well as vitamins A and C (if eaten fresh).

Types of Tulsi plants can differ, due to their natural habitat due to climate and moisture variations, as well as acid or alkaline content of the soil. For this reason, Tulsi plants harvested from different areas have different medicinal and food supplemental uses.

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Our Daily Poisons and the Earth Friendly Option

Organic FoodsThey’re around you every day; and in fact you and your family use and consume products that in the long run can be just as deadly as weapons that kill and maim people in the millions. We are not referring to guns, knives, and poisons such as arsenic, cyanide or other kinds of poisons used to eradicate rodents and other kinds of pests. The products referred to here range from detergents and cleaning compounds to deodorants and cosmetics to even seemingly harmless food and beverage items.

Every time people wash their clothing in their washing machine, or their dishes in their dishwasher, they are using chemical compounds which, if used in large enough amounts can cause not only burning and severe skin irritation, but eventual cancers like melanoma. Even though some detergents may claim to be “non-toxic” or “environmentally safe” they still contain such ingredients as sodium or calcium hypocrite, or sodium tri-polyphosphate, which can become very dangerous chemical compounds if used excessively.

Cosmetic items such as lipstick, hand cream, deodorants and anti-perspirants, all contain such chemicals as aluminum chlorhydrate, propylene glycol, or BHA and coal tar dyes (both lipstick preservatives and color enhancers that are said to contain carcinogens or cancer causing compounds). Even that liquid ’soap less soap’ that most people keep in their bathrooms is so full of chemical compounds (ammonium chloride, sodium laurel sulfate, plus a number of color-dyes, fragrances, etc.) that it may be better to use old fashioned home-made hand soap, even if it contains lye and other caustic compounds.

You don’t have to go through the list of cleaning compounds or cosmetic items to find these poisons; but many food products have similar chemical compounds as well. Even that soft tub of margarine has what is called ‘trans-fat’ and is extremely bad for your heart if consumed in large quantities (many nutrition advisors claim it’s better to use pure butter than these so called “safe” cooking and spreading products.

Yes there are alternatives; and by acquiring knowledge of safer, environmental ‘earth-friendly’ products, you can protect yourselves and your families from the long term effects of these ‘lethal weapons’.

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Figs the Natural Viagra

Looking for a natural food product that is not only immensely healthy but even helps perk up your ’sexual appetite’? Then try figs. That’s right; these delicate and delicious fruits were first reputed to have been cultivated by both the ancient Egyptians, as well as the Minoans of classical Crete and Greece. They later spread throughout the Middle East, as well as the Mediterranean countries. They are mentioned in the Bible as one of the ‘Seven Species’ of ancient Israel, and were considered by the Romans as the “sacred fruit of the gods”. Figs are rich in dietary fiber and potassium, as well as several vitamins and other minerals.

Though they are eaten year round, especially in their dried varieties (still one of Turkey’s major agricultural exports), their true divineness is when eaten fresh in late summer. Being very fragile, the fig’s ’store season’ is very short (similar to apricots), and only last a day or two if kept at room temperature. Figs can be kept in refrigeration, however, for up to a week. They loose their special taste quickly, and it is recommended they be eaten almost immediately. Containing both carbohydrates and natural sugars, they are nourishing as well, and can be combined with other fruits, as well as with a variety of cheeses – particularly sheep and goat feta-type cheese. Stuffed figs, especially with cheese, has been a delightful light meal or dessert menu for literally thousands of years.

The attributes of these ‘fruits of the gods’ are well known to natural foods consultants as well as believers in holistic and natural solutions to a variety of conditions, including sexual incompetence. The Turks have long sworn by a special stuffed fig product containing a mixture of crushed walnuts and other “special ingredients”. “We call this ‘Turkish Viagra’, and it’s been in use here ever since ancient times” a Turkish dried fruit and spice vender was reported to have said to friends of mine in Istanbul.

Whether this preparation actually works for this special use, is probably a matter of ‘personal experience’. But the idea is fine, as various other natural food dishes are also alleged to increase one’s sexual desire. Figs also are terrific for assisting in another bodily function: bowel regularity. In fact, a number of natural laxative products contain figs as part of their ingredients.

One of the best ways to prepare fresh figs, besides just eating them raw that is, is to slightly boil them in light syrup containing brown sugar, water and anise or fennel seeds. After simmering for 7 to 8 minutes, remove them and allow them to cool at room temperature before adding a bit of fresh lemon juice. Them chill them for at lest 2-3 hours in your refrigerator. The result is a delightful desert or snack dish. After eating them in this manner, with some fruit sherbet if desired, you will understand why figs have been considered as ‘holy fruit’ by so many.

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