It’s a Must-ard: Why this Herb is So Good for Your Health

Mustard is a much-loved ingredient around the world, but did you know it was also a powerful tool in complementary wellness? Not only is it one of the healthiest herbs with almost no calories, but mustard greens and mustard seeds have been used as herbal remedies for numerous ailments since olden times, and remain very popular today. Even if you don’t forgo your trip to the doctor for a hot dog with extra relish, mustard is very beneficial to your wellness, providing vitamins, protein, fibre, omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidant minerals, such as iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, zinc and selenium.

 

So, what can mustard do for your wellbeing?

 

1. Lowers your temperature. The myrosin and sinigrin found in mustard generate heat, which speeds up your metabolism and increases your blood flow. This causes you to sweat, and, in turn, brings down your core temperature.

 

2. Stimulates your digestive system. As mustard is hot and spicy, it stimulates your secretion of saliva, which aids the digestion process.

 

3. Prevents cancer. In black and brown mustard, there are isothiocyanates, which have been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. You can still prevent cancer with your mustard greens, as these contain cancer-fighting antioxidants such as flavonoids, indoles, sulforaphane, carotenes, lutein and zeaxanthin.

 

4. Improves your skin. If you suffer from skin ailments, the sulphur in mustard can be very beneficial.

 

5. Relieves your inflammatory diseases. Whether you’re affected by asthma, migraines or rheumatoid arthritis, the anti-inflammatory properties of mustard can help to reduce the severity of your condition.

 

6. Enhances your heart health. Mustard greens and seeds contain magnesium, which is very effective against high blood pressure. Moreover, the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in mustard make it effective against coronary heart disease. Plus, mustard greens have been proven to reduce your levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and increase your levels of “good” HDL cholesterol, all of which is good news for your heart.

 

7. Protects your brain. The high levels of magnesium and selenium found in mustard seeds make them very effective against age-related memory disorders like Alzheimer’s.

 

That sounds great, but how do you include more mustard in your diet? Start with your condiments, and replace mayonnaise, cheese spread/dips, butter and oil dressings with the less fatty mustard. You can also use mustard as a salad dressing, which packs a flavourful punch when combined with vinegar and honey. Mustard makes for an excellent marinade for your fish, chicken and meat dishes, while the seeds give any meal a rich, nutty flavour. If you fancy baking your mustard into your diet, try using mustard greens and spinach in flat-breads, adding butter, tomato, garlic and onion to mellow down the pungent flavour. Failing that, the greens also taste great with chicken, meat, and soup.

 

If you are going to include more mustard in your diet, you need to store it properly in order to reap the benefits. Keeping whole mustard seeds in airtight containers in a cool, dry place will help them to last up to a year, while storing ground/powdered mustard in a similar manner can give them a shelf life of up to six months. You don’t have to worry so much about sauces made from mustard, as they are made using an acid component and salt and so will last for ages. However, even if you don’t open the bottle, the pungency and flavour will start to diminish so store your mustard sauce in the fridge, and consume it within a year. You also want to refrigerate your mustard oil, or else it may go rancid.

Categories: cancer, Cooking Tips, fatty acids, greens, Health Benefits, health mustard, Mustard, mustard greens, mustard seeds, nbsp, Seeds

All About Algae: Why Are Celebrities Turning to “Greens”?

Ever since everyone went wacko for wheatgrass, complementary wellness experts have been trying to create new concoctions of green sludge that promise astonishing benefits to your wellbeing. Now, you can give yourself a wellness boost with “greens” – supplements derived from nutrient-packed plants and organisms, found in liquid, powder, pill or capsule form.

There are two categories of “greens”. The first is land-grown leaves and grasses, such as wheatgrass, barley-grass and kale. These are particularly good sources of vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium. Then you have algaes, such as spirulina, chlorella and kelp. You’d take these if you want a high dose of good fats and protein, as well as magnesium and a host of vitamins and minerals. Celebrity fans of greens include Victoria Beckham, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Australian model Miranda Kerr. In fact, sales of one brand has rocketed 60% in Britain since model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley tweeted a picture of herself drinking a juice cocktail containing chlorella.

Nutritional therapist Ian Marber tells his clients to take a supplement combining several greens, and even does so himself. ‘With so many foods available to us, we are very rarely deficient in essential nutrients,’ he says. But that’s not to say that we couldn’t benefit from a little more of this or that. I use it in place of multivitamins. These ‘edible pond scums’ are not chemical, and that means the body can absorb them more easily. They are good all-rounders and many of them contain probiotic bacteria.’

According to dietician Lucy Jones, ‘We’ve known for a long time that they pack a punch in nutritional terms. But more research is needed into their specific benefits before we can justify their cost. Green supplements are extremely expensive. Their protein content is no better than that of milk or meat, but is about 30 times more expensive. Better sources of protein, as well as all the other vitamins and minerals they contain, can be found elsewhere at a far better price. So if you’re shopping for a supergreen supplement, I’d advise you pick a mixed one, or, better yet, ask yourself whether your money wouldn’t be better spent in the fruit and vegetable aisle.’

Categories: Algae, celebrities, greens