Saturday, February 5, 2011

Saturday Spice Spotlight: Garlic

Garlic.  It's not just for killing of vampires anymore.
It's also great for killing harmful bacteria, fungus, and viruses.  It's pretty much an all-around medicine.  So let's hope you don't have alliumphobia (a fear of garlic) - reaping its benefits is as easy as adding some chopped garlic to your stir fry at dinner.  If you dare, eat a clove raw.  If you're in the habit of kissing someone, dare them to eat one too.  Then they won't notice your garlic breath as much.

Also, while garlic isn't a "spice" persay, it's a flavor enhancer and has medicinal properties.  I've been eating a lot of it to help ward off a cold, which its been successful at helping me with so far.

So, why eat garlic?
  • According to the Mayo clinic, it helps to fight off an infection.  They have even seen success with applying garlic topically to skin infections.
  • Garlic is wonderfully anti-inflammatory.  That's good news for our heart, muscles, and respiratory system.
  • Another bonus for the respiratory system is that garlic is a natural expectorant.   
  • Garlic can remove toxic metals from the body, such as lead and mercury.
  • Garlic can reduce blood pressure if taken daily
  • The American Journal for Clinical Nutrition has found that those who eat garlic (and its relative the onion) have a lower rate of cancer
  • The American Journal for Hypertension has found garlic to help maintain the weight of animals.  

A word of warning with garlic -- don't go too crazy with it.  Everything in moderation.  Especially raw, if taken in large quantities, garlic can cause stomach irritation and heart burn.

One of my favorite ways to include garlic in my diet is by cooking some crushed garlic in olive oil (usually 2-3 pieces) and then blending it up with garbanzo beans to make a hummus.  Sometimes I'll just add some raw garlic cloves into my hummus blend, too.  Garlic is also great in tomato sauces, stir fries, and in soups.  Maybe try some in your Superbowl chili this Sunday.  Perhaps you'll be a little bit healthier for it.

How do you use garlic?  Do you enjoy garlic or do you suffer from alliumphobia?
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    12 comments:

    1. I loooooove garlic :)
      We put it in lots of stuff (and luckily everyone in my house loves it, so we don't worry about the garlic breath!).

      I love how many awesome things it does too. Mmmmm.

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    2. I absolutely LOVE garlic. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Here's a tip for peeling lots of cloves at a time: put them between two bowls and shake, shake shake!! Check on them, take out the peeled cloves and excess skin and shake a bit more to get the last ones. This has saved me lots of time and frustration :)

      I also like to add garlic at different stages of cooking, since it has such different flavors when cooked and raw - some at the beginning for the deep flavor, some at the end for the spicy bite.

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    3. I agree, garlic belongs in everything. I also agree with the stomach irritation part- I once ate a piece of garlic from a jar of dilly beans that had not been processed- when I thought it had. It was the first thing I'd eaten in the morning, and I spent the next 10 minutes willing myself not to yarf it back up. Ouch!

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    4. garlic garlic garlic .. i love garlic :)
      www.kankanasaxena.net

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    5. I love my garlic. Only bad thing is the lingering smell in a small kitchen, haha.
      Can't wait to see what you use for superbowl sunday!
      LC

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    6. I LOVE garlic. As a vegetarian, there's rarely a dinner recipe I make without garlic in it, and I typically double the amounts a recipe calls for :) It's just that good, right?!

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    7. I LOOOVE garlic! I add way too much of it to everything when I'm at home... I put chopped fresh garlic (and ginger!) in all of my stirfries and when I roast veggies I make sure to put plenty of sliced garlic in there too ;)

      Luckily my family is part Italian so they're all on board with the garlic obsession :)

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    8. I am a true garlic lover! We put it in everything. I love raw garlic in my hummus too.

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    9. just sent off your amazing grass package yesterday! yea!!! Let me know when you get it.
      :)

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    10. I'm always telling everyone that will listen how amazing garlic is! This is a great run down of the benefits! =)

      Loving your blog! I'm following you now! <3 Hope you'll follow me too! <3

      xoXOxo
      Jenn @ Peas & Crayons

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    11. I love garlic! Everything's better with a little garlic on it, or alot!

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    12. it's true, garlic is super healthy! i use it in practically everything, it's definitely a staple in our house. :)

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