Tuesday, April 7, 2009

And Now For Something Completely Different!

Bonus points for anyone who got a giggle from that title :D

I'm a little bored of posting my food journal here every day. I mean, it's kind of redundant, as I also post it daily on Fitting It In. By the way, if you're on a health journey like me and aren't on Fitting It In, yet get on the ball! It's a wonderful place filled with motivation and nudges.

So, I was making lunch today and was reheating some of last night's leftover turkey tacos to nosh on. As I was sprinkling liberal amounts of cilantro on top of them I found myself wondering just what, if anything, cilantro could do for a body. Just what were the health benefits of this tasty herb? A little internet searching unearthed a mountain of information, and let me tell you, this little herb packs a punch!

According to healthdiaries.com, cilantro has been shown to do the following:
  1. Protect against the Salmonella bacteria
  2. Reportedly works as a natural chelation treatment (this is heavy metal detox - I had to look it up, as well!)
  3. Aids in digestion and helps settle the stomach and prevent flatulence
  4. Is an anti-inflammatory that may alleviate symptoms of arthritis
  5. Protects against urinary tract infections
  6. Prevents nausea
  7. Relieves intestinal gas
  8. Lowers blood sugar
  9. Lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) and raises good cholesteraol (HDL)
  10. A good source of dietary fiber
  11. A good source of iron
  12. A good source of magnesium
  13. Rich in phytonutrients and flavonoids
I mean, WOW! Who knew it was such a hard little worker? Needless to say, I'm going to be sprinkling as often as I want now - how about you?

1 comment:

Gray Overcast said...

That's good to know! I'm going to use it more often too! Love the stuff! :D