“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
― Hippocrates

2016 New Year’s resolution for a healthier lifestyle is right before you and by now Christmas is but a distant memory!

Eating well can be challenging, especially with hectic and demanding lifestyles. However, it is made much easier if we take note of the simple teachings that have been around for thousands of years. Greeks inspired by the knowledge of their ancestors, make extensive use of therapeutic herbs in their cooking.

Hippocrates proclaimed that “food is your medicine” which means “you are what you eat”. And actually with a few right additions, you can eat tastier and healthier. Vitamins and minerals are essential to our body’s balance and well being. And these can be found in abundance in the Mediterranean diet. By incorporating it’s basic principles of including fruits vegetables and grains with a generous dash of olive oil and many herbs that are both healing and taste adding to your dishes.

He also claimed that it is necessary to maintain a bal

ance between the 4 basic tastes: savory, sweet, bitter and sour. Almond oil extracted from almonds, is an excellent source of bitter elements and is rich in vitamins A, E, B1,B2,B6 and B17, known as amygdalin.

Apricots are essential for healthy liver and pancreas as it is rich in B17 (!) and these are but a few ingredients that can be added to your daily diet.

Following are some of the herbs that are mentioned at length in Hippocrates teachings:

Sage (Salvia officinalis)

It has a long history of medicinal and culinary use, and is also used as an ornamental garden plant. With a savory slightly peppery flavor, it is ideal to

season turkey, pork and lamb. It is also an excellent remedy for a sore throat.

Lavendar (Lavandula)

Extensively cultivated as an ornamental plant it is mainly kno

wn for it’s therapeutic properties . It’s essential oil has antiseptic and anti inflammatory properties and it is also used for bathing products. In cooking it is mainly used in desserts dues to its floral and slightly sweet flavor and is occasionally used to pair cheeses.

Majoram (Origanum majorana)

With its full sweet pine and citrusy flavor this herb is ideal t

o season numerous dishes like soups, stews, dressings and sauces.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Highly aromatic and flavorsome this herb is of equal

therapeutic and gastronomic value.

The dry seeds of the plant, are used extensively in Mediterranean cooking; the bulb is a crisp vegetable that can be eaten raw in salads or grilled or even braised as a side dish. The leaves are used to add flavor to fish, eggs and other dishes.

Mint (Mentha)

Fully aromatic, when dried it is an excellent condimen

t for lamb or various meat and vegetable patties. It’s essential oil is used as an oral mouth wash or as an antiseptic. Mint tea is a winter favorite known for its soothing qualities

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Features needle like leaves and is native to the Mediterranean region. In cooking it is used to flavor lamb, pork and poultry. It is also an excellent medicinal herb for stomach aches and chest pains.

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Sources: Wikipedia and Hippocrates.org