Garlic Problems Solved!
What do you think of when you think of garlic? Garlic bread? Italian food? Stinky breath?
Do you think of garlic as a medicine? For centuries, garlic has been used for medicinal purposes. The
Chinese used garlic as early as 1500 BC to thin blood. The Greek physician, Hippocrates, prescribed garlic for many medical conditions including cancer. Louis Pasteur, known for the development of vaccines, studied garlic and concluded that it had antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Modern science and medicine have proven more about the healing powers of garlic. One area of research has concluded that garlic is excellent for cardiovascular health. Garlic has been shown to lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels, and protect against blockages in our arteries. Garlic, in any form, has health benefits, but garlic eaten raw is especially powerful for the heart. This is because freshly chopped garlic produces the gas hydrogen sulfide. These small amounts of hydrogen sulfide attach to the red blood cells in our bodies. As the gas moves through our bloodstream, it helps our blood vessels to expand thus regulating our blood pressure. It also helps to clean out the toxins and build-up inside our vessels.
Even with so many great reasons for consuming more garlic, I still have some issues with this "odoriferous bulb". Here are some of the problems with garlic and my attempts to solve them.
1) Garlic gives you stinky breath!
No one can doubt the powerful potency of garlic breath. Did you know there are certain foods that can help combat garlic breath? Some of these foods include apples, spinach, basil, parsley, milk, plain yogurt, and green tea. So the next time you eat garlic, try eating one of these foods too.
2) Garlic is difficult to peel.
I recently came across a Pinterest pin that said, "Peel an Entire Head of Garlic in Less than 30 Seconds." I was instantly interested and visited the blog site. I purchased a bulb of garlic and gave their method a try. It didn't work in 30 seconds or less for me (maybe I had a "dud" bulb of garlic), but it did work in about 2-3 minutes. Overall, their method made the peeling process easier.
3) Garlic is most healthy eaten raw, but it's so potent!
I don't know many people who can chomp down on a clove of raw garlic. Some people suggest mixing a clove of minced garlic with a teaspoon of honey and slurping it down...not sure how I feel about that one either. Some better ideas might include sprinkling some on a piece of buttered toast, mixing it with a salad, putting it in guacamole or fresh salsa, mixing it in a batch of homemade hummus, sprinkling some on your steak at dinner, or adding some to your mashed potatoes.
There are also some great salad dressings that contain raw garlic. Here is a recipe for one:
Raw Garlic Salad Dressing
1 cup olive oil
1⁄2 cup lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
2 t Italian seasoning
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
Blend all ingredients in a blender until thoroughly mixed. Pour immediately on salad. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Good luck with the garlic!
- https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=60
- https://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/13/moh.healthmag.garlic/
- https://authoritynutrition.com/11-proven-health-benefits-of-garlic/
- https://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/ward_off_garlic_breath_with_these_foods?page=7
- https://holidaysparkle.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-fastest-way-to-peel-garlic.html
- https://www.plantoeat.com/blog/2012/10/ten-ways-to-eat-raw-garlic-every-day/
- https://intentionalbygrace.com/7-ways-to-eat-raw-garlic-flu-fighting-food/
- https://www.therawtarian.com/simple-raw-garlic-salad-dressing
Cristina Duke
Monthly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
Email the author! cristina@dvo.com
