| |  | | Fresh Herbs Add More Than Good Taste
By Conrad Richter
Adding fresh herbs to homecooked fare, or even frozen foods and take out, elevates a simple meal into something special. A little fresh basil added to anything with tomatoes, fresh-chopped chives sprinkled over salads or on any egg dish, thyme and rosemary on meat – these are the yummy basics any gourmand can master in short order with fresh herbs from the garden.
But taste is not the only reason why you should add herbs to your meals.
Long before the Internet, and before the phone – even before the stone tablet -- our ancestors huddled around the fire to cook their daily meal. In those days food safety meant getting food safely into the stomach as quickly as possible before someone else took it away. No doubt those prehistoric folks got indigestion while wolfing down their food.
 | | Basket of mint plants. | Then somebody came up with the bright idea of adding herbs to the cooking pot; herbs that help to settle the stomach. Herbs actually stimulate the digestive system so the body absorbs nutrients more effectively. If our ancestors had to rush their meals at least they got every bit of goodness from what food they could find. The same herbs that help settle the stomach also help settle the mind, so those early folks slept more soundly too.
We still live hurried lives today, but herbs can help make our food healthier. Try growing some herbs in your garden this year. Your body will thank you for it!
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