HealthyFoodJournal.com

Ever wonder why you get cravings for particular foods? Even if you have a food addiction, you have to take a look at the underlying reason. If youre craving sweets and carbs, maybe you’re not getting enough of something else in your diet, like iron for example, and your body is feeling wiped out.

Lately I’ve been having a craving for curry. Curry in itself is not a spice. It’s make from a combination of spices that generally include turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, chilli, cardamom, black pepper, cloves, fenugreek, and fennel.  A curry dish is frequently prepared with onions and garlic. So, out of curiosity, I just looked up the curative powers of each one of those elements and found this on the BBC UK website:Garlic (Allium sava)

“Garlic - The Egyptians made garlic beer to treat infections. Today we use it to lower cholesterol, as an antibiotic, to rid the body of excess mucus (the sulphur compounds in garlic break up mucus), and to stop platelets in blood from sticking together and creating blockages. Garlic has been used effectively against fungal, yeast, bacterial, and viral infections.Onion (Allium cepa)

Onions - Onions have been used medicinally since the beginning of time. They can be consumed for their antibiotic properties (they are in the same plant family, Allium, as garlic and have most of the same medicinal actions). They can also be cooked and applied to the chest as a poultice for lung congestion.Turmeric (Curcum longa)

Turmeric - Turmeric and several related species have been used in the Indian Ayurvedic medical system to strengthen and warm the whole body. Traditional uses include: digestive aid, analgesic (due to the action of turmeric’s main constituent, curcumin), antiseptic, expectorant and anti-inflammatory. This medicinal spice has also been studied for its anti-cancer properties.Cumin (Cuminum cyminum)

Cumin - The stems of this plant flavour many Vietnamese dishes and the strong-tasting seed is used in curry and Cajun seasoning. The seeds aid digestion and also relieve flatulence, colic and diarrhoea. The whole plant acts as a tonic and mild stimulant.Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)

Coriander - The root, seed and leaf have all been added to curries. This herb was used in ancient Egypt as an aphrodisiac and as a wine flavouring by the Greeks. It has also been used to ease migraines and for gastro-intestinal complaints. The essential oil of this plant has been used for everything from flavouring toothpaste to medicine.Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Ginger - Ginger has an aromatic rhizome that is essential to almost any Asian dish. The shoots, leaves, and flowers are eaten raw in many dishes but the rhizome (root) is most commonly used. Ginger’s strongest medicinal action is to suppress nausea. It has been proven through clinical trials to be more effective than anti-nausea medications. Ginger has also been used to treat indigestion and flatulence and to reduce fever. The essential oil of this plant is a great pain reliever when applied topically.Chilli (Capsicum spp)

Cayenne - The hot constituent of cayenne is a substance called capsaicin. It has been used as a pain reliever for centuries as well as an aid to increase circulation. Cayenne is also surprisingly effective in the treatment of ulcers and even eye problems. Cayenne, when applied directly to a wound, will almost immediately stop bleeding. It is also suggested that the consumption of hot peppers stimulates the body to produce endorphins. Eating is supposed to be a pleasure, and this could certainly be a contributory factor to our enjoyment of a good curry.Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)

Cardamom - Used in Indian garam masala, Arab baharat, Ethiopian berbere and of course in curry dishes, cardamom not only lends a sweet flavour to these dishes, it also has the ability to stimulate digestion, and is given for fatigue and fever. The essential oil from the ripe fruits of the plant is used in liqueurs and perfumes.k\

Black Pepper - Stimulates gastric flow, acts as an anti-bacterial agent and helps relieve headaches and diarrhoea. Black pepper, when cooked, can actually be harmful in large amounts because it acts as an irritant to the gastro-intestinal system.loves (Syzygium aromaticum)

Cloves - Cloves have been used to keep fats from turning rancid and to preserve foods. They are used to flavour everything from pumpkin pie to chewing gum. Medicinally, cloves main action is that of an anodyne (topical pain reliever).Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)

Fenugreek - This has been used to help relieve digestive cramps, menstrual pain and to reduce fevers. Fenugreek seeds have the unique ability to stimulate breast tissue to lactate (especially when used with blessed or milk thistle). It has also been used to increase breast size (look at the ingredients of most herbal breast enhancement products; it will almost always top the list).Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Fennel - Fennel is used to allay hunger pain, ease indigestion and as a diuretic. Fennel along with anise is the main flavour in liquorice (liquorice the herb has almost no flavour aside from that of sweet dust).”