Tackling Food Cravings with Spices and Herbs

Last week whilst researching herbs to help weight loss I discovered that liquorice regulates blood-sugar levels and can reduce cravings for sweets and chocolate! Something really useful to know when you're hormonal and nothing in the world will make you feel better than a bar of chocolate. I found out that liquorice could help me kick the chocolate cravings quite by accident.

A few of the pukka tea blends I drink have liquorice root added to them, and I noticed when I had a cup of those teas any cravings for chocolate went away. I looked at the ingredients and did some research and found out that liquorice could be a superb friend when the sugary cravings hit! I've also found that a mug of Fennel, Plantain and Nettle tea seems to suppress my appetite. Now when I'm feeling hungry, but its not time to eat, or I need to wait a little while longer until dinner or tea is ready I'm finding a mug of Fennel, Plantain and Nettle tea takes the edge off my appetite.

I've been looking into herbs to aid weight loss since the MHG detox talk that Jenny gave back in January, and I'm wondering about the age old marriage of dandelion and burdock!? Dandelion is often associated with diets due to its diuretic and mild laxative effects, it also has a gentle stimulating effect on the metabolism. Burdock also acts as a diuretic and can also help to reduce cravings and hunger. I couldn't find a sugar free recipe for dandelion and burdock but I came across a recipe for Root Beer Tonic by Rosemary Gladstar, not being a fan of Sarsaparilla or Sassafras I've opted to omit them and make my variation of her recipe linked to above. I've made the blend up and it smells really nice, but I've not actually tried brewing it yet, maybe later today. I'll post my thoughts on taste etc and if it works it may be a candidate for a turning into a low sugar cordial or a tonic wine.

Dandelion & Burdock Brew

85g (3oz) Dandelion Root, dried
85g (3oz) Burdock Root, dried
55g (2oz) Liquorice Root, dried
14g (1/2oz) Ground Ginger
14g (1/2oz) Ground Cinnamon
7g (1/4oz) Orange Peel, dried

Mix together all ingredients and store in a tightly closed container. In a large pot combine 2 pints of water and 4 tablespoons of dry mixture. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain and sweeten with honey if desired. Makes about 4 cups.

Chickweed is another potential friend for dieters, apparently in several studies it has shown an ability to break down fat molecules. It's usually recommend in combination with burdock root; the chickweed breaks down the fat and the burdock helps transport it out of the body. As a tea, chickweed is thought to be an effective way to curb cravings, assist digestion, and help you lose weight. So when I next come across chickweed whilst I'm browsing Mother Nature's larder, I have yet another reason to gather this wild herb and make a tea from it and add it to salads. I'm also wondering about making a Burdock & Chickweed cream or oil to use for massage, I'm wondering what benefits these two herbs would have on the skin?

Sarah will be happy to hear that Flax Seed is also considered a dieters friend, apparently if its taken half an hour before meals it will help you eat less, it stabilises the bodies sugar levels, and expands to five times its original bulk when ingested, thus making you feel fuller and it also strengthens the immune system. Orange (Citrus aurantium) is also diet friendly due to its thermogenic properties. Which means that the lovely tea she showed me how to make the winter before last, from a recipe on Rebecca Hartman's blog can also be diet friendly!

Relaxing Cinnamon Tea

3 parts Cinnamon sticks
1 part Orange Peel (fresh)
1 part Crampbark (you can also use Valerian or Black Haw, but I prefer Crampbark)
1/2 part Flaxseeds

Put flax seeds, cinnamon, orange and crampbark in a small pan with 1 cup (285ml) of water per teaspoon of seeds. Simmer gently until the liquid is reduced by half. Drink hot. (If you let it cool, it will be the texture of raw egg white.) This tea is wonderful for increasing circulation, for “irritable bowel” and for menstrual cramps in people who tend to cold. So it's perfect for me right now, I think I'll pop off and make some to sip, I have everything in and the cramps are being a bit of a bugger at the minute! Hmmm you know this blogging about my weight loss is a wonderful tonic. When I started this post earlier I felt like curling up in a ball, now I'm fired with enthusiasm again, had I not blogged who knows what could have happened and all this thanks to the wonder and diversity of herbs :)