Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. – Hippocrates
Since we are under COVID19 quarantine, I though it may be a good time to talk about food as prevention. I love the quote by Hippocrates because it’s simple and true. The simple truth. Can’t get much better than that.
There are three foods in particular that I wanted to talk about – garlic, onions, and mushrooms.
These foods are simple to add to virtually anything that is cooked. Well, except maybe boiled eggs. Although you could certainly put them with the eggs. Any soup, stews, stir frys, tacos, omelettes (speaking of eggs), anything cooked. My secret, especially with the garlic and mushrooms is to mince them. That means to cut them up into very small pieces. If you’ve ever had a bite of pure garlic, you’ll know why very small is key. And if you are like me and don’t particularly dig mushrooms, very small is key here too.
Here’s the health benefits
Garlic – It’s good for your heart. It lowers cholesterol and lowers high blood pressure.
It has cancer fighting characteristics.
It’s a natural antibiotic.
Onions – They are nutrient dense. High in Vitamin C and high in B Vitamins.
They fight inflammation.
They also lower cholesterol and lower high blood pressure.
They are loaded with antioxidants.
Like garlic, onions have cancer fighting compounds.
They help reduce high blood sugar.
They boost bone density.
Mushrooms – Ancient civilizations worldwide have used mushrooms for their healing properties for thousands of years.
They have immune boosting benefits.
They help prevent respiratory infections.
They boost longevity.
There’s as many benefits as there are ways to use these ingredients.
The way I normally use them is to lightly saute them first, then I can add them to the rest of the ingredients, or vice versa.
By mincing them (except onions. I don’t mince onions but I do chop them fairly small) it’s very easy to not even know they are in the dish. And the flavor boost cannot be beaten.
I’ve been cooking with these so long that I’m not sure I would enjoy my cooking without these flavors.
I could probably write a book about garlic, onions, and mushrooms. In fact, there are probably books written about these precious foods. But I will stop for now.
Tell me, do you cook? If so, do you use these ingredients often?
As a reader-supported blog, I earn commission from affiliate links. Here’s one from Amazon for cookbooks featuring onions, mushrooms, and/or garlic.
https://amzn.to/3w2tMsY
Suzanne Horrocks 