Please enjoy this informative article re-published from our recent fall newsletter.
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Improving Digestive Health With Carminative Herbs
by Christa Sinadinos, Clinical Herbalist

The digestive system is considered the foundation of health by many natural health practitioners. Digestion consists of two fundamental processes, assimilation and elimination, which generate energy for the physical body and provide the nutrients which maintain the body processes and systems.

Eating high quality, unprocessed, whole foods provides fuel for the body, but the digestive system has to function properly in order to assimilate the nutrients. A number of factors can reduce the digestive capacity including stress, eating quickly, consuming cold foods, and drinking iced beverages. Additionally, the use of alcohol, recreational drugs, antibiotics, and other medications can also hinder digestion. Some of these factors can be remedied by eating foods which are served warm or at room temperature, and by relaxing while consuming a meal.

Another way to improve digestion is by utilizing flavorful, carminative herbs. Herbs with carminative properties help to reduce flatulence and bloating. They are beneficial for treating colic, as well as for decreasing smooth muscle cramping and griping pains (intestinal cramping). Some carminative herbs increase bile flow, which improves the digestion of fats. Examples of carminative herbs which improve assimilation include the following: anise, cardamom, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, ginger, orange peel and peppermint.

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In the spirit of the season, Starwest offers you this Fall Favorite: a Recipe for Pumpkin Bread. Enjoy!

Mmm Fall Pumpkin Bread

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7×3 inch loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and
sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour,
baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry
ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the
prepared pans.

3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

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Take advantage of these special deals Today!

Be to check our special board each month for great deals.

Chia seeds, otherwise known as Salvia hispanica, have long been thought to be a super food due to its many vitamins and minerals. While these seeds might seem tiny, they pack a real antioxidant punch and are especially rich in omega-3 fatty acid, necessary in keeping your body healthy and free of harmful free radicals and toxins.

Chia seeds get their health potential from the fact they are loaded with boron, calcium, minerals, fiber and vitamins. It doesn’t stop there either since they are also great sources of protein and amino acids.
Many herbalists and everyday people believe they are the perfect food thanks to these many health benefits. It isn’t surprising to see how, either.

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Fresh dried herbs from around the world are used in many ways around your home or in your business. Fresh herbs grown by suppliers located worldwide, are used in all types of cuisines and in beverages. Dried herbs are also the main ingredient in a host of wonderful teas that you enjoy with your morning paper or at the end of a long day. Dried herbs can be used in household products such as cleaning products, laundry detergents and dryer scents for your clothing. Personal care products, such as perfumes, cosmetics, body lotions and oils typically use fresh dried herbs for their fragrance. Businesses that produce food or offer dried herbs for sale to the public can benefit from the wealth of wholesale bulk herbs available online today. However, most people simply enjoy having a variety of fresh dried herbs on hand for everyday meal preparation.

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A study by Whole Foods Market in 2004 reported by the Organic Consumers Association found that ‘Two Years After Organic Standards Enacted, More Than Half of Americans Have Tried Organic Foods; Americans Choose Organic Products for Quality, Flavor, Environmental Impact, Perceived Health Benefits’

More recently, this growing popularity and awareness of the natural foods industry was highlighted through the success of the Natural Products Expo. Along with this are the early estimates from the Nutrition Business Journal that indicate consumer sales of nutrition products grew 9 percent in 2008 to more than $100 billion.

We decided to take a look at some of the factors of why the demand for organic herbs is on the rise.

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It seems to be an ongoing controversy – is it best to use whole spices or ground? Dried herbs or fresh?

There are strong arguments on all sides of the issue, but when asking this question, the best answer is “all of the above” – for different types of cooking and food preparation. It can also depend a great deal upon the time of the year; after all, many herbs are perennials that die back at the end of each growing season – meaning that in its fresh form, it’s probably not available during the winter.

It’s also dependent on whether the food being prepared is fried or baked, and at what temperature. For example, some fresh herbs and spices stand up quite well to the extremely high temperatures involved in Chinese wok stir-frying. On the other hand, when it comes to Italian marinara sauces that simmer for hours over low heat, it’s probably best to use dried herbs rather than the fresh variety. The reason here is that dried herbs ultimately explode into microscopic particles during the simmering process, actually fusing with the tomatoes on a molecular level as they cook down into sauce. Fresh herbs in this case would likely turn into soggy little bits.

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Starwest Botanicals continues to improve it’s commitment to providing an outstanding selection of quality bulk herbs and spices with the addition of 40 new products to their site and catalog. Highlights of these new products include gourmet salts, organic seasoning blends, organic and bulk herbs and natural body care products.

Gourmet Salts
Our latest selection of gourmet salts is truly unique and is sure to appeal to those in search of culinary treasures. Among the new additions you will find a wide selection of products that are truly singular, such as our favorite, Yakima Sea Salt. Sweet, aged applewood from the Yakima Valley gives this salt it’s unique flavor. We also highly enjoy the Himalayan salt, harvested from the heart of the Himalayan Mountains. Having formed over the last 250 million years, it is an amazingly pure salt-untouched by pollutants and toxins. We are also proud to carry the Hiwa Kai Sea Salt, a unique Hawaiian salt that has a stunning black color and silky texture.

Culinary lovers will want to be sure to visit the bulk herbs and spices page of our site to find these and many other outstanding organic salts and sea salts. Read the rest of this entry »

Any discussion of quality, as it relates to dried herbs and spices, should start with definitions of plant parts and forms. To determine whether an herb meets a particular quality specification it is first necessary to decide the proper plant part to be used.

The active or useful plant part could be the root, leaves, seeds, flowers or bark. With some herbs only one part of the plant is used, with others many different parts can be used. Generally speaking, different properties of taste and smell or active ingredients dictate which part is to be used.

The following are descriptions of various plant parts as used in the trade:

PLANT PARTS

• Root: The part of the plant that grows below the ground. Sometimes includes roots, rootlets, rhizomes, and tubers. If specified as root, it should be free of above ground stem.
• Herb: This refers to the dried, above ground portion of the plant including stems and flowering tops.
• Bark: This typically refers to the exterior bark, which is scraped off. Sometimes only the interior bark is used. In the case of sassafras and barberry the root bark is the only portion used.
• Berries: The fruit picked just before ripening and dried.
• Seeds: Seeds are harvested when ripe and cleaned of chaff (small pieces of leaves or stems that have been separated from the seeds).
• Buds & Flowers: Buds are typically harvested just before or just after the buds are open.
  Petals: Each petal is freed from calyx.
• Gums: Gums are the dried sap of trees.
• Leaves: Leaves are collected just before the end of the growing season. Small stems may be included with the leaves, but the woody stems are not.

COMMON FORMS

Dried herbs and spices can come in a variety of forms, below is a simple explanation of each of the forms commonly offered:

• Whole: The plant part is sold as is and has not been purposely cut. Generally seeds, fruits, and flowers are sold in this form.
• Cut & Sifted (C/S): Cut to approximately 1/8â€� to 3/8â€� in size then sifted to remove fine particles and produce a more uniform size.
• Square Cut: Cut with European machines to produce a very uniform cut. Licorice root, orange peels, and many other herbs are cut in this way.
• Granulated: Consists of particles from 1/32â€� to 1/8â€� in size. This size can be used in tea bagging machines. Our standard for granulated items is that it passes through a 14 mesh screen and remains on top of a 60 mesh screen. This ensures that particles that are either too large or too fine will be removed.
• Powdered: Fine particle size that will generally pass through a 60 mesh screen. Some oily or resinous materials are difficult to grind without adding anti-caking compounds; these materials would be offered in rough powders. Some items which fall into this category are juniper berries and nutmeg.
• Roasted: Roasting converts some of the bitter flavors to smoother ones. Dandelion root is processed this way and used in coffee substitutes.
• Decorticated: Removes shell or pod from the seed.

Ginseng tea brewed from ginseng powder can provide some valuable health-promoting properties – as well as producing some unwanted side effects. As is the case for all herbal supplements, anything made from ginseng extract – whether it is ginseng tea, candy or pills or capsules – should be used judiciously.

Korean ginseng tea, derived from a variety a ginseng root that is cultivated in China’s northeastern Manchurian region as well as Korea proper, has been used as a tonic in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for thousands of years. Traditionally, this type of ginseng tea is considered to have yang properties, being associated with heat, dryness, and “masculineâ€� energy. Also known as “red ginseng,â€� Korean ginseng tea is essentially a stimulant; Asian medical studies suggest that this type of ginseng powder may indeed live up to its reputation as an aphrodisiac and cure from male impotence. Additional studies indicate that the “redâ€� variety of ginseng root may also help in the prevention of certain types of cancer.

This so-called “red ginseng” incidentally does not refer to its natural color; it means that it has been heat-processed, either by steaming or by sun-drying.

Overuse of ginseng root can produce negative side effects as well. Because of its stimulant properties, ginseng extract can result in insomnia much like caffeine. Nausea, diarrhea and headaches can also result. The most common and dangerous side effect of ginseng powder overuse however is elevated blood pressure; individuals who suffer from and/or are taking medication for hypertension should avoid taking products made from ginseng extract, including ginseng tea.

Even healthy individuals should seek the guidance of a licensed herbalist or healthcare professional before making extensive therapeutic use of ginseng.