Now in its 30th year, you can join the American Council and get its journal HerbalGram online or the magazine. I find this to be essential to both herbalists and naturopathic doctors. One feature of the magazine I love is their highlighted each month a specific food. Here's an except from this month.
"Each month, HerbalEGram highlights a conventional food and briefly explores its history, traditional uses, nutritional profile, and modern medicinal research. We also feature a nutritious recipe for an easy-to-prepare dish with each article to encourage readers to experience the extensive benefits of these whole foods. With this series, we hope our readers will gain a new appreciation for the foods they see at the supermarket and frequently include in their diets."
This month the highlight food was the Pecan. The pecan is not truly a nut, and a member of the hickory family. It is technically a fruit called a drupe, a fruit with a single stone or pit surrounded by a husk . Pecans provide phytonutrients, plant-based compounds that have powerful antioxidant benefits. They're also a good source of the mineral zinc, crucial for immune-cell development and function. Brazil nuts have a high content of selenium. Pecans are chock-full of monounsaturated fatty acids, a type of fat linked to improving total cholesterol levels. Another benefit to these tasty tree nuts is that Pecans are filled with beta carotene and vitamin E. Pecans are also chock full of flavonoids.
I urge you to read the HerbalGram this month and every month.
Until tomorrow...