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Anyone who has taken an interest in natural medicine for any length of time knows how far behind in certain aspects of health modern medicine really is. We do of course need modern doctors for a great deal of health issues but if we take the time to look at the alternatives we’ll need them a lot less. I often laugh when I read a medical research press releases announcing that “research has shown” something that natural healers have known about for thousands of years.

The humble Basil plant is a case in point. Depending on who you talk to, Basil is said to:

• Have antiseptic qualities
• Stimulate digestion
• Ease congestion
• Settle upset stomachs
• Relieve morning sickness
• Reduce swelling and ease inflammation

The last of course is of help to arthritis sufferers.

Basil oil is said to relieve headaches.

Now if you’re the cynical type you could just about be forgive for thinking that a humble herb could not possibly have such a long list of medicinal uses or we’d all be eating it in bunches. Read on and you’ll discover that Basil really is as useful as anecdotal evidence suggests.

Different species of the plant have been widely used in natural medicine around the globe for centuries. Oil is extracted from it, teas are made with it and of course, it is eaten fresh or cooked into a meal for its flavour.

In India, the plant has been used to treat bronchitis and rheumatism for many years and the plant has been the subject of studies in modern medicine for the past few decades. In 2008 the Department of Plant Biology and Plant Biotechnology at St Joseph’s College in India completed a study into the antibacterial qualities of Basil.

Some extracts were tested for effectiveness against four different micro-organisms and were found to be have properties that were effective against Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Bacillus subtilis but not against E.Coli.

The British Pharmaceutical Conference published the findings of research done by the Poona College of Pharmacy in India in 2008 which indicated that extracts from Ocimum Sanctum, a native Indian variety known as Holy Basil) was effective in “eliminating harmful molecules and protecting against damage caused by some free radicals in key organs such as the heart, liver and brain”.

Ayurvedic medical practitioners in India have long hailed Basil as a tonic for rejuvenation and as an herb that can help maintain youthfulness.

Basil also contains Vitamin A, Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, Potassium and Vitamin C. Of course, it tastes great too which is no doubt why it became a popular herb in Italian and Asian cooking.

One has to suspect that with its now proven ability to fight infection and eliminate nasty molecules that cause damage in the body, Basil might well be good for all those things it’s rumored to help.

If you fancy a cup of basil tea, it’s simply made from chopped fresh basil leaves. Anecdotal evidence suggests that sipping it can ease morning sickness, motion sickness and other nausea.

I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying ‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day’. I can assure you that old saying is not ‘an old wives’ tale. It is absolutely true. You may not know why breakfast is such an important part of being a healthy, happy and productive individual but there are many reasons.

Here are just a few of them:

• Eating breakfast helps kick-start your metabolism into gear. If you continually skip breakfast your metabolism will slow down and it will take longer for your body to break down the food you consume. This means you are more likely to develop weight problems, especially if you don’t participate in regular physical activity.
• Having a HEALTHY breakfast helps lower cholesterol levels.

• People who miss breakfast find themselves feeling sluggish mid-morning and often rely on foods that are loaded with sugar and fat to get through the rest of the day. Such products cause a whole range of health issues when consumed in large quantities.

• Eating breakfast improves your concentration levels and ability to retain information. If you want to get good grades at school or meet the expectations of your boss at work then you need to have something to eat in the morning.

• You feel more energetic and better prepared to tackle the demands of everyday life if you have breakfast. You may also be more likely to exercise or at least move about more energetically.

• Studies have suggested that eating breakfast helps combat feelings of unhappiness and depression.

• If you are a parent it is vital that you eat breakfast as you will be teaching your children healthy eating habits by setting an example.

I’m sure some of you sit down for a leisurely breakfast that may consist of a bowl of cereal, a glass of juice, a couple of slices of toast and some low-fat yogurt and you think that is a healthy breakfast. It isn’t! The reality is that most cereals are loaded with sugar, either sucrose, fructose and or glucose and that includes the really ‘healthy’ ones we see advertised as being good for us and our figures. ‘Just have this cereal, a glass of juice and a cup of black coffee and you’ll be healthy’. You won’t!

If you have cereal a glass of reconstituted juice and a cup of black coffee each day you will consume around 500gms (13ozs) of sugar a week and that’s without putting sugar in your coffee. The only cereals without huge amounts of sugar are natural unflavoured rolled oats and some wheat biscuits. The most popular ones are loaded with sugar.

The best advice I can give you is to eat protein for breakfast and if that means saturated fats so be it as long as you don’t follow up with saturated fats for your other meals.

Eggs of course are healthy protein and two poached eggs sitting on rye toast that has been spread with avocado is hard to beat as a healthy breakfast.

I understand that if you don’t usually eat breakfast because you are too rushed in the morning it may be hard for you to get started, but start you must.

Old habits can be hard to break but poaching a couple of eggs making toast and eating same can be completed in less than 30 minutes. In the event that you are unable to rise 30 minutes earlier than normal the least you can do is eat some fresh pineapple and a banana before heading off to work. Both fruits are chock full of goodness.

Break the fast with a big strong healthy breakfast. That means of course if you are a shift or night worker the first meal of your day is breakfast.