10 Best Healing Spices and Herbs

 

Turmeric
This golden spice, used in almost every meal in India is very valuable. "It is a very powerful healer. It prevents growth of cancer cells and thus can prevent cancer," says Mumbai-based nutritionist Naini Setalvad. Its anti-inflammatory properties reduces swelling caused due to pain. "It also said to prevent alzhiemers and said to reduce severity of pain caused due to arthritis," says Mumbai-based nutritionist Maithili Pashtekar. This spice also acts as an antioxidant that helps lower cholesterol.

Cinnamon
Often used in coffees and other desserts, cinnamon is said to have the ability to reduce blood sugar levels. "This spice contains antioxidants that help lowering levels of bad cholesterol," says Naini. More good news for women- including this spice in your diet will also ensure less painful cycles.

Ginger
Good ol' ginger candy has always been an instant cure to motion sickness or has curbed a feeling of nausea. The spice does more than that. "It improves your digestive process and prevents stomach disorders like flatulence," says Naini. It is also said to regularize blood flow, thus maintaining your blood pressure.

Basil
Holy basil or tulsi is said to be a great de-stressor as it "reduces levels of serotonin," Maithili says. Try a tea made of basil leaves and ginger for relief from indigestion, headaches and fever. Chewing on leaves of basil could also reduce symptoms of bronchitis and asthma.

Garlic
This condiment lowers your chances of getting cancer. Other than that, according to Naini, "it helps in lowering bad cholesterol and keeping your blood pressure in control." It also has anti viral properties and helps in clearing your sinuses. "It helps to digest iron and protein," says Maithili. Garlic is also a powerful antioxidant that protects your body against damage from free radicals.

Cumin
Cumin powder in water with salt and lemon is probably the best way to curb a diarrhoea attack. "It also acts as a blood purifier and is an excellent remedy for stomach cramps," says Naini. Due to its cooling properties, it is added to most drinks and juices during summer.

Mustard
Mustard seeds is said to curb the growth of cancer cells. "it also has anti inflammatory properties and is said to restore normal sleeping patterns in women with symptoms of menopause," says Maithili. It also reduces severity of asthma and lowers high blood pressure.

Saffron
Saffron is a powerful antioxidant too. "It is said to be an anti-depressant and can cure bladder, liver and kidney disorders," says Naini. A li'l saffron in your tea can relieve you of a cold too. Saffron also has antiseptic and anti inflammatory properties. Rubbing saffron on sore gums can provides relief.

Cardamom
Known as elaichi, this spice is also effective in curing stomach cramps. It is also said to cure other stomach disorders like flatulence and acidity. "It also improves your circulation to your lungs, Maithili says. Boil water and add mint leaves and cardamom to it and have it to cure hiccups, suggests Naini.

Mint
Mint or pudina is known to ease symptoms of the irritable bowel syndrome. It is also known to have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. Mint oil when rubbed on your forehead soothes headaches too. Mint paste while applied on pimples and acne can cure it.

Fox News Banned

"America’s middle class battles for its survival on the Wisconsin barricades – against various Koch Oil surrogates and the corporate toadies at Fox News – fans of enlightenment, democracy and justice can take comfort from a significant victory north of the Wisconsin border. Fox News will not be moving into Canada after all! The reason: Canadian regulators announced last week they would reject efforts by Canada’s right-wing Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, to repeal a law that forbids lying on broadcast news."

Canada's broadcasting regulator has abandoned its attempt to change a regulation that prohibits the dissemination of false or misleading news.

The decision from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission followed a meeting last week of Parliament's joint committee for the scrutiny of regulations, which ended its 10-year bid to get the regulation to comply with the law.

The committee was concerned that the regulation violated a 1992 Supreme Court ruling in the case of Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel, which found that the Charter of Rights provision protecting freedom of expression meant a person could not be charged for spreading false information.

After ignoring the committee's letters for years, CRTC finally relented and said in December it would consider changing the regulation to apply only in cases when broadcasters know the information they are sharing is untrue and when it "endangers or is likely to endanger the lives, health or safety of the public."
But the CRTC's call for public input on the proposal resulted in a tidal wave of angry responses from Canadians who said they feared such a move would open the door to Fox TV-style news and reduce their ability to determine what is true and what is false.

In the face of the outcry, the regulations committee, which is composed of both MPs and senators, met last Thursday and decided it would no longer pursue the matter with the CRTC. Some of the MPs on that committee, including Liberal chairman Andrew Kania, were not in politics when the issue was first discussed and said they did not agree with the decision of the committee 10 years ago to press the CRTC for the change.

"I would suggest perhaps as an option that we write back to the CRTC; we thank them for the proposed amendments but we also let them know that this version of the committee does not see the Zundel decision as an impediment to the continued operations of the current regulations, and invite them to consider whether they still wish to make changes in light of that comment," Mr. Kania told his fellow committee members.
The committee agreed.

The CRTC had not received any correspondence from the committee by Thursday of this week. But, having been made aware of the decision, CRTC Chairman Konrad Von Finckenstein told reporters late last week that the commission never wanted to change the regulation in the first place.

The CRTC had run out of stalling devices after being pressured by the committee for 10 years, Mr. Von Finckenstein said, and now that the committee has relented the commission will withdraw the attempt to rewrite the regulation.

The Real Job Creators are the Middle Class, NOT the Rich

Their slogan is "ideas worth spreading." But the folks at TED -- the Technology Entertainment and Design nonprofit behind the TED Talks, beloved by geeks and others interested in novel new ideas -- evidently think that some ideas are better left unspread. At least when the ideas in question challenge the conventional wisdom that rich enterpreneurs are the number one job creators.

This past March, millionaire tech investor and entrepreneur Nick Hanauer -- one of the early backers of Amazon.com -- gave a talk at a TED conference in which, among other things, suggested that middle-class consumers, not rich people, are the real job creators -- and that because of this rich people should be paying more in taxes. Though the talk drew applause from conference attendees at the time, TED Talk curator Chris Anderson decided it wasn't worth sharing with the wider world, and refused to post it on TED's website.