Every Monday night my girlfriends and I get together to watch Gossip Girl and catch up on the latest gossip in our own lives. We take turns as hostess and look forward to this weekly night of much needed girl time.

We usually delve into an array of junk food items such as pizza, Pringles, cookies, etc. But every once in awhile, we think it might be more beneficial to our health if we opted for some more nutritious snacks.

Always on the lookout for healthy snack food options, I discovered this super quick and easy recipe for a Coriander Fruit Dip. It’s simple, delicious, and perfect for a girl’s night in.

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Simply combine cream cheese, yogurt and honey, along with coriander seed powder, cinnamon powder and nutmeg ground, for a sweet spiced dip. (Click here for the full recipe from Frontier Natural Products Co-op.) Serve chilled with any variation of fruit. (I chose strawberries, bananas and pineapple.)

The dip was a hit. Plus, the ingredient that gives it its flavor, coriander, is a powerful anti-bacterial agent and a good source for minerals such as potassium, calcium and iron. If I make it again (which is a strong possibility) I might try to spice up my presentation by making fruit kabobs. 

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Now it’s your turn. What kind of simple and easy dishes do you recommend I whip up next time I host girl’s night in? Send me your suggestions at gdebacker@ogdenpubs.com and I might publish your recipe in an upcoming post.

Take advantage of what's in season right now, and right now, during the month of October, figs are in season.

Figs provide an array of health benefits. They are rich in antioxidants, calcium and fiber; treat constipation, indigestion and bronchitis; increase energy and sexual desire; and have anti-diabetic properties.

There are four major fig varieties: black mission, which is dark purple, brown turkey, which is seen mostly in fresh markets, kadota, which is nearly seedless and most often dried and canned, and calimyrn, which has a nut-like flavor and golden skin.

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Try these herb-infused fig recipes.

• Fresh Figs with Ricotta and Apricots: Chop up fresh chervil and French tarragon, mix it with ricotta cheese and honey, and serve with figs and apricots.

• Dried Figs with Fennel Seeds: Scatter fennel seeds on a small plate, dip fig halves into them and arrange on a second plate. You can press a few toasted almonds or cashews into each fig to serve.

Also, remember that figs are highly perishable, with a shelf life of 10 to 12 days, and should be consumed immediately.

According to a recent study conducted by the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester, concentrated extracts from two types of basil, Ocimum americanum and Ocimum tenuiflorum, reduced joint swelling by up to 73 percent within just 24 hours.

So far basil has not been found to cause side effects like diclofenac has. Diclofenac, an existing joint-relieving drug, has been known to cause gastro-intestinal irritation and abdominal burning and pain.

Although basil-extract pills are not yet available, you can still take advantage of its newly discovered health properties by incorporating the basil grown from your garden into your meals. Try recipes from our article A Basil Harvest.  

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Resources:
How eating fresh basil can help banish arthritic aches and pains  (Mail Online)

Constantly in search of the best natural face wash, I’ve recently stumbled upon a company with endless natural beauty treatment choices: derma e. The company combines vitamins, antioxidants and botanicals to create eco-friendly beauty treatments, such as its new formula Very Clear Cleansing Scrub ($13.95).

This exfoliant is a new product to join the Very Clear Skin collection, which includes the Very Clear Problem Skin Cleanser, Cleansing Scrub, Problem Skin Moisturizer and Spot Blemish Treatment. The formula combines tea tree, willow bark, rosewood, lavender, aloe and chamomile to treat blemish-prone skin.

The exfoliant, designed to remove dead skin cells in order to stimulate new cell growth for clearer skin, is gentle, relaxing and seems to work very well with my skin. My acne has stayed under control as of late and I truly believe it has something to do with this 4-ounce tube. Its major ingredient, tea tree oil, is amazing because it’s natural and powerful as a disinfectant; it most commonly treats a wide variety of skin ailments such as acne, rashes or sun burns.

(News & Tips: Swine Flu Prevention and Hand Washing Tips)

However, it is an herb that you either hate or love, in my opinion, because the smell of tea tree oil is very strong—and the derma e formula is no exception. I’m not a fan of the tea tree oil smell and have found other formulas that my olfactory system enjoy a lot more. If you absolutely can not stand its scent, you may not enjoy its powerful aroma lingering on your face.

(Ode to Tea Tree Oil)

Still, even if you’re not a fan of its smell you may want to learn to just deal with it because recent studies have shown tea tree oil to be a very powerful, natural antibacterial agent. A study in 2000 showed that tea tree oil is 5 percent more effective than commercial medication when treating scabies mite in an in vitro situation. More recently, a new study may soon prove that a tea tree oil wash can prevent Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is resistant to most commonly used antibiotics. According to Reuters Health, the study is expected to be complete in 2010 and looks promising for tea tree oil based on previous studies.

So what do you herbies think? The price is reasonable and the results are positive. Will you be trying the Very Clear Cleansing Scrub anytime soon?

During my early childhood summers, I loved to forage for wild edibles with my best friend. We didn’t go the traditional route of gnawing on fruits and veggies from the garden but instead ate whatever green, leafy plants smelled somewhat appealing and weren’t too bitter. I marvel that we never got sick since our only tenet was a warning from our moms to stay away from the bush with the round, red berries. I guess our saving grace was eating only the plants that we were familiar with, such as clover, honeysuckle, watercress and sometimes grassy.

Occasionally, even expert foragers mistake tasty tidbits for potent poisons. My reluctance to forage on my own doubled after watching the scene in “Into the Wild” when [SPOILER ALERT] McCandless mistakenly eats the wild sweet pea thinking it was wild potato, which inevitably leads to his death.

Photo by Roger B./Courtesy Flickr
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Now scientists have determined that another camouflaged plant, the hemlock water-dropwort, might have been the toxic ingredient in the Phoenician potion used to execute Sardinian criminals and the debilitated elderly. Its deceit lies in the sweet wine-like nectar of its flowers and its resemblance to water parsnip or wild celery.

The faces of its ancient victims revealed the toxin’s presence to scientists because of muscular contractions that resulted in a post-mortem smile. Imagine if this had been the same type of hemlock used on Socrates. I’m sure Plato’s account of his noble death would have been ruined by the presence of this “sardonic” grin.

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Despite the plant’s historical propensity to tighten the facial muscles of its unfortunate victims, researchers are hoping to put a positive spin on its toxicity and use it in Botox-like cosmetic procedures to relax muscles.

I’m sure many of the foods and plants we ingest have toxic properties when used in excess, but it seems implausible that directly injecting poison into our sensitive facial tissue, even in diluted doses, doesn’t have carcinogenic or otherwise fatal risks.

I know, I know, Botox experts proclaim that the technique, when applied by licensed professionals is completely safe. Just the same, I think I’ll celebrate my wrinkles and stay away from cosmetic procedures that paralyze my muscles into a relaxed stupor, or worse yet, a sardonic grin.

According to TastingTable, black garlic is very trendy with foodies right now. It's a new variety of garlic that has recently hit the market. When I first saw an image of black garlic I thought it looked like something I had baked, meaning I had messed up yet another meal by leaving my dish on the stove for a little too long. In reality, it is just garlic that has been fermented with nothing special added to it.

Black garlic develops its dark color, soft texture and sweet flavor while it ferments for about a month. Not only is it tasty, it is healthy—it is said to help prevent cancer and it is packed with twice the amount of antioxidants as raw garlic!

To incorporate black garlic into your next entrée, visit www.blackgarlic.com for recipes such as Black Garlic & Tomato Sauce, Mushroom & Black Garlic Risotto and Oven Baked Beef with Black Garlic.

www.gobizkorea.com

You don’t have to abandon your love for herbs to stay up-to-date with the latest technology. Keep herbal knowledge at your fingertips with the new iPhone and iPod Touch application “Natural Cures.”

Created by Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, the author of Pain Free 1, 2, 3—A Proven Program for Eliminating Chronic Pain Now (McGraw-Hill), “Natural Cures” is a free application that combines natural and prescription schools of thought. Alphabetically presenting more than 100 health conditions, this application is more or less a travel-friendly guide to treating every-day ailments with natural remedies. It has been placed in the top ten “Top Free Apps” list for the Healthcare & Fitness iPhone category.

The Herb Companion has not been lucky enough to test this application, so we really would like to hear your thoughts! Have you used this application? Was it helpful? Did it offer a comprehensive list of herbal treatments for common health conditions? Go try it out—it’s free!

Click here to purchase the application for your iPhone or iPod Touch.