Thyme
Lately, I have been talking quite a bit about Thyme. And for good reasons. It seems a good idea to include it in the newsletter again, with a little more than we have time for at the market. It is just such a great helper for so much. Besides that, it adds such wonderful scent and flavor, however, you use it. It's great in sauces, soups, or just as tea.
Thyme stimulates the immune system by stimulating the Thymus. The Thymus is a primary lymphoid organ of the immune system in which T cells mature. The Thymus slows down as we age, but something as simple as some tea made with Thyme helps it perform better as a prophylactic or to fix things when you feel “off.” The best time to use it is when you don't even need it yet, the second-best time is when you think you might be coming down with something. With plenty of rest along with Thyme tea and Thyme in soup, maybe with garlic, you don't even have to get sick. But even when you already caught something, it will help you get over it faster, maybe with a little less suffering (helps with cough)
For the most part, it works well in low, culinary doses and poses very little to no problems with side effects or drug interactions. If you're not sure, ask your Doctor. Definitely ask when using medicinal strength preparations. That is a different story, but that is mostly not necessary.
Thyme is also a powerful detoxifier and anti-microbial. It helps with cough, stuck mucus, digestion, and absorption of nutrients (that is why it is so popular in cooking) and it can even help you get better rest because it is a parasympathetic relaxant, addressing deep-seated, unconscious issues that might come up as you are sleeping, expressing itself in disturbing or sleep-disrupting dreams.
One of Thyme's most known constituents is Thymol, a powerful antiseptic, that is widely used in cosmetics and medicine. The whole herb has of course many other constituents that are responsible for all its actions.
There is much more, but these are some of the most important. Not too bad for a common herb.
No wonder that it has, since ancient times, been used in medicine and magic. The use for healing, protection, purification, courage, for sleep spells, matching its properties and actions. Emperors believed it to also be an antidote to poisons, and valued it greatly for that.
Thyme can be a little bit of a pain to use in culinary dishes, because the stems are not consumable, and the leaves are so tiny. Thyme dries very fast, and is then easily stripped off, but for soups, you can just tie it in a coffee filter and then remove it before serving. In other words, you make a teabag for your soup. A cool hack to use many herbs in soups.
If you enjoyed this, let me know. There is much more to Oregano, Basil, and Parsley as well, all of which we have.