7 Good Reasons to Eat Basil Seed

Morag Gamble — Sat, 07 May 2016 13:56:00 +0000

The seeds grown in your garden offer so much food, nutrition and medicine, yet the extent of their value is often overlooked.

Take basil for example. Typically in gardens we are encouraged to chop the seed heads off annual basil bushes to get more leaf growth. This is of course a useful tip, but I’d like to share with you some of the many benefits of actually allowing basils to seed, and how you can utilise these flavoursome, nutritious and medicinal seeds. (In India they are called sabja seeds and in Arabic they are known as falooda seeds.)

The delightful flowering Lemon Basil bush – such a wonderful aroma from the leaves and the seeds, and such a happy plant for the bees.

1. Basil Seeds Ease Headaches

Lately I’ve had a few headaches, not a usual thing for me, so I have been exploring my garden for some natural headache remedies. One I found is basil seed – eating them, and using their oil.

As I explored further, I realised there were many other benefits to basil seeds – and there are just so many on each bush! Another wonderfully abundant plant that happily self-seeds and can be easily propagated by cuttings.

2. Add Basil Seed to Flavour a Curry

I love the fresh flavour and aroma of adding freshly crushed basil seeds to curries – particularly lemon basil!

Lemon basil seeds harvested today from my garden. I let the seeds dry on the bush, then chop off the seedbeds and collect in a paper bag. The seeds will come out in the bag with a bit of shaking and rubbing.

3. Eat Basil Seed to Improve digestion

I didn’t realise until recently that basil seeds are used in India similarly to Chia. Like Chia seeds – when soaked in water for 30 minutes, basil seeds swell up and can be added to drinks for extra fibre and nutrients. As a sweet drink with fruits and yoghurt they can improve digestion, and help with detoxification.

4. Eat Basil Seed to Lose weight

Because they swell and make you full, basil seeds can also assist in weight loss.

5. Sooth Coughs with Basil Seeds

Basil seeds are helpful in soothing coughs, sore throats and colds. The seeds are included in many herbal cough syrups. Make your own soothing tonic for the respiratory system by mixing crushed basil seeds, honey and ginger with warm water.

6. Basil Seeds are Uplifting

There is an uplifting effect from eating basil seeds. They also help to ease mental fatigue, nervous tension, melancholy, depression and migraine. Because of its calming effects, it is commonly used in aromatherapy for clarity and mental strength.

7. Basil Seeds Repel Insects

The seeds can be used as an insect repellent. Simply mix coconut oil and crushed basil seeds. (NB: you could eat this, but it’s better rubbed on your skin!)

As a little aside, another wonderful plant I talk a lot about at this time of year is Rosella. I eat the leaves in salad and stir-fry and dry the deep red calyx for a high Vitamin C tea . Did you know that you can dry and save the seeds as a great chicken food? You can also roast and grind the seeds as a yummy flour.

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How I shed my pregnancy kilos without trying.

Morag Gamble — Thu, 26 Nov 2015 16:30:00 +0000

In a recent post, I shared about how I create quality ‘me-time’ and calm spaces in the day to connect and relax. Even living a simple permaculture life, these ‘breathing moments’ are so incredibly important to keep me balanced and focussed in amongst the daily chaos of raising 3 young children, running a business and a foundation, and volunteering actively in my community.

Possibly one of the most important renewal times during my week is riding my bike. I just absolutely love it. I have a retro steely bicycle that was a gift from my parents when I turned 21. It was custom made for me by a small artisanal bike shop in Melbourne and it fits me like a glove.

My beloved Hillman – 25 years old but so quiet, smooth and light.

I feel so happy when I am riding. It clears the cobwebs in my mind, blows away negative thoughts, detangles my body knots and connects me with the world around me. I notice subtle changes around me as a move through the landscape – the seasons, different sounds in nature. I talk to the cows, the birds and the kangaroos I pass.

Sometimes I chant afffirmations to the rhythm of the pedalling. Sometimes I make up a song and sing it out to the valley. Sometimes I sort out a challenge I have grappled with all day, or find the idea that has been alluding me – the solution just pops into my brain. Some of my best lesson plans for workshops have been designed out on my rides.

At the moment I only ride 30 minutes 3 or 4 times a week but this seems enough. I try to weave this into our family routine, like dropping my son at school, or going to the kids’ tennis class. I ride the 10km country lane to school while Evan drives the kids. We swap and he rides home. This is a luxury of working at home together. When Evan was working full time, I found it so hard to weave in exercise time and I felt sluggish.

As an added bonus, when I started riding regularly again, I dropped 10 kgs over a couple of months without changing my diet. My body just needed to move more – and more rapidly than child pace!

When I ride my bicycle regularly I feel fit and strong and happy

…. and able to easily lift this little man, and run around with my kids.

At 46 years old, this is important!!

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