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When I think back to my grandmother’s wisdom, it wasn’t just her cooking that left an impression—it was her relationship with food as medicine. She always had a way of dropping little nuggets of advice at the stove or in the garden, and her words still echo in my mind today.
One of the first things she always warned me about was salt and garlic.
“Baby, too much salt will swell you up and run your blood pressure sky high,” she’d say while tapping the shaker gently, as if even the sound was too much. In her world, salt wasn’t just seasoning—it was a caution sign. She’d remind me that flavor comes from herbs, not a heavy hand of sodium.
Instead of drowning food in salt, my grandmother leaned on her herb cabinet and the little patch of green she kept outside. These were her go-to’s:
1. Parsley
“Parsley will clean you out,” she’d say. She meant it as a natural detox, something to sip as tea when you felt heavy or bloated. I didn’t understand then, but science later confirmed parsley’s benefits for kidney health and reducing water retention.
2. Basil
Basil was her “peace herb.” She’d toss it into soups, sauces, and even her teas. She swore basil calmed the nerves and helped settle the stomach after big meals.
3. Mint
For every bellyache, there was mint. A fresh leaf in hot water was her cure-all for indigestion, and on hot days she’d crush it into iced tea.
4. Garlic
“God’s antibiotic,” she’d call it. My grandmother used garlic for everything—cold, flu, high blood pressure. She’d pound cloves with olive oil and smear it on bread or drop them whole into stews.
5. Sage
When she wanted to cleanse a space or help a sore throat, sage was the answer. She’d brew it for tea or burn it gently, saying it “chased away the heavies” from the home.
Lessons From Grandma’s Kitchen
Looking back, I realize my grandmother was teaching me holistic health long before it became a trend. Her caution about salt wasn’t just about flavor—it was about preserving health and honoring the body. The herbs she leaned on were her way of seasoning with purpose: adding not only taste but healing.
Now, when I cook, I find myself reaching for parsley or mint the same way she did. I hear her voice reminding me, “Baby, flavor is in the garden, not the shaker.”
✨ Reflection Question for You:
What herbs did your grandmother, auntie, or elder swear by? Sometimes the best health advice is passed down at the dinner table.
