ARTICHOKE

Not really a herb more an edible plant but WOW 👀 what an edible....💚 These are some of the oldest plants known to man. These glorious beasts are a total shocker to prepare in the kitchen (I admit I mostly buy the hearts in jars🙈) but health wise - off the hook!

Why are they so amazing? Genuinely a superfood (sod goji berries) Out of a study done by the USDA out of 1,000 plants, they ranked 7th in antioxidant content. 💪

Artichoke leaf extract is often used to lower cholesterol or for gastro problems. In nutritional therapy we often think of artichokes when we are trying to motivate the liver or digestion. This is because of the ‘bitter principle’ - a bitter herb or veg which stimulates the production of digestive juices, releases bile from the liver and improves phase 1 and 2 of liver detoxification. In short GREAT for liver health and for digestion. 🙌

You can eat the leaves (the tender bit) incredible with Hollandaise, or garlic butter but in my opinion the heart is the real delicacy. I add it to most salads and hold my hands up high to the amount of money I spend weekly on these! 

After years of not eating artichokes - why would you, they aren’t exactly easy to get hold of or prepare in this country - I went on a cookery course in Morocco and was sold forever.👩🏻‍🍳

In the 16th century, eating an artichoke was reserved only for men. Women were denied the pleasure because the artichoke was considered an aphrodisiac and was thought to enhance sexual power.

One last artichoke fact: according to legend, the artichoke was created when the Greek god Zeus was so angry that he turned his object of affection, a young girl called Cynara, into a thistle like plant after she snuck back to the world of mortals. And the artichoke was born..

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