Garlic - Onion

Many times I confuse "left" and "right", especially when trying to give directions for a destination.

Does the same happen to you? Then you must have heard of the correlation "garlic - left", "onion - right". Two questions arise whenever I hear that advice:

- why were garlic and onion chosen, instead of orange and apple for example and
- since I keep confusing "left" and "right", what makes him/her giving the advise believe that I will be able to    remember the correlation.

It is a fact that we remember better what we fully understand. So I did some research and found that the above mentioned correlation stems from a Christian myth, according to which when Satan left the Garden of Eden, garlic arose in his left footprint and onion in the right.

My first question is answered. As for the second, thank God man invented GPS navigators!

Anyway, it is not a surprise that garlic is considered up today a medium for repulsing evil creatures and negative energies. This reputation may be a remainder of garlic's vast use as a powerful medicine in antiquity. Hippocrates, Galen, Pliny the Elder and Dioscorides all emphasize garlic's antiseptic properties. They also recommend its use for many conditions, including parasites, respiratory problems and poor digestion.

Garlic is used in many traditional, practical medicine recipes. I remember that when I was little and a sty appeared on my eyelid, my grandmother would rub a clove of garlic on the top of the lump. It hurt a little but it had results and prevented the infection spreading. Furthermore, you can prepare a very beneficial drink for combating soar throat and colds by mashing a small clove of garlic and adding it into a glass of orange juice with some honey. The taste is awful but, believe me your throat will be grateful!

Contemporary scientific research proves the antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal activity of garlic. Also, there is evidence that the consumption of garlic helps lowering high blood pressure and cholesterol and protects against certain types of cancer (stomach and colon).

Although garlic has many beneficial properties it should be used in moderation. Excessive consumption could cause the emergence of unpleasant symptoms, such as diarrhea, nausea, mouth ulcerations, indigestion and breathing difficulties.

You will find garlic essential oil in the market but its use in aromatherapy is limited, especially due to its very strong - and for many unpleasant - odor. If however you wish to experiment, I suggest you use it as an antiseptic in foot baths. It is a very powerfull essential oil, capable of causing irritation to sensitive skin, therefore use only 1-2 drops diluted in base oil.

My suggestions:

"Garlic: Nature's Original Remedy" is an exceptional book reporting the latest research regarding the therapeutic properties of garlic, explaining how it works and how you will get the most benefit from its use.

For the lovers of garlic in food, a book with over 200 recipes containing this valuable ingredient.

And because "left" does not exist without "right", a book - that has become a bestseller - with over 200 recipes containing onions, practical keepers that trap odors while keeping onions fresh and the chopper that reduces onion vapors and your tears...