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This amazing little seed is too often overlooked. Not on my watch! It’s your best friend in spring. When the Kapha starts to melt (and mucus starts to run!), and a wave of colds and congestion goes around.

It’s got interesting qualities, primarily warming, or ushna, but at the same time, it’s mucilaginous.  See if you can see this unique feature reflected in its benefits below.

That makes it perfect for many of the predominantly Vata and Kapha conditions we experience here in NL!

Benefits

• Lifts Agni, when appetite is low
• One of best to control blood sugar, and all the related benefits – use in diabetes but also for sugar or bread cravings
• Cleanses blood, therefore it is an anti-inflammatory herb- thick skin or arthritis
• Lubricates the GI tract & ease elimination
• Calms spasms in intestines
• Promotes breast milk
• Useful in constipation hemorrhoids

This hard little worker can greatly contribute to balancing diabetes, reducing hemorrhoids, calming intestinal spasms. If you have the tendency to need a bulk laxative like psyllium or bran, you can upgrade to or mix with this since it will give the added healing benefits.

It’s warming quality helps dispel cold quality, for example, that which can result in loss of enthusiasm & lethargy.

How to get it into your diet

Tea- 1 tsp fenugreek in a teabag for a lovely mapley-bitter aroma, a few times a day for medicinal purposes or when you’re in the mood for something different or trying to get more bitter in the spectrum of 6 tastes.

Soups – cook it early and long. It’s a hard seed.

Sprouts – soak seeds in water in a glass jar overnight. Pour out water in morning. Cover with cheesecloth or other loose fittings. Each day, rinse & strain. Use sprouts in salads, garnish over soups, throw in at the end of stir-frys. It’s super easy and a joy to grow! Great with kids, too.

Try to sprout it this week, and let me know how you like it!