Parsley Tea- Good for What Ails Ya

The other day I had a dear friend over for breakfast. Health nut or not, no matter, she is very knowledgeable that way. It was what she contributed that morning that made for one fine day...the day after. Confused? Let me explain.

I fixed a simple breakfast of my favorite oatmeal pancakes for us. My friend brought with her a bag of what I thought was green tea. It was actually a bag of parsley. "Hmm, I said to her, what's this for?"

"C'mon," she said, "let's have some parsley tea with our pancakes!" "Really?" I said, "parsley tea? Never heard of such a thing. Parsley's for cooking. Tea's for drinking, right?" Well, she proved me wrong.

I'm a coffee person myself. But I had to oblige her, she was so thoughtful to bring it and share. And I really was curious as to what it would taste like.

And...I liked it! A lot! Very soothing with full flavor. Comforting. And much better without being sweetened. Really.

She told me as we were drinking it with breakfast, it would have a positive effect on my body...the day after. And she was confident when she said that I would notice a difference in the positive boost it would provide.

That would be nice, I thought... but we'll see.

The next day started off as usual. I was on a diet and used to drinking a quick protein drink with my usual green powder before I walked.

But somehow that day I got interrupted and skipped it. The morning was slipping by fast and I still had to do my uphill one-mile walk which included five minutes of climbing up three steep hills and providing a good amount of aerobic workout for my legs and heart.

"Just go, you baby, get tough on yourself. You can always eat when you get back," I said to myself. I knew from experience this voice talking to me usually got it wrong and I paid the price. But I did agree with the part about getting tough on yourself. So I submitted and took off w/o a bit of nourishment, knowing without a doubt I would pay the price, sluggishly climbing up with no energy with my legs burning and my soul famished.

I got going pretty good. And the sun was up and smiling at me. It felt nice and warm. So I kept climbing up. It felt good. And climbing up. And it still felt good. No burning, no hurting, no sighing or crying within myself. Not a slug could be found in my body! I WAS ALIVE! I WAS GOING STRONG! I WAS AMAZED!

Wow! I thought, this hasn't happened before, especially with an empty stomach. I felt like I could turn around and do it again. I kept asking myself what had changed. Over and over I back tracked. Then it hit me! THE PARSLEY TEA the day before! IT REALLY WORKED! Honest to goodness it did!

(AND LOOK FORWARD FOR THE DAY AFTER!!!)

• Healthy immune system - Vitamin C and A in parsley strengthen the body's immune system in different ways. Vitamin C is necessary for collagen, the main protein found in connective tissue, which not only accelerates the body's ability to repair wounds, but also maintain healthy bones and teeth.

  Vitamin A fortifies the entry points into the human body, such as mucous
  membranes, the lining of the eyes, respiratory, urinary and intestinal tracts. Also, white blood cells rely on vitamin A to fight infection in the body.

• Healthy heart - Vitamin B9 in parsley helps convert Homocysteine, an amino acid (which if risen too high, threatens the body's blood vessels) into harmless molecules preventing heart attacks and strokes.
• Anti-cancer - Myristicin, an essential oil in parsley, inhibits tumor formation, in the lungs. This oil also helps neutralize carcinogens in cigarette smoke that can pass through the body, helping fight against colon and prostate cancer.
• Anti-inflammatory - The luteolin and Vitamin C in parsley are both effective anti-inflammatory agents. When consumed regularly, they combat the onset of inflammatory disorders, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
• Antioxidants - contains an amazing arsenal that includes luteolin, a flavonoid that eradicates free radicals which cause oxidative stress in cells. Luteolin promotes carbohydrate metabolism, serving the body as an anti-inflammatory agent. Just two tablespoons of parsley contain 16% of the RDA for vitamin C and 12% of the RDA for vitamin A, both powerful antioxidants.
• Vitamin K - prevents calcium build-up in body tissues (leads to atherosclerosis, stroke and cardiovascular disease) and also protects the nervous system