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Rosemary
Dew of the Sea

Rosemary - Dew of the Sea

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a spiky evergreen bush growing to an average of five feet tall. Rosemary is a member of the mint family native to the Mediterranean, Portugal and Spain and brought to Britain with the Roman armies. The name comes from the Latin ros which means ~dew~ and marinus meaning of the sea. It was later called Rose of Mary or rosemary in honour of the Virgin Mary. According to one legend when Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus were fleeing to Egypt, Mary laid her cloak on a rosemary bush; the flowers, originally white, turned blue and acquired the sweet scent they have today. Rosemary is high in iron, calcium and vitamin B6; it also contains the antioxidants carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid, and other bioactive compounds including caffeic acid, ursolic acid, betulinic acid, camphor, eucalyptol, borneol, and pinene in its essential oils, rosmaridiphenol, and rosmanol. Rosemary may smell familiar to you because the oils are widely used in toiletries. In fact, rosemary was one of the first distilled essential oils (Raymudus Lullus developed a method for vaporization and condensation in 1330).

Cooking With Rosemary

The leaves and flowers of rosemary can be used in many different dishes; however, because they have quite a strong flavor, you don't need to add very much, even in dishes that are slow cooked.

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Coach for Happiness

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Rosemary
Dew of the Sea

Rosemary flowers can be used in desserts (ex, sprinkled over mousses or ice cream) and it blends especially well with oranges but also other fruits. One of the more traditional uses for rosemary is as an accompaniment to lamb, chicken and pork dishes. If you blend rosemary leaves, garlic, lemon juice and seasoning you create a delicious marinating sauce. You can also make rosemary flavoured oil or vinegars.

Rituals and Beliefs about Rosemary

There are many rituals and beliefs associated with Rosemary. Throughout history, a common association with rosemary is remembrance; it is still used to signify a special love or friendship and some countries continue to place a sprig of rosemary in the hands of the deceased before burial. Early Greek students were wearing wreaths of rosemary around their heads to stimulate their memories during exams. A legend says that Mary washed Jesus' clothes in a stream while fleeing to Egypt and she laid them on a rosemary bush to let them dry. In honour for the humble service they gave the Saviour, Rosemary was made blue. It is also said that the bush never grows higher than Christ stood and that it only lives for 33 years. Rosemary and thyme were used on St. Agnes' Eve, the patron saint of virgins and young girls. St. Agnes Eve is celebrated on January 20th and 21st. Some rituals practiced on St. Agnes' Eve were to aid young girls in discovering their future husbands, a superstition that was the main theme of John Keatss poem, The Eve of Saint Agnes. Rosemary was once thought to ward off evil spirits. During the Middle Ages people slept with rosemary branches under their pillows to keep them safe from nightmares, and demons. Rosemary was also burned, ingested or carried to prevent witchcraft and the Plague.

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Rosemary
Dew of the Sea

Traditionally Rosemary was one of the wedding herbs entwined into a head wreath, dipped in scented water and worn by brides at the altar. The wreath symbolized love and abiding fidelity. To encourage couples to remember their wedding vows, rosemary was tied with ribbons and presented to wedding guests.

Health Effects
Rosemary stimulates blood circulation, boosts brain activity, stimulates digestion, menstruation, and ovulation, increases fertility and has a mild aphrodisiac effect on both men and women. This herb also has sedative, aromatic, diuretic, antispasmodic and antiseptic properties, which make it particularly beneficial in the treatment of fatigue and neuralgia. Herbalists use rosemary to treat stomach ailments, halitosis, dizziness due to inner ear problems, headaches, nerve conditions, and as pain-reducers. Rosemary and birth Rosemary also stimulates the uterine contractions; this is why midwives recommended rosemary added to warm baths when the delivery was too slow and painful for the mother. Rosemary improves the mood, smoothing down the emotional fluctuations of the people sensitive to weather changes, by decreasing the receptivity to negatively perceived stimuli (low and gray light, dampness, noise of the rain, etc.). Rosemary and cancer - Rosemary also contains chemicals called quinones, which have been shown in laboratory studies to inhibit carcinogens. Carnosic acid, found in rosemary, is also a promising cancer chemoprevention and anti-cancer agent. Thus, this herb is ranked high on the list of cancer-prevention and reduction foods.

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Coach for Happiness

Making change possible

Rosemary
Dew of the Sea

Rosemary and the brain - The results of a study suggest carnosic acid, found in rosemary, is antiinflammatory and may shield the brain from free radicals, lowering the risk of strokes and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A study found that rosemary "produced a significant enhancement of performance for overall quality of memory and secondary memory factors, thus being a good memoryenhancer. Mark Moss and Lorraine Oliver, working at the Brain, Performance and Nutrition Research Centre at Northumbria University, UK designed and experiment that has shown for the first time that blood levels of a rosemary oil component correlate with improved cognitive performance, where speed and accuracy were improved.

Cautions:
Essential, distilled rosemary oil is poisonous in strong doses taken internally. Also, do not use rosemary if: - you are pregnant - you have an abundant menstrual flow - have high blood pressure - you have iron deficiency anaemia (rosemary interferes with the absorption of iron)

Note: All information about rosemary, about health and medical conditions, is intended for your general knowledge and is not a substitute for medical

Copyright 2012 www.coachforhappiness.eu/blog

Coach for Happiness

Making change possible

Rosemary
Dew of the Sea

diagnosis, advice, or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek medical care and consult your doctor for any specific health issue that you have and before beginning any program involving herbs.

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Copyright 2012 www.coachforhappiness.eu/blog