Clove love

I think cloves are one of those herbs most people are aware of (sticking them in oranges every December for Christingle service, anyone?), and a lot of people have them in their cupboard somewhere or other, but they are extremely underused, particularly here in the UK.

People like the smell of them, they like the Wintery, Christmassy vibe and they know that in ye olden days, they were used by dentists as a mild form of anaesthetic, and also to make peoples’ breath smell a bit sweeter, but other than that, cloves don’t really have a place in most people’s psyche. People who know me know that I love a good herb, so I thought I’d do my tiny little bit to change that here, especially as I’ve gotten a little bit obsessed with cloves recently. It is full on lurgy season if you live in a household with small children or work in an environment where they exist in large numbers, so hopefully this will be useful!

Cloves are great for bringing heat from the core of the body to the exterior of the body (they widen and relax blood vessels, allowing blood to flow through them more easily). During the Winter, our body conserves heat by ensuring that the core stays warm. This not only means that our extremities can get a bit chilly, but also that the body can accidentally end up ‘holding on’ to seasonal illnesses like colds and fevers. I know so many people at the moment who are complaining (rightly so!) of having had a cold since Christmas or something similar. Cloves may be able to help here. Cloves also help to rid the gut of any lurking lurgyified bad bacteria as they increase peristalsis, the movement of food through the intestines (in the same way that other ‘hot’ herbs and spices do). In Ayurveda, this is referred to as increasing Agni (the digestive ‘fire’). For many, the tail end of Winter can be the time when Agni is at its slowest- people feel sluggish, full of cold and quite frankly just can’t wait for the Spring time. It’s why now is a good time to take stock of your habits and think about what you’re eating, when you’re eating and how quickly it’s moving through your body. If your body is ‘holding on’ to coughs, colds or poos (sorry!), then foods that help move things along are a wonderful addition to your diet at this time of year. Those with a fiery (Pitta) constitution need to be a little careful around heating foods such as ginger, pepper and so on, but cloves are not quite as strong, and so can be tolerated with greater ease, again, especially during this time of the year when everything is cold and damp.

Cloves are grounding, relaxing and anti-spasmodic as well as being warming, antibacterial and an antioxidant. They are great for heart as well as gut health, and they even have the added bonus of being an aphrodisiac (so I’ve heard!). Because of their actions on blood vessels, they can help reduce blood pressure.

Cloves can be added to rice dishes, dals and curries, but also warmed with cinnamon and/or ginger, honey and milk to make a delicious chai-style milky drink. You can either grind cloves in a coffee grinder or buy ready-ground cloves in the herb section at the supermarket. Give them a go if you’re doing a bit of a Spring cleanse because of general aches and pains or weight around the middle, or if you and the family have had lurgies hanging over you in what feels like forever. Get those cloves out of your cupboard and have a play- just don’t go too overboard with them as they pack quite a punchy, pungent taste!

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