PURIFYING PARSLEY
The parsley in our garden has gone a bit crazy lately- big, beautiful, bushy, bountiful bouquets of the stuff that seem to grow the more you pick from them. I’ve always loved the colour of parsley, and the taste reminds me of my many years spent in the Middle East where every salad is served with a very generous sprinkling of the stuff.
In my very early 20s, I had amenorrhea (the absence of periods) for a couple of years before moving to Libya for work. A camel-farmer gave me one bottle of camel milk and then attributed the return of my periods to the wonderful ‘woman-boosting’ powers of the stuff. Whilst I’m sure it was great, and extremely nourishing, I would argue that it was a regular (almost daily) intake of parsley that did the trick. That and living with a friend who was effervescent in her femininity!
Parsley is well-known for its ability to bring on menses- something that I’m hoping it will do again as I’m still waiting for my periods to return after breastfeeding. However, as I’m peri-menopausal, there’s the chance that I’m all done in the menses department now. It’ll be difficult to know for sure as I was never particularly regular. The woo woo part of me definitely sees the connection between the bounty in my garden and my particular stage of mothering though!
Talking of menopause, parsley is extremely good at helping the body absorb manganese. This helps the body to build bone- something that famously declines after menopause. So, eating parsley regularly is something those with aging bones may want to consider ;)
Another female-related use of parsely is uterine toning. This is helpful during childbirth itself.
Parsley is a diuretic, which means in its most basic sense that it helps things (especially wee!) to move through the body. For this reason, it’s a great one for those with kidney, liver or urinary issues as well as those wanting to lose weight, detox and cleanse the body. From an Ayurvedic perspective, the rasa (taste) of parsley is bitter and pungent, and its qualities are dry, easy, hot, light and clear. This means that it pacifies Kapha and Vata whilst slightly aggravating Pitta. As we haven’t had an absolute scorcher of a Summer, this isn’t too much of a problem for someone with not much Pitta in their constitution though.
Teaming parsley with salad leaves and some protein or an all-rounder like quinoa is a great way to reap the benefits and ensure that the pungent taste makes your soul sing as well as your body.