The Magic of the Thai Diet

Thai food recently burst from obscurity to become one of the world's most chic and happening ethnic cuisines. This is understandable considering the zesty, intriguing blend of exotic flavors that make up a typical Thai meal. Thai food is truly a delight for the palate.  But do you know how much goodness lies in that Tom Yam or green curry?

The fact is that the Thai diet is a nutritional powerhouse especially regarding herbs that work wonders on the skin, face and hair.

Here are just a few of the ingredients that not only create a spicy, zestful dish, but also work magic on your skin, face and hair.

Chili: Some ten varieties of chili are used in Thai cooking. The active ingredient is capsaicin which has a host of beneficial qualities. For one thing, it helps the respiratory system, blood pressure and heart. Plus, it promotes digestion and has carminative and anti flatulent properties. It is also rich in vitamin C.
 
Ginger: Ginger takes many forms in Thailand. There's common ginger, Siamese ginger which has larger roots, and another known locally as krashai which has no English equivalent. Ginger is a true powerhouse herb. Its rhizomes contain volatile oil with many therapeutic uses. As a hot herb, it works as a powerful digestive and detoxifier. It's also a stimulant with reputed aphrodisiac qualities. Another member of the ginger family is Galangal (also called galanga). Its properties are similar to ginger.

Lemongrass: Yet another hot herb, both the leaves and grass are used in cooking. Its volatile oil has many medicinal properties benefiting the digestion.

Of course, Thai food doesn't appeal to everybody. If the taste is not for you, don't worry. There are lots of other ways to get your quota of health-giving herbs. Teas or concoctions are great ways to add herbs to your daily diet. If you can get hold of fresh ginger, galangal, Kaffir lime, lemongrass, holy basil and jasmine, you can chop or pound up an ounce of the raw fresh herb. Then boil it in one to two pints of water. This makes a great postprandial digestive, tonic and detoxifier.

As for chili, you can buy it as an essential oil and use it in compresses to relax muscles and boost the blood flow. You can buy garlic as oil or capsules.

Now, let's look at the herbs in more detail.

The Power of Thai Herbs