Cabbage
I love cabbage as a cooked vegetable or in a salad and coleslaw. But it is also incredibly good for you, it contains many vitamins and minerals that promote health and well being.
It has been used for many years as a poultice to reduce swelling, the leaves are blanched in boiling water then crushed slightly and applied to swollen joints or other painful swellings. It was also advised to place the leaves over a milk swollen breast when feeding a baby. I have never done this but my friends daughter had a go when her baby was very new and feeding was erratic. It gave some relief apparently.
My biggest praise for the humble cabbage is its effective treatment for acne, our son suffered badly from teenage acne on his forehead.
I tried anti-bacterial soap and creams but nothing worked. A friend said to try him drinking cabbage water at least once a day. It had really worked for her, as she had suffered for many years with serious acne.
It was a blessing that he loved cabbage anyway. I gave him a small wine glass full for a few days and the inflammation around the spots went. I continued to give him the water and the acne completely healed. Then just now and again I would give him a small amount of the water and he had no problem with acne at all.
Garlic
Everyone should grow garlic! It is not just an ingredient in your food, it is well known as a blood purifier and for keeping your circulatory system healthy. Allicin, which is a constituent in garlic, and has effective antibiotic and antiviral action on the body . I have had particular relief from severe sinus infections, it heals and gets rid of the catarrh that builds up. It has helped clear chesty coughs, particularly when used in conjunction with honey and lemon.
It's healing power was harnessed in the First World War, a dressing was coated in chopped garlic and placed on wounds to fight infection and promote healing.
It has also been proven to help lower blood pressure and as a blood thinner, garlic also lowers blood sugar levels.
So having a few cloves in your food regularly and more when you have a cold coming on will help your state of health.