Oh, take note!!: If you are in love, NEVER cut parsley, for you will be cutting your LUCK as well! You can eat it, provoking lust and fertility, but remember it is regarded as an evil herb! It is placed on plates protecting the food from contamination. And used in baths for purification and keeping misfortune away.
Although this is the folklore around parsley, it does have a history! It has a diuretic property, so therefore, has been used to treat fluid retention, including edema and obesity. The Romans and the ancient Greeks used parsley for refreshing the breath of garlic and other odiferous foods. It was woven into wreaths to honor the best athetics. Chaplets of parsley were worn at banquets for it was thought to absorb the fumes of the wine they were drinking.
Parsley is a great cleansing herb! It benefits the lungs, stomach, liver, and thyroid, and has helped in passing all stones, and helps in bladder infections.
It is full of nutrients that help give it the name of one of natures preventitive medicines. It is high in vitamin B and potasium, has high iron, chlorophyll, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins A & C. So eat your parsley for it will help build resistance to infections and diseases. Scientists have found a substance that inhibits the development of certain cancer cells. Some even think that it may yet be proven that parsley is a cancer preventitive!
Pregnant woman should not use parsley for it may bring on an early labor! And nursing moms: it may dry up your milk flow! And if you have kidney problems, omit parsley from your diet. Parsley is a warming herb, so omit it if you are battling an infection, or when any inflamation is present in your body.
Parsley tea can be drank after your meals, or chew on the sprig left on your plate to relieve indigestion and to relieve a urinary complaint. It is also a good remedy for hemorroids! When using fresh parsley, remember the roots are more powerful than the leaves. When making a tea, simply steep a few sprigs in very hot water for a few minutes, and enjoy.
For insect bites you can squeeze parsley juice onto the sting for a quick relief. Infuse parsley into a lotion and use to help fade away those freckles!
So, use your parsley! Chop it up to make a two-cup full, and chop tomatoes and onions and chives, add a little Italian dressing and wa-la, you have a wonderful summer salad!
So, enjoy!