How Can Tarragon Make You Feel Great?

AYURVEDIC ANALYSIS

Spring Blood Thinner

Spring is softening the soil, and the promise of a lush backyard garden is sweet compensation for the dark days of winter. Are you fantasizing about your culinary herb garden, picking and choosing the green leaves that will flavor and speckle this year's coming meals?

Don't forget about the anise-flavored tarragon. Get it growing in your windowsill as the winter withers. You might need it - tarragon is your springtime friend.

Blood tends to be congested and thick in the spring. Luckily, you can look to flavorful ingredients like raw onions or bright garlicky pestos to help get fluids moving. Try a pesto made with tarragon. Tarragon's aroma relaxes and dilates blood vessels, removing any restriction to circulation. The herb's hot pungency stimulates the heart and destroys a lingering winter chill. Tarragon's drying qualities reduce spring water retention as well, releasing water weight and restoring tone to puffy skin.These blood-moving and pressure reducing properties help reinvigorate the blood and flush the lymphatic system.

Tarragon not only clears the blood and gets it moving, tarragon reduces platelet adhesion and the clogging of blood vessels. It may be beneficial in cardiovascular disorders involving clotting.Tarragon belongs to the Artemisia genus, a genus that features prominently in many worldwide herbal heritages, including Chinese medicine and Western herbalism. The delicious leaves show up in cuisines from France to Russia and beyond. It's common knowledge; tarragon is delicious and good for you.

Cleansing the Blood

Turn to beautifying bitters in springtime, which is the time of year when nature nudges us to flush and cleanse our insides. Tarragon is one bitter-flavored helper. Its bitter taste cleanses the liver, encourages the production of bile, and purifies the blood. Some herbalists recommend soaking the bruised leaves in apple cider vinegar for a few hours, and then taking a spoonful of the medicated vinegar before eating to aid digestion and detoxification.

Famed British gardener John Evelyn said of tarragon, just as it was becoming a favored culinary herb in his homeland: "'Tis highly cordial and friend to the head, heart, and liver."

Historical uses of the herb affirm Evelyn's hunch, and much more. Medieval herbalists regarded tarragon as a treatment for snakebite.The ancient Greeks chewed the leaves and wedged them near a problematic tooth to treat the pain. In Chinese medicine the herb is turned to for menstrual difficulties, digestive support, and to assist with loss of appetite.

ABOUT TARRAGON

The name tarragon is a corruption of the French esdragon, derived from the Latin dracunculus, which means a little dragon.

BUYING & PREPARATION

Make sure you get French tarragon instead of the other varieties often sold at stores. Fresh tarragon grown at home is best. It is said to be difficult to grow from seed and may be best purchased as a start. The herb is an excellent companion plant, helping to protect other plants in the garden from insects, which dislike its smell and flavor. Tarragon is a perennial that likes hot, sunny soils with minimal water retention. Browse Recipes

COOKING TARRAGON

Tarragon is one of four "fines herbes" of French cooking, grouped with parsley, chives, and chervil. Its flavor works well in chicken and fish marinades, as well as in egg dishes. At least one master chef declared that scrambled eggs with the right amount of tarragon are a bit of heaven. Tarragon is the main flavor of the rich Barnaise sauce, and tarragon vinegar. Tarragon adds a special zing to a spring salad with radishes.

Ever drink a green soda? Tarragon flavors a bright green carbonated beverage popular in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia. This popular, verdant drink captures the freshness and effervescent impermanence of spring. In Slovenia, tarragon spices a traditional sweet cake called potica. Be cautious when cooking tarragon in soups, as the Hungarians do, because of its strong flavor.

Whenever there is a call for green herbs in a recipe, turn to tarragon. The herb will bring a bright, interesting flavor - swirled into a creamy soup, as a hummus topping with olive oil, in a lemony vinaigrette, or in a Greek yogurt dipping sauce for roasted veggies.

WHY SHOULD YOU EAT AYURVEDICALLY?

Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. An Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body type and the specific imbalances you are working with at any given time. Foods that supplement your specific body type’s needs and digest easily create your menu. Watch as you eat less but feel more satisfied because what you are eating truly nourishes you. Since Ayurveda believes all disease begins in the digestive tract, food is your first medicine. By eating a healthy diet that’s ideal for your body, you experience optimal health.

LEARN MORE

Is Tarragon Good for Me?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether Tarragon is a good fit for you. Time to complete: approximately 1 minute.

MEDICINAL QUALITIES

INCREASES Increases These Qualities (Gunas) Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main states (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which states are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every state has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite state. Learn More	MOBILE ABOUT MOBILE GUNA Mobile refers to anything that stimulates the nervous system, muscles, or activity. LEARN MORE ABOUT MOBILE HOT ABOUT HOT GUNA Hot is identified by increased body temperature, metabolism, or inflammation. LEARN MORE ABOUT HOT DRY ABOUT DRY GUNA Dry is identified by lack of moisture, lack of fat, or anything that causes diuresis. LEARN MORE ABOUT DRY
TASTES The 6 Tastes Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below? Learn More	BITTER ABOUT BITTER GUNA Bitter is disagreeable and stimulating rejection, and a strong taste often associated with black coffee, dark chocolate, and most salad greens. LEARN MORE ABOUT BITTER PUNGENT ABOUT PUNGENT GUNA Pungency is characterized by irritation, or sharp, spicy foods that irritate the mouth such as black pepper. LEARN MORE ABOUT PUNGENT
DOSHAS The Three Doshas / Body Types People tend to get sick, over and over again, due to similar causes and habitual imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history. The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. Catabolic people tend to be easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic people tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic people are heavy, stable and grounded, but if they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Learn More	PACIFIES AGGRAVATES
HAS THE FOLLOWING	EFFECT Prana PRANA Prana is the Sanskrit word for vital life energy, similar to Qi in Chinese Medicine. Many herbs stimulate your energy, or improve the flow of prana through your body. Generally, prana needs to be increased in spring after a sleepy winter. LEARN MORE ABOUT PRANA , Rajasic RAJASIC Rajasic foods stimulate desire or nervous energy. Red meat, high protein food, garlic and onions stimulate desire. Rajasic foods include chili peppers, coffee, and anything that stimulates movement. LEARN MORE ABOUT RAJASIC , Alkalizing ALKALIZING An herb or food that makes the urine more alkaline (higher pH). This herbal action can be helpful for a number of inflammatory conditions. LEARN MORE ABOUT ALKALIZING TYPE Spices ELEMENT Fire FIRE Resembles fire (tejas) in quality - hot, sharp, penetrating, light, dry. LEARN MORE ABOUT FIRE SUBTASTE Aromatic AROMATIC Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues. LEARN MORE ABOUT AROMATIC COLOR Green MOVES ENERGY Outward OUTWARD Outward-moving substances stimulate circulation, push heat towards the skin, or are stimulating. LEARN MORE ABOUT OUTWARD

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

Experiences are Personal

Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

Digestion	Appetizer APPETIZER Herbs that cleanse the palate & stimulate hunger or desire to eat. LEARN MORE ABOUT APPETIZER , Carminative CARMINATIVE Stimulates the release of gas. Helpful for bloating or cramping abdominal pain. Propels food downward. LEARN MORE ABOUT CARMINATIVE , Digestive DIGESTIVE Herbs that encourage healthy digestive. LEARN MORE ABOUT DIGESTIVE , Spleen Tonic SPLEEN-TONIC An herb that strengthens spleen function by improving strength of the blood. Spleen tonics Builds agni, brighten the person's appearances & firms up tissues. LEARN MORE ABOUT SPLEEN-TONIC
Cleanse and Detox	Burns Toxins BURNS-TOXINS An herb that detoxifies by helping your body metabolize toxins, as opposed to eliminating them. LEARN MORE ABOUT BURNS-TOXINS , Detoxicant DETOXICANT An herb that eliminates or metabolizes toxins from the body. LEARN MORE ABOUT DETOXICANT
Heart & Circulation	Alterative ALTERATIVE Literally, an herb that restores the proper function of the body. In practice, alteratives are usually blood cleansers and blood chemistry balancers. They were traditionally used to revitalize and detoxify after a long winter. LEARN MORE ABOUT ALTERATIVE , Antiplatelet ANTIPLATELET An herb that destroys platelets in the blood, therefore reducing the tendency of blood to form clots. They are useful in cardiovascular disease. LEARN MORE ABOUT ANTIPLATELET , Blood Thinner BLOOD-THINNER Herbs that thin the blood. Helpful for people with heart disease or clogged circulation. LEARN MORE ABOUT BLOOD-THINNER , Cardiac Tonic CARDIAC-TONIC Strengthens and tones the heart. Cardiac tonics are used to treat a wide range of heart issues. LEARN MORE ABOUT CARDIAC-TONIC , Vasodilator VASODILATOR A vasodilator is an herb that widens the blood vessels by the relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, thereby increasing circulation systemically or to a local area. LEARN MORE ABOUT VASODILATOR
Immune System	Analgesic ANALGESIC Relieves or reduces feelings of pain without eliminating sensation. LEARN MORE ABOUT ANALGESIC , Antimicrobial ANTIMICROBIAL An agent that kills microorganisms or inhibits their growth. Antimicrobial is an umbrella term that can be broken down into specific categories of target microorganism, such as anti-bacterials, fungals, and virals. LEARN MORE ABOUT ANTIMICROBIAL , Antipoisonous ANTIPOISONOUS An antidote for a poison. Many anti-poisonous herbs draw out a poison and are good for insect bites. LEARN MORE ABOUT ANTIPOISONOUS
Kidney & Urinary	Diuretic DIURETIC Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure. LEARN MORE ABOUT DIURETIC
Skin Care & Beauty	Diaphoretic DIAPHORETIC An herb that induces sweating, often by dilating blood vessels close to the skin. LEARN MORE ABOUT DIAPHORETIC