Rosemary is an aromatic and pungent herb, native to the Mediterranean region. It can be grown at home, and by weekly or daily pruning, you will have a full and healthy plant. Snip the top two or three inches off each sprig.

Bundle the clipping and hand them upside down to dry in a warm area for approximately 2 weeks, and strip the stems when they are dry. You should keep the leaves in an air-tight jar.

The fresh or dried rosemary can be used in cooking, in your household, and as a natural medicine.

In cooking, you can season your snacks and meals with rosemary.

• Add it to salads and salad dressings;
• Add it to desserts like lemon and rosemary sorbet or apple and rosemary pies;
• You can add it to vinegar and oils and use it in various recipes and dips;
• Mix it with garlic and prepare a delicious homemade flavored butter;
• Enrich the taste of plain pasta and bread with rosemary;
• You can also use it in grapefruit infused water or other tipples;
• Mix rosemary, sea salt, and lemon, and sprinkle over your roasted vegetables and grilled fish;
• To make a tasty marinade, mix rosemary with citrus, garlic, peppercorn, butter, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

Rosemary leaves contain phytochemical (plant-derived) compounds that prevent numerous diseases.

The flower tops contain phenolic antioxidant rosmarinic acid and health benefiting volatile essential oils like cineol, camphene, borneol, bornyl acetate, α-pinene, all of which have powerful rubefacient (counterirritant), anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-fungal and antiseptic properties.

Moreover, its leaves contain only 131 calories per 100 g and no cholesterol, but it is rich in dietary fiber (37% of RDA).

Also, rosemary is abundant in many B-complex groups of vitamin, like folic acid, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, riboflavin, as well as folates; providing about 109 µg per 100 g (about 27% of RDA).

It has high amounts of vitamin A, 2924 IU per 100 g or about 97% of RDA. This vitamin improves eye health and has potent antioxidant properties.

Fresh rosemary leaves are rich in vitamin-C; containing about 22 mg per 100 g, or 37% of RDA, which is vital for the synthesis of collagen in the body, strengthens the immune system, and fights inflammation and free radicals.

Rosemary also contains minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, manganese, copper, and magnesium.

Therefore, rosemary can be used to improve health in various ways:

• Rosemary essential oil is a natural way to relieve indigestion, anxiety, colds, flu, headache, joint pain, and poor circulation;
• The scent of rosemary treats anxiety and lowers stress levels;
• It has potent antimicrobial properties and you can use it in a natural mouthwash to eliminate bad breath, prevent tooth decay, and destroy bacteria in the oral cavity;
• Apply it topically to improve skin health, treat wounds, acne, eczema, and bruises;
• Use it in steam treatment to treat congestion;
• Its consumption can help you improve your body odor;
• Mix rosemary and nettle leaf to make a post-shampoo herbal hair rinse that will eliminate dandruff and stimulate hair growth;
• Diffuse some rosemary oil to improve mental clarity and boost cognitive performance;
• Use it to relieve intestinal gas and heartburn, and if applied topically, it alleviates toothaches, joint and muscle pain, gout, eczema, and headaches.

You can also use rosemary in your household in the following ways:

• Add rosemary to a saucepan with boiling water, and allow to simmer to make your entire home smell great;
• Place rosemary sprigs by the windows and doors to repel insects.

Sources:
www.naturallivingideas.com
www.nutrition-and-you.com