Herbal and Horticultural Remedies:: Gardening for the Elderly and Physically and Mentally Disabled

By Dr. Hanem Khater

In an ideal world, we would get all the nutrients and medication we needed from the food we ate. Unfortunately, eating healthily in our modern life is a great challenge but the solution is in your spice rack and backyard garden. You will enjoy the fascinating journey of the mysteries world of culinary herbs and spices which not only enhance the color and flavor of your daily cuisine but also help you feel much better and give you the much-needed fire in a slothful and sluggish soul to refresh it inside out via their endless medicinal properties. We discussed all aspects of their uses, side effects, interactions, and warnings. A sedentary lifestyle is dangerous for your health, Gardening is one of the hobbies you can enjoy your entire life despite suffering from arthritis, back pain, aging, having physical or mental disability as there are many ways you can reduce your physical challenges. you won’t even realize it’s a work-out decreasing obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers and promoting longer and healthier lives. This book offers easy and practical tips for enjoying your enabled and sensory garden that embarrass everyone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Dec 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781665583756

Dr. Hanem Khater

Prof. Dr. Hanem Khater is a professor of Parasitology at Benha University, Egypt. She studied in the USA for her doctoral degree, at the Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural resources, University of Missouri- Columbia, USA. She has completed her Ph.D. at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Benha Branch, Egypt. In her Ph.D. dissertation, she controlled house flies and mosquitoes with natural materials, such as essential oils, insect growth regulators, bacteria, and fungi. After that, she focused on her researches on natural control of insects of medical, veterinary, and agricultural importance to avoid environmental pollution with pesticides as well as control of several parasites using botanical and other natural materials to avoid drug resistance and environmental contamination. She is representing Benha University, Egypt, at the UNESCO Charis. She has a strong public commitment and an enjoyable way of active teaching. She has a unique way to ease science to the public and has strong public commitments. Her 50 articles were published at “AL-WATAN” the 1st Kuwaiti newspaper for medical and environmental awareness for the public She is the writer of the “Encyclopedia of Food between Health and Illness”, 2015, 3 books for the public, in Arabic. She is the main editor of the open accessed books “Natural Remedies in the Fight Against parasites” 2017, published by InTech, Croatia. She won a Newton- Mosharafa grant to do research at the school of Biological Sciences, Bristol University, the UK She is the PI of international and national projects dealing with Ecosmart Alternative Control Strategies for Diseases and Pest Control. She got several training courses about human resources and soft skills, English (In Egypt and the USA), and computers. She has a unique experience that allowed her to publish several scientific papers, internationally, in reefed journals in addition to 5 chapters in textbooks. She participated in several international conferences as an organizing committee member, Co-chair, Chair, and presenter of several papers and presented research papers in many national and international symposia and conferences. She won the “Scientific Award” from Zagazig University, in 2004 for her Ph.D. dissertation. She has scientific publications with co-authors from Egypt, the USA, UK, Italy, India, Japan, China, and Saudi Arabia. She got the Publons’ global Peer Review Award, 2018, honoring the Sentinels of Science and Research. Expert mentors and trainers for the next generation of peer reviewers, Publons Academy, 2020-. https://publons.com/community/academy-supervisors/ Reviewer for UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF) scheme 2020- A member of the UKRI International Development Peer Review College, 2020-. Reviewer for Central Department of Missions - Ministry of Higher Education, Egypt, for PhD and fellowship proposals and interviewing candidates, 2020-. Reviewer for PhD proposals and interviewing candidates applied for Newton- Mosharafa Scholarships provided from the British Council in Egypt and supported by the British embassy in Egypt, Sep. 2018-. Happy life and Happy gardening Hanem Khater [e-mail]

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© 2014 Dr. Hanem Khater. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or

transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 12/21/2020

ISBN: 978-1-6655-8367-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-8375-6 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in

this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views

expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the

views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

DEDICATION

To my beloved father, Mr. Fathy Khater Saleh –may Allah bless his soul: He taught me to be a distinguished person.

To my gorgeous mother- may Allah preserve her: She surrounded me with love, compassion, and prayers.

To my beloved sons: "Galal-Eldin and Nour El-din": I sincerely pray to Allah, the All-Mighty, for both of them to be successful and guided.

To Dr. Abdelfattah Selim for coauthoring a chapter of the book.

CONTENTS

Preface

Unit 1: How To Turn Your Spice

Rack Into A Pharmacy?

Chapter 1:   The Mysterious World Of Spices As Old As Pyramids!!

Chapter 2:   Spice Up Your Life: The Pros And Cons Of Herbs And Spices

Chapter 3:   Herbs In The Battlefield Against The Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic

Unit 2: The Healing Power Of

Gardens: Gardening, Even For The

Elderly And Special Need People

Chapter 1:   Horticultural Therapy

Chapter 2:   Herbs To Grow In Your Kitchen Garden

Chapter 3:   Gardening For The Elderly And Physically Disabled

Chapter 4:   Sensory Gardens

Chapter 5:   Sensory Gardens For Elderly And Dementia/ Alzheimer’s Patients

Chapter 6:   Accessible Gardening Tools For People With Special Needs

Final Words

Further Readings

About The Author

PREFACE

"Let Food Be Thy Medicine and

Medicine Be Thy Food"

Hippocrates

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In an ideal world, we would get all nutrients and medication we needed from the food we ate. recently, our diet has changed too rapidly from that of our ancient ancestors and this is the origin of many modern-day nutrition/metabolism/health troubles. Today, we eat highly processed food, and insufficient fruits and vegetables representing major concerns. Unfortunately, eating healthily in our modern life is a great challenge.

Not to worry!! The solution to most of our health troubles is closer than you think!! It is in your spice rack and backyard garden. For sure you have a rack, I do have 2, filled with seasonings you grab in a rush, but what do you know about these ancient spices and their medicinal powers? Realizing the importance of tossing oregano or basil to your delicious pizza or spaghetti sauce, not as just a flavor but as a curative aid is the primary key to turning your kitchen into a pharmacy.

Medical studies have proved that synthetic medication may cause many side effects and recommended "Going Back to Nature" and taking care of it for being the source of the effective substances used in the pharmaceutical industry. Treatment using culinary herbs and spices is not a new thing. Old civilizations as Egyptians, Indian, Chinese, and Arabs had excelled in treating their patients with them. The benefits of medicinal plants have been taught to pharmacy students all over the globe and there are institutes in many countries like America, China, and India that include specialized scientists to crop the treasures of plants for pharmaceutical purposes.

This book has been written because of a shortage of references discussing the pros and cons of handy culinary herbs and spices. I highlighted the unrevealed part of their disadvantages and their counteractions with medications and telling you who should not consume such an herb or spice. A new chapter was added just before the publication of this book to prevent the global crisis of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections using food and herbs.

This book reveals the amazing benefits of helpful horticultural therapy and gardening tips or everyone and special tips to the elderly and mentally and physically disabled in Unit two because for several reasons; the most motivating one is my health issues from 2016 to July 2020. It is all started six months after my coming back from Newton- Mosharafa grant to England to do scientific research at the School of Biological Science, Bristol University, to control insects using essential oils. I made an urgent shoulder operation as I had a completely torn tendon in my right shoulder (dominant hand) that I could not raise my hand even for 10 degrees. I had to wear a shoulder stabilizing brace for 1.5 months then I made physiotherapy for 6 months till my range of motion come back. It was a hard time but I decided to do something useful using my left hand as a challenge. As the Egyptian principal investigator (PI), I collaborated with scientists from five African and European countries and wrote, using my left hand even though I usually use my two hands for typing, a project preproposal on Sustainable Agriculture and Aquaculture and Food and Nutrition Security which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program about Ecosmart Alternative Control Strategies against Theileria annulata and its Tick Vectors.

Six months later, my leg problems came to the scene. I went through three leg operations and spending 3 years struggling to walk on a wheelchair, a walker, 2 elbow crutches, then a crutch. Now, I am walking without aid and perfectly healthy, thank God. I used to be extremely active, serving the public in Kuwait and Egypt. In 2017, I made 2 major surgeries on my legs within a 7-month interval. I had to rest in bed for 1.5 months following each operation with no weight-bearing, then I walked with partial weight on the operated leg for another 1.5 months using a walker, then I struggled with physiotherapy. I was depressed and felt that my life has ended. What should I do? I decided to accept the challenge and be positive. During my 1st bedridden period, I wrote unit one of these books, which was very hard but I felt it is a mission I have to complete despite my agony. During my 1st rehabilitation, I struggled so that my professional career did not derail. I kept going to work and provide lectures to my students with the aid of a walker. During that time, our proposal was accepted and I kept writing the full proposal of the project, which was finally accepted and running right now till 2022.

In my 2nd leg operation (7 months’ interval from my 1st leg operation), the challenge was leveled up as the doctor made a mistake that delayed my fracture’s healing for a year, instead of 1.5 months like that of my previous leg operation. I had to use a walker then elbow crutches. I kept my duties as a professor and continue serving the public as much as I could. In the meanwhile, I wrote another project proposal as the PI funded by STDF, a local funding Agency to fight environmental pollution by finding out natural and safe pesticidal alternatives against insect of medical, veterinary, and agricultural importance.

At such time, I had a new wheelchair and stranger neighbor; recently married. I intended to get closer to her to provide support and provide some advice from my experience as I thought she made an operation like me, but I discovered that she never walked since she was two- years old after getting a high fever. She told me: "That is life, if you want to see it beautiful, it will be beautiful, if you want to see it miserable, it will be miserable". She said that despite she was raised in a small village and she had to use a manual wheelchair to move on unpaved roads and go to school and work using the public transportation. Roads and transportation systems are not adapted in Egypt for people with special needs. I felt great blessings for my situation; at least, I had temporary problems, I could stand up, walk with aids, and have my car. I invited my friends to visit her, not to give her sympathy, but to get some of her positive energy. By the way, her husband gave her an automatic wheelchair as a marriage gift and now she had a baby boy.

There are millions of disabled people worldwide. Most of them especially in developing countries are often disliked by cultural stigma and misunderstanding, debarred from the education system, and overlooked by employers. I wrote unit two to challenge myself and inspire retired, elderly, physically and mentally disabled to enjoy their life through gardening or even being in a garden and gaining all the benefits of horticultural therapy mentioned in this book. Hopefully, dear reader, you are inspired by my musculoskeletal troubles to do something positive that leaves an impact and write your legacy.

There is a quote I follow since I first heard, namely: Disseminating Scientific Information Is Its Charity. Since my hobbies include gardening witting, and reading, especially topics about health and medical issues concerning your daily life, and how trivial and simple things, if you knew them, may significantly affect your health and subsequently have an impact on your health, wealth, and tranquility. Owing to the shortage of references that discuss the scope of this book, I would like to engage you in some of what I read and know, and I tried to put it into simple words provided with images as a breathing window. The whole work comes with great love and passion; for what comes from the heart, touches the heart.

With little money, beloved reader, you can get great benefits from herbs and spices which are available year-round, everywhere. You already have them handy in your kitchen, balcony, or backyard for coloring, decorating, and seasoning, which makes the whole process much easier, no extra charge, to make use of them to heal and rejuvenate your body. For more savings, you will be informed how to grow herbs easily in your backyard, patios, windows, or even indoors. Gardening is a great way to spend time in nature and promote your physical and mental health as you and your family will eat delicious results of your workout in the form of pesticide-free fresh herbs, fruits, and veggies at harvest time filled with health-promoting antioxidants, fiber, and great taste and spend less money on pharmaceutical drugs as nature is your best medicine and friend following the quote "Change the Way You Look at Things and the Things You Look at Change" Michael Michalko.

It’s just a matter of reading this easily readable book, taking what you already have on your fridge or spice rack, sorry, your kitchen pharmacy, and putting what you read into practice and notice how they spice up your life and garden. I wish that this book would be like the rain, wherever it falls, it benefits via enriching your library by adding an important health dimension to your lifestyle and making your experience in herbal and horticultural therapy a fascinating adventure. It’s amazing what a little knowledge can do for boosting your confidence in the natural healings of the mother earth. Finally, I wish you a lifetime of health and tranquility, God’s Will.

Prof. Dr. Hanem Khater

UNIT

1

HOW TO TURN YOUR

SPICE RACK INTO

A PHARMACY?

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CHAPTER 1

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THE MYSTERIOUS

WORLD OF SPICES AS

OLD AS PYRAMIDS!!

Back to the future

W HY DON’T YOU TREAT YOUR senses and spice up your life with obscure treasures, yes! Treasures in your kitchen! Not just coloring materials used for the mere sake of flavoring, spices have amazing health benefits that you would never think about. Let’s begin by mentioning what I do mean by species. Spices are seeds, fruits, roots, barks, berries, buds, or vegetable substances used primarily for flavoring , coloring , or preserving ; whereas herbs are parts of leafy green plants used for flavoring or as a garnish . Spices were connected since ancient times with medicine, religion, tradition, magic, and preservation.

Most spices have antimicrobial properties which are commonly used in warmer climates, having more infectious diseases, and they are prominently used in meat which is more susceptible to spoiling. Herbs and spices can have extremely high anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacities and pack major flavor into a meal while helping to cut back on sodium intake. Hence, spices deserve to move out of your kitchen and be placed in your home pharmacy; for having various health and medical benefits, and for being rich in antioxidants and antimicrobials. It is also so helpful in treating many diseases that a large number of the modern medications contain effective active principles extracted out of spices, embodying the motto ‘’Back to Nature’’.

From where did the word spice come from?

Spices "Boharat in Arabic’’ means ‘’Old India’’; whose name was ever connected with spices. India is famous for its spicy food and became an emblem that cannot be neglected in any cuisine.

The word spice comes from the Old French word "espice", which became "epice", near-term from the Latin root "spec", a noun referring to appearance, sort, and kind. Allspice is a powder made from the fruit of a tropical tree that is added to food to give it extra flavor.

Did ancient people ever think about spices?

Abundant anecdotal information recorded the historical use of herbs and spices for their health benefits which has been discovered by accidents as hunters and gatherers wrapped meat in the leaves of bushes, accidentally discovering that this process enhanced the taste of the meat, as did certain nuts, seeds, berries, and bark. Throughout the years, spices and herbs were used as main elements for medicinal purposes, masking unpleasant tastes and odors of food, and later, keeping food fresh.

Whenever leaves, seeds, roots, or gums had a pleasant taste or agreeable odor, they became in demand and slowly but surely became a norm for that culture. Spices were also valuable as items of exchange and trade. The Bible mentions that in 1000 BC, Queen Sheba visited King Solomon in Jerusalem and offered him 120 measures of gold, many spices, and precious stones. Please -dear book lover- keep reading for more exciting information about the history of your kitchen treasures.

Researchers believe this is due in part to the culinary styles in Asia that include heavy use of many spices that contain anti-oxidants, such as clove, ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon. It worth mentioning here that there are lower incidences of many types of diseases in Asia compared to the West, including heart disease and cancer.

Spices and Ancient civilizations

Ancient Egypt

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Being the cradle of civilization, Ancient Egypt became synonymous with power, wealth, and technological advancement. Ancient Egypt was not exclusively characterized by the construction of giant pyramids but as an epitome of medical knowledge which had a profound impact on Greek medicine and subsequently spread worldwide. I am enthralled while talking about Ancient Egyptian secrets because I am very proud to be one of their ancestors. Fascinating flavors from the mystifying region were in vogue, just like the tales of high drama and daring adventure tied in with them. Ancient Egyptians ate well: even the poorest workers had access to plenty of bread, beer, and a certain amount of fish and game when times were flush. The Egyptians used herbs for embalming and their request for exotic herbs and spices stimulated world trade.

Papyri from Ancient