Feathery fennel for delightful health

A HERB with a warming, calming and comforting mild liquorice flavour is known as fennel.

Fennel has feathery like leaves that stem from a strong thick stalk. The stalk ends with a bulb that looks like a peeled onion.

Since ancient records, there is mention of fennel used as a diuretic. Consequently fennel has had a long history of being used for urinary tract inflammation. This herb has often been touted as a weight loss aid! It may well be due to its diuretic effects and reputation in possibly suppressing your appetite.

Fennel is great to add to meals for its flavour and benefits to health. The light gentle leaves are great with salads, the stalks and bulbs can be enjoyed raw or cooked into soups, stews or blended into smoothies. Fennel seeds in bakery products impart nutritional content with a light liquorice-like infused aroma and flavour. The seeds are much more noticeable in their liquorice-like flavour while the leaves, stalks and bulb are more subtle in their flavour.

Fennel tea can be bought or made at home with the seeds and boiling water. This herbal tea is suitable for cases of abdominal cramping, indigestion and flatulence. Research has proven this is a most notable herb for its antioxidant and digestive supportive properties (especially in helping to digest fatty foods). This plant also contains phytoestrogens to gently balance our hormones.

During times of colds and flu with respiratory phlegm causing irritation, perhaps try some fennel tea or soup with fennel. The cooled down tea has been used as an eye wash and eye drop remedy. Fennel is reputed to increase milk production (lactation) in breast feeding moms. However, during pregnancy fennel intake should be taken under guidance. For everyone, do avoid excessive doses of fennel, including the essential oil of this plant, as it may cause side effects such as convulsions.

This gentle plant especially thrives along cost lines and river banks. It is worth having a little of this bright green herb for its support to your health. HE ongoing problem of stray cattle on the roads took a personal turn for Talk of the Town columnist Bob Ford when he hit a stray cow near the entrance to the Royal Alfred Marina on Sunday evening.

“I was coming home from the bowls club at about 6.30pm.

“In the vicinity of the entrance to the marina, I saw a movement and then two young cattle in the middle of the road, about 15 to 20 metres ahead of me,” Ford said.

“The lighting in that

Tarea is not good and I obviously braked hard, but had no chance of avoiding them,” he said. “I hit the one full-on and the other with a more glancing blow.

“The one I hit full on rolled over on the road, got up and the two ran away into the dark.

“Fortunately, I was not going fast. But had I been it would obviously have been a lot worse.

“Luckily, there was no oncoming traffic as it would have been ugly.”

The front of his Isuzu bakkie was damaged, but Ford said he did not know the extent of the damage and was waiting for instructions from his insurance company.

As there is a high court order against Ndlambe Municipality regarding its failure to keep strays off the road, motorists involved in such accidents have been advised to tell their insurers that they believe the municipality and municipal manager are responsible for the damage.

They must cite the case number 5528 A2016, and present a copy of the claim to the municipal manager’s office and get a receipt stamp and signature.