We’ve become a little bit obsessed with Tulsi lately.

And even though people have been using this healing herb for literally thousands & thousands of years – for some reason we’ve only recently started growing it ourselves.

In hindsight – We should have started years ago because this is one POWERFUL herb!

Now you might know Tulsi as “Sacred Basil” or “Holy Basil” – It goes by a few different names.

It also gets called “The Queen of Herbs” or ‘The Mother Medicine of Nature“.

And as you’ve probably guessed… it has some seriously incredible health benefits!

Ready for this?

The Amazing Health Benefits Of Tulsi…

1 – It’s one of the most powerful Adaptogens you can get your hands on!

An adaptogen is something the helps your body adapt to stress.

And whether you’re stressing because you’re in some bad traffic OR because you’re being chased by a lion – you’re body can’t tell the difference… As far as it’s concerned – stress is stress.

…And daily stress can be detrimental to your health!

Among many many health concerns, issues like fatigue, hair loss, fertility challenges & weight gain can all be caused by stress!

Tulsi not only helps you cope with stress on a daily basis – but it can actually help to repair the damage from past stress on your body!

Now we’ve been putting Tulsi to the test to see if it actually helps in our day to day life – & It really does work! We’re more calm… more energised… & it’s easier to think clearer in stressful situations.

2 – It protects the body from environmental toxins & chemicals

Tulsi has been shown to be able to protect organs like your liver & brain as well as your immune system & even your cells from heavy metals including lead, arsenic & mercury.

It also provides protection from a laundry list of industrial chemicals, pesticides & even RADIATION! (This is SO important!) 

3 – It keeps your skin clear, healthy & glowing!

Tulsi has strong anti bacterial & anti fungal properties & is able to bring relief from infections, skin wounds & acne. 

4 – It reduces your risk of diabetes

Every time you consume sugar, your glucose (blood sugar) spikes & this leads to the production of insulin.

Chronic insulin production leads to many health issues, the worst of which is diabetes.

Tulsi has been shown to reduce glucose levels in the blood which can stop diabetes in its tracks – & even more amazingly it’s been shown to actually reduce the symptoms of people already living with diabetes!

5 – It keeps colds, flus & other annoying illnesses at bay!

Tulsi has powerful anti viral properties & is able to help with the treatment of & even prevent things like colds, flus & other illnesses by boosting your immune system!

6 – It Fights inflammation

Inflammation has been called the root of all diseases & it’s something you should go out of your way to avoid!!!

Thanks to eugenol – a compound found in this incredible herb – Tulsi is able to very effectively fight inflammation at the same level as many non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs including ibuprofen & aspirin.

7 – It can kill cancer cells. 

Eugenol – that awesome little compound we just spoke about can actually stop cancer cells from multiplying. On top of this – Tulsi also has a number of amazing phytochemicals that can help increase antioxidant activity & kill cancer cells.

Now another cool thing which doesn’t really fit into the “Health Benefit” side of things is that Tulsi gets rid of Mosquitoes!

Yeah… not quite as powerful as the other benefits but things like Aeroguard are incredibly toxic, so finding a natural mosquito repellent that actually works is always awesome! 

How to grow your own?

Super easy!

It really just grows like normal basil.

Grow it in warmer weather as it will die in frost.

Grow it in full sun or with a little bit of shade.

Keep him well watered, especially during periods of high heat!

Pinch out the top growth to expose the little tiny buds underneath. This will activate the buds into growing & they will form 2 beautiful branches. Keep doing this to promote bushiness! (Take a look at the photo below, which by the way is actually common Basil… because we have managed to cut off all the top growth on our Tulsi! :p)

And that’s really all there is to it!

You can expect to start harvesting your Tulsi within 8-10 weeks!

How you can use Tulsi

Firstly – You can use Tulsi just like you would common (sweet Basil), however it is no where near as sweet.

Out of all the basils – it tastes the most similar to Thai Basil.

In saying that, we have been making a beautiful pesto using half sweet basil & half Holy Basil/Tulsi – works like a charm!

Secondly – You can make Tulsi Tea.

Just pop the leaves in your tea pot & pour boiling water over them – very simple.

Thirdly – Use the leaves in salads! We have been garnishing every salad lately with beautiful Tulsi & it always tastes great!

Oh – & Fourthly – You could just pick it straight out of your garden & eat it! Sometimes the Tulsi doesn’t make it back to our kitchen 😉

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So will you be embracing the wonders of Tulsi into your life? We hope so! 

And if you already are – How do you use it in your cooking?

We would love to know!

Happy Herbing!

Anth & Crystal  xo