As a family physician, I explore the HEART of HEALTH in my work, recreation, community, and through writing. My blog, Watercress Words, informs and inspires us to live in health. I believe we can turn our health challenges into healthy opportunities. When we do, we can share the HEART of health with our families, communities, and the world. Come explore and share with me.
Like weather updates about tornados, hurricanes, and blizzards, the warnings and recommendations from the CDC about COVID-19 change to reflect current informatoin and disease activity.
Updated August 30, 2026
This information is current as of the date of original publication or update but may have changed by the time you read this. Do not use this information for diagnosis or treatment purposes. Before making health decisions, discuss with a qualified healthcare professional.
Transmission electron microscopic image of an isolate from the first U.S. case of COVID-19, formerly known as 2019-nCoV. The spherical viral particles, colorized blue, contain cross-sections through the viral genome, seen as black dots. credit Hannah A Bullock; Azaibi Tamin, public domain
Three days after my first vaccination in 2021. I have received boosters as recommended ever since.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) scientist was preparing patients’ samples for SARS-CoV-2antibody testing. Serological testing is used to detect antibodies, which indicate past infection with the virus that causes COVID-19, and is important to the understanding of disease prevalence within a population. credit James Gathanay, public domain
Information and Misinformation
There has been much of both in the past few years, some deliberate, some well-intentioned, some valuable, some just plain wrong. Whenever possible, get your information directly from the source, not “a friend of a friend’s second cousin”. Here are some tips for finding reliable information
The post emphasizes the importance of responsible social media usage by highlighting various resources and strategies to combat misinformation. It discusses how emotional responses can be manipulated by disinformation and urges readers to critically evaluate content before sharing. We all have a responsibility to research claims and ensure truthfulness online.
Exploring the HEART of Health
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An herb comes from the green leaf of a plant. In American English the H is silent.
I’ve talked about watercress from the viewpoints of botany, geology, agriculture, and geography now I’ll tell you about watercress from its most familiar viewpoint- nutrition, cooking, and eating.
Watercress is a vegetable, specifically a green leafy vegetable in the same family as broccoli and cabbage. But watercress has another identity and that is an herb.
Note: Because I live and publish in the United States, I use the American pronunciation of herb in which the h is silent. Apparently, the word is pronounced differently in the United Kingdom. I don’t know how other English-speaking countries pronounce it. You can listen to the difference at this link.
“Sometimes the term is used interchangeably with “spice” but technically an herb-which comes from the Latin herba, meaning “grass”-comes from the green leaf of a plant whereas spices come from other parts such as seeds, bark, roots, and buds.”
Ms. Wilson points out that it is perfectly possible to cook and eat without fresh herbs, but it would be dull. She gives examples–warm focaccia with rosemary, Mexican food with the grassy hit of cilantro, and Vietnamese pho soup with its essential mint; without these, half the pleasure would be gone.
The person who cooks with herbs is making a stand for joy. Bee Wilson
She explained that half a century ago the only herbs in frequent use were mint, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, and basil. Other herbs less commonly used included bay leaves, chives, chervil, parsley, and tarragon.
But the use of cilantro was little known. Both it and basil grew in popularity as Mexican and Italian cooking spread throughout the United States, as now is Middle Eastern cuisine.
Ms. Wilson recommends a cookbook by Mark Diacono, a gardener and cook, Herb: A Cook’s Companion. In it, he included a recipe for grilled peaches flavored with basil, watercress, and shaved parmesan.
She relates that in Renaissance Europe herbs were seen as vital in the kitchen both for seasoning and as medicine.
In an old cookbook, she found a recipe using the herb borage, that claimed to comfort the heart and take away melancholy. She tried it, but it didn’t work. However, she said it is true that life is sweeter with herbs.
At her blog, Claire’s World, Claire Justine a “47+ lifestyle blogger from Nottingham” offers us this scrumptious-sounding recipe using watercress. Visit her blog and try some of her other recipes also.
Watercress contains significant amounts of iron, calcium and folic acid, in addition to vitamins A and C. Many health benefits are attributed to eating watercress , such as that it acts as a mild stimulant, a source of phytochemicals and antioxidants, a diuretic, an expectorant, and a digestive aid. It may also have cancer-suppressing properties,…
Fascioliasis is found in all continents except Antarctica, in over 70 countries, especially where there are sheep or cattle. People usually become infected by eating raw watercress or other water plants contaminated with immature parasite larvae.
I appreciate your time reading this post and invite you to follow this blog and me on social media.
I share information and inspiration to help you transform challenges into opportunities for learning and growth.
Add your name to the subscribe box to be notified of new posts by email. Click the link to read the post and browse other content. It’s that simple. No spam.
I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.
And please share this post with your friends who want to know more about watercress and herbs. Or who just like good food.
watercress words by Dr Aletha 