The world of nutrition has changed a tremendous amount in the past decade, as organic food sales have skyrocketed and become borderline mainstream.
Meanwhile, herbal and vitamin supplements have also become more popular, and are finding their way into some of the most well known foods.
This new trend has been dubbed the ‘functional foods’ movement by onlookers, and includes the addition of fruits, vegetables, herbs and vitamins in products that otherwise wouldn’t have them.
Recently, a chiropractor with a Master’s in Nutrition, Vincent Esposito, and a longtime herbalist and philanthropist known as ‘The People’s Herbalist,’ Danny Parrott, teamed up to start a new line of organic foods with adaptogenic herbs for infusing the American food palette with new forms of nutrition.
The line, called Herbal Infusions, recently debuted their first product, Jalapeno Astralagus Hot Sauce, which includes astragalus root, jalapeno peppers, apple cider vinegar, cilantro, cumin, garlic, and other healing foods all in one product.
I tried a sample of this hot sauce and absolutely loved it. It’s got a dark green color and a rich, almost smoky flavor that lends itself well to tacos and other favorite foods.
Recently, Danny and Vincent sat down to answer five questions from AltHealthWorks.com on their new products:
AHW: What is it about your hot sauce that sets it apart? In my personal experience it’s hard to find organic hot sauces let alone organic hot sauces with healing herbs in them that are also sugar free.
Danny Parrott: Our hot sauce is infused with astragalus root, the addition of a powerful adaptogen extract inside of our sauces creates a symphony of positive effects. Consuming the astragalus alone has many noted benefits to the immune system especially white blood cells.
The combination of the astragalus also enhances the absorption of nutrients from the other organic vegetables and herbs. The addition of astragalus also adds a subtle layer of earthy-savory before the heat of the jalapeño kicks in.
AHW: Are you working on or selling any other products currently, and how many do you plan to come out with in the coming years? Any inside info you’d like to share on what you are working on?
DP: We intend to do several different products! We are working on new variations of hot sauce incorporating different colors, flavor profiles, heat levels and adaptogenic herb additions.
We have intention to have 3 core hot sauces and several different herb infused products that can be taken with or without meals.
Herbal Infusions Kitchen is the food sector of Parrott Food & Beverage Corporation and we have many unique combinations of herb, food and drinks in the pipeline.
AHW: Talk a bit about the functional foods trend. How did you learn about it and get into it?
DP: I see the functional food trend as an inevitable result of a population overmedicated and inundated with an unbalanced pharmaceutical approach to every ailment. The return to nature is a natural side effect to this imbalanced approach the U.S. has when it comes to health. As an herbalist I have actively conducted case studies with adaptogens to advance herbal sciences.
I’ve seen the benefits of using herbs to assist people reduce stress and improve immunity, which resulted in improved health in the midst of many ailments many considered life-long and incurable.
I attributed these results to the phytonutrients inside of the herbs working like or better than medicine.
It wasn’t until a couple years of practicing the herbal arts and continuing to work with other more experienced herbalists that I realized that herbs are not designed to be medications for sickness.
They are food!
AHW: Can you talk a bit about your charitable efforts and why they’re important to you?
Dr. Vincent Esposito: Our goal is to really bring the whole process full circle. You see nowadays the idea of monocropping and industrialized farming gaining steam and is really corporatizing our food supply.
So moving forward we are planning to work with organic regenerative farmers from around the nation, who understand the importance of the soil and the role it plays in giving us life. When we work in line with Mother Nature, and not against her, we give ourselves a chance to leave the world a happier, healthier place than we found it.
With that in mind, we are working to source our ingredients from independent farmers who understand this, and share their farming practices with the world, giving them the recognition they deserve.
On the back end, a portion of the profits will go directly back to the farms we source from, so that we can support those who are taking the time to cultivate the land in the best way possible.
AHW: Thanks so much, I really enjoyed the Jalapeno Astragalus hot sauce and love how you were able to sneak so many healthy herbs in it while avoiding sugar and still making it taste great. Where can people learn more?
VE: The best way to reach us is on our website www.HerbalInfusionsKitchen.com and on Instagram @herbalinfusionskitchen.
We’re really excited to get the word out to your audience, and we know if you give it a try you’re going to love it!
We have more ideas for future products coming soon!
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About Nick Meyer
