Herbal Remedies
Cosmetics and medicinal products have been made from herbs for many years, but beauty and well being doesn’t have to come out of a bottle.
Getting out in the garden, will bring a glow to the skin and fresh air in the lungs. This is a great instant feel-good.
Take a look around at herbs in their natural state, before they become creams and potions and lotions. Not only are they pleasant to look at, but also their scents can evoke memories, emotions and appetite!
Here are fifteen everyday herbs to make you look good and feel good, and best of all, you don’t have to spend a penny!
- Coriander: Aids digestion. Add a few chopped fresh leaves to spice up any meal and you won’t suffer with indigestion.
- Basil: Put a few leaves in a muslin bag under the hot tap water to produce an invigorating bath!
- Thyme: An infusion of thyme will help soothe coughs and colds and even hangovers.
- Parsley: It is loaded with vitamin C and will help promote healthy skin. Add parsley to any meal. It also helps freshen the breath.
- Sage: Helps with the miseries of PMS and menopause. A small glassful of sage tea taken for a few days before a period will soon put a stop to those bad mood swings!
- Lavender: Crush a few leaves to release the scent and all the fuzzy headaches magically fade away. Lavender flowers are also an age-old remedy for anxiety. A sprig or two in a clothes drawer or linen cabinet will add a pleasant scent and freshness!
- Borage: The herb of courage! Research suggests that borage works directly on the adrenal gland, where courage begins! Rich in mineral salts, borage is useful to add to salt-free diets.
- Peppermint: A well-known digestive aid, this herb has also been used to treat coughs, colds, and fever, as well as colic, food allergies, indigestion, nausea, gallstones, headaches and irritable bowel syndrome.
- Oregano: Long known as a delicious and aromatic addition to Mediterranean cooking. It will also ease indigestion, kill bacteria, reduce excess water weight and fevers and also relieve cramps.
- Aloe Vera: It is the herb for minor burns. Keep a potted aloe on your kitchen sill; it requires no care beyond weekly watering. For minor burns, snip off a thick leaf and slit it open; scoop out the gel from the inner leaf and apply to the burn.
- Chamomile: Chamomile tea, is widely employed as a digestive remedy throughout Europe, and its therapeutic use is well documented. The herb relaxes spasms of the smooth muscles.
- Feverfew: for Migraine Prevention. British scientists at the University of Exeter analyzed six studies of feverfew, concluding that the herb significantly reduces the frequency of migraine occurrence. Dosage is generally 50 to 150 mg per day of powdered leaves.
- Hibiscus: for Hypertension. Hibiscus is the trumpet-shaped, tropical flower that puts the color in Red Zinger tea. Twelve days of drinking hibiscus tea (2 teaspoons per cup of boiling water several times a day) can lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 11 percent.
- Red Pepper: for Pain relief. Capsaicin, the compound that gives red pepper (cayenne) its fiery flavor, is a potent topical pain reliever. When rubbed on the skin, it causes mild superficial burning. But that sensation desensitizes nearby pain nerves, and soothes pain in deeper tissues. Capsaicin is the active ingredient in several over-the-counter pain-relieving creams, such as Capsin, Zostrix and Pain-X.
- Tea: for Bad Breath and Gum Disease. Forget breath mints. A cup of tea (black or green), contains compounds that stop the growth of bacteria that cause bad breath. Tea also helps prevent gum disease, the main cause of adult tooth loss.
Try growing these everyday herbs yourself. Most will successfully grow in pots on a sunny windowsill if no outside space is available. And remember to use them! Herbs like to be picked and will often fade away if not cared for properly. They will repay you ten times over, with zest in your diet and natural medicines for your family.