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Herbal Stress Soothers

Thanks to both internal (PMS) and external factors, I’ve been feeling pretty stressed lately. When I found myself snapping at friends, family, and coworkers, I decided it was time to stop and do some damage control. First, I made a plan. I wanted some physical activity to help blow off steam and I wanted something to help me relax when I was done. For the physical side, I decided to clean the apartment. I’d have the added bonus of a fresh, clean home when I was done — and the chance to work some stress out of my system. For … Continue reading →

Making Your Herbal Remedies

There are different ways to use your dried or fresh herbs in healing. Tea is the most common way of turning herbs into medicine. Medicinal teas taste much stronger than normal herbal teas — commercial herbal teas contain about a seventh of the amount of herbs in a medicinal tea. Steep one ounce of dried leaves, flowers, and/or stems in one pint of boiling water. If you’ll be using fresh herbs to make tea, use twice as much — two ounces of fresh herbs in one pint of boiling water. Always use pure water in your tea! An infusion is … Continue reading →

In the Last Thirty Years of Prescription Medications…

I have to admit — I’m spoiled by modern technology and comforts. It’s hard to imagine what life was like without prescription medications… but just three decades ago, they were far less advanced than they are now. According to the National Institutes of Health, just thirty years ago very little was known about predicting drug interactions and/or serious side effects. Doctors, researchers, and pharmacists had no way to anticipate these problems until drugs started clinical studies — or were widely used by consumers in some cases. Potential toxicity was determined by the effects of a medication on animals — if … Continue reading →

Thyme

Thyme is another herb that may be most popular in the kitchen… but is useful elsewhere. The little flowers on the plant attract bees and make thyme popular in garden borders. Thyme grows well in windowsill and container gardens, and has a long history in both cooking and medicine. Ancient writings refer to both common thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and wild mountain thyme (Thymus praecox articus). The name may come from a Greek word for courage… or a similar word meaning “to fumigate”. Both meanings are applicable to the plant — thyme can be invigorating but it was also burned to … Continue reading →

Red Raspberry Leaf

I was complaining to a friend last night about my monthly cramps. She suggested raspberry leaf tea, explaining that it helped ease her PMS symptoms. So I thought I’d do a little research and learn more about this herbal remedy. Red raspberry (known to the science types as rubus idaeus) is most often used medicinally as a tea. Both the leaves and the fruit can be used in making a tea; just pour a cup of boiling water over a quarter cup of fresh plant material or two teaspoons of dried plant material. Let it steep for five minutes, then … Continue reading →

Bay Leaf

You may already be familiar with bay leaf as an ingredient for soups and sauces. A bay leaf added to the cooking water makes pasta, beans, and rice more flavorful. But bay also has a history rich in mythology and medicine. You may also be familiar with the idea of the laurel wreath; the bay leaf used in cooking is the same leaf used in making the historic symbol of victory! The Latin name for the evergreen bay tree is laurus nobilis — renowned bay tree. Greek mythology tells of Apollo, god of the sun, pursuing a nymph named Daphne. … Continue reading →

Horehound

Horehound has been around for a long time — as candy, throat lozenges, tea, and syrup. The plant’s name comes from Horus, the Egyptian god of sky and light. It has many uses over the centuries. Ancient Greeks used horehound to cure the bite of mad dogs. Other medicinal uses for horehound included treatments for hepatitis, tumors, tuberculosis, typhoid, snake bite, worms, jaundice, bronchitis, and more. Horehound with rose oil was thought to cure earache. Horehound sniffed or used on the eyes was thought to improve eyesight. The herb was used to relieve liver and spleen obstructions. Folk legend says … Continue reading →

Elecampane

The flowering plant known as elecampane has a poetic history and many nicknames. If you’ve heard of elfdock, elfwort, wild sunflower, horseheal, and scabwort — these are all names for elecampane. The plant’s Latin name — innula helenium — gives a clue to the plant’s origins. One legend says that the species originated with the most beautiful woman in the world: Helen of Troy. She may have carried a handful of elecampane with her when Paris stole her away. Another story says that elecampane sprang up from the tears of the goddess Helena. A third story suggests that the plant … Continue reading →

Herbs that Boost Fertility

Herbal remedies have been used for centuries for a variety of health conditions. It seems there is an herbal remedy for nearly every condition. This ancient medicine is gaining in popularity as more people discover the benefits of herbal and homeopathic remedies. There are some herbs that are believed to be beneficial for fertility. These shouldn’t all be taken at once. Choose those that are most beneficial for you. Some of these herbs should only be taken during the first half of the cycle. These should be stopped after ovulation. Others can be taken throughout the cycle. Herbs that Boost … Continue reading →

Hops

You may have only heard of hops in regards with brewing beer. Its use in beer making has given this plant a huge significance around the world! But hops have more than just the one purpose in life. In the earliest days of culinary history, hops were used as a kitchen herb. The young shoots are edible, but the plant’s purpose soon changed. By the ninth and tenth century, brewers in France and Germany were using hops as a preservative. Beers brewed using the plant could survive longer in storage. Hops crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the 1600s; the plant … Continue reading →