Natural Herbal Beauty

Basil: Sweet, spicy scent. Basil is a potent stimulant that increases circulation and eases muscle and joint aches and pains. It alleviates indigestion, and has antiseptic and expectorant properties and helps to treat congestion, coughs, and colds. Basil is excellent for relieving fatigue and nervous tension. Do not use during pregnancy.

Cypress: Spicy, balsamlike scent. The diuretic action of cypress helps to relieve water retention and cellulite. It also improves circulation and is helpful for arthritis. (more…)

There was a saying in medieval Europe to the effect that “death dwells in the bowels” — a belief that good health, or the lack of it, was closely linked to good digestion. In Ayurvedic medicine, digestion plays a similar central role with the agni, or digestive fire, responsible for preserving health and numerous remedies used to improve and strengthen this vital energy force.

Modern herbalism, too, puts great emphasis on good digestion with a wide range of herbs to stimulate, relax, normalise and generally improve function. As well as those which have a relaxing and antispasmodic action on the gut, herbal digestive remedies are generally classified as:

• bitters — which stimulate the taste receptors leading to increased gastric acid and enzyme production;
• carminatives — which help to relieve flatulence, digestive colic and gastric discomfort by toning the mucous membranes and improving peristalsis; (more…)