Natural Herbal Beauty

Minor stomach upsets with abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting affect most of us at some time. They can often be associated with food poisoning, an excess of rich food or too much alcohol; in such cases soothing herbs like slippery elm and marshmallow can bring relief. Other stomach upsets are linked to chills, when warming herbs such as chili and ginger can be useful.

For some, the problem can be stress related, with any increase in nervous tension or anxiety levels usually accompanied by digestive problems; relaxing carminatives can be useful in these cases. The wide range of herbal relaxants offers plenty of choice depending on individual need and tastes, but a good mixture for nervous tummies is:

• 2 parts chamomile flowers
• 2 parts lemon balm herb
• I part lavender flowers
• Use 1-2 teaspoons of dried mixed herbs per cup of boiling water, infuse for 5 minutes, strain and drink. (more…)
   

Essiac is a combination tea consisting of four herbs: sheep’s sorrel, burdock root, slippery elm bark, and turkey rhubarb root. Anecdotal evidence supplied by those who say they have eliminated cancer by taking Essiac tea is very persuasive. True double-blind studies of the formula are lacking, but the benefits of the individual plants used in the formula have long been praised.

Sheep’s sorrel (Rumex acetosella), is a small perennial cousin of the common garden sorrel. This little plant grows abundantly in woodlands and shady places. The leaves, which hold the healing properties of the plant, are thin and delicate, brilliantly green above, faintly purple on their undersides. Sheep’s sorrel is said to brew into a cooling, thirst-quenching tea with notable blood-purifying properties. This herb helps strengthen a weak stomach, can stimulate a convalescent’s appetite, and is useful against nausea and vomiting (more…)