Natural Herbal Beauty

COLDS

Include the following in the diet: Vitamin C (500-1 000 mg daily), carrots, dandelion greens, spinach, oranges, grapefruit, guavas, horseradish (freshly grated root on bread), onions, chives, green peppers, elder flowers, cabbage, elderberries, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, turnips and watercress.

Make a standard brew tea of any of these herbs: Wilde als, Thyme, Sage, Lemon balm (melissa), Bergamot, Violet (good for a blocked nose), Verbascum, Elder, Lucerne, Winter savory, Borage, Peppermint or Yarrow. Use as a gargle and drink at frequent intervals until the symptoms ease. (more…)

Coughing is the body’s natural response to any blockage of the airway which may be due to dust and traffic fumes or mucous resulting from infection. Coughing can also be a symptom of a number of more serious illnesses, so professional medical attention is needed for any cough which persists for more than a few days or for which there is no obvious cause.

Coughs can be dry and irritating or “productive” with phlegm which can vary in shade from white to green — darker colours generally indicating an infection. Dry coughs can often linger for weeks following a cold and in some cases coughing can become a nervous habit. (more…)

EASY HERBAL SOAP: Place 2 tablespoons finely chopped lemon verbena or lavender into 2 tablespoons warmed glycerin. Place in a warm area for several days. Strain and finely grate 12 tablespoons of unscented soap or soap flakes and melt in top of a double boiler. Remove from heat and add the scented glycerin to the melted soap. Add 1 tablespoon of honey. Mix well. Pour into greased molds. Allow to set until the soap is cool and hardened.

Now that we’ve taken the steps needed to care for our skin properly, here are some recipes that will take care of special problems and needs. (more…)

When we become aware of how much we are responsible for our own health, we soon realize that we are responsible for most of the illnesses that we contract. Health isvery definitely a positive force and disease is exactly what it says, dis- ease of the body.

In many cases, illness is caused by a faulty diet. We all need tonics to keep the body supplied with certain minerals and vitamins in order to keep our immune system strong and healthy. If the immune system is in good order, then it is able to fight off certain illnesses with which we all come into contact. Then, if we do pick up a bug, our bodies can respond to the invading organisms much faster and we are able to start the healing process much more quickly. We may not be able to avoid an illness, but we can influence the length and severity of it. And we can stop the secondary infections that are sometimes part of a specific disease. (more…)

Worldwide, more people take tea than any other beverage, except water. Green tea is one of the sipping teas, so ancient its use as a refreshing drink dates back 5,000 years. If your primary interest is in the simple drinking of green tea for the pleasure it offers, please refer to Traditional Sipping Teas. It’s true that green tea is traditionally taken as a beverage, not as a medicinal tea, but times are changing.

Today, green tea is heralded as highly beneficial. The latest research shows that drinking green tea not only wards off heart disease, lowers the incidence of stroke, reduces the risk of cancer, brings down high blood pressure, and combats cold and flu symptoms, it even fights dental decay and bad breath. (more…)