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…)
   

Of all the herbs, valerian is the champion sedative of historic fame. Recent findings have substantiated the old wisdom. Valerian not only relieves insomnia, it improves the quality of sleep, cuts down the number of times an insomniac awakens in the night, and doesn’t leave the user with a nervous headache in the morning. (Incidentally, if you have trouble falling asleep, don’t bothermaking notes.

You can even be a teetotaler and get the reputed benefits of red wine. Tea has about the same amount of catechins as red wine; catechins are antioxidants thatseem to help prevent the clogging of arteries by reducing the negative effects of LDL cholesterol.

If you must select between a manmade conglomeration of chemicals with some really nasty side effects or one of MotherNature’s nicely formulated remedies, the better way is obvious, isn’t it? (more…)