Archives for Herbal category
Posted on Apr 07, 2009 under Herbal |
Smoking is harmful to the heart. We should none of us be in any doubt about this fact, especially women. The question of why women smoke if it is so dangerous to the heart, has many possible answers. One may be found in the assumption that it helps to
assert their liberated status and strengthen their self-image; or it may be the need to imitate whatever is currently popular, for no one wants to be out of step with the prevailing trends. Another reason may be the mistaken idea that smoking calms the nerves and helps to take one’s mind off things. It is a fact that even fifty years ago very few women were smokers. In those days, if a woman lit a cigarette she was eyed with suspicion and dismissed as frivolous, or worse. The relatively new trend of women smoking, and thus exposing themselves to the dire consequences of this habit, may be attributed to the general change in life-style that we have undergone since then. Abundant proof exists that nicotine is harmful, as it constricts the coronary blood vessels and really has the same effect as a slow-acting poison. It is unfortunate that the tragic consequences to a smoker’s sensitive vascular system do not become evident until twenty or thirty years later, so that it is all the more difficult to convince young people to stop smoking or not to start in the first place.
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Posted on Apr 02, 2009 under Herbal |
Many herbs growing low to the ground propagate and increase by natural “layering”. This happens when a stem lying along the ground sends out roots into the soil from the point where it touches. If you want more plants than those natural “layers”, help the process along by selecting long bendable stems and pinning them down at one or two points with a hair-pin as shown below. Water well to encourage root growth down into the soil at the point of contact. After several weeks, a whole new plant will be forming, and you can sever it from the parent plant after about six weeks, and move it to its new location.
This is an ideal way to increase your herb plants, as it involves very little work or supervision, and does not disturb the parent plant which can still flourish in the same spot with no set-back to its growth.
Suitable herbs for layering are lemon balm, catmint, the scented geraniums, horehound, hyssop, marjoram, the mints, rosemary (slower to root), sage, savory, and all the thymes.
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Posted on Apr 02, 2009 under Herbal |
Here is the recipe. I have tried it, and am still not sure whether I like it. Unfortunately, no quantities were given to me in the original recipe which was a “throw-in” family one; so I have had to experiment.
Tansy Pudding
To a i lb. of ground almonds add flavouring essence such as lavender or rose, then add some soft breadcrumbs, grated nutmeg, a spoonful of brandy, a couple of tansy leaves, chopped, 3 oz. fresh butter and slices of lemon. Pour over it one pint of scalded milk (with a little sugar added to taste), and when cold mix all well together. Then add a few drops of lemon juice and 4 well-beaten eggs. Bake in a warm to moderate oven till set (about 1 hour).
Tansy flowers can be added to flour, about 1 dessertspoon to a pound, to give it an unusual tang, and a yellow colour. It is advisable to pulverize the flowers in the blender first. Grown under fruit-trees, tansy can repel the fruit moth, and it spreads and grows so fast that a green barricade can be put up in an orchard in one season.
To increase your supply of plants, dig the clump at the end of summer, separate the new growths from the root stem, and replant. Or leave it till the spring, and divide the clump as new growth starts from the base. This hardy herb will take to street-planting or anywhere you need an undemanding tenant of your soil. Insects will never attack it, but young snails like to hide in the leaves and may nibble new young growth if allowed to remain.
Don’t forget: always bruise or rub the leaves to release tansy’s insect-repelling oils.
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Posted on Apr 02, 2009 under Herbal |
Oregano, or wild marjoram, is the parent stock from which the garden marjoram was developed. Its flavour is stronger, but its appearance and growth is otherwise very similar. It layers itself more easily than garden marjoram, and its flowers are at the end of longer stems in a tight, square-shaped formation. In this country, oregano does not have the biting pungency of flavour it has in its home territory, the Mediterranean. It also grows wild and aromatic in Mexico and parts of South America, having been taken to America by the Pilgrim Fathers and naturalized there, but soil conditions do change the flavour slightly, and in Australia it becomes almost indistinguishable from marjoram. If you happen to live in one of the few areas of basalt or rich volcanic soil, you will have ideal conditions to grow oregano at its spicy best.
Both marjoram and oregano have, like basil, a natural affinity for tomato dishes, and for the farinaceous specialities of Italian cuisine, the pastas, pizza and lasagne dishes. Add a sprig to the hot oil when making the tomato-based sauce for these. Oregano is added to the thick vegetable soups and casserole dishes of Mexico, too.
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Posted on Apr 02, 2009 under Herbal |
The cleansing action of the herb is used to “stir up” the liver and gall, promoting their healthy functioning, and thereby ridding the body efficiently of wastes and poisons, as well as regulating a whole host of basic bodily functions. Dandelion tea has also been used in treatments for rheumatism, and has the reputation of freeing the liver and kidneys from stones, if used regularly in the diet. A spring tonic of dandelion leaf tea is said to inhibit the hepatitis virus, and undoubtedly a healthy liver is less likely to succumb than a sluggish overloaded one.
Dandelions need no description from me. Everyone knows their yellow flowers that close up tight when rain is soon due, their “clocks” of seeds and rosettes of leaves. Their name is Anglicized from the French dent-de-lion, referring to the backward-slanting toothed shape of the leaves. There are many variations in leaf characteristics. Some are darker green and slightly furry, with rounded teeth, some are brilliant green, less hardy in hot weather, with sharply-indented longer leaves, but all have much the same medicinal value.
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Posted on Apr 02, 2009 under Herbal |
Monarda didyma LABIATAE
Sweet Bergamot, Horsemint, or Oswego Tea—all refer to a shade-loving perennial herb, a native of the New World first reported by Dr Nicholas Monardez, a Spanish physician, in his book Joyfull newes out oj the newe founde world published in England in 1577. (Incidentally in this book he also first described and illustrated the tobacco plant, so perhaps his services to mankind are somewhat doubtful.)
Bergamot leaves and flowers were used freely as a tea substitute in North America and, since the herb was first found near Lake Oswego, this is where it gained one of its names. It is a member of the mint family, and has a period of total dormancy from late autumn till early spring. Put a stake near the roots to remind you where your plant is, so winter digging will not remove it altogether.
In spring, up will come the first tiny fragrant leaves, then long upright stems that will grow to about two feet in height, of similar habit to mint, with the soft velvety leaves set opposite on the stalk. In midsummer, the brilliant red flowering heads appear, a cluster of tiny trumpet-shaped blossoms reminiscent of a small-scale honeysuckle. The bees love the plant, but so do the caterpillars and snails; so keep it sprayed at the first sign of a nibbled leaf and you will have a flamboyant addition to your salad bowl: several of the scarlet flower heads as a garnish, and a few chopped leaves in the salad itself.
When picking the leaves for a hot “brew” (the usual quantity, a small handful to a large cup of water) make sure you don’t finish up with caterpillar tea! Green caterpillars have a perfect camouflage on this plant, and constant vigilance is necessary; but the distinctive appearance and flavour are worth all the time you spend on it. Give it soil rich in leaf-mould and plenty of water. In its natural state it grows in the damp, rich woodland soils where falling leaves each autumn make a perfect winter blanket for it, and their decomposition by the spring gives it necessary food. It will grow happily in the partial shade of taller plants as long as there is room for its roots to forage in damp soil. The rather brittle stems may need light tying and staking to keep the plant neat, for the flowers are rather heavy and tend to pull the branch down. Don’t let that crimson showpiece trail in the dirt.
Like all the mints, bergamot contains thymol, a natural antiseptic, and the tea is very soothing for sore throats. Dried leaves and flower heads can also be put in the canister with ordinary tea to give it a flavour boost.
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Posted on Mar 23, 2009 under Herbal |
You can deepen your feeling of relaxation like this. Picture yourself standing at the edge of a deep, transparent spring at least a hundred feet deep and surrounded by a beautiful peaceful garden. Toss a shiny new dime into the water and then watch closely from about three feet away as the dime darts, rolls, flashes and twists its way deeper and deeper into the calm unruffled depths. In about a minute, the dime is resting on the clear, sandy bottom in an undisturbed world of utter peace and tranquility. The effects of this mental exercise are almost identical to those you would experience if completely insulated from all external stimuli. To complete your feeling of total relaxation, picture your arms and legs as pieces of old, tired, limp rope. Visualize your body as relaxed as a rag doll. Feel all tightness and tension slip away.
You should now be in a state of total relaxation. Every muscle should feel entirely tension-free. You should be experiencing a peaceful state of consciousness, not thinking of anything in particular.
In fact, you should be experiencing a delicious feeling of detachment from the worries and pressures of everyday living. As you became increasingly relaxed, the mind disassociates from the body and you become unaware that you have a body at all.
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Posted on Mar 23, 2009 under Herbal |
Steam combined with herbal vapors makes a very effective decongestant. But steam does more than merely free blocked nasal air passages. It heats up the nose, making it too hot for viruses to thrive.
Both flu and cold viruses flourish in a temperature of 86° to 96°F. Since the body’s core temperature is 98.6°, the body itself is too hot for these viruses to inhabit. But the temperature of nasal air passages is closer to the virus’s comfort range. During a severe viral infection, the immune system secretes pyrogen, a chemical messenger which triggers the brain’s temperature control to raise body temperature to about 102°. As the overall temperature increase spreads to the nose, the nasal membranes become uncomfortably hot and millions of viruses become biologically inactive. This is one way in which fever aids the healing
Another way to make the nose untenably hot for viruses is by inhaling steam. Simply heat a dish of water until it is steaming, and then place it on a table. Sit down and lean over the dish, close the eyes, drape a towel over the head, and inhale the steam into the nose, sinuses and lungs.
The steam will soon relieve any congestion. But continue to inhale steam into the nasal passages for as long as you can without discomfort.
Inhaling steam is even more effective and pleasant if you add a few drops of essential oils of Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Juniper, Pine and Rose Geranium. A single one will do but all five are better.
Half an hour is probably the maximum for which anyone would elect to inhale steam. Inhaling steam for ten to fifteen minutes or so each morning and evening can provide wonderful relief for a head cold.
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Posted on Mar 23, 2009 under Herbal |
Both OTC and prescription drugs for asthma arc stronger than those used for colds or flu and should be taken only under the guidance of a physician. The prescription drug Theophylline is widely used but it has a critically narrow dosage range; too little has no effect while too much causes a wide range of serious side effects ranging from irregular heartbeat to vomiting, stomach pains jitters, insomnia, headaches or even seizures.
Ephedrine, used in most OTC asthma remedies, is considered less effective. To offset its stimulating effects, phenobarbital, a powerful sedative, is often added. The combination may affect the heart and nervous system, producing tremor, insomnia and loss of appetite.
These and similar drugs used for asthma are known as bronchodilators for their action in relaxing the smooth muscles of lung air passages, causing them to dilate and make breathing easier. They will not relieve hayfever. As always, single ingredient OTC products are most effective.
Bronchodilators are available in tablet or elixir form, or as inhalers. Most OTC inhalant bronchodilators contain epinephrine, which has numerous side effects and to which the airways soon develop a tolerance. Because bronchodilators can affect the heart and nervous system, they may not be suitable for those with hypertension, heart disease, thyroid disease, diabetes and glaucoma, or for men with an enlarged prostate.
From all this we may conclude that every drug is a two-edged sword which may offset possible benefits by adverse side effects, Because no drug can cure or shorten the duration of a cold or flu, the temporary benefits drugs may afford frequently do not outweigh the potential harm they may cause.
The fact that many doctors themselves recommend avoiding OTC or prescription medications for simple colds or flu is sufficient testimony that the medical approach to overcoming these infections has little to offer the average victim. Only in case of danger signals, an emergency or a complication can a doctor really be of help.
Furthermore, the function of many OTC cold remedies can be duplicated—without risk of side effects or suppression of the immune system—by natural therapies, are especially helpful to relieving symptoms without the side effects and the potential immunosuppression of drugs.
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Posted on Mar 23, 2009 under Herbal |
Influenza is another viral disease that follows a similar pattern to the common cold. After initial exposure to flu virus, it takes two to three days for influenza symptoms to appear. Most cases of flu are spread by airborne transmission during the three days following the first appearance of symptoms. However, many victims remain contagious for several additional days. Influenza symptoms appear more swiftly than do cold symptoms and they strike with greater severity. Unlike a cold, which is localized in the upper respiratory tract area, influenza is a more widespread disease with considerable potential for serious complications.
Almost without warning, a well person is suddenly shuck by shivering and chill, body aches and pains, a headache, extreme fatigue and a fever with temperatures ranging over 101°F in adults and as high as 104° in children.
The spherical flu virus contains a genetic package similar to that of a cold virus. But its protein coat is also covered with fat and studded by spikes. To outwit patrolling macrophages, flu virus populations undergo a constant change of antigens induced by a gradual but steady mutational drift.
As the human population builds up antibodies to a flu outbreak, the mainstream flu virus is annihilated. Only mutants with different antigens are able to survive. These mutants then multiply to become the mainstream flu virus.
Nonetheless, their antigens still so resemble those of the earlier strain that they are partially affected by antibodies left over from the last flu infection. As a result, new strains of influenza resulting from mutational drift are relatively mild. They rarely present a serious threat to healthy adults or children and medical treatment is seldom required.
Every so often, a strain of flu virus seems to disappear from the human population. Some researchers speculate that it may spend several years submerged in animals such as swine or ferrets. While in the animal kingdom, this virus undergoes a spontaneous mutational shift so radical that its antigens become completely immune to all existing human antibodies.
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