Alternative Medicine LifestyleAlternative Medicine Lifestyle

Natural Health and Wellness

Herbs For Health

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Parsley The World’s Most Popular Herb

ParsleyParsley’s restorative powers were first discovered in the Mediterranean region of Europe. The herb was worshiped by the Greeks who used it to “anoint” their victorious athletes and decorate the tombs of the dead.

Revered for its role as a food garnish – parsley as a food garnish dates back to the ancient Roman civilization – parsley also brings numerous health benefits to the table.

Parsley contains many valuable vitamins, minerals and nutrients, one of which is vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant and helps to eradicate free radicals in the water-soluble areas of the body.

Another health benefit of vitamin C is it helps boost and maintain a health immune system. This vitamin C perk also helps to prevent common colds and recurring ear infections.

Parsley is also an excellent source of vitamins K, A and folate, as well as the mineral iron.

Anti-oxidant Powers of Parsley

When free radicals build up in your body, you are more prone to the development of various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, asthma and atherosclerosis. Parsley’s oil components include limonene and alpha-thujene and such flavonoids as apigenin and luteolin.

These anti-oxidants help the body in its constant battle against free radical formation. In addition to its anti-oxidant properties luteolin is also helpful in boosting blood circulation.

Anti-inflammatory Properties

Parsley is packed with anti-inflammatory properties. This makes it helpful in reducing inflammation for those suffering with arthritis and joint pain. Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis sufferers can benefit from adding parsley to their meals.

Beta-carotene – A Disease Prevention Ingredient

The beta-carotene in parsley helps to reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes, colon cancer and atherosclerosis and prevent the onset of rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.

Beta-carotene is converted within the body to Vitamin A – one of the most important helpers in maintaining a healthy immune system. Beta-carotene is a nutrient that has been associated with preventing and reducing tumor growth, making parsley a cancer prevention herb.

Myristicin – A Beneficial Volatile Oil

Myristicin is a volatile oil found in parsley. Research shows that it prevents tumors in animals – especially within the lungs. This oil also activates the enzyme glutathione-S-transferase, an extremely valuable oil which acts as a protective food against potential damage by carcinogens.

Eat the Garnish!

The most popular versions of parsley include Italian flat leaf and curly parsley, but there is a variety called turnip-rooted parsley which is used for its roots, similar to a turnip plant.

Choose fresh parsley when possible. After harvesting or purchasing, store parsley in a plastic bag in the refrigerator to keep it as fresh as possible to obtain maximum health benefits.

As you can see, parsley is more than a garnish for your meal or a breath freshener after a meal of garlic. You can certainly use it to cleanse the palate and freshen your breath, however, there is so much more to this herb, and that’s how it can improve your health.

So, eat the parsley garnish – it may be the healthiest thing on your plate!

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Winter Herbs You Can Grow Indoors

Winter Herbs You Can Grow IndoorsDuring the winter, you might think it is hard to find fresh herbs and produce due to the harsh, cold temperatures, but that isn’t true! Many people continue growing herbs right at home, but choose to grow them indoors instead. Here are some different winter herbs you can grow indoors and have available all winter long.

Mint

As you know, mint is one of the most popular herbs to use during the winter season. What you might not know, is that it is easy to grow and can be grown indoors! This is wonderful if you either don’t have much room outside on a patio to grow the herb, or it is the winter and you don’t want to spend much time gardening outdoors. While there are many varieties of mint that grow well indoors, peppermint and spearmint tend to be the best. Peppermint is usually better for indoor growing. You can start it with seeds in a pot that has soil, which is much better than starting from leaf cuttings. You can also get a plant already grown and keep it in your home where it is closest to a window with direct sunlight.

Rosemary

The next herb you can grow inside your home that is perfect for winter is rosemary. This is another popular herb to use during this time of year, and is one that is always easy to find. Rosemary can drown with too much water, so be careful you are only watering it when it looks to be too dry. This is also better to start growing from seed unless you are getting a plant already started to place in your window sill.

Parsley

So many traditional and classic herbs are not only available in the winter, but can be grown at home indoors. They provide a way to have fresh herbs available at all times, plus make your home smell amazing. Another herb you can grow indoors is parsley. This is also super easy to grow, even for people who are not accustomed to growing their own herbs. Parsley does grow a little slower, so keep that in mind when choosing when you want to start it and when you plan to harvest the herb leaves.

Oregano

Who doesn’t love some oregano? This is the ultimate herb for Italian and Southwestern dishes, along with any hearty meal you intend to make. You can use fresh oregano for everything from pasta sauce and lasagna, to adding more flavor to your soup or chili. It can also grow indoors, but you do need to make sure you get at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day.

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The Many Benefits of the Aloe Vera Plant

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera plants tend to bring burns and sunburn to mind. In fact, you may likely think about aloe vera gel in a bottle kept in a beach bag. If you do not think of the beach or sunburns, you may think of aloe vera in lotions and in severe dry skin remedies. Though aloe vera can be used for all of these issues, there are four other issues that aloe vera can assist with.

Oral Hygiene Care

If you have canker sores or cold sores that come up from dentures or illness then you know how painful they can be. You can use over the counter chemicals to help combat or reduce the sores, but this may not always work and it may lead you to having to use more of the chemical than you would like. This is especially true if you are having to use more of the canker sore medicine as you develop a resistance to the gel or medicine. Aloe vera gel can help with these sores in a natural and equally as effective way. You can simply put the gel on your sores directly from the plant or you can choose to use a food grade aloe vera gel or juice.

Wrinkle Reducer

You may not think of aloe vera as a wrinkle reducing agent, but it can help with fine lines and wrinkles. You do need to use the aloe vera on a routine basis. You can use it as a gel directly on your face following your normal face wash and toner routine. You can also use it as part of a homemade face mask, peel off mask, or as stand alone toner. The aloe can be applied directly from the plant to your skin. You will notice that the gel from the plant is tightening your skin. You can notice immediate effects, but the long-term effects from routine use are also significant.

Constipation Relief

Aloe vera juice can be purchased from local health and wellness stores. You can also find it at most pharmacies. The reason this is important is because the juice made from aloe vera plant can be mixed with water or other juice and ingested to help with constipation relief. This is a natural way to reduce constipation pain and help clear the system within a few hours.

Weight Loss

One way that many people are using aloe vera is to help with weight loss. Aloe vera juice can help with weight loss by boosting the metabolism, clearing your digestive tract, and flushing your system of toxins. The juice should be taken orally on a routine basis for several days. You should also take a small break from the juice rather than using it as a daily ongoing method. It does have the same effects as laxative so keep that in mind.

Ideally, if you want to get all of the benefits from aloe vera, you should keep a plant and juice on hand to use at any time you need it. You can grow the plant indoors and if you buy the juice you can keep it on hand for several weeks.

 

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Herbal Bath Tea

lavendar

Make Your Own Herbal Bath Tea

As you probably know by know, herbs have a long list of benefits. Not only do they help with many different physical and mental health issues, but they can also be used in a number of ways. If you don’t want to cook with the herbs or make a tea, then you can add them to your bath. This is going to be an herbal bath, often referred to as using herbal bath tea for relaxation and medicinal properties.

What Goes in an Herbal Bath Tea

When thinking about an herbal bath tea, you really just need to think about what you would put in herbal tea itself. The main components are the same, the only difference being that they are added to your bath instead of a cup of tea you drink. You might want to think about certain scents or effects from the herbs you choose that will help in a bath specifically. This might be an herb that promotes relaxation to help you sleep, or something that provides good stress relief at the end of a long day. Here are some herbs that are great for an herbal bath tea:

Chamomile

Roses

Calendula

Lavender

Passionflower

Peppermint

Lemonbalm

Ginger root

Holy basil

Tips For Making the Herbal Bath Tea

Making herbal bath tea may seem complicated, but it is actually quite simple. You want to put the tea mix in a muslin bag that can be added to a hot bath, just like if you were making a cup of hot tea. You can sew the bags or just tie the top of the bags with string. You want to cut the muslin material to the right size, then place your combined herbs inside of them. Then you will close it up and tie off with a string.

When deciding on how much to fill it, keep in mind that wet herbs will be in the bag, so you don’t want to weigh it down too much, or it might open. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with that, but the herbs can get into the drain and clog it, so it is best to avoid this from happening. If you hang the bag over the faucet during your bath, you should be able to use it 2-3 times before disposing of it and switching it for a new bag.

Try different soothing herb combinations to make your herbal bath tea and find out which one works best for you!

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Mints That Provide Medicinal Qualities

Mints

When you think of mint, you likely think of things like mint jelly or mint in chewing gum. You likely do not think of mint as a medicinal option. The truth is, there are several members of the mint family that do have very strong medicinal qualities and can take the place of most over the counter medication options. Here are four of those mints, their medicinal qualities, and how to extract as much of those qualities as possible.

Peppermint

Peppermint is the most common mint in the mint family. It is easy to grow in small herbal gardens in or out of the home. The medicinal qualities of mint are fairly straightforward. It is known for helping to ease stomach upset, to help with constipation, and to help with headaches including migraines and stress related headaches. The easiest ways to extract the mint are to either bruise the leaf in a mortar and pestle and place in teas or tinctures or you can eat the leaf directly though it may have a bitter taste that is unpleasant if you are already ill. You can also dehydrate mint leaves and use them later in tea mixtures and tinctures for later use.

Apple Mint

Apple mint may not be a common mint to most people, but it has some very beneficial properties for those seeking weight loss solutions. The mint can be taken in a tea form or tincture form and added to juices or as a daily supplement. The addition of this mint helps with boosting metabolism and helping with weight loss. It also helps with digestion and the common intestinal discomfort that may start when a new diet plan and workout plan is introduced. The mint can be grown easily in or outside of the home and the leaves harvested as needed.

Basil

When you hear the word mint, the last thing you likely think of is basil. Basil is actually part of the mint family and has some very beneficial properties for home medical use. The biggest benefit of basil for medicinal use is the antibacterial property it holds. It can be used on cuts and abrasions to help with healing. It can also be used to calm skin issues. These are, of course, in addition to the natural mint properties that most members of the mint family hold such as reducing stomach upset. Basil can also be used in toothpastes and homemade mouth rinses to help with bacteria issues in oral care routines.

Coriander

There are two reasons to keep coriander or coriander oil in your home above all other mints. Food poisoning issues and urinary tract infections. Both of these issues can happen, and both can happen when you least expect them. The issue with both is that they can render you unable to drive or go out of the home for medication. With that in mind, having coriander on hand can help. The oil or the mint can be taken orally and can help to combat the poison or infection that is bothering your system. You will still need to see a doctor if the issue worsens, but the coriander can be a life savior to initially ge the issues under control.

By using one or more of these mints, you can cover the vast majority of the health issues that most people face on a routine basis. Remember you can keep the leaves dehydrated and mix them in teas and tinctures to use as needed and store for later use as well.

 

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