ACNE:Burdock,
chaparral, parsley, echinacea, red clover, capsicum. ANEMIA:Alfalfa,
Red beet root, yellow dock root, strawberry leaves, chickweed, burdock root,
nettle, mullein leaves. ARTERIOSCLEROSIS:Comfrey,
evening primrose oil, cayenne, golden seal, rose hips, garlic. ATHLETES
FOOT:
Goldenseal, garlic, black walnut hulls, powdered turmeric, benzoin, myrrh. BAD
BREATH:Parsley,
myrrh, rosemary BED
WETTING:Watermelon,
cranberry juice. BLOOD
CLEANSER:Red
clover, chaparral, dandelion, garlic, burdock. BLOOD
PURIFIER:Pau
d'arco, red clover, chaparral, Oregon grape root. BURSITIS:
Alfalfa, chaparral, comfrey, mullein. CANKER
SORES:Burdock
root. COLIC:
Catnip,
fennel, camomile, peppermint. COMMON
COLD:Red
raspberry tea, chaparral, rose hips, honey, garlic, golden seal, chamomile
flowers, slippery elm bark, cayenne, peppermint, blessed thistle. DERMATITIS:Pau
d'arco, aloe vera (topically), dandelion, golden seal, evening primrose. EAR
INFECTION:Blue
cohosh, scullcap echinacea. ECZEMA:Aloe
vera, chickweed, red clover, yellow dock, Pau d'arco. EYE
DISORDERS:Eyebright. GAS,
INTESTINAL: Catnip,
ginger, peppermint, horseradish. GLAND
INFECTIONS:Bee
pollen (excellent although not an herb), golden seal, saw palmetto, echinacea. GOUT:
Yucca,
stinging nettle, safflower, Pau d'arco, lobelia. HEMORRHOIDS:Yellow
Dock, butcher's broom, marshmallow, black walnut, lobelia. (all external as
well as internal application) IMPETIGO:Echinacea,
red clover, licorice root, turmeric (made into a paste and applied externally) CHICKEN
POX:Lobelia,
cayenne, red clover. KIDNEY
AND BLADDER STONES:Corn
silk, dandelion, juniper, parsley, uva ursi, thyme. LAXATIVES:Psyllium
husks, flaxmeal. LEG
CRAMPS:Horsetail
grass, alfalfa, comfrey herb, oat straw, scullcap. LIVER
DISORDERS:Horsetail,
dandelion, cascara sagrada LOWER
BOWEL PROBLEMS:Psyllium
seed husks, calamus root tea. MIGRAINE
HEADACHES:Feverfew,
camomile. MORNING
SICKNESS:Red
raspberry, peppermint leaf, alfalfa, catnip, ginger. MOUTH
SORES(Canker,
Thrush, Pyorrhea): Aloe vera, golden seal, myrrh, red raspberry, white oak
bark, lecithin. PHLEBITIS:Calendula. PROSTATE
AND KIDNEY: Golden
seal, corn silk, uva ursi, juniper berries, ginseng, cayenne. SENILITY:Dandelion,
ginseng, gotu kola, alfalfa, licorice, yellow dock. THYROID:
Mullien, parsley, kelp, black walnut, irish moss. TONSILLITIS:Echinacea,
bayberry root, ginger. VAGINAL
PROBLEMS:Aloe
vera, blessed thistle, garlic, ginger, golden seal root, red raspberry, slippery
elm bark, yellow dock root, comfrey root, uva ursi. VARICOSE
VEINS: White
oak bark, calendula, witch hazel, yarrow. WATER
RETENTION:Dandelion,
parsley, uva ursi, cranberry, juniper, buchu. WHOOPING
COUGH:Valerian
root, cayenne. FOR
TREATING BURNS:Try
fresh aloe vera for burns. Studies show that aloe vera helps new cells form
and hastens healing. It is suggested you keep a plant on a sunny windowsill
for treating minor (first degree) burns. To use, cut open one of the plant's
fleshy leaves and squeeze out the clear gel, applying it directly to the affected
area three or four times a day. Aloe vera heals best in the open air, so leave
the burn uncovered. FOR
TREATING COLDS:Garlic
can help prevent colds and help reduce symptoms because it contains a potent
antibiotic called allicin, which is released when cloves of garlic are chopped,
crushed, or chewed. You can add raw garlic to foods as a preventive measure
or you can buy garlic supplements (which are available in most health food
& drugstores). The best supplemental form is enteric-coated capsules, which
are easier for the body to absorb. It is recommended that you follow label
directions for dosage; a typical dosage is 300 milligrams daily for as long
as symptoms persist. FOR
TREATING CUTS, SCRAPES, AND SCRATCHES:Keep
an aloe vera plant on your windowsill (this is your living first aid kit).
When you get a cut, scratch, or scrape, break off one of the plant's fleshy
leaves, squeeze out a little of the cool, colorless gel from the center of
the leaf, and apply it directly to the affected area. Reapply three or four
times a day for maximum healing. Aloe vera seals off the injury, relieves pain,
and helps cuts and scrapes heal more quickly. FOR
FIGHTING THE FLU:To
ward off the flu at the first hint of symptoms, take echinacea, an herb with
powerful antiviral and immunity-boosting effects. Echinacea is available in
most health food stores in supplement form, as a tincture, and as a tea. Follow
the dosage recommendations on the label of the product you choose. Echinacea
works best over a short period of time. It isn't an effective immune strengthener
when taken long term. It is suggested to limit usage of the herb for no more
than a week. FOR
TREATING A HEADACHE:For
a headache caused by stress, try a soothing cup of this tea: Blend one part
each of dried herbs wintergreen, willowbark, and meadowsweet (available in
most health food stores). Pour boiling water over a teaspoon of this blend,
steep for ten minutes, strain, let cool to a drinkable temperature, and drink.
FOR
TREATING HEARTBURN: For
immediate relief of heartburn, make yourself a cup of ginger tea. Put 1/2 teaspoon
of shredded fresh ginger in a cup of boiling water. Then let the ginger steep
for about 10 minutes, strain the tea so that no ginger remains, cool to a drinkable
temperature, and drink. You can also try this tea: Add two teaspoons of anise
seeds, fennel seeds, or dill seeds to one cup of boiling water. Cover and steep
for 5 to 10 minutes, then strain, allow the tea to cool, and drink a few teaspoons
every few minutes. FOR
TREATING HIGH CHOLESTEROL:Scientific
studies indicate that one clove of garlic or its equivalent, taken every day,
is effective in reducing cholesterol levels. One way to get the equivalent
is with garlic supplements. There are two advantages to these supplements:
1) The active ingredient in garlic, is best absorbed in supplemental form.
2) Taking supplements allows you to bypass the bad breath that can be an unfortunate
side effect of eating fresh garlic. The most effect form for a garlic supplement
is enteric-coated capsules, which pass through the stomach and dissolve in
the small intestine. But no matter which form you choose, follow the dosage
recommendations on the label. FOR
TREATING INSOMNIA: Herbal
sleep formulas--in teas, tinctures, and capsules--are available in most health
food stores. For best results, choose one that combines hops, valerian, chamomile,
oats, passionflower, and balm. Follow the directions on the product label for
proper dosage. Valerian, which reduces activity in the central nervous system,
is the best-known herbal treatment for insomnia, and you could take that alone
if the herbal formulas don't work. Most health food stores carry valerian products;
follow the dosage recommendations on the label. Hops, a digestive tonic and
sedative, may also help you relax. Purchasing dried hops flowers, putting them
in a small muslin bag, and placing the bag under your pillow is recommended.
FOR
TREATING MUSCLE CRAMPS AND PAIN:For
massaging out muscle tension, this herbal massage oil is recommended: Start
with one cup of extra-virgin olive oil or almond oil (available in most health
food stores). Pour the oil into a bottle or jar and add the following herbs
in tincture form: 1 ounce of cramp bark, 1/2 ounce of lobelia, and 1/4 ounce
of willowbark or wintergreen. (If you don't have wintergreen tincture, substitute
30 drops of wintergreen oil). These ingredients are also available in most
health food stores and through mail order. FOR
TREATING NAUSEA AND VOMITING:For
mild nausea, drink ginger tea. To make the tea, slice a piece of fresh ginger
and put a few shavings or slivers of it in a tea ball. Pour a cup of boiling
water over it, steep for ten minutes, then allow it to cool before drinking.
When nausea is more intense, try a stronger dose of ginger, available in gelatin
capsules of 500 milligrams in most health food stores. Take one or two capsules
every four hours, or follow label instructions for dosage. FOR
TREATING RASHES:Try
dried chamomile to make a soothing wash for poison ivy, poison oak, or poison
sumac rashes. Steep two tablespoons of dried chamomile in two cups of boiling
water for about ten minutes. Let it cool, dip a washcloth in the wash, and
spread it on the rash. You can use this remedy as often as you like. FOR
TREATING A SORE THROAT:Try
gargling with goldenseal tea. To make the tea, pour boiling water over one
to two teaspoons of the dried herb, which you can buy in most health food stores.
Steep for 10 minutes, strain to remove the herb, and cool before using as a
mouthwash. Sage is another good choice for a sore throat. Chop two teaspoons
of fresh leaves, then pour boiling water over them and steep for 10 minutes.
Strain the tea to remove the leaves and cool before using as a gargle. It is
suggested that you repeat the gargles as necessary for a maximum of two to
three days. FOR
TREATING STOMACHACHE: Peppermint
and chamomile are two traditional herbal remedies for stomachache. Both work
gently to soothe an upset stomach, stop stomach spasms, and reduce gas. Recommendation:
You drink three to four cups of peppermint or chamomile tea daily to treat
minor digestive problems. You can also sip a cup of either of these teas after
meals to aid digestion. Peppermint and chamomile teas are available in tea
bag form in most health food stores. FOR
TREATING STRESS:Siberian
ginseng tones the nervous system and increases your resistance to stress. It
is suggested taking this herb in either capsule or tincture form, following
the dosage recommendations on the label. Siberian ginseng supplements are available
in most health food stores. FOR
TREATING TOOTHACHE:Try
oil of clove to soothe the pain until you can get to the dentist. But don't
use it full strength, it's so strong that it can damage your tooth's nerve.
Ask your pharmacist to recommend an over-the-counter preparation containing
oil of clove (sometimes called eugenol), such as Orajel and follow the label
directions for use. FOR
TREATING VAGINITIS:Try
a Saint-John's-Wort or calendula salve to soothe the itching and irritation
caused by vaginitis. These products are sold in most health food stores. Follow
the application directions on the label. |