I love cooking with herbs. They add loads of nutritional density and flavor to my meals without the calories. And recently I discovered that herbs are good for more than just cooking. Most of them also have medicinal properties as well, and whether picked fresh from the garden or bought as herbal medicines from a local health store, herbs have been known to treat everything from nausea to scrapes and even bruises. Below is a list of herbs that you can plant or buy in the form of a variety of products such as tea or even oils, which you can use to start your very own herbal first aid kit.
To relieve stress, anxiety and insomnia:
Chamomile and lavender are proven to reduce agitation and help us sleep peacefully.
How to use it? For a peaceful night’s sleep, add a few drops of lavender essential oil to your bath or onto your pillow, and sip on chamomile tea to relieve tension, restlessness, and irritability.
To ease heartburn and indigestion:
Fennel is not only great for cooking, but it is also great for easing heartburn, aiding digestion and relieving gas.
How to use it? Non-pregnant people can chew on some fennel seeds after meals to prevent bloating, relive gas, indigestion and heartburn.
To reduce teething pain and diarrhea:
Chamomile is great for easing pain that is associated with teething, and it also has the ability to help the diarrhoea that usually accompanies teething.
How to use it? To reduce the pain, soak a new, clean, soft baby washcloth in chamomile tea and keep it in the freezer. The cloth can be used when you need to comfort your baby’s sore gums. You could also make ice cubes from the chamomile tea and use them in a mesh teether.
To treat nausea and vomiting:
Ginger, peppermint and chamomile are anti-nausea herbs and are also very effective when used to treat an upset stomach and aid digestion. Ginger is also clinically proven to be as good as over-the-counter-medicine for healing motion sickness and pregnancy nausea, and peppermint leaves also cure bad breath.
How to use it? To prevent flu and ease nausea, drink peppermint or chamomile tea, and you can even chew on ginger. If for whatever reason, you cannot make a cup of tea, purchase a ginger essential oil aromatherapy mist for relieving motion sickness and an upset stomachs.
For itchy rashes: Oatmeal is another must-have. It’s rich in calcium and magnesium, making it one of the best foods to eat while recovering from illnesses. And because oatmeal has no negative side effects, you can even use it topically to treat itchy rashes and mild cases of eczema.
How to use it? To sooth a rash, mix oatmeal and water into a paste (not too thick and not to runny) and then apply it onto the skin and let it dry. You could also make an oatmeal bath to ease itchy, irritated skin. To do so, blend the oatmeal into a powder and mix it to your bath.
For multiple skin issues:
Cocunut oil is great for the skin.
How to use it? You can apply externally on affected areas as a skin salve, antifungal treatment, and diaper cream as well as to remove makeup, moisturise dry and chapped lips. Studies also show that consuming a quarter cup of coconut oil or more a day can help protect against Alzheimer’s and nourish the thyroid.
Leave a Comment