Herbal Medicine and Health

A sure fire remedy to open up congested passages is to place a large menthol crystal in a cup of boiling water – close your eyes and inhale deeply. This is an extremely effective method to open stuffy and thickened passages in the head. Once the water cools, the menthol will crystalize again – the water may be poured off and the process repeated using the same cup and the same menthol. NOTE: Menthol crystals are extracted from the pure essential oil of peppermint and are available in our store. Menthol flakes may be ground finely and added to toothpowder […]

There is a great deal of evidence to show that poor weaning practices – such as infant and early childhood diets based on animal products, e.g. milk, dairy products, red meat, chicken and wheat products, are one significant risk factor (if not most) of asthma. Such a diet can cause inflammation anywhere in the body, including the airways. Animal products are naturally high in arachidonic acid and other potent mediators of inflammation. These mediators create inflammation responses in epithelial tissue, such as those that line the airways (and skin). This causes production of excess mucus (the body’s attempt to eliminate […]

Rooibos is a herbal tea made from the leaves of a South African plant known botanically as Aspalathus linearis. Rooibos (pronounced roy-boss) is the Afrikaaner name meaning “red bush”. It’s a small shrub in the legume family with needle-like leaves that grows naturally in Western Cape and is now cultivated commercially. Rooibos has a long history of traditional use by the Hottentots and Bushmen, who left the leaves outside to ferment after pounding them with wooden hammers. Early European settlers and explorers noted that the local people drank large quantities of Rooibos as a tea. The tea was used as […]

Free Radicals are the main cause of skin aging and indeed body aging. Green Tea (organic only – never tea bags), traps free radicals, removing aggressive substances from the skin, giving it a tighter, younger appearance when used regularly. Green Tea extracts used in skincare products, supply the top layers of skin (namely the dermis and epidermis) with water, thus preventing the skin from drying out. Green Tea also provides natural sun protection – not by filtering UV rays, but by trapping their by-products, the free radicals, as soon as they develop. Green Tea is particularly good for treating the […]

The following are some of the common minerals and trace elements, together with their functions, deficiency symptoms and natural sources. CALCIUM: Essential for all vital functions of the body including bone and teeth building and for normal growth, heart action and all muscle activity. Needed for normal clotting of the blood and many enzyme functions. Extremely important in pregnancy and lactation, also speeds all healing processes. Some deficiency symptoms are nervousness, mental depression, heart palpitations, muscle cramps and spasms, insomnia and irritability as well as the obvious ones of tooth decay and porous and fragile bones. Natural sources of calcium […]

Ingrown Toenails If you suffer from ingrown toenails, cut a notch V – a v inwards, in the centre of the nail. This draws the nail up and inwards toward the centre, helping to prevent the nail growing inwards. To clean drains, sinks and pipes Pour ½ cup baking soda down drain or plug hole, then add ½ cup white vinegar and let the chemical reaction occur. Leave for awhile, and then pour some boiling water in. No nasty chemicals, cheap and good for the waterways. Seaweed Fertiliser Collect kelp from the beach, rinse and then place in a sack […]

Chickweed 400mg Calcium, 178mg Magnesium, 280mg Potassium, 140mcg Selenium, 8.5mg Iron, 40mcg Chromium Confrey Leaf 600mg Calcium, 24mg Calcium, 565mg Potassium, 40mcg Selenium, 0.4mg Iron, 60mcg Chromium Nettle Leaf 966mg Calcium, 286mg Magnesium, 583mg potassium, 70mcg Selenium, 1.4mg Iron, 130mcg Chromium Horsetail 630mg Calcium, 145mg Magnesium, 520mg Potassium, 40mcg Selenium, 4.1mg Iron, 10mcg Chromium MARSHMALLOW Marshmallow 272mg Calcium, 172mg Magnesium, 403mg Potassium, 110mcg Selenium, 3.8mg Iron, 50mcg Chromium (Pedersen 1994) As you will see from this list of just a few common herbs – their content is amazing. I have only listed some of the minerals here and have not […]