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Healing Herbs has to offer. |
| Precautions |
| Herbalism is a natural way to supplement conventional
medical care, not replace it. |
| Herb
Descriptions |
| Herbal Remedies are an extremely popular and
important alternative health care choice. |
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| Herbs for specific health problems. |
| Herb Reviews |
| Information to guide your selection of health,
wellness, and nutritional products. |
| Gardening |
| Herbs are fairly easy to grow, even if you've
never gardened before. |
| Terminology |
| Many words are used to describe herbs and their
actions on the body. |
| The Herbal Cafe |
| Cooking with herbs makes for tasty, and healthy
meals. |
| The Herbal Spa |
| A healthy alternative to chemically-laden bath
products, herbal bath blends are both easy and inexpensive to make. |
| Tinctures & Teas |
| Herbal teas are quite pleasant and a healthy
addition to your diet. |
| Herbal News |
| Preliminary results from a study of ancient
Chinese herbs. indicate that a number of them may have anti-cancer
benefits... |
| Herbal Gifts |
| Homemade gifts and crafts delight the mind and
spirit of both the giver and the receiver. |
| Herb Industry |
| This blossoming market for all things herbal has
attracted growing interest from everyone |
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Herbal
Preparations
There are many ways to
prepare herbal remedies. The ones presented here were developed through
trial and error over the course of centuries of use. Herbalists have
found that each herb releases its healing powers in certain forms. Some
herbs are most productive when they are prepared as decoctions while others
prove to be more appropriate in capsules. You may have to do some extra
research if you wish to prepare your own herbals. You'll need to know
which preparation is best for which herb and what dosage is most
appropriate. One way to find this out is to visit your local health food
store and see how herbs that you are interested in are packaged for sale and
what the recommended dosages are.
The following recipes are made
from fresh or dried herbs. As a rule of thumb it takes twice the
amount of a fresh herb as dried. You can grow your own herbs, wildcraft
them (pick them from the wild - be careful though, it's easy to make a mistake
and pick something other than you intended) or purchase dried herbs from your
local health food store or online.
Here, we define the various types
of herbal remedies and offer tips on how to make them yourself. The
methods are arranged in order of potency, from the weakest to the
strongest. Measurements suggested are general and not herb
specific. Be sure to research the strength and effect of herbs you are
unfamiliar with. Also, the part used makes a difference, leaves, roots,
flowers, seeds, etc., and can require an adjustment in the amount used.
Generally speeking however, one ounce of a single herb or one ounce of combined
herbs is what you will need to
use.
Remember that herbs are not like
prescription medicines and usually do not have immediate effects.
Continue drinking the teas, infusions and decoctions until you feel better
which should be no longer than three days or so. In all cases, the
effectiveness of herbs is based on a gradual action to restore the natural
balance of healthy bodily functions. Very few plant remedies produce
lasting beneficial effects after one or a few doses. In the case of
treating prolonged problems, consider that, as a rule of thumb, it takes one
month of an herbal treatment for each year that you've had the problem.
In other words, if you have had a problem for three years, it would take about
three months to effect a healthy repair.
Important Considerations When Making
Teas,
Infusions and Decoctions:
- Not all herbs are suitable for
making medicinals.
- It is important to cover your pot
while boiling or steeping to prevent the aromatic oils from evaporating into
the air. A lid will cause the steam to condense back into the
water.
- Use a glass or ceramic
container. Aluminum, iron, tin or other metals will leach into the tea.
Although copper and stainless steel may be okay, herbalists recommend you use
clean glass, ceramic, pottery or unchipped enameled pot.
- Use pure water. Fresh
spring water or distilled water is best.
- Boil the water first, then remove
it from the heat and add the herb or pour over the herb.
- Strain the finished tea before
capping and storing.
- Refrigerate if kept for more than
a few hours.
Tea: Herbal teas are quite pleasant and a healthy addition to
your diet. They have a mild relaxing or invigorating effect, depending on
the character of the herb. They don't, however, have the potency, the
medicinal dose, of the active constituents in herbs.
The easy way to make a medicinal
cup of tea is to triple up on herbal tea bags or the loose tea leaves that you
would normally use and steep them in one cup of very hot water, covered, for
ten minutes. By tripling the amount of tea you come very close to the
medicinal value of an infusion. Dosage is in cups per day. Single
strength herbal teas can be taken as often as you wish.
To use bulk dried herbs, toss a
quantity of the herb in a nonmetallic container, pour in boiling water and
allow to steep for ten to 20 minutes. Most herbalists prescribe an ounce
of dried herb (you should invest in a small scale) in a pint of water.
Strain the herb parts. Usually, the tea is consumed at room
temperature. Drink the tea hot only if the goal is to induce a sweat or
to break up a cough or cold. Sip throughout the day, the cumulative dose
would be one to four cups a day depending on the herb.
Capsules: You can buy empty gelatin capsules from your
health food store. There are varying sizes of capsules. Simply fill
the capsules with powdered or finely cut dried herbs. The reason capsules
are not as beneficial as the following liquid remedies is because no extraction
process is performed and thus the active constituents of the herbs are not as
readily available to your body. Digestion alone does not guarantee the
release of the healing agents of herbs. Capsules are, however,
preferrable when you want the herbs released in the intestines rather than the
stomach. Many people prefer capsules and pills for convenience and also
because some herbs are rather bitter to taste. The bitterness however,
provokes an important series of bodily actions that are important to the
process.
Infusion: This is another easy way to make an herbal
remedy. Start by bruising one ounce of dried flowers, leaves or petals of
the herb of your choice in a clean cloth. If you are using multiple
herbs, the total amount used should equal one ounce. Then, pour three
cups of boiling water over the herb. Cover and let steep for at least 20
to 30 minutes or up to several hours (the longer, the stronger). Strain
and drink at room temperature or cold. Infusions generally will last in
the refrigerator for three days. Dosage is in cups per day. Follow
the same "Important Considerations" (above) as in making medicinal
teas.
Decoction: A decoction is made by boiling the hard and
woody parts of herbs. Be sure to break up the bark or roots into small
pieces, the smaller the better. More heat is needed in making decoctions
than infusions because these parts of herbs are more difficult to extract
active constituents and be absorbed by water. As with teas and
infusions, follow the previously mentioned "Important Considerations" (above in
the tea section).
Boil one ounce of your herb(s) in
four cups of water for about ten minutes. (Remember, one ounce total if
you are using more than one herb.) The liquid should reduce to three
cups. If you wish, at this point you can add any lighter herb parts --
flowers or leaves that you would use in infusions. Cover this mixture and
steep for ten more minutes. Strain and refrigerate for up to three
days. Dosage is in cups per day.
Extracts & Tinctures: Because extracts and tinctures are
much more potent than decoctions or infusions, much smaller dosages are
used. They are dosed in drops, not cups. They are strong
preparations that should be stored out of the reach of children and in a cool
place (it's not neccessary to refrigerate). A tincture is made by pouring
five ounces of alcohol (preferrably 100 proof vodka) over one ounce of a dried
herb (or a one ounce combination of dried herbs). An extract uses three
ounces of fresh herbs. Use a small, sterile, leak-proof, air tight bottle
or jar. Shake the tincture or extract twice a day to maintain the blend
of active ingredients. Continue to do this for at least two weeks (and up
to six weeks). It takes time for the active ingredients of the herb to be
released into the alcohol. Tinctures can last for over a year. The
alcohol acts as a preservative. If you prefer not to use alcohol you can
use vinegar instead. Or, add the tincture when finished as above to one
cup of warm water to cause most of the alcohol to evaporate. This will
also dilute the bitter taste however, the strength is also
changed.
Other Medicinal Recipes:
Syrup: Honey-based syrups preserve the healing qualities of some
herbs and can be used to soothe sore throats and provide relief from coughs and
colds. To make an herbal syrup, combine two ounces of dried herb(s) with
one quart of water in a large pot. Boil down until it is reduced to one
pint. Add one to two tablespoons of honey. Store all herbal syrups
in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Compress: Soak a towel in a hot herb tea and
lay it on the affected area. Be careful not to burn yourself when you
wring out the towel thoroughly or the "patient" when you lay it on the area to
be treated. Cover the compress with a dry towel. Leave it in place
until it no longer feels warm and then replace it with another. Keep the
area under compresses for up to 30 minutes, depending on the condition and the
herb being used. Generally, stop the application when the skin becomes
uniformly flushed, or a tingling sensation or feeling of relief develops and
interrupt the regimen if the area becomes red or the patient feels
discomfort.
Some herbs are stimulating and
warming (such as Cayenne or ginger) and are used to increase circulation and
energize areas of the boday that are congested or debilitated. Other
herbs are soothing and cooling and dissipate excess heat or nerbous energy or
calm swelling from sprains or bruises.
Poultice: Mix dried, powdered or macerated herbs with
hot water or herb tea. If you want a paste like mixture, add flour or
oatmeal. Place this herbal mixture right on the skin. A warm cloth,
or bandage should hold the herbs in place. These are effective for
drawing out infection and foreign bodies and relieving muscle spasms and
pain. Burdock, comfrey, crab apple, flax seed and slippery elm are safe
and traditional poultice herbs.
Plaster: Cayenne and mustard are best applied as
plasters rather than poultices so they don't actually touch the skin.
Other herbs work well as plasters when you want an antiseptic and healing
effect on an injury. Make an herb paste (as described in "Poultice") and
place within folds of cheesecloth or muslin. Apply to the injured
area.
Oils
and Ointments: Aromatic herbs contain active ingredients in
essential oils. Manufactured oils are extremely concentrated, extracting
oils from many pounds of plants to produce a few drops. Do not
underestimate their potency when purchasing manufactured essential oils.
You can make a less concentrated (and safer) oil yourself by macerating two
ounces of dried herb(s) and mix with one pint of olive oil (or safflower or
vegetable). Keep in a warm place. Shake this mixture twice daily
for a few days to six weeks depending on the potency you want. Strain and
bottle the oil. For a quicker process, heat the herbs and oil gently,
uncovered, for one hour. Do not boil. Strain and bottle when
cooled.
For ointments, add one to one and
a half ounces of melted beeswax (or tallow) to any herb oil. If using
tallow (rendered lard), simmer one ounce of crushed dried herbs in three
quarters of a pound of fat. When the herbs break down well, strain and
allow to set. For a firmer ointment add melted beeswax while this mixture
is still warm. Calendula or comfrey ointment is widely recommended as a
first aid cream.
Herbal
Baths: A very old form of medical treatment, the herbal bath is
a safe and effective way to use herbs for healing. Relaxing, healing
qualities of herbs permeate through the skin. It's easiest to wrap dried
herbs in cheesecloth and hang the bundles from the spout while running the
water. You could also make a strong infusion and pour it into the
water. Also pay attention to the temperature of the water. Warm
baths relax muscles, cool baths stimulate the body. Your body temperature
(98 degrees) is the warmest you should have as bath water. Hot baths
dehydrate the body, dry the skin and can be exhausting. Cool, refreshing
baths should range in temperature from 70 to 85 degrees.
The
following are some herbs, classified by type, for use in
baths:
Stimulating
Herbs: basil, bay, calendula flowers, citronella, fennel,
lavender flowers, lemon verbena, lovage roots, mint, rosemary, sage, savory,
thyme
Soothing
Herbs: catnip, chamomile flowers, comfrey, elder, evening
primrose flowers, hyssop, jasmine flowers, juniper berries, lemon balm,
mullein, passionflower, rose flowers, slippery elm, vervain,
violet
Tonic
Herbs: blackberry leaves, comfrey, dandelion, ginseng root,
jasmine flowers, nettle, orange, patchouli, raspberry leaves
Herbs for muscles and
joints: agrimony, bay, juniper berries, mugwort, oregano,
sage
Antiseptic
Herbs: yellow dock, eucalyptus, sandalwood
Astringent
Herbs: agrimony, bay, bayberry, clary, comfrey, dock,
frankincense, lady's mantle, lemongrass, mullein, nasturtium flowers, raspberry
leaves, rose flowers, rosemary, white willow bark, witch hazel,
yarrow.
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