Today’s Treasures – Healing Herbs
From the earliest times, people have gathered herbs from the wild for flavouring, preserving and colouring, for their fragrance and their medicinal properties.
Herbalists have long used herbs for healing and many traditions and superstitions have been built up around them – especially those used as medicinal herbs which were often thought to be magical.The easiest and safest way to use herbs is in herbal teas. Strictly speaking, herbal teas are tisanes – a drink made by pouring boiling water on fresh or dried flowers or leaves. Teas are black, green, oolong, yellow or white and made from the tea plant Camellia Sinensis. Herbs (and spices) can also be used to flavour conventional tea.
To make tisanes, use one tablespoon of fresh herbs or one teaspoon of dried herbs to one mug of water (drying concentrates the herb’s flavouring). Lightly wash fresh herbs and tear or crush them immediately before brewing.Fresh and dried herbs make excellent additions to our diet, adding flavour as well as nutritional value. Herbs are rich in antioxidants and the vitamins and minerals they contain contribute to a balanced diet. Antioxidants can prevent or slow cell damage caused by free radicals which are unstable molecules that the body produces as a reaction to environmental and other pressures.
Free radicals are waste substances produced by cells as the body processes food and reacts to environmental factors (like cigarette smoke). If these substances cannot be processed and removed efficiently, oxidative stress can result, damaging cells, increasing the risk of inflammation and causing many health issues. Phytonutrients, the natural minerals produced by plants to keep the plants healthy, have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties – and therefore also keep us healthy. Adding herbs to culinary dishes adds variety to our diet, herbs dried and used in pot-pourri smell lovely and herbal tisanes make soothing and calming hot drinks. Many herbs can be grown on a windowsill.
Basil is calming and helps soothe headaches.
Chamomile soothes anxiety and its calming effect encourages sleep.
Dandelions can be used to make a dandelion tisane – you can also add the young leaves and flowers to salads.
Fennel tisane – usually made with seeds rather than leaves – helps digestion and prevents heartburn and constipation.
Garlic is rich in antioxidants and helps to prevent, as well as treat, a lot of ailments.
Mint aids digestion; oregano tisane is a general tonic and useful for colds and flu and mild fevers.
Rosemary tisane is very therapeutic for stomach complaints as it reduces flatulence and helps digestion.
A tisane made from fresh sage leaves improves concentration.
Herbs are meant to be used sparingly, a teaspoon added in cooking, or as a garnish – or made into a tisane is all you need. Too much is likely to do more harm than good – so use carefully.
Read more about the healing power of herbs here:
https://meditationalstate.com/healing-herbs/
Published in the April edition of the Whitchurch Gossip
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