25 Aug 2012 Balance wellness routine with herbal remedies
by Jan Spann
My paternal grandmother was quite a character and knew a little bit about a lot of subjects. As a youngster, I walked with her around the homeplace as she talked about native plants and their healing abilities. Her cousin Robbie Ruth gave me a home remedy for wart removal, which worked. Another of Mammaw’s cousins, Nancy O’Donough, chronicled Ozark folklore and customs in her book “Garden Sass,” published in 1973. It’s this lineage that shaped my acceptance of and curiosity about medicinal and healing plants.
From the early pioneer days to present day, the tourist towns of Heber Springs and Hot Springs have attracted people seeking the healing properties of the underground springs, for both bathing and drinking.
Early Arkansans depended on “granny wimmen” and yarb doctors who used folk cures. Some concoctions were snake oil quackery, but many now have science to back up their healing abilities. Most appealing about these folklore remedies is how they have become more broadly available, which means you don’t have to grow your own but can harvest these natural cures at your local health food or grocery/drug store.
When I attended an herb workshop 12 years ago at the Ozark Folk Center, I learned about jewelweed, a natural remedy for poison ivy and other plant induced skin rashes. A component found in the stem of the plant neutralizes the oil that makes poison ivy so itchy. Check out the Folk Center’s website for events and yarb tales (ozarkfolkcenter.com/herb). I had no success with this annual that typically grows by creek beds, so I was pleased to find the bar soap at Baker Drug Store in Conway.
Many healing herbs are easy to grow and make a great addition to your garden. My perennial favorites include rosemary, French tarragon, comfrey, calendula, thyme, fennel and lemon balm. These are herbs that can be used not only in cooking but also as infusions for bath, inhalers, teas and poultices.
Bronze fennel is the host plant for the Eastern Black Swallowtail butterfly, so when you grow it, let those creepy green and black striped caterpillars munch away so they can become butterflies. With its feathery leaves (a great addition to pizzas and casseroles), fennel is a beautiful addition to your garden. Grill or roast the bulb and reap the benefits that include relief from anemia, indigestion, flatulence and as an appetite suppressant.
Thousands of years ago, the first physicians of Egypt and Greece prescribed herbal remedies and many are still viable. Fenugreek helps lower blood sugar and its antioxidants make it useful in treating diabetes, digestive disorders and high cholesterol. Pregnant women should not use fenugreek, but paradoxically, it helps with a nursing mother’s milk production! Fenugreek is common in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, and adding a pinch to a recipe can add spice and health.
To boost your metabolism and help you lose weight, add cayenne pepper to your diet and instead of sodas, brew a mixture of decaf green and oolong tea and sip your way to weight loss. Hibiscus tea with a splash of ginger is an energy booster and may burn off a few pounds too.
I learned about the stevia plant at a café in Mountain View and grew my own for a while. However, now it’s readily available at grocery stores in powder, packets and liquid form. It’s a natural zero calorie sweetener, and the restaurant owner used it to make desserts for her diabetic patrons.
Use care when mixing herbal remedies with prescription or over-the-counter medications, as some combinations can be dangerous. Check with your physician, and gradually add these to your diet.
Blending essential oils can be beneficial in many ways. When applying essential oils to the skin, always dilute with a carrier oil before applying. Use 15 drops of oil per tablespoon of base oils, which include hazelnut, almond or apricot kernel oil. Most come in handy 1/2 ounce bottles.
To prevent wrinkles, mix drops of fennel, geranium, chamomile, orange and lavender with the carrier oil. Apply to your face and neck at night to tone skin and help prevent wrinkles.
For under-eye puffiness, brew a pot of tea and let the tea bags cool, then relax, have a cup of tea and put the tea bags over your closed eyes. The tannin in tea bags reduces the swelling under eyes and may also lessen dark circles. When you’re through with the tea bags, toss them into your compost pile or around your shrubs, as they increase nitrogen levels and give the earthworms a nice treat.
Another handy essential oil to consider is tea tree oil, from an Australian tree. Often called “a medicine cabinet in a bottle,” it’s effective against bacteria and fungi and stimulates the immune system. It’s for external use only and can treat eczema, athletes’ foot and sinusitis.
In aromatherapy, tea tree oil can loosen chest congestion and sunburn. You can also mix 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle for a refreshing all-purpose cleaner that helps control mold and remove mustiness.
Hippocrates eloquently summed up the basis of wellness, which rings as true today as it did 2,500 years ago: “If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.”
