Before there was medicine as we know it, there was food. Medicinal herbs are God's gift to mankind. Having been born in a family who is a firm believer of tradition and has great respect to our ancenstors, we were brought up drinking tea of root crops and leaves whenever we are sick - fever, chickenpox, measles, dengue, stomach ache, hyperacidity, headache among others. Trust me, the tea tasted and smelled horrible. I used to drink them pinching my nose so I can't smell and then drown the after taste with lots and lots of water.
We used to grow the herbs from our garden. My grandfather prepared them for us. He mixed them with prayers that sounded ancient because I cannot even understand them nor pronounce the words. True enough, we woke up in the morning feeling much better. When my grandfather joined his Creator, the tradition and all his knowledge on medicinal herbs went with him.
I thought it was gone forever. Now, everywhere we go we see several healthy option stores offering medicinal herbs wrapped in packages. Here are some popular herbs and their medicinal value.
Garlic for Colds. Garlic is a natural antihistamine and decongestant. It's often included in herbal decongestant blends that are designed for sinusitis and other respiratory complaints.
Cranberry for Urinary Track Infection. Cranberry prevents bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall long enough to cause an infection. Cranberry juics is good for children including infants. Fight UTI before it happens by drinking cranberry juice.
Chamomile for Digestive Problems. Drink chamomile tea to relax spams of the smooth muscles and counter inflammation in the gut lining.
Peppermint for Indigestion. Ancient Greeks used to chew a sprig of mind after feasts to settle their stomachs. Try drinking peppermint tea instead of Dulcolax.
Ginger for Morning Sickness. Try making ginger tea by boiling 2 teaspoons of freshly grated ginger root per cup of boiling water.
Gingko for Mental Acuity. Gingko improves mental functions in people who are cognitively normal. Buy a standard extract and take 120-240mg per day.
Aloe Vera of Minor Burns. Snip off a thick leaf. Slit it open and scoop out the gel from inside the leaf and apply to the burn.
Guava Leaf as Antibacterial. We play a lot when we were kids. Often, all the running caused us to stumble and leave our knees with wounds. We wash the wound. Wash guava leaves. Pound the guava leaves until extracts are visible. We place them on the wound to prevent infection. After a day, the wound dries up and starts to heal.
Share with me some of your experiences with herbs by adding them in the comments section of this post. :)
