I see herbalism as a sort of self sufficiency project. When I putz around the house and there is a child with a cough, I need a multi vitamin, or I notice something wrong I just go and brew up a cure instead of running to the store and really not knowing what I will end up with. To be sure I always have 40 or 50 mason jars around the house with different herbs in them and I have many different oils, but I know that I save a lot of money and come out with a better product by making what I need myself.

As I write articles in my Basic Herbalism series, I realized that many people do not have any idea of the ways that Herbs and Spices are used not just in Herbalism, but in our everyday lives. I also realize that I tend to use a sort of Herbal Vocabulary when I am writing these articles. Below I have included some clues to what I am talking about, these are part definition and part reasons to use different methods in herbalism (or Folk Medicine if you prefer).

These are some of the types of products we can (and often do) make for ourselves;

* Herbal Bath Salts

Bath salts are a healing and nourishing addition to any bath. They can be relaxing or invigorating depending on what herbs and oils you add to your salts.

* Herbal Compress

A Compress is made of a cloth soaked in an herbal tea then wrung out and laid on the affected area.

* Herbal Decoctions

A decoction is an herbal preparation made by simmering plant material in water until the water is reduced by half. Decoctions are most often made from Hard plant materials like bark, roots and seed. Decoctions are a very effective way for extracting nutrients and other constituents.

* Herbal Fomentation

A Fomentation is a compress applied to the body and kept warm.

* Herbal Glycerites

An herbal Glycerite is uses Glycerin as an alternative to alcohol for tincture making, for those who wish to make tinctures without alcohol.

* Herbal Infused Oils

Infusing herbs in oil extracts fats and fat soluble nutrients as well as volatile oils from the plants. Mostly we use these oils as a part of other remedies, however they can be massaged directly into the skin.

* Herbal Liniments

A liniment is an herbal preparation made by infusing herbs in rubbing or grain alcohol. The liniment is applied to the skin allowing the herbs to penetrate quickly and do things such as relieving sore muscles and increasing circulation.

* Herbal Lip Balms

What you may not know about commercial lip balms is that many of them actually damage the skin of your lips and make them dry and cracked. By using infused Oils and Bees Wax (and maybe flavoring oils) you can get an effective healing lip balm made just the way you want it.

* Herbal Lotions

Using a Herbal Infused Oil and an Herbal Decoction (or an Herbal tea) plus and Emulsifier (to keep it well mixed) we can make our own lotions which far exceed anything you can buy in the store!

* Herbal Lozenges

Herbal throat lozenges. Both simple dried Lozenges and Hard Candy Lozenges.

* Herbal Poultices

A poultice is mashed plant material applied directly to the body on the affected area or wrapped in thin cloth and then applied.

* Herbal Salves

Salves are great for small cuts, bug bites, fungal infections, itchy skin, recent tattoo’s and many more skin problems. By making your own Salve you can make exactly the right Salve for what you need. By making your own Salve you also have the advantage of using better ingredients than the commercial equivalent.

* Herbal Soaps

Herbal soaps combine the properties of the healing properties of the Oils and Herbs you choose into a topical cleaner for your body.

* Herbal Succus (juices)

Also know recently as a Nourishing Infusion (since the term succus is no longer in general use.) A succus is an herbal preparation where one ounce of a herb is allowed to steep in boiled water for at least 4 hours. These nourishing herbs are very much like food for our bodies. They are high in vitamins and minerals and are a great way to get nutrients. When we drink them, our bodies are much more able to use them than when they are taken in pill form.

* Herbal Syrups

A syrup is an preparation made by adding honey to an herbal decoction or infusion. The honey adds another healing component to the preparation as well as making it sweeter.

* Herbal Tea

Teas are a simple and effective herbal preparation. Teas are made by steeping dried herbs in boiled water for about 20 minutes, straining and drinking. Do not boil water with the Herbs in it!

* Herbal Tinctures

Tinctures are made by infusing herbs in alcohol. Making a tincture is a great way of preserving the medicinal constituents of herbs since tinctures have shelf life of several years. Tinctures are a very convenient way of getting herbs into our systems since tincture dosages tend to be measured by drops.

* Herbal Tooth Powder

Tooth powders can be used instead of toothpaste for brushing teeth.

* Herbal Vinegars

Herbal vinegars are made by infusing herbs in vinegar. The vinegar will extract the nutritive qualities from the plant herbs. We can use these vinegars as salad dressings or in our cooking to add these vitamins and minerals to our diet.

* Herbal Wash

An herbal wash is an herbal tea splashed on an affected area of the body.

My current plans are to write articles on all of the above subjects, watch for them here or at my website!

I see herbalism as a sort of self sufficiency project. When I putz around the house and there is a child with a cough, I need a multi vitamin, or I notice something wrong I just go and brew up a cure instead of running to the store and really not knowing what I will end up with. To be sure I always have 40 or 50 mason jars around the house with different herbs in them and I have many different oils, but I know that I save a lot of money and come out with a better product by making what I need myself.

As I write articles in my Basic Herbalism series, I realized that many people do not have any idea of the ways that Herbs and Spices are used not just in Herbalism, but in our everyday lives. I also realize that I tend to use a sort of Herbal Vocabulary when I am writing these articles. Below I have included some clues to what I am talking about, these are part definition and part reasons to use different methods in herbalism (or Folk Medicine if you prefer).

These are some of the types of products we can (and often do) make for ourselves;

* Herbal Bath Salts

Bath salts are a healing and nourishing addition to any bath. They can be relaxing or invigorating depending on what herbs and oils you add to your salts.

* Herbal Compress

A Compress is made of a cloth soaked in an herbal tea then wrung out and laid on the affected area.

* Herbal Decoctions

A decoction is an herbal preparation made by simmering plant material in water until the water is reduced by half. Decoctions are most often made from Hard plant materials like bark, roots and seed. Decoctions are a very effective way for extracting nutrients and other constituents.

* Herbal Fomentation

A Fomentation is a compress applied to the body and kept warm.

* Herbal Glycerites

An herbal Glycerite is uses Glycerin as an alternative to alcohol for tincture making, for those who wish to make tinctures without alcohol.

* Herbal Infused Oils

Infusing herbs in oil extracts fats and fat soluble nutrients as well as volatile oils from the plants. Mostly we use these oils as a part of other remedies, however they can be massaged directly into the skin.

* Herbal Liniments

A liniment is an herbal preparation made by infusing herbs in rubbing or grain alcohol. The liniment is applied to the skin allowing the herbs to penetrate quickly and do things such as relieving sore muscles and increasing circulation.

* Herbal Lip Balms

What you may not know about commercial lip balms is that many of them actually damage the skin of your lips and make them dry and cracked. By using infused Oils and Bees Wax (and maybe flavoring oils) you can get an effective healing lip balm made just the way you want it.

* Herbal Lotions

Using a Herbal Infused Oil and an Herbal Decoction (or an Herbal tea) plus and Emulsifier (to keep it well mixed) we can make our own lotions which far exceed anything you can buy in the store!

* Herbal Lozenges

Herbal throat lozenges. Both simple dried Lozenges and Hard Candy Lozenges.

* Herbal Poultices

A poultice is mashed plant material applied directly to the body on the affected area or wrapped in thin cloth and then applied.

* Herbal Salves

Salves are great for small cuts, bug bites, fungal infections, itchy skin, recent tattoo’s and many more skin problems. By making your own Salve you can make exactly the right Salve for what you need. By making your own Salve you also have the advantage of using better ingredients than the commercial equivalent.

* Herbal Soaps

Herbal soaps combine the properties of the healing properties of the Oils and Herbs you choose into a topical cleaner for your body.

* Herbal Succus (juices)

Also know recently as a Nourishing Infusion (since the term succus is no longer in general use.) A succus is an herbal preparation where one ounce of a herb is allowed to steep in boiled water for at least 4 hours. These nourishing herbs are very much like food for our bodies. They are high in vitamins and minerals and are a great way to get nutrients. When we drink them, our bodies are much more able to use them than when they are taken in pill form.

* Herbal Syrups

A syrup is an preparation made by adding honey to an herbal decoction or infusion. The honey adds another healing component to the preparation as well as making it sweeter.

* Herbal Tea

Teas are a simple and effective herbal preparation. Teas are made by steeping dried herbs in boiled water for about 20 minutes, straining and drinking. Do not boil water with the Herbs in it!

* Herbal Tinctures

Tinctures are made by infusing herbs in alcohol. Making a tincture is a great way of preserving the medicinal constituents of herbs since tinctures have shelf life of several years. Tinctures are a very convenient way of getting herbs into our systems since tincture dosages tend to be measured by drops.

* Herbal Tooth Powder

Tooth powders can be used instead of toothpaste for brushing teeth.

* Herbal Vinegars

Herbal vinegars are made by infusing herbs in vinegar. The vinegar will extract the nutritive qualities from the plant herbs. We can use these vinegars as salad dressings or in our cooking to add these vitamins and minerals to our diet.

* Herbal Wash

An herbal wash is an herbal tea splashed on an affected area of the body.

My current plans are to write articles on all of the above subjects, watch for them here or at my website!

Michael Dewayne Kelly is an Herbalist based in Missouri’s Ozarks and is putting together an Internet Community of regular folk who just happen to believe that herbs are a good addition to proper Nutrition and Exercise in living a healthy life. Come join “The Herb People” community at http://theherbpeople.com.

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Dewayne_Kelly

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Is it safe to take 120 mg Gingko tablets and 100mg Ginseng?

I bought one bottle of Gingkoba (gingko 120mg) and one bottle 100mg korean ginseng. Ive heard of people taking them in one capsule but is it safe to take them separetely? Ive also read where people taking these experienced negative side effects.

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Dandelions! This Common Weed is a Wonderful Spring Tonic
 by: Cori Young

Those Glorious Dandelions!

Dandelions Taraxacum officinale (composite family)

Spring is coming! Starting about this time every year I find myself craving bitter flavors. My body is longing to cleanse itself of toxins accumulated over a long winter of holiday indulgence, rich foods and various colds & flus. I am aware of an overall stagnation of energy in the digestion, kidneys and liver.

I am always so amazed at how much better I feel when I start using dandelion in the spring! All that stagnated liver/kidney/stomach energy lifts and I feel renewed!

This craving for bitter flavors always has me out searching for those young green dandelion leaves popping up everywhere about now. I eat them fresh in salads or just munch on them throughout the day. I also strain and bottle the dandelion root tincture that I put up in the late fall.

This common “weed” of the composite family is a powerful restorative to the liver. It’s also rich in minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, selenium and zinc, as well as vitamins B1, B2, B3,and C. Ounce for ounce, dandelion contains more carotene than carrots.

Dandelion leaves act as a diuretic to help cleanse the bladder and urinary tract. They help relieve water retention associated with PMS.

Dandelion also cleanses the blood and liver, and increases bile production. It reduces serum cholesterol and uric acid levels and improves the functioning of the kidneys, pancreas, spleen, and stomach.

Toning the kidneys and liver is one of the best things we can do for our overall health. Especially women! A strong, healthy liver will allow us to process and excrete hormones. It’s also vital for a healthy immune system.

All parts of the dandelion plants are usable, but they have different properties and should be harvested at the appropriate times.

Young Leaves have tonic properties and are picked in the spring and eaten raw in salads. If you find the taste too bitter try chopping them as fine as possible and mixing them with other raw greens.

Mature Leaves have powerful diuretiv properties. They are picked in early summer before the plant blooms. These are the leaves I harvest and dry for tea. They can also be made into tinctures. These gorgeous, dark green leaves are loaded with minerals and vitamins!

When picking dandelion leaves, look for dark green, smoothe leaves (dandelion leaves are not fuzzy.) Try to avoid picking under powerlines or close to roads.

Here’s my favorite thing to do with the summer dandelion leaves:

Dandelion Juice!

Pick a colander full of dandelion leaves and rinse them really well under cool water. Run them through the juicer with 1/2 an apple. This will make a nice shot glass full of delicious, nutritious juice. You will feel a nice little zing with this lovely tonic!

Dandelion Roots Dandelion roots act as a blood purifier that helps the kidneys and liver to remove toxins and poisons from the blood. They act as a mild laxative and help improve digestion. The roots are also beneficial for skin conditions such as boils, abscesses and eczema. They have been used for centuries to improve jaundice. Ideally, you want to use the roots of 2 year old plants. In the late fall the roots will contain the highest concentration of inulin. Dig the whole plant up and hang upside down to dry in a cool, dark place. The roots grow quite long, so dig deep! The dried or fresh roots can be used to make tinctures. Dried roots can be powdered for capsules or used in infusions.

Dandelion Flowers

For a tasty, easy-to-make tonic wine try this:

Pick dandelion flowers on a warm, dry day.

Macerate 1 cup (60 g) flowers and steep in 4 cups (1 liter) white wine for 1 month in an airtight container. Strain out the flowers and sweeten to taste with a little bit of honey if desired.

This a nice tonic for the gallbladder.

About The Author

©2005 Cori Young is a writer and herbalist. Visit her website

HerbalRemediesInfo.com

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