My Life with Herbs

People often ask me where my inspiration comes from in using herbs to cook with; and I have to say that it was all started by a fluke. You see the garden I had was pretty big and as I got older was really getting tired of having to work several hours each day on those rows of corn, beans and tomatoes. So the next logical thing to do was to add things that needed little care and were able to be there year after year without replanting.

I had already put in a border of flowers around the outside and down the middle but wanted more useful things besides just for show. So the next step was planting herbs. Boy was I ever surprised at the result!
The first year I planted two kinds of Sage, Lemon Verbena, Chamomile and Chives. The second year I put in Rosemary, another Sage, another Chive, Mint and Parsley. The third year I put in Cilantro. By that time the Verbena was gone, and even though Chive is not perennial; was still surviving; due to a mild winter. The Sage however was humongous! It ended up becoming as large as a picnic table and almost as tall as me!

The real problem with planting a hardy perennial is that it can take over the whole blasted garden. This is what happened with the Mint. Now most of you that garden realize what I learned the hard way. Mint is an insidiously strong plant that can withstand almost any issue from drought to bugs to even burning….something I tried to do in my effort to rid myself of this pest. I had already tried digging it up; to no avail. It is a tuber; meaning it sends roots up from the bottom of the plant to another spot a short distance away from the mother plant. This makes a complex network of strong roots and is almost impossible to get rid of! After weeks of chopping, hoeing and digging found the end to my project and taught me a valuable lesson on gardening. A tough native plant can become a real problem if you don’t keep it in control. I have since learned that if you wish to have mint (I don’t!) to plant it in a container and then bury the container in the ground for easy culling should you wish to move or remove it. Just remember that the plant can hop over the side of the pot if you’re not careful!

As the herb patch in my garden flourished; I found that they not only tasted good in my soups and other dishes but they; for the most part; were a great help in becoming a “pest control”. I found that Sage is like mesquite; it is strong smelling and virtually impossible to kill; not tasty for grasshoppers and gets big enough to act like a live barrier to outside influences. I found that Parsley; although tasty to the caterpillar; will actually keep them off other plants like tomatoes if I plant enough! And the added benefit is that I am contributing to the Monarch butterfly world by doing so.
I also found that Garlic Chives is not tasty to anything in the animal world but humans. It has a delicious flavor and smells so strongly of Garlic that I sometimes use it instead of Garlic when I am out of the healthy bulb.

The world of herbs is an amazing place to visit. I have planted herbs for my canning needs; I have planted herbs for beauty such as Chamomile; and have even planted herbs for my cats. If you’ve never seen a cat enjoy Catnip you really haven’t been kind enough to your kitty. The Catnip plant is not a beautiful one and after a summer of your four legged friends wallowing all over the leggy plant; is quite an eyesore. But this useful herb is a joy for not only cats but us as well. The properties of Catnip; also called Catwort; are as a sedative, antispasmodic and can be used for insomnia, cramps and migraine headaches. A great way to use it is to put a couple of stems with leaves intact in boiling water to steep for 10 minutes. Catnip tea has been traditionally used as the more popular Valerian as a calming tea at the end of a hard day.

So when you plant the garden next spring take into account the valuable properties of herbs as not only a beautiful plant to add to the garden but a healthy alternative to our diet!

The Perfect Medicine Cabinet

When looking at the vast array of herbs in my cupboard and storage I think it looks like the herb store I work at! To people that have seen it and don’t understand how herbs work; probably think I’m a bit of a hypochondriac. This is absolutely false. The thing is; herbs work much different than traditional medicines do. So if you use only traditional meds; you will have only two or three bottles of pills to treat many types of issues. But these medicines are harsh on the body and to an herbalist like myself; very toxic.

So what does the average alternative medicine cabinet hold? I carry many of the same types of helps for body imbalances such as anti inflammatory and stomach help. I tend to get headaches and have something for that as well. I get body aches when I’ve worked beyond my normal exercise routine and a rub for that as well as sleep aids and energy boosters.

The difference with me and the average household is that the herbs; oils, flower essences and rubs I have are not as strong. They may well be more effective than over the counter meds or Rx drugs are; but they take up more room because they are not encapsulated into as small a pill form. So if I take Adrenal Support for tiredness; I take four or five of them in a day. If I need Vitamin C; I eat as many as I can in a day to knock out that cold I’m trying to get. That might be as many as 8 or 10 a day.
This means that my medicine cabinet is bigger than yours.

But although these herbs are not as concentrated; they are amazingly accurate in helping just what I want helped without damaging my liver or causing any other side effect. The most common side effect of over doing most herbs is diarrhea. Which is exactly what the body would do to eliminate anything you take too much of; such as eating 20 apples in a day. You don’t need that much fruit and what does the body do? Eliminate what it doesn’t use.

So one question I’m asked frequently is what should the average person have on hand for every day use in their cabinet?
I decided that there are several things that everyone should have in their cabinet; especially during flu season. Here is a list of suggested herbs, vitamins and other helps that I recommend. Please remember that there are other herbs that work similarly but these are my personal favorites. You might like to talk to a certified Herbalist for advice or feel free to ask me! And remember this is the list I'm using regularly at this time. This varies with the seasons and with issues of health in our home.
Please note; these are Natures Sunshine Products. This is the only company I will use.

Colds:
Citrus Bioflavonoid ( a particularly effective type of vitamin C)
VS-C ( a great help to stop viruses)
Garlic ( a powerful anti oxidant and immune booster)
Elderberry Defense ( immune booster)
L- Lysine ( an essential amino acid perfect to help cold or canker sores)
Colloidal Silver ( anti viral, anti fungal, anti bacterial)

Skin:
Silver Shield Gel ( Colloidal Silver in gel form; use as you would anti bacterial ointment)
Black Ointment ( amazing ointment used for all skin issues)
Golden Salve ( similar ointment to Black Ointment; that has an olive oil base)
Aloe Vera Gel ( perfect for sunburns; scrapes and cuts)

Stomach:
Stomach Comfort ( herbal version of ant acids; chewable)
L- Acidophilus ( a pro biotic; refrigerate after opening to keep culture alive)
Food Enzymes ( a combination of food enzymes very effective to restore flora in stomach)
Papaya Mint ( chews that work as an anti acid)
LB-X ( a mild laxative)
Gentle Move ( a bulk laxative)
Pain:
Capsicum ( the heat of Capsicum will help move toxins in the body to help inflammation dissipate in the body)
IF-C (Chinese combination of herbs formulated to stop pain)
IF ( another version of herb combination to help pain)
Everflex ( ointment formulated to help sore muscles)

Headache:
Lavender Essence ( a few drops on the back of the neck; at temples works wonders on a headache!)
Herbal Sleep ( a combination of herbs formulated to relax)
Chamomile Tea ( the perfect herb tea to soothe)

De toxifying
All Cell Detox ( a combination of herbs that will help the body eliminate poisons)
Activated Charcoal ( capsules of activated charcoal to absorb poisons and toxins)
Tiao He Cleanse (a mild cleanse to boost energy and help the liver and bowels)
Candida Clear ( a cleanse designed to rid yourself of excess Candida Albicans)
Para Cleanse (a cleanse to rid the body of parasites)

NSP also carries a large selection of men’s and women’s formulas as well as herbs especially for the younger set. It would take many blogs to mention them all so I am only putting some of what I have in this feature.

Now to those that are reading this; it seems a lot. And not everyone keeps what I have on hand but I have to say that I use these herbs regularly and I have not been to a physician in years! I use no vaccines for illness; I take no traditional medicine either to prevent it or to stop an illness in play. And yet I’m healthier than I’ve ever been!
And my husband; once a skeptic; is now handing out my cards so fast I’m always out!

So the next time you run out of aspirin or Tum’s please remember that there are great substitutes that will not cause long term damage to the body and are as close as your browser if you wish to get healthy!