Food Cures You Can Grow at Home
organicgardening.com
Why burn a
quarter-tank of gas running out to the drugstore for Pepto when you can
pluck some relief from your windowsill herb garden?
Besides adding
another dimension to your cooking, freshly harvested herbs can soothe
dozens of common health problems, and it’s possible to grow a selection
of home remedies in a couple of pots placed in a sunny spot.
Look for
seedlings of these plants and herbs at any garden store, or if you’re
really ambitious, buy a packet of seeds and try sprouting your own.
Aloe Vera
Grow it: Plant in pots placed in full sunshine. Water well.
Use it: Break
open the thick leaves and apply the gel that seeps out to your skin to
soothe sunburn. “It’s 96 percent water and 4 percent active ingredients,
including amino
acids and enzymes that nourish damaged skin,” says pharmacist Margo
Marrone, founder of The Organic Pharmacy in the United Kingdom.
Basil
Grow it:
This sweet, fragrant annual is ideal for growing in pots. Pull off the
white flowers as soon as they appear to keep it from going to seed and
your herbs from tasting bitter.
Use it: Rub crushed leaves on your temples to relieve headaches. Pour boiling water over basil leaves for a pain-relieving footbath.
Lavender
Grow it: This sun-loving plant needs good drainage. Use a small pot filled with gravel and a light soil.
Use it: It
has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Crush a handful of the
heads and add to a bowl of boiling water to use as a steam bath for
your face. You can also dab the oil from the flowers on blemishes, says Marrone.
Lemon Balm
Grow it: Pot it, or it will colonize your garden.
Use it:
Use for healing and preventing cold sores. Also, rub leaves directly
onto skin as a natural insect repellent or to soothe bites.
Mint
Grow it: Use a sunken pot, because it grows vigorously.
Use it:
Ideal for treating the collywobbles, which you might know as butterflies
in the stomach. Sip tea made with fresh peppermint leaves to soothe
stomach cramps, nausea,
and flatulence. For a natural decongestant, place a fistful of mint
leaves in a shallow bowl and cover with boiling water. Lean over it,
drape a towel over your head, and breathe the steam.
Parsley
Grow it: Thrives in a pot in the sun as long as the soil is kept moist. Feed with organic fertilizer.
Use it: Immune-system booster. Eat one tablespoon of chopped flatleaf or curly parsley daily. Chewing parsley neutralizes mouth odors.
Sage
Grow it: Needs full sun and a dry sandy soil. Sage means “to be in good health.”
Use it: Gargle with a broth made from a quarter-cup of leaves (and cooled) to relieve sore throat.
Thyme
Grow it: Plant in dry, light soil. Needs sun.
Use it: A
powerful antioxidant as well as an antiseptic. Drink a tea made from
lemon thyme to treat colds before bed. Warning: Don’t use thyme when
pregnant.
This entry was posted on Monday, 13 May 2013 at 11:33 and is filed under Aloe Vera, Basil, Herbs, Lavender, Medicinal Benefits, Mint, Parsley, Thyme. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response.
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