Herbal Treatments: What Works on What and How to Make It

It’s 4 am; you can’t breath, have a fever and are generally miserable. For many Americans today the option of a quick trip to the doctor or ER is out of the question. The thought of prescriptions alone is enough to make many shiver in shock. There is an alternative that has been effective for hundreds of years. Sometimes what you need to feel better is located no further than your herb cabinet, spice rack, refrigerator, and cupboards.

The trick is to know what foods help what ailments and how to properly prepare them. Every family has an old herbal remedy of some form that has been passed down from one generation to the next. Some are worthless and nothing more than the tradition of doing something no matter how ineffective just to feel as if you have some control. There is of course something to be said for the power of belief but that is another article for another time.

So what do you do? Well first you inform yourself and make sure you at least talk to your doctor. You want to always remember that an herbal treatment can be just as dangerous as a prescription, especially if you are pregnant or in poor health. The second thing you should consider are your allergies. For instance, if you are allergic to ragweed then St. John’s Wort might not be an herb you would do well with. So research any herb or food you are planning to take and match it against everything you are currently taking including vitamins. The rule of thumb: If you aren’t sure don’t take it. Safety should always be your first concern.

So now what? What do you take and how do you take it? It’s actually very simple. First off, if you want to make a tea you simply take one or two teaspoons of your dry herb or spice and steep in just like you would a regular cup of tea. I recommend the use of a tea ball because it is much easier than straining your herbs out.

Next, if you are making herbal oil you can heat up olive oil, stir in your herbs and let them sit for an hour or two. You can also put the herbs in a dark bottle, top it off with olive oil, cork it and let it sit in the window sill for a couple of weeks. To make a salve you can melt down some petroleum jelly and then while its hot stir in your powdered herbs. Once done you can put the mixture right back in the jar it came from. You should keep it in a dark place and in some cases you want to keep it in the refrigerator. You can play around with your heat, time and method until you find what works for you.

Finally, if you decide to buy your herbs in pill form then you want to follow the instructions on the jar. Now you have a basic idea of how you are going to take your herbs and you simply need to know what herbs or foods to use for what ailments.

Infection is probably one of the most common ailments that people deal with. The overuse of antibiotics is an excellent reason to consider using herbal alternatives. Some natural antibiotics that can be used in tea form are sage and thyme. A proven cure for a sore throat is to gargle with sage water at the first sign of a tickle. These two herbs can be taken in tea form 3 or 4 times a day.

Honey is also one of nature’s antibiotics and when it comes to herbal tea honey is all you want to mix in with it. Honey can also be rubbed on sores to prevent and cure infection. Another germ fighting herb is echinacea which makes a wonderful salve that has been known to lessen scarring as well as healing. It also can be taken in tea and pill form to help build the immune system and fight off colds and infection.

The last antibiotic I’m going to discuss is garlic. To rid the body of infect one or two cloves of raw garlic can be chewed 3 or 4 times a day. For those squeamish people among us there is the option of garlic capsules. Garlic can also be made into oil and once warmed slightly can be put into an infected ear to heal and ease pain. 2 to 3 drops twice a day are usually enough to do the trick.

For a cough, many find relieve in a warm teaspoon of homemade cough syrup. To make this you can take real lemon juice about two tablespoons, an ounce of honey and 2 cups of whiskey boil this mixture on the stove for about ten minutes. It’s best taken warm but some prefer it room temperature or even cold. Horseradish can be added to the mix to help break up mucus in the chest. I never promised that herbal treatments would taste wonderful.

Willow bark tea is a good fix for headache, aches and pains or anything you would use aspirin for. When it comes to pain in the head a swig of vinegar can sometimes dispatch a migraine headache. If that doesn’t work for you then try fever few at the onset of symptoms to prevent the migraines progression.

Have an upset tummy? Put a few drops of peppermint oil in a warm glass of water and enjoy. You can also try ginger tea or some pair juice. If an ulcer is your problem then boil up a head of cabbage and once cool drain off the water and drink a cup before every meal. It should heal your ulcer within a month.

There are too many herbal cures to list in one article. You have a few to start yourself off and I encourage you to find more. Herbal treatments can and do help people every day. Their use has been making a comeback in the US and perhaps one day your doctor might prescribe clove oil for your tooth ache and fennel tea for your anxiety. You never know.