THE TOP TEN HERBAL REMEDIES FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

Your local supermarket or even the corner cafe' can provide you with many cheap, natural herbal remedies: our familiar herbs and spices! Some of these old kitchen favourites have active ingredients that are as powerful as schedule 4 drugs that doctors use to treat asthma, heart conditions, diabetes and bacterial infections. We can learn how to use these traditional remedies for our common ailments. Remember the song: "parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme"? Let us begin by using them in the medicine chest:

Please note that this information should not be used to diagnose, treat or cure a condition without the consent of your doctor. Seek advice if you are pregnant, epileptic and diabetic or have high blood pressure or a heart complaint. You are responsible for the health and safety of your family.

PARSLEY
A bunch of fresh parsley costs less than R3. By eating a few twigs daily you can help to cure anemia, bad breath, water retention, kidney disorders, arthritis, gall stones, poor circulation and menstrual problems. Parsley is rich in Iron, Chlorophyll, Vitamins A, B, B2 and C as well as potassium. It assists in flushing out all toxins in the digestive and urinary system and cleanses the blood whilst it combats body odour. It restores your energy, vitality and iron levels after just a few days: but you have to eat at least a bunch a week to really feel the effect. It is worth it and you get used to the taste. It can be dipped into molasses: a natural sugar that is also rich in iron. Women who have menstrual problems who do not respond to iron supplements can benefit from intensive parsley therapy!

SAGE
Sage is a powerful antiseptic for wounds. Make a strong tea from the leaves, either fresh or from the spice bottle to use on cuts and grazes. Gargle this tea with salt for sore throats or use as a mouthwash after surgery or for mouth ulcers. Sage is used for fevers, night sweats and menopausal hot flushes. Sage is a form of HRT as it has the ability to enhance the natural production of estrogen in the body. At the same time it cleanses and stimulates the liver and improves digestion, especially of fats. No braai or roast dinner should be eaten without a little sage. Sage is associated with wisdom, because it helps to increase the circulation of blood to the brain. However, pregnant ladies and high blood pressure and epilepsy patients should not take large amounts of sage at one time.

ROSEMARY
Rosemary, the herb of rememberance also enhances blood circulation to the brain and is similar to sage in being used with caution if you have a medical complaint. Rosemary can grow from the smallest twig into a beautiful bush or pot plant. Fresh rosemary twigs can be used as a pastry brush in the kitchen or strewn over meats and casseroles. It helps with the digestion of fats and is particularly delicious with lamb. Try sprinkling one or two leaves under a pot on the stove or hold a leaf over a candle: a natural version if incense. Rosemary oil can be used as a fragrant chest or cellulite rub or in the bath to pep you up. You can wrap fresh leaves in a cloth and bruise it with a hammer, to make your own free rosemary rub. Make an infusion with the leaves by pouring hot water onto the bag. Rosemary remedies have been used to effectively treat: flatulence, coughs, dizziness, colds, nervousness, cramps, poor circulation, sore throats, headaches, nausea, gout and especially hangovers!

THYME
Thyme is associated with courage and it is a very bold and powerful healer of many ailments including: high cholesterol, nasal and chest congestion, asthma, fatigue, depression, headaches, aches and pains, poor circulation and weakened immunity. Thyme is one of the best known herbs in the kitchen for its delicious aroma when added to omelets, salads, fish and stews. Thyme was even used by the ancient Egyptians for embalming as it is a powerful antiseptic and helps to keep parasites away. Rinsing your hair in a strong thyme infusion can help to control head lice and it is also good for keeping fleas away from animals. The strong vapours from fresh thyme sprigs in a bowl of boiling water or a hot bath can ease congested sinuses, sore chests and headaches. It is also excellent for toning and purifying the skin, but finish off with a splash of cold water. Thyme has a mild sedative action and is good for babies with constant runny noses and chesty coughs. Add a few sprigs of thyme to their bath water at night.

MINT
Mint and freshness go hand in hand. From chewing gum and peppermints to toothpaste and mouthwash, we all use mint every day. But did you know that mint oil is a very powerful brain stimulant? It promotes concentration and eases drowsiness. Some computer schools and offices pump a minty vapour through their air conditioning systems to make the people more alert. It helps combat drowsiness on a long journey. To make your own air freshener, fill a spray bottle with water, add a few drops of Lennon's Peppermint Drops and wake up your brain! It seems to keep flies and mosquitoes away too. Mint tea is good for nausea, chills, colic, indigestion, and rheumatism or for children with poor appetites. Sweeten herb teas with molasses because white sugar and honey affect the pancreas and can lead to blood sugar disorders.

ROOIBOS
In South Africa, Rooibos is regarded as a cheap tea to drink and we seldom appreciate its remarkable healing properties. All the goodness of nature is packed into this unique herb: antioxidants, minerals and vitamins as well as soothing anti-inflammatory compounds. Rooibos tea does not contain caffeine or other stimulants so it is safe for everybody to drink. There are many stories of babies suffering from incurable allergies or bowel and chest infections who come right by drinking rooibos tea. Try replacing all juices, cool drinks, milk and tea with a strong brew of rooibos tea sweetened only with molasses. Omit all honey, sweets and other forms of sugar and see how your child improves! Rooibos and molasses are high in potassium, one of the minerals that are essential for restoring the body to health. They also contain a lot of calcium, magnesium, iron and trace elements. For skin allergies, rashes, burns, genital itches and vaginal irritation, there is nothing more soothing than applying a strong brew of: rooibos tea with a few spoons of salt and for washing the intimate areas, a few drops of vinegar as well. Strong soaps are too alkaline and they cause burning, odour and irritation. Always use a slightly acidic rinse and for persistent thrush or candida, apply a little fresh yoghurt. Rooibos tea can be added with other herbs to bathwater and hair rinses for problem skins.

FENNEL
Wild fennel is regarded as a weed and many of us rip it out of the garden not knowing that it is one of the best cures for cramps, bloating, gas and colic. Fennel is the most powerful antispasmodic we have. It is a component of gripe water (behodemiddel) Add fennel seeds to the rooibos tea you give your baby if you have colic problems. If you are breastfeeding, chew a few fennel seeds with every meal because it will help your baby's colic. Try to avoid gassy foods like raw cabbage and cauliflower. An instant cure for severe bloating, flatulence and abdominal pain is: 1 teaspoon of molasses mixed with 1 teaspoon of fennel powder (barishap). Drink a glass of hot water and you can expect relief within half an hour, otherwise take another dose. The yellow flowers and fresh baby fennel seeds are delicious to chew. Chopped leaves and flowers are nice with fish or potato salads. You can chew fennel seeds after a meal to aid digestion, prevent flatulence and to freshen the breath.

DANDELIONS
We all love to blow the seeds of dandelions into the wind but this herb does more than tell the time. A few dandelion leaves in your daily salad works better than a diuretic (water tablet) for: swelling, bloating and water retention. To herbalists, dandelion is the safest diuretic to use as the high potassium content prevents all the minerals from being lost from the body via the urine. Try eating four fresh dandelion leaves daily in a salad, or hide them in a cheese sandwich. Dandelions improve the water balance in the body and flush out all the toxins whilst they strengthen the liver. A popular folk remedy for diabetics is to eat ten stems plus the bud or flower every day. This tastes very bitter but it helps both the pancreas and the liver to detoxify and release more digestive enzymes and hormones like insulin. Most of us walk past dandelions, regarding them as weeds but next time, stop and pick a few leaves.

BAY LEAVES
Bay leaves add a delicious spicy taste to curries and stews. In recent trials with diabetics, it was found that bay leaves were one of the herbs that helped to increase the effect of insulin. It is best to try using the ground up bay leaf powder, about 1/8 teaspoon with each meal. This powder can be mixed into molasses and taken as a muti. You can add 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon to this dose. For larger quantities, mix 2 teaspoons of bay and 4 teaspoons of cinnamon to half a jar of blackstrap molasses. Take one or two teaspoons twenty minutes before meals. Then drink a cup of boiling water or herb tea. Be careful to lower your insulin dose if you notice your blood sugar levels begin to drop because bay leaves and cinnamon are hypoglycemic agents. Rather reduce your insulin than make an excuse to eat extra sugar again.

GARLIC
How many of us take antibiotics, decongestants, blood thinners, cholesterol drugs, heart medicine and immunity boosters on a continuous basis without looking for safe, cheap and effective alternatives? Garlic is all of the above: it is one of the most extensively used and researched substances ever known to man. Moses had difficulty leading the Israelites out of Egypt because they did not want to leave their garlic- and for good reason! It has antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiprotozoan and antiviral properties. They knew this, but as a delicious flavouring agent, it is unmistakable. Tucking into a garlic pizza is a delightful way to handle high cholesterol and heart disease, but how do we use garlic as a serious medication? Trials based on people swallowing one to three whole garlic cloves per day have produced remarkable results in terms of preventing colds and flu, keeping the blood thin without a daily aspirin and knocking down the cholesterol. If your garlicky breath is ruining your social life, remember to chew a few sprigs of parsley or use mint and fennel to freshen up.

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