Your Ultimate Guide to Healing With Herbs (+ Why I Love Herbal Cleanses!)

There are many different uses for herbs especially when it comes to medicinal uses, especially homeopathic uses. Millions of people are now looking for more natural ways to provide relief for their ailments.  As we know, the best way to get our medicine is through our food.

I adore herbs, whether they be dried or fresh, used in cooking or infused in water. There’s nothing quite like the taste of fresh herbs in recipes you prepare. If you’re lucky enough to have an herb garden you can enjoy that great taste as often as you like, but what do you do if you don’t have space for a garden outdoors?

Luckily many herbs are easy to grow in small areas such as kitchen window sills. They need warmth, sunlight and water. And if your kitchen doesn’t have enough natural sunlight during the day, you can also place them in rooms with better natural sunlight.

Remember that it takes about three times as much fresh herb to get the flavor of a dried seasoning, but the taste is much better. Look for herbs which will remain relatively small. Those which are too wide or too tall may not fit in the area you’ve chosen to grow them.

You’ll also want to consider the type of cooking you do most often and choose herbs which will match that type of cooking.

Here are five herbs to grow in your kitchen window (or another in your home):

Cilantro (Coriander)

This is another herb which can be grown easily from seeds. Depending upon whether you’re using the leaves or allowing the herb to go to seed, you can use cilantro in Mexican or Indian cuisine.

Mint

Mint is a universal herb which is used in a myriad of cuisines. If you live in the South you know it can be added to iced tea. You can also use it as an ingredient in salads, jellies and desserts. It can be started as seeds or seedlings.

Chives

This herb, which tastes like a combination of garlic and onions, can be added to homemade salad dressing, sour cream, soups or burgers. You may want to substitute chives for onions in some recipes to give your food a little different taste. These can be started from seed quite easily. Your recipe will also have a unique taste depending upon whether you use fresh or dried herbs.

Thyme

Thyme is often used when cooking meats and other savory dishes. It is best to start these out as seedlings so you can begin using the herb as quickly as possible.

Basil

Basil is used in many ethnic foods such as those from Italy, Mexico or Thailand. If you’re preparing a dish with tomatoes, basil is a natural herb to choose. There are several varieties to choose from and you can either start them from seed or purchase seedlings.   Seeds and seedlings for the above herbs can be found at many discount stores as well as farmer’s co-ops. If you choose to grow your herbs from seeds, follow the instructions on the packet to plant them. Before you know it, you’ll have fresh herbs to harvest and enjoy in your home cooked meals!

Some Herbs for a Fresher Mouth

For most of us, bad breath is a temporary – although inconvenient – problem. Provided that your bad breath is not caused by digestive disorders, periodontal disease, or other medical problems, using herbs and natural means to freshen your breath are effective and safe. Here are some ideas for herbal breath fresheners.

Cardamom

This is an herb – or, more correctly, a spice – that contains cineole, which acts as an antiseptic. Chew a few seeds to make your breath smell spicy and clean your mouth.

Eucalyptus

A derivative of this familiar plant, eucalyptol, is actually used in commercial mouthwashes. It also contains cineole. Crush 1-2 ounce of the leaves and add them to a cup of vodka; steep for several days and strain out the leaves, or just leave the leaves in. Use as a mouthwash as needed to fight bad breath. If you can’t find eucalyptus leaves, the same method works using other herbs, such as any combination of spearmint, rosemary, ginger, lavender, peppermint, basil, cinnamon, nutmeg, or fennel.

Parsley

There is a reason why parsley is served as a garnish on restaurant dinner plates. Chewed after a meal, parsley freshens breath. It contains a great deal of chlorophyll, which accounts for its breath-freshening capabilities.

Anise

If you like licorice, give anise a try. It is an ancient remedy for bad breath. You could also chew on the seeds, or make a decoction by simmering 3 teaspoons of anise seeds in a cup of water for 3-5 minutes. Cool, strain, and use as a mouthwash.

Dill

Another chlorophyll-rich herb, drinking dill tea or chewing on a few dill seeds after a meal freshens breath.

Fresh Mint

Growing mints in pots is quite easy, and nipping off a few leaves and chewing them helps to make your breath fresh.

Cloves

Chewing a few cloves will give your breath a spicy scent. Clove is also antibacterial, and clove oil is a traditional remedy for toothache.

How About Homeopathic Herbs?

Let’s take a look at some ways you can use herbs for homeopathic use.

What Is Homeopathy?

You may or may not have heard of homeopathic medicine? If not, here is a basic overview of what it is. It is based on the body learning to heal itself – “like treating like.” When an invading germ or bacteria enters the body, its defenses create antibodies to fight it. Now that invader is recognized if it ever appears again.

Homeopathy uses a highly diluted form of the substance that is causing the symptoms in the body to trigger the natural defenses within to begin healing. An example would be to expose allergy sufferers to a small dose of pollen, ragweed or dust mites to help their bodies become desensitized to it.

The repeated dilutions are to render the substance non-toxic. This works in a very similar way to allergy shots with the main difference being the substance that is used.

Homeopathic Herbs and Their Uses

There is more to homeopathy than what we described above. You can learn more about this type of medicine to get a better understanding of the mechanisms at work here. Next, let’s discuss some of the herbs used as a part of that type of treatment.

Homeopathic medicines can be given in pill or liquid form depending on what is prescribed by the natural pharmacy. They can also instruct you on dosage and frequency of use. They are recommended for treatment of minor ailments.

Arnica – This is also called “mountain daisy.” It is used to relieve pain after injury like in sports and exercise.

Allium – Onion is a part of this family of plants. A common use for it is to help with common cold symptoms. As anyone who has cut an onion knows, it causes eye tearing and a runny nose.

Chamomile – It is soothing when steeped as a tea but also for relieving teething pain in children. It’s used with colicky babies as well.

St. John’s wort – Known to help improve mood, it can also be used for injuries and cuts that are accompanied by lots of sharp pains.

Nux vomica – It’s also known as “poison nut.” Works to relieve nausea and stomach complaints brought on by too much food and alcohol or a stomach bug.

Sepia – Assists with female menstrual issues.

Aconite – Used for treating shock, fever and maybe insomnia.

Apis – Used to treat insect stings on the body and resulting rashes and/or hives.

Herbs have been a part of medical treatment even before recorded history began.

Using Herbs for Medicinal Purposes

As we mentioned earlier more and more people are looking at herbal remedies, ones that can be used to improve their health and their homes.

Herbs for medicinal purposes are sometimes looked down on by members of the medical community.  However, there is more of a relationship between herbs and modern medicine than people know. People all over the world have used herbs as well as berries, seeds, roots, leaves, bark and flowers to treat everything from a cold to indigestion to abdominal pain.

Scientists aren’t sure exactly how herbs work. There are a variety of compounds found in plants and it can be hard to separate the active ingredients. However, research is showing that there is value to using them for preventative maintenance as well as treating some conditions.

Once scientists learned to extract certain compounds from plants and create similar ones, plant use dropped off. The herb remedies fell into hearsay but have been making resurgence within the medical community. People want to return to their roots – literally.

Popular Medicinal Herbs and Their Uses

Peppermint – It is great for candy but has several medicinal purposes as well. Leaves can be steeped in tea as a muscle relaxant, antispasmodic and antacid. Use leaves on the chest as an expectorant.

Calendula – This flower is used as a healing cream to fight inflammation. Use it to find relief from poison ivy.

Garlic – Tastes great on meats and in stews. Eat fresh cloves to help boost the immune system naturally as well as lowering blood cholesterol. Garlic is also an antibiotic.

Yarrow – This root can be used to stop bleeding externally. Also used as an antibiotic when ingested. Combine with lavender to repel insects.

Lavender – The purple flowers smell great. Used in essential oils to relieve headaches and stress.  Lavender is one of the few essential oils that can be used topically without burning or damaging the skin. Use as an antibiotic and anti-fungal.

Chamomile – Steep the leaves in a tea as a sedative to help you sleep better. Also used as an anti-inflammatory.

Ginkgo biloba – We’ve all heard of this one for improving memory. Used as a supplement to help fight the effects of free radicals in the body.

Echinacea – Known as the “immune booster,” it is used to help fight off the effects of a cold or sore throat. When taking Echinacea, the duration of the cold is less.

Ginseng – Used to boost the immune system.

Ginger – Eating fresh ginger root can help fight upset stomach and digestive problems. Use also in tea with a bit of honey.

Tea tree oil – Used as an expectorant and an anti-inflammatory.

Nettle – Used to fight muscle spasms like menstrual cramps.

When using herbs for medicinal purposes make sure to check proper dosages used by herbalists for best results. Also, check with your doctor for any interactions with prescription meds.

So, Why Do I Love Herbal Cleansing?

Call me crazy if you wish (and indeed, you would not be the first!), but I LOVE cleansing.  This could be in part due to the fact that after my first year of dance college, I went to see a herbalist because after years and years of skin breakouts, bloating, and just general not-feeling-goodness, doctors and conventional medicine simply were not doing the healing trick.  Intuitively I knew that something deeper needed to be addressed.

I had already done quite a bit of self study on herbals and ‘alternative medicine’ at this point, and the herbalist told me that he was very pleased to be helping someone that actually wanted to help themselves.

He admitted to me that a good majority of his clients (this was nearly two decades ago, mind) did not see the results that they could have seen, simply because they would not – or could not – stick with the prescribed regimen.

After the three weeks were over, and I went back to see him, he could not believe the change.

My skin was completely cleared up and glowing, and it was entirely visible how much more vitality and overall joy I was experiencing.

My sleep was amazing, I always seemed to get the perfect amount and was always refreshed upon waking.

The results and shifts of this experience have stayed with me all of these years.  Especially since having children, I have fallen off the cart at times since I found that food is made ‘on demand’, especially in the early years of child rearing.  I have always performed a seasonal detox (this is my very favorite book right here) as each seasonal shift is felt quite internally.

Sometimes though, I simply feel the need for a gentle herbal cleanse. For me personally, herbal detoxes are definitely the way to go.

Every single person requires different foods for optimum health and performance, different supplements due to very individual deficiencies, and different food temperaments according to their constitution (ie: some people function much better on an Ayurvedic style of food regimen while others respond wonderfully to raw foods and juices).

Does the Idea Of a Parasite Cleanse Freak You Out?

Try not to let it. There is plenty of knowledge on the impact of parasites on the human body and overall health, but this is not the sort of information that makes it to mainstream media. Here is an excerpt from an article at Honey Colony:

The load factor on our immune system increases with the presence of parasites. Their trigger systems are delicate. They can tip over a weak resistance and then take over. You will certainly sense them, but never in exactly the same way. It’s like dealing with conniving shape-shifters, who have the ability to mess with both your gut and your neurotransmitters (read: behavior).

It gets weirder. The timing with the full moon is no joke. Parasitic symptoms often begin two or three days before the lunar disc is complete. The manifestation is individual. In pronounced cases you may experience fever, hallucinations, and/or intermittent vomiting. Whatever the symptoms, they are  usually exacerbated between sunset and sunrise. Some full moons you may feel nothing, which is even more insidious (they’re probably regrouping).

Other symptoms may include:

•    constipation
•    diarrhea
•    gas and bloating
•    irritable bowel syndrome
•    joint and muscle aches
•    anemia
•    cravings, especially sugar
•    allergies
•    skin conditions
•    tumors
•    nervousness
•    sleep disorders
•    hyperactivity, anxiety
•    teeth grinding
•    chronic fatigue
•    fuzzy thinking
•    headaches
•    runny nose
•    blisters on lower lip inside mouth
•    loss of appetite
•    bad taste in the mouth
•    acne
•    food allergies
•    dark areas under eyes
•    yeast/candida infection

Parasitic influence on our body and mind should be the subject of serious scientific study, but it’s not. Humans play host to hundreds of identified species that can infect the brain, the digestive system, the lungs, liver, muscles and joints, the throat, blood, skin, and the eyes. We don’t know anything about the majority, the unidentified ones, except that they range from microscopic to several feet long like the tapeworm. We also know almost nothing about their modus operandi.

Colloidal silver is something that is quite potent for cleansing.  The article goes on to say:

Despite its potency, there is very little information you can get about colloidal silver through mainstream channels. Mostly natural doctors and regular users attest to its healing power (NASA is one exception, having recently chosen colloidal silver as the staple antimicrobial on ISIS space station). Dr. Rima Laibow, director of the Natural Solutions Foundation, lists over 638 exotic and common bugs, including common flu and the not-so-common flesh-eating MRSA superbugs that silver wipes out in lab conditions.

Users often claim that “they never get sick” when they drink colloidal silver. It may sound like a holistic myth, but it is exactly what happens. When it comes to bug control no modern medicine or natural herb can compete with the power of pure colloidal silver.

No Middle Age spells are necessary. Although commonly relegated to quack status by modern medicine, silver works with a powerful, natural principle.

It disables the base, *(substrate), from which bacteria propagate, thereby inhibiting pathogenic microbes from warring up. And unlike antibiotics, it doesn’t mess up your immune system.

Now, this is not colloidal silver (although I do love it myself), but yesterday I started with the Flora 7-Day Cleanse.  I am absolutely loving it.  The intention of this cleanse kit is to stimulate and cleanse the liver and kidneys, two of the most important organ systems for keeping your system running clean and functional.

This is one of those things where you start to cleanse one system, then the other bodily systems also begin to wake up into action.

It is Day 2 for me, and I can already feel my lungs very gently beginning to go to work on clearing themselves.

And of course, after you’ve completed any herbal cleanse, you will want to begin building your body and cells up with some alkaline foods and superfood supplements!  It is so important after a cleanse to be gentle with yourself, and put the best quality of nourishment into your body.

Have you ever done a cleanse before?  If so, how did you feel afterward?  Feel free to message me with any questions you may have!