Herbs and Other Stuff

The Olive W Garvey Center for Healing Arts in Kansas tells us that the Ashwagandha, an Indian plant, balances your hormones when your stressed and increases stamina. The plant has chemicals, like adrenaline and also contains Anolide. They recommend 200 - 500mg daily.

Add Rosemary to your meal to soothe a sore throat and help quell a cough. The eucalyptol loosen chest congestion and the herb is rich in anti-inflammatory tannins.

Add 2 teaspoons of Oregano to your meal to reduce or eliminate menstrual cramping. The herb has thymol and carvacrol in it which relax uterine muscles.

They say Dill, with it's limonene works as well as prescription antibiotics at killing harmful intestinal bacteria such as e. Coli.

To relieve sinus congestion and pressure, add some Cayenne to your meal. The Capsaicin in cayenne deactivates substance P, a neurotransmitter linked to inflammation.

To ease chronic fatigue, joint pain, and depression, add some Cilantro to your food. The carboxylic acid in it binds to heavy metals such as mercury in the blood and carries them out of the body reversing the toxin buildup.

The curcumin in Curry inhibits the body's production of prostaglandin E2, an inflammatory compound that over sensitizes nerves. This is supposed to work as well in relieving joint and muscle pain as effectively as prescription medications.

Feeling bloated? The apiol and myristicin in Parsley is a natural diuretic that prevents salt from being reabsorbed into body tissue, which causes water retention.

The eugenol and rosmarinic acid in Basil boost the brains production of dopamine and serotonin, although the happier effects might not be noticed for 3 days or so of using it.

Ginger's gingerol and shogaol calm disgestive tract spasms to reduce nausea better than motion sickness drugs according to Brigham Young University.

The Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham NC says that the use of Butterbur has been shown to be as effective as Allegra or Zyrtec for the relief of allergies. It blocks both histamine and leukotriene, two chemicals that trigger swelling in the nasal passages. It can take several weeks for it to build up in your system, so you would need to start taking 50 - 70mg of extract, twice daily, before the allergy season begins. NOTE: The raw plant contains liver harming compounds so you will have to buy some that is "PA free".

For relief of allergy-related congestion, eucalyptus or peppermint essential oil can help... you breathe it, don't eat it.

Constipated? Drink lots of water and gnaw on a couple Kiwi. The Kiwi fruit is loaded with enzymes that have a mild laxative effect.

Skimping on green vegetables can trigger a round of "the blues". Greens are rich in folate, a B vitamin, that kick starts the production of serotonin, the brain's own potent antidepressant.

The complex carbohydrates in fruit increase the production of mood-boosting brain chemical by as much as 50%. Eat fruit regulary, any fruit, to help avoid "the blues".

Here's another miracle plant: Rhodiola. It thrives in super-cold, dry climates and is full of phytonutrients that can help you beat fatigue, beat stress, lose weight, and protect your heart.
It energizes your brain cells by taking , boosts serotonin, revs up calorie burn and makes your heart work more efficiently.

Here's a good one: Beer helps you recover faster from a workout!! LOL It is better than water at rehydrating and re-energizing your body after an exhausting workout, according to the Granada University in Spain.

According to the University of Quebec scientists, the smell of baking cookies (or any sweet scent) reduces the activity in the part of the brain responsible for sensing pain.

Researchers in Scotland tell us to drink a can of our favorite soda pop (not diet soda pop) to sharpen the memory. The sugar activates the hippocampus, your brain's memory center.

Roses add elegant beauty to any room and are rich in calming chemicals called esters that reduce conflict and negative emotions.

Studies show that the sweet scent of Jasmine sedates the nervous system, taking the edge off negative feelings, insomnia and headaches.

The scent of Lavender increases alpha waves in your brain, which are associated with relaxation.

Relieve your allergies with a Rubber Plant. Their high humidity content draws dust and allergens like a magnet so they stick to the plant's leaves instead of lingering in the air and irritating you.

The Golden Pothos plants are adept at absorbing benzene, found in plastics, furniture wax and tabacco smoke, which cause drowsiness and dizzyness.

A Snake plant works overnight to lower levels of carbon dioxide, keeping your oxygen levels higher during the day - or keeping the air quality cleaner.

Freshen up the bathroom with Peace Lilies. They are one of hte best at absorbing chemical vapors licke acetone (nail polish remover) and the alcohol used in hair products and household cleansers.

The lovely Dracaena will gobble up odors and the toxin TCE found in paints, lacquers, varnishes and adhesives.

The Orchid will rid your room of headache causing culprits like cigarette smoke, paints, ammonia, dry cleaning chemicals, plastics and cosmetics.

The tropical Bromeliad, unlike most plants, gives off oxygen during the night instead of during the day, helping you breathe easier overnight.

A nice Boston fern removes formaldehyde from the air. A toxin often found in furniture, clothes, and carpeting which can trigger asthma symptons and irritate the eys, nose and throat.

A pretty English Ivy plant will remove up to 60% of airborne mold from musty basements, damp laundry rooms and anywhere else mositure collects and becomes a breeding ground for molds.

The Bamboo plant not only is supposed to bring good luck, but it cleans the air of benzene, formaldehyde and TCE. They also pump moisture into the air, especially helpful during the cool months when heating systems dry the air.

The Philodendron will help remove formaldehyde fumes often found in new rugs and carpets.

Oh those Hollywood women! Here's some beauty tips they say they use:
1. Brush your teeth with strawberries mashed up with a little baking powder to make a paste. It makes your teeth whiter.
2. Spritz your face with milk and water to make wrinkles stay at bay.
3. Eat two Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar before meals to lose belly fat.
4. Brew up a pot of coffee, let it cool, then pour on your shampooed and towel-dried hair, let it sit for 20 minutes then rinse it off. Your brunette locks will be deeper, richer, and shinier.
5. Pour a cup of red wine in your bath to get softer more luxurious feeling skin.
6. Give yourself a facial of powdered vitamin C mixed with 1 Tablespoon of water to get that youthful look.
7. Soften and moisturize your skin with a sugar rub. Mix some sugar with your usual cleanser and use as you normally would.

And last, but not least:
If you are needing to focus and find some peace in your world, take a walk through a labyrinth. When you walk in a circle, you mind slows down and you are able to meditate on each curve and step you take. This pushes our logical left brain out of the way and allows you to think more creatively! Go for a virtual walk, if you don't have a Labyrinth handy, at The Labyrinth Society.

Still need some solutions? Stare at a mandala. The Buddhists and Hindus use the brightly colored circular design to focus on a problem. The creative side of your brain, the right side, is stimulated to "see" solutions that the logical left side of your brain can't. Download mandalas at Free-printable-mandala-coloring-pages or at Coloring Castles.