HERBAL INDEPENDENCE

Free India enters 70 today, as it broke the shackles of colonial rule on Aug 15, 1947.
Let’s celebrate the rich legacy left behind by those martyrs who made us realize our freedom. Let our vibrant and young India, celebrate its plurality and diversity. And let us also celebrate the rich herbal legacy, which due to short of time and advanced technology, is losing its importance. Let us be free from diseases and problems with help of herbs.

Herbs have a variety of uses including culinary,  medicinal, cosmetics, sacred and spiritual.We had used herbs to treat all our ailments, when medical science was not that developed, but today, determining whether the herbs would be helpful or not, seems challenging to many of us. We are supposed to check the traditional and proven uses, its potential benefits, possible adverse effects and interaction with other herbs or medicines.

I feel there is no harm if we give herbs their due credits, at least at the initial stage of the ailments, as the earliest written records came from ancient Egyptian,  Chinese and Indian cultures. The Ebers Papyrus that dates from 1550 b.c.e describes some eight hundred different medicinal remedies and numerous medicinal procedures. They used spices and herbs in medicine, as cosmetics and perfumes, to kill and repel pests, for embalming and in cooking.

Let us check certain ailments with some easy and instant herbal cure……….

AILMENT                                           HERB

1. Acne                             Calendula, Aloe,
                                           Tea tree

2. Allergy                         Chamomile

3. Anxiety and stress     Kava, Passion
                                            Flower,
                                             Chamomile,
                                            Lavender

4. Arthritis                        Capsicum,Ginger,
                                             Turmeric, Cat’s
                                              claw

5. Asthma                         Coffee, Ephedra,
                                             Tea, Cinnamon

6. Atlete’s Foot                 Tropical tea tree
                                             oil

7. Boils                              Tropical garlic,
                                              Echinacea,
                                              Tea tree oil

8. Cold and
    Cough                            Ginger, Nutmeg,
                                               Cinnamon,
                                               Honey,
                                               Eucalyptus

9. Constipation                 Apple, Psyllium,
                                               Seena,Flaxseed

10. Diabetes(type 2)        Garlic, Beans,
                                                Cinnamon, 
                                                 Flaxseed,
                                                 Green tea,
                                                 Fenugreek

11. Eczema                       Evening
                                                 primrose oil,
                                                 Chamomile,
                                                 Borage seed oil

12. Fatigue                        Cocoa(dark
                                                 chocolate )
                                                  coffee,
                                                  Rhodiola tea

13. High BP                       Garlic, Beans,
                                                 Cocoa, Ginger,
                                                 Hawthorn,
                                                 Hibiscus,
                                                 Cinnamon

14. High cholesterol         Flaxseed,
                                                Cinnamon,
                                                   Evening
                                                    Primrose oil,
                                                    Green tea,
                                                    Apple, Cocoa

15. Indigestion                  Ginger, Pepper-
                                                  Mint, Ajwain,
                                                  Chamomile

16. Insomnia                     Kava, Lemon,
                                                 Evening
                                                  primrose,
                                                  Valerian

17. Migraine                      Feverfew,
                                                   Butter bur

18. Memory                       Thyme, Passion
                                                 flower, Catnip,
                                                 Kava kava

19. Muscle pain                Capsicum,
                                               Wintergreen

20. Nausea                        Ginger, Lemon,
                                             Peppermint

21. Sore throat                 Lemon, Honey,
                                           Salt, Peppermint

22. Toothache                  Willow, Clove oil
                                  
(Source: Dr. Dukes Essential Herbs)

Try and love our herbs, because self- care is the key to better health, and self-education is key to self-care……