When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
John 9:6-7, Holy Bible
The earth has all that we need for our nourishment and our health but we need wisdom and planning for proper use. We often overlook the great bounty before us for the quick and easy route to health and beauty. Take, for example, the simple little dandelion. Every part of this plant that we call a pesky weed and an eyesore on our lawns is high in nutrients and health benefits. Dandelion flowers can be dried and infused into tea for liver detox or oil for massaging into painful muscles and joints. Leaves of the dandelion can be eaten fresh or steamed to promote eye health, lose weight, and protect the liver. The root can be ground to use as a healthy coffee substitute, control cholesterol, and may even kill cancer cells. (https://draxe.com/?s=dandelion) Furthermore, our pollinators love dandelions! Bees and dandelions have a necessary role in sustaining life on our planet.
Another common weed we take for granted that has medicinal properties is plantain. Plantain can be used for insect bites and bee stings, removing splinters, alleviating swelling and hemorrhoids, and relieving irritation, itches and rashes. Internally plantain can help with throat and stomach issues, including diarrhea. With plantain and a few simple ingredients, we can make a drawing salve for removing foreign objects like splinters, stingers, or slivers and relieving blisters.
We can take advantage of the herbs available to us by using them in our foods and in making our own products for health and beauty. In our recent workshop, we used natural products to make a refreshing and healing facial spray with steam distilled water and a few drops of essential oils (lavender, useful for all skin types, and frankincense, particularly effective for mature skin). Additional oils we could use are geranium or jasmine for dry skin and lemon or bergamot for oily skin. With or in place of the water, we could also use almond oil, jojoba oil, rosewater, alcohol-free witch hazel, coconut water, green tea, or aloe vera juice. We could also add vitamin E oil for additional benefits.
We also made a focus rollerball using almond oil with sweet orange and peppermint essential oils to roll on each wrist, rub together, and then inhale deeply for a quick refresher when needed to clear the mind and energize. Other essential oils that could be used for focus are ginger, cinnamon, rosemary, basil, grapefruit, petitgrain, cypress, lemongrass, tangerine, sandalwood, clove, or cedarwood. We also made a hand and foot scrub and a skin lotion.
NOTE: Please use only 100% pure steam distilled or cold pressed essential oils with no added ingredients for recipes that will be applied topically or internally. Do not use essential oils that are specifically created for aromatherapy use. Be safe, obtain pure ingredients, use clean containers and utensils, and follow instructions strictly when making medicinal oils, creams, lotions, salves, mists, scrubs, rollerballs or any other health or beauty recipes. A reliable source for essential oils and EO products is Butterfly Express.
Calendula is another herb with nourishing and hydrating qualities that can be used for making infused oil and from that a salve or lotion. The benefits of calendula include:
Anti-inflammatory capabilities
Calms muscle spasms
Heals ulcers, wounds & hemorrhoids
Aids menstruation
Contains antimicrobial & antiviral components
Improves oral health
Discourages cancer
Balm of Gilead is mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 37:25 and Jeremiah 8:22) and used by physicians for its medicinal properties. It is made from the plant, Pistacia lentiscus growing in dry and rocky areas in Mediterranean Europe. The resin harvested from mastic trees can be chewed to soften it into a poultice or salve. The cottonwood, or poplar, tree is its closest relative in the western hemisphere and the buds can be harvested to make this ancient biblical balm or salve to use for easing aches, pains, bruises, and sprains.
Bee Balm is another herb native to North America and records only go back as far as colonization. After the Boston Tea Party when the English tea was tossed overboard, Bee Balm (Mondara fistulosa), which smells like Earl Grey tea, was used to make tea. Later loyal colonists wanted to sever themselves from their English tea traditions so they drank a more patriotic substitute, coffee. Here are a few of the health benefits of bee balm:
Soothes cold symptoms, sore throat, fever and congestion
Antiseptic and antibacterial properties
Useful as an ointment for pain relief
Speeds healing of minor wounds, insect bites/stings, eczema, psoriasis, cold sores, and acne
Can be used as an insect repellent by rubbing the leaves
Improves digestive issues
Helps poor appetite
Improves colic, bloating, nausea and vomiting
Lessens menstrual cramps
There are too many herbs to cover in this blog post, but we can find information on nearly all of them and their uses from Dr. Axe. Why not plant an herb garden and grow a few of your own? There are so many medicinal and culinary uses for these amazing plants. Here are just a few herbs we've learned about and used ourselves:
Aloe
Soothes rashes and skin irritations
Treats burns
Heals cold sores
Moisturizes hair and scalp
Treats constipation
Helps with digestion
Boosts the immune system
Provides antioxidants and reduces inflammation
Treats diabetes
Elderberry
Major cold and flu relief
Sinus infection aid
Lowers blood sugar
Natural diuretic
Natural laxative
Encourages healthy skin
Eases allergies
May help prevent prevent cancer
Lavender
Reduces anxiety and emotional stress
Protects against diabetes symptoms
Improves brain function
Helps to heal burns and wounds
Improves sleep
Restores skin complexion and reduces acne
Slows aging with powerful antioxidants
Relieves pain
Alleviates headaches
Lemongrass
Natural source of vitamins and minerals
Relieves headaches
Treats digestive disorders
Reduces inflammation
Lowers cholesterol
Alleviates abdominal and muscle pain
Kills germs
Acts as an astringent
Reduces fever
Boosts energy
Muscle relaxer
Detoxifying
Stress reducer and sleep aid
Supports immune system