Herbs - The Basics

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Herbs - The Basics

http://www.herbs2000.com/h_menu/1_wisdom.htm

Herbs - the primary source of medicine for people of every culture. Herbs

have been mentioned in historical literature, and in the Bible. What more? The

Bible tells us, " I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon

the face of the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding

seed; to you it shall be for meat. " Man has used herbs to treat his

illnesses for thousands of years. Herbs are safe and extremely reliable, with

no side effects.

First, the term " herbs " applied to non - woody plants. Today, the

word " herbs " refers to any part of any plant used for flavoring or

medicine. You can find herbs in your kitchen; for example: the mustard on your

table and many of the spices on your kitchen shelf come from herbs. There are

many, many examples of herbal uses in your every day's life. Herbs are miracles

of Mother Nature.

People always sought help through the herbs, because herbs are natural

sources; unlike medications that produce countless side effects, herbs can

realign the body's defenses, helping it to heal itself with no side effects.

Herbs are natural remedies. Herbs were always the natural medicines for the

human being. Writing about herbs we should mention the types of herbal medicine

systems that are used today; European, Native, American, Chinese,

Ayurvedic, and Western herbalist are the most prevalent systems. All of the

systems treat the body as a " whole " , and they each utilize the energy

of herbs to " work as needed " in synergy with the natural energy in

each individual. So use herbs to have natural, vital energy to do things you

enjoy, to have the ability to maintain your body's natural immune system

to protect you from diseases. There are many benefits of herbs. Let' s write

about some of them. Herbs help cleanse and purify the body without side

effects. Herbs regulate and tone the glands to function normally. Herbs are

high in vitamins and minerals and other nutrients that nourish and build the

body. Herbs allow the body to have extra energy to heal itself, and finally

herbs promote the body's natural good bacteria.

Herbs take up substances from the earth and convert them into vitamins,

minerals, carbohydrates,

proteins, and fats

that our bodies use for nourishment and healing. By using the whole plants or

herbs, we take in all the vital ingredients they carry. Most herbs contain

several active substances, one of which usually dominates and determines its

choice as a remedy. Other healing aspects of the herbs should not be overlooked

because they help the body to assimilate its benefits and buffer any side

effects.

Herbs work synergistically, so combining them enhances each herb's

properties, helping to bring greater healing to the body. For example, a good

mixture to help induce sleep combines passiflora, valerian, and hops. All three herbs

have relaxant properties, but passiflora specializes in aiding sleep, valerian

relaxes muscle tension, and hops have a marked effect on relaxing the nervous

system.

In herbology, herbs are perceived to have varying combinations of qualities

and degrees of each quality, too. Herbs can be both heating and drying, or

heating and moistening. It can be cooling and drying, or cooling and

moistening. One herb can be very warming, while another may be just slightly

warming. But both are considered heating herbs.

The way in which these qualities are assigned to plants is really very

simple. Heating herbs are believed to produce warmth in the body. Generally

speaking, all of the aromatic herbs, such as anise and caraway, are

considered warming. Many of the bitter herbs, such as Oregon grape,

are also classified as heating.

Cooling herbs, on the other hand, are those which healers believe take heat

away from the body, or from some part of the body. Often, herbs that contain

highly volatile

oils (like wintergreen

or spearmint)

are categorized as cooling. Cooling herbs (borage is another

example) are known as refrigerants. To get an idea of what a refrigerant is,

think of a hot summer day, and then imagine eating a slice of watermelon or cucumber. These are

two of the best-known refrigerant foods.

Whether an herb is classified as moistening or drying depends on its

individual properties, also. An herb that has been observed to increase

urination, such as bearberry,

is considered drying. Any astringent herb, such as oak bark or sage, is also called

drying. Usually the aromatics (like anise or caraway) are thought of as drying.

But there are exceptions: fennel, for example,

is regarded as moistening (it is said to increase milk in lactating women ). An

herb is also considered to be moistening if it is mucilaginous or demulcent

(soothing). Flax

seed, marshmallow,

licorice, and slippery elm

are good examples of this latter type of moistening herb.

One way European herbalists began to develop a better understanding of

herbal properties was to think in terms of parts of the body that they thought

were influenced by each herb. That is, they began to define for each herb

specific " centers of activity " in the body; For example, cayenne pepper,

classified as a heating herb, was designated as affecting the circulatory

system because it was observed to increase the flow of blood, especially to the

capillaries near the surface of the skin. Perhaps this explains why people who

live in very hot climates use hot peppers in their cooking. The peppers may

actually help them to dissipate body heat by circulating it to the skin surface,

where it then causes cooling as perspiration evaporates and heat radiates into

the surrounding air.

Ginger is

another heating herb that is assigned properties similar to those of cayenne. But

ginger's center of activity is defined as lying primarily in the internal

organs. In the traditional European system, it is thought to create a type of

heat that stays inside the body; Ginger is therefore used by herbalists in the

winter and in more northern climates. They employ it as a remedy for colds and to

" strengthen " the kidneys and bladder. These differences between cayenne

and ginger are due to the body's different centers of activity for each herb.

To make matters more complex, herbs are not limited to just one center of

activity, either. There are many herbs that are used to treat several diverse

problems at once, such as acne,

constipation,

headaches,

lethargy, and indigestion,

for example. The primary center of action for such an herb could theoretically

be the liver and gall bladder, where it would be thought to cause an increase

in bile secretion. The theory goes like this: Increased bile secretion improves

digestion of fats and oils, which in turn improves complexion. An increase of

bile will also help alleviate chronic constipation. Cleansing the colon is an

important function. The accumulation of toxins in the bowels, due to poor food

decomposition and elimination, contributes toward a generally toxic condition

which can result in many of the symptoms listed above. Toxins in the colon are

absorbed by the blood, therefore, the cleaner the colon is, the cleaner the

blood will be. And the liver helps filter toxins from the blood. If the liver's

rate of activity is increased, then the blood will contain fewer toxins. Many

gall bladder liver entered herbs -such as Oregon grape-are described as

affecting the body in all these ways. Such theories are simplistic in modern

medical terms, and largely unsubstantiated by medical research. But traditional

herbology does not approach healing from the perspective of laboratory

analysis. It has always been based on empirical observation of individual

people.

Nota bene, the ancient nations, like Egyptians, were highly skilled with

herbs. The ancient text written in 1500 BC contains references to more than 700

herbal remedies, including herbs such as caraway seed, aloe, poppy, and garlic. However the

Chinese have practiced herbal use for 5000 years. The Chinese are noted for

their knowledge and use of ginseng. So do not

be afraid to use the herbs in your kitchen. Talk about herbs and their

important part in our life. There are endless other topic, supporting the

beneficial effects of herbs, including herbal compounds, herbs quality, methods

of preparation, herbal dosage, and nutritional content. And remember - using

herbs or herbal products - means healthier life. So enjoy the herbs, aromatherapy,

vitamins, and

life!

Radiating

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE & Truth

To ALL who share our circle, our

universe, our love, our trust.

May

I always be found worthy.

Gratitude

& Thankfulness to All of Us

aSoaringHawk

Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the

first or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with joy &

glory.

Thank you for YOU, ALL!