natural health

January 8, 2019January 8, 2025

5 Reasons Lemon Balm is the Herb for You!

One of the most perfect herbs for those new to herbalism is Lemon Balm. Lemon Balm, whose botanical name is Melissa officionalis, is remarkably versatile in its uses. Its pleasant taste makes it great as a beverage tea, while its medicinal properties make it valuable for healing a variety of issues.

Throughout history, Lemon Balm has been used medicinally. The writings of Dioscorides and Pliny the Elder mention the use of Lemon Balm on surgical dressing for wounds, and to treat venomous bites and stings. The 12th century herbalist, Saint Hildegarde von Bingen, said “Lemon balm contains within it the virtues of a dozen other plants.”

Here are a few of the areas in which Lemon Balm excels:

Brain

Recent studies show that Lemon Balm is helpful in improving brain function. In one study, a significant increase in the speed of mathematical processing, with no reduction in accuracy was observed. In another study, after just one dose of Lemon Balm, subjects showed improved cognitive performance and lengthened attention span!

Stress

In those same studies, another benefit that was observed was improved mood and a sense of calmness. In fact, Lemon Balm has been used traditionally for reducing stress of all kinds. Stress-induced anxiety and/or depression is specifically indicated for the use of Lemon Balm. It has an uplifting nature that can dissolve tension and induce a balancing of the nervous system.

Sleep

The relaxing effect that Lemon Balm has on the nervous system can also be helpful for those with sleep issues. In Germany, lemon balm is actually licensed as a standard medicinal tea for sleep disorders. In The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia it is listed as a sedative. Western herbalists often use it in combination with other relaxing and sedative herbs to promote sleep.

Viruses

Lemon Balm is highly anti-viral. It has been studied for its effectiveness against herpes virus as well as HIV with positive results. In one study on 115 patients, a proprietary preparation of lemon balm extract in a lip balm showed efficacy in treating lip sores associated with the herpes simplex virus. Studies of various mint family plants, including Lemon Balm, showed efficacy against h uman immunodeficiency virus type 1.

Children

Even though Lemon Balm is a powerfully medicinal herb, it is gentle enough for children. It is indicated for use in ADHD and hyperactivity in kids. Because of its gentle nature, it is the herb for choice when a child has any of the various issues listed above – problems falling asleep, a viral infection, learning disorders or any sort of stress-induced condition. Because of its delightful flavor, it is a favorite among even the pickiest of children, making it even more valuable as a medicine.

Lemon Balm is a standby in our household and brings its uplifting nature and agreeable, lemony flavor to so many medicinal blends and remedies, it would be difficult to be without it!

While this, by no means, is a complete list of all the benefits Lemon Balm possesses, it is a nice place to start. Do you use Lemon Balm? What is your favorite way to use it?

October 25, 2018January 8, 2025

5 Reasons Evening Primrose is the Herb for You!

Many of you may be familiar with the benefits of Evening Primrose Oil. For many years now, the seed oil of the Evening Primrose plant has been researched, studied and touted for it’s GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) content, which is a precursor of EFA’s (essential fatty acids). Most of the findings of the more than 100 studies published so far show positive results for a broad range of actions from arthritis, skin issues, and premenstrual syndrome, to a variety of inflammatory problems, cardiovascular disease, and immuno-depression.

However, what you may not know about Evening Primrose, is that the entire plant, not just the oil, is used medicinally. Native to North America, this plant has many traditional uses that go far beyond the seed oil.

Respiratory Issues

According to Kiva Rose, a Southwest Herbalist, Evening Primrose has been historically used in bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, whooping cough and similar lung ailments. It is an expectorant and very soothing to the lungs and respiratory system.

Skin Conditions

Used by traditional peoples extensively for a variety of issues from snakebite, spider bites and insect bites, to swelling, bruising and other itchy skin disorders, Evening Primrose is an excellent vulnerary. The leaves used as a poultice have even been used successfully for burns and eczema.

Women’s Herb

Studies have confirmed the abilities of the Oil of Evening Primrose to reduce hot flash frequency, severity and duration in menopausal women. However, in addition to that, the Evening Primrose plant also excels in the ability to soothe uterine and ovarian cramping. Herbalist, Kiva Rose, notes, “It is wonderful for chronic reproductive inflammation and pelvic congestion, especially when used long term.” According to Herbalpedia, A 1981 clinical study at the St. Thomas Hospital in London gave evening primrose oil to 65 women with premenstrual syndrome and 61% of the participants found their symptoms completely disappeared and another 23% felt partial relief.

Digestive Aid

Many Herbalists use Evening Primrose for digestive complaints, especially when there is an anxiety or depression related component. Herbalist, David Winston says, “This is one of the best herbs for GI-related depression.” Similarly, Herbalist, Matthew Wood, notes, “Evening Primrose vitalizes the stomach, stimulates the digestion and strengthens the nerve reflexes pertaining to the liver and spleen.”? In addition, Kiva Rose suggests that Evening Primrose is great for food based anxiety in those recovering from eating disorders.

Anti-inflammatory Action

Various studies have proven the value of Evening Primrose in benefiting inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and joint disorders. Furthermore, in 1987, the Glasgow Royal Infirmary of Scotland saw improvement in 60% of its rheumatoid arthritis patients who took a combination of evening primrose and fish oil instead of their regular drugs.

As you can see, while the oil of Evening Primrose has a multitude of medicinal uses, the herb itself is an amazingly useful and beneficial remedy in its own right.

March 31, 2012

5 to Thrive – 5 Great Herbs for Children

* Chamomile – Wonderful for soothing upset tummies and easing fevers.

* Lemon Balm – Soothing, calming and perfect for viral fevers.

* Cinnamon – Eases tummy troubles and tastes great too!

* Peppermint – Fevers, coughs, tummy-aches – peppermint can help just about anything…

*Elderberry – Makes a delicious syrup and supports the immune system at the same time.

What herbs do your children love the most?

March 31, 2012

5 to Thrive – 5 Great Spring Herbs

* Dandelion – The leaf, root and flower are all edible and a great herb for a spring detox.

* Chickweed – All above ground parts of the herb are a great addition to fresh spring salads.

* Nettles – Full of minerals and one of the best sources of plant protein – great for nourishing the body after a long winter.

* Cleavers – A great lymphatic cleanser – add immature aerial parts to salads or juice the plant.

*Oregon Grape Root – The rhizomes of this plant are a wonderful liver herb, making it a great plant for spring detoxing.

What herbs do you like to use in the spring?

March 26, 2011April 27, 2011

For many decades now, our society has been a culture that discourages it’s people from taking responsibility for their own health. We are encouraged to enter into paid, contractual relationships with only those medical professionals who have a degree in medicine. We are convinced to think that only those who attend medical school can possibly know how to take care of our health. We are persuaded to believe that everything the doctor tells us is fact, and that if we disagree, it must only be because of our ignorance. We are taught to second guess our own intuition regarding what’s best for our health and that of our children.

This state of health care in industrialized nations like the US is actually quite new. We think of modern medicine as having a long history, but it has only been in the last 100 years that the vast array of drugs, such as antibiotics, anti-depressants, blood pressure medication, etc, that make up the trick of bags of most medical doctors these days, have been available. For hundreds, and even thousands of years before that, people relied on natural healing when they became ill.

In fact, most people had a basic, common knowledge of natural healing and kept and used many medicinal herbs, remedies and healing foods in their homes for those occasions when they might need them, or even for daily use to stay healthy in the first place. This common knowledge of wellness was passed down through the generations and provided the knowledge that most people needed to stay well and healthy. There were those times, of course, when a healer might need to be called in – whether it be a wise woman, medicine man, shaman or homeopath – but the common man and woman not only had a basic sense of how to heal common illnesses, but they were much more in touch with their intuition and innate sense of wellness.

Unfortunately, with the rise of the pharmaceutical industry, the AMA (which go hand in hand, in fact) as well as the processed food industry, much of our intuitive knowledge of healing has been suppressed. We have found ourselves in the position of not knowing how our own bodies work, not knowing how to keep them healthy and not knowing how to heal them.

However, natural healing, no matter how far it has been buried, is still with us, in all cultures, throughout the world. All we need to do is reconnect with our intuition, re-educate ourselves, school ourselves in the natural methods of healing that are available to each one of us. Natural healing is something that we can incorporate into our lives, everyday, every meal, every breath. It is not hard and it is not expensive. We need to re-lean what foods to eat (or in some cases, what food really is and is not!), what plants can heal and how to breath. We need to remember how to move our bodies and how we are all connected.

Modern medicine definitely has it’s place and it can be a life saver in emergency situations. However, the time has come for everyday healing to be placed back into the hands of everyday people. We all need to take responsibility for our own health and trust the innate wisdom inside each of us that knows how to heal our own body, mind and spirit.

December 22, 2010March 26, 2011

Arnica

Out of the 3,000 or so homeopathic remedies available today, the one single remedy that is undoubtedly the most commonly used and well known among professionals and lay people alike is Arnica.

Arnica is well known for it’s affinity for bruised, swollen tissues and sore muscles. It is often referred to as “the sportsman’s remedy” because of its ability to bring relief to injuries, such as those that occur during sports activities.

Arnica is almost specific for bruising. The keynotes of this remedy include physical injuries, trauma, strains and sprains. It is a fast acting remedy and the main emphasis of it’s features is physical trauma. It is also used for exhaustion stemming from physical exertion. It is indicated in neck stiffness from sudden movement or exertion, sprains – especially in wrists and ankles, from over-exertion. It is often prescribed topically in cream, gel or ointment form as well as orally, but it should not be applied to broken skin.

Although physical trauma is definitely the main reason arnica is usually prescribed, there are many other indications for its use as well. Arnica is highly indicated in cases of shock (physical or mental) especially when the lower part of the body is cold, but the head and upper part is hot. It is particularly beneficial for surgical shock when given before and after surgery.

It may also be indicated in cases of gout, rheumatism, constipation and indigestion (if it is due to shock). Inflammatory conditions of almost any nature, such as liver, kidney and lung (pneumonia) inflammation may respond to arnica if the whole picture fits. There is almost always a sore, bruised feeling over the whole body. There is often a fear of being touched – when you try to help them, they may pull back and say “I’m fine. I don’t need help”. People needing arnica often have a very sensitive body. The bed always feel too hard for them. Constitutional symptoms may include: those with a nervous, fearful disposition, especially in women; those with red, full faces, those who may have been affected by an injury of may years previous; those susceptible to cerebral congestion and those who dislike travel.

Far from being an acute remedy limited to bruising and swelling, as you can see, Arnica has a multitude of constitutional and chronic uses as well.

Photo Attribution:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/breki74

January 11, 2010June 10, 2015

My Journey to Natural Health

My journey in natural healing began almost 20 years ago. To overcome a recurring bout of bronchitis, a friend suggested I try an herbal remedy instead of the usual course of antibiotics that were obviously not working very well. I was amazed when I recovered in half the time I usually did. What was even more amazing was that my episodes of recurrence became less and less frequent until bronchitis became a thing of the past for me. That did it…..I was hooked….

Within a couple of years, I decided to undertake a course of study in Herbal Medicine with well known herbalist, Cascade Anderson Geller, in Portland, OR. After completing beginning through advanced courses, I was unsure of how to put my new-found knowledge to best use. I was not comfortable with the responsibility associated with asking people to put their health in my hands. However, I had a genuine desire to work with herbs. So, after some brainstorming, and a serendipitous class in herbal soap making, I decided to start a business hand crafting herbal soaps and skin care products. My Christmas gift recipients that year became the guinea pigs for my new line of products. Fortunately, they were all well received and Herbs of Grace was born. (Herb of Grace is one of the common names for Ruta graveolens, or Common Rue.)

My main marketing venue for the first several years, aside from my website, was the local farmer’s market in Vancouver, WA. I had a steadily growing base of clientele and the part-time schedule worked well with my growing family which now includes a husband and three daughters.

When my second daughter, Scarlet, was 10 months old, we attended a birthday party where we later learned we were exposed to strep throat. Right on cue, my daughter developed symptoms that led me to believe she had contracted the illness. After calling our naturopath and describing her symptoms, he confirmed that she most likely had scarlet fever (what did I expect, naming a child Scarlet…) After some research, he advised us to give her Belladonna 30C every 20 minutes for 1 hour and then 3x/day for the next 2-3 days. He said she would probably fall asleep right after the first 3 doses and her fever should break. He also mentioned that the fever may spike again in the evenings, but that was normal over the course of the illness, and that after 2 or 3 days, she should be well. To my delight and relief, she recovered *exactly* as he had described. This experience was a huge turning point in my life and eventually my business. Treating my own illnesses with natural modalities was one thing, but trusting my intuition to forego the mainstream conventional medical treatment in favor of traditional healing wisdom with someone else’s health, moreover my baby’s health, was another thing altogether. This experience not only cemented my trust in alternative medicine, but it also strengthened my trust in myself and my intuitive healing abilities.

In 2004, within months of the birth of our third daughter, our family had the opportunity to move to Japan for a year. I had just debuted a new line of mineral makeup based on the needs of my clients and it was very well received. Somehow, in my sleep-deprived, post-partum state, I decided that it shouldn’t be too difficult to pack up my business and 3 babes, move to a foreign country where I don’t speak the language and set up shop….So, off we went! That year proved not only to be the most challenging, but by far, one of the most enjoyable I have ever had. One of the biggest obstacles I had to face during the course of our stay in Japan resulted in my decision to stream-line my product offerings by discontinuing everything except the mineral makeup line. While this allowed me to focus on what was really selling well, it also took me away from working with my beloved herbs.

However, my business continued to grow, and by the time we came back to the states, my husband and I decided to take the risk and see if my business could provide for the family on a full-time basis, so we incorporated in January 2006. For the past 4 years now, we have been working from our farmhouse in rural western Washington, unschooling our girls, growing some of our own food, teaching belly dance classes on the side and now have Herbs of Grace Natural Look Mineral Makeup placed in over 60 retail locations nationwide.

Our decision has required us to forgo many things. We live closer to the earth, which has been a blessing to me. It has afforded me the chance to grow, harvest and use my own herbs for the first time, and I feel like I am literally getting back to my roots as an herbalist. Having these experiences has ignited in me the desire to incorporate natural medicine into my business… and having had so many wonderful experiences with homeopathy over the years, such as the one I mentioned earlier, I feel like I am now ready for that responsibility. These events led me to the British Institute of Homeopathy to enroll in the General Diploma of Homeopathy program.

I have a deep passion to continue the herbal and homeopathic traditions of the past and expand awareness of more natural, gentle forms of healing. I believe it is important at this point in time to remind people not only of their innate power to heal themselves, but also their responsibility to do just that. Herbalism and homeopathy have been a very empowering force in my life and I hope to share that experience with others. As I continue to add to my knowledge of natural healing modalities, I have decided the best way to share my skills is to put the “herbs” back into Herbs of Grace by offering consultations in natural health, specializing in herbalism and homeopathy.