Hello Herb Lovers,

Life has been pretty chaotic in our part of the world - which kinda explains why there haven’t been any posts recently.

Herbs as usual have been my salvation from completely losing my mind to stress - my famous Hugs-In-A-Cup tea works wonders on my nerves by easing anxiety, instilling a sense of calm and improving my mood.  Apart from my daily tea I have also found a marvellous new pillow at my local store.

The Herbafill Scented Pillow really took my fancy when I saw it. It comes filled with either Peppermint to relieve stress or Lavender to improve sleep.  Sleeping isn’t a problem for me, I just need to find the time to do it.  So stress relief sounded great to me - and I LOVE the scent of fresh peppermint.

At first I was concerned that peppermint would be too invigorating to allow good sleep but a few weeks in now it has not made my mind any more alert at bedtime.

When you first open the wrapping a strong scent of peppermint fills the air and you wonder if you made the right choice.  But soon you realise that the scent is no longer overwhelming but soothing.  After a few weeks of use the pillow definitely still holds the scent but it has mellowed to a really nice level now.

Does it work?  Well, I might be imagining things but I believe that I am dealing a lot better with my interrupted sleeps, and the day that follows.
Pixie Boy still wakes many times during the night so I have not had the pleasure of a complete night’s sleep for a very long time. And I believe that I would usually be a lot more affected by the disruptions than I am of late. Whether that is due to the peppermint pillow or that my mind has decided to just go with the flow - *shrugs* who knows, I love the pillow and I am less stressed. Sounds like success to me

For those of you who do not wish to trade their favourite pillow for a new herbal one do not despair.  Herbal pillows have been popular for centuries.  You can make a small pillow filled with your favourite sleeping herbs and pop it in the bed to scent your bedding.  Popular choices are lavender pillows and hops too has been known to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep.  There are many other type of dream pillows you can make e.g. to enhance your dreams, to calm nerves - benefit from the power of aromatherapy in your sleep.

Stay herbal

Hello Herb Lovers,

It’s that time of the year again when the Queensland Herb Society puts on their annual Herb Awareness Weekend.  Held, as usual at the Mount Cootha Botanic Gardens it looks like it will be an interesting and educational weekend.

Guest Speakers

Saturday 16th May

9.30 am ——- Annette McFarlane - Questions and Answers and Book Promotion
10.45 am ——Linda Brennan - Healthy Soils for Healthy Herbs
12.00 noon — Nigel’s Cheese Making Demonstration
1.15 pm ——–Noel Burdette - Creating an Aromatherapy Garden - A Garden for the Senses
2.30 pm ——-Steven - All Rare Herbs - Growing Medicinal Herbs in South East Queensland

Sunday 17th May

9.30 am ——-Belinda - Cooking something Herby!
10.45 am —–Stuart Glastonbury (NHAA) - Medicinal Herbs - from Growing to Using.
12.00 noon –Valerie - Cooking up a Curry!
1.15 pm ——-Sandra Nanka - Herbal Teas for Health and Enjoyment.
2.30 pm——-Ian Twyford - Lemon Myrtle
3.30 pm ——Draw the Raffle Prizes

Demonstration Area

Saturday 16th May

10 am ——-Making Toothpaste - Bettina
11.30 am —Making a Herby Damper - Deb
1.00 pm—- Making Herby Butters - Elspeth
2.30 pm—- How to grow Herbs with or without a Garden - Deb

Sunday 17th May

10 am ——Making a spice Blend - Deb
11.30 am –Making Cough Mixture - Bettina
1.00 pm —Making a Bouquet Garni - Peter and Belinda
2.30 pm —Making Herb Teabags - Bettina

Hope to see some of you there

Stay herbal

Hello Herb Lovers,

By now you’ll all know that I was raised in Germany.  As such I grew up with some very old traditions, one of which was painting Easter eggs.  Sure, these days you get commercial colouring kits with which you can create some amazing works of art.  Or you can get stickers if you are not feeling all that creative.  But in the old days eggs were dyed with herbs and other natural materials.

I have found a lovely article in a Rabbit Hill Gardens Herb Farm newsletter teaching how to dye eggs the old fashioned way - including colour charts, recipes and  technique.  Who knew that red cabbage makes a robin egg blue dye?

“Naturally-dyed eggs have a lovely matte finish reminiscent of old milk paint, but eggs can also be oiled to a satin shiny finish. After eggs have dried, rub them with an edible vegetable oil such as canola oil or olive oil using a paper towel. Wipe with a dry paper towel and buff lightly. “

I’ll try and have a go at these ideas this Easter and I’ll post some pics. Feel free to do the same, I’ll happily feature your efforts.

Stay herbal

Hello Herb Lovers,

My little Pixie Boy has some skin issues I am not at all happy with.  I suspect that he has inherited possible food intolerances from me and that the dermatitis on his legs and back are a symptom of this.  Since I dont do cortisone on babies I went out to look at natural alternatives.

While I was out and about I found this little gem.  A body wash that is based on herbs, essential oil and homeopathic ingredients.  Natralia Nourish - Eczema & Psoriasis Wash can be used as a body wash and shampoo, it smells great and seems to be helping Pixie Boy with his skin issue. It is PH balanced and free from fragrances, nut oils, synthetic colour, soap and the dreaded SLS.

You’ll find it contains these goodies:
aloe vera juice
calendula flowers
chamomile flowers
lavender oil
bergamot oil
sandalwood oil
borax
graphites
natrum muriaticum
kalium sulphuricum

It is very gentle and safe for use on children.  They also have a baby range (so my research tells me) but I am happy to use the big people version as long as I dilute it a lot.  My eldest - Spawn - has eczema and I like a one product for everyone approach keeping down the number of bottles littering the bathroom.

If you have a child who suffers from dermatitis of some sort and you have tried a myriad of lotions and potions, you might want to give this natural product a go.

Once Pixie Boy has had his bath I use a baby oil I make myself which contains calendula flowers, elderflowers and lavender flowers which keeps his skin moisturised and soft, while at the same time utilising the healing powers of those three ingredients to treat the skin disorder in a very natural, gentle way.  Learn how to make your own infused oils.

Now that I have found a way to successfully treat the symptoms all I have to do is to figure out the cause of his skin issues.

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Hello Herb Lovers,

I recently made some additions to the Herbology library and while I was perusing some wonderful new herb recipes I came across the old favourite - Lemon Barley Syrup.  There was barley in the pantry, bay leaves on the tree and fresh lemons in the fruit bowl so I was able to try out this recipe straight away. The result was very yummy!  We took it with us for a long weekend at the beach and it made a very refreshing drink in the heat.  I also found that when added to hot water it made a very pleasant hot drink (I actually thought it tasted even better than the cold version).

Lemon Barley & Bay Syrup

Ingredients
1/2 cup pearl barley
3 lemons
4 bay leaves
75g sugar
ice cubes, lemon slices and
sprigs of lemon balm to decorate

1. Cover pearl barley with boiling water.
Stir well, then rinse until water runs clear.
Put in a pan with 4 cups of boiling water. Bring to
the boil, cover then simmer gently for 45 minutes.

2. Scrub lemons and pare off rind with a sharp knife. Squeeze juice and reserve. Put pared rind in a bowl with bay leaves and sugar.

3. Strain hot barley over the sugar mixture and stir until sugar disolves. Cover and leave overnight.

4. Strain, then add the lemon juice and transfer to a jug. Chill for up to two weeks.

Now the recipe says to drink it undiluted.  But I found that it is the most refreshing when diluted with water at a ratio of one part syrup to two parts water.  Do try it hot, it’s really yummy!

Recipe found in cooking with herbs through the seasons

Stay herbal

Happy Friday 13th Herb lovers,

Today is already the second Friday the 13th in 2009,
a third will fall on the 13th of November so I thought
it would be a good idea to have a look at other
superstitions - of the herbal kind.
Thanks to Gerina Dunwich’s Herbal Magick

Angelica - Associated with Saint Michael the Archangel, angelica was once thought to dispel lustful thoughts and protect against sorcery, the Black Death, attacks by rabid and venomous beasts, and a wide variety of illnesses.

Blackberry - In England, it was once believed that bad luck would befall anyone who dared to pick blackberries after the 11th day of October (the old date of the Christian feast of Michaelmas). Legend has it that on this day many eons ago the devil fell into a thorny blackberry thicket and laid a curse upon the plant.

Daffodil - If the very first daffodil you lay your eyes upon in the spring or summer hangs its head towards you, this is said to be an omen of bad luck for the remainder of the year. This herbal superstition, which is centuries old, continues to live on in many parts of Great Britain.

Garlic - To keep vampires and evil spirits at bay, apparently only garlic gathered in May can truly be effective. Garlic is also said to absorb the diseases of man and beast, as well as trap and destroy negative vibrations and evil influences in cursed or haunted dwellings.

Hydrangea - According to old English lore, the hydrangea is an unlucky plant for young ladies who wish to find a husband. Grown near the house - especially near the door - hydrangeas are said to curse daughters of the house to be cursed with lonely lives of spinsterhood.

Ivy - Illness will befall anyone who picks a leaf from an ivy plant growing on a church wall. If ivy growing on a house wall suddenly dies it is said to be a sign of impending death in that household.

Leaves - Any type of leaves blown into the house are said to be omens of bad luck. If you make a secret wish while catching a falling leaf on Halloween it will surely come true.

Mugwort - Mugwort is a magical herb linked to Pagan goddesses Artemis and Diana. Ancient tradition dictates that the plant must be picked on the eve of Summer Solstice in order to activate its magical properties. In the Middle Ages, Christians usually made the sign of the cross to ward off evil spirits before harvesting mugwort.

Peas - It is good luck to find a pod containing 9 peas and even better luck if the pod contains only one pea. It was once thought that a wart could be cured by rubbing it with a pod of nine peas while reciting special instructions.

Willow - Willow trees have long been held to protect against sorcery and the evil eye. Many individuals will still touch them to ensure good luck. Beware never to share a secret beneath a willow, lest it be repeated by the wind.

Ahhh, it’s all a bit of fun, or is it? Do you walk under ladders? I don’t allow shoes on a table, Light of My Life refuses to open an umbrella indoors - but we are not superstitious, oh no!

Stay herbal

Hello Herb Lovers,

Recently a good friend of mine sprained her ankle very badly. To help ease her discomfort and speed healing I made some comfrey poultices she could apply to the affected area. Comfrey - Symphytum officinale L.- is a brilliantly useful herb to have in your garden. And yes, it can take over so watch where you plant it as you’ll NEVER get rid of it again.

Here is an excerpt from the Herbology Home Herbal - Practical A-Z Guide to Medicinal and Culinary Herbs for the Home….(dont look for it in the shops I am still writing it)….

Hello Herb Lovers, it’s FAQ time again!

Raspberry Leaf Tea is popular remedy for women, particularly when they are pregnant - unfortunately it is also a source of much confusion.

Hi there,

Thanks for your informative help in the past with regard to Raspberry
Leaf Tea, but the time has come to ask some very specific questions of
my favourite herbal resource!

I’m currently 35w +4 days pregnant and in the last couple of weeks have
sporadically been drinking one cup of Raspberry Leaf Tea a day. In
the last few days I’ve had some painful Braxton Hicks contractions
(I’ve been to the hospital for monitoring and an exam to confirm they
are not “real” labour).

My question is, would you recommend that I stop drinking the tea, in
an effort to stop “irritating” the uterus, or increase the dosage of
the tea to try to help tone the uterus and make the contractions less
painful? Also, could you advise herbal methods to help distract me
from the pain?

Thanks in advance for your advice,
Anxious

P.S. I noticed when shopping at the supermarket the other day,
Colgate have a “herbal” toothpaste on the shelves - right down the
bottom! Have you seen it?

Hello Anxious,

As you know, I am not a professional herbalist and as such can not recommend a particular course of action for your particular situation.

However, I can say that Braxton Hicks contractions are “practice contractions” that get the uterus into shape.  When I drank raspberry leaf tea in the last trimester (3 cups a day) I found that my uterus went into overdrive.

I would not have called it irritating but toning, after all that is what it is supposed to do.   Also, as you progress in pregnancy you will find that Braxton Hicks contractions not only become stronger but can also become quite ouchy. And that is without the aid of raspberry leaf.  I have never heard of raspberry leaf making labour less painful, just that it potentially makes it easier since the uterus is well toned. It also helps the uterus contract back to its original size a lot faster.

What you describe sounds very much like what the tea is supposed to do, but if you find that the sensation is too uncomfortable then there is no reason why you couldnt stop drinking it. My advice is ” the more you drink of it, the more you will feel it” so make your decision on quantity based on that bit of wisdom.

In regards to herbal distractions from the discomfort of heavy pregnancy….
Nothing beats relaxation. Your body is being overloaded in so many ways right now. All the muscles, tendons and ligaments are working in unusual conditions and therefore your whole body is out of whack.  A bath infused with relaxing herbs and salts is a must - as is massage.  Some pleasant oils in an oil burner while you elevate your feet and read a good book can ease a lot of the niggling side effects of impending motherhood.  Just make sure herbs or herbal extracts you are using are appropriate for this stage in pregnancy.

Indulging  in some herbal relaxation will also give you a great opportunity to listen to your body, have a bit of a chat to the new family member and spend some quite bonding time while getting in tune with your body. (Actually I dont see it as an indulgence at all, I see it as an essential part of a healthy and sane pregnancy)

This stage of pregnancy is a time where most women are “over it”….but it can be a great time for some introspection, a bit of pampering and getting your mind and body prepared for the wonderful experience ahead.

Thanks for the heads up about the herbal toothpaste :).  I have not seen it but I will keep my eyes out next time I head to the supermarket.

I wish you and your family all the very best and a fantastic birth experience to come.
Stay herbal
AnkeB

Wishing you all a very Herbal Christmas & a healthy New Year

I would like to thank all my readers for their continuing support throughout 2008.  It was my goal to have 300 new members subscribe to the main Herbology site this year and I am very proud to say that I am only 9 shy of that number. YAY!

Over the past 12 months there have been periods of crazy activity and contribution to the site and other times where life got the better of me and very little happened on Herbology as a result.  The month of October didnt even see a newsletter go out!  New articles are still going up all the time, right now there are gardening articles going up every month as there have been for the past 5 months.

Also, the recipe archive has been updated with additions to each category.  You will now find recipes for:

Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Herbs and Smoked Salmon

Garlic, Lovage and Apple Dip

Mixed Herb Salad with Toasted Sunflower and Pumpkin Seeds

Pickled Plums de Provence

Natural Deodorant

Natural Body Powder

Eucalyptus-Mint Disinfecting Soap

Lemon-Mint Window Wash

Robust Rosemary Lamb

Herb Stock

Carrot & Coriander Soup

Rhubarb Cordial

Bavarian Herb Soup

Spring Herb Vinaigrette

If Christmas was all a bit much and the stress is getting to you there are many natural ways to treat the stress of the season. Start the New Year the way you intend to live it - relaxed, herbal & healthy.

All the very best to all my readers - I’ll see you in 2009!

Stay herbal

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How is that for an attention grabbing title?  I think it is appropriate when a recent news item proved once again the importance of common sense and moderation in terms of alternative health treatments.

Herbology and I have always maintained that herbal medicine can and must go hand in hand with conventional medicine.  You can not treat yourself effectively without a correct diagnosis and seeing a health professional to get that diagnosis will also make sure that there are no serious underlying  causes for your symptoms.

Two days ago the top news story was that of the father of a 11 year old girl who believed so strongly in the healing power of a  particular alternative product and did not trust conventional medicine that he refused to take his little girl to the doctors when she was gravely ill with a heart infection. Due to his obsessive belief the girl is now permanently disabled and will spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. (Channel 9 News, FOX News)

To think, had he gone to the doctor to get a diagnosis this girl would have been successful treated and be a happy healthy 11 year old.  Instead he thought he knew better and everyone in the family paid the price - girl permanently disabled, mother on a suspended sentence and father in jail.

The father used a product that is supposed to boost the immune system by providing glyconutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. I am not making a statement about the effectiveness of this product as I have never tried it but common sense tells you that  giving extremely high doses (as in this case) of immune boosting nutrients are not going to cure anything, yet alone something as serious as a heart infection.  Immune boosters are great to help protect your body and make it resistant to disease but it is not a cure all by a long shot.

Now everyone knows that I use herbs for absolutely everything but  I will not just treat the family without consulting our health professionals first.  Our health care team knows that I prefer natural options and if appropriate they support me in my use of herbs (or else they would not be our doctors).  But to endanger the lives of my loved ones would be completely contradictory to the whole point of natural health. Ok, you can see that I feel very strongly about this.

I can not emphasise enough that herbal medicine is an effective option ONLY if used sensibly and with the help of professionals. Education, common sense and moderation …. those three pretty much apply to everything in life so why wouldnt we apply them to our health?

Stay herbal - but not to the exclusion of all else