The healing properties of garlic have been helping people for centuries.  A veritable powerhouse of active ingredients which are reported to ease an A-Z of ailments and treating  high blood pressure is one of the health issues on this list.  It has long been said that if fresh garlic is regularly included in ones daily diet, it would ease hypertension.  Seems that all the old stories weren’t too far off.

A new study out of Adelaide reports that garlic could be the perfect adjunct to treatment of high blood pressure and thus reducing the need for conventional medication. (This is a very good thing!)

Admittedly the study used a rather small sample, only 50 subjects.  However, it is really nice to see that plant extracts are still being investigated which means that there is still hope for western societies, that they may one day use natural and modern medicine to work hand in hand. Well, I am always the optimist and I will not give up doing my bit to spread the word.

Ok, off my soapbox and back to the article featured in the news this morning

Instead of using fresh garlic, the study found that a carefully aged garlic extract worked most effectively in their trials.  According to the article: “Garlic powder is not as stable and you don’t know the dose you are taking, and garlic oil doesn’t contain the active substance.  Aged garlic is prepared in a special process but you can buy it in the shops here.”Garlic is thought to have an anti-hypertensive effect because it stimulates production of certain chemical substances called nitric oxide and hydrogen sulphide, which helps relax blood vessels.”

What does that mean in practical terms?  Well, I interpret it to mean that garlic is great for you anyway for many reasons including regulating your blood pressure. But if you have a problem with high blood pressure you may now have a natural way of reducing your blood pressure medication as well.

Stay herbal
AnkeB

For the month of July we have  another of my absolute favourite herbs:

Lemon Balm - Melissa officinalis

A member of the mint family it is a prolific grower and provides an attractive cover for most of the year. It grows in any soil, full sun or partial shade. It has a tendency to take over as it spreads freely by self seeding.  It grows to an average of 30-80cm in height (12-32in). Quite bushy in appearance it has oval shaped, rough leaves that exude a strong lemon scent. Subtle yellow flowers appear in clusters in late summer.

The leaves are the part most used and they have multiple applications in the kitchen and in herbal medicine. There is evidence that lemon balm has been in use for over 200 years with the Swiss physician Paracelsus calling it the “elixir of life”. Many old herbalists refer to it as a comforter to the heart and that it will drive away melancholy and sadness.  In other words, even in the old days it was well known for its antidepressant properties.
As I already mentioned, lemon balm tea and tincture  is used to treat depression, nervous tension, insomnia, anxiety and tension headaches. A sedative and relaxant it makes for a perfect infusion to have at the end of a stressful day, or even in preparation of a stressful day to come.  It is known to have properties which will treat insect stings and sores by placing a poultice of crushed leaves directly onto the affected area.  Added to apple cider vinegar it makes for a great hair rinse and added to bath water it will soothe the mind and the muscles.

In the kitchen the fresh leaves add their lemon flavour to salads, soups, sauces and stuffings.  Great with poultry and fish, lemon balm also lends itself to improve the flavour of desserts, cordials and liqueurs.  The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1500-1558) was a great fan of Carmelite Water in which lemon balm is the main ingredient.  Lovely in a fruit salad or a cooling summer punch made from lemons, apple juice and lemon balm infusion.

For recipe ideas…

* Use handfuls of fresh lemon balm leaves to stuff into the cavity of a chicken and sit on a bed of leaves and stems to roast. This keeps the chicken moist and provides a delicious lemon flavour all through the bird.

* Pour a litre (1 quart) of boiling water over a good handful of fresh leaves, cover and leave to cool. Strain and add the juice of 2 lemons and a litre (quart) of clear apple juice.  Serve chilled.

There are other uses for lemon balm too. Crushed leaves will provide a wonderfully scented oil when rubbed onto wooden furniture.  And for those of you who keep bees, if you rub the inside of a new hive with lemon balm leaves it will attract the bees and make sure they will never want to leave.  Hence it’s other known names which are Bee Balm and Honey Plant.

Do try lemon balm at home, it is a terrific remedy and addition to your diet.

We are delighted to be taking part in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs …

Nutrition & Healthy Choices Expo 2010
20th July 2010
10am—2pm

The Irish Club Brisbane
175 Elizabeth Street

Free Entry Event – Everyone Welcome

Special Guest Speakers, Demonstrations, Information stalls, Samples, Lucky Door Prizes, Healthy Refreshments, Entertainment by The DVA “Quartet a la carte” Songsters throughout the Day!

PRESENTATIONS &  COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS

10.15am – 10.45am
Nutrition Australia presents “Food variety and Physical Activity”

10.50am – 11am
Official Opening of Expo

11.10am – 11.30am
RSPCA presents “Choose Wisely”

11.40am – 12pm
Qld Health HACC/MASS presents “Continence Awareness”

12.10pm – 12.30pm
Pharmacy Guild presents “Home Medication Awareness”

12.50pm – 1.10pm
Mind Gardeners presents “Healthy Mind, Healthy Body”

1.20pm – 1.50pm
Nutrition Australia presents “Healthy Aging & Bone Health”

10.50am – 11.50am
Nutrition Australia presents “Healthy Easy Economical Snacks”

12.15pm – 1.15pm
Nutrition Australia presents “Healthy Food Fast”

HOW TO GET TO THE EVENT

RSL Transport

Buses will be leaving from the following RSL’s:

* Kedron Wavell RSL Sub Branch Ph 33590460
* Gaythorne RSL Sub Branch Ph 33554655
* Redlands RSL Sub Branch Ph 34881102
* Woodridge RSL Sub Branch Ph 0439816018

Please contact your relevant RSL for availability.

Public Transport
For more information contact Translink on 132230 or www.translink.gov.au

Parking
Parking available at The Myer Centre, The Wintergarden or Secure Parking in Elizabeth St

Drop off/Pick up
Limited drop off and pick up zone directly outside of the Irish Club on Elizabeth Street with access between 10am and 2pm. The Irish Club Brisbane, 175 Elizabeth St

www.dva.gov.au

Eczema and dermatitis are very difficult to treat and those who suffer from it are driven to distraction by the discomfort they cause.  When babies and young children are affected it can be heart wrenching because the little ones can’t help themselves and often the scratching just makes things worse.

A couple of nights ago a local television program featured a herbal product I am quite interested in –  Garden Of Eden’s Baby Oil.

Always one to be wary of “snake oils” advertised as the latest cure, I looked into this herbal oil and so far I am impressed by the anecdotal evidence of its effectiveness.   Naturally the show featured a dermatologist who would prefer people to use cortisone based ointments and creams because “they have no side effects”.  Ok, so I don’t actually accept that cortisone doesn’t have side effects and I am more open than this particular expert as to the healing power of herbs.

Said to be based on an Aryuvedic formula of 14 herb extracts and 9 plant oils the oil is marketed as a baby oil, but can be used safely on any skin type. Since eczema and dermatitis is a common problem it comes as no surprise that the suppliers of this product have sold out after the program was aired.   The next shipment is expected in early August.

I have just ordered a bottle of the oil for my son who has a very resistant case of eczema and I’ll be more than happy to report how that works for him.

Step right up for the bout of the century!

The virus smashing power of Sambuca Nigra vs the vile and insidious workings of Influenza and his gang.

NEW batch of ORGANIC ELDERBERRIES has just arrived
- in time to beat all the nasties floating around this season.

I know I tend to go on about the Elder – Sambuca Nigra – It is such a fabulous power house of health giving properties. Here is a recent UK study that looked into the flu fighting properties of elderberry extract.

“During an in-vitro study carried out in London by Retroscreen Virology in October 2009, black elderberry extract was found to be at least 68.37% effective against the H1N1 strain otherwise known as Swine Flu Pandemic strain.”

I showed you how to make shampoo from scratch. If infusing your own soapwort to make shampoo is too much of a hassle there is a quick and very effective alternative I like to use at home.

You can use an organic shampoo base to which you can add essential oils or other herbal extracts to suit your particular needs. You can get these bases at an organic shop, decent health food store or I even saw some on ebay yesterday for around $10 for a litre. That’s a lot of shampoo for very little money.

If all else fails you could also mix a plain baby shampoo and a very strong herbal infusion (ratio 1:1).

You could make shampoos for individual family members.
Add a little aniseed essential oil for the student to prevent head lice infestation or add sage tea to restore natural hair colour in grey hair. Find your personal combination of scents and you’ll never go back to synthetic shampoos again.

Note: Remember that these shampoos foam a lot less. Extra lather does not equal extra cleanliness, it is just something that companies add to their products but is not actually necessary. Also, it may take a while to remove the residual build up from previous products, so you might wish to use an apple cider vinegar rinse (2 table spoons in warm water) to help restore the natural PH balance of your hair. Oh, and as a bonus you will find that a lot of the organic shampoo bases have retained their natural glycerin (which is usually sold as a by product of soap making) which moisturises your hair and lessens the need for a conditioner.

This is part one of a two part post on herbal shampoos & conditioners – part 1 is the from scratch version – and part 2 delivers a short cut to making your own

Making your own hair products from scratch is not as big a job as you might think. Treating your tresses with Mother Nature’s bounty is a great way to pamper yourself and to let your hair recover from the rigours of modern life. Do not expect these products to feel the same as the commercial stuff. Commercial shampoos have all manner of artificial ingredients to make it fluff up and lather like mad. The natural (and hopefully organic) version will be a lot lighter on the foam. It still has suds and certainly has the cleaning power, but then it’s not the bubbles that do the cleaning.

This recipe makes a gently soapy, conditioning shampoo.

600ml boiling water
handful of dried soapwort
250ml strong herbal infusion

Pour the boiling water over the soapwort, cover and leave to cool. Meanwhile make a strong cupful of infusion of the herb most suited to your hair – leave to cool. After 30 minutes strain the soapwort. Combine the soapwort water and the infusion – bottle.

If soapwort is not available you can substiture soapbark or yucca root.

There are herbs to suit all your hair needs

* Dry Hair – comfrey, elderflower, marshmallow, nettle, parsley, sage

* Greasy Hair – balm, lavender, marigold, rosemary, southernwood, witch hazel, yarrow

* Anti Dandruff – chamomile, lavender, nettle, parsley, rosemary, thyme

* Limp & Dull Hair- basil, horsetail, lime flowers (linden), marigold, rosemary, sage

* Itchy Scalp – catnip, chamomile, comfrey

Inspired by Brenda Little’s Illustrated Herbal Encyclopedia

Find out more about which herbs work for your hair on Herbology

Choose the herbs for your needs, bruise them and put them in a glass jar. Cover with oil (sunflower, safflower, soya or if you are a brunette – olive oil). Cover with muslin and keep in a warm spot where the temperature doesnt fluctuate too harshly. Shake every day for a fortnight. Strain & bottle. To use: Warm oil slightly, then rub through hair and onto scalp. Put on a plastic cap or a warm towel. Wash out after 30 minutes.

Herbal Rinses and a PH restoring Apple Cider Vinegar rinse can be found in the Hair & Beauty section on Herbology.

Yesterday I read a friend’s status update on Facebook where she mentioned that cinnamon was a good treatment for keeping ants out of your house.  This advice comes in handy for the battle I have been waging with ants of all shapes and sizes at my house, but it also reminded me that I have been meaning to share with you the good stuff about cinnamon that is being researched as we speak.

Everyone knows cinnamon, at the very least from the sprinkles on their buns and that it is one of the essential smells of Christmas. It has been around since ancient times – 2500 year old Chinese writings and even the Bible make mention of it. The Egyptians imported cinnamon from China and used it as an embalming agent. The Romans burned it at funerals. Cinnamon was one of the first spices to be traded between Asia and Europe and for awhile Venetian merchants controlled the entire cinnamon trade in Europe. This motivated other European explorers of the 15th and 16th centuries to travel the globe in search of this precious spice. By the early 19th century plantation had sprung up around the world, making it a far more accessible commodity.

There are two types of cinnamon commonly used. In the West we generally use Cinnamon zeylanicum which is the tan coloured stick you will no doubt be familiar with. In China the native Cinnamon cassia is used.

The bark is the most commonly used part of the cinnamon tree, although the Chinese do like using the twigs as well.  You can also use the essential oil, which is distilled from the bark.

Both members of the cinnamon family share carminative, astringent, aromatic and stimulant properties and contain volatile oils (cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, cinnamic acid, weitherhin), mucilage, diterpenes, proanthocyanidins.

What that means is that cinnamon is warming, will promote sweating and aids digestion. It is also a uterine stimulant so pregnant women are advised to avoid therapeutic doses.  The essential oil is a strong antibacterial and antifungal treatment.

Now, the world of diabetes (if there is such a thing) has been abuzz for some time now with some very promising research being done in Pakistan. There researchers have been studying the effects of cinnamon cassia on blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes.  The evidence strongly suggests that by including cinnamon in your diet (say about 1/2 teasp a day) you could reduce your blood sugar and blood cholesterol levels. Very exciting stuff, especially since Type 2 diabetes is on such a steep rise around the world.

Oh, as a side note. I thought I would just point out that eating enough cinnamon buns to make up 1/2 teasp of ground cinnamon is unlikely to drop your blood sugar levels seeing just how much carbs and sugar you will be consuming at the same time.

Cinnamon is great added to milk drinks, sprinkled on desserts and fabulous in stews and curries.  Of course it is also available in capsules.

Caveat emptor – “Let the Buyer Beware” – not usually a principle applied to herbal medicine, but it should be.

Recently in the news there has been much talk about toxic herbal cures and herbal remedies having devastating effects. And while these headlines are attention getting and sensational, they may also have a detrimental effect on herbal medicine and how it is perceived by the public at large.

I have always made a big point about safety, educating yourself about the properties of the herbs you take, learning about possible interactions with other drugs and assuring that the products you buy come from reputable sources which offer a consistently high quality. To me this is totally common sense.  But it would seem that there are people out there who believe any old advertisement, buy exotic cure alls which may end up doing more harm than good.

Last week The Australian reported some details of herbal interactions and considerations that people may not be aware of :

“St John’s wort, commonly taken for depression, anxiety and sleep disorders, was known to interfere with medication prescribed for irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, he said.

Ginkgo biloba, which is said to improve circulation, raises the risk of excessive bleeding in those taking warfarin or aspirin. Garlic, taken in high concentrations in pills, could also interfere with warfarin.”

If you have a serious health issue, you must always tell your health professional.  They SHOULD have information about interactions with your present medication. If they do not, ASK them to find out for you.

A few days ago, again in The Australian,  health editor Adam Cresswell warns readers of herbal products that are not as they appear. He cites several cases where children were treated with remedies from far away places that were contaminated with seriously dangerous substances like arsenic and heavy metals. In this article Roger Byard, a forensic pathologist at the University of Adelaide warns of the dangers of herbal medicines whereas “Marc Cohen, professor of complementary medicine at RMIT, backed the call for patients to tell their doctors about their herbal treatments, but rejected Professor Byard’s warnings as “alarmist”. “If you looked at the number of food poisoning cases, and the number of toxins in food, you wouldn’t go near it,” Professor Cohen said. “Everyone needs to be careful with anything they put in their mouth . . . Herbal medicines are safe, and are relatively well-regulated in Australia.”

Marc Cohen is co-author of a  fantastic book that I refer to frequently.  Herbs & Natural Supplements: An evidence-based guide

It lists 120 of the most popular herbs, nutrients and food supplements used across Australia and New Zealand, giving details on daily intake, main actions/interactions, adverse reactions and drug interactions.  A must have if you are serious about SAFE natural health for your loved ones.

As usual it’s all about education and moderation. Dont try to treat a family member’s cancer with an exotic wonder drug that you havent first researched and run by the appropriate medicos.  It’s insane to think that just because it is natural it is always safe.

As a side note, but and IMPORTANT side note: If you wild craft, i.e. gather your herbs in the wild, make sure that you correctly identify the plants you are picking and be aware of the environment they grew in.  There is no point picking at the side of a major highway or in an area of heavy industry. Chances are that the plants have absorbed a lot of nasties from the air and could possibly be very dangerous to your health.

If you buy over the internet from unknown sources – do your research before you risk your health and that of your family.

Caveat emptor – “Let the Buyer Beware” – not usually a principle applied to herbal medicine, but it should be.

Stay herbal

Hello Herb Lovers,

So you are interested in the wonderful health benefits of herbs and want to include them in your health regime.  But it is all a bit iffy, scary and maybe it’s only for the more “green extreme” members of society and not for everyday, normal you.  I am here to tell you that there is nothing scary about making your own herbal remedies.  Actually, herbal remedies have become very mainstream.  You dont believe me?  Well I can prove it to you!

Here is a recent episode of Better Homes and Gardens – how much more mainstream can you get? -  showing you how to make three different herbal remedies at home.  All three are great, but I would add to the first one that if you leave your infused oil on the stove for an hour, turn the heat off every now and them because you do not want to FRY the calendula flowers.

I already use the calendula ointment (although I add a few other herbs to mine) and the steambath but I will definitely try the lozenges once the winter colds threaten.  Will you give making your own herbal remedies a go?  It’s so easy it’s even on mainstream TV

If you are looking for more ideas there are some great, easy to follow step-by-step instructions right here

Stay herbal