Last week I went to the health food store to get supplies for my sick son. I did not want much, just some eyebright (herb or tea) to make an eyewash and some raw honey to make cough syrup. The local shop is quite a large place not like the smaller shops in the shopping centre. They only had eyebright in tablet form - for a tincture it would need to be prescribed by a naturopath and a tea or loose herb would take a few days to order in. The only honey I could find was a tub of tea tree honey. Never having tried that particular variety but believing in the healing power of tea tree, I bought it for the syrup. From there I went on to Mrs Flannery, an organic supermarket 20 minutes away which hopefully carried the eyebright or had a naturopath on staff who could get me the tincture. So off I went, and no, they didnt carry it either. Everyone knew straight away what I was talking about, one lady even asked if I had a child with conjunctivitis. So, if everyone knows that eyebright is a great treatment, why doesnt anyone carry it? I guess it’s a sign that although people know the lore, they are not actually applying that knowledge. Hence the demand is not there and consequently the stores do not stock herbal supplies. I think this must change ! C’mon guys, experiment! Make some of the remedies you heard your grandmother talk about - the more you learn and use the more likely the shops are to increase their range of supplies.

In the end I stuck with my chamomile and elderflower wash and ordered some wildcrafted eyebright from my usual supplier for future use. And I am pleased to report - Harry’s eyes are back to their beautiful twinkly selves

On a different note, while I was searching for the eyebright I came across a Stevia product. Remember the Stevia post from last week? Well there were a number of products available of this sugar alternative. I saw it in little tablet form, drops and powder form. I assume that since it is so much sweeter than sugar that you use much less of it, hence the different ways of using it.

NIrvana Stevia, as well as other stevia products, have no calories, and this company is using that fact to attract the weight loss market. It’s clever, but I think it’s not so much the sweetener as what the sweetener is in (pastries and sweets) that is the culprit i putting on the weight. BUT…..having said that, no calories and no influence on blood sugar levels is a biggie for a great many people. With diabetes on the rise this might be a pleasant alternative for people with blood sugar issues. I personally detest artificial sweeteners - the fact that they are artificial and the taste *shudder* and I know that sugar is not good for my family and I, so I will definitely give the Stevia alternative a go and see what everyone in our household thinks. Will keep you guys posted.

Oh…and the tea tree honey is horrible!!! Sorry but I will have to find another use for it, eating it just isnt an option. I bought some raw outback honey from Mrs Flannerys instead - much, much nicer.

Stay Herbal!

Don’t you think it’s amazing that a substance can be used for centuries and not until two corporate giants fight over it’s use is it touted as beneficial and NEW.

This is the case with Stevia - a South American plant that has been used as a sugar alternative for hundreds of years. It is said to be 300 times sweeter than cane sugar (that’s even sweeter than liquorice root!). Of course the world has known about Stevia, it is not a new discovery, but due to lack of recognition (or ignorance or a ploy to keep the sugar industry lucrative, who knows?) it has not really taken off as a sweetener until more recently. In fact, in the US it was banned until 1994 (without much explanation for the ban). From then on it had to be labeled as a dietary supplement, but is not allowed to be called a food additive. Stevia is banned in quite a few countries even though in 2006 the “World Health Organisation (WHO) performed a thorough evaluation of recent experimental studies of stevioside and steviols conducted on animals and humans, and concluded that “stevioside and rebaudioside A are not genotoxic in vitro or in vivo and that the genotoxicity of steviol and some of its oxidative derivatives in vitro is not expressed in vivo.” The report also found no evidence of carcinogenic activity. Furthermore, the report noted that “stevioside has shown some evidence of pharmacological effects in patients with hypertension or with type-2 diabetes” but concluded that further study was required to determine proper dosage.” “Stevia.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 3 Aug 2008, 10:16 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 7 Aug 2008.

The reason why Stevia is now in the news a lot is because Coca-Cola and Pepsi are in a race to bring to the market products sweetened with a stevia derived calorie-free sweetener. Of course Stevia itself is naturally calorie free and has some added benefits such as inhibiting plaque and not raising blood sugars. Amazing that because these two corporations have shown significant interest it makes a Stevia derived sweetener a lot more attractive to countries all over the world even though it remains banned in many of them. If you would like to know more about Stevia check out Isabella’s site Herbs Are Special - she also has a fantastic book out How can I use HERBS in my daily life? (an absolute MUST have).

I guess any publicity that raises awareness of herbal alternatives is good publicity. I just wish that the plant and all it’s benefits were looked at and not just a heavily processed part of it. Using the derivative sweetener is as herbal as taking aspirin because it is derived from willow bark.

Stay Herbal!

Herbology Thymes - East meets West Edition -
OUT NOW

Are you ready to cheer on your country’s sporting best? The Olympics are right around the corner and for those who are sportily inclined it should be quite an event. In celebration of China opening it’s doors to the world this month’s edition of the Herbology Thymes newsletter is focusing on the herbs that have come out of China and made it into Western Herbal Medicine.

Some of the plants discussed you will already be quite familiar with and others will be quite new. A longtime winter favourite appears with a bit of historical trivia as well. Subscribe Now!

There have been lots of changes and additions to the Herbology website so please have a wander around and tell me what you think. I love your feedback!

Hello Herb Lovers,

I can not believe it has been a whole month since I last made contact. Much has happened on Herbology.

Naturally the July issue of the Herbology Thymes newsletter made it out on time. This month you’ll get some ideas on how to keep warm, inside and out. If you suffer from poor circulation, chilblains or just dislike being cold - there are some herbal warming solutions you might like. And what would winter be without recipes to warm the soul, no matter how you feel about winter, these meals will bring a warm glow to the heart. Register for your copy of the Herbology Thymes!

The whole Herbology site has had a make-over. Thanks to a corrupted database I had to rebuild the whole thing from scratch (not that I had anything better to do, right?). But it is back up now, better than ever!

Apart from the new logo there are some NEW things you will find on Herbology such as a Newsletter and Recipe Archive. July also sees three new articles - Infusing Oils (14/7), Making Herbal Salves (21/7) and Making Creams (28/7) - all of which are step by step instructions using photos to make the job even easier for you.

As far as the blog is concerned I am getting used to the new version of WordPress, so please bear with me. Other than that I have some Q & A’s to post that people have sent me (sent me the Q’s, not the A’s) which I think will be of great benefit to my readers.

So stay tuned………….. and

Stay Herbal!

Hello Herb Lovers,

Herbology e-Shop Poll

I have been approached by a number of people who are interested in a Herbology e-shop. If such a beast was to be created I would need to know what Herbology members and readers want to see in an online shop of this nature. So I added a new poll to the Herbology site. Please visit and let me know what kind of things you would like to see in a Herbology shop.

Herbology e-Shop Poll

Stay Herbal!

Hello Herb Lovers,

Last weekend was the annual Herb Awareness Weekend hosted by the Qld Herb Society. I visited on the Sunday and the turn out was great! Compared to the previous year there certainly seemed to be an increase in numbers of visitors, even thought it appeared that there were less stalls this time. Maybe it helped that the weather was brilliant.

Inside the Mt Cootha Botanic Gardens building there was a hive of activity and the smells that assaulted my nostrils on the way in told me exactly why I was there. I spied my favourite stall , the TuzzieMuzzie stall and quickly checked out which herbal arrangements I would buy on the way out. Then I wandered amongst the stalls to see what I could find for you, dear readers, that might be of interest.

Naturally there were organic herb nurseries displaying their wares (Hello to Best Little Herb House, Mudbrick Cottage Herb Farm, Edible Landscapes at the Northey Street City Farm ). There were also a few stalls displaying natural skin care products and the one that stood out among the crowd and which I spent some time chatting to was botanic Skincare. I was using their Ankle Biters Personal Insect Repellant long before I started to make my own.

I also spent a long time chatting to the ladies at the Tri Nature stall - but that will be a separate post.

Overall I had a fine morning out I did not have the time to attend the talks that were held while I was there (Jean Goodwin - Animal Care, Jade Woodhouse - Suburban Worm Farming, Valeria - Something Curry and Jade Woodhouse - Herbs to improve your soil) but I saw that they were quite popular with visitors.

I did however pop in to the Sage Cafe (a stand run by volunteers from the Herb Society) to have a bite to eat but I must say I was rather disappointed. There is so very much you can do with herbs to really make them a feature and make then stand out. If you want to raise awareness of how herbs can be used in a trillion beautiful, flavour and health enhancing ways then why oh why bring out the same boring, uninspiring fare? I was not interested in mundane cakes everyone knows about. Nor the sandwiches that had an edible flowers squished onto them to (presumably) emphasise the herbal goodness. Yes there were savoury muffins that I assume had herbs in them, but please - members of the herb society - why not take a look at some of the recipe books you had for sale on the table by the entrance and see what fabulously tasty and exciting foods you could have presented. *sigh* I know….I am ranting again….but I love herbs…and I love herbs….and most of all I love combining the two. It just hurts to see such great potential being wasted.

Oh, and speaking of the Qld Herb Society. I know I whined about their website but it appears something is happening on that front. The front page has changed somewhat and an ad for the above mentioned weekend had been added….so now I am waiting with great anticipation to see what changes (as promised on the site) will take place very soon.

Stay Herbal!

Hello Herb Lovers,

Yep, another month has crept up on us and that means it’s time for another newsletter.

The Herbology Thymes - Mothers in May Edition

Subscribe for your free monthly copy to keep up with news, events and great recipes. Last month the focus was on herbal remedies to boost your immune system for the colder months. This month there are herbal Mother’s Day ideas, a look at some ancient autumn traditions and of course great herbal food recipes that make use of traditional harvest foods.

Stay Herbal!

Markets & Herb Awareness Weekend

For everyone who wants to know more about growing and using herbs - this is the weekend for you!
- Discover a large variety of unusual and water wise herbs and plants for sale.
- Enjoy free demonstrations and talks.
- Browse a wide variety of stalls with herb related goods, products and food.
- Relax and revive at Cafe Sage for delicious,
herb inspired food and beverages.
- Come along for a chance to meet our patron and renowned garden adviser, Colin Campbell.

Please note: No EFTPOS or Credit Card facilities available.

When: 3 - 4 May 2008 calendar of dates
9am to 4pm

Where: Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens
Mt Coot-tha Road Toowong

How Much: $4.00 Adults $3.00 Concession
Contact: Debbie, Queensland Herb Society
email: qldherbsociety@ourbrisbane.com
phone: 07 5426 8299

I was going to launch the very first Herbology stall at this herbal event but as it turns out a very dear friend has chosen that weekend to be married.  Guess there is always next year

There is no point in giving you QLD Herb Society’s URL as the website has been promising to come soon for at least the past 18 months where I have been eagerly waiting for it to appear. *grumble grumble* I really must go to one of their meetings and ask them what the deal is. How hard is it to have a very basic information site? They dont need to change content often just have something there to make people welcome for goodness sake. Ok Ok, I know…ranting and raving again……

Stay Herbal!

Hello Herb Lovers,

Do large multinationals, who use a multitude of chemicals in their products, really think that by adding a herbal compound and marketing that fact heavily, will make people fall over themselves to buy the product because it is suddenly healthy?

Last night I was watching TV and in one of the ad breaks saw an advertisement for a new antiperspirant/deodorant by Rexona. In it a 2-dimensional paper woman while searching for clothes tears her armpits - that’s never happened to me I have to admit but according to the ad it is something women can expect to happen. As a way to fix this painful looking problem Rexona has added Calendula to one of its products. They claim that it “…. helps skin restore itself from damage caused by underarm shaving.”

Brilliant! Calendula (also known as Marigold) is a skin hero. Cream made from Calendula is infinitely versatile. Use it to treat any skin problem involving inflammation or dry skin, dry eczema, sore or split nipples from breastfeeding, and minor burns including sunburn. A compress soaked in Calendula infusion is great for slow healing wounds and varicose veins, or you can gargle it to ease mouth ulcers.

As to Rexona’s claim above…yes, Calendula would help heal shaving damage, but what about the aluminium salts making into the broken skin first?

Now what I pondered last night - and Light of my Life was unable to shed further light on - is this:

Does a small amount of a good ingredient, negate some of the bad ingredients and thus is some good better than none?

OR

Is a small amount of a good ingredient totally overrun by the bad ingredients thus making the addition of said good ingredient totally redundant?

I use natural, preferably herbal products wherever I can. Reading the labels on products has long become a habit when I shop. The terminology used, the abundance of number combinations, some really bad some not so bad for you but are you going to learn them all out by heart? I do wish more people would take the time to educate themselves in what they are putting on and in their bodies, but the manufactures and labeling laws do not make it easy for the consumer.

Personally, I found the ad last night totally laughable. The people who will respond positively to it are those that have no idea what Calendula is so why use it as a marketing tool? Maybe it just sounds good, maybe they hope that people will recognise the name from the plants they put in their flower beds…or maybe it is on a par with the “flexi bouncy technology” for a shampoo ad not too long ago and people actively want to believe something that is utter nonsense invented by a creative marketing department.

Well that’s my herbal rant for the day, have a great weekend …..

Stay Herbal!

Gardening Australia is coming to Brisbane.

I have had a look at the exhibitors and there are several herb related businesses, societies and lots of clever organic products that I am going to have a look at.

Yes, herb lovers, yours truly will venture out and have a look see. If I dont see you there, check back here for a summary of my visit.

Update: Unfortunately I was unable to go <insert mini tantrum here> - If any readers went, tell me all about it

Gardening Australia Expo

Date: Friday-Sunday, April 18-20, 2008
Event Time: Open daily 9.30-4.30pm
Location: Brisbane Exhibition Centre, South Bank

Cost: Adults: $15 Pensioner/Seniors Card holders: $13
Family (2A+2C): $34 Children 5-16yrs: $6 Children under 5: FREE
Children must be accompanied by an adult. All prices include GST.

Tickets available for cash at the door or online at http://www.abcgardeningexpo.com.au

Groups: Pre-sold tickets are available for groups of 10+ people @ $12 each. Call: 02 9452 7575
Information: Visit http://www.abcgardeningexpo.com.au or call 02 9452 7575.