Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Preparing for the Winter with Herbs

Peace,

With winter time coming, I was thinking about making my herbal preparations. With time being so tight along with my pockets, I think I’ve gotten a late start. lol

Herbalism is a topic that I thought we could discuss because of the many benefits that herbs can provide. Herbalism is the use of plants for medicinal purposes. Throughout history, herbs have been used for food, medicines, shelter, clothing, dyes, weapons, musical instruments, and more. The elders would pass down much needed information so that the younger generations would gain the knowledge of how to prevent and heal certain ailments and conditions. Fortunately, we have some sisters and brothers who continue in the legacy and do pass this historical information around.

Inevitably, many of us will be caring for our families during the colder months and will be challenged with flu’s, colds, coughs, viruses, etc.

I use herbs to deal with health issues in my home and couldn’t really say whether or not they are more or less effective than over-the-counter medicines since I don’t use over-the-counter medicines to prevent and heal issues with my family. I think for the most part, I keep Echinacea, Goldenseal, Oregano Oil, Feverfew, Catnip, Chamomile, Cayenne, Garlic, Aloe, Ginger and a few homeopathic remedies and essential oils, such as peppermint, and eucalyptus.

I was curious to know if any of the readers prepare and/or use herbs either fresh, dried, as seasonings tablets, as creams, compresses poultices, suppositories or douches, infusions, decoctions, syrups, tinctures, oils, or wine specifically for the winter/colder months. What are the ailments that you deal with and how do you approach them with herbs? Have you found herbs to be effective and if so, are they more or less effective than over-the-counter medicines? What do you recommend for women to have in their herb cabinets to get through the winter?

Peace,
Sci-Honor Devotion

7 comments:

Jameelah said...

I use herbs all the time, beside the basic peppermint,Echinacea, I also use Alfalfa = for the flu, and energy, Rose hip, Ginger Root and Golden seal for colds as well.

SciDev said...

Peace Jameelah,

I did forget to mention good ol' Iron rich Alfalfa and Rose Hips huhh? I like to use liquid chlorophyll. I strive to add ginger to my food since it's so good. I'm like a child looking for a peice of ginger with each bite. lol. In what form do you use Alfalfa and Rose Hips?

Peace,
Sci-Honor Devotion

Jameelah said...

Peace Sci-Honor

I use the loose leaves and make tea with it. I never tried cholorophyll, I did see it in my book of herbs though.I think I will have to try it.

Peace Jameelah

Unknown said...

PEACE!! This is such a great topic. I have a book at home for home and herbal remedies that is on the shel f looking at me all the time :). lol. I do use lavender and tea tree and peppermint with the seeds in a bath when they are ill but... other then that... I am trying to learn more. PEACE! ZagTired

Jameelah said...

Peace, One that I just started to use is called Gotu Kola it is for mental fatigue. Can't really say how it's working yet, but we will see :)

But a good throat formula is cinnamon, licorice, pepermint, and spearmint. Its a really good tea.

SciDev said...

Peace,

I have a real issue with licorice tasting things. I don't care for fennel and anise. To deal with coughs, throat and even some congestion, I use Olba's Cough syrup which is a combination of herbs. It works well for the children. Burning essential oils works well for us as well. We usually burn peppermint, eucalyptus or menthol type stuff. lol.

Jameelah, please let me know how the Gotu Kola is working. I have a lot of mental fatigue that needs to be remedied. lol

Peace

Ceani said...

Peace Queens.
I use bulk herbs, both powdered and roots & leaves. We slack up on juice and do tea during the winter, unless I add some greens or powder to the juice. I keep all that you mentioned in addition to slippery elm (to expel mucus), fenugreek and thyme combo (dries up mucus). I also keep a tincture of black seed oil around to clear out the lungs and heal ear aches or infections. Mainly tho, I do a parasite cleanse on all of us during the fall or spring (I'm running late too Sci $$$) and a detox to build our systems up to prevent big issues like the flu. I keep some essential oils around too, peppermint (put on the feet with socks to break fever), some citrus for a cranky sleepy head in the morning (mixed with jasmine or lavender wakes em right up and calms em right down). We rarely have more than a cold or a little slow digestion round these parts. I cannot see having to sit in the so-called emergency room for eva eva . . . neva neva. P.S. Red Raspberry is a good immune boost too. I keep it on deck for that as well as reproductive health.

Peace
Remeqka Ceani