on herbal remedies

In light of the entire UK having been gripped in what could only have been a global warming-induced deep freeze, and my own subsequent cold, I've decided to take some time to talk about herbal remedies. Not all of them, of course. There are whole books dedicated to the subject. What I'm going to talk about are the things I reach for every time I get a sniffle, and why I think they work better than more modern alternatives.

1. Echinacea--it's a pretty purple flower that looks rather like a daisy, and, to me at least, it's practically a cure-all. Two of the more common ways to take echinacea is either in capsule or liquid form (which you then put into tea or juice) for the relief of common cold symptoms and a host of other things. Whenever I start to feel a sore throat, or even just a little run down, I put some in a drink (1mL up to 3 times daily), and honest to god, it works. With this on hand, I've kicked colds in a week, which is pretty good considering my flatmate was still expelling all of his symptoms after a month.

2. Honey--like many holistic remedies, honey has been used for centuries, primarily as a topical antiseptic. You can put honey on cuts and scrapes and it kills the bacteria present just as well as Neosporen would, if not better. Because of its antibacterial and antiseptic properties, honey is also good on sore throats. Put a spoonful in your tea, or consume the spoonful on its own like cough medicine (with lemon juice if you like), and it will soothe your raw throat while killing the bacteria that is causing your discomfort. And hey, it tastes better than Buckley's.

3. Ginger--after a trip to Greece in June, I suffered from some, shall we say, stomach upset. In my quest for remedies, I tried both ginger and lemon tea, and candied ginger. Ginger is used for indegestion, nausea, and other unpleasent stomach ailments, although I recommend taking it in its tea form. It's the most palatable way I've found. The candied ginger was foul.

4. Peppermint--used for the same ailments as ginger, peppermint is not only infinitely tastier, but can also be applied topically for plant-induced skin irritations, to soothe tension headaches, and when put under the nose or on the chest can clear sinuses. Besides peppermint, another herb in the mint family--that I've recently discovered--that is good for stomach problems is Dittany of Crete. I picked some up while in Greece (and I won't lie, Harry Potter played a part in the decision), and while it's fabled to be an aphrodisiac, it's also told to be a cure-all, used for the aforementioned stomach problems, and as a topical polutice for wounds.

5. Rest--okay, so it's not an herb, but I can honestly say that one thing I don't think people do enough of when they are ill, is rest. Oh, they say they do, however, often times many rely on fast-acting modern medicines and a single night's good sleep. The world has become a place where everyone wants to be the first, be on top, and that means being able to do everything from paperwork and problem solving to eating and sleeping quickly. But when you're sick, quick just doesn't cut it, and I would not be surprised if the reason why many take so long to heal is because they're not taking any time at all. Therefore my primary recommendation is to take the day--or week--off, put your feet up, and drift in that lazy, self-indulgent place that is illness. Your body will thank you.

For more information on herbal remedies, go here.

(Image borrowed from here.)