Introduction
Base oil is oil used to further dilute pure essential oil(s) for the purpose of massage or application.
Usually, carrier oil is plant-based rather than mineral or animal based. This is due to the fact that both animal and mineral oil are too heavy to be comfortable. Avoid paraffin or refined petrolatum as they are not good emollients. They are not absorbed and most of the time, they are laden with parabens.
There is a lot of oil you can use in the market as carrier oil. The list just keeps growing day by day. However, despite the fact that there is a multitude of weird-named oil in the market, choosing base oil is a very individualistic task and depends mostly upon purpose at hand or preferences.
Usage of Carrier Oil
Why use carrier oil? Simple, as pure essential oils will burn our skin in no time if applied neat. Definitely not a perfect picture and you might be wondering maybe an aromatherapy massage is just more harmful than helpful to you skin. Fortunately, this problem can be solved by diluting the essential oil in base oils.
Anyhow, aromatherapy is not only confined to vaporisers or oil burners. Aromatherapy is a wide field which comprises massage, bath, inhalation, and essential oil as oral medication. Though the latter is rather risky and should not be tried unless prescribed by a skilled herbalist and aroma therapist, its inclusion into aromatherapy has been doubtful, as aroma therapist only uses the scent of plants, never the oil as medication. In my opinion, the usage of essential oil as oral medication is supposedly only applicable to an herbalist. However, usually an aroma therapist is also an herbalist and vice versa. This is because one can’t fully understand the working of nature if one only dwells in a specific field of phytotherapy.
The Oils
Without much babbling, here are the oils I have been talking about:
Almond Oil
Almond oil is inexpensive, bland and quite safe to be used on a majority of people without causing severe allergic reaction. It has not much smell but some sensitive individuals felt it has quite a strong smell. However, do remember that those who are sensitive to nuts should not use this oil (or any other nuts oil). After extraction of oil from the nut, the leftovers are usually used to produce cake for the consumption of diabetics.
Apricot Kernel Oil
It is light and expensive but the most suitable diluter of essential oil if you only prefer the smell of your essential oil(s). It has virtually no smell at all, and if it has, can be easily clouded by the strong smell of essential oil(s).
Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is rich in nutrient and mainly vitamin E. It stores well and since it contains a high amount of Vitamin E, it helps to preserve essential oil it contains as well. Tocopherols, or more commonly known as Vitamin E is a good antioxidant. It preserves by preventing the oxidation of itself and the essential oils it contains. Subsequently, the blend with this viscous oil will have longer shelf-life. However, as it is quite thick, aroma therapists prefer to mix it with lighter base oil (such as apricot kernel oil or peach kernel oil) in the proportion of 1:10 (i.e. 1 drop of avocado oil with ten drops of lighter base oil). Avocado oil is well suited for dry skin and it moisturises well. However, it is not advisable to be used on acne-prone or oily skin. As it is rich in Vitamin E, it will prevent aging as well.
Coconut Oil
Fellow Malaysians, do you know that the Indian aunties all use coconut oil as a part of their hair and scalp care regime? However, its usage is not only confined to hair and scalp alone. It is just as useful to dry and barren skin as well. Do remember that; if it is overuse, it will cause your hair too be very greasy. If you wanted to use coconut oil, opt for cold-press. Most coconut oil is solid in room temperature but hey, if you live in Malaysia, Butter also becomes oil la…
Grape seed Oil
This oil is virtually odourless (then again…) and light. It is good as a main base or as a diluter of heavier base oil (i.e. Avocado Oil and Jojoba Oil to name a few). I have heard about grape seeds having a lot of rejuvenation properties, however, I do not know for sure if the properties are also imbued in their oil. There is currently a type of ‘Miracle Water’ that is made out of grape seed extract.
Jojoba Oil
It is solid and waxy in room temperature and absorb readily by our skin. It is anti-inflammatory and very soothing to hot and irritated skin. As with any heavy base oil, the 1:10 rules apply if preferred.
Olive Oil
Yup, our favourite Mediterranean oil can also be used as base oil too. It is also excellent in treating dry scalp and hair condition. As with coconut oil, it is quite useful for dry skin as well. However, my dear friends, you and I know about the smell and heaviness of this lovely and healthy oil. Perhaps it is better off for it to remain in the kitchen? Just kidding! As with all heavier oil, why not dilute this one too with lighter base oil? If you use this one for base oil, try getting cold-pressed one, it benefits your skin even more. In fact, try to get cold-press oil whenever you can, whether it is for cooking or not. Oil that has been subjected to heating will breakdown when it is being extract. Some lighter cooking oil (such as olive oil and canola) is not that heat stable and will break during the process of extraction. This is definitely not pretty. If you can’t find cold-pressed oil, why not opt for palm oil and coconut oil instead? They are more heat stable than other vegetable oil.
Peach Kernel Oil
It is the near equivalent of Apricot Kernel Oil, in term of its pricing and quality.
Sunflower Oil
It contains a number of vitamins, including vitamin A, B, D, and E. it is a common variety of base oil as it is cheaper. If cold-pressed option is unavailable, choose those that are high in quality.
Wheatgerm Oil
Wheatgerm oil is superbly thick, very heavy and golden. It is very rich in Vitamin E (even richer then Avocado Oil. It has quite similar properties to avocado oil. As heavier base oil, it is diluted with lighter base oil in 1:10 proportion. Those who are sensitive to wheat should not use this oil.
Dilution Scale for Massage Oil
3:1 of essential oil to base oil – 1% dilution
6:2 of essential oil to base oil – 2% dilution
9:3 of essential oil to base oil – 3% dilution
Do not apply NEAT essential oil on skin at all times!
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Cutting the Lemongrass
Cutting the Lemongrass…
Well, we Asians (especially South-east Asian) cannot live without this favourable species from the Poaceae family. It’s a perennial grass, can grow into a mini shrub and composed of hard-shelled leaves. It’s highly aromatic and a keen reminder of lemon, hence the name Lemongrass (Serai la beb…). There are a lot of varieties for the lemongrass, and the general species is the Eastern and Western Indian species. It is both a medicinal and culinary herb used in Asiatic society. It is used often in the treatment of fever, infectious disease, and skin problem.
Lemongrass, when used as a standard infusion (or mix with ginger), can treat flatulence, and stomach wind. It is useful in relieving abdominal wind and a good treatment for inflammation of the stomach. Some reported that it is useful in treating stomach ache.
Okay, now let’s us delve into the usage of lemongrass essential oil.
The oil of this very special plant is pale yellow in colour and has a very strong smell of lemon, often in a harsher quality. Lemongrass oil is antiseptic, antifungal, and bactericidal. It can be used in treating a myriad of diseases, including athlete’s foot, thrush, and feverish infections. It can be used in massage oil blend to tone and strengthen weak, tired, and fatigue muscle and often to a successful degree. It is warming in effect, so it is a good oil to use in massage to relieve rheumatism…
For the digestive systems, this oil can make wonders. When inhaled, it can be used as appetite stimulant, and to be use for soothing irritated and inflamed colon. It help in gastric infections as well.
Lemongrass oil is very beneficial to oily and acne prone skin. When added to facial steam, it can unclog blocked pores and prevent the skin from secreting so much oil.
Lemongrass can also be used to deter insects, and can be used for deodorising purpose.
As with all essential oils, dilute with an appropriate amount of base oil. Almond oil, jojoba oil, and any light vegetable oil are plausible.
Lemongrass Oil Soap
1 bar of unscented soap about 150g
Grater
Heatproof bowl
Measuring Jug
Saucepan
Spoon
Pestle and Mortar
12 drops of lemongrass essential oil
6 drops of chamomile essential oil
Water from respectable brand (Spring Water, bottled water or the like…)
Chamomile and Lemongrass Facial Steam
40g fresh or 15g dried Chamomile flowers
40g fresh Lemongrass (Finely chopped)
1 pint of boiling water
One larger Bowl
Well, we Asians (especially South-east Asian) cannot live without this favourable species from the Poaceae family. It’s a perennial grass, can grow into a mini shrub and composed of hard-shelled leaves. It’s highly aromatic and a keen reminder of lemon, hence the name Lemongrass (Serai la beb…). There are a lot of varieties for the lemongrass, and the general species is the Eastern and Western Indian species. It is both a medicinal and culinary herb used in Asiatic society. It is used often in the treatment of fever, infectious disease, and skin problem.
Lemongrass, when used as a standard infusion (or mix with ginger), can treat flatulence, and stomach wind. It is useful in relieving abdominal wind and a good treatment for inflammation of the stomach. Some reported that it is useful in treating stomach ache.
Okay, now let’s us delve into the usage of lemongrass essential oil.
The oil of this very special plant is pale yellow in colour and has a very strong smell of lemon, often in a harsher quality. Lemongrass oil is antiseptic, antifungal, and bactericidal. It can be used in treating a myriad of diseases, including athlete’s foot, thrush, and feverish infections. It can be used in massage oil blend to tone and strengthen weak, tired, and fatigue muscle and often to a successful degree. It is warming in effect, so it is a good oil to use in massage to relieve rheumatism…
For the digestive systems, this oil can make wonders. When inhaled, it can be used as appetite stimulant, and to be use for soothing irritated and inflamed colon. It help in gastric infections as well.
Lemongrass oil is very beneficial to oily and acne prone skin. When added to facial steam, it can unclog blocked pores and prevent the skin from secreting so much oil.
Lemongrass can also be used to deter insects, and can be used for deodorising purpose.
As with all essential oils, dilute with an appropriate amount of base oil. Almond oil, jojoba oil, and any light vegetable oil are plausible.
Lemongrass Oil Soap
1 bar of unscented soap about 150g
Grater
Heatproof bowl
Measuring Jug
Saucepan
Spoon
Pestle and Mortar
12 drops of lemongrass essential oil
6 drops of chamomile essential oil
Water from respectable brand (Spring Water, bottled water or the like…)
- Grate the unscented soap bar with the finest side of your grater into the heatproof bowl.
- Add water in the proportion of one part water to two part soap. (In the case of 150g, it is about 75ml of water).
- Put the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir the mixture constantly. You will see it becoming stickier.
- Continue stirring until you find it hard to stir. When it becomes too hard to be stirred, remove the pan from the heat. This might take a while. Be patient!
- Replace the soap mixture into a pestle or mortar and add the essential oils. Mix very well.
- Wet your hands, take about half the soap and work into a bar shape and leave to dry on a wooden board. Alternatively, you can use a larger figurine mould used for baking but choose those with not much details as it tends to stick to the finer details of the mould, generally buy those mould that are heart shape or the like. If you used mould, put it in a hotter place to make it dry faster. The process of drying might take a few days.
- Voila, now you have a soap bar for controlling oil and toning your skin! It has a mild firming quality and this is good for loose and sagging skin.
- The book I copied from suggests we used papyrus leaves and raffia string to wrap the soap bar. I beg to differ, and as a true Asian, I would like to use materials we used to wrap dumplings (i.e. Bamboo leaves, and raffia). Plus, it imparts an almost greenish feel to the soap. Alternatively, one might used dried banana leaf as wrapping material as well.
Chamomile and Lemongrass Facial Steam
40g fresh or 15g dried Chamomile flowers
40g fresh Lemongrass (Finely chopped)
1 pint of boiling water
One larger Bowl
- Make an infusion of the herb in boiling water. Stand for 30 minutes and strain.
- Reheat the infusion and pour it in the large bowl.
- Drape a towel over you head and inhale for about 30 seconds or until you can’t stand the heat (whichever comes first). Repeat two or three times. Finally, end up with a good facial toner (An standard infusion with roses and mints is a good one)
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
All about Lavender
All about Lavender
Lavender is the very first herb that brought me to aromatherapy and herbalism. This herb fascinates me about the healing properties of the plant kingdom and inspired me to dwell further into the topic of herbalism. Lavender is well-known for its invigorating, delicious, and uplifting scent, used generously in the aromatherapy industry. Since it is so aromatic let me introduce the usage of its essential oil.
Oil of Lavender
Lavender belongs to the family Lamiaceae (Liberate) and it is grown in the Mediterranean originally. It is now cultivated around the world because of its special scent. Lavender is an evergreen shrub and is the favourite among the Romans. The Romans used them to perfume their bath water, hence the name Lavender (comes from the lavatory, which means bathroom). It is an effective disinfectant, antiseptic, and sedative. Lavender extract is often added to toilet products.
The oil of Lavender is obtained by steam distillation of the flowers. The oil is clear, faintly yellow and has a sweet floral smell. It is one of the most useful oil to have in your disposal and the only oil you can apply neat to your skin without diluting. Very few have sensitivity towards this lovely oil.
Lavender relaxes and sedates. It is one of the fine massage oil to be used as it cures rheumatism, insomnia, anxiety, flatulence (when use in abdominal massage) and headaches.
As it is a mild anodyne, it is suitable to be use to cure headaches.
Lavender oil can be apply neat to bruises, minor burns, insect stings and bites, scalds, scrapes and infection. The oil promotes healing and thus reduces the likelihood of developing scars.
When used in bathing, it is beneficiary to the urinal-genital tracts infections, such as thrush and cystitis. It can be used in steam inhalations as well as it can soothe spasmodic cough and throat infection and even laryngitis.
Apart from being a good insect repellent, it is also excellent for psoriasis, athlete’s foot, acne, and eczema. It is also a good mouth wash. It can also be used to relieve toothache if dropped to the said teeth.
Just a few drops of Lavender oil on an oil burner filled with water or a lamp burner will do the trick.
Lavender Preparations
Headaches Reliever
½ teaspoon of dried wood betony flowers
½ teaspoon of dried lavender flower-tops
200ml of boiling water
Infused the said herbs in a cup and steep for ten minutes, then strain and drink twice a day.
Lavender Tinctures
115 gram of dried lavender flowers or 300 gram of fresh lavender flowers
250ml of vodka
250ml of water
One sterilised and airtight jar
Lavender is the very first herb that brought me to aromatherapy and herbalism. This herb fascinates me about the healing properties of the plant kingdom and inspired me to dwell further into the topic of herbalism. Lavender is well-known for its invigorating, delicious, and uplifting scent, used generously in the aromatherapy industry. Since it is so aromatic let me introduce the usage of its essential oil.
Oil of Lavender
Lavender belongs to the family Lamiaceae (Liberate) and it is grown in the Mediterranean originally. It is now cultivated around the world because of its special scent. Lavender is an evergreen shrub and is the favourite among the Romans. The Romans used them to perfume their bath water, hence the name Lavender (comes from the lavatory, which means bathroom). It is an effective disinfectant, antiseptic, and sedative. Lavender extract is often added to toilet products.
The oil of Lavender is obtained by steam distillation of the flowers. The oil is clear, faintly yellow and has a sweet floral smell. It is one of the most useful oil to have in your disposal and the only oil you can apply neat to your skin without diluting. Very few have sensitivity towards this lovely oil.
Lavender relaxes and sedates. It is one of the fine massage oil to be used as it cures rheumatism, insomnia, anxiety, flatulence (when use in abdominal massage) and headaches.
As it is a mild anodyne, it is suitable to be use to cure headaches.
Lavender oil can be apply neat to bruises, minor burns, insect stings and bites, scalds, scrapes and infection. The oil promotes healing and thus reduces the likelihood of developing scars.
When used in bathing, it is beneficiary to the urinal-genital tracts infections, such as thrush and cystitis. It can be used in steam inhalations as well as it can soothe spasmodic cough and throat infection and even laryngitis.
Apart from being a good insect repellent, it is also excellent for psoriasis, athlete’s foot, acne, and eczema. It is also a good mouth wash. It can also be used to relieve toothache if dropped to the said teeth.
Just a few drops of Lavender oil on an oil burner filled with water or a lamp burner will do the trick.
Lavender Preparations
Headaches Reliever
½ teaspoon of dried wood betony flowers
½ teaspoon of dried lavender flower-tops
200ml of boiling water
Infused the said herbs in a cup and steep for ten minutes, then strain and drink twice a day.
Lavender Tinctures
115 gram of dried lavender flowers or 300 gram of fresh lavender flowers
250ml of vodka
250ml of water
One sterilised and airtight jar
- Place the herbs into the jar; gently pound them with a pestle.
- Add the vodka and the water into the jar.
- Leave to steep in a sunny place for two weeks. Strain and keep in a cool, dry place (you can use a dehumidifier nearby) or you can store them in your refrigerator.
- For consumption, dilute the tincture in one part of water or fruit juice per part of tincture. Also, it can be added to herbal compress.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Being Truly Healthy
Being Truly Healthy…
Well, it’s very obvious that until this point, if you have been reading on, you are one of the avid seekers of holistic health. Well, for starters, what is more natural and organic with using herbs? If you’ve been reading on, you will notice that herbs offer more than just healing your body; they did heal your soul. However, don’t just take my words and apply them. You body doesn’t work that way, you need to live a truly healthy lifestyle…
What is being truly healthy you might ask? It’s very simple and truly it requires very little, but taxing on the thought process. Being truly healthy requires you to live a healthy lifestyle, a lifestyle that is simple, and do what is most matter in life.
See it this way, when will you consider a jar really full? Read on…
When you fill in a jar with golf balls until it full, is it really full yet? Not quite, Try filling it in with lima beans, is it truly full yet? Not quite too, as it still has space for the little sands you scoop up from the beach. After you poured them in, then you will say: “That’ll do the trick, now it is really full,” No, I will say, as you can still fill the jar with a cup of liquid, perhaps, a cup of coffee? Full? Perhaps not, there’ll still air bubbles inside trapped, can this be filled too?
The lesson of the story is this:
The golf balls are the things essential to life: God, Love, Family, Friends, Health, Food, air and etc. while the beans represent the things that are important in life: Good hobby, Clothing, Money, and Property. While the sands, represents thing that is less important in life: Music CDs, Entertainments, TV, etc. and the liquid? You can guess…
You see, your life will never be full, you can keep occupy it with something else and make yourself so busy until you feel too full to be good. Sometimes, it is enough to keep things to a level we can manage. There’s no need to indulge in a plate of nasi lemak and the found out on the next day you have heart attack. There’s no need either to fill your life fully with works until you neglected your own health or your family members… Take a closer and honest look at yourself; are you treating yourself the way you deserved to be treated?
Life is about doing what you should do
Sometimes, it is hard to revamp our own lifestyle, who does not like munching on a piece of burger filled with enviable and tasty sauce. Not to mention the succulent meat. However, life should be lived responsibly. You have a responsible towards your own health and your own body. Do you think life is bestowed upon you by accident? If you answered yes, there’s no point in living.
Life is not an accident; we have a purpose being here.
For those out there reading, until now you will feel, what does this post have to do with herbs? Frankly, this post has nothing to do with herbs, but it has a lot of things to do with a proper living habit. I do not like seeing sickly people depending on herbs just because they did not treat their body the way they should. Herbs are here to help if disease is inevitable, not as constant life-savers. Your body can heal itself, and yes, if you fed it proper nutrition and ample exercise!
Eating the way we should
Sometimes we tend to forget and munch on that steak laced with saturated fat. Or we might be downing that cup of cola that might cause us our life. All of this amounted to the high level of diseases nowadays. Back in the olden days, when food is a scarcity, people tend to live a healthier albeit shorter life. The secret is to eat what is essential and not to say we have to neglect eating altogether. Extreme dieting won’t do you any good, and harm will come your way.
I have seen there’s a lot of diet plans and crash diet course. I am in no position to criticize them but I somewhat found them to be unsound. Everything needs to be eaten and in a moderate compound. For me, the only essential thing is the food pyramid. Just follow it and voila, healthy life your way.
Muscle are made to be moved
How relaxing it is for us to unwind sometimes, lying under the sun without moving a muscle. However, if you are constantly leading a sedentary life, and without really moving a muscle, then you are in big trouble…
People who lead too sedentary a lifestyle is susceptible to many diseases, cardiovascular in particular, and obesity too.
Exercise is very important as it helps you to build up self-confidence as well as a healthier life. Ask yourself; is 20 minutes a day, four times a week be so much a time for you? How about moving the treadmill machine in front of the TV? Maybe you can enjoy your workout while watching your favourite soaps…
Walk around sometimes, find a park and jog there, enjoying its beautiful surroundings. I am not the first blog or website to blabber you all about this but this classic did work. If you really care about your won health, do it! Go out and move your muscle.
Did I mention exercise made you happier and sexier? A person who exercises tend to perform better at sex… it is a proven fact.
Starting off might be difficult but you should continue on to achieve a better health and a better figure.
El Conclusión
The things I wanted to say has ended so far, and to end this post, I provide my reference to you for further reading.
I recommend the book titled: “Eat Your Colors”, written by Marcia Zimmerman. This book has really saved me a lot of time finding for the right solution for my dieting and this is the book inspired me to be more careful with what am I eating.
Another thing I wanted to tell you is that, the very food you’ve been eating everyday can be a cure too. Foods, when used as cures, are more effective than you take in foreign herbs. As you are more receptive towards it as you find it palatable. It’s actually up to us to improvise, and healthy eating does not necessarily means you have to sacrifice flavours and textures. A healthy fine dining experience can be as healthy as well.
François Rabelais
François Rabelais c.1494– c.1553
French humanist, satirist, and physician
L’appétit vient en mangeant.
The appetite grows by eating.
Gargantua (1534) bk. 1, ch. 5___WOW_
Well, it’s very obvious that until this point, if you have been reading on, you are one of the avid seekers of holistic health. Well, for starters, what is more natural and organic with using herbs? If you’ve been reading on, you will notice that herbs offer more than just healing your body; they did heal your soul. However, don’t just take my words and apply them. You body doesn’t work that way, you need to live a truly healthy lifestyle…
What is being truly healthy you might ask? It’s very simple and truly it requires very little, but taxing on the thought process. Being truly healthy requires you to live a healthy lifestyle, a lifestyle that is simple, and do what is most matter in life.
See it this way, when will you consider a jar really full? Read on…
When you fill in a jar with golf balls until it full, is it really full yet? Not quite, Try filling it in with lima beans, is it truly full yet? Not quite too, as it still has space for the little sands you scoop up from the beach. After you poured them in, then you will say: “That’ll do the trick, now it is really full,” No, I will say, as you can still fill the jar with a cup of liquid, perhaps, a cup of coffee? Full? Perhaps not, there’ll still air bubbles inside trapped, can this be filled too?
The lesson of the story is this:
The golf balls are the things essential to life: God, Love, Family, Friends, Health, Food, air and etc. while the beans represent the things that are important in life: Good hobby, Clothing, Money, and Property. While the sands, represents thing that is less important in life: Music CDs, Entertainments, TV, etc. and the liquid? You can guess…
You see, your life will never be full, you can keep occupy it with something else and make yourself so busy until you feel too full to be good. Sometimes, it is enough to keep things to a level we can manage. There’s no need to indulge in a plate of nasi lemak and the found out on the next day you have heart attack. There’s no need either to fill your life fully with works until you neglected your own health or your family members… Take a closer and honest look at yourself; are you treating yourself the way you deserved to be treated?
Life is about doing what you should do
Sometimes, it is hard to revamp our own lifestyle, who does not like munching on a piece of burger filled with enviable and tasty sauce. Not to mention the succulent meat. However, life should be lived responsibly. You have a responsible towards your own health and your own body. Do you think life is bestowed upon you by accident? If you answered yes, there’s no point in living.
Life is not an accident; we have a purpose being here.
For those out there reading, until now you will feel, what does this post have to do with herbs? Frankly, this post has nothing to do with herbs, but it has a lot of things to do with a proper living habit. I do not like seeing sickly people depending on herbs just because they did not treat their body the way they should. Herbs are here to help if disease is inevitable, not as constant life-savers. Your body can heal itself, and yes, if you fed it proper nutrition and ample exercise!
Eating the way we should
Sometimes we tend to forget and munch on that steak laced with saturated fat. Or we might be downing that cup of cola that might cause us our life. All of this amounted to the high level of diseases nowadays. Back in the olden days, when food is a scarcity, people tend to live a healthier albeit shorter life. The secret is to eat what is essential and not to say we have to neglect eating altogether. Extreme dieting won’t do you any good, and harm will come your way.
I have seen there’s a lot of diet plans and crash diet course. I am in no position to criticize them but I somewhat found them to be unsound. Everything needs to be eaten and in a moderate compound. For me, the only essential thing is the food pyramid. Just follow it and voila, healthy life your way.
Muscle are made to be moved
How relaxing it is for us to unwind sometimes, lying under the sun without moving a muscle. However, if you are constantly leading a sedentary life, and without really moving a muscle, then you are in big trouble…
People who lead too sedentary a lifestyle is susceptible to many diseases, cardiovascular in particular, and obesity too.
Exercise is very important as it helps you to build up self-confidence as well as a healthier life. Ask yourself; is 20 minutes a day, four times a week be so much a time for you? How about moving the treadmill machine in front of the TV? Maybe you can enjoy your workout while watching your favourite soaps…
Walk around sometimes, find a park and jog there, enjoying its beautiful surroundings. I am not the first blog or website to blabber you all about this but this classic did work. If you really care about your won health, do it! Go out and move your muscle.
Did I mention exercise made you happier and sexier? A person who exercises tend to perform better at sex… it is a proven fact.
Starting off might be difficult but you should continue on to achieve a better health and a better figure.
El Conclusión
The things I wanted to say has ended so far, and to end this post, I provide my reference to you for further reading.
I recommend the book titled: “Eat Your Colors”, written by Marcia Zimmerman. This book has really saved me a lot of time finding for the right solution for my dieting and this is the book inspired me to be more careful with what am I eating.
Another thing I wanted to tell you is that, the very food you’ve been eating everyday can be a cure too. Foods, when used as cures, are more effective than you take in foreign herbs. As you are more receptive towards it as you find it palatable. It’s actually up to us to improvise, and healthy eating does not necessarily means you have to sacrifice flavours and textures. A healthy fine dining experience can be as healthy as well.
François Rabelais
François Rabelais c.1494– c.1553
French humanist, satirist, and physician
L’appétit vient en mangeant.
The appetite grows by eating.
Gargantua (1534) bk. 1, ch. 5___WOW_
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Coping with Stress
Coping with Stress
Stress, in itself, is not really a threat. It is quite motivating in fact and everyone needs some degree of stress in order to do things right. Stress provides one with urgency and sense of importance when dealing with some situations. Too little stress produces an individual that is almost ‘rusted-out’ which can be stressful itself (the irony).
However, when stress is too much for you to handle (bills, dogs, kids, nagging spouse, etc.), you face the inevitable breakdown felt by every human being. Too much of stress produces an irritable individual, and changed you into a completely different people.
The usual symptoms of stress are:
Too much of stress will produce an unhealthy person physically. Usually, insomnia will reared its ugly head, ulcer will be boring holes through your stomach, and your heart will be pumping faster than usual. All of these are clinical symptoms and if serious, one should always consult one’s physician.
Sometimes, one might be suffering from anxiety disorder if those symptoms mentioned above I left unchecked…
If you feel that the effect of stress is not really that heavy on you, try the remedy suggested below, it is fun and quite effective…
If you are suffering from insomnia or anxiety:
Warm Milk and Honey
This drink will help you unwind and a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger (all of these powdered) will do wonders! There’s no dosage for this, put as much as you prefer.
Hop Tea
Infuse three hop cones (heads) in a cup (pint cup) of boiling water. One might also stuff some hop cones into their pillow to ease insomnia.
Lavender Tea
Brew an infusion of Lavender (using direction from previous post) and drink before going to bed.
Chamomile Wonder Tea
Put 1 tablespoon of Chamomile and 1 tablespoon of spearmint and infuse in one cup of hot water. Sweeten with honey. This will produce a wonderfully relaxing drink.
Those mentioned above are quick fixes and if none of them work, continue on with one of those mentioned above and add this to your treatment regime. However, if you feel uncomfortable, discontinue.
Calming Tea (Nervine)
Prepare a standard infusion (refer to previous post on infusion) of the said herbs, strain, and take a glass three times a day, for one week only.
Tonic Tea for Depression
2 teaspoons of dandelion heads and 1 teaspoon of basil steeped in 1 pint of boiling water or 2 teaspoons each of nettles, basil, and lemon balm infused in 1 pint of boiling water. Take whenever you need it.
Tonic Tea for Stress and Anxiety
Prepare a standard infusion (refer to previous post on infusion) of the said herbs. Strain and drink with lemon and honey. Take as necessary.
If you are suffering from indigestion:
Make a standard tisane (refer to previous post) from the herbs (or a combination of herbs) below:
Calming Tea
Before I end this post, do remember that sometimes life is not as bad as you think, just as a common weed can treat your ailment, why not you can ‘cure’ your problem? No problem is really a big problem that you can’t handle. It is just you haven’t find the right solution to it. So, let’s unwind and think clearly. Take a relaxing bath or a luxurious shower. Have you forgotten the little things in life? Your partner perhaps? Have you neglected that his/her love for you, or have you totally ignored him/her?
Take some time to appreciate the little things in life, smell the flowers that are growing in the hedges, or notice how happy a child playing in the street. Remember everything in life is simple, it’s just that human tend to complicate it…
“W. Somerset Maugham 1874–1965:
Like all weak men he laid an exaggerated stress on not changing one’s mind.
Of Human Bondage (1915) ch. 39”
Stress, in itself, is not really a threat. It is quite motivating in fact and everyone needs some degree of stress in order to do things right. Stress provides one with urgency and sense of importance when dealing with some situations. Too little stress produces an individual that is almost ‘rusted-out’ which can be stressful itself (the irony).
However, when stress is too much for you to handle (bills, dogs, kids, nagging spouse, etc.), you face the inevitable breakdown felt by every human being. Too much of stress produces an irritable individual, and changed you into a completely different people.
The usual symptoms of stress are:
- Having problem concentrating.
- Emotional instability, on the verge of tears, or flaming personality.
- Always exhausted, even after a good night sleep. Unable to settle down, to relax.
- Feelings of giving up hope on living.
- Poor appetite or extreme eating.
- Reluctant to enjoy or to have fun.
- Feeling of unable to trust everyone.
- Problems in relationship, lost interest in sex
- Fidgeting, biting nails or chewing hair.
- Constantly throwing tantrum.
- Irritability.
Too much of stress will produce an unhealthy person physically. Usually, insomnia will reared its ugly head, ulcer will be boring holes through your stomach, and your heart will be pumping faster than usual. All of these are clinical symptoms and if serious, one should always consult one’s physician.
Sometimes, one might be suffering from anxiety disorder if those symptoms mentioned above I left unchecked…
If you feel that the effect of stress is not really that heavy on you, try the remedy suggested below, it is fun and quite effective…
If you are suffering from insomnia or anxiety:
Warm Milk and Honey
This drink will help you unwind and a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger (all of these powdered) will do wonders! There’s no dosage for this, put as much as you prefer.
Hop Tea
Infuse three hop cones (heads) in a cup (pint cup) of boiling water. One might also stuff some hop cones into their pillow to ease insomnia.
Lavender Tea
Brew an infusion of Lavender (using direction from previous post) and drink before going to bed.
Chamomile Wonder Tea
Put 1 tablespoon of Chamomile and 1 tablespoon of spearmint and infuse in one cup of hot water. Sweeten with honey. This will produce a wonderfully relaxing drink.
Those mentioned above are quick fixes and if none of them work, continue on with one of those mentioned above and add this to your treatment regime. However, if you feel uncomfortable, discontinue.
Calming Tea (Nervine)
- 1 teaspoon each of grated Valerian Root and dried spearmint
- ½ teaspoon each of dried chamomile and lavender flowers
- 1 pint of boiling water
Prepare a standard infusion (refer to previous post on infusion) of the said herbs, strain, and take a glass three times a day, for one week only.
Tonic Tea for Depression
2 teaspoons of dandelion heads and 1 teaspoon of basil steeped in 1 pint of boiling water or 2 teaspoons each of nettles, basil, and lemon balm infused in 1 pint of boiling water. Take whenever you need it.
Tonic Tea for Stress and Anxiety
- 1 tablespoon each fresh dandelion (insect free!) and nettle tops
- 1 teaspoon each fresh blackcurrant and borage leaves
- 1 pint of boiling water
Prepare a standard infusion (refer to previous post on infusion) of the said herbs. Strain and drink with lemon and honey. Take as necessary.
If you are suffering from indigestion:
Make a standard tisane (refer to previous post) from the herbs (or a combination of herbs) below:
- Chamomile
- Hops
- Licorice
- Fennel
- Lemon Balm
- Meadowsweet
- Slippery Elm
Calming Tea
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Balm
- 1 teaspoon Hops
- 1 teaspoon Chamomile
- 1 pint of boiling water
- Put the herbs into a warmed teapot and fill with boiling water. Steep no longer than ten minutes. Strain into a teacup.
- Drink as medication, not more than three times a day (approximately after three meals a day).
Before I end this post, do remember that sometimes life is not as bad as you think, just as a common weed can treat your ailment, why not you can ‘cure’ your problem? No problem is really a big problem that you can’t handle. It is just you haven’t find the right solution to it. So, let’s unwind and think clearly. Take a relaxing bath or a luxurious shower. Have you forgotten the little things in life? Your partner perhaps? Have you neglected that his/her love for you, or have you totally ignored him/her?
Take some time to appreciate the little things in life, smell the flowers that are growing in the hedges, or notice how happy a child playing in the street. Remember everything in life is simple, it’s just that human tend to complicate it…
“W. Somerset Maugham 1874–1965:
Like all weak men he laid an exaggerated stress on not changing one’s mind.
Of Human Bondage (1915) ch. 39”
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Just For Fun
This is totally a crazy post. I copy a nice plate from Galileo Galilee Book and made it into a herbal book cover. It is actually a cover sheet for the astronomical book he wrote... If anyone found this post is violating some law, please do tell me... I would be more than helpful to remove this.
Anyway, this post has nothing to do with herbalism... Hahaha... Enjoy!
Insam Saenggang Tang
인삼생강탕
Insam Saenggang Tang (Ginger Ginseng Tea)
This concoction is used as an anti-coagulant, especially for those who are suffering from Hypertension or Hyperglycaemia (diabetes). These patients are very susceptible to sudden blood clot as their blood is quite viscous. This hinders the flow of blood and thus disrupted the movement of platelet cells, the starter cell for blood clotting mechanism. The platelets might break and thus unleashing a chain of reaction which inevitably ends up with clots. This may sounds scary and in order to stop this kind of happening, conventional practices often include prescribing anti-coagulant drugs (which is quite harmful and potent). The other cause for blood clot brings us to the harmful effect of Cholesterol (LDL and VLDL), which are often being deposited on the inner artery wall, causing a symptom call plaque. The plaque will then grow larger in size, preventing blood flow along the way. The disrupted pattern of blood flow will then cause the breakage of platelets, which is in turn will cause blood clot. Worse, this clot might travel to the vein of the brains and blocking it if it is stuck there. This is definitely not a pretty picture and this is one of the causes of stroke.
The remedy consists:
Crush the ginger lightly. Mix it with the ginseng slice in an earthenware pot and cover with adequate amount of water. Add the rock sugar or white sugar. Set the flame at its highest to bring it to the boil and lower the flame to its lowest setting possible and simmer for at least one hour (but no more than 2 hour). Remove from the heat and set it to cool to room temperature. Drink a pint cup each time (standard measurement), each time before meal (or after meal if you’re suffering from gastritis).
Precaution:
This soup might cause ‘over-heating’ of the body because of the excessive yang energy of the herbs used. To combat this, one can finish off their meal with fondues of fruit that includes pear, strawberry, persimmon, and a generous whipping of yoghurt as dressing. This counter-remedy however, is not for those that do not feel the said heat energy ‘swarming’ in their body. Instead, this remedy is for those people who know that, whenever they partake of hot food (chilli, etc.); their body will be swarming with heat and possibly, sore throat. Also, this fruit fondue is not meant for dessert purpose and sugar is strictly not allowed. Furthermore, this counter-remedy is to be eaten three hours or so after consumption of the ginseng and ginger soup and should only be eaten not more than twice a day.
Insam Saenggang Tang (Ginger Ginseng Tea)
This concoction is used as an anti-coagulant, especially for those who are suffering from Hypertension or Hyperglycaemia (diabetes). These patients are very susceptible to sudden blood clot as their blood is quite viscous. This hinders the flow of blood and thus disrupted the movement of platelet cells, the starter cell for blood clotting mechanism. The platelets might break and thus unleashing a chain of reaction which inevitably ends up with clots. This may sounds scary and in order to stop this kind of happening, conventional practices often include prescribing anti-coagulant drugs (which is quite harmful and potent). The other cause for blood clot brings us to the harmful effect of Cholesterol (LDL and VLDL), which are often being deposited on the inner artery wall, causing a symptom call plaque. The plaque will then grow larger in size, preventing blood flow along the way. The disrupted pattern of blood flow will then cause the breakage of platelets, which is in turn will cause blood clot. Worse, this clot might travel to the vein of the brains and blocking it if it is stuck there. This is definitely not a pretty picture and this is one of the causes of stroke.
The remedy consists:
- Ginger 5cm (regular breadth)
- Ginseng Slices 100g
- Sugar (Rock Sugar/White) 50g
- Water (preferably spring water or bottled water from respectable source)
Crush the ginger lightly. Mix it with the ginseng slice in an earthenware pot and cover with adequate amount of water. Add the rock sugar or white sugar. Set the flame at its highest to bring it to the boil and lower the flame to its lowest setting possible and simmer for at least one hour (but no more than 2 hour). Remove from the heat and set it to cool to room temperature. Drink a pint cup each time (standard measurement), each time before meal (or after meal if you’re suffering from gastritis).
Precaution:
This soup might cause ‘over-heating’ of the body because of the excessive yang energy of the herbs used. To combat this, one can finish off their meal with fondues of fruit that includes pear, strawberry, persimmon, and a generous whipping of yoghurt as dressing. This counter-remedy however, is not for those that do not feel the said heat energy ‘swarming’ in their body. Instead, this remedy is for those people who know that, whenever they partake of hot food (chilli, etc.); their body will be swarming with heat and possibly, sore throat. Also, this fruit fondue is not meant for dessert purpose and sugar is strictly not allowed. Furthermore, this counter-remedy is to be eaten three hours or so after consumption of the ginseng and ginger soup and should only be eaten not more than twice a day.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Coping with Infertility
Coping with Infertility…
Infertile is defined as the inability of conceiving after 6 six months of regular and unprotected sexual intercourse.
Infertility is generally associated with sexual performance. A lot of people think that infertility is caused by their inadequacy in performing sexually. It’s not true and such a thought should be discarded entirely. Infertility is caused by a lot of factors, pollution being one of the major ones. Another major factor is age.
One interesting study shown that men from the rural area are more infertile compared to those living in the city area. It turns out that men living in the rural area are always exposed to the farm chemicals they are using everyday. This amounted to the higher infertility level in the rural area than in the city area.
Another factor is genetic or inheritance. Some are inherited with genes that are hostile to the production of sperms or sperms that could not survive once they are produced. On the other hand, females are often associated with blocked fallopian tubes, thick mucus, unable to produce a fertile egg-cell and over-acidity of the uterus. The sperm simply could not survive in the harsh environment.
However, infertility and erectile dysfunction is two different things, and does not associate with one another. Someone with erectile dysfunction could be as fertile as a rabbit or someone without erectile dysfunction could be as barren as the Sahara.
There are a few steps we can take to overcome the problem. Below are a few suggestions:
All of these are to be followed not just for a healthier sperms; it’s for a healthier you!
Well, since this is a herbal blog, it’s my duty to provide some remedies. Unfortunately, I only have one option of recipe here and it’s not a sure fire way. Always remember that infertility is not a ‘play-play’ problem. It’s a serious one and often requires medical attention. The recipe below is only a starting point; do consult a doctor if it’s not working!
Infertility Tea
Ingredients:
*All of these are preferred to be dried
Procedure:
The effectiveness of the concoction depends on the patients itself, and the receptivity of the patients towards herbal treatments.
Infertile is defined as the inability of conceiving after 6 six months of regular and unprotected sexual intercourse.
Infertility is generally associated with sexual performance. A lot of people think that infertility is caused by their inadequacy in performing sexually. It’s not true and such a thought should be discarded entirely. Infertility is caused by a lot of factors, pollution being one of the major ones. Another major factor is age.
One interesting study shown that men from the rural area are more infertile compared to those living in the city area. It turns out that men living in the rural area are always exposed to the farm chemicals they are using everyday. This amounted to the higher infertility level in the rural area than in the city area.
Another factor is genetic or inheritance. Some are inherited with genes that are hostile to the production of sperms or sperms that could not survive once they are produced. On the other hand, females are often associated with blocked fallopian tubes, thick mucus, unable to produce a fertile egg-cell and over-acidity of the uterus. The sperm simply could not survive in the harsh environment.
However, infertility and erectile dysfunction is two different things, and does not associate with one another. Someone with erectile dysfunction could be as fertile as a rabbit or someone without erectile dysfunction could be as barren as the Sahara.
There are a few steps we can take to overcome the problem. Below are a few suggestions:
- Avoid underpants or pants that are simply too tight.
- Avoid showering with hot water (lukewarm water recommended).
- Avoid eating polluted food. I.e. prevent from buying greens with too much pesticide, put on a water filtration system and eating food from reputable dealers.
- Improve yourself with a lot of exercise and drinks plenty of fluids
- Avoid smoking, alcohols, and bad lifestyle.
- Always get ample sleep and rest.
- Find a way to bust off stress. (Stress management herbs will be introduced in the next post)
All of these are to be followed not just for a healthier sperms; it’s for a healthier you!
Well, since this is a herbal blog, it’s my duty to provide some remedies. Unfortunately, I only have one option of recipe here and it’s not a sure fire way. Always remember that infertility is not a ‘play-play’ problem. It’s a serious one and often requires medical attention. The recipe below is only a starting point; do consult a doctor if it’s not working!
Infertility Tea
Ingredients:
- Chicory (root)
- Feverfew (the whole herb)
- Motherwort (dried herb)
- Nettle (whole herb)
- Raspberry Leaf (dried)
- Red Clover (flowers)
- Skullcap (the whole herb)
- Watercress (the whole herb)
*All of these are preferred to be dried
Procedure:
- Take them separately or combine them as many as possible.
- Prepare a standard infusions (refer to my previous post) and take a wineglassful morning and night until cured.
The effectiveness of the concoction depends on the patients itself, and the receptivity of the patients towards herbal treatments.
Ingredients for Herbal Teas
Ingredients for Herbal Tea
These are the list of herbs suitable for herbal tea brewing. A combination of them is usually much more effective. All of the below can be sweeten with honey unless otherwise noted.
Cough and cold
Purple Sage and Thyme – 1 teaspoon of each herb per cup. Add ¼ teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper powder for a more powerful effect.
Peppermint, Elderflower, Chamomile, and Lavender – For the first three, use ½ teaspoon, with a pinch of Lavender per cup.
Horehound
Hyssop – Mix with orange juice or with honey.
Thyme – A powerful antiseptic, good for cough induced by sore-throat.
Digestive Aid
Chamomile
Peppermint and Lemon Balm – Use after meal, if stomach churning is felt.
Dill – Can be given to infants and young children. Crush ½ teaspoon dill seed to a cup of water and boil for ten minutes. Cool before consumption.
Fennel – Boil the crush seeds and simmer for a while.
Cinnamon – Infuse a stick in boiling water for five minutes. Cool and chill.
Tonics
Nettles – Small handful of young, fresh leaves and infuses in 1 pint of boiling water. Strain before consuming.
Spearmint – 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh leaves per cup and sweetens to taste.
Basil – Three to four leaves per cup.
Morning Blues
Lemon Verbena
Peppermint
Bergamot
Insomnia
Chamomile – Add a pinch of Lavender for relaxation.
Limeflower (Linden) and Elderflower – Add a dash of grated nutmeg and sweeten with honey or flavoured with lemon juice.
Valerian – 2 teaspoon dried and shredded root to a cup of water and simmer for 20 minutes in a non-metal pan. Cool, strain and reheat before consumption.
Headaches, Anxiety, and Depression
Rosemary
Lemon Balm
St. John’s Wort
Passion Flower, Valerian, and Motherwort – 1 teaspoon dried valerian and motherwort and add to ½ teaspoon of passionflower.
Dosage
Cautious readers might think how much to take or how often to take herbal remedies when treating illnesses. I, myself, have this kind of thought when I am first studying herbalism but as time goes on, I finally realised that herbs are not as scary as pills where you will get serious discomfort when taken over dosage or under dosage.
However, there is a prescribed general dosage for all of this. Usually, if a dosage is given, it is usually in such a vague term as a glassful or a wineglassful taken up to three times a day. This might not be helpful to the over-cautious and thus, I suggest the following:
A ‘standard’ dosage is Two to Three wineglassfuls (infusions) and One Cupful (pint cup) when taking decoctions daily. As for tinctures, only one wineglassful is to be less noted otherwise.
A Little More Words about Herbal Teas…
Anyone that has read my previous post about herbal infusions, I have a few corrections to make…
First of all, tisanes and infusions are two different things. Tisanes are brewed at a much shorter time, sometimes only a few minutes while infusions (considered standard) are boiled and left to simmer not more than two minutes.
In the case of tisanes, more herbs should be used as it brews for such a short time. The application of tisanes is certainly out of emergency as there is no ample time to prepare the standard infusion. However, it is not always necessary to prepare herbal tea as infusion if you want to enjoy its taste. Always remember to keep the lid close to avoid any escaping of valuable essential oils.
For standard infusions, one should put the herbs into cold water and heat with a gentle fire until boiling. Once boil, simmer not more than two minutes and allow to be brewed no more than three hours. This kind of infusions can be kept fresh up to four days, if poured into a bottle and store in a refrigerator and instead of corking the bottle, use a muslin cloth or perforated greaseproof paper to cover. Always remember to keep the cover close to ensure no dissipating of valuable essential oils when boiling and brewing.
These are the list of herbs suitable for herbal tea brewing. A combination of them is usually much more effective. All of the below can be sweeten with honey unless otherwise noted.
Cough and cold
Purple Sage and Thyme – 1 teaspoon of each herb per cup. Add ¼ teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper powder for a more powerful effect.
Peppermint, Elderflower, Chamomile, and Lavender – For the first three, use ½ teaspoon, with a pinch of Lavender per cup.
Horehound
Hyssop – Mix with orange juice or with honey.
Thyme – A powerful antiseptic, good for cough induced by sore-throat.
Digestive Aid
Chamomile
Peppermint and Lemon Balm – Use after meal, if stomach churning is felt.
Dill – Can be given to infants and young children. Crush ½ teaspoon dill seed to a cup of water and boil for ten minutes. Cool before consumption.
Fennel – Boil the crush seeds and simmer for a while.
Cinnamon – Infuse a stick in boiling water for five minutes. Cool and chill.
Tonics
Nettles – Small handful of young, fresh leaves and infuses in 1 pint of boiling water. Strain before consuming.
Spearmint – 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh leaves per cup and sweetens to taste.
Basil – Three to four leaves per cup.
Morning Blues
Lemon Verbena
Peppermint
Bergamot
Insomnia
Chamomile – Add a pinch of Lavender for relaxation.
Limeflower (Linden) and Elderflower – Add a dash of grated nutmeg and sweeten with honey or flavoured with lemon juice.
Valerian – 2 teaspoon dried and shredded root to a cup of water and simmer for 20 minutes in a non-metal pan. Cool, strain and reheat before consumption.
Headaches, Anxiety, and Depression
Rosemary
Lemon Balm
St. John’s Wort
Passion Flower, Valerian, and Motherwort – 1 teaspoon dried valerian and motherwort and add to ½ teaspoon of passionflower.
Dosage
Cautious readers might think how much to take or how often to take herbal remedies when treating illnesses. I, myself, have this kind of thought when I am first studying herbalism but as time goes on, I finally realised that herbs are not as scary as pills where you will get serious discomfort when taken over dosage or under dosage.
However, there is a prescribed general dosage for all of this. Usually, if a dosage is given, it is usually in such a vague term as a glassful or a wineglassful taken up to three times a day. This might not be helpful to the over-cautious and thus, I suggest the following:
A ‘standard’ dosage is Two to Three wineglassfuls (infusions) and One Cupful (pint cup) when taking decoctions daily. As for tinctures, only one wineglassful is to be less noted otherwise.
A Little More Words about Herbal Teas…
Anyone that has read my previous post about herbal infusions, I have a few corrections to make…
First of all, tisanes and infusions are two different things. Tisanes are brewed at a much shorter time, sometimes only a few minutes while infusions (considered standard) are boiled and left to simmer not more than two minutes.
In the case of tisanes, more herbs should be used as it brews for such a short time. The application of tisanes is certainly out of emergency as there is no ample time to prepare the standard infusion. However, it is not always necessary to prepare herbal tea as infusion if you want to enjoy its taste. Always remember to keep the lid close to avoid any escaping of valuable essential oils.
For standard infusions, one should put the herbs into cold water and heat with a gentle fire until boiling. Once boil, simmer not more than two minutes and allow to be brewed no more than three hours. This kind of infusions can be kept fresh up to four days, if poured into a bottle and store in a refrigerator and instead of corking the bottle, use a muslin cloth or perforated greaseproof paper to cover. Always remember to keep the cover close to ensure no dissipating of valuable essential oils when boiling and brewing.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Tisanes (Herbal Teas)
Tisanes (Herbal Teas)
The easiest way of extracting the benefits of herbs is to take them as tea (yes, infusions). How many times have you enjoyed a cup of coffee or tea a day? Isn’t it better if you substitute these caffeinated drinks with something much more beneficial like herbal tea? Herbal teas are a healthy substitute to teas and coffees…
However, I am not tea bashing or coffee bashing but there are too much of discomfort this popular beverages caused. I, myself, am an enjoyer of tea and my favourite is Earl Grey! Haha, but I savour it rarely (bear in mind that tea is also a tisane) because knowing its effect is kind of devastating to health.
Sometimes, have you ever wondered that other plants could be made into a beverage rather than just plain tea or coffee alone? If you ever have, this is the right section for you, as I will introduce the art of making a nice cup of tea and in the same time, provide some mouth-watering recipe for your enjoyment!
Herbal teas, in its sense, are made for curing certain ailment or for regular consumption to strengthen the immune system. I advocate he use of fresh or home-dried herbs (hence back to the basic of gardening) because nothing will beat the freshness and the goodness of home-grown herbs. Even though there are some good brands out there but not all of them live up to their claim…
So it’s actually up to us to provide ourselves with wholesome beverages! Beverage which are pesticide, fungicide, and chemical fertilisers free… How much enjoyment is that!
Here is a simple step to making a perfect cup of herbal tea:
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoon of Herb of choice (fresh) or 1 Tablespoon of Herb of choice (dried)
600 ml of boiling water
A Warmed Teapot
In the next post, I will introduce certain herbs for your information, and in the mean time, if you want to experience the goodness of herbal tea; you can always try lemon balm, peppermint, lemon myrtle, bergamot (fresh flowers) (this one is my favourite, Earl Grey…) and maybe Chamomile (sweeten with honey, this will ensure a good night sleep).
Bon Appétit!
The easiest way of extracting the benefits of herbs is to take them as tea (yes, infusions). How many times have you enjoyed a cup of coffee or tea a day? Isn’t it better if you substitute these caffeinated drinks with something much more beneficial like herbal tea? Herbal teas are a healthy substitute to teas and coffees…
However, I am not tea bashing or coffee bashing but there are too much of discomfort this popular beverages caused. I, myself, am an enjoyer of tea and my favourite is Earl Grey! Haha, but I savour it rarely (bear in mind that tea is also a tisane) because knowing its effect is kind of devastating to health.
Sometimes, have you ever wondered that other plants could be made into a beverage rather than just plain tea or coffee alone? If you ever have, this is the right section for you, as I will introduce the art of making a nice cup of tea and in the same time, provide some mouth-watering recipe for your enjoyment!
Herbal teas, in its sense, are made for curing certain ailment or for regular consumption to strengthen the immune system. I advocate he use of fresh or home-dried herbs (hence back to the basic of gardening) because nothing will beat the freshness and the goodness of home-grown herbs. Even though there are some good brands out there but not all of them live up to their claim…
So it’s actually up to us to provide ourselves with wholesome beverages! Beverage which are pesticide, fungicide, and chemical fertilisers free… How much enjoyment is that!
Here is a simple step to making a perfect cup of herbal tea:
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoon of Herb of choice (fresh) or 1 Tablespoon of Herb of choice (dried)
600 ml of boiling water
A Warmed Teapot
- Replace the herbs into the warmed teapot (to warm a teapot, rinse it with some hot boiling water and stand no more than 2 minutes).
- Pour the boiling water
- Replace lid, as to prevent dissipation of essential oil (this is especially true for chamomile)
- Brew for three to four minutes and strain into a cup for an invigorating drink!
In the next post, I will introduce certain herbs for your information, and in the mean time, if you want to experience the goodness of herbal tea; you can always try lemon balm, peppermint, lemon myrtle, bergamot (fresh flowers) (this one is my favourite, Earl Grey…) and maybe Chamomile (sweeten with honey, this will ensure a good night sleep).
Bon Appétit!
Friday, June 02, 2006
Let's Take Things Personally
Let’s Take Things Personally…
Okay it’s time to bring our relationship to a much higher level. I know you guys out there are reading and I did mean you! Yes, you my precious reader! Hahaha… Anyhow, this is not a post of herbs or anything but just a post to keep in touch with you all. Anyway, how you guys found out this site? I know the traffic is quite low, but I think there are still readers here, is it? I think so… (Echo)
Okay, basically, this blog is about herbs (duh… everyone knows that, silly me) and why I create this blog? The reason is simple; I wanted to educate peoples, in fact a lot of them, to use herbal remedies for self-improvement. However, do bear in mind that I am not a herbalist, and all of the information I provided here is not 100% reliable, and do check out some websites for more useful information. I am but a tale-monger, collecting information here and there and then distribute it to the masses. Please look out for the books which materials I quote from (I will quote the name of the books I used) because all of them are worth a read.
The Inspiration
Okay, maybe you will feel that I am not worth the attention but look it this way… How much money have you spent, in the last few years, on medications and other health-related products while you can easily (and effortlessly) grown your own remedies in the comfort of your own home. Unbeknownst to many, herbs and most of them did grow indoors! However, I do encourage growing them in the garden or outdoors (grin)…
Just by the simple act (about one hour) a day, you can have a wonderful and splendid garden of remedies suitable for every common afflictions… come to think of it, gardening (esp. herbal gardening) can be a beneficiary weekend family activities, instead of lazing around on the boob tube…
Herbs are very versatile and most of them can be used for cooking (everybody knows that right? Silly me *slap*). Anyhow, growing herbs can be a lot of fun and easy too, and they will reward you endlessly…
Think of the time you are experiencing headache, and out you go into the garden, searching for rosemary, lavender, or feverfew. After which, you made an infusion with them and while drinking them, savour their relaxing taste and all of the sudden you feel that you are cured! Is there anything much nicer than this? Think of all the money you have saved!
The Crusade
My mission is to promote understanding among people nowadays that herb is not an obsolete method of treatment. Herbs provide a safer method of medication rather than you experimenting with pills and various coloured tablets. It’s not that I am bashing orthodox medicine, I am pointing out that many treatments underwent by orthodox practitioners are not necessarily curable by pills. Antibiotics, for example, do a lot of harm rather than helping. However, herbalist does have their own version of antibiotics, but it’s much safer in the sense that it is natural and cheaper. How many of us know what really is inside an antibiotic capsule? Also, is painkiller really necessary? Why nervine is not being prescribed instead?
Actually, herbal remedies are the ultimate remedy in treating everyone globally. I might be biased in term of western herbals, but I am educated in the sense, so it’s not that I am only advocating western method of herbalism and neglecting others. Folk’s medicine, if used successfully, can treat a myriad of diseases known locally to a specific place. Local doctors should be trained in the sense of available herbs, not medication that travels around the globe by well-known pharmaceutical giants. Think of it, how much money will they make if they advocate global marketing of their products? Also, is orthodox medicine the only medicine in the world that is effective? Many think so, but the answer is a disappointing no…
Yes, the practitioner of herbalism might not be well-educated, but if modern technologies are applied and more research being done, who will not benefits from herbs? If more and more herbs are being studied and applied, what kind of diseases will not be cured? Human is like this, they always find complicated solutions to simple things even though the answers are just in front of them. Even common weeds have their medicinal value.
The Conclusion
Orthodox medicine did a good job in ensuring health of patients, but only confined to pills and instruments. They did a good job in treating chronic diseases that usually required surgery but did not do well in handling small cases like influenza or a simple sore-throat. Herbs can be just as effective as orthodox medications, but the practitioner seems to be friendlier and heartier.
However, do remember if you are experiencing chronic symptoms, the best solution is usually a visit to your usual hospital, unless there’s a herbal hospital nearby. The standard of herbal practice is increasing, but still in its infancy as not much takes heed… Haha
Here I conclude this very article, Thank You…
Signing off,
Henri Lai Hon Leong
Okay it’s time to bring our relationship to a much higher level. I know you guys out there are reading and I did mean you! Yes, you my precious reader! Hahaha… Anyhow, this is not a post of herbs or anything but just a post to keep in touch with you all. Anyway, how you guys found out this site? I know the traffic is quite low, but I think there are still readers here, is it? I think so… (Echo)
Okay, basically, this blog is about herbs (duh… everyone knows that, silly me) and why I create this blog? The reason is simple; I wanted to educate peoples, in fact a lot of them, to use herbal remedies for self-improvement. However, do bear in mind that I am not a herbalist, and all of the information I provided here is not 100% reliable, and do check out some websites for more useful information. I am but a tale-monger, collecting information here and there and then distribute it to the masses. Please look out for the books which materials I quote from (I will quote the name of the books I used) because all of them are worth a read.
The Inspiration
Okay, maybe you will feel that I am not worth the attention but look it this way… How much money have you spent, in the last few years, on medications and other health-related products while you can easily (and effortlessly) grown your own remedies in the comfort of your own home. Unbeknownst to many, herbs and most of them did grow indoors! However, I do encourage growing them in the garden or outdoors (grin)…
Just by the simple act (about one hour) a day, you can have a wonderful and splendid garden of remedies suitable for every common afflictions… come to think of it, gardening (esp. herbal gardening) can be a beneficiary weekend family activities, instead of lazing around on the boob tube…
Herbs are very versatile and most of them can be used for cooking (everybody knows that right? Silly me *slap*). Anyhow, growing herbs can be a lot of fun and easy too, and they will reward you endlessly…
Think of the time you are experiencing headache, and out you go into the garden, searching for rosemary, lavender, or feverfew. After which, you made an infusion with them and while drinking them, savour their relaxing taste and all of the sudden you feel that you are cured! Is there anything much nicer than this? Think of all the money you have saved!
The Crusade
My mission is to promote understanding among people nowadays that herb is not an obsolete method of treatment. Herbs provide a safer method of medication rather than you experimenting with pills and various coloured tablets. It’s not that I am bashing orthodox medicine, I am pointing out that many treatments underwent by orthodox practitioners are not necessarily curable by pills. Antibiotics, for example, do a lot of harm rather than helping. However, herbalist does have their own version of antibiotics, but it’s much safer in the sense that it is natural and cheaper. How many of us know what really is inside an antibiotic capsule? Also, is painkiller really necessary? Why nervine is not being prescribed instead?
Actually, herbal remedies are the ultimate remedy in treating everyone globally. I might be biased in term of western herbals, but I am educated in the sense, so it’s not that I am only advocating western method of herbalism and neglecting others. Folk’s medicine, if used successfully, can treat a myriad of diseases known locally to a specific place. Local doctors should be trained in the sense of available herbs, not medication that travels around the globe by well-known pharmaceutical giants. Think of it, how much money will they make if they advocate global marketing of their products? Also, is orthodox medicine the only medicine in the world that is effective? Many think so, but the answer is a disappointing no…
Yes, the practitioner of herbalism might not be well-educated, but if modern technologies are applied and more research being done, who will not benefits from herbs? If more and more herbs are being studied and applied, what kind of diseases will not be cured? Human is like this, they always find complicated solutions to simple things even though the answers are just in front of them. Even common weeds have their medicinal value.
The Conclusion
Orthodox medicine did a good job in ensuring health of patients, but only confined to pills and instruments. They did a good job in treating chronic diseases that usually required surgery but did not do well in handling small cases like influenza or a simple sore-throat. Herbs can be just as effective as orthodox medications, but the practitioner seems to be friendlier and heartier.
However, do remember if you are experiencing chronic symptoms, the best solution is usually a visit to your usual hospital, unless there’s a herbal hospital nearby. The standard of herbal practice is increasing, but still in its infancy as not much takes heed… Haha
Here I conclude this very article, Thank You…
Signing off,
Henri Lai Hon Leong
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Divine Cordial
Divine Cordial
According to the book, ‘Magic of Herbs’ by David Conway, no health-giving mixture will be complete without the very mentioning of this recipe. This is one tough recipe as it takes almost a year to complete. However, all this effort will pay off by itself when you smell the heavenly fragrance of the Cordial. At least this is what he said. Living here in Malaysia prohibits me from doing such wonderful experiment. There are simply no such ingredients available. Furthermore, it requires a mixture of flowers from the four seasons, which is impossible for us, the tropical country people, to achieve. However, maybe one day I will be inventing a tropical rainforest divine cordial. Who knows, I might succeed…
So here is the recipe:
Starting in March, gather the followings, two ounce each (all the ingredients should be dried):
Pound the above ingredients in a stout mortar, to these add an ounce of the followings:
And two drachms (0.25 ounce) of Mace, seven juniper berries (dried), and some Coriander Seeds to taste.
All of the above ingredients should be pound into fine powders and to these, add peels of six oranges, and pour them to a stone jar containing a gallon of spirits of wine. Give it a nice shake and cork it tightly. Store the jar in a cool dry place, for three to four weeks.
After which, the first blooms of spring should be added, a handful of each or as much as you like:
As the year progresses, the following flowers are added when they became available (a handful of each, or as much as you like):
With all of these added, stands the brew for nine more days (the symbolism of nine is prevalent here, as nine symbolised the completion of a cycle) and after which, distil the liquid to yield two quarts (Four Pints) of aromatic spirits. The aromatic spirits is the Divine Cordial we are looking for.
The cordial smells divinely and provides a medicine very useful to the body and the book puts it, it is far better than the elixir of life once brewed by a renowned herbalist, Paracelsus (more about this later on).
So, I’ve imparted this knowledge unto you, and it is up to you all aspiring herbalists to make it known to all… Let us expand the horizon of Herbalism! Haha
According to the book, ‘Magic of Herbs’ by David Conway, no health-giving mixture will be complete without the very mentioning of this recipe. This is one tough recipe as it takes almost a year to complete. However, all this effort will pay off by itself when you smell the heavenly fragrance of the Cordial. At least this is what he said. Living here in Malaysia prohibits me from doing such wonderful experiment. There are simply no such ingredients available. Furthermore, it requires a mixture of flowers from the four seasons, which is impossible for us, the tropical country people, to achieve. However, maybe one day I will be inventing a tropical rainforest divine cordial. Who knows, I might succeed…
So here is the recipe:
Starting in March, gather the followings, two ounce each (all the ingredients should be dried):
- Acorns Nut
- Betony (whole herb)
- Cypress (presumably leaves)
- Gentian (root)
- Orris Root (root)
- Sweet Scabious (flowers)
Pound the above ingredients in a stout mortar, to these add an ounce of the followings:
- Cinnamon (powdered bark)
- Yellow Sandalwood (powdered wood)
And two drachms (0.25 ounce) of Mace, seven juniper berries (dried), and some Coriander Seeds to taste.
All of the above ingredients should be pound into fine powders and to these, add peels of six oranges, and pour them to a stone jar containing a gallon of spirits of wine. Give it a nice shake and cork it tightly. Store the jar in a cool dry place, for three to four weeks.
After which, the first blooms of spring should be added, a handful of each or as much as you like:
- Bluebells
- Daffodils
- Violets
As the year progresses, the following flowers are added when they became available (a handful of each, or as much as you like):
- Borage
- Broom
- Chamomile
- Elder
- Honeysuckle
- Jasmine
- Lavender
- Lily-of-the-valley
- Marjoram
- St. John’s Wort
- Thyme
- Viper’s Bugloss
- Wall-flowers
With all of these added, stands the brew for nine more days (the symbolism of nine is prevalent here, as nine symbolised the completion of a cycle) and after which, distil the liquid to yield two quarts (Four Pints) of aromatic spirits. The aromatic spirits is the Divine Cordial we are looking for.
The cordial smells divinely and provides a medicine very useful to the body and the book puts it, it is far better than the elixir of life once brewed by a renowned herbalist, Paracelsus (more about this later on).
So, I’ve imparted this knowledge unto you, and it is up to you all aspiring herbalists to make it known to all… Let us expand the horizon of Herbalism! Haha
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