Herbal Medicine

What is Herbal Medicine?

Have you ever wondered how herbs work like medicine?

Well, firstly, did you know that the basis of modern medicine is rooted in Herbology?

Yep, thousands and thousands of years ago, herbal medicine was the only medicine.

Plants have been used as medicine long before recorded history.

A tribe’s medicine woman or medicine man, or shaman, would carry around dried herbs for their tribe that could cure just about anything that could afflict a person.

Ancient people also learned, through trial and error, what herbs and plants were toxic to the body and unfit for human consumption!

Even animals turn to nature’s foods for curing themselves.  Have you ever seen how your pooch will eat grass once in a while?  They know what they need to do to settle their upset stomach, they turn to nature!

Herbalism is Rooted In Ancient Medicine

In fact, the roots of Chinese medicine, which is based largely on herbalism, dates back approximately 5,000 years.

So it should come as no surprise to people that many herbs have healing properties built right in that have been tried and tested over thousands of years.

However, in this century, we’re just too used to running straight to the pharmacy or going and buying something over the counter for a quick fix.

But it’s really worth taking a look into herbs and adding them to your daily foods to help prevent and/or cure some of the most common ailments in today’s world.

Here’s a video I made a while back for you to take a look at.  It talks about Herbs for pain relief

Adding Herbs Into Your Recipes

If you like to cook, a great way to get the benefits of herbs is to add them into your cooking.

Here is a great article I came across about how spices work like medicine.

Even if you don’t like to cook, you can add different herbs and spices into your smoothies, or sprinkle some nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger or turmeric root on your toast.

You don’t have to cook to get the benefits of herbs and spices.

One of my favorite easy way is to add fresh turmeric into my daily routine is to juice it!  Yes, turmeric root is just like ginger, you can juice it and it adds great anti-inflammatory benefits to your juices!

A great way to get the most benefit from herbs and spices is to use fresh whenever possible.

If you use fresh herbs, you can grind them in a coffee grinder, or toss them into the blender.  Or you can use a mortar and pestle and just crush them yourself!

It only takes a minute to turn a fresh herb into a crushed herb, a paste, a liquid or a tincture!

Here is a link to one of my favorite juices that I make using fresh turmeric root.

Fresh carrot apple turmeric juice

How to Get Started?

You can get started using fresh herbs and spices by starting with things that you know, for example, cinnamon or ginger.

Then experiment, and go for things like fenugreek, cardamom or cumin.

You will be surprised how much you learn to love herbs and how much better you will feel when you do!
To Your Health!

Laura