Herbs and Health

Having lived in Mexico City during my early childhood years, I got used to my mom relying on herbs and plants to treat several minor ailments.

Thus, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that because of my upbringing, I frequently think of herbs before considering traditional medication. I have more faith in herbs and believe they have less secondary effects and contraindications than pharmaceuticals. After all, they come naturally from Mother Earth.

For instance, there is nothing more soothing than a chamomile or mint tea for a stomach ache, arnica for bruises and muscle aches, bugambilia tea with honey for a sore throat, aloe for skin rashes and burns, and ginger to improve digestion, amongst many others. Ah, but my very favorite one for those extremely stressful days, is an infusion of mixed damiana, valerian, passionflower and tila... sweet dreams!

In general, herbal treatments are plant derived or botanicals used for therapeutic reasons. More people are choosing to use them nowadays, mostly because of the high cost associated with conventional medications, but also because many traditional treatments don’t seem to alleviate or improve the conditions as expected.

This is why many people are placing their faith in botanicals and herbs and use them as a treatment for a specific condition or as a preventative measure for a variety of ailments, as well as
to keep them feeling healthy in general.

In addition, herbs can be used as a diet supplement, as many plants can also be the source of vitamins and other nutrients.

Many herbal treatments are very safe for just about anyone. However some plants can be harmful, especially if consumed in high doses. Moreover, people with chronic conditions that are under medical supervision and taking medication on a regular basis, must consult with their physician before ingesting any herbs to ensure that there is no contraindication to use them. Some herbs have the potential to negatively interact with –and even inhibit- the mode of action or effects of specific medications.

There are multiple herbal treatments and they can be found in different presentations, like liquid form, capsules, tablets and pills, and some others in powder -that you can mix with water or juice- or in tea bags. You must be aware that the presentation does affect the result; for instance, capsules usually get dissolved and absorbed in the stomach, while the liquid form gets absorbed through the oral mucosa, making it more powerful as it reaches the blood stream much faster.

Regardless of the mode in which you ingest the herbs and botanicals, taking them on a regular basis usually gives you better results as your body has time to adapt to them to reach a more stable healthy state.

Most people don’t know if herbal treatments are right for them. If you relate to this, I recommend you delve into exploring the subject matter more in depth.

There are plenty of well researched guides, ebooks and resources to help you get more knowledgeable about herbs and their benefits.

More and more people are turning to the use of herbal treatments to make their bodies stronger and to help them overcome pain, aches and sickness.

It is very likely that you find an herbal remedy that can help you make a difference in your health while getting your energy and strength back all at the same time.

One excellent resource that I recommend is "Remedies From Mother Earth."

In this all-inclusive 91 page eBook you will find a comprehensive list of herbs, their characteristics, their available forms, and their most common uses. You will have the right information at your fingertips, as you are able to quickly find what herbs are used for what ailments.

There is also a full chapter on aromatherapy and another one of herbal recipes for specific conditions but, the part that I liked the most, is the symptom guide which allows you to do a reverse lookup on common ailments and the herbal remedies that are used to alleviate or heal them.

This is definitely one of the better herbal guides I have ever read and one that I keep handy at all times. You will know what herbs to try in just a couple of minutes... literally. Give it a try!

And... if you want to learn more about herbs in general, I invite you to drop by my brand new blog called "Herbal Health Style", where you can access several interesting articles to get more educated about herbs and their uses. I look forward to your visit!