Herb Basics

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HERBS AND MASSAGE: A NATURAL COMBINATION

Treating yourself to a massage is great for both body and soul: Besides the obvious relaxation benefits and physical pleasure, massage helps the lymph nodes cleanse the body of toxins. Try the following herbal tea to continue the detoxification process. Make yourself a cup and continue to relax after your massage is done.

POST-MASSAGE HERBAL TEA

Mix equal parts of each of the following dried herbs together in a jar.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Cleavers (Galium aparine)
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
Linden (Tilia ¥europaea)
Peppermint (Mentha ¥piperita)
Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Use 1 teaspoon of the herb blend per cup of boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes, strain and drink.

QUEASY? TRY AROMATHERAPY

Several essential oils have a history of use for treating nausea. Try putting a drop of one of the following oils onto a hanky or into a small, capped vial. These methods are simple and portable — sniff often to settle your stomach.

Be sure to buy pure essential oils, not synthetic fragrance oils.

• Peppermint
• Sandalwood
• Basil
• Ginger
• Rose

BUILD STRONG BONES WITH FRESH GREEN JUICE

In their book The Juicing Bible (Robert Rose, 2000), Pat Crocker and Susan Eagles write that the calcium, boron and magnesium derived from the ingredients in this green drink make it good for bones.

BONE BUILDER
Serves 2

1 cup hot water
1/2 cup dried, whole kelp or another sea vegetable
2 stalks broccoli, washed and cut into pieces
2 kale leaves, washed
Half a green bell pepper, washed and cut into pieces
4 sprigs parsley, washed
1 apple, washed, cored and cut into pieces

In a medium bowl, pour water over kelp. Soak 15 to 20 minutes or until kelp is reconstituted. Drain the soaking water.

Using a juicer, process, kelp, broccoli, kale, green pepper, parsley and apple. Whisk the mixture and pour into glasses.

Source: Crocker, Pat and Susan Eagles. The Juicing Bible. Toronto: Robert Rose, 2000.

THE MANY USES OF ROSEMARY