Herb basics

Preparations of hops are used to relieve anxiety, nervous tension, and sleep disturbances.


July/August 2001
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AN HERBAL MORNING

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Santa Cruz, California-based herbalist Jeanine Pollack created a light, tasty, protein-rich, energy-enhancing shake that’s perfect for a summer morning. Feel free to substitute soy yogurt for the regular if you’re trying to avoid dairy or want to add more soy to your diet.

HERBAL-A-GO-GO MORNING SHAKE

Serves 2

2 cups fresh orange or apple juice
1 cup apricot or strawberry yogurt
1 cup frozen mango or banana chunks
One 1/3-oz. vial royal jelly
(to read more about royal jelly and other bee products, see page 20)
1 tablespoon fresh bee pollen
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend well at high speed until smooth.

Source: Pollack, Jeanine. Healing Tonics. Pownal, Vermont: Storey Books, 2000.

DIGESTION ENHANCERS

Maybe you ate rich food for dinner, or maybe you just don’t feel “regular.” Try one of these digestion-improving herbs, and help may be right around the corner.

Constipation. Herbalist Kathi Keville recommends a simple remedy of prunes soaked in licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) tea to relieve constipation. Make licorice tea by simmering 1/2 teaspoon of chopped licorice root in 1/2 cup water for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and steep for 15 minutes. Strain and soak 3 stewed prunes in the tea for a few hours, then eat.

Diarrhea. Keville recommends blackberries for halting diarrhea. Try making a blackberry cordial by combining 1 tablespoon of chamomile (Matricaria recutita) tincture with 1/4 cup of blackberry brandy, 3 drops of ginger (Zingiber officinale) essential oil, and 2 drops of peppermint (Mentha ¥piperita) essential oil. Take 1 teaspoon every 30 minutes.

Flatulence and indigestion. Peppermint is a great remedy for easing both of these conditions. Try a simple cup of peppermint tea, or a tincture of peppermint—1 to 2 teaspoons of tincture per cup of hot water. Several other herbs, such as fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), sage (Salvia officinalis), and chamomile can also help relieve flatulence and indigestion.

Source: Keville, Kathi. Herbs for Health and Healing. Emmaus,
Pennsylvania: Rodale Press, 1996.

FOR EXTERNAL USE ONLY

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