Niyog-Niyogan (Quisqualis Indica L.)

Niyog-niyogan or Rangoon Creeper is an excellent vine for outdoor gardens. This ligneous plant, scientifically called Quisqualis indica L. It is also known as Burma or Rangoon Creeper, Liane Vermifuge and Chinese honeysuckle. Niyog-niyogan is perfect for covered walkways as it grows at least 2.5m long and reaches up to 8m long when it matures. This active climber, which belongs to the combretaceae family grows best in tropical areas and demands constant sunlight. Perhaps due to its tropical characterization that it is found in primary and secondary forests of countries like Africa, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea and other Asian regions.

Niyog-niyogan is cultivated in greenhouses and can be naturalized in tropical areas. This vine starts as a shrub about 3-feet tall with branches growing from all directions. The mother shrub seizes to grow and dies after six months allowing the creeper to rapidly climb walls, trees, and the like. The branches of niyog-niyogan are filled with oblong-shaped leaves growing on opposite sides attached to 6mm to 10mm long petioles. The leaves of niyog-niyogan can grow up to 15cm long and more than 5cm wide with a pointed tip. Its flowers grow in clusters and it blossoms year-round. Its flowers open at night with five bright red petals and gives out a distinct perfume. The young flowers of niyog-niyogan start with white-colored petals that turn pink then red as it matures. It also bears fruits, which can grow up to 3cm long with five angles on its sides.

The niyog-niyogan plant grows in haste during the rainy season, hence constant pruning is especially recommended during this time. It is advised to place this plant in spacious areas to avoid crowding with a temperature of at least 60°F with evenly moistened soil to produce flowers. Niyog-niyogan can thrive in almost all kinds of soil and can even tolerate moderate amount of drought in cold seasons.

Benefits & Treatment of Niyog-Niyogan:

Almost all of its parts are used individually, or mixed with other ingredients, as remedy to different ailments. In the Philippines, these are taken to rid people of parasitic worms. Some also use these to help alleviate coughs and diarrhea. Medical experts, advice patients to consult their doctors as improper dosing may cause hiccups. Niyog-niyogan’s leaves are used to cure body pains by placing them on specific problematic areas of the body. Compound decoctions of the leaves of niyog-niyogan are used in India to alleviate flatulence.

Preparation & Use:

Seeds of niyog-niyogan can be taken as an anthelmintic. These are eaten raw two hours before the patient’s last meal of the day. Adults may take 10 seeds while children 4 to 7 years of age may eat up to four seeds only. Children from ages 8 to 9 may take six seeds and seven seeds may be eaten by children 10 to 12 years old.

Decoctions of its roots are also sometimes used as a remedy for rheumatism while its fruits are used as an effective way to relieve toothaches.

Bayabas or Guava (Psidium guajava)

Bayabas or guava is a tropical plant, which is locally known for its edible fruit. In the backyards of Filipino homes in the country, this plant is commonly seen, and grown because of its many uses as fruit and as traditional remedy to treat various ailments. As shown by many research studies, almost all of the parts of this plant have medicinal qualities and value, and thus, making it as one of the most popular therapeutic plants in the Philippines. Bayabas is a small tree that can grow up to 3 meters tall with greenish-brownish smooth bark. The round globular bayabas fruit starts as a flower and is usually harvested and eaten while still green. The fruit turns yellowish-green and soft when ripe.

The bayabas fruit bark and leaves are used as herbal medicine. Its leaves decoction is recognized for its effectiveness to cure several ailments, including the treatment of uterine hemorrhage, swollenness of the legs and other parts of the body, of chronic diarrhea, and gastroenteritis, among others. The most common use of the leaves is for cleaning and disinfecting wounds by rinsing the afflicted area with a decoction of the leaves. In the same way, such leaves are being used to aid in the treatment of dysentery and the inflammation of the kidneys. The bark and leaves can be used as astringent. It can also be used as a wash for uterine and vaginal problems, and is good for ulcers. The medicinal uses of Bayabas appear infinite, as it is also a suggested natural cure for fevers, diabetes, epilepsy, worms, and spasms. The fruit, aside from being delicious, contains nutritional values with a very high concentration of vitamin A and vitamin C.

Uses of Bayabas :

• Antiseptic, astringent & anthelminthic
• Kills bacteria, fungi and ameba
• Used to treat diarrhea, nosebleeding
• For Hypertension, diabetes and Asthma
• Promotes menstruation

The fresh leaves are used to facilitate the healing of wounds and cuts. A decoction (boiling in water) or infusion of fresh leaves can be used for wound cleaning to prevent infection. Bayabas is also effective for toothaches. Note: Bayabas can cause constipation when consumed in excess.

Preparation:

• Boil one cup of Bayabas leaves in three cups of water for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
• Use decoction as mouthwash, gargle.
• Use as wound disinfectant - wash affected areas with the decoction of leaves 2 to 3 times a day. Fresh leaves may be applied to the wound directly for faster healing.
• For toothaches, chew the leaves in your mouth.
• For diarrhea, boil the chopped leaves for 15 minutes in water, and strain. Let cool, and drink a cup every three to four hours.
• To stop nosebleed, densely roll Bayabas leaves, then place in the nostril cavities.

Herbal Plants Medicines!: Mangosteen Health Benefits

Herbal Plants Medicines!: Mangosteen Health Benefits: Medical Practitioners Tout the Benefits of Mangosteen Experienced health professionals - who understand why it helps their patie...

Mangosteen Health Benefits

Medical Practitioners Tout the Benefits of Mangosteen

Experienced health professionals - who understand why it helps their patients and how it heals their bodies - have written extensively about the health benefits of the Mangosteen fruit.

Why does Your Health Benefit from Mangosteen?

What makes Garcinia Mangostana L. so versatile in addressing so many health issues and in promoting health in so many ways?
Mangosteen contains more than 40 biologically-active, natural chemical compounds called Xanthones. While all these Xanthones have similar molecular structures, each one has its own unique chemical composition that permits it to perform a specific function.
Alpha-mangostin, for example, is a very potent antioxidant. Gamma-mangostin is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Garcinone E is a strong anti-tumor agent.

Mangosteen's Many Uses

Medical professionals have become very good at treating diseases, but we know they don't have all the answers.
There also are times when they have used a drug or treatment that later was found to have done more harm than good, or that have done enough damage which far outweighed the benefits the drug or treatment provided. Drugs like Vioxx, Celebrex and Phen-fen are a few that come to mind.

Xanthones in Mangosteen

Our immune system tries to keep trillions of cells in our bodies protected from disease-causing toxins, free radicals, viruses, bacteria, fungi and other harmful agents.
At times, though, our immune system gets overwhelmed. Our bodies get sick, often because of free radical damage.
A free radical is an unstable atom with an unpaired electron. When a free radical comes in contact with a stable atom, it steals the electron it needs from the stable atom. This leaves the once stable atom irreparably damaged and prone to succumb to disease.
Antioxidants counteract free radicals. They have an extra electron that they can share with free radicals. Because of this ability, they are able to prevent free radicals from attacking healthy atoms or cells.

Long List of Mangosteen Healing Properties

To sum it all up, here's a partial list of the 200-plus, mind-boggling Mangosteen medicinal benefits and properties from the catalog of prominent ethnobotanist, Dr. James Duke.

• Anti-aging - helps prevent aging
• Anti-allergenic - helps prevent allergic reactions
• Anti-arthritic – helps prevent arthritis
• Anti-atherosclerotic - helps prevent the hardening of the arteries
• Antibiotic - prevents or modulates bacterial infections
• Anti-calculitic - helps prevent kidney stones
• Anti-cataract - helps prevent cataracts
• Antidepressant – helps with depression
• Anti-diarrheal – helps with diarrhea
• Anti-fatigue - helps relieve fatigue
• Antifungal - prevents or modulates fungal infections
• Anti-glaucomic - helps prevent glaucoma
• Anti-Inflammatory – helps with inflammation
• Anti-lipidemic - helps lower blood fat
• Anti-neuralgic - helps in nerve pain
• Anti-obesity - helps in weight loss
• Anti-osteoporosis - helps prevent the loss of bone mass
• Antioxidant-rich – rich in antioxidants
• Anti-oxolytic - anti-anxiety
• Anti-Parkinson – helps with Parkinson's disease
• Anti-periodontic - helps prevent gum disease
• Antipyretic - helps lower fever
• Anti-tumor and cancer-preventive
• Anti-vertigo - helps prevent dizziness
• Antiviral - prevents or modulates viral infections
• Cardio-protective - helps in the protection of the heart
• Hypoglycemic - helps stabilize blood sugar
• Hypotensive - helps lower blood pressure
• Immunostimulant – helps the immune system fight infection

This exotic fruit, used in traditional medicine for centuries, contains some of the most potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal compounds in nature.

Home remedies for hair loss that actually work!

You lose around 50 to 100 strands of hair consistently which is almost normal, say dermatologists. Just when the balding surpasses this assume that we start to notice loosing of hair or bare patches – a condition known as alopecia.
Numerous individuals are prone to experience male pattern baldness in their 30s on the grounds that as of now, hormonal change, stress and an unfortunate eating routine take their toll. Other than attempting to redress variables prompting balding, embracing a couple of home cures is likewise useful in encouraging hair regrowth.



Onion and garlic
Do you know hat the ingredients we used I everyday food recopies can helps in developing some natural remedies for hair lose or regrowth of hair. The component sulfur expands the creation of collagen which thusly helps the hair to develop. Onion and garlic are rich sources of sulfur and this clarifies why they have been utilized as a part of conventional medications for regrowth of hair.
Slash the onion into fine pieces and crush the juice out. Apply to the scalp and leave on for around 15 minutes; then wash with a gentle cleanser shampoo. Pulverize a couple of cloves of garlic, include a little coconut oil and boil it for a couple of minutes. At the point when this blend chills off to feel warm to the touch, apply it on the scalp with a bit of rubbing activity. Repeat this treatment two to three times each week for best results.
Coconut
Another fruit that can be useful is coconut. Concerning controlling to your hair,, coconut gives a large group of mixture that regularly improve the condition and advance development of hair. The milk of the coconut contains proteins, crucial fats and minerals, for example, potassium and iron; utilizing it routinely can diminish the breakage of hair. Coconut oil additionally conveys the same rich mixture and it serves to make the hair stronger right from the root, through the pole to the tip. General utilization of this oil to back rub the scalp has a defensive activity against balding.
Grate coconut and pour out the milk and blended it in a little water. Apply this to the particular territory where you notice diminishing or going bald. Permit to stay overnight and the following morning, wash off with water. Per used about different oils which help avoid male pattern baldness.

Henna
Referred to for long as a characteristic hair shading and conditioner in the Asian nations, henna has a significant part to play in fortifying hair. At the point when consolidated with mustard oil, it works far superior.
Take around 250 ml of mustard oil in a tin can; include around 60 g of washed and dried henna clears out. Heat up the mixture until the leaves get absolutely blazed and afterward channel the oil utilizing muslin fabric. Cool and store the oil in an impenetrable compartment and utilization it to back rub hair all the time.
A few individuals likewise utilize a hair restoration pack that comprises of 1 measure of the dry powder of henna leaves blended with a large portion of a measure of curd. Apply this to the hair and permit to dry, and after that wash with cool water and a gentle cleanser. In the event that you crave delightful hair, attempt these other home-made packs henna hair packs.
Hibiscus
Coconut oil and hibiscus is the key to the thick mane of hair we see in individuals living in Kerala, India. Hibiscus has restoring properties – it revive the hair, avoids untimely turning gray furthermore helps cure dandruff. Customary utilization of the blossoms can help anticipate male pattern baldness as well.
Pound a couple of blossoms of hibiscus and blend with sesame oil or coconut oil to make fine glue. Apply this to the scalp and hair, leave on for a couple of hours and afterward washes with cool water and a mellow cleanse shampoo.
Amla
Stuffed with vitamin C and rich in cell reinforcements, amla is the ideal answer for most male baldness misfortunes. Other than applying to the scalp, it is additionally useful to expend it all the time in light of the fact that the vitamin C is useful for your body.
Squash the amla organic product to concentrate a juice or purchase the amla powder accessible at a natural store. Include 2 teaspoons of the juice or the powder into an equivalent amount of the juice newly pressed from a lime. Blend well, apply to the scalp and abandon it to dry; then flush utilizing warm water. Additionally read different advantages of amla for your hair and skin.
Egg
Eggs are another rich source of sulfur; they additionally contain a ton of protein and minerals, for example, selenium, iodine, phosphorus, iron and zinc. This makes it a magnificent promoter of hair regrowth particularly when joined with olive oil.
Take the white of one egg and blend in a teaspoon of olive oil. Beat to give a paste like consistency and apply to the whole scalp and hair. Keep it on for around 15 to 20 minutes and after that wash with cool water and a gentle cleanser.

Medicinal Herbs You Can Grow

Chamomile

Use the flower heads of this medicinal herb for infusions and salves to relieve indigestion and colic, anxiety and tension, and skin inflammations and irritations.

  Feverfew

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Use the leaves and flowers of this medicinal herb for teas; chew leaves to ease headache pain (including migraines). It's also been shown to provide relief for arthritis, and skin conditions.

                                        Johnny-jump-up

With anti-inflammatory properties, this medicinal herb is good for eczema and skin blemishes as well as to help loosen phlegm.

Lavender

Even smelling this medicinal herb has been shown to calm and relax. It also eases pain, and when applied to cuts and bruises functions as an antiseptic.
 

Lemon Balm

A relative of mint, lemon balm is a versatile medicinal herb that helps relieve anxiety, insomnia, wounds, herpes, insect bites, flatulence, and an upset stomach. It also speeds the healing of cold sores.

7 Medicinal Plants You Can Use to Benefit Your Health

This is only a small sample, of course, and once you get your feet wet, you’ll likely be inspired to explore more and more uses for these healing wonders.
1. Ginger

Ginger is one spice that I recommend keeping on hand in your kitchen at all times. Not only is it a wonderful addition to your cooking (especially paired with garlic) but it also has enough medicinal properties to fill several books.
Ginger is best known for its antinausea effects but also has broad-spectrum antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, and anti-parasitic properties, to name just several of its more than 40 scientifically confirmed pharmacological actions. It is anti-inflammatory, making it valuable for pain relief for joint pain, menstrual pain, headaches, and more.
The pain-relieving potential of ginger appears to be far-reaching. Along with help for muscle and joint pain, ginger has been found to reduce the severity of migraine headaches as well as the migraine medication Sumatriptan – with fewer side effects.⁴
Ginger also shows promise for fighting cancer, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, asthma, bacterial and fungal infections, and it is one of the best natural remedies available for motion sickness or nausea (from pregnancy or chemotherapy, for example).
Taking one gram of ginger daily may help reduce nausea and vomiting in pregnant women, or those with migraines and ginger has been shown to work better than a placebo in relieving morning sickness.⁵
Ginger is also a must-have if you struggle with indigestion, and it does more than simply relieve pain. Ginger contains powerful protein-digesting enzymes and helps to stimulate the emptying of your stomach without any negative effect, and it’s an antispasmodic agent, which may explain its beneficial effects on your intestinal tract.
Many people enjoy ginger tea on a regular basis, and this is one of the simplest ways to use it. Simply chop off a couple of inches of ginger root and let it steep in hot water for fresh ginger tea. I would advise against using it daily as it can lead to an allergy and is what happened to me about twenty years ago.
You can also peel the root using a paring knife and then slice it thinly (or grate it or mince it) to add to tea or cooked dishes. You can’t go wrong by adding ginger to stir fries or even your favorite homemade chicken soup. For serious issues, a natural health care provider can help you get the maximum therapeutic benefits of ginger.

2. Garlic

Eating a clove or two of fresh garlic a day may indeed keep the doctor away, in part because it has immune-boosting, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal effects. Many of garlic’s therapeutic effects are derived from its sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin, which are also what give it its characteristic smell. In general, garlic’s benefits fall into four main categories:

1. Reducing inflammation (reduces the risk of osteoarthritis and other disease associated with inflammation)
2. Boosting immune function (antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic properties)
3. Improving cardiovascular health and circulation (protects against clotting, retards plaque, improves lipids, and reduces blood pressure)
4. Toxic to at least 14 kinds of cancer cells (including brain, lung, breast, gastric, and pancreatic)

In addition, garlic may be effective against drug-resistant bacteria, and research has revealed that as allicin digests in your body, it produces sulfenic acid, a compound that reacts with dangerous free radicals faster than any other known compound.⁶ This is one of the reasons why I named garlic as one of the top seven anti-aging foods you can consume.
In order to get the health benefits, the fresh clove must be crushed or chopped in order to stimulate the release of an enzyme called alliinase, which in turn catalyzes the formation of allicin.
Allicin, in turn, rapidly breaks down to form a number of different organosulfur compounds. So to “activate” garlic’s medicinal properties, compress a fresh clove with a spoon prior to swallowing it, or put it through your juicer to add to your vegetable juice.
A single medium-size clove or two is usually sufficient and is well-tolerated by most people. The active ingredient, allicin, is destroyed within one hour of smashing the garlic, so garlic pills are virtually worthless. Black garlic, which is basically fermented garlic, and sprouted garlic may contain even more antioxidants than regular garlic.

3. Peppermint

Peppermint offers benefits to the respiratory system, including for coughs, colds, asthma, allergies, and tuberculosis. In terms of digestive health, peppermint oil capsules have been described as "the drug of first choice" in IBS patients,⁷ and peppermint oil is an effective alternative to drugs like Buscopan for reducing colonic spasms.⁸
It may also relax the muscles of your intestines, allowing gas to pass and easing abdominal pain. Try peppermint oil or leaves added to tea for gas relief. Inhaling the peppermint aroma may offer memory enhancement and stress relief, and peppermint oil acts as an expectorant and decongestant, and may help clear your respiratory tract.
Use peppermint essential oil as a cold rub on your chest or inhale it through a vaporizer to help clear nasal congestion and relieve cough and cold symptoms. Peppermint oil may also help relieve tension headache pain. For headache pain, try dabbing a few drops on your wrist or sprinkling a few drops on a cloth, then inhaling the aroma. You can also massage the oil directly onto your temples and forehead. Peppermint essential oil is ideal for muscle and chest rubs, headache pain, dental care, and aromatherapy. You can even add it to your homemade cleaning supplies for extra antimicrobial power and natural fragrance.
When selecting peppermint for your own use, the fresh leaves will impart a superior flavor to dried leaves (such as for use in tea). Look for fresh leaves that are green in color without any dark spots or yellowing. In addition to using fresh mint leaves in tea, you can add them to soups, fruit salad, or gazpacho. Additionally, it is really easy to grow peppermint yourself and the plant works as a highly effective deterrent to many insects that might invade your garden or your home.

4. Lavender

Lavender oil has a chemically complex structure with over 150 active constituents.⁹ This oil is rich in esters, which are aromatic molecules with antispasmodic (suppressing spasms and pain), calming, and stimulating properties. The chief botanical constituents of lavender oil are linalyl acetate, linalool (a non-toxic terpene alcohol that has natural germicidal properties), terpinen-4-ol, and camphor. Other constituents in lavender oil that are responsible for its antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties include cis-ocimene, lavandulyl acetate, 1,8-cineole, limonene, and geraniol.
Lavender oil is known for its calming and relaxing properties, and has been used aromatherapeutically for alleviating insomnia, anxiety, depression, restlessness, dental anxiety, and stress. It has also been proven effective for nearly all kinds of ailments, from pain to infections.
I am particularly fascinated by lavender oil's potential in fighting antifungal-resistant skin and nail infections. Scientists from the University of Coimbra found that lavender oil is lethal to skin-pathogenic strains known as dermatophytes, as well as various Candida species.¹⁰ Lavender oil can also be used to:

• Relieve pain. It can ease sore or tense muscles, joint pain and rheumatism, sprains, backache, and lumbago. Simply massage a small amount of lavender oil onto the affected area. Lavender oil may also help lessen pain following needle insertion.
• Treat various skin disorders like acne, psoriasis, eczema, and wrinkles. It also helps form scar tissues, which may be essential in healing wounds, cuts, and burns. Lavender can also help soothe insect bites and itchy skin (lavender oil can help ward off mosquitoes and moths. It is actually used as an ingredient in some mosquito repellents).
• Keep your hair healthy. It helps kill lice, lice eggs, and nits. The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database (NMCB) says that lavender is possibly effective for treating alopecia areata (hair loss), boosting hair growth by up to 44 percent after just seven months of treatment.¹¹
• Improve your digestion. This oil helps stimulate the mobility of your intestine and stimulates the production of bile and gastric juices, which may help treat stomach pain, indigestion, flatulence, colic, vomiting, and diarrhea.
• Relieve respiratory disorders. Lavender oil can help alleviate respiratory problems like colds and flu, throat infections, cough, asthma, whooping cough, sinus congestion, bronchitis, tonsillitis, and laryngitis. It can be applied on your neck, chest, or back, or inhaled via steam inhalation or through a vaporizer.
• Stimulate urine production, which helps restore hormonal balance, prevent cystitis (inflammation of the urinary bladder), and relieve cramps and other urinary disorders.
• Improve your blood circulation. It helps lower elevated blood pressure levels and can be used for hypertension.

5. Thyme

Thyme is a fragrant herb that makes a wonderful addition to your cooking, in part because it is rich in antioxidants. Thyme contains health-boosting flavonoids including apigenin, naringenin, luteolin, and thymonin, and has been shown to protect and increase the percentage of healthy fats found in cell membranes. As reported by the George Mateljan Foundation:¹² “In particular, the amount of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid) in brain, kidney, and heart cell membranes was increased after dietary supplementation with thyme.”
Thyme is also nutrient dense, containing vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, manganese, copper, and dietary fiber. When used in cooked dishes, thyme may also help inhibit glycation and the formation of dangerous advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in your food, making thyme a potential preventer of heart disease and premature aging. Due to thyme oil’s antibacterial, antispasmodic, antirheumatic, expectorant, hypertensive, and calming properties, it also has a long list of topical uses, including:

• Home remedy – Thyme oil is used to relieve and treat problems like gout, arthritis, wounds, bites, and sores, water retention, menstrual and menopausal problems, nausea and fatigue, respiratory problems (like colds), skin conditions (oily skin and scars), athlete’s foot, hangovers, and even depression.
• Aromatherapy oil – The oil can be used to stimulate the mind, strengthen memory and concentration, and calm the nerves.
• Hair product – It is said that thyme oil can prevent hair loss. It is used as a treatment for the scalp and is added to shampoos and other hair products.
• Skin product – Thyme oil can help tone aged skin and prevent acne outbreaks.
• Mouthwashes and herbal rinses – Like peppermint, wintergreen, and eucalyptus oils, thyme oil is used to improve oral health.
• Insecticide/insect repellent – Thyme oil can keep insects and parasites like mosquitoes, fleas, lice, and moths away.

6. Chamomile

Chamomile is most popular in tea form for use to calm upset stomach and help support restful sleep. Germany’s Commission E (a government organization) has even approved the use of chamomile for reducing swelling on your skin and fighting bacteria. Chamomile is a powerful anti-inflammatory that also has antibacterial, anti-spasmodic, anti-allergenic, muscle relaxant, and sedative properties. It is used to treat psoriasis, eczema, chickenpox, diaper rash, slow-healing wounds, abscesses, and gum inflammation,¹³ and according to Herb Wisdom may also be useful for the following conditions:¹⁴

“The oil serves many medicinal purposes, but one of the best-documented uses is for relaxation. The oil has a calming effect on people, and can be used to help induce sleep, ease frayed nerves, and promote a general sense of calmness and well being. It is great for those with nervousness or anxiety problems. Aside from having mental calming properties, chamomile is also good at relaxing sore muscles and tight joints.
It can ease menstrual cramps and back aches, as well as relax the digestive system to ease upset stomach or indigestion issues. When applied topically to the skin, it soothes redness and irritation. For this reason, it is a common ingredient in skincare. It also eliminates itchiness and is good for those with allergic reactions. Sometimes chamomile is used on rashes. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it can work to take down swelling caused by rashes or skin irritants.”

7. Dandelion

This flowering plant has traditionally been used as a liver tonic, useful for detoxification and improving liver function. Dandelion is known as a stimulant that is typically used for kidney and liver disorders. It is also traditionally used to reduce the side effects of prescription drugs, as well as to treat infections, gallbladder problems, water retention and swelling.¹⁵ Dandelion greens, which you can prepare simply by blanching them in boiling water for 20 seconds to help remove their bitter flavor (they can also be added to vegetable juice), contain many nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin B6, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, iron, potassium, and manganese. They are a particularly good source of vitamin A and may also have cancer-fighting properties.

Getting in Touch with Your Inner Healer: How to Use More Medicinal Plants

In the past, I have regarded herbs, in many cases, as a safer alternative to drugs, useful for treating various symptoms but not to treat the underlying cause. I have since revised my opinion on this quite significantly, and now realize that herbs can help support your health from a very basic level, just as foods do. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, you could walk into a drug store and find hundreds of herbal extracts for sale. Upwards of 90 percent of the population at that time knew how to use the medicinal plants growing in their backyards to treat common illnesses and injuries; they had too, as this was virtually the only “medicine” available.
With the rise of what is now known as conventional allopathic medicine shortly before World War I, herbalism slowly fell out of favor and became to be thought of as folk medicine. Rather than viewing nature as the source of healing, as had been done for centuries, people began to view drugs and other “modern” healing methods as superior. If you would like to start using medicinal plants more often, here are 9 tips to do so:¹⁶

1. Learn to identify three medicinal plants you don't already know that grow in your region and learn their uses.
2. Add at least one of these herbs to your garden or to pots on your windowsill.
3. Make a tincture, tea, syrup, or salve. Or make one of each!
4. Harvest and dry mint, lemon balm, calendula, nettles, or any other plant growing in your region.
5. Find a plant to sit with quietly each morning for a week; draw the plant.
6. Identify one healing skill you would like to have but don't, and find a way to learn it—perhaps by taking an herb or aromatherapy class.
7. Make an herbal first aid kit.
8. Organize local healers for emergency response in your community.
9. With medicinal plants grown in your region, learn how to treat one condition that you and/or someone in your family struggles with.

Grow & Care for Basil Plants

Basil grows as a summer annual herb. It produces fragrant, flavorful leaves often used to complement tomato-based foods. The herb can't tolerate frost and grows best during the warm days of summer and fall in nearly all climates. Basil produces ample foliage with only minimal care.

Planting Basil

1

Sow two basil seeds in moist potting soil inside a 2-inch-diameter seedling pot. Plant the seeds approximately six weeks before the last expected frost date. Cover the seeds with a 1/4-inch layer of soil.

2

Cover the pot with a plastic bag to retain the soil moisture during germination. Set the pots in a warm area indoors until the seeds sprout, which can take up to seven days. Basil doesn't require light to germinate.

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3

Remove the plastic bag and move the pots to a location that receives at least six hours of daily sunlight after the seeds sprout. Water the basil when the soil surface dries.

4

Pinch out the extra seedlings so only one seedling remains in each pot after the plants produce their second set of leaves. Transplant the seedlings outdoors two weeks after frost danger passes.

Outdoor Care

1

Amend a full-sun garden bed with a 1-inch layer of compost, digging it into the top 6 inches of soil.

2

Lift the basil seedlings out of their pots and plant them in the prepared bed at the same depth they were growing at previously. Space the basil plants 8 inches apart.

3

Water basil once weekly, providing about 1 inch of moisture via irrigation or rainfall. Basil grows best in soil that remains moist without becoming soggy.

4

Pinch off the tip of each stem every three weeks to keep the plants bushy and to prevent flowering. Alternatively, snip back the plant to half its height every two or three weeks when harvesting. The foliage tastes best when the plants aren't allowed to flower.