My history with herbal remedies began when I was pretty young. You see, I grew up on an herb farm, where my dad managed the growing and processing of herbs for a world-wide herbal wholesale company.
The summers were great with the smell of peppermint filling the air. And Dad put a lot of those remedies to use. Teas, decoctions, poultices. All were used for a variety of ailments. And then there was his favorite – baking soda in water. I’m still not sure about that one. Though it does make a great shampoo.
When I was 16, I discovered a book called Ageless Natural Beauty. It was full of recipes for herbal beauty products and I soaked it up, trying as many of them out as I could. I loved it.
A few years ago, as I found myself heading quickly into a more natural lifestyle, I began learning more about herbs. An avid reader and researcher, I learned as much as I could about herbs and how they could benefit my growing family.
I quickly grew in self-confidence knowing that I was helping my family stay healthy. And I think it’s the coolest thing when someone asks me an herbal question and the answer pops in my head with thinking.
It wasn’t difficult to get there. I don’t have a degree in herbs – I taught myself with excellent resources, time and practice.
Read
If you want to know more about herbs, start devouring the information. Check your library and Google books for free sources. There are some really great websites out there as well. I’m particularly fond of this one. You can always buy books – my herbal references are some of the few physical books left in the house.
Follow recipes
Get to know your herbs by creating remedies with them. Several recipes are available free, like my Monthly Tea or Soothing Bath Herbs, that will help you get comfortable with using herbs. Choose simple ones that require few herbs.
Keep track of what works
Record what works best for you. If you find that plaintain works best for a dry cough, write it down. It’s good to know for next time. You’ll also remember what didn’t work, what needed tweaking and which ones your kids liked best.
Experiment
Once you have the basics down, start experimenting. Make your own small batches of teas based on what you’ve learned. There’s nothing quite like knowing that you created your very own herbal remedy recipe that works.
Keep it simple
It’s easy to become zealous over this new hobby and purchase pounds and pounds of herbs that will just sit in your cabinet. Oh wait, that’s me. Downside of super-easy access to quality herbs, I guess. In my experience, there are only 15 herbs that I need. Half of them are used on a regular basis, while the others stand-by for certain illnesses. But just 15. Wish I would have figured that out a few years ago.
Are you interested in knowing more about herbal remedies? My upcoming book, Simple Natural Health, has an entire chapter devoted to those 15 herbs I mentioned. It also has tips for buying herbs as well as detailed recipes and how-tos for preparing herbs. Be sure to join the newsletter for the latest news on the book.
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This post was written by
Nina Nelson – who has written 205 posts on Shalom Mama.
Nina Nelson is a freelance writer, mama to four and wife to one. She writes regularly about minimalism, living more sustainably and living more intentionally. She loves reading, snuggling and giggling at miniature horses.
When I started out, I found keeping a journal invaluable. Whenever a baby got sick, I took copious notes of symptoms, what I did, what helped, progression, etc. Then, when I faced the same thing a year later with another child, I could refer back to see what to do.
Carol J. Alexander recently posted..Ordering Bulk Herbs and Supplies
That’s so great Carol! Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Do you have any favorite herbs?
This time of year I make a lot of elderberry syrup. We pick the berries in the wild and freeze them. Of course, there are the old standbys like echinacea and goldenseal. We use nettles for allergies and a combination of burdock, milk thistle, and yellow dock for acne. But generally, eating an organic, whole foods diet, drinking plenty of pure water, and getting proper rest is all we require to stay well.
Carol J. Alexander recently posted..Ordering Bulk Herbs and Supplies
There’s a guy near my house who has a little shop where he grinds up herbs in a mortar with a pestle. He is a Chinese herbalist who obviously knows what he’s doing. My neighborhood is primarily Chinese American.
Kimberly recently posted..How To Stop Tinnitus