Herbal Remedies: Mother Nature's Defense

Sample By: Lisa Delsanno

For thousands of years, people have looked to Mother Nature to cure what ails them. Before there was such a thing as pharmaceutical medicine, or even doctors, entire communities could be cured from illnesses by simply venturing into the woods to collect herbs, plants, and berries. Now that pharmaceuticals have become mainstream, most of these remedies have been long forgotten, or considered to be "Old Wives' Tales", written off as superstitious beliefs from a simpler time. However, if we look into these remedies and dare to ask ourselves why they were used, it becomes apparent that there actually is a certain science to it. These very same ideas can still be utilized today, usually without the harmful side effects that we see with pharmaceuticals. A lot of these remedies are incredibly easy to make, and most of the ingredients can be obtained with a quick trip to the grocery store. In fact, they may even be in your kitchen already! A few good examples include: honey, ginger, and cinnamon.

Honey
Honey has long been considered one of nature's most versatile remedies. It can be used to treat and/or cure hundreds of ailments, including acne, cuts/scrapes, sore throat, and insomnia. A mixture of warm milk and honey can be just the thing to help you fall asleep, and swallowing a teaspoon of honey when you have a cold will soothe a scratchy throat almost instantly. It can also be applied directly to an open cut to act as a natural antibiotic.

Ginger
For people suffering from arthritis, fresh ginger may very well be one of the simplest, yet most effective forms of relief. It can be eaten, however ginger has a strong taste and some may find it hard to handle. The easiest way to use ginger to relieve arthritis pain is to grind it in a food processor, add enough boiling water to form a paste, put the warm paste into a piece of cheese cloth, and apply as a compress to the affected area.

Cinnamon
Some diabetics use cinnamon as a means to control blood sugar spikes. It can be eaten or taken in capsule form, and when taken daily may help to regulate high blood sugar.

It goes without saying that any illness, or treatment thereof, should always be discussed with a medical professional. Most medical professionals would agree however that a natural alternative to traditional medications is safe, providing you have no known allergies. An open minded doctor may even encourage it! Modern medicine is all about experimentation and finding out what works best for the individual. This can be accomplished much more easily when harmful side effects are no longer a concern. With most herbal remedies, there are no side effects, and they can be experimented with safely.

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