HERBS

Herbs are amongst the world´s fast disappearing natural healers that are now being taken over by large pharmaceutical companies boasting “new” herbal products using herbs that have been widely used for their medicinal uses, added to foods as spices and used externally for a wide variety of functions from poultices to suntan lotion, foot lotions, facial creams and other cosmetic & dietary uses. There are thousands of herbs on the market today and thousands more hybrids coming out annually each delightfully scented and flavoured. Anyone can grow herbs in their gardens, even in Calgary. Herbs can also be grown in pots and kept inside for the winter. You can now enjoy herbs fresh all year round.

Before chemistry came along and scientists isolated the active ingredients from herbs, people simply used herbs and not synthesized drugs. By the late 19th century, doctors viewed herbs as old-fashioned since standardized, synthetic drugs took the guesswork out of administering herbs, since plants do not all contain the same amounts of chemicals and compounds strengths while synthetics contain specific amounts that don´t vary. Pills became the norm and the strength of the isolated chemicals increased, but the side effects also increased. It is easy to understand why people would wish to use the more natural and gentler medicine that doctors so readily dismiss in today´s synthetic world when you have suffered the side effects of harsh treatments.

I love herbs and have felt their healing powers take effect for calcium deposits, repeated stress syndrome, digestive problems, PMS, pain and numerous ailments on myself and clients who use herbs have experienced the healing power herbs contain. Herbs have been proven throughout history to have healing properties that enhance health, cure and prevent disease. Much of our pharmacology comes from natural sources such as herbs. Herbs may, however, take some while to be truly effective since some herbs may need time to build up in the body. Never expect any instant cures, only snake oil salesmen make this promise and like everything, it takes time to really work well.

I grow my own herbs such as oregano; summer savory, thyme, parsley, garlic, chives, spearmint & peppermint, violas, lemon balm, Scullcap and St. John´s Wort and some other healing herbs I am attempting to grow if the weather ever decides to warm up. I have always believed that the natural source is usually the best one, and where Mother Nature has naturally placed her plants is where the plants will be at their most potent.

You can grow your own herbs in containers on your balcony, in larger pots outside or your kitchen window. Herbs such as oregano, parsley, chives, thyme, and mints to name a few are easy to grow for use in cooking, for makeup, for cleaning the house and cleansing the skin, tisanes or teas but dispensing herbs should be left to an experienced herbalist.