Piles, also known as haemorrhoids, are an enlarged, swollen or inflamed condition of the veins just outside or inside the anus or rectum. They may be felt as small lumps or bumps. External piles can be painful, but are less likely to bleed than internal piles that can produce a discharge of dark blood. Occasionally, […]
Category: Herbal Medicine
Cleavers Water
Cleavers: Galium aperineAKA: Goosegrass and sticky backsHarvest: From late February through early May This is a cold water infusion of fresh cleavers, infused for 4 hours or longer. It is one of the best cleansers for the lymphatic system and a timely Spring cleansing tonic following the more lethargic months of Winter. Cleavers are high […]
How to make an herbal decoction
An herbal decoction is a means of extracting the medicinal benefits from the tougher parts of herbs, such as roots, bark, hard seeds and berries. The word decoction is derived from the Latin decoquere, which means to boil down, or boil away. The herbs are covered with cold water, brought to a boil, and then […]
Anti-viral Tea
Dr Mitchell’s Anti-viral Tea Ingredients: 3 sticks of cinnamon bark 5 slices of fresh ginger 5 Cardamon seeds Directions: Place the above ingredients in a pot with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Strain into a cup. Add fresh- […]
Cold Herbal Infusions
Cold water long herbal infusions Cold herbal infusions use cold, tepid or room temperature water. They are usually used on nutrient rich green leaves, and delicate plant materials such as fresh flowers and seeds, but not always. Long cold infusions are preferred to extract the soothing, mucilaginous polysaccharides of starchy roots such as marshmallow, slippery […]
How to make overnight herbal infusions
Overnight herbal infusions allow for more of the vitamins, minerals and phyto-nutrients of the plant material to be extracted. They offer a very convenient and economical means of extracting the maximum benefit from your herbs. You will need: Cut dried/fresh herbs A jar with a lid Hot water Directions: Measure out your herbs: generally 1 […]
How to make an herbal infusion
What is an herbal infusion? An herbal infusion is the process of soaking herbs in either hot or cold water, to extract their nutritional and medicinal benefits. If this sounds like making herbal tea then you are absolutely right. What distinguishes an herbal tea from an herbal infusion is that an herbal infusion will generally […]
Thyme: benefits and uses
Thyme: Thymus vulgaris Part used: leaf and stem Medicinal actions: Carminative, anti-microbial, anti-spasmodic, expectorant, astringent, anthelmintic Thyme is an aromatic herb with a bitter-sweet flavour. It has a long history of culinary and medicinal use. It is primarily used as a pot herb as it can withstand long cooking times. It also makes a delicious […]
Elderberry
Sambucus nigra As summer comes to an end the hanging clusters of tiny elderberries change from green, to dark purple, to black when fully ripe. Each elderberry contains one to three seeds, which contain poisonous cyanogenic glycosides that can be deactivated by cooking. If you eat too many raw berries, which taste bitter-sweet, you will […]
Blackberry
Rubus fruticosus, A.K.A.: Bramble If you regularly walk past blackberry bushes, when the berries are ripe, without picking any you are definitely missing out on one of Nature’s great bounties. Blackberries are an excellent source of Vitamins C and K and manganese, they are rich in bioflavonoids and contain both soluble and insoluble dietary fibre. Blackberries […]