Abigails Herbs

Last week, the harsh summer weather reached temperatures of 104 and 105  for tree days in a row. I was so hot that my skin was warm and flushed and it was becoming extremely dry. Instead of using my regular aloe vera gel, I decided to try rubbing some bala root massage oil into my parched skin. In symbiosis with castor oil, coconut oil and ashoka bark oil, this mixture was a wonderful experience for my skin.

Immediately after I massaged it in, I felt my skin was soft, supple and cool. The moisture seemed to renew my tired, old skin, which had been drained and parched by the brutal heat. I found out that bala is aged for a full 24 hours in copper containers by Ayurvedic physicians. The copper pots maintain the integrity of the oil so that it is effective and the oil’e healing properties are not lost in the curing process. Bala root oil has the ability to actually rejuvenate skin cells so they do not die.

My skin not only felt cooler, but younger and invigorated for sure. Ayurveda has been using the bala root for over 850 years now as an oil for healing.

Hot summer weather makes us feel slow and sluggish; especially when it is humid and sticky outside. It slows me down for sure. ANyway, if  you want to react faster during your next tennis game or, if you need to run faster around those bases when you are playing softball (or hardball), just chew cinnamon gum.

A recent reaserch study shows that consuming more cinnamon actually speeds the rate at which your brain processes visual cues. One reason the cinnamon gum may help is because cinnamon regulates blood-sugar levels, and the more stable your blood-sugars are, the better you can stay focused on a task or activity.

Suggestion for a healthy way to start your day: sprinkle a teaspoon of cinnamon on oatmeal for a brain-healthy breakfast. Some teas and coffees contain cinnamon. By the way, always store your spices in glass containers. Most spices will maintain their freshness for up to 6 – 12 months. The longer herbs and spices sit in your cupboard, the sooner they will lose their effectiveness for health benefits. So, if you buy spices which come in plastic, be sure to transfer them to a glass jar; this will insure that they will remain fresher for longer periods of time.

A University of California, Los Angeles research study has revealed that when mice were given curcumin to digest that it broke up brain plaques of amyloid beta, the abnormal protein which causes Alzheimer’s Disease. Curcumin is the ingredient in curry which gives it a distinctive yellow color. Curcumin is found in turmeric, the herb which gives curry it’s unique flavor and taste. In Alzheimer’s,the amyloid plaques build and multiply to unhealthy levels; it has been found that too much amyloid protein plaques cause dementia and other symptoms of mental confusion and memory loss.

In India, where people eat turmeric (curcumin) everyday, the Alzheimer’s Disease rate is one-fourth the rate of Alzheimer’s found in the United States of America. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory and has many other health benefits. For a brain-boosting, healthy turmeric recipe, dish up this delicious chicken curry salad:

Just toss 2 teaspoons curry powder or turmeric into 2 cups of cubed chicken. Saute this mixture in olive oil until cooked. Then allow it to cool. Add raisins, diced apples, chopped almonds, chopped celery and low-fat yogurt. I just guess the amount of almonds, raisins, apples and celery to put in; when it tastes right, then I know it is ready to serve. This is a great healthy recipe for a warm summer day.

This recipe is taken from AARP magazine.

Sesame oil has a  rich, nutty taste. It is usually the tastes of ginger, rice wine, soy and sesame oil which gives Asian foods such a unique flavor. It is unique to my Western standards. Sesame oil is not only good-tasting, but research has found that it actually reduces high blood pressure. It is true that eating sesame oil decreases the need to take high doses of hypertension medications. In other words, those people who depend on blood pressure medicine to lower their pressure can take less of it if they consume sesame oil on a regular, ongong basis. One should always consult their doctor first, instead of increasing or decreasing their prescription medications.

Well, here is a delightful recipe for Asian Sesame Ginger salad dressing. It is quick and easy to make:

• 1/2  cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/2  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce
• 2  tablespoons honey
• 1/2  teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 2  teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2  teaspoon sesame oil
• 2/3  cup canola oil

Mix all ingredients except for the oils. Slowly add the oils, whisking slowly and constantly. When covered in a airtight bottle or container, the salad dressing can last up to three weeks in the refrigerator. At room temperature, the dressing will last for five days.

I grow fresh basil in my garden and I use lavender oil in my bath water. In combination with each other, these herbs can stimulate skin to look and feel more youthful and can tighten skin pores, toning skin cells and making the skin more pleasant to feel; making it softer and smoother.

Lavender essential oil makes a great soap and both basil and lavender make wonderful ingredients for fragrant aromatherapy candles. I make a great pesto saucefrom crushed basil leaves; combined with garlic, olive oil and some lemon juice, basil used for cooking just can’t be beat. The best type of basil is tulsi, otherwise known as holy basil. It is an Ayurvedic herb from the East, which has been used for healing for thousands of years.

There is English lavender and there is a French lavendar which are both light purple in color with slight variations in appearance and scent. When I use lavender on my skin, I sleep well at night. The combination of  basil and lavender toner leaves my skin younger and softer. The smoothness of my skin is remarkable.

According to Webster’s dictionary, the definition of exotic is “something strikingly beautiful and unusual in appearance; mysterious, different and/or strange, such as a woman or a plant.”  I have a cat whom I consider to be exotic because she has unusual leopard-like markings, she is lean and mysterious and she has a touch of wildness to her which I can’t totally figure out. She is not your typical frumpy , everyday house cat. She showed up at my door very mysteriously and she moves about, leaping gracefully. The herbs found in Exotic Chai are comparable. Chai  is a mysterious blend of herbs from India which includes cardamom, cinnamon and other herbal leaves. Exotic Chai tea is great for women, (whether you consider yourself to be an exotic woman or not). Damiana (an ingredient in this tea) gives renewed sexual energy and desire (especially to women).

Exotic Chai has a pleasurable smell, as it is an interesting infusion of damiana, cardamom, passionflower, green tea  lotus stamens, cinnamon, cloves and pepper. This blend also blends ginseng into the mix, giving this tea a very stimulating, enervating quality. This is not the type of tea that you drink before gong to bed at night. It should be consumed in the morning and in midday to give a burst of energy and vitality.

This blend also contains stevia, a natural sweetener, so you should not need to put honey in it. Exotic Chai stimulates at the mental and at the physical levels. I just had to tell you about this beautiful blend of unusual substances which are delightful and uplifting to the senses and healthy for the body. It is a real treat to experience.

Neem oil is from Ayurveda. It is used extensively for skin ailments. My friend uses it all the time for his psoriasis. He swears the neem oil is the only healing agent that actually works to quell the psoriasis. By the way, psoriasis is such a painful skin rash – it is really annoying and bothersome too!  Neem oil also works as a natural insect repellant. It has a very different smell and taste, but it is a very effective natural healing agent. If taken internally, it gives you a surge of healthy energy that words can’t describe.

Well, neem oil also helps to close pores in your skin and it clears up blackheads and pimples caused by oily skin. It is more powerful when combined as a powder, mixed with other essential oils and plants. It really promotes a healthy glow, giving skin a young, radiant look. Neem oil is such a wonder of nature. It comes very close to being a miracle of nature.

I bought some coriander seed today. I use it to pickle raw vegetables and shrimp. Coriander has a citrus-type flavor. Some people love it and others hate it. I think that coriander has a warm, spicy, nutty aroma and I am one of those people who love it. It is used to make curries (in combination with turmeric), and chutneys. As an alternative to carraway seed, it is used to make rye bread in Europe. It is the main ingredient in two South Indian dishes: 1) sambha and 2) rasam.

For best flavor, the coriander seeds should be ground fresh and not saved for too long of a period of time. In India, it is used as a diuretic and as a digestive aid. Studies with mice as subjects have indicated that coriander lowers cholesterol and triglycerides. The are powerful phytochemicals in coriander which are responsible for its’ medicinal and flavorful qualities:

• terpenes
• linalool
• pinene

Coriander has many more medicinal characteristics. Be careful because it can produce allergic reactions in some people.

I love home remedies. Number one, I save money by not buying pharmaceutical medications and over-the-counter drugs. Secondly, it is more fun to find and use  home remedies, the way my grandmother did.  Traditional medicine tells us that we should have at least one bowel movement per day to avoid constipation. Some experts assert that to stay healthy and to prevent cancers and other illnesses, that we should each have a minimum of five good bowel movements daily. I agree with this health tip whole heartedly.

Chronic constipation can be painful and debilitating.  It can even be dangerous as we get older. I want to share some outstanding home remedies with you that work to relieve constipation. First of all, walking after dinner helps in the digestion of  food. Eating fresh mango and drinking one-half cup of cabbage juice twice per day helps to relieve constipation. Also, figs diped in water help to ease constipation when eaten in the morning.

Dipping 10 to 12 seedless grapes in boiled milk will help if you drink the milk separately and chew the grapes at night prior to going to sleep. Carrot juice mixed with spinach juice gives immediate relief. Mixing  1/2 cup of olive oil with 1/2 cup of orange juice can help immensely. Also, daily consumption of guava on an empty stomach is extremely beneficial for quick relief  of constipation.

Mixing  one-quarter of  Epsom salts in a half cup of warm water (and drinking)  is a good home remedy. Two to four teaspoons of castor oil helps to loosen stools too. Fennel seeds added to one full glass of warm water, if consumed  prior to bedtime will normalize the digestion process. A mixture of dry ginger powder with senna leaves in equal proportions, in one cup of  lukewarm water, ensures proper passing of stool in the mornings, if drank every night. Lastly, drinking water which has been stored overnight in a copper container will give immediate relief from the discomfort of constipation. There are many more home remedies which I will present in a future article.