Abigails Herbs

We know that grapeseed oil is used often for massage because it is a great carrier oil. It brightens the skin and it absorbs into the skin easily. However, grapeseed oil can be used in a good way for cooking. It has Vitamin E in it and it contains linoleic acid, which is good for one’s immune system and assists in slowing down the deleterious effects of aging.

I don’t about you, but I like dark chicken and turkey meat. It is more moist than the light meat and it tastes better to me. Some people prefer the lighter poultry meat. I have found lately, that the darker chicken meat is less expensive, so it helps me to save money. I also got hooked on shelled edamame; you can buy the edamame at Trader Joe’s in the frozen food department. They are green soybeans and they taste delicious. Well, here is a recipe for Mushroom Chicken Fricassee, which combines shelled edamame and fresh tarragon. It has an Asian fusion flavor to it:

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds chicken legs and thighs (without skin, for healthy reasons)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 Tablespoons grapeseed oil
• one large red onion, halved and cut into one-quarter inch-thick slices
• one Tablespoon minced garlic
• one pound mushrooms, cut into one-quarter inch-thick slices
• two tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
• two cups canned whole roma tomatoes with juice, roughly chopped
• one cup shelled edamame

Grapeseed oil is good for blemishes and oily skin. It is odorless and non-greasy and it absorbs well into skin which usually does not absorp oils well. It is one of the carrier oils used by massage therapists universally.  Neroli oil improves the skin’s elasticity by boosting collagen production. In combination, both neroli and grapeseed make a powerful massage oil which helps to relax, reduce tension, induce sleep and pump up positive mood.

So, if you can’t quiet that incessant negative chatter in your mind before bedtime, a massage in neroli and grapeseed oils will help pump up positivity and even relieve self-doubt. It will improve your skin and it will also help you sleep better.

Neroli oil improves the skin’s elasticity by increasing collagen production. So, its’ benefits are for a healthy body (skin) and a healthy mind. Just take one cup of grapeseed oil and add three to six drops of neroli oil into a bottle. Make sure you use a tight-fitting lid on the bottle. Shake it up well and massage the oil into your skin. This mixture keeps indefinitely as long as you store it in a dry, cool spot.

Making your own oil is cost saving and it makes for good gifts during the holidays. I started making my own jewelry and organic lotions, potions and oils and my friends have told me that they appreciate it more when I give them homemade presents.

We are all human, and so we are all faced with anxiety at one time or another. Especially in this day and age, with economic woes, bills to pay and other expenses which seem to keep mounting and piling up. None of us are able to fully escape the toils and snares of these tantamount responsibilities. I suggest that when you are feeling anxious, after a rough day at work or struggling to uphold busy family, try this relaxing  bedtime scrub. It is easy to make and you can give it to others as a gift. Gather these ingredients together:

• one cup turbinado sugar (known as sugar in the raw)
• one cup almond oil or grapeseed oil
• one-half teaspoon vanilla extract
• one-quarter teaspoon almond extract

Stir all the ingredients in a bowl and place in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Before bed, take a warm shower and massage the fragrant scrub into your skin. Rinse off, pat dry and head for bed. This exfoliating mixture stays good for one month if stored in a cool, dry place.

The beauty benefit you will gain from using this vanilla almond scrub is that the tiny sugar granules in the scrub gently buff away dead, dull skin quickly to reveal glowing, baby-soft skin! Just the scent of the vanilla and almond oil is enough to induce total relaxation, even if only for a few hours.

A recent research study has discovered that people who sniffed a vanilla aroma prior to a stressful event were 63% less anxious than those who smelled nothing. So, taking a warm shower and massaging with this scrub will help you head to your dreamland destination worry-free!

This is the time of year that I love; yet, I hate it too because my allergies really get triggered during the late summer and early autumn season. I am allergic to ragweed and as much as I love the colors of autumn, it gives me painful sinus headaches. Maybe you can relate to what I’m talking about. Anyway, I try not to take sinus decongestants because they dry me up and my heart starts racing faster, which is scary.

I use guided visualization. I envision my head pain and pressure vanishing and that seems to help somewhat. It doesn’t take all the pressure away. So, I have tried taking peppermint oil and saturating a cotton ball with it. Then, when I start to drive my 16-mile commute back and forth to work everyday, I stick the peppermint-soaked cotton ball in the heating vent so I sniff in the soothing oil, and, voila, it takes away the edge off the pressure and pain.

Be mindful that I combine this way of treating the headache with use of a netty pot and saline solution, along with inhaling of eucalyptus too.  I avoid taking pain killers and I use the alternate treatment of natural herbs and plant medicine whenever possible. Peppermint and lavender are very soothing in combination with each other too.

By the way,Dr. Fred Pescatore, M.D. and director of the Centers for Integrative and Complementary Medicine in  NYC and Dallas, reports that people who load up on pain killing meds when they are fighting viruses actually stay sick three days longer because those medications suppress the fever which actually kill the viruses. So, the next time you are sick with a virus, lay in bed and welcome the presence of a fever, since that is what will kill the virus that made you sick in the first place.

Plain old black pepper! Can you believe it?  According to new research, sprinkling some black pepper on your food can help you to digest it more easily. Peperine, black pepper’s main alkaloid, stimulates the production of protective stomach acids that hold back indigestion and, its’ partner, heartburn.

It also stimulates digestive enzymes that help break down food in the body, and some studies suggest that it can even prevent stomach ulcers and digestive cancers. I put my peppercorns in a grinder and grind it onto my salads and my main dishes. There’s nothing better than the taste of freshly ground black pepper.

Breast cancer is a serious matter. The good news is that we can beat cancer of the breast by eating healthy and great-tasting plant compounds provided by Mother Nature. The purpose of this article is to give you a list of healthy choices to prevent cancer in the first place.

There is new research out that has proven that women who eat certain “breast-healthy” food combinations can lower their breast cancer risk by as much as 76%.  Included below are some suggested combos:

1. Red Grapes + Cantaloupes -  Red grapes are loaded with polyphenols (which can  help to shut down the growth of abnormal breast cells.  Cantaloupe is filled with rich beta-carotene (which acts just like estrogen and it prevents the actual irritating and cell-damaging hormone from latching on to the breast cells).
2. Brown Rice + Beans -  this combination cuts cancer by as much as 25%. Due to the healthy fiber in both beans and rice, it help to escort unhealthy estrogen from the body before it can reach high levels of cancerous amounts. Beans also contain natural protease inhibitors, compounds that help regulate the division of cells. Caribbean women have the lowest rate of breast cancer in the world because they eat a regular diet of rice and beans. Their breast cancer risk is up to 6 times lower than that of American women.
3. Eggs+ Mushrooms -  Eggs have an abundance of choline in them. Choline is a form of Vitamin B which stops abnormal cell growth. Mushrooms contain beta-D-glucan, a phytonutrient that revs up the liver’s breakdown 0f  tumor-fueling estrogen. Eat one egg and mushroom omelet everyday to reduce your cancer risk by 18%.
4. Tomatoes + Lettuce -  I always thought  iceberg lettuce was null and void of nutrition; and that it was only good for roughage, however, new research reveals that iceberg lettuce is a top source of hard-to-get Vitamin K, a nutrient that inactivates precancerous cells. And the lycopene in tomatoes mops up free radicals before they can damage breast tissue.

Some further research has discovered that the compounds in turmeric and black pepper can stop the growth of abnormal breast tissue without interfering with normal tissue , according to preliminary research from the University of Michigan. So apply these two spices liberally to everyday to your tuna, egg salad and to your tomato sauces.

And don’t forget your Vitamin D; taking 1,000 units of this important vitamin daily produces cancer-fighting calcitriol inside of breast tissue, which, in turn, cuts cancer risk by 33%.  This information was taken from the nutrition researcher Connie Gutterson, Ph.D., author of  “The New Sonoma Diet.”

Neem (Azadirachta indica) is the common name of a tree in the Meliaceae mohagany, prized for its nearly unlimited application to health and agriculture and the medicinal use of each of its parts: leaves, twigs, bark, fruits, flowers , seeds, roots. Originally from India, Burma and Pakistan, other big name, Veppam, Pichumarda and Indian lilac. Two other species of neem with similar characteristics and properties: Azadirachta siamensis and neem, Azadirachta excelsa. General list of statistics describe this plant as a rich evergreen, drought-resistant, leading to 20 meters in the fastest growth tropical and semi-arid sub-tropical to sub-humid conditions. The neem tree  is very similar in appearance to paradise, which is extremely toxic.
Neem is perhaps now the most well loved for its ability to treat skin problems and the inflammation of the joints, because of its anti-inflammatory, analgesic properties similar to aspirin’s ability to increase skin elasticity, and its effectiveness in killing bacteria and fungi, including yeast Candida . All these bonuses  are available without skin irritation. But, much research has been dedicated to investigating  Neem’s usefulness  in agriculture as a biological control agent and its ability to interrupt the life cycle of insects through hormonal influences, as well as the ability to kill parasites such as malaria , lice and nits. Studies also showed that neem is effective in treating certain diseases, but there is speculation that this plant’s effectiveness is most likely due to its’ ability to protect and to nourish the body’s immune system.

Neem is a plant of India special. It is famous for its medicinal values. In India, the neem tree is considered sacred and revered. It’s easy to find neem trees across the country, so much so that the tree is considered free India. The English name is Neem. The scientific name of the neem tree is Azadirachta indica.
Neem, as we all know is a great and amazing tree with a tremendous value and herbal medicines. It is found mainly in tropical and subtropical regions such as India, Myanmar, Pakistan, etc. The benefits from this splendid tree is almost beyond explanation. Neem has been widely used since antiquity in the field of Ayurveda. This tree is also known for its quality of purifying the air.
Today’s markets are flooded with products almost hygiene and oral health care. One can easily find a number of such products in stores, shopping centers, warehouses, department stores, etc. In such a situation, people often get confused in the midst of such a large number of products of different varieties. They also worry about any side effect that some or hygiene products can cause health. Neem products can be the best alternative in this context. Products manufactured in this plant are completely natural, so do not lead to any allergic reactions. In addition to this, which are beneficial and produce immediate and long-term results.
This amazing plant  is  special  in India, which is considered sacred for its medicinal values and is adored by most Indians. Neem tree is also regarded as the tree of India that is why you can find almost everywhere in the country. Its’ scientific name is Azadirachta indica. Neem was internationally recognized as a medicinal plant which can cure many health conditions.
For over 5000 years, it has been used as medicine to cure skin diseases such as eczema. Neem can also be taken orally or applied directly to affected areas to relieve symptoms. Or you can just put some neem leaves in hot water bath. Most of the time bacteria are introduced into the body through broken skin from itching and scratching. Neem is a natural cure for eczema  as it prevents microorganisms from entering the body through its fight against pests, antibacterial, antiviral, anti protozoal and anti fungal properties. Through the application of neem powder or neem oil on affected areas, the microorganisms that cause eczema outbreaks become inactive,  allowing the eczema to heal.
The neem leaves in tea are used by the people of  Nigeria and Haiti to treat malaria.
Neem flowers help to improve eyesight. For this purpose dry neem flowers are used, preferably 6 months to a year old. These flowers are fried lightly with clarified butter and then taken internally.
Therefore the role of neem in providing a cheaper, secure solution to disease today is unsurpassed. No wonder it is called “arishta” in Ayurveda, which means “reliever of sickness.”

According to the 5000 year oil medicine system of India, called Ayurveda, neem oil is probably the best blood purifier on the planet. It is rich in fatty acids so it is a wonderful skin moisturizer and its’  lypolytic action is great for the skin when applied topically. I have a friend who uses neem oil for his excema and he reports that it takes rashes away, prevents scars from forming and relieves his itchiness too!

I need to let him know that he should also take the neem leaf extract in oral form while simultaneously applying the neem oil to his skin. The combination of both forms should do away with his excema all together. Never consume the oil full strength. It will purify your blood, but neem is a very strong oil, so dilute it with vegetable oil before consuming it. Use 3 tablespoons of neem oil to one tablespoon of vegetable oil. Warning: neem is excellent; I love it, but the smell of this wonderful oil is awful! You may like the smell of it but it absolutely repulses me. Individuals have reported that it is effective as an anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-fungal agent.

The FDA has not yet tested or evaluated this product, so I am making a disclaimer that all reports of neem’s effectiveness has been by anecdotal records only. Most people report that it gets rid of skin parasites and heals wounds while preventing scarring – even acne, burns and even rosacea. There has been no empirical, scientific data as yet. The ancient Ayurvedic practitioners report that it has worked for them over hundreds of years but it is not sanctioned in the USA yet.

Some people use it to treat scalp dryness. They massage the oil into their scalp prior to shampooing. Sulfur products have typically and traditionally been used to treat skin parasites, however, sulfur dries out the skin, while neem moisturizes it.

Incidentally, neem oil has been reported to be successful at treating mange in animals. Just add 1 tsp. to 8 oz. of your pet’s favorite shampoo and apply to your pet’s skin regularly.

It is also an excellent insect repellent. Since it is organic and natural, just mix 1/2 teaspoon to one cup of warm water. Shake and spray all around the perimeters of barns, windowsills, counter tops, door screens and home entrances and you will see how it keeps pesky moths, fleas and other pests away. You can always add some perfumed oil to the mixture to downplay the unpleasant odor. Remember, I shared with you how my one friend drank a couple ounces of the neem oil (undiluted), and he reported to me that his whole body felt much healthier and stronger by the very next day!