Abigails Herbs

As we age our skin gradually loses the  natural oils which keep our skin supple and soft.  To prevent dryness and promote healthy skin care, avoid using harsh soaps or chemical cleansers on your skin.

Instead, use avocado, olive or almond oil to cleanse the skin. Gently pat the oil on your skin and pat off with a soft cloth, using warm water. Use a loofah occasionally to exfoliate  outer layers of dry skin.

Use liquid creams or lotions instead of solid creams to keep your skin from becoming dry. These liquid creams should always contain natural  ingredients and nutrients. Stay away from cold creams, cleansing creams or solid moisturizing creams as these are made of saturated fats that rapidly become rancid and then create free radicals, which will then cause premature wrinkling of the skin.

Free radicals can create brown spots on the skin, sometimes referred to as age spots. Too much exposure to the sun also increases the existence of free radicals. To stop wrinkles and prevent them, use all natural sun block lotions or oils which contain nutrients and antioxidants.

Almond oil is less greasy than other oils and it absorps quickly and easily into skin. It is similar to the oil a baby’s skin excretes in order to give it such a soft smoothness. It protects the skin and lips against the harsh, cold elements of winter weather.

Do not use it if you have nut allergies. Always store almond oil in a cool, dark place and discard if more than one year old.

Acne is a skin disorder characterized by inflammation which results in pimples, blackheads and whiteheads. In general, it affects people between the ages of 12 and 44.

Acne often appears in puberty, when the body suddenly increases its production of androgens (male sex hormones). These hormones stimulate the production of keratin (a protein) and sebum ( an oily skin lubricant). Blemishes appear on one’s face when sebum combines with skin pigments and clog up the pores. Acne is not caused by uncleanliness; it is caused instead by overactive oil glands.

Many women suffer from premenstrual acne due to the release of progesterone after ovulation. Factors which can contribute to acne include heredity, oily skin, monthly menstrual cycle, hormonal imbalance, and candidiasis. Stress, certain types of drugs, poor nutrition and environmental factors also play a major role in formation of blemishes and acne.

Lavender, strawberry and red clover leaves can be used as a steam sauna for the face. Lavender kills germs and stimulates new cell growth. Red clover, burdock root and dandelion leaves as well as mild thistle cleanse the blood and are good for acne. Chasteberry powder and extract, also known as vitex agnus-castus can aid in preventing premenstrual acne breakouts. It should be taken every morning as a preventative.

With our fast-paced and hectic lifestyles, it is important to guard your immune system. The  burdened  and struggling world economy is causing great anxiety and stress. This stress tears down  our  body’s  ability to ward off opportunistic bacteria and viruses.

Many factors play a role in strengthening the immune system. A balanced diet, rich in nutrients and minerals, provides the building blocks  necessary for healthy cells to thrive. Exercise, deep breathing and plenty of fresh air are needed to replenish oxygen from the lungs to the brain and then to circulate throughout the whole body. Exercising regularly boosts oxygen intake, creating healthier cardiovascular and immune-system health.

Stimulate your immune system by eating fresh vegetables and fruits that contain rich antioxidants, particularly foods with Vitamin C and E. Vitamin A also strengthens immune efficiency. All you need is one carrot (vitamin A), one orange (vitamin C) and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (vitamin E) to meet daily vitamin requirements of these groups.

Try relaxation techniques, such as yoga, meditation and Ki breathing (just to name a few), to help you cope with stress. Take a nice relaxing bath with valerian root oil or mint oil; inhale the  oil which kills bacteria on the mucous membranes and promotes the formation of antibodies. Antibodies naturally fight infections.   Also,  pour some lavender or some valerian root oil into your bath water and feel yourself  letting go of the day’s stresses as you lie in the bathtub and inhale the soothing fragrance of these herbs, filling your lungs and your senses with nature’s gifts.

You can brew up a cup of linden-flower or valerian root tea to help relieve stress and induce a state of calmness. Close your eyes, feel your tightened muscles let go and relax, as you sip your tea while  treating  yourself to a bath in the delightful, oil-filled bathtub. It is a well earned treat. It is just about effortless and you owe it to yourself!

For many years, Native American cultures have used the Earth and the plants which grow from the ground as alternative medicine. Every Native American nation has its very own herbal medicine tradition based on the plant life which grows in the region specific to where each nation resides.

The spiritual reverance toward the gathering and use of herbs are common among most Native Americans. Before the plants are collected, prayers and offerings are made to planet Earth. The herbs used in healing ceremonies are respected so much that they are placed back inside the earth after being used, instead of being thrown away and wasted.

The main goal of using herbs are to bring balance to the whole body and soul of each person. Some of the medicinal and alternative herbs used by many Native American cultures include the following botanicals:

• Black cohosh
• boneset
• ginseng
• nettle
• juniper
• wild buckwheat
• goldenseal
• dogwood
• sage

I realized that I was hopelessly addicted to sugar when I was in my twenties and I had difficulty weaning myself off of this sweet substance. I could easily polish off a dozen donuts without even blinking! I stopped eating sugar for one day and  I got  these cravings for  ice cream, candy and all the other sweet stuff that comes with those crazy cravings!

I told myself  “You can do it. You can stop the sugar, cold turkey.” Well, I managed to quit eating sweets for one month. The hardest part was during the first 2-3 days. Then, after the fifth day, my cravings disappeared and I felt great! I had much more energy and no more  sudden sugar crashes. Unfortunately,  one day, I decided to buy an ice cream cone and that did it: I was back to eating sugar again, unfortunately.

Not that it was unfortunate, but sugar is a processed food, with no nutritional value and empty calories; (loads of calories) which lead to cavities and tons of  fat cells with cellulite, which is not very attractive in the summertime!

I learned to be aware of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). It was invented by the Japanese in the 1960’s, derived from corn, and highly addictive. Just read the back of food labels and you will see that corn syrup is pervasive;  just about everything from yogurt to canned fruit to crackers, etc… has corn syrup in it. There’s no getting away from it. There’s nowhere to hide!

Processed corn syrup and sugars can lead to many chronic diseases: acidosis, diabetes (a precursor to heart disease),  premature aging and obesity -  just to name a few. It is no wonder that there are more diabetic children and adults in the USA  than ever before. And sadly, the number of people becoming diabetic is growing at an extremely alarming  and rapid rate!

The good news is that there are substitutes for sugar that we can all use: honey, stevia and other natural sweeteners. The artificial sweeteners are very unhealthy. Stay far away from the artificial sugars. Studies have found these sweeteners to be linked  to birth defects, cancers and other irreversible illnesses!

One natural sweetener that is not very well known is agave nectar. It comes from Mexico and it is has a very low glycemic index (low sugar levels) which is superior to honey. Agave nectar is inexpensive and its taste is light and pleasant. It is far safer than other sweeteners and highly recommended for people who need to sweeten their foods but are on the verge of developing a diabetic condition. Agave nectar is highly recommended for those of us who like a sweet treat every once in a while without the emptycalories or the unhealthy processed sweeteners.

Hot and cold flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings and frequent  perspiration are the major symptoms of menopause. Most women will tell you that it is not fun.  At night, kicking the bed covers off during intense perspiration and hot flashes; then, waking up feeling cold and clammy only to pull the covers back up to keep from shivering is not the best way to experience growing older.

Over the long term, a women’s deteriorating estrogen supply increases her propensity toward heart disease, osteoporosis and vaginal atrophy (shrinkage and dryness). With a proper diet, exercise regimen and nutritional supplements, we are able to minimize and even eliminate most of the unpleasant side effects of menopause.

Eating foods high in the B vitamins, soybeans and raw fruits and vegetables will minimize these awful symptoms. Here are some herbal remedies which help address menopausal discomfort:

1. St. John’s wort helps with depression or anxiety.
2. Damiana enhances sexual desire and pleasure.
3. Siberian ginseng aids in relieving depression and in the production of estrogen.
4. A paste made from aloe vera gel and slippery elm powder when inserted into the vagina at night can relieve vaginal dryness.
5. Amaranth, chickweed, dandelion greens, nettle, seaweed and watercress are rich in calcium, which helps prevent osteoporosis.
6. Anise, block cohosh, rasberry, licorice, sage and wild yam root are natural estrogen promoters, just like soy.
7. Hops and valerian root helps to calm the body, promoting  a restful night’s sleep.
8. Gotu kola, red clover, black cohosh and dong quai relieve depression, hot flashes and vaginal dryness.

Warnings:  Never use sage if you have any type of seizure disorder.  Avoid taking Siberian ginseng if you have high blood pressure, hypoglycemia or a heart disorder. Lastly, do not use licorice for more than seven days in a row, and completely avoid it if you have elevated blood pressure.

Aloe vera is has been used externally for burns, cuts and skin ailments, however, I drink aloe vera as a clear liquid when I feel constipated or have indigestion. Taken internally, 98-99% pure aloe vera aids in the healing of several conditions:

• stomach disorders
• ulcers
• constipation
• hemorrhoids
• rectal itching
• irritable bowel syndrome and colitis
• all colon problems

Aloe vera can also be helpful in fighting infections, varicose veins, skin cancer, arthritis and has also been found to be effective to help relieve some of the symptoms of AIDS.

The aloe vera has a  healing effect because it detoxifies the body and heals internal tissue damage. It strengthens the immune system, improves circulation, heals bones and joints and regulates blood pressure. It takes a few weeks to clean the colon, and used regularly, it will maintain a clean and toxic-free colon.  When I am suffering from diarrhea or constipation, my stools return to normal soon after taking it!

Aloe vera has 19 amino acids, 20 minerals and 12 different vitamins. It also contains molybednum and live enzymes. It boosts the body’s  immune system as it alleviates gas and heartburn. It has many healing properties. Warning: do not use aloe vera if you have kidney disease or are allergic to garlic or onions.  Never use aloe vera if you are pregnant or nursing. Be careful to use pure aloe vera;  read labels carefully as most gels and aloe vera liquids only contain small amounts of pure aloe vera.

I met some of my friends  in Chinatown a couple of weeks ago to eat lunch and  to see the Philadelphia Flower Show at the Convention Center. We ate at a Malaysian restaurant near the famous golden Chinatown arch to celebrate and to treat one of our mutual friends to a birthday lunch.

After finishing a plateful of delicious mango chicken served inside of  the  fresh mango, my friend Margie  had complained of sharp stomach pain, diarrhea and upset stomach. While Margie was still back in the restaurant’s restroom, we went looking for a CVS, Walgreen’s or a Riteaid, but in the heart of Chinatown there were no such traditional drug stores. Instead, we saw a sign for a pharmacy next door to the restaurant. It was called Long Life Chinese Herbal Health Store. We walked in to find Margie some help.

I never saw anything like it !  Hundreds and hundreds of wooden drawers carved into the walls just filled with fresh herbs, plants, and bark of all sizes, shapes and forms.  Customers of the Asian culture were coming into the shop;so many people, coming in and out of the shop, picking up their orders of herbal remedies. It was amazing!

Underneath the clear glass counter tops were packets and bottles of prepared  herbal prescriptions. We asked the man behind the counter for something that would help our friend alleviate the  symptoms of her gastric troubles. He reached down and handed us some bottles of herbal pills and said, “Take one tablet three times per day.”  We said, “no,she needs instant  relief.” He then handed us a box with packets of powdered herbs in it. He gave instructions to mix in hot water and drink  immediately.We asked him if it really would work, and of course, he exclaimed “yes,” that it would help right away. We bought the medication for only $4.00.

Margie walked into the shop,after nearly choking on some immodium tablets our other friend had given her, back inside the restaurant.  Well, the man working behind that  counter filled a cup with hot water, emptied the package of herbal powder into the cup, handed it to Margie and she proceeded to drink it. She smiled brightly and exclaimed, “Wow, this tastes really good!” We each took a sip of the liquid herbal blend and we all agreed that it did taste delightful, much to our surprise. We all thought that it was going to taste horrible, however, it was pleasantly sweet and fragrantly flowery.

The back of the packet was written mostly in Chinese and we were curious to know what the ingredients were that tasted so great. The main ingredients consisted of  jasmine, peony root, wei-tai granules, unripened fruit of evodia, unprocessed Rehmannia root tuber and a little bit of sugar. It tasted similar to the  jasmine tea in the restaurant,but better. The herbal mixture smelled and tasted  like sweetened flowers, only much better.

We walked on to the flower show and Margie exclaimed that she felt much better and that her stomach troubles had just about disappeared. An hour later, she reported that the symptoms were no longer bothering her.

The very next day, when I was talking with my Chinese friends, they informed me that the herbal pharmacist in that shop studied for many long  years in order to be so knowledgeable about how to mix and blend varieties of herbs together. The name of the apothecary was Long Life. All the herbs and preparations were imported directly from China. The main pharmacist looked like he was very wise and he appeared to be up in age, but very healthy, mentally alert and sharp. I felt a deep respect and sense of honor for this man who was schooled in the art of herbal healing. He was a highly trained specialist and an expert in herbal prescriptions. It was clear that he was enjoying his work and that the organic herbs had given him the gift of a very satisfying  long life!

There are many substances found in nature that can be beneficial to humans. Bee pollen is one such substance. One of the best known benefits of bee pollen is that it acts as a natural energizer for the body. Bee pollen is also thought to slow down the aging process.

Bee pollen also benefits weight loss. The substance has shown an ability to help in fat loss by rectifying a chemical imbalance that many people with weight problems tend to have. Bee pollen also can improve a sluggish metabolism and reduce the cravings for food.