Basic Healing and Holistic Information on Eight Herbs

Healing with herbs has been around for hundreds of years. Many of our ancestors lived their lives using different herbal remedies to cure a variety of aliments. Today, people are using an assortment of herbal plant specimens to help with anything from a cold, sore muscles and cancer prevention. The information below is a simple description of the eight basic culinary herbs I have talked about in other articles. These eight herbs are often used for cooking. Each of these plant specimens has potential healing power. One thing to remember, everyone's body has a different chemical make up, so each herb may react differently. It is very important to research any holistic plant you might be considering using. Always know what you are putting in or on your body. Below are a list of eight basic herbs and suggestions for using them in a holistic approach.

1. Rosemary - a wonderful evergreen plant. Make Rosemary tea and use this for mouthwash. In a pint of boiling water, steep three teaspoons of dried flowers or leaves for at least a half an hour. Drain and keep cold in the refrigerator. You can use this several times a day as needed. Oils from Rosemary are known to be great for sore muscles and a natural skin softening agent. Cut up a handful of Rosemary leaves and soak it in one pint of olive oil. Let it sit in an air tight container for one week. Keep it in a cool dark place. Rosemary is an excellent antioxidant.
2. Basil - is an annual herb. Did you know you can make basil tea and this tea acts as a multi purpose healing agent. You can use fresh leaves or basil seeds. Boil two pints of water with fifteen basil seeds. Cover and reduce the heat for about 30 to 45 minutes. Add some fresh leaves to the mixture and let simmer for another 25 to 30 minutes. This is wonderful for gargling, relaxing in the evening after a stressful day, and often used with nursing mothers. Always check with your doctor before ingesting any herb base remedy if you are pregnant.
3. Chives - this is a perennial herb and one of the things it is known best for in holistic medicine is to help with potential eating disorders. One suggestion is to take a couple of teaspoons of chopped up chive leaves and steam them in one pint of boiling water for twelve minutes. You can add some butter or maple syrup along with salt and pepper. One of the attractions to chive tea is the aroma from the steaming process. In any medical condition, always consult your doctor before using this tea. Your body chemicals may be different then some one else.
4. Oregano - perennial herb that can be used headaches, cramping, and may help reduce fevers. Boil one pint of water with one teaspoon of oregano leaves and bring to a boil and let simmer for thirty to forty minutes. Cool and keep refrigerated. You can use the oil from Oregano for use on any type of sore muscles. Take a look at the Photo gallery of eight basic healing culinary herbs to see what each of these herbs look like up close.
5. Thyme - evergreen or perennial herb. Thyme tea is great for acting as a soothing agent with sore throats, cold sores, and bad breath. Take twelve sprigs of Thyme and boil them in two pints of water for about forty five minutes. Strain and you can drink up to four cups a day. You can also use Thyme externally. Boil a couple of handfuls of sprigs with two pints of water and simmer for forty five minutes. Drain and use for burns, compresses for reliving congestion in the chest, and in full or foot baths.
6. Dill - bi-annual herb great for a couple of holistic remedies. If you are overtired, consider taking a glass of white wine and heat up but don't bring it to a boil. Remove and warm up three to four teaspoons of dill seed. Cool and drink a cup before you go to bed. A very nice relaxer. Also good if you have breath problems. Take a couple of dill seeds and chew them up. Any type of herbal tea is good for healing your mind and body.
7. Parsley - is a bi - annual herb and has a large amounts of amino acid. Parsley has also been known to help in reliving kidney stone pain. Boil one quart of water and add one cup of Parsley leaves and simmer for thirty to forty minutes. Drink one cup a day and this might help some of the pain. An old time favorite is to take a few leaves and crumble them up and put over a bruised area. Several applications may help with the coloring of the black and blue.
8. Sage - this perennial plant is good for several healing agents. One of the most common things is to take a few leaves from sage and chew them up. Get them wet with your saliva and then apply the leaves to an insect bite and cover. Another good old time remedy is to take a handful of sage leaves and boil them in a pint of water for an hour. Strain and use the leaves to relieve itching skin. A third popular item is sage tea. Boil two pints of water and add two teaspoons of fresh sage leaves. Simmer for 25 minutes and let stand tfor fifteen. A delightful tasting teas and add a little maple syrup for an added bonus.

This is just some basic information on eight popular herbs. Take a more in depth look at the website Herbal Remedies to get more detailed information on different healing and holistic approaches to other plant specimens. I hope this information has helped you learn a little bit about another aspect of using herbs. Remember, always research each herb and know your bodies make up before you ingest or apply any plant specimen.