Make a Basic Aromatherapy Kit

Lavender, tea tree, peppermint, chamomile, eucalyptus, geranium, rosemary, thyme, lemon and clove. These essential oils will help you address a wide range of health issues from headaches to insomnia.

ESSENTIAL OILS TO ENHANCE YOUR SCHOOL STUDIES

Pulling the late night cram/study session isn't a healthy thing to do, but it's unfortunately all but inevitable if you're going to make the most of your educational opportunities. Essential oils may prime your mind when you are hitting the books. Keep the following oils on hand and simply open the bottle and take a whiff when you want a mental boost:.

ROSEMARY:         highlights memory retention
PEPPERMINT:      freshens the mind
LEMON:                 renews the atmosphere
SWEET BASIL:     encourages alertness

Herb Packs for the Gums

Gum "packs" are a great way to apply warming, astringent, and tissue-healing herbs right to the gums. Take a pinch of powdered turmeric, goldenseal root, calendula flower, willow bark, or oak bark, then add enough water or vitamin E to make a paste. Tuck this paste in next to the teeth and let it sit. You can also try powdered gotu kola mixed with castor oil (the mix should have a clay-like consistency).

Lavender Oil for Burns

I just wanted to share a story of how I treated a burn of mine this morning. I had been cooking in a skillet on the store and I had placed the glass lid on top of one of the other burners when I was done cooking. Later I came back and grabbed the lid to put in the dishwasher not knowing the burner was on underneath it. Needless to say, every one of my fingers were burned and I was in terrible pain. I ran to my medicine cabinet and grabbed the Lavender Oil and poured it over my hand and fingers praying that this was going to stop the burning pain. Within 15 minutes my fingers were completely pain free, with no blisters. What a relief to know it worked so quickly. I suggest that no one be without a bottle of Lavender Oil in their medicine cabinets now.

Sinus Problems

When your sinuses feel clogged and uncomfortable, this bracing drink can help. Combine 1 cup tomato juice, 1 teaspoon freshly chopped garlic, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (according to your spice tolerance) and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Heat the mixture until warm. Drink it slowly, and it should help clear sinuses quickly.


Source: The Herb Companion March 2011

Headache

Fatigue, anxiety and stress can trigger headaches. For fast relief, brew a cup of green tea and add sprigs of fresh spearmint or peppermint. If you don't have fresh mint available, use a peppermint or spearmint trea bag. Combine a bag each of green tea and mint tea to make a powerful brew that will diminish your headache in about 15 minutes.

Source: The Herb Companion March 2011

Bad Breath, Gum Disease & Toothache

Coconut oil can ease ailments of the mouth, such as bad breath, gum disease and toothache. For help with any of these conditions, brush your teeth with a mixture of 1/8 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon organic extra-virgin coconut oil (which you can find at a health-food store). You also can rub coconut oil on sore gums for relief.

Herbal Teas to ease Sore Throats

When a member of your family suffers with a sore throat, its great to have a good tasting herbal remedy on hand. These can be either sipped during the day or used as a gargle.

For example: Slippery elm (1 tablespoon of bark to 1 cup of boiling water, steeped for 10 minutes and strained) eases your sore throat by coating it with a gel-like substance to protect it.

Ginger Tea ( 2 inch piece of fresh ginger to 4 cups of boiling water simmered for 20 minutes and strained)

Honeysuckle Tea (1 cup of honeysuckle flowers to 1 quart of boiling water, steeped for 10 minutes and strained)

Teas to gargle with: Raspberry leaf, thyme, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne and ginger.
These teas should be consumed or gargled warm.

Buckwheat Honey for Coughs in children

Buckwheat honey is brimming with vitamins and minerals, essential for the day-to-day functions of healthy living. It can help prevent malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies common in the modern diet and has been linked to improving mental health.
It is said to relieve hypertension, anxiety disorders and relax the body which lowers the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and motor dysfunction in later life. This particular type of honey is slowly gaining the confidence of doctors around the world. Chronic respiratory infection, difficulty breathing and a nagging cough in children may be relieved through the ingestion of buckwheat honey before bedtime, allowing them time to sleep and recover. Dr Ian M Paul of the Pennsylvania State University has supported the research and use of buckwheat honey to treat cough and cold symptoms in children over the age of one. Cough medicines for toddlers can be inefficient and often dangerous to the very young ones. This honey is 100% safe, has no side effects and cannot lead of over dosage. It is inexpensive, builds the childs immune system and is easily available.

Lavender Oil for Ear Infection

Lavender oil is a great remedy for ear infections. It owes its ability to treat ear infections to its antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic and antifungal properties. There are two main methods that you can use to make lavender oil treat ear infections. Take a cotton ball, dip it in lavender oil, squeeze it to remove excess oil. Place it at the opening of your ear. The fumes will reach the infected part of the ear and treat it with all its healing properties. Secondly, take 1-2 drops of lavender oil and spread it at the back of the affected ear. The back of the ear is where the mastoid bone is located. Massage the area gently with your fingers in a circular motion. Do it twice a day to cure ear infections and reduce earache. It may take a few days to give noticeable results.

Conquer body odor with zinc

Hot summer days are known for creating the type of body odor that deodorant often can't hide. Your best defense: Take a 25-mg zinc supplement daily. Research shows the mineral deodorizes the whole body by stopping the growth of smelly bacteria on the skin. And according to surveys, 73% of us don't get enough zinc in our diets-up to one in three have a full-blown deficiency in the summer months, since it's lost through the pores in perspiration!

Source: Woman's World July, 2010

Chamomile Tea & Anxiety

In "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", Peter's mother gives her mischievious son a cup of chamomile tea after his run-in with Mr. Mcgregor. She's clearly a wise herbalist, as chamomile (Matricaria recutita) soothes jangled nerves.
Researchers in Philadelphia, who published a recent study in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, are the latest group to confirm this application. They gave 57 people suffering from severe anxiety either a placebo or chamomile extract (220 mg/day to a maximum of 1,100 mg/day). After eight weeks, those using chamomile showed significantly less anxiety.
Most people consider chamomile the go-to-herbal tea, using it sometimes to help with sleep. But this herb has a centuries old application as a "nervine," an herb that calms the nervous system. Try drinking a cup of strong chamomile before any event that might make you nervous, such as a job interview or a presentation at work. And, of course, if insomnia poses a problem, try drinking a cup of strong chamomile tea an hour before bed.

Source: The Herb Quarterly Summer 2010

Hibiscus For Blood Pressure, & Diabetes

Over the last five years or so, hibiscus has gained status in the herb world as an effective way to control blood pressure. New studies confirm that application-and support a new one: It's ability to lower cholesterol.
For the blood pressure study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, Tufts University researchers gave either a placebo or hibiscus tea (three cups a day) to 65 people with borderline or mildly high blood pressure. After six weeks, the herb reduced blood pressure significantly, and the higher the blood pressure at the start of the study, the greater the reduction with hibiscus. The herb is not a substitute for prescribed medication, but it can be used in addition or as a daily part of one's regular blood pressure control program.
In the cholesterol trial, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Iranian scientists gave 53 type 2 diabetics either black tea or hibiscus tea (two cups a day). After one month, the hibiscus group showed lower total cholesterol with higher HDLs (good cholesterol). (Cholesterol control is particularly important for people with diabetes; the condition substantially raises risk of heart disease.)

Source: The Herb Quarterly Summer 2010

Toenail or Fingernail Fungus Remedy

Oil of Oregano has been very effective in treating toenail or fingernail fungus. Look for oregano oil in softgel capsules. Usually about 150 mg per capsule. When the skin is affected, it's good to topically treat it but also to treat it internally. Take two capsules of oregano oil three times daily for about a week to 10 days. Additionally, pierce a capsule with a pin and squeeze the oil around the area affected by fungus. You may also want to use a q-tip saturated with oregano oil so that you can apply it under the toenail or fingernail. There has been excellent result with this treatment.