NATURAL REMEDIES

Recently a lot of people are rediscovering the simplicity and the effectiveness of natural remedies to alleviate common illnesses and minor infections.

The philosopher Ralph Emerson once said that weeds are only plants whose properties haven’t been discovered yet. Nature offers us natural medicine, that prevents the overuse of chemical medicine, thus providing us with the same result.

We must remember that it’s advisable to use natural medicine for small aliments only, as we should consult a doctor if we intend to use them for a prolonged period. For bigger problems, we need to speak to a doctor.

Moreover, not all plants are beneficial, some plants can be toxic or they can have active properties that can come into conflict with other medicines, prescribed by the doctor.

Our grandmothers and great grandmothers pass the recipes and natural remedies to us from generation to generation, that are still valid today. Here are some examples to resolve small problems with plants that are easily available in our region...

- For cleaning teeth and inflamed gums: Rub some fresh sage leaves on the teeth and gums - Sore throat: Gargle sage with herbal tea or onion flavoured water. - Bronchitis: Place a towel over your head and place your head over a bowl of hot water with thyme oil to clear your sinuses. - Inflamed eyes: Place a small face cloth over each eye. Ensure the cloth is wet and soaked in chamomile lotion with cornflower. - Digestive trouble: Drink hot water with laurel leaves. - Stomach ache: Drink hot water with mallow flower. - Constipation: Use an enema infused with chamomile, mallow leaves and flaxseed. - Children suffering from constipation: Insert the stem of the parsley plant into the bottom of the baby. - Calloused hands and feet: Rub the hardened area with the stem of a dandelion.

- Red Lumps/Swelling: Apply a cloth with warm oil and rue to the area of skin. -Dandruff/Loss of hair: Massage your scalp with the stalk of a nettle in hot water. -Worms: Drink Thyme herbal tea; it has antiseptic properties. -Wounds: Apply a cloth soaked in burdock herbal tea.

Decotto: Boil for a few minutes in a cup of milk with a tablespoon of chopped leaves, strain and drink. For Beauty: The decoction of roots, obtained by boiling for ten minutes 40 grams of roots in a litre of water. This tones and soothes the skin. In Spring it works well in detoxing the liver, but not the entire body. Health: For those who suffer from constipation or intestinal problems. Drink dandelion tea, brewed by boiling ne tablespoon of root in a cup of water. It also works as a good diaretic. Tiredness: Those who feel tired should try eating the stalks of dandelions for a fortnight. Capture the flowering stems, remove the flower and chew the stem slowly. It is bitter crisp and juicy like a salad stems a day, taken for a fortnight, play a beneficial role purifying and regenerating the body giving it new strength.

For Beauty: the decoction of roots, obtained by boiling for ten minutes 40 grams of roots in a litre of water. This tones and soothes the skin. In Spring it works well in detoxing the liver, but not the entire body. Health: for those who suffer from constipation or intestinal problems. Drink dandelion tea, brewed by boiling ne tablespoon of root in a cup of water. It also works as a good diaretic. Tiredness: those who feel tired should try eating the stalks of dandelions for a fortnight. Capture the flowering stems, remove the flower and chew the stem slowly. It is bitter crisp and juicy like a salad stems a day, taken for a fortnight, play a beneficial role purifying and regenerating the body giving it new strength