Herbals come as:
Drinks
Teas
Tinctures and Vinegar
Poultices and Compresses
Cherokee Story
“…humans were without diseases until the animals created them in retribution for the lack of respect humans had shown them. The plants, however, felt that the animals were much too harsh and volunteered themselves to provide a cure for every disease the animals had created.”
Principles
The micro-composition of the human body remains dynamic yet it needs to remain balanced.
Any imbalance in the micro-composition/system of the body results in diseases.
Processed and treated foods, red meat, sugar, dairy products, eggs, caffeine are known to generate substances that cause an imbalance in the microsystem.
Plants and plant products are known to possess qualities that counter disturbances in the microsystem and help to restore the necessary balance.
Nutraceuticals and phytonutrients are protective or healing agents found in plant and animal foods:
They are known to arrest Free radicals which are unstable molecules that alter genetic codes and trigger the development of cancer growth in cells.
They also serve as antioxidants to react with free radicals, preventing their damaging effects.
Sources of antioxidants are vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin E rich diet.
Rational herbal medicine is safer than conventional medicine because they are more diluted.
Herbal use must be applied with caution still:
Ensure you get the right herbs and learn as much as you can about it (the internet is invaluable at these times).
Watch out for any unexpected effect, like allergic reactions or difficulty in breathing.
Ensure that a proper diagnosis is made and being treated.
Be mindful of interactions when taking other medications.
Communicate with others who use herbal medicine to learn lessons.
Growing your own herbs add potency to their energy and helps you participate in managing your health.
Health Drinks / Green Juice
Energy can be derived from plants in different ways to enhance health, one way is through health drinks.
Health drinks/Green Juice contain many minerals and salts required by the body to function optimally.
Whereas Health Drinks have little calories, patients are known to gain weight on them, while when taken as the main diet leads to weight loss in patients who desire weight loss while remaining healthy.
Health Drinks have provided a cure for ailments when appropriate plants with known potency are used to prepare them.
The leaves of any non-poisonous plant can be used to prepare Health Drinks.
Making Your Green Juice
Collect leaves of desire plant/vegetable
A variety of leaves can be collected from different plants as desired for taste and known medical property: Spinach, Ugwu, Cabbage, Lettuce, Moringa, Utazi, Basil, Tomatoes.
Add Ginger and Honey for spicing and taste as desired.
When Green leaves are not available, soak dry leaves for at least 2 hours before using the leaves.
Blend all the leaves in clean drinkable water. The blend could be sieved and diluted as desired.
In every situation, ensure that the leaves are thoroughly washed. When salt is used for washing, ensure that the vegetables are thoroughly rinsed.
Loose motions after green juice indicate the need to cleanse the body.
One Recipe for Detoxification
- Materials
- 10 ripe tomatoes
- 8 mature carrots
- 8 bottles of water (60cl each)
- 1 bottle of honey (60cl)
- Preparation
- Blend 1, 2 with 3 and add 4. Mix thoroughly.
- Dosage
- 1 glassful, three times daily for Seven days to cleanse the body.
Teas
Let your food be your medicine.
Teas have been in use for ages in all cultures.
Whereas there are many teas in the market, you can make your own teas to suit your health need.
Dried herbs are wonderful for making teas but green leaves can also be used.
There are two types of teas: Infusion and Decoction:
Infusion
The herbs are put in boiled water and allowed to cool before drinking. Best for leaves and flowers.
Decoction
The herbs are boiled for about 10 to 20 minutes. Then allow it to cool before drinking. Best for barks and roots.
Tinctures and Vinegar
Tinctures are liquid extracts made from herbs that can be taken orally or applied topically on body parts. They are usually extracted in alcohol which is very good, but they can also be extracted in vegetable glycerine or apple cider vinegar (non-alcohol). Tinctures are easy and convenient to use.
Constituents of the plants can be extracted using Alcohol, Ijaw is a very good diluent.
You can buy Ready-made tinctures, but they are easy to make using available herbs.
Tinctures are prepared by soaking the desired plant part in alcohol and allowed for at least 7 days.
Tincture dosages can range from 5 to 50 drops depending on the herb and the desired effect and could also be applied topically.
Vinegar is a liquid consisting of about 5-20% acetic acid (CH3COOH), water and other trace chemicals, which may include flavourings. The acetic acid is produced by the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria.
Vinegar can be used in place of alcohol to extract the phytocontents of the plants.
The tincture of Moringa clears headaches when rubbed on the forehead.
Poultices and Compresses
A poultice is a wad of chopped, softened fresh (or dried but remoistened) plant material that is applied directly to a wound or infection on the skin and usually held in place with a dressing.
More than one herb can be used to prepare poultice based on the medicinal properties of the herbs.
Poultices are applied topically Compresses are clean clothes that have been dipped in an herbal solution (infusion, decoction, tincture, vinegar).
A poultice can be held in place with a compress or the compress applied directly on the skin.
Commonly Used Herbals
Garlic
Lowers Cholesterol, Lowers BP, Natural Antibiotic.
Natural Anti-platelet Agent.
Used in various herbal preparations for its antibiotic property.
Stops loose stools from diarrhoea and dysentery instantly. (could cause intestinal bleeding when overused).
Causes BLEEDING with other Anti-platelet Drugs.
Potentiates Anti-diabetic Drugs.
Avoid before Surgery.
Ginger
Has been in use for thousands of years.
Can be used as fresh rhizomes, or dried and powderized which can last for over two years.
Its consumption has an effect on many organs of the body and used in preparations for cancers.
Used in herbal preparations to enhance taste and flavor.
A very potent anti-inflammatory agent and beneficial in arthritis and fevers.
Very beneficial in Cold and Catarrh with maximal effect when mixed with Garlic and honey and licked.
Utazi (Gongronema Latifolium)
Easy to grow and useful as a food ingredient amongst the Igbos of Nigeria.
Can be used as fresh leaves or dried (which is easier to preserve).
Reduces blood glucose in diabetics.
Controls cough and catarrh when taken at the onset of the cough.
Helps is restoring appetite in disease conditions and very beneficial during malaria infection.
The extracted fluid controls Gripe in children.
Restores kidney functions when taken in good quantity for kidney impairment.
Pawpaw
Commonly available.
The leaves make wonderful skin cleanser. It removes pimples and blemishes.
The fluid from the unripe fruit serves as a wonderful healing lotion for external wounds and ulcers.
The seed of the unripe fruit expels worms while the ripe fruit serves as a great source of A, B and C.
Pawpaw leaves are used to make preparations for Malaria, Diabetes, Convulsion The unripe fruit serve for managing Stomach Ulcers and Impotence.
Wow, quite revealing. Thanks for this information. Bravo.