.!.

Alien asked:


This infection may be due to a skin reaction to an irritant substance, to a skin allergy, or to an internal allergic reaction. Some forms of allergic eczema run in families, along with asthma and hay fever. The symptoms of eczema are patches of dry, red, itchy skin, which may be scaly and flaky, or weeping and crusted.

Treatment

Diet and Nutrition As allergies to certain foods could be part of the problem, try to figure out which ones are affecting your condition. (Atopic eczema is less common in breastfed babies, and affected children are often allergic to cow’s milk, or other foods.) Many complementary practitioners recommend nutritional modification as part of the treatment of eczema. Evening primrose oil supplements are very helpful.

Hydrotherapy Hot mud or sand baths, and Dead Sea bathing salts reputedly reduce long-term sensitivity. Add half a cup of sodium bicarbonate to bathwater for short-term relief from irritation.

Consult a qualified practitioner/therapist for:

Herbal Medicine Drink calendula or marigold tea, and take golden seal – either by mouth (mix with honey), or as an infusion to bathe the skin. St. John’s wort oil is also effective.

Acupuncture This reputedly has good success rates.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Herbal teas have been proven highly effective in alleviating childhood eczema.

Massage Daily local massage with essential oils such as rose, geranium, juniper, lavender, or hyssop has been found to be beneficial for some people who are suffering from eczema.

Urticaria (Nettle Rash or Hives)

Urticaria is an allergic reaction to certain foods, to drugs such as antibiotics, or to direct contact (insect stings, for example). The common foods for causing urticaria are milk, wheat, corn, citrus fruit, eggs, strawberries, and shellfish. Some urticaria seems to be caused by emotional distress. No matter what the cause, stress will always exacerbate the complaint.

Urticaria is characterized by raised red patches, sometimes with pale centers, which are intensely itchy. They are normally caused by a food allergy (shellfish, strawberries, and nuts are common allergens), food additives, drugs, insect bites, extreme cases of hay fever, stress and, in people prone to this condition, heat, cold, or sunlight.

Nettle rash occurs when the skin causes the body to release histamine into the affected tissues. These raise into the characteristic weals, normally appearing on the lips, around the eyes, the limbs, trunk, and neck. Occasionally there will be swelling of the tongue and voice box (larynx), which may cause the throat to close and prevent normal breathing. In this case, urgent medical help is needed. Nettle rash can last for several days or simply a few hours.

Treatment Naturopathy Apply vitamin E cream

Herbal Medicine Soak infected area in an infusion of camomile or chickweed to relieve itching.

Diet and Nutrition Vitamin C may reduce the risk of repeated attacks.

Homeopathy Take Urtica for a reaction to nettles; Apis for irritating weals; and Rhus tox. for blotchy swellings.

Laura Slater asked:


Recently I have been looking into using natural ingredients to use in cooking, thanks to a suggestion on our forum I thought it would be great to look into collecting and making my own food while out camping. Ray Mears is an expert at this but I thought I would try and find a few simple recipes to start with. The idea of being in the wild and collecting my own ingredients is something that I would love to be able to do. So far I have been researching what I could do and thought I would share these with you as well as some identification tips and benefits of using natural ingredients. In the near future we are looking to go and try these recipes ourselves but first I will take a simplified look at three different forms of wild food gathering over three articles:

1. Edible leaves

2. Fruits and berries

3. Fungi/mushrooms

Part 1: Edible leaves.

An easy one to start with:

Nettle Tea

Pick young, small nettles (be careful!)

Wash and then boil with water.

Remove the nettles when the water goes slightly green, if you leave the nettles in the tea it may be quite bitter.

Nettles are plentiful and easy to find and identify. The benefits of nettles in your diet are iron, calcium and a loads of vitamins including A, C and E.

Herb Salads

There is a huge list of wild food salads that can be made out of a combination of herbs and leaves that are common throughout the UK. Below is a list of some of those that are edible; I have not included all, as some can be easily confused with poisonous species and varieties.

Ivy toadflax leaves Found growing near walls, the leaves have five lobes, are smooth and green on top and reddish-purple underneath. Better to eat when young as the leaves can become bitter.

Hairy Bittercress Found on woodland floors and disturbed soil. Exploding seed capsules, leaves are hairy on stems that smooth and erect, branched from base.

Wood Sorrel Sometimes referred to as a shamrock because of the leaflets being clover-like; three heart-shaped leaves with a fold down the middle. Often found in shady areas and verges of woodlands. Can be used in small quantities if cooked, be careful when using.

Wild Marjoram Found in limey soils; in grasslands, hedge banks, and scrubland. Round, dense, flower clusters of a purple colour. A popular herb from the oregano family.

Dandelions – Often thought of as a weed and the bain of most gardeners , the leaves are supposedly very tasty in salads, if picked when young and tender, usually during the spring. There are many inventive recipes that can be found online that incorporate dandelion leaves and also their flowers.

Hedge Mustard/ Garlic Mustard/ Jack-by-the-Hedge Loaded with vitamin C, a popular addition to salads, pesto and stews.

Wild garlic (Ransoms) Broad, bright green leaves, flowers are white with elongated petals. Found in moist established woodlands and hedgerows, in season in spring. Known to help to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol especially by consuming the bulb.

Sow thistle Found mostly along roadsides, have yellow flowers and bluey-green leaves.

Things to keep in mind:



Have a plant ID book with you, make sure you know what you are looking for and have identified your plants correctly.



Avoid picking in heavily polluted areas or near rivers and streams as plants may be contaminated.



Wash everything very well.

Dont eat anything unless you are 100% sure of what it is and any effects it may have on you.







Looking into wild food gathering has made we realise what a lost art this is. While this used to be an everyday part of living it had now become almost a forgotten source of food in our diets. Knowledge in plant identification, seasonal plants and fruits, best time for picking, which part to pick, and preparation are all essential in gathering wild food. Ray Mears makes it look easy but he has spent his life researching, gathering and preparing food in the wild. So while I have listed only simple ideas I felt that a lot more time and knowledge is needed before commencing to more difficult stages! Look out for upcoming parts soon.

Bertil Hjert asked:


Hair Loss can make a person lose confidence and even self esteem in some cases. It can also result in a good amount of stress and anxiety. Hair on the scalp is very important for good looks. It provides an aura to ones overall personalities. Hence, it is very important to get the right kind of treatment at the right time to save your crowning glory.

Here are some of the natural hair loss remedies that can work wonders to your hair.

a) Massage

This is an age old remedy. Your grandmother must have been prescribing you this remedy for a long time. You can massage your scalp for a couple of minutes in a day. It will increase the flow of blood to the hair follicles. In some cases, this ritual will stimulate hair growth and also prevent hair loss. These days, you get different types of electric massagers on the market for scalp massage. You can purchase one of these to improve blood flow to hair follicles and prevent hair loss.

b) Aromatherapy

This therapy works better to prevent hair loss and also helps in improving hair growth. It is an amalgamation of six drops, each of lavender and bay essential oils blended in to a base of four ounces of either almond, sesame oil or Soybean in to the scalp. Once you apply it to the scalp, wait for twenty minutes and stimulate the scalp. It soothes your mind.

c) Rosemary and Sage

These are known to be miracle herbs for hair if used externally. You must boil rosemary, sage, peach leaf, nettle and burdock in water daily and then strain the herbs from the liquid. Now, use the liquid to wash hair daily.

d) Jojoba Oil

This oil is a good remedy if your scalp suffering from eczema, seborrhea, psoriasis or dandruff. This oil is known widely for its hair growth promoting properties. It also moisturizes the hair and works as the scalps natural serum.

e) Aloe Vera

This is also considered to be the hairs miracle herb. Used by Native Americans, Caribbeans and Indians for ages, this herb promotes healthy hair and prevent hair loss. It can also heal the scalp and balance the pH level of the scalp in addition to cleansing the pores. You can combine Aloe Vera gel, coconut milk and wheat germ oil to be used as a shampoo to enjoy the real benefit.

f) Henna

It is a traditional Indian herb. This herb acts as a natural conditioner and is great for maintaining healthy hair. It works towards healing the hair shaft by repairing and sealing the cuticle. It also protects hair against breakage and loss of shine.

g) Psyllium husk

Fiber is a vital source of cleansing. Psyllium husk is a bulking laxative agent. One can use it to remove waste through the colon. It scrubs the walls of the colon gently to remove waste that has been stucked to the walls. This detoxification method promotes hair growth.

h) Nettle root extract

Nettles are rich sources of vitamins A and C. These provide great benefits to hair.

i) Exercise

Exercise may not have direct effect on hair growth but it works wonders to improve blood circulation and eliminate wastes from the body. This in turn promotes hair growth and prevents hair loss.

James Briggs asked:


Hair loss is devastating to all who experience it. From male to female, young and old premature balding can rob you of your self-esteem. Fortunately, there are treatments available that will help fight baldness.

Some of the best alternatives to prescription hair growth treatments are herbal supplements. Herbal supplements have very minimal side effects and improve health as well as stimulate hair growth. Whether you use herbs to improve circulation, halt the process of hair loss, or block the DHT hormone, herbs are highly effective.

Here are the top five herbs recommended in the fight against hair growth problems.

1.Saw Palmetto

Saw Palmetto has been used for thousands of years and has been shown to be an effective remedy in the fight against hair growth problems. Saw Palmetto helps block the hormone DHT, therefore slowing down the rate of hair loss. Saw Palmetto may be in capsule form, added to herbal hair loss formulas, or applied in oil. Whichever method you prefer, Saw Palmetto is a valuable herb in the fight against premature balding.

2.Horsetail

Horsetail helps improve circulation and blood flow. This stimulates the hair follicles and is necessary for promoting hair growth. High in Silica, Horsetail strengthens weak hair and increases its vitality. Horsetail is often added to herbal preparations that fight pattern baldness.

3.Rosemary

Rosemary will help unclog follicles and promote hair growth. Rosemary may be added to oil and massaged in the scalp. Rosemary is also a powerful antioxidant and helps fight free radicals. It is also frequently added to herbal hair remedies.

4.Siberian Ginseng

Ginseng is a wonderful herb that has many benefits. One of these is that it increases stimulation and improves circulation. This has helped those who are suffering from hair loss or weak and damaged hair. Ginseng will also remove any toxins that may be clogging your hair follicles, slowing down or stalling new hair growth. You can choose to apply Ginseng through a hair and scalp oil. You may also take Ginseng in capsule form daily. Ginseng and Saw Palmetto are the most common herbs recommended for herbal hair growth treatments.

5.Nettle

Nettle is rich in vitamins and minerals. It is also great for promoting blood circulation and helps stimulate hair growth. Nettle has also been shown to block BPH and therefore has been highly useful in the fight against hair loss.

It is important to check with your health care worker or physician before beginning any herbal remedy course of treatment.

Tala Bar asked:


LEGENDS OF WILD SWANS

The Wild Swans at Coole

W.B.Yeats

The trees are in their autumn beauty,

The woodland paths are dry,

Under the October twilight the water

Mirrors a clear sky;

Upon the brimming water among the stones

Are nine-and-fifty swans.

…

But now they drift on the still water,

Mysterious, beautiful;

Among what rushes will they build,

By what lake’s edge or pool

Delight men’s eyes when I awake some day

To find they have flown away? (s. link).

One of the best known swan stories is Hans Christian Andersens tale of The Wild Swans (s. link below). In it, a widower king had eleven sons and one daughter, Eliza. He marries a wicked sorceress who resents the children, and turns the boys into swans who fly away. The Princess goes out to look for them, and on the way she cries so much she creates a lake of tears. On the bank of this lake she finds her Swan brothers, and a fairy appearing in her dream tells Eliza the secret of their release: if she gathers enough nettles to make eleven shirts, when they wear the shirts they will be released from the magic. The girl collects the nettles, and sits in a cave in a forest to do her sewing. (It is clear that the cave in the forest, as well as the young men turned into swans, transport the girl and her brother to a place outside the realistic, civilized world into the realm of Nature and myth). Eliza is found by a young king who had been hunting; he falls in love with her beauty and takes her to his palace as his wife nettles and all. During her stay in the palace, many jealous people tell the king wicked stories about her, calling her a witch, and in the end he is forced to burn her on the stake. While Eliza continues, even in prison, to sew her brothers shirts, they come to visit her in the shape of swans. At last, when she is taken out to be burned, they fly over her; she throws the finished shirts at them, and they return to their forms of eleven princess, except the youngest whose shirt is not finished and he retains one wing instead of an arm thus retaining some remnant of the world of Nature within civilization.

Similar stories appear in Grimm with some variations, although in one story the girl has only six brothers instead of eleven. In all these cases, the swans are male; the situation is reverse, however, in Chaikovskis beautiful music to the ballet Swan Lake (s. link below). That story tells of a wicked sorcerer, who turned Princess Odette into a white swan; all day she flies in the company of her girl swans, and only at night she lands on the bank of a lake and returns to her form as a woman. (The lake, by the way, was formed from the mothers tears shed over her daughters fate; we have here a double figure of mother/daughter of a Water goddess). The story says that only if a young virgin man swears eternal faith to her love and marries her, she will be released from the magic; but if the prince betrays his oath, she will dies. Prince Siegfried of the story indeed falls in love with the Swan princess, but the sorcerer entices him to betray her by making him show his love to the dark, artificial figure of Odile he himself had created. Odile, actually, beside her opposite color, is the splitting image of Odette (here is a double image of white/black, light/darkness, or good/evil). After the betrayal is discovered, Odette prepares to die; but then the Prince comes and tries to save her. His love releases her from the magic, but they drown together in the lake.

Details shared by the two stories are turning humans into swans by sorcery; the hunting king/prince; and the lake of tears created by a female. The main differences between the two are the genders of the bewitcher and the humans turning into swans. It may be noted that both Eliza and Siegfried are names taken from Germanic mythology; the lake created by a females tears makes her a Water goddess. It may be assumed, then, that both fairy tales are based on much earlier European mythology connected with swans. In order to understand their basic meaning, then, it may be interesting to turn to such ancient myths.

It seems that many similar stories are common all over the continent, wherever swans appear. Such tales are known from Sweden, Germany, Romania and others, (similar to such where the swans are replaced by seal, bears or other animals), that in some cases shed their outer skin and take human shape; it is significant that in some of these stories, like in Andersens and Chaikobskis, these people are bewitched, but in others they do it of their own free will. In an Online site called Swan Maiden (s. link below), a hunter encounters a swan or a group of swans, fly onto the bank of a lake; they shed their feather cloaks, turn into human maidens and go swimming. The hunter snatches one of the cloaks and hides it, thus trapping her owner to come and be his wife. They live together until she finds her cloak again and flies away. The stories end in various ways, from tragedy to happy ever after.

It is highly significant that all these stories involve females as swans, not males. But an old Irish stories tells it in a different way (s. link below). Angus son of the Dagda falls in love with a swan-girl who appeared in his dream. Afterward, he meets a group of 150 swans, flying in pairs, which are tied together with a chain of silver; but his girl wears a crown and a chain of gold. When Angus calls out to that particular swan, she leaves the group, turns him into a swan and they fly away together, tied with a golden chair. It is clear here that the swan maiden has her own power to change at will, and is bound by any male sorcerer; what is more she has the power to change her lover as well into a swan, which makes her a veritable Swan goddess. This is a hint at the initial function of the swan in European mythology.

***

It seems that, in the Hindu-European tradition, there a number of Swan goddesses. Some of these goddesses were connected with death, and others with some qualities of the Underworld (where dead people go), like wisdom and prophecy. Robert Graves has defined the swan as a bird of Death, and the three Greek figures of Graeae, or Gray Ones, clearly demonstrate this idea: they were described as “fair-faced and swan-like”. They had gray hair from birth and shared one eye and one tooth which, according to Graves, they used for prophecy. Their genealogy goes back to the early descendants of the Earth and Sea, and their separate names were Enyo (horror), Deino (Dread), and Pemphredo (Alarm).

A Celtic Swan goddess was Brigit, to whom this bird was sacred; she was in charge of the Underworld qualities of Wisdom and Crafts. In Hindu mythology, the swan was sacred to Saraswati, goddess Wisdom and Learning, who sat on a throne made of two swans.

Other deities are connected with the swan through its shining white beauty. Such figures are Greek Aphrodite and Roman Venus, to whom the swan was sacred. But another symbol of beauty, much more complicated to these Love goddesses, takes this connection much further. That was Helen, who was the daughter of Leda and the Swan or, in another interpretation, Leda as a Swan; after all, she was the one who laid the Swan egg, which the two pairs of twins sprung out: Helen and Clytemnestra; Castor and Polydeuces (known as Pollux) the Dioscuri (twins) who embodied the two halves of the year.

The multiplicity of the swans image Death, Wisdom, Motherhood, Beauty and Love

is well represented in the figure of Helen, and is connected with another trait of that bird. The swan is a migratory bird, as is well expressed in both Yates po
em and in Lemkes painting. It is actually seen not only in autumn and the dying of the year hence its connection with Death, but also in springtime, connecting him with idea of revival. It is, then, a symbol of the Great Nature Goddess who was in charge of the yearly dying and resurrection.

According to a site called Goddesses and Priestesses Connected with Hera (s. link below), Helen’s name means bright one, light, Sun, fair; it refers to her as a Harvest goddess, when the Sun is at its peak (in the Mediterranean area). Another title of Helens is Dendritus she of the trees, referring to her as a Fertility goddess in charge of fruit trees; her tree festival was celebrated annually in the isle of Platanistas, where she was worshipped until late 19th cent.. By another title, Rhigidenes, meaning rigidity, Helen was in charge of death in various forms, including the orgasmic death of the *****. This combination of characteristics suggests she may have begun as a Pillar Goddess like Asherah or Aphrodite, worshipped with ecstatic dance and sexual rites.

This idea is the basis of the theory of the swan being a symbol of the dying year in autumn, that comes after Midsummer, the peak of the sun and harvest time, to be resurrected again in spring. The Dioscuri, swan born, were kings of the two halves of the year, annually dying and resurrected. Their mother, then, either Leda or in her embodiment as Helen, was actually the Great Mother Goddess, in charge of Life and Death, symbolized by the swan, appearing regularly in Spring and Autumn. Graves connects this myth in his book The Greek Myths with the idea that at midsummer, they (the swans) flew north to unknown breeding grounds, supposedly taking the dead kings soul with them.

The swan appears also as Laima, a Lithuanian Mother Goddess (who is also represented as a Goddess of Fate, determining the life and death course of human beings), who was in charge of blessing, unity, destiny, love, luck and magic, according to the site by her name. Her symbol is said to be a wreath, and her totem is the swan. As a Mother, it may be noted that the Hindu god Brahma hatched from a swans egg. The swan was also sacred to the Christian Mary, Mother of Jesus. Male individuals could become swans only by her grace, either when she grants them her love as a maiden, or when she takes their souls away in death. Such Death goddesses were the Valkyries, who flew in the shape of swans when looking in the battlefield for warriors who died bravely, to take their souls as a reward to the Paradise of Valhalla.

However, Death goddesses of ancient myths turned into wicked witches in fairy tales. Thus, it was the same goddess in Andersens tale who, as the Sorceress Queen turned the boys into swans, and as the Maiden turned them back into humans; the young fairy in the story is another appearance of the Princess herself. Such an equation of Old Witch = Young Maiden appears in Chaucers poem The Knights Tale.

The swan, then, is one of the manifestations of the Goddess as a Maiden, Mother, and Death Crone, who causes her male charge to be born, to grow to a young handsome hunter, to make love, to die and descend to the Underworld, and finally to come back to life and begin the cycle all over again, as a symbol for the ever changing and circulating year. But the power of that goddess was taken from her with changes of social structure by a wicked sorcerer, who put himself in charge of her and of everything on earth, to destroy at will, as we can see in Chaikovskis magnificent ballet.

http://www.northendgallery.ca/autumnswans.html – Autumn swans

http://www.aaronshep.com/stories/064.html – Lohengrin

http://hca.gilead.org.il/wild_swa.html – Hans Christian Andersens The Wild Swans

http://www.abt.org/education/archive/ballets/swan_lake.html – Chaikovskis Swan Lake

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Mute.swan.cygnets.750pix.jpg – About swans

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan – Swans in human culture, wikipedia

http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/swan.html – Swan Maidens tales

http://www.swansongs.org/swanmyths.htm – Irish myths and legends

http://www.swansongs.org/swanmyths.htm – Swans in shamanism

http://www.hindudevotion.com/saraswati.html – Hindu Saraswati

http://www.artofeurope.com/yeats/yea4.htm – WB Yeatss poetry

http://www.moonspeaker.ca/hera/helen.html – Helen

http://findagoddess.com/display.php?HERNAME=Laima – Laima

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/g/graeae.html – The three Gray Ones

Fever is a good thing. It’s your body’s attempt to kill off invading bacteria and other nasty organisms that can’t survive the heat. The hypothalamus, which is the body’s thermostat, senses the assault on the body and turns up the heat much the way you turn up the thermostat when you feel cold. It’s a simple defense mechanism, and the sweat that comes with a fever is merely a way to cool the body down.

Small amounts of whole grain bread or biscuits can be taken with milk. Heavy foods that are difficult to digest like fried foods, fast foods, meat, chicken, fish, and raw foods should be completely avoided.

Take 10 grams (one-tablespoon) raisins and 10 grams (one tablespoon) fresh ginger. Crush and put in 200-ml. water for one hour. Boil this decoction till the water reduces to 50 ml. Strain and drink while warm.

Mix the herbs. Place in a quart saucepan. Pour 1/2 pints of distilled boiling water over it. Cover and allow to steep in a hot place for 10 to 15 minutes (do not boil). When ready, strain into another saucepan. Sweeten with honey if desired.This remedy drops high temperature associated with flu quite effectively. In some cases, the temperature has been reduced from 104 to 99 degrees within two hours!! According to Dr. Dr. Edward E. Shook, well known herbalist, “there is no remedy for colds and fevers of any description equal to this simple life-saving formula.

In a bowl mix together 5 capfuls of white vinegar and 2 caps of luke warm water. Soak 2 wash cloths in the mixture then wring out. Wrap the cloths around the lower legs and your temperature will be gone within 5 minutes.

An oatmeal bath is a natural remedy for relieving the Chicken Pox itch. The bath can be prepared by cooking two cups of oatmeal in two liters of water for 15 minutes. This mixture is then put onto a cloth bag made of cotton, with a string tied on to its top. This is allowed to float in a tub of warm water and swished around until water becomes turbid. Care should be taken to ensure that the bag is not torn. Ensure that the water is splashed over all the scalds, but the oatmeal pouch remains in the tub.

Aromatherapy is now often used for relaxation. It should be strongly noted that some of exotic plant extracts in these formulas have been associated with a wide range of skin allergies.

The Pomo tribe boiled the inner root bark, and then drank strong doses of the resulting tea to induce sweating in cases of chills and fever. In the south, the Natchez prepared their fever remedies from the bark of the red willow, while the Alabama and Creek Indians plunged into willow root baths for the same purpose.

A traditional remedy that is said to minimize the effects of hayfever is Nettle Leaf. Researchers believe that it may prevent the body from making inflammatory chemicals known as prostaglandins. At least one German preliminary study found that the capsules made from free-dried leaves had an anti-allergy action in people, additional research can confirm these findings. Nettle is also available in syrup forms such as Napiers Nettle Blend syrup.

jeniferhobson asked:


First – Couch grass

Couch grass is a diuretic and the mucilage helps soothe an inflamed and irritated urinary tract. It also helps to make well the urinary tract. Couch grass raises the quantity of urine by the osmotic procedure.

It has a number of active constituents with an antibiotic effect, and can be used in gout and rheumatism. It is also used in cystitis, urethritis, benign prostatic hypertrophy, prostatitis, nephritis and calculus (stones).

Second – Uva Ursi (Bearberry)

The leaves are picked any time during the summer and dried for make use of in infusions, medicinal tea bags, liquid extracts and tablets. The plant has the following claimed properties: anti-lithic, aromatic, astringent, disinfectant, tonic, urinary antiseptic, diuretic, lithontripic, sedative (renal), stimulant (mild).

Third Horsetail

The plant contains an intercalary meristem: that is to say, every segment of the stem grows as the plant gets taller. This contrast with the seed plants, which hold an apical meristem i.e. new development, comes only from growing tips (and widening of stems). Growth was determinate – i.e. the plants phenotype dictated an utmost height, which the plant would develop to then obtain no higher.

Parsley – one more type of parsley is grown as a root vegetable, as with hamburg root parsley. This type of parsley creates much thicker roots than types cultivated for their leaves. Although little known in Britain and the United States, root parsley is very ordinary in Central and Eastern European cuisine, where it is used in most soups or stews.

Fourth Nettle

Nettle is highly nutritious with vitamins and minerals including chlorophyll and beta carotene, vitamins A, B2, C and E, calcium, potassium and iron. Nettle has been proven to raise the elimination of the waste product, uric acid. It is a diuretic, and has been establish successful in managing the symptoms of kind prostatic hypertrophy, mainly in mixture with saw palmetto. Nettle has an antibacterial effect and has been found to be successful against staphylococci and other bacteria. It is helpful in arthritis and rheumatic troubles because it helps get rid of metabolic wastes. It is also used in chronic cystitis.

Fifth – Corn Silk

The silky tassel in the corn husk is not frequently measured a food, but it is extremely valued in herbology as a hold up to the urinary system. Later than the corn plant has shed its pollen, the silk is gathered, dried and powdered for a lot of uses. It contains silicon, B vitamins, PABA and moderate amounts of iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium, calcium and phosphorus. Its key constituents are maizenic acid, fixed oil, resin and mucilage.

peterhutch asked:


Hair is made of the protein kerotin, the same substance found in nails and skin. Each hair rises out of a bulb-like follicle and goes through a cycle of growth for up to five years. It then stops growing and goes into a period of rest, after which it falls out and a new hair starts to grow.

Hair loss can be caused by a number of factors, some of which are circulation, stress, hormonal changes and nutrition. Of course the toughest factor to overcome is genetics.

Hair is a reflection on the overall condition of your body. A healthy and well-nourished body reflects in bouncy and healthy hair. Analyzing a snip of hair can give a clear picture of any deficiency of vitamins and minerals. Any sort of nutritional deficiency would result in thinning hair, hair loss or even baldness. A malfunctioning thyroid can also play havoc with the condition of your hair. Excessive stress and certain medications are known to contribute to falling hair

Iron deficiency is the biggest problem for non genetic hair loss amongst women in Britain.

For iron to be absorbed in the body Vitamin C and Lysine acid needs to be taken. If you do not eat alot of red meat then it could be difficult to absorb enough iron, so it is advisable to consider using a supplement. It is very important to look after your digestion by eating vegetables and fruit on a daily basis. It is also important to eat the following foods on a regular basis.

Home Hair Treatments

Here are some herbal homemade hair treatments and natural home remedies for hair, which have also stood the test of time:

When your hair looks very stressed, nettles are a wonderful tonic and detox. Infuse dried nettle leaves (some health food stores now carry nettle tea bags) and drink the tea. The infusion can also be used as a hair rinse.

Home remedy for conditioning your blond hair – To shine and condition blond hair, rinse in chamomile tea. Add one teaspoon of lemon juice to a liter of tea for extra shine.

Rosemary Beauticians have swore by the benefits of Rosemary herb as a beauty and skin aide. It will nourish your dry and flaky scalp helping you get rid of dandruff. It also slows down premature hair loss and graying.

Chamomile Chamomile is a great conditioner for damaged and dry hair. When used for rinsing after shampoo it will help restore shine and bring out the natural highlights for blondes. It also helps to strengthen the hair to prevent breakage, tangling and split ends.

Ginger hair oil is a wonderful hair treatment which stimulates hair growth, boosts the scalps circulation, and alleviates dandruff. Ginger treatment will leave your hair feel soft, clean, and pleasantly smelling of herbs. In order to make this fantastic hair remedy at home, grate 1 tbsp fresh ginger root, place it in a cheesecloth, and squeeze ginger juice (you will get about 1/4 tsp juice). Mix the fresh juice with 1/4 cup light sesame oil and blend well together. To treat hair, apply the ready ginger hair oil onto your scalp, massage inside your hair, and leave on for about 15 minutes before shampooing.

Juliet Cohen asked:


Our hair is actually question protein called keratin. Hair is simply the substance known as keratin protein especially noticed on the human head. We are very ardently our hair care, but few of them know that the issue is in fact dead. The real lives of our hair lies beneath the surface of the scalp and is usually called the follicle, which feeds the dead cells for our loops keeping traffic. The hair will look because of the excessive sebum activity, but lack of sebum function could give adverse effects like making hair dry and dull. The blood circulating around the hair follicle allows the big hair appearance in the healthy body.

Anemia or less blood can affect the hair, in which the body is first reflected in unhealthy unhealthy hair. Hair loss and baldness or dandrff is a problem of hair. The best way to combat or prevent hair loss or baldness Such is the use of natural herbs for hair. Herbs such as aloe, nettle, nettles and birch leaves are regarded as the most excellent blood and cleaners of the skin. They also stimulate the growth of hair. Even horsetail is believed to be the ideal source of silica which keeps the hair strong and shiny. Some other herbs as arnica, concern, rosemary and / or Southern Wood also proved effective in preventing hair loss and baldness.

There are many natural herbs available for hair or, in fact, used for hundreds of years by various countries throughout the world. The list of plants used regularly includes Aloe, Arnica, Birch, burdock, Catmint, Chamomile, Horsetail, Liquorice, Marigold, Nettles, parsley, rosemary, sage, Southernwood, Stinging nettle, Psoralea seeds, and Oyster Mulberries. Aloe, nettle, stinging nettle, the leaves of birch and watercress are excellent cleaners blood and skin. Drinking 1 tbsp. Horsetail is a good source of silica and helps keep hair strong and shiny. Soy is also equally important in preventing the hair loss.

Honey is another of nature ’s gift to humanity, and it is useful to solve almost all the problems. A paste of olive oil with hot honey and a teaspoon of cinnamon powder can be rubbed on the scalp, and left for about 15 minutes before washing your hair. It promotes hair growth and keeps hair soft and shiny. Excerpts from licorice may also help prevent hair loss. Parsley, even when used as a tea, strengthens the kidneys, and tea made from the leaves of raspberry or blackberry is also seen as good for the kidneys.Biotin per day and vitamin B-50 complex can also reduce the flakiness and oiliness of the scalp and strengthen the rule of the hair.

It is so nice to live in a place where the environment is clean and pleasing to the eyes. This is because it does not just invite clean neighborhood but a clean living as well.

Many people would want to prefer a place wherein they could breathe freely without any hesitation that it was a filthy air. Some would want a home with a garden full of different kinds of flowers.

If you are not this type of person, why not start to become one today? Let your small garden have daisies, dandelions and nettles. The only secret to control your weeds in your small lot is not to let them sow and multiply their group. Instead, you should pick them during the flowering stage so that they will not get the chance to multiply on the other parts of the garden.

Why do we need a weed patch?

It is always great to see something wild in a clean and orderly garden. However, there are other reasons why…

Flowering weeds will persuade bees to your garden and they for sure will pollinate on your plants. Weeds are purely wild flowers. They have a huge variety of therapeutic and nutritional substances.

Gather a number of these weeds in any combination:

Dandelions Blackberry Nettles Lawn daisies

Compress your flowers and its leaves together and put them in a 20 sq. cm. of muslin. Raise the edges shape a bag and bind them safely.

On the other hand, if you have some young nettles, they have vitamins and minerals and can be added in salads, consume as your green veggies, or drink it for your tisane. The entire plan can be utilized to make a green coloring for wool.

On the one hand, brambles also possess rich Vitamin C. It also has natural diuretic substances. You can make a scented tisane as your alternative to your regular tea. Tea made up of brambles is also useful to battle colds and flu.

Dandelions, as a flowering weeds are also good to put in salad. The saps of dandelions can be used as a great cure for warts and verucas.

The flowers of the dandelions are one of the main ingredients of a traditional French recipe. The idea of the recipe is to get at least 365 flowers of it. They use the flower of the dandelions as an alternative to the fruit used to make a jam recipe.

If then, you are fond of picking weeds for no important purpose then, cut that habit. Instead, think of the good things they can give to you.