Written by Jenny Catton
Next time you’re suffering from a sniffle, indigestion or insomnia, forget taking a trip to the chemist and instead look to your own garden for a natural remedy. Many different plants, herbs and flowers have medicinal qualities and have been used for centuries to treat everyday ailments. Most are easy to grow and provide a cheaper, more natural and convenient alternative to manufactured drugs.
Of course it’s important to take precautions when creating your own treatments from the plants in your garden. If you’re in any doubt about your particular ailment, speak to your doctor to get a professional diagnosis before taking natural remedies. And always seek advice before you stop taking conventional medicine. It’s also important to be confident about what herbs or plants you are using – make sure you have correctly identified a plant before using it as a medicine as many garden plants can be poisonous. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should always be particularly careful and speak to their doctor before taking natural remediesas some herbs are known to cause miscarriage or other problems.
Here are some minor ailments that can be treated with plants that are commonly found in the garden:
Indigestion
Try making your own mint tea to ease indigestion. Pick the mint leaves and wash before infusing in hot water and then strain to make a refreshing drink. You can sweeten this with sugar or honey if you wish.
Bad Breath
Parsley is great for combatting bad breath. Chew on the leaves to neutralise nasty niffs – it’s particularly good after eating garlic.
Insomnia
You’ll probably see lots of products in your local chemist for treating insomnia and many of them contain lavender as it’s renowned for its relaxing and calming properties. Take dried lavender from your garden to make lavender sachets to pop under your pillow to encourage a restful night’s sleep.
The Common Cold
Many people believe that garlic can help reduce the symptoms of colds and flu. You could eat it raw but a more palatable way to use garlic is to make a garlic tea using two or three cloves of garlic and hot water, and then add honey or sugar to sweeten.
Another option for tackling colds is Echinacea. This flowering plant has become very popular in recent years for its alleged ability to fight off a cold if taken at the right time. In some studies, Echinacea has also been shown to reduce the length of a cold.
Puffy or tired eyes
Forget expensive eye creams; a couple of slices of cucumber from your garden provide a cheap, natural way to reduce puffy skin around your eyes. Use straight from the fridge for maximum refreshment.
Nausea
Ginger is great for treating nausea. Grate a little into hot water and strain to make a tasty tea. Add lemon and honey for extra flavour. This drink may also be useful for treating a sore throat. Ginger likes warm conditions so you may find that it grows better as an indoor plant.
For more ideas about natural remedies for minor ailments, visit: www.naturalnews.com/natural_remedies.html
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