Herbalism

All over the world, people have used plants not only as food but also as medicines. Traditional knowledge of herbal remedies used to be passed from generation to generation, but nowadays this is rare.

Fortunately, the countryside still produces wonderful herbs and many can be grown in the garden. Getting to know the plants growing around you can be a relaxing pleasure in itself. If you learn about their various properties, you can use them to help you feel more healthy and better able to cope with everyday problems. Very simple remedies can easily be made from dried or fresh herbs, and substituting and excellence herb tea for stimulating drinks such as tea. coffee and cola will help you to relax and reduce your tension levels.

Herbs, like people, are complex and variable organic structures. Each plant contains many different constituents which together give a unique taste and range of actions. Particularly active constituents have been isolated and copied by pharmacist to produce medicines such as aspirin. However using the whole plant has a much more subtle effect, and generates far fewer side effects. Herbalists therefore prefer to use the whole plant to treat the whole person. We are all unique and react to life in different ways; just as we all have special preferences for various foods, each of us responds best to particular herbs.