9 Food Cures You Can Grow at Home
Put your green thumb to work
growing a first-aid kit that will keep you healthy all summer. Dr. Oz
Aloe Vera
Grow it: Plant in pots placed
in full sunshine. Water well.
Use it: Break open the thick
leaves and apply the gel that seeps out to your skin to soothe sunburn. “It’s
96 percent water and 4 percent active ingredients, including amino acids and
enzymes that nourish damaged skin,” says pharmacist Margo Marrone, founder of
The Organic Pharmacy in the United Kingdom.
Basil
Grow it: This sweet, fragrant
annual is ideal for growing in pots. Pull off the white flowers as soon as they
appear to keep it from going to seed and your herbs from tasting bitter.
Use it: Rub crushed leaves on
your temples to relieve headaches. Pour boiling water over basil leaves for a
pain-relieving footbath. Great spice in the kitchen too!! Use on all meats and veggies and adds great flavor
to any Italian dish you make…grow a lot of this!!
Lavender has anti-inflammatory
properties.
Lavender
Grow it: This sun-loving plant
needs good drainage. Use a small pot filled with gravel and a light soil.
Use it: It has antiseptic and
anti-inflammatory properties. Crush a handful of the heads and add to a bowl of
boiling water to use as a steam bath for your face. You can also dab the oil
from the flowers on blemishes, says Marrone. You can also boil in water to make
house smell great with a calming effect.
Lemon Balm
Grow it: Pot it, or it will
colonize your garden.
Use it: Use for healing and
preventing cold sores. Also, rub leaves directly onto skin as a natural insect
repellent or to soothe bites.
Mint
Grow it: Use a sunken pot,
because it grows vigorously.
Use it: Ideal for treating the
collywobbles, which you might know as butterflies in the stomach. Sip tea made
with fresh peppermint leaves to soothe stomach cramps, nausea, and flatulence.
For a natural decongestant, place a fistful of mint leaves in a shallow bowl
and cover with boiling water. Lean over it, drape a towel over your head, and
breathe the steam. Great in tea hot or clod and
awesome in water on ice!
Parsely
Grow it: Thrives in a pot in
the sun as long as the soil is kept moist. Feed with organic fertilizer.
Use it: Immune-system booster.
Eat one tablespoon of chopped flatleaf or curly parsley daily. Chewing parsley
neutralizes mouth odors. Also add to
your water with a cucumber for a
great summer water treat! Sage
Grow it: Needs full sun and a
dry sandy soil. Sage means “to be in
good health.”
Use it: Gargle with a broth
made from a quarter-cup of leaves (and cooled) to relieve sore throat. Great as
a spice on poultry and veggies!!
Rosemary
Grow it: This hardy perennial
loves basking in sunshine.
Use it: Tea made from a
thumb-sized piece has been known to lift spirits in people suffering from
seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and hangovers. Infuse warm red wine with
rosemary, cinnamon, and cloves to soothe winter colds.. In the kitchen…add to
water for a change, use as a seasoning for
veggies meat fish and Italian
Food …a bargain since it grows like a weed in the right place.
Sage
Grow it: Needs full sun and a
dry sandy soil. Sage means “to be in
good health.”
Use it: Gargle with a broth
made from a quarter-cup of leaves (and cooled) to relieve sore throat. In the
kitchen use on poultry, fish and veggies
for added flavor
Thyme
Grow it: Plant in dry, light
soil. Needs sun.
Use it: A powerful antioxidant
as well as an antiseptic. Drink a tea made from lemon thyme to treat colds
before bed. Warning: don’t use thyme when pregnant.
In the kitchen great on poultry, fish and veggies
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