Have you ever brushed against a rosemary plant or rubbed some leaves between your fingers to release the pungent and relaxing aroma? Rosemary is just one of the herbs you can easily grow in your garden or in containers to add to recipes or add sprigs to bouquets of flowers for an aromatic mood-lifter.
Herbs have been used since ancient times for medicinal purposes – especially for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Kava Kava, an herb grown mainly in the Pacific islands can be effective at relieving depression and menopausal symptoms.
The lavender herb is often called “the workhorse of herbs” and is highly effective in lifting moods, reducing anxiety and irritability and helping bouts of insomnia. Lavender keeps on working to act as an anti-bacterial to balance hormones and balance your immune system.
You can brew lavender in tea or place in a diffuser to relax you at bedtime. Licorice Root actually has a natural hormone that can relieve stress. It’s a great substitute for cortisone and can also help your adrenal glands and your power to balance blood sugar levels.
Drink it in tea form. Another great way to relieve stress with a tea is to grow the herb, Passion Flower. It’s a very mild sedative which may help you get a good night’s sleep and is also used for anxiety and depression.
Verbena Hastata (Blue Vervain) has been used since ancient times to cleanse the liver, balance hormones in women and reduce cravings for sugar. It can calm your nervous system and relieve stress for those who especially feel it in the neck and head areas.
If you haven’t heard of the medicinal herb, Ginseng, you may have been living under a rock. It’s a go-to-herb for anxiety, to promote energy, fight depression and help your memory.
Are you plagued by headaches? Try the herb, Wood Betony, an herb used since ancient times for anxiety and tension. Wood Betony helps you focus on what’s important and get on with your life.
Some herbs don’t mix well with prescription medications, so before you brew up herbs for medicinal purposes, do the proper research to find out how they may interact with anything you’re taking.
An herb garden was a necessity during times when over-the-counter medications weren’t available. Now, you can enjoy cultivating herbs in containers if you don’t have a garden space.
Herbs make a great addition to any garden or container space and can usually be grown easily. Online and book help is available that offer hundreds of ways to use these valuable plant additions.
