Looking for simple ways to stay healthy?

Seasonal Health 20 March 2017

In early spring, we feel the effect of tiredness, lack of energy, dull skin, accentuated hair loss, legs that swell and become painful as the temperature warms up. This means it’s time to take care of yourself.

Step 1

A “detox” cure is necessary to cleanse the body with plants that have a draining action: in only three weeks, regain well-being and tone for spring and summer … Repeat again in late autumn.

Step 2

A cure with veno-active plants is necessary to avoid aggravation during the summer by stimulating circulation and acting on pain. To fight against fatigue, we need to regain all of our intellectual functions (energy, memory etc.) with stimulating plants; this is essential.

Combinations of plants meet all these requirements. It is equally possible, to find aromatic plants in our kitchens that complement the plant or food supplements already used.

Once in the kitchen, let’s go in search of our medicinal plants …

A bunch of rosemary, waiting to add flavor to dishes?

This can be transformed into herbal tea or used as a lotion to drain the liver, promote the elimination of toxins, stimulate memory, restore tonicity in the skin, calm pain, protect venous tissue, and prevent hair loss.

Rosemary herbal tea with lemon

The kettle has just boiled, put a teaspoon (2.5g) of rosemary (the small needles) into a tea ball then put it in a (150ml) mug. Fill with simmering water and cover. Leave to infuse for 15 minutes to release the active ingredients of the plant. Add a few drops of lemon juice* and if necessary a little honey or cane sugar according to preference. The “detox” herbal tea is ready. Drink one to two times a day for three weeks.

This herbal tea is not suitable for pregnant women, those who are prone to gallstones or without a gall bladder.

Medicinal rosemary stimulates biliary secretion and its evacuation, transforming toxins to promote renal excretion. It is also a diuretic. All these properties make it a great “cleanser” for the body. Rich with antioxidants, it traps free radicals, protects the lipids of the liver, combats aging, strengthens the venous tissue and stimulates the memory. It is also a tonic.

* Lemon juice is an excellent complement because it enhances the detoxifying action of the medicinal effect of rosemary by promoting the production of bile and improves the taste of herbal tea.

This herbal tea is an excellent addition to all “detox” cures based on black radish and other liver plants.

Rosemary Lotion

Cold rosemary tea massaged on the scalp prevents hair loss.

Pour the herbal tea into a small spray bottle and spray on to the scalp. Massage well.

This lotion can also be applied to legs to calm circulatory pain. Remember to apply either milk, body cream or vegetable oil afterwards to avoid any risk of cutaneous dryness. This lotion can also be used in the bath.

The traditional use of medicinal rosemary dates back to Roman times during the first century AD. It was probably cultivated in England before the arrival of the Normans. Records have shown its use in an herbarium from the 11th century.

Bibliographic references:

GIRRE (Loïc), Traditions and properties of medicinal plants. Ed. Privat

FLEURENTIN (Jacques), Correct use of healing plants. Ed. Ouest-France

BRUNETON (Jean), Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry, Medicinal Plants. Ed. Lavoisier, TEC & DOC

 

By FABIENNE MILLET, PHARMACY PHD AND EXPERT IN NATURAL HEALTH