Rosemary, cooking herb or cooking something else up

Rosemary-

This is a marvelous herb with all sorts of uses, but what is it really?

Rosemary or Rosmarinus officinalis is a perennial evergreen shrub.  Perennials come back every year if they are taken care of correctly. It has silver-green needles shaped leaves and at the top of the plant can have pale blue flowers.  It can grow to about five (5) feet tall and helps to divide different areas in a garden. 

This plant grows all over Europe, which earliest records had shown that it was originally seen around the Mediterranean coast.  Rosemary grows best in sandy, rather dry soil with some extra help by putting some lime in the soil.

Legends states that the flowers were once white but after the Virgin Mary hung her cloak on one of the bushes during the Holy family resting point on a trip to Egypt they turned blue.

Aromatherapy uses was used in shrines among the people of ancient Greece because they did not have prepared incense.  Rosemary perfume can be like that of Frankincense because they can be very aromatic.

You can use rosemary in a dream pouch to help with a more peaceful rest at night. 

Hair care has been one thing that many ancient cultures have used this herb for.  The Ayurvedic medicine, rosemary was used to help with hair loss and to modify psoriasis of the scalp.

·      A handful of rosemary leaves

·      Pint of boiling water

Add the rosemary leaves into the pint of boiling water.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Strain, cool and rinse your hair with it.  This will help to stimulate the scalp.

Headache can just be a problem for many people. So try a small amount of rosemary oil on your forehead and temples.  You can also put a few dabs behind your ears.  Inhale the fumes from the open bottle several times and then repeat after about ½ an hour.

Maybe a good massage is in order.  Rosemary can do the trick to help them with muscle tension relief.  Rosemary has been used to help treat dancers and athletes such as long-distance runners for tired stiff and overworked muscles.  The combination of rosemary, lavender and marjoram with other oils may just do the body good.

For pain relief of a different kind, use:

·      2 cups of rosemary

·      3 cups of brandy

·       

Steep for 1 week.  Strain and use the liquid as a poultice on the areas to help for arthritis and problems with rheumatic joints. 

A poultice is a homemade remedy of mashed herbs to make a paste.  This paste is said to help draw out infections or relieve inflammation.

Rosemary can help to stimulate the brain and inhaling a few drops of oil can work great for mental clarity.

Respiratory problems can be help with the use of rosemary as well.  This can range from common colds and sinusitis and asthma.  It is best to put a few drops in a small pan of water and heat until warm and steam is made.  Use a towel over your head and then put your face just above the hot water into the steam. Make sure you are not touching the hot pan without appropriate cloths or hot pads so you do not burn your self.

A tonic can be made to help the liver, heart and gallbladder as well as to help lower cholesterol levels in the blood.  Always remember, rosemary cannot work alone with out a proper diet and exercise so please remember to work on an all around health and well being.

Cooking:  It is good with meat dishes such as pork, mutton, or lamb.  You can use every part of this up end of this plant for flavoring.

Tea to induce sleep:

Mix 2 tablespoons of dried peppermint, with 1 tablespoon each of rosemary and sage.  You can seep this in hot water and add honey to help sooth the nerves and allows you to relax.

You can cook with rosemary for different ways to help your inner self as well.  You can look at using it to cleansing, for help with beauty, knowledge and for grounding.

Try adding the herb with garlic in your fried chicken batter.

If you grow rosemary in your garden, you can cut the sprigs (branches) of rosemary and put two of them in tall olive oil bottles and fill with olive oil.  When you do this you are able to make very tasty oil for cooking.  The best time to do this is during the late summer.  You can make the bottle fancy and even give them as unique gifts.

Very good information about gardening tips

Warning for rosemary is that it can cause epileptic type fits or even poisoning if not taken correctly.  Do not use Rosemary during pregnancy or people with epilepsy.  Please consult your doctor when looking at any alternative therapies.

References:

Buchman, Dian Dincin. Ancient Healing Secrets: Practical Cures from Egypt, China, India, South America, Russia, Scandinavia, and More. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2005. 92-97. Print.

Davis, Patricia. Aromatherapy: An A-Z. London: Vermilion, 1995. 278-80. Print.

Seymour, John. The Self-sufficient Gardener. New York: Metro, 2008. 200. Print.

Wilen, Joan, and Lydia Wilen. More Chicken Soup and Other Folk Remedies. New York: Fawcett Columbine, 1986. Print.

Williams, Jude. Jude's Herbal Home Remedies: Natural Health, Beauty & Home-care Secrets. St. Paul, MN, U.S.A.: Llewellyn Publications, 1992. Print.

Headache & Migraines

What are they any ways?  Quite possibly many feel that it could be the change in the weather.  Others feel that it could be spirits trying to get you off your game or the yin and yang within a person may be off balance. Some various reasons can be either mild tension to searing intense pain.  Stress can cause the muscles to tense up within the muscles of the face, neck and head.  This could reduce the blood supply, which then can produce pain.  What ever is the cause at least throughout history there was thing to help them out. 

For whatever they are to a person, here is some good information from ancient healers that may help.  I found much of the information in the book Ancient Healing Secrets, practical cures from Egypt, China, India, South America, Russia, Scandinavia and more by Dian Dincin Buchman, PH.D.  There is so much goo information in here I can’t help but share a little.

Book written by Dian Dincin Buchman, PH.D.

The use of water had been used back in the days of the great Persian Empire.  When weary travelers made their way through the empire the post houses offered hot, wet compresses for their headaches.  When the wet heat is applied to the head it would relax the painful scalp muscles and speed the circulations in the constricted areas.  

A simple foot bath can help those with headaches as well, as found by European villagers. They divert congestion from the head by drawing the blood to the feet. 

·       Run hot water into a dishwater tub.  Use the essence of pine, four tablespoons of strong thyme tea, two tablespoons of powdered mustard seed.  Set your feet in there for about 10 minutes.  The fatigue and tension that can cause a headache to ease.

Rosemary

In Hungry, the use of a jam made from rosemary and sugar was said to do the trick for headache.

·       Combine fresh tops of rosemary with the times their weight of sugar.  Use a teaspoon at a time in rosemary, cloves or woodruff tea.

Early Greek physicians used to use two types of mint for headaches.  

·     The ancient Greeks would drink peppermint tea each morning and evening.

·     Bind the wet tea leaves in a cloth and lay it across a person forehead while you have a headache to ease the pain.

During the Renaissance times, Italians would stuff fresh mint leaves into their nose to help cure headaches.

In the Appalachian area of the United States it was recommended that catnip as being a highly effective remedy for headaches and insomnia.

Basil

·     For adults, combine 3 to 4 tablespoons of catnip with a cup of boiling water.  Steep, strain and drink for relief.

Basil leave would be used throughout, Egypt, Europe and the eastern areas of the continent.  They were used as a nerve tonic and stimulant.  If basil was not available then the herb marjoram was used.

·     Headaches that are caused by nausea or vomiting need to have crumbled fresh basil or 2 tablespoons of dried herb into a cup of boiled water.  Steep, strain and drink when it is needed to help with this type of headache.

·       You could make the tea then add with it 2 tablespoons of witch hazel extract for a warm compress to a persons forehead and temple area to help relieve those areas from the tension.

In Hawaii, the island people would use Awapuhi kuahiwi or gingerroot.  The ancient healer would put gingerroot juice or pounded root and coarse salt to the head.

·       Cut a piece of gingerroot and squeeze out some juice.  Apply to part of the head that hurts.

Ancient Siberian remedy would use onions to help relieve headaches within 2 hours.

·     Pound one onion and mix it with 2 pinches of course salt and one teaspoon of olive oil.  Put the onion paste on a cloth and put it over the area that hurts.  The paste is said to pull out the pain from the affected area.

A Danish remedy used sage and eggs for their traditional headache remedy.

·     Cook a handful of sage leaves in water until they are mushed up.  Then mix that with the egg and put the paste mixture on the area that hurts.

I have only touched on the use of water & herb or plants to help with headaches.  There is so many more hand methods uses to help with tension headaches and migraine issues such as acupuncture, Chinese pressure points, ancient Indian Ayurvedic doctors recommendations or in some cases headaches could be caused by attachments of some sort.  Because of this I will have to extend this topic for another day.  


References:
Buchman, Dian Dincin. Ancient Healing Secrets: Practical Cures from Egypt, China, India, South America, Russia, Scandinavia, and More. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2005. 92-97. Print.

As always, I am not a doctor.  Please talk to your doctor if you would like to try something different for tensions headache or migraine relief.  Some medications can be effected by the use of the products that were mentioned in this article.  If you are unsure of anything please do not use anything orally or externally without the proper medical consultation.  These are just ancient remedies that were used in the past and have been found to help some people.