body, sit up and jot down each of the messages from your body parts so that you have a reference to work with over the coming weeks. You can then refer to the advice given in this book to treat and heal any problem areas.
When parts of my body feel stiff or blocked, I use yoga and herbs to help me release the tension. Yoga is an incredible therapy for moving and releasing blockages that might go on to cause illness if allowed to build up. For example, I developed a benign lump in my breast two years ago and through the practice of yoga and use of natural remedies I managed to shift the blockage and now feel healthier than ever. (Remember you should always consult a doctor if you discover a lump in your breast or any other part of your body.)
In this book I will share remedies and techniques that I have used myself for decades and on my children for over ten years. Many of the recipes for healing lotions, infusions and tinctures are ones that we use regularly in our home. I hope that they will be useful for you to help you create optimum health for you and your family.
How to use this book
I have divided this book up into bodily systems, so you will find remedies for the respiratory system in one chapter and how to heal disorders of the digestive system in another (see list). I prefer to work with the body as a whole rather than just the symptoms but for ease of use and understanding I have chosen to organise the book in this way. You may find that you need to look in more than one section to find a selection of treatments that work for you. For example if your child has chickenpox you’ll find some useful remedies in the Babies and children section on pages 118–125. However, you may also want to check out the Skin chapter on pages 68–79 to find ways to help soothe the inflamed rash that accompanies the chickenpox virus. Alongside the remedies are plenty of recipes that you can create at home.
This book is designed to empower you to be able to take control of your own health using your kitchen and garden. You will also find instructions on how to create a healing herb garden and in each chapter a spotlight on one of my favourite herbal healers. I have chosen plants that are well known, easy to find and that I use regularly at home, such as nettles, rose, lavender and comfrey. In addition I have put together my suggestions for a herbal first aid kit (see page 17) that you can have on hand for emergencies, including my top recommendations for treatments to carry when out and about.
Plant knowledge
It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with what plants grow in your area. Spend time in the garden with a notebook to record what you find. Make drawings, press leaves and flowers between the pages and take notes. It doesn’t have to be scientific. Make notes about what you see and how you interpret the plants around you. Ask questions – does it have large or small leaves? What are they shaped like? Is it flowering now? Where is the plant growing – in shade or full sun? Soon you will start to build up a good knowledge of the plants growing in your backyard, then you can start to learn about their healing properties. Don’t expect this knowledge to come all at once. I have been working with and learning about plants for over 15 years and there is still so much more to learn, but each season I gather a bit more knowledge about what I can use to help heal my family.
Once you have studied the plants in your area, take your notebook further afield and observe the hedgerows around your home, local wasteland or park. Make notes on what is growing or flowering now, what is coming up and where you found it. Highlight plants to visit again in a couple of weeks time. For example, if you spot an elder covered with tiny white buds in mid-Spring, make a note to come back in a week and you’ll be rewarded with plumes of frothy white flowers that can be harvested to make an excellent remedy for hayfever. Soon you will have built up knowledge of your local plants; you will possess an invaluable resource for when it comes to treating your body holistically. You can use your knowledge to create a map of natural healing remedies that are easily accessible in your area.
It will soon start to become second nature to brew up a batch of nettle tonic in early spring or to harvest a couple of handfuls of hawthorn berries in the autumn to make a hearty concoction of hawthorn brandy that can be used to treat heart conditions in the months ahead. For these and many more recipes, take a look inside.
Caution: herbs to avoid in pregnancy
Many herbs and herbal remedies can be used safely throughout pregnancy to offer natural relief from the various discomforts and ailments that may occur. However some herbs should be avoided. It is a good idea to consult a herbalist or get hold of a book that specifically deals with using herbs during pregnancy to help you identify those plants that are not safe for use at this special time.
Essential home remedy kit
To learn about natural remedies it is a good idea to build up a toolkit of home medicines that you can try out on yourself, your family and friends. I have listed some of the basic remedies that I like to have on hand here. Your family may have differing needs so you may want to add to this basic selection with natural medicines found in the specific ailments sections on pages 26–125.
It is helpful to have the remedies that you use frequently on hand, so that they are easily accessible when you need them. I have a shelf in a kitchen cupboard where I keep some of my remedies. Others, such as garlic, can be found in the vegetable basket or as herbs, growing in pots by the front door.
You might like to include a notebook in your kit. This can be useful for noting down what you have used, on what date, on whom and how effective it was at treating the problem. This will be a great source of information for your family when a similar problem occurs.
Tool
