 |
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
Hi'iaka's Healing Herb Garden : Column Index : 2004 : Dec04
Coming Soon...
Herbal Information Sources Can Help You to Heal Yourself
When I need information about an herb or how to treat a condition with herbs, I always turn to my trusted books. I never expect my brain to be able to remember all of the herbs that are appropriate to help treat a specific illness, so it's important to go to an expert source. There is so much information floating around out there, especially about health and healing, that I always want to make sure that I get information I can trust from reliable sources, and my books provide that. And if you have any last-minute Christmas shopping still to do, the books I'll be talking about in this month's column would make great gifts for your herb-curious friends and family members.
The "Dummies" Guide is Excellent Reading
My favorite book, and the one I always refer to first, is Christopher Hobbs' Herbal Remedies for Dummies. Part of the popular "Dummies" series published by Hungry Minds, this book is valuable to beginners and experienced herbalists alike because it is well-organized and easy to read. If you want to know how to make your cold go away faster, just look up "cold" in the Symptom Guide at the back of the book. Each symptom includes a medical description, holistic understanding of that condition, tried and true herbal remedies, recipes for herbal formulas you can buy or make, and a list of healthy habits you can adopt to help heal the condition and prevent it in the future. And it includes lots more, such as recipes for teas, tinctures, salves and other herbal products and remedies you can easily make at home.
Other Favorite books
The Way of Herbs by Michael Tierra: Michael is another of my important teachers. In this book, he gives the reader a complete, easy to use source of information on simple herbal remedies for natural health and healing. I like this one because it's concise and each herb he writes about includes the same categories of information as all of the others. For example, under each herb, he talks about what parts of the plant are used for medicine, systems of the body that are affected when you take the herb, biochemical constituents such as acids, sterols, resins and other things you'll probably never need to know, and then he concludes with a list of properties and recommended dosages.
Herbal Healing for Women by Rosemary Gladstar: This book covers simple home remedies for women of all ages, including natural treatments for teenage acne, PMS, morning sickness and other common health problems that affect women.
Physician's Desk Reference for Herbal Medicine: This hefty tome is my absolute "Bible." Herbs are listed and described by common name, for example milk thistle. Each entry includes trade names under which the herb is marketed, a description of the plant, where it grows, other names, actions and pharmacology, effects on the body, dosages, precautions and possible adverse reactions, and results of clinical trials that have been conducted.
Great Web Sites to Surf
The Internet is another good source of information about herbs and herbal healing. Here are a few of my favorite web sites:
Christopher Hobbs: www.christopherhobbs.com: Includes a wonderful herbal database, where you can search for over 440 ailments and symptoms and over 200 herbs. It also includes the dates and locations of Christopher's conference schedule and information about his internship program and practice in Davis, California.
Michael Tierra: www.planetherbs.com: Michael is one of the major herbalists in the country and his web site is chock-full of valuable information. Included are a chat room, dates and locations of Michael's classes and seminars, articles and an herb store where you can buy items in his line of herbal formulas.
Rosemary Gladstar: www.sagemountain.com: Sage Mountain Retreat Center and Native Plant Preserve in Vermont is a foremost learning center for herbs and earth awareness. Rosemary will be on the Big Island from January 15-24, 2005 for a workshop that includes meetings with local herbalists and traditional healers, pilgrimages to sacred sites, and participation in the traditional culture of Hawai`i. For more information, write her at info@sagemountain.com.
Mrs. Grieve's Modern Herbal: www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/mgmh.html: Although Mrs. Grieve's "modern" herbal was written in 1931, it is still one of the most thorough resources I have found, giving extensive information on the history and legends, medicinal uses and growing requirements of each plant. It includes an index of 800 herbs and other indexes of recipes and poisonous plants. You can even order herbs online through this site.
American Botanical Council: www.herbalgram.org: This is the official site for HerbalGram magazine, which is the Journal of the American Botanical Council. It often serves as my "Bible" for the definitive source of information. Established in 1988, the ABC is the leading independent, nonprofit, international member-based organization providing education using science-based and traditional information to promote the responsible use of herbal medicine. It's a bit nerdy, however: if you're looking for a recipe for echinacea muffins, you won't find it here! Try www.herbcompanion.com or Herb Companion magazine for lighter, more fun information.
The important thing is for us all to read authoritative sources and learn about new things every day of our lives. If you hear something on the street, especially about health, it's wise to check it out and make certain that the information is valid before you take something that might not be the best medicine for your body and the ailment that is afflicting you. Some Hawaiian plants are popular as tea or medicine and many people are starting to drink things like mamaki tea. But what's in it? Does your body need it and will it benefit from it? Mamaki, it turns out, has diuretic properties like its cousin, nettles: this causes increased urination. Why would you want to take a diuretic unless your body needs a diuretic? Learning about the properties contained in various herbs is very helpful to helping ourselves. Know what you're taking and why you're taking it. Information is wonderful and powerful stuff!
Herbal Information Sources Can Help You to Heal Yourself
When I need information about an herb or how to treat a condition with herbs, I always turn to my trusted books. I never expect my brain to be able to remember all of the herbs that are appropriate to help treat a specific illness, so it's important to go to an expert source. There is so much information floating around out there, especially about health and healing, that I always want to make sure that I get information I can trust from reliable sources, and my books provide that. And if you have any last-minute Christmas shopping still to do, the books I'll be talking about in this month's column would make great gifts for your herb-curious friends and family members.
The "Dummies" Guide is Excellent Reading
My favorite book, and the one I always refer to first, is Christopher Hobbs' Herbal Remedies for Dummies. Part of the popular "Dummies" series published by Hungry Minds, this book is valuable to beginners and experienced herbalists alike because it is well-organized and easy to read. If you want to know how to make your cold go away faster, just look up "cold" in the Symptom Guide at the back of the book. Each symptom includes a medical description, holistic understanding of that condition, tried and true herbal remedies, recipes for herbal formulas you can buy or make, and a list of healthy habits you can adopt to help heal the condition and prevent it in the future. And it includes lots more, such as recipes for teas, tinctures, salves and other herbal products and remedies you can easily make at home.
Other Favorite books
The Way of Herbs by Michael Tierra: Michael is another of my important teachers. In this book, he gives the reader a complete, easy to use source of information on simple herbal remedies for natural health and healing. I like this one because it's concise and each herb he writes about includes the same categories of information as all of the others. For example, under each herb, he talks about what parts of the plant are used for medicine, systems of the body that are affected when you take the herb, biochemical constituents such as acids, sterols, resins and other things you'll probably never need to know, and then he concludes with a list of properties and recommended dosages.
Herbal Healing for Women by Rosemary Gladstar: This book covers simple home remedies for women of all ages, including natural treatments for teenage acne, PMS, morning sickness and other common health problems that affect women.
Physician's Desk Reference for Herbal Medicine: This hefty tome is my absolute "Bible." Herbs are listed and described by common name, for example milk thistle. Each entry includes trade names under which the herb is marketed, a description of the plant, where it grows, other names, actions and pharmacology, effects on the body, dosages, precautions and possible adverse reactions, and results of clinical trials that have been conducted.
Great Web Sites to Surf
The Internet is another good source of information about herbs and herbal healing. Here are a few of my favorite web sites:
Christopher Hobbs: www.christopherhobbs.com: Includes a wonderful herbal database, where you can search for over 440 ailments and symptoms and over 200 herbs. It also includes the dates and locations of Christopher's conference schedule and information about his internship program and practice in Davis, California.
Michael Tierra: www.planetherbs.com: Michael is one of the major herbalists in the country and his web site is chock-full of valuable information. Included are a chat room, dates and locations of Michael's classes and seminars, articles and an herb store where you can buy items in his line of herbal formulas.
Rosemary Gladstar: www.sagemountain.com: Sage Mountain Retreat Center and Native Plant Preserve in Vermont is a foremost learning center for herbs and earth awareness. Rosemary will be on the Big Island from January 15-24, 2005 for a workshop that includes meetings with local herbalists and traditional healers, pilgrimages to sacred sites, and participation in the traditional culture of Hawai`i. For more information, write her at info@sagemountain.com.
Mrs. Grieve's Modern Herbal: www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/mgmh.html: Although Mrs. Grieve's "modern" herbal was written in 1931, it is still one of the most thorough resources I have found, giving extensive information on the history and legends, medicinal uses and growing requirements of each plant. It includes an index of 800 herbs and other indexes of recipes and poisonous plants. You can even order herbs online through this site.
American Botanical Council: www.herbalgram.org: This is the official site for HerbalGram magazine, which is the Journal of the American Botanical Council. It often serves as my "Bible" for the definitive source of information. Established in 1988, the ABC is the leading independent, nonprofit, international member-based organization providing education using science-based and traditional information to promote the responsible use of herbal medicine. It's a bit nerdy, however: if you're looking for a recipe for echinacea muffins, you won't find it here! Try www.herbcompanion.com or Herb Companion magazine for lighter, more fun information.
The important thing is for us all to read authoritative sources and learn about new things every day of our lives. If you hear something on the street, especially about health, it's wise to check it out and make certain that the information is valid before you take something that might not be the best medicine for your body and the ailment that is afflicting you. Some Hawaiian plants are popular as tea or medicine and many people are starting to drink things like mamaki tea. But what's in it? Does your body need it and will it benefit from it? Mamaki, it turns out, has diuretic properties like its cousin, nettles: this causes increased urination. Why would you want to take a diuretic unless your body needs a diuretic? Learning about the properties contained in various herbs is very helpful to helping ourselves. Know what you're taking and why you're taking it. Information is wonderful and powerful stuff!
| Home
| Tour the Garden
| Learning Center
| Buy Our Book
| Blog
| Stay at the Garden
| Giftshop
| Join Us
| Contact
| Friends and Favorites
|
