The Good Health Guide

Cardamom
An Ayurvedic remedy for caffeine. Too attached to your lattes to give them up? Chew on some cardamom seeds or make up a tea to drink, and you should find that the negative effects of the caffeine - the fast heartbeat, the restlessness etc, diminish considerably. Cardamom can also ease stomach pain & indigestion & alleviate coughs.
Suggested uses: in a tea, in cooking or simply chew on the seeds.

Rosemary
A well known herb for the memory. This is because it stimulates blood flow to the head. This also makes it good for hair growth. Rosemary also aids digestion & is a powerful antioxidant. Use as a tea or in cooking. (Caution: not to be used in cases of high blood pressure.)

Turmeric
A good herb for enhancing liver function - just sprinkle a little in stir fries or on salads. It is also used to treat inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and to lower cholesterol as well as being another good antioxidant. As well as using turmeric in cooking, you can also add it to water and drink it. (Caution: not to be taken if on certain types of medication, including blood thinning medication.)

Thyme
Used in the treatment of helicobacter pylori (the bacteria that infects the digestive tract causing stomach or duodenal ulcers). It’s also good for coughs, colds & asthma. Make it up into a tea or use it in cooking.

Fennel
Alleviates bloating & indigestion & is also used to stimulate the production of breast milk. Chew on the seeds, make up into a tea or use them in cooking.

Ginger
This is a valuable medicine for the treatment of coughs and colds, nausea and vomiting. It can also be used to improve circulation. Make it into a ginger tea or use it in cooking. (Caution: ginger may not be suitable for those with high blood pressure and is not to be used if taking blood thinning medication.)

Sage
This is used to treat sore throats, sore gums and mouth ulcers. It is also useful for hot flushes during the menopause as well as being a valuable herb for digestive disorders. Can be taken as a tea or used in cooking.

Cinnamon
Used in the treatment of colds and flu. It is a warming herb so it is useful in stimulating circulation. It can also help in cases of diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting. A small amount of the powder can be drunk or used in cooking.

Paul Michael is a fully qualified medical herbalist practising at The Haelan Centre, N8 and East Barnet. His email address is pavlosmichael@btinternet.com or call him on 07930 316196.