Oh! Hello!!
I’m sorry. Didn’t see
you standing there! I get so busy
with these tinctures and balms this time of year I just don’t hear the door
sometimes. C’mon in! Y’all have
a seat! Make you some tea?
So, you must be the new couple I’ve
heard about. Glad you stopped by.
I’m Miz Otter, the village herbalist.
I know you’ve been around for a while, but that’s how the village is.
PUFF!
GET AWAY FROM THAT DECANTER!
Cats!
Where was I? Oh, yes, the
village. Nice place, friendly,
honest, hard-working folk, but you can settle in, raise a family and die here
and you’ll still be “the new people,” leastwise until somebody newer moves
in.
So, what can I do you for today?
Oh, I understand completely – something for your nerves. I get a lot of that this time of year, what with the holidays
coming on faster than a dumb dog chasing a mean skunk.
I’ve got just the thing for you! Several
of ‘em, actually. We’ll try a
couple and see what works best for you. Everybody’s
an individual and every herb has it’s own charms, so you have to find just the
right match.
Chamomile (Matricaria
recutita) is a good place to start. It’s
gentle, safe and even good for little ones and pets.
Makes a tasty tea, too. Depending
on what you’re doing, you can drink up to six cups a day of chamomile tea.
Chamomile is also a mild anti-inflammatory, so if you’re doing a lot of
physical stuff, like shopping and decorating, it’ll also help soothe those
aches and pains. If you don’t
like tea, you can take a 500 milligram capsule three to four times a day.
Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica)
is a great herb for unjangling your nerves.
It’s best known as a skin-healing, anti-acne herb, and if you’re
prone to stress-induced pimples, it’ll help that too. It will make you feel
calmer but without making you drowsy or groggy.
Drink up to three cups a day of goto kola tea.
It’s not quite as tasty as chamomile, but with a pinch of cinnamon,
it’s not bad at all. You can also
mix ½ teaspoon of extract in juice and drink that three times a day or take a
250-milligram capsule every four to five hours.
Skullcap (Sculitaria
laterifolia) is the next one on our list. Don’t confuse it with Baikal
Skullcap (Sculitaria baicalensis), which is a related and also useful
herb, but doesn’t work the same way. Skullcap
is a mild sedative and anti-anxiety herb that can make you a little drowsy.
Because it does, you might want to take smaller doses, spread out
throughout your day so you don’t slow down too much.
About a half a cup of skullcap tea every two to three hours or a
200-milligram capsule every four hours will do the trick without leaving you
yawning.
The real Grandmama of stress-busting herbs is Valerian (Valeriana
officinalis). Valerian is best
known for its use in treating insomnia, so I’d advise only taking it around
bedtime. In addition to being a
very effective sedative Valerian is also a mild muscle-relaxant. Drink a cup of valerian tea about 20 minutes before you go to
bed and you’ll be able to shut off that To-Do list in your head and sleep like
a hibernating bear. Oh, by the by,
a good batch of Valerian that’s fresh and strong smells AWFUL.
Like old, unwashed gym socks. Don’t
let that fool you. It’s good
stuff, and it doesn’t taste nearly as bad as it smells, though a bit of
cinnamon and honey certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Or, you can take a 400-milligram capsule instead, if you just can’t
handle that aroma.
If you have pets that are picking up
your stress and getting fussy, you can share these teas with them.
As a general rule for pet-safe herbs, a dog 50 pounds or more can take
half the dose you do, a dog less than 50 pounds should get a quarter of your
dose. You can always adjust a
little, but that’s a good place to start. Cats, by and large, have their own
stress-management methods and probably don’t need any herbs.
Some herbs don’t react the same way in cats as they do other critters.
Valerian, for example, has the opposite effect on cats and if you don’t
want your feline friends running laps around your ceiling beams, keep them out
of it.
Well, I can see you’re itching to go
get busy again, so I won’t keep you. Have
to get these tinctures decanted anyway, so you have a good day and c’mon back
if you need anything else. If you
have any youngin’s, bring them too. I’ll
be here.
Editorial Note: These
articles are meant to increase knowledge of the use of plants in treating
various conditions. They are not
intended to, nor can they, replace the advice and treatment of a licensed
medical provider. A licensed
practitioner of medicine should always be consulted for an accurate diagnosis
and for supervision of the use of any herbal treatment.
Pug Manor urges all visitors to seek the best medical advice available to
receive the best, most informed treatment.
Pug Manor is not responsible for any unsupervised use of any herb or
alternative treatment for any condition by any visitor to our site.
-- Reprinted from Pug Manor Village Wisewoman
