Sesame is one of the most important foods and medicines known to mankind. From the earliest centuries it has never lost its vital place in building health, strength and vitality. From its beginnings on the hot plains of Africa, sesame was a treasured crop. Its history is woven into the cultures of many nations […]
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‘Look at all the life in this,’ she said. ‘Every pip could become a tree, and every tree could bear another hundred fruits and every fruit could bear another hundred trees. And so on to infinity.’ ~ David Almond, Skellig. The pomegranate is said to be the Tree of Life, and there is speculation as […]
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Let the late Margaret Roberts inspire you to make your own cosmetics from home. She shares her secrets to a basic skin lotion, skin cream, facial scrub and how to make a fragrant facial steam. BASIC SKIN LOTION One of the best ways to use herbs is in the form of a versatile lotion that […]
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Tissue salts will literally change your way of thinking about health, and how you will cope in the future with every mood, every anxiety, from the day-to-day little ailments to the bigger, more frightening illnesses that relentlessly plague us and those near and dear to us. The twenty-first century brings with it undreamt of problems […]
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Easy, undemanding and prolific, a clump of lemongrass is an investment in every garden, no matter how small! A favourite in the herb garden, lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) has become more and more popular. It’s used fresh as a flavouring in many dishes and drinks, as an essential oil, and commercially as an ingredient in soaps, […]
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Marketed as a superfruit and as a health food, the goji berry is now easy to find on supermarket shelves. Only a few years ago the berries, which came from Ningxia Province in China, were virtually unobtainable and could only be found in specialised health shops – often with much hype and many claimed benefits. […]
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This is one plant no garden should be without. Just a small bunch of fresh leaves under your pillow will calm and soothe you so comfortingly you’ll become enchanted with it! We seem to be living in a state of continual stress. The world as we knew it seems to have fallen apart, and no […]
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Tissue Salts will literally change your way of thinking about health, and how you will cope in future with every mood, every anxiety, from the day-to-day little ailments- to the bigger, more frightening illnesses that relentlessly plague us and those near and dear to us. The twenty-first century brings with it undreamt problems and situations. […]
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The famous buchu (Agathosma betulina) is probably South Africa’s best-known medicinal plant. The Khoikhoi dried and powdered the leaves and used this as a dusting powder for skin treatments and wounds. The leaves were used for a variety of ailments – for treating wounds, stomach complaints, rheumatism, indigestion, indigestion, kidney and bladder ailments – and […]
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The early Egyptians discovered that elderflowers improve the complexion and soothe skin ailments, and from that time onwards the elder tree has been cultivated for its myriad medicinal properties. Called ‘medicine chest tree’ in Europe, the elder had been introduced to most parts of the civilised world by the 17th century. These ancient medicines are […]
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