Medicinal herbs can help you heal from the inside out.
When I’m talking about heating up, I’m not talking about warming up your meal or taking a heating pad to your stomach.
There are quite a few herbs that have warming properties, so I will focus on three of my favorite: tumeric, ginger, and cinnamon.
These three have heat properties created when our stomach ingests them provide just the kind of heat our body needs.
Tumeric is native to India and South Asia. It is bright yellow in color and pungent flavor. It is among the most antioxidant-rich, anti-inflamatory, and immune-enhancing herbs available. The Rhizome (root) provides the essential oils and it is absolutely safe to consume.
You can create a tumeric paste for skin infections or make a golden milk to treat inflammation and daily health. To make the tumeric paste combine 1 tablespoon of tumeric powder with 6-8 drops of tea trea oil, and mix into a paste. To make golden milk, add 1/4 cup tumeric powder to 2 cups of almond milk and some honey, warm up over the stove, pour into cups and enjoy.
Ginger is a tasty medicinal herb that is good for treating cramps, nausea, morning sickness, and motion sickness. Combined with other foods like honey and lemon is a good way to activate your immune system.
Ginger contains a proteolytic enzyme that has been shown to reduce inflammation and help repair damaged joints and cartilage tissue. It improves circulation and can reduce colds and flus. You can steep ginger in hot water or peel/grate ginger and sauté it with honey.
Cinnamon is a very familiar spice used in most kitchens around the world. It can be used in powder-form or as whole sticks. Cinnamon is used to boost vitality, improve circulation, and clear congestion. It can also be used to help reduce overeating or bloating. Some people use it for viral and fungal infections. It is not recommended to be used during the early stages of pregnancy, so be careful at that time.
One yummy recipe is to take 1/2 cup of honey and 1-2 tablespoons of cinnamon powder and gently warm the honey until you can stir it. Then, add the cinnamon and add it too warm water or tea, spread it on toast, or just eat it right off the spoon!
These three medicinal herbs can really help you in more ways that you can think. After healing from major accidents where I broke my leg and shattered my shin when I was hit by a careless skiier on the slopes, then went on to get a staph infection and have eight surgeries in three weeks, I have constant pain. I nearly died twice and couldn’t walk for eight months or work for two years!
I’m so thankful that there are medicinal herbs like tumeric, ginger, honey, and cinnamon that I can easily add into my daily choices to live with less pain and inflammation. In fact, last year I was able to get back up on the mountain to coach ski racers and this summer do a lot of hiking and kayaking. My hope is you will find peace with these as well.
