The smell-good hit of the holidays. Make bath salts today! Learn how to make natural bath salts to turn you home into a spa in this free video covering herbal holiday gifts and remedies.Expert: Nili Nathan Contact: earth911.org Bio: Nili Nathan, host of “Great Healing Getaways”, is the creator of a television series and Web site on holistic health, where she researches, writes, and reports. Filmmaker: Nili Nathan

An herbal remedy literally means solution that is obtained from herbs and natural resources. These solutions are generally meant in health related situations. Thus it can be said that herbal remedies are the health solutions that are achieved by the use of herbal and natural resources. These herbal remedies are preferred over other health solutions due to the fact that they are obtained from nature and also are far away from casting any side effects on our body.

No doubt today’s world is seeing tremendous advancements in the health industry and due to this substantial growth the expected life of a person has increased manifolds. The allopathic medicine no doubt helpful in treating many diseases that consumed lots of time to treat by contemporary medicines. But in contrast to this it also caused lots of side effects in the body and is the temporary solution to a problem.

With constant search for better health solution, we bent back to our roots. With the rediscovery of our roots and traditions we really got to know about the benefits that herbal remedies had on our life and are also very helpful in treating various ailments. These herbal remedies not only provide relief from the problem but also is effective in getting the cure of that ailment.

Below are some of the herbal remedies that will be very beneficial.

· Garlic and cholesterol control – because of the properties that garlic possesses has made it famous world wide. Garlic has wonderful properties that has made it most extensively used herb in maintaining the normal levels of cholesterol in the body. It is very effective in removing the plaque formation in the blood vessels there by reducing the dangers like heart attack and angina. It is also very effective in normalizing the blood circulation in the body.

· Brahmi for brain – Brahmi holds a very special place in ayurveda as one of the best memory enhancer. It is having wonderful results in increasing the memory skills and also enhances the grabbing power. It is helpful in increasing the mental concentration. It is also very effective in treating the mental disorders. Convulsions can also treated by use of Brahmi.

· Vidanga for worm infestation – vidanga (embelia ribes) is a widely used in treating the wormal infections in the body. It is helpful in suppressing the parasitic invasion in the body. It is also helpful in toning up of digestive tract. Mild laxative activities have also been in vidanga.

· Lemon for indigestion – lemon or nimbu is used in treating digestive disorders. It helps in maintaining the proper peristaltic movements in the gastrointestinal tract. It is also helpful in improving the taste of the mouth and is good in suppressing the wormal infection.

· Licorice for throat problems – licorice is widely known as mulethi or yasti-madhu. It is considered as blessing for people suffering from throat related problems. It helps in expelling out the extra amount of mucus that gets accumulated in the body. It is also effective in suppressing the infection in the respiratory tract. It is also helpful in improving the tastelessness condition of the body.

· Peppermint for acidity – peppermint is very effective in suppressing the acid reflux that occurs due to certain digestive disorders. It is helpful in suppressing the pain in the upper abdomen (epigastic region). It is also helpful in digestive problems.

· Ashwagandha for depression – Ashwagandha or withinia somnifera is one of the best solutions for treating depression. It is helpful in combating the depressive condition and also suppresses the negative thoughts that are the real cause of depression. It helps in gaining new enthusiasm in the body and also provides the physical and mental stamina to carry on the routine activities with new zeal and power.

· Arjuna for heart – Arjuna has recently emerged as one of the best cardio protector. It is very helpful in increasing the working condition of the heart and also tones up the heart for its best performance. It normalizes the heart rate and also helps in curbing any heart aliment that is a huge threat to our life.

· Bhumyamalaki for viral infections – one of the recent discovery by modern sciences that Bhumyamalaki (Phyllanthus niruri) is very effective in suppressing viral infections. But it was known to ayurvedic physicians thousands of years ago. They used it extensively in treating various ailments that are caused by viral infections. It not only helps in curbing the viral infection but also increase the immunity of the body. It is very much effective in treating the liver related ailments and is very much helpful in normalizing situations like jaundice, hepatitis and hepato-megaly.

The herb ginseng treats colds by increasing mental and physical efficiency and aids in resistance to stress and disease. Use ginseng for the common cold with tips from a nutraceutical supervisor in this free video on herbal remedies. Expert: Miss Dimple Singh Bindra Bio: Miss Dimple Singh Bindra is a nutraceutical supervisor in Bio Neutrix, NY She has done clinical studies in herbs from Micro Logix Lab, New York. Filmmaker: babai das

Horsetail is one of the oldest known herbal remedies. In fact, this herb is supposed to be a close relative of the trees which grew on Earth about 270 million years ago during the Carboniferous period. The Greeks used this herbal remedy to stop bleeding and heal wounds. The Chinese used it to help treat wound and to reduce inflammations.
Horsetail has a dry, slightly bitter taste. The plant is made up of alkaloids (including nicotine) and several minerals including potassium, manganese, and magnesium. Its components make it a potent herbal remedy, with its use as an astringent, an anti-inflammatory, a tissue healer and a strong diuretic.
Unfortunately, not many people realize about the medicinal benefits of horsetail and thus this plant is looked upon as an unwanted weed. On the other hand, herbalists like the horsetail and then harvest it throughout its growing season.
While most of the parts of this plant can be used, the most commonly used parts are the aerial parts. The aerial parts are where the astringent is found. However, it is the jointed stems of the plant that are used in numerous herbal remedies. The stems of this herb can also be used to stop bleeding, nosebleeds and heavy menstruation.
Horsetail can also be used to treat urinary tract infections and prostate disorders. It can also be used to control bed-wetting and for treating various skin conditions such as eczema and acne. Many herbalists also use this as one of the herbal remedies for lung disease. Other uses for horsetail include treating eye inflammations and infections, such as conjunctivitis and corneal disorders.
You can prepare a herbal remedy out of horsetail at home. Simply simmer the aerial parts of this plant for a minimum of 3 hours to extract its primary constituents. Another way in which horsetail can be used is as a poultice. This is made by crushing the plant’s aerial parts into a powder and then making it into a paste.
You can also use horsetail as a mouthwash and gargle when it is diluted. You can also consider consuming horsetail as a juice by liquidizing its stems. Finally, you can take horsetail herbal remedy in the form of supplements. Do, however, consult your doctor or herbalist first before taking horsetail.

Master Herbalist, Victor Shim explains the Traditional Chinese Medicine method of treating Arthritis. If you have any health question for Victor please enter it in comments and he will answer it in a coming video. Or visit his blog at: ancientalternatives.blogspot.com Web Site: www.ancientalternatives.com

You may believe that your health is fairly well developed by the time you reach college. However, you can always take steps to change your behavior and to improve your health. Your well-being is largely determined by your ability to respond to life’s challenges and can be defined by your level of self-fulfillment or self-actualization. Attaining self-fulfillment is a lifelong, conscious process that involves building self-esteem, understanding and controlling emotions, and learning to solve problems and make decisions. In spite of our own best efforts to remain Psychosocially healthy, circumstances and events in our lives sometimes create depression. If we have the financial and educational resources to seek help, some of these difficulties can be prevented. But in the case of other difficulties, the road to recovery may be long. Different types of depression require different types of treatment. Selecting the best treatment for a specific patient involves determining his or her type and degree of depression and its possible causes. Sometime, doctors are recommended herbal remedy for depression. Herbal remedy often relieve the symptoms of depression, such as loss of sleep or appetite, while herbal can improve a depressed person’s social and interpersonal functioning. Treatment may be weighted toward one or the other mode depending on the specific situation. In some cases, herbal remedy may be the most successful treatment. Herbal Remedy aims to help a patient to pull a person out of depression. It has very minimal side effect which is negligible as compared to the other treatment. Her are some natural and herbal remedies can be used for depression : St John’s WortSt John’s Wort is a medicinal plant. It is basically used as a herbal remedy for depression.Omega-3 fatty acids Omega-3 fatty acids are also useful for the treatment of depression. Although it is not fully give you relief but some extent it is helpful. Folic Acid The shortage of vitamin B or folic acid is found in people who are suffering from depression. You can find folic acid in green vegetables, fruits etc.5-Hydroxy-Tryptophan (5-HTP) – 5-HTP is used as natural remedy for depression which can be found from the seeds of the plant Griffonia Simplicifolia.

There are several herbal remedies for anxiety, including chamomile and kava root. Learn more about herbal remedies for anxiety with tips from an herbalist in this free video on natural remedies. Expert: Heather Herrington Bio: Heather Herrington is an herbalist with years of experience in treating common ailments with herbs and other natural remedies. Filmmaker: Nili Nathan

Without herbal medicine, modern medicine would not be in the advanced stage that it is. Our species has relied on plants for thousands of years – not only for nutrition, but to ease ailments that develop within our minds and bodies.
The parts of an herb have helped us survive disease and pestilence and contributed to our survival for as long as humans have existed. Over time, we have learned which herbs and parts of a plant provide value to our lives and which have the potential to cause damage.
We know that our ancestors used herbal remedies because archeologists have unearthed evidence that they used plant-based treatments all over the world. What’s intriguing is that cultures on a global scale, which had no known contact with one another, all used herbal remedies in much the same way – testing and tracking what worked and what didn’t in the herbal world of remedies.
As time proved some assumptions correct, our ancestors passed the teachings about herbal treatments down through familial lineage. They also created texts to help others study and learn about the techniques used in taking a natural approach to healing.
It was from our ancestral roots that modern-day pharmaceutical companies derived their synthetic drugs today. They work to try to recreate the natural effects herbal treatments deliver to the human body, sometimes succeeding and often failing. Aspiring, for example, was created as a replica of the substance found in willow bark that provides a natural pain reliever.
Botanical treatments do not provide the same side effects that synthetic drugs do, which accounts for the reason why many modern-day consumers are steering away from man-made compounds and concentrating on the return to their roots of herbal remedies and natural treatments. When our ancestors began cultivating plants for their own use, they included herbal gardens that provided immediate access to particular plants they found soothing for their ailments, including aloe, peppermint, mustard, and more.
As the cultures began to merge throughout the years and travelers started exploring the world, ideas were exchanged and treatments one culture found useful were now in the hands of another culture who previously didn’t have access to such findings or even the plants themselves, before trade.
Herbs were so important to our ancestors that they became a part of religious rituals and were highly valued. Today, not only do consumers see the significance in promoting herbal treatments, but doctors are aligning with this way of thinking as well.

Peppermint leaves are a great herbal remedy for indigestion. Learn more about herbal treatments for indigestion with tips from an herbalist in this free video on natural remedies. Expert: Heather Herrington Bio: Heather Herrington is an herbalist with years of experience in treating common ailments with herbs and other natural remedies. Filmmaker: Nili Nathan

Chinese herbal remedies have been used to treat almost all kinds of diseases and symptoms for thousands of years ago and even today in China and parts of Asia. It is part of the healing methods used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). TCM is a system of healing that has many principles that can be complex because of their many intricacies. In fact, a TCM practitioner has to take many years to learn them all and also to draw his knowledge on the various herbs and their interactions for healing. Here, I put down some of the basic principles behind Chinese herbal remedies as a form of treatment.
Chinese herbal remedies are divided into 5 different seasons; including fall, winter, spring, summer and late summer. According to the principles that are followed here, the universal energy is at its highest during the summer and herbs are most abundant in the late summer.
You view all foods from an energy perspective. Of course, food also provides nutrition, vitamins and calories, but it is the energy that is studied here. Apparently, each food vibrates at a specific energy frequency that corresponds to a specific organ. These energies know how to thrive in specific seasons, which corresponds with a specific organ. Thus, some foods can be used as herbal remedies which can help increase or decrease your vital energy. For example, sunflower causes energy to rise, while a plant’s root causes energy to flow downwards.
While TCM also regards food as having healing energies, herbs are the ones that used to dramatically help increase the energy within these foods. Many foods and herbs are often mixed together and cooked for hours. Although there is no nutritional value left in the foods or herbs, it is the drink that contains the energy that is required to treat your various conditions.
Here, it is believed that the universe has provided us with a powerful, natural way in which to maintain good health. In TCM, various factors that contribute to your body being out of harmony are examined so that a permanent solution to the issue can be found. It is believed that this is much better than just treating the symptoms.
Hence, chinese herbal remedies can be used not only for your relief from physical and mental symptoms, but in many cases, they do provide cures. You can learn a great deal from this system of holistic healing since this would mean that you would be able to live in complete harmony with your body. Or, if you simply want to derive the benefits from the use of chinese herbal remedies, consult a qualified practitioner.