Herbal Remedies for Kids!

Make it fun. Give your child "facials" (facial steams using healing herbs), herbal baths and footbaths (make a girls spa day!), massage her sore muscles, pat her aching head with a cool compress and wrap her sore throat with a warm fomentation.

Make an herbal tea or infusion into ice cubes and let her suck on them. (Tell her not to chew them, though; chewing ice cubes isn't great for her teeth.) You can also mix them with fruit juice and make them into popsicles. When used appropriately, herbs are effective and gentle enough for kids and a healthy alternative to many over the counter remedies.

Tootsie Soak

Tired Tootsies? Relish the scent of relaxing herbs and the warmth of the water as you soak your feet, and you’ll feel calm from the tip of your soaking toes to the top of your once-frantic head. Make an infusion of soothing herbs (about one cup of herbs per quart of water) and pour it into a shallow pan. Add enough warm water to make the soak comfortably hot, then immerse your feet and drape the pan with a towel (to hold in the steam). Lean back and breathe deeply. Before the water gets too cool, remove and dry your feet. This is a good time to moisturize them too!

**Herbs for a relaxing foot soak include: marshmallow, pennyroyal, sage, rosemary, juniper, angelica, chamomile, rose petal, lavender, yarrow, elderberries, and clover blossoms.

Stress-Busting Bath

Near the top of every list of stress-reducers is a good long soak in the tub. Enhance your stress-busting bath with relaxing herbs. There are a couple of easy ways to draw one:

• Simply make an infusion (a strong tea), using about one cup of herbs per quart of water. You can use one favorite herb, or a combination. Let the infusion steep for half an hour or more, then strain and pour it into your bathwater.
• Or wrap the herbs in cheesecloth, tie shut, and hang it from your tub faucet. The hot water will run through the herbs while you draw your bath.
  

Best bath herbs: chamomile, lavender, linden flowers, rose petals, lemon balm, passionflower, mugwort, marshmallow root, sassafras, vervain, burdock root, meadowsweet, comfrey root, agrimony, pennyroyal, and orange peel. A little mint will revitalize you, too.

Massage is a great relaxer. How can I incorporate herbs into my massages?

Good point! Adding soothing herbs to your massage oil is a great way to multiply the benefits
of hands-on de-stressing. To transform your plain massage oil into an herbal treat:
Place about 1/4 cup of herbs in a jar.

• Pour your favorite massage oil (apricot kernel, sweet almond or grapeseed for example) over the herbs; add enough so that a couple of inches of oil remain after the herbs are soaked.
• Cover the jar and let it stand in a warm place for a couple of weeks. Shake the jar daily.
• Strain the oil and gently warm it before using.

These herbal massage oils also make great gifts for the holidays... share the gift of relaxation.

Best Herbal Tea Combinations

Many of you asked for specific herbal tea combinations....Best anti-stress bets include (try one or a blend of any of these great herbal teas):
Nerve tonics
valerian, hops, chamomile, scullcap, oats, damiana

Nerve relaxants
St. John’s wort, passion flower, valerian, lemon balm, lobelia, scullcap, hops, chamomile, lavender

Nerve soother
oats, barley, slippery elm bark, marshmallow root

Nerve stimulants
kola nut, peppermint, ginkgo, gota kola, wintergreen, spearmint, cayenne, ginger, rosemary, ginseng

Tea Time!

Whether you need to relax before climbing into bed, de-stress after a busy day at work, or even get your day off on the right (calm) foot, a cup of herbal tea can help. Try different herbs that are known for their soothing properties, then pick your favorites and enjoy them solo or in combinations. As a general guideline, use about a teaspoon of herb per cup of water, and steep for about 15 to 20 minutes. Remember, the best tasting teas are brewed loose!