How to Use Medicinal Plants

If you are interested in supporting your well-being through natural health, herbal medicine is a safe, fun and nutritious road to explore. Herbs can be included into your daily diet, made into remedies and preserved for years of use. Explore the flavours, aromas and healing qualities of medicinal plants and feel the benefits of improved energy, improved immunity and glowing skin.

Things You'll Need

• Cookie sheet
• Large glass jar
• Vodka
• Safflower oil
• Grapeseed oil
• Almond oil
• Olive oil
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Sage
• Lemon balm
• Mint
• Kelp
• Basil
• Nasturtium
• Coriander
• Chives
• Parsley
• Garlic.
• Lavender
• St John's wort
• Yarrow
• Chickweed
• Comfrey
• Borage flower
• Tea tree
• Rosehip
• Myrrh
• Calendula
• Hops

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Instructions

• 1

  Herbs provide flavour and nutrition to cooking.

  Add fresh spring herbs to your food when cooking. Leaves and flowers of medicinal plants can be added to salads, while other herbs can be added to cooking for their aromatic taste such as rosemary, thyme, sage, lemon balm, mint, kelp, basil, nasturtium, coriander, chives, parsley and garlic.

• 2

  Dried herbs can be preserved for long periods of time.

  Dry leaves, flowers and roots thoroughly. Drying medicinal plants will help to preserve them for long periods of time, without them losing their therapeutic properties. According to Gillian Painter, author of "A Herbalist's Medicine-Making Workbook", dried herbs should maintain much of the color and aroma of the fresh plant. In order to dry, keep herbs on a cookie sheet in a dark, dry place for up to two weeks.

• 3

  Herbal teas are a delicious way of taking medicinal and nutritious herbs.

  Make herbal infusions from leaves and flowers. Many herbs are palatable, and can be made into pleasant tasting teas to be taken as health tonics, according to Zoe Hawes, author of "Wild Drugs." Infusions can be drank hot or cold, used as gargles, and applied topically to the skin through a poultice.

• 4

  Infused oils can be used in cooking, taken as medicine and applied to the skin.

  Use vegetable oils to create medicinal infused oils. Fill a large sterilized glass jar loosely with dried herbs, and cover the herbs completely with oil. For this purpose you can use either safflower oil, grapeseed oil, almond oil or olive oil. This method will extract the essential oils and aromatic qualities of the plants. It is especially useful for making medicine from lavender, St John's wort, Calendula, yarrow, chickweed, comfrey, borage flower, tea tree and rosehip. Keep an airtight lid on the jar and leave it on a sunny windowsill for two weeks, giving it a good shake each day.

• 5

  Tinctures are stronger herbal medicines which are preserved for years of use.

  Create a herbal tincture. Tinctures are made through a combination of water and alcohol, and extract the widest range of chemical constituents from the herbs. In addition, the alcohol acts as its own preservative. Use one part dried plant to five parts vodka -- in a clean, sterilized jar and store in a dark, cool place for six weeks -- shaking regularly. If making a tincture from plants with high levels of essential oil or resins, such as myrrh, Calendula and hops, you will need to use a solution of 90 percent alcohol.