Use These 6 Garden Herbs to Make Your Home Look and Feel Better Instantly
We are going to explore six of the most popular herbs that you can use to make your home a happier, healthier place to live.
28/02/2019
People have used herbs for centuries. Some use them for healing and medicinal purposes, while others use them for cosmetic and cooking purposes. Regardless of how you use them, you can’t go wrong with adding mother nature to your daily life and your environment. Have you ever smelled a plate of food or fragrance and tried to figure out what the ingredients were? I’ve definitely done that with food, especially when I’m trying to figure out the ingredients to a recipe that has tickled my senses. While they’re great in food, tying food in with your decor and daily care regime can bring a wealth of benefits to you and your family.
Ultimately, there are thousands of different herbs that have various benefits and uses. The generations before us discovered many of these hidden treasures. We are going to explore six of the most popular herbs suggested by JTS Property Management team to make your home a happier, healthier place to live.
1. Lavender
Lavender has an array of uses and benefits. It is more so known for its aromatherapy benefits. We tend to see a lot of lavender used in products that you apply to the body, such as perfumes, body washes, and body lotions. Crazy coincidence? I think not. Lavender has properties known for purifying the skin and calming the nerves.
Lavender is Great for Fussy Babies
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but a lot of baby products are lavender scented. It’s no secret that babies get fussy at bedtime, and will typically try to fight their sleep. That’s why you see so many baby soaps and lotions infused with lavender. The calming properties help calm and soothe the baby at bedtime
The inhalation of the scent of lavender alone is soothing. You can take lavender leaves and put them in your pillowcases or even under your fitted sheets. Doing so relaxes the body and calms the nerves, which in turn, leads to a restful night of sleep.
2. Chamomile
When I think of chamomile, the first thing that pops in my head is Peter Rabbit. Peter’s mother would always give him chamomile tea right before bed to get him calm and relaxed...if you ask me, I’d say she’s on to something.
Chamomile has been mostly known for aiding in sleep and calming of the nerves but it can also be quite helpful with digestion and some skin ailments. Having this herb in your home will definitely be a beneficial staple.
You can, of course, add chamomile to your favorite teas and just let it steep to your liking. Also, you can take chamomile and add it to skin creams and ointments to ease mild skin conditions, such as eczema. When adding to a skin cream or ointment, I would use an unscented skin cream (Vaseline or Aquaphor) to reduce the risk of irritating the skin even further.
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3. Mint
Don’t you just love the smell of mint? It reminds me of Christmas. My grandmother’s house would be filled with the smell of mint because she would bake peppermint cookies. When those cookies would go in the oven, the smell just permeated the entire house and just put everyone in a much better mood.
Isn’t it crazy how certain scents can trigger memories and affect our moods? Well, mint is a herb that you shouldn’t try to do without.
Stay Alert and Refreshed with Mint
Mint, in my opinion, is one of the top herbs that is most beneficial for the body. This particular herb is known for relieving numerous causes of pain and fatigue, including:
● Upset stomachs
● Indigestion
●
Headaches
● Nausea
Mint has even been known to improve brain function. I think some people should consider leaving mint leaves in their car to help them focus more.
Mint is Perfect for Upset Stomachs
When you have an upset stomach that just won’t give you relief, mint is a life saver. I’ve put mint leaves in my tea when I’ve had a stomach ache, and moments later, I felt so much relief. It’s definitely something I keep well-stocked in my cabinet.
Bile is an alkaline fluid that helps with digestion. Mint is known to increase that fluid’s secretion and flow, which speeds up the relief of indigestion. So yes, you can still keep the antacids in your purse or cabinet, but take a hint… don’t forget about your mint!
4. Sage
Sage has been used for centuries for its medicinal and cooking purposes. This particular herb has an earthy musk scent to it, yet it’s still fragrant. This is a scent very well known around Thanksgiving and may even be the secret ingredient to your grandmother’s famous dressing.
Now, outside of culinary purposes, sage also can hold its own with the rest of the herbs in aiding with cognitive functions, weight management, oral health, and even warding off evil spirits.
Keep Your Mind Sharp with a Hint of Sage
Nursing homes are huge advocates for anything sage, specifically because they provide a huge boost in brain function. In most nursing homes, the residents there have some form of Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia.
The use of sage in a diffuser helps with memory retention. I’ve seen where activity directors will create sensory activities using the sense of smell. The residents would be blindfolded and an object placed in front of them to smell, and they would have to name the object they are smelling. It has been shown to be very successful in helping to prevent neurological degradation.
You Ain’t Afraid of No Ghosts
Also, if you’re superstitious in any type of way, sage is here to save the day. Sage is known to cleanse and clear any dark spirit that may be present in your home. White sage, in particular, is the go-to sage for most mediums.
You want to burn the sage and make sure every corner in your home is covered in smoke. Once that is done, leave the sage lit until it burns out. You’ll then want to clean and open your windows to let the light in and release the dark energies...simple as that!
That may seem like a bit much, but I just wanted to make sure the uses for sage were covered in every aspect...even if it’s out of this world!
5. Eucalyptus
The eucalyptus plant isn’t only yummy food for Koala bears, but it’s also known for its wonderful health benefits. Eucalyptus is best known for aiding in respiratory conditions. A sore throat, bronchitis, congestion, and colds are a few of the conditions that eucalyptus can treat. Eucalyptus actually has the scent of vapor rub, but the actual eucalyptus plant is what packs the power.
Adding eucalyptus to a skin ointment such as Vaseline can act just like vapor rub. Create the ointment and rub on your chest, then get under the covers to let the salve sink in and do its thing.
Steeping the plant in hot water can have the same effects as a humidifier when inhaled. You’ll want to boil some water and place the eucalyptus leaves in the hot water. Pour the water in a bowl and hold your head over the bowl with a towel over your head and just inhale. Take deep breaths in and out.
You’ll begin to feel it in your chest. Any congestion will be broken up and airways will be cleared. And to think: all it cost was a little water. That is a treatment I do at home if I feel the slightest bit of congestion.
6. Lemongrass
While lemongrass is well-known for its smell, an amazing aroma is far from the only benefit this amazing her provides. It has healing benefits as well. Lemongrass helps with stress and anxiety, as well as insomnia, digestion, and weight loss.
Have you ever looked at different body cleanses and seen that they will have you cut slices of lemon and add it to your water? That’s because the lemon has fat burning qualities. It tends to work best when you let it steep overnight.
Lemongrass also aids in stomach ailments. It helps babies with colic and eases bloating and even menstrual cramps. When people have colds, they tend to put lemons in their tea.
Ingesting lemongrass in your tea loads you with vitamin c which strengthens your immune system in the fight against colds and the flu.
The Herbs of Life
Who would have thought that we have the power to grow our own medicine cabinet? Have you ever wondered why some people from older generations are living so much longer? Well, people from the older generations lived off the land. They couldn’t afford expensive prescriptions, and so they had to learn to use remedies they could make themselves.
Healthcare and the medications for certain ailments are very expensive. Keeping a few, if not all, of these herbal staples in your home, can not only boost your health in a natural, holistic way but also cut down tremendously on medical costs.
I’m not saying ditch any and all of the prescriptions in your cabinet, but if you have these staples in your home already, why not give them a try? If you have serious medical conditions, then you’ll want to consult with your primary care physician on the treatment options available to you. You’ll be a home remedy king or queen in no time.