Medicinal herbs: body care from the inside

Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)

When Demeter's daughter was abducted to the underworld, the fertility goddess tore her blue cloak to pieces with grief. So that came cornflower in the world. A symbol of longing. And transience - say anthroposophists. All too soon, their bright flowers fade when picked.

Today, the undemanding former field weed from the family of the Korbblüter stands under nature conservation. Ornamental varieties, which often adorn summer gardens, have no healing effect. The flowers of the real "Clove", however, are rich in bitter substances and healthy bioactive substances, flavonoids. In naturopathy they are traditionally considered to be best drunk as tea before meals, as Remedy for stomach and intestinal complaints, loss of appetite and indigestion of any kind.

But tea compresses or baths can also relieve skin problems. An infusion of the dried or fresh flowers is a soothing Tonic for inflamed, irritated skin, It also has anti-inflammatory and disinfectant properties - ideal for acne. An eye compress helps with swollen, over-stressed eyes and conjunctivitis.

Recipe: Cornflower Tonic You need: 1 tbsp cornflower blossoms (herbal house, pharmacy)

How it works: Pour the flowers over with 1 cup of boiling water. Leave for 5 minutes and strain. Allow to cool and use as a tonic. The tonic can also be filled in a spray bottle. On about 50 ml of cornflower tea give 1 drop of lavender essential oil. Shake well and use as facial spray. Or soak a compress for the eyes with the cool cornflower tea and put on the eyes and leave to work for about 5 minutes.

Do not use if allergy to daisy family.

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica)

Their seeds were praised by the Greek poet Ovid as an aphrodisiac. In medieval monasteries were nettles For that reason forbidden, they were known to be tainted with wine when introduced to wine. However, the "devil's weed", which loves nitrogenous soils, was a welcome addition to the nettle plant for the production of nettles.

Attacking, almost hostile, she meets us with her cross-shaped arranged on the stem, sharply serrated and covered with burning hair leaves. If you come too close, breaks off the spherical hair tip and thus releases a biting juice. Pastor Sebastian Kneipp knew how to use this warming stimulus: For rheumatic pain and lumbago, he recommended the "Urtication", whipping the affected body parts with fresh nettles.

Meanwhile, applications with less "bite" are preferred. Juice, drunk as a cure, made from fresh and dried leaves tea, rich in chlorophyll, vitamins and minerals such as potassium, calcium and silicic acid, purify the blood, act as a diuretic, flush out toxins, even in rheumatism and gout, and inhibit inflammation, especially the urinary tract, Fresh stinging nettle shoots therefore also belonged to every "Nine herb soup" in the spring, disarmed by cooking.

Today no one has to burn their fingers while collecting, but can buy ready-made juices. Those who are sensitive should avoid the herb with its high content of histamine, a substance that plays an important role in allergic reactions, but better.

Recipe: Purification tea for a spring cure You need: 40 g nettle leaves 20 g meadow whitewashed 20 g lemon verbena, leaves 20 g birch leaves

Here's how: Pour a heaping teaspoon of the mixture into 1 cup of boiling water. Let it rest for 4 minutes, strain. It is best to drink 1 - 2 cups a day for 2 weeks.

Especially detoxifying and very strong revitalizing effects a fresh juice treatment with nettles. This cure is described in Susanne Fischer-Rizzi's book Medicine of the Earth.

Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Long was sage as an elixir of life, as a guarantor of eternal life. After all, according to legend, the Virgin Mary, on her flight to Egypt, had successfully hidden herself from her pursuers under a sagebrush. The "Taste Leaf", which was originally native to the Mediterranean, was always one of the "August herbs", the medicinal plants that decorated the church on the day of Mary's Day and should protect it from fire, hail and magic. Magic powers were said to grow on woody stems, narrow leaves with their greenish-gray velvet pile, doors and even hearts should open, one wrote the name of the beloved on it.

The ears of blue-violet flowers, on the other hand, are decorative accessories. Only the herbaceous, aromatic leaves are rich in essential oil and valuable phytochemicals. Already Hildegard von Bingen used hers disinfectant effect on sore throat, tonsils, mouth, throat and gingivitis, Salebeee also helps against coughs and colds. And it weakens, thanks to estrogen-like ingredients, hot flashes and night sweats during menopause. However, it should only be used in moderation. Because the essential oil is rich in thujone, a vegetable alcohol that can cause unpleasant side effects such as palpitations, dizziness and cramps in higher dose.

Recipe: sage for nibbling A delicious snack to beer and wine are the so-called "sage mice". To do this, dip the sage leaves with a little petiole into a beer batter and deep fry in hot fat until golden brown. Also great for serving soups.

Gundermann (Glechoma hederacea)

Short, almost dwarfish, and inconspicuously he meanders along the ground. Only when the blue-violet lip-shaped flowers appear, do individual stems emerge. Good spirits, brownies, it was said earlier, are said to live under his heart-shaped to kidney-shaped leaves, notched on the edge. Already with the Teutons was the Gundermann, also called Gundelrebe, therefore as a helpful power plant, as a donor of health and life energy. Even in the Middle Ages, he traditionally spiced every Maundy Thursday soup, as a protective herb with anti-demonic effect. Anyone who wore the shoots tied to their wreaths on Walpurgis Night hoped for clairvoyance, for the "otherworldly view".

The healing power is contained in the essential oil, which comes out while rubbing the white hairy leaves. It works anti-inflammatory, dissolves mucus and stimulates the metabolism, A tea made of fresh leaves relieves protracted colds, cough, bladder and kidney problems, strengthens and strengthens after a long illness. Applied externally several times a day, the oil supports the Healing even stubborn wounds.

Recipe: Wild Herb Guacamole You need: 2 soft avocados 1 handful of finely balanced fresh herbs: Gundermann, chervil, watercress or purslane 1 garlic clove, finely crushed pepper chilli powder, 2 knife tips paprika powder, 2 knife tips salt juice of half a lemon

Scrape the avocado meat with a spoon from the avocado halves and crush with the fork. Mix herbs, spices and lemon juice well. Serve with fresh herbs or lettuce leaves. Fits as a side dish to sandwiches, salad and as a filling of crepes and pancakes.

Lavender (Lavendula officinalis)

Whatever is bad in this world - the intensely fragrant original Mediterranean plant lavender has always been considered an effective means of protection. She could even fend off the evil eye, it was said for a long time in Tuscany, to put demons to flight. For example, the blue-violet blossoms, which adorn their long ears, have been used as a purifying incense since ancient times. And even today, lavender sachets discreetly scent fresh linen and expel moths from wardrobes.

Anyone who has ever traveled to Provence for the lavender blossom knows that the very sight of this labiate, with its narrow, lance-like leaves, can scare off tension and cloudy thoughts. Comforting, motivating and strengthening can be the warmth-loving "nervous bag" growing on shrubs. That's why women used to give birth to women when they were born, to persevere.

It is now known that the flowers contain essential oil that soothes, relaxes and balances the central nervous system. As a tea and bath additive they relieve nervousness and exhaustion, relax and give a good night's sleep.

Recipe: relaxing lavender bath You need: 10 drops of lavender essential oil 5 drops of essential rose geranium oil

Here's how: Mix the oils in 3 to 4 tablespoons of liquid honey and add it to the bath water.

Rosehip (Rosa canina)

Hope and joy of life are in the rose hip and the power to keep a secret when you carry it with you. A love, says the vernacular, the "roseberry", which was supposedly already lush the garden of the Germanic goddess of love and fertility Freya graced hold on.

Of course, the bright red false fruit, which develops in the fall from the delicate pink flowers of wild or wild rose, also health: their exceptionally high content of vitamin C - 400 to 500 milligrams per 100 grams - brought to the dietary fiber pectin and other bioproducts People used to be safe from harsh winters.

Traditional medicine uses fresh rose hips, freed of their hard kernels and made into mus, as well as dried peel tea. Both should strengthen the immune system, prevent infections and help cure colds, Effects that are considered insufficiently proven for conventional medicine.But thanks to their fresh, slightly sweet-sour taste, rosehips can often develop their healthy powers in tea blends.

Recipe: rosehip parfait You need for 4 to 6 servings:

6 egg yolk 1 tbsp. Forest honey 200 g rosehip marrow sweetened with honey from the health food store or natural food store 3 tbsp. Sweet liquid cream

Here's how: Stir egg yolks and honey until foamy, add rosehip purée and cream and whip up in a warm water bath until foamy and thick. Freeze in the ice cream machine.

For the preparation without ice cream maker, beat twice the amount of cream until stiff and carefully lift it under the mixture. Fill in pie cases and freeze in the freezer. Remove from the tray 10 minutes before freezing, place briefly in hot water to dissolve the ice from the tray. Pour on a dessert plate and decorate with rose hip marrow or hazelnuts.

Recipe from Susanne Fischer-Rizzi: "Leaves of Trees". AT-Verlag.

Information about the author

Susanne Fischer-Rizzi, a medical practitioner by profession, has been working with medicinal plants since she was 12 years old. At that time she got her first book about medicinal herbs from her grandfather. For about 30 years she has been sharing her knowledge in seminars, lectures and books.

Even more information on medicinal plants and great recipes can be found in Susanne Fischer-Rizzi's books "Medicine of the Earth" and "Leaves of Trees", AT Verlag, www.fischer-rizzi.de