When dry, the root slivers can be powdered or pulverized in a blender and stored in glass jars to make a sedative tea. One teaspoonful of the powder to a cup of warm milk can be taken each day, the milk will help to disguise the strong flavour. Add a little honey if you like. [...]

Mentha pulegium LABIATAE “Pudding Grasse” is one country name for pennyroyal, which in Scotland was used to flavour the traditional haggis, “Lurk-in-the-ditch” is another, as indeed it does, growing in low, boggy ground with no apparent ill-effects. It is a creeping ground-cover, a very useful plant for carpeting a difficult shady corner with its minty [...]

Florence Fennel Omelette 1 root Florence Fennel Shallots, lettuce leaves 1 tablespoon red capsicum 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 crushed garlic clove 3 tablespoons milk 2 well-beaten eggs 1 tablespoon wholemeal flour Heat the oil, lightly fry the shallots, fennel, lettuce leaves, and capsicum, add the crushed garlic clove, and cook over low heat for [...]

Green-Leaf Sauce Pick some fresh soft greens from your herb garden or vegetable patch (salad burnet, sorrel, celery leaves, chives, parsley, silver beet, spinach, broccoli, etc.), chop them finely and add to a plain, rather thick white sauce. Stir and heat through, then serve over wholemeal toast or with brown rice. Cucumber Sandwiches Cut brown [...]

Although you can obviously reduce physical risk of catching a cold or flu by staying away from other people, it may not be advisable to do so entirely if it causes you to experience loneliness. Feeling lonely is a type of depression that works swiftly to suppress immunocompetence. If you commonly experience feelings of loneliness [...]

To explore the interface between body, mind and immune system, the new study of psychoneuroimmunology was born, already, studies in this young discipline have revealed a wealth of exciting information. The existence of an emotional component in cold and flu infections has been identified and researchers have discovered that thinking certain thoughts can bolster our [...]

When a three-year-old child with leukemia was given a zinc gluconate tablet to restore a zinc deficiency, and to stimulate her immune system, she accidentally discovered a rapid way to end the common cold. Because she had a sore throat, the child sucked on the zinc gluconate tablet instead of swallowing it and she allowed [...]

Because the respiratory tract is a series of cavities (sinuses, lungs etc.), connected by air passages, viruses can spread from the nose to the sinuses and throat and into the middle ear trachea, larynx, bronchial tubes and lungs. Secondary infections spreading to these locations can cause complications, some quite serious. Acute inflammation of the tonsils [...]

At this point, you may be wondering how you are supposed to exercise when you are coming down with a severe cold. Or how you can become totally relaxed and attain a positive, optimistic and hopeful attitude while suffering from a miserable viral infection. Or why you may be asked to chew carrot sticks and [...]