Tag: herbs

Categories
Blog

How to Stop Hair Loss with Fenugreek Seeds

There are few things more devastating to a woman than losing her hair. Whether you’ve watched it fall out in clumps or noticed a gradual thinning, the whole experience can be stressful and emotionally traumatizing. Compounding the problem is that many products that claim to treat hair loss have side effects, show only modest improvement (if any), are expensive and require permanent use of the product to work – the minute you stop using it, you’ll start losing your hair all over again.

My Experience with Fenugreek Seeds

So when I noticed my own hair thinning, I did some research and looked into Ayurvedic remedies that were tried and true. That’s how I found out about fenugreek seeds (aka “methi” seeds), which is a common spice you’ll find in many Indian grocery stores. Turns out fenugreek has been used for centuries as a traditional remedy for hair loss, plus it’s known to make hair grow thick and shiny.  And when I gave it a try… I was shocked to discover after about a month that my hair was shedding less and… getting thicker!

Here’s Why Fenugreek Seeds Work

Fenugreek seeds are very high in protein which fights baldness and nicotinic acid, which stimulates hair growth. It’s also rich in Vitamin C which boosts you immunity, iron for blood circulation and potassium which fights grey hair. Fenugreek also contains large amounts of lecithin, which moisturizes hair and strengthens it from the roots and hair follicles. The lecithin is also known to bring back shine and luster to dull, damaged and dry hair… like who doesn’t want that?

How to Prepare a Fenugreek Hair Mask

  • Soak 2 tablespoons of fenugreek seeds to 12 ounces of water and leave it overnight for up to 10 hours or more
  • Leave the seeds in the same water and grind them into a past. This will make the water slimy, but the slime is what gives your hair shine! Then refrigerate.
  • Apply it on the roots of your hair and leave it for 20 minutes. Massage a little on the scalp before rinsing your hair with a mild shampoo.

Note: You can add a few drops of peppermint and rosemary essential oils to the paste. I’ve also added a whole scotch bonnet pepper (you can use any super hot pepper) to the paste. The heat from the pepper will make the fenugreek seeds work even better.

I used to apply the paste as a leave-on conditioner, but the smell was a bit too much. When I switched to doing a washout conditioner, it worked just as well and without the curry smell. If you’ve tried this and have any cool modifications to preparing this, just comment below to share your remedy.

 

 

Categories
Blog

Aloe Vera for Skin Care, Joint Pain and More

Something you should know about me… I‘m a sucker for a good kitchen-counter remedy that’s easily accessible, and aloe vera fits that bill. Aloe vera has some amazing therapeutic benefits. So I was pretty excited to stumble across a patch of it growing wild in my yard.

Aloe’s Healing Power

Aloe vera is loaded with healing minerals and earth elements that our bodies need. It contains zinc, sodium, potassium, calcium, copper, manganese, and chromium, to name a few. So it’s not surprising aloe vera has been linked to treating diabetes, fibroids, psorasis and even cancer.

What I really like about aloe is it’s natural ability to help your body adapt to stress to resist disease. In other words, it tells your body to produce more or less of specific enzymes to get you back to normal.

Topical Wound Ointment

Aloe’s healing capability is linked to it being a plant that stores moisture in its leaves. The thick gel you see when you cut open a leaf is where the “magic” happens. And our ancestors knew all about this. They knew that for skin wounds, the juice quickly seals the wound by promoting blood flow to the local area, which starts the healing process. And we’re not talking minor wounds either. There are proven studies that show aloe is effective in treating third-degree burn victims and it heals burned skin, faster. So it’s easy to understand how using it for eczema and psoriasis and other skin disorders can be a good natural alternative.

Treating Arthritic Pain

Aloe has amazing anti-inflammatory properties that make it ideal for relieving arthritis pain, and is reported to work on contact. The gel reportedly has an instant cooling effect.  You can apply the juice from the gel topically, or you can drink the juice to have it relieve inflammation over time from the inside out.

Stimulates Hair Growth

Believe it or not, there’s an enzyme in the plant that’s beneficial for stimulating hair growth. Plus, aloe promotes local blood circulation, so when applied to the scalp it can be beneficial, which is probably why it’s found in all sorts of hair products, including shampoos and conditioners.

It’s for all these reasons why I regularly cut a slice from my plant and add a little gel into my smoothies. I also use a couple leaves and put the slimy gel into a blender to make an excellent detangler for my hair.

Have you used aloe vera for skin wounds, joint pain, arthritis or any other condition? If so, comment below and share your story to help others!

Categories
Blog

Cayenne Pepper: The Heat that Heals

Did you know that one of nature’s most potent medicinal herbs may be as close as your kitchen spice cabinet?

That’s right! Cayenne pepper packs some serious heat, and if you’ve ever accidentally bitten into one eating stir fry, you’ve no doubt felt the burn when the heat explodes, opening all your senses at once. Liken it to a heat bomb going off in your mouth. If you’re not ready for it (and even if you are), it can make you break into a sweat while the heat blazes a path down your throat to your stomach. Nice, eh?

  1. So why would anyone want to endure that? Simply put, because cayenne and other hot peppers have astounding health benefits linked to treating and preventing: strokes, heart attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes, ulcers and even cancer! This may explain why some cultures who thrive on spicey diets tend to have lower rates of cancer. In fact, the late herbalist Dr. John Christopher documented his results from successfully having a number of his stroke patients drink warm water with a teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder mixed in it. Check out the book “Left for Dead” for more detail.

Feelin’ Hot, Hot, Hot!

Cayenne and other hot peppers contain a compound called capsaicin that’s responsible for the heat factor. Even though it may feel like you’re getting third-degree burns inside your mouth and in your body, you’re really only feeling the heat sensation of the capsaicin reaching your nerve endings. And the hotter the pepper, the better. According to Dr. Christopher, for capsaicin to be therapeutic, it should carry a heat unit (HU) of at least 100,000 HU.

How Hot Peppers Heal

The heat in capsaicin causes your blood vessels and arteries to dilate fast, opening blocked passageways so blood can flow freely and deliver nutrients to your cells. Once the capsaicin enters your system, it eats through plaque, cholesterol and other gunk that can build up in the blood, increase your pressure and block vessels which can lead to a stroke or heart attack.

Studies also show hot peppers have benefits that can heal stomach ulcers by reducing the amount of acid needed to break down food. And and Australian study finds that eating hot peppers reduces your body’s insulin requirements, which can help with diabetes.

For cancer, there’s exciting new research that shows capsaicin may cause cancer cells to die while leaving healthy ones in tact. Studies indicate the capsaicin may cause apoptosis (programmed cell death) in abnormal cells.

Get Your Spice On

Convinced about the benefits of eating hot peppers? Give it try and see for yourself. I make a hot cayenne pepper powder tea as my morning elixir, since I don’t drink coffee. The increased blood flow created by the pepper gives me a major energy boost and kills any hint of fatigue.

You Need:

  • ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder
  • 1 teaspoon of raw honey
  • ½ lemon, freshly squeezed
  • ½ cup of filtered or distilled hot water (make it “tea” hot, don’t boil it)

Instruction:

Pour your heated water in a glass jar. Add your pepper powder, raw honey to sweeten it and freshly squeezed lemon. This is ready when the flavor profile is right for you. Stir until the pepper powder dissolves fully and drink. If you experience a burn in your stomach (trust me… that’s not fun), then drink this after you eat breakfast, instead of on an empty stomach.