Mama's Home Remedies: Discover Time-Tested Secrets of Good Health and the Pleasures of Natural Living (39 page)

The sorceress became very angry, but she couldn’t do anything. She gave a sign, and all flowers opened up at once. They rocked and threw their petals on the ground. The stems began to grow and in several minutes 77 hunters stood in front of Ula. All of them were blind. The owl gave an outcry again, and Ula crumpled the yellow sash with one fast clenching of his fist. Then he burned the sash and put the ashes in a wooden cup. The owl gave an outcry again, and the young man came up to his father and rubbed his eyes with the ash. His father began to see again. Ula did the same with all 77 hunters and all of them gained their sight back. They were very happy to be free. They thanked Ula for saving their lives and giving them back their healthy eyes.

But the next minute the owl-friend cried again. Ula understood that something was not finished yet. He looked at the girl. She was sitting on the grass, an unspeakable beauty in the yellow shining dress, and she was crying.

“Why do you cry? I see now you are not a malicious witch

but a normal girl. You are so beautiful that I have fallen in love with you,” said Ula. “Do you know what? Promise to be good and I will take you with us, and I’ll marry you. We’ll live together and I’ll be a good husband to you.”

The end of this fairy tale was happy. Ula, his father, and the girl returned home together. Ula’s mother met them with a big smile and a warm hospitality that only she could provide as a real mother. She liked the girl at first sight. There was a big, merry wedding, and all 77 hunters were invited with their families. They celebrated seven days and seven nights.

And from that time on hunters are not scared to go back

to the Valley of Flowers because now hundreds of red flowers grow there, blossom, and dance gracefully at sunrise. They murmur and share the peoples’ secrets with the wind, and

sing marvelous songs, known only to them alone.

272 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies

When I think about this old folk tale, I feel that it is surprisingly compatible with the real life we lead. Albert Einstein said, not by chance, that if we want our children to be brilliant, we should read them fairy tales. He said so from his observations and his own experience. We can trust his suggestion; he was a brilliant man and a genius scientist himself. Perhaps his mother read him a lot of fairy tales.

I believe we must find time in our busy lives to read to our children as much as we can—good children’s literature, kind and wise stories, folk tales and fairy tales. As all mothers do, I am sure if we “put” anything good in our children by planting fine “seeds” from the first day of their appearance on Earth, it will give great results in the future. Our children will lead healthy lives, and not “thorny paths,” and they will not get hurt easily, if they will choose good actions, and inspire the same in others.

Doesn’t the Valley of Flowers remind you too of our everyday life and the fascinating world around that we explore all the time? The place where we and our children share love, joy and appreciation for each other, and the great satisfaction of knowing we should continue our life journey with the best intentions we can?

Our life, our Valley of Flowers, is where millions of peoples’ destinies grow and blossom like flowers, dance gracefully at sunrise, and murmur with the wind. Some of these flowers and their neighbors—herbs, trees, fruits, and vegetables—can enhance our health and emotions. Respect them and take advantage of how they can help you and others.

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As Isis, So Is Mama… @ 273

274 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies

Nature’s Green Clinic:

Useful Herbs, Plants, Fruits

and Vegetables

Medicine is an art to imitate the healing power of nature.
Hippocrates (c.460-c.377 B.C.), Greek physician

and the “Father of Medicine.”

This chapter charts the healing power of our green friends, used in remedies in this book, and how they can be our lifesavers. They come from centuries of people’s wisdom and from flora of the earth—an endless treasure of natural healers. Even the most primitive tribes on Earth knew medicinal characteristics of herbs and how to use them. In search of food, human beings observed the faultless instincts of animals, saving themselves with green plants, and they began to recognize the medicinal properties of herbs.

Humans have long studied about how to find and use herbs. One of the important precepts of Hippocrates doctrine was based on the “the healing power of nature,” or in Latin,
vis mediatrix naturae.
Theophrastus, Greek philosopher and a student of Aristotle and Dioscorides (circa 372-287 B.C.), wrote
Medicinal Matters
, in which he prescribed the experiences of ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, and Babylonians and the use of 600 plants or herbs. His Nature’s Green Clinic: Useful Herbs, Plants, Fruits and Vegetables @ 275

book was translated into Latin with the name
Materia Medica
and served as a guide to doctors and pharmacists for 15 centuries. From that time, Latin names of herbs have become well known and used throughout European countries, Russia, and almost everywhere in the world. Names of herbs, trees, and other plants are given in English and Latin versions.

Chapter 1: Rose Hips Tea Party

Coffee (beans) –
Coffea arabica

Dandelion –
Taraxacum officinale

Rose hips –
Rosa canina

Dried grape (raisin) –
Vitis vinifera

Chapter 2:

Evening primrose oil –
Oenothera biennis

“Even the Badger Knows…”

Garden radish –
Raphanus sativis

Garlic –
Allium sativum

Almond –
Amygdalis dulcis

Grape, Grapeseed oil –
Vitis vinifera

Aloe –
Aloe vera

Grapeseed oil –
Vitis vinifera

Barley –
Hordeum vulgare

Lemon –
Citrus limon

Beet –
Beta vulgaris

Olive (oil) –
Olea europaea

Black radish –
Raphanus sativus

Plum –
Prunus domestica

Cabbage
– Brassica oleracea

Potato –
Solanum tuberosum

Carrot –
Daucus carota

Prune (dried plum) –
Prunus domestica

Garlic –
Allium sativum

Rose hips oil
–
Rosa canina

Ginger –
Zingiber officinale

Tomato –
Solanum lycopersicum

Olive (oil ) –
Olea europaea

Onion –
Allium cepa

Turnip –
Brassica rapa

Peat moss –
Sphagnum

Walnut –
Juglans regia

Pine. Stone Pine (nuts) –
Pinus pinea

Wheat germ oil –
Triticum durum

Pomegranate –
Punica granatum

Chapter 4: Stop Sneezes

Walnut –
Juglans regia

And Sniffles and Stifle a Cold

Chapter 3: A Healthy Spirit

Anise –
Pimpinella anisum

Lives in a Healthy Body

Apple –
Malus domestica

Almond, almond oil –
Amygdalis dulcis

Beet –
Beta vulgaris

Apple –
Malus domestica

Birch –
Betula alba

Apricot (dried, or apricot kernel oil)

Black currant –
Ribes nigrum

–Prunus armeniaca

Black elder, elderberry –
Sambucus nigra

Beet –
Beta vulgaris

Black elder, Siberian elder –
Sambucus

Black tea –
Camellia sinensis

nigra

Burdock –
Arctium lappa

Blackthorn –
Prunus spinosa

Cabbage –
Brassica oleracea

Bogbean –
Menyanthes trifoliata

Calendula –
Calendula officinalis

Buckthorn –
Rhamnus frangula

Chamomile –
Matricaria chamomilla/

Calendula –
Calendula officinalis

M. recutita

Carrot –
Daucus carota

276 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies

Centaury (an old World herb)

Vanilla (extract) –
Vanilla planifolia

–
Centaurium erythraea

White oak –
Quercus alba

Chamomile –
Matricaria chamimilla/

Wild marjoram –
Origanum vulgare

M. recutita

Willow –
Salix alba

Cherry –
Prunus cerasus

Wood betony –
Betonica officinalis

Coltsfoot –
Tussilago farfara

(in Europe used to treat about 30

Elecampane –
Unula helenium

diseases. W.b. is not commonly

English oak –
Quercus robur

used in the U.S.A.)

Fennel –
Foeniculum officinale

Feverfew –
Tanacetum parthenium

Chapter 5:

Garlic –
Allium sativum

A Sickness of the 21st Century

German golden locks –
Gnaphalium

Agrimony
–Agrimonia eupatoria

avenarium

Apple –
Malus domestica

Greater celandine –
Chelidonium majus

Apricot –
Prunus armeniaca

Hawthorn –
Crataegus monogyna/

Birch –
Betula verrucosa

C. laevigata

Black currant –
Ribes nigrum

Heartsease –
Viola tricolor

Black tea
–
Camelia sinensis

Lemon –
Citrus limon

Blueberry –
Vaccinium vitis idaea

Licorice –
Glycyrrhiza glabra

Burdock –
Arctium lappa

Linden –
Tilia europea

Cabbage –
Brassica oleracea

Lungwort –
Pulmonaria officinalis

Calendula (pot marigold) –
Calendula

Marsh cudweed –
Gnaphalium uliginosum

officinalis

Marshmallow –
Althaea officinalis

Carrot –
Daucus carota

Mint –
Mentha

Celery –
Apium graveolens

Mullein –
Verbascum thapsus

Chamomile –
Matricaria chamomilla/

Nettle (stinging) –
Urtica dionica

M.recutita

Oat straw –
Avena sativa

Cherry –
Prunus cerasus

Onion –
Allium cepa

Coffee –
Coffea arabica

Orange –
Citrus aurantium

Corn silk –
Zea mays

Peppermint –
Mentha piperita

Cranberry –
Vaccinium oxycoccus

Poppy –
Papaver rhoeas

Dandelion –
Taraxacum officinale

Potato –
Solanum tuberosum

Duckweed (aquatic plant) –
Lemna minor

Raspberry –
Rubus idaeus

Eyebright –
Euphrasia officinalis

Red bilberry –
Vaccinium myrtillis

Garlic –
Allium sativum

Rose hips –
Rosa canina

Gooseberry –
Ribes glossularia

Sage –
Salvia officinalis

Greater celandine –
Chelidonium majus

St. John’s Wort –
Hypericum perforatum

Heartsease –
Viola tricolor

Strawberry –
Fragaria vesca

Hops –
Humulus lupulus

Sunflower oil –
Helianthus annuus

Horsetail –
Equisetum arvense

Sweet brier, Eglantine
–Rosa rubiginosa

Jasmine –
Jasminum officinale

Tangerine –
Citrus reticulata

Lemon
–Citrus limon

Thyme –
Thymus

Motherwort –
Leonurus cardiaca

Nature’s Green Clinic: Useful Herbs, Plants, Fruits and Vegetables @ 277

Mountain Ash –
Sorbus

Pine –
Pinus sylvestris/ Pinus cembra

Nettle –
Urtica dionica

Quince –
Cydonia oblongata

Oak (bark) –
Quercus robur

Rose –
Rosa centifolia, Rosa damascena

Oat –
Avena sativa

Rose hip –
Rosa canina

Olive(oil) –
Olea europaea

Rye –
Secale cereale

Onion –
Allium cepa

Sage –
Salvia officinalis

Orange –
Citrus aurantium

Strawberry –
Fragaria vesca

Parsley –
Petroselinum crispum

Thyme –
Thymus vulgaris

Passionflower –
Passiflora incarnata

Wheat bran –
Triticum durum

Peony –
Paeonia officinalis

Wild marjoram –
Origanum vulgare

Peppermint –
Mentha piperita

Yarrow
– Achillea millefolium

Rose hips –
Rosa canina

Self-Heal
– Prunella vulgaris

Chapter 7: Clever Remedies

St. John’s Wort –
Hypericum perforatum

to Outsmart Headaches

Strawberry –
Fragaria vesca

Black currant –
Ribes nigrum

Valerian –
Valeriana officinalis

Black radish –
Raphanus sativus

Yarrow –
Achillea millefolium

Black tea –
Camellia sinensis

Chapter 6: Ourselves, Our Children,

Burdock –
Arctium lappa

Allergens, and Happy Cells

Cabbage –
Brassica oleracea

Calendula –
Calendula arvensis

Agrimony –
Agrimonia eupatoria