Western Morning News (Saturday)
SPOTLIGHT ON...
OVERINDULGENCE is a big preoccupation over Christmas.
Some folk turn to the medicine cabinet for a little assistance but there’s a natural alternative you might try if you are a gardener who appreciates the healing power of plants – herbal remedies. We’ve been using them for centuries.
After medieval feasts, where too much rich food and alcohol were consumed, the people of ‘merrie England’ used aromatic infusions of digestive herbs.
Mint is one of the best known for this use and it tastes quite pleasant – it can be drunk hot or cold as plain mint tea, or it can be infused in homemade lemonade, which gives it a very fresh quality.
Chamomile tea is also said to be good for stopping heartburn, though it’s more often taken just before bedtime for its sleep-inducing properties.
Dandelion tea is said to be good for headaches, and hops infused in boiling water are claimed to be better still for hangovers. You can sometimes find sachets of herbs blended specially as hangover remedies.