Friday, January 20, 2006

The material presented in this blog is for informational use only and should in no way be used as a substitute for needed medical treatment. I am not a doctor, I do not diagnose or treat disease. If you need medical care, please consult the appropriate medical professional. And please discuss with your doctor if you are taking or planning to take any herbal preparations.

I talked briefly yesterday about what the word "herb" might mean. I want to expand on that today. Let's start with an "official" definition of the term: According to the dictionary, the word "herb" means a plant or plant part valued for its savory, aromatic or medicinal qualities.

As I mentioned earlier, I want to use an expanded definition. When I use the term, I will be referring to naturally occurring substances, with healthful benefits. While the great majority of my postings will be about substances of plant origin, I may occasionally discuss either animal or mineral substances.

In addition to using herbal remedies, I also use an assortment of herbs in the kitchen, to add flavor while cooking. A great many of the common kitchen spices are effective herbal remedies for an assortment of ailments.

I have compiled a short report about using kitchen spices instead of over the counter drugs to help relieve common minor ailments. If anyone is interested in a copy, send me your name and email address and your biggest question about using or preparing herbal remedies, and I will email you a copy free. (It's a report I prepared for a class I taught locally, and the people who attended the class received the report, but they had to pay $45.00 to attend. I am offering it free, if you will just let me know what your biggest question related to using herbal remedies might be. Feel free to ask more than one question; but remember, I cannot diagnose or offer medical advice.)

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