The Green Village Articles for the ‘Health and Wellbeing’ Category

Tea Tree – The Essential Oil

Most people have heard of tea tree and know it to be beneficial, however most people would associate it with skin products for drying up spots or chemist bought products for treating headlice. The uses for tea tree however are far ranging, and although most are due to it’s antibacterial action, because of it’s suitability for a range of applications, keeping a bottle of the oil in your medicine cupboard is well worth it.

This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide to the applications of tea tree oil, and in many cases, tea tree can be an effective alternative to many chemically produced products on the market. In addition, what could be better than one ‘cure all’ product to cover many things instead of paying out 4 or 5 times as much money for 4 or 5 different products that you many only use once, then they sit on the shelf, often not used again before their use by date. So even before we look at the many uses for this wonderful essential oil, there is already an argument that alternative remedies can be more cost effective!

As mentioned at the start of the article, one of the most well known uses for tea tree oil is as an astringent for drying up spots. Tea tree can easily be found in small glass bottles with a dropper top which makes it really easy to add to cotton wool or cotton buds for application to the necessary area. A couple of drops of neat oil on a cotton bud can be dabbed onto the surface of a spot, and the surrounding area, to help dry out the grease build up on the skin. You will often see results in a couple of days, maybe less if applied twice or three times throughout the day, and the overall time taken to heal is reduced too. (more…)

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Echinacea – The Nearest Thing to a Cure for the Common Cold

For years people have dreamt of a cure for the common cold. So you can go and get your flu jab and fill yourself with Lemsip and Beechams once the inevitable winter cold bites, but why fill your body with chemicals when there’s a fantastic herbal remedy out there that can solve the problem for you?

Echinacea is growing in popularity, and is even being added to smoothies at some juice and smoothie bars as part of immune system boosting drinks. The reason why it’s become so popular is because it works!

Most people know that the best defence is a good offence, and this can be true with echinaea. A lot of people get more colds round this time of year because they get more run down with all the running around and making preparations for Christmas time they’re doing, so when the cold and flu bugs are at their best, your immune system becomes less effective giving the viruses the upper hand from the offset. Taking a low daily dose of echinacea throughout the winter therefore boosts your immune system to help your body fight off their advances before they get chance to cause you misery.

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Take a moment to consider…

In a world where everyone is so busy and nobody has time to stop and think, never mind to think about themselves, we have many questions we should be asking ourselves. Why do we just keep going as if all that matters is accumulation and driving the consumer way of life currently existing in Britain? When are we going to stop and take stock? Think about what we are doing to ourselves and the planet? And not just pay it lip service… actually stop and think seriously… take the time to consider fully what impact is being had on our bodies, our minds, our homes, our lives and the world we live in. Let’s face it, if we leave it too long, it will be too late.

Some might say it’s already too late. In some respects, it is too late. Too late for the years that have passed where no action has been taken. Too late to stop many thousands of tonnes of rubbish and refuse being dumped onto the soil from which we live. Too late to stop the existence of the hole in the ozone layer.

Maybe we can’t stop planes taking off and the motorways pumping goods vehicles round the body of the planet, but we can change ourselves, and one thing at a time, no matter how big or small, we can all make a difference. And let’s face it, in the main, the real reason why most people do things is to be selfish. So start by being selfish if that’s what motivates you! Everybody is different, an individual who’s individual thoughts and opinions matter. Therefore who has the right to claim the moral ground and tell everybody else that they are committing sins against the earth for this and crimes against humanity for that? Nobody. (more…)

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Alternative Products for your Medicine Cupboard

With ever increasing numbers of people switching to a more healthy way of living, and not just where their food is concerned, it only seems natural that the public interest in alternative therapies and medicine is seeing an influx of interest.

From reflexology to homeopathy, there are a wide range of professional practitioners available to help you, whatever your ailment. If however, you just want to keep your general health in check, or top your medicine cupboard up with a few herbal alternatives, most health food shops will not only be able to provide the products but also offer helpful, friendly advice on what to buy to suit your requirements.

If you have decided to make the switch to herbal and plant based remedies instead of chemical alternatives, you may like to try the following selection of widely used remedies for the common ailments and complaints listed below. (more…)

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