Grow Herbs, Feel Better
These five herbs may boost brain health, alleviate aches, even help
you sleep better—and they’re so easy to grow By HOLLY ST. LIFER
Lemon Balm
At the end of most days, 81-year-old botanist Jim Duke pours
himself a cocktail. Hardly a Scotch on the rocks, this healthy
concoction he’s aptly dubbed Crème d’Mentia is a blend of
herbs, steeped in diluted vodka, that are thought to boost relaxation, mood, memory, and overall brain health (see recipe at
right). “It lifts my spirits and lowers my anxiety,” says Duke, who
worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 30 years and
is the author of The Green Pharmacy book series.
Wild herbs were used as healing
remedies long before records were
kept—Ötzi, the 5,300-year-old Iceman
found in the Alps in 1991, had medicinal mushrooms among his personal
effects—and they’ve been an integral
part of Eastern medicine for centuries.
Today modern medicine is beginning
to realize that herbs may ease the
symptoms of many ailments, from the
common cold to arthritis, because they
contain important health-promoting
compounds such as antioxidants and
anti-inflammatories.
Growing your own herbs is easy and
fun, and the fresh leaves are more potent than dried ones. All you need are
Valerian
some pots, soil, and a sunny spot (see
“How to Get Started,” below). We’ve
collected five gentle but effective herbs
that are ideal for amateur gardeners—
they’re simple to grow and will thrive in
just about any environment. Better yet,
they have few side effects when consumed in small amounts, and you can
take them with most pharmaceutical
Rosemary
Plant your
herbs in a sunny
spot. During
the growing
season, cut them
back frequently
to encourage
growth. Keep
them moist.
If your local
nursery doesn’t
have these herbs,
find them at
horizonherbs.com
or richters.com.
How to
Get Started
Peppermint
Sage
