Chapter List

• Why Use Herbs
• Healing Not Just Relieving
• Natures Therapy
• Sidestepping Side Effects
• Back to the Future
• Environmental and Ethical Concerns
• Herbal Preparations
• Preparations for Internal Use
• Preparations for External Use
• Homemade Medicinal and Cosmetic Herbal Products
• Choosing the Best Herbal Products
• The Brain and the Central Nervous System
• Addiction
• Depression
• Headaches
• Insomnia
• Memory
• Pain Inflammation
• Pain Nerve and Muscle
• Stress
• The Heart and the Circulatory System
• Angina and Irregular Heartbeat
• Arteriosclerosis
• Blood Pressure
• Varicose Veins and Hemorrhoids
• The Digestive System
• Appetite Loss
• Bowel Diseases
• Candida
• Adult Constipation
• Adult Diarrhea
• Diverticulitis
• Food Allergies and Reactions
• Heartburn
• Gas
• Indigestion
• Nausea and Motion Sickness
• Parasites and Other Alien Invaders
• Ulcers
• The Immune System
• Boosting Immunity
• Cancer
• Chronic Fatigue Multiple Sclerosis and Other Serious Diseases
• The Liver and the Gallbladder
• Liver Diseases
• Gallbladder Problems
• The Urinary Tract the Kidneys and the Bladder
• Bladder Infections
• Kidney Stones
• Water Retention
• The Skin
• Psoriasis Eczema And Other Skin Diseases
• Herbs For Healing The Skin
• Sending Parasites Scurrying
• Womens Health
• The Estrogen Story
• The Progesterone Story
• Anemia
• Cervical Dysplasia
• Endometriosis
• Fibrocystic Breasts
• Heavy Periods
• Womens Infertility
• Irregular Menstruation
• Menopause
• Menstrual Cramps
• Ovarian Cysts
• Pregnancy
• Premenstrual Syndrome(pms)
• Uterine Fibroids
• Vaginal Infections
• Mens Health
• Baldness
• Genital Rash Infections and Irritations
• Impotence
• Mens Infertility
• Male Menopause
• Prostate Enlargement
• Swollen Testicles
• Childrens Health
• Asthma
• Baby Skin Care and Diaper Rash
• Bedwetting
• Childhood Diseases
• Childrens Colds and Flu
• Childrens Constipation
• Childrens Diarrhea
• Earaches
• Fever
• Food Allergies
• Hyperactivity
• Intestinal Parasites
• Sore Throat Congestion and Swollen Glands
• Stomachache Colic and Nausea
• Stress Headaches and Insomnia
• Sugar Blues
• Teething Pain
• Thrush
• Herbs to the Rescue Herbal First Aid
• Stocking Your Herbal First Aid Kit
• Cautions and Considerations
• Safe in Moderation
• Rare Reactions in Sensitive Individuals
• The New Herbal Outcasts
• Some Old Cautions
• Using Herbs and Essential Oils Safely
• Mistaken Identity
• Not Guilty
• Protecting Yourself from Contamination
• Endangered Herbs
• Aromatherapy Healing the Emotions
• Aromatic Research
• Using Aromatherapy
• Aromatherapy Techniques
• Aromatherapy for the Emotions
• Measurements
• Skin and Hair Care
• Body Care the Natural Way
• Back to the Basics
• How to Customize Your Skin and Hair Care
• The Face
• The Body
• The Hair
• Body Care Extras
• Cooking for Health
• The Basics Soup
• Oils and Vinegars
• Spice of Life Seasoning Blends
• Middle Eastern Cuisine Garlic and Parsley
• Pestos Basil and Sage
• Greens Dandelion and Nasturtium
• Hot Stuff Mustard Horseradish and Peppers
• Saucy Dishes Cranberry Elderberry and Tamarind
• Down to the Roots Burdock and Chicory
• Sweet Treats Ginger and Horehound Drops

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Using Aromatherapy

As mysterious at it might seem, aromatherapy is easy to use. It is also highly individual, built on the concept of finding the fragrances that are appropriate to each person's emotional needs. The simplest way to determine the best healing fragrance for you is to determine which scents you find most appealing. After all, aromatherapy should be enjoyable. The best way to find the scents that are right for you is to try different scents one by one. If you don't like a particular scent, pass it up and go to one that you find more attractive.

Most people prefer familiar fragrances. If a particular odor has a negative or positive association, it may evoke the same emotion the next time you smell it. When students participating in a study at the Olfaction Research Group at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, were told that they performed poorly after taking a test in a scented room, they became depressed every time they smelled that odor. Students told that they were successful had the opposite reaction: Their self-confidence was boosted whenever they sniffed that aroma.

I know of children who have disliked the smell of strawberries ever since they experienced strawberry-scented masks to help relax them during surgery. Many of us have known people we found romantically attractive, except for something vaguely unsettling. Then you realize that the person's cologne or perfume is the same one that was worn by someone who broke your heart years before.

I once observed a similar phenomenon while giving an aromatherapy lecture. As a sample of lavender was passed around, each student who inhaled its fragrance relaxed and smiled, until it reached one man who immediately stiffened up with the most painful look on his face. When I asked if he had any past association with lavender, he remembered that it was used in his hometown funeral home. Many people he had been close to had died when he was a child, and the scent of lavender produced a flood of painful feelings. I am sure that no matter how much he learns about the positive qualities of lavender, that man will never be able to truly enjoy its fragrance.

Many times I am asked if a person can overcome his or her dislike for a particular fragrance. It is not easy, but you can try to recondition yourself—providing your original negative experience with that scent was not too dramatic. When you are in an enjoyable place and mood, sniff a faint amount of the problematic scent combined with another scent that you do like. After trying this a few times, you may find yourself experiencing the once-disliked fragrance more pleasantly.