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Monday, May 18, 2009

Aging Gracefully with Herbs

I love herbs. Anyone who knows me will know that. Give me a stunning bouquet of flowers and I will stare at you and smile politely. Worse still, I once ran next door to give my just received bouquet to the old lady who almost fainted over the hugeness and colour of it. I knew it would make her happier than it made me.

But give me herbs and you will capture my heart - all of it.

I started mucking around with herbs from my mid-20s. It started with the humble garlic for diarrhoea and high cholesterol. There was nothing wrong with us then. It was a preventive measure. Later, as I grew in my walk with the Lord, I also grew in my faith in His pharmacopeia. Herbs became an integral part of our diet. Rosemary for digestive candidiasis. Thyme for sinus. Astragalus to increase white blood cell count. Dandelion to cleanse the blood. Gotu kola for cell regeneration and mental alertness. Echinacea and goldenseal for flu. Goldenseal for skin allergies. Milk thistle for a healthy liver. Feverfew for menstrual cramps. Lemon balm, indian borage... the list goes on.

And now we're older, The Husband and I. Age creeps into the eyes and I can't read without stretching the book away from my face. Age creeps into the joints and I feel some odd sensations when I go down the stairs. Age creeps through his hair as white slowly replaces black. We feel it. I still remember what it felt like to be 20. We're twice 20 and more.

Yet, many people get a shock when they see us. One and a half decade of herbs have borne results. The aging process cannot be stopped but it can be slowed. And so it has become that many mistake The Daughter for the sister. Truly I will tell you that there is nothing a human needs that God has not already provided in nature. And that includes everything we need to age gracefully and well.

2 comments:

Blur Ting said...

You're on the right path. You both look so youthful and radiant!

Petunia Lee said...

You look fresh and rosy yourself!!