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Catnip My Hero
Years ago women regularly grew medicinal herb gardens to give them the medicines they needed to care for themselves, their families and people in their
community. Having stood the test of time, these simple yet powerful herbs are making a strong come back in back yards all across the country.
Plants in the mint family were some of the easiest to grow and more importantly, had a plethora of uses. There are many varieties of mints today. Perhaps the oldest and most popular one is the Catnip. Latin name Nepeta cataria, is undoubtedly best recognized as an intoxicating herb that cats find irresistible.
Catnip makes a pleasant tasting tea that is loaded with totally absorbable vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. One of the most well known uses is an infusion of Catnip to help induce a restful night’s sleep. To make your Catnip Nightcap, put 1 heaping teaspoon full of dried catnip (or 1-2 tablespoons full fresh catnip) in a cup. Fill with boiling water and cover tightly. Steep 20-30 minutes, strain (add honey or stevia if you like a sweeter tea) and drink before bed – sweet dreams! Note: Catnip is believed to help prevent nightmares too.
Catnip is a mild antibacterial, the leaves being chewed to help the pain of toothache or headache. Catnip helps stomach aches by calming the nerves; the tea is also helpful for stress, anxiety, tension and nervousness.
Externally, the macerated plant (called a poultice) is used directly on the skin for pain, sprains, bruises and insect bites to slow bleeding & speed healing or as a liniment to ease the pain of arthritis. A thick salve either applied directly or made into suppositories is very useful for hemorrhoids.
Make a strong infusion for use as a hair rinse for scalp irritations; as eyewash for inflammation, allergies and bloodshot eyes or as an enema to cleanse the bowel.
Women sing catnip’s praise for its antispasmodic properties in calming menstrual cramping and it’s soothing and calming properties for PMS, anxiety, stress & tension. It is also used to regulate periods, and for delayed or suppressed menstruation. What else could a girl want?
With its myriad of uses in childhood imbalances, mom will never want to be without catnip. Catnip will help calm a child when they are teething, colicky or restlessness. When given for colds and fevers, it helps the child get the rest that they need. A catnip enema has brought down a stubborn fever when nothing else worked. It is a gentle calmative for hyperactive children and a good digestive for an upset tummy. When your child is over excited or sick, making a catnip bath is often a mother’s hero. To make: bring a big pot of water to a boil. Take off the heat and add a couple big handfuls of catnip to the pot. Cover tightly and let steep 45 minutes or longer. Strain off into bathtub and adjust water temperature before placing child in bath. This is a great bath for a stressed out mommy too so you may both want to get in that catnip tub together! Catnip baths are a specific for the hyperactive child.
For respiratory infections, drinking hot catnip tea increases perspiration and effectively brings down fevers, and acts as a decongestant. At first sign of a cold or flu, begin drinking hot catnip tea frequently (2-4 cups throughout the day). It is also helpful in bronchitis and asthma, sore throats, coughs & sinusitis as well as eruptive infections such as chicken-pox and measles.
Iowa State University have proven that nepetalactone (the oil that gives catnip its smell) can be a more effective bug repellent than DEET by a factor of one hundred. Especially because DEET has been known to cause toxic reactions to some of its users, catnip—a less harmful product by far—may be the next wave of bug repellent (http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa103001a.htm)
Catnip is an extremely safe herb, and there are no listed warnings or contraindications.
Kathleen Gould, Herbalist RH (AHG)
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