Herbal Remedies

For some of us, the term herbal remedies is a sort of mystery. For there are, and will always be, terms like this that float around in the ether of our culture, utilized by seemingly everyone around us, that we, shamefully and secretly, don't fully understand. Scared to seem uninformed or out of the loop, we hold back questions into the nature of the phrase, hoping against hope that the meaning and significance of the phrase will somehow fall from out of the heavens into our laps. Often, this fear of embarrassment has to do with the apparent simplicity of the thing in question, and the ease and naturalness with which everyone else says it. These days, we most often encounter this sort of anxiety as it relates to the rapidly shifting technological landscape around us.

In the case of herbal remedies, however, the fear of missing out has less to do with technology and more to do with what some people perceive as a "subculture." From the outside, the "naturalistic" and "homeopathic" lifestyle can be intimidating, especially for people who have lived their lives eating poorly and consuming whatever pills their doctor prescribes. Breaking out from this cycle of chemicals and synthetics can be a frightening prospect.

But the reality of herbal remedies is that they are about as far from frightening as you can imagine. Unlike chemical pharmaceuticals, herbal remedies capitalize on the natural healing and restorative powers of selected plants. The oils, tinctures, salves, and supplements that come from the plants represent a promising and clinically verified alternative to over-the-counter pills. And, as our culture learns to accept herbal remedies as a viable option, more and more ailments are added to the list of ailments which they treat.