Stressed Out Elixir

Suggested dosage:  1/2 teaspoon 3 x/day or one dropperful 3 x/day

Ingredients: Oats, chamomile, linden leaf and flower, wood betony, lemon balm, lavender, skullcap, and valerian root in an elderberry and glycerine base.

OATS:  Oats are among the best of the nerve tonic herbs and are a superior cardiac tonic.  Those who are overworked, stressed, or anxious or have irritated and inflamed nerve endings, should make oats a regular part of their diet.  Oats provide energy by increasing overall health and vitality,  Oats are frequently used for nervous system disorders, depression, and anxiety, low sexual vitality, irritability, and urinary incontinence.  The plant helps soothe irritation from nicotine and other chemical withdrawals, and are one of the principal herbal aids used for convalescing after a long illness.  Oat tops are exceptionally rich in silica, calcium and chromium and are one of the highest sources of magnesium.  The stalks of the oats, though not as rich in minerals as the milky green tops, are also medicinal.

CHAMOMILE:   

• 1. Treats Cuts and Wounds – Chamomile tea was used by the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians as a salve for wounds to expedite healing. In a recent study, rats given chamomile flavored water healed faster than those who were not given the elixir. It worked especially well for burn wounds. This is because Matricaria chamomilla has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant effects.

• 2. Helps with Diabetes – Some research has shown that chamomile can help those suffering from diabetes. It also helps with hyperglycemia.

• 3. Antibacterial – The antibacterial effects of drinking chamomile tea can help to prevent and treat colds while protecting against bacterial-related illness and infection.

• 4. Calms Muscle Spasms – One study from England found that drinking chamomile tea raised urine levels of glycine, a compound that calms muscle spasms. Researchers believe this is why chamomile tea could prove to be an effective home remedy for menstrual cramps as well.

• 5. Soothes Stomach Ache – Further adding onto chamomile benefits, the herb is a wonderful for soothing an upset stomach. Helping to soothe and relaxe the muscles and lining of the intestines, chamomile can help with poor digestion and even those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

• 6. Promotes Sleep – Drinking chamomile tea soothes the nervous system so that you can sleep better. It has been used as a solution for insomnia for centuries.

• 7. Natural Hemorrhoid Treatment – Chamomile ointment can help to relieve hemorrhoids.

• 8. Fights Cancer – It’s very likely that chamomile tea can help reduce cancerous cells, although research is still ongoing to see exactly how chamomile reverses abnormal cellular growth.

• 9. Promotes Healthy Skin – With it’s anti-inflammatory and anti-septic properties, chamomile helps in clearing up skin irritations such as eczema, acne, and allergies.

LINDEN LEAF:  These days I most often hear people speak of Linden as a remedy for the heart, especially for hypertension. One way to understand how this works is by thinking of it as a relaxing nervine. Linden relaxes tense musculature, bringing relief and calmness. We know how it feels to walk around with our shoulders tense to our ears, jumpy and on edge. That alone can raise blood pressure! Perhaps because it is a relaxing nervine, or maybe because of more specific actions, linden is also a vasodilator, something that dilates blood vessels. This in itself can lower blood pressure. 
 
An herb for the nervous system...
As a relaxing nervine it soothes and calms the nervous system. It can be specific for anxiety that is accompanied by tension: tense shoulders, muscle cramping, tension headaches, painful menstrual cramps, etc. Also think of it for difficulty sleeping due to excessive tension.

WOOD BETONY:
 
LEMON BALM:  Lemon balm is used for digestive problems, including upset stomach, bloating, intestinal gas (flatulence), vomiting, and colic; for pain, including menstrual cramps,headache and toothache; and for mental disorders, including hysteria and melancholia.

Many people believe lemon balm has calming effects so they take it for anxiety, sleep problems, and restlessness. Lemon balm is also used for Alzheimer's disease, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), an autoimmune disease involving thethyroid (Graves' disease), swollen airways, rapid heartbeat due to nervousness, high blood pressure, sores, tumors, and insect bites.
 
LAVENDER:  Lavender is used for restlessness, insomnia, nervousness, and depression. It is also used for a variety of digestive complaints including meteorism (abdominal swelling from gas in the intestinal or peritoneal cavity), loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea, intestinal gas (flatulence), and upset stomach. Some people use lavender for painful conditions including migraine headaches,toothaches, sprains, nerve pain, sores, and joint pain. It is also used for acne and cancer, and to promote menstruation.
 
SKULLCAP: Skullcap is used for trouble sleeping (insomnia), anxiety, stroke, and paralysis caused by stroke. It is also used for fever, high cholesterol, “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis), rabies, epilepsy, nervous tension, allergies, skin infections, inflammation, and spasms. 
 
VALERIAN ROOT:  Valerian is used across the world for the sedating and soothing medicinal qualities that it provides, especially for the nerves. People are not the only beneficiaries of Valerians properties, animals are recipients too. It is not unusual to see a cat instantly attracted to any Valerian plant with bruised leaves or stems. Their reaction is similar to the way they act when they encounter catnip. It is known that many of the historic apothecaries judged the quality of the Valerian they used by the way a cat reacted to it. Many have experienced success in catching rats with a Valerian laced trap. These vermin are enticed by the Valerian plant. It has even been suggested that the rat charmer, the Pied Piper scented his body with the herb.
 
Gardener’s may find that soil containing Valerian will contain greater amounts of earthworms. The herb will increase phosphorus levels and help to provide the soil with additional minerals. The presence of Valerian in a garden may keep animals away from other well loved plants because of their appeal to the strong smelling herb.
 
Valerian has long been cultivated across the world for the sedating medicinal qualities that it provides. French pharmacists maintained an inventory of herbs that was as impressive as the amount of drugs that were stocked. Phamaceutical companies in the mid-Nineteenth century found their drugs produced a higher quality of results when they added Valerian as an ingredient. Native Americans were known to use chewed Valerian in their ears to provide relief from earaches.
 
Despite the popularity of allopathic medicine in the early twentieth century, Valerian was still being sought after by many in the medical community in America. Herbal use was even accepted for treating soldiers in World War I. Europeans continued to use the herb during Word War II to help ease the stress of the active air raids that their country was experiencing. Valerian was accepted in the United States medical field for over a hundred years in the U.S. Pharmopoeia until 1942. It was also published in the National Formulary through the mid-twentieth century.