Using herbs is an easy way to promote calm

Coupled with a healthy diet and lifestyle herbs can be a valuable addition to your daily life.

By replacing your cups of tea and coffee with herb teas you are providing your body with the nutritive and medicinal properties present in your herb of choice

There is the added benefit of being able to grow your own herbs in your garden.

To make your herb teas use a plunger or a teapot. If you possess neither of these a saucepan and lid can be used.

Generally one teaspoon of a dried herb, two of the fresh herb is enough for one cup of tea

I suggest that if you are a newcomer to herbal teas begin with a weak infusion and honey can be added as a sweetener

You may be surprised how your preference for regular tea or coffee will decline once you discover your favorite herbal teas

I have chosen two of my favorite calmative herbs

I find that they help soothe and nourish and are quite pleasant tasting

Both lemon balm and chamomile grow easily in my garden each year and I am able to harvest and store them for future use in the winter months

Chamomile

Chamomile is an age-old herb that has been used for generations in Europe and is now regaining its popularity

A cup or two of chamomile tea in the evenings can help to promote restful sleep in both children and adults

It has been a common treatment for conditions such as pain, indigestion, bloating, infantile colic, acid stomach, peptic ulcer, and irritable bowel disease

Often these conditions can be related to a distressed nervous system

Chamomile contains a volatile oil that is both relaxing and pain relieving for tense muscles and for period pain

A strong infusion of the tea can be added to your bath water for the relief of conditions such as nappy rash, itchy skin and eczema

Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm is a fragrant perennial herb that has a strong lemony scent

It makes a pleasant tasting tea and is a refreshing and uplifting treat for your sense of smell

When you make your tea be sure to cover it as it is brewing so that you do not lose any of the volatile oils contained in this herb

These volatile oils can help soothe the central nervous system and also act as an anti-spasmodic, making it a good tea for nervousness and anxiety in children and adults

In our hectic, modern lifestyles lemon balm is a herb that can help your nervous system cope more effectively with the stresses and strains that occur in our daily life

Traditionally lemon balm was considered the herb of the heart and has been used in the past for the treatment of palpitations and to help relax the cardio-vascular system

Herbalists use lemon balm as a mild sedative, which can help with feelings of anxiety

Unlike a pharmaceutical drug its effects may not be so evident from just one cup of tea

But by replacing your daily cups of tea and coffee with lemon balm tea, you would soon begin to notice the soothing effect this herb had on your body rather than the stimulating effects of caffeine drinks

Having these herbs at your fingertips assures you of their quality

When you pick them yourself you are practicing self help