4 minThis blog was written by Thirza from Krullen en Kruiden. Thirza loves being outdoors in nature and is a student of herbal medicine. She is a mother of three, a columnist, and on a mission to take people into nature and let them enjoy all the beauty it has to offer.
Part I – The power of herbs
In addition to all the rituals, which I will also share, I am an advocate of incorporating wild herbs into your life. It has so many benefits for your health, both physically and mentally.
Each herb has its own speciality to discover, and this time my blog is about lemon balm and valerian. These two herbs can support your state of mind when you are not feeling quite yourself.
When you experience too much stress, your nervous system becomes overstimulated, which can cause all kinds of discomfort. You can use these herbs for acute stress, but it is best to use them preventively.
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
Bees love the delicious flowers of this plant. In addition to its inviting scent, the herb also has a strong positive calming effect on your nervous system. It helps with stress, irritability, headaches, migraines, anxiety and high heart rate and blood pressure, among other things.
Lemon balm also has a pain-relieving effect, combats inflammation and kills bad bacteria. It protects the brain from intense external stimuli.
The plant spreads rapidly, so it is useful to give it a separate bed or plant/sow it in pots. Harvest the leaves before the plant flowers, but leave some flowers for our insect friends.
True Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
Valerian has a pungent smell that everyone recognises. The great thing about this herb is that it calms you down without affecting your ability to concentrate. The plant loves water and therefore grows well near ditches and rivers, where you will often find it.
The root of the valerian is the only part that is used medicinally, mainly from a two/three-year-old plant. The perfect time to harvest valerian roots is in the autumn. This is because all the powerful ingredients then retreat back into the roots, preparing for the autumn, the resting period.
As humans, we can use the flow of nature as an example: when the days get shorter and the temperature drops, we can also take a step back. This also helps me to limit my gloominess.
What also helps is using VitaminFit's Valerian and Lemon Balm Drops for extra support. Always check your vitamin D intake. In autumn, there is so little sun that it is important to get enough of it, because deficiencies can also cause gloominess.
Photo taken by Ouxu.
