Keep Healthy Naturally With Plants

If you are worried due to all the noise on TV and piped over sound systems in stores, don’t worry; you can take simple action now to sidestep all the fear.

Using plants to stay healthy is tried and true, tested and proven over millennia of human civilization.  Most pharmaceutical drugs were derived from the plants that miraculously grew the medicine within their branching architectures.  For-profit corporate interests focus on making money, and so if shouldn’t surprise us that a return to the source – Nature – is powerful and inexpensive.

Boost Your Immune System Naturally

These are my top 3 recommendations for your yard or garden.  You can pick these up at most garden centers or nurseries.  Don’t be afraid to order online if a plant isn’t available at the time that you shop.  Growers are experienced in packing live plants to arrive in great shape and often include easy-to-follow care instructions to help you transition your plants from box to ground.

  • Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) – by now, if you’re health conscious, you have likely heard of this plant by its common name (in brackets).  But did you know that you can grow it in your garden?  If you live in zones 8-12 (USDA), try this plant in your yard.  Then, when you feel stressed out, you can walk outside and pick a leaf.  Much more fun – and soothing – than popping a pill!
  • Passiflora incarnata (Maypop) – neglected on the peripheries of many Southern California yards, this exotic flowering vine offers us a delicious, fragrant fruit.  A little love (and water) do wonders to encourage it to produce for you.  Hardy in zones 6-10, try covering a chain link fence or trellis with its loveliness.  The medicinal properties include anxiety-reduction and sleep-enhancement.  The leaves, stems, and flowers are all edible.
  • Astragalus propinquus (Astragalus) – this amazing plant offers long-term immune support, and I have used it in the past with excellent results.  Many people I have shared it with didn’t know about it, and so I’m including it in this list to help further spread the word.  Use the root of the plant to make stew and soup stock or add the ground powder to capsules.  This herb’s adaptogenic qualities keep your immune system optimally functioning, and you can safely take it over long periods, which isn’t recommended for plants like Echinacea, which are much more well-known.  Grow this in your garden if you live in zones 5-9.

 

image: top 3 immunity boosting plantsIf you invest in Nature, she’ll usually bring you a better ROI (return on investment) than expensive pills.  Of course, if you need medical care, go to the doctor.  But also, grow these plants!