Herb awareness week begins to showcase health benefits

Local herbalist Helen Loe is speaking at the Herbal Harvest.

Herb Awareness Week starts on Monday and the Tauranga Herb Society is holding its own event to mark the occasion.

Secretary Robin Grierson, who is a naturopath and herbalist, says it's holding A Herbal Harvest meeting on Thursday March 8 which the public are welcome to join.

Local herbalist Helen Loe and others will discuss harvesting, drying and processing herbs.
They would also demonstrate making herb vinegar and Bouquet Garni, she says.

She says that everyday garden herbs could be a preventative and curative of many human ills.

"Herbs have undergone the longest trial of any medicine as they have been used for their health-giving properties now for approximately 3000 years."

Ordinary culinary herbs like parsley, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme aid digestion and were a highly nutritive, anti-oxidative, anti-biotic and immune-stimulating.

"A handful of parsley a day can guard the thyroid from damage due to chemical toxins in our food and water. It has more vitamin C than oranges and can stop anaemia.

"These herbs were so essential to the lives of our ancestors who came to settle in New Zealand, that the seeds and cuttings were brought in hand luggage.

Because there was no refrigeration, these garden herbs kept the meat etc longer, as well as making the food taste better." Tauranga Herb Society has been meeting for about 37 years.

HERBAL HARVEST
¦ March 8 at 7pm at the Wesley Centre, 13th Ave
¦ Free for members, non-members $3.
¦ Local herbalist Helen Loe is one of the speakers.