Have a Fun and Healing Christmas

Were it not for the holly and the ivy and the mistletoe and myrrh, there would not be a festive season without traditional plants. However, increasingly doctors think they could offer practical benefits year round.
There are natural benefits of our favourite Christmas plants. Cherokee Indians used to drink an infusion of spruce needles to keep scurvy at bay and the airways open.
Nutmeg and cinnamon are meant to be great cures for flu. However, beware mistletoe as it is considered to be poisonous to humans if consumed.
Holly is considered to be great for reducing cholesterol and staying awake. Holly tea is considered to be a great uplifter for moods and studies have linked it to appetite suppression and weight loss .
Details: Yerba maté tea, £3.95 for 50 tea bags (01942 418479, homeherbs.co.uk) Bach Original Flower remedy Holly (£5.99 from bachremedies.co.uk)
Ivy is considered to be good for treating coughs and wheezing. Details: Napiers Nettle Blend, £14.95 (0131 343 3292, napiers.net), a natural treatment containing nettle, camomile and ground ivy said to keep sneezing, winter catarrh, and runny eyes at bay.
Mistletoe is great for boosting the immune system . There are certain homeopathic clinics which integrate conventional and complementary medical approaches and use mistletoe to assist cancer patients cope with the side-effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy by strengthening the immune system.
Mistletoe contains viscotoxins which attack cancerous cells. In, various parts of northern Europe, like Germany as a complimentary treatment for cancer . Details: contact Park Attwood (01299 861444, parkattwood.org)
Moreover, gold is considered good for arthritis . Intramuscular injections consisting of a sodium-based gold preparation can lower joint inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, reducing swelling, pain and stiffness.
In addition, gold is used to treat other rheumatic diseases like psoriatic arthritis. Research is also being undertaken into the use of gold therapy in auto-immune diseases like multiple sclerosis. Arthritis Research Campaign (arc.org.uk)