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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Get a 'woman piaba' bath to relieve stress</SPAN>
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Thursday, December 21, 2006
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<P class=StoryText align=justify>Christmas - a time to reflect on the year past and enjoy the fruits of your labour in food, drink and merriment - is also a very stressful time, particularly for women who are usually busy with the preparations.
<P class=StoryText align=justify>It is with this in mind that I am looking this week at a herb just for the females. It is helpful for menstrual cramps, and, when combined with other plants, makes a refreshing herbal bath to soothe the body and relieve stress.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Woman Piaba (hyptis brevipes), made popular in a song by Harry Belafonte, is a mint-like herb of African descent, which makes a good tea for colds, fever, headache and gout. It is also a potent medicine when the juice from the leaves is squeezed on a fresh wound.
The plant is a favourite of health-conscious visitors to the island who like the dried leaves as incense. Its strong aroma is even thought to be good for warding off evil spirits, and is often used by Jamaican revivalists in their worship.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Aside from being notably good for female discomfort, I particularly like to use the plant in a herbal bath. In fact, some years ago I was interviewed by Vogue Magazine about piaba after their travel writers were pampered with a preparation of the herb at a famous hotel and spa in the Negril resort area.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Herbal Bath
Use a combination
. woman piaba;
. comfrey;
. cuss-cuss root; and
. blue vervain<P class=StoryText align=justify>Preparation
1. mix herbs together;
2. add salt physic or baking soda;
3. place herbs in your bath or use a large wash tub;
4. seep the herbs in hot water (leave in until the water cools to body temperature); and
5. submerge self in water (just relax and let the herbs work).
This is also good for easing skin lesions and relieving the skin of impurities.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Buckston Harrison is well known for his work as a herbalist, especially in western Jamaica. He resides in Sheffield, Westmoreland.
Being a Rastafarian, I do not subscribe to Christmas. But the season, which brings us many of our blessed foods, is one that I look forward to.
Around this time of the year, things like gungo peas, bannabis (a very nutritious bean that grows in the country), ginger and sorrel are a few that come to mind.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Just the other day, somebody told me that they grew up very poor and as such was fed many times on just bannabis and rice, or bannabis soup.<P class=StoryText align=justify>I told them that, in fact, they were very rich and that foods like these is very nutritious and that they were really not missing out on anything.
This is the kind of food that I hope people will get back to - especially at this time of year when many of these peas and beans are in season - because under the right conditions, there really is no need for flesh.<P class=StoryText align=justify>As a brethren of mine would say "man eating flesh only gives him enough strength to do wickedness", not necessarily to live. Why not try to cook a meal of rice and peas and have just that? Include the peas that are in season - for example gungo, red peas, bannabis and any other you may have. Add your favourite herbs and seasonings, and cook down with coconut milk. This should prove highly nutritious indeed.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Seasoned rice with peas
Ingredients:
. 1-2 lbs of brown rice (you may also mix white rice with bulgar)
. red peas, gungo peas, cow peas (any other kind of bean that is in season);
. annotto seeds (to give the rice a vibrant colour);
. escallion, thyme, onion, celery, pepper (other herbs and spices
to taste);
.
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>
Thursday, December 21, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>Christmas - a time to reflect on the year past and enjoy the fruits of your labour in food, drink and merriment - is also a very stressful time, particularly for women who are usually busy with the preparations.
<P class=StoryText align=justify>It is with this in mind that I am looking this week at a herb just for the females. It is helpful for menstrual cramps, and, when combined with other plants, makes a refreshing herbal bath to soothe the body and relieve stress.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Woman Piaba (hyptis brevipes), made popular in a song by Harry Belafonte, is a mint-like herb of African descent, which makes a good tea for colds, fever, headache and gout. It is also a potent medicine when the juice from the leaves is squeezed on a fresh wound.
The plant is a favourite of health-conscious visitors to the island who like the dried leaves as incense. Its strong aroma is even thought to be good for warding off evil spirits, and is often used by Jamaican revivalists in their worship.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Aside from being notably good for female discomfort, I particularly like to use the plant in a herbal bath. In fact, some years ago I was interviewed by Vogue Magazine about piaba after their travel writers were pampered with a preparation of the herb at a famous hotel and spa in the Negril resort area.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Herbal Bath
Use a combination
. woman piaba;
. comfrey;
. cuss-cuss root; and
. blue vervain<P class=StoryText align=justify>Preparation
1. mix herbs together;
2. add salt physic or baking soda;
3. place herbs in your bath or use a large wash tub;
4. seep the herbs in hot water (leave in until the water cools to body temperature); and
5. submerge self in water (just relax and let the herbs work).
This is also good for easing skin lesions and relieving the skin of impurities.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Buckston Harrison is well known for his work as a herbalist, especially in western Jamaica. He resides in Sheffield, Westmoreland.
Being a Rastafarian, I do not subscribe to Christmas. But the season, which brings us many of our blessed foods, is one that I look forward to.
Around this time of the year, things like gungo peas, bannabis (a very nutritious bean that grows in the country), ginger and sorrel are a few that come to mind.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Just the other day, somebody told me that they grew up very poor and as such was fed many times on just bannabis and rice, or bannabis soup.<P class=StoryText align=justify>I told them that, in fact, they were very rich and that foods like these is very nutritious and that they were really not missing out on anything.
This is the kind of food that I hope people will get back to - especially at this time of year when many of these peas and beans are in season - because under the right conditions, there really is no need for flesh.<P class=StoryText align=justify>As a brethren of mine would say "man eating flesh only gives him enough strength to do wickedness", not necessarily to live. Why not try to cook a meal of rice and peas and have just that? Include the peas that are in season - for example gungo, red peas, bannabis and any other you may have. Add your favourite herbs and seasonings, and cook down with coconut milk. This should prove highly nutritious indeed.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Seasoned rice with peas
Ingredients:
. 1-2 lbs of brown rice (you may also mix white rice with bulgar)
. red peas, gungo peas, cow peas (any other kind of bean that is in season);
. annotto seeds (to give the rice a vibrant colour);
. escallion, thyme, onion, celery, pepper (other herbs and spices
to taste);
.