Here is a quick list of herbal remedies for your daily needs. The list is compiled from Adi Yogi Ayurveda Instagram posts.

Raspberry leaf is also called the midwife’s best friend. A cup of tea a day can help towards toning and rejuvenating the female reproductive system. It is very gentle with no contraindications. It is also recommended for women in their first trimester of pregnancy to avoid miscarriages due to its astringent properties.

The food that we eat, especially chicken, carry harmful hormones that are detrimental to women causing them to have issues with the menstruation cycle. Raspberry leaf as a herb can help regulate and ease the discomforts with the daily intake of 1 teaspoon of dried leaves with a cup of hot water.

Fenugreek seeds are a little bitter but but does wonders on the body. Fenugreek is another spice that is widely used in cooking as well as in medicine. Why not make food your medicine? Plant based medicine assimilates with the body faster and safer than synthetic drugs. Make a tea out of fenugreek seeds or chew a few seeds and ease the cramps. It’s healthy, beneficial and most of all soothing without side effects.

Asiatica centella or Gotu Kola is a native herb to South East Asia. The name is derived from the Sri Lankan language Sinhala. This herb is widely used in salads as well as in Ayurveda medicine due to the high benefits brought upon to the head area especially for the brain, nervous system and eyes.

This also helps with dementia as it improves memory. When experiencing high stress and anxiety, Gotu Kola helps to feel relaxed and balanced. The fight or flight response is heightened when under stress and drinking caffeinated drinks adds to the adrenaline rush. Gotu Kola relaxes the body without undue sleepiness.

Eyebright or Euprasia (Euprasia officinalis) is what I go for when my cats are having cold or eye infections. It is safe and works really fast. Just a few drops mixed with water works wonders with just one dose sometimes.

Foeniculum vulgare or fennel is a popular spice that is used for cooking. It has many health benefits for all ages especially for the GI tract. In traditional Ayurveda cooking, it is used as an anti-Vata spice to cut the effects brought on by Vata food such as lentils producing gas in the stomach.

Chewing a few seeds will allow the essential oils to seep into the body to provide better digestion, reduce gas, reduce bloating, relieve colic effects in infants. It is also useful during menstruation to relieve symptoms like gas and bloating.

Bee Propolis is made out of sap that is collected from tree barks that the trees use to protect themselves from any bacterial, microbial or foreign organism attacks. Since the plant kingdom adapts to the environment quickly, the sap contains the highest immunity levels. The bees place this at the entrance of the hive to kill off any foreign bodies or organisms that may cause infections to spread or honey to spoil before entering the hive. Hive is filled with closely occupying population of bees so they need top notch protection. Bee propolis is perfect to take for any infections internally or externally and heals fast too!

Turmeric or Curcuma longa is a common spice in the Asian kitchen. On top of being delicious, it is highly medicinal especially as a long term preventative. Research has shown that cooked form is more easily absorbed while the raw form passes through the digestive system with only a little absorbed. It is amazing for preventing cancer, ridding the body of carcinogens and reducing tumors with daily use.

Chamaemelum nobile or Roman Chamomile has slightly more health and beauty benefits than the German Chamomile or Matricaria chamomilla though both are potent. It was used in the ancient times to improve beauty by rubbing the leaves on the skin or ingesting it in the form of tea or a herbal extract. Even today many beauty product companies use Chamomile extract on their products.

Oh I KNOW you did not just think of adding tequila! ?? Lime and salt can kill the bacteria ingested through the food to neutralize the active bowels. Most of the time the body detects the foreign organisms and tries to remove it from the GI tract through loose motion or vomiting. At the end, the flora in the stomach can suffer as the good bacteria we need for digestion and protection can also get swept away. Lime and salt deals with this in a gentle way. It usually works in a few minutes.

Apple cider vinegar comes with so many benefits. One of the best benefits is that to mix it with water and use it to wash hair to balance the pH level in the scalp and to control dry skin. Leave the water and apple cider vinegar mix on the scalp for a couple of minutes and wash it off. The bacteria is removed, residues from shampoos and hair products can be removed but most of all, the health of the scalp can be restored over time with regular use.

Bilberry or Vaccinium myrtillus is an European fruit very similar to blueberry that contains amazing health benefits for the eyes mainly though it can be used for issues such as varicose veins and diabetes too. The biggest story is that this herb was given to pilots during the WWII in a trial study to improve night vision. Apart of improving general vision and night vision, it is also used as an eye tonic. Many eye issues can be prevented including cataracts, glaucoma and dry eyes with daily use.

Ginger or Zingiberis officinalis is a perfect herb or spice to increase the core body heat especially for Vata and Kapha types whose bodies get cold easily. It’s perfect for preparing for weather change and digestion as it provides Agni or digestive fire. Ceyenne or Capsicum annum is hot in the beginning but what it does is disperse the extra heat stored in the core body area out through skin usually by sweating. Many tropical regions use this to preserve food, to get rid of excess body heat and to aid digestion. It can also get rid of ama or toxins stored in the large intestine.

Ashwagandha or Withania somnifera is one of the best and most potent Ayurveda herbs known. The meaning of the name is smell of horses. Having effects on many parts of the body including reproductive system, immune system, endocrine system and nervous system. The long term benefits of this adaptogenic herb as a tonic and a preventative is immense as it helps build the immune system, rejuvenate and rebuild tissue. Daily intake of the powder can help in maintaining good health.

Coriander or Coriandrum sativa is a very common household spice as well as a medicine in households. Commonly used in Ayurveda for colds, allergies, sore throats, to bring down fever, headaches and to aid digestion. It is used in cooking to help digest fat and counter Pitta as oily, greasy food aggravates Pitta, increasing the heat inside the body. Pitta symptoms can be seen as redness, red itchy rashes, fever, burning sensations, red bumps and emotions like anger.

Hawthorn or Crataegus oxycantha is the perfect heart tonic, strengthener and antioxidant for the heart. It is the highly recommended herb for the cardiovascular system. From a spiritual aspect, it helps emotionally to cope with heartbreak.

Gurmar or Meshashringi or Gymnema sylvestre is one of THE top herbs for diabetes in Ayurveda. Studies have shown that the blood sugar levels were brought to homeostasis within 60 days while the insulin levels increased due to the repair of the pancreas. Other than diabetes, this is also used to treat snake bites, weight loss and asthma.

Solomon’s Seal or Polygonatum is known in Ayurveda as Meda or Mahameda. It is a cooling herb with the sweet taste that works well in bringing down Pitta issues. Mainly used for blood (Pitta related) and reproductive issues, it can be used for treating almost all tissues in the body. It can be used to build tissue and bones, used as a demulcent or an aphrodisiac as well as in debilitative conditions.

Calamus root (Acorus calamus) is known as Vacha in Sanskrit which means “word”. Sarasvati Devi is known as Vacha Devi as she shared modalities of speech as well as the Vedic sciences with the humans. Vacha is also associated with the sound of creation as sound was used to create the world. When manifesting our highest good, it is good to sharpen the tongue and allow pure expressions from the soul to come out. This herb is perfect for those working on their self-expression and communication that is connected to the Vishuddha or the Throat Chakra.

Cloves or Syzygium aromaticum is a native plant to Asia. Known as lavanga in Sanskrit, it is used in Ayurveda as a Pitta stimulant due to its stimulating and heating qualities. It is also used as a carminative and a digestive aid as it is widely used in cooking. Another common use is to relive pain from toothaches and for oral health.

Who knew what they throw away at the supermarket can actually help with kidney stones right? Corn silk tea is a urinary tonic. It helps strengthen tissues, stop urinary tract bleeding, helps with kidney stones and edema. Deemed to be very safe for use as there are no known side effects. It contains silica that helps with connective tissue strengthening and for urinary tract.

Horsetail herb that is harvested in the fall is called Fall Horsetail. This pulls out the heavy metals in your body. Also the use of adequate vitamins, fruits and vegetables in the diet can help counteract heavy metals and their effects. Use of immune boosting, all rounder herbs like Panax Ginseng, Ashwagandha, Eleuthero, bee pollen, Aloe and Echinacea. Also eastern mushrooms like Reishi, Shiitake, Maitake, Cordyceps, etc. can boost immune system as well. They come in capsule form that can be bought in supermarkets and health food stores.

Milk Thistle or Silybum marianum is a herb that is mainly liver specific that is an antioxidant, detoxifier, protector and cleanser. It is used for those who are on rehab for alcohol abuse as well as a regular liver cleanser. Liver health is very important. Make sure to use herbs, bitter greens, vegetables like bitter gourd to protect and cleanse your liver, especially the Pitta types

Home remedy time!! This helped me with many bug bites including mosquito bites. Rub the red onion it clockwise. I usually rub it for a few minutes then rub a lemon slice also. This helps to neutralize the itching.

Amlaki aka Phyllanthus emblica is one of the most celebrated herbs in Ayurveda for many benefits it brings. It is a rejuvenating, nutritive, laxative, astringent, tonic and aphrodisiac. It helps the body to repair itself thus giving long life. This is indicated for the mind as well as it helps to steer from Tamasic and Rajasic mind state to a more Sattvic mind state, this, helping with calming the mind for meditation.