The uses of herbs outside of the kitchen may be a mystery to you (they may even be a mystery to you inside the kitchen, if you aren't a cook!) And perhaps you have never explored the idea of using essential oils around the house or on your body, because you don't know the first thing about them.

If you've never heard about this, keep reading and you will begin to understand. It's not as complicated as it may seem. Let's see what some of the possibilities are.

- Both herbs and therapeutic essential oils can be used in cooking. They can also strengthen your immune system.

-Make healthful herbal teas (more correctly called tisanes, as they don't contain actual tea plant leaves) that can calm your digestive system, or help detoxify your system

-You can avoid chemicals that cause toxicity in the body by using therapeutic-grade essential oils as an ingredient in your own household cleaning supplies and home-made cold and pain remedies

If you think this is new-age hocus pocus, you're wrong! The use of herbs and essential oils has been ongoing from the beginning of civilization. They have been vital to the preservation of food, among other things. Think of things that are mentioned in the Bible-frankincense, myrrh, bitter herbs-these natural things had a purpose then, and continue to be useful today. Pliny, a soldier of ancient Rome, wrote a Natural History, which references the use of many plants. He lived in the first century. Much of his knowledge is attributed to the research and writings of Mithridates of Eupator (120-66BC). So plants and their chemical properties have been important since the dawn of time.

Fast forward to today: modern medicine would not be the same if scientists never studied plants and their properties. A great example of this is heart medicine. The common garden perennial, foxglove, is used to make pills for people with heart problems. The plant itself is poisonous, but ironically, it is made into life-saving medicines.

Given that we have perfected agricultural methods, and ways of extracting the best out of the herbs and flowers that give us essential oils, we are endowed with purer, more potent, and more consistent results. Therapeutic-grade oils are an example of such horticultural, engineering, and scientific achievements.

You should be aware, as you learn about using herbs and essential oils, that not all essential oils are the same. Many are not to be ingested; if you want to use oils for recipes, you must seek out food-grade oils. And if you plan on using oils for aromatherapy, purchase only those labeled "therapeutic-grade." Not all natural food stores or health food stores carry therapeutic-grade oils. They are different because they are more potent and effective than the every day store-bought variety. Since they are extracted and refined using the best methods available, you can expect much better results with therapeutic-grade oils than if you purchase inferior oils.

So, if you feel that you can be doing more for your family's health and well-being, you can start with herbal supplements and therapeutic-grade essential oils. You just might notice that your kids are getting sick less often, you have more energy later into the evening, and that's all of the proof you need that thousands of years of history can't be wrong.

Tags: meditation, womens issues, alternative medicine