God's Healing Herbs [Paperback]

Dennis Ellingson owns and operates Sprague River Herb Farm in southern Oregon and Illustrator Matthew Kondratieff is a biologist and wildlife artist. Together they have created an illustrated book of herbal remedies.

After reading this book you may find yourself using Anise in tea, drinking catnip tea when you want to feel calm and using more chives because they are high in Vitamin C. If you love to cook, the information on cinnamon, nutmeg and cocoa will be invaluable.

Through the years I've spend a lot of time looking up information on herbal remedies and this book is one of my favorites because it gives you all the information on one page. Some herb books separate the information and I found the way this book was organized to be very entertaining and helpful.

How can you improve your health and quality of life with herbs?

Where can you find herbal remedies?

The first section includes detailed descriptions of herbs from A to Z. Each page has information along with herbal icons that allow for quick access to the information you are looking for including: description, growing tips, medicinal information, internal or external use, culinary uses, how to prepare, biblical references and cautionary concerns.

The biblical references shed light on the types of aloe mentioned in the Bible:

"The aloes mentioned in the Bible are perfumes that likely came from a tree in India known as "eaglewood." The aloe mentioned in John 19:39 is from the lily family, the same one we use for topical medicinal purposes." ~ pg. 13

Some of the herbs listed include Alfalfa, Aloe Vera, Bergamot, Blessed Thistle, Calendula, Cayenne, Cinnamon, Cranberry, Dandelion, Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Garlic, Ginger, Ginseng, Hyssop, Lavender, Myrrh, Olive, Pomegranate, Savory, Tea Tree, Uva Ursi, Valerian and many more.

The page about cloves explains how it is used in incense, soaps and scented candles. I also like making pomanders by decorating oranges with cloves. I just made one for my kitchen and there are lots of recipes online. Some people make these during the holiday season, but for some reason I was in the mood to make one after the holiday season.

I will say that I also agree with the author about Wormwood. I recommend avoiding this herb if at all possible or only taking it after you have talked to your doctor and if you don't intend to take it for an extended period of time. This can cause serious problems and the benefits may not be worth the risks to your health. Wormwood is also found in absinthe (highly toxic because it contains a neurotoxin called thujone - also found in sage and cedar oil), which is known to be dangerous to health and can cause irreversible damage to the nervous system, convulsions, blindness, hallucinations, and mental deterioration. Artists, writers and poets have used this herb to enhance creativity, except the expansion of creativity doesn't seem to be worth losing your life or experiencing the side effects like nausea, tremors, insomnia and vertigo.

As the author notes: "Wormwood is mentioned numerous times in the Bible and always in reference to calamity and bitter experience." The author also explains why you should not use too much sage, normally used during the holiday season or when cooking a chicken dinner. While this book states that Siberian ginseng is a "recognized cure for insomnia" you don't want to take the herb at night because then it could cause insomnia.

"On trips to the Oregon coast, nothing is more pleasant than long walks on the beach together. My wife and I explore the beach, the rocks, find interesting pieces of driftwood to lug home. But we also notice long, cylindrical ocean plants, uprooted by the tides...Ocean herbs are considered detoxifiers for the body, helping rid the body of excess fluids and fatty wastes." ~ pg. 85

If you want to try the seaweed bath, look up LUSH Big Blue - it has seaweed and is a very interesting experience. This book recommends seaweed as a brain food and I've been taking "Sea Vegg" on a regular basis. There is also a recipe for an oat and honey facial scrub.

I especially enjoyed reading the sections on herbs used in the kitchen, especially rosemary, savory and tarragon. The last sections of the book include an interesting journey through the teachings of Christ in regards to plants mentioned in the Bible. A Table of Medicinal Herbs for External and Internal use is also included.

There are also recipes:

Poached Salmon in Herbs

Green Salad with Herb Vinaigrette

Oregano Garlic Bread

Herb Grilled Lamb

Lavender Cookies

Boursin-Style Cheese Spread

Gingerbread Cookies

Chai Tea

To find out how to use herbs you are growing in your garden, there is also a Table of Culinary Herbs. Fennel can be added to salmon or breads and savory can be added to soups. I like using it when making a Tuna Fish sandwich, along with dill.

To make this book even more helpful, the author has lists of herbs for women, men, children and seniors. A glossary is useful for words like tincture and compress and the index is useful for finding specific herbs, remedies or health issues you are researching.

I didn't know a book on herbs could be this much fun. Dennis Ellingson is also a pastor and counselor so he includes spiritual elements along with recipes, advice and solutions to common health problems. This book is a result of his own research and he states that this is not a book of "medical advice" although this book presents a variety of remedies that will be very helpful to anyone looking into the value and use of herbs. I feel much safer trying herbs after reading this book and since herbs can be powerful and do have side effects, this book presents herbs in a realistic way so you can make wise decisions about your health.

I can also recommend:

Natural Health Complete Guide to Safe Herbs

The World's Healthiest Foods by George Mateljan

The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B. White

Reference Guide for Essential Oils by Connie and Alan Higley

~The Rebecca Review

A friend gave me this book, and, I must admit, I wasn't too interested in reading it when I first saw it. But once I sat down and read through it, I couldn't put it down! The author goes through each herb alphabetically (including things like onions and asparagus and avocado and carrot) with fasinating information about each one--culinary, medicinal, and Biblical facts. I found the Biblical facts most interesting. For instance, ginger was used to treat leprosy. He also gives cautions regarding the individual herbs, and preparation and growing tips.

After the alphabetical pages, there is a Biblical account of herbs in the Bible (mainly New Testament). This is probably my favorite part of the book.

Then the author has a great resource for other herbal companies in the USA, and gives facts about each company, ways to contact them, and recipes using the herbs in the book (that the people from each company contributed).

At the end is a list of 12 essential herbs for men, 12 essential herbs for children, and 12 essential herbs for women, and for seniors. This is a good starting point for beginners who are overwhelmed!

He also gives tables of the herbs: culinary tables, medicinal tables which are a great easy-reference source. For instance, if you have a headache, you can look under "headache" and see what herbs are helpful for that.

I especially liked the drawings of the individual herbs--they are very well-drawn and detailed (I've always wanted to know what the rest of an asparagus plant looks like!).

I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 because I don't like the design of and the artwork on the cover.

This is a very useful book for anyone interested in natural medecine and nutrition. It also provides some fascinating insights into Biblical culture and teaching. The writing is thorough and concise, without being dry. The authors own experiences are presented in an entertaining and meaningful way.