health
Flowers are great, aren’t they? They make a fabulous gift, are natural and beautiful and make people smile. However, flowers are more than just being pretty. Not only can a bouquet of colourful flowers lend a touch of beauty and a pleasant aroma to the room, they can actually have a whole host of other health benefits. From their scent, petals down to the roots, they have the power to reduce stress, inspire creative thinking and even lessen anxiety. Edible flowers like hibiscus, lavender, and chamomile have several benefits. They are high in vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutrients. Read on...
Good for health: Flowers are rich in nutrients. They have high levels of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and compounds for medicinal drugs. From being natural laxatives to having nutrients that help with water retention or inflammation, flowers have been a part of traditional Chinese medicine and the Ayurveda. Many scientific firms also use them as sources of compounds for medicinal purposes. However, do not just go around eating flowers for treatment. Make sure you see a doctor and consult a nutritionist.
Not only do edible flowers dress up your food, they can also improve your health...
Hibiscus: It is often consumed as a flavourful red tea. Not only is this tea delicious, but hibiscus may provide numerous health benefits. Many people drink hibiscus tea for its medicinal properties. It may lower blood pressure and improve metabolism, plus it acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
Lavender: It is probably best known for its distinctive fragrance and calming effects. The combination of colour and aroma make lavender a particularly desirable addition to a variety of foods, including baked goods, infused syrups, liqueurs, herbal teas, dry spice rubs and herb mixtures.
Roses: They are also often consumed as rose oil, rose water, or herbal tea. The rose fruits, also known as rose hips, are also edible. Rose petals have a very aromatic, floral and slightly sweet flavour. They can be eaten raw, mixed into various fruit or green salads or dried and can be added to mixed herbs, jams and jellies. Like many other edible flowers, roses may offer health benefits. Some research suggests that certain compounds in roses may play a role in reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation. Rose oil may decrease anxiety and pain while also promoting relaxation.
Chamomile: It is a floral herb used in cooking and traditional medicine for centuries. Medicinally, chamomile is often consumed to reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality. They lend a slightly sweet, earthy flavour to the foods they’re cooked with. While most often utilised for chamomile tea, the blossoms can also make syrups or other infusions for baked goods, smoothies or desserts. Chamomile flowers are widely used medicinally to reduce anxiety and improve sleep.
Flowers can increase energy: Feeling a little down or tired? We’ve all been there. Fortunately, flowers can help increase energy and lower fatigue. Simply spending time working with or looking at flowers has been shown to lower fatigue and increase energy levels. Adding some flowering plants to your office could be a great way to provide a boost of mid-day energy.
Positive effect on mood and emotions: Because they are often given as gifts to friends and loved ones, they have even been known to make people happier and more optimistic. The scent of the flower can help a lot to lower stress. Breathing in the sweet fragrance of flowers has a relaxing and stress-reducing effect. Simply looking at flowers and inhaling certain flower scents can lead to decreased stress, anxiety and depression.
Flowers can help you sleep: People often applaud lavender essential oil for its ability to improve sleep. Multiple research studies support that inhaling this essential oil can help you sleep. The smell of lavender is proven to lower your heart rate and blood pressure, which will help you to relax. The more relaxed you are, the more likely you are to drift off into a restful sleep.
Flowers can make you more productive: Whether working from home or in a cubicle, make it a point to have a vase of fresh flowers or a thriving plant in your workspace to help increase your productivity. Being in nature, or having natural elements around you, helps increase your vitality and levels of energy which, in turn, make you a better worker. Plants and flowers have also been shown to stimulate innovation and creativity leading to increased productivity.
Since flowers can improve your mood and build positive aura, it only means that you will feel more motivated to do a household chore or maybe even start on a new project at work.
Flowers can aid in fast recovery of sick loved ones: There is a reason people give flowers as presents to patients in the hospital. It’s because it helps the patient to have a speedy recovery. In fact, one study showed that patients with flowers in their hospital rooms needed less pain medication, had lower blood pressure, and were less anxious and tired than patients without flowers at their bedside.