The natural health remedies your local pharmacist doesn't want you to know about

Adding flowers to your soup, using peppers for body pain, applying leaves to fight head lice...

These measures may seem like crazy quackery, but they are actually common and practical therapies based on natural, holistic principles.

Plants have been used as medicine for centuries, and even today, researchers continue to turn to the plant world to find effective treatments and cures for ailments ranging from a simple headache to a potential cure for cancer.

In fact, you might even be taking some supplements made from these plants and vastly overpaying big pharmaceutical companies for them.

But that's not the only thing you should be concerned about.

Manufactured drugs often come with several side effects. Just take a look at the pamphlet that comes with any medication--the long list of possible side effects will make you wonder why you're taking it in the first place.

Long-term medication of pain relievers and other prescription drugs has also been found to cause serious liver damage.

If you want to reduce the amount of chemicals you take in, adding more natural remedies to your health routine can help.

As a good starting point, you can begin with easily available plants that you may already have in your home.

To find out what these are and how they can be used, refer to this user-friendly guide to medicinal plants.

In Medicinal Herbs and Plants, here is just a fraction of what you will discover:

• A natural way to boost male libido and re-energize the body without resorting to dangerous stimulants
• How to completely stop your dependence on painkillers to manage menstrual cramps with this one soothing herb
• The essential staple in your kitchen that should also be a central component in your medicine cabinet
• Practical and easy-to-follow tips on the correct methods of applying or consuming plants and herbs to maximize their effectivity
• How you can save even more money by using medicinal herbs and plants with this home-based pursuit
• What you shouldn't do with ginger if you don't want to experience this inconvenience at the wrong time
• Why this "golden" flower has been used for healing (and pest control) purposes for centuries

And much more.

As long as you consult your physician before taking any herbal medicine, incorporating medicinal plants into your healthcare routine shouldn't be a problem.

These natural remedies are not meant to be instant fixes, nor a replacement for medical care, but a gradual treatment of your entire system that will result in longer-term effects. They can also complement medical treatments, such as helping to alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy.

Although this alternative may not be as fast-acting as pharmaceutical drugs, the overall benefits to your health and lifestyle will be worth it.

Save yourself an expensive trip to the pharmacy and pay a visit to your local market instead.