Chamomile Benefits

These past few months have been all rushed, days passed me by and I cannot get over how fast that time passed. Sometimes I also feel that same rush when ti comes to blogging. I don't think that there's any particular reason to it, it's simply the way we all seem to live now. As cliche as it gets, one simply has to make time to pause, stop and smell the flowers, feel the breeze on the skin, hear a bird's song or study the glorious cloud shapes in the sky. I have no problem with the last one, in fact, my job is at the same time very time-consuming and very stressful but at its core, the nature of meteorology is very soothing for the mind and soul. Without my frequent analysis of the sky and the nature elements that surround me, I believe that I would truly be lost in these hectic times. I have made only one promise to myself at the start of this year. To slow things down. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don't, but I am testing my willpower while doing so.

Posljednjih par mjeseci mi je proslo u nekoj zurbi, dani su bukvalno proletili i ne mogu preci preko toga kako se sve brzo odvijalo. Ponekada osjecam tu neku zurbu i kada je bloganje u pitanju. Ne mislim da iza toga stoji neki odredjeni razlog vec je jednostavno problem u nacinu zivota koji sada vodimo. Koliko god bio klisej, nekada je potrebno da napravimo pauzu. Zastanemo da pomirisemo cvijece, osjetimo povjetarac na kozi, obratimo paznju na pjesmu ptica ili promatramo velicanstvene formacije oblaka na nebu. Sa posljednjim nemam problema jer je, ustvari, posao kojim se bavim istovremeno izuzetno zahtjevan i nerijetko stresan ali u biti je priroda meteorologije umirujuca za um i dusu. Bez svojih cestih analiziranja nebeskog prostranstva i prirodnih elemenata koji me okruzuju, mislim da bih uistinu bila izgubljena u ovom haoticnom vremenu u kojem zivim.

Did you know that German Chamomile (Matricariarecutita) is a species of Chamomile commonly used in tea? It is also commonly known as Blue Chamomile.

Da li ste znali da je njemacka kamilica (Matricariarecutita) vrsta kamilice koju inace koristimo za caj? Takodjer je poznata i kao Plava Kamilica.

Today, lazy sunday is doing some good for me by letting me relax. Oh, and “those days in the month” have literally slowed me down. And while I'd resent my slow movements before, now I'm actually enjoying some me alone time. I've put on a Sade Greatest Hits jam and am feeling the warmth of sparse sunny rays that lay on my face. A not so pleasant rythm of stomache cramps leave the sense of discomfort just like a scratch on the chalkboard would in the midst of a silence. When I check out the kitchen I notice that I'm almost out of all my teas (I love all and evey kind of tea imaginable) but I never, ever run out of chamomile tea. I love it, it's so gentle and soothing. I believe chamomile is everyone's sweetheart but how much do I know about it? Only some basics but I feel there's much to be discovered about this gentle belle. So this will be a sum of all my discoveries about this gorgeous herb and some neat recipes.

Danas ova lijena nedelja mi cini dobro time sto mi ostavlja vremena za opustanje. Ah, i “oni dani u mjesecu” su me bukvalno usporili. Dok bih prezirala svoje usporene kretnje nekada prije, sada cak i uzivam u vremenu koje imam samo za sebe. Pustila sam najvece hitove Sade uz koje uzivam te se prepustam toplini rastrkanih suncevih zraka koji padaju na moje lice. Ne tako ugodan ritam stomacnih grceva pravi nelagodu. Onakvu kakvu bi stvorilo grebanje po tabli u sred tisine. Kada sam odsetala do kuhinje, primijetim da mi je ponestalo skoro svih cajeva (mnogo volim sve vrste cajeva) ali nikada mi se nece desiti da nemam caj od kamilice. Mnogo mi je drag jer je tako njezan i umirujuci i mislim da je caj od kamilice svaciji miljenik. Ali, koliko ustvari znam o kamilici? Poznate su mi samo neke osnove ali imam dojam da se jos mnogo toga moze otkriti o ovoj njeznoj ljepotici. Predstaviti cu ukratko svoja otkrica o ovoj krasnoj biljci i neke simpaticne recepte.

Did you know that Chamomile is the national flower of Russia?

Da li ste znali da je kamilica nacionalni cvijet Rusije?

Long story short, the name chamomile is derived from the Greek words for “ground” and
“apple” due to the close to the ground plant growth and because it's slightly apple-like in flavor. Basically, the name comes from the Greek “kamai-melon”,
meaning a ground apple. It is also known by the following names : Matricaria recutita, German chamomile, Common chamomile, Wild chamomile, Bodegold, true chamomile, Hungarian chamomile. The focal word is Matricaria and referring to that, there are some distinctions. The German variant of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla ) has a
honey-like scent. English or Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile,
formerly called Anthemis nobilis), for example, is a different species,
yet it shares many of German chamomile's chemical constituents and,
therefore, many of its actions. Roman Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis ) oils have a
fresher and fruitier fragrance than their German
counterparts. Chamomile is a flowering plant in the daisy family. It is native to Europe and Asia.

Da skratim pricu, ime kamilica je izvedeno iz grckih rijeci za “tlo” i “jabuku” zbog blizine rasta biljke tlu te njenoj blagoj slicnosti po ukusu jabuci. U sustini, ime dolazi od grckog “kamai-melon”, sto znaci prizemna jabuka. Takodjer je poznata i po slijedecim nazivima: Matricaria recutita, njemacka kamilica, obicna kamilica, divlja kamilica, bodegold, istinska kamilica, madjarska kamilica. U centru paznje je rijec Matricaria te po tom pitanju postoje neka razgranicenja. Njemacka varijanta kamilice (Matricaria chamomilla ) ima miris po medu. Engleska ili rimska kamilica (Chamaemelum nobile,
prije poznata kao Anthemis nobilis), je drugacija vrsta ali opet, dijeli mnoge hemijske karakteristike njemacke kamilice, te samim time i mnoga svojstva. Ulja rimske kamilice (Anthemis nobilis ) su svjezije i vockastije arome od njemacke kamilice. Kamilica je cvetajuca biljka iz porodice tratincica. Potice iz Evrope i Azije.

Did you know that Golden Marguerite, which is native to the Mediterranean and West Asia, has aromatic, bright green, feathery foliage?

Da li ste znali da Zlatna Marguerita, koja potice iz Mediterana i Zapadne Azije, ima aromaticno, svijetlo zeleno, paperjasto lisce?

Interesting facts about chamomile: 

Chamomile gets its powerful anti-inflammatory properties from its natural chemical component, azulene. 

Helps calm migraine 

Contains coumarin, a naturally-occurring compound with anticoagulant or blood-thinning effects 

It shouldn't be used two weeks before or after surgery 

It should not be taken during pregnancy (especially for the first 3 months) or breast-feeding 

Is known for helping achieve emotional balance and reduced stress 

Is often chosen for use on babies because of its mild nature and soothing effect 

Drinking chamomile tea relaxes muscles and acts as a boost to the immune system 

Acts as a sedative and helps fight infections associated with the common cold 

Chamomile tea is commonly used as an aid for digestion 

It can help soften skin, may reduce skin rashes and inflammation, as well as provide sunburn relief 

It may be moderately effective in the treatment of eczema 

You can apply chamomile inside your mouth to help relieve gum and other mouth irritations 

It's known for helping to relieve anxiety and insomnia 

Is used treat skin disorders, eye inflammation and bacterial infections 

Muscle relaxant and for menstrual cramps 

Heals wounds faster 

Interesantni podaci o kamilici: 

Kamilica duguje svoja mocna protuupalna svojstva prirodnoj hemijskoj komponentu azulenu 

Pomaze umiriti migrenu 

Sadrzi kumarin, sto je prirodna komponenta koja posjeduje antikoagulantna svojstva, razrjedjuje krv 

Ne bi se smjela koristiti 2 sedmice prije, niti poslije operacije 

Ne bi se smjela koristiti tokom trudnoce (posebice prva 3 mjeseca), niti tokom dojenja 

Poznato je da se pomocu nje moze postici emocionalni balans te umanjiti stres 

Cesto je odabir za njegu beba zbog svoje blage prirode i umirujuceg svojstva 

Caj od kamilice opusta misice i djeluje kao pojacanje imunom sistemu 

Djeluje kao sedativ i pomaze u borbi protiv infekcija karakteristicnih za obicnu prehladu 

Caj od kamilice se cesto koristi za umirenje probavnog trakta 

Pomaze omeksati kozu, moze ublaziti osipe na kozi i upale, te olaksati nelagodu od opekotina 

Umjereno je efektna u tretmanu ekcema 

Ispirajuci usta kamilicom (cajem) umiriti cete iritirane desni i usnu supljinu 

Poznato je da pomaze u olaksanju anksioznosti i nesanice 

Koristi se u tretiranju koznih oboljenja, upale oka i bakterijskih upala 

Opusta misice i menstrualne grceve