Today’s fast food “squat and gobble” eating patterns cause more and more busy people to complain of stomach troubles. The best answer might be to change our eating habits, but that isn’t always possible in our fast-paced world. Instead everyone swallows name brand antacids and hopes for some relief. There is another option, however. Herbal medicine has been part of human life for thousands of years, and it still offers us many health benefits, especially for those looking for an effective treatment for indigestion. In the countryside, yarrow grows wild; in the backyard garden, fennel, dill, and mint grow well. Learning to use them can make a big difference in your life! Yarrow is a good example of a common plant that has healing properties. Its rough angular stem with many long narrow leaves gives it a feathery appearance. The plant flowers in July and August and produces white or pale lilac flowers which look like tiny daisies. “Yarrow grows in Britain, Scandinavia, Europe, and all over the United States except for the extreme south.” (Duff 132) Most people think of it as a weed because it is often found along the edge of fields or along country roads, but it grows well anywhere that grass will grow. Yarrow is also known as Milfoil, Old Man’s Pepper, Soldier’s Woundwort, or Devil’s Plaything. It has been used for centuries to make an ointment for wounds. Some people say that Achilles used it to stop his soldiers’ bleeding wounds during the Trojan Wars. During the Middle Ages, it was thought that it would bring a vision of a future husband and wife if yarrow was wrapped in a flannel cloth, and placed it under the pillow, while repeating the following words. ‘Thou pretty herb of Venus’ tree, Thy true name it is Yarrow; Now who my bosom friend must be, Pray tell thou me to-morrow.’ Halliwell’s Popular Rhymes In the seventeenth century, yarrow was used as a salad ingredient. Today, it is used for severe colds, to open pores and improve the complexion, for cuts and scrapes and for indigestion. One source even suggests that it is helpful for varicose veins. (Duff 133) For severe colds, it is recommended that an infusion (tea) by made by pouring one pint of boiling water over 1 ounce of the dried herb. As relief from indigestion, a cup of boiling water should be poured over two teaspoons of chopped fresh flowers and allowed to steep for 10 minutes. This should be drunk twice a day between meals. “For drying and using medicinally,” Gail Duff’s The Country Side Cookbook recommends, “cutting and hanging the whole plant. When they are dry, crumble the leaves and flowers and store them in air tight containers. Another common plant, fennel, can be used to relieve a variety of common problems. Fennel has a base that looks like celery and grows to more than 4 or 5 feet in height. Its long feathery branches look a little like asparagus and its yellow flowers bloom in July and August. Originally, it grew mostly in Europe especially along the Mediterranean coast, but today it is grown in North America too. Fennel grows well in dry chalky soil near the sea or on river banks. It likes sunny places and does not need much fertilizer although it grows better on stiff rich soil. “The bright golden flowers...are in bloom in July and August. The smell of fennel is frag