Herb of the Week: Witch Hazel

This week's herb of the week is witch hazel. A pretty North American shrub, witch hazel was time-honored traditional remedy of native peoples. It is a potent pain reliever and astringent and has antioxidant properties. When taken internally or applied externally, witch hazel is thought to act on the venous system to stop bleeding and inflammation. It is particularly effective for treating intestinal bleeding, bruises, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, dermatitis, sunburn, and diarrhea. It is also indicated for bleeding of the nose and lungs.

Take witch hazel internally as a tincture and use it externally as a liniment or an astringent, disinfectant wash. It also makes a good cleanser for acne prone skin. Decocted as a tea, it can be taken internally as an astringent for diarrhea and intestinal bleeding.



Reference: Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health

Ten Things To Do On Earth Day

So it's Earth Day today!! And you may not care, but then again you may. And you may also be wondering what you can do to pitch in and start helping our planet become a better place to live. After all, it is our only home. And just like you want to keep your house clean, you also want to keep this planet clean. So here are 10 things you can do today and maybe everyday to start making a difference.

1. Carpool- yep just catch a ride with your friend or coworker and help pump a little less exhaust and fumes in the atmosphere.
2. Cleaning out your closet or garage-donate, donate, donate. Or have a huge garage sale. Either way, declutter!
3. Plant a tree- help put more O2 in the air and plant a tree, bush, or plant. Even flowers, especially ones that attract honey bees!
4. Exchange your light bulbs for energy efficient ones- it saves tons of energy and could save you money too!
5. Cut back on paper by paying bills via internet.
6. Ride your bike- if you live close to work or school, why not ride your bike. Good exercise, saves on gas, and good for the air!
7. Cleanup- grab some friends or go solo and pick a place to clean up. You can even adopt a highway!
8. Open the windows- if it's not too hot and not too cold, open the windows and save on heat and air.
9. Go outside and play- cut off that tv, which will save energy, and get out and play catch or frisbie or whatever and enjoy yourself!
10. Recycle- if you've been recycling, take your recyclables to the recycle center or start recycling today. A lot of trash companies are offering recycling now too!

So there you go! I hope you can do some or all on this list and help make your life better and help make this planet a little better too!

E.

Herb of the Week: Wood Betony

Wood betony, often referred to simply as betony, was a significant remedy from ancient times. Culpeper (1653) relates that Antonius Musa, physician to Emperor Augustus, wrote a monograph on it, listing 47 different disorders betony would cure, among them protection from snakes and evil. 

Anne Pratt, writing in the mid-nineteenth century, notes that betony was still highly valued in Italy. She quotes two current proverbs: "May you have more virtues than betony," as a farewell to a friend, and "Sell your coat, and buy betony," for those in pain.

Betony was venerated by the Celts, and its common name is thought to be a corruption of two Celtic words: "bew" for head, and "ton" for improve, making clear its power to cure head problems.

Wood betony is a nerve tonic, calms and relaxes, helping release stress and tension from both mind and body. Because betony affects the solar plexus, it has a wide range of benefits, especially with digestion problems, It improves concentration and memory, which, combined with its calming qualities, makes it a good choice during examinations or other stressful times in our lives when we need to be able to focus and concentrate. 

Like self-heal, wood betony is a good choice for when you don't quite feel well but don't really know what the problem is.

Harvesting

Pick the plant just before the flowers fully open. To dry for a tea or pillow, spread on a screen or brown paper in the sun. When dry and crisp, put into brown paper bags or jars to store.

Wood Betony Tea

Use 2 teaspoonfuls of the fresh herb or 1 teaspoonful of the dried herb per cup of boiling water, and leave to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes.

Dose: 3 cups a day, or 1 cup at bedtime to relax for a good night's sleep.

(Good for insomnia, digestive problems, headache, poor circulation, low appetite, muscular tension, nightmares, sinus congestion, watery, irritated eyes, head colds, chills and fevers.)

Wood Betony Ointment

Pick a handful of wood betony leaves, chop them, and put in a small saucepan with half a cup of extra virgin olive oil. Using a low heat, warm gently, just below simmering, until the leaves have lost their green color and are quite crisp. Strain, returning the oil to the pan. Add half an ounce of beeswax and warm until it melts. Stir well and pour into jars. Leave the lids off until the ointment sets, then label and store in a cool place until needed. 

(Good for bruises, sprains, strains, varicose veins, hemorrhoids.)

Help Us Adopt An At Risk Healing Herb

Hello friends. Natural Living has joined with the United Plant Savers and wants to adopt an at risk healing herb. Please consider helping us reach our goal of $5000, the total fee for adopting. Below are the complete details along with the link to our fundraiser where you can donate. Thanks again for your contribution.

https://www.unitedplantsavers.org/pdf/AdoptAnHerb-2.pdf

https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/eUPS8?srid=987b00a9275c46579962d867a9fec846

Dandelion Flower Beer

I'm super excited because tomorrow for the first time, my bestie and I will be making Dandelion Beer. When I came across this recipe, it looked so simple and sounds so incredibly delicious! So I wanted to share it with you and my hope is you will experiment with making your own. If you do, please let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment below. Have fun!

Dandelion Flower Beer

Ingredients:

• 100 dandelion flowers
• 4 pints of water
• 3 1/2 oz light brown sugar
• lemon, finely sliced

*You will need 1 large container to hold liquid in for a three or four days and a few tightly corked bottles.

Directions:

• Pick 100 dandelion flowers. 
• Boil 4 pints of water with your light brown sugar until the sugar has dissolved. 
• Allow to cool until tepid, then pour over the dandelion flowers in a large container. 
• Add your finely sliced lemon.
• Cover the container with a clean cloth and set aside in a cool place for three or four days, stirring occasionally.
• Strain and pour into tightly corked bottles. 
• The beer will be ready to drink in just a few days.

Guidelines for Gathering

When it comes to actually gathering those beautiful herbs you planted, you want to make sure you pick them at their peek of potency, or when they are fully ripe. Here are some general guidelines:

• Leaves should be gathered when they are tender and showing new growth, either before the flower buds appear, or after seeding, when new fall growth appears.
• Flowers are usually best before full bloom, in the mid to late morning after the dew has dried.
• Seeds should be gathered when ripe and dry, but before they fall to the ground.
• Roots are gathered in the early spring or late fall. Since sap rises and falls with the sun, and ideal time to gather is in the early morning or late afternoon.

*Plants gathered in the spring and late fall generally reach peak potency during cool-weather spells.

  Examples are Violet, rose hips, dandelion root, sun tuber, and cattail shoots.

*Plants gathered during summer and early fall usually need heat to develop fully and create essential oils.             Gather these plants during hot spells. Examples are: Wild carrot seed, St. John's wort flower, chokecherry,  sage leaf, and mullein flower.

*Try not to pick for a day or two after heavy rainfalls. Likewise, try not to gather during a drought. 

Sometimes you may not always have these perfect conditions to gather your herbs. So listen to them. Believe it or not, your herbs and plants will speak to you and you will know and feel when the time is right. 

Happy harvesting!

E.

Endangered Herbs and Their Substitutes

   So I felt it necessary to discuss the fact that since the pharmaceutical world has taken off, believe it or not they do take from key herbs and so do people who prefer a holistic approach to medicine. The problem is that some folks are uneducated about how to harvest herbs correctly and more importantly, which ones are sensitive and on the decline.
   With that being said, I wanted to display a list of current popular herbs that are considered endangered and provide you with some substitutes you can use instead.

1. Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa)- is an antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, and analgestic and is most useful for its ability to reduce dull aching pain. It also provides relief for the reproductive organs. It has a powerful effect on the nervous system and sedates the perception of pain. However, it is an at-risk plant. A recommended substitute is Baneberry root (Actea rubra) for relieving pain, use at a reduced dosage.
2. Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)- Use Echinacea only organically cultivated. It is an immune stimulant, assisting the body to resist infection more efficiently; it is anti-microbial and increases cellular resistance to virus, and activates the macrophages that destroy both cancerous cells and pathogens. Avoid using wild Echinacea or any commercial products that use wild-crafted or wild-harvested Echinacea in their ingredients. Three species are used commercially: E. purpurea, E. angustifolia, and E. pallida. All three species of Echinacea are disappearing rapidly. 
3. Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)- is hepatic, cholagogue, a bitter digestive stimulant, and a primary anti-microbial for acute infection. Use only when the plant's overall specific indications are absolutely required. Otherwise, use plants such as Barberry (Berberis vulgaris), or Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium), or least dilute Goldenseal whenever using it; mixing 1 part Goldenseal to 4 parts Barberry or Oregon Grape root. 
4. Pipsissewa (Chimaphilla umbellata)- is diuretic, wonderful for treating bladder infection, gravel, or a stone in the kidney. In place of Pipsissewa when treating urinary tract inflammation, substitute Uva Ursi (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) for its excellent diuretic, antiseptic, and astringent properties. 

While there are many many more, these are some of the most popular sought for medicinal purposes. For a complete list of endangered herbs and at-risk herbs, visit the United Plant Savers website and for more information on how you can take part in protecting these herbs and plants.

http://www.unitedplantsavers.org/

How Do You Feel?

I have to talk this morning about, well, how we generally feel. For a long time I was really convinced I had cancer or some other terrible disease because I just felt terrible. I was overweight, sluggish, my back hurt, no energy what so ever. Just felt terrible. But after going to the doctor, and checking out 100% healthy, I had to question why do I still feel so bad? Now when I say overweight, I mean probably by only 15 pounds. Not too much and certainly not obese. Even so I'm sure I needed more exercise  So after exercising, taking walks in the park, going to the gym, and STILL feeling bad, I had to do more research.

It never occurred to me that it was the food I was eating that was causing me to feel so bad. My diet pretty much consisted of juice, tea, coffee, frozen boxed food, box food in the cupboard, and a lot of dairy. After some research, I learned everything I was eating was processed! And everything I was drinking was loaded with sugar! I watched a documentary on Netflix entitled, Food Inc. and it changed my life forever. I began to walk down the isle at the grocery store and instead of seeing food as I would be before, I only saw cardboard.

So I began eating natural, healthy food. Now granted, because it's easier to get our hands on processed food, it's a challenge and I still eat some processed food, but it's mostly a bowl of cereal and not nearly as much as I would before. I noticed that when I drank filtered water and ate fruits and vegetables, organic meats, I felt sooooo much better. It was almost like the living food I was consuming made me feel more alive!

So my tip for you today is if you are feeling bad and your doctor keeps telling you he/she doesn't see anything wrong, maybe you need to reevaluate what you are eating. Visit your local farmers market in the summer and stock up on fruits and veggies that are in season and freeze them. Or can them. Try to stick with organic as it won't have any genetically modified organisms that could affect your health as well. And try to cook at home instead of eating fast food which is really not good for you at all.

Hope you feel better!
E.

Coffee and Tea Substitutes

So I'm an avid lover of tea and coffee. But sometimes you get tired of the same old stuff. So here are some yummy recipes I came across (and tried) that are sure to make your morning coffee or tea a little more interesting.

Herbal Coffee

• Mix and grind together 1 cup of ginseng root, 1/2 cup of licorice root, 1 cup sarsaparillas root, 1 cup Irish moss, 2 cups of holy thistle, 1/2 cup dried orange peel, and 5 cups roasted chicory or dandelion root. 
• Use powdered malt in place of licorice root if you desire.

Corn Coffee

• Put dried corn in a pan. 
• Add boiling water and continue boiling for 5 minutes.
• Sweeten with maple syrup. 

*This was a favorite of the Iroquois Indians.

Apple Tea

*This is good to keep handy as you will use it to treat many illnesses, although you can drink it just for enjoyment.

• Wash and core several apples and slice, do not peel. 
• Put the apples on a greased, waxpaper-lined cookie sheet.
• Place in an oven on low heat, with door cracked open.
• Turn over to ensure they dry completely.
• When apples slices are dry, close oven door and roast until lightly browned. 
• Cool and store in tightly closed container.
• Place several slices in your teapot and fill with boiling water. 
• Steep about 10 minutes.
• Add honey as needed for sweetener.

*This is a really good tonic for the kidneys.

Fresh Lemon Balm Tea

• Take 20 sprigs of fresh lemon balm, 4 tablespoons honey, 10 whole cloves, and the juice of 1/2 a lemon. 
• Pour 4 cups of boiling  water over the lemon balm, then add the other ingredients.
• Let steep 10 minutes.
• Strain and serve.

Rose Hip Tea

• Gather and clean the rose hips.
• Chop in the blender.
• Air dry them before storing in a tightly closed container.
• To make the tea, pour 1 cup boiling water over 1/2 teaspoon of the crushed rosehips.
• Steep 5 minutes until color is bright pink.
• Add sugar or honey.
• For added taste, try it with cloves, or use cinnamon sticks to stir the tea.

Reference: Jude's Herbal Home Remedies

Herb of the Week: Dandelion

Tis the season for all those pesky dandelions to pop up everywhere in your yard. And no matter how much you cut and pull, they always come back. Well those "pesky" dandelions can and do serve a purpose to you and your health. So instead of spraying them and killing them, here are some things you can do with dandelions. 

First a little background info on the dandelion. The dandelion is high in minerals, especially potassium, and Vitamins A, B, C, and D. The systems affected by dandelion are the liver, spleen, stomach, kidney and bladder. It's medicinal properties include alterative, cholagogue, diuretic, stomachic, aperient, and a tonic. You can use it for liver problems, urinary tract infections, skin eruptions, stomach pains, breast cancer or just a simple tea beverage. Dandelion has the capacity to clear obstructions and stimulate and aid the liver to eliminate toxins from the blood. 

• Remember for a simple salad, just pick and wash off the leaves. You can also make a vinegar by filling a mason jar with dandelion flowers, then filling the jar with apple cider vinegar. Cover with a plastic lid and let sit in the sun for about 8 weeks. How yummy to add Dandelion Vinegar to your Dandelion Salad!

Dandelion Tonic

• Pour 2 cups of boiling water over 2 tablespoons of dandelion flowers. 
• Steep, covered, for 10 minutes.
• Strain and sweeten.
• Drink several glasses a day for several days, or for as many days as you can before the flowers are gone.

Dandelion Coffee Substitute

• Wash dandelion roots carefully and spread in a large flat pan.
• Place in an oven at 180 to 200 degrees for up to 4 hours. 
• Turn to ensure drying.
• When the roots are completely dry and cool, you may store them as roots to grind fresh, or you could grind them before placing in a tightly closed container. 
• Use as you would coffee, or mix half and half with commercial coffee.

Dandelion Flower Beer

• Pick 100 dandelion flowers. 
• Boil 4 pints of water with 3 1/2 ounces of light brown sugar until the sugar has dissolved.
• Allow to cool until tepid, then pour over the dandelion flowers in a large container.
• Add a lemon, finely sliced.
• Cover the container with a clean cloth and set aside in a cool place for 3 to 4 days, stirring occasionally. 
• Strain and pour into tightly corked bottles.
• The beer will be ready to drink in just a few days.

Dandelion Jelly

• Pick 1 1/2 quarts of dandelion blossoms. 
• Take the stems off. Rinse the blossoms well. 
• Add 3 cups of water and boil for about 3 minutes.
• Drain well and add 1 teaspoon of lemon extract, and 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract to 2 1/2 cups of the liquid. 
• Mix in a box of pectin and bring to a rolling boil.
• Add 4 1/2 cups of sugar all at once to the mixture. 
• Bring again to a boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and skim off top.
• Put in sterile jars immediately and seal.
• Great in teas, on waffles or pancakes, or toast.