Red Raspberry Leaf Tea and Molasses

 This post is intended to be of benefit to all you women out there who are trying to nourish your bodies, especially in the child bearing years.  

Most people have heard that taking red raspberry leaf tea is beneficial for women and children, and indeed it is!  In fact, it is greatly beneficial to everyone for the reason that it is high in many of the vitamins and minerals that our bodies crave; especially Vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, magnesium, magnesium, niacin, and selenium!  This is why raspberry leaf tea it's considered one of the super foods, or a super herb, more specifically.  

In addition to being a powerful nutrient booster, red raspberry leaf tea cleans the mucus membranes throughout the digestive system and the female organs.  This cleansing nourishing power makes a woman's reproductive organs well toned and more ready to carry and deliver a healthy strong baby.  This is good news for the mom and the baby!  In addition, this process helps prevent constipation and is a good anti-emetic; which means it helps prevent vomiting.  AND, for many, it greatly eases nausea.  Wonderful!

Another use for this calming, cleansing effect on the mucus membranes is the use of red raspberry leaf tea for  the stomach flu.  It does for the stomach what a good sinus rinse does for the sinuses.  It's a good preventative, if the flu is going around, and if you do get the flu, eat nothing and drink red raspberry leaf tea all day long, as much as you can (you can't get too much) until the flu is gone.  This will cleanse the stomach lining and flush out what is causing the problem.  Many people report getting well in 24 hours.  If you stop using the tea too soon you'll know.  The symptoms will return :)  

To make this wonderful red raspberry leaf tea; pour one cup boiling distilled water over 1 tsp dried leaves and let steep 5 -20 minutes.  (We make a quart at a time and put it in the fridge.)  Strain out the leaves and the tea is ready to drink.  We find it more enjoyable to drink with some peppermint added in :)  For pregnant women, or those planning/hoping to be, it's recommended you take the tea 3 times a day.  It's very beneficial for postpartum as well. Taking the tea a few days a month when not pregnant helps tone the body and minimize the unpleasant effects of your cycle.  

Many of us have access to red raspberry leaves in our yards or neighborhood.  The best time to harvest them is late spring/early summer when the strength of the plant has gone out into the new leaves but before the flowers of the berries have come out.  Also, the leaves can be harvested as well after the berry harvest while the leaves are still fresh and supple. Never take more than 1/3 of the leaves off any branch as to maintain the strength of the plant.  Dry the leaves out of direct sunlight, in a basket perhaps, and then crush them and store in glass, not plastic.  

Is this enough about red raspberry tea?  

Just a  note about molasses, it is another wonderful "super food" for pregnant women because it helps build the blood well, helping to prevent hemorrhaging.  Taking 1 T per day while pregnant, especially during the last trimester, would be wise.  Even more is indicated if there is a history of excessive bleeding, say 3 T a day or more.  It's important that good molasses from the health food store be used, and not the common varieties found in grocery stores.  Since taking a tablespoon of molasses might be strong, one might well mix it in with their red raspberry leaf tea :)  

Have a great day!       

Echinacea

You probably have this hearty flower in your garden.  It's beautiful.  And I love it.  I have recently learned about one of the ways echinacea helps our bodies during cold and flu season.  It's not that is has properties that heal our bodies when we get sick.  On the contrary, our bodies perceive echinacea as a poison as it enters in.  As a result, our immune system gets all excited and boosts its effort to protect our body from this foreign invader, which really does our body no harm.  This increased immunity effectively strengthens us against whatever is going around.  If you are having close contact with people who are sick, or feel yourself starting to come down with something, I would encourage taking echinacea and you will be much less likely to "get it", or if you do, its severity will probably be diminished.  This tricking of the body only works for about 6 days and then you have to go off echinacea for another 6.  If you still need protection, you can then take it again for 6 days, and so on. 

XPAC has echinacea in it, and along with the other herbs contained, is very effective in helping keep us well while the monster infections rage around us.   I would keep it handy this winter.  Of course, staying away from foods that don't nourish the body and getting plenty of rest are very beneficial as well.  

Garlic!

If your cold or flu turns into a secondary infection then garlic will be your best friend.  Based on experience with our family, this usually means bronchitis for big people and ear infections for the little ones.  In this case, I have had great results in using one of nature's most powerful antibacterial weapons, garlic!

For the upper respiratory infections, I take raw garlic just like a pill.  Just peal it and cut a piece the size of the last joint of your little finger (this is very scientific), for me this is about 3/4" long and 1/2 " wide, and take it with water.  You can cut it in half or thirds if this makes it easier to swallow.  There is no need to chew it up, though you could if you would like to smell strongly of garlic for the next several days.  In fact, that is how you know that your body needs, and is using the garlic.  There will be no apparent garlic smell through the skin until the job is done.  When you feel like you're permeated with garlic and are starting to stink, it's time to stop.   This is a very safe and effective remedy.  I take it 4 times a day as needed.  When the discharge begins to run clear (instead of yellow or green) you'll also know it's done the job.

For ear infections, you can use the garlic oil, which can be made easily at home.  Just infuse the oil with raw garlic and add a little lobelia, a great muscle relaxant.  Warming the oil before putting it into the ear will make it more soothing.  You can put a cotton ball and tape over the ear to hold the garlic oil in over night.

My good friend, and master herbalist, Tisha Mecham, considers garlic a wonderful herb that everybody should learn to use.  She writes, "Garlic has been nicknamed the Russian antibiotic; it is anti-bacterial.  Garlic is effective against yeast, bacteria, cancer and virus.  It rids the system of parasites when used raw.  Clears the skin and dissolves tumors.  Very good for the heart, circulation, liver, lungs, ears, nose, throat and bronchi."

We use it regularly at our house for many of the purposes listed above, including yeast overgrowth and it works very well for us!

And remember, a couple cloves minced garlic in a spoon of honey with 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne will cure strep throat. Let it trickle down your throat. Take at least four times a day as needed.

So glad I know about the mighty garlic!!

Cold and Flu Season

As per a few requests, I am sharing some suggestions that work for me in getting over colds more easily.

First, an illustration:

     In simplistic terms our body can be likened to a wood stove.  Like a stove, we take in fuel and air and burn them to create heat and energy.  Naturally, the better quality of fuel and air we receive, the hotter and cleaner our stove will burn with a minimum of waste.  When the fuel we take in is inferior, like eating lots of junk food, the fire will burn poorly and our bodies will get clogged with waste.  This will result in a lack of energy to properly run the body's many functions and we will eventually end up getting sick.  (In addition to eating clean foods to prevent toxic build-up, fasting is a good natural way to help clear out the toxins.)   

The theory is that the symptoms of many diseases are the results of the body's efforts to remove the waste material from the system.  There are four "chimneys" through which this waste can be eliminated - the digestive tract, the urinary system, the skin and the respiratory passages.  When the body tries to use the digestive tract we can experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.  When the body uses the skin we experience body odor, rashes, pimples and pox.  If the respiratory passages are used we experience runny noses, coughs, earaches, sore throats and so on.  Using the kidneys results in kidney and bladder irritations and infections.  Fevers are seen as the body's efforts to "burn  up" waste material to be eliminated more easily.   

So, "the cold is the cure", as stated by Dr. Steven Horne, in that through this process of elimination, which unfortunately results in symptoms we don't like, our bodies are getting rid of the waste or toxins that are creating this condition.  "Germs" actually feed on toxins, and by eliminating these toxins, the germs will no longer be able survive.  Naturally then, by helping the body to do it's job of getting rid of, or flushing out these toxins, we will get well faster.  And conversely, trying to block this process (such as using anti-histamines to stop the nose from running) we will delay getting well.  Our bodies know just what to do to rid themselves of these toxins but the process can be slow.  By using herbs, pure water and other natural means we can help the body to accomplish this task more quickly.  

SO, with these basic principles in mind, following are a few tips that work well for me:

     At the first hint of a cold coming on take warming herbs to heat up the depressed body.  (Xpac helps with this too.) For me two capsules of cayenne and a tall drink of water work well.  Some people take this as often as every hour with no other food and this alone can help you get better in just a few hours.  Children should take milder warming herbs like ginger, cinnamon or peppermint.  It should be noted that it's good to give the digestive system a rest during this process. The more simple the foods we eat the better; like clear broth soups, juices and teas.

Along with warming herbs, I also take yarrow (hot tea or capsules with hot water) to relax and open the pores of the skin so that the toxins can "dump" more easily.  (Yarrow is also mildly anti-viral and anti-bacterial, as well as helping to stop bleeding.)  To enhance the effects of the yarrow (peppermint works too) take a hot bath or shower and wrap up to keep warm to speed the process.  Remember to drink a lot during this process.

It is also important for children and adults to clear the bowels quickly as toxins can be reabsorbed into the bloodstream.  (Is this too much information? :) We use Dr. Christopher's Lower Bowel formula.

If the symptoms are upper respiratory, sinus rinses are also useful.  We use Neil Med sinus irrigators from Costco.  Rinsing your sinuses is also a good preventive measure if you are around others who are sick as it may stop an infection before it even begins.  I like to add a pinch of goldenseal root powder to the rinse as it also is antibacterial and antiviral. (And speaking of preventative measures, echinacea should not be taken at the same time as vitamin C  as it will render it less effective.)  Sinus rinses are also useful for calming sore throats as the irritation is often caused by toxins dripping down from the sinuses.  Another good remedy for sore throats is cayenne stirred into a spoonful of raw honey.  (See my post about honey.)

In addition to these simple steps we take, here are a few other herbal tips for fighting colds:

     For early cold symptoms consider using lemons, elderberry, vitamin C, wild cherry.

     For old cold symptoms more useful are garlic, horsetail, thyme and rosemary.

     For a yellowish tongue, bitter herbs like horehound and goldenseal.

I hope these suggestions are helpful.  Feel free to share other ideas you have or contact me with questions.

Cayenne to the rescue!

Cayenne

 Arguable, the most valuable single herb in your natural first aid kit.

When you think of Cayenne, note the color RED and remember that this herb's greatest benefit is on the CIRCULATORY SYSTEM; boosting, toning and regulating.  Many herbs have the wonderful ability of helping the body come into balance.  Cayenne is one of these 'smart' herbs.  That is why cayenne is the preferred  remedy for stopping bleeding as well as improving circulation, guarding against hypothermia and bringing people out of shock. 

Probably cayenne's most important life-saving property is its ability to STOP HEART ATTACKS.  In the case of a sudden onset we are taught to use a teaspoonful of cayenne in a cup of hot water, and

have the person drink the full cup.

Some other valuable uses for cayenne are  :

STOPPING BLEEDING (taken internally or powder right on the wound - crazy I know, but I tried it and it doesn't hurt and does in fact stop the bleeding!  Sterilizes the wound too:)

Stopping bloody noses (Same methods used.  Also, keeping calcium levels up will tone the blood vessels and help prevent against frequent nose bleeds.)

Regulating BLOOD PRESSURE
Improving circulation (cold hands and feet, etc.)
Colds and flu (prevention and getting well faster)
Exhaustion
FROSTBITE
Gangrene
HYPOTHERMIA
Pneumonia
SHOCK
Sprains
Tetanus
Ulcers

And by the way, NETTLE acts like a mild cayenne and can/should be used if cayenne is not available (like up at the cabin). It also is full of valuable trace minerals.

TO BOOT: Cayenne is a good source of many minerals and vitamins such as; iron, magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus, zinc, Vitamins A, most B's and C.  It also AIDS IN DIGESTION by stimulating production of hydrochloric acid .

FOR THESE REASONS, and probably more, it is recommended by many that one take cayenne daily as a natural supplement (in capsules, on or with food), and have some on hand in tincture and powder form for emergency first aid. 

I love cayenne!



PRID: Homeopathic Drawing Salve

I had the most amazing experience this morning.  

But, let's back up.  About a month and a half ago, I stepped on some graphite from a mechanical pencil that Abraham had left out in his room.  It really killed.  When I went to take it out, the top broke off in my hand.  I tried to get it out with tweezers, no luck.  I tried basically every imaginable way to get it out.  As far as I could go in my foot, the graphite was still there.  I could only scrape at the tip of it (which I could see), but that didn't solve anything.
I also tried to ignore it, but that didn't work.  I had no idea how long it was, but it wasn't coming out on it's own.  I finally gave in and went to the doctor in preparation for a weekend in NY that was going to require a lot of walking.  The foot doctor wasn't really that helpful.  She also scratched at it until it hurt, and then told me to get an x-ray to see how long it was.  That sounded like surgery prep.  I didn't like it.  So I tried the "ignore approach" again.  It didn't work.  My foot was getting sore all over because I was walking on it funny, and I started to think about a life devoid of serious exercise, and probably lots of back pain.  Thankfully, however, it didn't ever get infected.
Weeks passed, and I went to a nice relief society activity.  Long story short, I happened to mention to my RS pres about my predicament.  She told me about PRID!

I ordered it online, and told Andrew to (again) put off calling another doctor.  I applied PRID on twice in 24 hours.  I noticed the spot on my foot was getting sore, so the PRID was at least agitating the spot.  This morning, after soaking my foot, I pricked the skin with a pin and released some fluid.  As I was pressing my foot to release the fluid, guess what else emerged!

Fully intact and about 3/4 in long.  I was so happy I cried.  That was a few hours ago, and I can walk straight without feeling anything at all!  I am so grateful.
My take away lessons?  Going to the doctor may or may not be helpful, but going to Relief Society definitely is.  And use PRID. 

Free Webinar Courses

Okay, so they're free to pique your interest and get you excited about signing up for their courses (which I have done :) but these free introductory courses are also very helpful in their own right!  I find their information not only useful but essential for anyone who has a sincere desire to understand the workings of herbal healing as it assists in restoring a healthy balance to the human body. 

http://www.treelite.com/articles/webinars/advanced-herbal-training-preview-classes.html

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