Podcast with Susun Weed

I'm thrilled to have the renowned herbalist Susun Weed with me on tonight's podcast. Join me today Friday October 7, 2016 via Wolf Spirit Radio & Haggie Shack Radio from 6 pm - 8 pm central. If you miss the live broadcast you can listen next week from the "Podcasts" page on the website or the Youtube channel.

Susun Weed

Susun, a green witch and wise woman, is an extraordinary teacher with a joyous spirit, a powerful presence, and an encyclopedic knowledge of herbs and health. She is the voice of the Wise Woman Way, where common weeds, simple ceremony, and compassionate listening support and nourish health/wholeness/holiness.

She has opened hearts to the magic and medicine of the green nations for five decades. Ms. Weed's five herbal medicine books focus on women's health topics including menopause, childbearing, and breast health.

Visit her site www.susunweed.com for information on her workshops, apprenticeships, correspondence courses and more! Go to:  www.wisewomanmentor.com for Susun’s free herbal ezine and also mentorship offerings for those who want to go deeper.

Topics to Be Discussed

Ms Weed and I will be discussing various herbs that can be used to deal with the various mental and physical issues our society deals with and uses various pharmaceutical drugs to mask the symptoms rather than dealing with the issue within the body. 

We will also be discussing herbs that everyone over age 50 should be using and why.

It's Your Life Natural Living Magazine

Late last night my awesome dream life coach and creative designer Krista Nelson from Just Get it Done Now made this happen. Running a magazine is no easy task even before this issue was published I have articles coming in for August/September issue. At the same time I would not want to do anything else. I love all of our contributors who share the same passion that I do, to help others live happy, healthy, natural lives.

I want to thank all those who read, subscribed, and shared our first issue. We had over 15,000 views and it is still climbing, thank you for your support. I also want to say that we have decided to keep this as a free magazine. However, you can subscribe to be notified when a new issue is released. If you want to know when the next issue is released receive a free monthly unique article on natural living go to the Updates page on our web site.We have also set up a Blog Talk Radio account and once that gets going you will be updated along with receiving when new shows are recorded, guests, and the topic they will be discussing.

So, what can you expect to see in this issue? We have alot, but our focus is on dairy month.

Awesome Photography Spread

Once again Krista Nelson my dream life coach and creative designer for the magazine is a woman of many talents take a look at her spread on the inside cover and first page.

Organic Cooking with a Teen

Alexia a 15 year old homeschooler share her joy for cooking organic meals page 9

Dairy Alternatives & Recipes

Dr Jennifer Weinberg MD, MPH, MBE is a lifestyle, wellness, and environmental health consultant and certified health coach article on page 12.

The Three P's of Successful Homeschooling 

Lynda Ackert founder of Christian Homeschool Hub a place to meet other homeschoolers her article is on page 15

What it Means to be Organic: USDA Organic Standards Explained

This article is a reprint from the Botanie/Soap blog for organic soap making supplies or personal label which can be found on page 19

Blacksmith Class for High School Homeschoolers

Joyce Wheeler from It's Your Life blog and publisher of It's Your Life Magazine page 20

DIY Ginger Tincture

Mary Smith from Mary's Heirloom Seeds GMO free seeds article on page 23 

Cooking With Carob

Diane Hurst from the Gentle Shepherd  homeschool curriculum site & more article is on page 25

6 Ways to Make Fitness a Family Affair 

Aimee Shilling from the blog Forty by Forty Fitness is a marathon who shared this article on page 28

Developing Language Skills in Children Naturally

Katie Glennon from Katie's Homeschool Cottage Charlotte Mason & unit studies article on page 30

Benefits of Raw Milk

Marla Gates from Organic 4 Greenlivings is a natural living blog find her article on page 33.

Purification  

Gonzalez blogs at Rehab to Riches is a homeschool mom and Living Young distributor see her article on page 35

How to get your Kids to Eat Veggies without Losing your Cool (or your mind) 

Lindajean Luca CNHP helps others live natural lives through the use of foods and His--n-Herbs supplements her article is on page 38



Be sure to visit the It's Your Life web site where you can submit a question for Mary about gardening or Dr Weinberg about natural health. Select questions will appear in the magazine and web site. If you are interested in being a contributor visit the Contributor's Guidelines page.

New Online Magazine Opportunities

I'm both honored and excited to announce the upcoming launch of the magazine named after this blog. There was a struggle with the name of the magazine, but it was determined that "It's Your Life" fits with the natural living theme of the magazine.

With a desire to educate others in how to live a happy, healthy, natural life the name of the blog seemed to fit. After all it is your life and you have choices to make in regards to how you live it. Do you want to continue living sick and tired or are you sick and tired of it? Now this magazine gives no guarantees, but instead seeks to open minds to the various health and mental problems many suffer. What most do not know is how complex our bodies and minds truly are and what it can take to make or keep them healthy.

Through my journey to a happy, healthy, natural lifestyle I have learned alot and continue to learn. Sharing the experiences I have had personally and the inspiration of others who have also overcome physical and mental health problems without drugs is what this magazine brings to its readers. Striving for a unique magazine that has never been done before we have come up with some great ways to help our readers lead a happy, healthy, natural lifestyle.

What You Will Find in Our Magazine

• Unique articles geared towards natural healing of various health and mental problems 
• Articles geared towards physical fitness its importance and the many benefits it brings
• Self sufficiency on various levels rather you just want to grow your own food or strive to be totally off the grid
• How to avoid GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and improve your health along with unique recipes
• Superfoods are important for our bodies as they bring various vitamins and minerals other foods do not. 
• Herbs for health, healing, and growing
• Detoxing and avoiding heavy metals and other toxins
• World news that makes a difference to our health
• The mind is a terrible thing to waste yet so many of us do find out how powerful your mind is and how it can bring you peace, happiness, and financial freedom
• You will be introduced to coaches who can make a difference in various aspects of you life.
• Homeschooling is an important part of the natural living lifestyle as our children were given to us to raise and bring up. Each issue will include a topic with links for study, knowledge, and fun.
• All advertisements will be geared towards natural living if it be those who create, provide, or can bring to us something that effects our life in a positive manner.

 

This magazine incorporates all these topics into one magazine by writers who are either living what they write about or have a strong passion for the mentioned topics. 

Call To Action

• We are seeking more bloggers passionate about these topics to write for us in exchange for advertisement with a live link and bio.
• If you have a product you would like to advertise geared towards natural living we will do it in exchange for a link to the online magazine on your site, will include a live  link time span to be determined.
• FREE issue for those who will put up a link to the magazine in their sidebar for that issue
• If you have a topic you would like to see written about that no one else has addressed email me @ edjumpoff@yahoo.com.

These terms are for a limited time only to be determined.

The deadline for the first magazine is Monday March 16, 2015 contact Joyce Wheeler editor, writer, publisher, and co-designer for more information @ edjumpoff@yahoo.com.

April is Autism Awareness Month if you or someone you know has dealt with this health problem naturally we want to hear from you. We are seeking an article on a family who done this and know that they are out there. So, many families deal with autism and they need to know that if caught early enough it can be eliminated.

Vegan Summer Salad & Dandelion Tea

I have been wonderfully busy freelancing, and being a Beachbody coach. So, as of now I have only one day to blog, along with hosting Real Food Fridays, which kicks off tonight at 6:00 pm central.

We have a Fresh Market here which carries a variety of organic foods with some junk mixed in. Usually when we go we get hungry, they have an area where you can purchase different types of salads. You can get things like chicken salad, tuna salad, spinach deep and much more. One day I was digging on this salad that had broccoli, tomato, cheese, with a yogurt dressing, oh it looked so good. We had bought this in  Illinois from a similar store, theirs had bacon in it, and it was so good. Well this one fell short, it did not taste as good, and did not have much yogurt dressing on it, it was bland.

Well I decided it was easy enough to make my own so I purchased some cherry tomatoes, broccoli, vegan mozzarella cheese, and vegan creamy garlic dressing. I mixed everything together except the cheese, southern man would not appreciate vegan cheese, I added it to my own. So, simple, so good, so healthy, and great for a summer lunch.

Due to my slight high blood pressure I have been retaining water. I do not want to take any meds and discovered that dandelion tea is a natural diuretic. A friend told me she got some organic at Target, so I set to get me some. First let me say it does work, and it is great for that monthly bloat, which I mentioned in my post "Natural Remedies for Monthly Cycle." The thing I thought was so neat about Organic Roasted Dandelion Root Tea by Traditional Medicinals was the little messages on their tea bags. Look at them are they not cute?

Natural diuretic is not the only benefit that dandelion tea holds. Many might know this already, but for those who don't here's a list of other health benefits of dandelion tea.

• Prevent or cure liver disease 
• Gentle diuretic 
• Cleanse the system
• Dissolve kidney stones
• Improve gastro-intestenial health
• Assist in weight loss
• Cleanse the skin including acne
• Improve bowel function both constipation and diarrhea
• Prevent/lower high blood pressure 
• Prevent/cure anemia
• Lower serum cholesterol 
• Eliminate or reduce acid indigestion and gas buildup 
• Prevent/cure various types of cancer
• Prevent/cure diabetes 
• Vitamins and minerals, iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, A, C, B and D

While it is said that dandelion tea is safe for pregnant and nursing women always consult with a health professional first. It is recommended that if you have any present health issue, are on medication, or scheduled for surgery you should consult your health professional before taking this or any other herbs.

Natural Remedies for Monthly Cycle

I love this book I have learned so much from it, and it has helped me in various ways with my health. The past two months I have used an herb, rightly named, cramp bark for menstrual cramps. Now this will only benefit you if you know a week ahead of time that the "visitor" is coming. You have to start taking it the week before in order for it to work.

Now it has no direction for use with menstrual cramps on the bottle. I received that information from the book. So, if you buy some be sure to remember to start using it the week before.

Another wonderful herb/weed I learned about through this book is dandelion. Dandelion is the best natural diuretic you can get. This is the first  month I used it, and I did not bloat. I drank two large cups once the week before, and the same again during.

 So forget the over the counter drugs that mask the symptoms, both of these will relieve them.

 I have some awesome news as an affiliate of Mountain Rose Herbs I can offer giveaways. After contacting them it was agreed to giveaway a bottle of camp bark extract, yeah!!! Mountain Rose is where I purchased the cramp bark, but I bought the capsules. The dandelion tea came from Target and is Traditional Medicinals organic brand.

I will start co-hosting Real Food Fridays again starting next week. There will be a number of giveaways on there, so be sure to drop by to see what is being given away along with finding some great real food recipes.

This information is  for educational purposes only. I am not a trained health care professional, so always consult with one before taking any type of herb especially if you are taking other medications, nursing, or pregnant.

Making My Own Supplements

Southern man has come to me multiple times saying we have to make cuts somewhere. Where? We cut out cable, our cell phones are just for calls, and the cheapest we could buy. I am not going back to GMO junk, and our organic diet is are greatest expense.

Our next biggest expense is our supplements, and I'm not sacrificing that either. So, one day when I was searching the sale items on Azure Standard I came across a capsule maker, and vegetable capsules. Why not make whatever supplements we can it would be cheaper, so we made the purchase.

The directions stunk, but I figured it out. You can make 24 capsules at one time. Just place the bigger end in the base, on the plate, and the smaller end in the part by the box. Here I was making Hawthron  which per another post I am using to control my blood pressure.

I used a 1/2 tsp to put the powder into the capsules. It does not go in easy, but the green flat item in the picture to the right is used to scrap the powder across the capsules pushing the powder into the capsules. The part on top is then used to push the powder down into the capsules. So, you have to scrape and push until the capsules are full. The powder in the picture was enough to fill the capsules.

Once all the capsules are full you take the piece with the smaller ends on them and press it together with the filled pieces. Both pieces have flexible pieces on the bottom which you push together. You do have to push them at various points to make sure all the capsules adhere to each other.

You should carefully separate the two pieces to see if all the capsules adhered to each other. Sometimes you will have a couple that don't adhere just repeat the process.  As you can see the capsules come out nicely. To release the capsules press the flexible piece on the bottom.

Once they are lose gentle take them out one by one, and gently push the larger and smaller pieces together. I purchased the Hawthorn jar at a local organic store for a buck something, and the other one was given to me by a friend which she purchased at the dollar store.

Curios about Valerian, it's a very relaxing herb, aids in pain relief, great for the nervous system, and when used with Hawthorn helps to lower blood pressure.

We had the choice between two different sizes "0", or "00", we chose the "0" which makes a 500 mg capsule. The cost? We paid $17.50 for the capsule maker, and $13.50 for 1,000 capsules, or about that cost. I purchased our herb powder from the Bulk Herb store (affiliate link on right.) However I purchased more herb powder from Mountain Rose Herbs just the other day (affiliate link on right.)

So, basically any herbal supplement that you use which comes in powder form can be made into a capsule. Here is one way we can stay healthy and save money at the same time.

Do you make any of your own supplements?

Anxiety, Stess, and The Nervous System

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No, this is not a science class. Yesterday I spent two hours in the dentist office while the 17 year old had a root canal and crown put on. I just want to say I love this dentist, the teen had an infection and he wanted to put him on an antibiotic. Of course I made a face as if I just tasted something awful, he noticed this. He allowed me to heal the infection my self without batting an eye lash, we need more like him. Okay enough with that.

I knew I was going to be there awhile so I grabbed a book on the way out Rosemary Gladstar's "Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health". I have had this book for awhile and use it to just look things up. My 22 year old daughter suffers from horrible anxiety and panic attacks, and then I have these tremors. Rosemary dedicates a whole chapter to "Taming Anxiety and Stress." This section also covers the nervous system extensively. This is the chapter I focused on for two hours, and let me say it is very interesting how the nervous system effects our mental health.

By treating the nervous system we are treating our whole body along with our minds. When we use pharmaceutical drugs to treat depression, anxiety or panic attacks we are stifling the nervous system from doing the job it was created to do. So, what I got from my readings is that lack of various things in our lives is what is causing our problems.

Stress puts tension on the nervous system which many times ends in sleepless nights. While others may fall asleep and wake up feeling like they have had no sleep, both are caused by stress on the nerves system.

Exercise is important, but did you know it is important for a healthy nervous system? No? Neither did I.

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Oh ladies you are going to like this one, massages, yes, massages are excellent for the nervous system. Having your feet our hands massaged is particularly important because they contain the nerve endings that extended through our bodies.

How about a footbath or bath to not only relieve the stress and tension of the day, but also help our nervous system.

And the dreaded one what not to eat, foods that stress the nervous system such as, chocolate, caffeine, processed refined foods, sweets, and sugars, and alcohol. Then there are the ones we need to add to our diet such as, alkalizing foods, sprouts, high quality protein, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, root vegetables, cultured milk products such as kefir, yogurt, and buttermilk, lemons, grapefruit, seeds, and nuts. Also include spirulina, bee pollen, and nutritional yeast. All of these help our nervous system.

I'm going to buy some bee pollen and nutritional yeast next month, oh she also mentions adding calcium essential for healthy nerve function. There is so much more in just this one chapter, and I encourage anyone to buy this book who suffers from nerve disorders, anxiety, stress, insomnia, tension, or panic attacks.
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I thought it was interesting that I also learned about nerve demulcents, herbs that aid in healing irritated, and inflamed nerve endings. Just what my teen needed after that root canal, while there are various herbs mentioned the one I have is marshmallow root. Marshmallow root has a gel like consistency which coats and protects the nerve endings. 

This is an awesome chapter in this book, and it was hard for me to believe that I was looking just for ways to strengthen my nervous system. Instead I can also help my daughter with her panic attacks and anxiety. Rosemary includes various herbal recipes in this book for nerve tonics, teas, an herbal footbath, a sleep pillow, a nerve formula for insomnia, and recipes for reducing anxiety and panic attacks. She also includes a guide to flower essences for stress and anxiety, these are not essential oils.

I will share the footbath recipe with you, Rosemary says this is great if you have a headache. While soaking your feet place a cold compress on your head, it will stop a migraine in its tracks.

Photo credit

Herbal Footbath

2 Parts lavender
1 Part hops
1 Part sage
1/2 Part rosemary
A few drops of lavender essential oil is optional.

Place all the herbs in a pot of water, cover tightly, and bring to a low simmer. Simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Pour into your footbath, adjust with cold water if necessary. The water should be as hot as it can be without burning your feet.

Once your feet our in the water cover your footbath with a thick towel to retain the heat. You might want to add a cup of soothing tea such as chamomile, or  feverfew/lavender.

What an awesome book, I'm going to have to read more instead of just looking at the recipes which there are alot of. I also used this book for the prevention of menopausal symptoms, I'm 49 if that means anything to menopause, and have no symptoms. I have to say I also believe that workingout for over twenty years plays an important role.

Healing The Flu Naturally

The boys went to camp the weekend before Thanksgiving, and the 15 year old was nice enough to bring us back a present. One we could have done without, the flu. He slept for two days most of the time, had a slight fever, runny nose, sneezing, and no appetite.

I started the whole household on 1 tbs of elderberry syrup numerous times through out the day. It was hard  to get the 15 year old to take the syrup every hour, as he should have been, when he was sleeping so much. He took it when he was awake along with 10 squirts of Silver Biotics three times a day. The rest of us were also taking our squirts three times a day, along with 1 oil of oregano, 1 turmeric three times a day, and a cup of peppermint/eucalyptus tea with raw organic honey.

He came home Monday, and did not feel 100% until Friday. My daughter, 22, who was visiting from Tennessee was the next to get it, oh poor Goose, on her vacation. She didn't have the fever, she was tired, no appetite, a cough, a horrible headache, and was very thirsty. Sleep consumed her for 15 1/2 hours between Thanksgiving day, and Friday, but after that she was fine except for the cough.

My healthy crazy babies, 2011, Goose pic in the van again.

My 17 year old was next, he also had no fever, but lacked an appetite, had a cough, the horrible headache, and took a small nap Friday. By the next day he was just left with a cough. I thought I had pumped my self with enough stuff to avoid it, but come Friday night, my throat was scratchy, I was coughing, and my body ached. Unlike the others sleep did not consume me, and my appetite never left me.

For me it lasted until Sunday, and like the others I am still left with a slight cough. While talking to Goose, the other day, I mentioned I was having very loose bowel movements, and she said she was experiencing the same thing. My daughter went home Saturday, but the rest of us are still taking our natural remedies. My husband? Well so far he is fine, we think it is because he was not around the 15 year old when he had the fever. Yes, he is also taking what we are, not so much the elderberry syrup, which we have cut back on. Instead of every hour we are taking it about once to twice a day.

We have gone through 1 1/2 pints of syrup, so glad I made 9 jars, you can get the recipe on my post "Making Elderberry Syrup." The turmeric is all gone, and more has been ordered, also glad I had ordered more of the Silver Biotics before I even needed it.

You might be wondering why I documented everyone's symptoms, and what they dealt with. It is so you can see how healing naturally works, while we still got sick you can see that the time of illness, and symptoms became less, and less with each person. In a future post I will talk about what we took, and what it does for the body.

If one person becomes sick don't just treat that one person treat the whole house for prevention. Coming up tomorrow, how I will motivate my self back into my work out routine, aghhh.

Lemongrass Tea Benefits

I was wanting some lemon grass in my garden because it is known to repel mosquitoes. In our part of Louisiana they are badddd, I mean they will drag you off into the swamp. okay not really, but there are gangs of them.

I'm so glad I did not order it because I found it at the local farmer's market. I was able to get two bundles for $5.00, whoot, total score. The man was very knowledgeable, letting it sit in a vase until roots form will allow me to replant it in my garden. He told me the whole plant could be used, the leaves for tea, and the ground up root and leaves in foods.

On my own I learned that just cutting the leaves off and brewing it does not work. It seems it needs to be activated in order to reap the benefit of that great lemony flavor. It is not that lemon taste that makes you pucker, but this lite wonderful flavor. While it is good hot, I love it over ice, great for this Louisiana heat, ahhhhh refreshing.

As you can see there is a thick part to the leaf. I stripped the leaves off of both sides of the thicker part, and than cut it up into small pieces. This worked great I could smell the lemon scent as it brewed. The taste is amazing, and you will not get that if you just cut off the leaves.

I was told I could dry, and use it that way, well maybe in foods, but not tea. I tried it, and did not get that wonderful taste that I do when I used it right off the plant.

So, what are some of the benefits of lemon grass?

General Uses

• Colds coughs & sore throats
• Anxiety
• High cholestrol
• Type 2 diabetes 
• Colitis 
• Digestion 
• Rough dry, scaly skin
• Acne
• Constipation 
• Kidney detoxification 
• Insomnia
• Relaxation & deep sleep

Lemongrass is strongly known for its antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Also known to reduce fevers, relieve pain, muscle spams, stomach issues, relieve headaches. It has also been known to help the body repair damage to connective tissue. Has been connected to improving blood circulation. In some cases it has been known to kill cancerous cells.You can read more here.

Vitamins

• C
• A
• B several

Minerals 

• Calcuim
• Phosphorous
• Magnesium
• Manganese 

I have been drinking a large cup every day since I bought it, and have noticed I have more energy. Even though my energy levels have been up since I started taking supplements I can now do an hour and half work out easily. Previous health issue left me working out only an hour with the focus on my abs, and upper body. I was lacking the strength to do any heavy duty aerobics, but last week and this week so far I am up to an hour and a half. Before health issues I was working out two hours at least four days a week.

It is amazing when you give your body what it needs how it heals it self.

A Change in the Spice Cabinet

When we changed our food, we also changed our spices. I don't know what is in the big brand spices in the local food stores. Nor do I know how they are grown, are their pesticides? Don't know, but taking no chances.

I found Simply Organic, I love the size and don't those glass jars look nice? The bag on the left is minced garlic from Mountain Rose Herbs. You also see a blue bag which contains our trace mineral filled pink sea salt. Then on the far right is our spice mixes, chili, taco, onion dip, and other dips. Yes, that is a mason jar on the right in back which contains turmeric, also from Mountain Rose Herbs.

Changing the spices took the longest, I replaced one or two each month. There are still a few more to go, but we have all the basics we use on a regular basis. So, when switching to real food, don't forget the spice cabinet. Man I love those glass jars, and love that my spice cabinet looks more unified now.

Healing a Tooth Ache Naturally

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Last Monday night I looked in the mirror and noticed swelling where a bad tooth is located. I had no pain at that point just swelling. The next day it was twice the size, that familiar pain came upon me that I was to familiar with. I'm still new to healing with herbs and could think of nothing for pain expect for ibuprofen. From my past experience I knew I could take four tablets every four hours.

I needed something for the infection, and for various reasons was not about to go to the dentist or contribute to the big pharmaceutical companies. I remembered that I had some SilverBiotics, and started using that. The ibuprofen did not take the pain away fully there was still that underlying pain letting me know it was there. I was not sleeping through the night due to the pain.

Now it is Thursday morning at 3:00 AM, and I can't sleep due to the pain. Oh I was also applying some Thieves oil to the tooth which numbed it, and gave me great relief if only for a little while. I laid in bed trying to sleep applying Thieves oil to the tooth with a q tip. Finally the pain subsided, but now it's this horrible hunger pains keping me awake. Well now it is 7:00 AM, I'm awake, unable to sleep, and my stomach wants food.

I was having a hard time opening my mouth all the way and decided to put my self on a soft food diet until this past. Looking through the pantry I spotted some cream of chicken soup, yes I'll eat this. While I was heating up my early morning meal I booted up the computer and decided to search for natural remedies. First for the pain I wanted off the synthetic junk. I came across a web site called Young and Raw and their article on Reduce Inflammation With a Turmeric Cocktail .

I need to reduce the inflammation, but it turns out turmeric is also a natural pain killer, SCORE!!!!! I had some organic turmeric and some organic coconut juice. The recipe called for 2 tsp turmeric and 1 cup of juice or coconut water. On the site it said it works so well that those suffering from chronic arthritis and rheumatism have had great results from turmeric.

Now for a natural antibiotic, I found another site (which I couldn't find) which listed various herbs that are antibiotics. I looked to see which ones I had and which were the most effective, ah oil of oregano. The web site said if you take oil of oregano at the first sign of an infection it will wipe it out within 24 hours. Yes, this is just what I need and have.

I still continued with the SilverBiotics, what could it hurt right, and added the turmeric cocktail every four hours, along with oil of oregano three times a day. At this point I was ready to get rid of the ibuprofen, but did not want to risk the chance of pain. It was going good by Thursday night I was pain free, but still swollen. Each day I took less Ibuprofen, by Saturday the swelling had really gone down, I was still on my soft foods diet. Sunday the swelling was down even more and I was free from ibuprofen. Today, Monday, just a little swelling left, and I am off the soft foods diet.

You might think wow it must have been pretty bad if there is still some swelling. Yes, it was I looked like I had a giant jaw breaker stuffed in my cheek and the swelling went down to just under my chin. I really think I looked a lot the cartoon character above, at least I felt the way he looks. Well I know the tooth has to come out to avoid further out breaks, but I still want nothing to do with a dentist office.

Warning: I am not a doctor please seek the advice of professional health care provider. Herbs can have a negative effect on children, pregnant or nursing mothers, or those taking other medications

Lemon Balm Tea With Lemon

A friend of mine grows lemon balm in her garden. One day while over at her house she offered me some lemon balm tea, I added some honey and right then fell in love with this lovely tea. Come fall she will give me some to plant in my garden, yeah!

Many herbs are dried and then used, lemon balm is best used straight from the garden. You can use a dried version, but the medicinal properties are not as strong.

Lemon balm is a perennial and considered to be in the mint family. Listed are some issues lemon balm can be helpful.

Note: Nursing or pregnant woman should not use lemon balm, it may also interact negatively with some medications, if you think lemon balm may not be right for consult a health care professional before using. 

• Anxiety
• Sleep disorders
• Indigestion
• Wounds
• Cold sores
• Herpes
• Cognitive function
• Menstrual cramps  

If using fresh herbs wash them and gently squeeze remaining water from the lemon balm. I love my stainless steel strainers, and have one that fits over the pot I use (1.6 qt) for brewing perfectly.

Alright I added raw cane sugar, Turbinado, to be precise. I was going to use honey for the challenge, but being a creature of habit I automatically added a cup of Turbinado. Then I added five sprigs of lemon balm, washed, to the strainer and let it sit until I saw steam coming from the pot. I took it off the burner and let the leaves simmer in the hot water for about 5-10 minutes.

Remove the leaves and strainer, and let the tea cool, I am using a quart mason jar, and if you pour it in when it is hot there is a chance of the jar breaking.

I added  half of a lemon sliced up with some ice, I was able to get two quarts from this and stored them in fridge to chill and drink later aahhhhhh, so refreshing. While it is called lemon balm it does not taste like lemons, but has a very light flavorful taste. Louisiana is hot and very humid and this aaahhhhh refreshing tea is perfect for these hot summer days.

The one jar sat in fridge for over 24 hours, the lemons were on top and it tasted very sour. I removed the most of the lemons leaving only two, put the lid back on and shook it up, yes that is better.

This post shared on Wildcrafting Wednesday.

Herbs for Pre-Menopause/ Menopause

At 48 I realize I have to think about pre-menopause, aghh really? I don't feel like I am 48, but none the less I am and took out my handy book "Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health" by Rosemary Gladstar.

Rosemary has a whole section in this book for woman's health. There are seven herbs just for the female system even if you are not at that point in your life like I am. If you are you would want to go to page 227 for the "Essential Supplements For Menopause.

Dong quai is known as the woman's herb it is great for over all gynecological issues, uterine tonic, hormone regulator, circulatory system, and high in minerals especially iron. DO NOT use this herb if you are menstruating or pregnant. You can take two capsules three times a day, eat 1/8 of the root, or take 1/4 teaspoon of the tincture two to three times a day.

Calcium goes without saying we know how important it is for bone health which will help to prevent osteoporosis, but did you know it also prevents hot flashes. There are many foods that contain calcium such as almonds, kale, spinach, nettle, and of course cultured milk products such as yogurt.

Ginseng is a great tonic herb, builds life force slowly, great for long term deficiencies and imbalances.  A steady flow of grounded well balanced energy, also aids to eliminate mood swings and depression.I eat 1/8 inch of root daily, you can also make a tincture and take 1/4 teaspoon twice a day.

Iron is beneficial for robust health, high energy, and helps keep blood oxygen rich. If you are exhausted, fatigued, or stressed it could be your iron is low. There are large selection of foods listed in the book that are high in iron including alfalfa, cereal grains, eggs, oats, and more. There are also herbal sources such as Herbal Iron Syrup, horsetail, nettle, parsley, spinach, wheat germ and more.

Spirulina by weight, 55 - 70 percent protein, concentrated amounts of B vitamins (helps strengthen the nervous system) and gamma-linolenic acid helps prevent degenerative diseases like osteoporosis and arthritis. Take 1-2 tablespoons of powder or 6 capsules daily.

Vitamin E is a great nutrient for the reproductive system, a specific remedy for hot flashes, muscle cramps, and vaginal dryness. Various foods are mentioned like whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables, bee pollen and others. It is often recommended for those going through menopause, 400-600 I.U. a day. CAUTION if you have diabetes, rheumatic heart, or high blood pressure should not exceed 50 I.U. daily, consult with health practitioner first.

To  learn more about natural healthy pre-menopause or menopause herbs I highly recommend this book. There are recipes for various tincture geared toward menopause along with more useful information. Also this book is not just for woman's health there is a section for men, children, elders, stress and anxiety, every day ailments, and beauty. There is also 175 teas, tonics, oils, salves, tinctures and other natural remedies for the whole family.

I purchased mine through The Bulk Herb Store for $16.95. Please consider using the affiliate link on the right if you would like to purchase this book. Note I did not write this as a way of getting others to use my affiliate link. These herbs have been helping me so I thought I would share my source of information.

I am not a doctor, this is strictly for educational purposes only. Always consult with you health care provider before taking natural remedies.


Do you have a go to natural book in your personal library?

Update, I just got The Bulk Herb Store newsletter and was happy to see that this book is one of the specials for June. Get it for $11.87 using code JUNHOM, once again please consider using the affiliate link on the right.

This post shared on Wildcrafting Wednesday and here.

Teaching Children About Herbs

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Mountain Rose Herbs and Learning Herbs dot com have put together a book club for kids to learn about herbs. This is done through various ways, stories, coloring pages, recipes, games, crafts, and so much more.

This program was designed by Kimberly Gallagher, wife of John Gallagher founder of Learning Herbs dot com. The book club runs for 13 months, each month you and your child/children will have access to one title of the book series "Herb Fairies," a magical tale of plants and their remedies. This is not just an ordinary book club this is a learning system for children.

The cost for the book club is $97, WAIT!!! This is for a LIFE TIME, so you can use it as much as you like when you like. Just added today April 11. 2013 payment plan, start for just $37, and then make two additional monthly payments of $37 go here, and scroll all the way to the bottom. Okay another up date came in my email this morning, you can test drive one book for FREE!!! What a great way for homeschoolers to do science, fun, hands on, education. You can easily use this for children at different levels allowing one curriculum for various children. Even if you don't homeschool this is a great way to teach children about the herbs around them, and their healing properties.

Books are available in various formats, hard copy (on demand), PDF, Kindle, I Pad, all other e-readers, tablets, and smart phones. These are chapter books which consist of 40-50 pages each with full color illustrations. The books are meant to target children between the ages of 5-12 however, it is said that all age groups love these books. You also get an audio for use with any MP3 player, great for non-readers. Now read on to find out more about this unique book club.

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It is actually a web site where you have access to the books in all their formats (except hard copies which also has an additional charge), items to create a journal, coloring pages/posters, recipes,  even a discussion board, and more. Children will experience various fairies, male and female, whose names relate to a particular herb and their characteristics also coincide with that herb. One thing I think is really cool is that the fairies are not only various ages, but also represent the ethnic group from the country the herb is native to.

Children will learn how to identify herbs in the wild, how to harvest them, their medicinal properties, and how to make various recipes with them. Through this children will be more likely to try the homemade healing remedies because they are creating them with you.

Hurry, there are only 5 days to join, and then it will be closed until the spring of 2014. Why is that you are wondering? Well that is just another awesome point of this book club, children will learn through out the growing season about the different herbs blooming during each season.

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If that is not enough there are two freebies, "Herbal Roots" is a magazine your child/children will receive each month for the 13 months of the book club. The herb contained in each issue will coincide with the herb in each book being studied. There are song, puzzles, games, recipes, and so much more.  Just added today you also get "Herbal Remedies for Children," a 93 page e-book full of information for the cold & flu season, plus more such as remedies for teething, and tummy aches.
 
 For more info on this amazing book club visit Learning Herbs and just scroll down. If you would like to view the promotional video along with watching the testimony included or just sign up than just click here.

You only have five days, and one day is already gone the club opened yesterday April 9, 2013, so hurry up so you don't miss this great teaching opportunity!






  Book One: Stellaria’s Big Find

"Imagine the excitement of four children playing in the park when they discover a real, live fairy. Not just any fairy, but Stellaria, the chickweed fairy. Chickweed is one of their favorite healing plants and it turns out Stellaria was looking for them. She needs the children’s help to restore the fading magic in the Fairy Herb Garden. When Stellaria takes them to her fairy home, the children find that restoring the magic means facing a troll. Can they figure out how to use chickweed to heal the troll’s ailments? Will they be able to solve the riddle to guess her name?"                       Taken From the Learning Herbs Web Site



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Knowing Your Seeds

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If you are planting with seeds it is important to know how what they would go through before sprouting. For instance would they sit on the ground some where through out winter, which is what I am talking about today.

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Recently I bought this awesome book by Tammi Hartung called "Homegrown Herbs," A Complete Guide to Growing, Using, and Enjoying more than 100 Herbs, which you can purchase at The Bulk Herb Store through the affiliate link on the right. I love, love this book for herbs, not only does it tell you everything about various herbs, how to grow them, what their companions are, how to harvest them, but it also includes recipes for medicines, and personal care, along with others for cooking.

Recently I planted a variety of vegetables, and herbs, and noticed that my Yarrow was not sprouting. I went to the book, and looked in the personalities section to read more about this herb, and find out what was wrong. It turns out that this seed needs to go through what is called stratification. See some seeds dropped to the ground, and are left there through out the winter months. During that time they are exposed to moisture rather it be from snow or rain, and would also experience times of freezing, and thawing which benefits the seeds.

So to mimic this process seeds need to be placed in a ziplock bag, with a few drops of water, shack the seeds to coat them with the water, place in the freezer for a month, take them out to thaw for a few hours. This process should be done over a two to three month period of time. However, if the seeds would experience a milder winter, not frozen this process can be accomplished through the use of the refrigerator.

In the back of the book there is a section called "Herb Personalities, A Closer Look at Each Plant,"
Here she tells you witch plants need to go through the cold stratification process, and for how long. However, she doesn't tell you if you should use the freezer or the refrigerator. There is a chart of the plant habitat preferences, a little common sense, and using this chart I think can help us figure it out on our own, It would be convenient, however, if it was included in the personalities section.

While that is only one thing I learned from this book there is so much more. Once my herbs have bloomed I look forward to using the "Harvesting from the Garden" section of this book. I also love that she has included so many charts, diagrams, and colorful useful photos. I highly recommend this book for those just starting out or those who would like to learn more. Other chapters in this book include the following.

• An Introduction to Growing and Using Herbal Plants
• Selecting Plants and Designing Your Garden
• Secrets to Great Soil
• Propagation Methods
• Garden Maintenance
• Pest and Disease Control
• Harvesting from the Garden

This blog was shared on Wildcrafting Wednesday and here.