Summer is nearly here in the northern hemisphere, and it's time to support the bees, butterflies, birds, and ourselves. Bee Balm is the perfect way to do just that. It's a member of the mint family with a spiciness that is a cross between oregano and thyme - and it can be used in cooking as a replacement for either. Energetically, Bee Balm is stimulating and diffusive. It will take heat from your core and expel it through your extremities. Bee Balm is antimicrobial and can be used as a mouthwash, to freshen the breath, for digestive tract infections, to help reduce fever and congestion during a cold or flu, to help fight fungal infections like Candida, to cool burns, and to help keep infection away from both burns and wounds. As an anti-spasmodic and carminative herb, it stimulates digestion and relieves colic, bloating, gas, indigestion, sore muscles, and menstrual cramps. Its emmenagogue properties make it a good herb to stimulate menses when it's late - as such, it should not be used if you're pregnant. As a relaxing nervine, Bee Balm can cool hot emotions like anxiety, and calm the nerves while lifting the spirits. This herb is beautiful to see in the garden, and a wonderful herb to keep stocked in the kitchen as well!
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When you think of cinnamon, what memories does it elicit? Perhaps it causes you to think of hot apple pie, or eggnog, or cinnamon toast on a cold winter's day. Cinnamon reminds me of sweetness, warmth, holidays, and happiness. What is it about this spice that makes it so popular worldwide and throughout the millennia?
Cinnamon is a warming and drying spice that improves circulation, relieves indigestion and cramping, reduces inflammation, and lowers blood sugar and cholesterol. Studies have shown it's effective for Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. It can be used to relieve toothaches and to brush your teeth! Cinnamon is antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic. Try adding it to herbal tea when you have a cold or the flu as it has antimicrobial properties. You can buy cinnamon in powder form, chips, or sticks. DH and I love dropping a cinnamon stick in the coffee pot for cinnamon coffee. It tastes delicious and helps keep us healthy. To read about cinnamon in more detail, become a member and check out its datasheet. Spring is here, and with it we start spending more time outside with insects that bite and sting, pollen, and plants like poison ivy. We get sunburns, scrapes, and scratches. One simple 'weed' can help heal all of these minor irritations -- Plantain.
Plantain cools "hot" conditions. If you scrape your knee or get stung by a bee, the injured area burns/stings, gets red, and swells -- these are all hot conditions. Plantain's cooling, anti-inflammatory, vulnerary, and antimicrobial properties are the perfect solution for these situations. A good example of this is a 3 week trip I took with my daughter and grandkids last fall. We spent a lot of time camping and hiking, visiting zoos and other fun places. There were plenty of mosquito bites, chigger bites, bumps, bruises, scrapes, and scratches. I took four tubes of my BBG butter - a salve with Plantain and Comfrey infused oils. It took the sting and itch out of all the bites. It soothed and cooled the scrapes, scratches, and bumps. Interestingly, one of my grandsons scratched his arm on something -- the scratch was about 6 inches long, bright red, and just deep enough to draw little drops of blood along the whole scratch. I put the BBG Butter on the full length of the scratch. It knocked out the pain in less than a minute. The next morning, the skin had already closed up without a scab. Plantain also has moistening properties, which, combined with its cooling and healing properties make it a good herb for GI and lung issues like ulcers, leaky gut, reflux, and dry coughs. Plantain seeds are full of fiber, so they're a great solution for constipation. These are just a few of the therapeutic properties of Plantain. To read more about this versatile herb, check out my datasheet in the membership section. It amazes me how many herbs/spices have a licorice flavor! Star Anise is one of those spices. It's a pungent and warming spice that adds a sweet-licorice flavor to food and drinks. This spice is a member of the Illiciaceae plant family as opposed to Anise Seed being a member of the Apiaceae (Parsley) plant family. Let's look at the benefits we get from Star Anise and the cautions for using it.
Benefits: * Antibacterial - it's effective against close to 70 bacterial strains that are resistant to antibiotics. * Antifungal, fights yeast infections, Athlete's Foot, and Ring Worm * Antiviral the constituent shikimic acid can help ward off the flu and is an ingredient in Tamiflu * It's good for respiratory infections, coughs, and sore throats * Anti-inflammatory * Sedative - it can help a person relax, fall asleep, and stay asleep naturally * Contains iron which can help increase red blood cell production which improves circulation which improves energy * Promotes digestion, carminative - relieves gas, cramping, indigestion, constipation, and bloating, * May help regulate hormones for both men and women, and reduce menopause symptoms, * Antioxidant constituents may reduce the risk of certain cancers and improve the skin * Freshens the breath and may help improve oral health * Calcium - may help with bone health * Repels mosquitoes Cautions: It's important to look for the Latin name and the country of origin. Star Anise -- Illicium verum from China! There is another Star Anise from Japan, but it has a toxin that we cannot ingest. I have read about reports of the Japanese Star Anise being mixed with the Chinese and making people sick. Because of this, it's highly recommended: 1. That you know and trust the source of your Star Anise; and 2. that you not use Star Anise with children ages 5 and under. Star Anise may interact with some medications. Because of it's ability to affect hormones, it's recommended that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or who have endometriosis, and anyone with estrogen-dependent cancer should avoid using Star Anise*. * Note: Some sources report that Star Anise can promote lactation while others caution against using it if you're breastfeeding. I recommend you consult with your doctor before using Star Anise if you are nursing your baby. Resources: 1. Staughton, John, 9 Surprising Benefits of Star Anise, Organic Facts, Last updated March 26, 2019, https://www.organicfacts.net/star-anise.html, Accessed May 8 - 10, 2019 2. Seward, Marc, 10 Science Backed Star Anise Benefits, Healthy Focus, May 6, 2016, https://healthyfocus.org/star-anise-benefits/, Accessed May 8 - 10, 2019 3. Jessimy, Michael, 11 Impressive Health Benefits of Star Anise, Natural Food Series, May 1, 2019, https://www.naturalfoodseries.com/11-benefits-star-anise/, Accessed May 8 - 10, 2019 4. Mercola, Star Anise: Add This Special Spice to Your Meals, December 13, 2018, https://articles.mercola.com/herbs-spices/star-anise.aspx, Accessed May 8 - 10, 2019 5. Hill, Ansley, Star Anise: Benefits, Uses and Potential Risks, healthline, October 12, 2018, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/star-anise Accessed May 8 - 10, 2019 6. Acharya, Medicinal values of the popular herb Star Anise, Ayruvedic Talk, April 26, 2011, http://www.ayurvedictalk.com/medicinal-values-of-the-popular-herb-star-anise/1760/ Accessed May 8 - 10, 2019 Who would have thought that the common garden Marigold could be so beneficial? Easily grown in your garden, Calendula will attract and benefit the bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. You can harvest the flower heads in the morning when the dew has completely evaporated and the flowers are dry. (Or, if you're like me and are still trying to learn how to keep plants alive, you can buy dried Calendula.) Let's look at how we can use this cousin of Chamomile.
Skin. Wounds. Mucous membranes. Skin. Immune modulating. Skin. Antimicrobial. Vulnerary. Lymphatic. Anti-inflammatory. Skin. Antispasmodic. Astringent and slightly demulcent. Liver support. Skin. You get the idea -- Calendula is great for moisturizing and healing the skin. Used on small wounds, it can help them heal without getting infected. It can help take the sting and itch out of bites, stings, burns, rashes (including diaper rash and eczema), and other skin irritations. It's even showing positive results in protecting the skin post radiation treatment. Its ability to heal mucous membranes fits right in with its skin benefits. (Think of mucous membranes as slimy skin on the inside.) Taken as a tea, Calendula can help heal digestive tract issues like ulcers and leaky gut. One of my favorite ways to use Calendula is to infuse it into oil, then add it to topical products like Total Knot Out and Joint Candy for its antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties. With these properties, it may help with reducing varicose veins and hemorrhoids when used both internally and externally. I've discussed just a few of Calendula's many therapeutic properties here. Watch for my membership section to open to get in-depth information on this beautiful and beneficial herb! |
DisclaimerThe information contained in this blog is for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Archives
March 2021
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