Get ready for the cold

Basil

Plant it now 

Rosemary

During the summer there is so much to do outside in the sunshine.  The grass is green, the flowers are blooming and we work, for some, to have the perfect yard.  Why should it stop when the weather gets colder.  Having fresh herbs in the house during the winter time can bring spice into your life and can help keep you in a positive frame of mind.

Right now, you may get herbs at a reduce price at your local gardening center.  Last fall I went found some great deals on many of the herbs that we can use every day.  There can also be some of the pots, potting mixes and gravel or pea pebbles (for drainage in some of the closed bottomed containers).  Take a trip to the resale shops as well for the nicer containers to decorate your home with a little more flare.  It can be fun and very fulfilling to enjoy that little bit of green around your home.

For many years in human history plants have been very helpful not just for spices but certain types of homeopathic remedies to help the body heal from certain ailments.  Many medications that we now use in today's medicine had some association with a plant based product.  Many herbs are seed producing plants that die at the end of their growing season.  They can be used for their scents to help ailments and/or medicinal qualities within their leaves but how ever you use them always check and double check what they are and how they are used.  There are many great books out there and many can be found at discounted places such as a thrift store or the bargain book area of your local book store.  

You don't need just herbs, any plant will do

Herbal remedies, sometimes called botanical have been around for quite a long time.  In ancient India, about 10,000 B.C. to present old clay tablets were discovered in the area known now as the Middle East that mentions plants that had healing qualities.  Early writings called the Vedas were 4 books describing and identifying individual herbs that would correspond to the physiological action they had on an individual.  This was the start of the Ayurvedic medicine that Hindu religion developed into.

Further into history the ancient Asian cultures arose, from 5000 B.C. to present, that embraced the idea that one should seek balance with the natural forces around them to better ones life.  This worked with Chinese Taoism and bipolar medical systems, the opposing actions yin and yang. 

Since the month of October starts getting wet and cooler we will check out some great teas and a little extra info that have been used through the ages.

Dangerous types 

Always remember to go to a reputable store that sells herbal supplements and get educated before you start mixing some ingredients together.  Always check with your doctor to make sure no medications you are on will give you a  problem with your current health issues.  If you have never used herbal products before start slowly and make sure you do not have any reactions to them.  

St. Johns Wart can interfere with Beta blockers

Licorice root should not be used if you have high blood pressure

Dandelion or Ragweed - you could have an allergic reaction to this herb

Echinacea - using too often can cause skin irritations, itching or rash

Rosemary - may cause epileptic type fits or too much could cause poisoning

Remember to always:

• Check with your doctor
• Check with your pharmacist 
• Look for scientific research finding regarding what you want to try
• Always make sure that you understand whom the manufacturer is for the product.  There are many that can be made out of country.  Double check the contents and their reputability.
• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding there could be complications, so refer to the first point
• If you are younger than 18 or older than 65 there may be specific reasons that you should not use certain herbs.

Colds

Have some ginger tea or a ginger tonic wine. Use the tea if you have any problems with wine or the fermentation processing of it.

Ginger Tea

Hot water
Slices of ginger from the ginger root

• Add the ginger root to the hot water
• Seep for a little bit

Ginger Tonic wine 

Inexpensive white or red table wine
2 inch piece of ginger root

• Pour off about one to two ounces of wine from the bottle.
• Wash and cut 2 in pieces of ginger root into the wine
• Re-cork the bottle
• Place it in a dark place for about a week to 10 days
• Strain after it sits and clearly label the bottle

Drink it at first signs of a cold.

Fennel Tea & honey

This combination had been used by the ancient Egyptians to help shorten a cold.  Sometimes they would add one of the following: caraway seeds, anise seeds, cinnamon sticks or cloves.
The ancients Egyptians also would use garlic to help maintain good health.  Garlic was thought to be a vital antibacterial for a number of infections.

Sore Throats

One of the oldest know remedies
 for a sore throat remedies is the use of salt mixed with water.

1 teaspoon of salt

8 oz  glass of water

Rosemary

Rosemary is one of the easiest to get and grow in your home.  This herb is very durable for those of use that don't have a green thumb.  Here are a few tips to help you thought this hectic time of season.

There is so much going on at the beginning of the school year so sit back and enjoy a treat with some Rosemary tea.  This can help comfort your thoughts and help to refresh your memory.

Basil

This herb is pretty great for many culinary dishes.  Warm spaghetti is very helpful during the crisp days of fall.  As well as comfort food, basil can be used as a tea to help with pain from an insect stings and could help with insect repellent.

References:
Herbal supplements: What to know before buying them - Mayo Clinic Staff

Buchman, Dian Dincin. Ancient Healing Secrets: Practical Cures from Egypt, China, India, South America, Russia, Scandinavia, and More. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2005. Print.  

Buchman, Dian Dincin. Herbal Medicine: The Natural Way to Get Well and Stay Well. London: Herb Society/Rider, 1983. Print. 

Davis, Patricia. Aromatherapy: An A-Z. Saffron Walden: C.W. Daniel, 2000. Print. 

Rosemary, cooking herb or cooking something else up

Rosemary-

This is a marvelous herb with all sorts of uses, but what is it really?

Rosemary or Rosmarinus officinalis is a perennial evergreen shrub.  Perennials come back every year if they are taken care of correctly. It has silver-green needles shaped leaves and at the top of the plant can have pale blue flowers.  It can grow to about five (5) feet tall and helps to divide different areas in a garden. 

This plant grows all over Europe, which earliest records had shown that it was originally seen around the Mediterranean coast.  Rosemary grows best in sandy, rather dry soil with some extra help by putting some lime in the soil.

Legends states that the flowers were once white but after the Virgin Mary hung her cloak on one of the bushes during the Holy family resting point on a trip to Egypt they turned blue.

Aromatherapy uses was used in shrines among the people of ancient Greece because they did not have prepared incense.  Rosemary perfume can be like that of Frankincense because they can be very aromatic.

You can use rosemary in a dream pouch to help with a more peaceful rest at night. 

Hair care has been one thing that many ancient cultures have used this herb for.  The Ayurvedic medicine, rosemary was used to help with hair loss and to modify psoriasis of the scalp.

·      A handful of rosemary leaves

·      Pint of boiling water

Add the rosemary leaves into the pint of boiling water.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Strain, cool and rinse your hair with it.  This will help to stimulate the scalp.

Headache can just be a problem for many people. So try a small amount of rosemary oil on your forehead and temples.  You can also put a few dabs behind your ears.  Inhale the fumes from the open bottle several times and then repeat after about ½ an hour.

Maybe a good massage is in order.  Rosemary can do the trick to help them with muscle tension relief.  Rosemary has been used to help treat dancers and athletes such as long-distance runners for tired stiff and overworked muscles.  The combination of rosemary, lavender and marjoram with other oils may just do the body good.

For pain relief of a different kind, use:

·      2 cups of rosemary

·      3 cups of brandy

·       

Steep for 1 week.  Strain and use the liquid as a poultice on the areas to help for arthritis and problems with rheumatic joints. 

A poultice is a homemade remedy of mashed herbs to make a paste.  This paste is said to help draw out infections or relieve inflammation.

Rosemary can help to stimulate the brain and inhaling a few drops of oil can work great for mental clarity.

Respiratory problems can be help with the use of rosemary as well.  This can range from common colds and sinusitis and asthma.  It is best to put a few drops in a small pan of water and heat until warm and steam is made.  Use a towel over your head and then put your face just above the hot water into the steam. Make sure you are not touching the hot pan without appropriate cloths or hot pads so you do not burn your self.

A tonic can be made to help the liver, heart and gallbladder as well as to help lower cholesterol levels in the blood.  Always remember, rosemary cannot work alone with out a proper diet and exercise so please remember to work on an all around health and well being.

Cooking:  It is good with meat dishes such as pork, mutton, or lamb.  You can use every part of this up end of this plant for flavoring.

Tea to induce sleep:

Mix 2 tablespoons of dried peppermint, with 1 tablespoon each of rosemary and sage.  You can seep this in hot water and add honey to help sooth the nerves and allows you to relax.

You can cook with rosemary for different ways to help your inner self as well.  You can look at using it to cleansing, for help with beauty, knowledge and for grounding.

Try adding the herb with garlic in your fried chicken batter.

If you grow rosemary in your garden, you can cut the sprigs (branches) of rosemary and put two of them in tall olive oil bottles and fill with olive oil.  When you do this you are able to make very tasty oil for cooking.  The best time to do this is during the late summer.  You can make the bottle fancy and even give them as unique gifts.

Very good information about gardening tips

Warning for rosemary is that it can cause epileptic type fits or even poisoning if not taken correctly.  Do not use Rosemary during pregnancy or people with epilepsy.  Please consult your doctor when looking at any alternative therapies.

References:

Buchman, Dian Dincin. Ancient Healing Secrets: Practical Cures from Egypt, China, India, South America, Russia, Scandinavia, and More. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2005. 92-97. Print.

Davis, Patricia. Aromatherapy: An A-Z. London: Vermilion, 1995. 278-80. Print.

Seymour, John. The Self-sufficient Gardener. New York: Metro, 2008. 200. Print.

Wilen, Joan, and Lydia Wilen. More Chicken Soup and Other Folk Remedies. New York: Fawcett Columbine, 1986. Print.

Williams, Jude. Jude's Herbal Home Remedies: Natural Health, Beauty & Home-care Secrets. St. Paul, MN, U.S.A.: Llewellyn Publications, 1992. Print.

Gallbladder attack

So here I sit watching my husband rest in a hospital bed.   Could we have prevented this trip to the hospital on our vacation time?  Who knows but probably not that's just the way our luck runs.  His whole family has had some problem with this organ and he still had his until today.  So you ask what is the gallbladder and what does it do?  This is the skinny.

The gallbladder is an organ that is just behind the liver more toward the mid to right side of the body.  It stores bile from the liver.  Bile is an important substance that is made by the liver that is put into the small intestine through the cystic duct to break down and digest the food we eat. More importantly fatty foods.  If something blocks or stops the flow of this bile problems occur.

Symptoms of problems can be sever abdominal pain, pain when eating, heart burn, indigestion, vomiting, nausea, fever, jaundice and in some cases nothing at all. When it hits it can even be as scary as a heart attack because it can even cause chest pains.

The different symptoms may be caused by gallstones deep in the gallbladder, blocking the flow of bile from the cystic duct which is called choleltlithiasis.  Some people can have these stones for years and never know they are there if there is no blockage.

Biliary colic is what used to name severe bouts of pain that gallstones can cause.  Usually only lasting an hour or two.

Inflamed gallbladder or cholecystitis means that your gallbladder is inflamed which can be caused from gallstones, infection, excessive alcohol use or a tumor that causes a back up of bile.

When you have pains that are not normal always consult your doctor or if all else fails get to the hospital or call 911.  It is so scary when you are out-of-town but never take chances with your life.  For gallbladder problems can really only be detected by an ultrasound. 

There is no way to know when something will go wrong with your body but always check with your family for different traits they have.  Such as a family history of diabetes, do what you can to live to enable yourself to not get it or at least lessen your chance of getting it sooner than later. Lowering that risk as much as you can may be one of the ways that could work for you.  Maintain a healthy lifestyle and weight.  With my husband he did have a healthy weight but some of his food choices have been questionable.

Avoid rapid weight loss, or the yo-yo life of fat/thin, fat/thin routine. I do have done that.  I don't think my body knew what to do.   Slow and steady proves to be the best kind of weight loss. Once you lose it do what you can to maintain it.  Exercising with weight management could and many times works the best together.  Exercising can be as easy as a walk around the block, your house or just cleaning.  Do what you can to stay active.  

There is evidence that shows staying away from high saturated fats in foods that is found in fatty meats to be helpful for those that could have gallbladder problems in their family history.  Other items are butter and other animal products.  Add more fiber, fruits, veggies and nuts to your menu.  Cut down on those simple sugars and carbs. Always enjoy life with moderation.  Maybe we can all stay healthy for the year to come!

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" - Benjamin Franklin

WWW.everyday health.com/gallbladder

Food for Thought - POMEGRANATE

With this powerful little red seeds wrapped into a ball of  juicy deliciousness can inspire you to create.  

The pomegranate is actually a tree that is native to Iran.  The use of this little red seed has been used for centuries in different cultures for a variety of reasons.  It's written history of its curative qualities had been recorded back in 1500 BC for the treatment of tapeworm and other parasites. They are now cultivated in the Mediterranean areas, parts of the United States, Russia, Afghanistan, India, China, Japan, (WebMD)The shape of some fruits was thought of by the ancients to have symbolic meanings.  With the pomegranate, is round or womb-like and that was to help bring fertility to Turkish brides and they carried it for that reasons (Telesco, 2001).  The ancient Greeks stated that Aphrodite was credited with planting the first Pomegranate tree since some myths that the pomegranate is an aphrodisiac (Avey, 2014).  

The overall functional and medicinal effects of the pomegranate can include improved skin health, improved oral health, improved cardiovascular health, antitumoral, anti-inflammatory properties, antimicrobial properties, antioxidants and antidiabetic properties.  Take a read look at the comprehensive review from the Institute of Food technologist article I have found on this awesome fruit.

We all can have issues with the lack of sunlight so it is easy to get pretty down.  I love to plant in my garden, write, walk the dogs, exercise and just enjoy life but this darkness thing really gets to me.  I went to the grocery store the other day and saw one of my favorite foods, beautiful red pomegranate!  Our warehouse Club has them four to a box as well as the local supermarket had them 2 for $4.  Of course, I picked them up!   They are said to help creativity, which is a great blessing for me.  You can put them in salads, Jell-O, or just eat them plain.  The seeds are so packed with juicy nutrients they are a blast of flavor in your mouth.

There had been much folklore about what this little seed can help with in a person's life such as the relief of a sore throat (page 147 Jude’s herbal home remedies), canker shores & cold sores (page 209 Jude’s).  Keep the folklore alive and check with your family to see if you have any different ways to use products that are a natural high. 

This is the way the fruit stacks up!


48% Vitamin C (common cold, immune system, your eyes cardiovascular disease & skin wrinkling)
58% Vitamin K (helps blood clotting)
27% Folate (B vitamin that is essential for cell growth & metabolism)
22% Copper (good to keep anemia away)

18 Total Carbs (11 grams dietary fiber or 45% dietary fiber (we all need to stay regular) 39 grams sugar)

5 grams of Protein
There is more in them but this is the areas there was the most to see.

My thought is when your body tells you that a food is need it listen.  Need creativity try a pom!  It can help it did for me it may for you!

Avery, Tori. "Learn Why These 10 Foods Are Edible Aphrodisiacs." PBS. PBS, 10 Feb. 2014. Web. 06 Dec. 2015.

"Nutrition Facts." And Analysis for Pomegranates, Raw. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2015.
 http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2038/2 

Telesco, Patricia. Bubble, Bubble, Toil, & Trouble: Mystical Munchies, Enchanted Edibles, and Other Culinary Wizardry. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2002. Print.  

Viuda-Martos, M., J. Fernandez-Lopez, and J. A. Perez-Alvarez. "Pomegranate and Its Many Functional Components as Related to Human Health: A Review." - Viuda-Martos. Institute of Food Technologists, 2010. Web. 06 Dec. 2015.

WebMD Find a Vitamin or Supplement POMEGRANATE http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-392-POMEGRANATE.aspx?activeIngredientId=392&activeIngredientName=POMEGRANATE

Williams, Jude C., M.H. 1st ed. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1992. Print. 3rd Printing.

Disclaimer:  As with anything always consult your family doctor when trying a new food, especially if you are on any types of medications.  There can be interactions that can happen.  Over use of any product or the use of a product not for its intended purposes.  I am not a medical doctor and have tried to use reputable websites and books.  This is written to information from the information that I have read and is available.