Savory

Savory

The International Herb Association has named Savory as herb of the year for 2015. The two common varieties of Savory are Summer Savory, Satureia hortensia, and Winter Savory, Satureia montana.

Sumer savory is an annual plant grown from seeds sown in the spring and flowering in mid-summer. The tips can be harvested frequently to ensure a continual supply through the season.

Winter savory is a low growing shrubby perennial and can be used as a low growing hedge. Propagate by cuttings, layering, division or seed.

The leaves of both plants are used in cooking. The name suggests that it is a quite fragrant plant and historically was planted near beehives. The leaves have a strong, slightly peppery taste resembling that of thyme. Anciently the Romans made a sauce of vinegar and summer savory, very much like the mint sauce of today. Beans and peas are greatly enhanced by this herb with which they have a particular affinity.

Medicinally the leaves are used as a carminative to alleviate flatulence, it may also help with diarrhea, indigestion, colic, upset stomach, and mild sore throats. Externally the leaves can be used to rub on a bee sting to alleviate the pain.

Savory has been used for centuries both as a culinary herb and for its medicinal properties. Culpepper tells us that “the juice dropped into the eyes removes dimness of sight if it proceed from thin humours distilled from the brain. The juice heated with oil of Roses and dropped in the ears removes noise and singing and deafness.”  It is rich in minerals and vitamins and the leaves contain many essential oils such as carvacrol and thymol. These oils are known to have antifungal and anti-bacterial properties. The tea made from the leaves is considered a powerful antiseptic and can help improve the functionsing of the liver and the kidneys.

Consider planting a variety of Savory in your garden this year. Harvest and dry the leaves for use throughout the year.

 

Recipe

Marinated Tomatoes with Lemon and Summer Savory

3 tomatoes

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp agave

½ tsp fresh chopped savory or

¼ tsp dried savory

¼ tsp salt

Pepper to taste

1 clove garlic minced

Cut each tomato into 6 wedges and place in a medium bowl.

Combine lemon juice and remaining ingredients and whisk together. Pour dressing over tomatoes, toss gently to coat. Let stand 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Enjoy

How to Use Lobelia

Lobelia inflata

Lobelia is one of my favorite herbs to use. It is so versatile. It is great on its own. and when combined with other herbs, it is the one to make the other herbs woks so much better because it is the thinking herb. When I suggest it to people they seem to be on the cautious side and say something like "Won't it make me throw up?"
One of lobelias common names is puke weed because if someone takes enough of it, it will cause vomiting. Honestly I have never taken enough lobelia to make me throw up.
Samuel Thompson is the one who brought lobelia into the medicinal light. He used to give it to his friends as a joke and watch them puke. He also noticed that after it cleaned someone out they felt a lot better. He used it as the herb of choice for many ailments. Dr. Christopher also knew the virtues of lobelia and used it in many of his formulas and on its own.

Cough

Lobelia is a very powerful nervine and antispasmodic. My first use of it was to stop a spasmodic cough in an infant. 1 drop of the extract in the mouth and the coughing stopped immediately. I use it now to stop dry coughing and hacking. A few drops, 4 to 6, taken orally stops the unnecessary coughing and when you do cough it is productive and helps to remove the mucus in the lungs. It helps reduce inflammation in the bronchial tubes caused by an extreme dry cough.

Menstrual Cramps

Another way to use lobelia is to reduce the pain of menstrual cramps. Remember lobelia is a strong nervine and antispasmodic so it is very effective for any type of muscle cramping. I recommend using a dropperful of the extract at the first sign of cramps or before they come on. This is usually enough but if they get too bad then 10 minutes after the first dose, another dropperful should be taken, and sometimes a third after 10 more minutes. Usually no more that 3 doses are needed. It is important to use an herbal stimulant when using lobelia since it is quite relaxing. A cup of peppermint tea or even a cayenne capsule will do the trick.

Asthma Weed

Dr. Christopher used lobelia when his patients were having severe asthma attacks. His first measure was to give a strong cup of peppermint tea to prepare the muscles in the abdomen for what was coming next, then after 20 minutes he would administer a teaspoon of lobelia tincture while at the same time he was gathering some large pans. At 10 minute intervals he would give a teaspoon of the tincture and usually after the third dose the patient would begin to vomit. This is what the pans were for. They would expel all the mucus from their lungs that was keeping them from breathing and causing asthma attacks. Dr. Christopher often made the comment that this treatment worked best when the asthma attack was extremely severe.

These are just a few of the ways lobelia has been used in our family and by others. We have been blessed so much by the wonderful qualities of the herbs God has created. 

Red Raspberry Leaves

When my daughter was in a college nutrition for women class the teacher told the class that red raspberry leaf tea should not be used during pregnancy because it is known to bring on menstruation.

My daughter texted me during class and I responded “It strengthens the reproductive organs so if pregnant it creates a healthy pregnancy.” My daughter shared this with the teacher who was grateful but said it would forever be in the textbooks that raspberry leaves should not be used during pregnancy.

How unfortunate that the wonderful benefits of this herb are sometimes misunderstood and considered harmful and dangerous.

One of the many virtues of red raspberry leaves is that it feeds the reproductive organs and strengthens them so they work properly on their own. When these organs are strong and healthy, menstruation naturally occurs. A woman can go through a healthy pregnancy without complications and a healthy baby is born. Women have used red raspberry leaves for painful periods, heavy periods, morning sickness during pregnancy, preventing miscarriage, and easing labor and delivery.

Raspberry leaves offer a vast array of nutritional value including vitamin A, B complex, vitamin C and E, calcium, iron, phosphorous, and manganese. The leaves are also astringent and are used for diarrhea and on the skin to tighten the tissue.

Mastitis

Mastitis is an inflammation of the breast most often occurring while a mother is breastfeeding.  It is caused by blocked milk ducts and is relatively common.  Mastitis usually happens when bacteria enter the breast through the nipple.  This can happen when a nursing mother has a cracked or sore nipple.  Another cause could be from engorgement which happens when the new milk comes in or when there is a long period between nursing and not enough milk is expressed from the breast.

Symptoms may include breast enlargement on one side only, breast lump, breast pain, fever and flu like symptoms including nausea and vomiting, itching, nipple discharge, swelling, tenderness, redness, and warmth in breast tissue, tender or enlarged lymph nodes in armpit on same side.

To help avoid mastitis, make sure the baby is latched on properly when nursing, to empty the breast completely and avoid cracked nipples.  Get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids.  Warm or cold packs on the painful breast, helps bring relief.  Place a warm wet washcloth over the affected breast for about 15 minutes.  This increases the milk flow.  Breastfeeding usually helps to clear up infection, and nursing will not hurt the baby.

For herbal help we turn to Dr. Christopher’s Glandular Formula:  three parts mullein to one part lobelia.  Make a tea of this and use as a fomentation on the breast at night and use the oil or ointment during the day.  The tea can be drunk, 1 cup three times a day.  Also one would want to use herbs to fight infection: Echinacea and golden seal, the lymphatic formula, garlic, myrrh, etc. The herbs should be taken every hour or two to help get rid of the infection.

Get plenty of rest and eat a healthy diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds.  Nursing is always the best thing for a new baby and its mother.  It is a time to bond and relax and enjoy a newborn.  Mastitis can be discouraging, but it is not a reason to quit breastfeeding if it is taken care of quickly. 

Grandma Leigh's Apple Pie

This is a recipe I discovered while going through some cupboards. My mom wrote this for me when I went to college way back when. I wrote it here the way she wrote it for me. Her pies were the best.

Apple Pie

6 cups peeled and cored apples cut 1/4 inch thick
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp butter

Roll pie crust to 1/8 inch thickness and about 2 1/2 inches larger than a 9 inch pie pan. Fold in half to put in pie pan. Put apples in pie. Mix other ingredients and sprinkle over apples, dot with butter. Roll remaining dough to 1 inch larger than pie. Fold in half and make slits 1/2 inch in center (make 3 slits) of fold and place over pie (first wet edges of bottom crust with a little water) crimp edges of the two crusts to seal them together (may also be sealed by pressing a fork along the edge) Bake in preheated 450 degree oven for ten minutes. Reduce heat and bake 30 min. at 350 degrees (or 40 min at 425 degrees)

Seed Milk From Melons

Instructions to Make Seed Milk From Melons

1. Cut a ripe cantaloupe or honey dew melon (other melons will also work) in half. scoop out the seeds and put them in the blender.

 


2. Add 2 1/2 cups of distilled or purified water. The amount of water can be adjusted to your own liking.

3. Blend on high for a minute or two.

4. Strain through a piece of muslin cloth, or a nut milk bag into a clean container.

5. Squeeze the bag to get out all the liquid possible.

This seed milk makes a refreshing drink. Use it in smoothies or pour it over cereal. It is very nutritious and tastes great.

Cleanse and Nourish

Cleanse and Nourish

Jo Francks MH

Recently I had someone ask “What can I take for low thyroid?” After talking to this person a little about how the body works the question was asked “What can I take for high blood pressure?”  Not long after that someone else asked “What herb can someone take for Leukemia?”

In these cases these people seemed to want a magic pill that would cure the condition they were asking about. In all these cases the same information was given. Our bodies create symptoms and disease because of the way we eat, drink, feel, think and live. Taking the right herb for specific conditions can only do so much. Lifestyle changes need to be made in order to change what is going on in the body. First we need to cleanse the system of toxic accumulations which have been building up over time. We do this by doing a three day cleanse and following the mucusless diet and using herbs that help the body cleanse itself. We also need to change our thoughts since thoughts lead to emotions. For some people this is harder than changing our diet. We’ve spent a lifetime with our thoughts and they become habits. In Karol Truman’s book Feelings Buried Alive Never Die there is a list of ailments and conditions and the thoughts and emotions that are connected to them along with some cases where people have overcome conditions by changing their thought patterns. Our mind is powerful and our thoughts are powerful. They can put us in a good mood or in a bad mood and they can motivate us to be positive or negative. And guess what?  Positive people and happy people are also healthier.

Our bodies were designed to work perfectly. We are all born with some genetic weaknesses but amazingly we survive. We can change and move toward wellness no matter what our condition is at the moment. Spring is a wonderful time to do a cleanse and commit to a more healthy diet. It is also a time to see things anew with all the new growth all around us.  Take one negative habitual thought that is going on with you and each time it comes up reverse it to a positive thought. It takes a conscious effort to change. I hope you will commit to changing one thing this month and see how powerful you really are.