Recipe for Immunity

Recipe for Immunity

1 cup fresh echinacea root chopped (or ½ cup dried)

1 TBS dried elderberries

3 small sprigs fresh chocolate mint leaves (or any mint) chopped

2 small sprigs fresh thyme leaves chopped

¼ cup distilled water (approximately)

Vegetable glycerin

Dropper bottle

In a pint jar add all the herbs. Add water so it comes up about an inch. Add vegetable glycerin to fill the jar to the top so all herbs are covered. Secure the lid tightly. Shake daily for 2 weeks. 

Strain and save the liquid and compost the herbs. Fill a dropper bottle with the glycerite and use 1 or 2 droppers 3 times a day for the prevention of illness. If you have symptoms of an illness, take more often. 

Recipe by Jo Francks

Tomato Basil Flax Crackers

Tomato Basil Flax Crackers

1 cup golden flax seeds

½ cup raw sunflower seeds

¼ cup chia seeds

Soak in 4 cups water for 4 hours

1 large tomato

½ cup fresh basil

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

¼ cup fresh onion

1 garlic clove

Chunk up and process in a food processor until finely chopped

Drain excess water from the seeds through a mesh strainer. Combine seeds and processed ingredients. Add ½ to 1 tsp natural salt. Stir everything together.

Spread on dehydrator trays covered with parchment or solid sheets. Fills 3 or 4 trays. Dehydrate at 105 degrees F until top is solid. Flip and remove the solid sheets and finish drying. 

Recipe by Jo Francks

Sustainable Harvesting

Sustainable Harvesting

Jo Francks MH

Summer is the time to grow and harvest herbs. It is also a time to wildcraft herbs. Going out and finding your own herbal medicine is exciting and enjoyable. There are many herbs that are very abundant but there are some not so abundant and it is good to know which ones should be harvested with caution.

Here are some guidelines to remember when harvesting plants in the wild. 

-Never take more than 10% and leave the rest. 

-Make sure you are harvesting plants that are not at-risk. 

-Go to places where you know others are not harvesting. 

-Be 100% positive that you have correctly identified the plant you are harvesting. 

-Take along an herbal identification book.

-If you dig a root, leave the seeds behind to make sure a new plant will grow in its place.

-The bark should not be taken from the main trunk of a tree. Find smaller branches to prune from the tree. 

-Find out if it is legal to take plants from that area.

-Obtain permission from the landowner if you are on private property.

-Avoid areas where plants can be contaminated or roadsides with heavy traffic.

Unfortunately, many of the medicinal plants growing in the wild are becoming endangered. As the popularity of using herbal medicine increases it puts stress on the availability of certain herbs. Many of the herbs we took for granted 15 or 20 years ago are now unavailable or are at-risk. This includes herbs like goldenseal and ginseng. These herbs are now being cultivated successfully and should be chosen over the wildcrafted options when purchasing.

Luckily there are groups of people watching out for the safety and sustainability of the plants. United Plant Savers is one of those groups and you can find a list of at-risk plants on their website https://unitedplantsavers.org/species-at-risk-list/

When you are able to get out and go on herb walks, it’s great to learn to identify the plants and get to know them. The more you learn about the plants and their medicinal qualities, the more you have a respect for them and an obligation to protect the medicinal herbs we have available to us. Take only pictures when you come across an at-risk plant.

Gut Health

Gut Health

Jo Francks MH

 

Leaky gut syndrome is a condition where the intestinal lining is damaged which allows toxins and partially digested proteins and fat to enter the bloodstream. This can cause inflammation and immune responses and allergic reactions. It leaves you with symptoms like gas, bloating, brain fog, fatigue, emotional disturbances, skin problems, joint pain, and the list could go on and on. I will try and help you understand what is happening and what can be done in a situation of leaky gut syndrome or intestinal permeability as it is also called.

 

The first thing to understand is that there is an imbalance of friendly flora or good bacteria compared to bad bacteria, which is toxic, in the intestines. How does that happen? Let’s see...it probably has something to do with antibiotics destroying all the good bacteria in the gut and leaving things wide open for other bacteria to take over. Or it could be from dietary issues. Sugar in abundance is a big contributor. This includes foods with added sweetener including sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave, coconut sugar, etc. When a large part of the diet consists of this type of food it can cause an imbalance in the gut biome. The bad bacteria feed on this type of food and it grows out of control. This damages the mucosal lining in the gut where a lot of our immune cells reside. Toxins are another reason for an imbalance as well as various kinds of drugs and medication. When we add stress to the picture then symptoms will appear because of high levels of cortisol and other hormones entering the bloodstream.

 

There are a lot of contributing factors to this condition but luckily there is something that can be done to reverse the situation. Letting things go and not changing the situation can lead to things like autoimmune conditions, irritable bowel, Crohn’s disease, liver toxicity, etc. 

 

Let’s address the inflammation with herbs like slippery elm, marshmallow root, aloe vera gel, turmeric, or other demulcent herbs that help decrease inflammation. Licorice root helps by controlling the cortisol levels and soothing the digestive tract. Dr. Christopher’s soothing digestion is a great formula already put together to help with this. 

 

In case of infection, we want to use antibiotic herbs like garlic, echinacea, goldenseal, oregano, plantain, or calendula. Formulas to use are Super Garlic Immune or the X-INFX formula.

 

We also want to balance the bacteria in the gut with probiotics and fermented food. Digestive enzymes will help to fully break down the food so undigested particles aren’t leaking through the colon. Chew foods thoroughly to help utilize the enzymes in the saliva to begin the digestive process.

 

Foods to avoid are sugar, dairy, gluten, and soy. These are the most common foods causing allergies. Regular exercise will also help and make sure you are drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated. 

Have you ever wondered what prebiotics are? It is the fiber from fruits and vegetables. The fiber feeds the good bacteria in the gut creating a better environment for the bacteria to grow.

 

Dr. Christopher said that 90% of all disease begins in the colon. Science is proving that. If you are experiencing symptoms listed above or other symptoms that won’t go away consider following the guidelines that will help reverse leaky gut syndrome.