Food addictions: Another excellent post from Aviva

I am a major candy fiend, and not chocolate, either (though I do see good quality 65% or more dark chocolate as health food).  I'm into the fruity, sour, gummy types, things like Tart Garden Children (names changed to protect the innocent) especially.

There are reasons why we have a hard time eating just one salty, sweet or crunchy snack.

Aviva Romm has another great post, this one on dealing with food addictions.  Read it here.

If you are interested in women's and children's health, I would encourage you to subscribe to Aviva's blog.

Detox your Medicine Cabinet: Another great article from Aviva

In this article,  Dr. Aviva Romm shares some great information on how to stock a more natural medicine cabinet.  Many of the remedies (teas, tinctures, etc.) can be made at home. You can also find ready- made preparations from Mountain Rose Herbs, local health food stores and websites. 

Herb Fairies is available again for 2014!!

Herb Fairies is a series of books (one released each month) which teaches about herbs through the adventures of four children in a land of fairies, trolls, elves, dwarves and magic. Each book features an herb  with remedies, uses, etc.  Included are mp3, pdf, epub and mobi (kindle) versions of the stories, learning journals, coloring pages,  recipes and a corresponding issue of Herbal Roots e-zine.  Herbal Roots is a children's e-magazine full of useful information, recipes and activities. You could use Herb Fairies and all the included extras as a curriculum to introduce children to herbs.   I would suggest going through the stories with your children if you concerned about the magical/mythical elements of the stories.  Heck, I'd encourage you to go through the stories with your children anyway  because they are full of so much great information.  If your family is interested in learning about herbs, check out Herb Fairies.

http://herbfairies.com

What's with the name: Herbal Gifts from the Father?

Some Christians are concerned about using alternative medicine because of the pagan/new age beliefs that are often prevalent among natural healers. I had similar frustrations.

I chose the name, Herbal Gifts from the Father, as a reminder, to myself first, that our heavenly Father has given us these gifts. They are not the gifts of a pagan mother (Earth, Nature, Gaia, etc). I chose this name to help Christians feel more comfortable using herbs without the baggage that may be keeping them from exploring the wonderful healing gifts the Father has given us in plants.

Please don’t misunderstand me; I have great respect for my mentors, many of whom are not Christians and have pagan/new age beliefs. In fact, you will see many posts that come from or are inspired by my mentors. My purpose is not to slander or abuse them. I love each of them and owe them immensely. I look forward to continuing my herbal learning at the feet of my beloved teachers.

If you have any questions, suggestions, etc. please feel free to comment. Because each person has a unique constitution and responds to herbs differently, I can’t answer specific herbal questions on a blog, but, your questions can be great starting points for future posts. If you would like to set up a personal consultation, please email me at herbalgiftsfromthefather@zoho.com.

Thanks for stopping by Herbal Gifts from the Father.

–Michelle

Oil-Pulling?

Oil-pulling has become very popular on the web and in social media.  Todd Caldecott is a medical herbalist and Auyervedic practitioner.  Oil pulling is based on several Auyervedic therapies.  I personally have  never  tried it.  All previous information I've seen oil-pulling says to swish a mouthful of oil for 20 minutes.  As a person with chronic TMJ-related problems, this did not sound like something I should be doing.  After reading Todd's article, I might have to give this a try.

What is oil-pulling?

What's brewing? (or A Few Ways to Prepare for Cold and Flu Season)

Cold and flu season is approaching, so the preparations have begun.

 I have echinacea extract brewing.  One batch usually lasts me about 2 years but it is time to make a new batch.  At the first sign of something coming on, we turn to echinacea.  It is also a main supply in my herbal first aid kit.  It is great for washing cuts and scrapes (it will sting, though).

 I also have my a second batch of elderberry extract brewing.  When you add half the volume of honey to make elderberry cordial, it goes down so well, that it doesn't last long.  We take about a teaspoon three times a day for prevention and sip it more frequently if something sets in.  Her is my recipe:


Make an extract of dried elderberries by filling a jar 1/3 with dried berries and fill the rest of the way with 40-50% alcohol (vodka, scotch, etc.)  Heather Nic An Fhleisdeir says to use scotch, the cheaper the better. Let the jar sit for 4-6 weeks, shaking periodically.  After 4-6 weeks, strain, add ½ the volume of honey.  

If you are in a hurry (or concerned with the alcohol) here is a quick recipe for elderberry syrup:

Bring 1/2 cup of dried berries to boil in 3 cups water and simmer for 30 minutes.  Mash the berries and strain.  Add 1 cup of honey.  Bottle, label and store in the refrigerator.

We also prepare for cold and flu season by adjusting what we eat and drink.  This time of year, I cut back on dairy for my little ones.  We still occasionally have fermented dairy such as kefir and yogurt but if there is any congestion, we stay away from it all.  I really try to limit added sugar as well (I know holiday season makes this tough).  One major change we made in the last year is to get rid of fruit juices or drink them very sparingly.  We drink herbal teas instead.  I did this gradually by cutting fruit juice with herbal tea and over time, I added more tea, less juice.   Lately, with the busyness of life, I've been using herbal/fruit tea blends from the grocery store, but I plan to get out my recipe for Hi-C (vitamin C) Tea and start the kiddos on that again.

 If you have any questions or topic suggestions, please leave me a comment.

A Fresh Start

It has been over a year since I set up my blog, but I never got past the introduction.  I think I became overwhelmed by the thought of blogging - how to come up with meaningful posts, what do people want to read, etc.  So, today is a new start.  This blog will be very casual but, hopefully, informative.

Let's get started.