This summer is just flying by too fast. I've been taking several breaks from my computer, and limiting what I have been doing here to reading news and current events. Mentally my mind has been going in circles and wowed with all the natural instances of Gods power. It is so easy for me to turn into a crisis-watching-news-junkie, and all the mental stress that goes with it. Put that together with the fact that we live in coal country and have been watching the industry take a beating from our gov't and their pushy cronies (the EPA) and watching thousands of jobs get pulled from under the only real economic engine in the state. However I have had some good come of the spring and summer and I will squeeze as much in as possible to keep you updated. 

     First I was able to get a late start garden in. I have quite a small yard, and was able to put the biggest little garden plot yet ( the kids don't like having to play on only the slanty part of the yard lol). I was able to get tow rows of heirloom green beans in  and a row of heirloom yellow neck prolific summer squash, a row of heirloom straight eight cucumbers and half a row of heirloom butternut and zucchini. Also at the beginning of August I let the kids plant a small kiddo fall garden plot with some snow peas, broccoli and lettuce, although the lettuce is refusing to make an appearance. Except for the cucumbers and the broccoli and beans, the rest are new to me. Don't laugh but I have learned several things. One being that you don't plant yellow summer squash in the middle of the garden.2 Cucumbers planted that close together is possible, provided you train them up, and only if you have more supports than I do. Otherwise you have a viney, leafy mess that needs constant pruning. 3. No one in their right minds needs more than four squash plants. I have a 20 foot row of approx. 15 plants. 4. Because of the arrangement and spacing of the  yellow squash, I'm having quite a problem pruning back the leaves on all the plants with the powdery mildew.

Grace at the camping site with the Volcano

     Earlier this summer I received my Volcano Grill. Something I really want to show you. We got to take it camping when my BIL came in from the navy on leave. Unfortunetly we got rained out but I got to work with my Volcano some. I am still aiming to try an actual loaf pan of bread with it. As soon as I get some time I'd like to try it.

Nathans finger after 1.5 weeks with P.P.

     And again and again Ive gotten the chance to use my Peoples Paste formula. The most recent episodes were where Nathan sliced his finger if not all the way, nearly to the bone. The formula is also currently in the employ on Cecily's chin where it is healing up a nearly one inch gash on her chin from trying to walk across an unsecured board up on the stumps in the yard. OH. MY. There was blood every where.

     But perhaps the most engaging thing this summer has been learning about Hebrew Roots. I plan on having a whole separate series of posts on this soon. It has been literally  life changing. Suffice to say the Father has been leading me to the discovery of momentous things hidden in plain sight in His word. Things that I almost feel stupid for not seeing before. Among those things is the actual observance of Shabbat (seventh day) as he laid down in the beginning. I hope I can pull out some good elephants for this series of posts. I hope to be succinct in relaying to you the magnitude of what I have discovered. It has literally rocked my world, and continues to do so every week. Thanks to Passion For Truth (PFT) Ministries and a most helpful best friend, I've been able to see things as they really are. After all there are more areas to be prepared for than just food and water and such. The ultimate preparedness is our final destination. Knowing the Truth is what really matters in issues of the heart.
     Also I've been able to get the needles out again and start a couple new projects. I can hardly believe that I've kept my sanity over the last year, without having touched nary a thread. I've decided life isn't worth being THAT busy to leave knitting out. So I've put some leg warmers on the list for the girls and a nice cabled cowl on the needles for myself. I hope to have pictures soon.
     What has kept you busy?

Kidney Formula

  Most of the reason Ive educated myself in herbs was to help the issues that my dear husband struggles with. But for whatever reason the more you try to convince *ahem* certain types of people what is good for them, the more they dig in their heels. Such is the case. But recently a breakthrough has occurred and because of increasing pain due to work conditions and diet, we have finally started addressing these issues with a wonderful cleansing, healing formula from Dr. Christopher.  

      My husband has had problems with his kidneys from the beginning of his life. At 5 months old he was Rock Island Illinois youngest kidney patient. Because of several accidents, he's gone through shunts and hydronephrosis (retaining urine), kidney stones by the scores, and as of a couple of years ago a nuclear test showed three masses in his left kidney either calcification's or cysts. At one point at 17 a doctor recommended that the kidney be removed. Thankfully (although he wouldn't agree) it was left intact.

     Personally I have used this formula for kidney infections, and track infections (UTI) in myself and my daughter. Ive given it to my in-laws for kidney stones and also severe UTI, working miracles every time. But what about a severe case such as kidney calcification or cysts?  Well I'm happy to report it works just as well and brings wonderful relief. Dear husbands kidneys have been overactive lately and have been giving him many pains due to extra water he was taking in at his very physical job. Usually his beverage of choice is Pepsi. Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. Snack. Drinking any kind of water actually hurts his kidneys because he knows they start getting rid of all the gunk built up inside. Needless to say he avoids water at (almost) every turn. 

     So with his arm behind his back with a promise NEVER to mention herbs to him again in my life, I bribed him to try them FAITHFULLY and see what happened. WOW was he amazed! Although he had to take more capsules more frequently than an average Joe, they relieved the pain of the overactive kidneys. He finally  found an avenue of relief. Now if I can convince him to keep taking them even when they don't hurt him to clean up the condition even better.... we'll see.

     This formula is sold wherever Dr. Christopher products are sold. HERE is where I buy some formulas that I don't make myself. This is one of the first few formulas that I did purchase ingredients in bulk for, so I make my own and encapsulate them. And by the way- encapsulators are great for being able to get the formulas tweaked to your own  liking and needs. If you get very far into herbs one is wonderful to have.  

LONG LIVE HERBAL GEEKS!

Dr. Christopher's Kidney Formula:

1 part each by weight-

• Juniper berries (juniperus communis)
• Parsley (petroselinum crispum)
• Uva ursi (arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
• Marshmallow root (althaea officinalis)
• Lobelia (lobelia inflata)
• Ginger (zingiber officinalis
• Goldenseal (hydrastasis canadensis)

This can be made into a tea, a tincture or a capsule. Suggested use for tea is a cup morning and evening, or two capsules or 30-60 drops of the glycerine based extract a.m. and pm. with a cup of parsley tea. (DH didn't take the tea, but even taking it with WATER was a huge step for him!)

--Jamie

Herbs, Skills and Compassion

For some women its shoes. For others its hats or purses. A friend of mine goes nuts about fabric (which has been known to ring my bell) and stockpiles it like a squirrel on speed (yes Staci I'm talking about you!). But one of the two loves of my online, and offline foraging life is herbs. I admit a sad obsession for checking the UPS and USPS tracking services when expecting a delivery, multiple times in a short period (heaven forbid if I have to wait over a weekend!)

Well once again I've gotten to experience the giddy-ness of meeting my UPS lady and her delivery my way.  There was no chance of me even trying to wipe the stupid grin off my face, as I had the last components of my Vital Herbs formula, calcium formula (which we have been without for some time), and Peoples Paste formula from the Be Your Own Doctor book which I recently reviewed, as well as some Lavender oil which I had been waiting for them to restock since before the baby was born.  SQUEEEEEAAAALLLL! :-D

      I firmly believe that information is our all around best defense in any kind of situation that would require preparedness. When the economy finally does collapse (there is no IF about it) and we are in dire straights, a person better be able to have some form of tangible, or trade-able commodity (since the average joe doesn't keep a chest full of silver coins under the bed) to use for barter and securing a place in the new and emerging social structure of the day. Having valuable information and skills will add to your community and your personal security.

      For instance, my herbal knowledge could be the deciding factor between my acquiring some essential necessity that my family needs that I have no access to. In fact an herbal healing knowledge puts the ball in my court as for placing the trade value on items. How much would it be worth to the person who has no money to afford tylenol (were it available) for a child's fever, to have my skills and and know-how as what needs to be done? What about the man who can't afford to be off work because of a potentially threatening injury or infection? What would you pay to stave off a case of MRSA in the event of no locally available (yet ineffective) antibiotics that a doctor would prescribe to you? Pneumonia? Flu? Diabetes? Heart problems? What is your health and the health of your loved ones really worth to you?

      Back in the day doctors were well off, not necessarily for the money they made, but because of the security. No cash? Well how 'bout a couple of chickens, milk for a month, repair of an item like a wheel? So although my husband tolerates my OCD habit of collecting herbs, it very well may save our family and help us to live with a better quality of life than those around us. It also puts us at an advantage for physical security to some degree. In a community that has fallen apart, they won't kill the person that has the life saving medical knowledge first! Or possibly divert a less than pleasant outcome because I helped a person when they were sick.

      Mostly though these types of scenarios that play through my mind, prove to me again and again the value of skills and knowledge. Book knowledge is good- but hands on is better. Sure it may be awesome to be able to know that I can order these herbs and fix a multitude of problems with the right know how, but what if there were no postal services? What could I use that grew locally?  This is exactly why it is imperative that you as a conscientious person need to develop skills that are valuable to your community. You not only ensure a stable and valued position in that community, but also have something that could be marketable in a bartering system as well.

      This also leads me to say that preparedness should also involve thought for 'the other guy'. My friend Staci relayed a thought to me a while ago, that I thought really defined the reason for the Christians motivation to be prepared. How can a Christian do as Christ commanded, and give to those who are less fortunate and show compassion, mercy, and generosity, when we ourselves are wondering and scrambling to have our own needs met? How could we be a blessing to others when we ourselves are so needy because of our unpreparedness?

      This concept brings me to the place of picking up an extra bottle of peroxide, or rubbing alcohol. It could mean buying another package of toilet paper, or even a few extra bags of beans for a charity box. What about coffee or band aids or diapers, things we ourselves don't even use? The compassion factor would find a nice home in your security plans as well as putting things of bartering value on your shelf that you yourself wouldn't have to depend on for your own survival. It won't do you any good to trade off that last box of powdered milk if your family depends on it for survival- a back up plan would be necessary.

      So I guess there are a few thoughts to stimulate your own thinking about value, skills and the aspect of our Christian duty to bless others. So go find your giddy spot and make it work for you and your families benefit. And if you need to, re prioritize your life and your thinking as to what that might be for you. Yarn may not bring me added security (sanity yes, but not so much security) herbs are a better option for upping our community value, increasing a needed skill, and opportunity for practicing Christ-like compassion towards my neighbor. If you don't have a skill that covers these areas- find one. Become proficient at it. Share it. Then find another. It could save your life some day. And that some day could be sooner than you think.

Quicky Update

Just wanted to let you all know I'm still here. Last week found a powerful cleaning urge and I really did myself in the first three days. Wednesday was my birthday and also my home-visit for the midwife. For two days after that I sat and did hardly anything but sew, I figured I earned the time off. My husband has also been recovering from an accident in our van- swerving to miss an old couple walking on the road and he ended up hitting  a tree. Fortunately he wasn't severely hurt as the air bag deployed. However he has suffered from some kind of a hairline fracture and severe soreness to his right hip which required crutches and 5 days off from work. A week later the bruises on his legs are just coming out. Also have been getting some of the orders in - my herbs, the Berkey Light (WAHOO!) and the Watersorb crystals to make some cooling neck scarves for the heat this summer. So all in all its been a busy two weeks. That and keeping up with the news and the kids and trying to keep my sanity with expecting the baby in the next couple weeks ( never have made it to my due dates yet!) its been busy. Hope you all have been thinking about what you are doing about food storage and preparedness these last two weeks. So many things have been catching my eye at Drudge that I am amazed I am still sane and not going nuts with the preparing that I want to do.  OH HEY that reminds me I got to can up some chicken and some clarified butter from the videos that I posted for you. I'll put an update of those when I'm able too. Such an empowering experience for me and a pleasant sigh of relief for another bit of security for my family. Now I will be praying for some really good sales so I can stock up on meats to can. YAY!
Hope you have a good day and hopefully I'll get to post here soon!

Plantain

Plantago major

   Plantain is a gem of a "weed" that is so commonly available that everyone should be aware of it. The power of this little gardeners nuisance is strong enough to treat snake bites, bee stings, spider bites and even severe blood poisoning. Our experience with this herb has been mainly with stings and bites, but also with a case of blood poisoning in my youngest daughter when she had just turned 2. 

   Children can be taught easily to identify this plant and shown how to use it in the case of bug bites and stings. When no mortar and pestle are available, mashing between two clean rocks works, as well as chewing some in the mouth and applying it to the bite work equally as well.

   Mainly used as a poultice, but also as tincture, or tea, plantain is otherwise know as ribwort.

Here is the excerpt from Dr. Christophers School of Natural Healing:

  Both the roots and leaves have moderately diffuse and stimulating alterative effects for the circulatory system. They also assist the glandular system, healing the lymph and epidermal areas in scrofulous and skin diseases. Plantain is an excellent remedy for kidney and bladder troubles. It is an effective remedy for poisonous bites and stings, since the poison of fresh stings is extracted rapidly, often within an hour's time.

  It is the best herb for blood poisoning: reducing the swelling and completely healing a limb where poisoning has made amputation imminent. Finally, it is very useful for easing pain and healing problems in the lower intestinal tract. This valuable "weed" is often found in soils close to most habitations, in parks, sports fields, etc.

Plantago lanceolata

    When our daughter started complaining of her owie when I'd bump her toes putting her socks on or just padding around the house I chalked it up to exaggerating. She did have the remains of a split underneath her toe where the skin had stretch so far as to pop open. Those can be pretty sore and irritating, I know! But everything looked OK, a little pink where the new skin had healed over, but otherwise fine. 

   About 3 to 4 days after she started complaining I looked (yet again) to see if I had missed anything, perhaps a splinter or something, and saw the tell tale streak of red running from the previously injured toe up the top of her foot. Sure enough the whole toe was swollen, as the wound had healed from the skin down instead of from the inside out, and blood poisoning had started making itself known. Three hours after applying a simple Plantain poultice (mashed up leaves) the red streak was almost completely gone. I renewed it for overnight and all redness was gone by morning. It was still swollen pretty well and I percieved that there was a good deal of infection still left. So we used some of the Black Ointment to draw it out. By afternoon the goo had all but completely drained from around the toe and healthy flesh and skin was visible. We went ahead and did another plantain poultice for extra measure and then used a comfrey ointment as the wound healed up the second time. 

   Can you imagine the cost we avoided by taking care of this at home? I'd wager several hundred dollars. Not to mention the damage to her liver and glands with all the antibiotics we would have been prescribed. Add to that the follow-up visits, the cost in time from my husbands work schedule and the resulting loss of pay.  All completely avoided because of this God-given herb that so many try to eradicating from their lawns with all sorts of chemicals!

   Plantain has two familiar forms- Plantago major, or broad leaved plantain with its familiar seed spikes (picture #1) and Plantago lanceolata which has a small flower spike with little ray like petals (picture #2). Both are equal in medicinal potency. Although easily identifiable, make sure there are prominent veins or ribs on the back of the plants leaves (which also makes it easy to identify in the dark!)

   In any case make yourself aware of this useful herb and remember to rinse and dry some for winter use as well.

--Jamie

Herbal Calcium

  Calcium is one of the most important minerals your body needs to survive on a daily basis. Whether it's providing strength for the bones, or helping the blood clotting process, your body needs calcium to operate. In fact, if your body does not receive enough calcium through your diet, the body reacts by stealing calcium from your bones, teeth and nerves, to keep the processes that depend on calcium running. This can lead to bone fragility, and may even develop into osteoporosis, as well as other conditions.

   I have a sneaking suspicion that inadequate calcium (or rather a diet that strips the calcium from the body) is responsible for nerve problems of a wide scope. We have experimented with calcium as a supplement for my sons seizures and are finding it to be very valuable in feeding his nervous system.

Bones of steel? I don't think so!

    For a long time we have been told that dairy products are and should be the main source of calcium in our diet, after all, milk does a body good, right? WRONG! In order to process mucus loaded foods (everything ranging from junk "food" to dairy, coffee to sweets, our body must rob our reserves of our most necessary vitamins and minerals in order to redeem any value from these things we consume. We are actually left with a negative balance, and our body begins to break down in various, yet predictable ways.

   Ahh, but what about Dr. Price and whole, raw milk?! What about Kefir and of yogurt and hard cheeses? In a scale of good to bad these things are better than the store-bought homogenized, pasteurized, dead "food" we call necessary, however, they are still responsible for loading down the system with much more mucus than it can handle, and still creating a deficit during processing. 

Make that *Dentist* Price, not Dr.

   

   I've had a miscarriage,4 children, working on another, and I've seen a lot how calcium plays a big part in the health of my child and myself. I have come to the conclusion that it isn't any wonder that pregnant women are covered by medicaid for dental. After all WIC and Food Stamps and "Education Programs" force pregnant and lactating women onto dairy and cheese to satisfy the need for calcium during this time. By the time the baby and the diet have robbed the poor creature of all the calcium (as well as other nutrients) in her body, her hair is falling out, she has postpartum depression, she has hemorrhoids from several months of constipation, acne, a fussy newborn, bad teeth that need fixed, and she needs something to support her nervous system. All because of the vitamin/mineral deficit caused by improper foods and lack of adequate nutrition.

   So, never hear of HERBAL calcium before? It's not a wonder with all the different forms of calcium available on the market today. Oyster shell, calcium citrate (Citrical), calcium carbonate, coral calcium, are all forms you hear floating around the place, but not once had I heard the form of herbal calcium. Is it true? can you get calcium from herbs? How pure is it, how potent, how safe? Is it adequate or is it minute and trace amounts? How will my body react to an herbal calcium?

    I first learned about herbal calcium from a book put out by the School of Natural Healing, with the same title. A real Godsend and life saver (literally) for myself and my family. It challenged everything I had learned and believed about the body and its functions and needs, as well as how to treat illnesses. For a long time some things that I read stuck in my craw and I wasn't willing to accept such "outrageous ideas" he put out. But I started studying and so far have proved the information true. I've experimented on myself and my children (my husband too when he'll let me) with diets and supplements, and fomentation's to poultices.

Equisetium hymale

Equisetum arvense

   So when I started buying herbs to make my own calcium and an encapsulator to assist, I was ready to put this supplement through some rigorous testing. I have been anything but disappointed. Basically this is how it works. Because the body can identify the herbs as an organic unit (meaning a recognizable substance vs. a compound/chemical/ non-food source, in its natural state), it can take it and use its components in a manner beneficial to itself. Dr. Christopher's book relates that his study found an explanation in the book Biological Transmutations,  that the silica in horsetail grass is converted to calcium by the body. Essentially, you give the body the pieces and it will assemble them to fit its needs. And whats more, if the body doesn't need it, it passes out of the system. No forcing your body to accept a foreign substance it cannot use (well hello there bone spurs!)

   You can find herbal calcium supplements on the market from various companies, but I like Dr. Christopher's formula the best. It is available packaged, but this is the formula if you are into making your own up:

6 parts (by weight) Horsetail grass (aka shavegrass) (Equisetum hyemale or arvense)

3 parts Oat straw (Avena sativa)

4 parts Comfrey root (Symphytum offficinale)

1 part Lobelia (Lobelia inflata)

    I'll put in a plug for a young gentleman who has his own store online. I don't get any kickbacks in anyway, but I like knowing who I'm dealing with, and he has great prices on the products. You can find his store at www.DrChristophersHerbs.com.

   Take a month and try it out for yourself. Its great and definitely worth every dime to have an alternative to a commercial product that ends up getting flushed down the toilet (read about it HERE). Even better when you learn to identify the plants and pick the herbs yourself!

    If you have questions about anything I can try to help you (but remember I'm not a licensed herbalist or doctor), and of course let you know some of the specifics I've noticed over the years of how its helped our family (like slowing hair loss and promoting hair growth after having a baby).

--Jamie

Blessed Thistle

Cnicus benedictus

  Earlier this year our youngest child (2 years old) got a hold of some Tylenol PM after sneaking out of bed. The medicine had been transferred to a non-childproof container after the original had been broken. Because of recurrent migraines my husband has it is one of the few pharmaceuticals we do have in the house.

  After immediately calling poison control we took her into the ER*. By the time I got back to her after filling out paperwork at the desk, my husband had to help hold her down while they inhabated and catheterized her because she was throwing fits and hallucinating. She was sedated for a while till after she was transferred to a larger children's PICU about 30 minutes away.

  As soon as she was awake on her own and they were able to un-rig her from all the tubes, I began giving her some drops of Poke Root tincture I made. This was to immediately start working on cleaning out and restoring her liver. The doctors didn't know about it and were surprised that her blood work showed such significant improvement in such a short time. My initial choice was Poke Root, as nothing less than a very strong blood cleanser and liver stimulant would do for the threat of liver failure.
  As of lately Ive needed some help with my liver as well since suffering with boils and decided the both of us could use a little liver cleanse and some support to make sure things were working smoothly.
  Blessed thistle was my first choice and I'm sorta kicking myself for not thinking of it earlier in the year when suffering with so many boils. Usually I'd go with the Poke Root for myself again, but such a strong herb isn't reccomended when you're expecting and the babies organs cannot handle that level of cleansing and functioning when they are forming. It is quite an awful lot for a 2.5 year old for normal support as well. 
  The School of natural healing says this:

Blessed thistle is wonderful for nursing mothers, stimulating the production of mothers milk. It is very useful in purifying the blood, aiding circulation, and for all liver problems. As a tonic it strengthens the brain, heart, and stomach.

My Peanut

Blessed thistle is gentle and helps with liver congestion and toning it so it can perform at peak. It's also a great tonic for the whole digestive track, but positively tones every organ to some degree and thus produces an increase in energy. I don't think a 2.5 year old really NEEDS MORE energy, but Im glad that I can giver her something safe that has no negative side effects or complications.

  As for myself, I'm glad to see immediate results in the amount of pregnancy / hormone related acne and boils in just two days of taking it.

  As always do your research, check with your health care provider before using any herb, especially in extracted, and or mega doses. The natural form of the whole plant is always better and more useful (as well as safer) than some scientifically rigged product.

* N.B.

I and my husband both believe we could have avoided the hospital completely by inducing vomiting. We caught her just as she had eaten the "candy" (another good reason to avoid pharmaceuticals!) and had available herbs (lobelia, and ipecac) to accomplish this. This would have prevented the capsules from even dissolving to begin with. However, the Poison Control Center told us NOT to induce vomiting for fear she might asphyxiate on the vomit, should her breathing reflexes become unresponsive. I would agree with them if the case had been that we had found her some time after she had consumed them, however this was not the case. I feel if we had followed our instincts, our daughter could have been spared a lot of trauma and the possibility of organ damage.

A Blessing in Disguise

  I've been debating what herb I would like to blog about next. An ongoing and developing situation right now with us requires a very strong, single herb tincture I've made, or a combination of several herbs that I've purchased.
  On one hand, many people treat it as a poison, and to be avoided. Others, like me, use it in several combinations because it is so good at boosting the effectiveness of the accompanying herbs.
  The herb Lobelia is an interesting and valuable herb that often gets a bad rap. Also known as Puke Weed, and Indian Tobacco, this nervine and emetic can be a big blessing, and has been for my son.
  Nathan, my second son and child was born with hemipeligic cerebral palsy, caused by a stroke in-utero. This means only one side of his body was affected, the left arm, and leg. The brain sends out too many stimulation signals and causes his muscles to tighten up and resist movement. Along with SPD and now most likely a case of dyslexia, Nathan has been a challenge!
  One of the commonly occurring side effects of CP is seizures. We have been blessed to have only one when he was 2 and teething, a febrile (being caused by fever) which I was told by an EMT is really quite common in teething children not affected by CP.
  Lately, as of this last year and a half, seizures started coming around periodically when sickness would bring on a cleansing fever. Over this last year we saw them increase from febrile caused, to an apparently spontaneous one while grocery shopping.
  Last Friday, after a restless night of slight fever and sore throat, I knew to expect one. Well to my surprise it wasn't just one but three that day!
  For the last several months, not knowing when to expect them Ive kept a bottle of Lobelia tincture with me in my purse at all times.
  I agree whole-heartedly with Dr. Christopher when he states that "it is a great blessing to epileptics" as only a few drops under his tongue stops the seizure immediately.

Lobelia spp.

  I had to ramp it up a bit on the second seizure last Friday and go for Dr. Christophers' glycerin based Nerve Formula (otherwise known as B&B formula) because he said the Lobelia (my vinegar based tincture) "burned" and took a bit longer because he didn't want to keep it under his tongue. In seconds after using the Nerve Formula ( Blue Cohosh, Black Cohosh, Blue Vervain, Skullcap and Lobelia) which are all nervine sedatives for the most part, he was up and playing.
  Because herbs can posess several qualities it does take some study to know how to use them, and Lobelia is no exception. One wouldn't look up a list of herbs to combat a cold, flu, or skin problem and throw them all together willy-nilly. Some herbs' multiple qualities could detract from or completely negate each other in the effect you desire. However, this doesn't mean that these powerhouse herbs need to be avoided or even feared. They just need their due respect.
  So for us, until that day in January when we can finally see the neurologist for some more insight, I'm depending on this God-given herbal nerve re-builder to strengthen and nourish my sons fritzing electrical system, giving him more of a normal shot at life as a very active, very loving little boy.   

Red Raspberry Leaves

  It wouldn't be hard for me to put raspberry leaves in my top 5 Favorite herbs. I and my family have received so much good from this little leaf that I regularly order and pick it in large quantities. It has such a broad range of uses that its hard not to look at it as a "heal-all". It is always at the top of my list when I or my family experiences any of the following:

• Colds, sniffles, runny noses
• Flu and diarrhea sypmptoms
• Vomiting
• Gas or intestinal distress (couples great with catnip for collic!)
• Eye problems like stys
• Any symptom stemming from menstrual issues
• Need for pregnancy assistance
• Any problem stemming from toxic blood (acne, boils, eczema)

  This morning my daughter woke up with a runny nose. Half the problem is with the forced air furnace type heating that we have here in our mobile home. Even with turning down the heat at night, these winter temperatures really take a toll on our sinuses.  Usually have a pot of water on through the day to keep the moisture up, but our last humidifier died and I have yet to replace for night use. The first thing that I will give her (among other things) is raspberry leaf tea for all of her drinks today.

  As a partial quote from The School of Natural Healing:

Red raspberry leaves are great for cleansing a canker condition of the mucous membranes in the alimentary tract, leaving the tissue toned. When taken regularly in pregnancy , the infusion will quiet inappropriate premature pains and produce a safe, speedy and easy delivery. Raspberry leaves stimulate, tone and regulate before and during childbearing, assisting contractions  and checking hemorrhage during labor, relieving after-pains, then strengthening cleansing and enriching the milk of the mother in the post-delivery period.

  In several places on the web I've found that they have listed red raspberry leaves as something to avoid in the first part of pregnancy, and recommend it only for the last part of pregnancy or only in delivery. This is such a shame. What these people are cautioning against is the use of the cultivated variety Rubus idaeus, and its use by those who are prone to miscarriages. Not sure where they get their statistics from, but they give this variety  "credit" for causing those prone women's miscarriages. In my reading I have never come across one who has miscarried because of the use of idaeus. In fact just the opposite, those that have problems with miscarriage find it favorable with preventing miscarriage and helping all through the pregnancy. Should you wish to use raspberry but are cautious or wary about this finite possibility, find the Rubus strigosus variety (wild raspberry).

  In all this herb should be your go to in every case of diarrhea or colds as it regulates the bowels and calms the whole digestive system leaving it toned.

  It couples well with peppermint for a nice refreshing drink not only for summer, but  throughout the rest of the year as well.  Teenagers can be helped immensly by drinking one cup full a day to help with acne and the proper supply of hormones that their changing bodies need.

To Make Tea

  Steep one teaspoon full in a teaball, bag or directly in cup of hot water 3-5 minutes. Strain if nescessary and drink. Honey, Stevia, Agave may be added if you must, but it really isn't nescesary. My children will drink it plain because it has such a pleasant taste, especially with the peppermint (which would also be a teaspoon full or so). Please avoid the use of sugar especially when using blood cleansing type teas as sugar  (no matter  what form e.g. demerara, sucanat etc.) is never good to your body .

  To make a gallon at a time for the family to share Use about 1/4 cup of leaves and 1 gallon of hot water, or leave in a muslin tea bag in the sun for several hours. Refrigerate leftovers for later! 

  Use a dropper to give to colicy babies or those with diarrhea, constipation or acidic stools. I have also used a warm tea as a wash for babies with diaper rash or excess crusties in the eyes in those first couple of weeks that the baby is unable to make its own tears. Freeze in ice cube trays and allow teething babies  (who often have acidic stools and tender bottoms) to gum inside a clean washcloth.

NOTE: Red raspberry leaves are not the same as the red raspberry tea that you will find in the grocery store. This is a raspberry FLAVORED tea. If you have any doubts, check the ingredients on the box.

I hope you will come to love this herb as I do!

--Jamie