Modern Hippie's Top 10 Herbs

Modern Hippie's Top 10 Herbs

Mullein: Verbascum Thapsus

• A fantastic respiratory herb with soothing and healing properties for all issues of the lungs.  
• Asthma, Wet and Dry Coughs, Pneumonia.  
• Leaves must be picked before they turn brown.
• They make an excellent cough remedy infused in honey with White Horehound.
• FRESH Flowers can be infused in olive oil make a useful earache oil.  
• Infuse oil for 4 to 6 weeks for best results
• When harvesting avoid brown and bug-eaten leaves.
• Dry hanging upside down secured with rubber bands until crispy.
• If preserved properly the leaves should be green. Store in glass.

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Got Allergies? This Neti Pot is your New Best Friend.

It's a piece of cake to use and once your in the habit you'll never go over the counter allergy medicines again. I should know!  I've been aflicted with seasonal allergies since I was about 12.  I would wake up with my eyes glued shut!  Once I got the hot wash cloth on there and pryed my eyes open, my eyes would be terribly bloodshot from itching in my sleep.  It was TERRIBLE!  Now I drink Nettle Tea, I watch the dairy intake, and I do my Neti at least once a week.  During allergy season, once a day:  Here's the instructions. 

• ‎Buy 1 neti pot (under $20)
• Buy 1 container uniodized salt (under $2)
• Add 1 to 2 tsp salt to the neti
• Add Hot Water first to disolve, stir salt water.
• Add Cool water make water Luke warm before you use it.
• DONT USE HOT WATER!
• Place Neti to nostril and lean over sink 
• Tip Neti up to pour water into the nostril, water will travel through the sinus cavity and come out the other nostril.
• First Time users do one full pot per nostril to thoroughly cleanse sinus cavity.
• When both nostrils have been cleansed blow nose GENTLY. I like to have a kleenex box sitting right by the sink waiting for me.
• The sinuses and ears will feel strange for about 20 minutes, feels like when you get off an airplane (congested and squeeky) but it goes away quickly. Within an hour you should feel better.
• People that have been stuffed up for weeks may have to do this 2 or 3 times a day to get the sinuses back to normal.
• One to four times per day should do, or before and after going outdoors.

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Childhood Eczema & Chronic Constipation

I recently did a bit of research for a friend who's 3 year old has Eczema.  She's had it for probably a year or so; She also has been plagued with constipation since she was a year and a half old, maybe younger.   Poor Baby:/

The reading that I've done thus far points to a Dairy Allergy.  This can explain both the constipation and the eczema. 

Since we know that dairy doesn't really provide much nutrition. (See my post from last week) Pasteurized milk lacks enzymes to process Calcium it contains.  It doesn't really break my heart to suggest a dairy free diet for 4 to 6 weeks.  It will help to regulate digestion, even on the off chance that Dairy is not the culprit.

Dairy Free Alternatives Include:

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The Real Milk Deal

Updated on Monday, November 28, 2011 by Desiree Winans

I got a Dear John letter from my Organic Raw Milk farmer today.  bummer.  The Organic Raw milk farm that I've been making the trip to nearly every week for a year is halting milk production, they are taking a sabbatical.  I sincerely wish them well and hope they return well rested and in the near future. sigh....

In honor of my dearly departed raw butter (for the moment) I thought I'd write a note on the benefits of Raw Milk. There are SO many benefits but to narrow it down to a BIGGY; Calcium.  Calcium is a mineral (essentially rock) that helps make bones and teeth strong.  We've been taught since we were 'yay tall' that milk does a body good.  We've been inundated by the "Got Milk" ad campaign featuring countless celebrities for the better part of the last 20 years.   

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Cooking with Kelly, Kale & Collards

My lovely friend Kelly has agreed to do some guest spots on my blog for various dishes she's been making lately. She is a wonderful gal that I met working at Whole Foods and she is there in the Produce Department (for the moment), working her way through school.  She's really an Artist! http://www.kellypapcunart.blogspot.com/

We will be touring around this summer looking for fresh local food, crashing people's kitchens and savouring every bite of fun along the way.  The music in this video is 'The Black Keys'-Unknown Brother incase you have to go right out and buy the album as I did today.

This easy and healthy dish is one that Kelbell makes often, it is a flexible recipe but this is what we used;

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Arnica Montana Saved our Butts!

My husband and I signed up for a 50 mile bike ride up in Northern Michigan a few weeks ago.  We didn't train for it; although it crossed my mind...

We went up with friends.  They're avid cyclists, riding to school and work at least a few times a week. Carl and I on the other hand, hadn't looked at our bikes since last summer and we knew we could be in trouble.  

I thought ahead though and picked up some Arnica Montana 30c (Arnica for short) from the local Health Food Store (Better Health).  It's made by a company called Boiron. It's indicated for trauma, bruising and to speed recovery thereafter.  It comes in little blue tubes and costs around $7.00. They're these tiny pellets that you take sublingually (let disolve under the tongue). 80 pellets per tube. Dose: 1 pellet. 

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My First, My Last, My Everything

Ok, so this is my very first ever blog post.  whew- feels good!  I think this morning I'll talk about what's at the forefront of my mind.  Breakfast.  They say that Wheaties™ are the breakfast of champions. Or maybe it's bacon and eggs?  

From what I'm learning at school and in my own adventures in eating, it's neither.  The true breakfast of champions is a bit on the boring side, maybe even a bit further to the granola side.  And no it's not granola either. 

It's juice.  100% freshly squeezed vegetable juice with a small amount of fruit.  If you don't have a juicer but you've thought about the investment even once,  put down your half-cafe soy latte and go get one!  It really doesn't matter the brand at first,  I got mine at Costco about 5 years ago and she's still juicin' strong.

Juice IS the breakfast of champions for 3 main reasons. 

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