Yes, that is a good link, Ferfal is another who writes about the Argentina collapse and how it applies to America, if we keep on our path.
There is one here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1367#1367
Vickie posts them as she gets the updates.
Thank you for stopping to read this thread, you are welcome here.
http://aromatherapy-at-home.blogspot.com/
Aromatherapy Book Review : Daily Aromatherapy: Transforming the Seasons of Your Life with Essential Oils by Joni Keim and Ruah Bull.
Written by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Aromatherapy has been used to work wonders on the body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Natural plant extracts, known as essential oils, can activate the senses and provide a healing balm. In this creative and accessible resource, Joni Keim and Ruah Bull, who have worked in the healing arts for years, present 13 different oils for each season of the year — spring as a time for optimism and hope, summer as a time for manifestation and full expression, autumn as a time to reflect on your life and assess the health and well-being of your body, heart, mind, and spirit, and winter as a time to feel comfortable, safe and secure.
The authors want us to experience the subtle energy of each oil and so they offer seven intentional exercises, one for each day of the week: an affirmation, some emotional self-discovery questions, a ceremony, a blessing, an activity, a visualization, and a prayer. They know that many people who are involved with essential oils are “givers, nurturers, and helpers who know well how to give of themselves for others. However, many do not know how to receive well.”
The exercises in this paperback are excellent tools for those who need to practice receiving. Keim and Bull conclude that they have been moved by essential oils as healers, teachers, and friends, and they hope that we may come to know them in the same way.
Table of Content:
* Foreword by Becky Ann Green, PhD
* Introduction
* How to Use This Book
* The Spring Months: March, April, May
o March: Clearing Away, Cleansing, Releasing
+ Lemongrass to clear and cleanse
+ Bay St. Thomas for releasing fear
+ Grapefruit for releasing negative emotions
+ Juniper Berry for protecting against negativity
o April: Joy, Optimism, Hope
+ Orange for joy
+ Mandarin for optimism
+ Petitgrain for harmonious relationships
+ Bergamot for hope
o May: Creative Expression, New Beginnings, Inspiration
+ Geranium to support the feminine
+ Coriander for creativity
+ Nutmeg for support new beginnings
+ Eucalyptus for inspiration
+ Mimosa for renewal
* The Summer Months: June, July, August
o June: Clarity, Concentration, Mental Energy
+ Rosemary for mental clarity
+ Basil for concentration
+ Lemon for objectivity
+ Peppermint for mental energy
o July: Willpower, Confidence, Physical Energy
+ Pine for willpower
+ Cinnamon for self-confidence
+ Thyme to support the masculine
+ Tea Tree for energizing on all levels
+ German Chamomile for truthful expression
o August: Motivation, Manifesting, Perseverance
+ Clove for motivation
+ Ginger for manifesting
+ Ylang Ylang for passion and enthusiasm
+ Fennel for perserverance
* The Autumn Months: September, October, November
o September: Self-Reflection, Good Judgment, Intuition
+ Spruce for self-reflection
+ Fir for self-understanding
+ Bay Lauren for using good judgment
+ Clary Sage for intuition
o October: Self-Acceptance, Forgiveness, Healing
+ Palmarosa for self-acceptance
+ Roman Chamomile for forgiveness
+ Marjoram for healing grief
+ Lavender for healing on all levels
+ Champaca for receptivity to spiritual guidance
o November: Gratitude, Personal Growth, Compassion
+ Jasmine for gratitude
+ Cardamom for generosity
+ Cypress for personal growth
+ Rose for compassion and unconditional love
* The Winter Months: December, January, February
o December: Comfort, Security, Connection
+ Benzoin for comfort
+ Vetiver for feeling safe
+ Vanilla for a deep connection to Mother Earth
+ Oakmoss for a sense of abundance
o January: Peace, Trust, Spiritual Growth
+ Neroli for a sense of peace
+ Spikenard for a sense of trust
+ Myrrh to understand the spiritual perspective of emotional challenges
+ Rosewood for spiritual opening and growth
+ Immortelle (Helichrysum) for spiritual strength
o February: Oneness, Wisdom, Balance
+ Cedarwood for a direct connection with the Divine
+ Sandalwood for a sense of oneness
+ Elemi for balancing spiritual and wordly life
+ Frankincense for spiritual wisdom
* Appendix
o Best Essential Oil for...
o Alternate and Additional Best Essential Oils
o Essential Oils for Difficult Mental and Emotional Issues
o Essential Oils and Associated Archangels, Key Angelic Essential Oils
o Essential Oils and Animal Associations
o Subtle Anatomy
o Essential Oil Safety
o Aromatherapy 101
* About the Authors
Click here to see some more review for this book
http://www.mydandelionpatch.com/dn_recipes.html
What’s Here
Why Dandelions?
Recipes
Dandelion Recipes
Dandelion Coffee
Dandelions in Sour Cream
Winter Salad
Dandelion Wine
Dandelion Greens with Sausage
Dandelion Fritters
Dandelion Dip
Marisa’s Dandelion Patch
Dandelion Recipes
I found these recipes at various websites. If you know of any others, please send them along. If any of these recipes originated with you, please let me know so that I can give you credit and include a link to your website.
You may be surprised to learn that dandelion is a well-known green vegetable in many parts of the world. It is grown commercially in France and is often compared to endive in flavour. The leaves should be harvested in early spring while they are still young and tender; the older leaves are decidedly bitter and tough.
You can use the leaves in salads or cook them as a potherb. To remove the bitterness, change the water once or twice in cooking. As with chicory, the leaves may be blanched by covering them during their rapid growth and then used in salads. The best salad is made from cold cooked leaves that are chilled thoroughly, chopped, and served with a favourite dressing.
http://cheaplikeme.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/how-do-you-save-your-money/
How do you save your money?
February 16, 2009 by cheaplikeme
This post over at Get Rich Slowly has drawn a lot of “me too” comments and a lot of flack for the idea being stupid. Intrigued? The guest subject pays her bills, then if she has any extra, she shuttles the money right into a savings account so she isn’t tempted to spend it.
Easy-peasy, right? But how many of us do it? I won’t ask for a show of hands.
I save money several ways:
1. I have savings accounts set up with ING Direct for an emergency fund as well as Christmas, vacation, my child’s school tuition, summer camps, etc. Mr. Cheap has his own “fun money” account there too. Every month, those accounts reach into my checking account and automatically transfer set amounts into savings. It’s like another bill and I never miss it.
2. In addition to a basic emergency fund deposit, long ago I started depositing $1 a day into my emergency savings account. Each week, that account pulls $7 into savings. I don’t even notice a transaction of that size. But in the 19 months I’ve been doing it, I’ve effortlessly saved $532, plus another $20 or so in interest over that time. $550 that feels like nothing … isn’t nothing.
3. I save change in a change jar. When the jar is full, I turn it in at Coinstar. I use the receipt to pay for groceries (the machine is at the grocery store), but then I transfer that amount to my savings account.
4. I sock away extras. If I get paid for extra work, or sell something on eBay, I transfer the money into savings. We sold some of my daughter’s old toys this fall for big bucks. She got part of it to invest in new toys and her own savings. I put the rest aside to buy her a new mattress, something she really wants.
5. From my business, I put 25% of each and every client payment into a savings account. I have to pay self-employment tax and quarterly estimated income taxes. This amount more than covers what I need to pay, which means that it leaves a nice cushion for months like this one, when an invoice got lost and a client paid late. Plus, no freaking out at tax time if I earn more one year — I’ll have the extra to cover a tax bill if need be. (When I started out and didn’t yet have a child and a mortgage, I was able to set aside 50% of each check — and at year’s end, paid off my remaining student loans in a lump sum.)
A new tool to try
I’m thinking about adding one more method. I’ve been observing myself using shopping self-restraint lately … and thinking about some big home improvements I’d like to make. I’m thinking I should make note of the small purchases I don’t make — maybe a latte, maybe an item of clothing, maybe a little something at Target — but could probably afford, or would normally buy. Then I could tally up those totals over the week and transfer the amount to an account for fixing up other areas of life. I think it just might provide the motivation to hone my attention to purchasing even more.
I’ve heard of people getting aggressive about grocery savings and then taking the “you saved $xxx today” amount from their grocery receipt and transferring it to savings.
One could do the same thing with thrift store purchases — add up how much you might have spent and pay it to yourself instead.
What do you do?
What are your little tricks for saving money? Share the wealth!
1.
on February 16, 2009 at 2:14 am sarah
I do something similar- money goes automatically into savings every week. When I finally managed to quit smoking, I figured out how much a day I was saving and started having that transferred automatically into an account, too, which serves as both a great little cushion of money and a fantastic motivator to stay quit. Cigarettes? INSANELY expensive. I’ve saved about $800 USD in 4 months, which is wonderful to see (although, conversey, horrifying to think about all the money I wasted destroying my health!).
I save all my change and bring it to my bank, too- they have a coin counter there, as long as you’re just depositing the money.
Comments to FerFAL’s post above:
9 comments:
Anonymous said...
In Hempstead NY about 22 years ago when I went to law school there, they had a liquor store whose front door was locked even during the hours they were open. The owners would buzz you in. Then you would come to a second lock door. If you looked safe, you’d get buzzed into the store.
February 15, 2009 6:43 AM
fitpro said...
Ferfal,
Gabe posted something this morning on WT asking for experts on different subjects. Your blog relates directly to the thinking of many on Warrior Talk and you would have a large audience. I’m sure there is a decent payday to be made as well.
Peace, Fitpro
February 15, 2009 8:39 AM
FerFAL said...
Fitpro, that sounds interesting.
I’m a member at WT but can’t find what you are talking about, do you have a link, please?
FerFAL
February 15, 2009 8:54 AM
FerFAL said...
I found the thread and posted there, though I think being at the other end of the continent might be a problem. :)
FerFAL
February 15, 2009 9:52 AM
Anonymous said...
Que Pasa FerFAL,
I learn a lot from your blog. I think it is your never say die attitude we admire.
If you are ever in the deep south, (or is it north to you?) I want you to stop by. I’m 3 hours north of New Orleans.
We can go to where I do my firearms training:
http://www.elitearmstraining.com/ht
You can use my CZ 75 or Glock
or M.A. training
or if you want fun:
Of course, you don’t have to pay for anything.
Tomas, [email deleted]
February 15, 2009 10:08 AM
FerFAL said...
That’s very generous of you, thanks. I’ll remember to drop by if I’m ever around the area.
Take care Tomas.;)
FerFAL
February 15, 2009 10:16 AM
Lisa T said...
The only store I know of like that in our town is a coin store. They don’t have bars on the door but they do have to let you in.
In Atlanta nearby, even 10 years ago the gas stations took your money through a little slot under a window, probably bullet-proof glass. Some of the houses in older neighborhoods in Atlanta have bars on the windows. I don’t know of any in our town that do. It’s just a matter of time, and they will.
February 15, 2009 10:39 AM
KoopManDook said...
Yo Ferfy, i find your blog fascinating and glean from it what i can.Some parallels between Argentina and USA are quite scary and not so subtle. Rash, emotional behaviour leading to bloodshed/violence. Corruption at the highest levels leading to loss of consumer confidence and run on banks,etc. Anyhooo, this Author/article below draws some attention to argentina and america.Ok,Be safe & Be cool..
Keynes can’t help us now
Governments cling to the delusion that a crisis of excess debt can be solved by creating more debt—by
Niall Ferguson,Harvard
February 6, 2009
It began as a subprime surprise, became a credit crunch and then a global financial crisis. At last week’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Russia and China blamed America, everyone blamed the bankers, and the bankers blamed you and me. From where I sat, the majority of the attendees were stuck in the Great Repression: deeply anxious but fundamentally in denial about the nature and magnitude of the problem.
Some foretold the bottom of the recession by the middle of this year. Others claimed that India and China would be the engines of recovery. But mostly the wise and powerful had decided to trust that John Maynard Keynes would save us all.
I heard almost no criticism of the $819-billion stimulus package making its way through Congress. The general assumption seemed to be that practically any kind of government expenditure would be beneficial — and the bigger the resulting deficit the better.
There is something desperate about the way economists are clinging to their dogeared copies of Keynes’ “General Theory.” Uneasily aware that their discipline almost entirely failed to anticipate the current crisis, they seem to be regressing to macroeconomic childhood, clutching the Keynesian “multiplier effect” — which holds that a dollar spent by the government begets more than a dollar’s worth of additional economic output — like an old teddy bear.
They need to grow up and face the harsh reality: The Western world is suffering a crisis of excessive indebtedness. Governments, corporations and households are groaning under unprecedented debt burdens. Average household debt has reached 141% of disposable income in the United States and 177% in Britain. Worst of all are the banks. Some of the best-known names in American and European finance have liabilities 40, 60 or even 100 times the amount of their capital.
The delusion that a crisis of excess debt can be solved by creating more debt is at the heart of the Great Repression. Yet that is precisely what most governments propose to do.
The United States could end up running a deficit of more than 10% of GDP this year (adding the cost of the stimulus package to the Congressional Budget Office’s optimistic 8.3% forecast). Nor is that all. Last year, the Bush administration committed $7.8 trillion to bailout schemes, in the form of loans, investments and guarantees.
Now the talk is of a new “bad bank” to buy the toxic assets that the Troubled Asset Relief Program couldn’t cure. No one seems to have noticed that there already is a “bad bank.” It is called the Federal Reserve System, and its balance sheet has grown from just over $900 billion to more than $2 trillion since this crisis began, partly as a result of purchases of undisclosed assets from banks.
Just how much more toxic waste is out there? New York University economistNouriel Roubini puts U.S. banks’ projected losses from bad loans and securities at $1.8 trillion. Even if that estimate is 40% too high, the banks’ capital will still be wiped out. And all this is before any account is taken of the unfunded liabilities of the Medicare and Social Security systems. With the economy contracting at a fast clip, we are on the eve of a public-debt explosion. And similar measures are being taken around the world.
The born-again Keynesians seem to have forgotten that their prescription stood the best chance of working in a more or less closed economy. But this is a globalized world, where uncoordinated profligacy by national governments is more likely to generate bond-market and currency-market volatility than a return to growth.
There is a better way to go: in the opposite direction. The aim must be not to increase debt but to reduce it.
This used to happen in one of two ways. If, say, Argentina had an excessively large domestic debt, denominated in Argentine currency, it could be inflated away — Argentina just printed more money. If it were an external debt, the government defaulted and forced the creditors to accept less.
Today, America is Argentina. Europe is Argentina. Former investment banks and ordinary households are Argentina. But it will not be so easy for us to inflate away our debts. The deflationary pressures unleashed by the financial crisis are too strong — consumer prices in the U.S. have been falling for three consecutive months. Nor is default quite the same for banks and households as it is for governments. Understandably, monetary authorities are anxious to avoid mass bankruptcies of banks and households, not least because of the downward spiral caused by distress sales.
So what can we do? First, banks that are de facto insolvent need to be restructured, not nationalized.(The last thing the U.S. needs is to have all of its banks run like Amtrak or, worse, the IRS.) Bank shareholders will have to face that they have lost their money. Too bad; they should have kept a more vigilant eye on the people running their banks. Government will take control in return for a substantial recapitalization, but only after losses have been meaningfully written down. Those who hold the banks’ debt, the bondholders, may have to accept a debt-for-equity swap or a 20% “haircut” — a disappointment, but nothing compared with the losses suffered when Lehman Bros. went under.
State life-support for dinosaur banks should not and must not impede the formation of new banks by the private sector. It is vital that state control does not give the old, moribund banks an unfair advantage. So recapitalization must be a once-only event, with no enduring government guarantees or subsidies. And there should be a clear timetable for “re-privatization” — within, say, 10 years.
The second step we must take is a generalized conversion of American mortgages to lower interest rates and longer maturities. About 2.3 million U.S. households face foreclosure. That number is certain to rise as more adjustable-rate mortgages reset, driving perhaps 8 million more households into foreclosure and causing home prices to drop further. Few of those affected have any realistic prospect of refinancing at more affordable rates. So, once again, what is needed is state intervention.
Purists say this would violate the sanctity of the contract. But there are times when the public interest requires us to honor the rule of law in the breach. Repeatedly in the course of the 19th century, governments changed the terms of bonds that they issued through a process known as “conversion.” A bond with a 5% return was simply exchanged for one with a 3% return, to take account of falling market rates and prices. Such procedures were seldom stigmatized as default.
Another objection to such a procedure is that it would reward the imprudent. But moral hazard only really matters if bad behavior is likely to be repeated, and risky adjustable-rate mortgages aren’t coming back soon.
The issue, then, becomes one of fairness: Why help the imprudent when the prudent are struggling too?
One solution would be for the government-controlled mortgage lenders and guarantors, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to offer all borrowers — including those with fixed rates — the same deal. Permanently lower monthly payments for a majority of U.S. households almost certainly would do more to stimulate consumer confidence than all the provisions of the stimulus package, including tax cuts.
No doubt those who lost by such measures would not suffer in silence. But the benefits would surely outweigh the costs to bank shareholders, bank bondholders and the owners of mortgage-backed securities.
Americans, Winston Churchill once remarked, will always do the right thing — after they have exhausted all other alternatives. If we are still waiting for Keynes to save us when Davos comes around next year, it may well be too late. Only a Great Restructuring can end the Great Repression. It needs to happen soon.
Niall Ferguson is a professor at Harvard University and Harvard Business School, a Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford, and a senior fellow of the Hoover Institution. His latest book is “The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World.”
February 15, 2009 3:51 PM
Lergnom said...
FerFAL;
I was pleased to discover your blog after reading your USENET postings on the economic crisis in your country. Parts of Philadelphia, my home town, have similar disadvantages, but not to the degree you deal with every day. For example, one of the fast-food stores in a run-down part of the city does not allow customers to enter. They have only a drive-through window with a rotating security pass-through to allow safe transfer of money and food.
February 16, 2009 7:17 AM
Post a Comment
[A sample that makes us even more like Argentina...granny]
=== Google News Alert for: shooting of people on street ===
Three wounded after shooting at nightclub
MSNBC - USA
Indianapolis - Three people were shot during a fight at an east side
nightclub Saturday morning. Police were called to Club Escalade at 6800 E.
38th Street ...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29202209/
See all stories on this topic:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29202209/
On Lucerne Street, a wary savoring of newfound peace
Boston Globe - United States
The stray bullet found in a toilet the day after a nearby shooting. The
guns hastily discarded in bushes and yards. The two little girls who were
shot as ...
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/02/15/on_lucerne_street_a_wary_savoring_of_newfound_peace
See all stories on this topic:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/02/15/on_lucerne_street_a_wary_savoring_of_newfound_peace
Ex-BART cop accused of murder in rare group
San Francisco Chronicle - CA, USA
Although the BART case also involves a white officer shooting a black man,
the scene outside court has been quite different. Protesters chanted, “We
are ...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/14/MN2615QD01.DTL&tsp=1
See all stories on this topic:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi%3Ff%3D/c/a/2009/02/14/MN2615QD01.DTL%26tsp%3D1
Op-Ed Columnist They Sure Showed That Obama
New York Times - United States
In the summer of ’07, the conventional wisdom was that Obama was a
shooting star; his campaign was irretrievably lost; it was a ludicrous
strategy to focus ...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/opinion/15rich.html
See all stories on this topic:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/opinion/15rich.html
Turkish police clash with Kurdish protesters; dozens detained
The Canadian Press - ANKARA, Turkey
In Diyarbakir, the region’s largest city, about 1500 people gathered in the
streets to throw rocks at large military vehicles that were shooting water
...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gQxIuqf5ce6jVNj3suyPgV-jo8OA
See all stories on this topic:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gQxIuqf5ce6jVNj3suyPgV-jo8OA
Crosses at NIU memorial just latest for local carpenter
St. Charles Sun - Chicago,IL,USA
14, 2008, during a shooting at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.
Here, the Maces pause after they placed wreaths on a memorial in honor of
Ryanne and ...
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1432109,6_1_NA15_NIU_S3.article
See all stories on this topic:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1432109,6_1_NA15_NIU_S3.article
Shootings in San Francisco injure four
San Francisco Chronicle - CA, USA
At 11:15 pm, police responded to a second shooting which occurred in the
500 block of Shotwell Street. Sgt. Wilfred Williams said the shots were
fired among ...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/14/BAJS15U9UT.DTL&tsp=1
See all stories on this topic:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi%3Ff%3D/c/a/2009/02/14/BAJS15U9UT.DTL%26tsp%3D1
Finding foreign fugitives on the streets of LA
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
Last year, authorities arrested a Mexican national in Inglewood wanted in
the 2004 shooting of a policeman in Jalisco while he sat in his patrol car.
...
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-fugitive15-2009feb15,0,7020577.story
See all stories on this topic:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-fugitive15-2009feb15,0,7020577.story
=== Google Blogs Alert for: shooting of people on street ===
Shooting Leaves Man Seriously Wounded - Kansas City News Story ...
Police said they have someone in custody in connection with a shooting on
Saturday night that left one man injured. The man was shot and seriously
wounded near 39th Street and Prospect Avenue at about 9:30 p.m. Police said
he is expected to survive his injuries. ... Most people know that weight is
a risk factor for diabetes, but it’s actually more complicated. Read about
what might put you at risk. More · Avoid These Ten Mortgage Mistakes ...
http://www.kmbc.com/news/18719307/detail.html
KMBC.com - Local News
http://www.kmbc.com/news/
News Radio 1420 Lubbock, Texas
The president’s stimulus plan aims at changes on Wall Street. Four people
have been killed in an upstate New York shooting spree. The publicists
representing octuplets mom Nadya Suleman say they’ve dropped her, after
getting thousands ...
http://newsradio1420.com/newsradio/newsMaker.asp?storyID=19505
News Radio 1420 KJDL Lubbock
http://newsradio1420.com/
Turkey: Kurdish protesters clash with police - Kansas City Star
In Diyarbakir, the region’s largest city, about 1500 people gathered in the
streets to throw rocks at large military vehicles that were shooting water
cannons and tear gas at them. One of the vehicles was seen retreating down
a street ...
http://www.kansascity.com/451/story/1035631.html
Kansas City Star: World
http://www.kansascity.com/news/world/index.xml
Judge: Alleged Pomona gang members must stand trial for shooting ...
... preliminary hearing included two Pomona police detectives, two people
who witnessed the shooting, and a relative of Martin who was familiar with
the ongoing disagreements between Martin’s family and the street gang, Dodd
said. ...
http://www.insidesocal.com/news247/2009/02/judge-alleged-pomona-gang-memb.html
News 24/7
http://www.insidesocal.com/news247/
WTHR | Indianapolis -Three wounded after shooting at nightclub
Police were called to Club Escalade at 6800 E. 38th Street around 2:30 a.m.
on a report of a person shot. When they arrived, they discovered three
people in the parking lot suffering from gunshot wounds. Ivory Duerson, a
36-year-old ...
http://www.wthr.com/global/story.asp?s=9847254
WTHR - Local News
http://www.wthr.com/global/category.asp?c=23903
This once a day Google Alert is brought to you by Google...
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/isabells_blog/nettle-many-uses-many-benefits.html
Nettle ~ Many Uses, Many Benefits ~ 1/06/08
Nettle provides one of the richest sources of chlorophyll and is a valuable blood builder. It is one of the most powerful iron sources in the vegetable kingdom. Therefore, it is a valuable aid for anemia, during menstruation to build up iron, for fatigue or whenever you feel run down or tired & think of nettles. As nettle is high in iodine it is beneficial for the thyroid gland.
Leaves are a source of histamine, which helps to reduce the symptoms in any allergic response, including hay fever, asthma and sinus. Also, serotonin, which acts as a neuro-transmitter to the central nervous system and is helpful for relieving stress, fear, nervousness, depression, insomnia, and eating disorders; and melatonin, an antioxidant sometimes referred to as an anti-ageing hormone , that may give relief from chronic fatigue syndrome, seasonal effect disorder, depression and sleeplessness.
Drink nettle as a tea to stimulate the digestive system and encourage weight-loss, to stop haemorrhaging (including excess menstruation); to treat ulcers, kidney, bladder and liver ailments; and to promote milk flow for nursing mothers. Nettle is valuable for strengthening the adrenals. Eating nettles or drinking the tea has been a folk custom to make hair brighter, thicker and shinier and the skin clearer and healthier. A healing ointment is prepared by steeping cut nettle leaves in oil.
Use nettle tea for its metal chelating action to remove heavy metals and to detox the body. Sip nettle tea for its benefits as a mild diuretic to relieve fluid retention, and to stimulate the lymphatic system. It is also known to eliminate bad breath. Nettles increase excretion of uric acid through the kidneys, making them an excellent remedy for gout and all other arthritic conditions. The herb is used to reduce blood sugar, and a tincture of the seed is found to raise thyroid function and reduce goiter.
Use nettle and get the nutrient-rich benefits: protein 21%, polysaccharides, vitamins A, B complex, C, D, E and K; and minerals, iron (41.8mg per 100 g), calcium (2,900mg), magnesium (860mg), potassium (1,750mg); chromium, iodine, silica, silicon, selenium and sulphur.
Greater nettle Urtica dioica is a hardy perennial 100cm high, with spreading root system; Lesser nettle U. urens, is an annual to 100cm with smaller leaves than Greater nettle; Native scrub nettle U. incisa, is a perennial, grows to 100cm similar in growth to Greater nettle. All 3 species have serrated leaves and leaves and stems are covered in fine hairs. If the plants are touched, these fine hairs can sting the skin, causing pain, redness and itching.
However, the sting that gives the nettle it s nasty reputation has been used for centuries as an effective remedy for pain relief, and it is not just an old wives tale! Early man would have discovered this use by accident, as he bumped into the plant and experience the pain it inflicted. Then, he would have learnt, very quickly, how the body was stimulated by blood moving rapidly to the area and the sting gave warmth and pain relief. From this discovery, we have the folklore of taking some fresh nettle stems and beating parts of the body affected by arthritis, rheumatism, sciatica, paralysis, gout and lumbago. This method of pain relief is still practiced in countries where natural remedies are the major source of therapies.
Another folklore custom from Europe was to brush nettle stems over the skin, so that the stings would warm the limbs in the freezing conditions of winter. And if that really does not appeal to you, try a warm nettle infusion in a footbath, to relieve cold feet.
It is best to wear gloves when picking nettles, or place hands in plastic bags to give protection when grasping cut stems. If I get stung, when picking nettle, I just tell myself it is good for me. Nettle leaves are not very agreeable to the tongue and throat if eaten raw. But nettle may be eaten raw, when blended, and the stinging action does dissipate when leaves are cooked or dried.) Use nettle leaves steamed, in soups, and other cooked dishes. Leaves dried, crushed and stored provide a valuable survival food. The way I like to use nettle is as a nettle smoothie: a handful of nettle leaves in a blender with pineapple or orange juice.
Isabell Shipard
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/isabells_blog/fenugreek-powerful-antioxidant.html
Fenugreek ~ Powerful Antioxidant ~ 27/07/08
Fenugreek sprouts are very alkalising and have been used to bring inner cleansing and a return to health from many conditions, such as: peptic ulcers, fluid retention, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, thyroid conditions, cancer and many other degenerative conditions.
Fenugreek sprouts are my favourite. Fenugreek is a powerful antioxidant and it is valuable for cleansing the blood and the lymphatic system. Use it, too, for mucus conditions, all respiratory, stomach and bowel ailments, macular degeneration, chronic fatigue, diabetes, anaemia, allergies, menstrual discomfort, menopause symptoms (including hot flushes) and to strengthen the immune system.
When we eat sprouts at a meal we know, without a doubt, that they will be the best food on the plate, and have the highest nutritional value. Eating a variety of sprouts, regularly, is most beneficial. Sprouts are nature s wonder food, so rich in protein, essential vitamins and alkaline minerals. Often called: the most nutrient dense food we can eat and the fountain of youth . A diet rich in sprouts is not only nutritious but also beneficial to cleanse and regenerate the body. Eating sprouts is said to be the best way to slow down the ageing clock & and we all want to stay young, don t we?
For more details of seeds and methods of sprouting, see extensive detail, in my book, ‘How can I grow and use sprouts as living food?’
Isabell Shipard
Licorice, for flavour, health benefits and crop potential
As we have been growing licorice on our Herb Farm at Nambour, Sunshine Coast, Queensland for over 25 years, people often ask, is it easy to grow and what are its uses.
It certainly is easy to grow, if you are the type of farmer who just likes to watch a crop that requires little maintenance. This perennial legume to 1 metre high, develops a strong root system, and it is the woody spreading roots 1-5cm thick, that give us licorice flavouring and also many therapeutic uses. Licorice will grow in temperate, warm and sub-tropical climates; and also in tropical areas provided the soil is free draining, during wet humid weather. If plants are mulched thickly, to deter weeds and retain moisture, very little attention is necessary once plants are established. As plants goes dormant in winter, they are not affected by frosts.
Seeds planted spring and summer can be started in pots or seedling trays, and planted in the field when 10-20cm high. Germination of seed may be spasmodic, from 2 weeks to 12 months or more. Propagation by root pieces 20-30cm long, planted spring, summer, autumn at 60-100 cm spacing, is the quickest way to establish a crop. Once roots or seedlings have settled in, plants require little maintenance and generally thrive in extremely dry conditions. A rich friable soil will encourage fast growth of roots with new stems emerging along the spreading horizontal roots, which is an indication that the licorice is developing. Roots may be of ‘finger-thickness’ size in 2-3 years and can be dug at any time of the year.
The multiplex chemistry of licorice gives it a wide-spectrum of properties, infact, over 600 constituents have been identified in the plant; no wonder it is a plant with many actions: expectorant, alterative, pectoral, diuretic, emollient, antioxidant, antifungal, cathartic, stomachic, antiviral, laxative, antispasmodic, antihistaminic, antibacterial, oestrogenic, anti-inflammatory, and tonic & to name a few.
Licorice contains a unique substance called glycyrrhizin, by analysis found to be 50 times sweeter than refined sugar. It is detectable if only one drop is added to 15,000 drops of pure water. The glycyrrhizin has no kilojoules, but the natural licorice root (from which the glycyrrhizin comes) does contain a few kilojoules due to the presence of a very small amount of dextrose (1.4%) and sucrose (3.2%). Due to its sweetness and flavouring properties, it has been used to make bitter medicines more palatable. It can be used as a sweetener to sweeten foods, such as when cooking rhubarb, plums and other tart fruits. Diabetics and weight watchers have found licorice useful for sweetening and flavouring drinks, sherbets, puddings, etc.
A cup of licorice tea after a meal, has been a traditional aid to digestion. Try the tea chilled and served with ice in summer, as it is a thirst quencher, and it has been known to give ‘get-up-and-go’ when suffering from heat fatigue! Even chewing on a small piece of licorice before a meal is beneficial, as it stimulates the salivary glands in the mouth. Chew on a licorice stick as an alternative to lollies, chocolate, or other sweet snacks. Some people, who visit the Herb Farm for licorice plants, remember with nostalgia, how, in their childhood, they could purchase natural licorice root and enjoyed sucking the sweet sticks. During World War II, when food and sugar was rationed, licorice was often the only sweet treat available in Europe. Chew on a stick when feeling stressed studying for exams, or for any stresses of life.
Several years ago, I had a man call at the farm and ask if I had anything that would help him give up smoking, as he had decided to quit smoking that morning and was having severe withdrawal symptoms. As we had just dug some licorice and had it drying, I offered him a stick (cut into 8 cm lengths so a similar length and size of a cigarette) and suggested he hold in his mouth like a cigarette and suck on the end. Within a couple of minutes of giving him the stick to smoke, his nerves had calmed and he said he no longer had the desire for a cigarette. For the next 10 minutes he kept sucking on the stick, and looking at it, wondering why his new ‘cigarette’ did not have smoke coming from it! Over the next 2 weeks when he had the craving to smoke, he would pull out the licorice stick and was able to kick the habit of smoking nicotine. I have shared this incident with other people, who have done likewise and given up smoking. Also, worth noting are the health benefits, as well as the cost of licorice compared to cigarettes. A licorice stick can be used over and over many times; just bring it out of the pocket for a suck when desired, whenever the quitter has the urge to light a cigarette. Maybe we can set a new trend in Australia, a health trend of smoking licorice sticks.
Licorice is a very special plant, the nutritive and rejuvenating properties have made it one of the most universally consumed herbs. Since earliest recorded history, it has been valued as a beautifying agent, aphrodisiac, used for vitality and longevity, and often called an elixir of life. It is one of the oldest and best-known remedies for coughs and respiratory conditions. In Egypt, licorice water was a popular sweet drink in the time of the pharaohs. Roman legions considered licorice indispensable ration for their long gruelling campaigns; as it was said soldiers could go up to 10 days without eating or drinking as the licorice properties helped to build stamina and energy, which allayed both hunger and thirst. It is a time-honoured herb in Chinese medicine, dating back thousands of years. Chinese herbalism applied the principle of prevention, by emphasising the use of tonics and adaptogens, using plants like licorice, that regulate, strengthen and invigorate the whole body.
Ten different bioflavanoids have been found in licorice, that have an effect of strengthening the immune system, fighting cancer cells and protecting from cancer. Licorice has been given many remedial applications: for hoarseness, mucus congestion, tonsillitis, nausea, fatigue, fevers; pancreas, kidney, bladder and gall complaints, skin allergies, endometriosis, infertility, menstrual and menopausal discomforts, poor circulation, diabetes, headaches, cold sores, shingles, candida, hemorrhoids, mouth ulcers, nervous tension, cramps, drug withdrawal, conjunctivitis, high cholesterol, low blood pressure, insomnia, AIDS, melonoma and cancer, to name a few.
Numerous studies have been carried out on its therapeutic benefits particularly for duodenal and peptic ulcers, hormonal imbalances, respiratory and liver diseases. Studies show that it assists the liver to neutralise toxins. Trials have been done on patients with gastric ulcers in a number of countries. One study, showed relief to complete cure in 2-6 weeks with patients taking up to 20-25g daily. Another valuable action of licorice is oestrogen support and for strengthening the endocrine glands, and it has also shown immune stimulating properties. Studies show that natural licorice can kill the bacteria in the mouth that causes cavities and tooth decay. This information should be more readily available; it certainly makes good sense to cut down on dentist’s bills.
Licorice should be avoided in cases of high blood pressure, cardiac and kidney conditions, myasthenia gravis sufferers, and also pregnant women (as it may cause fluid retention). Licorice may be incompatible with prescribed medication for hypertension and heart failure. Most people have no problem with eating the natural root, or licorice confectionary.
Is there potential for licorice as commercial crop? Yes, as the majority of Australians have never tasted licorice root in its natural form. Only a small amount is grown in Australia, with most being exported to Japan for sweetening foods. There is an opportunity for growers to supply processors, city markets, health food shops, tourist attractions, food expos, country markets, and school tuckshops. On numerous occasions we have had phone calls to supply, but have not had sufficient to fulfil orders. At the Herb Farm we sell the dried sticks and also sticks in cellophane snack packs with bright labels listing the uses. Some entrepreneur farmer could market ‘smokers snack packs’ or other value added products. The uses of licorice for wellbeing make it an interesting and practical plant for every home garden, and for farmers to grow, so that our fellow Australians can experience the health benefits.
Further information on licorice, and details of the booklet ‘Absolutely Delicious Licorice, how to grow and use’.
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/isabells_blog/isabells-articles/delicious-salads.html
Great plants to grow for delicious salads
There is such a vast variety of easy to grow plants, rich in chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals and protein that can create eye-catching, nutritious salads. Salads served daily are valuable to our well-being, particularly in warm weather when the body craves for something cool and refreshing. Salads can consist of leaves, vegetables, flowers and fruit, seeds and nuts, herbs, spices, cheese, pickled titbits, drizzled with tantalising dressing, a true treasure-trove of wonderful flavours and a gold mine of health-giving nutrients.
Plants are so very special and play a very valuable role in our lives. In fact, all food on our table is made possible by plants, whether it is a loaf of bread, piece of steak, eggs, ice cream and sugar. We can’t live without food. We can’t live without plants. Plants capture sunlight and energy through photosynthesis and together with chlorophyll (the green stuff in plants) produce plant foods, rich in vitamins, minerals, enzymes and proteins, that gives us our daily food, besides many other processes in the body ... to keep its amazing mechanism functioning ... like cell building, and removal of wastes and toxins. Chlorophyll-rich plants are also valued for helping build strong bones.
Chlorophyll, the green pigment, is important to plants, and in fact can be regarded as the ‘green blood’ of plants, supplying nutrients to plant cells. Interestingly, chlorophyll is very similar in chemical composition to human blood, with the chlorophyll molecule closely resembling the hemin molecule of our blood. The only difference in these molecules is that chlorophyll contains magnesium as its central atom, while haemoglobin of blood contains iron in the correlating position. Chlorophyll acts as a catalyst in systemising the various elements associated with plant growth and it also acts as a catalyst to promote healing within the bodies of man and animals. Considerable research has been done, which shows chlorophyll to be a tremendous blood building element; and to actually rejuvenate old cells, promote growth of new cells, provide a favourable intestinal flora and aid regular bowel elimination and benefit the circulation; plus pain relieving properties, antiseptic and antioxidant action, oxygen producing benefits, and energy boosting. Think of chlorophyll as a mighty weapon that you can add to your diet, for maintaining or restoring health. Many remedial effects of chlorophyll have been recorded... builds a high blood count, helps eliminate anaemic conditions, bad breath and body odour, haemorrhoids, catarrh and nasal drip, varicose veins, inflammatory conditions and ulcers, and helps counteract toxins.
Research has shown chlorophyll is a valuable aid to prevent and to treat many diseases. Chlorophyll-rich plants have featured in cancer treatments, as they help detoxify the liver. A diet, rich in greens, has been used to help lower cholesterol and triglycerides, regulate blood sugar, relieve heartburn, ease chronic muscle pain, reduce food cravings, and increase strength and stamina. American herbal writer and lecturer, Dr. Bernard Jensen valued greens for good health. He said, ‘When you are green inside, you are clean inside. Green inside, can result from a daily regime of raw salad eating ... salads with plenty of fresh, green leafy chlorophyll-rich plants. Numerous studies have shown, that fresh greens boost lymphocyte production and so increase resistance to illness, and strengthen the immune system.’
Salad greens are rich in Vitamin C and beta-carotene, which makes them heart-friendly; both working together to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. When cholesterol becomes oxidised, it becomes sticky and starts to build up in the artery walls forming plaques. If the plaques become too large, they can block off blood flow or break, causing a clot that may trigger a heart attack or stroke. Maximise the benefits of salad for the B vitamins, including folic acid. Recent research at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research has found that the consumption of green leafy vegetables have a range of constituents (eg zeaxanthin, lutein and other components) which help boost the skin’s natural defence against damage caused by UV rays. Dr. Jolieke van der Pols said, ‘This new evidence suggests that an increase in consumption of greens may help to reduce the risk of skin cancer recurring among those with a previous history, by up to 55%. ‘We all need to protect ourselves from skin cancer. Greens are also a good source of calcium, essential to bone formation, and nerves, glands, muscles and heart health, and also iron, important for blood building, stamina and energy; and also the mineral potassium, which has been shown in studies to be useful in lowering high blood pressure ... another factor for heart health.
Salads picked fresh from the garden, or from a few pots near the kitchen door (if no garden is available) is the absolute freshest and most nutritious food, to serve for a meal and teeming with living enzymes, so essential to health. Enzymes have been called ‘the spark plug of life’ as they initiate so many bio-chemical processes in the body. Greens are rich in digestive enzymes ... these make it easier to digest the heavier foods we eat, such as starches and proteins. Enzymes convert food to energy, essential to fuel every biologic mechanism, and direct metabolism on a cellular level. Salad greens are also a very good source of insoluble fibre, which is vital to peristaltic action of the intestinal muscles and bowel cleanliness.
Salad plants are alkaline, and alkaline foods are fundamental to good health. Pain and disease in the body is caused by a build up of toxins around the cells, which creates an acid state (which is opposite to alkaline). A variety of alkaline foods can assist the body to clear acid wastes. When our body is very acidic, we are not able to absorb minerals and other nutrients from the food we eat; and the body is not able to so easily repair damaged cells, detoxify heavy metals or other toxins, and we are more susceptible to fatigue and illness ... and tumour cells can thrive. Many natural health practitioners recommend a ratio of 80% alkaline foods and 20% acid foods in the daily diet. Alkaline foods are also known for their healing properties. Our cells love alkaline foods.
By tossing together a variety of greens, fresh herbs for flavouring, and colourful vegetables we can create a wonderful meal with a range of phyto-nutrients .... many of them are antioxidants, that act to destroy free radicals and toxins in the body and can halt cell mutations. Think of salads as a ‘treat to well-being’. Think of salads as a ‘boost to better health’. Call greens ... ‘green magic’ and this is a good way of encouraging children to eat a salad ... saying ... ‘when we eat a salad, it can work like magic in the body, to make toxins disappear and keep our body healthy’. Add to your garden, or grow in pots, some of the following plants ...
Lebanese Cress
(Aethionema corditloum) perennial 30cm; with lush attractive fern-like leaves and a carrot-like flavour; wonderful in tossed salads, as a garnish, or made into pesto.
Sweet Leaf Bush
(Sauropus androgynus) perennial 1-2meters; tastes like fresh peas; leaves are over 34% protein and excellent source of calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron. Eat leaves as a snack any time, add to stir-fries. Indonesian folk-lore, says ... to stop teeth grinding or snoring in sleep, eat sweet leaf!
Salad Mallow
(Corchorus olitorius) annual 1m meter; over 20% protein, rich in Vitamin A, B1, B2, BC, C, and excellent source of potassium (3068 mg per 100 grams), and leaves rich in mucin, valuable for clearing mucus and toxins from the body.
Drumstick Tree
(Moringa oleifera) this tree can be kept trimmed to bush size; leaves 38% protein, with all ess-ential amino acids. High calcium (297mg per 100 g leaves.) Vitamins A (8855 IU per 100 g leaves,) B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B15, B17, C, D, K. Leaves have strong antibiotic, antifungal, anti-fatigue, antioxidant and tonic properties.
Nasturtiums
(Tropaeolum majus) ground sprawler to 6cm high; use leaves and the bright coloured flowers for antibiotic, antioxidant and tonic properties.
Sheep Sorrel
(Rumex acetosella) perennial, leaves to 12cm high; powerful antioxidant properties said to kill viruses; leaves are good to eat at the beginning of a meal as they have a mild sour flavour which helps stimulate the digestive juices in the mouth, and the sour flavour can benefit kidney, bladder, and the circulation.
Ceylon Salad Leaves
(Basells alba and B. rubra) perennial (annual in cold climates) fast growing climber or ground cover; nip off nutritious leaves, which have many health-giving and healing benefits.
Purslane
(Portulaca oleracea) annual ground cover; young leaves extremely rich in vitamin C and Essential Fatty Acids, so valuable to use regularly. EFA nourish the body at the very foundation of health, the cellular level. EFA strengthen cell membranes to fortify against the invasion of harmful micro-organisms. EFA also help dissolve body fat, and increase metabolism and energy production, and help reduce cravings for sweet and fatty foods. EFA are required for a healthy nervous and immune system. And of the same family ... Leaf Ginseng (Talinum triangulare) perennial 60cm; use leaves in salads and stir- fries etc. In South East Asia the tonic properties of this plant are as highly esteemed as ginseng. And another plant of the same family as purslane is Sun Jewels (Portulaca grandiflora) annual ground sprawler; leaves and flowers can be added to a salad.
Watercress
(Nasturtium officinale) Perennial to 20cm; will grow in well-limed soil in pots. Leaves rich in Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B17, C, D, E ,K, and in minerals, calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, sulphur and germanium; leaves valued for purifying the blood and toning the whole system. And when you have excess watercress, try a Watercress Sauce ... Blend in a blender, or chop very finely, a large handful of watercress, ½ cup yoghurt or kefir, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of mustard paste, dash of salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon of fresh chives, and dill. Serve over diced cucumber, other vegetables or over a toss salad.
Rocket
(Eruca veriscaria sativa) annual 60cm -100cm; tasty leaves in salads, pesto, soups and garnish.
Mukunu-wenna
(Alternanthera triandra) and Purple Mukunu-wenna (A. versicolor) perennial ground cover plants, and Sambu Lettuce (A. sissoo) a bush species to 60cm; provide nutritious leaves for salads and cooked dishes. The mukunnuwenna’s are highly esteemed in Sri Lanka and India and other Asian countries, for eye ailments, and strengthening the eyes and the nervous system. The vitamin and mineral-rich leaves have been an essential ingredient in kola kanda, a traditional dish, consumed daily, ... made with boiled rice, coconut and several kinds of green leaves, finely chopped. Eaten as a meal, kola kanda is esteemed for cooling the body, as a tonic, and for promoting energy and balance.
Mushroom Plant
(Rungia klossii) perennial 60cm; glossy dark green leaves rich in calcium (272mg per 100 g leaves); use raw or cooked to add a mushroom flavour to dishes.
Chinese Watercress
also called Kang kong (Ipomea aquatica) perennial 60cm (annual in cold climates); leaves 31% protein; rich in vitamin A (6300 I.U. per 100g leaves) and B1, B2, B5, C.
Queensland Greens
(Hibiscus manihot) perennial 2m; leaves 29% protein and rich in vitamins and mineral iron, and mucin. Use in salads, steamed, quiche; and the large leaves are used as wraps.
Amaranth
(there are many Amaranthus species) annuals 60cm 100cm tall; young leaves in salads, and mature leaves in cooked dishes. Seeds sprouted, made into bread, added to baking etc.
Warrigal Greens
(Tetrogonia tetragonioides) annual/biennial, use young leaves raw and cooked; great in quiche.
Mustard Greens,
pak choi, tatsoi, kale, mizuna, cress, broccoli, horseradish, wasabi and other plants in the Brasicaceae family, provide flavour, antioxidants and nutrient-rich leaves.
Celery,
celeriac, dill, fennel, parsley, mitsuba, chervil, lovage, coriander, gotu kola and arracacha ... all members of the Apiaceae family (formerly called Umbelliferae), are useful greens to add to salads.
Often plants of the Asteraceae family (formerly called Compositae) are added to mesclun salad mixes, and some of the easiest to grow for salad are dandelion, endive, chicory and open-headed, loose-leaf, lettuce types like ... oak leaf, royal oak, rabbit ear, cos Verdi, Darwin and everlasting. Mesclun means a variety of very young tender, baby-green leaves of a variety of edible greens, picked 2-5 weeks after germination.
Other leaves like ... silver beet, salad burnet, alehoof, orach, borage, spinach, comfrey, brahmi, brooklime and red clover, can add extra variety to a salad. Alfalfa leaves are renown for their alkalising action and for nourishing the digestive, glandular, urinary and skeletal systems. And don’t forget edible weeds in your garden like young leaves of plantain, shepherds purse, cobbler’s pegs, fat hen and chickweed (make sure it is Stelaria media, not the tropical chickweed). Weeds are rich in nutrients, antioxidants and healing properties. Cobbler’s pegs have been noted for 95 therapeutic uses.
And flavouring a tossed salad with herbs, gives us even more nutrients, antibiotics, antioxidants and health-promoting properties. Grow a variety of herbs and use them daily; experiment .... Try any of the following to give a variety of tantalising aromas and tastes ... rau om (one of my favourite,) dill, kaffir lime leaves finely cut, caraway seeds, garlic, chives, chillies, basil, marjoram, tade, oregano, mint, thyme, savory, sweet tarragon, coriander, papalo, betel leaf, vap ca, lemon balm, and a little finely grated ginger. There are so many benefits in using herbs in foods. The aroma, essences or essential oils in herbs, represent the life force and energy of plants. Using herbs, is a gentle way of stimulating the body’s self-healing process. Delicious herbal aromas can induce a deep relaxed breathing that can help relieve nervous tension, stress and pain. In herbal history, the Chinese looked upon the nose as the chief organ of absorption of Qi or vital energy, for sustaining life. So, let’s use fresh herbs regularly for their wonderful aromas and thus encourage a deeper more relaxed breathing rate, to enhance our daily lives. Adding fresh herbs will mean we can eat more naturally, without excess salt, as the herbs will stimulate the taste bud receptors and heighten the flavours in the salad.
And if you wish to make a salad into a complete meal, toss in for colour, texture and added nutrients ... diced or grated carrots, beetroot, radish, corn, snow peas, asparagus, pineapple, capsicum, tomatoes, avocado, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber, pickled gherkins, tomato, apple, pineapple, orange, onion, zucchini, Chinese artichokes and Jerusalem artichokes, mushrooms, and sprouts (like fenugreek, mung, alfalfa, lentils, adzuki, sunflower, buck wheat); and if desired ... hard-boiled egg, diced cheese, and cooked chicken or other meats.
If you like a mayonnaise, toss the salad with a tantalising dressing which could be a simple mix of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and a little honey if desired; or the mayonnaise could be accentuated with mustard, garlic, horseradish or curry powder. The dressing could utilise yoghurt or kefir as a base, plus garlic or other herbs. Garnish the bowl with a sprinkling of any of the following seeds and nuts ... sesame, pepitas, chia, caraway, almonds, walnuts, coconut, pecans, linseed, dill, and hulled sunflower seeds. Dried fruit can create another salad variation ... try sultanas or raisins. And for a finishing touch to your wonderful salad decorate the top with petite, edible flowers from the garden ... garnish with flowers like heartsease, nasturtiums, thyme, violets, chives, elderberry, mullein, society garlic, fennel, sweet tarragon, mallow, chervil and calendula petals. Herb flowers look great and make a wonderful conversation piece. Now ... serve and enjoy. When we create a tossed salad with a variety of leaves, herbs, seeds, vegetables and fruits, we can combine a complete spectrum of colours ... red, yellow/orange, green, purple/blue, white, and the flavours ... of sweet, sour, pungent, salty and bitter ... to help build balance in the body.
Fresh green leaves and herbs can be utilised in many ways, and in every meal of the day. I start my day with fresh picked herbs on a breakfast of ... muesli, fruit in season, sprouts, and leaves of gotu kola, herb robert, brahmi, sweet leaf, lemon balm, rau om, sheep sorrel, purslane and any other herbs that I wish to add ... topped with kefir. Kefir is a beneficial bacteria and enzymes with probiotic and antibiotic action, made from a culture ... grown with milk, whey or seed milk. The word kefir means well-being, and it can do this with many functions ... by helping to alkalise the mouth, stimulate the flow of saliva, increase digestive juices in the intestinal tract, as well as activating peristaltic action of the bowel.
Fresh greens and herbs can be generously topped on bread or sandwiches for lunch. Even a hot cooked evening meal, can have a dollop of chopped fresh leaves, a small toss-salad or a side salad... and remind yourself ... that the raw food ... will be the most nutrient-rich part on the plate. Green smoothies, using chlorophyll-rich leaves like salad mallow, comfrey, nettle, stevia, alfalfa, sweet leaf ... blended with fresh pineapple, orange or apple juice make a quick, delicious and refreshing drink.
For a flavour treat, try pesto with herbs and lots of green leaves. Although pesto is considered to be of Italian origin (using sweet basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic and cheese), we can now enjoy this traditional mixture, using a variety of leaves and herbs, in a variety of ways, on foods. Pesto means pounded and it was traditionally made by pounding the leaves with a pestle, in a marble mortar, using lots of steady, repeated, pounding, hand action. With kitchen ‘mod-cons’ we can prepare pesto very quickly in an electric blender. The pesto consistency can be a thick paste and spreadable, or thin and runny like a sauce, depending on the way it is to be used ... as an appetiser, or on a meal. A thick pesto is so tasty on bread, cracker biscuits, or I like to serve it with a plate of small-sized Ceylon salad leaves (just use the leaves for scooping some of the pesto). Pesto made to a runnier consistency like a sauce, can be tossed through pasta, spread on a pizza base, used as a salad dressing or drizzled over steamed vegetables. Pesto can dress up a simple meal and make it into an elegant meal, grand enough to place before royalty ... of course ... you being the royalty ... as you wish to give your body the best ... supreme food in flavour and nutrients. Pesto can be made from a variety of herbs and green leaves, oil, nuts and cheese ... there is nothing complicated in the process of making herb pastes or pesto ... just look at what plants are thriving in your garden that have lots of leaves to share with you, and use your creative imagination. When using herbs that do not provide a lot of green bulk, as with thyme for example, a ‘green extender’ can add volume to the mixture (try purslane, Lebanese cress, watercress, salad mallow, sheep sorrel and French sorrel, parsley, spinach, silver beet, mallow, drumstick and sweet leaf bush leaves).
The choice of the right oil is important in pesto, with olive oil considered important for flavour and viscosity, although a variety of other seed, cold pressed oils, could be used. A virgin olive oil, defined as second-press oil, can provide sufficient quality, as the strong flavour of the pesto overpowers the fruity extra virgin olive oil; although it will certainly make a very fine pesto.
To make classic pesto, use the following ratios, pounded with mortar and pestle or blend in a food processor ... use ... 4 parts (by volume) fresh basil or other herbs, 1 part oil, 1 part nuts (I use sunflower kernels as they are economical), ½ part grated cheese and 1 teaspoon of salt. Process ... as smooth or as chunky as you wish. For a runnier pesto, use more oil.
Pack the pesto into a container and cover with a thin layer of olive oil and cap tightly. Pesto is such a flavour treat, and will keep several weeks when refrigerated, or it can be frozen for later use. There may be some discolouration of the pesto on the surface, but it will not affect the flavour. Simply, stir the discoloured pesto into the green pesto below, add a layer of oil and refrigerate again.
A great recipe for using greens is in a baked dish called ... Incredible Quiche Beat 3 eggs, add 1½ cups of milk, ½ cup of wholemeal flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, garlic and onions as desired, and season with herbs. Add 3-4 large handfuls of chopped green leaves. The leaves could be one of any of the following when in plentiful supply, picked fresh from the garden, or a mixture ... Ceylon salad leaves, amaranth, sweet leaf, salad mallow, comfrey, Queensland greens, purslane, drumstick tree leaves, rocket, mukunuwenna, and warrigal greens. Tip into a large oiled oven dish and bake in a moderate oven 20 minutes, or until set. Serve hot or cold, pack for school and work lunches, or freeze for later use. Cheese, mushrooms, bacon, etc, can be added if desired. This recipe is incredibly easy and incredibly popular.
When you grow a variety of salad plants, you can grow them organically and serve them absolutely fresh, full of nutrients and living enzymes, and you will find doing this rewarding activity, will also be a saving to your weekly food budget ... what could be better than that!
Plan to prepare a green salad daily. Salads are low in calories and glycaemic index, with a most beneficial glycaemic load effect, on the body’s bio-chemistry. Bio-genic living foods (eg sprouts, and baby greens), and bio-active foods (eg freshly picked greens, vegetables and fruits) offer the strongest support for the regeneration of human cells. Many natural health researchers, emphasise, the importance of these foods, to provide a lifestyle for high-level well-being ... a way of living, that can help prevent premature ageing, illness and fatigue.
Salads are so rich in nutrients... that can provide energy and nourishment throughout your body.
Put some ‘green magic’ into your life today!
Isabell Shipard ~ April 2007
For more detailed information on the salad greens, herbs, sprouts and edible plants in this article, refer to Isabell’s books ‘How can I use herbs in my daily life?’ and ‘How can I grow and use sprouts as living food?’
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/isabells_blog/aloe-accelerated-healing.html
Aloe ~ Accelerated Healing ~ 2/03/08
(Cinnamomum zeylandicum)
Aloe is often referred to as ‘The living first-aid plant’. Ancient Egyptians called aloe ‘the plant of immortality’. There are over 200 aloe species; the most used species for medicinal uses are:
Aloe vera A. barbadensis, and Candelabra or tree aloe A. aborescens.
Research conducted at a number of universities found that aloe penetrates the human skin almost four times faster than water and that aloe is an effective oral and topical agent for accelerating wound healing. As aloe can quickly penetrate injured tissue to relieve pain, reduce inflammation and dilate capillaries, thereby, it increases blood supply to the injured area and healing can occur rapidly. Burn clinics have found aloe to be 50% more effective for burn treatment than other specific remedies.
Aloe vera contains a wide range of beneficial nutrients, including protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and many other valuable constituents.
Aloe has been found to heal radiation burns quickly and, for this benefit, aloe should be planted in every home garden. Recent talks have centred on the possibility that our future electricity supply may come from nuclear power. Nuclear development raises questions about the problem of radioactive wastes, and the fact that there is no safe means of disposal. Furthermore, wars now pose threats of nuclear dimensions. Will future generations be forever burdened with storage of toxic wastes and the very real threat of deadly spillage and contamination? These threats pose major concerns in contemporary society, yet the simplest solution may still prove the best: renewable energy sources. Safe and natural is always best practice ... and this is also true of our healing herbs.
Aloe has a wide variety of therapeutic uses. It inhibits histamines, which cause skin itching and other allergic irritations. When aloe is taken internally, it enhances the secretion of digestive enzymes, balances acid in the stomach and regulates sugar and fat metabolism and it is a tonic to the whole body. It has pain relieving properties and a cooling, moistening effect on the body that counteracts problems associated with excess heat and inflammation. It is most effective used as a rub, or the inner gel of the sliced leaf applied to the skin as a poultice. The aloe has wonderful demulcent properties, which helps to soothe and protect the lining of the gut.
Many people report benefits and relief when using the gel for colitis, peptic and duodenal ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut syndrome, celiac disease and diverticulitis. Research has found that aloe increases the proliferation of lymphocytes, macrophages, T cells and antibodies, to stimulate natural immunity. Some internal uses for aloe include: allergies, arthritis and rheumatism, AIDS, autism, Downs Syndrome, candida, constipation, colds and flu, anaemia, diabetes, fluid retention, Epstein-Barr virus, insomnia, menstrual cramps, circulation and blood disorders, lupus, fibromyalgia, thrush, reflux, staph and viral infections, diarrhea, kidney, bladder and prostate conditions, paralysis, heartburn, back pain, high cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar, diabetes, lung and heart diseases, gout, bad breath, muscle cramps, bone fractures, gum disease, fatigue, nervous stress, cancer and for removing heavy metals from the body. Aloe gel is applied to haemorrhoids to soothe pain, irritation, and to speed healing.
Another practical way of using aloe is for cleaning teeth.
Aloe tooth gel: take an aloe leaf, cut a section open, rub your toothbrush into the thick gel of the leaf, and then brush your teeth. Aloe also provides a healing action to delicate gum tissue, as well as a cleansing function, and can inhibit the growth of damaging bacteria.
The Candelabra aloe species has a folklore tradition of use for cancer, shingles, pain relief and as a general tonic for good health. Candelabra aloe has a rather special substance called Aloctin A, found in quantities that can stimulate biological activities, such as mitogenic activity of T Lymphocytes, with scientific research showing its strong performance in boosting the immune system. In cancer patients, immune-modulating polysaccharides of aloe increase the body s production of tumour necrosis factor, which is a natural chemical that functions to shut off the blood supply to malignant tumours. Another derivative of the leaves is Alexin B, which researchers have found possesses powerful anti-cancer activity against lymphoid leukemia.
For full details of how to prepare the candelabra tonic recipe refer to my book ‘How can I use herbs in my daily life?’
I encourage readers to grow aloe and make it part of your home health program.
Isabell Shipard
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/isabells_blog/gotu-kola-brain-boost.html
Gotu Kola ~ Brain Boost ~ 16/03/08
(Centella asiatica)
Many herbalists have called gotu kola the finest of all herbal tonics. A brain boost - revitalising herb to the body, brain and nerves - it assists memory, concentration, intelligence, improves reflexes and energy levels, and is said to help balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain. People have reported that with using the herb regularly they have been able to correct high blood pressure and cholesterol. Many people have experienced relief from painful and crippling arthritis and rheumatism.
An old Asian saying is Two leaves a day keeps old age away . Numerous research projects in the western world studied this herb after the remarkable life of Professor Li Chung Yun, who died at the age of 256 years in 1933. He was born in 1677 and in 1933 the New York Times announced the death of this remarkable Oriental, whose life span had reached over two and half centuries. The Chinese Government officially recorded his age. The professor ate gotu kola daily. At 200 years of age he was still lecturing at a Chinese university and was said to look like a man of 50 years, he stood straight and had his own natural teeth and full head of hair.
Judy rang to share with me the benefits she experienced from taking herbs, as she suffered terrible pain from fibromyalgia. Then, she read about fenugreek sprouts and gotu kola, started taking them daily, and in 4 weeks was completely pain free.
Margaret was a constant visitor to the toilet with irritable bowel syndrome. When she heard about gotu kola, she took 2 cups of tea a day and now enjoys her days to the full, without constant trips to the toilet. Margaret said drinking the tea has also resulted in mouth ulcers clearing.
Gotu kola is a perennial, creeping ground cover with kidney-shaped leaves, with very tiny pink flowers, often hidden underneath the leaves.
Antioxidant flavonoids in gotu kola play a part in zapping free radicals, boosting the circulation to every cell and strengthening the immune system. The asiaticoside constituent in gotu kola has the action of speeding the healing of wounds and accelerating the repair of connective tissue, ligaments, cartilage, tendons, bone fractures, and also repair of veins and arteries. Studies have shown the herb can help relieve ADD and hyperactive conditions.
Every person can benefit by taking gotu kola. Start with eating 2-3 leaves 3cm in diameter (if leaves are smaller, more leaves need to be taken to give the same amount). Then, if desired & after several weeks &increase to 5-6 leaves.
If a person has severe pain and arthritis, it may be necessary to slowly increase intake to 10-12 leaves daily. It is best to eat the leaves early in the day. Don t eat these in the evening, as people who have tried this have said they have experienced a boost of energy and could not sleep. I chop the leaves and eat together with other herbs, over my muesli for breakfast.
Isabell Shipard
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/isabells_blog/comfrey-potential-to-knit-broken-bones.html
Comfrey ~ Potential To Knit Broken Bones ~ 30/03/08
Comfrey has been called knit-bone for its potential to knit broken bones. The allantoin in comfrey is renown for its ability to rejuvenate old cells, promote growth of new cells, and provide immunity from many infectious diseases.
It has been used by man for thousands of years and the healing benefits of this valuable plant have spread by word of mouth. The plant was used in folk medicine, successfully, for many ailments, including: tropical ulcers, irritable bowel, diarrhea, stomach ulcers, indigestion, gum diseases, lung conditions, cancer and arthritis.
The Henry Doubleday Research Association in England did extensive trials with comfrey over many years, which demonstrated its potential to improve soils, increase crop yields, and for its value as a high protein, nutrient rich food for humans and animals.
Analysis found comfrey leaves are a rich source of protein (22-36%), and contain vitamin B12.
Henry Doubleday, the great pioneer researcher of comfrey in England, documented over 30 years planting trials of comfrey, and was amazed at the plant s growth. As comfrey may yield 200 tons of leaf per acre, and is able to adapt to a wide range of climates and soils, he had the vision that comfrey could be utilised to relieve hunger in areas of famine, in the world.
In the last 30 years, I have heard some wonderful accounts of the health benefits of comfrey that people have shared with me when telephoning or visiting the Herb Farm. These accounts encompass a range of health benefits - from dealing with gout, diabetes, bowel conditions, lung complaints, cancer, and arthritis to tropical ulcers - the reports keep coming in.
Just yesterday, a man telephoned from north Queensland to say he d recently had a motorbike accident, broke his collarbone and had extensive wounds. Comfrey, used externally as a strong leaf decoction, gave quick healing with no scarring!
Numerous people have shared with me how they have experienced that comfrey leaf tea has given relief from irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, peptic and duodenal ulcers. Researchers have found that the bacteria Helicobacter pylori, which can grow in the stomach, may lead to gastric ulcers and stomach cancer. The damage done by constant irritation by these bacteria can be relieved and (for some people) healed by comfrey, allowing the immune system to do the rest. It has been estimated that over 60% of stomach cancers are caused by Helicobacter pylori. Comfrey has also been found to be an effective treatment for Giardia lamblia, a microscopic parasite that causes diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea and loss of appetite.
Comfrey is eaten: fresh, chopped finely into salads, stir-fries, cooked dishes, and made into green drinks. Leaves dried, crushed and stored are a high protein food source to add to your storage of survival foods.
Comfrey fritters make an economical, nutritious, and quick meal. Make a batter with egg, milk and flour, and add finely-chopped, fresh comfrey leaves. (It is best to omit the thick stems, as these take longer to cook than the leaves.) Use dried comfrey leaves (crushed in the hands to a powder) when plants are dormant during winter. Season with a little salt, pepper, onions or garlic, chopped or diced fresh herbs. Fry tablespoonful amounts in an oiled frying pan and when golden brown on the bottom, turn over so that both sides brown. Serve fritters hot, and any leftovers eat cold, or pack for lunches. Whole leaves of comfrey can be dipped into the fritter batter and fried. Best to use leaves of a size that will fit into the frying pan. When dipping leaves, if the batter seems to coat the leaves too thickly, dip the leaves into cold water before dipping in batter.
And, if you can t eat, all of the comfrey in your garden, feed it to the laying hens, animals and earthworms, or use it for mulch and add to the compost heap.
Liquid Fertiliser: to make liquid fertiliser for the garden, put the leaves in a bucket, then fill with water, cover the bucket with a lid, and after a few days, when it starts to ferment, use the liquid around plants.
Isabell Shipard
[Granny ‘s note.
The Gov decided that comfrey is not good for you, I forgot why.
In the far past it was called boneset, the warriors ate it before going to war, thought it made their bones harder to withstand being knocked off the horse and blows.
About 20 years ago, I met a middle aged man, who had been in a bad motorcycle accident, out in the desert and he laid there for many hours, under his motorcycle, with many broken bones.
Several years later, when James and I met, he was in such pain still, that some days he could not make it to the cafe for coffee with his friends.
At the time I had Comfrey growing and I would make him a blender full of the leaves so he could drink it and he did and also the herbal product named Km...
Why that combination?
It is what all my books said he needed, no I can’t name what the needed ingredients were now, but it is out there and my list matched the Km and Comfrey.
After about 2 months, I was blessed to see him come in the door, with a smile and a thank you and he was using only one cane, not the 2 crutches that he had used for years.
And if you think God does not keep an eye on his plants, the year that the Comfrey grew for his broken bones is the only year that I have ever managed to grow a bumper crop of it.
I have had small growths before, used the leaf as a bandage when Bill cut the meat off the end of his finger, I used Zinc pills by grinding them to powder in the mortar and added the liquid from a vitamin E capsule, put that on with the comfrey and then a bandage....it healed in days and did not leave a scar.....
Bill should have had stitches, but he was known for being stubborn and called me the witch doctor, guess he figured that he paid for the herbs and he should get a return on his investment......
granny
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/isabells_blog/king-of-bitters-therapeutic-powers.html
King Of Bitters ~ Therapeutic Powers ~ 27/04/08
(Andrographis paniculata)
King Of Bitters is a herb with many therapeutic powers and actions: antibacterial, antibiotic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-thrombotic, anti-viral, anti-microbial, digestive, blood purifier, prophylactic, vermicidal and adaptogen (helps to normalise a physical function, depending on what the individual needs, eg it will lower high blood pressure, or raise low blood pressure).
It is a very bitter herb no wonder it has been called King of bitters . The bitterness has not deterred people who seek out the herb for protection from the Avian Flu.
I find that chewing 3-4 leaves and then following it with something sweet, like fruit, helps the medicine go down and the bitterness is only on the taste buds for 30 seconds. Some people make the leaves as a tea. The tea can be sweetened with licorice root.
King of bitters has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries, revered for infectious diseases and for its preventative action. The Spanish flu of 1919 was a global epidemic that killed millions of people, worldwide, causing grief and hardship to many families. In India, where the benefits of this herb were well known, andrographis was credited with stopping the deadly virus.
Today, many people find it is valuable as an infusion of 2-4 leaves in boiling water (or the fresh leaves are chewed) to prevent the common cold, flu, viruses and bacteria. The herb in studies, has shown solid evidence of success in treating colds during the first stages of a cold, and can reduce the severity and duration of symptoms.
This herb assists the body to make antibodies to counteract invading microbes and to act as a scavenger to destroy invaders and cancer cells. Research scientists have found that the andrographolides in the plant can cross the blood-brain barrier, and it is also of benefit to the central nervous system. Some of the therapeutic uses of king of bitters include: fevers, fibromyalgia, edema, headaches, inflammation and muscular pain, fatigue, hepatitis; respiratory, skin and lymphatic conditions; multiple sclerosis, lupus, candida, diabetes, diarrhea, thrombosis, and malaria. With scientists saying the super-bugs of our present age are becoming resistant to the most powerful antibiotics, the therapeutic powers of king of bitters could help to give us protection.
Isabell Shipard
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/isabells_blog/nasturtium-natural-antibiotic.html
Nasturtium ~ Natural Antibiotic ~ 18/05/08
(Tropaeolum majus)
Scientific research has found the plant has a natural antibiotic action that is fast-working in the body. It is interesting to note that the antibiotic agent, tromalyt, has been found in the urine within one hour of digesting the herb. Noteworthy, too, is that this antibiotic does not interfere with intestinal flora, and it has been found to be effective against some microorganisms that have built up resistance to common antibiotic drugs.
Nasturtiums are good companion plants. They excrete a strong pungent essence into the air and soil, which has been found to deter aphids, white fly and root pests; and the essence secreted into the soil is also absorbed by other plants, helping them to resist attack by pests and disease. Plant nasturtiums between cabbages, broccoli, melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, potatoes, and around fruit trees.
Aphid Spray: nasturtium leaves (infused in boiling water, cooled, strained, and with a little liquid soap added) are used as a spray for aphids on vegetables and other plants.
Nasturtium is a vigorous ground sprawler, when the plants have thickened up and started to spread, start picking the leaves and flowers to eat.
Leaves have a pungent peppery taste, while the flowers are milder in flavour. If leaves and flowers are chopped up finely and added to other greens and vegetables, they are not as noticeably hot in flavour. I encourage every home grower to plant this valuable herb, learn to enjoy it and use it daily for its high content of vitamin C, iron and other minerals, and the powerful antibiotic, antimicrobial, antioxidant and general tonic actions. The hot pungent seeds can be eaten, too.
Nasturtium seasoning: some people pick the seeds, or the flower buds, and pickle them in vinegar to use as a condiment on meals, similar to capers. If the seeds are pricked with a fork before adding the vinegar, this allows the flavour of the hot vinegar to permeate the density of the seeds and helps to preserve them. Mature seeds, when dried, can be ground and used as a substitute pepper for seasoning. Add flowers and leaves to dips, pesto, spreads and cream cheese for added flavour and visual appeal.
Nasturtiums growing in my garden with their bright flowers make me feel happy, and I eat them daily for their health-giving benefits.
I encourage every person to get the wonderful antibiotic benefit of nasturtiums by eating some leaves and flowers, daily. As my herbal teacher would say, Do it daily for protection from colds, viruses, measles, tummy upsets, and other nasties lurking around the neighbourhood .
Isabell Shipard
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/isabells_blog/drying-herbs-from-your-own-garden.html
Drying Herbs From Your Own Garden ~ 9/12/07
Enjoy the ease and availability of dried herbs from your own garden all year round.
If you live in a climate where it can get very cold in winter, and many herbs die out because they are tender annuals, or the perennial herbs get frosted and turn black, it could be useful to dry some of your favourite culinary herbs and also some medicinal herbs, to be able to use them, when these herbs are not available in your garden.
How To Dry Herbs
Pick herbs before they go to flower and seed, as the herbs will be highest in their essential oil before flowering. It is this essential oil that gives the herbs aroma and flavour, so this is what you will want to get the most of, in the dried product.
After the sun has dried the dew on the leaves, is a good time of the day to pick herbs.
Don’t plan to cut herbs for drying if rain is forecasted, or if the day is humid, as there will be a lot of moisture in the air.
Trim the bush by taking 15 to 30cm cuttings (of course this will depend on the size of the bush and the type of herb too). Cutting herbs for drying is a good way to prune perennial herbs, it is like giving them a good hair cut!
Various ways of drying herbs can be used. An electric dehydrator will dry the leaves evenly and quickly.
Or if you have a well ventilated verandah or covered patio the herbs can be tied in small bunches and hung from a strong string or clothes line to dry.
Alternatively, leaves can be striped off the stems and spread out on trays or in boxes to dry either in shade, or alternatively in sun for 1-2 days so the majority of moisture is quickly removed, and then the herbs can be finish drying in the shade.
When leaves are crispy dry and crumble easily between the fingers, they are ready to store, and you will then have them ready for use in the kitchen for when there is none to pick in the garden. Store the dried herbs in glass jars, zip seal bags or other containers with lids. Label the container with name of herbs and the date dried.
Dried herbs will retain more flavour if you store the leaves whole, and then just crush them before you wish to use.
Store the dried herbs in a cool, dry, dark place, away from sunlight.
When you wish to start using the dried herbs, use about 1 teaspoon of crumbled dried leaves in place of a tablespoon of fresh leaves.
Isabell Shipard
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/isabells_blog/create-a-herb-garden-for-health-and-healing.html
Create A Herb Garden ~ For Health And Healing ~ 16/12/07
Herb gardens are an important part of a home garden, as herbs are given to us for our health and healing.
If possible create a herb garden close to the kitchen, so that the herbs are near by for picking regularly.
If there is no room for a herb garden in the ground, plan where you can place a few good sized pots, so that you can still grow a variety of herbs to use for flavouring.
There are so many herbs to choose from when planning a herb garden. Start with herbs that you like, and then gradually increase the range to introduce new flavours.
Herbs are valuable not only for the flavours they impart, but also they are rich in vitamins, minerals, living enzymes, antibiotics and antioxidants. The more antioxidants that you can use from a variety of herbs, the more powerful will be the benefits of the antioxidants, as the effect is multiplied.
Most herbs will do well in a sunny position, but they will still grow in shade if that is all that is available. Herbs that really enjoy shade (or 1/2 day sun and 1/2 day shade) are angelica, lovage, stevia, lebanese cress, and lawn chamomile; in fact most of the low growing ground cover herbs would do quite well in shade as they generally are shallow rooted plants, which means they could dry out quite quickly in hot dry weather, therefore a shady position in the herb garden could be an advantage.
Mulch the herb garden thickly, as this will help retain moisture. Fertilise herbs regularly, preferably with an organic fertiliser or foliar spray.
Some of the most popular culinary herbs are: parsley, chives, garlic, marjoram, oregano, coriander, thyme, basil and tarragon. Regular cutting the herbs for using in the kitchen, will make the bushes strong, as in using you are very effectively pruning them, and the herbs will thrive.
Enjoy the aromas of your herb garden, as the aroma builds up energy in the body and a feeling of well being. Talk to your herbs regularly, then they are sure to thrive!
Isabell Shipard
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/isabells_blog/chinese-herbs-harmony-for-optimum-health.html
Chinese Herbs ~ Harmony For Optimum Health ~ 30/12/07
Chinese herbs have served as the foundation for ‘Traditional Chinese Medicine’ for over 2,000 years. The fundamental idea of living in harmony with nature and the environment forms the basis for the use of Chinese herbs as well as the traditional Chinese approach to health. Knowledge of the healing power of Chinese herbs has been passed down from generation to generation,
Chinese medical experts promote a healthful balance of yin and yang two forces present in all of nature. When yin or yang forces or qi/energy levels are off-balance in the body, health problems arise.
Chinese herbal remedies work in harmony to help realign an individual s yin or yang balance in order to improve overall well-being. Simply put, illness simply cannot exist if the body is in harmony. On the other hand, Chinese herbal theory holds that an unhealthy body requires herbal and dietary treatments to restore and maintain this essential balance.
Chinese herbal formulas include many organic ingredients that produce the desired effects in a person s body. These ingredients are primarily of plant origin, and may include roots, bark, seeds, flowers and leaves.
All forms of life are seen to be animated by the same essential life force, Qi. By breathing, we take in Qi from the air and pass it into the lungs, and by digesting we extract Qi from food and drink and pass it into the body. When these Qis meet in the bloodstream they become what is known as Human Qi, which circulates around the body as vital energy.
The quality, quantity and balance of Qi in each person influences their state of health, and in turn are also affected by factors such as season, climate, lifestyle, diet and air breathed.
The 5 elements are vital to well-being... wood, fire, earth, metal and water, as these relate to all aspects of life, vital organs, emotions, seasons, colours and tastes of foods. Chinese herbalism, says that to maintain good health, the elements need to be in harmony. If out of balance there can be disease. We need to address all factors in health.
We can grow and use herbs in our daily lives, that will help to balance the body by taking note of the 5 flavours and colours of foods...
SWEET TASTING plants and foods give nourishing energy and they are soothing to the stomach, spleen and pancreas. Grow and use: licorice, stevia, cinnamon, sweet tarragon, coconut, sugar cane, wheat, rice, sweet fruits, fennel. coriander seeds, and sprouted seeds like mung beans.
PUNGENT TASTING plants and foods discharge toxins from deep in the body, and stimulate the circulation, relieve mucous congestion, and pain of arthritis and rheumatism. Grow and use: watercress, chives, onion, garlic, chilli, ginger, dill, radish, nasturtiums, cloves and pepper.
SOUR TASTING plants and foods promote digestion, enzyme secretion and liver function. Use sauerkraut, kefir, lemon, grapefruit, acerola cherry, tamarind, purslane, plum, olives, lillypilly, pineapple, sourdough bread, yogurt, rhubarb and sheep sorrel.
SALTY TASTING plants and foods are cooling, and nourish the kidneys, bladder and bones, and help to maintain fluid balance. Use sea salt, celery, mitsuba, miso, tamari, parsley, sea weed and barley.
BITTER TASTING plants and foods are detoxifying and have anti-inflammatory properties and are often antibiotic, anti-parasitic and anti-viral. The bitter taste stimulates the secretion of digestive juices, and the flow of bile, enhancing digestion and absorption, and aiding the elimination of toxins via the bowels. Use king of bitters, dandelion, neem, horehound, fenugreek, motherwort, feverfew, brahmi, gotu kola, wormwood, bitter melon, sesame seeds, and chicory.
Colour of foods stimulate the appetite and creates beauty and balance, making meals more satisfying and enjoyable.
Green is extremely calming and peaceful and should be present at every meal as it also helps build a strong immune system.
Red foods benefit the heart, intestines, circulation and sexual organs.
Orange and yellow foods benefit the digestive system, spleen and pancreas.
White foods assist the respiratory system, and colon.
Blue, purple and black foods strengthen the kidneys and bladder.
Herbs we grow in our gardens and use as food and flavouring can play an important part in optimum health.
Isabell Shipard
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/isabells_blog/isabells-top-11-herbs-spices-cooking.html
Isabell’s Top 11 ~ Herbs And Spices For Cooking ~ 20/01/08
I am often asked what are my favourite herbs for flavouring, or what are the most valuable herbs to grow and use daily, in the kitchen.
Herbs have been given to use for our health and healing, and using herbs to flavour food and in cooking is a wonderful way that herbs can benefit our health.
Herbs we use for cooking are rich in essential oils and aroma and these represent the life force and energy of the plants; and when we use these herbs our energy will be enhanced. These plant oils also have powerful antioxidants which can push toxins out of the cells and restore the important potassium balance and oxygen to cells; which means the body is cleansed, regenerated and immunity is strengthened.
Using fresh herbs gives us a large range of vitamins, minerals, and living enzymes ... many of which aid our digestion.
Flavouring herbs I like to use include:
1. Chives, the more you pick them, the more they keep coming; just great to give a mild onion flavour to savoury and meat dishes.
2. Nasturtium leaves and their bright coloured flowers have a mild pungent flavour, are a natural antibiotic and rich in vitamin C. Add to salads and use as a garnish.
3. Sage has powerful antibacterial, antioxidant and tonic action; as it has a strong flavour start by adding a little to meat and vegetable dishes.
4. Sweet marjoram sets the digestive juices flowing in the mouth; great for flavouring meat and savoury dishes, pizza, pasta, tomato and cheese dishes.
5. Sweet Leaf Bush leaves taste like fresh garden peas, great to add to salads, sandwiches and tossed through stir-fries etc. Leaves are 34+% protein.
6. Basils, there are so many wonderful varieties to grow - sweet, greek, thai, purple ruffles, lemon, dark opal, sacred etc; use to flavour savoury dishes and as a garnish; and basil is a traditional herb in pesto.
7. Ginger with a hot pungent flavour has many health benefits; add to meat, savoury and sweet dishes. I like using a little fresh ginger in smoothies made with fresh pineapple, aloe vera, comfrey and stevia.
8. Rau Om is a very special flavouring herb; the leaves have a delightful aroma and absolutely wonderful flavour that gives me a boost of energy every time I inhale the refreshing aroma. Add leaves to salads, savoury and sweets dishes, and enjoy the tantalising flavour.
9. Horseradish has powerful antioxidant properties. Grate or mince the roots to make into spreads and sauces. A valuable herb for clearing the mucus membranes, coughs, hay fever and as a tonic.
10. Watercress is a wonderfully nutritionally rich herb, with many vitamins (including vit. B17), minerals, and antioxidants. It is a valuable blood cleansing and blood building herb. Use it regularly in salads, sandwiches, cooked dishes, pesto, and I like it as a garnish with fresh slices of fruit.
11. Kaffir Lime leaves when very finely sliced proved a rich lemon flavour for meat, savour and sweets dishes. When I make muesli bars in the dehydrator with - rolled oats, fruits in season on the farm, flour gourd, high protein leaves (like salad mallow, drumstick tree and sweet leaf bush), sprouts and aloe vera - the finely cut kaffir lime leaves give a wonderful flavour.
Isabell Shipard
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/isabells_blog/herb-robert-natural-alterative.html
Herb Robert ~ Natural Alterative ~ 3/02/08
(Geranium robertianum)
Herb Robert is perhaps the most profound natural alterative to the many toxic treatments for cancer.
Many people diagnosed with cancer have come to hear of Herb Robert, have taken the herb, and are in remission from cancer. Health has been restored to people who had been diagnosed with cancer of the lungs, mouth, oesophagus, bowel, prostate, breast, uterus, spine, lymph and other cancerous conditions, including skin cancer. It is wonderful to receive feedback from people who have been using the herb.
Many years ago, someone shared with me a news item from Herald of Health, (a European magazine) entitled, Geranium robertianum, ancient herb used in the treatment for defeating cancer . The article gave details of how to use the herb and case histories of people in remission from cancer. The full article from the magazine is given in my book, How can I use herbs in my daily life?
In Europe, it has been a traditional herb for cancer, and it was believed to supply a natural dose of radiation. My herbal mentor called herb robert the radiation plant . Herb Robert contains ellagic acid. Researchers have found ellagic acid may slow growth of tumours caused by certain carcinogens; and it has been used to fight and prevent cancer. Here we see the herb has many actions & that can work on our behalf.
Researchers have found that Herb Robert is a natural source of germanium, a valuable element and powerful antioxidant that has the ability to make oxygen more readily available to the cells of the body. Germanium also stimulates electrical impulses at a cellular level to create a beneficial ripple effect, throughout the whole body. Germanium s remarkable effects on the immune system have been documented in medical journals. It enhances energy levels and is a powerful healing agent. Germanium provides a strong antibiotic and antioxidant arsenal, and I believe we receive so many benefits when we use it on a daily basis.
Herb Robert is highly valued for haemorrhaging and as a wound healer, undoubtedly, because of its astringent properties; and it was also used for bone fractures.
This week a young mother shared with me, that she had started to drink the tea. Her toddler was experiencing severe pain, distress, sleeplessness, crying every time she would cut a tooth, however, since giving the child Herb Robert to drink, now the child is more placid and has new teeth show through without trauma. Also the child is not longer constipated.
Last week a lass from Brisbane rang to say she had been diagnosed with breast cancer over 3 years ago. She followed the suggestions given in the herb book, and recently she has been diagnosed free of cancer.
A woman with lung cancer and given a life expectancy by her doctor of 16-19 months, is now free of cancer. She said she will continue to take Herb Robert as a preventative.
Many people taking the herb have experienced relief from pain, diabetes and chronic fatigue; digestive, stomach and bowel conditions; diarrhea, arthritis, rheumatism and numerous other ailments.
For any person wishing to use Herb Robert as a preventative measure, the herb can be made as a tea; or by using 4-5 leaves, eaten daily. I have the leaves chopped over my breakfast each morning.
Numerous animal owners have shared that pets with cancer, when given Herb Robert in their food, are now free of cancer.
Herb Robert continues to be the most requested herb at the Herb Farm. No doubt, this has resulted from information being passed on by word of mouth, after people have experienced the benefits of using the Herb Robert as a natural alterative.
Herb Robert is a powerful herb that we can all grow and use, daily, for our entire lifetime, to enhance and strengthen the immune system.
I encourage every home garden to have Herb Robert growing. It is a very special herb.
Isabell Shipard
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/isabells_blog/cinnamon-most-wonderful.html
Cinnamon ~ Most Wonderful ~ 09/09/07
(Cinnamomum zeylandicum)
Cinnamon is one of the most wonderful aromatic spices we can enjoy. Powdered cinnamon is made from the quills, the inner bark of the tree, although the whole tree has a cinnamon flavour - from the smallest twig and even the 8cm long leaves. It belongs to the Lauraceae family. Other members of this family include bay tree and avocado.
It is an attractive tree with glossy green leaves. All new young leaves are red, which make the new foliage a real eye catcher. Cinnamon is valued not only for its delightful aroma and flavouring benefits, but also for valuable therapeutic properties. It is anti- bacterial and has many applications against germs and bacteria. It is a natural antibiotic. Use cinnamon at the first signs of a cold, or to help clear the flu. When we use it to flavour food, or as a tea, it aids the digestion, and also works as a tonic, and some say as an aphrodisiac! Other uses include: to promote circulation for cold limbs, to relieve abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, peptic ulcers, candida, aches and pains, cramps, skin conditions, and lower blood pressure. USDA research has found cinnamon can stimulate glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis to a similar level as insulin.
The aromatic principles of cinnamon stimulate the appetite and get the digestive juices flowing in the mouth, which is a vital preliminary for the proper digestion of food. It is no accident that delightful aromas make our mouths water.
I enjoy sucking on a twig of the tree... you see cinnamon is one of my favourite spices. I have wonderful memories of my mother baking cinnamon buns, and the tantalising aroma wafting through the whole house. The buns tasted delicious.
Cinnamon leaves make a refreshing tea together with alfalfa leaves, fresh ginger and fresh orange peel... steep and enjoy
Isabell Shipard