Are you stocking your pantry with medicinal mushroom yet? Packed sinuses and congested lungs always open to such medicines as this. Thinning secretions so they can run out along passageways that are less inflammed is the name of the game here. You can literally live on this broth for days with herbal teas and honey-lemon water and get through the roughest of flus in less time if you choose to stay in bed too. This is simple and tasty and satisfies all eating styles (omit the butter for vegan diets). Most health food and specialty grocery stores stock these items. The Reishi and Astragalus are easily sourced on-line if need be to get your pantry stocked well for flu season. I shave my whole Reishi mushrooms with a wood rasp which sounds like work but not really. Reishi mushrooms weigh nearly the same fresh as dried and are quite solid as they carry very little water in their cells. Health-wise they are worth the little extra effort. Rasps are found in hardware stores, are inexpensive, and mine lives with my knives. Otherwise buy it already shaved. I plan ahead and stock up by buying enough for a pot 1-2x/months through peak flu season.

​Astragalus Root – Astragalus membranaceus -  Astragalus Root slices are a regular item in my pantry for more than 20 years now which was when I first learned of this anciently rooted plant that has walked with us humans for a long time. Related to our common vetch plants that grow easily here, Astragalus has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine. It is a powerful adaptogenic herb and supports deeply restorative and surface immune responses. Astragalus has gained popularity recently as research has emerged about the "possibility that it can protect DNA and increase longevity". Such a broad, safe statement for what time has already taught us about this one, right? I was taught that it needs to be cooked to get the full benefit so I encourage this way instead of pills. Each slice can be cooked for up to six hours before all medicine is released.

​Shiitake Mushrooms- Lentinula edodes - Shiitake’s flavor is 4 to 10 times more intense than that of ordinary button mushroom. Ordinary button mushrooms actually should be eaten in low to moderate amounts due their toxicity. Not shiitakes though! It is a fleshy fungi and is rich in nutrients. It contains proteins (18%), potassium, niacin, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and B vitamins. Another ancient medicine brought in on a food level to enhance and organize immunity, this thins secretions so they can move and opens respiratory passage ways by reducing inflammation. Did you know that Shiitake is said to love music?  Yes, classical and rock and roll. It also likes company and flashlights. At least that's what some farmers report who grow Shiitakes on a daily basis. They assert that when you grow Shiitakes on an isolated log, it does not produce as much as when the log is in a cluster of logs. Word has it that it also produces generously when the people attending to it emit positive energy. If there are some clumsy people near it or arguments or fighting going on, Shiitake tends to be defiant and wilts. We drum and play music for our medicine plants here as well and this is an ancient practice too that even some modern grape producers for jelly making won’t talk about but actually do.
 
Reishi Mushrooms - Ganoderma lucidum - Regular consumption of Reishi, and there are a few different species that all have medicinal value, can enhance our body's immune system and improve blood circulation, thus improving any health condition. Reishi is also anciently rooted in use with humans and is recommended as an adaptogen, immune modulator, and a general tonic. Reishi is also used to help treat anxiety, high blood pressure, hepatitis, bronchitis, insomnia, and asthma. I love the immune enhancing and organizing characteristics of Reishi. The immune system has great power but can get dis-organized and over or under reactive even to the point of being life threatening, such as anaphylaxis (over reactive), and sepsis (under reactive). To this extreme, one usually needs modern medicine interventions to live through the ordeal. Coming down the intensity spectrum a bit, we can still see immune system disorganization and over or under responsiveness that is not life threatening but definitely not life enhancing either. There are a beautiful number of plants, and mushrooms, that carry this beautiful way of shoring up the immune system and reminding it that it can get organized and fight the good fight for re-establishing the boundaries necessary with the microbial world in our inner world. Indeed, boundary maintenance is one of the biggest jobs our immune system has. Reishi can help.

1. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the carrot, celery, leek, and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and leeks have softened, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant which only takes a minute.

2. Add the mushrooms, bay leaf, and peppercorns and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms start to release some moisture, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to the low and simmer with the lid on the pot until the vegetables are completely soft and the stock has a pronounced mushroom flavor, about two hours.

 4. Remove from the heat and add your parsley and thyme. Cover and allow to cool to warm for an hour or so. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large heatproof container or saucepan; discard the contents of the strainer. Stir in the salt or tamari and taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. If not using immediately, let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

So have you decided to keep your gall bladder this year through the holidays? I want you to do just that! Keep your parts whenever possible. I work in the OR and with the overindulging that comes with holiday celebrations and heavier eating, there is a noticeable rush through the OR of people having their gall bladders removed. The season is upon us.

While modern medicine is quite adept at removing a gall bladder, sometimes in only 15 minutes, there are many reasons to not only keep this essential body part but nourish it too. Do you know what it does? Yes, it's part of a dynamic system that helps us digest our food by storing bile for use when needed to break down fats. The process starts on the tongue where different compounds stimulate nerve impulses into the brain which then tell your liver, gall bladder and pancreas to make compounds needed to process the energy from your food. It's not easy for the body to make bile abundantly from the liver. So even if you have already had your gall bladder removed there is much you can do to support your liver that will have to make bile on demand since your storage organ is no longer with you. So what do we turn to? Bitters! Bitters is a fantastic, easy-to-make, and efficient dietary aid to keep us all being well and strong and vibrant. 

Bitters has a long history of curing ailments of the GI tract and flavoring many kinds of drinks. This bitter component can be brought in on a food level and while definitely not a favorite flavor of many people's regular way of eating, there is a resurgence back to some of the older ways of simpler living that are just good for us.  Bitters is part of this and has its place in the pantry and medicine cabinet of every home. 

​So What Are Bitters?
Bitters are simply bitter and aromatic herbs and spices infused (technical herbalist term is "tinctured") in liquor, for which I use a favorite French brandy. Combining various flavors is where your creativity can begin to flow. Anyone can just pack a jar with some Gentian root or Wormwood and vodka and have a fabulously bitter tincture that will do the job. I'm suggesting we add a few more plants to round out the flavor and action. Here's a few ideas and steps to making your own bitters at home which you can use in cocktails, drinks, cooking, and as a medicine when in need.

Don't Want The Alcohol?
If you're not drawn to alcohol based remedies, then make a syrup. There's directions for this simple process in my Root Beer Syrup recipe. This is so delicious in seltzer or warm water or right off the spoon. 

lngredients:
3 TLB Elecampane root dried
3 TLB Dandelion Root dried
1 TLB Roasted Chicory root
1 TLB Black Pepper course cracked
1 Vanilla pod sliced length wise and then chopped small
1 Cinnamon stick broken up
1 Organic Orange sliced thin zest and all, seeds too.
1 Quart Liquor of choice (at least 80-100 proof or higher) - Brandy is good to start with

 
Instructions

1. Place plants in your jar:  You may wish to chop up or crack ingredients to expose more surface area for better and faster infusion.
2. Cover with liquor: Add liquor to your jar, making sure the plants are completely submerged. Cap tightly.
3. Label: Don't forget to label the jar with the contents and date. It's a good idea to write down the measurements you used, either on the label or in separate notes.
4. Shake the jars once a day: Give the jar a good shake once a day for 6 weeks or more. 
5. Testing Potency: Regularly smell and sample your tincture.  It'll be ready when it strongly smells and tastes of the individual ingredients. To smell, put a couple drops of the infusion in your palms, rub them together, and hold your hands over nose and inhale. To taste, put a couple of drops in a glass of water — you can taste it straight but I feel the body receives this better diluted and then swirling over your tongue.
6. Strain: When ready, strain out the solids. For finer straining, I use a coffee filter or 4 layers of cheese cloth and strain into a measuring cup for easy pouring into your bottles.
7. Bottle & Label:  How about a hip name and great label for your creation and gifting this out during the holidays? These last for years. 
8. Dosing & Enjoying: 1/2 tsp in water is considered a dose if you're experiencing indigestion- take before a rich meal to get things moving if you can! As a seasonal tonic take 1/2 tsp 2x/day at spring and fall equinox for 2-3 weeks. Active gall bladder issues may be supported with Biiters but it's wise to get diagnosed before just treating for this. Seek medical attention for acute painful symptoms to rule out life threatening blockages. 
9. Traveling: Bitters is a great travel remedy for keeping the GI Tract strong during the strain of travel and food changes and questionable water quality. With this in mind, make it good and BITTER by increasing the bitter component a bit. Add an extra TLB or 2 of the Elecampane and Dandelion Root. You can also add 1-2 TLB Gentian Root to really kick up the bitter component. Take ¼ - ½ tsp each day while traveling and more if you experience active, or sluggish digestive issues on the road.

 Note: brown tincture bottles and herbs are available at most health food stores. 

So make a Bitters tincture! Bottle up for gifts too. We make it a regular practice to slow way down for the high holy days ahead. It's easier to go ahead and over indulge a bit that way. It's fun and necessary in life a bit too. Bitters will suppport your body deeply through it all. This is an ancient remedy that holds its ground as a strong supportive healer to have around as a regular in your home apothecary. Enjoy XO-Jen

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