What does it mean to expose your roots?I find myself mesmerized by exposed roots. I'm drawn to the trees that can unearth their roots and yet thrive. One would think it means becoming unstable to unearth the very network that grounds and anchors your whole self from falling over, right? Spending time in Nature tells another story. What are roots to you? What connections do you make? Where are your roots? Do you look at your bloodlines for ancestral clues? That works until you get to the wars and genocides plaguing humanity and then the stories are told differently or lost or silenced. But the roots still exist. The trauma is on the surface and it's really part of "the weather conditions" during growth. We are being asked to go deeper than defining ourselves based on our traumas, our local weather, and our conditions. Yes, these weather elements affect growth but at the very core of the roots is a driving force that is anchored in the original way. We all have ancestral roots running into the ancient sea of time and while we may not know where these roots are anchored, they still support us right here, right now. Some roots are demanding to be exposed to strengthen our growth and expand our ability to see. I know a story of one family who thought they were from Italy from as far back as their parents and grandparents could remember. Through genetic testing prompted by the children, it turns out they are fully rooted in Arabian, Spanish, and Northern and Central America Native People. It does make sense if you follow the genocides and the trade routes, right? This news, when given to the elderly parents, rocked this tribe at first like the shimmy of subsoil above the tectonic plates as pressure is released and soil falls away and there seems like there is no solid ground to place one's foot. They swayed as their roots demanded to be exposed. Had they identified with a people that was not rooted in their lineage? Maybe, on the surface, but I say look even deeper and farther. These gorgeous elders found humor and lessons and forgotten memories that exposed their roots. It exposed why they put cinnamon in their companata, and why uncle-so-and-so did this or that, and why cousin-this-one looked like this and was adopted into Lenape or Inuit tribes. Be careful holding tight to a belief that elders can't learn or change. They can and do and sometimes with elegant speed and grace while working in a nap too. Did you know there's a tree that walks? This one unique exception in the tree world called the walking palm tree (Socratea exorrhiza) is found in Latin America. Many people believe it can literally walk around more or less because of its unusual, exposed root system. Most trees have one trunk, but this palm splits into many smaller roots a few feet off the ground, giving it the appearance of many little legs.The ambulatory ability of this walking tree has been told by many a story teller and appears prolifically in sources on amazing plant adaptation. The tree slowly 'walks' from shade to sunlight by growing new roots toward the light and allowing old roots in the shadows that interfere with its wanderlust to die. Exposed roots have much to teach. So tell me, are your roots demanding to be exposed? What is shaking and shimmying and trying to get your attention to go deeper and get past the conditions that limit understanding so you can see more clearly and deeply? Gems await us wise one. This I know! Much Love - Jen Costa, Herbalist, BS, RN, CST and Founder of ElderMoon School of Herbal Medicine and Earth Awareness at www.eldermoonschool.net
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8/6/2015 Class Begins Friday 8/14/15 - Birthing an Herbalist - An On-line Herbal Apprenticeship at ElderMoon SchoolRead NowYou want to make good medicine, right? Me too. Did you know it starts with you right where you are right now?Did you know we all already make medicine for ourselves, our family and friends, our community, and the Earth just by being who we are and doing as we do. Let's deepen this with the help of the plants. Join me for a 13 moon journey through the plant world as we cultivate an intimacy with them and ourselves and bridge that gap between health, the body, and Nature. It's time. It's easier than you think too. Check out the course at www.eldermoonschool.net
How lucky are we when cycles overlay cycles and provide us with such unusual events to celebrate? As we consider these high holy days of summer now, the gardens are so full here in the eastern US for we have had much rain too, the fields are full of grain, and the heavy harvest season is approaching. Have you taken a moment to relax in the heat and reflect on the upcoming abundance of the rest of summer and fall months. At Lammas, sometimes called Lughnasadh (pronounced LOO-nahs-ah), it's time to begin reaping what we have sown throughout the past few months, make bread with a fresh new crop of grain, and recognize that the bright summer days will soon come to an end. This Irish-Gaelic name describes the feast held to honor Lugh, Celtic God of Light and the son of the Sun. The Sun God transfers his power into the grain and is sacrificed when the grain is harvested. So there is a dying, self-sacrificing and resurrecting God of Harvest who dies for his people so that they may live. By now you must see that this same theme plays out in many ancients stories and religions from many different lands, right? But if you must remain scientific then think about the sun and how the plant does ripen from it's light and grow and make more plant material that we do eat in order to maintain our physical growth and repair. It happens because the grain must die or be replanted if we are to have anymore to eat. No matter what you believe, we are Nature. Your very body is created by such substances manufactured within plants that take up air, sun, water and nutrients from the soil, the Earth. It's a cause for celebration each year and our culture has forgotten this in some circles. This is what these festivals are all about and thankfully we are seeing many families and communities getting back to celebrating holy days such as this with feasts filled with gratitude and honoring of the forces that we depend on in order to live and survive. There are eight high holy festivals each year honored since ancient times that reflect a cyclic nature based mind-set. Works for me to have a celebration every 6 weeks! We need to give back and give thanks and let loose and enjoy at these times. I just five months ago decided to stop eating wheat. Wheat is the one grain you will always see referred to during Lughnasadh for harvesting of grains begins around this time of year. My reasons are not because of gluten intolerance or celiac and any other reason than I am unhappy - and that is understatement - with wheat production in the US and refuse to take it into my body until farming practices improve. Since many celebrate with baking bread... my task is simple. Source ancient grains farmed well and make bread! I am. The Oak tree is frequently honored as well for it gives extra growth now in the middle of the summer, unlike many other trees, and signifies its generous spirit with strong dense wood and abundant acorns. August 1st marks the pull of Autumn and the dimming of the light as we begin our descent into more darkness, more inward. Do you feel that coming? How would you describe it? Take some time to actually feel that shift in your body. It's subtle but there. August always feels different than July to me but it is hard to explain too. The Full Blue Moon is upon us as well on July 31, 2015! A rare event that will not be seen again until 2018, it marks the astronomical season - in this case Summer Solstice to Fall Equinox - which has 4 full moon and it is the third Moon within that season that is called 'blue' - though it is not blue in color. It is just rare. So we have the high holy day of Lughnasadh colliding cyclically and beautifully with the Full Blue Moon. I happen to look ahead and schedule these events off from the hospital work I currently do for if you have worked in such a place, you will know the phenomena of the full moon regardless of your beliefs. So what are your plans?There's time still for small and even more epic gestures if you are so moved. Here are a few ideas that span a broad range of belief systems:
~Create a feast with a bon fire planned with many or few but beautiful people. ~Create and altar with bread and fruit offerings. ~Gather in circle under the full moon for your fire with, story, song, music, dance. ~Make a corn doll or wicker man or prayer ties to burn ritually and spend time releasing that which is not helping you along your way. Regrets? Farewells? What is passing or finished? What did not work? ~ Make bread and offer some to the animals that live around you, some for the altar, and some for your feast. Never made bread? Try, ask someone to teach you, or buy from someone who does it gorgeously. ~Fast for 1-2 days prior to your celebratory feast with plenty of water to help cleanse your system at this holy time. Create and take sacred space and call for visions and dreams on how you will continue this year for yourself, your family, your community, and humanity. Where are you incongruent? What needs shoring up at this time? What's working? What isn't? ~ Create special drink for your celebration. Libations! With or without alcohol. Offer some to the natural forces that feed us first by simply pouring some on the Earth with reverence. ~ Maybe you have a boat? Spend the night out on the water and bare your skin for Moon bathing and Moon gaze incessantly from a nest you made for you and your lover surrounded with platters of picky foods you love. Sort of reminds me of 'being the altar'. (nice) Of course you never need a boat to make a love nest... be creative! Move a mattress to the living room for a change. ~ The full Moon is always associated with heightened sexual experiences and desires... it's that time within the lunar cycle of great fertility and so pleasure is always heightened too. The idea is to partake. Enjoy this hard wiring that we have within these physical bodies. You're meant to. ~ Gather seeds or harvest grain. This is quite a skill and never mind that it looks easy! Seeds must be watched for the right time to harvest them, treated carefully with respect to handling, moisture and cold, and stored well with access to air. Yes, they breathe and can maintain a spark of life force for germination for a finite number of years if stored well. There are those people who are so good at this. One I know is a swordsman, martial artist, a deadly man with massive rough construction hands who is the best seed tender I know. He will come and drop the tiniest and strangest looking ones into my care with a huge grin and they always germinate well! ~ Make Jam! One of my favorites and oddly enough I understand the chemistry and so I rarely follow a recipe as it is written and still make outrageously good jams. My mother is a jam maker so lots was taught by watching and helping as a small child. As you turn the summers fruits into jams, jellies and chutneys for winter feasts, think too of that which you have gathered this year so far. How can you store this sweetly in your memory to serve you later? Herbs for Spiritual Bathing? Why not before your fire celebration. I love Yarrow, Calendula, Basil of all varieties, Sunflowers, Elecampane, Echinacea, Strawberry Leaf, Raspberry leaf, Queen Anne's Lace, Meadowsweet, Marshmallow flowers, Comfrey, Oak Leaf, Elder Leaf. Myrtle, Aloe, Apple Leaf and Mugwort. Stones to partner with at this time: Citrine, Clear Quartz, Rose Quatrz, Marble, Lodestone, Moonstone, Mother of Pearl, Moss agate, Golden Topaz. Final food for thought is short - Enjoy yourself wise one. If you do not carve this way for yourself then who will? I will be enjoying a stellar hobbit house style sauna and stream swimming and feasting around a fire after ritual fasting with Mugwort among a gorgeous group of friends and yes, I will definitely laugh loud, tell stories, and be sending out prayers. We have a second celebration the next night too. Why not? Enjoy!! Much love - Jen Costa, ElderMoon School ~Collecting Plants From The Wild So you want to make good medicine, right? Me too. This is one of the most frequently asked questions, "When do I harvest?" In order to make good medicine the plants require that we learn about them and how they grow. It's the same as with our food plants. They have strong variations in what they prefer and they follow the cycles of the seasons that are very much an end result of the dance between the Sun and the Moon. You can get to know the plants that grow near you just by walking in Nature and looking around using a good field guide. This is the only way to truly begin your journey into healing with plants. "Know your local landscape. Get more intimate with the plants. " I love to cross reference the medicine plants I desire with my geographic region and see who grows wild near me first. Then I plan a little quest to meet this plant in its natural environment. Sometimes my quests are quite consciously planned and sometimes not! I remember knowing Skullcap in my garden only and grew this plant for years. I also knew Skullcap was a wild one too but had never located it for it's nature is not invasive or jumping at humans like some do. On one particularly hot summer day, my 2 sons and I decided to explore our changed local landscape after extensive flooding of our local mountain streams in Phoenicia, NY. We oriented to a new swimming hole and while I was sitting among the stream bed stones relaxing and reading as they swam, I realized that the plant tickling my elbow was indeed... Skullcap! I had not set out to learn from Skullcap but our paths crossed anyway. Meeting an old friend in person in an unexpected way is right up my alley and I was graced with lessons which deepened my understanding of Skullcap. I always find it easily in the wild after this and grow it better in my garden too since Skullcap has taught me well! Good Wild Harvesting Rules To Follow are: ~Take only what you need to get you to the next harvest time. Resist that urge to over harvest with abandon. There is a frenzied harvest mind-set that happens with some humans and it is known to devastate wild stands of plants. Clock this in your self and breath through it and get clear about what you actually need. It's not necessary to engage this and the plants are here with us, always. Trust this. ~Attune to the plant before taking. Do you have a sense of "yes" after you take a moment to feel into this question. Follow your intuition. No’s are for good reason… for one thing, the soil could be poisoned and you are being protected by the “No”. ~Always leave the healthiest plants for reproduction of the hardiest seeds or root runners. This ensures our future supply and co-existence with this lovely healing plant. So if I see 10 plants then I will take maybe 3-4 or less and always leave the strongest plant or two to re-seed untouched. This is done for keeping the gene pool out there nice and healthy and keeping one's mind on future generations. ~Wait until the plant is naturally dry after rain or dew before collecting. Morning is always a favorite time for herbalists to harvest. ~Take only 25% of the plant if harvesting leaf or flower or seed to ensure you don’t kill or severely deplete the plant's life force. If you have 10 plants then spread out what you need to harvest from all of them and that way one plant does not carry the full harvesting burden. ~When harvesting roots in the wild... be sure to know about the populations of your plant. For example, Bloodroot or Blue Cohosh have far greater the number of particulars to grow well than Dandelion, Yellowdock, or Burdock. The former two love to be more sequestered in deeper forested areas and are, for many, hard to grow. That being said, I would gently lift the dug up roots, trim the roots, and replant the crowns so the plant does not die. Offer water too and always leave the area looking as if you were never there. It is sad to see people leave gaping holes in the Earth and whole stands of plants gone that are rare or hard to find. FYI - Bloodroot is a rhizome - a ground level stem so replanting is more challenging because the medicine is in the rhizome which you must take. The good news is she is so strong and concentrated with her medicine that you never need much to cover your needs. The latter three are so abundant that I have been known to ask my CSA farmer/friends if I could get Burdock, Yellowdock and Dandelion from their fields in order to help with the weeds they do not want and we love. I would bring all my students too! We barely make a dent in the populations but the roots are much easier to extract from farm fields. Learn the life cycle and growing habits of your plants and you will make better medicine, always! ~Plants are harvested at their peak for the part wanted for medicine. Follow the growth energy of the plant. Time of year matters for the natural cycles rule this practice. If you are out of synchronicity then purchase your plants already dried for now until you can get in synchronicity with the plant's seasonal growing cycle. Just like dancing, you can do a little jig on the side until you know it’s time to jump in. Remember, follow the growth energy. Up in the Spring, peak in Summer, back down into the Earth in Fall, and either asleep as a plant or seed in Winter. Follow the growth energy for the part of the plant you seek. Spring to Summer for Leaves and Flowers and Barks Summer to Fall for Seeds once matured ~ dried on their own Fall for Roots ~ after the first hard frost ~Leave endangered plants alone. Period. They are often endangered because humans over harvest. Some are not aware of this dilemma and are not caring about the plants threatened existence. American Ginseng root can command $600/lb so greed has devastated it's wild existence. I do not divulge wild stands of rare plants that command such a price. I do visit them and take nothing. I say, find the plants first in the wild. Visit them. Study them. Grow them. Get intimate with them. When you begin to love the plants this way then your decisions are made from a different place. You think about not just your health but the health of the plant and the Earth too. There are almost always great alternatives that can be used because herbal medicine is a creative art as well. For more information on this topic, research United Plant Savers, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about this serious issue. I have a posted a free article from their site below as well. ~Know the land and who owns it before you harvest. People have been arrested for taking endangered plants or any plants on protected property such as within the state park systems. Know your areas well. Scout them out and then do return trips when you are sure or have asked and received permission. Stealing plants anyway from places you are not permitted to so makes bad medicine too. It matters. ~Positive identification of the plants is imperative. If you are at all unsure, then do NOT harvest or use it. There are plants that are poisonous and have look-a-likes. Many poisonous plants are powerful healing plants and one must dedicate time to studying them and their safe use. That being said, also know that no death from a plant happens quickly and there is much suffering which forces one to seek emergency care. Poison control centers are well versed in toxic plant issues and how to guide the hospital in one's treatment should this horrible event happen. In fact, hospitals are required to call them by law and it saves lives. This is documented for Poke strained with bare hands or too high a dose, many ingested toxic berries, toxic mushrooms, and poison ivy burned and inhaled or eaten at the wrong time. The plants work on our physiology. Skeptics love to dwell on this topic and shy away from all the good medicine plants can do. There are 1001 reasons to remain a skeptic. Bottom line, know what you are harvesting 100% or don't take any. Or take a sprig home and learn from it! ~Stay on chemical free land! The plants pick up the chemical pesticides and such, along with things like cosmetic chemicals or rug manufacturing chemicals are actually being identified in our blood and isolated in cancerous tumors. Harvest on land that has no chemical treatments on or near it. Harvest 20-30 feet from roadways. ~Annual, Perennial, Biennial? Anyone can tincture with dried plants bought at the store and never know the plant intimately. The medicine can be good at best but great medicine makers know the plant more intimately. You will need to have some idea of the life cycle of the plant in order to make the best medicine. Annuals - Plants that perform their entire life cycle from seed to flower in one growing season. They tend to make abundant seeds too to ensure survival of the species through its dormant phase. All roots, stems and leaves of the plant die annually. Only the dormant seed bridges the gap between one generation and the next through the deep cold journey of winter. Perennials - Plants that grow for many growing seasons. Generally the top portion of the plant dies back each winter and regrows the following spring after the roots hold their ground... underground. Depending on where you live, many perennial plants can keep their leaves year round and offer attractive borders and ground covers. Not the case here in NY where our winters are quite cold. So for me, for example, I treat Rosemary as an annual and plant her each Spring because she cannot survive Zone 5 winters. I harvest often throughout the growing season, which stimulates more growth, and then take all of her each Fall to dry by the wood stove. Technically she is a perennial. Biennials - Plants which require two years to complete their life cycle. The list is short for medicine plants but you must honor their way in order to make good medicine. First season growth often forms a rosette with no rising flower stalk. After the first year winter dormant phase, the flower stalk will form and rise and flower and seeds will set, mature, dry and fall to the Earth and the whole plant will die completely, roots and all. Examples: Burdock, Mullein, Angelica, Delphinium, Foxglove ~Harvest Exceptions for Biennial: Harvest roots in the Fall of first year. Some herbalist say spring of the second year/roots are okay too. I disagree after years of making medicine. The medicine is different with Spring roots versus Fall roots. You decide and you will have a strong opinion to like me after honing your medicine making skills! Leaves and flowers are fine whenever at their peak. Once the growth energy is moving to flower and seed, I tend to stop harvesting leaves so the plant can have the most leaf surface area for gathering sunlight energy to make her flowers and seeds. Annual/Perennial - A plant can behave as an annual or a perennial depending on local climatic and geographic growing conditions. As I mentioned with Rosemary, your location will determine how you work with the plant. It's like a fine dance partner, once you get in synchronicity with your partner it becomes joyous and easy and you trust each other and how you each move within the dance of medicine making. I do hope this is helpful. Follow these concepts and you will become a better medicine maker. Know your local landscape. Seek out the plant healers and hear their stories. Get intimate with the plants you seek. Then you will always make reliable, strong, good, healing medicine directly from the plants. Send questions! Much Love and Be Well - Jen Here is a great document from United Plant Savers website to keep you aware of our endangered plants. Enjoy!
FOOD IS MEDICINEWith such a long awaited spring always comes the joy of foraging for those hardy green plants that can actually grow when it's still quite cold out. Here in New York we enjoyed 4 inches of snow fall on the Spring Equinox to cover the bit of grass here and there that was just beginning to peak through the snow banks in thaw. Still, as I wander out and move the snow around, I can find tiny green shoots already drawing minerals and vitamins from deep in the soil to aid those of us who enjoy eating them. Starved for fresh greens just picked is a common issue in cold climates and our bodies quickly recognize a pesto like this as vital nutrition after a long stretch without produce picked directly from the Earth and so utilizes it perfectly and quickly. We feel revitalized almost in the moment! So enjoy this version of a wild weed pesto I have made for years.... you can always add a handful of cilantro, parsley or basil if the wild ones are just too small to find enough in order to stretch them and get started. Then plan to make more each week in the weeks to come as the soil warms and the plants get excited like us and start to prolifically sprout. This recipe freezes well in small one meal sized containers. I loaded pics of the wild ones I mentioned if you are still learning what they look like. Keep going out there to find them. Bring along a field guide you can tuck it in your basket as a reference when you head out. There will quietly come a day when you notice you no longer need it for you are learning and growing too!! Enjoy! Ingredients:2 cups of nuts of choice, Pecans, Walnuts, Pine nuts; toasted gently in coconut oil 1 cup of grated cheese (Pecorino, aged Gouda or other favorite hard grating cheese) 1 tsp. tamari 2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil (optional) 1 cup of fresh chives, , chopped 2 cloves of fresh garlic 4 to 6 cups of fresh spring dandelion greens, chickweed, lambs quarters, nettles, plantain leaf; washed and air dried on a towel 1/2 lemon, juiced - the acid gives a nice tang and keeps the green color for you - can add zest too! 1/2 to 3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil Salt/pepper to taste Technique:Place the toasted nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, pecans) and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. You can use a blender but you will need to scrape the sides down more frequently. Process for 15 seconds. Add your green leaves of choice, salt, and pepper, lemon juice and tamari. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top. Notes: Air is the enemy of pesto. For freezing, pack it in containers with a film of oil or plastic wrap directly on top with the air pressed out. To clean your greens remove the leaves, swirl them in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner or air dry on a towels fluffing them every so often. Store them in a closed plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days to a week. Wild Weed PicsFOOD IS MEDICINEFood is medicine. I'm trusting you realize this truth, especially since your are here. It is about this time of year, dead winter, that I start looking at my garlic supply and calculating what I need to get to the next harvest time somewhere in June. I then take the smaller cloves and carefully remove the skins, while watching a movie or with my sister over tea. One of the earliest documented plants used by humans for the treatment of diseases and maintenance of health is garlic. Used at the beginning of recorded history, it was found in Egypt, Greece, Rome, China and India. Medical texts from all of these cultures described applications of garlic for healing. One could literally spend weeks studying this plant for there are whole books and whole lives dedicated to it. I will narrow our discussion down to Pickled Tamari Garlic for I do so love this as a winter medicine and not all medicine needs to be unpleasant. I use these therapeutically whenever I have that sense of deep fatigue and a scratchy throat or ache to the bone coming on. I finely chew 2 cloves every 4 hours or if that is too intense for you then work 2 cloves into your food at the same interval. The brine is great for marinades and dressings as well. INGREDIENTS
PREPARATION
ENJOY!! NEW AND HIP? No and YESI absolutely love how this ancient way is enjoying a resurgence in popularity as we see antibiotics fall short of our unrealistic expectations and misuse. Our desire to heal and be well is amplified now with a desire for a deeper connection to the Earth as we find our way in these modern times. It was common place in my home as a child for the soup pot to come out at the first sight of a watery-eyed, sniffling, sneezing family member immersed in struggle with a virus or bacteria. I grew up raising chickens for eggs and then the roosters and hens became soup... we bypassed meat production for many reasons and one was it was easy to get kindly raised meat in the 60s and 70s. We partnered with local farmers for many of our food needs. With the vast changes in food production we are seeing the results in our health and thankfully many are recognizing the need to get back to some time-tested ways of growing food that our bodies have evolved from, know well and prefer. Our cells know the value of bone broths for healing even if you have never eaten it before in this life. It's true but me knowing and you knowing are two different things. So try and see. Chefs have made stocks and broths for the cost and flavor components and I do wish they would post in their menus a description of the stocks and broths they make and promote it more as the immune booster it is as well. Lengthen of cooking determines whether you have a stock or bone broth. Stocks cook in hours and broths are cooked for days. A little perspective on the microbial world is offered here. I often hear people cursing bacteria or viruses for their awful lot in life. I also hear hatred of the deer for carrying Lyme disease as I live in the northeastern US where Lyme is a common tick born illness. For the record, scientists are now learning that Lyme is carried more by mice and Lyme infections increase when the populations of fox drop. Yes, the natural predator of mice are fox, to name only one. So, can you see how hating deer is not helping the situation. When studying Microbiology I was amazed at the beauty of the microbial world when we played with stains so we would give them contrast to the background and actually be able to see them under the microscope. Having a detached understanding that all things want to live filled me with a curiosity to learn not only about the microbes but about my body and how it defends itself with boundary work on a daily basis. Do I love the flu virus when I get sick. No. Do I hate my 5 year old child for sneezing into my mouth when he is sick. No. What I can do is respect that the flu virus has a place here and a will to live and a role to play in a larger plan that I may not fully understand. I treat it like an unwanted house guest and remain cordial, eat and sleep well (even a liquid fast if fever is present) use herbal remedies, reduce seeing ones I love so I don't pass the unwanted house guest to them, see a medical professional if I have exhausted all of my great skills for caring for the ill and am getting worse, and finally, clean often once they leave. Trusting your body and your choices comes first to hating a microbe. This just may be part of the good medicine needed to overcome some health crises. Just a thought.... and here are a few microbe pics I love. So, what is a microbe? "Microbe" is such a vast term and refers to organisms that may or may not be living.... scientists are still debating this one back and forth for viruses thwart definition by not being able to reproduce themselves. I say they are living and always have believed this. Did you know that microbes can gene splice antibiotic resistance and share with non-like species of microbes? That would be somewhat like you sharing your genes with a frog that wanted to walked on two legs! Exaggeration? Maybe not. These living creatures are masterful at adaptation which certainly is partly due to having such a short life span. Still fascinating. So when it comes to the microbial world it's all about boundaries. We quite simply need to make a boundary with the invading microbe. Slow cooked bone broths are a powerful part of this skill set in my experience. They provide high quality nutrient rich fluid you can drink copious amounts of that is easy for your body to use without spending large amounts of energy digesting like it has to with solid food. Remember, we are just a large host for a much smaller world that has changed the course of our larger world and sometimes radically so. Thank you AIDS for introducing the idea of genetic modification in a short time frame in humans. Yes, our genes are much more adaptable than we thought and science is also starting to study this now with the effects of trauma. You are genetically altered between birth and death. I often stifled a laugh as I was taught in college biology about how humans are at the top of the food chain. Maybe we will modify this one day? For now, let's boost up your boundaries with the microbial world by learning to make simple slow cooked bone broths. Most of us have a desire to be well and the choices you make can exert some pressure on the outcome of how well you are. Deep Immune Broth RecipeThis recipe is over 25 years old and continues to amaze me! It was formulated for my family quite intuitively in a time of need as I was figuring out how to be a new mother to sons born 13 months apart and we were all falling apart with many recurrent illnesses. The teachings given to me then were lacking basic skills on caring for the ill. I deeply wanted to learn though and that was the beginning.... I adopted pretty strict sleep habits, looked at food choices, quality and timing of eating, introduced some basic herbal skills and remedies and boosted the chicken stocks my family taught me to make when someone got sick into much richer bone broths. Now I call it Deep Immune Broth because it made such a noticeable difference that even our pediatrician asked “What are you doing different? They are noticeably healthier.” She didn’t like the truth but that was in the early 90’s. Maybe there are more doctors now who actually know these changes have the power to improve immune function? I hope so. This broth has nourished nursing new babies through their mama’s milk, those close to death and all in between. It can also be put through feeding tubes quite well even with pureed vegetables added in the end. It has even been given to a friend’s dog, near death from a car accident. She used a turkey baster to feed him and it was all her dog took in for weeks until he was strong enough to start eating on his own back to a full recovery. It is highly recommended for compromised immune systems such as in those people with low immune function due to treatments or debilitating disease, those with recurrent colds/flus and infections, Lyme disease, and many chronic conditions. This broth aids in restoring vitality, particularly during and after any debilitating illness, hospital stay or invasive medical or surgical procedures. Birthed during a time when I was in great need while caring for my babies, I hope that this can help you or a loved one in a time of great need. INGREDIENTS: 6 dried or 12 fresh Shiitake mushrooms; stem included 4 small or 2 large dried Astragalus Root* slices 2 TLB. Olive oil, coconut oil or animal fat if desired 6 cloves fresh Garlic unpeeled and chopped 1 inch piece fresh Ginger root sliced thin, unpeeled 1-2 of each Carrot, Onion, & Celery unpeeled and rough chopped (yes, add the skins of all vegetables) 4 TBS. fresh or 2 TBS. dried chopped Burdock Root* 3-4 inch piece of kelp or other seaweed* Animal bones - organic, free range, hormone free – do the best you can and mix larger bones with smaller jointed bones for a thick gelatinous stock when cooled - I use 1 chicken carcass for this recipe. 2 TBS. apple cider vinegar - this helps pull minerals quickly from the bones. * found in local health food stores - choose non-sprayed DIRECTIONS:
-Add olive oil/fat to a stock pot and sauté Mushrooms, Ginger, Garlic, Burdock Root, Astragalus root, Seaweed, Onion, Celery and Carrot for 5 minutes stirring often to brown a bit. You can by pass this and just add all to the pot with the water. I do like the saute step for it deepens the flavor for me. -Add the animal bones and vinegar. If you have a small fryer (5-6lbs chicken) - add it whole, simmer 30 minutes and then removed the meat and add the bone back in. The meat can be used later or for other meals. -Add the water to cover -Slowly bring to a gentle boil and simmer ( for a stock - for anywhere from 1-3 hours covered-remove from heat and allow to “steep” covered for 20-30 minutes more.) For bone broth, I use a crock pot and cook on low all day and/or night (1-3 days). Make it easy so you do it. I will start to ladel off cups full after a few hours if I need it immediately. Just replace the water if you are working towards a broth. -When you are satisfied with the cooking time, strain your broth into another pot. Check your bones here for you should be able to pinch them and they break up with your fingers... that means you have extracted most of the nutrients. Some ancient teaching refer to grinding these to a paste to eaten as well. - Ladle a mug full for taste testing and mix 1 tsp miso paste or just a splash of tamari and taste. This is how we often drink it for hours, by the mugful before it becomes a pot soup. -Therapeutic does: Drink warm 1 cup 3-4x/day. -This broth may be used to cook grains and vegetables or added to or used as a soup stock. It freezes well too so make a vat of it for now and later use. So let's refine your ability to understand the language within the herbal world. It is an easy first step and you'll be glad you're able to discern as you engage the healing art of this medicine world. I'm dedicated to making it clear about the different ways to prepare herbs, fresh or dried, with water so that you can take them into your body either orally, as compresses on your skin, in soaks and steams , or in the bath. It is our oldest, most effective, and most widely used form of herbal medicine. "Herbal teas remain my favorite way of using herbs medicinally. The mere act of making tea and drinking it involves you in the healing process and, I suspect, awakens an innate ability for self-healing in the body. Though medicinal teas are generally not as potent as infusions, tinctures and other concentrated herbal remedies , they are the most effective medicines for chronic, long-term imbalances." -Rosemary GladstarI completely agree and there is no way to say it better. The whole idea of drinking herbal teas is to bath your cells at regular intervals (ie. 3x/day) with the healing properties of the plant. What are the healing properties? Well, they include not only the medicinal, active strong properties, but also nourishing properties to build a particular system up (such as minerals, vitamins), and buffer properties to soften the harshness that could cause unpleasant side effects, and catalysts to direct and energize the healing to where you need help. Yes, nature provides, and in an incredibly elegant way with a multitude of forms! The making of herbal tea is a fine art we humans have enjoyed for thousands of years. It is also, thankfully, incredibly simple. Even if you have never cooked and have no desire, you can do this. All you need is a heat safe quart jar with a tight-fitting lid, the herb(s), and water that has reached the boiling point. Make sure it is a canning jar or reused pickle jar so it doesn't crack with the hot water. Herbal teas can be drunk hot, at room temperature or iced. They’re delicious blended with a little fruit juice and frozen as pops for children who are sick. After brewing the 5-10 minute usual time, herbal teas should be stored in the refrigerator. Left at room temperature for several hours, it will go “flat,” get tiny bubbles in it and begin to sour. Stored in the refrigerator, an herbal tea will be good for three to four days. A cup of herbal tea is one thing. There is pleasure and healing with the 5-10 minutes soak of a tea bag or ball. However, medicinal teas or infusions by the cupful are very impractical and time consuming. What this translates to is one not making their herbal infusions correctly or often enough because it becomes time consuming. Then you stop taking what you need to take and the health issue you were working on deepens. Then your experience with herbal medicine is marred some. I do hear people say "it did nothing" and when we talk about what they actually did, it usually reveals some issues related to consistency and the strength of preparation. For larger quantities, make a quart of tea each morning or in the evening. The herb-to-water ratio varies depending on the quality of herbs used, whether they are fresh or dried and how strong you wish the finished tea to be. |
The Back Story of Four Thieves Vinegar
This recipe has ancient roots. It smells and tastes very intense and medicinal and that's just how it works. Researching on-line will provide you with a near ridiculous amount of information to filter through on its misty beginnings which, like all good stories, have many. The most persistent one is about four grave robbing thieves who resisted the plague by bathing and drinking this herb infused vinegar, or some variation of it. They agreed to give up the formula for their freedom from the legal trials they faced with grave robbing. Know that it has the science behind it and quite simply is in the form of having a very low pH from the vinegar, armed with the antimicrobial action of the herbs, which many bacteria cannot tolerate outside of the body. Once taken internally, it's assimilated into the body as a more alkalizing antimicrobial substance thanks to our gut flora and other complicated bio-physiological processes. The body naturally becomes more acidic when fighting infections and illness. This is from a buildup of metabolic waste compounds in your blood from the increased activity of your immune system and other organs that support as your body works for you to restore balance again. Have you ever noticed that you huff and puff more just doing simple things like walking after a fever breaks for about a day or so? This is your body “blowing off” the CO2 from the acidic compounds in your blood that have been broken down and sent to the lungs for release through exhalation. That’s the fastest way to quickly correct blood pH, to keep it simple. Those that focus on 'correcting' pH alone must be careful as trouble can brew quickly with self-diagnosing and treating just blood pH. The kidneys and lungs must balance pH and they are always communicating with each other in order to do so. It’s one of their jobs that do together. If you're just treating pH, then the kidneys and lungs have to constantly correct which can turn into a vicious, around the mountain cycle that fatigues these organs and you may never get to the source of the problem. Incorporating a well-rounded knowledge of the body and what it is needing to heal is a better plan. Just treating pH can be likened to just treating one symptom of any other illness. We always want to dig deeper to find the root cause and this can take time. It is an act of power to know what you need and seek assistance if you are unsure. Leave the myopic pH correcting for the critical caregivers who can track pH with frequent blood tests. Even then, it’s a difficult, tricky task depending on the situation. Suggested daily doses during flu season of 1-2 tablespoons of herbal infused vinegars or straight apple cider vinegar stirred into a glass of water with a bit of honey would be the best choice for supporting wellness. For the home care setting, vinegar is very effective against a variety of ailments and very affordable to make. Caring for someone who is sick is an art that has waned a bit in modern times because of our false sense of security with antibiotic medications. Some of these ancient, simple remedies are proving to have more power in the home setting when used at the right time. |
Four Thieves Vinegar - Ingredients
2 Tlb Thyme (dried) - double with fresh
2 Tlb Rosemary (dried) - double with fresh
2 Tlb Sage (dried) - double with fresh
2 Tlb Lavender (dried) - double with fresh
2 Tlb Mint - spearmint, peppermint (dried) - double with fresh
2 Tlb Wormwood (dried) - double with fresh
2 Tlb Rue (dried) - double with fresh
4-8 cloves of fresh minced garlic
2 32-ounce bottles of organic Apple Cider Vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS:
Put all the dried OR fresh herbs and garlic into a large glass jar – ½ gallon size if you have. I always use fresh plants as I believe the final vinegar is superior in the end. I know some are fine with dried herb use and happy with the end result too. You will find your way that you prefer. Use what you have or have access to.
If using dried herbs: I do suggest to warm the vinegar to just the point of seeing a little steam off the top. This helps the dried plant material to open up. Please don't boil it or you destroy much of the benefits of raw vinegar. Use mason or heat safe jars too.
Pour the vinegar over the herbs and garlic and seal tightly. Be sure the herbs are covered with 2-3” of vinegar which may take a day to assess once things have soaked and settled. Add more vinegar if you need to. Vinegar corrodes metal lids. Consider putting waxed paper or plastic wrap on top then capping with metal lid.
Leave in a cool, dark, place for 6-8 weeks shaking daily to a few time a week.
After 6-8 weeks, strain the herbs out and squeeze all the goodness out of the plants too using a cloth-lined strainer. Rebottle and label your tonic. Use within 1 year and make a fresh batch. Store in glass in a dark cabinet.
Suggested Dosing: 1-2 tablespoon in a glass water for a daily tonic during flu season. Increase to every 4 hours when you are actively sick.
Other Suggested Uses For Thieves Vinegar:During illness, this vinegar is helpful for decreasing recovery time. Adults can take 1 Tlb 2-4 times a day diluted in water with 1 Tlb honey. You can drink warm or cool; just never microwave please. Children over 1 yr. old can take 1 tsp several times a day well diluted in water/herbal tea with honey or grape juice. Some people report good success using this vinegar as a soak or topical spray for foot or nail fungus. I also add 1 cup to a warm bath and soaking 20-30 minutes is also very beneficial to ease to-the-bone aches, reduce fever, and mobilize congestion. |
"Apple Cider Vinegar contains 19 of the 21 essential minerals needed for growth and repair in our bodies"
Fire Cider Tonic
Fire Cider Tonic with a Beet
1 part horseradish - fresh grated is BEST; otherwise use the jar variety
1 part onions -chopped
1 part beets - I grate these too
½ part garlic - chopped
½ part ginger- minced
Cayenne to taste (just a pinch, OR chop a few hot peppers instead)
Honey to taste
Apple Cider Vinegar-organic raw is best
INSTRUCTIONS:
The amounts and proportions can be varied according to your particular taste. For your first time, start with equal amounts of the first three ingredients and one half part garlic and ginger. You can always adjust the flavors in future batches.
Chop enough of the first five ingredients to pack a quart jar approximately 3/4 full.
Put in wide mouth quart jar and cover with Apple Cider vinegar and keep vinegar about two inches above the herbs. Add cayenne to taste and just a small amount or it will be too hot! Let sit 6-8 weeks shaking occasionally. Strain and discard spent herbs. Add honey to taste until you get that sweet and tangy balance.
Enjoy! xo-Jen
Root Beer Syrup - Ingredients
4 oz Sassafras root dried (double if you have fresh)
2 oz Sarsaparilla root dried (double if you have fresh)
1oz Burdock root dried (double if you have fresh)
2 Tlb minced fresh ginger root (highly sprayed so find it unsprayed!)
Black Birch Bark shavings - 1 handful; OR 4-6 fresh Wintergreen leaves; OR Wintergreen Extract 1/8-1/4 tsp
2-3 whole cloves
1 tsp Coriander Seed
1/4 cup Molasses
1/4 Maple Syrup -(Real .... from the Maple Tree please; high minerals and goodness!)
Organic Sugar or Maple Syrup to equal your amount of strained final decoction.
PART I:
Place all herbs EXCEPT Black Birch Bark or Wintergreen, into a pot and pour cold water over and bring to a simmer.
Simmer covered loosely for 20-25 minutes.
Add Molasses, stir, replace lid, simmer another 5 minutes
Let sit until cool or overnight. This allows all the nutritive mineral to move into your brew.
Strain through cheese cloth or fine mesh fabric.
Congratulations!! This is your root decoction! Taste it. It should be good like this so add a little to some warm water and sip.
Now we will work on giving it a shelf life. Place your measured root decoction in a pot and use a chop stick to measure the level up the chopstick. Bring to a gentle simmer and reduce by 1/3 to 1/2 - this concentrates the flavor and helps preserve. Use the measure on the chopstick to estimate the level as it goes down. Remove from heat and NOW add Birch Bark or Wintergreen and recover for 10 minutes. Now strain and measure this amount in a measuring cup and return to the pot and add an equal amount of organic sugar or maple syrup and warm to mix. So if you have 3 cups, use 3 cups sweetener. Yes, it sounds like too much but it preserves it and tastes good. Chemistry is chemistry. Mess with it and you will have a jar of mold. Remember, you take 1 Tlb at a time when done because you concentrated it.
Now.... Taste it! See below for ideas on how to use.
Pour in clean labeled jars and keep in the refrigerator (up to 6 months). Some process in mason jars and store in the dark until needed.
TO USE
1tsp-1 Tlb over ice with seltzer and sip.
1tsp-1 TLB stirred into warm water and sipped.
A therapeutic seasonal autumn tonic dose is 2-3 Tlb/ day diluted as mentioned and drink throughout your day. Use each day until your batch is gone. It is absolutely delicious with a fresh squeeze of lime.
Enjoy!
Jennifer Costa, Herbalist-RN, Teacher, Botanist BS, EM-CST, and Founder of ElderMoon School of Herbs & Earth Medicine
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