Fire Cider

Glowing fire cider

Your best friend in winter. A cold & flu preventative (coined by the lovely Rosemary Gladstar) that is easy to make and included ingredients that most people have in their kitchen already.
Chop up raw garlic, onion, lemon, grate ginger & horseradish,
and add it all into a glass canning jar.
Add a dash of cayenne and tumeric powder.
Pour apple cider vinegar over the top. Cap with lid (we prefer the plastic lids when using ACV).

Store in a cool, dark place, or your fridge for several weeks. Or be inpatient like us and use immediately.
Take a tablespoon daily as a preventative or take more often throughout the day if you are sick.
The great thing about the age-old herbalist remedy is that you can add or subtract ingredients and play around with it. Don't have horseradish? Don't use it. Want to add fresh herbs? Go for it! I think no matter the combination we always include lemon, onion, garlic, and ginger. Other things vary.

Have fun & be healthy!

10 Steps to Reducing Your Allergies

1) Stay hydrated
Drinking enough water is a foundational aspect of any allergy elimination program. It is important to drink ½ your weight in water. If you weigh 120 pounds, drink 60 oz water. To make sure you drink enough water, measure it out first thing in the morning. Be familiar with how many ounces your water container holds and set aside your day’s worth of water before your day begins. If you don’t drink enough water then the body creates more mucus to counteract the dryness. Getting enough water is the first step upon which you can build other changes to reduce your allergic symptoms and susceptibility.

2) Eliminate poor quality fats from your diet
The fat that you eat helps make up every cell wall in your body. Eating poor quality fat compromises the integrity of the structure of your cells and they become more susceptible to inflammation and damage. Inflamed cells are more reactive and can increase allergy symptoms. Read all of your food labels and watch out for Trans Fats. Don’t eat hydrogenated oils, partially hydrogenated oils, margarine, shortening, deep fried food, fast food and cotton seed oil

3) Eat high quality fats
Good fats include olive oil, avocados, coconut oil, ghee and palm oil. Take an Essential Fatty Acid supplement that is high in Omega 3 oils. In the supplements section of my website I recommend several good EFA supplements including my favorite one Frutol by Pharmax. High quality fats build healthy cells that aren’t as susceptible to becoming inflamed.

4) Eliminate inflammatory promoting foods
Again read your labels and let go of any foods that have ingredients that increase inflammation in the body. Eliminate nitrates, sulfites, MSG, dies, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, genetically engineered foods, preservatives and pesticides. All of these substances can increase your susceptibility to being more inflamed and allergic. Take a look at all the foods in your pantry and just throw the things away that have these ingredients.

5) Take medicinal mushrooms
Build your immune system and reduce inflammation by taking a regular dose of medicinal mushrooms. On my website I have a link to all of my favorite medicinal mushrooms. Reishi is one of the best mushrooms that can be taken in capsule or tincture form long term to reduce systemic inflammation and allergic reactions.

6) Nourish your beneficial bacteria
The beneficial bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract play an important role in your inflammatory response. You can reduce the severity of allergic reactions by increasing the integrity of your gastrointestinal tract. Take a high quality probiotic (probiotic is the general name for a beneficial bacteria supplement) especially if you have a lifestyle that compromises your beneficial bacteria. Beneficial bacteria are destroyed by anti-biotics, medications, stress, birth control pills, chlorine and excess coffee and sugar consumption.
Another way to nourish the beneficial bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract is to eat fermented foods such as raw sauerkraut, kim chee, whey, whole plain kefir and whole plain yogurt. Don’t be fooled by the high sugar yogurts like Danon and Yoplait. Healhty yogurt is plain and has a little bit of a sour taste.
These foods contain the beneficial bacteria that feed your gut. Half of the immune cells in your body are found in the digestive tract. Keeping your immune system strong and your allergic reactions to a minimum require a strong digestive system full of healthy beneficial bacteria.

7) Love your liver
Your liver helps to mediate the inflammatory response to whatever you are allergic to. The liver has more than 600 different jobs; including figuring out what to do with any chemicals and pesticides you put in your body. If the liver is backed up and bogged down with daily toxic exposures, it is less able to help you with your allergic reactions.
Don’t underestimate the negative effects of accumulated exposure to daily chemicals in your household. Everything adds up and gives the liver extra work to do. Read the labels on all of your body care products, you will be shocked at how many chemicals you are putting on your body. Make a commitment to using all natural body care items. I am talking about detergents, the soap you wash with in the shower, your shampoo, shaving cream, lotions; make up, hair care products, etc. The personal care industry is unregulated and many of products contain known cancer causing ingredients. If you have allergies, don’t stress out the liver by using body care products with chemicals.

8) Drink nettles
A couple of months before your allergies usually begin, start drinking nettles infusions.

Nettles Infusion
1 quart room temperature water
4 tablespoons dried nettles
Let the nettles and water sit over night in a quart glass mason jar. In the morning strain the herb out and drink the quart of nettles infusion over the next two days. Especially in warm weather the infusion can go bad so it is important to keep it refrigerated. When you are ready to drink it take it out of the fridge and warm it up. Normally a nettles infusion is good for two days if not left out in the heat.
You can drink 1 to 3 cups of nettles infusion a day for several months. Over the years I have watched many of my clients eliminate their spring allergies following the above protocols along with drinking nettles for about two months prior to allergy season and then continuing to drink it throughout the time they would normally have allergies.

9) Use herbal remedies
Two of my favorite herbal remedies for allergies are:

Turmeric honey
In a clean glass jar put 6 tablespoons uncooked honey and 6 tablespoons powdered turmeric. Stir until the turmeric is well mixed into the honey. When you feel your allergy symptoms coming on, you can eat one teaspoon of this honey 4 or 5 times a day. It will help to reduce your inflammatory reaction.

Elderflower tea
3 cups water
3 tablespoons dried elder flowers
Let steep for two hours. Strain out the flowers, re-heat and drink 3 cups a day. Drink this throughout allergy season and it will help to reduce your symptoms

10) Use saline nasal rinse
If you already have allergy symptoms do saline nasal rinses to tighten and tone your mucus membrane and help to reduce the inflammation

Saline nasal rinse
1 cup warm water
¼ teaspoon salt
Mix the salt and warm water together and then put it into a Neti pot or nasal rinse plastic container that you can purchase at any drug store. Let the warm water go all the way back into one side of your nose through your nostril and let it drain out of the other side. Do this on both sides. If you have never done this or cannot visualize what I am talking about, read the directions on the box and ask around to see if you know someone that can show you how to do it. This simple technique is a life saver if you have acute allergy symptoms; you can do this one to three times a day. I often put 30 drops of golden seal tincture in the warm water and salt mixture to help get rid of acute allergy symptoms

Source:  http://www.livingawareness.com/ArticleDetail.aspx?hArticle=1

Herbal Syrups

Sore throat syrup

4 cups water

2 tablespoons osha root

1 tablespoon echinacea root

1 tablespoon fennel seed

1 tablespoon slippery elm bark

1 teaspoon ginger root

Cook this down to two cups as directed above and then add:

One half cup honey

One quarter cup brandy

One quarter cup black cherry fruit concentrate

This is a great syrup to soothe the throat. It works best if you take one

tablespoon every two hours at the first tickle of a sore throat

Herbal-C Syrup

6 cups water

3 tablespoons elderberries

2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds or cranberries

2 tablespoons rose hips

1 tablespoon pine or cedar tree needles

1 tablespoon lemongrass

Cook this down to three cups and add:

One half cup molasses

One half cup honey

One half cup fruit concentrate

This is wonderful tasting syrup to take as a tonic during cold and flu season.

Wet and Damp Cough Syrup

4 cups water

2 tablespoons elecampane root

1 tablespoon thyme

1 tablespoon horehound leaf

1 tablespoon yerba santa leaf

Cook this down to two cups and add:

One half cup honey

One half cup brandy

This syrup is for lingering wet coughs with lots of stuck phlegm and mucus.

Elderberry Syrup

3 cups water

4 tablespoons of fresh or dried elderberries

one half cup honey

one quarter cup brandy

Put the elderberries and the water into a stainless steel sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then let simmer on low heat for fifteen minutes. Turn off the heat and let the elderberries infuse for a couple of hours. Strain the elderberries out and put them in the compost pile. You now have a strong elderberry tea. Turn the stove on low and simmer the tea without a lid on the pot until the tea is down to one half of its original volume. In this case you are starting with three cups of tea and cooking it down to one and a half cups. This process is called decocting. Take the tea off of the stove and add the honey while the tea is still warm. Stir in the honey until it is dissolved. After the tea cools, add the brandy. Store this syrup in the refrigerator with a shelf life of about three to six months. Take a tablespoon every hour and a half at the first signs of a cold or flu.

Fire Cider aka ACV Potion

from the Wildflower School of Botanical Medicine



Fire Cider (also known as ACV Potion in my house)) is a popular kitchen remedy amongst many folk herbalists, especially in the Northern parts of North America. What is it? Its an herbal vinegar extraction that relies on a few main ingredients: Garlic, Ginger, Chili Peppers and Horseradish. YIKES! Garlic from Mrs M Grieve's A Modern Herbal says: “It formed the principal ingredient in the 'Four Thieves' Vinegar,' which was adapted so successfully at Marseilles for protection against the plague when it prevailed there in 1722. This originated, it is said, with four thieves who confessed, that whilst protected by the liberal use of aromatic vinegar during the plague, they plundered the dead bodies of its victims with complete security”



Fire Cider Remedies is a stimulant, purgative, antimicrobial, and more. It is sweet, sour, spicy and pungent. It tastes so good; many people keep it out and even add it to some of their food dishes. You can use it on cold mornings to wake up and get your circulation going. You can use it to help resolve colds and flus. Sometimes people add other herbs in the mix, sometimes not. It is a lovely addition to your herbal first aid cabinet.




The basic recipe:

Assemble Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Local Honey, Organic Garlic, Organic Ginger, Organic Horseradish, Organic Chili Peppers(or garden chili peppers), a knife, clippers, and quart sized mason jar

Chop up all ingredients and fill you a mason jar with equal parts peeled garlic, ginger, horseradish and chile peppers. If you are sensitive to chile peppers, you may want to add less. Fill the mason jar with Apple Cider Vinegar, covering the plant material. Screw the top on. The extraction process takes about a month, shake often.

After a month, strain out plant matter and add ½ cup of honey to the remaining liquid. Bottle and store. Dosage varies, from 1-2 tsp as needed. Some amendments include: burying it for a month(adding a little earth magic), adding beets, or nettles, chickweed, cleavers, or other nutritive weeds, adding maple syrup instead of honey....etc. Make up your own recipe!

Cold & Flu Preventative Tonic

Happy Autumn...my favorite time of the year!

Enjoy the cooler weather, the seasonal produce, warm nourishing meals, and lots of herbal tea!
And don't forget to take care of yourself too...

Our Favorite Cold & Flu Preventative Tonic

2 cloves of fresh chopped garlic
1/2 lemon cut into slices
1-2 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root
1/2 chopped white onion
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
2-3 sticks of cinnamon

Directions
Add water to a large pot.
Add all ingredients to pot.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least an hour.
Add honey or maple syrup to taste & drink.
This is a strong brew and not pleasant to some--but trust me it works!

Harvest Moon Immune Building Chai

Harvest Moon Chai Recipe


Enjoy this chai tea before the cool weather sets in. Echinacea and Astragalus are both great herbs for building immunity and helping us stay strong during the upcoming cold & flu season.

Ingredients:

5 cups of water

2 tea bags or 2 Tablespoons of regular or decaf Black tea

2-3 Cinnamon sticks

1 Tablespoon fresh Ginger, grated

4-5 tongues of dried Astragulus root

1 Tablespoon dried Burdock root

2 Tablespoons dried Dandelion root

1 Tsp. ground Cardamom

1 Tsp. ground Nutmeg

1⁄2 tsp. whole Cloves

1/2 tsp. Echinacea Root

1⁄4 tsp. black Peppercorns


Directions:

1. Add water and spices to a large pot.
2. Let the water come to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Strain out the herbs, add milk and honey to taste.

4. Enjoy this delicious Fall immune building tonic!

Cold and Flu Recipes

Cold and Flu Recipes

Cold and Flu Tea

4 cups water

1 tablespoon echinacea root

1 tablespoon red root

1 tablespooin calendula flowers

Simmer the Echinacea and red root on the lowest heat for fifteen minutes. Turn off the heat and add the calendula. Let everything steep for another thirty minutes after the calendula has been added

Symptom Specifics: Useful when there is lymph congestion. If your throat lymph nodes get engorged and sore when you get a cold, this is a helpful tea

Cold Care Tea

4 cups water

1 tablespoon elder berries

1 tablespoon elder flower

1 tablespoon yarrow leaf and flower

1 tablespoon ginger root

Bring four cups of water to a boil in a pot and remove from the heat. Add the herbs to the pan or pour the water over the herbs into a tea pot. Steep the herbs for one hour. Warm the tea up again and enjoy.

Symptom Specifics: Sinus congestion and compacted mucus in the sinus area

Cinnamon Ginger Tea

2 cups water

1 tablespoon ginger root

1 teaspoon cinnamon bark

Simmer on low heat for thirty minutes

Symptom Specifics: Feeling chilled or catching a cold that is triggered by exposure to wind or cold weather

Soothing Throat Tea

2 parts echinacea root

1 part ginger root

1 part licorice root

Decoct on low heat for thirty minutes

Symptom Specifics: Good for when your throat is scratchy or sore

Easy Cough Tea

3 cups water

2 tablespoons slippery elm bark

1 tablespoon fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon licorice root

Decoct the ginger and licorice root for thirty minutes. Turn off the heat and let the tea cool down a little before adding the slippery elm bark. After adding the slippery elm let everything infuse for another half hour. Drink at room temperature

Symptom Specifics: Spasmodic, non-productive cough

Vitamin C Tea Blend

2 parts rose hips

1 part red raspberry leaf

1 part orange peel

1 part pine needles

Make an infusion and let steep for four hours. Warm the tea up and add a little honey before drinking.

Symptom Specifics: Drink a few cups a week as a prevention tea at the onset of winter

Cinnamon Ginger Honey

1 cup honey

2 tbls. dried powdered cinnamon

1 tbls. dried powdered ginger

Let herbs steep in honey for at least two weeks before eating. Leave the herbs in for the shelf life of the honey, about one year. Put on toast and warm cereal

Source: http://www.livingawareness.com/coldandfluRecipes.aspx

Herbal Protocol for Treatment and Prevention of the Flu by Mary Blue

An herbalist perspective is one that the flu is a “ housecleaning”. Our bodies are flushing out the virus or bacteria and other toxins. Herbalists use herbs and food to encourage this cleansing, to prevent co-infections,increase white blood cell count, to relieve pain, promote restful sleep and help lesson the severity of the symptoms of the flu. Herbal Protocols can help no matter what strain of the flu it is.

Prevention

Food: Eating a diet that is rich in organic veggies and low in processed,fried and sugary foods is a great way of staying healthy and getting over the flu fast if you do get it. A toxic body has a harder time fighting off viruses and bacteria because it is too busy processing toxins and cannot support the Immune System, the Circulatory System, and the elimination processes in their fight to rid the body of pathogens.

Great foods to prevent the flu

Local organic veggies, local GMO free Meat and eggs, Organic Grains,Organic Fruit and Veggies, Miso, and unpasteurized fermented foods.(Fermented foods are high in Vitamin C, are very cleansing, and have a beneficial effect on the digestive system.)

RAW GARLIC is one of the most important flu preventatives. You can eat it with a spoonful of honey (which has anti-bacterial properties.)Turmeric, Cayenne, Ginger, Sage, Thyme, and Oregano are all herbs that can help prevent the flu. It is great to incorporate these into cooking.

Things to avoid!

Sugar. It feeds Bacteria/ Viruses. (think about bread or beer, you add sugar to the bacteria and it grows. The same things happen in our body.)

Coffee. Coffee dehydrates the body and depletes it of vitamins and minerals, especially b vitamins that help support the immune system.

Alcohol. Alcohol clogs up our liver and can inhibit the immune system. It also turns into sugar in the body and can feed bacteria/viruses.

Processed Food. Food with preservatives, food coloring, fried foods, etc,keep our bodies at an overworked state. The liver and other organs become stressed and literally clogged up. Keeping your system clear and clean will help you stay healthy and recover quickly.

STRESS: The effects of stress on immune system functioning and overall level of wellness have been studied and well-documented. Chronic Stress can raise cortisol levels and weaken our immune system and make us more susceptible to colds and the flu, as well as more serious health problems.

Herbs (Prevention)

Note: You do not have to take all of these herbs at once.Pick one or two from each category, and work with them.

Adaptogens: Astragulus Tea, Tincture or Capsules, Siberian Ginseng Tincture, Reishi Mushroom Tincture or Capsule, Holy Basil Tea. Adaptogens help our body deal with stress.

Anti-bacterial, Aromatic: Sage, Oregano, Thyme, Ginger.

These culinary herbs are not only good to cook with, they are great for tea! These are all great for a sore throat and breathing in the steam from a hot cup of tea will clear clogged sinuses.

Tonics: Nettles Tea, Alfalfa Tea, Comfrey Tea.

Tonics are high in vitamins and minerals and give our bodies a boost of nourishment.

Nervines: Oatstraw Tea, Lemon Balm Tea, Chamomile Tea.

Nervines help nourish our nervous system and can help deal with daily stress.

Detoxifying Herbs: Dandelion Tincture, Red Clover Tea, Chickweed Tea, Cleavers Tea.

Immune Herbs: Echinacea Tincture, Licorice Tincture or Tea, Astragulus Tea, Tincture or Capsule. (do not take Echinacea for more than 1 week at a time).

Treatment

There is no cure-all herb or food for the flu. The herbs/foods listed below help our bodies deal with the pathogens in our system. They support our circulatory system, elimation system, the liver, kidneys and more! These herbs may help induce sweating and reduce fevers, or produce interferon, which in turn produces white blood cells, or help us sleep, which can be hard when you have the flu.

Food (Treatment)

It is best to stick to simple foods as to not clog up the system and make the body work too hard digesting complex meals. Soup: Miso in vegetable or chicken broth. Soup is good because the body doesn’t have to waste energy with the digestion process. It can just soak up vitamins and minerals from the broth.

Grains: Brown Rice, Quinoa

Veggies: spinach, kale, carrot, broccoli and RAW GARLIC!! Some acupuncturists think the swine flu is a hot condition, therefore they recommend staying away from hot, spicy foods. If it is not the swine flu, then cayenne pepper, ginger and other hot spicy herbs and veggies can be very beneficial. These foods can help induce sweating and mucous membrane cleansing.

RAW HONEY is a natural anti-biotic. Mix it with a clove of raw garlic.

Herbs (Treatment)

Note: You do not have to take all of these herbs at once. Pick one or two from each category to work with.

Immune Support: Astragulus Tincture, Tea or Capsule, Boneset Tincture or Tea ,

Andrographis Tincture, Licorice Tea or Tincture, Turmeric Capsules or Tincture.

Anti-viral/ Anti-bacterial herbs: Elderberry Berry/Flower Syrup or Tea, Sage Tea,

Oregano Tea, Thyme Tea.

Adaptogens: Astragulus Tea, Tincture or Capsule, Holy Basil Tea.

Tonics: Nettle Tea, Alfalfa Tea, Oastraw Tea.

Febrifuge: (induce sweating) Yarrow Tincture or Tea, Elder Flower Tea or Tincture

(febrifuge herbs are best taken in hot water)

Strong Nervines: (sleep) Skullcap Tincture or Tea, Valerian Tincture, Lavender Essential Oil, Chamomile Tea or Tincture

Anodyne: (pain reliever) White Willow Bark Tincture, Valerian Tincture, Meadowsweet Tincture

Demulcents: (sooth the mucous membranes, especially with a dry hacking cough) Marshmallow Root Tea, Slippery Elm Bark Tea(Demuclents can only be taken in tea form)

Expectorants: (only if the cough is actually producing mucous) Mullein Tea, Coltsfoot Tea

Cough Suppressants: Osha Root Tincture or chew on root, Wild Cherry Bark Syrup, Tea or Tincture, Holy Basil Tea.

Herbal Decongestant Steam

Take 2 quarts simmering water and add 5 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil. You can substitute Eucalyptus Oil with White Pine needles or Sage/Thyme leaves. Turn off heat under pan and breathe in steam. You can hold a towel over your head to collect the steam. Keep eyes closed.

Herbal Anti-Bacterial Bath

Fill a bathtub with hot water, add 1/2 cup sea salt and 25 drops lavender essential oil, 25 drops tea tree essential oil. Make sure you do not have a high fever before getting into a very hot tub. If you do have a high fever take the bath in lukewarm water.(Remember fevers are our bodies way of heating up to kill pathogens. Very

high fevers are dangerous, but a low fever is actually good)

Supplements

Colloidal Silver: 2 squirts three times daily (strong anti-biotic)

Vitamin C: 2000 mg daily

Vitamin D: get your sunlight!!

*Vitamin D has been proven to help with flu prevention.*

If you haven’t had much sun exposure, take a supplement when sick or when those around you are sick.

Anti-Viral/ Anti-biotic Hand Wash

20 drops grapefruit seed extract

30 drops tea tree essential oil extract

1/2 gallon water

Antiseptic Spray for Surfaces

1/4 cup Vodka

1/2 gallon Water

30 drops Tea Tree Oil

30 drops Lavender

Essential oil. Disinfect door knobs switches , handles, toys and other

surfaces that are commonly touched.

Air Sanitizer

Simmer water on low heat in a pot with 15 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil or

15 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil or Lavender Essential Oil. Steam room

every 7-10 hours

OTHER HELPFUL TIPS

*SLEEP!!!

*Stay home and avoid sharing items with household members (pens,papers,computers, remote control. sheets, towels, eating utensils, food.)

*Wear a surgical mask when around others.

*Clean sheets, bedding and clothes every day.

*Caregivers should wear disposable gloves and wearing a mask when giving care.

Source: http://www.farmacyherbs.com/whatshappening.html

Mary Blue, Activist, Herbalist, and Community Organizer is currently the Practicing Herbalist, Education Coordinator and Director of The Peace Gardens Botanical Sanctuary at 7 Arrows . She lives in Providence RI , where she has been farming ¼ acre for 7 years and sells her herbal medicines and products at local farmers markets.Mary has taught numerous free garden/ nutrition / herbal workshops to children and high school students in Providence She currently teaches adult classes here at 7 Arrows and offers classes and workshops to groups and organizations all over New England.She is a founding member of the Annual Northeast Grassroots Community Herbal Convergence organizational committee and Bio-Justice, 2007, a counter conference to the annual Biotechnology Conference is Boston MA . She is the founder of The Cemetery Street Community Clinic, and co-founder of Providence Recycle-A- Bike.She is a member of NEHA (Northeast Herbal Association) and was a guest speaker at their 2007 annual retreat.