REVIEW - Herbal Cold Care - Natural Remedies for Cold & Flu Season

If you follow my Facebook page, you may remember that at the end of October I shared an offer from the wonderful people at Learning Herbs.  The offer was for Rosalee de la Foret's Herbal Cold Care course.

I finished the course yesterday and wanted to share a quick review with you.

This isn't the first product or course that I've purchased from the Learning Herbs family.  I am a member of their paid site, Herb Mentor.  Two years ago, I purchased their video series, Rosemary's Remedies, we have an HerbFairies membership for Abbie and we also own their game, Wildcraft.  As I type this I am anxiously awaiting the re-release of their Taste of Herbs video series.

Needless to say, this is a company that I have a long history with.  When this new course was made available, I was nothing short of excited.

When you first sign in, this is what greets you.....a crisp, well organized and user friendly website.

To the left, you have the videos available in this series, there are 11 (counting the Welcome message).  Topics covered include, dosing, prevention, sore throats, coughs, congestion and fevers.

In the top right corner, you will find links to information about Rosalee, submitting questions, course bonuses, tech support, as well as where you can get herbs (a 10% discount from Mountain Rose Herbs is even made available to participants).

As you scroll to the bottom of the screen, you will find links to the recipes, downloadable audio, slides and transcripts.

The course videos are clear and concise.  Rosalee has a voice that is knowledgeable, down to Earth, easy to listen and very well spoken.  She not only takes the time to clear up common myths/fears related to not only herbs and conditions but she makes herbalism personable.

I appreciate the fact that the herbs in the course are easily accessible, safe and easy to use.  It could have been very easy to use complex, harder to find herbs for this series and she chose not to go that route which makes this perfect for someone who is just starting out.  Even as someone who has been using herbs for a while, I found this course informative.  I also appreciate the fact that throughout the series, she offers many other sources of information.

Let's talk about the bonuses because who doesn't like getting more than what they paid for!?!?!?

• 22 beautiful and detailed herbal monographs
• The Ultimate Elderberry E-book
• Herbal Remedies for Children E-book
• The Key to Winter Wellness Chart
• 50 Herbal Recipes

We've covered all of the positive....so, time for the negatives, right?  Well, the only negative I have to offer you is that this is NOT available year 'round!  With that said, it will be available until November 15, 2014 for $50.00 off.

Whether you are new to herbs or you've been dabbling in them for a while now, I truly believe that you will find the information in this course valuable.

I hope you check it out!  If you do, let me know what you think in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Garlic and Mullein Ear Oil

When I decided to start taking a more natural approach to our health, this was one of the first items I learned to make.  

As a child, I suffered from chronic ear infections and I remembered my mom using Sweet Oil in my ears because it always seemed to take the pain away.  As I begun researching Sweet Oil, I came across articles about using garlic ear drops instead.  I was immediately sold for no other reason than I always have fresh garlic on hand which meant that when late night ear pain hit, I wouldn't have to worry about whether or not I had forgotten that I ran out of Sweet Oil at some point.

Before we jump into the recipe itself, lets talk about the ingredients a bit.

Garlic - Garlic is a part of our everyday lives.  We eat it in all manner of foods and those of us who know the healing ability of this food make a concerted effort to consume even more of it than most folks.  Garlics is said to be antimicrobial, antibiotic, antifungal, and immune-stimulant, anti-oxidant, diaphoretic, cholagogue, hypotensive, antispasmodic, anthelmintic, expectorant, anti-thrombotic and anti-diabetic.  According to Practical Herbalism by Philip Fritchey, "In laboratory studies, Garlic has been shown to have direct anti-microbial actions equivalent to many antibiotic drugs, but without those drugs' tendency to create resistant strains of pathogens."  In his book, Herbal Antibiotics - Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Stephen Harrod Buhner states, "Garlic is perhaps the most extensively tested herb in the world; in vitro, in vivo and human trials have shown its powerful effectiveness against bacterial and viral infectious agents."

Mullein - This you may not be as familiar with but I am willing those of us who live in the United States have seen it growing along the road and in fields.  Mullein's actions are said to be expectorant, demulcent, emollient, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, nervine, antispasmodic, vulnerary, alternative, astringent, pectoral, nutritive, antiseptic, hemostatic, anodyne, narcotic, anti-asthmatic, germicide and vermicide.  Studies are not available to show the efficacy of Mullein against earaches and infections but it has long been used in folk medicine as a treatment for both.  It is likely that its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties are the key players in its usefulness against problematic ears.

ON TO THE RECIPE!

1 head of garlic

.75 ounces of mullein leaves Where to Buy

4oz Oil (approx)

Ignore the scale.
I grabbed this shot before I finished weighing out the Mullein.

The Process is very straight forward.

Peel and crush your garlic.  There is no need to chop it up.

Combine Mullein, Garlic and Oil in a food processor.
How much oil you need will depend on how dry your Mullein is.

Now, you may be wondering why the food processor.  This is a little trick I learned in an Herbalism 101 Course I took through Divine Journeys.Mullein is a very fluffy plant.  Processing it ensures that everything gets covered in the oil without having to use more oil than necessary.  You can choose to either cut it up by hand into smaller pieces or even skip this step.  Even if you have to add extra oil, your ear oil will still be effective.

Pour into a glass jar with a tight fitting lid.

At this step you are going to want to add about an inch of oil for head space.  This will help keep the herbs covered and decrease the risk of your oil molding.

Label your concoction!!  I can't tell you how many things I have had to throw out
because I just knew I wouldn't forget what it was.  I was wrong!

Once your oil is labeled you can do 1-2 things.  You can sun infuse your oil.  This entails placing your oil into direct sunlight generally for 24-72 hours, allowing the heat from the sun to infuse the oil with the herbal constituents.  Though 24-72 hours is the general time frame for sun infusions, I let my sun infusions sit for a week. 

You could also cold infuse your oil.  To do so, you just place your jar in a cool, dark place being sure to shake it once a day for the first week.  With this type of infusion, your oil will be ready in 4-6 weeks.

Regardless which infusion method you choose, the last step is the same.  Strain your oil through unbleached muslin or several layers of cheesecloth (Mullein has tiny hairs that can be irritating if left in), place into a dark colored, glass bottle and label.

How I administer - 

1/2 glass dropper full to the affected ear, twice daily for a week.  If both ears are affected, allow 2-3 minutes between ears to ensure the oil has made it down the canal.  After the oil is applied to the ear, place a warmed (NOT hot) cotton ball in the ear or have them lay down with a warmed rice pillow over their ear.

NOTES - 

• You do not need Mullein for this oil to be effective.  Some people even use Calendula in place of or along with the Mullein.
• This is NOT appropriate for pain related to water in the ears.  In fact, using this oil in that case can cause molding in the ear.
• Without treatment, many earaches and infections will resolve themselves.  However, if you notice a worsening of the symptoms or there is no improvement after a week see your primary care provider (PCP).
• If you or your child suffer from chronic ear infections, you may find a chiropractic realignment helpful.
• If the ears are draining, there is hearing loss or bleeding from the ears DO NOT use this oil. Instead, contact your primary care provider (PCP).
• Always remember - I am sharing with you things that have worked for my family and friends. While I am passionate about herbalism, natural health and aromatherapy, I am NOT a trained professional.  I am not here to diagnose or as a substitute for your primary care provider (PCP).  You should discuss all natural treatments with your PCP.  

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Questions?  Comments? Share them below!

Elderberry Syrup

It's that time of the year again!

  

Cold and flu season which means for my family it is Elderberry Syrup Season.  From mid-August to late March we go through gallons of elderberry syrup in order to keep the cooties at bay so I thought I would share my recipe with you.

Here's what you need:

1 cup of dried organic elderberries

1/2 cup rose hips

4 cinnamon sticks

4 whole cloves

1 thumb size piece of fresh ginger sliced

1 cup of local, raw organic honey

4 cups of water

Ingredients gathered

Here's what you need to do:

Combine all your ingredients (except the honey) into a pot and allow it to come to a boil.  Once it has reached a boil turn it down and the mixture to simmer for one hour.

Before adding water.

"A watched pot never boils"

After your ingredients have simmered for 1 hour, remove from heat and allow them to cool.  They need to be cool enough for you to handle but warm enough to dissolve your honey.

Strain your ingredients into a bowl through cheese cloth, muslin or a fine mesh strainer.  Once strained, add your honey.  An important note about adding your honey - You do not want your syrup to be above 90 degrees fahrenheit as it will destroy the medicinal properties of the honey and you want all the "fighting power" you can get!

Once your honey is thoroughly dissolved, placed your syrup in an airtight container and store in the fridge.  It can last up to two months in the fridge.

Ready for the fridge.

Dosing - If you are like me then you will likely notice that dosing on elderberry syrup is widely diverse.  I believe the reason for this is because at the end of the day, elderberry syrup is a medicinal food.  It is commonly used in jams, wines and toppings for pancakes and ice cream.  This is how my family uses our syrup.

Child Dose - 3/4 ounce daily (preventative), 3/4-1 1/2 ounces three times daily during illness.

Adult Dose - 1 1/2 ounces daily (preventative), 3 ounces three times a day during illness.

*It should be noted that elderberry syrup can be taken for up to 6 weeks consecutively but it is recommended to stop taking it for a week or longer before resuming preventative dosing.*

Contraindications/Concerns - As elderberries help to increase immune function, it is important for those with auto-immune disorders to discuss the addition of elderberries with their primary care physician.  Do not use on children under 12 months due to the honey content.  Try making it with maple or brown rice syrup.

Elderberries and elderberry syrup are becoming very mainstream as we figure out different ways to combat viruses and stay healthy.  As their popularity grows, more research is being done to prove their efficacy.  

Elderberries work to boost immune function and prevent viruses from piercing cell walls, a necessary action for virus replication.  

Because of their new found popularity, it is very easy to find commercial syrups at most local pharmacies and grocery stores.  The problem I find is these syrups are very costly and many of them are made with sugar which does not help the body fighting illness.  In fact, it can inhibit the immune system. 

Resources and more information - http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/elderberry, https://www.planetherbs.com/specific-herbs/elder-sambucus-nigra.html, http://bearmedicineherbals.com/into-the-forest-exploring-elderberry.html, http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-rose-hip.html, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266069.php, http://www.naturalnews.com/035493_raw_honey_health_benefits_antibacterial.html