Audio Article: Herbal Remedies for Cough, Congestion, Flu, Burns, Rashes & other Maladies in LCO’s Herbal Medicine Class
06 Jul 2011 3 Comments
in Audio Posts Tags: asthma, Herb, herbal medicine chest, herbal medicine how to, Herbalism, La Chica Organica classes, make cough syrup, make herbal remedies, Medicine
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Hey there. You asked for it so here it is.
If you have a minute please listen to this quick audio post by LCO. Hear about our Herbal Medicine Classes that you can have access to anywhere in the world. I am looking for your thoughts and comments on this, so please take a minute to hear the message below from me LCO and let me know what you think.
Blessings to you and yours!
LCO
Tea for all your troubles!
28 Dec 2010 Leave a Comment
in Anxiety Relief, Baby & Child Health, Beauty and Skin Care, God's Green Herbs, Stress, tea Tags: cold, flu, Herb, HERBS FOR INFECTION, HERBS FOR KIDS, HERBS FOR THE FLU, Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis, SICK, tea, thyme
We often forget just how powerful a cup of tea can be.
All around the world herbal teas are known to enhance our mood, induce sleep, relax our nerves, reduce inflammation and infection and treat a number of ailments.
If you are not familiar with the world of herbs – I invite you to read through the following information and be blessed.
Who knows you might be pleasantly surprised by what you discover.
In a previous article a few months ago I wrote about Thyme and all of its properties. Now I wanted to focus on some other incredible herbs. As with all things its best to use Organic herbs. I love using fresh herbs but because we do so many cups of tea per day we would need a whole farm of herbs to keep up with us. So I use Organic dried herbs. We cook and bathe with them. We also use a variety of herbs to treat sty’s, diaper rash, dandruff, colds, coughs and many other ailments. I grew up taking teas and tonics for all sorts of things.
I remember with joy and sadness the lovely aromatic teas my sweet daddy used to make for me. I must pause for a moment, to contemplate my dads smile. Oh how I miss him, it will be two years since his tragic death due to medical malpractice. I miss you dad – and I am trying to fill in your shoes!
OK, tears are done and we are back on track.
So yes we were talking about teas. It’s crazy but most people don’t even realize the healing power of herbs. For this article I will just list 5 herbs and what they are commonly used for. All of these herbs have been used in our home by everyone including our new baby.
Chamomile: antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antispasmodic, aids in digestion and has a calming sedative effect. Makes a great wash for face and treatment for styes. Has worked greatly for our children at all ages.
Lemon Balm: nervine (means that it calms the nerves), tranquilizer, antispasmodic, fever reducer, antiviral. Good for colds, flu, colic in little ones, sleeplessness, flatulence. This herb is used almost daily in our home.
Rosemary: digestion, menstrual cramps, diarrhea, antispasmodic effect on upper intestine and gallbladder ducts, antiseptic, anti-inflamatory. Used as a wash for hair, diaper area, psoriasis, dandruff and lice prevention. We use in our home to disinfect and do vapor treatments during flu season.
Lemon Grass: used to treat depression, fight fever used locally over rheumatic joints and sprains as well as nervous and digestive disorders. Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, reduces flatulence promotes relaxing sleep. Organic essential oil of lemon grass is used to cleanse oily skin, and in aromatherapy as a relaxant. This herb is one of my favorites. I cook with it all the time and always add a pinch to my homemade herbal tea mixes.
Rose Petals: Fantastic gargle and tea for sore throat and mouth sores, relieves uterine issues and heavy periods or irregular periods. Assists with clearing up runny noses and fighting chest infections with congested bronchial tubes. Used to help sufferers of insomnia, depression and extreme fatigue. We use it in a mix with other herbs to bathe baby and our older children. I exfoliate with it several times a week for beautiful skin without using toxic washes and scrubs. We also make cinnamon and rose petal preserves, and oh is it good!
Hope you enjoyed this brief class on herbs. I will be discussing the benefits of other herbs in future articles. If you need help finding quality organic herbs at a great price email us at LaChicaOrganica@gmail.com and we will send you our latest Winter Catalog.
He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth… Psalms 104:14
Blessings,
La Chica Organica
Related Articles
- Herbal Tea for Colds, Throat Irritation and Infection (lachicaorganica.wordpress.com)
- Herbal Tinctures to help you during Flu Season (lachicaorganica.wordpress.com)
- How do I make a tea with organic loose herbs and what on earth is a Decoction? (lachicaorganica.wordpress.com)
- Cold and Flu Cocktails/Remedies – What you Should Have on Hand! (lachicaorganica.wordpress.com)
How do I make a tea with organic loose herbs and what on earth is a Decoction?
04 Nov 2010 3 Comments
in God's Green Herbs, tea, Baby & Child Health, Green Living, Flu & Cold Tags: tea, moms, chamomile, Echinacea., Herb, Infusion, Melissa officinalis, organic herbs, Steeping, Decoction, how to make tea, how, cup of tea, loose herbs
Today I had a friend call me to ask how she should make an infusion (cup of tea) with the Organic loose Lemon balm and Echinacea she purchased from La Chica Organica’s herbal store.
She was a little confused because she had heard me on a CD I did where I am teaching moms how to prepare a decoction for their little ones. This CD is not available on this site, but will be available in the future in the form of a video.
So just in case you’re wondering here is how you make a cup of tea.
Now I must interject here for a moment and let you know that depending on the herb you are using you might have to make a decoction instead of an herbal tea infusion. Decoctions are another way to prepare herbs for your cup of tea.
An Infusion is also called steeping. Steeping is best when using plants, soft leaves, and flowers that have volatile oils. Peppermint, Lemon Balm and Chamomile flowers are examples of herbs you would prepare for tea using an infusion.
A Decoction is always made by cooking the herbs. Decoctions are meant for roots, stems, barks, seeds like Fenugreek and coarse leaves. The reason its important to cook the herbs is that by cooking you are allowing the herbs to break down and release their medicinal properties into the water. Elderberries, Astragalus, and Echinacea root are samples of herbs you would prepare as a tea with the decoction method.
If you’re making an infusion with your loose herbs you will have to:
Boil water and once its boiling turn off heat. Place your organic loose herbs in a glass tea-pot, glass or ceramic jar or cup. Then pour the boiling water over the herbs, cover and let steep for 15 minutes to 30 minutes depending on your preference for strength. Once steeping is complete strain your tea, sweeten with raw organic honey, coconut nectar or stevia and enjoy.
To make a decoction:
Put herbs and water in a pot together. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat keep covered and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Once your done strain and enjoy with your favorite sweeter as mentioned above.
Now if making tea is not your thing but you want to take herbs to boost your immunity or help with digestion or set the stage for a good nights sleep you might consider making a tincture with La Chica Organica’s super easy, inexpensive tincture kit. You can read all about it here.
<Have a great weekend>
LCO
Best Blood Purifier, Congestion breaker and Migraine Relief
28 Oct 2010 2 Comments
in Flu & Cold, God's Green Herbs, Health News, tea Tags: blood, Blood cell, blood cleanser, butterbur for migraines, clean your blood, congestion, dandelion, health, Herb, Immune system, migraine, Red blood cell
Best Blood Purifier, Congestion breaker and Migraine Relief
No, these 3 are not necessarily related but they are in the sense that herbs have been used for centuries to deal with all 3 of these conditions.
Let’s start with our blood. Did you know that a typical human red blood cell only survives about 4-5 months in your body? God created us in such a complex way that our bodies are constantly producing new blood and releasing it into the bloodstream to do important work for our overall health – this work can be described as: carrying nutrients, hormones, water, chemical messages and even information throughout our bodies.
Our blood is primarily made of three things: white blood cells (immune function), red blood cells (oxygen carriers), and blood plasma (a liquid solution that carries everything else).
When our bodies need more red blood cells, our body automatically generates new ones. How amazing is that. Another amazing thing is that our body must create those needed red blood cells using the materials that are available: These are materials that are circulating in our blood at the time.
So if you have not been diligent and have not really taken care of yourself these past 5 months and you have been eating processed fast foods, Trans fats, and nutrient deficient cooked foods your body will only be able to make new red blood cells with the bad material you have going on inside of you. So say during that time you are diagnosed with cancer or a serious illness, the blood running through your veins will not be composed of healthy red blood cells. This creates a problem because just one red blood cell circulates around your body in about 20 seconds. The same red blood cell makes tens of thousands of trips around your body, transporting oxygen to cells, before it is recycled by your own immune system.
Do you want unhealthy morphed cells circulating through your body?
I know I don’t.
So how can you effectively clean your blood? Well some of this work is preformed by our kidneys but if they are not functioning properly then you have another problem. We can also make clean blood by drinking lots of water and eating higher amounts of green foods (raw is preferred).
On another note, I have found that Organic dandelion tea is one of the best blood purifiers around and costs virtually nothing for a months supply. We have it available at just $6.99 per 2 ounce bag and its Organic so you’re not breaking the bank.
To read more on Organic Dandelion Tea click here and look at Augusts’ Herb of the Month.
What about congestion. Can’t get rid of the phlegm? Or do you have a cold with really bad congestion?
Growing up we would drink herbal teas with ginger and garlic a splash of lime juice and honey. It almost always took care of our congestion. Today herbalists and alternative med doctors have studied the effects of herbs for congestion but there is one in particular that has worked for us all the time and that herb is Fenugreek. Its one of my treasured herbs as it doubles as a milk producing herb for nursing moms. It is part of my Breast is best Tea.
Fenugreek works because it relieves congestion, reduces inflammation and fights infection. Fenugreek contains natural expectorant properties ideal for treating sinus and lung congestion, and loosens & removes excess mucus and phlegm. Congested, just pass the fenugreek!
Migraines anyone? My husband was suffering from terrible bouts due to a black mold problem we had unknowingly; but during the time of his terrible migraines and neck and back spasms I did not know what was going on. he would without warning get excruciating amounts of pain from his brain all the way down his spine. It completely crippled him and we had many hospital visits during this time.
So I began to do some investigative work and came to the conclusion that he was having really bad migraines and some sort of inflammation in the neck and spine triggered by the brain.
With that hypothesis I starting trying certain herbs on him that would reduce the inflammation of the blood vessels going to his brain. I figured that if I treated the inflammation it would stop the migraines temporarily while we figured out what was triggering them.
And so we became best friends with Purple Butterbur. Butterbur has also been given for inflammation of the urinary tract and cramps. There is compelling initial evidence from human trials to suggest benefits in prevention and treatment of migraine headaches.
Now, Butterbur contains a high amount of toxic alkaloids so I had to order a premade herbal pill from a well-known supplement maker. After all I don’t have equipment or a lab able to extract toxic alkaloids from herbs although some herbs can be boiled to accomplish this but Butterbur is not one of them. I can’t tell you how this herb helped my husband, it was amazing. You can read about it here.
Now you know a few things you can look into for your self. Like I said in an audio post I did recently: If you want to become healthier you must become a researcher. If you want to know what to take and how much to take you must become a researcher. Conventional doctors are not going to give you this information let alone know how to use it. I can only share my experiences with you and prompt you to do your own research and come up with your own formulations. I am not a doctor and cannot prescribe anything for you nor can I prescribe doses but I can share my wisdom and that’s what this site is all about.
May you be blessed
LCO
Herbal Tinctures to help you during Flu Season
25 Oct 2010 Leave a Comment
in Allergies and Asthma, Flu & Cold, God's Green Herbs, Green Living, organic food Tags: Common cold, Echinacea., Herb, herb kit, Infection, organic herbal kits, organic herbs, tincture
Because we are getting into the winter season where colds and the flu abound I was asked by some friends to please make available a tincture kit with instructions that can be made at home and allow everyone to have the healing goodness of immunity boosting herbs at your disposal all winter long.
But why would you want to buy a tincture kit? Well for starters your saving a huge amount of money if you make the tinctures yourself vs buying only 1 bottle at the health-food store for $20. My kit costs $20 and will make you over 7 tinctures bottles of 2 ounces each. Click here to purchase.
So what is a tincture anyway? A tincture is a liquid extract of an herb. It is made by soaking herbs in a drinkable alcohol. Tinctures are super concentrated herbal concoctions. You only need a few drops several times a day but I tend to do about 3 to 4 dropper-fulls everyday if I am not feeling well. Tinctures work because they are made in a base of alcohol like Vodka or Brandy which breaks down the herbs and pulls out the medicinal qualities.
You can make these with little to no difficulty and have enough bottles on hand to last you all year for just a fraction of the cost for what you pay for just one 2 ounce bottle at the health food store.
I have created a step by step instructional guide with this kit and its so easy a 5th grader can do it. The guide comes with one bag of organic herbs, sample set pictured above. You have a choice of Organic Olive Leaf, Organic Echinacea, bag of Organic Lemon Balm or you can have a bag with all 3 herbs mixed together for a super immunity punch. You will also get 2 glass tincture bottles, labels and two organic cotton muslin bags for straining. The only thing you will have to purchase is your vodka or Brandy. You will also need a jar with a lid for steeping the herbs and a jar with lid to store any extra tincture. I find that re-cycling pasta sauce jars works wonderfully. This kit is priced super low at just $25 plus $5 for shipping. Click here to purchase any one of these kits. You can also purchase additional tincture bottles for $3 each or four tincture bottles for $11
Here are some interesting facts from a few of my herb books about the herbs available in this kit. As you will read, they are a must for every household.
Olive leaf is a natural antibiotic and antioxidant that can help or prevent many diseases. The active compounds have been reported to act as an anti-microbial agent, which slows invaders enough for the body’s natural immune system to react. It exhibits powerful anti-parasitic and anti-fungal properties that fight over one hundred viral and bacterial conditions. The result is a natural antibiotic and antioxidant with similar effects to garlic and onions. Olive leaf tea can be enjoyed regularly as a preventative or used directly to combat ailments. It also works to lower high blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, improve respiratory response, improve skin health, heart disease and fatigue. Olive leaf can rejuvenate your vitality and energy, enhance your immune system, supports your cardiovascular system and promote general health and well-being.
Echinacea is often put in combinations with other herbs. It is an excellent infection fighter and is used as a powerful natural antibiotic.
- Especially good in glandular infections and problems. A good cleanser for glands and the lymphatic system.
- One of the best herbs for helping enlargements and weakness of the prostrate gland.
- Used in ear aches, strep throat, lymph glands.
- Effective blood purifier. Used for blood poisoning and poisonous spider and snake bites.
- Used in combination with goldenseal, Yarrow and Cayenne to form a powerhouse infection fighting formula. Also combined with myrrh in place of goldenseal for people with hypoglycemia.
- Works well with chickweed to help weight loss.
Lemon Balm has been prized by bee keepers since earliest time. It was credited with the ability to attract and nurture swarms of bees, and as a remedy for their stings. By herbalists, it has long been favored for use in all complaints that were supposed to “proceed from a disordered state of the nervous system.” The London Dispensary (1696) says, “An essence of Balm, given in Canary wine, every morning will renew youth, strengthen the brain, relieve languishing nature and prevent baldness.” John Evelyn wrote, “Balm is sovereign for the brain, strengthening the memory and powerfully chasing away melancholy.” According to King’s Dispensatory, “Lemon Balm is moderately stimulant, diaphoretic, and antispasmodic. A warm infusion, drank freely, has been a serviceable diaphoretic in febrile diseases and painful menstruation, and to assist the operation of other diaphoretic medicines.”
Indicated Internal Usages:
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