Lisa's Favorite Herb for 2020 - Mullein

Now is the time to harvest this fabulous herb! Mullein grows wild in Ohio and in many other states. I have seen it in Colorado and Utah. The first year it grows as a simple rosette of leaves, soft and fuzzy. The second year it sends up a stalk, anywhere from 2-8 feet tall. As a biennial it lives only two years, then it reseeds and the cycle begins anew. You will find it along roadsides, or building sites, where the earth has been disturbed. It loves poor soil, so will thrive just about anywhere. Try to harvest it in a location free of car exhaust fumes, fertilizers, or pesticides.

Each day I go out to my garden and harvest 4-5 yellow flower petals from each mullein stalk. It is a long process to fill a small bowl. These mullein flowers are like gold, very precious. They cannot be bought…only harvested by hand. The flowers are used to make the best earache oil.

Mullein & Garlic Ear Oil

In the top of a double boiler, place 1 Tbsp. each mullein flowers and chopped garlic. Cover them generously with olive oil, a little over 1 ounce. Fill the bottom half of the pot with water. Place oil half over the water half and simmer lightly for 15-20 minutes. Strain off oil and place into a bottle with a dropper. Use to soothe earaches. Place 3 drops in the ear, follow with a bit of cotton, 1-2 times daily as needed. This oil generally lasts for 6 months, so make a new batch each summer.

After the flowering is done, you can harvest the leaves. I lay the leaves flat to dry on a table. Or you can hang the whole stalk upside down to dry. Once the leaves are dry, I tear them into ½ inch pieces and store in a canning jar. Check the lid after about 3 days, if you find moisture, lay the leaf out to dry a bit longer. Then store it in a cool, dark place. Don’t forget to label your jar with herb name and date.

Dr.Christopher’s Lung & Bronchial Tincture

¾ cup mullein & ¼ cup lobelia

Place dried herbs in pint canning jar. Cover with vodka. Use a piece of plastic over the jar before using the metal lid. Let sit for 14 days, shaking daily. Then strain out herbs and discard. Place tincture in dropper bottles. Use one dropper as needed or 3-4 times a day, to help dispel mucus from the lungs and throat.

I allow the stalk to dry laying in the garden. Then in the fall, I will break up the flowering part to allow the seeds to fall and hopefully, give me mullein for the next year. I am always delighted to find those little fuzzy leaves in my garden. The little first year plants will tolerate being transplanted in the early spring, so you can place them where you want them.

I hope you enjoy making your own herbal medicine with this wonderful herb.

Mullein is my herb favorite for 2020! Have fun!

Mullein: "The Respiratory Herb"

Mullein is one of my favorite herbs to have on hand for winter. I used it often in our home while raising my children and now for my grandchildren. It is soothing for respiratory symptoms, coughing, drainage down the back of the throat, or earaches. Mullein, Verbascus thapsus, grows in fields and along the side of the road in Ohio. You may even find it in the crack of the driveway. It loves poor soil. Mullein is a biennial, which means it only lives for two years. The first year it grows in a simple rosette of soft, fuzzy, oblong leaves. The second year it sends up a tall stalk and blooms with tiny yellow flowers. Leave the stalk to release seeds for the next year.

You can use flowers, leaves, and roots for herbal medicine. I use the leaves the most, as an expectorant and bactericidal, wonderful for the respiratory system. Its long list of traditional herbal uses include: allergies, asthma, bronchitis, broken bones, coughs, croup, diarrhea, earaches, emphysema, swollen glands, lungs, swollen joints, and pain. It also has sedative properties. Mullein flowers can be used as an antiseptic for wounds, to prevent infection, and soothe nerve pain. I love to make earache oil from the flowers. I call it, “liquid gold”, because you have to go out each day to pick just a few flowers and save them up until you have enough to make the oil. Mullein roots have uses too – make into a tincture for bedwetting, symptoms of facial nerve pain, or for bones when something seems “out of joint”.

I have used mullein for swollen glands in the neck. Make a tea of the leaves, add peppermint and sweeten if you like, and drink a quart a day. Also make a strong tea to use externally on a cloth over the swelling. You will quickly see the lymphatic inflammation go down in the gland. You can also dip a whole fresh leave in hot water and use it as a poultice on the swelling.

I have seen mullein do wonders for people just out of the hospital with bronchitis or complications of COPD.Mullein tea makes a very inexpensive, safe, and effective herbal medicine! A favorite combination for use with asthma or other breathing difficulties is to use 3 parts mullein with 1 part lobelia in a tincture form. See Dr. Christopher’s writings to learn more about how to use mullein to help with breathing and opening up the bronchial airways.

Nature’s Sunshine has a terrific formula called ALJ. I use it and keep it as a staple in my herb cupboard. I like to make it into a glycerite tincture for my granddaughter, as she likes the taste of my homemade remedy better. This recipe is tried and true – it works! I use it as a decongestant/expectorant with colds and allergies. Here is how I make it.

Lisa’s Version of ALJ – In a pint jar place one-fourth cup of each herb: Boneset, Fennel Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, Horseradish Root, and Mullein Leaves. In a large measuring cup mix together: One and one-third cup hot water with two-thirds cup vegetable glycerine. Pour the liquid over the herbs in the jar, make sure the herbs are covered well. Screw on lid. Let set for 2 weeks, shaking the jar daily. Strain and put liquid into a tincture bottle. Dose: 2 dropperfuls every 2 hours for an adult for 3 days, as you feel better reduce the dose to 3 times a day. May use once a day for more chronic allergies, usually in the morning. To figure a child’s dose, go by body size – half an adult size body gets half a dose (1 dropperful), a smaller child maybe one-fourth a dose or half a dropperful.

Directions for Earache Oil – Collect as many mullein flowers as you can, dry them slightly by laying them out for a few days on a plate. Place the wilted and dried flowers in a glass canning jar that is size appropriate to the amount of flowers you have gathered, they should only fill it halfway. Cover the flowers generously with olive oil. Screw on lid. Let set for 2 weeks, shaking daily. Strain and place in a tincture bottle with dropper. To use, warm the oil by setting the bottle in a glass of hot water, test the oil on your wrist. Place 3 drops warm oil in the ear, followed with half a cotton ball to keep it warm. Use as needed for the pain.

Take the time to gather your herbs, dry them, and make your tinctures and oils before you actually need them. Be prepared with these wonderful remedies at home. Save money, use less drugs, have less need for doctor’s appointments, and keep your family healthy! Call ME, your local herbalist, if you need help.

Warm Up With Teas That Heal

Have you had a cup of tea today? Herbal teas are fantastic tonics for the body. They are one of the quickest and easiest ways to use herbal medicine, as there are no capsules to digest and the liquid quickly goes into the digestive system. A medicinal tea is made with one teaspoon dried herb, to one cup of boiling hot water, and steeped for 15 minutes. Drink a cup of herbal tea three times a day for a therapeutic dose. These are some of the most popular herbal teas you might want to try.

Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale:  so popular that it needs no description…it is in every yard!  Be careful to harvest where is has not been sprayed with herbicides.  Dandelion contains:  Vitamins A, B, C, D, iron, potassium, sodium, calcium, and electrolytes.  The leaves are nutritious and the roots medicinal.  Dandelion’s bitter leaves are diuretic, easing water retention and reducing blood pressure.  It is the great detoxifier, cleansing the liver, kidneys, urinary system, and skin.  Dandelion is useful for chronic conditions such as arthritis, removing the toxins from joints.  It reduces the cell damage done by free radicals.  Parts used:  leaves and roots.

Coneflower, Echinacea angustifolia, purpurea, or pallida:  native to North America, this perennial has large daisy-like flowers with a cone center.  All three varieties stimulate the immune system, although the angustifolia is considered the most medicinal having the antibacterial echinacoside.  Stimulating the production of white, ”killer” cells and regulates red blood cells, echinacea works on a cellular level to fight bacteria, viruses, fungus, and microbes.  Echinacea is a lymph system cleanser, tumor inhibitor, blood cleanser and antiseptic.  It removes toxins and fights infections.  As an immune stimulant it should not be taken continuously, but only for short periods with a break…two weeks on with one week off.  Nutritionally, Echinacea contains B vitamins, iron, calcium, selenium, and silica.  Parts used:  roots.

Ginkgo, Ginkgo biloba:  the oldest known tree, it is in the fossil record along with the dinosaurs.  Ginkgo has an amazing ability to withstand toxic environments and was the only living thing to survive the atomic blast at Hiroshima.  It can grow 150 feet tall, or be trained as a bonsai tree.  Ginkgo may be used to combat an allergic reaction.  The tea makes an excellent throat spray for allergies or asthma.  Ginkgo is respected for use in circulation problems, especially increasing circulation to the brain and extremities.  It is high in antioxidants, which works especially to keep the heart free of deposits.  Ginkgo soothes the arteries, steadies an irregular heartbeat, and helps to prevent strokes.  Parts used:  leaves.

Mullein, Verbascum thapus:  native to North America, mullein is a tall biennial with wooly leaves and a spike of yellow flowers.  Mullein is one of the greatest herbs for the respiratory system, helping the body to rid itself of mucus.  The antibacterial flowers are used as an oil to soothe earaches.  It is soothing and anti-inflammatory to the glandular system.  Mullein has narcotic properties without being harmful.  It is a great herbal pain killer, calming irritated nerves.  Parts used:  leaves and flowers.

Red Clover, Trifolium pratense:  perennial, growing wild in North America and cultivated as a hay crop.  Clover grows 1-2 feet tall, its green leaves having three leaflets with a distinctive V-shaped marking, and pink/purple glove-shaped flowers.  It has a long history of use in respiratory infections, coughs, colds, and bronchitis.  Red clover tea is known as a blood cleanser, helping persistent skin problems, eczema or psoriasis.  It also makes an excellent wash for the eyes or skin.  Red Clover has historically been used in cancer prevention formulas. It has phytoestrogens which may help to balance female hormonal issues. Parts used:  flowers.

Red Raspberry, Rubus idaeus:  native to Europe, it grows wild and is cultivated in North America.  Raspberry leaves are very astringent, excellent as a treatment for diarrhea or vomiting.  Raspberry tea is a wonderful herb for women, particularly in pregnancy to prevent miscarriage or uterine hemorrhage, and to tone the pelvic muscles.  Raspberry has vitamins A, B-complex, C, E, calcium, niacin, iron, magnesium, potassium, selenium, and zinc.  It is a great tea for children, helping with canker sores.  Parts used:  leaves and fruit.

Lisa Purdy is not a physician and all recommendations are not to be considered diagnosis or prescription.  Any information is for educational purposes only.  

You are responsible for your own health choices.

Is Your Heart Healthy?

One of the most common things people ask me about is heart health.  What supplement can I take to help lower my blood pressure?  Is there something I can do to lower my cholesterol?  Actually, yes there are several things you can do to strengthen your heart and arteries.  Let’s discuss a few of the most common supplements used for heart health.

Hawthorn Berry – One of my favorite herbs!  Hawthorn berry is first herb which comes to my mind for strengthening the heart muscle.  It is considered a cardiac tonic, increasing oxygen utilization and enzyme metabolism in the heart muscle.  Hawthorn berry helps a damaged heart work more efficiently.  It is useful for arrhythmias and heart valve problems.  It dilates blood vessels, allowing blood to flow freely, thereby lowering blood pressure.

Garlic – Lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, discourages platelet aggregation, and contains helpful antioxidants.  Many studies have shown garlics ability to lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, while raising protective HDL cholesterol.  One average size clove of garlic contains 4,500 mcg of allicin, the smelly but active component of garlic.

Red Yeast Rice – This traditional Chinese remedy is the fermented product of red yeast cultivated on rice.  Lovastatin is a drug that was synthesized from a substance in red yeast rice.  Like the statin drugs, red yeast rice lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and raises HDL, but in a safer, gentler manner. The recommended dose of red yeast rice is 1,200-2,400 mg per day.  Do not take red yeast rice if you are on a statin drug.

Fish Oil – One of the most potent therapies for heart disease!  Helps with inflammation, blood clotting and platelet aggregation, cholesterol and triglycerides.  Look for high-quality fish oil that is harvested in northern waters and has been tested for mercury contaminants.  The recommended dose for heart health is 2000 mg daily.  Look for softgels which are enteric coated, meaning they open in the intestines instead of the stomach, solving the bad taste, burping, or upset feeling fish oil might otherwise cause. 

CoQ10 – Coenzyme Q10 is the spark plug that gets things going!  Its main role is in the energy production within your cells; because the heart beats more than 100,000 times every day, you need that energy!  CoQ10 stabilizes heart muscle cells and protects them from free radical damage.  It can reduce chest pain, lower blood pressure, help arrhythmias, and improve exercise tolerance.  Studies at the Whitaker Wellness Institute have shown CoQ10 to prolong the life of patients with heart failure and even reverse their condition.

Yes, what you eat and the supplements you take can make a huge difference in heart health!  To further pursue this subject I suggest the book, Reversing Heart Disease by Julian Whitaker MD.  Give your heart the nutrients it needs to keep your body going…and going strong!

What are 5 uses for Silver?

1 - Silver has a long history of use to fight infections and antimicrobials by traditional medicine. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has registered silver as a biocidal material since 1954, meaning it destroys living organisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

2 - Silver has been used by the Russian space Agency to purify drinking water for the Mir space station and the International Space Station. Silver nanoparticles have been shown to be non-toxic, without adverse effects, and to exhibit strong antimicrobial activity.

3 - Silver nanoparticles are currently being used in the treatment of burns and wounds, and in dental procedures to minimize the chance of infection. New technology has enabled silver tobe used in medical devices such as wound dressings, stents, catheters, bone prostheses, cardiac devices and surgical appliances.

4 - Silver nanoparticles have been studied and proven effective against drug resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus pyogenes. One of the best things about silver nanoparticles is that they demonstrate multiple modes of action against bacterial pathogens, thus there is a minimal chance of bacteria developing a resistance to silver.

5 - Recent studies have shown silver nanoparticles to have antiviral activity against influenza A (H1N1), HIV, hepatitis B, genital herpes, viral respiratory infections or pneumonia (typically in children), and smallpox.

Do you need any more reasons than these to have a bottle of silver in your home? Silver Shield with Aqua Sol Technology represents the latest in nanoparticle solutions, delivering 20 parts-per-million of pure immune support. It is non-toxic and poses no risk of heavy metal contamination, as the silver nanoparticles are eliminated from the body within 48 hours.

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Homeopathy for Behavior Problems in Children

Homeopathic remedies are safe, nonaddictive, and may be used with children who have developmental or behavioral problems.  These remedies may be taken with medications as they do not interfere with them.  The information for this article was taken from one of my favorite books, Natural Treatments fro ADD and Hyperactivity, by Skye Weintraub, N.D.  Please see the book for more complete descriptions and information. 

Anacardium:  for confused children who have the feeling of being followed or having a double.  They have a tendency to curse or swear and are abusive to animals.
Arsenicum album:  for children who are fidgety, hyperactive, and have allergies.  They have restless sleep.  Their mind is anxious with obsessive thoughts and double checking. They are always in a hurry.  They fear being alone.
Baryta carbonica:  for the child who is delayed in physical and mental development.  Poor assimilation causes emaciation of the body.  The mind has a a lack of understanding, very literal, with difficulty keeping up.  Problems with tonsils and chronic cough.
Cannabis indica:  autistic or "spaced out" children whose senses are exaggerated. They make up stories, have a short attention span, day dreaming, absent-minded, biting, and fear of death.  Urinary tract problems common.
Capsicum:  children who are brooding, irritable, absent-minded, disobedient, angry, and homesick.  Extremely obstinate and offended easily.  Difficulty in sleeping, wake full of fear.
Carcinosin:  children who are dull of mind, fearful, timid, unhappy, worried, and obstinate.  They love travel and music.  Strong cravings or aversions to certain foods.  Symptoms may appear after a vaccination reaction or a family member may have cancer.
Chamomile:  child with a bad temper, irritable, impatient, and complaining.  Everything for them is intolerable...they "cannot bear it".  Symptoms worse at night.
Cina:  child who is restless at night, grinding teeth or wetting the bed.  They may pick their nose until it bleeds.  This child does not want to be touched or looked at.  Parasites may be present.
Helleborus:  child feels stupid, dull, unresponsive.  History may show head injury or encephalitis.  They are unable to memorize anything.  A feeling of despair, anger, and aversion to making any effort.  They often bite their spoon without awareness.
Hyoscyamus:  child with poor impulse control.  They do not answer questions, act silly, laughing, and dancing around.  They talk excessively, with episodes of mania, rage, and depression.  They are manipulative, lying, jealous, fearful, delusional, and violent.
Lachesis:  jealous children, vengeful, sarcastic, nasty, with severe depression.They are very sensitive to criticism. They wake from sleep even more agitated.  They hate tight clothing.
Lycopodium:  the bossy child.  Intelligent with performance anxiety, insecurity, poor memory, inability to concentrate, and chronic fatigue.   Fearful of new situations or changes in diet.  
Medorrhinum:  children who fear public places...especially eating in public.  Aggressive, having temper tantrums, malicious with animals, impulsive, cannot pay attention, they are night owls.
Stramonium:  remedy for terrors and nightmares, worse between midnight and 2:00am, often wake screaming.  They have a horror of shiny objects.  Do not estimate distance correctly.  Food tastes bitter.  Child may sit silently, picking at their clothes.
Sulphur:  children who do not like to be bathed, and tend to be untidy.  Daydreamers in a fantasy world.  Their thought processes are illogical.  Memory is poor.  Enclosed situations threaten them.
Tarantula hispanica:  remedy for the most hyperactive of children.  They display impulsive restlessness, self-destructive, excessive fits, unceasing movement, violence, and depression.
Veratrum album:  child displays repetitive behavior and hyperactivity.  Child is restless, destructive, will tell outrageous lies, and act inappropriately bytouching others.  They love ice cold drinks.