For the uninitiated, the name chaga immediately pokes at one’s curiosity—as does its nickname, “black gold.” The chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) resembles a chunk of rough coal blooming from the side of a birch, stark in contrast to the tree’s white bark. Whether the name is just a bit of clever branding or finds its roots in its ancient medicinal context, it is, undoubtedly, correct.
Warm juices seem like a bit of an oxymoron—isn’t the point of cold-pressed juices to keep the nutrients cold? Yes, but gently warmed juices can still deliver a host of nutrients while also feeling more in line with the seasonal changes: in this case, cooler days, darker mornings, wind, rain, and in some cases, snow. Try out these fall-inspired warm juice recipes for a boost of antioxidants and a no-need-for-an-extra-sweater guarantee.
With cold and flu season upon us, it's important to focus on something we normally forget about: Waste. Being sick produces a lot of waste, from tissues to throat drop wrappers. All of this waste heads directly to a landfill where it will sit for decades. Here are three ways to have a low waste sick season without hurting the environment.
Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotis) and others are both a delicious edible mushroom and a great medicinal as well. The wild ones are the tastiest, if you’re lucky enough to find them, though you can often find them at the grocery store or even grow your own with one of the many commercial growing kits available. I found a small cluster this summer during what was an otherwise dismal mushroom season here in the Southern Rockies. They smelled like aniseed…something
Your lymphatic system is a network of vessels, glands and lymph fluid and is a critical part of immunity, the transport of hormones and other bioactive molecules, and detox (think “vacuum cleaner”). Herbalists have traditionally turned to “lymphatic herbs” to assist the body during
Elderberries are a member of the family Caprifoliaceae, commonly known as the Honeysuckle family of the genus Sambucus L. or elderberry P. that contains five species with several subspecies and varieties. The plant grows throughout the world in the temperate zones and the color varies depending on the region. It is a highly nutritious food that contains many beneficial nutrients.
Many folks aren’t in the habit of paying attention to the lymph system. Hopefully, that changes, because the lymph system is critical for dealing with infections and for recycling multiple substances (hormones, antibodies, plasma, and more) back into the bloodstream. Our cells expel wastes into the surrounding fluids, and the lymph system is important for soaking these and other toxins up for elimination from the body.
Syrups are a great way to take your medicine and to spice things up in the kitchen. Here are a couple of easy syrup-making methods. The first method is the way to go for medicinal syrups that can also be used in recipes. You can use these by the spoonful daily. The second is just for introducing some exciting new flavors into your recipes rather than for medicinal usage.
Some of the most sacred and valued scents over the centuries are those deeper aromatics—Frankincense, Myrrh, Benzoin and others—whose use predates the millennia-old religious texts in which they’re noted. These scents are “heavier” because the chemicals they’re made of are heavier than those in “lighter” oils such as lemon or bergamot. Another way to look at it is that the scents
I recently wrote on citrus essential oils, my favorite oils for scent. Now, we’ll move on to conifer essential oils, another group I love. These are uplifting and motivating, and they blend beautifully with citrus oils for both scent and energetics.