heart

A cordial is a health-promoting, good tasting herbal drink that contains alcohol both as a preservative and solvent for extracting herb and spices. Cordials are generally taken in doses ranging from around 1/2 teaspoon to an ounce. The term derives from the Latin cor, meaning heart.  Cordials are said to have originated during the Renaissance, but I would guess that their origins are actually older, given that distillation is an ancient process.

Flesh on jasmine bed Taste her pleasured ascension Carnal roots, piqued -Drake J. Eszes

“Human health is only as good as the land we grow our food in or on.”

A.W.Erickson, 1945

In other words, we reap what we sow. Trying to build a healthy diet from plants grown in unhealthy soil is like building a house without starting with a foundation. It is essential to consider the origin of foods (and other products one consumes, too!) if one aims to live a well-balanced life…with a healthy amount of selenium in store.

Mushrooms are valued in many parts of the world as nutrition and medicine. Cardiovascular health is one reason among many to eat mushrooms regularly, and science has been figuring out just what it is that mushrooms do to keep the heart and blood vessels healthy.  Some easy to obtain heart healthy mushrooms include delicious edibles like shiitake, maitake, oyster and button mushrooms.  Other medicinals like Reishi and Turkey Tails are also great for the heart but not so chewable!

Great medicine awaits in your grocery store’s produce section!  As you can gather from the title, I’m talking about mushrooms: rich in protein, essential amino acids, fiber, B vitamins and vitamin D.

Bloating, cramps, headaches, body aches, swelling, breast tenderness, mood swings -- is this what we were destined for? To a young girl newly entering puberty I knew nothing better. I entered the era of menstruation without proper initiation or training. I had no wisdom-woman grooming me in the way to consciously awaken into my womanhood. I only had societal conditioning, programming, and a mother who grew up with shame and guilt around bleeding.

Turmeric, botanically known as Curcuma longa, has long been revered as a sacred plant for healers of many traditions. Used as food, medicine, and in ritual, this rhizomatous plant holds a well-respected power.   

There are so many vitamins and minerals required for human beings to function happily and healthily each day, and it is easy to take these things for granted. How many automatic processes are happening in our bodies every second that we are not aware of? It is an amazing thing to think about, and—it can also be a bit overwhelming. There is so much to know!

Popeye may have believed that the main health benefit of spinach was its iron content, but he would not have been able to flex his muscles as well if spinach was not so high in magnesium. That’s right – Popeye knows best. Eat your greens!

Today's walk through Mother Earth's Medicine Cabinet will lead us down the Heart Health & Healing section. There are several different natural ways to lower your blood pressure, such as adding or eliminating certain foods in your diet.  Before we move on to the goodies in store that can help you with lowering your blood pressure, I'd like to explain exactly what high blood pressure is.