Ginger Lemon Honey Tea

Ginger Lemon Honey Tea

Some background on this Cold and Flu fighting remedy:

Ginger stimulates the immune system and digestive health. it is an expectorant, diaphoretic, anti-viral, anti-bacterial and stimulates  circulation; thus warming us up. Try to use fresh ginger that looks healthy and is firm. Ginger tea is soothing for car sickness, menstrual cramping, upset stomach, nausea; as a pain reliever for rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and externally as a wash for burns. Historically is has been used in cooking with meats as it is also antimicrobial.

Lemons are high in Vitamin C and bioflavonoids which stimulate and support proper immune function as well as vitamin and mineral absorption. These antibacterial powerhouses have been used to destroy many bacterial diseases such as malaria, cholera, diphtheria and others. Even though they taste acidic they alkalize the body; balancing pH. Warm lemon juice in the morning stimulates the liver into desolving toxins and increases peristalsis of the bowels.

Raw Honey is antioxidant, antibacterial, antimicrobial and anti fungal which is why it boosts our immune system function and is great for soothing and healing the throat. Unlike regular sugar, honey keeps blood sugar levels more constant due to it’s balance of glucose and fructose. Buckwheat honey is the best to use as a cough suppressant even for younger children.

More articles like this in our Living with Herbs book...coming soon

Body Butter

Indulge in this rich and warming body cream anytime this season for a relaxing aromatherapy experience. Great all over for silky feeling and beautiful looking skin. Made to soothe and heal with simple and all natural ingredients. Shea butter has been used for centuries in Africa and now all over the world to condition and protect damaged skin. it’s high in vitamins A, E, F; fatty acids and provides UV protection. Mango butter hydrates on a deeper level to smooth wrinkles, scars and stretches. It is high in vitamins A, C, and E with work to combat free radicals like those in UV radiation or air pollution. Almond oil is typically reserved for facial treatments but why not give the rest of your body the same class a treatment? This keeps our butter a little lighter so it can also be used on the face. Our Body Butter is also balanced with a dash of extra virgin olive oil and a mild blend of essential oils for a pure, warming and uplifting aroma. Best when applied to damp freshly washed skin. Keep in a warm place to keep butter soft, it will harden when cold and melt when too hot; just like butter.
Get yours at www.herbaceutikals.com

Mastering Parenting

If your living the clean green lifestyle and have kids then ice pops are your greatest tool and an exciting treat/eward for your little one. In our house it all started with teething and a wise woman (aka grandma) told me, just make ice pops. They are intriguing for a young child, provide a little liquid and save money. I started out by making some chamomile tea, sweetened with honey and charged with some powdered vitamin c. As she outgrew teething and the summers would roll around and I would worry about staying hydrated as we spend summers outside all day long in the sun; I reinvented this old trick. Smoothie Pops. I always make smoothies for myself. I make them a bit thick loaded with flax and hemp seeds and oats and such, which Lhailah will only drink so much of. So after we all enjoy our cool fruity, or veggie beverage I add some extra coconut milk to thin it out a bit, and a banana to sweeten it up. Blend it and and pour the pops. These are my kids sweetest treat right next to ripe fruit. On days when she needs extra fluids I'll promise her an ice pop After a tall glass of water. Or when sick with a fever these are perfect. I have even made a strong herbal tea for cold and fever, blend it with powdered vitamin c and banana. Freeze. And let her eat as many as she likes when sick. It keeps the body cool, hydrated and getting valuable nutrients that would otherwise be difficult for a stubborn preschooler to get just though tea. 
Today I made myself a #carrotjuice with #flax, #ginger, #hempseeds, #cinnamon, water, #rawhoney. Then added frozen pineapple, banana and peaches to what was left to make smoothie pops.
Drink Up!

Love Your Hair

This pomade is made to build roots, restore and condition hair and scalp. massage deliberately in clean damp scalp for best results routinely. Try to diligently apply after each hair washing or even before washing as a leave in conditioner to rinse out with a mild soap. This product is safe for the whole body and family.
Our nourishing hair pomade is made with thyme, rosemary and nettle infused into extra virgin olive oil. Rosemary has been used for thousands of years to maintain healthy hair and scalp for promoting clean, healthy, thick and glossy hair. It is antiviral, anti fungal and antibacterial. Today it is found in some of the most high end hair products on the market. Nettle is a wonder herb in it’s own packed with all the good stuff to keep it short. If you can’t eat or drink enough of it and you want to have full healthy hair then apply it topically. It is rich in iron which stimulates new growth and balances sebum. Thyme has similar effects as nettle in promoting blood circulation to the scalp but will also slow hair loss while promoting new growth. what better way to add an uplifting aroma to this green pomade than with peppermint oil. It combines all the helps of the herbs in a few powerful drops. It smells great, herbie, warm and cool mint at the same time. Oh I almost forgot to tell you about our most versatile ingredient, COCONUT OIL! Not only does it promote hair growth, it helps reduce the protein loss in healthy and not so healthy hair. It deeply penetrates the hair shaft and helps retain moisture in the hair. That’s why best results are seen when used on freshly washed hair, it will trap all the moisture and nutrients in your hair where you need it. It is the best hair conditioner on its own. This pomade has a touch of beeswax to keep it firm and add the versatility of using this as a healthy styling cream. Enjoy those luscious locks ;)

Get it in the shop www.herbaceutikals.com

Wild Grapes

Went to forage for #sumac and came up a heavy grape harvest! Mastering my domain one day at a time. 
Wild grapes are the original grape and contain seeds which are the most nutritious part. Don't bother buying grape seed extract, just eat grape seeds. Like extra virgin olive oil, the antioxidants in grapes lower cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, strengthen blood vessels; are anti cancer, antinflammatory and are low glycemic. 
Red clovers are mild in flavor, found about everywhere and are the perfect wild food balance to the intensity of these juicey grapes. They contain many valuable nutrients such as calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C.  Traditionally they are known to be antispasmodic, alterative, antitumor and expectorant. Their anti tumor effects are seen when blended with burdock root. At home we have always used red clover in herbal infusions in cold and flu remedies and especially if a wet cough is present; but these little flowers are gaining popularity in treating menopausal symptoms as well.
These are perfect in fruit or vegetable salads, either way, if you see something, pick something ;)