Blog

By Robin Bennett, Posted in Blog

I came home from the fabulous sun and sea of Culebra, Puerto Rico and I don't know whether it was the crowds in the airport, the recirculated air in the packed airplane or the change in the weather (it’s always easier going from cold to hot, then from hot to cold), but within four days I got slammed with some version of the flu that nearly everyone has seemed to have gotten this winter. From one day to the next, I went from feeling absolutely great to having chills, a killer headache, heavy congestion... read more.

• March 07, 2017

By Robin Bennett, Posted in Blog

If you read last week's blog, you know how amazing the Great Way to Start the Day Variation I , which had stinging nettles, hawthorn berries and sassafras leaves. If you missed it, be sure to go back and read that one first before learning all about variation II of this wonderful infusion. The Great Way to Start the Day Infusion is a magnificent tea to wake up to after it's steeped overnight. Even after you've decanted it, the tastes and chemical constituents keep blending and settling, and the infusio... read more.

• February 27, 2017

By Robin Bennett, Posted in Blog

One of the most amazing herbs on Planet Earth has to be the common weed called stinging nettles. I use nettles regularly. It is like having herbal health insurance! Nettle is almost a panacea, with healing benefits for nearly every major body system - lymph, glandular, respiratory, skin, urinary, and cardiovascular. In the cardiovascular system its tonic and rejuvenating effects on the veins and arteries, along with its healing properties for the kidneys, make it a great herb to know. One story about stingi... read more.

• February 22, 2017

By Robin Bennett, Posted in Blog

If you read the last blog post, I talked about my Healthy Heart Blend I. Today, I'd like to share with you my Healthy Heart Blend II. In celebration of Valentine's Day this week, I thought sharing my heart healthy recipes could add to your heart/love filled week. This infusion is useful for an ailing cardiovascular system, or to help maintain a healthy one. The blend of herbs will provide medicinal benefits for the heart muscle itself, while each of the herbs improves circulation and helps the lungs. Linden... read more.

• February 16, 2017

By Robin Bennett, Posted in Blog

Some of my favorite cardiovascular-system herbal allies are: hawthorn berries and flowers, rosemary, linden, grape leaves, nettles, seaweeds, parsley, yarrow, violet, and ginkgo biloba. The first herb I think of in connection with the health of our dear hearts is the sacred hawthorn tree,  beloved of the mischievous faeries and all who believe that a life devoid of magic is not really worth living. Hawthorn (Crataegus species)   Grandmother hawthorn sounds like a snake When the wind moves through... read more.

• February 13, 2017

By Robin Bennett, Posted in Blog

What does your cold feel like? Do you feel hot and dry, stuffed up and separated from everything and everyone by thick mucus clogging your nose and limiting your sight and hearing? Or is your nose running copiously while you feel chilled and shivery? Treat yourself accordingly by taking care in choosing whether you want more or less warming, cooling, moistening, and/or drying. For example, if you are cold and have chest congestion with a wet, productive cough, you might want to use an infusion of ginger roo... read more.

• January 31, 2017

By Robin Bennett, Posted in Blog

The rose is widely recognized as the inimitable symbol of beauty and love. Its lush petals, majestic arrangement and vivid colors, particularly the classic red rose, evoke sensuality and romanticism, making it a popular ornamental flower and age-old subject of reverence in art, literature, and mythology. The rose is also a highly valued herb in traditional and modern herbal medicine. Rose hips, the fruits of the rose, are significantly high in vitamin C, and can be consumed raw or as teas, beverages, syrups... read more.

• January 20, 2017

By Robin Bennett, Posted in Blog

Hyssop is my oldest and foremost ally for helping people heal from bronchitis. I've found that it will safely help adults and children to expectorate even the most entrenched phlegm stuck in the bronchia and cilia of the lungs from acute or chronic bronchitis. It is one of the first herbs that taught me that when you need something, it will taste good to you. I couldn't stand the taste of hyssop until I had acute bronchitis - then I couldn't get enough of it! I have seen this response in other people, too (... read more.

• January 11, 2017

By Robin Bennett, Posted in Videos

Here's our newest video in the plant medicine series. We hope you enjoy learning a bit about elecampane, an herbal root medicine root that can come in very handy in this cold, cough, and flu season.... read more.

• January 09, 2017

By Robin Bennett, Posted in Blog

I use the simpler's method of tincturing healing herbs, perfect for homemade medicines for everday use or more serious applications. Tinctures are the liquid result of chopping plants up and steeping them in alcohol, which is, after water, the most common menstruum (in herbal terminology) used to extract the medicinal qualities and properties from the plants. After harvesting or buying the fresh herb, tear or chop it up finely and place it in a clean glass jar to the top. Then pour 100-proof vodka over the... read more.

• January 06, 2017