Remembering Wholeness: Rosemary

botanical.com

Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis is known for remembrance and to keep the spirit youthful. Keep it under your bed to protect against bad dreams, hang it above doors and porches to deter thieves. Rosemary planted by the front door shows that the women run the home as well as their fortune. Clears spaces of harmful energies through its purifying vibrations and happy song. Watch closely the Rosemary bush, for you might just spot the Good Folk hidden amongst its branches.

Rosemary is the herb for those who look as though they need the dry, hot heat of the Mediterranean to restore their vitality and bring a healthy color to the skin. For those who feel stuck, might have poor circulation, and a general lack of energy and enthusiasm – life seems a bit grey, a bit bitter. The glow of Rosemary relieves the chilliness of body and spirit, bringing warmth and movement to the heart and mind.

Rosemary has many uses because it is, quite frankly, so useful! Rosemary is good for aiding the memory and improving concentration, as well as relieving tension headaches and “brain fog.” It also helps atop our head by promoting hair growth and providing relief for itchy scalps and dandruff. Rosemary has also been used in treatments of depression, Alzheimer’s disease, vertigo, stress, and anxiety.

After a bought of sickness or a round of the blues, drink Rosemary tea to restore your body’s inner warmth and fire for life. Rosemary is very restorative to all of our blood organs such as the liver, heart, spleen, and kidneys, which need some helpful cleansing after a period of fatigue. Use Rosemary to bring on menses and reduce menstrual cramps.

Rosemary bush from wikipedia.org

Rosemary stimulates liver function and improves circulation by raising blood pressure. Our green friend also treats excessive blood sugar by enhancing the burning off of and consumption of blood sugars and fats by the metabolism. Therefore, Rosemary is used in the treatment of diabetes. Rosemary can also be used as a cancer preventative for its abilities to prevent carcinogenic chemicals from binding to DNA and causing mutations.

Topically, Rosemary can be used to relieve the itch of eczema, soothe sore muscles, sprains, and rheumatism. The oil can be rubbed into the skin to improve circulation. A poultice of Rosemary placed on the forehead and back of the neck can be employed when treating headaches and migraines. Make a medicinal strength brew of Rosemary tea to use as a hair rinse to treat dandruff and scalp itchiness.

Herbal Powder Remedy Kits

For those of you who love a collection of color to go along with your herbal remedies, we're are happy to oblige.

For those who love jars and bottles lined up on shelves containing sacred powders of healing, we might have something for you.

And for those who love a bit of a discount, we can be friends.

We are now offering our Herbal Powder Remedy Kits in a 1 ounce and 3 ounce collection!

Both of these Remedy Kits can be purchased in our S H O P!

Vitamin C for You + Me

Vitamin C plays an important role in the health of our bodies and is an essential ingredient in our body’s ability to heal, promote normal tissue growth, and healthy cell development.  Having a regular and easily absorbable form of vitamin C in our diet is very important and since vitamin C can be easily destroyed through the cooking process, it is important to include raw fruits and vegetables in your diet.  One easy way to do this is to include a raw herbal and food powder into your routine, like our new ‘C’ Powder!

Use our ‘C’ Powder daily to maintain happy levels of vitamin C in your gorgeous body and take larger (1 tablespoon 2 times daily) when avoiding unwanted colds and the ‘flu.  In addition to being delicious mixed with water, juices, and smoothies, 'C' Powder is a treat on its own taken directly from the bottle.  It is sweet, tangy, and very pleasing to the  taste buds!

Learn more about the convenience of herbal powders and why we like them here.  Read about 'C' Powder's ingredients below:

POMEGRANATE Punica granatum: High in vitamin C, Pomegranate also contains antioxidants and helps to inhibit the powers of free radicals which play a role in causing disease.  Pomegranate is also anti-inflammatory, reduces blood pressure, and supports cardiovascular health.

HIBISCUS Hibiscus sabdariffa: Another great source of vitamin C, Hibiscus also contains vitamin A, beta-carotene boosting its antioxidant abilities.  Hibiscus reduces high blood pressure and high cholesterol while supporting general heart health.  Good also for the treatment of colds and flu.

GOJI BERRY Lycium barbarum: Vitamin C, B1, B2, iron, selenium, zinc, and a variety of amino acids are just some of the constituents you will find in this mighty red berry.  Nourishing to the liver and kidney, Goji Berries are said not only to be a longevity tonic, but also able to promote a cheerful disposition to those taking it.  Builds up the bodies resources of hormones, white blood cells, and life-creating enzymes.

MACA Lepidium meyenii: An adaptogenic herb, Maca is also an immune tonic.  Nutrient rich, Maca contains vitamin C and E, calcium, iron, iodine, zinc, phosphorus and amino acids.  Regulates energy levels without overstimulating.

LUCUMA Pouteria lucuma: A natural sweetener that is high in antioxidants, contains beta-carotene, niacin, iron, B vitamins, dietary fiber, and small levels of vitamin C.  Lucuma is very, very yummy.

'C' Powder is available in our 1 ounce and 3 ounce sizes in our S H O P.

Isn't tea lovely?

We all have people in our lives that we can, with all sincerity, call lovely.  They embody the qualities of compassion partnered with the generous concern that you are having a good day and that they are somehow contributing towards such a goal.  Lovely is a tea blend to celebrate the loveliness in our lives and preferably with the ones we’ve dubbed “lovely” to share a cup with us.

Read more about Lovely's antioxidant powers...

Lovely is our first red tea blend with a base of beautiful and naturally caffeine-free Rooibos.  Super high in antioxidants, Rooibos is a fantastic herb to enjoy daily.  Along with Goji Berries, Lovely is a gentle but effective adaptogenic blend that helps the body deal with stress while nourishing the kidneys and liver.

Lovely includes the following herbs:

ROOIBOS Aspalathus linearis: High in antioxidants (higher even than green tea!) with anti-inflammatory, antiviral, rejuvenative, and  adaptogenic properties, Rooibos is wonderful.  Rooibos is also useful in treating allergies, indigestion, insomnia, general nervousness, and skin complaints.  Rooibos definitely keeps it lovely.

GOJI BERRIES Lycium barbarum: Also known as Wolfberry, Goji Berries have a long history of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine.  Nourishing to the kidneys and liver, Goji berries stregthen the blood.  They are full of vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, iron, zinc, and selenium.

ANISE SEED Pimpinella anisum: A great herb for indigestion and bloating, Anise seed is also useful for treating coughs and colds.

COCONUT FLAKES Cocos nucifera: A sweet addition to our blend to round out the flavors, Coconuts are full of vital, delicious energy.

Purchase Lovely and our many other teas at our S H O P.

Sweeten Up: How to Make Simple Syrups

wikipedia.org

Honey is wonderful medicine.  Antibacterial and antiseptic, honey has been used for thousands of years as good medicine.  In addition to its own powerful healing properites, honey is an excellent medium for delivering other healing herbs into our bodies.  Besides taking honey daily in teas or straight for the spoon,  we can create simple syrups out of honey and medicinal vinegars.

To make a simple syrup, you will need only a few items.   A bowl to mix in, a spoon to mix with, measuring implements (if you like, but not always necessary) will be helpful.  Make sure to choose raw and unfiltered honey for your simple syrup.  Raw and unfiltered honey contains the vital enzymes, propolis, pollen, and essential vitamins and minerals.  You will also need some raw apple cider vinegar that may or may not have been prepared as a medicinal vinegar.

Raw apple cider vinegar on its own, as has been discussed before, is great for your health.  It is not always the most palatable for some folks taste buds, especially the young and the picky.  Combining medicinal vinegars with honey is a great solution.

The ratio of honey to vinegar in our simple syrups is largely dependent on how sweet you want your syrup.  Generally, one part honey to two parts vinegar produces a not overly sweet, but still satisfying syrup.  Reverse the ratio if you want a sweeter, thicker syrup.

Mix the honey and vinegar together.  At this point you might want to sing a song thanking the bees and apples for the hard work they put into creating such beautiful food medicine.

Now you'll have a lovely syrup!  What is great about simple syrups of honey and vinegar is that they have a long shelf-life and don't need to be refrigerated (though, like most herbal medicines, should be kept in cool place).

What sort of syrup shall you make?  Try  making your very own Four Thieves Vinegar simple syrup!  You can also try making simple syrups with our Amazon Brew and TOUGH AS NAILS Iron Brew.  Experiment and enjoy!