Category: Health

Lemon Oil; Refresh and Purify

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs's avatarCrooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Lemon Essential Oil is reputed to have powerful anti-microbial activity. It can also boost energy and metabolism, uplift the mood, enhance skin quality, and disinfect surfaces. It can be used in numerous body care products ranging from skin and hair care to emotional care through aromatherapy.

CAUTIONS

Lemon Essential Oil is photosensitive and is not to be applied to skin that will be exposed to sunlight within 12 hours.

It is highly recommended that glass bottles be used for all the recipes in this article, as citrus oils break down plastic bottles.

USING LEMON OIL IN A DIFFUSER OR ROOM SPRAY (ELIMINATE GERMS AND REFRESH)

Used in aromatherapy, Lemon Essential Oil can reduce fever and flu while relieving throat infections and coughing. By clearing the nasal passages, it promotes easier breathing for those with respiratory issues or infections. This rejuvenating, clean-smelling essential oil is commonly used to enhance concentration and…

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Lemongrass: A Resourceful Herb and Essential Oil

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs's avatarCrooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Lemongrass {Cymbopogon citratus}

Also, Known As:

  • Citroengrass
  • Fever Grass
  • Lemongrass
  • Sereh
  • Te Limon
  • Zacate Limon

Cymbopogon citratus, generally known as lemongrass, is a resourceful herb, a natural source of aroma, mosquito repellent as well as a plant that is widely used to decorate gardens. Lemongrass belongs to the grass or Poaceae family (formerly known as Gramineae) and has several functions – an effective herb, aromatic or container garden, or as a medication for various conditions. One may find a number of the variety of lemongrass and each of them possessing dissimilar chemical compositions. However, citral is the major chemical ingredient found in all varieties of essential oils of lemongrass.

Lemongrass is native to tropical regions and grows in clusters. The plant has globular stems that eventually become leaf blades. This herb belongs to the herb family which also includes citronella and palmarosa and possesses a lemon essence. When the leaves of the herb are compressed…

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5 Herbs for Anxiety – Experience Life

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs's avatarCrooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

It can be difficult to catch a breath these days. Between our always-on work and media culture, an accelerated pace of life, and timeless challenges like raising kids and providing eldercare, life in the 21st century can be anxiety-provoking. To say the least.

“We live in unacceptably stressful times,” says integrative psychiatrist Henry Emmons, MD, author of The Chemistry of Calm. “People are so uniformly stressed that they are looking for quick relief, often in the form of alcohol or prescription drugs. We need better options.”

Fortunately, we have them — and have had them for some time. “Plants have been used to relieve anxiety for thousands of years because anxiety has always existed,” he explains.

Anxiety originates in the brain’s amygdalae, two almond-sized structures (one in each hemisphere) that modulate the body’s response to stress. Functional-medicine physician and herbalist Aviva Romm, MD, likens their function to a surveillance system:…

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Bitter Principles; How Bitter’s Work In Modern Herbal Medicine

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs's avatarCrooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

In modern herbal medicine, bitter principles occupy a central place in herbal therapeutics beating the acrid constituents. Most people consuming herbal medicines complain about the bitterness of the medicines prescribed. This is the only defining attribute of herbal medicine and the only feature to set it apart from other therapies.

The bitter principles work by stimulating the bitter receptors of the tongue and increasing saliva secretion. Thus, it is always advisable to taste and chew the herbs for making the most effective. The bitter principles also bring about an increase in the secretion of digestive juices, thereby increasing appetite. They protect the tissues found in the digestive tract, boost up the bile flow and strengthens the pancreas.

Their chemical composition includes a complex pattern of molecular structures. Since they act upon the bitter receptors of the mouth, thereby producing the bitter taste in the mouth, their stimulation does not produce…

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Herbal Medicine Cabinet – Urban Moonshine

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs's avatarCrooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

MEET SOME MEDICINAL HERBS THAT CAN KEEP YOU HEALTHY
ALL YEAR LONG

INTRODUCING THE URBAN MOONSHINE MEDICINE CABINET POSTER

1. CHAMOMILE

Chemicals: volatile oils
Body Systems: digestive, nervous
I am a delicate plant, but my flower’s gentleness belies its power. As a warm teabag, I soothe tired eyes; as a tea or tincture, I can untangle knots in the belly. Keep me around for kids and grownups alike.

2. USNEA

Chemicals: usnic acid, polysaccharides
Body Systems: respiratory, urinary
All around the world, my beards hang off the evergreens. Eat them whole, or try an extract: they’ll protect your lungs like they protect the forest. Savor my acrid flavor: it is a note to push out the season’s cold.

3. BITTERS

I’m a classic digestive remedy. So many versions to choose from—all help you enjoy your favorite foods without worry. Taste bitter, feel better!

4. ASTRAGALUS

Chemicals: saponins, glucans
Body Systems: immune
My…

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Muscle Ache Balm with Lavender and Rosemary

Mellow Mood Ritual, Anatomy of a Ritual

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs's avatarGood Witches Homestead

Emotional balance and emotional intelligence are two common terms we hear these days, a simple google search returns hundreds of articles written about how to be a more emotionally intelligent person. It’s no surprise that we’re searching for answers, even the most intelligent, well-adjusted person experiences periods of emotional turmoil. Our moods are like the weather, ever-changing and sometimes unpredictable. We can’t avoid emotions, nor would our lives be satisfying if we did, but we can learn how to let them be a part of our lives without running them.

The path towards emotional balance is as simple as it is difficult, a lifelong journey of discovery. As you practice being with your moods instead of being ruled by them, remember the old adage – this too will pass. That reminder is important with both difficult and enjoyable moods, no matter what you’re feeling it will eventually change. That simple…

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How to Make and Work with Rosemary Oil in Your Apothecary – Floranella

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs's avatarGood Witches Homestead

You have probably heard that St. John’s wort oil is incredible for muscle aches and pains, but did you know that rosemary-infused oil can also work wonders? Not everyone has access to fresh St. John’s wort when it’s flowering at just the right stage for making oil, but most people have access to rosemary. Even if you don’t grow it, you can find it in the spice or produce aisle at your local grocer. It won’t turn the oil that brilliant red color, but it will be effective! Let’s talk about how to make a rosemary oil that can really work.

To make your rosemary oil, you’ll want to first dry your rosemary. Strip the leaves from the stems and lay them out on a drying rack or towel-lined cookie sheet. Allow them to air dry until they feel brittle and will break easily when you try to bend them…

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Raspberry, Herb of the Year and Herb of the Month: History and Lore

The Herb Society of America's avatarThe Herb Society of America Blog

HOM Brambles

By Pat Greathead

Raspberry, Rubus spp., is the International Herb Association’s Herb of the YearTM for 2020 and The Herb Society of America’s Herb of the Month for January (Brambles). The genus Rubus includes both the red and black raspberry and the blackberry as well as almost 700 other species. Rubus is in the Rosacea family.

My Wisconsin Unit of The Herb Society each year examines the IHA Herb of the Year.TM In this blog post, I have mainly focused on red raspberry leaf and have used information from many websites in writing this article. I hope you enjoy reading it as this is the year of the raspberry!

Raspberry leaves are among the most pleasant tasting of all the herbal remedies, with a taste much like black tea, without the caffeine. Raspberries are native to Asia and arrived in North America via prehistoric people, with the first…

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Herbs for Natural Detox – Traditional Medicinals – Herbal Wellness

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs's avatarCrooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

As we shift from the holiday season, it is an excellent time to take a few days to simplify, clear and pave the way to receive the bounty of the new year. This can mean making space for creativity, resetting intentions, or cultivating healthy habits that support the body and mind. Symbolically, it is no surprise people gravitate towards “cleansing” and “detoxifying” during this time of year.

While “detoxing” may appear to be a modern-day answer to what seems like an increasingly toxic world, our ancestors have long incorporated bitter, nutritive herbs and roots into their diets. Modern science has revealed that many of these herbs – such as dandelion, burdock, nettle, Schisandra, and red clover, have a special affinity to support the natural function of our inherent detoxification systems.* Honoring this age-old wisdom, herbalists continue to utilize these herbs to support and nurture these processes rather than encouraging harsh…

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