Marijuana Associated With Fewer Disease-Related Complications In Those With Crohn’s Disease, Finds Study — TheJointBlog

According to a study published in the journal Digestive Diseases and Sciences, marijuana consumers with Crohn’s disease who are seeking hospitalization possess fewer disease-related complications compared to those who don’t use cannabis. For the study a team of investigators from the John H. Stroger Hospital in Chicago, the SUNY Downstate Medical Centre in New York City, and the Digestive […]

Spring has arrived in our mountain forest. The emergence from the long cold nights of winter gives way to spring and the eternal reminder of rebirth and renewal. Dandelion flowers are everywhere, basking in the warming of the earth, opening to the sun. I’ve been gathering the young leaves for cooking and adding to smoothies. The grosbeaks have returned and our bears have awoken; hungrily eating the young grasses and soaking in our pond. This year the “fever” has been strong. I’ve cleaned the closets, put away winter clothes, worked compost into the garden beds, sowed seeds, and bulbs, put out the hummingbird feeders, spent hours brushing out the horses, changed the shavings in the coop, and am hiking longer.

This strong drive seems ancient. Many cultures believed springtime was the optimal season for “cleansing” – home, land, mind, and body. People would eat the early bitter greens, aiding digestion…

View original post 1,743 more words

The Finesse of Grossing Mommy Out

Good Witches Homestead

Little Granddaughter has developed a way to utterly gross out her mommy, but also adds to the many reasons why we are an herbalist. Herbal infusions come to play and thank goodness she takes her herbal vitamins every day.

We also raise and rescue German Shepherds, Bones is a rescue, but maybe in this video, Bones again needs rescuing from one very precocious Granddaughter…

Herbal infusions, which are basically strong teas, are incredibly useful for providing the body with easy to assimilate nutrition. It is best to use gentle, nutritive and tonifying herbs which act mostly as food for the body. Examples are nettles, chamomile, oatstraw and raspberry leaf. This type of herbal preparation is used for extracting and making bio-available the richness of vitamins and minerals found in many plants. It is important to note that herbs work overtime to bring about health and increased vitality. They do not offer quick fixes, but…

View original post 817 more words

What FDA Dietary Supplement Regulations Mean For Herbalists — Good Witches Homestead

Learn how potential changes to FDA dietary supplement regulations surrounding the use and sale of herbs as dietary supplements may effect herbalists. Source: What FDA Dietary Supplement Regulations Mean For Herbalists

via What FDA Dietary Supplement Regulations Mean For Herbalists — Good Witches Homestead

The Business of Herbalism

Good Witches Homestead

Botanical medicine, the art, and science of collecting, preparing, and utilizing plants for healing, is one of the oldest healing methods in human history. The World Health Organization estimates that 80 percent of the world’s population presently uses herbal medicine for some aspect of primary healthcare.

There is a wide range, however, in what is marketed as herbal medicine. The effectiveness of botanical medicine necessarily depends on the quality and vitality of the original plant material and on the care and attention brought to harvesting, processing, and storage. These issues are crucial to the quality of any product we consume; they are especially important when we use remedies as medicine for healing.

As the natural products industry has grown—it was measured to be $5 billion in the United States alone in 2009—compromises have been made along the chain of production that undermine the integrity and efficacy of the medicines produced…

View original post 1,758 more words

Dandelion, A Common Spring Garden Herb

Good Witches Homestead

Taraxacum officinale

Also, Known As:

Blow Ball
Cankerwort
Dandelion
Lion’s Tooth
Pissabed
Priest’s-crown
Puff Ball
Pu Gong Ying
Pu-kung-ying
Swine Snout
Telltime
White Endive
Wild Endive

The dandelion is a common garden herb, with easily recognized flowers. During the spring season, the leaves and the root of the dandelion begin to produce mannitol, which is a substance utilized in the treatment of conditions such as hypertension and a weakened heart in continental Europe – where it is often prescribed by herbalist for patients with these conditions. An herbal dandelion tea made using the roots and the leaves of the herb are good to take from about the mid of March to about mid-May in the treatment of such conditions. Prepare the herbal dandelion tea in this way, first, boil a quart of water in a pot, slowly reduce the heat and then add 2 tbsp. of cleaned and chopped fresh…

View original post 2,665 more words

Benefits of Organic Blue Tea – Butterfly Pea or Asian Pigeonwing

Good Witches Homestead

Native to South-East Asia and India is the butterfly blue pea, a beautiful cerulean floral creation, which has been an important ingredient of traditional medicine in this part of the world since the era of ancient civilizations. For a flower, to have endured through several centuries is indeed credible and what is more noteworthy is the fact that its importance remains undiminished and unaffected by the passage of time. There could only one explanation for this continued sustenance – the natural presence of curative and therapeutic attributes that easily transit into lukewarm water like its color and can be consumed as such.

Amongst the several exotic beverages that are prepared with the butterfly blue pea flowers, one of the simplest as also the most appealing is organic blue tea. In the phrase ‘organic blue tea’, while the word ‘blue’ owes its presence to the color that is typical of the…

View original post 2,439 more words

Benefits of Moringa: A Nutritional Powerhouse

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Famously called “the miracle tree” thanks to its exceptional nutritional content and therapeutic potential, moringa more than lives up to its name. Moringa offers numerous health benefits, including protecting against free radicals and promoting a strong immune system in all stages of life. Among other things, moringa supports the heart, brain, and liver, and can even give your sex drive a boost.

You might see it sold as a “superfood” in grocery and health food stores, but moringa is no passing fad. For centuries, people have consumed various parts of the moringa tree for health, energy, and other therapeutic qualities.

Moringa contains an abundance of vitamins and minerals, but, according to scientists, many of moringa’s benefits come from its phytochemicals, which include isothiocyanates, chlorogenic acid, and flavonoids like quercetin.

What Is Moringa?

Did you know that moringa is sometimes called the “tree of life”?

More than a dozen different moringa…

View original post 1,627 more words

11 Coffee Alternatives to Help You Kick the Habit

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

A cup of joe is a key part of many people’s morning routine. Coffee isn’t just aromatic and delicious — it promotes alertness and focus, suppresses appetite, and even aids with digestion.

Coffee acts as a stimulant, which means that it can increase your blood pressure and heart rate; it also gives some people headaches. And while it helps digestion in some people, it can cause stomach pain and indigestion in others, especially people who drink several cups a day.

Maybe your healthcare provider recommended that you reduce your coffee intake or remove it from your diet entirely. Or perhaps you just want to live coffee-free for personal reasons. No matter the reason, we have good news.

Several delicious drinks can ease your transition away from coffee while still providing some or all of the same effects. Many of these coffee substitutes have more natural sugar and no bitter taste, unlike coffee. Here…

View original post 1,852 more words