Four Thieves Inspire Flu-Fighting Soup

By Beth Schreibman-Gehring, Chairman of Education for The Western Reserve Herb Society unit of The Herb Society

Originally published on January 30, 2019

flu-soup Last winter the urgent care center diagnosed me with the flu, and I’ve never been quite as sick as I was for that month. I spent several days in bed and used all sorts of herbal remedies to support healing. Daquil/Nyquil just made me feel worse and went straight into the garbage.

I started with homemade bone broth. Herb and spice-spiked chicken broths are well known to promote the movement of nasal congestion and are thought to have anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. I felt better with every bowl I ate, proving the old adage: Let your food be your medicine.

For a powerful immune-boosting soup I took cues from the Legend of the Four Thieves. In this story, aromatherapy, herbal, and alchemical worlds collide and take…

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Herbal Beauty Ideas for All Year — Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

DIY Moisturizing Skin Serum Growing up, I was fed the beauty myth that oily skin is bad. The cosmetics industry pushes the use of harsh, drying soaps and products that strip natural oils to help you get rid of shine. However, those natural oils actually help moisturize your skin. Washing them away can result in overly […]

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The Sun; Overexposure to Sun, Sea, and Wind — Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Despite repeated warnings that skin cancer is caused at least in part by exposure to the sun, people still flock to the beach, where they lie prostrate, soaking in as much sunshine as they can. Hopefully, they are wearing a high factor sunscreen. But lying on the beach more than half-naked with nothing much to […]

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Essential Oils for Treating Cold Sores — Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Cold sores, which are also called fever blisters, can be itchy, painful, and embarrassing. They are typically caused by the herpes simplex virus. Cold sores can be treated with antiviral medications, which may shorten how long the symptoms last. There are various home remedies, as well, which are used to ease their discomfort. Furthermore, a lot […]

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ESSENTIAL OILS FOR HOPE, HEALING, AND HAPPINESS

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

During turbulent times, the ability to adapt to constant change is vital. Coping with transitions and a shift in routines can be inherently stressful, leading to issues such as the zapping of energy, frenzied thoughts, confusion, low mood, restlessness, and sometimes feelings of loneliness or isolation.

Adopting a constructive mindset and healthy coping strategies, although not easy, can be an important factor in sparking hope and beginning a journey towards positive emotional healing. Pure essential oils can provide a powerful complementary tool to help the mind and body adjust to the sensations of overwhelm, fear, boredom, lethargy, sadness, and hopelessness commonly experienced during a crisis. Combined with other therapeutic and self-care techniques such as meditation, exercise, journaling, calling loved ones, and talking to a licensed therapist, these potent plant oils can offer a soothing, relaxing, and uplifting respite from day-to-day worries and anxieties.

Essential oils have been used historically for…

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Natural Remedies for Anxiety: 8 Tips to Find Relief

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

The funny thing about anxiety is that it can come even when you are generally happy. Anxiety symptoms often show up like pressure in your chest, shallow breathing, a racing heart rate, or scattered thoughts. No matter the cause or how it makes you feel, time-tested tools and techniques can restore your inner sense of calm.

What Home Remedies Work for Anxiety?

While it might motivate you to get things done, most people do not want to feel anxious and stressed. It can take a toll on your health, and anxiety comes with higher levels of cortisol — the stress hormone.

Many natural solutions are practical and easy to fit into your life. We’ve gathered the most helpful ways to deal with the anxiety that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine.

Eat Healthily

The food you eat has a tremendous impact on how you feel mentally and physically. When you…

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DIY Hand Soap Recipes (And Why to Use Thyme Oil!) — Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Let’s talk about three kinds of Thyme essential oil, and how you can use them to support your health—especially when it comes to keeping your hands clean. Source: DIY Hand Soap Recipes (And Why to Use Thyme Oil!)

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Discover the Health Benefits of the ‘Christmas Tree’, Spruce Oil and Pine Oil

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

The Pine tree is easily recognized as the “Christmas Tree,” but it is also commonly cultivated for its wood, which is rich in resin and is thus ideal for use as fuel, as well as for making a pitch, tar, and turpentine, substances that are traditionally used in construction and painting.

In folk tales, the height of the Pine tree has led to its symbolic reputation as a tree that loves the sunlight and is always growing taller in order to catch the beams. This is a belief that is shared throughout many cultures, which also refer to it as “The Master of Light” and “The Torch Tree.” Accordingly, in the region of Corsica, it is burned as a spiritual offering so that it can emit a source of light. In some Native American tribes, the tree is called “The Watchman of the Sky.”

In history, the Pine tree’s needles…

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3 Alcohol-Based Hand Rub Recipes – Herbal Academy

Good Witches Homestead

The most important prevention measures we can take right now are staying home and practicing social distancing if leaving the house for essential work or trips to the grocery store or pharmacy—that is, staying at least 6 feet away from other people (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2020a). Washing hands thoroughly with soap and warm to hot water for at least 20 seconds after being in a public place, after sneezing or blowing your nose, and before eating, drinking, or handling food is also crucial to prevent the spread of the virus; however, if handwashing isn’t possible, the CDC recommends the use of an alcohol-based hand rub with at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropyl alcohol until you can wash your hands again (CDC, 2020a; CDC, 2020b).

Folks have taken this approach to heart, clearly, because commercially available hand sanitizers are in seriously short supply these days! However, with a…

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Essential Oils A Natural Substance

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

For over several thousands of years, humans have been employing essential oils for therapeutic purposes as well as sustaining good health. In effect, the ancient Egyptians extensively used essential oils. Currently, essential oils are used extensively in lotions meant for external use, aromatherapy, comforting baths and in a great assortment of herbal medications.

Any attempt to define essential oils accurately as well as in a few words is really difficult. For all practical purposes, one may possibly depict essential oils in the form of natural odoriferous (having potent fragrance) compounds that are present in or separated from plant materials. Generally, essential oils are in liquid form (in some exceptional cases they may be in semi-solid form, but seldom found in solid form), are not water-soluble and volatile when they come in contact with steam. Essential oils evaporate at dissimilar paces under normal atmospheric pressure and at room temperature. Therefore, they are…

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