October Newsletter

October, 2011

He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herbs for the service of man: that he

may bring forth food out of the earth...

 

Eucalyptus and  Rosemary

From The Herb Patch

Once again another month has past by swiftly! It seems to me that time just “flies by”. By the time I get one newsletter finished and out the door, it’s time for another. I thank the Lord that I am able to do this. It is a part of my ministry to the Lord and the people he has laid on my heart. So, feel free to copy or lend anything that I send out so that others may benefit.

The month of October is one of my favorite months because it is “fall time”, or “autumn” whichever one you wish to call it. This is so because of the unique “smells” and “colors” of the leaves in our area. But, as my son in law Todd so bluntly said to me when he first moved to our area from Texas years ago, “The smell of the leaves here just happens to be mold”. Oops! that sorta “busted my bubble” at the time. I was caught up in the nostalgia of the sights and smells of autumn! Also, the air at some point becomes crisp and cleaner smelling until the folks around the country area in which I live start burning leaves... which I am highly allergic.

And whether or not this means anything to my readers, I do not participate in Halloween! This is because I know that it is a pagan holiday used to promote witchcraft...And so greatly it does. I am amazed at how “big and important” this holiday has become. Even more amazed at how soon the stores and places of business start portraying the “witch” decor. No longer is it just “pumpkins”, it has become a “ghostly horror house”.

Last month I said that I would be finishing up the discussion on the herbs in Me Me’s Muscle Rub—Eucalyptus and Rosemary. So, here we go!

Eucalyptus genus comprises over 500 species of aromatic trees and shrubs with deciduous bark. It is a tall evergreen tree native to Australia, including Tasmania. The most common species, Tasmanian Blue Gum (globulus), has a blue-gray trunk, blue-green juvenile leaves, green adult leaves, and white flower stamens. Eucalyptus leaves, scented of balsamic camphor are used by Australian aboriginals to bind wounds; the flower nectar gives honey; and the oil, distilled from the leaves and twigs, is used in medicines, aromatherapy, and perfumes. Eucalyptus oil is antiseptic, expectorant, and antiviral, treats pulmonary tuberculosis, lowers blood sugar levels, and is useful for burns, catarrh, and flu. It is used in salve preparations for wounds and skin inflammation. According to Herbalist James Duke, aromatherapists often suggest adding eucalyptus oil to the pain-relieving essential oils of lavender and peppermint. The compound cineole, which is found in eucalyptus, speeds absorption of the other aromatic pain relievers through the skin.

This is an herbal recipe taken from Jerry Baker’s Herbal Pharmacy and I intend to try it, by using eucalyptus oil I made myself last winter.

You can keep your house (especially your bathroom) smelling lemony fresh and kill germs floating in the air with this herbal disinfectant spray.

      1 cup of water                        ½ cup of isopropyl alcohol      ½ cup dried eucalyptus leaves  
 2 tsp. eucalyptus essential oil

 In a small saucepan, boil the cup of water and soak the dried eucalyptus leaves in it. Reduce the heat and let it simmer 15 minutes. Then let it cool. Strain out the herbs and pour the infusion into a glass spray bottle, along with the alcohol and essential oil. tighten the nozzle lid and shake well. Spray into the air as needed. This elixir will last up to 6 months if stored in a cool

                              
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves. It is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family, which also includes many other herbs. The name rosemary derives from the Latin name rosmarinus, which is from "dew" (ros) and "sea" (marinus), or "dew of the sea because in many locations it needs no other water than the humidity carried by the sea breeze to live. Since it is attractive and tolerates some degree of drought, it is used in landscaping, especially in areas having a Mediterranean climate. It is considered easy to grow for beginner gardeners, and is pest-resistant.

Rosemary grows on friable loam soil with good drainage in an open sunny position, it will not withstand water logging and some varieties may be susceptible to frost. It grows best in neutral to alkaline conditions with average fertility. Rosemary is easily pruned into shapes and has been used for topiary. When grown in pots, it is best kept trimmed to stop it getting straggly and unsightly, though when grown in a garden, rosemary can grow quite large and still be attractive. It can be propagated from an existing plant by clipping a shoot (4–6 in) long, stripping a few leaves from the bottom, and planting it directly into soil.

Culinary use

The fresh and dried leaves are used frequently in traditional Mediterranean cuisine; they have a bitter, astringent taste and are highly aromatic, which complements a wide variety of foods. A tisane can also be made from them. When burned, they give off a distinct mustard smell, as well as a smell similar to that of burning wood, which can be used to flavor foods while barbecuing. Rosemary is high in iron, calcium, and vitamin B₆. Rosemary extract has been shown to improve the shelf life and heat stability of omega 3-rich oils, which are prone to going rancid.

Medicinal Uses

The real medicine in this herb is in its twigs, flowers, and leaves—they’re packed with volatile oils including eucalyptol, flavonoids, and other healing goodies. Rosemary can work wonders, making tension headaches, gas, and even blue moods disappear. When you put it on your skin, it eases achy muscles and arthritic joints by increasing circulation to those areas.

Herbal Hair Care

Don’t get your dander up! Rosemary works great as a hair rinse. In fact, some store-bought shampoos list rosemary as one of their ingredients. Even if you don’t have dandruff, your hair can look glossy and gorgeous. Just massage a tablespoon or more of rosemary oil (homemade) into your scalp, giving your hair a good going over. Then cover your hair with a plastic shower cap. Wrap a warm, moist towel around your head, like a turban. Leave this on a couple hours. Then wash with a mild shampoo.

On another note...

Since many of us older folks (especially women) need to be concerned about osteoporosis and bone problems, I have decided to do a series on bone health. The following excerpt comes from a magazine The Herb Companion.

BUILD YOUR BONES

By Linda B. White, M.D.

Our bones define us, make us beautiful, provide leverage for movement and allow us to stand upright. We build bone until our third decade. After that, a steady loss begins, like sand slipping through an hour glass. Nevertheless, while osteoporosis has become a major public health problem, it is not inevitable. A number of strategies will keep your bones strong—and some of them run counter to the party line on osteoporosis prevention.

Granted, some of the osteoporosis risk factors are outside of your control—namely being older, female, menopausal or white. Happily, you have some control over a fleet of bone-robbers: being excessively thin; hiding from the sun; and excessive consumption of caffeine, alcohol, sodas, salt and acidifying foods. The point is that you can put the brakes on bone loss. Here’s how.

Move Your Bones

Physical activity tones bone and muscle, and strong muscles minimize the risk of bone-shattering falls. To stimulate new bone formation, the exercise has to stress the bone. Weight-bearing exercises—walking, jogging, jumping rope, climbing stairs—maintain hips and spine. Strength-training exercises (working against the resistance of weights, elastic bands or tubes, or your own body weight also strengthens your bones. It’s never too late to start. Research shows that endurance and resistance training boosts bone mass in elders.

Eat for Bone Health

Acidic Diets Affect Bones

What does acid and inflammation have to do with bones? A lot, as it turns out. Inflammation has been linked to osteoporosis, as well as a number of other diseases. Anti-inflammatory diets—those rich in vegetables, fruits and omeag-3 fatty acids—appear to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. This kind of diet is also alkalinizing (which reduces acidity).

Diets that generate acid cause calcium loss. here’s why: Acid base balance is critical for many bodily processes. When dietary acid enters the blood, calcium compounds come out of bone to neutralize it. Eventually, that calcium is flushed out in the urine. Although the loss is small, the theory is that, over time, acidic diets slowly, steadily deplete the bone’s calcium stores.

On the other hand, alkalinizing foods are fruits (especially dried fruits) and the vast majority of vegetables. While higher-protein foods generally produce acid, plant foods—even those rich in protein—contain alkaline nutrients. Protein is critical for bone health. Plants have that, plus a host of other bone-essential nutrients—calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin K, boron and others. And, as noted above, they’re more likely to be anti-inflammatory. Studies have indeed shown an association between high fruit and vegetable consumption and greater bone mineral density. Next month I intend to talk more about different bone-building plants and herbs!

 SMOOTHIES

In the past, I have talked about using fruit smoothies for a quick way to get nutrition without actually eating a lot of food. The following information and recipe is taken from Recipes for Life from God’s Garden, by Rhonda Malkmus. Fruit smoothies are a wonderful taste treat that can be substituted as a meal at lunch time or when life’s activities make it seem impossible to have a meal. Even though they are made of fruit and fruit juice, their creamy consistency reminds one of a shake made from dairy. Fruit smoothies, however, contain none of the dairy, additives, cholesterol, fat or artificial ingredients found in those milk shakes made commercially. (My note: Although, if you want to add milk or something similar you could.) For the weight conscious, it is interesting to note that when fruit smoothies are consumed on an empty stomach, no weight will be gained...only energy and valuable nutrients.

Use bananas that are very ripe and speckled. (If your bananas are green, allow them to set a few days at room temperature to ripen before they are used for this recipe or any other consumption. Until a banana is speckled and no longer green, it is not ready to eat.) Before freezing, peel and place bananas in an airtight container or double bag them in plastic bags. Freeze only as many bananas as can be used in seven to ten days as they begin to discolor if kept longer.

To make a smoothie, place the following in a blender or Vita Mix:

1 cup fresh or organic apple juice 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit

1 ½ to 2 frozen bananas 1 or 2 organic dates (optional)

Blend until a creamy consistency is reached, which takes about 45 seconds. Smoothies are best when consumed immediately, before the bananas have a chance to oxidize and turn brown. ENJOY!!

Note: Smoothies can be made with fresh ripe bananas, cold fresh fruit and cold juice; however, they will not be as cold or thick as when using frozen bananas and fruit.

I have decided to somehow put together recipes using herbs and/or organic vegetables in which sometime in the future will be transferred to an “herbal cookbook”. This cookbook will also include recipes from some of the people in my family. The recipe below is an all time favorite. Use only organic ingredients when possible.

Delicious Garden Salad

1 head leafy green or red lettuce ½ red onion

1 head iceberg lettuce 1 tomato (optional)

3 or 4 fresh mustard leaves 1 carrot, grated

1 medium sweet red pepper ½ can of 3 bean salad mixture (optional)

3 or 4 radishes 1 cucumber

Wash above ingredients; remove stalks from lettuce. Pat dry or run in salad spinner. Cut into bite sized pieces. Combine lettuce and mustard in large bowl. Chop pepper, tomato and onion and add to salad mixture. Add sliced cucumber and carrot. Toss all together. Drain 3 bean salad mixture and add to salad. Mix well. Use dressing of your choice. *Anything from the garden can be added.

Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Genesis 1:29