Dandelioness Herbals has an Etsy Shop!

I'm pleased to announce that Dandelioness Herbals now has an Etsy Shop, where you can purchase hand-made herbal remedies online. While I love sharing my herbal products that are made mostly from local, hand-harvested medicinal plants with other people within my bioregion, I also love creating care packages for those who live faraway. And in these times when the US Postal Service is under fire, I love support postal workers! Each Etsy posting can have up to 5 photos and provides a lot of space for me to write descriptions about individual plants, their medicinal properties, and the process of making the remedy. I've also been collaborating with other local herbalists to create gift baskets, such as the Valentine Gift Basket and the Be Well Basket for Immune Health.

BIO:

My herbal concoctions are all handmade in small batches, using primarily local and abundant plants grown and harvested by hand from my garden, the fields and woodlands of land in VT (U.S.), or at my family's farm in Central Maine. Most ingredients are local, organic, fair-trade, made by worker's collectives, or otherwise from the most ethical source I can find.

I am passionate about health justice and my ever-evolving product list, which changes from season to season, reflects my vision for accessible and empowering health care. Throughout the process of growing medicinal plants, harvesting herbs, washing roots, choosing ingredients, making remedies, and the bottling and labeling of my tinctures, elixirs, syrups, salves, flower essences, lip balms, and other herbal products, I reflect upon, learn about, and give thanks to those who've come before, those that are here now, and those that are to come that are a part of the ever-changing movements towards liberation. My hope is that my creations are a part of creating/supporting a culture of self-care and collective-care based on mutual care, collaboration, appreciation for our bodies, and taking the time to rejuvenate ourselves and each other. Whether we're organizing for migrant justice and universal health care, raising children, menstruating, taking exams and writing papers, and/or giving care to elders, may we find ways in our personal lives and within movements for social justice and the other circles/worlds that we move between to help nourish and sustain ourselves and each other so that we can be in it for the long haul!

Here's some of what you'll find on the DandelionessHerbals etsy site:

(fyi - Sometimes it can be tricky to find what you're seeking on etsy - you can find DandelionessHerbals etsy shop through this link, or by searching danalwoodruff under 'people' or DandelionessHerbals under 'shop' (both have no spaces between the letters!)

The Be Well Basket for Immune Health, a collaboration between Samhain Herbs,

Mountain Cultures, Dandelioness Herbals, and Kaleid Botanicals, with Elderberry Syrup, Fire Cider, Speak Truth! Throat Spray, and Medicinal Soup Satchel, all resting in a bed of pine curls in a one-of-a-kind, reusable basket made out of old record covers! Hooray for community health!

The Self Care Kit: for emotional first aid was created with the intention of
preventing burn-out and helping to promote a culture of self-care and collective-
care. It contains: *Heart Elixir: to open, heal, and protect the heart 
(please see Heart Elixir blog post)*Tulsi Elixir *Yarrow Flower Essence 
for clear and strong boundaries and *Rose Relaxation Bath Fizzies

(Substitutions are definitely allowed to create your own personalized Self-Care Kit).

Speak Truth! Throat Spray is made with gratitude in honor of whistle blowers and truth tellers, past, present, and future! This remedy was formulated during the people's uprising in Egypt, using Egyptian Licorice root and a blend of herbs from my garden - hand-harvested VT Sage leaf, VT Oregano leaf, VT Thyme leaft and flower, and VT Hyssop leaf and flower, infused together in Brandy, and then blended with a Licorice root syrup made with local VT Honey. For more info see: SPEAK TRUTH Throat Spray: antiviral, antibacterial, and soothing and Americans Who Tell the Truth, a collection of portraits and quotes by Robert Shetterly.

Chocolate Spice Elixir is a warming aphrodisiac to stir you up. Made with a

combination of herbs and spices that have traditionally been used as aphrodisiacs

and to promote circulation, infused in brandy and blended with a homemade chocolate

syrup made with fair trade ingredients.

Mugwort Elixir: to invoke vivid dreams and a connection with the moon.

Choose Your Own Herbal Adventure! Three 2oz Tinctures/Elixirs of your Choice

(also available in Three 1oz Tinctures/Elixirs of your Choice)

Valentine - or Anytime - Gift Basket contains hand-milled Olive oil soap and handmade Rose-scented Cone Incense from the Gardens of Seven Gables and your choice of Chocolate Spice Elixir or Heart Elixir from Dandelioness Herbals.

Thanks so much for the support!

Winter Immune Health: Tonic Not Toxic

In recent years there have been more and more fear-based reports, advertisements, and products pushing US Americans into anti-bacterializing our lives with sprays, wipes, and gels. This war-like mentality of needing to build our defenses and kill all invaders (bacteria) in order to protect ourselves not only shows a very limited view of the function of our immune systems, it actually harms our health. Using toxic products to “clean” our homes and bodies and attacking common infections with a barrage of antibiotics depletes our bodies in the long term. Our immune system is not meant to be a fortress around our bodies. Yes, its function is to protect our bodies, but it is also a means for us to interact with the world around us.

Taking tonic herbs and foods daily helps to maintain our health, and having remedies that help activate our immune systems during times of stress and depletion is far more effective than constantly exposing ourselves to toxic “cleaners” and “sanitizers.” Herbalism and other healing modalities that are much older and more holistic primarily focus not on killing pathogens, but on strengthening our bodies’ natural defenses through foods, herbs, and lifestyle. When we are overtired, stressed, and eating junk food, we are more susceptible to whatever virus is going around; whereas, if we were well rested and taking care of our bodies, being exposed to this same virus may have no affect on us at all. I do not mean to imply an individualist and ableist idea that if we get sick or if we’re not born healthy that it’s our own fault. Rather, I believe it’s empowering to remember that self-care and collective-care (getting enough rest, plenty of water, nourishing foods, movement, and other aspects of creating a culture that encourages this kind of care) is much more effective than trying to hose down our life with toxic chemicals in order to kill bacteria in our environment. We have evolved with bacteria and need them for good health, and fortunately mainstream US culture has shifted in the last few years to recognize/remember that probiotics and cultured foods (sauerkraut, kim chi, kombucha, injera, miso, yogurt, etc. – see Sandor Ellix Katz's books on fermentation) are tried and true ways to support the good bacteria in our bodies.

Practices to Help Stay (or Get) Healthy:

Drink plenty of liquids! Fluids not only give our bodies necessary hydration, they make it more difficult for bacteria and viruses to cling to our mucous membranes (i.e., nose, throat) and cause trouble. So drink plenty of water and tea to prevent getting sick and to heal quicker once you already are sick. Soda, coffee, and other such drinks don’t count as nourishing, immune-supporting fluids (sorry!).

Get rest! Winter is the time for hibernation, to store energy that will fuel that sprouting green spring energy and feisty summer energy. If we rush and take on too much during the resting time of the year, we deplete our bodies. When a full 8-hour night sleep isn’t possible and you need to cram, remember to eat, breathe, and get as much rest as you can. However, try to remember once deadlines are met to take the time to both rest and sleep.  I know, not always do-able, especially for caregivers.  But important to integrate into our lives if and when possible.

Stay warm! Hats, warm socks, mittens, and scarves help us maintain our body’s heat in the colder months. You can also wear a scarf or tube-top around your waist to keep your kidneys warm, a practice that is common in Japan, where the cloth is called a haramaki. In many different traditions wind is an external influence that can enter your body and bring with it sickness, particularly at the nape of your neck and your kidneys (lower back), and especially if you have recently taken a hot bath or received a massage, which opens your body up. If you’re feeling chilled, you can also take a hot bath, foot bath, or wrap around you or lay upon a hot water bottle or microwave-heated rice pack.

Steam! Steams cleanse, hydrate, and improve circulation, while also warming and moistening dry air passages and clearing congestion when we’re not feeling well. In a large glass or metal bowl, pour a kettleful of boiling water over a handful of dried herbs, two handfuls of fresh herbs, or drop 1-3 drops of essential oils into the water. Drape a towel over your head to create a tent over the bowl of steaming herb water, breathe, and relax. Steam for approximately 10-15 minutes. If you get too hot, emerge from the tent to cool down, and then go back in. Aromatic herbs such as Peppermint and Thyme help clear congestion. You can create a mini-steam with a serving bowl or a mug of tea.

Move your body! Unlike our cardiovascular system, our lymph system doesn’t have a heart-muscle to pump and create circulation in our bodies. It’s up to us to get our lymph systems moving, which we can do through movement that we enjoy – walking, dancing, etc. Lack of movement in our lymph systems causes stagnation and can make it difficult to clear infections from our bodies. When we’re feeling under the weather and don’t have the energy to exercise, we can practice self-massage, receive massage from someone else, and/or take lymph-moving herbs such as Calendula, Cleavers, Red Clover, and Spilanthes.

Limit/Avoid Sugar and Dairy! Sugar depresses the immune system and makes you more vulnerable to getting sick. Sweet things like refined sugar, maple syrup, and honey are very concentrated and are a special treat. It's a good practice to limit your intake of refined sugar especially, and during times of stress or when sick, avoid it all together if you can. Honey is nourishing and soothes the mucus membranes and can be added to teas, both when healthy and under the weather. Dairy products create more mucus. Some say this is not true, but it is true for many people, so see how your body reacts to dairy. If you feel more phlegmy after having dairy, you may want to avoid it.

Herbs for Immune Health

Astragalus in flower, Dried Astragalus root, and ripe Elderberries

The herbs below can all be grown in the bioregion of the Northeast US. There are different types of immune herbs – immune tonics to help build immune strength and promote healthy immune response, and immune stimulants to help activate the immune system once you are sick or starting to come down with something. There are also immunomodulating herbs, which can both quiet an overactive immune system (lots of environmental/food allergies) or to build up a depleted one (after a long illness). This is a quick list for your reference. Please keep in mind that each herb has its own traditional use and energetic (i.e. warming/cooling), so research ones that you’re interested in to learn more!

Astragalus - Astragalus membranaceus tonic/immunomodulating - The root is commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and the prepared root looks like a tongue depressor. It is an immune tonic, meaning that you can use it often and over long periods of time to build strength and maintain health. You can take it to prevent getting sick or during recovery from an illness. I have heard that you don’t want to take it while you’re sick because it can potentially make you worse, but there are immune stimulants we can use at this time. To prepare Astragalus tea, like most other roots: simmer, covered for 10—20 minutes in water. If I have time, I like to soak the root in water for a few hours or overnight before and/or after simmering it. You can simmer the root in immune-nourishing bone broths, chicken soup, and other soups; just remember to remove it before serving, or just let people know there are lil pieces of woody herbs in their soup! Astragalus powder can also be used to make Adaptogen Herb Balls - see recipe below.

Medicinal Mushrooms – such as Reishi and Chaga mushrooms tonic/ immunomodulating – Medicinal mushrooms help support the immune system and liver, and Reishi in particular has an affinity with the lungs. Please seek out an experienced mushroomer to learn more about and correctly identify particular mushrooms. Medicinal mushrooms can be taken as soups or decoctions (ideally simmered for many hours), syrups, and tinctures. A simple and alcohol-free way to take medicinal mushrooms daily is to pour the decoction in ice cube trays, freeze, and melt one daily and drink as tea or add to your food. 

Elderberry – Sambucus nigra tonic/stimulant - Black elderberries have a long history of use for colds, flu, upper respiratory infections, and is also a preventative. They are anti-viral and can be taken as syrup, jam, juice, or tea (not to be eaten fresh, so blanch or cook them). Elder is also a very magical plant - it protects the other plants in the garden and is said to be home of the faeries. Be sure not to use red elderberries – as this is a different and toxic plant! In Northern New England the black elder’s flowers bloom in June and the berries ripen in late August/early September. (The red elderberries ripen in June, so this is a way to tell the difference between the red and black elderberry bushes.) The flowers also have traditionally been used for colds and flus, and drying up mucus. If you'd like to make your own Elderberry syrup, please see my Elderberry (and Other) Syrup Recipes post.

Echinacea – Echinacea purperea stimulant/lymphatic - the roots, leaves, flowers, and seeds are all medicinal, though the third year roots are most commonly used. Echinacea is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and stimulates your immune system. This plant is not meant to be taken as immune support over long periods of time. It’s recommended to take this herb when others around you are sick, you feel yourself beginning to come down with something, or you are already sick. To make an Echinacea tea of the roots, follow above instructions for making Astragalus root tea. To make a tea with the other parts of the plant, add them when you remove the Echinacea roots from heat and let them sit and steep for 10 minutes or longer. For a tea with just the leaves, flowers, and/or seeds, pour boiling hot water over them and let them steep 10+ minutes before straining. In general when you are sick, you take smaller and more frequent doses than with tonic herbs.

Spilanthes – Spilanthes acmella stimulant/lymphatic – The leaves and gum-drop looking blossoms of this plant can be taken as a tincture or a tea, and is also used in mouthwashes and toothpowders. This is a fun plant to grow and you can make medicine from it in its first year (rather than three years, like with the fellow immune-stimulating Echinacea [root]). It’s nicknamed ‘the toothache plant’ because it numbs and relieves pain in the mouth, giving a tingly post-Novocain feeling. It is also numbing and pain-relieving in the throat, so you can use it to ease a sore throat as well. Please let others know about the tingling sensation before sharing Spilanthes – it can sometimes feel like your throat is closing up. Some people are sensitive to Echinacea and Spilanthes can be a great alternative.

Thyme , Sage, and other Culinary Herbs - Thymus vulgaris, Salvia officinalis, and others – Culinary herbs have been used for many generations around the world to help maintain health, both in our foods and as teas or other remedies. Thyme and Sage, like other culinary herbs, relieve congestion, help break up mucus in the lungs, and can be added to soups and taken as a tea or a steam. Thyme is specific for supporting respiratory health and makes a powerful respiratory steam. Sage is soothing to a sore throat as a tea or you can put the dried herb into honey and take it by the spoonful.  And Rosemary, and Mint, and Basil, and on and on...

There are also versatile plants that you may not think of primarily as immune-supporting herbs, but may be a great match for what ails you. Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabsupports the adrenals, soothes mucus membranes, and is calming and anti-viral. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalisleaf and flower is also anti-viral, calming to the nerves and digestion, and is said to gladden the heart. Tulsi (aka Holy Basil/Sacred Basil - Ocimum sanctum) leaf and flower is an adaptogen (helps your body adapt to stress) and has a particular affinity with the lungs, as well as the heart.

Also, please see my Ideas and Remedies for When You’re Home Sick… for more herbal info and suggestions for when you're feeling under the weather.

Echinacea in bloom, Lemon Balm before flowering, and Spilanthes leaf and bud

Recipes for Immune Health

Immune Soup and Spread
Using Miso paste and herbs, you can create a soup base that can be stored in the fridge long term. This is especially nice when you aren’t feeling well and you don’t have tons of energy to put into cooking.

½ cup Miso
1 tblsp fresh Ginger, grated or chopped   
   finely
3 cloves fresh Garlic, crushed and chopped
1 tblsp fresh Turmeric, grated or chopped 
   finely (optional)
pinch of Cayenne

Crush the garlic and leave it to sit for a few 
minutes before chopping, in order to make the most of its medicine, as this releases its allicin. Mix together the other ingredients. To make a simple soup, just put a spoonful of the paste into a bowl, cover with hot water, and stir. (Remember that the good living organisms in miso will be killed if you boil them.) If you want, you can add sliced scallions to the soup. You can also add the paste to a soup of sautéed and simmered onions, garlic, mushrooms, greens, chicken soup, bone broth, etc.

To make a spread for crackers and bread, you can just add Tahini (sesame paste) and/or local Honey to the miso herb paste.  The photo to the left on the bottom is of immune paste with Tahini.

Hot Ginger Lemonade
1-2 inch piece of fresh Ginger root, grated
1 quart of water
Juice of 1 Lemon, freshly squeezed
Honey to taste
Pinch of Cayenne powder

Grate fresh Ginger root and steep in hot water for 10-20 minutes. Strain and add freshly squeezed Lemon juice, Honey, and a pinch of Cayenne. This concoction is warming (Ginger & Cayenne), contains vitamin C (fresh Lemon juice), and is soothing to a sore throat (Honey & Ginger). The Ginger root can be used more than once, and depending on where you live you may be able to find it locally-grown, even in colder climates.  ie Snakeroot Farm in Central Maine, Friends and Neighbors Farm in Marshfield, VT, and Massachusetts-grown Old Friends Farm Ginger root can be found at various farmers markets/Coops.

Adaptogen Herb Balls
Adaptogens are herbs that help our bodies adapt to stress. Coffee and other stimulants that give us rushes of “fake” energy trick us into thinking we have energy while it depletes our energy reserves over time. But these herbs are nourishing.

2 cups of Tahini (sesame paste)
1 cup of local Honey
½ tblsp Cardamom and Nutmeg each
½ cup Sunflower seeds
½ cup Sesame seeds
¾ cup dried Coconut flakes (optional)
1 tblsp Spirulina (fresh water blue-green algae, with tons of protein & B vitamins)
Powdered tonic herbs such as:
Astragalus root, Ashwaghanda root, Hawthorn berries, Licorice root (start with a few tablespoons of one or many herbs, experiment with the taste)
Extra sesame seeds, coconut flakes, and/or cocoa/carob powder

Mix the Tahini and Honey together so that they are smooth. Stir in the herb powders, and then the nuts. If needed, add more herbs, or Coconut flakes, until you can form balls that hold their shape. Roll into balls, and coat with Sesame seeds and Coconut flakes if you like. These will keep for many weeks stored in the fridge. Feel free to experiment with other nuts, dried fruit, and to adjust the amounts.

Demons Begone! Fire Cider
Fire Cider is a spicy concoction that boosts the immune system and relieves sinus congestion. You can take a daily shot of fire cider to keep you well through the winter months, or take as needed when you're feeling under the weather. Fire cider can also be used topically as a liniment by rubbing it into sore muscles and aching joints or as a compress by soaking a clean cloth in the fire cider (either room temperature or warmed) and then placing onto a congested chest.  For the record: I haven't used Fire Cider topically before, I've just heard of it being used and like knowing multiple uses for the same herb/remedy

¼ -½ cup Horseradish root, grated
1 head of Garlic, chopped
1 Onion, chopped
¼ - ½ cup of Ginger, grated
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 quart organic Apple Cider Vinegar, preferably local and raw

Place herbs in a quart jar and cover with apple cider vinegar. Cover tightly with a non-metal lid (or put a piece of plastic or waxed paper between the jar and metal lid) as vinegar makes metal rust. Infuse for a month, shaking daily or at least often. After a month, strain and rebottle into a glass jar with a plastic lid. You can add honey to taste, if you wish. You can also eat the spicy strained herbs!

Note:  There is an active boycott of Shire City Herbals, as they have trademarked this traditional remedy and are suing fellow herbalists.  You can take action by spreading the word in your community/ies, contacting your local health food store to encourage them to support small local businesses that offer Fire Cider (instead of Shire City Herbals who is sending those small business cease and desist letters), and signing the petition.  You can learn more about the situation and find recipes and more on the Free Fire Cider website and the Tradition Not Trademark  Facebook page.


Medicinal Mushroom Extract
To create an extract that combines both tinctured and decocted (simmered tea) mushroom, divide your mushroom into two halves. Set aside half - if it’s fresh, allow it to dry whole or sliced. Chop the other half (fresh or dried) and weigh it. Make a tincture using approximately a 1:5 ratio - 1 part weight of mushroom to 5 parts volume of menstrum (liquid that you’re using to extract the mushroom), i.e. 2 ounces of dried mushrooms to 10 ounces of menstrum. Cover the chopped mushroom with a menstrum made of: 70% alcohol, 20% vegetable glycerin, and 10% water. (Glycerin is added to help the blend emulsify – otherwise it supposedly gets goopy.) Let the tincture infuse for a month, and then strain. Measure and put aside the liquid. Put the mushroom that you just strained and the dried mushroom you saved earlier together in a pot. Cover the mushrooms with twice the amount of water as tincture, and simmer for one hour to two days. The longer you simmer the mushroom, the more medicinal properties that are drawn out. When you are finished with the decocting, strain out the mushroom and measure the liquid. Return the liquid back to the pot and let it continue to simmer until it is reduced to the same amount as the tincture. Once this is achieved, remove the pot from heat and allow the liquid to cool. Once the liquid is at room temperature, combine with the tincture, using a whisk to blend the mixture together.

Some medicine-makers, after dividing the mushrooms in two, compost the mushrooms used to make the tincture, and then decoct only the other half that they’d put aside earlier. Others don’t divide the mushroom at all, and both tincture and decoct the same mushroom. When I’ve made mushroom extracts in the past, I try to add at least some untinctured mushroom to the decoction. Once after I completed an extract, I felt like the mushroom still contained a lot of medicine, so I added fresh water to the tinctured and decocted mushroom and continued the decoction process. I let it simmer a long while and then let it cool. I poured the liquid into ice cube trays and once frozen, I stored them in freezer bags that I labeled well. This way, I had a deep immune tonic that was ready to use whenever I needed it, to thaw as a tea or soup. You can also add other immune-enhancing medicines like Astragalus and Garlic to your decoctions, or freeze soup/bone-broths that contain medicinal mushrooms and herbs.

Rosemary, Thyme, and Sage, Reishi mushroom, Tulsi/Holy Basil/Sacred Basil

Please feel free to post additional recipes and ideas in the comment space below. If you don't have these remedies in your home apothecary and you'd like to support the community herbalism/organizing work that I do by placing an order, please see my online shop: Dandelioness Herbals Etsy Shop. Thanks so much!

Additional blog posts:
*Elderberry (and other) Syrup Recipe(s)
*(Im)migration and Lip Balms for Social Justice?

*Ideas and Remedies for When You're Home Sick...
*Ginger Lovers Unite!: Medicinal and Culinary Uses of Ginger

Idea and Remedies for When You're Home Sick

  

State of Vermont postage stamp with Red Clover, Yarrow pollination, Echinacea blossom, Morning dew on ripening Elderberries, Lavender and Chamomile harvest. All taken in and near my garden, except for the stamp photo.

This blog was born because I am not so good as staying home and doing nothing. I love to be home, and staying home sick makes me just want to cook, clear my space, get crafty, make fun packages to send to people, catch up on work, etc. So this time, in my attempts to sit still, I've created a blog, watched 1/2 a movie, and read up on lionesses. I get a bit whiny when I'm feeling under the weather and I often forget even the most simplest remedies. I called a dear friend and she recommended the same herb that my housemate (who's also under the weather) loves. Red Clover. The state flower of Vermont, the sweet edible flower, the blossom that bees love and that grows abundantly in fields in these parts. It helps to dry up mucus and promotes movement in the lymph system.  I created this blog post to help remind me of how to support my body/myself next time I'm sick and I'm sharing it here with y'all in case any of these ideas resonate for when you're feeling under the weather as well...

WHEN I START COMING DOWN WITH SOMETHING I:

*Take Echinacea and/or Spilanthes tinctures to boost the immune system - about 3 dropperfulls whenever I think of it, maybe every couple of hours throughout the day.
*Cancel plans so that I can rest.
*Take a hot bath with a few drops Lavender essential oil and/or sea salt.
*Make chicken or vegetable soup and add lots of spices.
*Make loads of tea with fresh Ginger root (which is warming and stimulates the immune system), local honey (soothes a sore throat), and fresh squeezed Lemon or Lime juice (vit C). If I need to be out and about for awhile and won't be able to make my own tea (because I live in culture where there aren't tea kettles everywhere) I grate fresh Ginger into local honey and carry it with me to swig like a syrup or add to water. This time I added Lime juice as well.

WHEN IT'S OFFICIAL THAT I'M SICK - WHICH USUALLY MANIFESTS AS GETTING MUCUS-Y, LOW-ENERGY, AND A BIT ACHY, TO REST AND DECONGEST I:

*Massage a decongestant salve on my chest, being sure to gently rub below my clavicles to stimulate the lymph system. This time I'm using: White Pine Salve made with the sap, needles, and bark from a fallen tree infused in olive oil and thickened with beeswax from my friends' hive, as well as Bud Salve that I made with Balm of Gilead (Balsam Poplar buds harvested from a fallen tree) and fresh St. Johnswort buds infused in sunflower and sesame oils, fair-trade shea butter from Burkina Faso, West Africa, and local beeswax.  If I can lay down, I like to place a hot water bottle (or glass Mason jar filled with hot water) on my chest to help break up congestion and get things moving.

*I also rub in a soothing salve or oil around and inside my nostrils and on my lips to prevent them from drying out, especially when I'm blowing my nose a lot. This time: Calendula salve with Lavender essential oil. (I wouldn't use a muscle rub/decongestant salve on my sensitive mucus membranes, as the essential oils may be irritating)  You can keep it simple and use straight olive, sesame, or other oil, or you can use herb-infused oils or salves. For salve-making instructions, see my (Im)migrantion and Lip Balms for Social Justice?! post.

*Make a big fat pot of turkey vegetable soup. This time I warmed olive oil, added 2-3 chopped onions, 1 head of homegrown garlic crushed and chopped, browned 2 turkey legs on the bone, and then added 2 chopped carrots, 2 sweet potatoes, and enough water to cover. I add more garlic at the end, so that I'm receiving the benefits of nearly-raw garlic, and I add other herbs and spices both at the beginning and end of cooking as well. This time I added Marjoram and Lavender Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa, which tastes like oregano and cayenne to me) that I dried from my garden. Other times I've added Thyme, Cinnamon, Basil, and/or Coriander (if using whole seeds I add at them at the beginning so that they can warm in the oil like friends from Southern India showed me).

These culinary herbs have been used for generations all over the world because the volatile oils that give them their incredible taste and aroma are also medicinal. They help to relax the digestive track for better digestion and absorption, and also boost the immune system. I let this soup simmer at least an hour, and then remove the meat from the bone. I saved my garlic skins and simmered them with the bones to make another broth. If you're making soup or bone broth, it's really quite nice to freeze some so that if you or a friend/family member gets sick it's already made. Sometimes I eat the soup as is, sometimes I add a spoonful of miso to my bowl (but not to the big pot or the heat will kill all that good beneficial bacteria that nourishes our system), or some rice or rice noodles.  If the thought of cooking all this makes you want to cry (you're vegetarian/vegan, you're exhausted, you don't cook much, etc.) fear not! You can just stir miso into warm water and call it good. If you have energy for it, you could crush and then chop Garlic, grate Ginger root, and take a pinch of Cayenne and add all this to your miso paste. This keeps in the fridge for a long while and you can add tahini (with or without local honey) to it to make a spread or sauce. Something else you can make to have on hand for easy soups are herbal ice cubes. The next time you get a bunch of cilantro, parsley, dill, basil, etc from your garden, farmer's market, or grocery store, chop it finely, pack it into ice cube trays, and cover with water. Freezing captures the green vitality of the plant and you can store the cubes in freezer bags to later add to soups, stir fries, and any other recipe that calls for a bit of fresh herbs. Be sure not to eat refined sugars now as they suppress your immune system. If you're craving sweets, you can add honey to your tea or eat straight by the spoonfull. You can roast sweet potato fries, winter squash, beets, carrots. These autumn roots and squashes contain a lot of natural sweetness, and I always crave these foods this time of year, particularly when I'm sick. Also, it's recommended to avoid dairy products as they contribute to gack-yness - as it creates more mucus/phlegm that you have to deal with.

*Do a respiratory steam by pouring steaming hot water into a metal, glass, or ceramic bowl, adding herbs, and leaning over the bowl with a towel draped over your head. Breathe in the steam, which carries the plants' volatile oils, for 10 minutes or so.  The herbal steam helps to break up mucus and moisten dry airways.  This should feel good.  If the steam is too hot and/or herbs too intense, come out from under the towel and wait til the water cools down a bit or some of the oils steam off. You can add a small handfull of aromatic culinary herbs such as Thyme, Oregano, Lavender, Herbs de Provence blend, a couple Peppermint tea bags, or a drop or two of essential oils of these plants. (Remember that essential oils are highly concentrated and may irritate skin and the respiratory tract if you use too much!) Voila, a respiratory steam and facial steam all in one!  I especially like to do this before I go to bed and when I wake up, but it's good to do anytime.

*Use a Neti Pot to thin mucus and clear the nasal passages, especially if you're prone to sinus infections.  Hooray for nasal irrigation!  If you don't have a NetiPot, you can just cup the water in your hand or check out do-it-yourself neti pots online.  Warm distilled water so that it's hot enough to dissolve a pinch of non-iodized sea salt, stir, and let cool to body temperature.  Be sure to clean everything well and keep the water pressure to a gentle flow.

*Tea! By the pot or quart! Yesterday I made tea with Anise Hyssop and Lemon Balm from my garden and Licorice root. Today I made a pot of Tulsi (aka Holy or Sacred Basil) and a blend of Mint family plants (Peppermint, Anise Hyssop, Catnip, Damiana, etc.) Getting plenty of fluids helps to stay hydrated and helps flush the cooties out.

*Take tinctures specific to your constitution and symptoms to support your immune response.  Which herbs are you drawn to? Elecampane, Elderberry, Yarrow, Thyme, and Elderflower all support the respiratory system. Calendula, Red Clover, Echinacea, Spilanthes, and other lymphatic herbs all support good movement in the lymph system, especially when you're clearing an infection and probably not moving/ exercising so much. If you're not so keen on the taste of tinctures, you can add them to your warm tea or mix them with honey.

*Take syrups! I made "All Power To The People! Eldercampane Syrup" on the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton, as I listened to interviews with former members of the Black Panther Party and reflected on the connections between our immune systems and community self-defense.  I made this syrup in honor of all those who’ve organized for community health.  It contains Elecampane root from my family's farm, fresh Elderberries I harvest by hand, local Ginger root, Cinnamon, local Honey, Lime juice, local Apple cider vinegar, and tinctures of Elecampane, Thyme, and Monarda (Lavender Bee Balm). I haven't made a batch yet this season, however I have made Licorice root and Coltsfoot leaf syrup to soothe friends' persistent cough. Licorice is also calming and anti-viral, so even though I don't have a hacking cough, I'm taking this remedy to support my respiratory system. (There are many ways to make syrups. You can simply simmer a handful each of the herbs in a medium pot of water until the liquid is reduced to half, and then stir in 1/2 of the amount of remaining liquid's worth of local honey. Adding a nip of brandy or tincture to this will help prolong it's life. Store in the fridge.) Syrups can be added to warm water for an instant tea. For syrup recipes, see my Elderberry (and other) Syrup Recipe(s) post.

*A note on cough suppression: it isn't good. Coughing is a natural process to get gunk out of our lungs. However, if coughing is keeping you from sleeping and getting much-needed rest, you may choose to temporarily suppress your cough when you want to sleep. When a non-productive cough was keeping me up all hours I tried soothing, mucilaginous herbs such as Coltsfoot, Plantain, Wild Lettuce, Chamomile, Wild Cherry bark. The sleepless-nights situation was starting to get desperate and I was ready to go to the pharmacy for some very non-herbal cough-suppressing concoctions when my friend from Ireland suggested Carrageen, aka Irish Moss - a seaweed. I soaked a small handful of Carrageen (pronounced care-ah-GHEEn) in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes, simmered it for 20, strained it, and then added the juice of half a Lime, a spoonful of my friends' local Honey, and a nip of Whiskey (not necessary, but I added it for extra respiratory relaxation). Finally, a full nights sleep. Hooray for slimy seaweed! After the first night of full sleep I continued taking this bedtime tea, adding a few drops of respiratory-supporting tinctures as well.

*REST: Watch movies, read, draw, nap, etc. Note to self (and maybe you, too) : Staying home and doing tons of work doesn't count as resting!

*Keep warm! In various traditions it's really important to keep yourself - especially your core - warm and to protect your body from sources of cold - be it drinking cold drinks, going barefoot, being outside without a scarf, etc. The nape of the neck and kidney areas are especially susceptible to "pernicious winds," a concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine where external wind can enter the body and cause dis-ease.

*Let your friends know! Some of them may be happy to come by and drop off some food, herbs, movies, etc, or just to call and check in on you and send you funny memes!

*Remember that, like a new moon, season, and year, getting sick can be an opportunity to re-set and integrate some changes you've been wanting in your life. Is there something that's been sapping your energy? Conversations that need to be had? Something important to you that you're not tending to? Self-care practices that you're wanting to make some time for? Use this change-in-routine opportunity to make good things happen!  Don't feel you have to do it all now, but sometime getting sick is a good time to dream and brainstorm.

*When you start feeling well, keep on with the remedies! After being sick, it's easy to launch back into life full-speed once we get our energy back. This could be bad news if we stop supporting our immune system while it's still recovering. Keep making teas, avoiding sugar, taking time to rest, etc. so that you can keep feeling better and hopefully prevent getting sick again soon.  Remedies such as Elderberry elixirs and syrup and Fire Cider are tonics that can be taken regularly to support you as you're feeling better.  You can make these remedies yourself or support your local herbalists.

Many of the remedies listed above are available on my DandelionessHerbals Etsy Shop and I would be happy to send along a particular remedy or put together a Get Well Soon kit for you or a loved one. For my more detailed instructions on making your own teas, infused oils, salves (chest rubs), and tinctures, see Numen Medicine-Making Resource Guide and: 

*Elderberry (and other) Syrup Recipe(s)
*(Im)migrantion and Lip Balms for Social Justice?

*Winter Immune Health: Tonic Not Toxic
*Ginger Lovers Unite!: Medicinal and Culinary Uses of Ginger

(Blog post updated on 2/16, 1/17, 1/20)