I’m really excited about today’s topic. One of the Mamas on our team- my illustrious sister, Mesha just happens to be a nurse, a teacher, and herb genius extraordinaire. (I know, you’re all jealous. You should be. If I wasn’t me I’d be jealous of me.) I have been going through classes that she has taught and for this post I have focused on the portions where she has talked about the spiritual and practical sides of the “Why” of herbs. We are unabashedly Christian here at NMM but we try to keep the principles applicable to almost any faith. Sometimes you may have to change a title, but for the most part the points contained herein are universal. Here is a partial transcript of one of her classes that discussed this topic(keeping in mind that this is a transcript, and people do not talk like they write, so the written form of her talking will be a little different than a formal article):

‘…Mom turned to herbal capsules and she found some that really helped her a lot. She also found things that were very helpful for us as we were growing and she always felt very strongly about not eating processed foods so that is how we were raised. Then I went to nursing school and I’ve been a nurse for 20 years so I’ve spent my career in the medical field and I didn’t go away from herbs but I was distracted. But through my career I would always think, “Is this how the Lord intended it to be? My mom was really good about teaching us to think that way.” I have taken care of really sick people, most of my experience is in cardiology. I spent 4 years at the University of Utah and I took care of neuro-trauma patients, I served a mission in Bolivia and I’ve seen a lot of poverty and seen illness as a result of poverty and it really has made me think about what our purpose is. Really what the purpose of our bodies here. I thought a lot about- is this how it should be. And I don’t say this to deride medicine because I spent my career in that I’ve taken care of 1000’s of people and there is nowhere else in the world I would rather go if I was in a car accident. We have the best trauma and plastic surgeons in the world. There is nowhere else I would go if I had an acute illness. We have the best medicine in the world so I do not wish to deride that. I think my concern comes in some of our management of chronic illness and prevention of those things as well.
So a few years ago we were having a get together in our family and we were talking about how we all needed to go back to what we had grown up with and learn a little bit more about it. It was somewhat stimulated by the expense of regular health care. So we decided that we were going to start teaching each other. We got together twice a month to start teaching each other and we started planting things in our yards and learned how to grow them and use them. We learned as we went. We also have had concerns about, ‘What if I couldn't get this stuff? What if I couldn’t order it?’ We started understanding that the Lord gave us the things that we need around us. Where we live that we have the remedies we need. That is part of the beauty of this earth. We believe that the Lord gave us these herbs to benefit us.

‘Scripturally speaking, after Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden, it says that ‘the earth was cursed for his sake’ and I find that really interesting because sometimes we see that as a detrimental thing. 'It was cursed so he could have trials and tribulations.' But weeds have the best nutrition that we can find. Yellow dock, burdock, stinging nettle are all weeds that are loaded with minerals and vitamins and really good things for our bodies.

Here the amazing things about the plants too. When you eat a plant it has all the other things your body needs to digest the nutrients. An example of that is Rosehips. We all know that we need vitamin C. and Vitamin c is water soluble. What that means is that as soon as your cells are saturated with it that your body gets rid of the excess in your urine. So you can’t really store vitamin c in your body. But rosehips have magnesium and chromium and other things that help your body break it down so you metabolize it better and utilize it better. When you take a vitamin c tablet from the store, it just saturates and it’s gone. But when you take rosehips or oranges your body holds onto it a little bit better. My next scripture is from Psalms 104:14. ‘He causes the grass to grow for the cattle and herb for the service of man that he may bring forth food out of the earth.’…

‘ In my dream world, Allopathic medicine would be blended with alternative medicine and then we could do amazing things. That’s just my opinion. We need allopathic medicine but I feel that we can do a little bit better. And there are some physicians who are recognizing that. Normally you’d have to go to naturopathic doctor or a certified herbalist but now there are actual MDs who are practicing actual integrative medicine. It’s gaining traction which is awesome.

Let’s compare how medications are made verses herbs. A plant has complete stuff in it. Like beans when you soak them, soaking them makes it so you get the enzymes that make it easier to digest them. But a medication is an extract- a really finely tuned extract. Let’s step back to the beginning of allopathic medicine. Aspirin is a derivative from willow. There is a chemical in willow called salicylic acid. Someone learned (probably from Native Americans) that they were using it for pain and said, “Well maybe if I extract it then I can market it” and they figured out that they could extract it from willow and that is the base for aspirin. And so aspirin is a great drug. You can use it to prevent heart attacks but it also can cause your stomach to bleed and other problems and that’s because it’s one chemical from the Willow. If you were to make an actual extract from Willow, you’re not going to have a GI bleed, it’s not going to eat up your stomach because it has all of the other things in your stomach to protect your stomach so that you don’t have the problem and you still get pain relief from it.

Another example that you may hear of if you continue to do more research is Comfrey. Comfrey traditionally is talked about as being a really bad plant internally. If you look carefully at the studies that were done (which really were not very many) there was one study where they took the Comfrey root and they extracted allicin and made it really potent. Like 6 times more than a person would want to use and they fed it to young rats exclusively for 6 months. Lo and behold the rats got cancer. When you look at that study you have to ask, ‘Is that the way that Comfrey is meant to be used? Was it meant to be extracted down and potentized and fed to young rats?’ No, that’s not how it was intended to be used so it’s not really a surprise that the rats got cancer because that chemical wasn’t being used the right way.’

‘If you think about things like morphine it comes from the opium plants. Digoxin is from the digitalis plant. Most of our medications are taken from nature and changed. To me that is one of the biggest evidences … we have changed our thinking so much about this.

I think it’s really interesting to read these statistics. I tend to be careful about reading statistics. Partly because I take care of those people- who when people talk about ‘x’ number of people died in car crash because they didn’t wear their seat belts or because they did this or did that… I’ve seen them, they are not just numbers. They are real people, they have real lives, they have real loss... I’ve taken care of those people. There are thousands of people that die every year from prescription drugs and that is a real thing and I don’t mean to say that to scare anybody like, ‘Don’t take your prescription drugs’- that’s not what I’m saying… to me it is just a another evidence and opportunity to ask, ‘Are we really doing this right?’

‘This is something that’s really important and I don’t know what everyone’s background is but I really hope it’s something you’ll consider learning more about. We have what we would consider traditions of our fathers as it pertains to medicine. That is, ‘Take a pill and fix it.’ or, ‘Take this pill and call me in the morning.’ And that has worked for us ok. So for example, 'I’ve got eczema, I’ve got asthma, I’ve got diabetes. So that means I need eczema cream, I need and inhaler and I need insulin.' Just remember when we take those things I call it a bandaid approach. It doesn’t heal your body at all to put an eczema cream on your eczema, it doesn’t heal your body to use a steroid inhaler for asthma- it just covers the symptoms. This is actually what they call it in medicine, it’s called, ‘symptomatic treatment.’

So what I’m encouraging you to do is to take ownership of your health. What does that mean? What that means is that we think about why? There are many ancient approaches to health. There’s the Chinese approach, there’s the Ayurvedic approach, there’s the Native American way of doing medicine, etc. They all vary but they all have very interesting similarities. They’re all from different parts of the world (and remember that these practices have been used for thousands of years) and all of them ask, “WHY”. Why do I have eczema? What am I missing in my diet that’s given me eczema? What if I have asthma? What do I need to do to support my lungs better? . This is also one reason why people get frustrated with alternative medicine is because one size does not fit all. Everybody’s body chemistry is unique. We need to ask what have I done to create this dis-ease? What is out of balance in my body?”

What did I tell you? She’s pretty amazing. Of course, that wasn’t an entire course. She’s full of all kinds of philosophical treasures and nuggets of botanical wisdom. She has much more knowledge to impart upon the waiting world. It is on our ‘To Do list’ to expand our educational offerings so be watching for her spring of sagaciousness in the near future.

Written By: Kalea Christman
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Pull up a chair and settle in for a cup of tea. I personally just had popcorn sprinkled with nutritional yeast and if you were sitting with me having this chat I would share it with you. That is, if I hadn't just eaten the entire honkin' huge bowl. 

Today I have the privilege of telling you about one of our Products, the “Focus Herbal Mix” which also happens to be the mix for May in our, “Herb of the Month Club”. The people that will most be interested in this particular mix are people who either have these challenges themselves or have children who:

• Have trouble sitting still for very long
• Considered fidgety
• Seem to have no “off” button
• Have trouble getting organized
• Get distracted easily
• Seem forgetful
• Lose things easily
• Have a hard time listening
• Have a hard time finishing things
• Hardly ever sit still
• Talks incessantly
• Have difficulty being patient
• Other mental health concerns, etc.

This happens to be something with which we at Natural Medicine Mamas have personal experience. Paula, Mama of the Mamas relates her experience:

     “I have always had a hard time sitting still though school church or at home. I blundered my way through grade,       middle and high school. I went to college and able to be more focused there because I wanted to be there. I found out my IQ accidentally and was shocked at how high it was because I always thought of myself as not very bright because I had such a hard time focusing in a school room setting. 
      Time goes on and we have children. I took care of them, sleeping at night because of sheer exhaustion, but still having a hard time sitting still during church, and easily distracted having a zillion things happening at once. 
     One of my friends went to a conference in SLC about children with ADD because they were having such a hard time with their son and trying to find some answers. She called me and said, 'I figured out how come you have so much energy and get so much done, you make everyone around you tired because you never stop moving.' I had no idea she thought I did that, she went on to walk me through this list of 15 items of behaviors. I had all of them. 
      Over the years I had learned how to manage a lot of the behaviors. Some are still a challenge - that is why I set a buzzer to get me back on task every 10 minutes as I clean our house!
      The positive side of things is that I am able to accomplish a lot, my mind is always creating and figuring things out as well as other behaviors. If I had been born 30 years later I would have been a primary Ritalin candidate. I'm so grateful I have never used chemical meds to take care of these issues. Because I haven't I have learned how to manage instead of mask them and good things in my life have happened because of learning skills and making them work to my benefit.”

My mom also wondered if I had this issue because I displayed so many of the same behaviors but she refused to have me tested because she didn't want to give me a label. I'm very grateful for that. I finally figured out that I had it when I was an adult when I was doing research about it for my own kids. Personally, medication has never been an option for myself or for my children. Medication can be a blessing in certain circumstances but it is something that I have tried to avoid. I recently came across this article which is great and had so many good references that I had to share them here as well:

     “No one explains where this disease came from, why it didn’t exist 50 years ago. No one is able to diagnose it with objective tests. It is diagnosed by a complaining teacher or a complaining parent. People are referring to the fact that they don’t like misbehaving children, mainly boys, in the schools. The diagnosis helps tranquilize the parent, tranquilize the school system. It offers them the sense that they are doing something about the problem; that they are dealing with it in a rational, scientific way. It’s a kind of pharmacological magic.” [Thomas Szasz, Former President of the American Psychological Association and Professor at New York University; From and interview in Reason, July 2000, p. 32]
​
     “If a parent forced a child to take alcohol, a depressant, in the mistaken belief that he was curing a “chemical imbalance” in the child’s brain, we would not hesitate to have the child removed from the home. Yet millions of children are forced to take mind-altering drugs in the equally mistaken belief that depression and other mental illnesses are biologically caused, for which there is not a shred of scientific evidence.” Keith Hoeller, editor in chief, Review of Existential Psychology and Psychiatry, 1997.

     “There is either a strange plague of hyperactivity in the U.S., or we’ve got a lot of folks prescribing Ritalin as a psycho-pharmacological nanny.” Arthur Caplan, director, Center for Bioethics, U of Pennsylvania.

To me, those are some powerful quotes from powerful people. I am not here to tell you whether or not you should put yourself or your child on medication or judge you if you do or don't. I'm just here to show you another side of the issue and offer some alternatives.

Through some trial and error, my sisters and I (who also exhibit and have children with similar behaviors) have come across some ways that have really benefited our family and are excited to see them benefit yours as well. One of them is the Focus Herbal Mix. I will go over each ingredient one by one to introduce you to this wonderful little tool.

LEMON BALM – Calming, reduces restlessness, enhances concentration, improves sleep, lessens impulsiveness.
OATSRAW – Nervous system tonic, rich in vitamins and minerals, boosts circulation, anti-inflammatory.
ST. JOHN'S WORT – Helps to lift spirits, relieves irritability, Settles nervousness and anxiety, increases focus.
PASSIONFLOWER – Settles excitability and nervous behavior, helps insomnia, relieves muscle spasms. 
CHAMOMILE – Reduces anxiety, soothes nervous stomach, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-irritant. 
RHODIOLA – Improves alertness, vigorous adaptogen, provides energy w/o jitters, improves concentration. 
OREGON GRAPE – Anti-microbial, liver builder, stomach soother, promotes healthy digestion. 
VALERIAN ROOT – Calming, relaxes nerves, beautifully helps insomnia, sedative. 
GOTU KOLA – Improves memory and concentration, combats mental and physical fatigue. 
BACOPA (BRAHMI) – Wonderful Ayurvedic herb. Excellent adaptogen, reduces depression and anxiety, improves memory, sharpen brain communication, regulates brain chemicals, brain tonic, helps long and short-term memory, slows aging. 
DANDELION LEAVES – Loaded with vitamin and minerals, Liver builder, balances blood sugar,anti-inflammatory
ROSEMARY – Excellent herb for brain, increases memory, sharpens focus and concentration. 
ELEUTHERO – Powerful adaptogen, fights fatigue, regulates blood sugar, stress reliever, protects brain cells,
GINGKO BILOBA – reduces irritability, boosts attention, enhances memory, (MAY NOT be taken with blood thinning medications)

I feel calmer already just thinking about those herbs. Many of them have such a wonderfully soothing energy just to be around them. Each of them alone are incredible at calming, soothing, settling and relieving stress, but put all of them together and BAM.  Focus mix. We personally like to make it into a glycerite for ourselves and our kids but it can also be made into a syrup, tea, or tincture.

Along with taking the Focus Herbal mix, we recommend that you also try one or more of these Fun Challenges:
​

• Eliminate sugars, artificial sweeteners and food dyes from diet for a solid 2 weeks (or forever, that would be great too :) )and re-evaluate. 
• Watch the sunset (or with your child, if they are the ones taking the focus mix) every night for 1 week.
• Get your bare feet on the ground and while you sit and watch. Stay at least 20 minutes with nothing else to do.
• Talk to your child about their day and just listen. Re-evaluate behavior at the end of the week to see if it helped. If your child goes to bed before the sunset, do the same thing but while cloud-watching.
• Exercise every day for 1 week and re-evaluate.
• Eliminate screen time (or reduce it significantly) for 2 weeks and re-evaluate.
• Journal (or have your child journal) every day for 2 weeks and re-evaluate.
• Change your (or your child's) diet to intentionally include foods high in magnesium, vitamin B6 and essential fatty acids, and probiotics (fermented foods) for 2 weeks and re-evaluate.
• Set up and go to appointment with an allergist (natural or otherwise) to find out if you or your child have an allergy that may be contributing. 
• Make a list of the positive attributes that go along with your symptoms. There are two sides to every coin after all. Look at the list often and have gratitude that you are the way you are (or your child).
• Sign up for the Herb fairies class with your child. Dedicate a set amount of time with them to do this and do not allow interruptions. Nature has shown to be a powerful treatment for those having trouble focusing. You can find it here: http://www.herbfairies.com/herb-fairies-waiting-list/
• Buy, “Exploring Nature with Children” it is a complete year-long, once-a-week curriculum for nature study with your child and it is excellent! It works beautifully for homeschooling families as well as families who use public school. Again, (and this cannot be reiterated enough) children have so much to gain in EVERY area of their lives by spending time outside. You can find it here: https://raisinglittleshoots.com/buy-exploring-nature-with-…/
• For your children, consider changing your disciplinary tactics. They have some great ideas over at focus on the family. Scroll down a little for a list of ideas: http://www.focusonthefamily.com/…/adhd/how-to-help-an-adhd-…

So give the Focus mix (and these other suggestions!) a try and let us know how it goes for you. We pray for your success and your health (We really do!).

Much love,
The Mama's

Plantain is a weed that most people don't even realize is extremely important for so many things... 

Brief History
Perennial herb, origin thought to be Eurasia and now naturalized throughout the world. Plantain is considered a common and noxious weed by some and a miracle plant by others. Native Americans carried the powdered roots as protection against snakebites or to ward off snakes. Called Englishman's Foot or White Man's Foot as it was said to grow where ever their feet touched the ground, this is referred to in Longfellow’s 'Hiawatha.'.
http://www.manataka.org/page1937.html

How Do I Use It?
​ This herb has anti-inflammatory effects, and it is also rich in tannin (which helps draw tissues together to stop bleeding) and allantoin (a compound that promotes healing of injured skin cells). Further studies have indicated that plantain may also reduce blood pressure, and that the seeds of the plant may reduce blood cholesterol levels. Plantain seeds were also widely used as a natural laxative, given their high source of fiber. Teas made from the plant, have been used to treat diarrhea, dysentery, intestinal worms, and bleeding mucous membranes.

Because of it being a "weed" it is very easy to grow! We chop off the leaves and then dry them, and use them in teas and salves.

Our Experience With It

• We have used plantain for hornet or wasp bites.
  
• We have used it on bruises and on boils.
  
• We have used it in our mixes and other "brews".
  
• Some people eat the young leaves in the spring in salads. The older leaves are tough, but younger leaves look a lot like spinach.

Few Properties of Plantain

Anodyne – Helps to relieve or sooth pain
Astringent - The tannins give astringent properties are tightening and soothing
Depurative - Helps cleanse waste products from our bodies
Diuretic - Stimulates the body to let go of fluid
Styptic – Helps stop the flow of bleeding 
Vulnerary - help bring about healing in wounds and inflammation


List found on http://www.anniesremedy.com
 
 NMM Products With Plantain

Intestinal Soother & Enhancer - This herbal mix does wonders to AID your body while digestion is happening, heal your gut, rejuvinates cells, soothes pain, and is an excellent overall digestive aid and intestinal tonic!
Super Salve - Anytime someone says "ouch!" this salve can be used!
Diabetes Hand & Finger Repair Salve - Those with diabetes know how painful your fingers and hands can get from the constant "poking". We have made this salve specifically for you! Yes, it is safe for children.
Burn Balm - This balm aids in healing and soothing all types of burns. Sunburns, minor burns, and if needed more major burns.

Rosemary is not just great for flavoring food in cooking, but it's also amazing for many other reasons...

Brief History

The Spanish began to call the plant Romero because they believed that another Mediterranean native took refuge beneath a large rosemary bush to shelter herself and her young son as they fled to Egypt to escape Herod. In honor of this brave, young woman, the plant came to be known as Rose of Mary, which was eventually shortened to the modern name familiar to us today.. During the Middle Ages, rosemary was thought to be capable of dispelling negativity. As such, it was tucked under pillows to thwart nightmares and visits from evil spirits. It was also burned in the house to keep the black plague from entering. http://www.herbco.com/t-rosemary-article.aspx

How Do I Use It?

Rosemary is not just a great spice, but also amazing in a lot of other areas as well. It helps to improve memory and function of brain cells. It helps with hair growth.  The essential oil is excellent for putting on the feet during times of illness. 

We have primarily used it either in the essential oil form or tea form. Can also make a glycerite or tincture from it. Obviously we use it in cooking as much as possible because it is just yummy!
 
Our Experience With It

• We have used rosemary essential oil when washing our hair. It is amazing how it helps to stimulate hair growth.
  
• Combining rosemary essential oil with peppermint essential oil is excellent for sore muscles. 
  
• It has high anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, so excellent to use during times of illness and when any flu bug is going around.
  
• (Paula) "My husband had a boil and the super salve has rosemary in it and it helped clear it up quickly and helped with the pain."

Few Properties of Rosemary
Analgesic = Soothes pain
 Antioxidant = Help to control or elimination of free radicals
Antispasmodic = Reduces spasms
Antihematic = Helps relieve sore joints and muscles
Antiviral = Defenses against viruses
Astringent = Helps tighten tissues
 Carminative = Help to dispel gas and prevent bloating
Cholagogue = Herbs that support the gall bladder and liver by promoting the flow of bile
Diaphoretic = Induce involuntary perspiration that helps to reduce fever, cool the body, and speed the elimination of toxins
Diuretic = Stimulates the body to let go of fluid
Emmenagague = Stimulates menstrual flow
Hepatic = Herbs that support the liver
Hypertensive = Helps lower blood pressure
Insect Repellant = Repels inscets
Muscle Relaxant = Relaxes Muscles
Nervine = Soothes the nerves
Stomachic = Helps relieve stomach pain and cramping
 
List found on http://www.anniesremedy.com
 
 NMM Products With Rosemary

Super Salve - Anytime someone says "ouch!" this salve can be used!
Mens Miracle Mix - This mix is a STRONG and EFFECTIVE combination of herbs for a male’s body, with cardiovascular support, digestive aids, cholestorol support and help with libido. 
First Defense - Combination of herbs to help boost the immune system as a "first defense" when flu season starts.

Hawthorn is especially amazing for men because of it's cardiovascular benefits. If you have a heart issue, Hawthorn is probably a great place to start with herbal support!

Brief History

The Hawthorn tree species, which is related to the rose family, was first grown during the 1st century in the Mediterranean basin which includes parts of Asia, Europe, and Africa. Its tangley, thorny branches were believed to have been used to create the crown of thorns that Christ wore on the cross. 

Hawthorn (Crataegus species) has been used to treat heart disease as far back as the 1st century. By the early 1800's, American doctors were using it to treat circulatory disorders and respiratory illnesses. Traditionally, the berries were used to treat heart problems ranging from irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, chest pain, hardening of the arteries, and heart failure. Today, the leaves and flowers are used medicinally. There is even research to suggest that hawthorn might be effective when used in the treatment of mild-to-moderate heart failure.
 

How Do I Use It?

We believe the easiest way to use Hawthorn is either in a glycerite or tincture. Take 1/4-1 dropper full each day, or 1 capsule morning and night. Our Men's Miracle Mix has a high amount of Hawthorn in it. If you are suffering from blood pressure issues, cardiovascular issues or respiratory issues. 

Please note: This herb helps to strengthen and support all of the above systems. It is NOT meant to replace any medications! Please check with your health care provider if you are using specific medications for blood pressure or heart.
 
Our Experience With It

• Using it to help lower blood pressure and strengthen the heart.

Few Properties of Hawthorn

Cordial = Strenghthens the heart and cardiovascular system
Hypotensice = Lowers blood pressure
 
List found on http://www.anniesremedy.com
 
 NMM Products

​Mens Miracle Mix (also available in a ready made glycerite)- This mix is a STRONG and EFFECTIVE combination of herbs for a male’s body, with cardiovascular support, digestive aids, cholestorol support and help with libido. 

We have used Valerian Root for YEARS. It is an extremely effective tonic for your nervous system, helping with anxiety and stress!

Brief History

“Valerian has been used as a medicinal herb since at least the time of ancient Greece and Rome. Hippocrates described its properties, and Galen later prescribed it as a remedy for insomnia. In medieval Sweden, it was sometimes placed in the wedding clothes of the groom to ward off the "envy" of the elves. In the 16th century, the Anabaptist reformer Pilgram Marpeck prescribed valerian tea for a sick woman." (Wikipedia)

How Do I Use It?

We have used Valerian in capsules for years. It has a very "specific" taste... some people like the tea and some people don't. We have recently changed our method of use to making tinctures.

Growing up, and still now, whenever we have felt like we were "majorly stressed" we will take Valerian to help our systems to calm down. 
 
Our Experience with it

• (Paula) "I have used Val Root when in periods of anxiety and stress. I can feel relief within minutes. I have found it interesting that   when I don’t need it, it smells awful. When I do need it, it smells great!"
• When you are under extreme duress the sheath around your nerves frays like twine. Valerian Root helps to heal the sheath that surrounds the nerves in your body.

Few Properties Of Valerian Root

Adaptogen – Helps get body back in balance
Anodyne – Relieve or Sooth Pain
Antispasmodic– Relax Muscle Cramps
Aromatic – Fragrant Oils
Nervine – Herbs that act directly on the nervous system
Sedative – Calm the nerves and relieve tension
List from www.Anniesremedy.com

 NMM Products With Valerian 

Coming up in our Depression Fighter!

Peppermint is AMAZING for so many reasons. It is great to take internally, use as an essential oil, for aroma therapy purposes, as a tea... it's uses are diverse and vast.

Brief History

Peppermint has a long history of cultivation and has been used in cooking and herbal medicine since about 1500 BC. Until 1696, peppermint was not classified as its own subspecies, but most historians believe it is reasonable to assume that the mint mentioned in many historical texts is peppermint. http://peppermint.indepthinfo.com/history-of-peppermint

How Do I Use It?

Because of it being part of the mint family, peppermint is EXTREMELY easy to grow. It is very aggressive, so if you want to reap the benefits of this amazing herb, plant some in a pot and start using it as much as you would like! After clipping fresh leaves, we put them in our teas all the time, or dry them to use for later.

Peppermint has amazing vitamin and mineral content. As a sudorific, the essence of peppermint is both a cooling and warming agent. Peppermint will induce the production of heat when it is taken internally and results in an improvement in the circulation within the body. At the same time the peppermint by dispersing blood to the surface of the body, also induces sweating in the skin. Especially rich in carotenes and Vitamin C, along with minerals iron, potassium and calcium.

The properties of peppermint are ENDLESS - as you can see in the list below.

Our Experience With It

• We use mint all the time in cooking, cleaning and aromatically.
• We use peppermint essential oil constantly for muscle ailments, tight necks and headaches.
• Peppermint tea helps settle tummies quickly when ill.
• It is also great to use in combinations of other herbs and tastes.
• Easiest way to get all the benefits of this amazing plant is in tea - kids even love peppermint tea!

Few Properties of Peppermint
Adaptogen = Bring the body back in balance
Analgesic = Helps soothe or relieve pain
Antifungal = Demonstrated significant activity against several common infection-causing fungi
Antioxidant = Help to control or elimination of free radicals
Antispasmodic = Suppresses spasms, and reduce muscular tension
 Aromatic = Fragrant oils
Astringent = The tannins give astringent properties are tightening and soothing
Carminative = Help to dispel gas and prevent bloating
Cholagogue = Support the gall bladder and liver by promoting the flow of bile
Diaphoretic/Sudorific = Induce involuntary perspiration that helps to reduce fever, cool the body, and speed the elimination of toxins
Emmenagogue = Stimulate menstrual flow
Expectorant = Help loosen congestion in the lungs by reducing the thickness of mucus
Febrifuge = Reduce fever
Hepatic = Support the liver
Nervine = Sooth the nerves
Skin Tonic = Sooth the skin
Stimulant = Stimulating action on the body
Vasoconstrictor = Constriction of capillaries

List found on http://www.anniesremedy.com
 
 NMM Products With Peppermint

Burn Balm - Excellent salve designed for those burns that happen all the time around the house (and with children!)
Anxiety R&R - If you suffer from anxiety, this is a powerful combination that can help.
Powerhouse - A combination of deep nutrition to add in recovery from extreme physical work or exercise.
Thyroid Stabilizer - Issues with your Thyroid will be supported by this herbal mix!

This is one of the best plant medicine based anti-depressents out there!

Brief History

Historical information dating back to 400 B.C. tells the story of hypericum and its medicinal and spiritual evolution.  The ancient Greeks and Romans noted that St. John’s Wort was used for such things as snake or reptile bites, menstrual cramping, gastrointestinal distress, ulcers, depression or melancholy, superficial wounds, or sciatica.

Writings during the 19th century continued to incorporate hypericum for the treatment of melancholia or as we know it today, depression.  Some of these reported medicinal actions of St. John’s Wort have now been scientifically verified by double-blind studies, only to prove what the ancients knew all along.
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How Do I Use It?

We often use St. John's Wort in powdered and capsule form because it is so easy to take quickly when needing an emotional boost. It is a powerful nervine - meaning it supports and boosts the nervous system, specifically when feeling depressed or anxious.

One of the best ways to use St. John's is by making a glycerite and carry around in your purse!  We also have put St. John's Wort Tea into jello when making jello for our kids!
 
Our Experience With It

• (Paula) "One of my good friends was having suicidal thoughts and started using this and it helped pull her out of that situation and able to get her life back together again."
  
• We use it in skin salves to sooth and help a variety of conditions, including boils.
• (Kalea) "I was having a hard time dealing with all my kids for a while. Just always impatient and on edge. I decided I need to add St. John's to my herbal routine and it made a HUGE difference! My body was physically getting what it needed, and therefore I had more reserve to give to my kids."

Few Properties of St Johns Wort

Anodyne = Helps to relieve or sooth pain
Antidepressant = Herbs that can help with bouts of occasional, mild depression
Antioxidant = Help to control or elimination of free radicals
Astringent = Helps tighten tissues
Cholagogue = Herbs that support the gall bladder and liver by promoting the flow of bile
Nervine = Soothes the nerves
Vulnerary = Help bring about healing in wounds and inflammation
 
List found on http://www.anniesremedy.com
 
 
NMM Products

Burn Balm - very powerful combination of herbs in a salve to help those horrible burns that can afflict home life so often!
Lung & Bronchial Infection Fighter - deep nutrition for your body when deep infection sets in.

Oregon Grape Root is wonderful to use during cold and flu season. And it is easy to harvest if you are wild crafting on your own! It has very distinctive shiny leaves - but the roots are where are the gold is. 

Brief History

Oregon Grape’s history as a medicinal plant in North America, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, is clear and undisputed. Oregon grape was used by many First Nation Tribes and later by European colonists for a wide variety of healing purposes.

How Do I Use It?

Sometimes herbs have "contraindications" that everyone has to be wary of. Oregon Grape is one of those herbs that is used as a replacement for a few herbs with contraindications, such as Golden Seal or Licorice Root. We have used it with great results with sicknesses.
 
Our Experience With It

• (Paula) "I deal with earaches a lot. When I was little I was on an airplane and when coming in for a landing, my eardrum ruptured. IF I am not careful I get earaches. This has been a great herb to use in mixes to help with that problem."
• It is also a wonderful addition to helping with sore throats, colds and flu's.
• Use it in place of Licorice Root when someone has blood pressure issues. 
• Easy to grow and harvest.
• Can make it into a tea, syrup, glycerite or tincture. 

Few Properties of Oregon Grape Root

Anti inflammatory = Reduces inflammation
Antibacterial = Helps fight bacteria
Antioxidant = Help to control or elimination of free radicals  
Cholgoglue = Herbs that support the gall bladder and liver by promoting the flow of bile
Hepatic = Help support the liver
Laxative = Herbal support for constipation
 
List found on http://www.anniesremedy.com
 
 
NMM Products

Flaming Throat Relief = Does exactly what the name says! Make a tea with this herbal combination any time your throat is killing you. 
First Defense Cold & Flu = Anytime there is a flu bug going around and you want to boost your family's immune system, use this herbal combination!
Lung & Bronchial Infection Fighter = This combination is powerful to use when deep infection has come to the body, especially the lungs.