Mustard Seed

"...indeed is the least of all seeds: but when grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof."  Matthew 13:32

    Prepared mustard has never been a favorite of mine, but I love using mustard seeds in my cooking.  It feels good to know that I am adding ingredients to the healthy food that I make for my family that increase the health benefits of the food. Mustard seeds are a medicinal spice that has been used therapeutically for thousands of years. Mustard seeds are rich in antioxidants, phyto-nutrients, and vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, C, K, E, B-complex, calcium, iron, selenium, and zinc. They are also high in essential fatty acids such as omega-3, omega-6, and oleic acid.

    Mustard has a spicy pungent flavor that stimulates the appetite and increases salivation. They help to promote digestion and neutralize toxins that prevent indigestion and bloating. Mustard seeds are beneficial for lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, speeding up metabolism, reducing the frequency of migraines, and preventing cancer. Mustard seeds have anti-fungal and anti-septic properties that make them good for cleansing the digestive tract and detoxifying the body. Mustard seed powder works well in the bath as it increases the blood flow to the skin and removes toxins from the body. Mustard seeds can be used whole, ground, or powdered in soups, sandwiches, vegetable and rice dishes. 

You can order Mustard seeds and mustard powder and hundreds of other bulk herbs and spices and single herb extracts at Herbs First.

Have a great month!
Kathryn

Single Herbs in Vegicaps, Extract and Bulk

    People are amazed at the variety of single herbs that we have available from Western Botanicals.  People get comfortable using the formulas and don’t realize what single herbs are used for.  It is worth having the Ailments CD which is free with the coupon code AilmentCD with a $100.00 herb order.  You can search which herbs and formulas to use for ailments, and learn about single herbs and what they are used for. 

Single Herbs Available from Acai to Yucca

Acai Berry is very high in antioxidants with even more ORAC value than cranberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, or blueberry. Available in powder which is easy to add to fruit smoothies. Available in vegicaps.

Alfalfa, Dr Christopher shares a story in his Herb Lectures CD's about the family that was incarcerated in a concentration camp during the Nazi occupation of Europe. The family found the strength to carry them through to the end of the war when they were released. The key was an alfalfa plant growing in the corner of the compound inside the fence. Each member of the family secretly ate a few leaves of the plant every day, allowing the alfalfa plant to replenish its leaves throughout the long months. The family obtained the necessary nutrients from the plant and maintained their health while others around them dropped dead from malnutrition. Alfalfa is in Dr. Christopher's Jurassic Green and I have found that Alfalfa is very essential to my diet. Alfalfa is available in vegicaps, alcohol extract and bulk.

Cayenne is one of Dr. John R. Christopher's favorite herbs and is used in many of this herbal formulas.  Available in vegicaps, alcohol extract, syrup and bulk.

Dandelion, a weed we all despise in our lawns, but an amazing herb that is high in protein, calcium, Vitamin A, C and B, and more.  Works as a liver cleanser as well as promoting the elimination of uric acid from joints.  A life saver to me back when I had gout. Available in vegicaps, alcohol extract and bulk.

Kava Kava, my favorite muscle relaxant. I keep it by my bedside and take it on nights when I need it. Available in vegicaps, alcohol extract and bulk.

Yucca, used for inflammation of all sorts, including joint inflammations, bleeding, dandruff and hair loss. Used successfully to treat arthritis and rheumatism and related disorders. One of the herbs in Dr. Christopher’s Joint Formula.  Available in bulk.

You can purchase single herbs in vegicaps, herbal extracts and bulk, as well as many herbal formulas at Herbs First.

Have a great month!
Kathryn

Healing @ Home, The Crash Course

    My husband and I attended a workshop this past weekend called “Healing @ Home, The Crash Course”.  It was taught by Dr Kyle Christensen, who is the author of Herbal First Aid and Health Care, which is the book that covers Western Botanicals product line.  This is a great book, very different from Dr Christopher’s Herbal Home Health Care, and worth getting.  Dr. Christensen is a chiropractor and naturopathic physician as well a Master Herbalist from the School of Natural Healing and until recently was a co-owner of the Western Botanicals products that we carry.

    I was amazed to find out that many of Western Botanical formulations are in the Herbal First Aid and Health Care book. What a bonus for anyone that buys it, because so many herbal companies will not give out their formulas. In the workshop Dr. Christensen made his Immune Boost formula found on page 230. I have made extracts using Western Botanicals bulk herbs and know how easy it is, but others were amazed that was all there was to it.  He showed us the best straining cloth I have ever seen, a paint straining bag that is reusable.  I went and purchased the two sizes at Home Depot and will enjoy using these for many years to come.  Now I have to figure out what to do with the big box of cheesecloth I bought!

    Dr. Christensen used two of the five gallon paint strainer bags and showed us how easy it is to make greek yogurt. He then used some of the fresh whey that drips out as the yogurt is hanging and taught us how to make fermented vegetables, which are a great source of good bacteria for the gut. I’m excited to start adding fermented veggies to our diet.  Fresh whey keeps for a month in the fridge and can be added to green smoothies to make them full of good bacteria!  We need all the good bacteria we can get to stay healthy!  Eating fermented vegetables and yogurt will help keep candida under control.  Food Matters just posted an article and video about making fermented veggies where you can learn more about the importance of adding this to your diet!

    Dr. Christensen also shared with us the fact that so many herbal companies are using very poor quality herbs to make their products.  Companies would approach them asking to buy their “spent” herbs after they were used to make extracts. Would you want to eat herbs that had the goodness already extracted from them?  No wonder there are so many bad products out there.  He mentioned that both Dr Christopher's and Western Botanicals use the highest quality herbs available and that is why they work.  Their products are pure herbs, no fillers are ever added, so you know you are getting only the whole herb with their healing properties intact.  Read Dr Christopher's Quality Statement and Western Botanicals Quality Statement and you will know why you should be using these herbal formulas for your health and healing.
   
    I love learning how to take care of myself and my family.  Herbal First Aid and Health Care would be a great book to add to your collection and will help you with your endeavors to be medically independent.

What herbs do you use to retain your natural hair color?

   I am a people watcher and over the years always noticed that women that color their hair look younger than the women that let it go gray.  I hadn’t really decided what I would do when the time came, but knew that I would prefer my hair to stay its natural color. I never liked the idea of dying my hair and don’t like how it looks when people have the big gray stripe growing and growing until they dye it again.  I also dislike the smell of the dye and the thought of using chemicals never appealed to me.
   
    Dr. Christopher has the answer for every problem and he happens to talk about it in the Herb Lectures CD’s.  Yarrow is the herb he talks about using as a hair rinse.  He tells the story of women he knew that had beautiful strawberry blonde hair that over the years went white.  She came in one day to see him and her hair was back to strawberry blonde.  She quickly mentioned that she didn’t dye it, she was reading over her notes about using the yarrow tea as a rinse to bring the color back.  She was so happy that it really worked! He also talked about a latino man who had gone gray who used it to bring his hair back to black.

     I have been using the BF&C Hair & Scalp Massage Oil along the front of my hairline for the past year or so for thinning hair.  I started to notice that I was getting less and less white hair along with the new hair growth.  I decided that I needed to do more for the rest of my hair.  I had in my notes that Rosemary tea works well for darker hair and I happened to have some of the whole herb.  I call my hair sparkly - my hair is coming in white here and there. It wasn’t bad, but getting more and more sparkly.  I decided that since I had the Rosemary I would give it a try.  I made a tea in the usual way, 1 tsp herb to 8 oz. of water.  I put the tea in an old conditioner bottle along with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.  Lemon juice could also be used instead of the vinegar, it is a great replacement for conditioner. It detangles the hair folicles, seals the cuticle, and balances the hair’s pH balance.  I use the Rosemary & Vinegar instead of conditioner. After shampooing with Dr Christopher's BF&C Shampoo I put the Rosemary tea on my hair. I leave it in while I finish my shower and rinse it out at the end.  People have been noticing the difference and asking me what I am doing.  Hopefully adding the Rosemary tea rinse will complete the job! 

    This is so inexpensive and easy to do! So much quicker and easier than dye, and my hair will stay the same color all the time. An 8 oz. bag of either tea from Western Botanicals at Herbs First costs about the same as a box of dye and will last a lot longer!  I mix up a cup of tea and it will last me about 5 days.  It would be fun to hear back how many people try this and how long it takes for their natural color to return.  I am thrilled at the prospect of keeping my natural hair color for life!