Time to make more Anti Plague

I used to go through a batch of Anti-Plague in about 18 months.  As you can see from this bottle, I made this batch in April of 2000.  Wow, my family has come a long way, that bottle is over 11 years old!  It smells, tastes and works as good as it did the day I made it.  I got sick a few weeks ago and went through the last of what I had. I don’t like to be out of this wonderful little elixir, so it was time to make it again.  We have a great Anti-Plague kit where you can purchase the herbs to make this great formula.  You need to purchase from a local source apple cider vinegar, honey & garlic. 

Cooking up four of the roots, I soaked them overnight in the pans, I had to add considerably more water than 16 oz., so be sure to have enough distilled water on hand.  Simmer for 30 minutes, let cool down a bit.  Squeeze them out to get as much liquid out as you can, then you are ready to simmer them down to a concentrate.

Stay in the kitchen while doing this, you don't want to walk away only to come back to a pan of air!  There are 9 concentrates to make and that is a lot to make, it usually takes me two days to do this.  Bottle them separately as you go.  I keep them in the fridge and keep in mind that they need to be the same temperature when you put them together.

I like to use fresh Comfrey Root, because most of the dried root that you buy has the outer bark still on it which is quite bitter. Here I am scraping off the black bark, it takes a little bit of time but is worth it. We ended up with extra, so I made a batch of plain Comfrey Syrup which is great for people that can't handle the taste of the Anti Plague.


All the concentrates are ready to mix, the large tall bottle is the vinegar and garlic combo.  I juiced a pound of garlic to get 8 oz. of juice and added it to the 32 oz. of vinegar.  The dark large bottle is a jar of honey, I only used 20 oz. which left a lot in that jar.  It is honey that my parents had, not sure how old, but honey is good just about forever.  


All the concentrates, honey, glycerine, vinegar and garlic juice are all mixed together.  Yup, it smells right! My whole house smells of Anti Plague, it is a different kind of Thanksgiving!  

The Anti Plague is bottled and labeled.  I keep it in the back of my fridge.  It will be interesting to see how long this batch lasts. Dr. Christopher talked about making this and storing it for time of need.  I'm glad to say that I just used eleven year old Anti Plague and it was still good!  I really don't enjoy eating this stuff, but have become accustomed to the taste.  My body really responds to this when I am unfortunate enough to get sick.  Below is the formula, please feel free to call me if you need a bit of advise along the way.  It isn't hard to make, just takes time, and is worth it!

Dr. Christopher’s Anti-Plague Formula

Using 4 oz. as a part will make a little under a gallon. If you are buying one kit it uses 4 oz. as a part.  Plan on the following:

8 parts apple cider vinegar - 32 oz.
5 parts glycerine - 20 oz.
5 parts honey - 20 oz.
2 parts garlic juice, fresh - 8 oz
2 parts comfrey root concentrate, use fresh if you have it - 8 oz.
1 part wormwood concentrate - 4 oz.
1 part lobelia leaf concentrate - 4 oz.
1 part marshmallow root concentrate - 4 oz.
1 part oak bark concentrate - 4 oz.
1 part black walnut bark concentrate - 4 oz.
1 part mullein leaf concentrate - 4 oz.
1 part skullcap leaf concentrate - 4 oz.
1 part uva ursi, hydrangea or gravel root concentrate - 4 oz.

To make concentrates:

Each concentrate should be made individually.  Start by soaking the herb in enough distilled water to cover it, for four hours, over night if it is a root. After soaking, add more distilled water so that the total added equals 16 oz. water per 4 oz. of herb.  I usually end up with at least double that, if not more water. Use a multiple of these amounts for larger batches.  I used to get together with 2 friends and we would make 4 gallons and split it.  They all moved, so now I just make a gallon for my family.

Simmer the herb on very low heat in a covered pan or double boiler for thirty minutes.  Then strain the liquid into a clean pan.  Put the liquid into a double boiler or on very low heat uncovered and simmer it down to one-fourth of the original volume (4 oz.)  Only after all the ingredients have been prepared should the liquids be mixed and be sure they are all the same temperature.  It takes me 2 - 3 days to get everything made, so I refrigerate the concentrates until they are ready to mix. Use only stainless steel or glass pots.

I can get 8 oz. of garlic juice out of a pound of garlic when using my Green Star Juicer.  Other juicers will likely need more garlic to get that much juice. Add garlic juice and pulp to the vinegar and shake 2-3 times a day for 4 - 5 days to get the rest of the goodness out of the pulp. Then squeeze out and mix the liquid with the concentrates, make sure there is a total of 40 oz., if not then add more apple cider vinegar to make bring it up to 40 oz. ACV/garlic juice.

If you don’t have a juicer use this alternative method: for the example of parts above amount use 2 1/2 lbs. of garlic - peel, blend in blender with vinegar (do not liquify).  Let set for 4 - 5 days, shaking several times per day.  Squeeze out liquid and measure. If needed add more vinegar to equal a total of 40 oz. vinegar and 2 garlic juice.

If you aren't up to making this formula yourself, then we have Christopher's Super Garlic Immune Formula, which is the Anti Plague.  We also have Western Botanicals Immu-Defense Syrup  which is their version of Dr. Christopher's formula.   

Order online or call 801-228-1901 to order. 

Have a healthy and happy month,
Kathryn Mechling

Staying Healthy With Plant Based Vitamins & Minerals

I was recently tested by a ZYTO machine and one of the results was that my vitamins, minerals and other nutrients were high. The gal that tested me was amazed and said that I was the first person that she tested that had enough vitamins and minerals in them. I eat Vitalerbs, Herbal Calcium and Jurassic Green which are food based vitamins and minerals. On top of that I get a green smoothie in most days that is packed full of raw spinach, chia seeds and fruit, as well as getting in as much other raw foods as I can throughout the day. It was nice to get some proof that the herbal based vitamins are being used by my body and not just flushed down the toilet, and that my diet is making a difference! I test well on NuSkin’s BioPhotonic Scanner as well which shows that you don’t have to buy pricey vitamins to be healthy.

Dr. Christopher always taught people to eat mainly from a plant based diet and that is what will make the most difference in your health. Vitamins and minerals from plants are readily available and easily used by your body. Dr. Christopher taught pregnant women to use Herbal Calcium to provide calcium to the growing baby. If calcium is not available to the fetus, then calcium will be robbed from the woman’s body to provide that nutrient to the growing fetus. That is why so many women lose their teeth and have problems with osteoporosis. We have a great buy on Herbal Calcium in the mix your own formula, 3.5 lbs of Herbal Calcium for under $60.00. That will last my husband and I six months taking a heaping teaspoon daily. I had a bone density test a few years ago and I tested high for my age!

My husband and I both take a heaping teaspoon of Jurassic Green and six capsules of Vitalerbs every day. I take Hormonal Changease and he takes Male Urinary Tract Formula. We both add Maca Root and Ginkgo to our Jurassic Green which is mixed in fresh squeezed orange juice. We are doing what we can, but still get sick about once every year and a half or so, usually due to overwhelming stress. I think we are doing better than most people and we are working every day to eat better, get our exercise in and de-stress. Mindtrac helps a lot, we have both been taking it since my husband lost his job over two years ago.

As I watch and notice how other people my age and older look, and what their health is like, the harder I work on myself. I know what I am supposed to do, it isn’t the popular way, but who wants to be that kind of popular? It certainly is cheaper to
take care of ourselves with herbs and eat right, than to end up with one disease or another.

Order online or call 801-228-1901 to order.

How to use Bulk Formulas

Dr. Christopher’s Formulas are available in bulk, most are available in powder and a few are cut. We sell quite a bit of the bulk formulas and often people will email saying, “I just bought _____ formula, what do I do with it?” I always assume that people have a plan when they buy any bulk herbs, so it always strikes me funny when people order it and then ask what to do with it. Learn how to make herbal preparations in the Herbal Preparations and Natural Therapies book and DVD set, it makes a great gift.

The first thing you need to know about Dr. Christopher’s bulk formulas is that they are sold as their original name. Adrenetone powder is the Adrenal Formula. AR-1 is the Joint Formula and so on.

Have a plan when you buy bulk formulas. I will use the cut to make either an ointment, syrup, extract or tea. Powdered herbs are for either capsulizing, mixing straight in juice or water, or making a poultice.

I like to get the BF&C Formula in cut, which is the Complete Tissue and Bone Formula. I make my own ointment in a Coconut Oil base, which I do because I am allergic to the beeswax. Coconut Oil on its own is quite healing, so I feel that making the BF&C Ointment with Coconut Oil makes it even better.

Cut BF&C is used to make a fomentation, which is a concentrated tea that is soaked in a flannel cloth and wrapped onto the area that needs healing. Some people opt to use the ointment or oil vs going through the work of making a fomentation, which works well too.

Calc Tea Powder is the Herbal Calcium Formula. I like to get the powder and mix it in with my Jurassic Green concoction. I don’t mind the taste, and most people find that it is mild enough tasting and nice to not have more capsules to ingest. I know of quite a few people that will just mix the formula into juice or water. I pick and choose, they have to be pretty mild, but it is a good option and a way to get more for the money.

Look and see which Dr. Christopher Formulas in bulk you may have been missing out on. Note that a pound of powder will make 1500 ‘0’ capsules or 1000 ‘00’ sized capsules. Most of Dr. Christopher’s formulas are in ‘0’ sized capsule, so compare 15 bottles to the cost of the powder, plus capsules and time involved in capsulizing
them. We have empty capsules available as well as a handy capsulizing machine. Kids love helping out too, it looks like fun to them!

Order online or call 801-228-1901 to order.

Tea Tree Oil to the Rescue!

Over the past few months I have had a strange problem with the inside of my
cheeks. It hurt like a canker hurts, but was just about the entire cheek on both sides of the inside of my mouth. My cheeks looked a bit red and not really like a canker, just felt like a huge one. I started out with taking l-Lysine which is what usually helps for cankers, and it cleared up for a while but then came back. It burned incredibly when I ate any fresh foods such as tomatoes, strawberries, oranges, etc. Not fun at all.

I have used Tea Tree Oil in the past for cankers, so I started just putting a drop or two on my toothbrush at night. Tea Tree Oil is the essential oil from the Australian plant Melaleuca alternifolia. This oil is anti-fungal, antibacterial, antibiotic, anti-microbial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. Tea Tree Oil should be in any home and used for any infection or skin problem that crops up, so in this case a good one to try.

Tea Tree Oil really isn’t a tasty option, but I was clueless what the problem was, so decided to give it a whirl. First thing I noticed after a few days is that my teeth looked whiter. My two eye teeth have always been a bit darker in color than my other teeth, but now they are all the same color. I haven’t bleached my teeth, so they are just a nice clean natural color that I am now very happy with. I have had to continue with the Tea Tree Oil on my toothbrush nightly, but after about a month the insides of my cheeks finally cleared up.

I have also had a funny bumpy spot on my elbow that I have used Tea Tree Oil on, as well as other oils, all the ointments, etc. I quit messing with it a few weeks ago, got tired of nothing working, but the Tea Tree Oil that I was getting internally through brushing my teeth and having it in my mouth finally did the trick. It has almost cleared up and by the looks of it should be back to normal in the next few days.

Tea Tree Oil is a great little oil to have on hand, I keep the 2 oz bottle in the house and the 15 ml. for the travel kit. You
can really get your money’s worth out of a bottle, well worth it to have when you need it.

I love natural medicine. I can try things on myself that cost very little, and if they don’t work they don’t hurt you. More often than not, they work and we save ourselves a lot of time and money by taking care of ourselves at home.

Time for you annual flu shot - NOT!

Back when my husband was lucky enough to be employed, his employer would bring in the flu shots and give them to employees at no charge. The first year they offered the flu shots everyone including my husband got the shot, and then everyone got the flu! The next year the employer offered it again, and my husband said no thanks. But everyone else in his department got the shot and again they all came down with the flu again and shared it with my husband! You can’t tell me that the flu shot is safe! You can now conveniently get a flu shot at just about every store that has a pharmacy. How convenient.

For many years we have worked more and more on improving our diet, and I can honestly say that in the past ten years or so my husband and Irarely ever get sick! Dr Christopher taught that the best way to avoid health problems was to eat what he called the Mucusless Diet. That diet today is called a plant based diet, and more and more people are eating this way. Last week I gave a link to a free viewing of Food Matters. If you missed it, it is available on instant play on Netflix. They also have another great documentary on food called Forks Over Knives which talks about eating no more than 5% animal based foods to stay healthy. These are great videos proving how much diet makes a difference in our health and it is the best preventative medicine money can buy!

Back to the flu and any other gomboo you hope not to catch with the coming winter season. The first thing to do is stock up on a few great winter remedies. I like Christopher’s Immune System Formula, Infection Formula and the Glandular Massage Oil with X-Plague Essential Oil added in. Add up to 60 drops of the X-Plague into a 2 oz. bottle of Glandular Massage Oil. Any time you feel something coming on, rub the oil combo into your neck at the tonsil area and take some Infection Formula along with some Immune System Formula. The key is, right when you feel something coming on, you hit it with the herbs it before it develops. Take it every 2 - 3 hours to stop it dead in its tracks.

Another great combo is the Super Garlic Immune Formula, about the nastiest tasting thing on the planet earth, but oh so good for you! This is Dr. Christopher’s famous Anti Plague. I like t make my own and have for years. We now have the Anti Plague kit here at Herbs First and the recipe if you are so ready to have a grand adventure. If not, we sell Christopher’s Super Garlic Immune Formula, or Western Botanicals Anti Plague which comes in syrup as well as capsules. I like to keep the capsules on hand, as my husband is the only one in the family that can’t handle the syrup. I take the capsules as well, will interchange them with Christopher’s Infection Formula.

For the little people in the house stock up on Kid-e-Mune, Kid-e-Well and Nature’s Way’s Sambucus Syrup. These are all great tasting ways to help the kids stay healthy, in addition to diet! Use the Glandular Massage Oil/X-Plague on their neck/tonsil area too, they love the smell. Watch out for the sugar, I think it is the biggest culprit from Oct. 31 on into the new year.

When you plan ahead and have these great herbal formulas and oils in your home, you will have the upper hand in your family’s health.

Herbs do not cure, they give your body the food it needs to heal itself.

A year ago I wrote about Western Botanicals Nerve Calm and Nerve Repair and how they differ. I talked to a customer that uses both formulas and she stated that Nerve Repair Formula saved her from amputation due to neuralgia. The pain was so bad that she was considering amputation and was grateful to read the newsletter and learn about Nerve Repair. She has been using it for the past year and is out of pain and felt that the formula was helping her body to heal. Nerve Repair Formula helps to wake up the nervous system. The herbs stimulate the nerves to work better and also stimulates the healing and repair of damaged nerve tissues. What nerve issue do you have that may benefit from this great formula? Try it for any disease that causes nerve damage, you will be happy you did!

The same customer also uses the Nerve Calm Formula when she is over-stressed and always has both nerve formulas on hand. Nerve Calm is both sedative and antispasmodic designed to relax, sedate and relieve tension and muscle spasms. Works well for insomnia and anxiety. Everyone has times of stress and nervous tension, and this would be a good choice to have when you need it. I keep it in my night stand for those nights when I just can’t settle down. It beats using any prescription medication that is costly, has side effects and is addicting.

Nerve Repair and Nerve Calm are available in vegicaps, extract and syrup.

Now if you really want to know what the cure is, watch Food Matters with this free screening online through October 8th. Also available on Netflix.

It is worth it if I help only one person.

Order online or call 801-228-1901 to order.

Herbal formulas for Varicose Veins

When I hear of people's health issues my thought are often, “we have an herb for that”. It feels good to have that knowledge! Quite often when I tell people about natural options they aren’t interested. I am amazed that so many people are not open minded enough to give simple herbal remedies a try.

Varicose veins can be easily cleared up when you understand the cause and use the procedures to heal them. On the Varicose Veins page at Herbal Legacy we learn that improper diet has leached the calcium from the veins, sugar being the main culprit. There are quite a few herbal suggestions on the page that have been very successful. Increasing calcium intake with a good herbal based calcium such as Herbal Calcium will be of great benefit as well as eating a more plant based diet.

Christopher’s recently released two herbal formulas to make it easy to heal Varicose Veins. V-Vein Formula contains herbs that are specific and time tested in treating varicose veins. The number one herb is Japanese Pagoda flower buds. This herb has been shown to strengthen and fix the permeability of the veins cellular walls. Bilberries support normal formation of connective tissues and protect veins from further damage. Gotu Kola, Ginger and Hawthorne improve peripheral circulation and strengthen cellular tissues. Butcher’s broom contains rutin and ruscogenins that decrease swelling. Marshmallow root is the best soothing and anti-inflammatory herb. Collinsonia root is the most effective herb for hemorrhoids, which is a terrible type of varicose veins. V-Vein Formula works at the problem from the inside. V-Vein formula is available in capsules

V-Vein massage oil is a holistic topical oil for Varicose Veins including Hemorrhoids. V-Vein massage oil contains Horse Chestnut Seed, Colinsonia Root, Oak Bark, Evening Primrose Oil, Lemon Peel, Rue Herb, Arnica Oil, Pine Needle Oil & Lemon Oil. Dr. Christopher’s V-Vein Massage Oil is skillfully prepared in a pure base of extra virgin olive oil with herbs and pure essential oils to bring healing relief to help soothe and nourish the problem of Varicose Veins. Apply to the affected area several times a day and use along with the V-Vein Formula. V-Vein Massage Oil is available in oil.

Gentle, safe, and effective perfectly describes the V-Vein Formula and Massage Oil.

Herbal Formulas for Child-birth and Nursing

Birth-Prep Formula is back in stock. There were availability problems on some of the herbs that kept this great formula out of stock for quite a few months. It was quite distressing to many pregnant women who were getting close to the end of their pregnancy. This formula has been well known for many years by midwives to be the formula that helps to shorten labor, and make the child birthing process much quicker and easier for the mother. I don’t know of any other formula on the market that does what this formula does, and was quite relieved to have it back in stock again. Birth-Prep was renamed in the last year and was formerly known as Pre-Natal Tea and PN6. Read more about this great formula at Herbal Legacy. Available in vegicaps.

Dr. Christopher loved people and he had a deep desire to help them. For just about any problem there is an herbal solution which is safe and easy to use. Christopher’s has released a “new” product that has been used for years to assist the milk flow while breast feeding. Any mother who has tried to nurse knows the worry and frustration when there are problems feeding a hungry infant.

This fast and effective Mother's Milk formula contains 11 carefully chosen herbs that are historically known to be used by nursing mothers to overcome the obstacles associated with breast feeding. If you look at this formulation carefully you will find that both the mother and babies nutritional needs are considered in this formula. This calming formulation contains two of the most important considerations by nourishing both mother and child. Available in vegicaps.

Keep these wonderful herbal formulas in mind for yourself or a family member. They will thank you for the information.

When is the best time to stock up on _____ formula???

The answer to “When is the best time to stock up on _______ formula?” Before you need it!!! If you wait until you need one of these lifesaving formulas you are wasting precious healing time. It is worth it to have a variety of formula on hand so you have it when you need it.

One day after getting my kids to school I felt that I was getting hit by a nasty illness of some sort. I didn’t have any Anti-Plague (now Super Garlic Immune Formula) on hand and had to drive over to the Herb Shop to pick up a bottle. I got home and fell into bed, I felt so horrible. I put the bottle by the bed and took a swig about every fifteen minutes. As the day went on I could feel myself getting better little by little, and by the time I needed to pick my kids up from school I was a new woman. I don’t know what I was getting hit with and I’m glad, I didn’t have to find out. I always have it on hand and luckily have not had to use it for quite a few years. Now is the time to stock up on Super Garlic Immune Formula, it is on sale and goes out of stock periodically through the winter. I make my own, it is quite a project, but if you are on a tighter budget like I am, you can get the kit to make a gallon. We even sell the amber bottles if you need them.

For people that can't handle the strong taste of the syrup, Western Botanicals has Anti-Plague available in capsules. We also have the kit available in powder. The kit makes three pounds of powder, so you may want to split it with a friend and get it all capsulized so it will stay good for many years.

I tripped down a few stairs one day and twisted my ankle. I had the thought to take some Complete Tissue and Bone Formula but walked the pain off and felt fine. The next morning I couldn’t put any weight on my foot and knew I had blown it by not following through. I was able to get my kids to school and then came home and elevated my foot and sat on the couch with a bottle of water and a bottle of Complete Tissue & Bone Formula. I took three capsules every 15 minutes and six hours later when it was time to pick up the kids from school I got up and walked with no pain. Sprains without Complete Tissue and Bone Formula can take six weeks or longer to heal. Healing in six hours is worth going through half a bottle of capsules.

Often people will call to order one item or another and need it with overnight delivery, which is quite expensive. When we have the big sale going on like we do this month, I like to inventory what I already have and get stocked up on what my family needs. With winter on its way, now is a good time to get what you may need so you don’t have to pay high shipping charges to get it to you quickly.

Order online or call 801-228-1901 to order.

Do You Feel Well?

Everyone wants to feel good, to have energy and to be excited and motivated about life.

How are your energy levels?

Are you sleeping well at night and waking up refreshed?

How is your digestion? Do you have excessive gas, bloating or constipation?

Are addictions and craving an issue for you? Are you chemically
dependent on caffeine or sugar? These dependancies will affect your health.

Do you have aches and pains that are not the result of recent injury?

Are you over weight? Weight gain can be a sign of slowing metabolism, and is definitely a sign of declining health.

How would others describe your mood and emotional disposition? Being cranky or grumpy can be an indication that your body is not feeling well.


Feel Well Formula is designed to assist with blood sugar balance, strengthen and tone the immune system and assist the metabolism in maintaining healthy weight.

Feel Well Formula ingredients are:

Acai Berry - a powerful antioxidant supporting healthy weight loss while strengthening healthy immune function.

Hoodia Extract - appetite suppressant and improves digestion.

Chia Seed - nutritional support which sustains energy and stamina.

Gymnema Leaf - helps balance blood sugar levels and fights sugar cravings.

Maca Root - improves energy & mood, decreases anxiety.

Devil's Club Root - supports normalization of blood sugar.

Suma Root - supports healthy hormone balance, tones the immune system and increases resistance to stress.

Bitter Melon - digestive, anti-viral, increases insulin sensitivity assisting in blood sugar balance.

Schizandra Berry - protects the body from the effects of stress.

Blueberry - antioxidant that improves brain function and memory as well as prevents infections.

Bilberry - antioxidant which assists with blood sugar balance.

Elderberry - a potent antioxidant that activates a healthy immune system.

Yacan Root - boosts the immune system and digestion.

Camu Camu Berry - very high in Vitamin C complex, protecting the body from the damaging effects of free-radicals.

Bountiful Blend is another herbal supplement that can greatly facilitate a return to health. Bountiful Blend is a rich source of whole foods commonly referred to as superfoods. Because of their dense nutrient content it is naturally high in nutrients in perfect balance with nature and our needs in both absorbing and utilizing nutrition. Bountiful Blend is high in the antioxidants and will help with energy by providing nutritional building blocks on the cellular level. Well-nourished cells produce lots of energy.

Bountiful Blend contains Raspberry Juice, Cherry Juice, Acerola Cherry, Cranberry Juice, Blueberry fruit, Camu Camu berry, Elderberry fruit, Strawberry fruit, and Schisandra berry, Pineapple fruit Juice, Lemon fruit Juice, Mango fruit Juice, Orange fruit Juice, Papaya fruit Juice, Kiwi fruit, Grape Juice, Grapefruit Juice, Apple fruit, Pomegranate fruit, Prune fruit, Plum fruit, Peach fruit Juice, and Pear fruit Juice, Barley grass Juice, Spinach leaf, Wheat grass Juice, Kale, Alfalfa leaf Juice, and Parsley leaf Juice, Spirulina, Irish Moss, Chlorella, and Kelp, Vanilla, Soy Lecithin, Aloe Vera gel, Stevia, Apple Cider Vinegar, Pine bark Extract, and Grape seed Extract, Carrot Juice, Beet root Juice, Celery, Asparagus Juice, Tomato Juice, Brussel Sprout Juice, Broccoli Juice, and Cauliflower Juice, Peppermint leaf, Spearmint leaf, Cinnamon, Astragalus root, Milk Thistle seed, Licorice root, Ginger root, Nettle leaf, Pau d’ Arco bark, Eleuthero root, Fo-ti root, Ashwagandha root, Olive leaf, and Tumeric root.

As your body is nourished and supported by these powerful herbal formulas,
you can begin to experience greater health and vitality. Energy and mental clarity can return. Hunger and cravings will diminish. And lasting better health can be part of your future.

Enjoy 25% off of both Feel Well Formula and Bountiful Blend through 11:00 am Mountain Time on September 30, 2011.

Order online or call 801-228-1901 to order.