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A dear neighbor gave me a Butterfly Bush. Any sage advice for me in the planting and care of it?
Thanks in Advance,
Barbara
Received an interesting blog from one of our Garden Guides and a point he made was about prebiotics. I know that good bacteria is ruined by antibiotics and that good bacteria keeps you balanced and healthy. But I have a lot to learn. Have also been learning about how to set the stage for the good guys to flourish. Well! What this person told me caused me to look around and I found this site. I am going to share it with you and the good foods that provide the right environment for good bacteria and in what foods they either can be found or where the prebiotics are to be found. Here goes..........................
................
Food Sources of Probiotics
(source: www.cancer.med.umich.edu/ne
ws/pro09spr02.htm)
Food Sources of Prebiotics
(source: www.cancer.med.umich.edu/ne
ws/pro09spr02.htm)
Let me know what you think. I like to get good feedback so I know how to put things on my health blog. Another two people from here gave me some feedback on earaches and I put it on my blog.
Thank You!
Barbara
BILBERRY FRUIT CONC. (60 TABS)
Here is a fun bit of info!
Bilberry Fruit Concentrate [Vital Nutrition]. Bilberry (Vaccinium
myrtillus) is also known in some parts of the U.S. as huckleberry.
During World War II, British pilots ate bilberries before their night flights to nutritionally support their vision.
Bilberry also supports the circulatory system.
Sorry I have been gone for several days. With the flu season upon us have been working like crazy to get helpful info on my other blog. There is so much to research............
Am going to be starting a third blog for those of us who want to lose weight so we can support each other with ideas and encouragement. Will keep you posted.
Well, I found out some very interesting facts this last week about vitamin D. That adorable little vitamin does so much more than I thought! One thing I learned is that if you are deficient in D you are also deficient in A and if you are deficient in both you can have acne, soft bones and teeth, can't absorb calcium, and can't retain phosphorus in your kidneys. D is being purported to help prevent breast cancer and Diabetes. In the fish oil form and with Vitamin A from the same source, I have seen, in the last week, a person with acne go from a terrible breakout to already starting to heal. There is a huge difference! Vitamin D also helps maintain a stable nervous system and helps keep the heart beating at a normal rate. It is supposed to be a help to those with Arthritis, stress, Sciatica, helps muscles (leg cramps) and joints, Psoriasis, Osteoporosis,insomnia, jaundice, gastritis, gallstones, eye strain, fatigue, Emphysema, Eczema, Diabetes, Cystitis, Cystic Fibrosis, Constipation (sorry), Conjunctivitis, Liver diseases, Bruises, Burns, Bronchitis, and Asthma. And for anything that affects the need for vitamin A, you need D! Well, is that not the busiest of vitamins?
Those of you living in the South can get D from the sun most of the year. Those of us that live more north only get vitamin D for 6 months. My friends in Canada say the government as well as doctors push vitamin D on everyone up there. So don't wait until your good teeth are breaking in two or chipping or getting cavities to ask your doctor to do a test for D like I did. It is a tiny blood test and can save you a lot of health problems and MONEY!
Manganese is a trace mineral that has blown me away with facts this week too but will save that for another time. Want to get all of this on my other blog this week.
So stand up and stretch, drink some water, take your vitamins and go out and smile at the sun!!! You can pick some weeds while you are at it too. Have a great and healthy day!!! ~ Barbara
Many doctors are now not wanting to give antibiotics for ear infections which is mostly good news. Here are some suggestions about what I do to get rid of them.
My mom always put a few drops of peroxide in each ear, let it bubble for awhile, put in a tiny bit of cotton and then turn our head in the other directions so it could empty. Then we would do the other side if necessary. I still do that but then follow it with drops of CBG (a liquid of herbs that calms the ear and fights the infection) or Garlic oil.
If anyone else has any herbal helps for earaches or colds, let me know and I will put it on my blog. I want to get as much cold, flu, and related stuff out there before it really hits.
Thanks, Barbara http://barbarasherbbasket.word
press.com/healthy-children/
Every year we get oodles and oodles of flowers and then tiny cots and then they all fall off. I fertilize, we trim in the fall, and I think we have tried other things. Anybody have a clue? Do I just need another apricot tree for the bees to cross pollinate? or do I just have a bummer tree? My son gives it a good talking to every year but it isn't listening. Maybe we should just take it down and try again. This year we did not even get flowers. Sigh.
Any ideas are welcome. Thanks, Barbara
It is the most amazing plant. Hardy and lovely to look at. What is surprising is that I have four large plants but my yard does not smell like lavender. By taking one of the heads and rubbing it between my hands though brings pure joy to my sense of smell at the scent that is released.
To make lavender water, I pluck 4-5 heads of the lavender and rinse them well. I boil 10 cups of purified water and then pour the water over the lavender and let it steep for 10 minutes. I set some aside for my morning tea and put the rest in a big glass jar and put it in the fridg. I use that water to make my tea. It is soothing and calming and goes really well with Earl Grey and Rooibos tea and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Vanilla is also calming. After a big mug of Earl Grey, vanilla and the lavender, I am ready to face California hiways and biways. Listening to Josh Groban helps too.
This water can also be used in a warm bath to relax tight muscles and stretched nerves. I would use about 2-3 cups, light a candle, and soak for 20 minutes. A good bath choice if you are getting ill too.
Lavender is antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal. Not to be used by pregnant women.
A good cup of tea can be so satisfying if it is prepared correctly. Teas are known for their antioxidant benefits but did you know that by adding vanilla to your tea that it has a calming effect or that making your tea with lavender water will help you fight off colds and add an uplifting flavor to your tea? I am just embarking on the world of tea and it is appears to be an exciting road. In the 1970s I found Peets Coffee and Tea shop but because I did not know the benefits of tea or how to properly steep it and was a coffee drinker, I walked away from tea. Well, I’m back and I give credit to the little 97 year old lady who I take care of a few days a week. She became a tea drinker several years ago because like me, coffee did not sit on the stomach like it used to and it kept us awake. I decided to try new teas. Starbucks has a London Fog Tea drink that really got me hooked. It is a beautiful blend of Earl Grey, Lavender and Vanilla. So armed with a box of Tazo Tea, the Earl Grey with Bergamont in it, the lavender from my garden, and organic vanilla, I began the race to see if I could match their tea in my own kitchen. I also looked up the ingredients. Wow! This tea is so good for you! I boiled water and poured it over my lavender flowers and steeped it with a cover on for 10 minutes. Keeping enough out for a cup of tea, I put the rest of the water in a glass jar and stored it in the refrigerator. Now armed with a lovely scented water, I reheated it, put in the tea bag, covered the cup with a saucer and let it steep for 5 minutes. Next, as I uncovered the tea, I carefully shook back into the cup the accumulated moisture on the saucer. This is the where you lose much of the essential and benefical oils from the tea. Always shake those droplets back in.Then I added almond milk and stevia. Almond milk is so good for you and has absorbable calcium, minerals and vitamins and is very low in calories. I used stevia to sweeten as it has no calories and no side effects as it comes from a plant that provides sweetness without any worries. It was delightful. The Bergamont, Vanilla and Lavender added lots of healthy benefits and the properly steeped tea gave me antioxidants. What a way to start the day. Today I varied my morning tea by using Xyiltol sweetener and received an even closer version to the Starbucks version. Xyiltol has very few calories, tastes exactly like sugar, and protects your teeth from cavities (see my denatal care section). Just finished my cup of tea and am ready for the day.
Organic Coffee
Organic coffee, properly brewed, with a touch of cinnamon or vanilla can have healthful benefits as well. Cinnamon from the Cassia source can help keep your sugar levels balanced. Italians many times like to put a slice of lemon in their espresso with a lump of sugar. Lemon and the lemon oil from the rind are very good for you as a vitamin C source and has properties that fight flus, viruses, and more. If the sugar was replaced with Xyiltol or Stevia, you could make it a win, win morning. stores offer organic coffees and other organic foods.
Rooibos Tea
Back
to teas….do what I did and try different teas with infused flavors such
as dried mango, pomegranate, apple, cinnamon or even herbs. There are
White Teas, Green Teas, Oolong Teas, Black Teas but one of the very
best is Rooibos or Red Bush Tea! Rooibos is an herbal tea from the Red
Bush plant that was originally found in Africa. It is a very favored
tea on that continent. This tea, to me, is the royalty of teas. It has
a naturally sweet flavor, it is full of antioxidants, aides digestion,
and it does not become bitter even if the bag is left in your cup. The
aroma alone makes your day. It is caffeine free and can be enjoyed
until bedtime. I have found it to be a mild diuretic and helps a
sluggish bowel to move. The brand I purchase is organic and from(used to be Cost Plus). It is infused with vanilla and fruit flavors.
The flavor is beyond compare. I have added additional vanilla if I am
stressed or want an extra sweet treat.
Peppermint tea is an excellent tea when you are ill. It helps cool the body, brings down fevers, calms the stomach and gall bladder, and is a good substitute for those wanting to leave coffee behind. This tea is enjoyable at anytime and because there is no caffeine in it, you can enjoy it late into the evening.
NOTE! This tea is a medicine and not meant to be your main source of fluids all day. Children can be given peppermint tea but no more than a few spoonfuls at a time and no more than 1/4 cup in a day. It can change their sugar levels. Just remember that it is a medicine tea.
Chamomile tea is another excellent tea choice as long as you do not have any allergies to ragweed. This tea is considered a tonic for your stomach and nerves and helps the digestion. It brings good blood flow to the skin and helps you to perspire. This tea is purported to help regulate the menstrual flow and is supposed to help with drug withdrawal.
Red Raspberry Tea
Red Raspberry tea is a tasty cup of tea that has minerals and vitamin benefits. It is good for stomach aches, bowel movements and diarrhea in adults and in children. Children should not have more than 1/4 cup of any herbal tea in a day.
Red Raspberry is an astringent herb that nourishes and strengthens a woman’s uterus as well as the whole reproductive system. It is used to decrease the blood flow when the cycle is heavy but if taken daily it can bring a long term healing to the area. This tea is safe during pregnancy because of the reasons above and it helps the uterus to prepare for birth and helps it to properly retract after the birthing process. It also helps with after pains. This tea enriches and increases the milk flow when breast feeding.
Abounds
in calcium, chlorine, potassium, magnesium,other minerals and trace
minerals. Because of the natural source it is easily assimilated into
the body.
Cleanses the body of radiation
Helps prevent the growth of tumors
Great during pregnancy. It normalizes hormones and the glands.
Tests in Japan claimed that it is preventative of fetus abnormalities.
Helps male and female organs.
Good for hair and nails – Boy do I know this first hand. Both my hair and nails grow like weeds and I only take one a day to keep my thyroid normalized. Have regrown hair at my hairline. It is so thick now. My eyebrows and eyelashes have grown back too.
Regulates thyroid and pituitary glands and activates all the glands of the body. When treating the thyroid, most people do not know that they must treat the pituitary gland as well. This herb does just that.
Helps to regulate body temperature and most especially good for low body temperature problems.
Builds cell membrane.
Aides functions of digestive and endocrine systems.
Acts as a natural antibiotic. It assists the thyroid in releasing iodine into the blood stream to fight any infection that might be present in the body. Iodine is an infection fighter. Good to have on your side.
Much of this information came from the wonderful book called, “The How to Herb Book” that is listed under my literature tab. Other information came from my ND and general reading on this herb.
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