Harvesting Lemon Balm

We will make a lemon balm and chamomile glycerin tincture. It's sweet calming affect Jack has been enjoying since he was very little. This year he will help harvest one of the plants that will go into his night time herbal support. Did I mention Lemon balm is also a natural anti-viral? Great for cold season in the fall.

Finally back on track!

Well it has taken a month of trying to be totally paleo... again. But  I am finally on board, again. I feel so much better! And I am off sugar as well which I think is the hardest thing to do.  Grains- I love rice but I can live without it. Bread and things with wheat, well it took me about three years to kick that bad habit. And it such like a drug for me. I would be clear of wheat for weeks or months and then I would have a little and it was like an avalanche of cravings would hit me. I would then struggle for a long time fighting the craving to get clear from it again. Gluten filled items would spark such an inflammation eruption in my joints. I didn't have gastrointestinal response to gluten for me it was inflammation all the way.

Sugar is my new monster. I have been fighting it for about six months. Or maybe I should say my whole life. Sugar has always been a challenge. And I think it lies at the foot of all my challenges. Ok Maybe that was a bit dramatic. Maybe not everything that has ever gone wrong is the fault of sugar...... or is it? Well I am none the less, fighting the battle valiantly these days.

I am allowing a little bit of dairy. The occasional bite of cheese or a full fat cream with coffee on the weekend. And I am eating berries. And a few other fruits. Although I had an apple tonight~ whew eeee mama~ That was one good apple. But NOTHING with sugar as an ingredient. Chocolate has been a challenge in the past., so none of that. It's kind of like a gate way drug for me. So I will be staying away from chocolate for as long as I can hold out. When I do decide to allow a little chocolate  it will be dark- super dark. Medicinal Chocolate, you know like 88% plus.

Please send you tip or encouragement. I need all the help I can get!

Elderberry Syrup for Pancakes

I made this elderberry syrup for my friends and family that eat pancakes. Since I am not eating grains these days I didn't get to try it on pancakes. But it got great reviews from my family and friends. Elderberry is known to have anti-viral qualities so it's great to use in the winter when we are all protecting ourselves from the colds and flu flying around. We have been lucky enough to not get ill this season.
I used dried Elderberry, local honey and organic maple syrup. Here is the recipe:

Elderberry Syrup
1 cup dried Elderberries
2 cups water
1 cup local honey
1 cup Maple syrup

Bring the Elderberries and water to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer for about a half hour, liquid should reduce by about half. Then mix in honey and maple syrup. Pour into sterilized jar and refrigerate.
Here are a few fact about Elderberry, from this website: http://www.sambucol.ca/black-elderberry-facts/

Black Elderberry Facts

• Black Elderberry has been found to be effective against the H5N1 strain of Avian Flu (Zakay-Rones et al 1995)
• Black Elderberry contains a unique compound called Antivirin® that can help protect healthy cells and inactivate infectious viruses
• When given to patients, scientists have found that Black Elderberry has the ability to ward off flu infections quickly (Zakay-Rones 2004)
• Black Elderberries are rich in anthocyanins which are a type of flavonoid – anthocyanins are antioxidants that may protect cells from free radicals and support your body’s immune system
• Black Elderberries have almost 5 times as many anthocyanins as Blueberries and twice the overall antioxidant capability of cranberries
• Black Elderberry has a more potent antiviral effect than Echinacea

Spiced Coconut Milk Tea Recipe

Here is a great Paleo tea recipe. I have been using this to keep my adrenal glands and stress levels in check as we move into the busy holiday season. I have been craving spicy mixes that are available this time of year. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg just sounds so good right now. Since I am staying away from dairy, the holiday favorite Egg Nogg is not an option. I use chopped herbs and you can find most of these at your local Co-Op or natural food market. Or you can mail order them from Radiance Herbs & Massage 360-357-5250
 So try this recipe:

Spiced Coconut Milk tea
2 cups Water
1 tsp licorice roots, chopped
1 tsp Eluethero root, chopped
1 tsp Yogi Tea (usually cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, cardamon, ginger)
5 Tbsp of coconut milk

I start with cold water and add the spices to the water. Then bring the mixture to a boil in a sauce pan. Then I cover the pan and turn off the heat but leave the pan on the hot burner. Let it stand for about 5 minutes. You can cook it longer for a stronger flavor. Then strain the herbs pouring the tea into your cup. Next I add my five tablespoons (yes that is right five) of coconut milk to my cup. I like mine creamy and my intent is to get a little more fat in my diet so add as much as pleases you. The coconut milk will melt and cool down the tea just a little bit.
A little about the herbs

Licorice- This roots adds a sweet flavor, being 100 times sweeter than cane sugar. It has a low glycemic index so it does not raise your blood sugar. The longer you boil the tea the sweeter it will become. Licorice is known to boost immunity, reduce stress, reduce inflammation, soothe the respiratory system, and to help with feeling generally run down.

from www.herbwisdon.com

Licorice Root Herb Notes / Side Effects

Latin Names: Glycyrrhiza glabra, Liquiritia officinalis
Common Names: Chinese Licorice, Gan Cao, Kan-ts'ao, Kuo-lao, Licorice, Licorice Root, Ling-t'ung, Liquorice, Mei-ts'ao, Mi-kan, Mi-ts'ao, Sweet Licorice, Sweet Wood, Yasti Madhu
Properties: Anti-allergic, anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, demulcent, emollient, estrogenic (mild), expectorant, laxative, pectoral (moderate), soothing
Indicated for: Addison's disease, allergic rhinitis, arthritis, athlete's foot, baldness, bronchitis, bursitis, canker sores, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, chronic fatigue, colds, colitis and intestinal infections, conjunctivitis, constipation, coughs, dandruff, depression, duodenal-ulcers, emphysema, exhaustion, fibromyalgia, flu, fungal infections, gastritis, gingivitis and tooth decay, gout, hayfever, heartburn, hepatitis, inflamed gallbladder, liver disease, Lyme disease, menopause, prostate enlargement, psoriasis, shingles, sore throat, spleen disorders, tendinitis, throat problems, tuberculosis, ulcers, viral infections, yeast infections. Reducing stomach acid and relieving heartburn and indigestion. Increasing bile flow and lowering cholesterol. Improving resistance to physical and emotional stress.

Do not confuse with licorice confectionery which contains very little, if any, licorice and is in fact flavoured by anise.
Can cause water retention and raised blood pressure. Prolonged use should be avoided if you suffer from high blood pressure.
Can cause mild adrenal stimulation.

Eluethero
Also known as Siberian Ginseng, but not to be confused with American or Panax ginseng. Eluethero is a strong adaptogen that helps your body deal with things like stress, immunity and fatigue.
From www.anniesremedy.com
Eleutherococcus senticosus, also known as eleuthero ginseng or Siberian ginseng, is one of the primary tonic herbs and one of the most widely used herbs in the world. Eleuthero is often recommended as a general tonic to revitalize people who are fatigued. Because it enhances immunity and helps the body deal with stress eleuthero is frequently included in nutritional support programs for people with fibromyalgia, arthritis and other autoimmune disorders. Eleuthero restores overstressed adrenal glands, working wonders for people who are chronically stressed. The adrenal glands have a big impact on our sexual health because of the their role in producing a variety of hormone that regulate many physical responses, not just gender-oriented ones. Tonic herbs such as eleuthero help to prevent "adrenal burnout" caused by ongoing physical or mental challenges. Helping the body deal with chronic stress is the very definition of an adaptogenic herb, and ginseng may be one ofthe most effective herbs in this category. Eleuthero boosts concentration and focus without the letdown than comes from stimulants like caffeine.
Eleuthero is sometimes combined with other adaptogens, like Korean, Chinese or American ginseng, astragalus, or schisandra, to increase its effectiveness.

Yogi tea
This tea originated in the US from Yogi Bhajan, a spiritual teacher from India. He would offer this tea to his yoga classes in the 1970s. It typically consists of cloves cardamon, black pepper, ginger and cinnamon. And a pinch of black tea.  It is a tonifying tea used by many Ayurveda practitioners. It is used to maintain or creat health.

Paleo- Fat is the key for me!

It makes such a big difference to be eating a higher level of fats. Good fats. Like the saturated ones that we have been told for years to avoid. Whole fats, like avocado, bacon, coconut oil. Boy they make such a difference for me.
Ok So I am back on track with a new Paleo plan.
New plan is this:
Strict paleo-
No Paleo breads, gluten free treats- NONE!
No wine (Boo)
No dairy
Carbs consumed at breakfast or lunch only
Carb consumption between 40- 80 grams per day
Drink 120 ounces of water a day
Take supplements that support good food choices- for me that is B vits, Forskoli, Chromium, and Holy Basil.
No eating after 7pm
More protein and veggies!
Nuts are my snacks (with moderation, lots of carbs in a little bit of nuts)
More coconut milk in general
Avoid sugars
More salads
Drink more tea (Licorice, Eluethero, Cinnamon, Clove, Black pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger) I think I will put this recipe in my next entry.

Well we'll see how this goes.

Old habits die hard.

This last week was an extremely stressful time for me. I own a natural health retail store. We carry bulk herbs, organic skin care, eco-style gifts and more~ brick and mortar style. We have about 24 employees. We just completed inventory of our stock which was about 67,000 items. It takes about six weeks to prepare for this event. Our inventory manager did a great job and thanks to Holy Basil tea, I was the least stressed I think I have ever been for inventory. But none the less- it was inventory for gods sakes! And we counted 67,000 items!!

As I was navigating the week I found myself reviving some old habits. I would not eat breakfast, which I now realize (although I kinda already knew it) is a cardinal sin for me. Then I would drink coffee which would take the place of breakfast until about 11:30. Low and behold, hunger would hit me like a train, I would be starving. I recognized this immediately as an old problem. I used to get famished like this all the time. And years and years ago I would go and eat fast food. Now I find it trickle through my thoughts but I don't actually give fast food real consideration, thank god. It was good to remember and I am sad I had to suffer the reminder. Thankfully through all of this I have managed to stay gluten-free. That is super important for my joints. I get really sore if I eat gluten.

I also found that by not feeding myself good foods throughout the day, at night I was wanting to munch more. And when I do this I can never find the food I am searching for. So I end up eating a bunch of unsatisfying foods that are likely high calories or more importantly high in carbohydrates. It's a terrible cycle. Those foods make me more hungry and that in turn makes me eat more. And then I am more hungry. I am so glad that Paleo eating has allowed me to get out of this uncomfortable cycle. I get hungry on Paleo but I don't feel like I will eat the arm off the person next to me. I get to experience a gentle hunger that allows me time to figure out the best way to feed myself. I think part of this is the good fats I am eating. I have lost 35 lbs eating bacon and avocados. I feel so nourished eating Paleo.

I have been Paleo for about 8 months. And clearly, I love it. But it is definately a challenge. Whenever I fall off the wagon I know I want to be back in the arms of a Paleo life style. My old ways are distructive and very unsatifying. But I think I need to remind myself sometimes. I also try to remember that this is a grand experiment. I don't believe there is one way for people to feed themselves. The idea that one eating style or "diet" works for everyone is just crazy to me. So even the boxed versions a Paleo plan isn't neccassarily perfect for me. I am constantly adjusting. That is one reason I am seeing a nauturopath during this process. She guides me and helps me stay on plan. She helps me make adjustments that are both intuitive and science based. A perfect combination in my opinion. A perfect combination for me.

So let me share some things that are certain for my success:
1. I must be gluten-free at all times. My body hurts when I eat gluten. I get an immediate reminder. It is a very clear message. I also feel foggy in my mind. And no gluten-free substitutes. These options are often not Paleo. Ok I will give myself the occasional gluten free pizza with pesto of course (like once a month, tops.)
2. I must stay nightshade free. Tomatoes, Potatoes, and peppers. Those also contribute to my achy joints and sore body.
3. I must eat protein for breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sausage, etc. And with Kale or other veggies is even better.
4. I must prepare my food for the day in advance. I must bring snacks with me in the car. Nuts, dried fruit, and beef jerky. I am happiest when I eat a sweet potato everyday for lunch or dinner. I love to bring my lunch to work everyday. I love left-overs ( I'm a weirdo, I know.)
5. I must remove sugar from my diet. No chocolate, and limit dried fruit. No cream in my coffee. Even that much sugar can throw me off track. Manage fruits carefully. And Boo, NO ICE CREAM even the homemade kind.
6. I must manage my carb intake. I can eat about 80 carbs a day, max. A min of about 40.
7. I must use a program like Sparkpeople (it's free) to record my food choices daily. I need to be able to not go unconscious about food. It is easy for me to make good choices when I have the data in front of me. I do not consider calories or fat when making food choices. Carb intake is my driver for food choices as well as a desire for high intake of vegetables and good meats and saturated fats.
8. I must consume about 120 ounces of water a day. I must consume my first 32 ounces before lunch.  Lemon water is super good for me.
9. I must exercise. I must sweat. Swimming and land workouts with my partner and trainer are essential.
10. I must be gentle with myself. I must remember I am in so much better condition than I was eight months ago. I must remember that I am doing great. I must remember that reminding myself of old ways can be good. It can solidify the new better way of living. It is not failure.

Now that being said I am up about 7lbs from my lowest weight. Which was about 3 weeks ago. Which is not the end of the world but it is frustrating because it takes a ton of more energy for me to loose 7 lbs then it does to gain it. I am sure the gluten-free coffee cake my sweet sister made for me contributed to my gain as well as numerous bad food choices. And the homemade ice cream, I have been making with my son. With whole cream of course.It's good and natural but full of carbs and sugar.

So this plan I have laid out for myself is what I have come to realize is what works for me to lose weight. Eventually I will have to change this plan to accommodate weight maintenance. But I am a ways off from that. Again I am happy to have my naturopath to help me create a healthy holistic plan.

Let me know if this entry was helpful for you. What things have you come to realize about your Paleo journey?

Roasted Fresh Herb Organic Chicken

What's for Dinner? Roasted Fresh Herb Organic Chicken

This is my favorite dinner to make because it feels like a twofer. We get to eat yummy homemade roasted chicken and after all the meat is off the bones then I make a healing natural chicken bone broth in my crockpot. Yum.
I started with two whole organic fyers that equaled about 7lbs total. I washed the birds in cold water and took out the organ meats. I always feel bad throwing thes away but we just don't eat them. I guess I could put them in the stock later. Maybe next time.

But before that I went to the garden and grabbed a giant handful of thyme, rosemary and chives. I figured I really couldn't put too much in my birds. Well I stuffed them full and decided to save the last bit for garnish after they were cooked.

I seasoned the birds with salt and pepper. Very simple. Nothing fancy~ well except fresh herbs from the garden!
I put them in a roasting pan with nothing under them. I didn't mind them marinating in their own juices. I know that good fats are really healthy for us. I know that low fat is a lie. I want those healthy fats in my foods.
I roasted them on 350 degrees for about 2.5 hrs.  And then I let them stand for about 20 minutes before I served them . oh I also restuffed them with a fresh round of herbs. I took my tonges and pulled out the spent herbs and refilled them with fresh plants. As you can see fresh plants look much more pretty.













This dinner plus mashed potatoes from my non-Paleo family and sweet potatoes for us Paleo eaters, broccoli and a huge fresh salad was tonight dinner!
Then the final step was putting the bones skin and whatever was left plus about a gallon of water in the crockpot for a two day slow cook. Then I stain the it and freeze for the next time I need chicken stock!

Homemade healing salves from your garden.

Calendula Flowers

Collecting the flowers that grow in and around my garden is a relaxing and soothing task for me. I also love to collect some plants that grow wild. Feeling inspired by a friend bringing St John's Wort bouquet to work~ I went looking for a few plants I like to work with.
The Calendula was easy to find. I grow it in my garden and it easily will take over an area with little coaxing. But the St John's Wort was more elusive this year.  In the past it seemed to grow on every untended neighborhood corner. This year I have had a hard time finding this wonderful plant.
After my son fell asleep in the car on the way home from the farmers market yesterday I decided to wonder the neighborhoods surrounding our house to see if I would find some obviously unintended St John Wort plants. I did this because I noticed I had none growing in my own garden. I have to say this is definitely unusual. Normally, I have it growing everywhere like a weed. Not this year.

St John's Wort

Finally after slowly driving around with my eyes peeled to the particular flower of the St John's plant, I found just a few stands of this delicate flower. Being mindful to not take every plant, leaving some to reseed themselves, I harvested a handful of young plant stems and flowers.
Calendula-
I collected a group of calendula flower heads today. I will let them wilt a little to ensure there is no water on the petals. Then I will submerge them in a canning jar of olive or almond oil. Calendula is known for it's skin healing properties. I will probably drop the flowers heads into the oil on July 3rd because that is a fill moon and that just seems to make sense. Begin a project at the beginning of a new cycle, right? Why not, It can't hurt. I will infuse the oil for a few weeks and then remove the plant material and store the oil until the fall or winter when I will make a salve or healing oil from the infusion.
St John's Wort-
This plant I will also submerge in oil for an oil infusion after they have dried a bit, just like the calendula. I will probably make a salve with both Calendula and St John's Wort together to create a soothing salve for my family and friends. These could be used for any reason you might want to add a little healing help to your skin. I might add some lavender or tea tree essential oil to aid the healing process of the skin. Calendula could also be used as a wonderful moisturizer. You could create an emulsion with the caledula infused oil. An emulsion is basically a homemade lotion.
Let me know what you are making this summer season. I'd love to hear your comments.

Spring has Sprung!

And with it - it's brought crazy sunny days and downpours of rain- typical NW weather. So I looked outside, yesterday, I was home with a mildly ill child and realized the calendula were calling my name. So we put on our rain boots- you know just in case, and walked out to the garden to see if there were any flowers wanting to be made into homemade plant medicine.
Calendula is a fabulous plant from the Marigold family ( I think.) It's been used for forever as a skin soother and healer. It's super easy to make an oil infusion with this delightful plant.
Begin by picking the flowers that have not quite opened. They should be just on the cusp of opening. These beautiful flowers are orange yellow and gold!  Set the flowers a on mesh like surface. Something breathable.  I use a wicker-like tray and dry for a day or two. Be sure that there is no water on your petals. Because water and oil don't mix! In fact it will create an environment perfect for bacterial growth.
Then once they are thoroughly dry, simply put the flower heads in a jelly jar and fill with Olive oil or Almond oil. Make sure the flowers are completely covered with oil. They should not be exposed to air once submerged in the oil. If they pop up- add more oil.
Every day or so turn the jar so that the plant material and oil are thoroughly mixed. The jar shown below is only half full because that's all the flowers we had in bloom at the time. So we'll slowly fill the jar over several weeks. Then after about 4-6 six weeks strain the flowers from the oil and voila! You have Calendula Infused Olive Oil.
This would be used as a topical treatment for scrapes or cuts. You can get fancy and melt down a little beeswax and add it to make a salve. Then it works really well to apply to just about anywhere on your body. It's a great skin care treatment as well. It could be use as a facial oil.
So try a little calendula infusion and tell me about it! I'd love to hear how it works for you!

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