Nettle

Latin name - Urtica dioica

Common names- Stinging Nettle,Common Nettle

Medicinal actions-diuretic,astringent,tonic,styptic,rubifacient,alterative,nutritive,
hemostatic

USES- ( This information comes from my well stocked library of wonderful herbal/health books.)

*Increases fertility in men and women
*Eases leg cramps and other muscle spasms
*Diminishes pain during and after birth dues to its high calcium content
*Prevents hemorrhage after birth.Nettle is an excellent source of vitamin K and increases hemoglobin,both of which decrease the likelihood of postpartum hemorrhage
*Reduces hemorrhoids
*Increases the richness and the quantity of breastmilk.
*Stops external bleeding
*Excellent hair tonic
*Blood purifier....This makes it an excellent remedy for all kinds of skin problems (including eczema and acne)Since the cause of skin problems is often internal we must use blood cleansing herbs to treat them.
*Wonderful for the kidneys/bladder (including kidney stones)
*Headaches
* Helps prevent illness of every kind

MY personal experiences with Nettle......

Nettle is a wonderful,nourishing herb! It contains almost all of the minerals and vitamins needed for good health, especially vitamin A,D,C and K.Calcium,potassium,phosphorus,iron, and sulpher are abundant in Nettle.It is a very good tasting tea.Everyone in my family loves it except for me! It is one herb that I particulary do NOT like the taste of.I think I am the weird one though because I have heard from several sources that it is one of the best tasting herbal teas.It is readily available for gathering by nearly everyone as it grows just about everywhere!
This is the first herb I would recommend for any kidney/bladder problems and one of the first herbs I reach for when feeling run down.It is such a wonderful tonic!I send my husband a big mug of herbal tea everyday to work and it is often Nettle.
Nettle is my very healthy/good looking:) midwife's tea of choice.She drinks it daily and believes it to be a very big part of her good health.She has seen wonderful things happen with Nettle and anemic people.
As stated above, it is a great herb for maintaining health.Keeping healthy should be our goal.Herbs will help us heal ourselves when we are sick but the *best* route to go is to KEEP healthy.Nettle tea is a perfect for this!

Preparations and dosages:

Tea is the only way I have ever used Nettle.With nourishing/tonic herbs teas are the best way to get all the vitamins/minerals the herb has to offer. You can NOT overdose on Nettle tea! To make a good strong tea take a quart jar and put a nice size handfull of dried herb.(If using fresh,use two handfulls.) Fill the jar with boiling water,cover and steep for atleast 20 minutes.I like to let it steep until it is completely cool and then just reheat it if we want it warm.The long steeping time draws alot more nutrition from the herb.I like to get my tea steeping before I go to bed and then it is ready in the morning to strain and drink!

* BE CAREFUL* when pouring boiling water into glass jars.I have been making teas for years and love making it this way but occasionally a jar does bust.I have only had it happen a few times but it has happened.

* If you do not enjoy the taste of Nettle tea (like me!) add some mint.Mint is wonderful for disguising bad tasting herbs.

In my medicine chest....Garlic herb honey

Not drugs :) Herbs..... I *love* herbs.I love health.I am very much into healthy,wholesome living....

Garlic/herbal honey......

I made this yesterday for colds/sore throats and *who knows what else*.Honey alone is a wonderful medicine but add garlic and herbs and you have a powerful antibacterial/antivirus syrup that tastes great and is excellent for you!I also like this syrup because it is an easy way for children to take garlic.

Put 2 cups of honey,a handful each of sage and basil....and 5 heads of garlic in the blender.Blend it until it is pureed and then put in a quart jar to let it sit for a couple of weeks.(In the sunshine if possible) After atleast 2 weeks strain it and then bottle it!A wonderful thing to have on hand!

Salsa

I am making salsa tomorrow.....Fresh salsa is my favorite.I love tomatoes,jalapenos,sweet onions,cilantro,lime juice,salt and pepper mixed up fresh.It is *so* excellent. My favorite canned recipe is the one below.It tastes like Pace Picante sauce.Delicious! It is what I am making tomorrow from the last of the tomotoes in my garden.

12 cups chopped tomotoes (I leave the skins on)
5 large onions
9 hot peppers
2 bell peppers
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
1 cup vinegar
1 cup tomato paste

Chop all vegies and put all ingredients in a big pot.Cook for 30 minutes.Hot water bath for 30 minutes! Delicious.....corn added is excellent too and I may add cilantro this year I dont know....

Calendula

Calendula.....
Latin name:Calendula officinalis

Common names: Pot Marigold

Medicinal actions: anti inflammatory,anti-spasmodic,astringent,vulnerary,anti-microbial,anti-fungal,lymphatic,emmenagogue,diaphoretic

Uses:Calendula is one of the best herbs for treating any kind of skin problem.Inflamation,infectionphysical injury,bleeding,bruising or strains Calendula is excellent.*Insect bites*Hemorrhoids*Skin diseases,Eczema,Psoriasis,fungal conditions(ringworm,athletes foot)*Sunburn/Burns*Ulcerations*Varicose Veins*Measles*Cancer*disorders of the liver*expels wormsJust to name a few......:)

My personal experience with Calendula.....I have *mostly* used Calendula externally and it seems to work really great! I just started a batch of Calendula ointment a few days ago. It is *one* of my favorite herbs for ointments.I also love to add Comfrey and Yarrow.They are great for skin conditions too.Calendula is a *safe* herb.You can drink it freely.I have heard that it loses alot of it's nutritional value when dried.I don't know if that is true or not but I freeze mine just incase.It is SO easy to grow! I start alot of seeds every spring.It is beautiful and it reseeds itself readily.It doesn't smell the greatest.....Sort of skunky like a regular marigold in my opinion.Then on the other hand it has sort of a good smell....:)

To make an ointment:Harvest herbs after the dew is off.You do not want moisture on your herbs as it will cause mold to grow in your ointment.Do not wash the herbs!Chop coarsley and pack into whatever size jar you are going to use.I like to pack my jar fairly tight.Cover with oil.(I use olive oil) Use a spatula and stick it down in the jar a few times to try and get as many air pockets out as you can.Top off the jar again with oil if necessary.The oil should come completely to the top of the jar.No air space.Let sit for 2-6 weeks.I like to do 6 if possible.Check your jar once in a while and top off with oil if necessary.(Usually it isn't) Make sure you have it sitting on a towel or something as it may seep.After you have let it sit as long as desired then it is time to strain the oil.Pour contents of jar into a cheesecloth and squeeze,squeeze,squeeze ! :) Let the strained oil sit undisturbed for several hours or overnight to allow water droplets to settle to the bottom of the jar.Pour the oil into another jar(after letting it sit), leaving water droplets behind!Now to make the ointment...For every ounce of oil you have you will need approx a TB of beeswax.You can buy little beeswax pebbles (which are really easy to use!),you can use a chunk of beeswax and grate it(isn't to hard),or you can raise bees and harvest your own beeswax AND propolis (like I am attempting to do!).Either way is fine! :) Heat the oil/wax *just* until the wax is melted,stirring constantly.Pour into containers! If you find that you want your ointment to be not so hard you can reheat it and add a little more oil(just plain olive oil is fine) or if it is to soft you can reheat and add more wax. It is fun to add Essential oils too.They add(depending on which kind you use) anti-bacterial/virus/fungal properties to the ointment and also smell wonderful! Tea tree/lemon/clove/lavender/calendula are a few kinds that work great in ointments!Have fun! I *love* to make ointments!

Herbs......

Psalms 104:14 ".....and herb for the service of man...."
Along with a wife and mothers many duties, taking care of her family's health is one of them.Herbs were created by God for people and are perfect for food and medicine.Be educated! Study healthy living/herbs so that you can feel confidant taking care of your loved ones when they are ill.It is risky business,going to the doctor these days(child abuse suspision and all manner of germs) and anyhow, most doctor visits are unnecessary.Most people are ignorant (in the true sense of the word) about their health and need a "professional" to tell them what is the matter with them AND what to do about it! This is a dangerous situation to be in as most doctors dont know a thing about health,only how to cover up symptoms with drugs.Illness is a warning sign from the body that something is wrong! The situation needs fixed not covered up! After years of blocking out the body's red flags that something is out of harmony what is going to eventually happen? Cancer,heart disease,diabetes,etc. etc. etc.I am starting a series of posts about my favorite herbs.....:)