Antibacterial Garlic Salve

Looking for an alternative to antibiotics?  Garlic is the simple solution.  Available in any grocery store, keep it on hand to use for cooking or sickness.  Raw garlic is a potent antibiotic, with anti-fungal and anti-viral properties as well.  When crushed the garlic releases an enzyme which combines with an amino acid in the garlic to create allicin...the smelly and antibiotic quality of garlic. 

One of the simplest ways to use garlic, especially with children, is to make a salve which you rub on the soles of the feet.  The skin is sometimes called your largest organ.  We forget how many things are absorbed by the skin.  It is a great way to get medicinal herbs into the body.  Rub this garlic salve on your feet and see how quickly you taste it in your mouth.  It also may be rubbed on the chest or back to assist in healing an upper respiratory infection.  This salve may also be used on rashes, athlete's foot, or on any area to prevent infection.  Having the salve prepared and in the refrigerator makes it quick and easy to use when you need it.

Garlic Salve Recipe - In a blender mix:  1/3 cup coconut oil, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 8 cloves peeled garlic, 5 drops of lavender oil.  Blend until liquified, strain out any pieces of garlic, and refrigerate.  This recipe is taken from the book, Be Your Own Doctor, written by Rachel Weaver, M.H. (One of my favorite books.)

To purchase garlic in capsules or to read more about its qualities, go to our online store:

http://www.healthylife-solutions.net/?sn=290-0

Lisa Purdy is not a physician, and all recommendations are not to be considered diagnosis or prescription,  Any information given is for educational purposes only.,  You are responsible for your own health choices.

Twelve Learning Nutrients

It has been well documented that a child's learning ability and brain development is affected by diet.  Nutrient dense foods provide what is needed by the body for maximum mental and physical performance.  Today, we have an abundance of nutrient depleted packaged food products, which may contain more chemicals than actual food.  The first organ affected by malnutrition is the brain.  The brain is 2 % of the body's weight, but it requires 20 % of the body's energy sources.  The following list of twelve learning nutrients was taken from the book, Eating for A's, written in 1991, and is now out of print, but still is an excellent resource for information.

Make sure your child has these nutrients for learning:

Vitamin A - helps in the manufacturing of protein and DNA.  Deficiency effects:  Depression and apathy.  In infants, retarded brain growth.

Vitamin B-1, Thiamine - helps the brain process energy from glucose and proteins.  Deficiency effects:  fatigue, impaired memory, mental confusion, conduct disorder, irritability, impulsiveness, poor sleep.

Vitamin B-2, Riboflavin - helps maintain the nerve's myelin sheath, and assists in making energy available to the brain.  Deficiency effects:  impairs the growth of the brain in young children and contributes to behavior problems.

Vitamin B-3, Niacin - helps the brain produce essential chemicals, aids in the manufacture of protein.  Deficiency effects:  irritability, fatigue, poor concentration, mood swings, poor sleep.

Vitamin B-6, Pyridoxine - helps the brain produce essential chemicals, aids in the manufacture of protein.  Deficiency effects:  irritability, fatigue, poor concentration, mood swings, poor sleep.

Folic Acid - helps produce RNA/DNA...important in forming nucleic acids and in the storage of recent memories.  Deficiency effects:  apathy, impaired memory, irritability, withdrawal, slowing of all intellectual processes.

Vitamin C - helps in the utilization of protein, improves absorption of iron needed by the brain.  Deficiency effects:  fatigue, depression, hypersensitivity.

Iron - assists in the processing of nutrients required in brain activity, helps process neurotransmitters and DNA.  Deficiency effects:  conduct disorder, inattentiveness, hyperactivity, poor concentration.

Magnesium - helps get energy from nutrients for the brain.  Deficiency effects:  irritability, nervousness, lethargy, depression, confusion.

Potassium - required for normal levels of brain neurotransmitters.  Deficiency effects:  feelings of weakness, loss of appetite, nausea, irrational thinking, confusion.

Zinc - required in virtually every enzyme reaction in the brain; helps manufacture RNA, DNA, and protein; helps provide energy from glucose and protein.  Deficiency effects:  lethargy, irritability, poor eating habits, poor appetite, anorexia, fatigue, confusion.

Chromium - essential for glucose metabolism.  Deficiency effects:  poor concentration, impaired short-term memory, mood fluctuation, general feelings of tiredness.

A healthy diet is essential for the learning and behavior of children.  You also may want to provide a good multivitamin/mineral supplement - available on my website:

http://www.healthylife-solutions.net/?sn=3341-6

Lisa Purdy is not a physician, and all recommendations are not to be considered diagnosis or prescription.  Any information given is for educational purposes only.  You are responsible for your own health choices.

Hidden Corn?

Are you allergic to corn or trying to avoid GMO corn? 
Here is a list of surprising places to find hidden corn in everyday products:

cheese cultures
linings on "to go" cups
frozen vegetable bags
tea bags
juices
xanthum gum
natural flavors
free-flowing agents
vitamin E
multivitamin supplements
ascorbic acid
citric acid
cellulose
dextrose
xylitol
toothpaste
dish soaps

Reading labels gives you a quite an education! 

Harvesting and Drying Herbs

How do I harvest and dry the herbs from my garden?
The traditional method is to cut them, tie them loosely together, and hang them upside down to dry.  It is as easy as that...well, almost.  It is best to allow them to dry in a cool, dry place, with air movement.  A dry basement, garage, or shed works well.  Attic spaces are usually too hot...you end up cooking all the goodness out of your herbs.  Another method is to lay the herb flat on a screen to dry, or you may use a dehydrator at a low heat.  Be careful not to over-dry the herbs or to leave them so long they are dusty.

How long will the herbs take to dry?
It depends on the weather, temperature, and water content of your herbs.  If the weather is rainy, the herbs may reabsorb water from the air and take longer to dry.  If they feel dry to the touch, try rolling a couple of leaves between your palms...Do they make a moist ball?  Or do they crumble?  When the herbs are ready they will crumble fairly easily.  I like to store the herbs in quart-size canning jars.  Check the inside of the lid about 3 days after you seal them.  If there is moisture there, you need to dump out your herbs onto a screen and let them dry a little more.  Watch out for mold!

When do I harvest the herbs?
Harvest on a sunny day, not after a recent rain. It is best to cut them in the morning after the dew has dried on the plants, but before it gets too hot and they begin to wilt.  Harvesting the leaves of the plant may be done at any time in the growing cycle...Avoid yellow or diseased leaves.  If you want the leaves and not the flowers, it is best to cut them before the flowering cycle begins.  Once the plant flowers, most of its energy will be in the flowers and then producing seeds.  It is best to harvest the flowers before they are fully open.

What about roots?
Roots should be harvested in the fall when the plant is fully developed and it is easy to identify.  Wash the roots carefully and slice them while they are fresh.  You may also want to run them through an old-fashioned meat grinder.  It is almost impossible to cut roots after they are dried...Even when fresh you may want to enlist some muscular help!    Lay the root pieces on a screen to dry. 

Other things to note:
Be aware that some herbs may give off smells as they dry, which may bother sensitive or allergic persons...especially if in large amounts.  Remember to label your herbs as they dry, because they will look quite different than the fresh herb, and many dried herbs look alike.  Dried herbs should be stored in airtight containers and in a cool, dark place.   Optimum quality will be in the first year, but herbs stored properly will last a long time.  If it still has color, taste, and smell...then it still has medicinal value.

Enjoy the beauty of your drying herbs.