Natural Cough Syrup

Natureal Cough Syrup
and
Immune Booster

Wow! This is some pungent smelling stuff. The funny thing is that it doesn't taste like it smells. It is a very sweet tasting and delicious syrup.  Last night we even enjoyed it as a salad dressing - yum!

How to make:

Get a clean glass jar with a lid

• Chopped Fresh Ginger
• Chopped Red (or any type) Onion

• Whole peeled Garlic Cloves  (Elephant Garlic is milder.  I use regular)

• Organic Dehydrated Cane Juice (sugar)


Make a parfait by layering the Onion, Ginger, and Garlic then add about 1-2 inches of sugar. Repeat

I am told this concoction will last 6-12 months un-refrigerated. At the end of that time you can compost it and make a new batch next flu season.

The recipe is from Amanda McQuade Crawford - Herbalist.  I am sorry that I was not able to ebed this wonderful video but you may view it at the address below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q2Um560fTI

Honey - the "Come-Back Kid" - Honey as Medicine - Honey as Food

The Honey Bee and her products have amazing health benefits.  Honey's antibacterial properties were known and used by ancient civilizations such as the Chinese, Egyptians, and the Greeks.  Apitheropy, the medical use of honeybees and their products, was practiced regularly until World War II.  With the discovery of modern antibiotics honey was taken out of the medicine cabinet and relegated to the the kitchen pantry.  Today however, honey has made a medical come back and is in the gleaming high-tech spotlight.  It has even been awarded  the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's seal of approval!  You can't get more respectable than that!


Medical supply labs are actually packaging honey soaked bandages for wound and burn application. For details see:  MSNBC Report 

Now that viruses have adapted to many of our twentieth century antibiotics  science is looking back to some of the old tried and true remedies that have enjoyed historical success.   Recent research has shown that components of honey even diluted 50 times kills the newly antibiotic resistant  "Golden Staph (staphylococcus aureus) bacteria".   


Some astounding healing properties of honey when consumed or applied topically are : 

• Effective antibacterial-producing hydrogen peroxide on wounds
• Anti-inflammatory
• Speeds healing by promoting new tissue growth
• Minimizes scaring and keloid formation
• Moisturizes
• Draws lymph and dirt out of a wound
• Replenishes energy
• Enhances stamina
• Aids in absorption of nutrients
• Improves the immune system
• Promotes sleep
• Coats and sooths sore throats

Apitherapy - is the term for the medical use of product made by honeybees which includes bee venom, honey, propolis ,royal jelly, bee's wax etc.  It includes treating infectious wounds, replenishing energy, chronic pain relief, tissue rejuvenation, and alleviating symptoms of major diseases among other things.


Honey was the base or was included as an ingredient in many natural remedies. Have you heard of the old time cure for sore throats, colds and the flu -  the "Hottie-Tottie"?  It is fresh squeezed lemon juice, mixed with a teaspoon of honey and a shot of whiskey.  Stir it up, drink it down, then straight to bed under a quilt with socks on and a warm hot water bottle.  Owwee!  Sounds like natural Ny-quil.


I have heard some people say they have tried honey cures and they didn't work.  Yep, that is right - honey cures don't work now-a-days.  The reason is that most honey that you buy in the grocery store is cooked, processed and imported from overseas - mostly Chile.  High temperature along with UV light and microwaves kill the enzyme activity in honey.  Light and heat particularly effect the Glucose Oxidase (GOX) enzyme as well as honey's Gluconic Acid  which produce the antibacterial properties of honey.  


So when you try to do it Grandma's tried and true way - do it her way - with real unpasteurized, raw local honey.


Now you can throw out that Neosporine and Nyquil and eat or smear on that raw organic local honey instead.  Now if these go out of date in your medicine cabinet you don't have to waste money and throw them out.  Just eat them instead.  Right honey?

The Flu - What Cures Me?!

Ever since my immune system was compromised by an incompetent Florida dentist nine years ago I have annually contracted a serious bout of influenza between the end of Christmas and the fist couple of weeks of January. Not a good way to start the New Year to say the least.  It always develops into bronchitis and takes weeks to get over and down time in bed.  I now avoid antibiotics (which made no difference  when I did take them - other than bad side effects) and I believe the flu shot does more harm than good beside the fact that the chemists guess as to what type of hundreds of strains of influenza to target.


Last year I tried a cough syrup/immune builder called Sambuca it is a syrup made of elderberry, vitamin C, Zinc and other good stuff.  It was pretty good.  I could tell a difference and it seemed to shorten the time I had the flu.  It cost around $17.00 for a small bottle.


This year I hit the mother-load simply, natural, stinky, garlic cloves! I was in bed feeling terrible - head pounding, coughing, congested, fever, sore throat - the whole deal - when my dear husband suggested I take a clove of garlic.  To appease him (he brought it to me on a plate) and feeling so bad that at least it couldn't hurt, I took it.  I actually cut it in half and only took half of it.  Within hours I unexpectedly felt better.  I began to take one half to one clove with every meal.  The next day I was 50% better.  I got up, did some light exercise (because my back was hurting from being in bed for so long) and took a shower.  The next day my symptoms were reduced to a mild cold - then gone.  Wow!  Nothing has ever worked so dramatically in the midst of the full blown flu before!  I may not smell great but I feel great and the vampires are leaving me alone.

Treating Hypothyroid Naturally

This video is a little bit technical - but very very important to watch if you have or think you may have thyroid problems.

Chapped Lips?

If you lips are chapped, you may be dehydrated.  Remember, drink 2- 8oz. glasses of water as soon as  you wake up or especially after your morning coffee.  It is even better with a squeeze of lemon to help detox the body from the day before.  Then remember to keep drinking through out the day.  Yes, it is a nuisance at first until your body adjusts, but remember, it is good for proper body function, detoxification and helps decrease appetite.  Drink up!

Southern Fried Goodness!

Do you want to eat healthy but still have that craving every now and then for that "Southern Fried Goodness"?  Here is a healthier version of Mom's Southern Fried Chicken...

Fried Chicken - (a Healthier Version)- that will make you want to shout the Rebel yell - even if your a Yankee! 

Yee-haw!

 

Ingredients

·        1 broiler/fryer organic chicken, cut into 8 pieces (you may even use skin-off breast pieces)

·        2 cups plain Kefir or low fat buttermilk (I make my own Kefir)

·        2 tablespoons kosher salt

·        2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika

·        2 teaspoons garlic powder

·        1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

·        Flour, for dredging (whole wheat pastry)

·        Coconut oil, for frying

·        Directions

Place chicken pieces into a glass container and cover with kefir or buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours - or whatever time you have.  This tenderizes the chicken and adds flavor too.

Melt enough coconut oil over medium-low heat (I use expeller pressed/organic that has a neutral flavor instead of cold pressed extra virgin which has a coconut flavor) so that it comes just 1/8-inch up the side of a 12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy fry pan. Once oil liquefies raise heat to 325 degrees F. Do not allow oil to go over 325 degrees F.

Drain chicken in a colander. Combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Liberally season chicken with this mixture. it should look red.  Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

Place chicken skin side down into the pan. Put thighs in the center, and breast and legs around the edge of the pan. The oil should come half way up the pan. Cook chicken until golden brown on each side, approximately 10 to 12 minutes per side.  The internal temperature should be 180 degrees. 

Drain chicken on a rack over a sheet pan.

Food Inc. Documentary - A Must See

Hey, did you see Food Inc. on the Oscars last night?  Maybe you didn't notice it in the Independent Documentary category - but it is a must see.   

This isn't a gross-out movie to scare you into eating healthier or buying someone's product.  It is an eye opening educational film about how our food is grown and processed.  We think we eat food that comes from a farm when in fact we eat "factory food".  When you see the manufacturing process one can easily come to an obvious conclusion about why we have so much disease in our culture. 

For instance, most corn and soy beans grown in America (except organic) are a Monsanto product. Food Inc. shows how Monsanto gained the monopoly on seeds and petro-chemicals that farmers must use to produce their crops..And as monopolies word, the farmers have little choice but to purchase from them - or be shut out of business.  Sadly, many family farms have been swallowed up by the industry giants. 

Monsanto developed and owns "Round Up" weed killer.  Monsanto labs have also genetically altered corn and soy bean seeds to survive being sprayed with Round-up. So, when the farmers plant these genetically modified seeds and when the weeds begin to grow Round-up is sprayed on the entire field. It kills everything it touches except the genetically altered plant. 

Monsanto's research says genetically modified corn has no adverse side effects on those who consume it.  Independent studies say otherwise. Serious illnesses and cancer are linked to consumption of genetically modified crops; So much so, that Europe has banned genetically modified foods from being brought into the country.  Monsanto also spearheaded and lobbied to prevent consumer labeling of genetically modified foods.  Sounds like an evil conspiracy doesn't it?  You decide. 

 

PS - If you would like to purchase a copy e-mail me at :

rondaholmberg@comcast.net

I think it is so important we sell it!