A little less than four years ago I was home from a sadly typical hospital birth experience, tired, sore and having a *lot* of trouble nursing my precious newborn girl. After a few helpful phone calls with a lactation consultant, she recommended  the herbs Blessed Thistle, Fennel, and Alfalfa to increase my milk supply. I thought to myself “What!? She is not recommending an FDA approved drug to help me? This probably won’t work…..” 

But, I decided to try it and the herbs DID help! I was able feed my baby without both of us ending up in tears at the end of the nursing session. At that moment I became a true believer in herbs! it’s amazing how one comment can turn your life upside down, for after that experience my husband and I began to see all the resources God gave us through His wonderful creation!

Just the other day I took some photos of 3 “weeds” in our yard that are edible and healthy. Oh- I could go on and on about our quest of researching and successes we’ve had with whole foods, natural birth, baking, gardening, animal husbandry…. but wait, this is a post about herbs  

There are hundreds of herbs, many right in your yard, that are useful for nutrition and healing. But after some careful consideration I decided that if I HAD to limit my herb cabinet to 5 items Echinacea, fresh Garlic, Eucalyptus Essential Oil, Elderberries, and Red Raspberry Leaf would be the keepers. Here’s why:

Echinacea

Recent research has shown that Echinacea boost T-cell production (or your “disease fighter” cells), it also has antibacterial and antiviral properties. Surprisingly enough, you have probably seen this herb in your neighbor’s flower garden, people call it Purple Cone Flower. It tall, beautiful, and considered the King of Herbs!

I use this herb in teas, tinctures, and salves. And I truly notice a difference in the length and severity of illness – The more echinacea I take, the less the virulent the virus is, it’s amazing! My favorite way to take echinacea is mixed with peppermint, rosehips, elderberry and ginseng- THAT is a super immune tea!

Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Sprinkled in the shower, the steamy scent of Eucalyptus opens plugged nasal passages and airways, helping my kids (and me) breathe better whenever they get stuffy. For sore throats and colds, I drop a few drops on a washcloth and place it near the (sometimes loud) breather.

Eucalyptus oil is also known to kill the bad bacteria in our throat and lungs. What could be better- Kills the bad stuff, opens the passages, and soothes the throat. Definitely a keeper!

Warning! Eucalyptus oil can burn the skin, so keep it out of reach of the kiddos.

Elderberry

If you live anywhere near creeks, you have seen the Elder Tree! It’s small and shrubby with stems that have wart-like bumps. It ranges from 5-12 feet in height and blooms a white flower from about June to July. These blooms mature into a purplish black berry- that is Elderberry and the part of the tree you want to use (the roots, bark, and leaves are toxic).

Elderberries have been known throughout the ages as THE flu herb. You may even recognize the natural flu medication Sambucol, that is Elderberry syrup.
I most often use Elderberry in teas or syrups, and it tastes great! We’ll take a swig of a yummy Elderberry syrup anytime I know we’ve been exposed to a nasty cold or flu bug, and I think it works great!

You can make your own syrups or tinctures, or buy it. Here is a brand I’ve used with great success, and my kids really like it!

Red Raspberry Leaf

If there ever was an herb made perfectly for women- it’s Red Raspberry!

It’s use is known to:
-Strengthen and tone the wall of the uterus and entire female reproductive system.
- Decrease profuse menstrual flow.
Alleviates morning sickness and nausea.
Prevent hemorrhaging during labor (by strengthening uterus).
Assist labor, and relieve after pains. Increases and enriches milk for lactation.

Red Raspberry Leaf is also full of vitamins! Calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin A, and vitamin C- just to name a few. I drink a cold mixture of Red Raspberry Leaf, Nettle, Peppermint, and Alfafa daily. I absolutely love it!

Garlic

You know the smelly root, but did you know it’s the ultimate natural healer? Currently, it’s being studied because scientists have found out it’s one of the only things that kills the dreaded Staph infections.

Properties: Antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic, antiparasitic, antifungal, anthelmintic, immune-stimulating, hypotensive, diaphoretic, and antispasmodic. Whoa! 

It’s Active against: Tuberculosis, Shigella dysenteriae, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus, Salmonella, Proteus mirabilis, influenza, and many many more. 

Uses: We use garlic anytime we start feeling run down….. you know how the beginning of a cold or virus feels! 

Eating it: I’ll chop up a clove into tiny pieces and just swallow it like a large vitamin. However, everyone else in the house prefers it on a spoonful of honey followed up by a swig of water. Come to think of it- I bet it decreases disease transmission simultaneous because people don’t want to get too close to the stinky family- HAHA! 

Poultices: Just like everything else, garlic soaks into your skin and gets into your bloodstream. To make a poultice, break off two or three large cloves and lay them on your counter. Get some hot water together, and place the cloves on a clean cloth. Smack the garlic cloves with the bottom of a heavy glass a few times till you can see the juices coming out- and you get hungry for homemade lasagna! Now fold the cloth over and pour warm/hot (but not boiling) water over it. Let it sit for a few seconds then squeeze out the excess water. Place the warm (not hot) poultice on the chest, the back, and the soles of the feet (rotate) for about a minute each. You can do this several times a day. This also works well for babies who won’t swallow fresh garlic.

Garlic Oil for earaches: Slightly warm a few tablespoons of olive oil with crushed (fresh) garlic in it. Let it sit a few minutes then thoroughly strain out all of the garlic. Now use as standard ear drops (make sure it is not hot!). You can also use a garlic poultice over or behind the ear for suspected mild infections. 

Warning: it can burn the skin, don’t leave on directly on skin for more than a minute or two. 

Important note: To utilize all the medicinal qualities of garlic it must be used within 15 minutes of the clove being crushed. chopped, or bruised. After that, the Allicin loses 90% or so of its effectiveness…. So sorry, you’ve got to remake that garlic oil and poultice each time.

Now it’s your turn! Comment and tell me the herbs you use most often!