Medicinal Herbs contain organic compounds that have been used to heal dis-”ease” conditions for as long as we have walked the Earth. Below I will present two formulas my family has used during cold and flu season with great results.
First off, let me advise you that nothing of what I will say below is sanctioned by the medical establishment. These compounds may not be appropriate for some individuals depending on their circumstances and constitution. The user is advised to research the herbs and exercise caution. Many medical professionals today are open to what we call “alternative medicine” and will work with you and advise you when you step outside the pharmaceutical model.
I’ve used the HEMP formula for 25 years and seen it work on my son at age four when he was diagnosed with strep throat. The fever and white spots in the throat were gone in two days and he was back to normal. It is called HEMP by using the first letter of the Latin nomenclature for each plant.
HEMP Formula
Mix equal parts of herbal extract.
One dropper (30 drops) 3 times a day for flu and colds
• Hydrastis canadensis – Golden Seal
• Echinacea angustifolia – Cone-flower
• Myrrh – Commiphora Myrrha
• Phytolacca americana – Poke Root
Do not use if pregnant.
The 100-Mile Diet Leads to a Reformulation. One day I heard about the 100 Mile Diet. It’s a green, sustainability thing, whereby one tries to source all the food eaten within 100 miles of where you eat. Well, if things go south, as I have predicted here, where am I going to get a medicinal plant that comes from the Mediterranean? I decided that I could trade with tribes living in the mountains to the East of West of me and could substitute Osha for the Myrrh. So the HEMP formula became the HOPE formula.
The HOPE Formula for Flu and Winter Colds
Mix equal parts of herbal extract.
One dropper (30 drops) 3 times a day for flu and colds
• Hydrastis canadensis – Golden Seal
• Osha – Lingusticum Pote
• Phytolacca americana – Poke Root
• Echinacea angustifolia – Cone-flower
Do not use if pregnant.
Making Herbal Extracts
Herbal extracts are covered here in a Mother Earth News post by Corina Wood. Once you learn how to extract, you can get your herbal medicine for pennies on the dollar compared to buying at a retail outlet. Information about the herbs is presented below.
Hydrastis Canadensis – Golden Seal
• Tonifies mucous membranes
• Anti microbial
• Improves catarrahal conditions especially of the sinuses
• Digestive problems from colitis to peptic ulcers
Echinacea – Echinacea Purpurea
Known as Purple Cone Flower
• Boosts Immunity
• Helps prevent colds
• Shortens the duration of colds and flu and other viral and bacterial infections
• Sore throats (gargle)
• Cold sores
Myrrh – Commiphora Myrrha
Golden Seal
Myrrh has antimicrobial properties and is used internally to stimulate macrophage action in the blood stream. It is used as a broad-spectrum antiseptic to treat various ailments like conjunctivitis (pinkeye), cold sores and canker sores.
Osha – Lingusticum porteri
Member of Parsley family, grows at 9,000 ft. and above.
• Antibacterial
• Upper Respiratory infections
• Genitourinary tract
• Gargle for sore throat
• Expectorant
• Enhances immune system
• Topical application as antiseptic
Phytolacca Americana – Poke Root
• Upper Respiratory infections
• Cough
• Tonsillitis
• swollen glands
• Mumps
• Cleans the lymphatic system
• Can cause vomiting in large doses – not available commercially.
Food is Medicine. Healthy food prevents and cures disease.
Food is Your Health Insurance. Growing your own food and medicine can become a revolutionary act of defiance.
Reforming the Health Care System. As long as people continue to eat the food they see advertised on their media delivery platforms, we will not be a healthy nation. We cannot reduce health costs when disease is caused by the food advertised on LCD screens. As long as people continue to take the drugs advertised on the nightly news, on billboards, in magazines, at the bus stop, and on the train, which are marketed to solve the problems caused by the food advertised in the same places, we cannot reduce health costs.
References:
Toby Grotz is an electrical engineer who has been involved on both sides of the energy equation: exploring for oil and gas and geothermal resources and in the utility industry working in coal, natural gas, and nuclear power plants. He has been a community garden advocate and organizer ever since. Recent projects include lecturing for the Food Not Lawns classes sponsored by the University of Missouri, Kansas City Communiversity. He is a member of the Sierra Club and past officer of the Kanza Group. Read all of Toby’s MOTHER EARTH NEWS posts here.
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