The Herbal Sage Journal

Slippery Elm Bark Changed Everything

2012-02-06T09:18:00.000-08:00

Here in Tealand we handcraft our blends. Working closely with healing herbs has allowed us to become very familiar with each one.Sometimes we use the flowers, or berries.Other times the whole plant,and with some herbs, we work with the roots or bark. Slippery Elm Bark is one of these.We blend with slippery elm utilizing the inner bark of the tree. This mucilaginous part of the tree offers the utmost in healing.It not only soothes an achy throat, but it has been traditionally used to help soothe the entire digestive system.
Generally we blend using the cut inner bark, it is very fluffy and somewhat stubborn in blending well with other herbs. We had an idea, why not use the powdered slippery elm bark? We add the powdered version of this healing tree to our Essiac formula and it works well with the other powdered herbs. Well... the answer is in the photo. Do you see that shine to the blend once water has been added? This blend was allowed to steep for 10 minutes, and when we began to strain it, well, the healing ,soothing, muscilaginous nature of slippery elm bark slowed the straining process almost completely to a halt! WOW! We were surprised at the thickness that the powder produced compared to the cotton cut version of the inner bark.Remember this is the same herb, the same part of the tree, only cut differently!The taste was somewhat altered as well, we think a bit smoother, much like one of Thayers throat lozenges, made from slippery elm bark. The recipe stayed the same except for this, what we thought,would be a minor change. Many of you may like this new version, and if so grab a package of Calm Your Cough Tea now, as this blend is a once in a blend situation.On a side note, if you don't like it and picked up a package please send us an e-mail and we'll ship you out our traditionally blended Calm Your Cough Tea!

Hunting the Elder plant in SW Florida

2012-01-27T16:17:00.000-08:00

I found this plant while biking on Pine Island Florida this week. It is called Kalanchoe delagoensis. Common names are Mother of Thousands or Chandelier Plant. Although not a native plant,I have seen it blooming this week in Pine Island Sound and along the Manasota Key area. I was told that it was brought here as a house plant years ago and has since gone invasive on Florida's coast. The bright colored coral tubular flowers hang together, hence the name chandelier plant. The two places where I found it were near old home sites, long since abandoned. I was also told that it takes 2-3 years before the plant flowers, but once it starts to grow it is very invasive.I was on a mission to find the Beach Elder or Marsh Elder, native to Florida when I found this beautiful plant. The Beach or Marsh Elder is not a true Elder (Sambucus), but nonetheless I was intrigued when I was told that elder grew amongst the ocean areas.I have a real affinity for elderberry and love to use it when I can in my blends. When I travel to SW Florida yearly I bring extract made from elderberry that grows in SE Ohio known as Sambucus nigra (black elderberry) for some local friends. The health benefits are far reaching with a focus on supporting one's immune system and helping to fight off the flu. At The Herbal Sage Tea Company we make a highly concentrated extract with the elderberry fruit, as well as adding these powerful antioxidants to our Family Health Tea with elderberry. Thanks for reading this blog and I will share new plants that I discover as I travel the way of the Herbal Gypsy.

2012

2012-01-01T18:24:00.000-08:00

This is the first day of thenew year, generally I try and take it one day at a time, but this year,2012,seems to be on every one's radar as an upcoming epic year.
Last fall flew by me and I did not have a chance to post to this blog. My father had been diagnosed with cancer in late fall, intitally, we were told that it was operable and that we could expect treatment and some recovery. That's not how it played out and now and we find out that it is terminal.
My parents are extremely strong individuals and when working as a team, as they have done for over 61 years, they are awesome. They have taken this diagnosis head on and are truly living each day to its fullest.Taking great care of each other and following the treatments prescribed, with the added benefits of eating quite well and having herbal teas in their daily diet.The fact that they are snowbirds and are now in the warm of Florida helps too!

As an herbalist and someone who plays the role of caretaker often,I have found myself very frustrated at times since the diagnosis. Although dad is enjoying many of my teas,including Happy Belly Organic Herbal Tea,he is beginning to feel the ill effects of his treatments.Currently he is also taking elderberry extract and Family Health Tea. The tea blend is rich in anti-oxidants,vitamin C, is all organic and caffeine free. Elderberry has been used traditionally to help fight the flu for centuries, and the extract is very effective.We do NOT want him to get the flu or any illness at this point!

We have purchased an RV and plan on traveling down south to visit them and help in any way, leaving in the next few weeks.I will also continue to look for new revenues for Herbal Sage Brand Teas,as I travel, and will have opportunity's to share my herbal knowledge in a couple of scheduled classes in Florida.

For now I am working hard to get Herbal Sage's main offices in order, with my excellent blending staff ready to blend in my absence.I plan on blogging as I travel, sharing herbal information, Herbal Sage Tea news and of course tidbits about my dad's road, and how we all travel with him as he moves thru it.
The Sage suggestion for today is,,,, to remember to take your elderberry extracts and share your herbal teas. Drink organic healthy herbs often and enjoy!

Local Food & Spices

2011-10-31T12:46:00.000-07:00

Our Farmer's Market in Athens, Ohio is still going strong. We have an abundance of wonderful farmers who are keeping us nourished with local veggies, great selection of fruits,herbs,teas and spices. We also have processors,such as myself, who create products using these wonderful local ingredients.
Staring last month we began to harvest and dry local spice bush berry. After the herb is dried we hand crush the berries to release the amazing flavor trapped in each seed.We look for the berry in the undergrowth of our woodlands. They are most often found growing under Paw Paw trees.When we harvest our Paw Paws in early Sept, the spice bush berries are still green, giving us notice to comeback and harvest in a month.
The old timers in my area told me that they generally harvested the twigs of the spice bush tree to use for a tasty tea. They would often be in the woods hunting in the fall, and would brew up a batch of spice bush twig tea. They did not bother to much with the berry as the hardness of each berry made the tea brew too weak. The berry taste is similar to a nice nutmeg, not too strong, yet full of its own unique flavor.
Because spearmint is one of my favorite herbs I add crushed spice bush berries to a blend of organic spearmint leaf. Giving me a tea I call, Native Spicebush Spearmint Tea. The flavor is an interesting blend of mint and deep spice. A perfect reminder of fall for all of us here in Athens, Ohio.
The berry is said to have medicinal qualities, good for relief of fever and flu symptoms.It can also be added to seasoning mixes, or used alone, to add the distinct flavor of native nutmeg.

Elderberry Harvesting

2011-08-11T05:18:00.000-07:00

The whole world stands still for us when we see the elderberry beginning to fruit. Watching the bushes as they grow taller and taller, sometimes out of our reach, umbels cascading with green, semi-green and then deep purple fruit, give precedence to our days here in Tealand in SE , Ohio.
A storm blew thru night before last and as it woke me, thunder crashing, my first thoughts were to the elderberry fruit. How are they handling this wind and rain? Knowing that many "seeds" were dropping to the ground, beginning growth for next season, I hoped Mother Nature would leave enough on the bush for harvesting.
Our harvesting this year is leading us deeper into overgrown areas. The vines, thistle, multi floral rose,poison ivy and snakes creates an exciting and challenging wild crafting adventure. This type of work, I must admit, is my favorite part of being an herbalist. Working and harvesting in the field allows me to feel the presence of Mother Nature. I could do without the possible snake sighting, but we watch were we walk, when we can see the ground and hope for the best!
Some of the berries will be dried and added to our Family Health Tea, the rest will be made into an extract and be made available on line and at our local farmers market. I've added a link for more information about the healing qualities of elderberry.
As early as 2007, research studies have found that black elderberry to be effective in shortening the duration of influenza A and B.Elderberries are unusually rich in the phytochemicals known as flavonoids. Among all fruits, elderberries are the most concentrated source of anthocyanins, a class of flavonoids that act as powerful antioxidants to boost the immune system.

Country Commerce

2011-07-28T15:48:00.001-07:00

Country Commerce

The rural ways of the entrepreneur can be quite basic and driven by necessity. When I drive by signs such as this one I try and imagine who is this business person. Not only what is it they are selling but who are they? Why here? Why are they here, down this country road and what is it that keeps them here?

This particular sign on a bend in the road in Meigs County has grown since early spring. Cookies have recently been added to the inventory as well as business hours. I suppose they had folks stopping by at all times trying to purchase goods. One knows that although a buying customer is a good customer a browsing customer can waste allot of one's time.

Perhaps because I too sell, that I can relate to an enterprising soul. The growth of this sign assures me that this grower, baker, chicken handler is destined to prosper. I wonder if pumpkins will be added come October? I'll keep you posted!

Spring Elderberry

2011-06-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

This is the time we begin scouting out local areas for elderberry harvesting. Although we have begun to grow elder on The Herbal Sage Farms, we still harvest from the wild for most of our elderberry.
The rich white showy flowers scattered generously on the umbels of each elderberry bush guide us to our future harvesting sites.One of the most fun parts is finding the places where elderberry grow undisturbed by car,electrical sources and other impediments.
We are feeling blessed this year, with our rain, and our continued quest for the best crops, we have found what may be this years Mother load! We will keep you posted and let you know as time moves along. Much can change, nature can wipe out a whole area, but we are hopeful, as most herbalist are, that Mother Nature will provide!

Chesterhill Auction

2011-06-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

Thursday I attended the Chesterhill Auction, in Chesterhill, Ohio. Driving about 40 minutes deep into the country I drove past the auction sign and into the small town of Chesterhill. I knew I had passed the entrance but for the life of me did not know where I was.I stopped to ask directions at a small convenience store/gas station, the first woman I asked who was working the counter had no idea about any Amish auction. I thought this was a bad sign,that the locals did not even know about it. I thought that perhaps I had really driven too far!Finally one of the women from behind the deli counter was able to direct me. She knew where it was , yet had never gone herself. I was told I hadn't gone to far and to turn around and make the first right past the building with the orange roof.
So I proceeded to drive back in the direction I came and look for this orange roofed place, I never did see the building but I was driving slow enough that the Chesterhill Auction sign rose up out of the clay soil and presented itself to me! Yes I had arrived.
Luckily I was early for the auction and sat in on a compost tea workshop, being The Tealady, I felt it was important that I attended, and had hoped that I had not missed it due to my detour. Kyle O'Keefe, an Americorp worker from Rural Action taught the workshop, he was a wealth of information.
The auction was filled with folks looking for a fresh deal and many of us were successful! I brought home first of the season red raspberries, and some fresh strawberries.I was told that 95% of the sellers at the auction were Amish and the buyers where made up non Amish and Amish.

There were a few Amish handmade items, and I bought a bird house and a nicely built wood basket.I'll use the basket at my farmers market to display my elderberry tea, and the birdhouse will find a nice home at my in laws 200 year old home in PA.
Do you attend a local farmers market? Tell me about it, I'd love to learn more about your experiences at these events,and hope to stop by Chesterhill again next week.

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

2011-06-14T05:49:00.000-07:00

When I had my vintage clothing shop in Cleveland I loved Tuesdays. It is the day where sales tended to be a bit slower and if it rained, I often had the day to myself, listening to old records,rearranging my showcases full of vintage jewelery and dreaming of possibilities.I allowed and encourage my mind and heart to live in the sea of creativity, all day.Tuesdays' were a gift to my muse,
So today I am in a small college town, and the sun is shining. Although I no longer have a retail store I have wonderful offices in a shared facility, and on Tuesday its my day to work solo.I give myself this day to work on the creative aspects of my business, not formulating herbal recipes necessarily, but creating new, and strengthening current business relationships. In the herbal tea business I am able to work with like minded folks, I have peers who are practitioners, gardeners, chefs, massage therapists, doctors, naturopaths, community health folks, artists etc..you get the idea! Working with herbs as food and as medicine, is a wonderful vehicle to reach out to others in a positive way. Who doesn't love nourishment.
Once in awhile, when I had that shop in Cleveland, folks would come in on those rainy Tuesdays, more often than not these folks tended to stick around and listen to old records and we would share our ideas about the interesting items around us.
So if someone comes to the offices today, I'll make a cup of iced tea and we'll listen to the tunes on the computer. Although the location has changed, Tuesdays are still a day to nourish my creative side. How about you?
Thanks for listening,
M

Loving the Support

2011-05-31T16:11:00.000-07:00

This weekend we traveled to the Cincinnati- Mason, Ohio area. We sampled our Organic Zesty Green Tea, (which makes a great iced tea!) David spent Saturday morning at the Whole Foods Market Store in Mason, Ohio. I took a moment and checked out their new display of Herbal Sage Teas in BULK. Folks love to buy just the amount they want when purchasing these therapeutic teas, so a scoop or two works out fine! Mason Whole Foods Store has been very supportive of us, and it means allot. Without support from retailers like the team at Whole Foods it would be more difficult to grow.
As a small producer, working with a big place like Whole Foods Market can be a bit intimidating, but Liberty and Kellin and the rest of the folks in Mason keep a positive attitude towards The Herbal Sage, thanks so much!
This post may seem like a love fest for Whole Foods, but it is a personal nod to those that can help and do!

Halloween Night

2010-10-31T17:55:00.000-07:00

Greetings! Tonite is Halloween night. The weather is very cold and winter is in the air. Our dinner was made from local veggies,broccoli,squash,sweet potato and pierogie. Yes I know the pierogie was not made locally but we love those fried dumplings so much!
The Athens Farmers Market was busy yesterday and many are stocking up with our Cold Care Tea,Calm Your Cough Tea and elderberry tincture.
I leave in a few days for a 14 day Tea Tour. My travels will start me off in Charlottesville, Virgina and I will end up in the Philly area 10 days later! Please keep posted to this blog for news as it happens on the Fall Tea Tour 2010!

Athens Ohio Farmers Market

2010-10-18T05:54:00.001-07:00

Each Saturday in Athens is like Thanksgiving. I generally sell and serve my Herbal Sage Tea at our local Farmers Market, but this week I went to the market as a customer, not as a vendor. We have an abundance of great food here and I am lucky enough to be living in a region where farmers are respected and supported. For more information about our farmers market visit www.athensfarmersmarket.org

Yogi walking into the Fall Season

2010-10-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

Today my pup, Yogi and I, took some time to explore the land. We hiked up the road to what seemed like a perfect example of a fall day in SE Ohio. I've been busy at The Herbal Sage, blending recipes, drying elderberry for tea and preparing for the upcoming change of seasons. Ths morning was a real treat for me. Taking time to walk on the land, both in the woods and in the fields, makes being an Herbalist worth it. The time I spend with the plants makes me feel real.

Planting The Future

2010-09-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

Please join me in Rutland, Ohio at the United Plant Savers Botanical Plant Sanctuary this Saturday Oct 2, 2010! Great list of teachers, beautiful 380 acres of wild plants, deep woods to explore and so much more. For more info go Sage on FB and look at Events!

The Business of Herbs

2010-06-29T15:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a tough week thus far, and it's only Tuesday! We received calls from 2 of our stores that our new labels are not scanning. What that means, is that the computer is not reading the UPC labels on the tea packages, and the teas are pulled from the shelves. In the old days the person running the register would ring in a price off of a package. The price "in the old days" was stuck on using sticky tape and a pricing gun.
Not anymore.
The Tea business is centuries old, the business of herbalism is even older. In ancient times, one would get paid in trade, perhaps receiving fresh eggs, a woven cloth or a useful tool. The barter system was alive and a viable way of commerce. Each party placing value on what they had to offer in comparision to what it was they wanted. This seems fair to me, this type of commerce. Yet I realize that my corporate accounts will NOT be giving me a laying hen or a cow to milk, so for now we push forward, redesigning those darn UPC labels. To see more teas with UPC's visit www.herbalsage.com.

96 degrees in the shade

2010-06-23T19:06:00.001-07:00

The Herbal Sage Tea Company was a part of the Athens Farmers Market today. The GOBA event,
http://www.goba.com/
was traveling thru Athens today. This adventure ride for cyclist's promised to bring 2,000 riders into Athens. The weather was so unbearably hot that many of the cyclist took refuge under the shade tress at Athens Community Center, without stopping by the market. I don't blame them ! We were vending in temperatures that reached to 96 degrees Although I sold quite a bit of our Iced Zesty Green Organic Tea, we did not have the crowds thru, as we had hoped. Athens Farmers Market runs Wednesday and Saturdays April thru October, from 10 am til 1pm. Stop on by and see us ! For Market information visit
www.athensfarmersmarket.org

No electricity today

2010-06-09T12:08:00.000-07:00

I awoke this morning with Yogi, the puppy, telling me it was time to get up.After letting him out I walked to the kitchen, I flipped the light switch.Thinking a light bulb was out I reached for another wall switch, alas, no lights.
Realizing the darkness was not due to lack of effective light bulbs,I decided we had no electric. Had I been at the cabin I would have been unaffected, but my stove in town is electric, so no hot water for tea this morning. It wasn't long before the dogs convinced me to head down to the cabin. It had begun to rain a bit and with a quick stop at The Village Bakery for breakfast we were on our way!
I love when the days take a deliberate turn. My best laid plans had been cast aside due to my dependence on electric. A detour to the country was the best remedy.
We hiked around the land, checking on the berries. The rain was helpful today as we still hand water our crop.What really surprised me, was the vast areas that had been flattened by the deer. Large swaths of grasses had been laid flat, proof of our furry neighbors nocturnal visit.They had slept or at least laid along the slight ridged area, above the berry fields. Perhaps, I thought, they are planning on harvesting a few berries as well?

Sage Flowering

2010-05-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

Spent the best part of the day today on the land. Did plenty of mowing, while David worked more on the cabin. Our pup went looking for his favorite mud hole, and was quite disappointed when he realized it was dried up. It's not quite June yet and some of the water spots are already gone.
I'm including a picture of our sage blooming. The bees were working the flowers, and the aroma of sweet sage filled the air. If only I could do a scratch and sniff for you,I would!
Sage is used to help treat excessive sweating,women use it to help relieve night sweats, and lactating women drink it when they want to stop breastfeeding. The astringency of the plant is very powerful Traditionally the tea has also been used a s gargle for sore throat, or just made into a tea to help relieve sore throats.
Enjoy the day everyone and remember to stop and smell the sage!

Athens Farmers market

2010-05-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

Today I brewed up Sassafras root,added organic cane sugar to the tea after it steeped for 10 minutes.It is now in the frig, cooling down and will be served over ice tomorrow at my farmers market.Sassafras was used by Native Americans and is a native tree in this region.It is a refreshing tea and has been used as a tonic.
I've been a part of the Athens, Ohio Farmers Market for over 10 years. I feel blessed, prosperous even, to be associated with such a great market. The market itself is over 30 years old, with some of the initial farmers still selling. Everyone at the market must either grow their wares, or be a processor, someone who "makes" something having to do with food. I create tea blends, wildcrafting some of my herbs and spices but mostly buy from growers and wildcrafters all over the world. I make up some great tasting brews.
Another processor and I spoke today about the market.We both enjoy our community and feel secure in the abundance of our resources here in SE Ohio. Tomorrow will be another opportunity to try some locally grown strawberries, fresh greens and my favorite thing about the market, surprise pizza made by either Avalanche Pizza or Crumbs Bakery.We never really know what will be on the pizza slices each Saturday, but each Saturday countless numbers of us test our fate, smiling all the way!
Athens Farmers Market in on East State Street in Athens Ohio. We start selling at 10 am and sell til 1 pm or when we run out. Stop by!

Hand Crafted Tea Blends

2010-05-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

Today I received a call from a company in Oregon. They asked us if we could blend herbal recipes for them. I told them of course we can! We work out of a USDA certified facility and we are always blending recipes. When I told the company that we hand blend our teas, they were shocked. They asked me how we could afford to do that,and why we would do that. I hadn't really thought about the why of it all, as we just do it .I got to thinking, and realized that the desire I have to employ people in my community does not always equate with the economic factors of the outside world. I think that it is great when we can bring a team of people in for blending days and really create some beautiful teas. I always felt that it was a sign of success to be able to do this type of work.This customer from out west thought it was crazy that I did not use machinery. Anyhow, I wanted to share this tidbit of information. I feel successful when I can do what I enjoy, and creating work for others is a great benefit for sure. For now, we will continue to hand craft many of our blends, and continue to share our growth with the community.

Organic Green Tea in teabags

2010-05-16T17:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time coming, finally we have our Organic Zesty Green Tea in teabags. I am working with a wonderful company, who takes our handcrafted organic tea blend and puts it into easy to use teabags.We still use our great recipe and the result is perfect! I had the opportunity to sample the tea at Athens farmers market yesterday! Everyone loved the tea and we absolutely sold out.
Go to the website www.herbalsage.com in the next few days, We'll be updating the front page with the new organic teabags, and offering savings on all of the teas.
Happy Spring everyone!
This picture is of a friend of mine and I, she came in to lend a hand while I was creating new packaging for the teas. We thought we looked sort of like Lucy and Ethel! Great friends always lighten the load of work!

Traveling in SW Ohio

2010-05-07T20:14:00.001-07:00

Another great day on the road. Gypsy was happy that we found another hidden green space. This was off 71S, the back area of the rest stop had a road to nowhere, plenty of safe space for her to run and play. I spent the late afternoon and early evening sampling at The Whole Foods store in Mason Ohio. A great store, plenty of fun.Tomorrow ,I head to the Cincy store, serving Organic Chai Green Tea and Jorma's Tonic Tea. They say storms are headed this way, we shall see!

2010-04-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

Spring time in Athens county, Ohio. This image of a trillium flower hosting a spring insect was shot in Sells Park by my friend Ann. After such a long winter we are all celebrating spring!

I am on my way to West Union , Ohio to teach a class on Medicinal Herbs to The Brush Creek Herb Guild. I met the women in the guild years ago at Judy Lews Mountian Herb Festival. Judy's Festival had always been a highlight for me. Held high atop Lewis Mountain ( a large hill really) , in SE Ohio, every October. Although Judy has retired, and no longer hosts the festival, she was a driving force in the herb society of Adams County, Ohio. The Brush Creek Herb Guild were vendors for many years, just as The Herbal Sage had been. Their homemade tomato soup with fresh herbs will be sorely missed. Everyone, outside, and find the spring beauties in your area!

Spring crop

2010-04-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

Harvesting daffodil bulbs this week. Make sure the flowers are done blooming before transplanting any of these. I found the daffodils at the Herbal Sage Farms abundant this spring and decided to bring some into Athens Farmers Market.

SW Florida's Womens Expo

2010-02-19T17:08:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow morning at 11:30 am I will be speaking at the SW Florida's Women's Expo.This annual event, in it's second year looks to be a great time.
"Sisterhood Magnified" is the theme, and I will be sharing my experiences as a women in business for 30 years.
I will also have the opportunity to join others as we share this road of entrepreneurship and all that entails.
Hope to see you in North Port, Florida!

Snowfall in SE Ohio

2010-02-09T18:05:00.000-08:00

We haven't had it too bad here in Athens, Ohio. Snow is still falling,but not as bad as my friends in DC. Wow, 30" of snow, and more is coming!
I was able to drive to the country this morning,taking the dogs for a run up to the cabin, they loved it. German Shepherds live for this type of weather, I can bear it as long as I am dressed warm and keep moving!
I felt grateful today, winter does that to me. Happy for a roof over my head, and a house with heat. Happy that I can drive for a very short time and be surrounded by trees draped in dense,lush snow. The trees sit amongst the rolling hills of my new home. This visual creates a buffer from the harsh winters that I grew up with. Those winter days were seen with a backdrop of steel mills, and urban harshness.
These winter days are preferable by far.

Herbal Sage Farms

2010-01-27T17:47:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to head out to Herbal Sage Farms this afternoon.The ruts on the tractor road were filled with ice cold water and some lingering snow. The berries have made it thru another winter, and I am looking forward to increasing our crop this year.

This time of year on the land fills me with hope. The sun was bright and tufts of last season's grass swayed slowly, bogged down with the damp remnants of winter. The dogs enjoyed the mud, the sun, taking advantage of the open acreage to romp.

I can feel new life rumbling under my feet. I have learned that spring has already begun, shown to me in a simple bud starting on a berry bush.I cannot help but smile as I write this, for this simplicity, feeds my soul..

Flu Season Hits Hard

2010-01-24T16:47:00.000-08:00

Just off the phone with my family. Seems many of their friends have had bouts with the flu. They too have had some illness but all are recovering and that's the good news. H1N1 has been the hot topic this winter, I've included a link below, to share information about the use of the herb elderberry in fighting influenza.
http://tinyurl.com/elderberryinfluenza
I think about the way we care for the flu. So many over the counter medicines that often times are developed to ease the symptoms,to help us feel more comfortable while actually being sick. It's amazing.Does this sort of OTC remedies help us get better by making us feel more comfortable?
I for one, have been making plenty of tea.I eat fresh fruit , fresh veggies and keep myself hydrated. I do not forget my daily vitamin, nor have I had one day without some type of tea. The Herbal Sage elderberry tincture is taken every other day. I use 1 dropperful ( about 1/2 teaspoon) 2 times a day.Some studies suggest taking elderberry tincture daily during flu season. as an immune boost. Others suggest taking it daily when you have the flu. Either way,elderberry is a great addition to one's flu fighting arsenal!
Elderberry is one of those herbs that help to nourish me during flu season. The elderberries were harvested by both Cynthia and I, then dried. Some of these berries were added to the Tealady's Cold Care Tea recipe and others have been made into extract. This natural medicine sits in my medicine cabinet, a component of health here in Tealand.Here's another link in reference to use of elderberry in extract or tincture form.
http://tinyurl.com/elderberryinfluenza2

Herbal Sage in Pittsburgh Whole Foods

2010-01-17T17:46:00.000-08:00

Today's repeated statement was "Wow, this really tastes good!", said with amazement and ending with a smile.Today I gave away my Tealady's Cold Care Tea blended with locally harvested elderberry, at the Pittsburgh Whole Foods Store on Centre Ave. This great tasting tea ( much to the amazement of many Whole Food customers ) was served hot and slightly sweetened.The weather had been rainy all day so this herbal treat was just the thing to take away the chill. One customer told me that Dr Oz, said elderberry was a great herb to help prevent the flu.She said, that he said, that elderberry actually helps fight off the influenza virus.
Has anyone else heard of this claim? Perhaps I should watch TV more often! I've attached a picture of Allison and me at today's tea tasting. Allison is a great person to go to if you have questions while at Whole Foods. Visit her in the Whole Body section of Whole Foods when you're in Pittsburgh.