When the pollen flies, the head fills up: runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing, a sinus full of pressure and a chest full of mucus. A good allergy formula works as a natural decongestant and antihistamine. It dries up the excess secretions and helps the body push the mucus out of the head and the bronchial tubes.
Allergies are rarely only about pollen, though. When the bowels aren’t moving often enough, or the liver is too full of waste to keep up, the body pushes that waste out wherever it can, and the sinuses are a favorite place. I wrote about that side of it in Spring Time Allergy Issues. Clearing the bowels and flushing the liver go a long way toward a quieter allergy season.
What a Good Allergy Formula Contains
A good formula for allergies and sinus trouble might contain these nine herbs:
Mormon Tea, 4 parts. Its tannins have a drying effect that cuts down on mucus and other secretions. It is a cousin of Brigham Tea, just a bit gentler.
Marshmallow Root, 4 parts. Very soothing to inflamed tissue in the airways and all through the body.
Juniper Berries, 4 parts. Clears waste from the whole system through the kidneys and helps stop runny mucus discharges.
Goldenseal Root, 4 parts. Has a strong action on the mucous membranes, clearing up heavy or unhealthy secretions, and it cleanses the liver.
Chaparral, 4 parts. A natural expectorant that keeps the airways clear of excess mucus.
Burdock Root, 4 parts. A blood cleanser for any trouble that comes from built-up toxins, from allergies to skin eruptions.
Parsley Root, 4 parts. Long used to expel watery poisons and excess mucus and to reduce swollen glands.
Lobelia, 4 parts. Goes wherever the body is struggling and helps the other herbs do their work there, while relaxing the airways.
African Bird’s Eye Pepper, 1 part. A strong circulation herb that moves mucus out and clears the bronchial tubes and sinuses.
“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb. By weight, that’s 4 ounces each of the first eight herbs and 1 ounce of the pepper.
Putting It Together
Put the dry herbs in a glass jar and pour in 80-proof vodka. Once the herbs have settled, you want about 60% herb sediment on the bottom and 40% liquid on top. Shake the jar every day. The traditional timing follows the moon, from the new moon to the full moon, about two weeks. I prefer to let my extracts sit a full three months, which makes them good and strong. Then strain and bottle the liquid.
How Much and How Often
½ to 1 teaspoon twice a day, added to a cup of hot distilled water.
This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.
Kelp brought my own thyroid back to normal at twenty-five, after years on a pill I was told I would need for life. The whole story is in My Thyroid Story. Here is why kelp works, how to use it, and why the iodine in kelp is so different from the iodine sold in a bottle.
Why Kelp Works
Our bodies need only the tiniest amounts of the trace minerals, such as iodine, copper, manganese, boron and zinc, yet without them we cannot live. Kelp is one of the richest sources of these, and above all of iodine.
The thyroid needs iodine to make its hormone. Without enough, it has to work overtime and can swell into a goiter. And the thyroid touches nearly everything: it regulates metabolism and body fat, steadies the heart, brightens the mind, keeps the bowels moving, and works with the pancreas, the adrenals, the ovaries and testes, and the pituitary. Kelp is a far better source of iodine than iodized salt, and used as a seasoning it easily supplies what the body needs.
More Than the Thyroid
Weight: Kelp has long been used as a slow, steady aid to weight loss. It acts more as a normalizer than a fat burner; thin people can put on weight while taking it.
The liver: Kelp has an affinity for the liver, supplying the salts it needs and helping clear congestion. A sluggish liver brings low moods, and a bright, vital person has an active liver.
Blood vessels: It tones the walls of the blood vessels and helps normalize both high and low blood pressure.
Minerals: It is one of the highest sources of potassium among foods and herbs, and a good source of vitamin B12 for those who eat no animal foods.
A Good Kelp Blend
Kelp works even better alongside its sea cousins. A good kelp blend might combine three sea plants, powdered and put into capsules:
Atlantic Kelp, 2 parts.
Irish Moss, 1 part.
Dulse, 1 part.
Each brings its own mix of ocean minerals, so together they cover more ground than kelp alone.
How Much and How Often
Dr. Christopher’s suggestion: 5 capsules of the kelp blend three times a day.
What I do: 10 capsules in the morning, and another 5 later in the day when I remember.
Kelp is a food, so it can also be used freely as a seasoning, sprinkled on your meals in place of salt.
Organic Iodine and Inorganic Iodine
Dr. Edward E. Shook, in his Advanced Treatise in Herbology, explains the difference between the iodine in sea plants and the iodine made in a factory.
Dr. Edward E. Shook
Positively hundreds of instances could be cited to prove the deleterious effects of the application of inorganic matter and the positive curative effects of the intelligent application of nature’s great store of organic remedies– Herbs– in the treatment of pathological conditions of the human organism. —Advanced Treatise in Herbology, by Dr. Edward E. Shook, pg. 16
Inorganic Iodine
We will take a cursory glance at one more important item of evidence showing the incalculable injury that can be done to the human organism by the administration of inorganic substances, more especially, those elements which have been artificially made or separated from organic matter by the action of violent acids, alkalies, or reduction to ashes by burning.
This universally-used and insidious poison is commonly called iodine. This element is found naturally combined with sodium, potassium, calcium, and manganese, in seawater, mineral springs, and marine plants and animals, but in exceedingly minute quantities. There are only 37 parts of iodine in 100,000 parts of cod liver oil.
The commonly used iodine is obtained from the ashes of burnt kelp, dissolved in water; the solution is then evaporated. The iodine is liberated by the action of chlorine aided by heat, and then condensed.
Taken internally, this form of iodine acts both as a local irritant and as a true poison. It slowly decomposes water, stealing hydrogen to form hydrogen iodide. This in turn gives off white fumes on contact with air and has a powerful acid reaction. Mixed with oxygen, it decomposes in the dark forming water, and liberating iodine, which again carries on its devastating effects upon the gastric organs and fluids producing a long chain of disasters.
The gas previously mentioned under sulfur; namely, sulfur anhydride, is decomposed by iodine, once more forming hydrogen iodide, and freeing sulfur; and we have seen what sulfur does.
This inorganic iodine is a most insidious and injurious substance that upsets and disorganizes all the digestive fluids producing various forms of dyspepsia, severe gastric pain, indigestion, foul gaseous eructation, and inability to assimilate food. This so-called specific disease is named Iodism. It by no means confines its disruptive action to the gastric organs, nor does it have to be taken internally to poison the body; for if it be painted on the throat or any other part of the body, it can be traced in the urine in from 30 to 40 minutes.
Organic Iodine
Now to the difference manifested in the action of organic iodine; and what a vast difference there is.
Every saline aquatic plant contains iodine in combination with sodium, potassium, calcium, and manganese; also phosphates, sulfates, chlorides, bromides, etc.
They are all nonpoisonous, nutrient foods, antiscorbutics and vulnerary plants of the highest order.
Here are two in particular that for thousands of years have been used successfully in the treatment and cure of chronic disease.
Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosis). It is an alterative of great virtue, especially in obesity, reducing fatty acids, and tending to rid the system of useless waste matter.
Irish Moss (Chondrus crispus), a remarkable demulcent, nutrient, and dietetic providing the organism with what are loosely called vitamins, in the form of chlorides, iodides, bromides, phosphates, and sulfates of sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. All of them are positive organic salts, absolutely necessary to the healthy metabolism of the human body. This whole family of herbs is fully described, together with their therapeutic application. —Advanced Treatise in Herbology, by Dr. Edward E. Shook, pg. 15-16
Read more on the subject of Iodine from the first chapter of Dr. Shook’s text book.
Low mood is rarely just in the mind. A brain that isn’t getting enough blood flow, a thyroid running low, a liver and bowel holding onto waste, a body worn out from a long stretch of stress: any one of these can leave a person flat, foggy and discouraged. A good mood formula works on all of them at once. It lifts the mood itself, eases the anxiety that often rides along with it, and feeds and clears the body that the mind lives in.
What a Good Mood Formula Contains
A good formula for a low mood might contain these six herbs:
St. John’s Wort, 4 parts. The lead herb. It is long used for mild to moderate depression, helping keep more of the brain’s own mood chemicals active.
Kava Kava, 2 parts. Eases anxiety and muscle tension and brings relaxation without dulling the mind. Unlike many calming herbs, it settles stress while letting you stay alert.
Uva Ursi Leaf, 2 parts. Supports the kidneys as an elimination organ, helping the body clear waste and ease bloating and water retention.
Hawthorn Berries, 1 part. Improves blood flow and oxygen delivery to the heart and the rest of the body, the brain included.
Yellow Dock, 1 part. Supports the liver and gets the bowels moving, so waste leaves the body instead of circulating back through it. It also helps the body absorb iron.
Kelp, 1 part. A rich natural source of iodine, the raw material the thyroid needs. A thyroid running low brings on fatigue, apathy and brain fog that can look exactly like depression.
“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb. By weight, that’s 4 ounces of St. John’s Wort, 2 each of Kava and Uva Ursi, and 1 each of Hawthorn, Yellow Dock and Kelp.
Putting It Together
Put the dry herbs in a glass jar and pour in 80-proof vodka. Once the herbs have settled, you want about 60% herb sediment on the bottom and 40% liquid on top. Shake the jar every day. The traditional timing follows the moon, from the new moon to the full moon, about two weeks. I prefer to let my extracts sit a full three months, which makes them good and strong. Then strain and bottle the liquid.
How Much and How Often
For serious issues: 1 tablespoon twice a day.
Always with Echinacea at this level. The work these herbs do in the brain creates die-off, and Echinacea supports the body through it so there’s no backlash from the higher dose.
From my own experience, this dose has been very useful during times of emotional crisis.
After a Panic Attack
This formula pairs well with the nerve food formula I wrote about in Food for a Frayed Nervous System. When a panic attack strikes, reach for the nerve food first; it acts as the brake that brings the heart rate down and breaks the panic. Once the panic has passed, the body is left exhausted and depleted, and that is where this formula comes in. It keeps the leftover anxiety from building back up and lifts you out of the low that follows.
Take the nerve food first, then wait 15 to 20 minutes before taking the mood formula.
Keep taking the mood formula steadily for two to three days afterward, even after you feel fine. That gives the nervous system time to rebuild its reserves, so the anxiety doesn’t rebound.
Why Echinacea Keeps the Backlash Away
At the higher dose, some people starting this formula feel a day or two of flu-like malaise: fatigue, a headache, a little nausea or brain fog. I’ve long called it die-off. As the brain adjusts to having more of its own mood chemicals active, and as St. John’s Wort’s strong compounds work through the gut, the body answers with inflammatory messengers called cytokines, and that is what you feel.
Echinacea is a strong immune balancer and anti-inflammatory. Taken alongside the formula, it calms that response, so the headache, fatigue and malaise clear and the backlash never gets started. That is why I always pair the two at this level.
This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.
The prostate is a small gland with three lobes that make seminal fluid, and the tube that empties the bladder passes right over its middle lobe. In later life the prostate often becomes enlarged, and when it does, it begins to close off that tube. The first sign is usually a weaker stream. Left alone, the blockage can become very serious.
Dr. Christopher taught that the enlargement comes from mucus and sediment collecting in the gland, often in a body whose own male hormones are no longer enough to keep it working well. Sandwich meat slices and beef products are the worst offenders, and they do the prostate no favors. So the work is to clear out what has collected, keep the urine flowing, and feed the gland what it needs.
What a Good Prostate Formula Contains
A good formula for the prostate might contain these nine herbs:
Saw Palmetto Berry, 4 parts. The lead herb, and one of the most trusted herbs for men’s health. It has long been valued for supporting the prostate and a healthy balance of male hormones.
Pygeum Bark, 3 parts. An African bark used for generations to ease an enlarged prostate and the urinary trouble that comes with it.
Nettle Root, 1 part. Works hand in hand with Saw Palmetto to support a healthy prostate and an easier flow of urine.
Cleavers, 1 part. A cleansing herb for the lymph and the urinary tract, helping to clear the congestion that collects in the gland.
Corn Silk, 1 part. Soothing to the whole urinary tract, easing irritation and supporting a good flow.
Juniper Berry, 1 part. Removes waste through the kidneys, and strengthens and builds the urinary passages and the bladder.
Uva Ursi Leaf, 1 part. A classic herb for the urinary system, toning and cleansing the tract.
Thuja Leaf, 1 part. Long used for growths and congestion in the glands.
Oat Tops, 1 part. A nourishing food for the nerves and a traditional support for male vitality.
“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb. By weight, that’s 4 ounces of Saw Palmetto, 3 of Pygeum and 1 ounce each of the other seven.
Putting It Together
Put the dry herbs in a glass jar and pour in 80-proof vodka. Once the herbs have settled, you want about 60% herb sediment on the bottom and 40% liquid on top. Shake the jar every day. The traditional timing follows the moon, from the new moon to the full moon, about two weeks. I prefer to let my extracts sit a full three months, which makes them good and strong. Then strain and bottle the liquid.
How Much and How Often
The amount is 1 teaspoon each time. How often depends on how big the issue is:
Maintaining a healthy prostate: 1 teaspoon once a day.
Issues that are under control: 1 teaspoon two or three times a day.
Working through active issues on a good program: 1 teaspoon every three hours, five times a day.
Body size makes a real difference in how much of any formula a person needs, so adjust the amount to what actually works. Going completely meat-free while the prostate is recovering is very important; once the body has recovered, you can decide what you can safely begin eating again. Keep the bowels moving well, too, so the gland isn’t fighting a constant new supply of waste.
This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.
I’ve dealt with low blood sugar all my life, including what I call “brown-outs.” You can hear what’s happening around you, but you can’t respond. It’s an awful place to be. If you fight hard enough you can pull yourself out of it, but there’s a strong pull to go back under, so sleepy it’s very hard to get moving again.
When I feel that pull coming on, after a larger than usual meal or just an exhausting day when my reserves are low, I take a teaspoon of this formula, and I do not go under. Within minutes I’m feeling like myself again. I may still be tired and in need of rest, but the strong pull to go down hard is gone. It has never failed me.
Our members with blood sugar issues on the high side have had good results too. When a good food program is followed, their numbers often come down into the normal range within days to weeks.
How a Blood Sugar Drop Happens
There’s more than one road to that falling feeling. After a high-carb meal, the body can release more insulin than the moment calls for, and blood sugar drops faster than it rose. Emotional trauma and high stress get there a different way: the stress hormones the body releases to meet the moment burn through its glucose reserves, and blood sugar falls right along with them once the stress passes. Either way, the body ends up in the same unsteady place.
What a Good Pancreas Formula Contains
A good formula for the pancreas might contain these six herbs:
Cedar Berries, 16 parts. The master herb. Cedar Berries have long been used as a tonic for the pancreas, and time and again they have proven able to steady blood sugar issues without any ill effects.
Uva Ursi Leaf, 6 parts. Supports the urinary system through the extra fluid work that comes with blood sugar swings.
Licorice Root, 3 parts. Soothes and supports the adrenal glands, which work hand in hand with the pancreas to keep blood sugar on an even keel.
Mullein, 3 parts. A gentle, nourishing herb that rounds out the support for the glands.
Cayenne, 2 parts. Stimulates circulation, carrying the rest of the formula to the glands that need it.
Goldenseal Root, 1 part. A deeply nourishing herb for the glands, used to support and tone the pancreas.
“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb. By weight, that’s a pound of Cedar Berries, 6 ounces of Uva Ursi, 3 ounces each of Licorice and Mullein, 2 of Cayenne and 1 of Goldenseal.
Putting It Together
Put the dry herbs in a glass jar and pour in 80-proof vodka. Once the herbs have settled, you want about 60% herb sediment on the bottom and 40% liquid on top. Shake the jar every day. The traditional timing follows the moon, from the new moon to the full moon, about two weeks. I prefer to let my extracts sit a full three months, which makes them good and strong. Then strain and bottle the liquid.
How Much and How Often
1 teaspoon three times a day: first thing in the morning, at midday and last thing at night.
When you feel a drop coming on, take a teaspoon right away.
This is a nutritional formula meant for steady, ongoing use, not a quick fix. It can take six months or more of consistent use for its full support to come through. Results come faster the closer you stay to a clean, low-sugar diet, keeping added sugars, soft drinks, candy, pastries and refined bread to a minimum.
Other Ways I Use It
Because it supports the whole glandular system, this is the formula I reach for first whenever I feel “off,” not quite myself. It’s also excellent for marathon runners and other endurance athletes, who often pay for a long run with a serious blood sugar crash afterward. And it is very steadying in times of emotional trauma, when the body’s stress response can pull blood sugar down with it.
This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.
If you’ve ever dealt with the fatigue, gas, bloating and brain fog that come with an overgrowth of Candida albicans, you know how miserable and confusing it can be. Candida is meant to be part of a normal, healthy balance in the gut, a small and quiet resident. The trouble starts when it’s allowed to multiply unchecked, and the byproducts of that overgrowth show up as symptoms that don’t seem to add up to any one clear cause.
This is one of the few formulas that didn’t come out of my own kitchen alone. A group of my Natural Healing “daughters,” herbalists I’ve trained and mentored over the years, got on a conference call with me and we hammered this combination out together. I was the guiding force, but it reflects everyone’s input, and it has stuck around because my girls like it and keep asking for it.
What a Good Candida Formula Contains
A good formula for a yeast overgrowth might contain these six herbs, all powdered:
Garlic, 4 parts. The lead herb. A powerful antifungal against Candida that leaves the good bacteria you want to keep. It also gives the liver and colon a cleansing boost.
Oregano, 2 parts. One of the strongest natural antifungals there is. What I like most is that Candida doesn’t seem to build resistance to it the way it can to some other antifungals.
Pau D’Arco, 2 parts. Does two jobs at once. It gently loosens the bowels, not to the point of diarrhea, just enough to wash out the old waste the yeast hides in, and it is a strong antifungal in its own right.
Cat’s Claw, 1 part. Strengthens the white blood cells so they can go after Candida and other invaders, and calms inflammation in the gut.
Olive Leaf, 1 part. Stirs up the immune response and helps keep blood sugar steady, which matters more than people realize, since extra sugar is exactly what feeds a yeast overgrowth.
Ginger Root, 1 part. Ties it all together, easing digestion, supporting circulation and soothing the inflamed gut.
“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb. By weight, that’s 4 ounces of Garlic, 2 each of Oregano and Pau D’Arco, and 1 each of Cat’s Claw, Olive Leaf and Ginger.
Putting It Together
This one is different from most of my formulas. Instead of an extract, the powdered herbs are mixed well and put into capsules.
How Much and How Often
2 capsules three times a day.
With each dose, 15 drops of Black Walnut extract. Black Walnut is one of the strongest natural antifungals around, and it gives the whole approach more backup.
Clearing a Candida overgrowth is rarely a one-ingredient job. Changing what you eat and adding a good probiotic will do as much for your long-term balance as any antifungal. The antifungal herbs are what get you through the overgrowth; you won’t need them forever, just until things settle down. Track how you feel. As the yeast clears, the symptoms go with it.
My Own Approach
As much as I stand behind this formula, my own go-to for a stubborn yeast overgrowth is a strong standalone Olive Leaf extract. It is powerful, so build up to the full amount slowly over a few weeks rather than starting at full strength. That is how I cleared my own yeast issues, which I had in spades after nearly 15 years of living on antibiotics for kidney and bladder infections. If you’ve been on antibiotics for any length of time, you may be in the same boat I was, and there is a way back.
This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.
For years I resisted making a liquid calcium formula. Every calcium product I’d ever known was white and chalky: a pill, a powder, something solid you could see and trust. This one is a clear liquid extract, and I had a hard time believing something that looked like water could carry any real value.
But I genuinely needed a good source of calcium. Every calcium capsule I tried, no matter how well regarded, sent my kidneys into fits of pain after a single dose. That sensitivity has held true ever since, even after a great deal of healing in my kidneys over the years.
It took some serious coaxing from my mentor Jackie before I finally relented, collected the herbs and set the formula. When it was ready I took it alongside my daily Superfood, as always. That first evening I was pleasantly floored: my restless legs, which had plagued me for years, didn’t come to visit. Within about a month my fingernails had grown noticeably harder, no longer breaking or peeling the way they used to. And my kidneys had no complaint at all, because I wasn’t taking mineral calcium in the first place.
Why Plant Calcium Works
Calcium does far more than build bone. The body needs it for the nerve sheaths, the walls of the veins and arteries, and the teeth. But most calcium on the shelf is an inorganic mineral, the kind that can be swallowed but not truly assimilated. What the body can’t use, it has to deal with, and the kidneys are often left holding the leftovers.
Dr. Christopher taught that the minerals the body can actually use are the ones that have already gone through plant life: herbs, fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds. A plant takes the minerals out of the soil and turns them into a form our bodies recognize as food.
What a Good Calcium Formula Contains
A good plant-calcium formula might contain these four herbs:
Horsetail Grass, 6 parts. The lead herb. It is rich in silica, which the body converts to calcium, and it carries manganese, zinc, iron, magnesium and phosphorus as well.
Comfrey Root, 4 parts. Adds its own calcium, phosphorus, potassium and iron, along with allantoin, long credited with speeding tissue repair.
Oat Straw, 3 parts. A nourishing herb for the nerves that adds more calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium.
Lobelia, 1 part. A small amount that helps carry the rest of the formula where it is needed.
“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb. By weight, that’s 6 ounces of Horsetail, 4 of Comfrey, 3 of Oat Straw and 1 of Lobelia.
Putting It Together
Put the dry herbs in a glass jar and pour in 80-proof vodka. Once the herbs have settled, you want about 60% herb sediment on the bottom and 40% liquid on top. Shake the jar every day. The traditional timing follows the moon, from the new moon to the full moon, about two weeks. I prefer to let my extracts sit a full three months, which makes them good and strong. Then strain and bottle the liquid.
How Much and How Often
This is a food formula, so it can be used freely. I suggest 1 teaspoon three times a day.
Take it alongside a good whole-food nutrition blend. I discovered over the months that this formula needs that extra nutrition to do its job well.
Calcium from Eggshells
Dr. Christopher taught that sugar leaches the calcium out of the body, and that pregnancy and nursing draw on the mother’s calcium, from her bones and teeth if need be. Besides his calcium formula, he gave this old way of getting natural calcium from eggshells:
Pull out the thin membrane that lines the inside of each shell.
Dry the shells at room temperature, or in an oven under 130°F.
When thoroughly dry, powder them in a blender, nut mill or with a rolling pin.
Cover the powder from one dozen shells with one pint of apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice, which spoils sooner). Use a large container, because it foams.
Adults take two or more tablespoons, alone or in distilled water, tea or juice; children the same, in proportion. Some like to add a tablespoon of honey to each tablespoon of the vinegar-calcium mix.
This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.
Over the weekend a member texted me with a horrid cough, and I realized I had nothing on my blog to send him to. I’ve mentioned this formula in my flu posts for years but never written it up. So here it is.
The bronchial tubes carry air to and from the lungs. They’re lined with a thin layer of mucus that traps dust, germs and irritants before they can reach the delicate lung tissue beneath. When all is well, that mucus stays thin and is cleared quietly, without our ever noticing.
When the bronchial tubes are irritated, that mucus thickens into old, hard debris the body can’t seem to cough out on its own. Left there, it keeps irritating the airway, and the body keeps trying to cough it up. That is how a cold or flu turns into a nagging cough that hangs on for weeks. Stop the coughing by clearing out what is causing it.
One summer, in a vegan cooking class I was teaching, a woman couldn’t stop coughing. She’d been a missionary in Ecuador and had come home so her chronic cough could finally get some attention. She started on this formula, and a cough that had been with her for who knows how long was gone within a week.
What a Good Bronchial Formula Contains
A good formula for clearing the bronchial tubes might contain these seven herbs:
Comfrey Root, 4 parts. The lead herb. Comfrey soothes irritated tissue faster than almost anything I know, and it helps loosen the old mucus so it can come up.
Horehound, 4 parts. A classic bitter expectorant that breaks up thick, tough phlegm and moves it out of the chest.
Boneset, 4 parts. Long used for chest colds, flu and lingering congestion. Its old names, feverwort and ague weed, come from exactly this kind of use.
Coltsfoot, 4 parts. Its Latin name, Tussilago, means “cough dispeller.” It is soothing and slippery, and it calms an irritated throat and bronchial tubes while it helps clear them.
Elecampane Root, 2 parts. A warming bitter with a long history with old, stubborn chest congestion.
Ginger Root, 1 part. The circulation herb. It moves blood and clears waste at the capillary level, carrying the rest of the formula to the tissue that needs it.
Lobelia, 1 part. Just a small amount to relax the throat, stomach and bronchial tubes so the rest of the formula can do its work.
“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb. By weight, that’s 4 ounces each of the first four herbs, 2 ounces of Elecampane, and 1 ounce each of Ginger and Lobelia.
How It Works
Comfrey, Horehound, Boneset and Coltsfoot are all expectorants. Together they help the body loosen and bring up the old, hardened mucus that a cough alone can’t move. Elecampane adds its own warming help with stubborn congestion, Ginger carries the formula where it’s needed, and the touch of Lobelia relaxes the airway so the mucus can come up instead of the coughing just going on and on.
As the old debris clears, the irritation goes with it, and the cough quiets down because there’s nothing left to cough up. It also works very well for general chest congestion.
When a Coughing Spasm Hits
Sometimes a cough turns into a spasm, where you simply can’t stop. For that, take a full dropper of Lobelia extract by itself. Lobelia is one of the best antispasmodics there is, and it relaxes the bronchial tubes quickly so the spasm lets go. You can read more about this wonderful herb in my post LOBELIA.
Putting It Together
Put the dry herbs in a glass jar and pour in 80-proof vodka. Once the herbs have settled, you want about 60% herb sediment on the bottom and 40% liquid on top. Shake the jar every day. The traditional timing follows the moon, from the new moon to the full moon, about two weeks. I prefer to let my extracts sit a full three months, which makes them good and strong. Then strain and bottle the liquid.
How Much and How Often
The usual amount: ½ to 1 teaspoon every 3 to 5 hours.
When the cough is bad: 1 teaspoon in a mug, filled halfway with boiling water. Sip it warm, about every 3 hours, five times a day.
For a coughing spasm: a full dropper of Lobelia extract on its own.
Body size makes a real difference in how much of any formula a person needs, so a smaller person or a child needs less. Adjust the amount to what actually works.
Where It Fits
A cough is often the tail end of a cold or flu, and this formula works right alongside the rest of the infection support I use. For getting the body ready before the season hits, see Getting Ready for Flu Season. For fighting the infection itself, see Our Two Infection Fighters.
This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.
Insomnia can make it hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep, or wake you too early with no way back to sleep. It saps your energy, your mood, your work and, over time, your health. Most adults need seven to eight hours a night. I know insomnia from the inside: the hormonal shifts of menopause brought on an acute case for me, and it’s not uncommon for women after childbirth or during menopause. That stretch taught me what works and what doesn’t help much.
Herbs help, as far as they go. I keep two sleep formulas, and each has its own personality.
The First: Letting the Body Grow Drowsy
This one lets the body become drowsy and drift off. It fits some people very well, while others have found it less effective, so it’s worth trying to see whether it’s yours.
Kava Kava, 2 parts. Long used in the South Pacific to relax the body and quiet an anxious mind.
Valerian Root, 2 parts. A calming root long used to ease nervous tension and support restful sleep.
Gotu Kola, 1 part. A traditional brain and nerve tonic.
Passionflower, 1 part. Used to quiet a restless mind and support sound sleep.
Skullcap, 1 part. One of the classic nerve-nourishing herbs.
Lobelia, 1 part. A relaxant and antispasmodic that helps the whole body let go.
By weight, that’s 2 ounces each of Kava Kava and Valerian and 1 ounce each of the other four.
The Second: Calming the Whole Body
This one is a calming aid for the entire body, in four herbs of equal parts:
Valerian Root, 1 part. The calming backbone of the formula.
Blue Vervain, 1 part. A traditional relaxing nervine, long used for tension and restlessness.
Skullcap, 1 part. Calms nervous tension without dulling the mind.
Wood Betony, 1 part. A traditional nerve tonic that calms and strengthens the nervous system.
I’ve used this one myself to calm my restless legs. A teaspoon in water clears that crawly, restless feeling in my legs, and I find my sleep restful and unbroken when I’ve taken it before bed.
Putting Them Together
“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb in a formula. Make each one as a tincture: put the dry herbs in a glass jar and pour in 80-proof vodka. Once the herbs have settled, you want about 60% herb sediment on the bottom and 40% liquid on top. Shake the jar every day. The traditional timing follows the moon, from the new moon to the full moon, about two weeks. I prefer to let my extracts sit a full three months, which makes them good and strong. Then strain and bottle the liquid.
A common amount is a teaspoon in water before bed.
When It Isn’t the Nerves
Sometimes a person can’t sleep because the body is stuck in fight-or-flight. Every time they begin to doze off, the body jars them awake, as if a gunshot had gone off in the room, and the pulse races into an anxiety attack. Nervine herbs calm the anxiety, but they can’t stop the alarm signals.
My father, Dr. Carlous Mason, DSc, used Uva Ursi for patients caught in that adrenal spin. Uva Ursi isn’t a nervine at all; it’s known for supporting the kidneys and bladder. But he found it settles the sympathetic nervous system, at 6 to 8 capsules. A member of ours tried it after a night like that. An hour after taking 8 capsules he fell asleep, slept deeply for four hours, and woke calm with the anxiety gone. This isn’t something to use every night for sleep. It’s for when the body needs help shutting down the fight-or-flight response.
Other Helps for Sleep
Keep the bowels open and moving well.
Stop the stimulants: coffee, tea, chocolate and the like.
Take the electronics out of the bedroom.
Stop eating in the evening, no food after 6 PM.
Walk barefoot outside on the grass or ground for 15 minutes a day. The earth is our best grounding rod; it pulls the built-up static electricity from the body. When the system is overloaded with static, the nerves can’t relax, shut down and allow sleep.
Flush the liver. For me, one of the best long-term supports was liver flushing. Clearing the toxins from my system gave me several weeks of good sleep at a time.
Choosing Among the Nerve Formulas
I keep several formulas for the nerves, and each has its own personality:
The nerve food formula: feeds and rebuilds a worn-out nervous system; my go-to for anxiety and panic.
The general nervine: a strong calming and restorative formula for sleep, and for emotional crisis in lower daytime amounts.
The two sleep formulas (this post): one that lets the body grow drowsy, and one that calms the whole body, restless legs included.
This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.
Years ago, after a class lecture, a grandmother came up to me desperate for help. She had taken in her grandchildren after a very difficult situation at home, and the youngest, still quite small, had become an extremely disagreeable child. At night she would tear her bed to shreds in her sleep, and the school was ready to bar her from after-school care, which her grandmother needed in order to work.
I prayed for direction, and this formula came strongly to mind. I knew it was restorative and good in a crisis, but I’d never thought to use it quite this way. The grandmother agreed to try 10 drops before bed. The next morning the child woke to a bed that barely needed the sheet straightened, came into the kitchen, and politely asked for hot chocolate. Her grandmother told me you could have knocked her over with a feather. The child asked for her drops every night after that, at the same 10 drops, for a long stretch of time. Years later I ran into them again. She was in her late teens by then, calm and sweet.
The herb doesn’t do all the work; there’s always deeper emotional healing a person has to do for themselves. But sometimes a child’s mind just needs help calming down enough to cope with what it can’t yet begin to comprehend.
What a Good General Nervine Contains
This one is five herbs, in equal parts:
Skullcap Herb, 1 part. One of the most trusted nervine herbs, used to calm nervous tension and quiet a racing mind without dulling mental clarity.
Hops Flowers, 1 part. A gentle sedative herb, used to ease restlessness and support deep, restful sleep.
Valerian Root, 1 part. Traditionally described as giving an almost exhilarating sense of calm, and especially valued for supporting women through the emotional swings of the monthly cycle.
Gentian Root, 1 part. One of the most bitter herbs there is, used to support digestion. It’s here because a settled digestive system and a calm nervous system go hand in hand.
Black Cohosh, 1 part. Long used to support hormonal balance and ease the nervous tension that comes with hormonal shifts.
“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb. By weight, that’s simply equal ounces of all five.
How It Works
This is a quieting combination for the nervous system. It settles the mind and eases the transition into sleep, and it lets you wake up alert and clear rather than groggy. It has also been used to ease the agitation of addiction recovery, and to support calm and focus in children and adults who struggle with restlessness, hyperactivity or trouble settling their attention.
When menopause brought on a hard case of insomnia for me, I tried a good many things. Of the herbal supports, this formula proved the most effective.
Emotional First Aid
This formula has a second, very different use: emotional first aid during a crisis. At a lower daytime amount it won’t cause the drowsiness the full bedtime amount can, but it takes the sharpest edge off overwhelming emotion. I have seen firsthand how it lets the mind process the changes while keeping the emotions from cascading out of control. It shores up emotional strength and keeps a person from sliding into hysterics.
The sting of loss will come to all of us at some point. Pain, when embraced as a teacher, can uplift and ennoble as the heart and mind find the inner strength to rise above and move on. The discovery, the gift, is that you are more for having passed through the fire.
Putting It Together
Put the dry herbs in a glass jar and pour in 80-proof vodka. Once the herbs have settled, you want about 60% herb sediment on the bottom and 40% liquid on top. Shake the jar every day. The traditional timing follows the moon, from the new moon to the full moon, about two weeks. I prefer to let my extracts sit a full three months, which makes them good and strong. Then strain and bottle the liquid.
The same herbs made into a salve are an excellent aid for nerve pain. Fully extract them in extra virgin olive oil in a 150-degree oven for three hours, swap the spent herbs for fresh ones, three times through in all, and thicken the finished oil with beeswax.
How Much and How Often
For sleep: 2 to 4 droppersful in a hot cup of tea at bedtime.
For emotional first aid during the day: ¼ to ½ teaspoon, or 20 to 30 drops for someone very petite.
Body size makes a real difference in how much of any formula a person needs, so adjust the amount to what actually works for the person. The only adverse effect I’ve seen is sleepiness at the higher amounts.
Choosing Among the Nerve Formulas
I keep several formulas for the nerves, and each has its own personality:
The nerve food formula: feeds and rebuilds a worn-out nervous system; my go-to for anxiety and panic.
The general nervine (this post): a strong calming and restorative formula for sleep, and for emotional crisis in lower daytime amounts.
The two sleep formulas: one that lets the body grow drowsy, and one that calms the whole body, restless legs included.
This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.
