Self Care Archives - Simply Me DIY

February 11, 2020February 11, 2020

My 5 Favorite Anti-Viral Herbs

It’s cold and flu season and using an herbal anti-viral can be an easy step in helping your body fend off an illness.

A jar of honey. — Adding honey sweetens anything.

If something as easy as drinking tea can help, you’ll want to choose the best herbs for the job, right?

There’s a ton to choose from. Some are really tasty, others not so much. But everything is sweeter with honey, right?

I’m not going to tell you’ll be safe from a virus using an anti-viral herb, because herbs just don’t work that way. But I will tell you, that it will help support your body in fighting off a virus and if you do catch one, it can help your body fight it off.

It’s not a cure all, but it’s one more barrier between you and the virus.

What is an anti-viral or antimicrobial herb?

An anti-viral kills or inhibits the replication of a virus. An antimicrobial is something that kills microorganisms. Microorganisms includes bacteria, virus and fungus. They’re the heavy hitters, not harsh, just tough.

Herbs aren’t like the drugs of modern medicine. You don’t just take this herb for that problem. What may work for one person, may not work for another.

So if the first one you try doesn’t work for you, find anther one. There are tons of anti-viral and antimicrobial herbs out there.

Here’s a list of 5 of my favorite, easy to find anti-viral or antimicrobial herbs.

This list of herbs are ones you can find really easy. That makes it super simple to use them as often as possible. Drinking 2-3 cups of tea a day is really the best way to use herbs in a preventative way.

1. The Elder Tree

Elderberries are an anti-viral. — Elderberries.

One of the most popular anti-viral herbs is the elderberry. Actually the leaves, flowers and berries are all anti-viral, but generally the berries are what everyone knows. I wrote about making elderberry syrup here. This is great because kids like it and it’s easy to get it in them.

You can also make jam with the berries. I haven’t done that yet, but it sounds good. I kinda think with all the sugar added to the jam, while it would taste good, might negate some of the benefit….but maybe not. Who knows.

2. Lemon Balm

This is another one of my favorites. I put this in a lot of my teas because of its benefits and because I think it tastes good. It’s also a relaxant so I love that extra benefit too.

Lemon balm is also an anti-viral herb — A bunch of lemon balm

It’s super simple to grow. It’s part of the mint family so you probably want to plant it in a container or it will eventually take over your yard. I wrote a whole article about lemon balm here, if you’d like to know more. There’s some really cool folklore behind this herb.

3. Lavender

The Lavender plant is an anti-viral herb

Lavender is an antimicrobial.

Lavender is great to cook with, like these Lavender Shortbread cookies and in all different sorts of tea. And it smells divine. But I’ve found a little goes a long way. Too much in your tea and that’s all you can taste. It can overwhelm if you’re not careful.

If you’d like more information about lavender, you can read about it here. It’s another one that has a ton of uses, so I hope you’ll check it out and find all kinds of ways to use it.

4. Rosemary

Dried Rosemary herb — Organic dried Rosemary

Yep, that’s right. The same stuff you have in your spice rack. Besides adding it to your favorite dish (I like it on my eggs), you can also drink it as a tea.

But you don’t have to drink it as a tea to get its antimicrobial benefits.

I’ve found most recipes call for a teaspoon of this or a half teaspoon of that. Try adding more than what it calls for. Though, you still want your recipe to taste good, I’ve found adding more than what it calls for can add more than just flavor. Just add small amounts at a time so you don’t overwhelm your food.

5. Thyme

Again, here’s another one from your spice rack. Who knew?

Thyme is another antimicrobial with an added benefit of being an expectorant.

Lore says that in ancient times soldiers drank it as a tea and used in their bath before going to war to increase their bravery and courage.

I have to admit it wasn’t too long ago that I actually tried these kitchen herbs like a tea. And I got to say, I was kind of surprised that I liked them. I didn’t expect that. Putting them in food is one thing, but you just never think of drinking them like a tea.

Get your anti-viral brew started.

Have a couple cups of tea a day or a good long soak with a bundle of herbs in your bath (or even pour a strong brew of tea in your bath) or just cook with them, or better yet a combination of these. Any of these methods will work to support your body in fighting against a virus.

Do you have any herbs you use to help fight off colds and flus? If you do, share them in the comments.

These are just my favorite, I’d love to know yours.

Subscribe and like if you liked the information here today. And I’ll talk to you again soon.

Until then –

Health, Wealth & Blessings ~Tracey

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or illness. It is for educational purposes only. Please do your own research to find what is best for you and your family.

January 31, 2020March 9, 2020

Calendula Oil – Enchanted Herbals

Here’s one my new products. This Calendula Oil is more versatile than you think!

🌼 Calendula has anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties, making it not only great to help relieve and calm eczema and rashes, but also to soothe bug bites!

We use Sweet Almond Oil as our carrier oil. It has lots of Vitamin E which is anti-aging and helps soften and smooth fine lines. The fatty acids in it also help the skin to retain its moisture, to heal the skin. Now, I know some of you may be intimidated to use an oil on your face however, Sweet Almond Oil is non-comedogenic and also has Zinc in it which helps to heal acne scars! So you see, this oil is a great go-to for everyone! 🥰

This Calendula Oil makes your skin feel silky soft. And the Sweet Almond Oil absorbs so well and it doesn’t give you that greasy and oily feeling.

🩹Moms, toss it in your handbag for those impromptu scrapes, cuts or bug bites for the kids! Keep another at your vanity, to moisturize your face after cleansing! Keep another in your first aid kit at home! The list goes on with how you can use this product!

It’s packaging is also for easy use, just spray! Clean and simple! 👏🏼

I know you’ll love it and so will your skin. Contact me at tracey@simplymediy.com. I’d love to tell you more.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook & Instagram @traceysenchantedherbals. Check us out on Facebook to see what all we have to offer.

Until next time –

Health, Wealth & Blessings ~ Tracey

October 8, 2019January 20, 2020

The Uses of Basil

Basil (Ocimum basilicum), sometimes called sweet basil is another herb from the mint family, that I enjoyed this summer. It’s a culinary herb that smells absolutely fabulous and it tastes pretty good too.

Basil plant — A cool fact about the mint family plants is that they have square stems.

A few basic basil facts.

Basil is an annual. That means it dies off every year.

At the end of the season it’ll bolt (flower). Once the flowers dry they drop their seeds. reseeding itself for the following spring so it can start all over again.

There are several different varieties. Some are green and and some are purple and some that are a mixture of the two. But all of them have those amazing oils which causes that amazing aroma and awesome taste.

It likes both heat and sun. Mine sat in full sun all year and as I picked it over this summer, it only got bigger and bigger.

Don’t forget to keep it watered though. You’ll know when it needs water, it’ll look really sad.

If you only grow it so you can walk by, run your fingers through it and smell it daily, that would be okay. There were plenty of times you could find me standing over my basil while I watered it, just messing with the leaves so I could smell it.

But wait, there’s more. Basil has so many uses.

First and foremost, we all know it’s great for cooking. The flavor and aroma is divine. Especially fresh. Just pick a leaf or two and munch on them, if you have any doubt.

Go ahead, give it a try. I’ll wait….

There’s nothing better than fresh basil in your tomatoes sauce or on your morning eggs or even on your pizza.

I hear it’s great made into pesto too, but I’ve have to confess I’ve never tried presto.

I’ve used it all season as a fresh herb and I picked it and dehydrated it for the winter months.

As the end of the season gets here, it’ll begin to bolt. But, you can make it last a little longer by picking the flower buds off. As the plant flowers the leaves will begin to die off. If you pick the flowers, more leaves or whole stems will grow.

I’ve let mine go on to flower now, because they are I’ve already got a good supply dried to use over the winter and…..well…..it’s just a pretty plant.

I’ll just let it continue to flower and reseed for next spring.

Some benefits you may not know about.

Did you know basil is a great herb to add to your tea blends? If you haven’t read it yet, you can learn about making your own herbal tea blends here.

Basil has been shown to be mildly soothing and sedating. It’s considered to be an expectorant so as a tea it’s a good way to relieve a cough and get rid of that wet yucky stuff in your throat and lungs too. And it can help relieve a sore throat.

It’s really good for the stomach. There’s a reason it’s always been used in so many foods.

It’s been shown to relieve belly cramps and gas and it’s even been used for colic and to help prevent nausea.

And it’s even been used as an antiseptic.

Basil even has it’s own folklore.

In Greece basil is believed to bring good luck. So it’s planted in front of homes to bring the family luck.

The Greek Orthodox Church uses it in their holy water and it’s devoted to the Hindu Gods Krishna and Vishnu and is often cultivated around the temples where they were worshiped.

I hope you learned something new about basil and that you’ll look at it with a new prospective, with new ideas in all the ways you can use it.

Make a cup of tea with it after supper and relax. Pay attention to how it makes you feel. You might just find your new favorite after supper drink.

If you have different ways to use basil or an awesome recipe you’d like to share, leave it in the comments below. I’d love to know how you use basil.

Until next time.

Health, Wealth & Blessings ~ Tracey

September 10, 2019January 24, 2020

Elderberry Syrup

If you’ve never had it, you’ve probably heard of it, Elderberry syrup is almost the stuff of legends. And for good reason.

Umbels ob elderberries. — An elderberry umbel.

Elderberries have immune enhancing properties and strong antiviral properties that are helpful in preventing and shortening the life of viral infections like the flu and shingles.

They’re also good for upper respiratory infections and can help alleviate allergy symptoms.

This is one of those easy “insurance policies” (and one that tastes good too) to help keep you well during cold and flu season.

I won’t tell you it will prevent you from getting sick, but I will tell you IF you get sick the symptoms will be less severe and the duration will likely be a much shorter length of time.

Berry hunting

My husband had several places we’ve been watching since elderberries flowered in the late spring and early summer, just waiting for the berries to come on.

Bowls of elderberries. — Picked elderberries

So last weekend we decided it was time. We went to the spots we’d been watching, took a large paper bag, some utility scissors and picked berries.

And we picked a lot of berries. We got a little over 3 pounds.

I’ve made elderberry syrup from concentrate before because I’ve not been able to get the berries from anyone. That worked great too, but I wanted to use real berries.

The places where I buy my herbs from were sold out of the dried berries and I don’t have another place to get fresh ones from.

Elderberries make a really great syrup. I’ve heard of people making a great jelly or jam from them too. I’ve not done that yet, but I do plan on trying it someday.

A cup of elderberries in a sauce pan — A cup of elderberries

I’ve made this syrup several years running now. And, while I have caught a cold about once a year, I’ve not caught the flu.

I don’t do flu shots (shots aren’t an option for me.)

When I did catch a cold, I didn’t take any over the counter cold remedies. I just drank my teas and took my elderberry syrup and it was still gone in less than a week.

I’m a big believer that when my body says stay home and rest, I do it. I truly believe that’s a big part of getting well too.

Back to the elderberry syrup.

Now, I’m excited to see how much syrup I can get out of the 3 pounds of berries we picked.

Honey, masher, strainer and large bowl. — Basic supplies needed.

For your basic recipe you actually only need elderberries, water and honey. That’s it.

You can add other herbs or spices, based on your taste and desires, if you want. But for a basic syrup, these 3 ingredients are all that’s necessary.

For this recipe I added cinnamon and ginger root. You could add cloves if you wanted to.

Elderberry Syrup Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup fresh elderberries or 1/2 cup dried elderberries
3 cups water
about a half inch of ginger root (more or less if you like)
1/2 stick cinnamon (more or less)
About 1 cup of honey or to your preferred taste.

Instructions

Add elderberries, and your herbs and spices (except the honey), to the 3 cups of water in a sauce pan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer on low for 30-40 minutes.

All ingredients except the hone. — Elderberries, cinnamon and ginger root.

Turn off your heat and mash the mixture with a potato masher.

Stain through a cheese cloth and remove all the plant and spice material. You can add all this material to your compost pile.

At this point, if you wanted a tastier syrup, you could reduce this liquid a little, up to half.

Let the liquid set until just warm. Then add your honey and stir until dissolved.

Elderberry syrup before adding the honey.

You don’t want to add your honey to a hot mixture. You don’t want to add the honey to anything above about 100 degrees (less heat is better) or you’ll destroy that benefit it provides. (I’ll cover that in a separate post.)

Almost 4 cups of elderberry syrup. — Almost 4 cups of completed elderberry syrup.

It will dissolve pretty easy with a luke warm mixture.

Now bottle your syrup and put it in the refrigerator. Take a teaspoon or 2 everyday.

I’m taking about a half a shot glass in the mornings. That’s easy to measure and I’m less apt to spill it.

This recipe made almost 4 cups of syrup. That will be more or less depending on how much honey you add. This was really sweet, so I could have gone with a less honey. Maybe just 1/2 cup next time.

Best part is it’s an herbal recipe that really tastes good and the grandkids like it too. Can’t beat that.

If you’ve ever made elderberry syrup, I’d love to know what spices you used.

Do you know someone who could benefit from having a little of this in their fridge this winter? Share this post with them. They’ll be happy you did.

Until next time –

Health, Wealth & Blessings ~ Tracey

August 6, 2019June 14, 2021

The Virtues of Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm is one of the easiest plants you’ll ever grow with a bonus of the awesome lemony smell. It’s the Balm! (Yeah, that was a bad one I know, but I couldn’t resist).

Lemon balm tea blend. — Lemon balm and lavender tea blend.

The plant itself and the essential oil have many uses and all of them are enjoyable.

Lemon balm tea has a soothing, mild taste that I love. Because of this, I add lemon balm to a lot of my tea blends. Don’t miss my article on making your own homemade herbal teas here.

Another good way to enjoy the taste of lemon balm is to crush the leaves up, which releases the essential oils, then add them to your ice water. This gives the water an ever so slight lemon flavor that’s really good, plus you get the benefits of the herb too.

A little Lemon Balm history.

This herb dates back to the ancient Romans and Greeks, with one of its first recorded uses being a wine infused liniment.

The Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus (1493-1541) believed that Lemon Balm was the “Elixir of Life” and that it would increase strength and lengthen life.

The botanical name for Lemon Balm is Melissa Officinalis.

The word Melissa comes from the Greek word for honeybee. Lemon balm was given this name because bees love this plant.

“Melissai” was the name for a group of nymphs in ancient times, known as the nymphs of honey bees. They were credited with the discovery and use of honey and were believed to be able to morph into bees.

Lemon balm was traditionally used to uplift the spirits and used in spells to heal broken hearts and attract romantic love. It was said to balance feelings and emotions.

Ancient texts recount folk medicine practices using lemon balm tea as a support for heart health, and to promote healthy skin. It was common practice to use lemon balm externally or internally for it’s relaxing effects.

Today, many of its uses are the same.

Just running your hands through the plant and inhaling that scent will make any day more relaxing.

If you’re just looking at it, it looks like any mint plant. But run your hand through it and you’ll know the difference immediately.

Some of Lemon Balm’s relaxing qualities.

Once known as an herbal cure all, Lemon Balm supports the body in several different ways.

It’s most known for it’s relaxing properties. It’s used to help reduce stress, anxiety and depression because of its uplifting, yet calming tendencies.

Lemon balm and lavender tea. — A cup of lemon balm and lavender tea.

It’ll help reduce anxiety and promote sleep when insomnia is an issue.

Of course, this virtue is also going to help the support the body in reducing all the effects of anxiety and stress like headaches and nervous stomach issues.

The vasodilating properties, properties that allow the relaxing of blood vessels, allows for good blood flow. Another reason it’s good for headaches and migraines. Constricted blood vessels are usually the root cause for throbbing headaches.

Some of Lemon Balm’s “anti” properties.

Lemon Balm has a lot of “anti” properties.

It’s known as a mild anti-spasmodic helping to reduce muscle spasms. This includes things like leg or stomach muscles as well as bronchial tubes where asthma is an issue.

It’s anti-viral properties are good for helping to heal or prevent cold sores, among other things. And it’s considered an anti-oxidant, helping to prevent free-radicals from floating around in your body.

Now, this isn’t to say that Lemon Balm is going to cure any of these issues. But what it does say is that it may lessen the affect of these issues in duration and intensity.

A few unusual uses I ran across.

One thing I found, that I HAVE to try is making jelly. I’m not sure why, but this is something I wouldn’t have thought of.

It sounds awesome. And after trying dandelion jelly, this is something I have to try. I also read you could use it as a substitute for lemon in jams and jellies. This would be for the flavor only as there is no citrus acid in Lemon Balm. I haven’t done this either, but I’m sure I will now.

It was used to polish furniture in Europe. I’m sure this was a long time ago. But, can you just imagine how good your house would smell? Not sure how they did that, but it might be worth a try just because it would smell so good. I can see making a tea from it and using it as an ingredient in a cleaner or freshener.

It was also tossed on the floors, in the old days, to help freshen rooms. Can’t say I blame them. I’m guessing you needed a lot of smell good to cover all the other everyday odors of yesteryear.

Pollination is another thing lemon balm is good for.

A bunch of lemon balm. — A bunch of lemon balm

We read earlier how bees are really attracted to it. So plant it near where you need lots of pollinators, like a veggie garden or a flower garden.

BUT BEWARE–It is part of the mint family, so make sure you plant it in a container. As great as it is, it literally grows like a weed. So unless you have plenty of space for this plant to grow, you’ll want to contain it or it’ll take over everything.

I hope you found something useful and enjoyable here. Let me know if you’ve used lemon balm before. If you have, how did you use it? What did you think? Did you like it?

If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe. There will be more herbal information coming in the future. Information for learning about the herbs and how to use them and to build your own personalized tea blends.

Thanks for stopping by.

Until next time –

Health, Wealth & Blessings ~ Tracey

Disclaimer

The article above is written using my research and how I’ve seen this herb work for me. It is for informational purposes only.
As I said above, every person is different. So just like anything else, herbs will react differently from person to person. What works for one, will not necessarily work for another, or it will work to different degrees. So don’t relay just on what one person says. Try each herb in small amounts and give it time to work or give your body time to react. Make sure it’s doing what you want it to do. Also remember that herbs are not like modern medicine. It’s not an instant result. Some times it just takes time and for other herbs it takes several doses (or several cups of tea) before you will notice anything.
If you have any medical conditions, always check with your doctor before using herbs as a medicine.
Drinking herbal tea for the enjoyment of it, is generally no big deal, unless you have an allergy. But if you are attempting to get some kind of bodily reaction from it, you should do your own research. The FDA hasn’t approved any of these statements regarding the use of herbs as medicine. So it’s up to you as to how and when you use an herb(s) for a specific purpose.