Please show mercy to the Geese of North Hempstead, Long Island. They plan to round up and kill adult and baby Geese. Please sign and share this petition and take action!! Town meeting being held tonight Tues. 5/14 in Manhasset at 7:30pm!! Thank you! http://www.change.org/petitions/board-of-the-town-of-north-hempstead-don-t-kill-north-hempstead-s-canada-geese?utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition
Dear Boston,
I am looking for some help with a black cat in Jersey City, NJ who is injured and visually impaired. I need a safe place for him to stay while I get him to my Vet near Philadelphia and treated. He seems sweet and calm, just scared. Please contact savingjerseycitykitties@gmail.com. Please share his plea! Thank you!
Smoothie time. If I have to be up this early this recipe makes it easy to get rolling along. Have a great day!
“Recently a friend of mine called to say that she had a terrible bladder infection. Her doctor prescribed an antibiotic, but it had no effect; in fact, the infection worsened. She also said she tried drinking cranberry juice, but that had no effect on the condition either.
Women’s bladder infections are one of the most common complaints in the health world, and they probably account for the brisk sales for cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon, pictured left) supplements. An article that described 10 randomized controlled trials published by Cochrane Collaboration in January of 2008 concluded that cranberry products may prevent recurrent urinary tract infections in women. I’m sure this helped boost cranberry sales as well as the belief that it can help a woman with a UTI.
I wouldn’t disparage the proven value of unsweetened cranberry juice, but I remember the study only seemed to indicate that it prevented recurrent urinary tract infections. By implication, the public and marketers read “cure” and that is an entire different realm to consider.There are flagrant misrepresentations in the marketplace for the use of herbs and various nutritional supplements, but the public also knows that these things, when used appropriately, can work for situations like my friend’s antibiotic-resistant cystitis, when no standard medical procedure or tested natural therapy such as cranberries, do.
(Most studies, even preliminary trials, are expensive. We need to ask ourselves how they were funded, and naturally, this leads us to question who is likely to gain from the study. Given this, I would not be surprised that just as studies of pharmaceutical drugs are funded by the manufacturer, the same could be true, and that studies of the medicinal value of cranberries could be funded by cranberry growers.)But, as I stated above, cranberry didn’t work for my friend, and I bet it doesn’t work for a lot of women who’ve had the same problem. She turned to me and asked what she might do.
I told her about a few other herbs which I know are more powerful for treating bladder infections. I directed her to an uva ursi-based formulation (generally herbal formulas are more effective for more people than are single herbs). Uva ursi (Arctostaphylos uva ursi, pictured center) is not as strong as pharmaceutical-grade antibiotics and does not cause the same side effects. It works locally, purely with the body fluids, as a urinary antiseptic. It also enhances the liver’s powerful role in treating inflammations. These actions, combined with other herbs in the formula, make for a more positive outcome. I also suggested the use of parsley tea which is an old time remedy for urinary tract infections, and cherry stems in the specific treatment of urinary tract infections.
Cherry stems are high in potassium, salts and tannin. Traditionally, when women in Europe were troubled with bladder infections, they would steep a handful of the stems in one or two cups of boiling water and drink the strange-tasting brew. Lesley and I have found that cherry stems work for bladder infections when antibiotics and even most herbs may not.I think my friend wound up doing a combination of cherry stem tea and the uva ursi formula and within a couple of days her intractable urinary tract infection was gone.
In conclusion, it’s good for the herbal consumer to look to the use of herbs as a first line treatment for most diseases. However, it’s also important that they learn the value of different herbs and supplements in the event that one may not be enough, that if possible they educate themselves on the wise use of herbs singly and especially in formulations.”
-Michael Tierra
Making organic Rose water. Lots of uses for ingredients which means little waste of materials. Smells wonderful!
Testing out some culinary ingredients we may carry soon. I made vegan cinnamon banana coconut cookies. Organic too!
Proud to be a part of this upcoming event on Sunday, March 10th; Creating Family Bonds. It will be a lovely combination of yoga and art for family members. Chrissannthemum will be offering complimentary herbal goodies and tea.
Happy Winter Solstice!!
VERY VERY excited to be participating in the Stand Together disaster relief benefit on Sunday (12.16.12) in Nyack, NY from 10am-5pm as a vendor at the farmer’s market. Along with Chrissannthemum herb, spice & tea goodness you will also find the debut of a whole bunch of new items and handmade products!! Come on down! It’s a jammed packed day & night!
Cookie needs a furever home! For more information on and photos of Cookie, please visit http://www.chrissannthemum.com/1/post/2012/12/chrissannthemum-to-the-rescue-cookie-needs-a-furever-home.html
Post Natal Bliss bath herbs
* Lavender - antispetic, analgesic and anti-bacterial properties
* Sage - astringent, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties
* Rosemary - astringent, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties
* Calendula - anti-septic, soothing wound inflammation, general wound healing
* Witch Hazel - an astringent, curbs bleeding and reduces inflammation
* Yarrow - astringent and anti-bacterial properties; the anti-spasmodic effects reduce inflammation. A superior remedy for wounds and cuts.
* Lady’s Mantle - astringent, and helps protect healing elastin fibres
* Chamomile - analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and anti-inflammatory properties
* Shepherd’s Purse - astringent, anti-septic and useful to reduce bleeding and bruising
* Himalayan Pink Salt - helpful in soothing, cleansing and healing of wounds.
HOW AROMATIC HERBS AND SPICES HELP PREVENT CANCER
According to specialists, one-third of deaths caused by cancer is due to bad food. This means that what we eat is closely linked to our state of health: food can bring on illness, health or can heal our bodies too.
Dressing with aromatic herbs and spices our favourite dishes could be a smart and tasty occasion to increase their anticancer qualities. As a matter of fact, several scientific researches are confirming that spices are rich in antioxidant and antinflammatory properties that can neutralize the effect of free radicals on the cells and protect us also from cancers caused by different factors, i.e. pollution.
Let’s now meet the most important herbs we can learn to love in our diet.
Ginger: it’s a powerful antioxidant! Nowadays we know about 50 different species. Research has shown the presence of lots of anticancer properties in it, especially thanks to “gingerolo” (the essence that gives to this rhizome its particular taste) which can halt breast and colon cancer cells from spreading.
Fenugreek: contains diosgenin with proven anticancer properties.
Saffron: this red spice is tipically known as a cure-all for almost 90 diseases! Very expensive and desirable above all for the Italian yellow rice recipe. Tested on lab rats it showed anticancer properties, reducing, and sometimes stopping, the spreading of colon, skin and other soft tissues cancers.
Chilli Pepper: famous its capsaicine which has been tested on laboratory mice showing to be able to inhibit pancreas cancer. Another research on this substance made on animals and cells, has demonstrated the total inhibition of the prostate cancer and reduction of PSA. It happens because capsaicine can induce apoptosis that is cellular self-destruction.
Javanese Long Pepper: Some studies carried out on mice showed an important anticancer activity for mouth cancer and an empowering action on other spices as it helps their absorption. Also an antiangiogenesis property has been demonstrated.
Black Pepper: Testing it in lab showed anticancer activity, strengthening the immune defence system and with antioxidant properties. Indeed, its component, piperazine, stops the cytokines actions which are involved in the inflammatory process and are produced from cancer cells. It acts breaking communications among these cells and reducing cancer growth. Black pepper empowers other spices action facilitating their absorption and availability. Together with curcuma makes a synergic strength.
Nutmeg: contains lignans, essences which demonstrated, in laboratory tests, antioxidant, immunomodulating and radioprotecting activity.
Cinnamon: tested in labs has shown powerful antiproliferative effects on lymphoma and leukemia human cells.
Garlic: this is one of the most important and studied herbs. It has a lot of therapeutic qualities and one of these is anticancer effect. It has been demonstrated that, wherever garlic is heavily used, colon, stomach, breast and womb cancers are less present. This anticancer action is due to sulfide substances (which give the particular flavor to garlic, onions and leek) able to destroy cancer cells, to stop their growth and to inhibit their way toward their goal. Eated often, onions and garlic can reduce the risk of colon and stomach cancer by 50-60%, and a recent research said that eating garlic once a week can reduce prostate cancer by 44%.
A chinese research compared people eating garlic, onions and leeks frequently, and people eating the same herbs only sometimes and they found that stomach cancer was less present in the first group by 40%.
An American research highlighted a 32% reduction of colon cancer risk among people eating a lot of garlic.
Mint: Popular in Mediterranean cuisine, mint, thyme, marjoram, basil and rosemary are all rich in essential oils, above all in terpenes that is aromatic molecules which give them their specific aroma. But terpenes are not only aromatic, they can also inhibit cancer presence by fighting the action of many substances involved in the growth of cancer cells.
For example, some terpenes as the carvacrol and the thymol, are able to stop the growth of cancer cells up to their death.
This family of herbs also contains ursolic acid, a multi-function molecule which can attack directly all malignant cells, prevent angiogenesis and alleviate inflammation. They also contain luteolin, a polyphenol highly present into thyme and mint which can act as an anticancer in many ways.
Rosemary is able to increase the activity of the detoxifying enzymes living in our body. One of its component, carnosol, was tested on lab rats demonstrating to be able to inhibit the development of breast and skin cancers. Peculiarly, breast cancer was reduced by 78%.
Apiacee: this family has a vast assortment of species highly used for cooking: parsley, coriander, fennel, cumin and celery which contain a polyphenol, called apigenin, rich in anticancer properties.
Apigenin is most present in parsley and celery and, tested in lab, showed an important inhibitory action against all the most popular cancer found in all the industrialized society such as breast, colon, lung and prostate cancers. It acts directly on cancer cells and angiogenesis. Indirectly it prevents malignant transformation by its anti-inflammatory action.
We’ve shown you all the wonderful of spices and herbs in order to protect our health but it’s important to underline that spices, such as black pepper or Javanese long pepper, have a stronger and warmer nature than aromatic herbs (lamiaceae and apiacee) and, if overeaten, could create irritation and facilitate ulcerative processes, especially to sensible people. That’s why it’s highly recommended to know how your general health is before deciding to use these incredible ingredients frequently in your diet.
