Author Archives: Debbie

How to take Goldenrod for allergies

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My savior

My savior

If you have ever read my blog, you know I am a huge fan of Goldenrod (Solidago spp.). It has changed my life by enabling me to wean myself of synthetic allergy medicines and liberating me from my allergy hell. As I delve deeper into its magical abilities, I am continually impressed with how well it works for a broad range of ailments. Here’s a glimpse into the amazing world of Goldenrod, it can ameliorate allergies, sinusitis, bladder infections, cystitis, urethritis, colds and flu, fungal infections, reduce aches and pains, kidney stones, enlarged prostate, fevers, diarrhea, depression, edema, tumors, eczema, gout and soothe arthritis and laryngitis as well as heal wounds. What’s not to love?!

Lately, people have come to me with questions concerning how to take Goldenrod and the proper dosage. I am afraid that there are no straightforward simple answers. Luckily, there are a number of ways to utilize its medicinal qualities for allergies. It is very versatile and can bring relief from allergies in a number of ways. It is important for each individual to learn what works best for their body and supports their lifestyle. For some, tinctures are the easy and fast solution, others infusions make more sense and so on.

First, it is essential to understand Goldenrod does not work when taken along with synthetic allergy medicines, so it’s best to use it on its own first. This can be scary for individuals that suffer a great deal from allergies and have depended on synthetic allergy medicines for relief most of their lives. I know, I was there, but luckily Goldenrod provides quick relief once taken.

Although there is quite a bit of crossover for other ailments, we will focus on taking Goldenrod for allergy relief:

  • Infusions ~ Sipping 1-3 cups a day will help dry up your runny, drippy nose. Sipping a cup all day long can provide quite a bit of relief. It can be combined with other soothing herbs or drank alone. Goldenrod makes a lovely drink, hot or cold. After the Boston Tea Party, the colonist drank “Liberty Tea” aka ~ Goldenrod instead of black tea. It became so popular that it was exported to China.
  • Tincture ~ For immediate relief, take 30-60 drops, up to 3 times a day. Taking a dose before bed helps to reduce waking up all congested. Remember less is always better, play around to see how little you need for relief ~ you can always take more. When the pollen is flying, add 30-60 drops into your water bottle and sip it throughout the day. You will get a low dose all day long; it is like being hooked up to a slow drip IV.
  • Jello ~ Children with allergies can be tricky; they can be very picky eaters or fear the strange and unknown. The recipe allows for 48 squares, and each square is a ½ a dose, allowing for multiple dosages throughout the day. Due to digestion, it remains in the system longer than a straight tincture dose therefore relief lasts longer.
  • Neti Pot ~ Make a light tea and strain it through a coffee filter ~ you do not want any plant material in your sinuses. Mix with a ¼ tsp. of salt and flush your sinuses. The astringent and anti-inflammatory properties really tighten up the tissues and reduce all the drippiness. Relief can last all day.
  • Chewing on leaves ~ Grab a leaf; chew on it to release the astringent and anti-inflammatory properties. When I am mowing the lawn and need a quick fix, Goldenrod is there!

Some people still make the distinction between culinary and medicinal herbs, but the truth is that there are numerous plants that overlap both categories. Goldenrod happens to be one of them. All of the aerial parts of the plant are edible. It’s fun to add the leaves or flowers to meals and it’s a great way to receive its healing benefits. Besides making tea from the flowers and leaves, throw some flowers on your salads. Instead of cooking with spinach, use the leaves and add them to your soups, stews or casseroles. I like putting them in my omelets along with some fresh Stinging Nettles and Dandelion greens.  In my book, there is nothing better than eating my medicine.

As I come up with new ways of utilizing Goldenrod, I will continue to share. What has been your experience with Goldenrod? Please share.

All information is shared for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

 

 

 

 

Paper or plastic? Neither – bring your own bag!

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While driving on a highway have you ever noticed the plastic bags decorating the trees? In South Africa, plastic bags have been dubbed the “national flower” because so many can be seen flapping from fences and caught in bushes. I remember visiting a friend who rented a second floor apartment in a house. There was a lovely tree you could see from the kitchen window. Unfortunately, it had a bag stuck in its branches. I asked her why she didn’t remove it; she showed me the height of the bag in the tree and asked if I had a ladder that tall…. Well, the bag remained and she eventually moved to another home.

While on vacation in southern Europe in the late 1980’s, I noticed that most people carried their own bags to the grocery stores. I loved that idea and started to bring my own net bags to the store. This confused many cashiers and when I only purchased a couple items, I told them I didn’t need a bag, some actually argued with me and told me that I must take a bag. Thank goodness, times are changing. Many cities in the US are starting to ban plastic bags and some countries have introduced a bag fee as well.

How did this all happen? When did plastic bags take over our world? Well, sometime in the mid-1980s, people started to use more plastic bags than paper bags for carrying groceries from the store to vehicles and homes throughout the developed world.  By 2009, the United States International Trade Commission reported that 102 billion plastic bags were used annually in the United States.

Most people do not realize that most plastic bags made from polyethylene is derived from natural gas and petroleum and does not compost or degrade very easily. There are some vegetable-based bioplastics, which can decay organically and prevent a build-up of toxic plastic bags in landfills and the natural environment. Unfortunately, most degradable bags do not easily decompose in a sealed landfill.

According to a 2007 study by Boustead Consulting & Associates, It takes almost four times as much energy to manufacture a paper bag as it does to manufacture a polyethylene bag.

Not only do both paper and compostable resin bags use far more fossil fuel in production and manufacturing, but they also use twenty times as much fresh water vs. plastic bags. Additionally, most paper comes from tree pulp, so the impact of paper bag production on forests is enormous.

In March of 2002, the Republic of Ireland became the first country to introduce a plastic bag fee, or PlasTax. Designed to rein in their rampant consumption of 1.2 billion plastic shopping bags per year, the tax resulted in a 90% drop in consumption, and approximately 1 billion fewer bags were consumed annually. The purpose of the fee was to change consumer behavior, not to generate revenue, moving habits from mindless consumption, to reducing and reusing. In a nutshell, it’s a simple market-based solution in the form of a consumption tax. Individuals pay a fee of $.15 per plastic bag consumed at check out. Retailers save money since they only have to stock a smaller quantity of bags (in Ireland, before the tax, on average stores were spending $50 million a year on single-use plastic bags). Many retailers are also now benefiting from selling reusable bags. Added bonuses are that litter has been dramatically reduced and approximately 18,000,000 liters of oil have been saved due to reduced production of bags. Now, reusable shopping bags, rather than paper, are taking the place of plastic disposable.

The secret to using reusable bags is to have a bunch of them and keep them in your car. Once they are brought into the house and emptied, leave them on the front doorknob to ensure they will return to the car.

For many years, I have been gifting cotton canvas bags. Recently, a good friend sent me a canvas bag from my favorite co-op in San Francisco, Rainbow Market. It is such a wonderful and utilitarian gift that I proudly shop with. We just sent him one from a local artist in Ithaca; I hope he enjoys using it.