[Rachel-WildAcreHomestead]

We use comfrey salve and calendula salve for skin issues, cuts, burns, bruises, etc. I make tinctures from many different herbs, such as echinacea, oregano, motherwort, lemon balm, nettle…way too many to go over them. Lemon balm is an awesome antiviral, calming, delicious herb for teas, etc. I dry a lot of herbs and make tea blends. Chamomile, lemon balm, lavender, and passionflower in the evening is great for sleep. I also grow a lot of stevia and dry that to use as a natural sweetener, mostly for tea blends. For every day cooking, thyme and rosemary are my favorites to dry and use throughout the year. Sage and thyme are great teas for respiratory issues, cough, and sore throat.

[dbarker54]

Now here is a topic I’m very interested in. I have been really getting into it in the past few years. I’m trying to remember some of the things my Grandmother tried to teach me back in the 1960s. But I have tons of lemon balm, mint, and a few more, but my most recent endeavor is a corn silk tincture I’m using for kidney/bladder issues. I’ve recently started comfrey from seed. I have mullein growing everywhere. One thing I would love to find out is what I can grow for hubby’s prostate health (he’s 74) and he’s been on 2 prescriptions for it for years. But al in all, I want to expand my knowledge and create a whole medicinal arsenal for the coming times. I’ll be following this closely!

[SnowFarmsOK]

I am currently taking a herbalist class so I am just a wee rookie, but I have made a healing salve with essential oils. I planted some comfrey root cuttings so I eager to make a comfrey salve. I hope to learn more and become less dependent on things in plastic bottles from the store.

[TLBJacob]

@dbarker54 Rosemary Gladstar has a Herbal Healing for Men book that has two formulas for prostate health. They each have a way to use as a tea and as a tincture. We have not tried it yet, so I can not verify that it works.

[dbarker54]

I will see if I can find the book! Thanks so much!

[Galley-Cat]

Yes, Rosemary Gladstar has a YT page as well. I’ve learned tons from her.

[TLBJacob]

I got mine from thriftbooks.com. it is a second hand online bookstore. I can scan and email the pages (on prostate health) to you if you would like.

[dbarker54]

I just found the book and a couple others so I ordered them already. But thank you for your kindness!

[Bassethound-mama]

Thanks for the website. I’ll be looking that up this afternoon.

[Harley86]

Recipe for when I’m not feeling well

Equal parts

Chamomile – soothing

Lemon balm – discomfort, aches and pain.

Seep for a few minutes then add

A few drops of mullein tincture – allergies and soar throat

Teaspoon honey – antibacterial and for taste.

[Dotdan]

When you use the chamomile, do you use the flowers or the leaves?

[Pintsize_Treasures]

I’m new to herbs as well and I’ve only been growing herbs and learning about them for a year too. Thank you for starting this discussion! I’ll be following it closely.

I’m currently putting down weed barrier in my herb and flower garden. My problem is my memory! I have trouble retaining the information I learn.

[Harley86]

I have the same issue retaining information. I try and take 1 herb at a time and learn as much as I can. I make tea first and see if I have an issue with it. I have a log to make note on how it works, the smell, and also how it taste. I expand as I go with adding different herbs. Hope this helps you as it did me.

[Galley-Cat]

I loaded a plant Id app and have a ball with all the amazing wild plants in my area. I started a journal just for the wilds. I found goldenrod, purslane, primrose, and even a bay leaf tree. I google the plant and check for medicinal applications. Did you know that Dog Fennel is an amazing bug repellent! I just strip some of the feathery leaves and rub them on my skin. No more pesky bug bites!

[JulieAG2009]

What app? Sounds neat.

[Galley-Cat]

I started with “Seek” this one is free but doesn’t give much info but enough to allow a google and YT search. Then I purchased “PictureThis” it’s a paid app but gives much more info even tells how to care for the plant and if it is healthy or sick and what can be done for it. Have fun with it!!

[CarolinaCarefree]

Be careful with those apps. They can be helpful but can at times mis-identify plant due to the camera angle. Just verify on a second app or website prior to doing anything with them. Hope what you are finding is helpful.

[JulieAG2009]

Thank you. I’m very old-fashioned and would rather have books but apps are nice to have too.

[lllaible]

Mullein dried make a good tasting tea and is good for breathing problems. My wife use to need to go to the doctor every year because of broncidus now we make mullein tea when first starts coming on it has worked for the last four years. No more doctor visits hope this helps someone.

[NeverTooOldToLearn]

What is mullein and where do you find it? I have asthma and bronchitis.

[lllaible]

Type mullein on youtube there is plenty of videos on its uses here is one to look at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bvZyjPfwd4

[Jeremy-aka-One-Step-Closer]

Does anyone know which herbs to use to help with rheumatoid arthritis pain? My wife has been dealing with it for a while now and I’d like to know what I can plant to help her out.

[TexasNana]

HI Jeremy, my mom recently died at age 87 with crippling RA. Her poor little body was so twisted and bent. It saddened me that she never understood (probably generation and denial) how much gut health plays in all of our health. I highly recommend y’all get serious about your diet and work on the gut. Dr William Davis’ new book Super Gut is very good. I suffer from SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) and MS. I’m using diet to keep the MS in remission and doing a good job. The SIBO was kicked off by 2 rounds of ABX in 2019. Anyway, Dr Davis has discovered Lactobacillus Reuteri does AMAZING things to heal the small intestine. It’s something you have to make at home (but frankly…in order to heal, that’s how you must live…eat real food made at home). My ingredients just arrived as well as a Luvele Yogurt maker because it’s fermented at 100* for 36 hours. I’m hopeful that in combination with the tons of other ferments I eat, that I can not just heal SIBO once and for all but also keep MS in remission. I would most definitely start with the gut because that’s where healing starts. Best wishes for a fridge filled with jars and jars of ferments!

[Jeremy-aka-One-Step-Closer]

Thank you for the information. I’ll check out the book. I hope things work out for you.

[Grampa-J]

I have been looking for the same for my better half. I had also asked for RA help in Niti’s forum as well. Take a look at some of those replies. Seems to do more around diet. I’ll loop back with everyone if I find more info than everyone has already covered. Best of luck everybody. Definitely not easy watching them go through it.

[Galley-Cat]

Good Morning Jeremy, my mother suffers from RA. A huge contributor to RA pain and fatigue comes from the food that is eaten, Depending on the severity of RA especially. My mom’s situation is extremely advanced as she has lived with RA for over 50 years.

Movement- it’s kinda hard to move around when your in pain but it’s really the key. The acid/fluid that eats up the bone is worked out of the joint with movement. Low impact manipulation of every joint in her body will bring major relief. Swimming is the best but not always access able.

Food- research low inflammation diet. And 80/20 Alkaline diet.

My mom’s situation is way past the place where the damage can be reversed. I’m not sure how progressed your wife’s situation is but if it’s early enough it is absolutely possible to slow off the progression with exercise and diet. Zero processed foods, tons of ginger, turmeric, no tomatoes (contributes to inflammation). Weight intensifies the pain. And 80% of the foods she eats must be low in acid. And everything she eats must be a 1 ingredient food. You can combine 1 ingredient foods and that is ok. But when you purchase food it absolutely has to be a 1 ingredient food.

RA is hereditary – specially to daughters. I was diagnosed at age 28 and am now 57. And the difference between my mom’s quality of life and my quality of life is unbelievable unless you know us. I treated mine holistically and she treated hers with an RA doctor. I’m not even on pain meds and she is crippled.

Connect with me if you want more info. Honestly, our suffering 95% of the time comes from the choices we make.

[Melissa-Pa]

I want to thank you for the tips. I’m 40 and was diagnosed @30 with RA. I take Bod Ease daily from Infowars (highest dose of tumeric on the market) actually does help quite a bit with inflammation with no side effects. I can not take prescription anti inflammatories they tair my stomach up, is why I went for the natural stuff. But I really had no idea about the high acid issue..

[Jeremy-aka-One-Step-Closer]

Thank you so much. My wife is in her mid-40s and the condition really started to show up about 15 years ago. It looks like she got it from her mother. We’ve been home cooking a lot more of our meals the last couple of years but she is still fighting some addictions to processed foods. I’ll tell her about the swimming though. Seems like a great low impact exercise for her.

[Galley-Cat]

This is by no means intended to be mean, but trying to use holistic measures at the same time as eating processed food will give zero changes to her pain and fatigue. I fight the same battle with my mom. She’ll splurge and have pizza from the hut and then suffer for a week.

It’s all about instant gratification vs quality of life. She absolutely can have pizza but it has to be homemade from 1 ingredient foods.

I tell my mom all the time ……. “only you can prevent forest fires”

It’s all about the choices we make. If your wife doesn’t want to have her knees replaced at age 50 and loose 6 inches in height, and by age 73 have an electrical hospital bed because she can’t get up and down and walk with a walker – changes now can avoid ALL that suffering later.

It breaks my heart because it is all avoidable!