Culinary=Medicinal~

Our skin is constantly exposed to one extreme after another. Summers are long and hot, over-exposure to the sun, saltwater and chlorinated water from swimming, perhaps too many slathers of different creams and oils, and our diet, all play a major role in the health of our skin. Our health status can and does determine the appearance of the skin.

If we are aware and understand our body, we can look at our skin and know, to a large degree what is missing in our diet-or perhaps what should be removed from our diet.

Simply by drinking enough water, keeping the system hydrated will go a long way in reducing or eliminating dry skin, acne, and other skin irritations.

With winter just around the bend, it is a great time to embark on a system to winterize 'self.'

Sunflower oil- is one of the best remedies for needy skin. It absorbs easily and does not leave a fatty residue. Sunflower oil/cooking or Essential, mixed with Cocoa or Shea Butter, makes an awesome ointment for dry-skin, eczema, and for healing damaged/stressed skin.

Sunflower-in culinary, we all know and love the roasted seeds, sprinkled on salads, as a topping for mac/cheese, a few scoops on top of fresh tomato or pumpkin soup...and in many breads and even desserts.
Use the light cooking oil in any salad dressing along with your favorite addition of herbs.

1/2 cup of brown mustard and 2 Tbs of sunflower oil-blended together with 1 tsp of Sage Hill's Cajun blend will bring baked salmon to the height of goodness. ( makes enough for 2 to 4 salmon steaks. )

- With a pastry brush -start blending the sauce on the salmon about 2 minutes prior to removing from oven. ( don't over heat it. )

* Salmon is a very- good for the skin-food also .

Feel good, look good, and live long...by using culinary for medicinal benefits.

Bea Rigsby-Kunz
Culinary Herbalist
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

Herbs Past & Present~# 8-From Plants To Pills

Herbs In Modern Medicine

Although Extracts, such as essential oils have been prepared from various plants for centuries, traditional herbalism has always combined herbs to modify effects, viewing the whole as greater than the parts.

The move to identify the individual active ingredients and use these as single drugs began in the 18th century, and many thousands are now known.
The chemicals display quite different properties from those of the original herbs.

Initially, these drugs could only be obtained from plant extracts, but later the chemical structures of many of these extracts were identified, and the drugs are now made synthetically. In the transition of use from crude plants to clinical pills, modern medicine has lost the art of combining herbs to modify toxicity and of using whole plants which themselves contain chemical ingredients that can reduce the risk of side effects.

Some well-known herb plants that were chemically synthesized and we know them today as:

Foxglove-digoxin and digitoxin, used in treating heart conditions today.
(In 1775, Dr. William Withering began testing and research on foxglove and its benefits and side effects. He spent 10 years studying the side effects of foxglove and identifying the plant's optimum dose before publishing his ground-breaking research.

Opium Poppy-morphine, first identified by Friedrich Sertürner in Germany in 1803 in the form of white crystals from crude opium poppy.

Willowbark-
The first was salicin, which was later modified to be less of an irritant on the stomach, and acetylsalicylic acid was launched as aspirin in 1899 by the Bayer company. In less than 100 years, plant extracts have filled pharmacists' shelves.

* Extracted chemicals can often be extremely potent and can cause effects that were unknown when the whole plant was used.

In 1947, CIBA extracted the alkaloid reserpine from snakeroot and began marketing the drug Serpasil as a cure for hypertension. However, it had severe side effects that included depression and abnormal slowing of the heartbeat. A new drug was developed from the herb in the 1950's. It has always been restricted to prescription only in the US.
To date, however, snakeroot continues to be widely used in parts of Europe and Asia, taken by many as a soothing tranquilizer.

**The information in part for these eight articles comes from The Complete Medicinal Herbal by Penelope Ody.










 Disclaimer....Any and all herbal articles from and by Sage Hill are offered totally as educational information only. We do not intend this information to be viewed as medicinal advice for any given treatment.
Sage Hill does not sell Medicinal products, nor do we give Medicinal advice.

Herbs Past & Present # 7~Merging of Practices

There was a time ( before all the land battles ) when early pioneers and the Plains tribes shared much of their herbal lore/knowledge with each other.

One of the early and most popular was Samuel Thomson-founder of "Physiomedicalism."  Born in 1769, he learned his craft as a child from Widow Benton-- a root and herb doctor- who combined Native American skills with the traditional role of " herb wife."

Maintaining Balance....Central to the Physiomedicalism view was the belief that it is possible to strengthen the body's vital force by keeping both tissues and nervous state in balance. This was/is accomplished by sedating one and stimulating the other. ( chamomile was a popular sedative herb, while ginger was perfect for a stimulant.)

Eclecticism....Other "botanic" systems followed, among them the Eclectic school founded by Dr. Wooster Beech in the 1830s.
Along with the herbal remedies and the Native American practices was the addition of a more orthodox medical technique, and the analysis of disease.
At its peak, this practice claimed more than 20,000 qualified practitioners in the United States and was a serious rival to regular medicine.

* The challenge ended only in 1907 when, following a review of medical training schools, philanthropists Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller decided to give financial support solely to the orthodox medical schools. *

This was in truth the beginning of the separation/war between herbal and what we now know as Western medicine.

The Movement In Europe....Physiomedicalism was brought to Britain in 1838 by Dr.Albert Isaiah Coffin, who set up a similar system of patent remedies and do-it-yourself guides to diagnosis. Wooster Beech followed in the 1850's to preach his Eclectic message. The movement took hold and was popular until well into the 1930's.

In 1864, the various groups merged to form the National Association of Medical Herbalists. It continues to thrive today as the National Institute of Medical Herbalists- the oldest formalized body of specialist herbal practitioners in Europe.

Next...From Plants To Pills.

Bea Rigsby-Kunz
EatWell-BeWell~
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

 Disclaimer....Any and all herbal articles from and by Sage Hill are offered totally as educational information only. We do not intend this information to be viewed as medicinal advice for any given treatment.
Sage Hill does not sell Medicinal products,

nor do we give Medicinal advice.


 

Organic Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 cup Organic Gingersnap Crumbs  2 Tbs... sugar
3 Tbs...melted butter
3/4 cup... sugar
1/3 cup...crystalized ginger
2 large eggs
1/4 cup half & half
1 Tbs unbleached flour
1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp clove
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup...unsweetened pumpkin puree

---

Directions

Use middle rack in the oven- and preheat to 350 degrees F.
Place the cookie crumbs and sugar in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. Press the mixture onto the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan. Bake the crust until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Place the sugar and crystallized ginger in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the ginger is finely chopped. Add the cream cheese and process until the mixture is smooth. Add the eggs, half and half, flour, ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt, and pulse the machine until the mixture is just combined.
Remove about 2/3 cup of the mixture and set aside.

Add the pumpkin purée to the remaining batter in the food processor and pulse just until combined. Pour this mixture into the prepared crust. Drizzle the reserved 2/3 cup of batter over the top of the pumpkin mixture, and then lightly swirl it to create a decorative orange-and-white pattern.

Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the center of the cheesecake is just set, but still jiggly, 30 to 35 minutes.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely, then cover the pan with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, 4 to 6 hours.

 Remove the sides of the springform pan and slice into thin wedges to serve.

Herbs Past & Present # 6-North American Traditions

The first European settlers arriving in North America brought with them the familiar healing plants from home.; heartease and plantain. They also absorbed some Native American healing traditions, discovering new herbs, such as boneset ( comfrey ) purple coneflower ( echinacea ) goldenseal, and pleurisy root. Many of the American tribes also used a practice of sauna like sweat houses,( this was the time of the Medicine Man or Shaman ) a time of ritual herbalism- and the idea of heat as a healing technique was adopted by Samuel Thomson ( founded the Physiomedicalism movement ) More about him tomorrow.

This melding of traditions bore fruit in the  Physiomedicalism and Eclectic schools, which were later imported to Europe and had a lasting influence on European herbal practices.

Next...Merging of Practices.

Bea Rigsby-Kunz
http://www.sagehillfarmasandvintagestore.com

 Disclaimer....Any and all herbal articles from and by Sage Hill is offered totally as educational information only. We do not intend this information to be viewed as medicinal advice for any given treatment.
Sage Hill does not sell Medicinal products nor do we give Medicinal advice.

Herbs Past & Present # 5-Out Of The Dark Ages

                                  
                                       ~ Out Of The Dark Ages~

After the fall of Rome, European herbal traditions were not completely
submerged by the ensuing Dark Ages.

The 'barbarians' brought with them their own herbal healing customs, to which they added the Roman practices that survived, and, with the spread of Christianity, there was considerable exchange of both actual medicines and tried-and-tested remedies.

The Growth Of European Herbalism

Europe's oldest surviving herbal, written in the vernacular, The Leech Book of Bald, dates from the first half of the 10th century, and includes remedies sent by the Patriarch of Jerusalem to King Alfred.

Although medical schools spread through Europe ( the most famous, at Salerno, was founded in the early 10th century and taught the Hippocratic principles of good diet, exercise, and fresh air ), healing and herbalism were largely in the hands of the Church, with all monasteries growing medicinal herbs and tending the sick as part of Christian duty. Healing was as much a matter of prayer as medicine.

By the 1530s, as learning moved away from the cloister, emphasis was gradually again given to the healing skills and disciplines once taught at the Salerno school.
A new practice emerged through a German physician named Paracelsus.
The practice we know as Doctrine of Signatures...which maintains that the
outward appearance of a plant gives an indication of the ailments it would/will help /cure. (Nutmeg and walnuts were compared to the brain. Lungwort leaves look like a diseased lung. A sliced carrot looks like the center of the eye, and on and on. ) As we know today, all of these and more have been proven to be so.

Tea is a classic example of this practice/belief...in the 17th century, it was proclaimed as a cure-all, then it became no more than a popular drink, and we are now back to seeing and using tea as a medicinal benefit.

Stay tuned~more to come....

Bea Rigsby-Kunz
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com
The website is retired. 2026

 Disclaimer....Any and all herbal articles from and by Sage Hill are offered totally as educational information only. We do not intend this information to be viewed as medical advice for any given treatment.
Sage Hill does not sell Medicinal products nor do we give Medicinal advice.

Herbs Past & Present # 4 ( The Principles of Chinese Medicine )

Ancient Chinese Medicine ( herbalism ) is cloaked in myth. Often leaving one wondering who and what was real and who and what is just myth. Consider too, many practices that we consider myth today was very real in its time.

An important Chinese herbal from about 200 B.C. is named after Shen Nong. Shen Nong was /is thought to be a mythical figure...will we ever really know.

The founding father of Chinese medical theory is the Yellow Emperor, who is reputed to have lived around 2500 B.C. However the classic text that bears his name is dated 1000 B.C. It is believed to represent an older verbal tradition.
As in the West, medicine during that time was inseparable from philosophies and techniques in China, with a mix of physicians, village  herbalist, and native shamans.

By the 19th century, Western mission hospitals had begun to represent a real alternative to the old practices. Chinese medicine survived but became a national, standard medical system only in the 1960's when Mao Tse-tung founded five colleges of traditional Chinese medicine.

Today , older regional healing styles are still followed by surviving Chinese medical families, many of whom have emigrated to Singapore, Hong Kong, and San Francisco.

There is so much more to herbs and herbals in Chinese medicine practices...I would encourage anyone interested to do the research.

Bea Rigsby-Kunz
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

 Disclaimer....Any and all herbal articles from and by Sage Hill is offered totally as educational information only. We do not intend this information to be viewed as medicinal advice for any given treatment.
Sage Hill does not sell Medicinal products nor do we give Medicinal advice.