The past few months have been a crash course in learning some really neat herbal tools. Nutrition and nutritional products have always been my primary focus but the past few weeks have involved learning some basic herbal tools. I’m in the midst of an herbal training course and that has been helpful. Mostly though I’m just in awe of how user friendly, tasty and effective their addition to our lives has been.

www.beeyoutiful.com has been sharing a series of recipes that are pretty awesome. A few of them are mine and some of them are the creations of fellow Beeyoutiful Employees.

Below is a personal favorite. Adults and children benefit from it equally. We use it when there is a cold on the loose and have found it particularly beneficial with coughs or body aches and pains that are based in any sort of inflammation.

Liquid Gold Coconut Milk

Liquid Gold Coconut Milk

• 1 can of Coconut Milk
• 1 and 1/2 cups water
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 2 tsp. raw honey or maple syrup
• Tiny piece of fresh peeled ginger root (or 1/4 tsp. dried ginger powder)
• Tiniest pinch of cayenne (generally omitted for children)

Add all ingredients into a small sauce pan. Use an immersion blender to thoroughly mix all ingredients together while it gently warms on medium heat (Or blend at high speed in a regular blender before heating in a pan). Serve and drink immediately.

A new term I’ve learned is fomentation. According to dictionary.com a fomentation is  and means:

3.

the liquid, ointments, etc., so applied.

In the herbal world it refers to the application of warm liquid, usually a strong herbal tea like infusion that is held against the area that needs attention.

We’ve just started to use fomentations for sore throats and on lungs with severe congestion.

Lung & Throat Fomentation

1/4 cup dried Lobelia

1/4 cup dried Mullein

1/4 dried Plantain

Steep herbs in 10 oz of boiling water for 10 to 20 minutes. Strain through a piece of cheesecloth or coffee filter. Discard herbs and save tea. Soak a piece of plain flannel or cotton cloth in herbal tea infusion and wrap around throat or lungs. Leave for 10 minutes and replace with another piece of soaked cloth. Can be applied and used as often as needed.

What is your favorite way to use herbs?

Steeping pitcher