Health – Alfalfa, A King of Herbs

The herb alfalfa, called lucerne or purple medic, is good for man or beast. Alfalfa is a plant we can use with complete safety. It is non-toxic, non poisonous and non-habit forming. This qualifies it as one of many herbs which are beneficial for mankind. It is “seed bearing” and a green herb, fulfilling the Biblical specifications in Genesis 1:29 and 30.

The Nutrition Almanac by John D. Kirschmann (Nutrition Search, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 55402) says, “Alfalfa is a leguminous plant which is particularly rich in Vitamin K. The seeds, seed sprouts, and leaves of the plant can be eaten.” Here is a statement from Alma R. Hutchens in Indian Herbology of North America (Merco, 620 Wyandotte East, Windsor 14, Ontario, Canada) showing many values in this plant: “It is only in recent years that we moderns are rediscovering its valuable nutritive properties, which include organic minerals of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, plus all the known vitamins, including vitamin K and the recently discovered vitamin B-8 and vitamin P.”

North American Indians adopted alfalfa quickly for human use, as well as for animals. This is a perennial herbaceous plant, with two stems. Leaflets: Three toothed above. Flowers: Violet. Calyx: Five-toothed. Corolla: Papilionaceous, six lines long. Stamens: Nine united and one free. Pod: Spirally coiled and without spines. The small, violet-purple or bluish flowers bloom from June until August. In some regions it is cut every month as cultivated food for both man and animal.

Alfalfa’s organic salts are among the richest known, the depth and spread of its roots enabling it to absorb its valuable nutrition as far as 125 feet below the earth’s surface.

Alfalfa was discovered by the Arabs and is one of the first known herbs. They called it the “father of all foods.” This is interesting, as they knew only by evidential experience. It is only in recent years that we moderns are rediscovering its valuable nutritive properties.

It is helpful for every condition of the body, whether it be maintaining or regaining health, as the contents are balanced for complete absorption. It may be used by itself or blended with other herbal teas.

  • W. Walker, D.Sci., in his book, Raw Vegetable Juices, 29, 30 (Pyramid Books, New York, first printed in 1936), gives his views on alfalfa and alfalfa juice:

“Alfalfa is a particularly valuable leguminous herb, not only rich in the principal mineral and chemical elements in the constitution of the human body, but it also has many of the trace elements obtained from deep in the soil where the roots reach down 30 to 100 feet.

“Of specific value I would point out the rich quality, quantity and proper balance of Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Choline, Sodium, Potassium and Silicon in Alfalfa. These elements are all very much needed for the proper function of the various organs in the body.

“While Alfalfa is widely used as forage for livestock, it is nevertheless of immense value, in the form of juice, using only the leaves, when it can be obtained fresh. It is also known as Lucerne grass, while in England it is known as Purple Medic.

“Because Alfalfa adapts itself to widely varying conditions of soil and climate, even thriving on alkali soil, there is no excuse for not growing it on one’s home grounds, as it is usually difficult to obtain when living in the city.

“When we are unable to obtain fresh Alfalfa, we sprout Alfalfa seeds and eat the sprouts with our meals. They sprout easily and they are very beneficial.

“Vegetation miraculously transforms and vitalizes inanimate substances into living cells and tissues.

“Cattle eat vegetation, raw, for nourishment. They take into their system one living organism and convert it into a still more complex live organism.

“Vegetation, on the other hand, whether vegetable, fruit plant, or grass, takes inorganic elements from the air, from the water, and from the earth, converting them into live organic elements. It takes nitrogen and carbon from the air; nitrogen, minerals, and mineral salts from the earth in which it grows; and oxygen and hydrogen from water.

“The most vital and potent factors in this process of conversion are the enzymes and the life-giving influence of the rays of the sun which generate chlorophyll.

“The chlorophyll molecule is made up of a web of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms around one single atom of magnesium. It is interesting to compare this design with that of the hemoglobin of our red blood corpuscles, which has a similar web of elements girdling an atom of iron instead of the atom of magnesium.

“We find in this analogy one of the secrets of the value of chlorophyll to the human system. Strict vegetarians—whose diet excludes grains and starches but includes an abundance of fresh juices with a good proportion of the green juices—are healthier, live longer and are more free from degenerative ailments than those who eat mostly cooked foods and little or no raw vegetables and juices. It would seem that we have here fairly conclusive evidence as to which diet regimen is the correct or natural one for healthy human beings.

“One of the richest chlorophyll foods we have is alfalfa. It is a food that builds up both animals and humans, all things considered, into a healthy, vital, and vigorous old age, and builds up a resistance to infection that is almost phenomenal.

“The juice of fresh alfalfa is too strong and potent to be taken by itself. It is best taken with carrot juice, in which combination the individual benefits of each juice are intensified. It has been found very helpful in most troubles with the arteries and dysfunctions connected with the heart.”

In alfalfa we have a plant that even animals such as dogs and cats will go and find when they are sick. They are “led” to this and other herbs by instinct which tells them it will heal them. Perhaps even humans have such an instinct, if they only would “listen.” As a small child, and a very sickly one at that, I used to go out in the springtime and pick young alfalfa leaves and eat them. For this I am grateful, because I feel I was given additional help to fight off some of the sicknesses with which I was born.

I remember reading, years back, the story of a father, mother, and some children who were in a concentration camp where the food and living conditions were far below standard. People were dying from malnutrition, but this family found a small clump of alfalfa growing in the corner of the concentration camp grounds. Each day they would chew thoroughly a sprig or two of the alfalfa and found as a result that the entire family felt strong and healthy. They would beg others there to do the same, but were laughed at and ridiculed. However, they continued eating the alfalfa (new growth coming on continually) as long as they remained imprisoned in that area. When they were released they were in good health, while their friends who had refused to follow their advice had either died or were very sickly and suffering from severe malnutrition.

An alfalfa plant in your flower or vegetable garden would supply fresh salad greens or a healthful “green” drink to add to other vegetable juices most of the year. It is, of course, a perennial, coming up year after year. It would be wise also to have on hand some alfalfa tablets, powdered alfalfa in capsules, dried or bagged alfalfa for teas, and the seeds to sprout. Alfalfa sprouts are delicious alone or in salads and are very nutritious! We have been given, in this herb, the “king of chlorophyll.” If we use alfalfa regularly, with a proper diet also, we should have radiant health!

How many times have we thought that alfalfa was “just fodder for the cattle?” Any of us who have lived on a farm would have no more considered alfalfa as “human food” than a “mess of fried nails” as an iron supplement. It is true, however, that alfalfa IS the “fodder of all foods.” In fact, the very name, “alfalfa” comes from the Arabic and translates into English as “the father of all foods.”

Alfalfa belongs to the family Leguminosae, the family of legumes, beans, or “pulse” as it is known in the Scriptures in the book of Daniel. Other members of this family include lentils, pintos, and kidney beans.

Parts of the Herb Used

We use the whole herb; that is, the leaves and smaller stems. Alfalfa best lends its properties to water. This means that when an infusion or tea is made from alfalfa leaves, we can obtain 90% of the potassium contained in the dried alfalfa plant, 85% of the magnesium, 75% of the phosphorus, 50% of the nitrogen, and 40% of the calcium when we brew and drink that cup of alfalfa tea. Speaking of nitrogen, alfalfa is a splendid plant to grow near other plants that need nitrogen. Alfalfa can be planted and then turned back into the soil to enrich the land for other crops.

Medicinal Properties of Alfalfa

Alfalfa has been reported to be an appetizer, diuretic, tonic, nutritive (especially calcium) antianemic, and antihemorrhagic. Because the taproot of alfalfa penetrates beneath the soil to a depth of 65 feet or more, it is reported to absorb minerals from the subsoil which are inaccessible to plants having more shallow roots. The root of the alfalfa plant grows 10 times as fast as the stem during the first three weeks of its life. The depth of the root is attested to by a former Kansas State Secretary for the Department of Agriculture.

Alfalfa leaves are extremely rich in calcium. This accounts for the claims of herbalists and doctors concerning the benefits of using alfalfa for repairing tooth damage and strengthening the structure of the teeth. Calcium is also necessary for proper muscle function—that includes the heart muscle as well. Calcium regulates the heart rhythm. How much simpler to indulge in alfalfa early in life rather than a pacemaker in later life!

The protein content in alfalfa is quite high; in fact, pound for pound it outranks beef, milk, and eggs. Also, alfalfa is full of non-toxic, non-mucus forming elements which promote healing of the body.

We have often heard that there is no vegetable source of vitamin D. The sun, of course, is our favorite source. But did you know that alfalfa contains 4740 International Units of vitamin D per pound? We’ll talk more about this later.

In addition to the aforementioned nutrients, alfalfa also contains vitamins K, A, E, B, and U. Vitamin K is essential in the clotting of blood and is a preventative measure against hemorrhages. Many historical hemophiliacs would have benefited themselves had they considered the lowly alfalfa plant as something more than “munchies” for their herds. We know of several cases where women who have just delivered babies have eaten alfalfa tablets like candy directly after the birth in order to shorten the postpartum bleeding time. Alfalfa is also a remarkable herb to bring in milk in a nursing mother. It has also been observed that vitamin K is instrumental in lowering high blood pressure.

Vitamin E is contained in alfalfa to the tune of 173.8 mg per pound. Vitamin E is essential for the proper functioning of the reproductive system, and the vitamin E found in alfalfa is so much more valuable than the synthetic variety which is not readily assimilated by the body.

As mentioned earlier, vitamin D is found as 4740 International Units per pound of dried alfalfa. There is 173.8 IUs of vitamin E in the specimen we gave for analysis. All of these figures will, of course, vary with the time and season of the harvest. Our sample had 9.4 mg per pound of vitamin K, the clotting factor.

Alfalfa also contains a saponin, which is a substance that forms colloidal dispersion (a soap suds-like reaction) when shaken with water. The steroid saponins have been recently successfully investigated for their suitability as cortisone and hormone precursors.

Alfalfa can be used as a beverage, as well as medicinally. When taken daily it can improve the appetite, alleviate urinary tract disorders such as the retention of water, and give relief for digestive and bowel problems such as peptic ulcer. A combination of alfalfa and peppermint makes a very pleasant tea for the refreshment of mind and body.

According to May Bethel, author of The Healing Power of Herbs, 1968, alfalfa contains 8 known enzymes which are instrumental in food assimilation. Bethel also quotes Dr. W. H. Graves, D.C., who has successfully used alfalfa in cases of diabetes, rheumatism, bright’s disease, toxemia, jaundice, neuralgia, insomnia, nervousness, syphilis, constipation, lumbago, hardening of the arteries, dropsy, prostatitis, anemia, skin eruptions, poor complexion, and inflamed bladder. Graves also mentions alfalfa as a blood builder and is beneficial for building teeth and bones.

Alfalfa sprouts have experienced a resurgence in popularity. Once they were the “in thing” among health fanatics; now they rival iceberg lettuce in the supermarkets across the nation. Alfalfa sprouts can be enjoyed alone, as greenery on sandwiches, in soups, salads, and other vegetarian delights.

Growing Alfalfa Sprouts

Select a good variety of alfalfa seed. Usually natural food stores have them in stock, purchased explicitly for sprouting. Put about 1-2 tablespoons of dried seed into a clean glass quart jar. Instead of the original jar lid, use a flexible piece of screen and a rubber band to top the jar, preventing seeds from falling out while rinsing.

Alfalfa sprouts are inexpensive to grow at home, and rank among the world’s most nutritive substances.

Alfalfa may be sprouted at home in approximately three to four days. According to research reports, the sprouts contain the highest amount of vitamin B-12 on the fourth day of germination.

In harvesting alfalfa for drying, it is best to collect it before the flowering of the plant, for at this time the greatest potency is within the leaves. Alfalfa should be dried in the shade and stored in jars or containers with tight-fitting lids to preserve the nutritional value. When reconstituting dried alfalfa as a tea, it is best to use steam distilled water.

A form of alfalfa was known as early as the fourth century B.C., when Dioscordes, a physician who traveled with Alexander the Great, employed the wild plant for the difficulties with the urinary tract. In the Soviet Union and in Europe, alfalfa tea is considered a traditional beverage.

For more information contact: www.christopherwebsites.com

Health – Parsley

The humble Parsley is used as a popular garnish but is usually left uneaten. This is a pity since it is probably more nourishing than the concoctions which it garnishes. Often it is the only green on the plate! Parsley is also a remarkable diuretic which, among other things, heals many complaints of the urinary system.

Dr. John Christopher, a Master Herbalist, told the story of a woman, Mrs. Hanger, who came to America from England while she was in her twenties. She was very sickly and wanted children but could not conceive so she went to the medical doctor who told her that she had an untreatable kidney infection of a very progressive type and that she had six months left to live. She came home very discouraged.

Answering a knock at the front door, there stood a man who said, “I would like to talk to you. I would like to help you if you would want me to. You are from England and have brought your herbs with you. Make a tea with a pint of boiling water and a handful of parsley each day, cover and steep it and drink it in regular doses during the day; it will heal this condition.” Dr. Christopher spoke at her funeral, not just six months after she was supposed to die, but she lived to be eighty-six years old and during her life she raised a number of wonderful children.

Dr. Christopher developed a routine to help in cases of dropsy (edema). He was especially sensitive to the horrors of this condition. Before his mother died, her condition was well advanced and her body swelled enormously. When she died, the door had to be removed from the hinges to get her body out to the ambulance which took her to the morgue. Her pain had been so severe during the final months but nothing could be done to give her relief. As a young man Dr. Christopher was praying for a way to help her and felt frustrated that the doctors could do nothing at all.

Dr. Christopher’s routine is best told in this story:

A lady came into the weekly herb lecture late, just a few minutes after they had gotten started. She asked if she could interrupt and tell something that had just happened to her. Dr. Christopher invited her to tell her story. Just after the last week’s lecture she received a call from her brother-in-law in Chicago who told her that if she wanted to see her twin sister alive she must fly back there immediately because the doctors had given her only a day or two to live. The student took a few days off work and arrived in Chicago on the following Friday. She went in to see her sister and would not have recognized her if she had not been told who she was. Her sister was so badly swollen from edema (dropsy) that she seemed to be only a bloated, unrecognizable mass of flesh. She had been under doctor’s care for several months and they had been unable to give her anything but temporary aid from the water accumulation. Now they were utterly baffled and had, at the family’s request, sent her from the hospital to die.

The sick twin was in a coma, not recognizing anyone. The herb student wept to see her favorite sister lying there so helpless. With little school children needing their mother so much, she asked the husband if he would allow her to use an herbal routine she had heard about at a recent lecture. The doctor was just waiting for the sister to die so she was given the go ahead!

The herb student found a little health food store nearby and bought some parsley root and glycerin. Herbalists now generally use vegetable glycerin which is superior but at that time only animal glycerin was available. Parsley root tea was made using one teaspoon of herb to one cup of water (or one ounce of the herb to one pint of water). Making up about one gallon of the tea, one quart was used straight to give the patient orally and three quarts of the tea was mixed with equal parts of glycerin, making a total of six quarts of the combination for fomentations.

One cup of parsley tea was administered each half hour to the patient to drink and the heated combination of glycerin and tea was used as a fomentation to the badly swollen legs, arms and abdomen. This was done by soaking white flannel cloths in the mixture and laying them over the area, not allowing them to become cold but replacing whenever the cloth cooled down. A hot water bottle over the fomentations can be used if the area to be treated is not large.

After the fomentation had been on for a short time, the corner of the cloth was lifted to see if the pores were starting to take the water from the swollen areas, and as she looked it appeared as if hundreds of little springs were coming from the body. She had never used this routine before and was walking by faith, and it was a miracle to see it working. She had to fly back to work on Monday, so she left all the instructions with her brother-in-law to continue the program that had been started.

After work Tuesday rushing home to get ready for the regular Tuesday night lecture, her phone rang. It was her brother-in-law from Chicago who said, “There is someone here who would like to talk with you.” He put his wife on the phone and she was so happy that she was crying! The swelling had gone down and she was recovering rapidly. In fact, she had been well enough to get the children’s breakfast and fix their school lunches that day. She was so grateful to be a mother again and not a dying patient. There were not many dry eyes in the lecture room when the student finished the story. This is a great remedy to remember and one should store vegetable glycerin which is freely available and parsley root or grow plenty of it so it is available for an emergency.

Uses of Parsley

This amazing common herb is also quite potent. Dr. Christopher taught that parsley works on the gall bladder, helping to remove gallstones. He claims that it is a specific for the adrenal glands, is powerfully therapeutic for the optic nerves, brain nerves, and the whole sympathetic nervous system. Parsley is a remarkable remedy for expelling watery poisons, excess mucus, flatulence, and reducing swollen and enlarged glands, etc.

Parsley has long been used as a healer for the urinary tract. Bladder infections that can make you so sick that you can barely walk are particularly troublesome because they are rarely cleared up except with the use of antibiotics. If taken with equal parts of Echinacea and marshmallow root, parsley works very well. Parsley root tea will help remove stones including gallstones and kidney stones, if they are not too large.

One doctor who made a trip to Holland was surprised to see medical doctors prescribing parsley tea for kidney stones and other kidney and related complaints, including pressure of the prostate. He returned to his practice at home and began prescribing the same remedy with the same good results. Parsley taken with boiled onions is said to be good to remove gallstones, although some writers prescribe juniper berries instead of the onions, which would also be a great specific for the urinary tract.

The parsley root is the part used to relieve painful suppressed urination and attacks of gravel. If the stones are not too large to pass, the decoction will help remove them and relieve the pain. Parsley tea was useful during the Second World War when the men in the trenches suffered kidney complications while suffering from dysentery.

The root is also important for treating diseases of the liver and gallbladder. It can be used with a small amount of licorice or marshmallow root for the treatment of jaundice, asthma, water retention, and coughs. It is said to be excellent to remove obstructions of the liver and spleen.

In Sweden the tea is drunk as a brain tonic and preventative medicine.

A hot lotion of the seeds will relieve the irritation of all kinds of insect stings. The seeds made into decoction can be cooled and steeped about seven hours and then rubbed into the hair to clear away head lice and any other such vermin. You can massage the head scalp with the lotion of seeds and leaves to stimulate the growth of hair, check baldness (as long as the hair follicles are still alive) and remove dandruff.

The juice can be applied to the skin in the summer time for use as a nontoxic insect repellent. The whole herb is effective against bad breath, and people who take garlic often, also take parsley to avoid offending.

Chinese use of the herb includes the relief of kidneys and bladder. It is said to remove irritation, congestion, inflammation or weakness of these organs.

Parsley can be used in almost any kind of food and is therefore a good herb to include in the daily diet. It is thought to be a good disease preventative. Parsley contains much calcium, potassium, iron, copper and chlorophyll. It is also a good source of vitamins A, C and E. It contains niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, phosphorus, sulfur, magnesium and silicon.

Dried parsley can be used as freely as you would fresh minced parsley.

There are several varieties of parsley, the curly-leaved variety being generally preferred. Plain-leaved parsley winters better than the curly-leaved variety but care should be taken for it not to be mistaken for fool’s parsley which looks a lot like plain-leaved parsley but is extremely poisonous. Fool’s parsley, however, neither smells nor tastes like genuine parsley should a person dare to try it. We, here in Wichita, live in a rather severe climate, yet our parsley plants, sheltered in a moist place by the side of our house, put out new shoots during warm spells in the wintertime!

Health – Slippery Elm

Superior Demulcent

Dr. John R. Christopher, founder of The School of Natural Healing, classed Slippery Elm among the demulcent and emollient herbs, soothing substances with much mucilage that soothe tissues and help remove inflammation and mucous wherever they are used. Slippery Elm is particularly useful because its abundant mucilage soothes, disperses inflammation, draws out impurities, heals rapidly and greatly strengthens as it heals. It is especially good for irritated or inflamed surfaces. One of the foremost uses of the herb is for internal irritation, especially of the digestive tract.

Slippery Elm is usually retained and digested when no other food or liquid is tolerated. It normalizes bowel functions very quickly, either stopping diarrhea or helping bring about a bowel movement. It is one of the mildest of laxatives and can be taken by anyone, children or pregnant women alike, as it is absolutely harmless. If the mucous membrane of the stomach or intestines is irritated, Slippery Elm will speedily restore it to its proper function.

Many preparations of Slippery Elm are sold on the market as bland and nutritious foods. In some cases, the powdered bark is added to a base of barley malt and pre-cooked wheat flour. The malted barley helps convert cereal starches into digestible carbohydrates.

Because coughs are often associated with digestive disruption, particularly of the eliminative tract, Slippery Elm is wonderful in the correcting of coughs. It soothes the mucous membranes directly. Many people make lozenges of the herb, mixing it with maple syrup or honey until a stiff paste forms, and then chilling it until quite firm and then cutting it into pieces. It is a harmless confection to give children and will help roll down the mucous out of the system as it soothes the cough. It also reduces the inflammation of the surfaces.

Slippery Elm has often been used for external problems. Mixed with an herb tea appropriate to an external problem, it provides an excellent herbal poultice bandage for external use, put onto a clean linen or cotton bandage and bound upon the place. Dr. Christopher said it is excellent when applied to sores, wounds, gangrene, burns, tumors and infected areas.

He also says that for abscesses and boils and gangrenous wounds, nothing can surpass it used either with a mixture of Wormwood or very fine charcoal. Slippery Elm bark will also preserve fatty substances from becoming rancid. If a hollow tooth aches and it is not possible to see a dentist, a pinch of slippery elm powder will ease the pain and arrest decay temporarily, although it is in no sense a drug.

The powdered bark is often recommended for so many problems that it is hard to enumerate them all. In addition to what has been mentioned, it has been used for croup, pneumonia, internal ulcers, skin eruptions of many kinds, poison ivy, and tumors.

The doctrine of signatures (a doctrine that states that, by observation, one can determine from the color of the flowers or roots, the shape of the leaves, the place of growing, or other signatures, what the plant’s purpose was in God’s plan) states that the mucilaginous nature of the bark makes it good to treat all catarrhal (inflammation of the mucous membranes, especially the respiratory tract) disturbances and irritations of the bronchial and alimentary systems. It is especially indicated in cough remedies to facilitate the removal of phlegm. It is good to facilitate any kind of removal from the system, as some doctors say that an expectant mother should drink about a half pint of the tea in the last couple of months to facilitate the easy removal of the baby from her body.

Historical Uses

This herb has been used for bedsores, dehydration and malnutrition, vaginal problems, rectal problems, wounds, burns, gangrene, fevers, diarrhea, inflamed eyes, ulcers, swelling, consumption, rheumatism, dysentery, toothache, boils and carbuncles, sore throat, bleeding of lungs, chapped hands and face, nourishment for the sickly, poison ivy, broken bones, appendicitis, whooping cough, leprosy, suppressed urine, dropsy, hard tumors, bladder inflammation, to procure easy labor, to accelerate healing, as a laxative, to neutralize stomach acid, to absorb foul gases, for coughs, chest troubles, tuberculosis, the great white plague, dyspnea, urinary tract problems, hemorrhoids, baldness, sciatica, as a lubricant in labor, to provoke abortion, purulent opthalmia, chilblains, croup, pneumonia, calculi, burning urine, all catarrhal disturbances, bronchitis, and to remove phlegm.

Recipes

Slippery Elm Delight can be made by mixing a handful of agar-agar in about 3 cups of water, heating until melted. Add 2 tablespoons of Slippery Elm powder, 4 tablespoons of Chia seeds, 4 tablespoons of flax seeds, 1 mashed ripe banana, a handful of raisins, cinnamon (or substitute) and carob powder (to taste). Mix together well and let gel into a pudding in the refrigerator. This should tone up sluggish intestines.

In Ten Talents, (Rosalie Hurd, B.S., Frank J. Hurd, D.C., M.D., College Press, Collegedale, Tennessee, 2008), a superior vegan cookbook, it is suggested that Slippery Elm be added to ice cream recipes for smoothness and creaminess. Here is one of the excellent recipes:

In a blender, blend till smooth:

1 cup cashews

3 cups water

1 tsp. Slippery Elm powder

½ cup raw honey

1–2 Tbsp. soy milk powder

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

When smooth, add slowly 1/3 cup coconut or soy oil. Blend well and freeze. Whip again and return to freezer. Serve before it gets too hard. Carob powder or fresh fruit may be added.

You can make a healthy confection that is also good for the bowels by grinding dried fruits and nuts together, sweetening with honey and adding Slippery Elm to help bind it. Roll into balls and coat with equal amounts of carob powder and Slippery Elm mixture. Refrigerate if desired. This is delicious and a great substitute for other candies.

The inner bark, which has had the outer bark carefully scraped off, is the part commonly used. Most people do not grow Slippery Elm for their home use, as the ten-year-old trees are considered minimally mature for use. Elm trees do not flourish everywhere and grow only in certain parts of the United States of America. Large quantities of the bark are collected in spring from the bole and larger branches of trees, especially in the lower part of the state of Michigan, and are then dried. As the wood has no commercial value, the tree is fully stripped, consequently killing the whole tree. This is considered a shame, and it is wondered whether wild collectors might take less of each tree (usually the large roots can be collected) and preserve the tree above, as a small amount taken from each tree might not kill the entire specimen. The bark is allowed to air dry before packaging. Slippery Elm is very inexpensive and retains its quality well in storage.

Chemical Compositions

The principal constituent of the bark is the mucilage which is very similar to that found in flaxseed. Starch, calcium oxalate and acid sodium phosphate are also present.

Excerpts of this article are from www.schoolofnaturalhealing.com, October 2010.

Food – The Seasoned Art of Seasoning

“The words and works of the Lord harmonize. His words are gracious and His works bountiful. ‘He causeth grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man’ [Psalm 104:14].
How liberal are the provisions He has made for us.”
“Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Commentary, vol. 3, 1152.

Herbs and spices are aromatic vegetable products used to season and flavor foods, with herbs having more subtle flavors than spices. Herbs are usually derived from the leaves of aromatic plants of the Temperate Zone, whereas spices come from the root, bark, stem, leaf, bud, seed or fruit of aromatic plants that grow in the tropics. Skillfully and judiciously used, herbs and spices provide the family chef with a keyboard of happy notes that make humdrum cooking sing with flavor. …

The key to good seasoning is blended flavor, with the flavor accents mutually compatible, following one another in proper order, and having the right emphasis or intensity. Flavor harmonies are not always easy to achieve, but they can be most rewarding. The first and last flavor impressions are the most important, and a pleasing aftertaste is the ultimate goal of all good seasoning. The speed with which a specific flavor note appears depends on the nature of the seasoning, on the quantity of seasoning used, and on the sensitivity of the person who does the tasting. … Natural flavors are often blends of two or more simple flavors. Naturally occurring flavors may either be intensified or subdued—according to the desired effect. To strike happy notes on the flavor keyboard:

Use restraint. Dried herbs are stronger than fresh herbs, and a smaller amount is needed to achieve the same effect. One-fourth teaspoon of a dried herb is usually sufficient in four servings. Crush leafy herbs. Use untried spices and herbs cautiously, striving for a subtle, not-too-pronounced flavor. …

Add seasoning to cold foods well in advance of serving, to give the flavors time to blend. Hot foods require less time for flavor penetration. When possible, season hot foods during the final hour of cooking. Remember, also, that flavors are perishable.

Use spices or herbs in only one or two dishes at a meal. Some herbs and spices are entirely harmless in their effect on the body; others, when used occasionally and sparingly, have no significant objectionable effects; still others are decidedly injurious even in small quantities. Strong spices harm the delicate membranes of the digestive organs and impair their normal operation.

Dining Delightfully; Tested Recipes From Adventist Hospital Chefs, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and Hospital Association Medical Department, Review and Herald Publishing Association, Washington, D.C., 1968, 9.

Recipe – Quinoa with Vegetables and Herbs

1 cup quinoa

½ tsp. kosher salt,

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium zucchini, chopped (2 cups)

divided 3 carrots, peeled and chopped (1 ½ cups)

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 tsp. fresh thyme or oregano (optional)

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Rinse quinoa in a strainer. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring quinoa, 2 cups water, and ¼ tsp. salt to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until quinoa absorbs the water, 10-15 minutes. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion; cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high and add next 5 ingredients. Sauté, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender and golden around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with ¼ tsp. salt. In a large bowl, mix together quinoa, vegetables, and fresh chives and serve.

Food – Turn Over a New Leaf

Fresh herbs have long enjoyed a place of importance in the hearts of cooks. They are, without a doubt, the most versatile culinary ingredients. Fresh herbs add rich and savory flavors to foods, perking up and adding depth to vegetables and soups. They are a quick, healthy and fat-free way to add spice to everyday meals without adding additional sodium and calories.

  • In most recipes you can very easily substitute fresh herbs for dry herbs by using about 3 times the amount—1 tsp. dry equals 1 Tbsp. fresh.
  • Buy herbs with vibrant color and aroma. Avoid those that are limp, yellowing, have black spots or don’t smell totally fresh.
  • To store—Trim unwashed herb bunches. Wrap in a damp paper towel and slip into a plastic bag filled with a little air to prevent crushing. Place in the refrigerator crisper drawer. Wash when ready to use.
  • Use a sharp knife when cutting fresh herbs. A dull one will crush and bruise the herbs. Scissors also work well when chopping chives or snipping off tender leaves.
  • Do you have leftover fresh herbs? Fill an ice cube tray with finely chopped herbs and pour water over just to cover. Freeze until solid. Pop frozen cubes in a freezer bag. Place into the freezer until needed.
  • Fresh herbs can also be dried for later use—Remove leaves from the bottom inch of each stem. Bundle several stems together with string or a rubber band. Hang upside down in a warm, airy room. When completely dry, crumble the leaves into jars.
  • Herb butters are one of the most wonderful treats you can make with herbs. Combine 1 stick of softened Earth Balance vegan buttery stick with 1 tsp. lemon juice and 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped herbs of your choice. Transfer the mixture to a piece of waxed or parchment paper and roll into a log. Refrigerate until firm. Slice and serve with corn on the cob, Italian bread, steamed vegetables, baked potato or cooked pasta.
  • Create herb-infused oils to use in vinaigrettes, as a bread dip or drizzled over cooked vegetables. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 cup of olive oil along with 5 sprigs of thyme or 2 sprigs of rosemary until bubbles appear around the edge of the pan. Cool completely. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
  • Think beyond lettuce—adding coarsely chopped herbs to a salad adds flavor and color. Dill, basil, mint and parsley are especially delicious.

AmacAdvantage, vol. 6, Issue 3, 46, 47.