THE FLAXSEED / LINSEED

Flax was already used thousand years ago for making cloth. Much later people realised that Flax has a lot of active substances, in that time it was a very popular laxative, but today no one used it for that purpose.  

Flaxseed contains a lot of minerals, like potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, fluorine, iodine, vitamin E and vitamin B6.

I use Flaxseeds for treatment of intestinal diseases, dental enamel and for the proper functioning of the immune system.

 

Against the closure we can eat one big spoon of Flaxseeds and then immediately drink 1 or 2 glass of water, after that in stomach seeds get bloated and start to affect the intestines, which speed up efficient drainage. Seeds can be put in yogurt or cottage cheese, and of course drink a lot of water, which is the best thing to do at breakfast.

When I have inflammation of the throat and strong cough, I do myself scald. I pour 2 spoons of Flaxseeds with 4 decilitres of boiling water and wait until scald gets lukewarm (around 40 degrees Celsius), then to improve the taste of it you can add lemon juice and honey. You drink this through the day.

Soaked Flaxseeds (which have been soaked through the night and release mucus) are used for alleviate gastritis and other mucous membrane inflammations. You can used it for losing weight, as we know it contains a lot of potassium, which drains water from the body and is responsible for the proper muscle functioning.





The main mineral constituents of bones are calcium. Flaxseed contains a lot of calcium (100 grams Flaxseeds have around 250 milligrams of calcium), that means that those seeds are the main supplier with it. But because it doesn’t contain vitamin D it is important to eat Flaxseeds with dairy products (yogurt, cottage cheese, Kefir – cultured dairy product).

Flaxseed is great to consolidate the tooth enamel. For tooth decay the mayor cause for it is lack of fluoride, but Flaxseed contains maximum of it. To harden tooth enamel, we should just swallow Flaxseeds, but slowly chew them, with that we make a reaction and fluoride incorporate into enamel.

Flaxseed oil contains a lot of healthy fats, that’s why is used for treating prostate cancer. Fatty acids help to prevent that fat doesn’t accumulate in tissues.

Since Flaxseed has so many healing properties, we all should eat it in moderation. In organism will be the most effective, if we while eating seeds, drink a lot of water. On that we should pay particular attention.

THE CARROT

Among of all of crops, the richest treasure in the garden is certainly the Carrot, since it has a lot of medicinal properties. Once upon a time people were very happy that instead of gold in the ground they at least found Carrots.

Older people were saying that the Carrot gives your body the blood. It is now scientifically proven that Carrot increases the number of red blood cells and that it is the best medicine for the liver.

Every year I grow crops and most of the garden space I have reserved for Carrot. Usually I plant one big patch of red Carrot and one another patch of yellow Carrot, because it contains a lot of vitamins, such as: vitamin E, vitamin H (known as fertility vitamin), vitamin A, B1, B2, potassium, folic acid, etc.

 

Respiratory problems, especially in the winter, I reliving them with Carrot juice, which I drink early in the morning. Also the Carrot juice helps against anemia and digestive disorders.

About a year ago I had problems with my hair loss. I removed this scourge with the Carrot. I ate raw Carrot, I made a salad from it, cooked Carrot soup or make some sauce from it.  After a month and a half my hair loss problems had disappeared. It wasn’t so important how I made it, raw or cooked, but it only mattered that I ate it.

After my children got older than four months, I was making Carrot based foods almost every day for them, because it’s healthy for eyes and mucous membrane.

Baby diarrhoea can be as severe nuisance, I know it myself. When my children had digestive problems, for that I cooked Carrot soup, this is the oldest, tested, natural cure, that’s why I recommend it to all young mothers.

RECIPE FOR BABIES (with digestion problems), RED CARROT porridge:

 

We can make it like this:

 

1. First we have to wash a quarter of a kilogram of RED Carrot.

2. Then we skin the Carrot and cut it on circles or squares.

3. After that we put it in cooker and pour a half of litre of water, then you cook the Carrot until is soft but do not overcook it.

4. Then we mix Carrot in blender and add some boiling water, salt, if it’s necessary.

JThe baby meal is done. Usually takes 3 to 4 days for digestion to regulate.

I also reduce problems with excess stomach acid with Carrot soup. I cook some Carrots, cut it in circles and salt it, pour some water and cook it for 20 minutes. I eat warm soup. This Carrot soup treatment for stomach acid lasts for 2 weeks.

Carrot absorbs excess juices in the stomach, that’s why it’s appropriate to eliminate heartburn.

Carrot supplies us with carotenoids (especially with vitamin A) and protects us from carcinogenesis, especially from the lungs and prostate. Very important carotenes are alpha and beta.

In the kitchen we use the Carrot at least three times a week in soups, side dishes, salads, desserts and even for decoration purposes, because of its colour (orange is a happy colour) It puts me in a good mood.

For Carrot (especially baby Carrots) we say that it is a hormone of happiness, because it contains a lot of folic acid.

CHAMOMILE / CAMOMILE

Chamomile, this golden yellow herb that pleases us through whole summer, it is the most used herb in almost every family. Chamomile flowers have a pleasant smell and taste. In ancient times, Chamomile was prescribed for various diseases. Home grown Chamomile is very different from those purchased in the filter. Therefore it is best to grow them in the home garden, if you have one.

In my youth, parents were always cooking Chamomile tea for us children, because it helps to calm stomach and intestines. Chamomile tea also prevents inflammation.

I also remember that our grandmothers were putting around five hundred millilitres of Chamomile infusion in our bath, so that we children fall asleep easier at night.

A lot of times I make for myself Chamomile water for inhalation in which I put three spoons of its flowers. This water really helps me when I have nasal congestion and other lung diseases. We can also clean blackheads on our face with it, because after that treatment our skin is perfect softened.

I also make Chamomile lotion for myself. I mix eight drops of Chamomile oil with one hundred of millilitres of distillate of hazel catkins.

Chamomile works very calmly, I cook it for myself when I’m restless or I can’t sleep or when I’m just very tired.

When I have problems with rheumatism, I put a good half pound of dried Chamomile in linen/flax bag and dip it into very hot vinegar (preferably apple). Then I compress soaked in this hot mixture and put it on affected area. Pain disappears very quickly. With such preparation you can also treat gout.

When there weren’t so many cosmetic preparations my aunt, was using Chamomile to colour her blond hair. I even today remember her recipe. In the canvas bag she put around one hundred and fifty grams of Chamomile and put it into a litre of cold water and boils it for half an hour. When all cooled down she washed her hair with it and dry it with a towel. Hairs were lighter and nicely glossy.

Chamomile must be harvested in a sunny day, because this is the only time when Chamomile contains the most of essential oils. It must be dried in shadow and must be careful that it won’t fell apart when they are dried enough. Chamomile must be storaged in dry space where it won’t get mould, because Chamomile likes to absorb moisture. Chamomile usually grows among grain, which it is unpleasant for farmers as weeds, but that Chamomile is the healthier one.

Chamomile isn’t a demanding plant because it even grows on very infertile soil.

THE APPLE

From the first civilizations on Earth everything revolves around Apples. Even today an Apple is a symbol for a healthy life. But on the other hand this fruit does not receive as much attention as it should.

We can buy Apples in every grocery shop, all year round. But these kinds of Apples must be handled with care. Because they are most likely sprayed with pesticides, we must give them a good wash before eating them. If we want to eat healthy apples it is best to get them from controlled plantations where they don`t use pesticides. Apples grown there might be smaller in size, but much healthier and natural.

 

I have been wondering, where do the most tasty and quality Apples grow. I`ve looked up some research done by experts and they determined, that the best Apples come from Slovenia. Even The Japanese and the Americans are fighting over them. The best pectin and extracts are produced from Slovenian Apples.

 

When I have stomach problems, I prepare myself Apple compote, because it moisturizes inflamed stomach and intestines.



When I get diarrhoea due to improper diet or maybe bowel inflammation, I grate some Apples and let them rest for ten minutes. Apples prepared that way regulate concentration of substances in the body. In the old days they even treated dysentery like that.

I eat Apples a lot when I have a weakened immune system, especially after a disease, because they contain several vitamins and minerals: pectin, iron, vitamin C and especially a lot of tannins, which eliminate the inflammation in the intestine, bind proteins and steal food from the bacteria, so that they are not feeding in our intestines.

A juice from two Apples and a lemon is a great persecutor of useless bacteria from the gut.

Each year, I also prepare dried Apples. Everyone in our family eats these Apples throughout the winter, when we exercise less. And they are a great substitute over potato chips or salted peanuts. You can also use finely chopped Apple wedges with teas such as rosehip with Apples and lemon, or lime tea with Apples and cinnamon.

Apples can be very useful in the kitchen. Just these days, I made a great Apple strudel. I made puff pastry, grated Apples, and added a little sugar, cinnamon and a little sour cream. Rolled it up in one big roll, greased with olive oil, and made some holes in the dough with a fork (so that it does not inflate), and bake in the oven until golden brown. Apple pie is also very good, which is made with short crust pastry.

Apples are most healthy eaten unpeeled as most valuable natural substances, are in the peal.

BLACK ELDERBERRY

The Elderberry is a medicinal plant which deserves the highest recognition for its healing properties. We used to have a blackberry bush near every house, but today it is only found at the brink of a forest or in a glade. People do not always realize that the elderberry is very healthy.

Elderberry leaves and blossoms stimulate the sweat glands, and increase urine output and toxic substances from the body.

Each year I gather fresh Elderberry blossoms and dry them on fresh air, but not on the sun.

The colour of the blossoms must remain yellow golden in colour. When they are dry I keep them in a paper bag.

When I have a strong cold or a bronchial infection, i prepare myself some Elderberry tea.

Elderberry is very efficient at regulating blood sugar levels, therefore I recommend it to diabetics. Elderberry tea also purifies the blood.

When the Elderberries are ripe in the autumn, I prepare myself some juice. I put around 2 kilograms of berries in the juicer and squeeze them. I cook the juice for an hour and a half and then add 20 dekagrams of honey. When the juice is lukewarm, I pour it in a bottle and store it in a dry and dark space. I drink one spoonful three times a day. Elderberries contain a lot of vitamins, such as vitamin A, B, B1, B2, and C.

I prepare Elderberry tea at least three times a week. I pour boiling water over two tea spoons of dry flowers, strain it after ten minutes and add honey. The tea is very effective against bad body odor. I also use it for rinsing my eyes (without the honey).

Tea from the leaves and tree bark helps with constipation and urinary leakage.

As a child I have fond memories of fried Elderberry flowers, which my mother prepared for dinner, I prepare them even today. I make dough for pancakes and dip elderberry flowers in it (the best are fresh), then I quickly fry the batter, and sprinkle the pancakes with lemon juice, fold and sweeten them with powdered sugar. (Instead of lemon juice I also use honey).

Fresh elderberries should not be eaten raw, otherwise you could get sick or get diarrhoea.



THE GARLIC

When I plant my first seed of Garlic in spring I am very well aware that it will grow in a real treasure of health for my family. For thousands of years before us the people already knew that Garlic was a cure for many diseases, because in that time they didn’t had any other medicine.

 

In my childhood Garlic was a real winner against roundworms and other parasites in the body. Even today I am eating it regularly. Usually I make myself a Garlic puree. I mash four to five cloves of Garlic, leave it for a few hours in water (meanwhile I mix it a few times), then drink it.

I use Garlic for rinsing wounds, especially infected ones. I mash Garlic and put it into boiled or distilled water. With this mixture I disinfect many wounds.

With Garlic I also treated corns and calluses, warts and acne. I made myself a fresh porridge from mashed Garlic cloves.

 

Since I am in mid-forties I often have problems with cholesterol, that’s why I eat at least two cloves of Garlic a day. It protects heart and lifeblood.

 

It is excellent when I use Garlic for disinfection of painful throat. Through gargling the Garlic potion my pain disappear in almost three days.

Since I eat Garlic I have bad breath, I reduce it with eating some leaves of parsley or basil.

In the kitchen Garlic is indispensable, especially with salads and meat dishes. I most enjoy eating the Garlic sauces and its dressing for salads.

 

Garlic is available in stores through all year. When we are buying it we have to be careful to choose the fresh ones. The heads of Garlic must be hard and shouldn’t have growths. We should avoid Garlic that has grey colour and too much roughage. The best one is with the purple peel. If we have a chance we use fresh Garlic on the beginning of its harvesting season. We have to storage it in cold and dry space without light.

 

 

One advice: It is best when we mash raw Garlic with a mortar and pestle. If we want to have a little Garlic flavour in our ingredients then we rub the bowl with mashed Garlic.

 



THE WALNUT

Walnut grows everywhere around us, but we barely notice it. All that we know is that we can make a great Walnut cake and many other sweet goodies. Also it has many healing abilities but we don’t know a lot about it. Walnut was more appreciated by older generations.

In spring I gather young Walnut leaves and dry them in shade, but they must remain green as much as they could to maintain healing abilities. I gather green immature Walnuts from which I make drops for stomach. Leaves and Walnuts contain tannins, essential oils, citric acids, bitters, salts and many other healing substances.

Many times I make tea from Walnut leaves, this one is very appropriate for cleaning blood, immune system, skin diseases and hemorrhoids.

I recommend you to use Walnut tea together with camomile tea. Walnut tea contains many of tannins which are not recommended for people with sensitive stomach. That’s why you must mix it with other teas like camomile, linden, etc.

I remember that when I was a teenager, my aunt prepared me sliced immature Walnuts with raw butter. With it I lubricated my face, to reduce pimples. I also ate it when I had menstrual problems.

From sliced Walnut leaves and tree bark I make mouthwash, it works antibacterial.

From sliced Walnuts I prepare myself Walnut liquor. In liquor I put green Walnuts, sugar, lemon, cloves and cinnamon. Then I put it on window shelf for two months but not directly on sun. Then I pour it in other little bottles and put it in the basement. After a year I open it to drink it with the rest of my family.

I use Walnut oil for baking cakes, especially with the one that contain Walnuts, and sometimes at poultry and vegetables, there where the taste of Walnuts is matching with ingredients.

Walnuts are best to eat raw, I store them in dark airy space. I store Walnut kernels in a glass jar which must be closed very well.

After all that is obvious why chipmunks like Walnuts so much.

THE CABBAGE

It has been said that Cabbage is food for poor people and if you harvest it at full moon it has the most medicinal substances.

I mostly use raw heated and sour Cabbage. Fresh Cabbage has a lot of vitamin C. Cabbage in acidification excreted very much lactic acid, which prevents rotting processes in the human body. That’s why the excess material immediately eliminates from the intestines. Also the sauerkraut (sour Cabbage) prevents toxic substances to run from intestines into the blood, this affects the health and well-being.

I use Cabbage all year long, in summer and autumn I mostly use fresh Cabbage, in winter and spring I use sauerkraut. When I have headache or back pain, I lie down on fresh Cabbage leaves.

When I suffer from hoarseness I blend Cabbage leaves in food processor and add some of flower honey.  After consuming it I feel better.

Several times that I had stomach problems, I prepared myself fresh juice from fresh and sour Cabbage. I made juice from fresh Cabbage with the juicer, then I drank it for a month, three times a day of two decilitres, beside that I had a suitable diet.

In cold winter when vitamin C is even more indispensable, sauerkraut is the most convenient and healthy meal in any kitchen (it also doesn’t spoil that easy). Cabbage blends well with roast pork and Kranjska sausages.

Salad made from fresh sliced Cabbage with a little boiled, mashed potatoes and whole cumin provide a good companion to every main course and mixed salad.

The most important thing about cooking Cabbage is that you shouldn’t over boil it, especially when you want to use it as a remedy.

 



SAUERKRAUT STEW RECIPE

Here is a recipe for a very tasty stew from sauerkraut.

First I boil sauerkraut slightly, then I separately cook diced potatoes, I do the same with kidney beans (which can be bought canned), meanwhile all that is cooking I add some smoked bacon to sauerkraut. After that I separately make onion roux in a pan, I put chopped onion into hot oil and fry it, then I sprinkle a little flour on it and add tomato paste, after that I add some cold water (this process dissolve the sauce a little), cook it for five minutes and add it to the sour Cabbage. At the end I add one bay leaf and two crushed garlic cloves.

 

 

THE RED CLOVER

If people had as strong sense as animals have (deer, rabbits, etc.), we would eat Red Clover more regularly. At my young age I wondered why only deer like Red Clover so much. In past Red Clover was considered one of the best sorts of animal feed. I also remember that I spent most of the time on a meadow where I ate some Red Clover flowers, it tastes sweet and fresh. My mother had sown witloof chicory between Red Clover every year, which had really good taste.

About two decades ago I started to research about this plant and then I found out that  Red Clover is one of the oldest herbs. It contains everything from calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamins and flavonoids.

Red Clover is often used by women as a help in premenopausal period, it greatly reduces sweating, tiredness, irritability, hot flushes and lack of concentration. I made myself tea from it and drink it one cup after a meal.

I use Red Clover when I have problems with constipations. From its flowers I make syrup which helps to facilitate expectoration. Much better than any other herb I use it for inflammation of gastric mucosa and also to relieve stress.

 

Manyl times my lymph glands get painful and swollen, in that case I prepare an ointment by using fresh Red Clover flowers, on which I pour water and cook it on low heat for five hours, then I drain it and mix with the same amount of fat (oil, etc.).

 

 

Red Clover flowers I use for decoration of salads and vegetable side dishes.

Just as with other herbs you have to use (eating) Red Clover with caution, especially during pregnancy, breast and female reproductive tract cancer.

In the old times people said that woman who don’t have children and want to get pregnant, drank Red Clover tea every day to get pregnant faster.

DANDELION

Thank the wind which blew the golden dust of the dandelion blossom from the far Asia to us. When I look at the yellow dandelion flowers I always thank the sun for its gift. The sun rays which warm the Earth also make the dandelion flower so beautifully yellow.

 

When the first dandelion flowers start to blossom, I know that spring is here. The people are happy to see it and bees as well. In my opinion honey made from the dandelion flowers is the best. It is thick, yellow and with many crystals.

 

In the spring and also during the year, I often prepare myself dandelion tea, because it helps with bad digestion, strengthens the stomach and the immune system. Fresh juice made from the grinded dandelion leaves with a little water is the most efficient. I store it in the fridge and drink it throughout the day.

When I feel bloated or when my body is acidified due to sugary and fatty foods, I make myself tea from the dandelion blossom. I pour boiling water over the blossoms, leave it a couple of minutes and then drink it.

When consuming dandelion regularly I find myself loosing quite some weight. Because dandelion is a diuretic it encourages the differentiation of urine, stool and bile acid. It contains a lot of potassium, so there is no danger of losing to much bodily fluids, like with the nettle, which is a huge advantage over other herbs.

I also remember that my mother used dandelion milk which she squeezed out of the stalk to wash my eyes.

I use dandelion in salads and for decoration throughout the year. Even in the late autumn days, when there is no more salad on the garden and you have to go to buy it. You can still go to the meadow, pick dandelion leaves and put them in the salad.

 

I also used the root from the dandelion a couple of times when preparing coffee. The aroma was most interesting and after a coffee with the root, the intestine quickly empties. I also dry the roots and add them to different types of tea.

For the colder days I prepare myself syrup out of the dandelion blossom.

I use dandelion leaves through the whole year.

RIBWORT PLANTAIN

If I even think, how many times a human foot steps on such a useful grass as Ribwort Plantain and crumples it, it breaks my heart. I know two different species of Ribwort Plantain, narrow leaf and broadleaf.

 

 

In past, I used Broadleaf Ribwort Plantain, when my husband had stomach problems. I gathered it, added a little of Dandelion leaves, Yarrow and Camomile flowers. Tea from those herbs helps with inflammation gastric mucosal. It is even more affective when you squeeze juice from leaves and consume it twice a day with spoon.

Now, when I and my husband are a little older, I started to use Ribwort Plantain seeds. In my opinion these are one of the best natural medicines for intestinal problems and hemorrhoids. I use dry seeds when I want to eradicate unnecessary substances from the intestines. I put Ribwort Plantain seeds in water, to swell and become slimy (It is known that Ribwort works anti-inflammatory), then I drink a lot of water and thus facilitate drainage.

Every year I make syrup for respiratory. I make it from leaves, which I ground in food processor, and then add some water, sugar and honey. I boil them all together on a stove, this makes a thick liquid, and then I add some warm water and pour it lukewarm into glasses and put it into fridge. Syrup helps against dry cough.

 

 

From Ribwort Plantain I also make juice, which I ground it, drain it and add some honey, then drink it. This juice helps to drift away toxins from our body, and also works for diabetics and those with gout.

In gastronomy Ribwort Plantain is very popular, I always add it in green salad (especially if I buy a salad from a store), to consume more healthy ingredients. Many times I am using it instead of Swiss chard and spinach.

 

 

 

In my opinion, everybody should know Ribwort Plantain, because it can be found on every meadow. 





 

GARDEN NASTURTIUM / INDIAN CRESS a beauty at home garden

A human could hardly believe that such a beautiful herb, as Nasturtium, can be so healing. Nasturtium caught my eye a decade ago, when I saw it on some neighbour’s garden in our street. The following year I bought seeds and planted it in my garden. Now this beauty boasts in my garden every year. However, you can also find it in some balcony planter box or in concrete planter. I plant it because it repels aphids, caterpillars, snails, ants and mice.

 

Nasturtium has beautiful red, orange and yellow flowers and leaves are coloured green. My son, who is a gastronome by profession, told me, that in gastronomy a nasturtium is mostly used for decorations, soups, and salads, even for meat. I’m using it for making sandwiches, toast, sometimes I add it to sausages, because it tastes like mustard.

 



 

When I have a cold, I eat Nasturtium on a piece of bread. It`s seeds are even better. Those are very spicy, that’s why they are good for your lungs.

Nasturtium contains a lot of sulphur, that’s why I eat it when I have indigestion, because it helps me passing urine and stools. It also helps to boost your immune system.

When my hair is massively falling off, I make a Nasturtium hair tonic for myself. For making tonic I use alcohol, fresh leaves, flowers of Nasturtium and add some nettle. I dunk this tonic mixture from ten to fifteen days, then I strain it. Then I massage it into my hair.

I put Nasturtium flowers in risotto and pasta. It leaves I add to cheese, mixed eggs and omelettes.

 

 

My advice to you is, grow Nasturtium at your home garden.



THE LEMON BALM HERB (MELISSA)

Melissa reminds me of my early childhood. Before I went to sleep, my mother always put three or four leaves of Melissa into my milk, which helped me to fell asleep easier. Still today I watch this herb with such admiration, while bees graze upon it. Even our ancestors were saying that, where the bees are, there is healthy life.

I often cook Melissa’s tea for myself and my children, because it cools and calms our body, I even use it for my digestive problems. You wouldn’t believe, but even my dog likes it, because it calms his wild energy.  I usually cook it for my menstrual cramps, now that I am in premenopausal period I use Melissa’s tea even more. I usually cook Melissa in the morning, so that I am calm most of the day and in the evening before I go to sleep. The herb helps my children, so that they can be more effective with their school obligations.

For my stomach problems I use Melissa’s syrup, it relaxes my spasms and bloats.

I recommended Melissa’s tea poultices to my long-time acquaintance, who is suffering from gout. He confirmed that this treatment helps him ease the swelling.

I also like to use Melissa in the winter and summer time, especially when I cook mulled wine, I put a leaf of herb in it or I put it in lemonade to really cool off.

I cook Melissa’s tea when I have the fever, for it is known that it cools your body. My grandmother taught me how to prepare massage oil from the herb. While I was a kid I often suffered from bronchitis, so my granny used to spread warm oil (almost boiled) on my chest. 

I use Melissa’s leaves for baking honey cookies, which makes the cookies even more delicious and healthier. Cottage cheese cake or cottage cheese strudel are even tastier, after I add some cut leaf of Melissa.

Melissa is more effective fresh than dried. Melissa gives better taste to egg omelettes, vegetable dishes, venison, diary drinks and white wine. 

Melissa must be used in moderation.