Wormwood ~ Useful Bitter Herb

How many times have any of us come home from a great vacation, only to come home and be a little bloated and "draggie" from all the vacation foods we ate that are not normally in our diets? ESPECIALLY, if we went to a seaside area and enjoyed local seafood. 

Or do you eat a lot of sushi or under-cooked meat and have a bloat and maybe some gas that just won't go away?

Chances are that while enjoying the local seaside cuisine or under-cooked meat, you have unintentionally brought home a little "friend." 

For those of us who are normally land locked, eating sea food that is not from our geographical area or eating the raw fish in sushi or for those who do not properly cook through their meats, worms and parasites may have crept their way into your diet. 

Yes, sad but true. Eww.

But . . . there is a very easy way to rid yourself of those little "friends." A truly bitter herb called Wormwood.

The true bitterness of this herb is part of what helps to rid those varmints from our bodies. As with all bitter herbs, it stimulates the stomach, liver and gallbladder, making it an excellent parasitic and worm cleanse.

Even though Wormwood is best known as a parasitic cleanse, it also has other benefits . . . 

As mentioned, it stimulates the digestive juices in the digestive tract, stimulating bile to help with bloating, gas, reflux and other digestive issues. It is also known to ease stomach pain, help with anemia, ease a fever and is a mild antidepressant.

 From my own home apothacary

Wormwood may be used in several ways ~ blended with other bitter herbs in an infusion (a strongly brewed "tea" made from the leaves, made to sipped on throughout the day), a tincture (a liquid, medicinal herb or herb blend; very easy to make, just time consuming), a capsule or your own tea. When using as a tea or infusion DO NOT SWEETEN, the bitterness is part of the cure, and only take on a daily basis for 2-4 weeks at a time.

So, the next time you bring home a little uninvited "friend" from vacation or restaurant meal, remember that you can easily evict them with the bitter herb, Wormwood.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

**See obligatory disclaimer at bottom of blog**

**Please consider fully cooking your meat. As my husband has been known to say to rude waiters who turned their noses up at our request for "well done" meat: "I grew up on a cattle and hog farm, if you knew what they ate, you'd want yours well done, too."

Homemade Liquid Roll-On Deodorant

I am always on the lookout for my next favorite homemade personal care item. And I have found another one!

For years, I have made my own homemade SOLID deodorant and I absolutely love it. It works so very well and lasts a long time. But a couple of months ago, I saw a recipe from Mountain Rose Herbs for a LIQUID roll-on deodorant that was just too good not to try. And now, I think I have a new favorite.

And, of course, I HAD to play with it a little and make it more my own, so here is my recipe:

I changed 2 of the suggested essential oils . . . 

Clary Sage not only lends a yummy herbal fragrance, but it is a known odor-cutter. If you know someone who suffers from chronic body odor, clary sage will reduce the odor immensely. 

Lavender not only calms down our senses but calms down any skin issues. If you gave yourself a little knick while shaving your underarms, lavender will take the edge off of the pain, but it's anti-bacterial properties will helps stop any bacteria and inflammation.

Frankincense is ALWAYS good for skin. It also has anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and skin healing properties. Frankincense helps anything to do with the skin for any skin type.

You Will Need:

~1-1/2 TB witch hazel
~1/2 TB vegetable glycerin
~1/2 ts pink sea salt (aka: Himalayan, "real" salt)
~5 drops clary sage essential oil
~5 drops lavender essential oil
~4 drops frankincense essential oil
~1 oz. size roll-on bottle (mine is from Mountain Rose Herbs)

Directions:

1) Add oils to the bottle, first
2) Add sea salt
3) Add witch hazel and vegetable glycerin
4) attach the roll-ball top securely
5) shake before each use

Be sure to let me know who much you love your new deodorant.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><