We often don’t realize that our pantry contains many health-boosting spices that we can incorporate in our everyday food to bolster our immune system. In today’s show, Dr. Eugene Zampieron ND and Bevin Clare discussed Bevin’s latest book.

About Bevin Clare

Bevin Clare is a professor at the Maryland University of Integrative Health and the program director of the MS in Clinical Herbal Medicine program. She holds a MSc in Infectious Disease from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and has studied herbal medicine around the world, blending her knowledge of traditional uses of plants with modern science and contemporary healthcare strategies.

She is the author of Spice Apothecary (Storey Books, 2020).  Bevin enjoys interacting with her students online as she wanders the globe with her two kiddos. Bevin is the current President of the American Herbalists Guild where she works to promote clinical herbalism accessibility and professionalism.

About the Book: Spice Apothecary

In this book, Bevin Clare combines her training in herbalism and nutrition to inspire a return to the kitchen spice cabinet for better health and healing. Focusing on 19 common culinary spices that are easy to source and prized for their flavor, this practical guide highlights each spice’s role in supporting wellness goals and delivers creative and impactful ways to incorporate key health-boosting spices into everyday life. To bolster the immune system, chili, garlic, ginger, and mustard are best. Celery seed, parsley, and sage support kidney function, while the respiratory system benefits most from ginger, mint, and thyme. Learn the best way to harness each spice’s medicinal power, the proper way to store spices, and how to determine your daily dose. Then, prepare customized dried spice blends and use them in delicious dips, soups, sauces, and even sweets that deliver flavor and healing.

You can find her musings at www.bevinclare.com and on Facebook and Instagram @spice.herb.wander

Contact: www.bevinclare.com

To listen to the interview, click the player below. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please use the comment section under this post or contact Ellen Kamhi here.

You may also be interested in reading Fight Viruses with Herbs or Ellen Kamhi’s quotes in the Globe or listening to Garlic – Surprising Heart Benefit with Dr. Matthew Jay Budoff, MD

How can we warm up naturally? As winter settles in, some people love the cold clear air, and look forward to winter sports such as skiing and sledding. Others shiver and react poorly to the long, cold dark winter days, that can severely restrict the time that they spend outside. Whether you are coming in to warm up after an energizing winter jaunt, or hunkering down to wait for the warm days of spring, natural herbs and traditionally folkloric remedies can be used to help get you through the winter months with comfort and ease.

Ancient healing systems, such as TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and Ayurveda, the healing science from India, both honor the ‘energetic’ aspects of foods and herbs. They recognize that some foods are ‘cooling’ to the body, and can help slow down an overactive metabolism, or decrease ‘heat’ due to infection or inflammation. Other substances are considered ‘warming’ and help the body create or maintain a warm temperature, as well as increase circulation. Some of the herbs that are considered ‘warming’ include Ginger and Cayenne.

Ginger

Ginger is a great warming herb, and can also help the lymph nodes act as effective filters, calm an upset stomach, ward off colds and flues and act as a ‘rubifacient’- this is an herbal glossary term that means an herb will redden the skin if it is applied topically-hence the increase in ‘heat’ energy.

Topical remedy with ginger

To use ginger directly on the skin, get a ginger root in any grocery store. (The correct botanical term is actually a ‘rhizome’.) Use a grater to grate about 2 tablespoons of the root. Cover with water and simmer slowly for 5 minutes. Mix in a thickening agent, such as oatmeal or cornstarch, until it forms a paste. Place on any area of the body that you would like to ‘warm’ up, such as achy joints or a sore lower back. Cover with gauze or a terry cloth towel, and leave on for about an hour.

Ginger tea

Ginger also makes a warming tea. Grate about a teaspoon of ginger and place in a non-aluminum pot. Add about 2 cups of water. Simmer slowly for 3 to 5 minutes. You may also want to add in Mint leaves, or any other herb you would like to combine with the ginger. Strain the liquid into a cup or mug. For added sinus and throat relief, squeeze fresh lemon juice into the cup, and add honey, stevia, or monk fruit sweetener if you would like to sweeten the tea.  

Cayenne

Another great winter warmer is cayenne. Cayenne is a red hot pepper that gives ‘hot sauce’ and curry dishes that well recognized kick. Cayenne has been traditionally used to help with digestion, and is considered an herb that increases ‘Agni’ or digestive fire, in Ayurvedic medicine. Cayenne contains a well researched component called capsaicin, which blocks pain signaling agents, such as ‘Substance P’. This is one of the active constituents that make cayenne so effective as an analgesic agent and is included in many over the counter topical pain preparations.

Cayenne also can  deactivate nitrosamines, which are agents that may initiate cancer. If you enjoy a hot spicy flavor,  sprinkle cayenne on food or add it to tea.  You can combine Ginger and Cayenne as part of a warming bath, by adding ½ to 1 tablespoon to a hot tub. It might help you warm up or even ‘sweat out’ a fever.

Other warming herbs and spices

Other warming herbs include Cinnamon and Garlic, so use them in your daily routine, especially during winter weather. Always choose organic herbs and spices whenever possible, since they are not irradiated. Commercial brands ARE irradiated, and this process often destroys the medicinal components.

Of course, its always best to focus on prevention to stop a winter cold or flu from gaining a grip. The best way to fight off a cold or flu is to avoid infection in the first place. Frequent hand washing and diligent cleaning of common “vector” surfaces such as telephones and computer keyboards (which many people touch) can really help.

It’s also a good idea to take extra time for yourself to reduce stress. Get plenty of rest and drink a lot of liquids, along with your herbal remedies. Enhance relaxation further with a warm cup of tea combining cinnamon, garlic, ginger and a pinch of cayenne for an herbal ‘hot toddy’.

Remember to keep some immune supporting herbs on hand, including Echinacea and Elderberry. Scientific investigations collaborate on the effectiveness of these herbs. Elderberry in particular has been shown to reduce flu symptoms. This delicious blue-black berry is available as a concentrated liquid extract. Look for a dark, thick, blue-black extract that contains 5000 mg of extract per serving for a potent immune enhancing punch to help you stay warm and healthy in winter!

Ellen Kamhi PhD RN, The Natural Nurse® , author of the best selling book, Arthritis, the Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide.

In the 40 years I have had a natural health practice, pain management is the number one reason that people come in to look for advise.

Since pain is such a common human affliction, societies around the globe have experimented with many natural remedies to discover which ones were most useful for this purpose. The first line of defense against pain is to bring down overall inflammation in the body. Try using the Natural Nurse Vegetable Soup Recipe for one week, and avoid ALL junk food, fried food and processed food. In addition , these herbs have been used around the world for thousands of years to decrease pain. Now, science is discovering the mechanism of action that makes them work.

Natural Nurse® Vegetable Soup Recipe:
The Natural Nurse® Detoxifying Vegetable Soup:
It is best to use ALL Organic INGREDIENTS:

1 onion
1 head of cabbage
2 cloves garlic
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1 bunch parsley
5 Kale leaves
2 Sheets of Nori Sea vegetable
4 pieces of Okra
1 cup Brown Rice
Bragg’s Amino Acids to taste
2 quarts of Water

Combine all ingredients, simmer for 1 1/2 hrs

Nurses herbalists offer pointers, complementary therapies to parents seeking organic remedies for their children

By Heather Stringer
March 2, 2004

As herbal remedy use swells among adults, more patients are seeking out these alternatives for their children. Parents may turn to nurses for answers about natural alternatives.

Ellen Kamhi, Ph.D., RN, a certified holistic nurse, is accustomed to having hope for patients who have run out of options.

The New York nurse specializes in herbal medicine, and she knew just what to do when the mother of an 8-year-old autistic, hyperactive boy came to her desperate for help. The boy couldn’t speak or sit in one place for more than a few seconds and constantly grabbed objects and made faces. Doctors had prescribed pharmaceutical drugs, but the medications weren’t helping, and physicians had told the mother she should consider institutionalizing her son.

Kamhi tested the boy for food allergies and found that he was severely allergic to wheat and dairy products. She taught the mother how to switch her son to an all-organic diet, and started the boy on herbal and vitamin supplements. Then Kamhi and the mother waited.

During the first three months, the mother noticed small changes—her son could sit still longer. By six months, for the first time, he could hold a pen and mimic writing. A year later, he was capable of having a conversation and even started attending a special school.

Cases like this are one reason why Kamhi decided to pursue herbal medicine more than 30 years ago—long before these remedies became popular among consumers.

Today, herbal alternatives are catching the attention of the American public, and a survey conducted by Prevention magazine in 2000 estimated that 22.8 million American consumers used herbal remedies instead of prescription medications. The survey also found that about 30 million Americans chose herbals instead of over-the-counter drugs.

As herbal remedy use swells among adults, more patients are starting to seek out these alternatives for their children. Parents may turn to nurses for answers to questions about natural alternatives. Nurses such as Kamhi have seen how natural remedies can radically benefit children, but they also advise parents and fellow nurses to use caution when giving herbs to this younger patient population.

Lifestyle changes

John Mark, MD, a pediatric lung doctor at the University of Arizona who has researched herbal remedies for children, said that he usually shies away from brands that include a slew of different herbs or vitamins in the product. “If something needs to have 40 different ingredients, then it probably won’t work,” Mark said. “When manufacturers throw in so many different things, it usually doesn’t have enough of any one thing to really be effective.” Mark usually encourages parents to start with diet and nutrition changes before jumping to herbal alternatives for their children.

Kamhi couldn’t agree more. When parents come to her with children who have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, for example, she starts by discussing diet and lifestyle patterns in the family.

“When people have a child with ADHD, I don’t start with ‘pop this pill,’ ” she said. “We talk about lifestyle, which includes diet, family dynamics, mental wellness and exercise.”

She teaches parents to start reading food labels and eliminate products that have dyes, preservatives, colorings and other toxins. She tells parents that these chemicals can be neurotoxins that attack nerve fibers and interfere with healthy neural transmission. Instead, she recommends parents feed their children organic food.

In addition to nutrition, Kamhi helps families explore lifestyle dynamics, such as television and video game habits. She teaches that these pastimes can overstimulate a child, and an ADHD patient may improve if the parent reads to the child or encourages him or her to play with other children.

Kamhi suggests to families that their kids should get at least two hours a day of heavy exercise. After she’s worked on these areas with a family, then she might add herbal remedies such as gingko and ginger that help with concentration.

Kamhi has been using these techniques with ADHD children for 35 years, and she’s seen them have positive effects every time. Although her statistics are good, Kamhi and other herbalists warn parents to exercise patience when it comes to using alternative therapies.

“Don’t expect immediate results,” Kamhi said. As in the case of the 8-year-old ADHD boy, it took six months for some of the more significant changes to become evident. She also encourages patients to work with a knowledgeable herbal practitioner because herbs taken incorrectly can cause reactions.

Children may suffer from congestion, diarrhea or skin rashes if they are having a reaction to an herb. An experienced herbalist, for example, also would know that a child who has a ragweed allergy may react to chamomile because this herb is in the ragweed family.

Mark also encourages patients who want to give herbal remedies to their children to seek out trusted sources that can offer commentary on different herbal products. Some of the sources and organizations he trusts and uses include the Berkeley Wellness Letter, the American Botanical Council and the Longwood Herbal Task Force. (See “Herbal 411” for Web site listings.)

Gentle touch

Even though natural alternatives such as herbs may not provide instant gratification, Ruth Gingerich, MSN, PNP, believes the benefits outweigh these minor disadvantages. Gingerich, a nurse practitioner in Carmel, Calif., said herbal remedies have fewer side effects than many pharmaceutical drugs. Benadryl, for example, may stop the symptoms of a cold, but the drug dries out the mucus membranes, which can make someone more susceptible to further infection, she said. Instead, she would encourage a patient who is just starting to experience cold symptoms to take echinacea because this can boost the immune system.

Nurse herbalists also point out that herbs can be especially good for children because they are more gentle on the system than many pharmaceutical drugs. In addition, herbs do not foster the growth of resistant strains of bacteria in the same way antibiotics can.

Rather than prescribing antibiotics for ear infections, for example, Kamhi tells parents to immediately stop giving children dairy and wheat products. She suggests that they give children vitamin C, echinacea, garlic in the form of tea and soup and then mullein flower oil in the ear. Parents can use hot compresses over the ear and massage the ear area.

She also tells parents to buy their own otoscope to examine the child’s ear daily. This allows parents to immediately detect signs of infection and start the treatments. If the child shows signs of throbbing pain, Kamhi suggests using a form of belladonna or mercurius.