Blog

1/12/2023

I’m doing a Lunch and learn series with Monroe County Community College.

First sesson is: Herbs in your Kitchen for Cold and Flu Season.
I’ll gladly email you a PDF. Just let me know by clicking the contact us button on thre home page.

01/29/2021
Black Elderflower and Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)

These berries are bursting with flu busting superpowers.
Superpower #1: the flowers and the berries help boost our immunity so your body can fight cold and flu bugs more effectively. 
Superpower #2 the active constituents in the elderberry attack the virus cells to make them unable to replicate.
That means that when you get the flu, if you take something like elderberry syrup, the duration of the flu should be shorter, and your symptoms should be less severe because your body will have fewer flu bugs to fight.  Wow! 

It is important to remember to never eat these berries raw. They are toxic when eaten in large quantities. So, to be on the safe side, you should cook them or make infusions with them.  

You can infuse them in a tea. Breathing the steam from the tea is beneficial as well as drinking the tea. You’ll find elderflowers in our Cold Care Tea on the Products Tab. I always have this tea in my medicine cabinet.  It helps with colds, flu, allergies, and fevers.    

To make an elderflower or elderberry syrup.    
Fill a jar about 2/3 full with fresh or frozen (not dried) elderflowers or fresh or frozen (not dried) elderberries. You want only the berries or the flowers, not any of the stem parts. Also, do NOT wash the flower. You’ll lose the pollen. Pour honey over the flowers or berries to fill the jar.  Make sure the berries or flowers are covered.  Let this sit for at least 2 weeks.  Shake the jar every day. When ready strain the flowers or berries out and bottle the syrup.  Take 1 tablespoon several times throughout the day when you have a cold or the flu. 

I don’t have any syrup for sale right now, but you can order Cold Care Tea by clicking here.

For the love of elderberries.
Chris

Disclaimer: All information provided about the herbs used is for educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or illness. Please consult your physician if you have a serious medical issue.

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01/24/2021
Prunella

Prunella (prunella vulgaris) also called Heal All or Self Heal All because it has so many healthful and healing properties – this plant is amazing. It has traditionally been used to heal wounds, throat infections, and several other ailments. It’s edible, and bees love it.
Prunella may help fight cancer, specific carbohydrates in the plant have been shown to induce cancer cell death and prevent tumor growth*.
Like so may other “weeds” this plant is also edible.  The flowers and leaves are wonderful in a salad and so nutritious. You can even mix them into a stew, or casserole. Prunella contains vitamin C, vitamin K, thiamine***. The raw or cooked leaves and flowers are safe for children to consume, and the tea and salve is safe for use on babies and animals. Try it for diaper rash – works great on my grandkids! 😊

As a salve this plant is an antibiotic, anti-inflammatory pain killer (the tannins help reduce inflammation**). As an anti-viral, and it is said that it will stop & heal cold sores.
Tea: A cold water infusion of the freshly chopped leaves and/or flowers make a refreshing summertime beverage. It is said to lower blood sugar levels***.
As a tincture (or tea) it is an anti-inflammatory pain killer, and an anti-viral. It is used for inflammatory bowel disease, diarrhea, colic, and stomach upset and irritation. It is also used for mouth and throat ulcers, and sore throat.
Click over to our Products tab to order some Prunella Tea, Prunella Tincture, or Prunella Salve.
For the love of Prunella,
Chris

Sources: * https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/prunella-vulgaris#benefits;
** https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Prunella+vulgaris,
*** https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-benefits-of-prunella-vulgaris-88644

Disclaimer: All information provided about the herbs used is for educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or illness. Please consult your physician if you have a serious medical issue.

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01/21/2021
Dandelion

One dandy weed: Dandelion.   This handsome yellow flowering plant is loved by honeybees.  The whole plant is useful as nutritious food and/or medicine for humans. The leaves and flower petals can be used in salad.  The flowers can be battered and fried into fritters.  The leaves can be cooked like spinach. The flower stem can be cooked in water for 7 minutes and be eaten like spaghetti. Who would have thought? The root and leaves can be used for tea.  The flowers and leaves can be used to make salve.  This plant has a powerful healing punch.
Dandelion Salve:  helps relieve pain and inflammation.  Great for sore achy muscles. This salve is loved by people who have arthritis: Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis.  Go ahead and use it on your canine friend’s achy joints as well, no harm will come when they lick it.
I’m sure you know someone in your family that would benefit from this salve, click here to pop over to our products page so you can order a jar of Dandelion Salve or Achy Breaky Salve.

For the love of dandelions,
Chris

Disclaimer: All information provided about the herbs used is for educational purposesonly. This information has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or illness. Please consult your physician if you have a serious medical issue.
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01/18/2021
Stinging Nettles

1/18/2021
How about those Nettles! Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) is one plant that teaches us to respect our environment.
Did you know that the “sting” of a stinging nettle plant can help with inflammation? That’s right, and this is how it helps with arthritis (Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis). Those stings bring fresh blood the area which helps relieve pain and inflammation. And that stinging sensation typically only lasts about 20 minutes. [I learned that from my teachers at Common Wealth Center for Holistic Herbalism].
You can also eat nettles? They are delicious and oh so very nutritious. You can put them in a salad, cook them like spinach, or sprinkle them into soups and casseroles.
Stinging nettle also makes a wonderful tea. Pair it with red clover, and you get a complete multivitamin. It also helps to remove interstitial fluids; this means it helps reduce bloating and swelling in the body. And while it’s doing that, it’s adding in all that magnesium, potassium, and other minerals and vitamins that some prescription diuretic medications may remove, so… you don’t have to take extra supplements when using it to reduce water retention.
Hop on over to our products page today and order a few teabags of Nettle and Friends tea. Oh, and did I mention, each teabag makes one quart of tea.

For the love of nettles,
Chris

Disclaimer: All information provided about the herbs arefor educational purposes
only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or illness. Please consult your physician if you have a serious medical issue.
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1/17/2021
Introducing: Calendula (calendula officinalis).

I’d like to introduce you to one of my favorite herbs: Calendula (calendula officinalis).

As Tea: Calendula makes a lovely, tasty tea: Good for digestion. It is a calming tea and can help reduce that stressed out feeling. It can also help you relax enough so you can get a good night’s sleep. Calendula tea is also known to help regulate the menstrual cycle, lower a fever, and help the lymphatic system. This tea can also be used as mouthwash to help minimize a toothache.

As a Topical Antibiotic Salve:  calendula salve will help to heal sores, infections, rashes, sunburn, and neuritis.  That sore that just won’t heal…yup that one, try calendula on it.  For diaper rash, it works great!
Did I mention that this salve is safe to use on babies and animals?  No harm comes when they accidently get it in their mouth (and you know they put everything in their mouth).

Jump over to our products page and order a jar of salve and some tea.

Plant calendula seeds early in the Spring, in a sunny spot with fertile soil.  Water occasionally.

For the love of calendula
Chris


Sources:
Gladstar, Rosemary. Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: a Beginner’s Guide. Storey Publishing, 2012.
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, James F. Balch, M.D.. Prescription for Nutritional Healing, third edition, Avery Publishing, 2000.

Disclaimer: All information provided about the herbs are for educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or illness. Please consult your physician if you have a serious medical issue.

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1/9/2021
Happy New Year!
What are your New Year resolutions?
Perhaps you want to be healthier, or feel less stressed, or maybe give up an unhealthy habit.
Radiance Natural Health may be able to help.

We can recommend some herbals to help you on your health journey. Did you know that drinking 3-4 cups a day of holy basil tea (also called tulsi tea) can reduce your cravings? This is helpful if you’re committing to eating fewer sweets or quitting smoking.

Reiki energy healing can help you feel more relaxed and less stressed out. With Reiki we can also help you to set your intention to kick that habit.

Contact us today! Check out our Products page for some herbal help. Schedule a Reiki healing session on our Facebook page.

For the love of tulsi
Chris
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11/27/2020
What a year 2020 has been! Covid 19, lockdowns, wildfires, the election, and more.  We have all weathered through in our own way.  There have definitely been ups and downs for me. One of the “ups” for me was to have my hobby grow into a business.

I started practicing Reiki and working with herbs for my own personal health and wellness.  I have shared both with my family, my friends, and then at local farmer’s markets. Now I have launched a website to share all this health goodness with you! Continue reading to learn more about what is on each page of our site.

On the Recipes page you will find recipes for seasonal produce and seasonal health issues.  The first recipe is a soup that is full of immune boost herbs that will help you fight cold and flu.  It may even help relieve some Covid symptoms.  This soup is not a cure, but it will help you fight the illness, naturally ease your symptoms, and maybe recover a bit sooner.

The Reiki page explains what Reiki is and how it can benefit you.  To schedule an appointment, use the “contact us” tools on the home page. You can also schedule using the “Book Now” button at the top of our Facebook Page,  or email us ccarley852@gmail.com .

Check out the Products tab to learn about herbal teas, healing salves, and more.  I harvest most of the herbs and plants used from our family’s gardens and yards.  We grow using organic methods, no chemicals or sprays have been used. Our goal is to ensure the best quality plant products.  Occasionally, there are plants that we do not grow, and I cannot find them locally.  I source these from reliable suppliers who grow sustainably, organic, non-GMO products.

For the salves, I do my own plant extractions in an olive oil base. This method means that there is no odor (or very little odor, they smell like olive oil); and they are safe to use on animals and babies, and will not harm them when they get it in their mouth and accidently ingest it. (Note: many OTC antibiotics are poison when ingested. So I don’t recommend using OTCs on animals and babies).

The teas and salves really work!  My customers say they work as good as, or sometimes better than over the counter products.  I have customers who were skeptical at first, then after they tried one of my products, they came back for more.  Hop on over to the products page and find something for you, a family member, or a friend.

Love and Light
Chris

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DISCLAIMER: Information, statements and reviews regarding products have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or illness. Results vary person to person, and there is no guarantee of specific results. Radiance Natural Health and its subsidiaries assume no liability for inaccuracies or misstatements about products.