wildwoodherbalist

[wildwoodherbalist]

A Healthier Curry (Vegan)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (preferably Rice Bran oil)

1 large white onion or 2 red onions, chopped (red has more antioxidants)

half a cup red split lentils

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 tbsp curry powder (you can use whatever you prefer, I like Garam Masala)

1 tsp of Cumin or Turmeric (or any aromatic spice you may have)

1 pinch cayenne spice

1 jar of passata or tinned chopped tomatoes

1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Season to your taste

Method

Ready in roughly 1.25 hours

Begin heating a large pan with your oil of choice, (those with high blood pressure can use water!)

Cook the onions until they appear soft and have a coating of moisture 

Add in the lentils and garlic. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.

 Stir in the tomatoes, chickpeas, kidney beans and sultanas.

Add in your curry powder, cayenne pepper and aromatic spices.

. Add a generous couple pinches of Salt to help bind the flavours and switch to a low heat and simmer for an hour, stir it every so often.

This is a Plant Based Curry with no Animal Products - feel free to add Tofu or Vegan meat pieces. I particularly love using Oyster mushrooms to add that meat like texture and they really soak up the flavours!

The main benefit of this curry is it’s simplicity, and it’s so simple to customise.

 The health benefits stem from it’s highly nutritional ingredients, the beans and chickpeas provide lots of protein, the spices are great for your blood and heart health, red onions provide a great amount of anti-oxidants and beta-carotene. Garlic is absolutely super for your immune system and gut health.

Those with arthritic problems can add grated ginger to boost it’s anti-inflammatory properties! 

As always hope you are well!

[wildwoodherbalist]

If anyone is interested here is a link to my Wand shop Tumblr.

You can find my Etsy here, https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TheWildwoodWandShop

We will be putting up a lot of new listings soon, we also take custom orders.

Hope all of you are well!

#wand shop #pagan items

[wildwoodherbalist]

Hey! Do you mind checking out my recent YouTube video? I'm a new vegan youtuber located in the Caribbean and I'd love your feedback!

I would love to!

[wildwoodherbalist]

Eczema/Asthma tip

Cutting down on dairy & bathing in fresh rolled oats can really help to calm eczema.

If your eczema is down to an overactive immune system, dairy can really exacerbate it as it stimulates the immune system.

This is also why dairy causes excess mucous production, as it’s your immune systems way of protecting your lungs from foreign debris. This also means those with Asthma can have an even more restricted respiratory tract, leading to worse symptoms.

There are loads of plant based dairy alternatives, for milk, butter & cheese!

I’ll also be highlighting other complications with dairy consumption in the coming weeks x

[wildwoodherbalist]

I just wanted to share this as I thought it was very interesring.

It’s a doctor explaining why our physiology proves we are natural herbivores and how it can help our health.

Hopefully it may help some of you!

#veganism #vegan #plantbased

[wildwoodherbalist]

As requested by anjali06 here are some herbal teas that help you maintain great skin & hair!

Lavender Tea - This tea is wonderful for reducing stress induced aging and damage to the skin or hair. It’s naturally calming properties help to relax your mind & body which helps dampen down damage caused by stress hormones. If you’re often busy, anxious, stressed or run down then Lavender tea may be of help to you!

Chamomile Tea - A tea that’s great for aiding your quest for restorative sleep. A cup or two of this before bed will help you relax at night and get the ‘beauty sleep’ your body needs to repair itself.

Green Tea - A brilliant drink to refresh you during the day, it’s great at boosting the immune system but overall it’s main benefit is it’s anti-oxidant quantity. Anti-oxidants reduce oxidative stress on cells, this oxidative stress is massively responsible for our aging especially to our hair and skin but also a cause of many diseases such as Cancer due to the chronic inflammation it leads to. 

Be careful not to drink it in excess though as it’s high caffeine content can lead to nervousness and effect those who have caffeine sensitivity such as pregnant women.

It can also be used as a hair rinse or face wash, it’s great for those with dry hair or skin!

Black Tea - If you have sore, dry skin then you can apply black tea to it once it has steeped and cooled right down. You can leave it in the fridge for an extra cooling effect, this tea helps to reduce wrinkles and draws toxins out.

Ginger Tea - This tea helps to boost blood circulation which helps your cells get all the oxygen and fuel they need to perform at their best. This can have many benefits, such as increasing blood flow to the scalp which improves your hair’s health. Drinking this can also help dampen down inflammation which can reduce ‘puffyness’. A great tea if you are getting older as the aging process starts to speed up as our circulation slows down.

Redbush/Rooibos Tea - If you want to drink a refreshing and very pure, clean tea then this may be to your preference. Drunk alone it has a sweeter taste than Black Tea and a slightly thicker feel to it but if you add milk (plant-based also) it tastes very similar to a typical English Breakfast Tea! 

So if you absolutely love English Breakfast Tea but want the benefits of herbal/other teas then you can drink Redbush to get both!

It has even more anti-oxidants than Green Tea (Polyphenols & Flavonoids) and is naturally caffeine free so there is less potential problems if you drink more than 3-5 cups a day.

#herbal tea #herbal medicine #natural therapy #galenical #herbal skincare #natural skincare #hair care

[wildwoodherbalist]

Quick poll/opinion finder

Hi, as I said earlier I am going to be posting again soon but I would love to know what you would like me to post about!

for example it might be about Veganism, Herbal Tea, Poultices or Salves, Tinctures... how to keep a healthy microbiome and anything related to health & natural based medicine!

Just let me know and I’ll get to it (:

[wildwoodherbalist]

Hi everyone, I’m sorry for the long absence but with Spring rolling in I aim to be active again, hope you’ve all been well and if not that you may be well again!

xox

[wildwoodherbalist]

A properly done Vegan or Vegetarian diet provides all nutrients required for healthy growth and maintenance and has less dangers involved than a meat based diet.

Not only is this backed up by extensive research but I have known quite a few people who have been Vegan since their young teens and they are very healthy. Also worth noting that the strongest and healthiest person I have ever known has been Vegetarian since birth (who happens to be a very good athlete)

Meat is not some magical haven of nutrients which you cannot get elsewhere, in fact it is a very poor way to take in nutrients, even plant proteins and calciums are friendlier to our gut and body.

Also many others raised the point that it is down to your friends for not managing their diet well enough too ensure they get enough protein.

Teen Vegans

It boggles my mind how anyone would support anyone under 21 to go being vegetarian or vegan. Its so ridiculously bad for a growing body, I have had close friends get seriously sick due to lack of protein and muscle. Please, please don’t go vegan or vegetarian of you are still growing.

[wildwoodherbalist]

Just a friendly reminder to stay hydrated (:

[wildwoodherbalist]

Hello, I was wondering if you knew anything about indoor herbs that are safe to grow around cats? I know you have information for humans and the effects herbs have on us, but do you have any information on plants safe for cats? Thank you for your time

Hi there, if you'd like to grow indoor herbs that are safe for cats there are a few such as Sweet Basil, Spearmint, Peppermint, Thyme, Corriander, Parsley, Dill, Rosemary and Lemongrass!(:

[wildwoodherbalist]

You wouldn't happen to know anything about Annatto seed and it uses would you my herby friend?]

Hi!Ground Annato seed can be used as a spice and is used in some Mexican cooking and is also used as a food colouring in certain cheeses!You can also infuse olive oil with the seeds for a neat red tinged twist which is great for cooking with or as a base for a salad dressing.Health benefits wise they are great for eye, bone, bowel and digestive health and are rich in anti-oxidants which help to protect cells from damage such as seen in aging.If you would like to use them try adding them to your diet with recipes that include them as thats a safe and effective way to get the benefits.Also take care if you are diabetic or struggle with blood sugar regulation as they can cause fluctuations, make sure you are not allergic to any spices that may be similar.(:

[wildwoodherbalist]

 How to dry Chili Peppers, 5 health benefits and a remedial use for them!

To sun dry

Pick good quality peppers and give them a rinse in cool water

Cut them in half lengthwise and remove the seeds (you can dry these separately if you like)

Place them down on a baking tray/tin making sure to put the skin side facing up. Ridged bottom trays are best as they let air get underneath more easily.

Dry them in direct sunlight for at least 8-9 hours and cover them at night with a cloth so no flies or bugs get to them.

When they break apart easily in your hands they are ready to be put into a clean sterilized jar. (You can sterilize a jar by gently boiling it in a pan of water)

You can keep them as they are or rehydrate them before using them with water to help release more flavour. They can also be cut into smaller strips, diced or ground into a powder.

To oven dry

Rinse the peppers in cool water

Cut them in half lengthwise and remove the seeds

Place them down on a baking tray/tin making sure to put the skin side facing up. Ridged bottom trays are best as they let air get underneath more easily.

Simply preheat the oven on a low heat, 45 Celsius on a fan oven, 80 Celsius on a gas oven. 104 Fahrenheit - 176 Fahrenheit

Place the trays in the oven and cook for 6-7 hours, drying time may vary though however once they start to turn brown they are done. Keep a close eye on them every so often to make sure they do not burn!

They can be kept in a brown paper bag or in a clean jar

5 Health benefits of Chili Peppers such as Cayenne 

Very high levels of Vitamin C, 100g Gives 240% of your daily recommended allowance. This helps to boost the immune system and keep colds and infections at bay and to fight them once they occur.

Capsaicin  the compound that gives a chili it’s strong spicy flavour and pungent smell has been shown to be anti-bacterial, anti-diabetic, anti-carcinogenic and to reduce bad cholesterol. It also has anti-inflammatory effects.

The antioxidants present in Chili peppers help to reduce damage caused by free radicals especially those that occur from stress and disease. This not only helps to reduce aging but also general deterioration and reduce the risk of cancerous cells developing. 

Certain minerals and compounds found within them can help to regulate and lower blood pressure along with improving poor blood circulation.

Chili’s can greatly aid in weight loss by stimulating the metabolism due to it’s Capsaicin content.

A remedial use for Cayenne Chili Peppers - Sinus pain & congestion remedy

Boil water for one cup

Pour the water into a cup once it has settled a little

Add 1/4 of dried ginger (or a ginger teabag if you prefer)

As much fresh lemon juice as you like, I recommend half a lemon

1/4 teaspoon of dried Cayenne pepper

You can add honey or infuse it with some lemon rind if you like

Sip it slowly as it can leave a burning sensation in the back of the throat for a while. To help this consider eating some fresh mint to help soothe it and get even more cold fighting properties!

Cautions 

Avoid this if you allergic to Cayenne or other spices as it may contain the same allergen. 

If you have any notable conditions it may be worth checking with a Herbalist or Doctor before trying this remedy as it may interfere with certain medication due to the Capsaicin.

Just a few quick words, sorry I haven’t been as active this last couple weeks, I hope you are all well or as well as can be and as always feel free to drop me a message if you have a request for a herb/spice/plant overview or remedy.    Also my ask box is always open!

(:

#Chili #Chili remedy #Cayenne remedy #Herbalism #herbal remedy #spice remedy #natural medicine #Cayenne health benefits #sinusitis remedy

[wildwoodherbalist]

I really truly love your blog! I've been really really into herbal remedies and tea for years now but haven't really had a blog to look at that was accurate and who had the proper warnings about allergies and such!! I just wanted to stop in and say thanks for doing what u do!

Thank you very much for this it made my day!(:

[wildwoodherbalist]

ANXIETY SUCKS!!!

and that is why I have compiled a mini list of teas that help to calm it below Cx

Chamomile - My favorite and it only takes 1-2 minutes to steep to an effective level! Great at night time

Passionflower - With lovely flowery notes just the smell of this one brings a sense of calm

Peppermint - I find this one is best in the mornings and the smell really helps to clear my head for the day ahead

Valerian root tea - A more pungent, powerful one that is often used in herbal sleep aids, it’s highly sedative effects can help to calm the more moderate to severe anxiety episodes. I used to use this to help me sleep when I had anxiety induced insomnia and often it worked better than actual sleep aids. Due to it’s higher strength it can have certain side effects and may not be suitable for everyone so check with a Herbalist or Doctor before taking it in any great number.

Lemon Balm - Used for many eras to treat depression, stabalise mood and calm the anxious mind. This one is great all round and I love it most because it is easy to grow at home and to pick the leaves for drying into your own herbal tea mixture.

Over the years I found that tea has really helped me stave off those waves of anxiety that may otherwise drop you into a week or more long episode and not just for the properties inside it. The act of stopping what you’re doing and focussing on making the tea and drinking it is like a mini meditation and can be really grounding. I hope that some of you find some relief with these teas :)

#herbal tea #tea #anxiety relief #anxiety remedy #tea for anxiety

[wildwoodherbalist]

I have an unhealthy obsession with buying tea... but a healthy obsession with drinking it :'D

[wildwoodherbalist]

Hi, if you mean for drying I reccomend first rinsing them and allowing them to air dry loose, once you've done that you can let them dry off a bit more loose before you tie them or just ensure they are in a very dry environment.

Once they start to look wilted or start curling in on themselves thats a good time to tie them

I've never really had mould troubles while hang drying cause I let them dry a bit loosely beforehand :3

How do I make herb bundles?

Won’t herbs mold if I tie them up real tight? Help.