I have been reading your emails a couple of years now. Love them all and have made my own elderberry syrup from dried elderberries.. my husband was into foraging and drew me in too. I've always enjoyed gardening, canning and dehydrating. I made over 400 meals foR him to take on his thru hike of the the AT.. he came home early because of an injury and had only 500 miles to finish. He passed away suddenly from an auto accident 11.22. Summer and fall our fruit trees and bushes were loaded with fruit. Never made so many jams in one season. Got the black currant, gooseberry, peach and grape jams from you. Absolutely delicious. Also the zuchinni relish. Really didn't have the desire to do anything regarding the garden but could not see the food going to waste. The joy it brought to friends was encouraging and so by the grace of God I have picked up on all of it again with thoughts of my husband that he would be very proud of me now. Also made your Christmas jam my only regret I didn buy enough cranberries! So thank you. You remind me of myself when I was younger cooking, etc for our 5 children and you are an inspiration to go into nature and forage all the wonderful things God has created for our pleasure and sustenance. Thank you! Blessings to you and your family. Keep warm this winter.
Yaaaa! Absolutely, people should be learning about the free food and meds. 👍
Ashley's latest article has tickled my brain, and we'll see what pops out by midweek.
These days, education cost is has gone through the roof, and is putting people in debt. This is why I encourage people to go out and learn their local weeds first hand. It's OK to take your time learning to harvest, use and grow each plant, because you don't need a big variety to serve your needs. Though it's good to get authoritative info, it can be sort of paralyzing to get a firehose of info sprayed at you all at once as can happen in academia or some of the herbalist schools.
At first the plant identification apps were useless, but some are improving enough to allow you to narrow down your choices. Then you can double check in the botany sources that cover your region. (Keep in mind that many useful landscape plants have escaped into the wild. Your local agricultural extensions give info about these, often with the focus on eradicating them, and it's much better to utilize them than to spray them.)
My go to is a colloidal silver generator and I use the water in a "Neilmed" bottle to wash out my nose and it kills both bacteria and virus'. I routinely ward of colds this way and if I do get one, Silver water and some Zink and large doses of vitamin C knocks out a cold in 4 days.
We ran out of Elderberry tincture so now it is only fermented garlic for now until I get to making more Elderberry tincture or as my husband calls it medicinal purposes. Lol
Winter is upon us. Thank you, Ashley. Your little daughter has your brightness in her eyes. Just sharing that I send your posts to my daughter in Australia, although they don't get cold there, she struggles with living in a foreign land. Thanks for all the information you put out to the world!
Loved the article , particularly the part about ethics , I have been very careful who I teach foraging to because there is a real problem with ethics.
Check out Dogwood bark it is used like quinine , while taking people backpacking I have used it to alleviate muscle cramps and fever ... check it out .
Birch bark can be ethically harvested to make birch oil , an excellent topical analgesic .
Fantastic info, inspiring ideas and comprehensive/complementary articles as always! Thanks for gathering these excellent resources all together.
This week I am harvesting some White Pine Needles, Tulsi (growing inside) and combining with some of our Cannabis harvest with other dried herbs for making a batch of our Sacred Seven Salve:
It is a topical salve is infused with the essence of 7 powerful healing herbs (and several other supporting ingredients) that are considered as a sacred medicine plants in certain cultures.
The Sacred Seven salve can be applied to open wounds to disinfect (it can be used as a topical antiseptic, antibiotic and antifungal), provide localized pain relief (it can be used as an analgesic) and accelerate the healing process (it provides the epithelial cells the molecular building blocks required for accelerated rates of cellular regeneration) which means it is also helpful in diminishing the appearance of scar tissue.
This salve can also be applied to sore muscles, joints and tendons to alleviate pain and provide anti inflammatory effects. In addition to its many topical functions, I also formulated this batch to only contain ingredients that can also be safely taken internally (eaten) in the concentrations used. Thus, this is a very adaptable medicine that not only serves all the functions that a topical pharmaceutical product like polysporin does, it is also able to be used internally to either accelerate healing in the mouth or digestive tract and/or to mitigate pain systemically, serve as a sleep aid and modulate/optimize immune function. On top of all that when taken internally this medicine provides the body with a broad spectrum of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and other beneficial phytochemicals for optimizing digestion, circulatory function and brain function.
I will also be creating a batch of our Exponential Immunity Elderberry Syrup this week
It is an enhanced elderberry syrup that contains over 23 powerful synergistic ingredients (with ancient roots in forms of traditional medicine reaching across 4 continents) which were combined to create a medicine that promotes and enhances health from the foundation level of cells all the way up to whole organ systems. It was formulated to accomplish this in several ways...
1. by offering a diverse array of vitamins, polyphenols, minerals, beta glucans and other myco-medicinal compounds which serve to nourish existing cells in the body so they can perform at peak efficiency.
2. by providing compounds that support gut microflora, which is a central component of the immune system (aka increasing "gut-immune intelligence").
3. by combining carefully chosen plants and fungi that contain compounds which are known to increase the number of pluripotent cells produced in the human body (these adult stem cells are capable of differentiating into a number of cells that play key roles in maintaining a resilient immune system).
In essence, the ingredients were formulated to provide the molecular building blocks for the body to regenerate on a cellular level (essentially giving the body the resources it requires to build new cells specialized to fine tune the immune response, brain function, respiratory function, gut health and cardiovascular health). On top of providing supreme support for increasing the production and function of innate immune cells this medicine also contains compounds that are known nootropics and known to support immunomodulation as well as anti-inflammatory action.
This potent medicine includes the following ingredients:
- Elderberries (Sambucus canadensis)
- Turmeric (Curcuma longa) fresh rhizome
- Ginger (zingiber officinale) fresh rhizome
- Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) bark pieces
- Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon)
- Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum)
- Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris) fruit bodies
- Star Anise (Illicium verum)
- Black Goji Berries (Lycium ruthenicum)
- Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
- Black Peppercorns (Piper nigrum)
- Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) whole mushrooms first exposed to UV light to increase Vitamin D content, then sliced
- Zinc (as Zinc Gluconate)
- Chinese Ginseng (Panax ginseng) Root
- Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus) fruit body and mycelium extract
As I mentioned above, these ingredients were chosen for the compounds they contain that support cellular regeneration, more specifically this full spectrum medicine was formulated to increase and support optimal levels of mitochondrial biogenesis (the process by which cells increase mitochondrial mass), neurogenesis (the process in which neurons are generated from neural stem cells in the adult), synaptogenesis (the formation of synapses between neurons in the nervous system), Myelopoiesis (the production of bone marrow and of all cells that arise from it, such as stem cells), haematopoiesis (the formation of blood cellular components such as haematopoietic stem cells, which gives rise to various types of white blood cells) and last but not least leukocytogenesis (The formation and development of leukocytes, aka white blood cells).
Though supporting leukocytogenesis, this functional medicine is formulated to potentiate (and increase propagation of) innate immune cells (white blood cells such as macrophages, dendritic cells, T and B cells, NK cells, Mast Cells, Basophils, and Eosinophils). The phytochemicals and mycochemicals which are synergistically combined in this syrup offer molecular tools for the innate immune system that increases the quantity, 'intelligence', 'agility', coordination and resilience of various types of innate immune cells.
This is a medicine to nourish the body from the foundation level up, it optimizes innate capacities for healing, resilience, adaptability and creativity (brain function).
I recently read a number of books which provided in depth information about various 'superfoods', modes of nutrition-based healing, neurobiology, immunology, herbalism, mycology and complex systems science. I did my best to synthesize the information I learned about these different fields of study into a holistic understanding and then distilled that down in order to formulate this functional medicine.
It is my hope that this recipe can serve as a template for improving and building upon (and be expressed in various forms and modes of preparation/preservation) so that those who seek to optimize their health and resilience through natural medicine can experience the same vibrancy, confidence, peace of mind, cognitive improvement and joy that this medicine has offered to me. It is also my hope that this recipe (and those that you create building upon this template) allow us to take another step away from depending on toxic pharmaceuticals and another step towards embracing 'Mother Earth’s medicine cabinet' as all we need to be our best selves.
I share some pics of a past batch of Exponential Immunity Elderberry Syrup in the post below
I’ve had my fire cider made since November. We’ve got elderberry gummies. I also have fermented honey garlic. I actually like the fire cider. I also dehydrated the strained remnants & ground into powder to add to foods. I’m interested in the herbalism courses. I also want to grow a medicinal herb garden.
Although I am not a homesteader, though I am a gardener, composter, and carpenter, your work is so valuable for the more difficult future that many would benefit from it in book form.
Ya, iNaturalist is decent and it 'tries' to tell you how close it can guess. (The native iPhone app was depending entirely on wikipedia, so I didn't depend on it :-D.) I consider the apps a convenient way to start on a plant I've never noticed before, because I'm already snapping pictures. Apps have a hard time on trees due to the depth of field.
I have been reading your emails a couple of years now. Love them all and have made my own elderberry syrup from dried elderberries.. my husband was into foraging and drew me in too. I've always enjoyed gardening, canning and dehydrating. I made over 400 meals foR him to take on his thru hike of the the AT.. he came home early because of an injury and had only 500 miles to finish. He passed away suddenly from an auto accident 11.22. Summer and fall our fruit trees and bushes were loaded with fruit. Never made so many jams in one season. Got the black currant, gooseberry, peach and grape jams from you. Absolutely delicious. Also the zuchinni relish. Really didn't have the desire to do anything regarding the garden but could not see the food going to waste. The joy it brought to friends was encouraging and so by the grace of God I have picked up on all of it again with thoughts of my husband that he would be very proud of me now. Also made your Christmas jam my only regret I didn buy enough cranberries! So thank you. You remind me of myself when I was younger cooking, etc for our 5 children and you are an inspiration to go into nature and forage all the wonderful things God has created for our pleasure and sustenance. Thank you! Blessings to you and your family. Keep warm this winter.
Yaaaa! Absolutely, people should be learning about the free food and meds. 👍
Ashley's latest article has tickled my brain, and we'll see what pops out by midweek.
These days, education cost is has gone through the roof, and is putting people in debt. This is why I encourage people to go out and learn their local weeds first hand. It's OK to take your time learning to harvest, use and grow each plant, because you don't need a big variety to serve your needs. Though it's good to get authoritative info, it can be sort of paralyzing to get a firehose of info sprayed at you all at once as can happen in academia or some of the herbalist schools.
At first the plant identification apps were useless, but some are improving enough to allow you to narrow down your choices. Then you can double check in the botany sources that cover your region. (Keep in mind that many useful landscape plants have escaped into the wild. Your local agricultural extensions give info about these, often with the focus on eradicating them, and it's much better to utilize them than to spray them.)
My go to is a colloidal silver generator and I use the water in a "Neilmed" bottle to wash out my nose and it kills both bacteria and virus'. I routinely ward of colds this way and if I do get one, Silver water and some Zink and large doses of vitamin C knocks out a cold in 4 days.
We ran out of Elderberry tincture so now it is only fermented garlic for now until I get to making more Elderberry tincture or as my husband calls it medicinal purposes. Lol
Winter is upon us. Thank you, Ashley. Your little daughter has your brightness in her eyes. Just sharing that I send your posts to my daughter in Australia, although they don't get cold there, she struggles with living in a foreign land. Thanks for all the information you put out to the world!
I went to Starwest Botanicals and it says the link is currently not active???
Loved the article , particularly the part about ethics , I have been very careful who I teach foraging to because there is a real problem with ethics.
Check out Dogwood bark it is used like quinine , while taking people backpacking I have used it to alleviate muscle cramps and fever ... check it out .
Birch bark can be ethically harvested to make birch oil , an excellent topical analgesic .
Fantastic info, inspiring ideas and comprehensive/complementary articles as always! Thanks for gathering these excellent resources all together.
This week I am harvesting some White Pine Needles, Tulsi (growing inside) and combining with some of our Cannabis harvest with other dried herbs for making a batch of our Sacred Seven Salve:
It is a topical salve is infused with the essence of 7 powerful healing herbs (and several other supporting ingredients) that are considered as a sacred medicine plants in certain cultures.
The Sacred Seven salve can be applied to open wounds to disinfect (it can be used as a topical antiseptic, antibiotic and antifungal), provide localized pain relief (it can be used as an analgesic) and accelerate the healing process (it provides the epithelial cells the molecular building blocks required for accelerated rates of cellular regeneration) which means it is also helpful in diminishing the appearance of scar tissue.
This salve can also be applied to sore muscles, joints and tendons to alleviate pain and provide anti inflammatory effects. In addition to its many topical functions, I also formulated this batch to only contain ingredients that can also be safely taken internally (eaten) in the concentrations used. Thus, this is a very adaptable medicine that not only serves all the functions that a topical pharmaceutical product like polysporin does, it is also able to be used internally to either accelerate healing in the mouth or digestive tract and/or to mitigate pain systemically, serve as a sleep aid and modulate/optimize immune function. On top of all that when taken internally this medicine provides the body with a broad spectrum of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and other beneficial phytochemicals for optimizing digestion, circulatory function and brain function.
For more info: https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/sacredsevensalve
I will also be creating a batch of our Exponential Immunity Elderberry Syrup this week
It is an enhanced elderberry syrup that contains over 23 powerful synergistic ingredients (with ancient roots in forms of traditional medicine reaching across 4 continents) which were combined to create a medicine that promotes and enhances health from the foundation level of cells all the way up to whole organ systems. It was formulated to accomplish this in several ways...
1. by offering a diverse array of vitamins, polyphenols, minerals, beta glucans and other myco-medicinal compounds which serve to nourish existing cells in the body so they can perform at peak efficiency.
2. by providing compounds that support gut microflora, which is a central component of the immune system (aka increasing "gut-immune intelligence").
3. by combining carefully chosen plants and fungi that contain compounds which are known to increase the number of pluripotent cells produced in the human body (these adult stem cells are capable of differentiating into a number of cells that play key roles in maintaining a resilient immune system).
In essence, the ingredients were formulated to provide the molecular building blocks for the body to regenerate on a cellular level (essentially giving the body the resources it requires to build new cells specialized to fine tune the immune response, brain function, respiratory function, gut health and cardiovascular health). On top of providing supreme support for increasing the production and function of innate immune cells this medicine also contains compounds that are known nootropics and known to support immunomodulation as well as anti-inflammatory action.
This potent medicine includes the following ingredients:
- Elderberries (Sambucus canadensis)
- Turmeric (Curcuma longa) fresh rhizome
- Ginger (zingiber officinale) fresh rhizome
- Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) bark pieces
- Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon)
- Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum)
- Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris) fruit bodies
- Star Anise (Illicium verum)
- Black Goji Berries (Lycium ruthenicum)
- Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
- Black Peppercorns (Piper nigrum)
- Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) whole mushrooms first exposed to UV light to increase Vitamin D content, then sliced
- Zinc (as Zinc Gluconate)
- Chinese Ginseng (Panax ginseng) Root
- Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus) fruit body and mycelium extract
- Astragalus Root (Astragalus membranaceus)
- Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus) seaweed extract
- Echinacea Root (Echinacea purpurea)
- Heart-leaved moonseed (Tinospora cordifolia) stem extract
- Turkey Tail Mushrooms (Trametes versicolor)
- Orange (Citrus × sinensis) slices
- Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans)
- Cacao (Theobroma cacao) beans
- Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) Matcha and Sencha
- Reishi Mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum)
- Chaga mushrooms (Inonotus obliquus).
As I mentioned above, these ingredients were chosen for the compounds they contain that support cellular regeneration, more specifically this full spectrum medicine was formulated to increase and support optimal levels of mitochondrial biogenesis (the process by which cells increase mitochondrial mass), neurogenesis (the process in which neurons are generated from neural stem cells in the adult), synaptogenesis (the formation of synapses between neurons in the nervous system), Myelopoiesis (the production of bone marrow and of all cells that arise from it, such as stem cells), haematopoiesis (the formation of blood cellular components such as haematopoietic stem cells, which gives rise to various types of white blood cells) and last but not least leukocytogenesis (The formation and development of leukocytes, aka white blood cells).
Though supporting leukocytogenesis, this functional medicine is formulated to potentiate (and increase propagation of) innate immune cells (white blood cells such as macrophages, dendritic cells, T and B cells, NK cells, Mast Cells, Basophils, and Eosinophils). The phytochemicals and mycochemicals which are synergistically combined in this syrup offer molecular tools for the innate immune system that increases the quantity, 'intelligence', 'agility', coordination and resilience of various types of innate immune cells.
This is a medicine to nourish the body from the foundation level up, it optimizes innate capacities for healing, resilience, adaptability and creativity (brain function).
I recently read a number of books which provided in depth information about various 'superfoods', modes of nutrition-based healing, neurobiology, immunology, herbalism, mycology and complex systems science. I did my best to synthesize the information I learned about these different fields of study into a holistic understanding and then distilled that down in order to formulate this functional medicine.
It is my hope that this recipe can serve as a template for improving and building upon (and be expressed in various forms and modes of preparation/preservation) so that those who seek to optimize their health and resilience through natural medicine can experience the same vibrancy, confidence, peace of mind, cognitive improvement and joy that this medicine has offered to me. It is also my hope that this recipe (and those that you create building upon this template) allow us to take another step away from depending on toxic pharmaceuticals and another step towards embracing 'Mother Earth’s medicine cabinet' as all we need to be our best selves.
I share some pics of a past batch of Exponential Immunity Elderberry Syrup in the post below
https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/endless-elderberries
The two recipes I described above are going to be included in my next book, which you can learn more about here:
https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/stacking-functions-in-the-garden-199
Super good info 👌
Thank you for this post very timely. This year will be very productive in my plans for being pain free and healthy with natural sources.
I’ve had my fire cider made since November. We’ve got elderberry gummies. I also have fermented honey garlic. I actually like the fire cider. I also dehydrated the strained remnants & ground into powder to add to foods. I’m interested in the herbalism courses. I also want to grow a medicinal herb garden.
Apparently even adding herbs like marjoram or thyme can boost antioxidant absorption from our food by 200%! (Nourishment, Fred Provenza)
Sunlight is also crucial in regulating absorption:
https://romanshapoval.substack.com/p/pale-skinned-people-need-to-eat-their
Although I am not a homesteader, though I am a gardener, composter, and carpenter, your work is so valuable for the more difficult future that many would benefit from it in book form.
Ya, iNaturalist is decent and it 'tries' to tell you how close it can guess. (The native iPhone app was depending entirely on wikipedia, so I didn't depend on it :-D.) I consider the apps a convenient way to start on a plant I've never noticed before, because I'm already snapping pictures. Apps have a hard time on trees due to the depth of field.
In honey. My husband said it is almost like garlic chewing gum.