8 Incredible Reasons to Eat Star Anise

Star Anise is an aromatic, liquorice- flavored spice that is widely used in Indian, Malay, Chinese, and Indonesian cuisine. As with all herbs, it is not only a culinary delight but has some powerful medicinal properties. Find it in the spice aisle of your local grocery store, preferably organic.

1. Star Anise has antibacterial, anti-viral properties and helps to fight infection. Almost all of the world’s star anise crop is used for extraction of shikimic acid, the chemical used in the synthesis of Tamiflu. Can you imagine how much safer it must be to use the unadulterated, whole food form of the medicine? This herb is indicated specifically for the flu, sinus infections and bronchial infections. Take it at the first sign of illness and each day you are ill, preferably in the tea form. See my recipe below.

2. It has compounds such as creosol and alpha-pimene that clear mucus from air passages, soothe a sore throat, and make dry, irritating coughs more productive. The Greeks used to make teas with it to help asthma and other respiratory ailments.

3. Alleviates constipation.

4. It is carminitive (relieves gas) and is good for indigestion.

5. Is helpful for PMS and menopausal symptoms, and gently encourages childbirth.

6. Supplies calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A, and five B vitamins.

7. The seeds from this powerfully scented herb have been used as a tea for thousands of years to help treat bad breath.

8. Star Anise contains a compound called anethol, which has been reported to increase sex drive in women.

Here we used star anise to make a flavorful immune boosting tea with a handful of Wisconsin chaga mushroom chunks, 1 cinnamon bark stick, and 1/4 cup of elderberries in a stock pot.  If you want a no fuss, ready-to-go star anise option, check out my organic Star Anise tincture. 

Explore the many culinary applications to get the benefits of this wonderful medicine provided by nature!

Warmly,

Megan Normansell, CHC, AADP, CFH

Certified Holistic Practitioner/Holistic Nutrition/Herbalist/Wild Edibles Guide

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more recipes and healthy living ideas!

Interested in healing your body naturally?
Get the answers you’ve been searching for, and heal your body for good… naturally.  We have successfully helped thousands of people across the country live a healthier life than they ever could have imagined, and specialize in dozens of different health concerns. Curious? Schedule your complimentary consultation with me today! Read the incredible reviews we’ve received over the years here.

http://www.aayushealth.com     –     megan@aayushealth.com    –    920-327-2221

*please consult your herbalist or other health care practitioner before beginning a new herbal regimen like these.

Copyright Megan Normansell 2018 All rights reserved. 

Buttery Wild Mushroom Pilaf with Asparagus – Wild gourmet healing dinner for $.35 per serving!

 

Tonight’s dinner is a lovely sprouted brown rice risotto with bits of peas and carrots, cooked with some chopped wild wood nettle, which can be used just as spinach or kale would but is much more nutritious. I sauteed the morels (can use any edible wild mushroom) until golden in a bit of butter and Himalayan salt.  Simply sub the butter for something like olive oil to make this vegetarian dish vegan. The pilaf is sprinkled with chives from my garden & flowers from the creeping charlie “weed” in my yard. A garnish of another delicious “weed” in my yard- goldenrod shoots.

Not only is this the type of gourmet meal you’d only find at an upscale restaurant, it’s more nutritious than just about anything you’ll find at a grocery store, and nearly free of cost. Every ingredient has healing properties! What is your experience with foraging- have you picked berries, morels, or asparagus? Let us know! If you’d like to learn more about wild food foraging, check out Wild Food Wisconsin & Aayus Holistic Health Services on facebook.  And helping people live healthier & happier and tackle even the trickiest health issues is my specialty as a naturopathic practitioner- don’t hesitate to contact me at megan@aayushealth.com for your free consult!

– – Goldenrod is good for colds, flu, inflammation, allergies (it’s an antihistamine, not an allergen), & UTIs.
– – Nettles are food for high blood pressure, kidney stones, allergies (also antihistamine), anemia, hay fever, are restorative, antihemorrhagic, nutritive, & promotes lactation & circulation
– – Morels are a great source of vitamin D, are anti-cancer & have been found to reduce the side effects of chemo/radiation
– – Asparagus is a diuretic, supports kidney function, prostate health, helps to prevent cataracts, supports the liver, supports sexual function & helps with muscle recovery
– – Brown rice is great for digestion and helps to normalize bowel function after diarrhea. It helps lower cholesterol, reduce risk of bowel cancer, lower diabetes risk
– – Chives are good for digestion, anemia, relieving gas, help prevent heart disease and stroke, and help your body to digest good fats.
– – Creeping Charlie is anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and has been used traditionally for ulcers, asthma, and clearing up skin. It can be used as a hopping agent to make beer.

Thanks for visiting!

Megan Normansell (Kerkhoff), CHC, AADP, CFH

Certified Holistic Practitioner/Holistic Nutrition/Herbalist/Wild Edibles Guide

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more recipes and healthy living ideas!

Get Even Healthier!
Get the answers you’ve been searching for, and heal your body for good… naturally and holistically.  We have successfully helped thousands of people across the country live a healthier life than they ever could have imagined, and specialize in dozens of different health concerns. Curious? Schedule your complimentary consultation with me today! Read the incredible reviews we’ve received over the years here!

http://www.aayushealth.com     –     megan@aayushealth.com    –    920-327-2221

Copyright Megan Normansell 2019 All rights reserved. 

 

My first morel of the year, used in my dinner! (it’s giant!!)

The wild wood nettles

Tropical Tendonitis Treatment

It tastes like summer! Super crisp and refreshing… if I close my eyes I’m on a tropical beach somewhere…

Ingredients:

1 pineapple
1 apple
1 large cucumber
1 bunch of endive
Fresh turmeric root (or add ground turmeric after juicing if you can’t find fresh)
Slices of lemon for each glass

After juicing all the produce, squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice into your glass. Juicing whole lemons tends to be rather overwhelming, so this enables you to get just a touch of the flavor.
*Note: Always juice the tough, inner core of pineapples. Most of the bromelain, a powerful enzyme, is contained here.

The Benefits:
Cleanses the blood and liver, aids digestion, boosts immune system, lowers cholesterol & blood pressure, soothes insect bites & migraines, fights inflammation, dissolves uric acid, prevents hardening of blood vessels, dissolve gallstones, thins the blood, prevents blood clots, regulates glands, detoxifies metals, cleans the bladder, protects against radiation, intestines healthy, stabilize blood sugar, normalizes heart rhythm, and helps the muscles to function properly.

May help treat:
Obesity, cancer, goiter, edema, allergies, bronchitis, pain, diabetes, tendonitis, lung problems, heart disease, muscle disorders, arthritis, liver and kidney problems, flu, colds, asthma, heartburn, gout, diabetes, fevers, rheumatism, esophageal cancer.

And yes, THIS is what you will get- what a fancy way to get healthy!
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Warmly,

Megan Normansell (Kerkhoff), CHC, AADP, CFH

Certified Holistic Practitioner/Holistic Nutrition/Herbalist/Wild Edibles Guide

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more recipes and healthy living ideas!

Get Even Healthier!
Get the answers you’ve been searching for, and heal your body for good… naturally and holistically.  We have successfully helped thousands of people across the country live a healthier life than they ever could have imagined, and specialize in dozens of different health concerns. Curious? Schedule your complimentary consultation with me today! Read the incredible reviews we’ve received over the years here!

http://www.aayushealth.com     –     megan@aayushealth.com    –    920-327-2221

 

Do you have this rare form of asthma? (And the top 10 ways to treat it)

What we all refer to as plain old asthma, is really a condition called “extrinsic asthma.” This is an asthma that is most commonly triggered by allergens and accounts for 90% of all asthma cases.

Then there is the little-known form of asthma called “intrinsic asthma,” of which I’ve had the pleasure of dealing with for a good chunk of my life. Just like with what I’ll refer to as “common asthma,” it produces feelings of tightness & pain in the chest, difficulty breathing, and wheezing. As the names would suggest, extrinsic asthma is triggered by external factors, and intrinsic by internal factors.

Common Asthma triggers:
• Allergens like dust, pet dander, pollen
• Environmental & chemical pollution like smoke, or occupational chemical exposure
• Food triggers like sulfites, food additives, and sugar
This is the form of asthma that affects both children and adults, and can be well-managed by avoiding triggers and by making dietary changes.

Intrinsic Asthma triggers:
• Exercise (aka “exercise-induced” asthma)
• Cold air (aka “cold-induced” asthma or “my gym makes a killing off me in the winter” asthma)
• Air that is too dry or too damp
Intrinsic asthma tends to develop in adulthood (although mind developed as a teen), and is more chronic and persistent than common asthma. Studies show that most sufferers of intrinsic asthma are women.

Here are my observations about this particular form of asthma:
• Unlike with my husband’s extrinsic asthma, I’ve found inhalers do not help me.
• There appears to be a genetic factor. My mother has the exact same cold-induced asthma that I have. But she also has extrinsic triggers, which is known as “mixed asthma.” I believe this is why I developed it as a teenager instead of after the age of 30 like most do.
• Mine is triggered by both cold & exercise. Once the thermometer drops below 5 degrees, the wheezing immediately kicks in with my first breath in. (Being born an Eskimo would have proved deadly for me!) When I combine the two trigger it’s pretty severe, so I have to wait until the temps hit 50’s or higher to exert myself outdoors.
• I’ve also noticed an interesting difference regarding caffeine. While the symptoms of regular asthma improve with immediate caffeine intake, my intrinsic asthma symptoms can actually be triggered by caffeine. When consuming little to no caffeine prior to a workout, my asthma is sometimes barely noticeable. Today, I went wild and consumed 250 mg of caffeine (equivalent to about 2 cups of coffee) before my workout, and the sharp chest pain was intense and immediate.

Top 10 tips for treating Intrinsic Asthma:
1. Quit smoking. Cigarettes do an incredible amount of damage to the lungs.
2. Boost your immune system. Replace unhealthy junk with whole, real foods, with a focus on cultured & fermented foods.
3. Maintain a healthy weight. Extra pounds put extra pressure on your lungs.
4. Use anti-inflammatory herbs daily like turmeric, ginger or boswellia.
5. Eliminate dairy. Dairy is mucous-forming and causes congestion.
6. Increase your omega 3 fatty acids. They have a very powerful anti-inflammatory effect. See “Top Ten Reasons to Eat Raw Walnuts.”
7. Minimize your exposure to cold. Cover your mouth with a buff or scarf to warm the cold air before it hits your lungs.
8. Exercise indoors in the winter.
9. Keep your workouts moderate, and be in tune with your body. If your chest begins to hurt, ease back until the pain subsides.
10. Manage stress. Both types of asthma can also be triggered by stress or anxiety, so utilize stress-relieving methods to prevent it from affecting your physical self.

Warmly,

Megan Normansell (Kerkhoff), CHC, AADP, CFH

Certified Holistic Practitioner/Holistic Nutrition/Herbalist/Wild Edibles Guide

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more recipes and healthy living ideas!

Get Even Healthier!
Get the answers you’ve been searching for, and heal your body for good… naturally and holistically.  We have successfully helped thousands of people across the country live a healthier life than they ever could have imagined, and specialize in dozens of different health concerns. Curious? Schedule your complimentary consultation with me today! Read the incredible reviews we’ve received over the years here!

http://www.aayushealth.com     –     megan@aayushealth.com    –    920-327-2221