Satyalok Posted September 11, 2020 14 hours ago, thelerner said: Thing with pine pollen is, its very yang. A wise herbalist once told me- "If you take something very yang when you're 20 or 30, What you gonna take when you're 50 or 60?" Ahh, since I'm almost 51 this might be good to take for short cycles, particularly since I'm trying to strengthen some atrophied muscles. I would like to do a bit more research as well. Also, I still have a bundle of korean ginseng roots I need to steam up and slice, which may have similar effects. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted September 12, 2020 On 9/11/2020 at 6:30 AM, Satyalok said: Ahh, since I'm almost 51 this might be good to take for short cycles, particularly since I'm trying to strengthen some atrophied muscles. I would like to do a bit more research as well. Also, I still have a bundle of korean ginseng roots I need to steam up and slice, which may have similar effects. From Chicago Chinatown I used to pick up cheap pre-sliced ginseng, steamed and flavored with something. It was sold in a pack like Lifesavers candy. During cold winters it'd be nice to chew on. Been awhile since I hit that area. Worth a trip, see how its doing, get some slices, some teas, see if the old haunts are still haunted. You know what else was fun. Getting the 'Flower'ing teas. A thick ball, putting it in hot water made it blossom into a flower on the bottom. Very pretty. They weren't the best tasting teas, but the presentation in a small glass teapot was unbeatable. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Satyalok Posted September 12, 2020 38 minutes ago, thelerner said: From Chicago Chinatown I used to pick up cheap pre-sliced ginseng, steamed and flavored with something. It was sold in a pack like Lifesavers candy. During cold winters it'd be nice to chew on. Been awhile since I hit that area. Worth a trip, see how its doing, get some slices, some teas, see if the old haunts are still haunted. You know what else was fun. Getting the 'Flower'ing teas. A thick ball, putting it in hot water made it blossom into a flower on the bottom. Very pretty. They weren't the best tasting teas, but the presentation in a small glass teapot was unbeatable. My wife loves the flowering tea balls, jasmine and white tea. I prefer finer oolongs, still going through my supply of Baguashan oolong from Wang Family Teas. I need to find a way to slice my ginseng thinner so I don't wreck my jaw chewing, otherwise I make a tea from it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cmpunk50 Posted October 12, 2020 On 9/7/2020 at 12:03 PM, Taomeow said: I've made a few tinctures a few months ago. This time mostly antivirals -- I was consulting Buhner's "Herbal Antivirals" for this, he has very good detailed instructions for specific tinctures. I made them with cane rather than grain alcohol (from Mexico, and from my own research rather than Buhner's), and used it undiluted (96%) on fresh herbs and diluted to 55-60% on dry ones. That's because fresh herbs naturally have a high water content, while dry ones had all their water evaporated, or in the case of some -- like quinine bark -- didn't have much to begin with. For best extraction, some components in the herb need alcohol in the highest concentration possible, but some other components are water soluble, so to get a superior, maximum concentration tincture, you need both. I also made a quinine tonic syrup (with a few other herbs and citrus peel from three kinds of citrus fruit) used either for homemade tonic water (delicious) or in alcohol based cocktails, which I haven't tried -- I'm in the no interest in any alcohol phase, which happens periodically. I have made a great mint tincture planning to use it for a mint liqueur but, having lost interest in alcohol, haven't gotten around to that yet. Scutellaria (Baikal scullcap), eleuthero (Siberian ginseng) and rhodiola, herbs native to Siberia, must have channeled something inexplicable (tinctures made right are magical) and a couple of folks who run a health/ski/meditation retreat in central Siberia somehow found me and wanted to talk on whatsapp, whereupon they suggested I do a presentation in the course of a 6 week "marathon" they are going to run online on various related subjects. Thinking about it... but feeling a bit too lazy to get involved. Will see. What do you source to get your quinine? Thanks in advance! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted October 12, 2020 Its nearly time for my spring elixir . At the moment the turpentine trees that form a grove that my cabin sits in are flowering , following that the two bloodwood trees that guard the rear of the grove flower . Usually thats when we get some hail and thunderstorms . I first noticed this as the hail knocks off the flowers and I used to see hail and bloodwood flowers on the back 'lawn' together . So after a while I would put a big glass bowl out there . Bloodwood is a purifier, de -tox , anti viral and the gum is , even when watered down a LOT , highly astringent (so its usually used as an external ). So I decided to take it as a 'flower essence' . Now, the bowl gets filled with rain water and lightning and thunder energy and bloodwood flowers and fresh ice hail in it .... what a drink ! Its sort of like zingy honey water . 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taomeow Posted October 12, 2020 1 hour ago, cmpunk50 said: What do you source to get your quinine? Thanks in advance! A better-known name under which it is sold is cinchona bark. Back in winter or early spring, I bought it as bulk herb, from Amazon and ebay. Some was grown in Peru, some in Mexico. Massively more cost efficient than buying ready-made tinctures, besides I am confident about the quality of mine, and my volume of Buhner's "Herbal Antivirals" explains the many ways store bought ones might go wrong (chiefly in terms of reduced potency). 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Damla Posted October 13, 2020 (edited) In fall, before winter, i get very fond of food and resting. I feel like a lazy bear. I usually yearn and eat one type of food daily and enjoy it a lot. Like a bowl of beans for each meal for instance or just pasta next day. It feels perfect. I wish you to get best benefit out of your elixirs. I think they work best when they are personal. Ps. Eggplants, i forgot eggplants cooked in tomato and garlic sauce. I can eat them all day. Edited October 13, 2020 by Damla 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sketch Posted October 13, 2020 Elderberry and ginseng, steeped with my regular herbal tea, which is various minty plants from my garden. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
