Let say this first: skin and immune system are related. When your systems work at their best, your complete body benefits including your skin. When you feel at peace and secure within yourself you can relax and glow.
I really want to share this piece of information with you because it has been so beneficial for my family and clients for years.
This little known recipe does wonder, is easy to make, keeps in the fridge for at least a year, is potent, easy to take and in my view brings peace of mind (I tell you why a bit further down).
This recipe needs to be shared very now because one of the key ingredient is about to appear at all the farmers market around Australia yet only for a few months at the most.
As a herbalist I love working with the simple and powerful benefits medicinal herbs offer us. The action of the herbs are varied and numerous. Some bring down inflammation (such as calendula) while others are tonic, calming, stimulating, digestive to name a few. Some herbs act on halting the invasion of bacteria others act on the effects of virus. The later one is very common. We are in fact surrounded by viruses all the time. They are around us, on us and inside us.
Reading a famous and contemporary herbalist, Stephen Buhner, I was impressed to be taught that synthetic products are simple which makes it easy for bacteria and viruses to develop resistance.
So are we in trouble? Definitely not when Stephen Buhner continues and points out that herbs on the other hand are complex. Since herbs are complex, bacteria and viruses cannot develop resistance to them. How wonderful, magnificent and reassuring. When I first read this information it brought me such a deep sense of peace and joy.
In this light I want to share with you a recipe that makes an important and significant difference to the immune system as a tonic and support for the respiratory system.
This wonder medicinal herb is garlic. It contains allicin which has a similar effect to antibiotic. Australian, certified organic garlic comes on the market at spring time (September, October) and might be found until Christmas. It remains that when preparing this syrup, fresh is best. Comes autumn the garlic is planted by around March. After that time Australian certified organic garlic tends to disintegrate and is very hard to be found anywhere.
Garlic as been used for centuries. Maurice Messengue (famous French healer) once said: "Where I found health, I found garlic. Where I found garlic, I found health".
Here is the recipe of garlic syrup from James Green (other contemporary herbalist) which will keep refrigerated for a whole year and still be potent. This syrup is taken as soon as symptoms of flu come up, as a preventative if people around you are not feeling well or as a tonic for a couple of weeks.
Please note you must use the true Italian garlic for this recipe. Its Latin name is Allium sativum. Do not use Elephant garlic or Giant garlic which is known as Allium ampeloprasum. This last one is a leek not a garlic and does not contain allicin like the true garlic does.
Garlic syrup recipe
- Slice and bruise ¾ of a cup (90 gr) of fresh, peeled garlic
- Put 250 ml of organic apple cider vinegar in a glass jar and add the above garlic in it.
- Let this mixture stand in the dark for four days while shaking it every day
- Strain the apple cider vinegar in a saucepan
- Add 500 gr of raw honey and gently warm up the liquid until the honey is dissolved (do not cook it – just warm up slowly at a very low temperature).
- Bottle the resulting syrup in small bottles of 250 ml or 100 ml. You will get two 250 ml bottles. Label the bottle including the date the syrup was made.
- Keep refrigerated
Indication: Take one teaspoon per day as needed when feeling a cold / flu coming or have low energy. Hide the smell of garlic on the breath by chewing on fresh parsley.
(Recipe from Green, James. (2000). The herbal medicine -maker's handbook. The Crossing Press.)
May you enjoy the benefits of this herbal formula, feel at peace and enjoy a glowing complexion.