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Here are a few images of what is blooming in our garden in February.

Recently, the USDA has quietly made a couple changes to the regulations regarding certain genetically modified crops, specifically GM sugar beets and GM alfalfa. This poses a very serious problem for organic farmers because of the issues surrounding cross pollination. These decisions may threaten the very existence of organic farming as a result.

I’m just wild about Saffron.  No, not the woman referred to in the 1960’s Donovan song – I’m wild about cooking with saffron.  Saffron has been used in recipes from appetizers to desserts, in cuisines around the world. There are the deep hues of red, orange, and yellow that enhances the pleasure of foods. The incredible aroma and sophisticated taste are unsurpassed.  But saffron is under-utilized in American kitchens.  It is time to understand its benefits.

Many of the herbs we use in our tinctures are grown and harvested from our own garden.  Here are a couple of images of what is growing in January.

Everyone knows you should exercise, but did you know the enormous body of research substantiating the health claims for exercising?  Perhaps you noticed the Harvard study published in May (2002) where men were tested for the effects of exercise and the lack of it at age twenty and again thirty years later at age fifty.  Even though the fifty-year-olds were out of shape at the beginning of the study, after a protracted exercise regime, their performance approached their personal twenty-year-old output!

By now we all know that it is important to eat a balanced diet with a wide variety of foods. It is important when cooking to prepare meals that incorporate a diverse amount of seasonal—and local if possible—ingredients. Not only is in season produce generally more flavorful and nutritious, but is usually less expensive. In order to achieve diversity in your diet, a good rule of thumb is to use the Rainbow Rule and incorporate a rainbow into each meal. If each meal displays a rainbow of colors, it probably includes most of the body’s nutritional requirements (violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, white).

What makes adaptogen herbs so special?  Adaptogens are herbs that appear to improve the body’s own ability to adapt to environmental stressors and changing situations.  It is believed that adaptogen herbs may have a normalizing effect on the body and are capable of either toning down the activity of hyper-functioning systems or strengthening the activity of hypo-functioning systems.  Additionally, most herbal adaptogens that have been identified to date have historically been used for centuries by both Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

In the wake of post-holiday stress and over-indulgence, it seems like a lot of people get sick. Whether it is because we’re in the midst of winter and in many places January and February are bitter cold or people are exhausted from the bustle of the holiday season, the reason doesn’t matter when you’re sick. As a result, everyone wants a magic bullet to prevent their getting sick and enhance their immune system.

Welcome to a sophisticated, complex array of formulas that will support your practice, improve your patients' healing journey, and offer a unique approach to the way we incorporate East Asian formulas merged with modern practices, and holistic wellness.

To learn more, please review our Product Formulary HERE, and feel free to reach out to us directly at 831-429-9221 or sue@benedictineherbs.com for more info or to request samples and wholesale pricing. May you be abundant in good health, love, and joy. 

The New Year carries symbolic meaning of new beginnings and fresh starts for many of us. While different cultures celebrate a new year at different times, in each one it is a time for celebration and customs to ensure good luck in the coming year. Perhaps because this date represents new beginnings is why many people choose to make a resolution or two.