Try Blessed Thistle During Cold & Flu Season

Ever wonder what it takes for a plant to be called blessed? Turns out, it just needs to help stave off the common cold! For more than 2,000 years, a small plant called blessed thistle has promoted everything from a healthy appetite and digestion to hormonal balance and reproductive health. And especially during cold and flu season, blessed thistle might just be your saving grace!

Blessed thistle is an annual flowering plant that originated in the Mediterranean but is now found all over the world in regions of Europe, Asia, South Africa, Central and South America, and even the United States. It grows on dry and stony ground, mostly in open and sunny areas, with a thin red stem, spiky leaves, and yellow or purple flowers – it may not look like much, but it packs a punch!

Also known as holy thistle, this hairy little plant actually got its name in the Middle Ages when Benedictine Monks used it to treat victims of the bubonic plague, which was also called the Black Death. And although we don’t need it for such a dangerous illness today, blessed thistle can still make a big difference in life today – especially when it comes to the flu.

Not to be confused with milk thistle, which is known to protect the liver, blessed thistle is most commonly used in support of a healthy immune system, respiratory system, and digestive system. Read on for a few ways that this little plant can help in a big way, especially when it comes to that early springtime cold you might be fighting.

Potential Health Benefits of Blessed Thistle

Digestive Health

Blessed thistle is a blessing (pun intended!) for the digestive system in more ways than one. It helps stimulate the production of bile and stomach acid, which is needed to break down waste and nutrients so the body can digest food more effectively. Blessed thistle also has natural diuretic qualities, which can support detoxification and cleansing, helping vital organs like the liver, kidneys, and colon eliminate excess waste and stay healthy.

Immune System Health

Blessed thistle can also promote a healthy immune system, especially during allergy and cold season. When occurring in the wild active ingredients in milk thistle help protect the plant from environmental attacks. These same ingredients can be synthesized to help humans in the same way, creating a calming effect for an overactive immune system and potentially helping to block histamine reactions that result in allergy attacks.

Upper Respiratory Health

In the same way that blessed thistle can help ease allergies or the common cold by supporting the immune system, it can also help with these symptoms by supporting the upper respiratory system. Characteristics of blessed thistle have been found to have an expectorant effect on the respiratory system, helping to reduce inflammation and promote clear air passages, helping the body to breathe easier … even when you’re all stuffed up!

Skin Health & Healing

Blessed thistle has long been used in traditional folk medicine to promote healthy skin. With antimicrobial, astringent, and anti-inflammatory properties, blessed thistle can help support the skin’s ability to absorb antioxidants and stay toned and looking fresh. Studies have also found that blessed thistle can promote improved healing from burns and wounds and prevent infection.

Female Reproductive Health

Last but certainly not least, blessed thistle can promote a wide range of potential benefits for the female reproductive system. Not only has it been used in traditional herbal medicine to alleviate symptoms related to painful menstruation, cramps, and menstrual headaches, blessed thistle can even help with milk production for nursing mothers and menopausal symptoms in older women.

One Note of Caution

Before hopping on the blessed thistle bandwagon, check with your doctor or allergist, as it may cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive things like daisy, sunflower, or ragweed. No allergies? Great! Here’s how to use blessed thistle!

How to Use Blessed Thistle

There are countless ways to integrate blessed thistle into your everyday life. If you want to take it everyday for things like digestive support or allergies, blessed thistle capsules are an easy and quick way to get your daily dose. Blessed thistle extract is also a way to explore its daily benefits – just place a few drops in your favorite drink two or three times a day and you’re set!

If you want to take a more DIY approach to blessed thistle, there are a few ways you can do so while also alleviating symptoms related to digestive issues, menstrual pain, or the cold or flu. We recommend placing a few teaspoons for dried blessed thistle in boiling water and steeping for 5 to 15 minutes (depending on how strong you want it). It may be bitter to the taste, but drinking 1 cup two or three times daily may make a difference when it comes to temporary pain relief or respiratory challenges.

How will you incorporate blessed thistle into your everyday routine and start exploring it’s many benefits? Let us know in the comments below!

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Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

How to Set Up a Windowsill Herb Garden in 4 Easy Steps

Whether you’re craving a fresh summer salad or about to make a batch of homemade pesto, a windowsill herb garden is the perfect complement to any well-stocked kitchen. And believe it or not, it’s pretty easy! Follow the four easy steps below and you’ll be on your way to growing fresh herbs all year-round.

1. Pick Your Place.

First things first – you’ve got to find the perfect spot for your windowsill herb garden, and remember this: the sunnier the better! While some plants need less, the more natural sunlight herbs can soak up, the more they will thrive. For your new herb garden, pick a windowsill that gets at least six hours of sunlight every day. If not, you’ll end up with drooping, dwindling plants that produce herbs with little flavor … if they produce them at all!

2. Pick Your Plants.

This is the fun part. Head on over to your local nursery or home improvement store and pick out the herbs you want to grow in your windowsill herb garden. We’ll list a few suggestions of what to plant below, but first, we need to address an age-old question: will you start your indoor garden with seeds or already-grown plants?

Seeds vs. Plants – Which Is Best for You?

There’s really no hard and fast rule when it comes to creating a windowsill herb garden with seeds or plants – it really just comes down to preference. With that being said, here are a few things to consider when deciding where to start:

●      Variety – When buying plants, you’re often limited to what is available at your local nursery, while there are countless options when it comes to buying seeds. With just a tiny packet, you can choose the type and even variety of herb you want to plant. Seeds are definitely the winner if you want variety.

●      Time – Obviously, it’s going to take a considerable amount of time to grow your herb garden from scratch if you start with seeds, as opposed to simply repotting a plant you pick up at the store and is ready to use right away. When it comes to time, plants are a better bet.

●      Risk – While it’s always a risk that your herbs won’t make it past a few weeks (especially if this is your first crack at it), the risk of losing your herbs is considerably lower when you buy plants that have already survived the germination stage. With seeds, you’ll have to be even more aware of that delicate balance of when to water or how much sunlight to give. If you’re looking for low risk, plants win here too.

●      Cost – Take one trip to your nursery and you’ll know who wins here. A packet of seeds can cost just a couple dollars (at the most), while plants can be considerably more expensive – you are paying someone to do the work for you, after all! Seeds get first place if you’re trying to save some cash.

Have you decided if you’re starting your windowsill herb garden from scratch or from plants? Great! Let’s move on to the best part: picking your herbs! Here are some popular herbs that are easy to grow, easy to maintain and easy to eat!

 

●      Basil is the king of windowsill herbs, as it’s relatively simple to grow and sustain. Plus, you can buy a basil plant at pretty much any grocery store for a few bucks and get started right away! Basil plants like lots of sun and warmth, so keep yours out of drafty areas and on a south-facing windowsill where it’s likely to get the most sun.

●      Oregano is a relatively hardy plant and adds a great flavor to everything from pasta sauce to salad. Similar to basil, your oregano plant is going to want lots of sun, so make sure it’s in a south-facing window as well. A great way to start your oregano plant – take a clip off an existing plant and pot it!

●      Cilantro is somewhat of a polarizing herb – some people love it and some people hate it –  but if you’re one of the people who loves it, it’s a great herb to add to your windowsill herb garden. This one likes lots of light, but not direct sunlight, so consider setting it up in an east-facing window that will provide direct morning sunlight but lesser light as the day goes on.

●      Rosemary pulls double duty as a delicious herb and a natural air freshener! This little plant loves to get started from a cutting of a larger plant and grows best in direct sunlight – so it’s back to the south-facing window next to basil and oregano for this baby.

●      Thyme is particularly popular in summer dishes, which will likely make it one of the most used plants in your windowsill herb garden. Give your cilantro some company and plant your thyme on a east-facing sill for optimal growth.

3. Pick Your Pots.

Once you’ve determined what you’ll be growing in your windowsill herb garden, purchasing the right pots is just as important. You’ll definitely want to use individual pots for each herb so you can give each unique plant the unique care it needs. Be sure every container has drainage holes and sits on a waterproof saucer, and that it’s large enough to give your herbs room to grow. You can find great windowsill herb garden kits all over the web … even ones that start small and expand as your plant grows!

4. Pick Your Food!

This is the best part of all! As your windowsill herb garden grows and matures, enjoy the fruits of your labor with fresh herbs all year-round! Will you throw together a quick and delicious pasta primavera or succulent marinara sauce? How about a perfect caprese salad or savory roasted potatoes? Maybe you’ll even go crazy with a refreshing summer cocktail that will make everyone swoon. Whatever you choose, you’ll have all the herbs you need thanks to your trusty windowsill herb garden!

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Photo by Kaufmann Mercantile on Unsplash