Zingy Beetroot Soup, by Anny O'Neill

February 2, 2021

The joys of outdoor country dining (pre-covid social distance), when we visited Nana, age 89 - who always makes a large pot of mash to accompany this vibrant and healthy soup. Nana’s constantly feeding her young - no matter how old she is.

Florence, enjoying her Nana’s mash. Recipes | Beetroot Soup

Ingredients

9 Medium Fresh Organic Beets With Skin On (washed)
2 Medium Onions Peeled and Sliced
Tablespoon Olive of Oil for Sautéing
3 Oranges Zested and Juiced
2 Lemons - Juice Only
2 Litres Veg Bullion Stock
Seasoning if required
Method:

Sautéed the onions until translucent.
Dice the beetroots and add to onions.
Pour over the stock and citrus orange.
Simmer until beets are easily penetrated with a fork for approximately 25 mins.
Remove from heat.
Add the juice of all the lemons and oranges.
Blend (or leave chunky).
Taste, and add seasoning if required.
Add more water if too thick.
Serve with fine shaving of orange zest and ......nothing else!

Enjoy! Makes 10 servings. Perfect for storage in freezer. Eat slowly. Gorgeous for lunch on a cool day.

This soup is made for your digestion. Packed with essential nutrients, beetroots are a great source of fibre, folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. The fibre both feeds friendly gut bacteria and adds bulk to stools, thus reducing constipation. Beetroots and its juice have been associated with numerous health benefits, including improved blood flow, lower blood pressure, and increased exercise performance. Beetroot juice also acts as a great blood purifier, which is key in keeping your skin glowing and healthy. The vitamin C content helps in clearing blemishes and evens out your skin tone, while giving it a natural glow.

This soup is zingy. I love sharpness combined with freshness in my food. This soup embodies what “feeding your body true nutrients is really about”. Have fun with it.

You should see a reddish colour in the toilet after a bowel movement. Depending on when you see this, it will tell you how fast your digestion transit time is. If you see this the next day then applaud your wonderful system, if longer, maybe best call me as you have a sluggish system! If same day, that needs to be looked at too. Both too slow and too fast transit times are symptoms of imbalance and will need to be addressed.
Love Anny, xxx

Recipes Blog, by Anny O’Neill | Art of Health

The Art of Health Herb Infused Oils Guide

May 30, 2020

This post is an introduction to a series of herbal oil formulas for external application, so that you can begin to build up your own natural remedy cabinet.

Hello, my name is Anny O’Neill, and I’d love to share with you all how I take care of my family’s skin.

Herbal Medicine Blog: Lily enjoy foraging with her mum.

Some of the herbal oils mentioned below will feature in a subsequent blog about turning herbal oils into ointments, balms & mixed oils. By the end of the whole series you will know how to make:

Cayenne and Ginger Herbal Deep Heat, for your chronic joint and deep muscle pain.
Calendula, Rose and Dandelion Face and Body Oils and Ointments.
Mint Foot and Lip Balms.
Plantain Herbal Chest Rub, to ease congestion in the lungs.
Chickweed, for eczema relief.
Mullein Ear Oil, a wonderful remedy to cure ear pain - one that has deterred many trips to doctor for antibiotics.

At the core of the Art of Health philosophy is the desire to preserve our ancient Irish tradition of making simple home herbal remedies. Planning is key. Herbal oils can take up to 6 weeks to infuse, depending on the method used. Summer is a great time to harvest and dry your local, homegrown or foraged herbs. During winter and the other seasons we reap their benefits and savour the lovely memory of when we made them.

All of these wonderful herbal oils require good quality procurement. As a herbalist I often simply buy dried cut herbs for my apothecary, but one of the wonderful gifts of Covid19 is that I have time to indulge my passion for foraging.

No matter where you are in the world, nature has ensured that (with correct knowledge) you can find a herb for all ailments very close to where you live (as long as you have some kind of natural environment nearby).

The herbs, plantain, marigold (calendula), chickweed, mint, rose, dandelion are easily found around you if you are living in Europe. I am writing this blog from Ireland. It’s the June Bank Holiday weekend, and our ditches and meadows are bountiful with botanical medicinal healing herbs.

Making your own self-care remedies aligns with the Art of Health philosophy: simple, non-toxic, safe, effective, mood-enhancing, deeply fulfilling and cost effective.

This blog is a step-by-step guide on how to achieve this. Once your herbal oils are made the sky’s the limit.

So let’s get going – and have some fun! Start by choosing a herb. Reflect upon the reason you chose it.

Sometimes it’s because it’s just there - it’s what you need, or you have been intuitively drawn to it. Either way, herbs (like our health) are multifaceted. Think about the influences that shape your life: why you choose what you do, when you do, what blog you read, how your body is feeling, the age you are, the timing. There are so many considerations - it’s all soooo interesting!

My absolute passion is intuited knowledge. One of the things I hope to impart in these blogs is the value of your intuition.

Learn to trust it! Our forefathers discovered these wonderful herbs and their healing qualities long before laboratory testing and conventional pharmacy.

Some Considerations:

Dandelion flowers provide a gorgeous clear yellow oil, which is great for chapped or cracked dry skin.
Plantain is soothing and healing. Good for all skin types.
Rose petals are anti-inflammatory. It is soothing & cools redness on the skin, especially the face.
Comfrey is great for skin healing. It is nourishing and repairs the skin and is fantastic for itchy skin and eczema (see a whole blog dedicated to comfrey here).
Chickweed is anti-inflammatory and is used for itchy skin also (it can even be used on piles).
Chamomile flower tops are anti-fungal, reparative & calms itchy or uneven blotchy skin.
Cayenne pepper is warming and blocks pain receptors. It is good for rheumatic or arthritic pain.
Ginger root is warming and improves circulation, blood supply and healing to an area. It’s great for coldness in the joints or muscles.
Calendula (marigold) is antimicrobial, repairs dry, damaged or broken skin. It is commonly used in nappy rash remedies.

So, after considering the above information, choose a herb to get started with.

If you are foraging, ensure the herb is organic and has never been sprayed, or peed on by our canine friends!

It’s nice to keep the instructions a little loose here - as you may have very little (or large amounts) of a particular herb. As a guide, if you are using dandelion flower tops - or calendula (marigold), pick about 100 flower tops. If choosing the leaves of plantain, chickweed, or comfrey, begin with about 100 leaves. For a rose infusion, use the petals of about 30 large rose heads.

If you have a dehydrator, dehydrate the herbs until dry. They should feel crisp to touch. Other options are to lay the herbs out flat and leave in the bottom of a low temp proving oven, or - if the weather permits - dry on a flat clean surface in direct sunlight. The reason you dehydrate - or remove water - is to significantly reduce the chance of bacteria and mould growth in your infused oil. Dehydration also concentrates the active fat soluble constituents and essential oils from the herb into the carrier oil.

So, now we have a herb - it’s time to choose our carrier oil!

Carrier oil options depend on your preference:

Olive Oil is a wonderful starting point, as it can be paired with all the above herbs and most people have it at home. Olive oil is slow to absorb & rich in squalene. Extra virgin olive oil is high in natural antioxidants, and is useful for normal or weathered skin types. Squalenes are used in skincare products as a highly-effective emollient and natural antioxidant. Over time, using squalane in skincare can reduce wrinkles, eliminate scars, reverse UV damage, lightens freckles and erases skin pigmentation, all while fighting free radicals.
Sunflower Oil. Organic and inexpensive. This little gem has little odour and is a vibrant yellow. It’s lovely with calendula, chamomile and dandelion flower-tops. Sunflower oil is slower to absorb than other oils.
Sweet Almond Oil is wonderful for normal to dry skin types. It protects damaged skin and can help relieve itching. High in vitamin E, this oil pairs really well with calendula, plantain, chamomile, chickweed, rose and dandelion. It is absorbed at a medium rate.
Avocado Oil has properties that are rich and moisturising, and it is high in vitamins and carotenoids. It is slow to absorb, and helpful for eczema and dry skin - great to repair damaged skin. This oil makes a good body moisturiser or ointment. It pairs really well with dandelion and plantain.
Jojoba Oil. This is a liquid wax that is similar to our own skin’s sebum (oils). It balances all skin types, has a long shelf life and is regenerative. It’s a superb oil, which works with all the above herbs, especially chickweed, plantain & rose. One of the great things is that it doesn’t feel greasy on the skin.
Coconut Oil works with all of the above herbs. It is high in caprylic acid, which makes it good for fungal skin issues. It absorbs quickly and makes some ointments less greasy. It works great with cayenne and ginger herbs for joints and sore deep muscles. Coconut helps the healing quality of the herbs penetrate. It pairs well with plantain (later in the series I use plantain oil for my chest rub - a herbal vicks!).
So - now we have our chosen DRIED herb with your oil of preference, let’s make our infused oil!
There are 2 ways to make infused oil: the slow or the fast way.
For both techniques:
Choose dried herb of choice & oil. Use a large pint sized jam jar or kilner jar (or larger - depending on your proportions). Place the dried herb or flowers into the kilner jar. Fill jar 1/4-1/2 way up. Pour oil of choice to cover 2 inches above your dried herbs. Stir.

INFUSING OILS THE SLOW WAY

Cover the jar filled with dried herbs and the carrier oil with its lid. Leave away from direct sunlight, and every day give it a quick swirl to mix the herbs through the oil. After 4-6 weeks, strain the oil from the herb. Discard the plant material and put your oil into a clean dry jar with lid. Label with “herb, carrier oil and date”. If stored in cool dark place it will keep for 1-year

INFUSING OILS THE FAST WAY

Place the herb and oils into a bowel over a double boiler (see video demo). Ensure that there is approximately 2-inches of oil above the dried herb. Place on a low-medium heat for 2-3 hours. Ensure the oil temperature does not get too hot (ideally not above 55-60 degrees C). This gentle heating process speeds up the infusion process. Ensure the water in the base of the double boiler does not simmer off, as direct heat can damage the healing constituents of the herb and carrier oil. Once infused, remove from the heat, strain the infused oil into a clean dry kilner jar. Label and store in a cool dry place for up to 1-year.

So, there you have it!

That’s your herb infused oil. I look forward to building our natural remedy cabinet together over the summer!

PS: Important information. The contents of the herbal oil infusions blogs are guidelines only. The purpose is to invite you to learn about herbal self-care with ingredients that you can find in your environment. The author claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss or damage caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly as a result of use, application or interpretation of the material contained herein.

As with all skin and body care products, do not use a recipe if you are allergic or sensitive to any of the ingredients.

The Art of Health is a professional body who prescribes herbs for individuals following a comprehensive in-depth professional consultation by a qualified Master Herbalist. Please seek permission to copy or use content from this post from Anny O’Neill at the Art of Health.

Thank you for respecting the content.

Art of Health Comfrey Ointment

May 3, 2020

Homemade Comfrey Ointment

Meet our comfrey team: Florence, Lily, James & Patrick.

My kids are experts at getting bruises and scrapes. It doesn’t matter which season, inside or outside, they always seem to have the marks to prove a big day of sport & adventure - and rightly so! Their legs and arms chart the play history of the previous few weeks: bumps, scrapes, grazes, stings and on and on.

Comfrey to the rescue!

Plus, no matter how hard I try, I just keep getting older. Every muscle can ache after a hard day in the garden. So, I need something to soothe them too!

Comfrey is amazing for all things skin, muscle, and even bone related. Not only does it contain high amounts of vitamin C and calcium, it also has antibacterial & antiseptic properties, which means it’s the absolute best when it comes to all of those bug bites, bumps, bruises, scrapes, sore muscles and even… broken bones!

BENEFITS OF COMFREY

Contains high amounts of allantoin, which promotes new skin growth.
Reduces inflammation.
Use on bug bites.
Use to rub into sore muscles for a bit of relief, it’s also used for mild pain relief.
Rub onto burns to soothe and reduce inflammation (even sunburn).
It’s also great for when you accidentally touch the handle of your hot cast-iron skillet.
Use on superficial scrapes to help healing.

PLEASE NOTE: It must not be used on infected skin. IT IS ESSENTIAL ALWAYS TO DEAL WITH INFECTION BEFORE HEALING. This is where you will need to consult a qualified master herbalist, like myself or a naturopathic doctor.

With the onset of chapped and dry hands from the over-washing due to the Covid19 outbreak, the stock of my favourite skin ointment has become depleted. So, as I prepare a new batch for my family and friends, I will show you in 4 simple steps how you can become your own self-reliant pharmacist.

This salve is one thing we always keep around, and I love that it only contains three simple ingredients that I can make, grow or forage all on my own, if need be.

Let’s get going!

There are 2 stages:

Make comfrey oil.
Make the ointment.

How to make comfrey oil:

Ingredients for approx 700 mls of comfrey:

100g Dried Comfrey Leaves (approximately 100-150 leaves to do this).
1L Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Firstly, dry your fresh comfrey leaves.

Some options are:

Lay out flat drying in sunlight.
Use a dehydrator.
Proving oven or aga (ensure temp does not exceed 35 degrees celsius). Essentially, dry the leaves until crisp, yet retaining their green colour. This can take at least 7-8 hours.

The next stage of preparation has two options: Quick or Slow.

Option 1. Cold effusion, which takes 6 weeks. Place the dried comfrey leaves and olive oil into a 1.5L kilner jar and allow to effuse over 6 weeks in a warm room. Swirl daily.

Option 2. Warm effusion. Place dried comfrey leaves and olive oil into a large double boiler at a low to medium heat (the oil should never bubble or move - rather heat slowly) & allow to slowly effuse over heat for 3-4 hours.

With either method, the oil will take on a deep green colour. Once the oil is effused, strain through a milk bag or muslin cloth.

Ingredients and directions for ointment:

700mls of comfrey - 70g beeswax pastilles - 50 drops of essential oil of choice (I use lavender).
Dark glass jars or tin containers to store your ointment.
Return 700mls of pure comfrey oil to double boiler and warm gently.
Add in 70g beeswax pastilles and warm over double boiler until wax bead melt (takes approx 10 mins).
Remove from heat & add in your essential oil.
Pour the melted mixture into containers while it is still warm.
Allow the mixture to cool off and harden a bit.
You can now use it!
Cover tightly with a lid and keep in a cool dark place.
Make sure you label it!

There you have it!

That’s all there is to it - super simple!

Your oils should keep for a minimum of a year. I made twenty - 60mls pots. If it’s your first trial of making your own ointment you may wish to half or quarter the ingredients.

Summertime is great to make this salve, as you or your children are likely to need it on more than one occasion. As a herbalist, my focus is on medical dispensary, so you cannot buy this formula from me. The purpose of this blog is to encourage you to make your own.

Our health and wellness extends far beyond the diet, so I love to make these simple, natural remedies free from parabens and other nasties, so that I’m not adding to the toxic load on the body. Sometimes there are things that are hard to avoid – such pollution, bus fumes and the like, but at least we can be mindful of what we put in (or on) our body - e.g., organic and natural clothing rather than synthetic. What we put on our skin is particularly important - as it’s our largest organ after all!
As I’m concluding this blog, my daughter has just come in to tell me about her fall, for which her father lathered this very ointment. And all is well again. She smells great too!
I wish you all the best. Have a lovely time experimenting and playing with this wonderful herb and ancient method of healing.
Now, it’s time to go soothe some aching muscles and pretend I’m still 20.

Keep an eye out for our next blog installment if you would like to find out how to use some herb-infused oils!

I’m here for you if you have any queries, or if you would like to simply let me know how your ointment turned out leave a message in comments below:

Note: Comfrey is not recommended for use in pregnant women, even externally. Always consult with a licensed herbalist before utilizing this or any other herb.