While making my
vitamin and mineral tinctures wasn't very complicated and didn't take more
than an afternoon of gentle effort, I made it a high priority because they
help me to stay independent and self-sufficient in the truest sense of the
word. Proper nutrition is one of the basic steps toward reducing illness
and thus doctor visits and bills along with time, and feeling happy and
healthy is the only way to get the most out of a homesteading life.
Nutritional
Information
If you know you're
deficient in one or more vitamins and minerals, you can tailor which herbs
you put in your tonic/tincture formula to suit your needs. Here's some
information to help you decide what you need. Keep in mind that wild
foods, including herbs and edible weeds, are an excellent source of many
trace minerals that we don't get from other processed food sources.
Dandelion is rich in
calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium and
zinc. It also contains vitamins B-1, B-2, B-3 and C along with
beta-carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A.
Red Clover has
calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and
zinc as well as vitamins B-3, C and E.
Plantain is rich in
potassium and vitamin A.
Chickweed has
calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium,
silicon, sulfur and zinc as well as vitamins B-1, B-2, B-3, C, and E.
Chickweed is also a rare plant source of essential fatty acids.
Herb Safety
When you're gathering
herbs (because that's what dandelions, clover and such really are - not
weeds) take care to pick only those plants that you know, beyond a doubt,
are absolutely safe.
Make sure to stay
away from areas that have been treated with chemical pesticides or
fertilizers that may have been taken up by the plants, as well as places
that are downhill or downstream from contaminated sites (old mine sites,
home foundations, near roadsides or where vehicles are parked).
You should also be
careful if you have a severe hay fever allergy, as some herbs (like
clover) may trigger it.
