Learn the proven Gemmotherapy extract protocols for acute earaches/inflammation and how to address digestive upsets whether they result in diarrhea or vomiting.

by Chris Wahl

I study Gemmotherapy because I’ve gotten great results from it! I’m a U.S. Air Force veteran and former Licensed Vocational Nurse who fell down the rabbit hole of natural health in 2004 after seeing the damage that conventional medicine can do when used unwisely. I decided to take responsibility for my family’s health using safe, gentle, but effective natural medicines and only use allopathic medicine when absolutely necessary. As a Holistic Life Coach, Flower Essence Practitioner and student homeopath, my mission is to help motivated families achieve health and wellness in all aspects of their lives.

With my family, I begin with Gemmotherapy extracts. I was taught by Lauren and it’s been my experience that beginning an acute illness with the indicated Gemmotherapy extracts right away can have an immediate effect on how the body responds. If needed, I add a homeopathic remedy when the symptom picture becomes clearer and if things are not progressing. I’ve found this to be extremely effective.

Because Gemmotherapy is still an emerging modality, educating people and letting them have an experience with it are the first steps I see in the future. The potential Gemmotherapy has to restore immunity in a time when so many people’s immune systems are not working properly is so incredibly powerful.  I wish more people knew about this! New information is always coming out so it’s exciting to see what comes next! I love learning more about each of the extracts and the effects they have on organ systems, the mental/emotional levels, as well as well as how to use them in practice.

I would love to learn more about restoring and supporting immunity. I’m also very intrigued at the potential in fertility and pregnancy. The United States has one of the worst maternal and infant mortality rates in the developed world. Children and young adults are suffering from diseases that we used to only see in the older population. Autism rates are climbing. Our children are the sickest generation of children, and I want to learn everything I can to help turn that around. I know we can do better than this. Using Gemmotherapy and Homeopathy together is also something else I’m very interested in.

If you’re interested in Gemmotherapy, you won’t be sorry! Lauren’s classes are amazing, and I can’t recommend them highly enough. If you want to dip your toe in, pick up one of her books. The absolute best advice I can give is to get your hands on the extracts! Order the Black Currant and Oak to start. I’m always telling people to get those two extracts so they have them when they need them.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry whole urad dal (black lentils), debris removed and soaked in plenty of water overnight or for at least six hours
• 4 cups water
• 15 oz can kidney beans (1 1/2 cups), drained and rinsed
• 3 tbsp coconut oil or vegan butter
• 1 tsp cumin seed
• 1 small bay leaf
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1-2 chiles, minced with seeds removed if desired
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
• 1 cup tomato puree or strained tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups water (including water reserved from cooking urad dal)
• 1-1 1/2 tsp salt, to taste
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp cayenne, optional, more or less to taste
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp kasoori methi, crushed (optional)
• 1/4-1/3 cup coconut cream or coconut milk

Directions

1. Add the soaked urad dal to 4 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer. Cook covered for 30-40 minutes or until dal is very tender. Turn off heat and strain the lentils, reserving any leftover cooking water.
2. In a large pot, heat the coconut oil or vegan butter over medium. Add the cumin and bay leaf and fry until they crackle and turn a shade darker. Add the garlic, ginger and chiles and cook about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the onion and fry until golden and soft, 4-6 minutes.
3. Add the tomato puree (watch for splattering), the reserved dal cooking water plus fresh water to equal 1 1/2 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of salt, garam masala, coriander, cayenne if using, and turmeric. Crush the kasoori methi between your hands into the pot. Simmer for 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the urad dal and the kidney beans. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so the lentils don’t stick and burn on the bottom of the pan. Taste and adjust salt if desired, add more salt if the dish tastes flat.
5. Stir in the coconut cream and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Garnish finished dish with a swirl of coconut milk and minced cilantro. Serve with basmati rice.

Enjoy!

Adapted from The Curious Chickpea

Learn about the latest and most effective botanical therapy that uses the meristem cells of specific trees and shrubs to communicate with your body.

During cold and flu season, you or someone in your family will develop an acute cough. Coughs are symptoms with a real purpose, one greater than to just be annoying. A series of actions that begin in your brain lead to your cough, whether it is to clear thick mucus, respond to an allergen or was just a false message that causes a dry, irritating cough. Because coughs are clearing, suppressing them can cause acute symptoms to linger and lead to chronic inflammation. Is there another way to reduce a cough rather than suppress it?

Absolutely! Depending on the cough that is occurring, there is one of five Gemmotherapy extracts that will resolve rather than suppress it. 

What should make Gemmotherapy extracts your first choice, over over-the-counter or herbal cough syrups, is their ability to clean, feed and fortify cellular tissue Because Gemmotherapy extracts contain the meristem cells of the tree of shrub used, there is cell-to-cell communication. The extract promotes actions that leave the upper respiratory system and immune system more resilient at the end of treatment. Since Gemmotherapy extracts lend themselves to home care in a variety of acute conditions, you will find protocols that can virtually replace all the supplements, herbal remedies and OTC medications you have on hand to care for yourself and family members.

Below, I will describe three general categories of coughs that can be cleared with the use of Gemmotherapy. Please keep in mind this article is referring to an acute cough, one that comes on suddenly or accompanies other upper respiratory symptoms. This article does not address chronic, long-standing coughs that require a different protocol. Here’s an article that helps explain the difference between acute and chronic symptoms.

1. Postnasal drainage of mucus often leads to an irritated, inflamed throat that can produce an infrequent, dry and scratchy cough to clear. This particular symptom of the throat and the small cough responds very well to the Gemmotherapy extract Black Honeysuckle. Known for its ability to reduce inflammation by thinning mucus and increasing its fluidity, Black Honeysuckle calms and soothes while boosting the immune response. While often the first extract to be used in an acute inflammation, it is also used at the end of an acute cycle to thin the lingering mucus and prevent the build-up of scar tissue.
2. There are times, however, when that sore throat progresses to a persistent, deeper cough, dry or wet. Then it is time for a new extract. Hornbeam Gemmotherapy extract supports the effectiveness of a mucus-clearing cough and resolves the dry irritable cough. As it works, Hornbeam extract addresses the upper respiratory inflammation, cleans and strengthens the bronchi and lungs, and boosts immunity.
3. A spasmodic cough, one that leads to pulmonary spasms like asthma or croup, needs the soothing qualities of Lithy Gemmotherapy extract. These coughs appear “unproductive,” often accompanied by tightness in the chest, making an in-breath and out-breath feel challenged.
4. Sometimes there is an acute cough that develops for completely different reasons. This is a dry, nervous cough that may show up at inopportune times, such as before a presentation or important conversation. This cough actually responds quite well to Silver Lime extract.
5. Finally, once a virus with a cough has run its course and the acute symptoms have improved, some convalescence time is called for to improve and strengthen the bronchi and lungs. An evening dose of Hazel Gemmotherapy extract to support a return to health of the respiratory system will protect against future recurrences.

Each of these cough-specific Gemmotherapy extracts performs best in a protocol that supports the work of the immune system during this acute period. Combining the appropriate cough extract with Common Alder and Black Currant will provide the very best results.

If you want to know more about Gemmotherapy for coughs and other acute symptoms, be sure to subscribe to my Restoring Immunity podcast. Find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Radio Public, Google Podcasts and Anchor.

Find all of my acute protocols using Gemmotherapy extracts in Gemmotherapy for Everyone: An Introduction to Acute Care. 

This week I am happy to share a recipe from an Austin friend and outstanding vegan chef, Anna Fry. Anna passed along this recipe ages ago when our then-preteens enjoyed this soup for lunch at her home during a school holiday. It still a top request at the Hubele home when soup season rolls around. 

What’s great about this soup is, you are sure to have most if not all of the ingredients on hand, and prep time is minimal. 

Ingredients

• 2-3 T olive oil
• 1 T fresh ginger grated
• 1-2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 small onion, peeled and diced
• 2-3 fresh tomatoes diced
• 2 cans rinsed and drained black beans, or fresh cooked
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 1-2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Dash cayenne pepper
• Juice from one orange and one lime
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Serve with fresh cilantro and lime wedges

Directions

In a heavy soup pan over low heat, warm olive oil, adding onion, garlic and ginger. Saute over low heat until items are soft and onions become translucent. Add tomatoes and spices, cooking for a few more minutes. Add beans, coconut milk and one cup vegetable broth. Simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors, adding more broth if desired and citrus juices. Season to taste. You can choose to serve soup as is or divide in half, blending one portion of the soup with an immersion blender and combining with remaining unblended soup. 

Enjoy!

Photo by J Doll

Learn how to support your child when viral symptoms change, stop and return, or continue for longer periods than you would expect.

I am just back from my morning swim, and I have to tell you what happened. I was presented with a writing prompt too perfect to pass over. That topic would be fear. What makes it even more interesting is that the topic of fear has come up several times in different ways this week. I would like to explore with you the idea that facing our fears must be really daunting and oppressive. Is that really true? Are there ever times when facing your fears wasn’t a negative experience? Might it be possible to reframe that story? Is it possible you could lean into your fears in a playful way? That’s a good question that I had been pondering when along came this experience. Of course, it would happen while I was engaged in one of my most favorite ever activities, swimming.

So what was the scary challenge? It had to do with a five-letter word that begins with S. 

Living in Texas has forced me to come to terms with the snake population that I happen to share this beautiful region with. I get it. If I am going to engage with nature here, I am probably going to see some snakes… sometimes more, depending on the time of year. This is all fine and well, but swimming with snakes does push me out of my comfort zone in a big way.

What I find interesting is how my deep relationship with the San Marcos River has helped me take my fears down a notch at a time. The first fear being that I would end up being carried away to the Gulf of Mexico! Back to the snakes.  

It is actually pretty cool to watch a snake move down the river when I am sitting on a rock watching. It is also fine to encounter one up ahead of me. Today however, was a new twist. As I hit the midpoint on my journey upstream, swimming under a series of low hanging pecan tree limbs, I caught a glimpse of a 6-foot long ribbon snake uncoiling from a high branch and slithering into the water just an arm’s distance away. Ha! What to do? Well, there actually was part of me that was a bit mesmerized by its graceful beauty. Then there was the other part that really did not want to share my water space with this guy, especially now that I knew he was there. So I had a choice, to turn back and miss my swim or keep going. That’s when I had a little talk with myself. That talk addressed the fact that I know that this river has snakes in it and yet I swim in it every single day. So clearly I’ve been playing a game called “what I don’t see can’t hurt me.” That’s a mental game that doesn’t really work with my belief systems I apply to other areas of my life. So now that the snake has shown itself, what has changed? Not a thing.  

Please know this isn’t to encourage you to jump into a river of snakes, but rather to spark your reflecting on your own fears. Is there anything you love doing with all your heart, but you have allowed your fears to limit your enjoyment? Play with completing this statement, I love _______ as long as_____________ doesn’t happen. How many of those statements can you write about different activities? What might it be like for you to play with just one, letting that limit or restriction you have set crumble away?

Oh, and in case you are wondering what I did? After a few moments of consideration, I continued on upstream with my newly acknowledged swim partner. 

Is it simmering stew season yet? Just to be clear, that means a veggie-full stew, and this one totally fits the bill. Not only is it packed with fall harvest vegetables, the spice combination is divine. 

I brought this along to a house concert potluck, and I had to think twice if I really wanted to share. 😉 It was a such a hit, and so easy to prepare I made it again the same weekend! Serve it alongside rice or quinoa and a green salad and dinner is complete. And don’t forget the toppings! They really make it special.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil 
• 2 medium butternut squash peeled, seeded and diced in bite-size chunks
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 2 red or yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and diced
• 1 heaping tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• Dash or two of cayenne pepper 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 2 cans (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed, or 3 cups home-cooked black beans
• 1 can (15 oz)  diced tomatoes
• 2 cups water with 2 veggie broth cubes or vegetable broth
• Himalayan salt, to taste

Directions

1. If you are cooking your own black beans, as I did, get those started in the pressure cooker after soaking them overnight.
2. In a heavy dutch oven, saute onions and pepper, adding spices. When onions are translucent, add chopped butternut squash, tomatoes and broth.
3. Simmer until veggies are nearly tender. Add beans and bring back to a simmer for 15- 20 minutes, just enough for the flavors to blend but not too much so the squash loses its shape. 
4. Salt to taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
5. Serve over rice or quinoa, and have these yummy toppings handy:

• diced avocado
• cilantro
• diced onions
• lime wedges
• my all-time favorite vegan sour cream by Simple Veganista

Enjoy! 

Adapted from Simple Veginista

Discover the 5 extracts you will want to have on hand this cold and flu season to resolve coughs and restore immunity.  Megan and Lauren share specific examples of use for each extract.

When you face a cold or flu there are a number of options to choose from that are readily available to address your symptoms. I’m sure at one time or another you have experimented with each of these. As a child, the choices for your acute care were based on your parents’ understanding of health, but as an adult, you have more than likely adopted a method of your own. What you might not realize is that how you respond to simple symptoms has a profound impact on your immune system.

For instance, taking over-the-counter medications to thin mucus or to quiet a cough or congestion can prolong the presence of symptoms. Why might that be? The release of discharge whether it be from your nose, ears, eyes, or bronchial area is just the body cleaning. When this cleaning process is suppressed you are working against your own immune response and re-routing that discharge. Have you given consideration to where it might go? Discharge that’s not eliminated will search for another outlet and when not found lead to chronic inflammatory states.

Taking antibiotics produces a similar challenge as the use of over the counter medications. Antibiotics, however, come with the added disadvantage of disrupting the bacterial balance that’s necessary to maintain your immunity. This disruption takes considerably longer to restore than one would expect. To learn more about this topic in particular, I highly suggest reading Dr. Martin Blaser’s book Missing Microbes.

Doing nothing and riding it out also has its disadvantages, particularly if these types of symptoms occur more than once or twice a year. Unless you happen to be the proud owner of a body with perfect immunity and optimal elimination, your organs could use some support, and with the right support they improve their function.

The answer I propose to you is to provide your organs the support of meristem cells in the form of Gemmotherapy extracts. Meristem cells are the plant equivalent to human stem cells and contain all the growth material for the entire plant. It’s the presence of meristem cells that makes Gemmotherapy extracts unique. When it comes to acute support, there is nothing Plant-based or pharmaceutical that is currently comparable.

Learning to use Gemmotherapy extracts for acute symptoms is pretty straightforward. You’ll find proven protocols for common acute symptoms in my books Introduction to Acute Care and Restoring Immunity in Babies and Children. Your success with addressing acute symptoms will, however, be improved by becoming familiar with the effect of each extract allowing you to adjust the protocols according to specific needs.

Keep in mind that the protocols shared have been successful because of the synergistic effect of the combined extracts. So when making modifications, be sure to substitute extracts that offer a similar action.

Before we get into the specifics of extracts, I’d like to share with you an acute care plan for successful restoration of your health that I recommend to my clients. This plan is based on the assumption that you’ll begin caring for yourself upon the first symptom and not wait until you have worn down your vital force and immune system. This may be a brand new concept to many; however, if we provide ourselves with the proper support from the start, symptoms will have a shorter duration.

The plan

Acute Dosage Guidelines

Below you will find a list of suggested dosages. These are the amounts I have found to be successful for the majority of my clients. There are some who are extremely sensitive who will need a lower dosage. If you are one of these individuals then begin with a few drops and find a dosage that’s enough to support your symptoms but not so much that it produces or aggravates other symptoms.

General Maximum Dosage:

10 yrs old to Adult: 25 Drops per extract (up to 3x daily)
5 to 10 yrs old: 15 drops per extract (up to 3x daily)
3 to 6 yrs old: 10 drops per extract (up to 3x daily)
This information is not to replace a consultation with your health practitioner to determine the correct dosage for you.

Precautions

The following extracts for acute symptoms should not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

• Common Alder
• Mistletoe

Individuals taking steroids and/or heart medications should consult with their health practitioner before beginning a Gemmotherapy protocol for acute support. Both of these types of medications are suppressing a natural organ rhythm and Gemmotherapy works to restore harmony to organ function. Due to the opposing actions, the supervision of your health practitioner is necessary.

The Acute Care Extracts

Descriptions of each of these extracts can be found in the resource section at the back of my Introduction to Acute Care book as well as symptom-specific acute protocols.

Adrenals
Black Currant
Oak

Digestive/Elimination
Common Fig
Lingonberry
Lithy Tree
Silver Birch Sap
Walnut

Upper Respiratory
Black Honeysuckle
Dog Rose
Sea Buckthorn

Bronchi and Lungs
Black Honeysuckle
Hazel
Hornbeam
Lithy Tree

Musculoskeletal
Silver Fir
Giant Redwood

Immune System
Common Alder
Blackthorn
Field Maple
Hazel
Sea Buckthorn

Nervous System
Sea Buckthorn
Silver Lime
Lithy Tree

The holistic path for restoring immunity is one I teach and practice. For more information on the path, I propose you read my blog posts on Influencing Immunity and Rethinking Elimination. If you would like further information on Gemmotherapy extracts you’ll want to read my Beginner’s Guide on Gemmotherapy.

For individualized support, I recommend you consult with a practitioner trained in Gemmotherapy to restore immunity or consider working directly with me. Looking for a deeper understanding? Consider taking my next Foundations of Gemmotherapy series.

Today I am so excited to announce my latest project. With the help and inspiration of one of my new interns and Gemmo Moms, Megan Ethridge, I have created the Restoring Immunity podcast!  

This first series with Megan is geared particularly to moms. Each 20-30 minute episode covers a common acute issue and how to resolve symptoms using Gemmotherapy. Listen now to our first episodes on fevers, colds and virus support.

Once this series is complete, I will partner with other co-hosts to dive into topics of emotional immunity, fertility, aging and more. Follow my podcasts on Spotify, Radio Public or Google Podcasts and receive a new episode each Tuesday (coming soon to iTunes). If you like what you hear, please share a link with your family and friends.

Passing along knowledge and wisdom on the subject of restoring immunity is my life passion. Although I’m a writer at heart, publishing takes time. Podcasting, however, offers an opportunity for me to share new insights in a quick and accessible manner. Let’s see where this takes us!