survival school michigan

This winter season, fight the flu with these must-have herbal medicines. Disclaimer, I am not a doctor or pharmacist; this information is for educational purposes only. Try them at your own risk. Now, let’s dive into it. A couple of weeks ago I had the flu pass through my household. As a result, I am finishing a video about cold and flu medicine. At the beginning of the video, I was on the mend and just coming out of the flu. You can see this in my face and demeanor. The medicine I describe is best used in the cold months. Use this when you can’t find other plants (beebalm, mullein, which are other great plants to use for lung ailments). I also did this video based on the season of its making, which was late winter to early spring. In the video, I start with White Pine. White Pine is native to Michigan and can be identified by its cluster of five pine needles. The needles are packed full of vitamin C. Pound-for-pound pine needles are said to have more vitamin C than a lemon. This high vitamin C content makes these pine needles an effective immune booster that was once used to treat scurvy. This vitamin C content is what makes my medicine an immune booster to help treat colds and flu. The needles are good for treating colds, flu, fevers, and your respiratory system. To aid your respiratory system, include some thin twigs with the pine needles when you make your infusion (tea). White Pine also has vitamin A and can boost your brain health. This tree also has antibacterial, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory properties. In the video, you can see a small amount of sap flowing out of the tree. I describe how you can put the sap on cuts and use it for other first-aid applications. You can mix the sap with crushed charcoal from your fire and dead grass material to make bushcraft glue. The White Pine has other survival uses. During times of starvation, you can cut into the tree’s inner bark for food. Then cut it into strips and leave it on a rack to dry. Once dry, cut it into small sections and eat it. I recommend cutting it into a small cracker size. I admit it’s going to taste like pine sol, but it will get you through a famine. Herbalists like to talk about triangle formulas and Chinese medicine, but I am going to keep it more simple than that. Next we add Wintergreen. Wintergreen is a plant you can find on the forest floor throughout Michigan. I find it all over the ground at the location of my survival school. The leaves of Wintergreen contain methyl salicylate, which is the same chemical found in aspirin. Like aspirin, Wintergreen reduces fever, reducing pain and swelling (note how White Pine was also fever reducing and anti-inflammatory). Wintergreen can help with digestion (this makes sense, as Wintergreen is minty and minty things are often carminative) and can be used to relieve pain from arthritis, joint pain and rheumatism. Wintergreen often has a red minty berry attached, which you can eat. I have eaten these red berries many times ever since I was young. I have learned that eating one red berry is like taking one aspirin. In addition to medicinal uses, Wintergreen also simply makes a pleasant mint tea. In a 2023 class, I introduced my students to Wintergreen tea and offered to let them sample it. Afterwards, I had a student ask his girlfriend to make him a cup of the tea. I have made this tea on many occasions throughout the years and have found that the strongest medicine is made when the leaves of the plant are purple, which usually takes place in late winter to early spring. In the video, I point out a Wintergreen with purple on its leaves. In the past, I tried using Wintergreen like icy-hot and did an experiment with the plant. My knee was bothering me so I made a Wintergreen poultice and applied it to my knee. I then held it in place with a strip of t-shirt for external medicine. I then drank some tea for internal medicine. All I know is that somewhere between the two, it worked at eliminating my knee pain. Try this at your own risk. The final ingredient to my medicine involves raw honey. Raw honey helps with bronchial asthma, throat infections and in soothing a sore throat. Raw honey, like White Pine, is also an immune booster. Raw honey is also antibacterial and antifungal, which are reasons why it aids in wound healing (much like the sap of the White Pine). Raw honey can be applied directly onto cuts, wounds and is particularly effective with burns. Now, lets summarize the main qualities of our medicine. It is an immune booster and cough suppressant because of the pine needles and honey. It is anti-inflammatory because of the pine needles and Wintergreen, while the Wintergreen itself is a pain-killer. So, we have effectively created a cold weather cold and flu medicine that is an immune booster, cough suppressant, anti-inflammatory pain-killer. It is perfect medicine during the cold months when you are suffering from coughing, cold and flu. Take a sip, it also makes a wonderful tea. To learn more and to make medicine in the field, sign up for a class. I will see you in the wild. -Art