Re: No Grain Alcohol :)

To make Echinacea tincture (or tea) you want both Echinacea Angustifolia root (cut & sifted, usually abbreviated: c/s) and Echinacea Purpurea root (c/s). And if you've got a chunk of extra money laying around, you could get the seeds. You can get them both at Mountain Rose, and you won't have to buy a full pound of each (the Angustifolia is pricey).

We make ours with both roots and either the seeds, or extra fresh Purpurea root.

Yes, you can make a tea...but dried Echinacea root is tough & fibrous and it's very hard to get all the various constituents out of the root and into the water. 100 proof vodka is a much better choice. You definitely do NOT want "powder" because Echinacea degrades rapidly...so making a tea would be a 'grump', because you'd have to 'do more' for the fibrous c/s roots. Y

ou'd soak the c/s herbs in distilled water overnight (must be distilled or R/O filter, because it's 'emptiest'), then you'd need to put the solution in a top-quality blender or Vitamix to macerate the roots (grind them into pulp), then bring all that to a boil, and simmer it for an hour or more...then strain and drink.

The other thing that might be 'grumpy' is that Echinacea has a very strong numbing/tingly effect, and sipping the tea would definitely numb your mouth. Some find this numbing effect pleasant, others can't tolerate it all.

As far as tequila or rum...not good for tinctures. You want the alcohol to be as 'empty' as possible. The vodka is a much better choice (100 proof is best).

The amount of alcohol in a typical tincture dose is about the same that's in a ripe banana.

If you put the dose in a glass and then splash it with boiling water, a very large percentage of alcohol will evaporate...the longer you let it sit on the counter, the more will evaporate out. So you could make two doses (let them sit all day), take one, and make another...and then you'd always have one dose 'at the ready'.

Another thing you can do (something I've been experimenting with lately) is to make a 'dried extract'. Once the tincture is done, pour it into a glass pan, put it in the dehydrator (or low oven, or covered with mesh out in the sun) and let all the alcohol evaporate off. What is left is 'the bomb'. I just finished some St. John's Wort, and I'm finding no matter how long I dehydrate it, it's still 'tacky & sticky' (that must be because I can't evaporate the natural oils). Even so, that's something you could do that would be 'alcohol free', yet still be effective.

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I'm still a little afraid of ingesting any alcohol (by accident). The last time that I drank some tequila with adrenal fatigue I felt so so very sick<<< I'm guessing/thinking that after watching the SYL videos that you already know this, but I'll share it just to make sure.

Darlin', it's not "just" adrenal fatigue you're dealing with...and your reactions aren't all because of your adrenals. Yes, that's the standard "newsflash dujour" on the adrenal circuits, but they're yankin' our winkies. :(

When I dealt with adrenal fatigue (the first time), I had done all kinds of cleansing, and taking too much Iodine (which caused an overrapid detox, which stressed my kidneys, hence my adrenals) coupled with my mother's 'attempt' due to benzo issues (on top of a vicious family issue) caused a total meltdown. My hair was falling out in handfuls, my pupils were unresponsive, I was hyper-responsive to everything, I was drinking coffee, and even the washing machine switching cycles in the middle of my trying to sleep would cause my heart to "trill poundingly". My dreams were horrific (nothing but nightmares of major "flight or fight" scenarios, and I woke up sweating and totally frazzled/exhausted. And I didn't know what it was.

So I did what I knew to do to 'reboot' my body...a 30 day juice fast, stopped the coffee, double/triple Superfood (I could tell I wasn't assimilating nutrition), so I hit the IF#2 (colon) too...and around 10-12 days into it, I uncovered the adrenal connection, and I added Ashwagandha. At the end of 30 days I was 93-95% back to normal.

Why? Because I'd already done all the cleansing and restoring of my body beforehand...and when the adrenal stress hit, the rest of my body was ready to provide the support I needed.

The adrenals (nor any other organ or system in the body) don't work by themselves. EVERY system/organ is symbiotically dependent upon the others. Your struggle (nor anyone elses) isn't about "just the adrenals"...if it was, everyone on the adrenal forum would have found some way to heal themselves. But nobody is doing that...because nobody is address their body as a 'whole unit'.

Whenever you've had a chance to 'get your head around it all' (me getting the 'overdue answers' compiled and posted for you will help tons), then you'll find that as you start a full-body protocol, you won't have to worry about all these crazy reactions. But until you do? I think that the combination of your worry/fear, and the overall compromise you're experiencing, is going to mean you're likely to continue to have these reactions. And that's aseriously big 'grump', because every time you have have a reaction, you embed that herb as something you can't take and something you're afraid of trying again...and fear is one of THE biggest anti-healers there is.

Echinacea is fantastic! Candida is VERY harmful to the immune system; a reason you may have 'alcohol reactions' is because candida/yeast mixed with Sugar or carb in a warm, wet environment = alcohol. Many people with candida have high blood-alcohol levels. Echinacea bolsters the immune system AND fights/kills candida, so if you want to 'give it a go', I heartily agree you that you should.

BUT, if you have a reaction and get all "skeerdy-cat" because of one reaction, and then my all-time favorite herb 'off your list'? Well then, I'll just have to get out my rolling pin

and chase you all around CZ! :)

Healthiest and happiest of blessings!

Unyquity