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Below are recent blog posts...
July’s Herbal Sprouts Workshop was all about Lemon Balm! What a refreshing herb to learn about today in the heat of summer.
We made popsicles:
We made lemon balm lip balm:
We sang songs:
We acted out the story of Lemon Balm:
We colored and created and learned all about lemon balm:
The next Herbal Sprouts Workshop will be on Tuesday, August 10th from 10am – 2pm and is all about Peppermint. For more information, go to our meetup page: http://www.meetup.com/Herbal-Study-Group/calendar/13711517/
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on Tuesday, July 13th, 2010 at 5:28 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.
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This month’s Blog Party is hosted by me! The topic is Beating the Heat of Summer with Herbs. Anything to do with the sun is game! Sunscreens, sunburn treatment, heat exhaustion and just keeping your cool with herbs are some things that come to mind. For more ways to beat the heat, see the bottom of my post for other herbalists’ posts on the topic!
Earlier this morning, my partner was suffering from a mild case of heat exhaustion. One of the first things I did for him was make him a mix of homemade electrolytes to drink:
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt (i used Himalayan pink)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons raw honey
1 quart water
While not very appetizing, it is helpful for getting the body back into balance. The flavor could be enhanced by making a tea from peppermint which is beneficial for treating heat exhaustion (see below).
The most important thing to do when suffering from heat exhaustion is to get the body temperature back down and the body rehydrated. Lying in a cool room, misting yourself with a water bottle and/or placing a cool, damp washcloth on the back of your neck are all very helpful for cooling the body temperature. Drinking the electrolyte drink helps to rehydrate the body and bring it back into balance since sweating can cause the body to lose important minerals.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion include:
- Heavy sweating
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Pale, clammy skin
- Thirst
- Rapid heartbeat
- Dizziness, fainting
- Nausea, vomiting
- Muscle cramps
- Mild temperature elevations
If the body temperature goes above 104 degrees F, risk of heat stroke is great so it is important to get the body cool.
To treat his symptoms and give him some comfort while he was recuperating, I made a tea of peppermint and ginger and added some meadowsweet tincture. This tea not only treated the symptoms but was also helpful for correcting the root of the problem. Peppermint and ginger are long known to treat nausea and upset stomachs. Ginger is high in potassium and magnesium and peppermint is high in calcium, magnesium and potassium, all of which are needed when treating heat exhaustion. Peppermint is cooling which is helpful for bringing down the body’s temperature. Ginger also has cooling properties, by causing the body to sweat which lowers the body temperature. Since I didn’t necessarily want him to sweat some and lose more water, I waited until the tea cooled down to have him drink it which would negate some of the sweating properties of the tea.
Meadowsweet is great for treating headaches. It contains salicylic acid which is what aspirin was created from. It is also gentle on the stomach and makes a great companion for treating combinations of headaches and stomachaches.
By the time he had finished the tea and electrolytes, he was feeling much better. While heat exhaustion is nothing to fool around with, if caught soon enough and treated quickly, the situation is easy to reverse. Prevention is always the best medicine! Not working during the heat of the day on strenuous activities, or stopping work when you start to feel overheated, wear loose, lightweight clothing, drinking plenty of fluids (adding a pinch of sea salt to your water is important because replacing fluids with just water is not enough) that are cool but not icy and wearing a damp bandana or washcloth around your neck are all ways to help prevent heat exhaustion.
And now for some more herbalists’ articles on the topic of Beating the Heat of Summer:
Sean wrote about herbal first aid for heat exhaustion
Rosalee wrote a lovely article on making chamomile popsicles
Kristena of Dreamseeds wrote a great article full of fun tips for keeping cool, including using essential oils and a reminder about drinking cold, alcoholic beverages this time of the year
Karen Vaughn wrote about cooling summer herbal beverages and lists her top 10 favorite summertime drinks
Cory wrote about a nifty trick to help keep cool using flax seeds
Herban Chica wrote about her favorite summer tea
Keep checking back. I’ll add more posts as they become ready!
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on Sunday, June 20th, 2010 at 11:26 am and is filed under Uncategorized.
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One of my new goals for the year is to study one herb for the year. This does not mean I’ll be forsaking all others, I’ll still study and continue learning but this one herb will be my ally for the year. I spent a month thinking about which herb I would like to ally with this year and finally chose Prunella, or rather, she chose me!
Prunella, also known as Selfheal or Heal All, has been growing wild on our property since we’ve moved here. It was one of the first “new” wild herbs I discovered on our property. However, she’s always hovered in the lower back part of our land.
Last year, I dug up a few small plants and put them in the garden. I am sad to report they got tilled under due to my thoughtlessness. I do hope she forgives me for that! The answer came a few weeks later to that thought when I discovered she had planted herself right next to my back door in the hollyhock bed!
I believe she’s got something to tell me and I am going to listen.
I started a notebook to chronicle my journey with her. I have tincture made up so I’ll be digging that out and starting to use it whenever I can. Also, I’ll be making some oil and salve as soon as the time is right. I’ll be using her leaves in my morning teas and sketching her cycles of growth.
I started out researching her family (mint of course, also known as lamiaceae). Leaves are in pairs on the stems, each pair at right angles to the ones above/below. Flowers are typically fused, stems square. Yep! That’s just like Prunella!
I never referred to her by Prunella before, always Selfheal or Heal All but that always annoyed me because I could never settle on one of the two names. Well, which is it?! But last night, when I sat down to journal about her, it just felt right to call her by her proper name, Prunella. So lovely!
I am looking forward to hearing what this beautiful lady has to tell me.
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on Friday, May 14th, 2010 at 1:06 pm and is filed under prunella.
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It’s May, and with the sap risen and the world coming into blossom, this month’s Blog Party will be focusing on herbs for sexual health and vitality — from aphrodisiacs to contraceptives to herbs for the reproductive system to herbs that help to heal our emotional and spiritual relationships to our bodies and our sexuality.
this month’s blog party is hosted by sean donahue of green man ramblings. go to his blog to see all the posts writing about this subject this month!
when considering herbs for sexual health and vitality, many exotic herbs come to mind. when trying to focus on regional herbs, the herbs may sound less exotic but pack the same punch as the foreigners! so if you are looking to try some herbs for sexual health and vitality, i highly recommend you start with the herbs in your back yard.
hawthorne is the first herb that comes to mind when i think of matters of the heart. hawthorne is supreme as a cardiovascular strengthener and tonic. not only does hawthorne work physically on the heart, but he works emotionally on the heart as well, uplifting the emotions and making one feel more at peace and happy. i love taking hawthorne in an elixir form. to make an elixir, fill a jar 1/2 full with hawthorne berries. fill half full with brandy and top off with local raw honey. shake and let sit for at least 2 weeks, shaking daily. after 2-4 weeks, strain off and use. i find hawthorne elixir a great addition to my morning herb teas. i add 2-3 droppers full.
rose is another emotional mood enhancer. is there any reason why roses are the symbol of love and passion? there is more to it than just a pretty flower with a nice scent. they are an aphrodisiac and help with opening the heart and helping to heal emotional imbalances. rose is also calming and sedating. kiva rose taught me the recipe for wild rose elixir and i’ll forever more make as much as i can when it comes time to harvest rose petals and rose hips! i generally fill about 1/3 of the jar with rose hips before adding the petals but either way, it is good! take liberally as needed.
red raspberry leaf is a nourishing and tonic herb for the female reproductive system. red raspberry has lots of vitamin c plus contains vitamins a, b complex, e, calcium, iron, phosphorous and potassium. red raspberry has many good effects on the reproductive system including increasing fertility (both in men and women), eases morning sickness, reduces pain during and after labor/birth. raspberry also can help prevent miscarriages and hemorrhaging during pregnancy and birth. raspberry also encourages the uterus to return to its normal shape after birth, making recovery much quicker. red raspberry also encourages the flow of mama’s milk and makes the milk rich for baby. raspberry infusions are the best way to take this herb! to make, add 1 handful of dried raspberry to a quart jar. place a metal utensil in the glass jar and fill with hot water. remove the metal utensil (keeps the jar from breaking from the heat of the water), cap and let steep overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours. strain off and drink in a 24 hours period. the infusion can be heated or iced as you prefer.
vitex is an interesting herb as she decreases a man’s libido but increases a womans! while this herb does not grow natively in my area, she is hardy enough to be planted here. she also seems to increase fertility in women. vitex can be made into an elixir (follow hawthorne’s recipe above) or as a tincture. to make a tincture, fill a jar 1/2 full of vitex berries. fill the jar with everclear or another 100% grain alcohol and let sit for 3-4 weeks, shaking daily. to take, add 2 droppers full to a glass of water or herb tea 3 times a day.
oats a.k.a milky oats are considered to be a sexual appetite booster. this wonderfully nourishing herb assists with the blood flow, keeping the arteries to the pelvic region open for both men and women. oats is a gently stimulating nervine, nourishing and calming the nerves while increasing sensitivity to touch. milky oats are a different part of the plant from oat straw. milky oats are the unripened tops of the oats which exude a milky substance when squeezed at harvest time. They are wonderful used dried in a tea or tinctured up on a formula. to make a milky oat tincture, fill a jar full with milky oats and cover with grain alcohol. let sit for 3-4 weeks, shaking daily. strain and use as needed. you can also make an infusion following the directions above for red raspberry.
ginkgo is not only a memory enhancer, it enhances and brings blood circulation to other parts of the body as well. particularly useful for men with arterial erectile dysfunction, ginkgo boosts the blood flow in the penis without raising blood pressure the way some pharmaceutical drugs can do. ginkgo is also good for stimulating the adrenals, assisting with energy levels. make a tincture (see above for oats) and take 1 dropperful 3-4 times a day. it may be helpful for men to take a dose about 30 minutes before love making to help enhance blood flow.
feeling exhausted continuously can cause a strain on sexual desire and stimulation. nourishing and restoring the adrenals can do wonders for the sexual appetite as well. a blend i have had good results with for restoring adrenal health is as follows:
4parts:
borage
3 parts each:
gota kola
milky oats
2 parts each:
licorice
ginkgo
mix together and take 2 droppers full 3 times a day. i have found borage to be a little over stimulating at times and sometimes will keep the borage tincture separate from the rest of the blend, only taking 1 dropperful of borage with the blend in the morning and afternoon and leave it out for the evening dosage so that i can go to sleep at night.
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on Sunday, May 2nd, 2010 at 7:01 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.
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i love this time of year! one day, i walk outside and everything is brown and dead. i look down closely at the ground and i can see tiny wisps of grass, clover, plantain, dandelion and chicory starting to poke their sleepy heads from the soil and i know, any day now, spring will arrive.
another day, i walk out to be greated by the site of new baby lambs or kids. it’s so much fun to see what new babies we’ll have and to try to guess how many lambs or kids a ewe or doe will have and if they will be a boy or girl and what color they will be!
also that day, there may also be a gentle rain, cool but not cold. the maple trees stop flowing and at the same time i strain my ears….did i hear them? yes! the peepers are back. the first evening i hear them, there are only a few present. the next day, the chorus starts and their song can be heard day and night. that’s when i know, it is here! spring is back once again.
and then, the next day, the sun comes out and i step outside to go gather eggs and everything is GREEN! fabulous! spring has finally arrived. the chickens are laying eggs with a furiousness that can only advent the return of the warmth and sunlight. the kids are dancing about, the lambs running around.
i eagerly walk through the herb gardens, marveling at the herbs peeking out of the ground that weren’t there the day before. i see chickweed of course, he’s always the first to arrive! and plantain, and dandelion. the next day, motherwort, daylilies, bergamot and ooooh, hi there nettles! glad to see you! next comes feverfew, chives, calamus, wormwood, mugwort, betony and a whole litany following. each day, i greet old friends as they arrive from their journey back from the earth to spring up and dance in the golden sunlight and sparkling rain. glorious spring!
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on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at 6:20 am and is filed under Uncategorized.
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i noticed that i was very testy and irritable today so after facebooking my mood and intent to self medicate with lemon balm and motherwort, a few friends gave me their own formulas for the same experience: catnip and borage.
borage! i had forgotten i tinctured up a half gallon of it a few months back. i decided to whip up 2 oz. with: borage, catnip, lemon balm and motherwort. when i poured off the borage i had to play with it as the color was an amazing jewel green. i would have taken a picture but the lighting was bad due to our (seemingly) permanently placed cloud cover. i’ll try again tomorrow if the clouds decide to shift away from the sun.
premilinary reports from this mama: feeling better! what did i name this lovely mixture? why, calm down! of course. i think my kids will be happy that i’m taking it tomorrow.
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on Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 11:58 pm and is filed under herbs.
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i’m looking forward to next september and taking a little road trip to meet up with many kindred spirits that i’ve only known online for the past few years. this is going to be one of the best weekends of my lifetime. the worst part is going to be deciding which classes to take because there are so many amazing herbalists sharing their time and knowledge that i’m beside myself with giddiness! oh the torture of deciding out on listening to one herbalist over another! i’ve been to other conferences in the past and have seen participants bounce back and forth between two classes but i wouldn’t learn a thing if i did that.
so, what am i babbling about? the traditions in western herbalism conference of course! registration just opened yesterday and the first 100 registrants can receive some great bonus gifts as well!
three days of immersion with great herbalists such as jim mcdonald, kiva rose, darcey blue french, john gallagher, phyllis light, paul bergner, matthew wood, rosemary gladstar, howie brounstein, and many, MANY more!
and, if that weren’t enough, R.I.S.E. and arborea are going to be performing!
AND, it’s at the beautiful ghost ranch, the former home of artist georgia o’keefe.
it’s an amazing opportunity for anyone who is dancing the herbal dance of life. will i see you there?
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on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 at 9:23 am and is filed under traditions in western herbalism conference.
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this month’s blog party is all about the beautiful side of herbs. cory at aquarian bath is hosting. swing by her blog to see all the submissions after dec 1.
we have a lot of fun dying silks using herbs. our two favorites are poke berries and black walnuts. it takes about 2 weeks total to do. all sorts of herbs can be used. i’ve even used dandelion blossoms to make a pale yellow. goldenrod, elderberry and st. john’s wort all make great dyes too! poke berry is not color fast, but it is such a lovely color that we just try to re-dye our silks each year.
to dye silks, first, i fill a half gallon jars with the herb i am using. i mashed any berries a bit in their jar (the walnut hulls i just break up roughly & stuff in. i add enough water to fill each jar to the top. then i set them out in the sun for about a week, shaking every day.
the next week, i strain out the plants and add 1/4 teaspoon of alum to each jar. you can find alum in the spice section at the grocery store.
 next, in go the silks. i buy ours from dharma trading. (the 35 x 35 make a great size). i’ve also dyed a silk dress that i found at a thrift shop with the walnuts. it is a beautiful shade of gold. i hope to dye it again to make it darker as it is the same color as my hair right now and makes me look a bit bland.
 
i push them in with a stick and make sure they are covered. then i let them sit for up to another week, shaking & stirring daily, turning them with a stick to get all areas evenly exposed. 
the longer they sit, the darker they get. drain out the liquid and rinse with cool water until the water is clear.
black walnut rinsed and wet:
black walnut dry. can you see the leaf design??? that was a total accident caused by wrinkled fabric but a really nice one.
poke wet:
and dry:
now all that’s left to do is play with them!
these make GREAT gifts for friends! natural herbal dyes can be used to dye all sorts of natural fibers from wool to cotton to silk to linen. each fiber will naturally dye a little differently.
another fun temporary dye using poke berries is for hair dye. poke is not very colorfast, even with alum. when used on hair, it washes out very easily but is a fun way to spice up your hair. simply mash, paint on with your fingers or a wide paint brush and viola!   
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on Sunday, November 29th, 2009 at 2:14 am and is filed under herbal blog party.
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this is my post for the november blog party. be sure to check out all the great posts as there are quite a lot of delicious and eye opening recipes!
during the late spring, summer and fall, my breakfast beverage generally consists of wandering around in the garden and picking a handful of whatever speaks to me. but once winter takes over, i must turn to my shelves for that morning cup. generally, i will do a combination of dried herbs or grab some mate or green tea. but when i want a real treat, i reach for the roasted root chai.
i can never make enough of this ahead of time to store for the winter! seems i’m always searching out more roots to keep myself stocked so i can blend a quart at a time…i should probably blend a half gallon! kids and adults alike gulp it down and request more, every time! this recipe will make about a quart of pre-mixed chai. this chai is caffeine free but you could add some green tea if you’d like a blast of caffeine.
roasted root chai
2 cups mixture: roasted dandelion roots, roasted chicory roots
6 Tbsp. fennel seeds
6 Tbsp. anise seeds
6 Tbsp. cardamom pods, gently broken up
6 Tbsp. whole cloves
4 Tbsp. dried ginger root
2 Tbsp. largely grated nutmeg (i buy it whole and use a cheese grater to grate it for this project instead of using the finer holed nutmeg grater)
3 – 4 tsp. black peppercorns
24 bay leaves, broken up
14 cinnamon sticks, broken up (a mortar and pestle works well for this)
blend the mixture in a bowl and pour into a quart jar to store.
to use, add 1 Tbsp. chai mix per cup water. simmer for 5 minutes then let steep for another 15 minutes.
add 1 Tbsp honey per cup and 2 Tbsp per cup of water. Stir, pour and serve!
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on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 6:34 am and is filed under herbal blog party.
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anyone a fan of the earth’s children series by jean m. auel? someone has compiled a list of all the herbs used in this series. pretty cool!
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on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 12:33 pm and is filed under herbs.
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i’ll be hosting november’s herbal blog party! the subject is morning beverages…be it coffee, mate, or some herbal concoction, we want to know all about your early (or late) morning beverage ritual. want to join in and share with us what gets you going in the morning? here’s how:
~write a post on your blog (or if you don’t have one, write a post up anyway and ask someone else to post it on your behalf)
~link to this post in that post
~submit a link to me by nov 1 (in the comments here or to me on facebook)
~come back nov 1 or later and read what everyone’s written!
ready?! grab your cuppa’ and get writing!
This entry was posted
on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 7:22 am and is filed under herbal blog party.
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 a literal medicine chest in a basket…i just harvested these today from the top going clockwise: honeysuckle flowers, wild cherry twigs, self heal, goldenrod and rosehips in the center.
this month’s blog party is being hosted by rosalee of methow valley herbs. head on over there and check out everyone’s postings that are participating!
it’s so easy to get caught up in the latest and greatest new exotic herbs that are being promoted that it’s hard to remember that sometimes, the best medicine is growing right in our own backyards! this blog party is a great reminder to run to our backyard instead of the nearest health food store to find our remedies. i am located in the midwest, near st. louis but most of these herbs can be found across the country.
first, remember the golden rule of health: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! i’ve written a post about what can be done to prevent the flu at not dabbling in normal.
 beautiful solidago
one of my new favorite herbs that i’ve been dancing with this year is goldenrod (solidago spp.). i’ve tinctured him and admired him for several years but i’ve never tried him out until this late summer. and boy, am i glad i did! i was experiencing a headache that was created from sinus pressure and a voice kept whispering to me ‘goldenrod.’ after trying to ignore both the headache, sinuses and voice for 2 days, i decided to break out goldenrod and give him a try. and kicked myself for being a stubborn taurus herbalist and waited so long to try him out. the headache disappeared within a few hours of dosing (1 dropperful about every 30 minutes or so) and though it came back, it was less intense and as i continued taking goldenrod, the stuffy sinuses were gone and with them, the headache, all by the end of the day. goldenrod is astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory, making him an excellent choice for colds and flus. taken as a hot infusion, he will help you sweat out a fever. taken as a cold infusion (meaning after infusing the herb in hot water, let the infusion cool down) he acts as a diuretic and will flush out the kidneys and liver. to test any goldenrod found growing in your landscape, break a leaf off and chew. if he’s bitter and drying, you’ve got an excellent medicinal herb growing in your backyard! harvest his flowering tops and leaves when the flowers just start to bloom and tincture immediately. you can also dry goldenrod. make sure that the flowers have not opened yet or he’ll set seed in your drying room!
 sambucus
another terrific flu time herb is elderberry! i cannot rave enough about this wonderful elder of ours. both sambucus nigra and sambucus canadensis are found in my area and both are equally useful. elderberry is prophylactic against flus and colds which means if you take her daily, she can help prevent you from getting sick. she also has antiviral properties which will be helpful for lessening the duration and severity of the flu. she’s also full of vitamin c! elderberry is the first thing i reach for when my kids are getting the sniffles. richo cech’s making plant medicine book is an excellent resource for making herbal remedies and he suggests making a glycerin tincture of dried elderberries to be the best choice for tincturing elderberries. this makes a delicious tincture that kids will readily take. don’t forget elderberry syrup though. this medicine is easy to make and delicious to take. she can be taken daily by the teaspoonful or even used to flavor french toast, pancakes and waffles or even drizzled over some homemade vanilla ice cream! yum!!
to make a syrup, gently heat 2 cups of fresh elderberries with 2 cups of water. when it hits boiling, turn off the heat and mash the berries. cover and allow to infuse for about an hour. strain off the berries and add 2 cups of honey to the liquid and warm on the stove until the honey is thin enough to mix together. stir and pour into a bottle. label and keep refrigerated. to help preserve longer, you can add a bit of brandy (about 1/4 c.) and shake.
elderberry also contains diaphoretic and diuretic qualities. elderberry is also an expectorant, helping to relieve lung congestion.
elderflower is also a wonderful cold and flu herb to have on hand. the flowers of elder contain most of the same properties as the berries.
for treating coughs, i like to make a cough syrup or cough drop from our wild cherry bark. he is delicious and relaxing, helping to ease coughing spasms. among other things, wild cherry bark is analgesic and antibacterial which can help ease the painful chest congestion and help prevent a secondary bacterial infection from setting in. if i’m out of the syrup, i will often snip a few twigs from the tree and decoct them for about 10-20 minutes to make a quick cherry bark drink. sweetened with a dab of our raw honey, they will drink it down fairly quickly!
other herbs that grow around us that are helpful for treating colds and flus are bergamot (monarda fistulosa), st. john’s wort and lobelia. lobelia i tend to be cautious with as it is a low dose botanical but bergamot makes a delightful tea that i enjoy immensely as a beverage and has great carminative, diaphoretic, diurectic and antibacterial actions. use of bergamot dates back to native americans who used her for treating bronchial ailments, sore throats, fever and headaches. any of the monarda species can be used but i prefer to use my wild bergamot that grows in my garden. i collected 1 seed head several years back and i now have three beautiful stands in my garden!
st. john’s wort is most often known for his use in treating depression but he has antiviral abilities as well. he is also astringent and expectorant making him great to treat lung congestion. i have not had much experience in using him but i have lots tinctured up and will be trying him out this winter if needed. while st. john’s wort grows wild around here, my tiny wild patch was choked out by honeysuckle last year and is slowly reemerging in another part of the woods so i’m using my cultivated st. john’s wort which makes a lovely blood red oil and tincture. in the future, i hope to be able to use the wild st. john’s wort since i truly believe wild is stronger than cultivated.
honeysuckle, the bane of master naturalists everywhere, is used a lot in chinese medicine and is great for stimulating circulation and removing inflammation. in traditional chinese medicine, she is used for clearing heat and removing toxicity. she is excellent for treating ‘hot’ sore throats and modern laboratory research has proven she has antibacterial qualities. it’s best to harvest the flowers before they open and are great dried (for teas), tinctured or even honeyed or made into a syrup.
rose hips are high in vitamin c which is great to take to help fight off colds and flus and they are also antiviral. a rose hip elixir is a great way to get kids to take their medicine! a great preventative and a great curative as well.
 prunella
and finally, self heal/all heal, prunella. i wrote all about her on a previous blog party (see my list of resources below for the link)so i won’t go into much detail here. she has an amazingly long list of actions: alterative, antimicrobial, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, antipyretic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, carminative, diuretic, febrifuge, hypotensive, stomachic, styptic, tonic, vermifuge and vulnerary! as a preventative or treatment, she will work great. make her into a tea or use in tincture form.
some resources and more information:
for more information on goldenrod:
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/goldenrod-000251.htm
for a great list of all the elders available around the world try this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus
trying to identify elderberry? read my recent post on herbal roots zine:
http://herbalrootszine.blogspot.com/2009/09/elderberry-identification-clarification.html
want to teach your kids more about elderberry? last month’s issue of herbal roots zine was on elderberry:
http://herbalrootszine.blogspot.com/2009/08/herbal-roots-zine-september-2009.html
for more about honeysuckle:
http://www.botanical.com/products/learn/h/honeysuckle_flowers.html
more information on wild rose petals and hips elixir:
http://medicinewomantradition.org/pantry.html#Wild%20Rose%20Elixir
my blog party post on self heal:
http://fieldoftansy.blogspot.com/2009/06/july-blog-party-weeds-of-summer.html
This entry was posted
on Thursday, October 1st, 2009 at 9:04 am and is filed under flu prevention and preparation, herbal blog party.
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there’s been a lot of talk about the swine flu and how to prepare it lately online. a lot of scary talk, from mandatory vaccines (which incidentally, the manufacturers have just had a law passed on their behalf which holds them unresponsible for any side affects that might occur from said vaccination) to quarantines and more.
many people are wondering what to do to prepare for the flu, to help prevent it, how to lessen the severity and duration and how to avoid the secondary bacterial infections that can occur from complications of it. i hope to be able to touch on all these things and give you a starting point for feeling confident in preventing and/or treating any cases of the flu that might come into your home. today i’ll cover what to do to prevent the flu from entering your home.
first of all, to vaccinate or not? honestly, that is a personal decision that you alone have to decide. i can tell you that research has proven that the flu vaccination (for any flu, not just the swine flu) will NOT prevent the flu. it will only lessen the duration of the flu by 1-2 days and lessen the severity of it. also, the vaccination needs to be taken at least 10 days before the flu is contracted to be effective. herbalist michael tierra recommends taking homeopathic thuja occidentalis 30x starting 2 days after vaccinating for 3 days, 3 times a day, with a dosage of 10-20 drops for liquid or 4-5 for pellets. he recommends taking this for prevention and to treat reactions, including guillain-barre syndrome (which is one of the side effects of the swine flu vaccine).
whether or not you decide to vaccinate, there are precautions you can take to avoid the flu. one of the most obvious is hygiene. frequent hand washing is a must. watching what you touch in public, possibly bringing along your own alcohol wipes to wipe off shopping carts and your hands is a great idea. most public places offer handy wipes and while i generally wouldn’t use them, for this time of year, it’s a smart choice.
~as an aside, if you do get the flu and your doctor recommends tamiflu, please be aware it is only helpful if taken in the first 1-2 days of contracting the flu and will not ‘cure’ you of the flu but only lessen the duration and severity….see a pattern here?!~
getting large dosages of vitamin d3 to keep our vit d levels up has been proven effective for preventing the flu. the problem with us folks in the northern hemisphere is that no matter how much time we spend outdoors this time of year, we are not going to get the necessary amounts of vitamin d into our system because the angle of the sun/earth will not allow it which causes many people to become vitamin d deficient in the winter months. paul bergner recommends going to a tanning booth 3 times a week for 20 minutes, using a tanning bed with uvb rays. (if you go this route, make sure you specify you want a uvb bed as most beds are calibrated for uva). this is too short of a time to get sunburn or cancer is the most natural way to get vitamin d3 this time of year (funny, i never thought i’d recommend a tanning bed as ‘natural’ but here ya go!). another way to get vitamin d3 is to take 4-5000 iu a day. there has also been some suggestion of eating sun-dried mushrooms which contain vitamin d2, another useful form of vitamin d that could also be effective. a third way of getting enough vitamin d would be to visit south florida or mexico during the winter and hang outside between 11-1, exposing as much as your body as possible (your face does not absorb enough vitamin d on its own).
diet plays a large role in remaining healthy as well. avoiding the usual recommendations of processed and refined foods, eating lots of dark, leafy greens, drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day all have their merit. cooking bone broths and using them for daily cooking in place of water (for rice, beans, soups, etc) are another great way to get lots of valuable nutrients. adding 4-6 ’sticks’ of astragalus roots to a soup/broth once a week will give your entire family a huge immune supporting and building herbal treatment without them even knowing it. garlic is another great herb to try to consume daily. rosemary gladstar has a great recipe for pickled garlic. unfortunately, it takes 12 weeks to completely process but it’s great to have on hand any time of the year! here’s my version of it:
peel as many cloves of garlic as you’d like. i generally fill 1 quart jar full of them. try not to nick the cloves as they will become discolored. fill the jar full of either tamari or apple cider vinegar. i usually make 1 jar of each because they both are tasty! label and set aside for 6 weeks. after 6 weeks, strain off half of the tamari or vinegar and top the jar back off with raw honey. shake well to mix and then set aside for 6 more weeks. now it’s ready to consume! eat a couple a day to keep the germs away! these make tasty gifts as well. if you start a batch today, they will be ready on december 17! just in time to give away to family and friends for the holidays and possibly even enough time to save yourself from the flu season (jan – mar is typically the hardest hit time).
exercising daily is important as it keeps the blood from getting stagnant. exercising outdoors is preferable so that your lungs can breathe in fresh air. something as simple as stretching or yoga every day is the perfect way to begin your day, especially if done outside. it’s an invigorating and wonderful way to start the day!
other important factors are adequate sleep, lowering stress levels and having a happy outlook on life.
one final factor is using herbs to help prevent the flu from arriving on your doorstep. i’ve already mentioned using garlic and astragalus in your daily/weekly cooking. burdock is another great nourishing root that is quite delicious when cooked right! here’s a great recipe to try it out:
Burdock-n-Wild Rice
2 cups sliced Burdock root (about 4-5 medium-sized roots)
5 or 6 Wild Leeks (can substitute 6-8 cloves garlic)
2 Tbsp olive oil
Thai peanut Sauce* (find at a local co-op or ethnic food section of grocery store)
1 cup wild rice, uncooked
Cover washed and sliced fresh burdock roots in 2 cups water with ½ tsp baking soda. Bring to a boil, pour off the water. Cover with fresh water and boil gently until burdock is very tender, about 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly, put into a skillet. (Note: cast iron may discolor the burdock root)
Add chopped leeks or garlic. Sauté in 2 Tbsp olive oil for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile cook wild rice in 2 cups water, 20-30 minutes. Mix sautéed burdock with cooked rice. Add ½ cup Thai peanut sauce. Serve hot or cold.
*Can substitute any favorite stir-fry sauce for the Thai peanut sauce
burdock root can be found growing all over the place or in your local asian grocer. it is also known as gobo.you can add some chopped root to any soup base. just be sure to follow this method before adding to stocks or soups to make it palatable:
cover washed and sliced fresh burdock roots in 2 cups water with ½ tsp baking soda. bring to a boil, pour off the water. cover with fresh water and boil gently until burdock is very tender, about 10 minutes.
elderberry is another great herb to take that has shown to be prophylactic for the flu. unlike echinacea which should only be taken for a short period of time, elderberry can be taken daily for long periods of time. it’s great as a tincture (glycerin is actually best because it draws out the constituents better than alcohol), syrup or elixir. taking a ‘touch of the recipe’ as the ballwin sisters were known to do on occasion on the waltons, is actually a wise choice for this time of the year, especially when elderberry is involved!
echinacea can be taken as well but i’m backing down on recommending this because of conflicting information about the ‘cytokine storms’ inhibition. i think early on, it is great to help as a preventative but once the flu hits, i would stop use immediately. since this post is already so long, i will not go into detail about this subject but if you are interested in learning more, you can google cytokine storms and echinacea to get more details.
all these factors boil down to having a better chance of avoiding the flu or lessening the duration and severity of it. if you are stricken with the flu, don’t panic, for most of us, a few days in bed, lots of nourishing bone broths and/or miso, herbal teas (think antivirals such as lemon balm, peppermint, licorice, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, boneset, chamomile and st. john’s wort) to help support the body without wildly stimulating the immune system and lots of ginger, garlic, elderberry and astragalus will be the key to a quick recovery and lack of secondary bacterial infections.
next month, i’ll go more in depth on what to do while you have the flu.
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on Thursday, September 24th, 2009 at 10:29 am and is filed under flu prevention and preparation.
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a lot of people become intimidated when it comes to herbs because they don’t know where to start. most are familiar with the more commonly used ones such as echinacea and st. john’s wort but what a lot of people don’t realize is that they have a whole arsenal of medicinal herbs in their spice cabinet: garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, fennel, dill and anise seeds, lemons and turmeric are a great start. pull out some salt, vinegar, olive oil and honey (raw) from your cabinet and you’ve got the makings of a first aid kit worthy of treating winter ailments! throw in some vodka or brandy and you can make a full spectrum of herbal remedies.
garlic: natural antibiotic, broad spectrum which body/germs don’t build a resistance to allowing it to be used over and over again. useful for helping to fight off bacterial infections, earaches and other wintertime ailments such as strep throat. can help to reduce span of illness. best raw (but take in small doses as it can irritate in large). can be heated in oil to make eardrops or infused in honey and eaten to help with sore throats, etc. tinctured in brandy or vodka, it can be taken as needed (15-30 drops at a time depending on body size) to help.
to use in oil: crush garlic cloves, place in double boiler with olive oil and gently warm for 2 hours. strain and add a few drops in both ears to treat earaches and infections.
to use in honey: crush garlic cloves, place in mason jar of preferred size and fill with raw honey. allow to steep for at least 1 month. eat a spoonful as needed. the cloves can be eaten too.
rosemary: rosemary essential oil has been tested for use in effective against colon, breast and lung cancer with promising results. it is an antiseptic and is great in tea form. it can smooth the muscles of the digestive tract, helping to calm stomach cramps as well as menstrual cramps. as an infusion, it relieves digestive problems, relieves cold symptoms, and helps as an expectorant.
thyme: great for the respiratory system. thyme is excellent for coughs and sore throats. it has antiseptic and anti-fungal properties. it can be used externally as a wash to cleanse wounds. it makes a pleasant tasting tea and is helpful for bronchitis and whooping cough/pertussis. when our family was going through whooping cough this summer, a tea containing thyme was drank in copious amounts to help.
sage: a sage/salt water gargle for sore throats. it is also known as a diaphoretic which means it will increase perspiration. use with caution if breastfeeding as it can decrease the milk production (helpful if mama needs help with adjusting her milk flow though).
fennel, dill and anise seeds: great for digestive problems. seeds can be chewed before and after meals to help settle the stomach. a tea can be made and drank during meals to help with digestion as well.
lemons: an excellent form of vitamin c. a drink made from 1/2 lemon, 1 tablespoon of honey and 8 oz. of hot water helps to soothe a sore throat. when lots of mucus is present, oranges should not be eaten because they can increase the amount of mucus in the body. lemons provide a great source of vitamin c w/o increasing the mucus.
turmeric: excellent when used in a honey paste for sore throats.
turmeric/honey paste: mix equal amounts of honey and turmeric well and eat. i start with 1 teaspoon of each. after about 3 doses (usually taken w/in an hour) i have always had much relief. this is the first thing i reach for when my throat feels scratchy.
salt: add to water or herbal infusion to make a gargle for sore throats. heat in a pan on the stove and place in a handkerchief (tie opposite corners together tightly to keep salt from leaking out) and place on aching ear for extra soothing power when using garlic oil drops.
vinegar: herbs can be infused in vinegar and added to salads to help with calcium absorption. any herb can be used to increase health benefits as needed.
olive oil: infuse herbs by crushing herbs and adding with olive oil in a double boiler and slowly infusing over low heat for a few hours (or placing in a mason jar and setting in the sun for 2 or 3 weeks). oil can be used as a massage oil to relieve muscle cramps, rubbed on the stomach to relieve stomach cramps, ear drops to relieve ear aches, ear infections and swimmer’s ear (infused with garlic or onions) or combined with beeswax to make a salve.
honey: honey in itself has terrific medicinal powers. infusing herbs in it can make herbal medicine yummy, especially for little ones who aren’t so crazy about herbs. it can be made into a syrup by combining 1 part herbal infusion to 2 parts honey, warming briefly on the stove to combine and bottled. add 1/2 part brandy to help preserve and store in the refridgerator. pastes can be made by adding equal parts of honey and powdered herbs. adding more herb can make a dough that can be rolled into balls and and dried.
these are just a brief synopsis of herbs that you can find in your kitchen that can help with ailments. try googling some herbs in your cabinet by typing the word ‘medicinal’ and the herb to see what you can come up with. you will be amazed at what you can do with what you’ve got!
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on Thursday, August 27th, 2009 at 10:31 am and is filed under Uncategorized.
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this month’s blog party is hosted by kiva over at bear medicine herbals. swing by her place and see all the wonderful submissions this month has to offer!
herbal syrups are one of my favorite things to make. they are so delicious and versatile…you can use them on pancakes, on ice cream, on cake, biscuits or toast or you can take them straight or make them into soda! who wouldn’t like to take their medicine in one of those forms?
my favorite syrup flavors are cherry, elderberry and ginger. all three are great to have on hand and can be stored in the fridge for a month or two, allowing you to make some medicine ahead of time to have on hand for the upcoming cold and flu season.
cherry is great for taming coughs and scratchy throats. it soothes and sedates the nerves that trigger the cough reflex, helping to soothe in that manner. it’s best used in persistent, irritating coughs when you don’t want to increase expectoration such as whooping cough and bronchitis. it has also been mixed with other herbs to treat asthma. wild cherry can also be used in treating sluggish digestion.
elderberry, is specific for treating colds and influenza. both the flowers and the berries have similar properties but for syrup making purposes, i stick with the berries. elderberry relieves lung congestion, can help with cases of pneumonia and has anti-inflammatory actions which makes it wonderful for treating arthritis. being rich in vitamin c, elderberry has been considered a prophylactic against winter colds which means taking a daily dose is not only a delicious thing, it’s a healthy thing!
ginger is warming and stimulating. it’s great for treating nausea, upset stomachs, morning sickness, colic and many other gastro intestinal upsets. it is also soothing to a sore throat.
all three make delicious soda, so you need not be sick to enjoy them! simply add about 2 oz of syrup per 8 oz of seltzer water, stir and enjoy!
to make the syrup, i start with about 2 cups of the fresh herb and 2 cups of water. for the cherry and ginger, i bring to a boil, simmer 10 minutes then cover and steep for an hour. with elderberries, i bring to a boil, turn off, mash the berries, cover and steep for an hour.
after the hour is up, strain off the herbs and compost them (ginger may be reused once or twice. simply freeze and thaw when needed). add 2 cups of locally raised honey to the infusion and gently heat to thin the honey enough. stir together and cool. store in a bottle in the fridge and it will last about 2 months (of course, in our house, it never stays around that long!).
take a teaspoon at a time, serve over pancakes, waffles or ice cream, or turn into a delicious soda! a sweet way to take your medicine.
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on Friday, July 31st, 2009 at 9:57 pm and is filed under herbal blog party, syrups.
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ll sorts of beauty products can be made at home for a fraction of the cost. shampoo, conditioner, lotion, hot oil packs, facial packs, body packs, body scrubs, body salts, creams, bath bombs, toner and more. last month, i gave a recipe for a simple soda bath. there are lots of easy recipes that combine only one or two ingredients. in fact, popular face masks include simply mashing avocados or cooking oatmeal and applying them to your face. or even simpler, smear honey on your face, let it sit for 15 minutes then wash off with warm water while gently massaging your face with your fingertips.
bath salts can be as simple as mixing equal parts of baking soda and sea salt with a few drops of essential oil of choice. massage oils and hot oil packs for hair are made the same way any infused oil would be made.
lotions can be one of the more complicated products to make. it’s similar to making mayonnaise, combining ingredients together that don’t normally mix well. in the case of lotion, it is water and oil. a great recipe to try is rosemary gladstar’s “rosemary’s perfect cream”. a copy of the recipe can be found online at recipenet. this recipe is made in the blender but a stick blender could be used as well.
there are dozens of books available on the topic of bath and beauty using herbs. some of my favorites include:
earth mother herbal by shatoiya de la tour
earthly bodies and heavenly hair: natural and healthy personal care for every bodyby dina falconi
the bath and body book: creating a personal oasis with natural fragrances, scented lotions and decorative effects by stephanie donaldson
the herbal body book: a natural approach to healthier hair, skin and nails by stephanie tourles
i highly recommend requesting books through your library loan system to look through and try out before purchasing. make sure the recipes are easy to follow and the ingredient lists aren’t too extravagant. try making a few of the recipes to see if you like how they are made and how well the end results are.
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on Thursday, July 23rd, 2009 at 10:31 am and is filed under Uncategorized.
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It’s time again! The next blog party, graciously hosted by Kiva Rose at Bear Medicine Herbals is going to be on cordials, elixirs, and other yummilicious ways of preserving the summer herb harvest (I think this can include herbal honeys, meads, ferments, jams etc as well).
Submit your posts to Kiva by July 31 for an Aug 1 party date! Happy elixir making!
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on Tuesday, July 14th, 2009 at 6:36 am and is filed under herbal blog party.
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taking a break from working on herbal roots to write for this month’s theme for herbal blog party which is the weeds of summer, weeds we love to love and that others love to hate which is being hosted by darcy blue of gaia’s gifts. you can go over to her blog for a list of blogs that are participating in this month’s party!
there are so many great weeds to choose from, i had a hard time focusing on one! i started to write about my top 6 favorite weeds: plantain, dandelion, burdock, nettles, red clover and self heal but when i started writing about self heal, i realized, this was the herb i needed to tell you about because all the other herbs have been covered a lot already while self heal is left out in the cold!
i thought i had a picture of it in bloom, but i haven’t been able to find it. self heal doesn’t bloom until mid july so i still have a few weeks before i can capture her in bloom.
 self heal, or heal all, prunella vulgaris, is a sweet timid herb i find growing at the back of our property. i dug up a bunch and moved it into my herb garden so i could watch her cycle of life more closely. self heal is in the mint family, so those of you growing mint knows what a ‘weed’ she can be! self heal is great to have around, just look at her long list of actions: alterative, antimicrobial, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, antipyretic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, carminative, diuretic, febrifuge, hypotensive, stomachic, styptic, tonic, vermifuge and vulnerary! it’s like having a built in first aid kit all in one plant. pretty amazing. what does all that mean? essentially, this means self heal can be used to treat all sorts of viruses and bacteria, kills germs, lower fevers without normally lowering body temperature, relieve spasms, drying, help upset stomachs, flush out the bladder and kidneys, lower blood pressure, tone, worm and stop bleeding.
self heal is effective for most internal ailments and also good for external wounds. studies have been done on an extract of the plant being used to inhibit HIV virus as well as showing promise in treating herpes, cancer, AIDS, diabetes and many other maladies. clinical studies have shown it to have an antibacterial action which inhibits the growth of pseudomonas, bacillus typhi, e. coli and mycobacterium tuberculi. traditionally, self heal has been used as an alternative medicine internally and externally as an antibiotic and for hard to heal wounds and diseases.
as an infusion, self heal works wonders for treating fevers, diarrhea, sore mouth and throat, internall bleeding and weaknessness of the liver and heart. the tea is very pleasant tasting which makes it easy to give to children as well.
this little herb which i’m just getting to know is definitely a keeper in my book!
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on Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 at 3:28 pm and is filed under herbal blog party, self heal.
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Herbs have been popping up on shelves everywhere, and not just for cooking. Lately, they have become more popular for treating illnesses and health problems and because they work so well without all the harsh side effects that can be obtained from their chemical cousins, it is easy to see why.
Another aisle that herbs are gaining popularity is the Beauty Aisle. When so many reports of the alarming side effects mainstream products can cause, it is reassuring to know that herbs can be both beneficial and safe to use on a daily basis on our skin.
Herbs come in all forms for beauty: essential oils, salves, lotions, oils, splashes, bath salts, bath teas, powders, lip balms and eye pillows are the most common. Here are a few herbs that might be found in such products:
Lavender: Helpful with acne, abscesses, allergies, athlete’s foot, dandruff, dermatitis, earache, eczema, insect bites and stings, scabies, sores, spots, sunburn and wounds. Use as a compress, a few drops in cleanser/moisturizer/toner or as a facial steam. May be applied directly to affected area (suggested to use a carrier oil such as jojoba or sesame as it helps to spread oil further as little is needed).
Patchouli: It is effective for fungal and bacterial infection, insect bites, an insect repellant, has a great deodorizing action, assists with wound healing, a tissue regenerator which helps to stimulate the growth of new skin cells and in wound healing it not only promotes faster healing, but also helps to prevent ugly scarring when the wound heals. Also effective to sort out rough, cracked and overly dehydrated skin and is used to treat acne, acne, eczema, sores, ulcers, any fungal infections as well as scalp disorders.
Peppermint: What a great energizing herb this one is! It’s a natural remedy for aches, pains and itches. The Food and Drug Administration has accepted Menthol as an effective topical treatment for pain and stiffness of joints and muscles. The oil cools the itch because it increases blood flow to the skin to reduce pain and discomfort. Peppermint can also invigorate the senses. Research in England has proved that peppermint successfully reduced daytime sleepiness. Look for peppermint in lip balms, foot salves, soaps and shampoos.
Rose Geranium: Helpful to all skin types but especially dry skin. Add a few drops to boiling water for a facial steam, add a few drops to your moisturizer for face and body. This herb is also excellent for relaxing and calming the mind.
Rosemary: Strong antiseptic. May be added sparingly to cleanser for use with oily skin to treat acne, greasy skin. Add a few drops to a tablespoon of jojoba oil and apply to scalp to help clear scalp and promote hair growth.
These are just a small sampling of herbs that can be found in beauty products. All of these herbs in essential oil form can be added to the bath for a treat and healing beauty bath. Try this simple recipe:
Aromatherapy Soda Bath
Baking soda softens the bathwater and helps to soften and smooth the skin. It also has an alkalizing and deodorizing effect. Essential oils increase the therapeutic action.
1 cup baking soda
20 drops essential oil (choose according to your personal need)
Place baking soda in a glass jar and add the essential oil drop by drop, stirring them in well. Tighten the lid and shake well. Add ¼ cup per bath.
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on Saturday, June 27th, 2009 at 10:33 am and is filed under Uncategorized.
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