Yesterday it was dandelion, today its chicory root. My body is telling me that it needs tonic (or blood strengthening herbs), of which these are both. This herb/root supports liver function, increases the secretion of bile from the gall bladder (aiding digestion), helps stabilize bloood sugar, is rich in beta-carotene, and is calms rapid heartbeat.. no wonder it is good for balancing the stimlulating effects of coffee. It is also a diuretic, anti-inflammatory (decreases swelling & inflammation), antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant & laxative. I've definitely been feeling a lot of stress lately, and these herbs that support the liver definitely suit the purpose.
Contains:
Highly concentrated levels of inulin (a soluble fiber that feeds digestive flora in the intestines)
Polyphenol (good for cardiovascular system and inflammation)
Chicory root tea is really good. It just tastes really good. It doesn't need to be sweetened at all, and has a grounding, and stablizing effect. If you feel like your thoughts are all over the place, and you can't seem to calm yourself down, chicory root tea is amazing. Plus, aside from calming me down (most likely due to its effect of balancing out the stimulating effects of caffeine - I drank too much coffee today), due to its functional uses supporting an array of vital body functions and organs, its a super tea to drink daily. You make this tea as a decoction: Add a tsp of chicory root to a cup or two of boiling water, reduce to a low simmer, leave for 15 minutes, let steep for 15 minutes or more.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Regional Herb of the Week: Chapparal. Southwestern Herb Series
6/15/13
Chapparal: Herbs of the Southwest Series
Since I've been in New Mexico, I've heard names of herbs that I was previously unfamiliar with. This has been happening, on occasion, and since I consider msyelf to be pretty knowledgeable about herbs, it throws me for a loop when it does. I shortly discovered that the reason for this has to do with the regional plant life here. Certain herbs, that grow in this region, are well known here. And widely used in this area. But outside of the Southwest US, they just don't get the same hype. Understandable. A few such herbs are chaparral, which seemed to be a plant known to all of my peers who live in these parts, and which posed a big question mark in my head... Osha, and a few others. But I'm going to start with Chaparral. For several reasons: 1. We harvested it on our field trip to Truth Or Consequences, so I have a bag of dried chaparral from that trip. 2. They sell a salve of it (just pure chaparral) at the school store, which means, it must be a good one (and commonly known & used, as I observed), 3. When I was in the store, a man came in and said he used it in combination with pine sap & a cyst beneath his skin that had been bothering him for years on and off, just came right out of his skin and never pestered him again (testimony to its efficacy). 4. everyone knows what this herb is but me. 5. I like the name of it. Chaparral, kind of pretty, though I can never seem to remember it off of the top of my head. So here goes:
It is anti-microbial. So, good for preventing or thwarting skin infections. Useful as topical antibiotic.
Helps impaired liver metabolism, symptoms of which would be dry skin, brittle hair & nails, cracks in the feet or hands, trouble digesting oils
Counteracts liver and lung damage to the system by free radicals.
Combined with milk thistle, strenthens the liver.
Alleviates:
joint pain
allergies
autoimmune diseases
PMS
It has been claimed to fight cancer however tests have shown to be inconclusive (some even showing stimulation of cancer cells... )
*The taste of chapparal is known to be intolerable, so it is not recommended to use it in tea form. If you want to use it internally, a tincture is the recommended form.
Chapparal: Herbs of the Southwest Series
Since I've been in New Mexico, I've heard names of herbs that I was previously unfamiliar with. This has been happening, on occasion, and since I consider msyelf to be pretty knowledgeable about herbs, it throws me for a loop when it does. I shortly discovered that the reason for this has to do with the regional plant life here. Certain herbs, that grow in this region, are well known here. And widely used in this area. But outside of the Southwest US, they just don't get the same hype. Understandable. A few such herbs are chaparral, which seemed to be a plant known to all of my peers who live in these parts, and which posed a big question mark in my head... Osha, and a few others. But I'm going to start with Chaparral. For several reasons: 1. We harvested it on our field trip to Truth Or Consequences, so I have a bag of dried chaparral from that trip. 2. They sell a salve of it (just pure chaparral) at the school store, which means, it must be a good one (and commonly known & used, as I observed), 3. When I was in the store, a man came in and said he used it in combination with pine sap & a cyst beneath his skin that had been bothering him for years on and off, just came right out of his skin and never pestered him again (testimony to its efficacy). 4. everyone knows what this herb is but me. 5. I like the name of it. Chaparral, kind of pretty, though I can never seem to remember it off of the top of my head. So here goes:
It is anti-microbial. So, good for preventing or thwarting skin infections. Useful as topical antibiotic.
Helps impaired liver metabolism, symptoms of which would be dry skin, brittle hair & nails, cracks in the feet or hands, trouble digesting oils
Counteracts liver and lung damage to the system by free radicals.
Combined with milk thistle, strenthens the liver.
Alleviates:
joint pain
allergies
autoimmune diseases
PMS
It has been claimed to fight cancer however tests have shown to be inconclusive (some even showing stimulation of cancer cells... )
*The taste of chapparal is known to be intolerable, so it is not recommended to use it in tea form. If you want to use it internally, a tincture is the recommended form.
How to Sneak Iron Into Your Diet & Like It
If you are like me, you tend towards the anemia, which is just plaintly put, a low amount of iron in your blood. This can cause fatigue and easy bruising, and can also make it so that you just get hurt more easily. Iron fortifies the blood, among other things, and is necessary for a balanced diet, and a healthy internal environment. I don't eat white rice much, or several other sources of iron that would balance the situation out a bit, such as nuts, beans, liver, sardines, or red meat. I do eat leafy greens, but not enough to make up for everything else that I don't eat. So, when my body calls for iron, I have some time saving techniques, which don't require much preparation, or the swallowing of big iron pills, which will give you a really bad stomach and/or headache, and are just plain gross in my opinion. Anyways its always better to get your nutrients from food than from pills, or vitamin supplements. Your body absorbs them better, and plus, its just a better way to get your vitamins. I personally don't like swallowing horse pills, or those hard chalky vitamins.
Today I am incorporating iron into my drink, by using molasses to sweeten it. Not everybody likes molasses, so much like kale, which is a food most people don't enjoy unless prepared in a way that makes it more palatable, you have to mix it with ingredients that balance it out. Then it becomes both nutritous and enjoyable. Molasses is extremely high in iron, and a small dose of it can be very effective. Because I enjoy lime juice coolers, I tend to make several variations of it depending on how i'm feeling that particular day and what my body is calling for.
Today's Lime Cooler with Molasses & Ginger:
1/4 cup of lime juice (my favorite store bought brand is Santa Cruz Organic Pure Lime Juice)
2 tbsp molasses (my favorite brand is Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Molasses)
5-10 drops of ginger tincture
1 quart of water
Molasses is high in calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron, so it has a great mix of things your body needs to function at its optimum capacity.
The lime juice balances out the intense flavor of the molasses, which can be a bit hard to swallow on it's own, since it's extremely pungant and goopy. And the ginger lightens up the whole blend, making it an exceptionally good drink both for your taste buds, for hydration (trace minerals calcium, potassium, selenium, iron & manganese contribute to and help the body's absorption of elecrolytes that help to hydrate the body as well), and for all around nutritional benefit. Molasses is rich in B vitamins, which are key to healthy neurological function. It also contains choline, which prevents the buildup of fats & cholesterol in the liver. Put in a plastic bottle, shake (or in a pitcher & mix), pour over ice & enjoy!
* Tip: Molasses doesn't blend easily with cold or room temperature liquids, so you may have to shake it to blend it well. Another option is to put it in a blender to ensure it's consistency. Using a spoon to stir may be a bit laborious, and the molasses can (and probably will) stick to the spoon (which isn't the end of the world, I'm just saying..). Drinking this daily is a great way to get the (iron, in particular for me) and other essential nutriets into your diet without too much worry.
Today I am incorporating iron into my drink, by using molasses to sweeten it. Not everybody likes molasses, so much like kale, which is a food most people don't enjoy unless prepared in a way that makes it more palatable, you have to mix it with ingredients that balance it out. Then it becomes both nutritous and enjoyable. Molasses is extremely high in iron, and a small dose of it can be very effective. Because I enjoy lime juice coolers, I tend to make several variations of it depending on how i'm feeling that particular day and what my body is calling for.
Today's Lime Cooler with Molasses & Ginger:
1/4 cup of lime juice (my favorite store bought brand is Santa Cruz Organic Pure Lime Juice)
2 tbsp molasses (my favorite brand is Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Molasses)
5-10 drops of ginger tincture
1 quart of water
Molasses is high in calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron, so it has a great mix of things your body needs to function at its optimum capacity.
The lime juice balances out the intense flavor of the molasses, which can be a bit hard to swallow on it's own, since it's extremely pungant and goopy. And the ginger lightens up the whole blend, making it an exceptionally good drink both for your taste buds, for hydration (trace minerals calcium, potassium, selenium, iron & manganese contribute to and help the body's absorption of elecrolytes that help to hydrate the body as well), and for all around nutritional benefit. Molasses is rich in B vitamins, which are key to healthy neurological function. It also contains choline, which prevents the buildup of fats & cholesterol in the liver. Put in a plastic bottle, shake (or in a pitcher & mix), pour over ice & enjoy!
* Tip: Molasses doesn't blend easily with cold or room temperature liquids, so you may have to shake it to blend it well. Another option is to put it in a blender to ensure it's consistency. Using a spoon to stir may be a bit laborious, and the molasses can (and probably will) stick to the spoon (which isn't the end of the world, I'm just saying..). Drinking this daily is a great way to get the (iron, in particular for me) and other essential nutriets into your diet without too much worry.
Finding Wild Lettuce in my Backyard. Nature's Opiate
6/14/13
This is not your everyday lettuce. No. You don't want to make a salad with this. Oh no. First of all, this sucker is a prickly little leaf. It has tiny needles all over the outside of the leaves and along the spine. It can seriously stab you if you grab it. Handle with care. There is another reason to handle with care, and this is that, this plant is known as "natures opium". I found out about this while researching herbs to use as muscle relaxants in the muscle salve I'm making for the chiropractor's office. This seemed to be the one. So i went on a mission to find it. Anything that says "opiate" in the description must be a pretty damned good muscle relaxer. So... I'm gonna add it, and kick those muscles butts. I had already found "natures aspirin", or wild willow bark the day previous, so I've got to get them both. I've got people in pain to help with arthritis, and other people in pain to help with severe muscle pain. The plan is to make their lives easier. I have high hopes for this herb.
Of course, some people would think to smoke this herb, which you can.. go ahead. Others, might want to make a tea with it. I might, some day, to try it out. But my plan is to add it to the muscle salve. I couldn't find the herb anywhere.
But then I went to school, and the owner of the shop at the school said they didn't have any there, but there just happened to be a big beautiful healthy plant growing in the front lawn. It took a bit of negotiating, but I managed to get some of the wild lettuce from the front yard at the school. That was super nice of him, and well, he's a super nice guy. He charged me $4, told me to make sure to dry it well before I soaked it in oil and off I went.
When I got back home and explained the situation to my roomie, he said he thought that this stuff grew wild around here. Not being the most focused on the botany aspect of herbalism (at least not for now) I had no clue. Figuring he had no idea what he was talking about, I shrugged it off, and planned to order some from an online distributor. But something interesting happened the next day. I had put the leaves in a paper bag on the windowsill hoping they would be dry by the morning. I woke up to find they were definitely not, and I wanted to get moving on the salve, so I tore open the bag, and put them outside in the scorching sun to dry. It wasn't windy, but I did know that I was taking a chance. If a gust of wind came through, the leaves would scatter all over the backyard, and I would be assed out. But I didn't care, i was totally focused on getting them dry to be smart about it. So.. I left them there to bake in the sun and waited in anticipation for them to get crispy. But then I started to make the tea for my next batch of kombucha.. and suddenly I remembered, oh boy, I'd better check on the wild lettuce.
They weren't there. The bag was nowhere to be seen. So I went on a scavenger hunt. AND GUESS WHAT I FOUND? I found that the plant was growing all over the backyard! And there are also a few little ones in the front yard! Not only does this plant "grow wild" around here... it grows wild in my yard. Wow! This is some pretty cool news. I had a nice lesson in botany.. I had to whip out the store bought wild lettuce and get intimate with the details to compare it to the plant that was growing in the backyard... and yep! wouldn't you know it! God only knows what my roomie will end up doing with all of this "nature's opium"... I may end up having to take him to rehab at some point, but for now, I'm just happy to have a resource like that in the backyard. Plus, its inspiring to learn about the local habitat here, and see how medicine can be growing in your own backyard and you might not even know it! Signing off for tonight. Sweet (non blue vervain induced) dreams.
Blue Vervain - The Morning After
Wow, I don't know what to say about that herb, but it is POWERFUL. First of all, it had a really strong laxative effect for me, which, I was not expecting, since it's not known for that. But definitely this herb made sure that whatever was in my stomach the day before, would be out promptly by the end of the day. That was unexpected. Also, i felt a bit groggy, although I'm not sure if it was the blue vervain or just the way I felt that day. I'm thinking its the blue vervain. It's a nervine, and those are interesting to try, because.. well, they can be mood altering. They are in the same family as prescription narcotics.. pharmaceudicals that are prescribed for sleep, anxiety, depression. Some nervines are also anti-depressants. Blue Vervain is used along with Scullcap for this purpose. Anyhow, lets just say that nervines can be quite an experience, and an experience this was.
Let's see. Blue Vervain is a:
Diuretic (increases the secretion and elimination of urine)
Nervine (Tones & strengthens nervous system by as a stimulant or sedative)
Sedative (Calms nervous system and reduces stress & nervousness throughout the body)
Digestive bitter (stimulates digestion)
Diaphoretic (promotes sweating & the elimination of toxins through the skin)
Lactagogue (stimulates the production of milk for nursing mothers)
Anti-Inflammatory (calms and relieves inflammation)
Anti-Spasmodic (calms spasms & cramps)
Mild Coagulant (controls bleeding; aids in the healthy clotting of blood)
Improves liver and gall bladder function
Stimulates the Uterus (post-childbirth, aids in healing & restoring to proper size & condition)
Astringent (contracts tissue to reduce secretions & discharges)
Alterative (known to be blood cleansers that restore proper function of the body, increasing vitality & overall health)
Anti-Depressant
Blue Vervain is good for:
*Stress
*Migraine
*Depression (best combined with oat, yellow lady's slipper & scullcap)
*Neuralgia
*Nervous Stomach (relaxes stomach muscles)
*Moderate stimulation of intestinal secretions (aha!)
*Jaundice
*Gall Bladder
*Insufficient Lactation
*Liver disorders
*Spleen
*Induces menstruation
*Promotes sweating
*Excess nausea & vomiting
*Externally for minor injuries, eczema, sores, abscesses)
*gum disease
*Urinary disorders
*Rheumatism
*Upper respiratory infection
*Asthma
*An ingredient in Recovery Tea, which woman can take post-childbirth to both support lactation and aid the uterus in contracting back to it's normal size. It also helps to heal the site where placenta was attached to the uterus and balances the hormones.
So, as it seems blue vervain pretty much can handle whatever the hell your problem is. Its one of those herbs that has too many uses, it makes your head spin (plus its hard to remember them all). All I know is that I felt like dog doo doo the day after I drank it. I feel like it threw me into a premature state of PMS, which makes sense, since it is used to induce menstruation. And since I have irregular periods anyway, G-d only knows what this stuff can do to my schedule. Wierder things have happened. I just started my last period around the first, but man, did these PMS symptoms start showing the day after I drank the herb. Especially the emotional/mental aspect of it. Let's just say I was ridiculously emotional, got extremely upset with my roommate for no reason that makes any rational sense to either of us, and then proceeded to throw a shitfit about it for the rest of the night and most of the next day. I don't know what is wrong with me, and maybe its just a coincidence. But I think I'm going to be staying away from the blue vervain unless I want to get kicked out of my apartment, and lose all of my friends. Other than that it was lovely. Okay, maybe I would use it in a sleep remedy or externally in a muscle relaxing formula. It's not totally useless.
Let's see. Blue Vervain is a:
Diuretic (increases the secretion and elimination of urine)
Nervine (Tones & strengthens nervous system by as a stimulant or sedative)
Sedative (Calms nervous system and reduces stress & nervousness throughout the body)
Digestive bitter (stimulates digestion)
Diaphoretic (promotes sweating & the elimination of toxins through the skin)
Lactagogue (stimulates the production of milk for nursing mothers)
Anti-Inflammatory (calms and relieves inflammation)
Anti-Spasmodic (calms spasms & cramps)
Mild Coagulant (controls bleeding; aids in the healthy clotting of blood)
Improves liver and gall bladder function
Stimulates the Uterus (post-childbirth, aids in healing & restoring to proper size & condition)
Astringent (contracts tissue to reduce secretions & discharges)
Alterative (known to be blood cleansers that restore proper function of the body, increasing vitality & overall health)
Anti-Depressant
Blue Vervain is good for:
*Stress
*Migraine
*Depression (best combined with oat, yellow lady's slipper & scullcap)
*Neuralgia
*Nervous Stomach (relaxes stomach muscles)
*Moderate stimulation of intestinal secretions (aha!)
*Jaundice
*Gall Bladder
*Insufficient Lactation
*Liver disorders
*Spleen
*Induces menstruation
*Promotes sweating
*Excess nausea & vomiting
*Externally for minor injuries, eczema, sores, abscesses)
*gum disease
*Urinary disorders
*Rheumatism
*Upper respiratory infection
*Asthma
*An ingredient in Recovery Tea, which woman can take post-childbirth to both support lactation and aid the uterus in contracting back to it's normal size. It also helps to heal the site where placenta was attached to the uterus and balances the hormones.
So, as it seems blue vervain pretty much can handle whatever the hell your problem is. Its one of those herbs that has too many uses, it makes your head spin (plus its hard to remember them all). All I know is that I felt like dog doo doo the day after I drank it. I feel like it threw me into a premature state of PMS, which makes sense, since it is used to induce menstruation. And since I have irregular periods anyway, G-d only knows what this stuff can do to my schedule. Wierder things have happened. I just started my last period around the first, but man, did these PMS symptoms start showing the day after I drank the herb. Especially the emotional/mental aspect of it. Let's just say I was ridiculously emotional, got extremely upset with my roommate for no reason that makes any rational sense to either of us, and then proceeded to throw a shitfit about it for the rest of the night and most of the next day. I don't know what is wrong with me, and maybe its just a coincidence. But I think I'm going to be staying away from the blue vervain unless I want to get kicked out of my apartment, and lose all of my friends. Other than that it was lovely. Okay, maybe I would use it in a sleep remedy or externally in a muscle relaxing formula. It's not totally useless.
Herb Journal: Blue Vervain
Made a tea of blue vervain. First an infusion, but it didn't draw much from the plant, so I added some more, leaves and stalks, and simmered it for 15 minutes. Then let it sit for a while. I forgot about it so it got cold. I came back to it a while later, better for that, the tea had been given a chance to infuse even longer than I had intended, and heated it up again. I forgot the way that it tasted when we sampled it in class. The last few teas I had been making were so incredibly mild by comparison. Horsetail & Nettles taste like variations of a weak green tea, and so my taste buds had a big surprise with my first sip of blue vervain. Now, there is vervain and blue vervain. We were given samples of both in class. I decided to try blue vervain. I'll have to later make a tea of the vervain to see what the differences are. This is a VERY bitter tea. Wow. So in that sense it's a digestive bitter, and a sialagogue. Sialogogues stimulate the secretion of saliva from the salivary glands, and wow, does drinking this tea. The good thing about sialagogues and digestive bitters (of which this classifies as one), is that it aids digestion and the production of bile in the liver, which are all good things for your body and for cleansing. It is quite drying, which is something I always seem to notice right away since this climate is incredibly dry to begin with. But the thing that I was looking forward to the most was to evaluate the nervine aspect of this herb. Now, since it's already practically 3 am, it's not the best time to decide whether its the tea that is making me sleepy or the fact that it's way past my bedtime. So I'll have to come back to that another time. I wanted to try out this herb as a tea since I was still thinking about what I am going to add to my muscle relaxing salve, and blue vervain is one of the nervines recommended to use externally (in a salve, for example) as a muscle relaxant. But it has a few contenders: kava kava, passionflower, and motherwort, all nervines that would have similar, but not the same influence on the muscles... so it's a comparison game right now. I'll have to see. I bought an ounce of blue vervain today just in case. If I don't use it for the muscle salve, I know I will definitely find other uses for it.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Cough Tea Miracle
6/14/12
So excited, my roomie came home today & told me that I have a new client. It is a patient of his, who has has a horrific deep bronchial cough for a long time now, and can't seem to kick it. He had brought the tea I made him to work, and heated some up, and offered it to her. She drank it, and as he told me, her cough miraculously "just stopped". He said she was really impressed, yes in those words. Wow! What a great feeling! So she wants to buy my cough tea formula. Oh My God!! Well, thank god I had documented the formula, since I throw together teas all of the time without writing down the herbs I put in them. I will be sure to document every tea from now on. So.. now I just have to figure out how to distribute the tea. This was ironically something my roomie & I had discussed yesterday. How to distribute the teas. So, I have two options as I see it. One is, I can use the muslin cloth tea bags I bought at The Organic Grocers and fill each one with enough tea for a cup, or I can give her a large bag filled with the loose tea and a tea infuser ball. He said she had been suffering on and off for years with this cough, and had even left New Mexico in the summertime because her allergies got so bad from the pollen that time of year.
For those who haven't read the dry cough tea post, this was the tea she had drank. It's:
1. Echinacea - it fights colds, flu & viruses, general antibiotic, immune system booster which helps combat allergies.
2. Oregon Grape - used in the place of Goldenseal oftentimes, as Goldenseal has become an "endangered herb", it is also immune boosting, virus fighting, antibiotic herb, helps combat allergies.
3. Licorice - mucilagenous herb (coats the throat, and pretty much anything it touches) and is good for bronchitial issues
4. Anise - Recommended for coughs
5. Mullein - good for upper resperatory infections and asthma
6. Black Cohosh - good for asthma
7. Plantain - mucilagenous herb, coats the throat
8. Ginger Root - good for circulation & anti-bacterial.
It's best to use an organic raw honey if possible to sweeten, since that coats your throat and has curative characteristics due to it's homeopathic constituents. Plainly put, it serves as a natural vaccine for several common outdoor allergies.
But if you don't have honey, no worries: This tea is incredibly sweet naturally due to the licorice and anise. It's good either way!
So excited, my roomie came home today & told me that I have a new client. It is a patient of his, who has has a horrific deep bronchial cough for a long time now, and can't seem to kick it. He had brought the tea I made him to work, and heated some up, and offered it to her. She drank it, and as he told me, her cough miraculously "just stopped". He said she was really impressed, yes in those words. Wow! What a great feeling! So she wants to buy my cough tea formula. Oh My God!! Well, thank god I had documented the formula, since I throw together teas all of the time without writing down the herbs I put in them. I will be sure to document every tea from now on. So.. now I just have to figure out how to distribute the tea. This was ironically something my roomie & I had discussed yesterday. How to distribute the teas. So, I have two options as I see it. One is, I can use the muslin cloth tea bags I bought at The Organic Grocers and fill each one with enough tea for a cup, or I can give her a large bag filled with the loose tea and a tea infuser ball. He said she had been suffering on and off for years with this cough, and had even left New Mexico in the summertime because her allergies got so bad from the pollen that time of year.
For those who haven't read the dry cough tea post, this was the tea she had drank. It's:
1. Echinacea - it fights colds, flu & viruses, general antibiotic, immune system booster which helps combat allergies.
2. Oregon Grape - used in the place of Goldenseal oftentimes, as Goldenseal has become an "endangered herb", it is also immune boosting, virus fighting, antibiotic herb, helps combat allergies.
3. Licorice - mucilagenous herb (coats the throat, and pretty much anything it touches) and is good for bronchitial issues
4. Anise - Recommended for coughs
5. Mullein - good for upper resperatory infections and asthma
6. Black Cohosh - good for asthma
7. Plantain - mucilagenous herb, coats the throat
8. Ginger Root - good for circulation & anti-bacterial.
It's best to use an organic raw honey if possible to sweeten, since that coats your throat and has curative characteristics due to it's homeopathic constituents. Plainly put, it serves as a natural vaccine for several common outdoor allergies.
But if you don't have honey, no worries: This tea is incredibly sweet naturally due to the licorice and anise. It's good either way!
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