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I Love Garlic | St. John's Wort | Liver Health | Dandelions Winter Immunity BASIC
NUTRITION As human beings, our main job is to eat and reproduce. Fortunately, we don’t have to reproduce every day; we do have to eat. So why is preparing and eating nutritious and delicious food near the bottom on our list of daily priorities? If you look at the shelves and shelves of books at Barnes & Noble just hollering about low fat, high carbs, no sugar, it is overwhelming. Here’s the bottom line: Eat a huge variety of foods that are organically grown, fresh, unrefined, and unprocessed. Foods to eliminate (do your best)
Eat ‘rainbow’ plants
Eat grains and beans
Eat good fats
Eat good proteins
Check out these books:
CHARACTERISTICS
OF NOURISHING TRADITIONAL DIET
ALCHEMY: I planned to write about the importance of bringing naturally fermented foods back into our diets, how we can ferment vegetables, fruits, legumes, dairy, meat, grains, and beverages – making them all healthier. All those bottles and jars in your refrigerator door can be replaced with wholesome, tasty, healthy olives, pickles, catsup, mayonnaise, mustard, sodas, and sauces. Fermented foods and drinks preserve foods, increase vitamin and mineral content, remove toxins, increase immunity, and contain digestive enzymes to restore a strong gut ecology, I was going to write about all this, but Sandor Katz’s book Wild Fermentation is delightful. Sally Fallon’s Introduction to his book is perfect. The process of fermenting foods – to preserve them and to make them more digestible and more nutritious – is as old as humanity. From the Tropics – where cassava is thrown into a hole in the ground to allow it to soften and sweeten – to the Arctic–where fish are customarily eaten “rotten” top the consistency of ice cream – fermented foods are valued for their health-giving properties and for their complex tastes. Unfortunately, fermented foods have largely disappeared from the Western diet, much to the detriment of our health and economy. Fermented foods are a powerful aid to digestion and a protection against disease. And because fermentation, is by nature, an artisanal process, the disappearance of fermented foods has hastened the centralization and industrialization of our food supply, to the detriment of small farms and local economies. The taste for fermented foods is usually an acquired taste. Few of us can imagine eating fermented tofu crawling with worms, which is relished in parts of Japan; or bubbly sorghum beer, smelling like the contents of your stomach, which is downed by the gallons in parts of Africa. But then, few Africans or Asians can enjoy the odiferous chunks of rotten milk (called cheese) that are so pleasing to Western palates. To those who have grown up with fermented foods, they offer the most sublime of eating experiences – and there are many that will appeal to Western tastes even without a long period of accustomization. In the spirit of the great reformers and artists, Sandor Katz has labored mightily to deliver this magnum opus to a population hungry for a reconnection to real food and to the process of life itself. For fermented foods are not only satisfying to eat, they are also immensely satisfying to prepare. From the first successful batch of kombucha to that thrilling taste of homemade sauerkraut, the practice of fermentation is one of partnership with microscopic life. This partnership leads to a reverence for all the processes that contribute to the wellbeing of the human race, from the production of enzymes by invisible bacteria to the gift of milk and meat from the sacred cow. This science and art of fermentation is, in fact, the basis of human culture: without culturing, there is no culture. Nations that still consume cultured foods, such as France with its wine and cheese, and Japan with its pickles and miso, are recognized as nations that have culture. Culture begins at the farm, not in the opera house, and binds a people to a land and its artisans. Many commentators have observed that America is a nation lacking culture – how can we be cultured when we eat only food that has been canned, pasteurized, and embalmed? How ironic that the road to culture in our germophobic technological society requires, first and foremost, that we enter into an alchemical relationship with bacteria and fungi, and that we bring to our tables foods and beverages prepared by the magicians, not machines. Wild
Fermentation represents not only an effort to bring back from oblivion
these treasured processes but also a road map to a better world, a world
of healthy people and equitable economies, a world that especially values
those iconoclastic, free-thinking individuals – so often labeled
misfits – uniquely qualified to perform the alchemy of fermented
foods. EATING
AS IF IT MATTERED We’ve forgotten how to eat. Now we read books to learn how to count calories and fat or carbohydrate grams. We weight portions, wonder whether yams are acid or alkaline, then check the glycemic index to see if we dare eat a peach. With a zillion books out there promoting correct menus, only a Carmel Frappacino can calm our nerves. Mark Twain said, “Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.” Our
relationship to food reflects our way of being in the world. We are
harried and distracted. We eat to satisfy cravings instead of appetite,
for energy instead of building and repairing our bodies. Preparing meals
is another job to squeeze into the day, so we take supplements to fill
in the blanks. Much like sawing table legs until they’re even
and the table’s become a footstool, we take pharmaceuticals to
fix one body part, then another to compensate for side effects, then
another… In the 1930’s, scientist Weston A Price, DDS (Nutrition & Physical Degeneration) studied isolated, non-industrialized peoples from all over the world: Africa, Australia, Polynesia, Peru, Alaska, Switzerland, New Zealand, Outer Hebrides, India, Northern Canada, Northwestern USA. These diverse peoples, eating traditional foods had none of the degenerative illness we experience today. Though their diets varied, each was far more nutrient dense than ours. Their foods were high in protein, vitamins, and minerals – with up to tenfold the fat soluble activators allowing for mineral absorption. Where members of these groups began to border “civilization” and incorporate “white people’s food” into their diets, their health declined within a single generation. Sally Fallon (Nourishing Traditions) summarizes common characteristics of the diets of these traditional peoples: -
No refined, processed, denatured foods This is our modern plague: coronary heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, obesity, thyroid dysfunction, depression, infertility -- degenerative conditions paralleling the degeneration of our food supply. Wendell Berry spells out the principles driving our food industry: Food is only important as an article of international trade. It doesn’t matter what happens to farmers. It doesn’t matter what happens to the land. Agriculture has nothing to do with the environment. There will always be plenty of food because if farmers don’t grow it, scientists will invent it. There is no connection between food and health. People are fed by the Industry. Our food is hydrogenated, pasteurized, irradiated, genetically engineered – with a nearly infinite shelf life. I believe real food is our best medicine and that it’s supposed to taste good. I ate Wonder Bread as a kid, was a vegetarian for a dozen years, put tofu at the center of my diet during menopause, and manipulated my blood sugar with coffee and sugar to survive a divorce and raise teenagers. I exhausted my adrenals and my thyroid reflects the damage caused by the goitregens in soy. As I rest, I’m learning to find, make and eat real food. It’s good medicine. It’s a shame that we eat anonymous food grown, processed, and transported by strangers, but we can change. Patronize your local farmer’s market, get a source of certified raw milk and other dairy products, eat animals grazed on green pastures and free-range chickens and their organic eggs. Eat healthy fats: unfiltered, organic olive oil, certified organic raw butter, and organic coconut oil. Use unrefined Celtic sea salt. Soak oatmeal overnight. Make bone broths and your own salad dressings. Make your own pickles and ketchup. Use natural sweeteners such as raw honey, maple sugar, date sugar, stevia. Read
the books listed under Diet & Nutrition in this catalog. Call me
if you’d like. We can chat. THE
CONGENIAL
ADRENAL Our two adrenal glands are buttons sitting on top of our kidneys (another name for kidney is renal gland – hence, ad-renal). The inner part of the adrenal gland is called the medulla and produces adrenaline to prepare the body for action in the flight-or-fight response. The outer part of the adrenal gland is called the cortex and makes several hormones called corticosteroids (which includes sex hormones). They conserve salt and water in the kidneys, speed up metabolism and handle stress. Adaptogens are herbs, food, or nutritional supplements that heal our adrenals when we’ve been overstressed. They are safe, without side effects, normalize the actions of the body irrespective of disease. If you’re an American, you’re stressed. Nearly everyone we consult with struggles with chronic stress that has led to blood sugar imbalance, hormonal imbalance, adrenal exhaustion, and low thyroid. Prolonged stress suppresses anti-oxidant and immune function. Ninety percent of all visits to primary care physicians are prompted by stress-related issues. Stress overload can lead to depression, anxiety, insomnia, hormonal disturbances, weight gain, cognitive decline, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, adrenal exhaustion, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis. Though missing a meal seems like no big deal, blood sugar falls causing the adrenals to boost it with emergency stores of glycogen. Though a cup of coffee or a candy bar seems like no big deal, our blood sugar jumps up causing the pancreas to produce more insulin to bring it back into balance. This is stress. Add that to pollution in soil, water and air, pharmaceuticals, nutritional inadequate diets, traffic, divorce, deadlines, too much work, not enough time, you’re running on empty. The term “adaptogen” originated in Russia. Adaptogens are plants that improve our adaptive abilities for coping with stress. Over the past 40 years, more than 1,000 studies have been done on herbal adaptogens. Adaptogens work primarily through the adrenal glands. -- increasing energy, stamina, ability to withstand extremes in temperature, recovery from injury, cancer therapies, x-rays, high dose drug therapies, jet lag, and other adverse conditions. Adaptogens can activate the body’s defense systems before we get sick by stimulating regeneration and repair of all body systems. The most famous herbal adaptogen, Siberian ginseng (eleutherococcus senticosus), is not a ginseng, nor is it from Siberia. It has been used for thousands of years by Chinese herbal practitioners and continues to be good fortifying medicine for adapting to a fast changing environment and balancing vital energy. The root is used in tea or tincture for sleeplessness, lower back or kidney pain, and resistance to disease. Schizandra berry and seed (both as tea and tincture) is another important adaptogen, used for nervous system exhaustion and fatigue, insomnia, weakness, depression, vision problems, diarrhea and chemical toxicity. It stabilizes blood pressure and helps to regenerate liver tissue. Flavanoid rich plants are excellent adaptogens: elderberry (fruit, leaf and flower), blueberries, red or purple grapes (grape seed extract), cranberry, hawthorn berry. Elderberries, for example, support immunity, are potently anti-viral (including herpes), shorten recovery time after injury, reduce LDL cholesterol, and strengthen connective tissue. Hawthorn berry is a most excellent heart and circulatory tonic. The berry, leaf and flower strengthen the force of the heart muscle contraction and dilate the vessels of circulation. Reishi mushroom (ganoderma lucidum) is another fabulous adaptogen. It is said by the Chinese to “mend the heart”. As a heart tonic, reishi improves blood flow to the heart and eases angina pain. It has been used in Asia for at least 4,000 years to treat hepatitis, hypertension, respiratory ailments, nerve pain, insomnia and other sleep disorders, and arthritis. The whole mushroom can be boiled, the decoction drunk, or powdered and used in food. It is also available as tincture. SOME
THOUGHTS ON The Chinese call it the “house of the soul”. In fact, the liver is the central processing unit of our bodies. It performs over 500 known metabolic functions. Our liver processes and stores excess carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals. It manufactures blood clotting chemicals and bile salts necessary for digestion as well as glycogen needed by our brains and muscles. The liver balances hormones and breaks down the toxic substances that we eat, drink and breathe. Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. The hepatitis alphabet now goes from A to G, but it is the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) that is receiving headline attention. As Stephen Buhner says in his book, Herbs for Hepatitis C and the Liver,
This
compares to 33,000,000 believed to carry the HIV virus. Laboratory tests for HCV were not available until 1989, so most people being diagnosed today have had the disease for many years. HCV’s symptoms are those of middle-age -- low energy, PMS, irregular menses, hot flashes, frequent urination, chest pains, high cholesterol, low libido, insomnia, joint pain, depression, anxiety, headache, weight gain or loss, poor digestion, back pain, short-term memory failure, allergies, frequent colds, edema or bloating, itchy skin, eczema, intolerance to alcohol, fats, coffee. Untreated Hepatitis C can progress to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver failure. Conventional treatment for HCV uses interferon based drugs alone or in combination with other antiviral drugs. (Actually, our immune system produces interferon to combat viruses in our bodies). Treatment is expensive and usually has severe side effects. Depending on the genotype of the HCV virus and degree of liver damage, interferon may not be indicated. Additionally, only about 50% respond positively, and in cases of those who do, the virus returns. Have you noticed the ubiquitous the disclaimer at the beginning of self-help books, “nothing in this book is intended to replace your ‘real’ doctor”. Then we are told to discuss any nutritional and/or herbal program with someone whose medical school didn’t offer classes in these subjects? Our bodies are not made of nothing, but of what we put in it. With increasing medical specialization and distancing from the healing gifts of the earth, it is so very important to participate in our own wellness, consulting our inner guidance as well as knowledgeable and trained healers. Food and herbs: seeds, roots, berries, fruit, leaves, stems, and flowers to fungi are not “alternative” but complementary. The liver responds immediately to stress reduction, good nutrition (including nutritional supplements such as the antioxidant alpha lipoic acid and the minerals selenium and zinc) and herbal support. Botanical sources that support the liver are beets, artichokes, dandelion, milk thistle seed and a dozen others. Major herbs that support and enhance immune function (where the HCV virus hibernates prior to invading liver cells) include astragalus, ashwaganda, licorice, Siberian ginseng, schizandra berry and more. The good news is that the liver is very forgiving. Fully two thirds of it can be removed and it will regenerate itself. Hepatitis C takes a long time to develop and the damage it causes is gradual. It takes work to reverse it including lifestyle changes and a comprehensive herbal and nutritional protocol, but increasing evidence shows success is fully possible. CREATIVE
MENOPAUSE Dave Berry believes that it’s the baby boomers hitting menopause that’s causing global warming. The western medical model views menopause as pathology and lack. But the “real” definition of menopause is simply the cessation of menstruation. It doesn’t mean that it’s all over, that all you have to look forward to is death. It isn’t automatic osteoporosis, heart disease, vaginal atrophy, insomnia, and prune skin. Menopause is a time of change, of transition. It doesn’t happen next Tuesday, but usually over a period of many years. As our ovaries stop making estrogen, many other body sites will: adrenals, pineal gland, fat cells, hair follicles, and the pituitary. There is now evidence that the right side of the middle-aged woman’s brain experiences a growth spurt -- increasing intuition. We DO become wise women. So I invite you to reframe menopause as a time of growing beyond the roles of your life (good girl, wife, mother) into your authentic self – neither the frail, invisible, frumpy, grumpy middle-aged lady nor Jane Fonda in a thong. Ask yourself this: “Why would I want to wear a thong when I’ve been trying to find underpants all my life that don’t ride up?” If you’re uncomfortable or troubled by menopausal “challenges”, drink red clover tea, eat leafy greens and legumes, don’t drink soy milk (see newsletter on soy), use fermented foods like unpasteurized sauerkraut and yogurt. We sell Susun Weed’s New Menopausal Years, The Wise Woman Way. Buy it and read it. And take our menopause formula (discussed below). Menopause is a journey, maybe the best ride of your life! CREATIVE MENOPAUSE -- the Formula (vitex,
dandelion root, nettle, wild yam, black cohosh, dong quai, walnut flower
essence) Vitex balances the pituitary gland, regulating the production and balance of progesterone and estrogen. Unlike taking pharmaceutical animal-based hormones, vitex helps our body regulate hormonal production. Vitex is a gentle and benign herb, useful at all times in a woman’s life, for menstrual difficulties, reducing fibroids, for treating endometriosis, and to establish regularity after stopping birth control pills. It is also known as chasteberry due to its reputation for quelling the libido of monks in medieval times. (It doesn’t have that effect on women.) Dandelion, also known as priest’s crown, doonhead clock, and swine snort is one of our best allies. It is rich in plant estrogens, higher in beta-carotene than carrots and higher in calcium than spinach. In France, they call dandelion “pissenlit” or piss in bed, because it’s a powerful diuretic (which replaces the potassium you pee away). I could write a book on dandelion, but won’t since herbalist Brigitte Mars already has. Dandelion supports the liver to metabolize hormones, which reduces hot flashes. Dandelion helps balance emotional swings. It can eliminate bloating, eases breast pain, subdue headaches and clear up acne. It lowers high blood pressure and cholesterol. Nettle is a complete protein, high in plant estrogens, B vitamins and many minerals. Nettle strengthens our adrenal glands, and frankly by mid-life, we are stressed out. Nettle reduces fatigue, balances blood sugar, strengthens bones, and nourishes nerves. Nettle stops night sweats. If you have hay fever or allergies, using nettles will seem like a miracle. During menopause, nettle rehydrates dry vaginal tissues, prevents sore joints, supports immunity, keeps your skin supple. It’s excellent for hair (as a tea or hair rinse), skin and nails. Wild Yam is perhaps the most widely used herb in the world today. It is primarily taken as a hormone regulator, but has been used for liver, digestive, spleen, kidney and lung complaints. It is first mentioned in the Chinese materia medica in 25 BC. Black cohosh is a Native American plant, experienced by many women to be as effective as Estrogen Replacement Therapy for relief of hot flashes, insomnia and mood swings. Black cohosh is a nervine, muscle relaxant, and anti-inflammatory. Dong
quai, also known as women’s ginseng, is a tonic herb, balancing
the endocrine system and liver. It has a normalizing effect on hormone
production, tonifies uterine tissue, lowers blood pressure, and relieves
pelvic congestion. MEN’S
SUPER VIRILITY TONIC “The
litany of problems that women experience when their hormonal balance
shifts is well known. Researchers are now finding that many, if not
most, of the physical problems facing men in middle and old age can
be reversed by increasing their free testosterone levels and their androgen-to
estrogen ratio.” from Stephen Harrod Buhner’s Vital Man. Red
Kirin and Panax (chinese ginseng) Chinese doctors have been using ginseng
roots for at least 2,000 years. The Chinese believe their ginseng is
more yang (male, hot, hard, aggressive). This may be true as American
ginseng contains the female hormone estradiol and Asian ginseng does
not. Asian ginseng is radioprotective, anti-tumor, and antiviral. It
reduces fatigue, stimulates the adrenal cortex, supports skin regeneration,
and increases alertness and mental clarity. Sexually speaking, studies
consistently show an increase in testosterone and more sperm and sperm
motility. Asian ginsengs are effective for impotence in both diabetic
and nondiabetic guys. Siberian ginseng (eleurococcus senticocus) is an adaptogen, increasing general strength and resistance to stress. Eleuro increases immunity, mental alertness and performance through normalizing adrenal activity. This reduces stress and increases androgen levels and libido. Nettle Root is a complete protein, high in B vitamins and many minerals. Nettle strengthens our adrenal glands, and frankly by mid-life, we are stressed out. Nettle reduces fatigue, balances blood sugar, strengthens bones, and nourishes nerves. Nettle stops night sweats. If you have hay fever or allergies, using nettles will seem like a miracle. Nettle prevents sore joints, supports immunity, keeps your skin supple, is excellent for hair (as a tea or hair rinse), skin and nails. Mainly, it keeps the body’s levels of usable androgens high and prevents the conversion of testosterone to estradiol. Nettle root also supports prostate health. Tribulus Fruit increases serum levels of testosterone and enhances libido, erection, ejaculation, sperm health and orgasm. Cornus Fruit, also known as Chinese dogwood, has been used for thousands of years in China and Japan as a tonic for the urinary system and male reproductive system. The fruit is used for impotence, low libido, incontinence, frequent urination, tinnitus, vertigo, hair loss, arthritis and diabetes. Saw Palmetto Berry is a prostate gland tonic and the herb for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Oats
have long been considered a sexual tonic (as in “feeling your
oats”). Oats are excellent over the long haul as a nervine and
relaxant. Soybeans were originally cultivated in China several thousand years ago. During the Chou Dynasty (1134-246) the soybean was revered as one of the five sacred gains (along with barley, wheat, millet and rice). As a nitrogen-fixing legume, soybeans were planted as “green manure” in crop rotation to increase soil fertility. After the discovery of fermentation techniques, wonderfully healthy soy foods such as miso, tempeh and tamari appeared. Soy is either really, really good for us -- or really, really bad. Frankly, I’m excited about the controversy. If there’s a possibility tofu isn’t the answer to menopause then I can stop eating it. I don’t have to shudder at the texture of soy cheese or convince my kids to love silken milk shakes. The pro-soy arguments are ubiquitous. Soy is a versatile source of protein, high in minerals (particularly calcium) and plant estrogens. The soy industry people say eating soy reduces risk of heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. Soy cookbooks take up lots of space at the bookstores. Read one of those books if you want to know more. The
anti-soy crowd raise these and other concerns about making soy a staple
in our diets: Unfermented soy foods inhibit enzymes, such as trypsin, which are needed to digest protein. Test animals fed diets high in trypsin inhibitors experience enlargement and disease conditions of the pancreas. Soybeans also contain hemagglutinin, which causes red blood cells to clump together increasing risk of stroke. Nitrosamines, carcinogens usually found in meat, are concentrated in commercial soy protein foods. Consumption of unfermented soy foods increases the body’s need for vitamin B12. Soy is not a complete protein, lacking sulfur containing amino acids methionine and cystine. Phytic acid (or phytates) is an organic acid present in the hull of all grains and beans. Phytates are known as “anti-nutrients”. (I love that word.) They chelate, or bind, to calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc and Vitamin B12 in our intestinal tracts blocking their absorption. Soybeans have the highest phytate content of any studied legume. Unlike with other beans and grains, the phytate level in soybeans is not neutralized by soaking and cooking. Daily use of unfermented soy can lead to malnutrition, osteoporosis, memory loss, and vision problems. Non-fermented soy depresses thyroid function. Menopausal women, whose thyroid function is undergoing change, can exacerbate the problem with soy intake. Eating as little as 4 tablespoons of soy per day can result in hypothyroidism. Worse, eating soy foods post-menopausally stimulates the growth of estrogen-dependent tumors. In fact, isoflavones extracted from soybeans have been shown to increase the rate at which breast cancer cells reproduce in petrie dishes. Excessive consumption of soy may also contribute to early onset of puberty in girls. Animal studies have shown tofu to cause infertility. All
rightie then. Certainly food for thought. So what to do?
Using herbs doesn’t have to be mysterious. Eat them, make teas and decoctions, tinctures and vinegars. Powder and put in capsules or smoothies. We don’t
have to fill the hole in our center with sweets and fat and running after
our lives. The Latin word for heart is cor, the root of the word courage.
It takes courage to follow the teachings of our hearts, but when we do,
we heal and become whole. Ask yourself this: What do I love? Then put
that at the center of your life. INSIDES...It’s time to get off the sofa and go outside. Eat lighter, dress lighter. As the days grow warmer and longer, you may actually feel like gardening. Don’t get carried away. You don’t have to. Lots of weeds are already out there waiting for you to harvest and eat. These bitter greens support the liver and increase digestive fluids to the stomach, pancreas and small intestine: dandelion, chicory, yellow dock, gentian, mugwort and fennel. These salad greens are high in vitamins and minerals: mustard, chickweed, violet, arugula, watercress and miner’s lettuce. Wonderful weeds for helping the lymph system clear waste from infestions are: red clover, mullein, cleavers. ....and OUT Try this instead of ammonia (or whatever all-purpose
cleaner you use for countertops, cupboard doors, fingerprints on the light
switches). Mix in a spray bottle, 1 cup water, _ cup white vinegar, 6
drops of a nice smelling, disinfectant essential oil (citronella, lemon,
grapefruit seed extract, orange, lavender, thyme, cypress). It works. For another 100 equally effective and easy recipes,
order The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Maier, $12.95. MY FAVORITE WEED: MILK THISTLE Actions: liver regenerator, liver tonifying, anti-inflammatory for both liver and spleen, immune system stimulant. Eating milk thistle protects the liver against damage from pharmaceutical drugs (from steroids to Tylenol), alcohol, environmental toxins, Big Macs and chocolate eclairs. Besides stimulating the liver after a long winter, milk thistle is also used for serious problems such as hepatitis, cirrhosis and mushroom poisoning. You can eat the leaves in the spring after cutting off the vicious spines. The roots can be roasted or boiled. The seeds can be ground and stirred into water and drunk, or roasted before grinding and sprinkled over oatmeal. Or toast the seeds in a hot frying pan, use salt or tamari or soy sauce and eat as a snack. Have at much as you like. There are no contraindications or side effects. by Susan A.Smith A few years ago, my daughter complained, I don’t want to grow up. All grownups ever do is sit around, drink coffee and blab. Then they get up and run errands. We don’t have to live that way. The use of herbs in healing our lives of stress and tension can slow us down, re-establish our connection to the plants and bring us into attunement with the planet. Here’s ten herbs to ease your spirit: 1.
California poppy - a tincture with antianxiety properties, improves sleep,
chills out a moody teenager.
2. Hops - as a tea or tincture, acts as an antispasmodic and sleep aid. 3. Kava kava - a tea or tincture that’s a nerve tonic, euphoric and counteracts mild depression. 4. Lavender - a delightful nervine, in O Happy Day tincture (page 3) or in tea. Use the flowers in a sleep pillow or put 4 drops of the essential oil (page 6) in a bath to relax muscle tension, headache or nausea. 5. Lemon balm - a wonderful tea for anxiety (and antiviral to boot). 6. Motherwort - the tincture relieves the heart palpitations and anxiety of menopausal hot flashes. 7. Nettle - as a tea or tincture, restores adrenal health when you’ve pushed yourself too hard, too long. 8. Oatstraw - in an infusion, counteracts exhaustion caused by stress and useful in addiction withdrawal. 9. Reishi mushroom - a tincture that rebuilds immunity, alleviates anxiety, supports liver function and is antitumor. 0. Valerian - a tea or tincture to stop the bubble machine in your head at night, good for tension headaches and hyperactivity in children. Herbal remedies can be our great allies. We heal our minds when we heal our hearts and feed our souls. Use visualization, music, journaling, hypnosis. Rest, play, eat better, pray, meditate, garden. Slow down. Breathe. Have a little fun. St. John’s wort (hypericum perforatum) - "Hypericum" is derived from the Greek word meaning "over an apparition," and it is said that hanging the herb over your door exorcises evil spirits. "Perforatum" describes the transparent perforations in the leaves, through which it is said the devil slips in and out. Benedictine monks gave us the plant’s Christian name either for St. John’s birthday on June 24th or his beheading on August 29th. The red spots on the little yellow flowers, symbolic of the blood of St. John, do indeed "bleed" into an infused oil or alcohol tincture. St. John’s wort is wonderfully versatile. Its use in relieving nerve pain, from sciatica to growing pains, goes back 2000 years. It’s excellent for healing burns, cuts and abrasions, and various skin disorders such as psoriasis. A massage with the oil soothes muscle strains, sprains and pinched nerves. It’s also a powerful antiviral, especially against the herpes virus (see Cold Sore Magic on page 3). St. John’s wort is best known these days as an antidepressant (even K-Mart carries it!) and has been shown to be as effective in clinical trials as conventional antidepressant pharmaceuticals when used for mild to moderate depression, with significantly fewer side effects. Michael Moore, sometimes known as the herbalist from Hell, says, "Hypericum has little or no value in bipolar depressions or depressive states with a clear pathology. Think of it for the friend who is out of work, the overwhelmed postgrad student, the woman who feels graceless and unprepared for menopause, or the self-appointed savior of (younger) women with his third tuck, bad prostate and scared haunted look behind the (tinted contacts) eyes." Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West by Susan A.Smith The Chinese call it the "house of the soul". In fact, the liver is the central processing unit of our bodies. It performs over 500 known metabolic functions. Our liver processes and stores excess carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals. It manufactures blood clotting chemicals and bile salts necessary for digestion as well as glycogen needed by our brains and muscles. The liver balances hormones and breaks down the toxic substances that we eat, drink and breathe. It's
a challenge to get through winter without taking antibiotics, drinking
lattes, or eating from the major food groups (sugar, fat and white flour).
Still, find a moment each day to breathe, pet your cat and maybe drink
a cup of liver tea (see Time Honored Herbal Recipes). To learn more about
your liver, read Herbs for Hepatitis C and the Liver by Stephen Harrod
Buhner (see A Few Great Books). by Susan A.Smith Nearly everyone can identify them. Taxaracum officinale (taraxos meaning disorder and achos meaning remedy) is a perennial with no poisonous look-alikes. It is higher in beta carotene than carrots and higher in iron and calcium than spinach. Its taproot sucks minerals from the earth. In Ayurveda (meaning the science of life), dandelion is indicated for hepatitis and other liver problems, gallstones, congested lymph nodes, breast sores, diabetes and cancer. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, dandelion is used as an anti-inflammatory, chologogue (stimulating bile flow), diuretic and antimicrobial. The Wise Woman herbal tradition tells us that dandelion is valuable for pelvic congestion, regulates hormonal changes during menopause, increases breast milk and helps fertility (not necessarily in that order). In France, they call dandelion "pissenlit" or piss in bed because it's a diuretic par excellence and safe because it contains so much potassium. Here in the U.S., it's a weed. You don't have to be a witch to begin using herbs wisely and well. Dandelion is probably growing in your lawn right now! Use it to recover from alcohol or drug abuse, overeating and overuse of antibiotics. Dandelion works slowly, but steadily. Tear the leaves into spring salads and stirfries. Use the roots fresh or dried in vinegar, teas and soups. Put the sap on warts, corns, calluses, hard pimples, bee stings, old sores and blisters. When the flowers have gone to seed, blow on them and make a wish. In fact, go outside and get some right now. Or drink of cup of Dandy Blend (see Tastes Good in This and That). by Susan A.Smith Garlic is great food and good medicine. It contains 33 sulfur compounds, 17 amino acids and a dozen other compounds. Penicillin has one constituent: penicillin. Bacteria are still trying to figure out how to develop resistance to garlic. They figured penicillin out in only 40 years. Studies show that garlic is helpful in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol and is effective against many types of bacteria, viruses, yeast and fungal infections. A good friend once told me, "Everything that doesn't go with chocolate, goes with garlic!" Eat lots of both this winter. Recommended reading: Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner (page 7). by Susan A.Smith The job of the human immune system is to prevent and fight disease, but immunity isn't created by a single organ or found in a specific body location. Our immunity is, in fact, an ecosystem and our health is a reflection of our relationship to ourselves, with each other and our environment. The liver (in addition to 500 other metabolic functions) manufactures lymph. The lymph system stores, filters and warehouses wastes, such as dead bacteria. The bone marrow produces red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells. Some white blood cells mature in the thymus gland, some in the spleen. There are many types of white blood cells, from macrophages (big eaters) to T cells like killer cells, suppresser cells and helper cells. And all this is just the beginning... Christopher Hobbs, synthesizing Chinese and Western herbal traditions, identifies three levels of herbal activity regarding immunity: 1. Deep immune activation. Such herbs as astragalus (page 4) work at the cellular level, increasing the number of stem cells, producing interferon (an anti-viral protein), and rebuilding the bone marrow reserve. A good way to use astragalus is to make it into soup stock, spaghetti sauce or hot mulled apple cider. Use one slice per cup of liquid.) 2. Surface immune activation. This category includes herbs that are antimicrobial, such as echinacea (page 4), a native America plant. Echinacea is probably the most famous immunotonic herb. It generates and mobilizes white blood cells, is effective against abnormal pap smears, strep throat, colds and flus, wounds, and so much more. 3. Adaptogens. These herbs work through the adrenal glands and modulate hormonal balance. They enable us to adapt to a variety of non-specific stressors. Eleutherococcus senticosus (Siberian ginseng - page 5), for example, helps us overcome exhaustion, debility and depression. Our immunity needs to be maintained in a state of readiness and herbal tonics help us grow into balance. Products
in this catalog are not intended as prescriptions to treat or cure illness. We urge you to work with a qualified health care professional.  |
