Healing Herbs and Plants
Ayurvedic Medicine - Part IV
In India, as I’ve said, I had this wonderful opportunity to meet an Ayurvedic physician. The other product she suggested for my low performing thyroid was Varanadi Kathayam. Varanadi kashayam is indicated in many health conditions like obesity – and I am overweight. This Ayurvedic treatment, cures indigestion, cures headaches, stomach gas bloating, headache, abscess and wounds. It is also used ...
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Ayurvedic Medicine - Part III
As part of the treatment there was a wonderful herbal and olive oil massage, which started with a prayer and ended with my receiving an incredible golden-orange marigold necklace. Unlike our marigolds, the ones in India are pleasantly fragrant; I wish I could have brought it home with me. Before the massage, we talked about a health issue that I have, hypothyroidism (low thyroid function)...
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Ayurvedic Medicine Part II
Being very familiar with Western herbalism, I was fascinated with the Ayurvedic tradition. In India, students must take a very competitive exam to pursue further education in medicine. One student explained that her grades weren’t quite good enough to go to modern medical school, but she was given the opportunity to learn Ayurvedic medicine. Apparently, there was a tradition of this in her fami...
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Travels to India and Ayurvedic Medicine
I was so fortunate to be able to accompany my husband to India over the holidays. We spent New Year’s in Goa, where all the hippies went in the 60’s and 70’s, and the next week in New Delhi. We took a side-trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal – and it is as beautiful as everyone says. Our hotel had an Ayurvedic doctor on staff and so I took this amazing opportunity to have a session with a doctor ...
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Making Herbal Cough Drops Conclusion
So today was the day to try out the recipe for herbal cough drops. I’m not the best cook and I’ve never made candy before, except for maple sugar candy, where you simply boil down maple syrup until it hardens when cooled. I decided to follow April Horton’s recipe. I ordered the herbs and organic sugar from a reputable herbal company and bought a candy thermometer. On paper, it looked quit...
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Horehound in Herbal Cough Drops
The final herb to be included is the old favorite, horehound (Marrubium vulgare). This has been used for thousands of years to help the body fight cold and flu symptoms. It breaks up congestion but in 1989 the FDA ordered a ban on horehound’s use in cough remedies claiming it was ineffective. However, orehound is still sold in Europe in cough syrup and lozenges. Mrs. M. Grieve in “A Modern...
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Thyme for Herbal Cough Drops
The second herb I decided to include in my recipe was thyme, or Thymus vulgaris. Yup – the culinary herb. However, it has amazing medicinal properties as well. Wikipedia relates that its essential oil is 20-54% thymol, which is a powerful antiseptic and the primary active ingredient in Listerine mouthwash. Before modern-day antibiotics, it was used on bandages to prevent infection. Its tea can ...
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Choosing Herbs for Cough Drops
The first thing about making herbal cough drops is deciding which herbs to include. April gave many suggestions, but she didn’t mention an old favorite – the reason why many commercial cough drops are cherry flavored – wild cherry bark. Here are two links to wild cherry bark and why it has proved itself historically to be so useful for coughs. Native Americans knew that the inner bark of wild c...
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Immune Support Just in Time for Winter!
The temperature is starting to drop and runny noses, body aches and stomach bugs may be in your future this winter. However, your best defense is consistent healthy living, which comes from staying well-rested and well-nourished. When your body feels fatigued and undernourished, it makes you more susceptible to the bacteria and viruses that linger around us. When your body is healthy, your immu...
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Making Herbal Cough Drops
As a chemistry prof at Texas Am around kids a lot. About 10 days into the semester, all the bugs and viruses that the students have been exposed to all summer long come together to create the perfect storm of colds and flu. Needless to say, Im down with the flu. I take my herbs and recover in a few days, except for a persistent cough. I know that coughing does have its function in preser...
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Non-Medicinal Uses for Cleavers
Cleavers is an important plant in medicinal herbalism, however you can use it in other ways as well. Im a big fan of Delena Tulls book Edible and Useful Plants of Texas and the Southwest (University of Texas Press 1987)—its full of historical uses of the plants around us, particularly if you live in my part of the country. Here are some of the ways you can dine on cleavers: The ver...
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Cleavers Have Healing Powers
As a blood purifier and lymphatic system tonic, cleavers (Galium aparine) is considered by herbalists to be one of the most valuable herbs around. It is used for swollen glands and skin conditions such as psoriasis, and there is also a long tradition of using cleavers for treating ulcers and tumors, since cleavers promote lymphatic drainage. Here is a recipe for a treatment tea from herba...
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An Introduction to Cleavers (Galium aparine)
I know spring is over, but I want to introduce you to cleavers (Galium aparine), commonly thought of as a sticky weed, but also one of the best herbs for supporting the body to purify the blood (called a blood-purifier) and a fantastic tonic for the lymphatic system. Cleavers is known by many names, including goosegrass and sticky willy. I am fascinated with these weeds that lie outside ou...
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DIY Witch Hazel Astringent
If you are very lucky to have access to witch hazel shrubs, here's a recipe to make your own astringent and avoid the drying alcohol found in many products. The recipe is courtesy of Victoria Obrea at Bella Online. As Obrea explains, witch hazel can be applied directly to burns, bruises, insect bites, and aching muscles. As a part of a natural beauty regime, it can also be used to clean oil...
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Witch Hazel: Nature’s Astringent
Since I make an aloe vera based herbal skin cream, people think I know a great deal about natural skin care. That’s not so true—I’m actually a soap and water girl. However, for folks looking for natural skin cleansers, I always mention witch hazel. When I was in high school in the 60s, bottles of witch hazel extract were always available on drug store shelves and are still available i...
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Tea Tree Oil for Breath, Gums and Sore Throats
Tea tree oil, as I’ve said in previous blogs, is proven to be antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral. I’ve actually used it when I had infected gums years ago — I get canker sores easily. For canker sores, mix 3–5 drops of tea tree oil to a cup of warm water and use it as a mouthwash, gargling 3 times a day. Dont swallow, though; there are warnings about it being toxic if taken int...
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Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil, a pale yellow oil derived from the leaves of the Australian melaleuca evergreen tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), has a long history as an antiseptic by the Bundjalung Aborigines.The tea tree was first described by a botanist in Captain Cook’s party on his trip to Australia in 1777.During World War II, tea tree oil was issued to soldiers as a disinfectant. It has a very dis...
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Treating a Dog's Hot Spots Naturally—with Tea Tree Oil
I have often talked about my pets as teachers.My aging golden retriever/Australian shepherd cross, Sam, has always been my itchy girl. We have regularly dealt with all sorts of skin issues; the last time she had the black skin disease.She has occasionally had hot spots, but this last bout was the worst ever—raw, bleeding skin about 2 by 8 along her back. I couldnt stop her itching and...
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Natural Garlic/Honey/Lemon Remedies
In recent blogs, I have discussed garlic being a natural remedy for colds and flus as well as how to make Garlic Tea and how to use garlic externally in a remedy called GOOT. Many years ago I was taking a short course at Rosemary Gladstar’s Sage Mountain and the speaker made this amazing garlic/honey/lemon mixture for fighting colds and flus. I have looked for the remedy and found these suggestio...
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Using Garlic Externally: Garlic GOOT
Garlic GOOT is a favorite of many as an external way to benefit from garlic. Click here for more info on GOOT. 1. Blend 3 Tbsp coconut oil, 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, and 3 Tbsp minced garlic in the blender or coffee grinder for approximately 2 minutes. 2. Strain the mixture into a small jar to remove any of the bigger pieces of garlic. Put a clean, tight lid on it, and refrigerate for about...
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Garlic Tea
Research tells us that taking garlic can help our bodies stave off colds and flu. How can we take garlic naturally? I’ve collected some recipes, and here's one for Garlic Tea. Garlic Tea 1. Chop one clove of garlic finely. Fine chopping activates the allicin (one active ingredient) in garlic that can help fight cold and flu viruses. 2. Add the chopped garlic to boiling water and allow to s...
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Flu Season—Get Your Garlic Out!
Well, flu season is here—no surprise to those of us working in the school system. What can we do to help ourselves and our loved ones naturally? Among the top remedies is garlic. We tend to forget that this wonderful-tasting cooking herb also has a wide range of healing properties that have been well researched. People who take daily garlic supplements tend to catch fewer common colds than peo...
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Olive Leaf
Due to my love for cooking and my Italian heritage, I have made it my personal mission to be a connoisseur of olive oils from around the world. I have found that while most olive trees are native to Mediterranean regions, they are now also cultivated in similar climate zones in the Americas. The extraction of olive oil from an olive has become an art form in many regions around the world. The uni...
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Yaupon "Black Drink"
I love yaupon. Its use in Xeriscape landscaping—landscaping using very little additional water—is so vital in drought-striken Texas in this day and age. The beauty of yaupon, its resistance to lack of water, and the fact that to my knowledge it is the only caffeine-containing plant in North America, make it valuable on so many levels. It grows in clumps and is pretty difficult to transplant, but ...
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A Plug for Eco-Landscaping or Xeriscaping
Here in Texas, we are in a severe drought and have had more days of 100°F+ temperatures than I can remember. However, here is a picture of our front yard: local trees—cedars, water oak, winged elm, replanted as babies from other parts of our property—and lots of naturally present yaupon. Using local plants for landscaping saves water and energy. Consider it for your home. Xeriscaping is the term...
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Hawthorn Berries
I recently included hawthorn berries in a client’s regime, so I thought I would write a little on the wonderful uses of this plant’s berries. In the herbal world, berries are known to include superb antioxidants. They also help tone tissue, just like exercise tones muscle, with different berries toning their favorite part of the body. Hawthorn berries are known for helping to build and tone the...
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Classic Herbal Text from 1653
I wanted to share with you a website: www.bibliomania.com. This site has over 2,000 free texts for your reading/studying pleasure. One historic textbook on herbs—Culpeper's Complete Herbal (1653 edition)—can be found on the site. Culpeper's Complete Herbal is an amazing source of information on all things herbal and was written by an English physician, Nicholas Culpeper. In his Epistle...
Read more...Herbs for Urinary Health: Buchu
Urinary issues are no fun! One herb that isn’t as well known as cranberry is buchu (Barosma betulina or Agathosma betulina and the related species B. serratifolia and B. crenulata). Buchu is a low-lying shrub from South Africa. The leaves are harvested when the plant flowers or bears fruit. It's the oils in the leaves that contain powerful oils for fighting infection. The Europeans that came...
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Herbs for Urinary Health: Cranberry
There are many plants that we can use as natural remedies to help our urinary systems stay healthy. In my last blog I talked about uva ursi. Another very well-known herb for healthy living is the cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon). Cranberry is not just for Thanksgiving dinners! Historically, cranberry fruits and leaves were used for: wounds urinary disorders diarrhea diabetes stomach ailment...
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Herbs for Urinary Health: Uva Ursi
Last week I was preparing to travel with my hubbie to Europe and I came down with a urinary infection. Yuck! I didn’t want to use antibiotics; as part of natural, healthy living, I save their usage until I really need them. So I turned to my list of herbal helpers: uva ursi, cranberry, and buchu. It took only a few days to get my system up and healthy once again. I thought I would spend the next...
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Recipes with Rosehips
Roses are beautiful flowers. Not only can you enjoy the loveliness and fragrance—and even the taste if you add the petals to your salad—but after the flowering, you can reap the benefits of what remains: the rosehips. The rosehips from any rose can be used. They were and are an important food for all Native tribes. Harvest the fruits after the first frost when they become fully red-colored, but n...
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Spring, Roses, and Rosehips
Spring has definitely come to Texas. Our wildflowers are blooming along the our roads, thanks to Lady Bird Johnson’s efforts to beautify our landscapes. My hubbie’s pink fragrant rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa) is also blooming, which takes me to today’s topic: rosehips. Rosehips are the fruit (seed pod) of the rose. We don’t see them very much any more because most folks prune their roses after they bl...
Read more...Eleuthero: Adaptogen Supreme
Eleuthero, which used to be called Siberian ginseng, is a wonderful herb that helps us adapt to stress—hence it is called an adaptogen in herbalese. It also is a tonic, meaning that it helps restore and invigorate our bodies through the synergistic interactions of all its components with our body. There have been many scientific studies that demonstrate daily use has resulted in an increased abil...
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Adaptogens for Stress
An adaptogen is an herb that helps our bodies adapt (hence the name) to all kinds of stresses in our lives, both physical and emotional. These herbs are used long-term. Adaptogens can gently help our bodies recover and rebuild after a single physical event, like surgery or an accident. They can also help with more long-term conditions, like chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
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Iodine in the Diet
In my last blog I talked about low thyroid function. Now let’s talk about the importance of the element iodine in our diet. Before iodized salt was introduced into the North American diet in the 1920s, a lack of this mineral caused goiter, enlargement of the thyroid. In children, iodine deficiency can cause mental retardation. The International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disord...
Read more...Low Thyroid Function and Iodine
A client came to me last week, telling me that her thyroid was not performing up to par. She was gaining weight; sluggish; sensitive to cold; tired easily; had dry, puffy skin, thinning hair, and headaches; and was constipated most of the time. This is very common in older women. My thyroid has been low-functioning most of my life—it’s genetic. My mom’s thyroid quit working as a young mom and went...
Read more...Seaweed Is Superfood
I've been discussing some superfoods from Rosemary Gladstar's book, Herbs for Longevity & Wellbeing. Another one is seaweed. These wonderful plants from the sea are a rich source of minerals. They can provide for our nourishment up to 10–20 times the mineral content of land plants, says Rosemary. Minerals are essential for the enzymes used in human metabolism, and seaweeds—such as k...
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Shiitake Superfood
Another superfood I'm fond of—from Rosemary Gladstar’s list for longevity and good health—is the shiitake mushroom. Rosemary suggests including shiitake mushrooms directly into your diet several times per week. Immune support Shiitake is a long-time staple of the Japanese diet. It is used traditionally in Asia to increase the body’s resistance to disease and infection.
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Flaxseed Oil
Flaxseed oil has become very popular recently. Even my husband is now taking it to keep his heart, arteries, and immune system in good health—it was prescribed by his physician! Flaxseed oil is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are generally lacking in the North American diet. This essential fatty acid is not manufactured by the body and must be obtained from diet. (Besides fla...
Read more...Superfood of the Bees: Bee Pollen
A list of nutritious superfoods must include bee pollen, a powerful product of the flowers. Rosemary Gladstar, in her book Herbs for Longevity & Wellbeing, calls bee pollen “the designer food of the bees.” Although it is now in shorter supply due to the recent mysterious decline of the honey bee populations, bee pollen is a concentrated form of nutrients. It is a complete protein, containing a...
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