Skunk Cabbage

On a recent warm day I went hiking in Southern Michigan with my mom. It’s still pretty early in the season so I couldn’t identify much but did find a few medicinal gems! Behold the strange looking Skunk Cabbage:

Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) got it’s name from it’s stinky fragrance. The alien looking flower reveals itself before sending up leaves from February through May. It’s hard to miss because it looks so much unlike anything else.You’ll find Skunk Cabbage in rich, wet woods, which is exactly where I found it. The area was flooded out, even though it hadn’t rained in days.The leaves are big, oval and green which is what you first see from far away but upon closer inspection you’ll notice the strange flower lying almost parallel to the ground. Yet another stange thing about this plant is that the temperature within the flower spathe (hooded part) is often 60 degrees higher than the surrounding air!

Onto the exciting medicinal properties…

The root is the medicinal portion and is used as a bronchodilator. A great remedy for asthmatic bronchial spasms. For persons that have spasmotic coughing brought on by emotional distress and cough to the point of vomiting, this is your plant. Skunk Cabbage is also a diaphoretic and so supports the body during a fever. For tincture dosage, try 1:2 fresh root liquid extract, with 1-15 drops 1-3 times per day. Notice that the drop dosage is very low (1-15) as compared to many other common medicinals. That means that this plant can cause discomfort and terrible gastrointestinal burning, nausea, etc. if used incorrectly. If you’re unfamiliar with this plant, seek a qualified practitioner to advise you if you wish to use it medicinally. This plant is not recommeded during pregnancy. Do not consume the leaves as they too can cause severe GI discomfort. If you tincture or process this herb on your own, wear things that cover your skin. Skunk Cabbage has a high essential oil content responsible for it’s smell and can really irritate the skin as well as absorb into the skin possibly causing discomfort.

Happy Hiking Everyone!

Sweet & Spicy Bitters for Spring

Spring is in the air here in the Midwest. The birds are chirping, buds are appearing and the sun is shining. It is unsually warm this for this time of year, but declaring the reality of global warming is for another post, another time. This post is about digestive cleansing! And spring is the perfect time to do so. No matter your climate for winter, people tend to eat more and exercise less. It has something to do with the down time, all the rich holiday food and letting yourself go until the new year comes around. Now that spring has sprung, it is time to start thinking about clearing our congested bowels, toning the digestive system and getting the body ready for healthier living.

spring is arriving

Hopefully through education and new habit forming, cleansing your body of toxins will become a regular seasonal activity. There are many methods for cleansing, one being the use of digestive bitters. The pairing of Gentian and Ginger Roots make a superb digestive bitter and stimulant.

Gentian (Gentiana lutea) is a sweet yet bitter herb. This root stimulates lazy digestion promoting peristalsis and helps the intestines absorb more nutrients from the fresh, organic food that we’d be eating during a cleanse. Constituents of this herb help increase gastric secretions for digestion and actually tonifies the stomach (organ, not body area).

Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) is a spicy and sweet herb. This is the go-to herb for flatulence (farting) and burping. It is also stimulating for a slow digestive system and increases activity of digestive enzymes helping to break down food. Ginger is great for feelings of nausea too and calms most any digestive cramping and bloating.

While Gentian is cooling and drying in nature, Ginger is heating and drying. Together these herbs have a balancing and toning effect on the whole digestive system. They form a powerful “digestive toning duo” that is great used alongside spring-time cleansing techniques. Mixing tinctures of them half and half is a suitable combination. Taking this mixture before and after meals will improve digestion as well as excretion, leaving the body cleaner and clearer for better health.

Remember to drink plenty of clean water, exercise, sweat, eat organic, and eat green things. Avoid processed foods, toxins (cigarrettes, etc), alcohol, anger and excessive stress during cleansing. Massages and saunas are also great additions to increase circulation and help with excretions of toxins.

“An optimist is the human personification of Spring”.

Gentle Warriors

Within the most gentle being comes the strength to do a thousand tasks.

Happy 2012 to all, I hope this new year has served you well so far. For me, its been the beginning of some great new ventures and a continuance of others. I have joined a local chapter of the American Herbalist Guild (Great Lakes Chapter) and have become their Member Liason. The chapter is based in Chicago, so I luckily get to make a trip to the “big city” every month for meetings. Traveling outside of the little place I live in now is a breath of fresh air. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the day to day and lose track of what you really need and want out of life. I am happy to be part of a group of other herbalists again and to be able to serve the group with my new role. I’m also hosting two upcoming workshops at a local business (Ray of Light) who offers other holistic services. I’m grateful to be starting off the new year with new motivation and events/groups to look forward to that really fit my purpose. Its not easy to carve your own path and it takes time, but its worth it to be truly satisfied with what you’re doing with your life. I hope your new year is just as invigorating!

With a whole new year ahead of me I can’t help but think about the past. Where I’ve been, what I’ve learned, who I’ve met. It’s amazing really. I’ve been studying herbs for two and a half years! I feel like I’ve learned so, so much, but yet have so much to learn and always will. When I first began learning about medicinal plants, I was attracted to the “showboaters”. The herbs that were commercially famous or seemingly extra-ordinary. But as I become more seasoned in herbalism, I’m more fascinated by the herbs I at first overlooked (the medicinal “weeds”, the time-tested true blues, etc.) I’ve recently re-stumbled upon Yarrow, and how amazing it is. If you’ve ever grown Yarrow or come across it in the wild, it looks dainty and delicate. If you run your hands across it, it feels gentle and feather-y. But within this “warrior with a thousand leaves” lies 120 different identified compounds with healing potential. Wow! Below is an image of a container-grown Achillea millefolium from last season.

It is amazing to think that when you take Yarrow, you are ingesting 120 or more “medicines” at once that all exist and work together in harmony and enhance each other’s effects to heal the body on so many levels. “Modern medicine” often uses one isolated compound to treat one symptom, sometimes accompanied by side effects. Nature’s medicine chest has so much more to offer than the masses are giving it credit for.

Yarrow’s latin name is Achillea millefolium, Achillea referring to the Greek warrior Achilles and millefolium meaning “thousand-leafed” referring to its leaf structure. Yarrow is equipped with many abilities, some of which include: antiseptic, analgesic, vasodilator, diaphoretic, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, styptic, tonic, febrifuge, insect repellent, worm expeller, anti-haemorrhagic, hypotensive, astringent, antispasmodic, diuretic, antimicrobial, hepatic, bitter, and menstrual regulator. Yarrow is useful with menstrual and stomach cramps and can be used in cases of stomach flu. Some authors report it to be a tonic for the heart and lungs.

Something I find fascinating is that Yarrow can be used to stop bleeding internally and externally, but it also helps promote menstruation. Herbs have this amazing ability to do what is needed, when and where. Something pharmaceuticals lack. Following is a beautifully written piece about Yarrow taken out of Dr. Sharol Tilgner’s book Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth: “This is a perennial with many virtues. She is a manipulator and concentrator of energy. She assists other beings in the assimilation of minerals and the assimilation of strength. She makes the body feel strong and resilient to ailments, and dangers. She provides strength to those who are weak minded or weak in character.” Yarrow is a gentle warrior, to be used by us in all and any of our battles. We all have many obligations and expectations, but when overwhelmed we are not alone. Herbs are our allies.

As you begin all your new goals and adventures this new year, remember that the strength to be who you want to be is already within you, you may just need a little nudge.

Love to you for the year of 2012!

Spicing Up Cold Days

Winter-time… snow, sleet, wind, shoveling, scraping… I know that all sounds like bad news, but I have good news this season! Herbs are right inside your cabinet to heal, warm and soothe. You may not have a full “Herbalist’s stock” of herbs but I’d like to bet that you do have cooking spices lying dormant in your cupboard only brought out for the occasional recipe experiment. Now is the time to put these healers to work!

Once the weather turns, our “core heat” kind of hunkers down into our first chakra, keeping that core safe and warm. What I mean by that is our limbs can become cold, especially with trotting around in deep snow making toes feel like icicles or shoveling cars making hands burn with the desire of warmth! Better yet, snow fights, snow angels or simply standing out on a winter night to catch some snowflakes on your tongue will put you in the mood for some hot cocoa or hot soup.

Simple herbs have the power to actually warm and sometimes heat up our bodies, bringing circulation to our limbs and melting off that ice-y feeling. Below are 10 herbs that can do just that. Mix the “sweeter” ones in hot tea or cocoa and mix the “others” into medicinal soups. The possibilities are endless. Get creative with recipes and using these herbal healers, what else do you have to do on all these upcoming cold winter days?

1. Garlic Bulb
Allium sativum
Garlic warms the body as it acts as a circulatory stimulant spreading warmth throughout. As a powerful antimicrobial it is also great to have around during the cold and flu season. Great in soups, stir-frys, casseroles, omelets, roasted, pretty much any dish (I’m a fan, can you tell?). To maximize garlic’s benefit, chop or press and let sit on a cutting board for a few minutes before cooking. Medicinal compounds react with oxygen to make it more beneficial.

2. Ginger Root
Zingiber officinale
Ginger is another circulatory stimulant that helps blood flow to the limbs. Additionally, it is a great nausea-soother. So if you’ve eaten too much holiday food, chewing on some fresh ginger root (or products with ginger in them) can really soothe stomach cramps and gas. Ginger is delicious in so many dishes. I’ve recently discovered its greatness in mushroom soup, talk about medicinal!

3. Cayenne
Capsicum frutescens
Not only is Cayenne pepper a circulatory stimulant it also has a very noticeable “heating” property. It heats on the spot! It can be quite drying so mix into a soup with beans, mushrooms, carrots, turnips, etc. Cayenne is great used during the first stages of a cold/sickness.

4. Cinnamon Bark
Cinnamomum spp.
Cinnamon, like Cayenne has a “heating” ability. Not only will it warm your bones, it may even make you sweat! This sweet and tasty herb can soothe nausea like Ginger, as well. Cinnamon goes well in chai teas, hot cocoa, herbal teas, infused in chocolate, sprinkled onto baked goods…it plays well with others and goes well with MANY, many things!

5. Clove Bud
Syzygium aromaticum
Clove bud is warming, a stomach soother, may improve libido (another way of warming you up!), a natural analgesic (pain reliever), and happens to smell deliciously spicy! Clove goes well with Cinnamon and Black Pepper for a tea and can be prepared in many baked goods for a sweet/warming taste.

6. Nutmeg
Myristica fragrans
Nutmeg is hearty, pepper-y, and also warming. Like many of these other herbs that are warming to the core and limbs, it also helps with nausea and indigestion. Nutmeg is actually known as an “anti-emetic” meaning that it helps to prevent vomiting.

7. Turmeric
Curcuma longa
Turmeric heats, eases nausea, acts as an anti-inflammatory, is great for joint pain, and is soothing/comforting to the liver. And… it will turn most any dish orange if you cook with it. The flavor is not too intense so it can be comfortably added to many dishes, especially medicinal soups.

8. Cardamom Seed
Elettaria cardamomun
Cardamom warms as well as stimulates saliva secretions making it great to increase appetite. It can settle the stomach and help with morning sickness/vomiting. Cardamom goes well with cloves and cinnamom but is very versatile. You could add it to some herbed meatballs or mix it into a spiced coffee (or tea!).

9. Anise Seed
Pimpinella anisum
Anise has a very Fennel/Licorice type of smell and taste. It warms the body, settles the stomach, helps mothers produce more breast milk and helps cough up mucous during a cold or flu. It is said to also help with hiccups! Anise is good in sweet or salty dishes. Anise cookies might be a good experiment if you are unfamiliar with this delicate, sweet smelling herbal.

10. Thyme
Thymus vulgaris
Thyme warms, soothes and fights! Thyme is great during the cold winter months to combat a sickness. It is an antiseptic, decongestant, antifungal, and antibacterial.  Thyme is very “herb-y” tasting. It is slightly sweet and slightly bitter. It goes very well with meats and in soups. Thyme, like Clove is said to help improve libido. Thyme can be a delicate, often used, but often overlooked herb. It is powerful in its abilities. Thyme is very versatile too. It can be used in a sweet, sugary dish or a salty, hearty dish. Keep plenty of this herb around to warm you up and keep you healthy!

Where has the thyme, oops… I mean time gone?
Keep all of these classic herbs on hand in the spice cabinet and you can stay warmed, soothed, and healed this winter. While all of these can warm you up, some are better in a more concentrated form than what you would use in cooking. To use herbs in a serious, medicinal fashion, consult an herbalist or better yet, become one!

Blessings, and Happy December to you!

Breast Health, Naturally.

Now that we’re into October, most have seen something about Breast Cancer Awareness month. While not just one month should be set aside for such powerful features of the female frame, it is nice to have a time dedicated to education, awareness and the general open discussion of keeping body parts healthy that may otherwise go un-talked about. Rather than blog about helping breast cancers herbally (which needs treatment from oncologists, medical doctors, naturopathic doctors, massage therapists, herbalists, and probably more specialists combined) I’d like to talk about breast health in general and the many ways that we, as women, can keep our “tatas” healthy through time.

The most important therapy for breast health (in my opinion) is touch. That’s right! Whether it be by you or a companion, gentle touch/massage helps to circulate blood flow and more importantly lymph flow. Lymph fluid is somewhat like blood, but more like the “garbage men/women” throughout our bodies carrying out the junk. Yet while blood has a pump to circulate it (the heart) lymph does not and so depends on a stimulant of some sort to flow and excrete the junk. Exercise is a great way to stimulate lymph as well as MASSAGE. Another great way to stimulate lymph is by breast brushing. This is greatly demonstrated by this blogger: http://breasthealthblog.com/lymphaticbrushing/ , I’ve been told to always brush toward the armpit (not back toward the heart), but possibly the point is to stimulate flow and and the exact motion is not as important. That’s for you to decide. How often should this massage, brushing, or self-examination occur? Weekly! While it is very important to keep up on medical breast examinations, no one will know your body quite like you do, and if there is something wrong.

Next up, the liver actually plays quite an important role in breast health. Many breast cancers test to be “estrogen positive”. Estrogen is the female hormone responsible for our female shape, soft skin and womanly features. Many things in our environment these days can mimick estrogen to the point where our bodies become overloaded with this hormone. The liver is responsible for excreting excess hormones, SO if the liver is top notch and functioning, more excess estrogen can find it’s way out of the body and not build up in breast tissue to form cysts or tumors. (Great herbs for liver functioning are Milk Thistle Seed, Dandelion Root, Artichoke Leaf, Burdock Root and Oregon Grape Root. Great foods for the liver are Beets, Carrots and Walnuts. Good specific nutrients for the liver/processing out excess hormones are Vit. B6, Magnesium, Choline, Inositol and Methionine). And of course, excessive drinking taxes the liver and in turn is not good for the breasts.

Herbally speaking, the best herbs are ones that promote lymph flow and the good livers herbs. In a wholistic health sense, all body parts are connected and the health of one directly affects the other. In the book Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health by Rosemary Gladstar there are two great lymph moving tea recipes that are aimed at breast health. The one I’ll highlight is called Breast Health Tea:

• 2 parts Calendula Flowers
• 2 parts Red Clover Buds
• 1 part Cleavers
• 1 part Lady’s Mantle
• pinches of Spearmint or Peppermint to taste

Prepare as an infusion (tea steeped in warm/hot water but not boiling), using 1 ounce of herbs per quart of water, and letting steep overnight. Drink 3 to 4 cups daily.

This book also lists some wonderful massage oil recipes. In this mixture, Calendula, Red Clover and Cleavers are considered “Lymphagogues” which means they support lymphatic organs in general and stimulate the lymph system (remember the lymph system does not have its own pump and must be stimulated). Prior to menstruation is a common time when breast tissue gets sore and swollen. The use of this tea plus some massage and brushing a couple weeks before expected menstruation can alleviate the pain and discomfort and also help flush out the lymph possibly avoiding the build-up of excess hormones and fluid that may lead to cysts and tumors. Lady’s Mantle on the other hand acts as an astringent so as to “dry up” the excess fluid building up in the breasts.

Onto energetics… women tend to harbor emotion, “hold things inside” and have a hard time letting things go… sound familiar? With these emotions, physical manifestation can (and DOES) occur, such as breast pain and declining breast health. With proper diet aimed at lymphatic health along with harmonizing these types of negative emotions, internal balance can be attained. Eating organic food, eating green foods and more specifically eating things containing Vit. A, Vit. D, Vit. E, Vit. K, Zinc, Probiotics, NAC, Glutamine and Glutathione will help to cultivate positive energy throughout the body and to let some things go that need not stay locked up inside. Also, if you are familar with chakras (energy centers existing in the body) the HEART CHAKRA can be opened and harmonized to help improve breast health. The Heart Chakra governs the chest area as well as lymph and the immune system (hmmm) as well as emotions of forgiveness, compassion, love, respecting SELF and others and having the power to relate to others. By connecting to our Heart Chakra we are sure to diffuse negativity that is being held there, leaving it open to health, love and happiness. Check out these specific yoga poses for opening the Heart Chakra: http://www.allgoodthings.com/yoga/postures/chakraposts.html

Happy October Ladies (& Gentlemen)! May you have healthy breasts long into your older years and enjoy this crisp autumn that is upon us. As always, if you are not experienced with the use of herbs, consult a professional.

Herbal Cat Power

I recently moved back to Indiana with family. Its been a long time since I’ve had snuggly pets at my disposal… With the morning dog visits and daily cat petting I’ve become attached to these animals. About a week ago my mom found that one of her cats (Miss Chloe) had some sort of intestinal worm. With a little searching online, we are pretty sure its roundworm. Any animal that has access to the outdoors is at risk of getting such things, especially if they like to hunt and eat rodents. As gross as it may be, its pretty common. Intestinal worms can make our beloved pets lose their appetites, become thin and act finicky, paranoid, grumpy and feel just down right crappy.

Miss Chloe has probably had this inside of her for awhile, as her attitude has slowly changed into being grumpy, picky about food and paranoid about being touched.

Miss Chloe prowling near the ravine

 

Worrying about her welfare, we decided to take the herbal route as MANY herbs are great for animals and have great results. Antiworm drugs that you can buy from a vet or pet store can be harmful to our companions as they are strong and meant to kill (the worm that is). Herbs have a gentle way of acting synergistically with the body (human or animal) that push harmful things out but heal at the same time. After referencing a great book, “Herbs for Pets, the Natural Way to Enhance Your Pet’s Life” by Gregory Tilford and Mary Wulff, we decided to do an Antiworm Food Supplement and a couple of herbal tinctures to help her expel the worm and to help her not be too uncomfortable in the process. Miss Chloe doesn’t have a big appetite so this formula was mixed into a vitamin paste that she does enjoy and will eat.

 

Antiworm Food Supplement

Combine the following dry ingredients:

2 parts unsalted, raw pumpkin seeds (ground/powder)

1 part garlic powder

1 part fennel seed powder

1 part yucca root powder

You can buy these whole and grind/powder them in a herb-designated coffee grinder. Feed the mixture as part of your companion’s diet at a dosage of 1 teaspoon per pound of food fed daily. Feed five days on and two days off each week until worm populations are reduced to acceptable levels. If this formula proves to be ineffective, try adding 1 part Oregon Grape Root powder or 1 part Wormwood.

 

We stuck with the original ingredients and also gave her two herbal tincture treatments of Chamomile and Wormwood. These should be glycerites and diluted to about 1/8 to 1/16 of a drop twice a day. Wormwood can be pretty powerful. Diluting a tincture drop in an empty plastic dropper with water is an easy way to do it.

 

 

Raw pumpkin seeds are specifically indicated to expel worms, and they are very nutritious! Including ground, raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds into your animal’s regular diet may be wise.

Garlic is”anti” many things, but “pro” life! Its great to include because if any infection may be involved it is very anti-bacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and stimulating to the immune system.

Fennel Seed helps the intestinal area in a nutritive way. It can expel gas, calm cramping and stimulates muscle movement throughout the digestive tract. Animals “expelling” anything can benefit from Fennel.

Yucca Root has “soaplike” plant constituents and so gently cleanses the insides helping to expel worms. Yucca also has a nice way of optimizing nutrient uptake, something that is probably minimal in an animal that is losing nutrients to it’s parasite.

Chamomile has gentle worm-expelling properties and happens to soothe the digestive tract, something that I’m sure is in turbulance from fighting such things off.

Wormwood is specific in expelling intestinal parasites in humans and animals. It can be very potent so use it with caution. Consulting with an herbalist/practitioner first is always best with powerful herbs. If used inappopriately they can cause damage.

 

 

After treating Miss Chloe for only 5 days, her attitude is very different. Since she is an outdoor cat, we can’t tell whether she has passed any of her internal parasites, but the point of holistic therapy is to improve quality of life and its evident that she is a much happier cat. She’s approachable, has been rolling over on her back to have her tummy rubbed (she would not do this before), is purring, frolicking and generally just seems very happy and “carefree”.

 

 

Animals respond very well to natural treatments as they are more “in tune” with the natural environment. There are many great books available on treating animals with herbs, so if you want to do your companions a favor, treat them herbally! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Berries with Summer Grilling

With Independence Day coming up tomorrow and summer pretty much in full swing, many people are enjoying the hot days poolside grilling up some chicken, steak or even veggies. There’s nothing quite like hanging out with friends or family, soaking up the sun and celebrating each other’s presence with food and drink while taking a dip in the pool, playing some vollyball or horseshoes and slowing down with the season of summer.

But eater beware, once everyone breaks for mealtime, make sure to throw some summer fruits onto your plate along with whatever grilled goodie you’ve been waiting for.

As a nutritionist, I’d like to say please don’t eat that charred meat, because it’s packed with carcinogens, but when everyone’s having a good time it’s hard to be picky and listen to the inner nutritionist. But do acknowledge that once meat is grilled over an open flame, many parts get charred and that charring is just a layer of cancer causing oxidized cholesterol. Ewwww.

Charred meat is the blackened burnt portion, and of course it would be best to pick this part off and savor the marinated meat inside, but there will always be a few flecks that make it into your belly. Acting as a carcinogen, over time once broken down in the body this burnt meat can damage your cells and DNA and lead to cell mutation and cell death: cancer. Now, most people don’t eat grilled/burnt meat every day or even every week, but it’s certainly more popular in the summertime. So what can you do?

Nature’s funny in the way that it seems to provide us readily with what we need. Berries of all sorts are a summer harvest fruit and readily available. They are also packed with antioxidants, notably anthocyanins (very anti-cancer). Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, and any other kind of berry you can get your hands on are going to help the body bind with free radicals caused by oxidation to get them out of your system. So when you toss that juicy grilled piece of chicken on your (hopefully reusable, earth-friendly, possibly biodegradable) picnic plate, toss a handful of berries on there too and have a little peace of mind that even though you may be doing your body a little harm, you’re doing it a little good too.

Happy summer feasting!

Ode to Broccoli

I’ve always been strange and like broccoli. Many kids (and adults) though, do not. This might be because of the way they’ve tasted it prepared, or the aversion to eat things that are green, but broccoli truly is a wonder food.

Broccoli is a vegetable in the family known as “cruciferous”. This vegetable family also includes cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy, kale, brussel sprouts, collards greens and more. These types of vegetables are getting more and more credit for being anti-cancerous, and they very much are!

Cruciferous vegetables contain the largest amount of healthy sulphur compounds than any other vegetable group. What this means is that these compounds (little parts of the plant known as sulforaphane and isothiocyanates) enable our livers to create more of certain enzymes that help to neutralize toxic substances. This is good because we are exposed to hundreds (maybe thousands?) of toxic substances daily and it is our liver’s job to get rid of them all. Build-up of toxins can result in cell death and cell disfigurement which can lead to cancer. And check out the best part for all the calorie counters out there: 1 cup of broccoli has a mere 44 calories, so eat up!

Not only is broccoi super ant-cancer, but it is high in some other great nutrients too:

Vitamin C (1 cup gives you 123mg, RDA=75-100mg for adults)

• Helps protect cells against free radicals, aka: cancer causers
• Improves iron absorption (pair broccoli with meats)
• Adequate amounts help in wound healing
• Vitamin C is an ESSENTIAL nutrient, which means we must obtain it from our diets (no one wants scurvy!)

Vitamin A (1 cup gives you 2280IUs, RDA=2,000-3,000IUs for adults)

• Improves eyesight (night blindness anyone?)
• Boosts immune system to fight off viruses (munch on this during flu season)

Protein (1 cup gives you 4.7g, RDA=40-60mg for adults)

• Maintains a healthy immune system
• Keeps skin, hair and nails healthy
• Keeps fatigue and weakness at bay
• Helps body with enzyme production (remember we need those enzymes in the liver to help with detox)

Beta-Carotene (1 cup gives you 1840mg, no specific RDA)

• Helps fight off those free radicals
• Strengthens eyes and lungs
• Enhances immune system (seeing a repeat here?)

This isn’t it for broccoli though, it contains many more nutrients that help our bodies in so many ways.

A delicious way that I enjoy broccoli is by parboiling it and then tossing it either with a home-made dressing or just some sea salt, pepper and herbs.

A nice little trick is to use a peeler on the skin. This way once you cook it, any possibility of unappealing fibrous strings goes away (peeling the skin is not losing all the nutrients like some myths say).

To parboil, chop and clean broccoli while a pot of water comes to a boil. Toss broccoli in only for a matter of mintues (2-4) so the vegetable turns bright green but isn’t completely soft yet. Strain and run cold water over to stop the cooking process.

This way of cooking maximizes most nutrients (besides loss of some Vitamin C), takes away some of the bitter-strong flavor that some people dislike and also takes away the supposed “goitrogens” which are compounds that can promote goiters from raw broccoli.

 

There are so many ways to enjoy broccoli and to reap the benefits, even if you have to (gulp) cover it in cheese. The point is to get it on your plate and start helping your body do what it does best – detox!

Self Love Tea

After a long weekend of camping, I arrived home a little battered from nature. I spent the weekend with friends in the Prescott National Forest area at Hazlett Hollow Campground. Sunday was our day that we were in search of a waterfall, which (spoiler alert) we never found. But the hike itself was beautiful despite some poor planning on my part and some aggressive trees.

I forgot hiking shoes so decided to toughen it out and hike in flip flops. This was fine on the way down, but very rough on the way up as it’s very hard to find grip in a flip flop. The trail we were on led us to a wash we followed down that was infested with prickly branches, one of which managed to smack me in the face and cut my lip open. We did find some nice “mini” waterfalls at the bottom and some nice natural pools, but up again we went. Many scratches later I found myself back at the campsite cleaning up and applying some home-made calendula salve. And then since I apparently hadn’t managed to torture myself enough I ended up burning two fingers on a hot rock from our fire pit.

Combine all my nature wounds with chilly nights and generally achiness from sleeping on hard ground and I’m ready for some self-love! There can be many reasons to need a little self-love… and my weekend was a good reminder to slow down and take care of myself. For some comfort I made this delicious (if I do say so myself) tea blend. Feel free to re-create and enjoy!

 

 

Self-Love Tea:

Equal parts organic hawthorne berries, hibiscus petals, raspberry leaves, dandelion root.

• Combine 4 tablespoons herb to 4 cups hot water.
• Allow herb to infuse for about half an hour.
• Discard herb and enjoy tea (reheat if hot tea is desired).
• Add honey for some sweetness

Hawthorne berries are an all-around heart tonic for physical or emotional healing.  Hibiscus petals are tart and sweet and add some Vitamin C to the tea. Raspberry leaves are a women’s tonic, great for the reproductive organs and energetically empowering for the women’s force.  Dandelion root is a liver tonic and helps with detox.

Enjoy and feel the love!

Strong as a horse, with Horsetail!

horsetail at scnm

As a child I was always fascinated by this hollow, segmented plant. I’d find it along roadways, damp ditches and in the middle of fields. I’d often pick a few to dry as part of a bouquet and have fun pulling the segments apart and trying to fit them back together, although I never knew this plant’s name or its purpose.

Equisetum arvense, or commonly named Horsetail is an herb for strength.

Horsetail has a very high silica content (80%) which is a very (if not the most) abundant element on Earth. Many forms of silica however are poorly absorbed by the body, but not in Horsetail. Coming from this plant, the silica is easily metabolized by our bodies and utilized. This is important because silica is the starting point for the formation of all connective tissue including bone, cartilage, skin, blood and more. In fact, the body can turn silica into calcium when it is deprived of this nutrient, in a sense making Horsetail a “high-calcium” herb! Many diseases start with the degeneration of connective tissue, and the body and mind start to fade. A little horsetail tea may give the body a little extra boost.

Just think of all the calcium deficient diseases out there, now how about some Horsetail to strengthen your structure?

For some further reading on calcium and silica, this is a good article:

http://www.evolutionhealth.com/minerals/calcium-deception.html

To start using Horsetail, it’s best taken as a tea.

• Acquire 2 teaspoons of organic, dried Equisetum arvense
• Boil 1 cup of clean water

Pour boiling water over the dried herb and let sit for 15-20 minutes. Strain the herb from water, discard herb (great for compost) and consume medicinal tea. This can be drunk 1-3 times per day.

Horsetail can be a little harsh to the intestinal tract if consumed regularly because of the grainy silica, so add some soothing herbs to the tea mixture to avoid this (Marshmallow, Chickweed, Oats).

Be cautious that Horsetail consumption can lead to the depletion of Vitamin B1 (essential for energy production in brain) so if taking Horsetail long-term, adding a B vitamin supplement would be wise. Foods high in B1 are sunflower seeds, brown rice, peanuts, whole grains, romaine lettuce, asparagus, spinach and green peas. Including these food in a regular diet can help secure the proper nutrients. Also, be aware that Horsetail is a diuretic, which can lead to excess potassium loss if used regularly. So throw in some bananas, avocados, more spinach and squash. “Bon appetit”!

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will”. – Gandhi