Daily Herb-o-Scope - A Peppermint Preview

The third installment of our garden fiasco, is peppermint! UMMM! Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) is so delightful. Its cool and refreshing flavor makes it a valuable asset in many commercial products. But don't write off peppermint as only being valuable for freshening your breath. It has medicinal properties are noteworthy.

A main debate that herbalists have over peppermint is the temperature. Now we can all agree that it is sweet and pungent with a drying quality; however, is it cooling or warming? It elicits a very cooling effect, but it is also warming in its ability to make you sweat. So, I'll sit on the fence on this one and say that it's both. I fell that it warms first and then cools. So this summer, make yourself a glass of peppermint ice tea and decide for yourself if you think it's cooling or warming. Enough with the debate, lets learn about peppermint.


I feel that peppermints most valuable trait is the effect that it has on the digestive system. Its carminative and antisposmodic effects help to relax the muscles of the digestive tract helping to alleviate gas that's causing pain, indigestion, colic, IBS, gastritis, nausea and vomiting. One study found that its relief with indigestion may be due to its ability to relax the esophagel sphincter, releasing any air that might be trapped. When I get sick (throw up sick) I find nothing as helpful as a warm cup of peppermint tea. It helps to sooth my tummy in a way that no other herb can. It is also helpful and safe to use in cases of motion sickness and morning sickness during pregnancy.


Peppermint can also help with liver and gallbladder Qi stagnation. In western terms this means that peppermint can decongest these organs helping bile to flow and relieving a symptom picture of indigestion, borborygmus, nausea, vomiting and headaches. Overall, stagnation in the liver and the gallbladder causes a poor breakdown of food and toxins resulting in very poor digestion and a build up of toxins in the body. Liver Yang Rising is another condition that peppermint may help with. Causing dizziness, headaches, tremors, vertigo, a red face and anger, Liver Yang Rising is often the result of alcoholism and should be addressed if experienced.


I also find peppermint to be very beneficial as a steam bath or in a regular bath. A steam bath of peppermint can be very useful in cases of nasal congestion, asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis and laryngitis, and a regular bath with peppermint can help to cool and refresh the mind and relax and soothe sore muscles. Using peppermint tea as a mouthwash helps to freshen breath and kill certain bacteria and viruses.


The raw herb can also be used as a insect and pest repellent. When stuffed in to mattresses it can help discourage bed bugs and the whole plant can also keep mice and rats out of food storage areas. Burning peppermint can clear negative energy in a room or house.


Peppermint has no known side effects and no drug interactions reported, although it is contraindicated with gallstones, liver disease and esophagel reflux and concentrated forms should not be given to infants and children. Pregnant women should have no more than 1 cup of tea a day and it can dry up mothers milk so you may wish to avoid peppermint is you are lactating. Hoffman suggests 1-2 ml of tincture 3 times a day (1:5 in 40% alcohol) and Duke recommends 1 tablespoon of fresh mint or 1 teaspoon of dry mint covered with 1 cup of boiling water seeped for 10 minutes. If seeped any less, the maximum amount of essential oils will not be extracted for the plant material.


Peppermint is such a wonderful herb with wonderful health benefits. So even though in the garden, mint plants grow like weeds and tend to take over huge areas, now that you know medicinal uses of mint, you can find many different ways to use it all.


Sources:

Blumenthal, M (2003). The ABC clinical guide to herbs. Austin, TX: The American Botanical Council.

Duke, J. A. (2000). The green pharmacy herbal handbook: your comprehensive reference to the best herbs for healing. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Reach.

Hoffman, D. (2003). Medical herbalism: the science and practice of herbal medicine. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.

Holmes, P. (2007) The energetics of western herbs: a materia medica integrating Western and Chinese herbal therapeutics (Rev. &enl. 4th ed.). Cotati, CA: Snow Lotus Perss.

Levy, J. d. ( 1997). Common herbs for natural health (Rev, expanded ed.) Woodstock, NY: Ash Tree Pub.

Mars, B. (2007). The desktop guide for natural medicine. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications. 

Daily Herb-o-Scope: The Rosemary Rundown

The next herb I would like to speak about in our garden edition of posts is Rosemary. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is pungent and bitter and has a warm and dry quality to it. It is very popular cooking herb and for just cause.

Rosemary has a wonderful flavor, and it helps to aid in the digestion of fats and starches and helps to preserve food by inhibiting food borne microbs. Its warming effect on the gut can help with indigestion with abdominal pain and bloating and loose mucousy stools. A western diagnosis would include chronic gastroenteritis, colitis and stomach upset that has a physiological basis.

Rosemary's warm and dry qualities also helpful to the respiratory and the reproductive systems. In the lungs, it dispels wind-damp-cold, helping to relieve symptoms of a full cough with white frothy sputum. In the reproductive system rosemary acts as a stimulant for scanty, delayed or stopped periods with low sexual energy. Other Chinese syndromes that rosemary might be helpful for include Heart and Kidney Yang deficiency presenting circulation issues, low blood pressure fatigue and cold limbs; and Heart Blood deficiency and Spleen Qi deficiency.

The rosemary plant is a symbol of remembrance. Ancient Greeks used to wear rosemary to keep their memory sharp during exams. By improving peripheral circulation as well as circulation to the brain, rosemary helps to improve memory. Many constituents of rosemary have been linked to inhibiting the break down of acetylcholine in the brain. A deficiency of acetylcholine has been linked to Alzheimer's disease, making rosemary a great herb to help with memory issues, in the short and long term. Rosemary paired with ginkgo would be a great combination to help individuals with memory issues.


Rosemary is also a great herb to combat thinning hair and premature balding. A tea can be used as a hair wash to strengthen and brighten hair, or make an infused oil and rub it directly on the scalp to help stimulate hair follicle growth and increase circulation to the area.


Other functions of rosemary include being an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, spasmolytic and a stimulant to the immune system and nervous system. Several of these functions make rosemary a great herb, both for internal and external use, for muscle pain, arthritis, sciatica and neuralgia.

Some non-medicinal uses of rosemary include placing sprigs in books to help deter moths and to burn the herb to help purify a room. Rosemary is one of Juliette de Bairacli Levy favorite herbs and she described how Gypsies would hang sprigs of rosemary in their vans for protection against evil and children would put it under their pillows to protect against nightmares.


Avoid therapeutic doses during pregnancy but it is ok to use it in food as a seasoning. The volatile oil, camphor, may cause convulsions so do not take therapeutic doses if you have epilepsy or have experience seizures. Extremely large doses of rosemary may be fatal. Enjoy a cup of rosemary tea by covering 1 tsp of rosemary in 1 cup of hot water once a day. If you are taking a tincture, Hoffman suggests 1-2 ml 3 times a day (1:5 in 40% alcohol). The German Commission E recommends a total of 4-6 grams per day.

Overall, rosemary is wonderful herb to use in the kitchen as well as in the medicine cabinet. It has many uses and is an ideal herb to assist in the treatment of elderly individuals because of its effect on circulation, memory and its ability to help with digestion.




Sources

Duke, J. A. (2000). The green pharmacy herbal handbook: your comprehensive reference to the best herbs for healing. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Reach.

Hoffman, D. (2003). Medical herbalism: the science and practice of herbal medicine. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.

Holmes, P. (2007) The energetics of western herbs: a materia medica integrating Western and Chinese herbal therapeutics (Rev. &enl. 4th ed.). Cotati, CA: Snow Lotus Perss.

Levy, J. d. ( 1997). Common herbs for natural health (Rev, expanded ed.) Woodstock, NY: Ash Tree Pub.

Mars, B. (2007). The desktop guide for natural medicine. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications. 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21896322

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21452174

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21382660

Daily Herb-o-Scope: Beloved Basil

This week, I want to do a mini-series of posts about herbs that you would find in your garden this summer or in your kitchen cabinet. Herbal medicine can be so accessible and I just want to bring so awareness to the fact that you can help yourself in times of need, sometimes with things that are already present in your home. Today we will talk about basil.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is such a lovely culinary herb with a detailed history of use. It is considered an herb of protection, attracting luck and good fortune. This thought of protection extended to the afterlife, as the Egyptians used basil as an embalming herb and in ancient India, basil water was used to wash the dead. Known as a "royal herb" basil was a requirement in the diets of royalty, helping to bring about good fortune. The Jewish people use a basil spray to give them strength during their times of fasting. Presently, basil is a very popular herb in the culinary arts and for good reasons. Not only is it very tasty but basil's essential oil helps to prevent the spread of food borne bacteria. Basil has also been used medicinally as well.

The leaf of basil is pungent, bitter and aromatic and it is warm and dry. The reason I find the energetics of the herb (ie taste, temperature and moisture) to be so important, is so we can match the qualities of the illness to the qualities of the herb. For example, basil is warm and dry making it helpful for cold, damp conditions, especially of the respiratory system, the digestive system and the reproductive system.

In the respiratory system, cold and damp manifestations are ones that we often see in the winter as colds and flus (so don't get rid of all your basil at the end of the summer). Cold in the respiratory system is seen as a cough with thin white sputum or nasal congestion with white discharge. Basil helps to warm up the lungs and expectorate (to cough up) any lingering gunk in the chest. A steam bath of fresh basil leaves can be a big relief to these respiratory issues.

In the digestive system, cold causes dull pain and slow digestion. Basil can promote digestion and help combat pain and indigestion. It also helps to quell spasms in the gut including hiccoughs and can relieve nausea and vomiting.

Cold in the reproductive system results in slow, late periods with dull, aching cramps. Basil is a good choice for this sort of symptom picture. Basil tea, when served to a woman that has just given birth, can be helpful to expel the placenta.


Externally, basil leaves can be crushed directly on to the skin to help get rid of warts and ringworm and to repel against bugs, snakes, scorpions and poisonous spiders. In the garden, the whole plant repels insects from its neighboring plants and when put in a pot on the dinner table, the basil helps to keep the flies away. It also makes a tasty gargle for fight against plaque and tooth decay and when added to the bath, basil leaves provide an amazing aroma and an energizing effect.  


Basil is generally regarded as safe although I would avoid therapeutic doses during pregnancy (use in food is ok). Tierra suggests making a therapeutic infusion using 3-9 grams of herb and a tincture of 2-4ml @ 1:3 in 45% alcohol is what Holmes recommends.

Overall, basil is a wonderful herb with a long standing history. Presently, it is used more in the kitchen than for medicinal purposes; however, hopefully with more awareness will come more use. So before you give away or get rid of all your basil at the end of the summer, you may want to save some and dry it for any issues you may encounter down the road.  

Sources:

Duke, J. A. (2000). The green pharmacy herbal handbook: your comprehensive reference to the best herbs for healing. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Reach.

Holmes, P. (2007) The energetics of western herbs: a materia medica integrating Western and Chinese herbal therapeutics (Rev. &enl. 4th ed.). Cotati, CA: Snow Lotus Perss.

Levy, J. d. ( 1997). Common herbs for natural health (Rev, expanded ed.) Woodstock, NY: Ash Tree Pub.

Mars, B. (2007). The desktop guide for natural medicine. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications. 

 Tierra, M. (1988). Planetary herbology: an integration of Western herbs into the traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic systems. Twin Lakes, WI: Lotus Press.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21462837

Daily Herb-o-Scope - What do you think?

Hi Everyone! It has been 4 weeks since I decided to start blogging and I couldn't be happier with the results. Hopefully you are finding this information helpful or at least interesting. I would love to get some feedback from you, the reader. What do you think of my first month of blogging? Are there any topics you would like me to cover or herbs you would like to know more about? I am so excited to share my knowledge that sometimes I overlook important pieces to the puzzle. I would love some feedback. Thank you, the reader, for helping me to share this important information with the world. You are all a key ingredient in seeing my dreams come to fruition.

Daily Herb-o-Scope - Tea Time

There is a simple and satisfying beauty about a cup of tea. When that warm cup of herbal tea hits your lips, it warms and soothes the entire body; however, a cup of tea provides more than comfort. For thousands of years, tea was the main way to internally take plant medicine and today it is still enjoyed by cultures all over the world.


Tea is not as potent as tinctures, which are concentrated forms of the herbs. Only within the last 100 years has there been a push to tinctures and more potent extracts, but this doesn't mean that teas are any less effective. Water extraction or tea is a great way for our body's to get the minerals from the plant, a necessity for health maintenance. Tea is also easily assimilated by the body, allowing the plant medicine to quickly enter your system and they are particularly amazing at helping with chronic, long term issues. They also help to keep us hydrated.


Herbal teas are also very versatile. They can be made using so many different plants and can be served are any temperature, including frozen. Adding fruit juice to a tea brew and freezing it into Popsicle makes an excellent remedy for young children or anyone young at heart. You can also brew a large amount at one time and store the tea in an airtight jar in the refrigerator. This way you don't need to go through the whole process every time you want a cup of tea. A batch of tea can usually last 3-4 days in the refrigerator; however, if you start to see little bubbles in your tea after it has sat for a few days, the fermentation process has begun and its time to brew a new batch. In general, I use 1-3 tablespoons of dried herb per cup of water, depending on the herb, the intention of the tea (healing or pleasure) and my taste buds at the moment. If you are using fresh herb, use twice as much. You may want to grind the herb before tossing it into the water. This creates more surface area and a better brew but it is also harder to strain out the particles.  Infusions and decoctions are two methods for brewing tea.


Infusion
An infusion is made when you are using the delicate parts of the plant. This includes the flowers, leaves and twigs or roots containing delicate essential oils (valerian, ginger, osha, etc.). To make an infusion boil water, add your herb to the boiling water and immediately remove the pot from the heat, cover with a lid and let the tea steep for at least 30 minutes. Because these parts of the plant readily give up their constituents into the water, there is no need to simmer the plant material. You want to make sure you are putting a cover on the pot so that essential oils or important constituents don't escape with the steam. The longer you steep the tea the stronger it will be. Dosage for medicinal teas is usually several cups a day for long term, chronic issues, And several sips every 30 minutes for acute issues.


Decoction
A decoction is made from the tougher parts of the plant, like the roots, seeds and bark. These parts must be simmered on a low heat because it is harder to extract the good stuff from the plant into the water. To make a decoction, place the herbs in a pot, cover with cool water and place the lid on top. Then slowly simmer the herbs on a low to medium heat for a least 20 minutes, remember that longer means stronger which usually equates to more medicinal and more medicinal tasting.


Solar and Lunar Teas
Another way to experience the wonder of herbal teas is to make a Solar or lunar tea. Mose people have had experience with sun tea in the summer, by putting loose herb or teabags in a glass jar filled with water and letting the sun brew the tea. I find this method of brewing to be wonderful because I feel that the healing properties of the sun penetrate the tea. Lunar teas tend to be very magical and mystical. The tea is not as strong as a sun tea but the quality is strangely effective. To make a lunar tea, its the same process as a solar tea but instead of setting it in the sun, set it under the moon, preferably when it is full or close to being full. I like to match my solar and lunar teas to the purpose of the tea. If my blend is to energize my body or my mind, help with circulation or heat up my system I prefer to make a solar tea. If my tea blend is to calm anxiety, help with sleep or cool an overheated system I like to make a lunar tea.


Overall tea is an amazing beverage with so many possibilities. So many different herbs can be used to make an enjoyable and medicinal brew.


Sources


Green, J. (2000). The herbal medicine-makers' handbook: a home manual. Freedom, Calif.: The Crossing Press.

Levy, J. d. (1997). Common herbs for natural health (Rev. expanded ed.). Woodstock, NY: Ash Tree Pub.

Mars, B. (2007). The desktop guide to herbal medicine. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications.

Duke, J. A. (2000). The green pharmacy herbal handbook: your comprehensive reference to the best herbs for healing. Emmaus, Pa: Rodale Reach.

Daily Herb-o-Scope - Colorado wild fires

My home state of Colorado is in desperate need for some rain. Currently, wild fires are are burning out of control, putting lives, property and peoples well being at risk of being destroyed. With this, I wanted to send positive rain filled thoughts this way.

There are many examples of the physical manifestations of positive thoughts but my favorite is the experiments done by Japanese Doctor, Masaru Emoto. Dr. Emoto has done experiments showing that the thoughts of individuals can actually change the crystalline structure of water. When positive and loving words were expressed to water the structure of the water turned into theses beautiful shapes. When negative words or intentions were expressed to the water, their structure was more random and certainly less beautiful. This, I feel is one example of the power of thoughts and intentions.

You may think its hokie, but please take a minute to visualize rain falling in Colorado, helping to extinguish the wild fires. Don't approach it from a sense of fear of the fire but more from a place of gratitude for the rain. I thank you for taking this time to to send some positive thoughts to people in need.

References

http://www.whatthebleep.com/crystals/

Daily Herb-o-Scope - Unstuff with natural remedies for Chronic Sinusitis

The sinuses are air filled spaces in the face for the sound from the voice to resonate. There is not adequate drainage from the sinuses to the nasal cavity so they can become blocked easily trapping infection. When these cavities become inflamed and infected they can cause headaches, ear aches, post nasal drip, congestion, pain, pressure, face tenderness and a loss of smell. Sinusitis can be caused by stress, allergies, food allergies, structural issues (polyps or deviated septum), environmental issues (smoke, dust, air pollution, animal dander, etc.) or microbs (bacteria, virus or fungi). Long term, sinusitis can cause changes in the epithelial lining of the sinus cavity causing the growth of polyps which block the flow of mucus creating a breading ground for bacteria, thus perpetuating the problem.

When sinusitis becomes chronic, lasting more than 12 weeks or when it is reoccurring, happening more than 4 times a year, it can take a toll of the health of the entire body and on the mental health of the individual. So here I have provided some natural remedies to combat chronic sinusitis. 

Herbs can be a great way to help alleviate the symptoms as well as help to balance out the body for long term relief. Helpful cooling herbs for sinus infections of a hot nature (yellow or green nasal discharge) include:

• Elder berries (Sambucus nigra): dispels wind-heat, resolves mucus damp, promotes detoxification, softens deposits and reduces inflammation.
• Echinacea root (Echinacea angustifolia, E. purpurea, E. pallida): reduces infection and inflammation, stimulates immunity, reduces allergies, dispels wind-heat, promotes tissue repair, and relieves pain and swelling.
• Andrographis (Andrographis paniculata): anti-infective, immunostimulant, and anti-inflammatory.

Helpful warming herbs for sinus issues of a cold nature (white or clear nasal discharge) include:

• Angelica root (Angelica archangelica): dispels wind -cold and wind-damp in the head, stimulates immunity and reduces infective.
• Cocklebur (Xanthium sibiricum): mucostatic, decongestant, anti-inflammatory, anti-infective and dispels damp-cold in the head  (The fruit of this herb looks like little drill bits to help drill out sinus congestion).
• Magnolia bud (Magnolia liliflora): nasal/mucosal restorative, decongestant, anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, immune regulator and dispels damp-cold in the head.
• Horseradish (Cochlearia armoracia): opens the sinuses, reduces infection and promotes tissue repair.

          Other helpful herbs include:

• Adaptogen herbs to help strengthen the body and strengthen any deficiencies that may be causing reoccurring issues. Such herbs include American Ginseng, Ashwaganda, Astragalus, Reshi mushrooms, Schisandra Eleuthero and Suma.
• Chinese formulas Bi Yan Pian and Pe Min Kan Wan may also be helpful, but check the indications to match you symptoms with the correct remedy.   

     While an infection is taking place, I find steam baths to be very effective. They help to promote drainage and decrease congestion. I take a pot of boiling water off the stove and set it on a chair or on the floor. Then I take a towel and create a tent over my head. Make sure you are careful not to burn yourself and have tissues ready because the drainage is pretty much immediate. Adding essential oils can multiply the benefits. Eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, pine, tea tree and thyme are a few of the essential oils that might help. If you decide to use them you only need to add a few drops to the pot of water after you take it off the stove. I also think the neti pot is very helpful.

     Personally, I feel that food allergies are a huge cause of many chronic and reoccurring sinus issues. There are certain foods that you may wish to avoid, either during an infection or long term. Dairy and wheat are foods that can increase mucus production and these are also foods that people tend to have food allergies to. Synthetic food coloring, preservatives, corn and sugar are also common allergens and can suppress your immune system. You may want to try eliminating these foods and then one by one add them back into your diet. This is a great way to see which foods you have issues with.

     Overall there are many things that you can do to help alleviate the symptoms of chronic sinusitis; however, if this is an ongoing issue you may want to consult an herbalist to help identify the root of your sinus issues.

References   

Battaglia, S. (2003). The complete guide to aromatherapy (2nd ed.). Brisbane: International Centre of Holistic Aromatherapy.


Chester, A. (1996). Chronic Sinusitis. American Family Physician, 53 (3), 877-997.


Hoffmann, D. (2003). Medical herbalism: the science and practice of herbal medicine. Rochester, Vt.: Healing Arts Press.


Holmes, P. (1996). Jade remedies a Chinese herbal reference for the West. Boulder (Colo.): Snow Lotus Press.


Holmes, P. (2007). The energetics of Western herbs: a materia medica integrating Western and Chinese herbal therapeutics (Rev & enl. 4th ed.). Cotati, Calif.: Snow Lotus Press.


Levy, J. d. (1997). Common herbs for natural health (Rev., expanded ed.). Woodstock, N.Y.: Ash Tree Pub..


Tierra, M., & Frawley, D. (1988). Planetary herbology: an integration of Western herbs into the traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic systems. Twin Lakes, Wis.: Lotus Press.


Tierra, M. (1998). The way of Chinese herbs. New York: Pocket Books.