The Sweet Taste of Life: A place for sweetness in the medicine cabinet and pantry

It's Blog Party time! Visit Kiva's blog for the rest of the contributions to this months blog party on sweet medicines!

Here's my exposition on the place for sweetness in our medicines and foods, and my "Sweet Melissa Divine" honey!

Who doesn’t enjoy the sweet taste of a special treat after supper, a little drizzle of honey in the evening cup of tea, or a morsel of sweet chocolate? It seems as if the sweet taste is irresistible to the human animal, and though will power and dedication can steer us away from indulging in sugary sweets daily that rot our teeth and lead us down the garden path of deteriorating health, there is still a craving for the sweet taste of fresh fruits and small indulgences that is natural to our taste buds.

Though I am the last person who will tell you that eating sugar is even remotely good for you, I want to explore how the sweet taste can mean so much more than “sugar” to our body, mind and spirit. Most traditional medical systems, including Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Unani Tibb reserve a place in the therapeutic toolbox for medicines and foods of a sweet nature. Yes, that is correct, the sweet taste DOES have a therapeutic value, and many traditional systems have recognized it and put it to work for thousands of years.

Both TCM and Ayurveda have a classification of the five or six primary tastes, which include sweet, sour, salty, acrid/pungent, bitter, and astringent. According to these systems the body must receive all the tastes on a daily basis to maintain balance. Too much of one or not enough of another can tip the scales in an unwanted direction. This is easily seen by the excess of sweet tastes in the modern SAD diet, and the resulting problems with obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes.

According to TCM, the sweet taste is warming, strengthening, harmonizing, relaxing and moistening. It builds up energy and strengthens spleen qi, nourishes body fluids and is associated with the energy of yang and earth. Too much of sweet flavor can produce dampness, obesity, and weakness in the kidneys, teeth and bones. In Ayurveda the sweet taste is used to pacify excess pitta and vata conditions (excess heat, dryness, or ungroundedness). It builds and restores the water element and ojas (life force/vitality). It represents the qualities of love nourishment and sustenance.

In a sense, the sweet flavor is the primary taste that provides nourishment and the building of energy both in the body and the mind. It is important to remember that the six tastes effect the spirit and mind just as much as they do the body, and the sweet taste will nourish the heart and spirit, build strength and energy of heart and spirit, and calm states of deranged pitta or vata (think bouts of anger, emotional upset, ungroundedness, bitterness, dryness or lack of luster and verve for living.) It’s not a surprise then that we crave sweet foods to console ourselves in times of emotional upset, or to soothe sensations of physical weakness, or deprivation. We must also remember that as much digestion as our stomach, spleen, liver and intestines do, our minds also digest myriad forms, thoughts, ideas, events and emotions on a daily basis. It is just as important to fill the mind with healthy, nourishing thoughts and emotions, and that our mind be able to digest well that which we provide it. The sweet taste is not to be reviled in our quest to shun refined white sugar which harms our health, but must be used with respect in appropriate fashion to nourish our minds with the sweetness of life, and nourish our bodies with strength and energy.

There are many foods which qualify as “sweet” that are completely unrelated to sugar, honey, syrup or candies. I generally recommend using the following foods as our main sources of “sweetness” on a daily basis.

Fruits (often of mixed flavor with sour, or astringent)

Nuts/seeds

Whole grains

Meats

Dairy products

Winter squashes and other starchy vegetables

But there is a time and a place for sweet medicines and you will often find traditional formulas from ayurveda or TCM with raw sugar, honey or syrup added as an important player, either as a corrigent or as an active component. For example, rose gulkand, a very cooling, soothing food to pacify pitta (especially in hot, dry summer months) is made primarily with rose petals and jaggery (raw cane sugar). Many herbal formulas are administered in honey and ghee, i.e. Chavawanprash- a complex rejuvenative formula.

All that said, let’s dive into the sweetest, loveliest of sweet medicines I’ve been creating lately, herbal honey!

Honey is one of my favorite methods of administering herbal medicines, and I often mixed powdered herbs into a jar of honey for a sweet easy to take honey herb paste. This is much like the Ayurvedic herbal jam Chavawanprash, which combines herbs, honey, and ghee. These can be spread on crackers, fruit, or eaten off the spoon. Honey itself is considering warming, moistening (demulcent/emollient), and rejuvenative/nutritive. It is full of nutrients, enzymes and other health promoting compounds aside from the sugar content. Honey is used to bring herbal medicines deeper into all the tissues of the body.

My favorite way to use honey medicinally is to steep fresh aromatic medicinal herbs in raw, local honey for a week or so and infuse it with all the properties of the herbs. These medicinal honeys can be used as a dressing for wounds and burns, as herbal syrup, stirred into hot or cool water for a refreshing drink, mixed in tea, or even used as a beauty treatment (there is something lovely and luscious about smearing honey all over your face as a hydrating, soothing face mask. Or anywhere else for that matter!)

The most recent herbal honey I’ve made is a fresh lemon balm in mesquite honey, and it is a lovely, divine elixir. I think I’m going to call it “Sweet Melissa Divine” in honor of the plant, the bees that made the honey, and the Bee Priestesses called Melissa in The Fifth Sacred Thing. This summer elixir will be put too good use as an antiviral wound dressing, a sweetener for fresh lemonade, as a mood brightening sweet treat to dress fruit, berries, or fresh yogurt. In light of the mood lifting and soothing properties of the sweet flavor, and the sweet uplifting spirit of Melissa officinalis, this honey will be a perfect remedy for a mild case of the winter blues, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), insomnia, stagnant depression and mild anxiety.

Sweet Melissa honey  has also found its way into a magical and delicious potion called Sweet Melissa Divine Elixir- a stunning and remarkably effective combination of the lemon balm infused honey and a full strength fresh plant lemon balm tincture.  This sweet medicine is delicious, easy to take, and excellent for soothing those grumpies in adults and children alike.  My partner Sean likes to use it at summer music festivals in cases of heat exhaustion.   No complaints with this tasty medicine!  It's a treat for everyone! I have a few of these available in my Etsy shop if you would like to get your hot little hands on one!

Sweet Melissa Elixir @ Etsy.com

Other favorite herbal honeys include rose, lavender, rosemary, bee balm monarda, and peppermint. I have a hankering to make St Johns Wort honey, but alas, I live in a land nearly devoid of fresh St Johns Wort, so will have to save it for another year.

Making herbal honeys is quite simple. Many times I’ve read to heat the honey, but heating raw honey too hot can destroy the properties, so I choose to cold process my herbal honeys.

1 pint jar

1 pint honey (raw and local if you can find it)

Enough herb of your choice to fill the jar full (do not pack it too tight, just loosely full)

Chop the herb finely and add to the jar. Pour honey over the herb until well covered, you may use a little less or a little more honey depending on the herb. Stir the concoction well with a spoon or chopstick to ensure all the herb bits are coated in honey. Put a lid on and set in a warm spot for 1-2 weeks. You may put it in the sun if it isn’t too hot.

After the allotted time (and several taste tests between putting it up and now), you may choose to strain the herbs from the honey using a wire mesh strainer. Hopefully your honey is relatively runny and warm from the summer climate and can be poured reasonably. If it isn’t, you may need to GENTLY warm it to thin it out. I recommend a hot water bath for just a few minutes. Reserve the honey in a special jar with a label. Eat the herbs! Or rub them on your body for an instant hydrating herbal scrub.

Use the honey generously and as often as you need to nourish the sweetness of life in your spirit and body.

Sources:

Chinese Nutrition Therapy, Joerg Kastner

Ayurveda: The Devine Science of Life, Todd Caldecott

Ayurveda: the Science of Self Healing, Vasant Lad

Cool, calm and collected with Roses

Last months blog party was on staying cool in summer heat, and I wasn't able to put anything together in time, but we've been having a bit of a heat wave in the Northeast this past week or two and I've been turning to Rose to keep the heat from rising too much!

Rose, besides being sweet smelling, heart soothing and settling to emotional frights and upsets, is a wonderful cooling remedy. Roses gently move blood, are slightly bitter, astringent, antiinflammatory, nervine and nourishingly rich in vitamins, minerals and bioflavanoids.

I always turn to rose for burns. Sunburns respond amazingly quickly to an application of rose vinegar diluted in water. I've also used a rose tincture applied similarly with great results. I also turn to rose for cooling and calming red inflammed and damaged skin- either on the face or elsewhere- heat rash, red and painful chaffed skin, cold sores, and the delicate skin of the face in rosacea or general sun damage. Rose tea, rose tincture, rose vinegar, rose hydrosol, rose infused oil, and rose otto all work well in these cases. I choose the preparation that is both convienently close by, and appropriate for the situation at hand. i.e. tea or vinegar as a compress for heat rash, oil for damaged skin or inflammed dry rashes, hydrosol to cool and calm.

I use Rose tincture diluted in a saline solution as an eyewash that offers quick relief and healing from burning, redness, itchiness, or in removing a particle of something in the eye. Rose eyewash works really well for the unfortunate experience of hot burning chile pepper/cayenne in the eyes! Just make sure to strain the solution well through a coffee filter to avoid putting more particles in the eye. I dilute 30 drops of tincture in 1 oz of saline solution (1/2 tsp non iodized salt in 8 oz water), and use an eye cup, or a shot glass, or just use a clean dropper to rinse and irrigate the eye. You can also use rose hydrosol for this.

But lately, as I've been dealing with the hot, sticky humid New England heat wave, rose has made its way into my daily routine in the following ways.

After a sticky, hot walk outside I drink a glass of cool water with a splash of rose hydrosol. Yum! you can also add a spoonful of rose petal honey to this to make it a bit sweeter. Some days I add a generous splash of rose petal elixir to the mix as well. Feel free to mix and match to what suits you. If you like the taste you can also make a rose vinegar and rose honey mix to add to your water.

I frequently mist my face, neck, chest and back with a blend of rose tea, rose vinegar, and rose hydrosol mixed in a mister bottle. You can add a drop of rose otto, lavender essential oil, or peppermint essential oil if you like.

After a cool shower I massage my skin with a rose infused and scented oil- honestly I can't say how directly cooling the oil massage is, but it feels so beautiful after a cooling shower, and heart nourishing- do it just to love yourself. Anoint your heart with rose.

Include rose petals- either fresh or dried in your daily infusions. This can be very astringent and drying, so take note of how much rose you use, and if you are already dry and dehyrated or live in a dry/hot climate, you might consider adding a demulcent like marshmallow root to the infusion as well.

I like to use the fragrant wild roses for most of my medicinal preparations, but note that unsprayed cultivated roses and the wild multiflora rose which is less fragrant still make wonderful cooling medicines - as vinegars, elixirs, infused honey and tea.

Blog Party: Bioregional Allies for Influenza: Butterfly Weed

Blog Party: See all the amazing entries at www.methowvalleyherbs.blogspot.com

One of my favorite wildflowers that is widespread across much of the country, in patches, and grows quite well in the southwestern Sky Island mountains is Butterfly Weed, or Pleurisy Root (Asclepias tuberose). Not strictly limited to the Southwest, and certainly a very commonly cultivated plant, I choose it as one of my prime allies for influenza.

Influenza is primarily a respiratory illness, and

beautiful Butterfly Weed, is a versatile and complicated plant which has a strong affinity for the respiratory tract. Known in herbal circles more commonly as Pleurisy Root, this plant from the Milkweed family was often used for exactly that, Pleurisy, a very painful, acute inflam

mation of the pleural lining of the lungs, in which there can be fluid build-up between the pleura and lungs. Pleurisy usually occurs from an acute infection like influenza, pneumonia, or in autoimmune conditions with widespread inflammation. Pleurisy aside, Butterfly Weed (the name I prefer to call it by) is definitely a good choice in any respiratory condition with inflammation and dampness, including influenza.

Butterfly Weed, in the Asclepidaceae family, is named for Asclepias, the Greek god of healing. Its virtues are many and diverse, and thus was well respected throughout history as a healing medicine plant. Butterfly Weed is one of few plants in the milkweed family that doesn’t have a milky white sap and is a primary food source for Monarch butterflies. It can be very locally abundant in the right environment, but it is less com

mon than one might suspect, and due to this fact, and its ecological importance, one must wild craft this healer with care. Here in the Southwestern mountains I find it in the regions of transition between oak/juniper woodlands to ponderosa pine forest, often growing among the rocky banks of dry arroyos. Its brilliant orange flowers in early summer are a tell tale giveaway to its identity and location, but is otherwise a non-descript green plant easy to overlook.

Butterfly weed is relaxant, stimulant, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, lymphatic tonic, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, and emetic. One of the finest relaxing diaphoretics in our western materia medica, I usually turn to Butterfly Weed when my other favorite relaxing diaphoretic, Elder flower hasn’t been as effective as hoped. It is specific to feverish conditions where the skin is hot and dry, and the individual is tense, and experiencing inflammation, pain and fluid congestion in the respiratory tract. It relaxes tension in the tissues of the skin, mucous membranes (think respiratory, digestive and urinary systems), and allows fluid balance and movement to be restored. It will readily produce a sweat in those hot, dry and tense feverish folks, dilate the bronchials, ease expectoration of mucus, and ease pain and inflammation. This can be especially helpful in influenza which is characterized by hyper immune response resulting in inflammatory cytokine storm, with fluid build up. I also fin

d it to be extremely useful in those feverish cases when the person really needs to relax and sleep, Butterfly weed eases those individuals into a relaxed state where sleep will come easier and they will get the rest they need to recover.

Butterfly weed is most effective when given as a warm tea, 1 tsp of root per cup, taken 2-3 times per day. Though I find administering smaller portions 2-3 tablespoons or a few swallows at a time, over the course of 30 min to an hour can be quite effective as well, and far more tolerable to most folks, as the taste of butterfly weed is hard to swallow. A tincture of the fresh root is also an effective medicine, and I like to administer it as such: 2-3 droppers of tincture in hot water, sipped slowly over 30 min to an hour.

Butterfly weed can be very useful in bringing down a high fever to a healthy level, by opening pores and stimulating circulation to the surface of the skin and away from the core. I like to put the feverish person in a tepid bath ( 98 degrees F) as they sip their tea. I’ve seen a fever nearing 104.5 F respond quickly to this combination of herb and hydrotherapy, and return to a healthy 102 F.

William Cook informs us that the effects of Butterfly weed are slow to take effect but are lasting, but the usefulness is enhanced when given with another circulatory stimulant which is quicker acting, like ginger. In the interest of bioregionalism, I’d likely combine it with Monarda (Bee Balm), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) or even Osha (Liguisticum porteri) depending on the case and the person.

“The chief employment of this agent is in febrile and inflammatory affections, where the

perspiration needs to be decidedly promoted, and excitement of the heart relieved by a full outward determination of blood. It secures a slow, steady, and free perspiration, at the same time suitably diminishing excessive heat of the surface; which action renders it highly serviceable in typhus, scarlet, bilious, puerperal, lung, rheumatic, and other forms of fever, with a hot skin and rigid pulse. Measles and catarrhal fever may be added especially to this list; and so great is its service in pleurisy, that pleurisy root is one of the most popular of its names among the people. In acute dysentery, with fever and tormina, it secures that free circulation to the surface which affords great relief to the bowels; and in the acute stages of inflammation of the womb, bladder, and kidneys, it is of equal advantage. In all these cases its use is followed by not only an increased perspiration and softening of the pulse; but the action of the kidneys becomes better, the mucous surfaces act more firmly and naturally, and the nervous system obtains a soothing impression that is very desirable.” William Cook

This is just the tip of the root of this amazing and versatile plant, and I plan to write more in depth on it in the future, but its application in influenza can’t be faulted. Stay well!

BLOG PARTY: Sonoran Summer Survival Tips

This months blog party is about how to stay cool in the summer heat. Alchemille is hosting this months party. Check it out on June 15. This is something I'm getting a lot of experience with right now. I moved back to the Sonoran Desert at perhaps the hottest and driest toughest part of the year. It's over a hundred every day, and it probably won't rain until Mid July.
The sun is bright and hot, and reflects off the dirt and pavement and radiates heat all night long. I was used to 60 degree days in Colorado, with an occasional sprinkling of rain, and even snow right on up to May 15. Needless to say, the climate change was quite dramatic. It would be rough on anybody to make that change.

Anyway, so here are some things I'm doing to keep cool, calm and hydrated in this hot, dry desert.

HYDRATE
The first rule of the desert heat is to prehydrate, hydrate and rehydrate. Start the day off with a 12 oz glass of cool water, add a splash of lime or lemon for an extra refreshing start to the day. Most people are dehydrated when they go to bed the night before, and almost always wake up that way. Coffee and other caffeinated drinks are diuretic and further dehydrating. So...instead of starting the morning with a cup of coffee or tea, try the 12 oz of water with lemon.

A beautiful way to add extra moistening, hydrating property to your water is too drop a tbsp of marshmallow root into a quart jar of cool water. Let this water sit overnight and infuse. In the morning it should be rather thick and demulcent. Some might go so far as to say it is slimy. If the texture of this demulcent drink isn't to your liking, you can dilute it with more water, add lemon, lime, or dilute it with another nice herbal tea. I particularly like peppermint and hibiscus right now, which are both cooling and hydrating. I'll list some more nice cooling herbs to use as a beverage below.

Always make sure you have water with you. It's easy to dehydrate in the dry air here, so if you are sweating at all, you need to drink. I carry around a canteen of water with a splash of lime or peppermint spirits everywhere I go. I try to drink at least two of those during the day, (60oz) and more if I'm outside sweating and exercising.

COOLING HERBS:
The following herbs are beautiful additions to summer beverage line up. They are all cooling, moistening and refreshing. I like to sip my herbal infusions cool or room temperature rather than hot in the summer, but ICED beverages aren't a great choice either. They can be too cold and impair digestion. If you're going to have an iced drink, don't do it with a meal. Enjoy it on its own.

Marshmallow root, leaf, flower ( or other mallows, globe mallow, common mallow, hollyhock)
Linden flower
Elder flower
Rose flower
Hibiscus flower
Chrysanthemum flower
peach leaf
peppermint
elm
licorice root
flax seed
chia seed

So here are some of my favorite recipies for cooling and hydrating summer beverages.

Hibiscus/Chia-ade

1 pint of strong hibiscus tea
2 tbsp lime or lemon juice
sugar/honey/agave nectar to taste
1 tbsp whole chia seed

Mix all the ingredients together and shake well. The chia seeds will swell up and form a thick gel around each seed. The texture of this drink is a bit, crunchy. I really like it. Chia is wonderful...it is full of fiber, omega fatty acids, calcium and more. This is almost a snack. I chew up the seeds as I sip the drink. If you don't like seedy drinks....skip the chia.

Chrysanthemum Elder Rose

1 pt chrysanthemum
2 pt elder flowers
1 pt rose flowers

This is lovely and yummy. It can get a touch bitter if you steep it too long, so I usually let it steep for about 10 min before straining and cooling in the fridge.

Demulcent Pink Drink

equal parts
marshmallow root powder
hibiscus flower powder

Cold infuse the powders in a quart of water ( 1 tbsp of powder per quart) overnight. Strain off, add a splash of rosewater. Sip cool.
This is good without the rose water, and can be sweetened if you like. If this one is too slimy for you, dilute it an equal part of water.

COOLING FOODS
It becomes really obvious when you go from 60 degree weather to 100 degree weather how your diet needs to change for the seasons. I wouldn't touch a raw salad with a 10 foot pole in Colorado. It was just too cooling to eat salad in the cool, mild weather. But as soon as I got to Tucson, all I wanted to eat was salad greens. Choosing cooling foods in the hot weather is a really excellent way to stay cool in the heat.
Everybody around here likes their salsa hot, full of onions and chiles, but for the first time I'm experimenting with using very little chile and/or onion and garlic in my food. Instead milder digestive spices like cumin, coriander or cilantro and fennel are good. I add lime juice as a dressing to many foods ( beans, veggies, drinks) as well.
I've found it rather easier to stay cool and calm, even when it gets hot, the air is still and my house with no AC is stuffy. Sure , I'll sweat, but the heat doesn't seem to GET to me the way it tends to in this kind of weather.

Here's a list of nice cooling and/or moistening summer foods to eat during the dry heat.
Cucumbers
Melons
Bitter greens/salad greens
Okra
Yogurt
Mung beans
Tomatoes
Peaches
Grapes
fresh figs
White fish
Pork
Coconut oil ( this oil is more cooling than other cooking oils)

Avoid the following foods when you want to avoid getting overheated:
chiles
alliums
lamb, beef, bison (red meat has heating properties)


Summer is the right time to consume raw foods. I'm not an advocate of a 100% raw diet 100% of the time, but summer is the time for it, if you're going to try some raw foods. Obviously eating raw fruits and vegetables in the summer in salads and smoothies is an no brainer. Other raw dishes can be appropriate and delicious, and help to avoid heating up your house by cooking in the oven. A fruit, veggie and cheese plate with a few slices of deli meats or lox is a nice cool, easy to prepare lunch or dinner that requires no cooking on your part, even if it isn't 100% raw.

Cucumber yogurt salad

1 c thin sliced cucumber ( chunks or grated work too, your preference)
1/4 c yogurt
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 tsp whole cumin seed
1 tsp dried mint leaves ( this is better if you have fresh)

Mix all the ingredients and let the flavors blend for about 20 min ( this helps rehydrate the dried mint too). Serve with your meal, as a salad dressing, or topping for rice and veggies.

Melon Soup
I always make this soup in summer with hierloom or native melons. You can alternatively make this with cucumbers if you want a less sweet blend.

1 melon RIPE, peeled and diced
1/2 c yogurt
1 bunch fresh mint ( a couple of tsp dried mint works too)
honey to taste
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice

Put all the ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Serve in a half melon shell, or a bowl. I prefer this at room temperature rather than cold from the fridge, but its kind of a personal choice.

If you make this with cucumbers, peel them, chop, skip the honey and add a tsp of salt and coriander seed, substitute cilantro or parsley for the mint if you like.


Mung dal soup

1 c soaked mung beans
3 c water
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground fennel seed
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp ghee
chopped cilantro

Cook the beans in the water until soft and falling apart. In a separate pan toast the spices in the ghee, and add to the soupy beans. Simmer the spiced beans for another 5 min to blend the flavors.

Serve warm (not hot) and top with cilantro leaves. This is a nice dish to have for a light breakfast or dinner. I wouldn't eat warm soup in the middle of the day, unless you want to sweat. This soup avoids heating spices like mustard and garlic to moderate the heat. Mung beans are a cooling bean.

HYDROTHERAPY

This one is really important, and has been extremely helpful for me.
Take cold showers. Yes, cold. I start the day with a yoga practice that gets my blood flowing, and makes me sweat a little. Then I get into a cold shower. I don't even turn on the warm water. Sometimes, most days right now. I take a second cool rinse in the late afternoon heat or before bed to cool off again.

If you really can't stand a COLD shower, at least take a cold RINSE at the end of your warm shower.
This practice is probably easier in the extreme heat I've been experiencing here in the Sonoran summer, but cold water is extremely invigorating for the vital force, and is of benefit to anyone. Many of the german water cure spas primarily use cold water therapies to heal all sorts of ills.
I highly encourage you to at least TRY this vital practice of cold water bathing.

If you are lucky, you have a cool river to dunk in for this practice, but for most of us, the cold shower is more practical. You can work up to this practice by gradually using less warm water every time you shower, or start the shower warm and gradually turn the warm water down throughout the entire shower, finishing as cold as you can stand.

OTHER TIPS:
Get up early and get outdoor activities done in the cool of the morning. I remember bike rides at sunrise in the summer very fondly. Birds are singing, coyote are hunting rabbits, the mountains turn pink and orange, and there is little traffic. Early morning hikes and walks are also lovely. Sunrise walks in the desert were a favorite summer past time for me as well.

Keep the AC off or down. Part of staying cool is getting accustomed to the heat. Try setting the AC for a higher temperature. Or turn it off completely. It might take some getting used to a non-climate controlled environment, but it really helps. Things won't feel so hot if you are used to warmer temps. And hey, you'll save loads on the electric bill. A box fan is nice to keep the air moving, and keeping you cool when you sweat. Let your sweat do it's job to keep you cool by evaporating. You can simulate this with a refreshing spritzer of spring water and essential oils on your face, neck and chest. Peppermint e.o. is nice for this.

One thing I can't stand about summer in the desert is the AC. You come into a building after being outside in the heat, sweating, and the AC is set for 70 degrees, and then you start to shiver from the chill. It's rediculous I tell you. I'd much rather a constant sort of warmth with a box fan or breeze.


So, there you are. These are some of the practices I'm using to stay cool this summer. So far so good! It will get easier in some respects when we get our monsoon rains, but then we'll be dealing with humidity as well as heat. If you live a hot, humid climate like Florida. Well, I don't have too much experience with surviving humidity, other than taking lots of cool showers to rinse off the sticky. Good luck! I'd love to hear your tips for surviving hot and humid weather.

The Rhythm of Desert Summer

Well I've been back in the desert about two weeks now. I knew it would be hot when I got here, and sure enough it is. It's easy to blister bare feet on the cement in the middle of the day, laundry dries outside in less than an hour.

Honestly, I think I'm actually enjoying the heat. There's a certain special energy to the summer in the desert. The songs of cicadas are louder and stronger every day, as the summer rains draw ever closer. Crepuscular bird song awakens me to blue skies and morning freshness, which evolves into lazy afternoons, rich with the smell of baking earth and chaparral resin.

After a year and a half of constant busy-ness, running off to school and work, leaving little time to savor a cup of tea in the morning, I've been positively relishing and soaking in the slower and lazier rhythm of summer. I fall asleep when I'm tired around 10 pm, sleep my fill and awaken naturally after 9 or 10 hours, smiling at the bright sunshine filtering into my rooms. I fix myself a cup of tea before my sweetie wakes, sip it slowly and quietly on the floor surrounded by herbs and books. Then I light some incense or smudge, lay out my yoga mat and do some gentle yoga stretches, or more vigourous sun salutations to get the blood flowing. I work up a bit of a sweat in the warmth, and then head to the bathroom for a cold, invigorating shower, window thrown wide open, fresh air and sunshine and cold water combining on my skin. It's just about as good as a naked dunk into a fresh, cold river with sunshine and wind ( well as good as it gets in a shower indoors, anyway.) I push the water off my skin with my hands and then rub myself all over with a fragrant cooling oil. Coconut oil is especially good when the weather is hot, as it is a cooling oil, the addition of rose, ylang ylang or peppermint cools and soothes the pitta dosha which can easily swing out of balance in the heat of the summer.

After I bathe, I go to my sweet yellow little kitchen with a gas stove and a clean and organized fridge full of fresh, nourishing foods, and prepare myself breakfast. Eggs dressed with homemade mayonnaise and green chile relish from my dear friends at the Anima Center, spiced brown rice or turmeric laced mung dal ( which is the perfect bean for summer heat, it is cooling, easy to digest and detoxifying to the body), and a bowl of sauteed greens or zuchinni subji, cooked with cooling coriander and cumin.

Around this time my sweetie emerges from the bedroom, and does his yoga practice as I tidy up the kitchen, put away the dishes from the previous wash. After he showers and prepares we head to the local coffee shop to attend to our online business, answering e mails, finding jobs and clients, and working on my articles and business plan.

Evenings are relaxed, either at home preparing a simple dinner, or visiting friends which we haven't seen in over a year. It's been wonderful, I run into someone I know almost every day, regardless of planning to or not. We've been making connections with new people almost as frequently, finding that Yes, Indeed, the desert of Southern Arizona has a special magic about it. The pace is slower, some would call it dumpy, lazy and boring, but the people are friendly, open and energy flows freely, in whichever direction you so choose to direct it.

I think the reason I haven't found a PT job yet, is that I really don't WANT a PT job. I haven't put it out the universe that I want to do something meaningless for someone else. I want and need to focus my energy and drive towards creating a place for me to practice herbalism and nutrition, finding clients, giving herb walks, classes and on nourishing myself and my own personal growth. The last year and half was full of outward activity, with little energy left to direct on personal growth and healing.
I feel the lazy energy of summer as a focus inward. It seems counter intuitive since usually summer is the busy time of the year, but here in the desert, the unique environmental rhythm requires you to adjust. The heat makes you lazy, it makes you want to lie around and relax. Too much movement makes you sweat and overheat. Before the rains come to the desert, the environment is almost in a state of dormancy, but there is an expectancy in the air, especially as the time for rain draws nearer. Spring bloom has long since passsed, and there are many dried and withered plants waiting for rain. June is the hottest and driest time of the year here, and almost like in winter, creatures retreat to the shade of burrows and rocks, and emerge after dusk to do their hunting.
So likewise, my energy, not quite dormant, but resting and building within in expectation of the bursting forth of a second flush of fertility and growth and change when the monsoons blow in. Every year that I lived in the desert here, summer, especially late summer, coinciding with violent monsoon weather, has been a time of fierce transformation. It has required me to let go of and destroy some aspects of my life, like the rains, winds and lightning wash away and destroy parts of the environment ripe for change, in order to allow the fruiting and harvest of that which truly matters and benefits me. In summer, I've lost jobs, I've lost relationships, I've changed homes and more. I learned so much in the last year and a half away from this desert home, and I feel this time is a time of incorporating what I've learned, finding ways to fit it into my previous way of being an herbalist/healer, and then shedding the chrysalis, letting go of the aspects of myself and what I've accumulated over the last year and a half that do not or will not serve well in this next phase.
A personal retreat in August at the Anima Center will further this process, demanding awareness and effort, feeling deeply myself and my calling, and forcing me to grow and let go. This summer too promises to be full of transformation, both destruction and new growth. For now, I'm living and breathing and trying to be fully in each moment without fear of what tomorrow brings, despite the lack of money or a steady wage slavery, enjoying the heat, sipping my iced tea, and cooking something delicious for my friends at this evenings social event.

Materia Medica: Inula helenium

Name: Elecampane

Inula helenium

Actions:

Stimulant

Tonic

Diuretic

Diaphoretic

Expectorant

Emmenagouge

Aromatic

Warm, Dry

Mucus membranes (respiratory, gut, uterine, urinary)

Uses: Chronic catarrh, catarrhal dyspepsia, asthma (humid), stimulant expectorant, hepatic disorders (torpor), dysmennorhea, endometriosis, persistent cough with pain beneath sternum, tuberculosis?, atonic dyspepsia, diarrhea, intestinal dysbiosis

Personal Experiences: Increased production of mucus in the respiratory tract, the warm tea created a sensation of wanting to clear my throat. Warm tea seemed more diuretic to me, as opposed to diaphoretic.

In the morning after a tea of Inula and Trifolium I spit up a lot of mucus and had to blow my nose quite a lot as well. There were flecks of blood in the mucus. Good balanced pair as far as energetics, definitely directed toward the lungs.

Taking it with marrubium (both in tincture form in water) really made my stomach hurt. Like, gas, but without release. I’ve never really liked Horehound. And it’s a bit perplexing to me as to why the two would hurt my stomach. Inula alone does not do that.

I took some with Burdock as a decoction, and liked how the burdock sweetened it. I think the two together are a nice balancing pair, burdock(root) being cool, and slightly moist/demulcent and relaxant, while Inula is warm and dry and somewhat stimulating. Especially good for the gut, and the lymphatics. It feels nourishing to me.

I think combining Inula, burdock and trifolium might be a nice triplet or formula for digestive/gut trouble with lymphatic, nutritive, and alterative properties.

By the end of the week I also noticed a little bit of a recurring symptom I get in my chest. I once had chostochondritis, and then a bout of what I think was pleurisy, but every now and then I get a little pain in my chest when breathing, like a bit of inflammation kicks up. I wonder if the elecampane stimulated the tissue too much?

My experience vs. traditional sources

I think my experience with Inula corrobates with the traditional actions, but it doesn’t seem to stimulate my pulse very dramatically. It does stimulate my digestive secretions (can we say saliva!) fairly strongly. It also seemed much more diuretic than diaphoretic to me. I didn’t drag out my thermometer, but might try that with other diaphoretic herbs

Pairs:

Inula, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Asclepias tuberosa

(pulmonary inflammation, catarrh, chest soreness and cough)

Inula, Marribum (cough, cold, bronchitis, catarrh)

Inula, Symphytum (chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis)

Inula, Trifolium (pertussis)

Inula, Tussilago, Verbascum (chronic pulmonary conditions)

Inula, Matricaria, Caulophyllum (uterine languor)

Inula, Sambucus (stagnant, tense, congestion or edema in lung or digestive tissue)

Inula, Prunus, Lobelia (persistent, unproductive moist cough, w/irritated tissues, red face) I really like Prunus and Lobelia together for spasmodic coughs where the face turns red from the effort, and the stomach muscles are sore from so much effort during coughing. I think pairing them with Inula would be most useful for a spasmodic cough where mucus is old and stuck, and needs to be thinned and expectorated. I would hope the relaxing, antispasmodic prunus/lobelia would balance too much stimulation from Inula leading to excessive effort to cough/expectorate.

Inula, Glycirrhiza (irritated cough, bronchitis. Especially with dry climate or presentation) Nice combination of expectorants both stimulating and relaxing. This would be a nice pair to tone down the irritating, drying stimulant properties of Inula, especially in a dry climate.

Inula, Articum (digestive system dysbiosis, digestive system stagnation with skin eruptions) This is a nice balance between warm and cool, and stimulant and relaxant herbs. The burdock also would help direct the elecampane toward the digestive system and skin, rather than the lungs.

3 Formulas:

Inula

Articum

Rumex

Ginger

Althea

This formula would be for a patient with digestive system weakness, debility and congestion. Likely there will be dysbiosis from antibiotic use, and constipation and probable skin eruptions (acne, eczema etc).

Inula

Tussilago

Verbascum

glycyrrhiza

Lobelia

Trifolium

This formula is for someone with long term/chronic respiratory conditions, possibly asthma or chronic bronchitis who needs gentle stimulation and support without aggravation of the condition.

Inula

Sambucus

Eupatorium perfoliatum

Asclepias tuberosa

Monarda

Althea

This formula is for an active, acute respiratory infections, perhaps influenza with fever, or other infection, (pneumonia, plueritis) with some amount of stuck mucus. This will help relax respiratory tissues, stimulate fresh, moist mucus production and assist in fever management. A lot of synergistic pairs here, Inula/Sambucus, Inula/Eupatorium/Asclepias, Monarda/Sambucus

Action Formula:

Inula

Sambucus

Eupatorium perfoliatum

Asclepias tuberosa

Monarda

Althea

Tissues: mucus membranes, skin, lymphatic, nerves, capillaries, serous

Energetics:

Warm Inula, Sambucus, Monarda

Cool Eupatorium, Asclepias, Althea, Sambucus

Moist Althea

Dry Inula, Sambucus, Eupatorium, Asclepias, Monarda

Effects on Mucus Membranes:

Stimulant Inula,Eupatorium, Monarda

Relaxant Sambucus, Eupatorium, Asclepias, Monarda

Expectorant Inula

Aromatic Monarda, Inula

Antiseptic Monarda

Tonic Inula, Eupatorium

Antispasmodic Eupatorium, Monarda, Althea

Effects on Skin/Capillaries

Stimulant Sambucus, monarda, Asclepias

Diffusive Sambucus, Asclepias, Monarda

Diuretic Inula, Sambucus, Althea

Diaphoretic Inula, Sambucus, Ascelpias, Monarda

Relaxant Sambucus, Eupatorium, Asclepias, Monarda

Effects on Nervous System

Relaxant Sambucus, Eupatorium, Asclepias

Antispasmodic Eupatorium, Monarda, Althea

Effects on Lymphatic System

Alterative Sambucus, Eupatorium

Stimulant Eupatorium

The Sap is Rising

We're drawing near to the Spring Equinox, the days are growing lighter measurably, and the sap is rising in the plants around us. The catkins are bursting forth from the buds on the aspen tree out my bedroom window, just today. The cottonwood buds are swelling and oozing with medicinal resin,








the alder trees are putting out dangling male catkins and baby flowers which will mature into this years cones.


The motherwort and hollyhocks are putting up new baby leaves, and I've even seen the feathery green welcome of the yarrow plants in the community planting space across the street. Spring is the time to gather many of the first medicines of the year.

I've been collecting slippery slimy bark from the budding elms. They are everywhere, in every other yard, growing along the banks of the creek and they are easily spotted by the buds lining the branches in little pom poms opposite each other along the branch.

I've also been hard at work collecting the swelling buds and resin of the cottonwood trees. Unlike the elm bark which you could probably harvest all summer long and still get good medicine, (though I always prefer spring barks in most cases.), the cottonwood bud season is short. If you miss the few weeks in late winter when the buds are growing and coated in the yellow aromatic resin, you're kind of out of luck for the year. Of course you can always use the bark and leaves of the cottonwoods too, but if you are after the resin coated buds, now is the time. It's often very easy to collect plenty of buds from little branchlets that have fallen to the ground in the strong winds of winter storms. Just make sure they are relatively fresh and have lots of resin on them still. If you are lucky enough to find a entire downed branch or even a tree you'll have more buds and bark that you'll know what to do with. Buds can be collected from the lower branches of the tree, but always with care and respect. Never strip an entire branch of all the buds. I usually limit myself to two buds from a branch, so as not to harm the future flowering and leafing out of the tree.

My favorite way to use the buds is as an infused oil. The buds go into a canning jar and I pour warm oil (not too hot , don't want to fry those babies!) to cover the buds. Then I let the whole mess sit in a warm water bath for 24-48 hrs, or in a warm spot by the heater or stove, or even in a warm sunny window. I've found the warmth is important when making a poplar bud oil. It helps to melt the resin on the buds into the oil. You'll want to strain off the buds from the oil while warm as well.

This fragrant oil is a favorite for all sorts of painful afflictions. It contains salicin and other compounds related to the painkilling properties of willow and other plants. It's an excellent analgesic and mild antiinflamatory. I find it superior for burns of all types, including from a hot stove or a sunburn. It's an excellent sore muscle rub, and wonderful on any sort of bruise, sprain or painful swelling and inflammation, like arthritis. It's also a mild antiseptic and can be used to dress minor wounds and help prevent infection.
I also like to use the oil as a base for an expectorant and aromatic decongestant chest rub, with other expectorant and decongestant herbs like eucalyptus, ginger, myrrh, pine and peppermint.

The buds can also be tinctured in a high proof alcohol for similar uses internally. It is especially good as a stimulating, warming expectorant in moist, chronic or stagnant and cold respiratory conditions. I'd be careful using it during acute respiratory infections with a fever, as populus species can have a tendency to reduce fever.
In most cases fever is a beneficial and healing reaction by the body and supressing a fever is very rarely helpful in reducing the length of illness. There may be cases where reducing an extremely high fever is appropriate for children or elders, and it could be used in those cases, but as a general rule, a vitalist will not supress a healthy fever, and will usually encourage it as a natural part of the body's healing intelligence. More on that in our surviving the flu post ( coming soon to a blog near you!)
Populus tincture can also be used a urinary tract disinfectant and stimulating diuretic, and a mild pain reliever in inflammatory conditions with pain. Osteoarthritis, sore muscles and the like. It may also be useful in hot, full and throbbing headaches which need draining, as populus's energy tends to move downward.

Finally it can be used as a digestive stimulant through it's bitter flavors, though I'd probably favor the bark and leaves for this purpose, which are more purely bitter and a little less spicy, resinous.

Populus balsamifera is the official medicinal species used, but I've used whatever poplar species is growing in my region, as long as the buds are resiny and aromatic. One sure way is to pick a resinous bud and chew it. The persistant, stick to your teeth and rather pungent leaning towards downright spicy resin will tell you if it is good medicine or not.

If you're anything like me, you feel the sap rising in your bones and the anxious feeling of cabin fever if there's snow where you are. We've got another snowstorm in the forecast for tonight, but I'm chomping at the bit to move, get out and about, instead of being inside writing thesis and chemistry homework. I'm also eagerly awaiting the first dandelion greens for pesto!

Healing Help for Winter Hands

My sweetie, a southern boy who is used to moist warm weather almost all year round has been really suffering in this cold, dry mountain winter. His hands are constantly cold, and so dry his skin is cracking and bleeding. I know the cause of cold and dry hands is a lack of circulation to the area, both blood and chi, and that is likely from stuck liver energy, probably from a food allergy, in this case. Stuck liver energy or chi is a rather commonly seen pattern. Characterized by heat in the core of the body, and cold extremities (hands and feet). But what does that look like in human terms? Heat in the core manifests as heat signs in the center of the body, there can be hot, excess digestive problems like heartburn, or loose stools; stagnant, painful and clotty mentstruation, acne on the face, back or chest, a red face (cheeks and nose) and signs of heat rising including explosive outbursts, either anger or hysterical/emotional, and hot, full throbbing headaches. Along with these signs, the hands and feet will be cold and dry, and in Colorado, compounded by frigid cold and dry weather, cracking or bleeding. Chillblains!

What causes a case of stuck liver chi? I'm sure there are lots of reasons that TCM explores in more detail, but what causes a blockage to form and not allow chi, blood and energy to flow freely through the body?
1)Trauma- I suspect any sort of trauma, both physical or emotional/spiritual that is internalized, supressed, and not dealt with appropriately can cause a blockage somewhere in the body's energy channels. These traumas must be healed through many means, flower essences can be helpful, counseling, shamanic journey or soul retrieval, journalling, psychotherapy, massage, accupressure or accupuncture or any number of other modalities.

2) food allergy- Many many people have subclincial food allergies that can cause a whole slew of symptoms including digestive trouble, mental/emotional disturbance, aches and pains, slow healing of wounds, to auto immune disease. Unaddressed food allergies not only wreack havoc on the immune system, but they often block the smooth flow of chi/energy because the body is constantly in immune overdrive, trying to put out a fire, rather than moving along smoothly maintaining equilibrium.

3) pharamcuetical drugs- hormonal birth control methods, and many other pharmacuetical drugs, nsaids and any other substance that the liver has to process and detoxify can clog up the energy channels.

There are herbs that can help release stuck energy in the core, but the underlying cause MUST be removed before the herbs will be of much help permanently. Some of my favorite chi moving herbs are turmeric, wood betony, rosemary, lavender, red peony, citrus, rose, combined with cooling and draining herbs like dandelion, burdock, oregon grape. You shouldn't ever use chi tonifying or building herbs with stuck liver energy, this means ginseng, ashwaganda, codonopsis, euluethero and many other adaptogens. This can actually create more energy, which gets blocked and stuck in the core, worsening the sypmtoms of heat and irritation.

But, this post was about what to do about those winter raw hands which lack circulation and blood and are cracking, bleeding and hurting. Along with removing the causes of stuck liver energy, and using herbs to move the energy back into a smooth flowing rhythm, we have found, after much trial and error a nice healing salve that actually helps heal those painful cracks. We've tried shea butter, skin food, chapparal salve and more. To no avail.
I finally came up with a salve that has acutally made a difference, both healing and antiinflamatory. Sweetie's hands are still cold ( wont give up that dairy!), but at least they aren't cracking and bleeding anymore.

2 pt Comfrey root in almond oil
1 pt plantain leaf in sesame oil
1 pt calendula flower in olive oil
1 pt Rose in jojoba oil