Animal Totems Part 3: The Medicine in Practice

Practicing the Medicine

Eliot Cowan gives practical examples of animal totem medicine and how it works to bridge the effective healing practices of indigenous traditions with the modern world and its concerns.

Animal Totems Part 2: Forming Practical Relationships

Forming Practical Relationships with Totem Animals

In this second of a 3 part series, shaman Eliot Cowan begins to delineate between simply having a "pet" and having an animal totem you can call on for help. He expounds on the benefits of having these totems for guidance and assistance in one's life.

Sacred Partnership With the World: Living With Totem

Totem Animals - with Eliot Cowan

What are Totem Animals?

Eliot Cowan shares his knowledge about animal helpers as totem animals that have shared their healing with humans all through history.

Information about Homeopathy

In this society where more is better, homeopathy is hard for some people to grasp. Just think, more is not better. We are talking about healing at an energy level. It works even better (or maybe I should say easier or faster) with animals than humans
. 

Homeopathy Explained

At some point in your life, you have probably walked down the aisle of a health food store and seen rows of small, stacked blue bottles with exotic names and the word homeopathy on their labels.

Seeing them in a health food store leads some to think homeopathic remedies are just another form of herbal medicine. Actually – they bear no relation to herbal medicine and instead are used in a unique and very popular system of medicine called homeopathy.

So what is homeopathy exactly? Well, we are now learning that homeopathy is a form of nanomedicine. The word Homeopathy is derived from the Greek words homeo, meaning “similar,” and pathos, meaning “suffering” (such as the pathology of a disease). Homeopathy operates on a law of nature - “like cures like”, and has been used clinically for more than 200 years.

So what does “like cures like” mean?

Hippocrates talked about it. It means that a patient suffering from symptoms can be treated and cured by doses of a substance (mineral, animal or plant) capable of producing similar symptoms in a healthy person.

Five hundred million people use homeopathy around the world – which according to the World Health Organization makes it the 2nd most commonly used form of alternative medicine.

The clinical results achieved by homeopaths are truly astounding with cures confirmed of patients with deadly acute diseases as well as chronic disease often believed to be incurable .

In fact, because of its clinical results, homeopathy experienced a period of very rapid growth during the deadly epidemics of the 19th century – a period that saw untreated and conventionally treated patients die at alarming rates.

So why, you ask, is homeopathy not the primary form of medicine practiced around the world?

Homeopaths use medicines made from extremely small quantities of nanoparticles created when the medicines are made. In fact, these ultra-molecular preparations (UMPs) from which the remedies are made are so dilute that some scientists have expressed skepticism about whether homeopathic remedies are anything more than plain water. This skepticism has been the primary obstacle to homeopathy’s acceptance in conventional medical and scientific circles.

If this is the major obstacle, what does current research show?

For more than sixty years, scientists, using ever more refined spectroscopic equipment, have discovered unexpected properties of the remedies used by homeopaths. They have also been able to detect in these remedies the original medicinal substances in the form of nanoparticles, despite the preparations having been so diluted.

Scientists are now able to differentiate one remedy from another as well as one potency from another of the same remedy, illustrating that it is not “plain water”.

Not only that, but scientists are now able to measure physiological changes in a great number of experimental cell, plant, animal and human studies.
 
One might ask – could that be just a placebo effect of some kind?
 
Actually – no. The placebo response can’t explain objectively measurable changes such as infertility reversal, stillbirth prevention, or worm eradication observed in randomized placebo controlled trials in farm animals. Similarly, the innumerable cures reported in infants and unconscious people also cannot be explained by the placebo response.

So what’s the big deal about nanoparticles and how could such a small amount of anything affect health?
 
Science now knows that nanoparticles have properties quite unique from ordinary bulk materials (like OTC and prescription drugs), including greater bioavailabilty with improved rates of absorption and enhanced catalytic ability for chemical and biochemical reactions .

What that means is that less of something is actually more in many ways!

Homeopathic nanoparticles can initiate a process in nature called hormesis. Hormesis is a term from pharmacology, toxicology and physiology that refers to the way the body adapts over time to low levels of stressors or toxins. The effects of hormesis have been demonstrated in over 8,000 scientific studies .

Disease, though, can be the result of this is adaptive capacity of the body. When faced with an infectious agent or cumulative stress, the body can change from a healthy state to an unhealthy one. The symptoms we express when we are ill are a result of that adaptive state.

Homeopathic remedies seem to work by hormetically signaling your body to reverse the many adaptations it has made to combat infection or chronic stressors. In short – the remedies trigger your body’s innate ability to heal.

For more about homeopathy, visit www.homeopathic.org. Learn what the research shows and how you can use homeopathy to treat yourself and those you love.

National Center for Homeopathy

 

8 Weeds You Can Eat

 
One person’s weed-filled lawn is another person’s salad bar.

By Emily Main
 
If you think everything in your yard that isn't grass must be a nuisance, you're missing out—on a free lunch. Those pesky weeds invading your lush green patch of paradise are actually valuable foods, loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and protein, sometimes even more nutritious than what you'll find at the grocery store. Things like dandelions and clovers are starting to make their way into American lawns, and if you pick them early, you'll get an incredibly sweet, nutritious addition to your next meal.

Here are some suggestions for finding free munchies in your backyard. Just remember to ID them with a credible source if you’re not plant-savvy—there's even an app for that! If you've got a smart phone, download the Wild Edibles app created by Steve Brill, a botanist known for giving edible-plant tours of New York City's Central Park. Also, wash your harvest thoroughly before consuming, and steer clear of areas that may have been treated with chemicals or pesticides.

Dandelion
Perhaps the most familiar lawn weed of them all, the dandelion may also be the weed that’s most known to be edible. In fact, the reason it exists in the U.S. is that European settlers introduced it as a salad green. You can buy dandelion greens at some specialty food markets, but odds are, there are some growing, for free, a whole lot closer to you.  They have a slightly bitter taste when they mature, so harvest the tender leaves that appear in early spring and in late fall, when they're sweetest. The flowers are edible too and have a mildly bittersweet flavor. And eat them up! Dandelions have more beta-carotene than carrots.
Photo: (cc) digital_image-fan/flickr
 

Purslane
This plant has rounded, succulent, leaves and a reddish stem and grows everywhere, so it's very likely that you'll find a purslane plant somewhere in your neighborhood. Notoriously difficult to kill as a weed, purslane is probably better suited to your dinner plate anyway. It's loaded with antioxidant vitamins like vitamins A and C, and also contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids. You can eat the stems and leaves fresh—try them in salads or sandwiches—or use them in soups or in recipes that call for spinach (they’re related and have a similar taste).

Photo: (cc) pellaea/flickr

Bamboo
This familiar plant, made into everything from floorboards to pajamas, is actually a type of grass. And if anyone near you has ever planted any (it's actually grown by U.S. farmers in warm climates and even as far north as New England), there’s a good chance some of it will spread into your yard because, once it escapes, the weed can be very invasive and hard to control. Bamboo shoots are full of fiber, and are sometimes described as tasting like corn. Should any pop up in your vicinity, harvest shoots that are less than two weeks old and under 1 foot tall. Bamboo shoots have to be cooked before you eat them: Peel the outer leaves away and remove any tough flesh. Cut across the grain into one-eighth-inch slices, and boil in an uncovered pan for 20 minutes (or longer, if there’s still a bitter taste to them). After they’re prepared in this way, you can eat them with some soy sauce, add to salads, or use them in stir-fries.
Photo: (cc) shawn henning/flicker
Extra:  Learn How to Grow Non-Invasive Bamboo

Japanese Knotweed
Another invasive species you can control with your appetite, Japanese knotwood looks a little bit like bamboo, but they're not related—even though it’s sometimes called “Japanese Bamboo." This weed might be harder to find if you don't live in the Northeast or Midwest, where invasive populations have taken root. But if you do see some, harvest the green and red shoots when the weeds are 6 to 8 inches tall, before they turn woody. Remove any tough leaves or rind and steam or simmer for a tart, rhubarb-like taste.
Photo: (cc) loopzilla/flickr

Lamb's Quarters
Despite what it sounds like this isn't meat. Lamb's quarters is a weed commonly referred to as "wild spinach," and fortunately, it starts to appear in early summer after the last of the spring spinach has disappeared from farmer's markets. It's loaded with calcium and protein, as well as vitamins A, C and K, even more so than spinach. The best way to eat the leaves, or pretty much any green weed in this list, is to wash them well, sauté them in olive oil while they're still wet (the steam helps them wilt), then add a dash of salt, garlic, pepper and a squeeze of lemon or lime, says Hank Shaw, forager and author of Hunt, Gather, Cook (Rodale, 2011).
Photo: (cc) frankenstoen/flickr

Watercress
You can pay $3 for a bunch of watercress—an antioxidant powerhouse—at your local grocery store…or you can find a stream and stock up for free. An increasingly popular ingredient in gourmet salads, many people don't realize that watercress is actually a weed. It grows alongside streams and riverbanks in nearly every U.S. state. The most popular way to eat watercress is to add it to salads raw. If you need some ideas, check out the watercress recipes in the Rodale Recipe Finder.
Photo: (cc) frankenstoen/flickr

Kudzu
Gardeners, homeowners, landscapers and foodies south of the Mason-Dixon line, take heed: Kudzu, the "weed that ate the South," can actually be eaten itself. This highly invasive weed, introduced from Japan in the late 1800s, now covers over 7 million acres of the Southern U.S. and is nearly impossible to kill. Thus, you have an unending supply with which to experiment in the kitchen. Southerners have found dozens of ways to eat kudzu, including making jams and jellies to pickling the flowers that appear in August and September. For your first efforts at cooking it, try steaming or boiling the roots until they're tender and adding soy sauce or miso, as is often done in Asian cooking. The plant is also used in Chinese medicine for treating allergies, colds, fevers and as a digestive aid. Brew a kudzu tea by chopping up a cup of leaves and boiling them for about 30 minutes to treat what ails you.
Photo: (cc) robertmichalove/flickr

Red Clover
Another weed you'll see all over the U.S., red clover has been used for ages as a folk remedy for cancer. It contains the phytoestrogen genistein, which, although controversial, has been found to have a protective effect against colon and prostate cancers. However, because there's some evidence that phytoestrogens can have the opposite effect on breast cancer, go easy on the red clover. But if you have some growing in your yard, an occasional meal of red clover flowers sprinkled over rice or cooked in soy sauce is a good way to clean up your yard. In addition to being potential cancer-fighters, clover flowers are high in protein. You can also eat white clover, but it's not as nutritious or flavorful as red.
Photo: (cc) dendroica cerulea/flickr

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/8-weeds-you-can-eat?page=0,0

Sweet Woodruff in the Herb Garden

A fragrant vanilla substitute.

By the MOTHER EARTH NEWS editors
May/June 1984

Sweet woodruff can spread to make a nice ground cover. 

ILLUSTRATION: MOTHER EARTH NEWS STAFF

Lately, more and more people have begun to understand just how limited — in both variety and nutritional value — our “modern” diets have become. This realization has sparked a new and widespread interest in the culinary and therapeutic uses of herbs ... those plants that — although not well known today — were, just one short generation ago, honored “guests” on the dinner tables and in the medicine chests of our grandparents’ homes. In this regular feature MOTHER EARTH NEWS will examine the availability, cultivation and benefits of our “forgotten” vegetable foods and remedies ... and — we hope — help prevent the loss of still another bit of ancestral lore. 

If you enjoy fragrance, you’ll probably like sweet woodruff (Asperula odorata or Galium odoratum), because its scent has been likened to that of new-mown hay or vanilla. A perennial that thrives in moist woods in temperate climes, sweet woodruff has, for centuries, been gathered and dried for use as — among other things — a strewing herb (the old-fashioned equivalent of today’s air fresheners), a perfume and potpourri ingredient, a tonic tea, and a special addition to the May Day wine (“Maibowl”) with which Europeans celebrate the return of spring. Furthermore, on St. Barnabas’s and St. Peter’s days, bouquets of woodruff, sweet box, lavender and roses were placed in churches.

Sweet woodruff’s pleasing scent only becomes apparent after the leaves have been dried ... but then it lasts for years. The odor is due to coumarin, a chemical also found in tonka beans, sweet clover or meliot, and some other leguminous plants. In potpourris, given it not only adds a fragrance of its own but acts as a fixative for other scents, woodruff’s contribution is twofold. Sachets of the dried herb can be laid among the household linens; in an earlier age, the leaves were even used to stuff mattresses. (In addition to perfuming the bedclothes, the sachets were reputed to repel insects, which must have made the herb a popular commodity in the days when regular bathing was a luxury!)

Teutonic warriors believed that sweet woodruff promoted success in battle, and therefore tucked its green sprigs in their helmets. The origin of this belief isn’t clear: Perhaps it stems from the fact that woodruff leaves are mildly anesthetic and healing when applied externally (thus helping a soldier to ignore his wounds) ... or perhaps it derived from the leaves’ ability to “make the heart merry” when taken in wine.

Be that as it may, this charming little herb can be a vanilla substitute in various sauces and beverages. Marilyn Hampstead, whose Fox Hill Farm is one source of Asperula plants, reports that sweet woodruff can be steeped in milk —overnight or for several days — to make a refreshing drink that’s especially enjoyed by children ... or, to impart a vanilla taste, soaked in whatever liquid is required in a given recipe ... or, to make a delicious glaze for tarts and turnovers, steeped in currant juice and strained out before the juice is thickened by cooking with sugar.

Woodruff grows to an average height of about eight inches from a slender, creeping root-stock. Whorls of six to eight slightly shiny, somewhat rough, pointed leaves surround the square, glossy stem. Small, starry flowers appear in May and June; later, the seeds ripen into little rough balls covered with hooked bristles that cling to passersby. The plants can be propagated by seed, but since the germination period is so long (sometimes 200 days!), more satisfactory results can be obtained by root division in the spring and early summer (right after flowering). The herb prefers moist, slightly acid, humus-rich soil in a semi-shaded location. Woodruff is quite finicky, so its conditions must be met for it to survive ... but once established, it spreads to make a good ground cover. The leaves will be most fragrant if harvested during and directly after blooming. Chop them up and dry them immediately in a warm, shaded area.

Many fine nurseries carry sweet woodruff plants, among them Hemlock Hill Herb Farm, The Rosemary House and Fox Hill Farm. 

http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/sweet-woodruff-herb-garden-zmaz84zloeck.aspx

Comment: Sweet Woodruff plants can be found at most nurseries. It is a great long lasting herb in the garden that takes little to no care.

Plant Spirit Medicine

We all yearn to be connected to our spirit, a community, and the natural world, yet how often do we give ourselves the time to nurture that pure, heartfelt desire? Our modern lives have become so busy and stressful. We know the pace takes a painful toll, which we try to remedy with healthy food, therapy, a yoga class here and there, or morning meditation. All of these approaches help, yet we still wonder, is there more?

Sometimes an illness, a bad break-up, or the death of a loved one will activate our core of inner wisdom, shaking us up enough to open our hearts and commit to deeper healing.

Could the potency and mystery of ancient-wisdom traditions provide a medicine for the spectrum of illnesses and the alienation of modern culture?

Communities once worked and played together around the fire. People felt connected to each other and to the natural world around them. Healers helped with individual maladies and also maintained the emotional and spiritual wellbeing of the entire village. The medicine of the old cultures was deep and effective. It was more holistic than anything we dream of today. Despite all that modernity has undone, the Huichol people of central Mexico have kept alive their humor, their communities, and their profound medicine.

Eliot Cowan is the author of Plant Spirit Medicine, and a fully initiated Tsaurirrikame (shaman) in the Huichol Indian tradition. He began the study and practice of herbalism in the 1960’s and completed a Master of Acupuncture degree with J.R. Worsley in England in the 1970’s. Eliot subsequently apprenticed with Don Guadalupe Gonzalez Rios, an eminent Huichol Indian Shaman. On the occasion of Don Guadalupe’s retirement in 2000, he ritually recognized Eliot as a guide to shamanic apprentices in the Huichol tradition.

Eliot has shared his gift with many all over the world. In 1989, Eliot was my teacher. My year long apprenticeship program was based at Dry Creek Herb Farm north of Auburn CA. It was a wondrous year, opening me up to many life changing opportunities. The journey has continued to amaze and confirm my belief in this profound medicine.

It is only with the heart that you can see, what is essential is invisible to the eye. ~ Unknown

Eliot Cowan speaks about "Blessings"

We all yearn to be connected to our spirit, a community, and the natural world, yet how often do we give ourselves the time to nurture that pure, heartfelt desire? Our modern lives have become so busy and stressful. We know the pace takes a painful toll, which we try to remedy with healthy food, therapy, a yoga class here and there, or morning meditation. All of these approaches help, yet we still wonder, is there more?

Sometimes an illness, a bad break-up, or the death of a loved one will activate our core of inner wisdom, shaking us up enough to open our hearts and commit to deeper healing.

Could the potency and mystery of ancient-wisdom traditions provide a medicine for the spectrum of illnesses and the alienation of modern culture?

Elder shaman in the Huichol tradition (Eliot Cowan) discusses his knowledge of Blessings. What are they? Are they always good? How does one ask for a blessing?

Eliot Cowan is the author of Plant Spirit Medicine, and a fully initiated Tsaurirrikame (shaman) in the Huichol Indian tradition. He began the study and practice of herbalism in the 1960’s and completed a Master of Acupuncture degree with J.R. Worsley in England in the 1970’s. Eliot subsequently apprenticed with Don Guadalupe Gonzalez Rios, an eminent Huichol Indian Shaman. On the occasion of Don Guadalupe’s retirement in 2000, he ritually recognized Eliot as a guide to shamanic apprentices in the Huichol tradition.

--------------------------------
I have a blessing story to tell.

I had been training (on weekends) as an herbalist for several years. When I asked to have Eliot Cowan teach Plant Spirit Medicine in No. CA and when he agreed we found out it was for 3 day weekends for the apprenticeship year.

I was very disappointed, as I knew I couldn't take the training. As a specialist teacher, my students weren't serviced when I wasn't there so I couldn't take off Fridays. Then at this same time my favorite assignments were cut/dropped due to tightening of the budget and I was devastated at the loss of what I loved doing.

I ended up moving to a more traditional assignment where I taught on a regularly/daily scheduled classroom basis which required a substitute when I wasn't there. I soon loved this assignment too and of course I trained with Eliot Cowan and have been a practicing Plant Spirit Medicine Practitioner for 13 years.

Yes, blessings come in many packages.

Herbs & Children: Collecting and Drying Herbs for the Herbal Harvest

IN THE HERB GARDEN

Down and dirty in the garden.

Herbs & Children: Collecting and Drying Herbs for the Herbal Harvest

8/4/2011 3:31:04 PM

by Lisa Kuhlman

L.KuhlmanLisa is a writer, budding photographer and herb enthusiast. She enjoys poking around in the garden, creating in the kitchen and reading a good book (when she’s not answering the call of “Mom!” from her five children).

The twins and I wandered outside the other day to survey the state of the herb garden together. It was humming with bees and naturally decorated with butterflies—delightful! After some discussion, we determined the herbs were ready for a mid-summer haircut. Each girl set to work with a pair of scissors and instructions to cut at about halfway down the plants.

Butterflies and bees are frequent visitors to herb gardens.

Photo by raymondgobis/Courtesy Flickr

As we cut, we put each herb in its own pile. Sometimes they would have to stop and inspect the plants before they added another handful, comparing the shape of the leaves or how the leaves were situated on the stems to be sure it was going to the right place. Every so often we took a break to have a tasting party and decide what kinds of things we might like to make with the herbs we were preparing to dry in our kitchen.

After collecting the herbs, I assigned Claire and Olivia each several piles to divide into handfuls and secure the bunches with rubber bands. They had a little trouble at first, but after I explained it was much like putting a ponytail in their doll's hair, they caught right on and chattered though the hour just like ladies at a salon!

Next, we added a paper clip hook to each bunch, opening the paper clip so it looks like an elongated “S” and hooking one end under the rubber band. Again, this took a couple of demonstrations, but they caught on and we had a nice collection of hangers in no time. 

An opened paper clip attached to a rubberband is an easy way to hang herbs.

Photo by Lisa Kuhlman

My girls love to do crafts, so making labels from slips of paper for each bunch was turned into an artistic endeavor. They wrote out the labels (with a little spelling help from me) and then after taking a close look at the plants, proceeded to add tiny sketches that represented the herb. Since we weren't in a hurry, I let them embellish as much as they wished. Then we slipped the papers under one section of the rubber band on each bunch.

Photo by Lisa Kuhlman

Here is a list of the herbs we gathered this time:

• Lemon balm

• Lavender

• Oregano

• Dill

• Thyme

• Bee balm

• Comfrey

• Plantain

• Spearmint

• Chocolate mint

• Chamomile

• Catnip

• Rosemary

•Sage

Make labels for each herb bunch. 

As you can see, this is a fairly diverse list. As we gathered each herb, it was an opportunity to talk about which parts we use, how they are used (cooking, tea, medicinally, etc.) and whether or not the plants will grow back (perennial, annual, biennial, etc.) I explained there were a few herbs, like basil, cilantro and parsley, that we didn't cut for drying this time because I prefer to use them fresh or frozen. We'll wait until later in the summer to dry or freeze them.

Soon our bunches were ready to hang in the kitchen. In our kitchen, on a wall out of direct sunlight, I have strung a length of beading wire between two nails. We simply hang the bunches on the wire by the paperclip hooks and in a few weeks, they are ready to bring down and put into glass jars. Our kitchen always smells divine! (This line can double as an art gallery, too!)

When it was time to store our harvest, we took down all of one kind of herb at a time, rubbing the leaves off the stem and onto a large piece of paper. Then we picked up edges of the paper and slid the herbs right into a glass jar with a lid. Always be sure to add a label to the jar as soon as you are done with each herb. I can almost always tell the difference between the dried herbs by taste or scent, but plants like plantain and comfrey are very similar to each other in their dried form! Besides, having the kids create a label for even the most distinct herbs (like rosemary or lavender) is good reinforcement for learning about them.

As we worked, we dreamed about making our own herbal tea blends or perfume with floral waters (hydrosols) with the fresh herbs still growing in the garden. We wondered if the fairies that live in the fairy house tucked away to the side of the herb garden would like to collect and dry herbs as well.

It was agreed that they would. Collecting and drying herbs is great fun!

http://www.herbcompanion.com/in-the-herb-garden/herbs-children-collecting-drying-herbs-herbal-harvest.aspx

Red Clover - infusion

Susun Weed talks about the wonderful herb - red clover.
She shares about its immune healing abilities and many important uses for it. It is easy to make a nourishing red clover infusion as you will see in this video.



Susun Weed makes red clover nourishing herbal infusion. Red clover blossom infusion is one of the world's best remedies for infertility, no matter what the cause. It nourishes the health of both eggs and sperm, opens blocked fallopian tubes, adjusts hormones, and generally makes the entire body more receptive to pregnancy. It is also highly regarded as an anti-cancer remedy. It is considered safe for consumption by pregnant and lactating women. The high vitamin content of red clover blossoms, combined with the folic acid in the leaves is especially helpful to sperm and egg production and helps prevent birth defects. Red clover's high mineral and trace mineral content helps restore and maintain good production of hormones. Its profuse and exceedingly absorbable calcium and magnesium help rejuvenate and repair the delicate tissues of reproduction.

An infusion is a large amount of herb brewed for a long time. Typically, one ounce by weight (about a cup by volume) of dried herb is placed in a quart jar which is then filled to the top with boiling water, tightly lidded and allowed to steep for 4-10 hours. http://herbshealing.com/How_to_make_Infusions.htm

Join Susun Weed in the Catskill Mountains near Woodstock NY, view complete schedule of events at http://www.susunweed.com/ join the free ezine, register for the free online course Nourishing Herbal Infusions the Wise Woman Way, view the holistic links directory, ask questions at the Wise Woman Forum, join Herbal Healing Email group, visit five weblogs with Women's Health Q&A database, and so much more...join us at http://www.herbshealing.com

What Are the Health Benefits of Garlic?

5/31/2011 9:25:53 AM
By KC Compton

I’ve heard garlic is good for you, but what exactly does it do? Are there any specific health benefits that come from eating a lot of garlic? 
  

My initial reaction to this question is that even if garlic weren’t healthy, my diet would still be full of the stuff. Just considering that aroma and flavor are part of what makes life worth living, I’d say that garlic is exceptionally good for you. But yes, it does have specific medicinal uses.

Ethnobotanist James Duke, Ph.D., one of the world’s leading experts in medicinal plants, places garlic among the best all-around plant medicines in the world. According to Duke’s seminal book, The Green Pharmacy, garlic is effective for alleviating conditions ranging from high cholesterol and high blood pressure to yeast infections and clotting disorders. Garlic compounds have the potential to help treat more than 200 ailments, Duke says. It’s the best overall plant for stimulating the immune system, the best anti-clotting herb, one of the best anti-fungals, and potentially useful for preventing heart disease and cancer.

When I’m learning about any herb, what gets my attention isn’t the amount of advertising it garners on late-night TV or even in the pages of magazines, but how long it has been in the human medicine cabinet and what its uses have been through the ages. Garlic passes that test with the highest marks. Cultures throughout the world have recognized garlic’s healing abilities. The first-century Roman scholar Pliny the Elder cited uses for it from treating snakebites to dealing with dizziness and intestinal parasites. In China, records show garlic was used as early as the sixth century to treat conditions such as colds and digestive ailments.

For specific information on how much garlic is recommended for a particular condition, check out the articles at The Herb Companion, or read about garlic in The Green Pharmacy, a welcome addition to any home library.

Note: Because garlic is a powerful anti-coagulant (prevents bloodclotting), don’t take it in large amounts if you have a clotting disorder, and consult with your health care practitioner if you take anti-coagulants, such as Coumadin, or therapeutic doses of aspirin. Stop using garlic two weeks before any scheduled surgery.
 Photo Credit: Fotolia

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/ask-our-experts/health-benefits-of-garlic-zb0z11zphe.aspx

St. John's wort - a powerful healing herb

St. John's wort tinctures and oils have a long history of healing a variety of physical ailments. Susun Weed told me about the powers of St. John's wort for sunburn many years ago.

St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) tincture is well known as a remedy for depression. The oil, though less well known, is one of the best medicines for regaining and maintaining healthy skin.

Hypericum oil is made by infusing the fresh yellow flowers of St. John’s/Joan’s wort in oil until it turns red. It is not an essential oil. If you live where hypericum grows, you can easily make it. If not, you can buy it at any store that sells herbs.

Because hypericum oil heals burns, I honor it with the name St. Joan’s wort. It is the only one-hundred-percent chemical-free sunscreen I know of. I apply a generous amount to all exposed skin every few hours to prevent sunburn and skin cancer.

Over the last fifty years, the rate of skin cancer in the USA has risen as fast as the usage of sunscreen. Commercial sunscreens encourage us to stay in the sun too long. St. Joan’s wort oil allows a slight reddening of the skin, so we are alerted to the need to get out of the sun, and it protects the lower levels of the skin from mutations that lead to cancer.

Hypericum oil carries its anti-viral activities deep into the nerve endings. Applied at the first sign of an outbreak, it prevents eruption of herpes and cold sores. It eliminates shingles, and eases the pain of chicken pox. Repeated use kills the herpes simplex virus and prevents further eruptions.

St. Joan’s wort oil also helps those with scaly skin conditions ranging from dry eczema to psoriasis. As an added benefit, hypericum oil eases muscle aches.

Plantain: A Weed You Can Eat

Plantain: A Weed You Can Eat
Common plantain is indeed a weed, but it can be so much more if harvested young and cooked like spinach.

By Len McDougall
April/May 2011

Plantain, commonly regarded as a weed, is a nutritious veggie that can thrive in any climate.
PHOTO: AGPIX/GERALD TANG

As a young man living in Grand Rapids, Mich., I would often see hungry people lined up for free food at food banks. What they didn’t know was that the yards, parks and vacant lots all around them were full of free fresh veggies. They may have seen them as weeds, but some of these “weeds” could have been harvested to augment the food bank fare.

One of the most common and plentiful of urban wild vegetables is a weed known as common plantain (Plantago major), which can grow from almost any patch of dirt. Common plantain is not only hardy enough to sprout up from cracks in asphalt and concrete — even gravel roadsides — but it can thrive in any climate.

Nutritionally, plantain is equally amazing. Related to spinach, plantain leaves are rich in iron and vitamins A and C. Plantain may be eaten uncooked, but adult leaves tend to be stringy, and seedpods are a bit tough. Preparation is as simple as boiling washed plants until tender, then serving the leaves as you would spinach, or the seedpods as you might green beans or asparagus. A little apple cider vinegar helps enliven the taste of cooked leaves, and I personally like them served hot with butter, salt and pepper. Seedpods are good in stews, soups and stir-fries, or with melted cheese over them.

Len McDougall
Paradise, Michigan

http://www.motherearthnews.com/modern-homesteading/common-plantain-zm0z11zhun.aspx

A Neighborhood Herb Walk

 Herbal pharmacist Dave LaLuzerne takes you on an herb walk in his neighborhood. Herbs covered include vervain, echinacea, solomon's seal, chicory, red clover, comfrey, spearmint, wild yam, mother wort, burdock, rosehips, burdock, and more.  Guest appearances by herbalist Jessie Conaway and Dr. Bruce Barrett.



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75 Safe and Effective Herbal Remedies

Treat dozens of common ailments naturally.

By Michael Castleman  -  October/November 2010

PHOTO: DIANE GUTHRIE, STYLING BY BITTERSWEET FLORAL & DESIGN

Herbal remedies can be a safer, less expensive alternative to pharmaceuticals, and you can grow many of them in your backyard.

My wife is an M.D. trained in pharmaceutical medicine. She prescribes drugs every day, but also recommends medicinal herbs. In our medicine cabinet, we stock drugs and herbs, but we use more of the latter. When we catch colds, we prefer echinacea and andrographis (immune-boosting herbs proven to speed recovery), ginseng (ditto), licorice root (for sore throat), tea or coffee (caffeine helps relieve stuffed nose and chest congestion), eucalyptus lozenges (for cough), and pelargonium (if post-cold bronchitis develops).

Thirty years ago, when I started writing about medicinal herbs, the vast majority of M.D.s (my wife included) never recommended herbs over drugs. Today, doctors are increasingly open to recommending nondrug alternatives given reasonable evidence of safety and effectiveness.

Unfortunately, many medical authorities still disparage medicinal herbs. Critics make four accusations: Herbs are ineffective, unsafe, unregulated and, when they work, they’re not as strong as drugs.

Ineffective? Hardly. As I document in my book, The New Healing Herbs, thousands of studies confirm the effectiveness of medicinal herbs for hundreds of conditions.

Unsafe? Like drugs, medicinal herbs can cause harm. Anything that’s pharmacologically active can. To ensure safety, purchase a guide that emphasizes safety, such as my book or the American Botanical Council’s ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs, or check out the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database.

Anyone who calls herbs hazardous is totally misinformed. Every year the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) compiles statistics on accidental deaths from drugs, herbs, vitamins and other supplements. The AAPCC’s most recent report (2008) records 1,756 accidental poisoning deaths. How many were attributable to medicinal herbs? Zero. In every accidental death caused by a pharmacological agent, the culprit was a pharmaceutical. And it’s been that way for many years. Herbs are safer than drugs.

University of Toronto researchers combed 30 years of medical literature (1966 to 1996) for reports of drug side effects in hospital patients. Extrapolating from the 39 most rigorous studies, they estimated that drug side effects kill an astonishing 106,000 U.S. hospital patients per year and cause 2.2 million serious, nonfatal problems. This makes drug side effects the nation’s fourth leading cause of death. The true number of drug-caused injuries is undoubtedly higher; this study focused solely on hospital patients, not the public. Note: These deaths didn’t result from medical errors; they occurred when drugs were administered as approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Unregulated? Before approving new drugs, the FDA requires drugmakers to prove them safe and effective. Such tests aren’t required of herbs, leading to claims that herbs are unregulated and, by implication, unsafe. But as we’ve seen, the supposedly stringent regulation of drugs hasn’t kept them from causing great harm.

In addition, preapproval studies typically involve only a few thousand people. Many side effects — some serious — only turn up in one user in 10,000 to 50,000, or more. These problems don’t emerge until the drug is widely used by people unaware that they are guinea pigs. Because so many new side effects turn up during the five years after approval, the FDA requires drugmakers to rewrite the warning labels of half of new drugs. Yes, drugs are regulated more stringently than herbs, but regulation doesn’t guarantee safety. Hundreds of studies show that, when compared head-to-head with herbs, drugs almost always cause more side effects. The vast majority of medicinal herbs have been used for centuries, standing the test of time.







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Rather than herbs being too weak, many drugs are too strong, and using herbal remedies may help allleviate your symptoms without as many side effects.

Not as strong? Dose for dose, yes, herbs aren’t as strong as drugs. Willow bark contains a natural form of aspirin, but the standard dose (1 to 2 cups of tea or 1 to 2 teaspoons of tincture) doesn’t relieve pain as well as a standard dose of aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin), acetaminophen (Tylenol), or naproxen (Aleve). As a result, critics dismiss herbs as medicinal wimps.

Rather than herbs being too weak, many drugs are too strong, causing side effects ranging from annoying to insufferable. Do no harm is the first axiom of medicine. This means that treatment should begin at the lowest possible effective dose. Why use a bulldozer if a broom suffices? Herbs should be prescribed first. Only those who truly need stronger medicine should use drugs, which cost more and have a greater risk of side effects. Unfortunately, American medicine does the opposite. Doctors prescribe drugs first, and only when the drugs are intolerable do some doctors suggest herbs. We don’t need medicine that’s stronger. We need medicine that’s smarter. For many common ills, herbs are cheaper and smarter.

If you’d like to try herbs instead of drugs, our Herbal Remedies for Common Ailments chart is a good place to start. These herbs have been included because of the strong clinical evidence of their efficacy.


Michael Castleman is one of the nation’s leading health writers, according to Library Journal.

What's the Deal with St. John's wort?

St. John's wort is one of my very favorite herbs. A wonderful healing herb.
It is so much more than an anti-depressant.
Listen to the herbal experts explain the real value of St. John's wort; includes James Duke, David Hoffmann, David Winston and more.



Watch What's the Deal with St. John's Wort?

Kitchen Herbs for Health

Kitchen Herbs for Health
Herbalists Jackie Nikolaus and Vanessa Mardones take you on a tour of kitchen herbs and spices that also have medicinal uses. Learn about the medicinal uses of green tea, turmeric, thyme, oregano, dandelion, kale, parsley, garlic, rosemary, and more. Special guest on the show is Rosemary Gladstar, known to many as the Grandmother of Herbalism in America.

I am so honored to say that Rosemary Gladstar has been a teacher of mine. Rosemary is very inspirational and has so much to share. During my herbal apprenticeships with Shatoiya de la Tour, we were introduced to the healing aspects of herbs by many of the great herbalists in the U.S. I feel this is the best way to learn about these healing spirits of the plant kingdom.

Dandelions

Dandelions are one of my very favorite herbs. They are allowed to volunteer all over my property. I use them in several of my herbal formulas. I feed the leaves to my animals and they love them, as well as being great for them.




Enjoy learning about what dandelion offers.

Video: How to Make a Moisturizing Herbal Balm - Vegetable Gardener

This is a very easy recipe for beginners in making herbal salves or balms.

Video: How to Make a Moisturizing Herbal Balm - Vegetable Gardener

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Herbal balms are a fun and inexpensive craft you can make using plants from your garden. You can use this recipe to make a moisturizer for your hands or your lips.

Here's what you'll need:

2 cups olive oil
1 cup dried herbs (For more on drying herbs, see the video, How to Dry Herbs.)
Essential oils
1 cup grated beeswax, packed
A double boiler
Containers for storing your balm

Bring water in a double boiler to simmer on your stovetop. Add the olive oil and dried herbs to the top of the double boiler. Keep on the heat for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently so the herbs release their oils.

Pour the mixture through a strainer to remove most of the herbs from the oil. Discard the leftover leaf material, rinse out the pot, and return it to the double boiler. Pour the oil, which has been infused with herbs, back into the top of the double boiler and heat it up again.

Add 20 drops of the essential oil to the infused olive oil and stir. Add the beeswax to your mixture and stir it until it melts.

After the beeswax has melted, you'll need to check the consistency of your balm. Remove your stirring spoon from the heated balm and let it cool slightly (you can stick it in the fridge for a minute to speed the process along). You'll be able to tell if your balm is thick enough because it should solidify slightly on the spoon into the consistency of a commercial lip balm. If it doesn't seem solid enough, add more grated beeswax until you're satisfied with the consistency.

Pour your balm into small jars. This recipe makes enough balm to fill two 4 oz canning jars. Let the balm cool completely, uncovered.

The Doctrine of Signatures

The Doctrine of Signatures Explained:
Herbalist Matthew Wood explains the concept of the Doctrine of Signatures through many herbal examples . He walks us into the herb world and shares his knowledge about some powerful herbs, their processes and what they offer.