Plant Medicine Monday

Happy May! What a lovely/busy weekend with a big May Day party with lots of wonderful friends and a cozy, rainy Sunday at home with my guys. Today is Plant Medicine Monday, and I don't really have a specific tip in mind today, instead, I offer a few thoughts as a reminder to myself (and anyone who may be reading). Plant medicine is more than herbal teas and tinctures, more than salves and syrups, more than all of the things that come to mind when we think "medicine". Plant medicine does so much more than heal our bodies. Plant medicine is also: The tree whose branches we climb to gain a different perspective, and perhaps some grounding. The seeds we sprout in spring to feed us through the summer. Greens in spring, tomatoes in summer, apples in fall and roots in winter. The grains, vegetables, fruits that nourish our bodies every day of our lives. Flowers in a vase on the kitchen table. The peace and wisdom found in the forest...and in the desert. Houseplants lovingly cared for adding life and oxygen to our homes. A dandelion flower tucked behind a child's ear and hundreds of dandelion seeds being blown, with wishes, into the air to land where they will. The wildness of the back-country wilderness and the wildness of the "weeds" on a city block. What are all of the ways plants are medicine to you? We are constantly surrounded by the Green Nation in one way or another...something I am very grateful for.

Plant Medicine Monday

Today's "Plant Medicine Monday" blog post is about nourishing herbal infusions. Many people drink herbal beverage teas all the time...an infusion is taking it a step further. Infusions are such a wonderful way to nourish our bodies with extra vitamins and minerals in the spring time! Here is my favorite method for preparing a nourishing herbal infusion:

1)Choose the herb/herbs you want. There are many to choose from, and with this method I prefer nourishing, tonic herbs...here are a few to try: Nettles - (fresh or dried) the ultimate whole-body tonic, good for practically every body system, excellent source of minerals and vitamins, readily absorbed by the body, wonderful kidney and adrenal tonic (we'll talk more about nettles in a future post) Oatstraw - (dried) for vitality, nerve and cardio tonic, great for dealing with stress/depression/chemical withdrawals, sexual vitality, endocrine system tonic, easily digested source of calcium Lemon Balm - (fresh is best) amazing nervous system herb, relieves stress and anxiety, relaxing effect of stomach, very pleasant tasting Red Raspberry - (leaves - fresh or dried) highly nourishing reproductive tonic, very rich in iron so great for energy, wonderful during pregnancy (and for fertility) Red Clover - (flowering tops and leaves - fresh or dried) rich in minerals (especially calcium, and iron), excellent blood purifier, detoxification herb, respiratory tonic, wonderful fertility herb for women Not every herb is gentle enough for an everyday nourishing brew, so check with an herbalist if you're not sure! 2) Put some water on to boil 3) Put a handful (the amount can vary by specific herb and parts used) of your herb of choice in a quart size mason jar and pour the boiling water over. Close the jar with a lid and let steep for desired time...the recommended time is around 4 hours, though if I'm rushed I might only steep it 20 minutes. Often I make it at night and let it steep while I'm sleeping. This way I just strain it in the morning and enjoy it throughout the day. Longer steeping extracts more healing constituents from the plants, and steeping in a closed jar keeps the water-soluble vitamins in.

4) When you're ready, strain out the herbs and your infusion is ready! Add sweetener if you like (I often like honey) and enjoy! Sometimes I like my infusions warm, and in the summer usually iced. A standard dose is about 2-3 cups per day, so a quart will usually last a couple of days. Keep it refrigerated!

**This blog is intended to provide educational information only and is not intended to substitute for the advice of a health care professional. All readers accept complete responsibility for their own health and well-being. The author is not responsible for any health care choices and decisions made by any individual.

Spring awakening

Even though spring in the valley isn't always my favorite time because of the wind, I love, love, love seeing the perennials in the herb garden wake up after a winter rest and once again poke through the soil. Here are some of the first to make their appearance this year! Dandelion (more about her later)

The chives are always the first to appear and I've already enjoyed cooking with them!

Strawberries

Valerian

Hyssop

Yarrow

Comfrey

Echinacea

Rhubarb Chamomile This brings us to the herbal tip of the week...and our herb is Dandelion! There are so many wonderful attributes of this humble garden "weed" that it could have a whole blog to itself. The whole plant is a wonderful ally for health...roots, leaves and flowers. So many people seem to wage war against this supreme herbal medicine, perhaps because that long tap root anchors dandelion so well to the ground. I wonder if these misguided gardeners would feel the same way if they knew that dandelion creates drainage channels in compacted soils, restores mineral health, aearates the soil and attracts earthworms. And if you still really want it out of there, why not harvest it as a superb food and medicine instead of attacking it with herbicide? There are too many medicinal properties to list here, so for now lets focus on the leaves. If your family is anything like mine, you're really craving green food this time of year. We can't seem to get enough of it. It amazes me how Mason always seems to know exactly what his body needs, and right now it's greens, greens, greens. Dandelion greens are such a wonderful, nutritious food. They are alkalizing, great for the kidneys, stomach and liver, a digestive bitter and a great food for "spring cleaning" your body. They are very high in Vitamins A and C, potassium, calcium, iron, and the B-vitamin complex...and that's just the beginning. We like to throw a handful of young dandelion greens into our spring salads, and cook with them as a green in practically everything. I recently made a quiche with dandelion greens, onions, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes...yum! There are lots of great dandelion recipes to be found. Susun Weed has an inspiring section on dandelion in her book Healing Wise. Remember, the greens are tastiest (to most) before the flowers appear. As far as harvesting dandelion, take care not to take her from an area likely sprayed with herbicides. Many natural grocers now carry dandelion greens as well. Get to know dandelion...she just might teach you a thing or two! And, eat your greens!