Essential Foraging Tools and Supplies

 Uncategorized
Mar 082019
 

By Juliet Blankespoor and Meghan Gemma
Photography by Juliet Blankespoor

All crafters have a cache of special tools—and foragers are no exception. I’ve been gathering food and medicine from wild places for nearly three decades and these are my tried-and-true tools of choice. As a bonus, every single one pulls double duty in the garden and around the yard.

In addition to the tools on this list, some of your best foraging allies will be those that allow you to forage safely and ethically. This means having a stack of reliable field guides as well as a firm grasp on sustainable gathering practices. Please see these articles for references and tips:

From left to right- a pruning saw, a sharp compact knife, and a pair of garden scissors

Please note that we are not affiliated with any of these businesses: we aren’t receiving any compensation for these recommendations. We’re simply sharing what has worked for us over the years. If you have any recommendations for products or businesses you like, please share in the comments below. We love learning about new products and forward-thinking businesses!

Now, without further ado, THE TOOLS…

Felco pruners

Pruners are the tool I use most often when gathering and processing foraged herbs. They snip right through herbaceous stems, twigs, small branches, and roots. I reach for them so often that I keep them in a leather holster on a belt at my hip. If you can only purchase one tool to get started, pruners are the way to go!

I recommend Felco brand pruners, as they are very high quality and may be sharpened. Blade and spring replacements are also available. I have used my pair of Felcos extensively over the past 25 years and they are still in good working order! The blade and the spring have both been replaced multiple times and I sharpen the blade several times a year. Dull pruners are a party pooper.

Felco pruners come in a wide variety of models. Look for a pair that will reduce hand fatigue and strain. The pruner handles, when fully opened, should not exceed the width of your extended grasp. Felcos are sold at some garden centers and online. Here are other recommendations for pruners from Gardening Products Review, Empress of Dirt, and Wirecutter.

Hori hori weeding knife

This tool looks like it sounds. Heavy duty and compact, it’s a sturdy wildcrafting tool and excellent weeding implement. I use my hori-hori to break up soils and dig small- to medium-sized roots from the earth. These garden “knives” cut through most clay soils and can even pry rocks out of the ground. You can also use it for transplanting and dividing roots.

Mine has seen its share of soils across the land and is still as strong as ever after 25 years. Again, a holster is quite handy and will protect your pack as well as your person. The wooden-handled varieties are purported to be stronger than the plastic. However, if you’re prone to losing objects, consider buying one with an orange plastic handle to lessen the chances of misplacing it.

Whenever I garden or forage, my pruners and hori-hori accompany me as my most trusted companions.

Hori-horis are available through seed catalogs and landscaping outfitters as well as some specialty garden centers. Look for models that have a “lip” at the base of the blade to protect your hand if the knife slips. See this article for hori-hori reviews: 5 Best Hori-Hori Knife Reviews.

Digging fork

This is the tool of choice for digging most roots. The tines of the fork effectively loosen soils and lift branching roots free from the earth. Digging forks are much less likely to damage roots than a shovel or spade. I also use my digging fork in the garden to weed, loosen soil, and harvest medicinal roots.

Note that digging forks have square and sturdy tines, unlike manure or hay forks, which have flat, bendable tines. You can find affordable options at garden supply centers or big box hardware stores, but remember that you get what you pay for, so I wouldn’t go with the cheapest option out there. Here are some recommendations.

4. Shovel

You likely already have this tool hanging out in your garage or garden shed. Having a couple of different types is useful. Make sure you have at least one long-handled shovel with a pointed blade (as opposed to flat).

I use shovels primarily to help begin the excavation process of large, tap-rooted plants like burdock (Arctium lappa, A. minus), or when I’m digging in heavily compacted soils.

5. Kitchen scissors

A sharp pair of kitchen scissors is my go-to tool for gathering tender-stemmed greens like chickweed (Stellaria media), violet (Viola spp.), and cleavers (Galium aparine). Pruners can make a muck of this job as they’re meant for tougher stems and the reach of their blades is limited.

Kitchen scissors are handy for harvesting young greens

A foldable pruning saw is handy for cutting small- to medium-sized tree limbs and branches. I use mine most often in the spring when I’m gathering medicinal tree barks like wild cherry (Prunus serotina) and black birch (Betula lenta).

Pruning saw

7. Sharp Compact Knife

Sharp compact knife for peeling the bark of medicinal trees

8. Assorted Baskets

Baskets will reward you in more ways than one. They’re handy for gathering and drying herbs, and they are beautiful to behold. It’s helpful to have an assortment of baskets on hand. You can typically find used baskets in thrift stores. Look for a few that have an open weave and are broad and flattish (helpful for increasing ventilation when drying loose herbs).

I have a small collection of buckets in my storeroom, and they get used more frequently than you might think. I pull them out for large-scale harvests like elderberry (Sambucus nigra var. canadensis) and wild blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), as well as for muddy root harvests. A little water in the bottom will also help to keep the stems and leaves of herbs fresh on a long car ride home.

These can be repurposed food-grade buckets; I like both the 3- and 5-gallon sizes. Try asking for empty buckets at the bakery counter or food prep section of your local grocery store. You can also purchase 5-gallon buckets at home improvement and hardware stores. Tubtrugs—pliable buckets with handles—are an alternative that can be quite useful for harvesting. They can be expensive but last a long time.

10. Gloves

Foraging can be hard on the hands, and your fingertips will thank you for stashing a pair of gloves in your pack for prickly situations (think: picking stinging nettles or wading through a berry bramble). I actually keep two pairs of gloves on hand—a thin, supple pair for delicate tasks and a thicker leather and/or canvas pair for moments when I need more protection.  

11. Heavy-Duty Chopping Knife

You will want to have a Japanese butchers knife or a heavy-duty kitchen knife for chopping tough roots.

A sturdy bristled brush is extremely helpful for scrubbing the soil from the cracks and crevices of your root harvests.

I highly recommend purchasing a hand lens, also called a jeweler’s loupe—preferably 10x to 20x (10 to 20 times magnification). These nifty little tools allow you to gaze at wee botanical parts (helpful for plant ID) and have a much higher magnification ability than plain magnifying lenses (the kind used for enlarging print). Many have an LED attached, which is ideal because the increased lighting makes it much easier to spy on flowers. Available at university bookstores or naturalist stores.

Hand lens

Meet Our Contributors:

JULIET BLANKESPOOR founded the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine in 2007 and serves as the school’s primary instructor and Creative Director. She's been a professional plant-human matchmaker for close to three decades. Juliet caught the plant bug when she was nineteen and went on to earn a degree in Botany. She's owned just about every type of herbal business you can imagine: an herbal nursery, a medicinal products business, a clinical practice, and now, an herbal school.

These days, she channels her botanical obsession with writing and photography in her online programs and here on her personal blog, Castanea. She's writing her first book: Cultivating Medicinal Herbs: Grow, Harvest, and Prepare Handcrafted Remedies from Your Home Garden. Juliet and her houseplants share a home with her family and herb books in Asheville, North Carolina.

MEGHAN GEMMA is one of the Chestnut School’s primary instructors through her written lessons, and is the principal pollinator of the school’s social media community—sharing herbal and wild foods wisdom from the flowery heart of the school to an ever-wider field of herbalists, gardeners, healers, and plant lovers.

She has been in a steady relationship with the Chestnut School since 2010—as an intern and manager at the Chestnut Herb Nursery; as a plant-smitten student “back in the day” when the school’s programs were taught in the field; and later as a part the school’s woman-powered professional team. Meghan lives in the Ivy Creek watershed, just north of Asheville, North Carolina.

COCO VILLA designed, sewed, and botanically-dyed her green tunic worn in the photos above. Coco creates one of a kind conceptual pieces for seasonal collections and private clients. Creations are wildly crafted in small batches and naturally dyed by hand with locally foraged plant matter. All goods are stitched together from natural fibers, folk fabric, hand printed textiles, or salvaged materials. Coco's website: www.somosbycoconuco.com.

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Are you intrigued with the idea
of foraging but intimidated by where to start?

The course begins with the basic ground rules of foraging safety and ethics, and then moves on to botany and plant identification. Before you know it, you’ll have the skills and confidence to safely identify and harvest wild plants.

You’ll befriend THE most common edible and medicinal wayside plants, including dandelion, stinging nettles, violet, yarrow, burdock, rose, goldenrod, and many others. The printable manual is hundreds of pages long and filled with close-up photos for identification, medicinal uses, and loads of easy-to-follow recipes. In fact, most of our plant profiles contain more detail than you’ll find in any book on wild foods and herbs.

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The Best Wild Foods and Medicinals for Beginning Foragers and Wildcrafters

 Uncategorized
Mar 052019
 

By Juliet Blankespoor and Meghan Gemma
Photography by Juliet Blankespoor

If you’re just picking up a foraging basket for the first time, what a truly special moment. I’m willing to bet that getting to know your local food and medicine plants (and bringing them home to your kitchen and apothecary) will be one of the most meaningful experiences of your life.

When I first began foraging my own food and medicine, I focused on a particular array of plentiful, generous, and nourishing plants—the wild weeds, the common flora, and the invasives. I strongly encourage you to do the same! These plants are some of our most superb medicinal allies and nutrient-dense wild foods. And these feral botanicals continue to be my main squeezes: non-native, “weedy” medicinals and wild foods are the most sustainable options out there.

And to sweeten the deal, they grow prolifically throughout the temperate world, so they are easy to find and befriend. Believe me, making connections with these plants is a bit like working a magic spell—one that reveals a generous landscape literally blooming with food and medicine.

But wait! Before you venture off into paradise, please ready yourself to partake of the cornucopia. You will need a proper set of resources to begin your foraging adventures safely and wisely. Tools, field guides, an ethical conscience, and some education on sustainable wildcrafting are all requisite (or at least very highly recommended). We’ve got you covered on each of these points; just pick and choose as needed from our list of articles below:

Please note that this article is introductory in scope—we won’t be discussing plant identification, and we’re just scratching the surface on medicinal uses and safety information. Depending on where you live, there may be different look-alikes than those that are listed in the article. We’re hoping to whet your appetite with these botanical vignettes—you’ll need to learn more before you can safely harvest these wild foods and medicinals. Therefore, the bulk of the botanical and herbal detective work will be up to you!

Find a couple field guides relevant to your region by searching our book list. Find a local foraging and/or plant identification teacher, if possible. Remember, there are deadly poisonous plants and mushrooms out there: one wrong move could be your last.

Have fun and be safe—which means being 110% sure of any plant’s identification before you nibble or harvest.

Chickweed (Stellaria media)

1. Chickweed, or Starweed (Stellaria media, Caryophyllaceae)

Edible Parts:  Tender leaves, upper stems, and flowers

Medicinal Parts: Aboveground parts in flower

Preparations: Infusion, vinegar, pesto, salad, smoothie, juice, poultice, compress, salve, and infused oil

Herbal Actions:

  • Nutritive tonic
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Alterative
  • Demulcent
  • Expectorant
  • Galactagogue (stimulates breast milk)
  • Gentle laxative
  • Diuretic
  • Vulnerary

Chickweed leaves

Chickweed is one of my oldest green friends—we became acquainted over two decades ago, and I’m as smitten as ever. This sprawling weed is beloved among wild foods enthusiasts for its succulent mild flavor. It’s one of the best wild foods for beginning foragers, as it’s tasty and fairly easy to identify. Harvest chickweed with scissors, cutting back the top few tender inches, which generally includes some leaves, stems, flowers, and buds. After receiving a “haircut,” the plant grows tender new shoots, making it possible to repeatedly harvest until it gets too leggy and chewy.

One of my all-time favorite ways to enjoy chickweed’s delectable leaves is in pesto. The leaves can also be added to salads and used in lieu of lettuce on sandwiches and in tacos, burritos, and wraps. Chickweed tea is often recommended as a daily tonic, along with red clover (Trifolium pratense) and burdock (Arctium lappa and A. minus), for acne, psoriasis, and eczema. It is a classic spring cleansing food and infusion.

Harvesting chickweed with the "haircut" method

Related Species and Look-Alikes: Chickweed’s close relative, mouse-ear chickweed (Cerastium fontanum), is quite similar in appearance and grows in similar habitats. It’s also edible, although not as tasty (as it’s more fibrous and hairy). Chickweed may also be confused with the non-edible Persian speedwell (Veronica persica) and scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis).

Contraindications: Chickweed contains moderate levels of dietary oxalates, which can reduce mineral uptake from food and increase kidney stone formation. This is generally not an issue, as chickweed is also high in calcium, which balances the effects of the oxalates. You may want to avoid chickweed if you are prone to kidney stones.

Common blue violet (Viola sororia)

2. Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia, V. odorata, and select other species, Violaceae)

Edible Parts: Leaves and flowers

Medicinal Parts: Leaves and flowers

Preparations: Infusion, syrup, honey, vinegar, poultice, compress, salve, and infused oil

Herbal Actions:

  • Demulcent
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Alterative
  • Vulnerary
  • Diuretic
  • Lymphagogue
  • Expectorant
  • Antirheumatic
  • Gentle laxative

Not only are violets spritely springtime charmers, they are also highly nutritious wild edibles and versatile medicinals, with countless topical and internal uses. Children seem to have a special affinity for this charismatic group of plants, perhaps because their bright flowers are well within reach. Violets grow in lawns, gardens, sidewalk cracks, and along trail sides. The leaves and flowers can be harvested with scissors in a “haircut” style.

I enjoy fresh violet leaves and flowers in salads, pestos, sandwiches, and wraps—and sautéed or steamed. I also like to stir them into soups as a nutrient-dense thickener. The flowers make a lovely garnish—try sprinkling them on salads, cakes, and pancakes.

Violet has a rich tradition as a springtime tonic, anticancer folk herb, and pulmonary remedy for dry hacking coughs. The leaves contain a good bit of mucilage or soluble fiber, and thus are helpful for lowering cholesterol levels (similar to oatmeal) and restoring healthy populations of intestinal flora. Topically, violet is used as a poultice, compress, infused oil, and salve in the treatment of dry or chafed skin, abrasions, insect bites, eczema, varicose veins, and hemorrhoids.

For more information on how to prepare violet as food and medicine, and a discussion on different violet species, check out our blog on Violet’s Edible and Medicinal Uses.

Viola sororia flowers

Related Species and Look-Alikes: The Viola genus contains around 550 species. Most wild foods authors report that the blue- and white-flowered species of violet are all edible, but not the yellow-flowered species. There are rare species of violet, so do your research on each violet’s abundance. The leaves of crowfoot (Ranunculus abortivus) and golden ragwort (Packera aurea) resemble violet leaves and are sometimes confused. Only harvest when violet is in flower so you can be sure of your identification. Don’t use the roots of any violet species, as they are emetic. 

Contraindications: Avoid internal use with individuals who have the rare inherited disorder G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) deficiency, because it can aggravate hemolytic anemia.1

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

3. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale, Asteraceae)

Edible Parts: Leaves, roots, and flowers

Medicinal Parts: Leaves and roots

Preparations: 

  • Leaf: Infusion, vinegar, bitters, salad, nibble, and cooking green
  • Root: Decoction, tincture, vinegar, bitters, and roasted herbal “coffee”


Herbal Actions:

  • Leaf
    • Diuretic
    • Bitter
    • Cholagogue
    • Hepatic
    • Alterative
  • Root
    • Bitter
    • Hepatic
    • Cholagogue
    • Alterative
    • Prebiotic
    • Diuretic
    • Gentle laxative
    • Antirheumatic

Dandelion is a classic medicinal in our beloved food-herb tribe and can be used safely as a tonic remedy over a long period of time. Despite its familiarity, dandelion is one of the plants I see misidentified over and over—so be sure to check out its look-alikes below!

The roots and leaves have some overlapping medicinal applications, but they are distinct medicines, each with their own therapeutic benefits. Dandelion root is a classic liver and blood tonic and has long been used to aid conditions like eczema, psoriasis, acne, and hives. Clinical studies demonstrate that dandelion is strongly anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.

The leaves of dandelion are exceptionally nutritious, with higher levels of iron, riboflavin, and vitamin E than any of our commonly cultivated greens. The tender spring leaves are edible, both raw and cooked, but I’ll let you know here and now that they are bitter. I like to mix them with milder greens in salads or steamed with other vegetables. Learn more by checking out our dandelion sample lesson from the Online Herbal Immersion; head over to Dandyland and watch the lesson here.

Dandelion leaves can be harvested for medicine whenever they’re green and vital. If you’re gathering the leaves for food, the early spring greens are less bitter than summer greens. The roots are best harvested in the fall.

Related Species and Look-Alikes: Chicory (Cichorium intybus) and cat’s-ear (Hypochaeris radicata) are sometimes mistaken for dandelion. Wild lettuce (Lactuca spp.) and sow thistle (Sonchus spp.) may also be confused with dandelion when they’re in their vegetative state.

My treatise on dandelion has more information about identification, including its look-alikes. Download it here.

Contraindications: Because dandelion leaf is a powerful diuretic, it will enhance the effects of pharmaceutical diuretics. Although rare, people have experienced contact dermatitis from the topical use of dandelion. People who are allergic to bee pollen or honey have a high likelihood of reacting to dandelion pollen, and therefore should avoid ingesting the flower or any preparation from the flower that would contain pollen.

Stinging nettles harvest (Urtica dioica)

4. Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica, Urticaceae)

Edible Parts: Leaves and seeds

Medicinal Parts: Leaves, seeds, and roots (rhizomes)

Preparations: Infusion, tincture, vinegar, pesto, cooked greens, juice, broth, powder, capsules, and finishing salts

Herbal Actions: 

  • Nutritive tonic
  • Alterative
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Antirheumatic
  • Diuretic
  • Galactagogue
  • Astringent

This celebrated herb is an emerald queen who proudly reigns over her realms—food and medicine—with vim and vigor. Nettles is packed with vitamins, minerals, and chlorophyll—this vitality infuses into nutritive herbal teas, vinegars, and medicinal foods.

Nettles is a supreme blood builder, nourishing tonic, and herbal ally for fasting and cleansing. It is one of the best herbs to take daily when you feel tired or depleted. Use nettles greens anywhere you would use spinach or kale. The sting is disarmed when the leaves are dried or cooked.

Nettles grows close to humans and waterways—it thrives in open, fertile ground. You’ll find it growing in floodplains, forest edges, ditches, hedgerows, along open trail sides, and around old farms, especially in barnyards with compost and manure piles.

When harvesting for medicine, wait until the plants are knee-high and pick before they flower. Wear thick clothing that covers arms and ankles and use leather gardening gloves. Use a scythe or similar tool for large-scale harvesting, and use pruners or kitchen scissors for smaller yields.

Only wild-harvest nettles from clean locales, as they are adept at bioaccumulating heavy metals and other toxins. If plants are growing in the floodplains of polluted waterways, there is a good chance their leaves will have accumulated some of the toxins found in the water.

Emerging stinging nettle shoots

Related Species and Look-Alikes: Two North American species of plants—false nettles (Boehmeria cylindrica) and nettle-leafed vervain (Verbena urticifolia)—closely resemble stinging nettles but lack the characteristic stinging hairs. The wood nettle (Laportea canadensis) is a close relative of stinging nettles and is also edible, although it’s not used medicinally in the same fashion. Other species of stinging nettles in the Urtica genus can be used medicinally or as food; consult a local wild foods expert or herbalist to learn about regional varieties.

Precautions and Contraindications: Although nettles is generally safe, it can be very drying when ingested daily, especially for folks who already have dry skin and sinus membranes. To counter this effect, add marshmallow (Althaea officinalis), linden (Tilia spp.), chia seeds (Salvia hispanica), or other demulcent herbs to nettles tea. Additionally, its diuretic effects may compound pharmaceuticals with the same action, such as diuretic antihypertensive medications. Nettles may potentially alter blood sugar levels—diabetics should monitor blood sugar levels closely when ingesting the plant as food or medicine.2

Black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis)

5. Brambleberries, including Blackberries and Raspberries (Rubus spp., Rosaceae)

Edible Parts: Berries

Medicinal Parts: Berries, leaves, and roots

Preparations: 

  • Berry: Food, infusion, syrup, vinegar
  • Leaf: Infusion, vinegar
  • Root: Decoction, tincture


Herbal Actions:

  • Fruit
    • Antioxidant
    • Nutritive tonic
    • Anti-inflammatory
  • Leaf
    • Nutritive tonic
    • Anti-inflammatory
    • Uterine tonic
    • Partus preparator (childbirth aid)
    • Astringent
  • Root
    • Astringent

Blackberry leaves (Rubus spp.)

Wild berries are truly a delight, and as Rosemary Gladstar says, they “carry the indescribable, yet discernable, strength and vitality of things that belong to the wilderness”.3 The juicy fruits of both raspberries and blackberries are nourishing food-medicines rich in antioxidants, phenolic acids, and anthocyanins—a powerhouse of compounds and plant pigments that stimulate the immune system, nourish the blood, and protect against heart disease and cancer.4

Interestingly, studies reveal that raspberry’s leaves may be even higher in flavonoids and antioxidants than the richly colored fruits.5 They are also packed with vitamins and minerals—especially calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, and vitamins B, C, and E.3

Raspberries and blackberries can be used interchangeably as food and nutritive beverage teas, but medicinally they have different uses. Raspberry is a classic herb for nourishing pregnancies and bringing them to fruition—the leaves are a pregnancy tonic that has been employed by midwives for centuries.

Blackberry is one of our best astringent allies (raspberry leaves are also astringent). The leaves are mild in action, but the roots are truly powerful (and should therefore be used for only a short period). Blackberry is a top-choice first aid remedy for diarrhea, dysentery, and cases of “loose bowels.”

Related Species and Look-Alikes: There are hundreds of Rubus species and subspecies, all of which can be used for food and medicine. Get to know your local varieties, as there are likely several. Most herbal books list red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) as the official medicinal species, but you can use any species of raspberry for medicine, including wineberry (R. phoenicolasius), black raspberry (R. occidentalis), and American red raspberry (R. strigosus).

Precautions and Contraindications: Blackberry root is a powerful astringent and should not be used internally for more than a few days. Brambles in general are astringent and drying—use cautiously with those who have dry constitutions. Blackberry leaf can lower blood sugar levels—diabetics should avoid or closely monitor plasma glucose levels.6 Both raspberry and blackberry leaves and roots should be avoided in constipation. The presence of tannins in both medicines interferes with iron absorption—avoid taking with iron supplements.7

Multi-petaled rose varieties yield more petals

6. Rose (Rosa spp., Rosaceae)

Edible Parts: Flowers, flower buds, and rosehips

Medicinal Parts: Flowers, flower buds, leaves, and rosehips

Preparations:

  • Flowers and flower buds: Infusion, tincture, honey, poultice, compress, salve, syrup, elixir, oil, vinegar, flower essence, hydrosol, soak
  • Rosehips: Decoction, syrup, honey, vinegar, jam
  • Leaf: Infusion, compress, poultice

Herbal Actions:

  • Flowers and buds
    • Nervine
    • Astringent
    • Anti-inflammatory
    • Cardiotonic
    • Antimicrobial
    • Anticatarrhal
    • Diuretic
    • Aphrodisiac
  • Rosehips
    • Nutritive
    • Blood tonic
    • Astringent
    • Antimicrobial
  • Leaves
    • Astringent
    • Antimicrobial
    • Diuretic

Rosa multiflora blooms

All roses have edible petals and hips that are profoundly nutritive. Roses with pink and red petals are especially high in bioflavonoids, carotenoids, and anthocyanins, and contain as many (if not more) antioxidants as green tea.8 Rosehips are one of the most concentrated sources of vitamin C in the world and are a blood-building tonic.

To enjoy, pull rose petals from the reproductive parts and add them to salads, smoothies, fruit salads, and salsas. They make a show-stopping garnish on birthday cakes, and the dried and powdered petals are beautiful when dusted over homemade truffles. One of my favorite ways to use the blossoms is to add them to berries when making jam—this fanciful addition turns any fruit preserve into an alchemical delicacy.

In the summertime, I combine the beautiful fresh flowers and flower buds with hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) and mint (Mentha spp.) to make a cooling and refreshing herbal iced tea. Rosehips are delicious in tea, brandies, compotes, and so on.

Take care to gather flowers only from organic rose bushes or those that are growing wild in clean locations, as roses are one of the most heavily sprayed plants in gardens and commercial farms alike. Along these lines, absolutely avoid using bouquet roses from florists as food or medicine.

Related Species and Look-Alikes: Note that there are many plants with rose in their name that are not related to the true roses (Rosa spp.), and are thus not used as medicine or as food in similar fashion (some are poisonous!). These include Lenten rose (Helleborus spp.), rock-rose (Cistus spp.), rose mallow (Lavatera spp.), and others.

Precautions and Contraindications: Rose is cooling and drying and can aggravate cold and dry constitutions if taken regularly.

Black walnuts (Juglans nigra) in the hull, dehulled, and the shelled nutmeat

7. Black Walnut (Juglans nigra and select other species, Juglandaceae)

Edible Parts: Nut meats

Medicinal Parts: Fresh green hulls and leaves

Preparations: Tincture, decoction, powder

Herbal Actions:

  • Antifungal
  • Anti-parasitic
  • Astringent

Black walnuts are a delicious late summer wild food; the nuts, encased in thick green hulls, begin pinging down from the trees in August. I’ll admit, these nuts take a bit more processing than your average foraged food, but they’re worth it. Gather freshly fallen nuts, remove the husks, then allow the nuts to dry, which “cures” them. When removing the hulls, you’ll want to wear gloves, or you’ll wind up with a persistent yellow-brown stain on your hands.

The fresh, green hulls can be powdered, decocted, or tinctured for a medicine that is helpful topically for athlete’s foot and other fungal skin infections. The leaves in tea or tincture form are beneficial for some disorders of the GI tract—particularly leaky gut and malabsorption of food. Black walnut is a classic folk remedy for cleansing the digestive tract of internal parasites like pinworms. The hulls can be boiled to make a beautiful brown dye.

Later, cracking the nuts and picking out the nut meats will keep you (or any children who happen by) occupied for hours. I recommend using a hammer and doing your cracking outside. The nuts are delicious in breads, cakes, pies, and pestos. You can also whip up a decadent black walnut butter by blending with coconut oil and maple syrup.

Related Species and Look-Alikes: Black walnut is a relative of the classic English walnut (Juglans regia), though its flavor is distinctly more unusual. Black walnuts may be confused with butternuts (Juglans cinerea), whose nuts drop at the same time. Butternuts are also edible and delicious.

Precautions and Contraindications: Do not use the tincture or decoction of black walnut hulls internally during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima)

8. Chinese Chestnut (Castanea mollissima, Fagaceae)

Edible Parts: Nut meats

Medicinal Parts: N/A

Preparations: Eat freshly cooked, or add to stews, chilis, breads, or pie crusts

Herbal Actions: N/A

Chinese chestnuts are a common yard tree in the southern Appalachians, and can easily be found in the fall, when their spiny burrs and nuts fall from the trees. Most people who have them growing in their yard do not pick and eat their chestnuts, and are happy for you to take them away.

After gathering, wash the nuts in large buckets and discard the floaters, taking care to repeatedly stir the water. You can then eat the steamed or roasted chestnuts out-of-hand, or add them to soups, stews, chilis, and so on. We generally freeze the peeled chestnuts, and sometimes dry them. The boiled and mashed nut meats, mixed with butter or coconut oil, make a delicious and hearty crust for pie or quiche. Chestnuts are a particularly “starchy” nut, with more carbohydrates and less fat than other nuts.

Related Species and Look-Alikes: Take care not to confuse Chinese chestnuts with horse chestnuts (Aesculus hippocastanum) or buckeye nuts (Aesculus glabra), which are poisonous. Chinese chestnuts are distinct from American chestnuts (Castanea dentata) and chinquapin trees (Castanea pumila), which have been strongly affected by the chestnut blight in North America.

Precautions and Contraindications: Chestnuts cause gassiness in many folks. 

Freshly dug burdock root

9. Burdock (Arctium lappa, A. minus, Asteraceae)

Edible Parts: Roots, young flower stalks, and leaves (these are marginally edible)

Medicinal Parts: Roots, leaves, and seeds

Preparations: Decoction, tincture, infused vinegar, food, poultice, compress, and wash (food and tea are best for imparting burdock’s prebiotic qualities)

Herbal Actions: 

  • Nutritive
  • Alterative
  • Bitter tonic
  • Hepatic
  • Demulcent
  • Prebiotic
  • Antioxidant
  • Diuretic
  • Hypoglycemic

Burdock leaves

Burdock root is one of my most esteemed nutritive allies, competing heavily with my passion for stinging nettles (Urtica dioica). Delicious and strengthening, burdock is a classic food herb whose flavor is earthy and sweet—somewhat like a carrot or parsnip.

It can be prepared in a similar vein to other root vegetables by steaming, boiling, or roasting. Medicinally, burdock supports the primary cleansing systems of the body: the skin, kidneys, liver, lymph, and GI tract. Both Traditional Chinese Medicine and modern clinical studies demonstrate that burdock is high in antioxidant activity.

In my eyes, burdock is one of the true hunks of the plant kingdom. Big and handsome, with a whopping taproot, it has been blessed with a crush-worthy combination of strength and charisma. It prospers in many places—in old fields and grazing pastures, farm and garden beds, parks, backyards, and anywhere the earth has been turned up and disturbed.

You’ve likely encountered its infamous burrs—seed heads that cling stupendously well to clothing, animal pelts, and hair. These appear in late summer and are a sticky memento of burdock’s ubiquitous presence. Dig first-year roots (before a flowering stalk appears) in the fall or early spring.

Burdock’s flower heads

Related Species and Look-Alikes: Burdock species are frequently confused with the cockleburs (Xanthium spp.), which are major weeds of row crops and pastures in temperate and subtropical regions around the world. Some folks confuse broad-leafed yellow dock (Rumex obtusifolius) with burdock. Also, be sure not to mistake garden rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) for burdock—their leaves are strikingly similar. It’s important to note the difference because though rhubarb’s delicious stalk is edible, its leaves are poisonous—containing dangerously high concentrations of oxalic acid.

Precautions and Contraindications: Burdock may cause reactions in those who have a sensitivity to plants in the aster family (Asteraceae), although this is rare. Use caution in hypoglycemia or diabetes as burdock can lower blood sugar levels.9

Lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album)

10. Lamb’s Quarters (Chenopodium album, Amaranthaceae)

Edible Parts: Tender young leaves (fresh tips)

Medicinal Parts: N/A

Preparations: As food, in any way you’d use spinach or Swiss chard (raw, steamed, sautéed, pureed, etc.)

Herbal Actions: 

  • Nutritive food/medicine

Lamb’s quarters is one of the most common and widespread weeds on the planet. It’s also one of the most nutritious greens ever analyzed, outcompeting many common vegetables in vitamin and mineral content.

With tender edible greens packed with vital nutrients and edible seeds, it’s no wonder humans have both foraged and cultivated this nutritious plant for hundreds of generations. The choicest parts are the fresh tips—the top few nodes of tender leaves. They can easily be pinched off by hand.

The succulent greens of lamb’s quarters can be used in any dish where you might otherwise use spinach or Swiss chard. They can be eaten raw, steamed, sautéed, or added to soups and stews. I enjoy them in lasagna, omelets, quiche, and cold pasta salads. The sky’s the limit with this pleasant green! To preserve the bounty, you can blanch and freeze the greens or freeze a batch of pesto or pâté.

Related Species and Look-Alikes: The various species of Chenopodium can be hard to differentiate—use a local field guide to identify your local species. Several species of hairy or black nightshade (Solanum nigrum, S. villosum, S. physalifolium, and S. sarrachoides)—common garden weeds—could ultimately be confused with lamb’s quarters. These species of nightshade can be toxic in larger doses, so it’s important to be able to differentiate them.

Lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album)

References

  1. Tobyn, G., Denham, A., and Whitelegg, M. The Western Herbal Tradition: 2000 Years of Medicinal Plant Knowledge. Elsevier Health Sciences, 2010.
  2. American Herbal Products Association’s Botanical Safety Handbook, 2nd ed. CRC Press, 2013.
  3. Gladstar, R. Herbal Healing for Women. Simon & Schuster, 1993.
  4. Hakkinen, S., Heinonen, M., et al.“Screening of selected flavonoids and phenolic acids in 19 berries.” Food Research International. 1999.
  5. Wang, S., and Lin, H.S. “Antioxidant activity in fruits and leaves of blackberry, raspberry, and strawberry varies with cultivar and developmental stage.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2000.
  6. American Herbal Products Association’s Botanical Safety Handbook, 2nd ed. CRC Press, 2013.
  7. Mills, S., and Bone, K. The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety. Elsevier Health Sciences, 2005.
  8. Vinokur, Y., Rodov, V., et al. “Rose Petal Tea as an Antioxidant-Rich Beverage: Cultivar Effects.” Journal of Food Science. 2006;71:S42–S47.
  9. Barnes, J., Anderson, L., and Phillipson, D. Herbal Medicines. Pharmaceutical Press, 2007.

Meet Our Contributors:

JULIET BLANKESPOOR founded the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine in 2007 and serves as the school’s primary instructor and Creative Director. She's been a professional plant-human matchmaker for close to three decades. Juliet caught the plant bug when she was nineteen and went on to earn a degree in Botany. She's owned just about every type of herbal business you can imagine: an herbal nursery, a medicinal products business, a clinical practice, and now, an herbal school.

These days, she channels her botanical obsession with her writing and photography in her online programs and here on her personal blog, Castanea. She's writing her first book: Cultivating Medicinal Herbs: Grow, Harvest, and Prepare Handcrafted Remedies from Your Home Garden. Juliet and her houseplants share a home with her family and herb books in Asheville, North Carolina.

MEGHAN GEMMA is one of the Chestnut School’s primary instructors through her written lessons, and is the principal pollinator of the school’s social media community—sharing herbal and wild foods wisdom from the flowery heart of the school to an ever-wider field of herbalists, gardeners, healers, and plant lovers.

She has been in a steady relationship with the Chestnut School since 2010—as an intern and manager at the Chestnut Herb Nursery; as a plant-smitten student “back in the day” when the school’s programs were taught in the field; and later as a part the school’s woman-powered professional team. Meghan lives in the Ivy Creek watershed, just north of Asheville, North Carolina.

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Are you intrigued with the idea
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The course begins with the basic ground rules of foraging safety and ethics, and then moves on to botany and plant identification. Before you know it, you’ll have the skills and confidence to safely identify and harvest wild plants.

You’ll befriend THE most common edible and medicinal wayside plants, including dandelion, stinging nettles, violet, yarrow, burdock, rose, goldenrod, and many others. The printable manual is hundreds of pages long and filled with close-up photos for identification, medicinal uses, and loads of easy-to-follow recipes. In fact, most of our plant profiles contain more detail than you’ll find in any book on wild foods and herbs.

Registration for the Foraging Course is closed until 2020.

Sign up for free tutorials (videos + articles) on Foraging and herbal medicine, and to be notified about new course offerings.

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Why am I so tired?

 Naturopathy
Mar 042019
 
why an i so tired

The demands of modern life can leave many of us feeling that we just don’t have enough energy keep up. We all know what it feels like to sleep poorly one night and struggle to function well the next day. Well what happens when you feel like this everyday, even after you have had a good nights sleep? It makes you ask, ‘why and I so tired?’

When you are feeling fatigued, it is likely that the powerhouse of your cells – the mitochondria, are not functioning optimally. Every cell in your body contains a mitochondria, which is where your energy production comes from. Without adequate nutrition, your cells are unable to produce the energy that your body needs. 

Nutrients that your mitochondria love – 

B vitamins

CoQ10

Magnesium

Zinc

Iodine

Omega-3 essential fatty acids

Phospholipids

Selenium

And vitamins C and D

I encourage all of my clients to rely on their diet for the bulk of their nutrition, rather than supplements. You can never out-supplement a poor diet.

Now I am sure that you have heard it all before, you need to eat a balance of grass-fed protein, healthy fats such as coconut, olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds, an abundance of fresh vegetables, a couple of pieces of seasonal fruit, some healthy carbs and adequate water to match your thirst and activity level.

Just as important as what we need to include in our diet, is what we need to avoid in our diet.

This includes – highly processed foods with artificial colours, flavours and preservatives, hydrogenated or ‘trans’ fats, foods that are high in refine sugars, excessive alcohol and caffeine, and foods that you have identified to be hypersensitive too.

It is easy to blame our busy lives for the reason that we are fatigued, and often this is the case. However, this constant state of ‘busy’ can have wide-reaching effects on many body systems. When these systems become out of balanced, then fatigue can set in or be amplified. The tricky part is working out what came first, the fatigue or the body imbalance. Did your fatigue cause an imbalance, or is an imbalance causing your fatigue? Just thinking bout this is enough to make you feel fatigued!

What are some of the underlying causes of fatigue?

Stress

Poor sleep

Dehydration

Blood glucose disturbances

Immune dysfunction, including allergies

Mood disturbances

Oxidative stress

Inflammation

Toxic burden

What are some things you can do to quickly improve your energy?

Optimise your sleep – you can do this be reducing evening screen time, developing a regular bedtime, avoid stimulants such as caffeine in the afternoon.

Exercise – physical activity is important for maintaining cellular energy production. Being active can help to address some of the underlying factors that contribute to your fatigue.

Find your purpose and motivation – easier said than done, but feeling positive and being in an environment that you enjoy will definitely put some spring into your step.

Rest – know when your body needs to physically rest, and respect this by giving your body what it needs. Ask, am I mentally tired, or physically tired?

Get out into nature – fresh air and barefeet on the ground can refresh your physical body and your mind.

How can I help you feel more energetic?

  1. I can provide you with the core nutrients that you need to support cellular energy production
  2. We can identify and address any underlying causes of your fatigue
  3. I can provide dietary and lifestyle guidance to help restore and maximise your energy levels.
  4. Help you to implement strategies to use your energy efficiently and stay motivated.

Are you keen to learn some more? Why not book in for your free 15-minute call with me and we can chat some more.

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Dandelion: Detox With This Yellow Charmer

 Acupuncture
Mar 042019
 
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Next time you’re in a wide open field, pasture or meadow dotted with beautiful yellow dandelions, know that these prolific little delights are not only beautiful, but packed with nutrition and offer a host of healthy benefits. Let’s explore this amazing flower.

Dandelions are known as Pu Gong Ying in pinyin and are used frequently in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The name comes from the French “dent-de-lioun,” which translates into “tooth of the lion” due to its sharp leaves. They are known to aid the liver, kidneys and gallbladder in particular. In Chinese medicine herbs are used to heal, this includes flowers, bark, roots and seeds. For example, if an herb is considered “warming,” it is given for cold conditions. An herb that is bitter would clear heat and detoxify. If an herb is sour it benefits the liver. If an herb is red it benefits the heart and blood. TCM creates herbal formulas that use a combination of different herbs to balance the formula and keep it safe.

Dandelion is considered a cold, bitter and slightly sweet herb. Its milky juice clears heat, detoxifies blood, reduces swelling and helps the early stages of a cold. Dandelion helps the liver and gallbladder by increasing bile production, and helping in cases of jaundice. Often dandelion is combined with licorice, milk thistle and fennel.

Here are some other key benefits of this flower:

  • It is a diuretic and aids the kidneys, urinary disorders, and may prevent kidney stones
  • Lowers blood pressure (as a diuretic)
  • Weight loss (as a diuretic)
  • Helps digestion, promotes appetite, increases bile, is a mild laxative
  • Stimulates the production of insulin by the pancreas for diabetes
  • Has iron, vitamins and protein to help anemia

Dandelion can be eaten, taken in a tea or as a supplement. Be careful of picking dandelion on your own and ingesting it, the area it grows in may be sprayed with harmful chemicals.

It is not recommended to start taking dandelion without consulting a healthcare professional. Dandelion is considered safe, but may cause digestive upset if taken in large quantities. It is also not recommended to combine dandelion with other herbs without consulting an herbal specialist. In TCM, the practitioner will record a patient history and make a careful diagnosis before prescribing an herbal formula designed specifically for your constitution.

Smile next time you walk by a field of dandelions; these little beauties are lovely to our bodies.

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Ohhhh, My Aching Head

 Naturopathy
Mar 042019
 

Our brain is actually insensitive to pain. There are two basic categories of headaches – those that we suffer occasionally – a one off type headache, that we can generally pin down to a known cause – this might include an “ice cream headache” where the extreme cold of the ice cream causes your blood vessels to narrow & temporarily reducing blood flow to the brain; a hangover headache, an MSG headache, a head ache due to a head injury.

Then there are the headaches that people suffer more regularly. These recurring headaches are generally classified as cluster headaches, migraine headaches or tension type headaches. While some people may experience a headache once per month, others are plagued by them weekly or even daily.

Most common forms of headaches

  • Tension type headaches are the most widespread headache disorder
  • Diet related headaches: Caused by digestive disturbances, allergies, food intolerances, poor quality nutrition, alcohol etc
  • Hormones: Three times as many women suffer from headaches than men, this difference is most apparent during the reproductive years as female sex hormones are implicated as a significant trigger for women. This also includes headaches associated with peri-menopause and menopause.

5 ways Naturopathy can help your headaches (and the rest of your body )

1) Diet : Headaches can be triggered by insufficient food, allergies, intolerances, delayed meals, eating too little & dehydration. Fasting is recognized as a trigger & could be due to a lowered blood sugar level. By taking a full nutritional assessment, we can ascertain any possible food intolerances/imbalances that may be contributing.

2) Lifestyle factors: Naturopathy also encompasses a wholistic approach to all the factors that can influence your current state of health. By addressing lifestyle factors such as posture, stress, blood pressure, sleep we can provide a tailored approach to your long-term health, vitality and longevity.

3) Digestive system: An improper diet not only has negative effects on blood sugar, but also causes havoc on your gastrointestinal system. The intestinal lining is often damaged due to poor nutrition, leading to food sensitivities and decreased nutrient absorption. Once of the areas we specialise in is gut health and that can underpin your whole body’s state of wellness

4) Medication: Having a Science degree as well as extensive Naturopathy qualifications, we take a full medical case history to look at interactions of medications that can have an affect on headaches. Working with your GP/specialist may be a part of this as well.

1) Physical & emotional factors that can precipitate headaches. We determine areas contributing such as stiff & painful muscles, eye & dental problems, sinusitis, colds & flu as well as emotional triggers such as stress, anxiety, Cortisol levels & muscle tension

Our Naturopathic consults take a detailed health history which includes any possible headache triggers such as food intolerances, stress, sleep, hormonal imbalance or environmental factors. I then recommend a natural, individualised, multi-pronged approach to stimulate the body’s intrinsic healing process.

If your headaches are getting you down and stopping you from living your life to the fullest, or even if they are just downright annoying, call now for an appointment with our naturopaths to discover your triggers and solution to this sometimes very debilitating condition.

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Chicken Tikki Masala

 Naturopathy
Feb 252019
 

Who doesn’t love a curry. This is a mild and easy to make curry that the whole family will love. If you enjoy things a bit spicier, just increase the spice to suit your tastes.

Chicken Tikki Masala

Cook Time20 mins

Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • 450 gm chicken breast diced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp ground paprika
  • 1 C full fat coconut milk
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 2 Tbs coconut oil
  • 4 tomatoes or 1 can diced tomato
  • 1 Tbs tomato paste
  • 1 Tbs honey
  • ¼ C fresh coriander chopped
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  • Combine the ground cumin, ground coriander and cayenne in a bowl. Press the chicken into this seasoning to coat it.

  • Heat 1 Tbs of coconut oil in a fry pan and add the chicken, garlic and onion, cook until the chicken is browned. Add the coconut milk, garam masala and paprika. Stir well to combine the spices with the milk.

  • If a food processor, chop the tomatoes until they are finely diced. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and honey to the frying pan and stir well to combine. Let it simmer for around 15 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust with a little sea salt or honey

  • Clean the food processor and add the cauliflower florets and process for a minute until it becomes a rice like texture. In a separate fry pan add the remaining coconut oil and sauté the cauliflower for a few minutes to soften and warm it. Season the cauliflower with a little sea salt and pepper.

  • Serve the chicken on a bed of cauliflower rice and garnish with the fresh coriander.

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Yellow Fish Curry

 Naturopathy
Feb 252019
 

Most of us struggle to include enough fish into our weekly menu rotation. The healthy benefits of eating fish is undisputed. They are a rich source of essential fatty acids that benefit every cell of our bodies. When buying fish, always look for local caught fish, or if you are buying frozen fish, ensure that is wild caught in a sustainable manner.

Yellow Fish Curry

Cook Time30 mins

Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • 300 gm Firm white fish cut into chunks
  • 2 Tbs coconut oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 clove garlice minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp chilli flakes optional
  • 2 potatoes peel and diced
  • 1 zucchini diced
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1 tsp tapioca flour
  • handful fresh coriander chopped

Instructions

  • Heat the coconut oil in a deep fry pan.   

  • Add the onion, ginger, garlic, cumin, ground coriander, mustard seeds, bay leaf, turmeric and chilli.

  • Sauté for a few minutes until it becomes fragrant.

  • Add the diced potato and zucchini and cook for around 5 minutes.

  •  Add the coconut milk and stir well to disperse the spices through the milk.

  • Bring to a simmer and add the diced fish.

  • Continue to simmer the curry for around 10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.

  • Remove the bay leaf.

  • Sprinkle the tapicoa flour through the sauce and stir well until starts to thicken.

  • Taste the curry and season with a little sea salt and pepper to taste.

  • To serve sprinkle with fresh coriander leaves.

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Spiced Coriander and Lentil Soup

 Naturopathy
Feb 242019
 
In a large saucepan heat the coconut oil.  Add the garlic, ginger, onion, cumin and ground coriander. Cook for a few minutes until it becomes fragrant. Rinse the lentils and wild rice. To the large saucepan add the stock, rice, lentil, cauliflower, zucchini and sweet potato. Bring the soup to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and let it cook for around 30 minutes. After 30 minutes use a stick blender for a few quick pulses to thin out part of the soup. Puree it to a consistency that you like.  Remove the lid and let the soup simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Add the fresh coriander and stir through. To serve, top with a dollop of yoghurt and a sprinkle of fresh coriander.

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Teriyaki Chicken Rissoles

 Naturopathy
Feb 242019
 

Enjoy these Asian style rissoles with a mixture of greens for a fresh and vibrant dinner.

Teriyaki Chicken Rissoles

Cook Time20 mins

Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • 300 gm Chicken mince
  • 1 bunch baby bok choy
  • 1 bunch Chinese broccoli
  • 1 Tbs tamari sauce
  • 1 Tbs mirin (Japanese rice wine)
  • 1 cm fresh ginger minced
  • 2 shallots
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1/2 lime juiced
  • 1 Tbs cashew nuts chopped
  • 1 Tbs sesame oil

Instructions

  • Mix together the chicken, mirin, tamari, ginger, garlic, lime juice and cashews. Use your hands to form small patties.

  • Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add a steamer insert and steam the bok choy and broccoli for a few minutes until they begin to wilt.

  • Drizzle steamed vegetables with a little sesame oil and lime juice.

  • Heat the sesame oil in a frying pan and cook patties for around 3 minutes on each side, or until they are cooked through.

  • Serve patties with the green vegetables.

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Lamb Kofta with Zucchini Spirals

 Naturopathy
Feb 242019
 

Lamb is a favourite meat of mine. It is much lighter in taste and texture than beef, and is a nice switch-out for the typical chicken dinner.

This easy lamb recipe hits all the boxes for paleo, keto, low carb, dairy free and gluten free. It is quick to make and the whole family should enjoy it.

Lamb Kofta with Zucchini Spirals

Cook Time20 mins

Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • 350 gm lamb mince
  • 1 zucchini
  • 2 yellow squash
  • 1 Tbs olive oil
  • handful parsley, fresh chopped
  • handful mint, fresh chopped
  • 1 onion, small finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1/2 tsp chilli flakes optional
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Place mince, onion, garlic, chilli flakes, 1/2 the mint, 1/2 the parsley, paprika, ginger, cumin and coriander in a bowl. Mix to combine.

  • Shape 1/4 cup lamb mixture at a time into sixteen 8cm-long sausages. Thread 1 sausage onto each skewer. Place on a large baking tray. Cover. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm.

  • Place kofta in either a heated frying pan or under the grill.

  • Cook, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes or until cooked through. 

  • Use a spiraliser to make curls out of the zucchini and squash. Alternatively, you can cut them into thin circular slices.

  • Heat frying pan with olive oil and gently fry them until they are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

  • Transfer kofta to a large baking tray. Cover with foil. Rest for 5 minutes. Serve on a bed of zucchini spirals

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Acupuncture for Hot Flashes

 Acupuncture
Feb 212019
 

A recent study published in the BMJ Open found acupuncture to be an effective treatment for menopausal-related hot flashes, day-and-night sweats, general sweating and menopausal-specific sleeping problems.

Numerous studies on acupuncture for menopausal hot flashes and night sweats have shown varying results. What we see at our practice is that acupuncture is absolutely worth trying for these conditions. The majority of our patients do report reduction of frequency and severity of hot flashes and night sweats. For more stubborn cases we may offer a classic herbal formula for hot flashes and night sweats called Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan which often brings relief. Although this product claims to help with night sweats, with anything you are not familar with, it is in your best interest to do some research. At least this way, you know what you will be getting yourself into. With this being said, there may be a simple solution to what you are going through. So, to be on the safe side, it might benefit you to look into a site like Nucific, to find out more information regarding how to stop night sweats naturally. Remember, you don’t always need to take tablets, especially as there are always ways to solve problems in the most natural ways possible.

Acupuncture is also beneficial for hot flashes and night sweats associated with the treatment of breast cancer. Here’s an article discussing research on this condition. For those who are taking medications to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer we provide acupuncture only – no herbal medicine.

Written by Justine Myers, Lic. Ac.

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Five Reasons Acupuncture Helps Digestive Function

 Acupuncture
Feb 182019
 
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Digestion is a complex task performed by the body. It begins in the mouth and finishes when the ingested food leaves the body through the rectum. For all we have learned over the years regarding digestion, there is still so much more we don’t know or are still learning. For example, it wasn’t until recently, the last 10 years or so, that modern medicine confirmed our gastrointestinal tract is our second brain. This discovery is drastically changing the way the body and its many functions are viewed, because everything we put in our mouths can potentially have life-altering effects on the mind, as well as the body. 

Digestive disorders are rampant in the United States. Surveys estimate nearly 70 million people in the United States are affected by some sort of digestive disorder. This could be anything from gallstones to acid reflux to pancreatitis. For many, these disorders are extremely debilitating. But for every person dealing with a debilitating digestive disorder, there are thousands more that just assume everything they are experiencing is “normal.”

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is just one of the many ways people can deal with their digestive disorders. TCM is a very old medical system that utilizes many different modalities to treat imbalances in the body. Acupuncture is just one of the modalities that can be used. More and more studies about the effectiveness of acupuncture are being performed every day, many of which hold great promise for those who suffer from digestive issues.            

Acupuncture helps with digestion because it treats the person holistically, meaning all parts are considered when treatment is rendered. There is no compartmentalizing as in Western medicine. So, a person being treated by a licensed acupuncturist or TCM practitioner will not only notice changes in their digestive issues, but they may also notice changes in their psyche too. And since the mind and body are closely connected, this can be very beneficial for the patient.

Studies have shown acupuncture can stimulate peristalsis in the intestinal tract. This is very helpful for people who deal with chronic constipation. In as few as one to two treatments, a person suffering from chronic constipation may find relief.            

Nausea and vomiting are another frequent problem associated with digestion. Acupuncture and even acupressure are wonderful tools for calming the upset stomach. One acupressure point on the underside of the forearm has been studied extensively just for this function. In most cases, the nausea and vomiting are greatly decreased or stopped altogether.           

Bloating is another common problem associated with the digestive tract. This can be caused by eating too much food or improper digestion. Acupuncture treatments help the digestive process of breaking down foods without the excess gas that frequently causes bloating.

Diarrhea isn’t just a problem that occurs when somebody is suffering from the stomach flu. In fact, it is much more common than many people think. Acupuncture treatments can help resolve diarrhea by clearing either excess heat or excess dampness from the digestive tract, while also strengthening it.            

If you are curious about how acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine can help you with your digestive issues, ask us! We are happy to guide you along your healing journey.

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Vegetarian Chilli

 Naturopathy
Feb 132019
 
Place 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion, fresh chilli and capsicum and cook until softened.  Add the chilli flakes, cinnamon, cumin and thyme and cook for a further minute. Reduce heat to low and add the garlic, beans, lentils, tomatoes, tomato paste and remaining oil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove lid and cook for a further 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir through the parsley and serve.

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Vegetarian Tangine

 Naturopathy
Feb 132019
 
Heat oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat.Add onion. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until onion has softened.  Add Moroccan seasoning, cinnamon, ginger and garlic.  Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add carrot and pumpkin. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until combined. Add stock and tomato. Cover. Reduce heat to low.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until vegetables start to soften. Add cauliflower. Stir to combine. Cover. Cook for 10 minutes or until vegetables starts to soften.  Add chickpeas, zucchini and honey. Cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle tagine with coriander sprigs

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The Best Herbal Immune Stimulants for Cold & Flu Season

 Uncategorized
Feb 082019
 

By Juliet Blankespoor and Meghan Gemma
Photography by Juliet Blankespoor

The Best Herbal Immune Stimulants for Cold and Flu Season

Winter is rife with viral booby-traps—there’s a head cold and cough waiting at every gas station pump and pin pad across the land. A strong immune system is adept at navigating pathogenic obstacles, but some scenarios call for a boost, herbal-style. When I know I’ve been exposed to a cold or the flu, I don’t waste a moment in reaching for my tried-and-true immune stimulating herbs.

When to Use Immune Stimulants

Immune stimulants—also called immunostimulants—help the body to resist illness after being exposed to a pathogen and during the initial stages of an infection. Immunostimulants work through augmenting our bodies’ innate antimicrobial efforts, primarily through affecting white blood cell activity.

This class of herbs can also be called on to stimulate immune activity throughout the duration of an infectious illness, which ultimately can help a person get over the sickness more quickly. Consider calling on immunostimulants if you are:

  • Flying on an airplane
  • Caring for a sick family member
  • Attending a four-year old’s birthday party in January
  • Feeling the first signs of a cold
  • Fighting an infectious illness, like a cold or the flu

Immunostimulating herbs have an immediate but short-lived effect, and thus need to be re-administered frequently to maintain their effectiveness. In my experience, higher doses of these herbs are often needed to treat infection.

Foundational Self Care is Essential

Remember, herbs are handy allies, but it’s all too easy to “prop ourselves up” with immune stimulants while we continue to neglect the care of our body, emotions, or spirit. If we consistently ignore the basics of good sleep, nutrition, hydration, and lifestyle, we have missed the point.

See our in-depth article on Herbs for the Immune System for basic tips on staying healthy this winter. You’ll also find loads of essential information on the full spectrum of immune-boosting herbs, including immune tonics and herbal antimicrobials!

Also, check out our articles on Immune Tonics and Herbal Antimicrobials.

Play Smart, People

Please note that this article is introductory in scope and doesn’t fully cover each medicinal. If you plan to forage any of these herbs, you’ll need to seek out identification tips. You’ll also need to learn foraging ethics and guidance before you harvest any plant from the wild! There are deadly poisonous plants out there, so proper identification is paramount.

See our blog articles on Foraging and Wildcrafting for more guidance.

Safety First: Learn When to Seek Medical Care

Also, it’s important to realize that herbs aren’t always the only support you might need to combat infections. Antibiotics and conventional medical care have their place, especially with babies, young children, and elders, as well as in the case of serious infections. For a list of warning signs that indicate the need for medical care, please visit our comprehensive article on Herbs for the Immune System.

If you have an autoimmune condition, please be aware that immune-stimulating herbs have a potential to increase autoimmunity, although this is more the exception than the rule.

Spilanthes (Acmella oleracea)

Spilanthes (Acmella oleracea)

1. Spilanthes, Toothache Plant, or Paracress (Acmella oleracea, Asteraceae)

Parts Used: Leaves, stems, and flowers

Preparations: Tincture, tea, nibble

Herbal Actions:

  • Immunostimulant
  • Antimicrobial
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Sialagogue (stimulates salivation)

Spilanthes has been one of my top ten herbal allies for the past two decades—I became a devotee the first year I began growing it and using it for medicine. Its leaves and gumdrop-shaped flowers can be called upon for a wide spectrum of infectious illnesses; including colds, flu, sinus infections, and ear infections. Clinical studies demonstrate that spilanthes has strong effects against pathogenic bacteria.

One of the most common ways I use spilanthes is to augment the body’s internal immune defenses. I typically combine it with other immune-stimulating herbs like echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) and honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica). At the first sign of an achy throat or the sniffles, I add spilanthes to homemade saline gargles and neti pot solutions, along with goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis).

Remember that higher doses—to the tune of 3 to 4 droppersful of the tincture every few hours for the first day or two—are often necessary to fight infection and avoid antibiotic use. If an infection does take hold, I add other antimicrobial herbs like usnea (Usnea spp.), goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), and honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) to the formula.

Be forewarned that the tincture and fresh plant will set your mouth to drool! Spilanthes is a traditional toothache remedy because of its antimicrobial, numbing, and stimulating qualities. Along with the stimulation of blood to the gums, the herb will also prompt copious salivation.

Precautions and Contraindications: Because spilanthes is in the aster family, it may cause a reaction in people who are highly sensitive to plants like ragweed and chamomile; this possibility is rare, but sensitive individuals should proceed with caution when taking spilanthes for the first time. Take care not to squirt the tincture on the back of your throat or chew too large a wad of spilanthes, as the throat may take offense and clamp down—not a fun exercise!

Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)

Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)

2. Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea; E. angustifolia, Asteraceae)

Parts Used: Roots, flowering tops, aboveground parts gathered in full bloom

Preparations: Tincture, decoction (roots), infusion (leaves and flowers)

Herbal Actions:

  • Immunostimulant
  • Antimicrobial
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Anticatarrhal (decongestant)
  • Lymphagogue
  • Sialagogue (stimulates salivation)
  • Alterative

The roots, seeds and fresh flowers of echinacea are all medicinal and make a tingly tasting, immune-stimulating tea or tincture. Echinacea can be used to fight any infection in the body, but is particularly effective against infections of the upper respiratory tract. I use it as a short-term remedy for warding off colds and flu. Studies show that echinacea is safe and effective against the common cold and that it is protective against lowered immunity due to stress.

Herbalist Rosemary Gladstar reminds us that echinacea is both “preventative and curative.”1Unfortunately, many people stop taking it once they are sick, thinking it can’t help them anymore. However, echinacea stimulates many aspects of our immune system to fight infection more quickly and continues to be an important ally even once we become ill. I often combine it with spilanthes (Acmella oleracea) to round out its immunostimulating qualities.

Echinacea purpurea growing at Gaia Herb Farm in Brevard, NC - photo courtesy of Gaia Herbs

Echinacea purpurea growing at Gaia Herb Farm in Brevard, NC

Echinacea is readily available anywhere herbal teas and tinctures are sold. Please only buy the cultivated root, as several echinacea species have been over-harvested from the wild. If you make your own medicines, I recommend using freshly harvested echinacea from the garden rather than dried, as I find the fresh preparations to be more potent. I like to combine the root tincture with the seed tincture in equal parts.

Contraindications: Echinacea is not recommended for continuous use as a tonic during the cold and flu season. Instead, use immune tonics, like the ones outlined in this article. Use caution when ingesting the fresh juice or tincture, as it can irritate the throat to the point of decreased airflow. This appears to be idiosyncratic, but I have seen it a few times, so it warrants mentioning. Dilute the medicine and avoid letting it contact the back of the throat. Those with Asteraceae allergies may experience side effects; however, such reports are extremely rare.

Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)

Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)

3. Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica, Caprifoliaceae)

Parts Used: Floral buds, opened flowers, stems, and leaves

Preparations: Tincture, decoction, infusion, honey, syrup, poultice, douche, and compress

Herbal Actions:

  • Immunostimulant
  • Antiviral
  • Antibacterial
  • Anticatarrhal (decongestant)
  • Expectorant
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Astringent
  • Diuretic
  • Antioxidant

I use Japanese honeysuckle flowers to address hot, inflamed conditions like head colds and the flu, as well as a range of related infections—laryngitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis, pneumonia, bronchitis, croup, and whooping cough. The fresh blooms are powerfully antimicrobial, cooling, and anti-inflammatory—making them specific for malaise and feverish conditions.

They are one of the most widely used medicinal herbs in the world, especially in China where the herb is extremely popular, both with trained herbalists and as an over-the-counter herbal medicine. Japanese honeysuckle’s popularity amongst western herbalists primarily comes from being inspired by traditional Chinese herbalists.

For a scientific review of Japanese honeysuckle’s antimicrobial benefits, visit this link.

Japanese honeysuckle is a common invasive plant here in North America, but you won’t find its medicine readily available in commerce except in establishments that sell Chinese medicine. Thus, you’ll likely need to harvest your own. The flowers can be gathered as buds and as opened blooms, and tinctured fresh in alcohol. In Chinese medicine, the buds are considered to be the most potent, but I find the buds and the freshly-opened flowers to be similar medicinally. Honeysuckle is also effective as a tea; I combine it with mint (Mentha spp.) and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) to mask its slight bitterness.

I would venture that most of you are intimately acquainted with the blooms of this memorable vine and have partaken of her nectar. All you sucklers will be happy to know that the familiar honeysuckle of your childhood is the very same potent medicinal we’re discussing here.

Many species of honeysuckle have been used medicinally throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. However, their traditional use and the part employed (bark, leaves, flowers, etc.) varies among species; the biochemistry of the genus is also variable. For example, some honeysuckles have poisonous berries, and some have leaves and bark that can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

Subsequently, we can’t make broad speculations about the medicinal qualities of the entire genus. We’re only talking about Japanese honeysuckle in this article—don’t extrapolate the information here to all honeysuckle species!

You can’t free it up with the honeysuckles, no matter how fun that sounds!

Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) blooms

Japanese Honeysuckle blooms (Lonicera japonica)

Japanese honeysuckle is native to eastern Asia. It has spread throughout much of the world and can now be found in South America, North America, Oceania, and Europe. In the United States, it is especially prolific in the Southeast, but can be found in almost every state, including Hawaii. Do not plant Japanese honeysuckle as it’s seriously invasive. Harvesting it for medicine is one way to slow its spread!

Japanese honeysuckle is a perennial woody vine that twines around its host, reaching 30 feet (9 m) in length. It can be found in thickets, pastures, and young, open forests and along fencerows, roadsides, and the forest’s edge. It is not a shrub, unlike many other honeysuckle species.

The leaves are elliptical to oblong and leathery when mature (they feel thickish); they are opposite. The leaves grow to 1.2–3 inches (3-7.5 cm) long and have ciliate margins (tiny hairs, like cilia, growing from the edge of the leaf). The vine has peeling, brown bark.

Here are some resources to help you properly identify Japanese honeysuckle:

Contraindications:  Some species have been used to stimulate the menses and childbirth, so I would avoid the internal use of honeysuckle in pregnancy to be on the safe side. Make sure to only gather this species; other honeysuckles are not necessarily safe or used medicinally in the same fashion. The berries are poisonous.

Prickly Ash, Toothache Tree, or Hercules’ Club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis, Z. americanum, Rutaceae)

Prickly Ash, Toothache Tree, or Hercules’ Club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis, Z. americanum)

4. Prickly Ash, Toothache Tree, or Hercules’ Club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis, Z. americanum, Rutaceae)

Parts Used: Bark and berries

Preparations: Tincture, decoction

Herbal Actions: 

  • Immunostimulant
  • Lymphagogue
  • Antimicrobial
  • Diaphoretic
  • Circulatory stimulant
  • Sialagogue (stimulates salivation)
  • Antirheumatic
  • Astringent
  • Antibacterial
  • Antiprotozoal

Prickly ash may be less familiar to you than the other herbs featured in this article, yet it’s one of our finest lymphatic herbs, immune stimulants, and circulatory stimulants.

Prickly ash’s name is derived from its leaf arrangement bearing a loose resemblance to the unrelated ash tree (Fraxinus spp.) and its formidable thorns, found along its branches and trunk. The tree’s fearsome armament inspired its alternate name, Hercules’ club. (Note: the common name Hercules’ club is also used for the unrelated Aralia spinosa.)

When I was in college one of my botany professors pulled a prank on me in front of my classmates. He invited us to try some of the tree’s fruits, and being an adventurous fledgling herbalist, I gamely chewed on a handful.

Immediately, my mouth became tingly and numb. I began drooling, bent over in an attractive spit-hunch to release the flood of saliva upon the ground. That experience was an unforgettable introduction into the profound physiological effect of alkamides, immune-stimulating and saliva-inducing compounds that are also shared by echinacea and spilanthes. This distinct mouth-numbing quality prompted yet another common name—  toothache tree.

Prickly ash’s yellow bark played prominently into the materia medica of Native Americans and subsequently the European settlers, due to its wide medicinal applications, including powerful antimicrobial qualities. The bark is colored yellow by a potent antimicrobial alkaloid, berberine, which is also found in goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), barberry (Berberis, multiple species) and Oregon grape root (Mahonia, multiple species).

The tea and tincture of the bark are used in a similar fashion. Be warned that the tea is tingly and strong tasting. Many herbalists put a small amount of prickly ash in their herbal combinations as an adjuvant—an herb that directs, or orchestrates, the actions of the other herbs in a formula. Think: botanical rabble-rouser.

Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis, Z. americanum)

Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis, Z. americanum)

Prickly ash bark is taken in small amounts tonically to move the lymphatic system, innervate the immune system and stimulate circulation. In larger amounts, it is used to treat varied acute digestive issues, and is especially helpful in treating transient, foodborne gastric infections.

Toothache tree can be used to numb the gums in dental infections, and also offers antibacterial assistance. The bark can be used topically—chew on twigs or brush with the powder daily to improve gum health in periodontal disease. Toothache tree’s oral benefits stem from increased circulation and tightening loose gums, as well as its antimicrobial qualities.

Various species in the Zanthoxylum genus produce spicy fruits called Szechuan pepper, a pungent spice used in Asian cuisine, notably Chinese five-spice powder.  Many other species are used medicinally in India, China, Korea and Japan. Both Z. americanum and Z. clava-herculis are considered interchangeable medicinally.

Contraindications: Prickly ash may affect anticoagulant therapy—this precaution is based on studies with animals using isolated constituents; the herb hasn’t been studied on humans in this capacity. Accordingly, proceed with caution if taking blood thinners. Prickly ash shouldn’t be used in pregnancy.

Garlic (Allium sativum)

Garlic (Allium sativum)

5. Garlic (Allium sativum, Amaryllidaceae)

Parts Used: Bulb

Preparations: Raw, tincture, fire cider and other infused vinegars, honey, oil

Herbal Actions:

  • Immunostimulant
  • Immune tonic
  • Antimicrobial
  • Diaphoretic
  • Hypotensive (lowers blood pressure)

Herbalist David Hoffman writes that: “Used daily, garlic aids and supports the body in ways that no other herb can match.”2Among its many gifts, garlic is one of our finest remedies for supporting immune health—it’s an essential staple in my kitchen as a potent immune stimulant and antimicrobial herb (it both kills pathogens and boosts immunity).

It can be highly effective in preventing infections such as the common cold and flu, as well as combating pathogens if an illness takes hold. Clinical studies support the ancient folk wisdom that garlic does indeed activate the immune system.

Pungent and warming, garlic helps to break up mucus in the body; it’s specifically beneficial for respiratory congestion. Raw garlic is the most effective preparation for avoiding and treating acute infections. Crush or chop a clove and allow it to “wilt” by leaving it alone on the cutting board for 10-15 minutes. Then add to honey, oil*, soup, vinegar, or tea.

Garlic scapes (Allium sativum)

Garlic scapes (Allium sativum)

Garlic is metabolized via the bloodstream, so applying garlic oil to the bottoms of the feet is an effective way to get its medicine flowing through the body (an especially great application for kiddos!).

Garlic doubles as an immune tonic, which means that it can be taken regularly to bolster the immune system over time. One clove per day, minced and added to food raw, is optimal.

My favorite garlicky preparation is fire cider—a sweet and spicy tonic made with apple cider vinegar. I recommend trying our rich red recipe for Hibiscus Pomegranate Fire Cider. I like spooning it over salads, and always take a tablespoon or two when I feel a sore throat or runny nose coming on.

Contraindications: Garlic can aggravate heartburn and gas, especially if ingested raw or in large quantities. It can also aggravate peptic ulcers. Coating garlic with olive oil or preparing it in an oil-based sauce helps minimize these effects. Avoid high doses of raw garlic one week before surgery due to its blood-thinning qualities. If taking blood thinners, consult a cardiologist before taking high doses of raw garlic. *Note that garlic preserved in oil can create a perfect breeding ground for botulism. Garlic-infused oil should be used fresh, or kept in the refrigerator and used within a few days.

References

  1. Gladstar R. Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health: 175 Teas, Tonics, Oils, Salves, Tinctures, and Other Natural Remedies for the Entire Family. Storey Pub.; 2008.
  2. Hoffmann D, FNIMH, AHG. Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Inner Traditions / Bear & Co; 2003.

Looking for more blog articles on herbs for the immune system? We’ve compiled our most comprehensive free herbal resources on the subject, and they’re all right here for your convenience.

Meet Our Contributors:

JULIET BLANKESPOOR founded the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine in 2007 and serves as the school’s primary instructor and Creative Director. She's been a professional plant-human matchmaker for close to three decades. Juliet caught the plant bug when she was nineteen and went on to earn a degree in Botany. She's owned just about every type of herbal business you can imagine: an herbal nursery, a medicinal products business, a clinical practice, and now, an herbal school.

These days, she channels her botanical obsession with her writing and photography in her online programs and here on her personal blog, Castanea. She's writing her first book: Cultivating Medicinal Herbs: Grow, Harvest, and Prepare Handcrafted Remedies from Your Home Garden. Juliet and her houseplants share a home with her family and herb books in Asheville, North Carolina.

MEGHAN GEMMA is one of the Chestnut School’s primary instructors through her written lessons, and is the principal pollinator of the Chestnut School’s social media community – sharing herbal and wild foods wisdom from the flowery heart of the school to an ever-wider field of herbalists, gardeners, healers, and plant lovers.

She has been in a steady relationship with the Chestnut School since 2010—as an intern and manager at the Chestnut Herb Nursery; as a plant-smitten student “back in the day” when the school’s programs were taught in the field; and later as a part the school’s woman-powered professional team. Meghan lives in the Ivy Creek watershed, just north of Asheville, NC.

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You’ll befriend THE most common edible and medicinal wayside plants, including dandelion, stinging nettles, violet, yarrow, burdock, rose, goldenrod, and many others. The printable manual is hundreds of pages long and filled with close-up photos for identification, medicinal uses, and loads of easy-to-follow recipes. In fact, most of our plant profiles contain more detail than you’ll find in any book on wild foods and herbs.

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Acupuncture for Heart Health and Cancer Support

 Acupuncture
Jan 252019
 

February is American Heart Month and February 4th is World Cancer Day. In honor of these occasions we’d like to share with you some information about acupuncture for heart health and cancer support. We regularly treat people for these conditions with acupuncture.

HEART HEALTH:

Acupuncture is a useful treatment for hypertension (high blood pressure), and acupuncture is also effective in some cases of arrhythmia as well as for the prevention of recurrence of atrial fibrillation after electric cardioversion.

CANCER SUPPORT:

Acupuncture is helpful for the reduction of symptoms that many cancer patients experience such as postoperative pain, fatigue, anxiety and depression, insomnia, chemotherapy and/or radiation-induced dry mouth, chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, chemotherapy-induced nausea, and hot flashes and night sweats in breast cancer patients. Acupuncture is increasingly becoming more common in cancer units of various hospitals.  The Value of Acupuncture in Cancer Care is a scientific journal article featuring in-depth discussions on this topic.

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Unani Medicines the Real Magic for Most Critical Diseases

 Ayurvedic
Jan 242019
 

by Ankur Mittal

January 24, 2019

Topics: Ayurveda

Unani medicines are the real magic; they can cure the most critical diseases and can promote health and well-being of people in a systematic manner.  According to Unani medicine, the management of any malady/disease relies on the conclusion of sickness. Appropriate analysis relies on perception of the patient’s side effects and demeanor. According to experts, these medicines use of herbal remedies, dietary practices, as well as certain alternative therapies.

Unani, similar to Ayurveda, depends on hypothesis of the nearness of the components in the human body. As indicated by adherents of Unani drug, these components are available in liquids and their equalization prompts well-being and their lopsidedness prompts sickness. There are a few Indian colleges committed to Unani prescription, notwithstanding colleges that encourage customary Indian medicinal practices by and large.

College degrees granted for finishing an Unani program incorporate the Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery, Bachelor of Unani Tib and Surgery, and Bachelor of Unani Medicine with Modern Medicine and Surgery degrees. Few colleges offer post-advanced educations in Unani prescription. In Unani medication, conditions are regularly treated with home grown recipes containing an assortment of common substances.

Greatness

Thought about a tonic, Khamira Abresham Hakim Arshad Wala is said to improve heart wellbeing and help in the treatment of cardiovascular issues like hypertension as well as angina. Ordinarily endorsed medications in Unani prescription likewise incorporate dietary changes, siphon treatment, and medical procedure.

Facts

Moreover, various Arab and Persian researchers have added to the advancement of Unani medication. “Unani” signifies “Greek” in Arabic. Unani drug was presented in India around the tenth century. Albeit later logical research on the wellbeing impacts of Unani medication is to a great degree constrained, there’s some proof from creature ponders that specific medicines utilized in Unani prescription may have a few advantages. According to some modern and ancient experts, Unani medication is ideal for rheumatoid joint pain.

In a nutshell

In certain medical tests on rodents, specialists found that Majoon Suranjan may help treat rheumatoid joint pain by lessening aggravation. One of the equations generally utilized in Unani drug is Khamira Abresham Hakim Arshad Wala, a readiness that contains many normal substances. It might help anticipate maturing related weaknesses in cerebrum work, recommends a rodent based investigation distributed in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 2006. The investigation’s creators confirmed that the cell reinforcement rich equation may enable save to mind wellbeing by securing against the hurtful impacts of free radicals. No doubt, one can believe in such types of medicines because of their absolute guarantee. Today, it is easy to buy unani medicine online from any trusted online store that offer authentic medicines at the best rates. All you need to do is to choose the best online store.

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Integrated therapies like Ayurveda and Yoga can help treat kids with Autism

 Ayurvedic
Jan 162019
 
autism

There is an increased demand among the general public for the combined therapy, including Ayurveda, Yoga, Siddha and Homeopathy, for treating Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), said recent reports.

The combined therapy for ASD was initiated at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) in Tamil Nadu, India, last September, and it has witnessed high demand among the general public ever-since, as at least 25 children with developmental disorders are being treated here every day.

Combined Therapy is a combination of therapies from Ayurveda, Siddha, Yoga, Naturopathy and Varma, and is a one-of-a-kind initiative in Tamil Nadu.

According to officials from AYUSH, the success of integrated therapy is the main reason for the increased demand and acceptance among people. According to the District Shiddha Medical Officer, Dr. S. Kamaraj, if a child with ASD is subjected to this therapy at a very young age (under three years of age), the chances of improvement is very high, and the child will be able to attend normal school by the age four or five, rather than having to go to a ‘special’ school.

When a child is brought for this integrated therapy, the procedure followed is that the child would be taught yoga, followed by mud therapy (using mud pack in eye and abdomen). This is done for improving blood circulation and strengthening of limbs. Thereafter, the child would be provided colour therapy, massage therapy and varma therapy for sensory stimulation.

After these therapies, the child would receive ayurvedic external therapies such as Panchakarma and Shirodhara for improving attention skills. These ayurvedic therapies are provided towards the end of treatment, as it requires a great deal of patience, and this needs to be taught to children with ASD.

Apart from Yoga and Ayurveda, medicines from Siddha and Homeopathy are also included during the course of therapy, as these together may help better the condition of the child, although this cannot be a permanent cure, experts said.

Meanwhile, according to doctors, one major challenge that they face here is that the children with ASD are brought for treatment only after the age of eight, as they refuse to admit that their children have ASD. But, it is important for parents to realize that the more they delay the treatment, the effectiveness of the therapy would also decrease considerably, said Yoga and Naturopathy doctor at MGMGH, Dr. Isai Amuthu.

Delay in speech is commonly seen in children with ASD, and therefore, if the right therapist is hired to provide this therapy too, the results would be best, he said.

Benefits of Ayurveda and Yoga for autistic children

Ayurveda believes that a child, diagnosed with ASD has an increased vata dosha, as the child exhibits symptoms such as difficulty focusing, restlessness, anxiety and trouble learning. Therefore, as part of ayurvedic treatment, a massage (preferably ‘Abhyanga’ or oil massage) is included as a morning routine, before a shower or bath, as it helps reduce excess vata and calms a restless child. When the oil is applied with long brisk strokes, it supports the brain functioning and sensory information. Through the touch and application of oil, the child becomes conscious of the position of his own body.

Although the research on benefits of yoga for those with ASD is still in progress, there are quite a few promising studies that are worth noting. One such study was published in the ‘Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine’.

The study examined the effect of yoga therapy for two months on children in the age group 8 to 14 years. While one group received daily yoga classes, in contrast to the control group. The yoga group showed positive changes in several areas including emotional sensitivity, social interaction, awareness and ability to self-regulate. The other positive change was improved eye contact and verbal communications that helped in interactions with other children and family members. Throughout the session, students were given a sense of safety and relaxation. The therapy sessions used strengthening poses like Trikonasana, Virabhadrasana, Sukhasana, and ‘om mantra’.

Postures such as ‘Shavasana’ help children to self-regulate and calm emotions. Towards the end of study, the yoga group children showed better posture, improved imitation skills and reduced self-stimulatory behaviors.

As children with ASD find it difficult to express themselves, and face problems with communication, majority of them are naturally aggressive, stressed and violent. Research on yoga and Ayurveda have shown that it helps such children considerably by reducing their anxiety levels and aggression. This is a unique mode of treatment, as it is not only effective in modifying their behavioural pattern, but, also helps channelize the extra energy in the right direction. In fact, it is a new mode of healing, as it totally springs out of Indian medicine, and the whole process, although it takes time, has shown effective results, suggest experts.

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Ayurvedic herb Giloy proves to be a major breakthrough in combating ageing

 Ayurvedic
Jan 092019
 
giloy-herb

A recent study by Gujarat Ayurveda University in India has concluded that consumption of the ayurvedic shrub ‘Giloy’ (heart-leaved moonseed) increased the lifespan of the common fruit fly. The Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) in India plans to extend the research to humans.

A Study by the University concluded that the flies (Drosophila melanogaster) are among the most extensively studied animal models for understanding the ageing process and longevity.

Generally, the lifespan of flies are not more than 30 days. But, this increased to about 85 days after they were fed concentrations of Giloy powder for 30 days, the study claimed.

giloy-herb

The study has been published in the Netherlands-based ‘Wolters Kluwer’, a popular healthcare journal.

The Study has also been approved by the Indian government, due to the results indicated by the primary study, and the need to extend the scope of research to humans.

The Secretary at Ministry of AYUSH, Rajesh Kotecha, revealed plans to tie up with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the largest medical research body in the country, to further expand the scope of the study.

A major research project is further being planned to validate these findings at various levels, Kotecha said.

Research details

For the study, researchers from the Institute for Post-Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Gujarat, said that regular food of flies was mixed with Giloy powder in various concentrations. The flies were exposed to these concentrations for 30 days.

The observation group was fed with 0.25g of Giloy per 100ml concentration, and it was observed that the lifespan of male flies were 83.2 days and that of female flies were 84.8 days respectively. In 0.50g per 100ml concentration, the lifespan of both flies were 33 days. Generally, the lifespan of flies is not more than 29 to 30 days.

Therefore, the study concludes that there is an ideal concentration of the powder that contributes to significant increase in lifespan. This indicates that there is something like a particular concentration level, which causes maximum lifespan extension, the research paper points out.

The concentrations beyond that limit however do not increase the lifespan, and this could be due to the absorption threshold of the powder.
The increased lifespan in flies may be attributed to the high antioxidant properties of the Giloy powder.

Giloy Powder (Guduchi churna)

Giloy powder, known as ‘Guduchi churna’ in Ayurveda, is considered a herb that promotes longevity.

Although the exact mechanism of the action of the herb on enhancing the survival ability of the flies could not be ascertained, it has validated the concept of ‘Vayasthapana’ and ‘Rasayana’ effect of Giloy powder, the paper pointed out.

Rasayana is referred to as a rejuvenation therapy, and it is one of the vital branches of Ayurveda that deals with a group of medical preparations that boost immunity and prevent the cause of several ailments including premature ageing.

Apart from imparting longevity and boosting immunity, Giloy helps treat chronic fever, improves digestion, treats diabetes, reduces stress and anxiety, fights respiratory problems, treats arthritis, reduces symptoms of Asthma, improves vision and given its anti-aging properties, it helps reduce pimples, fine lines and wrinkles and adds a glow to your skin.

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