Medicinal Mushrooms - Highlights on a few favorites

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to learn about Medicinal Mushrooms.

The Holy Basil: Tulsi

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Wildcrafting VI - Resources

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Wildcrafting V - Harvesting

Spring beauty salad (Claytonia lanceolata)

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Herbal Remedies for Menopause

Supporting women through the Change of Life

Between the ages of 40 - 60 women undergo a change of life as their fertility declines and their monthly cycles stop. This natural cycle of life manifests differently for all women. Besides the physical changes, women also may find themselves going through life changes. This may include new interests and a new direction or purpose in life. This time can be challenging yet positive and enlivening. 

I want to give voice to the powerful and positive transition that can happen during this time. This article, however, is more focused on the physical changes that some women experience and how to assess these changes individually from a traditional herbal perspective. I’ll be drawing mainly on a differential diagnosis from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), however my goal is that those with no understanding of TCM will walk away better understanding the nuances involved during this change of life. My overall goal is to help people move away from treating symptoms to addressing patterns and underlying imbalances. 

Let’s begin by defining a few terms. The term menopause is often used in common language to describe many years of this transformative experience. The term menopause literally means the stopping of the monthly cycles. Thus menopause refers to a particular moment in time, the last menstrual cycle. Menopause is officially declared one year after the menstrual cycle has stopped. 

Perimenopause refers to the years leading up to the last menstrual cycle. Some women experience more noticeable changes during this time including erratic menstrual cycles, fatigue, hot flashes etc. 

Post menopause refers to the time after the last menstrual cycle and is declared a year after the last cycle. 

In Japan these peri-menopausal years are referred to as konenki translated as the “renewal years.” I think the english language could certainly use some better terminology for this transition. For this article I’ll use the term menopause as it is used colloquially. 

In recent years a lot of sensitivity has gone into reframing menopause, not as a disease, but as a natural process. “Hallelujah!” say many women as this is obviously important to recognize. However it is just as important to recognize that the severe symptoms that some women experience during this time should not be ignored or dismissed because it’s “natural”. 

We understand that menses is a normal cycle for most woman. It’s not a disease. However, heavy bleeding, severe pain from cramping, tender breasts and mood swings are not “natural”. These are symptoms of dis-ease and should be addressed.  

The same is true for perimenopausal symptoms. The cessation of menses is normal. Excessive menstrual flow, hot flashes and night sweats, mood swings, hair loss, insomnia, fatigue and irritability are not “natural”. Instead they are symptoms of an underlying imbalance and should be addressed. 

This article was originally published in the Plant Healer Magazine. This quarterly pdf publication continues to amaze me with its incredible diversity and depth of information. If you love herbalism, you'll want to subscribe today!
Click here for more information. 

Common menopausal complaints

In the western world many women experience the following during this time of transition: hot flashes, erratic menstrual cycles (both in length of cycle and length and flow of bleeding), lowered libido, increased headaches, dryness (notably dry vaginal tissues), insomnia, palpitations, irregular heart beat, fatigue, hair loss, bone loss, mood changes and changes in memory. 

The most common treatment for these in western medicine is hormone replacement therapy otherwise known as HRT. There is a lot of debate about HRT in the alternative health world, but this is beyond the scope of today’s article. 

Some practitioners of western herbalism approach these menopausal complaints with a western medicine mindset. They give herbs that contain phytohormones with the goal of balancing a woman’s hormones. Black cohosh, wild yam, and vitex are mainstays of these types of protocols. 

There are many excellent resources for this type of approach. Amanda McQuade Crawford, Aviva Romm and Jillian Stansbury are herbalists who write and lecture about using herbs for their phyothormone content. 

This article is going to focus on evaluating the individual and assessing common patterns associated with menopausal complaints. 

Proactive solutions

Of course the best ways to ensuring a breezy time of transition is living a consciously healthy life well before the time of transition appears. Furthermore actively consulting with someone trained in traditional herbal medicine can help correct imbalances before they are pathologies. Traditional herbal medicine excels at recognizing imbalances before they are entirely problematic. Prevention is key and women in their 20’s and 30’s who are actively engaged in creating vibrant health for themselves will benefit from this foundation for the rest of their lives. 

It is often touted that other cultures have less menopausal complaints than the women in our western culture. Diet and lifestyle are frequently the reasons given for this difference and many reasons are given in a soup du jour attitude. One study claiming increased amounts of soy in the diet the reason that asian cultures have less menopausal complaints. Another study showing dietary seaweed is the reason women in other cultures have an easier transition. Another study shows that cultural perceptions are the reason. 

I think we will be hard pressed to find the reason. Furthermore, we hopefully realize by now that there is no one diet or lifestyle for the whole population. Approaching people individually and constitutionally from the beginning of life will help us recognize and correct imbalances easily to promote a lifetime of vibrant health. 

Addressing menopausal complaints

Easily half of the people I see in my herbal practice come to see me because of menopausal complaints. 

In this article I will cover the three most common patterns that I see. Please keep in mind that these patterns are portrayed in a very broad and general way. There are many many distinctive patterns involved with this life process and much more specific ways of looking at it through particular organ meridians. A great resource for these are Healing with the Herbs of Life by Lesley Tierra. 

Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)

Excess 

Let’s begin with a pattern that is more excessive in nature. This is by far the easiest pattern to address! 

An excess pattern has many signs of true heat. 

• Hot flashes. In particular these hot flashes are intense. Lots of heat and lots of sweating is involved. This is the person who has to change their clothes after a hot flash or change their sheets after having night sweats. 
• Loud voice, red tongue and possibly a red face, not just red cheeks, but the whole face (important distinction). 
• A lot of thirst.
• Fast pulse
• Possibly frequent headaches or headaches associated with menstruation. 
• Excessive menstrual flow. They keep bleeding and bleeding, going through many pads and tampons in one day. 
• This pattern often has heat in the digestive tract as well this may manifest as cold sores, mouth ulcers, sensitivity to spicy foods, ulcers, irregular bowel movements. 

To address an excessive pattern

There are two main strategies with type of pattern. First we want to use cooling therapies (herbs and lifestyle). Often referred to as eliminating and draining this include many of our bitter herbs. 

Herbs I frequently recommend for this: 

Fresh chickweed (Stellaria media)

Dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale)

Shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)

Rose (Rosa spp.)

Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa)

Motherwort (Leonorus cardiaca)

Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa)

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)

Secondly we want to support the adrenals using adaptogen herbs. We don’t want these to be too heating in nature. 

Herbs I frequently recommend for this include

Nettle leaf (Urtica dioica)

Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus)

Milky oats (Avena sativa)

Astringent herbs can be applied for this pattern as well. Rose (Rosa spp.) and schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) are ones that I frequently use. 

Deficiency

Deficient patterns are what I see more commonly in people I work with. This pattern is much harder to correct. In general it is always easier (in terms of duration and type of treatment) to eliminate and drain than it is to nourish and build. 

Deficiency patterns usually arise after many years of draining the system through bad diet, excessive stress, improper movement etc. If a menopausal woman is showing signs of deficiency after 48 years of not nourishing herself, it’s going to take some time to correct this! 

Deficiency patterns include: 

• Hot flashes with little sweating
• Lethargy, fatigue, especially from 3-5 in the afternoon. This person may start off strong and then peter out quickly. 
• Red cheeks and/or red nose (not a red face) 
• Heat in the soles of feet, palms of hands or chest
• Tinnitus
• Cold hands and feet
• Pale tongue, slow or weak pulse
• Sore lower back, weak knees
• Copious and clear urination

To address a deficiency pattern

In this pattern we want to nourish and build and many times restore moisture as well. Here we are thinking about moisture building herbs (demulcents and blood builders) and adaptogen herbs. 

My favorite herbs for this include 

Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus)

Ashwagandah (Withania somnifera)

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)

Dang gui (Angelica sinensis)

As always, diet is important to address as well. Although we all have different needs, people with deficiency patterns benefit from focusing on cooked vegetables, grains (if tolerated), organic and pastured raised meats, and warm foods. Raw fruits and vegetables are usually contraindicated along with iced drinks and fruit juices. 

Liver Qi stagnation

Liver Qi stagnation is a Traditional Chinese Medicine pattern that is frequently seen in today’s populace. This pattern can be in addition to either of the patterns above. 

Symptoms include 

• poor appetite
• mood swings
• quick to anger
• irregular menstrual cycle
• cysts that come and go, fibroids
• digestive complaints
• wiry pulse
• tongue may have curled edges or red edges
• alternating diarrhea and constipation
• fatigue and lethargy
• difficulty swallowing

The classic formula for this is a Chinese formula, Xiao yao san. It is made up of 

Bupleurum 6-9 grams

Dang gui 6-9 grams

White peony 8-12 grams

Poria 9-15 grams

Dry-fried atractylodes 3 grams

Baked licorice 3-6 grams

Mentha 1-3 grams

Fresh ginger 1-3 grams 

In western herbalism, liver moving herbs would be indicated, dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), calendula (Calendula officinalis), St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) etc. I have the most experience with the above formula. 

Dryness vs. Dampness

Most women I see during this transition have symptoms of dryness. Dry skin, dry mouth, dry hair, dry vaginal tissues (very common complaint). Dryness can manifest “false heat” symptoms. These include red cheeks or red nose, heat in the soles and palms and chest, night sweats, anxiety, dry stools, thirsty, scanty and dark urine. 

Using moisturizing and building herbs like shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), prepared rehmannia (Rehmannia glutinosa), marshmallow (Althea officinalis), licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) etc, can help to balance the moisture in the body. Likewise healthy fats and oils can be optimized in the diet. Lots of high quality olive oil and coconut oil can be added to the diet. Fish oil and evening primrose oil can be supplemented. 

For administering these herbs I especially like using them as powders stirred into ghee and coconut oil and if appropriate for the individual, a little honey. Decoctions also work well. 

For symptomatic treatment of dry vaginal tissues a vitamin E capsule can be pricked and then inserted vaginally at night, and as needed. 

Signs of dampness may include edema, loose stools, thick coating on tongue, swollen tongue, heavy vaginal discharge and nausea. For these women we want to remove dampness using eliminating and draining herbs such as nettle or dandelion leaf. 

Conclusion

My hope is that this article helps the reader to understand that there are no herbs for “menopause” and no herbs for “hot flashes”. Instead we want to evaluate the individual and then come up with a customized analysis (excess, deficient, stagnancy) and then a customized plan based on that analysis. In this way we work with people and we do not diagnose or treat diseases. 


Need Help? 


If you would like help with your menopausal symptoms I offer personal consultations by telephone. Click here for more information. 

Wildcrafting IV: Before You Harvest

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Wildcrafting Part III - Tools of the Trade

Wildcrafting requires a few tools. Whatever you don’t already have in your home can be bought inexpensively at a local hardware or garden store. Over time, you’ll probably develop a set of favorite tools for the particular plants you harvest regularly. 

To keep reading visit: https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/wildcrafting-wild-plants.html

Wildcrafting Part II - Why Wildcraft?

If you have never wildcrafted before let me be the first to tell you - it can be hard work! First you need to be able to correctly ID the plant. Then you need to locate the plant. Then you need to make sure the stand is healthy enough to harvest from. Then you need to know how to harvest it ethically. 

Then begins the hard work of harvesting. This can mean wading through marshes to get your cattail, braving thorns to get to your hawthorn berries, or scrambling up mountainsides to find elderberries. As a wildcrafter you will have to withstand the hot sun, incessant wind, bugs and other pests. Wildcrafting can mean stooping for hours to get enough violet flowers to fill a small jar, or laboring with all your might to dig burdock root from hard-packed rocky soil.  

Once you’ve got the plants in hand, you are only half done! Plants will need to be taken home, cleaned and processed and then turned into food or medicine. Phew! 

So, why would a sane person wildcraft? 

To read more visit: https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/wildcrafting-wild-plants.html

Photo Friday - Forest Flowers

Last night we took a stroll through the forest and found so many beautiful flowers in bloom I just had to share it with you all. 


From wild orchids to chocolate lilies to delightful violets, I hope you enjoy this virtual plant walk. 

Chocolate Lilies - Fritillaria lanceolata 

Hooker's Fairy Bells - Prosartes hookeri

Saskatoon - Amelanchier alnifolia

Wild Strawberries - Fragaria spp.

Violet - Viola glabella

Fairyslippers - Calypso bulbosa

Fairyslippers - Calypso bulbosa

Gooseberry - Ribes lacustre

Baneberry - Actaea rubra

Arrowleaf Balsamroot - Balsamorhiza sagittata

Larkspur - Delphinium nuttallianum

Arnica - Arnica cordifolia

Wildcrafting Part 1

Are you interested in harvesting your own plants for food and for medicine? 

Are you concerned about harvesting plants in a sustainably way? 

Wildcrafting is the art of harvesting wild plants, from harvesting dandelion roots at your local park to harvesting uva ursi from the forest floor.

To read the rest of this post visit: https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/wildcrafting-wild-plants.html

Candied Violet Flowers

These candied violet flowers make beautiful accents to sweet treats. Place them on cakes, muffins or breads. Kids will love to eat them as is. 

To learn more about violet, you can see my recently updated monograph here. 

This post is part of the Wild Things Round Up featuring recipes with flowers.

Ingredients

fresh violets (or pansies) with stems attached 

egg white

sugar

Begin by beating the egg white with a wire whisk until it begins to froth. 

Place your sugar in another shallow bowl. A note about the sugar, it’s best to use really fine sugar. I used regular sugar that I ground in a mortar and pestle. You can also find fine sugar in specialty shops. Fine sugar is different than powdered sugar.  

Here comes the delicate part. Pick up a flower by its stem and dip it into the egg white. You can also use a clean paintbrush to brush the egg whites on to each petal. Make sure you coat all the petals well, front and back. 

Next place the violet in the bowl of sugar and coat all parts of the flower with the sugar. 

Place this on a plate or wax paper, snip the stem and repeat with all the flowers. Be sure to rearrange the flower so that it looks good, it will dry this way. (You can use a chopstick or fork to arrange the petals nicely.) 

Lastly, place these in an oven on the lowest setting until completely dry of if you live in a dry environment, simply leave them on the counter for the day. 

These will keep for awhile if stored in an airtight container, but it’s best to use them as soon as possible. 

You can download a beautiful recipe card for this exact recipe by visiting this link. 

A magical adventure story to teach children about herbs

I am so incredibly excited to share a project with you that has been over three years in the making! 

Have you ever wished you knew about herbs and healing when you were younger? 

Have you ever wanted to share the magic of herbs with your children or grandchildren? 

Then you are going to LOVE this!

Herb Fairies is a series of adventure books written by the creator of WildCraft!, the herbal board game, Kimberly Gallagher. These books offer an inspiring tale of herbal adventures that will have your kids on the edge of their seat while learning about herbal medicine. 

Over the past years I’ve been reading these books to the young people in my life and have been able to watch them fall in love with herbs over and over again! 

Click on this link to learn more about these books and to download lots of free bonuses such as posters and coloring pages.

http://learningher.bz/herb-fairies-site

I am so proud of Kimberly and the amazing work she has put into these books. 

I am also very proud to work with a company that is continually raising the bar on herbal education in such fun and creative ways!

Over the next week John and Kimberly will be releasing really cool videos and digital downloads about Herb Fairies. 

Here’s that link again. 

 I almost forgot! I’ve had my hands in this project too! I got to make these really cool recipe cards for each book. You’ll get to see one of those this week!

The Cardiovascular System: Anatomy and Physiology from an herbalists perspective

This article is part of the Anatomy and Physiology section of www.HerbMentor.com.

In the previous anatomy and physiology section we learned the role of the respiratory system in oxygenating blood. The cardiovascular system is a continuation of that oxygenation process. The heart pumps blood through a closed system of blood vessels in order to bring oxygen and other nutrients to the cells throughout the body.

In part I of the cardiovascular system we will gain an understanding of the various parts of this system and then put these organs together to gain an understanding of how blood is circulated through the body.

In part II we will learn more about the blood itself.

The cardiovascular system consists of:

• The heart
• Blood vessels including arteries, capillaries, and veins
• Blood

The Heart

The heart is a muscular organ made up of involuntary striated muscle tissue. It is located in the thoracic cavity in between the lungs and just above the diaphragm. It is covered in protective membranes called the pericardium. Besides forming a protective layer, these membranes also secrete a fluid that helps to reduce friction as tissues rub together during heart contractions.

The next layer of the heart is a thick layer of cardiac muscle tissue called the myocardium. It is the contraction of the myocardium that creates the force necessary to pump blood through the body.

Attached to the outer surface of the myocardium is the epicardium. This membrane consists of blood vessels that nourish the heart.

Blood Supply

The heart is supplied blood through the coronary arteries, which come off of the aortic artery. Blockage of the coronary artery is what causes a heart attack.

The Heart Chambers

There are four chambers in the heart. The two upper chambers are called the atria. They receive blood from the veins. The two lower chambers are the ventricles. Blood is pumped from the ventricles to the arteries and to the rest of the body. The heart consists of two pumps. The left atrium and left ventricle is the left pump. The right atrium and the right ventricle is the right pump. There is no opening between the atria or between the ventricles. Instead, there are valves in between the atria and the corresponding ventricles.

The Heart Valves

There are two types of valves located in the heart: the atrioventricular valves and the semilunar valves. The atrioventricular valves are located between each atrium and its corresponding ventricle. These valves allow blood to flow from the atrium to the ventricle without allowing any blood to flow backwards from the ventricle to the atrium. The two atrioventricular valves are the tricuspid valve and the mitral valve.

Semilunar valves are located in the arteries that carry blood from the ventricles to the rest of the body. The two semilunar valves are called the pulmonary semilunar valve and the aortic semilunar valve.

The sound we associate with the heartbeat is actually the closing of the heart valves. “Lub-dub” is the sound often used to describe the sound of the heartbeat. The first sound, “lub”, is the sound of the atrioventricular valves closing. The second sound, “dub”, is the sound of the semilunar valves. If any of the heart valves are not working correctly then another sound might be heard. This is referred to as a heart murmur.

Blood vessels

There are three main types of blood vessels. Arteries, capillaries, and veins form a system of tubes that carry blood to and from the heart. The blood vessels form an incredible network of tubes throughout the body. An adult has as many of 100,000 miles of blood vessels in their body.

Arteries

These large blood vessels are made of a thick muscular layer to withstand higher blood pressure. They carry blood from the heart to the capillaries.

Capillaries

Capillaries form a vast network of very small vessels that enable the exchange of materials between blood and the tissue cells. The term capillary bed refers to a network of capillaries that supply blood to an organ.

Veins

Veins return blood from the capillaries back to the heart. They are made up of a relatively thin muscular layer and contain internal valves to keep the blood from ever flowing backwards. About 60% of the blood volume is located in the veins at any given time.

Blood Flow

Deoxygenated blood from the body flows from the superior and inferior vena cava veins to the right atrium. This blood is pumped to the right ventricle and then proceeds to the pulmonary trunk where it is oxygenated by the act of inhalation. This newly oxygenated blood then flows through pulmonary veins to the left atrium and is pumped to the left ventricle to continue to the aorta and the rest of the body. These are referred to as the pulmonary and systemic circuits.

Pulmonary Circuit	Assists deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs and then assists newly oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium. (This is the flow of blood between the heart and lungs.)
Systemic Circuit	Assists oxygenated blood to all parts of the body (except the lungs) and then returns deoxygenated blood to the right atrium. (This is the flow of blood from the heart to the rest of the body.)

The following diagram illustrates the flow of blood. Blue indicates deoxygenated blood and red indicates oxygenated blood.

Blood Pressure

The circulation of blood throughout the body happens due to changes in blood pressure. Blood naturally flows from areas of high pressure to areas of lower pressure. When the ventricles contract it creates the pressure necessary to push the blood into the arteries. As the blood travels throughout the body the pressure continually decreases.

Blood pressure is measured in two numbers. The systolic blood pressure is the measurement of the ventricular contraction. The diastolic blood pressure is the pressure measured during a ventricular contraction. Optimal blood pressure is around 120/8

Further Resources:

General Heart Health

• David Hoffman gives an overview in his article Herbal Therapy and the Cardiovascular System
• A PDF of an Herbalist’s view of the Cardiovascular System by 7Song
• Extensive amount of information about heart disease can be found here: Chris Kresser
• Cardiac Remedies by David Hoffman
• An article related low Vitamin D Levels to Diabetic Cardiovascular Disease by Karen Vaughn
• CLA: The good Trans Fat by the Nourished Kitchen

Hypertension

• A look at herbs and hypertension by Paul Bergner
• Karen Vaughn looks at Herbs and Hypertension

Cholesterol

• Henriette looks at Statins and Cholesterol
• 7 Reasons to Eat More Saturated Fat
• Vitamin D, Statins, and Red Yeast Rice by Karen Vaughn
• I have high cholesterol and I don't care by Chris Kresser

Angina

• An article by David Hoffman

Congestive Heart Failure

• An article by David Hoffman

Heart Attack

• An article by David Hoffman

Varicose Veins

• An article by David Hoffman
• An article by Chanchal Cabrera

Hemorrhoids

• Henriette Kress gives an overview

Arteriosclerosis

• David Hoffman gives an overview of Arteriosclerosis
• Calcium supplements linked to hardening of the arteries. 

Anemia

• Treatment guidelines from Chanchal Cabrera

Hypotension

• An article by David Hoffman

Bruises

• Great overview of bruises and how to treat them with herbs

Works Consulted

• The anatomy and physiology in this article was extracted mainly from The Principles of Anatomy & Physiology, Tortora, Grabowski. I also used Anatomy and Physiology by Stanley E. Gunstream 4^th ed.
• The second half of this article giving us an herbal perspective on the nervous system would not have been possible without jim mcdonald’s Article Index. Thanks a thousand times to jim for putting this together.

This article is part of the Anatomy and Physiology section of www.HerbMentor.com.