Making an Herbal Oil

Herb-infused oils are easy to make and, depending on the herbs used, encompass a variety of healthful uses -- from healing up scrapes, cuts, bumps and bruises, to reducing scar tissue, to soothing a baby's rashy bum, to eliminating aches and pains.  In this article, I'll teach you how easy it is to make calendula-infused oil using dried calendula flowers and vegetable oil... but first, a little introduction to the benefits of using calendula topically.

Calendula possesses three main actions which give it high esteem as a topical medicinal herb.  First, it is considered a vulnerary, which is a funny way of saying it excels at healing wounds.  Combine this with the herb's anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties and you've got a winning combination.  I use calendula salve topically for a variety of conditions including eczema, burns, scrapes, bumps and bruises as well as diaper rash and other fungal problems like athlete's foot.  Calendula is high in carotenoids (an antioxidant pre-cursor of Vitamin A) and combined with chamomile, calendula excels at reducing the redness and inflammation of rosacea.  OK, so let's learn a "folk" method of making calendula oil.

Ingredients and Kitchen Equipment Needed:

• Blender or Vita-mix
• Spatula
• Quart Glass Jar with Lid
• Dried Calendula Flowers (I prefer just the orange flowers as it makes a deeper orange oil with more carotenoids).
• Organic Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Olive or Sweet Almond oil are nice choices).

Directions:

1. Add calendula flowers to your blender
2. Add some vegetable oil - do not cover the flowers in oil - maybe about 1/2 way (it's best to start out with less oil and add it as you need to).
3. Blend the herbs and oil, stopping to tamp down the flowers and then blend again.
4. Add just enough oil so that the oil and herbs blend together.  It should be thick.
5. Blend for a couple of minutes until the blender container becomes warm (this starts the maceration process).
6. Use the spatula to pour the contents of the blender into a clean glass jar.
7. Put the lid on and place the jar in a paper bag.
8. Set the jar in a warm spot for 2 weeks (I put mine out on the sunny porch in the summertime).
9. Strain through a muslin cloth and bottle.
10. Keep refrigerated to extend the shelf life.  This oil will last a year refrigerated.

Herbal First Aid Kits - Part I

Summertime is here... any for many people that means travel!  Don't leave home without your appropriate First Aid Kit to address issues ranging from emotional upsets to food poisoning to those pesky biting insects. Here are some suggestions for stocking an herbal first aid kit which you can use at home and on the road.  Each family's first aid kit is unique and what you put in your kit depends on your own personal needs.  My top picks for an herbal first aid kit includes items that address the following issues.

Trauma:  Every first aid kit needs something for mental/emotional upsets and jangled nerves.

• Flower Essences.  Rescue Remedy is a well-known Flower Essence formula originally made by Dr. Bach.  Flower Essences are gentle yet effective remedies that are suitable for the whole family (including your pets!).  We recommend Solace and Strength, a formula made by local Herbalist & Medicine Maker, Catherine Abby Rich of Combining Forces, an essence similar to Rescue Remedy.
• Passionflower or Kava Kava.  Both these herbs are extremely helpful for anxiety.  I like tincture best as it works quickly and is easy to carry.  A dropperful or two as needed up can help calm and quiet a worried mind and ease nervousness and angst.

Tummy Upsets: This can range from motion sickness to food poisoning to parasites and all of those are distinct possibilities when traveling, especially when going out of the country.

• Ginger Tea (or Candied Ginger).  Great for nausea.  Ginger is also helpful for aiding with digestion when taken before meals (good for people who run cold and have little digestive fire)... and for dispelling gas and indigestion thereafter.  
• Activated Charcoal and/or Bentonite Clay Capsules. Charcoal and clay both rock at absorbing pathogens within your digestive tract to be carried out.  (Be sure to drink extra water when taking these supplements as they can be binding).  I always carry these in my first aid kit when traveling out of the country, when food poisoning or parasites are a possibility.  Because of their absorbent qualities, these capsules are also helpful for traveler's diarrhea.
• Gut Soothing Herbs. To soothe inflamed mucus membranes of the digestive tract, Slippery Elm Bark is my go to choice of herb (simply add a heaping teaspoon to 4 ounces of water, stir and drink down).  Repeat as necessary up to 4x a day.  Slippery Elm will also help with acid reflux. Other herbs that can help an inflamed gut include Meadowsweet, Marshmallow Root and Fennel Seed.
• Bulk Laxatives.  If constipation is an issue, try adding chia or flax seeds to your diet.  I like to add chia seeds to my water bottle and drink throughout the day.  Psyllium husks are also helpful for constipation.  Drink plenty of water... at least 8 glasses a day.

Burns. First cool the burn with cool water (unless it’s a 3^rd degree burn, then simply cover with a clean sheet or other smooth cloth and keep the person quiet until help arrives). To soothe a burn, try:

• Aloe Vera Gel, Honey or Lavender Essential Oil.  All are soothing and will help prevent infection. (A spray of lavender essential oil dilute in distilled water makes a great after-sun spray for sunburns.  Add up to 30 drops of essential oil to one ounce of water.  I like to keep mine refrigerated.).

Abcesses, Bug Bites.  Here we want a drawing agent to pull out venum, toxins, pus, etc.

• Clay or Slippery Elm Powder both work well here. Make a paste of the clay or slippery elm powder by adding water and apply to the area.  Clay and Slippery Elm powder have a multitude of uses and are handy to keep on hand for topical application as well as internal disharmony.  Tips:  Clay paste with the addition of a couple of drops of peppermint essential oil will ease the itch and reduce the swelling of poison oak!  

Bumps, Bruises, Swellings, Rashes.

• Herbs that promote wound healing include Comfrey, Calendula, St. John's Wort, Yarrow and Plantain.  (Don't use Comfrey on a deep wound). For ease of use, infuse the herbs and oil and add beeswax to make an herbal salve.
• Arnica Homeopathically.  Arnica tablets and gel are wonderful for reducing swellings and bruising.
• Calendula cream, salve or oil is an excellent aid in healing rashes including mild eczema and diaper rash.

Next month we'll discuss herbal strategies for Pain, Sore Muscles, Headaches and more.  Stay tuned!

Herb of the Month: Mugwort

Mugwort is a powerful herbal ally for women's reproductive systems, and for bellies belonging to all of us, no matter what our gender or age is!

Mugwort has been used by many as an emmenagogue, meaning to stimulate menstruation, taken by those with irregular or suppressed menses. It has been suggested that mugwort stimulates the uterus, which agrees with some of the other uses of mugwort: as a tonic during labor and to relieve menstrual cramps. It has also been used for epilepsy, colds, fevers, bronchitis, colic, sciatica, kidney ailments, and as an appetite stimulent and nerve tonic. The volatile oil in the leaves make a good remedy for indigestion, upset stomachs, and other stomach ailments. Research shows it may lower blood sugar.

Mugwort has long been used to promote vivid, lucid, and prophetic dreams. It can be taken as a tea or smoked before bedtime, branches can be hung near the bed, or the crushed leaves and flowers can be put in a sachel or pillow to place on or near the bed.

In addition to its use with dreams, mugwort is associated with psychic powers in general. It is also used for protection, by hanging the plant over doorways either in whole branches or crushing the leaves and flowers to put in a sachel, often along with other herbs. Mugwort is sometimes ritually smoked, usually in combination with other herbs, and it has a nice smell, which makes a good herb for smudging. Mugwort is considered a sacred herb of Artemis, the Greek goddess of the moon, the hunt, and chastity, which gives it its scientific name. Because of this the plant is also associated with the Moon and young women.

Latin Name: Artemesia vulgaris or Artemesia Californica (native)

Family: Asteraceace

Used as: tea, tincture, smudge, herb pillows, etc.

Herb of the Month: Cozy Chamomile

Herb of the Month: 

Chamomile   

German chamomile has been taken for digestive problems since at least the 1st century AD. Gentle and efficacious, it is very suitable for children. The herb is valuable for pain, indigestion, acidity, gas, gastritis, bloating, and colic. It is also used for hiatus hernia, peptic ulcer, Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome. German chamomile, which contains spiroether and bisabolol, very strong antispasmodics, relax tense, aching muscles and eases menstrual pain.  It also appears to have relaxing action on the smooth muscle lining of the digestive tract.

Chamomile means "earth apple" which is easy to understand when we accidentally trample the flowers and underfoot and suddenly smell the welcome fragrance of apples rising from the earth. In the same way, Spanish speaking peoples often use the name Manzanilla, literally meaning "little apple."

Even for those largely unfamiliar with herbs, the distinctive sweet scent of Chamomile is often both familiar and comforting. This plant is many people's first and perhaps only introduction to herbalism, often from a cup of honey-sweetened and belly-calming tea from their grandmother.

Just as it soothes and heals internally, Chamomile is also a first-rate external application for almost any case of inflammation, irritation, swelling and even potential infection. It finds its way into many formulas for eczema, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and other common inflammatory skin conditions.

Steams, baths and infused oil are other effective ways of utilizing the calming, decongestive and healing properties of the herb. It can be used as a warm compress or saline eyewash to reduce inflammation, possible infection and pain in the treatment of styes, conjunctivitis, pink eye and similar maladies.  

Latin: Matricaria recutita (German) or Anthemis nobilis (Roman)

Common Names: Chamomile, Camamyle, Manzanilla, Scented Mayweed.

Taste / qualities: Bitter and spicy   

Actions: anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, relaxant, carminative, mild bitter, antiallergenic.

   

Queen of Hungary Water

"This is one of the world's finest cosmetic formulas. It combines gentle common herbs in a masterful way, it's easy to make, and it's a versatile formula that serves many purposes. The Gypsies used it as a hair rinse, mouthwash, headache remedy, aftershave, footbath, and who knows what else! I have seen this formula sold in department stores in exotic little bottles for a fancy price. You can make it for the cost of a few herbs and a bottle of vinegar." 

-- Rosemary Gladstar 

6 parts lemon balm  

4 parts chamomile  

4 parts roses  

3 parts calendula  

3 parts comfrey leaf  

1 part lemon peel  

1 part rosemary  

1 part sage  

Vinegar (apple cider or wine)  

Rose water or witch hazel  

Essential oil of lavender or rose (optional)

1. Place the herbs in a widemouthed jar.  

2. Fill the jar with enough vinegar that it rises an inch or two above the herb mixture. 3. Cover tightly and let it sit in a warm spot for 2 to 3 weeks. 4. Strain out the herbs. To each cup of herbal vinegar, add 2/3 to 1 cup of rose water or witch hazel. Add a drop or two of essential oil, if desired. 5. Rebottle. This product does not need to be refrigerated and will keep indefinitely.

Recipe courtesy of Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health 

Herb of the Month: Calendula

Calendula flowers are a garden staple in the Bay Area, their sunny orange flowers coming into bloom as the rainclouds clear.  Beyond being simply beautiful, however, calendula is a powerful plant ally for skin, lymph, and inflammatory conditions of the digestive system, such as gastritis, peptic ulcers, and colitis.    Internally, Calendula is a wonderful plant to assist with detoxification, and is often used to treat toxic-buildup that leads to infection and systemic skin disorders, such as eczema and acne.  It helps cleanse the liver, as well, and this action combined with its gentle yet strong lymph-draining qualities has led to its reputation as a powerful purifier.  Less well known, however, is that it can also be used as a calming and nourishing mouthwash after tooth-extraction or mouth surgery. Externally, Calendula is renowned as a skin-beautifier and healer.  It is often used infused in oils or as a salve or in creams to tonify, nourish, and protect skin as well as being used in first-aid for burns, rashes, and other red or inflammed skin conditions.     Calendula  Latin: Calendula officianalis Common Names: Calendula, Pot Marigold, Summer's Bride, Butterwort. Taste / qualities: slightly bitter, pungent, drying, gently cooling Actions: anti-inflammatory; relieves muscle spasms;    astringent; prevents hemorrhaging; heals wounds; antiseptic; detoxifying; mildly estrogenic.     Infused Calendula Oil     1c     Calendula petals, dried 1c     Organic Almond Oil Pint-Sized Mason Jar Paper Towels Cheesecloth Strainer 1. First fill your bone dry half pint jar half way with dried calendula blossoms. Just put them in loosely packed.    2. Pour almond oil over the flowers to fill the jar, leaving 1/4 inch space at the top. 3. Stir to release any air bubbles. 4. Cover the jar with paper towel secured with mason jar ring or a rubber band. Covering your oil in this way will allow any extra water in the plant material to evaporate while it is infusing. Water content on the plant material or jar can lead to mold in your oil. 5. Stir these oils every day for a week, smelling it each day and observing the oil and the plant material. Make sure all the plant material is under the oil each day. Exposed plant material can also cause mold. 6. After this first week you need not stir your oil, but continue to make daily or every other day observations. Heat and exposure to oxygen can cause your oil to go rancid and water content can lead to mold, so you will want to watch this preparation carefully. 7. Allow your oil to infuse for about 3 weeks, continuing to observe the color of the oil and the flowers. When the flowers become translucent the oil has completely saturated them, and the oil is ready to strain. 8. Strain your oils through cheesecloth, squeezing as much oil as possible from the flowers or leaves. You can compost the flowers, leaves and cheesecloth. 9. Store your finished oil in a capped jar with very little air space at the top.  This will help your oil stay fresh for as long as possible.

Herb of the Month: Milky Oats

Milky Oats come into their own across the rolling hills of the Bay Area in May, their tiny  pale green pennants waving at us in sunny spots along the trail.  Later, when the oats become dry, we tend to call this plant oatstraw.  Oatstraw has many similar qualities to Milky Oats -- and yet, medicinally and energetically, there's something special about this herb when its full of white milky sap, as it is right now.    

"Milky Oats' most remarkable actions tend to be seen in exhaustion. It is a profound restorative for the nervous and endocrine systems which are so easily depleted by a stressful lifestyle and bad diet. It's no replacement for proper nutritional therapy but an excellent therapeutic agent for the process of healing. It seems to directly provide a special sort of 'nerve food' for the body, to rebuild the nervous apparatus in a way that is both nutritional and yet more."

 -- Kiva Rose,  

Bear Medicine Herbals

Milky oats are a very helpful nutritive tonic any time there is mental and physical exhaustion as well as common symptoms of exhaustion such as an inability to focus, mood swings, decreased sexual desire, and anxiety.   

Milky Oats: 

Latin Name: Avena sativa

Common Names: Milky Oats, Wild Oats, Catgrass

Taste: Sweet

Actions: Nervous and endocrine resorative, relaxant and stimulant nervine, antispasmodic

   

Avena Dreams Cordial    

2.25c  Milky Oats /  Oatstraw
3c       Brandy, or to cover by 2"
1c       Rose Honey
1/2c    Rose Water

1. Let Oats steep in brandy for one month or one moon-cycle.  

2. Strain out oats and add rose water and honey.

3. Enjoy!

(Recipe courtesy of The Herbal Kitchen by Kami McBride)

Herb of the Month: Nettles

  

Nettles are an herbalist's best friend.  This small, inconspicuous looking plant has surprised many a hiker with its zippy sting, but perhaps what's more surprising is how powerful a healer it is.    

In springtime, this plant is often used as a nourishing tonic and blood cleanser; it helps to restore the health and vibrancy of the adrenal glands, normalizes hormone function and circulatory systems, and is a  powerful ally for the kidneys, digestion, and respiration.  It's very high in protein, vitamins, and minerals, and is often used as an iron tonic during pregnancy.  In fact, herbalist Matt Wood says that this little mint-like plant "helps all protein pathways in the body -- digestion, immune response, liver metabolism, skin reactions, and kidney elimination."   

It is this relationship with proteins that makes Nettle a very good herb for people with allergies, as it is known to reduce the allergic response and also to eliminate mucus on membranes resulting from allergies (however, its not a quick-fix: in order for nettles to work in this way, its best to take them daily, beginning a couple of weeks before your allergies usually begin to effect you).   

Nettles can be taken as a tea, in tincture, and cooked and eaten as a wonderful healing food (the leaves loose their sting when cooked).       

Creamed Nettles

1 lb nettle tops  

4 Tbsp butter  

1/4 tsp salt  

1/4 tsp pepper  

1/2 cup cream

1 medium onion, minced 1/4 cup snipped chives  

2 cloves garlic, minced

Place nettles in a medium-sized saucepan (you might want to wear gloves for this).  

Pour in just enough water to cover; add 2 tablespoons of the butter, salt, and pepper. Simmer until tender.   

Strain; discard the nettles and return the juice to the pan.   

Mix in the cream, onion, chives, garlic, and 2

tablespoons of the butter.  

Bring to a simmer over low heat, then serve and enjoy!  

(Recipe courtesy of A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook)

Herb of the Month: Chickweed

As the winter chill recedes, leaving the earth moist and soft yet bathed in sunlight, Chickweed makes its dainty and festive appearance all across the hillsides and along creekbeds around us.  Although considered a weed by some, and certainly not rare or scarce, Chickweed is a powerful healer and a delicious spring cleansing edible for salads and smoothies.  It is regarded highly for its demulcent, moisturizing properties and is used to treat everything from skin irritation, to eye inflammation, to arthritis and hypothyroidism. 

Though demure in size and energetics, this diminutive plant (whose name means "little star," for the tiny white star-shaped blooms it sports) has graced the pages of herbals since they were first printed.  The great herbalist Jethro Kloss said of Chickweed, "It heals and soothes anything it comes in contact with."

It is seen as a deeply nourishing herb that helps awaken our life-force energy after the long winter nights -- its high in vitamin C, making it good to help ward off illness during spring's transition time, as well as being high in calcium, iron, and many other minerals. 

Chickweed cleanses the liver, lymph system, kidneys, intestines, and lungs of toxins and helps to flush excess fats from our bodies.  It is well known to assist in losing weight, "Not just short term water weight, but long-term deposits of fats," writes herbalist Matthew Wood. 

"It is an outstanding remedy for lipomas (fatty tumors), as well as general weight loss -- facts to which I can attest from personal experience.  At the same time, chickweed acts deeply on all of the waters of the body..."

In addition to its wonderful healing properties, Chickweed is a delicious edible to wildcraft, especialy as it is easy to find and identify.  You can add it to salads and sandwiches, steam it, or even make it into pesto.  Bon Appetite!  Spring is here.

Chickweed Pesto  

2 cloves of garlic  

3 Tbsp. pine nuts or sunflower seeds  

¼ tsp. salt  

2 packed cups chopped fresh chickweed  

½ cup olive oil

½ cup Parmesan cheese

Blend or chop in a food processor, and enjoy!  

It tastes wonderful over pasta (especially thin pastas, like angel hair or fettucini) or you can just use it as a dip for crackers or vegetables.   It even freezes!

Recipe courtesy of Herbmentor.com

Sweet Nothings... Romantic Recipes from the Green World

This time of year is a fabulous time to treat yourself, or treat someone you love, to the beauty and pleasure available from the world of herbs.  From aphrodisiac nervines (such as damiana and oatstraw) to aromatic treasures like rose, vanilla and sandlewood, the natural world has much to offer us to help us foster connection, sweetness, and delight.

"Herbal aphrodisiacs abound, as Mother Nature is passionately fond of love and fecundity. In the Wise Woman Tradition, we nourish vibrant health, rather than seeking out stimulants, even when it comes to sex. Thus my favorite lover's herbs are... oatstraw and seaweed, burdock and roses, and, of course, chocolate."

-- Susan Weed, master herbalist  

and author of Healing Wise

Perhaps nothing is more romantic and enjoyable than giving and receiving something from that heart that you've made yourself.  So, we asked some of our favorite herbalist to share their most treasured herbal romance secrets:

Edible Brown Sugar Body Scrub 

Spiced Rose Elixir   

Damiana Cordial 

Celtic Love Tea 

Wild Rose Honey 

Robin Rose's Passion Honey 

Sweet Nothings... Romantic Recipes from the Green World

This time of year is a fabulous time to treat yourself, or treat someone you love, to the beauty and pleasure available from the world of herbs. From aphrodisiac nervines (such as damiana and oatstraw) to aromatic treasures like rose, vanilla and sandlewood, the natural world has much to offer us to help us foster connection, sweetness, and delight.

Perhaps nothing is more romantic and enjoyable than giving and receiving something from that heart that you've made yourself. So, we asked some of our favorite herbalist to share their most treasured herbal romance secrets...


Atava's Edible Brown Sugar Body Scrub
courtesy of Ancestral Apothecary 
1c. brown sugar
1/2c white sugar
1/2c + 2 Tbs. sunflower oil
1/2 tsp damiana cordial, vanilla extract, or flavoring of your choice
Mix ingredients together, bottle, and enjoy!



Spiced Rose Elixir 
courtesy of North Rose Botanicals

Rose petals – fresh is best, but fragrant organic dried rose petals will do.  Enough to fill a quart jar more then half full.
3 tbsp. damiana
1-2 tbsp. shatavari
1-2tbsp. ashwaganda 
1 tsp. clove 
1 tsp. allspice
2 pieces star anise
2 sticks cinnamon

Fill a quart jar with herbs, pour your alcohol of choice to fill the jar halfway to 3/4 full, then top off with local, unheated honey. Let sit for 4-6 weeks, give it an occasional shake to add the maceration process, strain to a new bottle, label and enjoy 1-2 tablespoons as needed.  (Alcohol can be whatever you prefer- vodka, rum or brandy, even tequila make fine choices.  Cheryl prefers a high-quality Brandy).



Damiana Cordial
Courtesy of Diana De Luca's Botanica Erotica
1oz. damiana leaves
2c vodka or brandy
1.5c spring water
1c honey
Vanilla extract, rose water, or spices of your choice

Soak damiana leaves in alcohol for 5 days (you can also soak a vanilla bean or two with the herb).  Strain, and reserve liquid in a bottle.  Now soak the alcohol drenched leaves in water for 3 days.  Strain, save the water.  Gently warm water and dissolve honey into it.  Combine both the honey and water with the alcohol extracts and stir well.  Optional: add vanilla extract, rose water, or other flavorings. Pour into a clean bottle and let sit for one month or longer.  Gets better with age. 



Celtic Love Tea
courtesy of Celtic Herbs
Equal parts dried borage, rose petals, damiana, and spearmint.
Mix and serve with rose-petal or clary-sage infused honey.



Wild Rose Honey
Courtesy of Bear Medicine Herbals
1c. local honey
1/2c. dry or 1c. fresh rosehips
1tsp. (or 1/2 tsp. dry) grated fresh ginger
1tsp. (or 1/2 tsp. dry) fresh orange peel
1/4 tsp. cardamom
Mix together in a jar, then let infuse for one month (or however long you can wait!).




Robin Rose’s Passion Honey
Courtesy of the Herbwife's Kitchen 
1 quart of organic dark honey
1/2 cup orange blossoms*
3/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons damiana
3-4 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon jasmine
2-3 tablespoons maca root powder
3/4 ounce rose glycerite or rose water
1 teaspoon crushed up cinnamon sticks or powder

*Orange blossoms can be hard to get. You could put in crumbled or powdered sweet orange or tangerine peels instead — it won’t be the same, but still delicious.
** all herbs are dried organic unless otherwise noted.

Mix, then cook on low for 30-45 minutes.  If you can wait, let it steep for a week or so, then enjoy.  If not, then just enjoy!

Sweet Nothings... Romantic Recipes from the Green World

This time of year is a fabulous time to treat yourself, or treat someone you love, to the beauty and pleasure available from the world of herbs.  From aphrodisiac nervines (such as damiana and oatstraw) to aromatic treasures like rose, vanilla and sandlewood, the natural world has much to offer us to help us foster connection, sweetness, and delight.

"Herbal aphrodisiacs abound, as Mother Nature is passionately fond of love and fecundity. In the Wise Woman Tradition, we nourish vibrant health, rather than seeking out stimulants, even when it comes to sex. Thus my favorite lover's herbs are... oatstraw and seaweed, burdock and roses, and, of course, chocolate."

-- Susan Weed, master herbalist  

and author of Healing Wise

Perhaps nothing is more romantic and enjoyable than giving and receiving something from that heart that you've made yourself.  So, we asked some of our favorite herbalist to share their most treasured herbal romance secrets:

Edible Brown Sugar Body Scrub 

Spiced Rose Elixir   

Damiana Cordial 

Celtic Love Tea 

Wild Rose Honey 

Robin Rose's Passion Honey 

Herb of the Month: Romantic Rose

Perhaps no flower captures the feeling of romance, and entices our imagination, the way that the rose does.  The Rose is thought to have originated in Persia, although according to the ancient Greeks, the red rose, a symbol of passion, first bloomed when Aphrodite stuck her foot with a thorn and bled while assisting Adonis. The Greek poetess Sappho first christened it "Queen of Flowers" around 600 BC.

Medicinally, both the petals and the hips are used.  Honey of Red Rose (Apothecary) was once an official pharmaceutical preparation in the US for sore mouths and throats.  Rose vinegar was used for headaches, especially those brought on by heat. The leaves are a mild, but seldom used, laxative.

In Greece, Hippocrates recommended rose flowers mixed with oil for diseases of the uterus. Ayurvedic physicians use the petals in poultices to treat skin wounds and inflammations. The hips are dried and made into tisanes for children with stomach disorders, and are also considered a cardiotonic for adults.

At various times, European herbalists recommended dried rose petal tea for headache, dizziness, mouth sores, and menstrual cramps.

In Chinese medicine, the petals are considered drying for cold, clear mucous discharges, helping to relieve constrictive feelings of the chest and abdomen (stuck liver chi).  Chinese herbalists use it to  treat poor appetite, harmonizing blood, and to help with irregular menstruation and pain caused by blood stagnation. The hips areused for diarrhea, enuresis, frequent urination, spermatorrhea and leucorrhea (all complaints of deficient kidney chi).

Rose hips are a significant source of vitamin C. But the drying process destroys from 45-90% of it, and infusions extract only about 40% of what's left.

For a mildly astringent infusion for colds and flu, use 2-3 teaspoons of dried, chopped hips per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 minutes, and drink as needed.

Practitioner Corner: Ayurvedic Wisdom for Winter Warmth and Health

By Rachel Breeze
Holistic Health Practitioner & Massage Therapist

Q. Every year in the winter, I end up with a ton of symptoms that don't seem related and that don't come up at other times, like joint pain and digestive problems. What can I do to stay balanced this winter and able to keep up with all the fun things the new year offers?

A. In winter, we feel a natural draw to keep those home fires burning... but it's just as important during the winter season that we tend to our body's inner fire. In the Ayurvedic tradition, the cold, damp weather is said to increase the cold, wet, slow qualities of Kapha, which brings with it the tendency towards sluggish circulation, potential weight gain, and feelings such as depression and lethargy. When winter weather turns cold and windy it increases the cold, dry and light qualities of Vata, which can bring with it joint stiffness, poor digestion, and feelings of confusion and loneliness.

Fortunately, these symptoms of imbalance can be alleviated through the basic application of ayurvedic wisdom to our daily lives.

The beauty of Ayurveda --which is the traditional medicine system native to India -- is that it sees each person as a unique individual based on their elemental constitution. With insight into one's ayurvedic constitution, in combination with what natural forces are strongest during the current season, we can get clarity on ways to create balanced health & well-being. This might include nutrition, herbs, supplements, essential oils, lifestyle factors, and body treatments.

To balance the cold, dampness of Kapha which is so dominant in the wintertime, we can increase our inner fire through the use of heating spices such as cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, cayenne to our diets as well as embarking upon a regular program of exercise that increases body heat at a level that produces sweat. We can also take hot baths and saunas and do invigorating salt scrubs on ourselves using loofah gloves to keep our circulation vitalized and moving.

To balance the qualities of Vata in the winter, we can feed our digestive fire by choosing warm & easy to digest meals such as spiced oatmeal and nourishing soups, as well as by drinking warm (never cold or iced) drinks, and also spending time with others and in situations where we feel warm and nurtured.

Here are some of my favorite recipes for good wintertime warming...

Herbal Chai
This chai is superior for increasing circulation and assisting digestive fire.

5 cups of water
3 inch chunk of chopped ginger
tsp of powdered cinamom
tsp of powdered cardamon
1/2 tsp of powdered clove
dash of cayenne
Tbs of loose gotu kola herb
Optional tsp of loose green tea
3 cups rice milk or hazlenut milk or soymilk, etc.
Agave nectar

Boil the water, add ginger and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Add the powdered cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, and cayenne. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat, add gotu kola and let sit covered 5 minutes, add green tea (optional) and let sit 1-3 more minutes. Strain into a large pot and combine with warmed milk of your choice and agave nectar to taste.


Wintertime Salt Scrub

Using this scrub in the shower with loofah gloves will increase lymphatic circulation, detoxifying the body as well as protecting against colds & flus. Always start scrubbing in the center of the body (chest & belly) then scrub the joints, groin & armpits then work out toward the extremities, finish by stroking toward the heart. The skin should turn pink!

1/2 cup of sunflower oil (or another light oil)
1 cup of sea salt
5-15 drops of essential oil (for circulation use e.o.'s such as rosemary, cypress, grapefruit, silver fir ginger, cardamon, etc)
Mix these ingredients together in a bowl (do not use wood!) and pour into a glass jar with a wide mouth.

Herb of the Month: Tumeric

Turmeric is one of nature's most powerful healers. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. Tumeric has been used for over 2500 years in India, where it was most likely first used as a dye.
 

Long known for its anti-inflammatory properties, recent research has revealed that turmeric is a natural wonder, proving beneficial in the treatment of many different health conditions from cancer to Alzheimer's disease.
 

In some languages, the names of turmeric just mean "yellow root".  English (turmeric) derives from the French terre-mérite meaning "meritorious earth" probably because ground turmeric resembles mineral pigments (ocher). Turmeric was used in Biblical times as a perfume as well as a spice.  Some say it came into use in the West through the sun-
worshippers of Persia when their supply of saffron ran out.

Turmeric held a place of honor in India's traditional Ayurvedic medicine. A symbol of prosperity, it was considered a cleansing herb for the whole body. Medically, it was used as a digestive aid and treatment for fever, infections, dysentery, arthritis, and jaundice and other liver problems. In Hindu ceremony it represents fertility.
 

Traditional Chinese physicians also used turmeric to treat liver and gallbladder problems, stop bleeding, and treat chest congestion and menstrual discomforts. 
 

Turmeric is a choleretic, an agent that stimulates the liver to increase its production of bile. This yellow brown or green fluid helps emulsify fats in your duodenum and increases peristalsis, the rhythmic contractions that move food through your gastrointestinal tract.

 

Turmeric is also a cholagogue, an agent that stimulates the gallbladder and biliary duct to discharge bile and increases your body's excretion of cholesterol.
 

The herb is prescribed as a tea or infusion.  In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, it is mixed with milk and taken before bed to reduce inflammation and to help with irritating coughs.  

Quick and Easy Herbal Gifts for the Holidays

By Danielle Klinkow, Clinical Herbalist

One thing I love about the holiday season is that it provides me with the opportunity to create herbal gifts for people that are special to me.  Everyone loves receiving handmade gifts tailored to their lives, and it’s personally rewarding to create items that are both practical and enjoyable.

This year I decided to focus on salt, a particularly cleansing and flavorful addition to anyone's life.

One of the easiest gifts to make is custom bath salts. They are a luxurious and economical gift for those who enjoy long soaks in the tub. I prefer to make a big batch of a basic bath salt recipe and then add custom ingredients to each jar based on what I think the recipient might enjoy. 

Basic Bath Salt Recipe: 

equal parts Epsom salt, Dead Sea salt, Himilayan pink salt, and baking soda.

Depending on how many jars I want to create, I will usually mix one or two cups of each of these salts and store them in a large glass container until I am ready to use them. Fancy additions to bath salts can include dried flower petals, seaweeds, as well as nutritive and essential oils. The combinations for herbal aromatherapy baths are endless!

Here are a few of my favorites:

The Rose Bath is a beautiful, calming, and moisturizing bath that can be taken when you want to access feelings of love and sensuality. There is nothing better than relaxing into a tub full of rose petals!  Here is the recipe:

1 C basic bath salts 

1/4 oz dried damask rose petals 

20 drops rose scented essential oil (you can use rose geranium, rose attar, rose maroc, or any scent you enjoy within the rose family) 

2 teaspoons glycerin 

2 teaspoons jojoba oil (The jojoba oil and glycerin give the bathwater a silky feel and moisturize the skin at the same time)

Mix the oils together first and then incorporate these into the salt and rose petals. Store in a glass jar. 

When you're ready for your bath, add 1/2 cup into your bath water once the bath has been drawn. It is important to add anything with essential oils to your bath just before you enter the bath, as the oils will quickly evaporate. Draw figure 8's in the water with your hand until all the salt has dissolved -- this both mixes the ingredients into the water and potentizes the water with the energy of the rose flowers and oil. You can also put the mixture into a muslin cloth bag and swish it in the tub, if you prefer not to have to clean rose petals out of your tub at the end of your bath. I like to enjoy this bath while drinking a cup of Uplifting Spirits tea, a custom blend Gathering Thyme makes.

Another enjoyable bath is a stimulating Rosemary Mint Bath, which is perfect for mornings when you have a hard time waking up, or any time you crave mental stimulation. 

1 cup basic bath salt 

1/4 oz dried mint 

1/4 oz dried orange peel 

10 drops rosemary verbena essential oil (or any rosemary E.O.) 

6 drops peppermint essential oil

4 drops lemon essential oil

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and store in a glass container.  In addition to adding these salts to a bath, you can also rub your body with the bag of herbs to facilitate cleansing and detoxification. Try this bath with a cup of Peppermint tea.

The Seaweed Detox Bath is another favorite of mine. I like to take this bath when I am feeling tired and rundown, as it helps to cleanse my system and the lavender oil is particularly relaxing. 

1 cup basic bath salts 

1-2 ounces powdered bladderwrack, kelp or a combination of both (Gathering Thyme can powder these for you) 

20 drops lavender essential oil 

4 tablespoons bentonite clay

Blend thoroughly and store in a glass container. Mix 1/2 cup into a hot bath (as hot as you can stand), and soak for 20-30 minuntes. Make sure to rinse off with soap in a quick shower afterwards, so you don't reabsorb the toxins you just released through your skin. Drink plenty of water during and after this bath, as well as with all baths taken. You can add fresh lemon juice to your water for extra detoxification.

If a bathtub is not available to you, or you simply don’t enjoy baths, a Salt Scrub is another way to cleanse you body, facilitate detoxification, and rejuvenate your spirits. Any of the above recipes can be altered to become salt scrubs instead of salt soaks. Replace the basic bath salt with 1 cup fine grain dead sea salt, add 4 ounces almond oil, and mix in 1 ounce jojoba oil, 2 tablespoons glycerin, and your favorite essential oils. Lavender is a great essential oil for a scrub, as are sweet orange, grapefruit, vanilla, or jasmine. Mix 12-20 drops essential oil per cup of scrub. Please be aware that some essential oils can cause skin irritation, so always research your oils before adding them to any preparation that has direct contact with your skin.

Another salt product that I really enjoy is Flavored Herbal Salts, which add such wonderful accents to meals. When herbal salts are corked in fancy bottles they make beautiful and impressive gifts for the foodie in any family.    

Herbs de Provence mixed with the Celtic Sea salt are a great addition to eggs, chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, grilled zucchini,  or my favorite, mushrooms. 

1 C coarse or finely ground sea salt (grey salt is preferable for its high mineral content and unique flavor) 

3 tbl. oregano leaves 

3 tbl. thyme leaves 

1 tsp. basil leaves 

1 tsp. sage leaf 

2 tbl. marjoram 

2 tbl. lavender 

1 tsp. rosemary. 

Mix thoroughly and store in tightly sealed jars. Add a pinch of this salt at the end of cooking, or season your meats or veggies with the salt before searing or baking.

If you or your loved ones are on a low salt diet, you can make a Flavored Herbal Sprinkle instead. Herb sprinkles are especially good when added to freshly cooked rice, salads, potatoes, or anywhere a little extra flavor (and nutrition) is needed. This recipe is very nutritive; the dulse and nettles are both high in essential minerals, and sesame seeds are very high in calcium. 

1/2 cup dulse flakes 

1/2 cup nettles 

3/4 cup toasted sesame seeds (you can toast raw sesame seed quickly in a cast iron skillet on medium high heat -- just make sure to stir constantly as the burn quickly). 

You can add any spices you like to this basic combination; some spices I enjoy are basil and oregano, or cumin and cayenne pepper. 

Put all ingredients in a Cuisinart or a coffee grinder that has never been used to grind coffee (otherwise your mixture will taste like coffee grounds!), and pulse a few times. You want the mixture to be the consistency of course sand. Fill up a spice jar with a shaker lid attached and enjoy! Yum!

Herb of the Month: Medicinal Mushrooms

Medicinal mushrooms have taken the Western Herbal Medicine world by storm in the past decade, although for centuries mushrooms have been prized in Chinese medicine as potent remedies for everything from cancer to impotence to immune deficiencies.  In fact, some mushrooms were reserved for royalty only, such as Reishi.  But throughout the world, from China to Japan to Africa to Old Europe, generations of herbalists have sought out the healing powers of mushrooms to promote healing and longevity.
Many naturopaths recommend taking a mushroom supplement every day alongside your fish oil -- but cooking them into your soup is another easy way to reap the benefits of these friendly fungi that tastes delicious, too!

There are thousands of types of mushrooms throughout the world; no one knows for sure how many of them may be medicinal.  Those that have been studied are used for immune support, arthritis, anemia, respiratory issues, digestive and cardiovascular diseases,  exhaustion, strength restoration after illness,  support for those going through chemotherapy, HIV, chronic fatigue... the list goes on and on.  

A couple of our favorites are: 
Reishi - Ganoderma lucidum

This hard woody polypore has  been called "Herb of Immortality", "Marvelous Herb" and "Ten Thousand Year Mushroom." Some consider Reishi or Ling Zhi the cornerstone of Traditional Chinese Medicine, where it is placed into the highest class of overall tonics. 
Shitake - Lentinula edodes 
The delicious and popular Shiitake is one of the world's favorite mushrooms because of its superior flavor and extraordinary medicinal qualities. It is an excellent source of protein, potassium, zinc, B-vitamins, complex carbohydrates, as well as all the important essential amino acids. Among its many qualities, it has been shown to pull heavy metals from the body, as was learned from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasake.    
Turkey Tail - Trametes versicolorA small spongy fungus that grows in clusters on decaying logs, its banded edges and colorful appearance give Turkey Tails its common name. Derived from this mushroom is one of the most widely used cancer therapies in Japan. It has been shown to prolong life by suppressing the proliferation of cancer and tumor cells, and by bolstering the immune system's natural response.  It is quite prolific in our area, it's fan-shaped color decorates many a downed oak log along the trail. 
Maitake - Grifola frondosa
This is a tasty and quite nutritious soft-fleshed mushroom with a beautiful ruffled appearance. It is perhaps best known for its powerful abilities in easing the side effects of chemotherapy treatment, while at the same time enhancing the treatment's effectiveness. It is currently the subject of research in the treatment of HIV and AIDS. 
Some of our favorite lines for Mushrooms include The Herbal Apothecary, Host Defense, and Ancestral Apothecary.


Magically Delicious Mushroom Bisque Recipe
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (shitake, oyster, maitake, etc).
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
 1 1/2 cups bone broth or water
1 1/2 tbsp butter or olive oil
2 cups onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp thyme
3 cups milk, scalded
1 cup heavy cream
black pepper
green onions or chives

1.)  Slice potatoes thinly. Chop mushrooms coarsely. Begin cooking the onion in butter, adding 1 tsp. salt.

2.) When the onion becomes translucent add the potatoes. Continue to cook over fairly low heat, mixing well, so the butter coats everything.

3.) After several minutes add the mushrooms, water, and remaining salt. Cover and cook over medium heat 15 minutes.

4.) Puree the entire mushroom mixture with a submersion blender until  smooth.  Heat very slowly as you whisk in the scalded milk and cream.  

5.) Serve topped with freshly-chopped chives and freshly-grated black pepper.
Recipe adapted from  Mollie Katzen, The Moosewood Cookbook