Fall roots and shoots- burdock and dandelion

Disclaimer: Do not pick any plant that you cannot identify 100%. Ask an herbalist to help you. Never pick or dig any shoot or root that might have been sprayed with chemicals. Be careful where you dig roots, since roots can absorb any chemicals near the ground (like lead paint, motor oil or the like).

Sorry for the huge space between posts- it seems that I get caught up in online discussions of herbs/ herbal uses/ advice and then feel like I've expressed all that I wanted to say on a topic. However- this is what I've been cooking up, herbally speaking:

It's Burdock root time! I love cool fall because it's really time to dig roots. I get the yen to have burdock at the most awkward times of year- early spring (don't dig roots at this time), late summer (really don't dig roots now). Then- poof, it's Samhain and it's chilly and I take a break and find burdock. Or rather burdock finds me. Burdock is one of those allies of mine that my dad had no experience or calling towards. He knew about it but only ever offered it to anyone in pill form (nonononono). I asked about it, told him about my research and he found some (without me: I was in college and 23 or something). He made a tincture and I took it with me to Europe. My skin magically cleared up- burdock? or non-processed food? Or adventure?
When I found burdock for myself, I was in my '20s and living in semi-rural WyCo. It appeared in some fields around me and my dad identified it with me. I then found it in my trusty Susun Weed library and was energetically magnetized!

Myrna helping with the big bucket

Aside: my relationship with my herbal allies is a casual one. Some seasons, I pay no attention.They tolerate that and my body probably suffers the loss a bit. But when I tune back in to my needs psychically, physically, the herbal allies pop right back to the front of my mind. This is more a reflection of my state of being, rather than the herbs "power" or something. It's just "my trip" as Hal would say. 

In the past, I have been a very steady burdock tincture advocate. It has a deep brown, nutty flavor. When it is tinctured, the root gets chopped up and soaked in 100 proof vodka, just like all my other tincture. In order to get the slow-acting benefits, it needs to be taken orally once-twice a day (droppersful) for awhile.

Our friend "Sweetie Pie" in the background

Do you see an issue? I do. I don't want to take droppersful of vodka tincture every day for 6 weeks. The alcohol really isn't good for you in the long term (not in the tender tissues of your mouth or gums or tongue). As well, in aging, I've rediscovered how much I need vitamins/ minerals and green food daily and in much larger doses than I might normally eat. Susun Weed is adamant about the nutritive aspects of burdock. In China, it's Gobo root and is eaten. It is vastly healthy and affects the lymph system and liver directly. So, I've made the change this year: burdock vinegar. I'm doing it.... this Virgo is breaking from her plodding path. Burdock vinegar is made by thoroughly soaking the dug root in water. Don't really wash it- just let all the dirt soak away. The chop it up into small pieces and fill a quart jar. When you've filled it to the brim, then pour in your apple cider vinegar. I used to use only unpasteurized vinegar with the mother still in it. Now I use the pasteurized stuff since most of the vinegar I have is used in soups and hot liquids, thus pasteurizing it!

So I went out with my older girl to dig for burdock. A chilly and cool morning is perfect for it.... Burdock grows in the least friendly places to dig, as a rule. It likes shallow, rocky areas and loves to grow in between sidewalks and a rock wall. Sheeesh. But the roots we found on this trip were pretty accessible. We found both small and extra large. It was strange! Roots as big around as my wrist with very little green material. I suspect those are 2nd year, but were mown over and unable to work up to a bloom. Burdock is a biennial and only live 2 years. So its first year is supposed to be preferable to its 2nd year. I = not too picky.

  
And then Myrna says, "Mom, let's pick dandelion." She's big into the greens, above ground. Now, not really eating it, per se. She is not a green vegetable gal. But she likes to pick stuff outside and eat it. Spring is the best time to pick dandelion greens because, in cool weather, all the energy goes to the roots, leaving the greens mild. It also means that it's a good time for dandelion root. I've been meaning to dig dandelion root for years. I love the greens and fully recognize the huge benefit the root offers. It is a kidney healer, great for liver function, the greens are HIGH in vitamin C and it all helps bile production and stomach issues (ulcers, digestive upset, etc). This fall, I've actually completed my task!

I've decided to make a tincture of this. I anticipate the usage being more critical- you've decided to take hormones and want to support your renal system and liver while you do. Take dandelion tincture as needed or daily for 2 weeks. You are working to support your gall bladder because you fear you might have to have it removed. You eat too much processed food and your gall bladder, kidneys and liver are MAD. This will help, along with fresh, unprocessed food. Dandelion is great if you are transitioning, under going a sex change or doing HRT. Men taking testosterone are seriously taxing their systems for years at a time (women taking estrogen are too. See all the hoopla about why HRT is dangerous!). While I do not think there are seriously effective ways to naturally transition from MTF or FTM, I really encourage my friends who are transitioning to take care of their organs. We don't know the long term repercussions of taking hormones. Well, we do. They aren't great. But living with body dismorphism? Total hell. So the long term stress on your liver seems pretty-damn-worth-it. To any folks who want further information about herbs and natural ways to support yourself while transitioning, private message me. I'm a proud ally to the GLBTQ community and want to lend my support where I can.

Can we talk about gall bladders for a minute? Did you know that your gall bladder produces bile, which is required by your liver for processing and straining out all of the crap in our system? (That's the liver's function, BTW; to filter) When your gall bladder ceases producing bile, you will get massive pain when you try to digest greasy, fat rich and processed foods. It is at this point that many western doctors will recommend you get gall bladder surgery. You can guess that I might suggest some other options first, to stimulate your gall bladder.
Also, if you have chronic stomach pain, indigestion and take an antacid, you need to make friends with dandelion. Please. Get off the purple pill and talk to your lawn. I'll get back to you on this one- I don't want to lecture but I do want you to consider OTHER OPTIONS beyond pills. Why are folks with indigestion always the most stubborn? Riddle me this. 

I want to keep this blog going and not exhaust myself by talking too much online. I like my blog topics and conversations which arise. However, if you have questions, please let me know! I need more interaction about what you are interested in. Facebook is perfectly fine for that too! Ask away. If it's personal, send me a message. If you want a full consultation or a weed walk, I'll charge you. Not much or we can do trade! But I can't give all my own energy away for free. I hope you understand and will give me back some of your energy. :)

Apple Cider Vinegar, Burdock and tinctures

Good morning to you all,
I've taken a long time to get to this next post. Why? It's complicated.
I'm working on this right now: anxiety. How to deal with this holistically? What can I do to minimize my anxiety and transferring to those around me? I will accept any advice on this whole anxiety matter. I'm trying very hard to veer away from pharmaceuticals. While I really believe that there are SO many people who are helped by these, I believe that my emotional state is situational (child induced) and changing. Therefore, a whole biological upheaval of SSRI is not my idea of a good time. Also, my kids are making me bonkers. Martini time anyone?

Apple Cider Vinegar
Well beyond that, you all have asked that I talk about Apple Cider Vinegar! I need to talk about Burdock and nourishing strategies for your winter body. Maybe you are dry, tired and overwrought? Oh, that's just me.
Firstly, let me say that I don't "take" cider vinegar. I don't want to down a spoonful with water. Just don't want to. Many of you do... good work. However, I use cider vinegar for herbal infusions or herbal tinctures. Many herbs that work well in vinegar include edible, culinary herbs. Do you see where I'm going with this? Vinegar is another substance that can act as a tincture medium. It sucks the juices and good stuff out of your magic plant and saves it for a nice bowl of beans! I use vinegars anytime I make beans, meat soups, veggies stir-fry, salads, etc. Apple cider vinegar is famous for releasing calcium in everything.... you heard that right. It makes calcium available. That is miraculous since calcium is a tricky thing to absorb from most foods. Though I love green food, I do not love cooked greens (mustard, chard, kale). I need it mixed and not as it's own dish. It's just... not for me. And it is the primo source for absorb-able calcium!! So I do vinegars instead.
I use culinary herbs- thyme, rosemary, dill with edible flowers for zing! I use calendula flowers and nasturtium most frequently.

Motherwort, wot.

I use motherwort in vinegar. Leonurus cardiaca...Ever use it? It is a superb mood ally for the stressed out mothers among us. It does not harm men to take it- it has no hormonal effect but is calming. I LOVE IT. It is a "weed" that grows in alleys. It has a toothed leaf and appeared in my alley in KCKS. [Miss you, 'Dotte! But not really.] It's another in the large, in charge mint family. Laminaceae. Seems to be annual- but self sows seriously and will just keep setting itself out. But the whole plant seems to do a Borage and bloom itself unto death.









I use echinacea vinegar. I don't want to belabor the benefits of echinacea but it is a tried-and-true immune booster. Not for daily use, but for instances where you feel compromised and about to get sick, it will help you out. Take a break after 7 days or so. Listen to it- put echinacea tincture on your countertop. When you feel it calling you, take it. If you're getting sick and you know it, a dropperful every hour for a day. See if it helps.
Other herbal vinegars I enjoy: Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm)- yummy and lifts the spirit! Pepper vinegar- lots of good capsicum for the internals. Dandelion- oh my yes. I eat the greens in the spring when tender, always making sure to pick from a totally unsprayed section of land. I dig and use the root and leaves in fall for vinegar. It is a stomach tonic- keeping your hydrochloric acid in good shape (this is digestive juice folks). [Note: If you're taking antacids, please stop! This kills your digestive juices.] So dandelion helps fix ulcers and other stomach owies. And is an incredible source of minerals- vitamin A, C, potassium, iron and more. Research it if you have a delicate stomach!

Burdock

Please note that I found burdock leaf vinegar inedible. Too bitter for me! I really have a relationship with burdock root and am taking the tincture daily right now. I love it- it is a deep, dark healer or ally for the liver and kidneys. But I use the root only. The leaf is just... WOOF. I use it in floral arrangements. :)
So Burdock: It has huge, huge hairy coarse leaves and an enormously long taproot. It loves to grow near rocky ledges, walls and disturbed areas. It loves old foundations and will be very hard to dig out. I have a whole trip on getting burdock root out of the ground--- want to hear it?

To dig Burdock:
** I wait for the first few freezes in the fall.
** I go out on a nice sunny, frosty morning with my narrow shovel and choose big second year plants. (I think other burdock aficionados have a different take on this... I could be doin' it wrong!) Burdock has a two year life span. Second year plants are meatier and larger and produce more bang for your sweating, digging buck.
** I dig in a circle around the base, not too wide but three inches out from it.  Then I keep going deeper around, pushing soil up with my shovel. If you are too quick, you will just break the root and have nothing to show for it. If you are patient and listen to your plant charge, you will see what is happening. It will come loose. Points that you will not like: most Burdock grows in rocky places. It's gonna be a bit precarious. You'll need to dig up a few plants to get the right amount- I'm talking 5-8 plants. I want to gather a whole quart jar full of this root. It will be very muddy (don't dig when it's too dry- impossible). I soak them in a bucket outside- I've learned that mucking up the sink sucks. Scrub these roots- they hold dirt particles. I then cut up the roots into pieces and cover the whole jar in vodka. I tincture in a special way- it is the Hal Sears method!

Taking burdock:
To get the medicinal support from burdock root, choose your medium. Vinegar, if you don't want alcohol: tincture, if you don't mind the alcohol flavor or the root itself as a food. The Chinese use this in soups and stews (see Gobo root). I use tincture and I take it three times a day for 6 weeks. The I take a break. I usually switch to a root vinegar to continue to get the healing effects. Burdock works slowly and methodically. It will not bowl you over with quick changes. But my skin shows a noticeable improvement whenever I choose to holistically support my liver. I choose not to take a handful of pills to help my liver- the liver sees through this!! It knows you're wanting a fast fix and will probably give you the stink eye. Your liver is one of the most important organs in your body and, along with your kidneys, will let you know when it is exhausted from your bad lifestyle choices (or from whatever else, medication, children, career= stress). Yep I said bad. Judging!


To tincture:
How Hal tinctured: he didn't use grain alcohol and ratios to figure it out. He just used vodka- local cheap stuff from Weston, MO in plastic jug (McCormick, locavore). This produces a tincture that is strong but not too strong. Make sure your jar is packed full with plant material. He and I cover all the plant material with vodka, no open space at the top of the jar. Seal it with a jar lid (you may use wax paper to prevent corrosion; vinegar is the worst!) and let it sit for 6 weeks in a dark place. Shake it as often as you think of it. Label it with the date you harvested and made the tincture. Decant it when it is done; rinse and squeeze the plant material to get all the *stuff* out of it. Add the pummy back into the vodka tincture. Label accordingly.

So I gave up, and gave in....

I gave in to being busy and working outside. And being a mom and moving and redoing my childhood home. It's now New Year-ish and this sh*t is REAL. I mean, it's still going on heavy duty. The construction of my mom's side was so slow and is still just dragging through the mud. Those guys....

But Andiy, owner at floraandfauna salon, suggested I invest as much energy writing on my own blog to writing on the professional, not-my-company blog. Sooooo. Yep, I want to do it. 

In keeping with the original intention of the blog, much of what I'm thinking of and processing is herbal/ health related. I DO have two small ones that are constantly falling prey to something. Here is a rundown of the fall and winter herbal remedies I've been utilizing.

  Comfrey Oil: I use this on any owie. Diaper rash (Pookie), knuckles raw from washing in anti-bac soap at school (Myrna), sores, skin abrasions, even the old C-section scar that gets yucky feeling. I also found a gal making a traditional Boo Boo salve at Lola Giant this year. This salve will always have St. John's Wort oil (nerve healer, natural sunblock, magic), comfrey oil, plantain oil (not always but often), maybe some scented essential oil like lavender, etc. This is a life saver for knuckles and booties. To make, use good quality olive oil. Harvest comfrey at height of bloom time (Father's Day and a re-bloom in fall often) and soak, infuse in oil for many weeks (6) in a dark cabinet. Do not allow space at the top- it will mold. Do not be put off by the smell- it is a healer. Use a solid jar and canning lid.

Hal had a real affinity for Comfrey. It grows everywhere in our yard. If you're interested and in the 'hood, come let me give you a start. It is a bit invasive! It's in the Borage family (boraginaciae). Please only take Comfrey externally. If you must take it internally, know that it has been shown in (questionable) lab tests to be harmful to liver/ kidneys. Here is what I told both Duckie and another herbalist I follow on Facebook: Comfrey heals what ails, and, also, put comfrey on anything that needs comforting. Anytime you have a freaky large wound and are worried about shock, fear (yourself or the person with the wound) and bleeding, stuff it with crushed comfrey. It will staunch wounds until you can gather yourself to take the next step. I was hit by a car as an 8 year-old, got a huge wound on my thigh, refused to go to the hospital and was treated with comfrey. It worked in my case. 

(DO NOT SKIP MEDICAL CARE, PEEPS.)

Rosemary Oil: another infused oil. This one is dicey but I have a fantasy it works. I made a great one, many Christmases ago for my dad. He said it relieved arthritis and stiffness from his joints. It's a heater. And it is pro-circulation. (Side note: I'm kinda vain. And I have spider veins. It runs in the family- both parts) So I mix this oil with lotion as my daily leg moisturizer. I like it. I have no other proof that it does anything beyond help move blood around.

Vitamin D in capsule form. Take this, all of you who take vitamins. The RDA, again kind of a crock from a regulatory agency that does not really recognize supplements as helpful, recommends that people get 400 mg. However, most everyone says at least 2,000 mg a day is more like it. I give my kids a small capsule, infrequently. It is a remarkable help in fighting infections and ailments.

Probiotics. CHOIRS OF ANGELS! I do not mean just acidophilus/ bifidus. Those are fine but are often turned to sugar in our intestines. I do feed the girls acidophilus milk because they both seem healthier with it. The reaction to dairy can be messy if it is just normal dairy. Get my drift?

               Firstly, consider taking probiotics to aid in the health of your guts. Mending broken gut flora aids in allergic reactions, sensitivities to food (wheat, milk, diary, etc), fights cancerous cells, aids stomach acid production and thus digestion, fights influenza and other nasty viruses, fights stomach bugs and diarrhea. 

               Secondly, eat fermented food. Sauerkraut, soy sauce, natural unsweetened yogurt (Unprocessed! No powdered milk. No sugar.), Kefir. OMG< we drink a lot of berry flavored Kefir. I really do add sweetening to my yogurt- honey or jam. But I don't buy yogurt with it mixed in.

               What kind to get? My sis says to get Walgreens mixture which is L. Reuterti and another very useful, hard to get type (Rephresh). But I, having small ones, got the powdered Reuteri. I put spoonfuls into milk, yogurt, applesauce, mac and cheese.... It is for kids because of the nature of the L. Reuteri strain. However, it's transmitted through breastmilk and it is necessary for adults. So, I'm still taking it. Thanks Dad- he got this for me when Myrna was first born. I didn't realize how necessary and useful it was at the time. When you undergo any sort of hard work and/ or trauma, your gut flora is weakened. When a baby is born C-section, s/he is provided with only a fraction of the amount of helpful gut flora that a baby that goes down the birth canal gets. Really. And this might be the CAUSE OF COLIC??? I'm serious. It's being tested. It's enough to hand it out at all births, if that is the case.

This is a brief herbal rundown of what I've used this Fall for treating crappy stuff that goes around. I also used a whole bottle of kid's glycerine Echinacea tincture. Because, land sakes, the kids were sick for like 6 weeks alternating. It helped though. We also had a bout of hand, foot and mouth virus move through the 'hood (one of the kids at babysitter care, then to us with a mild version and then to Mandy with a HUGE version). Very strange one. So when I say that probiotics help fight viruses, I mean it. Take it all the time!

Topics to come: Anti-inflammatory supplementss, herbs, etc. I really eat this diet (as much as possible) and take supplements to assist.