Use of Astragalus plants as a Herbs

Astragalus is a very common traditional Chinese medicine. It can help us treat a variety of symptoms. It has a good effect on resisting fatigue and improving shortness of breath, and it can also protect cardiovascular diseases and has a lot of effects. There are many ways to eat jaundice in life , and each has different effects. 

Anti-fatigue, improve shortness of breath

　　Astragalus membranaceus is a very valuable medicinal material. It has a very good qi effect. It can also be said to be a very common Chinese herbal medicine for supplementing qi and qi. When we have weak symptoms, it is very likely that Because of spleen and stomach qi deficiency, at this time everyone can properly drink some jaundice water, can restore the gas, improve fatigue and shortness of breath.

Improve the body's immunity

　　Astragalus is rich in nutrients, it contains substances that can help our body improve immunity, and some substances contain better killing of viruses and bacteria in the body, so the proper use of jaundice can help us improve our body. The immunity in the disease is effective in treating diseases and preventing illness.

Protect the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular

　　Many people should not know, in fact, Astragalus can help us protect the heart and brain blood vessels, jaundice has a very strong cardio, and it can also help us to reduce blood pressure, but also protect our cardiovascular and cerebrovascular, if it appears in life High blood pressure, coronary heart disease, this time the appropriate drink of jaundice can improve the symptoms.

Anti-cancer

　　The effects of Astragalus polysaccharides contained in Astragalus membranaceus combined with other anticancer drugs can also reduce the side effects of these drugs, so that Astragalus has a good anticancer effect.

Conclusion: The above has introduced the efficacy of Astragalus . We should have some understanding of Astragalus. It is a relatively common Chinese medicine. It can be seen in many drugs, and it can help us treat more. A chronic disease can also improve our system, but we should know the taboos of eating jaundice.

Lets go back to Long pepper season

Drugs for traditional medicine are facing a rapid threat of extinction. Extinction and extensive exploitation of amphibians are widely used for business profits. The production of leaf sorghum is significant.

The destruction of drugs from the forest is done annually. The reasons for this is that it is very difficult to obtain the necessary drugs for indigenous medicine and ayurvedic medicine. It is very difficult for the technical institute to cultivate herbs and introduce the necessary agricultural practices. 

If the harvest of the herbs grown under suitable climatic condition can be harvested at the appropriate age level and can be tailored to the standards, the indigenous medicine will have the opportunity to cure thousands more people.

Infusions with Nourishing Herbs

Infusions are made in the same manner as you would make a cup of tea, with a few exceptions.

With a cup of tea you add your dried herb/herbs to hot water and allow to steep for 5-10 minutes, strain, find a comfy chair and enjoy those medicinal benefits right away.
 
With an infusion you are using a larger amount of your herb/herbs and the steeping time is anywhere from 2 to 10 hours. The purpose of drinking an herbal infusion is for the abundant amount of vitamins and minerals. (think of it as a liquid vitamin) 💪
 
Making an infusion is very easy. Place 1 ounce, by weight, of dried herb/herbs in a glass quart jar. Fill to the top with boiling water, cover and allow to steep at room temperature for 2-10 hours. Strain and drink by the cupful, warm or cold, throughout the day. Be sure to keep the remainder in the refrigerator and to use up within 36 hours. 

 
If you find the taste to be too strong you can try using 1/2 ounce of your herb and slowly increase up to that 1 ounce. You can add a touch of honey or maybe a slice of lemon. 

You can create a different infusion per week. You can use a single herb or add several together. I always recommend to become familiar with the different vitamin/mineral profile of each herb/herbs before deciding on what herbs to use to create your own infusion, based on;

your daily diet
how is your current health? What vitamins and minerals is your body telling you it needs?
any possible herb / drug interactions

Below is a list of some of my favorite nourishing herbs to use. There are of course more one could add to this. Be sure to keep in mind that pungent herbs are not as suitable for long infusions as the taste would be very strong and unpleasant. 

As with using any herbal, be sure to check for drug interactions and or cautions for pregnant and or nursing mothers.

chickweed - Stellaria media
dandelion leaves - Taraxacum officinale
hawthorn berries, leaves and flowers 
hibiscus
mullein - Verbascum thapsus
nettle leaf- Urtica dioica
oat straw
raspberry leaf 
red clover flowers -Trifolium pratense 
rose petal
rose of sharon - Hibiscus syriacus
violet leaves - Viola sororia

Aromatic plants – cultivating the scented garden within.

It is legend that, some twenty-five hundred years ago, a ruler of  Babylon (or was it Niniveh?) commissioned a wondrous garden, terraced up from the flat plains between the rivers of the Fertile Crescent. Its levels were built of huge slabs of stone, elaborately carved and supported by high vaulted colonnades. Huge amounts of soil were transported to create hills and fields in this garden many, many feet above street level. Sundry species of trees, shrubs, flowers and herbs were brought in to plant its winding paths. Using giant corkscrew pumps, thousands of gallons of water were moved against gravity on a daily basis to keep the garden lush and green. The ancient historians named it one of the seven wonders of the world, and marveled at this oasis, high above the incessant bustle of the city, smoothed with endless marble and steeped in a deep, seductive fragrance from the constant bloom of aromatic plants. 

 It is also said that it was in fact the queen who, longing for her homeland in the rich, flowering hills of the north, had pleaded with her husband for a retreat that could remind her of her younger days, of her family, and of what brought her joy. Watching her languish in the hot, humid, noisy city at the heart of his kindgom, he met her request in grand style - and her Hanging Gardens have been the stuff of myth ever since. But while some may wonder at the choice of such a garden to appease the restless spirit, it makes perfect sense to me: a retreat of roses and jasmine, lavender and linden is the perfect prescription not only for bringing a quiet respite in the middle of a hectic life, but also for re-inspiring and re-awakening the joy and creativity of childhood. Furthermore, the fact that it was literally floating above the day-to-day activity of the city serves as a fitting metaphor for the scented garden itself: a time apart, uplifted, serene.

Think of the last time you received a bouquet of flowers, or brushed past a patch of mint in a field, or simply stood in the deep part of a forest and smelled, just smelled, the earth, the spruce, the moss. Chances are you experienced a moment where you lost track of your responsibilities, your desires, your plans and just existed in the fragrance. If even for a second, you tapped into a very primeval state of being: it is childlike, flowing, and free. In such a state, it is difficult to be judgemental, anxious, rigid, sad, or angry - and this may be why we so often give gifts of scented flowers when we want to nurture an atmosphere of love, understanding, and joy. 

 This fact may also underlie the nearly universal practice of burning scented plants, resins, and oils to alter the "energy" of a room or space: it clears the mind, sets the stage for creative, spiritual work, and attunes us to the present moment. Cultural rituals have harnessed the power aromatic plants hold over us and have embedded their use into the peak times of our lives: at birth and death; during marriage celebrations; as a cornerstone of purification ceremonies; during the dark, wintry months when the light is low; as part of meditative practice. Perfumery and aromatherapy have long recognized the power scent has on the human spirit - even real estate marketing suggests that a home, when appropriately scented, may put prospective buyers in a relaxed, comfortable mindset. In the ancient world, a thousand years before the Hanging Gardens were built, priests in the old stone temples along the Nile were mixing kyphi, the sweet and spicy incense sacred to the pharaos. 

 But the Egyptian ceremonies didn't only involve smoke and scent. Often, the priests leading the rituals would also ingest a good amount of kyphi, powdered and dissolved in wine, as a sort of primitive herbal extract. Here the truest power of scented herbs is revealed: when they are ingested, their action is magnified and lasts much longer. The smell may awaken us, bring us into the present moment, and help us flow through change more gracefully: but once the aromatic plants enter our bodies, their volatile constituents first relax our bellies, then disslove into our bloodstream and reach all of our internal organs. If there is underactivity in an organ or tissue, fragrant plants can "wake it up" (think of ginger, or peppermint). Conversely, if a tissue is overly tense, aromatic herbs "loosen the knot" (like fennel seeds after a huge meal, or lavender oil during a massage). Net result: a more balanced state of internal tension. Since forever, herbalists have called many of these plants “nervines”, loved the scented brews they yield, and prized them as stress-tamers, tonics for the nerves. 

 More modern research gives us two interesting pieces of information to help understand how this works: first, the chemicals in highly scented plants (specifically, their volatile oils) have the ability to alter the way smooth muscle contracts, depending on its current state of tension. Smooth muscle is found in the lining of all our hollow organs - lungs, gut, bladder, and uterus - as well as in the heart and blood vessels. Plants that affect smooth muscle can thereby affect how we perceive our internal state - and anyone who has experienced a spasming, crampy belly knows what a dramatic impact this can have. It is fascinating to note, however, that the place in the brain tasked with assessing this "internal state" is exactly the same place most affected by the perception of smell itself! The limbic system, a complex of brain structures known for its processing of emotion and its ability to guide "executive function" (our ability to flow through tasks efficiently and productively), is where all of this information is integrated. Aromatic plants thus have a dual effect: their smell immediately awakens and engages the limbic system, and if consumed, their chemistry helps adjust internal tension, removing the distractions that keep us from the present moment. When they are ingested, clinical research always shows the same results: more balanced mood, more restorative sleep, better attention, and an ability to move through challenging tasks more smoothly (and joyfully).

If you are seeking respite from the demands of the modern world and the bustle of the city, the scented garden and incense-filled temple may well be the answer. But fragrant herbs are the way to take your garden with you, to suffumigate your own internal temple. There are so many options available to help with the milder cases of restless or despondent spirit: sedatives for anxiety and insomnia, stimulants for apathy and sluggishness, narcotics to escape, concentrated extracts of botanicals like kava or St. Johnswort, and designer drugs for depression and the mental malaise of today's life. Unlike all of these, aromatic herbs are not strongly mind-altering, are safe and non-habit-forming, and quite easy to grow and use! They are part of a very old toolkit available to humans, and many animals before us, to enter more fully into the flow of life. When led by scent, we follow a path through a garden where intuition and emotion, more than analysis and control, dominate the landscape. 

For now, happy Full Moon, happy First Harvest. Our gardens are in fullest bloom. But since I so often turn to these gifts during the darker months of the year, when night is deep and one can't often see the path to brighter days, I leave you with the words of Margared McKenny, recalling her own garden on a January dawn:

                "The snow still lies upon the ground,

                And yet I feel

                The shadow of the scent of flowers;

                Breathless the firs against the gray -

                So still the air

                That hung upon a bare rose spray

                Are drops of rain

                Left there by midnight showers -

                (.....)

                Black head atilt

                A chickadee

                Whistles the first love-notes of the year."

               

A brief and practical introduction to pulse and tongue assessment

Any assessment or diagnostic technique that seeks to make sense of what’s happening inside the human system is inherently pretty complex – be it a modern tool such as a CT scanner, or a traditional device such as the stethoscope. Interpretation is tricky, and the background knowledge required can often be intimidating. While using the tongue and pulse to get a glimpse inside the human body is not an exception, one can nevertheless glean really useful, actionable information with even a basic understanding of the technique. This basic understanding can become richer and deeper with ongoing practice. The complexity evidenced in traditional texts on the subject should not be a reason to keep you from experimenting!

Basics: Excess / deficient. Hot / cold. Dry / moist. The polarities!

            Pick two people and look at their faces. Feel their skin. Who is more red? Whose skin more dry? Who speaks more loudly and often? Who is more reserved and shy? The answers to these questions are clinically relevant, and it is in these basic categories that we will try to fit our observations of pulse and tongue. They have been universally recognized in traditional healing systems, from Chinese yin/yang theory to the Western humors.

The Pulse: Neuromuscular tension and tone

            When feeling the pulse, set your fingers on the radial artery. It can be found on the palm side of the wrist, right where the hand (thumb side) ends. You can often find a pair of strong tendons here; feel for the pulse in the little “trench” just above these.

            What we can learn from pulses: relative state of anxiety, tension, stress. Underactivity in the heart, vessels, and spirit (or, conversely, overactivity). 

            Herbs we can use to rebalance pulse: aromatic plants, and sometimes rooty, nourishing adaptogens. Archetypal plant for the pulse: Holy Basil (Tulsi – ocimum sanctum).

            Polarities to observe:

-         The pulse has a depth. It is right on the surface, somewhere in the middle, or deep down. This is determined by the amount of pressure required to find it. Surface pulse with no depth indicates “paper fire” (quick burnout, moody and changeable, hyper then crashing. Consider lavender, linden). Deep pulse that’s hard to find can mean depletion (hard to get going, tends to depression, fatigued. Consider ashwagandha, ginger, cayenne, green tea).

-         The pulse has a width. Think of the artery as a river, ideally flowing through the middle channel of depth. If it’s full and noticeable at all depths, it might be called “flooding” (excess function, high blood pressure, over-intensity. Consider motherwort, rose). If it’s thin and feels like a string, it might be called “tight” (high tension, excess sympathetic discharge. Consider motherwort again, lemon balm, scullcap). If it’s just thin, it might be a sign of deficiency and we would turn to the nourishing herbs (ashwagandha, oat, licorice, American ginseng).

-         The pulse has a speed. This is a pretty classic assessment: greater physical activity usually raises the pulse rate. When sitting, speedy pulses usually indicate anxiety or poor physical conditioning. Aromatic plants and exercise are called for. In extreme situations (requiring hospitalization: shock, toxicity, severe dehydration) you can see rapid, thin pulses too – but hopefully you won’t ever run in to these as they are emergency situations.

-         The pulse should respond to breath. Feeling the pulse, have the person take a deep, full breath slowly. The pulse should quicken on inhale, and slow down noticeably on exhale. Failure to do so indicates poor heart rate variability: if the pulse has low depth, feels thin or absent, consider nourishing and building here (ashwagandha, oat, licorice, American ginseng). If the pulse is of surface depth, flooding, or tight consider aromatherapy, and any aromatic plants (chamomile, linden, lemon balm, scullcap, mint, rose, yarrow).

-         The pulse should come back well after being completely blocked. Occlude the artery by pressing hard, then feel for the return of blood. Slow return to the “normal” state (taking more than 1 second) may indicate blood stagnation (purple color, cold, areas of chronic pain. Consider yarrow, elderflower, Salvia milthiorrhiza)

Basically, aromatic nervines make great teas and are often just the ticket for an imbalance in the pulse. This is because the radial pulse reflects the degree of sympathetic, or fight-flight, tone really well, and these plants are supremely useful for those who have either excessive or deficient tension in their systems. They modulate how we respond to change in the world within and without – and if we’re not doing a great job of it, the pulse tells us. If the pulse truly seems weak, sunken, and/or thin, you might want to add nourishing adaptogens as well to provide a literal foundation for stress hormone production, not just a way to balance response.

The Tongue: state of the mucous membranes

            When looking at the tongue, ask the person to really open wide and stick their tongue out completely. Then, tell them to relax it (often the “sticking out” causes the tongue to get really tight and weirdly-shaped).

            What we can learn from the tongue: relative state of activity and moisture of the membranes that line the GI tract, but also the respiratory passages by reflex. Degree of inflammation. Degree of swelling / moisture.

            Herbs we can use to rebalance the tongue: bitter and astringent plants. Archetypal plant for the tongue: Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria).

            Polarities to observe:

-         The tongue has a body color. This is the general hue of the tongue itself, not its coating, and indicates the degree of blood flow and activity in the mucous membranes. Pale tongue can indicate anemia, poor nutrition (consider yellowdock, rehmannia, protein). Red tongue indicates inflammation and irritation (consider dandelion and also slippery elm or meadowsweet depending on dry vs moist below). Purple: blood stagnation (see above).

-         The tongue has a coat. It should be whitish/gray, and relatively thin. Absent coat calls for soothing, especially with a red body (consider slippery elm, licorice, flax seed meal). Thick coat calls for bitters, especially if the coat has any signs of yellow in it – though watch for coffee stains! (consider dandelion, yellowdock, burdock)

-         The tongue has a shape, largely determined by its moisture (though the coat can tell us about moisture, too). Wider, thicker, glistening tongues indicate a swollen, boggy gastric mucous membrane. Often there will even be the scallops of tooth marks on the side (consider specific bitters such as goldenseal or barberry, but also meadowsweet, cleavers). Thin, wrinkly tongues indicate an atrophied, dry gastric mucous membrane (consider dietary oils such as sesame, bitters, and potentially soothers such as slippery elm especially with redness).

Basically, bitters are often a great choice for any tongue signs, except maybe in cases where the tongue is really pale and wet and there are symptoms of looseness in the bowel. This is because bitter herbs stimulate and awaken digestive function, and tone the mucous membranes in the process. They help us deal well with what comes to us from the world outside (most often food) by making sure that the interface (the mucous membrane) is functioning well. The tongue is a convenient piece of mucous membrane we can always observe!

Conclusion

            None of the diagnostic signs are infallible, of course – and should always be read in the context of symptoms and case presentation. The assessment of pulse and tongue can precede the oral interview, and guide it: for instance, feeling a tight and rising pulse with poor response to breath, you might want to ask about tension, anxiety, and a difficult response to life’s changes and stresses. Or noticing a dry and red tongue, you might ask about heartburn and/or constipation. Conversely, the assessment can come at the end of the oral interview, and be used to corroborate information obtained through conversation. Finally, the maxim: treat the person, not the tongue (or pulse)!

Herbal Tea Making Tips

I promised you some more herbal tea making information. If you have additional questions, let me know.

Why Make Herbal Teas

Many of us use them. We love to grow and harvest our own tea and then consume the wonderful, healthy beverages as we sit and enjoy their flavors or think about their health giving benefits.

They have important advantages

• Inexpensive

• Easy to make

• Imposes a ceremonial process and rest time for individuals.

• Allows the person to take a larger part in their healing process. 

•  It is self-empowering to be more self sufficient.

 They also have some disadvantages

• Dry herb only last for one year - roots and seeds may last a little longer.

• They are bulky.

• Takes time to make them.

• Teas have to be stored in the refrigerator and can only store for 48 hours or if you want to push it up to 3 days.

• If they taste bad, there is a lot to drink.

• Some herbs will not extract well. An example would be resinous herbs.

What To Do With A Formula That Has A Mix of Herbs Needing Decocting & Infusing

What do you do when you want to prepare a tea of many different herbs and some need to be decocted and some infused? In this situation when the formula is being prepared, put the dried herbs into two containers. One container that holds the herbs to be decocted and another container that holds the herbs to be infused.

When putting your formula together make enough to last you for the time period you expect to be drinking these herbs. If you will be ingesting them long term, make up enough to last as long as you wish. Start by making one container of herbs to decoct and one container to infuse. Put all the hard, dense plant parts such as barks, roots, and some seeds into the container that will be decocted. Then put all the delicate and less dense parts of the plant such as flowers and leaves into another container that will be infused. The herbs to be decocted are made up first. When they are finished decocting take the pot off the burner and add the herbs to be infused into the pot. In both cases make sure the lid to the pot is on tight.  Let it steep for the necessary time and strain it all.

Straining Teas

When you strain your teas, pick up the herb in your strainer and squeeze all the liquid out of the herb material. Some of the best stuff is still in the herbs and you don’t want to throw it into your compost before squeezing it out.

Using Ground Herb Vs Cut & Sift Herb

Usually "cut and sift" herb is used for teas. If you grind the herb up into a powder it will extract well but be sure to use cheese cloth or a coffee filter to filter the tea as you pour it into your cup. I also suggest squeezing the powdered herb real well as those small powder particles will want to hold onto a lot of that herbal liquid. You want to squeeze out every drop you can as it is holding the most potent part of your tea. You could designate a special thin tea towel for the task or have cheese cloth just for this use. That will allow you to reuse the material after washing it. Powdered material will cling to more water than the cut and sift herbs and you will get less final amount of liquid tea when you use powdered herb. This is the reason most people use cut and sift rather than powder to make teas.

When to Infuse Seeds and Roots (They are usually decocted)

Delicate seeds or roots as well as seeds or roots with volatile oils need to be infused. If you are making a root or seed decoction and it does not work as you expect it should, make sure it does not have volatile oils in it that require you to infuse it rather than decoct it. Examples of where this might be important is with archangelica root, dong quai root and elecampane root.

If infusing hard seeds and roots you  may need to pulverize them a bit with a mortar and pestle to break them up into small enough particles to extract all their goodness from within. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can put them in a bag and roll over them with a rolling pin. If they are too hard to break that way, double bag them and get out a rubber mallet or even a hammer. Put the bag on your cutting board and break them up by banging on them. I often save old bags that are not good for other things for this very purpose. I break up nuts and all sorts of things this way. Even a pot with a real thick bottom can be used to break up seeds or roots. Just be careful not to hurt your cookware.

Tight Lids & Volatile Oils

When making a tea by decocting it in a pot, make sure the lid to the pot fits well. When infusing herbs in a container such as a canning jar, make sure the jar lid is on tight enough not to loose vapors into the air. This is especially important when you are making tea from  a plant with a lot of volatile oils. Those oils are important and you don't want to loose them into the air. If you open the jar or pot before it has cooled slightly you will loose all your precious essential oils as they volatilize into the air. So even if the tea has steeped long enough, you may need to wait to open the jar lid until the tea changes from hot to the touch to warm to the touch.

How to Make An Herbal Tea Taste Good

What if the tea tastes bad? You have other choices than using it as a tea. However, if you want to use the herb as a tea, try adding other flavors to it that taste good. 

•Adding lemon and honey is a solution that makes many teas taste better.  

•Using additional herbs in the mixture that are added only for flavor is another choice. 

• Infusing dried berries such as raspberry, apple, blueberry or even raisins with the herbs while making the tea lends to some wonderful flavors.  

•Essential oils are an additional alternative. You probably have some herbal essential oils in your kitchen that you use in cooking. Look in the pantry. Try anise or peppermint or whatever is there that you think might work for you. It is good to add an essential oil that will have an additive effect to the health benefits of the other herbs in the cup of tea. When adding essential oils, don’t add more than 1-2 drops to a cup or you will be overwhelmed. Put one drop at a time in, stir well and taste. Don’t taste without stirring as the essential oil will still be on the top of the cup and you will get it all in one sip.  
If you can't find essential oils in your area, Floracopia Products has a 25% discount available for my readers. It is for new customers only at the above link if you use the code "wiseacres".

•With kids I have had parents use the fruit infusions mentioned above or mix the tea with a non-sweetened fruit juice. Most kids will take it with dark grape juice if nothing else works as it often hides other flavors.

Making Herbal Tea

Herbal teas are inexpensive, easy to make and they impose a ceremonial process during their preparation as well as a rest time while drinking them.

Tools To Make Teas

If you have something to cook water in and a canning jar, you have all the tools you need. Some other useful items are a Kettle, Teapot, French Press, and Mug. Be sure your tools are glass, stainless steel or enamel. You don’t want to use a container that might react with the herbs. 

Safety
Only make teas with herbs that are safe to drink.

Types of Tea Preparations

Teas are divided into two basic types of tea preparations. The infusion and decoction. Depending on what you want to extract from the herb and how dense the herb is will depend on which type of preparation you use.

When To Choose An Infusion 

Infusions are used for extraction of labile constituents such as vitamins, enzymes and volatile oils. They are also used for delicate and less dense parts of the plant such as flowers and leaves. Some seeds are also infused as well as roots with volatile oils such as elecampane or valerian.

When To Choose A Decoction

Decoctions are used for plant constituents that require more time and heat for extraction, such as mineral salts, bitter constituents and hard, dense plant parts such as barks, roots, and some seeds.

Infusions

How to Make An Infusion

An infusion is a gentle method to extract constituents from the herb. When making an infusion, the plant material is cut small, torn up or bruised to release its essence. The idea is to get as many parts of the plant in contact with the water as possible. If you have bought "cut & sift" herb from someone else, it is probably already cut up for use in an infusion.

Example of timing and how it changes the ultimate preparation

If you infuse an herb like chamomile the essential oil will be released quickly and taste and smell divine if drank within a few minutes. However, if you want the bitter constituents in chamomile which often we do if using it medicinally, you want to infuse it longer. The longer you infuse it the more bitter it will get.

Directions for one cup of infusion

Three recommended methods:

(a)     Add one cup of boiling water to one heaping tablespoon of dry herb or three heaping tablespoons of fresh herb in an air-tight container like a canning jar. Let it steep for 10-25 minutes.

(b)   Bring one cup of water to boil in a stainless steel or glass kettle. Remove the kettle from the burner and add one heaping tablespoon of the dry herb or three heaping tablespoons of fresh herb to the water. Cover the kettle with a tight fitting lid.  Steep for 10-25 minutes. Remove the lid, strain and drink the liquid. 

(c)  Put one heaping tablespoon of dry herb or three heaping tablespoons of fresh herb in a pint canning jar. Pour one cup of boiling water over the herb and put the lid on the canning jar. Let it sit overnight and drink the next morning. This method is often used for extracting minerals. When I am attempting to extract minerals I put extra herb in my jar. I often put a handful in and fill the quart jar with water. Most mineral rich herbs are food herbs such as oats and drinking strong teas is okay. If you use herbs in large amounts, make sure they are safe herbs to consume in quantities.
 
(d)  Put one heaping tablespoon of dry herb or three heaping   tablespoons of fresh herb in a pint canning jar. Pour one cup of room temp or cool water over the herb and put the lid on the canning jar. Let it sit overnight and drink the next morning. This will make a very mild infusion and picks up small amounts of volatile oils and energetic essences of the plant. Often this method is used for full moon infusions.

These infusions can be consumed hot or cold, depending on the specific usage. Large quantities can be made and stored in the refrigerator. Do not store tea for longer than 3 days because it may grow mold.

Solar Infusion

This type of infusion relies on the sun to provide heat to draw out constituents.  You put your herb into a canning jar. Then add clean spring water, well water or filtered water using the same amounts as listed above. (1 T per cup water if dry or 3 T per cup water if fresh.) Simply multiple the herb and water depending on how much tea you want to end up with.  You put the herb in the jar. Pour cold water over the herb, tighten the lid on the jar and put the jar in the direct sun. I often make sun tea in gallon canning jars when I have friends visit.

Lunar Infusion

Lunar infusions are wonderful for certain herbs. I place the herb in the jar and pour cold rather than hot water over the herb and place it under the moon at night. Usually I do this when the moon is full. It is especially nice for herbs with volatile oils. I do notice quite a difference when it is hot at night as compared to when it cools down. The heat of course does much of the extraction. When cool out at night, I get just the bare essence of the plant. I have to be sure to retrieve it before the sun is up. It is lovely and somewhat magical with certain plants. I suggest you try this with something like peppermint. Although I have used them medicinally for people, I usually don’t as I generally want the full range of constituents I can get from a hot extraction when I am using a tea medicinally.

Decoctions

How to Make A Decoction

In a kettle, bring one cup of water and one tablespoon of dry herb or three heaping tablespoons of fresh herb to a boil. Cover the kettle with a tight fitting lid, and simmer the ingredients for 15 - 25 minutes. Remove the kettle from the burner and steep ten minutes. Strain and drink.

Examples of when to choose an infusion or decoction

 If you are trying to extract minerals from an herb like nettles you can either use a hot water infusion overnight or you can decoct it for 25 minutes. They will both give you a similar amount of minerals. (I have made both up and sent it to a lab for testing.The decoction gave a tad bit more but not enough to matter.) However, the overnight infused one in my opinion usually tastes better. I am more likely to drink something that tastes good, so guess which one I will make. Usually, leafy herbs like nettles are not decocted and the only time I would decoct them is if I want to extract something like minerals and don't have the time for a 12 hour infusion.

Roots are generally decocted as they are dense and hard. However, if you are decocting a root with volatile oils such as valerian or elecampane you will want to infuse the root so you do not loose the essential oils. To make sure you extract it completely, you can cut up or pulverize the root into small pieces so the water can get into more parts of the root for a better extraction. You don't want a powder, you just want it mashed up or cut small.

Drinking the Tea

Ahhhh, now for the relaxing part.

The amount of tea you ingest will depend on if you are ingesting it for pleasure,  or health. It will also make a difference if using it for health reasons,  why you are using it. It is impossible to give a specific amount to drink, but since I know you want a guideline, I would tell you that  ½ - 1 cup three to five times a day will usually be the range. Some herbs need to be taken in very small amounts to work. For instance if you are using a bitter to stimulate digestion, you only need a few sips of a strong tea for it to help. Acute conditions usually require more of a tea and it is usually taken more often than chronic conditions. Some herbs should only be taken in small amounts as they are can be irritating if taken in large amounts of too often. It is important to always know what you are ingesting before ingesting it.

More On Teas In The Next Blog

There is so much to tell you about teas. What do you do when you want to prepare a formula of 6 different herbs and some need to be decocted and some infused?  How do you make bad tasting teas taste better? What are the advantages and disadvantages of herbal teas. This and more will be awaiting us in a soon to come blog. If you have a question about teas, let me know so you can see the answer in the next tea blog. In fact, if you have any questions about herbs, please speak up so you can get an answer in a future herb blog.

Herbal Steam Inhalation

Steam inhalations are a powerful and inexpensive form of hydrotherapy. Adding herbs to a steam inhalation make an already helpful tool, an even greater ally in decreasing respiratory congestion which accompanies colds or sinus infections. Herbal steam inhalations are easy to use. At one time it was a process that most families used in their home during the winter months.

I will share my quick method for making a steam inhalation using water and essential oils.  A slower method involves making an infusion (type of tea) first. I will share how to make infusions with you in the coming week.

Implements:

•    4-6 quart pot   

•    Stove

•    Table       

•    Towel or blanket

•    Pot holder

•    Essential oil (Could also make an infusion of dry herbs)

Any volatile, antimicrobial oil or herb capable of opening the nasal passages can be used in a steam inhalation for respiratory congestion. The opening of the passage way via a steam inhalation is due to both the steam of the water and the menthol in the herb. Two herbs with menthol that are easy to find and inexpensive are peppermint and wintergreen. The menthol in these herbs is what gives it that refreshing brisk coolness to our mouth or on our skin when we ingest them or put the herbs on our skin.  In addition to herbs with menthol, I also want a strong antimicrobial herb to be added to the water such as thyme,  or oregano.

My favorite two herbs to use in the inhalation are peppermint and thyme essential oil.  Both are carried in health food stores and are generally easy to procure. If you live some place where you have trouble buying herbs or if you simply wish to purchase them online you can trust the herbs at this link: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=098951

Additionally, Mountain Rose Herbs donates 15% of their sales purchased from clicking on this link to Wise Acres Herbal Educational Center.

Directions:

•    Pour 2-4 quarts of water into the pot.

•    Bring the water to a boil.

•    Take the water off the heat.

•    Prepare an area at a table where the head can be positioned above the pot without getting burnt by the pot.

•    Place the hot pot on the table, using a potholder to protect the table.

•    Drape a blanket over the head and pot, creating a vapor cocoon.

•    Sit over the pot with the head directly over the pot of tea & inside the blanket cocoon.

•    Add 1-2 drops of essential oil to the pot. (Most essential oil bottles have a dropper top.)

•    Breathe in the vapors. Keep your eyes closed so they don't get irritated.

•    If the vapor cocoon gets too hot or too intense:

         Remove head from under the blanket.

         Rest a moment.

         Return when ready.

•    The essential oil will disappear as vapor very quickly so you will need to add 1-2 drops more of each essential oil when the oil vapor is gone. Do not add too much essential oil.

Adding more essential oil than suggested can cause irritation of the lungs and eyes. It has been known for a person to put the essential oil in before getting inside the blanket cocoon. By the time they are inside the blanket cocoon the essential oil has vaporized off. The full strength  of the essential oil only lasts for 20 seconds and then disappears. If the person does not know the essential oil is short lived,  they may think they did not put enough in. Now they put in 4 drops of each oil and it is over-powering. I make sure when giving this procedure to a patient that I have made sure they will not use more than I tell them and they will follow my directions. If I am concerned about them following directions, I alternatively give them teas to use rather than essential oils. The tea simply necessitates the extra step of making an infusion from the tea. The infused tea is then put on the hot pad and you have a continuous supply of vapors coming off the pot until the tea runs out of essential oils. It is not as intense as straight essential oil. Teas are also better for children.

For my child patients whose parents want to use a vapor inhalation, I give them the following instructions. I have them make a tent house over a card table. Make it as small as possible, but with enough room for themselves and the child. They then get inside it with the pot of tea and make a game out of inhaling the vapors. If they make the tent too big, the vapors will disappear into the large space and not be as available.

Harvesting Herbal Roots

It is winter and time to think about digging up medicinal roots. This year I am in need of a variety of roots such as Elecampane, Echinacea, Valerian and Bloodroot.

When to Harvest Roots

Where I live in the Pacific NW of the United States these roots should be harvested from around the end of November to the end of February. The basic idea is to harvest them after the herbaceous plant material has died back, but before the new greens start growing again. This way you make sure all of their energy is in their roots and not involved in making leaves and flowers.

All of the roots I plan to harvest are from perennial (live more than 2 years) plants. They will all be around two - three years old when I harvest them. It is rare that annual (live 1 year) plants are used for their roots. If I was collecting roots from a biennial (live two years) plant I would need to be sure I harvested it at the end of the first year prior to it starting to grow in the second year. This is because the plant will die after the second season. The root will not be any good to harvest at that point. 

Gnarly Roots

The next thing to consider is how the years take their toll on the roots. Just as some of us people get old and gnarly, so do some plant roots. When they get old and gnarly, they become quite fibrous and they don't have much meat on them any more. This means for some plants such as Elecampane you want to harvest it at the end of the first or second year. After the second year you can still harvest it, but each year it gets woodier and there is less useful material on the root. I say, why bother. Just use a younger one. This woodiness seems to take place on most of the medicinal herbs with tap like roots. This especially happens to the larger ones. Good examples would be Elecampane and Poke root which can get really woody over time.

Echinacea, Valerian and Bloodroot are different. They don't get woody like the Elecampane does. They may get a little bit of woodiness, but nothing that is bothersome. I like to harvest them all around their 3rd year so they get big enough to be worthwhile to harvest.  If you have really good soil these herbs may be harvested at the end of the second year.

Valerian As An Example 

Let's use a well known medicinal herb like Valerian as an example of how to harvest a root. It grows great in the Pacific NW. I will be digging up a commonly grown species called Valeriana officinalis. There are other wild types of Valerian but this is what is usually grown in most gardens or on farms.

The first thing I need to do is decide how much root I will be harvesting. This depends on my use of it for the coming year. I usually tincture the fresh root and then add some dried root in towards the end of the tincturing process. I will get what I think I need to make enough tincture to last for the next couple of years. Then I need to decide when to harvest. I don't want to dig in frozen ground. I also prefer not to dig in really wet soil as the roots will be encased in a ball of mud if the ground is real wet. I pick an easy to dig day and dig up the amount I need. The tincture method I use involves tincturing fresh plant. It will go through the menstruum (alcohol & water used to extract it) twice. This means I will dig up half the root I need now  and half the root I need in about a month or two. I want 10 pounds of fresh root. So I dig up 5 pounds now for tincture and another 5 pounds in a month or two. I will also dig up another 2  pounds now t0 dry into 1/2 pound for the dry Valerian I will add later towards the end of the tincturing process.

The roots are very dirty, I shake off as much dirt as I can back into the hole I just dug.

The next thing I have to do is wash it off. Brrr. it is cold out washing roots this time of year. Valerian is hard to clean also. It holds little rocks deep inside its tendril like legs. I spray them with an outdoor hose and then take them inside where I carefully clean them in the sink. I don't want any rocks or dirt left in. Even though the alcohol I use will kill any bacteria on the root, I still don't like dirty roots and the rocks could destroy the blades in my blender.

Once clean, I need to cut the roots up. With most herbaceous plant roots, I cut everything up that is not woody. It is all useful. I need them in blender sized pieces for tincture. Many of the Valerian roots can go in whole or just cut in half if small enough. Usually, with Valerian you have to clean it so good that you already cut it up small enough for the blender while cleaning.  For the ones I am drying, I cut them up into smaller pieces. How small I cut roots depends on a few factors. If the root is easy to crush or cut up after drying I only need to cut it small enough to dry quickly. However, if a root is stone hard once it dries, I have to cut it to the size I need while it is still fresh. The ultimate use of the root is another factor in how small I cut the roots. Lastly, how difficult it is to dry is another factor. A nutritious root like comfrey tends to grow mold on it if it is not cut thinly or small and dried quickly.  With Valerian root, I just chunk up the upper part and don't worry about the small roots. They are thin and dry quickly in my food dryer or by my wood stove.

Now we move on to making the tincture and drying the roots, but that is another blog in the future. If you are seriously interested in collecting roots, I will share some photos from the echinacea  root harvesting/tincturing of my "Becoming An Herbalist" class that will take place in February. I will also share photos of some of the other various roots we harvest then as well as information on echinacea and how to make a tincture in upcoming blogs. If you want to get your hands on some herbs and learn how to be an herbalist, join us in this 9 month class.