Texas Nettles – Urtica chamaedryoides

Alright–how many of you have been strolling along observing nature, possibly bare-ankled and met our friend Heart-leaf nettle?

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Just wanted to give it some props for spreading so nicely across the hills and waterways this year! Yum!

 

UPDATE! The tincture of this yummie Nettles is STILL bright green…alien green if you ask me. I made a fresh Simplers tincture with 90% alcohol. (I threw in a splash of spring water) It’s been brewing now for about 7 days.

It tastes just like the Nettle smells. And tingles as it goes down your throat. I feel the energy moving outward in my chest and upward in my throat and head. Urtica chamaedryoides is a friend of mine.

At the time a made the tincture I also set out a crop to dry in our open air living room.  It’s now completely dry and OUCH-free.  I can handle it with ease.

Just for fun I also lightly steamed a handful (well, a tong-ful) to see if it would reduce or eliminate the sting.  I’d say it reduced it, but you need to cook it all the way down to make it edible!

 

Mushrooms!

We saw some awesome looking mushrooms on our hike this weekend. It turns out they are an edible species, and the related Hirneola polytricha is cultivated in China and Taiwan for culinary use.

Unfortunately we only found 2 tiny colonies–we won’t be selling these. They grow on dead fallen branches of deciduous trees, which is where we saw ours as it turns out.

The latin name is Hirneola auricula-judae–Judah’s Ear. They do look a little like a human ear, but wrinklier. It’s part of the Auriculariaceae family of fungi.

I may venture out again and pick one to taste…

I’ll let you know. They say to use the young ones as they become tough and chewy as they mature.

“Spring” time again

My pile of yummy chickweed with a hidden grub

If you are living in Central Texas, today is a great day to get out in the garden and pull the overgrown grasses or old annuals out of the ground. The earth is soft and lush after the rains of the week.

It’s a beautiful and cool afternoon.

It’s also astrologically good day to plant roots or hardy plants. The moon is in Capricorn an Earth sign with grounding energy.

If you have chickweed or cleavers growing, you can grab a large handful or two and throw them in the blender with a bit of water to make a deliciously green juice. This juice can be mixed with lemon or a fruit juice to give it a tasty twist. The yummy juice will help start the spring detox process. Make a cup or two everyday until the plants die back.

Tummy Aches

So as the relentless heat has set in here in Central Texas, we have taken to our air conditioned homes and local 68° spring fed swimming holes. Man it’s hot. And I mean hot.

Okay, what does that have to do with the title Tummy Aches?  It’s kinda a roundabout connection. Since it’s so dang hot, we’ve been eating less (but eating out), sleeping more and generally being lazier.  I think this caused a little “tummy ache” to creep up in my daughters belly.  She would wake up complaining that her stomach hurt and when she laid down at night it also hurt.  What did this mean? I first suspected acid reflux and indigestion. We gave the normal tummy ache herbs: ginger, fennel, chamomile.  Nothing seemed to kick this recurring tummy ache.

She had also been wetting the bed more often than not, so I started to think that maybe she had parasites slinking around in her gut.  Again, it’s hot, been pretty humid (with NO rain) during the last month…good conditions for parasites of many kinds.

I gave her dried capsules of Olive leaf, Juglans nigra hull, and Berberis trifoliata every morning and night for about a week now. And Voila! No more complaints of the tummy.

The dosages for children are always smaller and generally less frequent, but if you suspect parasites, you want to be diligent and even a little aggressive. I basically emptied capsules of the Black walnut and olive leaf and but them in “extra small” capsules for her to swallow.  Then gave her Agarita tincture along with them.  These herbs are all very bitter, hence the reason for the capsules. (In the past we mixed them in with a spoonful of honey.) She was able to swallow them pretty easily. It took a few tries, but now she’s exceedingly proud of herself.

Definitely consult with someone who has used herbs for parasite before, if you plan to go this route.  These particular herbs can CAUSE tummy aches if not taken with adult supervision.  Shoot me a line if you have any questions.

 

Birth is On My Mind

I really feel strongly that smooth, complication free (or minimal complication) births require commitment and education of mothers and their families. A woman of childbearing age must truely evaluate her mental, emotional and physical state of health. Pregnancy is a great time to acknowledge what isn’t working in your life, to find out what is keeping you nourished and what changes you want to make as you start your new life with a new (or first) child.

If this is your first pregnancy, there’s really no way to “prepare”. Many reaction you have to life situation begin to emanate from the growing baby inside and therefore become more real and possibly intense. This, however, can allow the outward effects to manifest quickly and YOU to become more a present and effective parent. This goes for dad-to-be just as much as for mommy-to-be.

Labor and birth is work.  Your body can do it, but sometimes your mind tells you otherwise. Spending some time, 15 minutes to an hour, each day relaxing and feeling the changes in your body and your baby will help you to be aware of the labor and birth process when the time comes.

Learning body awareness techniques, taking a prenatal yoga class or practicing a daily meditation are effective methods of  transitioning into labor with less perceived pain and fulfillment of your birth vision. Many childbirth techniques, including the Bradley Method® , Birthing from Within, and HypnoBirthing are helping women give birth with success and enjoyment. Whether or not your strictly follow there practices, being able to mentally understand what is going on in labor can relieve fears and help reduce anxiety.  Reading about positive and normal vaginal births can reassure many women that they are capable of birthing and our bodies are equipped for almost any birth situation.

Other ways to prepare for birth is to eat a well rounded whole foods diet. Using herbal teas to get added nutrition as directed by your health care provider is a great way to prevent illness during pregnancy.

Start as early as possible preparing your body for growing a baby.  If you are of child bearing age, adding a high-quality multi-vitamin that has folate and B vitamins is invaluable.  Calcium and vitamin C can also improve pregnancy related changes in your body.

Try Strong Woman Tea, made by WildWoman Botanicals here in Austin.  It is a mineral rich and tasty addition to your summer hydration protocol!! Find it at Myo Massage or check out The Wildflower School of Botanical Medicine.

No Soda is Kind to Your Heart – Natural Awakenings – June 2011 – Natural Awakenings

 

 

 

 
I’m reposting this because it’s one of my biggest, let’s say pet peeves.  While soda generally as artifical colorings, flavors,  caffeine, and high fructose corn syrup i’d rather see people who “need” soda to drink one without artificial sweetener! You’ll gain some wait, or not be able to lose what you have, but your heart and blood vessels will thank you…

Years ago, I had first had experience with someone who drank daily diet soda and having heart issues. When the diet soda stopped so did the heart problem.  This is just one personal case, but now it’s been seen on a larger scale.  Thanks AMA!  And thanks Natural Awakenings for disseminating the info.

Moral of the story is in the title!

 

 

No Soda is Kind to Your Heart – Natural Awakenings – June 2011 – Natural Awakenings.

No Soda is Kind to Your Heart

Diet Drinkers Beware

Anyone who prefers diet sodas over regular soda pop for fear of high sugar levels might want to consider this: According to new research presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2011, people who drink diet sodas every day still have a much higher risk of vascular disease—61 percent higher—compared with those who drink no sodas at all.

These are the findings of the large, multi-ethnic Northern Manhattan Study of 2,564 individuals that were monitored and analyzed in terms of the types and amount of sodas they drank for an average of 9.3 years, during which 559 vascular events occurred. “If our results are confirmed with future studies, then it would suggest that diet soda may not be the optimal substitute for sugar-sweetened beverages for protection against vascular outcomes,” says lead author Hannah Gardener, a doctor of science and epidemiologist at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine.
Source: American Heart Association, 2011

Red Raspberry Leaf in Pregnancy

Common Names: Raspberry, wild raspberry

Latin name: Rubus idaeus (It’s in the Rose family)

Contains: Tannins, minerals,Vitamin C

Red Raspberry leaf is generally safe for healthy people and healthy pregnant women. It’s recommended to help support the uterus and reproductive organs as they grow and adapt to pregnant life.

Red raspberry leaves are the rest of the plant you don’t get when you buy raspberries at the grocery store. Now, these pretty little things don’t grow readily here in Central Texas. We have plenty of black berries though! I’m not sure how similar the properties are of the leaves, but I’ll find out one day.

This herb is mainly an astringent, tonic for the uterus and pelvic floor. This means it strengthens the tissue of the uterus and surrounding muscle and “tones” them–kinda like using toner on the skin. It does this by being rich in minerals, such as iron, manganese and niacin. It’s also a valuable source of Vitamin C. These properties also give it somewhat of  a stimulating effect on blood and linings of the uterus and muscle.  So using Red Raspberry leaf  during the pre-conception stage  could be beneficial and relieve tension and promote fertility.

Toning herbs can be over used and cause the uterus to less effectively absorb nutrients. Taking red raspberry leaf infusion 2- 3 times a week over the last trimester is recommended. The infusion promotes  nutrient rich blood flow to the baby making organs and preparing all those cells to do there job when it’s time to push. Drinking your weekly infusions can also aid the recovery of your uterus and the birth canal.

As with all herbal recommendations, you must consult your personal “wise woman” inside and your midwife or herbalist to ensure each herb fits your body and situation.

Pregnancy and Herbs- Part 1

So let’s say you are pregnant…you have the new responsibility (or maybe you’ve taken on the challenge before) of growing a person. A whole-miniature-person. There are a lot of steps in that process. A heart has to grow, all those thousands of feet of blood vessels, toe nails, hair, a liver. Anyway, it is a big job.

Most eager mothers want to do this job as best as humanly possible. Personally, I feel the best way to do that is to be as healthy as humanly* possible.

*Each human will do this differently

I’m starting this series of posts about what steps you can take as a pregnant women, a non pregnant woman of childbearing age, and any women who wants to be pregnant again.

Some information to come:

Diet and how it’s relevant

Caffeine and other things to give up during pregnancy

Herbal support for your constitution

Materia media (Individual herbs and what they do)

• Red Raspberry leaf
• Dandelion
• Black and Blue Cohosh
• Hawthorne Berries
• Borage
• Fenugreek
• Nettles

Vaccine Information In Texas

Many of us will be navigating through all the options for schools here in Austin. Much political drama has been going on in our neighborhoods, school closings threatened and school staff at unrest.

One other issue that has many parents unsure, is how to handle vaccinations and what is within legal limits.

The vaccine library has great information about all the test and requirements for each state. Here’s the address: http://www.vaclib.org/exempt/texas.htm

I have worked through many steps in the process with my daughter. So this year I will request my vaccine exemption form. There is alot of freedom in Texas around schooling and unschooling our children. Vaccines are not required and public school is NOT the only option. I’m grateful for this fact. My little bug will be going somewhere, for some amount of time each week. I need to get busy!

International Day of the Midwife 2011

International Day of the Midwife – International Day of the Midwife 2011.

Midwifery is common practice in many, many countries around the world. If you are interested in birth at home, with a midwife, or supporting midwifery check out some of the topics that will be presented on May 5, 2011.

This organization is based in New Zealand.