Want to give the gift of relaxation and self-care this holiday season? Herbally infused bath salts are a perfect way to do so! I love this gift, because it's super simple and looks so beautiful in a glass mason jar. On top of that, herbal bath salts smell heavenly! They leave you lots of creative freedom to come up with scent combinations and offer that thoughtful, hand-made touch that makes people swoon a little when they receive it.
My favorite thing to do is throw in a little dried lavender or some rose petals to add that beautiful herbal touch!
For some herbal bath salt inspo, head over to Mountain Rose's Herbal Bath Recipes here.
Body butter is such a luxurious gift to give and can be really satisfying to make! It offers the healing properties of the herbs you use and offers soothing and moisturizing properties to keep skin happy and healthy, especially in the winter season. One thing to note- you'll need to prepare your own herb-infused oil as the healing part of your recipe (often infused with calendula, marshmallow root, plaintain, gotu kola, lavender or st-john's wort). So if you've never done this before, you'll to learn a new herbal skill- oil infusion! The recipes below have resources showing you how to do so.
For an easy-to-follow recipe, with fewer ingredients, check out:
For recipes with a few more ingredients and steps (worth it!), check out:
As you may know if you've been a part of my community for a while, I LOVE elderberry syrup! I give it to my daughter daily throughout the winter months to keep her immune system strong (daycare, am I right?!). Yup, elderberries are highly antiviral and work wonders to keep the bugs at bay. Not only that, but this recipe is absolutely delicious. It's a great way to "wow" your friends and family, and give them a little taste (literally) of the glorious world of herbal medicine if they've been a bit hesitant to dive in.
Check out my simple and tasty Elderberry Recipe to get the full medicinal benefits of elderberry, and get your hands on my tried and true recipe!
There's nothing like a smooth, moisturizing lip balm. The way it feels when it goes on, especially if you know it's chemical and toxin free is a real treat for anyone! Winter time is especially a season to keep those lips well hydrated and crack-free, so offering a hand-made version of this classic gift to those you love can be so rewarding (and practical!).
For a nice herbal recipe, check out Rosalee De La Foret's Healing Marshmallow Root & Calendula Lip Balm
If you want to create a luxurious spa experience for someone special, without breaking the bank, this is your winning gift my friend! It's so simple to create a divine body scrub infused with herbal allies that are healing and soothing to skin, which will leave your gift receiver with glowing skin and relaxing experince to go along with it.
Check out the Herbal Academy's Calendula Sugar Scrub to get inspired!
Ok, am I the only one who thinks ANYTHING in a mason jar is just the cutest thing ever?! This gift not only looks really cool, but is easy to assemble, and practical. Who doesn't want a recipe they can just add a few ingredients to and- BAM- you have cookies to enjoy?
You can get creative with these and make soups, granola, hot chocolate with marshmallows, whatever works!
Herbs that go really well in these gifts- cinnamon and ginger (helllloooo gingerbread cookies!), or savoury herbs and medicinal mushrooms for soup blends like turmeric, thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, astragalus or reishi slices. Again, get creative!
Try these simple and easy to pull off Cookie in a Jar recipe ideas from the Herbal Academy.
There you have it! Everything you need to create fun to receive (and super fun to make!) herbally inspired, hand-made gifts this holiday season.
May your spark and joy of creation be inspired by reading these ideas.
Happy herbal gift-making, lovely!
Bree xo
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Let’s be honest- it’s been an intense and crazy year. Or two. At this point, your nervous system is probably a liiiitttttttle fried, overstimulated and tapped out. One way you can offer yourself some simple, yet profound self-love and gentleness is by brewing a warm cup of tea packed full of herbs that nourish your nervous system. If you picture your nerves as electrical wires that are sparking and turning into little crispy critters from being so fried, then these herbs act as a grounding force to nourish, moisten and soothe our systems so we're not so on edge.
One of my long-standing favourite recipes for soothing & nourishing the nerves, encouraging the body to switch into “rest & digest” mode, rather than “fight or flight” while increasing the body’s resilience to stress is my Nourish Your Nerves herbal tea recipe!
Before I reveal my tried and true recipe (this is my most popular tea blend for both its effects in the body and the delicious taste), let's dive into the herbs themselves and what they can offer us, medicinally.
I love this plant! Gotu Kola comes to us from Ayurvedic medicine (India!) and has been used for thousands of years in this tradition to help bring mental clarity, rejuvenate nerve and brain cells, as well as deeply calm the spirit. It’s one of my favorite adaptogens, which means it increases the body’s resilience, making it easier to cope with the harmful impacts of stress (hello!). It's useful for anxiety, depression, exhaustion, mental and physical fatigue, loss of memory and drug withdrawal (great in combination with skullcap and oats!). Gently energizes and stimulates memory, concentration and focus, all while calming the nervous system. Similar to Skullcap, one of its mechanisms of actions is its effect on GABA, the neurotransmitter that inhibits nerve cells, which results in slowing down overactivity in the nervous system. Gotu Kola is a fantastic herb to keep the effects of stress at bay, while calming and uplifting the whole nervous system.
Lemon balm is such a lovely herb because it’s uplifting to the spirit and can lighten some of the emotional heaviness that comes with depression, anxiety and overwhelm. It’s in the mint family, so it has those lovely essential oils that make this cup of tea smell heavenly. As a carminative herb with an affinity for the digestive system, it inevitably encourages the body to kick into parasympathetic mode (also known as “rest and digest”), which promotes calm. We don’t think of it, but when we’re stressed our body will reroute energy, blood and nutrients away from the digestive system, which can lead to digestive issues such as increased gas, bloating, cramping, bowel habit changes, decreased nutrient assimilation and sluggishness in the digestive tract. Lemon balm will swoop in to support digestion, lighten the mood and calm the nervous system.
Most of us know that chamomile is in basically every sleepytime tea blend, and for good reason! Did you know that chamomile can deeply calm the nervous system and in the herbal world is known as the “Mother of the Gut” for its efficacy in promoting digestive health? Yup, similar to Lemon balm, Chamomile will encourage a “rest and digest” state. Ever heard of stress ulcers? That’s a real thing! Like I mentioned above, when we’re in a state of “fight or flight” our body redirects energy to other body systems that need it more to escape an emergency (like our hearts, lungs and big muscle groups). The acid balance in our stomachs can also become disrupted, which leads to ulceration. Chamomile is an excellent herb to soothe an irritated digestive tract by promoting the healing of tissue and bringing down inflammation. Health starts in the gut! And when stressed, our digestive tract is inevitably affected. Not only does this tea blend encourage deep relaxation, but it encourages and supports healthy digestion all around!
Oh oats, how wonderful and nourishing you are indeed! Honestly, I use this amazing medicine ALL.THE.TIME. In herbal lingo it’s known as a nervotrophorestative or a nervine tonic- a very fancy way of saying it restores, rejuvenates and nourishes the nervous system on a deep level. Oats are a fantastic remedy for anyone who has a nervous system that has been exhausted over time, whether that be from adrenal burnout related to stress and overwork, traumatic experiences, chronic pain (neurological or other), insomnia or addiction. Speaking of addiction, anytime someone is withdrawing from a substance that the body has depended on, the nervous system is going to freak out a bit (or a lot). Oats can help with symptoms like irritability and edginess that are really common with nicotine, alcohol or any drug withdrawal. Not only do oats calm an over agitated nervous system, useful for anxiety, but the seeds are thymoleptic, which means they have a mild “antidepressant” and uplifting effect.
It doesn’t stop there- Oats are also very nutritive, containing vitamins and minerals like B vitamins and calcium! So when I say it’s nourishing to the nervous system, I mean oat medicine literally feeds nervous system cells by providing the building blocks they need to function optimally. As if that isn’t enough, it’s one of the rare herbs that increases moisture (kapha, yin) in the body. If you think about the metaphor of the nervous system being fried (dry and brittle), then you can see how adding the soothing, nourishing and moistening quality of this incredible plant would bring relief to an overburdened system.
Holy Basil has been used for thousands of years in the Ayurvedic tradition to bring lightness and spiritual clarity to one’s being. It can lift heavy moods to lighten the spirit, so it can be a great ally for mild depression, and also sharpens the mind. As a powerful adaptogen, holy basil can increase one’s resilience to stress, minimizing its impacts. As a perfect addition to the Lemon balm and Chamomile, Holy Basil is a carminative too! So it supports digestive processes. An extra bonus, especially during the winter months and during COVID-19, is that Holy Basil has antiviral properties to keep the bugs at bay while keeping your immune system healthy and strong.
Alright, now onto the juicy bit- the recipe itself!
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), dried - 1 part
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), dried - 1 part
Milky Oats (Avena sativa), dried- 1 part
Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica), dried- 1 part
Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum), dried- 1 part
Mixing Instructions: Simply mix these herbs in equal parts into a big mixing bowl. Head’s up- It’s going to smell delicious! Pack into an airtight container and store away from light in a cool, dry place.
Brewing Guidelines: Use 1-2 tsp of herbal mixture per 1 cup of boiling water. Pour the boiling water over the herbs and let sit for 5-10 minutes with the lid on. You want to keep those delicious essential oils inside your tea, not out in the atmosphere! Plus, the volatile oils are part of the medicinal properties of the plants, even more reason to keep them in your tea ;) Enjoy this tea as often as you need it! I recommend 2 cups daily.
Safety Note*: Of course you always want to consult with a health or herbal practitioner before taking herbs, especially if you're pregnant, nursing or on medication of any kind, just to be sure! This blend is safe for nursing mamas. If pregnant, omit the Gotu Kola and Holy Basil and stick to a simple blend of Chamomile, Oats and Lemon balm.
What are you waiting for? Go get your chill and relaxation on with this incredibly nourishing, grounding and uplifting tea!
Here's to your nervous system feeling soothed and supported.
With all my herbal love,
Bree xo
*The information about the use of herbs contained in this article is not meant to be a substitute for seeking the advice of a qualified health care provider. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult your health care provider about the use of herbs and essential oils, especially during pregnancy, when nursing a baby or with children.
]]>Many of us have complicated relationships with our menstrual cycles, but did you know that your menstrual cycle can actually be communicating whether your body is in or out of balance? In fact, the menstrual cycle has been coined the “fifth vital sign” in assessing a person who menstruates’ overall health status, alongside blood temperature, blood pressure, pulse and breathing rate. That says a lot about its importance!
1) Despite what you’ve been led to believe, “normal” can be different for everyone
2) Just because you’ve experienced your menstrual cycle a specific way your whole life (aka debilitating pain every cycle) doesn’t mean it’s “normal”. Also, your symptoms may be telling you something and warrant your curiosity and attention.
So how do you know what’s normal? What should you be looking for? Come on this journey with me to find out!
Generally, I don’t like the word “normal”. If I’ve learned anything at all in my herbal medicine practice, I’ve learned that everyone is unique and we all have different “normals” when it comes to how our bodies work. While I do honor the uniqueness in all of us and think it’s super important to consider this in any good health protocol, I also think it’s important to identify areas of potential health concern.
Let’s talk about the range of what could be considered “healthy”, so we can identify when the body is raising a red flag and communicating that there may be an underlying imbalance in need of our attention and support.
Here are a list of questions you can be asking yourself to get a feel for what is considered a healthy and happy period, and what might be an indication of imbalance:
Despite what we’ve been led to believe, not everyone has a 28 day cycle, and that can be normal! Anywhere between 26-34 days is considered an “average” cycle length. (1) Even still, there may be some variance in ”normal” here, especially if it’s always been the case for you. Generally though, when the cycle is shorter or longer than that, it can be considered “irregular” and may be an indication of an imbalance. If you skip periods completely for months at a time, that’s called amenorrhea. It’s a definite sign that there is an imbalance of some kind, and warrants more investigation. Important note- there are some well known cycle disruptors like stress, travel and illness that can play a role. Ever noticed during midterms or while you're taking a trip, you may skip a period? That's totally normal, especially if the next month it jumps back into a regular flow. Keep reading to find out some common menstrual cycle disruptors.
The length of the bleed can be anywhere from 3-7 days, and still be considered normal. Again, there isn’t a one size fits all for menstrual cycles! A big part of this is knowing what’s normal for you. Although, keep in mind- just because you’ve always experienced your periods one way (and it’s become totally normal to you), doesn’t mean that you should ignore it.
If you’re bleeding for 8 or more days, this can indicate anovulation (lack of ovulation) and can occur in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). For more on PCOS check out my blog post: A Natural Approach To Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Longer bleeds can also lead to anemia due to more significant blood loss, which can have it’s own health impacts. This leads us to the next question...
A normal amount of blood is roughly 2 shot glasses full (30-80ml) over the course of your whole bleed, with small clots being normal as well.(1) This is much easier to measure with a menstrual cup! General rule of thumb, if you’re having to change your menstrual pad or tampon every 1-2 hours, or the amount of blood is so much that it interferes with your daily routines, you’re bleeding really heavily. (2)
Heavy bleeding (also known as menorrhagia) can be an indication of:
On the other hand, very light periods can be caused by a change in hormones brought about by stress, excessive or increased exercise, strict dietary restriction, being underweight, and could be a symptom of PCOS.(3) Also, it can be normal to experience slight bleeding around implantation when a fertilized ovum implants into the endometrial lining in the uterus. It can be mistaken for a light period, so it’s always good to take a pregnancy test where pregnancy is possible.
“Normal” spotting can occur during ovulation itself (some women experience this every cycle around day 14), and during implantation if pregnancy has occurred! Hormonal contraception is another common cause of irregular bleeding or spotting. In some cases, however, if you bleed in between periods, this could be an indication of underlying issues that may need attention. Spotting could indicate endometrial hyperplasia, which means the endometrial tissue in the uterus is being exposed to estrogen without progesterone to balance it out. This commonly occurs with anovulatory cycles (you have a menstrual bleed, but you didn’t ovulate). Other common causes for bleeding in between periods include: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID),Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding (DUB), uterine polyps, abnormalities of the cervix, conditions affecting the ovaries (eg: ovarian cysts) or metabolic imbalances like malnutrition or excessive weight loss. (4,5)
While menstrual cramps are super common and a bit of discomfort isn’t anything to worry about, intense menstrual pain is NOT something that should be “normalized”. I have friends and clients who’ve struggled with debilitating pain every single month their whole lives, and they’ve just accepted this as their reality because they don’t know it can be different! It doesn’t help that many doctors dismiss period pain as being “normal” and miss the underlying issue. In fact, cramps and intense pain could be signs of an imbalance needing attention, and further investigation is needed, especially if accompanied by some of the other menstrual issues we’re discussing here.
Painful periods (Dysmenorrhea) can be a sign of:
It’s always a good idea to go get checked out in order to rule out any cause for concern with menstrual cramps, especially if it’s severe and interfering with your daily life.
For a more in depth look at dysmenorrhea and my herbal approach to tackling menstrual cramps check out my blog post Herbs for Menstrual Cramps & Painful Periods.
Along with the hormone fluctuations that occur at the different phases of our cycles, it’s completely normal and natural to experience shifts to our emotional, mental and spiritual selves. Unlike the “hormonal crazy person” stereotype we’re fed about these fluctuations, there is actually an opportunity to work with these shifts in our favor in a balanced and grounded way!
If you haven’t checked out my article on Moon & Menstrual Cycles: How to Harness the Power of Your Cycle for Productivity & Rest, I highly recommend you do! I dive into the different phases of the menstrual cycle and how hormones at certain times of the month impact our moods.
While mild premenstrual symptoms can be considered “normal”, especially if they aren’t significantly impacting your day to day life, there are some PMS symptoms that may be sounding an alarm. What I consider a “PMS Red Flag”, is when the symptoms become disruptive to daily functioning leading to missed work, relationship conflicts, and/or seeking out pharmaceutical intervention (medications like contraceptive interventions- IUD or oral contraception, pain-relievers, anti-anxiety meds or anti-depressants), all of which come with their own side effects and implications.
PMS symptoms include:
PMDD is a severe type of PMS characterized by severe irritability, unprovoked anger, anxiety and/or depression (1). This is PMS on a whole other level and seriously disrupts the person’s daily life and emotional/mental health. If you experience this, you may want to talk to your doctor, a trusted counsellor/psychologist, as well as a herbalist! Herbs can help to uplift the mood, balance the hormones, and support the liver in adjunct to other approaches.
According to Dr. Aviva Romm the exact underlying cause of PMS isn’t known, however there are many current theories about what underlying issues may contribute to PMS. We can view our PMS symptoms as guideposts, guiding us towards the areas in our lives that may need some attention. These possible underlying contributing factors to PMS include:
To sum this up- If you have a few mild PMS symptoms that don’t really disrupt your daily life, then it may not be a cause for concern. However, if you have multiple premenstrual symptoms, they’re on the moderate to severe side and they’re leading to other physical and social consequences, then it may be an indication that there’s an underlying imbalance present.
Of course, if any of these questions sparked cause for concern, I recommend getting your doctor on board. It can be an empowering process to figure out what underlying factors are contributing to your menstrual cycle imbalances, so you can get back into a healthy groove with your cycle. The great news is herbs can be an incredible adjunct to getting your menstrual cycle back on track, not only by providing symptom relief, but by addressing underlying root causes.
Alongside appropriate dietary and lifestyle shifts, herbs can:
Consulting with a herbalist can be an excellent way to support yourself on your menstrual cycle health journey, so you can gently and powerfully balance your hormones by bringing your body into its natural rhythm, with herbs!
Menstrual cycle tracking can be another powerful strategy to get to know your unique shifts and natural cycles. This can mean using a cycle tracking app, at the very least. But even better than that (and WAY more accurate!) is the fertility awareness method (FAM), which involves keeping track of and charting your cervical mucus and basal body temperature daily, along with any other shifts and symptoms. Working with a Fertility Awareness Educator can be awesome to learn how to do this, and means you can get your charts interpreted for that next level support. One of my favorite FAM educators is Chloe Skerlak. She’s fantastic!
There are some stages of menstruation that are naturally a little irregular- puberty and perimenopause. Both of these are characterized by a significant shift in hormones and can lead to many of the menstrual disruptions and irregularities we’ve talked about. So if this is your stage of life, there may be a little more of an explanation for the changes you’re noticing. However, it’s always good to rule out any cause of concern with your primary care doctor. You can also get support from a herbalist to support any of these shifts with botanicals, where appropriate, as a way to ease into these hormonal transitions more gracefully.
If your cycle has become irregular in any way after getting your COVID-19 vaccine, you're going to want to read my article: How the COVID-19 Vaccine Affects the Menstrual Cycle- What We Know So Far.
I hope you got value from this article and understand the cues of your menstrual cycle a little more now! Our body is always speaking to us, we just need to listen ;)
To you and your brilliant body,
Bree xo
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Did you know that your bowel movements can actually give you important clues about what’s going on with your health? Yup! While it might seem a little weird or gross to pay attention to what’s going on in the toilet bowl, it’s actually a beneficial habit to have! If you’ve ever done a herbal consultation with me (or another practitioner), you’ll know that we spend a good amount of time talking about *all things bowel movement* and here’s why- the information revealed is giving important hints about what’s happening with your liver, gallbladder, if there’s inflammation present, potential food allergies and what your unique constitution type might be. Keep reading to know exactly what I’m looking for, and what you should be watching for when you go number 2, too!
The consistency of your stool is one of the first signs we can look for in assessing what’s happening with your health.
We all know someone who takes *forever* in the bathroom, right? Well, this can be the first clue! What do I mean by harder consistency? Often, this looks like harder pellets, or lumpier stool. This usually makes stool harder to pass, can be accompanied by constipation or having to spend a long time sitting on the toilet to pass a bowel movement. The health implications of a slower bowel transit time is that it gives your body a chance to reabsorb the toxins it’s trying to eliminate. Not a good scene! It can also play a big role in hormone health.
For more on how bowel movements affect hormones, check out my article The Connection Between Bowel Health & Hormones (+ 7 Factors That Affect Bowel Health).
Similar to harder stool, loose stools can tell us a lot about what’s going on with your health. What do I mean by loose? Well, loose often refers to a stool that isn’t holding together and doesn’t keep its shape. It can range from being somewhat loose all the way to full on watery stools (more like diarrhea).
In order to identify the consistency of your stool, there’s a very handy chart called the Bristol Stool Chart, which is very informative and outlines what is a “healthy” consistency and what isn’t.
This one gives us a clue about what’s going on with your liver and gallbladder’s ability to digest and emulsify oils. For this one to work, you need a toilet that’s filled with water (composting toilets, outhouses or any other place to poop won’t work here!). Ideally, we want the stool to sink to the bottom of the toilet bowl. If the stool floats, it can tell us that your gallbladder and liver may need a little support digesting oils. The undigested oils make the stool float on the water. Herbally, we have tons of plants that help the gallbladder and liver produce more bile, and/or release bile in order to emulsify and break down fats properly. For more on this, check out My Favorite Digestive Bitter Herbs to Support Liver Health.
To keep this part simple, generally, we’re looking for any kind of brown. Brown is a healthy color.
Yellow or White- If the color is on the yellow to white side of things, this could mean the liver isn’t producing bile and/or the gallbladder isn’t releasing bile. Bile is what’s responsible for making stool it’s typical brown color! Pale stool can also indicate an issue with your pancreas, too. (3)
Black stool can tell us there may be blood higher up in the digestive system, and should always be checked out by a doctor to rule out any cause of concern. Important to know is iron supplementation can change the stool an almost black color (very dark green), and is not an indication of intestinal bleeding. (2)
Purple, Maroon or Red- If your stool is purple, maroon or reddish, that may indicate blood in the stool, which might point to bleeding in the colon as can be present with Ulcerative Colitis or bowel disease. (see more below)
Of course, foods can change the color of your poo. As you’ve most likely experienced, beets turn it red. Leafy greens can turn it green. Lots of berries can turn it a purple color. Also, medications can change the stool color, so researching your medication can give insight to this as well.
Frank (fresh) blood on the toilet paper is often due to hemorrhoids, which isn’t something to be too concerned about, but getting support can be really helpful here! There are many herbs that can be helpful in astringing the veins, and dietary shifts that can support vein health. I also recommend confirming that you do in fact have hemorrhoids with your doctor, just to be sure that’s the cause of the bleeding.
Blood can also be an indication that your stool is too hard, too often and you may need to bare down or push with bowel movements. If this is the case, working on the stool consistency through diet, lifestyle and herbs would be indicated here.
Blood in the stool itself and/or observed in the toilet bowl, is more cause for concern as it often means larger amounts of blood. This can indicate a bowel disease like Ulcerative colitis or Crohn's, which should be checked out by your physician/specialist. There are plenty of herbal supports for this once you know what it is, but until then, getting it looked at is important.
Mucus, often appearing as cloudy white droplets or surrounding the stool, can be an indication of inflammation. If you think about it, the role of mucus is to protect and coat irritated and inflamed tissue. This often shows up where there are food intolerances or inflammatory bowel diseases, and should also be followed up with dietary shifts and a check up at the doctors to rule out any cause for concern.
If you’re seeing little bits of food (often seeds, leafy greens, grains), this means your digestive fire isn’t strong enough to break down nutrients. By the way, NOBODY can digest corn! ;) So corn is the only exception here- if you see whole corn kernels, that’s 100% normal.
Our nutrient breakdown starts all the way at the top of our digestive system in our mouths. When we eat, saliva starts the breakdown process. Then stomach acid kicks in, pancreatic enzymes, bile from the liver and gallbladder and the microbiome in the colon all play a role in nutrient breakdown and assimilation. If somewhere along the way any of these digestive processes are off, it can result in our food making it all the way through our digestive system without being properly assimilated.
Eating on the go and while stressed can also play a key role in nutrient breakdown. When we’re stressed, the body redirects blood flow and energy away from the digestive system and into the body systems that will help us escape an emergency (like our hearts, lungs and the big muscle groups). So chewing properly, taking time to eat and shifting the nervous system from “fight, flight or freeze” into “rest and digest” (it’s called that for a reason!) can play a big role in nutrient breakdown.
Stimulating the digestive juices through herbal bitters, promoting digestion by encouraging a healthy microbiome, slowing down to eat and reducing stress around eating can all be important factors here.
Not only do bowel movements reveal information about your general health, but it can also reveal important information about your unique constitution type. See, everyone has a different “internal terrain”. Some of us are dryer, warmer, colder, and oilier than others. If you tend towards constipation, this gives me a clue that your digestion might be dry and cold, which means the herbs we choose should bring warmth, stimulation and lubrication to the bowels and digestive system. If you have a tendency towards diarrhea or loose bowel movements with undigested food, that tells me that you might be experiencing heat in your intestines and we might need to use anti-inflammatory, astringent and cooling herbs to slow down digestion and balance your internal terrain.
As you can see, a simple bowel movement can reveal A LOT about what’s happening inside of your body! After all, health starts in the digestive system. I hope you’ve learned a ton about what your poops are trying to tell you and that you feel inspired to listen to the language of your digestive system ;)
May you always have glorious poops, my friend!
Bree xo
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Head’s up! If you’ve been working to correct a hormone imbalance in your body, but haven’t been getting the results you’re looking for, THIS may be the missing link. While it can be super helpful to work with herbs that balance hormones directly, if you’re not supporting the systems that are responsible for cycling hormones and properly eliminating them, you may not be getting the most out of your herbal formula. Guess what those super important cycling and elimination systems are? Your liver and your colon. Yup, optimizing liver health and making sure you have regular bowel movements is a key part of balancing your hormones.
In case you missed my article on The Connection Between Bowel Health & Hormones (+ 7 Factors That Affect Bowel Habit Health), make sure you check it out to understand exactly WHY we want to support regular bowel movements for hormone health.
To get right to the point… First let’s focus on the liver.
In herbal medicine, anytime we’re addressing hormone health, we want to make sure we’re supporting the liver to ensure proper hormone cycling and elimination in the body.
Liver herbs can promote healthy hormone balance and bowel habits by encouraging bile production and release, which lubricates the bowels and carries excess hormones out of the body.
Herbal medicine even has specific fancy terms for herbs that encourage the production of bile (choleretics), herbs that promote secretion of bile (cholagogues) & herbs that are known to generally act on the liver (hepatics). Herbs that act as digestive bitters are often helpful in getting the liver going and promoting bowel movements.
Bitter herbs have a specific action in the body- they stimulate the release of digestive juices including bile from the liver, promote liver detoxification and help the gut wall repair damage by stimulating self-repair mechanisms. (1) There are SO many digestive bitter herbs, so this list isn’t complete by many means, but here are some of my favorites.
Here’s a list of some herbs that may act on the liver through the bitter mechanisms of action, but also have “hepatoprotective” properties, which means they contain antioxidants that protect the liver from being damaged due to exposure to toxins and metabolic waste:
Through a variety of mechanisms, herbs can also encourage peristalsis, decrease inflammation, soothe damaged tissue in the gut lining and promote tissue healing caused by food intolerances or other gut related health conditions.
There are so many herbs that can help bowel movements in herbal medicine, but here are a few of my favorites, based on how they work in the body (their mechanism of action).
Anthraquinones are a group of chemical constituents naturally present in certain plants that work by slightly irritating the colon walls, which instigates a bowel movement. This is a list of herbal laxatives that contain anthraquinones (1):
Important note: Some caution needs to be taken though, as over time this category of herbs can your body can become dependent on them to have a bowel movement. I recommend using these for short time periods, as they can be helpful, but not for long-term use.
Another way to support the bowels is by consuming herbs and foods rich in mucilage. These herbs help to soothe the intestinal lining and bulk up the stool. They can be incorporated as food, or taken in powder form (mixed with water into a paste or in a smoothie).
The easy answer from a herbal perspective- you want to use herbs to decrease digestive inflammation while healing & soothing the intestinal lining. Also, make sure to check out the 7 factors that contribute to bowel habit health and follow the recommended solutions where applicable to you!
While these aren’t necessarily to promote bowel movements directly, there are herbs that can definitely be helpful if there’s damage or irritation to your colon. These herbs are a combination of vulnerary (speeds up and encourages tissue repair), mucilaginous (provide soothing polysaccharides to calm irritation), anti-inflammatory and gently astringent, which will lead to repair damaged cells and decreased irritation in the gut. Sidenote: All of these would be excellent choices for leaky gut too!
Triphala is an Ayurvedic blend of 3 different berries- Emblica officinalis (Amalaki), Terminalia bellerica (Bibhitaki), and Terminalia chebula (Haritaki)- and is a revered medicine in regulating colon health. One human clinical trial that investigated the use of Triphala in patients with gastrointestinal disorders reported that treatment reduced constipation, mucous, abdominal pain, hyperacidity, and flatulence while improving the frequency, yield, and consistency of stool. (2) Interestingly enough, it was also found to decrease diarrhea, indicating it has a normalizing effect on gastrointestinal health, making it a great ally here. (2)
As you know, I always recommend consulting a Registered Herbalist or knowledgeable health care provider when deciding what herbs are a good fit for you, especially if you’re on medication or pregnant/ breastfeeding. Many herbs are contraindicated particularly in pregnancy, so it’s always important to find out if it’s safe. Some of the liver herbs can affect medication metabolism and it’s important to be informed. Also, all of these herbs have a host of other incredible medicinal actions, and to get the most out of them, it’s best if they're suited to your unique health situation.
To sum this all up, in order to have a happy and healthy hormone balance in the body, the liver and digestive system need to be in top shape too! Whenever you’re addressing a hormone imbalance, either in yourself or with a client or patient, in order to get the most out of your herbal protocol, always have herbs that will promote digestive health and liver detoxification.
May your digestive system and liver be loved!
With all my herbal love,
Bree xo
References:
We’ve all heard that having regular bowel movements is good for our health, but have we actually been taught why? Not only does eliminating through our intestines regularly get rid of harmful toxins processed through our liver, but it also eliminates excess hormones that need to be cleared out of our system. When we’re not having daily bowel movements, it can impact many facets of our health, including our hormones.
In my clinical practice, I look for one bowel movement daily at bare minimum, but anywhere between 1-3 is great. You want your body to be eliminating daily, so metabolic and environmental toxins are being cleared out on the regular.
First off, let’s back up a second. Did you know that the liver plays a huge role in bowel movements? It sure does! Let’s do a recap of what is going on with our body when we have a bowel movement. Remember from biology class how the liver is responsible for filtering all of our blood? That includes toxins, medications, nutrients and hormones. (3) It then packages up these harmful substances and literally sends them packing! The way the liver does this is by producing bile, which helps break down the fats that we eat, but also helps to carry excess waste and hormones into the intestines, where it can then be eliminated. Eliminating all of this metabolic waste is exactly why our bodies are designed to have bowel movements, otherwise all this junk would have nowhere to go and would accumulate and circulate indefinitely!
When the liver is busy filtering our blood, part of its job is to remove excess hormones when needed and, you guessed it, the exit door is through the intestines. When you don’t have a bowel movement every day, the waste products filtered out from the liver, including excess hormones, have a chance to get reabsorbed into the blood. This can cause our hormones to become dysregulated over time.
First, check out the list below to see if any of these factors are playing a role in your own health, and then take steps to follow the solutions! Stay tuned next week for herbs to help bowel health :)
The intestines need enough hydration to keep stool well formed, and to eliminate with ease. When you’re dehydrated, the stool can become hard and difficult to pass.
Solution: Make sure you’re drinking your 8 glasses of water daily. It’s amazing how many of us don’t get our daily requirements for water and how much of a simple difference this can make. Unfortunately, this doesn’t include coffee (or sugary juice or sodas). The good news is herbal tea does count!
A diet rich in healthful foods that naturally contain fiber is a great way to encourage healthy bowel movements. Not only that, fiber can bind to harmful cholesterol and well as excess estrogen and hormones metabolized by the liver. It’s been shown that dietary fiber can even decrease the risk of breast cancer by binding to excess estrogen in the colon so it can be eliminated, while also preventing reabsorption (2).
Solution: Focus on getting 6-10 servings of fruits and vegetables. Incorporate whole, complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, which are naturally rich in fiber. Incorporate fiber into your morning ritual by sprinkling freshly ground flaxseed or chia seeds on your oatmeal, or putting them into a smoothie. Psyllium can be another supplemental fiber source. Again, it’s important to get your water in, because fiber without water can make you more constipated!
Lack of activity can result in stagnation in the whole body, including the colon. Moving your body is a great way to promote circulation, speed up metabolism and keep the bowels moving. There are even certain yoga poses and stretches that can massage the intestines to keep them moving. Massaging your own lower abdomen (in a clockwise motion, from your right to left) can be a great way to encourage things along.
Solution: Stay active, incorporate daily movement and stretch/massage your abdomen to encourage things along.
When our body is in “fight, flight or freeze” mode, it redirects all of our blood and energy away from our digestive system towards our body systems that need fuel to escape the emergency (like our larger muscles, heart and lungs). If we’re constantly in stress-mode (which so many of us are), our digestive systems suffer, including our bowel habits. More than that, chronic stress can alter our hormones in and of itself, including sex hormones, and thyroid hormones too. If our thyroid becomes affected, that can affect our bowel movements too! One big domino effect.
Solution: Be mindful of your stress level on a daily basis and actively work to calm your nervous system. Self-care practices are super important here! Check out my article: Women's Mental Load: The Invisible Labor That Leads to Overwhelm & Burnout for awesome and creative self-care strategies.
When we consume foods that our body doesn’t like, it creates irritation and inflammation in the gut. Often, this can result in altered bowel habits.
Solution: Oftentimes we know what bothers our systems, but not always. Starting a food journal and keeping track of certain health metrics along the way for 7-10 days can be a great tool in discovering more about your food sensitivities. In your journal, keep track of what foods you ate along with how that food made you feel (energy & mood), a record of corresponding bowel movements (frequency, consistency) and any body symptoms you notice (gas, bloating, tiredness, achy joints, headaches etc).
If you want to take this to the next level, you can do what’s called an elimination diet. Don’t worry, this is not a “diet” the way we traditionally think of it, and is definitely not aimed at weight loss or restricting calories in any way. It’s about eliminating general food groups that are well-known culprits in causing health issues- things like gluten, dairy, soy, etc. For more on this, check out Dr. Robin Berzin’s article here: The Simple Elimination Diet That Could Change Your Life Forever (no affiliation, it’s just a good, simple article).
Please note: If you have an active eating disorder, struggle with any kind of disordered eating and/or a history of either of these, and you know either of these food experiments will be triggering for you, just skip this part. Also, feel free to adapt it in a way that you know will be supportive to you.
Certain medications are known to disrupt bowel habits. These groups of medications are well-known to cause constipation in some people: Opioid pain medications, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antihistamines, tricyclic depressants, urinary incontinence meds, blood pressure medications and anti-nausea medications. (1) Overuse and chronic use of laxatives can also make the bowel become dependent on them and when withdrawn, constipation can occur. Iron supplements, especially in higher doses (100-300mg) can cause digestive upset for some people, including constipation.
Solution: Being aware of what medications or supplements cause constipation is important so you can take other measures to keep your bowels regular, through food and lifestyle choices. If necessary, work with your health care practitioner(s) to address this as much as possible. For iron, there are supplements that exist with lower amounts of iron and relevant co-factors to increase absorption and minimize gut impacts. Although, I recommend working with your health care practitioner to decide what will work best for you.
A lot of us get “poop shy” and feel like we don’t want to go in public, or at work. But this leads to the body getting used to “holding it”, which eventually causes more difficulty in passing stool.
Solution: Listen to your body. When you need to go, go! This gives your body the signal that it’s urges aren’t in vain, and will encourage regular and happy bowel movements ;)
Keep an eye out next week for when I dive into what herbs can help support the liver and promote healthy bowel habits.
Here’s to happy bowel habits and balanced hormone health!
With all my herbal love,
Bree
References
Medications that cause constipation. Retrieved October 13, 2021 from The Check Up by Single Care
Reiko Suzuki,Tove Rylander-Rudqvist,Weimin Ye,Shigehira Saji,Herman Adlercreutz,Alicja Wolk. (2007) Dietary fiber intake and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer defined by estrogen and progesterone receptor status—A prospective cohort study among Swedish women. International Journal of Cancer. Retrieved October 13, 2021 from Wiley Online Library
Liver Anatomy and Functions. Retrieved October 13, 2021 from John Hopkins Medicine
What the heck does phytoestrogen even mean, anyways? The term phytoestrogen literally means “plant” (phyto) estrogen. Did you know plants make their own estrogen, too? And interestingly enough, when we ingest plant-sources of estrogen, they have an impact on us as well.
Phytoestrogens have a longstanding history of use in herbal medicine, and with it comes a windy road of how we’ve come to understand these interesting and powerful plant molecules. How do they interact with the human body? What health conditions can they help? Are there any cautions we need to worry about?
Come with me on this journey! We’re about to find out…
Before we dive into how they interact in our bodies, let’s talk about where to find them! It may surprise you to find out that you may already be eating plenty of phytoestrogenic foods on a daily basis...
Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring in a wide variety of foods that we eat everyday.
Generally speaking, phytoestrogens are found in foods such as whole grains, beans, peas, seeds, fruits and vegetables. So like I said, we get a lot of phytoestrogens in the foods we eat everyday! However, the phytoestrogenic “potency” changes based on what food we’re talking about, with some foods having more phytoestrogenic effects than others. Flax seed contains the highest total phytoestrogen content followed by soybean and tofu. (4)
If you’re looking for a more in depth list of foods that contain phytoestrogens, here it is: soybeans, tofu, tempeh, soy beverages, linseed (flax), sesame seeds, wheat, berries, oats, barley, dried beans, lentils, rice, alfalfa, mung beans, apples, carrots, wheat germ, ricebran, broccoli, cauliflower and the list goes on! (2,4) If you’re eating a whole food diet,you can pretty much guarantee you’re getting a variety of food sources of phytoestrogens on the daily.
If you do any research into phytoestrogens, you’ll come across these two terms: Lignans and isoflavones. Basically, these are two types of phytoestrogen molecules, and they differ depending on their source. To keep it simple, let’s break it down- Common phytoestrogens found in fruits (berries, apples), whole grains (barley, wheat, oats, rice) and seeds (sesame seeds, flax seed) are called lignans.
Phytoestrogens found in soy products like tempeh, tofu & soybeans, as well as in other legumes (mung beans, lentils) and peas, are called isoflavones.(2) They’re different molecules, but both act on the estrogen receptor, as we’ll discuss next!
When humans intake phytoestrogens, it has a very interesting effect. According to Dr. Jill Stansbury, phytoestrogens “bind to estrogen receptors acting as either agonists or antagonists, depending on the physiologic situation.”(1) This speaks to the fact that phytoestrogens have the capacity to balance high estrogen environments, as well as low estrogen environments, depending on what hormone pattern is present. “This dual action of phytoestrogens, to both offer estrogenic support in some situations and reduce excessive estrogen stimulation in others, is referred to by herbalists as amphoterism.” (1)
Amphoteric, is a term that comes to us from chemistry, that describes a substance that can act as both an acid and a base, depending on the situation. In herbal medicine, amphoteric, is a term used to describe a herb that “acts in two seemingly different ways, to bring about balance to the body. It harmonizes and normalizes the function of an organ or body system, balancing the two seemingly contradictory conditions such as diarrhea and constipation, or high and low blood pressure, for example.” (2) In the case of hormone health, this amphoteric effect makes phytoestrogens a fantastic and widely applicable holistic strategy for bringing balance to both low estrogen and high estrogen situations.
Interestingly (and not surprisingly!), when synthetic phytoestrogen-like compounds have been tested, they don’t have the same amphoteric action as naturally occurring phytoestrogens. (1)
The way that phytoestrogens work is they fit into our own endogenous estrogen-receptor sites, which essentially “blocks” our own estrogen from binding. Endogenous is just a fancy biology word that means, “growing or originating from within an organism.” So our bodies make our own estrogen, it circulates around and fits into estrogen receptor cells, which results in specific “estrogenic” effects in the body. Our own body’s estrogen is much stronger than phytoestrogens, though. When phytoestrogens fit into the estrogen receptor site, they have a “weaker” estrogenic effect, while blocking the “stronger” estrogen (our own) from binding. This means when there is a picture of excess estrogen in the body, there is an overall decrease in estrogenic effects system-wide. Pretty cool, hey?
Conditions thought to be the result of excess estrogen, often referred to as “estrogen dominance”, include: uterine fibroids, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) (in some presentations), fibrocystic breasts, PMS (premenstrual headaches, mood changes, bloating,etc) and more. (9)
In the case where estrogen might be low, like in menopause let’s say, phytoestrogens can be really supportive in creating more estrogen-like effects in the body. Remember how phytoestrogens fit into the estrogen receptor site? Well, if there is a lack of estrogen to stimulate those receptors, then the phytoestrogens will fill the receptor sites to stimulate an increase in estrogenic effects, system-wide. Make sense? Also, pretty amazing, right?
The completely natural phase of life that comes with an equally natural dip in estrogen is menopause. Menopausal symptoms may benefit greatly from the addition of phytoestrogens to the diet and herbal protocols.
I’m so glad you asked! Phytoestrogens are a specific category of herbs, meaning not all herbs contain phytoestrogens. Knowing which herbs are rich in phytoestrogens can be super helpful along your herbal journey. Here’s a list that summarizes some of the main ones.
My Favorite Phytoestrogenic Herbs:
There are quite a few herbs that have shown potential phytoestrogenic effects, but this research is ongoing and the way they interact in the human body continues to be explored. (14)
In herbal medicine, we use Vitex to modulate estrogen, meaning it has the effect of bringing estrogen back into balance, whether high or low. And while some of the research shows phytoestrogenic activity, it’s thought that the hormone-balancing effect of Vitex is caused by its direct action on the pituitary gland- that part of our brain that plays a key role in hormone messaging. (7,8) To get really specific, the mechanism of action is presumed to be it’s effects on the dopamine receptors, which results in changes of prolactin secretion from the anterior pituitary. Interestingly enough with Vitex, how much you take will affect the final hormone balancing effects. At low doses, “it blocks the activation of D2 (dopamine) receptors in the brain by competitive binding, causing a slight increase in prolactin release. In higher concentrations, the binding activity is sufficient to decrease the release of prolactin.” (10). Ok, so if you just totally glazed over and that went way over your head, don’t worry about it and just come back to me! That was for all of my herbal science nerds out there. The main takeaway here is that herbs are complex! The way they interact in the body can be multifaceted, and just because a herb acts on the hormones doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a phytoestrogen.
Black cohosh is another plant that we use in herbal medicine to regulate estrogen, and can be found in almost all formulas for menopausal symptoms, among other hormone balancing formulations. However, the thought that Black Cohosh contains phytoestrogenic compounds, and acts through that mechanism is a myth. (6). According to research, “extracts of Black Cohosh do not contain estrogenic compounds: they exert their efficacy through mechanisms linked to the presence of dopaminergic, noradrenergic, serotoninergic and GABAergic acting substances, but no estrogenic activity can be expected.” (6) This points to the effects that Black Cohosh has on important neurotransmitters, another very interesting discovery!
So to summarize- there are many herbs that can help to balance hormones, and while many of these herbs can help to balance estrogen, they do so through a different mechanism of action, not because they’re phytoestrogenic.
First, you want to keep the other medicinal properties of the herb in mind. Hops, for example, are gently sedative and can be a great ally when there is insomnia, sleep disturbance, anxiety or any need to calm the nervous system. Red clover, on the other hand, is really nutritive and can help clear up skin issues. Remember, herbs have multiple effects and actions in the body, which is part of why they’re so incredibly healing! Choosing phytoestrogens that have the positive “side effect” of helping other health issues present, is the best way to get the full medicinal effect of a specific herb.
Second, you want to keep the energetics of the plant in mind. This is where it can take a little more experience to understand the nuances of how a plant will impact a person’s “internal terrain”, also known as they’re constitution type. Here’s what I mean by “herbal energetics”: Does the herb help to moisten tissues, or dry them out? Is it heating or cooling? Does it encourage relaxation or constriction? All of these qualities will be needed in different situations, depending on the person, and can be an important part of finding the right “match” for every individual.
Over the years, there has been much debate about whether or not natural sources of estrogen (food and herbs) have the same negative impact as synthetic or xenoestrogens (harmful environmental compounds capable of binding to estrogen receptors), as it relates to hormone-sensitive cancers. Dr. Stansbury states: "Only a decade ago the use of phytoestrogens at all for cancer patients was controversial and of concern to practitioners due to valid concerns over possible proliferative effects on hormone-sensitive tissues. As research mounts, not only do phytosterols appear safe for consumption by patients with previous or existing hormonal cancers, but they also appear to have preventative and clinical benefits for breast and prostate cancer patients." (1)
Yes, phytoestrogens bind to estrogen receptor sites to stimulate a weak estrogenic effect in the body, but "the research is mounting that such hormonal actions do not overstimulate hormone dependent cancers, and at the present time, phytoestrogens appear to be valuable tools to include in the overall treatment protocols for breast, prostate and other hormonal cancers." (1)
Crawford adds: "Many women are told to stop taking estrogenic herbs because their doctors do not understand what experienced herbalists know about these herbs. Herbs with plant hormones do not behave like hormone drugs. Some studies suggest that phytoestrogens can decrease the risk of cancer, presumably by competing with (endogenous) estrogen." (12)
The regular consumption of soy products in the diet seems to lower the risk of developing breast cancer, and the protective effects are mostly attributed to the phytoestrogens. (11) One meta-analysis (compilation of many studies), reported that 2-3 servings of soy daily (containing 25-30mg of isoflavones- a plant-based constituent present in leguminous herbs) "offered protection against breast cancer and its recurrence." (1)
There are definitely some practitioners who still adhere to the "approach with caution" mindset in regards to phytoestrogen use. Dr. Romm, midwife, herbalist and medical doctor, takes a more conservative approach to phytoestrogens and says: "The relationship between breast cancer and phytoestrogens appears to be dependent on a number of variables, including age at exposure, individuality in metabolism, endogenous (natural estrogen in the body) hormone levels, form in which phytoestrogens are consumed (i.e. as supplements or foods), and whether soy products are fermented, which may increase bioavailability. Adolescent exposure to soy products seems to be one key to its protective effects against breast cancer." (13) She goes on to say that there is still doubt around exactly how phytoestrogens affect increased breast cancer risk, but that there is no evidence demonstrating harmful effects when phytoestrogens are incorporated as part of a well-balanced diet including tempeh, tofu, soy, flax, and in fact can have "health promoting effects".
She cautions that "supplemental phytoestrogens, however, is not advisable, particularly for women with a history of breast cancer or breast cancer risk." (13)
Therefore, in summary, if you are someone who has a history of hormone-sensitive cancers and/or are at risk due to a strong family history and you'd like to be cautious, it appears dietary/natural sources of phytoestrogens (including preparations of herbs in their natural form i.e. no isolated constituents or concentrated extraction of specific compounds) can prove to be protective. However, using supplements (that may concentrate the phytoestrogenic constituents), may be something to avoid.
Dr. Stansbury adds: "It is not a good idea to consume an abnormal amount of phytosterols (phytoestrogens), but the consumption of beans is not contraindicated, nor is the use of herbal medicines to manage menopausal symptoms in women with a history of breast cancer or those experiencing surgical menopause. There is no evidence that the consumption of leguminous herbs or dietary soy and other beans causes harm, but research is ongoing to confirm safety in all circumstances.” (1)
Disclaimer: Of course, patients with a history of hormone-sensitive cancers should always consult with a knowledgeable physician and/or specialist. This information is for educational purposes only and is not meant to replace care from your primary care giver.
And with that, we’re at the end of our phytoestrogen journey! I hope this information was helpful.
As always, signing off with all my wild herbal love,
Bree
References
Has Your Menstrual Cycle Changed Since Getting Your COVID-19 Vaccine? You’re Not the Only One...
Fever, digestive upset and a wickedly sore arm are some of the side effects we’ve been told to expect from the vaccine.
Menstrual irregularities, on the other hand, was not something on the collective radar when the vaccine first came out. And as it stands, the vaccine companies and the FDA are denying the vaccine has any impact on the menstrual cycle. However, there’s a wave of people coming forward to report that their menstrual cycles have been noticeably different after receiving their vaccine. If you’ve experienced this, you’re not alone. In fact, the reason I’m writing this article is because in my own clinical practice I started having women tell me: “My period was the heaviest it’s ever been,” or “my cramps were so bad I went to the hospital because I thought a cyst was bursting.” All out of the norm for what they’d usually experience with their periods, with the symptoms showing up the cycle after receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. Recently, I find myself telling client after client that they’re not the only ones.
The impact on the menstrual cycle has gotten so much attention as of late, that 5 major medical institutions have been awarded a shared 1.67 million dollars to study it! (4) Dr. Kathryn Clancy, a researcher who has focused on uterine, ovarian and menstrual cycle health for decades, hopped on that research train right out of the gate. She noticed cycle irregularities first in herself when her period was “the heaviest it had ever been in (her) life” after receiving the COVID-19 shot. (3) Dr. Clancy decided to take it to social media to see if any one else was experiencing the same thing and her original tweet blew up with similar responses- people who experienced heavier or lighter bleeds, painful cramps, longer cycles, multiple bleeds in one month and/or breakthrough bleeding (even from people on long-acting reversible contraception, people on gender-affirming hormones, and postmenopausal people who were years and years out from their last period). (3) Since then she’s paired up with biological anthropologist and PhD, Katharine Lee, to research the connection between the vaccine and menstrual changes in an ongoing study, through which they’ve collected more than 140,000 reports from people who say they've noticed a change in their periods after vaccination. (3) It isn’t something that happens to everyone, that’s for sure, but if you’ve experienced anything like this, you’re not alone!
If you want to contribute to their research and be a part of documenting this phenomenon, check out their online survey to participate.
One of the issues with the clinical trials done for the COVID-19 vaccine (along with a lot of medical research), is the lack of focus on how this medical intervention specifically impacts women’s bodies. (5) Because the priority was to get this vaccine out as soon as possible, the major focus was placed on investigating and reporting any “serious adverse reactions,'' and menstrual cycle changes didn’t fall under that category. More than that, menstrual irregularities weren’t even included as a potential listed “side effect” during the initial clinical trials. (3) Generally speaking, most women wouldn’t consider a heavier bleed or terrible cramps as a “serious adverse reaction”, which meant that these menstrual cycle changes went underreported and completely under the radar.
Immunity & The Uterus
Did you know there are immune cells that run through the entire female reproductive system? In fact, immune cells play such an intricate role in some of our reproductive functions, like menstruation and pregnancy, that there’s a whole branch of medicine dedicated to it! These specialists are called reproductive immunologists. And according to a recent article published in Immunology Journal, it’s an exciting time to be one, because unlike the understanding we have of other mucous membranes, the female reproductive system is just starting to be explored in more depth. (2) It’s about time, if you ask me!
The science of immune cells can get pretty complex, pretty quickly, so for the purposes of simplicity we’ll keep this part brief. Essentially, scientists and researchers are suspecting that because the uterus mounts its own immune response to various stimuli, it may undergo its own changes and shifts as the body develops antibodies to respond to the COVID-19 virus. (2,4) No doubt we’ll have more answers soon with the ongoing research in the works!
The vaccine may not be the only reason your period has gone awry. It’s well documented that other factors can affect the menstrual cycle:
Stress is a huge menstrual cycle disruptor, and we know that COVID-19 has not been easy on us in the way of stress. Our sex hormones are particularly affected by cortisol, the stress hormone released when our nervous system kicks into “fight, flight or freeze” mode (the sympathetic response). Part of getting your cycle back on track, if this is the case for you, involves calming and nourishing the nervous system to encourage it to switch back into “rest and digest” mode (the parasympathetic response). Alongside other stress-reducing strategies, it’s good to remember that herbs can be a great way to support your immune system, decrease the stress load in your body and support hormone health.
Also, it’s good to know that contracting COVID-19 itself has been linked to menstrual changes as well. One study conducted in China retroactively looked at women of child-bearing age diagnosed with COVID-19, and found that of “177 patients with menstrual records, 45 (25%) patients presented with menstrual volume changes, and 50 (28%) patients had menstrual cycle changes, mainly a decreased volume (20%) and a prolonged cycle (19%).” (1)
From what we know so far, there’s no indication that these cycle changes are permanent or long-lasting, according to Dr. Kathleen Jordan, a specialist in internal medicine and infectious disease and the senior vice president of Medical Affairs at Tia Clinic. (5) However, more research is needed, and as this phenomenon is studied in more depth, we’ll have more of an understanding of the time-frame associated with these cyclical changes.
Important note: If there are persistent menstrual cycle changes, it’s definitely wise to get a check up from your family physician to rule out any underlying cause for concern.
I hope this article was helpful along your health journey.
With all of my herbal love,
Bree
If you need support to get your menstrual cycle back on track with a little help from our herbal allies, I’ve got you!
References
Li, K., Chen, G., Hou, H., Liao, Q., Chen, J., Bai, H., Lee, S., Wang, C., Li, H., Cheng, L., & Ai, J. (2021). Analysis of sex hormones and menstruation in COVID-19 women of child-bearing age. Reproductive biomedicine online, 42(1), 260–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2020.09.020
Monin L., Whettlock E.M. & Male V. Immune responses in the human female reproductive tract. Immunology. 2020; 160: 106-115. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/imm.13136
National Public Radio (NPR): Why Reports Of Menstrual Changes After COVID Vaccine Are Tough To Study.
John Hopkins Medicine: COVID-19 NEWS: Study to Investigate Impacts of COVID Vaccines on Menstruation
Medical News Today: Can COVID-19 vaccines affect periods?
Dr. Aviva Romm: Has COVID-19 Caused a Wave of Pandemic Period Problems?
Paleo. Intermittent Fasting. Vegetarian. Keto. Low Fat. Low Carb.
It’s no secret that with all the styles of eating out there, it can be absolutely overwhelming to know what, when and how to eat. So to cut through some of the noise, I’m here to get back to basics, so we can all just take a big breath and reconnect to ourselves and our bodies for a moment.
I always say: “Health starts in the gut,” because I truly believe it! Think about it. All of our building blocks- every single vitamin, mineral, and nutrient our body needs- comes from our digestive system. So if you’re going to start anywhere in turning your health around, or preserving your vitality well into the future, nutrition and healthful eating is the foundation.
To simply do this, here are my top 3 places to start.
This sounds super simple, and it is! That’s why it’s #1 on the list. But simple doesn’t always mean easy. With the plethora of fad diets out there and so much information, our heads get filled with messages that end up separating us from our beautiful, intelligent bodies.The truth is we've gotten pretty far from the one thing that will tell us what we need to nourish ourselves well, every time... our own bodies. Our bodies are designed to work well when given the resources it needs- whole nutrients, sleep, down time, movement and love. If any of these are missing, we have a problem. But back to the nutrition part, there are some very simple ways we tune into what we might need.
The 4 “Golden Rules” for listening to your body:
When was the last time you checked in with your gut? In case you need some guidance, here’s how you can do a quick gut check:
Are you eating things you know don’t make you feel good?
What’s up, dairy! Or maybe it’s gluten, too much refined sugar or coffee. Whatever it is, we often keep up with eating habits we know don’t serve us. If we continue to eat foods that aggravate our digestive systems, we may experience uncomfortable symptoms like gas, bloating, cramps, acid reflux, or bowel movement disruptions like loose or hard stools. Over the long term, eating irritant foods can create inflammation in the gut which can eventually lead to more serious health disruptions down the road stemming from leaky gut. Some studies show that leaky gut may be associated with other autoimmune diseases (lupus, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis), chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, arthritis, allergies, asthma, acne, obesity, and even mental illness. (3) Part of listening to your body involves cutting out foods that it doesn’t like so instead of mounting an inflammatory immune response, it can dedicate its precious energy to important functions like detoxification and healing.
Are you forcing yourself to eat in a way that doesn’t work for you?
Maybe intermittent fasting leaves you feeling weak and hangry, but you’re forcing yourself to do it because you heard it can help with weight loss or blood sugar regulation. This may be the case for some folks, but we’re all super different! If it doesn’t work for you, it may actually be more stressful on your system, causing other health consequences down the road. Listening to your body means paying attention to those cues and switching it up when a specific strategy isn’t serving you or supporting you to feel more balanced and nourished.
In case you need a reminder, your body speaks to you in the language of symptoms. When you feel full of energy, vibrancy and are in a state of general well-being, that’s your body saying: “Thank you!” When you feel depleted, fatigued, and have specific symptoms of any kind, that’s your body communicating to you: “Hello, my dearest! Something requires your attention over here. Please listen to me before this gets worse!”
Your body is the only barometer you need when it comes to knowing what works best for you. Listen to your body’s cues.
If you’re craving carbs all the time, maybe your body is telling you it isn’t getting enough protein or fiber to sustain it all the way to the next meal. Or it’s saying: “Hey! There’s too much cortisol running through my veins, and I’m trying to replenish my energy reserves. Slow down and rest!”
If you’re getting anxious after drinking coffee, maybe your body is already over-stimulated and is saying: “Hey sweetheart, lay off the caffeine to give my adrenals a break, would ya?!”
If you eat fruit for breakfast and are starving an hour later, maybe your body is telling you it needs a hearty meal with protein and fiber to start out the day and stabilize your blood sugar for longer.
If you eat a big meal right before bed and you wake up feeling super groggy, maybe your body is telling you it needs more time before bed to digest properly.
If you skip meals and eat a super low carb, low fat diet but are still feeling cranky, tired and are gaining weight, that’s your body telling you it isn’t getting the building blocks it needs, is in “survival mode” and something needs to change.
If you do keto and lose your menstrual cycle, that’s your body telling you it doesn’t have enough resources to supply your reproductive system with the hormones it needs to stay in balance.
If every time you eat dairy (or any specific food), you have to run to the washroom or get a skin flare up (or any other symptom), this might be your body telling you it doesn’t like this food because it’s aggravating and causes inflammation.
All this to say that your body is always telling you what it needs, and if we’re too busy to tune into those cues and aren’t paying attention, we miss these important messages. And guess what? If we miss our body’s whispers, and then ignore the full on conversation, and then tune out the shouts...well guess what? Our body will start screaming. And that, my friend, is where serious health issues start to surface so we have no choice but to pay attention.
Yup, again this is super simple, but in this world, not always easy! Like all of these strategies, I understand this may take some conscious effort and that’s ok. You can do this!
We live in a fast and refined food haven these days. Generally speaking, refined and “quick” foods are highly refined, full of weird and harmful chemicals, additives, hormones, pro-inflammatory oils and lots of sugar and salt. One of the easiest ways to assure you’re providing your body with solid nutrients is by focusing on whole foods. This means simple ingredients. Bringing it back to basics. Whole food and real foods include: whole grains, meat, eggs, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. As much as possible, eat foods that resemble the original ingredients!
What might it look like to focus on real, whole foods? Maybe it means cooking up spaghetti squash or quinoa to eat with that delicious home-made tomato sauce instead of relying on refined pasta as your source of carb; or instead of quick-oat packages with sugar, you’re making some steel cut oats in the slow cooker overnight and adding some berries and a splash of maple syrup. Maybe for you, it would just mean eating out 1 less time in the week. Meet yourself where you’re at, and build on it one step at a time. Often these shifts don’t happen overnight, and offering yourself some grace is always a good idea.
Why is this important? Real food in its whole form is designed by nature herself to be rich in minerals, vitamins, fiber and protein which naturally provides the building blocks your body needs to thrive. That’s it. It’s as simple as that ;)
One of the single most powerful ways you can support your health and that beautiful body of yours is by getting up close and personal with fruits and veggies, 6-10 times a day, to be exact. I’m not kidding- If you make ONE change to the way you do food that will have the biggest impact on your overall vitality and well-being, this would be it. This is one I’m working on myself, on the regular. In this fast-paced, grab and go culture it can be so easy to get through the whole day, look back and realize: “Wow, I had one piece of fruit and a serving of veggies in that soup… I think!”
It’s so important to get enough fruit and veg in the day, as well a wide variety of colors and here’s why:
Every color you see in fruits and vegetables (like the purple of blueberries or the red of a pepper) all have their own unique, naturally-occurring phytochemicals that have their own unique health benefits! Cool, right?!
Purple and blue, for example, come from a phytochemical called Anthocyanins, which act like an antioxidant to quench free radicals, fight off cancer cells, decrease inflammation, fend off microbes, prevent cardiovascular disease and prevent obesity. (1)
Lutein, on the other hand, the phytochemical that gives vegetables their green color, has been found to improve or even prevent age-related macular disease which is the leading cause of blindness and vision impairment in the elderly. It’s also been shown to ameliorate cognitive function, decrease the risk of cancer, and improve measures of cardiovascular health. (2)
It doesn’t stop there! Every color, like I said, has a positive impact on different cells and organs in the body, so getting a little of every color is going to set you up for covering a lot of important ground when it comes to your health.
Check out this incredible, quick and fun breakdown of each of the phytonutrient colors and their health benefits here: Health Benefits of Eating the Rainbow (City of Columbus, Human Resources Department).
It can be easy to fall into a bit of a rut by always choosing the same foods when we go to the grocery store. Try switching it up! Observe what colors you get a lot of, and then try adding in more colors of the rainbow to get those rich, healthful plant phytonutrients that offer powerful protective qualities for our cells and bodies.
As women, in particular, we’re especially hard on our bodies (our magical, beautiful,intelligent & powerful bodies that work so hard for us, day in and day out). It’s so important to invite in some gentleness, some kindness and some love towards ourselves and our bodies as we navigate through any changes we’re making. Remember that it’s not all or nothing, it’s all or something (as my workout coach Betty Rocker always says!). You don’t need to change a million things overnight. Also, if you’ve been waiting for permission to switch something up that isn’t working for you (but you’ve been clinging to it because you think it’s “healthy”), here’s your permission slip to let it go and focus on the ways of eating that truly nourish you.
May you be truly nourished, my dearest, from the inside out.
With Wild Herbal Love (as always),
Bree xo
References
The Fall Equinox is a perfect time to pause, take stock and have a good honest look at what you’d like to let go of, and what you’d like to invite into your life. With the changing of the seasons comes an opportunity to follow mother nature’s cues and shift up your energy. Nature is no fool, and she knows that no flower can bloom forever. After the bustling vibrancy of the summer, energy being expended with extroverted exuberance, the fall calls in a more centered energy. Leaves must fall, energy retreats down into the roots and there is a regrouping, a more introverted energy that emerges.
Like the magnificent ecosystem that surrounds us, fall is a season that gently invites us to return to ourselves with a renewed commitment to that which serves us deeply.
I call these rituals because they should be approached with the same reverence and intention as any good ritual. The mindset with which I encourage you to approach these reflections and questions is from that magical, connected part of you that knows exactly who you are and what you need to be vibrant and alive. Before diving in, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and allow yourself to land in the moment. Here we go!
Take stock of the people, things, commitments and ways of being that perhaps served you in the past, but no longer bring you joy. This might take some courage, self-reflection and some deep-diving into your being to tune into what’s true for you, but this exercise will serve you deeply. Here are some questions you can ask yourself and reflect on.
Ritual Tip: I recommend lighting a candle and cozying up on the couch with your favorite pen and journal, using the questions as journal prompts (sounds delicious right?!)
I invite you to notice what pops into your mind *immediately* after reading the question, or writing it down. Oftentimes, our subconscious minds, psyches and bodies will communicate to us exactly what it is we need to let go of. When we’re busy, we can ignore the nagging feeling or thoughts that keep popping up, nudging us in a more aligned direction. But when we’re still and open, these inner knowings can come to the surface with more clarity and ease.
Are there any activities or commitments that suck your energy or are no longer life-giving? Anything you would love to just not have to do anymore? What are some creative ways you could organize your life to not have to do those things anymore (or to minimize your engagement in them)?
Is there anyone in your life you feel drained by or feel obligated to be around?
Are there any boundaries you need to put in place to preserve your precious life energy and to honor yourself? (This could be around your job, with specific people etc)
Is there a habit you’re ready to let go of that you know brings you down, drains you or chips away at your confidence?
Are there any limiting beliefs you have about yourself that you’ve been clinging to, or find yourself spinning over and over in your head?
Does your space (office, car, home) need a deep clean or a de-clutter? Are you hanging onto things that clutter up your physical space that you could get rid of or donate?
We all know that summer can be a tough time to stick to a routine or stay on track with our supportive practices. I mean, who has time to work out when the mojitos are calling!? If you’ve been hard on yourself for “falling off the wagon” in any way, now is the time to call in a little self-compassion, shake it off and recommit to the habits you know serve you well.
Ritual Tip: To get the full effect of this ritual, I recommend preparing one of your favorite warm beverages, heading to a beautiful spot in nature to watch the colorful, falling leaves in real time (if possible!), getting out a fresh piece of paper and brainstorming the following:
Is there someone you’ve been neglecting or taking for granted? A specific relationship (with your kids, partner, friend, family, coworker, employees etc) that you’d like to put more love, energy and attention into? What would it take for you to do so? What would it look like for you to spend more time on this?
Is there a habit you know nourishes your body and supports your physical well-being? (this could be meal-prepping so you get wholesome nutrients and your blood sugar stays balanced all day long, your yoga practice, doing your weight-training exercises, taking your supplements, stretching to support an injury or taking your herbal formula to support the specific health goals you’re working on).
Does your spiritual life need some love and attention? Is there a practice you know would help you to feel more grounded and connected to your spiritual beliefs and faith? (Maybe this looks like meditation, prayer or going to church regularly. If nature is your church, this may mean planning regular trips to the forest or walks in green spaces)
Are there daily or weekly rituals you love & that bring you joy? (Maybe having family suppers on Sunday, going to a special park or place with your kids once a week, date night with your partner, always having fresh flowers in the house, or having your evening cup of tea)
How’s your emotional and mental well-being? Is it time to prioritize taking care of these aspects of yourself? If so, what would it look like for you to put energy into this?
If I’ve learned anything at all in the last 18 months (since covid and becoming a mom), it’s that we need a solid support system in order to really thrive in this life! In our North American culture, we’ve really moved towards the “individual” and have seriously moved away from the “community”. This often translates into us thinking we need to do it ALL on our own, and when we can’t (because NO ONE can do it all on their own), we’ve “failed” or “there’s something wrong with us”. This is a lie that can quite literally harm us, not only emotionally and mentally, but physically. I think this is a HUGE mistake and is one of the biggest contributing factors to the overwhelm, loneliness, burn out, isolation, stress, anxiety and depression that runs rampant in our society.
One of the MOST important things we need as human beings is other human beings who love us, support us and are there to cheer us on when we need it the most. Having a support system not only makes it so you’re more likely to succeed in implementing some of these new habits and ways of being, but will make it easier to get back up when you *inevitably* fall down (Like Jon Acuff says- it’s not a matter of IF we fall off, but WHEN. And knowing that makes it so we don’t let perfectionism or self-defeating thoughts get us down. We simply start again.) Having our cheerleading team reminding us that we’re human, we’re fully capable and saying things like “look how far you’ve actually come!” is so important for us to feel empowered and *good* in this journey we call life.
Being supported can also involve setting up systems and routines that support you to streamline your energy and make it easier to implement new habits, let go of old ones and create the life you’re looking for.
Now comes the ritual.
Ritual Tip: Find yourself a quiet spot, get your favorite essential oil diffusing in the air, and wrap yourself in a nice comfy blanket with your journal in your lap ready to rock.
Questions to Ask: How Can You Create More Support In Your Life?
Are there people in your life you could call on to help you with tasks you know you need support with? (Could you have a trusted friend or family member come over to watch the kids at a regular time each week so you can focus on what is important to you, or so you can sleep or rest, guilt-free? Could you get your sister to come help clean out that closet (or whole house!) so your space is clutter-free and clear? By the way, I just did this...my sister is the BEST.)
If this is accessible to you, is there someone you could hire or a service you could pay for to take some of the load off of you? (This might look like hiring a babysitter, hiring a house-cleaner once a month or every couple weeks, hiring a bookkeeper for your business, subscribing to Chef’s Plate, Hello Fresh or some kind of meal-plan so cooking is easier and healthier, buying groceries online and getting someone else to shop for you, etc)
Is there a calendar or planning system that will help streamline scheduling for you and your family? (Do you need a google calendar with everyone’s schedule synced up so you can see what’s happening for everyone on any given day? Do you need to find a daytimer you absolutely love that can help you schedule your important habits ahead of time?)
Do you need an accountability partner who keeps you on track and supports you along the way? (This could be your best friend, sister, coworker, someone random from a FB group or another platform. The idea is to schedule a regular, weekly check-in that allows you and the group to be accountable to someone.)
Do you need to set up specific milestones and/or a reward system to motivate yourself? (It can be really helpful to set up specific and small milestones- when you reach them, celebrate! I know that for me writing down and keeping track of my supportive habits helps keep me accountable. I literally give myself a sticker when I work out, don’t work in the evening, or when I go to bed early, for example. These are some of the things I’m working on this fall!).
Do you need to seek our professional support to get to some of your goals or to support you in shifting patterns? (This could look like a psychologist, family doctor or medical specialist, naturopath, counsellor, massage therapist, chiropractor, acupuncturist, nutritionist, personal trainer or herbalist!)
Do you need to talk to anyone about what you need and the changes you’re making? (This could mean talking to your partner about getting on board, talking to your boss about leaving right at 5pm every day, telling the parent-teacher committee at school you won’t be volunteering anymore, or having a tough conversation with someone you need to set some boundaries with).
I hope these rituals have got your brain thinking, your heart pondering and has inspired that deep-down part of you to make the changes you need in your life so you can not only survive, but thrive this fall (and beyond!).
With all of my Wild Fall Equinox love,
Bree xo
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Yarrow is a plant that is near and dear to my heart (I mean, I did name my business after it!), not only because it's lovely white flowers and long feathery leaves bring me joy, but also because it’s a medicinal powerhouse. In fact, yarrow was one of the first herbs that convinced me herbal medicine really does work!
I’m in the Utah mountains attending a rainbow gathering (if you’ve never been to one, it’s essentially a grassroots festival type gathering). I’ve traveled all the way from Alberta, Canada to attend! Although hippie-type events are usually my thing, I’m not here for the event itself. I’m here to meet a well-established, well-known herbalist from New York named 7song. I’ve heard amazing things about him- how he runs a free clinic in Ithaca, NY as well as being the founder of the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine, and I want to learn from him in person. He’s run a herbal first aid tent for years at the rainbow gatherings and has helped countless people get the resources they need to address their emergent health issues while at the gathering. It’s super remote. No help for miles and miles, so this herbal first aid tent is THE first aid tent of the gathering. I wanted in on this. I wanted to see it first hand and wanted to help. In a brief interaction beforehand, he frankly told me: “If you show up, I’ll teach you.” Apparently, many people have bailed in the past...but not me. I was stoked.
So on one particular day, we got called to a campsite where someone had a nasty foot injury. We got all our supplies ready and started trekking up to the campsite to find the person who was hurt. As we were tending to the foot injury, we heard a loud holler coming from someone further back in the campsite. In no time, the person was rushing towards us holding up a finger that he’d chopped the tip off of while preparing dinner! It was bleeding profusely.
Someone in our group yelled loudly: “Find Yarrow!” So the group quickly split up to scour the mountainside looking for fresh growing yarrow...and found it. We quickly picked the leaves and got the man to chew up the leaf to make a poultice to apply to his finger. I couldn’t believe what I saw. Where moments before there was a panicked man with his finger profusely bleeding, was all of a sudden a very relieved man thanking us because the bleeding had completely stopped. Yarrow almost immediately made the bleeding stop. It was truly incredible to witness.
And there began my deep respect and love of Yarrow. (Shout out to 7song, as I’ll always be so grateful for the opportunity to have such a profound, hands-on experience with the plants under his mentorship!)
While Yarrow’s styptic action (the fancy herbal term to indicate it stops bleeding) was a shock to me, it’s use for wound healing has been long known by Indigenous cultures across North America for thousands of years.
With Yarrow being native to this land (Turtle Island/North America), Indigenous peoples have a long-standing relationship with the medicinal and spiritual properties of this respected plant. According to Native Languages: “Yarrow plays an extensive role in the medicine and oral history of Native American tribes throughout North America,” particularly used as an astringent poultice applied to wounds (known to stop infection, pain and bleeding), and as a treatment for headaches, toothaches, and gastrointestinal problems. (10)
Yarrow is considered one of the sacred Life Medicines of the Navajo tribe. (10) The Anishinaabe “attribute spiritual values to yarrow, as well as to four sacred plants: sweet grass, sage, cedar and tobacco. Related to sweet grass and cedar, yarrow wards off negative energy, where Sweet grass attracts positive energy and cedar helps maintain balance.” (12)* Interestingly enough, to this day, yarrow flower essence is used as a protective force to hold safe boundaries and ward off negative influences. (12)
*If you would like to share any of your traditional uses for Yarrow and feel it is missing from this representation, please let me know in the comments below and I’ll gratefully add it to the above paragraph (with permission).
It’s from this traditional knowledge that our use for Yarrow as a powerful medicinal plant follows us into today’s practice of herbal medicine. So with gratitude for all those who came before us and imparted this knowledge, let’s explore Yarrow’s incredible healing medicine.
Yarrow seems to have an “intelligence” about what needs to happen with the blood, whether that be stopping it, starting it or dispersing it appropriately in the body. Herbalist Matthew Wood refers to yarrow as “the master of the blood”, and for good reason. (4) Let me explain...
Yarrow’s use for healing wounds goes back to the time of Ancient Greece all the way up to the First World War, being used to stop bleeding and prevent infection in wounded soldiers. (1,2) This is where some of its common names come from: soldiers’ woundwort, staunch weed, nosebleed, woundwort, and carpenter’s weed. It also contains antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, making it ideal for decreasing swelling, pain and the risk of infection. (3)
Yarrow can also minimize excessive and heavy menstrual cycles, which can prevent anemia from too much blood loss every month. Of course, always make sure the underlying cause of excessive bleeding is investigated, but when needed, yarrow can be a wonderful ally for a heavy cycle.
Now here’s where it gets wild. So as we’ve seen yarrow can stop bleeding and hemorrhaging when needed, but it can also encourage blood flow and circulate blood where needed.
For example, working as an emmenagogue, yarrow can bring on a delayed menstrual cycle. (5) As a peripheral circulatory stimulant, yarrow circulates blood through the body and dilates blood vessels which can in turn decrease high blood pressure. (6) It is also reputed to tonify and strengthen blood vessels (useful for hemorrhoids) and decreases the risk of clotting making it a supportive ally for a wide range of cardiovascular conditions. (4)
As a bitter tonic, Yarrow supports the whole digestive process. Traditionally, herbal bitters are used to increase gastric and digestive secretions (saliva, stomach acid, bile), which in turn improves overall digestion by enhancing nutrient breakdown and assimilation. Yarrow has been used for bloating, indigestion, loss of appetite and intestinal spasms. It’s thought that the antispasmodic effects of Achillea species might be due to the flavonoid constituents of the plant, “which are reported to cause a potent relaxation of the ileum.” (3)
One review study found yarrow to be “effective in protecting the gastric mucosa against acute gastric lesions,” which makes it a great remedy to soothe irritated mucosa in the case of ulceration or inflammation in the digestive tract. It was also found to contain anti-inflammatory phytochemicals, including flavonoids, which help decrease harmful inflammation in the body, particularly in the gut. (3)
One of Yarrow’s strong suits is as a diaphoretic, meaning it induces sweating to support the fever process by bringing heat to the surface, and will ultimately break the fever. (4) One of the classic herbal recipes for a fever is a mixture of yarrow, elderflower and peppermint drunk hot to induce sweating. All of these herbs not only work together as diaphoretics, but the peppermint makes the tea a little more pleasant to drink as well (remember, Yarrow is a bitter herb!).
The volatile oils (essential oils) in Yarrow have been shown to have antibacterial and antiviral properties, which backs up its traditional herbal use for colds and flus. (7) This makes it an excellent herb to support respiratory infections, such as sinusitis, bronchitis or pneumonia, along with other relevant herbs (4).
Some of the recent research on Yarrow is really interesting! One recent study found that Yarrow has shown some estrogenic activity based on the phytochemicals called luteolin and apigenin. According to the study, "Apigenin can stimulate Estrogen Receptor (ER)-dependent biological pathways, but less than the endogenous hormone," which is in line with how herbalists have come to understand the action of phytoestrogens. (14) Phytoestrogens fit the same receptor site as our natural estrogen, but have a "smaller" estrogenic effect, which is thought to be beneficial for estrogen-dominant conditions, for example. When there is a lack of estrogen, in menopause let's say, phytoestrogens can fill the estrogen receptor sites to create the effects of estrogen that otherwise wouldn't be present. In this way, phytoestrogens have the potential to bring balance to the hormonal environment as it relates to estrogen imbalance. However, this isn't how herbalists tend to use Yarrow up to this point. I know I never learned it to be phytoestrogenic in school, so this research may be onto something that will be become more well-known down the road!
As it relates to cancer, Yarrow is showing some promising results in cancer treatment. One study recently investigated the antitumoral properties of Yarrow in pancreatic cancer. The study found that "Yarrow extract diminished cell viability of pancreatic cancer cell lines by induction of apoptosis (programmed cell death). Importantly, Yarrow extract synergized with the antimetabolite 5-fluororacil which is currently used in clinics to treat pancreatic tumors, making the treatment more effective." (15) That means that Yarrow was not only found to contain phytochemicals that naturally assist in reducing cancer growth, but was found to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy medications used in cancer treatments. That's pretty amazing! Of course, this study was done on mice, and more research is likely needed, but it goes to show that Yarrow may possess some potent medicinal properties that are still being uncovered by modern science.
Yarrow carries with it some pretty rich historical and mythological significance too. Historically, it’s thought that Yarrow’s use dates all the way back to the Neanderthals, with a recent discovery that found remnants of Yarrow and Chamomile in tooth remains. (13)
You know how we speak of someone’s “Achilles heel” being their weak spot? Well, there’s a great mythological story that tells the tale of Yarrow’s species name, Achillea, coming from the Greek hero Achilles. He supposedly gained his renowned strength when his mother dipped him in a bath of yarrow tea at birth, except for his heel by which she held him, leaving him with his one weak spot- the “Achilles heel” (1). The Achilles heel reference also speaks to the archetype of the “wounded healer”. Meaning, the weakness of a healer will give way to their true strength, once they’ve gone through their own healing journey. Coming through the other side of hardship, growth and learning makes a healer more equipped to help others. I love this! Another reason I love Yarrow so much.
People who are sensitive to plants in the Asteraceae family may be sensitive to yarrow. Yarrow is not recommended during pregnancy and its safety has not been established for use during lactation (8).
Tincture: 2-4 mL (1:5, 25%) 3x/day
Infusion: 1-2 tsp dried aerial parts in 8 fl oz boiling water 3x/day. During fevers, 1-2 tsp dried aerial parts hourly
*Doses taken from Hoffmann (5)
Yarrow is cold, dry & astringent. In Ayurvedic tradition, it will aggravate Vata, and decrease Kapha and Pitta. (9)
And there you have it my friends! One of my favorite plants, explained in detail. May you now feel more love for this versatile and incredible herb!
With all my Wild Yarrow love,
Bree xo
References:
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, spanning adolescence through menopause (1). It’s referred to as a syndrome, because it involves a complex interplay of various endocrine and hormone imbalances which can present differently depending on the person. At its core, PCOS is typically defined as hyperandrogenism (an excess of “male” sex hormones like testosterone), and chronic anovulation (meaning you don’t ovulate every month), which often leads to missed periods (oligomennorhea) or no period at all (amenhorrea).
Let’s get one thing clear right off the bat- the name is a little misleading. The reason for that is cysts in the ovaries aren’t always present, and in fact you don’t have to have cysts in order to be diagnosed with PCOS.
If you have cysts present, here’s why: Typically every month, a follicle will mature and be released with ovulation to be potentially fertilized. But when ovulation doesn’t occur, the follicles don’t get released. This can result in “multiple mature follicles” showing up in an ultrasound, which is where the “cyst” part comes in. Again, not all women with PCOS have these “cysts” present. Also important to note, some women have multiple follicles present in an ultrasound, and don’t have PCOS. I know, a little confusing right? Keep reading to get clearer on what PCOS is all about.
Ultimately, in order to be diagnosed with PCOS, two out of these three clinical presentations needs to be present (4):
(a) oligo-ovulation or anovulation (irregular ovulation or lack of ovulation)
(b) clinical and/or biochemical signs of hyperandrogenism, and
(c) polycystic ovaries by ultrasound and also the exclusion of other related disorders
While there tends to be a focus on its reproductive features, PCOS also has numerous metabolic consequences including increased risk of obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, premature atherosclerosis, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes and endometrial cancer (1)(4). There are definitely some serious potential health consequences down the line! But fret not- there’s a lot you can do to address the root causes of PCOS and support your body to come back into balance.
No one knows for sure what exactly causes this condition. There are several leading theories which includes genetics (it seems to run in families), elevated androgens which “contributes to hirsutism, can promote acne, creates altered feedback loops with pituitary gonadotropins (hormones produced in the ovaries such as luteinizing and follicle stimulating hormones), and frequently some degree of insulin resistance, which contributes to obesity.” (2) Because of the link to insulin-resistance, elevated lipid levels and obesity, PCOS is often referred to as a metabolic syndrome. Interestingly, and similar to the ovarian cysts discussed above, this part of the picture isn’t always present in all women who have PCOS.
In addition to elevated androgen levels, other hormones can be imbalanced. Dr. Stansbury says: “Estrogens are often elevated in tandem with the androgens, leaving women at risk of excessive estrogenic stimulation of the breasts or endometrium.” She goes on to explain that altered levels of TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), FSH (Follicular stimulating hormone) and prolactin may be present as well (2). As you can see, PCOS is multi-faceted and there is a complex interplay of symptoms going on!
So now that we know what PCOS is and how it’s affecting the body, what can we do?
A holistic approach to Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) involves addressing the following root causes and goals:
Herbalists often turn to the following herbal allies in our approach for supporting PCOS:
Of course, when it comes to herbs, I always recommend seeing a trained herbalist who can create a formula that is specific to your unique body type and will address your individual set of symptoms, so you get the best results.
Estrogen Dominance: What Else Can I Do?
If you have estrogen dominance as part of the picture for you, including up to a pound of combined fresh vegetables, especially from the brassica/cruciferous vegetable family (kale, collards, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels’s sprouts, cabbage) and fresh fruits (especially berries) each day is a great idea. The brassica family contains sulfur compounds, as well as DIM (diindolylmethane), which help the liver to clear excess estrogen out of the system.
All meat should be organic to avoid chemicals used in meat production that might be adding to your toxin burden (also known as xenoestrogens). Xenoestrogens are estrogen-like compounds that are present in the environment (chemicals added to personal care products & cleaning products, pesticides, plastics, synthetic hormones given to the animals we eat etc.). When xenoestrogens enter our bodies, they wreak havoc on our delicate hormone system and act like stronger versions of estrogen than our own. This can lead to more burden on the liver, plus a net effect of estrogen dominance in the body.
Now, with all of these strategies on your side, there’s plenty you can do to support your body naturally as you get to the root cause of your PCOS symptoms!
With all my herbal love,
Bree xo
References
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With the turn of the fall right around the corner and the kiddos back to school, it’s that time of year again where colds & flus abound. One of the best ways to support yourself and your family is to keep your immune system strong and healthy, minimizing the likelihood of getting sick in the first place. If you do get sick, bolstering your immune system will help to shorten the duration and severity of illness.
One of my all time favorite herbs for supporting the immune system naturally is Elderberry! European elderberry (Sambucus nigra), also known as black elder, has a long-standing reputation for its ability to help the body combat colds and flus and for good reason. It tastes absolutely delicious (hello, Elderberry syrup!) and has some pretty impressive medicinal properties to go along with it.
Yes, this tiny purple berry packs a serious punch when it comes to fighting off viruses (am I the only one who just pictured an elderberry wearing boxing gloves?). In vitro studies have revealed it to be effective against 10 strains of Influenza virus! (1) The way it works seems to be multi-faceted, acting on various stages of illness including “suppressing the entry of the virus into the cell, modulating the post-infectious phase, and preventing viral transmission to other cells.” (1) Not only that, but it contains Vitamin A,C & P! Vitamin P, also known as flavonoids, are essentially plant-based antioxidants that help to decrease inflammation and quench free radical damage.
According to the Journal of Natural Medicine, it was found that elderberry’s action against the Influenza virus is “strongest when used in pre-treatment, during infection and post-infection, rather than when used solely during infection.”(1) So it seems to get the best results, elderberry is an excellent herb to be taken as a preventative measure. If you're already sick though, it's not too late! In one study, 15ml of elderberry syrup given 4 times a day for 5 days at the onset of illness was found to reduce the total duration of illness by an average of 4 days. (2)
Pro Tip: Elderberry taken along side Echinacea is one of the most effective ways I've found to reduce the severity and duration of cold & flu symptoms, especially if you catch it right at the onset and take it religiously until symptoms have completely disappeared.
This syrup is rich in anti-oxidants, is anti-viral and supports the immune system in fighting off infection and illness. Can be used daily to prevent illness or used acutely to fend off colds and flus. Great for adults and children. Tastes delicious!
Ingredients:
2 cups dried elderberries
1 Tbsp dried rose hips
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp licorice root
1-2 tsp ginger root
(1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, optional)
4 cups water
1 cup local honey (Can add up to 2 cups of honey if desired to preserve longer. However, this will make it REALLY sweet! You can also add up to 1 cup of brandy or vodka to preserve it longer. For infants under the age of one, avoid honey and use maple syrup or glycerine instead).
Directions:
Dose:
½ - 1 teaspoon for kids and ½ - 1 tablespoon for adults. If the flu does strike, take the normal dose every 2-3 hours instead of once a day until symptoms disappear.
Directions:
Take 1.5 cups boiling elderberry syrup and add 2 packs gelatin
Pour into moulds (that hold approx. 1 tbsp of liquid per mould) and let set overnight.
Dose:
Follow same dosing as syrup equivalent
Credit: Gummy Recipe inspired by www.LearningHerbs.com
Cautions and Contraindications:
Safe for pregnancy and lactation 😊(“food-like” in dosing); Caution with hypertension (Licorice); Caution advised in peptic ulceration, reflux and gastritis (ginger); Do not exceed 2g per day in pregnancy (ginger); Elder berries eaten raw can cause nausea and vomiting in humans (that’s why we cook them!)
There you have it my friends! An absolutely delicious remedy to keep the illness at bay for your whole family to enjoy.
With Wild Love,
Bree
References
Randomized study of the efficacy and safety of oral elderberry extract in the treatment of influenza A and B virus infections. Retrieved on September 3, 2021 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15080016/
In the go-go fast paced world we live in, coupled with all of the messed up messages we get about weight and the skinny body ideal, meal skipping is a real thing. Maybe you’ve found yourself hurrying to get out the door in the morning, only to realize at 1pm that you’re starving, and didn’t bring a lunch. Or you’ve had a super busy day and haven’t meal prepped yet, so you end up eating popcorn for dinner, or just sort of skipping it altogether. Sprinkle in the background thoughts in your mind about wanting to lose those extra pounds: “I should probably cut back on calories anyways”...and you’ve got a recipe for, you guessed it- metabolic disaster. That may sound a little harsh, but stick with me, and I’ll tell you why.
Your brain is always hungry. Even though it accounts for a small 2% of our overall body weight, our brains consume roughly 20% of the energy our body produces, which makes it the “hungriest” part of our bodies (1). Do you know what the brain “eats” when it’s hungry? Glucose. The energy currency of the body is that simple little sugar molecule (glucose), which we get through our diets.
When the brain doesn’t get the fuel it needs, it starts to freak out in a big way and sounds the alarm bells. In other words, skipping meals is a form of stress on your body and sets off a domino effect of signals and hormones that eventually lead to some pretty detrimental health effects.
When we skip meals or heavily restrict calorie intake, our brains sound the alarm and start screaming: “Help! I’m starving! I need fuel!” which kicks in your body’s deeply ingrained survival mechanisms.
This alarm sends a signal to your adrenal glands to release cortisol. Cortisol, as we’ve come to know it well, is basically one of the key “stress hormones”.
Cortisol then tells your liver to dump all of its energy reserves (the liver stores glucose for us), into the bloodstream so it can be used.
Then comes insulin. Insulin is the hormone that gets the glucose into the cells. Insulin will spike along with cortisol, and over time the cells can become less responsive to it, which is known as insulin resistance. You know how when you listen to music, at first you can hear the lyrics and are singing away, but eventually it just becomes background noise and you’re not paying as much attention? The same thing happens to the cells with insulin. At first, in normal amounts, insulin will “knock” on the door of the cells to let sugar in, and the cells will say: “Hey, nice to see you! Come on in!” But when it’s continually knocking on the door the cells start to say: “Stop knocking and go away!”. When the cells “tune out” insulin, it means the sugar stays in the bloodstream.
Sugar in the bloodstream is dangerous, as we see with the long-term health consequences that can come with diabetes and metabolic conditions. So in comes the liver to save the day! Remember how the liver stores sugar for us? Well, the liver will take the excess sugar in the bloodstream and not only store it in the liver, but it will turn any extra sugar into fat. Yup, you hear that right. And not only fat, but the kind that hangs out around your abdomen in a big ol’ donut shape.
You know those wicked cravings for sugar and carbs you get when you’re hangry? That’s cortisol, my friends. Cortisol will send signals back to the brain and body that literally make you crave sweets and anything rich in glucose (aka sugar). This is why calorie restrictive diets and willpower don’t work- you’re working against really strong physiological messages that are telling you to eat the exact things you’re trying to avoid (hello muffins, chips and chocolate). All of this also leads to binge-eating. When your body thinks it’s entering starvation mode, and you finally start to eat food, you’re not only going to go for foods that are rich in sugar, carbs and fat, but you’re not going to stop at just one. You’re going to eat the whole fricken bag. And the reason it feels so good and tastes so damn good while you’re doing it is because your body is saying: “Yes! Thank you! Finally, some fuel!” It’s the body’s way of rewarding you for giving it some nutrients and building blocks, so it can do its job.
And if we needed one more thing to put the cherry on this cortisol cake, here it is- When we skip meals, especially if it happens a lot, our bodies will start to think that there’s a famine going on out there. And in case you didn’t know, famines are not a good scene for an organism that needs food everyday to survive. So when you do eat, guess what cortisol is going to do? It’s going to encourage your body to store that fuel as fat. Fat can be broken down into glucose later on to be used as energy when glucose itself isn’t present. It's a survival mechanism that developed over the course of evolution to protect us from starving when resources were sparse in our environments. The body knows what's it's doing, and will do whatever it can to protect us.
In order to be efficient with the energy it does have, and to conserve more of it so it lasts longer, your body is also going to slow down your metabolism. Dr. Aviva Romm, author of the Adrenal-Thyroid Revolution explains that “famine is one of those emergencies that our HPA Axis (the stress hormone pathway) is programmed to respond to by shifting us from energy expending activities like metabolism, reproductive functions and sex drive, to energy saving behaviors like slowed metabolism and weight gain. As such, cortisol puts a kabash on thyroid function. It’s like a an automatic stop on your bank account to protect you from over-drafting.” (2) In turn, low thyroid and thyroid imbalances can result from not giving yourself enough nutrients and building blocks in the day. Signs of thyroid imbalance range from hair loss, brittle nails, dry skin, constipation to low energy, depression-like symptoms and weight gain. Again! This is your body setting itself up to survive. It’s smart. Sooooo smart. And your body will do anything in its power to keep you alive.
So while you think skipping meals is no biggie, and might even help you lose a little weight, ALL of this is going on in your body and is actually setting up to gain more weight and increases your chance of developing some more serious health conditions down the road. In fact, research is showing that “tight regulation of glucose metabolism is critical for brain physiology and disturbed glucose metabolism in the brain underlies several diseases affecting both the brain itself as well as the entire organism.” (1) You may be setting yourself up for hormone imbalance, thyroid dysregulation, weight gain, insulin resistance and more. In the brain itself, “neurons are largely intolerant of inadequate energy supply, and thus the high energy demand of the brain predisposes it to a variety of diseases if energy supplies are disrupted.” (1) Meaning, if we don’t give our brains the energy it needs to govern all of our bodies functions, it’s bad news bears, my friends.
Here we are, with the moral of the story.
Sending you and your beautiful body so much love!
Bree xo
References
There’s nothing quite as empowering as harvesting your very own herbs and turning them into medicine, am I right? It’s that time of year now where plants are blooming, and you may see an abundance of some incredible medicinal herbs in your surroundings.
I mean, truly, the list is a little bit endless! And of course, depending on the regional climate where you live, you may have access to a completely different list of medicinal plants.
An incredible way to preserve your plant medicine all year round (and for years to come), is to turn your herbal harvest into a tincture.
Simply put, a tincture is an alcoholic extract of a medicinal herb. Essentially, you soak a herb in alcohol for a minimum of two weeks, and as it’s macerating, all of the medicinal constituents are pulled into the solution. This leaves you with an alcohol extract that is full of that plant's medicinal benefits. It tends to be fairly concentrated, which means that you need a lot less than when you drink tea. We’re talking 2-10ml daily, depending on which herb you tinctured, rather than 2-3 cups per day. It’s easy to take (although not the most pleasant tasting!), and makes for a great way to preserve your fresh or dried harvested herbs. The alcohol acts as a natural preservation agent, which makes the shelf life of herbal tinctures quite long! You can safely keep a herbal tincture on the shelf (ideally out of directly sunlight, in an opaque glass container) for 5 years, but many herbalists would argue that tinctures never *really* go bad. If anything, they just start to degrade over time...maybe.
Because tinctures can be made out of dried or freshly picked herbs- the kind of tincture we’re going to be focusing on here is one made with fresh herbs. There are definitely some benefits to making a fresh tincture versus a dried one. To start, the material is so much more...well, FRESH! All of the essential oils and medicinal properties are present in the freshly picked plant material, making it a more vibrant medicine. For some plants in particular, you get a different medicine from the fresh extract. For example, Lemonbalm’s antiviral qualities come mostly from the essential oil. This can be super helpful to prevent herpes/cold sore outbreaks. However, once you dry any plant, the essential oil quantity diminishes. If you’ve ever dried lemon balm, you know that it emits a glorious smell into the air, which is heavenly! But that’s also an indication that essential oils are leaving the plant and evaporating into the air. This means that a fresh lemon balm extract is more effective at providing antiviral properties than a dried extract. As a general rule of thumb, the fresher the plant material, the more alive and vibrant it is.
Especially with today’s international herbal supply chain, herbs switch hands many times before landing in yours. They get exposed to light and air multiple times as they’re packaged and repackaged, which leads to more breakdown in medicinal properties along the way. All this to say- the fresher the herbs and the higher quality the product- the more potent medicine. Having said that, it isn’t always possible to have fresh plants on hand, so it’s important to remember that dried herbal material can still make really great medicine. When you have access to fresh, fantastic! Otherwise, don’t sweat it and stick with the highest quality dried plant material you can find (local & organic is always a preference in my books).
Fresh tincture making is super simple, empowering and fun.
Here’s what you’ll need to make a fresh tincture:
Pro Tip: When making a fresh tincture extract, always use 95% alcohol or higher! The reason for this is fresh plants have a really high water content compared to dried herbs (makes sense, right?). So as the tincture is being made, the water will be pulled into the solution which significantly dilutes the alcohol percentage of the final product. Anything below a final alcohol percentage of 25% won’t preserve well and you’ll end up with a tincture that goes bad over time. In order to make sure you end up with an alcohol percentage that will preserve your tincture long term, start with 95% or higher. There are a few exceptions to this rule, so look up the plant you’re tincturing beforehand, but as a general rule of thumb- high alcohol is the way to go for fresh extracts.
Ok, what does garble even mean? Garbling is the fancy (or funny) term in herbal lingo that means “to separate the medicinal part of the plant from the rest of the plant.” For example, stripping the leaves and flowers off of the stem (typically those are the medicinal parts, not the stems). Garbling can also involve removing random plants that have made it into your basket that don’t belong- like pieces of grass or other plants that aren’t intended to be a part of your tincture. This is step 1.
This part is super simple. Once you’ve garbled your way to a pile of beautifully sorted medicinal plant parts (flowers, leaves, roots), you’ll want to weigh them. This is important because it’ll allow you to determine the amount of alcohol you’ll need to add in order to reach a specific ratio (I’ll explain in a second).
Again, pretty simple. This allows you to increase your surface area. Once you add the alcohol in, it'll be able to contact the plant material on more surfaces, ultimately extracting more medicinal properties (which we want!). If you have roots, chop them into little bits. If you have leaves, a good trick is to bunch them all together in a big handful and then use a sharp knife to cut them into little pieces, like you would parsley or cilantro. You don’t need to get crazy here and cut them into microscopic bits. Just enough to break up the bigger pieces into smaller pieces. Once you’ve cut your herb up, place it into a mason jar.
This may sound complicated, but stay with me. In order to determine what dose you should take of the tincture you're making, you’ll need to know the ratio. When you look up “how much to take” of any given tincture, you’ll find that it’s listed in relation the ratio of plant material to alcohol. If you’ve ever bought a tincture, on the label it’ll list something that looks like this- 1:2, 1:3, 1:5 etc. This ratio explains the weight of the herb used, in relation to the volume of alcohol used when making the tincture (also known as a weight to volume ratio). A 1:1 ratio means that for every 1g of herb used, there was 1ml of alcohol used. The smaller the ratio, the more potent the extract. A 1:1 or 1:2 extract is more potent and concentrated than a 1:5, for example. This means you need to take more of a 1:5 to get the same medicinal benefits, if that makes sense.
Generally, for fresh tincture extracts you’ll aim to have a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio. This means that if you have 100g of your fresh herb, you’re going to add 200ml of alcohol, leaving you with a 1:2 extract. If you have 100g of fresh herb and you add 300ml of alcohol, you’ll have a 1:3 extract. See how this works?
Remember the weight of your fresh herb from step 3? Now is the time to put it to use. You’ll want to multiply it by 2 to get your alcohol amount, if you want a 1:2. For a 1:3, multiply it by 3. Once you’ve determined how much alcohol you want to add, pour it overtop of the herbal material you put into your mason jar in step 3.
Remember, you're using a 95% or more alcohol for this step! Vodka, brandy or any alcohol that is less than 95% will become too diluted once the plant's water content gets extracted, leaving you with a final product that will likely go bad quickly.
Pro Tip: One thing to keep in mind is you always want the plant material to be submerged in the alcohol to avoid your plant material from rotting as it sits in the jar (see step 5 below). I always start with a smaller ratio (1:2, for example) so that I can get the strongest extract whenever possible. But if I notice that there isn’t enough alcohol to cover my plant material after I’ve pushed it down, then I add enough alcohol to make it a 1:3. Example: If I have 100g of herb, I add 200ml of alcohol to make a 1:2...but once I weight it down, I notice that’s not enough alcohol to cover all the herb. So in order to make a 1:3, I’d need 300ml total. Because I already added 200ml, I’ll add another 100ml (300ml total), to make a 1:3. And now the alcohol happily covers all of my plant material, which is perfect!
One you’ve poured your alcohol over your herb, you’ll want to weigh your plant material down so it’s fully immersed under the alcohol. This will prevent the herb from being exposed to air and rotting while it sits in the jar. You can get creative with how you weigh it down: rocks, crystals, glass tincture bottles can all work well! Once your plant material is happily submerged under the alcohol, with none of it exposed to air, tightly screw on your lid, and voila- you’ve made a fresh herbal tincture!
Pro Tip: One of my amazing students taught me that when you’re using a wide mouth mason jar, you can insert a smaller mason jar inside (it’ll fit!) and it will effectively push down your plant material to the point that the alcohol is happily covering all of the herb. I don’t know how I just learned about this after years of medicine making, but I’m so happy to know this trick now!
Once you have your tincture, make sure you label it so you don’t forget what you did. On the label- Include the ratio, the herb name, the location of harvest, the date and the percentage of alcohol, as well as all your positive energy! (I always put hearts on my labels. I’m a little obsessed with hearts and have been since I was a kid!). I’ve left my fresh tinctures a lot longer than 14 days, but this is the bare minimum in order to give the alcohol time to pull out all of those medicinal properties.
I don’t think I need to spend much time convincing you that our hearts, as a collective, need soothing. Humanity has been struggling with really unkind, traumatic and concerning events and trends for a long time. I don’t know about you, but systemic oppression, racism, patriarchy, sexism, plus a world-wide pandemic is really just too much for this girl on some days! Sometimes we just need a little extra heart-balm to soothe the spirit. In case you didn’t know this already, herbs don’t only work physically in the body, they can also be emotional remedies to offer a little extra support when we need it.
Loss or significant change (and the grief that comes with it), can come from all sorts of life experiences:
The heaviness of grief can be all-consuming. I’ve often compared the grieving process to being stuck in the ocean during a storm. The waves of grief can hit you so hard, then subside, just to come back full-force again. It's hard to make out what's up and what's down, you’re trying to tread water, but the waves keep plunging you under, everything is foggy, there’s rain pouring down on your face, and it’s hard to see the way out. But every storm passes. Eventually, the rain starts to lighten, the waves become smaller, you get your head above water and the rays of sunshine start to poke through the clouds again.
Note: Grief is a totally normal and healthy emotional process. It’s important to feel the grief, to acknowledge it and get support. When we stuff down grief, and simply “move on” without allowing space for our emotions to surface, we’ll be more likely to numb and distract ourselves in other ways: watching way too many shows on Netflix, scrolling through social media, over-consuming alcohol or drugs of any kind (including cannabis), overeating, being too busy (with no down time), constant dating and the list goes on and on. You see- the grief doesn’t go away, it just gets locked into our cells and bodies, and may later manifest as physical symptoms such as asthma and respiratory issues (in Traditional Chinese Medicine grief is associated with the lungs), anxiety, depression, and ultimately is a form of stress on your nervous system.
Having said that, grief is not an easy emotion to feel. Hence, our desire to not feel it. But be brave, my sweet. Feel the feelings. Let it out. Look at what your loss is bringing up for you. Look at what your grief is teaching you (often grief is there to show us what we truly care about). Get support and come out the other side stronger for it. Easier said than done, I know. But you’ve got this. You can go through hard things. You have the capacity for hard emotions, which ultimately gives you a greater capacity to allow in the positive emotions on the other spectrum as well.
And for the times you feel like you can barely stay afloat, when the grief takes over your heart so much it hurts (which will inevitably happen)- you don’t have to go through it alone. Not only is it a good idea to lean on at least one person you fully trust during your difficult time (a close friend, family member or caring professional such as a counsellor or psychologist), but your herbal allies are here to offer some love and support as you navigate through some tender and difficult moments.
1 part- Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)
¼ part- Rose (Rosa spp.)
1 part- Lemonbalm (Melissa officinalis)
1 part- Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum)
1 part- Oats (Avena sativa)
1 part- Linden (Tilia europaea)
If making a tincture add:
5 drops Borage flower essence*
5 drops Rescue Remedy flower essence*
*These flower essences can be taken separately as well, if you’re making a tea.
Tincture Blend Instructions: Mix all tincture parts together in a bottle, shake well and take 5-10ml daily to soothe your soul, calm your nerves and uplift your spirits.
Tea Blend Instructions: Mix all dried herb parts together in a bowl and store in an air-tight container out of direct sunlight. Add 2 tsp of the blended herbs into a mug and pour 1 cup of boiling water over top. Let steep with the lid on for 5-10 minutes. Drink 2 cups daily, while sitting quietly with yourself to calm your mind and soothe your spirit.
Hawthorn is a classic herbal remedy for the heart, not only to tonify and balance the whole cardiovascular system physically, but to also soothe the emotional heart. The flowering tops have a mild sedative action, which act to calm the nervous system and soothe the nerves- something often needed when we’re going through grief.
The energetic properties of Hawthorn, helps us to give and receive love, which can be hard to do when our heart hurts so much. It helps to keep the heart open when it might otherwise want to close. It can also help to encourage self-love and self-acceptance. (2) Depending on the type of loss or grief, we can be hard on ourselves, blame ourselves for what happened (or is happening), and lose sight of who we truly are. Hawthorn helps us to develop courage through heart-ache, so we can show up with strength through the dark times. In fact, the word courage comes from the latin word cor, which means heart. I love this because it shows us that being courageous isn’t an act of willpower or forcefulness, it’s a quality that emanates from the heart.
Rose is a beautiful flower that has been used for centuries to alleviate heart-ache and uplift the emotional heart. It’s useful to promote unconditional love for self and others, something that can be difficult when we’re in a grieving process. It can be hard to see the forest from the trees (the big picture) when we’re grieving. Sometimes we can get resentful and blame ourselves or others for the circumstances, which adds to the heaviness of it all. Rose can help us keep our hearts open by encouraging feelings of compassion and acceptance, both to ourselves and other people through the process. (3)
Lemonbalm is a lovely member of the mint family that offers an uplifting and gently invigorating energy to the body. It acts centrally in the nervous system to gently calm anxiety, lift depressive states and help the body cope with grief. If sleep is affected by the grieving process, Lemonbalm can help to ease sleep troubles, as well.
Holy basil (Tulsi) is an adaptogen, which means it helps your body cope more effectively with any kind of stress, whether it be physical, mental or emotional. In Ayurvedic medicine, tulsi is known as “The Incomparable One,” “Mother Medicine of Nature” and “The Queen of Herbs,” and is revered as an “elixir of life” for both its medicinal and spiritual properties (4). It’s an herb that is viewed to be deeply sacred (hence the latin name “sanctum”), and has been used for thousands of years to bring mental clarity, uplift the spirits and calm anxiety. In fact, “the psychotherapeutic properties of tulsi have been explored in various animal experiments that reveal that tulsi has anti-anxiety and antidepressant properties, with effects comparable to diazepam and antidepressants drugs.” (4) Needless to say, this is a powerful plant ally along the emotional journey of grief.
Oats are a wonderful remedy to restore, rejuvenate and nourish the nervous system on a deep level (when we’re grieving, this is a body system that absolutely needs to be supported). Not only do oats calm an over agitated nervous system, which is useful for anxiety, but the seeds are thymoleptic, which means they have a mild “antidepressant” and uplifting effect.
Linden is another herb that’s been traditionally used for physical and emotional imbalances of the heart. It’s gently sedative and calming to the nervous system, which helps to ease any anxiousness, restlessness, overworry and sleep disturbances that may come through the grieving process.
I love this flower essence and always remember how it works by this phrase: “Borage for Courage”. It helps to shift the heavy-heartedness that comes with grief, can shift depressive tendencies towards a buoyancy of the spirit and helps strengthen self-confidence when facing difficult circumstances or emotions. It’s an excellent all-purpose balm and toner of the heart when the heart feels too heavy, and when it needs “the healing forces of light, upliftment and renewal”. (1)
Also known as “5 Flower Blend”, this remedy is made up of the flower essences of Star of Bethlehem, Rock Rose, Cherry Plum and Clementis. It’s used for emergency situations or times of increased stress, which can bring with it feelings of anxiety, fear of losing control and/or panic brought about by loss, grief, or traumatic events.
Never heard of flower essences? They’re wonderful remedies that specifically help to shift emotional patterns that affect our psyches and spirits. Learn more about what flower essences are here.
References
Oh oats, how wonderful and nourishing you are indeed! Honestly, I use this amazing medicine ALL.THE.TIME. In herbal lingo it’s known as a nervotrophorestative or a nervine tonic- a very fancy way of saying it restores, rejuvenates and nourishes the nervous system on a deep level. Oats are a fantastic remedy for anyone who has a nervous system that has been exhausted over time, whether that be from adrenal burnout related to stress and overwork, traumatic experiences, chronic pain (neurological or other), insomnia or addiction. Speaking of addiction, anytime someone is withdrawing from a substance that the body has depended on, the nervous system is going to freak out a bit (or a lot). Oats can help with symptoms like irritability and edginess that are really common with nicotine, alcohol or any drug withdrawal. Not only do oats calm an over agitated nervous system, useful for anxiety, but the seeds are thymoleptic, which means they have a mild “antidepressant” and uplifting effect.
It doesn’t stop there- Oats are also very nutritive, containing vitamins and minerals like B vitamins and calcium! So when I say it’s nourishing to the nervous system, I mean oat medicine literally feeds nervous system cells by providing the building blocks they need to function optimally. As if that isn’t enough, it’s one of the rare herbs that increases moisture (kapha, yin) in the body. If you think about the metaphor of the nervous system being fried (dry and brittle), then you can see how adding the soothing, nourishing and moistening quality of this incredible plant would bring relief to an overburdened system.
Plant part used: Both of these parts can be used with great benefit, but there are slight distinctions between the seed and straw. Seed, at the “milky” stage (aka Milky Oats)- Thought be thymoleptic (uplifting to the spirits) and gently energizing; Straw- thought to be more anxiolytic (calming to decrease anxiety)
How to take it: Can be a lovely addition to any tea, may also be taken as a tincture, or in capsule formulations.
Safety: No safety concerns
Energetics: Nourishing, moistening, slightly warming and sweet; Decreases pitta and vata, kapha increasing, yin increasing
Sustainability Status: Is grown and cultivated easily! No sustainability issues here, and even better to support local, organic farmers for your sourcing of oats.
Important Notes: People with Celiac Disease should make sure the source of oats is gluten-free as oats are often cross-contaminated with gluten. There’s also a thought that avenin (the protein in oats) is similar enough to gluten that it may cause a reaction in those who are sensitive to it. However, a 2014 study published in the Journal of Autoimmunity and reported by the Celiac Disease Foundation tested this theory and found that a significant quantity of oats (100g per day) didn’t trigger the same concerning immune activation that gluten does. So the study concluded the issue is more around cross-contamination with gluten, rather than the oats themselves.
Skullcap acts as a nervous system tonic and nervotrophorestorative to bring calm to an overexcited or strained nervous system. Its mildly sedative properties make it an excellent herb for insomnia or sleep trouble, especially if it’s because your mind just won’t shut off, or you’re spinning worrying and troubling thoughts around in your head. It also has an antispasmodic action, which can calm twitching muscles and relax muscle tension. It calms anxiety, nervousness and restlessness and nourishes a depleted nervous system such as in cases of depression or exhaustion. Similar to oats, skullcap can be used to help ease withdrawal symptoms when coming off of any substance. One of the ways Skullcap works is by acting on GABA receptors, the neurotransmitter that inhibits nerve cells, which results in calming down overactivity in the nervous system. This wonderful herb acts to deeply nourish and restore the nervous system.
Parts used: Aerial parts (flower, stem and leaf)
How to take it: Can be a lovely addition to any tea (slightly bitter, so add it in with other yummy tasting herbs), may also be taken as a tincture or in capsule formulations.
Safety: Consult a trusted herbalist before use in pregnancy (typically avoided in pregnancy)
Energetics: Bitter, dry and astringent; Decreases pitta and kapha, vata neutral
Sustainability Status: No known issues with sustainability. However, always harvest ethically when wild harvesting. Never take more than needed or 20% of the patch. Check out Learning Herbs article Ethical Foraging 101 for more on this!
Love love love this plant! Gotu Kola comes to us from Ayurvedic medicine (India!) and has been used for thousands of years in this tradition to help bring mental clarity, rejuvenate nerve and brain cells, as well as deeply calm the spirit. It’s one of my favorite adaptogens, which means it increases the body’s resilience, making it easier to cope with the harmful impacts of stress (hello!). It's useful for anxiety, depression, exhaustion, mental and physical fatigue, loss of memory and drug withdrawal (great in combination with skullcap and oats!). Gently energizes and stimulates memory, concentration and focus, all while calming the nervous system. Similar to Skullcap, one of its mechanisms of actions is its effect on GABA, the neurotransmitter that inhibits nerve cells, which results in slowing down overactivity in the nervous system. Gotu Kola is a fantastic herb to keep the effects of stress at bay, while calming and uplifting the whole nervous system.
Parts used: Aerial (leaf)
How to take it: Can be a lovely addition to any tea (although it doesn't taste super yummy on it's own, so add in other delicious herbs to compliment it), may also be taken as a tincture, or in capsule formulations.
Safety: To be avoided in pregnancy; high doses (beyond recommended dose) may potentially cause headache and palpitations
Energetics: Pungent, sweet, astringent; Balances all 3 doshas (kapha, pitta and vata)
Sustainability Status: Grows readily, and no known sustainability issues.
Important Notes: Be mindful of getting high quality sources because it readily grows in contaminated ditches in India.
Bree xo
]]>I get asked this question all the time: What are your go-to herbal books? And honestly, it’s tough because there are so many good ones out there! But having a resource library is KEY if you’re interested in herbs at all. Books are where all the magic happens. Online you can get lost in a whirlwind of rabbit holes, without knowing who to trust! Although, don’t get me wrong- there are some wonderful online resources to behold, but that’s for another post. Here are some of the books I reference almost daily, and feel totally confident to apply whatever I find inside.
Where have you been all my life!? That’s what I thought when this series of books recently came to my attention, because they’re that good. (Thanks to my awesome apprentice Heather for introducing them to me!). I can’t believe I didn’t know about them earlier! I find myself referencing them constantly. There are 4 volumes that each tackle their own set of body systems (Volume 1: Digestion and Elimination; Volume 2: Circulation and Respiration; Volume 3: Endocrinology; Volume 4: Neurology, Psychiatry and Pain Management, with a Volume 5 coming out shortly!) These babies are packed with detailed herbal tea, tincture and food recipes that help spark ideas when I’m creating a protocol for clients. I love the way they’re organized because they have an amazing flow, are backed by research (in addition to traditional use) and are just downright interesting. I find myself fascinated regularly when I’m diving into these herbal resource gems. In my books, these are a definite must-have in your herbal library (See what I did there? I'm not one for puns, but I couldn't help myself).
A fantastic “quick reference” guide for looking up herbs that have an affinity for specific organ systems, with great specificity at that. What do I mean? Well, here's an example- for joint pain, Wood breaks down his categories like this, followed by all the herbs that are helpful for the specific categories: Joints (Arthritis), Joints (Inflammation, Synovitis), Joints (Injured, Frozen), Joints (Rheumatoid Arthritis), Hands, Wrists & Fingers, Palms (Plump Part, Red)...and on it goes! So as you can see, very specific. The herbs he deems as being the most well-suited to the condition are capitalized. So when you’re trying to figure out what herbs might be useful in a formula, this book is a great place to start to get the herbal juices flowing and give you a head start on narrowing down your herbs.
Honestly, this book is my bible. I LOVE this book because it’s packed with incredible knowledge about a lot of our western herbs, but from the perspective of Ayurveda. In case you don’t know, Ayurveda is India’s holistic medical model that has been around for thousands of years. It has a very sophisticated way of classifying people based on their constitution (dosha) types, and similarly matching herbs that will balance out the health conditions that arise from these doshas. I use an Ayurvedic approach when working with clients, so this has been a game-changing book for me. It has this SUPER handy chart at the back with hundreds of plants listed, their effects on the doshas and therapeutic effects in the body. Plus, it’s a compact book that won’t break the bank!
Ok, I know I’m saying I love all of these books, and this one is no exception. Because I work with women’s health the majority of the time, this is one of my absolute GO-TO’s for anything related to the female reproductive system. If you’re not familiar with Dr. Aviva Romm, she’s a powerhouse- a midwife, herbalist and physician all rolled into one, with a love for solid research. As a side note, she has an amazing blog as well, that I find myself referencing on the regular. This book has tons of formula examples, case studies and monographs that are pure gold. If you're looking for a resource guide for anything related to balancing hormones and the reproductive system, this is a solid investment that will keep on giving!
If you’re a herb nerd that loves the science and research behind plant medicine, then this book is 100% for you. What I love about it, is the authors break down all of the herbs in the book in their respective monographs, complete with modern research findings. But Mills & Bone don’t stop there, they include a section titled: “May also be used for: Extrapolations from Pharmacological Studies”. This is where they list other uses for each herb that may not have been directly researched, but that based on recent clinical research findings would make sense to consider when formulating herbal protocols. Plus, every monograph has botany, key constituents, pharmacodynamics, therapeutic uses, clinical trials, interactions, side effects and use in pregnancy and lactation. Like I said, if you dig science, this puppy is going to be right up your alley.
One of the first herbal books I ever bought, this is a great place to start if you’re looking for an all-encompassing herbal reference book. Hoffmann covers a lot of ground and gives more than the basics in this 600+ page book! I’ll just say right off the bat, for those of you who like to know the “WHY” behind how plants work as medicine, this book has got your back. The book addresses some really important concepts including a fairly involved “intro to phytochemistry”, which breaks down how different “medicinal molecules” give herbs their healing properties. As well as a pharmacology section that explains why herbs have certain actions in the body like cholesterol-lowering, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, phytoestrogens, and many more. Herbal actions are explored in depth (super important to know your herbal actions if you’re going to work with plants!) and there’s a decent set of herbal monographs at the end of the book. There’s a small section on elderly care, children’s care and even a medicine making section!
If you’ve been in my community a while now, you know that I love adaptogens and think they’re a foundational part of any good herbal formula. What are adaptogens? If you need a deep dive, check out my article here- Adaptogenic Herbs: The Stress-Busting Gems of the Herbal World. But in a nutshell, adaptogens are a special category of herbs that help your system cope with stress more effectively. And given where we’re at in this particular point in history, who doesn’t need stress support!? In this book, Winston & Maimes break down exactly which herbs are considered to be adaptogens and why. They go over the mechanisms of stress, how it affects specific body systems and exactly how these herbs work in the body to decrease its impacts. That in and of itself is worth buying this little gem! But on top of that, you’ll learn about specific categories of herbs that compliment adaptogens beautifully, which includes nervines (herbs that nourish and calm the nervous system) and nootropics (herbs that help to enhance cognitive function and clarity). All of which are really beneficial to learn about and include alongside adaptogens to truly support someone along their health journey. Of course, there are monographs of all of the herbs, which include scientific research, traditional use, actions, properties, preparation and dosage for each herb. I think this is one of the most important class of herbs out there, so I’m a big fan of getting really familiar with adaptogens!
These two books are essentially one massive book broken into two volumes, and they cover a wide range of plants, in the form of monographs with interesting twists and turns! If you aren’t familiar with Matthew Wood, he has a very unique approach to how he works with plants, and that’s reflected in his list of specific indications for each of the herbs in this book. I’m often surprised by some of the ways he suggests to use certain herbs, because it’s not always typical, but can open up doorways to new ways of thinking and working with plants. I love these books because every herbal monograph includes: taste, tissue states (energetics), specific indications, preparation and dosage and cautions. And in good Matthew Wood style, every herb starts out with personal experiences, case studies or interesting traditional uses that will have you thinking about herbs in a whole new light than what you may have learned before. As with all things, having a variety of perspectives pops you out of any ruts you may get into, and these books will definitely do just that!
I love this book! Of course, I work with pregnancy a fair bit, so this is a resource guide that I’m constantly referring back to. Aviva Romm (as I mentioned) is a woman who wears many hats including midwife, herbalist and physician- so when it comes to caring for pregnant mamas, I trust what she says! It’s a fantastic book that breaks down common pregnancy symptoms, along with general, dietary and herbal recommendations for each one. In addition to the list of “herbs safe for pregnancy” and “herbs to avoid during pregnancy”, there are tons of recipes and case studies, which makes this book just down-right handy. If ever you’ve wondered: “Is this herb safe to take in pregnancy?” or “How can I holistically support a pregnant person safely?”, this book is pure gold. You’ll catch me taking photos of entire pages and sending it to pregnant friends and clients on a regular basis.
Last, but certainly not least, this book is my go-to for anything to do with medicine making! You’ll learn everything you need to know about how to make your own medicine at home: infusions, decoctions, distillation of hydrosols, flower essences, vinegars, tincturing, ointments, lotions, salves and even really fun things like wine infusions and herbal jellos! I find every section really thorough and easy to follow. On top of it, you’ll find super helpful lists to help you through your medicine making journey. For example, in the tincture section, Green includes a REALLY handy chart: “35 Herbs and a Fungus That Are Well Prepared as Tincture'', along with specifics like what plant part to use, weight to volume ratios, ideal alcohol percentages and dosages. If you have any intention of making your own herbal remedies, whether they be for yourself and your family or for paying clients, this book is a must-have on your shelf.
And there you have it! All of my favorite books on one list! Now off you go to stock up your herbal library ;)
Here's to your wild, wonderful (and a little whacky!) herbal learning adventure,
Bree xo
The bright color of this root isn't just pretty to look at! Research has shown that turmeric can be as effective as Prozac when it comes to relieving the symptoms of depression. Yup, you heard me right! According to Dr. Aviva Romm: “At least 4 high quality studies, plus a recent review of the literature on turmeric, demonstrate the effectiveness of curcumin, either alone or in combination with antidepressant medication or other botanicals, for the treatment of mild to moderate, atypical, and major depressive disorder.” (1)
I was a little shocked when I heard this too, but the mechanism behind it makes total sense. We’ve been taught to view depression as an issue with neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine, but recent science is telling a different story. In fact, chronic inflammation and immune system activation is being found to play an important role in cognitive mood disorders.
Turmeric's potent anti-inflammatory effect not only makes it a choice herb for conditions like joint pain, but also shows promising potential at decreasing the role chronic inflammation can play in mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
In herbal medicine, Turmeric is known to be hepatoprotective, which is a fancy way of saying it protects the liver from damage. Seeing as your liver is busy all day long filtering every single drop of blood in your body, including all of the toxins in it- things like pharmaceuticals, xenoestrogens (foreign endocrine disruptors from pesticides, fertilizers and synthetic hormones) and chemicals from our environment- let’s just say anything that protects it from all of those harmful substances is gold. As a potent antioxidant, turmeric will quench free radicals in the liver and neutralize them so they don’t damage this vital organ.
Turmeric not only helps your liver out, but also helps keep your whole digestive system on track too! It stimulates your gallbladder to produce more bile and release it more effectively, and stimulates healthy appetite and digestion of nutrients. Turmeric is a fantastic herb to decrease gas, bloating, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, can heal ulcers and promotes circulation to invigorate the whole digestive system. As a member of the Zingiberaceae (Ginger) family, it definitely lives up to its other famous family member, Ginger, in it’s powerful healing properties related to the digestive system!
Turmeric a powerhouse herb when it comes to supporting cardiovascular health. As most of us know, blood clot formation is a process that can lead to serious health events like stroke and heart attack. Not something to mess around with! Herbs and agents that inhibit platelet aggregation (blood clotting), can prevent these events from occurring and support a healthy cardiovascular system overall. Mounting research is showing that turmeric acts to minimize the formation of clots in the bloodstream. In one study, curcumin- one of the many plant constituents found in turmeric- has been found to inhibit specific types of platelet aggregation with about the same activity as aspirin. (2)
On top of it’s anti-inflammatory and blood-thinning properties, turmeric has been shown to reduce harmful cholesterol and triglycerides, which makes it an excellent herb to promote heart health, across the board. In a recent meta-analysis, the researchers analyzed 7 clinical trials with a total of 649 participants and concluded that “subjects who received turmeric and curcumin experienced a natural cardioprotective effect, with lowering of serum LDL (harmful cholesterol) and triglyceride levels, as compared to subjects who did not.” (3) Interestingly enough, they found turmeric and curcumin to be most effective in people who have metabolic syndrome or are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
As if Turmeric couldn’t get any more powerful, it also has anticancer properties! Multiple studies have demonstrated curcumin’s antitumor activity on breast cancer, lung cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, prostate cancer, and brain tumors, showing its capability to target multiple cancer cell varieties. (5) How does it actually get rid of cancer cells and reduce tumor growth? Well, when it comes to cancer, cells that should have died and been removed by the immune system have gone under the radar and start to grow. This process of helpful programmed cell death to remove harmful or abnormal cells is called apoptosis. Here’s the amazing part- Curcumin induces apoptosis and inhibits the proliferation and invasion of tumors by suppressing a variety of cellular signaling pathways, keeping cancer cells in check (3). Likely it’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties add to its ability to keep maintain healthy cells, overall, as well (2).
Like all herbal medicines, I always recommend consulting a registered herbalist before introducing herbs to make sure they’re well suited to you and are safe to take alongside any medications you may be on. Because of its potent effect on the liver and gallbladder, you may want to avoid taking turmeric if you have gallstones, biliary obstruction, acute jaundice or hepatitis. Due to its blood thinning properties, if you’re on anticoagulant medication, only take it if you’re working with a knowledgeable herbal practitioner as it may potentiate the effects of your medication. Do not take turmeric or curcumin if you are pregnant. Safe for breastfeeding. Photosensitivity has been reported with topical (external) applications, so if using on your skin, avoid direct sun exposure just to be safe.
Dose: 500-1000mg daily of curcumin extract is very safe (1). A whole root extract of turmeric (not just curcumin) can offer a wide range of medicinal benefits as well. You can also use a couple teaspoons per day in your cooking, smoothies or beverages (Golden mylk or turmeric latte, anyone?)
Bioavailability: Some research suggests that turmeric and curcumin aren’t absorbed very well in water, as it’s hydrophobic (meaning it’s best absorbed with fat and other constituents) (3). Black pepper is something you can take at the same time to increase absorption and it might be worth getting a supplement that includes black pepper or bioperine to increase absorption.
So if you weren’t already in love with this amazing herb, you now have 5 more reasons to get on board with turmeric’s healing properties!
With wild herbal love,
Bree xo
References
1) Dr. Aviva Romm: Better Than Prozac? Women, Depression and Turmeric
2) Mills, S. & Bone, K. (2000). Principles and Practices of Phytotherapy
3) Qin, S., Huang, L., Gong, J., Shen, S., Huang, J., Ren, H., & Hu, H. (2017). Efficacy and safety of turmeric and curcumin in lowering blood lipid levels in patients with cardiovascular risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition journal, 16(1), 68. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-017-0293-y
]]>Hot water bottle, popping Advil like it’s candy, cancelling work (and any other plans) so you can curl up in a ball and die a little bit...sound familiar?
We all know that time of the month can be downright awful- PMS, cramps and pain that for some women are completely debilitating. But if no one has told you this before, let me be the first- it doesn’t have to be this way!
Before we dive into what we can do about, let’s look at WHY this is happening in the first place.
Dysmenorrhea is the fancy medical term for painful periods. According to Dr. Aviva Romm, the pain may be of varying intensity, can come in waves or be constant and may radiate to other parts of the body like the lower back, legs and vulva (1). We automatically think of cramps when it comes to painful periods, but the cramps are often accompanied by other uncomfortable symptoms like dizziness, backache, headache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea (yes, period poops are a thing!).
Menstrual cramps can occur on their own, which is referred to as primary dysmenorrhea. Secondary dysmenorrhea, on the other hand, is when menstrual cramps are due to an underlying pathology, such as endometriosis or uterine cysts.
In order for the uterus to shed the endometrial lining every month, your uterus needs to contract. Prostaglandins, hormone-like molecules that are involved in pain and inflammation, trigger the uterine muscles to contract (2). According to the Mayo Clinic, “higher levels of prostaglandins are associated with more severe menstrual cramps.” (2) In fact, women with menstrual cramps “appear to produce as much as seven times more” prostaglandins than women who don’t experience cramps (1). Seven times is a lot more times! So there’s an actual scientific reason for your cramps. Your uterus isn’t just evil and trying to make you suffer, I promise.
As for secondary dysmenorrhea, the underlying pelvic imbalance needs to be addressed for the cramps to be resolved.
While painful periods can be a sign that there is something else going on, one thing is for sure- you’re in good company. It’s estimated that internationally, 45-95% of adolescent girls and women experience dysmenorrhea, with debilitating and incapacitating dysmenorrhea occurring in approximately 7-15% of women. (1)
So yes, menstrual cramps are normal! But I'll say it again, just because cramps are really common and "normal" doesn't mean it's "just the way it is." There are many ways you can support your body to decrease monthly period cramps, and I truly believe your cramps are your body telling you it needs a little extra love and support ;)
Oftentimes, increasing exercise and changing your diet is enough to make a significant difference for even severe menstrual cramps. (3)
Focusing on foods that decrease inflammation is super important. That means eliminating refined foods as much as possible, and including a whole foods approach. A key place to start is to increase fruits and vegetables, which contain antioxidants and important vitamins and minerals that reduce inflammation. Omega 3’s and Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are another important dietary factor to increase and here’s why- Omega 3’s help to combat prostaglandins, which are part of the inflammatory pathways that can contribute to menstrual pain. (1) You can get Omega 3’s by increasing your cold-water fish consumption to 2-3 times per week or by taking a good-quality supplement. Remember, the body can’t produce Omega 3’s, they need to be taken in through the diet.
Increasing exercise and movement is helpful to get blood flowing to the pelvis, which can help reduce period pain when done regularly. Incorporating a regular movement practice like yoga, stretching, resistance training, running, swimming, dancing- anything that gets your blood moving- will be helpful here!
Magnesium is fantastic for reducing cramps and can make a difference when it comes to minimizing menstrual cramp pain. It's also nourishing to the nervous system, calms anxiety and can help with sleep! Take 300-600mg daily (throughout the month) of a high quality magnesium citrate or bisglycinate. Keep in mind, you've reached your maximum dose when your bowels become loose. If this happens, just back off the dose a bit!
If you try switching up your diet and include regular exercise, and are still needing some support, then herbs can be wonderful allies here.
For the sake of simplicity, we’re going to be focusing on menstrual cramps that don’t have any underlying condition associated with them. If you have a condition such as fibroids, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), or anything else that causes painful periods, make sure you’re seeking out support for treating the root causes over the long-term. Seeing a herbalist may be a great strategy do this!
You know how your uterus needs to contract to get rid of the endometrial lining? Well, when your uterus contracts too hard, it hurts and can cause cramps (makes sense!). I think of uterine tonics as the dumbbells of your uterine muscle. When taken all month long, uterine tonics will gently contract your uterus (tonifying it), which is sort of like your uterus lifting weights. So on the big day of your bleed, the contraction of your uterus to shed its lining, isn’t going to be such a shock because it’s been “working out” and it’s muscles have been toned- it’s ready! This means the contractions aren’t going to be as painful. Uterine tonics are thought to work by “regulating the muscle activity of the uterus and help initiate contractions that are regular, rhythmic and more orderly.” (3)
These can be taken alongside liver herbs (to facilitate proper hormone cycling and reduce inflammatory toxins in the system) such as:
Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinalis), Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum), Barberry (Berberis vulgaris), Oregon Grape Root (Mahonia spp.), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) or Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis).
Nervines and adaptogens can be really nice when supporting the menstrual cycle, as oftentimes stress plays a HUGE part in the imbalance of the delicate and complex reproductive system. Check out this article about my favorite adaptogens here>>> Adaptogenic Herbs: The Stress-Busting Gems of the Herbal World
Uterine tonics (and everything mentioned above) can be an amazing way to support your uterus and overall hormonal health over the long-term. But just like working out your biceps, your uterus isn’t going to get strong and buff overnight! It needs a few months to build up it’s strength before you might notice a significant difference when that time of the month comes knockin’ on your door (or insides). So in the meantime, it’s important that you get some pain relief! And bonus points if it isn’t motrin, Advil or tylenol because all of those have their own side effects that can become harmful for your digestive tract, liver and kidneys over time.
The good news is there are some great herbs that I’ve seen work wonders to take the edge off of the pain so you don’t feel like curling into a tiny ball and disappearing for 2+ days out of the month.
These herbs are anti-spasmodic (meaning they stop painful spasms) and anodyne (relieves pain). They work best if you take them a few days before you usually start to feel your cramps.
Some of these are quite strong, and they can be useful in combination, so I recommend consulting with a herbalist to get the best results!
Crampbark (Viburnum opulus) 1:3 60ml
Corydalis (Corydalis yanhuso) 1:3 40ml
Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) 1:3 5ml
100ml
The herbs: Crampbark is a classic and reliable anti-spasmodic herb that’s been used for centuries to bring down the intensity or completely eliminate painful menstrual cramps. Corydalis is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herb that's in the Opium plant family and is thought to have 1-10% the strength of the opium poppy (1). It works fantastically well to decrease period pain. Ginger helps to stimulate circulation to the pelvis to break up congestion and has been shown to be as effective as NSAIDs in relieving pain (4).
Dose: Take 2-3ml twice daily in the 3-4 days leading up to your period (works best if you take it leading up to the cramps!) Can be taken in the moment as well. Take 5 ml, as needed. Keep in mind it may lower blood pressure in larger quantities.
With all of this, the main takeaway I want you to leave with is yes, period pain is super common and can be a very normal part of the menstrual experience, BUT I do believe that cramps can be an indication that your body needs a little extra love and support. So don’t just accept it as “the way it is,” take a look at your diet, incorporate more movement and exercise on a regular basis, actively work to decrease your stress and incorporate herbs to kick your cramps to the curb.
Happy cycling,
Bree xo
As always: Consult a herbalist and/or knowledgeable health practitioner before taking any herbs, especially if you’re on medication to make sure there are no interactions or contraindications.
References
Did you know that 60%-90% of all doctor's office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints? (2) That number is HUGE! And yet, there isn’t that much focus placed on stress-management in the medical world. Growing bodies of research are proving that stress can play a part in problems such as hormone imbalance, headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, auto-immune disease, thyroid issues, depression, and anxiety. Stress impacts the body so strongly that, if left unchecked, it can imbalance pretty much ALL of your body systems including your hormones, heart, brain, gut and sex organs.
In fact, the more I research stress (in particular chronic stress), the more I realize that it might the *single most important* health metric to pay attention to if you want to really move the needle in your health. Because stress hormones (like cortisol) create such strong physiological reactions in the body, chronic stress has a way of derailing all of your other valiant health efforts.
It’s like the “king of the castle” game you played when you were a kid- you would try to jump up onto the bed so you could become the king (or queen!) of Bed Kingdom, but your big brother or sister was already on the bed and they just kept pushing you off the minute you got back up. Stress is the “king of the castle” and will successfully push away all of your health efforts, one at a time.
The good news is the herbal world has some powerful herbs to help beat the effects of stress, and these herbs are famously (and fondly) known as adaptogens.
Simply put, adaptogens are herbs that help to minimize the impacts of stress in the body. They’ve been used for thousands of years in traditional medical systems like Ayurveda (Traditional Medicine of India) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to improve longevity and vitality. However, the cool thing is now modern science is catching up with what these traditions have long known. More recently they were heavily researched by Russian scientists. You see, in the 1950s and 60s, Russia wanted their Olympic athletes to be the best in the world, so they got to work researching what herbs might help their athletes have an edge. Much to their delight, they found that a certain group of herbs helped their athletes have fewer injuries, build muscle faster, train harder with less need for rest, and kept their mental acuity sharp so their focus and concentration improved. What is this category of herbs, you might ask? Enter adaptogens!
Russian scientists concluded that adaptogenic herbs normalize function and increase resistance within the body to a wide range of stressors, including mental, emotional AND physical stressors. Adaptogens don’t only work for Russian athletes though! They help anyone with a human body cope more effectively with ANY kind of stress. Good thing, cause I don't know about you, but I'm no Russian athlete ;)
Not all herbs are adaptogens by any stretch! In fact, there’s a pretty well-established list of herbs that are officially considered to be adaptogens. But before we get to the list, let’s talk about what makes a herb an adaptogen.
In order for a herb to be considered an adaptogen, it must meet the following criteria (1):
* Of course, all herbs have cautions and contraindications to be aware of, so always consult with a herbalist and/or trusted practitioner before taking herbs, especially if you're on medication as there may be some potential interactions to consider.
In their book Adaptogens, Winston & Maimes give the example of Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) to demonstrate this “intelligence”. One of the active ingredients found in this plant are substances called ginsenosides. The authors state: “The herb contains ginsenoside Rg1, which can stimulate the nervous system, and ginsenoside Rb1, which calms it.” How cool is that?!
The body has two main pathways that it uses to cope with stress. These are the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathoadrenal system (SAS)(1). The systems will pump out hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to create a cascade known as the “stress response”. The stress response involves mobilizing glucose into the bloodstream, increasing your heart rate, shutting down your digestive and reproductive systems and moving blood into the big muscle groups (in case you need run for your life, literally). And this response, if continued chronically over a long period of time, wreaks havoc on EVERY SINGLE body system.
When your body is stressed, it uses up a ton of nutrients to keep up with the increased demands, which over time leads to deep fatigue and a lack of energy. Winston & Maimes add: “ Another effect of normal metabolism is the creation of free radicals. If the concentration of free radicals exceeds the body’s capacity to neutralize them, then cells can be harmed- especially mitochondria, the cell’s energy powerhouse.” (1)
And guess what neutralizes free radicals and toxins? Antioxidants! Now, guess what herbs typically have a lot of antioxidants? You guessed it, adaptogens.
Science is now backing up what herbalists have known for thousands of years- adaptogens help the body to be more resilient in the face of stress. Adaptogens work to curb the impacts of stress by affecting the nervous system and immune system. They’ve been shown to positively “affect the brain, nerves, endocrine glands (pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, thymus, pineal, pancreas, ovaries and testes), and immune system by helping to re-regulate, normalize and enhance function” when under stress. (1)
To sum it up, incorporating adaptogens is an incredible tool (alongside other stress-management strategies of course!) to help minimize the negative impacts stress is having on your organ systems on a daily basis.
Ok, so now that we know just how powerful these herbs are for supporting the stress-response in the body, let’s talk about what herbs are adaptogens!
Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus)- a reproductive tonic, this amazing plant can gently help balance hormones throughout all the phases of a woman’s life. It can increase fertility and help with threatened miscarriage. It can also be useful to build moisture and nourishment in the body through menopause, which can help with common symptoms like decreased libido and vaginal dryness.
Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus)- particularly powerful when it comes to modulating the immune system and preventing illness such as colds, flus and recurrent infections. One of my favorites to take in the winter for keeping illness at bay.
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)- this herb works on the GABA receptors which helps to calm the anxiety and stress response in the body. It can be helpful with insomnia, disturbed sleep patterns of any kind and modulates the immune system. It can help to build the blood (anemia) and will support healthy thyroid function as well!
Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis)- a powerful liver herb that promotes both phase 1 & 2 liver detox, Schisandra is useful for supporting any condition exacerbated by a sluggish liver. Digestive problems, hormone imbalances and skin conditions can all be benefited from the extra liver support. Schisandra is also calming to the nervous system and is traditionally used in Chinese Medicine for disturbed “shen”, which manifests as nightmares, anxiety, stress, irritability and insomnia.
Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum)- this herb is particularly beneficial for the heart and lungs. It balances blood sugar, reduces blood pressure and keeps harmful cholesterol in check. As an antiviral herb, it helps fight off lung infections, colds and flus. It can lift heavy moods to lighten the spirit, so it can be a great ally for mild depression, and also sharpens the mind. In Ayurveda, it’s been used for thousands of years to bring lightness and spiritual clarity to one’s being.
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)- honestly, what does Reishi NOT do? This mushroom is a powerhouse. It’s immunomodulating properties work to keep your immune system healthy, and can even help balance auto-immune reactions in the body. It’s antiviral, anti-inflammatory and has been shown to have anti-cancer effects. Reishi can protect the liver from damaging toxins, balances blood sugar levels, reduces high blood pressure and calms the nervous system to promote a calm state of mind.
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)- An excellent adrenal tonic, licorice can be helpful in reducing the impacts of stress on the adrenal glands, especially when someone has elevated cortisol or blood sugar levels, with fatigue and tiredness upon waking up in the morning (all signs of adrenal burnout). As an immunomodulator, licorice can help to calm excessive immune response (autoimmune diseases) and can increase immunity when someone is frequently ill, for example. It’s soothing and anti-inflammatory properties make it fantastic for digestive issues, including ulcers and inflammatory bowel disease. It’s also antiviral and soothing the lungs!
Gotu kola (Centella asiactica)- I LOVE this plant. Gotu kola comes to us from Ayurveda and has been used for thousands of years to promote mental clarity by revitalizing nerve and brain cells. It can also support blood vessel strength and integrity, making it useful to support varicose veins and cardiovascular health. It heals tissue, so can be useful in minimizing scarring and supporting healthy, beautiful skin both inside the body (i.e. heals the gut lining) and out!
Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus)- As one of the classic adaptogenic herbs researched for athletes, eleuthero has been proven to enhance immune function, energy, vitality, endurance, stamina and improves mental clarity. Helps to calm stress and anxiety, while providing gentle energy to counter the effects of fatigue.
So there you have it my friends! I hope you’re inspired to get to know some of these plants more personally and incorporate them into your life. If you want to take a deep dive, I HIGHLY recommend the Adaptogens book by David Winston and Steven Maimes.
Happy Stress-Busting,
Bree xo
As always: Consult a herbalist and/or knowledgeable health practitioner before taking any herbs, especially if you’re on medication to make sure there are no interactions or contraindications.
References
1) Winston, D. & Maimes, S. (2007). Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina and Stress Relief. Healing Arts Press.
2) When Physicians Counsel About Stress: Results of a National Study
]]>With spring’s official arrival, it’s the perfect time to do a gentle spring cleaning, not only of your home and space, but your body and organs too! Below are some of my favorite herbs to include in a spring detox tea :) If you want to kick this cleanse up a notch, check out the 3 different cleansing levels below, and pick the one that feels most attainable to you, right now. We’re all at different stages in life, with different capacities for taking on new endeavors, so make sure you meet yourself where you’re at. Just being honest with yourself makes it so you can reach your goal, whatever level you choose.
Onto my favorite gently detoxifying herbs:
Oh nettles, how amazing you are! Traditionally used for spring cleansing, this plant is a perfect addition to any spring cleansing or detox tea. Nettles are FULL of nutrients. In fact, 1 cup of nettle tea can provide you with 100-300mg of calcium. It also has iron and appreciable levels of other important trace minerals. As a diuretic, it’ll help eliminate toxins through the kidneys and can help take down swelling around inflamed joints.
In spring, the fresh green leaves can be cooked and eaten like spinach, made into a soup or pesto. So delicious.
Dandelion is one of the most effective detoxifying herbs out there! The root is most well-known for supporting the liver and gallbladder in removing toxins. Dandelion leaf is a nutritive potassium-rich diuretic, so will stimulate the kidneys to remove toxins through the urinary system, and can reduce edema or fluid retention associated with the menstrual cycle. Both the root and leaves can help support skin health as well as inflamed joints.
The beautifully vibrant, summery orange color of calendula flowers is medicine in and of itself! But even more than that, these beauties have long been used for their detoxifying effects. They gently cleanse the liver and gallbladder, as well as move the lymph to get rid of toxins that have built up in the system. They heal damaged tissue in the gut and bring down inflammation.
Cleavers are particularly detoxifying and supportive for the lymphatic system by keeping toxins moving out of the cells and directing them to their proper elimination pathways. They’re also a mild diuretic and very gentle laxative, which supports elimination through the kidneys and bowels.
A classic and well-known liver herb, milk thistle earns its reputation well! It’s also been used for thousands of years as a spring tonic- people used to boil the milk thistle plant flower heads like artichokes and eat it in the spring after a long winter of very few fresh vegetables. Milk thistle seeds protect the liver by providing antioxidants, which help to minimize the impacts of damaging toxins on the liver. It’s so powerful as a liver herb that it’s known as a “hepatotrophorestorative”, which is a fancy herbal term that means it will restore liver function and renew liver cells!
25g Nettles, dried
25g Dandelion leaf, dried
50g Dandelion root (powdered or very small chunks, if possible, to increase surface area- otherwise, you should boil this separately for 15-20 minutes and then add it to the rest of the tea to get the most medicinal benefit)
25g Cleavers, dried
20g Calendula flowers, dried
50g Milk thistle seeds (freshly ground or crushed)
25g Turmeric (powder, or fresh root sliced very thin)
15g Ginger powder (or fresh root, sliced very thin)
20g Licorice root, dried (small chunks)
25g Cinnamon chunks (if using powder, use less)
260g
Mix all of your herbs together and store in an airtight container, away from direct sunlight.
Important Note: When using fresh herbs, just add them in when you’re actually making your tea and steeping the other herbs. Obviously, you don’t want to mix fresh herbs in with dried to just sit in a container, because they’ll mold!
To prepare your cup of tea:
Mix all the herbs in the bag or container again (some will settle to the bottom and you want to make sure you get a good ratio of all the herbs in your freshly brewed tea!)
1 Tbsp of mixture per cup of boiling water. Pour the boiling water over top, and let steep for 10-15 minutes with the lid on. The lid on will keep all of the yummy smelling essential oils IN your cup of tea, so you can get the medicinal benefits of them!
Once steeped, strain out the herbs and add a squeeze of fresh lemon. The licorice will make the blend nice and sweet, but if you’d like, you can add a little bit of honey or maple syrup.
If you want to take this spring cleanse to the next level, here are some options for you based on where you’re at and how much gusto you have to dedicate to your cleanse this year. Pick one that suits you best and feels the most attainable:
Happy Spring Cleansing, my beauties!
Stay wild out there,
Bree xo
]]>Oh man, I cannot believe it's FINALLY spring!! And you know how I can say that for certain? Well, of course, nothing is for certain in the realm of Mother Nature...BUT the trees are making buds! These buds! POPLAR BUDS! And that's how I know the forest is gearing up for a glorious bloom.
Hallelujah!
You may be familiar with these sticky little guys already, but if not- I HIGHLY recommend getting to know them. Their scent is absolutely divine. I'm talking make you want to smell them til the cows come home- divine. (And you do know, the cows never come home, right?).
The reason they're so sticky is because they contain a resin- and guess what? It's medicinal!
1) Be prepared to get really sticky fingers (Pro tip: Lemon essential oil or rubbing alcohol will get it off nicely ;)
2) Be mindful of harvesting only what the tree can handle. I love to find fallen branches, that way I'm not having to take directly off the tree. If you need to take from the tree, do so respectfully knowing you're taking the trees future leaves!
3) Bring a friend to share in the experience (Friends that harvest together, stay together!)
4) To make your medicine, put your buds in olive oil in a mason jar with the lid on. I use a 1:5 ratio, but you can do the folk method and just eyeball it. [To make a 1:5 ratio- If you harvest 100g poplar buds, times that by 5 to get your oil volume (100 x 5= 500ml olive oil). Within 1 week, you'll notice the oil start to take on that incredible smell. Leave it in the oil for 1 month+ to infuse it properly. Then it's ready to turn into a salve or use directly!
This oil or salve can be used for burns, aches & pains, superficial skin injuries like scrapes, cuts, insect bites and is incredibly anti-oxidant. It can be added to other creams or salves to help preserve it for this exact reason! It's also anti-septic, so helps keep those minor skin injuries disinfected while they heal.
Poplar is also known as Balm of Gilead or Cottonwood and the latin name is Populus balsamifera/ candicans. Although, it can be hard to identify the different species, and honestly it's not that necessary- you can use any of them!
Once the buds have sat in the oil for 4 weeks, you're ready to make your salve!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Poplar bud oil
1/2 ounce Beeswax (little pellets or chopped up really fine)
Glass or metal container with lid
Labels
Will make roughly 150ml of salve, can be double or tripled for large batches.
To make your own herbal salve from these gorgeous buds, here's what you want to do:
1) To get your poplar bud oil, pour off the oil from the top (the buds will naturally sink to the bottom). You can use a strainer too if you'd like. (See above post for how to make poplar bud oil!)
2) Gently heat the oil in a double boiler (I simply use a metal or glass bowl that sits over a pot with some steaming water in it on the stove)
3) Add your beeswax and melt it completely.
4) Pro Tip: Once beeswax has melted, test the consistency by putting a tiny bit on the end of a spoon and stick it in the freezer to cool for 1-2 mins. This will show you what the final texture will be like! If you want it to be thicker, then add a little more beeswax. If it's too thick, add more oil.
5) Pour the hot mixture into glass jars or metal containers. Allow to cool fully before pick them up or moving them! Once cool, put lid on, label and ENJOY.
There you have it- my all-time favorite spring harvest!
Now, go get your hands dirty.
Happy WILD Harvesting! (And happy spring, we made it!)
Bree xo
]]>Article co-written by Bree Nabholz & Heather Fairfield
Did you know Endometriosis is the leading cause of gynecological surgeries and hysterectomies in women?
Endometriosis, or “Endo”, is one of the most common gynecologic problems, affecting as many as 10% of women worldwide. It occurs in women of reproductive age, but is most common in women in their 30s and 40s and often resolves after menopause (unless post-menopausal hormone therapy is used).
Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the material that normally lines your uterus (the endometrium) grows OUTSIDE of the uterus in other places where it doesn’t belong. This happens most commonly on the abdominal wall or peritoneum, but endometriosis lesions can be found on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, vagina, cervix, bowel, or bladder. Rarely, endometriosis lesions can even occur in areas like the brain or lungs. Similar to how the lining of your uterus responds to cyclical hormonal changes every month, so do endometrial lesions, which grow and shed (bleed) outside of the uterus.
As you can imagine, this cycle of repeated bleeding creates a cascade of health issues: the bleeding irritates the local tissue and creates tons of inflammation. This leads to scarring and adhesions that can cause dysfunction to the body parts where the endometriosis lesions are embedded, and most of all, PAIN.
No one knows for sure what causes this disease. There are several theories that researchers are investigating, including retrograde menstrual flow (where some of the endometrial tissue shed during menstruation flows through the fallopian tube into other areas of the body), genetic factors, immune system disorders, estrogen imbalances, or surgery such as caesarean section or hysterectomy where endometrial tissue could be picked up and moved by mistake.
Endometriosis is a tough condition to treat and both Western medicine doctors and herbalists consider it hard to completely “cure”. Overall, symptom control and general health improvement are the focus of therapy. From a herbalist’s perspective, we usually consider endometriosis to be a sign of “estrogen dominance” and therefore look at supporting the clearance of unopposed estrogen in the system, through diet, lifestyle and herbal approaches.
Healers in all cultures have herbs that have been traditionally used for treatment of pelvic and abdominal pain, and there are herbs and supplements that have been scientifically shown to not only help relieve pain associated with endometriosis, but also to reduce lesions and cysts.
Herbalists often turn to the following herbal allies in our approach to endometriosis:
Any comprehensive approach to treating endometriosis should address the root causes and incorporate an anti-inflammatory diet, including up to a pound of combined fresh vegetables, especially from the brassica/cruciferous vegetable family (kale, collards, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels’s sprouts, cabbage) and fresh fruits (especially berries) each day. The brassica family contains sulfur compounds, as well as DIM (diindolylmethane), which help the liver to clear excess estrogen out of the system.
Dairy products, gluten-containing products, corn, and sugar are common food triggers of inflammation, and should be avoided if you’re suffering from endometriosis. Red meat is also pro-inflammatory, so a mostly plant-based diet with no red meat, and small amounts of poultry and fish is preferable. All meat should be organic to avoid chemicals used in meat production that might be adding to your toxin burden (also known as xenoestrogens). Xenoestrogens are estrogen-like compounds that are present in the environment (chemicals added to personal care products & cleaning products, pesticides, plastics, synthetic hormones given to the animals we eat etc.). When xenoestrogens enter our bodies, they wreak havoc on our delicate hormone system and act like stronger versions of estrogen than our own. This can lead to more burden on the liver, plus a net effect of estrogen dominance in the body.
Efforts should be made to reduce stress, as stress has been proven to create a hormonal cascade that affects the delicate balance of our hormonal system.
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While getting all of our nutrients from a whole food diet is ideal, in our real-life daily lives, we aren’t always able to. Busy life schedules make cooking wholesome meals more challenging. Toxins in the environment compromise the integrity of our food. Nutrient depleted soils make it so nutrients that should be in our food, just aren’t. And although I know some of my clients have some hesitancy to taking supplements because they don’t want to just “pop pills” or “become reliant” on something, supplements can actually fill in some super important nutrient gaps.
Simply put, when your body is depleted in essential nutrients, it leads to imbalance and eventual illness. Your cells and organs have very specific nutrient needs to function optimally, and if those building blocks aren’t there, well, they just can’t do their jobs properly.
Enter supplements. I’m a HUGE FAN of them. But not just any old supplement. In a pinch, getting them from a drugstore can work, but those are typically filled with weird dyes, additives, cheap forms of the nutrients (not bioavailable and hard to digest), fillers and even sugar. Over the long-term you want to source out high-quality, thoughtfully formulated supplements from reputable companies.
With so many supplements out there and sources telling us to take this and take that, it can be a little overwhelming to know what to focus on!
Start Here! If you have NO IDEA where to even start with vitamins and supplements, or you’ve been dabbling a little bit, these are the ones you want to make sure you’re taking for sure.
Today we’re going to break down the 5 most important supplements I recommend in my herbal practice. These supplements are foundational, and quite honestly, the majority of people can benefit from them and should be taking them!
Even if you eat a wholesome diet, you may not be getting enough magnesium! The reason for this? Magnesium is usually present in the soil, but recently it's become depleted. The way it’s worked up until recent history, is crops will absorb magnesium from the soil while they grow and then when we eat them, we get the benefit of a magnesium-rich diet. However, through mono-crop and “modern day” farming techniques, soils are depleted of magnesium. In fact, “recent studies have shown, surprisingly, that magnesium contents in historical cereal seeds have markedly declined over time.”(1) Not only that, but in a recent study, almost 70% of people surveyed in developed countries were magnesium deficient. (1)
Magnesium is responsible for some critical functions in the body and can help support the following:
Recommended dose: 400mg per day. However, I use the dosage range of 300-800mg daily. Every person responds differently. You know you’ve reached your limit when your bowel movements become too loose.
For those living in northern latitudes (Hello, Canada!), there’s a much higher risk of not having enough vitamin D, especially in winter months when we hide indoors most of the time (and even when we go outside, we’re covered head to toe so we don’t freeze). In fact, it’s estimated that 42% of American adults are deficient in Vitamin D! (5)
Vitamin D is estimated to be involved in the regulation of up to 2000 genes, which means it plays a critical role in A LOT of body processes and functions. (5)
Here’s how Vitamin D is helpful:
Recommended Dose: Infants 400IU, Children 800 IU, Adults 1000IU daily. However, my recommended dose during the winter months for adults living in northern latitudes is 4000IUs, with the dose being decreased as daily sunlight exposure becomes regular. Higher levels have been shown to be safe. Clinical Practice Guidelines indicate the following: (5)
Did you know an estimated 100 trillion microorganisms representing more than 500 different species inhabit every normal, healthy bowel? (6) Needless to say, these little microbes play a HUGE role in regulating some key health processes for us.
Some of the amazing things probiotics do: (6)(7)
Did you know another name for the gut is the "second brain"? It connects to the brain through the enteric nervous system and produces many of the same neurotransmitters as the brain does, like serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). (7) All important neurotransmitters that play a key role in regulating mood.
In fact, it’s estimated that 90% of serotonin is made in the digestive tract! (7)
Some of the conditions probiotics have been shown to prevent and treat: (6)
One thing to note- there are many different strains of probiotics and some health conditions respond positively to specific strains. If you’re looking to support a specific health condition, then it’s worth researching which strains have been shown to be beneficial. Otherwise, I recommend cycling through different strains so your body gets introduced to a variety of beneficial bacteria.
Fermented foods are a rich source of probiotics as well- things like yogurt, miso, kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir and kombucha.
If you’ve had a course of antibiotics, I always recommend taking a high-potency probiotic supplement (50-100 billion CFUs*) until the bottle is gone. Then switch to a lower concentration as a maintenance dose.
* CFU represents the number of live cells contained in each serving.
Recommended Dose: 10-25 billion CFUs daily. See note above about strains.
Did you know the body can’t make Omega 3? Omega 3’s are essentially fatty acids, meaning they’re essential for supporting the body, and the only way to get them is through food. However, it can be difficult to get an adequate amount because a lot of us just don’t eat the foods that contain them. Sadly, with toxins accumulating in the environment, fish sources of omega 3 (one of the best sources) are being compromised due to heavy metal accumulation in the fatty tissue of these ocean fish.
Omega-3s are found naturally in some foods and are added to some fortified foods. You can get adequate amounts of omega-3s by eating a variety of foods, including the following: (9)
While getting omega 3’s from our diet would be ideal, one of the benefits of taking a high quality supplement is that they’re molecularly distilled, which removes heavy metals and other concerning toxins that can be present in fish.
Another factor to be mindful of is with all of the vegetable oils, fast-food and refined foods, we tend to get an abundance of Omega 6’s, which tends to favor inflammatory processes in the body when too high. This also throws off the body’s Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio. Taking Omega 3’s (along with decreasing the intake of Omega 6 oils), can help to recalibrate this balance.
Recommended Dose: 1000mg daily with a blend of EPA and DHA. There are two kinds of omega-3 fatty acids in fish — eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The form of omega-3 in plants is called alpha-linolenic (ALA). (8) If you’re vegetarian, there are supplements that are made from algae that contain these important fats.
You may have heard of B-12 before, but did you know there are actually 8 essential B vitamins?
B vitamins are critical for A LOT of critical body functions including: (10)
Except for B12, which is fat soluble and stores in the liver, B vitamins are water soluble. This means that we need to replenish our levels on a daily basis, either through food or supplementation, because any excess will get filtered through the kidneys and leave the body when you pee! Ever notice that bright fluorescent yellow color in your urine when you take B-complex or a multivitamin? Well, that’s totally normal and it’s simply your body eliminating what it doesn’t need. Some people say supplements are just “expensive urine”, taking the stance that you’re just peeing out what you’ve put in. But that isn’t 100% accurate. Your body will use what it needs (and thank you for it!), correcting any deficiencies you have. However, some of us actually aren’t genetically wired to process certain forms of b-vitamins properly, which brings me to our next topic.
Methylation is a biochemical process that allows for the proper assimilation of b-vitamins in the body and assures the smooth functioning of neurotransmitter production, estrogen, fat and histamine metabolism, liver detoxification and DNA production!
Recent science has led us to figure out that there are certain people who are genetically predisposed to having trouble with methylation.
In fact, approximately 60% of people in the United States have a genetic mutation that makes it challenging for their bodies to create enough of the “active” form of the b-vitamin folic acid (also known as 5-MTHF, and is necessary for proper methylation processes). (11)
You can get a genetic test to see if you have difficulty with methylation, but if not, I recommend sourcing out a supplement with methylated b-vitamins to make sure your body can actually use them towards the important functions listed above.
Here’s an excellent article explaining this in a lot more depth if you’re interested: What is Methylation and Why Should You Care About It?
When we’re stressed, we go through B vitamins more quickly, so there’s an EXTRA need to them when we’re going through stressful time periods. And seeing as MOST of us have some form of daily stress- whether it be job deadlines, family life, challenging relationships, physical illness, exposure to environmental toxins or a worldwide pandemic- I think we could all use a little help from our b-vitamin friends.
References:
In fact, the beauty industry is a thriving billion dollar industry for just that reason- we are taught and socialized to be at war with our bodies, to fear aging and to try to stop it at any cost. Women will pay thousands of dollars to dye their hair, do their nails, wear all the makeup, buy the newest and best anti-wrinkle cream (with broccoli extract or sea buckthorn oil or whatever else!), and literally get surgeries that alter their bodies in order to continue to appear young and sexy.
If this doesn’t enrage you, then...Well, it actually just means that society and the beauty industry have done their jobs (and won). They’ve managed to convince you that it’s YOU, not them. You just want to “look your best”, right? Mmmm, maybe. Of course you want to be healthy and look as awesome as you can, but it has to be from your own standards. Not by anyone else’s. This can be SO hard to tease apart from all of the conditioning we’ve had since we were, mmmm, BORN.
Have you ever seen any plus-sized Disney princesses? Any that weren’t super gorgeous? Let's see- Jasmine? Gorgeous (even her tiger had long, beautiful eyelashes). Belle? Well, her name is Belle. Ariel? I mean she’s got the voluptuous hair and bikini body of a mermaid! And don’t even get me started on BARBIE. I remember hearing that if Barbie was a real person, she wouldn’t be able to walk and would just fall forward because of how pointed her feet are and how massive her breasts are. I don’t know if that’s even true, but you get where I’m going here.
So what has this got to do with menopause?
Well, all of these subtle (and overt) cultural messages have been wired deep into our psyches and greatly affect the way we think and feel about aging. Aging is something women want to AVOID or at the very least have some fear about. It makes perfect sense given that there are basically zero examples for us to look to when it comes to a woman celebrating her older age with enthusiasm and grace.
With memes like the one below running rampant on the internet, how can you blame yourself for thinking it’s going to be absolutely terrible?
So what do we do about it? Well from my perspective, how we view menopause as a society needs a MASSIVE OVERHAUL. These mindset shifts are for you to consider as you navigate through the menopausal transition, so you can begin to embrace the power that lies in this important phase of your life. And as each of us embrace new ideas of aging for ourselves, we start a ripple effect that begins to touch the people in our lives and our society as a whole.
You know how natural it is for a young woman to start menstruating? Or for a baby to be born? Well, menopause is equally as natural. With the medicalization of menopause, you would hardly know it was a completely natural biological process. The approach of “treating” menopausal symptoms is something that often leads to women thinking there is something wrong with them.
Of course, there can be some very uncomfortable and unpleasant symptoms that come along with menopause, and addressing them is so important to support a woman through this time of her life. But rather than viewing menopause as condition that needs to be “treated” or “fixed”, or even worse “delayed” altogether through the use of synthetic hormones, why not view it as an opportunity to normalize this phase of a woman's life. Understanding that every single woman will go through this (because it's as natural as breathing), is a way to start to embrace this change and gently support your body as it goes through it.
During perimenopause and menopause, women have mood disturbances like depression and anxiety come up as really common symptoms. Why is that? Well there may be other factors at play, but if there are thoughts of worthlessness (because older women aren’t as valued in our culture), or fear around what going through menopause will mean for your future, it’s no wonder women feel anxious or down in the dumps. Changing our mindset can make a huge difference in how you experience and go through menopause.
Ok. Have you ever stopped to think about how incredible your body has been to you? Your heart has pumped 100,000 times A DAY, since the day you were born. All for you! So you can live, breathe, experience, thrive. And have you ever stopped to say thank you to your heart for what it does for you? Man, if I did something nice for a friend 100,000 times a day for like 50 years and they NEVER said thank you, you better believe I’d have questioned if I should keep going. But your heart? It just keeps beating for you. Like a trusted, loyal friend that continually gives unconditionally.
Same goes for your ovaries, your uterus, your fallopian tubes, your whole reproductive system- those powerhouse ladies have rallied for you month after month, year after year! The hormones they’ve pumped out into your body have kept your bones strong, your heart health intact, your menstrual cycle going- they’ve been stealthily keeping things chugging along in the background. If you’ve chosen the route of parenthood, perhaps they’ve given you the opportunity to have your kids!
They’ve done such good work for you, for some 30- 50 odd years and as menopause approaches, it’s time for them to hand over the reigns and rest. They’ve put in their time and they deserve a really good retirement party!
This may sound strange, but taking a minute to thank your body for what it’s done for you for ALL these years, can help you to recognize just how incredibly hard it has worked for you your entire life. When we take a moment to stop and think about our body like a friend, who has done everything in its power to keep us healthy and well with the nutrients and resources we gave it, we’re better able to embrace the changes it’s going through. And offer it a little compassion and grace. We would never treat a dear friend with as much disgust or hatred as we sometimes treat our bodies. Which leads me to the next point.
Let’s talk about weight for a minute. Weight gain is a BIG area where our cultural programming kicks in really strongly. It’s really common to gain weight as your metabolism slows down and your hormones start to change. But, never mind what our bodies are naturally doing, we want to stay as skinny as we possibly can.
Imagine for a second that we lived in a culture that embraced women of all sizes. No one was obsessed with skinniness. We all just ate decently well, got a good amount of exercise, fresh air and whatever our body weight was naturally, well that was fantastic. Would you still be as stressed about what your body looked like? I mean, it’s hard to even fathom.
We think we want to be skinny because of our OWN standards, but if we take away all of the social conditioning, would we really hate our bodies that much? I don’t think so.
We’re taught to dislike our bodies. If we lived in that culture that embraces human beings in all shapes and sizes, naturally gaining a bit of weight as we age wouldn't be so devastating or depressing. We may notice we’re gaining weight as we go through menopause, but if we still continue to live healthy lifestyles and our partners still think we’re as fine as ever (which is often the case), then would we really care?
Interestingly enough, women in cultures around the world experience menopause differently than women do in North America. Some cultures have very few negative symptoms associated with menopause, and one train of thought is that when aging is embraced as a natural part of life, it has a positive effect on how women transition through this important life stage.
It’s really sad to think about, but so many people on the planet don’t make it to old age. Their lives are cut short and all of the things one might experience through many years of life, are just gone, like that. Being here, to experience the small miracles of daily life- a hot cup of coffee to sip while watching the sun rise, a hug from a close friend, a grand-child’s giggle, a pet’s excitement when you walk through the door- these aren’t to be taken for granted. It is a privilege to be here. How quickly we forget.
Why not practice gratitude for the opportunity to grow older, to see and experience the world, to still be a part of your loved ones lives every day? These are blessings to feel joyful about and embrace as you move forward in your wonderful life.
As you age, you become more sure of who you are. You know what you want (and definitely what you DON’T want) by now, you’ve gone through the trials and errors of living, and you’ve come out the other side a little more sure. Your bullshit meter is pretty solid, and you just won’t tolerate things, people or situations that don’t feel good anymore.
Menopause is a time of stepping into your personal power, which brings with it freedom. You’re able to detangle yourself a little bit from all of the societal expectations and norms that as a younger woman had you compromising your values to fit in and feel accepted. Now you just don’t care as much what other people think- and thank the good lord for that! You can now do things for YOU, because it’s your dream, your desire, your spirit’s calling, or you just damn well feel like it...and not for any other reason than that. So embrace it! Own it! Make this time your own. Make it a time of personal mastery where you step into your own personal power to say yes to the things that light you up (and no to the things that bring you down). You’ve earned your right to be here, so go on with your bad self and own it!
Sometimes it can be hard to know if you’re approaching menopause. It may not even be on your radar, or you may have a small inkling that the signs might be beginning to show, or you may just be in total denial because you feel way too young to be even thinking about menopause!
You might be saying to yourself: “My cycle is just a little bit weird this month”, or “Whoa, the thermostat in this room must be set to a really high temperature”, or “I’m really stressed right now so my body’s out of balance.”
And these things may be true! But, you may be entering the time of hormonal, emotional, mental and spiritual transition that eventually leads to menopause- a significant, inevitable and totally natural phase of every woman’s life.
But, how do you know for sure?
Well, first let’s talk about what perimenopause even means. Many people say they’re going through “menopause” because they’re experiencing “menopausal symptoms,” when in fact they’re going through perimenopause.
Did you know the term menopause actually only refers to the moment you haven’t had a period for one year (12 consecutive months in a row)?
Everything before that is technically perimenopause.
Perimenopause means “around menopause” and is the phase that leads up to menopause, also known as the “menopausal transition”(6). Menopause itself occurs the day you officially haven’t had a period for one year. Perimenopause typically starts on average 4 years before menopause, but is super variable from woman to woman. It’s when estrogen is starting to decline (or go up and down like a rollercoaster, sound familiar?) and can be accompanied by significant physiological body changes, emotional, mental and even spiritual shifts.
The average age for a woman to go through menopause is around 51 years old. But every woman is different and perimenopause can start in a woman’s early-forties to mid-fifties, with some women noticing symptoms as early as their 30’s. Some women go into menopause “prematurely,” which is menopause before age 40, so just because you haven’t hit 40 yet, doesn’t mean this shouldn’t be on your radar.
One of the first ways you can figure out if you’re in perimenopause is by asking your mother (or sister) when she went into menopause. Family history and genetics is one of the determining factors for when a woman will go into menopause (4). If the women in your life have gone into menopause earlier, and you start to notice some of the signs, then that can be another clue.
As hormone levels shift leading up to menopause, ovulation becomes more erratic and your menstrual cycle can start to change in ways that are unfamiliar to you. It’s normal for a woman’s cycle length to shorten or lengthen, and for irregularities in the cycle to occur. In fact, many women will experience erratic ovulation and menstruation as the only features of their approaching menopause (5).
Heavier cycles, spotting, skipping periods entirely and your menstrual cycle changing, are all normal features of perimenopause.
Heavy bleeding or “flooding” can be a normal feature of perimenopause, but if it’s happening often, then getting yourself checked out by a doctor is definitely in order, just to make sure there’s no underlying issue to be concerned about.
If you have new symptoms popping up that you’ve never really dealt with before, and they’re from the list below, it may be a sign you’re in the menopausal transition.
Of course, some of these can occur outside of perimenopause, so it’s important to check with your family doctor, gynecologist or naturopathic doctor to rule out any underlying health condition that may be of concern.
You might have a smooth and graceful transition with very mild, or no symptoms at all! That is possible, especially if your diet and lifestyle are geared towards health and wellness. However, some women experience really troublesome symptoms that impact their daily lives. It can be different for every woman and the severity can vary, but here are some typical features that can accompany this transitional phase:
If this is you, you’re in good company! Apparently, 75% of US women experience hot flashes, with 15% of them having really severe symptoms (1). Hot flashes can be uncomfortable, and even feel like anxiety or panic rising in the body. They can also lead to embarrassment when they happen in public places, or at the workplace. Night sweats make sleeping really difficult! When you’re busy throwing the blankets off all night because you’re so hot, just to put them back on again because the sweat cools you down, it’s really hard to rest. This creates a cycle of fatigue during the day and can contribute to mood disturbances, such as irritability, anxiety and depression.
When this starts to present itself, it can be terrifying! You think to yourself: “Am I losing my marbles? Or worse, is this early onset Alzeihmer’s?” It’s thought that the change in hormones, specifically estrogen, plays a role in this cognitive decline. Plus, if you’re getting no sleep or are under a lot of stress (or have been in the recent past), then this is aggravated even further. Lack of concentration, focus and short-term memory lapses (“Seriously, what’s her name again? Where the heck are my keys?! Really, I said that?”) can all be features of perimenopause.
Super common, but not easy! Sleep issues or insomnia can lead to stress, daytime fatigue, irritability, anxiety and depression. As I mention in my article Menopause 101: What is Happening to me?, a surprising reason for sleep disturbance (that often gets missed during perimenopause) is sleep apnea. As estrogen and progesterone drop, sleep apnea can develop and contribute to a poor night’s sleep, daytime fatigue and lack of energy. Menopausal women are two to three times more likely to develop sleep apnea than non-menopausal women, so keeping this in mind is important!
Not all women experience menopause the same, and then interestingly enough, cultural differences play a role too!
According to the Canadian Women’s Health Network, here are some intriguing differences about how women experience menopause across different cultures:
Not surprisingly, like all things related to our health and well-being, “women’s experiences of menopause can be related to many things, including genetics, diet, lifestyle as well as social and cultural attitudes toward older women” (3).
I find this last part particularly fascinating. If we lived in a culture that embraced aging as a valuable time of life, and honored women for the wisdom and experience that comes with age, would embracing menopause be easier? Would women experience less symptoms? I really think so.
I love this herb so much it needed its own whole write up!
Resources:
Romm, A. (2010) Botanical Medicine for Women’s Health, Churchill Livingstone.
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)- Perimenopause: How to Spot the First Signs of Menopause
Canadian Women’s Health Network- Menopause
Oxford Academic- The role of genetic factors in age at natural menopause
Trickey, R. (2003) Women, Hormones & the Menstrual Cycle. Griffin Press.
Mayo Clinic- Perimenopause
And no one really talks about it!
It can be a time of life that feels a little lonely and unfamiliar. You might have some big questions about life come to the surface and you may be unsure of what’s in store for you moving forward.
If you’ve found yourself hitting this point in your life and sort of looking around thinking: “What the heck is happening? And why does no one talk about this?!” Then you’re not alone, and this is for you, my friend!
In this article, we’re going to break down exactly what is going on, how it can create symptoms in your body you’ve never experienced before and some natural herbal remedies to help!
We live in a society that values youth over older age, by a long shot. If you don’t believe me, just take a moment to consider how many anti-wrinkle creams there are on the market. Moving into this phase of a woman’s life, given the societal messages she’s received about needing to preserve youth at any cost, can be earth-shattering.
Lest we forget, menopause is a normal & natural process. Some might even say a spiritual initiation into the Wise Woman years….
What if we were to move away from the “organs failing”, “loss of fertility” & “getting old” mindset to looking at menopause as a time where women have never been so free, wise and confident in who they are.
I love seeing clients going through menopause because there’s a no bullshit kind of attitude with these women. They know themselves. They’ve been through a lot of life experiences that have given them wisdom that only develops over time. It took living (all their choices, mistakes and successes) to make these women who they are.
It can be a great time of reflection, upheaval and change. Offer yourself a little grace and compassion as you navigate through it all.
Medical doctor, midwife and herbalist Aviva Romm says menopause is a time to:
“Expand into speaking our truth, care less about what people think about us, and have time to nurture ourselves and our personal dreams. It’s also a “big deal” time in our lives. All of this happening just as kids leave home for college, long-time marriage dynamics may be changing, and your sense of yourself may be changing as you do a midlife self-assessment – so your coping skills may feel like they are on a temporary hiatus.”
It’s important to know that what you’re going through isn’t unusual. And knowing the reason WHY can help with understanding the changes in your body, and (sometimes) make it easier to go through. Every woman experiences menopause differently, but here are some really common experiences:
What a lovely list, right!? All of this can have you feeling down in the dumps about this transition.
But the point here is to become aware of what the common symptoms of menopause are, so you can learn to spot them and then support your body through it, as naturally as possible!
It’s possible to go through menopause naturally, with some ease and grace ;)
It has to be said, there are SO MANY herbs that can be beneficial for menopause, but these are some of my personal go-to herbs:
I LOVE this plant. It’s adaptogenic, which is a fancy way of saying it helps your body better cope with the stresses of life (and changing hormones!). Speaking of hormones, it will gently balance them, acting as a female reproductive tonic to support the whole system. It lubricates mucous membranes making a great support for vaginal dryness. Dose: 6-10ml of a 1:3 tincture daily
Yes, what they add to beer! Hops are phytoestrogens, which means they have a mild estrogenic effect in the body, helping to minimize the impacts of decreasing estrogen with menopause. They’re also amazing as a sleep aid, to make the nights more restful. They’re sedative though, so taken during the day may lead to drowsiness. Dose: 2-5 ml of 1:3 tincture before bed to aid sleep (or can be taken during the day for phytoestrogenic support if you don’t find it too sedating)
I always use this in combination with other herbs, but it’s REALLY important to support the adrenals through menopause because they take over some of the hormone production for the ovaries. Rehmannia is fantastic for nourishing the adrenal glands and builds yin in the body (essentially moisture, lubrication and nourishment to tissues), which gets depleted through menopause. Dose: 4-6ml daily of a 1:3 tincture
A classic herb for balancing hormones, I find a little bit of this in a formula works really well to support the changes of menopause. Not all women react well to this plant (a small percentage find their mood gets really low), so be mindful of whether or not you notice any mood changes and if so, discontinue right away. Otherwise, I’ve seen this plant be a really great ally for menopausal women. Dose: 2ml daily in the morning
Mmmhmmm, oats! Did you know oats are super nourishing for the nervous system? They can bring a deep sense of calm to an overactive, “wired and tired” nervous system. They build moisture in the body too, which is important to do as a tendency to dryness sets in with menopause. Dose: 3- 5 ml daily
I love this herb so much it needed its own whole write up!
I hope this article helps you to understand your body more, embrace this transition as an opportunity for reflection, growth and to step into the wise and wonderful woman that you truly are.
Bree XO
References:
Aviva Romm- Help in a Flash: Natural Support for Common Menopausal Symptoms
Mayo Clinic- Hot Flashes
Mayo Clinic- Menopause Weight Gain: Stop the Middle Age Spread
John Hopkins Medicine- How Does Menopause Affect My Sleep?
]]>The mental load, also known as emotional labor, simply put is having a lot on your mind, ALL THE TIME (1). It’s remembering to pick up almond milk, sending the e-transfer to the babysitter, scheduling the doctors appointments, responding to the parent-teacher conference invite, organizing with the mother-in-law what dish you’re going to bring to dinner, knowing where the stapler is or how the sippy cup pieces fit together. The list goes on...for days! Rachel Carrell describes it as not just doing things around the house (because lord knows there’s a lot of doing that goes down), but the mental load involves overseeing tasks and making sure they get done too (1). It’s a full time job on top of working full time and/or parenting. Essentially, it’s project management. Well, that’s what we would call it if we were in a corporate job earning the big bucks. But when it comes to home life, it’s often invisible work that goes unacknowledged and as is the case with parenting as a whole, is undervalued too. When it comes to this particular kind of stress, it is gendered, resting on the shoulders more often than not on the woman of the household.
And this isn’t only for heterosexual couples, Trish Bendix says: “though same-sex or non-traditional couples rail against stereotypical gender roles, we often fall into them. We live in the same patriarchal, heteronormative society that dictates how partnerships should work, and just because you’re both women—or both men, for that matter—this problem doesn’t disappear; it simply manifests itself in different specificities or nuances.” (2)
To add injury to insult: On top of carrying the weight of the mental load for the household, women are often the ones doing the heavy lifting when it comes to the difficult, but necessary emotional labor involved in initiating conversations, facilitating connection and making sure the relationship doesn't fall apart.
When you’re constantly overseeing the smooth operation of your household- day in and day out, it can take a serious toll. Seeing that the bathroom needs cleaning (and then cleaning it yourself or deciding you’ll ask your partner to clean it in an attempt to reduce your load, just to have to ask again until it actually gets done... and then seeing that they missed the toilet, and having to scrub the toilet yourself. Oh ya, and while they were cleaning it you were making dinner with the groceries you picked up on your way home after working all day!). This dynamic becomes exhausting. It’s constantly having to keep on top of things. Be on your game. Keep track.
Because the roots of emotional labor come from the patriarchal gender roles we’ve all been brought up with and seen reenacted through our own family dynamics and the media, it’s tough to suggest a simple solution (other than overthrowing the whole system of patriarchy!? Anyone?). But what I do know is the shifting of this dynamic starts at home. It starts with us. And while this dynamic can be deeply ingrained and REALLY hard to reverse, we can take small steps towards sharing some of the load.
Side Note: This article is heavily focused on two-parent households. To all my single mamas (or papas) out there, you are my heroes! From one single parent to another, I FEEL YOU. And for you, creating a community of support around you to share the load with, to take breaks, to refill your energetic cup might be your best bet.
So how do we keep ourselves from burning out and spinning in overwhelm on a daily basis?
As far as I’m concerned self-care is a bit of a revolutionary act these days because it requires you to take time for yourself, without guilt, which is no easy task when you’re used to prioritizing EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING before yourself. A super cliche example is the mask on the airplane… you need to put your mask on FIRST before you can help anyone else. Without oxygen, you’re not really good to anyone, am I right? Same idea for self-care. If you’re constantly running on fumes, you have nothing left to give the people you love in your life, or your creative projects and dreams.
Taking on the burden of the mental load can leave us feeling constantly overwhelmed, which over time eventually leads to burnt out. This can spiral into really serious mental and physical health consequences like depression, anxiety and deep resentment.
Did you know engaging in self-care routines have been clinically proven to reduce or eliminate anxiety and depression, reduce stress, improve concentration, minimize frustration and anger, increase happiness, improve energy and reduce heart disease, stroke and cancer? (3)
If that's not a reason to get on the self-care train, then I don't know what is!
As you take time to yourself, it communicates to YOU that you’re important, that you’re valuable and worthy of rest and care. When you take the time to take care of your own needs, it teaches others in your life that you have needs just as much as everyone else and that they’re important. If you have kids, you’re modeling to them that taking care of your needs is part of being a healthy well-balanced human being.
Taking time to wind-down, have fun and and do things that replenish your energy, you’re essentially calming down your nervous system. Stress takes a HUGE toll on our mental, emotional and physical well-being. Reducing stress makes you a more patient, kind and happy human being all around.
To practice self-care, we have to say no to other things so we can make time and space. It means saying no to the people, projects and commitments that drain our energy and leave us feeling depleted. It means not over-extending or saying yes when we really mean no. It means being clear about what's worth our time and what isn't. It's doing the things we know are good for us, even if it's inconvenient to someone else. It's being OK to take up space and take what we need, too.
Allowing a partner or someone else to take on some of the mental load, do the chores, cook dinner, put the kids to bed while we unwind isn’t always easy! Especially when we’re used to managing everything ALL.THE.TIME. So scheduling self-care actually forces us to let go of the reigns a bit. Sometimes we’ll be pleasantly surprised at how smoothly things go in our absence ;)
Self-care can involve exercise you enjoy: Going for a walk in nature, doing yoga, running, cross-country skiing or swimming. Any form of physical activity you enjoy can be considered self-care. But more than that, just the act of slowing down, laughing, enjoying, reflecting...all of these activities reduce stress and that alone can improve your physical health. Remember how I said self-care has been proven to reduce heart disease, stroke and cancer? Those aren't small potatoes!
I hate to break your bubble, but that to-do list will ALWAYS be there. It’s never-ending. That’s life. By taking smaller moments of self-care along the way, you’re able to better enjoy what is right in front of you on a daily basis: your family, your pet, your friends, nature. You’re more centered and able to take it in.
Often our connection to the universe, God, Allah, Nature (whatever you believe in) gets lost when we’re always focused externally on others and don’t take time for ourselves. When we’re with ourselves, alone, we have time to reflect, to breathe deeper or to ponder those big thoughts we’ve been avoiding. When we give ourselves s-p-a-c-e and open up our field of focus from the busyness of our lives to the world around us, we can begin to feel like we’re a part of something bigger than ourselves again.
Running on fumes and never taking the time to rest makes you less efficient at completing tasks, decreases concentration and affects your memory. A rested body and mind will make you sharper and quicker at accomplishing the tasks that are important to you.
When your cup is full you have more to give. It’s that simple. Taking care of yourself makes you more available to those you love when you spend time with them. When our needs aren’t met and we’re exhausted, watch out world! We can be irritable, impatient, and just downright cranky. Taking care of ourselves means we can show up with more presence and kindness on a daily basis.
❤ Get active doing something you LOVE (swimming, skating, hiking, nature walks, jumping on a trampoline, whatever!)
❤ Go to bed early so you can wake up feeling refreshed
❤ Bubble baths (Candles, Lavender essential oil, epsom salts)
❤ Journaling
❤ Say no to commitments that suck your energy and leave you feeling drained
❤ Pull a card from your favorite deck to get guidance (I love my faery card deck, but any cards will do)
❤ Take your vitamins daily
❤ Ask your herbalist to custom-blend you a "stress-busting" formula that will support your adrenals and calm & soothe your nervous system.
❤ Book an appointment with your therapist
❤ Get your favorite take-out and binge watching your favorite show (yup, this can do wonders for feeling like you’ve had some down time. Take it from me!!)
❤ Snuggle up with your favorite book while drinking warm tea in your PJ’s
❤ Jump in your car, crank the tunes and sing at the top of your lungs
❤ Book a massage or an acupuncture session
❤ Surround yourself with positive people who lift you up and cheer you on
❤ Meal prep so you can be well nourished all week and save time to dedicate towards other things
❤ Meditate or pray daily
What forms of self-care do you use on a regular basis? What would you add to this list? Let me know below!
Extra Resources:
If this topic hits close to home and you want to learn more about it, I recommend reading this very relatable article written by Gemma Hartley that gives words to the lived experience of emotional labor and how it plays out in a household: Women Aren't Nags—We're Just Fed Up (Emotional labor is the unpaid job men still don't understand) and this “You Should’ve Asked” comic by Emma is absolutely brilliant to break it down in easy to understand images.
References:
1) Forbes.com. Carrell, R. (2019). Let’s Share Women’s Mental Load
2) Harpersbazaar.com. Bendix, T. (2017). I Live With a Woman—We're Not Immune to Emotional Labor: How LGBTQ couples navigate gender roles at home.
3) Southern New Hampshire University. Glowiak, M. (2020) What is self-care and why is it important for you?
]]>Medical Disclaimer: The information in this article is meant for educational purposes and is not meant to replace care from your primary caregiver (Medical doctor, Naturopathic doctor) and healthcare team. Consult with your primary caregiver and/or a Registered Herbalist before taking herbs and pharmaceuticals together to make sure they suit your constitution type and will not interact with any medications you’re taking.
I get asked this question all the time, and it’s an important consideration when you’re thinking about adding herbs to your healing regimen.
The short answer is, IT DEPENDS! Some herbs interfere with medications, others may have no impact on the medication at all making them totally safe to take and the more interesting interaction is that some herbs actually make certain medications MORE effective than if you were to take them on their own.
Before we delve into this further, I do want to say that generally speaking herbs are safe, gentle and effective medicines that work in harmony with the body to support organ systems and increase well-being. However, they’re also very potent medicine! When you add other potent medicines like pharmaceutical medications into the picture, it’s especially important to make sure they are compatible.
Because there are so many medicinal herbs one could take, and even more pharmaceutical medications, this isn’t a subject to venture out on your own with (see medical disclaimer above). ALWAYS talk to a trusted health care provider before taking herbs alongside your pharmaceuticals. In this case, I highly recommend you specifically seek out and work with a clinical herbalist, as we’re trained to know the contraindications of each herb, which includes what medications each herb potentially interacts with. Unfortunately, doctors aren’t trained in herbal medicine, so aren’t the best resource for this specific subject. There are some really great pharmacists that know their stuff! But again, it depends on the pharmacist. Herbalists are by far the experts when it comes to knowing what herbs will interact (and how they’ll interact) with pharmaceutical medications.
This interaction occurs when the herb you’re taking has the exact same effect in the body as the pharmaceutical drug. Let’s say you’re on a medication that helps to lower your blood pressure (Examples might be diuretics, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers or calcium channel blockers). In addition to taking the medication to manage your hypertension, you think it would be super smart of you to support the health of your blood vessels and circulation with herbs over the long term to minimize health complications down the road (you’d be right, that’s a great idea!). Here’s where you would need to be cautious- many of the herbs that support cardiovascular health such as Hawthorn (Cratageus spp.) can ALSO reduce blood pressure! Now, this is a good thing generally speaking, especially if you’re not taking medication and are looking for this effect!
However, by having the same action in the body as the pharmaceutical drug, you may experience the “duplicate action” interaction, which causes a stronger physiological effect than desired, and in this case could cause your blood pressure to go TOO LOW, resulting in hypo-tension. At this point you have a few options- you can stop taking the herb and continue with medication only, or you can work with your doctor and herbalist to gradually decrease the blood pressure medication while increasing the herbs (if this is a medically safe option for you). Another option is to stop taking the herb(s) that directly affect blood pressure and incorporate herbs that can improve the strength of your blood vessels without impacting blood pressure directly such as Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) or Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), for example. Of course, first checking that these don’t have any other contraindications for you.
Never go off your medications without first consulting with your family doctor, naturopath and/or herbalist.
This is when a herb has the opposite effect as a pharmaceutical medication, potentially rendering the pharmaceutical drug less effective.
For example, if you’re taking a cough suppressant at night so you can sleep, don’t take herbs that will encourage you to expectorate (cough up mucus) before bed! Now a great strategy is to take expectorant herbs during the day to clear out the infection or congestion and then take a soothing, antispasmodic herbal blend that will calm the cough reflex at night so you can get a good night’s sleep.
This is a pretty strait forward interaction that you want to be mindful of when taking herbs alongside a medication.
Pharmaceutical drugs and herbs alike are metabolized in the body through specific organ systems so they can take their medicinal effect and then be eliminated.
How a herb or drug is metabolized is very important when it comes to herb-drug interactions, especially when it comes to CYP-450.
What is CYP-450?
Cytochrome P450’s are a superfamily of enzymes responsible for the metabolism of many medications (and herbs) through the liver. Although this class has more than 50 enzymes, six of these enzymes are responsible for metabolizing 90 percent of pharmaceutical drugs (1).
We can go down a huge rabbit hole here discussing the intricacies of this very complex system. However, I’m going to stay away from that and keep it simple.
Before we delve in though, one more interesting geeky-science side note: Genetic variability (polymorphisms) in these enzymes from one person to another can influence how you respond to pharmaceutical drugs, including pain medications, antidepressants and beta blockers. So if you’ve ever wondered why you’re SO sensitive to pharmaceutical drugs compared to others, or you feel like you take a truck load of pain medication and it doesn’t touch the pain, your genes related to these enzymes may be why! (I don’t recommend taking a truck load of pain medication, obviously! This is just to illustrate a point).
To hit this point home, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians: “One out of every 15 white or black persons may have an exaggerated response to standard doses of beta blockers (e.g., metoprolol [Lopressor]), or no response to the analgesic tramadol (Ultram). This is because drug metabolism via CYP450 enzymes exhibits genetic variability (polymorphism) that influences a patient's response to a particular drug.” (1)
Ok, back to simplicity.
This CYP-450 is a BIG DEAL in the medical world as well, because drug-drug interactions are very common and can cause seriously harmful effects.
Why does this matter for herb-drug interactions?
Let’s say you’re taking a medication that is metabolized through the CYP-450 pathway in the liver and then you introduce a herb that induces CYP-450 liver enzymes. Inducing essentially means the herb will be activating these enzymes and gets them clearing out the medication at a faster rate than normal. This means the drug isn’t in your system long enough or at the required dose to take its desired effect. The medical community calls this “therapeutic failure.”
CYP-450 inducers can increase the rate of a drug’s metabolism by as much as two to threefold, which can develop over the period of a week or more (4). Simply put, CYP-450 inducers render the medication less effective.
A very well-known herbal CYP-450 inducer is St-John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum). One of its active ingredients (hyperforin) acts on these liver enzymes which reduces the oral bioavailability of many drugs making them less effective (5).
Now on the flip side, let’s say you’re taking a drug that is metabolized through CYP-450 and you introduce a herb that inhibits the CYP-450 liver enzymes. This means the enzymes are slowed down, don’t work as quickly and can potentiate a drug beyond the desired dose.
Simply put, CYP-450 inhibitors slow down drug metabolism, making the drug stay in your system longer or at a higher dose than desired. This renders a drug more potent than anticipated and can create adverse health effects.
A really commonly known CYP-450 inhibitor is grapefruit juice and people on certain medications need to avoid it in order to keep their medication dose correct.
Important to Note: Not all CYP-mediated herb-drug interactions are clinically significant. The clinical significance of CYP-mediated interactions can be more concerning in relation to drugs with a narrow therapeutic window (meaning the medication is dose-critical and any change in the dose can greatly impact symptoms and health effects) (3).
Many herbs don’t act on these liver pathways! Available research indicates that, at commonly recommended doses, many other herbs including Echinacea, Ginkgo biloba, Garlic, Goldenseal and Milk thistle DO NOT act as potent or moderate inhibitors or inducers of CYP enzymes (5).
All this to say, CYP-450 isn’t an issue for many herbs, but it’s important to make sure!
The reason this light isn’t green right off the bat is because you always want to double check that a herb is well-suited to your unique health situation. Once you’ve slowed down to assess whether there are any undesired effects (back to the traffic light reference) and you make sure it’s safe, you’re good to go when that light turns a nice bright green! There are PLENTY of herbs (the majority of them) that are safe and gentle to be taken alongside pharmaceutical medications without needing to worry about them interacting.
I know we’ve focused a lot on the herb-drug interactions that are “negative”, but the truth is there are SO MANY herbs you can safely take while on medication, it’s just a matter of figuring out which ones are a good match and which ones are best to avoid.
Ok, this is by far the more interesting and coolest part of herb-drug interactions. There are some herbs that, when used alongside pharmaceutical medication or interventions, actually INCREASE the effectiveness of the treatment.
Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceous), due to its beneficial effects on the immune system, has been found to be “ a useful adjuvant during chemotherapy, raising white cell counts between treatments, and after radiotherapy or surgery” (2). This is a big deal because if you’re going to go through the grueling and challenging treatment of chemotherapy to treat your cancer, and you can’t continue if your white blood cell count goes too low, you go through all of that in vain. So taking Astragalus at the same time actually allows you to continue with the treatment plan so you can see it through to the end (if white blood cell count is the reason you'd have had to stop). There’s another study where Astragalus was beneficial for patients with small cell lung cancer. They underwent “long-term treatment with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and herbal medicine consisting of Panax ginseng leaf and Astragalus root in an open trial. The combined treatment raised the survival rates considerably, with some patients gaining 3 to 17 years in survival.”
This is an incredible example of how when used in union, conventional medical interventions and herbal medicine can increase the effectiveness of the treatment protocol, benefiting the patient beyond what they would have received from only herbal or conventional treatment alone.
Similar studies have been conducted for Reishi with concurrent use during chemotherapy. From a holistic standpoint, taking Reishi alongside anti-viral and antimicrobial medications (Acyclovir and Cefazolin) is recommended for immunocompromised patients with chronic viral and microbial infection due to its synergistic effect with the medication (6).
Here’s another amazing example…
Ever heard of MRSA? It stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which is a bacteria that has evolved to NOT respond to certain antibiotic treatments, making it a very hard infection to treat. But get this, herbs that contain berberine (a naturally occurring antibacterial phytochemical that is bright yellow in color) can actually work synergistically with certain antibiotics to make them effective at treating MRSA again! How wild is that?
In a study looking at the combination of berberine-containing herbs and antibiotics the authors concluded: “An additive effect was found between berberine and ampicillin, and a synergistic effect was found between berberine and oxacillin against MRSA.” (6)
Herbs that contain berberine in Western Herbal Medicine include: Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) and Oregon Graperoot (Mahonia spp.).
Every person has a unique physiology and therefore will respond in their own unique way to herb-drug interactions. Like I mentioned above, a variety of factors including genetics can determine how each person responds to medication and/or herbs. Not everyone will experience the same effects. We’ve discussed broad generalizations of potential interactions, but at the end of the day the effects need to be monitored by a qualified health professional to gauge if an interaction is of concern, or not. How this might look clinically: In the example of blood pressure medications and herbs, blood pressure would be monitored consistently over a specific time period to determine whether or not it’s dipping too low, or if it’s staying in a healthy range. If it’s still within a good range, there may be no reason for concern and the herb and drug can continue to be taken together. Again, this always needs to be determined on a case by case basis, working closely with your health care providers so you can get the best of the pharmaceutical and herbal medicine world to support your health!
A big factor in herbal interactions is that unfortunately there’s often a lack of scientific studies to prove the interactions between herbs and drugs. This means there are a lot of “theoretical interactions” based on the mechanisms of action of the herb (and the drug in question). However, it's still important to take these theoretical interactions seriously and monitor how your body is responding.
As a herbalist, it’s always my intention to work WITH you, wherever you’re at in your health journey. That includes working with the pharmaceutical medications you’re on and choosing herbs that can benefit your health and symptoms safely and effectively. Pharmaceutical medications can be life-changing! I believe we can access the best of both worlds and access the long-term healing powers of plants, alongside conventional medications where necessary. To work with me, contact me here!
About the Author:
Bree Nabholz is a Registered Herbalist and the owner of Wild Yarrow Herbal Medicine Clinic & Dispensary in Edmonton, Alberta. In addition to seeing clients in her private practice, Bree is an instructor at Pacific Rim College and Wild Rose College, where she teaches business, herbal energetics and runs clinical apprenticeships. She works with Naturopaths and midwives to design custom herbal blends for their patients and offers herbal workshops & online herbal medicine courses. Bree sat on the board of the Alberta Herbalist Association (AHA), as well as the Canadian Council of Herbalist Associations (CCHA) for 3 years and is a Registered Professional Member of the Alberta Herbalist Association and the American Herbalists Guild.
What about you? Do you take any herbs alongside pharmaceutical medication that you know are compatible to improve your symptoms and health?
Tell me in the comments below!
References:
1) American Academy of Family Physicians: The Effect of Cytochrome P450 Metabolism on Drug Response, Interactions, and Adverse Effects
2) Mills S, Bone K. (2012) Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy: Modern Herbal Medicine (2nd edition). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
3) McDonnell, A. M., & Dang, C. H. (2013). Basic review of the cytochrome p450 system. Journal of the advanced practitioner in oncology, 4(4), 263–268.
4) David’s Drug Guide: The Cytochrome P450 System: What Is It and Why Should I Care?
5) Wanwimolruk, S., & Prachayasittikul, V. (2014). Cytochrome P450 enzyme mediated herbal drug interactions (Part 1). EXCLI journal, 13, 347–391.
6) Stargrove,M., Treasure, J. & McKee, D. (2008). Herb, Nutrient, and Drug Interactions: Clinical Implications and Therapeutic Strategies.
7) Yu, H-H. Et al. Antimicrobial Activity of Berberine Alone and in Combination with Ampicillin or Oxacillin Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (2005). Journal of Food Medicine, 8(4):454-61
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