Feels like a good time to write about another local plant.
This one is hummingbird sage...given its name because of its magical and effortless ability to attract hummingbirds to its beautiful flowers.
But that's not it's only magic trick!
Hummingbird sage makes a great tea. It is an expectorant and can help if you have a cough or cold, to alleviate the annoying effects of excess mucus. It is highly antimicrobial, and can also be used as a gargle.
The Chumash were known to use this plant in their doctorings, and the Spanish later co-opted it into their pseudo-Catholic medical traditions and exorcisms. They revered it so highly that they gave it the name "diosita." They used it to cure diseases believed to have been caused by sorcery by rubbing the leaves on the patient's body. (This I have NOT tried).
Hummingbird sage is easily found in our local hills and mountains. You can also grow it in your garden - I have some in a pot so it doesn't take over the other plants. They survive well in sun and partial shade.
I'm a visitor at a danza (Aztec dance) in honor of the Day of the Dead, dia de los muertos, commemorating the location where South Central Farms once flourished. A small child comes up to me and says "hola!"
"Hola!" I reply. "Como estas?"
"Bieeeeeeeeen." He says.
"Cuantos anos tienes?" I say, asking how old he is.
He looks at my blue eyes and has a curious look on his face. He drops the Spanish. And in perfect English, he says to me " I am four. But if I was your age, I'd say it's none of your business!"
Did you know that the average Westerner consumes 142 POUNDS of sugar per year?
Eating this much sugar is one of the single worst things you can do for your health. It is like poison.
So, you say, what are my alternatives? Raw agave nectar?
No, my friend. Agave nectar is also evil. Yes.
What? How could this be? It's "raw" and "vegan" and a "super food!"
I am sorry to break it to you, friends, but agave nectar is also not ideal. Agave nectar is almost all fructose, which is broken down by the body in a way that taxes your liver and converts to fat, instead of being fully processed as energy. Recent research has also pointed to the fact the fructose - especially high fructose corn syrup - is basically fuel for cancer cells.
My suggestions for safely and moderately managing your sweet tooth:
1) Stevia: Stevia is an herb with zero glycemic effect. This means that when you use stevia as a sweetener, it provides you with the sweetness but no crazy sugar highs. You can use it as much as you like, but you probably won't need much. I prefer the unrefined version, which is basically the stevia leaf ground into a green powder. Others like the more processed powder version, which I don't find as nice. It's widely available in health food stores and TJs.
2) Raw local honey: used in moderation, this is one of nature's best medicines. While it has a high glycemic effect, if you use it in small quantities and earlier in the day (not at night) your body will have a chance to metabolize it. Honey contains many essential B vitamins and amino acids, and if a local variety, will help you avoid or manage allergies. I have also heard of traditional healers using honey - just a half teaspoon full - to clear a stagnant liver by taking it just before bed. I have not tried this myself, but am passing on what I have heard.
3) Say NO to artificial sweeteners of any kind. Some of the chemicals incorporated into these sweeteners are known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors (aspartame) and others cause all sorts of digestive problems (maltitol). Stay far away from these sweeteners no matter what!
4) Find a program to engage in dietary discipline. If you properly nourish your body with adequate protein, and a healthy combination of living raw and cooked vegetables, chances are you will be less likely to have intense sweet cravings. Minimizing caffeine intake will also help you develop a diet with less sugar (I'll talk about caffeine in another post). Exercise - especially yoga - can positively impact your food decisions and bring more mindfulness to your diet. You may find that you don't NEED that sugar at all...it's just one of those things that we get addicted to in our fast-paced environment. Once you repattern your dopamine receptors with other healthy stimuli, you will be liberated from the sugar cravings!
5) Think about adding Nopal cactus to your diet, either in the cooked form or in capsule form. I will be writing a more extensive post about nopalito in the coming weeks, but the healing powers of this plant are immense and many yet to be completely discovered. Nopal helps lower the glycemic effect of foods, so if you do choose to eat something sweet, you may find this to be helpful in balancing a meal. Nopal also has noticeable effects on the cariovascular and elimination systems, and can be a helpful aid in detoxification.
I hope my post about sugar didn't scare you. Just remember, use moderation and take small steps toward your health. Good luck!
Today I am going to write about plantains...not the banana-relative common to Southern Hemisphere cousine, but probably the other most ubiquitous weed, second to the dandelion. It is found on 6 continents, which is why I call it one of the "traveler's best friends."
Out here in California there are a couple versions of plantain that are most prominent, the Buckhorn plantain, whose leaves are longer, ribbed, and more slender, and the Broadleaf plantain, as its name suggests, has rounder and broader leaves.
If you aren't keen on plant identification, no worries. This one is pretty easy to spot since it has leaves in a base rosette pattern and then little clusters of flowers in the middle.
Plantago major is native to Eurasia, and it was believed to have been brought over with the colonists. It was also quickly naturalized and incorporated into Native American medicine. Some of the first Native American names for this plant translate to "white man's foot" or "Englishman's foot." It was believed that the seeds would bury themselves in the colonists socks, and sprouts of plantains would emerge after colonists had visited certain areas.
Since the plant has so many different uses, and is also edible, one Native American tribe granted it the name "life medicine."
Interesting that now people who choose to grow lawns in their front yards usually work to eradicate this "weed." I won't go off on that tangent, but will save my diatribe against lawns for a different post.
Plantain leaves are edible in salad when they are clean, young, and raw. Rich in riboflavin and B1, they can also be cooked or steamed, but their medicinal values are best brought out in either a tea infusion or in a topical poultice. Taken internally they can be used to reduce inflammation, and they contain antiseptic and diuretic properties. Topically, plantains are extremely effective as a natural remedy for bee stings and other insect bites. Folklore also indicates that they have been used to cure snakebites, but I would not advise trying this at home.
It might sound crazy but the best thing you can do when you are in the wilderness and dealing with a bee sting or other mild bug bite is...find a clean plantain (make sure the area hasn't been sprayed with herbicide)...then chew it up, spit out the ground matter, and place it on the affected area. Let it dry for some time - I'd say at least 20 minutes. The mixture will become slightly gelatinous, and the enzymes in your saliva will actually help ward off infections. If you do not want to place it in your mouth, find a rock or pocket knife to gring the material, then add some water or spit to the mixture. The plantain will help reduce swelling and pain, and will aid in your bodies ability to expel the toxins. You will be amazed, and wonder why people are always tearing this highly medicinal plant-friend out of their manicured lawns!
Here are a few photos of the plantain. The last one is of one of my new kittens, Tocho, who intuitively knew to self-medicate with plantains when his tummy was upset.
When I think about the roots of herbalism, this is the first one that comes to my mind. It happens to be found on six continents, in different shapes and sizes, with similar properties...which is why I call it the traveler's best friend. Just about anywhere you go in the world you will find them, growing in the distressed soils of vacant lots, in fields, and even bursting through the little cracks in the pavement. I'll include a photo here of one I found growing in a Chiapas gutter.
Rule number one in guerrilla herbalism: NEVER pick a plant that has been growing in or near the street. Do you really want car exhaust and toxins in your body? Definitely not.
Rule number two in guerrilla herbalism: ALWAYS make sure you know that herbicides/pesticides/other chemicals have not been recently dumped on the plants. You don't want that stuff in your body, either. If you don't know for sure, it's probably best to avoid them.
Do you have any idea where dandelions come from? Before I tell you, pause for a minute and talk a wild guess.
The first (recorded) use of dandelions was by Arabian physicians. The plant is native to areas of the Middle East and Mediterranean Europe. One theory suggests that as a result of the inquisition and colonization, the dandelion made its way around the globe. It quickly became naturalized in the U.S. and studies have shown that it was incorporated into Native American medical traditions.
A tonic of good health, dandelion is a blood purifier, aids the liver in detoxification, and stimulates digestion. It is also mildly laxative, diueretic, and at the same time one of nature's most abundant sources of potassium. If you haven't ever eaten dandelion greens, go to a local health food store and try some. You can also find dandelion leaf and root in the bulk herbs section. The dried leaf is great in combination with nettles and red clover for a daily tonic tea. The roots can be boiled for a much more intense purifying effect, and they almost taste like coffee (very bitter). You can also find all sorts of natural supplements which containt dandelion as a key ingredient for detoxification.
OR...if you are into guerrilla herbalism, go source some yourselves from the wild. This, however, takes a little more knowledge of when and where to look. Perhaps the most important thing to do is not confuse dandelions with another common weed we all know called sow thistle. I'll write about sow thistle another time, as it is also edible and medicinal, but it is different. We'll focus on dandelion today. The main thing you need to look for is that the plant is young enough to be eaten, and that it has the characteristic rosette of leaves at the base, with one single flower at the end of each stem. Sow thistle, on the other hand, has multiple flowers on each stem, and leaves shooting off in an alternating instead of rosette pattern.
The name "dandelion" comes from the French dent-de-lion meaning "lion's teeth."
Whether you decide to use dandelion medicinally or not, it is pretty cool to know a little bit more about a plant that you see almost every day.
The fact that people dread Mondays so much might very well be an old hold-over from patriarchal forms of thought, where the Sun would be masculine and totally rule, and Mondays (MOON days) would be quietly submissive to that. Or... maybe it's just because most people have to start the work week on Mondays.
I might be one of those crazy moon people (look out for LUNAtics!), but I am positing that Mondays aren't worse than other days of the week. In fact, they might be better.
In any case, I'm going to hold firm on my theory about Mondays. This is why: if you get yourself off to a lousy start, that lousy-ness gains momentum and by Wednesday or Thursday, it is only a gazillion times worse. So take charge of your Monday mornings, and your life and health with thank you for it!
Here is a cure for a Monday:
Wake up, take a 45 minute run or walk, followed by a cup of super strong yerba mate. Can't have caffeine? That's OK, Mondays still don't suck. Pick a warm beverage of your choice, preferably something healthy, and sit for 5 minutes. Just 5 minutes. During those moments think about good things, what you are thankful for, and then formulate an idea of what you want from this day. Realize that you are here and that life is happening. Sounds simple, doesn't it? Place that intention (with all your psychic powers) into the beverage you are holding.
Then drink it.
Try it for a week and let me know how it goes. This Monday trick can actually be used each and every morning, and has helped many of us stay sane despite a whirlwind of a schedule each week.
Medicinal Joy celebrates multicultural, multilingual, and multidimensional experiences of traditional and modern medicine. It is a humble attempt to bridge folk medicine and machinery, curanderas and cyberspace, and all the other little energetic particles in between.
