Red Clover

Over the last couple weeks immunity in my upper respiratory cavities compromised. Illness lingers because I thought I was not sick enough to rest more - and after I stayed out late swing dancing, I came home with the beginnings of bronchitis. The whole illness has been confused, swinging from throat irritation to congestion in the nasal cavities, to slow, heavy lung activity. I was not sure whether I was experiencing allergies or a cold. Today I called in sick to work, so I may rest, walk in the sun, and drink fluids.

In case I am dealing with mild allergies from onset of early spring (camellias flowering two months early) I am drinking tea with red clover, red sage and stinging nettles. Red clover, Trilfoilium pratense, is used for cancer prevention, indigestion, high cholesterol, whooping cough, cough, asthma, bronchitis, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Red clover is also a source of nutrients including calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C (a nutritive). It appears to be a common ingredient in many herbal flu blends described on the internet. Red sage, Salvia officinalis is carminative, anti-spasmodic, anti-microbial, astringent, and anti-inflammatory. This may help tonify upper respiratory cellular function, while fighting any viruses present and soothing inflamed tissue. With phenolic acids and flavonoids, red sage is mildly antibacterial and antioxidant as well. 

Stinging nettle is an astringent, diuretic, tonic, antispasmodic/anodyne (pain killing), rubefacient, styptic (stops bleeding), anthelmintic (expelling worms), nutritive, alterative, anti-rheumatic, anti-lithic/lithotriptic, haemostatic, stimulant, expectorant/decongestant, febrifuge (reducing fever), kidney depurative/nephritic, galactagogue, hypoglycemic, and anti-histamine. A lot of stuff! Since it is also a diuretic - and I have been taking more of these lately - I need to be mindful to consume extra water. Too much drying action has been interfering with my ability to move congestion out of my system, and I have felt a simple need to drink water constantly. I always know an infection is present when I feel dehydrated despite drinking a normal amount of water. As an astringent,tonic, alterative,expectorant, and febrifuge - as well as being nutritive - perhaps I should just avoid food and drink stinging nettle tea all day.

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Lunar new year is in a couple days and to honor that I started a new tincture with herbs a friend mailed me from Colorado. He sent red clover, goldenrod and hops. All plants I can harvest in my home town but somehow they sound more delicious from another state, handpicked by a friend. 

Tinctured together the plants are anti-inflammatory and diuretic. Goldenrod and red clover are good for upper respiratory ailments like allergies, asthma, cold and flu, bronchitis and cough. Combined with hops, humulus lupulus, which is tonic, nervine, diuretic and an anodyne --  the anxiety of being sick may be reduced as well as general aches and pains, and flushing illness out of the system. At least I will have the tincture prepared for next time.

Sattva - Purity

I'm still jiving on The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies by Vasant Lad, and I've dedicated this next full moon cycle, the month of February to eat foods traditionally regarded as "sattvic". A sattvic diet is composed of whole foods filled with "life force", and contributes to a sense of inner balance, peace and non-harming. To partake of these foods properly one needs to honor them by eating slow, and being grateful. I have not eaten vegetarian for many years, however I'm curious how this choice will impact my day to day mindset. I believe it will be a way of cultivating deeper self-love, therefore (we'll see) my ability to love others. Read more about my motivations here.

Lad specifies which types of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, dairy and herbs to consume -- which I'm experimenting with. I'm fascinated how some fruits, vegetables and herbs might not qualify. I suppose within each category, the "safe" or mild tasting foods would be regarded as sattvic. For herbs and spices, Lad lists cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, ginger, licorice, nutmeg, parsley, rose, saffron, tulsi, and tumuric. I thought I'd give preference to these in my cooking and tea making. It's really easy to forget this commitment without putting it in the forefront of my visual memory, i.e. keeping the list in my back pocket constantly.

I'm more curious as to which plants of the Pacific Northwest might be considered sattvic, or safe and balancing. Michael Moore's Therapeutic and Use Index delineates a few categories that probably work: alteratives, cardiac tonics, intestinal tract tonics, nervines, and bitter tonics. Tonics - "medicinal substances taken to give a feeling of vigor or well-being" - are theoretically safe to consume every day, right? Some plants include: barberry, burdock, chicory, dandelion, motherwort, oregon grape, red clover, sage, skullcap, valerian, yarrow and yellow dock. I have experimented a little with these plants before and I am currently drinking a tea of chicory, dandelion, and oregon grape. Perhaps now's a time for deepening my study and knowledge of them. As well as to dedicate my year learning them, harvesting and experimenting.

The plants I know less about include barberry, motherwort and valerian. According to Moore, barberry is similar to oregon grape as - alterative, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, intestinal and liver tonic, laxative and gall bladder stimulant. All very useful for maintaining digestive health. In addition barberry is particularly useful for treating mouth/gum inflammation, so would be a great addition to yarrow in toothpaste (which I currently need to make more of). Motherwort is described as quite mild as a cardiac tonic, a promenstrual, and for treating shingles, a stress-related nervous system symptom. Perhaps there's a connection between stress and blood health in the case of shingles. Valerian -- I have experienced it as stimulating but I will try again. Other than chamomile I don't really take many traditionally soothing herbs. Valerian is regarded as an analgesic (pain reliever), anti-spasmodic (muscle relaxant), nervine, and sedative. Perfect following intense yoga or hiking I would think.

I didn't do much this time around to celebrate the full moon for medicine making but I did finally bottle oregon grape tincture harvested at Discovery Park, and concocted last fall. Pictured below.

Works Cited

Lad, Vasant. (1999). The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies. New York City: Harmony          Books.

Moore, Michael. (2011). Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West. Albuquerque, NM: Museum of New
     Mexico Press.