Summer is on its way. I can’t wait until I am soaking up the sun poolside with a good book, bees buzzing cheerily around me.
These three new fragrances, Herbs, Flowers and Summer evoke the feeling of that summer freedom, idling the hours away in pure warm tranquility.
Herbs– Rosemary, grapefruit and lemongrass
Flowers– Lavender, Lemon balm and chamomile
Summer– Coriander and pink grapefruit
Recipes:
Herbs (rosemary 15, grapefruit 15, lemongrass 5)
Flowers (lavender 18, Lemon balm 9, chamomile 3)
Summer (pink grapefruit 20, coriander 30)
Vitex (Chaste berry)influences dopaminergic transmission. It also regulates prolactin, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone (LH), which may regulate testosterone levels, as well as levels of other reproductive hormones.
Cramp bark is an antispasmodic. It quickly and effectively alleviates uterine muscular tension, pain, and the inflammation from which cramps originate
Black cohosh helps relieve menstrual cramps and premenstrual symptoms, such as hot flashes, irritability, mood swings, and sleep disturbances.
Ashwagandha regulates the level of cortisol (the stress hormone) in the body which helps to regulate moods and decreases the overall state of stress, anxiety and irritability. This also allows your body to make more of the sleep hormone melatonin, helping you to get to sleep and stay asleep. It may also improve sweet food cravings. The body typically craves sweet foods when cortisol levels are high as a prehistoric survival mechanism.
Dosage: 1 capsule 2 times a day one week before menstrual cycle and one week during menstrual cycle
Grind or chop the plant material as finely as possible. I use my juicer to grind the dried plant material.
Add the plant material to the jar: Dried- fill 1/2 of jar
Fresh- fill the entire jar
Add the alcohol. Fill to the brim. Keep an eye on it for the next several minutes and keep adding alcohol until all the plant material is covered.
Seal well and label with the plant name, date, percent and type of alcohol and the date 6 weeks out.
Shake the jar daily and store in a cool, dark place.
After 6 weeks, strain out plant material and decant the tincture into sterilised bottles for use.
Label bottles with the tincture name.
I prefer to make a tincture from the whole plant, thus I combine the root and aerial parts tinctures. This allows for the overall effectiveness of the tincture to be increased simply because different parts of the plant have differing strengths of similar properties.
Vitex (Chaste berry)influences dopaminergic transmission. It also regulates prolactin, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone (LH), which may regulate testosterone levels, as well as levels of other reproductive hormones.
Black Cohosh is most commonly used for menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes (also called hot flushes) and night sweats (together known as vasomotor symptoms), vaginal dryness, heart palpitations, tinnitus, vertigo, sleep disturbances, nervousness, and irritability
Hops is used for anxiety, sleep disorders, restlessness, hot flashes, vaginal dryness and other menopause symptoms
Eleuthero is used to manage the effects of menopause. Modern medicine has corroborated this as eleutherosides have been shown to bind to estrogen receptor sites. As a result, eleuthero may lessen the effects of estrogen withdrawal in menopausal and peri-menopausal women. In addition, eleuthero can help reduce bone loss that occurs during menopause and can help in the early treatment of osteoporosis.
Passion flower can treat menopausal symptoms, such as vasomotor signs (hot flashes and night sweats), insomnia, depression, anger and headaches, and it may be an alternative to conventional hormone therapy.
Smilax will balance the glandular system and hormones and can be used as a general tonic during menopause and improve debility and low libido, aphrodisiac, testosteronic, progesteronic
Dosage: 3-5 ml twice a day, one hour before bed and right before bed
Grind or chop the plant material as finely as possible. I use my juicer to grind the dried plant material.
Add the plant material to the jar: Dried- fill 1/2 of jar
Fresh- fill the entire jar
Add the alcohol. Fill to the brim. Keep an eye on it for the next several minutes and keep adding alcohol until all the plant material is covered.
Seal well and label with the plant name, date, percent and type of alcohol and the date 6 weeks out.
Shake the jar daily and store in a cool, dark place.
After 6 weeks, strain out plant material and decant the tincture into sterilised bottles for use.
Label bottles with the tincture name.
I prefer to make a tincture from the whole plant, thus I combine the root and aerial parts tinctures. This allows for the overall effectiveness of the tincture to be increased simply because different parts of the plant have differing strengths of similar properties.
Echinacea is an immunostimulant, antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial. It has an affinity for bronchial and respiratory infections as well as throat and overall oral infections. It has a full complement of polysaccharides, which help protect cells against invasion by viruses and bacteria. Other key constituents are: sesquiterpenes, linoleic acid, tannins, beta-carotene and Vitamin C.
Elderflower is used for swollen sinuses (sinusitis), colds, influenza (flu), swine flu, bronchitis, diabetes, and constipation. It is also used to increase urine production (as a diuretic), to increase sweating (as a diaphoretic), and to stop bleeding.
The berries and flowers of elderberry are packed with antioxidants and vitamins that may boost your immune system. They could help tame inflammation, lessen stress, and help protect your heart, too. Some experts recommend elderberry to help prevent and ease cold and flu symptoms.
Dosage: when exposed to a cold or flu- 3-5 ml 2 times a day
When presenting with symptoms- 1 ml every 30 min to hour
Grind the herbs in a mortar and pestle or with a juicer or herb grinder.
Store in a cool, dry, dark place.
1 tablespoon of tea per cup of boiling water, let steep for 5-10 minutes covered.
Dose: 1 cup of tea as needed
Lavender: anticonvulsant, antidepressive, anxiolytic, sedative, and calming
Skullcap is used to reduce inflammation, provide relief from spasms, stimulate blood flow in the pelvic region, help eliminate headaches, reduce fever and induce relaxation.
Ashwagandha regulates the level of cortisol (the stress hormone) in the body which helps to regulate moods and decreases the overall state of stress, anxiety and irritability. This also allows your body to make more of the sleep hormone melatonin, helping you to get to sleep and stay asleep. It may also improve sweet food cravings. The body typically craves sweet foods when cortisol levels are high as a prehistoric survival mechanism.
Raspberry leaf: anti-inflammatory, mild hemostatic, anti-emetic, nervine, nutritive, galactagogue, uterine trophorestorative, relaxant, tonic/astringent, and parturient.
In a double boiler (or a pot nestled in a larger pot filled with a bit of water) over medium heat, add the oils and beeswax.
Stir until the beeswax melts and is fully incorporated.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a moment.
Add the essential oils. Stir.
Pour into clean and sterilised jars.
Safety: Spot test before applying to ensure no skin sensitivities are present
Medicinal Actions:
Cayenne: anti-inflammatory, analgesic (confuses pain transmitters), vulnerary, rubefacient
Clove: anesthetic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory
Cinnamon: nervine, anti-inflammatory
In a double boiler (or a pot nestled in a larger pot filled with a bit of water) over medium heat, add the oils and beeswax.
Stir until the beeswax melts and is fully incorporated.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a moment.
Add the essential oils. Stir.
Pour into clean and sterilised jars.
Medicinal Actions:
Wintergreen: anti-inflammatory, analgesic, cooling
Coriander: antibacterial, soothing, cooling, anti-inflammatory
Lavender: nervine, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial
Combine the oils, butter and beeswax in a saucepan over very low heat until everything is melted together
Pour into a measuring cup or container and let cool until the mixture is somewhat firm, thick and creamy
Scrape the oil mixture into a blender.
In a separate bowl. Combine the hydrosol, gel and essential oil
Turn the blender on full speed and slowly drizzle the the water mixture into the vortex created by the blender
Continue blending until all the water mixture has been absorbed by the oil.
The blender should “choke” as the mixture thickens and becomes creamy
After turning off the blender, scoop the cream into small jars.
Store the cream in a cool dark place.
Medicinal Actions:
Pink Grapefruit: high in Vitamin C, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, skin regenerative, affinity for scar-healing and wrinkle smoothing, collagen synthesis
Shea butter: moisturising, anti-inflammatory, aids in skin’s natural collagen production
Balm of Gilead: antioxidant, heals scars, clears up eczema and psoriasis, anti-inflammatory
Coriander: antibacterial, soothing, anti-inflammatory
Roman pouziva Veins Away 1 a 2 uz par tydny na nohy. Uz rozdil pozna a mi dal zpetnou vazbu:
“Bylinková mastička na žíly po třítýdenním používání. Rozdíl je viditelný, určitě doporučuji.”
-Roman Vojslavsky
Diky Romane! Cim dal tim lepe!!!
Roman has been using Veins Away 1 and 2 for a couple of weeks now on his leg. He has already noticed a difference and gave me this feedback:
“The veins after using the herbal salve for three weeks. You can see the difference. I recommend this product.”
-Roman Vojslavsky
Thank you, Roman. Keep going with it!
Translated by Dana Lebedova
Translated by Dana Lebedova
Translated by Dana Lebedova
Key Words: Composite flowers in disk-like heads.
This family was previously known as the Composite family-Compositae.
Asteraceae plants are everywhere. From sunflowers that make the sky look even bluer to the lettuce that’s in your salad, you come into contact with members of this family regularly. The Asteraceae family is one of the largest plant families with several sub-genera within, such as the genera Artemisia and Arnica.
Mostly used for flowers and food, some members of the Asteraceae family have been used in folk medicine for centuries. Containing terpenoids and flavonoids, they produce many beneficial effects on our bodies. Some though may be allergic to these compounds, so a bit of general knowledge and information is necessary.
Asteraceae are recognised mainly by they composite flowers. though they look like a single flower, imagine a sunflower, it is actually a disk containing hundreds of single flowers known as a composite flower.
In plants of the family Asteraceae, what appears to be a single flower is actually a cluster of much smaller flowers. The overall appearance of the cluster, as a single flower, functions in attracting pollinators in the same way as the structure of an individual flower in some other plant families. The older family name, Compositae, comes from the fact that what appears to be a single flower is actually a composite of smaller flowers.
The “petals” or “sunrays” in a sunflower head are actually individual strap-shaped flowers called ray flowers, and the “sun disk” is made of smaller circular shaped individual flowers called disc flowers. The word “aster” means “star” in Greek, referring to the appearance of some family members, as a “star” surrounded by “rays”. The cluster of flowers that may appear to be a single flower, is called a head. The entire head may move tracking the sun, like a “smart” solar panel, which maximizes reflectivity of the whole unit and can thereby attract more pollinators.
On the outside the flower heads are small bracts that look like scales. These are called phyllaries, and together they form the involucre that protects the individual flowers in the head before they open. The individual heads have the smaller individual flowers arranged on a round or dome-like structure called the receptacle. The flowers mature first at the outside, moving toward the center, with the youngest in the middle.
The individual flowers in a head have 5 fused petals (rarely 4), but instead of sepals, have threadlike, hairy, or bristly structures called pappus, which surround the fruit and can stick to animal fur or be lifted by wind, aiding in seed dispersal. The whitish fluffy head of a dandelion, commonly blown on by children, is made of the pappus, with tiny seeds attached at the ends, whereby the pappus provides a parachute like structure to help the seed be carried away in the wind.
Wikipedia
This article by wildflowersandweeds.com is a great resource for the Asteraceae family.
Courtesy of britannica.com
Asteraceae or Compositae is an exceedingly large, annual and widespread family of flowering plants. They produce secondary metabolites, such as flavonoids and terpenoids which have lots of effect on our body. Many of the Asteraceae family are plants which have been used in traditional medicine. Many studies have shown the effects of Asteraceae family plants or their extract on immune-mediated diseases, especially their anti-inflammatory effect.
http://jrhc.miau.ac.ir/article_3435.html
Diuretic, drawing, expectorant, draining, antiparasitic, respiratory support, gastric support, blood regulation, antibacterial, help with microbial infections.
Many Asteraceae members contain metabolites called sesquiterpene lactones which, in those allergic, can cause inflammation, skin irritation and sensitisation. This same metabolite has been shown beneficial in treating cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as a host of other disorders from diarrhea to influenza,,. It is important to know the information, so I recommend reading these articles in order to get the full picture regarding this metabolite.
The Asteraceae representatives consist of diverse secondary metabolites, which exhibit various advantageous effects in humans. In particular, sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) may cause sensitization resulting in skin irritation and inflammation. In this study, we tried to reveal the allergenic potential of several Asteraceae species. The Asteraceae-related allergy symptoms involve eczema, hay fever, asthma, or even anaphylaxis. Furthermore, the evidence of severe cross-reactivity with food and pollen allergens (PFS) in patients sensitive to Asteraceae allergens have been announced.
https://rdcu.be/cjoRt
Studies of folk medicines implicate sesquiterpene lactones as the active ingredient in many treatments for other ailments such as diarrhea, burns, influenza, and neurodegradation. In addition to the anti-inflammatory response, sesquiterpene lactones have been found to sensitize tumor cells to conventional drug treatments.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3709812/
Tansy is beautiful. But I have a love/hate relationship with tansy. The flowers are beautiful, aromatic and the plant is a breeding place for ladybugs.
I love seeing the whole life cycle of ladybugs in my tansy plants. But be warned, the tansies will take over your garden, are near impossible to get rid of and can be dangerous. Containing thujones (the same component that gives Absinthe its bad name), as well as other volatile oils, which can cause convulsions, liver and brain damage and can be lethal in the right amount. It is used in herbal medicine, but should only be used by an expert.
And tansy’s dark side is darker than most – it’s literally a killer. Despite historically being commonly used as a flavouring, bitter-tasting tansy contains a toxic essential oil that can cause liver and brain damage and even kill humans and other animals. On a less lethal level, it can also prompt an allergic reaction in some individuals when touching the leaves.
https://www.growveg.co.uk/guides/why-you-should-and-shouldnt-grow-tansy/
Tansy has a long history of use. It was first recorded as being cultivated by the ancient Greeks for medicinal purposes. In the 8th century AD it was grown in the herb gardens of Charlemagne and by Benedictine monks of the Swiss monastery of Saint Gall. Tansy was used to treat intestinal worms, rheumatism, digestive problems, fevers, sores, and to bring out measles.
During the Middle Ages and later, high doses were used to induce abortions. Contradictorily, tansy was also used to help women conceive and to prevent miscarriages. In the 15th century, Christians began serving tansy with Lenten meals to commemorate the bitter herbs eaten by the Israelites. Tansy was thought to have the added Lenten benefits of controlling flatulence brought on by days of eating fish and pulses and of preventing the intestinal worms believed to be caused by eating fish during Lent.
Tansy was used as a face wash and was reported to lighten and purify the skin. In the 19th century, Irish folklore suggested that bathing in a solution of tansy and salts would cure joint pain.
Wikipedia
Tansy is used as an excellent insecticide and anti-parasitic, but must be used with caution. Please do your research and rather use wormwood and black walnut as your antiparasitic.
Using these resources, one is easily able to identify its genus and species:
Key Words: Compound umbels. Usually hollow flower stalks. Often aromatic.
Some of the most common plants, most loved and most eaten are in this beautiful Apiaceae family, as well as some of the world’s deadliest.
Mostly grown as vegetables or for food, whilst some are used as folk medicine, one must be sure of plant identification as many members of the Apiaceae family are poisonous. For this reason, it is important to get to know this plant family as one of the first families you study.
One can usually identify a member of the Apiaceae family by its distinctive umbel.
In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) which spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin umbella “parasol, sunshade”. The arrangement can vary from being flat-topped to almost spherical. Umbels can be simple or compound.
The secondary umbels of compound umbels are known as umbelules or umbellets. A small umbel is called an umbellule.
The arrangement of the inflorescence in umbels is referred to as umbellate, or occasionally subumbellate (almost umbellate).Umbels are a characteristic of plants such as carrot, parsley, dill, and fennel in the family Apiaceae; ivy, Aralia and Fatsia in the family Araliaceae; onion (Allium) in the family Alliaceae.
Wikipedia
Who hasn’t eaten a carrot? Or put celery in their soup base? Cut up some parsnip for a Sunday roast or used fennel or dill as a spice in a recipe? The Apiaceae family hosts some of our most common and well-loved ingredients. Cilantro for salsa, caraway seed in a curry or parsley in some sausage mix, this family has it all.
It’s a wonder we all are alive today. If foraging was necessary, many of us lack the skill to properly identify a Wild Carrot from its deadly cousin, Poison Hemlock. We must thank those that have gone before us, that have told the stories and drawn the illustrations, those that have paved the way in helping us to know the beauty and danger of this abundant plant family.
When you recognize the compound umbels of the Parsley family then you know you have to be careful. You must be 100% certain of what these plants are before you harvest them for food or medicine. More than that, you must be right! People die just about every year thinking they have discovered some kind of wild carrot.
wildflowersandweeds.com
This article by wildflowersandweeds.com is a great resource for the Apiaceae family.
Members of this family can have these medicinal actions:
Anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, antibacterial, diuretic, emmenagogue, stimulating, antimicrobial, antioxidant. These constituents can help with bronchitis, hepatitis, gastrointeritis.
Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is in the Apiaceae family, which also includes carrots, parsnips, parsley, fennel, and their wild counterparts.
It is an herbaceous biennial plant that can grow 5 to 10 feet (2-3 meters) tall or even taller.
It should not be confused with hemlock the coniferous tree which is completely harmless (and edible).
All parts of the plant are poisonous, including the flowers, leaves, stems, roots, and seeds.
Poison hemlock contains potent toxic alkaloids that affect the nervous system, and even small internal doses can cause respiratory collapse and death.
It can also cause a severe skin reaction similar to a burn when touched externally. Definitely not a plant to mess around with!
Historically poison hemlock was used in ancient Greece to poison condemned prisoners, and it was what killed Socrates after he drank a potent hemlock infusion.
growforagecookferment.com
Poison-hemlock stems have reddish or purple spots and streaks, are not hairy, and are hollow. Leaves are bright green, fern-like, finely divided, toothed on edges and have a strong musty odor when crushed. Flowers are tiny, white and arranged in small, umbrella-shaped clusters on ends of branched stems.
King County
Flowering poison-hemlock may be confused with wild carrot (Daucus carota, or Queen Anne’s Lace). In contrast with poison-hemlock, wild carrot has one densely packed umbrella-shaped flower cluster on a narrow, hairy stem, usually with one purple flower in the center of the flower cluster, and is usually 3 feet tall or less. Wild carrot also flowers later in the summer.
King County
If you are not sure, don’t touch the plant. Even touching the wrong Apiaceae can lead to photosensitivity rashes.
Look for red or purple spots to help you identify poison hemlock.
Using these resources, one is easily able to identify its genus and species: