Preparing herbal medicines

 Bees and medicinal plants, Deanne Greenwood Medical Herbalist, Foraging, Hay fever, Herbal home remedies, Home herbal remedies, Making Tincures  No Responses »
Jun 132018
 

ForagingDeanne Greenwood Medical Herbalist in her herb garden

This is my favourite time of year with regard to all things herbal. For the next few months I will be very busy indeed, with all the lush medicinal plants that are sprouting up everywhere in a glorious and wild profusion of colour and aroma.

When the plants are in their optimum state for harvesting, and the weather conditions are right, I’ll be off gathering what I need to create potent herbal tinctures.

Hot, sunny mornings

Typically, I’ll be waiting for a hot sunny day, which will first take the morning dew off the plants, and then bring the therapeutic saps and oils to the surface of the leaves and flowers. I try to get out late morning, before the day gets too hot and the plants, and I, start to wilt a little.

Elder flowersElderflower is a popular hay fever remedy

Recently, I’ve gathered fluffy heads of elder flowers and spread some of them out to dry on racks above the boiler in my boot room. The heady scent they give off is quite intoxicating – especially when I first open the boot room door in the morning. I’ll use the resultant dried plant, mixed with similarly dried peppermint and yarrow, to make a herbal tea which is the absolute best for colds and flu as it makes you sweat, as well as having lots of other therapeutic properties.

I am also macerating some of the elder flower heads in diluted organic grain alcohol to make a tincture (takes about two weeks) that I often use for prophylactic treatment of hay fever – mixed with other herbs, such as eyebright and nettle.

My fingers were stained nicotine yellow after harvesting the elder – not a good look for a health practitioner!

Nettle

The nettle – gathered when it was heavy with seed heads, is also currently in maceration.

Sage & Rosemary

From the allotment, I’ve harvested pungent sage – bravely fending off the fat bumblebees that were buzzing all round the purple flowers on the sage and didn’t take kindly to me chopping down their nectar supply – and rosemary, of which I have several large bushes.

My fingers and nails this time were engrained with a thick layer of brown and green oils. (At this time of year, I often have to explain to patients that my disgusting looking nails are not the result of having just done an oil change!)

St John’s wort

Next on the agenda is St John’s wort, which is said to flower on June 24th – St John’s Day, hence the name. Today (June 13th) the rather large bush in my garden has one fully opened flower, and many buds, so I’m hoping it will be in full flower pretty much bang on target!

Lemon balm, Meadowsweet & Yarrow

And so many more still to do – lemon balm, meadowsweet and yarrow being a few of my favourites.

Healing energy

It is such a rewarding practice, because the herbal medicines I prepare myself are always the very best, most potent in my dispensary. You can smell and taste the vibrancy and healing energy in them.

Spirit of Plants and People

That is not to say the herbal medicines I buy in from accredited suppliers in other parts of the country, who also grow many of their own plants, aren’t of the highest quality and therapeutic efficacy – it’s just that I feel home-prepared have the edge. Partly because the sole herbalist is better able to harvest at the absolute optimum time, but mainly because, I believe, the spirit of the person who picks and prepares medicinal plants infuses into the plant and gives the medicine an extra power and energy.

Hence always gathering and preparing herbal medicines with respect, love and gratitude.

Herbal help for hay fever

 Hay fever  No Responses »
Jan 132016
 

TestimonialElder flower is one of the key herbs for tackling hay fever

“I seem to be hay fever-free… completely… at this point! I even worked in the garden yesterday without problems…”

Valerie Spargo, Falmouth

This is a quote from one of my patients, who tried herbal medicine to see if it would help relieve the very debilitating hay fever symptoms she had been experiencing for many years. She had started taking conventional medication a few years previously, which helped, but with the drawback of a number of side effects. Her symptoms sometimes started as early as March.
I suggested taking a herbal prophylactic approach, starting at the end of January, with a view to avoiding having to take medication, if nothing else! The opening quote is from April 2015. Although she did not remain completely hay fever-free through to the end of July, when her symptoms usually subsided, her symptoms were significantly reduced. This enabled her to enjoy her summer, including spending time in the garden. And she did not need to take her previous medication. She was delighted. Here are some quotes from May and June:

May: “I have sneezing fits every once in a while, and sometimes sore, itchy eyes, but really, not a great deal of a problem.

June: “I have occasional short periods of crazy sneezing and some evenings I need to wash my eyes, but these periods are short and hardly worth mentioning. All is very good.”

The herbal approach

Using a personalised approach and herbs chosen specifically for you, a herbalist can help rebalance, strengthen and, in effect, desensitise your body, reducing and hopefully preventing a reaction to the substances it was previously sensitive to.
A herbalist will take into consideration any other allergies or sensitivities you may have. Allergies tend to have a cumulative effect, so the more substances you are sensitive to, the more you are likely to become sensitive to, or the more severe your symptoms may become, as your body becomes more and more stressed and weakened, and less able to cope.

Anti-histamine herbs

There is a wide choice of herbs to choose from, including those with antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, anti-pruritic (anti-itching) properties, and it is the skill of the herbalist that determines which herbs are best suited to you.

Natural vaccines

I believe that using local plants is particularly beneficial, in the same way that many people find eating local honey helps alleviate their symptoms. The theory is that the local bees are feeding off the same pollens to which you are allergic, so their honey has an immunomodulatory effect. In other words, it acts like a natural vaccine.

Herbs for hay fever

I collect many of the herbs I use in the treatment of hay fever locally, and prepare tinctures from them. I live on The Lizard peninsula in Cornwall, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, where much of the land is organic, and the medicinal plants and herbs I harvest here are rich, strong and vibrant, and have an almost tangible energy. Those that commonly feature in remedies for hay fever include nettle, plantain, elderflower and eyebright.

Pre-hay fever season

The sooner someone with hay fever seeks herbal help, the better. Ideally, I like to see patients a couple of months before ‘their’ hay fever season starts. That way, we can strengthen and rebalance all the body systems, including the immune system, so that it recognises, and stops overreacting to, natural substances.

Find out more about herbal medicine

If you’d like to find out more about how herbal medicine works, please take a look at my About Herbal Medicine page. Also check out the Inspiring Health natural health clinic for details of a Hay fever and Allergy workshop we are running on March 12.

Sunshine in a bottle

 Herbal home remedies, Home herbal remedies, Making Tincures  No Responses »
Oct 252015
 

CalendulaAs the clocks went back today, I thought this gorgeous picture of preserved Marigolds (Calendula officinalis), that have all the colour and warmth and vibrancy of sunshine, might cheer everybody up a bit. I grew masses of marigolds in our organic vegetable garden this year (they attract beneficial insects and deter pests), then harvested, preserved and made healing remedies from them.

Medicinal properties of calendula

Calendula is an incredibly potent medicinal plant, with many uses in herbal medicine. I steep the flowers in oil on a sunny windowsill, strain and use the resulting calendula-infused oil in creams and ointments to help relieve a wide range of skin complaints. Calendula has antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, and soothes and heals everything from cuts and grazes, to red, angry and itchy conditions including allergies, eczema, sunburn, varicose veins and haemorrhoids, fungal infections like athlete’s foot, and viral infections such as cold sores. It also features in a powerful medicinal mouthwash I mix up for patients with gum infections and mouth ulcers, that works like magic.

Herbal detox

I also make tinctures, of differing strengths, from Calendula flowers, for internal use. Calendula is one of the great detoxifying herbs, supporting and strengthening the immune system, in particular the lymphatic system. It features in remedies for so many health problems, including inflammatory disorders of the digestive system, such as gastritis, and gastric and duodenal ulcers, and systemic skin disorders such as eczema and acne. There is a lot of scientific evidence behind its use in supporting people with cancer and aiding recovery from conventional cancer treatments.

Eyesight

And finally, some traditional herbal texts claim that just gazing at these radiant, deep orange flowers strengthens the eyesight. (Although this is slightly belied by the fact that I have spent many months and years visually drinking them in, and am extremely shortsighted!)

Herbal help for hay fever

 Hay fever  No Responses »
Jan 242015
 

Hay fever seasonNettles (Urtica dioica) have antihistamine properties and are often used in herbal medicine for the prevention and relief of hay fever and other allergies. Medical herbalist Deanne Greenwood prepares many of her own herbal remedies at her home on the Lizard in Cornwall, for use in her practices in Falmouth, Helston and Penzance.

Depending on which particular plant pollen you are allergic to, you may already be dreading the start of the hay fever season. People who are allergic to tree pollen can start experiencing symptoms as early as February (usually lasting through to June). Grass pollen is released from May to July, and weed pollen spans April to September. Some particularly sensitive individuals may be allergic to all or a combination of plants, meaning that they can suffer for many months. People who are allergic to mould (a big problem in Cornwall, where I live and practice) may suffer symptoms all year round, although peak season is September and October.

Hay fever symptoms

People who suffer from hay fever often only seek treatment when they start experiencing symptoms, which include streaming and itchy nose, throat and eyes, or blocked nose and sinuses, fatigue, headache, poor sleep and low mood. Prior to the onset of symptoms, they tend to take an optimistic ‘wait-and-see’ approach: it might not be as bad this year. And sometimes it isn’t. But when it is as bad as ever, or worse, there is little to be done apart from treat the symptoms (and stay indoors).

Side effects

Herbal medicine can help relieve and manage the symptoms of hay fever and alleviate the need to take conventional medication which can have side effects and lead to other health problems. When you see a qualified, experienced herbalist, the underlying cause of hay fever, ie why you react adversely to substances that other people cope perfectly well with, will also be addressed, the aim being to reduce your sensitivity and therefore your allergic reaction.

Desensitise your body

A more effective strategy  is to seek herbal help before the hay fever season starts and you start experiencing symptoms. Using a personalised approach and herbs chosen specifically for you, a herbalist can help rebalance, strengthen and, in effect, desensitise your body, reducing and hopefully preventing a reaction to the substances it was previously sensitive to. A herbalist will take into consideration any other allergies or sensitivities you may have. Allergies tend to have a cumulative effect, so the more substances you are sensitive to, the more you are likely to become sensitive to, or the more severe your symptoms may become, as your body becomes more and more stressed and weakened, and less able to cope.

Anti-histamine herbs

There is a wide choice of herbs to choose from, including those with antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, anti-pruritic (anti-itching) properties, and it is the skill of the herbalist that determines which herbs are best suited to you.

Natural vaccines

I believe that using local plants is particularly beneficial, in the same way that many people find eating local honey helps alleviate their symptoms. The theory is that the local bees are feeding off the same pollens to which your are allergic, so their honey has an immunomodulatory effect. In other words, it acts like a natural vaccine.

Herbs for hay fever

I harvest my own herbs, and prepare my own tinctures for use when treating people for hay fever and other allergies. I live on The Lizard peninsula in Cornwall, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, where much of the land is organic, and the medicinal plants and herbs I harvest here are rich, strong and vibrant, and have an almost tangible energy. Those that commonly feature in remedies for hay fever include nettle, plantain, elderflower and eyebright.

Pre-hay fever season

The sooner someone with hay fever seeks herbal help, the better. Ideally, I like to see patients 2-3 months before ‘their’ hay fever season starts. That way, we can strengthen and rebalance all the body systems, including the immune system, so that it recognises, and stops overreacting to, natural substances.

Find out more about herbal medicine

If you’d like to find out more about how herbal medicine works, please take a look at my About Herbal Medicine page.

Echinacea and the immune system

 Echinacea  No Responses »
Oct 032014
 

echinacea_3480386_ml_72I’m often asked whether Echinacea really is a helpful herb to take to prevent or speed recovery from colds and flu. And whether it’s safe to take if you have an autoimmune disorder such a chronic fatigue syndrome or psoriasis, or an allergy, when the immune system has gone awry.

Firstly, Echinacea has a long tradition as an immune-enhancing herb. If you’re tired, rundown and stressed out, your immune system will struggle to protect you against any ‘bugs’ that are going round, such as colds and flu. By strengthening your immune system, Echinacea can reduce the risk of you going down with something and, if you do, reduce the severity of the illness.

I find Echinacea is very effective at ‘knocking a virus on the head’ if taken at the very first sign of a cold, ie when you get that familiar fuzzy head, scratchy throat, tickly cough of snuffly nose. We all know the signs.

How effective Echinacea is depends on lots of things, including how rundown your immune system was to start with, and the quality of the Echinacea you are taking. There are many different brands that can be bought on the high street and internet, and it can be a bit of a lottery finding a good one. In any case, you’re unlikely to find Echinacea anywhere near the strength used by a reputable, qualified herbalist. I have what is known as 1:1 and/or 1:2 Echinacea tinctures in my dispensary. This means one part herb to one or two parts of water/alcohol. Commercial brands of Echinacea are generally 1:4 at best, and often 1:10 or less.

The efficacy of the herb also depends on which species of Echinacea, and which part of the plant, is used.

Herbalists are legally only allowed to sell herbs to someone following a consultation. This is primarily for safety reasons, but also will influence how effective treatment is likely to be, as herbal medicine is prescribed on an individual basis. Obviously, you’re unlikely to pay for a consultation because you think you’re going down with a cold, but I am able to provide remedies, including Echinacea, for acute ailments such as coughs, colds and flu to patients already on my books.

With regard to whether or not Echinacea can be taken by someone with an autoimmune disorder, the answer is yes, it can sometimes be very helpful. Echinacea is an immunomodulator, rather than an immunostimulant, which means it helps the immune system find the right balance and ‘normalise’ its function. But it’s strongly advisable to use it in this way under the supervision of a qualified herbal practitioner.

In my experience, when good quality Echinacea is taken, in the right circumstances, it can be an amazingly effective therapeutic herb.