Bookmark and Share        

WEED WANDERINGS
~ Herbal Medicine with Susun Weed ~

May 2002 ~ Volume 2 Number 5

Legal Disclaimer

MAY IS FOR MOTHERS!!

SPECIAL FOR New Moms - Ways to Avoid Postpartum Depression

Mother/Daughter Special

These insightful books will delight, surprise, and inspire you and your mother and your daughters! Includes two Susun S. Weed herbals, plus a free bonus. Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year gathers natural remedies for all aspects of fertility, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care of mother and babe. New Menopausal Years, Alternative Approaches for Women 30-90 gives you the information you need to "ace" menopause with a healthy heart, strong bones, and great vitality. BONUS: Our gift to you - a hardbound copy of Moon Days, a collection of women's writings on menstruation. Retail value is $54.00, you save 50% - Yours for $27.00 plus shipping. Order now.

 

 

 

What's Inside Weed Wanderings this Month...

Feature Article
Surviving Radiation the Wise Woman Way

Book Review
Moon Days - Creative Writings About Menstruation


Herbal Medicine Chest
Dong Quai -Angelica sinensis

Recipe of the Month
                                                                  Instant Joy, Anti-Radiation Easy Meal, and Garlic Toast

~ New Links ~
Fun and interesting
sites for you to visit!

Extra Feature
Everyone Ought to Have a Little Mother[wort] Around the House


 


~ FEATURE ARTICLE ~

Surviving Radiation the Wise Woman Way

c. 2002 Susun S Weed

This article also appears at Awakenedwoman.com


 

We are adapted to survive mild exposures to radiation. After all, the sun is a kind of controlled nuclear bomb and it releases a lot of radiation. Of course, this radiation, and man-made radiation, can also cause cancer and a host of short- and long-term health problems.

Whether you are worried about the radiation from dental x-rays, a mammogram, or fallout, here are some Wise Woman Ways to help you stay healthy. (If you are using radioactive therapies in your cancer treatment, there is a chapter full of information specifically for you in Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way.)

Japanese researchers found that diets high in carotenes significantly reduced DNA damage in humans exposed to radiation. Supplements of beta-carotene (or of vitamins C or E) did not show this effect. Eating lots of orange and dark green foods (sweet potatoes, winter squash, beets, carrots, kale, collards, chard, and spinach, for example) can protect you from radiation-induced cancers.

Envision yourself and all your cells protected from damage. (One woman wrapped herself in psychic lead.)

Guinea pigs bombarded with radiation lived a lot longer if they ate broccoli or cabbage. All cabbage family plants -- including arugula, turnips, radishes, cauliflower, mustard greens, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, broccoli d'rappe, kale, collards, and of course broccoli -- protect your cells from the damaging effects of radiation.

Choose an image, an icon, something meaningful to you, as a focusing agent. Put your affirmations, blessings, prayers, visualizations, and healing love into it, for easy access when you need help.

Miso broth is the classic food for prevention of radiation damage. There’s twice the protection if a quarter-ounce/5 grams of dried kelp seaweed is added to the soup. In scientific studies, seaweed was able to neutralize radioactive isotopes in the human body. Researchers at McGill University say radioactive strontium binds to the algin in brown seaweeds to create sodium alginate, a compound easily and harmlessly excreted. Common black tea exhibited the same anti-radiation effects in several Japanese studies.

In Fighting Radiation and Chemical Pollutants with Foods, Herbs, and Vitamins (Vitality, 1991), Steven Schecter tells us that both black and green tea showed "radioprotective effects" whether taken before or after exposure to radiation. Among other modes of operation, tea catechins absorb radioactive isotopes and remove them from the body before they do damage. The action is similiar he says, to that of sodium alginate (the "active ingredient" in kelp seaweed).

Eating any amount of reishii (a mushroom) reduces damage from radiation.

St. Joan’s/John's wort oil protects my skin from radiation damage. I use it as my only sunscreen (and I am outside alot) and find it not only immediately effective in preventing and treating sunburn, but even more protective with continuing use over years.

Burdock root (Arctium lappa) removes radioactive isotopes from the body. A dose is 1-4 ounces/300-120 grams of cooked fresh root, up to a pint of infusion daily, or several large spoonfuls of vinegar (but only if made with fresh roots).

Dried beans, especially lentils can reverse DNA damage done by radiation. So can red clover (Trifolium pratense) and astragalus (Astragalus membranaceous) -- two powerful members of the legume (bean) family.

Homeopathic remedies can be taken before and after exposure to radiation: Plumbum (lead) is said to help those who feel overwhelmed and in need of protection. Belladonna is used to prevent and relieve radiation burns and pains -- even long after the immediate exposure. Recipe for "Anti-Radiation Easy Meal" is on page 308 in Breast Cancer? Breast Health! the Wise Woman Way.

Selenium protects DNA from radiation damage and helps prevent damage to the skin surface, too. Get plenty of selenium by eating a daily dose of 2 cups/500 ml of nettle infusion, one-half ounce/15 g kelp, 2 ounces/60 g cooked burdock root, or 1 cup/250 ml organic yogurt daily. Shellfish, green and black teas, and garlic contain significant amounts of selenium, as do many mushrooms. The best sources however are nettles (2200 mcg per 100 grams), kelp (1700 mcg/100 g), burdock (1400 mcg/100 g), catnip (Nepeta cataria), ginseng, Siberian ginseng, and astragalus.

In clinical trial with humans, those who took ginseng extract (Panax quinquefolium) for thirty days following exposure to radiation showed hastened recovery from injuries to their bone marrow, organs, skin, and blood cells according to Paul Bergner in The Healing Power of Ginseng, The Enlightened Person's Guide, Prima, 1996. He quotes Japanese researcher Dr M. Yonezawa as saying that "ginseng appears to be the most useful agent available for protection against radiation damage."

It’s important to keep yourself well nourished if you are exposed to radiation. Make it a habit to drink at least two big cups of nourishing herbal infusion daily. Nettles, red clover, and violet leaves supply generous amounts of the nutrients you need most: protein and minerals, especially potassium and zinc.

For best results, do not use capsules of the herbs mentioned in this article. Instead, cook with them (kelp, astragalus, Siberian ginseng, ginseng, reishii, and burdock), brew nourishing herbal infusions with them (nettles, red clover, astragalus, burdock, catnip, and ginseng), make mineral-rich vinegars with them (nettles, burdock, catnip, ginseng, and astragalus), or take a high-quality non-standardized tincture of them (burdock, ginseng, Siberian ginseng, astragalus).

To make a nourishing herbal infusion: Put one ounce of dried herb into a quart jar; fill jar to the top with boiling water and cap tightly. Strain after 4-8 hours and drink hot or cold. Refrigerate what you don't drink right away; drink that within a day.

To make a vinegar: Fill any size jar with fresh herb (best !!) or one quarter full of dried herb (not nearly so good). Pour room temperature apple cider vinegar over the herb, filling jar to the top. Cover with plastic wrap or a cork. Label with date and name of plant. Let sit for six weeks. Decant into a pretty bottle and use to season soups, beans, and salads.

This is the Wise Woman Way the world 'round. Take good care of yourselves. Green blessings to all.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more on how to make herbal vinegars

Learn more about nourishing herbal infusion

Read more about Breast Cancer? Breast Health

Click here to read a review

ORDER NOW


For permission to reprint this article, contact us at: susunweed@herbshealing.com

top of page

 


~ BOOK REVIEW ~


Moon Days - Creative Writings About Menstruation
Edited by Cassie Premo Steele
26 contributors
Paperback - 176 pages
Published by Ash Tree Publishing

"Every woman of every age will sigh, smile, cry, and cheer for Moon Days." Susun Weed

Contributors

Awiakta, Holly Blackford, Kristen Bryant, Nan L. Bucknell, Barbara Crooker, Carmen Faymonville, JimGorman, Candis Graham, Jane Eaton HAmilton, Janet Ruth Heller, Asley S. Kaufman, Lyn Lifshin, Martha Marinara, Karen Murphy, Deb Olson, Margaret Perreault, Kate Ready, Nancy Shiffrin, Leslie Sills, Reva Sipser, Cassie Preemo Steelo, Trudelle Thomas, Christine Trzyna, Hope Vilsick-Greenswell, Terren Ilana Wein, D.R. Windle.


Moon Days is a literary, passionate, and profound collection.Twenty-six writers explore the "silent" parts of women's lives; reawakening our memories of embarrassment and shame and transforming them to wonder, excitement, and laughter.

"Although women experience "the curse" from their early teenage years until their early fifties, most of us don't discuss it in depth . . . and certainly don't write or read short stories and poetry about the subject! This book, by a collection of talented authors, is for women of any age and is inspired by the wonders, embarrassment, and power of menstruation. Surprisingly, it is a very funny and touching read. I am past menopause and who would have guessed that this book would actually make me nostalgic for that significant part of my younger years." Peggy Goddard

EXCERPTS

Amazons in Appalachia by Awiakta
RED by Karen Murphy

Order It Now

Check out the Mother/Daughter Special

Get two Susun S. Weed herbals, plus a free bonus. Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year for the daughter; New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way for the mother, and a hardcover copy of Moondays for you to share. This special collection of three insightful books will delight, surprise, and inspire you and your mother and your daughters! Retail value is $54.00, you save 50% - Yours for $27.00 plus shipping. ORDER


top of page



Extra Feature...

"Everyone ought to have a little Mother around the house"

Motherwort - Leonurus cardiaca

Excerpt from: NEW Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way

Also called: Herzgespan, Agripaume cardiaque, Yi Mu Cao.

"Everyone ought to have a little Mother around the house," grandmother Edith would frequently say. The Mother she meant is motherwort, a locally common weed and a treasured ally to women stressed by menopausal problems. Grandmother Edith's love affair with motherwort began when her hot flashes knocked her out in the supermarket, continued as it mended her husband's heart, and grew and grew as her five daughters found relief from PMS and menstrual cramps, constipation and the crazies with the help of the little Mother, motherwort.

Use motherwort regularly during your menopausal years to:

o Lessen the severity, frequency, and duration of hot flashes
Motherwort regulates and tonifies the functioning of the thyroid, blood vessels, liver, heart, and uterus. For best results use 5-25 drops of tincture daily for 3 months. But don't neglect to try a dropperful (in a splash of water) even after a flash has begun.

o Relieve faintness with flashes
Motherwort is traditionally used to relieve shortness of breath and congestion in the respiratory passages. She invigorates the circulation and increases oxygen in the blood. Use 15-25 drops of tincture as soon as you feel faint or dizzy.

o Ease stressed nerves, relieve anxiety
Motherwort calms, supports, and strengthens you the way the smell of your mother did when you were very young. Used regularly, motherwort feeds your nerves and your good common sense, relaxing and unclenching any held tension. Motherwort is not sedating, but calming, leaving you ready for action, not flying off the handle or bouncing off the walls. Ask motherwort to be your ally in tough times, in shaky times, in enraging times, in scary times, in depressed times, in grief-filled times. Try 10-20 drops as soon as you feel your nerves starting to fray or just before a stressful event. Repeat every five minutes if needed.

o Relieve insomnia and sleep disturbances
Use motherwort's high-calcium calming effect when you are awakened by night sweats and have difficulty getting back to sleep. Keep a glass of water and a bottle of motherwort tincture by your bed and take 10-15 drops and a swallow of water as soon as you wake, even if it's three times an hour. Motherwort eliminates the nightmares some women experience with their menopausal Change.

o Strengthen the heart, reduce palpitations and tachycardia
Motherwort calms a rapidly beating heart with readily usable minerals, trace elements, and an alkaloid exceptionally tonifying to the heart (and uterus). The German herbal doctor, Weiss, uses motherwort tincture for those with functional heart complaints. The botanical name translates as "lion-hearted." A dropperful/1 ml motherwort tincture acts quickly to ease palpitations and tachycardia. Regular use lowers hypertension, and sets you up to be a hale-hearted crone.

o Eliminate menstrual cramps

o Relieve uterine pain
Motherwort tincture is my favorite remedy for women with uncomplicated menstrual cramps. I find 5-10 drops usually eases cramps in five to ten minutes. Repeat every ten minutes as needed. Motherwort encourages strong (but not crampy) uterine contractions, which strengthen the uterine muscle. So the more you take motherwort to ease your cramps, the more toned your uterus becomes, and the less likely cramps are in the future.

o Restore thickness and elasticity to vaginal walls
Motherwort brings blood to the pelvis and thickens all tissues there (bladder, uterus, vagina). Noticeable results occur within a month of taking 10-15 drops daily.

o Lift depression
A dose of motherwort first thing in the morning is far kinder to your system than coffee and helps you ease into the day with a renewed sense of life.

o Reduce water retention, edema
Small, frequent doses of motherwort will reduce bloat in a few hours. For chronic care, use a dropperful/1 ml a day for 3-6 weeks.

o Relieve constipation and extend life
There is a Japanese saying about the heirs of those who take motherwort: they are grumpy because they must wait so long for their inheritance. But does it really work? A small dose (5-10 drops as needed) does ease gas pain, encourage regular elimination, and improve digestion. That alone would make anyone want to live longer.

Bitter with minerals and alkaloids, motherwort is unwelcome in salads and nasty as an infusion, so it is used as a tincture, vinegar, or syrup. In Oriental herbalism, Yi Mu Cao is cooling, pungent, bitter.
Dosage: Tincture of fresh flowering plant, 15-25 drops, 1-6 times a day.
Vinegar of fresh plant, 1-2 tablespoons/15-30 ml, as desired.

CAUTIONS: Motherwort can aggravate a tendency toward flooding. Do not use daily if you bleed heavily or are easily habituated to substances that make you feel really good. Motherwort is so soothing, so calming, that you may begin to lose some of your own standing and lean too heavily on your Mom.


Excerpt from Chapter 2 of : NEW Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way by Susun S. Weed. This section on Motherwort appears as one of seven herbal allies for women in the midst of menopause (pp.113-115). The other six include: black cohosh, chaste tree, liferoot, sage, ginseng, and Dang Gui.



Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com

 


Motherwort Recipes for You - Excerpt from HERBALPEDIA™ CD ($49)

Cool as a Cucumber Tea: 1 oz motherwort, 2 oz linden flower, 1 oz chamomile flower, 4 oz
skullcap herb, 3 oz borage flowers, stems, and leaves, 2 oz marshmallow root, 2 oz hibiscus
flower. Combine 1 oz of the mixture with 4 cups of boiling water in a teapot or container
with a well-fitting lid. Let stand for fifteen minutes; then strain the tea and store it in a closed container. Allow to cool; drink at room temperature. During daytime hot flashes, drink 1 cup as often as needed. Or it can be sipped all day. Just be sure to drink the entire amount each day.

Conserve of Motherwort: strip the flowers from the stems allowing 2 lbs of sugar to 1 lb of flowers. Beat them together well, stirring the sugar in gradually, then pot and tie down well. Syrup of Motherwort: Cut the flowering stems into small pieces and put them into an earthen pot and pour over them boiling water, allowing 1 gallon of water to every 3 pounds of the stems. Cover closely and leave for 12 hours, then squeeze the herbs very carefully, heat the liquid and add a fresh lot of herbs; infuse again, covering closely, and continue to do so until the infusion is strong enough. To every quart of the infusion add 4 pounds of loaf sugar and boil to a syrup and when cool bottle.

Click here to read the rest of the Motherwort section from HERBALPEDIA™ CD ($49)

HERBALPEDIA™ is brought to you by
The Herb Growing & Marketing Network
email: HERBWORLD@aol.com
URL: herbnet.com and herbworld.com Editor: Maureen Rogers.
Copyright 2000. All rights reserved. Subscription fee: $48/yr.


More About Motherwort....

Botanical.com

Purple Sage

Motherwort seeds from Elixirfarm.com




~RECIPE of the MONTH ~

Instant Joy

Anti-Radiation Easy Meal

Garlic Toast

Instant Joy

Serves 1

Part of Joy Craddick's no-more-cancer lifestyle, this dish is simple, nutritionally complete, and takes only seven minutes to prepare.

2 cups/500 ml water (spring water or filtered water)
1 organic carrot, grated
1 ounce/30 grams organic ginger, grated
1 cup/250 ml organic broccoli and/or cauliflower florets
handful of kelp or other tasty quick-cooking seaweed
2- 4 fresh shiitake or reishii or wild mushrooms, sliced
1 "brick" organic brown rice ramen noodles
Tofu, organic only, as desired
2-3 tablespoons/30-45 ml miso
2 tablespoons/30 ml brown rice vinegar
sea salt to taste

While water comes to a boil, prepare vegetables. Add noodles, tofu, seaweed, mushrooms, and vegetables to water, cover, and cook 2-5 minutes or to taste. Mash miso and vinegar with a fork in your bowl, add soup, and enjoy: Instant Joy!

Excerpt from Breast Cancer? Breast Health by Susun S. Weed

Anti-Radiation Easy Meal

Serves 2-4

1 cup/250 ml sliced cabbage
1 cup/250 ml sliced carrots
1-2 fresh burdock roots sliced
1/2 cup/125 ml soaked seaweed
8 ounces/240 grams fresh wild or exotic mushrooms
4 cups/1 liter water (spring water or filtered water)
fresh grated ginger to taste
1 cup/250 ml cooked lentils or beans
4 tablespoons/60 ml miso plus 8 tablespoons/125 ml water

Combine all ingredients except beans and miso. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook until carrots are tender, about 30 minutes. Add the beans. Serve, or refrigerate for later use. (This dish is equally tasty cold or warm.) Wait until just before serving to blend the warm water and miso, and add to the vegetables.

Excerpt from Breast Cancer? Breast Health by Susun S. Weed

Garlic Toast Country Style

Serves 1

2 slices organic whole wheat bread
4 cloves organic garlic, minced
2 tablespoons/30 ml olive oil

Put bread in a cast iron skillet and toast one side while you mix the oil and minced garlic together. Turn the bread; spoon garlic and oil thickly onto the toasted sides. Continue to cook until the second side is toasted. Eat without delay. For city-style garlic toast, use a regular toaster and spoon garlic mixed with oil on the toast; or spoon garlic and oil on your bread and toast it in a toaster oven. Mama mia! Eat it for breakfast!

Excerpt from Breast Cancer? Breast Health by Susun S. Weed

For reprint permission, contact us at: susunweed@herbshealing.com






NEW LINKS to check out...




The Green Tit is a magazine offering articles and resources for breastfeeding, attachment parenting, cloth diapering, herbalism, aromatherapy, natural living, simple living and so much more.Why the "Green Tit?" The Green Tit is an herbally fortified breast. In addition to articles on breast feeding, find great herbal recipes to enrich and encourage breast milk.

 

 

AlternaMoms.com - The original online home for womyn dedicated to alternatives in pregnancy, childbirth and the raising of their children. Includes forums, bulletin board, chat, info and more.

 

 

Breastfeeding.com - A terrific site for breastfeeding moms with helpful information and loving support. Find the answers to your questions about all sorts of breastfeeding issues including thrush, sore nipples, nursing twins, and more. Search for a lactation consultant, connect with other nursing mothers, and read advice by experts, or browse the art gallery and the humor section.
Mango Mama's Natural Parenting Website Think of my website as a clothing store . . . try stuff on, see if it fits, accept putting the stuff back on the rack when it doesn't fit and taking the stuff home that does.

 

 


Babies In Balance - Celebrating the natural balance between mothers, babies and mother earth. At Babies In Balance we recognize the delicate balance between healthy babies and a healthy planet. We sell products that are gentle on your baby, gentle on you, and gentle on Mother Earth, and offer a list of web resources on pregancy, birth, and parenting.

 

 

Doulas of North America (DONA) Need help? Find a birth or postpartum doula in your area. DONA is an international association of doulas who are trained to provide the highest quality emotional, physical and educational support to women and their families during childbirth and postpartum.

 

 

Freestone Innerprizes - Jeannine Parvati and Frederick "Rico" Baker have made conscious and healthy parenting their basic spiritual path. This has led them to explore and affirm the value of Conscious Conception, Prenatal Yoga, Free Birth, gentle parenting, home education, home business, herbal health, gender balance, conscious community and EarthBirth.

 

PaganMother.com is committed to providing the Magickal Mother with up to date resources, links and information. Check out this site for information on gardening, rituals, pagan crafts, recommending reading, Gaia's guide to TV and movies, and activities for pagan children. Coming soon: the Wonderous Witches Adoption Agency.

 


 

Bornfree is a site dedicated to the belief that women are the true experts of birth. Drugs, machinery, and medical personnel are no match for a woman's own intellect and intuition. Birth is sexual and spiritual, magical and miraculous - but not when it's managed, controlled, and manipulated by the medical establishment. This site is filled with articles, stories, and resources to help women to cast off their fears and begin to believe in their own abilities.

 

 


 

BestFed.com believes that nurturing children means more than feeding theirbodies, it means nurturing their body, mind and soul. This site is dedicated to providing parents with resources to make educated decisions about parenting. Find information about topics such as breastfeeding, education, circumcision, discipline, and more.
Peanut Butter Kisses Take the time to sit with your children, stare at ladybugs and watch the world go by. Enjoy every sticky peanut butter kiss! We feature many items for your natural family! Fairy Silks dress up clothing will spark you child's imagination. Wooden toys and snuggly dolls will become playtime favorites. We also offer Sweet Pea's Diapers, Kerry's Herbals, Bach Rescue Remedy and Nelsons homeopathic for alternative healing. We support stay at home parents, our products are made by work at home mothers.

 

Visit NaturalMom.com and find a great collection of articles and resources on pregancy, birth, parenting, and general natural health. Shop in the NaturalMom store, which carries high-quality, integrity based products for healing your family naturally, and send a cure to a a friend in need from their database of herbal, folk, and "unusual" cures.

 

 

The Single Parent Resource Network is a diverse group made up of all types of people (mostly single parents, people who do have partners, those who don't even have kids, etc). The focus is on single parents because it is so much harder to do it by yourself. Really, we are all about creating more community (which we all need and must do) and as such, like to include whoever wants that, too.

 

 

Nurture by Nature Network (NNN) is an incredible group for people who believe in natural parenting. Learn more about NNN or look for a meeting near you!

 


 

 

Know of a good site to recommend?

 

top of page



Herbal Medicine Chest

Dong Quai - Angelica sinensis

Excerpt from Susun Weed's New Menopausal Years The Wise Woman Way, Alternative Approaches for Women 30-90, from the section on herbal allies, pages 172-173.

Dong Quai - Angelica sinensis

Also spelled Dang Gui, Tang Kwei, Tang Kuei, Dong Gway.

Cherished all over the Orient as a supreme ally for women with reproductive/uterine/hormonal distresses, dong quai roots are now readily available in North America. Traditional Chinese Medicine always uses dong quai with other roots. Scientific studies of dong quai alone consistently find it ineffective.

Use dong quai combinations as nourishing menopausal allies to:

Regulate menses, reduce spotting and flooding caused by anemia
Dong quai's stores of iron, folic acid, and phytosterols help diminish bleeding in pale, undernourished women. Vital, feisty, hot-blooded women may have the opposite reaction. Dong quai is tricky to use during menopause. It relaxes the uterine muscle and excites contractions (both actions increase the likelihood of heavy bleeding). In addition, it appears to increase the blood flow to the uterus. For this use, combine with yellow dock root and burdock or white peony root. A dropperful/1 ml of the tincture is taken twice a day. Discontinue immediately if bleeding increases.

Revivify thin, dry vaginal tissues
Dong quai has long been noted for its ability to nourish and thicken vaginal and bladder walls. Consistent use brings a soothing flow of moisture into the pelvis, hydrating the bowels and easing constipation as well as increasing vaginal secretions. A mixture of half dong quai roots and half wild yam roots, tinctured together and taken (a dropperful twice a day) for 6-12 weeks should do it.

Restore a youthful face and complexion
Dong quai stirs and heats the blood, and the effect is often immediately obvious in the face, where it gradually plumps out facial wrinkles, and quickly brings a rosy glow to the cheeks. I once saw a tall, thin man drink a cup of dong quai tea. As he set the cup down, he flushed from the chest up to his crown (just like a hot flash!) and fainted. We're after a less dramatic effect, however. (See Four Roots Tonic, page 259)

Relieve hot flashes for cold women
Dong quai's sterols and minerals work promptly to modify hormonal chaos; they accumulate in the body, offering continuing benefits with repeated use. However, in several double-blind studies, women taking dong quai had as many hot flashes as women taking a placebo. In fact, if you feel hot much of the time anyway, dong quai may make you flash all the more.

Relieve menstrual cramps, uterine pain

Eliminate incontinence

Reduce headaches, relieve water retention
Dong quai's warming, relaxing qualities bring ease to the entire pelvis, relieving aches and spasms in the uterus, vagina, bladder, ligaments, and muscles. As its healing energy moves to the head, it throws off headaches. And it stirs the kidneys to eliminate excess fluid, ending swollen ankles and bloated bellies. In this instance, combine dong quai with dandelion root, licorice, elecampane root, and/or burdock root. A dose of the combined tincture is one dropperful/1 ml, taken as needed, up to four times in an hour.

Eliminate palpitations, decrease heart disease
Dong quai reduces high blood pressure, counters atherosclerosis, promotes healthy blood circulation, and markedly increases coronary blood flow. Its coumarins thin the blood much as aspirin does. Combine with motherwort and/or hawthorne tincture, half and half, and take up to a dropperful as needed.

Ease menopausal insomnia

Restore emotional calm
Nerve-mellowing magnesium (depleted by frequent night sweats) and rare elements such as cobalt help stabilize emotional upheavals and improve the quality of your sleep when dong quai and valerian pair up.

Relieve menopausal rheumatism

Tonify the liver
Dong quai soothes achy joints during (and after) menopause and is a grand ally of the liver during the menopausal years.

Dong quai smells and tastes a little like its family members: celery, lovage, carrot, parsnip, parsley, cilantro, anise, cumin. Dried sliced roots are wonderful to chew on. Garden angelica is related to dong quai and is a tolerable substitute, as are wild varieties of angelica, including osha (Ligusticum porterii).

Dosage: Combination tincture, 30-60 drops (1-2 ml), 1-3 times daily.
Infusion or tea of dried root, 4-8 oz/25-50 ml daily.

CAUTIONS: Dong quai may increase bleeding from fibroids. Do not use during menstruation if bleeding is heavy. Do not use if you regularly take aspirin or blood-thinning drugs. Do not use if you are bloated. Do not use if you have diarrhea. Discontinue use of dong quai if it causes breast tenderness or soreness. Dong quai may cause spontaneous miscarriage in susceptible women.


Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace conventional western medical treatment. Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to diagnose, treat,cure or prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Personal directions and use should be provided by clinical herbalist or other qualified healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All material on this website/email is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Always check with your personal physician when you have a question pertaining to your health and healthcare.

Check out the Mother/Daughter Special

top of page





Susun Weed's books include:

 





Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year
Author: Susun S. Weed. Simple, safe remedies for pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and newborns. Includes herbs for fertility and birth control. Foreword by Jeannine Parvati Baker. 196 pages, index, illustrations.
Retails for $14.95
Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com





Healing Wise
Author: Susun S. Weed. Superb herbal in the feminine-intuitive mode. Complete instructions for using common plants for food, beauty, medicine, and longevity. Introduction by Jean Houston. 312 pages, index, illustrations. Retails for $17.95
Order
at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com




NEW Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way

Author: Susun S. Weed. The best book on menopause is now better. Completely revised with 100 new pages. All the remedies women know and trust plus hundreds of new ones. New sections on thyroid health, fibromyalgia, hairy problems, male menopause, and herbs for women taking hormones. Recommended by Susan Love MD and Christiane Northrup MD. Introduction by Juliette de Bairacli Levy. 304 pages, index, illustrations. Retails for $16.95
Order
at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com
For excerpts visit: www.menopause-metamorphosis.com



Breast Cancer? Breast Health!

Author: Susun S. Weed. Foods, exercises, and attitudes to keep your breasts healthy. Supportive complimentary medicines to ease side-effects of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or tamoxifen. Foreword by Christiane Northrup, M.D. 380 pages, index, illustrations. Retails for $21.95
Order
at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com






Down There: Sexual and Reproductive Health the Wise Woman Way
Publication date: June 21, 2011
Author: Susun S. Weed Simple, successful, strategies cover the entire range of options -- from mainstream to radical -- to help you choose the best, and the safest, ways to optimize sexual and reproductive health. Foreword: Aviva Romm, MD, midwife, 484 pages, Index, illustrations. Retails for $29.95
Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com




Return to Weed Wanderings Menu at
top of page

For permission to reprint any content on this site, contact us at: susunweed@herbshealing.com

Check out this Wise Woman website: www.herbshealing.com

© Susun Weed -Wise Woman Center
~ Disclaimer & Privacy Policy ~

 

Weed Wanderings is sponsored by:


Other Wise Woman websites include: