Heal Yourself with WILD plants!

There's a certain kind of magic in using wildcrafted herbs in teas, tinctures and salves, and it's not all a romanticized ideal. Wild plants aren't coddled like their cultivated counterparts, growing under optimal conditions on farms. No, the wild herb must fight to survive, digging her roots deep into the earth to draw up nutrients that tender plants growing under the care of humans just aren't motivated to do. They struggle for sunlight and water, growing hardier, and all that angst and turmoil makes for nutritious food and an amazing medicine!

The very best thing about wildcrafting plants is that it's something that can be done anywhere in the world. Virtually everyone reading this article has an abundant source of vitamins, minerals, and free medicine available to them, and best of all, you're likely one of the only people in your neighborhood interested enough to take advantage of this sustainable resource. I've yet to come across any like-minded foragers in my travels. The important thing to remember is that like endangered animals, there are many plants out there that are in serious danger of being overharvested to the point of extinction. Popular herbs like Echinacea and Goldenseal should be left alone if discovered in the wild and allowed to spread.

Our interest in this post lies with wild common plants, usually known as weeds or pests to gardeners busying themselves with appearances. To you and I, living in line with nature, many of these weeds are truly miraculous healers and nurturers.

It's so easy to find a dandelion, isn't it? I grew up making wishes on the puffy, seeded globes by blowing them into the wind, not even knowing I was helping to propagate one of the best sustainable sources of food and medicine in my area. Despite our childhood efforts, American livers are in a poor state, and yet a major resource for healing is -and has always been- beneath our feet. Dandelion root is a powerful liver tonic, safe and non-toxic, perfect for everyday use. The leaves of the Dandelion plant are sold at health food shops alongside bundles of Kale and Collard Greens, and are a rich source of minerals, including iron, calcium, and also contains over 400% of your daily intake of Vitamin K in just 1 cup of raw greens! Don't throw out those Dandelion plants when you rip them up from your front lawn! Blend the greens in your daily green smoothie (and throw in a few dates, because they are bitter!), and make a fresh decoction of the root or collect enough and make a simple folk tincture. Dandelion tincture is a wonderful way to support your body and is quite safe and extremely beneficial taken daily.

Remember that your city might and probably does spray pesticides along public walkways. In addition, herbs collected too near the side of the road may be poisoned with smog. Try your luck in large unkempt fields, your own backyard, a friend's parent's unmoved lawn, or natural parks with wooded area where chemicals aren't allowed. Generally, if the weeds are left alone to grow to a large enough size for collecting and are abundant, it is probably not sprayed. WASH your findings! Wildcrafting food should always be practiced sustainably, and never take more than a third of the plant life in any area. Leave tiny plants alone, and collect larger growth that is strong enough to grow back. Many weeds even thrive off being harvested and can grow back twice as strong and double in size!

Here is a simple yet powerful salve that I have created using only WILD, locally harvested Plantain!
Combining simple, local healing herbs with oils and butters can yield strong and effective salves that will outperform store bought toxin filled creams. You just have to look at the world in a way that you might never have before :)

 *Remember to discuss your herbal supplements with your herbalist or natural health practitioner.

Thanksgiving- Turkey? or Tree Ripened Fruit?

Here in America we have an interesting holiday called Thanksgiving, which I feel illustrates our attitude towards food and appetite quite nicely. On Thanksgiving, we starve ourselves all morning in anticipation for the yearly feast, usually ready between 1 and 4pm, and then we eat until we can't eat any more, capping off the day by dozing off in front of the television. Ironically, that last bit usually occurs while viewing a sports game, dazedly staring at muscular, fit athletes working up a sweat on the field. But we don't just stuff ourselves, we concentrate our efforts by eating the absolute worst foods available- bird flesh dripping with it's own bubbling fat stores (hello, carcinogens), soggy stovetop bread, canned gelatinous cranberry sauce, and if you're lucky, a few poor green beans and sweet potatoes that have been boiled down and baked until there's hardly any nutrition left to them. Ah....America.

In recent years I've enjoyed a nice Tofurkey or Quorn roast in the midst of our large traditional Thanksgiving, and every year it's met with the same upturned noses and reluctant taste tests from family and friends. Hey, I think they taste pretty good, but I used to think that about the yearly Thankgiving binge-fest, as well. Why do we continually perpetuate disordered eating? I understand that throughout history we've celebrated a harvest or a time of bounty by eating plenty when we could, but those days are long gone here in America, and trust me when I tell you that this is the LAST COUNTRY ON EARTH that needs a holiday centered around food. Food is available. There are no more nationwide food shortages at the moment. The highest percentage of Americans have never harvested a thing in their lives.

My Mom always says "Everything in moderation" in defense of the Thanksgiving menu, but I've recently come across an interesting quote that has me thinking twice about this tired old adage:

"Moderation? It's mediocrity, fear, and confusion in disguise. It's the devil's dilemma. It's neither doing nor not doing. It's the wobbling compromise that makes no one happy. Moderation is for the bland, the apologetic, for the fence-sitters of the world afraid to take a stand. It's for those afraid to laugh or cry, for those afraid to live or die."
~ Dan Millman

And of course, I can't forget the simply fabulous Oscar Wilde, who thought similarly:


“Everything in moderation, including moderation.”

I don't think that unhealthy food in moderation is sensible. Moderation has become an easy way out, a cultural excuse to have that extra brownie when no one is looking. Is gorging once a year on fatty, boiled, dead foods any different than a once a year drinking binge? Poison is poison- end of story. Many people justify a weekly treat like an ice cream or a doughnut as a reward, and this behavior is not only popular, it is promoted by health authorities! But who could justify a weekly cigarette? And why draw the line there? 

So, throw caution to the wind and eat your fill of all the natural foods you care for. Go ahead- have that extra banana! It's Thanksgiving, and you've been good all year. Get another plateful of pineapple. You deserve it. Don't compromise your beliefs for the sake of "moderation". Go big, or go home.

P&B Shakes- Winter Full Body Cleanse!

It's time to take a break from all the insanity and non-stop action of the Spring and Summer! It's true- humans need their "hibernation" time just like many other animals in their natural habitat, and just because we've put walls between ourselves and nature doesn't mean it isn't still inside of us. Now that the sunlight is slipping away, we can turn in earlier and turn within, as well.

Autumn and Winter are all about shedding our unwanted and unnecessary baggage. Watch the trees learn to let go of their leaves and consider letting go of toxic accumulation. The colder months are the perfect time to do a full body cleanse! The weather keeps most of us indoors, and our energy levels just aren't at their peak like they are in the hot summer months, so take advantage of the abundance of lazy energy. Right now I'm doing a long term cleanse with Psyllium Husks, Bentonite Clay, and my own Detoxification Tincture. Commonly known as P&B shakes, these generally consist of 1 teaspoon powdered Psyllium Husks (or 1 tablespoon unground husks) and about 1-2 tablespoons of liquid Bentonite Clay shaken well in 1 cup of water and then followed by another glass of pure water. It's so vital for you to drink plenty of water, especially during a cleanse, and with a P&B cleanse, 2 liters a day might not be enough for some people.

Here's my schedule, for those of you who like to put your own cleanses together. I'd recommend this if you've got the training, if not, then you're a perfect candidate for the Dr. Natura Colonix and Toxinout package, the ONLY cleanse that I pay money for.

Wake up: Cleansing tinctures or herbal infusions, parasite blends if needed.

1/2 hour later: P&B shake. You want to leave some time for the herbs to be absorbed, because the clay will stop them (and any other supplement) from working effectively. The clay and the Psyllium expand in water and will absorb anything in their path, including your expensive pills! Don't bother taking medications with these shakes, either. You'll have to wait about 2 hours after the shake, so definitely take anything you need beforehand.

Late morning and Afternoon: Another dose of herbs, along with some strong probiotics at least once.

Evening: 2-4 ounces of Aloe Vera juice just before bed. I've only recently begun adding this to my cleanses. It replaces senna or other laxatives one might find in a cleanse, and also helps to soothe the digestive tract and heal any irritation. This can be especially helpful if you're combating Candida, as the roots may have caused inflammation and possible damage to the intestines, like Leaky Gut Syndrome.

I'm to the point where I've done this so many times I'm pretty much winging it with whatever I happen to have at the moment. If you know what you're doing, I've found that creating a cleanse with simple ingredients, like clay and Aloe, can be just as effective as many off the shelf kits.

Have you ever used a natural cleansing kit? Which one did you try, and how were the results?

Fresh Raw Juice Groupon for Sacramento/Folsom!

Check out this deal for fruit and veggie lovers in the Sacramento area! For just $10.00, you get a punch card for four 20-ounce fresh-squeezed juice blends (a $25 value)! 

If you wanna double up on that, you can buy a punch card for 8 drinks for $22.00, as well. I've never been to Juice It Up!, but I'm definitely getting this Groupon to give them a try, especially since I spend so much time in Orangevale, just on the other side of the fence from Folsom. Freshly made fruit and veggie juices are insanely expensive, so take advantage of this Groupon to stay raw on the road!