A little history...About 4 years ago I developed Crohn's disease, was bleeding internally, had wasted away to 105 lbs and was so ill that walking next door left me hugely winded. Through much research, I found out there's extensive scientific evidence that a Paleo autoimmune diet and lifestyle (because if it's only food you're missing a big part of it) could put many autoimmune diseases in remission. Because my particular autiommune disease was digestive, I also adopted a low FODMAP diet. For detailed info on all of this, I highly recommend The Paleo Approach by Sarah Ballantyne PhD. For those of you into science, she has pages of references for each chapter in the back of the book. If you're looking for more specific help navigating all of the info, give me a call as this is part of my consulting work. However, despite the wonders of the Paleo AIP way, I truly don't think I'd have had so much success in putting Crohn's into remission were it not for the herbs I took as well. The herbs Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) I first began with infusions of yarrow, a known styptic and hemostatic - an herb that stops bleeding. Yarrow's astringent properties tighten up tissue to prevent bleeding of external and internal wounds. Some of it's common names are nose-bleed herb, woundwort, soldier's wort, and militaris - many of these alluding to it's use on the battlefield in ancient times. In fact, some believe that yarrow's Latin name refers to the legend of Achilles who used this herb for magical protection. I only used this herb for as long as I had internal bleeding.  Calendula (Calendula officinalis) Calendula is known primarily as a vulnerary or wound healing herb. It's antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties make it a soothing healer for hot, inflamed, irritated or even ulcerated digestive tissue. Additionally, calendula is a bitter, an herb that interacts with taste receptors on the tongue to send a message to the brain and in turn the digestive track to begin secreting digestive juices. A mostly safe and gentle herb though it might be contraidicated for folks with a strong ragweed allergy as they are in the same botanical family. Then again, lettuce is in the same family too. Sharing a family doesn't necessarily mean there will be an issue.  Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) Chamomile is one of the oldest - perhaps the oldest - digestive remedies in existence. Scientists have discovered that it contains over 100 active constituents, some of which can target ulcers for healing and inhibit H. pylori bacteria that can lead to ulcers. Yet this herb is mild enough to be used for a baby's colic too. It's an antispasmodic and carminative - meaning it relieves spasms and gas. When infused more than a few minutes bitter constituents are extracted in chamomile making it an even more potent digestive aid. Some folks note the high FODMAPs of one of chamomile's active constituents and find it contraindicated for folks on a Paleo AIP diet, but I believe this is a mistake. With over 100 different active constituents working in synergy, I believe the FODMAPs in chamomile are of no concern, mediated by other constituents. However, chamomile is quite likely to make you burp or fart, and this confuses some folks, making them think that the herb is not for them. But this is just part of chamomile at work - relieving excessive air in the digestive track. All of that said, it is possible to be allergic to chamomile and folks with a heavy ragweed allergy should excercise caution as they are in the same botanical family.   Plantain (Plantago major) Plantain is known as the bandaid plant and is one of the most astringent herbs in existence. Astringency tightens tissue, either drawing things out and/or drying things up. Plantain is a common external remedy used in spit poultices on bee stings and bug bites, in anti-itch formulas, and even in poultices to draw out stones from road burn. Internally, plantain can help to dry up diarrhea and to tighten up leaky-gut tissue. Plantain is also a bitter herb which can assist with getting those digestive juices flowing.  Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis) Believe it or not, this herb is what the marshmallows of s'mores fame were once made from! The root is highly mucilaginous - or gooey and slimey - and gave the marshmallows their gelatinous texture. Internally, marshmallow root provides a slippery soothing coating to the digestive track that can aid in healing. While marshmallow root's properties are best extracted in a cold water decoction, I add it right to the infusion and still get good results.   Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) Another root that I throw into the infusion rather than decocting - because I only use a tiny pinch of it... Licorice root adds a bit of sweetness and has properties that help the other herbs to hit the bloodstream more quickly and effectively. However, this herb is contraindicated if you're taking blood pressure meds, blood thinners, having surgery, or are on various heart medications, have low potassium, or have kidney or liver disorders. That said, it's an amazing digestive herb with demulcent properties that can help heal ulcers and calm all sorts of digestive upsets from heartburn to stomach cramps.  How to infuse herbsAnytime I take a new herb, I start with a small dose, like a mild cup of tea with 2-3 tsps of herb infused for no more than 5 minutes. Then I'll work my way up, over the course of several days, to strong infusions. For those not familiar with herbal techniques, an infusion is used primarily on more delicate parts of an herb such as berries and leaves and involves pouring simmering hot water over herbs, capping them, and leaving them to infuse. Alternately, I usually put the herbs in the pot, pour cold water over them, bring to a simmer, turn off the heat, put a lid on the pot, and leave to infuse. For my infusion, I combine equal parts of calendula, chamomile, plantain, and marshmallow root by sight (weighing on a kitchen scale is also an option) along with just a teensy pinch of licorice root. I use 1/2 oz to a full oz of herbs per quart of water, bring to a simmer, and leave to infuse for an absolute minimum of 30 minutes - often for an hour or even overnight. For a few years I drank 1-2 quarts of this daily. It's strong and bitter flavored! I called it "swamp water" due to its appearance - though I can't complain about flavor, having finally grown accustomed to and even fond of it. Sweetening it with honey will reduce the effectiveness of the bitter herbs in it since bitters work by stimulating receptors on the tongue, but if it's the only way you can stomach it at first, try sweetening it a bit or making it milder with smaller amounts of the herbs. I found that a quart of this infusion would quickly reduce any digestive upsets and believe it was a big part of healing my digestive track. Disclaimer: Herbs are not evaluated by the FDA. All information on my blog, website, social media, writings, or in consultations is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Want to learn more?
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 Dear Readers,
I'm appalled at the vast amount of misinformation being spread about ticks, tick borne diseases, and lyme! I recently read an article by a mom who claimed to have gotten her info from interviewing an Harvard MD - and the info was all wrong! In fact, I refuted it quickly with a handful of journal articles and the parenting FB page that had posted it removed it and thanked me! As you all know, I'm not a licensed medical professional. Herbalists aren't licensed in the US. So I don't diagnose or treat diseases. What I do is educate you to make informed choices so you can experience thriving health body, soul, spirit, and in relationship with the earth! If this information saves just one more person from the rigamarole of seeing 5 docs before an accurated diagnosis (that's the average) and ending up with chronic lyme, organ damage, disability, and so on... I'll be grateful. So I offer this in the hopes that you'll find it informative and use it to dig deeper and arm yourself with knowledge! Ok... here's the 101 you should know! 1. Never cover a tick or smother it with anything to get it to back out, such as but not limited to alcohol, soapy water, essential oils, or vaseline. Why? Research shows that smothered ticks are more likely to regurgitate blood they've sucked, along with toxins and disease - back into your bloodstream. Yuck! And speaking of tick bites - about 50% of those with lyme will not recall ever being bitten!! 2. Recognize the bull's eye myth! Only about 20% of folks who get Lyme will get a bull's eye rash. You're statisically more likely to be misdiagnosed with depression with Lyme than to have a bull's eye rash. 3. Speaking of which... know the symptoms! I'm not in agreement with everything on this website. (For example, research shows DEET is not safe for 2 year olds!!!) But this is a good list of possible symptoms that demonstrates how lyme has come to be known as "the great imitator"! 4. The idea that a tick must be embedded for 24 hours to transmit disease is FALSE!! Ticks transmit far more than Lyme and some diseases can be transmitted in just 15 minutes. Furthermore, research is suggesting that Lyme can be transmitted in much less than 24 hours as well. 5. Remove ticks with a tick key or carefully with tweezers. Be careful not to squeeze the body and be sure to get the head out. 6. If bitten, a bit of andrographis tincture and green clay or other antibacterial ointment might help prevent infection. 7. Research suggests that taking astragalus from a reputable source such as Oregon's Natural Harvest can help to prevent Lyme disease by boosting your immune system. It might be contraindicated, however, for some folks with Lyme or autoimmune diseases. (See Buhner's books on Lyme for more info.) 8. Research suggests a single dose of doxy might not be prudent as a preventative measure. 9. Advocate for yourself since your MD might be using outdated info. This link to International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) is very informative in understanding why there are so many misdiagnosis! 10. The Western Blot is the most accurate Lyme test covered by insurance but gives a false negative in a large percentage - up to 50% - of Lyme cases. A Lyme diagnosis should be a clinical decision, based on a variety of symptoms not just tests, and made by a fully Lyme-literate doctor who also tests for other tick borne diseases. 11. Read Buhner's books on Lyme and coinfections. Knowledge is power! Some folks choose herbs (available in easy-to-use capsules from Green Dragon Botanicals) if they think they have Lyme - rather than waiting for a diagnosis. The longer Lyme goes untreated, the more dangerous it becomes. 12. Think about tick prevention: wear light colored clothing tucked into socks; do tick checks. Consider making a repellant made with apple cider vinegar (ACV) and geranium essential oil. Some folks choose permethrin as a repellent thinking it's 100% safe. It's not. But is it safer than risk of tick disease? That's something for you to research and be the judge of. Personally, I believe we have tick issues due to environmental issues and imbalances; so I believe that using permethrin or other pesticides that harm bees and pollinators (permethrin kills them also) and contaminates water is only going to further harm the environment and exacerbate the problem. That said, I get why people feel comfortable with permethrin. It's a personal choice. As for DEET - that's super dangerous so please don't go there! Getting out into nature is so beneficial to our mental, emotional, and spiritual health (if you're a research junkie go to the "research" tab here on my website and check out my lit review on ecopsych). Ticks are vile insects - out of control due to environmental imbalances. I hope this info helps you to feel more comfortable in navigating this issue in a way that makes you feel confident and safe! ❤️ Hi All,  Medieval
There are numerous references in medieval and even earlier medicine to “pains in the breast” and tumors and some reference to treatment of them with herbs such as cleavers (Kress, 2017). The degree of male ownership of breasts during this period seemed to determine the degree to which they could be written about. Breast health in general was rarely if ever mentioned. When it entered the world of male doctors, it gained a few references. Yet while medieval men felt it uncouth to write about breast health, they were fine with shredding breasts to bits for sport with a popular medieval torture device (Loufbrouw, 2011). And this was written about extensively. On the other hand, women were not allowed “ownership” of their breasts. They existed solely for male pleasure with all but the poorest of women sending their newborns away from home to country wet-nurses for the first year or two of life. This equates to women being separated from the nourishing power of their own bodies and seeing their own power as something shameful to be shunned. And when women developed “breast bags” - early bras - to give them a bit of comfort or lift, men deemed them “indecent” (Loofbourow, 2011). Clearly this is different from today where *not* wearing a bra is considered indecent by some! In Medieval times any breast illness or cancer was attributed to an excess of "black bile" from an imbalance of the bodily humors. Elizabethan Era During this time, women wore busks that flattened out their figure including the breasts. Some reference to this offering a means of birth control by stimulating miscarriage is mentioned. These busks were also seen as a means of masculinization under the misguided notion that a woman’s power lay in being more male. (Loofbourow, 2011). The corset as a protective device embodies masculine associations; morally in danger of man, it is as if woman puts on the man over her vulnerable womanhood, which is, however, preserved — indeed exaggerated — beneath. The very act of hardening and stiffening herself, which is on one level defensive, becomes a militant form of transference to herself of masculine eroticism (in Loofbourow, 2011). |
Rebecca Grace AndrewsWelcome! I'm a college professor, herbalist, writer and photographer. Archives
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