The Sweet Taste of Life: A place for sweetness in the medicine cabinet and pantry

It's Blog Party time! Visit Kiva's blog for the rest of the contributions to this months blog party on sweet medicines!

Here's my exposition on the place for sweetness in our medicines and foods, and my "Sweet Melissa Divine" honey!

Who doesn’t enjoy the sweet taste of a special treat after supper, a little drizzle of honey in the evening cup of tea, or a morsel of sweet chocolate? It seems as if the sweet taste is irresistible to the human animal, and though will power and dedication can steer us away from indulging in sugary sweets daily that rot our teeth and lead us down the garden path of deteriorating health, there is still a craving for the sweet taste of fresh fruits and small indulgences that is natural to our taste buds.

Though I am the last person who will tell you that eating sugar is even remotely good for you, I want to explore how the sweet taste can mean so much more than “sugar” to our body, mind and spirit. Most traditional medical systems, including Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Unani Tibb reserve a place in the therapeutic toolbox for medicines and foods of a sweet nature. Yes, that is correct, the sweet taste DOES have a therapeutic value, and many traditional systems have recognized it and put it to work for thousands of years.

Both TCM and Ayurveda have a classification of the five or six primary tastes, which include sweet, sour, salty, acrid/pungent, bitter, and astringent. According to these systems the body must receive all the tastes on a daily basis to maintain balance. Too much of one or not enough of another can tip the scales in an unwanted direction. This is easily seen by the excess of sweet tastes in the modern SAD diet, and the resulting problems with obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes.

According to TCM, the sweet taste is warming, strengthening, harmonizing, relaxing and moistening. It builds up energy and strengthens spleen qi, nourishes body fluids and is associated with the energy of yang and earth. Too much of sweet flavor can produce dampness, obesity, and weakness in the kidneys, teeth and bones. In Ayurveda the sweet taste is used to pacify excess pitta and vata conditions (excess heat, dryness, or ungroundedness). It builds and restores the water element and ojas (life force/vitality). It represents the qualities of love nourishment and sustenance.

In a sense, the sweet flavor is the primary taste that provides nourishment and the building of energy both in the body and the mind. It is important to remember that the six tastes effect the spirit and mind just as much as they do the body, and the sweet taste will nourish the heart and spirit, build strength and energy of heart and spirit, and calm states of deranged pitta or vata (think bouts of anger, emotional upset, ungroundedness, bitterness, dryness or lack of luster and verve for living.) It’s not a surprise then that we crave sweet foods to console ourselves in times of emotional upset, or to soothe sensations of physical weakness, or deprivation. We must also remember that as much digestion as our stomach, spleen, liver and intestines do, our minds also digest myriad forms, thoughts, ideas, events and emotions on a daily basis. It is just as important to fill the mind with healthy, nourishing thoughts and emotions, and that our mind be able to digest well that which we provide it. The sweet taste is not to be reviled in our quest to shun refined white sugar which harms our health, but must be used with respect in appropriate fashion to nourish our minds with the sweetness of life, and nourish our bodies with strength and energy.

There are many foods which qualify as “sweet” that are completely unrelated to sugar, honey, syrup or candies. I generally recommend using the following foods as our main sources of “sweetness” on a daily basis.

Fruits (often of mixed flavor with sour, or astringent)

Nuts/seeds

Whole grains

Meats

Dairy products

Winter squashes and other starchy vegetables

But there is a time and a place for sweet medicines and you will often find traditional formulas from ayurveda or TCM with raw sugar, honey or syrup added as an important player, either as a corrigent or as an active component. For example, rose gulkand, a very cooling, soothing food to pacify pitta (especially in hot, dry summer months) is made primarily with rose petals and jaggery (raw cane sugar). Many herbal formulas are administered in honey and ghee, i.e. Chavawanprash- a complex rejuvenative formula.

All that said, let’s dive into the sweetest, loveliest of sweet medicines I’ve been creating lately, herbal honey!

Honey is one of my favorite methods of administering herbal medicines, and I often mixed powdered herbs into a jar of honey for a sweet easy to take honey herb paste. This is much like the Ayurvedic herbal jam Chavawanprash, which combines herbs, honey, and ghee. These can be spread on crackers, fruit, or eaten off the spoon. Honey itself is considering warming, moistening (demulcent/emollient), and rejuvenative/nutritive. It is full of nutrients, enzymes and other health promoting compounds aside from the sugar content. Honey is used to bring herbal medicines deeper into all the tissues of the body.

My favorite way to use honey medicinally is to steep fresh aromatic medicinal herbs in raw, local honey for a week or so and infuse it with all the properties of the herbs. These medicinal honeys can be used as a dressing for wounds and burns, as herbal syrup, stirred into hot or cool water for a refreshing drink, mixed in tea, or even used as a beauty treatment (there is something lovely and luscious about smearing honey all over your face as a hydrating, soothing face mask. Or anywhere else for that matter!)

The most recent herbal honey I’ve made is a fresh lemon balm in mesquite honey, and it is a lovely, divine elixir. I think I’m going to call it “Sweet Melissa Divine” in honor of the plant, the bees that made the honey, and the Bee Priestesses called Melissa in The Fifth Sacred Thing. This summer elixir will be put too good use as an antiviral wound dressing, a sweetener for fresh lemonade, as a mood brightening sweet treat to dress fruit, berries, or fresh yogurt. In light of the mood lifting and soothing properties of the sweet flavor, and the sweet uplifting spirit of Melissa officinalis, this honey will be a perfect remedy for a mild case of the winter blues, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), insomnia, stagnant depression and mild anxiety.

Sweet Melissa honey  has also found its way into a magical and delicious potion called Sweet Melissa Divine Elixir- a stunning and remarkably effective combination of the lemon balm infused honey and a full strength fresh plant lemon balm tincture.  This sweet medicine is delicious, easy to take, and excellent for soothing those grumpies in adults and children alike.  My partner Sean likes to use it at summer music festivals in cases of heat exhaustion.   No complaints with this tasty medicine!  It's a treat for everyone! I have a few of these available in my Etsy shop if you would like to get your hot little hands on one!

Sweet Melissa Elixir @ Etsy.com

Other favorite herbal honeys include rose, lavender, rosemary, bee balm monarda, and peppermint. I have a hankering to make St Johns Wort honey, but alas, I live in a land nearly devoid of fresh St Johns Wort, so will have to save it for another year.

Making herbal honeys is quite simple. Many times I’ve read to heat the honey, but heating raw honey too hot can destroy the properties, so I choose to cold process my herbal honeys.

1 pint jar

1 pint honey (raw and local if you can find it)

Enough herb of your choice to fill the jar full (do not pack it too tight, just loosely full)

Chop the herb finely and add to the jar. Pour honey over the herb until well covered, you may use a little less or a little more honey depending on the herb. Stir the concoction well with a spoon or chopstick to ensure all the herb bits are coated in honey. Put a lid on and set in a warm spot for 1-2 weeks. You may put it in the sun if it isn’t too hot.

After the allotted time (and several taste tests between putting it up and now), you may choose to strain the herbs from the honey using a wire mesh strainer. Hopefully your honey is relatively runny and warm from the summer climate and can be poured reasonably. If it isn’t, you may need to GENTLY warm it to thin it out. I recommend a hot water bath for just a few minutes. Reserve the honey in a special jar with a label. Eat the herbs! Or rub them on your body for an instant hydrating herbal scrub.

Use the honey generously and as often as you need to nourish the sweetness of life in your spirit and body.

Sources:

Chinese Nutrition Therapy, Joerg Kastner

Ayurveda: The Devine Science of Life, Todd Caldecott

Ayurveda: the Science of Self Healing, Vasant Lad

July Blog Party: "Adventures in herbalism: What wouldn't we do for our herbs"

It's here! The July blog party: Adventures in Herbalism!  If you have something coming please feel free to send the link and I'll add it!  Still working on my own piece for this!


The Primal Posture of Motherwort by Wendy at Garden Plum

The Lessons of Elder by Amanda at The Mountain Kind

The things we do for herbs- Nettles by Leslita at Ohio Herbalist
A beautiful piece by Lucinda at Whispering Earth about the Things we wouldn't do for herbs
Deep as Root and Song by Kiva Rose at Medicine Woman's Roots
Rosalee's Photographic Herbal Adventures at Methow Valley Herbs
Sean of Greenman Ramblings  beautiful tribute to Harvesting Skunk Cabbage



Guest post contribution by Robin Rose Bennett-

I was living in NYC and was in Central Park, in the upper 90’s on the east side, gathering yellowing leaves from a tall beautiful Ginkgo biloba tree. There were a few low branches that I could just reach, as well as an offering of freshly fallen leaves on the ground. They looked so vibrant they’d obviously just fallen. I was alternating standing up on tiptoe, body leaning into the tree to gather leaves, and bending down low, bowing to the ground to gather. I was very happy.

     After awhile I sat down on the ground to continue gathering in comfort and soon became aware of a man a bit in the distance, watching me. He wasn’t a park ranger, but I saw he was in some kind of institutional looking outfit, perhaps hospital pajamas. ‘Hmmm.’ I thought to myself. He began coming closer and closer and I could see that he might have recently come from a halfway house or some kind of mental health clinic. I slowly rose back up to my feet and tried to stay so immersed in what I was doing he’d pass me by, but it was no use. I’d gotten nervous and distracted. He was talking to me, or at least at me, not making lots of sense, but clearly looking for a response.

     I turned to him and gave him my full attention. I did what I usually do when I have no idea what else to do in a potentially dicey situation. I told him the truth. I said, “Look, man, I’m really sorry, but I can’t talk with you right now. I’m deep in meditation with this tree. I’m gathering medicine and I’ve got to concentrate, ok?”

     He looked at me and for the first time really focused his eyes for a moment. “Huh!” He said, “Huh!”  He shook his head and looked from me to the tree and back again quite a few times. He began backing away slowly. He muttered something and turned away. Then he turned back quickly,

     “I get it! I get it!” he shouted to me, really excited. “That tree is God!!!!

Right????”

     I answered him, “Well, in a way, yes, kind of.” 

     He smiled knowingly. “Yeah, I get it.” 

     I smiled back and he began leaving again, got a little farther away this time, then he turned back once more and called out to me,

“Hey! Will you marry me?”

I smiled again. “Can’t,” I told him. “But thanks for asking. I’m going to get back to my tree now.” He nodded, smiled, “yeah, ok.”

     And I did.

 “You sure?” he called out once more. 

 “Yeah, I’m sure.”

So when asked how far we go for our herbs, I guess in remembering this story I see that I’d go so far as to turn down intriguing marriage proposals if they get in the way of my harvest season!

July Blog Party: "Adventures in herbalism: What wouldn't we do for our herbs"

I'd love to host a july blog party on the following topic:

"Adventures in herbalism: or What wouldn't we do for our herbs" share with us a story of an adventure you've had collecting/wildcrafting herbs...i.e. collecting hops naked in the rain? hanging off a mountainside for elderberry collecting? eluding curious bystanders? etc etc.

Tell us the lengths you would go to, and do in the name of wildcrafting or growing your favorite herbs. What lengths and sacrifices do the herbs ask you to go to or make? What remarkable adventures have you had while being with the plants? What is the nitty gritty down right fun, dirty and challenging aspect of working with plants in the real world?

If everyone is game Submit links to articles on your blog by July 13! I will post the party July 14 or 15!

you can send them to me (shamana.flora@gmail.com)

:)

have fun adventuring with the plants!

Blog Party: Your Morning Cuppa

This months blog party is a fun and unusual one in which all these amazing herb folk will explore and share with us their favorite morning beverages and ritual drinks, ranging from the morning cup of joe, to herbal creations and anything in between, it is sure to be a feast worth waking up for!! Hosted by Tansy at Dancing in a field of tansy

Most mornings I fix myself a nice cup of really fine chinese tea. I'm lucky to live within walking distance to Seven Cups Tea House in Tucson, AZ. There I purchase the finest imported chinese and some japanese teas I've ever tasted, smokey puer tea, to bright floral jasmine pearls, to chinese herbal combinations like Eight Treasures Tea. My favorites though are the oolongs, which land somewhere between green and black in flavor, but have a depth and capacity for unique flavors that I just love. My favorite of late has been the Golden Water Turtle Oolong. Here's the description from Seven Cups.

"This medium roasted tea has a strong dark chocolate aroma but sweet floral aftertaste and flavor that never goes bitter. Compared to other medium roasted tea, which have a heavy concentrated taste, Shui Jin Gui gives you a clean slippery feeling that allows you to appreciate the character of this bush. A story tells of exceptional tea bushes cultivated by monks living high on the slopes of WuYi Shan. A torrential storm washed a few of these cliff-dwelling bushes down onto another farmer's land. The monks wanted the bushes back but the farmer refused. The local court decided in favor of the farmer claiming natural forces had favored him. The bushes grow on two square meters with a constant stream of water following through resembling a turtle thus the name "Water Turtle" was given to these bushes. Although there are still three original bushes remaining, no tea is picked because of the age of the bushes. All Shui Jin Gui was cultivated from these original bushes."

My other favorite cup of tea for morning wake up in a simple green gen maicha, with toasted brown rice. Simple, delicious and suits me perfectly, it never needs sweetening and that toasty flavor lends a heartiness and warmth that green tea alone doesn't quite manage.

But on the days when a cup of tea doesn't cut it, I mean those mornings when I have to be up and at work at 5 am long before the sun is up, I resort to something slightly more stimulating, and more creative!

My famous ChocaMacaMateLatte!

The variations on this are endless, and I come up with something new almost every time I make some, but the the basics are thus:

1 qt jar

2-3 tbsp mate leaves (how strong do you like the flavor and the buzz?)

1 tbsp maca powder

1-2 tbsp Cocoa powder

Milk, cream or non dairy milk of choice. I use almond most often, but coconut is extra creamy and yummy.

Honey to your taste.

Mix all the ingredients, and pour hot boiled water over the whole mess, top with your milk of choice. Stir well, and grab a bombilla and a lid and go!

Clearly this is a buzz buzz buzz of a drink, with two sources of caffiene, mateine, theobromine and numerous other stimulating alkaloids, but the maca powder really smooths out that buzz, makes it last much longer, evens out the plateau, and helps prevent a caffiene crash. I never feel jittery from this combination, but your mileage may vary. More or less mate, milk, or maca may influence your experience, and I definately vary the proportions depending on my morning.

Often times I'll turn this into something of a chai latte with the addition of cardamom, ( which an ayurvedic practitioner once told me protects the adrenals from the caffiene), cinnamon, ginger, black pepper and clove. Or some extra cocoa and some chile powder. Sometimes I throw in some tulsi leaves, or some orange peels. Sometimes I even drop a scoop of coconut oil into the jar for extra goodness.

I definately don't reccomend this as a regular every day drink, but it is yummilicious and works better for me than coffee when I need some even and long lasting energy without the jitters!

Blog Party: Bioregional Allies for Influenza: Butterfly Weed

Blog Party: See all the amazing entries at www.methowvalleyherbs.blogspot.com

One of my favorite wildflowers that is widespread across much of the country, in patches, and grows quite well in the southwestern Sky Island mountains is Butterfly Weed, or Pleurisy Root (Asclepias tuberose). Not strictly limited to the Southwest, and certainly a very commonly cultivated plant, I choose it as one of my prime allies for influenza.

Influenza is primarily a respiratory illness, and

beautiful Butterfly Weed, is a versatile and complicated plant which has a strong affinity for the respiratory tract. Known in herbal circles more commonly as Pleurisy Root, this plant from the Milkweed family was often used for exactly that, Pleurisy, a very painful, acute inflam

mation of the pleural lining of the lungs, in which there can be fluid build-up between the pleura and lungs. Pleurisy usually occurs from an acute infection like influenza, pneumonia, or in autoimmune conditions with widespread inflammation. Pleurisy aside, Butterfly Weed (the name I prefer to call it by) is definitely a good choice in any respiratory condition with inflammation and dampness, including influenza.

Butterfly Weed, in the Asclepidaceae family, is named for Asclepias, the Greek god of healing. Its virtues are many and diverse, and thus was well respected throughout history as a healing medicine plant. Butterfly Weed is one of few plants in the milkweed family that doesn’t have a milky white sap and is a primary food source for Monarch butterflies. It can be very locally abundant in the right environment, but it is less com

mon than one might suspect, and due to this fact, and its ecological importance, one must wild craft this healer with care. Here in the Southwestern mountains I find it in the regions of transition between oak/juniper woodlands to ponderosa pine forest, often growing among the rocky banks of dry arroyos. Its brilliant orange flowers in early summer are a tell tale giveaway to its identity and location, but is otherwise a non-descript green plant easy to overlook.

Butterfly weed is relaxant, stimulant, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, lymphatic tonic, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, and emetic. One of the finest relaxing diaphoretics in our western materia medica, I usually turn to Butterfly Weed when my other favorite relaxing diaphoretic, Elder flower hasn’t been as effective as hoped. It is specific to feverish conditions where the skin is hot and dry, and the individual is tense, and experiencing inflammation, pain and fluid congestion in the respiratory tract. It relaxes tension in the tissues of the skin, mucous membranes (think respiratory, digestive and urinary systems), and allows fluid balance and movement to be restored. It will readily produce a sweat in those hot, dry and tense feverish folks, dilate the bronchials, ease expectoration of mucus, and ease pain and inflammation. This can be especially helpful in influenza which is characterized by hyper immune response resulting in inflammatory cytokine storm, with fluid build up. I also fin

d it to be extremely useful in those feverish cases when the person really needs to relax and sleep, Butterfly weed eases those individuals into a relaxed state where sleep will come easier and they will get the rest they need to recover.

Butterfly weed is most effective when given as a warm tea, 1 tsp of root per cup, taken 2-3 times per day. Though I find administering smaller portions 2-3 tablespoons or a few swallows at a time, over the course of 30 min to an hour can be quite effective as well, and far more tolerable to most folks, as the taste of butterfly weed is hard to swallow. A tincture of the fresh root is also an effective medicine, and I like to administer it as such: 2-3 droppers of tincture in hot water, sipped slowly over 30 min to an hour.

Butterfly weed can be very useful in bringing down a high fever to a healthy level, by opening pores and stimulating circulation to the surface of the skin and away from the core. I like to put the feverish person in a tepid bath ( 98 degrees F) as they sip their tea. I’ve seen a fever nearing 104.5 F respond quickly to this combination of herb and hydrotherapy, and return to a healthy 102 F.

William Cook informs us that the effects of Butterfly weed are slow to take effect but are lasting, but the usefulness is enhanced when given with another circulatory stimulant which is quicker acting, like ginger. In the interest of bioregionalism, I’d likely combine it with Monarda (Bee Balm), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) or even Osha (Liguisticum porteri) depending on the case and the person.

“The chief employment of this agent is in febrile and inflammatory affections, where the

perspiration needs to be decidedly promoted, and excitement of the heart relieved by a full outward determination of blood. It secures a slow, steady, and free perspiration, at the same time suitably diminishing excessive heat of the surface; which action renders it highly serviceable in typhus, scarlet, bilious, puerperal, lung, rheumatic, and other forms of fever, with a hot skin and rigid pulse. Measles and catarrhal fever may be added especially to this list; and so great is its service in pleurisy, that pleurisy root is one of the most popular of its names among the people. In acute dysentery, with fever and tormina, it secures that free circulation to the surface which affords great relief to the bowels; and in the acute stages of inflammation of the womb, bladder, and kidneys, it is of equal advantage. In all these cases its use is followed by not only an increased perspiration and softening of the pulse; but the action of the kidneys becomes better, the mucous surfaces act more firmly and naturally, and the nervous system obtains a soothing impression that is very desirable.” William Cook

This is just the tip of the root of this amazing and versatile plant, and I plan to write more in depth on it in the future, but its application in influenza can’t be faulted. Stay well!

August Blog Party: Call for Submissions!

It's time again! The next blog party, graciously hosted by Kiva Rose at Bear Medicine Herbals is going to be on cordials, elixirs, and other yummilicious ways of preserving the summer herb harvest (I think this can include herbal honeys, meads, ferments, jams etc as well).

-Write an herbal post on the aforementioned subject.
-Post it online on your blog, livejournal, website or otherwise publicly visible online home.
-Send kiva the link by July 31st. Or send it to on Facebook or add it to the Herbwifery forum blogparty thread).
Be happy and remember to come back to Kiva's Blog on August 1st and see everyone else’s contribution!

Happy elixir making!

Blog Party! The Wonderful and Weedy Ones

It's here! It's the blog party! Yipee! We have an amazing collection of writings on all sorts of weedy wonders that herbalists near and far love dearly.
Here's the breakdown!

Karen Vaughan on Plantain!
Dragonlady on dandelions
Greenman rambling on Ground Ivy
Lady Barbara on Teasel
Field of Tansy on Self Heal
Aquarian Bath on Mulberry!
Rosalee of Methow Valley on Yellow Dock!
Tales of a kitchen Herbwife on Sorrel and Watercress
Abby Artemisa on Garlic Mustard
Granny Sam on Mullien
Medicine Woman's Roots on Nettle Seed Harvesting
Dreamseeds on Cottonwood

And my own contribution (brief though it may be) on Sweet Clovers

Sweet scent of summer: Sweet Clover (Melilotus spp)

As both an herbalist and a gardener, I could tell you many stories of weedy wonders that I have come to love, though many a fellow gardener would call them a nuisance, and fight tooth and nail to eradicate them from their garden corner or manicured lawn or gravel. The ever persistent dandelion, reproducing prolifically and spreading its sunny orb everywhere it goes, or the tenacious purslane that grows in the heat of summer, creating a mat of moist and crunchy edible leaves and stems. But today, I’m drawn to tell you of the sweetest smelling weed of summer, Sweet Clover.

Sweet clover comes in two varieties, both white and yellow (M. alba and M. officinalis) and they look almost identical save the flower color, and I’ve used them both in exactly the same fashion.

The sweet vanilla hay smell is a favorite summer smell, and anyone who has lived in proximity to rural areas with horses fed hay will recognize the sweet smell that fills the air around the sweet clovers. Here in the southwest it favors damp and wet spots along rivers and arroyos, but in other more temperate climates, I’ve seen it growing along the side of the road and in empty lots. Like many members of the legume family ( which sweet clover is a part), it fixes nitrogen in the soil and is a high source of plant protein and nutrients that are used often to nourish livestock, and is fodder for many other wild four legged creatures of the west.

Lucky for us, we can take advantage of its sweet smelling nourishing properties as well. I’ve used sweet clover, both white and yellow as a fragrant and potent summer herb for cooking or tea making. The vanilla honey scent comes through just remarkably in dried plant, and can lend a subtle sweetness to anything you add it to. The tea of infused flowers and leaves is mild tasting and sweet, and almost doesn’t even need to be sweetened with anything to taste lovely. I always find the sweet scented tea of melilotus to be uplifting, warming and relaxing, and perfect for brightening up a cloudy day, or transitioning from wakefulness to resting in the evening. A steaming cup of sweet clover tea can bring the warmth and brightness of summer back even in the gloomiest of cold seasons, and is such a wonderful pick me up for the seasonal blues.

Aside from its delicious tea properties, one of my very favorite uses for clover is to make a weed pesto! I often mix sweet clover with other milder greens for pesto, as large amounts can be more bitter than sweet. Clover and nettle, clover and spinach, or clover and bee balm all make a delicious combo to dress up salads, baked fish, or for dipping vegetables in. Here is a recipe for sweet clover nettle pesto. http://desertmedicinewoman.blogspot.com/2009/03/nettle-clover-pesto-invigorating-blood.html

Finally, I use melilotus species medicinally as well. Sweet clover moves blood and pooling, stagnant fluids, taken internally or used as a poultice. Mastitis responds quite well to the fluid moving properties of sweet clover as a breast poultice or compress. I use the tincture of the freshly dried leaf/flower for all manner of stagnant blood conditions including, but not limited to slow to start, sluggish menses with clots and menstrual cramping, stuck, sluggish liver which isn’t processing blood as efficiently as possible, or generally stuck liver chi. Clover is diffusive and diaphoretic as a hot tea, and helps move energy out from the core to the surface of the skin by both improving blood flow and relaxing tension. Kings American Dispensatory remarks on sweet clover as specific for painful neuralgias (including digestive tract, uterine, ovarian or sciatic pain) as long as there is coldness and lack of circulation associated with the condition. Sweet clover is also a wonderful bitter aromatic digestive remedy, and can be used as a tea or tincture to alleviate gas, bloating, lack of GI secretions, lymphatic congestion.

There is a lot of talk and misunderstanding about the clovers in general in regards to coumarin and blood thinning properties. Needless to say, to separate one chemical constituent out of a plant, while ignoring the other associated compounds is ridiculous and reductionist. I’m not going to spend time on the discussion of coumarins in plants in today’s post, but suffice it to say that because of the plants blood moving properties alone (chemical compounds aside) I’d exercise caution when using the plant, tea, or tincture in large quantities with those who are on blood thinners or might be adversely affected by a large movement of blood from one place to another. I generally think of sweet clover as a safe and nutritive weedy herb that grows all over the North American continent, and a delicious food, condiment and medicine.

Rejuvenating the Blog Party! Call for submissions!

It's been a long while since we've have one of our blog parties herb folk, so I think it is time again!
The idea is that anyone who wishes to participate posts on their blog about the chosen topic on a certain date, and the blog party host (me, this time around) will post a link to all the posts on their blog on the day of the party.

SO.... topic for july is:
Weeds of Summer that you love to love, that others love to hate....

Date: Submit your link to me (shamana.flora at gmail dot com) by June 30, and I'll host the party on July 1st, posting all the links for all to read! It's always great fun, and if you've never done it, I highly encourage you to do so...the more posts by our great herbalists the better!

Harvest days

A bit belated, here is my post on harvest for the blog party! It's been an incredibly busy harvest season for me, the month of September full of scrambling for the last of the herbs on the mountain tops, and securing some source of steady income.

But as October begins, I can feel the dramatic shift in the energy of the earth and living things around me. Yesterday I spent the morning harvesting apples and pecans at a local organic orchard. It was a blustery day, the wind blowing in the first of hopefully main fall/winter rain storms. And today was cool, breezy and downright pleasant. I love October.

I planted more seeds in my garden this morning, and it seems a bit strange that I should be planting during harvest season, but the the rhythms of the desert have always been unique, and require a bit of adaptation from traditional seasonal traditions.

My contribution for this months blog party is a piece about the Autumn Equinox that I wrote several years ago as I was exploring and recording my experiences and growing relationship with the seasons of the Sonoran Desert.
Enjoy!

Autumn Equinox, Mabon, Harvest Home, Harvest Moon, Pagan Thanksgiving

September 20-23

In mid-September, we arrive at the autumn equinox. This signals the “official” start of fall according to Western Calender, and it is in September that we notice the change from summer to fall in the Sonoran Desert. By the beginning of September the monsoon rains have all but disappeared. The sky is bright blue bowl, empty except for the bright and warm sun. Afternoon temperatures are again high without the cooling wind and rains. But other signs of the shift away from summer are everywhere. Like Lughnasadh, we are still in a time of harvest. This is our last chance to really gather the fruits of the desert; prickly pear, mesquite pods, and manzanita. But alas the days are shortening, noticeably. Dawn comes later and later, and desert dwellers who make a habit of rising early to escape the summer sun will notice the darkness where once the sky was pink and light. You might also notice the significant drop in evening and morning temperatures. Instead of humid and warm in the 70’s or 80’s, many mornings are in the 60’s. There is a decided nip on bare skin now. A sure sign of fall, across the country is the return of students to school. In the southwest this is also a time increased activity in the out of doors and the time for gardening. Though that may seem counter intuitive to someone accustomed to snow and freezing temperatures, here in the Sonoran desert winter offers a RESPITE from the rigours of extreme summer heat and is in most cases quite mild and pleasant. The cultivated plants, flowers and vegetables that fill southwestern gardens rejoice, just as the people do, for the relief from burning sun.

Harvest and Sacrifice

Like August, September is still a time of Harvest from the wild desert plants. The last of the prickly pear fruits, the mesquite pods, and summer annuals like amaranth or warm weather garden crops like chiles and melons. And so we start putting up the bountiful desert harvest for the leaner and drier season ahead. Soon the year will be coming to a close at Samhain, and like at Lammas it is time to turn inward to reap the harvest of all growing and learning we set out to do in the past year. What have you paid special attention to, giving it love and nurturing, what is ready to harvest within your own life? Perhaps it is the joy of a close relationship lover, family or friend. Perhaps it is the financial security of working hard at your work. Perhaps it is inner peace you’ve learned to maintain, even in the face of challenges. Whatever it might be, recognize the work you have done to reap this bountiful harvest. We should also remember to look back at what we may have lost or had to sacrifice to the tulmultous summer storms. What have you decided to let go of in your life? A relationship that was not healthy, an unfulfilling job, or some other grand plan that you somehow didn’t find the time for? The time of the harvest is when we begin to notice what we may have lost, as well as what we have gained in the last year. Perhaps we mourn our losses, maybe you feel fear at having let go of something that offered safety, or comfort. Now is the time to reflect back on those things, recongnize the reasons why they had to be sacrificed, why they were washed away with the summer rains. But do not forget to think about by breaking free from old habits or sacrificing we are indeed opening the door to new GROWTH and space for positive and healthful things to grow in our lives. The saying, “Where a door closes, another window is open,’ is true here. Sometimes we must let go of things that are holding us back or making us unhappy for new opportunities to arise in our lives. By breaking free of the past, like trees being washed away in a flash food, the landscape of our lives changes, where once there were bridges there are now rifts, but now there is room to build new bridges, for new trees and plants to get established. The Harvest is the time to rejoice in what we have gained, and what we have lost in the past year. We are harvesting our OWN growth, and what we’ve created in our own lives.

Growth/Garden/Increased Activity

One particular difference between our dark season here in the desert and that of most of temperate North America and Europe is the increased actitivity. Here in the desert we are rejoicing for the coming cold. For the last 4-5 months we’ve been doing our best to handle the heat and extreme weather conditions,our gardens in a holding pattern, waiting out the intense heat and sun. By the time of equinox we are ready to get outside and play again. The evening temperatures are falling, and though still warm during the day, we know the cooler, milder days are coming. Our activity will begin to increase as the light wanes but the temperatures become more pleasant. In traditional seasons winter is the time of rest, of contemplation, and quiet, staying close to home and family. Here in the desert, winter is a time of celebration. People will start going out and hiking, exploring the desert and getting close to nature. Near the equinox, gardeners start to plant their gardens, vegetables and flowers that are withering in colder climates, are just putting out leaves and buds. In a sense we are Harvesting the new growth and increased activity, after the challenges and tumult of the summer. The weather is calmer, and our lives become a little more carefree, easy going, and energized. The holiday season is approaching and we are celebrating family and friends and the blessing of year-round sunshine.

As you begin to feel the stirrings of increased energy within your body, the equinox would be a good time to decide what projects and activities you would like to devote that increased energy to. Getting out and connecting with the earth is a wonderful way to take advantage of the season. Go hike, get to know the desert creatures, cactus, lizards, birds and winter flowers, sit on the earth, let her life force flow into you and fill you with energy. Perhaps you want to create a garden, growing flower or vegetables will channel your energy into connecting with life on earth. Caring for each plant with the love and attention it deserves. Watch the plants you tend carefully, some days a particular plant may jump out at you, begging to be seen, to be caressed and to share it’s wisdom with you.

It is also wise to turn this increased energy inward, as part of the “dark” season. The dark season is the time for inner work, though our outer life has become more active. Make sure to invest some of your time reflecting and working with your shadow side. While you may be running around full of energy and doing projects during the day, the nights ARE longer, and evenings provide ample time for sitting with yourself and delving into those sensitive, hurt and dark places you might prefer to ignore.

Darkness

The equinox heralds the coming of the dark half of the year. In the desert the darkness is unique. The nights become long and even cold. Though outwardly we are active. The dark half of the year is important in our spiritual life. It provides the time and seriousness to address our shadow side. The equinox is the beginning of this process. Perhaps at Lughnasadh you began to think about those deep dark places you wanted to work with this season. Equinox is the time to solidify your intentions, affirm your desire to work on those particular aspects of yourself. This is the time to make a plan of how you endeavor to delve into the pain and fear that hides within, causing us sadness, anger, or denial. How can you commit yourself to dealing with the pain buried there? Can you make a weekly commitment to journal, meditate or otherwise express those hidden feelings? Will you endeavor to make one small effort each day?

Don’t forget to take time for quiet and rest during this dark time as well. Increased activity requires ample rest and relaxation as well. Perhaps you can devote a few hours soley to yourself each week. Take a relaxing nap, or a bath, or just sit and breathe fresh air seated under a tree. Hug yourself, comfort yourself, honor your rhythms and cycles just as you honor the earth’s cycles and rythms. When you feel the need to rest, do so, when you feel the urge to cry or let out your anger, do so, in a safe and constructive manner. We all need release and the dark season creates a space to do that, while by yourself, or in the company of soul friends. But remember not to wallow in sadness or darkness, or to place blame on yourself or anyone else, this is a time for release and inner healing.

Balance

Like the Vernal Equinox, this is a time of Balance. The Daylight and the Nighttime are equal in length. We are in a season of moderation: neither extremely hot nor cold. While the earth around us hovers in balance around the time of the equinox, we too find ourselves returning to balance. The equinox is a time to ‘rebalance.” What exactly is balance? Is it moderation, or is it more like a pendulum, that sways back in forth, ever in balance with the earth’s movement? What in your life is already in balance, echoing the seasonal balance? What in your life needs balancing? Think about ways you might bring more balance into your life. Does that mean working less and spending more time with your family? Does that mean challenging yourself to take on new activities or roles that you have been avoiding? Whatever it is in your life that could use a breath of fresh air and balancing, make some commitments to yourself about how you will accomplish that change. Write them down in your journal, or on index cards, decorated to your liking and posted around your house. You might even want to create or take part in a “balancing” ritual or ceremony. Remember to balance the increased activity and energy focused towards projects in the cool and pleasant desert winter and the time for inner work, quiet, rest and healing in the darkness.

It is easy for us to stay fixed in one position for so long that we forget to visit the alternatives, we can easy become unbalanced, working too many hours, eating too much, or focusing too much on the negative within our lives. The equinox is a good time to really take stock of your life, inner and outer, and find what feels out of balance, what needs more attention. But it isn’t useful to look at ourselves, find a flaw in our “balance” and then feel guilty or self-defeating about it. Look at this as an opportunity to make changes. You can only learn from your past and mistakes you have made. Think about your life more as a journey of learning, rather than a set of right and wrong choices. Everything we have done has made us who we are, and we have hopefully learned from the choices that have caused us pain or hardship. Look back with joy and thankfulness at your life and take the lessons you have learned to make positive and healthy changes in your life now.

Thanksgiving

The fall equinox is often called the ‘Pagan Thanksgiving.” Though many new things are starting their growth during the mild desert winter, it is nearing the end of the rich and lush summer of abundance. We have much to give thanks for, much to be grateful for. I always give thanks for the coming coolness, and mild weather in the winter, allowing me to spend more time outside, in nature, and in my garden. It is time to be THANKFUL for the blessings of the season, for the abundance of the great Mother Earth, and the harvest YOU have worked for all summer long. It is time to reflect on what we have accomplished and learned, and give thanks for those lessons and accomplishments. It is also a good time to celebrate the bounty of the season and the Earth. I like to celebrate with family and friends and a bountiful feast featuring foods of the season, apples, squash, prickly pears, and mesquite.

October BLOG PARTY: The Harvest

This months Blog Party is all about Harvest time!

Tammy at Witchen Kitchen shares her knowledge of harvesting and preparing Poke Berries

Ygraine at Kitchen HerbWife shares the Song of the Harvest

Howling Hill shares about Mabon

Kiva Rose shares her harvest moon!

Greenwoman speaks to the wisdom of plant directed harvest awareness.

Granny Sam takes a moment to share her harvest with us.

Wendy at Garden Plum shares her harvest musings and lovely pictures of primrose!

Hope to have my own post up soon!

October BLOG PARTY: Call for submissions

It's time for another bloggy party kids! Write a post on/about/describing your favorite fall harvest topic. A wild food, an herb, an experience etc. Submit a link to me by Oct 1, and I'll post the list here for everyone to read! Don't forget to get out and harvest!

Happy Equinox!

Wild about Walnut (Juglans major or J. nigra)

This months blog party is about bitters, and right now, I can't seem to wrap my head or ambition around writing about bitters. Right now, I'm obsessed with Walnut. So, this may or may not count for the blog party, but read on to learn about the sadly underused and piegon-holed wonder that is walnut.
Walnut is best known as the "parasite herb" in herbal commerce, and if you wander into a health food store you'll find black walnut hulls paired up with cloves, wormwood and other vermifuges in tinctures. That is about as much as commerce knows about walnut.

Walnut, especially black walnut is also famous for its ability to stain and dye. The bark, leaves and hulls contain juglone, an aromatic compound that will stain your skin, fabrics and other surfaces with a blackish orange color, depending on how strong the solution is. This famed juglone compound also inhibits the growth of other plant species near and around a walnut tree, even its own offspring should the walnut fall not too far from the tree. It is this property which has probably led to its famed use as a "parasite Killer", vermifuge, and in treatment of "candida". I'm not discounting this use of the walnut tree by any means, though I have not used it for that purpose myself or with clients, I have no reason to claim that walnut does not have use in this respect. It probably does, thus its long popularity as such.

I'm not sure what called me about the Walnut trees lately, but they've been on my mind a lot since I came back to Arizona. There are some amazingly large old walnut trees in the washes in the Tucson valley, and I've been going to visit them for years before this summer. I've collected walnuts when ripe in the fall to crack and eat the flavorful and nutritious nut, I've collected green hulls for tincturing, and I've climbed the big grandfather tree to sit in its branches and be with the wind and sun the spirit of the trees. I seem to have a strong attraction to the plant spirits in trees, my biggest plant allies are primarily trees, including oaks, junipers, and now walnut. I must have druid roots in my Celtic blood.


For weeks, I've been fascinatedly reading up on the uses of walnut, in traditional Physiomedical and Eclectic literature, and more modern pieces, by Matt Wood and others. Though I have tinctured walnut hulls in the past, I never really made use of the tincture, possibly due to lack of information about HOW to use it, and also because there are so many plants to use, to learn and know, and some plants call you at certain times more than others. Walnut hadn't spoken to me yet, until recently. Suddenly I can't stop thinking about, reading about and experimenting with walnut. Just yesterday during an energy work session, I was laying face down on the table, relaxing, drifting in and out of a sleepy state, and I had a vision of Walnut, and the Grandfather spirit of Walnut came to me, so clearly, so strongly. Walnut has called to me. It was clearly a grandfather, a male spirit form, that I saw. If you look at the walnut tree, it is clearly male, dangling flowers and round fruits remind me of the male reproductive organs. I have other plant spirits/guides/allies, but they have all been more of a female nature. Walnut is the first male energy I've been called to work with. I think the timing is right as well. I'm looking forward to spending more time with the walnut this year, and eagerly await the lessons walnut has for me now.

But on a more practical and less personal note, I've been diligently researching the uses of walnut, aside from its use for parasites and candida.

An infusion of the leaves is dark, brownish orange, mildly bitter, and astringent, yet also sweet, balsamic and aromatic. Have you ever smelled a walnut tree? The leaves and fruits have a very pleasant balsamic smell to them. The leaf tea retains that quality, and it has a pleasant full mouth feel, almost coating the tissues with its oily resin. It leaves a cool impression, centered in the upper digestive tract, and I have found it to be stimulating and tonic. The hull tincture has a very similar quality, but is stronger in astringent and aromatic quality. The bark is the other part of the plant traditionally used, and I haven't yet experimented with its qualities. But I expect it will be even yet stronger than the leaf, and possibly retain more bitter and astringent properties.

Juglans cinerea is the juglans species most often cited in the traditional literature, but black walnut, juglans nigra is now much more commonly used, and many of the uses of J. cinerea overlap with that of J. nigra, and our local species, J. major.

Walnut leaves, hulls and bark are astringent, stimulant and tonic, mildly antispasmodic, alterative, and have an affinity for the digestive system. It is used in small doses as an astringent for diarrhea associated with gastric irritation, inflammation and lack of tone/atonic weak digestion, especially when there is difficulty with digesting and absorbing fats, and there is associated malabsorption, and possible steatorrhea. Is is helpful when the irritated state of the digestive tract and diarrhea is associated with cramping and gas, as a mild antispasmodic. It stimulates secretions of bile from the gall bladder, and restores tone to weak and flaccid tissues.

In larger doses walnut serves as a cathartic and laxative and can be helpful in cases of chronic constipation resulting from a lack of tone and lack of secretions and liver sluggishness. This can often present as constipation, light colored stools, deficient bile secretion and muscular tone in the digestive tract with skin problems ranging from acne to eczema from lack of proper elimination. I'm not a large fan of using stimulating laxatives as a long term solution, but chronic constipation is problematic and while underlying pathology and cause of the problem is addressed, walnut is a nice choice, milder than senna or cascara, and less likely to cause griping or watery, loose stools as other laxatives can.

From Kings American Dispensatory
"very efficient in deficient gastric secretion, in atonic dyspepsia, and in indigestion accompanied with gastric irritation, sour eructations, and flatulent distension of the stomach. Administer 1 pill a day. Juglans is useful in tenesmic, burning, fetid diarrhoea and dysentery, and should be remembered in intestinal dyspepsia withirritation. The specific juglans may be given in from 1 to 10-drop doses. The same doses of the same preparation act as an efficient alterative in chronic skin affections and scrofula, being particularly
indicated in those skin affections exhibiting vesicles or pustules."

Ellingwood states:

It is said to be a valuable remedy in duodenal catarrh, with
torpidity of the liver and chronic jaundice. Small doses have been
successfully employed in dysentery, bilious diarrhoea, and in intestinal
diseases, with symptoms indicating irritability, hyperemia, or a tendency
to inflammation. Chronic constipation can be successfully corrected by
medium doses of the extract, if the affection depends upon defective
elimination of bile, causing the stools to be clay-colored and dry from a
lack of biliary and glandular secretion.


William Cook mentions that it is of great benefit in hemorrhoids with constipation and weak secretions, as it is tonifying to the tissues in general, and improves digestive secretions and function overall, which is a primary contributing factor in hemorrhoids.


There is some mention of the plant being used topically on skin problems including eczema, rashes and herpes, but one must use caution as the fresh plant and juglone in walnut can cause skin irritation, redness and even blisters.

Phyllis Light, a traditional Appalachian herbalist uses Walnut for the thyroid. From Matt Wood, her use is mentioned.
"The important teaching about black walnut from Phyllis Light is, however,that it is a thyroid-activator. It not only prevents goiter but will stimulate the thyroid and thus the metabolism in the cells. This improves circulation, removes deposits in the arteries, lowers blood sugar, decreases hyperinsulinism, removes stagnant water, mucus and toxins from the system. Phyllis considers it a specific for the low thyroid/chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia complex with is so frequently found today."



As I have only begun to experiment with the virtues of this plant, long held in esteem by herbalists of earlier days and now sadly piegon-holed by herbal commerce as "the parasite herb", I cannot vouch for its virtues in hypothyroid or as a parasite herb. But my intentions of using walnut as I understand it are as a wonderful therapy for IBS, leaky gut, and general gut integrity when recovering from the ravages of a food allergy, due to its soothing and tonic properities, the antispasmodic quality and its ability to improve digestive secretions and function in weak and atonic digestive systems. I envision this as a supreme gut healing, tonic and restoring therapy when paired with another local plant, Mountain Marigold, and the soothing properties of our local mallow, Globe Mallow, as a demulcent, and perhaps a pinch of peppermint and fennel or coriander.


I also have grand plans to experiment with the plant as a dye, used somewhat like henna, for festive temporary skin decoration, and even possibly as a hair dye/ rinse for dark hair!
I feel so very fortunate to have been called to work with the local plant, and plan to spend many days up my favorite large walnut tree, who's arms just bend down and beacon to be climbed up into the branches overhanging the wash where it lives.

BLOG PARTY: Sonoran Summer Survival Tips

This months blog party is about how to stay cool in the summer heat. Alchemille is hosting this months party. Check it out on June 15. This is something I'm getting a lot of experience with right now. I moved back to the Sonoran Desert at perhaps the hottest and driest toughest part of the year. It's over a hundred every day, and it probably won't rain until Mid July.
The sun is bright and hot, and reflects off the dirt and pavement and radiates heat all night long. I was used to 60 degree days in Colorado, with an occasional sprinkling of rain, and even snow right on up to May 15. Needless to say, the climate change was quite dramatic. It would be rough on anybody to make that change.

Anyway, so here are some things I'm doing to keep cool, calm and hydrated in this hot, dry desert.

HYDRATE
The first rule of the desert heat is to prehydrate, hydrate and rehydrate. Start the day off with a 12 oz glass of cool water, add a splash of lime or lemon for an extra refreshing start to the day. Most people are dehydrated when they go to bed the night before, and almost always wake up that way. Coffee and other caffeinated drinks are diuretic and further dehydrating. So...instead of starting the morning with a cup of coffee or tea, try the 12 oz of water with lemon.

A beautiful way to add extra moistening, hydrating property to your water is too drop a tbsp of marshmallow root into a quart jar of cool water. Let this water sit overnight and infuse. In the morning it should be rather thick and demulcent. Some might go so far as to say it is slimy. If the texture of this demulcent drink isn't to your liking, you can dilute it with more water, add lemon, lime, or dilute it with another nice herbal tea. I particularly like peppermint and hibiscus right now, which are both cooling and hydrating. I'll list some more nice cooling herbs to use as a beverage below.

Always make sure you have water with you. It's easy to dehydrate in the dry air here, so if you are sweating at all, you need to drink. I carry around a canteen of water with a splash of lime or peppermint spirits everywhere I go. I try to drink at least two of those during the day, (60oz) and more if I'm outside sweating and exercising.

COOLING HERBS:
The following herbs are beautiful additions to summer beverage line up. They are all cooling, moistening and refreshing. I like to sip my herbal infusions cool or room temperature rather than hot in the summer, but ICED beverages aren't a great choice either. They can be too cold and impair digestion. If you're going to have an iced drink, don't do it with a meal. Enjoy it on its own.

Marshmallow root, leaf, flower ( or other mallows, globe mallow, common mallow, hollyhock)
Linden flower
Elder flower
Rose flower
Hibiscus flower
Chrysanthemum flower
peach leaf
peppermint
elm
licorice root
flax seed
chia seed

So here are some of my favorite recipies for cooling and hydrating summer beverages.

Hibiscus/Chia-ade

1 pint of strong hibiscus tea
2 tbsp lime or lemon juice
sugar/honey/agave nectar to taste
1 tbsp whole chia seed

Mix all the ingredients together and shake well. The chia seeds will swell up and form a thick gel around each seed. The texture of this drink is a bit, crunchy. I really like it. Chia is wonderful...it is full of fiber, omega fatty acids, calcium and more. This is almost a snack. I chew up the seeds as I sip the drink. If you don't like seedy drinks....skip the chia.

Chrysanthemum Elder Rose

1 pt chrysanthemum
2 pt elder flowers
1 pt rose flowers

This is lovely and yummy. It can get a touch bitter if you steep it too long, so I usually let it steep for about 10 min before straining and cooling in the fridge.

Demulcent Pink Drink

equal parts
marshmallow root powder
hibiscus flower powder

Cold infuse the powders in a quart of water ( 1 tbsp of powder per quart) overnight. Strain off, add a splash of rosewater. Sip cool.
This is good without the rose water, and can be sweetened if you like. If this one is too slimy for you, dilute it an equal part of water.

COOLING FOODS
It becomes really obvious when you go from 60 degree weather to 100 degree weather how your diet needs to change for the seasons. I wouldn't touch a raw salad with a 10 foot pole in Colorado. It was just too cooling to eat salad in the cool, mild weather. But as soon as I got to Tucson, all I wanted to eat was salad greens. Choosing cooling foods in the hot weather is a really excellent way to stay cool in the heat.
Everybody around here likes their salsa hot, full of onions and chiles, but for the first time I'm experimenting with using very little chile and/or onion and garlic in my food. Instead milder digestive spices like cumin, coriander or cilantro and fennel are good. I add lime juice as a dressing to many foods ( beans, veggies, drinks) as well.
I've found it rather easier to stay cool and calm, even when it gets hot, the air is still and my house with no AC is stuffy. Sure , I'll sweat, but the heat doesn't seem to GET to me the way it tends to in this kind of weather.

Here's a list of nice cooling and/or moistening summer foods to eat during the dry heat.
Cucumbers
Melons
Bitter greens/salad greens
Okra
Yogurt
Mung beans
Tomatoes
Peaches
Grapes
fresh figs
White fish
Pork
Coconut oil ( this oil is more cooling than other cooking oils)

Avoid the following foods when you want to avoid getting overheated:
chiles
alliums
lamb, beef, bison (red meat has heating properties)


Summer is the right time to consume raw foods. I'm not an advocate of a 100% raw diet 100% of the time, but summer is the time for it, if you're going to try some raw foods. Obviously eating raw fruits and vegetables in the summer in salads and smoothies is an no brainer. Other raw dishes can be appropriate and delicious, and help to avoid heating up your house by cooking in the oven. A fruit, veggie and cheese plate with a few slices of deli meats or lox is a nice cool, easy to prepare lunch or dinner that requires no cooking on your part, even if it isn't 100% raw.

Cucumber yogurt salad

1 c thin sliced cucumber ( chunks or grated work too, your preference)
1/4 c yogurt
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 tsp whole cumin seed
1 tsp dried mint leaves ( this is better if you have fresh)

Mix all the ingredients and let the flavors blend for about 20 min ( this helps rehydrate the dried mint too). Serve with your meal, as a salad dressing, or topping for rice and veggies.

Melon Soup
I always make this soup in summer with hierloom or native melons. You can alternatively make this with cucumbers if you want a less sweet blend.

1 melon RIPE, peeled and diced
1/2 c yogurt
1 bunch fresh mint ( a couple of tsp dried mint works too)
honey to taste
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice

Put all the ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Serve in a half melon shell, or a bowl. I prefer this at room temperature rather than cold from the fridge, but its kind of a personal choice.

If you make this with cucumbers, peel them, chop, skip the honey and add a tsp of salt and coriander seed, substitute cilantro or parsley for the mint if you like.


Mung dal soup

1 c soaked mung beans
3 c water
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground fennel seed
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp ghee
chopped cilantro

Cook the beans in the water until soft and falling apart. In a separate pan toast the spices in the ghee, and add to the soupy beans. Simmer the spiced beans for another 5 min to blend the flavors.

Serve warm (not hot) and top with cilantro leaves. This is a nice dish to have for a light breakfast or dinner. I wouldn't eat warm soup in the middle of the day, unless you want to sweat. This soup avoids heating spices like mustard and garlic to moderate the heat. Mung beans are a cooling bean.

HYDROTHERAPY

This one is really important, and has been extremely helpful for me.
Take cold showers. Yes, cold. I start the day with a yoga practice that gets my blood flowing, and makes me sweat a little. Then I get into a cold shower. I don't even turn on the warm water. Sometimes, most days right now. I take a second cool rinse in the late afternoon heat or before bed to cool off again.

If you really can't stand a COLD shower, at least take a cold RINSE at the end of your warm shower.
This practice is probably easier in the extreme heat I've been experiencing here in the Sonoran summer, but cold water is extremely invigorating for the vital force, and is of benefit to anyone. Many of the german water cure spas primarily use cold water therapies to heal all sorts of ills.
I highly encourage you to at least TRY this vital practice of cold water bathing.

If you are lucky, you have a cool river to dunk in for this practice, but for most of us, the cold shower is more practical. You can work up to this practice by gradually using less warm water every time you shower, or start the shower warm and gradually turn the warm water down throughout the entire shower, finishing as cold as you can stand.

OTHER TIPS:
Get up early and get outdoor activities done in the cool of the morning. I remember bike rides at sunrise in the summer very fondly. Birds are singing, coyote are hunting rabbits, the mountains turn pink and orange, and there is little traffic. Early morning hikes and walks are also lovely. Sunrise walks in the desert were a favorite summer past time for me as well.

Keep the AC off or down. Part of staying cool is getting accustomed to the heat. Try setting the AC for a higher temperature. Or turn it off completely. It might take some getting used to a non-climate controlled environment, but it really helps. Things won't feel so hot if you are used to warmer temps. And hey, you'll save loads on the electric bill. A box fan is nice to keep the air moving, and keeping you cool when you sweat. Let your sweat do it's job to keep you cool by evaporating. You can simulate this with a refreshing spritzer of spring water and essential oils on your face, neck and chest. Peppermint e.o. is nice for this.

One thing I can't stand about summer in the desert is the AC. You come into a building after being outside in the heat, sweating, and the AC is set for 70 degrees, and then you start to shiver from the chill. It's rediculous I tell you. I'd much rather a constant sort of warmth with a box fan or breeze.


So, there you are. These are some of the practices I'm using to stay cool this summer. So far so good! It will get easier in some respects when we get our monsoon rains, but then we'll be dealing with humidity as well as heat. If you live a hot, humid climate like Florida. Well, I don't have too much experience with surviving humidity, other than taking lots of cool showers to rinse off the sticky. Good luck! I'd love to hear your tips for surviving hot and humid weather.