Spring showed up here a little earlier than anyone expected; nothing like having 60-70 degree days in February and March in New York. The plants are so happy; they’ve been breaking through the ground all over the place. My daffodils are already about 10 inches tall, they’re not usually like this till mid-April. Maybe it’s a message to us that we should be eating our spring greens earlier this year than before? When we talk about eating spring greens, it’s not about going to the store and picking up a bunch of kale or collards, it’s all about eating wild foods. Greens that are bringing up from your land or land that is right around you nutrients to nourish your cells. Early spring chlorophyll to clean your digestive system and clear out winter gunk.
Today we’re going to talk about Chickweed – (Stellaria media). She is growing all over the place now. I was lucky enough the other day to get a call from a friend that she was turning over the soil in a greenhouse and I should come pick the chickweed that had planted herself there. Yummmmm, I’ve been eating it like crazy this week – and I got it just in the nick of time as I came down with a wicked cough and cold this week.
What is chickweed for?
- She helps to thin the cell membranes so that nutrients are absorbed and utilized easily
- Helps the lungs release excess fluid (which is why I’m using her today – in fact my husband has been fighting a sore throat and swollen glands – ended up on antibiotics but still the swollen glands wouldn’t go away. I put a poultice of the chickweed on his neck for about a half hour – the swollen glands disappeared and never showed up again – pretty cool)
- Increases intestinal absorption – got an intestinal problem – IBD, IBS, Colitis, think about chickweed
- Think about chickweed as slippery like soap. She has lots of saponins which are soap-like and what she does is have the ability to slide into things and clean them up – for example, replacing fat with protein and mineral salts. Chickweed likes to help emulsify fats and for some with weight issues she is a godsend.
- A great salad – tastes delicious, not bitter. Today I chopped up the chickweed and used an herbal vinegar called Fire Cider and some olive oil as my dressing. What an amazing healing salad. (Just a side note, fire cider is apple cider vinegar infused with garlic, ginger, onion, horseradish and chili peppers)
- One of the first things I think of with chickweed is her ability to cool things off – so think swollen joints, fever and infections.
- Chickweed tincture – taken continuously for at least a few months can dissolve cysts, including ovarian ones
- Many years ago a friend’s dog had scratched its eye, the veterinarian thought nothing could help, we applied a poultice to the eye with chickweed and violet and within a week the eye was healed.
- Chickweed is a powerful ally to the glandular and lymphatic system. I love to think of her as a total nourisher for the body. One who can cool you down when the situation is hot, a nourishing healer of wounds, and an herbal diet pill. Quite a lot for one little plant.
When chickweed is out like it is now I like to make tincture, oil and just plain eat it. I use the tincture when I don’t have it fresh and the oil is wonderful to help with the dissolving of things. Using herbs internally and externally at the same time always makes them more potent.
I’m teaching a class – information is on this newsletter on March 24th on "How to Spring Clean Your Body." Come learn more about chickweed and the other plants that are beginning to pop out of the ground now.
Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
- Ever have one of those days? You feel moody, gloomy and just need a lift?
- Maybe you’re trying to hold yourself together or stop crying?
- Feeling angry, sad, your heart won’t stop pulsing and you just don’t know what to do?
Those are the days that I recommend you look at Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca),otherwise known as the lion hearted plant. Motherwort literally means for the mother.Motherwort helps to lift your spirit and lighten up.
For myself, I find that motherwort can soothe and strengthen my nervous system.
Have you ever felt like you are stuck in a rut? You’re angry, aggravated and just need a little something. Next time, reach for a little bit of motherwort tincture and see how all of a sudden things look a little brighter.
Motherwort is an interesting plant, as you look at her relatively innocuous flowers, just be aware that towards the stem they are very prickly and I’ve been stuck numerous times. How I interpret this is that motherwort can help us to embrace and nourish the parts of us that are a little prickly and sharp by allowing them to soften. Think about the times that maybe you’re angry at someone and you want to lash out at them. If you have a second to think clearly, take some motherwort and you may find that she will absorb some of the anger for you.
Motherwort is a wonderful plant to get to know. I’ve seen it used in many ways, these are just a few ways to think about using her:
· Women before menopause
- you’ve got the craziness of PMS – you’re cranky, irritable – try 10-20 drops of motherwort
- Menstrual cramps – use a dropper and repeat after 20 minutes until the cramps have stopped
- Tonic for the uterus
- Helps teens balance the emotional upheaval during their monthly cycle
- Helps moms after giving birth when their hormones are going wacky
- Helps perimenopausal women when they are feeling crampy and grumpy
- Helps moderate hormone levels
- Helps balance your emotional swings
- Helps many eliminate hot flashes
- Helps you go back to sleep when doing what I call the 2 am menopause dance
- Helps decrease heart palpitations
- Helps many with menopausal depression
- Very specific for nervousness with heart palpitations
- Culpeper says “Venus owns this herb and that it is under Leo” which means that it is a female remedy with an affinity to the heart.
- Strengthens the heart and relaxes the cells in the heart – helps High blood pressure
- Tonic for the heart
Not suggested during pregnancy
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to treat, diagnose or prescribe
Never allow someone to take your power away…..
········· Linden can help you if this happens to you.
I can’t ever remember feeling as if my personal power was taken away from me, until the other day.· It hits you like a ton of bricks and basically stops you in your path.· ·After spending a few days processing this feeling I wanted to give you my thoughts.
Have you ever had someone promise you something and then turn around and not deliver?·· I spent almost 2 amazing days at a conference where I learned new ways of marketing my business.· One aspect of this program is that you have an “accountability buddy” which you change every 120 days.· As a solo entrepreneur you don’t have the support of a corporate team that keeps you on track.· This buddy is someone you speak with daily for just a few moments and helps you stay on the straight and narrow in order to accomplish your goals.
During my first day at the conference, I had a conversation with a woman that I knew and we decided we would be buddies for the next 120 days.· In my mind, all was good.· The second day we were asked if we had a buddy and if you didn’t you should go to the front of the room with all others that were looking and choose someone.· “Why should I do this, I was all set”, or so I thought.· Next thing I knew I get a tap on the shoulder and this woman said to me “Oh, I forgot to tell you, I made a promise to someone else to be their buddy, you should go up front to find someone”··· It was like I was shot, I felt that my psyche was compromised.· It was the strangest feeling for me to not feel in control of my feelings.· This woman never gave any thought to the fact that she had removed the power I had in choosing who I wanted to work with.
OK, so I went and picked a new buddy and for all intents and purposes all should have been fine.· But my power had been taken from me.· I needed to compromise myself because this woman didn’t think it through to let me know the previous day that she wanted to work with someone else.· If she had, I would have been able to speak with someone else and this would never have happened.
What this did to me was throw my energy off for the rest of the conference and actually till now when I decided that I needed to write this blog.
The lesson – when something like this happens to you, it’s really not about you, it’s about the other person.· In hindsight, I realize that she wasn’t the right person for me to work with for 120 days because if she wasn’t accountable for that one day, how would I be able to trust her in the future.· But it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt you or mess with your brain.
As an herbalist I began working with herbs that soothe the nervous system and allow the body to release the grief of the situation once I returned home. The herb that I went for first was Linden also known as Tilia and Lime Flower.· Linden allows one to create calm and stillness inside while there may be lots of noise outside.· It allows us the space to calm our minds. What I find that Linden does best is to create ease during times of stress and chaos.
Indications on why you might want to use linden:
- Anxiety issues that may find you with palpitations and/or panic attacks
- Nervous tension
- Emotional issues: grief or heart ache
- Sleep problems
Linden helps you balance your emotional body.· It allows you to be supported even in times of extreme stress. As I write this I am sipping a mug of linden tea and find that my breathing and stress level of the situation are being diffused.
I encourage everyone to keep some Linden around as a simple tea. On my website, www.bonniesherbals.com there is a list of resources that you can purchase linden and other herbs from. It works so quickly to eliminate your stress levels, help you fall asleep when you have a lot on your mind and allow you to release pent up grief, no matter what that grief looks like for you.
Bonnie Rogers is an herbalist and what she does best is help you to reclaim your radiant health by teaching you how to remove the health obstacles that are stopping you from feeling your best.· She can be reached at www.bonniesherbals.com
Have you ever given any thought to the fact that what you put into your body can change whether it begins to corrode (break down) or recharge (rebuild). When I think about this, what first goes through my mind is whether the body is acidic or alkaline. Think about battery acid and how it can corrode anything that it touches. Now think about what that acid can do in your body. What can cause acid in your body? Diet, stress, and exposure to toxins are the first things I think about. When your body's pH can be brought into a slightly alkaline state, I find that the health issues that I consider acidic tend to disappear and your body begins to repair itself. An 
example of health conditions that I think of when I think acidic: arthritis, cancer, acid reflux, digestive disorders, diabetes, osteoporosis and the list goes on. By making simple shifts you can create powerful changes in your body and create Radiant Health.
Step 1: Nutrition: think green. Foods that I consider acidic: grains, meat, dairy, sugar, coffee. I challenge you to for one week to eliminate most if not all of the acidic foods. Drink green smoothies
(alkaline foods) , juice lots of vegetable juices such as cucumber, celery, kale, lemon; eat lots of salads (but don't use jarred salad dressing, make your own with some organic apple cider vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, herbs. Add some avocado. See how you feel. I've done this and its just amazing to feel the change in your body.
Here's a simple recipe for an amazing tasty alkaline soup:
1 bunch parsley
4 stalks celery
3 medium zucchini
1/2 lb green beans
steam them for about 10-15 minutes and then puree them either in a blender or with a blending wand and use the water that you steamed the vegetables in as your broth. I like to add a little lemon juice when I'm eating this soup. If you like it spicy, add some pepper to it.
Step 2: Water: Do you know that most of today's water is filled with toxins? It's treated with so many chemicals that it's basically a lifeless, tasteless liquid. When I look at water I look at it from 2 perspectives: is it filtered and is it ionized. Most water ionizers have small filters on them to remove some toxins but my gut tells me that if you are drinking water to feed your body, make sure that you are filtering the water you are drinking to remove the harmful constituents. When it comes to alkaline, ionized water I've seen so many amazing results that take people with acidic health conditions in their bodies and turn them around. One example is my daughter, the short story: age 14, lyme disease, 2 months later diagnosed Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, ends up on medications, 8 years later Hodgkins Lymphoma (from the meds?) and then osteoporosis (from all the prednisone?), back on arthritis medications. Started ionized water (I work with the Chanson machines), within 1 1/2 years off of all medications. I've seen so many results - contact me privately for more information.
Step 3: Stress: Take time for you. Whether this is sitting quietly for 10 minutes a day just breathing quietly and thinking about something that makes you happy. Maybe create a scene that you like, being in the woods, next to a tree, at the beach, in a field and go there in your meditation and let your stress go. Create time to exercise, maybe its a simple walk or try a kickboxing class, yoga, find something that makes that stress dissolve.
It sounds so difficult, but its just one step at a time. Think how good you'll feel when you make just one simple change. Here's to a year filled with Radiant Health.
We'll start with anxiety - I recommend that you begin to drink herbal infusions daily with herbs such as nettles, oatstraw and hawthorn. Not only will they fill your body with nutrients, they will begin to unwind the tightly bound nerves that we tend to have around this season. Keep a bottle of scullcap or motherwort in your bag and take a few drops when you feel like you are coming unwound. Keep some simple teabags with you, Jeans Greens has two formulas that I love. One is Fizzle Frazzle and the other is Mandala Centering Tea.
Put some candles around and spray a little lavender essential oil. Or combine that with giving your partner a massage with a nice massage cream with some lavendar essential oil in it.
Unfortunately for many women there is too much pain and dryness for them to even think about being intimate. I have discovered a wonderful product called Sex Butter that I am now carrying as the need for so many of my clients is there. Even if you aren't in pain and you would like to have a sensual, sexual experience that will be more powerful than you've been experiencing, try it, it's renewed my husband's and my sex life again.
Get your swing back, make it an important part of your life. Put on some sensual music, take some time for you, away from the television and computer. Everything else will get done if you allow some time for yourself.
Let me know what you've done to create that time for you.
Burdock helps the body remember what it was like to be healthy. She is a strong plant that helps to rejuvenate chronic health conditions. Think of that person who is caught in the slow downward spiral of a chronic disease; there is a lack of vigor and momentum in their life.
Burdock is not in a hurry, she’s not the kind of herb you might use for an immediate acute problem, however like the turtle in a race, she is slow and steady and can nourish the most extreme, buried and far reaching aspects of ourselves and break the ground for deep transformation.
I use burdock for both physical and spiritual issues. For those people whom I affectionately call “airy fairies”, we all know these people; they live more in the clouds than they do here on the ground. Generally they are most happy when they are meditating vs getting something done here on earth. Having them take burdock can make profound changes for them. I had a client many years ago, I had such a hard time listening to her as she spoke so softly and went on and on basically about nothing. I remember saying to someone that day that it was difficult for me to listen to her. We started her on burdock and about 2 months later it was as if her voice was grounded. She was able to really stand on both feet and get on with her life.
Physically burdock can help:
· Acne – especially when the pimples are singular, large and nasty
· Liver – helps stimulate your metabolism and cool you down and is a great liver cleanser – she likes to work with dandelion and yellow dock
· Skin – helps heal and ease the pain of inflamed, reddened, heated skin conditions – boils, abscesses, pimples, chronic rashes, excema
· Prostate – can help a young man who has a swollen prostrate from pumping too much iron as well as it does for older men
· Think about burdock for cooling off excess – rheumatic joins, gout, scalding urination, rage and resentment
· PMS – use daily with dandelion
· And so much more
Burdock helps you cool down. If you are laid back, lethargic and frequently chilled, burdock is not for you. BUT, if you are ambitious, fiery, full of energy (sometimes to excess), are know as “hot stuff”, burdock will help you put your energy to good use and help you cool down
Have you ever thought that the culinary herbs that are in your cupboard can help? Next time you have a headache, think about a cup of rosemary tea. Take a teaspoon of dry rosemary, steep it in boiling water for 5 minutes, strain it, if you choose add a little honey to it. Rosemary helps to energize the circulatory system, increase your energy and decrease stress. Such a simple solution. OR, try a cup of mint tea. Generally, even it you are out in a restaurant, you can get a simple cup of mint tea. What about those pharmaceuticals that you are taking for a chronic health condition: arthritis, blood pressure. gastric reflux? Have you ever given any thought to the fact that with a combination of nutrition, herbs, and more, you can reduce or remove these drugs. Let me tell you my story: my daughter was diagnosed with Lyme 12 years ago, then Juvenile Arthritis, she was on arthritis meds for 8 years which caused her to be diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. So we hoped that if she had to have chemo that the arthritis would disappear too. NOPE, it was back 6 months later and so were different drugs. We worked with nutrition and then added in the Chanson ionized alkaline water. My intention was to get her off her medications and boy was I thrilled when 1 1/2 years later she is now totally off all medication.
I'd be thrilled if you would think about the side effects of what your pharmaceuticals can be causing you and find someone that can help you remove them from your life. For many they are not meant to be lifelong crutches, but that is what they tend to be. Just working with food, removing gluten, adding more greens, eating a lot of live food will make a big difference in your health.
One more story I'd like to leave you with, my dad has been struggling with terrible back pain and sciatica. The doctors were giving him pain medication that just made him tired but didn't help the symptoms enough. With specific herbs that he now uses both internally and as an oil externally, he can now go about his life and exercise without constant pain. What a gift it was for me to be able to help him remove this pain.
I spent the last few days at a 3 day workshop on Mindset with my mentor Fabienne Fredrickson of Client Attraction in Miami. It’s all about the stories we tell ourselves. So, what’s the story you’re telling yourself today? Are you telling yourself that you’re fabulous or are you telling yourself that you’re no good? Are you telling yourself that you are healthy and full of energy or are you telling yourself that you’re sick and tired?
Yesterday morning I read an email that started me to think about the upcoming holiday, Rosh HaShana which begins tonight at sundown. Rosh HaShana is the Jewish new year. What really struck me is that between tonight and 10 days from now, Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), what you are supposed to do is to think about what you might have done last year that you want to release and what you want to do in the following year. There are many prayers, but one which I always think of has a line in it “Who will live and who will die…..” It is believed that things are written in the book and sealed at the end of the holiday. What do you want written?
The way I interpret this is an opportunity to take some time to honestly look at my goals, look at where I am and where I want to go. It’s a time to think about what I did last year that I want to repeat and also to look at what I did and decide that that’s not the way I want to live my life. It’s a time to think about the stories that you tell yourself. Will I tell myself this year that I am fat OR will I tell myself that I am getting thinner and thinner every day. It’s a time to really focus on what my priorities are with my work and family. It’s a time to think about the way you speak to both yourself and to others.
I am going to spend time over the next 10 days thinking about all these things and then setting goals on what I choose to focus on over the coming year. I invite you to do this with me. Remember that you can be as specific as you want with your goals. I also invite you, if you choose to send them to me and I will put them in a folder and we can look at them a year from now to see what you have accomplished.
One of the things that a few friends of mine did while we were in Miami at this workshop was to go to the beach, stand at the edge of the water and allow the water to take away what doesn’t serve us. To me it’s about starting over – removing the old gunk and creating new patterns.
What patterns will serve you this coming year? What goals do you want to accomplish?
What does Spring look like for you?
For me as soon as I see dandelion flowers popping out all over the place, reality sets in, Spring is finally here.
The dandelion is a tough tenacious plant which is know for its ability to survive almost anything and to spread herself far and wide. The bright flowers look like little suns, full of energy and power.
When you look at the energy of dandelion, she is a tough cookie. Have you ever tried to pull a dandelion, her roots extend far into the ground.This reminds me that dandelion is so useful for people who are very intense. These people are hard-working, overstressed and many times very irritable. They cram too much into every day. They need to learn to let go just like the puff ball of seeds that the dandelion has later on in the season. Does this sound familiar??
Like the plant, people who need dandelion tend to be full of energy, enthusiasm and power. They generally overextend themselves, are overdriven and overscheduled and they forget to listen to their bodies and to make time for relaxation.
Dandelion remedies work directly to relax and cleanse the liver which is where overdriven people tend to store their anger and frustration.
- Dandelion root - helps the liver to remove wastes and also stimulates the kidneys to eliminate these wastes. This spring think about using dandelion root if you have allergies as it will help to reduce allergic reactions. Dandelion will help you eliminate fluid retention and reduce blood pressure
- Dandelion flower essence - works on a spiritual level to help these overworked individuals learn to relax. It is great for those who have tight sore muscles as they are extremely tense. It will help those who have physical problems with liver and gallbladder or experience old anger and rage. The flower essence will also help support the release of emotional and physical imbalances that feed hormonal imbalances such as menopausal hot flashes
- Dandelion oil - allows the muscles to relax in addition to being a great pain reliever for arthritic joints, tension, sinus headaches etc. The oil is wonderful for breast massage to help ease premenstrual soreness and to help soften fibrous or thickened breast tissue. Just like the flower essence aids the body in releasing emotions trapped in the muscles, so does the oil.
So when I think about dandelion on an energetic level, I see her as being very free and giving. Our society tends to be emotionally constricted and tries to cover and shove down all negative feelings or cover them up with pharmaceuticals. This spring look at all the dandelions that are surrounding us - they are shouting to us that they can help us let our emotions flow and release.
For my herbal clients I use dandelion in all forms in my formulations, let me know if I can assist you.
For sources of many of these products look at my resources page or take my medicine making series beginning May 4th where we will be working with dandelion in many different forms so that we can learn to let go of anger while clearing the toxins from our liver.
Everyone is wondering – will the Japanese tragedy affect us? Will the radiation travel on the jet stream and will we have fallout in the US? Will it get to the east coast? How will it affect our crops and livestock?
I wanted to arm you with herbal, water and nutritional information so you can choose how and when to protect yourself. The two things I feel we need to do is to boost our immune system and keep our bodies filled with nutrition that helps absorb radioactive isotopes and remove them from the body.
