Beating the “Winter Blues”

Taking a cue from nature, the colder, rainy months of winter are a time for slowing down. Many people find themselves sleeping more or eating more as the days become short and the temperatures drop. This is good… as nature intended. Some people even develop “cabin fever” – becoming bored and restless and maybe even a little irritable from being indoors (especially during those extended rainy periods here in California).

For others, the changing seasons initiate a more serious reaction as the days grow short and the sun sleeps behind the clouds and hills.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Seasonal Affective Disorder (also known as SAD) can trigger feelings of depression, lethargy and social withdrawal. SAD is a seasonal condition with symptoms that get progressively worse during the same times every year… and then go away as the seasons change. For most people, SAD symptoms appear during the late fall or early winter and begin to subside as spring turns to summer. But some people, seasonal affective disorder appears in the spring or summer months. The Mayo Clinic outlines typical symptoms for winter or summer depression as the following:

Symptoms of Fall/Winter SAD

• Depression
  
• Hopelessness
  
• Anxiety
  
• Loss of energy
  
• Social withdrawal
  
• Oversleeping
  
• Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
  
• Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
  
• Weight gain
  
• Difficulty concentrating and processing information
  

Symptoms of Spring /Summer SAD

• Anxiety
  
• Insomnia
  
• Irritability
  
• Agitation
  
• Weight loss
  
• Poor appetite
  
• Increased sex drive
  

What You Can Do…

• Supplement with vitamin D. Current research has implicated vitamin D deficiency as a major factor in the pathology many types of cancer and a host of other illnesses including depression. New research indicates the government’s recommendation of 200 IU of Vitamin D a day is terribly inadequate. (The skin produces approximately 20,000 IU vitamin D in response 20–30 minutes summer sun exposure—100 times more than the US government's recommendation of 200 IU per day!) I recommend taking at least 2,000 units (IU) of vitamin D a day. If one regularly avoids midday sunlight exposure, supplement with at least 5,000 units (IU) of vitamin D daily during the winter months. After 3 months of supplementation, consider obtaining a 25-hydroxyvitamin D test and adjusting your dosage for adequate blood levels of vitamin D.
  
  
• Get regular exercise. Exercise causes an increase in mood-enhancing brain chemicals. Walking is a great way to get daily exercise (and sunlight exposure).
  
  
• Try light therapy. Sitting or working near a light therapy box has been shown to reduce SAD symptoms. Exposure to bright light from a light therapy box is thought to alter your circadian rhythms and suppress your body's natural release of melatonin. Together, these cause biochemical changes in your brain that help reduce or control symptoms of seasonal affective disorder and other conditions. Light therapy is also known as bright light therapy or phototherapy.
  
  
• Herbal extract of Rhodiola rosea. Rhodiola is a cooling adaptogen. Adaptogens are herbs that help the body adapt to stress, support its normal functions, and restore balance (homeostasis). Rhodiola has significant benefits for the nervous system and has been shown to enhance alertness, reduce fatique and improve memory and depressed mental states. Rhodiola reduces cortisol levels while increasing key brain chemicals involved in mood, such as serotonin and dopamine. Rhodiola can be taken in capsule form, as a tea, or as a tincture. To learn more about Rhodiola or purchase the fresh, full-spectrum organic extract, contact me at nrbotanicals@gmail.com or 415-488-1529.

Bibliography:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/
Winston, David and Steven Maimes. Adaptogens, Herbs for Strength, Stamina and Stress Relief. Healing Arts Press, 2007.

Preparing for the Cold and Flu Season

Getting ready for the cold months ahead really depends on your health status. If you are prone to winter sickness, get frequent colds and flus, or are generally run-down, then begin by building your immune system now so you are better able to resist getting ill.

The Power of Mushrooms
For building the immune system, mushrooms are great. Start by incorporating more fresh organic mushrooms in your diet. Shitake and Maitake mushrooms are two important mushrooms that can usually be found fresh. (Both are available at our local San Rafael Farmer’s Market on Sundays at the Civic Center). Other important mushrooms for building immune strength include Reishi, Chaga, Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps, all of which can be found as teas or extracts.

Astragalus
Another important immune-building herb is Astragalus. Astragalus membranaceus, known as Huang-qi, has been used for thousands of years as a Traditional Chinese Medicine for strengthening the body against disease. It has a special affinity for the lungs, so is especially important for people who tend toward upper respiratory problems. Astragalus root has little flavor of its own and can easily be added to soups and stews, or a simmering crock of hot apple cider.

Elderberry
One of our important native plants, Elderberry is an important preventative medicine because of it’s anti-viral properties. Elderberry syrup is downright delicious and suitable for young children. See my previous blog entry on the virtues of this wonderful plant.

Echinacea
Echinacea is a great immune stimulant to use when you have a cold or the flu. It works best when in a formula with an herb such as ginger to help it circulate through your system. Echinacea extract should be taken frequently – every 2 hours – until symptoms subside.

Herbal Steams
Herbal steams work wonders for nasal congestion. Pour boiling water into a large bowl. Add a drop of any of the following essential oils – eucalyptus, thyme, lavender or oregano (to name a few). Cover your head with a towel and drape it over the bowl, creating a tent. Inhale the vapors for 15 minutes. Add another drop or two of essential oil if necessary. If you don’t have access to essential oils, try a large handful of crushed fresh bay or eucalyptus leaves or rosemary. All these herbs have antimicrobial properties and help loosen mucous in your lungs and nasal passages, making it easier to breathe.

Sore Throats and Coughs
My favorite tea for sore throats and coughs is “Throat-Coat” by Traditional Medicinals. It contains slippery elm and licorice, both very helpful in soothing throat discomfort and easing coughs. Gargling with warm salt water can also help a sore throat to feel better.

Get plenty of rest… drink plenty of fluids… warm broths and soups – all good things we can do for ourselves when we don’t feel good.

Fire Cider
This recipe is an inexpensive, effective way to treat or stave off colds & flus, and to break up congestion. It has been credited to many different herbalists, including the late Dr. Christopher, and there have been many variations of the recipe over the years. From the recipe below, you can see why it’s called “Fire Cider.” My husband loves this remedy!

How to Make Fire Cider

Ingredients:
1 quart Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup Horseradish root grated
1/8 cup of Garlic chopped
1/2 cup of Onion chopped
1/2 cup of Ginger grated
1 tsp Cayenne

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a quart jar and cover with Apple Cider Vinegar.
2. Cover tightly.
3. Steep for a minimum of 4 weeks.
4. Strain into clean jar.

How to Use Your Fire Cider?
* Rub into sore muscles and aching joints.
* Soak a clean cloth in Fire Cider to place on a congested chest.
* Drink it straight or diluted in a bit of water or tomato juice.
* Mix with a bit of honey to ease a cough.

Individual tolerance to the heat will vary so you and your family will want to experiment with quantity.

NOTE: Immune tonics and Elderberry Syrup can be purchased directly from me. Call 415-488-1529 to inquire, or shoot me an email at nrbotanicals@gmail.com

The Many Virtues of Elder

One of our West Marin native plants, every part of the Elder tree has been used extensively by native peoples, not only for food, but for a wide-range of practical and ceremonial uses. And did you know that this lovely plant is also one of the best natural medicines for the cold and flu season? Read on…

Habitat/Appearance:
Elder (Sambucus spp.) can be found growing along stream banks and in dry open places, flats, valleys and canyons below 4500’. It is a common shrub that can be found throughout the US and Canada (as well as Europe).

A member of the Honeysuckle family, Elder varies in appearance from a many-branched shrub to a medium-sized tree. It can grow to 30’ high, but is usually much shorter. The leaves are compound, with two to four pairs of leaflets and a single leaf at the tip. Elder blooms in late spring/early summer. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by insects. The flowers occur in dense, flat, or slightly pyramidal clusters, forming delicate, cream-colored masses with a pleasant, slightly rancid scent. Berries can be bright red, frosted blue or purple in the same cluster shape as the flowers. The berries ripen in late summer/early fall.

Traditional Uses:
The Elder is of well-known value to Native Americans. The berries were gathered in large quantities and carefully dried for use in the winter. The Cahuilla tribe cooked the berries into a rich sauce they called “sauco”. It was sometimes the main source of nourishment for weeks at a time during the winter months.

The twigs and berries were employed in creating dyes for basketry. Elder branches were used to make the shaft of arrows. Flutes and whistles were constructed by boring holes into stems hollowed out with hot sticks. Clapper sticks were made by splitting the stem and clapping the two halves against each other. Clapper sticks were used ceremonially in the round-house to accompany singing and dancing. The pith of the stems was used as tinder, and the stem itself was employed as a twirling stick for starting the fire. Hollowed-out elderberry stems were made into squirt guns.

The wood of old trees is white with a fine, close grain which polishes well. It was used for making skewers for butchers, shoemakers' pegs, and various turned articles, such as tops for angling rods and needles for weaving nets, also for making combs, mathematical instruments and several different musical instruments.

An infusion of the leaves was applied to the skin to repel mosquitoes, midges and flies. The leaves were also said to be valued by farmers for driving mice away from granaries and moles from their usual haunts.

All parts of the plant were used for making dyes – the bark and root for black, the leaves for green and the berries for blue and purple.

Folklore:
Many people in many cultures pay homage to the Elder and consider her the gatekeeper to the natural world. In many countries, especially in Denmark, the Elder was intimately connected with magic. It is said that Hylde-Moer , a divine being, (the Elder-tree Mother) lived in the tree and watched over it. One must ask Hylde-Moer permission to cut Elder wood. If the tree was cut down without permission, Hylde-Moer would haunt the owners.

The Elder tree was employed to ward off evil spirits and give protection from witches. In order to prevent witches from entering their houses, people used to gather Elder leaves on the last day of April and affix them to their doors and windows. The tree was grown near English cottages for protection against evil. Green Elder branches were also buried in a grave to protect the dead from evil spirits, and in some parts of Europe it was a custom for the driver of a hearse to carry a whip made of Elder wood.

It was said that sleeping in the shade of an Elder tree would bring visions of fairies and elves.

Food Uses:
Blue or purple Elderberries are quite edible and can be made into a number of delectable goodies such as elderberry wine, jam, syrup and pies. Avoid unripe, green berries—they’ll make you sick. Even raw ripe elderberries make some people nauseous. Cooking or drying dispels the offending substance, and greatly improves the flavor. The red berries should never be eaten as they contain a toxic compound and make some people very ill. The entire flower cluster can be dipped in batter and fried while petals can be eaten raw or made into a fragrant and tasty tea. The flowers add an aromatic flavor and lightness to pancakes or fritters.

Medicinal Uses:
Both the flowers and the berries are one of the oldest and most reliable diaphoretics for use in treating colds, flus & fevers. The flowers are the mildest and safest part of the plant, suitable to be given to small children with equal parts of peppermint as a weak tea – an ancient home remedy for breaking fevers. Elder is a relaxant diaphoretic; which is to say that it encourages perspiration and the release of heat by relaxing tension and resistance in the periphery of the body.

The flowers and berries also aids in mildly expectorating phlegm from the lungs, and so are indicated in fevers accompanied by stuffy sinus or lung congestion. Elder flowers are ever-so-slightly sedative, and help to instill a bit of “ease” that makes getting through a fever a bit more bearable. They make for a rather tasty tea (which, for the uses mentioned above, should be drunk hot). After the tea cools, it loses much of its diaphoretic properties and acts more as a diuretic and alterative.

Elder flowers contain flavenoids and rutin, which are known to improve immune function, particularly in combination with vitamin “C.” The flowers also contain tannins, which account for its traditional use to reduce bleeding, diarrhea, and congestion.

A weak tea of Elder flowers, or the distilled flower water, can be used as a rather pleasing skin toner, in much the same way as Witch Hazel extract, though it is not so astringent. The well-strained infusion of flowers can also be used for treating eye inflammations. Hot compresses of Elder flower tea have been used to ease the pain of enflamed swellings, hemorrhoids, and headaches.

Studies have shown Elder is effective in vitro against 10 strains of influenza virus. It also reduced the duration of flu symptoms to 3 to 4 days in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study. Elder preparations not only stimulate immune activity, but also directly inhibit the influenza virus by disarming the virus of its ability to invade healthy cells and multiply there. This is especially noteworthy because although the influenza virus mutates every year, its means of penetrating cells (and using them to make copies of itself) remains largely the same. So while flu shots need to be created each and every year, Elderberry acts effectively throughout these mutations.

Here is Adam Seller’s recipe for Elderflower Sorbet… yum!

Recipe - Elderflower Sorbet
(by Adam Seller of the Pacific School of Herbal Medicine)

Ingredients:
· Fresh Elder flowers: enough to fill a quart jar
· 1 and a half cups sugar
· Juice of 2 lemons

Pick the flowering umbels of Black or Blue Elder when the flowers are fully open but none have gone brown. (Depending on where you live this may be late March in the low lands to mid September in the high mountains of California.) The umbels should be light, fluffy and vibrant. Do not use dried elder flowers in this recipe. Pick enough to loosely fill a large brown grocery bag.

To avoid bitterness, pick the individual flowers off the stem. This can be a tedious task, a meditational one or busy work for your hands while conversing with friends or watching hawks in the mountain sky.

Fill a quart jar with the flowers. Pack down gently. Set aside.

Mix the juice of two lemons, 1 quart of water and 1 and 1/2 cups sugar in a heavy sauce pan. Add the squeezed lemon rinds and bring to a boil. Be sure not to scorch the sides. Immediately turn down to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and strain fluid into jar of elder flowers. Cover jar and let stand until room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Line a bowl with clean muslin. Pour the contents of jar into muslin. Now gather up the edges of the muslin and twist the top so the flowers mush is on the bottom. Squeeze out as much of the elder flower syrup as possible.

Place the strained syrup in an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve softly frozen. This sorbet is too good to dilute with most other flavors however the addition of a little bit of tequila when served is wonderful.

Recipe - Elderberry Syrup
(adapted from Family Herbal by Rosemary Gladstar)

Ingredients:
· 1 cup fresh picked and cleaned elderberries (blue or black only)
· 2 cups water
· 1 cup honey (or sugar, agave nectar or maple syrup)
· Cinnamon, Cloves and/or Ginger to taste

Place the berries in a stainless steel or glass saucepan and add water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer over low heat. Mash the berries to release their juices. Add a pinch of your favorite spices. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Add 1 cup of honey or other sweetener, or adjust quantities to taste. Bottle the syrup in sterilized containers and store in the refrigerator where it will keep for a few months.

The leaves, bark and roots of the Elder tree were traditionally used internally as strong purgatives (will make you vomit). I don’t use these parts of the Elder internally as they are harsh on the body and rarely are strong purgatives a part of contemporary herbal medicine. The leaves, however, can be used topically in a salve for bruises, sprains, and wounds. Some reports hold that Elder leave may be effective as an ointment for tumors.

Bibliography:
Gladstar, Rosemary Family Herbal, Storey Books, North Adams, Massachusetts, 2001
Grieve, Mrs. M. A Modern Herbal, Dover Publications, Inc., New York 1971
Hoffman, David Medical Herbalism. The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine, Healing Arts Press, Rochester, VT, 2003
Seller, Adam http://www.pshm.org/recipe_elderflower_sorbet.shtml
United States Department o fAgriculture, Plant Guide, http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_sanic4.pdf

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