’Tis that time of year. You know… When all of your best intentions about not scarfing down mass quantities of holiday delectables go out the door. What to do when you’re at a holiday gathering and your belly is starting to bloat like a hot air balloon, but you forgot to wear stretchy pants? Well, if you planned ahead, you take out your little brown bottle of digestive herbs.
I woke up the morning before last and it felt like autumn. Sure, it’s still quite warm during the day here in Durango, but something about the light and the cool morning air signaled the imminent arrival of the colder months here at higher elevations.
Stomach cramps and bloating are uncomfortable at best, and downright painful at their worst. Almost all of us are familiar with dull pains that originate in our lower abdomen and cause us to curl up, swearing to avoid dairy or roasted garlic for the rest of eternity.
Tapereba is a member of the family Anacardiaceae or Sumac family of the genus Spondias L. or mombin, containing the species Spondias mombin L. or yellow mombin. The tree is native to tropical America and grows throughout the tropical regions of the world. It is a tropical plant that does well in warm climates and does not tolerate frost. It is also known by the nomenclatures Yellow Mombin and Spondias mombin.
Bitters are plants that work by activating the bitter receptors on the tongue (and elsewhere in the body). Bitter receptors, in turn, trigger the production of digestive juices and enzymes so that by the time your food hits your stomach, the digestive system is revved up and ready to go.
A soothing cup of lemon balm tea at the end of a long day can be a lovely respite. Many commercial herb teas have instructions to steep for something like 3-6 minutes. This is fine for a simple “beverage” tea, but is inadequate for a truly medicinal brew. By medicinal I mean strong enough to have a desired effect on mind, body and/or emotions beyond simply enjoying a good cup of tea.
Often times when we think of medicinal plants we see flowers, stalks, and stems, but the medicine goes much deeper with some. Today’s walk through Mother Earth’s Medicine Cabinet will take you deep into the ground to have a look at some plant roots that heal.
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is actually a really versatile healing plant, and it looks really interesting, too - often times one bunch of this herb can contain different types of leaves! This tree smells so amazing -- every part of it has a strong, sweet aroma that’s almost relaxing.
Herbal hair teas are super nourishing, give your hair extra vitamins, and can even bring out subtle tints and colors. They can also help treat oily, dry, or thinning hair (depending on the herbs used).
Tinctures are a wonderful addition to the household medicine cabinet. A tincture is a concentrated liquid herbal extract. Tinctures are really easy to make and highly effective. They are made using consumable alcohol and medicinal plants, herbs, roots, berries, or bark. For those of you who do not use alcohol, a similar product can be made using apple cider vinegar, vegetable glycerin, honey, or white vinegar.