Yellow Bedstraw (Galium verum)

by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP – Living in Natures Love Lifestyles @insideawareness.com

Our Lady’s Bedstraw

Also known as: Catchstraw, Cheese Rennet,  Lady’s Bedstraw, Maid’s Hair, Our Lady’s Bedstraw, Petty Mugget, Yellow Bedstraw, Yellow Cleavers

Uses:  Culinary, Dye, Herbal, Tea, Medicinal, Poultice, Topical Skin Products

Parts used:  Flowers, Leaves & Roots

Preparation:  Tea, Tinctures, Vinegar,Oil, Flower Essence, Skin Care, Soap-making, Lotions, Ointments, Infused Water

Photo credit:  https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lady%27s_bedstraw_(Galium_verum),_Heartwood_Forest_(28529823823).jpg

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• Symbolizes:  Love, Rejoicing, Rudeness
• Associated with: New hope, ideas and grace. Freedom from the past, vulnerability, and release of grief and sorrow.
• Element:  Water
• Governed by:  Venus

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Yellow Bed-straw was once used to stuff mattress. It has been written that Mary stuffed the bed for Baby Jesus with Yellow Bed-straw.  It has a fresh fragrance of vanilla and cut grass.

Culinary

• The seeds are edible and can be roasted and ground into a caffeine-free, coffee substitute.
• The young shoots can be boiled for ten to fifteen minutes as a veggie topped with butter or  added to a salad.
• The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked.
• The leaves and stems can be used as a curdling agent in cheese making.
• The flowers infused in water creates a refreshing beverage.

Health and Wellness

Lady’s Bed-straw has been used for treating cancer, epilepsy, hysteria, spasms, tumors, loss of appetite, gravel, stone or urinary disorders, and chest and lung ailments. It is also used to increase urine output (as a diuretic) for relieving water retention, especially swollen ankles. It soothes reddened skin, reduces inflammation making it useful in  a poultice for cuts, skin infections, slow-healing wounds etc.

Well known Herbalist Culpepper suggested the juice from this plant for earaches.

The leaves, stems and flowering shoots are antispasmodic, astringent, diuretic, and high in C making them good for spring tonic and scurvy.  As a wash or lotion, it is said to fade freckles and sunburn and great for psoriasis.

Dye Plant

A yellow dye is made from the flowering stems and used as food colouring and hair dye, and red dyes are extracted from its roots. A yellow dye is obtained from the flowering tops.

Buy Lady Bedstraw Seeds  

 

Recent research by Schmidt et al (2014) has supported Galium verums traditional use as an anticancer remedy, as it demonstrated DNA protection against benzapyrene, a toxic compound in cigarette smoke.

• Effect of Galium verum aqueous extract on growth, motility and gene expression in drug-sensitive and -resistant laryngeal carcinoma cell lines

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Traditional uses and properties of herbs are for educational purposes only.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.  Every attempt has been made for accuracy, but none is guaranteed. Any serious health concerns or if you are pregnant, you should always check with your health care practitioner before self-administering herbs.

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Copyright 2014 – 2020  Living in Nature’s Love by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP,

Feldenkrais® Practitioner since 2007, Communication & Empathy Coach since 2004, Art of Placement  since 2000

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‘What garden plants can you use to infuse with honey?’

by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP – Living in Natures Love Lifestyles @insideawareness.com

Gumweed Infusing in Honey

Infused Honey

Honey is nature’s anti-bacterial and can be enjoyed with meals, in recipes and as a medicinal. Imagine infused honey with your favorite flowers and getting the added benefit of nature’s nutrition.

I began creating infused honey with Gumweed, Grindelia squarrosa,   to create a natural home-made remedy for colds and coughs.  Researching the benefits and characteristics of different flowers, leaves, stems and roots, I wondered how to increase ways to enjoy them more often as part of my diet simply and easily.  My goal was to not wait until an illness presented itself  but to find new ways of increasing healthy lifestyle changes as a preventative to illness.

This site may contain Affiliate Links for your convenience, thank you in advance for your support!  Renee

Here are some of the plants and their medicinal qualities that I have infused with honey and enjoyed.  For more about their nutritional characteristics visit the plant links.

• Bay Flower – aches & pain, headaches & migraines, stress, sleep aid, colic, flatulence, eyes,  antiseptic, diuretic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory
• Dandelion  –  PMS,  depression, fatigue, digestive aid, natural diuretic, blood cleanser, detoxify, tinnitus, tonsillitis, pneumonia, bronchitis, osteoporosis, abscesses, heart health, mammary tumors, warts
• Evening Primrose – Mood enhancer, skin remedy, first aid, endocrine system, digestion, hair
• Gumweed – sedative, antispasmodic, and expectorant, ear & throat infections, muscle relaxer
• Lilac – worms, malaria, fever
• Oregon Grape – natural antibiotic, anti-inflammatory,  liver & gallbladder, skin conditions
• Privet – Energy, Std’s, Eyes and more…..

More on how to infuse honey

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Recommended Reading:

• Herbal Antivirals – Natural Remedies for Emerging & Resistant Viral Infections by Author Stephen Harrod Buhner
• Medicinal Herbs – A Beginner’s Guide by Author Rosemary Gladstar

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Traditional uses and properties of herbs are for educational purposes only. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Every attempt has been made for accuracy, but none is guaranteed. Any serious health concerns or if you are pregnant, you should always check with your health care practitioner before self-administering herbs.

Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)

by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP:  This post may contain Affiliate Links, thank you in advance for your support!  Renee

  

 

Red Hollyhocks

Hollyhocks

Hollyhocks

Species: Malvaceae (Mallow) Family

Language of Flowers Meaning:  Ambition

The beautiful flowers of the Hollyhock can be used to make cold infusions,  tea and substituted for Wild Marsh Mallow.  The fibrous stalks can be used in paper making, the roots in medicinal’s and the leaves and flowers for eating in your summer salads or in an infusion for hair and skin!

A completely easy to grow flower that offers more than height and beauty! A perennial that grows well in hard soils and is drought resistant!

Flowers

The beautiful flowers can be eaten fresh or dried for later use. They make a wonderful water infusion for bathing, drinking and soap making.  They are demulcent, diuretic and emollient.

When making a medicinal infusion it is best to use cold water and not hot.  Heat will cut the effectiveness of the infusion. Rest unblemished flowers in cool water overnight (approx. 8 hours), strain and enjoy.  This infusion is great for soothing your gastrointestinal, respiratory and urinary tracts, it induces urination, soothes ulcers and relieves a sore throat and dry cough. It can be used as an emollient for skin and hair.

Leaves

The leaves can also be eaten fresh, raw or steamed.  However this is a plant you may wish to eat leaves from when first emerging due to the fibrous material, or try chopping small into salads.  The leaves can also be heated to use as a poultice for splinters, inflammation or chapped skin.

Roots 

The roots are astringent and demulcent and contain a beneficial starch.  When crushed the roots can be applied as a poultice to ulcers. Taken internally, it can be used for dysentery.

Seeds

The seeds are used as a demulcent, diuretic and febrifuge.

Buy Canadian Hollyhock Seeds

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Traditional uses and properties of herbs are for educational purposes only.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.  Every attempt has been made for accuracy, but none is guaranteed. Any serious health concerns or if you are pregnant, you should always check with your health care practitioner before self-administering herbs.

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Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP – – Living in Natures Love Lifestyles @insideawareness.com

Rosemary in bloom

Uses:  Culinary, Medicinal, Cosmetic, Massage Oil, Aromatherapy, Purifier, Love Potion

Parts Used:  Flowers, Leaves

Preparation:  Spice, Vinegar,  Tea, Tincture, Infused Oil, Flower Essence, Essential Oil,  Memory Enhancer, Incense

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• Symbolizes:   Wisdom, Love, Protection
• Language of Flowers meaning:  Remembrance
• Associated with:  3rd Chakra
• Element:  Fire
• Governed:  Leo

This post may contain Affiliate Links for your convenience, thank you in advance for your support!  Renee

This rosemary plant has been a part of my family for a good 15 years.  It began as a small seedling in a pot that moved around with us.  Once planted at it’s current location it sprang to life in a new way.  Planted with protection in mind, it is located at the entrance to my home and also my business pathway.   Anyone walking towards either entrance-way faces this magnificent rosemary plant.

When cutting  branches and picking flowers for creating essential oils, tinctures, infused oils and vinegar’s, and drying for tea, I also lay branches along the front and side property lines to establish an intentional boundary.  I sense the energy of this rosemary plant as a protective mother and call her, “Mother,” however I have just read that this plant is male in nature.

Health & Wellness

The roots, leaves and berries are used for medicinal remedies and the flowers and the leaves are edible.  The wood has been used to make musical instruments!

Rosemary contains antibacterial and antioxidant,  rosmarinic acid, essential oils such as cineol, camphene, borneol, bornyl acetate, and α-pinene that are known to have anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and antiseptic properties.

Buy Canadian Rosemary Seeds

Some beneficial health constituents of Rosemary for you to consider getting fresh from your own plant and replacing processed capsules and pills are listed below. Your body will be happier as living minerals and vitamins are easier to digest and are in deeper alignment with your how your body absorbs and processes their benefits resulting in fuller and more whole system of well-being.   Many vitamin pills go in and come out whole!

• Vitamin A,
• Vitamin B’s (pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, riboflavin, folates)
• Vitamin C,
• Manganese,
• Iron,
• Potassium,
• Fiber,
• Copper,
• Calcium,
• Magnesium

Uses of Rosemary are:

• Combat oxidative stress in the brain,
• Improve memory,
• Improve mood,
• Hair tonic to restore grey hair to natural colour, stop split ends, stop dandruff and grow new hair,
• Increase circulation,
• Reduce aches and pains,
• Antiseptic,
• Astringent,
• Antioxidant,
• Vision,
• Healthy skin,
• Lung, breast and mouth cancers,
• Fighting infection,
• Improve blood and control heart rate and blood pressure

Buy Canadian Rosemary Seeds

The flowers of the rosemary have a higher potency of the above qualities therefore this year I have managed to infuse a tincture remedy along with an oil and a vinegar?  I am excited to explore these flower infusions.  This rosemary has not flowered in quite the same way in the past and I find this exciting and have appreciation to this plant!   Here is a picture of the oil and the vinegar infusion.  You can  see after only 12 hours the vinegar has begun to become the colour of the flowers.  The vinegar began with it’s own apple cider colour so the flower dye is quite dominant.

Infusing Rosemary Flowers

#yyj Non-Native Winter Flowering Edible & Medicinal Shrubs

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Read more @ Living in Natures Love:

• Forsythia, English Daisy, Dandelion Infused Oils
• How to Infuse Wildflower Oils
• Edible Flowers and Weeds,  Medicinal and Dye Plants
• Wellness Audits

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Read more:

• Herbal Books:
  • Herbal Antibiotics – Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug Resistant Bacteria by Author Stephen Harrod Buhner
  • Herbal Antivirals – Natural Remedies for Emerging & Resistant Viral Infections by Author Stephen Harrod Buhner
  • A-Z Guide to Drug-Herb-Vitamin Interactions by Author Alan R. Gaby, M.D., ed.
  • Encyclopedia of Herbs by Authors Thomas DeBaggio and Arthur O. Tucker

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Traditional uses and properties of herbs are for educational purposes only.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.  Every attempt has been made for accuracy, but none is guaranteed. Any serious health concerns or if you are pregnant, you should always check with your health care practitioner before self-administering herbs.

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Copyright 2014 – 2018  Living in Nature’s Love by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP,

Feldenkrais® Practitioner since 2007, Communication & Empathy Coach since 2004, Art of Placement  since 2000

 

Sage

by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP

Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Sage is a herb that is used to flavour recipes, a medicinal, a natural dye for fabric and restoring a darker color for graying hair, smudging and to ward off evil.  It is also a stinky plant to deer!

The recommended active life of a sage plant is two maybe three years, however, I have one that has traveled with me for over six years.  It is the one that I go to for adding sage to Christmas stuffing’s.  It is a tradition.  It is also the one that I have set an intention for protection in the placement of the pot in relationship to my front doors!

Constituents of Sage

Sage leaves contain tannins, estrogen, phenol acids, flavenoids, resin, saponins, silica, thujone and volatile oil.

Medicinal Uses of Sage

The medicinal use of sage are as an antibacterial, antihydrotic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiviral, aphrodisiac, astringent, carminative, stimulant, styptic, and tonic. 

• Bacterial and Viral Conditions
• Cardiovascular
• Cold Sores
• Gargle for: laryngitis, sore throat, tonsillitis, ulcerated throat, inflammation of tooth pulp, loose and bleeding teeth, preventing excessive flow of saliva, ulcerated or receding gums, ulcerated gums and mouth
• Gastrointestinal Conditions
• Glandular Conditions
• Liver conditons
• Menopausal sweating & hot flash’s
• Mouth Sores
• Regulates the menstrual cycle
• Reduces perspiration
• Salves & Washes for;  dandruff, insect bites, itchy skin, skin eruptions, treating sores, stop bleeding in all cuts
• Sore Throats
• Tooth Powder

Sage is used in Cosmetics and as a Hair Dye

Read more on Edible, Medicinal, Tea and Dye Flowers, Weeds & Plants

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• antibacterial –  destroys bacteria,  bactericide
• antihydrotic  – reduces  perspiration
• antiseptic – inhibits growth of microorganism and destroys pathogenic or putrefactive bacteria
• antispasmodic – relieves spasms or cramps
• antiviral – destroys viruses
• aphrodisiac – arousing or increasing sexual desire or potency
• astringent  – contracts organic tissue, reducing secretions or discharges
• carminative  – eases pains, colic and expells gas from the intestines
• stimulant – quickens the functional activity of the tissues giving more energy
• styptic – stops bleeding by contracting the blood vessels
• tonic – tones, strengthens and invigorates organs or the entire organism giving a feeling of well-being

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Traditional uses and properties of herbs are for educational purposes only.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.  Every attempt has been made for accuracy, but none is guaranteed. Any serious health concerns or if you are pregnant, you should always check with your health care practitioner before self-administering herbs.

An uplifting plant for your well-being toolkit!

On a Windowsill

Next to a Sink

Making up some pots filled with Hens and Chicks to share with others, I  placed them in my Feldenkrais® Treatment Room until needed.  I put three pots on the windowsill and left.  When returning to the room it had a completely different feel to it. These little plants uplifted the whole space!   I was pleasantly surprised.

With them in the window while working with clients I felt a deeper sense of balance and pleasure.  As the original pots were gifted and they disappeared there was an immediate void in the space.  I will have to be aware of this as these new ones are shared with others and they leave their perch.

Hens and Chicks are wonderful plants to have in your health and well-being kit.  I am encouraging others to have a pot in their bathrooms and by their kitchen sink.  These little guys have similar qualities to aloe vera except they are easier to manage. Rather than breaking a tip off of an aloe vera,  you can simply take a small leaf out of the rosette!

This leaves can be eaten, juiced, crushed for facials and smelled to stop a nose bleed!  The juice can be rubbed on scraps, burns and bites. There are many more used too!  Read more

Begin your own little pot of these enjoyable plants and watch them multiply!

In an earlier Hens and Chicks  blog post I recommended that they be placed in the Helpful People area of the Bagua, however, these three on the window sill are placed in the Creative/Adventure portion of the Bagua.  The pots are metal and round and reflect the metal element for this particular position on the Bagua. Metal and the round shape reflect a zen like quality.  Little metal zen pots with wood, fire and earth aspects.  Wood is the plant itself. Earth is the soil and the red tips and shape of the leaves reflect the fire element! Read more

Create your own little zen pot of healing goodness!

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Traditional uses and properties of herbs are for educational purposes only.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.  Every attempt has been made for accuracy, but none is guaranteed. Any serious health concerns or if you are pregnant, you should always check with your health care practitioner before self-administering herbs.