Juniper berry medicine

Juniper Berry Medicine.

The herb is also known as gin berry, hackmatack, horse savin, old-field common juniper, mountain common juniper. Juniper berry medicine has been known to man since the time of the Egyptians.

Seen as a small shrub they can grow into small trees. The plants are used as ornamentals in people’s gardens or along walkways. Juniper is slow growing but long lived. They look, at least to me, scraggly.

Juniper (Juniperus communis) is a conifer, the most widespread of all the conifers. What we commonly refer to as berries are cones. If you look at one of the berries up close you can see the overlapping scales that make up the cone. A single berry contains 1-3 seeds. They start a reddish colour and mature into the berry we are familiar with being a dark blue to black. This process takes 3 years.

The plant is dioecious – male flowers on one plant and female flowers on another plant. There will be no berry production unless you have both types of plants. Leaves are needle-like and cling together in whorls of three along the twigs. In colour the leaves are a gray to blue green with a white band. Enjoys a sunny spot and they are winter hardy.

I would suggest wearing gloves to harvest the berries (and I pick nettle with my bare hands.) The branches are sharp and prickly. While I do see the plant when in the forest, I have not found a sufficient number of plants with a sufficient number of ripe berries to harvest. In this case easier to order.

Culinary Use.

I think most people think of juniper as a culinary herb. Great in sauerkraut, pickles, or as an accompaniment to game meats. Also, gin.

I am planning to try making my own gin this winter, but this project is secondary to my interest in juniper as a medicinal plant.

I feel like juniper is another of the many plants that folks have a one-dimensional view of. Juniper berries increase glomerular filtration in the kidneys. This increases the flow of urine. As a diuretic and a good antibacterial juniper is a great herb to use for urinary tract infections. The action of the herb itself delivers it to the system in the body that you want to have an effect on. I know that until I started working with it personally, I thought juniper berry medicine – great for urinary tract infections. It has a depth to it that goes beyond a single use.

Properties

Juniper berries are analgesic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, anti-rheumatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, aromatic, carminative, depurative, diaphoretic, digestive aid, disinfectant, diuretic, emmenagogue, hypocholesterolemic, hypoglycemic, rubefacient, stomachic, urinary antiseptic, uterine stimulant.

I am working with it as a rubefacient and analgesic.

Aches and Sprains.

We got an extra-large snowfall last weekend which of course meant extra large snow shovelling. It wasn’t a dry snow either. Wet and heavy and if I had been in the proper frame of mind it would have been perfect (perfect) to make a snowman. Now I have kind a of a knot in my shoulder. Looking to make a muscle rub that might help relieve the ache. I also slipped on one of my woods walks and knocked my breath out. Let us hear it for passive respiration because I haven’t had the wind knocked out of me like that since I was 10 and decided I could do a backflip in my friends’ backyard. Throwing yourself backwards onto the earth is not a backflip. It was more like a backflop. Anyway – there are many spots on my body could use a nice muscle rub.

Juniper Berry Infused Oil.

Juniper berry medicine is excellent for sore muscles, aches and pains. Crush them in a mortar and pestle then put them in a container. Cover with oil and let them macerate. You can add in the needles and young twigs. Some herbalists use heat as part of making an infused oil and some don’t. I don’t have a hard and fast technique. It depends what else I have going on that day. If you do decide to use warmth prevent your oil from going above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. After I make the infused oil it should store for a year. To help it maintain potency without going rancid you can add vitamin e or rosemary essential oil. This juniper oil would combine with goldenrod to relieve muscle aches and sprains. I may experiment with making a salve. My best friend has a sore knee and she might enjoy having a go to for topical use.

Concerns.

I would not use juniper internally during pregnancy because the high volatile oil content could stimulate the uterus. Food quantities would be fine. There are warnings about the volatile oils in juniper berries irritating the kidneys but this is not a real concern.

Get Up and Go Balls

This is my take on adaptogen balls. I’ve read a few different ones over the years and if mine doesn’t do it for you try this one or this one. I remember at the herb store there was a gal one day really agonizing about getting the exact ingredients for a chai recipe. She was 100% convinced that there was one true chai recipe and it took 2 of us and another customer to convince her that she could put together a recipe that she personally liked and it would be every bit as much a chai as any magical chai recipe that existed. Kind of like a fruitcake. There are certain qualities that make it a fruitcake but if you put in more raisins than I do both cakes are still fruitcakes. Are there even raisins in a fruitcake? I digress.

My Recipe

Get Up and Go Balls

1 cup nut butter (almond, tahini, pumpkin seed, – what do you like?)

1/2 cup honey

3/4 cup powdered adaptogen (bacopa, ashwaganda, shatavari, maca, one of the ginsengs – what effect are you going for?)

1/4 cup rosehip powder (packed with antioxidants)

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

cacao powder/shredded coconut – this is optional.

Mix the nut butter and the honey together. Blend together your mix of adaptogens, rosehip powder, ginger, and cinnamon. Gradually add the adaptogen blend to the nut butter/honey mixture. You want a mixture that will hold together – not too wet, not too dry. When the mix seems right use a tablespoon to scoop out spoonfuls of the mixture. Roll it into balls about the size of a large marble. When the balls are done you can roll them in the mixture of cacao powder/shredded coconut. I like this cause it makes them tastier but it is up to you. These freeze well and will last a long time in the fridge.

Enjoy a couple each day. As adaptogens are herbs that take action over time, because of this it could be several weeks before you notice a result. Some adaptogens are stimulating (maca!) so enjoy in the morning until you know how your recipe acts on you.

Stress during the pandemic.

Stress during the pandemic

Each of us is dealing with stress during the pandemic. I think of each of us as walking around with an invisible backpack of bricks. When I have to line up (again) to get into the grocery store and the person in front of me isn’t as fast as I would like to head inside when it is their turn, I remind myself that they are carrying an invisible backpack of bricks. I don’t know what bricks they might be carrying. Are they laid off because of lockdown and worrying that they won’t have enough money for the groceries? Is their Mom in a long term care home that is suffering an outbreak? Did they get an alert on the Covid 19 alert app (please download it if you have a smartphone) but are worried that if they tell their boss they were exposed they’ll be fired? With this worldwide health emergency everyone in the world is carrying an invisible backpack of bricks.

Allostatic load

I had a lot of notes written down about allostatic load, but I think instead I will just share some recent events.

Mailed the cheque for our property taxes only I forgot to sign the cheque.

Looked everywhere in my car (scoured) for my car keys when they were in the ignition the whole time. This took 10 minutes.

Yesterday I mailed a letter to my Dad only I forgot to put the stamps on the envelope.

Obviously you have to take my word for it that this is not my usual modus operandi. These – failures of cognition – are the result of my allostatic load. It has now been almost a year. Back in April I was waiting for nettles and ranting.

Maintaining balance

When I think of allostasis I think of “weebles wobble but they don’t fall down.” Weebles were a 1970’s toy that would not fall over.

A weeble.

Any organism has to act to maintain a state of internal physiological equilibrium. When pushed upon it has to push back. Actions are taken to maintain this state of equilibrium in the face of actual (or perceived) stressors. Many of these actions involve our endocrine system and the increased secretion of hormones – particularly stress hormones.

Allostatic load is the cost to the body of maintaining allostasis. Sometimes the cost is minimal and other times the cost (during a pandemic) is overwhelming. Increased costs over extended periods of time can lead to

Cardiovascular disease.
Decreased immune response.
Problems with memory/cognition.

Resilience

Resilience has kind of been a buzzword for 2020. I looked up the official definition of resilience (I know, cheap tawdry writing hack) – “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. The ability of a substance or object to spin back into shape.” We can act to increase our resilience. In this context of health, resilience refers to our ability to successfully respond to stressors both appropriately and efficiently. When we know things aren’t going great that is the time to recommit to healthy practices that can increase our resilience.

Maybe we can’t put down our invisible backpack of bricks. We can take steps though to ensure that the person who has to carry the backpack is in as good shape as possible. We can limit our alcohol intake, focus on a whole food diet incorporating healthy fats, cut down on media consumption, etc. These are all steps that are the building blocks of good health at any time but they are all the more important during a crisis.

There are tools to deal specifically with stress. They include

Time in nature.
Sleep.
Movement.
Human connection.
Herbs

Adaptogens

The herbs we would turn to for stress are the adaptogens – with some backup support from nervines. Adaptogens are herbs that support our endocrine system, increase endurance, and help reduce stress induced impairment. These are tonic herbs, used in various traditions for centuries and suitable for use over extended periods of time. Herbs such as rhodiola, ashwaganda, eleutherococcus, holy basil, and reishi are all considered adaptogens. Some have a more stimulating effect then others; some more soothing. It can be worthwhile to experiment with them to see how you will personally respond. The benefits of these herbs are seen when taken daily for long periods of time.

Reishi.

Nervines

Nervines can be taken as an adjunct. These are herbs that act as restoratives to the nervous system. I think of nervines as herbs that have an almost immediate right now today action. Drink a cup of lemon balm tea and your spirit is lifted. Nervines make me feel better now. Adaptogens act over time to make me feel better a month from now. Lavender, lemon balm, spearmint, chamomile, skullcap, and passionflower are all nervines. In my experience each herbalist has herbs that they feel an affinity for and work with most closely. If I feel that lemon balm is one of the best most tonic nervines available to us that does not preclude another herbalist feeling the same about catnip. It doesn’t mean I am “right” or that they are “wrong.” I want to match up the herbs to the person I am helping. We are working with the person not the disease.

Lemon Balm.

Herbs and Stress

As we move through the pandemic we need whatever supports we can muster. I am resigned now to accepting that any woods walk where I meet fewer than 5 people qualifies as alone time. I am working on living in my body with its extra quarantine pounds. My partner has been through 3 separate 14 day self isolation periods and there will probably be another. I have been blessed. Me and mine are all safe. Its been a bit like watching the tide come in. While this be the moment that the wave rushes in up and over your shoes? Some days the pandemic is a lot. When I think of all the people who have died I feel like I’m drowning. By working with herbs I can lighten my load – take a few bricks out of the backpack. When my load is lighter it is easier for me to be there for others and help to lighten their load.

I have a recipe for adaptogen balls, I will check the office and see if I can find it and post it here tomorrow.

Blue vervain is unique.

A Visit to Vervain Lane

I’ve been using some of my pandemic time to do some continuing education via a webinar (isn’t it all webinar all the time now?) The herbalist (David Winston) leading the session mentioned his love for blue vervain (Verbena hastata) and said it was a little-known herb. I, as a long-time lover of blue vervain, was simultaneously heartened because I also love blue vervain and also suffered a wrinkled forehead because – little known? Blue vervain is unique. I do think it is a bit overlooked, particularly in terms of how effective it is as a nervine.

Herbs can be like that. Depending on the herbal crowd you run with there are different trends. Then we add in the difference between the Canadian herbal community and the American herbal community. Then we can add in the tradition in which you work. A TCM practitioner, an Ayurvedic practitioner, and a Traditional Western herbalist will each have herbs that are part of their practice that do not crossover. An herbalist working in Western Canada will favour plants that are local to them that may not grow here in Eastern Canada.

Blue Vervain is unique

Blue vervain is a perennial. It is quite distinctive with beautiful purple blue spikes. To me it is the candelabra herb. In flower the plant is unmistakable. In the Ottawa region where I live blue vervain usually flowers in mid-July. My harvest spot is a strip of land between 2 different not quite stream/not quite marsh areas. Even this year with many plants struggling with the ongoing drought the vervain is still happy. In dry areas the plant does not thrive and will end up looking ragged and prone to insect attack. It is a wetland lover.

The leaves are opposite, coarsely toothed with a lance shape. The leaves are about 2-3 inches long and the plant itself grows anywhere from 2 to 6 feet tall. Anywhere blue vervain was happy I would also expect to find boneset and gravel root. Perhaps also turtlehead. Blue flag. I am probably repeating myself but knowing what conditions and ecosystems individual herbs favour can help you to find other friends that you might like to harvest. Think of it as going to a party and seeing a friend and knowing that if they are at the party then chances are x and x will also at some point be at the party.

From body to mind

When I first learned about working with blue vervain the focus was on the herb as an herb for infectious conditions. It is bitter (moderately) which is a quality I really like for a person who is fighting off an infection. The body reduces digestion when fighting an infection, but digestion is critical to our health. I find a bitter herb useful to keep the digestion active.

Blue vervain is great for fevers and is a cooling diaphoretic. It is also anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, nervine, and anxiolytic. It is useful for migraines – particularly of the hormonal variety. Over time my thinking on blue vervain has changed. Now I view it as an herb that is great for disorders of the nervous system. For generalized anxiety disorder David Winston suggest using the herb in combo with motherwort in a formula of 2 parts motherwort and 1 part blue vervain. He also suggests using it for people who are fearful. Another benefit to blue vervain is that it is not very sedating. To help restore the nervous system I would use it 3-5 times a day. This is an herb that due to its bitterness is used more successfully as a tincture than a tea.

My plant photo skills are something I am working on. I do love this shot of a blue vervain leaf. The leaf was glowing. I love the prominence of the veins and how the toothed edge of the leaf can be clearly seen.

Blue vervain is a versatile herb, somewhat similar to yarrow in that there are many different applications for this herb. Also an excellent for bruises, sprains, and swelling. In these cases, it is best to use the herb both topically and internally. Blue vervain is also good for muscular tension. Sometimes a side effect of nervous system disorders is that everything is tight tight tight.

This video by 7Song is a great intro to blue vervain – I especially love that he talks about combining it with passionflower (Passiflora incarnata). His down to earth herb talk appeals to me. I’ve read his writings on herbs previously but this was there first time I actually saw him and his teaching style. His words about blue vervain for folks suffering from burnout really resonate. The herb really helps those who would be lying exhausted and still think they have to jump up and start cleaning the bathroom. Blue vervain has been used as an emetic and is best combined with a carminative to avoid tummy troubles. Not for use in pregnancy.

There is no alkaline diet.

There is no alkaline diet. Ok, as you were. That’s it, that’s the post.

Been torn the past few days about writing something “positive”. This is despite (makes gesture to the world) everything that is going on at the moment. But I just cannot. Misinformation really makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I used to work with a woman who mentioned alkalizing literally every damn time we worked together. At the time I chose not to say anything along the line of “you know that’s not a thing, right?” I did this for a couple of reasons. One was that we worked well together, and we were the only 2 working together when we did work together. Sort of a don’t start none, won’t be none. The other reason was that I sincerely doubt that there was anything I could have said that would have changed her mind – she was a true believer. If you’ve ever watched a clip of a zealot, you can imagine the futility of attempting to engage on a matter about which someone has chosen to believe.

Guarding against elephants

Once upon a time there were two men taking the train from Ottawa to Toronto. They were sharing a train compartment and as it was a lovely day the windows were down. One of the men takes a newspaper from his briefcase and begins to take sheets of the newspaper, crumple them up and throw them out the window.

Crumple throw, crumple throw.

The other man watches this for several minutes until finally he cannot help himself and he asks the man with the newspaper what he is doing. The newspaper man says to him “I am keeping the elephants away from the train track.”

The man asking about the newspaper is taken aback. He pauses and then he says, “But there are no elephants anywhere near here.”

Newspaper man “See how well it works!”

Beliefs are not facts

Thus it is with the ongoing alkaline bullshit in the natural health community. The pH level of your blood is tightly regulated so as to keep you alive. Your kidneys and your lungs act to maintain this level at a steady state. Your blood is always (barring serious medical emergency) around a pH of 7.35 – 7.45. Slightly alkaline.

Even as I am writing I am thinking to myself – why waste my time with this. I have errands to run, a shower to take. I think it comes down to the fact that when people waste their time on something that is NOT a thing it takes away from the time, energy, and resources they have available for stuff that is a thing.

Save your money

I just googled. $619.00 for a machine to make alkaline water. What a grift!

Your stomach has a pH of 2.0. Acidic. And when you drink down that delicious $$$$$ alkaline water your stomach will release more stomach acid to maintain the correct pH level so that your digestion can function properly. The alkaline grift encourages folks to eat fewer processed foods and more fruits and vegetables. That is pretty much the only positive thing to be said about it. It has nothing to do with acidity or alkalinity.

I sometimes drink Icelandic water. pH 8.4. I drink it because it’s hot out and I like the taste. That’s it.

In the spirit of saving my time (and my sanity) you can read more about the alkaline diet here.

Stay safe and watch out for elephants.

The elephant story is not my original, I heard it years ago and have here retold it in my own words.