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Herbal Supports for Menopause + An Herbal Formula for Dryness

While studying Ayurveda, our teacher emphasized many times that “menopause is not a disease.” Though there are often symptoms associated with the transition from the menstruating years to menopause, menopause is a natural biological process and is simply part of the normal life cycle. Some individuals are fortunate enough to experience a relatively symptom-free menopause. However, fortunately, for those who do experience menopause and perimenopause-related troubles, such as dryness, hot flashes, difficulty sleeping, decreased energy, changes in weight, and mood swings, there are a number of plant allies and lifestyle factors that can ease the ups and downs and discomforts related to this time. This article will highlight an herbal formula that I designed to soothe overall dryness related to menopause. That said, there are a variety of herbal supports available for menopause and perimenopause, depending on how symptoms present—this article will touch upon some of these as well.

Since there are a number of symptoms that may be associated with menopause and perimenopause, I am not going to attempt to address the entire topic in-depth here. If you are struggling with menopausal symptoms, getting the help of an experienced herbalist who can create an herbal protocol to address your particular needs can be incredibly helpful. For now, let’s take a deeper dive into a common issue related to menopause—dryness—and how herbs can help. Compared to night sweats, insomnia, and mood swings, dryness may seem minor. However, when someone experiences chronic dry skin, dry eyes, and issues such as constipation and vaginal dryness, it’s certainly a problem worth addressing. Also, from an ayurvedic perspective, the fluids in the body are called the rasa, and having ample rasa is key for overall health and vitality. When rasa is depleted, this may ultimately relate to, or lead to, deeper imbalances and health concerns.

Read the full post on the Herbal Academy blog: HERBAL SUPPORTS FOR MENOPAUSE + AN HERBAL FORMULA FOR DRYNESS

Homemade Butter with Lavender, Cardamom, and Fresh Flowers

As we progress into spring and colorful, eye-popping buds open into bloom, you may be inspired to find more ways to incorporate edible flowers into your herbal preparations and culinary creations. Be it sweet or savory dishes, spreads, jams, or chutneys, edible flowers add color, flavor, and wellness benefits to everyday food items. Have you ever made homemade butter? If not, this may be the time to give it a try, and to take advantage of aromatic, attractive spring and summer blooms that add an herbal, floral kick. Trust me, if I can make homemade butter, you can too! Here’s how to make butter from heavy whipping cream, complete with the flavorful accents of lavender and cardamom.

First of all, many of us may not think of butter as a health food, but full-fat, grass-fed butter does offer significant nutritional value—when consumed in moderation, of course. Butter is a good source of vitamins A, D, and K (important for bone health) and there is some research to indicate that consumption of full-fat dairy products is associated with a lower risk of developing diabetes and insulin resistance (Palanisamy, 2015). Of course, if you are at risk for, or have, high cholesterol or other coronary issues, you may want to be modest with the quantity of dairy products that you consume. Fortunately, even a small amount of this tasty homemade butter offers an aromatic, floral flavor explosion.

Read the full post on the Herbal Academy blog: HOMEMADE BUTTER WITH LAVENDER, CARDAMOM, AND FRESH FLOWERS

Homemade Butter with Lavender, Cardamom, and Fresh Flowers

3 Supportive Uses for Peppermint You Need to Know

A cheerful mint whose flavor and aroma have inspired candy canes, chewing gum, breath mints, and holiday goodies of all sorts, the uses for peppermint (Mentha x piperita) leaf as a versatile herb with numerous botanical benefits and usages are many. With a long history among Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Chinese, and Japanese cultures, peppermint is one of the oldest herbs used in herbalism, for both its culinary and health applications. The Romans and Greeks were even known to wear crowns of peppermint at their feasts and celebrations (McIntyre, 1996; Mills & Bone, 2000).

Peppermint is a robust perennial that offers a pleasant taste and aroma, in addition to a host of wellness benefits—it has withstood the test of time as a favorite herb for cooking and herbal preparations for good reason. Let’s take a look at some of the many uses for peppermint—ways in which to enjoy, appreciate, and apply this hardy, delightful, pleasant-smelling, and delightful-tasting plant.

The energetic qualities of peppermint leaf are described as spicy, bitter, and cool (Tierra, 1988), as well as sweet with an overall purifying effect (Dass, 2013). Its cool, purifying nature means that it has a tendency to increase vata dosha, so should be used cautiously with high-vata individuals and vata conditions. This would be determined if the individual and/or condition presented with excessive lightness, dryness, mobility, and/or coldness, to name a few determining factors.

Read the full post on the Herbal Academy blog here: 3 Supportive Uses for Peppermint You Need to Know.

Waning Moon Herbal Mix For Deep Nourishment

When you observe the flow of your energy cycles during any given month you may notice that your energy ebbs and flows. Sometimes you need to hang out in an eddy; other times you are flowing forward at full force. During any lunar cycle, we tend to have times of heightened creativity, activity, and extroversion (often corresponding to the Waxing Moon and Full Moon) and other times when we feel the need to slow down, do less, and turn inward.

The Waning Moon phase—the time in between the Full Moon and New Moon is associated with darkness, introversion, going underground, rest, the end of the life cycle, vata dosha, and the autumn harvest. Rather than swimming upstream against the waning energies of this phase of the lunar cycle, it can be helpful to understand the energetics of the Waning Moon phase and to learn to work with this time to support our bodies and minds. In this article, I will share a recipe to embrace this time of rest and slowing down with herbs that provide deep nourishment.

Read the full post and get the recipe on the Herbal Academy blog here: Waning Moon Herbal Mix for Deep Nourishment.

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