Restore Gut Health Calm the Nervous System Boost Immunity °SCE e ama OE Bopy into BALANCE AN HERBAL GUIDE /o HOLISTIC SELF-CARE Edited by Deborah Balmuth and Nancy Ringer Cover and interior illustrations by © Narda Lebo Ne er ete e meee? Indexed by Christine R. Lindemer, Boston Road een ase See es ocean (back & author's) and Mars Vileubi (spine) Interior photography by © Kimberly Sanders Peck, except for © 4kodiak iStockphoto.com, 206; © abadonian iStockphoto. ‘com, 78; © Adain Smigilski/iStockphoto.com, 173 (bottom); ® aleks1949/iStockphoto.com, 152; © alexmak72427/iStockphoto. com, 51; Carolyn Eekert, 274; © Dave Alan/iStockphoto.com, 256; © Diana Taliun/iScockphoto.com, 147; © Difydave/ iStockphoto.com, 129; © dalnikow/iScockphoto.com, 62: © duckycards/iStockphoto.com, 131; © eurobanks/iStockphoto. com, 299; © Image Source/Alamy, 229; © John Selles/iStockphoto.com, 224; © lenta/iStockphoto.com, 250; © Mantonature/ iStockphoto.com, 178; © marilyna/iStockphoto.com, 245; Mars Vilaubi, 117, 134, 161,225, 243, 288, 313; Michaela Jebb, 25: © Natalia Bulatova/iStockphoto.com, 289; © nbehmans/iStockphoto.com, 73; © Oktay Ortakcioglu/iStockphoto.com, 205; © Pleio/iStockphoto.com, 173 (top); © P_WeisiStockphoto.com, 212; © princessdlaf/iStockphoto.com, 283; © SchmitzOlaf/ Ee eer oh ee ene ee een at et ce er ee eae © stocksnapper/iStockphoto.com. 81; © subjug/iStockphoto.com, 220; © tomograf/iStockphoto.com, old paper sheets (Grr RO RAAT Nate ceo ce ince vec d © 2016 by Maria Nodl Groves This publication is intended co provide education information for the reader on the covered subject, Ie is not intended to take the place of personalized medical coun: nent from a trained health prc Al rights reserved. No part ofthis book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer ‘who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review wich appropriate credits; nor may any part ofthis book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other — without written permission from the publisher. “The information in this book is true and complete o the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guar- antee on the part ofthe author or Storey Publishing, The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of Bxonc tty ‘Storey books are available for special prethium and promotional uses and for customized editions. For further information, Pete Eee ra or Se etre Seen TA od BAUER VCCe Oar 10987654321 ECOL cers Library of Congress Cataloging, in-Publication Data on fileCONTENTS Er hens Oe AS ULL CUR TUS t Coan POvow be ect Clee COOL B ECE Ua ST Pom Serna no eS Pam Scr SrCen sare} eC gy Sa eee ge ree een snc) 6. Detoxification: Cleanup Time! 92 Parr 2: Gornc Deeper anp Tyne It TOGETHER 7. ‘The Immune System: Tending Your Inner Army 110 Foe tee Crees eS ees eee Tt ge as 9. Blood Sugar: Not Too Sweet 138 10. The Cardiovascular System: Your Body's Superhighn a seeker ae CTD Foam VERE nra oT See Cee ant Peeve Sa ecco ae eros 14. Your Skin and Connective Tissue: Keepin’ It Together 215 15. Reproductive Vitality: The Canary in the Coal Mine 232 16. Longevity and Vitality: Aging Gracefully 258 17. Children and Animals: Herbal Medicine for the Whole Family 276, POUR a CeO DCC a NCR tLe Dement esd 18. Harvesting, Buying, Storing, and Using Herbs 292 19. DIY Herbal Remedies 301 UES CaS UO Cees PUD ee ATUL TaEET i Saen)INTRODUCTION: AcHIEVING A Natura BALANCE Goon HEALTH GROWS IN NATURE. [1’S REALLY THAT SIMPLE. We thrive in nature, We feel better, we feel healthier, when we rely on real food, spend plenty of time outdoors. bring the elements of nature into our daily life, and use herbs as, our primary form of medicine. Many of the common ailments and diseases we see in mod- cern society stem from the fact that we have shifted away fom our primal connection to nature. Health and disease in the body interact in fascinating interconnected patterns, and ‘when we make use of our connection to nature — employing herbs and natural therapies — ‘wean shifé those patterns to bring the body into greater balance and vitality. Plants heal Nacure heals. Whether you have a multitude of serious diseases or you're relatively healthy, with just a couple of minor complaints, your symptoms are not something to overcome. Instead, they'e your body's way of telling you that something is out of balance, These symptoms are your taskmasters — that is, the alarm system for your body and clues about the underlying imbalance. This book will teach you how to listen to your body. fe may take some detective ‘work and a multifaceted healing approach, but it’s worth it.The earlier you recognize your body’ distress signals, the easier it will be to heal disease naturally. But no matter where youre in your health, you cave make improvements with herbs and holistic therapies. ‘Americans are gradually realizing that our current allopathic medical system — its approach and its medicines — often makes us sicker (not to mention broke) in the long run. In this profiedriven system, we spend more on health care than any other nation, yet we come in ata dismal number 38 worldwide for our actual health and well-being. Doctors rely heavily on an arsenal of pharmaceuticals, bu side effects from these strong drugs kill ‘more than 100,000 Americans annually, Even ifyou survive the treatment, you'll often, experience a slew of serious side effects. With this myopic approach to treating symptoms, the body continues to seream forhelp, and new issues (backup alarms) sound off. Side effects build. You might be raking a handful of pills each day, but you still don feel well Encer herbal and natural medicine.Is Ss INTRODUCTION: ACHIEVING A NATURAL BALANCE ‘Natural therapies are generally less expensive, significantly safer, beter suiced to self-care, and more holistic than allopathic medicine, and they havea host of side benef In fact, just one herb ean contain hun- dreds of compounds that work together in synergy to address a range of health conditions. So that hawehorn youre taking for blood pressure may ultimately also improve your mental clarity, energy levels, and mood, ‘What's really fascinating is how they do this. ‘Herbs rarely force the body in a particular direction cor supply a single isolated compound with a specific «effect on the body. Instead, herbs encourage your ‘body to heal and balance itself For example, the reproductive herb vitex doesn’t contain progesterone; instead, it encourages your brain and ovaties to pro- duce healthier levels ofthis hormone over time. Most immune-system herbs don't act directly as antibiotics ‘or antivirals: they fortify your body's natural immune response so that white blood cells and disease-fighting mechanisms work better. What's more, many herbs hhave a modulating effect on the body. not a one-way action, For example, astragalus and medicinal mush- sooms (Fungi are honorary “herbs" in chis book) bal ance over- and underactive immune systems. Modest doses of eleuthero raise low blood pressure or reduce high blood pressure, depending on what's needed, Holy basil and otheradaptogenic herbs amp up or turn down the production of stress hormones, like cortisol, as needed. Ie’ really quite amazing. Don'c think of herbs as mere substitutes for Seart with the safest, most gentle (yet sufficiently effective) approach. » Try an integrative approach of herbs, diet, and lifescyle to get the best results, » Address the root cause and pattems of disease, Treat the whole person, not just the disease or symptoms » Help your body to heal itself. + Educate and empower yourself, + Know your limits and when to seek guidance. » Cultivate good health-care team (se page 12) AKEY TO THE HERB PROFILES Each of the herb profiles in this book includes a brief notation on the herb's availablity indicating whether the plant can be grown in the garden, harvested from the wild, or purchased from an, herb seller, and how easy (or difficult) It is to do each of those G garden herb Wwild herb © common in commerce + easy to grow/find = more difficult to grow/tind SONWIVA TWHMLYN ¥ ONIASIHOY NOLONGOBLNI“See te — R. 6THE DETOX DIET MUCH HOOPLA AND WHOLE BOOKS are devoted to “cleansing” and the detox diet. The three typical goals of a cleanse or detox diet are: (1) to remove potentially “toxic” foods, (2) to eat a simple diet so that detox organs lke the liver can focus less on digestion and more on detox! fication, and (3) to increase your consumption of water and foods that encourage the detoxifica- tion organs to do their job more efficiently. A detox diet generally involves eating a sim- ple diet with ample amounts of detox-frienaly foods and herbs, along with plenty of water, detoxifying herbal teas (dandelion, burdock, nettle, red clover, et cetera), vegetables, low. ‘sugar fruits, and plant foods in general. Raw, Juiced, steamed, soup, and broth forms are pre-~ ferred. Avoid processed food, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, common food allergens, dairy, and red meat, at least for a limited period of time. Don’t skimp on protein, though — it’s import- ‘ant for adequate liver function. Get it from beans, nuts, seeds, wild-caught salmon/sea- food, chicken (preferably free-range or organic), ora high-quality protein powder. ‘The length of a cleanse can range from 1 day toa full month depending on personal preference ‘and! how limited the diet is. For example, a julce/ wwater/tea/broth fast Is usually not sustainable for ‘more than a few days. You're likely to feel terible for the first few days of a cleanse as you adjust to caffeine withdrawal, sugar withdrawal, less food, ‘and the release of toxins from storage — but after that, you should feel fabulous! Talk with your doctor before embarking on a strict cleanse, especially ifyou have an eating disorder, heart disease, diabetes, liver or kid- ney disease, or are overly thin. Pregnant and ‘hursing women should not cleanse. Detar-Friendly Foods Although a plant-based diet rich in vegetables and fiber supports healthy detoxication in general, certain foods play detox superstar by encouraging ble production, containing gluta thione (which is good for the iver), and/or act- ing as ciurtic, Aim to eat lot ofthe following foods during @ detox, and extend the benefits by enjoying them regularly in your daily diet. » Bitter veggies (artichoke, lettuce, escarole, radicchio, arugula, bitter greens, ter melon) + Diuretic vegeles (dandelion, parsley, bur dock, celery) > Crucierous vegeles (broceol kale, watereress, cabbage, bok choy, Brussels sprouts) > Asparagus > Avocado > Beets » Boies > Sour citus > Cranberries > Pomegranate » Gatie and onions > Mushrooms (cooked or in broth) > Green tea > Flak and chia seeds > wainats > Water > Culinary herbs and spices, especialy turmeric For detox friendly lifestyle tips, see Clean and Green Living. page 26. iBWWLL dNNVAT0 ‘NOWWOlsIXOL3a |LivER PROTECTORS Pea ge) SOD LLY SOT Ne Bele POS TT anteIMMUNE MODULATORS ASTRAGALUS re areas CONN e iar is a IMMUNE MODULATOR? Immune modulators tend to balance and strengthen immune system function rather than simply Up-regulating or down-regulating it. They usually create a healthy challenge to the Immune system and Improve cell signaling, making it less fragile (antifragility), General Uses: A wide range of immune issues, including prevention of colds and the flu, ca prevention and adjunct cancer care, respiratory allments, asthma, allergies, autoimmune disease, mononucleosis, and weak immune function (e., constantly getting sick) Examples: Medicinal mushrooms, including reishi, shiitake, maltake, chaga, and turkey tails, along with astragalus and adaptogens, including codonopsis, schizandra, ashwagandha, and holy basilFOODS THAT SUPPORT THE IMMUNE SYSTEM Orange produce and leafy greens provide Useful carotenoids — particularly beta- carotene — that improve your vitamin A levals, to support immune function as well as healthy skin and lubrication/mucus (a front line of defense). Think: winter squash, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, and calendula-infused broth. Healthy fats also support good lubrication Inside and out, proper immune cell functioning, ‘and decreased inflammation. Think: wild salmon, sardines, flax and hemp ol, nuts, and seeds. Vitamin € trom fresh, raw fruits and vegeta. bles — especially citrus, strawberries, bell pep- pers, hot peppers, and rose hips — help keep your immune system humming. Pungent aromatics like garlic, onions, ginger, horseradish, and hot peppers boost circula- ton, improve the flow of mucus, and enhance digestion, ail of which help your body eliminate pathogens. They also have direct antimicrobial activity. Culinary herbs with bite, like oregano land thyme, act similarly and have a particular affinity for your lungs and gut. Medicinal mushrooms, including gourmet edibles shiitake, maitake, and more woody mushrooms like relshi, turkey talls, and chaga, ‘support and modulate immune function. Cordyceps fungus, reishi, and chaga strengthen lung function and improve oxygen utilization. Fermented foods such as kimchi, kefr, yogurt, miso, sauerkraut, and fermented veg- gles provide beneficial bacteria, which make your body less hospitable to pathogens — ‘especially your gut and skin — while decreasing inflammation and improving immune function. Fluids like water, tea, soup, broth, and miso keep you hydrated so your immune system can better do its job, protective mucous mem- branes stay plump and moist, and germs and battle debris are easier to flush out. AINBY H2NNIUNOA ONIONAL :WBLSAS ANTI HL |S Consider this blend as a regular tonic to help keep your immune system humming, For added flavor, you can add a stick of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to the herb mi 4 teaspoon codonopsis root 4 teaspoon astragalus root 4 teaspoon ginger Combine the herbs with 2 cups water in a small . * pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let ‘ simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Strain. Drink daily or as desired.