Gabriella New Year 2007

This is the time of year where we are full of good intentions to become fitter and healthier and perhaps slimmer versions of ourselves, many people are feeling sluggish after the indulgent festive season. Gym membership soars, nicotine patches sales rocket and we are filling our shopping baskets with fresher healthier foods. This is all very well but we need to focus on long term rather than watching our good intentions rotting away in the vegetable rack after just a couple of weeks of effort. The trick is to not be too strict on ourselves, this never works for the long term. Keeping and staying healthy requires permanent changes to our lifestyles, this does not mean that we can never eat chocolate or drink alcohol again, rather that we just have them as treats.

One lifestyle change we can all make is to introduce herbs to our lives whether it be for healing, to give food an edge or to enjoy in the bath.

As we are on the subject of detoxifying we can start with the following herbs, all of which can be used regularly at various times of the year, these herbs are all primarily liver herbs and I have chosen them because detox starts at the liver.

Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinalis)

This herb, a close relation to chicory, needs little introduction in terms of description, most of us find ourselves out in our gardens in the summer months rooting them out of our lawns as common weeds, however , to the herbalist this is one of the most important herbs in treating the Liver.

Dandelion is what is known as a 'bitter' this gives it its wonderful liver healing properties. Bitters work by aiding digestion by stimulating the secretion of saliva and gastric juices, this extends to the Gall bladder where it stimulates bile flow, making it a very useful remedy for Gallstones. The bitters then aid the Liver in working more efficiently in ridding our systems of toxins, this helps treat water retention and cellulite.

Dandelion also has diuretic and mild laxative properties as well as being an excellent blood cleanser. For those looking to shed a few festive pounds, Dandelion also contains a substance called choline which plays a very important role in the livers ability to emulsify (break down) fats.

Along with all this there are also significant amounts of potassium, zinc, vitamin B and vitamin C. So as well as being detoxifying, Dandelion is a great nutritive tonic.

Dandelion also contains insulin, a substance which buffers our blood sugar levels preventing drastic dips and peaks. When blood sugar levels drop we tend to crave chocolate and other quick fix treats for a pick me up, this is the downfall of many dieters so if you find yourself reaching for a biscuit try a cup of dandelion tea instead( you do get use to the taste and its very refreshing if mixed with peppermint). This action on blood sugar also makes dandelion useful for those with diabetes.

Another useful quality of dandelion is its anti-arthritic properties, it prevents the build up of uric acid in the blood thus reducing the painful inflammation associated with arthritis and rheumatism and gout. The blood cleansing properties also help to treat painful skin eruptions taken internally and used externally as an ointment or crème.

The herbalist usually gives dandelion medicinally in the form of a tea or tincture, pills are not as effective. This is because when you taste something bitter, receptors in your mouth send a message to the brain instructing it to increase the bodies production of digestive juices and liver enzymes, without this some of dandelions amazing healing properties could not be employed. I would recommend anyone to make dandelion tea part of their daily diet. In the summer you can mix the leaves from your gardens with nettles to make a wonderful soup. The leaves are also nice in sandwiches and salads.

Burdock (Arctium Lappa)

I couldn't talk about dandelion without discussing burdock, I am sure you are all familiar with the drink 'dandelion and burdock'.

Burdoch is a member of the thistle family and like dandelion is invaluable in treating the liver, aiding digestion and treating rheumatism and gout.

Burdoch contains mucilaginous fibres which absorb chemical residues, metabolic wastes and metal contaminants in our guts, the fibres bind them and carry them safely through our systems to be eliminated.

The antibacterial and anti-fungal properties are very strong. Burdoch is indicated for candida ,this condition causes bloating, constipation, head aches and lethargy when it spreads systemically through the body . It often recurs in susceptible individuals, this condition can often occur after prolonged antibiotic use as the antibiotics can kill the good as well as the bad bacteria in our systems. A sugary diet may exacerbate this condition.

Burdoch helps restore the natural friendly gut bacteria we need to keep our digestive systems healthy.

Burdoch is well known for its healing properties on the skin, as well as being naturally antiseptic it improves the action of the sebaceous glands helping chronic inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Infective skin problems like ulcers, boils and sores are also greatly helped by burdock, in fact so powerful are its blood cleansing effects that in the middle ages it was used to treat leprosy.

A hot burdoch tea causes sweating via the skin thus helping to reduce fevers and clear toxins whilst ensuring a speedy recovery from eruptive skin conditions.

Burdoch works very well in baths for those suffering from skin problems, just make up a strong tisane then add to your bathwater.

As a tea dandelion and burdock work very well. For those of you who feel experimental you could always make your own version of the old fashioned soft drink 'dandelion and burdock' with fresh herbs and natural sugars.

Milk Thistle (Carduus/Silybum Marianus)

To complete the liver herb trilogy I would like to add Milk Thistle, this herb has enjoyed popularity of late for its amazing healing and regenerative effects on the liver. Pick up any detox or liver tea in the shops and you will almost certainly see the presence of this herb in the ingredients.

This is the herb of choice for cirrhosis, hepatitis and fatty liver (caused by alcohol, drugs and a poor diet).Milk thistle enhances the functions of the liver. As well as preventing liver cell destruction it has also been shown to stimulate new cell growth to replace damaged cells caused by alcohol and disease.

Psoriasis responds well to milk thistle treatment, in this condition a high level of endotoxins from the gut wall circulate in the blood, milk thistle helps the livers ability to filter these more efficiently.

If you have liver disease all these herbs can be beneficial, however, it is imperative to first discuss diagnosis and treatment with you herbalist or GP. Modern lifestyles can put our livers under a lot of strain which could increase our chances of worse problems later on, looking after our livers now can help us to ensure a healthier future for ourselves.

See you next month.

With Love
Resident Medicinal Herbalist