Green Herbal Medicines

by Diane Van Doesburg
(Canada)

Green herbal medicine is remedies that you make yourself. It can use purchased bulk herbs from a reputable supplier or from wild plants that grow in your area. There is just something empowering about making your own medicine.

This form of Green Health has been around for millenia. There is a growing interest in using herbal plant varieties as Herbal Remedies for health conditions.

Perhaps it's our fondness of Green Living & lifestyle or perhaps we are just not wanting to consume more toxins via pharmaceutical drugs any longer. Whatever the reason, a green guru will benefit greatly learning and using a few weeds or herbs in his or her area.

Taking what we may consider as weeds in our backyard or in natural areas and using it for medicine or food is called wildcrafting.

Use of these "weeds" may be as simple as tossing them into a salad or making it into a tincture. Having a good field guide for proper identification is crucial to ensure that you don't use poisonous plants.

Better yet, consult with an agriculturist in your area or go on a local herb walk to properly identify plants.

Some simple weeds worth hunting for are:

Elderflowers and berries - very useful for detoxification and for Colds & Flu's. The berries are often used in jams and jellies.

Dandelion root - a great liver cleanser and diuretic. Dandelion tea, anyone?

Plantain leaves - a great wound healer...just chew a few leaves and place on Bee Stings or cuts.

Stinging Nettle leaves - high in nutrients, this is wonderful to use in place of spinach in recipes or as a nutritive tea. Drying or cooking nettle removes the "sting" from stinging nettle!

Chickweed - high in nutrients it can be used as a food or in tea. It also is great for external wounds and rashes.

Obviously, you want to be able to find these natural plants in areas that have not been sprayed or that is not close to heavy traffic. We don't want to consume or apply toxins to our bodies!

These herbs can be gathered and dried for use when the growing season is over. Be sure to wear gloves and long pants when hunting for stinging nettle!. Simply place the herb on a screen and dry in a well ventilated area out of the sun. Store the dried herbs in a glass jar in a dark cupboard and they will be of use to you throughout the next 12 months.

Happy green gathering!

Author: Diane Van Doesburg, Herbalist

For more info on growing, drying, and using herbs for your own green medicine visit Herbal Remedies At Home