***WILD FOODS FOR WISE WOMEN: PART TWO

WILD FOODS FOR WISE WOMEN:
The Missing Part of your Diet may be in Your Own Back Yard
PART TWO
© Susun S Weed

Part two of a two-part article.

Boost Your Immunity and Prevent Cancer With Dandelion, Honeysuckle, Clover and Other Ordinary Weeds

How To Use These Amazing Plants

In part one, you learned that weeds are not “useless” and that many of the plants you walk over in your yard are actually green blessings. Sadly, many people don't realize that common ordinary weeds can build and maintain good health. Now that you know the “truth” about weeds, we can begin to learn how to harvest, prepare, and use herbal medicines. The seven herbs listed below, and discussed in part one, include the following: Burdock, Dandelion, Honeysuckle, Plantain, Red Clover, Violet, and Yellow Dock.

Burdock:

~ Dig first-year roots in autumn; use mature seeds.

~ Used internally, it resolves chronic skin problems; fresh root binds and removes heavy metals and chemicals.

~ Use daily for six or more weeks; it is not unusual to take burdock regularly for 2 to 3 years.

~ Dried root infusion: 1 to 2 cups

~ Cooked, dried, or raw root: eaten freely

~ Fresh root vinegar: 1-4 tablespoons

~ Tincture of fresh roots or seeds: 30-250 drops.

~ Infused oil of seeds: as needed on skin or scalp to encourage growth of new hair.

~ Burdock is slow acting but miraculous.

Dandelion:

~ Leaves are nourishing, roots are tonifying.

~ Improves outlook, improves digestion and appetite, relieves food allergies.

~ Can use daily for prolonged use.

~ Fresh leaves and flowers: eaten freely.

~ Cooked greens: 1/2 to 2 cups (125 to 500 milliliters).

~ Dried root infusion (tea): 1 to 3 cups (250-750 ml.).

~ Tincture of fresh plant, including root: 15-120 drops.

~ Wine of fresh flowers: no more than 6 oz (200 ml).

~ Infused oil of fresh flowers: as needed.

Dandelion is a superb ally for liver and breasts. Regular use - internally before meals and externally before sleep - helps keep breasts healthy, reverses cancerous changes. Digestion is settled and strengthened a few minutes after taking a dose. Results in breast tissue are slower, taking six weeks or more to become evident.

Honeysuckle:

One of the most vigorous vines known, Honeysuckle makes an excellent complementary medicine for many Western drugs, moderating or eliminating many of their damaging side-effects. The flower buds are harvested in May or June, dried quickly in the sun without turning or handling, infused in water overnight (one ounce dried blossoms to one quart boiling water in a tightly sealed jar steeped for 4-10 hours), and drunk freely.

Plantain:

~ Use leaves, harvested any time, or ripe seeds with hulls.

~ Internal use: Seeds: anti-microbial, against thrush;

~ Leaves: promote blood clotting, increase in iron, strengthen digestion.

~ Used externally: leaf poultice or oil reduces cysts, heals skin and connective tissues, stops itching and prevents scars.

~ Daily use: no limit.

~ Raw leaves: 3-20 chopped in salad.

~ Fresh leaf vinegar: 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml).

~ Fresh leaf oil/ointment or poultice: as needed.

Internal response is prompt; noticeable improvement in blood iron is seen in two weeks of daily use. External response is also rapid: itching ceases, bleeding stops, pain abates, and swelling recedes in minutes. Plantain promotes quick, scarless healing from all wounds.

Red Clover:

~ Use the just-opened blossoms with a few leaves clinging.

~ Internally: alkalinizes, builds blood; helps prevent the recurrence of cancer, protects liver and lungs, improves appetite, relieves constipation, eases anxiety ; relieves symptoms of menopause, increases fertility.

~ Externally: softens and reduces breast lumps. Is antifungal.

~ Daily use is without limit.

~ Fresh blossoms: eaten freely.

~ Infusion (tea) of dried flowers: up to one quart (1 liter).

~ Tincture/mother tincture of fresh blossoms: 15-100 drops.

~ Fresh flower vinegar: 1-4 tablespoons (15-60 ml.).

Note: Over-consumption of blood-thinning coumarins, which are present only in low amounts in red clover but found in greater amounts in other clovers such as sweet clover, can lead to the breakdown of blood cells and increase risk of hemorrhage.

Red clover (legume family ) shares with its sisters, lentil and astragalus, the ability to repair damaged DNA, turn off oncogenes, and reverse both pre-cancers and in situ cancers. According to J. Hartwell, author of Plants Used Against Cancer, medical literature has reported and confirmed hundreds of cases of remission of cancer after consistent use of red clover. I agree.

Violet:

~ Use the leaves, harvested any time, even during flowering.

~ Externally: Eases pain and inflammation, heals mouth sores, softens skin, antifungal.

~ Daily dose: Use without limit, non-toxic.

~ Fresh leaves: in salad, as desired.

~ Dried leaf infusion: up to one quart (1 liter).

~ Fresh or dried leaf poultice: Continuously.

~ Internal and external use of violet can shrink a breast lump in a month.

Yellow Dock:

~ Use roots of a plant at least two years old, dug after autumn frosts, or very early in the spring; leaves, harvested at any time, use ripe seeds.

~ Internally: As root tincture or vinegar, yellow dock builds healthy blood, protects liver, and acts as a laxative. As a seed tea, it heals mouth sores and checks diarrhea.

~ Externally: Poultices dissolve lumps, counter tumors and kill fungus infections.

~ Can be used daily for up to 12 months.

~ Tincture of fresh roots: 10-60 drops per day.

~ Fresh root vinegar: 1-2 tablespoons (30 ml) per day.

~ Dried seed tea: no more than one cup (250 ml) per day.

~ Fresh root oil/ointment: liberally, as needed.

How to make an infusion: http://www.susunweed.com/How_to_make_Infusions.htm

For more information on how to prepare and use herbs consult any of my books including Healing Wise and Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way .