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Most herbalists, throughout history, have been fascinated with poisonous plants. This fascination, along with careful study, experimentation, and observation, has given rise to pharmacy - the use of concentrated poisons - on one hand, and to homeopathy - the use of diluted poisons - on the other.

While respecting the ability of plants to stimulate and sedate, I have focused my studies elsewhere, specifically on the nourishing abilities of plants. The main premise of the Wise Woman Tradition is that health is inherent in each being, with nourishment being the key that unlocks it. Thus, I have spent the past 30 years recommending the use of nourishing herbs to a wide variety of people with a wide variety of problems.

Because nourishing plants, by definition, can't kill, they are scorned by many herbalists. Their effects are said to be slow and weak. Yes, poisonous plants do create instantaneous results, and I do use them when I need that immediate reaction. But they always undermine health.

Nourishing plants always build health. Their effects are slower, but still rapid - with significant improvement in well-being seen in 10 days or less - and powerful, often life-changing.

I call the nourishing herbs "people's herbs" because they are safe for anyone to use for any reason. And the use of nourishing herbs is "people's medicine," our birthright of health. People's medicine is a direct threat to hierarchy medicine, whether mainstream or alternative. It returns the power of health to the hands of the individual, out of the hands of the elite.

Nourishing herbs are powerhouses of protein, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals that counter cancer and prolong life. The best ways to extract this richness are those that rely on water and dilute acid as solvents: that is nourishing herbal infusions and mineral-rich medicinal vinegars.

Teas are a favorite way to consume herbs. Made by brewing a small amount of herbs (typically a teaspoonful to a cup of water) for a short time (generally 1-2 minutes), teas are flavorful, colorful drinks.

Herbs rich in coloring compounds - such as hibiscus, rose hips, calendula, and black tea - make enticing and tasty teas. They may also contain polyphenols, phytochemicals known to help prevent cancer. Since coloring compounds and polyphenols are fairly stable, dried herbs are considered best for teas rich in these.

Herbs rich in volatile oils - such as ginger, chamomile, cinnamon, catnip, mint, lemon balm, lemon grass, lavender, bergamot, and fennel, anise, and cumin seeds - make lovely teas which are effective in easing spasms, stimulating digestion, eliminating pain, and inducing sleep. Since much of the volatile oils are lost when herbs are dried, fresh herbs are considered best for teas rich in these, but dried herbs can be used with good results.

I enjoy a cup of hot tea with honey, which has its own medicinal value. But teas fail to deliver the mineral richness locked into many common herbs. A cup of nettle tea, for instance, contains only 5-10mg of calcium, while a cup of nettle infusion contains up to 500mg of calcium. For optimum nutrition, I drink nourishing herbal infusions every day.

Any herb that is free of poisons - that is, any herb that contains little or no volatile oils, resins, alkaloids, or glycosides - is a good choice for infusion. Additionally, I prefer to use herbs that are exceptionally high in protein, minerals, and vitamins for my daily infusions.

Nourishing herbal infusions cost me less than a dollar a day. (I buy them by the pound at wholesale prices from Frontier Herb, and so can you.) A quart of infusion a day completely replaces all vitamin and mineral supplements, giving me a saving of at least per month. (The average supplement buyer spends 0-0 a month on pills, though some customers spend more than 0 monthly on nutritional supplements of various kinds.)

I use these five nourishing herbal infusions regularly, drinking at least a quart a week of each one:

nettle leaf (Urtica dioica): nourish and rebuild adrenals, kidneys, blood vessels, skin, hair
oatstraw (Avena sativa): longevity tonic, rebuilds nerves
red clover blossoms (Trifolium pratense): my anti-cancer ally
linden flowers (Tillia americana): anti-flu, anti-cold, lovingly soothes lungs and guts
comfrey leaf (Symphytum officinale): heals, nourishes brain, bones, mucus surfaces, skin

I also use, for excitement or for specific reasons, these nourishing herbal infusions:

chickweed (Stellaria media)
mullein stalk and leaf (Verbascum thapsus)
raspberry leaf (Ideaus sp.)
hawthorn berries, leaves, and flowers (Crateagus sp.)
elder berries or flowers (Sambucus canadensis)
burdock root (Arctium lappa)
violet leaves (Viola sp.)
plantain leaves (Plantago sp.)
marshmallow root (Althea off.)
slippery elm bark (Ulmus fulva)

I only use one herb at a time in my infusion. I keep it simple, so I can really get to know the plants - and myself.

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As the mix of hormones in your blood changes during your premenopausal years, you may notice the effects on your gastrointestinal tract both directly - estrogen is a gastrointestinal stimulant and varying levels may swing you from loose stools to dry ones - and indirectly, as the hormonal load places ever heavier demands on the liver.

Hormones have a strong effect on the motility of the intestinal tract. When your levels of estrogen and progesterone change (as they do throughout menopause, during pregnancy, and before menstruation and birth), your bowel patterns change, too.

Your liver is, among other things, a recycling center. It breaks down hormones circulating in the blood when they are no longer needed and makes their "parts" available for the production of more hormones. During the menopausal years some hormones (such as LH and FSH) are produced in such enormous quantities that your liver may struggle to keep up with its recycling work, and have little energy left over for digestive duties.

Bless your food out loud before you eat; say grace; thank the plants and animals who nourish you; breathe in and feel grateful.

My mother's favorite way of preventing digestive distress and ensuring regularity is to eat at regular times and go to the toilet at regular times. You'd be surprised how effective this is.

First thing in the morning, get yourself a cup of hot water (or herbal tea) and bring it back to bed. Sip it slowly, and gnaw gently on your bottom lip. Then lie on your back and bring your knees up, feet flat on the bed; place your palms on your belly and breathe deeply. Gently begin to rub your belly (in spirals): up on the right, across the middle, and down on the left. Soon you will feel the movement gathering momentum. Sit up slowly and head for the toilet.

Yellow dock root vinegar or tincture is a wonderful ally for menopausal women with digestive distress. Daily doses of 1 teaspoon/5 ml vinegar or 5-10 drops of tincture eliminate constipation, indigestion, and gas. Yellow dock is especially recommended for the woman whose menopausal menses are getting heavier.

Dandelion is everyone's favorite ally for a happy digestive system and a strong liver. It relieves indigestion, constipation, gas, even gallstone pain. How to use it? Have a glass of dandelion blossom wine. Eat the omega-3-rich leaves in salads. Enjoy the phytoestrogenic roots as a vinegar or tincture (a dose is 1-2 teaspoons/5-10 ml vinegar or 10-20 drops tincture taken with meals) or as a coffee substitute.

Any rhythmical exercise, especially walking, relieves digestive gas and improves intestinal peristalsis (the movement of feces). Oriental wisdom says the liver loves movement.

Motherwort, fenugreek, vitex, or black cohosh tinctures, taken daily, strengthen digestion and ease menopausal digestive woes. Or try a cup of garden sage tea.

If constipation occurs due to a lessening of the moistening, lubricating cells in the colon, slippery foods such as slippery elm bark powder, oats, seaweed, flax seed, and seeds from wild Plantago (or cultivated psyllium) are wonderful allies. Adding a teaspoon/5 ml of any, or better yet, all of them to a cup/250 ml of rolled oats and cooking until thick in 3 cups/750 ml of water is a delicious way to prepare this remedy.

My favorite remedy to relieve digestive and gas pain is plain yogurt. Sometimes even a tiny mouthful will bring instant relief. Acidophilus capsules work, too. I use both when dealing with chronic constipation or severe diarrhea.

White flour products slow the digestive tract; so does too much grain-fed meat. Whole grain products, well-cooked beans, wild meats, and cooked greens speed it up.

Add more liquids and soft foods to your diet - applesauce, yogurt, nourishing soups, herbal infusions - to help relieve constipation. Chew your food slowly and savor it. Drink lavishly between meals.

Menopausal women will want to avoid the use of bran as a laxative, as it interferes with calcium absorption. Instead try prunes, prune juice, rhubarb with maple syrup, or figs.

Ginger tea with honey is a warming, easing drink when your tummy is upset. Ahhh. Try the fresh root grated and steeped in boiling water, or put a tablespoon of the powdered stuff from your spice cupboard in a cup of hot water and enjoy.

Crushed hemp seed (Cannabis sativa) tea - rich in essential fatty acids - is a specific against menopausal constipation.

Herbal laxatives such as aloes, cascara sagrada, rhubarb root, and senna are addictive and destructive to normal peristalsis. Except in rare cases (such as relief of constipation for a ninety-year-old woman confined to a bed), I do not advise their use.

Constipation and digestive distress are common side effects from taking iron supplements. A spoonful of molasses with 10-25 drops of yellow dock root tincture in a glass of warm water is a better way to increase iron, and improve elimination.

Enemas and colonics are last-resort techniques. They do not promote health and may strip the guts of important flora. Regular use of enemas is highly habit-forming. For the sake of your health, avoid them.

Cholesterol is a vital nutrient for healthy body function. Cholesterol is used by the body in the manufacture of hormones testosterone, estrogen, progesterone to name a few. This list is by no means complete. It is also used in the myelin sheath formation (covering for nerves). The liver makes approximately 90 percent of the body's daily cholesterol requirement. The remaining 10 percent is obtained from dietary sources.

Since the body requires approximately 10% of its daily cholesterol requirements from dietary sources, a treatment strategy for high cholesterol has been to control the intake of cholesterol. Cholesterol is found in all animal products but some animal products (e.g. egg yolks and red meats), are higher in cholesterol than others (e.g. fish, and chicken breast) therefore by changing you dietary habits, even slightly, you can decrease your intake of cholesterol. Increasing your intake of fiber has also been shown to decrease blood cholesterol. Fiber is known to bind dietary fat and cholesterol in the gut and thus inhibit their absorption by the body. Increasing your intake of green leafy vegetables and increasing your level of exercise has been shown to have dramatic effects on blood pressure and blood cholesterols. People who exercise have been found to have higher levels of HDL and lower levels of LDL as well as lower levels of total blood cholesterols.

Cholesterol is usually transported around the body in the blood bound to different proteins. Depending on the type of protein it called HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) or LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein). High LDL, in conjunction with a low HDL has been associated with atherosclerotic plaque formation and hence has been linked to heart disease. Atherosclerotic plaque formation on the arterial walls causes hardening and narrowing of the arteries which can lead to heart attack and stroke.

There are several naturally occurring substances that have been shown to significantly decrease blood cholesterols. Some of these include Guggul, niacin, garlic, policosanol, and plant sterols.

Policosanol is a mixture of long chain aliphatic alcohols. It was originally extracted from sugar cane waxes, but it is now available from several other natural sources. Policosanol, in dosages that range from 5-20 mg per day, has been shown to significantly decrease total cholesterol levels by 15-30 percent within 4 weeks. In addition, it also decreases LDL (bad cholesterol) and increases HDL (good cholesterol). There have been no significant side effects reported in human and animal studies.

Garlic is another herb that has shown cholesterol lowering effects, if taken in sufficient quantities. Of course, garlic can also have social effects if taken in sufficient quantities, so many prefer to use other substances to lower their cholesterol.

Guggul (guggulipids) is an extract of an Indian herb, Commiphora mukul. Guggul extract has been shown in several clinical studies to significantly decrease total blood cholesterol levels as well as LDL levels. Results were seen within 4 to 12 weeks. More importantly there were no side effects when the standardized extract was used.

Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, has been long know to be as effective as many prescribed drugs used in the treatment of high cholesterol levels. However, there is a problem with straight niacin. If used at a high enough dosage to reduce cholesterol, there is a very real statistical chance of causing damage to the liver in addition to the well known effect of skin flushing. These side effects make niacin unacceptable as a cholesterol lowering supplement. Fortunately, Inositol Hexanicotinate, which is chemically similar to niacin, provides the cholesterol lowering benefits of niacin without the risk of liver damage or flushing. In fact long term studies indicate that Inisotol Hexanicotinate is free of any serious side effects other than the occasional individual suffering from mild gastrointestinal upset.

Plant sterols are also known to significantly decrease cholesterol levels. However, to see this effect individuals have to consume between 4-10 grams of plant sterols. It is believed that plant sterols work to decrease blood cholesterol levels by competing with dietary cholesterol for absorption. By using intelligent supplementation strategies in combination with a well advised diet and an exercise program you may well find that you get a surprising and beneficial response in both the overall level of your cholesterol, as well as a beneficial shift in the ratio of HDL/LDL cholesterol in your blood.

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Acne is a serious problem that affects millions of people worldwide. There are many acne treatments that have been developed over the years. Many of them treat the problem of acne only at the level of the skin. Their focus is to clean the skin and keep it oil free and then apply a lotion that is supposed to keep the acne from coming back. However, many natural acne treatment programs focus on lifestyle and the effect one’s diet, immediate surroundings as well as stress levels can have on their acne condition.

The belief is that the real cause of acne goes far deeper than just the level of the skin. Many researchers think that the root cause of pimples is really a matter of looking at the kind of lifestyle you are living and that the levels of toxins in your body is a major contributing factor to your acne condition.

External as well as internal cleansing programs are important when it comes to getting rid of acne permanently. There are many ways to clean the skin externally and most people are familiar with these approaches. Using a mildly abrasive cleanser is ideal as it helps to remove the dead skin cells at the surface of the skin. Also it is important to nourish the skin and using natural skin moisturizers such as almond oil is great to keep the skin looking soft and healthy.

Internal cleansing is also very important in any natural acne treatment program. There are many cleansing programs that you can use, just take a look at your local health food store and ask for a ‘full body cleanse’ package. Going on a juice fast can be a great way to detoxify and clean your internal system naturally. Yes, it does require some discipline to not consume your regular fast food and packaged lunches but you need to focus on how beautiful your skin will look when you finally become acne free. So going through a bit of pain will be worth it.

Many natural acne treatment programs also address the effect that stress can have on your acne. Many researchers believe that stress contributes greatly to your acne condition and that by simply reducing the levels of stress in your life can make a dramatic difference in your acne. How is stress related to acne? The answer is not fully known however there are many examples of where people that had severe acne took part in stress reduction programs and found their acne condition improving dramatically.

There are many ways to reduce stress from your life. One of the best ways is to learn how to perform meditation. The primary goal of most meditation practices is to help reduce excessive thinking. This has the effect of eliminating significant stress from one’s life as most mental stress is caused by simply thinking too much. Meditation will help you to quiet your mind and when you learn to have a quiet mind, you will attain great inner peace and inevitably you will experience less stress in your life.

Natural acne treatment solutions are indeed very effective, perhaps the most effective way to eliminate those pesky zits permanently. They do require a bit of commitment on your part to stick with the program and learn a few new skills but getting rid of acne is worth it. So look for natural acne treatment programs as there are many out there, you can even find them online as e-book programs.

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When it comes to herbs for women, that is to specifically address women’s problems, there are three important medicinal herbs, each of which have a long track record of use and effectiveness.

Black Cohosh

Firstly there is Black Cohosh, cimicifugae racemosae – commonly referred to as the menopause herb.

Interest in Black Cohosh and dietary supplements containing Black Cohosh has come from women seeking alternative treatments for symptoms associated with the menopausal transition, including hot flashes and night sweats, anxiety and depression, and vaginal dryness. This interest has been heightened by recent findings from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), which pointed to a shift in the risk/benefit balance of hormone therapy due to the risks associated with cardiovascular events, stroke, breast cancer, blood clots, and other conditions.

Black Cohosh is used for a variety of other complaints, but has become best known in the Western World for its beneficial effect on hormone functioning due to its phyto-estrogenic properties. Herbalists also use Black Cohosh to prevent miscarriage in cases of women at high risk. Many women miscarry in the very early stages of pregnancy and may not even realize that they have been pregnant.

Historically, Black Cohosh has been also been used for a range of conditions. Native Americans and the early U.S. colonialists used it for a great variety if disorders including amenorrhea, bronchitis, chorea, dropsy, fever, hysteria, itch, lumbago, nervous disorders, snakebite, yellow fever, and disorders of the uterus.

Today, preparations of Black Cohosh consist of the fresh or dried rhizome with attached roots of cimicifuga racemosa.

Studies recently carried out in Germany have confirmed that cimicifuga is strongly estrogenic and that it is effective in relieving menopausal symptoms.

For the technically minded, its main constituents are triterpene glycosides, cinnamic acid derivatives, chromone, isoflavones, tannins and salicylic acid.

Black Cohosh is regarded as a relatively safe herb, there being no documented contraindications to it.

Side effects are also few, perhaps occasional gastric discomfort, and rare hepatic (liver) dysfunction.

It has been suggested by some authorities that medicinal quantities of Black Cohosh may possibly magnify the effects of synthetic hormones in susceptible women, such as women taking HRT or the contraceptive pill.

It has also been hypothesized in some circles that, because of its estrogen-like effects, it could promote metastasis of breast cancer tissue. (In an experiment done on mice, however, Black Cohosh increased metastasis of cancer to the lungs, but did not cause an increased incidence of breast cancer.)

It is not advisable to take Black Cohosh during pregnancy or lactation.

Otherwise there are no known interactions with other drugs

Wild Yam

Wild Yam is another very popular herb for women and has been also used to relieve menstrual cramps or pain, menopausal symptoms, rheumatic conditions, and gallbladder complaints, bilious colic and nausea. It also has been proposed as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy but (as one might imagine) there is much debate about that.

Traditionally, Native Americans used Wild Yam for birth control, also for rheumatism, menstrual pain and complications during childbirth.

Studies have shown that wild yam contains steroidal saponins, mainly dioscin and diosgenin, which can be used to manufacture progesterone, and other steroid drugs used for contraception. Be aware, however, that the body does not convert dioscin to progesterone

Some authorities warn that the use of Wild Yam may be contraindicated for women taking progesterone and/or estrogen. Otherwise there are no consistent reports of adverse side effects.

In recent times Wild Yam has been strongly promoted as a female breast enhancer and as a sexual stimulant and is consequently an increasingly common ingredient in female herbal supplements.

Dong Quai (or Quoi), Angelica polymorpha.

Dong Quai has been used for many centuries in Asia to balance female hormones and as a treatment for the various discomforts associated with menopause.

It has also been traditionally used In Asia to treat arthritis.

Today, Dong Quai is recognized as being rich in iron, magnesium and niacin. The root of Dong Quai is still used to relieve menstrual problems or menopausal symptoms, to improve mental acuity and alleviate symptoms of daily stress.

It is used also to relieve muscle spasms, and is also used to treat PMS, vaginal dryness, and hot flashes.

Dong Quai should not be used during pregnancy or by people suffering from colds and flu. It should not be taken with Warfarin as it could lead to bruising and uncontrolled bleeding.

Today, many different herbs are used to address not only health disorders that are peculiar to women but to improve women’s quality of life, their sexuality and general well being. Herbal remedies, however, should not be taken by people already taking pharmaceutical drugs without reference to a competent herbal medical practitioner.

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