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Antiviral Essential Oils

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Protecting our children & ourselves

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Way back in the last century (1999) my 9 year old son and I were living in a home where I did childcare for two pre-school aged children. Three times that winter their whole family was diagnosed with strep throat, and took antibiotics for it. (They continued to eat cold yogurt, cheese, and other ayurvedically contraindicated things.) Even before their culture for strep was confirmed, I put one drop of a well researched antibacterial and antiviral blend of essential oils (Young Living’s Thieves) on my son’s throat, and 2 on my own throat (diluted with 1-2 drops of sesame oil), and applied a few more drops directly to our feet. I did this 3 times a day, and adjusted our diet away from cold, dairy and wheat for those few days. We did not get sick, though sharing a kitchen with this family. The third time it came up for them, I started to feel the tell-tale scratchy throat. My son and I each added one more drop of Thieves in the back of our throats 3-4 X a day. It stung, briefly. And WOW – immediately, the signs went away and stayed away! Now I may put a drop in ⅙ cup water and gargle instead – either way it stings but works fast.

Although streptococcus causes a bacterial infection, only about 5-10% of sore throats are actually bacterial — the rest are viral. I’ve worked with antiviral essential oils with amazing results, and often am asked by clients what they can do to most safely and gently protect their families when immune system is weak — like after childbirth, or during flu season. There are Ayurvedic insights on the use of essential oils, and diet, herbs and lifestyle changes which help refine our therapeutic choices when we are vulnerable (like choosing heating and drying substances for mucus problems and cooling substances for fevers, etc.) This wisdom also includes protecting our “head” or psychic space from fatigue, weakness and emotional impurity, since viruses can so easily enter our field if we are not feeling strong inside.

Fall and Spring are times of seasonal change when, as both public health stats and ancient Ayurveda explain, everyone is more vulnerable, and an illness can be easier to acquire and harder to kick. Right now children are returning to school, and bringing home colds and flus. And national news is reporting severe respiratory viral infections hospitalizing unusual numbers of children in this country, not to mention other scary virus trends around the world! Please get your essential oils first aid kit ready!

Here are my top choices for antiviral and respiratory supports, “distilled” from about 40 antiviral essential oils that I’ve come to know and love. First, the single oils:

Cassia and Cinnamon (two varieties of cinnamon): Jean Claude Lapraz, MD, found that viruses could not even live in the presence of cinnamon oil, so many of the best blends have this oil in them. Balance this for its hot, dry qualities.

Citrus peel oils: Inexpensive oils and good diffusers. More gentle antiviral and good for children (and inner children).

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus radiata): Diffuses well, with benefits that cool and penetrate quickly. It is both antiviral and respiratory clearing.

Frankincense (Boswellia carterii): Specially valuable when the psychic space is fragile and compromised, this is an immunostimulant, mild antiviral and powerful anti-inflammatory.

Hyssop: Powerful antiviral used in biblical times during the plague. Balance for its hot, sharp, and drying qualities.

Tea Tree (Melaleuca sp.): Well known for its broad spectrum uses, tea tree is valuable and not too intense antiviral and antibacterial. 

Myrtle & Lemon Myrtle: Gently pitta and vata pacifying, this good antiviral also supports endocrine and clears respiratory systems. Myrtle is very kind and diffuses well.

Oregano: Strongly heating and drying. When prepared using low temperature distillation it offers antiviral as well as antibacterial and antifungal benefits. 

Thyme: Strongly heating and drying. When prepared using low temperature distillation it offers antiviral as well as the antibacterial and antifungal benefits.

I’m a Young Living EO fan because I have absolute faith in the purity and integrity of their oils. They have some amazing blended oils, and naturally I have some favorite antiviral blends. Well-combined blends are often better value than singles and have proven track records for broad spectrum effectiveness in one bottle.

** If you choose to take any essential oils internally, please be certain of the EO producer and the quality of their oils, and that they provide suitable instructions. Otherwise please do not use in this way.

Thieves — Blend with clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus radiata, rosemary: Number 1 for winter time and cold weather illness with excess kapha, and for boosting agni in Ayurvedic terms, it has strong antioxidant properties too. This blend was used in the 16th century plague time with unusual success — first by the body robbers of the dead and dying who were grounded from their shipping trade as oil and spice importers. Research shows over 95% kill rate on over 5 different groups of viruses plus highly antibacterial, antifungal effects.

RC — Blend with 3 eucalyptuses, myrtle, pine, cypress, lavender, oregano, peppermint and tsuga: Number 1 for inhalation for most respiratory issues, this has many antivirals in it also. Its sharp penetrating qualities are balanced by endocrine boosters, grounding evergreens and liver help. Balanced for multi-season use, valuable for diffuser method.

Raven — Blend with ravensara, eucalyptus radiata, peppermint, wintergreen and lemon: Also cooling and potent, it’s broad spectrum effects soothe inflammation, lungs, help kick phlegm, plus combat herpes and shingles.

Purification — Blend with citronella, lemongrass, lavendin, rosemary, melaleuca and myrtle: Good diffuser for kids coming and going from school and fragile postpartum families. This is useful in hot and cold weather illnesses and against environmental radiation.

Exodus II — Blend with cassia, myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, hyssop, galbanum, frankincense (Boswellia carteri), and spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi): Biblical combo gives extra oomph on viral infections and kicking phlegm, and powerfully helps protect and clear the mind of high vata and kapha. Balance for hot, dry and penetrating qualities.

This list is offered for safe and powerful first aid for MANY uses besides antiviral and respiratory help. Over 5,000 research studies on essential oils are showing that they have significant therapeutic effects. Knowledge of Ayurveda enhances their use with guidelines for preventing vulnerability to disease.

With over 90% of the medicinal properties of many herbs evaporated when they are dried, essential oils are more potent for many uses. They offer highly respectable self and client care support, but need safe use and well balanced application. I’ve worked with essential oils for over 15 years, with respect and love for their blessings. I also know how overboard people get with them, forgetting the rest of their self-care homework, and Ayurvedic concerns for misuse.

Young Living oils test with 300-800 bio-constituents each, distilled to access each plant’s arsenal of integrated intelligence and protection like no drug can. It’s super important to know the quality of the essential oils you choose before using them for therapeutic purposes. A lot of extra care goes into creating a true therapeutic quality essential oil, and if your source distills many oils at the same temperature, they are likely missing key medicinal properties. The following guidelines are key for the kind of value I refer to:

  • Organic seed, soils untainted by pollutants, and proper plant variety for desired effects
  • Sustainably grown in their best climate and region around the world
  • Sustainably teaming with local growers for the grower, planetary and plant best interests
  • Grown without chemical pesticides, herbicides
  • Harvested and distilled with precise timing to ensure peak properties
  • First extractions only, according to the plant’s best/low temp and pressure to preserve bioconstituents
  • No synthetic essential oils added
  • Third-party plus in house cross-testing of every barrel
  • Stand behind any recommended internal use of their oils

Obligatory and honest disclaimer: Of course there is so much more than even my long winded articles can say about making the best use of these oils. This discussion cannot be misconstrued as sufficient information to handle a disease on your own, and the severity of some of the issues facing the world today requires in our opinion, a combination of careful medical care from your doctor, and careful preventive and supportive self care for best results. This is not meant to replace the advice of your doctor or train you to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.

The Best 5 Herbs in the First 10 Days

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Whether you are an Ayurvedic, Chinese or Western herbalist, you may have a few favorite lactation herbs already. There are so many herbs to choose from.

When I ask myself, what are the top herbs for early postnatal use, then ask again, what are the top ones for lactation, my list is often the same, and ginger and pepper are usually at the top. Why? Because we are talking today about the first WEEK after childbirth, when agni is low and vata is high. For lactation, the body’s resources need to be flowing and nourishing, and mother nature does the rest best when she is assisted with certain pungent herbs. Their nutrition-transforming, fast-acting and channel clearing qualities are significant.

“Agni” – our digestive and transformative chemistries, are so important for lactation, happy baby tummies, rejuvenation, strength, mood and feeling light, clear and energized. You will find the postpartum agni needs help to make good use of food. That’s why it’s important to attend to agni first, especially before milk comes in.

Using herbs which are easily accessed in the west, here are my picks. These 5 herbs work like a team to make lactation easy:

  1. Ginger – Enhances digestion and warmth; purifies and clears breast, lymph, respiratory channels and fluids; helps burns toxins/wastes; reduces gas and bloating; lowers vata and kapha; is sattvic–promoting clarity, lightness and purity of mind; and is immune protective.
  2. Pepper – Enhances digestion and warmth; purifies and clears breast channels, lymph, respiratory channels and fluids; burns toxins/wastes; reduces gas and bloating; lowers vata and kapha; strongly immune protective, including antiviral and antiparasitic; special muscle tissue purification, energizing (rajasic).
  3. Garlic – Strong galactagogue; enhances digestion and warmth; purifies and clears lymph, blood, respiratory channels and fluids; burns toxins/wastes; reduces gas, bloating; lowers vata and kapha; strongly immune protective including antibacterial and antiparasitic; energizing (rajasic), grounding (tamasic), strengthening (rajasic); protects the subtle energy field. * Must be well cooked.
  4. Fennel/Anise – Good galactagogue; antiparasitic, digestive, anti-acidic (fennel), moves gas out and shrinks bloating, (gentle deepan and pachan actions); cooling/warming (respectively), gentle anti cough/kapha; anti vata; gently estrogenic; sattvic.
  5. Fenugreek – Good galactagogue, antiparasitic, heals small intestine wall and digestive function; helps loosen retained placental fragments and brings down upper body heat; helpful with fever; gently warming, gentle anti-cough, anti-vata and anti-kapha; sattvic. Not very effective in capsules for many.

Do you see how all these 5 herbs help digestion? Continue with these digestives, adjusting heat level gradually as appropriate, over the next weeks and months postpartum for best results. But please don’t take them in capsules – make teas and season your food with them.

What are the next 5 herbs on your list? 

There are quite a number of herbs which help hormones, digestion and lactation together, and also help keep the body relaxed and warm. When you are creating an herbal formula, think about all of these properties.

If you are thinking that shatavari or borage might be good additions to the list, think carefully. Surprisingly, shatavari – while it is a an awesome galactagogue and female rejuvenative – is not appropriate for the first 9-10 days for most mamas. Both are too heavy and cooling for early postpartum (borage is a refrigerant), and should be avoided. 

If mama is having hot flashes, hot tea using cumin, coriander and fennel is a better choice in the first week or so, with shatavari coming in after agni is strong and channels are working well.

And if you are wanting to put raspberry leaf, nettles, gotu kola or oat straw on your list? You’ll want to add 1 or more of the first 5 from my lactation list, to help balance their cooling, drying, and/or astringent qualities – which are all vata increasing.

Dr. Aviva Romm recently wrote a great blog post called Five Favorite Herbal Medicines for Women you will enjoy. I love that she addresses the western woman’s herb resources. These herbs are not our favorite picks for the first few days after childbirth however, just because we have these needs which are not well understood yet in the west.

If you want to learn more about the Ayurvedic approach to postpartum herbalism, you can take our Safe Postpartum Herbs class.  In this 5 hour lecture series, you will learn how to safely help a mother and newborn with many common issues. There are basic Ayurvedic principles which are not widely known and really complement the western–or Chinese pharmacopeia. I hope you will learn these secrets and practice them.

Mama’s Herbs and Manas Herbs

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The “It depends” Rule

A big, “it depends” rule in Ayurveda and “Terrain” medicine makes teaming up with an advanced practitioner, or learning advanced use of herbs especially important for mothers with complications.  The same thing is true for all of us as we move through the seasons of our lives. Purple tulsi plant An herb may be right for a particular condition in spring, yet not suit us in winter.  It may be right for a woman in her menopause years, but ill-advised for postpartum hormonal imbalances.  Even the benefic Holy Basil has its limits.  Being a heating herb, some pittas can’t handle much of it. I am inspired today to talk about choices in the springtime.

Manas Herbs

Help for mind and mood

Manas means mind in Sanskrit.  Ayurveda’s use of liver and blood supportive herbs in this season help to balance the mind by giving clarity to channels and tissues that affect the mind. Liver herbs can even help build neuro-transmitters, cleanse receptor sites for them, and build ojas, the quintessential finest product of digestion and source of immune strength. Tulsi, or Holy Basil (the purple variety is pictured above) is a manas (mind and mood supportive) herb which suits the Spring season more than most. It is different from most manas herbs, which are often heavier to digest, more tonic and less clarifying, and therefore better for summer or winter use. Instead, tulsi is lighter and somewhat heating, so it helps to clear spring allergies as a respiratory-specific herb, fights cough, cold, flu, bacteria, fungi and parasites–gently but with power–and is ama (toxin) reducing. Like the other basils, Tulsi not only supports milk production, but also increases body warmth without harsh heat, and improves digestion – all of these postpartum needs.  Because it is slightly bitter, tulsi should not be used during pregnancy, unless it is used very carefully. Tulsi is anti-stress, and an adaptogen with special serotonin enhancing and sattvic gifts for mama and baby — qualities which naturally improve the mood and sense of well-being.  Tulsi is less heavy to digest than many of the manas herbs, which makes it more helpful when kapha is high in the early springtime. The herb part used is usually the leaf.  White or black tulsi beads are often worn to strengthen devotion and sattva as well. Personified in Vedic tradition, Tulsi has a very benefic feminine energy and is thought to have divine powers which provide spiritual protection.  Whenever you take a herb that is rich in divine intelligence, like tulsi,  it can help to remove vibrational blocks in your system and strengthen your auric field. Mothers and newborns are in a state of tremendous openness, physically and energetically. Often they have been around negative energies or hospital environments where – many things go on and can create complications on this level too. It is important to protect them at this time, and Tulsi can be a lovely friend indeed. During kapha season look to safe postpartum blood and liver cleansing herbs.  Choose ones whose impact on vata is not going to create more vata. Remember that in a new mom, vata is already pushing the other existing doshic and mental issues out of balance and you don’t want add to it by recommending an inappropriate herbal combination. Appropriate herbs may include guduchi, bringaraj, anantamool, and turmeric, with warming balance from such herbs as pippali or ginger.

Mamas’ Postpartum Herbs

Choose safe herbs for the “season”

It is kapha season in the northern hemisphere, and both mind and respiratory system are more easily mushy.  Allergies and mucous are more common.  After giving birth, our minds are naturally mushy anyway.   Astrologically, the planet governing mind –  Mercury – goes into an influence of “debilitation” each spring.  The time frame is today until April 20th!   No wonder it has taken me so long to write this.

Spring brings many joys, the earth moves, and water flows…

Just like snow melting and sap starting to flow externally,  new growth is facilitated in Spring. But slush is messy, and pollen season troubles many.   Kapha is earth and water, and earth is moved by water, fire (sun) and air (wind) elements.  Things come out and grow in the sun, and also have to deal with water’s runny nature.  Internally, ama (accumulated impurities and excesses in the body) also starts to melt. As the water flows in our body, excess kapha easily shows up as more mucous if the channels are not clear. The mind gets mushier too. It’s natural, because the channels in our mind and body got restricted during winter’s cold. Heat helps to thaw accumuluated kapha and also relax the channels and increase the flow, but herbal and dietary attentions often are needed to help loosen and eliminate these accumulations.

Choosing herbs

The needs of kapha are different in springtime than in the winter or summer, and require more pungent, bitter and astringent tastes.  For many this is a time of spring cleansing, and purification, when lightness and warmth is called for. As always when choosing herbs, keep in mind the constitution of the person, her condition and needs, and even the planetary influences she may be facing. For example, choosing herbs to heal a “debilitating” planetary influence is different from strengthening a “weak” planet. Sometimes a person may need a palliative approach during Spring, which combines the cleansing qualities of anti-kapha herbs, the nourishing and tonic qualities of anti-vata herbs, and the cooling qualities of anti-pitta herbs. A new mom and her family, may be best supported by bringing the mind back to sattva (peace/harmony) by supporting healthy sadhaka pitta (neurotransmitters) and its mind-heart connection, while calming the high vata in her body and the eliminating the excess kapha brought on by seasonal changes.

Cleansing as a risky concept for postpartum

Even though the maternal body has cleansing to do, most cleansing therapies and herbs generally create depletion. In particular, pungent and bitter herbs are cleansing , and after childbirth, depletion therapy becomes a risky approach. Ojas supportive Guduchi (pictured above) is at the top of my list, along with Tulsi. Guduchi, gently but powerfully helps detox from allopathic medicines and is generally good for all three doshas (tridoshic) with pitta reducing qualities. Holy Basil or Tulsi, is healing, purifying, and gently cleansing.  Goksuradi Guggulu also stands out for postpartum use,  with its deep cleansing effects on the water element. The pungent herbs used in Panchakola * Ghee, used regularly in early postpartum,  are all deepan and pachan – strengthening digestive and metabolic fires and burning toxins.   This herbalized ghee will usually be better than plain ghee for mamas at this time, and is well alternated with sesame oil in food.

Life and Learning in Layers

Being able to apply Ayurvedic wisdom to a specific situation is important.  This is a skill learned in layers.  This includes understanding many explainable and unexplained, but identifiable properties of foods and herbs.  It also includes how they are administered.  Many factors change the value of an herb, including for whom, in what format, and in what season or phase of life it is used.

The Season of Growth

Just like in springtime when everything comes alive and grows so fast, mothers as well as babies need building therapy as an underlying modus operandus! Mom needs to be strong and abundant for baby. And she does have special cleansing needs. Mama and baby need gentle but effective bitter and pungent tastes, yet less of the astringent and bitter, while gaining needed benefits.  All three tastes increase air element, dryness, and they may warm or cool but all tend to be catabolic (depleting), not anabolic (building). In conditions of higher kapha – damp cool or warm – and in climate, season or bodily condition (prakruti and vikruti), choose herbs and foods which are less heavy and clogging, whether plant or animal based. This means, even though the general postpartum rules still apply of more fats, milk, sweet, carb, digestible, sattvic and building influences, always practice discernment.  Ayurveda identifies which of these are best used for foods, when, and how to prepare them. It identifies which are the best delivery methods for best results and preventing complications. Understanding the specific properties helps us chose effectively. By example, in this season we can lean more on sesame oil and use less ghee.  In hot milk tonics, cook turmeric, or anantamool into the recipe and include black pepper.  In sweets, favor more spices in hot stewed fruits, adding apple after first 2 weeks. Put extra black pepper and ginger into the mother’s halva (Sheero) or spice puddings with extra ginger, cinnamon and bay leaf. All of these tips give the cook a palette and inspiration to work with, but also listen to what you are sensing, feeling, and knowing, instead of working just by recipe.  There are general principles which serve all mamas. Layer into this the skills of a more advanced practitioner when needed, to assess and choose for special needs. Speaking of needs! For so many mothers, babies and families, these skills are deeply needed. Will you join us in this work?  Here are two this weekend!

Big Elephant Herb for Maternal Health…

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This featured herb for maternal care punctures tires, yet makes the urinary channels feel like silk!

Tribulus terrestris is one of the most important herbs in Ayurvedic medicine. This “noxious weed” in the US is called Goat’s Beard or Puncture Vine.  Ayurveda calls it Gokshura.  It offers the  practitioner many uses in maternal healthcare, and though found all over the southwest US, it is seems little known in western herbalism. Perhaps because this hard, multi-sided sharp thorny seed (actually a fruit) easily punctures shoes and bike tires?gokshura triptik

I was looking through my notes recently for perinatal and infant health content.  So much to digest and use, so many little known abundantly growing herbs!  T. terrestris rightfully makes many south-westerners give up their off-road bicycle habit, but when ground it makes the urinary system – and more – very happy.

For pregnancy and postpartum food and medicines, the gokharu (gokshura fruit) was one of the staple herbs in village use. It can be given within the first 10 days after childbirth with guduchi for abnormal postpartum discharge in addition to its applications with the common issues of swellings, burning urine, and rejuvenation. It is an aphrodisiac (rasayana i.e. rejuvenative tonic), helps in conception, preventing miscarriage, certain vaginal disorders, impotency, and shows some effects similar to ashwagandha with animal research. Many other applications below are noted for your interest.

A favorite support best known for kidney function among Ayurvedic students, as herbalists, we often study its gentle effectiveness.

For just this herb, we received many pages of information. Here’s a few tidbits (OK, more than a few):

  1. Certain types of lactation problems respond very well to a preparation of gokshura with guggulu (gokshuradi guggalu), to remove poor water element management from waste products in the lymph/lactation ducts.
  2. Gokshura was used in a nutritious sweet for both men and women for rejuvenation. (The sweet component is important to it’s effectiveness for rejuvenative purposes).
  3. The saponin fraction from Gokshura was demonstrated to exhibit a hypoglycemic effect in alloxan-diabetic rats, with a commensurate reduction in serum triglycerides and cholesterol, and a rise in serum super oxide dismutase (Li et al 2002). Vitiation in triglicerides = tired pancreas.
  4. The poor people in India used to make a vegetable dish out of Gokshura leaves (though its use is being forgotten).
  5. The powder from its fruits used to be mixed with other flours to make traditional Indian bread – at least one teaspoon and up to 25% in small batch helps to reduce urinary problems in elders maybe 7-10%. I now add the powder into a flat bread/chapatti, after learning this is standard preventive fare among many village elders. I’m 64 – perhaps one of your village elders.
  6. An infusion is used to relieve painful micturation, to increase the flow of urine and as a vehicle for diuretic medicines. Used also in incontinence of urine.
  7. It can reduce allopathic dosages needed in certain cases. You will have to ask those questions of the doctor directly, he gave one example in the lecture and we asked about many other things!
  8. With black sesame seeds, helps reduce bad energies- circle the person with mix in a bowl, and throw into fire. (Or burn leaves of flax, or keep a bowl of the flax seeds nearby the fragile – helpful for babies, new mamas, the hospitalized, and others. Our unit on Flax brought many new applications for that plant also!)
  9. With Aam Vata (reheumatoid arthritis) – a decoction with ginger and gokshura is used.
  10. With ascites and piles.  The association of water element managements in the body is related to the reproductive system and emotions around the 2nd chakra, some lactation issues, pancreatic function and a cascade of concerns.
  11. It may help with cough and asthma, alone or mixed with honey as soothing expectorant.
  12. It has analgesic effect;  may help with pain from neural debility.
  13. In Paralysis, the preparation called gokshuradi guggulu is particularly good.
  14. Helps dissolve urinary stones an cystitis. Fresh leaves dipped in water can be drank for medicine, as it creates slipperiness to help release. This remedy is also being forgotten in Ayurvedic practice.

Properties of Gokshura

  • Guna (qualities): Guru (heavy), Snigdha (slimy)
  • Rasa (taste): Madhur (sweet)
  • Virya (energy): Sheeta (cooling)
  • Vipak (post digestive effect): Madhur (sweet)
  • Very good rasayan

Effects on body channels

  • Dosha: Tridoshshamak (cleanses all 3 doshas)
  • Dhatus (tissues affected): Shukra, Mamsa, Meda, Rakta (reproductive, muscle, fat, and blood)
  • Mala: Mutra (waste system affected: urinary)
  • Organs: Urinary system, Cardiac system, Reproductive system, Nervous System
  • Dosage: Fruit powder – 2.5 to 5 gm, Decoction – 60 to 100 ml
  • Contraindication:  Should not be given if patient is suffering from dehydration.

Topics for each herb in the Nighantu class include – an herb’s names and citations throughout the ancient texts; when it began to be used; traditional village dietary and medicinal recipes; which Ayurvedic text says what about it, pharmacokinetics; all useful parts of the plant; effect on metabolism in Ayurvedic and allopathic terms with therapeutic uses and recipes; chemical constituents, uses for each of the shrotamsi (channels) and body systems; herb drug interactions; research on it; growing conditions; varietals; and any contraindications.

As with all information provided, please understand this is partial information. Proper use of herbals per the individual case and condition as well as proper combining, timing, and delivery media are all part of herbal training, and very important. This is not meant to replace the advice of a qualified physician nor prerequisite studies in Ayurvedic medicine.

How to use Superfoods for Mamas

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How to use Superfoods for Mamas is a big topic!  And yummy one.  And this post is currently in kinda messy draft version, but perhaps you will find value anyway.  It’s time sensitive, with focus on hot weather.

Shall we share favorites and “chew” on it together? I have my faves, but I also am concerned for how some of them are used for postpartum mamas. And oh my, just starting to think about it, there are layers of discussion so, here goes a few of them.

There are some fun guidelines with food tastes and colors and their effects on the natural needs to balance for the weather, as well as the “season” of our bodies after childbirth. There are some very noteable exceptions, good to know about! And we should look at superfoods for restoring balance when immunity is down but the need for lactation and energy to take care of baby is up.

Let’s do summertime today, as it’s summer here. It is time to keep cool! Yet mother’s digestive “fires” are already low, and need help. She needs special help keeping them burning, and reducing hot flashes is not about ice water, it is about stabilizing, rebuilding body and hormones.

Everyone wants to use ice to cool down – makes sense, right? Not in the gut. Oriental traditions even in their hot climes in South East Asia, India and CHina know, it doesn’t work well. Why, they can’t all explain, but even airplane hostesses at least used to know, never offer a Chinese ice water!

Ayurvedic medicine explains the effect is to constrict digestive enzyme effectiveness, and the stomach itself, and to create indigestion, gas and bloating, depending upon the person’s specific strengths and weaknesses. All postpartum women are extra sensitive to cold temp foods and drinks.

So – how to keep cool without cold temp? Energetically, those foods which are sweet, astringent, and bitter tend to cool us down. Yet those which are really astringent, like cranberry and grapefruit, increase vata and are not satisfying or rebuliding – too cleansing is not where mamas need to go, with so much rejuvenation, lactation, and 24/7 on call duties.  Rose is bitter and sweet, and combines well with more nutritive substances.  It gives it’s properties best in a cool infusion.

Rose Infusion

Veggies with oxalic acid like chard heat. Leafies in general have their own issues, being very floppy and unstable in the winds of change; they more easily get frayed, and that is the effect on early pp mamas. Dandilion too – has to be balanced with oil, well cooked garlic, well cooked themselves, salt, lime, maybe some toasted cumin, and served with a root vegetable like yams – now we are talkin’.

There are exceptions to the taste and color “rules” – like even sweet citrus, pineapple and early season mango heats, except a little lime is cooling. Red, orange and yellow colors to lesser extent as food and drink tend to warm, including beet, except pomegranite which is awesomely cooling. White things tend to cool nicely, and coconut is superiour here. Yet ripe banana for all it’s virtues including potassium, is heating. Everyone wants banana to sweeten their smoothies as if using fruit was better than natural sugars. Food combining wise, you are creating problems long term if not also short term.

Some favorites and how to balance them
Goji has some warming effect. Sweeter, non citrus juices like grape, blueberry, acai, even apple and pear, and especially pomegranite are lovely complements. My fav? Young Living’s Ningxia Red Juice (goji, aronia, blueberry, et al with stevia, low glycemic!!!) 1-2 oz, with 5-6 oz of Annie’s Coconut water with pulp. If you use pomegranite instead, then it combines nice with chia, or even avocado and spirulina.

Acai is more cooling, and some preps less interesting than others. Lovely with pure pomegranate! I don’t have a favorite brand yet.

Banana is lovely pureed in coconut milk or water – how about adding rose water or rose infusion also, or a splash of vanilla, and soaked dates for iron nutrition? Pinch of cardamom is important here, and for early mamas, wait a week or 2 on this, adding fresh grated ginger too. All but the banana are cooling balance and ripe this time of year.

Spirulina and chlorella – if you don’t know their virtues for many things including recent research on benefit to babies used in pregnancy (link to it), please ask our friend google. In the meantime, 1/2-1 tsp in an easy to digest blender drink like grape or pomegranite with a pinch of himalayan salt, and maybe avocado and maple syrup (cooling, honey heats but is GREAT with avocado in cool weather), maybe 2-3 mint leaves too – and some fresh grated ginger ladies for mamas, blend it well and enjoy! A squeeze of fresh lime with the avocado and greens is magic here. These supergreens need help digesting though small molecules, being cold energy. Fresh ginger is more tridoshic and refreshing than dried.

Chia is warming, but the qualities and nutrition both are lovely for postpartum. We see above use of super greens, pomegranate and grape and others with it. If you use coconut with it, will be creamy, yummy, and need both sweet (soaked dates?) and spice for digesting – the standby, grated ginger and or cardamom, are especially good. Or try clove or black pepper! Clove is postdigestively cooling but really helps agni (our digestive enzymes).

Good fats, like Ghee and coconut oil are too, and these two are cooling.  Research years ago linked low blood lipids with postpartum depression.  In many mama’s smoothies, I will add 1-3 tspoons of good fats, not just thinking about efa’s here – choose by taste as well as priority effect. We need good cholesterols for feminine hormones, efa 3s for brain, breast and other functions, and toasted sesame has special flavor and health virtues which are well added to the warm almond milk – curried spirulina smoothie with ginger! That one is not so cooling, but great in damper climes.

Almonds and almond milk smoothies … Almond, vanilla, acai, organic milk and other foods are among special hormone or neurotransmitter supportive foods, before we even begin to talk about the buz around certain herbs.  Almond and dairy milk though, are great places to add these herbs, as they deliver into the deeper tissues for rejuvenation that way.  Serve warm, chai type spices and or soaked saffron and cardamom, teaspoon of ghee with, and maybe some soaked dates.  It is a delicious energy drink!  Avoid fruit and almond together, please; milk and almond is wonderful.

Yoghurt and kefir are sour, especially after first day freshly made.  They clog channels more in early postpartum, and the sour is a taste to minimize for about 10 days.  Then – a thinner yummy lassi (2-4 parts water, with spices and sweet or salt) is lovely, before 2 o’clock, with a vegetarian meal.  Avoid with fruit, especially banana though.  You can sweeten with dates again, which are cooling, and don’t make us gassy as easily as other fruits do with their post digestive sour / gut fermenting effect which interferes with the other digestive stages in the gut.

Carrots are warming, even more, beets. The raw is not a good idea first few weeks after birth. Favor soup! Then? Carrot juice with coconut, and maybe fennel powder maybe great! will balance the heat – Let the fennel hydrate in bit of hot water to access properties for lactation and digestion – and take the temperature chill off the vegetable juice. I’d put pinch mineral salt, tsp or more grated fresh ginger or citrus zest in there, and no greens until her tummy is free of gas and dosha vikruti (imbalance) not showing vata.

This is just a beginning, of course…. What are your favorite smoothies?  What would you do for good food combining and postpartum use?

Think Rebuilding, good food combining, hydrate dry stuff well, use some fat, and some spice that is not too heating or in small amounts, make it fresh daily, and make it delicious!

Finding Mama Medicine & Food in the Rose of Sharon

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Today I snacked on a treat… sweet petals of “Rose of Sharon”, combined with a few iron rich Monukka raisins, pine nuts and I must admit, some dark organic chocolate, in sweet coconut milk.  Exquisite!   In the heat, that is all I wanted for a light supper actually.   But what are the medicinal properties, I wondered?  (Certainly the chocolate is not wise for a postpartum mama-baby.)  A shrub called Rose of Sharon is blooming in my back yard, and I felt her qualities might have gifts for new mamas.

There is much more than expected, for good mood food and herbal supports!   There are stories about  two plants sometimes of that name, with similar medicinal properties and growth patterns.  Cistus Ladanifer, Rock Rose or Rose of Sharon was used in biblical times medicinally.  Hibiscus Siriacus or Rose of Sharon is a relative of Hibiscus and Hollyhock, all in the Malvaceae family, and though little used in western herbology it is well known to the Chinese.  Writing about these helps me honor  them both.

Googling for pictures, we can see here the different leaf structure, with similar large blooms of 5 petals usually with dark red spots on each near the middle, and very

 similar growth pattern as the plant gets to full size, even to how the many buds form at the stem/leaf bases abundantly up the tall shrub’s long stems.  They bloom similarly – both species – from late July through September or later.  Cistus – Rock Rose flowers, above, are more papery.  Leaves of Cistus Ladanifer are more narrow, thicker and with more resinous sticky essential oil (still not a lot) and a smaller, narrower but thicker leaf.  It is more drought resistant.

Hibiscus Siriacus – Rose of Sharon flowers, below, are more demulcent.  Leaves of Siriacus often three lobed and serrated, are larger and make a more tropical looking bushy plant. Although my Rose of Sharon lives very happily in Albuquerque, she needs more watering to keep from drooping than the obviously more resin protected Cistus, which at least one source calls an evergreen.    Hibiscus varieties are definitely deciduous.  Flowers of both Rose of Sharon and Rock rose look and grow much the same, even growing from buds placed on stems in similar fashion.

The shrub and many medicinal descriptions and qualities are similar but it seems the mucilaginous properties of the hibiscus varieties dominate, and the medicinal resin also called Labdanum even in the Bible, is special to cistus.  Dried flowers of the hibiscus family are often used in Chinese medicine in tea form for multiple purposes, including as gentle and mild laxative, although dried powder used in large quantity reverses and can be constipative.  So though delicious and nourishing as fresh blooms for a cooked food item, we should also observe its effects with our clients, after testing on ourselves.  I am new enough eating these I can’t give you feedback yet, except that one of the fresh large blossoms did not make any change in my stool.

Western herbalists do not seem to use these plants much for medicine.  I was delighted to find some pages on Rose of Sharon in a book called Herbal Emissaries: Bringing Chinese Herbs to the West : A Guide to Gardening, Herbal Wisdom and Well Being.  Great detail is there about how the Orientals have used this plant for long time.  In moderation it may serve many uses including gentle demulcent benefits for irritated or inflamed gut.  The flowers may be used externally as an emollient and internally in GI tract support.  It reduces BP, is hypotensive and mildly diuretic, according to the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine quoted on Wiki.  White flowers are favored for their best medicine apparently in both plants.  Flowers, shoots and unripe seed pods can be used in healthy stir fry from all I see and will be experimenting with.

A sticky resin like substance on bark and leaves of Cistus, called labdanum, has been used since ancient times and is spoken of in the Song of Solomon in the Bible, reports the Essential Oils Desk Reference third edition.  There 2/3 of a page speaks of the essential oil called Cistus ladanifer, also called Rock Rose.

The ants were all over my shrub in the spring- it is sweet and a young shoots a little sticky.  But this plant matches visuals for the Hibiscus variety.  Ants didn’t like the neem spray I used, and the plant has gained it’s strength and is not much attracting them now.  It is blooming prolifically every day so I have begun drying some flowers. They are slower to dry than, say, dandelion leaves, which indicates more nourishing than cleansing bio-constituents in them.

So my plant is in the mallow family – as is okra and hollyhock.  Gentle properties are found especially in the flowers of this plant.  “Medicinally, rose of Sharon’s flower buds contain mucilage, a gooey medicinal compound made of polysaccharides, found in most species of the mallow family; think of okra’s sliminess. Mucilage can be used to heal burns, wounds, gastric ulcers and internal and external inflammation and irritation, such as sore throats or urinary tract infections.”  This information and much more is found in the “Urban Forager”, herbalist Holly Richey’s article, Eat Your Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus and Hollyhocks.  I love it!

Reducing to inflammation says reducing to Pitta dosha and alkalizing; the mucilage is reducing to Vata dosha; rebuilding for tissues, and soothing.  Whether it is actually cooling or not, it is gently so, and at least one of these “Roses” may have some prabhav for the mind and cellular rejuvenation.

Cistus ladanifer is an evergreen shrub  say some, and Hibiscus Seriacus deciduous.  The latter growing it appears even more readily to a mature 6 to 12 feet tall and about 6 feet or more in diameter.  Both drought tolerant and love full sun if possible say the growers.  Ladanifer may be very fragrant; Hibiscus Seriacus in my yard is only very mildly so, but still sweet.

Bioconstiuents which stand out are the sesquiterpenes in the labdanum.  Sesquiterpenes among other gifts are excellent at oxygenating and favored for support of brain function.   “The essential oil of Cistus comes from a rose that has a soft, honey-like scent. It is believed to be the biblical Rose of Sharon. Calming and uplifting, it is helpful for meditating and counseling. Traditionally, cistus has been used for respiratory support.  Cistus has an approximate ORAC of 38,648 (TE/L). TE/L is expressed as micromole Trolox equivalent per liter,” according to Young Living Essential Oils company.

Rose of Sharon essential oil, also called Cistus ladanifer, give Labdanum or Rock Rose essential oil.  It is steam distilled from the plant leaves and branches.  It has been studied for its effects on the regeneration of cells, is antiviral, antibacterial, andihemorrhagic, anti-inflammatory, supports the sympathetic nervous system and stimulates immune activity.  It is used with hemorrhages and arthritis, and lifts the emotions.  Mood supportive, VATA and immune supportive – nice!

This essential oil may be – if known as organic and distilled without solvents – for inhalation, dietary or topical use – Topically, up to 2-4 drops can be used on an area, touched on chakra, marma or acupressure centers, and it can be used of course by direct inhalation – rub 1-3 drops in hands and cup over face, breathing into respiratory system.  When using as a supplement, dilute one to four drops in 4 fl. oz. of liquid such as almond, coconut or rice milk, not water; or use in few drops of coconut oil in a blend or in capsules, in clarified butter or other dietary fat.  These are all preferred uses in my opinion, as those plants which are less abundant in oil are costly to use in baths, diffusers, and full body oil mixes.    Up to 10-15 drops can be added to your bath water by first mixing with milk or 1-2 Tablespoons of salt, and then adding to the bath. (Essential oil mixes well with milk or something with protein or fat; it does not mix with water and would float on top of the bath water risking skin irritation.)

For reducing skin aging and wrinkles, a drop can be mixed with night cream or oil and applied to face.  Given possible skin sensitivity issues, I would slightly dilute in some way, if using anywhere the sun will shine much, or with any repetition.  If pregnant or under a doctor’s care, we must advise to consult your physician who probably has no knowledge of this dear plant’s virtues, so I would come prepared with some good source material besides my blogpost to gain his blessings.

Naturopath Ann Hill cites the Bach Flower remedy uses of Rose of Sharon for complete exhaustion with underlying anxiety.  She gives recipes for preparation, and to use 3 drops 3X daily.  I am happy to find this; anxiety underneath complete exhaustion is not uncommon and risky postpartum issue.  We know from Ayurved that support is needed to reduce the Vata, rejuvenate nervous system, support deep rest that transcends the high Vata conditions.  Sometimes we find so much deep anxiety that bringing in energetic medicines like the flower essences as well as the physical food/herb and essential oils help a client turn around much more easily.

Whether we are looking at Cistus ladanifer, or to lesser extent perhaps the Hibiscus Siriacus, the medicinal properties speak of Vata pacification, rejuvenative powers, immune supportive and gentle effectiveness.  The ladanifer in particular strongly whispers of precious ojas enhancing and sattvic effects; special gentleness, rejuvenative powers, physical and mental protective potency.   This journey of discovery brings me to cherish – and use – a little bottle I have had in my Biblical essential oils kit for many years, called Cistus, alias Rose of Sharon.

A little on my neck this evening has been calming and refreshing!   You can be sure the next time I teach about essential oils and perinatal uses, as well about herbs and perinatal uses, these plants will be included.  And I will be exploring culinary uses – stir fries, (the rare even for me, salads and decorating sweets), edible presentations, as dried herbal, and such as in one old herbal recipe for administering flowers of Rose of Sharon, biscuits.  My rose petal shortbread was great – this should be fun too!  I hope this brings you closer to exploring these plants if they are available in your life also.

 

Herbs for Mood – Depression and many related conditions

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Herbs for Postnatal Moods – We use several really good ones.  Front line – I often call on Tulsi with Gotu Kola or another Brahmi tea – serotonin enhancing in Nature’s user friendly bio-balancing way that can be tandemed for month or more before beginning to SLOWLY reduce other herbs, according to some experienced Ayurvedics.  Transitioning off over at least 6 months, according to Dr. Ann Blake Tracy, if on mood meds for over a year.  She does not however have Ayurveda’s toolbox, so I believe there can be more help up front while still proceeding so very cautiously.   (Good results for a few days do not mean all is well – the medicines have stored in high quantity in brain tissues and begin to download in chunks into blood).  So this is just a beginning discussion of a number of mood supportive herbs.

These 2-3 herbs are also gentle at a time we need to be gentle!  They are key manas (Mind) rasayana (rejuvenative tonic) herbs.  Yes, they are safe in pregnancy and postpartum.  Especially for Mamas, I combine them a bit of digestive (ginger, pippali, or even cardamom), with shatavari (wild asparagus root) to potentiate the manas effects (connecting to body/hormones, and enhancing to lactation anyone?) and/or ashwagandha (more root chakra and Vata grounding/pacifying, also helps lactation).  There is controversy about use of ashwagandha in pregnancy, some are big on it, others totally avoid, I take a more middle perspective, in smaller amounts and well combined.  We can discuss that again another post.

Although there are many distinct diagnoses for mood issues after, or before childbirth, in Ayurveda we see a common thread during the postpartum time of high Vata, which may also push another dosha out of it’s right place and function.  We can consider support with herbal foods – a gentle benign tea – and leave the legally appropriate scope of practice in hands of licensed practitioner.

Tulsi-Gotu Kola Tea is on sale – just received the message today – with this wonderful company, Organic India .  I so honor this company – they sustainably employ thousands of families now in India in organic herb production.  They have loose leaf tulsi and brahmi (gotu kola or bacopa both work similarly and are called “Brahmi”).

I learned this from Ayurvedic practitioner of many years, Sarasvati Buhrman – she gives 4-5 drops nasya (nose drops/nasal administration of herbs) per nostril of brahmi decocted into ghee for Vata depression, varying it for Pitta and Kapha, along with 4-5 cups daily of the above tea as front line support while the rest of needed “homework” is being put into place.  I’ve worked with an older woman her family sent me East to support for a week, in severe suicidal condition under Dr Bhurman’s advice, and watched it really help, but please note that nasya is contraindicated in Pregnancy.

And severe cases MUST be under her doctor’s umbrella of support and referral.  Particularly with pitta cases involving violent impulses or thoughts which are highest risk.  There may be risk to baby or mother’s life.  They often have many issues and sources of advice, which can throw them off from prioritizing use of your support, even dietary and massage gets de-prioritized.  So this is offered as beginning discussion on long term project for education and care research perhaps.  We would want to look at the individual’s other issues in postpartum time and prioritize for it all to create their unique herbal formulation, under client’s and Doctor’s OK.  Research projects would start with much simpler parameters of course, and less potent results for many.

How does all this fit in context of a postpartum care practice?  

The following perspectives and the best possible care are especially important!  Mood support is greatly aided with the following knowledge and skills which may be much less difficult to implement than herbal formulation.   A mother’s special abhyanga (massage) given 3 days in a row absolute minimum, or 5-6 days (not spread out, in a row) as a wiser minimum for more serious cases, so helps ground the herbal effects and not just pop back out of benefits to this process.  It is a deeply significant component of postpartum care and of mood supports,  actually advised for all mamas, not just mood challenged, for 42 days daily.

Also deeply important are the rather unique even to Ayurvedic students and many western trained Ayruvedic practitioners, dietary recommendations after childbirth.  You can learn more in my basic webinars on Ayurvedic Maternal and Newborn Care.  Also useful is the e-cookbook and e-handbook for your clients, Touching Heaven, Tonic Postpartum Care/Cooking with Ayurveda.    The advanced 5 hour webinar on Safe Postpartum Herbs is also available, and will be most valuable to those with some knowledge of Ayurvedic herbology.  Those wanting to get started with potent supports right away can begin studying client and practitioner use of aromatherapy.   A 2 hour Essential Oils (More than) Basics class is also now recorded and getting really good reviews – as I must say I expected – even from experienced aromatherapists.

The early post-pregnancy time has been called “The Black Hole in Health Care” by Dr. Jeanne Watson Driscoll PhD,APRN,BC.  It is a big Y in the road, and effects easily last for decades – “42 Days for 42 Years” according to “Mother of Ayurveda” in the west, Dr. Sarita Shrestha.

I must make clear disclaimers to this post – it cannot be intended to replace the advice of your medical doctor or primary practitioner.  Information here is presented for educational purposes and  you must complete your own homework and work within your appropriate scope of practice.  For serious concerns, you may wish to also look at the reports by Dr. Ann Blake Tracy on a well researched website maintained for many years, Drugawareness.org.  She still offers phone consultations if you feel you are having adverse reactions to mood meds.  For some of the heavy social/medical industry implications – The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) is a nonprofit mental health watchdog, responsible for helping to enact more than 150 laws protecting individuals from abusive or coercive practices.  This is not a first focus recommendation for mothers, please; there is a serious political and social conscience and service they provide for those so inclined to work in that arena.

In your service,

Ysha Bhu

Learn Safe Postpartum Herbals with Ayurved

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Why is the ayurvedic compound, triphala and other laxatives contraindicated in early postpartum?  Mothers already have a strong downward energetic created from a vaginal birth and the natural body cleansing of the womb with bleeding after birth.  This downward flow we know in Ayurveda as apana vayu, which governs elimination, menstruation, birth, ejaculation, postpartum lochia, and urination.  Enhancing apana vayu increases the risk of excess blood loss, even hemmorage.  (So does doing too much).   What can we do for the all too common constipation at this time?  Bran, ground flax and other moisture sucking items will compound the problem in other ways.

Mothers need fiber, yes, but in very slippery, soft and gentle not rough or distinctively laxative forms.  Stewed iron rich dried fruits are a great start, and contrary to common iron pills, do the reverse of constipating.   Spice them with cinnamon, clove, ginger and simlar digestives, and serve freshly cooked, at warm temperature for the best effects.  Also add extra fats in the diet – there is a special postpartum oleation therapy which begins with panchakola ghee if possible, as soon as baby is delivered, and continues really for first 3 months.

We will explore more about the basic first 6 weeks herbal foods and their preparation in the Postnatal Herbal foods hands on class.  If you want to expand your studies, use this link to explore our A-Z listings .