Prickly Pear : Opuntia spp.

P1010266 (via Earth Turtle)

The Prickly Pear cactus is spectacular in design and function.  The indigenous people of the southwest have used this plant and some of its varieties as a source of food and medicine for thousands of years.  Both the fleshy insides of the prickly pads and the fruits are edible and medicinal.

In the Southwest many people use the fruits to make juice, jelly, candy, and even ice cream.  It has a delightfully sweet-tart taste, and blends well with herbal teas.

The green pads, although definitely prickly, are very useful for food.  They can be added to scrambled eggs, tacos, and other dishes.  The mucilaginous flesh is excellent for diabetics, as it naturally lowers blood sugar in people with hyperglycemia.  It’s truly amazing because it works specifically for hyperglycemia, and does not affect the blood sugar levels of a person who does not have this condition.  To help in lowering blood sugar, drink or eat 4 ounces of the juiced fleshy insides.

This plant is great for all sorts of skin conditions and even injuries to bones.  Once you get the spines removed, slice a pad in half and apply it flesh side up to sprains, fractures, bruises, bites, and burns.  It has an amazing ability to transform very bad sunburns into painlessly beautiful suntans!

A good way to remove the spines is to throw the whole pad in a fire and watch them get scorched away.  If you’re not near a camp fire, use heavy rocks to scrape them off, and be very careful slicing the pad because many tiny thorns, called glochids, will remain.

**It is always recommended that you consult a professional health care practitioner when administering herbs to infants, children, or individuals with serious illnesses.  The Growing Project is not liable for any reactions that may occur.**

California Poppy, Eschscholzia californica

P6290034 (via Earth Turtle)

This is one of the best remedies for all types of insomnia, including: difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, nightmares, pain and body aches, nighttime anxiety, and more.  Make sure if you purchase California Poppy in the store, the product is made from the fresh roots, flowers, and leaves.  Avoid California Poppy capsules or extracts made from dried plant material, as they most likely will have little or no effect.

Sometimes the best advice is brief advice.  So for today, a little bit about relationships…how to keep them intimate, and how to keep them growing.

If you love your partner, show them through your actions. Hold true to your words, and follow through with your promises.  Do simple things that illustrate how special they are to you, and do these things in love, not out of obligation or fear.  If you do something you don’t really want to do, your partner will know.  If you find it difficult to take small steps toward displaying love for your partner, it might be a good idea to evaluate your relationship and consider working through some emotional obstacles that may be in the way.

A few little things that will brighten up your love’s day, and reignite the flame…

• Draw a bath to heighten the senses with essential oils or an herb sachet, especially lavender, jasmine,  and rose
• Surprise them with their favorite meal when they least expect it
• Become active in an outdoor activity together, such as hiking, biking, or nature watching
• Help relieve some of their stress by giving them a stimulating or relaxing massage
• Read together
• Tell your partner “I love you” and mean it

These are just ideas - the point is that simplicity and action will strengthen your bond and keep you on a forward moving path with your partner, full of love, support, and fireworks.  The best relationships are those where partners do things together and for each other.

Enjoy love!

Well known in the domesticated feline community for its hypnotic and sensational effects, Catnip is gaining popularity in the human community as well for its wonderful abilities to calm and soothe.   Catnip is a member of the mint family, and like most mints it has a delightful aroma, direct actions on the nervous system, and healing properties for the digestive system.

The leaves and flowers are used in teas, tinctures, and herbal baths, and they contain Vitamins C and E, as well as the minerals magnesium and manganese.  Making a tea is the best method of extracting these vitamins and minerals, but tinctures will provide the medicinal qualities too.

A Happy Cat in a Patch of Catnip : Nepeta cataria

Catnip may be one of the most valuable herbs for parents of new babies, as it not only nurtures the child to comfort, it aids the parents in staying calm and supportive during times of stress.  Here is a profile of some of catnip’s best uses for children:

• Relieves pain and moves gas in colicky babies
• Relieves the discomfort associated with teething
• Helps babies, children, and parents sleep
• Reduces high fevers as it cools the body (use cool tea, not warm)
• Relieves itching and irritation of chicken pox and other skin conditions
• Prevents nightmares

If you’re a parent, I strongly recommend getting a good supply of dried catnip for your medicine cabinet! It’s good for grown ups too, and because of its high antioxidant content, may prevent cataracts from forming.  Catnip can help with PMS pain and emotional irritability, and can bring on a delayed period. It relaxes tension all over the human body.  Don’t forget to share with your cat!

To make catnip tea, add 1 cup of boiling water to 2 tablespoons of dried catnip in a jar. Cover, shake, and let steep for 30 minutes.  Strain well, store in the refrigerator.

*These are recommended guidelines only, and are not intended to replace professional care*

To treat infants: 1/2-1 teaspoon 3-4 times per day, more as needed for acute situations (combine with mother’s milk, formula, or cereal)

For children: 1/4 cup 45 minutes before bed time, or 3-4 times per day for fever

For adults: 1 cup 45 minutes before bed time, half an hour before nursing a colicky baby, or just before meals

-Soak a soft cloth in warm catnip tea and apply to a colicky baby’s tummy, or give a child a catnip bath when s/he has any type of emotional or physical discomfort - soak their worries away

**It is always recommended that you consult a professional health care practitioner when administering herbs to infants, children, or individuals with serious illnesses.  The Growing Project is not liable for any reactions that may occur.**

While on vacation, I decided to take the abundance of free time to gather new herbal information on a daily basis.  Already I have spent several days reading thoroughly about the medicinal qualities of specific plants, most of them being plants we reviewed in my recently completely herbalism program.  I chose plants with whom I was already familiar, but which I had not fully experienced in literature or practice, so that I have the ability to obtain new information to supplement what I learned in school.  I think it’s a good idea to begin posting bios of these herbs each day.  Until I return home to my much missed library, I have three books on hand in addition to my herbalism binder. I strongly recommend them to ANYONE interested in using herbs for improving their health and livelihood. These books are: Rosemary Gladstars Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health, James Duke’s The Green Pharmacy, and Matthew Alf’s 300 Herbs.

Marshmallow : Althea officinalis

Marshmallow is one of those wonderful herbs that can be used to prevent and treat a wide variety of medical conditions and injuries, as well as providing an excellent array of nutritional components, depending on how it is prepared.  Although my personal use of it is unfortunately minimal, I can’t wait to get some fresh and dried, and begin using it on a daily basis.

The roots of this plant are most widely used for their high mucilage content, but the leaves and flowers contain medicinal properties as well.  Even though both fresh and dried plant parts are very beneficial, obtaining the fresh roots will make a very potent and magical medicine.

Mucilage is a phytochemical made of polysaccharides, which are carbohydrates.  When you think of mucilage, think of the juicy, jelly like substance in the leaves of the aloe plant and most cactus varieties, as well as what’s found in flax seeds and psyllium husks. Mucilage is gooey, edible,  and fantastic for a great deal of human conditions-safe for infant humans and elder humans alike!

Because of its high mucilage content, marshmallow is most notably used for its ability to soothe, repair, and tonify irritated or injured mucous membranes.  Marshmallow restores the natural linings of the respiratory, digestive, and genito-urinary tracts, making it capable of alleviating the painful symptoms of such concerns as: bronchitis, heartburn, ulcers, bladder infections, yeast infections, inflamed prostate, painful nerve conditions, and more. It also slows down the intestines in cases of diarrhea, and aids movement in constipation.

Marshmallow contains pectin, a water soluble dietary fiber also found in apple skins (commonly used for making jams and jellies).  The pectin availability makes this an excellent herb for individuals with diabetes, because pectin has a reputation for naturally lowering blood sugar.

As if all of these qualities aren’t enough, the roots of Althea offinalis are an excellent source of Vitamins A and B Complex, Calcium, Zinc, and Iodine.

To use Marshmallow, I strongly suggest making a tea, preferably a cold infusion.  The phytochemicals present in marshmallow may break down more rapidly, therefore becoming less active, if hot tea is prepared.  While many respected herbalists mention using a tincture of Marshmallow, my opinion is that a water solution is the best way to get the vitamins, minerals, and mucilage content from the plant, because these are not extractable in alcohol.

To make the tea, follow these directions:

Place 2 Tablespoons Dried or 1 Cup Fresh Marshmallow and 1 Cup of Cool Water in a glass jar and shake well.  Allow to sit covered for at least an hour, or overnight to get the most minerals.   Strain well, and store in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.  You can make a batch large enough to last a few days.

*These are recommended guidelines only, and are not intended to replace professional care*

For adults: Drink 1 cup 3-4 times per day

For children: Drink 1/4 cup 3-4 times per day

For infants: Drink 1/2 -1 teaspoon 3-4 times per day (combine with mother’s milk, formula, or cereal)

-For skin irritations and rashes, soak a soft cloth in the tea and apply it to affected area

**It is always recommended that you consult a professional health care practitioner when administering herbs to infants, children, or individuals with serious illnesses.  The Growing Project is not liable for any reactions that may occur.**

“It does not matter how slow you go, as long as you do not stop.” ~Wisdom of Confuscious

This quote interestingly enough keeps popping up on my dashboard. How appropriate!

As I’m sitting here listening to the soothing sound of falling rain in central Virginia, I’m reminded of the obstacles I’ve overcome, and those certainly ahead of me.  I keep returning to the notion of slow starts…and my previous post, created quite a while ago, is definitely reminding me that I may be…a procrastinator.  Believe me, I have no intention of being a procrastinator, and there is so much information I’ve received over the past year just dying to be shared, but alas I have waited for this moment to begin the website journey.

I have to take the last part of that sentence back though, because I did try to do this about 14 months ago, and have been seriously thinking about continuing ever since then.  Even though it’s hard for me to admit, I am human, with human flaws and human character traits, human distractions and human desires.  What I think I’ve learned over the past year of just ‘thinking about’ The Growing Project is this: stay true to yourself when establishing your personal goals.

I recently picked up a book in The Aquarian bookshop in Richmond, Virginia (awesome place, stop by if you’re in the area) titled “No Excuses,” by Dr. Wayne Dyer.  It’s a children’s book about not letting your words and thoughts get in the way of what you want. Well, another thing I must confess is that I have been doing just that for the past year, blaming my lack of website work on my confusion over new software and website design, lacking the time because of school work, and not having anything ‘ready’ for public presentation, and an assortment of other dilemmas.  Just a few months ago I began to accept that TheGrowingProject.com is my responsibility and that I can’t place blame anywhere, not even on myself, and I just have to face it and do it.  After reading “No Excuses,” all the way through, it was reinforced that I must stop making excuses because they are the biggest obstacles of all - much bigger than those I had imagined.

In searching for reasons to explain why we are not doing the things we really want to do, we are creating excuses, and not being true or fair to ourselves.  Not only would it be more time efficient to avoid this common practice, we would find ourselves much more productive and happy, because our actions would actually be aligned with our desires, and keeping us on the path to reaching our goals.

Slow starts are much better than no starts, that’s for sure.  Just as important as not excusing ourselves from inaction is not criticizing that lack of action. Sometimes the time isn’t right, or the idea hasn’t ripened, or resources aren’t available (tangible and intangible).  The famous quote, “You are your own worst critic” exists for a reason, but every person in this world would benefit from criticizing themselves quite a bit less.  When the little lightbulb turns on over your head, get excited, build the momentum, and do a lot of brainstorming or journaling about the idea.  Take your time exploring your options, and don’t forget to give yourself credit for what you want to do.  Staying positive about yourself and your accomplishments, those of the past and future, will surely help keep the momentum going to get your next project or idea underway.  All of this is true no matter what you are considering, whether it is a hobby, a new career opportunity, a new outlook on your health, or even if you’re just planning a birthday party.

Attaining a goal can give you an amazing feeling of achievement, but your journey toward that goal will be what shapes you as a person.  So even if your goal doesn’t come to fruition just the way you expected, look at the whole situation as an opportunity you’ve had for growth, and consider how much you’ve learned about yourself along the way.  If you stay true to yourself and praise your efforts, you will always reflect on your overall experience as having a positive impact on your life.

Hedgehog Cactus, Superstition Wilderness, Arizona

Slow start…but Coming Soon!