Seating is limited and early registration is encouraged!

Taught by Herbalist and Midwife, Virginia Ahearn

When: Begins Sun March 3rd – A Five month Introduction to Herbal Medicine. Class meets one Sunday a month for 5 months.
Time: 11:30am-4:30pm
Where: New Brunswick* (address will be given upon registration)
Enrollment: $400
George St. Food Coop Members Enrollment: $380

Five month Introduction to Herbal Medicine. Class meets one Sunday a month for 5 months, 11:30am to 4;30pm. Learn 25 medicinal herbs, tincture, salve and oil making, the difference between teas, tinctures, capsules, preparation and dosage, why herbal medicine is different from Western Medicine, much more

Enroll Now:

$400

Co-Op Member Enrollment: $380

$380

If you would rather pay with a check, email virginiaahearn@optonline.net for instructions.

Questions:
732-745-7455 or virginiaahearn@optonline.net

*At a private home, address given to those who register.

Date: Saturday April 6th
Time: 1:00-4:00pm
Where: Yoga for Life 111 Rio Flor Place, El Paso, PX

Taught by Herbalist and Midwife
Virginia Ahearn

This class is relevant whether you are 25 or 85!!

Topics include:

• hot flashes, brain fog, dry skin,
• mood swings, hormonal balancing,
• insomnia, bone health
• teas, tinctures, pills, which to use? What to buy?
• Which books, authors and internet sites to trust and use
• how to integrate herbal medicine into your life with ease.
• Plenty of tea samples, snacks, and time for Q & A

Registration is $20 in advance, $25 day of/at the door

Register here or send check to:
Ahearn c/o Bolsins 5218 Nana Trail, Las Cruces NM 88012
Check can be made out to Virginia Ahearn

$20

For questions: virginiaahearn@ optonline.net or 732-745-7455

Taught by Herbalist and Midwife, Virginia Ahearn

Tentative start date: Sunday April 21, 2013

Part II of Virginia’s 5 month introductory course, for Virginia’s students who have finished Part I, and want to continue to the journey into herbal medicine!

Taught by Herbalist and Midwife, Virginia Ahearn

When: Wednesday June 26th
Time: 7:30pm
Where: Piscataway Public Library, 500 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ
Directions
Website

Topic is Popular Herbs for Men and Women. Advanced registration is requested by calling the library at 732-463-1633

Last Saturday night I had the pleasure of hearing Suzanne Arms speak. She is a powerhouse advocate for natural birth and midwifery, complete with a vision, and analysis of hospital birth and obstetrics, and how we have ended up where we are…which is with a whole lot of technology and not very good statistics to go along with it. The U.S. is far from the top in preventing infant mortality, for example. Some women prefer hospital birth and the medical model of birth, but for those that don’t, it is an uphill battle to make their birth their own, and to keep it family centered.

Suzanne Arms wrote a book in the early 70′s called ‘Immaculate Deception’, a book I read when I was just getting interested in midwifery. She has been the inspiration for so many women to become midwives, and for so many women to take responsibility for making their pregnancy and birth a healthy one so that they don’t end up making decisions out of fear and giving away their power at the hospital.

It was wonderful to meet her and have the opportunity to tell her how she helped start me on my journey to midwifery! For more information on her current project, go to www.birthingthefuture.org.

Impending heat waves have inspired me to share some herbs and recipes for cooling herbal iced teas! My favorite is Hibiscus, available in bulk at jeansgreens.com, or the George Street Food Coop in New Brunswick, NJ.
(Many other sources but these are two easy ones.)

Hibiscus is high in vitamin C, is good for high blood pressure, and energetically is cooling; ideal for a summer drink!

For two quarts of tea:

Boil 8 1/4 cups  water in a pot or tea kettle.

If using a pot, turn off stove, add a heaping half cup
of the dried hibiscus to the pot, cover with lid,
let sit until cool.

If using kettle, you need something to steep the tea in,
pyrex measuring cup is ideal.
Place loose 1/2 cup hibiscus flowers in container.
Pour water from kettle into container. Steep until cool.

Options: Add honey while tea is hot to make it sweet.
Hibiscus unsweetened is sour, like a lemon, which
I find  refreshing but you may not like.

Add peach or apricot juice instead of honey.

Add seltzer to make a homemade spritzer.

Add ice cubes to hot tea to cool it more quickly.

Add a handful of red clover-it has many minerals.

Add handful of rosehips for added bioflavinoids.

Add 1/4 cup raspberry leaf for calcium and magnesium.

Enjoy!

Assisting with classes, helping mix formulas, and receiving private instruction, are all a part of this apprenticeship. Contact Virginia for more information.

I had a most lovely evening last week; I gave a free lecture on herbal medicine at the Franklin Township Library. So many people in the audience had questions, from everything from allergies to menopause. I reflected on how much our culture does not support wellness; everyone is walking around with pain and symptoms of illness and imbalance. The stress of our fast-paced schedules and lives, tires our brains and our nervous systems to the point where they no longer function at an optimal level. When I walk into a pharmacy I look at all the over the counter medications that sells like crazy, and think “Wow, here is the evidence that we are just way, way, way out of balance”.

I was planning to write about herbs for memory this month.. As I mention above, our fast paced lives affects everything about our health, brain included. I have a lot of experience using herbs for memory, and found that I felt much less stressed and much happier about myself when I was not constantly forgetting things.

Gingko, also known by its Latin name, “gingko biloba,” is a vasodilator, an anti-inflammatory, an astringent, and a bitter tonic. “Vasodilator” means it opens blood vessels and increases circulation, especially to the brain. It is good not only for helping poor memory but also for Alzheimer’s disease and premature senility. Whether you are always forgetful, unable to focus when you read or study for tests, or are concerned about an elderly friend who is easily confused, gingko is the herb to try. Its anti-inflammatory attributes make it a wonderful treatment for asthma and allergies. Amanda McQuade Crawford and Lesley Tierra, both accomplished herbalists from the West Coast, talk about gingko as being an overall tonic for the nerves, the heart, and blood vessels, and for coldness, arthritis, vertigo, ringing in the ears, and headaches, where your head feels like it is being crushed like a tin can.

Gingko can be taken as a tea or tincture. It takes some time to affect memory, anywhere from several weeks to a few months. With an extract, follow the dosage on the bottle, noting that quality changes from brand to brand. With a tea, use two to three teaspoons for eight ounces of water. Steep for several hours. Adding soy milk will bind some of the tannins in the tea, which are what give gingko its astringent quality.

Gotu kola, whose Latin name is Centella asiatica, is an herb from India. In addition to helping with memory, forgetfulness, and confusion, it is also an anti-inflammatory good for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and eczema, and it helps reduce inflammation of connective tissue, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It is used in drug detox formulas and for degenerative heart conditions. I loved how it helped my day-to-day forgetfulness and found that just three weeks after I started using it, my return trips from the car to the house for “that last thing I forgot” were drastically reduced. To use the tincture, follow the dosage on the bottle, and for the tea, use one teaspoon of herb for eight ounces of water. Steep thirty to sixty minutes and drink two cups a day.

My favorite herb for memory and brain function is basil. Dried basil in food is not enough for a medicinal effect, you must take the tincture or tea. It is fabulous for menopausal brain fog, and is reputed to help draw THC out of your fat cells. Basil also appears to help those who suffer brain fog due to eating foods we are allergic to. (gluten in particular). I have first hand experience with that, and find basil is key in my herbal regimen.

As always, I welcome feedback about herbs you have tried, what has worked for you and so forth. Enjoy your month!

If you like what you read and want to support Virginia’s work, you can make a donation here

Hello everyone, please excuse my few month hiatus from the newsletter. I was refueling my energy reserves. Since it is spring, I am going to talk about allergies. Whether it is sinus headaches or itchy watery eyes and dripping nose, there is an herb for you!!

As with any health issue, it is always good to address what you are eating. Most Coop members probably know the link between dairy and allergies. I used to eat tons of dairy and always had bad allergies. When my coop friends told me that dairy was the culprit, I replied by saying “But I LOVE cheese, I will never give it up”! Finally out of desperation, I weaned myself off of dairy and the results were clear. I went from always having to bring tissues with me wherever I went, and always being sniffly, to not having to buy tissues at all! Years later I started eating dairy in small quantities, and I am still OK. Wheat and gluten are other common allergies, they prompt a slow insidious histamine reaction, which can remain constant and low grade.

Here are several herbs you can take for immediate relief of allergy symptoms: Eyebright, osha, bayberry. They are all drying, and will dry up mucous and watery eyes. You can take these as teas or as extracts. Bayberry will probably only be found in combination with other herbs in extracts (Those little brown bottles behind the counter). None of these help correct the cause of allergies, they only will provide temporary relief (which is all the pharmaceudical products offer as well.) You can steep up a pint of water, add a total of 4 teaspoons of any combination of the herbs, steep 30 minutes or so, and drink hot or cold. I would not recommend drinking more than a 12-16 oz a day, and I don’t recommend them for more than two weeks. Since they are ‘dryer-uppers’, they can cause you to become too dried out, and the little capillaries in your nose will break, causing very minor nose bleeds. I had this experience once while using osha tincture one September when I was living in a moldy house. Osha helped dry up my sinuses, but I found tinges of blood when I blew my nose.

To treat the underlying cause of allergies, you can use herbs that help modulate, or tone, the immune system. Allergies are the result of too much histamine, which is one of your body’s natural responses to allergens such as dust, flowers blooming, grass, hay, animal dander, chemicals and fragrances in shampoos, household cleaners, deodorants and perfumes, etc. Several Chinese mushrooms are great for toning down the overactive immune response of dripping nose, sneezing, itching eyes, but they are long term tonics, you need to use them regularly for several months or longer. Reishi mushroom is one, also known commercially by its latin name, ganaderma. Chaga, shiitake and maitake are several others often found in herbal combination teas and extracts. There are two types of reishi, by the way, red reishi is Ganderma sinensis and it tastes OK but is not as strong as black reishi, whose latin name is Ganoderma lucidum, and tastes horrible. Reishi is especially helpful for mold allergies. I have taken a lot of black reishi and somehow feel compelled to drink the tea.

Sometimes allergies are worsened by a slow lymphatic system. These are folks who sometimes look kind of like the Pillsbury Dough Boy with lots of edema. Symptoms can be not so dramatic, such as puffiness under the eyes, lots of swollen glands. Spring is a great time to nourish and tone your lymphatic system, and red clover and violets are two great herbs for this. Red clover is a mild blood thinner, contraindicated for those already taking blood thinners. Otherwise, you can drink them freely as a tea, or take the extracts.
And also, drink lots of water. Water thins out mucous.

On May 19th I will be giving a free talk at Franklin Township Public Library at 7pm. It is on Demott Lane, ¼ mile off of Hamilton Street in Franklin.

If you like what you read and want to support Virginia’s work, you can make a donation here

The use of herbs for healing and medicine has been in practice for thousands of years. This knowledge has been handed down through generations in cultures throughout the world, and the effectiveness of using plants as medicine has stood the test of time. Herbal medicine, along with many other forms of alternative and holistic medicine all made a comeback of sorts during the “New Age” movement in the eighties, however, most folks don’t have a clear notion of exactly what herbs have to offer us, let alone how they are used, where to buy them, how to prepare them, etc.

What attracted me to studying herbal medicine was the holistic approach to healing that goes with it. In addition to the radical attitude that each one of us is different with different health histories, different body constitutions, different needs, that all have to be considered in working with illnesses, there are also often a number of herbs that can be used for one symptom or illness, and it is in the choosing and matching of the herb with the person, that herbal medicine also becomes an art.

So, where does one start with herbs? A good place to start is in your kitchen and medicine chest. I always like to tell people about safe, easily available herbs that can be used on a first aid level. It’s always good to have chamomile, peppermint or fennel around for upset stomachs and indigestion. Chamomile is also an anti-spasmodic, and can be used for menstrual cramps, and before bed if you are wound up. It has a high calcium content as well, steep it covered for 45 minutes and you’ll get quite a large supply of your daily requirement. It’s also great for cranky kids, and breast feeding moms can drink it so nursing infants can reap its benefit through breast milk. Fennel is also good for colicky babies.

For sunburn, rashes, cuts, and scrapes that aren’t infected, you can soak the affected area with comfrey root or leaf tea. Comfrey is not recommended if you are pregnant, nursing or have advanced liver disease; in these situations you can substitute plantain leaf. If you’ve just come back from the beach, you can brew up to a quart or two of either comfrey or plantain and add it to a cool bath for sunburn. Comfrey has a cooling, soothing quality to it, and also helps repair and regenerate cells, which is why it’s good for surface cuts. When you brew up the root it has a sticky, gel-like quality to it, which you will feel on your skin as well. You can rinse off with plain water; the cooling effect will stay with you. Plantain has similar qualities, but you may not feel the gel-like feeling. If the cut is deep and/or dirty, add calendula, or yarrow, both of which are strong antiseptics, and are specifically good for deeper wounds. Aloe vera is also good for sunburn, and is a great plant to have in your home. When you burn yourself you can break off a piece of the pant and apply the gel to your skin. You will feel its cooling effect immediately.

Sage is very antiseptic, as is thyme. Yes, these are the very spices you have in your kitchen cabinet, and can be used as gargles for sore throats. I prefer the taste of sage, which, to me, feels great on an irritated throat. It is also part of my herbal protocol for colds, especially when glands are swollen.

Herbs can be used for things beyond first aid. I have used herbs with my own symptoms of stress, excema, PMS, memory, and asthma, to name a few! There are herbal protocols to build the immune system, for cancer prevention and arthritis, as examples. Many folks with HIV and AIDS use herbs along with other alternative health care options to work with their symptoms and build up their immune system. There is an herbal protocol for any illness that you would to go an MD for, it is a matter of choice and whether you are willing to take the extra time needed to follow an herbal route. Herbal medicine, as well as most holistic and alternative options, require you to be much more participatory than western medicine in your healing.

For preparing the herbs I have talked about above, you can use 1 teaspoon of the herb for 8 oz. of water. Steep anywhere from 10 – 20 minutes. This is not a standard preparation guide for all herbs however! Preparation methods vary greatly. I chose herbs for this article that use similar quantities for preparations, for simplicity’s sake. In addition, they are all quite safe, so variations in measurement are OK.

The herbs that I have talked about are all available at health food stores and some at regular grocery stores. ‘Mainstream’ brands such as Celestial Seasonings make peppermint and chamomile. If you don’t have a health food store near you, feel free to call or email me for suggestions on where to order them.

If you are interested some reading material I suggest The Holistic Herbal by David Hoffman, any book by Susan Weed, Amanda McQuade-Crawford, Matthew Wood, Rosemary Gladstar, David Winston, Michael Tierra or Leslie Tierra to name a few good authors. Most of these herbalists have good introductory books (Matthew Wood and David Winston’s books are for the more advanced).

I give a word of caution before ending this article. When talking about herbal medicine, people often say to me “using herbs sounds so gentle and harmless” or “you can’t really go wrong when you are using herbs.” Well, these are some of the common misconceptions about using herbs as medicine. Some herbs are indeed gentle and soothing, however, some herbs in the wrong dose can cause serious damage, and yes, you can go very wrong using herbs. As an example, the herb goldenseal, which some of you may have heard of, can deplete intestinal flora and interfere with Vitamin B absorption, if used over long periods of time. It is also an endangered species, so please think twice before buying it. I advise people to approach using herbs the same way you would using prescription medicine. You wouldn’t guess at how many pills to take or how often, and the same goes for herbs!

With these precautions and suggestions on how to start using herbs, you can begin taking a more pro-active role in your own health care.

If you like what you read and want to support Virginia’s work, you can make a donation here