Thursday 30 July 2015

Herbal Trip to Iceland


I could not be more fortunate than having my first trip to Iceland in the company of my colleague Lára Jónasdóttir and her husband Tim Morrissey who is a geologist. The warm hospitality of Augusta and Jonas (Lara’s parents) framed all of the herbal and landscape outings along with the welcome of their friends and herbal colleagues along our travels.

The wild flowers were in abundance, the Blue Lagoon of hot springs and mud packs were great fun, natural geysers and a trip to meet the Director of Floral and Horticultural studies brought me to the unsuspected vision of bananas growing in Iceland.
The herbs of Iceland are both familiar and strange. Familiar because many of the same herbs are common in Ireland but the herbs are adapted to the long cold winters and short summers with long light-filled days. So the seasons are condensed. I was not prepared for the profusion of wild flowers and herbs.

The Silver Birch is much more aromatic and full of flavour and is in fact used to flavour soft cheeses. Traditional indications for the Silver Birch are similar  between our two countries for arthritis and inflammation.


Our cleavers , Galium aperine (photo to the left) are not found in Iceland, these are known as Robin Run the Hedge or Sticky Willy Back at home and are traditionally used for encouraging lymph flow. Here in Iceland they use a closely related herb called Lady’s Bedstraw ,Galium verum (photo to the right) for the same indications.




Rhodiola rosea does grow wild here and is much loved by the sheep, hence it is hard to find. I did see it growing in the Botanic Gardens in Reykjavík. This is a lovely place to visit, if only for the wonderful café.

Geum Urban
Emerging Beech
There are not many herbalists practising herbal medicine in Iceland, but they create a big impact:


Anna Rósa Róbertsdóttir has written a beautiful fully illustrated book on Icelandic medicinal herbs. She includes both the traditional therapeutics and scientific information. She has a clinical practice and a best selling range of creams available in pharmacies and health food shops throughout Iceland. She makes many of the medicines she uses in clinical practice.




Kolbrún Björnsdóttir also makes many medicines, she has a beautiful herbal dispensary in Reykjavík and dispenses mainly powders and capsules alongside her clinical practice. She has written a beautiful herbal nutrition book.
  
I am inspired to make more of the herbal riches that grow on our own doorstop. 



Wednesday 8 July 2015

Herbal Bitters for Hangovers and Over-Indulging

Longer days, later nights, over-eating, too much alcohol and increased socialising gives your immune and digestive system extra work to do.



With this in mind I created a blend of herbal bitters to help combat the effects of over-eating and hangovers. The bitters are great for any type of digestive issues and can be used as a general tonic. It is especially good if you feel that your body is in need of a detox.

The blend comprises of the following herbs:

Dandelion root 

Dandelion root is a great digestive tonic and is used for stimulation the bile. Bile regulates healthy functioning of the bowels. The dandelion is a a great source of vitamins A, B, C and D and the minerals iron, potassium and zinc. The root is generally richer in minerals than the leaf which is richer in vitamins.




Gentian

Gentian is a common flavouring for bitter foods and drinks.
You may have tasted bitters on your travels abroad as they are common after dinner aperitifs. Gentian has a beautiful flower and is commonly used to stimulate digestive juices. There is an abundance of Blue Gentian to be found in the Burren in the West of Ireland, but do not pick it as it is protected! For medicines we use Yellow Gentian (Gentiana lutea).
Use caution if you have excess stomach acid (digestive upset relieved by antacids) although in my experience Bitters in a blend with other digestive herbs rarely causes problems. Introduce them very slowly and see how you get on.

Ginger


Probably the best known of the herbs, ginger is a great herb for any type of sickness or nausea. It is also used to promote sweating and to get the circulation going. In my opinion it also tastes great. The parts of the ginger used for medicinal purposes are the rhizome
(root like system) and the root.



Milk Thistle

Milk thistle has enjoyed a great reputation as the herbal cure for hangovers and is used for chemical toxic liver damage, jaundice, and inflammatory liver disease. It improves liver enzyme function and this action is supported by research. For digestive issues it works well for loss of appetite, dyspepsia and gallbladder complaints, diabetes and diseases of the spleen. Like all herbs, milk thistle works better with the right blend of certain herbs for the specific ailment than alone. In particular I rarely use Milk Thistle without accompanying Dandelion Root.



Meadowsweet

Meadowsweet is a common wild flower in Ireland. It has a form of salicylates that are not damaging to the gut. In fact other constituents of the herb are soothing for the gut. It flowers between June and September and can be found on roadsides, damp meadows  and near streams. It has a beautiful perfume. It is a  helpful for indigestion and heartburn. It also promotes urine flow..






Peppermint

Everyone knows the taste of Peppermint from toothpaste or chewing gum. The leaves and the stems are used as medicines. Peppermint helps with belly cramps and wind. It is also a good herb for tension headaches and gallbladder complaints because of it's antispasmodic effects.
Peppermint is cooling because it disperses heat via sweating if you have a fever, this accounts for its widespread use in management of 'Flu (along with Yarrow and Elderflower.





Silver Birch

Both the leaves and the bark of the silver birch trees are used in herbal medicine. The main reason I chose the silver birch tree is because it is a great herb for aiding eliminatory processes.

  

I hope that you find this blog post helpful. Summer is a great time to see Ireland in full bloom and to have a go at foraging some of nature's natural medicines.

Why not start by picking a few of the dandelions in your garden and make a tea out of it?

For any futher information about using herbs for family health view our Open Access Introduction to Herbal Medicine course  http://www.healthandherbs.ie/herbal-medicine-education