So many herbs can be used for support during and after short term stressful events that trying to choose between them can be overwhelming even on a good day. So it's best to decide what you will want to have on hand ahead of time. Herbs are also excellent at supporting the body through long term stressful situations, but the approach for that also requires lifestyle adjustments for best results. For now, let's focus on regaining equilibrium after a sudden shock or event.
Essentially, herbs for both types of situation all come from the same class of herbs called nervines. Lavender, linden, rose, skullcap, motherwort, valerian, passionflower, and lemon balm are all examples. Herbs that are often used for more long term care can also be used as needed in a short term setting, but a few really stand out for short term support.
These are:
Rose- for it's uplifting influence, and it's ability to support a sense of being soothed and nurtured.
Hawthorn- for it's grounding influence, and it's ability to support a sense of calmness and courage (or at least make things feel less insurmountable!)
Angelica-for it's expanding influence (where shock is seen as a type of emotional contraction) and it's traditional uses in soothing anxiety and pains (such as headaches and stomach aches) related to anxiety.
Albizia - for it's ability to calm and settle the spirit and lift the mood. Known as "The Tree of Happiness" or "Happiness Bark" in Traditional Chinese Medicine, this herb has been valued for centuries for it's ability to help support emotional equilibrium. Albizia is also very beneficial for emotional upheaval associated with grief.
I prefer to use albizia by itself (it also gets used a lot for physical bumps and bruises around here), but the other three work very well together in a combination.
One of my favorite extracts to keep on hand for life's sudden shocks and setbacks is a combination (or compound, as herbalists are found of calling them) of Rose+Hawthorn+Angelica. I favor a ratio of 2 parts rose, 1 part hawthorn, and 1 part angelica, but this can be changed to equal parts, or to only 1/2 part angelica (some people may find the angelica makes them feel too spacey). I use like any standard extract, 15-30 drops at a time, either mixed in a little water or added to a glass of warm milk.
Next week, we will look at something that's all to easy to take for granted in our relatively sterile society of tetanus shots, triple antibiotic ointment, and sanitary living conditions. Stay tuned for an article about herbal care for cuts and scrapes!
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
A Guide To Herbal Emergency Preparedness-What Herbs, What Forms, and How Much to Store
First off, emergencies usually fall into one of two categories: short term, and long term. Short term is the easiest: basic first aid supplies, any herbs you use
on a daily basis, and whatever forms you prefer. These can be kept in
smaller quantities, because they are replenished often, and there's not really any danger of shortages. There are many approaches to being prepared for both short term and long term, but in my mind, if I'm prepared for the long term I'm automatically prepared for the short term. So, let's look at long term herbal emergency preparedness.
What Herbs?
As an herbalist I keep a lot of herbs on hand. I have an entire cabinet as tall as myself full of homemade extracts, dried herbs, and other goodies. This gets used by friends and families on an as needed basis. That in and of itself is pretty good preparedness, but there are twelve herbs that I consider my "core" emergency preparedness herbs. I've talked about them in other posts, but they are: angelica, bee balm, catnip, dandelion, elder, hawthorn, lemon balm, mullein, peppermint, rose, valerian, and yarrow.
What Forms?
For each of these twelve herbs, I keep "everyday" stock that's part of my day to day uses, and "reserve" stock, which is for long term preparedness. I make sure to re-order or resupply that reserve stock as the "everyday" stock begins to get low, so that I can simply rotate "reserve" into "everyday" and have fresh stock in reserve.
In reserve, I make sure I have a bottle of homemade alcohol extract of each, and an unopened bag of each herb in dried form. That way I have a quick, already prepared go-to extract, and the versatility of the dried herb so that I can make whatever preparations I might need or want.
How Much to Store?
I chose 4oz as the default size for my emergency preparedness stocks because 1 oz of herbal extract will typically last for a full month at a standard serving of 15 drops, three times a day. Because these herbs are being kept on hand for acute rather than chronic needs (so they shouldn't be needed for more than a few days at a stretch), even 1oz is a fairly good supply. Especially if you are making your own extracts at home, however, it's just as easy to make 4oz as 1oz, and actually cheaper than buying a single 1 oz bottle at the store. So, why not?
The smallest bag of dried bulk herbs usually is a also a 4oz size. One oz of dried herb will usually make 5 oz or so of extract, so as long as you also have plenty of vodka or other extracting medium on hand, you are all set to make more extract as needed, and can also make teas, oils, or salves as required.
The twelve herbs are also easy to grow, so I have many of them in my garden. Because of that, I feel comfortable keeping only those amounts on hand for both myself and my significant other. It would only take one growing season for me to realistically replenish my stores from my garden. I also have plenty of other herbs on hand in smaller quantities, so can pick and chose what I need from a wider selection of stored herbs anyway. Otherwise, if I were in a situation where replenishment would mean foraging because of a fledgling or non-existent garden (such as in the event of a long term emergency that included shortages from retail sources), I would bump that amount up to one 4oz bottle of extract and a 4oz bag of dried herb per person that I expected to be in my household during such an event. It makes much more sense, though, to put in that herb garden you've always wanted- even if it's just a container garden on the patio. Herbs don't need much attention and give good yields even in a small space, so it's a good investment and won't take up much room or much of your time once they are planted.
Next week, we will take a look at using herbs for emotional support during a short term emergency.
What Herbs?
As an herbalist I keep a lot of herbs on hand. I have an entire cabinet as tall as myself full of homemade extracts, dried herbs, and other goodies. This gets used by friends and families on an as needed basis. That in and of itself is pretty good preparedness, but there are twelve herbs that I consider my "core" emergency preparedness herbs. I've talked about them in other posts, but they are: angelica, bee balm, catnip, dandelion, elder, hawthorn, lemon balm, mullein, peppermint, rose, valerian, and yarrow.
What Forms?
For each of these twelve herbs, I keep "everyday" stock that's part of my day to day uses, and "reserve" stock, which is for long term preparedness. I make sure to re-order or resupply that reserve stock as the "everyday" stock begins to get low, so that I can simply rotate "reserve" into "everyday" and have fresh stock in reserve.
In reserve, I make sure I have a bottle of homemade alcohol extract of each, and an unopened bag of each herb in dried form. That way I have a quick, already prepared go-to extract, and the versatility of the dried herb so that I can make whatever preparations I might need or want.
How Much to Store?
I chose 4oz as the default size for my emergency preparedness stocks because 1 oz of herbal extract will typically last for a full month at a standard serving of 15 drops, three times a day. Because these herbs are being kept on hand for acute rather than chronic needs (so they shouldn't be needed for more than a few days at a stretch), even 1oz is a fairly good supply. Especially if you are making your own extracts at home, however, it's just as easy to make 4oz as 1oz, and actually cheaper than buying a single 1 oz bottle at the store. So, why not?
The smallest bag of dried bulk herbs usually is a also a 4oz size. One oz of dried herb will usually make 5 oz or so of extract, so as long as you also have plenty of vodka or other extracting medium on hand, you are all set to make more extract as needed, and can also make teas, oils, or salves as required.
The twelve herbs are also easy to grow, so I have many of them in my garden. Because of that, I feel comfortable keeping only those amounts on hand for both myself and my significant other. It would only take one growing season for me to realistically replenish my stores from my garden. I also have plenty of other herbs on hand in smaller quantities, so can pick and chose what I need from a wider selection of stored herbs anyway. Otherwise, if I were in a situation where replenishment would mean foraging because of a fledgling or non-existent garden (such as in the event of a long term emergency that included shortages from retail sources), I would bump that amount up to one 4oz bottle of extract and a 4oz bag of dried herb per person that I expected to be in my household during such an event. It makes much more sense, though, to put in that herb garden you've always wanted- even if it's just a container garden on the patio. Herbs don't need much attention and give good yields even in a small space, so it's a good investment and won't take up much room or much of your time once they are planted.
Next week, we will take a look at using herbs for emotional support during a short term emergency.
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