It's January
and we are all excited about doing something good for our bodies
and ourselves. As we prepare for the New Year and make our
resolutions, probably the most common thought is to get in better
physical shape by exercising and watching our diet.
Preparing for Spring, I would like to continue our look at
the herbs that are in our Dandi-Liv-R tea. I had previously
covered Dandelion (October Newsletter). This month I would like
to introduce you to another cleansing herb - Burdock.
Burdock (Actium lappa)
Description:
Burdock is a member of the daisy family. The deep roots, which
are used medicinally, are brownish green, or nearly black on the
outside.
The plant grows to a height of about 3 - 4 feet (can
grow to 7 feet). In its second year, it has purple flowers that
bloom between the months of June and October. Burdock has wavy,
heart shaped leaves that are green on the top and whitish on the
bottom.
Burdock consists primarily of carbohydrates, volatile oils,
plant sterols, tannins, and long chain fatty acids (omega 3).
Burdock has numerous large "Burrs" in the second
year of growth. These burrs stick to everything like Velcro.
This characteristic caused the discontent of farmers that raised
grazing animals, and so Burdock was all but eradicated.
Medicinal Properties and Uses:
Burdock has been used by herbalists for many conditions that require
the medicinal qualities inherent in this wonderful herb: burdock
root is a diuretic (reduces water in the system), a diaphoretic
(makes you sweat), and most importantly, a blood purifying agent.
It can also be used in herbal salves or oils on the skin for enhanced
healing for burns.
Uses as Food:
Most peoples of the world consume burdock in the root form. It
is used in stir-fries, or just steamed as you would a carrot,
and in soups, like Miso soup. You can use it in your cooking with
anything that you are going to cook for 10 minutes or more. The
taste is very "earthy" and strong, so it is best used
in small quantities and chopped in 1/8" squares. If you grow
Burdock in your garden, you can pick the young, tender leaves
and eat them in a salad.
If you choose to grow your own, plant the seeds early spring
into summer for autumn harvesting (about 2-4 months of growing).
Next Month we will discuss Yellow Dock root, another cleansing
herb in our Dandi-Liv-R tea.
Dr. Bonnie Travis
Chiropractor/Herbalist ~ Palmer Graduate 1984
Website: www.BonnieTravisDC.com
& www.arnicaflower.com.
If you have any questions that you would like me to address in
this newsletter, please email them to me at
drbontravis@gmail.com.
Dr. Travis has dedicated herself to the total health and well-being
of each individual patient, she offers Primary health care services
through modern Chiropractic healing methods.
Techniques include:
Gentle and non-force according to the individual patient's needs.
Services include spinal
manipulation, physical therapy modalities, diet, nutritional,
herbal and hormonal counseling.
