Semester 3, week 3, Day 4

 I did my test for Herbs yesterday.  This really makes me feel like I'm going to fail the class.  At least I know my herbarium will get good marks and I'm doing well in the rest of the areas.  I'm going to start cooking breakfast here in a sec. The kids are playing. I didn't get my elder flower tincture started yesterday but I will today.  I also got my red clover herbarium entry posted.  I took a break and got breakfast done and my tincture started.  The nest one to check will be coltsfoot on Tuesday.  The kids are being good now but we had an explosion before breakfast.  Something about my refusal to allow them to use my dining room chairs to reach things they are not allowed to touch. Poor things. Their mom wants to keep them safe. Get out the crocodile tears!  LOL  I got some reading in chemistry done yesterday.  There are 3 chapters this module but they are short so I might be able to get them all done. We shall see.

Since it's been a while since I did my focus on herbs, as a reminder, I go in depth in the therapeutic actions first. I'll leave the remainder of them at the end of the post so the next day I know which ones are left and I can copy-paste. I try to do 2 or 3 a day but if they are short, I may do more. Eventually they will all be broken out.  The list of constituents is FAR longer but some of those are duplicates among herbs as well. Again, my primary sources for these are Hoffman and Griffin.

Alteratives are blood cleaners. This means if you are having problems with absorbing nutrients these can help.  They also eliminate metabolic waste which can make the body feel sluggish and low in energy.

Antispasmodics help with muscle cramps and spasms. Coughing is also a result of this spasm activity so a lot of these herbs are used to relieve cough. Hoffman likes to remind people that just because the cough is relieved doesn't mean the cause of the cough is gone. We should strive to fix the cause, not just the symptom.  Often, the cough should be allowed to happen because the body clearly doesn't want something in there. 

Expectorant is self explanatory but I'll explain it anyway.  The body generates mucus as part of its function but there are times when excess mucous is produced.  This action helps break up that excess mucous.

Diuretics help the urinary system.  I say it that way because it's the kidneys and the bladder. These organs are responsible for the elimination of toxins so if you eat a bad diet, chances are, these organs are stressed.  This action helps.

Galactagogue is something all pending mothers should be interested in.  This is the action that stimulates the production of breast milk.  If you have a baby coming, I did a paper on the benefits of breast milk with the baby's gut. If you can't breastfeed, I addressed that in my paper as well but this would be a great option if you are afraid of poor milk supply.

Nutritive is also self-explanatory. These herbs supply vitamins and minerals the body needs for optimal health.  Many prefer to take the vitamin they buy in the store but what else is in there?  This would be the better option if it's available to you.

Sedative is also self-explanatory. It helps you relax, perhaps even sleep. These are great when you are stressed.  Some can be abused so it's better to find an activity that enhances this feeling but the herbs are available if needed.

I went longer than I wanted to but some of these I've discussed before.  Below is what is left for this herb. Those will be finished in the coming days.  Have a great day!

Therapeutic Actions: Antineoplastic, detergent, deobstruent, depurative, phytoestrogenic.