Semester 3, Week 9, Day 2

I'd like to say thank you to the neighbors for their fireworks last nigh.  My daughter who woke up crying twice really appreciated it.  My son who woke crying at midnight quite enjoyed them.  My husband is  combat vet.  Yeah, he enjoyed them to...  While many people look forward to celebrating Independence Day, I dread it.  My children are cranky today from lack of sleep, though breakfast did pick them up a bit.  I see naps in both of their futures.  We did enjoy a nice meal.  I found huge T-bone steaks at the grocery store, marked down so they jumped in my card.  I'll be eating steak for a week...  LOL  My daughter didn't know what to do with daddy wanting to eat at the table but she realized that was his intent and asked him to come back and sit in her chair and she sat on the table, smiling because daddy was eating with us.  She has always enjoyed her meals at the table. Once they can quit climbing on the chairs and using them to get into things they have not business being in, I'll bring the rest of the chairs out...  LOL 

I went back and looked at the herbs I've discussed and it turned out yarrow was before my daughter hit that delete button so the remaining herbs for first semester are burdock, yarrow and flaxseed.  I'll get to those after I finish with slippery elm.  I had to download the flaxseed herbarium from here because it was missing from my folder!  I also turned in my herbarium already for this semester and he already graded it.  I'll be able to  upload those herbs when I decide to.  I want to review what else is due to determine if posting them would cause me to have to cite myself.  I know there is one more lab due but I think I want to do a new lab rather than use one of the ones in my herbarium.  I went "easy" with them by going tincture, infusion, or tea, single herb, for the most part.  I'll think of something interesting for my next lab. 

Anyway, on to slippery elm!

Diaphoretics: Served as a warm tea, they promote sweating, Served cold, they act as diuretics. These focus on the respiratory system, including sinuses.  There are 2 types: Stimulating drain the lymphatic system to target those swollen glands. Relaxing reduces fevers and skin toxins. They help with acute symptoms. (Griffin, 1997, p. 8)

Antibiotics: Inhibit the growth or destroy bacteria/viruses/fungi while boosting the immune system (Griffin, 1997, p. 7)

Detoxifying: Essentially, the food we eat, the environment we live in (not just during these modern days) have things in there our body can't process or use.  These things may cause harm if left in the body so a form of detox is needed. The body does this naturally but some herbs help with this process.  There are also modified genes these days that interfere with these actions so detox, bitter, tonic, and diuretics may be your friend based on what is needed.

Bitter: Somehow this is not already defined though I've talked about it. The title for the section of bitters is "Digestive System Tonics".  One of the things these herbs that have a bitter taste do is stimulate the digestive system. Bitters actually have a whole-body effect as a classification.  The taste buds trigger a response in the body (other than that shudder). Bitter herbs stimulate the appetite, the release of digestive juices, aid the liver in detoxing the body and increasing the flow of bile, help regulate pancreas hormones, and help the gut wall repair damage.  They also help the heart and circulation. Some are even anti-depressants. Coffee is a bitter.  You're welcome. For people like me who don't like bitter, the list above should be a thought-provoker in why we should "acquire the taste".  (Hoffman, 2003, p. 243, 410, 498-501).

Active Constituents: Acetylenic compounds, sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpene lactones, Lignans (arctigenin, arctin, and martairesinol); polyacetylenes; carbohydrates; sugars; organic acids, fatty acids

That's it for now.  I have a lot of school work to do.  Have a great day!