Adrenal fatigue

[barb keith]

And if you're not sure of it, don't risk picking the wrong plant. I just wish I had it growing here, I know what it looks like.

Glad you're feeling better, Sharron!!!!

[Paleofornow]

Barb - I have bought it in the bulk herb department at the Whole Foods out here. I have also bought the Frontier brand through my food coop.

There is a GREAT herb shop here near me. I buy lots of stuff there now.

I think it's best to buy the dry stuff. I don't have any patches of nettle here, and there are quite a few look-alike plants. People who want to pick their own need to study botany and practice their plant id skills first. Some say three years of field experience is required before relying on ones' own identifications for foraging. Latching onto a more experienced mentor is a good way to build skills - I would be willilng to eat nettles I gathered with you Barb!

Still, it's nice that these things are available to buy.

Glad you like the book, Barb. She gives lots of advice for folks in the pre-menopausal years, but I didn't try any of her ideas until it hit me full force. Even so, I was glad I had read the book first - it was easier to find what I needed when my time came.

The things that have worked for me with my menopausal/adrenal issues are more sleep, a gentler approach to exercise, resigning from big volunteer jobs, and drinking my nettle infusion, in addtion to my nutrient-dense woe.

Alice

Thanks, Barb. I slept MUCH better last night, and dropped those 2# of bloat. *phew*

Hey, Alice, do you happen to have any links about the nettle stuff? This is very interesting

[Paleofornow]

Here's one to get started, Sharron, I'll post more when I can find them. (I'm really awkward using the computer to jump back and forth without losing my post.)

http://www.menopause-metamorphosis.c...le-healthy.htm

Cool!

I won't be using oats as I'm sensitive to them, but I'll look for the other. Too bad red clovers aren't wild in my yard! I have the others.

You know, I think I've seen tinctures of these at the hfs. Do you think that would work as well? I like tea, but I'm not sure I can drink that much every day -- not to mention, I'm not menapausal...???

http://www.wildroots.com/adrenal.html

...answered my own question. Nettle tea for adrenals 2 cups a day.

[Paleofornow]

Here's a link not specifically on nettles, but a philosophy of using herbs safely. This is from Susun Weed, and of all the herbalists I've looked into, I think she's the best.

http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezin...01.htm#article

[Paleofornow]

Sharron - it's so funny, we posted at the same time again! Obviously we both use the computer in the mornings, but you're two time zones west of me, so you sure get up earlier than I do!

Susun Weed has convinced me not to bother with dried herbs in capsules - I use either infusions or tinctures, sometimes infused oils, depending on the herb and the use. Another thing I like about Weed's approach is the use of simples - one herb per preparation almost always. Occasionally she combines two or three.

I used to use oatstraw in my rotation, but I decided to stop it because of the possibility that I'm gluten-sensitive (celiac disease in my family) and also because of my generalized paleo anti-grain philosophy. I still do the red clover even though paleo folks tend not to use legumes. I feel that there is a big difference between dry mature beans and infusion from flowers/leaves. (I guess I'm inconsistent, because the same argument could be used for oatmeal/vs. oatstraw infusion. Oh, well.) I also make the comfrey infusion. Note that there is a controversy about the safety of comfrey. I have read both sides and made my own decision to use comfrey leaf infusion, but everyone needs to do the research and decide for herself. (Today I'm drinking my comfrey infusion - mmmm - I really have learned to like all of them.)

For the herbs Weed recommends as infusions, I do think the infusions are better than the tinctures. The tincturing process (long term soaking in alcohol, or glycerin for those who don't want to use alcohol. The basic definition of "tincture" is a solution in alcohol.) is better for extracting the constituents of some herbs, infusing is better for others. I have used some tinctures - motherwort, St. John's wort, dandelion.

I look up herbal information in several sources to get as big a picture as I can, but as you can see I've developed an affinity for Susun Weed's philosophy.

I just drink it down, like my water. It's like an extra serving of vegetables. We all have to experiment to find what works best.

Alice

[barb keith]

I should drag out all my herb books and post their titles. I have some really good ones too. I should bone up on this stuff too. I haven't read much about herbals for a few years now. But it's in my head. I think I might run over to the health food store here and see if they have some of this stuff.

[Paleofornow]

OOH, Barb, that would be great, especially if you annotate the list to give your "reviews" of the books. I'm warning you though - I've become pretty opinionated.

How long ago was it you had an herb shop? I'll bet you have some good stories. I just love the herb shop in Elmwood Park. Sometime you'll have to come out here and check it out.

Alice

Thanks for the article, Alice. I see now that some of the herbal remedies I took when I was firt learning about alternative medicine a few years ago were actually fairly dangerous for the long term. No wonder my adrenals are shot :o

[barb keith]

Oh yea, the adrenal stimulants, even tho they are herbal, wreak havoc with those delicate little glands. I remember taking ephadra for about 3 days, halfed the dose and still felt like I was vibrating.............so I quit. It wasn't worth it to take that stuff just to get thinner. Plus at that time I was drinking half decaf AND full strenth coke. YIKES. My intuition told me to cut it out. There's something to listening to one's intuition.

Alice, I'll dig my books out tomorrow and list them for you. One of my faves off the top of my head is Prescritption for Nutritional Healing by the Balches. (doctor and clinical nutritionist) They list foods that heal as well as herbs that heal along with the symptoms of disorders. WONDERFUL reference.

[Paleofornow]

That does sound like a good one Barb. I should see what the library has.

YIKES is right, re the ephedra. Thank goodness you were smart enough to figure out you needed to stop taking it. So many people think if it's a plant then it's natural and must be safe.

Do you have any of Juliette de Baircli Levi's (hope I spelled that right)? I used to read articles by her in Organic Gardening magazine and I really liked what she said.

Yeah, Sharron, I have found Weed's list of nourishing through potentially poisonous herbs to be helpful. It's amazing how many books recommend the really strong ones without even stating how they could be dangerous. There is a theory that old-time herbalists would put strong cathartic herbs in a mixture so the patients knew they were getting strong medicine, not because it helped the healing process at all. That tradition may still live on.

I'm going to take her caution about not using more than four herbs per day to heart - even if they are all the nourishing/tonifying ones. I was starting to have too much fun with my daily infusions plus a handful of tinctures.

Alice

I was on 2 different "supplements" for about a year -- one contained several of the dangerous ones, including ephedra, and the other contained a lot more

The only time I had a "wake-up" like that, Barb, was when I went to the HFS and some quack doctor-ish person told me I needed this "thyroid" supplement. I took it for 2 days and had so much energy I was running around like a mad-woman. Then I crashed and it just got worse for 2 more days. Never took that puppy again!!!!!

[barb keith]

My other most favorite herb book is The Little Herb Encyclopedia, The Handbook of Natures Remedies for Healthier Life by Jack Ritchason, N.D. It lists the herbs, what ailments it helps with, what action it has on the body, e.g., cathartic, anti-spasmodic, diuretic, etc., what plant parts are used and any cautions when necessary. It is an invaluable reference. It's published by Woodland Health books, copyright 1995, ISBN # is 0-913923-89-3. Their address is: Woodland Health Books, PO box 160, Pleasant Grove, UT 84062 I sure hope you ladies can find a copy of this book. I relied VERY heavily on it while I had my shoppe. I don't have any of Juliette de Baircli Levi's books that I know of. I'm not familiar with that name.