Bilberry for Diabetes

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is a member of the blueberry family of herbs. Bilberry, Blueberry and huckleberry are a member of 100 species of the Vaccinium genus of plants. They are found throughout United States in woodlands, and forests.

Bilberries and blueberries are popular food in the summer months. They are a great source for Vitamin C, anti-oxidants, and they taste wonderful. Bilberries make very tasty jellies. Bilberry is used in herbal remedies as a tea, tincture, or syrup. You may also make it as a tea. Pick the berries in summer and freeze them for year round enjoyment.

Uses of Bilberry for Diabetes
The leaves and the ripe fruit of the bilberry species has long been used a folk remedy for treating diabetes. Traditionally, people used the leaves to control blood sugar. The leaves do lower blood sugar, but they do so by impairing the normal process of the liver. For this reason, use of the leaves is not recommended.

The berry is wonderful for people with diabetes. The berries herbal components may help improve the strength and integrity of blood vessels. Bilberry may help to reduce damage to these vessels associated with diabetes and other diseases, such as atherosclerosis.
Bilberries contain potent antioxidant activity. The antioxidants protect body tissues, particularly blood vessels, from oxidizing agents circulating in the blood. Bilberries actually contain the highest antioxidant level of any berry. Antioxidants allow these harmful oxidizing agents to bind to them instead of to body cells, preventing the agents from causing permanent damage to the lining of blood vessels.

Several studies have shown that bilberry extracts stimulate blood vessels to release a substance that helps dilate arteries and veins. This action will help with tingling sensations in the hands and feet. Bilberries help keep platelets from clumping together, which, in turn, thins the blood, prevents clotting, and improves circulation.

Bilberry preparations seem particularly useful in treating eye conditions. They also are used to treat cataracts, night blindness, and macular degeneration.

Bilberry Preparations and Dosage
By adding bilberries, blueberries, and huckleberries to your diet, you have done a great thing for your body. Bilberry is taken as raw fruit, teas, tinctures, syrups and extracts. Follow package directions.

Bilberry Precautions and Warnings
Bilberry leaves should not be taken internally.
Use of the berries is appropriate because they do not interfere with diabetes medications, and they can help prevent some complications of diabetes.
Check with your doctor before taking Bilberry if you are taking blood thinning medications.

Possible Side Effects of Bilberry
There are no side effects to the fruit of Bilberry.
The leaves contain chemicals that irritate the liver and should not be taken.

All Natural Baby Products

In celebration of our first granddaughter Autumn's First Birthday, we have developed a line of pure, natural and organic products for baby.

We wanted to provide a line of safe natural products that were free from chemicals. No worry about toxins here.

Autumn's Baby and Children Product line was specifically formulated for the little ones in your life. The products have no chemicals added, and we use only organic herbs,organic oils, organic butters and pure 100% organic essential oils.

You know your baby or grand baby deserves the best all natural ingredients available, and we know it too.

With our products, you don't have to worry if your baby will be allergic to the fragrance or perfumes in them. We don't use them. We use only 100 % pure organic essential oils to add fragrance. We use no fillers either.

Raising kids is hard enough. Now you have one less thing to worry about.

Thinking of Spring...Red Clover

While writing an article on back yard herbs, my mind turned to spring. Green grass between my toes, and the warmth of the earth traveling up through my body. Ahh, it is a nice feeling.
It is summer in mind, yet in truth it is still winter. We will have winter until at least April.
That does not deter me from thinking about all the herbs in the back yard, that I will be picking again this year.
Red Clover is a wonderful herb. We allow patches to grow all over our yard. When we mow, it is like mowing around a obstacle course. I am sure our neighbors think we are crazy, but we don't mind.

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
Some common Names: Red Clover, Purple Clover, Trefoil, Wild Clover, Trébol Morado (Spanish)

History
A a member of the bean family, red clover has a long history of being a nutritious cattle fodder, as well as a medicine.
Gerard knew it as meadow trefoil or “three-leaved grasse”. Its familiar three-lobed leaves were associated by medieval Christians with the trinity.
During the 1930s, it was a popular anticancer remedy. Red Clover contains phytoestrogens, and it should not be used on any estrogenic cancers.

The crescent markings across the clover leaflets were once viewed as a sign that the plant would help cataracts since, in accordance with the Doctrine of Signatures, a plant’s appearance indicates the ailments it treats.
From the hills of Tennessee, a cancer cure: "Place two or three teaspoons of red clover blossoms in a cup of boiling water, steep mixture until a tea is formed. Drink one cup a day". In the 1917 herb book, Health From Field and Forest, it listed red clover as one of the best blood purifiers, especially in the case of cancer.
The Chinese revere red clover (Hsun Tsao) as a tonic, using the sap to treat colds and influenza. At one time in Chinese history, the dried plant was burned at altars as an incense.

Medicinal Parts
Flower heads of Red Clover contain volatile oils that are thought to have mild anti-inflammatory properties useful in treating eczema and other skin inflammations.
It also contains compounds that help calm coughs and reduce airway congestion.
Some contend that red clover is more effective than soy because it contains two extra isoflavones that soy does not have.
Chinese researchers have proven that the herb kills certain viral and fungal infections, has an estrogenlike function, and is an antispasmodic and expectorant.

Remedies
Apply freshly crushed red clover flowers are applied to insect bites and stings. A tincture can be used internally for eczema and psoriasis. Use a poultice or compress for arthritic pains. Oils, or Ointments are used on lymphatic swellings. An eyewash from diluted and well strained infusion can be used to treat conjunctivitis. Use Red Clover syrup for stubborn, dry coughs.
Its estrogenic effects may be of value in treating menopausal complaints. You can use Red Clover Oil, or drink as a tea.

Cautions
Red Clover should not be taken with Coumadin or other blood-thinning medication. Red clover contains coumarins, substances that reduce blood clotting.

When gathering the herb in the wild, it is advisable to check the blossoms carefully to make sure they are not moldy, or diseased. Be sure to pick where no pesticides have been used.

Dandelion

Most people think of a dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and all they see is a weed that they can’t get rid of.

Herbalists think much differently. They consider it a valuable herb with both culinary and medicinal uses. Dandelion is a rich source of vitamins A, B complex, C, and D, as well as minerals such as iron, potassium, and zinc. The young leaves can be added to salads or a sandwich, much like lettuce. It can also be used as a tea. The roots make a wonderful “earthy” coffee substitute. You can drink it alone, or add it to your favorite coffee. The flower heads can be eaten or made into dandelion wine.

We make fried dandelion flowers that you would swear were fried mushrooms. Yummy!

Dandelion flowers are sensitive to light, so they open with the sun in the morning and close in the evening. The best time to pick them is after the morning dew has passed. Be sure to wash in cool water. Pick the leaves while they are young. Older, they get a bit tough. The roots are picked and dried after the 2nd year of growth. You can dry them in a low oven, or in a dehydrator. Make sure to pick where you know that insecticide sprays have not been used!

Traditional herbal medicine uses dandelion roots and leaves to treat liver problems. It is mainly used for an appetite stimulant, digestive aid, and for liver and gallbladder function. Dandelion leaves are used as a diuretic to stimulate the excretion of urine.

Dandelion roots act as an antiviral agent, appetite stimulant, digestive aid, and may help promote gastrointestinal health. Dandelion flower has antioxidant properties. Herbalists and other alternative health care providers clinically use dandelion root to promote liver detoxification.

Dandelion leaf is a natural diuretic that increases urine production by promoting the excretion of salts and water from the kidney. Dandelion may be used for a wide range of conditions requiring mild diuretic treatment, such as poor digestion, liver disorders, and high blood pressure. Dandelion contains potassium, am important nutrient for our bodies, that is often lost when taking chemical diuretics.

Fresh or dried dandelion herb is also used as a mild appetite stimulant and to improve upset stomach. The root of the dandelion plant is believed to have mild laxative effects and is often used to improve digestion. Studies show that dandelion root may improve the health and function of natural bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract may help improve liver and gallbladder function.

So, when spring comes, and you see those dandelions in your yard, go pick them and eat them. You’ll be doing your liver a favor.

You can also buy the dried herb, but that isn't as much fun as being outside in a beautiful field of dandelions.

The Evolution of Herbs

2000 BC Here, eat this root

1000 AD That root is heathen. Here say this prayer.

1850 AD That prayer is superstition. Here drink this potion.

1940 AD That potion is snake oil. Here swallow this pill.

1985 AD That pill is ineffective. Here take this antibiotic.

2010 AD That antibiotic doesn’t work. Here eat this root.


Author Unknown