plants to eat

Excerpt from blog http://www.poitiveimpactliving.blogspot.com/2007/06/medicine-and-first-aid.html


So now I'm going to introduce to a few foods that our ancestors would have regularly eaten.They would have eaten fresh seasonal greens, up to 70% of their diets. That's a massive difference in comparison to what we eat, most of the time there's a pile of potatoes/pasta, a pile of meat (sometimes but not enough times fish) and veg/salad on the side. Well veg/salad shouldn't be 'on the side' - it should be right in the middle along with a pile of fresh herbs'.

People used to eat forty to seventy differnt kinds of 'herb' in their 'sallets' or salads. Including:-Dandelion, lemon balm, mint, lavender, hyssop, feverfew, nettles, marigold, plaintain, hawthorn leaves, blackberry(bramble) leaves, beech leaves, fennel, chickweed, chamomile, borage, ramsons (wild garlic), Linden Flowers, Burdock, Marshmallow, Meadowsweet, Wild Marjoram/oregano, Cleavers, Rose, Red Clover, Sage, Thyme, Yarrow, Yellow Dock root, Wild Lettuce.

I've purposely picked things that we don't have in our diets that people would have once eaten 'regularly'; and this is what they're good for:-

Dandelion - (Use root, stem leaves and flowers) Liver tonic, promotes bile flow, diuretic ( make syou pee ), mildly laxative, antirheumatic, purifies blood, clears skin disorders

Lemon Balm - (Leaves and flowering tops) Antioxidant, antihistamine, carminative, antispasmodic, antiviral, anti-bacterial, nerve relaxant, anti-depressive, stimulates bile flow, lowers blood pressure, use for anxiety, depression, stress, flatulence, indigestion, insomnia.

Mint - (Leaves and flowers) Antispasmodic, digestive tonic, prevents vomiting, carminative, peripheral vasodilator, promotes sweating, promotes bile flow, analgesic, stimulates liver and gall baldder function. Used in ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, travel sickness, fevers, colds, flu, and to improve the appetite

Lavender - (Leaves, stems and flowering tops) Relaxant, antispasmodic, anti-depressive, nervous system tonic, circulatory stimulant, anti bacterial, antiseptic, carminative, promotes bile flow. Used for colic, depression, exhaustion, indigestion, insomnia, stress, tension headaches.
Hyssop - (Leaves and flowering tops) Antispasmodic, expectorant, promotes sweating, mild pain killer, diuretic, antiviral against herpes simplex, reduces phlegm, soothing digestive. uses for asthma, bronchitis, colds, coughs, influenza, fevers, flatulence.

Feverfew- (Leaves) Anti-inflammatory, dilates blood vessels, digestive. Uses for preventing migraine headaches, inflammatory arthritis. Avoid use inpregnancy as it stimulates the uterus. Fresh leaves may cause mouth ulcers in sensitive people.

Stinging Nettle -(Leaves, flowers and root) Astringent, blood tonic, circulatory, stimulant, diuretic, eliminates uric acid fromthe body, nutrient (high in iron, chlorophyll andVit C), promotes milk in breast feeding, (root is astringent and diuretic). Uses - a general, everyday nourishing tonic, for iron deficiency, aneamia, gout, kidney stones, as a blood tonic in pregnancy, diabetes, poor circulation and chronic skin disease. The root has a strong action on the urinary system and is useful for water retention, kidney stones, urinary tract infection, cystitis/prostate inflammation, and swelling.

Marigold/calendula - (Petals) Astringent, antiseptic, antifungal, heals wounds, menstrual regulator, stimulates bile production. Acts as an aid to digestion and as a general tonic, eases menopausal problems, period pain, gastritis, peptic ulcer, gall bladder problems, indigestiona and fungal infections

Plaintain - (Leaves) Anti -bacterial, soothingexpectorant, provides mucilage rich protection to digestive tract, nutrient, antihistamine, astringent. Uses for coughs, bronchitis, allergies, IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome, gastric ulcer.Hawthorn (Leaves and flowering tops, fruits) heart Tonic, improves circulatory function. Used for angina, hypertension, poor circulation. Consult Doctor if using other heart medicine before using this.

Beech (Young Leaves (I eat a lot and they're fine and tasty), and Seeds (not eaten in large quantities) The bark is antacid, antipyretic, antiseptic, antitussive, expectorant, odontalgic. A tar (or creosote), obtained by dry distillation of the branches, is stimulating and antiseptic. It is used internally as a stimulating expectorant and externally as an application to various skin diseases. The pure creosote has been used to give relief from toothache, but it should not be used without expert guidance. The plant is used in Bach flower remedies - the keywords for prescribing it are 'Intolerance', 'Criticism' and 'Passing judgements'.

Fennel-(Leaves and seeds) soothing diuretic, antiinflammatory, antispasmodic, soothing digestive, promotes milk flow, mild expectorant. used for indigestion, flatulence, increasing milk in breastfeeding, relieves colic in babies when taken by nursing mother, used directly for colic, coughs. Avoid high doses in preegnancy because it is a uterine stimulant

Chickweed - (Leaves, flowers, roots and stems) Anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, astringent, heals wounds, demulcent. Uses for rheumatism, constipation, mucus in the lungs, cpoughs, colds, tumors and blood disorders. Externally for eczema, psoriasis and other skiin conditions (along with Marigold/calendula)

Ramsons/wild garlic - (leaves and bulbs) Anti microbial, antibiotic, cardio-protective, hypotensive, anti-carciongen, promotes sweating, reduces blood pressure, anti coagulant, lowers blood cholestrol levels, lowers blood sugar levels, expectorant, digestive stimulant, diuretic, anti-histaminic, antiparasitic. Uses - garlic inhibits cancer cell formation and proliferation. It lowers serum total and low density lipoprotein cholestorol in humans and reduces the tendency of the blood to clot, reducing the risk of blocked arteries and heart disease. An antioxidant and immuno boster. Strongly antibiotic and anti inflammatory. a ghood wound medicine. it protects organs from damage induced by synthetic drugs, chemical pollutants and the effects of radiation.

Borage - (leaves and flowering tops) Adrenal gland restorative, expectorant, increases milk in breast feeding. Uses for coughs, depression, streess, to strengthen adrenal glands after medical treatment with corticosteroid drugs.

Burdock-(Leaves, Stalk, Seeds, Root)- Leaf is Mild Laxative, diuretic. Root is mild laxative, antirheumatic, antibiotic, diaphoretic, diuretic, alterative, a skin and blood cleanser, burdock stimulates urine flow and sweating. root and seed s are soothing, demulcent, tonic, used to soothe kidneys and relieve lymphatics. It is a cleansing, eliminative remedy, helping to remove toxins that cause skinproblems like eczema, acne, rashes and boils, digestiove sluggishness, arthritic pains, supports liver, lymphatic glands and digestive system. The seeds prevent fever, are anti-inflammatory, anti bacterial, reduce blood sugar levels, are a soothing demulcent tonic used to sooth ekidneys and lymphatics.

Linden Flowers - (Flowering tops) antispasmodic, promotes sweating, diuretic, loweers blood pressure, relaxant and mild astringent. relaxing for stress, anxiety, tension headache, insomnia. relaxes and nourishes blood vessels, useful for high blood pressure and heart disease. it promotes sweating and is useful in colds flus and fevers

Marshmallow - (Flowers, leaves and root) Root - Soothes mucous membranes, diuretic, expectorant, Leaf - soothes, cleanses, heals external wounds, Flower - soothes mucous membranes, diuretic, expectorant, soothes, cleanses and heals external wounds, expectorant. Uses for ssothing mucil;age of digestive tract, the kidneys and the bladder, peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, urethritis, hiatus, hernia, cystitis, diarrhea and gastritis. the leaf is used for bronchial inflammations, and forulcerative conditions. The flower is used in a syrup as an expectorant for coughs.

Meadowsweet - (Aerial parts) Anatcid, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, astringent, antirheumatic, diuretic, liver supportive, promotes sweating, used for rheumatoid arthritis, cystitis, peptic ulcer, hyperacidity, gastric reflux, for certain types of diarrhea. It protects mucous membranes of the digestive tract and does not produce the stomach bleeding side effect that is caused by long use of aspirin

Goosegrass/Cleavers-The tender young shoot tips - raw or cooked as a pot-herb. A rather bitter flavour that some people find unpalatable, they are best used in the spring. They make a useful addition to vegetable soups. It is said that using this plant as a vegetable has a slimming effect on the body The roasted seed is a coffee substitute. One of the best substitutes, it merely needs to be dried and lightly roasted and has much the flavour of coffee. A decoction of the whole dried plant gives a drink equal to tea. Uses - Alterative; Antiphlogistic; Aperient; Astringent; Cancer; Depurative; Diaphoretic; Diuretic; Febrifuge; Homeopathy; Skin; Tonic; Vulnerary.Goosegrass has a long history of domestic medicinal use and is also used widely by modern herbalists. A valuable diuretic, it is often taken to treat skin problems such as seborrhoea, eczema and psoriasis, and as a general detoxifying agent in serious illnesses such as cancer. The whole plant, excluding the root, is alterative, antiphlogistic, aperient, astringent, depurative, diaphoretic, diuretic, febrifuge, tonic and vulnerary. It is harvested in May and June as it comes into flower and can be used fresh or dried for later use. It is used both internally and externally in the treatment of a wide range of ailments, including as a poultice for wounds, ulcers and many other skin problems, and as a decoction for insomnia and cases where a strong diuretic is beneficial. It has been shown of benefit in the treatment of glandular fever, ME, tonsillitis, hepatitis, cystitis etc. The plant is often used as part of a spring tonic drink with other herbs. A tea made from the plant has traditionally been used internally and externally in the treatment of cancer. One report says that it is better to use a juice of the plant rather than a tea. The effectiveness of this treatment has never been proved or disproved. A number of species in this genus contain asperuloside, a substance that produces coumarin and gives the scent of new-mown hay as the plant dries. Asperuloside can be converted into prostaglandins (hormone-like compounds that stimulate the uterus and affect blood vessels), making the genus of great interest to the pharmaceutical industry] A homeopathic remedy has been made from the plant.