Herbalist Lise Wolff Has a Website!

Lise Wolff is my teacher and a fabulous herbalist. She now has a website, and it's beautiful. Do check it out...Herbalist Lise Wolff.

There's even a picture of me gathering nettles in my blue rain coat on the "Classes" page! That was taken during the Three Seasons of Herbal Wisdom class I took with Lise in 2005, which was my primary herbal learning experience, covering an entire year of learning and making medicines with plants.

The Wet Socks Treatment

The usual reaction people have given me to the idea of this wet socks treatment is horror. "I'm sick and you're saying I should put cold wet socks on my feet?!" Well, yes, I think it's something to try. Let me explain it...

We first heard about the Wet Socks Treatment from a local naturopath. Our son Elijah had a lot of ear infections (monthly) in his first and second years of life. We tried everything we knew to try, including seeing this naturopath. When she recommended the wet socks, however, I think we tried it one night but I had the feeling I was torturing my child with cold wet socks so I never followed through on subsequent nights or tried it again.

But then last month, when I had that cough I referred to in the last post, I decided to try it on myself after reading about it in a book on my shelf, An Encyclopedia of Natural Healing for Children and Infants by Mary Bove, N.D. She recommended the wet socks treatment as one possible treatment for bronchitis, which I felt I had and which I was desperate to heal without antibiotics. And you know, the treatment wasn't bad at all. It felt pretty good, in fact, and certainly not uncomfortable. And in the morning when I woke up with dry and warm feet, I did feel much less congested and my cough was easier.

You must follow the steps exactly, though. Here is what you do, and then I'll explain the thinking behind this simple home remedy:

Equipment:
Cotton Socks (wet)
Wool Socks (dry)
Sinkful or bucket of very cold water
Tub or bucket of very warm water
A warm bed

1. Put cotton socks (they don't need to be 100% cotton, just mostly) in a sink of cold, even iced if you want, water. Another option: Mary Bove, in the book above, uses yarrow flower tea to soak the socks in, but I just used water. Yarrow flowers would get the circulation moving even better though. Let the socks soak till they're saturated.

2. Place your feet in a tub or bucket of very warm water, to warm the feet. Soak your feet as long as you want, but make sure the water stays warm and so do your feet.

3. After feet are warm, ring out the cotton socks and put them on your feet.

4. Have the dry wool socks right near you so you can them immediately put them on over and completely covering the wet socks.

5. Go right to bed, making sure the feet stay warm.

6. Do this for three nights in a row. You should feel relief from congestion, as well as dry and warm feet, in the morning.

What Herbalist and Naturopath Mary Bove says in the book is that "this will lessen congestion as the child sleeps." When I googled "wet socks treatment" I found the Bastyr Center for Natural Health site recommending it. It's very much a naturopath thing, as far as I can tell! The Bastyr Center says this:

A natural method of stimulating the immune system and zapping a cold or flu
is called the “wet sock treatment.” The treatment, which is commonly prescribed
by physicians at Bastyr Center for Natural Health, involves putting
on ice-cold socks and … are you ready for this? … sleeping in them!

It may sound strange, but it works because it rallies the body’s
defenses, according to Jamey Wallace, ND, clinic medical director at Bastyr Center for Natural
Health. And the best part about it is that it uses the healing power of nature
and doesn’t cost
anything.

The treatment is known as a "heating compress,” meaning that it's up to the
body to heat the cold, wet socks, says Dr. Wallace. “The body reacts to the cold
socks by increasing blood circulation, which also stimulates the immune system.
You have to ‘rev up’ the immune system, so it’s ready for battle against the
affliction or condition.”

This treatment acts to reflexively increase the circulation and
decrease congestion in the upper respiratory passages, head and throat. It also
has a sedating action, and many patients report that they sleep much better
during the treatment. The treatment is also effective for pain relief and
increases the healing response during acute infections.

The wet sock treatment is used in conjunction with other modalities to
treat inflammation, infection or soreness of the throat, headaches, migraines,
nasal congestion, upper respiratory infections, coughs, bronchitis and sinus
infections.

It’s best to start the wet sock treatment on first day of an illness,
ideally repeating it for three nights in a row. People with chronic conditions
or a compromised immunity should consult with a doctor before starting the wet
sock treatment. Dr. Wallace also points out, “The wet sock treatment is only one
component of an integrated treatment plan that includes hydration, proper
nutrition and immunity-boosting supplements.”

(Or, in my case, skip the supplements and use herbal remedies. I'm not a big believer in vitamins.)

Do you remember the scene in the latest movie version of Little Women--the one that stars Winona Ryder and Susan Sarandon--in which sister Beth is almost dead from scarlet fever and Marmee whisks in from traveling and immediately feels Beth's feet? Her feet are ice cold while her head is burning with fever. Marmee immediately uses a remedy which is similar to this wet socks treatment, though I can't say for sure if it's exactly the same thing. Cold water and vinegar on the feet bring the fever down and out, and in the case of Beth it broke the fever and she was healed.

I think the wet socks treatment is an important home remedy for people to know about. It's simple, cheap and can be very effective in easing respiratory congestion and fever. In my case of bronchitis, it really seemed to help. The next morning, I was much less congested. I repeated the treatment for three nights, as recommended, and each morning I was a little better than the day before.

A person with very little herbal or medical knowledge could try this treatment and it might just provide deep healing!

Easing My Own Cough

I've had this cough for a week now. It's worse in the morning when I wake up, and at night when I lie down to sleep. For a couple days I had chest pain with it and at times I could even hear a rattling in my lungs when I breathed and/or coughed. So it's been a fairly deep chest cough.

I haven't gotten really sick with it, have even tried to do too much at times--like getting ready for, attending and hosting a neighborhood Christmas party on Saturday, as well as seeing some herbal clients and doing the usual mom things. I think I haven't gotten really sick and I've been on a good path of recovery due to a few things I've done, however. The list follows:

One, I saw my chiropractor earlier in the week before the cough even showed itself. He found a spot on my back, lung area, that needed to be adjusted (he uses one of those metal things that "pop" and release tension). I'm sure his releasing that spot has helped the gunk in my lungs flow better in the first place.

Two, I've been drinking lots of hot water with honey and lemon in it. Maybe three large mugs of this a day, interspersed with my favorite hot black tea a couple of times a day. Honey itself, especially if it's local and minimally processed, is very good for viruses and bacteria. It's anti-biotic and even doctors around here recommend it instead of cold medicine for kids (now that the FDA has banned cold medicines for kids).

Three, I made up and have eaten most days a chicken soup with our 24-hour simmered bone broth, onions, garlic, celery, carrots and a bit of chicken meat. I seasoned only with salt and lots of pepper, and added a scant tablespoon of barley miso paste to the bottom of my soup bowl. Miso is a salty fermented paste common to Asian diets. It's nutritious and added a lot of flavor to the soup. You're not supposed to cook it, just add it to your soup bowl and stir it in the hot soup where it melts.

Fourth, each night before bed I've been drinking a small amount (maybe a shot) of my Elderberry Liqueur. The recipe for that is in my Elderberry post. The liqueur is very warming and soothing to the throat, and it just plain tastes good. It really quieted my cough before bed.

Also, the Elderberry is a premier remedy for treating colds and flu viruses because it prevents viruses from "spiking" on healthy cells, therefore shortening the lifespan of viruses. As I said in my Elderberry post, I was taught by my teacher Matt Wood to think of it as a "tubular remedy", clearing the tubes of the body as in the respiratory and digestive "tubular" systems.

And finally, I've rested every chance I could. This is not easy to do when the lists are long. However, I took at least one or two good naps this week, and yesterday I sat and watched movies, read or knit all day and didn't leave the house or do any chores at all. Of course that leads to feelings of guilt or unworthiness in many of us, but I did my best to overcome those feelings and just say "I'm sick and I must get well!"

And so I am. Those are just some simple, inexpensive ways to protect and better your health this winter. Honey, lemon, hot beverages, chicken soup, Elderberry and rest. If we can just remember to do those things we may not need more intervention much of the time.

Pain From An Herbalist's Perspective

Some notes from a class I took last night, entitled "Pain from an Herbalist's Perspective", lecture by Lise Wolff, Registered Herbalist, M.Sc., in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I haven't really had time to process this, so I am just jotting down notes I'd like to highlight and adding a few thoughts of my own. This is part of my processing, but also a way to share these thoughts with others.


"Pain tells us something is wrong in the body and needs help."


"Herbs don't necessarily kill the pain but help the origin of the pain, by resuming flow in the system."


"Pain blockers (acetiminophen, ibuprofen, acid reducers, etc.) 'shut your body up' and that's not good." There is always an underlying cause that, if addressed, will bring you to better health.


Different people respond differently to pain. Pain always has an emotional component--indeed we FEEL pain. In a way, it is "all in your head", but unlike in conventional medicine that is not said with disrespect here. It is necessary to treat the emotions as well as the physical body when there is pain.


Whereas conventional medicine sees pain as a "malfunction of the nervous system", herbalists believe it's a good thing your body is showing symptoms.


Cancer is one of the only times when there is little or no pain to signal that something is wrong. Cancer is indeed a great scourge of our time. Have we not previously been listening to our bodies? Is cancer the end result of that? (Note: this in now way is said to place blame on any one person for their cancer, or another person's cancer. Cancer looked at in this way is a systemic problem, particular to our current culture. Placing blame, therefore increasing bad feelings and tension, is a terrible thing to do in this instance!)


We don't want pain to be chronic. Oftentimes herbalists give herbal remedies to "relax the body, so it can then repair itself more easily", doing its intended job and relieving the pain.


Paracelsus (1493-1541, whom many feel is the founder of modern medicine, herbal medicine and homeopathy) said "Where nature creates pain, toxic substances have accumulated and want to be eliminated." This is a call to restore flow to the body, to ease its job of ridding itself of toxins.


And get this! We have in our brain receptors for cannabis! That is, pot, marijuana. As Lise said, "what this means is that we (humans) have a long term relationship to pot." Cannabanoid receptors actually shut off our memory, so that we can release stress and our body can heal. For more info. on that, read Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan.


But don't smoke pot! Use herbs and flower essences. They can do the same thing, without the harmful side effects.


Now, there are many herbs and flower essences that can help with pain. But in the style of herbal medicine that I practice, we look for specifics not generalizations. Because each person has a different response to pain, and because the physical symptoms are a result your entire lifetime of physical and emotional responses, there is no way to generalize the right herb for someone. So, I offer no specific herbs to this discussion. However, I will say that a big goal here is to relax the body. If you can find an herb that will help you relax, and don't overuse it, that will allow your body to start its process of repair.


And not just herbs and flower essences can be used here. As we know there are many ways to relax, from meditation and yoga to journaling to knitting and many more. Take naps more often. Take a walk and blow off steam. Find the best ways for you to relax.


And of course, seek medical attention if your pain is severe and/or chronic and you need help.

An Award!

Thank you, Mon, for this award and your very kind words about me and my blog. I love this stuff! Every time I think of giving up blogging, I realize I love the community of bloggers that I've found too much to "throw in the towel" completely. I love Mon's blog, Hearth Herbalist, so much and it's cool to converse regularly with someone in the Balkans. The globalization of our world through the internet is truly one of the newest wonders of the world. It's awesome!

The rules of this award are:-

1. Put the award logo on your blog or post (right click on award, save as)
2. Nominate at least 1 blog that you consider to be Uber Amazing!
3. Let them know that they have received this Uber Amazing award by commenting on their blog
4. Share the love and link to this post and to the person you received your award from

Mon, I'd choose you in a second but since you already won this award I'll pick another:

A blog I've recently discovered and fallen head over heels for is These Days in French Life. Riana is an American living in an historic village in France. Her photos are amazing. Her recipes are incredible (I made her chocolate tarte for my writer's group and they were impressed!). Her stories and insights into life are fascinating. And I so admire the things she's doing like butchering a wild boar that her neighbor brought over after he ran into it. And there's prettier stuff, too--like growing and making herbal remedies, which is of course right up my alley.

How Not To Make An Oil

Okay, so here's the reason you don't take your steeped herbal oil and let it sit on your dark kitchen counter for a couple of weeks before you decant it:

Since the mold didn't affect the oil except for on the top, I just scraped it off and strained the rest through cheesecloth (as usual), washed out the jar and put the "clean" oil back in there, to store in the fridge, possibly make a salve with beeswax someday, and use as needed.

This is calendula oil, good for lymphatic drainage, cat-scratch type wounds and muscle pain or wounds in areas with a lot of lymph nodes (i.e. the collarbone area). Read my post about it here. And Maude Grieve has a nice write-up on calendula here in her book A Complete Herbal on botanical.com . She calls it Marigold but it's different from the Marigold many of us are used to with the strong scent that repels bugs and bunnies from the garden.

I Have An Intern!

Yes, me! It makes me feel so legitimate as an herbalist. (Why?, I wonder.) A young woman who's a student at our nearby state university found my business card at the local natural foods co-op and sent an email asking to meet me about a possible internship. I was kind of dumbfounded. Follow me? Doing what?

Being a fairly new herbalist I don't yet have a lot of clients (very few so far, in fact). I still have felt engaged in the herbal process, however, as I'm making medicines, attending classes, fielding questions and doing some teaching on a regular basis. But the getting clients to come see me thing, that's eluded me. To be honest, I haven't put much time into it, except for putting a few business cards around town. Part of it is I have a hard time asking people for money! I'm still not 100% sure of my skills and whether I can help people or not, and to charge money for visiting clients seems a bit of a stretch.

However, that perspective of mine needs to change. And I know it. It turns out that having an intern, a young student who wants to learn from me, may be the best thing that's happened to my herb business yet. She's helping me change my perspective.

To get more client time, I've sent out an email to friends and neighbors offering 10 free herbal consulatations with one follow-up each. I got a great response! I think I will end up seeing 15 people and my intern will be able to observe and get in as much as 30 hours for her 80-hour internship. (I just couldn't say no to anyone, so we'll do 15...;-))

So many of the respondees are so excited about coming to see me, and hopefully being helped herbally with any issues they have. That makes me excited! And I always love doing anything that has to do with herbs, a sure sign that this is what I'm meant to do. Also, I have had some good feedback recently from a client who came to see me this summer for symptoms around menopause. She got my free consult email offer and replied back that her problems had completely cleared up and she did believe it was the herbs that helped (for what it's worth, she got lemon balm and nettles based on the pulse testing I did to find the right remedies). I was thrilled! Here I had been worrying about this client because I hadn't had much feedback from her...For the most part I have gotten positive feedback now from everyone I've "treated". That is reassuring, as well.

The other things my intern and I will do together are decant some of the tinctures I have sitting on my kitchen counter from this past spring and summer; make one or two root tinctures since this is the season for that and we can use dried roots; and attend some herb classes together.

I am looking forward to getting to know Ashley, and to seeing many more clients with her learning at my side. And who knows, these "free" appointments may end up bringing many rewards back to me in the form of referrals, etc. It feels like we're on the right track.