tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5738694062065682753.post6306511753983570534..comments2023-11-28T06:26:40.953-05:00Comments on A Radicle: Herb Power: find your wild ally this summerGuido Mase'http://www.blogger.com/profile/08186818316201584509noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5738694062065682753.post-85013208359352632842013-09-22T20:02:00.170-04:002013-09-22T20:02:00.170-04:00Ruben, I would agree. The difference is sometimes ...Ruben, I would agree. The difference is sometimes subtle, sometimes dramatic - kava tea vs. tincture, for instance. But that's more a function of chemical solubility.<br />I've been intrigued by the different resonance / affinity different folks have for the same herb in different "formats". Often the more fiery constitutions prefer the tincture - but tea might actually be more effective for them. In short, while I do agree, I don't have a simple answer for how the different preps vary in their effects.Guido Mase'https://www.blogger.com/profile/08186818316201584509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5738694062065682753.post-77600420862149492672013-09-21T15:48:18.396-04:002013-09-21T15:48:18.396-04:00Such an amazing post. Extremely enlightening. Than...Such an amazing post. Extremely enlightening. Thank you Guido. And thank you Friedrich for asking the very question that has been festering in my brain for a long time now. From what I gather, herbs in their respectively different forms (tinctures, powders, fresh, etc) each have slightly different properties and effects on the body, which probably vary per person. At least that's been my experience. Would you agree, Guido?<br /><br />Thank you, <br />Ruben ChavezAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5738694062065682753.post-35195921272235293392013-07-16T11:11:33.125-04:002013-07-16T11:11:33.125-04:00Guido, Thank you for a wonderful post. Wonderful...Guido, Thank you for a wonderful post. Wonderful approach to incorporating all our plant friends into our diet. With my busy life one of the most common ways I get to use plants in the summer is to just pick some fresh and eat! Thanks for all the work you do. Heather Sheltonbigyarnmamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12669962863829024980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5738694062065682753.post-78946697673858666912013-06-21T17:48:41.460-04:002013-06-21T17:48:41.460-04:00Perfect! Thank you.
Our winters are pretty short...Perfect! Thank you. <br /><br />Our winters are pretty short and green here in Florida, but I suppose I should have a 2-3 month supply of either dried herbs or extracts saved up. <br /><br />Half of our garden hardly seems to even notice winter, though. We have some oregano and Thai basil plants that I've been using year-round for three or four years. And a pineapple sage that kept growing so much, even in winter, that we had to split it up into four separate locations in our yard, and even gave part of it away to a friend. I don't think I could kill that thing if I made a bowl of salad from it every day.<br />Not to mention all the mints. It's just a matter of time before they start growing up through the floorboards. <br /><br />But anyway, I'm practicing making tinctures and drying out herbs, so I should be good for the winter.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5738694062065682753.post-83900750126441967262013-06-19T19:58:10.552-04:002013-06-19T19:58:10.552-04:00Eating raw herbs is certainly not ill-advised (if ...Eating raw herbs is certainly not ill-advised (if positive ID is made, of course). Burdock roots in stir-fry, dandelion greens in salad - all make good sense.<br />Tea is often simply an extension of food - and often a cup of chamomile tea after a meal, or peppermint sun tea on a summer afternoon, are excellent and effective ways to use these plants. <br />Medicinal teas are usually stronger - 4-6 TBS of herbal material in a pint or so of hot water - and more for therapy. In this form, medicinal herbs are quite effective (water is an excellent solvent). We often leave the herbs to steep overnight, or at least a few hours.<br />Tinctures accomplish two goals: first, capturing and preserving fresh medicinal constituents (ones that might degrade by oxidation, e.g.). Second, more broad-spectrum extraction of the non-water-soluble chemistry (essential oils, e.g.). In this sense, you can (in certain situations) get more from a tincture. But often, the sheer volume of tea makes it a better choice.<br /><br />Water, alcohol, or other solvents (such as apple cider vinegar) do somewhat "pre-digest" herbs, improving their bioavailability over just chewing raw plant material. But fresh or dry (powdered) plant material, added to a smoothie for instance, is still an excellent way to go. The only type of prep I tend to avoid is the capsule, as you lose the ability to taste the herb, and you get no pre-digestion.<br /><br />In short, you're not wasting the herbs at all by eating them raw! But what do you do over the winter?Guido Mase'https://www.blogger.com/profile/08186818316201584509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5738694062065682753.post-85379845883785677642013-06-16T23:02:56.109-04:002013-06-16T23:02:56.109-04:00Hey Guido. We actually met about 15 years ago at M...Hey Guido. We actually met about 15 years ago at Middlebury. You were there too, Carolyn! You and Lisa made the best pesto I have ever had.<br /><br />Anyway, I've been having trouble finding information on the differences between consuming herbs through tea, tinctures, cooked meals, or raw. As you cited, early humans (and other animals) simply ate the herbs raw, rather than making a tea or elixir. <br /><br />It seems that one can get a higher dose from tinctures than tea, so I'm assuming that one would need to chew even more leaves to get the same benefit. But does the extraction or cooking process provide more benefit than simple digestion? Or is eating raw herbs just ill-advised?<br /><br />If the simple answer is "It's complicated and different for every herb -- buy my book!" I understand, and will do so.<br /><br />I enjoy eating the herbs raw, and I always feel like I'm somehow wasting the leaves left over from making tea. But I want to make sure I'm getting the full benefit of the herb, and also not poisoning myself. <br /><br />Thanks,<br />Fritz LangerfeldAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5738694062065682753.post-11230852308819615202013-06-14T20:03:21.804-04:002013-06-14T20:03:21.804-04:00Thank you, Guido. You should see my yarrow!Thank you, Guido. You should see my yarrow!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08572560370131270896noreply@blogger.com