We’ve Moved!

Hello, WishGarden fans!

We have moved our blog from WordPress to our own server at http://wishgardenherbs.com/blog. This blog will stay very active, but the previous URL will no longer be maintained, so please update bookmarks and links to use the new address.

Hey, what’s that growing on my corn?

Corn Smut

On a recent visit to a friend’s farm this week, I noticed something strange out of the corner of my eye. At first glance I thought it was a wasps’ nest attached to a corn husk. My friend explained to me that it was corn smut, a type of plant fungus that grows on the outside of corn.

The last desire I had was to eat whatever this gnarly grey growth was. Little did I know that people in Mexico have been eating corn smut (or, as they call it, huitlacoche) for hundreds of years.  Immature galls of huitlacoche are commonly used in quesadillas, soups, and other tortilla-based dishes. Not only is huitlacoche supposedly very tasty,  but it is also loaded with unique proteins, minerals, and high levels of various vitamins. For example, it is packed with lysine, an essential amino acid, that corn alone doesn’t have.

Just goes to show that you can’t judge a corn husk by its fungus. Next time I’m in Mexico, I’ll be sure to order up some quesadillas de huitlacoche, and report back.

Photo and text by Anna Hunziker, WishGarden Herbs

The Wonders of Gingko Biloba

I just returned from an amazing trip to Louisiana, enjoying time with people who love WishGarden Herbs as much as I do. I met amazingly warm and loving individuals, all of whom who were happy to share with me the affection they have for their home. Knowing my love for all things herbal, many folks suggested I   visit the “Tree of Life” at the Audubon Park in New Orleans. This amazing Live Oak was breathtaking!  I nestled into its trunk and remained safe and dry while a thunderstorm rolled through.

The Tree of Life

There are estimates that the tree is over 600 years old, and as I sat there thinking about the wisdom of a tree that has reached that age, I started to think about other trees that become elders of the forest, such as the Redwood and  Ginkgo trees. Ginkgo biloba, or the Maidenhair Tree, is considered a true living fossil.  Some say that the Maidenhair is the oldest living tree species on the planet, and can live to be over 2500 years in age.

MaidenHair Tree in Autumn

This tree is often used as a fine example of the Doctrine of Signatures, which holds that plants that resemble various parts of the body can be used to treat ailments of that part of the body. The Maidenhair tree, for example, is said to improve memory and enhance concentration.  If you look at the leaf of the plant you will notice something called dichotomous venation, where the veins of the plant are continuously branching off of each other to the outer edges of the leaf.  It also has two hemispheres as the name bi-loba suggests.  That, and the fact that the Gingko nut looks very similar to an actual miniature brain, explains why this plant has been seen as “brain food” for centuries. Gingko is also an antioxidant and is known to provide relief for blood disorders, poor circulation, vision disorders, and inner ear disorders such as vertigo and tinnitus.

Gingko Leaf and Nut

Trees such as the Live Oak mentioned above have to have some pretty amazing abilities to weather the changes wrought by time, and the Gingko tree certainly has longevity in its limbs.  It is one of few trees that can survive being planted in a very small space with limited soil access, there are few insects that bother  it, it has no known disease problems, and it is very resistant to pollution.  There lives today Gingko trees that were the only plant life to survive Hiroshima; they were badly burned and damaged, but were thriving again after only a few years.

Clearly these elder trees have secrets we would all like to know, and I’m happy that they pass a little bit of their wisdom to us in the form of herbal medicine.

Herbs and Midwives

During the Middle Ages in Europe,  midwives were not allowed to use herbal remedies at births.  If a labor was not going smoothly, the midwife was required to repeat certain prescribed prayers.  If she was observed doing anything otherwise, she risked imprisonment or death at the hands of the medieval Church.

Despite such draconian measures,  applied as much to “folk healers” in general as to midwives, Western herbalism has inherited and revitalized a good understanding of many of the medicinal plants known to our ancestors.  Included in our modern-day apothecary are the herbs so beneficial to childbearing women and loved (if often in secret) by their midwives.  Homebirth midwives today avail themselves often and regularly of such herbs:  as aids to prepare the body for pregnancy, as nourishment throughout pregnancy, as allies when needed during labor, and in postpartum care for both mom and baby.

WishGarden Herbs was founded in 1979 by a Boulder midwife who began providing herbal products to the midwifery community in Boulder and then, as word traveled about her products, to midwives and birthing supply companies around the country.   And even while WishGarden has changed hands and vastly expanded and enriched its repertoire, at its core there still exists a strong line of herbs for women and for the midwives who serve them during their childbearing years.

Herbs are regarded by many people simply as an avenue for “remedies” for various ailments and imbalances.  But many herbs are wonderfully nutritional, and utilized as such by midwives, who rate them right up there with nourishing foods and some of the more common nutritional supplements.  Red raspberry leaf, red clover blossoms, dandelion and yellow dock roots, nettles, horsetail, oatseed, peppermint, passionflower, wild yam, and peach leaf   – these and many other well-known herbs, taken as teas or in tinctured extracts, form the basis of excellent tonics for the pregnant woman.  Easily assimilated, they are a gentle way of providing her with much of the mineral, vitamin, and digestive support needed for a healthy pregnancy.

Other herbal combinations can become extremely important allies in late pregnancy and during birth.  Postpartum times can become quite the adventure, with breastfeeding issues, potential postpartum depression, and colicky babies.  For these and other potential challenges WishGarden has evolved a strong line of herbal helpers –  Lactation Tea, Milk Rich, Rebalance Hormonal Tonic, and Colic Ease, to name just a few.  In addition, our line of bodycare products includes some awesome oils for pregnant moms and new babies, powders for umbilical sites, and balms for sore nipples and diaper rashes.

Over the next few months, we hope to offer you more in-depth profiles of some of these products and their constituent herbs, helping to deepen understanding and appreciation for the plants that bring us such bounty.

Written by Arlee McLeod, WishGarden Herbs

Basil and Risotto: A Winning Combination!

My poor mother is both gluten and dairy free at the moment.  I say “poor” because I cannot imagine a world without cheese, but she has benefited greatly from removing those items and so is fairly rich in the amount of healing she has received.  Every other week we wait hungrily for our ‘Organics to You’ box to arrive at our doorstep.  Lately we’ve been getting a lot of spinach and a lot of basil, so much so that we aren’t sure how to use all of it in a timely manner.  They are amazing, powerful vitamin-rich foods in themselves, but the basil specifically gave us a little bit of trouble.  Basil pesto? Can’t have it with regular pasta, and we didn’t have any gluten free in the house.  Caprese salad?  A depressing thought for my cheese-loving mother.  Sure, there are a lot of things you can do with basil seasoning dishes, but what do you do when you need to use up that big bunch you’ve been ignoring on the counter and you can’t include two of its favorite friends?

Risotto.  That amazing old Italian standby (so the basil still feels at home).  The base is your basic risotto recipe (minus the parmesan cheese…more on that later).   We blanched a head of spinach, squeezed it dry and added that along with roughly a cup of basil leaves to a food processor.  Blend well.   Then cook the risotto.  When the risotto has just finished cooking, carefully mix in the green mixture, and remove from heat.

Now here is where you would typically add your parmesan cheese, and there are numerous vegan recipes that substitute brewers yeast, but I just added a dollop of butter and stirred until everything was well blended.  A sprinkle of pine nuts (we used walnuts) on top and you’re ready to dig in.  I was shocked at how flavorful it was.  Perhaps our taste buds were influenced by the wine we cooked with, but there really was this tasty dish in front of us.  The basil came through in a remarkable way, and we both ended up having seconds (well, perhaps thirds).

The whole time we’re cooking my mother patiently listened to me expound upon the wonders of basil.  “It’s not just a culinary herb, it’s a medicinal herb…have I already told you that?” I said while my mom rolled her eyes after hearing me say that for the fifth time.  Basil really is quite marvelous, with very potent essential oils that give it antiviral, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties.  I like using it for its antimicrobial properties.   Add to that its ability to aid in the digestive tract and you have the perfect recipe to kill parasites!  I think I’ll help myself to some of that leftover risotto…

Written by Carrie Pattison, WishGarden Education Director

The Calming Effects of Ginger

An upset tummy can be quite a discouraging event. It is one of the main reasons people miss work or school. There is so much happening in the middle of the body where digestion occurs that it is difficult to know what exactly is wrong. We just know, it’s uncomfortable. It could be indigestion, bloating, gas, heartburn, cramping, diarrhea, even motion sickness or nausea and we feel it in our gut.

Luckily thousands of years of holistic medical traditions around the world have focused on digestive health. It is considered a pivotal key to unlocking vitality throughout the body. There is an array of trusted herbal allies available to support a healthy digestive processes. Many of them are well-known spices, used (abundantly) with abundance in cooking.

Zingiber officinalis, the latin name for Ginger, is one such herb known to many in the kitchen. If you have not encountered it in the kitchen, you may have imbibed it in the form of ginger ale, or tasted it in that hot, hot, chewy candy that sticks to your teeth! Regardless, most people are familiar with ginger and with its characteristic warm and spicy quality. That warming effect benefits the organs of digestion tremendously. Ginger stimulates the creation of high quality saliva, increasing the amylase concentration, which breaks down starchy carbohydrates and fatty foods. Proper bile flow is another digestive process known to be supported by ginger, making it easier to handle the digestion of fat. As an aromatic carminative, it has the potential to relieve occasional bloating and painful gas–a distressing situation which ginger can rescue you from in a hurry!

The WishGarden formula Digestive Ease contains Fennel, Catnip, Peppermint and Ginger. All four plants create a symphony of aromatic oils that support health in the digestive system and help sooth temporary digestive upsets. It is ideal for those with tender tummies to take along on trips or for quick support after accidental exposure to a food sensitivity. Do keep in mind that Digestive Ease is intended to soothe symptoms and it is essential to consult a practitioner to explore underlying causes if you find yourself reaching for the formula on a regular basis.

Recommended dosing strategy is 2-3 droppers full taken orally, in warm water, or tea – repeat as needed. Enjoy! This formulation is one of the most delicious herbal remedies available.

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 Written by Christina Bertelli, Certified Clinical Herbalist

Friday Photo: The Amazing Starfish

Starfish (Asteroidea)

During a recent trip to Northern California, a WishGardener caught some great photos of some extraordinary sea life, thanks to a record low tide. Feeling intrigued by these brightly colored sea creatures, she did a little asking around and found out some interesting facts about the starfish.

One such fact is that if a starfish loses a limb it simply grows a new one. An even more amazing occurrence is that if a starfish is chopped into pieces, each piece can grow a whole new starfish. Scientists have been studying the creature hoping to find out whether the limb-regrowing abilities of the starfish could hold the secret to human renewal.

Scientists also believe the slimy goo that covers a starfish could hold the key to finding new treatment for inflammatory conditions such as asthma, hay fever and arthritis.

Pretty amazing stuff for a creature with no brain!

Text and photo by Anna Hunziker.