Today someone reading my post about cinnamon and honey weight loss tea asked whether it would be safe to use during pregnancy. I looked through my herbals and found a recipe for easing pregnancy, which uses cinnamon, so that indicates to me that cinnamon could be safe for pregnant women (and their unborn dear ones.)

From John Lust’s herbal, The Herb Book: The Complete and Authoritative Guide to More Than 500 Herbs:
This is said to prevent nausea and miscarriage. It is also for reducing labor pains and increasing milk production.
1 part cinnamon
5 parts blackberry leaves
5 parts milfoil
10 parts raspberry leaves
Steep 1 teaspoon in 1/2 cup boiling water. Take 1/2 to 1 cup daily in mouthful doses.

Note that there’s to be NO OVERDOSING… which is what I need to address concerning the cinnamon and honey diet. Though the cinnamon may be safe in normal amounts, drinking large amounts might not be safe during pregnancy. Plus, I wonder about the wisdom of trying to diet during pregnancy. This is something a pregnant woman should definitely discuss with her physician.

In addition, you should be aware that there are certain herbs intentionally used (by some) to terminate pregnancies. Here’s the list of common herbs a pregnant woman should avoid:

Angelica
Birthroot
Blue Cohosh
Brooklime
Bugloss
Cotton Root Bark
Ergot
Golden Seal
Ground Pine
Juniper
Male Fern
Motherwort
Mayapple
Pennyroyal
Potassium Permanganate
Rue
St. Johns Wort
Savin
Tansy
Thyme
Valerian
Yarrow
This information is derived from two sources, Herbs & Things - Jeanne Rose’s herbal, and Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs.

All these are likely to cause abortion to occur. DON’T try this at home! I’m against abortion in general so I’m hoping this won’t be taken by anyone as a way to terminate a life. I put the list here for the benefit of herb-using women who want to preserve their pregnancies.

This list of herbs said to ease childbirth comes from John Lust’s The Herb Book:
Althea
American Spikenard
Bennet
Birthwort
Black Cohosh
Blind Nettle
Blue Cohosh
Cannabis
Columbine
Comfrey
Common Groundsel
Cotton
European Ragwort
Flax
Garden Raspberry
Garden Violet
Goat’s Rue
Horehound
Iceland Moss
Lady’s Mantle
Pansy
Primrose
Ragwort
Shepherd’s Purse
Silverweed
Spikenard
Squaw Vine
Wild Red Raspberry
Wormwood

NOTE - some of these are mentioned on the ‘do not use’ list… I’d especially avoid Blue Cohosh! Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs says it isn’t safe to use.

And about the Wormwood - I wouldn’t use that either. I know that too much of that is a danger.

Personally, I’d stick to something simple like Raspberry Leaf Tea which is well-known to be good for pregnancies.

Jeanne Rose wrote: “Raspberry leaf tea has been used for hundreds of years by women throughout their pregnancy to ease the pains of labor, to prevent miscarriage, and to increase the milk supply. It was mentioned by Pliny in his medical botany books. For the tea: one ounce of the leaves is steeped in twenty ounces of water for fifteen minutes, strained, and drunk - at least two cups per day. The leaves are also used as an astringent for diarrhea, as a gargle for sore mouths, and as an infusion to wash external ulcers and wounds. The berries are excellent eaten during a bout of diarrhea.” - Herbs & Things, page 100.

Also, note on the list of herbs that ease pregnancy, Cannabis is listed. This is Marijuana.. which is, in my opinion, a miracle healing herb… but I recommend that mothers do NOT use it during pregnancy or at any other time. The reason is that use of Marijuana is cause for child welfare agents (CPS or DHS social workers) to take children from their mothers. Especially during pregnancy, this is a real danger. I have met a young woman who used Marijuana to ease birth pains, who never got to take her child home from the hospital because THC was found in her baby’s urine. You will notice, if you give birth in a hospital, one of the first things they do is slap a urine sack on the infant to collect urine for drug testing. YES, this is true! And babies with any kind of drugs in their system are taken away from their parents. So DON’T use Cannabis/Marijuana while you’re pregnant. It just isn’t safe. If you use it you might need my other site: Fighting Child Protective Services CPS False Accusations, and I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone.

One more very important thing! Use moderation, no matter what herb you choose, whether you’re pregnant or not. Too much of any herb can be dangerous. If you’re not certain a herb is safe, ask your obstetrician or (if you’re breastfeeding) your pediatrician.

Here are the links to the herbals I used for this post:

Should I, or shouldn’t I?

I think I should.

I’ve noticed that even though I haven’t posted here since September ::blush:: I’m still getting lots of wonderful comments, especially on the Cinnamon and Honey Weight Loss Tea article. And yesterday someone from Cheshire Kitchens left a heart-warming comment on my Lentil Tacos - Tortillas Made From Rice Flour recipe article.

Thank you, comment-writers! You make me so very happy!

So I took another look at this blog. I love the topic. I love sharing my recipes. The reason I quit writing is that I was feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities, work on other websites, and writing aspirations. So I thought maybe cutting down on the number of blogs I had might help — but I see this blog continues to grow and inspire people despite my absence, so I’m going to come back and give you more of my attention and time.

Yes, I am the sleeping giant of this blog. The woman behind the words…. and I am delighted to know that there are people out there finding gems of value in the postings I’ve left here.

May there be many more postings, visitors, and comments in the days to come!

This is a refreshing, spicy lemonade that is a wonderful afternoon drink, or you could freeze it for popsicles.

You’ll need 5 cups good quality water, such as spring water or distilled; six lemons; a teaspoon of whole cloves; and 3/4 cup honey or real maple syrup.

Bring to a boil, then simmer the sweetener of your choice with 1 cup water for about five minutes. After it becomes a warm syrup, add cloves and cook for another five minutes. Remove the cloves.

Add the juice of six lemons - remove all seeds - and all the rest of the water. Stir and refrigerate.

To serve, you could freeze it for popsicles, or serve over ice cubes.

You could make special ice cubes with cloves, mint and/or lemon slices in them.

Herbs have been an important part of my life for a long time. When I lived in California’s Central Valley, in Tulare, I had my first herb garden in my backyard. Everything grew abundantly and easily, and the variety of plants thrilled me. Perhaps I was spoiled because I had the best soil possible, and everywhere I’ve lived since then has been progressively worse for my herb growing hobby.

Now I live in a remote mountain river valley where my home is built on a hill made from the tailings of an old gold mine. The ground is very inhospitable to many types of plants and it seems I can’t grow anything without imported dirt. Still I’ve had a bit of success with a few herbs, especially sage.

Fortunately there are herbs that grow abundantly in the wild near here such as Klamath Weed - a pretty plant with yellow flowers, better known as St. John’s Wort. The scientific name is Hypericum Perforatum. Other names it is known by are Tipton Weed, Johnswort, St. Johnswort, Amber, and Goatweed.

“Wort” is an Anglo Saxon word meaning “plant” or “herb”.

St. John’ s Wort is said to be:

Analgesic: Used to reduce pain. (3)

Antispasmodic: Used to relieve spasms and cramps. (1)

Astringent: Used to contract tissues, reducing discharges and secretions. (1)

Diuretic: Causing increased secretion of urine. (1)

Expectorant: Used to expel mucus from the respiratory system. (1)

Nervine: Used to soothe the nerves. (1)

Vermifuge: Used to expel and destroy intestinal worms. (1)

Vulnerary: Used topically to heal wounds. (1)

To make an oil extract, put fresh St. John’ s Wort leaves and flowers in a jar and cover with olive oil. Close the jar and leave it in a sunny place for six weeks, shaking it often. The oil will turn red. Strain the oil with a cloth. If the oil develops a watery layer, siphon it off. The oil should keep for two years in a dark container. This oil can be applied to bruises, swellings, and wounds. (1, 2)

To make an infusion: Steep 1/2 teaspoon St. John’ s Wort leaf in 1/2 cup water for five minutes, covered. Take warm, 1/2 cup before breakfast, and 1/2 cup before bedtime. (1)

For anemia: Mix St. John’ s Wort and European Centaury in equal parts. Steep 1 teaspoonful in 1/2 cup boiled water, and sweeten with 1/2 teaspoon honey. Drink 1 cup to 1 +1/2 cups daily, by mouthfuls. (1)

To improve general energy and vitality, mix Balm with St. John’ s Wort in equal amounts. Steep 1 teaspoonful in 1/2 cup boiled water, and sweeten with 1/2 teaspoon honey. Drink 1 cup to 1 +1/2 cups daily, by mouthfuls. Continue to use daily for an extended period of time. (1)

For insomnia: Mix 1 part Fragrant Valerian, 2 parts St. John’ s Wort, 3 parts Hops, 5 parts Lavender flowers, 10 parts Primrose flowers. Steep 1+1/2 teaspoon in 1/2 cup of boiled water for ten minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon honey and drink before going to bed. (1)

For insomnia: Mix Fragrant Valerian root, St. John’ s Wort, Primrose flowers and Lavender flowers in equal parts. Steep 1 heaping tablespoonful in 1/2 cup of boiled water and drink before bedtime, a mouthful at a time. (1)

For menstrual cramps: Mix St. John’ s Wort with European mistletoe (NOT American mistletoe!) in equal parts. Parboil 1 teaspoon in 1/2 cup water, then steep, covered, for five minutes. Take by teaspoonfuls. (1)

You can use the yellow flowers of St. John’ s Wort to dye wool; set with alum as a mordant. (1)

During the middle ages, St. John’ s Wort was one of several herbs traditionally added to fires on St. John’s Eve (June 23) to eliminate evil spirits. This tradition may have originated with the ancient Gauls. These fires were lit on hills and other high places to protect people living in the area, their animals, and their crops. Other herbs used include Mugwort, Ivy, Milfoil, Vervain, Elder, Figwort, Fennel, Melilot, Camomile, Plantain, Hawthorne, Lavender, and Male Fern. (1)

Hang the plant in your window on St. John’s Day (June 24) to keep away ghosts, spirits, and familiars all year long. (2)

To dream of your future husband, pick the plant on St. John’s Day Eve and hang it on your bedroom wall. (2)

A bit more about St. John’s Wort and St. John the Baptist: St. John’s Wort was believed to be most potent if harvested on St. John’s Day, that it is the day it first blooms, and it was said that the flowers bleed red on the day St. John the Baptist was beheaded in August. (3) I can tell you, around here St. John’s Wort blooms in June, but not necessarily starting on St. John’s Day. I do agree, however, that June 23-24 is an ideal time to harvest St. John’s Wort.

To control vomiting and spitting of blood, combine St. John’s Wort with Knot Grass. (2)

St. John’ s Wort has been smoked (burned, to create smoke, not inhaled) inside a home, and in copying this ancient tradition we could add it to smudge sticks. (1)

St. John’ s Wort was also carried or hung around the neck as an amulet to ward off evil spirits. (1)

St. John’ s Wort has been added to brandy and wine, and drunk to alleviate insanity or melancholy. (2)

Of course, these days it is common for people to use St. John’s Wort for depression. The main known side effect is an increased sensitivity to light.

For coughs, clearing lungs: A decoction can be made of the entire plant. To make a decoction boil 1 part plant to 20 parts water for twenty minutes in a closed, enamel container. Add roots first as they take the longest to extract medicinal value from. (2)

Welsh health test: At one time sprigs of St. John’s Wort were hung overnight by Welsh families from the rafters, after naming a sprig for each family member. The degree to which each sprig shriveled by morning was believed to be indicative of the health of that family member. (3)

The scientific name, “Hypericaceae” means “above an icon” - and in the past, St. John’s Wort was placed above icons and pictures to ward off evil. (3)

When pinched the yellow flower petals bleed red. (3)

According to John Cole, a 17th century herbalist who believed in the Doctrine of Signatures, the fact that the plant has pores means that it is good for all types of skin problems. The Doctrine of Signatures says that a plant’s appearance indicates its uses. (3)

One herbal states that St. John’s Wort has been used for bedwetting and urinary complaints. (3) It makes no sense that a plant that is a diuretic would be used for bedwetting, since that would increase it, not decrease the problem. The only way that I could see this as a possible solution is if the tea were given in the morning to induce elimination of fluids before night comes.

Diuretics are prescribed for control of high blood pressure, or for alleviating swelling of the feet and lower legs.

Other maladies cited as helped by St. John’s Wort: digestive upsets, ulcers, gastritis, diarrhea, nausea, bruises, hemorrhoids, nerve damage, trauma. (3)

If you’re at all interested in using St. John’s Wort, please read this St. John’s Wort Information which discusses contraindications and types of prescribed drugs it should not be used with.

Sources:

(1) The Herb Book by John Lust

(2) Herbs and Things by Jeanne Rose

(3) Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs

…

Submitted to the Carnival of Healing.

Organic Cinnamon

I don’t know if it works, yet… but I found this cinnamon and honey idea on a news site from India along with a list of other healthy cinnamon and honey ideas. It is from Ayurvedic and Yunani medicine.

The article says that to lose weight, we should make a tea of honey and cinnamon. The author suggested that we boil honey and cinnamon in the water, but I am more inclined to add them to boiled water rather than boil them. Then drink one cup in the morning, about half an hour before breakfast on an empty stomach… and drink one more cup of this tea at night. I’ve tried it a few times and the tea tastes great. I would drink it more often!

Anyhow, the article goes on to claim that if consumed regularly this honey and cinnamon tea will reduce weight by not allowing fat to accumulate in the body even if a person eats a high calorie diet. I hope this is true, and will try it for the next month. I’ll let you know if I lose any weight this way.

I’ll be posting more about honey and cinnamon cures in the future. I like easy and quick home remedies that can be found in my country kitchen pantry.