Once the colder weather has sent in and the first signs of frost are ocurring it is time to think about gathering some herb roots to store and use during the winter. And excellent herb to choose would be the infamous dandelion. It is quite easy to find and not too difficult to obtain the root. In addition to the root, it is also a good time to pick the fresh leaves. You can eat them raw, cook them, or freeze them for future use. You must use care in digging up the root as you don’t want to break it if possible. You must dig very slowly. These roots will nourish you all winter long. Look for older, well established plants as the root wil be much bigger and serve you better. Once you have gotten some dug up, wash tenderly and sit in a bit of water. After they are sufficiently rinsed, tie the roots around the middle and hang to dry. Do not remove the leaves. Dried dandelion root is high in sugar, protein, and minerals. Another way you can make use of the roots is to chop the whole plant and coil it all into a jar. It should be well packed. Pour vodka over top or some organic apple cider vinegar. This elixir is said to offer long life and good health. As it brews you will start to see a white sediment on the bottom of the jar. Some of this substance is called inulin. Keep brewing for at least 6 weeks. Shake before you use so the white stuff on the bottom gets used also.
Dandelion Root is an hepatic, tonic, digestive stimulant, deobstuent, and hypnotic.
OK, that’s great but what does it mean to me?
Well, in simple terms it means that the dandelion herb affects the liver. It makes you function better and feel stronger and more sure of yourself. It improves breast health, stomach and guts. It helps relieve blockages and if you need it, it helps put you to sleep.
Use your elixer you made following the instructions in the prior entry to aid in liver function, tonic, trouble shooter, and clear the kidneys.
Dosage for the herbal elixir is 10 – 100 drops per day, in water. If you are making a tea of your dried dandelion root, use 1/2 – 2 cups per day.
To go into more detail on how dandelion improves the liver remember that your liver performs more than 500 functions for you. It is important, therefore, to take good care of that organ.
Dandelion contains the choline, carotenes, and mineral salts that help charge the liver. It stimulates the production and flow of bile from both the liver and the gallbladder.
Stress from pregnancy, rich food, chemotherapy, chemical exposure, alcohol or drug abuse, jaundice and hepatitis all cause the liver to lose proper function and Dr. Dandelion will prove to help in all of these cases.
If you find you have accidentally poisoned yourself or someone else through a bad mushroom, or canned product (botulism) dandelion will help. There are other herbs you would want to supplement with but dandelion will begin the cleansing process for you.
80% of patients in Chinese hospitals treated with dandelion root preparations recovered from appendicitis without surgery!!!
As a tonic, dandelion tones not only the liver but also the spleen, pancreas, kidneys, stomach, skin, nerves, glands, digestive system, urinary tract, circulatory system, immune system, and the lymphatics. Does this make you want to run out right now and retrieve whatever dandelion root you can find? I can assure you, you will look at that little herbal weed differently next year when you see it popping it’s beautiful yellow head up!
Oh, and did I mention it is great for those healing themselves from cancer, mono and other infections and fevers, chronic chest pain, bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, high blood pressure, kidney stones and on and on the list goes?
The list is endless of the number of things that the dandelion root does for our systems. So I’m going to get outside (as soon as it stops raining) and dig myself up as much as I can find and perhaps take a sip of the dandelion brew I started this spring from the flowers. Every little bit helps!
chatter