Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia

Most of us can remember the popular Chia Pet fad of the 80’s. Spread the goopy seeds over your pet and watch its hair magically grow. What is less well known is that Chia seeds are a kind of magical gift from the desert. The Chia plant (Salvia hispanica) is a small annual sage that can be bountiful in our Sonoran Desert after the spring rains. It is a native to Mexico and was cultivated by the Aztecs in pre-Columbian times  where it was considered a sacred plant. Aztec warriors carried small bags tied to their belts full of Chia seeds to sustain them along their warpath. American Indians of the Southwest included Chia as a staple in their diets and was essential in their long journeys to the Pacific coast where they traded goods.

So why is Chia such a special plant for us right now here in the desert? Well its really hot and dry. You always hear, "drink plenty of water"- but that doesn’t always cut it. If we think of the desert floor when it gets a good monsoon rain we watch tremendous amounts of water run off the surface like it was cement. It is not entirely inappropriate to see the internal tissue (mucous membranes) of our bodies in a similar fashion. When the mucous membranes become dried out and rough over a period of time in our dry climate they can have trouble rehydrating to their full capacity.  Hydration is necessary for the proper electrolyte balance within the body as well as providing an environment for our cells to flourish. Chia seeds provide a medium for water to move more slowly through the digestive tract and allow water to penetrate into the walls of the mucous membrane. When mixed with water Chia seeds can absorb up to 12 X’s their weight in water! In herbal medicine this is called mucilaginous. Mucilaginous herbs are internally moistening to the body.

Chia is also a power food that contains many nourishing things like: Omega 3 Fatty Acids, protein, & calcium. It is also a good source of soluble fiber. It has been shown to help digestion by creating a barrier between our digestive acids and carbohydrates. This can help create a more steady release of energy as well as balance out high and low blood sugar. One of the obvious benefits of this would be for those with diabetes.

Well the lesson is that the desert that we live in provides this amazing plant to help us create health within our body. We should honor Chia and get to know it as more than just a Chia Pet. Come by and get some Chia seeds to help get you through our long hot dry summer.

 

Yarrow Experiences

Yarrow is an amazing plant that I have had a few recent wonderful experiences with. It is definitely a plant to carry around with you as first aid medicine. The latin name for Yarrow is Achillea millefolium and is associated with Achilles the great Greek warrior. By some accounts Yarrow was used to stop the bleeding of Achilles one vulnerable area... his heal. I can attest to this. A few months ago I cut my finger very deeply on broken glass. It was bleeding badly and debatably needed stitches. Right away after washing it well I packed on some Yarrow. I chewed up a small handful. This helps to break up the cell structure of the plant to make it more readily able to do its thing on the broken tissue. I placed it onto the deep cut and applied pressure and within moments it completely stopped bleeding. I continued to dress it with freshly chewed up Yarrow through out the next several days and the wound healed up very nicely. 

The really interesting thing about Yarrow is that although it is well known for its ability to stop bleeding it can also induce bleeding when needed. Its one of the first herbs I think about when a woman has had trouble starting her menstrual cycle. In the same vein it has the power to curb bleeding when ones cycle has gone on too long. In this way it has a very balancing effect on the blood.

Some of Yarrow's characteristics are that it is a bitter and it is also a diaphoretic. Bitter plants have the effect of draining heat trapped with in our core and diaphoretic move our vital energy out to the periphery of our body. This explains its use as a fever reducer. A fever is the body's way of flushing out an infection from the body. Yarrow helps to facilitate this process. Yarrow also contains powerful aromatic oils that are anti-microbial.

One other important experience I recently had with Yarrow was with my wisdom teeth removal. Boy was that no fun at all. I did have a wonderful moment with Yarrow in the midst of this unpleasant experience. After returning home from the surgery my mouth was bleeding badly. I was also suffering from complete inability to control my mouth from a heavy dose of Novocain. The Novocain was helpful in nullifying the pain of the surgery but as its effects lingered on become very uncomfortable. The pain killers did not seem to be doing there job and I was just terribly uncomfortable. Initially I had been packing gauze on the area to control the bleeding. I then decided to give old Yarrow a try. I opened up a tea bag and replaced its contents with Yarrow that I had soaked in warm water. It did a great job of dramatically lessening the bleeding  but it also seemed to remove the unpleasant effects of the Novocain. Yarrow root and to some degree the leaf and flower have an analgesiac effect (pain reliever). So not only was my pain lessened but to my surprise the numbing effect was swiftly eradicated. For the first time in several hours I was suddenly no longer in terrible pain. I was finally able to give into the effect of my pain killers and drift off into a good sleep. Thank you Yarrow!