HORSETAIL
Equisetum arvense
Ackerschachtelhalm, Prêle des champs
Horsetail is particularly rich in glycosides which nourish hormones, heart, and bones, making it a special ally for post-menopausal women.
Use spring-picked horsetail, as a tea or infusion, to:
- Reverse osteoporosis
- Stimulate fracture-mending and bone repair
Mineral-rich horsetail feeds the bones, increasing mass and flexibility. No matter how old or thin, bones respond to consistent use of horsetail.
- Stabilize and reverse chronic periodontal disease
Gum problems can lead to heart problems. Brush, floss, and try a daily cup of horsetail tea. It acts as a catalyst to healthy gums and teeth.
- Relieve cystitis
Horsetail has been used since the sixteenth century to tonify the bladder and ease irritation anywhere in the urinary tract. Plants harvested when too old may aggravate rather than soothe.
- Reduce bloat
- Check menstrual hemorrhage
- Prevent clogged arteries, strengthen veins
- Ease persistent hot flashes
Horsetail's astringent components, trace minerals (including chromium), saponins, and flavonoids are responsible for these effects. Add horsetail to your nettle infusion to magnify the benefits of both.
- Increase energy, reduce fatigue
Horsetail supplies peppy potassium, merry magnesium, and strong-as-nails iron for building Crone power.
- Nourish strong, healthy hair and fingernails
Horsetail is a frequent ingredient in expensive, natural, commercial shampoos and rinses. Instead, use leftover horsetail tea (alone or with nettle) as your final rinse. Leave it in. And drink a cup now and then for lovely nails.
Horsetail is locally abundant in the wild, so rarely cultivated. The small horsetail that looks like a soft baby pine tree is preferred over the rigid, leafless kind. To avoid problems, use horsetail picked early, during the first 4-6 weeks of each year's growth.
A tea of dried herb works great, as does the vinegar. When buying horsetail, look for good green color and a rich sparkle of health and vitality.
Dosage:
Tea of dried herb, 1 cup/250 ml, 1-2 times a day
Vinegar of fresh herb, 1 tablespoon/15 ml daily
CAUTION: If you experience nervous sensitivity or urinary irritability after use, discontinue.
OATSTRAW
Avena sativa
Gruen Hafer, Avoine cultivée
This is the grass of the very same oats you eat for breakfast. Best known as a cholesterol-lowering food, oats is also a special ally to women who wish they wouldn't "fly off the handle" so easily, to women who want to be sexy old ladies, and to women who treasure their bones. All the benefits of eating oatmeal are to be had from drinking oatstraw infusion (but not from tea, tincture, or capsules).
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