You know you want to use herbs.
But how much should you take and how often.
What is too little to get a desired effect?
What is too much for the body to handle? How do I figure this out.
Here are some general guidelines to help you in knowing what to do while knowing that each person is unique and needs and situations are always changing. Flexiblity and awareness are the name of the game.
Adult Dosage: Generally an adult is figured to be around 140-175 pounds.
Take the dosage and frequency according to your weight
Child Dosage: Take the child's weight and if it is half an average adult weight then do half a dose. if the child weighs 75 pounds, use half dosage. if the child ways 30 pounds use about 1/5 dosage.
Using herbs is not as exact as pharmaceuticals.
Acute Dosages: When one is treating an acute situation use the herbs at the high end of the recommended dosage and more frequently, every 1-2 hours until the symptoms reduce. Then, reduce dosage and frequency gradually as symptoms recede unless there is an axacerbation then increase accordingly.
Dosing a Tonic: A tonic is taken in lower doses but over a longer period of time even 1 year possibly as when rebuilding a system or nourishing after a large out put of energy or an illness, or other period of challenge. a tonic may only be 3 droppers twice per day or 5 ddroppers 1 times per day and maybe not everyday but 5 days per qeek to be reduced as strength is regained but continued until fully strengthened.
If a product doesnt have a dosage or you have made the medicine yourself. A low dose is 6 droppers a day, medium is 9-12 droppers per day and high dosage is 12-15 droppers per day for an average adult.
But what is a dropper? Droppers for various size bottles have different amounts of liquid in them due to the physics of displacement of air and liquid and the amount of extract in the bottle as in full or close to empty. so as a rule of thumb, 1 dropper equals 1 ml. 5 droppers equals 5 mls which also equals 1 teaspoon. 2.5 droppers equals 2.5 mls and also equals 1/2 teaspoon.
1 dropper will vary but will almost never fill completely. it doesnt matter that much but use teaspoons if exactness is your comfort zone.
Seasonal Dosing: If you always get sick in winter, boost your immune system with a tonic or your lungs with a tonic starting 3 months before as in September to prepare the body for the time it usually feels challenged. this can help to change the pattern. if you always have allergies or are a tax accountant so winter into spring finds you working 60+ hours a week, use an Adrenal tonic starting in January for instance. or you are an athlete preparing for a long race, use your tonic all the way through training as part of your preparation..
For all these situations use a medium dose or start low, go to medium and then full as you come into the time of challenge.
I hope this gives you some information to make you feel more comfortable using herbs. they are wonderful potent allies on our journey.
​Be Well and let us know if we can help.

...COVID - It’s scary, it’s over, it will never be over, it might surge... And what about the planet and the politics and the violence and tick-borne illness and and and…

Who is to blame and why am I so stressed?

A long opening for a blog about our shared current reality, no matter who or where you are. Meanwhile, one cannot deny that things look sort of normal in early spring here in New England. Ukraine has no normal. And climate change is impossible to deny wherever you are.

How do we stay grounded and sane in such a soup? How can herbs help us at a time like this?

The first thing to consider is how we are affected and then, what can lessen the impact. 

Even as an herbalist, the first thing I think of is breathing, deep, long, slow and fine (as in even, relaxed and continuous). But to refine it further, breath only or as much as possible through your nose, not your mouth. And if you want to take it a notch further, lengthen your exhale slightly. For instance, inhale for a count of 3 and exhale for 4-6 or even longer. 

This will down-regulate the sympathetic part of the nervous system (fight and flight) and turn on the parasympathetic part (rest and digest). This breathing will impact and destimulate the adrenal glands so we secrete less cortisol and adrenaline.

Herbally, most everyone can benefit from herbs that support the nervous system like Oats, Nettles, Skullcap, and St. Johnswort (don’t take St. Johnswort if you already take an SSRI) or our Nerve tonic.

For the Adrenals, use our Adrenal Support Formula or single use of Ashwaganda, Holy Basil, or Eleuthero. These types of herbs would need to be taken for a longer period of time for effect though they could be felt immediately in some folks. And they can be taken long term.

With so many stressors flying around the immune system is down-regulated and weakened. Medicinal Mushrooms like Reishi, Cordyceps, Turkey Tail, Chaga, Maitake, and also Astragalus, and  Ashwaganda are all great support for the deep immune system.

It wouldn’t be wrong or redundant to do an Immune formula AND an Adrenal tonic.

Custom Pharmacy
We can formulate a formula unique to you if you would like some help choosing herbs for yourself. Check out the information to schedule a consult with Bonnie or if you know what you want just use the designation for Custom Formula and send us the formula with how much of each herb, or have your practitioner do that and we will compound it and send to you.

Meditate & Move
One of the best antidotes to stress is to include people and activities that you love into your experience every day or as often as you can. Meditation can settle a wild mind and if you can’t sit, walk or follow the breath as you move around in your day. 

Or watch the birds, or practice deep listening to others. There are a thousand ways to kiss the sky. Thanks Jimi!

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The short answer is we don’t know. Most of us don’t like that answer. We don't know how long Covid will continue to dominate our lives, if it will resurge with the new subvariant or quietly become endemic like flu. We don't know, given climate change, what the garden/growing season will be like either. And let’s not talk about the political and social incoherence.

So how can plant medicine be useful to us? In shifting sands, how do we even know how to protect and resource ourselves? For me, the answer is always go local, meaning my body, my local environment and whatever issues are in my face AND strengthening my nervous system, in whatever ways I can so that the variability, and instabilities take less of a toll on me and I can be more  part of the solution. So what would that look like?

Each person is different but the basics of constitutional and condition apply and they are worth thinking about. So what am I talking about?

Constitution
We are all born with genetics, a body type, a background and therefore we have tendencies. Herbs are very helpful in mediating or balancing all of that. For instance, I am tall and thin and tend to be very high wired and can lean a bit toward anxiety (regardless of what triggers me). I always bit my nails and had a nervous stomach even though I sleep well but I have a lot of crazy dreams and even nightmares. I'm sensitive emotionally. 

Those are all things I can work with with my mind and heart BUT I really benefit from herbs that are calming and grounding and toning to my nervous system, like Valerian, Skullcap, St. Johnswort, Hawthorne, Passionflower, etc. These herbs are always good for me.

Rooty herbs like Dandelion and Burdock, Astragalus and Shatavari work well too as does Marshmallow because it is so moistening and my airy nature and outdoor life in sun and wind make me very dry. Licorice is moistening and it also helps my easily agitated stomach. These are just a few examples of herbs I use often.

Condition
In the summer when we farm herbs and grow flowers and vegetables I work the hardest of all year. I need herbs that are strengthening like Eleuthero, Ashwaganda, Astragalus, Saw Palmetto, Schizandra and He Shou Wu. I find these to augment my energy and support the extra physical demand while keeping me calm and happy.

Also, if it is very hot as our summers have been, I might use Peppermint, Spearmint, Hibiscus and Holy Basil.

After the heavier food of winter as the days lengthen and spring emerges, the classical Liver season in Chinese Medicine, I might take a spring tonic of Burdock, Yellow Dock, Artichoke, and/or Dandelion for a month, just to help my body relinquish and clear its accumulations. This often makes me feel lighter and brighter.
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We often associate herbs with conditions but we can start to use them to balance our energy and our well-being as we change, the seasons change and our world goes on its wild way.

One can always check in with an herbalist or practitioner to refine the picture but it is often a great learning experience to just meet the herbs by trying them and seeing how they feel whether its with a tea blend or an extract.

I invite you to make some new friends in the herbal community. 

We are grateful for the longer days, the birdsong and the emergence of Spring. May we all know a peaceful, abundant, adventure and health in 2022.

Have you ever wondered…..They say herbs have been used by humans for thousands of years….BUT how can I use them, now, in my life in these times?  And then the thought trails off into a google search or a book or magazine or instagram looking for information. 

Maybe you go to a naturopath or herb-literate doctor or nurse and they tell you what you can do but they don't have time to answer your questions.

Before the farm season opens,  I'm making myself available to answer your questions via the contact form here. Please reach out if you have questions about the plants themselves, how to use them, or how to make your own medicine, one of my favorite topics. (Please note, this is not for a personal healthcare consult regarding a specific current illness.)
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I'm happy to share what I know and help you feel more confident in using plants as a support for a healthy happy life. 

Let’s talk about a few plants that mid pandemic, mid winter, mid planetary crisis might be useful to us and WHY that would or could be true.

Immune Health, Sleep and Staying Calm in wild times.
Aside from the obvious of eating well, complete deep breathing, exercise, hydration, healthy and supportive relationships, how can herbs help us support a healthy immune response.

Restful sleep is an area that isn’t easy to support with just herbs, we need to do at least most of the above mentioned healthy habits BUT Ashwaganda is a stellar herb to support good sleep as well as give us strong, even energy throughout the day by helping us stay centered and calm. Herbs like Hops, Passionflower, Valerian, St. John's Wort (if you aren't taking SSRI’s), and California Poppy, are plants that may be an ally for us, together in our Sweet Dreams Formula or separately. *Use code SUPPORT22 for 10% off Sweet Dreams Formula through 2/11/22*

Hops are bitter, sleep encouraging plants. Passionflower is generally soft and gently relaxing. Valerian is like a warm quilt or a weighted blanket, it quiets the heart and relaxes muscles. If your energy tends to go up and get agitated, Valerian may counterbalance.

St. Johnswort is like the sun coming out. It lifts the spirit but without stimulation and soothes the nervous system. For me and my constitution I use Valerian and St. Johnswort together and it is a perfect combo for occasional inability to fall into sleep and stay deep.

California Poppy is like Dorothy and friends on the yellow brick road to Oz. They were lulled into sleep in the field of poppies. California Poppy is a very mild version of the famous poppies and for some people it is a great ally.

Don’t forget the medicinal mushrooms combined in our Immune Tonic: Reishi, Maitake, Chaga, Turkey Tail and Astragalus. These are deep immune supports that can be cooked into soups, taken as extracts or used as powders added to warm drinks. They are fortifying and protective and nourishing. *Use code SUPPORT22 for 10% off Immune Tonic through 2/11/22*

Just as everyone you meet won't become a close friend, you must try the herbs and combinations of herbs until you find your friends, your allies, your support for both everyday tonics and acute or occasional use.

Medicinal plants, in fact all plants, are a whole universe of actions and chemistry and qualities all in the services of healing and balancing us and our planet. I am so grateful for their generosity. 

Please email questions and thoughts this month via our contact page and let me know what is on your mind. Be well and (if you are in the northeast) stay warm.
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We tend to think of using herbs when we are ill, afraid of becoming ill (as in a pandemic or wintertime or when exposed to germs). When we think of a long, healthy, vibrantly energetic life, we think of luck, genetics or advantageous external circumstances. BUT this is also a good opportunity for using herbs but with different herbs and/or in a different way.

These herbs are mostly what we call Tonic Herbs. They are herbs that improve the structure and function of our bodily systems. They can be nutritious, strengthening, and restorative.

We dose them differently. Compared to herbs taken in acute situations which are usually taken in higher doses and more frequently, tonic herbs are usually taken only once or twice a day in lower doses for longer periods of time.

​For example: There was a time in my life when I was under a lot of stress, had just moved, separated from my partner, was working a lot and I knew that I was feeling anything but energetic or vibrant. To give myself support and to return to my best self, I started to take an Immune Tonic and an Adrenal Tonic, both taken 1 time per day in the morning. I did this for about 1 year.

By then I felt that I was really doing well and had energy to do what I wanted and loved, fully and with enjoyment. The return to vitality was gradual, I certainly didn’t feel it in just a few weeks, but I knew I was on the right track and persevered. At the same time, I took other herbs here and there to treat immediate issues or weaknesses. There wasn’t a conflict  in doing this, but you can allows check in with an herbalist or naturopath or other practitioner with herbal experience to see if what you are doing is right for you.

The two formulas that I mentioned have herbs that restored me like Astragalus, Eleuthero, Holy Basil, medicinal mushrooms and Ashwaganda. They gave me support and I could feel them strengthening me but when I began to feel better, I also knew I needed to persevere until I felt that I didn’t need them at all anymore. As my strength and mood stabilized and I felt enthusiastic about my life again I tapered by taking them even less frequently and then stopped.

Another situation where one might use a tonic herb of formula is if you have a tendency towards weakness in a certain area or you have a history of certain issues. Then you can use herbs that will help to make that system stronger and function more efficiently so that you aren’t as easily or likely to fall into challenges there.

Perhaps you are a farmer working hard every day, and your back tends to easily feel the stresses and strains of that very physical life. Or you are a singer living a city with less than mountain or sea fresh air and being indoors late at night working. Then, in either case you can use tonifying herbs to strengthen your muscles, ligaments or joints for the farmer or strengthen your respiratory system in the case of the singer.

In the first case, Solomon's Seal, Gotu Kola, Saw Palmetto, Valerian, Crampbark as well as some fish oil and magnesium and hydrating well every day might keep those tissues healthier and less likely to tighten up and strain. For the singer, Cordyceps might be very important. Also, Codonopsis, American Ginseng, Elecampane, Mullien are herbs that can support the lungs well and keep you in the game. Blue Crow Botanicals has a Lung Tonic formula that a man from New York took once a day almost everyday as he navigated his  in New York as well as being a singer.

There are so many herbs and each one has chemistry and energy to help us. It takes some time to find out which single herbs or formulas are your personal allies at any given time or your friends for life. When you do find what can be helpful, remember to take them even a few days per week or in the particular season or situation that you need them. Increase or decrease dosage and frequency as you move through your life.

The plants are here for us like good friends. Try them and see which ones you really benefit from over time or return when you need them.

Here in the northeast we are heading into winter, with colder days, heated houses, coats, hats and gloves. This is the time of year we so much want to preserve our respiratory health. Winter is or can be a time of going more inward (Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years aside) hopefully resting more, sleeping more because of the delicious darkness and warmth.

That said, I wanted to share a few of our Blue Crow formulas that support respiratory health and to encourage you to try herbal support this winter.

Because of the way we breathe through our nose and mouth, our lungs, noses and throats are open to the outside so they can easily get permeated with pathogens, particulate matter from wood stoves, dry noses from forced hot air or dry, dry indoor spaces.

My first favorite respiratory formula is a tonic, meaning that it will improve the function of that organ. Lung Tonic can be used starting in the fall with a lower dose and taken through the winter if you have the tendency for your lungs to fall prey to winter illnesses.

The next 2 formulas Lung Acute and Lung Clear are used when you have succumbed to something going around and it has settled in your chest. If the lungs seem dry, add a little honey to your dose to moisten tissues. Lung clear has a somewhat more expectorant action.

If you have mostly recovered BUT aren't fully back to yourself after a respiratory event, I have seen great results with using Cordyceps. It has a powerful strengthening effect on the lungs and a few weeks worth should bring them fully back online.

If while you are sick and cough is the biggest difficulty then try our Cough Ease. It can help soothe and quiet the body’s natural impulse to get rid of the mucus that is also a natural function of soothing tissue and surrounding pathogens so they can be coughed out. The body is so intelligent and some of our symptoms when ill are actually helping us to heal, but when they are too pronounced we can intercede.

If your throat is an issue, try our Propolis Throat Spray to soothe and heal tissues.

Of course all the great self care practices are important this winter too, especially rest and hydration.

Relax as much as possible, do what you love, have fun and take time for self reflection. It’s hard in our world but are both powerful tools for resilience. ​