Dandelion (Tanaxacum officianale)

April 13, 2010 | Posted in: Herbs & Essential Oils

Our primary focus in the spring season is on cleansing and regenerating the liver and gall bladder. The following herbs are recommended for supporting and activating this natural process.

Known among some indigenous American peoples as “the yellow medicine flower”, dandelion is a wonderful herb for gently cleansing and regenerating the liver. It comes up fairly early in the spring, and its leaves can be chopped and added to salads and stir fries, along with finely chopped roots. Both leaves and roots have a bitter taste that is best combined with other flavors for most of us with standard American taste buds.

The root and leaves are very potent when juiced with other herbs or vegetables in a water or juice based tonic. Dandelion has an incredible amount of life force which you can demonstrate by harvesting a whole plant, with root (you can first connect with the plant spirit and ask permission), and placing it in a loose plastic baggie in the refrigerator. It will soon turn its leaves upward and may even continue to grow in the refrigerator.

Often it will last for months. If it does not show this kind of vigor, your plant may have been exposed to chemical herbicides in the past, and should not be eaten. It is best to harvest from an area that has not been sprayed for at least 3 years.
Fresh dandelion is the one of the best tonic herbs known to man, and can be used beneficially by anyone. Dried dandelion root is also acceptable, and for those who are very sensitive to herbal remedies, dandelion hydrosol, available from DiamondHeart, is an effective and very high frequency alternative that is easy to digest and assimilate.

DiamondHeart

www.diamondheart.net
907-274-2359
e-mail:rebecca@diamondheart.net
942 Tyonek Dr.
Anchorage, AK 99501

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