Greetings friends, Its getting hot here in the desert- the thermometer is getting closer to the triple digits daily! I've started putting my summer s

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roses

Greetings friends,

Its getting hot here in the desert- the thermometer is getting closer to the triple digits daily! I've started putting my summer survival strategies to work to keep cool and calm in the face of the blazing sun. Here's ten ways I use the plants elements to my benefit in the heat.

Got others? Share your favorite summer cooling tips over at the Facebook Page!

1. Infused water! -Its no secret that drinking enough water helps you feel your best, especially when its hot and your prone to loose more water through sweat, but the addition of cooling herbs, flowers, and fruits helps to cool and calm, and delight the senses, and helps to encourage us to drink enough water! I love to infuse fresh cooling herbs from the garden in my water the best. The best ones to try - roses, lemon verbena, honeysuckle flowers, holly hock flowers, lemon balm, peppermint, peach leaf. You can also add slices of melon, pinapple, papaya, mango, cucumber, sliced grapes, berries, lemon, orange, or lime. I like to blend up my favorites, slice and toss into a water jug or pitcher and leave in the fridge for 4 hrs. But you can leave the flowers in the water for about two days.

To try- pinapple mint, cucumber mint melon, honeysuckle orange.
2. Rosewater. Also known as rose hydrosol- is a versatile preparation made during the process of distillation of rose essential oil, but is much more afforadable. It can be used internally and externally (as long as it is made from organic roses and is a true hydrosol- Mountain Rose Herbs has a good one).

I add rose water to everything I can- splashed into my drinking water (along with herbs/fruits!), misted on my face and body, drizzled on fruit salads, mixed in smoothies, or into cool tea or juices. Rose is a supreme cooling ally- and it is reccomended to pacify Pitta Dosha in the Ayurvedic tradition. You can also make gulkand, rose honey, or rose petal tea and use it similarly! Cool rose petal tea, sweetened with a dash of honey, with a lemon slice, and a peppermint sprig is not to be missed.
3. Use cooling teas daily. You might not want to sip on steaming mugs of hot tea during the hot months, and I dont blame you really. I much prefer a room temp or slightly chilled brew for beverages in the summer, but your choices of herbs for brews can make all the difference. Here's a list of cooling plants to brew for your teas this summer. Brew them hot or make sun tea, and then serve cool.

Rose
honeysuckle
peach leaf
peppermint
lemon balm
hibiscus
marshmallow
green tea (camellia sinensis)
coriander seed
elder flower (when cool)
chickweed (if its still growing fresh in your area in the summer)
cleavers
dandelion roots
burdock roots
gotu kola (centella asiatica)
shatavari
jasmine
chrysanthemum
violet leaf
raspberry, blackberry, strawberry leaf
meadowsweet leaf
linden
sumach
mulberry leaf
sarsparilla
red clover
licorice
lemongrass
fennel seed
alfa alfa

One word to the wise - avoid ice if you can possibly! Ice tends to cool down the digestion too much, especially at mealtime, and can hamper digestive processes, and when your really overheated can be a bit of shock to your system. If you need to use ice to cool down a hot tea, do so, but try not to drink icey beverages at meal time.

hollyhocks
1. Mucilages. Sounds gross. They are kind of sticky and slimy, but those demulcent allies, infused in cold water, also help us to stay hydrated and hold on to our fluids, which are so easy to loose in the heat. Often times they are rich in mineral salts which help us to maintain our electrolyte balance. But really, you can mix just a small portion of mucilage tea into your regular herbal mix, and drink it diluted. I try to get at least a pint or so daily mixed into my beverages. Best way to prepare these is as a cold infusion. Add a couple of tablespoons of the dry herb to a quart jar, cover with cool water, and infuse for 4-6 hrs. You can reinfuse many of these herbs 2 or 3 times with fresh water as well.

Holly hock (flowers or roots)
Marshmallow root
elm (siberian elm is a great one!)
mulberry leaf
chia seed
flax seed
Aloe vera gel (you can buy this and add to your waters in small doses- if you cut your own leaves just make sure to avoid the green leaf and yellow sap, which are bitter and laxative.)

1. Electrolytes. You need them to help you hold on to your fluids and avoid hyponatremia - water toxicity. Yes. Thats right, when you get too much water in your system and not enough sodium and other mineral electrolytes, you can get really sick. This is more common in athletes or those who work outside in the heat and sweat a lot. But its really easy to avoid by adding mineral rich tonic herbs to your teas - like nettles or alfalfa, and adding a pinch of sea salt to your water/tea.
2. Eat cooling foods. Summer is THE time for those fruit smoothies and veggie juices as they can be super cooling and refreshing. I urge people to enjoy them in summer, but not to put a cold smoothie on top of a meal, or first thing in the morning, as you need to keep your digestion warm for proper function. And they dont replace a full meal. I'd also say be especially careful if you tend to cold digestion or a cool constitution, or smoothies which have lots of sweet fruit, which may spike your blood sugar/insulin if you are sensitive. But also- dont forget cooling salads and foods for your regular meals. Dairy, cucumbers/melons, leafy greens, seafood, summer squashes.
3. Cooling oils and self massage. Coconut oil is one of the most cooling oils we can use internally or externally. Regular self massage of the body is helpful to keep lymph flowing and tissues healthy with circulation, but combining with cooling carrier oils like coconut, and some nice cooling essential oils (or herbs infused in the coconut oil) make it an especially nice treat- either before or after a lukewarm/cool shower/bath/swim/dip in a river.

Try any of the following in coconut oil and gently massage your whole body with your hands.

rose
jasmine
vetiver
honeysuckle
geranium
peppermint
neroli
lemon/lime
lavender
lemongrass

1. Keep the AC off. Yes, I know. I'm crazy to say it. And it isn't herbal. But it works. I live in a hot and sometimes kind of humid in the summer climate. I've lived most of those years with fans, swamp coolers and cool showers. No AC. You know, when you let you body get accustomed to being cool all the time- its that much more uncomfortable when you go out in the heat. Take the AC with a healthy dose of restraint. Let your body adjust and learn to navigate natures summer tendencies by its own intelligence. Use cooling foods and herbs, and try not to go from super chilled to super hot. (thermostatic mood swings!) I get by most of the hot summer this way- keeping the AC off in the car, opening the windows, taking cool showers, misting with water, turning on ceiling or box fans, a cool cloth on the neck and forehead.

cooling tea
1. Hydrotherapy- Basically- take a cool shower when you get hot. Jump in a cool pool or lake. Run cool water on your neck in the shower. Alternate hot and cold water rinses in the shower. Cool foot baths. Drink cooling beverages.
2. Change your schedule. Every good desert dweller knows to take a siesta in the hottest part of the day- under a rock if your a lizard, under a tree if your bigger, and to do most of your activities that require exertion of energy in the early morning or evening hours. Take it easy. Slow down. Don't press. Adjust your rhythm to work with the season's cycles and changes- rather than fighting it.

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dukkah2

Here's a yummy way to include cooling spices and herbs in your daily fare.

Rose & Pistachio Dukkah!

This spice mix is an Egyptian/Middle Eastern blend of nuts, seeds and herbs - traditionally use a dip for breads with olive oil, or sprinkled over baked fish or vegetables. Delicious on hummus or yogurt as well! I've made a limited quantity of this delicious blend just for the summer- and you won't want to miss it! CSA members are getting one in their May Box, but for those of you who aren't CSA members, you can get your Dukkah and eat it too at Poppyswap!

There are also a few other treats over at the store - including Rosemary Elixir and Smoke and Roses Elixir.

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Devotee of Wildness, Wildcrafter of Botanical Wonders, Herbal Matchmaker & Shamana Flora

“ I want to leave the bounds of the indoors and take you out to smell wild minerals of the wet dirt, to fill your mouth with the spice of tree resin, to drum your heart into a rhythm that allows YOU to hear, feel, see, sense, experience the magic and sacredness of the natural world. I want to show you how to see with more than your eyes, see with your body, your heart, your sensual nature. I want to feed the senses and bodies of my clients with the holiness of the plant medicine- not just the extracts and constituents that help them feel better, but with the place where the earth wisdom, plant manifestation touches the spark of life within each heart and body.”

I work privately with clients who are eager to learn from the plants a healing way as old as time itself, and who are ready to take responsibility for and transform their relationship to self, spirit, nature, health, and body, including Herbal Wellness Consultations, Plant Spirit Medicine Sessions, Personal/Group Earth Medicine Retreats & Ceremonies. I offer a 9 month Sacred Earth Herbal Medicine Apprenticeship in Tucson, AZ for students eager to learn about herbal medicine and sacred Earth practices.

Contact me today to find out how Sacred Plant Medicine can benefit you!
www.shamanaflora.com
shamana.flora@gmail.com

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