Wonderful Weeds: Plantain

I’ve always loved plantain, so much so that as a girl, I wrote a poem about a plantain I found on my walk home from school along the Ipswich bypass. I found it a humble yet beautiful plant. So I was more than delighted when one popped up in our clover patch. The bees agree. They are filling their pollen sacs with white plantain pollen.

This is ribwort plantain or buckhorn, plantago lanceolata, a common lawn weed and not a Colorado native. However, it isn’t invasive either. As a girl it was the beauty of the plant that fascinated me. I now know that it is edible and medicinal and was used by both my Anglo-Saxon and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestors. I grew up using dock leaves for nettle stings, but plantain leaf is also excellent as an external remedy for wounds, bites and stings. According to my new favourite book, Ashkenazi Herbalism by Deatra Cohen and Adam Siegel, my ancestors used plantain infusion for menorrhagia and post partum bleeding. They even used it for tuberculosis, something we find in Persian medicine as well. Indeed, plantain is generally good for the lungs and can be used as an infusion for asthma and upper respiratory tract infections.

Plantain contains several important phytochemicals including allantoin, which plays a a part in its skin-soothing properties. The iridoid glycoside aucubin, a very important bitter substance, is antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-fibrotic, anti-cancer, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective and osteoprotective, accounting for some of the surprisingly powerful effects of this humble herb. In addition, it contains another iridoid glycoside, asperuloside, an anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity compound. Antioxidant flavonoids add to the mix. We should be proud of our ancestors for discovering the benefits of this lowly plant.

  Alakananda Ma M.B., B.S. (Lond.) is an Ayurvedic Doctor (NAMA) and graduate of a top London medical school. She is co-founder of Alandi Ayurveda Clinic and Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder Colorado, as well as a spiritual mother, teacher, flower essence maker and storyteller. Alakananda is a well known and highly respected practitioner in the Ayurveda community both nationally and internationally.

Enliven your holistic health! Visit Alakananda Ma in Alandi Ashram’s ayurvedic clinic to support the overall rejuvenation of your body, mind, and spirit. In-person and virtual appointments available. Book now!

Take Care with Licorice

Today, let’s talk about one of my favourite herbs. I often call licorice the multi-talented herb, since it does everything from fighting viruses to building bones. I love to use it for nursing mothers, as it is good for milk production. But if you’ve been into clinic, you might recall that before using licorice, we make sure you don’t have any blood pressure concerns. And while we like it for local application, we are very careful about how we use it in formulas you take.

Our scrupulous care about licorice has now been justified by a small study that came out last month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. While we’ll need to wait for larger-scale studies to give confirmation, this study does suggest that licorice may raise blood pressure at much smaller doses than the WHO currently considers safe.

A constituent of licorice, glycyrrhizic acid, can have an aldosterone-like effect, leading to water retention and high blood pressure. So, it’s important not to consume excess amounts.

There are many ways licorice might get into your diet. While many so-called licorice candies are actually flavoured with anise and chemicals, others, like Licorice Allsorts, black jellybeans and Hershey’s Good & Plenty licorice candy do in fact contain licorice. Of course, these candies contain other highly undesirable ingredients like glucose syrup, corn syrup and artificial colourings. But I remember loving Licorice Allsorts as a child. Luckily, we used to eat sweets very infrequently, and that’s a safe plan. Licorice treats are acceptable as long as they are not consumed regularly.

But Halloween candy isn’t the only thing that could lure you into consuming excess licorice. Your favourite herbal tea companies like Yogi Tea and Traditional Medicinals offer stomach-soothing licorice teas and use licorice in many of their teas. This is fine as long as you only drink these teas once in a while.

Then there are the cough syrups and throat lozenges with licorice, like Wish Garden’s Serious Cough Syrup and Planetary Herbal’s Wild Cherry Bark cough syrup. If you don’t suffer with high blood pressure and aren’t taking a thiazide diuretic (a water pill), it’s probably fine to use these products for a short while.  But it’s best not to use them every day for a chronic cough.

 At Alandi, we have a special way of making herbal formulas. Because we combine 7-9 herbs in the same formula, you end up taking a tiny amount of any one herbs. The synergistic effect of the combination lets you receive the medicals benefits while avoiding unwanted side effects. There’s a similar process used in our tinctures as well. You get a tiny amount of licorice in an Alandi tincture that has licorice.  At the same time, we do avoid adding licorice to your formula if you have blood pressure concerns, just to be on the safe side. And if there is licorice in your formula or an Alandi tincture you’re taking, make sure you don’t introduce licorice from other sources.

I love licorice, my multi-talented herbal ally. But I use it very carefully, and advise you to be mindful of your overall licorice consumption from various sources.

  Alakananda Ma M.B., B.S. (Lond.) is an Ayurvedic Doctor (NAMA) and graduate of a top London medical school. She is co-founder of Alandi Ayurveda Clinic and Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder Colorado, as well as a spiritual mother, teacher, flower essence maker and storyteller. Alakananda is a well known and highly respected practitioner in the Ayurveda community both nationally and internationally.

Enliven your holistic health! Visit Alakananda Ma in Alandi Ashram’s ayurvedic clinic to support the overall rejuvenation of your body, mind, and spirit. In-person and virtual appointments available. Book now!

Wonderful Weeds: Mullein

When a tall mullein plant appeared in our garden years ago, we felt proud. We had seen these plants on the mesas and believed that we were hosting a native wildflower. You should have seen the expression on our ecologist friend’s face when she saw it! Jane enlightened us to the fact that mullein is a Eurasian weed, considered noxious in Colorado.

Yet, despite its invasive nature, mullein, Verbascum thapsus L, is a wonderful medicinal herb.  It was apparently brought to America by Puritans for use in their herb gardens, although other accounts note that it was also brought as a fish poison.

As with most introduced medicinals, Native Americans quickly incorporated the plant into their daily life, using it as everything from a moccasin liner to a soothing smoke.

Mullein possesses bitter, astringent and sweet tastes and is soothing to pitta and kapha. It is blood cleansing, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, analgaesic and diuretic. The leaves can be used to heal wounds and are good for coughs and chest problems, while the flowers have a nervine sedative action.

One of the foremost ways we use the leaves and flowers of mullein is for respiratory issues, to stimulate and cleanse the lungs, relax the bronchioles and liquify phlegm. With its antiviral and antibacterial actions, you can see how it’s brilliant for chest infections. Like the Navajo, we love to use it in our smoking mix. Mullein oil is famous for ear infections. This is not an essential oil; rather mullein is infused in olive oil.

Mullein compresses can be used for a variety of complaints, including bruises, eczema and painful joints. You can also do a mullein bath to ease joint pain. No wonder the Puritans wanted to bring this useful herb with them, not knowing that it would travel thousands of miles and become a noxious weed.

 Alakananda Ma M.B., B.S. (Lond.) is an Ayurvedic Doctor (NAMA) and graduate of a top London medical school. She is co-founder of Alandi Ayurveda Clinic and Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder Colorado, as well as a spiritual mother, teacher, flower essence maker and storyteller. Alakananda is a well known and highly respected practitioner in the Ayurveda community both nationally and internationally.

Enliven your holistic health! Visit Alakananda Ma in Alandi Ashram’s ayurvedic clinic to support the overall rejuvenation of your body, mind, and spirit. In-person and virtual appointments available. Book now!

Wonderful Weeds: Catnip

As we continue our journey through some garden weeds, let’s look at catnip. Don’t tell Dora Kitty, but in Colorado catnip is an adventive European weed, introduced by settlers, who used it as food and medicine. Known as Nepeta cataria L, catnip is a member of the mint family. You can recognize mints by their square stems, opposite leaves and aromatic qualities.  Like all the mints, catnip can become invasive and is best planted in a container—not that we’ve ever needed to plant any, because it just pops up as a weed. Its close relative, catmint, Nepeta mussinii, also pops up in our garden. It doesn’t have the same attractiveness for cats but is more ornamental and is beloved by bees.

We tend to let our catnip plants grow freely unless they’re really in the way. Dora Kitty loves catnip, she rolls around in it, plays with the plant and generally has a good time. However, not all cats are catnip responders. About a third of cats lack the gene to respond to catnip. The nepetalactones catnip produces for its own protection cause euphoria in cats that are catnip responders, while having a sedative effect on babies and children.

Also, catnip is a good companion plant, because its nepetalactones repel pests such as flea beetles and Japanese beetles, a good reason to have some around even if you don’t have a cat. I’m thinking of spraying the roses with catnip tea this year when the Japanese beetles arrive.

Nowadays, we don’t tend to use catnip as a food, although you could try catnip pesto and see if you like it. You can also use some of the tender leaves in a garden forage salad.

Like many mints, catnip is a cooling pungent, possessed of bitter and pungent tastes and cooling energy. It is sedative, digestive, carminative and analgaesic, making catnip tea a wonderful remedy for a child with a belly ache or teething pain. It can also bring down a fever. A great nervine, catnip can be used for insomnia, nervous tension, restlessness and headache. It is also used as an emmenogue. In addition to taking it internally as a tea, you can also relax in a catnip bath, or use it as a hair rinse or eyewash.

As with all your herbs, trim the flowers back to keep a supply of leaves to use fresh or dried.

 Alakananda Ma M.B., B.S. (Lond.) is an Ayurvedic Doctor (NAMA) and graduate of a top London medical school. She is co-founder of Alandi Ayurveda Clinic and Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder Colorado, as well as a spiritual mother, teacher, flower essence maker and storyteller. Alakananda is a well known and highly respected practitioner in the Ayurveda community both nationally and internationally.

Enliven your holistic health! Visit Alakananda Ma in Alandi Ashram’s ayurvedic clinic to support the overall rejuvenation of your body, mind, and spirit. In-person and virtual appointments available. Book now! 

Wonderful Weeds: Burdock

Burdock, arctium lappa L, is not wonderful at all as a weed, in fact in Colorado it is classified as a noxious weed. It is a Eurasian plant introduced by settlers in the seventeenth century as a food and medicine. As with yellow dock, its properties were appreciated by Native American tribes, who cultivated and utilized it.

You can harvest the tender sprouts growing up from last year’s roots. We’ve tried eating them in salad, but they are probably more digestible when cooked. You can dry the mature roots for medicinal use or put them in your vegetable broth. They contain inulin and have a good flavour, a combination of bitter, astringent and sweet. The tender young roots can be eaten along with the shoots.

A member of the sunflower family, Asteraceae, burdock truly is a wonderful herb, serving as an adaptogen, nutritive tonic and rejuvenative. It is also a blood cleanser, anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic and diuretic. Its anti-tumour activity is another of its valuable properties. Native Americans used burdock to treat introduced diseases like whooping cough, measles and smallpox. It is famed for its value in lymphatic congestion and is also used in skin conditions like psoriasis and hives. Burdock is a valuable herb for kidney, bladder and liver conditions, as well as for all kinds of infections. So even though it’s a noxious weed, we can still make use of it—just cut it down before it creates burrs.

 Alakananda Ma M.B., B.S. (Lond.) is an Ayurvedic Doctor (NAMA) and graduate of a top London medical school. She is co-founder of Alandi Ayurveda Clinic and Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder Colorado, as well as a spiritual mother, teacher, flower essence maker and storyteller. Alakananda is a well known and highly respected practitioner in the Ayurveda community both nationally and internationally.

Enliven your holistic health! Visit Alakananda Ma in Alandi Ashram’s ayurvedic clinic to support the overall rejuvenation of your body, mind, and spirit. In-person and virtual appointments available. Book now! 

Wonderful Weeds: Yellow Dock

Okay, this title is a bit of hyperbole. There’s nothing wonderful, as a gardener, about having a tenacious introduced weed in your garden beds. But the settlers introduced yellow dock, Rumex crispus L, also known as curly dock, for a purpose. It was important medicine for them and was soon adopted by many Native American tribes for the same purpose.

Indeed, dock was one of the first herbs I ever picked and used. Growing up in Britain, I was often stung by nettles. Luckily, dock likes the same kind of disturbed ground that nettles do. So, whenever we got stung, we children would hunt around for a dock leaf to crush and rub on the sting, with immediate soothing effect.

Dock is a member of the Polygonaceae or buckwheat family. Gastronomically there is a great divide in the rumex genus. Most are bitter, a few are sour. Yellow dock falls into the bitter group and doesn’t have that sour sorrel-like taste. For culinary purposes, it can be used much like any other bitter leafy green vegetable. Its bitterness and astringency also endow it with many medicinal properties, the most outstanding being alterative (blood cleansing) antiseptic, cholagogue and laxative. You can use the bruised leaves topically, as I did as a child, or you can mash the fresh root and apply it to wounds, swellings and painful joints. Yellow dock can be used in salves for skin rashes and also in a douche for vaginitis. The root can be used in a blood cleansing tea, together with other wonderful weeds like dandelion and burdock. It can also be made into a herbal syrup or into a tincture.

This year we finally decided to start eating our yellow dock leaves. So yesterday I made a delicious pesto of dandelion greens and yellow dock leaves, with pine nuts, olive oil and pecorino cheese. This went well with some linguine I had prepared with asparagus, lemon and portobello mushroom. This was perfect, because we’re finally out of the basil pesto I made in the fall.

If I come up with other great ways to use curly dock leaves, I’ll be sure to write a blog and share the recipe.

 Alakananda Ma M.B., B.S. (Lond.) is an Ayurvedic Doctor (NAMA) and graduate of a top London medical school. She is co-founder of Alandi Ayurveda Clinic and Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder Colorado, as well as a spiritual mother, teacher, flower essence maker and storyteller. Alakananda is a well known and highly respected practitioner in the Ayurveda community both nationally and internationally.

Enliven your holistic health! Visit Alakananda Ma in Alandi Ashram’s ayurvedic clinic to support the overall rejuvenation of your body, mind, and spirit. In-person and virtual appointments available. Book now!

Magical, medicinal dandelions

Painted ladies enjoying dandelion lawn

Last week we enjoyed our very first tender dandelion greens of the year. Now is a good time to look for fresh dandelion greens, before they flower, and the leaves become tough. Make the most of it—they are said to be among the five most nutritious vegetables in the world! And it’s also a good time for me to remind you not to spray your dandelions and not to mow until they’re done blooming.

Don’t spray your dandelions because the pesticides kill pollinators. And they’re dangerous for human health as well. Don’t mow them, because honeybees, bumble bees and butterflies depend on their flowers as a vital first food. So, let the dandelions bloom and then mow when they go to seed.

But dandelions are not only important for pollinators. The original botanical name of dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, tells us that it was grown in medieval monastery gardens for its medicinal value.  Although the common dandelion is a Eurasian species, we have our own native dandelions as well. And they put on a beautiful show in the high mountain meadows in spring. Most native American tribes appreciated the value of dandelions and used them for food, medicine and poultices.

Both the leaves and roots of dandelion can be used medicinally, while the milky sap can be applied to the skin to cure warts.  Dandelion is bitter and astringent, making it a perfect herb for pitta and kapha, but one vata should use with care.

The antitoxic, anti-inflammatory and blood-cleansing properties of dandelion are among its stand-out actions. It is also diuretic, decongestant, laxative, tonic, and a great galactagogue, perfect for helping nursing mothers produce plentiful milk. Dandelion is also famed for its stone breaking power for urinary stones.

Although dandelion can be helpful in a vast array of conditions, from diabetes to mastitis, from PMS to prostatitis, it is especially valued in liver, kidney and spleen issues.

When you are weeding dandelions from your garden beds, be sure to save the roots for a medicinal tea. You can use them fresh or dried.

For pitta, dandelion root combines well with chicory root or burdock root, as an anti-Pitta beverage. ¼ oz of each can be simmered in one pint of water for 20 minutes and taken 3x daily with meals.

For vata, balance dandelion with something warming, like fresh ginger.

And here’s a wonderful drink to make from your freshly harvested dandelion roots.

Natural Fluid Replacement/Electrolyte Balance Drink


1.     Simmer 10-12 washed and pesticide free dandelion roots in one gallon of pure water for about 4 hours. Remove from heat.

2.     Add 1 cup Hibiscus flowers and let it steep as it cools (cooking will bring out more of the sourness than sweetness of the Hibiscus). Hibiscus is a blood tonic and a familiar taste and is also cooling in energy.

3.     Add 3/4 cup lemon juice (heating), some lemon zest (cooling), about 1 cup of honey to taste.

4.     This is a concentrate—you can add more liquid as you wish. It will keep a few days in the refrigerator.

 Alakananda Ma M.B., B.S. (Lond.) is an Ayurvedic Doctor (NAMA) and graduate of a top London medical school. She is co-founder of Alandi Ayurveda Clinic and Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder Colorado, as well as a spiritual mother, teacher, flower essence maker and storyteller. Alakananda is a well known and highly respected practitioner in the Ayurveda community both nationally and internationally.

Enliven your holistic health! Visit Alakananda Ma in Alandi Ashram’s ayurvedic clinic to support the overall rejuvenation of your body, mind, and spirit. In-person and virtual appointments available. Book now!

Wonders of Pippali

Among the most celebrated Ayurvedic herbs is Pippali, renowned for its benefits for the lungs but valuable in many other capacities too. Literature on Pippali can be found in both classical texts and contemporary peer reviewed journals. Pippali can be used in four capacities—as a culinary spice of rare distinction, as a home remedy, as a powerful medicinal herb and as a catalyst to potentiate the action of other herbs and drugs.

Pippali (piper longum) is indigenous to India and Sri Lanka, although a very similar plant is found in Indonesia. A member of the family piperacae, Pippali is a perennial aromatic shrub. The flowers of Pippali grow in spikes, which are harvested and dried to form the Long Pepper. The root, Pippali Moola, is also a valuable herb widely mentioned in classical texts. It is important to note that, unlike cayenne pepper, and despite common misunderstanding, Pippali is not in the nightshade family and is perfectly acceptable to those who are unable to tolerate nightshades.

Pippali has as pungent rasa and sweet vipak. Its virya is anushnashita—neither hot nor cold, a fact the renders it invaluable for pitta. It contains volatile oil, alkaloids piperin and piperlonguminine, terpenoids and N-isobutyl deca-trans-2-trans-4-dienamide, a waxy alkaloid.

Pippali regulates sroto—agni of pranavahasrotas, the respiratory tract. It acts as a bronchodilator, decongestant, expectorant, and lung rejuvenative. In annavahasrotas, the digestive tract, it also has powerful actions as carminative and deepan (agni kindler). Pippali kindles bhutagni in the liver, improving liver function, and is a metabolic stimulant, aiding the thermogenic response by increasing the level of thyroid hormone.

As a culinary spice, Pippali has been celebrated for its unique combination of pungent and sweet. It was an essential ingredient in Roman cooking and is used to this day in the cuisine of Morocco and Ethiopia, where it is an ingredient in berebere, a masala mix. Although its use in Indian cuisine has been replaced by the much harsher cayenne pepper introduced by the Portuguese, it is still used in certain traditional pickles.

As a home remedy, Pippali should be in every winter medicine cabinet. As always, choice of anupan will determine which aspect of the action of Pippali will predominate. A pinch of Pippali in aloe vera gel will immediately relieve bronchospasm in an episode of bronchitis or severe cough. The same recipe can also be used before meals to help with intolerance to fats. In asthma, a quarter teaspoon of Pippali can be mixed in a teaspoon of honey and taken three times daily after meals. For hyperacidity, a quarter teaspoon of Pippali can be mixed with a half teaspoon of rock candy and a half cup of room temperature milk. A pinch of Pippali with a teaspoon of crushed rock candy is a good home remedy for hoarseness of the voice.

To enhance prana, a quarter teaspoon of Pippali can be mixed in ghee and taken in the morning. As a rejuvenative home remedy in chronic fatigue, a quarter teaspoon of Pippali can be taken daily with gritamadhu (a combination of ghee and honey) (1). As a carminative, a quarter teaspoon Pippali can be combined with a pinch of hing and a teaspoon of ghee and taken after meals. In haemorrhoids, make a Pippali yoghurt drink. Combine two tablespoons of yoghurt, a cup of pure water and a pinch of Pippali, blend together and drink after lunch and dinner. In obesity, combine a pinch of Pippali with a teaspoon of honey and drink in the mornings followed by hot water, for enhanced thyroid function and fat burning.

In chronic cough, asthma and low agni, Pippali milk can be used. Make a medicated milk by adding a quarter cup of water to a cup of milk. Add a pinch of Pippali and cook back down to one cup. Pippali is safe to use in pregnancy in small amounts. For asthma in pregnancy, a small amount of Pippali can be taken, mixed in ghee. A medicated ghee can also be made with Pippali, cooking a decoction of Pippali into ghee until all the water is absorbed. This is an excellent remedy for healing lungs that have been damaged by smoking.

As a medicinal herb, Pippali can be used to heal and rejuvenate pranavahasrotas. It is an excellent addition to any spring rejuvenative formula. As a powerful herb, it should be used in smaller proportions in the formula. It combines well with Punarnava in formulas for pranavahasrotas (respiratory conditions), with Shankhapushpi for chronic liver disease, with Ashwagandha in fatigue conditions and with Guggulu in rheumatoid arthritis. It is also of value in anti-parasitical formulas.

In bronchial asthma, the famous Vardaman Pippali Rasayana can be used as described in detail in Charak Samhita. An increasing amount of Pippali is taken each day; with milk. Amounts of Pippali and their rate of increase are determined by the strength of the patient. Once a peak is reached the amount of Pippali is slowly reduced each day (2). Meanwhile, a strict diet is followed. For Westerners, tolerance of Pippali is lower. It is best to find the point at which Pippali will cause hyperacidity, lower the dose to below that level, continue at that level for a week and then slowly reduce the amount.

There are a number of classical preparations featuring Pippali. These include Trikatu, Sitopaladi, Talisadi, Pippali Asavam and Pippali Prash. All these preparations make use of the powerful effects of Pippali on pranavahasrotas.

Recent research conforms the effectiveness of Pippali in a variety of situations. Several have shown immunostimulatory and antigiardial effects of Pippali (3). Pippali is similarly effective against entamoeba hystolytica. A 2006 study published in the Journal of Phytomedicine shows that Pippali inhibits liver fibrosis in animal studies. This provides support for the traditional use of Pippali in alcoholic liver disease and chronic hepatitis (4) A.K Agarwal et al demonstrated the protective effect of Pippali against gastric ulcers in rats. “The antiulcerogenic effect seemed to be due to the augmentation of mucin secretion and decreased cell shedding rather than offensive acid and pepsin secretion which however, were found to be increased by them.” (5). Pippali’s anti-inflammatory and analgaesic effects may be equal to that of Ibuprofen, according to one animal study (6). “This indicates that P. longum root has weak opioid but potent NSAID (non steroidal anti-inflammatory) type of analgesic activity”.

Another study demonstrated that Pippali is a useful anti-cancer agent. (7) “These results indicate the potential use of spices as anti-cancer agents as well as anti-tumour promoters.” This study is very interesting in highlighting the usefulness of Pipplai both to recovering smokers, at risk for lung cancer, and to those with Hepatitis C, at risk for liver cancer.

Finally, in addition to its powerful effects as a medicinal herb in its own right, Pippali is also valuable as a catalytic agent to potentiate the actions of other herbs or drugs. The most important classical example of this usage of Pippali is of course Chyavanprash. In this formulation, Pippali functions as a catalytic agent to enhance the rejuvenative, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and lung infection-fighting capabilities of Amlaki, the chief herb in Chyavanprash. Pippali has also been shown to enhance the effects of antibiotics. (8) In this study, Pippali was found to be a phytochemical potentiator of Ciprofloxacin against Staphylococcus aureus, a common bacterium which can cause a variety of diseases including lung infections. This study points to the usefulness of taking sitopaladi alongside an antibiotic in serious bacterial infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. It is important to note that in certain situations, the potentiating effect of Pippali may be dangerous in terms of herb-drug interactions. Neither Pippali nor black pepper should be used in individuals taking the beta blocker Propanalol, also known as Inderal, because piperine enhances the effects of this drug, with potentially dangerous consequences. It is also important to avoid Pippali when a patient is taking anti-coagulants.

Although Pippali is most famous for its rejuvenative impact on pranvahsrotas, ancient texts and contemporary studies point to wide-ranging effectiveness of Pippali in respiratory, liver, digestive, metabolic, parasitic and malignant conditions. In terms of Pippali’s usefulness in pravavahasrotas, anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and rejuvenative effects all synergize to create outstanding effectiveness in infectious and degenerative lung and upper respiratory diseases.

References:

1. Chikitsasthan, Ch.1 v 32

2. Chikitsasthan, Ch.1 v36-40

3. Tripati et al Antigiardial and immunostimulatory effect of Piper longum on giardiasis due to Giardia lamblia. Phytother Res. 1999 Nov;13(7):561-5; Agarwal et al Management of giardiasis by a herbal drug 'Pippali Rasayana': a clinical study.

4. Plant Products as Antimicrobial Agents. Marjorie Murphy Cowan, Department of Microbiology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056. Clin Microbiol Rev. 1999 October; 12(4): 564–582.

5. J Ethnopharmacol. 1997 May; (3):233-6

6. hytomedicine. 2006 Feb;13(3):196-8. Epub 2005 Jun 24. Inhibition of CCl4-induced liver fibrosis by Piper longum Linn. Christina AJ, Saraswathy GR, Robert SJ, Kothai R, Chidambaranathan N, Nalini G, Therasal RL. Department of Pharmacology, KM College of Pharmacy, Uthangudi, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.)

7. Indian J Exp Biol. 2000 Oct; 38(10):994-8.

8. Indian J Exp Biol. 2003 Jun;41(6):649-51.

9. Unnikrishnan MC, Kuttan R; Cancer Lett. 1990 May 15;51(1):85-9.

10. Inshad Ali Khan, Zahid Mehmood Mirza, Ashwani Kumar, Vijeshwar Verma, and Ghulam Nabi Qazi, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, February 2006, p. 810-812, Vol. 50, No. 2.

 Alakananda Ma M.B., B.S. (Lond.) is an Ayurvedic Doctor (NAMA) and graduate of a top London medical school. She is co-founder of Alandi Ayurveda Clinic and Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder Colorado, as well as a spiritual mother, teacher, flower essence maker and storyteller. Alakananda is a well known and highly respected practitioner in the Ayurveda community both nationally and internationally.

Enliven your holistic health! Visit Alakananda Ma in Alandi Ashram’s ayurvedic clinic to support the overall rejuvenation of your body, mind, and spirit. In-person and virtual appointments available. Book now!

Coriander | Coriandrum Sativum

We're all familiar with coriander as an important part of Indian, Iranian and Latin American cuisine. Most of us keep coriander seeds in our spice cabinet and also buy the fresh cilantro leaves for a garnish or an ingredient in salsas and guacamole. But the volatile oils in coriander are also very important medicinally, especially for pitta conditions, eye inflammations, urinary and menstrual conditions and allergic reactions. Here's a compilation of coriander home remedies.

Note: To get the best out of your coriander, always fresh-grind the seeds rather than storing the powder.

Coriander Seed Recipes

CCF Tea: At Alandi we encourage our students and patients to drink CCF tea. Mix one-third teaspoon each of cumin, coriander and fennel 'seeds' in a cup of water, boil until the seeds sink and strain. Drink after meals to aid digestion or to relieve colic. This tea is also a great way to help get adequate iron and calcium in your diet. You can also use this tea to bring down a fever.

Coriander digestive powder: Mix together 1tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp. ground cumin, a pinch of black pepper and a pinch of salt (Himalayan or Utah salt). Eat with basmati rice to aid digestion.

Coriander tea for stomachache: Boil 1 tsp. coriander seeds in a cup of water until seeds sink; strain and drink to relieve stomachache, Add turbinado sugar if desired.

Pitta relief powder: Mix equal parts of coriander, fennel and turbinado sugar and powder in a spice mill. Eat 1-2 tsp. after each meal to relieve burning sensations, acidity, eye irritation, burning urination and headache.

Coriander milk for hives and rashes: Steep 1 tsp. coriander powder, ½ tsp. cumin powder and 1 tsp. turbinado sugar in a cup of hot milk. Drink one or two cups daily to relieve hives, rashes and nausea.

Coriander with amlaki for burning urination or excess thirst: Soak 1 tsp. coriander seeds, ½ tsp. amlaki powder and ½ tsp. turbinado sugar; add 1cup boiling water; steep overnight in and drink in morning on empty stomach.

Coriander infusion for leucorrhoea: Steep 2 Tbsp. of coriander seeds overnight in ½ cup of water. Drink the water in the early morning on an empty stomach. Drink daily for a week or ten days.

Coriander tea for menstrual cramps: Boil 1 tsp. coriander seeds in a cup of water until seeds sink; strain and drink to relieve menstrual cramps

Coriander tea for menorrhagia (excess menstrual bleeding): Boil 2 tsp. coriander seeds in a cup of water. Strain, add turbinado sugar and drink 2-3 times daily.

Coriander breath freshener: Chew coriander seeds to freshen the breath.

Coriander tea with cinnamon and ginger for fever: 1 tsp. ground coriander, ½ tsp. cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger. Steep in 1 cup hot water for 10 minutes, strain and drink.

Coriander and rose tea for high fevers: Boil 1 tsp. coriander seeds in a cup of water until seeds sink; cool to room temperature, strain and drink to relieve high fever. Even better, after removing the infusion from the heat, add 1 tsp. organic rose petals and allow to steep while the tea is cooling.

Coriander eyewash for conjunctivitis: Boil 1 tsp. coriander seeds and ½ tsp. salt in a cup of distilled water, with the lid on. Cool to room temperature, strain and use as eyewash. (You may need to adjust the saltiness for your personal make-up).

Coriander with amlaki for alopecia: Soak 1 tsp. coriander seeds and 1 tsp. amlaki powder in 1cup boiling water; steep overnight in and drink in morning on empty stomach. Drink daily for baldness or alopecia.

Coriander 'coffee' for caffeine withdrawal: Dry-roast coriander seeds, powder in spice mill and use as coffee substitute. Also see end of article for Sukku mali coffee recipe.

Cilantro Leaf Recipes

Cilantro Juice for hay fever and allergic conjunctivitis: Drink 2 Tbsp cilantro juice twice daily. Gently bathe eyelids with cilantro juice.

Cilantro Juice for hives: Drink 2 Tbsp cilantro juice twice daily. Apply the pulp to the hives.

Topical cilantro for alopecia: Apply pulp of fresh cilantro leaves daily to areas of hair loss.

Topical cilantro for headache: Apply pulp of cilantro leaves to the forehead.

Topical cilantro for apthous ulcers (canker sores): Chew cilantro pulp; apply the pulp to the ulcers.

Topical cilantro and turmeric for acne: Mix ½ tsp turmeric into 2 Tbsp cilantro juice and apply to areas of acne and blackheads. (This is fine for women of colour, lighter skin types might want to test and see if it would temporarily stain your skin).

Cilantro nasya for nose bleeds and hay fever: Apply a couple of drops of cilantro juice in the nostrils 1-2 times daily for 15 days. Apply pulp of cilantro leaves to the forehead.

Cilantro juice for Burning Urination: Drink 2 Tbsp cilantro juice twice daily.

Cumin Cilantro tea: For Indigestion, acid reflux, heartburn, make tea with a teaspoon of cumin seeds per cup of water, steeping until the seeds sink. Add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of cilantro juice. Take twice daily after meals.

Cilantro chelation pesto for heavy metals chelation (recipe follows)

Cilantro Chelation Pesto

4 cloves garlic
1/3 c. Brazil nuts (for selenium)
1/3 c. sunflower seeds (for cysteine)
1/3 c. pumpkin seeds (for zinc, magnesium)
2 c. packed fresh cilantro (heavy metal chelation)
2/3 c. flaxseed or toasted pumpkin seed oil
4 TBS Fresh lemon or lime juice (vitamin C)
(use lime juice for pitta)
salt as desired.

Process the coriander and flaxseed oil in a blender until the coriander is chopped. Add the garlic, nuts and seeds, and lemon or lime juice and mix until the mixture is finely blended into a paste. Add salt to taste and blend again.

Sukku Malli Coffee

Adapted from Padhuskitchen.

Ingredients

2 tsp. Coriander seeds
1/2 tsp dry ginger powder
3-4 peppercorns
2 cups water
1-2 tsp palm jaggery or turbinado sugar

Preparation

Dry roast coriander seeds and black pepper on medium heat until you get an aroma of roasted seeds. Switch off the heat and add the dry ginger and sauté in the heat of the pan.
Powder everything once it cools. You can make this in bulk and store it in an airtight container, if needed, but fresh is really nice.

Bring 2 cup of water to boil, add the sukku malli coffee powder and boil on medium heat until it reduces to half quantity.
Add sugar or jaggery to taste. Once it dissolves, remove from heat, filter it and sip it slightly hot.

Compiled from various sources including Alandi Pharmacy Manual, Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing by Usha and Vasant Lad and LiveAyurved.com, and Ayurvedaupay.com.

Alakananda Ma M.B., B.S. (Lond.) is an Ayurvedic Doctor (NAMA) and graduate of a top London medical school. She is co-founder of Alandi Ayurveda Clinic and Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder Colorado, as well as a spiritual mother, teacher, flower essence maker and storyteller. Alakananda is a well known and highly respected practitioner in the Ayurveda community both nationally and internationally.

Enliven your holistic health! Visit Alakananda Ma in Alandi Ashram’s ayurvedic clinic to support the overall rejuvenation of your body, mind, and spirit. In-person and virtual appointments available. Book now!