How wonderful and exciting it is to help you learn about the healing qualities of herbs. My goal, through this column, is to give you information so you can begin to take charge of your health and understand more about your body's ability to heal itself.

I'll begin with a little background on myself. I was raised in Oregon, and spent 15 years in California where I owned a small health food store and herbal practice. I've moved back to the Pacific Northwest to be closer to my family and now own a health food store in the Bothell/Mill Creek area.

Experiencing the healing power of herbs first hand, I began studying herbs in 1987. My education includes, a BS degree (Major in Medical Technology) from the University of San Francisco, and studies under several doctors and alternative healers, learning about Herbology, Flower Remedies, Homeopathics, Microbiology, Kinesiology, Iridology, Reiki and other healing techniques. In all, I have learned to respect the plants for their nutritional value in assisting the body by feeding it, which allows the body to have what it needs to do the healing itself, as nature intended.

Having traveled extensively, and now about town, I always pack an herbal arsenal to be prepared for any possible "dis-ease" my body might experience. Prominent in my suitcase is Yarrow, Slippery Elm and Ginger:

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) - A member of the Sunflower Family (Compositae), this herb got its name, Achillea, in honor of the Greek warrior-god Achilles, who used the herb to stop the bleeding in the wounds of his soldiers. It has been used extensively since that time to stop bleeding in battle wounds and is also known as Soldier's wound wart, Knight milfoil, Stanchweed, Gordoloba, Nosebleed, Green Arrow, Dog Daisy, Sanguinary, Carpenter's grass, and Herbe militaris.

Native to Europe and western Asia, yarrow has been naturalized in all temperate regions and is cultivated in cooler regions of Indo-China, and Central and North America. Historically, it has been used to brew beer, as tobacco and in salads and soups, and in Western and Chinese folk medicine, as an astringent, which is the major action of yarrow, because it contains organic acids such as tannins and salicylic acid.

Today's uses:

• Immune System. Yarrow also contains volatile oils, which are responsible for the expectorant, diuretic, antibiotic properties, bactericidal attributes, and stimulus of mucous membranes. What this means in layman's terms is that yarrow boosts the immune system, acts as an infection fighter, flushes the lymph system, and stops bleeding (internally or externally). It's great to take anywhere you are, or anywhere you may be going. Yarrow is also an herb you can take to prevent bug bites.
  
  
• Childbirth. Pregnant women should not take yarrow in large quantities, as it is also a stimulant to the uterus. However, it is a good herb to take during delivery because it stops excess bleeding, stimulates the uterus, kills infections, and boosts the immune system of the mother and the baby. It can also be made into a tea and sipped on gently for most types of vomiting. During my son's delivery, this was a godsend!

Yarrow can be purchased in capsules, tinctures, ointments, and bulk or grown in your garden and picked in July or August and hung to dry. The standard infusion is once ounce of chopped leaves and/or flower tops in one pint of boiling water for 20 minutes. In an emergency, you can pick several yarrow leaves - chew to a pulpy poultice and put in a wound or pack around an aching tooth. If taken as a tea, it is bitter, but can be sweetened easily with honey.

Slippery Elm (Ulmus fulva (Ulmaceae) - I like to call it an Herbal Pepto-Bismal. It coats your digestive tract helping calm an upset tummy, or for diarrhea by stopping the colon from spasming, yet allowing whatever the problem is to be cleared out gently, instead of sticking around to cause problems at a later date. The demulcent, emollient and wound healing properties of slippery elm are due to its mucilage content. The mucilage is viscous fiber that lowers the bowel transit time, absorbs toxins from the bowel, regulates intestinal flora, and soothes the lining of the digestive tract. Historically, the Indians applied slippery elm bark in the form of a poultice for wounds, and burns, using it as a healing agent.

The name Ulmus is from the Celtic "ulm" or elm, meaning trunk. Fulva is Latin "fulvus" meaning deep yellow or tawny and referring to the color of the inner bark. The color of slippery elm is important to note since the outer bark contains tannin and crude fiber and often contaminates the herb of commerce. Be sure to avoid dark colored material, as this is more astringent and fibrous than the pure inner bark.

Today's uses:

• Intestinal. Available in bulk, tablets or in herbal formulas, slippery elm is used for tummy upset, or colon spasms. Any forms of the herb may work; however, it is often a blessing to have this in easy-to-take capsules when traveling, allowing you to continue on with your fun.
  
  
• Sore throat. It can be used for calming sore throats, and is a common ingredient in herbal cough drops. However, slippery elm is only effective on the throat when it is in a form that can come in contact with the lining of the throat, such a lozenges, cough syrups, or tea.
  
  
• Nourishing food. The white and slightly aromatic inner bark has long been used as a survival health food. With slippery elm, George Washington kept his army alive during the bitter winter at Valley Forge, and many pioneer families utilized it as food when nothing else was available to prevent them from starving.

Native to North America, slippery elm is a deciduous tree that grows to a height of 50 feet or more with rough, dark brown and deeply furrowed outer bark. The inner bark (cambium) is tough and flexible with a fine fibrous texture. It has an odor somewhat like fenugreek and has a mucilaginous, bland taste. When ground to a find powder, this bark makes an excellent flour extender and can be used in a variety of recipes. Some people claim it has a food value equal to that of oatmeal and have recommended it as a wholesome nourishing food for invalids and children.

• Pregnancy. Slippery elm is a very safe herb and can be taken when pregnant to gently move the bowels, calm down tummy upset and calm throat or respiratory problems.

Ginger (Zingiber officianale) (Zingiberaceae) - Many people have heard of ginger, or have even used ginger in cooking. It is popular in the food industry where it is classed as a flavor and used in the manufacture of ginger ale, ginger beer, candies, pastries and cakes.
Ginger is a reed-like plant that is native to the coastal region of India. It has been cultivated there since before written history, the first mention being made in China about 400 B.C. The Greeks and Romans used it as a spice.

Marco Polo reported seeing it in China between 1280 and 1290 A.D. and it was a popular import item in Europe from the 11th to 13th centuries. Later, the Spaniards introduced the plant into the West Indies, and by 1547, it was so widely cultivated there that is was exported back to Spain. The British prize Jamaican ginger above all others, making unbleached Jamaican ginger their pharmacopeal standard.

The plant has since been naturalized and is cultivated in Jamaica, China, India, Africa and the West Indies.

The name comes from the Greek "zingiberis" and Arabic "zindschebil" or root of zindschi (India), which is interpreted "known already to the ancients." Its common name, ginger, is derived from the Sanskrit "gringa" or horn and "vera" meaning body, in references to the shape of the root.

Folk medicine has used ginger to treat indigestion, flatulence, diarrhea and loss of appetite. Teas have been made for indigestion, stomachache, malaria and fever. The Chinese values ginger as a stimulating diaphoretic and always add ginger to meat dishes to detoxify the meat. They use ginger externally to remove the heat of painful, inflamed and stiff joints. I have also seen an oil extract of ginger used in massage therapy for the treatment of dandruff and for earaches.

Ginger also has been used in folk medicine for rheumatism, a blood purifier, and an antimicrobial. Legends about hallucinogenic properties associated with ginger root are based on the consumption of ginger just before bedtime - but as anything that stimulates the stomach before bedtime, is obviously going to cause you to have dreams and not sleep deeply. Finally, ginger has a longer shelf life than most aromatic herbs, because of its protective root bark.

Today's uses:

• Motion Sickness. A study in The Lancelot (March 2, 1982) showed ginger to be effective in treating motion sickness. Two gelatin capsules of ginger are more effective than 100mg of dimenhydrinate (Dramamine). To use ginger in this manner, take two (2) capsules approximately 20-25 minutes before boarding a plane, ship or car for travel, and thereafter every 4 hours.
  
  
• Lymph System Detoxer. My favorite use of ginger is to place 2 tablespoons in a hot tub of water. This is a natural detoxer for the lymph system, relaxes muscles, relieves body pain and allows me to sleep. It is easiest to do this with dried ginger. Be careful NOT to use too much ginger. If you do, and your lymph system is very toxic, your lymph system can dump into your digestive system and make you vomit. You will feel great afterwards, as your body will be detoxed, but it won't be a lot of fun to go through!
  
  
• Digestion. The volatile oils, oleo resins and proteolytic enzymes in ginger are digestive stimulants, which trigger the production of digestive fluids. This helps combat the effects of overeating, improper chewing or excessive motion by helping make the digestive process more efficient, increasing gastric motility and neutralizing toxins and acids in the digestive tract.

Next time you travel, or if you just want to be prepared for illness before it happens, you might want to carry these wonderful herbs with you. They were here before us, and hopefully they will always be available to us as a resource for our health.