Detox.
Protocols & Herbs.

Although this may not be the tastiest of herbs, it is an incredible blood cleanser and loaded with detoxifying nutrients, such as Iron, vitamins A, B1, B2,C, E, flavonoids, magnesium, amino acids, fiber….
Burdock is also a diuretic, helping to expel toxic buildup in your blood and eliminate it through your urine.
Burdock is a strong herb and it would be advised to include this, once you have gone through other detoxification protocols. It has a very strong affinity for the liver and works extremely well to eliminate toxins, therefore it can make you feel quite ill if other detoxification pathways are not optimized(!)
Burdock is high in fructooligosaccharides or FOS, which will increase the beneficial bifidobacterium and eliminate the bacterial pathogens that can build up in the gut. In addition, burdock increases saliva and bile secretions to help break down, bind and excrete toxins from the body.
Burdock is also great for supporting the adrenals, helping to balance blood sugar and contains antimicrobial compounds. Helps protect the healthy cells in the liver from free radical damage or inflammation caused by toxins. It also stimulates the regeneration of new healthy cells and aids the body in mopping up toxins.
It helps to increase glutathione production, the body’s major antioxidant substrate. This herb has no adverse side effects, though it may loosen stools slightly as it increases bile flow.

Parts used: root, seeds.

This herb is most widely used for liver detoxification and is readily available. Milk thistle can help to regenerate liver cells and provides vital nutrients for the liver in helping it to expel toxins and metabolic waste. It also helps to produce bile, which assists in supporting digestion.Milk thistle acts in a similar fashion to detoxify other synthetic chemicals that find their way into our bodies, from acetaminophen and alcohol to heavy metals and radiation. Milk thistle was approved in 1986 as a treatment for liver disease and it is widely used to treat alcoholic hepatitis, alcoholic fatty liver, cirrhosis, liver poisoning and viral hepatitis. Milk thistle also supports the pituitary gland. 

Where to buy: www.iherb.com   

To use: Grind the seeds and store in fridge. Then add to smoothies, salads and any other dishes as a spice. Add to your baking – in bread and pancakes, anywhere really! I even stuff dates with this! 🙂

Purifying and diuretic herb and as such – good for detox support.

Red clover is incredible for cleansing the blood.

The flowers have the ability to carry waste out of the bloodstream, making this herb a valuable part of a detoxification protocol. Red clover can be used to relieve the symptoms of liver ailments.
“Red Clover is everything you thought soy would be, with none of soy’s drawbacks. Instead of leaching minerals from the bones, Red Clover contributes generously to bone health. Instead of disturbing the thyroid, Red Clover helps normalize it. And Red Clover has an iron-clad reputation for preventing and countering breast cancer. An easily assimilated form of calcium and other necessary elements is the common Red Clover tops.”
Health benefits of red clover include assisting in combating minor digestive problems like indigestion, increased acidity, heartburn, etc.

Red clover is also a powerful tonic, helping to assist in toxin breakdown within the lymphatic system. Its expectorant properties are also great for individuals needing lung support. However, make sure to do your research, as red clover is only appropriate in certain forms and amounts. Source of many valuable nutrients including calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C.

***Red clover is also considered to be one of the richest sources of isoflavones (water-soluble chemicals that act like estrogens and are found in many plants), 

BUT the FACT is: – the Red Clover Plant is only** starts to produce estrogen as a survival mechanism for instance when sheep feed heavily on it. The estrogen compounds basically act as a contraceptive to the sheep, which brings down the population over time and eventually reduces the damage from overfeeding and restoring the natural balance within the ecosystem!

Now, the nearby cloverfield plants (with no livestock) can “anticipate” the danger and can begin to produce the same hormone-mimicking compound simply because they’ve been already “informed” from the nearby plant community!
And once the threat has been reduced – so is the production of estrogen!
Plants really are amazing! 🙂 Buy it HERE.

This herb is a Nature’s multivitamin! 

The Alfalfa plant raises minerals deep in the earth that aren’t accessible for most other plants since it sends its roots 20-30 ft down! 

Alfalfa is extraordinarily rich in nutrients, minerals and vitamins that play big roles in the health, development, and strength of our bones. Alfalfa contains digestive enzymes and eight essential amino acids of protein and a high chlorophyll content. Alfalfa is an extremely rich source of Beta-Carotene, Minerals, Trace elements, and vitamins A,B-1, B-6, B-12, C, D, E, K, Biotin, Folic Acid, Niacin and Pantothenic Acid. Minerals are Calcium, copper, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

Herbalists have used Alfalfa leaf for centuries to help with a variety of infections. 

Main benefits: 

• Cleansing the blood.
• Alkalises the body and detoxifies the body, especially the liver.
• helps remove heavy metals out of the body
• helps alleviate allergies,
• aids in blood clotting,
• promotes healthy digestion,
• can ease morning sickness,
• stimulate a healthy appetite.
• Is helpful in reversing tooth decay and remineralizing teeth,
• great source of Vitamin K so it helps improve Baby’s Vitamin K levels at birth if mom drinks during pregnancy.
• Helps lower blood cholesterol (by impeding intestinal absorption) without affecting heart-healthy HDL cholesterol.
• supports the pituitary gland,
• Supportive during nursing.
• contains an antifungal agent.
• Anti inflammatory

Infusion: mix 1 tbsp. dried herb with 8 oz. of boiling water, infuse overnight. Drink 1 cup of this  daily.

Fresh: toss alfalfa sprouts in a salad. The alfalfa sprouts and the dry leaf are very mild in flavor and because of this, it can be used in many different ways.

Herbal Tea recipe:

Herbs in this tea are nourishing and detoxifying and are useful in ridding the blood of waste products and toxins. Dandelion and red clover are two such herbs that can be combined with other nutritive herbs (plants rich in vitamins and minerals) for the perfect springtime tea. 
1 part alfalfa
1 part dandelion leaf
1 part oatstraw
1 part red clover
1 part red raspberry
1 part lemongrass
Combine all the herbs. Use one tablespoon per cup of water. Pour boiling water over herb mixture, let steep for 40 minutes or best overnight, strain and drink.

It is important to insist on certified organic alfalfa, since the plant concentrates cadmium, copper, lead, nickel… when it is grown in contaminated soils. they do have a GMO, Roundup ready alfalfa, so be careful when you order yours! 

www.iHerb.com

The great thing about dandelion is that the flowers, leaves and roots support the health of your entire body. The bright yellow flowers contain high amounts of antioxidants and flavonoids, which are all great for supporting the liver and renewing cells. You can add the flowers to a pot of water and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes to make a sweet tasting, detoxifying tea. Dandelion leaves are an important part of a detox because of their diuretic action, and unique because they do not leach out potassium, an important electrolyte mineral. The nutritious leaves are a good source of vitamins A, B, C and zinc. Although dandelion can be bitter, it’s the bitterness that helps to stimulate the liver and gallbladder, thereby improving digestion.
Dandelion root has a natural diuretic effect, allowing your liver to more quickly eliminate toxins. It also helps strengthen the immune system, balance blood sugar levels, relieve heartburn and soothe digestive issues.

Nettle is one of the archetypal “Alterative” herbs, which nourishes our health by strengthening and balancing metabolic functions. It aids the liver in detoxification, and treats skin disorders such as eczema, psoriasis and other rashes, which are believed to result from poor metabolic function.
Nettle improves protein metabolism.

It is a powerful antihistamine herb
Its diuretic properties help rid the body of wastes. Nettle contains a host of nutrients, and is arguably the most nutritious wild vegetable in North America.
Nettle is especially high in chlorophyll, protein and  iron. This high iron content makes it a very valuable aid in treating anemia, for which Nettles should become a regular part of the diet. 

Nettle not only provides iron, but also improves the body’s ability to effectively utilize it. You can add Nettle to pasta sauce, noodles, stir fries, soups, and lots of other stuff. It can also be combined with other wild greens as a regular part of your diet, being sure to cook it enough to get the sting out (though you don’t have to boil the life out of it). Fresh Nettles can be cooked in foods wherever spinach is called for.
In the words of southwest herbalist extraordinaire Michael Moore:
“Every year we see some new harebrained food supplement derived from weird sources, containing new stuff we didn’t know we needed (or even existed), and which we can now obtain… usually at great expense. Nettle is something you can gather yourself in places that you trust, and you can add it to smoothies and salad dressings, put it in bread, add it to your tea, home beer and so forth. It is green food that your body recognizes and can help build blood, tissue and self  empowerment.”
The Mineral Content  (per ounce)
Calcium – 966 mg
Chromium – 130 mcg
Iron – 1.4 mg
Magnesium 286 mg
Potassium – 583 mg
Selenium – 70 mcg

There are many benefits on the daily use of nettle infu­sion across the age spec­trum. 

The high con­cen­tra­tion of min­er­als sup­ports chil­dren in build­ing strong bones, mus­cles, teeth and ner­vous sys­tem. The effect on the ner­vous system, through­out the life­ cy­cle, induces a calm­ing effect lead­ing to increased focus, aware­ness and con­cen­tra­tion. This is ideal for chil­dren who tend to be over­whelmed or high energy. It’s nick­name is “Green Milk”, which is a great way to get your kids started early on this won­der­ful heal­ing herb.
As girls move into puberty sting­ing net­tle helps with exces­sive bleed­ing dur­ing men­stru­a­tion. Net­tles has a hemo­sta­tic affect, mean­ing it is used to stop exces­sive bleed­ing. It slows the heavy bleeding and sup­ports young women through the emo­tional ups and downs of menstruation.
Expec­tant and new moth­ers can use net­tles to nour­ish their unborn child, increase their own energy lev­els, and reduce hem­or­rhage after deliv­ery. Many moth­ers see a sig­nif­i­cant increase in breast milk by con­sum­ing 1–2 cups of net­tle infu­sion daily. The nutri­ents in the net­tles will then be passed onto the new­born as well.
Net­tles helps women to heal dur­ing the post child­bear­ing years. It restores the body’s nutri­ent reserves and helps to tonify the repro­duc­tive system.
Once women move past the age of child­bear­ing, sting­ing net­tle bal­ances the hor­mones and improves the brain func­tion often noted with the onset of menopause.
Boys and men also ben­e­fit from the high nutri­ent con­tent of sting­ing net­tle. They are sup­ported in bal­anc­ing their emo­tions, cre­at­ing more clar­ity and nour­ish­ing the entire body.”

How to make a nettle Infusion using Cold Infusion Method which is recommended for nettle by Michael Moore. 

Ground ivy tea is famous for its great natural detoxifying properties and it can be of a great help to those who live in the regions with high toxicity.
Ground ivy is great for removing lead and other heavy metals, making it a great herb to add in a detox formula. This herb is also a great diuretic, helping to eliminate waste and toxins from the kidneys and liver.
A well tolerated herb is a good treatment for gastritis and acid indigestion.
Also helps with dyspepsia (indigestion), tumors, diarrhea, cough, headache, nasal congestion, urinary system and bladder disorders, sore eye, abscesses. Ground-Ivy is being studied for use in preventing Leukemia, Bronchitis, Hepatitis, many kinds of cancer, and HIV.
Anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of this medicinal herb can be used to treat and prevent all sorts of infections, especially the ones that affect skin and the mucous membrane.

Parts used: whole herb. Preparations: Infusion, tea, tincture.
Precautions: do not use if pregnant of breastfeeding. Its use is also contraindicated or prohibited by patients enduring epilepsy. Read my article about Ground Ivy HERE.

protects the liver from incoming toxins through its potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It has a particular affinity for the liver and is therefore used in most detoxification programs. Like milk thistle, it may soften stools. Turmeric has been shown to increase the production of bile by over 100 percent, making it a powerful aid to toxin excretion.

Best to use fresh, or buy ground turmeric (not powdered) HERE.