Tonic Herb of the Month

Cardamom

(Elettaria cardamomum)

Cardamom is a well known and loved spice from the Indian subcontinent, often used as an ingredient in chai tea and used to flavor curries, desserts, and liqueurs. In Egypt and the Middle East, cardamom is ground and put into coffee to offset the acidic effects of coffee in the body (and it adds a delicious flavor)!


Family: Zingiberaceae (Ginger family)

Parts Used: dried ripe seeds

Energetics: pungent, aromatic, warming, drying

Actions: digestive stimulant, expectorant, carminative, diaphoretic

Uses:  Excerpted from The Yoga of Herbs by Dr. Frawley & Dr. Lad:

“Cardamom is one of the best & safest digestive stimulants. It awakens the spleen, stimulates samana vayu (similar to the solar plexus), enkindles Agni (the digestive fire) and removes Kapha (excess water & mucus) from the stomach & lungs. It stimulates the mind and heart and gives clarity and joy. Added to milk it neutralizes its mucus forming properties and it detoxifies cafein in coffee. Its quality is sattvic and its particularly good for opening and soothing the flow of the pranas in the body.” (p.109)

The stand-out characteristic of cardamom for me is its ability to break up. I think of cardamom for any condition involving too much mucus, whether in the lungs, sinuses or GI tract. I love adding cardamom to milk, yogurt or ice cream to “warm” the cold nature of the dairy and neutralize its mucus-forming tendencies.

Indications: nervous digestive upset in children, belching, flatulence, indigestion (especially when dairy leads to digestive upset), excessive mucus production, wet/boggy coughs

Description: excerpted from A Modern Herbal by Maude Grieve:

“The large perennial herb. yielding Cardamom seeds is known in its own country as ‘Elattari’ or ‘Ilachi,’ while ‘Cardamomum’ was the name by which some Indian spice was known in classical times.It has a large, fleshy rhizome, and the alternate, lanceolate leaves are blades from 1 to 2 1/2 feet long, smooth and dark green above, pale, glaucous green and finely silky beneath. The flowering stems spread horizontally near the ground, from a few inches to 2 feet long, and bear small, loose racemes, the small flowers being usually yellowish, with a violet lip. The fruits are from 2/5 to 4/5 of an inch long, ovoid or oblong, bluntly triangular in section, shortly beaked at the apex, pale yellowish grey in colour, plump, and nearly smooth. They are three-celled, and contain in each cell two rows of small seeds of a dark, reddish-brown colour.” (p.159)

Contraindications: large amounts of cardamom can aggravate ulcers or other excess Pitta conditions.

Recipe: Baked Pears with Cardamom 


Ingredients:
1/2 tsp cardamom
2 whole pears
1/2 cup water

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Lay pears down on a baking dish.
3. Coat the bottom of the dish with water.
4. Sprinkle the pears with cardamom.
5. Bake at 350 til tender.

source: http://www.joyfulbelly.com
Check out this website for many wonderful Ayurvedic recipes! You can type cardamom into the search field to see a full list of recipes using this incredible spice.

**This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease**

UPCOMING EVENTS

Buds & Blossoms Clinical Herbalism

Now Enrolling!

This 9-month, intermediate-level program is for herbal students and enthusiasts who have a basic level of training and are ready to dive deep into the therapeutic application of herbs. We dive deep into anatomy & physiology and Materia medica. We cover phytochemistry, tissue states, herb-drug interactions and much more. Check out the link below to see if this is a good fit for you:
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Intro to Plant Communication ~ Aug 8th
&
Flower Essences 101 ~ Aug 9th

with Teacher, Author, & creator of Brigid’s Way ~ Jen Frey


Intro to Plant Communication 
(Aug 8th, 6:30-8:30pm)

Come to learn how to connect with plant consciousness and form a deeper bond with these incredibly allies. 

Flower Essences 101 
(August 9th, 9 am- Noon)

Learn how to utilize Flower Essences for personal transformation. We will make an essence together that you can take home.

Register Here

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Community Medicine Making Circles

with Jen Halima  

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Next one: August 23rd

The Elders & Herbal Syrup

As the flowers begin to berry, we’ll touch on so much wisdom in simple and yummy ways to strengthen and protect our immune systems as the summer begin to wane and the flowers are turning to fruit. You’ll take home a bottle of elderberry & rosehip syrup made with local honey for immune support and try out some other herbal syrup recipes in class.

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Solid Perfume-Making

with Lakeja Baylor

Saturday, September 6th, 4-5 pm

In this workshop you will be learning how to make your our own solid perfumes. Combining beeswax, botanically infused oils, and essential oils you will make & take home 2 differently scented solid perfumes.

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Cacao Ceremony

with Angela Bates

September 14th
10:30 am – 1:30 pm 

Step into a sacred place of magic and connection for a special cacao ceremony featuring Keith’s Cacao. You will experience a heart-opening journey guided by ritual, intention, and he healing spirit of cacao. The ceremony will include gentle clearing practices, storytelling about the cacao being served, a sound meditation, and, of course, drinking the world’s finest ceremonial-grade cacao, all while allowing the energy of this beautiful medicine to awaken you to move love, more fun, and support you in getting out of your own way. Come as you are, leave transformed.

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Sunday Morning Tea Ceremonies

with Silvy Franco

Join Silvy for a meditative ceremony to commune with Camelia sinensis. Come for quiet reflection as you sip on several cups of tea following Japanese tradition. Ceremony begins at 9:30 am and goes for an hour. Pre-registration is required.

Suggested Donation: $25

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