by Mishelle Knuteson, MH

 

Read parts I and II at http://www.herballegacy.com - click on Articles.

 

 

St. John's Wort should be taken for ten days to two weeks before any antidepressant effect can be noticed, 3-6 weeks for full effect. The active ingredients need time to build up in the body, the brain needs time to respond and produce the therapeutic effect. Taking higher doses will not speed up the process. Higher doses will however provide a stronger effect once the herbs take effect. There is no limit to how long you can take the herb if you are getting the results you are seeking. 

 

For anxiety, depression and SAD - Initial dosage is 2 droppers 2 times a day. Increase to double dose if desired effects are not felt after 4-6 weeks. A full dose is 3-5 droppers 2 times a day or 1-2 droppers 3 times a day between meals. Tincture should be a dark red.  For capsules take 1-2 for each dosage. 

 

As a pain reliever before and after exercise and in fibromyalgia - it reduces muscle pain because it decreases lactic acid build up within muscles.  Take 25-30 drops along with 3-5 drops of skullcap tincture. Use the oil extract to relieve pain in back and joints, for eczema, cold sores, swollen glands, labor pains and shingles. 

 

For sleep imbalances add tincture to a cup of hops or lemon balm tea.

 

 

Must taper off antidepressant slowly and use caution when using conventional MAO inhibitors. SJW inhibiting activity may add to the drug's inhibition of MAO, so use caution.

 

Person's taking MAO inhibitors should not eat aged or fermented foods (cheese, wine, pickles, aged meats, soy sauce, and sauerkraut), avocados, broad bean pods or over ripe fruit. It is not clear if this has the same effect on the MAO inhibiting effect of SJW so a person should be aware of the possible interaction with these foods. 

 

SJW does not work for Bipolar disorder or Schizophrenia.

 

Do not use SJW with the herb Yohimbe as it may potentiate the action of the herb. 

 

SJW should be avoided if you have an estrogen driven cancer of the reproductive system.

 

Due to its emmenagogue and abortifacient effects SJW should not be used on its own during pregnancy.

 

In rare cases SJW taken in large doses may cause sensitivity to the sun in extremely fair skinned people.

 

SJW also has cleansing action, so if someone's blood is very toxic it may cause skin rashes and itching due to the body attempting to detox. 

If it's not Autumn and you can't get your hands on a fresh pumpkin you can use a variety of replacements: from butternut squash to sweet potato.

 

• 2 cups pecans or walnuts
• 1/2 cup soaked dates
• Dash of sea salt

Blend the crust ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor, then evenly distribute in the bottom of a pie plate.

 

• 2 cups shredded pumpkin, butternut squash, or sweet potato flesh
• 1 cup soaked dates
• 1/2 cup soaked, washed Irish Moss*
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. freshly diced ginger
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. coconut oil
• Dash of vanilla
• 1/4 cup almond milk or water to help blend

DIRECTIONS:

• If you don't feel like shredding the pumpkin by hand, simply cube and place in a high speed blender or food processor until it's nicely chopped.
• Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend until nice and smooth. You might need to add more liquid to get it to blend well.
• Pour into crust, and then chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving. This dessert might not seem overly sweet, but trust me when I say it can rival even the most traditional of pumpkin pies. 

*What is Irish Moss?

 

Don't worry if you don't have Irish Moss, just skip this ingredient and put your pie in the freezer before serving. Irish Moss helps the whole pie gel together better, because it is a fibery seaweed product that blends well. Irish Moss is full of super gentle fiber, it's got great mineral content because it's seaweed and it makes for great looking pies!

 

Make sure to wash the Irish Moss thoroughly to remove any sand or salt. Otherwise you'll get a crunchy salty pumpkin pie, which is not exactly what we're going for here!

Herbal Resource Links

• Herbal Legacy - http://www.herballegacy.com - Our free information website
• The School of Natural Healing  - http://www.snh.cc - Quality Education since 1953
• Christopher Publication - http://www.christopherpublications.com - Dr. Christopher's books and more
• Christopher Websites - http://www.christopherwebsites.com - Find all Christopher websites and other great resources
• A Healthier You Radio Show - http://www.ahealthieryouradio.com - Free weekly radio show