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| coction using 2 tsp. bark per cup of water; drink 3 cups of hot tea per day, or take 1 tsp. crampbark tincture 2 or 3 times daily. |
| Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinale) |
| Dandelion leaf and root are best known for their tonic, blood-cleansing, diuretic and anti-rheumatic properties. According to David Hoffmann in The Holistic Herbal, dandelion is such a powerful diuretic that its action compares to that of the drug furosemide, without causing that drug's loss of potassium or disrupting the body's mineral balance. In fact, unlike pharmaceutical diuretics, dandelion supplies vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Dandelion tea (infuse the leaf, decoct the root and drink 3 or 4 cups daily), dandelion tincture (1 tsp. 3 times daily) and dandelion capsules (up to 6 or 8 per day) work well in combination with other herbs to reduce fluid retention, gently remove toxins from the body and improve digestion. In addition, eat raw dandelion greens in salads or use them like spinach in recipes. |
| Flaxseed, Flaxseed Oil (Linum Usitatissimum) |
| The oil in flaxseeds contains linoleic, linolenic and oleic acids, mucilage, protein and the glycoside linamarin. Its essential fatty acid (EFA) content has made it a popular supplement, for EFAs have been shown to be essential for good health with such diverse benefits as lowering cholesterol and impeding tumor growth. |
| Whole flaxseed has significant laxative properties. A teaspoon to a tablespoon of ground flaxseed can be added to breakfast cereal to help relieve constipation. Flaxseed oil can be taken alone, in capsules, in juice, mixed into cereals or over salads. Fresh flaxseed oil |
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