Yay! Something new to do with nettles, one of my favorite wild plants. And she is a wild one, so be careful how you handle her!   I usually make infusions with nettle, and of course, in my office, it is a great support for allergy season, particularly combined with quercitin and other bioflavanoids.

You can probably find them growing wild, but you can also find them in bunches at the farmer’s market, if you don’t want to search and pick, yourself.

If you have some left over after making this pesto, just put it in a big stockpot, cover with boiling water, and let steep a few hours. Add raw honey if you like, although the flavor is quite mild. Then strain and drink warm or cold.

Raw and Vegan Pesto with Stinging Nettles Leaves Recipe | Elanas Pantry.

Thanks, Elana!

link to original article

By Fran Sussman
For the Times Herald-Record
Published: 2:00 AM – 06/30/10

Ah, the lovely Hudson Valley. So beautiful … yet, so many people never suffered from allergies before they arrived in this green and scenic land. Along with the wonderful fragrances of flowers and freshly mown lawns, our air is filled with pollens, molds, pollution and other irritants. About 40 percent of children are affected, and even more adults. That’s an epidemic.

The medicine chest is not the only option. In fact, allergy medicines do nothing to help you get better; they just suppress symptoms temporarily. And given the recent recalls of some over-the-counter allergy medications (particularly for kids) and the warnings on prescriptions, you might think twice about using them regularly.

While they may be practical in terms of being able to function short-term, wouldn’t you rather eliminate the problem altogether, and improve your health at the same time? It may be more possible than you think.
Holistic health is about finding the underlying causes of symptoms, and addressing those at the fundamental level, rather than dealing only with symptoms.

The food connection
When I began focusing on helping clients identify and eliminate food sensitivities, I noticed a surprising pattern: Client after client reported that their environmental allergies decreased or disappeared when their diet changed. When allergy season rolled around again, most found they didn’t suffer nearly as much, and fewer needed medication.

This connection makes sense. Your GI tract is a greater area of exposure to toxins than your ears, nose and throat. By identifying and eliminating problems there, you boost your health significantly.

At any given time, your system has a set amount of energy to deal with stress. By eliminating one area of stress, you free up your energy, and biochemistry, to deal with another. This is called reducing allostatic load, resulting in overall improvement in health and the immune system.

Heal the gut, heal so much more
Furthermore, allergic reactions are inflammatory reactions, and inflammation has been linked to many chronic and serious health problems, from heart disease to cancer, arthritis, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

Eliminating inflammation in the digestive tract will lower inflammation throughout the body. I consistently see clients experience improvements in many other seemingly unrelated symptoms, including allergies and asthma, joint pain, migraines and so much more, by healing the gut.

As my teacher Dr. Diana Schwarzbein says, “The road to health is paved with good intestines!” So to reduce or eliminate your allergies, you might need to heal your gut.

Natural symptomatic relief
While trying to find and address the underlying causes of allergy symptoms, you are not going to want to be running around with red, puffy eyes and a runny nose. Fortunately, there are a variety of natural ways to get symptomatic relief (see my tips below).

As always, do not make changes in medications without consulting your prescribing physician, and always consult a health professional about chronic health issues.

Tip #1: The Cause & The Cure

Plants can be the cause of allergic reactions — and also their cure.

Quercitin, found in apples and red onions, can help reduce itchiness and swelling. Therapeutic doses help control the histamine reaction, and seem to make cells less reactive to allergens.

Stinging nettles combine flavanoids with plant sterols, and have been used traditionally for respiratory issues.

Both flavanoids and plant sterols have been shown to have cholesterol-lowering effects as well, and are anti-inflammatory.

Tip #2: Jump Start the Healing

Homeopathy is a safe, effective and economical approach for many acute health problems.

It uses tiny doses of substances to activate the body’s own healing.

The principle of homeopathy is that “like cures like” so, for instance, if your eyes and nose were streaming clear, slightly burning fluids — just like when you cut raw onions — you might benefit from using homeopathic onion, called by its Latin name, allium cepa.

If you’re considering using homeopathy for any serious or chronic conditions, consult a professional homeopath.

Tip #3: Tea Time For Sinuses

The neti pot has been around for centuries, and its popularity in this country is increasing, for good reason.

It looks like a very small elongated teapot and is used to irrigate the nasal passages, providing both healing and soothing.

Although it may seem odd at first, people are usually enthusiastic once they experience its benefits.

The neti pot is filled with a mild, warm saline solution, which clears away pollen and other irritants, including bacteria, that can contribute to nasal and sinus congestion.

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Fran Sussman has been a holistic practitioner in Orange County since 1993, combining nutritional counseling, kinesiology and homeopathy to address a wide range of issues for clients of all ages. Visit www.fransussman.com or call 496-0385.

Here are the stories of three very different children who came to my office.  Each one is remarkable and yet, typical of the kinds of transformation I see all the time.  I am very grateful that their parents not only allowed, but encouraged me to share their stories with you.

1. Rosey:  “Thank you for giving me my daughter back”

Rosey is 10 years old.  Her Mom brings her in to see me because she is concerned about Rosey’s anger, her violence and her difficulty socially.  Rosey is incredibly bright and lovely to look at.  She plays the violin and the piano, dances, does gymnastics, and hopes to be on the swim team at her school.  She loves nature and animals, writing stories, and designing the clothing for her Mom’s upcoming wedding.  Rosey doesn’t want to have scary thoughts any more: that she doesn’t love her mother; that a man is going to hurt her; nightmares both waking and sleeping.  She is afraid of bears, killer whales, and her own dark thoughts.  She tells me she has them any time she’s not busy.  She has an extensive history of unusual illnesses from a very early age, including giardia, migraines, and Henoch-Schönlein purpura, an immune disorder.  She tells me, with great candor, that she has a hard time getting along in school, that she gets in trouble, that she’s mean.  She confesses she has anger problems, that she’ll cry, scream, jump up and down and throw herself on the floor.

I checked Rosey’s food sensitivities, and suggest they eliminate gluten, peanuts and soy from her diet.  We did a little bit of kinesiology to help her with her fears, and I gave her a high potency homeopathic remedy: Thuja.  Thuja can be helpful for people who feel worthless, unattractive, and ugly inside.  They want to fit in, but don’t feel they can.  They often have fixed ideas or delusions, and dreams of death.  They are often described as having a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other.

Rosey’s Mom reported that by that same evening, after the initial dose of her homeopathic remedy, Rosey was already a different girl.  “Thank you”, she says, “for giving me my daughter back.”  The anger and violence diminished, and Rosey was more at ease with herself and others.  They repeated the remedy after 2 weeks, and Rosey continued to improve.  When I saw her for her one month check up, she was still having some disturbing thoughts, but they are fewer, less frequent and less intense.  She is doing great on her new diet, and seems happier and more self-content.  I look forward to seeing her continue to improve in every way.

2.  Samantha: “She can get a hold of herself now.”

Samantha is a 4½  year old diagnosed with autism.  She has not slept through the night since birth, in fact, wakes repeatedly, exhausting both herself and her mother.  She is minimally verbal, with just occasional single words.  She is anxious and has extreme sensory issues.  Fearless, she frequently gets hurt.  She has had repeated episodes of candida, and has been on an organic yeast-free diet.  She is taking Risperdal, and a second medication to help her sleep, although it does not seem to be working.  She is by turns extremely irritable and irresistibly cheerful.   I checked her for food sensitivities, and recommended they take gluten out of her diet.  I also gave them Inositol (part of the Vitamin B Complex) to help promote a calmer, more focused state, and a probiotic powder.  Lastly I recommended homeopathic Chamomilla, a remedy that fits Samantha’s extreme hypersensitivity, her inability to sleep, the inconsolable periods she has had since birth, and her need to be carried.  Because she is on strong pharmaceutical medications, I gave her both a high potency constitutional dose, and a low potency daily dose, as the action of the pharmaceuticals will erode the homeopathic remedy somewhat.

Nine days later, Samantha’s Mom called for a refill of the daily dose of Chamomilla.  She reported that Samantha was much calmer, and not waking much at night any more.  Her teachers and therapists noticed a big difference in her as well. Samantha is learning to work things through, rather than having a tantrum.  At her one month follow-up, her Mom noted that Samantha is sleeping through the night regularly for the first time since birth.  She goes to bed at 8:30PM and her Mom has to wake her at 7AM.  Even on the rare occasions she wakes up at night, she goes right back to sleep.  She is off the sleep medication, and her Mom is looking to cut the Risperdal as well.  “She’s able to get a hold of herself now. You can see her breathing, trying to control herself.”  She is more interactive with toys, and more attentive to and engaged with what her brothers are doing.  She is less sensory-seeking, more relaxed, and more directive about what she wants.  She is paying attention more, and has more eye contact.

Interestingly, there was one slip-up with Samantha’s gluten-free diet.  A teacher gave her a bagel bite, and 15 minutes later the tantrums and stimming were back. Samantha literally threw herself into the walls.  The regression was so striking that even hours later,  when her dad came home, he said “What the %*&* happened to her?!”   Fortunately, once the gluten was out of her system, the improvements returned.

Her Mom says Samantha has very much come out of her other world.  I am so thrilled with her progress, and look forward to seeing her continuing to improve.

3.  Colin: “A Normal Little Boy”

Colin is 7 and cute as a button.  Colin was breastfed for his first year, but as soon as he was weaned, he started throwing up.  He had eczema as a baby, which was treated with steroid creams.  He then had secondary infections, and was on antibiotics three times in his first year.  He is now diagnosed with asthma, a common progression when eczema is treated in a way that eliminates symptoms but does not address the underlying cause.  He is doing well academically and socially, has no problems sleeping, but is an extremely picky eater.  His knees crack and hurt sometimes.  He has a rash all over his body, worse than it’s been in a long time.  His Mom reported that the Singulair prescribed by his doctor for the asthma “made him insane”, with night terrors and a psychotic episode.  She took him off it, and got him through last year with Benadryl.  But this year, his asthma is worse. He is using an Albuterol inhaler a few times a week, and the nurse wants him to have it at school.  His parents are constantly getting calls from her saying that he needs it, especially in gym class.

I checked Colin’s food sensitivities, and advised them to eliminate gluten, all animal milks, peanuts, potatoes and soy from his diet.   Because he was such a picky eater, I recommended zinc, which often helps normalize sensory issues, as well as a tasty, fizzy Vitamin C drink, and 2 pleasant-tasting powdered supplements to help heal his tattered intestinal tract.  We did some non-invasive detox work using kinesiology (Colin found it fun and interesting) and I sent them home with homeopathic Natrum Sulphuricum in a medium high potency, to take daily.  This is a deep-acting remedy which can be very helpful in a number of chronic conditions, including asthma, particularly in children.

Two weeks later Colin had had a dramatic improvement.  There were no more coughing fits, and he had not had to use his inhaler. He was “a super trooper” about his new nutritional regimen.  His Mom said “I see such a huge improvement.  He’s not so lethargic, much happier.  He had gym today and didn’t cough!  His nose is running a little bit, he is still a little itchy, and has lost a pound, but he is not wheezing, and his nightmares are gone.”  The next month, he had a setback, and his mom realized that the gluten-free waffles he tried contained potato starch.  Since eliminating them he is fine again.  “It’s working!” they reported with delight.  He was still taking the supplements and homeopathic remedy every night.  For the first time, he was able to go to his grandparents’ house and not react to their cats, where he previously could only tolerate it for 20 minutes without coughing and wheezing.

As of his visit last week, Colin is doing better than ever. He looks like a different child: bright-eyes and clear skin, and is filling out nicely.  He is not only no longer coughing or wheezing, he is able to run around and do everything little boys should do without it bothering him at all.  His knees no longer crack or hurt (this is almost always a sign of gluten sensitivity).  His nose is no longer runny.  His dad says “we used to have the nurse’s number programmed in our phones because she called so much to say he needed his inhaler.  The only time she called now is when he fell and bumped his head.  I loved that. He’s active and mischievous, not tired and lethargic.  He’s a normal little boy.”

•         Autism has increased from estimates of 1in 25,000 to 1 in 150 in the past 20 years.

•         ADHD has increased over 400% in the past 20 years.

•         Asthma has increased 300%.

•         Allergies have increased over 400%, with more than 20 % of kids being treated for allergies

1/3 of all American children have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, Autism, Allergies or Asthma.  This is not accounted for by better reporting or diagnosis.  My experience using a combination of nutritional changes and homeopathy for all of these issues is consistently positive.

*Please Note:*

1. I am not a medical professional. I do not diagnose or treat disease.  This information is not intended to replace a relationship with a qualified health care professional or to substitute for medical advice.  It is intended only as a sharing of knowledge and information based on my experience.  Do not treat any chronic or serious illness on your own, but always seek the support of a qualified professional.
2. Thanks to the parents of these children, and all the parents I have worked with, who are so committed to following through on all my suggestions, who stick with it 100% and thereby achieve the results they had hoped for.  And thanks in particular to the parents of Rosey, Samantha, and Colin who so generously gave me permission to share their stories, as inspiration for others.

3. This was originally written in 2008.  Two of these kids, Colin and Samantha, continue to do well.  The third, Rosey, found it too difficult to stay away from her food sensitivities, and we continue to work together to find ways to support her despite this.