http://www.care2.com/greenliving/weight-loss-with-yarrow.html
Weight-Loss With Yarrow
I’ve heard of the herb yarrow spoken of with great respect over the years, so it was with interest that I read about it in Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy, by Suzanne Catty. Until I did, I hadn’t realized that yarrow is an exceptionally good weight loss herb as it is diuretic and most importantly it helps to metabolize fat. It is also good for many other conditions.
There are 101 ways to use hydrosols, also known as floral waters (of which rose water is a famous example).One way of understanding hydrosols is that they are are used a bit like aromatherapy and a bit like herbal waters. They can be spritzed into the air, they can be dabbed on the skin, they can be sprayed into the throat. Learn more about hydrosols.
A great balancer both physically and mentally, yarrow stabilizes body fluids and gets rid of excess water without being overly diuretic. Use it in a compress on its own or in combination with goldenrod for fluid in joints and rheumatic pain or for any area of swelling where fluid has accumulated. A mild antibacterial and antiseptic, it helps with problem skin, acne, and dermal infections, and as an anti-inflammatory it helps heal damage from sun and wind. Effective for cleaning wounds, it helps stop bleeding and could be used as an aftershave for its styptic properties, although, because of its odor, you may wish to blend it with other, more pleasingly aromatic waters.
Yarrow is a very effective water for use on animals, as they like the smell. Skin problems and digestive issues will benefit particularly. For some the aroma is off-putting. In this case, combine yarrow with other hydrosols and essential oils that improve its fragrance. This water provides mental calm and can help one find peace. Like the oil, it is highly energetic and good for spiritual or distance work. Combine it with juniper berry for cleansing the aura, crystals, and work spaces.
Aroma and taste: Strongly aromatic but not particularly pleasant; has been described as “puppy breath.” Absolutely not floral in aroma or taste. The flavor is better than the smell but not by a lot, and it tastes better in stronger dilution than in weaker ones.
Stability and shelf life: Stable to very stable; can last up to two years, although it may develop a gray color and fine particulate matter after about 14 months. Check the pH if you have any doubts.
Properties and applications: One metric ton of yarrow flowers produces less than 500 milliliters (one-half liter) of oil, so this is perhaps one of the more potent hydrosols. It is a good digestive aid and is significantly detoxifying, but in a gentle manner.
A three-week course will improve digestion, increase elimination, and calm gastric spasms and rumbles and is recommended as part of a cleanse or weight-loss program. It improves digestion of fatty foods and seems to have hepatostimulant and/or cholagogue (bile releasing) properties, since it can quickly relieve indigestion and heartburn caused by overindulgence.
Yarrow is antispasmodic for the digestive, reproductive, and muscular systems, used topically or internally. Cooling, it helps reduce fever and eases aches and pains in association with flu and colds. It is anti-inflammatory and can be used as a compress with cypress for varicose veins and in a sitz bath for hemorrhoids and excessive or painful menstrual periods or postpartum healing.
It also isn’t hard to make your own yarrow tea powder, one other way to reap the benefits of yarrow for weight loss.
Adapted from Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy by Suzanne Catty (Healing Arts Press, 2001).
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add your comment »I just took a 7 week course on medicinal roots, covering many of these questions. I've since purchased some GREAT books on it too: Rosemary Gladstar's Family Herbal, The Herbal Medicine Maker's Handbook, by James Green, and Growing 101 Herbs--great if you're interested in the garden aspect of it. Others are: Making Plant Medicine, and anything by Micheal Moore--not the doc film maker--or Rosemary Gladstar (but the 1st one of hers is probably best to start, and of all of these books too). Many of these can be gotten at the library. As for taking herbs w/meds, look for a book on the hazards of mixing them. This is VERY important! Herbs, of course, have been used--and proven--for thousands of years, and we really need to realize just how much they interact with our food, and how much our foods are regular medicine. We also need to know that we can hurt ourselves if we don't investigate first, or contact an expert, but probably both. Yet many herbs are quite gentle, and used so often we don't even realize it: cinnamon, rosemary, YARROW, ginger, chamomile, sage, mint, etc., and it would be good to know about these we eat regularly. It's also good to be involved in our own healing process, or preventative process, and to be aware of our bodies--DUH! But I mention it because we take this for granted when we should embrace it. Yes, herbs can be dangerous, but if you take cautions, they're probably safer than many prescription and over the counter meds.
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Try the link now, Yvonne. It should work.
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I'm sorry, Annie, but the link you provided for how to make your own tea powders [http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-dry-tea-powders] leads to a page on care2.com that says "Page Not Found ..."
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I would like to see more how to's as well. I already make some teas, as they are basically just dried herbs or flowers combined the way you want em', but you don't say how to make a slimming tea or a hydrosol out of yarrow. I hav also read that Yarrow can be used for regulating blood pressure without using all those nasty drugs the doctors want to give you.
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Yes, I can see that working with hydrosols is confusing. I've added a number of links to sites that can give some more information. As I note above, hydrosols can be used in many ways. The information on yarrow is interesting, and you might consider doing what I am, which is to buy yarrow in pill form, and ingesting it. (With this, I took the information about yarrow and used it in a way that I could manage, given yarrow pills are available to me locally.) However, I am intrigued with the idea of spritzing myself a few times a day with yarrow water ...
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I did not understand how to use Yarrow. What is a 'water'? Should I drink it? Wash with it? How is it used in aromatherapy (especially if it smells badly)? How much should I use to make a tea? Is a tea what is referred to in the commentary about a 'three-week course'? Not enough information here to allow an inexperienced person to use it.
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Is there any knowledge of this interfering with birth control pill use?
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Here is a link to how to make your own tea powders! Sorry, I put that article up yesterday and had them linked in my mind but forgot to put the link in here! http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-dry-tea-powders.html
I just bought some yarrow herbal pills at the health food store and am starting with one pill a day and building up slowly to see how I feel, etc.
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I, too, would like more information on this, how to do it, how often, how much, etc.
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ok.... lots of yada yada but no useful info here!
specifically, i have 4-6 yarrow plants so now what? how do we convert our yarrow plants into a "slimming tea" or whatever... surely NOT compresses, LOL.
so how do i make a tea? or tincture of yarrow to use? how much to take, and how often to take, etc.?
thanks
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