Today, March 11th, is “Johnny Appleseed Day”.  It commemorates the death of John Chapman, otherwise known as “Johnny Appleseed”.  I remember as a child reading a book about this folk hero, who planted apple trees throughout the Ohio Valley.  Wikipedia has an interesting article on him.

That got me to thinking about the saying, “An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away”. I either heard or read recently somewhere that phrase was coined by apple growers during Prohibition because hard (fermented) apple cider wasn’t on the ban list. I can’t find any substantiation to that claim, especially since it seems to stem from a Welsh proverb first heard in the mid-1800’s, “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.”

The phrase really ought to be altered to read, “An Apple a Day Helps Keep the Doctor Away”.   Apples are very healthy eating.  A recent research study found that people who ate an apple 15 minutes before lunch ate almost 190 fewer calories than those that didn’t.  Makes sense.  The high fiber content in an apple (not to mention the acidic content) would make you feel somewhat full prior to picking up your fork.

But it’s not just that. The pectin encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract and may reduce high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  Apples are full of flavonoids, which are antioxidants. These help improve immune system function. One of those flavonoids, quercetin, may kill the herpes virus that causes cold sores.

Green apples help cleanse the liver and gallbladder (again, the acidic content); eating an apple gives your gums a nice massage and helps to clean your teeth at the same time. Be sure to leave the peel on. This helps with the massage and most of the healthful chemical compounds are located just below the peel.

Apple wood is used extensively.  I’m sure you’ve heard all the recent hype about “applewood smoked bacon”. It does have a different taste than the usual wood used in smoking meat, which is hickory.  It’s a hard wood, used in making mallets and golf clubs. I’m told it also makes excellent wands (as does pear wood, which is a relative). A friend of ours used to own an orchard and I’d take some of the fallen wood for our fireplace – the smell is heavenly.

From a magical perspective, how and why apples and love became associated with each other isn’t terribly clear. Perhaps it’s because in the 7th century BCE, apples were so expensive in Attica, Greece, that bridal couples had to share one on their wedding night.  However, it must go further back than that. Apples are a favorite of the goddess Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. I’m pretty sure she was around long before the 7th century!

Whatever, the apple is now used in spells designed to divine love. One that I remember from my youth: as you peel an apple, recite the alphabet. When the peel either breaks or is completely removed, the letter you’re on will be the first letter of the first name of your “true love”. I’m not sure this spell works … My grandmother was a whiz at peeling an apple in one continuous spiral  and my grandfather’s name started with a ‘A’. I, on the other hand, after all these years of making pie, still can’t manage more than a turn or two before the peel breaks and my beloved’s name starts with a ‘P’. 

Moving to the sticks was an apple education for me. I had formed an attachment to Granny Smith apples because I like my apples tart and those were the only less-sweet ones available at the grocery store. There is an orchard not too far from us and a trip through their store was an eye opener. I couldn’t believe the number of varieties not seen at the chain grocers!  My current favorite is “Mutzu”. It’s sort of a cross between a Granny Smith and one of the sweeter varieties such as Rome or Jonathan. Unfortunately, that variety isn’t available year-round so I hurry over in the fall to get enough to make several pies and some applesauce - which don’t last long around here.

So, add that apple to your daily diet. If you live near an orchard, pay them a visit. They have all sorts of interesting apples – and they’re fresher than those you find at the chain stores. If you choose to peel your apple, I hope you have better luck with your love divination!

The old saying goes, “March comes in like a lion, goes out like a lamb”. It definitely came in like a lion this year … we had 3½ inches of snow in just a few hours on Tuesday. Snow doesn’t usually bother me and I go regardless of the weather. After all, I grew up in the upper Midwest and 3½ inches is a miniscule amount up there. But this particular snowfall set me back on my heels. The effort to put protection spells on my car has paid off. Less than 4 miles from home I couldn’t make it up a hill, slid back down a ways and ended up with my rear wheels off the road but not completely in the ditch. I managed to turn around and, fighting the road all the way, got back to my parking spot in front of the garage. It took me 45 minutes to go a little over 7 miles but both the car and I are in one piece with nary a scratch.

North Georgia does get snow, and sometimes “quite a bit” (six inches to a foot is a lot around here). I remember the blizzard of 1993. But that was just one event. It seems we’ve had snow every few days this year and I’m totally over it. I moved south to be able to get outside nearly year ’round and as I write this there is still snow on the ground, although it’s finally melting. Even if it was a tad warmer, the ground is so wet that nothing can be done. Our private road is a mudslide waiting to happen in spots.

It’s supposed to be sunny and warm enough this weekend to get outside. I’m afraid to look at the garden. Although herbs are generally fairly hardy sorts, this year has been pretty brutal between the snow and protracted cold. I always give the Rosemary their own “greenhouse” in the winter with stakes & plastic and I noticed yesterday that the weight of the snow has torn the plastic off the stakes. The plants are still covered but there’s no telling how much cold has seeped in through the holes or whether the snow not only tore the plastic but crushed the plants as well.

The Wormwood is still poking its nose up above the snow but I can’t tell whether it survived or not. Same thing with the Lavender & Thyme. I’ll have to wait a few more weeks to see if they come back.  Last year at this time I was watching the Chamomile start to blossom and the Feverfew come up. All I see is white when I look at those beds.

Cabin fever has set in with a vengeance. I want to get outside and putter around so bad I can almost taste it. Could I have some Spring, please?

and take a couple of research laps around the block before running into the health food store to purchase the latest-and-greatest “natural” product for this or that. This post is going to be a vent of a frustration that’s been building up in me for quite some time.

I have been studying herbs - both formally and informally – for well over 20 years. I’ve watched herbal medicine once again come to the forefront as people try to live “natural” lives without synthetic drugs. The problem is, so many people believe all the advertisements they see on television and run to the store to buy the “new” product without doing any further research. They decide modern medicine is “bad” and don’t want to take any “drugs”.

First and foremost, herbs are drugs. The definition of a drug is “a substance used as a medication or in the preparation of a medication”.  That cup of chamomile tea you drink to calm you down in the evening is a drug. I don’t mind people self-medicating if it is as simple as a calming cup of tea in the evenings; or trying diet & lifestyle modifications plus an herb or two to lower cholesterol levels (after discussion with a doctor), but this pervasive idea that herbs will solve everything and are completely safe is getting on my nerves.

One problem with not doing your homework is interactions. Herbs can interact with each other and with synthetic drugs – sometimes unfavorably. Awhile back, a friend of mine saw an ad on television for a Ginkgo biloba product and thought he’d try it to “strengthen his ageing memory”. When we saw each other he mentioned he was going to pick some up the next time he was at the store. My immediate reaction was “whoa, there pardner!” I happen to know he’s on an anticoagulant for another issue. Ginkgo can increase the action of anticoagulants. (It has a whole list of potential interactions.) I told him perhaps he ought to check with his doctor before starting any Ginkgo. He did and his doctor gave him the go-ahead but they are carefully monitoring him.

Another example: my mother started taking a rather expensive product for her cholesterol based on an advertisement she’d seen on television. The product has some good chemical compounds which aren’t harmful and may actually be helpful to many people but the “scientific research” touted by its manufacturer is one tiny study (120 participants) done back in the mid-1990’s. Not quite as comforting as the hundreds of studies on the effects of garlic. Problem is, this particular product contains a compound that isn’t good for her. She self-medicated without doing any further research.

As a medical herbalist and someone that sells bulk herbs, I’m always being accosted by people telling me, “I have X problem. What herb should I take?” My first question back is, “what did your doctor say?” This seems to upset a lot of people. They get even further upset when I tell them that I don’t know what herb (or combination thereof) they should take right off the top of my head because I don’t know them, don’t know their medical history, what other substances they may be taking and a few other things. I spend a lot of time dispelling the notion that all herbs are safe all the time.

I know many herbal products do carry some warnings on the bottle or box but many don’t. I also know a lot of people who either don’t read the warnings or discount them. Sigh. They’re there for a reason. Scientific research is also finding out something new about herbs every day so the information on the bottle or box may be outdated until they can print new labels. Do your research.

While synthetic drugs wouldn’t be my first choice for a problem, they do have their place. Herbal therapy hasn’t cured cancer or AIDS, for example. Medical advancements (both synthetic drugs and other treatments) and a better understanding of what causes illness have greatly increased our lifestyle expectancy – from 38 in 1850 to 76 in 2000.  Not bad – doubling life expectancy in only 150 years. 38 was considered “old” for probably a millenium or more, when herbs were the only drugs doctors had in their arsenal.

All doctors will be happy if you make some diet and lifestyle modifications. Most (not all) medical doctors will grudgingly allow you to first try an herb for a problem. Discuss it with him/her and come armed with research. But for goodness’ sake, if all that doesn’t work, take the prescription as advised. I don’t know about you but I like living well past 38!