Sun, primroses and protein
Sun, primroses and protein
Welcome to this month’s musings. For those of you who know me each moon cycle I offer 3 lifestyle and nutrition tips to help you build a hormone happy life step by step. This month we focus on sun, primroses and protein. Please watch my video or if you prefer just read on!
Sun – Vitamin D
When I pulled card number 20 – the Sun from my oracle cards (part of the Creation Fertility Toolkit) I was reminded of the beautiful weather we have recently had and how uplifting the Sun is to me.
What does the sun represent to you? For me it’s warmth, radiating positivity, new beginnings, determination, growth and daylight. From a yogic perspective we consider it relates to the solar plexus – that place where all the above resides and our vitality centre. How do you feel about the sun? Does it fill you with positivity or do you shy away from it? Are you aware of how it changes you physically or emotionally? How does the sun react with your skin and your hormones? How can you bring sunshine into your life this moon cycle?
Of course we cannot talk about the sun without considering it’s connection with vitamin D. Did you know that Vitamin D is actually a pro- hormone? It is also known as calcitriol, ergocalciferol, calcidiol and cholecalciferol. Of those, calcidiol is the form doctors focus on when measuring vitamin D levels in the blood.
The body makes vitamin D in a chemical reaction that occurs when sunlight hits the skin. This reaction produces cholecalciferol, and the liver converts it to calcidiol. The kidneys then convert the substance to calcitriol, which is the active form of the hormone in the body. Vitamin D has its effects by binding to a protein (called the vitamin D receptor) which is present in nearly every cell of our body and affects many different body processes
Food sources of Vitamin D include; oily fish (trout, wild salmon, mackerel, herring, anchovies, sardines, krill oil), egg yolk, butter and milk. Natural Source: Sunshine! Full body exposure during summer months for 10-15 mins in an adult produces between 10,000 – 20,000 IU of Vitamin D3 within 24 hours. So get outside and enjoy some daylight!
Functions:
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. This helps bones mineralise and remain strong
It supports immune health – deficiency makes you more prone to infections and illness
Supports cardiovascular disease
It’s essential for mental health – including depression. It helps dopamine produce and protects against serotonin depletion so essential to maintain a good nights sleep
It helps regulate adrenaline, noradrenaline so great for all forms of inflammatory response
It also supports all reproductive health – controlling the genes in making oestrogen and is present in the ovaries, uterus and placenta. A recent study found that women with higher vitamin D levels were significantly more likely to produce high quality embryos and achieve pregnancy from IVF compared to women with lower levels of vitamin D and low levels of vitamin D in men reduced pregnancy rates in couples trying to conceive
What to do this month:
Check your vitamin D levels and take a supplement if necessary. Get outside daily or meditate with my warming sun meditation
to bring warmth and energy into the solar plexus.
Protein for hormone balance:
The 2nd card I pulled from the oracle cards was card 41. Protein. So this month I would like you to consider your protein sources. How much protein do you eat daily? I am guessing that many of you (the classical Western diet) may be eating too much protein and potentially becoming acidic at cellular level. With so many people choosing keto or hunter/gatherer diets there is a real tendency to overload on protein at the moment.
This moon cycle I am inviting you to add more plant based protein sources into your daily food plan and track how much protein you actually eat daily. I bet it’s more than you think!
Vegan & Veggie Proteins
Legumes – Split or green peas, chick peas, black, navy, kidney beans, pinto beans, all form of lentils, butter beans etc. Use organic tinned, vacuum packed ready cooked or used dry but remember to soak and boil before cooking.
Nuts and dried seeds -Great for snacks, sandwiches, and salad toppings or add to juices and smoothies or make into a nut butter or milk. Tiger nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, Brazils, cashews, pistachios, sunflower seeds, sesame and pumpkin seeds all offer protein and essential fats. Soak nuts overnight in water to support digestion. Great with fruit or opt to make your own plant based milk or nut based yoghurt or kefir
Seeds – Fresh sprouting seeds are a power packed form of protein as are the dried variety. Include Sunflowers, broccoli, linseeds, flaxseed, chia, fenugreek, pea shoots, mustard seeds, radish seeds, aduki and alfalfa, hemp seed etc. There are studies showing how sprouting helps increase protein content. Sprouts generally contain higher levels of essential amino acids than the original seeds, with certain individual amino acids increasing by as much as 30% during the sprouting process
Ancient grains also offer a protein boost with B vits. Choose, wild, red or brown rice, spelt, millet, quinoa (a particularly potent protein source) and jumbo oats if you can tolerate
Soy – a little contentious – you either love it or hate it but if you want to eat it then ensure it is GM free. Soy chips, soybeans (roasted as snacks or steamed — edamame — perfect in soups, rice dishes, and salads), tempeh (made from fermented soybean), Tofu (the soft variety is great for soups, sauces, and shakes, the extra firm is perfect for stir-fries and grilling), Miso (a salty fermented paste of soybean combined with rice, wheat, or barley is used to make miso soup or soy “meats”
Seaweed, broccoli sprout juice, spirulina and wheatgrass. Wheatgrass is a complete source of protein, supplying all of the essential amino acids, and more. It has about 20% of total calories coming from protein in the form of poly peptides, simpler and shorter chains of amino acids that are efficiently used in the blood stream and tissues. It is fabulous in smoothies and juices though!
Spagyric plant of the month: Primrose
Primula Veris (Primrose)
I am the spring (essence) of life helping you start anew and step forward…………………..
This year there seem to be primroses aplenty. During March I have seen so many beautiful banks of them. Anyway, primroses “energetically” are symbols of femininity and stand for the cycle of life – birth, life, consummation, and of course, death. They are associated with the planet Venus, femininity, the Earth element and the Nordic Goddess Freya.
Primrose is one of the first flowers of spring and this is where its name derives from – prime coming from the Latin primus for first, prima rosa meaning ‘first rose’. I love this little plant because my mother was one of a twin and her twins name was “Primrose” because they were born on April 19th . For those of you interested Wikipedia tells me that Primrose Day (April 19th) marked the death of the British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli. The primrose was his favourite flower and hence Primrose day began. I think this links with the traditional use of decorating the dead with primrose flowers.
Actions on the body:
Culpepper (astrological botanist) associated the primrose with nervous conditions and the planet Venus. He believed, as does Spagyric medicine that when we consider plants with planetary influence we can better utilise their healing abilities.
Ayurvedic: Taste is bitter, energy cool, effect pungent. Primrose is considered a cooling emmenagogue (meaning pungent to bitter herb) that relieves congestion of the blood, clear blood clots and promote menstruation. In this instance primrose is considered helpful for menstrual irregularities, uterine infections, bleeding and help calm anxiety, anger and irritability
Flower remedies: In the USA and Canada Primrose is used as an energy remedy for those who have romantic and idealistic views of what “love” should be. It is considered it can physically manifest as blood sugar irregularities and helps cultivate an appreciation of relationships and acceptance of love. Within the UK it is used in line with the Spagyric philosophy offering lightness and cleansing, to help you open and release. Great for post winter depression and feeling held back
From a Spagyric perspective
Emotionally:
Helps regain stability and start again
Primrose encourages a “spring clean” helping to clear painful memories and limiting patterns of behaviours
Offers protection and helps you to follow your direction in life
Promotes true understanding, inner truth and encourages forgiveness and healing
Physically:
Strengthens the nervous system, heart, lungs and skin
It helps detoxify and release anxiety, nervous tension, and recurrent thought processes.
Good for sleep disorders, fatigue, apathy, discouragement, depression (all pubescent, menopause and menstrual hormonal symptoms)
Great for headaches, especially for the form which feels as if there is a tight band around the head, headaches of nervous origin, dizziness and eye floaters
Respiratory system –Primrose can be used to soften, soothe and decongest so good for bronchitis and asthma, laryngitis, long lasting cough and abundant mucus.
Urinary tract – cystitis
Skin: can calm itching skin and insect bites, good hair tonic for eczema on the scalp, use on bruises as a poultice, joint pain and gout, abrasions etc.
Cosmetically make a skin tonic for acne rosacea, good on ancient scars or eczema.
Musculoskeletal – good for all aches, pains and restless legs.
Primroses are high in vitamin C and minerals. The flowers, in particular, contain flavonoids and carotene, which have an antioxidant action. Primroses also contain a fragrant oil and Primulin, two natural substances similar to salicylic acid, the active ingredient of aspirin – hence they are calming. So primroses are natural analgesics.
How to introduce primroses into your life:
Plant some primroses in your garden or outside your home for protection.
Meditate with the plant
Eat it! Please only take leaves and flowers as per the foragers code and also be aware that for some people it can bring on contact dermatitis – similar to tomato leaves.
Primrose flowers and leaves are delicious in salads
Make a syrup with it for coughs
Collect the tender leaves which are not entirely open
Use as a poultice for painful areas. Primrose root is used commercially to treat arthritis and rheumatism
Make a tea with it or use within a vagi steam or bath soak
Take as a Spagyric remedy tincture – you can take internally for everything mentioned above or use as a facial tonic for acne rosacea
Keeping in mind another one of my favourite plants Dandelion (Taraxacum), I came across this rather lovely salad recipe from Italyriveralps.com.
Wild primroses and dandelion salad (serves 4 ):
fresh dandelion 400 gr
30 wild primrose flowers
350 gr primrose leaves
extra virgin olive oil 4 tablespoons
balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons
chopped chives 1 tablespoon
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Wash the herbs and flowers, removing the soil from the roots of the dandelion. Prepare a vinaigrette with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour the vinaigrette on the salad just before serving and sprinkle with chopped chives.
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: This article has been written for inspiration and education purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose or prevent any disease and it does not replace evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment by your qualified health care professional.
I hope you have enjoyed this article. If you have then you may be interested in one of my online mentorship programmes –
Flourish and Harvest Health Programme
Introducing 13 Moons Wellness Programme
Justine Evans ND – Hormone Alchemist and Seasonal Wellbeing Expert. Justine is passionate about regenerating seasonal living to support wellbeing integrating functional medicine with eastern philosophy. Justine offers online consultations and face to face in Stroud, Gloucestershire
References:
Spagyric Medicine notes – James Naidu
Wildfooduk.com
https://theecologist.org/2013/mar/10/cooking-primroses
The Yoga of Herbs – David Frawley and Dr Vasant Lad
Healing Remedies – Norman Shealy
The Encyclopedia of flower remedies – Clare Harvey and Amanda Cochrane