We all need nourishing!

This new moon guidance could not be more accurate. We all need nourishment physically and emotionally. Please watch my video below (about 20 minutes) or read  how to nourish yourself this month with green foods and mindful practice.

5 ways to nourish yourself this moon cycle 

1. Eat more green veggies!  Aim for 10 servings daily to support your hormone balance and immune health.

Green veggies currently in season within the UK: Brussel Sprouts, spinach, broccoli, chard, lettuce, cabbage, leeks, kale, celery, Jerusalem artichokes, chicory,  spring greens, savoy cabbage, spring onions.

Herbs: coriander, sage, parsley,

Sprouting seeds – you can grow sprouting seeds anytime of year on your windowsill but they are also easy to buy at supermarkets and health food shops. 

Include the superfoods: Wheatgrass, sarsaparilla, spirulina, chlorella and all forms of blue-green algae, sea weeds, salsify, kelp, dulse, wakame, irish moss etc.

2.  Drink Six tastes tea daily:

I have included six tastes as it is one of the recipes we are including within my winter cleanse.   Ayurveda recognizes six tastes, each of which has a vital role to play in physiology, health, and wellbeing. Ayurveda teaches us to fully acknowledge and appreciate all the variety of life. When we can truly harness taste’s potential we can appreciate its actions on the mind to encourage positive change.  This probably sounds as clear as mud so let me explain as little more:

Sweet: nourishing, nutritive, tonic, rejuvenation.  Increases semen, milk and nerve tissue, promotes tissue regeneration.  It is softening, moistening and soothing

Sour: stimulant, promotes digestion, increases appetite, helps dispel flatulence, nourishes, promotes metabolism, circulation, sensory and brain functioning.

Salty: promotes digestion, increases appetite, a slight laxative, calming, softens bodily tissues, mildly sedative,  aids growth through the body and promotes water retention

Pungent: stimulating, promotes digestion, increases appetite, causes sweating, removes phlegm and helps to kill parasites.  It promotes circulation and generally increases all bodily functions.

Bitter: reduces fever, is an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, detoxifier and germicide.  It simply cleanses the blood and all tissues.  It is both stimulating and reducing.

Astringent: stops bleeding, sweating, diarrhea and promotes absorption of fluids and inhibits too much elimination,  It is an anti-inflammatory, promotes healing and helps raise prolapsed muscles

Now I have explained the tastes I invite you to include 6 tastes tea in your lifestyle programme: 

add  a sprinkle of Himalayan rock salt, some freshly grated ginger (or ginger root powder), lemon juice,  honey (a little although this will stop it from being vegan so an alternative is maple syrup or yacon syrup to remain veganaury), a sprinkle of turmeric powder and a little cayenne or black pepper to hot water and leave to infuse.  Drink up to 3 cups per day. Let me know how you . find it!

3. Nourish yourself with sarsaparilla  –  means thorny creeper

This year I have decided to include 1 plant medicine per month into my new moon guidance. Today I am introducing you to Sarsaparilla.  We use the root of the plant to support

• circulatory, urinary, rectum, bones, reproductive, nervous, blood and gastro intestinal health.
• Purifies the urinary genital tract – thus reducing infection and inflammation so fabulous for cystitis, frequent urination issues, endometriosis, urinary calculi.
• Hormone regulation: (testosterone, progesterone, oestrogen cortisol). The progesterone like effect is helpful during peri menopause, menses and fertility.  It is believed to help stimulate  the production of reproductive hormones and acts as a tonic for sexual organs including supporting impotence.  Externally it can be used as a wash for genital sores or herpes  and generally helps reduce pain in testes and spermatic cords.
• All skin issues which involve itching – herpes, eczema, crusty, dry or oozing eruptions, psoriasis, acne, genital warts and I often recommend post radio and chemotherapy to support the “drying effect” these treatments have skin and bones
• Metabolic functions – nausea, white coating on tongue, metallic taste in mouth, mouth ulcers, bloating, acidity, balances intestinal flora and supports intestinal permeability, candidiasis and IBS.
• Improves Agni (digestive fire) and helps dispels vata from the intestines.
• Protects the liver – helps biotransformation of sexual steroids and insulin. I have found it very useful post assisted conception procedures and PCOS sufferers
• Boosts the immune system – purifies lymph and helps eliminate waste
• Useful in nervous disorders – its  purifying action extends to the nervous system and it helps cleanse the mind of negative emotions.
• Also used for rheumatic inflammation

Energetically:

Encourages release – recurring thoughts and a busy head space and believed to help resolve chronic cyclic conditions such as depression and recurring infections.

Helps you be at ease with yourself. Wow we all need this right now.  This plant contains the energy to accept who you are and stabilise this acceptance –  ultimately this helps us all evolve.

It is linked with the 7^th chakra (crown chakra)

Connects with kundalini energy and memories including the amniotic fluid and placenta.  So we can use to plant to help past traumas including invitro, parental and ancestoral

How to take: Chinese medicine tends to use it as a powder in teas.  Ayurvedic medicine uses it as decoctions, powders, pastes and compresses. Western medicine tends to use it as a supplement but I prefer to use the tincture with Spagyric remedies.

4. Nourish yourself emotionally.  Find your goodness within

As this card states we can often see the goodness in others but rarely ourselves.  Does this resonate with you?

The dictionary explains goodness as

“the quality of being morally good or virtuous.”

“goodness is kindness, generosity or benevolence”  An example of goodness is volunteering to serve meals at a homeless shelter. An example of goodness is the nutritious skin on a vegetable… Kindness; generosity; benevolence.

This month I recommend you listen to my smile within audio regularly and then complete this reflective practice:

How does this definition make your feel?

List 5 attributes that you consider “good” about yourself – these should be emotional rather than physical

Do you judge yourself harshly?

Have you noticed that you can tend to be judgemental?  Is this personally or generally?

When you meet someone new how long does it take for you to see the goodness in them?

If these reflective questions generate any insights, how might you find it easier to see the goodness within?

5. Join my new moon guidance group

The aim of my new moon guidance is to offer a step by step approach integrating nutritional and naturopathy with Eastern philosophy to support  your hormonal wellbeing. For the month of February I am exploring a new approach to this and wonder if you would like to help me trial it out?  new moon guidance: Thursday February 11th @ 6pm – where the focus is introduced for the new moon cycle plus a live deeper discussion asking you to focus on one or two of the nutritional/moon/meditation approaches. full moon guidance: Thursday February 25th @ 6pm to connect and work with the remaining focus for the month plus I include Q&A These zoom meetings are FREE and will be interactive. They are likely to include any of the following: moon energy and/or the seasonal foods and nutrition, naturopathy – how to use compresses/plant medicine and work with specific plants, yogic philosophy including meditation – mindful or spiritual, crystal therapy, Goddess/deities and mindful ritual, plus plenty of lifestyle support If you are interested in this please email me contact@justineevans.co.uk

Justine Evans ND refers to herself as a Hormone Alchemist.  She connects  fertility with natural cycles and seasons, integrating Western science with traditional medicine, nutritional therapy and yogic philosophy. A Registered Naturopath, Nutritional therapist, Reiki Master/ Teacher, Justine runs a private hormone health and fertility clinic in Surrey, London and Gloucestershire.

contact@justineevans.co.uk or phone 07747 133170 to arrange an online or clinic appointment

Disclaimer: This article has been written as personal opinion and guidance only and should not be construed as medical advice.