What are Gemmotherapy extracts?

The term “Gemmotherapy” originated from the “gem” or bud of the plant that is macerated to create the concentrated extract. It is these first buds or shoots that develop in the Spring that contain the most powerful growth material (like stem cells). This growth material in plants is called meristem cells. It is the presence of these cells in each extract that promotes active cleaning, fortifying and restoring of organ tissue and ultimately optimizing organ function.

The 60+ extracts available today come from specific trees and shrubs in Europe which have recognized medicinal uses dating over the centuries. Our Gemmotherapy extracts are produced according to guidelines outlined by the European Pharmacopoeia and are closely monitored by the health ministry branch of the European Union. This is only true for extracts imported from Europe under the supervision of the FDA. Once in the U.S., Gemmotherapy is viewed as an herbal supplement.

Why consider Gemmotherapy?

Today, most of us, children and adults struggle with a lowered immunity as reflected in the wide range of chronic symptoms experienced. The root cause of a compromised immune function lies in the inability of the body to optimally rid waste product from diet and metabolic action. The waste product that cannot be eliminated then overloads the work of the kidneys and if prolonged, congests the lymphatic and circulatory systems, the liver, and eventually the very organ systems dependant on this cleaning process.

When metabolic waste begins to accumulate through lymphatic stagnation, the pH of the body can no longer remain neutral and states of acidosis develop. Healthy cell production cannot occur in a state of acidosis; tissue begins to degenerate, reducing performance of the organ or glands in the areas affected.

Shifting these states of acidosis is exactly where Gemmotherapy shines and outperforms both herbal extracts and supplements.

Who can benefit from Gemmotherapy?

This gentle yet powerful medicine can be used on newborns to geriatric patients. It provides immediate support for acute illness and infections, leaving the affected organs clean and fortified at the end of treatment and supports the immune system in resolving chronic symptoms.

While I do believe the work of Gemmotherapy extracts can certainly be a missing piece for many, it would be wrong for me to say Gemmotherapy extracts alone are the answer to your symptoms. To restore your immune system Gemmotherapy extracts will need the support of a healthy lifestyle enhanced with a plant based diet, daily movement, and restorative sleep to be successful.

Why I use Gemmotherapy.

As a Homeopath, I faced more unresolved cases than I was willing to accept. This fact led me to revisit my own healing experience in which dietary changes and drainage therapies had made a profound difference. I wanted to capture and provide similar results for my clients. One therapy that I had been prescribed post cancer was Gemmotherapy extracts.

Since integrating Gemmotherapy extracts along with supportive dietary changes into my protocols, I have found tremendous success with clients from 5 days of age to those 85 years and beyond. I have found the extracts to be the perfect first protocol to optimize elimination before the body begins the drainage and detoxifying process stimulated by a whole food, plant based diet. Once elimination is optimized, Gemmotherapy eases any aggravation of symptoms that can occur with Homeopathic and other natural treatments.

You may want to consider learning more about Gemmotherapy and what it can do for you by booking an intake session for yourself.

Adapted from George Bryant (Civilized Caveman)

Prep time 10 mins

Cook time 60 mins

Total time 1 hour 10 mins

Serves: 8 or 12 muffins

Ingredients

•4 very ripe bananas (2½ cups mashed or 575 grams)

•4 eggs (replace with ¼ chia seeds soaked in ½ to ¾ cup of water)

•1/2 cup almond butter (140 grams- can sub coconut, sunflower seed, macadamia nut, etc butter)

•4 tablespoons grass-fed butter, melted (substitute earth balance coconut spread or coconut oil)

•1/2 cup coconut flour (75 grams- sub in any nut flour)

•1 tablespoon cinnamon

•1 teaspoon baking soda

•1 teaspoon baking powder (gluten free)

•1 teaspoon vanilla

•pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1.Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit

2.Combine your bananas, eggs, nut butter, and grass-fed butter in blender or mixing bowl using a hand-mixer or immersion blender

3.Once all of your ingredients are blended, add in your coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and sea salt. Mix well

4.Pour your batter into a well greased loaf pan or muffin cups

5.Place in your preheated oven and bake for 55-60 minutes loaf pan/ 20 minutes muffin tins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean

6.Remove from oven and flip your bread out onto a cooling rack

7.Cool completely.

Variations

1.Cranberry Orange – Only use 3 tablespoons of butter. Add zest of one whole orange diced, juice of one whole orange, and 1 cup dried cranberries or fresh if you want

2.Chocolate Blueberry – Add 1 cup of fresh blueberries and ½ cup of cocoa powder

3.Pumpkin Pecan – Reduce the almond butter to ¼ cup and add ½ cup of pumpkin puree and 1 cup of roughly chopped pecan pieces

Enjoy!

Thoughts about how well your body is eliminating don’t really make it to the top of your list unless you are faced with a sudden change of too much or not enough. It turns out that your elimination should get as much attention as what you are feeding yourself each day. That is because how your body eliminates is actually a very clear barometer of your health.  Imbalances in the organs that clean your body negatively impact your immune system

I talk a lot about elimination in my practice and I admit I am a bit obsessed, but for good reasons! Time and time again I see radical health shifts occur simply by improving the frequency and quality of bowel movements, urination and, in women, menstruation. What is particularly interesting is that when these shifts are made in children, all secondary symptoms just heal.

The restoration of optimal elimination for adults is more complex because the years of built-up waste damages tissues. When change is made however, the shift towards healing is apparent and significant.

Important to note:

1. Elimination patterns that you have come to believe are “just how you are” can and should be shifted.
2. Other secondary symptoms such as migraines and asthma cannot be healed until this occurs (see this article on secondary symptoms of poor elimination)

Bowel Movements

Let’s take a look at healthy bowel elimination. Our bowels should clean twice a day and optimally every time you eat a meal. Those of you with a diet high in raw fruits and vegetables may already experience this type of elimination pattern. While there are many individualized reasons why your bowels may not clean efficiently, we can be sure one factor pertains to lymphatic stagnation in this region and another pertains to your diet. Just take a look here at all the lymphatic vessels and organs in this region.

Over 50% of our lymph nodes reside in our abdominal region. The lymph fluid carries away the acidic wastes from digestion.  When the lymph is stagnant, so is bowel activity. Your diet directly influences lymph movement, so eating high-alkaline foods to stimulate the elimination of acids is one of the best things you can do for your well-being.

What about over-active bowels? Simply put, the body is working overtime encouraging your bowels to dump the acidic wastes which are not being processed by your kidneys.

Urination

Signs of urinary distress are usually quite obvious. Frequent urging, involuntary urination, painful urination, and night waking to urinate are all symptoms to raise concern. All are signs that the kidneys are overworking. In my practice, I most often see that when these symptoms appear the bowels are not doing their job. When bowel elimination is optimized these symptoms typically resolve themselves.

Menstruation

Women are fortunate in that they have a third method of elimination which engages the lymphatic system and helps the body clean itself. However, painful periods, spotting, no period or irregular periods are all symptoms of weaknesses in other organ systems and should be taken into top consideration when assessing your health. Blocking that flow or reducing it through the use of hormonal birth control methods not only puts increased responsibilities on the bowels and kidneys to eliminate acid wastes, but causes a variety of secondary symptoms due to the toxic build-up.

Answers for You

Simply put, we are living in an environment and leading lifestyles that our bodies were never designed to handle. The natural correction would be to make the necessary modifications so that these align. That means returning to eating, working, and living in a way that support the functions of the body we have. It means eating whole foods as close as possible to their natural state, taking breaks from our chairs and getting exercise outdoors in nature, and turning off the constant stimulation and noise of the world when we can.

The human body has not changed in the last three generations, our lifestyles, however, have changed dramatically. Just one generation ago we did not sit in chairs working in front of a screen 8-10 hours a day. Two generations ago fast and processed foods simply did not exist, families cooked real food together at home. Three generations ago they likely grew their own food in gardens and the gardening process provided exercise, sunshine and time in nature!

Because of the natural processes of our body, functions such as elimination often need support, and that is exactly what Gemmotherapy extracts can offer. The inclusion of meristem cells, the part of the plant with the ability to regenerate tissue, gently restores the organs of elimination. You can read more about Gemmotherapy here.

 

This post was originally posted on September 23, 2014. Updated on February 16, 2018

We’ve had a string of cold gloomy days which had me searching for a slightly spicy comfort dish for dinner. When that’s the case it is always Heidi Swanson I turn to for help. It was delicious the first time round and even better as leftovers for Saturday lunch. Here is my adaptation from from Near & Far.

1 bunch cilantro

Extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 medium onions, diced

3 celery stalks, diced, leaves reserved- ( replaced with a medium sized peeled chopped celery root)

6 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

Pinch of saffron (about 30 threads)

2 1/2 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 cups | 10 oz | 280 g cooked chickpeas

1 1/2 cups | 9 oz | 255 g Puy dried lentils, picked over and rinsed

6 cups | 1.5 L water

4 to 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour-( replaced with arrowroot)

Scant 1/4 cup | 50 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 (28-oz | 795g) can whole tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram or oregano

3 oz | 55 g angel hair pasta, broken into 1-inch | 2.5cm pieces, (I used a Gluten Free Orzo )

Chopped fresh dates, to serve ( Don’t leave these out! You”ll love the sweet-salty combination.)

1. Chop the cilantro stems finely and set aside in a pile. Chop the leaves and reserve separately. Heat several spoonfuls of the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, crushed garlic, ginger, and cilantro stems, stir to coat, and cook until everything softens a bit, 5 minutes or so. Grind the saffron with the salt into a powder with a mortar and pestle and add to the pot along with the cinnamon, sweet paprika, red pepper flakes, and cumin. Stir well before adding the chickpeas and lentils. Stir in 4 cups (1 liter) of the water and bring to a simmer.

2. In a separate large bowl, gradually whisk the remaining 2 cups (500 ml) of water into the flour, a splash at a time to avoid lumps. Add the lemon juice, tomatoes with their juice, and most of the remaining cilantro. Stir well, breaking up the tomatoes somewhat. Add this mixture to the soup and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Once at a simmer, cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are cooked through. When you have about 5 minutes left, stir in the marjoram and pasta. Once the pasta is cooked, adjust the seasoning and serve topped with dates, the remaining cilantro, and the reserved celery leaves. Drizzle each portion with some more olive oil and serve.

Enjoy!