10 – Visiting Palestine & all about Mallow’s Medicinal Properties

Nicole (she/her) shares about her recent trip to Palestine with the International Solidarity Movement. Plus all about the medicinal properties of the Mallow family.

Links & resources from this episode

Find them all at solidarityapothecary.org/podcast/

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Music from Sole & DJ Pain – Battle of Humans | Plant illustrations by @amani_writes | In solidarity, please subscribe, rate & review this podcast wherever you listen.

Transcript
Nicole Rose:

Welcome to the Frontline Herbalism podcast with your host Nicole

Nicole Rose:

This is your place for all things plants and liberation.

Nicole Rose:

Let's get started.

Nicole Rose:

Hello friends.

Nicole Rose:

How are you doing?

Nicole Rose:

I'm really sorry for the kind of break in the podcast in December.

Nicole Rose:

I had a kind of fantasy about being able to record shows while I was away, but

Nicole Rose:

So this, this week's episode is all about mallow, which is one of the herbs in the

Nicole Rose:

And yeah, it's definitely one of my all-time favorite plants.

Nicole Rose:

I know I say that every week, but yeah.

Nicole Rose:

I hope you enjoy this segment about Mallow, this kind of first part of the show.

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I'm actually gonna be talking about what I've been doing the last three weeks.

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Before I dive in, I just wanted to give a bit of a serious content warning

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It's a lot of state violence references to murder, to imprisonment, cancer.

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So yeah, I just wanted to flag that up before I dive in.

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So, yeah, that's where I've been.

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I've been in Palestine for three weeks.

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I went with my partner who is an absolute anarchist heart throb and mega babe.

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I have two amazing boyfriends, but one of them has been going to Palestine for

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Yeah, so we were there for three weeks.

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We had a base in Ramallah in the West Bank, and we also went down south

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And we also went to loads of other places like Tulkarem and

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And yeah, it kind of just felt like we spent the whole trip on a service, which is

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And yeah, to be honest, like I'm still, I only just got back

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. Yeah.

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It's just like I'm still processing it.

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It feels very disorienting to be back in England and to leave like that

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Yeah, so it was a bit of an eventful trip and the second day I actually

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Had to go to hospital.

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Getting an IV.

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Yeah.

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It.

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It was like my worst nightmare for traveling.

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Like I'm really not a very confident traveler.

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I have a lot of kind of allergies, which you know, as most of us know is to do with

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But yeah, it was pretty scary and it kind of like eclipsed the trip a little bit

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And, and then I developed like a horrible chest infection.

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, which I caught from my partner.

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And so yeah, I just felt like the whole time I definitely wasn't at

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I missed Sam and Kev in prison.

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I had a lot of grief around Taylor.

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, but yeah, I feel.

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Proud of myself with support from friends that was able to kind of

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Sorry, I knew I would get emotional recording this.

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Just, I cannot explain like the hospitality and the kindness and like

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And it also felt like something that, that lots of, I hate say it, but lots of like

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More middle class people would just kind of like go abroad, you know, to

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And I think, yeah, I think that actually affected me being like

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And I think I've had my.

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. Yeah.

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My eyes just like pulled wide open as to how much like international support.

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I mean, you know, I do know this, like I am an internationalist.

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I do a lot of international solidarity work and prisoner support internationally

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I'm not like just exclusively UK focused.

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But yeah, like, I mean in the sense of like physically going somewhere, like it

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and I just kind of, yeah, it was just amazing to experience that firsthand of

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Like, You know, because he knows that if an internationalist is there

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, another person was attacked really badly by settlers and the, the police

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And thankfully, like an internationalist had filmed the whole thing, like half an

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And it showed.

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, you know, he, he got attacked and , he wasn't to blame.

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And the organizer, Sami was like, yeah, you've saved my dad

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So yeah, it was very, it was very life changing for me to see like that.

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Yeah.

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That kind of like welcomeness.

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, and that, yeah, just that kind of like heartbeat of internationalism

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Yeah.

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And we were very, very lucky that I did, you know, I did a bit of protection magic,

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And I was, yeah, just expecting, okay, maybe I'll get arrested,

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Like I kind of prepared myself for all these things and then, yeah, we just seemed

Nicole Rose:

Like we would turn up somewhere and then leave and then find out something

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My partner said it was like the only time he's ever been where he hasn't had.

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You know, directly be involved in a situation.

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So yeah, so I was very grateful in that respect.

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But I think.

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Yeah, even just like listening to people and seeing the situation on the

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But yeah, we recorded these podcast interviews and we're gonna be launching

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There's only a couple of people on the ground and they need many

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So that podcast I will answer on here, but I think it's gonna be

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But we did some amazing interviews with different people from different villages

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While we were there, school was demolished.

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and yeah, people's homes are under attack and yeah, people are

Nicole Rose:

So we have some interviews with people from that region including , , youth

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, and we've also got an interview with some folks who are ISM

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, nearly three months to kind of, so people can get like a feeling of what it's like.

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Yeah, there was lots of like prison things.

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, one of the first days we went to a demonstration in support of

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And their children are looking at years in prison.

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They've been tortured in prison, , for defending themselves against settlers.

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And yeah, we, we interviewed them and that.

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Yeah, this woman said about her son trying to kill himself and trying

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And there was just this like raw insight into how prison like changes

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To connect, to connect with her in their campaign.

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We also interviewed someone from an organization called Adameer who do huge

Nicole Rose:

And you know, we have some really good questions about

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And we also talk to people from a Martys organization.

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Yeah, they're kind of like Martyrs situation.

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It's like a martyr is kind of anyone that the occupation kills.

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It's obviously also people who who died in resistance, but it's people who, you know,

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And when we were there, there were like a number of deaths that occurred.

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People saw in the news about a 16 year old called Jana, who was shot by snipers.

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, and Jana, she was getting her cat off a roof.

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And were shot multiple times.

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And yeah, there's been no accountability for this.

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Like Israel are like, oh, it was an accident.

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But yeah, she, she fell.

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And in Palestine they have this like incredible tradition where they actually

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And I think it was like very, Sorry.

Nicole Rose:

I dunno why I'm so tired.

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Very emotional today.

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It was very beautiful because like I felt since Taylor died that there

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It was like very difficult to honor him, you know, like people translated

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And we had one demo, but other than that it kind of like, Fell on silent ears, and I

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You know, like Palestine's, huge population of people who've, you know,

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So, you know, they have like cultures and rituals to celebrate people who

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Another person who died was a man called Nasser Abu Hmaid.

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And he died of cancer.

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He'd done 20 years in prison and yeah, absolute medical neglect,

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That was something I learned was that Israel like holds people's bodies and

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As a kind of like weapon of oppression.

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Yeah.

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We interviewed someone from a Marty's association who is fighting for the

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And , yeah, it was very, very moving.

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And the day that this man died, there was like huge

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There was a general strike, all these like shops closed down

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And it was like a really amazing, like public.

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I don't mean amazing in like a good way.

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I mean an amazing, in a, like a beautiful moving way that, you know, the, the

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Yeah.

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So that was really intense.

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And I also did a really awesome interview with someone from the Palestinian Medical

Nicole Rose:

Yeah, they're just fucking incredible.

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Like the amount of, kind of like mutual aid work is just mind blowing, and it's like

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Also met people from the Jordan Valley solidarity and saw kind of their lives

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Like I was like so sick and I was a bit 'citied-out', if I'm honest.

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And then we went to the Jordan Valley and Rashid, the person who lives

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And I got to see plants like mallow, which I'll talk about

Nicole Rose:

He was explaining me about different types of thyme and sage in the region.

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And yeah, it was like, ugh, it was so nice.

Nicole Rose:

Like, and they had these two super cute puppies, so that definitely helped.

Nicole Rose:

But yeah, , you know, I'm gonna be talking about how ISM really need people,

Nicole Rose:

Like they, you know, the farmers there who are, you know, it's mostly horticultural,

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So if there's any kind of like herbalist, agroecology, permaculture type folks who

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It would definitely be top of my list in terms of like an amazing

Nicole Rose:

We also interviewed some women organizers, including someone from a women's union

Nicole Rose:

Yeah, this is connected to the occupation as well.

Nicole Rose:

But yeah, so anyway, I really look forward to launching the podcast.

Nicole Rose:

I'm kind of gonna be doing lots of editing, unfortunately.

Nicole Rose:

, things are a little bit delayed because I've got to go to Calais this week.

Nicole Rose:

I normally go the first week of the month, so I'm gonna be there

Nicole Rose:

But yeah, when I get back, I'm gonna try and do like much more posts about

Nicole Rose:

And yeah, doing all the things I really, yeah, I really left there feeling like

Nicole Rose:

And to be honest, like I felt very safe, not in terms of the

Nicole Rose:

Like I actually didn't have, I was expecting a lot more sort of

Nicole Rose:

I mean, maybe the odd comment, but like nothing that I was expecting.

Nicole Rose:

And yeah, it.

Nicole Rose:

Yeah, I think, I think a lot of like boujie gentrification is

Nicole Rose:

Like we were totally able to find like all the boujie vegan food we

Nicole Rose:

Couldn't find tofu, but everything else, I had a lot of rice and beans.

Nicole Rose:

But yeah, definitely.

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Really?

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Yeah, like I said, just really welcoming and you know, like it's obviously

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And so yeah, there is this like constant hostility from the occupation

Nicole Rose:

So, you know, it's not like.

Nicole Rose:

Going on a holiday to Magaluf, you know, like it is a different thing.

Nicole Rose:

But I do think, not that I've ever been to Magaluf, by the way.

Nicole Rose:

, I don't even know where is it in Spain?

Nicole Rose:

I'm not sure.

Nicole Rose:

Anyway, what I'm saying is like they really value people on the ground.

Nicole Rose:

You can get a visa for up to three months.

Nicole Rose:

There's training, there's support.

Nicole Rose:

Yeah.

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And I think.

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, you know, they were really, really affected.

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ISM by the pandemic and by people not coming.

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And I think, you know, with the election of people in Palestine, , in Israel,

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I mean, they've, you know, they've already been in a terrifying

Nicole Rose:

But yeah, I think if you can be there and your presence means that

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Or someone's home doesn't get demolished, then that's like a really amazing act and

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Who, you know, when there was only one or two people that they couldn't

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They weren't able to, you know, block bulldozers or anything else,

Nicole Rose:

So, yeah, I just wanna encourage people to check that out the ISM

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Feel free to message me with any questions as.

Nicole Rose:

And yeah, this episode is all about mallow.

Nicole Rose:

And Mallow was actually one of the herbs that I found in Palestine, and

Nicole Rose:

And mallow was just so soothing and comforting to me and just

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mallow is one of the tattoos on my arm, so I hope you enjoy the the

Nicole Rose:

I didn't say about prison, but you know what, I've decided not to talk about it cuz

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But basically there was another death in Eastwood Park where Taylor was

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Someone burnt to death.

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So yeah, it's really awful.

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I'll talk about it next week, I think.

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But for now, please enjoy mallow.

Nicole Rose:

Please check out the ISM website, and I hope you have a really good New Year's Eve.

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I hope you're all outside prisons tonight making noise.

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I hope you've had a good time with your families, and I mean families in the

Nicole Rose:

Hello,

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Mallow.

Nicole Rose:

Okay, I'm doing it again about favorite plants, but this kind of

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One of the herbs on my sleeve.

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But yeah, let's dive into them.

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So Latin name, Malva sylvestris, plant family, Malvaceae, Mallow family.

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Identification, tall and upright up to one meter or rather creeping

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Flowers are 2.5 to four centimeters across.

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If you see a flower that's like 4.2 centimeters, just

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I feel bad, like I love botany a lot, but its so reductionist anyway.

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Okay, mallows have five flower petals.

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The flowers of common mallow are whitish to light pink in color and have pink stripes

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Mallow flowers are bisexual, meaning both the female and male

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The pistol sticks out.

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The ovary is located at the base of the petals and eventually

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Like fruits, the fruits are circular and look like a

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Vegan cheese, obviously, just joking . Okay.

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Other species.

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The most commonly used species of Mallow family for medicinal purposes

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However, there are many related useful species, including musk

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hibiscus, hollyhock, desert scarlet globe allow, okra, Indian mallow, Chingma.

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Cocoa and Cotton are also part of the mallow family.

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Other species of the British mallows include Cornish Mallow,

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Mallow folk names in English.

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High Mallow, Tall Mallow, Blue Mallow, Cheese-cake.

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Malva comes from the Greek word malaxos meaning slimy or to soften.

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Chemical constituents.

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mucilages, terpenoids, phenol derivatives, enzymes: sulphite

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chlorophyll A, chlorophyll B and xanthophylls.

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Food and nutrition.

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The leaves, flowers and roots have a long history of edible use spanning

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The leaves can be used as a vegetable.

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They're a great thickening addition for soups.

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The flowers can be added to salad.

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Mallow water has been used as a vegan egg substitute.

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The root can also be blended with water and then strained to make

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Mallow is high in calcium, vitamin A and iron, as well as dietary fiber,

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Ecological roles.

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Common mallow is commonly found on waist ground, footpaths meadows,

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Mallow's strong roots can help and fertilize to degraded soils.

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Katrina Blair writes how Mallow can be a great midwife to other plants, as well

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The cause of this fungus is often from an overly moist environment

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Herbalist.

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Julie and Matthew Seale highlight that the low growing leaves tend to accumulate

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You know, for example, if they're growing on the side of a road.

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Cultivation and harvesting.

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Mallow is very easy to grow from seed and is adaptable to most soils.

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Mallow leaves are best harvested when the stems are bright,

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Beware of rusted leaves.

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It's ideal if the plants can be used fresh because of their

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However, they can be dry too.

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They will lose about one third of their mucilaginous quantities.

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The roots are best harvested in the autumn when they have more mucilage.

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Energetics.

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Temperature, neutral to cooling depending on the constitution.

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Moisture, moist tissue state, dry atrophy, heat excitation, wind tension.

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Taste, sweet and salty.

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Herbal actions antibacterial, mild astringent, demulcent diuretic,

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Health challenges supported by common Mallow.

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JT Burgess wrote in 1868 that the uses of Mallow are infinite.

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The fresh or dried leaves are best infused in cold water to preserve the

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A fresh herb root tincture can also be made.

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However, this mucilaginous herbal action will be significantly affected.

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Some of the health challenges supported by common Mallow include digestive issues.

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Mallows are mildly stringent, which means they help tone the

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It also has a vulnerary reaction with an ability to staunch mild bleeding.

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Combined with its soothing emolliant and moisturizing properties, you

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This includes ulcers, gastritis, colitis, and enteritis, as well as Crohn's disease.

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It can also support people to recover from leaky gut syndrome, commonly

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Mallows, Marshmallow in particular, can also support with heartburn

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The strong herbal infusion is the most effective as you want to cover

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Likewise, for inflamed conditions such as hemorrhoids, Mallow can bring relief.

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Herbalist, Sajah Popham recommends sitz baths especially.

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Respiratory infection.

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The herb is a powerful demulcent for coughs, cold sore throats,

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Sajah writes that marshmallow, the most commonly used member of the

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It tends to relax excessive spasm in this smooth muscles lining the

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Secretions from the membranes.

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Mallow is for respiratory conditions that are hot and dry sore throats.

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Mallow can help soothe sore throats, especially those that are hot and dry

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The flowers are commonly made into a syrup for this purpose.

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Urinary Tract infections in a similar way to the above.

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Mallow helps to, soothe the inflamed tissues in the mucosal membranes

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Marshmallow is commonly used by herbalist to help relieve conditions such as

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Just wanna note again, like this is just like an overview and you're not gonna.

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Like a kidney infection, like nephritis, like with marshmallow,

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Something like cystitis.

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, you know, that could be like a DIY thing in prison, but, , I

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Toothache, mallow flowers can be chewed to relieve toothache in insect

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You can chop or chew the fresh leaf and apply directly as a poutlice.

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Burns marshmallow but any Mallow leaf you can access in an emergency have

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After common first aid practices are followed, Mallow leaves traditionally

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Cosmetic skincare.

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Katrina Blair says that Mallow is celebrated in our community, is one

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It repairs sun damage and rejuvenates the skin.

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It makes a wonderful green facial mask that removes skin blemishes

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Mallow leaf and flour can also be made into herbal oils to

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Sore or strained eyes.

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Mallow can also be made into an infusion for bathing inflamed eyes.

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Musculoskeletal system.

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Why not famous for its affinity with a musculoskeletal system, many herbalist

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Also, a lot of musculoskeletal issues can be linked directly

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In the case of my ribcage, food intolerances were a major culprit.

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Mallow can be used to support inflamed tissues immune system.

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Another less known affinity of Mallow is its support for the immune system because

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Sajah describes how the presence of polysaccharides indicates

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As commonly these sugar compounds are seen as similar to bacteria or other pathogens

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It's also important to remember that the mucosa is laid in with white

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Thus, by simple virtue of increasing mucosal secretions, immunity is enhanced.

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Cautions in large doses, Mallow can be laxative and purgative.

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While it can take a while to get to grips with the concepts of energetics, it is

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How to practically use Mallow in prison.

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Where you might find Mallow?

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I used to find mallow in the stony areas in full sun, often at the edges

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Digestive inflammation for people with some ulcers, gastritis, colitis, arthritis,

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Drink a cold infusion, ideally of the roots if you can, but the leaves are also great.

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If not, do this for six weeks and then take a break.

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Continue as needed.

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Hemorrhoids, add the leaves to a sits bath where you're basically pla , where you're

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, I love how I wrote it like that.

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Okay.

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Ideally, some kind of tub bowl, large enough for you.

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Or if your wing has a bath, you could add the leaves to the water or to make it

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And let it infuse for as long as you can, and then add it to the bath water.

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If a sitz bath is not an option, you could also mash up some leave with

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You could also make a small poultice or pad and place in your underwear.

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Coughs, cold, asthma, and chest troubles.

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Drink the cold infusion.

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Sore throats, drink a cold infusion.

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Eating flowers directly can also help urinary tract infections.

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Make a cold infusion and drink as much as possible at least two to

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Toothache chew a mallow leaf.

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Insect bites, boils, abscesses, sores, cuts, bruises, or general skin complaints.

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Chew the fresh leaf and apply it directly to the skin, holding it in

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Burns after doing the necessary first aid sea wound section for more detail.

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Mallow leaves can also be placed on the skin for minor burns.

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You can also make a compress with a cold infusion of Mallow and

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Face mask.

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Make a strong cold infusion with Mallow leaves or flowers.

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Apply damp leaves to the face and allow to sit there.

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Then remove and wash your face with the infusion.

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So make a cold infusion with the leaves and use as an eye wash.

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I know it's unlikely that you'll have an eye bath available in prison.

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One option is to save those little plastic cups that they give out.

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Medication, make sure it is super clean, and then pour the infusion

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Thanks so much for listening to the Frontline Herbalism podcast.

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You can find the transcripts, the links, all the resources from the show

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