5 Herbs to Increase Feminine Radiance and Fertility

This warming root has been used around the world for hundreds of years in folk remedies for its profound healing qualities. Ginger has far more benefits than it’s usually given credit for.

Ginger root ignites the flame of the body’s digestive fire and supports the body in metabolizing toxins and hormones. In the ancient Eastern science of Ayurveda, the health of our inner digestive fire, called agni, is the foundation for vitality, radiance, and longevity in all systems of the body. That means if your digestive system isn’t working, all systems are affected.

Ginger not only supports us in maintaining healthy digestion, it’s also a powerful remedy for stagnation, especially around menstrual time.

For those who experience black, dark brown, dark brown, or huge clots in blood during menstruation, ginger might be a great medicine for you.

To incorporate ginger into your daily routine, consider grating and boiling ginger for 2 – 3 minutes for a warming, invigorating cup of tea.

You can even add a little heat to your cooked meal by using dried ginger powder to give your digestive system support in metabolizing food.

Stinging nettle is powerful nutritive herb that works her magic over time. High in vitamin A, vitamins B-1, B-2, B-3, B-5, amino acids, calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and potassium, nettle is a medicine that EVERY woman should have in their cabinet.

Nutritive herbs high in minerals like nettle are a remedy for the patriarchy.

Since the industrial revolution and the global focus on ‘progress’, large scale agriculture techniques have been working away to try and meet the huge global demand for food.

In addition to increased pesticide and herbicide usage in food, many large-scale farms use a technique called mono-cropping. This is where one single crop is planted in neat little rows, which makes it very convenient for the farmers and the machines helping them to plant and harvest.

The problem? Plants aren’t meant to grow that way. If you look into nature, you see plants of all sizes, shapes, and species coexisting and thriving together.

Just like humanity, nature needs diversity to thrive.

I call nettle a tonic for the patriarchy because it supports us in nourishing a system that is depleted of energy, sucked dry from a system that values production over sustainability.

For those who feel fatigued with symptoms of adrenal burnout, nettle is here to nurture you back to health. I recommend her for people who experience cramping, dizziness, and general weakness before, during, or after menstruation. Connecting with local nettle from your area is also an incredible way to build up natural resistance to pollen and other sources of allergy.

I recommend using nettle in a tea or tincture form. For people living in the US, check out my favorite organic + sustainable source for medicine (besides a local farmers market!), Mountain Rose Herbs.

This is my go-to herb to support the womb. Red raspberry leaves have been in the medicine cabinet of herbalists, midwives, and doulas for thousands of years. This herb is rich in vitamins and minerals needed to strengthen uterine vitality like calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus and vitamins C, E, B, A, and B complex.

Red raspberry leaves, just like nettle, are a great tonic for a stressed out, overworked, under-nourished world.

Red raspberry leaves are also highly effective for supporting Mothers during conception, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum as well. This medicine builds uterine vitality and increases overall health which in turn, supports fertility and conception.

In the first trimester, some call upon the support of red raspberry leaves to help with what I call morning, afternoon, and evening sickness – because any expectant Mother will tell you, it’s not just the morning that nausea and vomiting may arise.

In the second and third trimester of pregnancy, this medicine supports the Mother in maintaining high vitamin and mineral levels for a healthy pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

In traditional midwifery, we use red raspberry leaves during the labor to help shorten and make labor easier on both Mother and baby. The leaves are used to tone, tighten, and fortify the pelvic muscles including the walls of the uterus, which is said to make labor flow with more ease.

In postpartum, red raspberry leaves support the mother in replenishing her system with the nutrients needed to heal the body, create breastmilk, and be present to bond with baby.

I recommend taking red raspberry leaf in a tea or a tincture. For more options check out Mountain Rose Herbs here.

One of my favorite herbs to call upon to provide nourishment and a gentle detox is red clover blossom. This herb is beneficial for a plethora of health challenges and desires, no matter what age you are in life.

Red clover is one of the first plants I recommend to women who are detoxing from birth control pills.

Why? Well, red clover blossom is a diuretic, which means it helps to rid the body of excess fluid (and toxins!). It also helps cleanse the liver, the major organ of detoxification that is energetically taxed by the intake of synthetic hormones.

Studies show that red clover is high in isoflavones, a phytoestrogen that produces estrogen-like effects in the body. For this reason, red clover blossom is not only a great ally to use when trying to conceive, but also for the mitigation of hot flashes, mood swings, and tissue dryness that may during menopause.

I recommend taking red clover blossom in a tea or a tincture. For more options check out Mountain Rose Herbs here.

Because of red clover’s estrogen-like effects, it’s important to let your primary health care provider know if you’re taking red clover (or any other herbal treatment, for that matter!) as they may interact with hormonal birth control and other medications.

I saved the juiciest, most sensual, and enlivening herb for last. I present to you the sultry damiana, a medicinal herb known for her warming, aphrodisiac effects.

On a physical level, damiana increases warming, yang energy in the lungs to help the body expel phlegm or toxins residing there. Damiana is also one of my favorite remedies to use in combination with chamomile for digestive disorders associated with trauma, nervousness, and anxiety. She tones and strengthens the uterus by increasing blood flow to the pelvic region.

On an energetic level, damiana reminds us how to dance with our sensual nature by reminding us that our sensuality is inherently innocent, holy, and pure.

She is a profound medicine to awaken the body out of numbness, depression, and disconnection by opening the senses to absorb the magic that exists all around us. One of my favorite plants to use with clients who have experienced sexual abuse or trauma, damiana communicates with the body that it’s safe to open ourselves up to experience the healing that comes from pleasure.

My favorite way to enjoy damiana is in a tea mixed with rose and cacao, but if you’re traveling, on-the-go, or just looking for a more physically potent dose of her medicine, you might try a tincture.

To order dried damiana, check out Mountain Rose Herbs here. One of my favorite Damiana tinctures is made here by La Abeja Herbs.