Medicinal Herbs for Enhancing Healthy Circulation
Today, our focus is on a subject I get asked about a lot. In fact, one of my beloved newsletter readers just wrote in yesterday, and the question was, "How can I improve my circulation?"
If you have cold hands and feet, are generally cold, struggle with varicose veins or other circulation problems, or know someone who does? This is for you. If you’re not on my email list, you can enjoy weekly herbal education and tips, formulations, and more by clicking HERE. I’ll also be sending you a FREE Herbal Remedy Guide with a handy cheat sheet, as a thank you!
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NOTE: Many of these herbs spotlighted below for supporting circulation are also great for helping with pain relief.
Remember, a good herbalist views the body through a holistic lens, meaning that all parts (body, mind, emotions, and spirit) are taken into account in creating a personalized protocol for yourself (or someone you're working with). Here are some general thoughts around circulation to help you if you struggle with circulation.
💓 Why Circulation Matters
Good circulation brings oxygen and nutrients to every cell in your body while helping remove waste. When blood flow slows, you may notice fatigue, cold hands and feet, brain fog, or even varicose veins. The good news? Between the plants God has gifted us and lifestyle shifts, there are many gentle, yet effective ways to get that blood moving again!
The links below are to my YouTube channel and website where there are literally hundreds and hundreds of herbal and aromatic articles and videos, where I talk about things like circulation and other health needs.
TIP: Be sure to like and subscribe to the channel, and also to bookmark my website so you can visit often.
On to the discussion about circulation:
First, let's start with lifestyle habits.
I know these are all things you’ve heard before. Regardless, they are what works! If you’re weak in any of these areas, start with a plan, then execute, execute, execute!
1. Move Your Body – A daily walk, a few minutes of stretching, or dancing in your kitchen all count! Movement pumps your blood and keeps your heart strong.
2. Contrast Showers – Alternate warm and cool water on your legs and arms for 30 seconds each. This “vascular exercise” tones blood vessels.
3. Dry Brush or Massage – Use a natural bristle brush before bathing or give yourself a quick herbal oil massage afterward. Dry brushing also has the benefit of moving lymph through the body as well as blood!
4. Stay Hydrated – Blood is 90% water! Sip on warm herbal teas or lemon water throughout the day.
5. Stress Less – Deep breathing, meditation, or a quick step outside into the sunshine can calm the nervous system and support healthy circulation.
All of these actions help get your blood moving, taking oxygen to your cells and removing toxins on the return path. In addition, doing all of these also helps your body move lymph fluid and waste through the lymphatic system channels. This supports your immune system and your overall vitality.
Next, support the body with proper nourishment.
We all know that what we eat has about 80% to 90% to do with how our body functions. These are all specific things to change about your diet.
Visit our School of Botanical Arts & Sciences page where you can find out about our courses. I’m planning to launch a Kitchen Herbalism Course shortly that will be very interactive. I’m creating this to help you get your herbs into your diet daily and also to be more aware of choices in foods.
Eat foods rich in omega-3s, magnesium, and antioxidants (salmon, leafy greens, berries).
Avoid processed sugar and trans fats that stiffen vessels. I read recently that about 90% of restaurant food is very unhealthy for various reasons, among them the amount of polyunsaturated fats we're eating daily. Making whole food meals at home from scratch (veggies, lean meat, etc.) using healthy fat such as grass-fed butter or tallow or olive oil is the best way to go.
Add spices like turmeric, cumin, paprika, rosemary, cinnamon, and garlic to meals for extra vascular support.
Staying warm helps circulation in the body.
When our body is at an optimal temperature, and we feel good, our circulation is much more likely to be just fine, within normal limits. Here are some ideas for you, in case you tend to run colder:
Keep your feet warm and dry.
Use herbal warming salves on hands and feet in cold weather.
Try a few minutes of rebounding or gentle jumping jacks during the day, especially if you sit a lot.
A refreshing and warming foot soak with essential oils can really be amazing for supporting health circulation in the legs. (And it feels SO, SO good!) In fact, I got my mom and myself this amazing heated foot tub that's lightweight and easy to use! (afflink)
Working with herbs that have dispersant properties can significantly help circulation. These are herbs, such as ginger and cayenne, that gently warm the internal body, improve the flow of blood, and therefore bring warmth to the peripheral parts of the body, including hands and feet! The video below will give you some ideas:
Add circulatory enhancing herbs and essential oils to your daily routine:
Here are a few of my favorites. There are many others, too, but this note will get way too long if I add them all. These are my main faves:
1) Cayenne (Capsicum annuum): This is a powerful stimulating herb that warms the body from the inside out. One of its properties is being a dispersant, and this means it enhances circulation even into the peripheral parts of your body like hands, feet, and brain. Cayenne is one of my favorites to work with.
It's HOT, though, so use the tincture, and dilute it in some water. My husband puts two droppers full into his morning coffee. I'm good for just a half a dropper. If you're working with the salve, be sure to wash your fingers well before you touch your eyes or other sensitive body areas after applying it.
2) Ginger (Zingiber officinale): Ginger is fabulous for so many reasons! It's tasty, first of all. Most people love it. But it also is another warming stimulating herb. It's also dispersive to a great extent, but not as powerful as cayenne in this regard. I love using them together. Ginger is a wonderful anti-inflammatory as well. It improves digestion, circulation, and provides overall warmth to the body.
You can use it in tea, coffee, tincture form, the essential oil topically, and more!
Here's a guide to fermenting ginger (a ginger bug), then directions for making a Ginger Soda.
3) Hawthorn berry (Crataegus spp): Hawthorn isn't strongly stimulating or dispersive like cayenne or ginger, but it is wonderful for supporting the cardiovascular system, especially the heart muscle itself. For most herbalists, it's one herb we turn to first when the heart needs help, whether for physical strength or for help with stress and the emotions.
Here's how to harvest and make hawthorn berry tincture, and it's powerful!
4) Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus syn. Rosmarinus officinalis): Oh, I just LOVE rosemary for supporting circulation, both the herb form and the essential oil form.
Rosemary enhances healthy circulation, especially to the periphery, and without the heat that comes with cayenne and ginger. For women experiencing hot flashes in menopause, this can be a relief!
Rosemary also supports healthy brain function, while helping invigorate sluggish blood flow in the body.
I'm bringing my rosemary plant inside as soon as I finish my note to you. It's going to be living in my sunny office for the winter, and I'm so happy to get to enjoy its beautiful scent every day through the cold months!
You may also enjoy:
How to Make a Juniper-Rosemary Salt Scrub (This is a wonderful scrub that supports healthy circulation and skin exfoliation. It also supports healthy lymph drainage!)
Other amazing circulatory enhancing herbs include:
Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)
Gotu kola (Centella asiatica)
Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
Garlic (Allium sativum)
Essential oils can really shine when it comes to supporting circulation to the body and specific areas, especially. Here are some of these:
Black pepper (Piper nigrum) essential oil
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) essential oil
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) essential oil
Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) essential oil
Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) essential oil
To use essential oils, you’ll need to know proper dilution rates to make a variety of creams and oils for massage onto body areas in need. You can find all of this out in our Confident Herbalist Tribe, or you may want to invest in our Aromatherapy Specialist Certification course and become a certified aromatherapist!
One key piece of information I need to share. If you’re making a massage oil for varicose veins, please do NOT “massage” distended veins because it’s possible for some people to dislodge a clot. Just a smooth, very gentle upward stroking is all the pressure you need.
Here's a quick and healthy daily heart tonic tea blend:
This herbal tea formulation made with herbs that improve circulation is easy and delicious!
Heidi's Warming Circulation Blend---Delicious!
Ingredients:
1 part ginger root, dried and cut and sifted
1 part hawthorn berries, dried and cut and sifted
1 part rosemary leaves, dried
1/2 part cinnamon chips (dried and cut and sifted)
A little pinch of cayenne powder (optional)
Directions:
Blend the herbs together and store in an airtight container. To make your infusion, just steep 1 tbsp (3 tsp) of blend in 12 ounces just boiled water for about 15 to 20 minutes.
If you want a more powerful medicinal infusion, it's fine to steep overnight or for several hours.
Sweeten with honey, and enjoy!
Finally, you may enjoy this video on how to make a delightful warming massage lotion. 🥰 This is an older video, so please be forgiving. The formulation is amazing!
Final Thoughts on Improving Circulation Naturally
I hope you enjoyed this quick article on circulation! It’s an important topic, and as you can see, many of the things you can do to improve your circulation are actually quite pleasant!
Using herbs and essential oils are wonderful ways to support the health of your body!
Don’t be a stranger—-be sure to bookmark my website home page. Subscribe to my YouTube channel, and enjoy solid information from a community/clinical herbalist and professional level aromatherapist….and homesteader.
Hugs, Health, and Herbs,
Heidi
P.S. Don’t forget to get your FREE Herbal Remedy Guide and cheat sheet!