Traditional Pinon Colorado medicine recommends the use of the leaves and fruit for a variety of treatments. The leaves can be eaten fresh, boiled, or dried to make a tea. Pinon Colorado is most commonly found in Peru but is also present in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia and other parts of South America.
A dieta of Pinon Colorado consists of a commitment to prepare properly. First, the dietero must adhere to a clean diet that has no processed foods, sugar, or alcohol. Second, the dietero must abstain from eating meat for at least one week before beginning the Pinon Colorado dieta. The dieta must be followed for a minimum of 21 days – Pinon is believed to take this long to cycle through the body.
The most typical way that dieteros of this teacher plant receive treatment is through a steam bath or a poultice, applied like a bandage to the desired areas by the curandero.
Another type of Pinon Colorado dieta consists of drinking three herbal teas per day, each made from fresh leaves or fruit boiled in water and then strained. The first drink should be consumed as soon as one wakes up with no food eaten during its preparation; the second before lunch without any other food taken along with it; and the third just after sunset again using only Pinon Colorado tea collected that same morning.
When preparing Pinon Colorado leaf-tea use at least two handfuls of leaves per liter (quart) of boiling water, allow them to boil vigorously for five minutes until they are well-infused, and then strain the leaves out into a thermos or other covered container. Pinon Colorado fruits can be used by boiling for four minutes in water before straining them to make Pinon Tea.
In addition to brewing Pinon tea, there are three main methods of consuming it during a dieta: taking Pinon Colorado baths, using it as a topical application, and taking Pinon Colorado internally. If you are using a resin as a topical application, beware the strength is much higher and limit your dosage.
Pinon Colorado bathtub instructions: Add 50 grams of Pinon Colorado leaves to one liter of hot water in the bathtub and soak for 30 minutes. For external applications, use a decoction made from 15 grams of Pinon leaves boiled in 500 ml (one pint) of water for 15 minutes.Â
Pinon tea is taken internally by drinking the Pinone Colorado Tea described previously in this article, or a decoction can be made from 100 grams (about one third of a pound) Pinon leaves boiled in 500 ml (one quart) lukewarm water. If Pinon fruits are used instead of Pinon leaves, boil 500 grams (about one pound) of Pinon fruits for 15 minutes in a liter of water and strain. The resulting Pinon tea is then drunk plain or sweetened with honey to enhance its flavor.”The
The seeds of the plant contain a range of acids such as palmitic, linoleic, and oleic. As such, Pinon Colorado is effective at reducing LDL cholesterol, supporting skin health, reducing inflammation, improving immune function, and control blood sugar. The leaves contain apigenin, isovitexin, lignan, helping provider further anti finflammatory effects, as well as offer neuroprotective and cognitive enhancing properties, helping to fight Alzheimer’s disease. It is also known to be an effective treatment for insect bites and respiratory infections.Â
Pinon nuts have a high concentration of healthy fats and minerals like magnesium, potassium, zinc, and selenium. Indigenous communities have cooked Pinion nuts by roasting them directly over an open flame. Pinons can be baked, boiled, or fried in a pan with no oil added to retain their nutritional value and maximize the taste of this slow food. A type of Pinon nut salad is made using Pinons roasted as described above (with salt), then crushed into small pieces. Pinon nut salad is served with corn or black beans, lettuce leaves and tomatoes.
Pinon Nuts were used by Native American tribes to make Pinon Nut Breads as well as with chile peppers to make Pinon Chile Bread. Pinons can be used as a substitute for cocoa powder in making chocolate cakes and brownies, or grind them with almonds (and/or other nuts) into Pinon Nut Butter which is spread on crackers and breads like peanut butter. One final common method of consumption is through smoothies with Pinon Nuts blended with other fruits, vegetables and herbs. Pinons are also a popular snack or treat in South America, where they’re salted and eaten as is.
