Category Archives: Health

Heartburn at 3 a.m.

So, last night I had gyoza for a late dinner and enjoyed every last bite. But in the middle of the night, I ended up with terrible heartburn. Because I don’t have my gall bladder anymore, I have trouble digesting fats and I guess I just ate too much fat too late into the evening.

But, my new love came to the rescue! I got up and put a drop of peppermint oil on my tongue. Not only did it stop my heartburn immediately, it also cleared my throat, nose and sinuses. I went back to sleep inhaling this remarkable quality oil.

My new love is doTerra Essential Oils. I’ve long used oils and herbs, but sourcing for quality has been sketchy.  Some oils that are, indeed, organic, are mixed with heavy carrier oils; some distillation processes are not that great; and few are tested by third party quality controllers.

Peppermint_lgdoTerra oils are therapeautic grade oils, insanely pure and 3rd party tested. They are of the highest quality of any that I’ve found. I decided to become a Wellness Advocate and sell them.  Here’s a link to my doTerra site.

If you’re interested in therapeutic essential oils, you’ll recognize the quality of this fine product line the minute you begin to use them. They are a bit pricey, but well worth it!

 

Osha Root Extract 4oz

Osha Root, or Bear Root, can help relieve breathing problems. It helps clear mucus by increasing expectoration, relieving congestion and making breathing easier.

I’ve used Osha Root for some time, especially when I’m coming down with a cold or experience seasonal allergic responses like sore throat, sneezing, coughing, etc. I used a tincture and just drizzle into the back of my throat. The tincture I use has an alcohol base so it burns, but I have to say, it quickly gets rid of whatever’s trying to brew back there.

Osha Root also increases blood circulation to the lungs, and for this reason, it functions as a support mechanism for emphysema, pneumonia, asthma, and allergies. It has long been used for cold, cough, and other respiratory ailments since the root contains valuable oils, including camphor, ferulic acid, saponins, phytosterols and terpenes.

Because of its range of efficacy, Osha Root is attributed by many herbalists as the best American herb for lung and throat problems.

Even though it’s considered safe with no associative negative side effects, Osha should be avoided by pregnant or nursing women.

Because it’s difficult to cultivate, Osha Root is generally wildcrafted and made available in tinctures, sprays and capsules.

This tincture (above) is made by Iowa Select Herbal Extracts and available on Amazon (click on the pic)

Find Out What It’s All About

In the 60’s, Ina Gaskin significantly influenced the reclamation of the birth process. Many were fed up with hospitals and doctors taking the birth process away from mothers, and it was time to bring back the midwives, the personal, the intimate nature of something as profound as bringing new life into the world.

The same is happening now with the death process. The funeral industry is just that…an industry. Huge. Corporate. And although many independently owned funeral homes and funeral directors intend a sense of intimacy, ultimately, a corporate agenda is a corporate agenda.

There’s no need to give your loved one, grieving process and confusion over to those who charge big bucks and produce ‘canned’ funerals. There is a movement afoot that is changing all that, domestically as well as internationally.

Find out what it’s all about by vising my friend Kateyanne Unullisi’s website.

Essential Oils for Flu & Cold Season

4 Thieves Oil

Thieves oil has an interesting history that’s rooted in the herb mixture used during the bubonic plague.  Gary Young, founder of Young Living oils, studied the properties and effects of essential oils against micro-organisms that cause disease.  It’s true that in studying them myself, I’ve learned a lot about their hertz resonance, their medicinal, preservation and disinfectant qualities and to that end, have stocked my cupboard with a wide variety of essential oils, and have been collecting recipes which I will, in time, pass on to you.

Here’s one that’s timely as we enter winter.  Mix the oils according to the recipe and use 1 drop of the mixture to 1 oz. of water.  I add a little white vinegar (about 1 teaspoon) to the 12 oz. bottle because it helps diffuse the oil into the water and not clog up the spray mechanism:

40 drops clove oil
70 drops lemon oil
40 drops cinnamon bark oil
30 drops eucalyptus oil
20 drops rosemary oil
10 drops each of tea tree, lavender and cedar oil

You can also adjust the smaller dosages to your preference but leave the first 5 ingredient ratio alone. For the last 3 ingredients, I’ve also  used geranium oil, camphor or grapefruit in place of the cedar or lavender …all chosen for their medicinal and anti microbial properties (as well as fragrance).

Use 1 drop of oil mixture to each ounce of water. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar and you are good to go.

Spray in bedrooms, near litter boxes, in the bathroom…wherever you need it.

Home Remedies for Fungus

Herbs dryingSometimes I wonder if any of us who live in moist climates can avoid getting some kind of fungus. My dermatologist, Dr. Langei in Mt. Vernon, Washington, tells me that we are hosts to many.  I found this recipe for a natural antifungal salve in Rosemary Gladstar’s ‘Herbs for the Home Medicine Chest,’ a book I just love. Here it is:

Antifungal Salve

2 parts chaparral

2 parts black walnut hulls

1 part organically grown goldenseal (make sure it’s organically grown)

1 part myrr

1 part echinacea

a few drops of tea tree or cajeput oil

Method:

To each cup of oil, add 1/4 cup beeswax.  Heat until the beeswax is completely melted.  To check for firmness, place 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the freezer for just a minute.  If it’s too soft, add more beeswax.  If too hard, add more of the oil mix.  Remove from heat immediately and pour into small glass jars or tins.  Store extra in a cool, dark place.  Salves will last for months, even years, if stored properly.  If you want to add a natural preservative, add vitamin E or tincture of benzoin.

You can buy the oils as essential oils or you can infuse them yourself using solar.  Place dried herbs and oil in a glass jar and cover tightly (I like to use olive, almond or avacado oil). Place the jar in a warm sunny spot and let the mixture infuse for 2 weeks.  Strain through muslin or cheesecloth, add a fresh batch of hers and infuse for two more weeks.  This will give a very potent medicinal oil.  Strain well, squeezing out the herbs with your hands.

Many thanks to Rosemary Gladstar!

Sugar Scrub

My aestheticism gave me a great recipe for a home made facial…baker’s sugar and olive oil.  Rub very gently into a clean face and then sponge off with a warm washcloth.  Makes your face feel like velvet and gets rid of old skin cells.  But definitely be gentle because the sugar has the capacity to leave your face red and raw if you get too vigorous.

The Stories We Tell

“Stories set the inner life into motion, and this is particularly important where the inner life is frightened, wedged, or cornered. Story greases the hoists and pulleys, it causes adrenaline to surge, shows us the way out, down, or up, and for our trouble, cuts for us fine wide doors in previously blank walls, openings that lead to the dreamland, that lead to love and learning, that lead us back to our own real lives as knowing wildish women.”~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes

I don’t know many people these days whose inner life isn’t fraught with anxiety of some sort.  This quote really reminded me that I have the freedom…indeed the response-ability…to tell myself a different story when I find myself responding fiercely to a story I’ve stumbled into while not paying attention.  If it’s not of my creation, it’s not my story.