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I am so tired, what can I do about it?

This is such a common question it seems to be an epidemic. We are wearing ourselves out with stimulants, over exposure to media and lack of downtime. I have had so many clients ask me what to do for this and I usually have to ask them first do you eat breakfast? The answer is most always no.
The next question is: What do you eat for dinner? Most of the time I find that dinner is also skipped or not much of anything. When I point out to them that sleep is a period of fasting and the body requires nourishment or fuel to take on another day a light goes on for them. How can you function or have any energy at all without food?

The body requires high protein, high fiber, high antioxidant fuel to function.

The more you do the more energy you need. It's very simple yet nobody takes the time to feed themselves because they are so busy! The body should be treated with respect yet we treat it like a slave to our lifestyle, roping it along and whipping it throughout the day while starving it. Feed yourself.

First Feed Yourself

Eat three meals a day each one should contain protein, fiber, and high antioxidant fruits and/or veggies. 

Include in your day 2 high protein high fiber snacks to keep you going between meals. I like nuts, hard-boiled egg, celery with peanut butter, or a protein shake. (Drinking wine before bed, and eating dessert can have a negative impact on blood sugar which can cause sleep problems.)

Then Use Herbs

The long-term strain on the body and lack of nourishment can cause severe adrenal fatigue which in tern leads to chronic fatigue. Sometimes a person won't even know something is wrong until they are flat on their back and do not have the strength or energy to get back up. Healing the adrenals from chronic stress with herbs is hard to do if the body does not get proper rest and nourishment.

My favorite herbs for stress and adrenal fatigue:

Ashwagandha ~ Withania somnifera. 

Ashwagandha has been shown to protect brain cells against the the harmful effects of stress. Cortisol, a hormone produced when the body is under stress causes unstable blood sugar, inflammation, and insomnia. A recent human clinical trial showed that Ashwagandha reduced cortisol levels by 26%. The participants reported increased energy, reduced fatigue, better sleep, and an enhanced sense of well-being.

The products I recommend which contain the highest quality Ashwagandha are Paradise Herbs and Gaia Herbs

Il hwa Ginex Ginseng ~ 

Panax ginseng was discovered over 5000years ago on the hills of Manchuria in China and since then held its place as a highly venerated medicinal plant in Traditional Chinese Medicine. This Ginseng comes from untreated Korean white ginseng roots harvested fresh at the optimum time between 4.5 to 5.5 years old. Ginseng contains a chemical classified as Ginsenosides which act like steroids A proprietary and patented  slow low temperature extraction process is used, which brings the full balance of Ginsenosides to a higher level than found in other Ginseng extracts.

Ginseng is a known adaptogen which supports the body's life forces during times of stress. It allows the body to function to its highest ability secreting hormones which keep the balance of all the body's systems. The  body in balance feels rejuvenated, calm, and happy. Sleep, strength, muscle mass, and libido can all be increased by using this form of Ginseng. http://ginexkoreanginseng.weebly.com/

The Three Bodies

In Support of The Three Bodies to Stay Healthy During The School Year

This presentation was given to the future teachers of Waldorf education and is a blending of Anthroposophy and modern nutrition.

In these modern times, it is a challenge to stay healthy throughout the year, especially in a classroom. With new and stronger viruses and bacterial infections it is imperative to protect yourself during the school year. It is my goal with this paper and presentation to give you, the future teachers and parents, some wisdom regarding strengthening of the three bodies to help you, your families, and students stay well to learn all of the valuable information you have to teach. The approaches I am giving you are founded in Steiner’s teachings and are methods I have used with the many families I serve everyday as a nutritionist and healer. I will begin by grasping the magnificence of the human body through a discussion of the three bodies, Physical aka Willing, Etheric aka Feeling, and Astral aka Thinking. As we grow we fully develop all three of these bodies until we have fully expressed their union which happens around the age of 21. Up until that time the Physical, Etheric, and Astral are still forming. The Physical we are born with and hopefully our  parents were practicing healthy habits to ensure the most capable physical body for us. The Etheric forms when the physical and astral bodies begin to merge. The etheric body is fully incarnated by the age of 7. The astral body is the merging of the physical with the higher self. This fully incarnates at the age of 21. I am not an expert on Anthroposophical medicine but what I have learned combined with my nutrition background has given me a wide scope of many different forms of treatment. Throughout the years I have witnessed how healing has taken place and the information I am presenting here comes from observation in the field. It is my belief that the physical body requires the two energy bodies to be supported in order for disease prevention. Steiner makes an observation about a compass in relationship to the physical body and how the physical body is effected by outside forces from the Universe. He states,

Suppose a man looks at the needle of a compass, finds it pointing from South to North, from North to South, and then decides that the forces which set the needle in this direction lie in the needle itself. He would certainly not be considered a physicist to-day. A physicist brings the needle of the compass into connection with what is called terrestrial magnetism. No matter what theories may be evolved, it is simply impossible to attribute the direction of the needle to forces lying within the needle itself. It must be brought into relation with the universe.[1]

The three bodies are not independent of each other. We can’t even consider them as individual entities. We only do this in order to understand them and better grasp how we can help ourselves. When one is out of balance all are affected. Signs of being out of balance are; inability to concentrate or sleep, feeling nauseas, having repetitive colds and flu. Some signs to know you are in balance are, an overall feeling of well-being, rosy cheeks, good digestion, and a positive attitude. Fortunately the Waldorf curriculum totally supports the health of children.  

I hope you find it helpful on your journey as teachers.

Physical Body

The Physical body is comprised of the elements of the Earth including minerals, enzymes, proteins, water, gases etc. The body is extraordinarily dynamic and is constantly turning over cells to make new cells and tissues. Every cell is an entire Universe and is penetrated by outside energetic forces. The elements that make up the physical body are needed in abundance everyday to replenish and renew the tissues. Nourishment for the body is taken in the form of mineral and enzyme rich foods which also contain the vitamins, carbohydrates and proteins necessary for cellular production.  When Steiner talks about the cells he says that we can look at the cells for a brief moment and not truly know the story of their journey through the body. We think a liver cell is only a liver cell and a brain cell only a brain cell, yet we only see the snapshot that a microscope can take. We still, with all of our technology today do not fully understand the physical body and its depth of complexity. Because the body is constantly at work in breaking down and building up, we can support these processes with detoxification and enzymes. The role enzymes have in the body is to carry proteins and minerals to the cells which are needed to breakdown dead and dying cells or to create new cells. This process is a balance and proper minerals are necessary for it to work. I like to use Monmorlinite Clay tablets as a means of detoxification and providing minerals to the body in a highly efficient way. I also like a product called Earth by HealthForce Nutritionals. This product contains lots of roots and acts as a very grounding and detoxifying drink. Some other things to keep in mind are eating for the seasons. This means that we eat foods that grow during that time of year, focusing on squash during the Fall, root vegetables during the Winter, greens and sprouts during the Spring, and lots of salads and fruits during the Summer.  Digestion plays a huge role in well we can metabolize and absorb nutrients. We can gauge how well we feel by how well we digest. If food is allowed to linger too long in the digestive tract it can create toxic by-products which affect the immune system. One of the best ways to help facilitate digestion and absorption of nutrients is with probiotics. I like to have a drink of Kefir every day. Kefir is a yogurt drink that originates from Bulgaria which contains many live cultures of probiotic. These microorganisms are the foundation for health because they prevent the overgrowth of harmful bacteria and promote the absorption of vitamins and minerals.

Etheric Body /Also known as The Feeling Body

The Etheric body is the energetic field which holds together the physical and Astral bodies. You can think of it as the glue that keeps the 3 bodies together. This body is fed by the Earth, and needs constant nourishment from the plants. Steiner talks about the plants of the Earth as being fed by the souls of those who have passed on. Certain plants have healing properties which we can learn to recognize by their physical expressions. The highest expression of a plant is seen in its blossom. The flower is the plants reproductive system and is meant to be highly attractive in order to help the plant reproduce. The colors and the fragrances that the plants produce have measurable energetic frequencies. There is a method of understanding these frequencies called Kirlian Photography. This method of photography can measure the energy that comes off of anything. It shows how alive something is. It can also measure the energy that comes from fingertips, which coincidentally is also known as the Etheric field. As teachers and parents we know that little ones are still developing their etheric bodies and have not fully incarnated until their teeth have hardened and begun to come in usually around the age of 6. So while their etheric’s are developing they need ours to help them stabilize. We can feel very drained and tired from being around our children and when this happens we get weak, and sick. When the etheric body is weak we tend to break down emotionally more than we usually do. This is a sign to notice that we are becoming unprotected. When this happens we need to fortify our etheric’s with the following methods.

To help the Etheric/Feeling Body to return to balance I like to use the Flower Essences. There are many wonderful brands but my favorite is the FES (Flower Essence Services) brand. There are many blends that can be used for various purposes, or a person can use one individual remedy for up to a month at a time. These remedies work on the 3 bodies but mainly work to bring balance back to the Etheric Body. I have learned to use these often because they are strengthening in my everyday life.

Another way I have learned to strengthen the Etheric body is with salt baths. These can be taken often and one can use any form of sea salt, Celtic salt, Dead Sea salt, Himalayan Salt, or even Seaweed. When I take baths with seaweeds I like to let the big pieces of kelp lay over my chest and belly. This is very healing and grounding.

Baths with salt, Yarrow, and Comfrey are also wonderful. When Steiner talks about the use of Yarrow he says, “In no other plant do the Nature-spirits attain such perfection in the use of sulphur as they do in yarrow. And if you also know of the working of yarrow in the animal or human organism —if you know how well it can make good all that is due to weaknesses of the astral body. [2] “Yarrow is a wonderfully protective herb for the energy bodies.

Also consider the use of Reiki as a means to support the Etheric body. Reiki is a form of Energy work that facilitates the unblocking of energy that is creating disease in the physical body. When you lay your hands on a place on the body that is in pain, you are essentially doing Reiki. Bringing awareness to the act and doing it intentionally is extremely powerful and balancing. A good way to help children calm down before bed is to place a hand behind their head on the back of the neck where the skull and neck join and invision that you are creating balance between the hemispheres of the brain. This brings instant relaxation and then sleep. I also use crystals like Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Smokey Quartz, and Selenite placed around the body or worn as necklaces throughout the day to protect the Etheric body and keep it balanced.

Astral Body/Thinking Body

Sleep is important for the astral body to be able to heal the physical body. When we sleep, our astral body leaves the physical body and enters the realm of pure spirit, where it absorbs the healing energies of the Universe. The Physical body requires this energy as a source of renewal. Without proper sleep the body cannot fully heal itself. Steiner discusses this in Esoteric Science when he talks about the actual formation and evolution of the physical body. He says that the astral body actually holds together the physical body and brings to the physical body its Spiritual mission on Earth as the body is sleeping. When we sleep we can explore and penetrate deeper worlds. We can break through our fears and release Karma. We can also learn new information to bring back to the world. It is important to be able to sleep in order for this to occur. Insomnia is too common an issue these days and I believe it is happening so frequently because of our stressful lives. When we burn out our glandular system because of stress the body lacks the ability to release hormones necessary to sleep like Melatonin and Seratonin. These two hormones put us asleep and keep us asleep. Adaptogenic herbs like Holy Basil and  Eleuthero support the glandular system so these hormones can be regulated and released when needed. I also believe that low-blood sugar is one of the main reasons for insomnia. When a person goes for a long time without eating, then goes to sleep, they’ll wake up a few hours later because there isn’t any energy stored in the body. It is a survival mechanism to keep the blood sugar steady. Therefore it is necessary to eat some protein and healthy fiber-rich snacks before bed. Babies can’t sleep on an empty stomach we should learn from them. A routine is also critical to sleep. Having a schedule that allows for plenty of time to rest is crucial. Make sleep a priority, without enough sleep the body ages prematurally, can not heal from disease, and is weaker then it should be.

I have listed some of the best herbs and nutritional remedies I know that support a healthy immune system and healthy stress levels.

Herbal Preventative Care

Colds and Flu

• Take Gaia Herbs Elderberry Syrup and Echinacea Supreme everyday.
• http://www.gaiaherbs.com/products/detail/95/Black-Elderberry-Syrup-
• Take 2,000iu D3 everyday
• If you do get a cold take hot baths, and use Oregano Oil Capsules 2caps 3 times a day.
• Boiron Chestal Cough Syrup
• Boiron Osccillococcinum at the first sign of flu.

Stress Reduction

• New Chapter Holy Basil 2 caps a day
• Gaia Herbs Stress Response 2 caps a day
• Protein
• Calcium and Magnesium from Algae
• Udo’s Oil Capsules or Liquid

Sleep Aid

• Valerian root and Hops tincture
• Coffea Cruda 30c if your mind can’t stop chattering
• Chamomile tea
• Exercise

In closing, we as teachers are not Doctors and can not give medical advice, but we can definitely take care of ourselves and suggest information and articles to parents to support the health of their children. The best thing you can do is to stay healthy. This means do what you love, eat nourishing food, get plenty of rest and exercise, and take your herbs. The true source of health is through happiness and love. When we can maintain healthy routines with time enough to take care of ourselves we can enjoy our lives. Remember that you are the most important thing. If you are burnt out or tired you can’t help anyone else. Just like the analogy of being on the airplane when its going down. When the gas mask drops down you put it on yourself first, then you can help those around you. When I first heard this I thought it was incredibly selfish, but now I know it is the most important method of survival in this world. Peace, love and , blessings on your road to eternal health and abundance. Sat Nam, Nicole Plaisted.

---

[1] From Steiner’s Anthroposophical Course on Medicine Lecture 1

[2] From Agricultural Course Lecture 5

Relieve Pain

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Relieve Pain with Curamin

If you are a sufferer of chronic back pain, joint pain, inflammation of any kind. There is a new and revolutionary product available on the market from Europharma called Curamin

This product is available through San Diego Herb Company

www.sandiegoherbcompany.com

http://www.curamin.com/

This new product is completely safe, can be taken with medication, does no harm and totally works. Check out the testimonials available on the website. Never have I been so impressed with the quality of research that has gone into a product. The man who created this product has 40 years of experience as the original formulater for Enzymatic Therapy one of the most well-respected brands in the business.

The coolest thing about this product is that it is comprised of two herbs that have been used in the Indian Pharmacopia for thousands of years, Turmeric and Boswellia. These two herbs turn off the enzymes that cause pain and inflammation. Turmeric kills cancer cells in petrie dishes and works to heal the liver. The problem with consumption of tumeric was that it could not bypass the digestive system so that all of its medicine could be of use in the blood stream. Europharma has found away to increase the absorption of turmeric by 1,000 times.

It is so effective that people who have suffered from chronic pain for years have instant relief in hours.

I love my job!!!

As always this article and the information herein should not substitue for the advice of a qaulified healthcare professional.

( I can't wait for the day that I will no longer have to type that statement

Colds and Flu Protocol

Colds and Flu Protocol

As the vitamin Buyer and nutritionist on staff at Boney's Bayside Market in Coronado, I get asked constantly for advice on what to do for this gnarley Cold and Flu season. Which products do I suggest and what is the most effective. Well here is my protocal for colds and flus.
Colds: Sinupret adults or childrens. Adults is 1 tab 2 times a day, children's is a syrup so follow the dosage on the package. This product is the number one selling formula for sinus congestion in Europe. I tried it when I had bronchitis and it helped to clear up my sinuses and post-nasal drip.
Soar throat and Sinus infection: Oregano oil 3 drops 3 times a day on the back of the tongue.
To maintain sinus health for those who suffer chronic sinusitis use Natural Factors or New Chapter Grape Seed extract. Follow the directions on the containers.

Flu protocol: High fever, body aches and pains use Oscillicoccinum 1 dose can be turned into 3 doses to make it last longer. This is only good for the first day or two of the flu. Then switch to Gaia Herbs Elderberry Syrup to minimize the duration and spread of the virus. This syrup is safe for children 2 years of age and older. Again, follow the directions on the box. I also suggest oregano oil for sinus infection. If the flu is stomach and intestinal and the adult or child is throwing up or... use Bio-K liquid probiotic take 1 container and divide it into 2 doses, morning and evening. Use electrolytes to minimize dehydration, and Andrographis from Herb Pharm if things don't get better in 2 days.

Good luck! If you need individualized advice please call me 619 779-5053. I will not be held liable for any of the advice given here, every thing you do is up to you.

Nicole Martinez MH MaED

Sesame Bliss!

Food A Love Story

Last night we had dinner at home with four wonderful, conscious friends. One of them, Ninh-ji, who began his life in Vietnam, brought the dessert. It looked at first like a delightfully simple silken tofu warmed in an electric pot. Indeed, that is all it was, but served with a ginger syrup, it became divine, sweet succulence. Plus, it turned out to be only the first of three dessert courses!

The next two desserts were utterly inspiring for their color, artistry, alchemy. Little bite-size delicacies of sesame, rice and mung beans, almost like deconstructed Kichari reimagined and delicately sweetened, these treats were not only a delight to the senses, but such healthy, whole body nourishment that when offered seconds, you felt permission, nay encouraged, to say, ”Yes please!”

Ninh-ji had carefully selected each of these treats from his favorite local Vietnamese Bakery, telling us that they are very complicated to make. “Not even my mother was able to make this and she was a great cook!”

I looked today for a picture or recipe online, but don’t know the names and found nothing quite right. I did find this Blog with its colorful, photographic list of many Vietnamese desserts. Also, while not as gorgeous, this site has recipes. And, for culinary, cultural adventurers, there is a whole world of Asian sweets to explore here.

Instead, I remembered a recipe received yesterday that would make a good substitute. These Sesame Bliss Balls from the Chopra Center are not as artistic, but they look simple to construct, flavorful and every bit as fortifying.

I had to share them with you as they are ideal for the Autumn Balancing Act: Sesame is tonifying, healing and hydrating. Ginger is soothing, calming, and immune-boosting. Cumin and Cardamom work with Ginger to aid digestion and add flavor. Ghee is a prime healer, with innumerable benefits ~ a few of which are mentioned by the Chopra Experts below.



I am off to make these now for a gang of young boys. Lead by our 13-year old, they have been running around the neighborhood all afternoon, engaged in a playful “Battle,” and are now calling out for snacks worthy of a Victory Feast! Wish me luck…

Namaste ~

Laura Plumb

Food A Love Story

5 for Fall

Full Moon at Sunrise this Morning

My list of Five Best Practices for Fall

1. Rest & Nest ~ Do less. Breathe deep. Turn inward. Come evening, let yourself go gently into the night: Gaze at the Moon. Gaze at a candle. Gaze at the darkness. Dive into the quiet. Enjoy the stillness.

2. Hydrate ~ Start your day with lemon and water. Drink warm ginger tea with your meals. Sip Spicy Tea throughout the day.

3. Abhyanga ~ Give yourself a vigorous full-body, organic oil massage every morning before you shower. (Yes, oil BEFORE shower!). Massage your feet at night with warm oil and cover with cotton socks before bed.

4. Mineral Baths ~ Soak in a warm bath with Epsom Salts. Add lavender or your favorite essential oil. Do this often. Ahhhhhhh.

5. Yogic Power Nap ~ Lie down in Supported Viparita Karani Mudra (photo below) for 15-20 minutes, three times a week. Let time melt away. Feel the peace of relaxation. Allow your body and mind to be deeply nourished and restored.

Viparita Karani Mudra

Autumn is the Harvest Season. This is the time to rest in your abundant nature and enjoy the bounty of each breath. It takes trust. It takes courage. It takes love. But it is worth it to give yourself the gift of you.

~

How do you relax and renew?

Help inspire all of us by leaving a comment below.

Summer Beans & Greens

Food A Love Story

Summer Beans & Greens




I find it peaceful to write and so was relieved to finally have the time to write on Ayurveda & the Summer Season and get it published to my Blog. It is full of tips for maintaining balance in what is turning it out to be an especially hot season and you can find it here on the Seasons page.

Meanwhile, I had a great lunch yesterday that I also want to share, by way of a little explanation:

In both Spring and Summer I focus on beans and greens. The difference is that in the Spring meals are hot and spicy, whereas in Summer we enjoy cooling vegetables and fresh seasonings that aid digestion without heating the body ~ like mint, cilantro, dill and fennel.



So, with a few tweaks, this recipe for Tofu with Snap Peas from Whole Living magazine (more and more a great resource for vegetarian meals) is ideal for summer. I simply replaced the red pepper with fresh, chopped mint from the garden, sprinkled the whole dish with the juice of one lime and garnished with a copious dose of chopped cilantro.



Cilantro is so incredibly cleansing, balancing and cooling that we add to almost everything in our home. We are fortunate because we were just given a generous handful of cilantro seeds, aka Coriander, for our garden. We use a lot of coriander in our cooking, grinding the seeds from whole, so we are familiar with these beautiful balloon-shaped gems. Still, holding this gift in my hands, I couldn’t help but marvel at the intelligence, the deliciousness, the potency and the medicine within.



We have a perfect spot for them – a place where we were growing sunflowers, until someone thought they were weeds and yanked the newborns right out. It was the next day before I noticed they were gone. I cried on the spot. It was as if something in me had been ripped out and tossed away. Considered useless, ugly, a waste.



Silly, I know, but I had nurtured the sunflower plants from seeds, soaking them first, transferring them to the ground, watching over and cultivating them carefully, protecting them from our neighborhood’s stalking ravens, researching their power to purify soil, and then writing a whole blog about it…




But Coriander seeds blossoming into Cilantro will fill the gaping emptiness and restore our garden to whole. And then one day before summer is over we’ll be able to make Tofu and Snap Peas with our own home-grown Cilantro.




Nature’s beautiful cycles of renewal is the reminder I need today that we, too, are nature and our powers of regeneration are every bit as great.

Hope you are enjoying your summer.

Namaste ~

Laura Plumb

Protective Strategies - Cesium 137 (Radiation Education)

Natural Cesium 137 Protective Strategies

By Charlotte Tenney,

April 2011

By the time this is published, we will know much more about how much radiation has been released from the Japanese reactors and where it has drifted. My email box is filled with messages either asking or suggesting ways to prepare and deal with radio-active fallout. At my chiropractic appointment yesterday, I was advised in increase my iodine intake and offered iodine tablets. It was incredible that he was willing to part with them, since they have become a famously scarce commodity in the marketplace. To say the least, this health threat is one that has grabbed our collective attention.

I was compelled to do some research in order to understand the issue and formulate a plan. First let’s define the problem. The kind of radiation that will be drifting our West Coast way is called Cesium-137. All of the radio-active isotopes work in the body by bonding with a mineral/metal receptor site. This one does NOT bond with the iodine receptors and disrupt the thyroid function. Instead, it docks on the potassium receptors and affects primarily the muscles. In addition to blocking the potassium receptors, it emits gamma rays that act as powerful oxidizers that mutate DNA in ways that can become cancerous. The way it gets into our system is through our breath and our food. Since it is neutralized by water, we don’t generally get it in our water supply.

Working from that overly simplified description, here are the things that I have found are recommended by such sites as Mayo Clinic, Argonne National Laboratories and a large number of natural health sites. I am indebted to Ingrid Naiman’s newsletter (ingridnaiman.com/subscription_lists) and the Healing Cancer Naturally organization (www.naturopathichealth.net ) for their excellent research and analysis. They had carefully thought out and comprehensive strategies to protect your health..

In Support of the Three Bodies

In Support of The Three Bodies to Stay Healthy During The School Year


This presentation was given to the future teachers of Waldorf education and is a blending of Anthroposophy and modern nutrition.

In these modern times, it is a challenge to stay healthy throughout the year, especially in a classroom. With new and stronger viruses and bacterial infections it is imperative to protect yourself during the school year. It is my goal with this paper and presentation to give you, the future teachers and parents, some wisdom regarding strengthening of the three bodies to help you, your families, and students stay well to learn all of the valuable information you have to teach. The approaches I am giving you are founded in Steiner’s teachings and are methods I have used with the many families I serve everyday as a nutritionist and healer.

I will begin by grasping the magnificence of the human body through a discussion of the three bodies, Physical aka Willing, Etheric aka Feeling, and Astral aka Thinking. As we grow we fully develop all three of these bodies until we have fully expressed their union which happens around the age of 21. Up until that time the Physical, Etheric, and Astral are still forming. The Physical we are born with and hopefully our parents were practicing healthy habits to ensure the most capable physical body for us. The Etheric forms when the physical and astral bodies begin to merge. The etheric body is fully incarnated by the age of 7. The astral body is the merging of the physical with the higher self. This fully incarnates at the age of 21.

Allergies are Here!

It’s the turning of the tides, the whisping on the tail of the wind.
What to do when we can’t stop the ACHOOOS!

Here are a few potent & therapeutic kick butt tips:

Avoid Sugar: Feed your cells something very healthy FIRST thing in the morning.

Go to your local Farmers Market and look for:

Bee Pollen: fresh and local (natural anti-histamine and has vitamins and minerals that help your system to relax).

Eat Onions: Onions are naturally rich in quercetin. Can anyone say yummy homemade soup?

You can also Juice Parsley or simply eat the curly haired wonder. Parsley has natural anti-histamine.

Stinging Nettles: There is a great and potent tea called “Nettles” by Traditional Medicinals. Drink throughout the day hot or cold. Make a big batch and save for no more than three days. The below products also have nettles -

Best Remedy for Morning Sickness

Many women have asked me for a remedy for morning sickness. This is a tough one because one thing does not work for everyone. But I have a remedy that seems to work most of the time* and it requires some basic knowledge of tea making. So here it is:

Red Raspberry Leaf 1pt
Nettle Leaf 1pt
Mint leaf 1/2pt

Of course make sure that all of the herbs used are certified organic and the water is distilled or from a water store. And always use a glass jar to prepare your tea. We prefer mason jars because they will hold boiling hot water without shattering (for the most part.)

Whooping Cough

I'm sure you've heard lately that Whooping Cough,
also known as Pertussis, is breaking out.

According the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention
these are the symptoms you are looking for:

"Pertussis can cause serious illness in infants, children and adults. The disease starts like the common cold, with runny nose or congestion, sneezing, and maybe mild cough or fever. But after 1–2 weeks, severe coughing begins. Infants and children with the disease cough violently and rapidly, over and over, until the air is gone from their lungs and they're forced to inhale with a loud "whooping" sound. Pertussis is most severe for babies; more than half of infants less than 1 year of age who get the disease must be hospitalized. About 1 in 20 infants with pertussis get pneumonia (lung infection), and about 1 in 100 will have convulsions. In rare cases, pertussis can be deadly, especially in infants."

The key symptom we are looking for here is the violent and rapid cough that forces the person to take gasping breathes of air. The secondary infection of pneumonia is what we are working to avoid.

Here is my protocol for prevention of Whooping Cough as well as the Secondary infection of pneumonia.* I am a Certified Herbalist and I see hundreds of people a week in a retail setting the advice I give is based on 10 years of experience of working in the field of Natural Medicine. I take a very conservative approach in working with adults and children. I start with the foundation and work out from there.

1. Vitamin D3 5,000IU one tablet a day - It has been shown that the majority of the population is deficient in Vitamin D. Even if you laid in the sun all Summer the amount of Vitamin D that you soak up would not compensate for the Winter months. Vitamin D3 helps your immune cells to become more virulent and attack viral invaders. In the war of the good guys versus the bad guys your immune cells become Super juiced and turn into ninjas.

Interview with Rosemary Gladstar

Interview with Rosemary Gladstar for Yankee Magazine

Winter solstice, and the woods around Sage Mountain are quiet under a sky gone dusky by mid-afternoon. There is no wind, little sound, few tracks among the snow-laden conifers.

The air has the rarefied feel of elevation. Everything is built into the Vermont hillside-gardens, outbuildings and yurt; even the log cabin lit against the encroaching dark rests on sloping ground.