As I’m sitting at my desk right now, I’m in a lot of pain. My thighs, hamstrings, glutes and feet are in the glorious throes of post-workout agony. 

After a couple month-long hiatus from high-impact workouts, like laps on the track, my chiropractor gave me the all-clear to start running again. But she followed it up with a word of advice—drink cherry juice concentrate. 

Apparently, the micro-nutrients and anti-inflammatory properties in cherries can reduce muscle soreness as well as promote joint function. And because I know how hard it is to start running after a long break, especially thanks to aching muscles, I made sure to pick up Lakewood’s Pure Black Cherry juice on my way home.

www.lakewoodjuices.com

So now in addition to the turmeric supplement I take daily for my lower back issues, I also drink cherry juice before my workout and then add it to a fruit smoothie, or other fruit juice, afterward. The cherry juice is not made from concentrate and is made without any water, so I like to dilute it a little to make it last longer.  

With cherries, turmeric and lots of ice, my painful muscles recover a lot quicker and I’m slowly starting to enjoy running for the first time.

Photo by dklimke/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dklimke/ 

For more muscle recovery and pain relief tips check out these past articles:   

• Body Care for Active People by Laurel Vukovic
• The Best Herbs for Pain Relief by Gina Mohammed, Ph.D.

To learn more about cherries’ many wonders, check out: 

• Berries for Better Health by Kris Wetherbee
• Great Fresh Juice On the Go by Allison Martin
• Meet the Superfruits by Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa

What do you do to relieve post-workout pain? Have cherries helped you before? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Every Monday night my girlfriends and I get together to watch Gossip Girl and catch up on the latest gossip in our own lives. We take turns as hostess and look forward to this weekly night of much needed girl time.

We usually delve into an array of junk food items such as pizza, Pringles, cookies, etc. But every once in awhile, we think it might be more beneficial to our health if we opted for some more nutritious snacks.

Always on the lookout for healthy snack food options, I discovered this super quick and easy recipe for a Coriander Fruit Dip. It’s simple, delicious, and perfect for a girl’s night in.

Photo by Cracker and Cheese/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crackerandcheese/

Simply combine cream cheese, yogurt and honey, along with coriander seed powder, cinnamon powder and nutmeg ground, for a sweet spiced dip. (Click here for the full recipe from Frontier Natural Products Co-op.) Serve chilled with any variation of fruit. (I chose strawberries, bananas and pineapple.)

The dip was a hit. Plus, the ingredient that gives it its flavor, coriander, is a powerful anti-bacterial agent and a good source for minerals such as potassium, calcium and iron. If I make it again (which is a strong possibility) I might try to spice up my presentation by making fruit kabobs. 

Photo by zoomar/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zoomar/

Now it’s your turn. What kind of simple and easy dishes do you recommend I whip up next time I host girl’s night in? Send me your suggestions at gdebacker@ogdenpubs.com and I might publish your recipe in an upcoming post.

Take advantage of what's in season right now, and right now, during the month of October, figs are in season.

Figs provide an array of health benefits. They are rich in antioxidants, calcium and fiber; treat constipation, indigestion and bronchitis; increase energy and sexual desire; and have anti-diabetic properties.

There are four major fig varieties: black mission, which is dark purple, brown turkey, which is seen mostly in fresh markets, kadota, which is nearly seedless and most often dried and canned, and calimyrn, which has a nut-like flavor and golden skin.

Photo by Xerones/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/xerones/

Try these herb-infused fig recipes.

• Fresh Figs with Ricotta and Apricots: Chop up fresh chervil and French tarragon, mix it with ricotta cheese and honey, and serve with figs and apricots.

• Dried Figs with Fennel Seeds: Scatter fennel seeds on a small plate, dip fig halves into them and arrange on a second plate. You can press a few toasted almonds or cashews into each fig to serve.

Also, remember that figs are highly perishable, with a shelf life of 10 to 12 days, and should be consumed immediately.

Michele Tune (a.k.a. Raw Juice Girl) is a freelance writer and blogger. She has lost over 100 pounds and found great healing from natural remedies, raw foods and juices. Read about her journey at www.healingwithjuices.com.

In response from Natural Alternatives: Dry Eye Syndrome Treatment. 

Dry, itching, throbbing, bloodshot eyes are no fun! And, if it’s your job to stare at a computer screen all day, every day, then your eyes are continuously being aggravated—that’s not healthy.

If you aren’t familiar with natural remedies, you may feel your only options for relief are over-the-counter, chemical-laden eye solutions. Sure, some of them may soothe your eye woes for a short time but how many of them are going to target the root cause and truly help you improve the health of your eyes?

If you’re experiencing these irritating eye problems, your eyes need to be lubricated and nurtured—you can do this with natural remedies, both from within and externally.

But first, what actually causes dry eyes to begin with? There are a variety of reasons eyes dry out.

Here are a few:

• Allergies
• Aging
• Menopause or other hormonal imbalances
• Staring at computer screens for too long

 
Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography/Courtesy Flickr
www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/  

Treating Dry Eyes from Within

You may have one or more nutritional deficiencies. For ultimate eye health, you need to take in plenty of vitamins A, B, C, and E. Also be sure to eat foods rich in zinc and selenium (or take quality supplements). And as K.C. mentioned in her recent post on dry eye syndrome, Omegas are fabulous for eye health.

Raw fruits and vegetables are crucial for overall health—including our eyes. You can pack in a ton of extra veggies and fruits by drinking fresh juices and smoothies. For instance, toss a handful or two of baby spinach leaves into your banana (or other fruit) smoothie and the fruit’s sweetness actually dominates the flavor, so it’s a nice way to sneak in those greens you may not otherwise eat.

Some people have noticed improvements to their eye health and vision from juice fasting as well.

Natural Remedy Recipes (for External Use)

Although it’s important to fill our bodies with the proper nutrition that promotes strong, moist, healthy eyes from within, it’s also nice to have safe, go-to natural remedies that can relieve our aching eyes while we wait for the internal methods to kick in. Following are a couple of inexpensive, organic recipes—and they’re both so soothing!

Organic Chamomile Eye Wash

• 2 chamomile tea bags (or spoonful of dried chamomile flower)
• Warm water
• A cup or bowl
• Sieve (if you’re using loose-leaf herb)

1. Add chamomile bag or loose herb to a cup or bowl.

2. Pour warm water on top of it.

3. Let them steep for up to 15 minutes.

4. Remove the tea bags (or strain loose herb with sieve).

5. Find a relaxing position (lay down or lean back in a chair).

6. Close your eyes and cover each one with a tea bag.

7. Leave the tea bags on for up to 10 minutes.

Note: If you’re using loose-leaf chamomile herb, you can put the moistened mixture you’ve strained into cheesecloth (or an empty tea bag you can purchase online or at your health food store) and follow the same steps above.
You can also cup some of the chamomile tea into your hand (or draw it up into a dropper) and wash your eyes out with it. It’s warm, soothing, healing, and safe.

Cold Cucumber Compress

• 2 cold cucumber slices

1. Find a comfortable position.

2. Put a cold cucumber over (closed) eyes.

3. Leave them on for up to 10 minutes.

Tip: Slice an organic cucumber ahead of time and lay the slices flat (not touching) in small plastic bags or reusable containers and freeze. When you need a quick “cold cucumber compress,” you can just grab two slices from the freezer and let them thaw a little. After all, you want relief—not frozen eyeballs!
I have personally followed all of the tips mentioned here for the past several years. The result? I no longer have to wear eye glasses.

References:
Balch, Phyllis A., CNC, Prescription for Herbal Healing: An Easy-to-Use A-to-Z Reference to Hundreds of Common Disorders and Their Herbal Remedies, New York, NY: Penguin Putnam, Inc., 2002
Balch, Phyllis A., CNC, Prescription for Nutritional Healing (Third Edition), New York: Avery Publishing, 2000.
National Institute of Health Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Selenium 
National Institute of Health Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Zinc 

A few weeks ago, just before I turned out the light to go to sleep, I felt a stabbing pain in my left eye. I had been out walking my dog a few hours earlier in a high wind, so I immediately assumed that I had gotten a piece of grit or glass in my eye. For the next hour or so, I did the things I knew to do to try and remove a foreign object from my eye—flooding it with eyewash solution, holding the eyelashes out away from my eye and blinking madly.

Finally I realized it wasn't getting any better, and I was worried about something causing permanent damage to my cornea, so I did one of my least favorite things in the entire world: I went to the emergency room.

After shivering in the E. R. for a couple of hours (why do those places have to be so bloody cold?), the diagnosis was that I had a small rip in my cornea, but apparently no foreign objects in my eye. This was a relief—at least I wasn't shredding my cornea with every blink, which is what it felt like. Why I had a rip in my cornea, the E.R. doc couldn't say, but at least I didn't have to be afraid of worse damage. So I went home, tried (in vain) to get a bit of sleep, and called my regular eye doctor as soon as his office opened.

The diagnosis: dry eye syndrome. My eyes had gotten so dry while I was staring at my computer screen before I went to bed that the eyelid had stuck to the surface of my eye and caused a little tear when it moved. I have known for some time my eyes were chronically dry—I've been staring at a computer for the past three decades, I've had LASIK surgery and am addicted to artificial tears—but this was a whole new level of eye drought.

So the doctor prescribed Restasis eye drops and sent me on my way. He warned me that they could be "a little pricey." I have relatively good insurance, so I wasn't worried. When the bill came, I discovered that a month's supply is $65—with my insurance. What people with no insurance would have to pay, I don't even want to contemplate.

Photo by ~jjjohn~/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjjohn/

But, the syndrome is commonplace, so my guess is there's a pretty large pool of dry-eye sufferers who will pay what they have to to get some relief. At this level, it isn't just uncomfortable, it's dangerous for the health of my eye, so I'm with them on that.

However, since I'm all about finding safe, natural alternatives, I've been doing some reading. I got enough Restasis to last until the end of November, and in the meantime, I'm on a quest for effective, inexpensive, SAFE remedies to try for myself and to share with our readers.

To add incentive to my quest, I read the small print on the Restasis insert and discovered that the eye drops are made by the same company that creates Botox, for which I have a special disgust, and that the eye drops are tested on animals. I am committed to a life without products that are tested on animals and the idea of a bunch of helpless animals suffering for the sake of my dry eyes makes me want to cry, punch someone and/or throw up.

So, I'm doubling the amount of Omega fatty acids I take. I'm adding flaxseed oil to my diet. I'm looking for eye drops with hyaluronic acid in them (so far, it appears that Blink drops are the only ones), and checking out a variety of options.

One product I've seen mentioned is BioTears, capsules that provide the nutritional basis for our natural tears. Have any of you tried this product? If so, what did you think?

Have you tried anything else to treat dry eyes? I'd love to hear from you.

Meanwhile, BLINK!

According to a recent study conducted by the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester, concentrated extracts from two types of basil, Ocimum americanum and Ocimum tenuiflorum, reduced joint swelling by up to 73 percent within just 24 hours.

So far basil has not been found to cause side effects like diclofenac has. Diclofenac, an existing joint-relieving drug, has been known to cause gastro-intestinal irritation and abdominal burning and pain.

Although basil-extract pills are not yet available, you can still take advantage of its newly discovered health properties by incorporating the basil grown from your garden into your meals. Try recipes from our article A Basil Harvest.  

Photo by sukandia (balifotografer.net)/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sukandia/

Resources:
How eating fresh basil can help banish arthritic aches and pains  (Mail Online)

Since 1977, World Vegetarian Day has been observed on October 1. World Vegetarian Day, the annual kick-off of Vegetarian Awareness Month, was established by the North American Vegetarian Society and observes and celebrates vegetarian lifestyles. Vegetarian lifestyles are often practiced for a number of reasons. Some include religious, ethical and health reasons. Whatever the cause, celebrate this day by eating delicious meat-free meals and educating yourself about the reasons why people live vegetarian lifestyles.

The Vegetarian Times identifies a number of reasons why you should give vegetarianism a try. Here are just a few.

Benefits of Being Vegetarian

• A lower body mass index. A study conducted from 1986 to 1992 discovered that overweight people who followed a low-fat, vegetarian diet lost an average of 24 pounds in the first year and kept off that weight 5 years later.

• Decreased cholesterol levels. Balanced vegetarian diets are naturally free of cholesterol-laden, artery-clogging animal products that physically slow us down and keep our energy low.

• A longer life. You can add about 13 healthy years to your life, says Michael F. Roizen, MD, author of The RealAge Diet: Make Yourself Younger with What You Eat.

• A lower mortality rate for cardiovascular disease. A vegetarian diet is inherently healthful because vegetarians consume no animal fat, less cholesterol, more fiber and more antioxidant-rich produce.

• A reduced risk of food-borne illnesses. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, foods rich in protein such as meat, poultry, fish and seafood are frequently involved in food-borne illness outbreaks.

• Increases fiber intake. A high-fiber vegetarian diet can help ward off extra pounds.

• Reduces pollution. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, chemical and animal waste runoff from factory farms is responsible for more than 173,000 miles of polluted rivers and streams.

Try some of our herb-infused vegetarian meals. Are you a vegetarian? Tell us why!

I just read an interesting study that indicates that core body temperature might play a vital role in sleep. The study, done by the University of South Australia, shows that the body needs to drop its core temperature for sleep to occur naturally. The drop in the body’s core heat brings on increased feelings of tiredness in normal, healthy adults.

If the core temperature stays high, however, people have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, the study shows.

There’s more about this in the University of South Australia article "Getting to the Core of Insomnia", but if you’re having trouble sleeping, you might try opening a window, turning the thermostat down, wearing lighter bedclothes, or turning on a fan. And maybe instead of warm milk, you might try drinking a glass of iced lemon balm tea before bedtime.

I do know that for years now I haven’t been able to sleep in a warm room, and have trouble sleeping if I can’t open at least one window. Having a dog and cat doing their best to sleep on top of me doesn’t particularly help with the staying-cold part of the program. But I’m completely willing to test this thesis.

Since various studies put the number of Americans who have trouble sleeping at 25 to 50 percent of the population, this is an issue a lot of us have to cope with. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the answer, after all, is … “Chill!”

A few weeks ago I was involved in a serious car wreck when a kid in a truck tried to make it through an intersection and I plowed into him at 50 mph. The seatbelt and airbags saved my life, though my little car gave up the ghost, and I’m grateful to be alive. However, the same technology that saved me also did quite a number on my chest, neck and shoulders, so the past month or so has been a very full program of doctors’ visits, physical therapy and plant medicines.

In the emergency room I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest and I knew without a doubt that, at the very least, I was going to be dealing with some bruises and strains. I happened to have a bottle of arnica tablets (Boiron homeopathy) in my purse. So while I waited for the county sheriff’s deputy to finish filling out his paperwork, I took the first of what ended up being many doses of arnica.

For a few days I was too sore to even contemplate applying lotion to my skin, but eventually the worst of the bruising subsided and I started slathering on the arnica, capsaicin and ginger ointments. I ended up taking a muscle relaxer every night because it was the only way I could sleep. I was happy for that particular pharmaceutical at that particular time, but I hate taking stuff that makes me sleepy in the morning, so as soon as possible, I switched to my favorite Deep Sleep herbal tincture. I’m now taking Devil’s Claw for inflammation, and a handful of essential fatty acid capsules and Vitamin D3 to help with healing.

I’ve had ultrasound, trigger-point therapy and massage. I’m still worried by some stiffness in my neck, but I am so completely grateful for the multiple approaches that have supported my body in getting itself back on track. For the first few weeks after the wreck, I was frightened I would never feel better or even completely well again. But for the past several days I actually haven’t felt like I got hit by a truck, so I think I’m on the Royal Road to Recovery.

If anyone has other suggestions for dealing with the long-term effects of a trauma like this, I’d love to hear from you. (No legal advice, please. I actually have that covered.)

Brenda Stansfield is a licensed massage therapist, certified clincial aromatherapist and the creator of the Clear My Head product line, sold in spas nationally at www.clearmyhead.com. She belives aromatherapy should be simple and easy to incorporate into a hectic lifestyle.

Lately, I'm noticing a trend and I'm not liking it either. I watch as so many of us (and yes, I am guilty myself) are overly connected with our electronic devices. Yes, it's often time well spent in front of our computer screens updating our friends through Twitter, Facebook and MySpace, and yes we all get a little thrill when we open our "mail" to find a note (not just a forward, forward, forward) from a good friend. But ask yourself…would you rather have a ::hug:: or a real hug? 

The problem becomes clear as we watch our children communicate through more text messages and spend less time hearing a voice on the other end of their phones. How does one learn social skills or pick up non-verbal cues any more? After all, intonation in a voice can tell you wonders about a person’s well-being. The big question is how do we reconnect with our loved ones? The answer can be, surprisingly, aromatherapy. 

Use essential oil of lavender for a compassionate hand massage.

Over the years in my massage therapy & aromatherapy practice, I've encountered the "disconnect" of families. I've taught many workshops that bring people together and can open up a safe environment for conversations. Here are a few quick tips to help you turn down the electronic clutter in your life:

Children: Small children (3-6 years) are often antsy and on the move. Getting them to focus is challenging (if not impossible). These formative years are also when they are developing good routines and coping skills. A wonderful gift you can give your child is the ability to allow themselves to slow down in the evening. Prepare them for a good nights sleep with four drops of lavender essential oil in a warm bath—this will help them unwind and sleep more soundly. Taking baths are a great time for singing songs and other soothing activities—they'll never know they're getting clean in the process.

Teenagers: Teens are a little tougher to pin down and even harder at times to get to open up. A shame, since this is a time they need the guidance of a parent even more. Boys in particular are very resistant to keeping communication open. A way to get your teen to relax with you, and a nice time to catch up on the day, is with a nice peppermint foot rub (6 drops peppermint essential oil to 1 ounce lotion). The sensation on the feet is exhilarating and they'll sit still for it. Athletic teens and the over-achievers are often very unaware of the toll stress and a lot of activity can take on their body and mind. A 10 minute foot rub will help with fatigue and also teach them about giving to others.  

Our Elders: Often times I've been asked to call on a client’s family member in Hospice or Alzheimer wards. The elderly, and especially those in the last days or weeks of their life present emotional difficulties for both the family and the individual. A wonderful thing happens when we visit and offer a bit of compassion in the form of a hand massage. A suggestion of oils for this would be lavender, clary sage, bergamot or cedarwood (3 drops in 1 ounce). I've always felt in the grace of God during these visits. You needn't be a professional therapist for this. Your touch is comforting to the patient, the fragrance is soothing and the time is well spent. Often, in their final days, our loved ones cannot communicate with us. However, I promise the look in their eyes will tell you what they cannot. You will notice love and understanding and you will reap rewards that will be revealed to you later. It is not uncommon when I create blends for my clients to use with their loved ones that after the person has passed on they tell me that they use the aromatherapy lotion to feel the presence of their loved one again. This is understandable, since our sense of smell imprints emotions into us through our limbic system. Once we "memory map" our essential oils to a specific action, (one that is soothing, calming, joyful, and compassionate) we have set in motion a powerful way to communicate.

So today, unplug the cell phone, turn off the computer, even if it's just for 20 minutes, and go find someone who is getting "lost" in the digital age and bring them back to their senses!

People who suffer from insomnia usually have a difficult time falling asleep or wake up after only a few hours of sleep. Stress, anxiety, depression and grief are a few of the factors that contribute to insomnia. After experiencing a few sleepless nights I read up on insomnia. Through my research I discovered a few herbal remedies to ease the symptoms of insomnia.

Chamomile promotes natural sleep.

These herbs are an insomniac’s best friend!

• Chamomile: This herb relaxes the body and eases tension. Chamomile also helps other parts of the body by relieving indigestion and headaches.

• Lemon balm: Combined with chamomile, lemon balm relaxes the body and helps people fall asleep. By itself the herb has antibacterial and antiviral properties.

Other herbs that induce natural sleep are valerian, lavender, kava, St. John’s wort, passionflower and skullcap.

One product I've found that works great is Sound Sleep by Bath & Body Works ($10). This product, which is made with lavender and chamomile essential oils, is wonderful to use—especially after enjoying a cup of tea.

Have you experienced insomnia and used herbs to fall asleep? Let’s chat about it! Your comments could help other sleepless readers.

As a kid, I actually looked forward to getting hiccups, all thanks to my dad’s distinctive cure. He’d sit us on the kitchen counter, measure a spoon full of sugar and tell us we had to swallow it all. My hiccups routinely occurred around bedtime, so much to my mother’s chagrin, I rarely fell asleep on time after taking my “hiccup medicine.”

I’m not a sugar fiend anymore like I was during my childhood. Nowadays when I get a hiccup attack I hold my breath until I turn blue in the face. Or for a particularly rough bout, I’ll try to drink a cup of water backwards and usually spill most of it on the floor.

By cdw9/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wainwright/

I’d always I thought that, because hiccups are caused by spasms of your diaphragm, you had to alter your breathing pattern to stop them. However, you also need to increase the level of carbon dioxide in your blood, which is how certain herbs can help. 

It turns out that there are as many hiccup remedies as there are hiccups. Traditional herbal cures include eating a whole chervil plant, drinking anise or taking tinctures of mustard or peppermint. Today, many experts recommed specific herbal tinctures to reduce hiccup suffering. For instance, Life Mojo suggests boiling a combination of cardamom and mint leaves.

In his article, Fix-ups for Hiccups, Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa says that there are many herbal hiccup cures but unfortunately not all of them work. Also, if your hiccups last longer than three days you should see a doctor. His holistic recommendations include plain yogurt and salt, honey and castor oil, watermelon, Kaki tea, and fresh ginger. Surprisingly, both white sugar and cardamom were on his list as well. So I guess my dad’s hiccup medicine wasn’t just an “old wives’ tale” after all.

Have you tried herbs to get rid of hiccups? What method works for you? Leave me a comment and let me know!

I tend to go through obsessive routines with food. See, once I’ve found a relatively easy meal that’s tasty and healthy, I make it repetitively until the thought of it nauseates me – then I know it’s time to move on.

About this time last year I made shrimp and veggie stir fry almost daily, but I haven’t made it since. It just seems easier to buy the same groceries, instead of wasting food for meals that I don’t get around to making. This habit drives my friends and family crazy, “How can you eat that again?!”

(Click here to learn how to reel in runaway costs the bistro way.)

My latest addiction is eggs. I had to cut back on my boiled eggs when I realized that the amount of cholesterol in one egg, 213 milligrams, is almost as much as the recommended daily total of cholesterol, 300 milligrams. And now I’ve found another reason to be concerned – excess cholesterol could contribute to weakened memory.

Photo by meonomous/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tidalotter/

For the past few years my short-term memory has been horrible. I remember things from my childhood that no one else seems to and I memorize study-material just fine. However, I struggle with questions like, “What’s the last movie you saw?”

Although I doubt the eggs are a major contributor to my weak short-term memory, I’ve realized that I need to take better care of my brain and find some solutions. Especially when in a recent conversation I was stuck trying to remember the name of the daily supplement I take to improve my memory – oh, yeah, ginkgo biloba. 

Photo by fabdebaz/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fabdebaz/

In a study from The Journal of American Medical Association last fall, ginkgo biloba was proven to prevent the spread of existing dementia attributed to Alzheimer’s Disease, but if you have a more casually weak memory, like mine, it may not be the best herbal solution.

Instead try rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea), which can improve memory by stimulating the immune system, or bacopa (Bacopa monnieri), which works to ease anxiety and decrease blood pressure. The best way to improve memory retention is to reduce stress, but sometimes stress just isn’t avoidable. So if you want additional help, take a look at the list of alternative herbs I’ve compiled below.

Maybe, with the help of these herbs, my conversations will finally stop including, “I’m sure you’ve already told me about it, but could you tell me one more time?” or “You never told me that!” – Only to be proven wrong once again.

Photo by Lorianne DiSabato/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zenmama/

Herbs to magnify your memory:

It’s that time of year again. Going back to school means late night cram sessions, unhealthy eating habits (coffee and chocolate anyone?) and mind and body exhaustion. Try these herbs to help relieve stress, accelerate energy and induce sleep.

Photo By sobriquet.net/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sobriquet/

Herbs for Stress

When all of the tasks start to pile up at once and it seems like you can’t get anything done, try these herbs to calm your nerves.

• Chamomile: Make a chamomile tea to calm nerves and relieve stress headaches. After, put the warm tea bags on your eyelids to relieve tired eyes.

• Lavender: Use lavender to help concentrate on a task. Sniff the dried flowers or lavender essential oil to stimulate your brain when you’re down.

• Geranium essential oil: Before going into an exam or giving a speech, sniff some geranium essential oil to relieve butterflies in your stomach.

Herbs to Accelerate Energy

Lay off the coffee and energy drinks. They may increase energy for a while, but you’ll be sure to crash after the caffeine high wears off. Try these herbs for a natural way to boost energy.

• Rosemary: Increase your energy with an invigorating bath. Combine ½ cup rosemary, and ½ cup ground almonds and 2 cups plain rolled oats in a terry cloth bag or washcloth and float in the bath.

• Thyme: Get the energizing scent of thyme by filling a spray bottle with 2 or 3 drops of thyme essential oil and a ½ cup of water and spraying it in the air. Thyme’s also delicious with meats and sauces.

Herbs to Stimulate Sleep

With a thousand different worries popping up in your mind, getting sleep can be difficult. Try these herbs to get some rest.

• Anise: Chew the seeds by themselves or add them to hot milk to make you sleepy. Also try filling a small bag with anise seeds and place it by your pillow so you can breathe in the scent.

• Linden: Brew linden flowers in a tea to induce sleep. Or find linden flower tea in health food stores.

How do you cope with the stress of school? Have any herbal tips? Leave me a comment and tell me about them.

Sarah Powell, an herbalist, medical anthropologist and proprietor of the natural bath & body business, Lilith’s Apothecary. Find her shop at www.lilithsapothecary.etsy.com and her blog at www.lilithsapothecary.wordpress.com for more natural body care tips and recipes. 

If it is one thing we can all agree on, it is that having clear, glowing skin is the most important factor to your appearance. Clear skin boosts one’s self-esteem, self-confidence, and certainly makes us all feel good! Our skin is also a great reflection of what is going on internally, especially if we are experiencing an imbalance of some kind. A healthful life usually results in healthy skin.  However, normal hormonal changes, dietary problems, and toxic drugs or chemicals can certainly take their toll. 

This is the first in a series of posts devoted to caring for one’s skin naturally, and here we start with caring for the skin from the inside out.  Skin estheticians will acknowledge that healthy skin is directly related to proper skin care, which includes good nutrition. Skin is nourished by the bloodstream, which gains nutrients from the gastro-intestinal tract. In conversation, Mary Friehofner, a Philadelphia esthetician and acne specialist, told me about a persistent denial in the medical community of any special correlation between sugar and acne. As someone who has suffered with acne herself, Mary said, “I know that I could almost feel and fuzzy or prickly feeling in my chin and jaw area (where I used to break out with acne) almost immediately after eating very sugary foods. Now western medicine has documented a release of hormones by the liver associated with intake of sugar and these hormones in some people initiate acne.”

So yes, yet again, the message is that “you are what you eat," or at least you are certainly affected by it! Herbalists have for centuries treated skin conditions with liver supportive and detoxifying herbs, as the liver is the responsible organ for processing fats, sugars, hormones, and chemicals we ingest, even if herbalists didn’t traditionally have the ‘science’ to back it up. There was plenty empirical evidence to suggest that supporting the liver can help correct many conditions, including eczema, psoriasis and acne. Skin conditions that result from hormonal imbalances, a common cause of acne, may require further hormone regulators in an herbal compound, but thankfully, we have many such allies to help with problem skin.  We will delve further into the treatment of skin imbalances with herbs in later posts in this series.

Nourishment on the inside should be the first step in treating the outside appearance. We often see topical products on the market promising clear, even skin tone, regenerative powers, or other chemicals and even toxic ingredients to cause skin ‘plumping’ to make the skin appear healthier and younger. It’s true that there are ingredients added to skin care products that can help prevent the development of fine lines and wrinkles and certainly there are others that may cause some regenerative ability, but flawless skin starts with what you put into your body.

The skin is an incredibly complex organ –your body’s largest—and contains several layers: the epidermal, dermal, and subcutaneous, all of which have functions that keep our skin fed by the bloodstream and enervated by our nervous system, protected from the outside, acting as a barrier to protect our vital internal organs from the outside. It is a somewhat permeable barrier, however, and what we put on the skin’s surface may or may not penetrate to our bloodstream below. This is why some chemicals, such as propylene glycol, that facilitate absorption of harmful compounds are so problematic and should be avoided. Our skin performs vital functions that include maintaining the body’s temperature, protecting us from biological invaders and physical, chemical, thermal, and electrical damage. It regulates moisture, excretes toxins via sweat, secretes sebum—our natural ‘moisturizer’ –which lubricates skin and keeps it from drying out. It metabolizes and stores fat and also converts ultraviolet rays into vitamin D, which enhances calcium absorption (Tourles, 1999).

One of the first steps we can take towards achieving beautiful skin includes making sure we ingest the most vital vitamins and minerals for healthy skin. Vitamin A (beta-carotene) is a fat-soluble antioxidant that is essential for growth and maintenance of skin tissue and proper functioning of mucous membranes. Vitamin A also speeds healing of acne and boosts the body’s immunity. B-complex vitamins are water-soluble and should be taken as a ‘complex’ rather than in isolated parts. This is what some call the ‘anti-stress’ vitamin that helps prevent acne and premature aging. It promotes healthy circulation and metabolism, and is also essential for wound-healing. Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant that helps produce collagen in connective tissue, strengthens capillary walls, speeds healing, and helps protect against environmental stress. Vitamin D is a fat soluble nutrient that when combined with vitamin A, helps treat acne. It is gaining much recognition as a more important vitamin than we have realized in recent years, and recommended doses are currently being evaluated by regulatory bodies. Vitamin D, not even really a vitamin, may be more beneficial in much larger doses than we are accustomed to. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that oxygenates tissues, protects tissues, speeds healing of chronic skin conditions, and may decrease scarring. Mineral iodine aids in healing skin infections, increases oxygen consumption and metabolic rate in the skin; silicon aids in collagen formation, keeps skin taut, and strengthens skin tissues. Sulfur helps keep skin clear and smooth, while zinc promotes cell growth, boosts immunity, and helps treat acne along with vitamins A & B (Tourles, 1999). 

Fat is an essential component to your skin’s health and beauty. Without at least a thin layer of fat providing padding to support your skin’s structure, it can’t be beautiful! For years, we have been told by mainstream dieticians and advisors that fat is “bad” and should be avoided, and now it appears the health gurus are changing their minds! Mother Earth News published a great article outlining this debate, one subscribed to by the Weston Price Foundation for nearly a century.  Soy-based beverages are made with unfermented soy milk, which has its own controversy surrounding it, as indeed  its high content of phytic acids may block the uptake of vital minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and zinc.  In line with more whole foods, local movements, I prefer sourcing locally produced raw or minimally processed milk and certainly drink whole milk and full fat cream as much as I desire.

Whether we are talking about the fat on our bodies, or the fat we ingest, we’ve been ‘trained’ to think of all of it as bad, but without fats, we can’t have well-lubricated, glowing skin with the roundness and shape we associate with beauty.  Saturated fatty acids are solid at room temperature and include animal fats, coconut oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter.  Monounsaturated fatty acids are liquid at room temperature, including oils of olive, avocado, cashew, salmon, and halibut. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are also liquid at room temperature but have a different molecular structure; they include oils of walnut, flax, safflower, sunflower, and corn.  Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are vitamin-like substances that have a protective effect on the body. Your body cannot manufacture them, but you must obtain them from the food you eat. As little as 2 to 3 teaspoons per day will provide you with the EFAs you need. Omega-3 fatty acids are the super stars we hear so much about, and truly, with their potent anti-inflammatory abilities and superior healing qualities, these are an essential addition to our diets. Cold-water fish such as bluefish, salmon, mackerel, and tuna, as well as freshly ground flax, walnuts, and brazil nuts are all good sources. Omega 3’s provide wound-healing, arthritis relief and relief of other inflammatory conditions, healing for eczema and psoriasis, and assistance in balancing sebum production. We need them! Of course some fats are bad, but the only fats that I consider bad are the hydrogenated oils that dominate our processed food supply. Avoid those processed and ‘fast’ foods as much as possible, and you’ll be avoiding so-called ‘bad fats’ too.

Now that you have this information, what can you do with it?  While a multi-vitamin is often touted as a good idea in theory, it is much better to get your nutrients from natural sources, preferably whole foods, herbal infusions, and if necessary, bio-available liquid extracts. Most pill-shaped supplements are hardly bio-available at all, and most people don’t take the multi- vitamin with the necessary fat  that would provide absorption of many fat-soluble vitamins in the first place. Do your best to consume whole, unprocessed sources, of which there are myriad; many on-line sources identify superior sources of all the nutrients outlined above. Super-food supplements like spirulina, blue-green algae, dulse flakes, and bee pollen are a great addition to juices and smoothies. Nutrient rich herbal tonics—intended for regular, long-term use—are an even more wonderful choice for bio-available nourishment.

Remember that your skin basically shows what it takes in. The more refined sugars, ‘bad’ hydrogenated fats, caffeine, alcohol, pharmaceutical or narcotic drugs you ingest, the worse your skin will look. It goes the same for lack of sleep! When you don’t get your ‘beauty rest’, your skin will show it first with break-outs, bags under the eyes, or tired, dull skin tone. Check out the recipes below for boosting your body’s nutrition and contributing to healthy, vitalized skin. A regular smoothie, a multi-grain omega-rich muffin, fresh local plain yoghurt sprinkled with ground golden flax, or a bowl of pre-soaked, cooked oatmeal sprinkled with fresh, raw almonds or walnuts and plump goji or blueberries are all ways to boost your nutritional intake alongside your daily herbal infusion. Try the recipes below to begin to move towards creating healthy skin from the inside out:

Skin Food Smoothie

• 1 banana
• 1 cup strawberries or other berries, frozen or fresh
• 2 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons blackstrap molasses, rich in iron
• 2 teaspoons golden flax seeds, freshly ground
• 10 raw almonds, preferably blanched and skin removed
• 10 raw walnuts
• ¼ cup cooked oatmeal, pre-soaked,
• 2 teaspoons honey, preferably raw and locally sourced
• ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 to 3 ice cubes (if not using frozen fruit)

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth for 30 to 60 seconds. 

2. Drink throughout the morning or drink half in the morning and half for a snack later on. Makes approximately two  1½ cup (375 ml) servings.

*Inspired by Stephanie Tourles’ Skin-So-Smoothie (Tourles, 1999)
 
Fantastic Skin Herbal Tonic 

You can try this yummy infusion using tablespoons to measure each herb, but it’s even better to measure in ounces, store in a covered container and use for medicinal infusions consistently, over time. True medicinal-strength infusions use a lot of dried herb combined with a long steeping time to achieve optimum extraction of vitamins and minerals. 

• 1 tablespoon nettle leaf
• 1 tablespoon oatstraw
• 1 tablespoon alfalfa
• 1 tablespoon dandelion leaf
• 1 tablespoon red raspberry leaf
• 1 tablespoon rose petals
• ½ tablespoon rosehips
• ¼ tablespoon cinnamon chips, not the powder (or substitute 1 part spearmint)

1. Measure 5 to 6 tablespoons of the mix into a glass, heat-proof mason jar or similar container with a tight-fitting lid. 

2. Pour boiling water over the herbs and steep 4 -8 hrs or overnight.

3. Strain herbs and drink infusion either throughout the day or in 1 cup amounts. An infusion will last 3 days when kept refrigerated.

Herbal Sources:  Mountain Rose Herbs or Pacific Botanicals. For more on making herbal infusions, pop on by my blog at http://lilithsapothecary.wordpress.com/2008/11/05/herbal-infusions-part-ii.

References: Tourles, Stephanie (1999). Naturally Healthy Skin: Tips and Techniques for a Lifetime of Radiant Skin. MA:  Publishing .

Summertime is the season for weddings, vacations and family reunions. This can mean lots of traveling. But for me, the stress of traveling, along with unhealthy eating and germ-infested airplanes often leaves me exhausted or sick.

Try these tips to stay healthy while traveling this summer.

Use herbs to stay healthy while traveling.
Photo By Ferran/ Courtesy Flickr
www.flickr.com/photos/ferran-jorda/ 

Traveling Problem #1: Jet Lag

The symptoms of jet lag – fatigue, irritability and disorientation – are caused by your body trying to reset its internal clock to a different schedule.

Try to avoid jet lag by staying hydrated and flying during the day, if possible. Once you arrive at your destination take a walk and try to go to sleep on your local schedule. The next morning, get as much sunshine as possible. Sunlight works to reset your biological clock.

Also try eleuthero or melatonin to prevent jet lag. Take ½ to 1 teaspoon of eleuthero liquid extract three times a day, three days before traveling and three days after the flight. Or take a 1-mg tablet of melatonin one hour before bed for several days after your arrival.

Traveling Problem #2: Motion Sickness

Try ginger to combat nausea associated with motion sickness. Take 500 to 1,000 mg of powdered ginger 30 minutes before traveling, followed by 500 mg every couple of hours. Or chew on a yummy piece of crystallized ginger as needed.

Traveling Problem #3: Colds and Flu

Traveling can mean coming into contact with lots of germs. Take preventative measures such as washing your hands regularly and eating healthy.

If you still start feeling sick, try echinacea and elderberry extract. This can help prevent and treat respiratory infections. Echinacea boosts the immune system and elderberry disarms virus cells. When you first feel yourself starting to get sick take ½ teaspoon of echinacea extract and ½ teaspoon of elderberry extract five times a day.

Also try to amp up your garlic intake to boost your immune system before traveling.

What are your tips for staying healthy when traveling? Leave me a comment and tell me about them!

I know a few guys and gals—I won’t name names—who are obsessed with enhancing their athletic performance and physical health. From protein drinks to creatine powders and quercetin supplements, they’re always out for the latest breakthrough in athletic technology. I have been caught up in this sporty fervor myself and been forced to drink protein concoctions from time to time. As long as they’re mixed with tasty fruit juices and yogurts, I’m fine, but protein powder and water – no thanks.

I begrudgingly agree that drinking protein powders after my workout does seem to help my energy and stamina. However, after reading Don Matesz’s article, Natural Healing: Making a Fresh Start, I realize that I might be getting more protein than I really need. I don’t need as much because my workouts are usually fast and furious rather than long and intense. I’m reluctant to rely on manufactured supplements, anyway. I’d prefer to get the most out of a good, healthy meal, instead of abstaining from calories and chugging protein.

Photo by size8jeans/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/newbirth/ 

To improve your game, you don’t necessarily have to look ahead for the next scientific supplement, just look around you. Researchers for The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research found in a study this year that consuming black currants before and after your workout can decrease muscle damage, reduce inflammation and boost immune systems. 

Photo by Quite Adept/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/quiteadept/

Another popular herbal classic, ginseng, is also a great natural supplement. Ginseng’s expansive family, Siberian ginseng, American ginseng and Asian ginseng, to name a few, can all help your performance. Although, a study in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, also done this year, didn’t find any conclusive evidence of ginseng’s performance enhancement, ancient practitioners from locals such as Russia and China, have consumed ginseng to enhance productivity, increase stamina and improve the immune system because of its adaptogen qualities.

Photo by whitney waller/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitneywaller/

Astragalus and schisandra are two more great options for herbal athletic enhancement because both exhibit adaptogen potential similarly to ginseng. Astragalus is especially beneficial to reduce inflammation and strengthen natural immunities.

I find the option of drinking a cup of tea made from any one of these herbs vastly preferable to the drinks I’m choking down after the gym right now.

Photo by meeg-el/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/meeg-el/ 

What works best for your workout? Leave me a comment and let me know!

The Food and Drug Administration has ordered the makers of Botox (Allergan) to place a “black-box” warning on its packaging, according to an article in The Wall Street Journal. Black-box warnings are required for drugs that present serious or life-threatening health risks. This order also applies to Dysport and Myobloc, rival products that, like Botox, are derived from a bacterial by product called botulinum toxin, which causes botulism. The drugs are used to smooth facial wrinkles, but can also interfere with breathing and swallowing.

Bad enough that each batch of Botox tortures and kills animals, it can also make you gasp and choke. And wasn’t the hideous sight of Ryan O’Neal’s frozen, immobile face as he grieved for the passing of Farrah enough to warn any rational person away from that stuff? (OK, I don’t know for sure if that is the reason for Ryan’s frozen face, but I’m not certain what else can turn a human face into a mask like that.)

Photo by AJ Cann/courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/people/ajc1/

Listen, people, faces that move and emote and express and even, God forbid, sag a bit, are human faces. We are human beings. We should have those kinds of faces.

Be kind to your face—and the rest of you—by eating lots of fruits and veggies, exercising, taking quality supplements, laughing a lot, having as much fun as possible and saying an emphatic NO! to tobacco products. Then as age has its way with you—and we all know it will (see mug shot of yours truly for verification)—you’ll have a face full of character and charm, rather than something that looks like it’s been dipped in lacquer.

Do yourself a favor with some natural, herby, fabulously aromatic lotions, potions, salves and creams that actually feed your hair and skin and give Botox and all that other unwholesome crud the old heave-ho!

Last summer I finally found a recipe to mix up my usual warm weather menu of “everything but the kitchen sink” pasta salads. Thank God for mothers—if my mom hadn’t cooked this for me when I was visiting her, I probably never would have tried to cook it myself.

I am now a huge fan of soba noodles and sesame oil, and with good reason. Both of these key ingredients are packed full of nutrients that can lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar.

Buckwheat, which makes up 80 percent of soba noodles, contains the compound rutin (a powerful flavanoid), plenty of protein and essential amino acids.

I usually use low-sodium soy sauce with the recipe so that the salt doesn’t overwhelm the taste or negate the health benefits. I love the unique flavors of this recipe: the sweet honey, the bitter vinegar and the nutty soba noodles. It can be served at whatever temperature suits your fancy, although I like it a little chilled to battle the summer heat.

Photo by Rubber Slippers in Italy/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rubber_slippers_in_italy/

Soba/Buckwheat Noodles with Cashews and Greens

Serves 2

• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 4 ounces uncooked soba/buckwheat noodles
• 1 (10 ounce) package spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup cooked chicken breast, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped cashews, or another favorite nut

1. Place honey in small bowl; add vinegar and soy sauce; stir until honey dissolves.

2. Boil pot of water, add noodles and cook until tender (about 4 minutes).

3. Place prepared greens in medium-large, microwave-safe bowl

4. Drain noodles and immediately add them to the greens in the bowl. Add the sesame oil and garlic, and mix with a fork, bringing the greens up from the bottom so that they will wilt on contact.

5. Place the bowl in the microwave and cook on high for one minute to further wilt the greens. Add the honey mixture. Stir with a fork and add salt to taste.

6. Sprinkle the top with chicken, if desired, and nuts. Enjoy!

With a cat, a sink full of dishes and teeming garbage, my house is in constant need of air freshening. My stand-by method of air freshening was burning incense, but I quickly run out of incense to burn. As a resutl, I decided to switch to a plug-in air freshener. Although I’ve missed the relaxing waft of incense smoke, I haven’t missed dusty ashes covering my book shelf. The absence of visible smoke, however, does not mean that my air is clean. The invisible chemicals ejected into the air from my plug-in air freshener may be just as harmful as the smoke was, if not more.

Photo by CM Sims/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fragmentsofsobriquets/

It turns out that some automatic air fresheners emit chemicals such as phthalates. According to a 2007 study by the Natural Resources Defense Council, these chemicals can disrupt hormone levels and lead to reproductive abnormalities.

I don’t think I’ll revert back to incense with gusto because a recent University of Minnesota study indicates that excessive usage can contribute to respiratory tract cancers. 

Instead, my new favorite freshening friend has become a potted chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemums, as well as other indoor plants, offer a number of health and freshening benefits. Specifically, they can neutralize airborne chemicals such as formaldehyde, benzene and carbon monoxide. In a clean air study, done jointly by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, houseplants were proven to effectively remove up to 87 percent of air borne pollutants within 24 hours.

Another alternative to mainstream air fresheners are pure essential oils. These oils can be used with diffusers or nebulizers found at your nearest health food store or online.

While I will give household plants and essential oil diffusers a try, I can’t completely give up incense; it is just too much a part of my cleaning routine.

How about you? Have you found any natural air fresheners that work great at your place? Leave a comment and let me know!  

During the summertime, the living is easy; but what is the only unfortunate part about summer? Bug bites. Apparently, I have sweet-tasting blood that mosquitoes love to dive into, causing tons of bug bites all summer long. Repelling insects is a crucial strategy during the summer, especially to gardeners. Fortunately, there are great herbal bug repellent and itch-relief remedies that can easily be made at home. Be careful! First, try allergy tests to see how your skin reacts to some of these strong herbs.

Photo by James Jordan/Courtesy Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesjordan/

Next, try these two skin oil formulas:

Antiseptic Insect Repellent Skin Oil

• 1/2 cup almond, walnut or grapeseed oil
• 6 drops oregano, thyme or tea tree oil
• 4 drops each of up to four insect repellent oils (click here for a list of oils)

1. Add oil to a small clean bottle, preferably dark glass. Drop in the essential oils of your choice and shake well.

2. Label and keep in a dark, cool place.

Insect Repellent Neat's-foot Oil

• 1/2 teaspoon each orange, eucalyptus and citronella essential oils
• 7.5-ounce bottle neat’s-foot oil (available in sporting goods stores)

1. Add the essential oils to the neat’s-foot oil bottle and shake well.

2. Apply to boots as directed on bottle.

You can also try these two vinegar formulas. Use them separate or mixed together:

Herbal Insect Repellent Vinegar

You can pour vinegars into spray bottles for easy application.

• 2 cups fresh insect-repellent herbs (click here for a list of herbs)
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar

1. Crush herbs with a mortar and pestle. Place herbs in a glass quart jar and cover with vinegar. Use a plastic lid to seal the jar (vinegar corrodes metal).

2. Shake every day for 3 to 7 days. Filter vinegar within a week and use within the year.

Jewelweed Vinegar

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) grows in the wild, wet places in the eastern United States. The juice of the plant is a traditional remedy for all sorts of skin ailments. To use it, simply crush the leaves and stems and rub the juice on itchy spots. To preserve and keep it handy, make this vinegar.

• 1 cup fresh crushed jewelweed
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar

1. Place jewelweed in glass quart jar. Cover with vinegar and seal with a plastic lid. You can leave the herb in for up to four weeks. Pour vinegar through a cheesecloth-lined strainer.

2. We add insect-repellent and antiseptic essential oils to the vinegar, 10 drops to a one-pint sprayer. Vinegars are good for about a year.

Finally, you could also try this formula for a foot powder:

Gardener's Foot Powder

• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 10 drops each lavender and tea tree oils

1. Put cornstarch and baking soda in a jar; add essential oils and stir.

I don’t know if olives can be considered a condiment, but I sure use them like one. They come second only to salt as my preferred meal additive. Not only are olives tasty but they’re a staple of the famously healthy Mediterranean diet. I put them on almost everything I eat from burgers to eggs.

That’s why I love antipasto, the ever-present appetizer at Genovese, which is a locally owned Italian restaurant in Lawrence, Kansas, and one of my favorite places to eat. A bowl filled with olives and other veggies coated in a white vinaigrette is always within reach. I can make an entire meal out of a little dish filled with this antipasto and some of their rosemary flatbread.

Although I’ll probably never make this at home, as I don’t have the culinary skills, I asked Genovese’s executive chef and co-owner, Armando Paniagua for his recipe. I was amazed at how many different fresh, herbal ingredients are in this seemingly simple appetizer.

Photo by Ariel Tilson

Genovese’s Antipasto

Serves 1 to 2

Vinaigrette Ingredients

• 3 cups white vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 whole star anise
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon peppercorn
• ½ tablespoon whole allspice
• Chile flakes to taste

Vegetable Ingredients

• ½ cup diced carrots
• ½ cup diced green beans
• ½ cup diced fennel

Remaining Ingredients

• 3 cups olives, any kind you like
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Fresh rosemary to taste
• Lemon zest from one lemon

1. Combine vinaigrette ingredients in medium pot and bring to boil. Add vegetable ingredients to pot; cover and cook for 3 minutes.

2. Put pot in ice water to cool. Once it’s cooled, drain the vegetables and add olives, olive oil, rosemary and lemon zest.

Whether you have children, a fast-paced job, or classes to take, we all lead hectic lives. The stress from our lives can bring on a lot of anxiety. As a student, I get stressed and anxious fairly often, but there are many herbs that can help ease this anxiety. Some of these herbs include kava kava, valerian, St. John’s wort, bugleweed, ginseng, and chamomile.

 According to www.iampanicked.com, kava kava can ease your anxiety level in just one week and can also help you sleep.

LoveToKnow tells us that valerian is very effective when it comes to healing anxiety. Valerian works as a sedative and seems to have the least amount of side effects of any anxiety-healing herb. It also can work within a week of consumption.

St. John’s wort can provide long-term treatment for anxiety according to LoveToKnow, although it can cause interference with some prescription drugs such as anti-depressants, birth control pills, cyclosporine, digoxin, and wafarin.

Photo by Cactusbones/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cactusbones/

Holisticonline.com says that bugleweed can help soothe nerves as a way to treat anxiety.

Ginseng has stimulant properties, can help reduce anxiety and give you an extra energy-boost, according to iampanicked.com.

According to holisticonline.com, chamomile has a few anxiety-healing properties. It gently acts therapeutically on your nerves and can help to soothe an upset stomach.

Photo by Matsuyuki/ Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matsuyuki/

Instead of risking addiction to anxiety drugs, try herbal treatment! Create teas or take capsules of these herbs for treatment. You can pick these herbs up at your local organic market.

Constantly in search of the best natural face wash, I’ve recently stumbled upon a company with endless natural beauty treatment choices: derma e. The company combines vitamins, antioxidants and botanicals to create eco-friendly beauty treatments, such as its new formula Very Clear Cleansing Scrub ($13.95).

This exfoliant is a new product to join the Very Clear Skin collection, which includes the Very Clear Problem Skin Cleanser, Cleansing Scrub, Problem Skin Moisturizer and Spot Blemish Treatment. The formula combines tea tree, willow bark, rosewood, lavender, aloe and chamomile to treat blemish-prone skin.

The exfoliant, designed to remove dead skin cells in order to stimulate new cell growth for clearer skin, is gentle, relaxing and seems to work very well with my skin. My acne has stayed under control as of late and I truly believe it has something to do with this 4-ounce tube. Its major ingredient, tea tree oil, is amazing because it’s natural and powerful as a disinfectant; it most commonly treats a wide variety of skin ailments such as acne, rashes or sun burns.

(News & Tips: Swine Flu Prevention and Hand Washing Tips)

However, it is an herb that you either hate or love, in my opinion, because the smell of tea tree oil is very strong—and the derma e formula is no exception. I’m not a fan of the tea tree oil smell and have found other formulas that my olfactory system enjoy a lot more. If you absolutely can not stand its scent, you may not enjoy its powerful aroma lingering on your face.

(Ode to Tea Tree Oil)

Still, even if you’re not a fan of its smell you may want to learn to just deal with it because recent studies have shown tea tree oil to be a very powerful, natural antibacterial agent. A study in 2000 showed that tea tree oil is 5 percent more effective than commercial medication when treating scabies mite in an in vitro situation. More recently, a new study may soon prove that a tea tree oil wash can prevent Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is resistant to most commonly used antibiotics. According to Reuters Health, the study is expected to be complete in 2010 and looks promising for tea tree oil based on previous studies.

So what do you herbies think? The price is reasonable and the results are positive. Will you be trying the Very Clear Cleansing Scrub anytime soon?

During my early childhood summers, I loved to forage for wild edibles with my best friend. We didn’t go the traditional route of gnawing on fruits and veggies from the garden but instead ate whatever green, leafy plants smelled somewhat appealing and weren’t too bitter. I marvel that we never got sick since our only tenet was a warning from our moms to stay away from the bush with the round, red berries. I guess our saving grace was eating only the plants that we were familiar with, such as clover, honeysuckle, watercress and sometimes grassy.

Occasionally, even expert foragers mistake tasty tidbits for potent poisons. My reluctance to forage on my own doubled after watching the scene in “Into the Wild” when [SPOILER ALERT] McCandless mistakenly eats the wild sweet pea thinking it was wild potato, which inevitably leads to his death.

Photo by Roger B./Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/roger/

Now scientists have determined that another camouflaged plant, the hemlock water-dropwort, might have been the toxic ingredient in the Phoenician potion used to execute Sardinian criminals and the debilitated elderly. Its deceit lies in the sweet wine-like nectar of its flowers and its resemblance to water parsnip or wild celery.

The faces of its ancient victims revealed the toxin’s presence to scientists because of muscular contractions that resulted in a post-mortem smile. Imagine if this had been the same type of hemlock used on Socrates. I’m sure Plato’s account of his noble death would have been ruined by the presence of this “sardonic” grin.

Photo by shallowend/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shallowend24401/

Despite the plant’s historical propensity to tighten the facial muscles of its unfortunate victims, researchers are hoping to put a positive spin on its toxicity and use it in Botox-like cosmetic procedures to relax muscles.

I’m sure many of the foods and plants we ingest have toxic properties when used in excess, but it seems implausible that directly injecting poison into our sensitive facial tissue, even in diluted doses, doesn’t have carcinogenic or otherwise fatal risks.

I know, I know, Botox experts proclaim that the technique, when applied by licensed professionals is completely safe. Just the same, I think I’ll celebrate my wrinkles and stay away from cosmetic procedures that paralyze my muscles into a relaxed stupor, or worse yet, a sardonic grin.

What are the health risks of chemical cleaners and which ingredients should we look out for? The more I read about harmful household cleaners the more I want to know about the chemical ingredients that make these products unsafe. Here’s a look at some of the problematic chemicals found in many household cleaners and some greener/healthier alternatives for you to try instead.

According to a 2006 study by the University of California Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, one of the most offensive common ingredients found in household cleaners, is ethylene-based glycol ethers, used commonly in cleaning agents. Also, chlorine bleach, often labeled as “sodium hypochlorite” or “hypochlorite,” is often found in household cleaners. It's  used to whiten fabrics or remove mold from surfaces. High-level exposure can irritate the lungs and cause chronic respiratory problems. Usually these conditions occur if you’re storing chlorine bleach in poorly ventilated rooms and breathing in its toxic fumes.  

Some other problematic chemicals found in many household cleaners include ammonia. Mild exposure to ammonia vapors may cause respiratory irritation; repeated or prolonged exposure to vapors may cause irritation, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Butyl cellosolve is a toxic ingredient used in some all-purpose cleaners, window cleaners and other household cleaning products. It's an eye irritant that has been linked to kidney and liver problems and is reportedly toxic to forming cells.

Here are some commonly used household products that should be avoided and a list of greener/healthier alternatives.

Photo by Rebecca Weeks/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marinegirl/385097057/sizes/m/

Avoid: All-purpose cleaners with butyl cellosolve or ammonia.
Instead: Make a simple, herbal all-purpose cleaner. It’s eco-friendly, healthy and only takes five minutes to make. The following ingredients are non-toxic and most of them you probably have on hand.

Avoid: Household bleach, used to whiten fabrics and remove spots, that contains chlorine bleach.
Instead: Try making a bleach/brightener substitute to brighten your clothes. Use hydrogen peroxide, water, lemon juice and tea tree oil (which contains antibacterial properties) instead of using bleach that contains harsh chemicals.

Avoid: Air fresheners with the chemical, isopar (deodorized kerosene). It is a moderate eye and skin irritant.
Instead: use essential oils such as lavender and rosemary to naturally scent your home.

Avoid: Carpet cleaners with butyl cellosolve.
Instead: make a lavender-ginger suds rug shampoo. All you need is water, vinegar, sodium lauryl sulfate, baking soda and a few essential oils. The lavender and ginger essential oils help if animal smells are a problem.                  

References: 
“Hazardous Ingredients In Household Products,” provided by the Cancer Prevention Coalition.  
Household Products Database, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

For more information on cleaning your home naturally, visit our blog series Naturally Clean.

With my very fair skin, all it takes is ten minutes under the harsh summer sun and I begin to burn. My usual sunburn remedy consists of slathering aloe vera onto my skin and then lying in front of a floor fan to cool off. However, aloe vera isn’t the only herbal remedy for burn relief. Many herbs can help protect skin and soothe it after a burn. Here are my four favorites.

1. Aloe vera, the common go-to sunburn remedy, helps heal and relieve skin. Whether it is in the form of a store-bought gel or came straight from its leaves, aloe leaves a noticeable cooling sensation on burned skin. This herb works most effectively on minor burns.

The juice from aloe leaves can help heal minor burns.

Photo by Powerhouse Museum/courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum_photography/ 

Try Pure Aloe Vera Gel by Aubrey Organics, $7.78. This four-ounce bottle is 98 percent organic.

2. Chickweed, best known for relieving itchy skin, also works well for healing sunburns because of its cooling effects. This herb can be used immediately by pulling some up from the ground and applying it to the affected area. Another method is to crush some with a mortar and pestle into a paste and bandage it on the wound.

3. Green tea, the delicious hot drink you sip to soothe a sore throat, also works to relieve sunburns. The antioxidants in this herb help heal skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays. You can benefit from applying the tea to the burn externally and also by drinking it.

Try this recipe for a soothing aloe-green-tea-lavender mist.

• 1/4 cup brewed green tea
• 1/4 cup aloe vera juice
• 1/4 teaspoon lavender essential oil

1. Mix together cool green tea, aloe and lavender essential oil in a spray bottle. Shake well. Spray liberally onto skin as often as desired.

2. Refrigerate, and use within two weeks.

4. Since lavender has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties it is great for soothing sunburns. Add lavender essential oil to a cool bath for immediate relief.

Although these herbs work well for soothing sunburns, there’s nothing worse than having skin that resembles a tomato. The real key is prevention. When out in the sun, stay in the shade as much as possible and make sure to wear sunscreen.

For an organic sunscreen option, try SPF 30 Organic Lavender Face and Body Sun Protection by Tuscan Heights Lavender Gardens, $15.30.

References: Backyard Medicine: Harvest and Make Your Own Herbal Remedies by Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal (Skyhorse Publishing, 2009)

Marguerite Dunne is a c ity girl and traveler. Visit her website at www.herbs-on-hudson.com or listen to her radio show, The Urban Herbalist, on www.wtbq.com. Marguerite was also the third place winner in The Herb Companion's essay contest, "Looking Forward to Herbs."

A friend asked me to be a guest speaker in her college class one night, with the noble task of explaining to her students how to get started using medicinal herbs. Twenty intelligent adults leaned forward as the spotlight was on me and I told the tale of how I got started with herbs. I talked about how the doctors had pumped me with drugs, which made me feel worse, and about how herbal roots and leaves were what gave me back my body.

One flustered 40-year-old lady raised her hand. She described, in scathing detail, her arthritis, hip replacements, autoimmune diseases and the various failing pill protocols the doctors placed her on and off and on and off for the past five years. She raged over a lopsided conversation she’d had with a young clerk in a health food store. Pounding her fist into her hand, to the beat of every spoken word, she intoned, “How do I know I’m getting the right medical advice when I go into a health food store?” 

What I would have liked to have said was, “So, you want to make sure this 18-year-old young woman in a health food store can give you the proper diagnosis to your illness, which three medical doctors and, collectively, 55 years of graduate medical school, have failed to correctly analyze? Did I get that right?”

It’s frustrating as heck when your body is going one way and you want it to go the other and nobody, but nobody, is giving you the right information and you just want some answers; when it isn’t like anything you or your friend has experienced before; when you did all the things the doctor told you to do! I remember how sick I was for three years after I stopped taking birth control pills: I lost my period, gained 30 pounds, got all kinds of allergies and suffered from 104 degree fevers for days. I went in for all kinds of tests and got all kinds of pills and shots from nine different doctors—nobody could tell me what was wrong with my body.

That was when an old and dear friend, turned me on to herbs. My friend took me to a chiropractor who adjusted my back and suggested I use aloe root and blue cohosh. Within two weeks, I got my period back for the first time in nearly three years and fifteen pounds fell off of me. I was sold!

My very first herb book, which I still recommend and now holds the highest place of honor on my bookshelf, was the original 1939 version of Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss (Lotus Press, 1997). Yeah, I know there are thousands of scientific studies about herbs and all kinds of texts with annotations written and efficient, systematic technobrews that have been sliced-and-diced-analyzed, investigated, footnoted, and refined, but after 30 years as a practicing herbalist, I still prefer the sweet sensibility of the wise, old healing shaman of the village. I learned so much from trying each herb. Sometimes, there is no exact name for one disease to explain all the knotty symptoms your body is showing. Locate which body system feels the most affected, and begin there. When anyone asks, I just say, “Start with one herb related to one health issue you want to work on.”  Jethro Kloss would approve.

According to TastingTable, black garlic is very trendy with foodies right now. It's a new variety of garlic that has recently hit the market. When I first saw an image of black garlic I thought it looked like something I had baked, meaning I had messed up yet another meal by leaving my dish on the stove for a little too long. In reality, it is just garlic that has been fermented with nothing special added to it.

Black garlic develops its dark color, soft texture and sweet flavor while it ferments for about a month. Not only is it tasty, it is healthy—it is said to help prevent cancer and it is packed with twice the amount of antioxidants as raw garlic!

To incorporate black garlic into your next entrée, visit www.blackgarlic.com for recipes such as Black Garlic & Tomato Sauce, Mushroom & Black Garlic Risotto and Oven Baked Beef with Black Garlic.

www.gobizkorea.com

Sarah Powell, an herbalist, medical anthropologist and proprietor of the natural bath & body business, Lilith’s Apothecary. Find her shop at www.lilithsapothecary.etsy.com and her blog at www.lilithsapothecary.wordpress.com for more natural body care tips and recipes. 

At the first mentions of swine flu, I was busily boosting immunity with the many herbs in our anti-viral, immune-boosting arsenal by way of homemade herbal syrups. I work in the field of Public Health Emergency Preparedness, believe it or not, and I’ve spent years at least tangentially involved in pandemic flu planning. However, few in the general public are thinking about herbal remedies when preparing for a biological event. Herbs might not be adequate to fight infections on the level of the especially virulent Spanish influenza that devastated the globe in the early 20th century, but I believe in bringing out all the available supports, whenever necessary. And let’s be honest, swine flu is clearly not the pandemic of those proportions. The fact is that regular influenza strains wipe out 36,000 people a year in the United States alone, on average. Truth be told, there are herbs that assist us in disease prevention, no matter what the foe, and these herbs can become part of your regular cold and flu first aid kit.

It is a good idea to have multiple herbal syrups at your disposal. Syrups are a great vehicle for delivering extra strong, perhaps unpleasant tasting herbal decoctions to those adverse to those medicinal flavors. Children, especially, tolerate herbal syrups much better than their derivative decoctions or tincture cousins, and will happily take a spoonful of Echinacea or Astragalus syrup without batting an eye. Even better, syrups prolong the shelf life of your precious immune boosting or anti-viral herbal decoctions by at least a year.  There is no doubt that there is a lot of sugar involved, but a spoonful of sugar does indeed help the medicine go down, and in this case, it’s probably worth it.

Herb Companion has provided previous resources on helpful herbs to fight colds and flus.

(Click here to read more about preventing and treating the common cold.)

Although medicinal mushrooms are probably not a good choice for herbal battle against strains of flu that could cause of cytokine storm in the body, as their immune-fighting effect is to help the body do just this. A boost in cytokine activity, in the specific case of these extra-virulent influenza  strains, is what creates a powerful immune reaction that could be to the detriment of the flu sufferer, and is cited as the reason why Spanish influenza resulted in so many deaths for young, healthy adults with strong immune systems. That said, commonly used preventative herbs such as astragalus (Astragalus membranaceous) seem an ideal choice. This Chinese herb is part of the famed  ‘Jade screen’ (Yupingfeng San)  formula, c. 1481, used for immune defense.  Though I have little personal experience with it, AHG herbalist Michael Tierra writes about osha (Ligusticum porteri), a Native American  herb apparently used by the native population with “noticeable benefit during the 1917-1918 Spanish flu pandemic that killed tens of millions of people. Those who took these native herbs only got a relatively mild case of the flu which was deadly to most others.” Herbs such as echinacea root, ginger root and thyme also provide great anti-viral action once those early signs and symptoms start to make themselves known.

Making an herbal syrup is relatively easy once you decide which herbs to use. James Green, author of The Herbal Medicine Maker’s Handbook: A Home Manual (2002, the Crossing Press), an invaluable resource for kitchen medicinals, instructs us to use a 2:1 simple ratio of sugar to strong herbal decoction, and this has resulted in excellent preservation and shelf life in my own syrup-making. It’s important to work in as clean an environment as possible, including using dry, sterilized bottles for syrup storage.

(You can incorporate herbal syrups into your cooking! Click here to learn more.)

Step 1: Measure your herbs 1 ounce by weight per liter of water. Simmer herbs in water for 15 to 30 minutes minimum and allow to steep a further 30 minutes or more for a strong decoction. I let the water continue to evaporate via a temperature just under simmering until the decoction is even more reduced and concentrated.

(Learn more about decoctions.)

Step 2: Strain and measure the decocted liquid. Using a 2:1 ratio of sugar to liquid, measure out the necessary quantity of sugar and stir into the liquid until it is dissolved.  White sugar, brown sugar, rice syrup or honey can be used. If you want a thicker syrup, allow the liquid to simmer further for another 20 to 30 minutes. If your sugar component is honey, simmering with destroy its enzymic activity, but with the current strain on honey bees, I would advocate against using honey right now. 

Step 3: If desired, add 6 to 8 tablespoons of brandy per pint of syrup. This will help preserve the syrup and also helps to act as a mild relaxant for painful coughs.

Step 4: Once the syrup is cool, essential oils such as peppermint, anise, cardamom, or ginger can also be added. Add 5 drops TOTAL per pint of syrup. Add one drop at a time, and each time, test the flavor, as essential oils are extremely potent and must be used with extreme moderation. Further information also exists about the use of oregano oil as a potent anti-viral and antibiotic remedy, a helpful addition to an already potent syrup. 

Step 5: Bottle the syrup in clean, dark glass bottles for storage. If made properly, syrups should keep just fine at room temperature. If you are concerned, store in the refrigerator to ensure preservation.

Have fun experimenting in your syrup production; try a variety of herbs with activity to assist with painful coughs, excess mucous production, and other uncomfortable symptoms to prepare you for colds and flus at any time of year. Simple elderberry, ginger, and echinacea syrups (Ecinacea Summer Tincture) are on their own, veritable powerhouses sure to get you through the worst!

I wasn’t expecting to come home with a bundle of mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) when I left Blessed Thistle Farm in McLouth, Kansas. On Monday morning, Audrey Klopper, owner of Blessed Thistle Farm, led me around her bountiful garden and showed me all the amazing plants she harvests daily. As we walked through the garden, she picked mustard seed and arugula for both of us to taste and peppermint (Mentha piperita) for us to smell. We walked past some of her healing nervines, nettles (Urtica dioica) and hops (Humulus lupulus).

Photo by oceandestoiles/Courtesty Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/ocean_of_stars/

When it was time to leave, Audrey handed me a bundle of mugwort and told me to hang it above my bed. Mugwort, an herb that was once used as a charm used against evil spirits, treatment toward alleviating digestion and a preventative solution for tired feet, is also an herb that has been used to induce vivid dreams (The Art of Artemesias). I followed Audrey's instructions and tied the mugwart together and hung it on a painting above my bed to try and induce dreams.

(Learn more about tieing herbal bouquets.)

My dream wasn’t exactly vivid but I think it was because I was trying too hard to make the mugwort work. I dreamt that I was punching numbers into an excel spreadsheet over and over—but that’s probably because I’ve been doing a lot of that for school.

I’m interested to see if other people have tried this. If you have, I would love to hear about any experiences you’ve had with mugwort inducing vivid dreams. Please share by leaving a comment!

You don’t have to abandon your love for herbs to stay up-to-date with the latest technology. Keep herbal knowledge at your fingertips with the new iPhone and iPod Touch application “Natural Cures.”

Created by Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, the author of Pain Free 1, 2, 3—A Proven Program for Eliminating Chronic Pain Now (McGraw-Hill), “Natural Cures” is a free application that combines natural and prescription schools of thought. Alphabetically presenting more than 100 health conditions, this application is more or less a travel-friendly guide to treating every-day ailments with natural remedies. It has been placed in the top ten “Top Free Apps” list for the Healthcare & Fitness iPhone category.

The Herb Companion has not been lucky enough to test this application, so we really would like to hear your thoughts! Have you used this application? Was it helpful? Did it offer a comprehensive list of herbal treatments for common health conditions? Go try it out—it’s free!

Click here to purchase the application for your iPhone or iPod Touch.

I finally have taken the plunge: I bought a new bike and have signed up for a 40-mile charity ride in June. I don’t actually think I can do it, given the flaccid state of my muscles right now–it's just six weeks away. But I’m going to give it the Compton try. Since diabetes is rampant on my family tree, the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure is a cause I can embrace enthusiastically.

When I lived in Santa Fe several years ago I rode my bike regularly (100+ miles a week) and was in the best shape of my life. But that was then, this is now. Now, my body is quick to tell me how much things have changed, especially in my right thumb and knee, which would just as soon I found a nice recliner and confined my movement to the occasional shamble to the fridge for a beer.

However, I am made of stronger stuff than that, so I refuse to give in. And besides, I have some important assistance to make those complaining muscles and joints quiet down and line up with my agenda.

My latest favorite assistance is Little Moon Essentials’ “Asana Kisser,” which is a salve that smells like health to me. It's composed of organic ginger and cayenne, wintergreen, camphor, lavender and menthol in a nice sesame-oil and beeswax base, which makes it go on easy and disappear quickly without feeling greasy. It isn’t magic, but it definitely has extraordinary healing power. It makes a huge difference in my ability to lean on handlebars for mile after mile and then to work those nifty little shifters strategically placed for thumb-and-finger operation.

I’m not kidding about this, and it isn’t a paid announcement. If you have joint or muscle pain, as in hands that hurt or joints that are stiff, GIVE IT A SHOT. I don’t know if it would be effective for seriously bad arthritis, but I can tell you that my thumb has given me so much trouble from time to time that I’ve worried I won’t be able to type (and then I immediately fall into doomsday fantasies about what I’d do for a living if I weren’t able to work a keyboard, so actually, it’s been good for my mental health as well, since I no longer have those worries.)

I’m also greatly assisted by regular visits to my friendly neighborhood practitioner of Zen Bodytherapy, which isn’t massage, but is a “structural realignment,” and sometimes feels like it sounds. But it works to loosen up the connective tissue that literally has my body in a bind.

With the combo of body therapy and Asana Kissers, I’m good to go.

Some of my other favorites for dealing with aches and pains are not necessarily new to me, but they are dependable and effective stalwarts: Boiron’s arnica gel, available at natural health stores, Nature’s Inventory Back Soothe and Neck & Shoulder Rub and HealthSonix’s ZingiberRx Joint and Muscle Cream. Again, they might not be magic, but as far as I’m concerned, they might as well be.

And let me repeat my mantra, just in case Constant Reader has forgotten: You don’t have to be stuck with stuff. Just because you have some body aches and pains or other medical problems, you don’t have to get stuck with them. For most of our common maladies, there are ways out, and often they involve a combination of body work, massage, diet, supplements and some of the absolutely great herbal products that are available now.

I could just go on and on …

Human cases of Swine Influenza, otherwise known as swine flu, may be emerging in the United States. On April 29, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the nation’s first fatality from this outbreak. The CDC also reported a number of laboratory confirmed cases of the swine flu in 10 states throughout the U.S.

According to the CDC, the swine flu is a respiratory disease caused by type A influenza viruses, which cause regular outbreaks in pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. Usually, swine flu viruses infect humans with direct exposure to pigs. But more recently, it has been reported to spread from person-to-person. The anxiety this flu is causing is so strong all over the world that the Egyptian government has ordered the slaughter of the country's entire hog population, according to NPR.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

What can you do? Washing your hands frequently is one of the most important steps we can take to prevent infection and spreading germs. Here are some guidelines for washing your hands the right way from the CDC.

• Wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap. Use warm water if available.
• Rub hands together to make a lather and scrub all surfaces.
• Continue rubbing hands for 15-20 seconds. Need a timer? Imagine singing "Happy Birthday" twice through to a friend.
• Rinse hands well under running water.
• Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer. If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the faucet.
• Always use soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.

When using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer:

• Apply product to the palm of one hand.
• Rub hands together.
• Rub the product over all surfaces of hands and fingers until hands are dry.

Courtesy Flickr/Andreas Levers
http://www.flickr.com/photos/96dpi/

Here are some antiviral soaps that you can use to stay healthy and swine flu-free. Herbs such as elderberry, astragalus, ginger, licorice, zinc, lavender and ginseng all appear to have antiviral activity.

• Peppermint Frog Bar Soap by Brigit True Organics ($10) is 88 percent organic, has pure essential oils of peppermint, and is both antiviral and antiseptic.   
• Elderberry Flowers with Garden Iris and French Clay by Botanical Soap Shop ($7.99) is certified organic, soothing and calming and acts as an antiviral and antibacterial agent.
• Ginger Pomelo Hand Soap Liquid by Caldrea ($10.50) has a blend of essential oils including ginger, pomelo and aloe vera.

And last but certainly not least, you can enter for a chance to win Natural Hand Refresher by Green Tea Goods on our website in a few weeks.  It’s a wonderful hand sanitizer that naturally cleans your skin without that alcohol smell. The product uses a blend of Chinese herbs that have anti-bacterial functions. These herbs include mugwort leaf, licorice root and coptis chinensis.

With my wedding coming up in less than three months, I’ve got to keep my skin moisturized, healthy and glowing. For that, I need to find the right herbs for the job.

Aloe seems to be the go-to medicinal herb for most skincare solutions. But there are many other herbs that heal skin, such as:

• Chamomile: This is used in most facial-care products and is useful in calming an irritated complexion and treating acne.
• Comfrey: This healing herb contains allantoin, a protein that speeds up cell renewal.
• Rose: This works as a gentle cleanser that has refining and softening powers.
• Witch hazel: This skin astringent contains alcohol but heals and soothes skin.

John Masters Organics has recently re-launched its line of organic skincare products. Their beauty line offers natural healing products such as the Green Tea & Rose Hydrating Face Serum, the Moroccan Clay Purifying Mask and the Rose Foaming Face Wash. But their skincare collection also offers something I have personally been on the lookout for awhile: a toning mist.

The Rose & Aloe Hydrating Toning Mist ($20) is a beauty product certified by the National Organic Program. I’ve kept this product on a shelf near my keys so that as I leave for work, I quickly mist my face with one to two sprays. I instantly feel awake, toned and ready to start the day.

The ingredients work together to create a natural toning mist combination: the essential oil of rose soothes skin by increasing blood circulation; oat kernel improves defense against pollution; white tea protects against oil-causing bacteria; aloe vera promotes healing; and aspen bark protects against harmful bacteria. 

The glass bottle is a little too heavy to tote around in my purse for a daily refresher, but so far my “front-door-solution” has worked out great.

I’ll be on the lookout for more herbal skincare treatments to keep skin fresh and healthy. But what about you? Have you ever used this beauty product? If not, what have you used and why do you or don’t you like it? And what are your favorite herbs for skincare? Drop me a comment!

Theresa Loe is a freelance garden/culinary writer, book author and blogger who specializes in organic edible gardening and gardening with children. You can find her recipes and garden tips at www.gardenfreshliving.com.

All the sunny weather of springtime makes me want to add more fragrant herbs to my daily routines. It is a nice way to bring some of the refreshing garden fragrances inside the home. Herbs not only add fragrance to the air, they can also lift our spirits with their aromatherapy properties. You just can’t get that from an aerosol can!

One way to freshen the air with all-natural scents is to add fragrant herbs and spices to your vacuum bag. I like to create vacuum bag sachets that I keep in a jar with my other cleaning supplies. Every time I change the bag in my vacuum, I tuck one of these little homemade sachets inside. As the air moves through the bag during vacuuming, it releases the lovely scent all throughout the home.

These sachets are especially helpful when you have pets. No more pet hair smell while you vacuum! Instead, you get the lovely garden aroma of herbs and spices. What could be lovelier than that?

Vacuum Bag Sachets

To make your own, you will need small cotton tea bags (the kind with drawstrings work best), an essential oil and some herbs and spices. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can change it according to what you like best or what you have on hand. You should be able to find the tea bags and an assortment of essential oils at the health food store.

In a small bowl, combine:

• 1 cup cedar shavings (i.e. hamster bedding from the pet store)
• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon whole allspice, slightly crushed)
• 15 drops of your favorite essential oil (mint or lavender work well)
• 1 cup of your favorite fragrant herb, dried (i.e. mint, lavender, lemon verbena or rosemary)

1. Mix well and then fill each of your cotton tea bags with a few tablespoons of the mixture. Store the filled bags in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid.

2. Add one sachet bag to each vacuum bag when you are changing out the bag.

3. If you ever find that a bag has lost its scent before you get a chance to use it, squeeze it to crush the herbs or add a drop of essential oil to the outside of the bag before you use it.

For muscle and joint pain, my homeopathic remedy is arnica (Arnica montana). Applied topically as a cream, gel, ointment, tincture or salve, arnica relieves soreness and reduces swelling.

In junior high, my dance teacher made it a requirement to bring arnica cream to class in case of an injury. Audrey, my instructor, would rub the cream on her ankles before and after class. When a dancer would fall, someone would run across the street to grab ice and everyone else would grab arnica from their dance bag. Audrey would always scold the students who didn’t bring their arnica cream, as if they had forgotten their jazz shoes.

Photo by Luberon/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarvadon/

Helenalin is a compound found in this daisy-like mountain flower and it’s responsible for the anti-inflammatory affects of arnica. Dr. Andrew Weil says arnica is toxic if it gets inside the body and it shouldn’t be applied to an open wound or any form of broken skin. It’s a mild pain reliever so it should only be used for acute conditions.

Using arnica externally is recommended for muscle and joint injuries, sprains, bruising and swelling. Whenever I take a dance class I bring my arnica in case of an injury. Like Audrey, I massage it on my ankles before and after class to reduce inflammation and relieve any pain.

Have you every used arnica ointment, cream or salve? If so, for what? Share your experiences with me by posting a comment!

Sarah Powell, an herbalist, medical anthropologist and proprietor of the Natural Bath & Body Business, Lilith’s Apothecary, lives with her husband and 2 year old daughter in Philadelphia. http://lilithsapothecary.wordpress.com/

I’ve spent the last ten years educating myself about natural skincare ingredients, the detrimental chemicals found in many commercial brand-name products, and the safest herbal alternatives for a lifestyle much more ‘green’ and sustainable.  And yet there is one bastion that remained just out of reach: my hair. My hair is typical of many Americans who shower a lot, shampoo a lot, and don’t really know what to do about the oily scalp, dry hair problems that plague so many of us. Finding the perfect conditioner and the right shampoo to address various scalp issues is not an easy task! Finally, in my efforts to achieve balance for my hair and scalp, I realized that I needed to turn to the natural world around me.  It is time to call in the herbal allies!

Many of us have already turned to natural facial and body care products, opting for largely chemical-free alternatives that avoid the most toxic and irritating ingredients, including sulfates, parabens and even propylene glycol. We choose truly nourishing facial creams, cold processed vegetable oil soaps and talc-free body powders, and yet natural hair care remains somewhat mysterious and out of reach. We’ve become so used to the sudsy, high lather feel of detergent-based shampoos that even companies determined to bring safer, natural alternatives to the fore shy away from truly natural hair care lines. Fortunately, many companies are producing shampoos without sodium laurel sulfate (SLS) and other irritating chemicals, but in their efforts to mimic the feel of commercial shampoos, they aren’t able to get too far away from the original product. The truth is that for some reason we still associate ‘suds’ with clean, even if those bubbles are just coming from foaming agents like SLS.

Shampoos are still largely detergent based, which tends to strip the hair of its natural oils, drying it out at the ends and often disrupting oil production at the roots. The result is either an oily scalp or the development of dandruff and other dry scalp conditions. At the other end of the root, our hair follicles are stripped of their nutrients and dried out, often requiring the use of a cream conditioner to replenish the hair with vegetable-derived oils. To make matters worse, we also tend to wash our hair far too often, never allowing the hair to recover from all of these assaults with detergent. We often think that we are aiding our damaged tresses with protein-fortified shampoos, but those proteins merely coat the hair shaft, making it appear healthier, and yet these same proteins coat the scalp, choking the follicles and leaving the scalp scaly and flakey.

For those who are interested in natural hair care and realize that their hair is out of balance, there is a simple solution that we can combine with other hair care routines and without giving up those sudsy shampoos just yet. For centuries, herbs have been used to promote luster, add shine, and even affect the color of our hair. Herbs like nettle, rosemary, and witch hazel are used therapeutically to treat dandruff, oily scalp, and even hair loss. For this reason, simple herbal rinses can be prepared at home in order to minimize the damage done by frequent shampooing and also to restore a balance at the root of it all: our scalp. For truly natural hair care, herbal shampoos can over time restore balance to the hair and scalp, but herbal rinses are a great place to start.

A rinse with either a water or vinegar herbal infusion can do a world of good for our curly locks or golden manes. There are many herbs to choose from, of course, and the first step is figuring out what you need to address. Does your scalp need a therapeutic cleanse that will rid it of build up and brighten those dulled tresses? Do you have issues with scaly dandruff caused by excess oil production or dry flakes from your stressed out scalp? Perhaps your hair is just really oily and demands frequent washings just to keep up with the oil production. The key is to choose a selection of herbs that will help and follow the directions below for either a simple water-based infusion rinse or a cider vinegar rinse. The water infusion will last three days in the fridge, while the vinegar rinse offers some advantages. For one thing, vinegar alone is a powerful astringent that will help control oil and dandruff issues. It also can rid the scalp and hair of stubborn build-up from hair products. Finally, you only need to add 1 tbsp of the vinegar solution to warm water per rinse and as vinegar acts as a natural preservative, the vinegar rinse will keep for months, if not several years, and can be stored right in your bathroom.

Herbal Allies for Hair Care
 
As Jeanne Rose tells us in The Herbal Body Book: The Herbal Way to Natural Beauty & Health for Men & Women, “A good head of shiny, glossy hair can be achieved simply by treating your hair as kindly as you treat the skin of your face" (Frog Books, 2000). By nourishing your hair with nutrient-rich herbal infusions and vinegar rinses, you can return your hair to glorious luster and shine, relieving it of itchiness, dryness, or excess oil production, as well as stimulating growth and gloss. Yarrow, horsetail and comfrey can relieve irritation; anti-inflammatory chamomile, and soothing mullein and violet aid allergic reactions; and nettle, arnica, and rosemary stimulate growth and gloss. Try a combination of some of the following herbs, as appropriate to your scalp or hair needs, and the follow the directions below to either make a water infusion rinse or a cider vinegar rinse.
 
Dry hair or scalp: acacia, chamomile, clover, comfrey root, elder, oat straw.

Oily hair and/or scalp: bergamot, cassia/cinnamon chip, lemongrass, lemon peel, nettle, peppermint, rosebuds, white willow bark, witch hazel bark.

Dandruff: aloe, bergamot, birch bark, burdock, cassia/cinnamon chip, cloves, juniper leaves, lemongrass, nettle leaf and root, orange peel, peppermint, rosemary, willow.
 
Water Infusion:

Add 2 -3 tbsp of your chosen herbal mix to a quart size mason jar. Add boiling water and allow to the herbs to steep for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours for a very strong infusion. If your mixture contains roots or bark, you may want to make a decoction, which will properly extract the necessary components from these tougher materials. In this case, add 2-3 tbsp to a non-metal pot. Pour a quart of water over the herbs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes while tightly covered. Remove from heat and allow the herbs to steep an additional 15 minutes. Strain and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. When using a water infusion, use 1 cup of the infused rinse on wet, cleaned hair.

Vinegar Extract:

Add 2-3 tbsp of your chosen herbal mix to a quart size mason jar. Warm some organic apple cider vinegar and pour over the herbs, filling the jar to the top. Allow this infusion to steep for 2-4 weeks to make a strong herbal extract. Strain and store in a dark glass bottle. Add 1 tbsp of the vinegar rinse to a cup of warm water for each hair application.
 
Directions for Use:  

Whether using the water infusion (1 cup) or the vinegar extract (1 tbsp. combined with 1 cup warm water), pour the rinse over hair that has already been cleaned and rinsed with water. If you can, catch the rinse in a bowl as you pour it through your hair and repeat as many times as you can, being sure to rub it into your scalp. You may rinse with water if you choose, though it’s best to just leave the herbal rinse on your hair and scalp.

Using herbal rinses is a great first step towards truly natural hair care. The next step is employing the use of truly natural herbal shampoos, conditioning creams or treatment oils, and the continual use of these wonderful therapeutic herbal rinses to achieve the luster, shine, and balance we all seek to attain. 

Enjoy!

Remember the Cookie Monster from the beloved PBS children’s television series Sesame Street? He always sang about eating delicious cookies. Last week a friend of mine told me that my blue, furry childhood friend no longer eats cookies. I was shocked! I couldn’t believe that PBS changed one of my favorite Sesame Street characters. What kind of cookie monster doesn’t eat cookies? Is the Cookie Monster loose on the streets singing “V is for vegetable and that’s good enough for me” while teaching kids that sweets are pure evil? Do we have to be so politically correct that our children can no longer enjoy a tasty snicker doodle? I decided I had to investigate the truth.

As it turns out my friend was right…kind of. 

In 2005, changes were in fact made on Sesame Street—the Cookie Monster would no longer be a childhood figure that encouraged the youth of America to add to today’s increasing obesity rate with an overzealous appetite for cookies. Instead, the Cookie Monster would teach children the importance of moderation. Although he still loves cookies, he also enjoys eating tasty fruits and vegetables for dinner—he waits to enjoy cookies for dessert.

Now this is a change that I can get on board with! I was upset when I believed that Sesame Street was teaching kids never to indulge in sweets because I believe that kid's shouldn't be taught that sweets are evil. Food can still be enjoyed and indulged in as long as it is handled in moderation. And I think it's great that the Cookie Monster also enjoys nutritious food. He probably would love some of The Herb Companion's delicious recipes!

In 2006, Matt Lauer set the record straight about the Cookie Monster's new healthy diet with this “exclusive interview.”

Click here for Matt Lauer's interview with the Cookie Monster.

What do you guys think? I know I’m behind on the times—all of these changes were made in 2005—but aren't you happy about these changes on Sesame Street? Isn’t it better to teach children about moderation rather than convince them to abandon cookies all together? Don't you believe that food can still be fun, as long as we don’t overindulge?

How many of you fellow herbies like to wash your hair daily? I have many friends who tell me they can’t go a day without lathering, rinsing and repeating for a variety of reasons, including “If I don’t my hair feels greasy.” In fact, they gasp and judge me when I tell them that I don’t. I am an outcast.

I don’t wash my hair daily for two main reasons:
1.) My hair is so thick it is much more of a hassle to manage–it takes a lot longer to wash, dry and style than the average person’s hair.
2.) When I wash my hair daily, my hair loses its shine and it starts to feel very dry.

According to a story on NPR by Allison Aubrey, I’ve been doing it right! Washing your hair daily is way too often–it strips the natural oils from your scalp. You only need to wash 2 to 3 times a week. "If you wash your hair every day, you're removing the sebum," Michelle Hanjani, dermatologist at Columbia University, says in When it Comes to Shampoo, Less is More. "Then the oil glands compensate by producing more oil.” So the more natural oils we strip from our hair, the more demand we create for oils and thus our body will make more.

Try to wean yourself away from this common practice with these tips:
• Sprinkle a quarter-size amount of baking soda into your palm along with your favorite shampoo. This removes residue that styling products leave behind so your hair is more manageable. (Arm & Hammer)
• Clean your hair with a small combination of baking soda and apple cider vinegar. (Nature Moms)
• Use a small amount of conditioner in between shampoo days.
• Brush a combination of witch hazel and lavender essential oils through your hair for a quick refreshment. (K.C. Compton)
• Instead of using bottled shampoo daily, you could alternate with shampoo bars. Try Rawganique's Organic Hemp Bar or Lush's Vegan Godiva Bar. (Ideal Bite)
• Rinse with 3 drops essential oil, 1 pint herbal tea and 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice; leave in for several minutes and rinse. (Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art)

If you insist on shampooing daily, try these recently reviewed shampoos:
• John Masters Organics
• Verikira Naturals
• Jurlique
• Organix
• The Healing Seed 

How often do you wash your hair? Are you addicted to shampoo? Leave me a comment!

I’m finishing up the loose ends on my desk before I head off for Southern California (where I hear it’s raining) and the amazing world of the 2009 Natural Products ExpoWest.

ExpoWest, for those of you who haven’t heard about it, is the world’s largest natural products trade show. It isn’t open to the general public, but it’s where the retailers go to see what they want to buy to offer you in their stores and on their websites in the coming months and years. It’s a great place to see what trends and cool new stuff are coming down the pipeline, and also to attend workshops that address new research and developments in the field of natural health, plant medicines and various aspects of the natural lifestyle.

The educational aspect of these trade shows can’t be overestimated. When I first started working with The Herb Companion, I attended ExpoWest and received in my bag of samples a tube of Boiron’s Arnileve lotion, a bottle of Mushroom Defense capsules and some calendula salve from a vendor whose name I don’t remember. Although I had been marginally involved in natural health up to that point, getting acquainted with these three great products and coming to the Eureka! conclusion about each of them–“This stuff WORKS!!!”–launched me into a whole new level of awareness.

What I’ve found as the years march on is that this awareness actually is boundless – the more I know, the more there is to know. And now, for the next few days, I’ll be undergoing another total immersion in all things herbal or even remotely related to natural products. My idea of a great time!

I plan to blog while I’m there, so check back in a day or two.

Meanwhile, I need to do some research and find out just the right natural product to deal with the scourge of trade-show attendees the world over: What to do about those aching feet after two days of standing and walking around on a concrete floor.

Stay tuned!

Not too long ago I discovered The Healing Seed, a new company that offers virgin organic hempseed oil body care products.

It’s bad reputation aside, hemp is actually a nutritional powerhouse. It is jam packed with Omega 3, 6 and 9 essential fatty oils, is high in fiber, is a good source of protein, contains all essential amino acids, and is rich in vitamins and minerals. Hempseed oil is one of the healthiest oils—healthier than flaxseed oil—because it contains a better balance of linoleic and linolenic fatty acids, according to our August 2009 story Make Way for Hemp Products. Linoleic and linolenic fatty acids are very low hazards according to the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Database.

www.thehealingseed.com

The company promises that these unique and eco-friendly ingredients will create manageable hair and a healthy shine. Their color-safe shampoo and conditioner products stand out with infusions of sweet orange essential oils. Echinacea, licorice root, ylang ylang, jasmine blossom and ginseng extract also give hair a natural boost.

Personally, I’m not a fan of having my hair smell like fruit. But if this idea sounds appetizing to you, then you must give The Healing Seed’s hair collection a try—their products are free of parabens, artificial fragrances and artificial colors. Lather up in the shower with a dime to nickel size dollop of shampoo and conditioner for a healthy wash.

 Other spanking new products from The Healing Seed include a spring lavender hand cream, a fresh jasmine body wash and an English daisy face cleanser.

What do you think of using hemp seed oil in your daily beauty routine? Do you use it and have you noticed any change in your health? What about The Healing Seed? Are you a fan? Drop me a comment and discuss this product!

All that stretching and breathing during yoga makes me feel centered in both body and mind. A couple of weeks ago, at the end of my yoga class, my teacher announced that she was teaching a prenatal yoga class three days a week. I opted out of the class because I’m not pregnant—but I couldn’t help but think about the benefits of yoga for you and your baby.

Your body goes through a great deal of change once you become pregnant and yoga can help your breathing, flexibility and strength. The poses provide relief to the discomforts of pregnancy because yoga is both relaxing and healing.

I study Anusara Yoga, a practice that is life-affirming and empowering. The poses are therapeutic for the alignment of your body and you learn a deep, full, steady breath. Anusara means, “Following your heart,” which is an integral part of the practice.  Every pose is expressed from the inside out, which originates from a deep and devotional feeling inside. This is a great way to connect to the life inside you when you’re pregnant.

The alignment principles of Anusara Yoga create more space in your body especially from the pelvis to the top of your rib cage. This is done by engaging your core, which can help strengthen and stretch the areas greatly needed to push the baby out. Movement and actions within every pose are coordinated with the breath, which can help prepare you for labor and delivery. Students learn a more mindful conscious breath. Taking deeper, full, steady breaths during yoga becomes more habitual and when you’re in labor it allows your cervix to open and not tighten.

Pamela Greaves, my Anusara Yoga instructor in Santa Fe, NM, says she did a hand stand on the day she went into labor. The prenatal yoga class she teaches is exactly like a typical Anusara Yoga class but some poses are modified depending on your comfort level. After 20 weeks, she discourages any pose that will compress the abdomen, like deep forward folds or twists. 

At the end of each prenatal yoga class, Pamela serves Nettle and Red Raspberry Tea to her students. Both are mild herbal teas that are safe to drink during pregnancy. Red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) is often used during pregnancy because it improves digestion, uterine tone and blood supply. Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is packed with vitamins B, C, and A. Nettle strengthens the kidneys and relieves fluid retention. For more information on herbs you can rely on during pregnancy, read Herbs for Pregnancy.

Q: What are the recipes for “Soothing Glosses and Lip Balms?”
via e-mail, from Kathy

A: Great question. As winter is the driest season, your lips are not alone in the quest for nourishment.

Here are a couple of my favorite recipes taken from Janice Cox’s January 2009 article, Body and Soul: Soothing Glosses and Balms.

From Body and Soul: Soothing Glosses and Balms.

Aloe Vera Lip Gloss
Makes ½ ounce 

This light lip gloss will protect, shine and moisturize your lips. Aloe vera gel’s high moisture content is very soothing. If you have an aloe plant, simply split one of the leaves lengthwise and squeeze out some of the clear gel.    

• 1 teaspoon fresh aloe vera gel

• ½ teaspoon coconut oil
• ⅛ teaspoon vitamin E oil

1. Mix together aloe and oils; stir well.

2. Pour into a small, clean container.

Red Cover Lip Gel
Makes 1.2 ounce

Here’s an old folk remedy for dry, chapped lips. You can find red clover blossoms at your natural food store, or possibly in your own garden. Its flowers yield a sweet, honey-like substance that has anti-inflammatory and skin-soothing properties.

• ½ tablespoon dried red clover flowers OR 1 tablespoon fresh flowers

• ¼ cup water

• ¼ teaspoon clover honey
• ⅛ teaspoon vitamin E oil

• ⅛ teaspoon cornstarch

1. In a small pan, bring clover, water and honey to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes.

2. Remove from heat, then strain liquid. Return liquid to pan and stir in oil and cornstarch, mixing well.

3. Heat mixture until it forms a clear gel (about 1 to 2 minutes).

4. Cool gel completely, stirring occasionally. Spoon into a clean container.

Click here for more lip gloss blends from Body & Soul: Soothing Lip Glosses & Balms.

www.jurlique.com

When I stepped out of the shower after using Jurlique’s hair care products I felt like I had stepped out of a high-end hair salon. My hair felt light, oil-free and amazing. After every use I couldn’t stop reaching for the ends of my hair and pulling it across my cheek for one more sniff.

The scent I love most of all is the peppermint and tea tree aroma from Jurlique’s Arnica Mint Shampoo ($22). Jurlique’s Lavender Conditioner ($22), which is designed to relax your mind and soothe your hair and scalp, paled in comparison to the company’s Arnica Mint Shampoo. Jurlique also offers Chamomile and Sandalwood shampoo and conditioner products. After using a quarter-size dollop of the shampoo to lather my hair I was in fragrance heaven. Also, the bottles are decorated with chic illustrations of the herb ingredients added to each product, which make them cute products to keep on display in your bathroom for guests to see and grow envious of.

The company uses sustainable ingredients and holds itself in high standards when growing, developing and sourcing Jurlique ingredients in its own farms and, when impossible, carefully sourcing from biodynamic or organic farms.

Its one downfall is that Jurlique’s Arnica Mint Shampoo is produced with sodium lauroyl sarcosinate—a cleanser that removes surface oil, dirt and bacteria without stripping or drying sensitive skin, but still may not be the safest ingredient choice, according to the Environmental Working Group. This cleanser enhances the penetration of irritation to the skin but is safer when used in rinse-off products, according to CosmeticsInfo.org.

So what do you think? Have you fallen in love with Jurlique’s body care products as much as me? If not, what hair fragrance is your favorite?

Last night, I was surprised to hear on the news what Ankeny, Iowa recently used to de-ice their roads: garlic salt.

Photo by dogfaceboy/ Courtesy flickr

The garlic, which was mixed with regular road salt, was donated by spice producer Tone Brothers, Inc. The nine tons of garlic salt would have ended up in a landfill if it hadn’t have been for this donation.

It’s great to see how people continue to discover new ways herbs can be used in this modern day in age, but I have to wonder how this new use really works. Why did they have to mix the garlic salt with regular road salt? Was the use of less road salt the main benefit, saving road salt for future icy days? Or was the benefit a sustainable solution for using landfill-destined waste. Does garlic salt actually work best for ensuring safety on the roads? And wouldn’t the roads smell like a pizza joint? Tell me what you think!

I’ll leave you with these Herb Companion garlic articles:
• The Goodness of Garlic 
• Garlic: Nature’s Gift for Life 
• Garlic Makes it Good
 

www.verikira.com

Verikira Naturals is a Vegan Cosmetics Organization certified-company that pledges never to use synthetic fragrances, animal byproducts and unnecessary chemicals. What more could you ask for in a beauty brand? Oh yea – it donates 10 percent of its Pink Grapefruit Collection proceeds to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation all year long.

Pink grapefruit is a scent that you either love or hate. If you’re a fan, then you will love the faint citrus scent from this collection.

The pink grapefruit shampoo is sulfate and paraben free and is also made with pro-vitamin B5, which improves the moisture-retention capacity and stimulates skin regeneration. It took over a quarter-size dollop of shampoo to get my hair to feel lathered enough, but it was well worth it.

The pink grapefruit conditioner is 88 percent organic and made with these ingredients: Brassica Campestris, Aleurites Fordi Oil, Green Tea, Roobios, MSM, Vitamin B and Activated Charcoal. This conditioner lowers the pH balance of hair, increasing the elasticity of the hair.

This collection is available in two sizes—11.16 fluid ounces and 2-ounce travel size. The larger shampoo is $28 and the larger conditioner is $32. The travel sizes are $10 each. The travel pack trio, which includes the travel-sized shampoo, conditioner and lotion, is $32.

These products are a little pricey and I’m still not sure whether I would spring the green for these eco-friendly products. What about you? Have you tried Verikira Naturals? What did you love about their products? What hair care product out there are you willing to spend the big bucks on?

This Monday at Herb Companion HQ, we all showed up with sniffles. I can feel it coming on ... my nose is twitchy, my shoulders are achy, and my throat is scratchy. But right now it's still a baby cold. Here's hoping echinacea can come to my rescue! I'm hitting the Ulitmate Strength Echinacea from Jash Botanicals our Editor in Chief left on my desk a few months ago when I was wheezing --- I'm using it early and often this time around. This particular mixture is Echinacea angustifolia root in grain alcohol. I just put a couple of dropper-fulls in my water and try to drink a glass of water every hour or two. I'm almost out of this stuff. I think next time I'll try their Ultra Immune, which has both Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea angustifolia.

It might just be that my hair was recently cut, but my hair feels a lot healthier than it did a month ago. When I curl my hair the ends curl completely under. It’s great to not have split ends!

Most of all I’ve been enjoying the different scents during my hair care excursions. This week my hair smells like a mixture of rosemary, lavender and peppermint.

John Masters Organics creates aromatherapy beauty treatments that use certified organic essential oils whenever possible and avoid artificial colors, fragrances and fillers.

I used John Masters Organics’ lavender rosemary shampoo for normal hair. Because my hair is so thick I had to use a little more than a nickel size of the shampoo in order to get my hair nice and lathered, but I didn’t mind—this shampoo is so fragrant! Lavender normalizes scalp conditions and slows hair loss while rosemary stimulates hair growth and adds volume and shine. Next, I used the same amount ofJohn Masters Organics' rosemary & peppermint detangler. The added peppermint reduces scalp irritation and treats oily scalps.

For $16 each, I say these products are worth the extra buck. Other herbal products are available: evening primrose for dry hair, zinc & sage shampoo and conditioner, honey and hibiscus hair reconstructing shampoo, and an herbal cider hair rinse. Let me know which of these products you’ve tried or would like to try. What’s your favorite herb to use on your hair and why? What is it about a warm shower during the winter that makes you feel at ease?

Last Friday I was a bridesmaid for one of my best friends. So Friday morning found me doing inventory before leaving for the festivities:

Dress? Check                      

Shoes? Check                           

Wrap? Check

Minimal, yet comprehensive makeup supply? Check

Am I wearing a button-down shirt that won't ruin hair and makeup at the last minute when I change? Check

I was ready to leave for the reception site (where we would all primp together in the hours precluding the ceremony), wearing proper down-time pre-wedding yoga pants and flats, tossing a flat-iron in my tote with some mints. And then my phone rang. It was another bridesmaid, and she needed a favor.  

"Listen, you know that stuff you had at the bachelorette weekend?"

www.BodySenseShop.com

Ah-ha. A month previously, at the bachelorette weekend festivites, I packed a bottle of Brittanie's Thyme Organic Acne Treatment. Unsuprisingly, with a bevy of ladies who stretched their schedules to travel for the party (a combo of stress + airports + rich food + cocktails), we had some uninvited guests - pimples, that is. My bottle of Brittanie's Thyme was in high demand.

"Could you bring that organic stuff with you?" she continued.

The thing is, Brittanie's Thyme (a mixture of witch hazel and lavender and tea tree essential oils) is dependable. It dries trouble spots right out, and works quickly. And unlike pimple creams (which leave a white film), it can be used right before applying makeup so that it can continue to work. The scent is quite strong if you are unused to essential oils (like some of my friends), but by the end of the wedding experience several of my fellow bridesmaids were devotees.

Recently, I did something I've never done before. I used an entire tube of lip balm. I'd been absent mindedly reaching for it at my desk for months. Then one day, I went to roll up some fresh lip balm and ...screeech! Dry ground. Beached whale.

So what was the lip balm I loved so much I actually achieved the holy grail in lip balm usage - an empty tube? John Masters Organics Lip Calm, $6. It is a delightfully light, yet moisturing, mixture of olive oil, beeswax, avocado oil and shea butter. Plus, it smells great, with it's ylang ylang, vanilla and subtle citrus essential oils (tangerine and lime).

Bravo, John Masters Organics! Hats off to you.

www.WickedTheMusical.com

While I’ve been busy testing out various herbal shampoos and conditioners (reviews still to come), I’ve also been sleeping—and dreaming.

At least once every other week I have the same dream. I am on stage performing. The performance is always different: Sometimes it’s a musical, sometimes a drama and more often or not, it’s a dance recital. While I’m on stage performing I suddenly realize I have forgotten my lines and/or choreography—it’s all a blank. Last night I dreamt I was on stage performing “Wizard of Oz – The Musical” (my unconscious version of Wicked, which I’ve been listening to a lot) and I didn’t know my lines, so I brought a sheet of paper on stage with me to help me out. But suddenly I had a dance number and had to sing my lines. I dropped my cheat sheet and started to freak out. There I was on stage and I had nothing to say. I had forgotten everything! Then I woke up.

What does this recurring dream mean? I’m afraid of failure? I’m forgetful? Who knows…But it has made me think about sleep and whether I’ve been getting enough of it.

An Herb Companion article, Sweet Dreams, offers herbal dream pillows as a solution to your sleeping woes. The article recommends mixing ¼ cup of rose petals, ¼ cup of rosemary, ¼ cup of lavender and ¼ cup of hops to ease your nightmares. Click here for the instructions on how to create your own herbal sleep pillow.

Other herbs that help facilitate asleep (according to Drift Into Dreamland, Naturally):
• Valerian
• Kava
• Passionflower
• Reishi
• St. John’s Wort 

How do you help yourself fall asleep on sleepless evenings? Have you crafted an herbal sleep pillow? What recurring dreams do you have? Comment away!

Martha Stewart Radio

If you heard me on Martha Stewart Radio this morning, I talked about healing burns with herbs, calendula, and getting enough sleep during the holidays. Curious about some of the topics I talked about, here are links to more information about these topics.

Interested in herbal remedies for burns? Check out these Herb Companion articles:
• Simple Solutions for Minor Mishaps 
• Heal from the Outside  

Want to know more about calendula, 2008’s herb of the year? Check out these articles:
• Herb of the Year 2008 
• Calendula: Golden Petals  

I mentioned how easy it is to make your own herbal tinctures. Here's a story that gives you the basics:
• Homemade Medicine

Need help going to sleep during these stressful holidays? Try these herbs:
• Valerian  
• Hops  
• Catnip
• Californian Poppy
• Passionflower

Check out these articles about herbal remedies for sleeplessness:
• Get Natural Sleep  
• Finding Cures for Sleep 
• Drift into Dreamland Naturally 

My hair before I finally got it trimmed (and my manager's puppy Guiness).

A recent visit to Salon Di Marco in Lawrence, Kansas has made me rethink the way I take care of my hair. After a six month period of avoiding the hair salon (due partially to laziness and partially to lack of money) I finally scheduled a hair appointment at a hair salon close to my new home—and I had major split ends.

My new stylist analyzed my hair with a skeptical eye and asked me what I use to wash my hair. “Garnier Fructis” I replied.

Then, she scowled.

Evidently my money saving techniques were damaging my hair. The shampoo I was using, she said, might have been causing my hair to dry out and loose its shine. She recommended I use an organic shampoo with natural essential oils such as shampoo from John Masters Organics.

So begins my journey toward proper hair care. Please comment and let me know what products you think I should try out. Our first stop will be John Masters Organics, as I scavenge for shampoos I might want to use on my soon-to-be healthy hair.

For more articles on herbal hair care, check out these stories:
• Shimmer and Shine with Herbal Shampoos
• Hair Care Recipes
 

Ever since I graduated college I’ve noticed that an extra few pounds have found their way onto my scale. I no longer walk up hills to make it on time for classes. Instead, I spend day after day sitting at my desk in front of a computer reading about herbs. To prevent this weight I went running for the first time yesterday and it paid off. My legs are killing me! (I probably shouldn’t have worn heels the following day.)

However, I fear I’ll stray from this healthy path and take a detour towards the couch with a fresh supply of DVDs. Using herbs can prevent this by giving me that extra strength I will need to stay focused and energized.

According to the July 1997 Herb Companion article Herbs for Energy, herbs fall into two categories: stimulants and adaptogens. Stimulants increase your heart rate, respiration and blood pressure whereas adaptogens increase your body’s resistance to physical stress.

The article recommends using these herbs for long-term energy:

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra). This herbal stimulant can regulate your metabolism.	Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) This adaptogen decreases fatigue and increases the body’s ability to adapt to stress.
Indian ginseng (Withania somnifera) This herbal adaptogen facilitates learning and memory and fights stress and insomnia.	Schisandra (Schizandra chinesis) This herbal adaptogen improves endurance and increases work capacity.

How do you use herbs in your life to stay energized? If it’s not herbs that keep you energized, what does? And how do you stay in shape?

We have a big section on all things garlic in the upcoming issue of The Herb Companion, so I thought I would share one of my favorite garlic recipes here. You probably already know that garlic is great for your health and that it can fight viruses and help prevent cancer. To get the best health benefits, you should try to eat about one raw or lightly cooked garlic clove per day—not too much of a tall order. This delicious pasta dish (a take on the Italian classic aglio e olio) will more than cover your garlic needs for the day.

Pasta with Garlic and Olive Oil
Serves 6

• 1 pound pasta, such as spaghetti or linguini
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 10 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Prepare pasta according to package directions, then drain and set aside. While pasta cooks, heat oil over medium. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly (do not it let get too brown). Remove from heat; stir in salt, parsley and pepper. Add pasta; stir well. Serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Here's a sneak peek from the upcoming June 2008 issue of Herbs for Health. Although spring definitely is springing here with daffodils and forsythia just about everywhere you look, it is still cold and wet, and I've got a lingering cough that I'm having trouble getting rid of. A warming recipe sounds just perfect!

This cordial is a great recipe for improving energy and vitality. Ginger’s pungent and warming properties enhance the “fire” in the body, stimulating digestion and circulation, while the apricots provide an abundance of easily digested nutrients and natural sugars.

Ginger Cordial
Serves 4

• 8 ounces dried apricots
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 4 cloves
• 2 1/2 cups ginger ale
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Stew apricots and spices in enough water to cover until soft. Blend in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add ginger ale and reheat. Add lemon juice to taste and serve in heatproof glasses.

Source: McIntyre, Anne. Drink to Your Health. New York: Fireside, 2000.

Hello, and welcome to my new blog, Health Matters. I'm Amy Mayfield, editor of Herbs for Health, sister publication of The Herb Companion. In this blog, I'll write about medicinal herbs, healthy foods and interesting tidbits related to health and natural medicine. I plan to include lots of recipes that I hope will inspire you to try new things at home. I'll also talk about great resource books I find helpful and new scientific research I come across.

A little about me: I've been working for Herbs for Health for almost nine years. I telecommute from my home office in beautiful, rainy Corvallis, Oregon, home of Oregon State University. I've been married for seven years (we met in college at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California) and we have two incredible kids, a son who is almost 5, whom we adopted at birth here in Oregon and a daughter who is 20 months old. We all traveled to Taiwan to adopt her in March 2007.

When I'm not editing and taking care of my kids, I enjoy exercising (I'm a regular at our local Jazzercise center), scrapbooking, cooking and keeping in touch with my friends and family who are scattered from coast to coast. I'm also becoming more and more interested in local eating and subscribe to a community-supported agriculture program through Gathering Together Farm (www.GatheringTogetherFarm.com).

Thanks for checking out my blog!