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Nutrition and Hormonal Balance

  Good Morning,  Nutrition and Hormonal Balance As an acupuncturist in the area of fertility, I realize tha...

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Monday, October 26, 2015

[AlternativeAnswers] Essential Oils for Halloween

 

Good Morning!

Essential Oils for Halloween

Samhain, (October 31st) is also know as All Hollow's Eve or Halloween or Feast of the Dead. The year was seen as beginning with the arrival of the darkness, at Samhain, the traditional Celtic New Year's Eve. This dark period of the year will eventually give birth to a new sun and new life. It is the beginning of the gestation period for the coming year and of the future. Traditions from this season include working with tools of transformation and light, including crystals, stones, candles, herbs, spices and oils! Here are some of my favorite "Halloween oils" and how to use them!

Cinnamon - Warming, spicy, revitalizing oil, cinnamon has a special relationship to the Fall months and seasonal holidays. Great for cooking, adding to tea, or spicing up a room.... this essential oil is a must have for the season! Cinnamon was used for embracing the spirits.

Clary Sage - This oil is warming, energizing, focusing and revitalizing. It is good for Fall depression, inflammation and rejuvenates skin cells. In the Middle Ages, clary sage was nicknamed "clear eyes". Often used to relax and open the "third eye". For those who cannot sit still long enough to quiet the mind, use this oil to gain clarity.

Clove - Another holiday favorite, clove makes a great tea, a wonderful remedy for sore gums and teeth and has a spicy, pungent odor. Works will with apples and pumpkins. When using the whole herb, crush it to release the oils. When using the essential oil, remember a little goes a long way!

Frankincense - Most often associated with Christmas and as one of the gifts of the Magi, this rich and wonderful scent makes for a great addition to the holiday line-up! As a Fall remedy it calms coughs and helps the respiratory tract.

Ginger - A great seasonal remedy for colds and flu this warming, spicy and soothing culinary herb used for 5,000 years in Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic healing practices. Ginger contains more than a dozen anti-viral components and can be used raw, in powder, ground and as an oil, but its most popular form is in tea.

Myrrh - Another herb associated with Christmas and also one of the gifts of the Magi, myrrh is sweet, smoky, musky and spicy and a wonderful season essential oil. It too, has amazing healing properties for reducing inflammation, fighting bacterial and fungal infection and encouraging new cell growth in wound healing. Known as an oil for spiritual connections.

Nutmeg - A great addition to apple pie, coffee or hot chocolate, this culinary spice has a rich "nutty", warm, spicy and sweet flavor. In traditional medicine, nutmeg and nutmeg oil are used for disorders related to the nervous and digestive systems. A seasonal favorite for love spells and warding off negative energy.

Orange - Distinct and recognizable sweet orange is refreshing, radiance, and uplifting. It is a famous compliment for this time of year with its sweet aroma and citrusy taste. Makes a great addition to any of the above oils. This bright oil is used for communication and lifting spirits!

Patchouli - Rich, dark and earthy, patchouli is the perfect Fall oil. Used to attract wealth, love and sexual desire. Long associated with hippies and the counter-culture activists, this rich healing oil has long been utilized to enrich the spirit. 

Seasonal Simmers

Simmers are a special mixture of herbs and spices, which are combined into a blend or potion, created to bring the power of aromatherapy and intention into your life. They are also designed to capture the attention of those around you and creates a wonderful tea. You will also find some of my favorite Fall essential oil diffusion.

Based on folk remedies, grandma's recipes and the ingredients provided by nature, these simmers are recipes used to make your kitchen smell delightful. They can be used along with a "special intention" and later, can even be enjoyed as tea!

Autumn Elegance

Used for: scenting the kitchen/any room with aromatherapy, inviting Fall, honoring Halloween, as a love potion.

- Blend 2-4 cups of apple cider or apple juice with: 
- 1 apple cut into small pieces 
- 1 pinch of nutmeg (or nutmeg essential oil) 
- 1 cinnamon stick (or cinnamon essential oil) 
Slowly simmer on the stove. Allow the smell to permeate the room.

A Spicy Fall Blend

- Add 10 drops of Patchouli 
- 5 drops of ginger 
- 2 quarts of water.

Set your stove on extremely low to allow the steam to diffuse into the air. You can also do the same with a tea pot without a whistle. Remember to always watch the stove and turn it off when no adults are present.

Fall Citrus Delight

- Add 10 drops of Sweet Orange 
- 4 drops of Clove 
- 3 drops of Cinnamon 
- add to water in a diffuser. 
Light a tea light under the oil to gently diffuse the scent into any room.

Special Notes:

With each simmer you can: 
-take advantage of their aromatic properties. 
-say a positive affirmation, invoking words, a special prayer or give thanks. 
-use them at the start of each season to give honor to yourself and your intentions for that season. 
-as it cools, share, drink, these simmers as a tea. 
-the health properties of these ingredients are appropriate for each season, relate to the internal organs and are associated by taste, temperature and color.

Ghoulish Ghost Sachet Pillow

- 1/2 cup whole flax, fennel and/or crushed anise seeds 
- 1/4 cup whole black peppercorns 
- 8 drops of clove essential oil 
- 10 drops ginger essential oil 
- 10 inch square of white cotton sheet 
- 4 inch strand of black ribbon 
- mono filament line for hanging 
- black magic marker

Directions: In a bowl, mix herbs and add drops of essential oils. Mix well. Place herbs in center of fabric square and bring the corners together to form a ball. Tie with ribbon. With a black magic marker, draw a ghoulish face on the front. Thread the mono filament line around the ribbon to hang your ghoulish ghost sachet pillow.

All Hallow's Eve Pumpkins

- 1 pumpkin or 6 colorful gourds 
- 6 drops patchouli essential oil 
- 4 drops ginger essential oil 
- 3 drops sage essential oil 
- 2 drops frankincense essential oil 
- optional candle or essential oil diffuser with tealight

Directions: Slice off the top and hollow out the pumpkin or 6 gourds. On the pumpkin, you can create a special face by cutting out the eyes, nose and mouth or simply draw a face on the front. Add a your candle to the pumpkin or the diffuser if it fits. To the gourds, you can add tealights. Blend your essential oils together and add to the diffuser, or add a few drops to your candle or tealights! Enjoy this fragrant holiday!! 



Andrew Pacholyk MS L.Ac
http://www.peacefulmind.com/whatsnew.htm
Therapies for healing
mind, body, spirit 

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Friday, October 23, 2015

[AlternativeAnswers] Herbal Relief for Allergies

 

Good Morning!

Herbal Relief for Allergies

Why people develop allergies remains a mystery in the medical community. Until we know more about allergies, the best line of defense is to eliminate the offending agents. Sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, sinus congestion, hives, swelling are all symptoms of allergies.

Allergies can affect almost any area of the body. Substances that irritate the skin, allergic reactions to drugs, detergents, and other chemicals are all culprits. Also, grass, cow products, house dust, pets, wheat, colorants, additives and preservatives are all possibilities.

Dust Mites. The dust mite is an almost-microscopic relative of ticks and spiders. But the living mite is not the problem. It's the fecal material they expel in their wanderings about our carpets and furniture, their primary residences and the bodies of dead mites that cause reactions.

Mold. Mold grows wherever it's dark and humid under your carpet, in the basement. It just doesn't matter which one you encounter. Inhale any one of them, and if you are allergic, you'll start sneezing.

Hay fever is an allergic condition triggered by inhalant substances (frequently pollens), which leads to sneezing and inflammation of the nose and conjunctiva of the eyes.

Any skin inflammation may be considered Dermatitis. Redness, scaling, and thickening of the skin may occur with dermatitis. Pinpointing the cause of the problem is the first step toward alleviating the symptoms.

Eczema is a type of dermatitis that is allergy related. It appears as dry, cracking, crusting and red patches on the skin. Often there are swelling, weeping blisters. The skin can become inflamed and itchy. Many factors can contribute to eczema. Stress is a major factor. Exposure to cleaning compounds, perfumes, detergents, household chemicals, soaps, food allergies, as well as, nutrient deficiencies.

Hives are lumps or weals that are very itchy. They can appear all of a sudden. They can be related to a particular food or as another complication from allergies; stress.

Anaphylactic shock. This is the most serious of allergic reactions. It can kill by suffocation, the result of swelling of the larynx and obstruction of the airway. Anaphylactic shock can occur in response to insect stings, ingestion of allergenic foods in sensitive individuals, and injected or swallowed doses of medication. It is a medical emergency, but it can be treated effectively. An injection of adrenalin (administered under medical supervision) will usually end the reaction promptly.

It is known that white blood cells (also known as lymphocytes) are a fundamental component of the immune system that protects our bodies from invaders. When they make a mistake, an allergic response can occur. When a lymphocyte encounters a particle or cell and identifies it as a foreign invader, it produces antibodies specifically engineered to fight that particular threat. There are five basic types of antibodies, called immunoglobulins, or Igs. Each is classified by type with a letter suffix: IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG and IgM. The Ig known to be responsible for most allergic reactions to food is IgE, although IgG is also commonly mentioned.

IgE allergies occur when the immune system, in an effort to reject a certain food or other substance, creates an antibody to that food, immunoglobulin E. In other words, the blood cells of an allergic person are "misinformed' at the genetic level and cause the production of large quantities of IgE antibodies. The antibody becomes attached on one side to the food/substance molecule and on the other side to a mast cell (mast cells are a type of cell containing histamine and other allergy mediators instrumental in the allergic response). When this happens, histamines and other chemicals are released from the mast cells, causing such immediate responses as runny nose, itchy eyes, skin rashes and indigestion. IgE can cause anaphylaxis, an extreme, sometimes even life-threatening response in which the airways swell, sometimes to the point where the person cannot breathe.

The most common tests for food allergies are IgE skin tests, where the skin is scratched or pricked and allergens such as wheat, eggs and milk are applied. Within 15 to 30 minutes, local reaction may occur. Other types of tests include blood tests and patch skin tests. However, there are reports that blood testing for food allergies provides more reliable results than skin testing. The latter are problematic because of their tendency to yield false positives. This means that people may show a positive result but are still able to eat a certain food. To summarize this difficult and confusing field, it appears that the efficacy of all allergy testing is under suspicion. 


Managing Your Allergies

Tree and Plant Pollen are one of the biggest culprits. When you come in from the outdoors, take off your clothes and through them in the washer. Take a shower, wash your hair and change your clothes. We trek pollen into the house from the outdoors and this is one of the biggest, yet unseen problems with people who suffer from allergies.

Antihistamines interfere with brain activity, causing drowsiness and depression. Never use antihistamines if you have a tendency to depression or mental dullness. Even when these drugs do not depress mental activity, they merely suppress allergy rather than cure it. As a result the pattern of immune over responsiveness is strengthened rather than weakened, meaning that more treatment will be required in the future.

This is even more so with steroid drugs (cortisone and related compounds). Never use cortisone, prednisone, or other steroid drugs to treat allergic reactions unless they are very severe or life-threatening. If you must take these powerful hormones, limit your use of them to two weeks. Steroids perpetuate allergy through their suppressive action. They also lower immunity.

Air-conditioning your house is probably the single most important thing you can do to alleviate pollen problems, and it can help with two other chief inhalants molds and dust mites.

Vitamin C has antihistamine activity. Vitamin C supplementation has been reported to help people with hay fever in preliminary research. Consider 3,000 - 6,000 mg of Vitamin C in divided doses, per day.

Bioflavonoids such as Quercetin, might act synergistically with Vitamin C as both have antihistaminic activity. Although some doctors of natural medicine advise people with hay fever to take 400 mg of Quercetin two to three times per day, only limited preliminary clinical research has yet suggested that Quercetin benefits people with this condition.

Proteins in food can cross-react with pollen we bring in from the outdoors. Wash all fruits and vegetables before eating them, and don't forget to wash yourself if you just came in from the outside when picking these fruits and vegetables. 


Herbal Remedies

Herbs that are beneficial for allergies (if you are not allergic to them) are Burdock Root, Dandelion, and Echinacea. These herbs help to purify the blood, boost the immune system and improves organ function. Bee Pollen can strengthen the immune system. Start with a few drops at a time and work up to a dropper 2-3 times a day. Coenzyme Q10 improves oxygenation and immunity. 30 mgs, twice daily. In traditional medicine, some herbs whose pollen can cause symptoms of hay fever have been used as a way to reduce symptoms of hay fever, which is the homeopathic theory of "like cures like". The most important of these are Goldenrod and Ragweed (Ambrosia ambrosioides). Eyebright and Elder also have a reputation for use as hay fever remedies. However, an individual allergic to one of these plants should avoid them unless under the care of a doctor of natural medicine.

Bee Pollen - has been used to build up the immune system to to fight colds and to counteract depression. Bee pollen has also been used internally to increase antiallergenic properties to enhance the immune system against allergies to pollen. 
Burdock Root - Burdock root contains high amounts of inulin and mucilage. This may explain its soothing effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Bitter constituents in the root may also explain the traditional use of burdock to improve digestion. It also contains polyacetylenes that have been shown to have antimicrobial activity.

Dandelion - Dandelion is a natural diuretic that increases urine production by promoting the excretion of salts and water from the kidney. Dandelion may be used for a wide range of conditions requiring mild diuretic treatment such as poor digestion, liver disorders, and high blood pressure.

Echinacea - Echinacea is another herb useful for the relief of allergy symptoms. With a rich history of use in Native American traditions, echinacea possesses natural anti-inflammatory properties. Echinacea also helps relieve the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections and is useful for sore throats and even acne.

Green drinks - green drinks are filled with antioxidants and other nutrients, which help to detox the body. Detoxification can calm allergy symptoms by helping to flush out toxic build up in the system. Made from spirulina, wheat and barley grasses, these drinks are one of the best allergy medicines.

Nettle Leaf - Nettle leaf can help in the reduction in symptoms of hay fever, including sneezing and itchy eyes. For help with hay fever symptoms, consider taking 450 mg of Nettle Leaf capsules or tablets two to three times per day, or a 2-4 ml tincture, three times per day. Do not take this herb if you have high blood pressure.

Horseradish - The heating qualities of horseradish are a clue to its most popular therapeutic use: clearing up nasal and chest congestion. As well as helping to clear the respiratory passages and eliminate excess mucus, this herb is effective for the relief of cough symptoms and sinusitis.

Garlic - One of the oldest recorded culinary spices, garlic (Allium sativum) is mentioned as a food in the Bible, and is known to have been part of the diet of Egyptian workers as long ago as 2600 BC. It is the dominant flavour in much of Mediterranean cuisine, but is also a more subtle addition to many Asian dishes. But alongside its popularity in food, garlic has a long history of medicinal use a traditional history that has gained increasing recognition from science. Garlic preparations have long been used to relieve the congestion of colds and hayfever.

Reishi Mushrooms, Ganoderma lucidum, (Ling Zhi) is documented to have great medicinal value. The reishi extract has been shown to be effective in clearing up a large variety of skin allergic conditions either due to food or airborne allergens. Ganoderma extract has been found to be useful in detoxifying the kidneys and improving its overall function.


Andrew Pacholyk MS L.Ac
http://www.peacefulmind.com/allergies.htm
Therapies for healing
mind, body, spirit 

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[AlternativeAnswers] The Life-Changing Magic of Tidyin gUp, Friday, 30 October 2015

 

"The Life-Changing Magic of Tidyin gUp" reminder
When
Friday, 30 October 2015
07:00 PM to 09:00 PM
(GMT) Greenwich Mean Time - Dublin / Edinburgh / Lisbon / London
Where
Caritas
Notes
Kathy Wolfskill presents Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up© Plus how and where to dispose of, donate, and sell unloved things Friday, October 30  7 – 9 pm $15 General Public/$10 Caritas Members at The Caritas Center 5723 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, CO 80303 Marie Kondo writes: "A dramatic reorganization of the home causes correspondingly dramatic changes in lifestyle and perspective." The KonMari Method is not about a little cleaning or decluttering each day—you'll be cleaning and decluttering forever. It's about a "tidying marathon" letting go of any item that "doesn't spark joy." Results include being surrounded with loved items only and each stored item being energetically renewed and seen in each opened closet and drawer. The new look and feel of your home is so different that the new practices are permanent with no rebounding. We'll cover why we can't keep our house in order, how to graciously discard items without guilt, the correct technique and order of discarding items by category (not location), and how to store the items we keep. We'll discuss how to graciously part with belongings and learn the (sometimes surprising) places and events where we can donate, recycle, and sell our possessions to help others and make money too. Do you want to make space in your life and your mind to start a flood of new, authentic changes, synchronicities, and gifts? Join us for an inspiring, feel-good course in creating that free space! Kathy Wolfskill spent 7 weeks earlier this year on pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago in Spain with all her worldly needs carried in her 22-pound backpack. It was a taste of a simple, beautiful existence without "excess baggage." She came home to clean out a lifetime's worth of (neatly stored, no less) possessions from her father's house after his death. She emerged with an unquestioned compulsion to drastically clean out her own house and her life. A friend recommended Marie Kondo's book to her at exactly the right time. The resulting sense of spaciousness and freedom in her home and in her life has been, indeed, life-changing! For info, Call 303-449.3066 or go to: www.CaritasCenter.org
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