Healing Waters

If you read my blog, you know how I love baths. Baths are where I get my greatest ideas. It is where I have my greatest peace and my most amazing thoughts. There is something that always bothers me about the bath though. Here in Las Vegas, it is that the water in which we bathe is chemically laden. I ALWAYS add salt to my bath to counteract the negative things in it. By salt, I mean sea salt or Himalayan salt. These kinds of salt counteract the negative effects of water by absorbing and eliminating the chemicals, bacteria and nastiness in the water. They also are great for the skin, and for aches and pains. Upon learning more about coral calcium this last week, I had an epiphany. Coral calcium and Sea/Himalayan salt together in the bath!

Why coral calcium you ask? Well, because...

Coral Calcium has many wonderful properties. I am talking about above sea coral calcium. I will not go into detail about why this is important now, just know it is. It is obviously good for our hair, skin and nails. But it is also good for EVERY cell in our bodies. It also keeps our muscles, nerves and circulation of blood going strong. It keeps our bones strong and solid. What does it do for the water? It absorbs and cleanses the lead, mercury and other chemicals we have in our water.

So, I blended up a batch of Himalayan sea salt, coral calcium and of course some essential oils. (I used lavender, bergamot and coriander- some of my favorite bath blessings!) I was so excited to enter my bath that night, as I poured a heaping cup into the steaming water. (Yes, I like my bath's hot.) The experience was heaven! Have you ever been in a mineral pool or hot springs? You know the buoyancy and softness you feel? Well, I created that in my own bath! I'd had a massage that day to loosen up a tight shoulder that was a result of a bout with shingles, and this bath cradled me like a bassinet of flowing water! I felt so rested and relaxed after this bath, that I made up an extra large batch of my treasure, so as to never be without it.

If you are not a 'bath person" by nature, give it a try! We deserve to take a luxurious rest in one of nature's best creations. Bless yourself with the gift of just being, not having to do or say anything, and letting the bliss that is water be a part of our lives.

*Above ground coral calcium and Himalayan salts found at Herbally Grounded, Las Vegas, NV.

If I did not have the proof, I wouldn't believe it. I have Carcolepsy. It is a form of Narcolepsy, but only related to being in the car.
Narcolepsy is by definition:
-The main characteristic of narcolepsy is overwhelming excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), even after adequate night time sleep. A person with narcolepsy is likely to become drowsy or to fall asleep, often at inappropriate times and places. Daytime naps may occur with or without warning and may be physically irresistible. These naps can occur several times a day. They are typically refreshing, but only for a few hours. Drowsiness may persist for prolonged periods of time. - (Wikipedia)

I have been like this since childhood. It was especially prominent when I was 18 and took a trip with my family to Hawaii. My dad rented a van and drove us around to many great places, but sadly, I remember more about the softness and color of the van's interior than my view of the massive sugar cane fields. I try, I really try to stay awake. On family trips, my husband always drives. I have great plans for family sing-alongs and to get started on a really good book, only to be awakened by my own snoring before we even hit the freeway entrance. Interestingly, my children seem to have this same problem, and I still have to time outings, even for my older kids so that they will stay awake. It's as if the car is a big cushy cradle lulling us to sleep with it's rhythmic motion. I have used all manner of alertness aids that are legal and not damaging to my body. I use my oils, which really does help, and I also resort to pinching myself hard, which helps a little too. I even tried caffeinated sodas once, only to experience a hyperactive gibber-fest and then crash into an all time delirium of sleepiness.
I just returned from a road trip without my husband. Me and the 4 kids ventured to the beach to visit my sister, and I was armed and ready. On the way there the fantasy of fresh air, less than 100 degree scorching weather and the soft lapping of waves at my feet ironically kept me awake. On the way home was another story. After staying up too late talking with my sister and trying top solve the puzzle we call parenting, I did not get enough sleep. Thirty minutes into the trip, and after leaving the cool coast weather, I was wondering how I could pull over and take a quick nap in 112 degree heat.
I said a prayer, and the thought came to me to use my Pick Me Up Spray (duh!) and the new herbal formula from Herbally Grounded called- Focus. I hadn't tried it yet and my travel bottle was brand new and waiting for me to drink it... in it's entirety. So, I sprayed the spray, took the Focus, and in about 5 minutes felt as if I could (without hesitation) address the UN confidently. I was alert and completely revived. I noticed things I never notice, I was able to get off the freeway, and get back on without totally being confused about which direction I was headed. I was clear, I was in the now, I could have read a book!!!! Too bad I was driving! The moral of the story is this... don't leave home without these two things. You will be sad and tired, and you will miss out on all that there is to be seen. PMU and Focus will forever be my constant travel companions.

Summertime.....

I love summer. Barbecue's, Beaches, Family Reunions, etc.. Along with all those great things come some hazards and annoying things to deal with. May I suggest preparing a summertime kit. It will amaze you how much you will use it, if it is already available. You may not realize what a true life-saver it is. After experiencing sun posing in 2005, when my fruitless attempts (making this the 15th year of fruitless attempts) to tan my Luck o' the Irish skin, landed me with what looked like lips straight from a Medspa, I was so glad to have on hand my natural remedies. Last year when my whole family was eaten by a rabid pack of mosquito's at a family reunion, my kids were the only ones with barely a bite. Everyone knows Aunt Jo-Jo has a virtual first aid hut of remedies, and I am glad to share them!



I buy a sturdy rectangular Rubbermaid container with a top. I have smaller more portable items inside, but all my goodies travel in one of these. Somewhat like this one: http://plastics.turkavkaz.ru/products/storage.jpg.

This is the Big Mama kit I have on hand.
I of course have the basic band aids, gauze, etc..
If you have purchased the Essential Wellness Kit, than you already have most of what you need. I make or buy the items listed below(recipes will be at end of post)
Aloe Vera- I love Aloe Life AV. It is preservative free and is fantastic! I like to mix it with Lavender EO.
Skeeter Spray- available at HG or you can make your own
1 bottle of Lavender EO or Lavender Roller- the cure all
Chill herbal Tincture and Happy Juice if you have the grouchies
Cayenne capsules-stops bleeding
Out and About spray or other natural antibacterial hand spray
Cleansing Roller- if nothing else, stick this in your bag
Plantain and Comfrey Salve- rashes, irritations, burns, slivers, etc..
Angel Oil- use for everything..motion sickness, upset tummy, first aid, etc..

All the above have so many uses it is hard to name them all. Just know that you are covered for scrapes, cruises, cuts, bites, irritations, sunburn, fatigue, overexertion, excess time spent with the family at the reunion, etc..


HERBAL INSECT REPELLENT
1/2 teaspoon citronella essential oil
1/2 teaspoon eucalyptus essential oil
1/2 teaspoon lavender essential oil
4 ounces distilled witch hazel
Mix ingredients in a 4-ounce spray bottle.
Shake well. Spray onto exposed skin, avoiding eyes and mucous membranes.
Reapply every 2 hours, or as needed.
Recipe courtesy of Laurel Vukovic.August 2004Herbs for Health

NATURAL INSECT REPELLENT
2 ounces carrier oil or vodka
1/4 teaspoon each citronella and eucalyptus essential oils
1/8 teaspoon each cedar and rose geranium essential oils
Combine ingredients and apply mixture directly to all exposed skin. Keep oil away from your eyes and mouth, and be careful not to rub your eyes right away after applying the repellent with your fingers.
Source: Keville, Kathi. Herbs for Health and Healing. Rodale, 1996.March/April 2004Herbs for Health

Let the Allergies Begin....

As a child I suffered so badly from seasonal allergies that I couldn't even play outside during the most beautiful time of the year. I had the whole shabang- itchy throat, eyes, sniffles, itchy skin, ears, etc. For about 10 years, Afrin nasal spray became my best friend. When I was 23, I lost my sense of smell and taste due to a ginormous amount of nasal polyps caused by the years of nasal spray abuse. Growing up holistically, we tried everything under the sun, including the sun to solve my problems. Things would work, but only for a short time.

Oddly, after my polyp removal surgery, I have not been bothered by allergies again. Sadly my mother who still live in Pollenville, suffers every year. I have not found a concrete, 100% remedy for allergies. BUT, I continue to try and have found some things that seem to at least lessen the symptoms. I am actually working on an evil looking apple cider vinegar infusion as we speak, and hope that it will be the magic tonic to cure the world of all allergies, hunger, strife and disease. Awww, come on, there is nothing wrong with high hopes, right? So, here is a compilation of ideas. Look at the list, intuitively pick what resonates with you. THEN, create your shopping list!

Changes:

-Wash hair every night to prevent pollen from sleeping with you.
-Wash bed linens often in natural detergent- good sources for this are Trader Joe's, Herbally Grounded, Make your own, etc...

-Use a high quality essential oil diffuser. I Love, love, love the ultrasonic diffusers that are sold at Herbally Grounded. Best ever!

-Keep doors and windows closed

Other ideas:

Use a Neti Pot and rinse sinus' with sea salt and warm water. Doesn't hurt to put adrop of Lavender or Tea Tree in there as well. When I had my one and only sinus infection, the neti was a life saver.
Jala neti - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Herbs & Oils:

-Allergy Formula from Herbally Grounded
-Las Vegas Mix (Homeopathic) by Dolisos ( available at HG)

-Breathe Easy Essential Wellness Oil by Desert Rose- rub over bridge of nose at bedtime or as needed

-Peppermint/Chapparal tea sweetened with agave

-Garlic, garlic, fresh garlic (new post to come all about garlic)

-Inhaling Rosemary and Lemon Essential oils

I am never one to discount the importance of a good positive affirmation. Hre is one to try, or create your own:

"My body is whole, healthy, and perfectly content. I can breathe with ease and am grateful for every breath."

Remember, "As a man thinketh, so is he."- Poverbs 23:7

Picture yourself well!

Sweet Spring

Ahh, sweet spring. It reminds me of a favorite poem by Robert Frost:

A Prayer in Spring

OH, give us pleasure in the flowers today;

And give us not to think so far away

As the uncertain harvest; keep us here

All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,

Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;

And make us happy in the happy bees,

The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird

That suddenly above the bees is heard,

The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,

And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,

To which it is reserved for God above

To sanctify to what far ends he will,

But which it only needs that we fulfill.

The roses are in bloom, the sun is shining sweetly, which is extra special because the summer sun here in Las Vegas burns so intensely. The birds and bees are busy, the roly poly's have awakened from their winter nap. The scents of Jasmine, Alyssum, fresh cut grass and rose petals fill the air. I gently removed the petals of two large roses for my bath last night, and thanked the bush for it's gift. I try and wait until just before the petals would naturally fall, before I remove them. It may sound strange, but I do not want to take them until they are ready to go. This time of year, our Heavenly Father, nature and the earth give back to us in such a beautiful way. Please take the time to appreciate it.

Considering it takes 3000 + pds. of rose petals to make one pound of essential oil, rose oil is treat, an indulgence and sometimes a necessity. Opening a bottle is like opening spring and letting the sweet freshness escape and float like visible music notes to a fertile ground where they can blossom and grow forever. Roses are the queens of the flowers. They are fragile, yet unbelievably hearty and possess a deeper strength than just paper thin petals. They have attitude, which is apparent in the fusion of the delicate flower and sharp, strong thorns. Their varieties are vast, and even I, a rose lover since birth, have a hard time choosing which color or variety is most beautiful. The pomaceous fruit of the rose, the rose hips are higher in vitamin C, than any other flower. Even after the beauty of the bloomed rose is gone, the rose is still functional and giving with the remaining rose hip, which can be eaten, ground up and dried and steeped as an herbal infusion. The rose to me, is a gift that keeps on giving. Upon the sadness of a beautiful bloom losing it's petals, the bush quickly has other blooming for our viewing pleasure. Whoever said to "stop and smell the roses, " sure knew what they were talking about.

Hot Hair Oil to the rescue!

I remember spending way too much money on a tiny tube of a name brand Hot Hair Oil in High School. Who would have thought you can make your own? It is quite simple, more cost effective, and hands down more natural and better for your hair.

Here are the ingredients of the "name brand" hot oil. As you can see, interspersed with very few good ingredients, the rest are chemicals!

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Cocotrimonium Chloride, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Acetamide MEA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, PEI-1750, Polyquaternium-10, Quaternium-84, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Ascorbic Acid, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein/Vegetable Amino Acids/Lysine Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Phytantriol, Biotin, Polysorbate 20, Oleth-20, Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance (Parfum), Yellow 6 (CI 15985).

I think it scares hair into being shiny with that group of preservatives!

The benefit to a hot oil hair treatment is that it deeply moisturizes where other things cannot. Hair is essentially dead, but it can be fortified from the outside in. Good quality oils can also strengthen hair, and help remove split ends. The oil is also fantastic at removing build up from hair products. Here are a few recipes to try.

Keep the oil in a 4-6 oz, squeeze bottle.

You can heat the oil slightly in your palm, or put it in the shower and let it warm before you apply. Do not put it in the microwave, as this kills the live enzymes in the oils and can also cause burns, etc.. You can also warm it in a warm water bath, while still in it's container. Just applying it and leaving it on for about 30-60 min. is also great. Follow up with a good shampoo and conditioner. I like to apply the oil liberally all over my hair, and then wrap it in saran wrap. This seals the oils in and drives them deeper into the hair and scalp. In all honesty, it is really fun to liberate yourself by wearing saran wrap on your head for an hour or two. Try it, you'll like it!

Basic Recipe
4 oz. coconut oil
25 drops of lavender EO
Mix well.

Restoring and Awakening
4 oz. grapeseed oil
20 drops rosemaryEO
10 drops tea trea EO
10 drops lavender EO
Leaves a nice tingle!

Sunshine
4 oz. olive oil
10 drops pink grapefruit EO
10 drops Spearmint EO
5 drops Lemon EO

Scalp Cleaner
4 oz carrier oil of choice
15 drops Tea Tree
10 drops Orange
5 drops Cypress

Carrier oil= a fatty base oil such as olive, grapeseed, coconut, almond, apricot, coconut, etc.

EO=Essential Oil

Here's to Happy Hair!

Q & A- Morning Sickness

Could suggest some Essential Oils / Herbs for morning sickness and pregnancy health in general?
-Kellie in Las Vegas

Hi Kellie-

Having experienced morning/all day sickness with all of my pregnancies, this is an excellent question.
I always try and reassure pregnant mamas that having some sort of nausea is a good sign of pregnancy. In my experience, it is rare to have morning sickness and miscarry. My mom told always told me that it is a sign that your body is adjusting to the pregnancy and the baby is growing. Scientifically, this is also proven. An interesting article on the subject can be found here: Morning Sickness Protects Mother and Child. That said, it can be a very miserable experience for some who experience severe nausea called Hyperemesis gravidarum- (see-Hyperemesis gravidarum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), which is like riding on a bad roller coaster over and over and is unrelenting. This can be a scary and hard to cope with this type of nausea, Here are some things that can help mild to severe "pregnancy nausea":

Prenatal Preparation: Balance those hormones. Did I say balance your hormones? You are right!

I would suggest-

Evening Primrose Oil

From Herbalogie.com

-Balance Tincture

-Extra Greens

-Synergy

-Green Stevia

Hormone balancing essential oils:
Clary sage, fennel,geranium, ylang- ylang (pronounced e-long, e-long, thank you Jeanne Rose!), grapefruit and lavender.

or

Essential Wellness Blends from Herbalogie.com

-PMS Support

-Beautiful Dreamer

- Pregnancy Mood Support

-Pick Me Up Spray- contains peppermint, spearmint and a bunch of citrus oils

If you are already pregnant, you can still balance your hormones using the herbs and using pregnancy mood support essential wellness oil or the above single oils. Spearmintor peppermint oil diluted and rubbed around the belly button and inhaled helps with nausea in the first trimester. I also apply the essential oils to my feet and pulse points. I kept a cotton ball with peppermint eo on it in my pocket at all times!

Other things that help:

-Ipecacuanha Homeopathic- this helped a lot with my twins
-Young coconut water- I drank literally gallons of this during pregnancy

How to use young coconuts for your vibrant health!- this site has the best pics of how to use it! You can find these by the case locally in Las Vegas at Chinatown Market, Whole Foods, Albertson's, and Wild Oats.

-Small frequent meals consisting of 50% raw foods

-Little dairy and no fried foods

-Red Raspberry Tea or pregnancy tea with spearmint- I like it cold with some agave nectar. Helps balance hormones and aid in nausea.

-Bananas- helps with low potassium levels and evens out blood sugar. Low blood sugar means more nausea.

-Lemon Drops

- Green Stevia- Blood sugar balancer

-All things Ginger- chews, ginger soother drink, etc... I LOVE the Ginger People- Welcome to The Ginger People - Home of the World's Best Quality Ginger t

Here's to a happy pregnant belly!