a little extra help when you are feeling overwhelmed...

I have been getting some requests for blog posts (well, advice requests followed by "you should blog about that, I bet a lot of people would love to hear what you have to say..."). I absolutely LOVE getting asked for advice about wellness, and getting asked to write about specific topics on the blog- it really makes me feel like I am doing the right thing with my life, and really reaching people. I dropped the ball a little bit with getting some of said posts written, because my dear husband got sidelined with the flu (and if you know him, you know he NEVER gets sick, so when he does it's usually a doozy- this is the second time in our 8 year relationship that he has been sick, and the only other time was Pneumonia, so that tells you a lot right there). My last post on Elderberry syrup was a timely one, and by giving him a teaspoon of Elderberry syrup every 3 hours for two days we were able to knock out the 102 degree fever pretty quickly, along with plenty of rest and homemade chicken soup (with cilantro and tumeric, yum). BUT this is not a post about the flu, I think I have covered that pretty well in previous posts.

A dear friend asked me last week about using herbs to help deal with stress- she knows quite well about my struggles with stress, and she herself has been feeling pretty bogged down by it lately. Now, here is my disclaimer- I am NOT a Doctor, Naturopath, Herbalist, etc, and all of the knowledge presented here stems ONLY from my personal experience with using herbs for support during times of stress, and my own personal research into said herbs. I STRONGLY encourage everyone to do their own research, talk with their Doctor/Therapist/Naturopath/Acupuncturist, etc, when adding herbs to their lives- herbs are very powerful and should be respected. Take a moment and do some digging to find out what you think will be best for you. I will try to lay this out in a concise way- there is SO MUCH information out there about herbs, and it can be hard to understand and find the right formula that works for you (that's why I really encourage people to go see a Naturopath or Acupuncturist- it takes the work out of it). Everyone's stress manifests differently, and some herbs are more helpful in certain situations then others. Without further ado:

-If you are feeling fatigued, anxious, and have symptoms of stress induced insomnia (racing thoughts, waking up and can't go back to sleep, etc), then ASHWAGANDHA could be for you. Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic herb (also known as Indian ginseng) that is a potent stress fighter, and is good for long term use as an adrenal tonic in cases of adrenal fatigue. I have used this herb over periods of months (I am still recovering from adrenal fatigue), when I was dealing with large amounts of stress and having anxiety, and I really feel like it helped keep me centered in the storm, and helped me to sleep. Important note: if you are allergic to nightshades (tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, peppers), do not take Ashwagandha because it is a nightshade.

-If your menstrual cycle is making you a crazy emotional person, and you can't seem to get a grip, VITEX (also known as Chaste Berry) might work for you. Vitex works to balance your hormones, specifically helping to regulate and balance the pituitary gland, the effect of which cascades to the other hormone regulating glands in your body, therefore helping with PMS and other cycle issues, which in turn helps to alleviate stress. Important note: do not take Vitex if you are using hormonal birth control, it will mess with you more- get off those artificial hormones (reasons why for another post) and get your hormones back to optimal without the use of artificial hormones that have long term negative effects on your body.

-If you are feeling low energy, need more vitality and stamina, (maybe you need lots of caffeine to get through the day) then MACA may be right for you. Maca is a root from South America that is an adaptogen, meaning it doesn't "add" anything to your body, but helps your own system adapt by balancing your hormones and giving you energy. My husband swears by Maca (it regulates hormones, helps naturally boost energy, and can be an especially good tonic for men), and has really noticed a difference in his energy and vitality since he has been taking it (for about a year now). It is said that Peruvian warriors took Maca to help with endurance and vitality on long arduous journeys, and as that I have amazing Peruvian family members, I can attest that these people know their shit, and they have known what's up for a very very long time. Important note: Maca may cause some people to feel jittery (myself included) and if you are dealing with anxiety specifically, this may not be the best choice for you.

-if you are feeling emotionally unbalanced (things that would not normally stress you out make you emotional and overwhelmed), your well-being just feels out of whack, or you are feeling exhausted by normal life, REISHI mushroom might work for you. I take a mushroom tonic (multiple types of medicinal mushrooms in one formula) through most of the fall and winter, for emotional support and because specific phytochemicals in the mushrooms are potent immune boosters. I have personally noticed an improvement in my well being while taking a mushroom tonic, and while I can't say it's totally due to the mushrooms, I do think that they really help me to stay balanced.

These are the herbs I have tried on my own (I have had a few other formulas given to me by my kick ass acupuncturist, but have no grasp on Traditional Chinese Medicine, so would not even try to recommend their formulas), and have had great success with some of them. I think it is (again) super important to do your research, and of course try them only one at a time, and give yourself enough time on them (most need months of daily use to have observable results). Remember that herbs are potent, but they are not a magic pill- they take time to work, and we must take other steps as well to deal with stress (ex. exercise, diet changes, therapy, journaling, yoga, meditation, acupuncture, massage). Herbs are there to support us, gently, as we learn to really take care of ourselves along the path of wellness.

If you are dealing with overwhelming (crushing) stress, please please PLEASE see a Therapist, Naturopath, or Acupuncturist (in my case all three!) who can really help you and tailor a path back to thriving for you. If you just need a little help, try one of these herbs (and maybe some deep breathing!) and see if things improve.

I hope that helped, and please let me know if you try any of these, have used any of these, and if it helps! Wishing everyone a stress free existence!

Scoff at flu season with Elderberry Syrup!

Alright pumpkins, the height of Flu season is officially upon us, and it seems people are dropping like flies. I spent about 4 months of last year (Thanksgiving through March) battling bouts of the flu/colds (at one point, I thought I might need to go to the hospital, which, if you know me, means I was REALLY sick). My immune system was super low (years of gluten reaction will do that to ya), I was having major emotional issues with some of my family (depression doesn't help your immune system) and my hormones were still going crazy from coming off birth control (it takes SOOOO long to get your normal hormonal system back up and running after a long time on artificial hormones- but it is possible!) So the last 6 months have been me focusing on getting well, period. It's my main life focus. And I vowed that this year, I WOULD NOT GET SICK. So far, since last March, I haven't had even a sniffle (which I cannot take all the credit for- my therapist, my acupuncturist and my chiropractor have been major players in keeping me well). Long story short, we are heading into the thick of flu season, and this morning my facebook news feed was full of "I /my spouse /my child have the flu what can I do??!!" posts, so I figured it was a good time to post about my favorite flu fighter, that pretty much anyone can use (kids, babies, pregnant women, all humans really)... drum roll please...

... Enter Elderberry Syrup. My husband tells me stories of his great grandmother keeping an elderberry bush, and making syrup out of the beautiful purple berries to give to the kids (he just thought it tasted good, he didn't know it was also a potent flu fighter). Alas, I do not have an elderberry bush to make homemade syrup with (it is on my list of things to do when we have our farm) but luckily I live in Santa Cruz, where there is a health food store on nearly every corner, and we have access to a huge amount of herbal medicines. Elderberry syrup is a super easy way to prevent the flu- when taken as a preventative during flu season (1 teaspoon a day works for me) it ups the amount of T cells (white blood cell immune system Navy Seals) and works to prevent the flu from taking hold in your body. When taken after a known exposure to the flu, I up the dose to a few teaspoons a day. The recommendation for taking it when already sick is generally a teaspoon about every hour or so, but do your research on that one- I haven't had to take it yet so I am not positive on the dosing for already sick people. Elderberry is very high in vitamin C, and that may be the key to it's flu fighting ability, along with all those purple plant pigments (antioxidants) that are oh so good for you.

I use Gaia Herbs Black Elderberry Syrup, I really trust the company and have used many of their supplements. They have a nighttime formula as well, with passion flower and valerian root in it if you need a little bit of support to help you sleep as well. My hubs and I take it when we think we may have been exposed and when we know we're going to be around a sick person. In the height of flu season, because my husband is a paramedic and is exposed to stuff constantly, we take it everyday.

If you haven't gotten sick and don't want to, if you have kids (little ones are germ factories- and I mean that in the most loving way!) or if you are feeling a tickle in the back of your throat, I highly recommend picking up a bottle of Elderberry Syrup. It tastes yummy and is an easy way of coasting through flu season. Sending you all healthy flu free thought! Let me know if you try it!

an end of the year check in...

Happy almost New Year! December has flown by, and for me the holiday season was filled with some pretty high moments and a few low moments... My husband and I got to video chat with our newly adopted nephews on Christmas for the first time, which was awesome and the highlight of my holiday (the video my brother in law sent the next day of his youngest son talking about talking to us, saying our names over and over really was my favorite moment of the season- can't wait to go visit those boys). Alas, the season was not without it's generally expected familial issues (we all have those, especially around the holidays!) and I am making sure to take extra good care of my heart these days, to help deal with a little bit of the sadness some of my family can make me feel. BUT! this is not meant to be a sad post. It is a happy time, a time of renewal and fresh starts and asking ourselves the question "how does _____ serve us?" It is a time to assess our lives, and how we are living them, and how well we are taking care of ourselves and our loved ones and the world. I am a huge fan of fresh starts and rituals, and many of you know I have a serious love for house cleaning (don't judge), so of course I spend Dec 30th and 31st cleaning cleaning cleaning! I love feeling fresh and new for the New Year- get all those cobwebs out of your house and your mind so you can move forward with a clean slate. Reflecting on where we came from and accepting where we currently are in our lives is a big part of being able to move forward with a fresh year, and I am taking the time to do those things a lot these days (meditation and journaling being a daily ritual right now). I have this deep feeling in my soul that 2014 is going to be a wonderful year, after the last (very hard but fruitful) year of self reflection and internal work and working towards healing as best as I can. I believe your life is what YOU make of it, no one else, and you will have the best year yet if you keep working towards creating your best life yet. I encourage everyone to enjoy their New Year's rituals (going to sleep early, going to a party, a glass of champagne, a kiss at midnight, cleaning the house... whatever floats your boat!) and I will be back in a few days with a bright, fresh blog post to start 2014! Wishing everyone a safe and happy New Year!

Why I am putting Ghee on my face... or rather, why my skin is itchy and dry and I'll try anything...

I have a dear friend from college (we have been friends for 10 years! whew time flies) who lives in Seattle, and is a fellow clean living/clean beauty person, and we frequently exchange long facebook messages about things were are doing/want to try/ have had success or failure with, etc etc, in the beauty and lifestyle arena. Mostly we talk about skin stuff, sometimes in conjunction with diet stuff, and basically lament that we don't live in the same town anymore because we could create an awesome business out of what we make for our personal body care products. ANYWAY, she mentioned that her skin, in particular her face, was feeling really dry lately and the oils she had been using have just not been cutting it. She described it like "I put a good amount of oil on in the am, and it seems to be just sitting on the skin, rather then absorbing like normal, and my skin still feels dry and uncomfortable". Well, wouldn't you know, I was having the EXACT same problem. I noticed a few days ago that I was having the same problem- lots of soothing oil that I normally love on my face was just not cutting it. It also happens to be freakin' freezing in Santa Cruz right now (literally), as it is across most of the US (and the entire Northern Hemisphere, really), so I am sure that A. my skin is reacting to the very cold and very dry air, and B. I am probably not alone here. She and I chatted about the various options to treat this, and I told her I have been putting on oil, then a thick face cream, and then sunscreen. It has been helping, but my skin is very sensitive, and if I put too much on it, it tends to get reactive- which it has been starting to do, as I glop on all this stuff to keep my face from being super parched. I suggested Tallow, (rendered fat- I know it sounds gross but it supposed to be a miracle on dry skin), since she and I are both on board with humanely raised meat consumption and other uses. I have heard that Tallow can be amazing for dry, chapped skin, and have been thinking of trying it. And then, while I was mulling over buying some Tallow, I thought "hey, what about Ghee instead?" I had a pot of fresh Ghee popping away on the stove already, so I sat down to do some research and see if slathering Ghee on your face was a legit thing or I was just the crazy lady thinking of putting butter on her face. After a little internet sleuthing, I found out I am not crazy! (well, at least not for wanting to put Ghee on my face). Ghee has been used for thousands of years as food and medicine, and is apparently amazing for skin issues. Ghee made from pastured cow milk is high in vitamin A (the main ingredient in all those retinol products people use for anti aging) and vitamin D (which is having a huge moment in skincare right now), and is very high in fatty acids to moisturize, nourish and soothe the skin. So, I decided to do a little experiment. As you may already know, I eat a lot of Ghee- in my tea, in my food, a big tablespoon first thing in the morning (in Ayurveda, it is thought that a spoonful of Ghee in the morning followed by warm water gets rid of toxins, stokes the digestive fire and gets things *moving*, if you will)... so putting it on my skin wasn't huge jump for me- I make a big batch about every week, and always have it on hand. I decided I am going to try a week long Ghee experiment, where in the morning and evening, I put Ghee on my face (and nothing else). I washed my face last night and slathered it on (and went a little overboard and had to wipe some off), and then waited to see if any red bumps or flushing would occur (my sensitive skin reactions)- and neither of those happened, and in fact my skin felt amazing- cool and soft and yummy. I let it soak in for about an hour before bed, and I didn't notice any coming off on the pillow when I finally laid down. This morning, for the first time in awhile, I didn't wake up with dry, itchy skin- woo hoo! So I am going to give it 7 days of twice a day application and see how my skin likes it. I'll update you when the experiment is over. Let me know if you try it!

Enjoy this cold winter weather, stay warm, and eat (or wear) some Ghee!

Chlorella shots with Chia seed chasers...

Today I want to talk about my daily superfood ritual- most days, I try to take a big ole' shot of Chlorella (a beautiful blue green algae, similar to Spirulina) followed by a big ole' glass of soaked Chia seeds. Most of you know what Chia seeds are (and if you grew up in the 80's and were super lucky, you had a Chia pet!!!). They are all over health food stores, touted as Aztec super energy food (which is true- Aztec and Mayan warriors would eat them on long journeys to keep their energy up and stay full longer). Since I am not eating grains right now (or gluten- ever), I have to make sure I am getting enough fiber to keep things running smoothly (wink). Chia seeds have a huge amount of fiber, besides being high in Omega 3's, and also contain a large amount of calcium, which is great for me too since I tent to avoid dairy most of the time. Chlorella is a blue green algae that has some amazing capabilities- it can bind to toxic chemicals (particularly heavy metals and Dioxin, chemicals that can be present in your stomach from the food you ingest, and accumulate in your fatty tissue). It is important to note that Chlorella only binds to metals and toxins that you have recently ingested (that are in your digestive tract at the time), not to metals and toxins that are already absorbed in your fatty tissue- so it seems that they will not "pull" accumulated toxins out of your body, but rather help to mitigate the ingestion of toxins as you eat them in food.  In terms of Dioxins in particular, the WHO reports that:

• Dioxins are a group of chemically-related compounds that are persistent environmental pollutants.
• Dioxins are found throughout the world in the environment and they accumulate in the food chain, mainly in the fatty tissue of animals.
• More than 90% of human exposure is through food, mainly meat and dairy products, fish and shellfish. Many national authorities have programmes in place to monitor the food supply.
• Dioxins are highly toxic and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and also cause cancer  

(Source: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs225/en/)

Clearly, we don't want Dioxins (or heavy metals or other chemicals) in our bodies, and they need to be avoided especially in small children and pregnant and breastfeeding women. I am eating a fairly strict Paleo diet right now, and I try to eat about 4 tablespoons of grass fed Ghee (homemade) everyday (which is making my skin glow!). There have been some findings that even exclusively grass fed or organic butter has been found to have Dioxin in it- it is so prevalent in our world that even the most pristine environments may have Dioxin in the soil, and therefore it transfers to the cows grazing on the grass, and then transfers to the fatty tissue of the cows, and then goes right into that beautiful grass fed butter. But grass fed butter is a Paleo super food! What to do now?! I am not going to stop eating my Ghee made with gorgeous grass fed butter, because I have noticed an improvement in my health since I introduced it to my diet. But, it is possible that by making Ghee from the grass fed butter (which is essentially made by cooking out the milk fats and casein), I am removing the part of the butter that contains most of the contaminants. Just as insurance, I take a shooter of Chlorella a day, to trap up any toxins that I might have ingested, and then follow it with a big glass of Chia to move that bad stuff right out of my body. There have been some recent studies done in Japan on the effects of Chlorella and removal of Dioxins in breast milk in mothers who are breast feeding. Breast milk has been found to have high concentrations of Dioxin, and they found that taking Chlorella significantly reduces the amount of Dioxin that is present in the breast milk.  (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17472477) I think that is just amazing! What an easy way to protect your baby from a chemical that is ever present in our system, and may be very hard to avoid ingesting. My thought is, if Chlorella removes Dioxin from breast milk, it probably removes it from your body as a whole- so why not take it?! It is important for pregnant women to remember- the toxins that are bound up by Chlorella are the ones present in your digestive system at the time, and not the toxins that have already moved to your blood and fatty tissues, so it is seemingly safe for pregnant women and won't "transfer chemicals to the baby" as some people have thought (but always exercise caution when taking anything as a pregnant or breastfeeding woman!!!)

I like to think of my Chlorella shots and Chia chasers as super food insurance- preventative care that I can easily do now to avoid getting sick later in life, and to help keep my future children safe from ever present chemicals in our food supply. It's all about preventative wellness- I want to do everything I can to live a long and healthy life, and Chia seed and Chlorella shots are a step in that direction. Let me know if you pick up some Chlorella or Chia (or both!) and what you think. Oh, and Happy Halloween!!!

new obsession... yes, I'm obsessed with soap...

I really love the Clean Well company- they use Thyme oil in their products (yes, like thyme from the garden), which is a potent natural antibacterial agent. I have used their "hand sanitizer" for a long time now- I like knowing that I am using something that won't chemically mess with my system but is good at killing bad bacteria! This soap is to die for, it gets the job done and it smells like an orange creamsicle! What more could you want?! I bet it would go over well with kids, since it smells like a sweet treat (although, on second thought, they may want to eat it... so maybe not...) I highly recommend this to anyone who loved creamsicles as a kid (I was obsessed- all that sugar!!!!) and wants to fight germs naturally. I actually use their surface cleaner sometimes as well, I alternate between homemade vinegar cleaners and their lemon thyme surface cleaner- I really like the straight up thyme smell, and it seems to fight germs really well. If you see this in your neighborhood natural foods store, give it a try!

Stay healthy and warm, and enjoy this lovely fall weather!

wellness tip! (or, a post about my neurosis)

Dr Bronner's soap is my jam! This stuff is amazing, and you can use it for a million different things (the peppermint works really well as toothpaste on camping trips). I use it for my body and in my cleaning products- we even wash our dog with it. But this post is not actually about the soap, so much as it is about my neurosis. I am totally freaked out by chemicals. The nasty, screw with your hormones and gut flora, give you cancer kind of chemicals. Many many soaps (and a host of other self care products) contain questionable ingredients that can make you sick, add to your toxin load, disrupt your helpful microbe population in your gut, mess with your hormones... I could go on and on. We all know it is super important to wash your hands frequently, especially in the colder months when colds and flu's proliferate. One of the most preventative things you can do to keep yourself healthy is to wash your hands frequently and well. But what if you are like me, and are trying to avoid these substances and the flu as well, and you walk into a restroom at a restaurant or somewhere, and you see that they have the scary bulk bright pink soap!  Or some other version of "antibacterial" soap... which probably contains triclosan (among other ickies), which as of this fall, the FDA deems "safe" (don't get me started!), but recent studies have shown that it alters hormone regulation in animals and contributes to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics- both things we do not want!!! I don't know about you, but I don't want petroleum derivatives, phthalates, parabens, or triclosan on my body (what goes on goes in!). So that's why, in my quest to be clean of disease and clean of chemicals, I carry my own soap in my purse. Yep, I am the crazy lady who whips out her own soap to wash her hands wherever she goes. I have a mini bottle of Dr. Bronner's Peppermint soap in my bag as we speak, and it is already half empty due to my avoidance of icky pink soap. I encourage you to take your own soap (find a little glass jar of your own and put some chemical free liquid soap in it if you can't find the mini bottles of Dr. B's) with you, so you can avoid cancer causing chemicals and the flu at the same time! No more choosing between the two, as long as you don't mind the funny looks you may get from people when you whip out your own soap in the bathroom.

And that is your wellness tip/ look into my craziness! Hope you are all well as the weather gets colder and the days get shorter! Ps. We are now on Facebook, so if you haven't already LIKED us, please do and get updates and FB only tips from the blog! (pumpkins-parsnips-and-parsimony on Facebook)