Category Archives: Natural Health

Today a local morning show posted the following statement/question on Facebook.

“Superbowl can be fun… but if your team loses doctors say it can be deadly. How stressed are you about the game and how will you keep your cool if the “wrong” team wins?”- Smart Family

After I (and several others) stopped laughing and responded with sarcasm about the obviously misplaced priorities that would make someone so upset they’d DIE if their team lost the Superbowl, I thought about the second question SF posted. “What do you do to handle stress in general?”

This is a little more up my alley because in the last few years, I have found that stress tends to affect me profoundly if I am not paying attention to it. We’ve all heard stress can cause all kinds of body ailments from headaches (listen migraine sufferers!), stomach to heart problems. It can also affect a woman’s monthly cycle – causing ovulation to be delayed or just skipped that month. So, what can we do to minimize stress in our lives? Here are some of the things that I’ve found helpful. 

1. Acknowledge, without judgment, you’re feeling stressed. This is harder than you think. Americans in particular feel that we should be able to go and go and go without rest. After all, we have the technology to burn the candle at both ends and squeeze every drop out of our day. For some reason, it feels good to schedule every minute so full we don’t have time to think or attend to the more spiritual aspects of ourselves.

2. Get off the crazy ride for a moment and STOP what you’re doing. If you don’t stop, you probably won’t figure out what it is that’s got you feeling like your heart is going to squeeze out the top of your throat (or what’s making your head hurt etc). Give yourself the freedom to take time to rest your brain and then ask yourself, “Is everything in my schedule really necessary? Or can something slide?”

Just a note about scheduling life…When I was in my early twenties, I went to a seminar where author, Dr. Richard Swenson, gave a session on his book, Margin. The concept was simple. We tend to pack our days 100% full of activity, often barely giving ourselves enough time to race from one appointment to the next. Then, when something unexpected happens (as it usually does) or if a friend needs help, we melt down down because there’s no margin in our schedule to handle it.  His suggestion? Fill your schedule only 80% and give yourself room to handle the unexpected or to just enjoy life.

3. Purposely schedule time for yourself to just RELAX. I’ve done this for myself lately. In the afternoons, my two year old takes a nap and my four year old wants to play on the computer. So, I decided I would rest by reading – for a whole hour and a half. I felt kind of guilty the first few days but after a while, I really enjoyed it and found I had the energy to tackle some projects I had been too tired to approach previously. See? Resting can be PRODUCTIVE!

Here are some ways to actually use that relaxing time…

Take a bath. – I recently convinced a friend that a hot bath might help with her headaches. She told me today that she takes one every week now. Aside from being grateful that she’s taking better care of her hygiene (haha!), I’m happy she’s finding a way to just enjoy some time alone. She’s one of the hardest working people I know. Now, if she can only keep her 3 year old from jumping in every time mom’s taking a bath!

Go for a walk/run/hike. Exercise does more than keep our muscles and bones strong. It stimulates blood flow and energy throughout the body and lifts our spirits. Can’t schedule an hour? Try going for ten minutes and take deep breaths as you go. You’ll be surprised at the difference you feel in your spirit and body and I bet you’ll be finding ways to stretch that ten minutes to twenty!

Speaking of deep breaths…Take some. Sit in a chair or lie down and take 5 slow, deep breaths while relaxing your whole body. You might even fall asleep. 

Take a nap. I’ve noticed that when I’m tired, I don’t handle stressful situations very well at all. In fact, I’d go so far as to say I often create them for myself. Do yourself (and everyone around you) a favor and get a good night’s sleep or a nap during the day. 

Pray or meditate. There are all kinds of studies that say prayer has inexplicably positive results in our physical lives. Try it. You might be surprised to get an answer.

Make new friends or visit the old. When we feel isolated, life’s biggest challenges often seem – well, BIGGER. The laughter and balance that a good friend can bring is invaluable to bring perspective to those challenges. Find some people to laugh with and forget your troubles for a while. If you don’t have many friends, take a yoga class, join a meetup group, find a church. There is someone out there who wants to have  a friend just like you. Trust me, I know this – Mr. Rogers told me. Who knows, maybe your friend will have already been where you are. 

Have SEX. Think you’re too stressed to do it? Just make an effort, you might surprise yourself. Think of all the reasons you love your significant other. Or think of all the reasons you’re doing it for you! Not enough? My husband keeps telling me that men who have sex three times a week live 15 years longer than those who don’t. In fact, he informs me, it’s part of elite athletes’ healthcare regimens. Maybe he’s a really good con man but can I afford to risk it?

Eat a piece (or two) of dark chocolate. We have all seen this in magazines right? Dark chocolate has amazing properties like lowering blood pressure and gifting us with antioxidants. But, that’s not why I eat it. Eating chocolate just makes me happy. So there.

Well, that’s all for today folks. What do you do to de-stress?

Recently, I’ve posted a few herbal remedies our family uses to maintain or recover good health.  You can read one here.  Of course, as I moved around town during the holiday season, talking to this person and that about being sick, I found myself faced over and over with the same thing. It’s not necessarily profound, but it’s worth saying.

Taking time to care for our bodies is something we’re not good at in our culture. Sure, we love to stay in shape, taking time to run, walk, bike, lift weights etc. But when it comes to illness that requires rest, Americans tend to just drink some caffeine and keep going.

Which leads us to one of the biggest mistakes we make when cold & flu season hits. Instead of taking a moment to slow down when we feel the first hint of funkiness (usually that stage where we wonder, “Am I getting sick or am I just tired?”), we shoot some caffeine and keep going. I’ve said this before but it’s worth repeating.

Contrary to current popular belief, wandering around feeling like crap, trying to prove you’re superman (or woman) – and likely infecting everyone you’re in contact with is not ‘Fighting the flu, cold, etc.’ It’s just giving whatever nasty bug you have more time for a big windup that will likely knock you down for the count.

This brings me to part of the blessing of using herbs and food to maintain health. In a culture where we expect to pop a pill to cure us (which doesn’t work for a lot of things), using herbs (or even food) to heal what ails us requires that we stop and really listen to our bodies (and sometimes our minds/hearts) to figure out what’s going on inside of us. We get sick for all kinds of reasons – but tired, stressed and overworked immune systems (and spirits) are always more vulnerable to illness. Making that cup of tea or smoothie & resting takes mere moments more than glugging some Imodium. But taking that time will build your immune system and provide real healing rather than just mask the symptoms till you’re so worn out you crash.

Once you’ve passed the clear liquid stage of fighting the Big “D”, you might feel like you can eat a large animal – bovine or equine. Please refrain from anything so drastic and try these instead. These are some great foods that have medicinal properties when it comes to diarrhea. 

Applesauce
What discussion about healthy bowels would be complete without apple? It’s really true that an apple a day keeps the doc away. This fruit is amazing because it contains pectin & fiber. So, it basically balances out the bowels, no matter what the problem. Plus it’s one of the few things that most kids love to eat – no matter how sick they feel. To quote my Uncle Sam, “How ’bout them apples?” 

Yogurt
I used to avoid dairy completely during bouts of stomach ick. But, last year, I ran across some advice from a wise woman to use it anyway because of the pro-biotic properties. True, you can just buy pro-biotics – but I used yogurt with my girls and it worked fast. They were not sick nearly as long as their friends. So, I’m a convert. Just be sure it’s plain yogurt. You can always flavor it yourself with blackberry jam or some raw honey (are you getting that we love raw honey yet?) 

Blueberries
Blueberries are traditionally used to ease diarrhea naturally. They’re great thrown into a thin smoothie – with coconut milk or yogurt and a banana.

Bananas
A good source of the potassium needed to battle dehydration, bananas also provide energy and starch, which can slow things down in the downstairs department, if you know what I mean. If you’ve ever had a kid with constipation, you know not to give him or her more than one banana a day. Just apply that same philosophy the other direction. Now you’re thinking!

Coconut milk
While I usually agree that high fat food should be avoided during a bought of diarrhea, coconut milk is the exception. Coconut milk is like magic food. Its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-microbial properties are perfect for this kind of illness. Additionally, coconut milk will replenish nutrients lost to diarrhea like potassium and electrolytes. Pretty awesome, huh? This week, I made a smoothie of coconut milk, banana, strawberries and a little raw honey. I couldn’t drink very much but it really boosted my energy.  I always have a can of this in my pantry.

Brown rice
For some reason, brown rice is mild to eat when one is sick and it stops the big “D” like no other. My friend Christine of The Baker’s Daughter says her mom used to make rice pudding with it. Short grain brown rice works best for this. I make the rice according to the proportions on the package and substitute coconut milk for the water. Add a little honey, vanilla or cinnamon to taste for a nourishing and palatable treat. Works great for kids who don’t want to eat. You can always blend it if you like smoother textured pudding.

If you don’t want to make rice pudding or don’t like the texture, you can always just make regular brown rice with or without chicken broth.

Blackberry Jam
Anecdotal information says that blackberry jam might be helpful. Blackberries are nutritious and have some fiber that might slow things down a little. They taste great in yogurt or a smoothie. Just be sure your jam is mostly berries with just a little sugar – and no corn syrup. Ick.

Sourdough toast or water crackers
We are all about whole grains in this house. In fact, we usually eat Ezekiel bread – a sprouted grain toast. However, those choices are far too fibrous for a tummy recovering from ickiness, so we offer thin slices of sourdough or crackers if “real” food sounds good.

Healing smoothies – easy to digest and a great place to hide healthy ingredients that will stop that diarrhea if it’s not gone yet.
Recipe
1 banana
handful of rice (we started doing this recently. It works great!)
handful of frozen blueberries
handful of frozen strawberries
yogurt*
water to desired texture

*Alternately, you can use coconut milk to the texture you desire and throw a bit of applesauce in. In other words, just pick and choose from the food list to make a smoothie you like.

Here are the things to avoid
Caffeine – a diuretic that will wreak havoc on a system that’s already taxed. Give your bowels and your adrenals a break and avoid this during illness
Oatmeal – too rough on a sore stomach.
Dairy other than yogurt
Wheat toast – too rough on a tender tummy
Anything acidic like tomato or orange juice.

It’s that time of year. Friends have been saying they’ve had some major tummy distress that produces some rather undesirable (and sometimes embarrassing) side effects. Unfortunately, I myself had a bought of food poisoning this week – the very day I was supposed to perform in Handel’s Messiah. Eeeek! I needed a remedy – quick! So, although there’s a certain “ick” factor to posting about something like this, I will sacrifice my dignity to share my remedy for the bigger “D” with the world. Haha!

Here’s what’s in my medicine cabinet to treat the dreaded diarrhea.

First of all – straight water and tummy ailments don’t go well together. There’s a reason why Saint Paul recommended a little wine for the stomach’s sake. (No, I don’t believe it was just grape juice.) Water can feel very bracing to a sore stomach. So, instead, mix up the remedies below with some gentle, weak teas – like chamomile, mint or cinnamon. All good for healing and comforting what ails you.

Secondly, use one of these Remedies and GO TO BED. Rest and you may find you don’t get sick at all. Contrary to current popular belief, wandering around feeling like crap, trying to prove you’re superman (or woman) – and likely infecting everyone you’re in contact with is not “Fighting the flu, cold, etc.” It’s just giving it more time for a big windup that will likely knock you down for the count.


At the Onset of Ickiness

Charcoal Pills
These aren’t supposed to work for the flu but they will help with food poisoning (since the big “D” can happen with either, they count). Activated charcoal has a vast surface area and is good at absorbing all sorts of random particles. So, it is used by emergency rooms to neutralize poisons and drugs.

That said, it will neutralize the effect of any medicine being taken with it as well, so medication should be taken separately. A relatively healthy person who doesn’t have any liver or kidney problems will appreciate the fast acting benefits of charcoal. It never hurts to check with your doc about taking something like this.

Blackberry root
Blackberry root has astringent properties, which means it can knock out the big “D” pretty quickly. This year, I was prepared. I made blackberry root tincture this summer in preparation for this year’s stomach flu season. For the uninitiated, a tincture is simply an extraction of the herb’s medicinal properties into a base of alcohol, glycerin or vinegar. I use brandy. It also mitigates the sometimes punchy taste of this herb.

While I had tincture and drank it every hour for about 6 hours, Rosemary Gladstar, a well-known American Herbalist, also suggests making tea from the root, along with slippery elm and cinnamon. This is probably the easiest remedies for people who are newbies to herbs. Soothing and pretty tasty. This is something I use for my kids also. You can purchase blackberry root & slippery elm bark online from Mountain Rose Herbs. They offer great prices and high quality.

To make this tea, use 3 parts blackberry root to 2 parts slippery elm. Use one teaspoon in a cup of water and simmer for twenty minutes. Strain and cool – then drink 2-4 T every hour or more often as needed. You can add cinnamon bark to the mixture or sprinkle some cinnamon on the top of your drink. I usually add raw honey to whatever tea I’m making since the big “D” takes so much out of it’s victims.

Blackberry Jam
If you’ve been blindsided by the big “D” and don’t have any blackberry root, anecdotal information says that blackberry jam might still be helpful. Blackberries are nutritious and have some fiber that might slow things down a little. It tastes great in yogurt or a smoothie. Just be sure your jam is mostly berries with a little sugar – and no corn syrup. Ick.

Raspberry leaf tea 
Raspberry leaf is also in the astringent category – and thankfully, tastes more mild than the blackberry root, which makes sense since roots tend to have a stronger flavor than leaves. You can make a tea out of it like I did – and toss a few rose petals and lavender in for flavor – or just drink it straight.

To make this tea, add 1 T raspberry leaf per 8 oz boiling water. Steep covered for a few minutes and drink with a little raw honey. Always use raw – it will help your tummy feel better too.

Rosemary Tea
I just discovered rosemary as a stomach comfort the last time my husband had the stomach ick. He was actually having a hard time keeping anything down as opposed to the topic we’re discussing today. I steeped a bit of rosemary in boiling water – just like tea – and he was able to drink it with a little raw honey. It is supposed to help with stomach cramps and he said it worked for him. I would not recommend rosemary for pregnant women.

Chamomile Tea
A comforting, soothing choice for sore tummies.

Mint Tea
Some people really love mint tea for tummy aches. It’s not my personal favorite – but mostly because I’m not a huge fan of mint when I’m feeling seasick.

Coconut water
If you haven’t had coconut water before, this is a great time to try it. Coconut is awesome. It’s anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-microbial. More importantly, coconut water will replenish nutrients lost to diarrhea like potassium and electrolytes. We use coconut water and teas instead of Pedialyte in our house. My kids never would drink Pedialyte and I think it tastes nasty too.

When you’re dealing with something like the big “D” that sends you running to the toilet at the most unexpected times, it’s best to give your body a little rest from hard to digest foods – at least temporarily. They’ll only prolong the pain a little longer. Instead, go for clear liquids like teas and broth. Chicken broth (especially homemade) is high in magnesium, calcium and other yummy nutrients that will provide nourishment to your taxed system without causing more crazy tummy distress.

Here are a few more things to avoid
Caffeine – a diuretic that will wreak havoc on a system that’s already taxed. Give your bowels and your adrenals a break and avoid this during illness
Oatmeal – too rough on a sore stomach.
Dairy other than yogurt
Wheat toast – too rough on a tender tummy
Anything acidic like tomato or orange juice.

That’s it for the herbal remedies we currently use.

Just a note…Blackberry root and raspberry have an astringent effect on the body – that’s why they’re useful for diarrhea. However, to stay hydrated, mix it up a little in the drink department. Remember tea – not soda. I remember doctors always recommending 7-up or gingerale when I was a kid. However, I recently read that carbonated beverages might not be the best option for sore tummies. Something to do with the carbonation causing more discomfort as the bubbles expand the stomach. You decide. You can still get the hydration and a bit of sweetness from honey tea – without corn syrup.