10 Ways to Detox Your Life

1.     Drink more water! “The solution to pollution is dilution”, Steven Horne. I like to add Cell Food to my water: which adds enzymes, minerals, and amino acids to help bring balance to the body and help to increase detoxification activity.

2.     Liquid Chlorophyll (Nature’s Sunshine) – Chlorophyll is the blood of the plant, providing concentrated nutrition. Usually from alfalfa which grows deep into the ground, absorbing the minerals found there, such as iron. Chlorophyll is both cleansing and building for the body.

3.     Chlorella (also Nori and Wakame seaweed) – consuming chlorella resulted in a significant reduction of dioxin levels in breast milk in a study of Japanese women. Chlorella has the potential to absorb heavy metals and has been used to reduce lead and mercury.

4.     Cilantro enhances mercury excretion following dental amalgam removal and decreases lead absorption in the bones of animals. Use cilantro any time you have been exposed to heavy metals.

5.     Probiotics restore the damaged environment in the intestines, facilitating excretion of toxicants, replacing them with healthy flora.

6.     NAC (n-acetyl-cysteine) enhance mobilization of toxicants from tissue storage sites and increased their rate of elimination. It also reduced and removed arsenic form the organs. Glutathione (in absorbable forms) facilitates the movement of toxins from fat storage.

7.     Bentonite clay and activated charcoal decreases the re-uptake of toxicants in the body by absorbing them and assisting their removal through the lower bowel. Use these any time you feel that you may have been poisoned.

8.     Eat plenty of Fiber! Fiber in the diet helps to keep the bowels clean and reduces absorption of toxins into the body. Psyllium is also a natural lipase inhibitor, which decreases the absorption of fat - and the toxins stored therein - into the body.

9.     Essential Oils which have been traditionally used to detoxify the body include: lemon, grapefruit, and peppermint. I love doTerra’s Zendocrine blend too.

10.   Herbs that have been traditionally used to detoxify the body include: aloe, buckthorn, bugleweed, burdock root, capsicum, cascara sagrada, cilantro,dandelion root, ginger, licorice, marshmallow, milk thistle, Oregon grape, red clover, sarsaparilla, turkey rhubarb, and yellow dock.

Consider including some of these into your daily lifestyle to improve the detoxifying of your body. We are exposed to multiple toxins daily, so we need to be aware and active in removing them from our lives as much as possible. Please stop into the shop to discuss with me some of the detox possibilities we have available, or call for an appointment to create a plan of action to meet your goals. I would love to partner with you as your health coach!

Mullein: "The Respiratory Herb"

Mullein is one of my favorite herbs to have on hand for winter. I used it often in our home while raising my children and now for my grandchildren. It is soothing for respiratory symptoms, coughing, drainage down the back of the throat, or earaches. Mullein, Verbascus thapsus, grows in fields and along the side of the road in Ohio. You may even find it in the crack of the driveway. It loves poor soil. Mullein is a biennial, which means it only lives for two years. The first year it grows in a simple rosette of soft, fuzzy, oblong leaves. The second year it sends up a tall stalk and blooms with tiny yellow flowers. Leave the stalk to release seeds for the next year.

You can use flowers, leaves, and roots for herbal medicine. I use the leaves the most, as an expectorant and bactericidal, wonderful for the respiratory system. Its long list of traditional herbal uses include: allergies, asthma, bronchitis, broken bones, coughs, croup, diarrhea, earaches, emphysema, swollen glands, lungs, swollen joints, and pain. It also has sedative properties. Mullein flowers can be used as an antiseptic for wounds, to prevent infection, and soothe nerve pain. I love to make earache oil from the flowers. I call it, “liquid gold”, because you have to go out each day to pick just a few flowers and save them up until you have enough to make the oil. Mullein roots have uses too – make into a tincture for bedwetting, symptoms of facial nerve pain, or for bones when something seems “out of joint”.

I have used mullein for swollen glands in the neck. Make a tea of the leaves, add peppermint and sweeten if you like, and drink a quart a day. Also make a strong tea to use externally on a cloth over the swelling. You will quickly see the lymphatic inflammation go down in the gland. You can also dip a whole fresh leave in hot water and use it as a poultice on the swelling.

I have seen mullein do wonders for people just out of the hospital with bronchitis or complications of COPD.Mullein tea makes a very inexpensive, safe, and effective herbal medicine! A favorite combination for use with asthma or other breathing difficulties is to use 3 parts mullein with 1 part lobelia in a tincture form. See Dr. Christopher’s writings to learn more about how to use mullein to help with breathing and opening up the bronchial airways.

Nature’s Sunshine has a terrific formula called ALJ. I use it and keep it as a staple in my herb cupboard. I like to make it into a glycerite tincture for my granddaughter, as she likes the taste of my homemade remedy better. This recipe is tried and true – it works! I use it as a decongestant/expectorant with colds and allergies. Here is how I make it.

Lisa’s Version of ALJ – In a pint jar place one-fourth cup of each herb: Boneset, Fennel Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, Horseradish Root, and Mullein Leaves. In a large measuring cup mix together: One and one-third cup hot water with two-thirds cup vegetable glycerine. Pour the liquid over the herbs in the jar, make sure the herbs are covered well. Screw on lid. Let set for 2 weeks, shaking the jar daily. Strain and put liquid into a tincture bottle. Dose: 2 dropperfuls every 2 hours for an adult for 3 days, as you feel better reduce the dose to 3 times a day. May use once a day for more chronic allergies, usually in the morning. To figure a child’s dose, go by body size – half an adult size body gets half a dose (1 dropperful), a smaller child maybe one-fourth a dose or half a dropperful.

Directions for Earache Oil – Collect as many mullein flowers as you can, dry them slightly by laying them out for a few days on a plate. Place the wilted and dried flowers in a glass canning jar that is size appropriate to the amount of flowers you have gathered, they should only fill it halfway. Cover the flowers generously with olive oil. Screw on lid. Let set for 2 weeks, shaking daily. Strain and place in a tincture bottle with dropper. To use, warm the oil by setting the bottle in a glass of hot water, test the oil on your wrist. Place 3 drops warm oil in the ear, followed with half a cotton ball to keep it warm. Use as needed for the pain.

Take the time to gather your herbs, dry them, and make your tinctures and oils before you actually need them. Be prepared with these wonderful remedies at home. Save money, use less drugs, have less need for doctor’s appointments, and keep your family healthy! Call ME, your local herbalist, if you need help.

What is In Your Medicine Chest?

Drugs with a lot of side effects? 

NSAIDS have been shown to harm the liver, kidneys, and stomach lining. Is that really what you want to take for that headache or PMS cramps? I use a homeopathic remedy called Formula 303. It combines valerian root, passionflower herb, and magnesium into a fantastic little pain reliever. I keep this in my purse and use it as my first go to for headache pain.

Pain and inflammation a little more intense? Maybe a little too much snow shoveling or work in the garden? Then I use Curamin X Strength – pain relief in 20 minutes. Any side effects? Nope!

Feeling nausea, bloating, gas, upset stomach? I keep a jar of crystallized ginger by my desk for any time my tummy feels off. It is great to take on trips for motion sickness too!

Digestion problems more intense? Relying on antacids? Did you know they have a very bad form of calcium that can build up in the body? Think kidney stones, bone spurs, or inside your arteries – whoa, definitely a bad idea! Try digestive enzymes instead – these help to break down the food in your stomach, solving the cause of distress.

Did you know that there are natural alternatives to most of the everyday drugs you rely on? You can improve your health by taking the time to evaluate your drug choices and bring in more natural remedies. Be Your Own Doctor classes start in March if you want to learn more! 

Medicine Chest Makeover Challenge!!!

Go thru each item in your medicine chest. Evaluate side effects and target drugs you want to replace. Check for out of date items and throw them away – yes it is ok to get rid of them! As each drug in your medicine cabinet runs low, find a natural alternative to replace it. One choice at a time – you can live more naturally! Need help? Make an appointment with your herbalist for assistance.