Anxious? Try Rescue Remedy.

RESCUE REMEDY – Perfect for any emergency!

When disaster strikes, what is the first thing you reach for?  Do you have what you need in those first moments, available to you almost without thought?  Every household should be prepared for emergencies.  One of the best things to include in your emergency kit is Rescue Remedy. 

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Created by Dr. Bach in the 1800’s, from the flowers around his England home, Rescue Remedy is a blend of five of the original 38 flower remedies.  It calms, stabilizes, and heals.  It has been recommended in all types of accidents, hysteria, shock, collapse, panic, attack, stroke, burns, injuries, threat of suicide, or tense situations.  I have used it when feeling stressed or anxious and felt almost instant relief.  My daughter uses it before visiting the dentist.  I also give it to my dog, before a visit to the vet.  The Bach flowers are prepared homeopathically, which means that they are very safe!  They have no side effects or interactions with medications.  Bach flowers are safely used with children, the weak and sick, elderly, or animals.

The normal dosage of Rescue Remedy is three drops on the tongue at intervals of about 10 minutes, until improvement occurs, then lengthen the time between doses until no longer needed.  If oral ingestion is not possible, you may place a few drops on a person’s lips or rub into their forehead.  Rescue Remedy also comes in a cream, which may be more easily used in some situations…such as the hospital or at school.

The five flowers included in the Rescue Remedy and their descriptions follow:

Cherry Plum is for losing control and when hysteria is evident and violent, even to the point of doing harm to someone else or one’s self.  When combined with the other flowers in this formula it has the ability to allow a person to maintain control when dealing with pain or when terrified.

Clematis restores consciousness; useful in fainting, coma, or injury.  It has the ability to help a person remain conscious, to be focused, or to take action, even if in pain.

Impatiens is the remedy for PAIN!  Impatiens helps, whether there is mental pain of irritability and extreme stress, or physical pain such as a toothache or even in the intense pain of an accident.

Rock Rose is the remedy for panic or terror, as in accidents or near death experiences.  It is for paralyzing fear.  It gives the ability to have courage, to sacrifice oneself for another, to do what is “right”, it also gives mental freedom from fear.

Star of Bethlehem is the remedy for shock and trauma.  When you have heard bad news, after being in an accident, or subjected to harm.  This remedy defuses trauma, so that it does not become locked into the subconscious memory pattern to haunt a person for life.  Stories of use include:  after being attacked by a dog, so as to not maintain a fear of dogs.  Or perhaps when someone is returning to driving after experiencing a car accident.

Having these five flowers together in one remedy makes it easy to have ready and to use quickly.  You don’t have to give much thought as to which flower remedy would be best, because it is perfectly blended together for you.  If in doubt, if in an emergency, USE RESCUE REMEDY!

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FREE DEMONSTRATIONS at Healthy Life Solutions

 When? 2nd Saturday of the month at 9:30 am

 Where? 232 W. 6th Ave - Lancaster, OH - 740.689.1111

February 11 – BACH Rescue Remedy

Learn how this homeopathic remedy can help you with anxious, stressful thoughts and situations, or even feelings of panic. SAFE and reliable, a remedy you can trust, even for children or pets. Best of all, anxiety relief without side effects!

3 Steps to JOY this Holiday Season

I have had an unusual number of people come into the store with depression this month. Are you one of those who are struggling to find JOY this year? Maybe it is the dreary weather, maybe it is too much stress, maybe it is the demands of family, or financial pressures. We all have things which can weigh us down and make daily life hard to face, much less try to put on the happy face for the holidays! If you are looking for a little natural help this season, I have some suggestions for you.

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1. Simplify, delete, and cleanse! We overload our life with too many commitments, too much stuff in our homes, too many ideas in our heads, and too much sugary junk food. We simply don't have to say "yes" to it all. Give yourself permission right now to just say "NO, thank you". What can you eliminate from the calendar? It really is ok to spend the evening alone with a book! Give yourself spending limits, a simple homemade gift can be just as nice and maybe even mean more to those you love. Do you really need all of the decorations from the past 20 years in your house? Delete. If you don't love it, donate it to someone else and make their holiday brighter. Food, food, and more food, at every party! If you try it all, you will feel sick, you know you will. I suggest you pick one special goody to enjoy, and leave the rest. You won't feel deprived or overloaded or guilty, and you can plan to do a total body cleanse in January.
2. Take care of yourself! Stress can eat you alive. Try drinking a Cup of Calm tea, wonderful for settling down and it will help you sleep better too. Really feeling anxious? We have an herbal formula called Anxiety Free, which helps you to handle it all better, without the side effects of drugs. Make sure you are covering the basics in your diet with a good multivitamin and maybe some added B vitamins to help your nervous system.Extra Magnesium is also needed in times of stress.
3. Concentrate on giving JOY to others! Are you feeling grumpy in that long line at the store register? Give a smile to those around you. Is the family cranky and demanding? Put on some music to lighten the mood and use some essential oils in the diffuser to improve everyone's mood. If you are feeling sorry for yourself, find someone who has a bigger need and fill it. The holidays are all about giving to others. I was in Walmart a couple of weeks ago and I was feeling grumpy. There were 2 ladies ahead of me in line and one of them had more than 20 items. Ugh! The older and a bit confused lady in front of her had forgotten her credit card. So she said she would have to leave everything and come back later. The woman in front of me, the one with too many items, offered to pay for the older woman's purchases. She had to be convincing, because the first lady was a bit embarrassed. By the time it was paid for, I think everyone in line had tears in their eyes. Simple kindness. Sometimes we forget how much that can mean to someone.

I hope these simple, natural suggestions help you to have the best holiday ever! If you are out shopping and finding the stress is too much, stop by Healthy Life Solutions and have a cup of tea with me. Maybe all you need is a different perspective to find your JOY again.

Chronic Eczema

I hope you had fun at the county fair this year. I know we enjoyed seeing all of you at our booth. It is nice to get away from routine, have a little fun, and of course eat fair food. I especially enjoyed hearing some of the success stories that customers took time to share with me. One in particular stood out to me, a child around 5 years old with severe eczema, a problem since birth. 

Her mother shared the exciting news of how essential oils were making all the difference. She uses Dragon's Blood in coconut oil applied daily. I was pleased that she had no visible signs of eczema, what a blessing! Essential oils are amazing!

Chronic skin problems such as eczema are challenging. They can be hereditary, allergies, or the result of toxin exposure. Always try to eliminate the cause if you can. In children, the most common allergies are cow's milk and eggs, so you might begin with eliminating those. Use very gentle soaps and shampoos, such as castile, to eliminate chemicals. Many find it nice to make their own skin care products using healing essential oils and leaving out the chemicals. You also could do some internal cleansing with herbs such as burdock or red clover. A deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids may also contribute to the condition. Also, be sure to drink enough water. Try these blends for relief from dry, itchy, irritated skin and keep the skin moisturized so it doesn't crack and weep. (Recipes are from the book: the Complete Aromatherapy & Essential Oils Handbook for Everyday Wellness, by Nerys Purchon and Lora Cantele.)

DRY ECZEMA OIL BLEND

8 tsp. grapeseed, almond, or hemp oil

10 drops evening primrose oil

10 drops chamomile essential oil

5 drops myrrh essential oil

5 drops lavender essential oil

CREAM BLEND FOR WEEPING ECZEMA

¼ cup shea butter

15 drops lavender essential oil

15 drops frankincense essential oil

15 drops myrrh essential oil

10 drops chamomile essential oil

2 drops vitamin E oil

Do You Suffer With PMS?

I have been reading a fascinating book, "Your Body Can Talk", by Susan Levy and Carol Lehr.  I thought I would paraphrase what I have read, and share their fascinating information about PMS with you.  I recommend the book and give them full credit for the information.  They describe four types of PMS, or Premenstrual Syndrome, that may affect women during their menstrual cycle.  Which type are you?

Type A ...PMS - Anxiety

Do you experience mood swings, nervous tension, anxiety, or irritability?  Do you suffer with excessive worry, feel vulnerable, fearful, or insecure at certain times during the month?    Herbal stress relief formulas, BACH flowers, Homeopathics, or Amino Acid supplements may help to balance these overly stressed women.  Eat foods which promote calm within the body.  Avoid excessive salt, as it may cause the body to retain up to five pounds of fluid.  With this water retention, the brain actually swells, causing intense anxiety and mood swings.   B Vitamins can be very helpful to balance the nervous system, along with minerals, chromium, zinc, and magnesium.  Reduce the stress in your life as much as possible, and use methods to deal with stress positively.  Change your thinking patterns, treat yourself to a massage, or join a yoga class.

Type C...PMS - Craving

Do you experience headache, increased appetite, fatigue, dizziness, fainting, or heart pounding?  Those women, who have a tendency to hypoglycemia, may find symptoms intensified prior to menstruation.  They may experience compulsive intense sugar cravings a week or ten days before their period.  Once sugar is eaten, the body chemistry is thrown off balance, blood sugar levels lower, and headaches may result.  Sugar cravings may signal the need in the body of other nutrients, such as chromium, magnesium, or zinc, and oddly enough excessive sugar intake depletes the body of these same minerals - a vicious cycle.  Chocolate cravings, common at this time, may signal the need for magnesium.  Providing a diet abundant in vegetables will help to supply these minerals needed by the body.  Chlorophyll is very close in molecular structure to blood and is great for replenishing the hemoglobin in blood.  Heavy bleeding is often a common problem for women.  Make sure you are taking in the nutrients needed...more green vegies and whole grains in your diet!

Type H ...PMS - Hyper hydration

Do you experience weight gain, swelling of extremities, breast tenderness, or abdominal bloating?  Do you have blotchy red cheeks or areas of blotchy red around the throat or thyroid?  Do you have sore, tight muscles, stiffness, puffiness, or feel swollen with water retention?  Inflammation is a key word for these women.  It is important to figure out which foods are irritating and causing inflammation.  Make efforts to eliminate these from the diet. Suspect wheat or dairy as possible sensitivities.  Generally, these women should avoid salt, processed foods, coffee, soda pop, some teas, and ibuprofen (which contains caffeine). Be aware of the hormones in meat, as they can be very inflammatory.  B-vitamins, magnesium, flaxseed oil, and diuretic herbs may be helpful. Herbs such as dandelion, parsley, alfalfa, shave grass, uva ursi, may be used for short periods of time to get the excess water off.   Marshmallow is an herb which may help to soothe the inflammation.  The omega-3 rich flaxseed oil is like a water hose, putting out the fire!

Type D ...PMS - Depression

Do you experience depression, forgetfulness, crying, confusion, or insomnia?  Are you emotions intensified reactions to normal every day circumstances?  Are you lethargic and irritable?  Sometimes these women may even experience suicidal tendencies.  Women who suffer this kind of depression may not have enough estrogen to counterbalance the progesterone.  So the phytoestrogens in herbs and foods may be helpful in helping the body produce estrogen.  Soy, red clover, and black cohosh are three commonly used herbs.  Excess lead in the body may also be a factor for type D; hair analysis may confirm this as a problem.  These women should avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates, coffee, soda pop, alcohol, and intense spices.  Instead they should rely on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.  Soy products, pumpkin seeds, and almonds may be beneficial.  Supplements to help include:  B and E vitamins, magnesium, zinc, Tyrosine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Glutamine, Choline, Valerian, and Passionflower.  Phytoestrogen and progesterone is also available in creams and may be very useful for PMS symptom.

I find the dividing of PMS symptoms into types to be helpful in discovering the cause of the hormonal imbalance and finding solutions to bring the body back into balance.  Don't accept that PMS is just a "fact of life" or something to "live with"...You can make changes that will improve the quality of your life! 

Homeopathy for Behavior Problems in Children

Homeopathic remedies are safe, nonaddictive, and may be used with children who have developmental or behavioral problems.  These remedies may be taken with medications as they do not interfere with them.  The information for this article was taken from one of my favorite books, Natural Treatments fro ADD and Hyperactivity, by Skye Weintraub, N.D.  Please see the book for more complete descriptions and information. 

Anacardium:  for confused children who have the feeling of being followed or having a double.  They have a tendency to curse or swear and are abusive to animals.
Arsenicum album:  for children who are fidgety, hyperactive, and have allergies.  They have restless sleep.  Their mind is anxious with obsessive thoughts and double checking. They are always in a hurry.  They fear being alone.
Baryta carbonica:  for the child who is delayed in physical and mental development.  Poor assimilation causes emaciation of the body.  The mind has a a lack of understanding, very literal, with difficulty keeping up.  Problems with tonsils and chronic cough.
Cannabis indica:  autistic or "spaced out" children whose senses are exaggerated. They make up stories, have a short attention span, day dreaming, absent-minded, biting, and fear of death.  Urinary tract problems common.
Capsicum:  children who are brooding, irritable, absent-minded, disobedient, angry, and homesick.  Extremely obstinate and offended easily.  Difficulty in sleeping, wake full of fear.
Carcinosin:  children who are dull of mind, fearful, timid, unhappy, worried, and obstinate.  They love travel and music.  Strong cravings or aversions to certain foods.  Symptoms may appear after a vaccination reaction or a family member may have cancer.
Chamomile:  child with a bad temper, irritable, impatient, and complaining.  Everything for them is intolerable...they "cannot bear it".  Symptoms worse at night.
Cina:  child who is restless at night, grinding teeth or wetting the bed.  They may pick their nose until it bleeds.  This child does not want to be touched or looked at.  Parasites may be present.
Helleborus:  child feels stupid, dull, unresponsive.  History may show head injury or encephalitis.  They are unable to memorize anything.  A feeling of despair, anger, and aversion to making any effort.  They often bite their spoon without awareness.
Hyoscyamus:  child with poor impulse control.  They do not answer questions, act silly, laughing, and dancing around.  They talk excessively, with episodes of mania, rage, and depression.  They are manipulative, lying, jealous, fearful, delusional, and violent.
Lachesis:  jealous children, vengeful, sarcastic, nasty, with severe depression.They are very sensitive to criticism. They wake from sleep even more agitated.  They hate tight clothing.
Lycopodium:  the bossy child.  Intelligent with performance anxiety, insecurity, poor memory, inability to concentrate, and chronic fatigue.   Fearful of new situations or changes in diet.  
Medorrhinum:  children who fear public places...especially eating in public.  Aggressive, having temper tantrums, malicious with animals, impulsive, cannot pay attention, they are night owls.
Stramonium:  remedy for terrors and nightmares, worse between midnight and 2:00am, often wake screaming.  They have a horror of shiny objects.  Do not estimate distance correctly.  Food tastes bitter.  Child may sit silently, picking at their clothes.
Sulphur:  children who do not like to be bathed, and tend to be untidy.  Daydreamers in a fantasy world.  Their thought processes are illogical.  Memory is poor.  Enclosed situations threaten them.
Tarantula hispanica:  remedy for the most hyperactive of children.  They display impulsive restlessness, self-destructive, excessive fits, unceasing movement, violence, and depression.
Veratrum album:  child displays repetitive behavior and hyperactivity.  Child is restless, destructive, will tell outrageous lies, and act inappropriately bytouching others.  They love ice cold drinks.