Cold + Flu: Herbs for Prevention and Relief

At the beginning of this cold + flu season I made sure to order some of my most trusted herbal formulas from companies I know and respect, namely Five Flavors Herbs and Snow Lotus. In an optimal world we would all build a home medicine chest that helped keep us well and had herbal formulas to help alleviate our symptoms when we succumb. The apothecary at the studio is well stocked! Here's a simplified guide to what you might want to have on hand: 

Preventative Remedies Include: 

* Jade Wind Screen Tincture: Best if you are catching every cold that is coming around. To be taken throughout the cold + flu season. Best for: you have children in daycare, job in retail, public school, service industry and/or have a high degree of stress on the daily.

*  Powdered Reishi: Reishi in Traditional Chinese Medicine is regarded as the herb of longevity. In this powdered form it is easily added to soups, sprinkled over salad or eggs, stirred into a loaf of sweet or savory quick bread, limitless options really.  Best for: People wanting to easily integrate herbs that boost the immune system, part of an integrated approach.

*Elderberry Elixir: Will be ready in less then two weeks! Best for: A grown up cocktail ingredient that is also medicine. Good for those with a sweet tooth.

*Vir Away Essential Oil Blend: Perfect to mix into a spray bottle of water to wipe down surfaces, door knobs, the water cooler handle, plane fold down trays, you name it. Best for: OCD (otherwise known as realistic) people who are looking to stay well. Great in diffusers in high traffic areas. 

Sick Already Remedies, Best to Have on Hand: 
* First Response Tincture: Blend by Five Flavors Herbs to be taken at the first sign of cold or flu. 

*Yin Qiao Tincture: Good at first signs of cold, especially if it begins with a sore scratchy throat. You are probably familiar with the tablets/pills and they work well, but because this is alcohol based it absorbs into your bloodstream quicker and sets to work.

* Respiratory Recoup Tincture: For when the cold or virus has moved down into your chest and you have a wet productive cough.

*Respiratory Essential Oil Blend: To help clear sinuses and breathe easier. Can be used in a diffuser or mixed into oil for a chest / soles of foot rub.

Feel free to message me through this site if you want to pop in to purchase any of these remedies and are not currently a client here. I'm happy to help you decide what is best to have on hand!

Nettles, Change In a Cup of Tea

I'm lucky enough to be a mom to a vibrant, twinkle eyed rascal, Jasper James.  Every day he pushes me in amazing ways and into fits of exhaustion. This road of parenting is all encompassing and full of extremes that I never could have imagined prior to just being here. As a result, 4 years later, I feel like I'm just waking up and coming into myself again. I am realizing that even though I'm a healer, and work with people daily around their health concerns, that I am needing, once again, to take a deeper look into my own well-being. At some point pushing through has stopped working.

So what to do? As a busy parent and business owner it has to be simple.  So I am starting with tea. The nettles are abundant here in the Pacific Northwest offering up their mineral dense nutrients to those who know the plant well, and are brave enough to harvest its stinging leaves. So instead of jumping into a 'detox', or a fast, or some other kind of extreme, I am just going to add one simple nutritive tea to my daily routine. It's been my personal experience, and my clinical experience, that one tiny gesture like this holds real power in its ability to change a body's ecosystem and a mind's perception. I invite you to join me if you've been running a little ragged, with maybe too many trips to the coffee shop. I know I've been leaning on coffee a little too heavily as of late. If you have an especially demanding job or circumstance it is good to always have a thermos of nettle tea with you and to help strengthen you for the task at hand.

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To make a cup of nettles tea you can either make an infusion of the fresh leaves in the spring from a local clean source, or often times you can find a bunch bundled up for you at the farmer's market. I usually use dried Nettles and make a strong overnight infusion. I'll take a big handful of nettles leaves, throw them in a quart jar, and let it steep overnight until the tea is a deep green black color. Sometimes I'll add a little mint, or some oat straw. But mostly I just really like the flavor of nettles that I can only describe as green. In the morning simply strain and reheat, but don't bring to a boil. I usually make enough for about 3-5 servings and pack it up in a thermos so I can drink it throughout the day.