Lessening The Burden

I have been increasing the number of things that I can do personally to lessen my burden on this beautiful home, Mother Earth.

City Living Means Less Travel

This includes my decision to move into the city. I am leaving a lovely easy to manage, mountain canyon home.

To the back and one side are the towering canyon walls. A steep arroyo will take me to the ridge above, this becomes a wonderful waterfall when there are frog drowning rains.

Setting My Priorities

A new car with better gas mileage and less polluting is not in the immediate picture. Global warming is.

My city’s bus service is limited, but can be planned around, and I can put my bicycle in the bus’s carrying rack. A point in their favour.

Good Housing Available

Luckily, there are decent and even good choices for housing close to my work.

Love Your Job, Love The Earth

I have been with this group for 10 years. When one of our group goes for a vacation, it is not because we need to get away from work. We go because we want new experiences.

Counting My Blessings

Yes, I do count my blessings.

Thanksgiving morning and the first thing I see is a deer out my front window. The weather is cool, mid-thirties and perfect for hiking. I’ve asked friends to bring their furry friends and arrive at 1 P.M. for a short hike before dinner; thinking everyone will be in to it.

First attempt: Pieper and I leave for a short hike before everyone arrives…just to get her wound down and to get some fresh air. We leave and then come back after 15 minutes; I forgot to turn the potatoes off. Shortly after my return, three friends arrive.

Second attempt: I try my best to get Bob, Michelle and or K, their four year old, to go for a hike. They say, “go ahead and we’ll wait for other friends”. As I was leaving, Kay yells, “I want to go!” As we are scrambling out the door, I notice K has on flip-flops with no socks! I say, “you can’t hike with me in those!” K changes shoes and we are scrambling out the door once again. Ten minutes into the walk Kay complains that her hands are too cold and she wants to come back, back we go. By this time Pieper is looking at me with this, ‘what the heck is going on’ look.

Third attempt: Michele tells me Gina called and they are on their way. I assume ‘they’ means, Gina, Tamara, Wilson and Missy. Well then, we’ll wait, I know Wilson and Missy, their terrier and lab, will want to go hiking. They arrive; no Wilson or Missy; Tamara says they thought it would be too crowded…but they did bring Gideon and Emmillo; their two new, maybe two month old Chiahoos in the baby carrier. While everyone is oohing and ahing over Gideon and Emmilo; Kathy with Mazzy, husky/lab mix, arrive and the hike is forgotten.

Thanksgiving and the house is full of delicious smells and friends. Dinner is almost done; and Pieper seems content with all the company. Tails are wagging and dinner finds it’s way to the table. Everyone is talking at once, laughter and chaos abounds.

Life is good! Thank you all for being in my life!

Happy Trails!

We have made it through Thanksgiving. Feasting and gathering of kin and friends! On we go for the merry month of December.

Here are 12 guidelines I use for getting through the holidays.

Drink lots of water.

Staying well hydrated will better digest food and drink, and actually help with cravings.

Start your day with 2 8 oz. glasses of cool water 1/2 hour before you have breakfast or coffee. It is a gentle way of waking your digestive system. It get things working before anything else enters the system. Think of it as warming your body up just as you would your car.

Start your day with breakfast.

Many people are out the door early in the morning. Some just don’t like to eat that early. I can be one of them. Toast or bread with almond or peanut butter is great for that later part of the commute. A protein smoothie is handy for getting into the office. It is quick and gives a morning boost.

Stick to the 5 servings of veggies and fruit per day.

Recommended by the National Center for Cancer Prevention, this tried and true health benefit is easier than you think. Each serving is 1/2 cup. That makes 2-1/2 cups per day.

Haven’t been doing that much? Start with breakfast. Protein smoothies with fruit is an easy way to start. Adding fruit to your cereal or yogurt is another way to do it.

Prefer Something Savoury?

I prefer something savory in the mornings. I will have pancakes with grated carrot, chopped onion and bell pepper, maybe some left over veggies from dinner. I add a little Italian seasoning or lemon pepper and viola. Omelets are good too. I love Cream of Wheat with Indian spices and lots of veggies.

For lunches add carrot, celery, jicama, green or red pepper sticks. Have an apple or pear. We have so many choices.

Have your protein first thing in the day and at lunch.

Dinners are usually heavy with big portions of meat. It should be the other way around. Breakfast and lunch are the time for your major protein load. This is when you are most active and best use the fuel your body requires.

Minimize processed foods.

What, give up my biscuit, egg and sausage burger? The time it takes to drive to a drive in and get what you want, you could make it at home with healthier ingredients and be eating sooner.

A whole wheat roll or biscuit has more food value than processed white flour roll or biscuit. Sausage without preservatives can be easily purchased. Free range eggs that come from organically fed chickens are at most super markets.

Whole grain pastas, unrefined rice, unrefined wheat breads will give higher octane than their refined counter parts.

Have snacks that compliment your heath.

Unsalted nuts and seeds are easy to carry. Cheese sticks or pieces keep well through the day. Shell a hard boiled egg and put it in a baggie. Yogurt comes in handy small containers or stir up you own with your favorite fruit, nuts and or granola.

Take time to savor what you eat.

Yes, it is a busier time of year. When you just take those moments to enjoy what you have in your mouth, your brain gets it. It quits sending the signal to eat and eat and eat.

Pretend that you are French. Each mouth full is an experience. The more you savor and take time to chew, the less you will eat.

Eat lighter meals in the evening.

It is not unusual for a friend and I to split a main course. We get an extra salad, soup and one dinner. Much easier on the pocket book.

Fish or chicken are lighter proteins to have for an evening meal. The fancy salad or grilled to perfection veggies are even a better choice.

Eat a smaller portion.

It may take time to train the stomach, but so well worth the effort.

What about sweets?

Moderation is the key. Another key is to drink a lot of water, especially if you eat a desert without a meal.

I am great for splitting a desert or taking 1/2 of that lovely cake home with me. My freezer is my friend. I also eat very dark and 75% cocoa chocolate. It is more satisfying than the chocolates with less. One piece will do me.

Eat dried fruits for that sweet craving.

I am a fig lover, but some raisins, apricots, papaya or mango will do just fine.

Smile.

Smile? Yes, smile at your food. Smile at yourself when you see your reflection. Smile at the people you eat with. Yes, you can smile at other diners when you eat alone. They will think you are so relaxed and European.

Smiling sends a pleasant message to the brain. The stress level goes down and digestion and assimilation is better. You enjoy your food. Others enjoy you. What can be better?

Water. It is a big issue in many parts of the country. Global warming is bringing erratic weather patterns. Flooding to drought.

So do you have to flush the toilet every time you pea? Maybe you save those flushes at home. Maybe your motto is “Brown, flush it down, yellow, let it mellow.”

We have a couple of bathrooms in the building where I work. The folks upstairs are getting over their strict potty training and not flushing every time. I still have a few clients complain about the non-flushing. I tell them, it must have been me. I don’t flush when I pee unless there is a build up of toilet paper or it is a little too yellow and ripe smelling. I also use 2 sheets to wipe.

It is easy for me. Part of my upbringing was on location for the mines my Dad worked in the deserts of the southwest. Money was tight. 2 sheets was all that was needed. Water was precious. So was good hygiene.

My area of the country is semi-arid. We had a wet spring and summer after a 7 year drought. The green lush grasses of spring stayed well into July and August. Every plant, bush, and tree got busy and produced a show. They also left hug amounts of fire tinder for a very dry fall.

Our wet spring and summer did not fill our reservoirs. We really need a few years before our water levels are up. Local news told us we did not need to restrict water use for lawns and gardens; but it would be better if we did. One of the newer developments bordering areas of agriculture went dry. They had to get their water trucked in. Even with our wet spring and summer.

Local farmers/ranchers who sharing the same aquifer were asked to not use it. Many of them hold original water rights that are now being solicited for sale. These 2 to 3 bathroom homes with a washer and dryer are more important than places that provide food.

I lived in Oregon in the early 90s when the Northwest had a drought. No one in Eugene, Corvallis, or Portland flushed a public toilet until it was full of yellow and paper. It was voluntary. I would like to see more of that.

Writing Nag’s Pear and Cranberry Chutney

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Bartlett pears, peeled and cut into small dice
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into small dice
1 small onion, cut into small dice
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 cups water
1 1/2-2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. allspice
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 12 oz bags whole cranberries
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, optional

Heat the vegetable oil over low heat and add the onion, pears, apples, and garlic. Cook gently for approximately 10 minutes or until the onion has softened. Add all the spices, water, sugar and vinegar and bring to a boil. Add cranberries, bring to a second boil and then turn down the heat. Simmer until cranberries have burst, stirring occasionally for approximately 20 minutes. Take off heat and stir in toasted walnuts. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate and serve chilled. Adjust the spices to your liking. Remove cinnamon sticks before serving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Herbal Vinegar: Flavored Vinegars, Mustards, Chutneys, Preserves, Conserves, Salsas, Cosmetic Uses, Household Tips

Burnt Bread and Chutney: Growing Up Between Cultures - A Memoir of an Indian Jewish Childhood (Ballantine Reader’s Circle)

Mrs Balls Peach Chutney

I’ve been tagged by Pat The Writing Nag, to share a bit about how I started blogging. I don’t write for this blog, Live Holistically very much, so I thought I’d chime in and share a bit about me, your Live Holistically publisher.

1. How long have you been blogging?

I started blogging on Adoption.com after the foster-adoption of my daughter. I had no idea what the heck blogging was when I started way back in January 2006, but I was hooked. I went on to blog for families.com, and then started several of my own blogs, including Live Holistically, Conscious Destiny and DivinePurposeUnleashed.com

2. What inspired you to start a blog and who are your mentors?
I was inspired by the need to find my voice. To write, and initially, to process my adoption experience.

3. Are you trying to make money online, or just doing it for fun?
I do it for fun first, but I do make a bit of money, mostly through promoting my business on Divine Purpose Unleashed. But, As they say, follow your bliss. I love to blog, so I’m also teaching a blogging 101 tele-course. Maybe the money will follow.

4. What 3 things do you struggle with online?

• Not enough time to read the other bloggers that I love.
• Not keeping up with writing everyday.
• Learning the technical aspects - CSS ect.

5. What 3 things do you love about being online?

• The community. I’ve met wonderful people online.
• The opportunity to reach people I wouldn’t otherwise reach
• The pricing I can find on fabulous things I want to buy! (I love eBay).

OK. So that’s a bit about me. What about you? Any of our readers out there bloggers?

Tag, you’re it!

It’s winter and in Colorado we’re having a dry spell. Moisture evaporates fast. I’m so grateful for indoor plumbing…turning on the faucet and having clear, clean and cool water fill a glass is wonderful! When I fill my glass, I’ve made a habit of checking my furry friend’s water dish.

Animals can loose all of their fat and half of their protein and survive. However, if they loose only 10 % of body water, serious illness can occur. Feel that dryness in your mouth? Dehydration has begun. Our animal friends get just as thirsty as we do. A dog or cat can become dehydrated in only a few hours if fresh water is not present. I keep three dishes of water in my house and two outside.

How Much Water do they need?

Water constitutes 84% of a newborn puppy and 60% of an adult dog. Water is necessary for almost every function in an animals body. Hot temperatures and exercise or nursing will also increase the needed amount of water two or three times above normal. Don’t take water for granted, provide access to water at all times! Also, considering the huge quantity and importance of water consumed in a lifetime it is important that the quality of the water is the best possible.

Animal need to consume 2.5 times the amount of water, as its daily intake of food. If an animal eats 2 lbs. of dry food it should consume 5 lbs. of water. (There are 8 lbs. in a gallon.) If he eats 4 oz. of dry food, he should drink 10 ounces of water (11/4 cup).

Water Quality

Untreated water can contain bacteria, viruses and parasites; Giardia is one of the most common problems acquired through untreated water. Household tap water is considered to be very safe, though just as with people, water that is high in nitrates, iron, or magnesium can pose long term health risks. Many pet owners give their animals bottled water if their source is questionable. However, the finest water in the world will not help if it is placed in a dirty container. Unwashed water bowls can harbor all kinds of bad organisms. Water bowls should be washed daily and disinfected periodically. Stainless steel bowls are the easiest to keep clean and resist scratches that can harbor bacteria, stoneware crock-style dishes are also a good option. Buy a good quality bowl and after it starts to look worn and scratched, replace it. Remember that if you would not drink the water from your pet’s bowl then neither should your pet. One other consideration in quality is temperature. Pets prefer cool water in the summer and room temperature water in the winter. If you have an outside pet be sure to provide them with a heated water bucket or container. Snow is not an acceptable form of water for dogs or cats.

If the water is unhealthy and you don’t drink it, your pets shouldn’t either. Pets experience the same physical problems from unhealthy water as humans do. Many times it’s worse for the pet than for humans because pets age so much faster. For example, a pet drinking unhealthy water until 2 years of age is the same as a human drinking unhealthy water for the first 14 years of life.

Water:

• Available at all times.
• Quality is good.
• Dish is always clean.

Happy Hydrated Trails!

The present moment is inevitable. Whether we suffer through the loss of a home from a wild fire. Maybe we are part of a flue epidemic. Some enjoy sunny, unseasonably warm, beautiful day after beautiful day with no rain. All of us are effected by the results of that moment.

With the information of our planet’s warming trends, we are faced with deciding our present and future in dramatically different terms.

My last shopping trip reflected the rise in gas prices and the change in availability of foods. I spent $20 more for the same foods purchased 10 days ago.

1) Luckily, we have a sustainability group in the growing process of community activism. Several of my friends and clients are part of that group. Some of these clients are master gardeners.

2) One in particular is the lead for Perma Culture and Sustainable Living. She is our educator, group initiator and spokes person. At least for those who will give her their attention. She has started several groups. They grew and divided. Now there are smaller groups with common goals to cooperate and support each other.

3) I love seeing the xeriscaping replacing the lawns of our semi-arid city. More variety for the eye. A better expression of creativity and care. More realistic choices for water usage too. Less use of chemicals so less pollutants for us, our children, grandchildren and descendants.

4) I also love seeing the green houses cropping up in the downtown neighborhoods. Walking with a friend, one was pointed out to be home to rabbits. Following some of the European tried and true green housing, this family has fresh veggies year round, a clean source of protein, and the home heated.

I just posted a holiday recipe for Spicy Penne. Why is is just a holiday recipe? The amount of bacon used may be a little over the top for many people’s diets but in small quantities or the portion size most Italians eat it make this spicy pasta a great first course. Adding more hot peppers to your daily recipes can also boost your metabolism!

The Spicy Food Lover’s Bible: The Ultimate Guide to Buying, Growing, Storing and Using the Key Ingredients That Give Food Spice

Hippocrates: The Father Of Medicine

Hippocrates, the father of medicine said, “Let foods be your medicine,” and made a classification of herbs which is still pertinent today.

He stressed the need for harmony in the body, which he said, “is found in a balance between matter and energy”, he called the balanced state ‘ease’. When the body is not balanced then, the state is, ‘dis-ease’.

Emotions Are Part Of Dis-ease

We know today that the emotions play their part in creating dis-ease of the body, and so a holistic approach is always to be recommended. Use Herbal Teas along with EFT and Affirmation, to create the perfect balance.

20 Healing Herbs

Here are 20 Great Healing Herbs that you can use to make remedial teas, they can also be taken for pleasure. (some may need honey to sweeten.)

1. Angelica: Drink if you feel a cold coming on, or you feel ‘rheumaticky’
2. Balm: (Lemon) Unsweetened this lemony drink will ease a cold or headache
3. Basil: When you get the shivers for no apparent reason, make tea with leaves and flowing tips. Sit quietly and drink after a meal
4. Burnet (Greater): With the flavour of cucumber, this makes a refreshing tea, but it is also useful for irritable bowel, excessive menstruation, and because it is mildly anti-bacterial, sore throats
5. Catmint: Tea made from the leaves and flowers can help to sweat out a chill, relieve stomach wind, hiccups and bring on delayed menstruation
6. Celery: Tea will not only taste good, but an infusion of crushed seeds will clear the acid from your joints and relieve pain of arthritis. (not recommended in pregnancy)
7. Chamomile: This is one of the great soothers. It eases upset stomachs, strained nerves and promotes quiet sleep
8. Fennel: An aniseed tasting tea drunk to aid digestion, also good for bunged up noses. Promotes flow of milk in nursing mothers
9. Feverfew: Tea (needs sweetening with honey)for migraine and period pain. (don’t drink if you are taking any kind of blood thinning medicine)
10. Ginger: Tea as a digestive and warming drink when colds and flu threaten. Nausea (travel sickness, morning sickness) and arthritis all respond to Ginger
11. Golden Rod: Tastes of aniseed and helps with high blood pressure, also useful in cystitis
12. Lovage: One of my favourite herbs to eat, good for burps
13. Marigold(Calendula): Antiseptic and healing for bumps and shocks
14. Meadowsweet: A good all round herb for for headache, rheumatic pains, feverish colds, muscles,digestive upsets, childhood diarrhoea
15. Mint(all kinds): Great to drink and aids digestion
16. Parsley: Good for digestion, the relief of cystitis and menstrual cramps. Make tea from leaves not seeds
17. Rosemary: When nerves are strained and a headache won’t go away drink Rosemary. Also has a reputation as a memory strengthener
18. Sage: Good for depression and sharpening mental faculties, it contains oestrogen and will tone up the female reproduction system. Good gargle for sore throat
19. Vervain: Acts like a mild aspirin helping to relieve minor pains and inflammations, also used for sore gums and bruises
20. Yarrow: Your herbal ‘Band-Aid’: fevers, urinary tract infections, digestive aid, menstrual cramps, nose-bleed, and the common cold

Many More Useful Herbs

There are of course, many more useful herbs, and most useful of all, you can make yourself a herbal first- aid cabinet, for minor accidents and childhood scraped knees.

Remember, always consult your trusted health practitioner if you have any doubts about a health problem.

Step-By-Step Herbal First-Aid

In my next post I’ll take you, step by step, through constructing your own herbal first-aid cabinet.

Polar Bears are the earth’s barometer. They live in desolate areas: you would think human beings couldn’t reach them in such far away places. Not so. When I read that these incredible creatures are turning to cannibalism; my heart takes a plunge into the abyss! Their hunting territory is melting away. The Polar Bear will cease to exist by the end of this century. How does this make us feel?

How much of the Polar Bear’s demise is due to ‘Greenhouse Gases’? How much is due to the worlds natural changes? No matter. My heart is saddened to lose these ‘angel beasts’. Feeling as I do, my instinct is to do whatever I can to decrease my impact to their territory.

What does it mean to decrease impact? I buy as much organic food as possible. Organic food comes from Sustainable Agriculture. Sustainable Agriculture means no chemicals. No poisoning of water or wildlife.

Soon I’ll be able to stop driving to and from to my day job; gulping down fuel that spills fumes into the atmosphere that clogs and poisons the air we breath…and contributes to the melting away of the land that these angel beasts live upon.

I’m trying to co-ordinate my trips shopping…asking myself, do I really need this now or can it wait. Asking a neighbor, do they want to go with me to shop, or is there something I can pick up for you. Walking more; buying ‘earth friendly’ cleaning products.

The other day as I spade away from my home on my way to work, I passed a squashed squirrel in the road; acknowledging its passing for maybe a half a second. As insignificant as this incident may seem, it touches my heart in a tiny place. The tiny place causes me to wonder; how much space do we humans deserve? How much of the planet do we have to claim?

For now, I continue weaving in and out of traffic on my way to my ‘day job’; fulfilling someone else’s dreams. How slow can I go? How fast can I see? I want to slow the aging process; slow my footprints to a snails pace or screech to a halt!

At night I dream of Bobby and Jennifer and leaping tall mountains; barley leaving an imprint.

The photos in this post came from a National Geographic story from about ten years ago.

Happy and Sustainable Trails!

A Holistic Healing Resource

The Live Holistically resource for those who need to be able to take responsibility for their own health care, for whatever reason.

The article section will explain the mechanics of different healing methods, and so as we go along, I shall point to: EFT , Essential Oils or Herbal Teas and know that you have access to the essentials, which will make it easy for you to follow what I am saying.

Acne

The established reasons for the appearance of Acne, suggest that its only cause is the reflection of the hormonal changes that all occur in every teenagers life.

Glands in the skin of the face, chest, shoulders or upper back secrete more of the lubricant sebum, the skin’s natural oil, than normal, while cells below the skin multiply more quickly.

Glands blocked with sebum and dead cells become swollen and infected, forming pus-filled pimples and red spots.

Symptoms:

• Painful red raised spots
• Spots may be pus filled
• Painless raised black-heads (comedomes)
• Painless raised white-heads
• Spots found on:
  • face
  • neck
  • upper-back
  • chest

Why Acne?

Acne affects the parts of the body which we show to the world, it is the part that we are recognised by. When something is wrong in the head area, it usually means that we feel something is terribly wrong with us.

We feel that we need to show the world that something is wrong because we are powerless to do anything about the problem. There will be elements of our individuality being threatened in some way, and that others have the power over us, and it is getting under our skin!

What ‘gets under our skin’ makes us angry, and that anger bubbles to the surface to erupt like a volcano. Because it is our very self that is being threatened, it is shown by the skin.

Our nerves are just under the skin, and so when we get angry, sometimes we are accused of being, ‘thin-skinned’. We may be getting angry, but what we aren’t doing is standing up for ourselves, we have somehow, lost our own power.

One of the quickest ways to heal skin problems is to take back our own power.

Emotional Freedom Technique:

• Even though I don’t approve of myself I can choose to love myself
• Even though I don’t like myself I can choose to accept myself
• Even though I find myself hard to accept I can still choose to love myself

Affirmations: (subscribe via. email and receive a free Affirmation Guide Book)

• I love and accept myself where I am right now
• I am wonderful
• I am a Divine expression of life

Say these affirmations looking into your mirror, right into your eyes. This will be challenging, because you are looking directly at the problem. Stick at it and it will become easier.. at least 20x a day for each affirmation.

Herbalism:

Copious teas of:

• Chamomile
• Marigold (Calendula) petals
• Nettle
• Rose-Hip

Lotion:

• Ingredients:
  • Sprig Rosemary or Thyme
  • 1 pint spring water (570 ml.)
  • Lemon juice

• Method:
  • Boil Rosemary or Thyme in water
  • Allow to cool
  • Add tsp. lemon juice
• Use:
  • Bathe skin 2-3 times a day after washing with a natural soap

Aromatherapy:

• Myrrh
• Lavender
• Chamomile
• Rose
• Tea Tree
• Thyme

Are all used in Acne Therapy. Rose has the highest vibration of all the oils, and so having it around your person in some way will raise your own vibration. I buy rose-water from the bakery and spray the room, and sometimes myself…because I like it.

If you have normal skin mix:

• 2 fl.oz (50ml) soya oil
• 1 tsp almond oil
• 10 drops of chosen oil

Use: Apply twice daily, follow with hot compresses to maximise absorption.

Diet:

Eat the best food that you can afford, cheap junk food can contribute to your anger and harm your skin. Lots of fresh salads and fruit are great, avoid sugar and sugar substitutes.

Hydration:

It is essential to keep yourself hydrated with spring water, if you don’t have access to that, then fill jugs with tap water, leave outside in sunshine with a light covering for a few hours. You can drop a crystal into the water if you have one…but drink ‘ at least’ 2 Litres a day.

Anger Release:

• Throw 2 heavy pillows onto your bed
  • Make sure that you are alone
  • Beat those pillows to within an inch of their lives

Releasing the trapped anger is essential for an Acne sufferer, and there are many ways and therapies that will achieve that, but this is a very quick way that many Louise Hay teachers use:

If this brings tears, it has done its job.

Next week I’ll look at: Addictions

How is it possible that Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away? I just heard that some malls and stores will now be opening on Thanksgiving day just so we can start the season a little earlier. I avoid the shopping craziness by buying only at local shops or online. But along with the shopping comes the celebrating. Office parties, family functions, open houses and cookie season seems to start just as the Halloween candy ends. How can you celebrate the season without packing on the pounds?

*Make a new family tradition, the annual Turkey Trot. Starting on Thanksgiving afternoon, walk 1 hour a day. No excuses. If this seems overwhelming break it up into 2 walks a day. 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes after dinner.

The Book of New Family Traditions: How to Create Great Rituals for Holidays & Everydays

*Offer new healthier foods in addition to your not-so-healthy traditional fare. Get the family involved in recipe testing.

Cooking Light Slow Cooker (Cooking Light)

Semi-Homemade Cooking Made Light

The Best Light Recipe (The Best Recipe)

*Plan ahead. If you have a family dinner coming up where you know you’ll overindulge eat sensibly the rest of the day or the week.

*Always take fruit salad to potlucks. It’s a welcome sight to many and you’ll always have a sugar-free dessert to munch on.

*Eat before you go to parties. Just like grocery shopping on an empty stomach, the array of tantalizing trays of goodies can be overwhelming. Eat a small meal before and you’ll be less likely to binge.

*Pick your favorites and enjoy them. If you really love your Grandma’s molasses cookies but only eat the pecan pie because Aunt Sarah makes it once a year, eat the cookies and leave the pie. Don’t eat more calories just to please.

*Don’t make the holidays all about the food. Remember the real reason for the celebration. Celebrate your time together with great conversation, day trips, and games.

What to do about a sluggish lymph system?

Daily Dry Brushing

A natural bristle brush used for bathing is your lymph system helper. Use before your shower or bath.

Use a circular and firm motion, brushing towards the heart. For best results:

• Start at your left foot and brush up the leg.
• Switch to your right foot and leg and brush.
• Brush the abdomen going from right to left. (This follows the pathway of the colon.)
• Brush your bum and up as high as you can on your back.
• Brush the breast area and under the arms.
• Brush left hand then up the arm.
• Repeat with right hand and arm.
• Gently brush the neck then face.

You should be glowingly pink by now. Shower. Or you can also take a damp cloth and wipe your body down. This will remove dead skin cells left from the brushing. Don’t forget to give your brush a rinse and put it where it can dry.

Remember, your skin is the biggest eliminating organ of your body. Here are more benefits:

1. Removes dead skin
2. Lessens cellulite
3. Tightens skin
   
4. Cleanses the lymphatic system
5. Strengthens the immune system
6. Stimulates the hormone and oil-producing glands
7. Stimulates circulation
8. Improves the function of the nervous system
9. Helps digestion

Herbalism

Also known as herbal medicine and phytomedicine, herbalism refers to any medical treatment in which plants and/or their extracts play the dominant role.

History

The need to re-instate harmony and thereby treat dis-ease remained a major goal during the evolutionary stages of modern herbalism.

Ebers Papyrus

The first medical records of ancient Egypt, the Ebers Papyrus written about 1500 BC, contains 876 substances, most of them herbal including:

• Castor Oil
• Valerian
• Dill
• Senna Leaves
• Myrrh
• Wormwood
• Peppermint
• Anise
• Fennel
• Lotus Flowers
• Linseed
• Juniper Berries
• Gentian

There are prescriptions and formulae covering a wide range of medicines, which are still in use today.

Ancient Greece

In about 420 BC the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates started to classify foods into different healing categories. Centuries later Galen continued with the work of Hippocrates (Doctors still swear a Hippocratic Oath).

Other Renowned Herbalists

Nicholas Culpeper 1616-1654, was one of the best known British herbalist’s, and while working in London’s East End, wrote papers and treatises on herbal treatments. More recently Dr. Busby of Iowa, USA, Dr. Boenninghausen of Germany and Dr. Finlay Ellingwood of Chicago Illinois, a pioneer and fronteirsman who discovered the remarkable properties of the Echinacea root.

Different From Pharmaceutical Medicines

One fundamental way in which herbal remedies differ from pharmaceutical medicines (which are usually synthetic molecules modelled on original plant extracts ) is in their preparation from plants in their natural state.

Synergy Of The Whole Plant

This is because of the belief that the whole plant organism is in a state of balance, and that using it as it is developed in nature, provides both buffering action (counteracting possible side effects) and synergistic action (enhancing the desired effects).

Treatment

The treatment is chosen according to the aspect of health considered in most need of adjustment.

Dietary Measures

These are likely to be included, the overall aim being to help the body to help itself - to enable the body’s self-healing mechanism to function properly.

Preparation Of Herbal Remedies

Infusion: used for the tender parts of the plants, such as flowers or leaves.

1. Bruise fresh herbs by pounding in pestle and mortar
2. Pour boiling water onto 1 oz. of fresh or 1/2 oz. of dried herbs
3. Leave for up to 10 minutes
4. Strain into clean container

Maceration: To make a more concentrated and potent medicine.

1. Bring 1 oz. fresh plant material to boiling in saucepan of spring water containing 1 pint
2. Remove from heat
3. Allow to stand (infuse) for several hours
4. Strain into a clean container

Decoction: Used for tougher roots, bark, seeds or stems.

1. Bruise herb thoroughly with hammer
2. Gently bring 1 pint spring water and herb to the boil, letting it rolling boil for 3-4 minutes
3. Cover the saucepan and leave to infuse for 15 minutes
4. Strain into a clean container

Home Made Tincture: When it’s impossible to buy what you need, as is the case for the very important Cayenne tincture.

• Ingredients:
  
• 6 Bird’s Eye Chiles
• 1 Bottle of Vodka (the best that you can afford)

• Method:
• Slice Chiles lengthways (remembering to wear rubber gloves and not touch eyes)
• Pour Vodka into wide-necked pickling jar
• Add Chiles
• Shake every day for 6 weeks
• Strain into clean container
• Use brown pipette bottle to dispense

How Herbs Are Used

Some recipes (the original name for medical prescriptions) call for adding herbs to:

• Bathwater
• Foot Baths and Hand Baths
• Basin of Hot water/Inhalation
• Hot Compress
• Cold Compress

But mostly they are drunk as healing teas, and this is where a knowledge of common herbs is useful. Next week I’ll give you the top 20 useful herbs.