Did you know that honey had major health benefits?  It’s true!! It’s not only good for sore throats, the health benefits are amazing and I will share those with you today.

Honey can help with wounds: raw, unprocessed honey contains a natural antibiotic that has been proven to be effective against infectious organisms.  First step is to clean the wound, then apply a smooth thin layer of honey, followed by a bandage.  Reapply the honey and change the bandage twice daily.

Sensitivities and Intolerances: to handle sensitivities such as allergies it is best to be sure to look for local honey.  Look for honey that is made by bees in your locality.  Eating it regularly will help desensitize you to pollens in your environment.

Coughs: colds, flu, allergies or irritation to the bronchial tubes are the primary causes of coughs.  If your cough brings up mucus, it should not be suppressed because this is the way the body expels mucus and bacteria from the lungs.  Dry coughs, are generally non-productive and only irritate the bronchi further.  Use raw honey to make an herbal cough syrup.  Honey thins the mucous secretions, and soothes a raw throat.  try making this cough syrup for relief:

Cough Syrup

2 cups water

1 tbsp aniseed

1 tbsp dried licorice root

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 cup honey

Simmer the aniseed and licorice root in the water in a covered pot for 15 min.  Remove from heat, add the thyme, cover and steep until room temperature.  Strain and add the honey, warming the tea gently, if necessary, to dissolve the honey.  This tea can be stored in a covered glass jar in the refrigerator, where it will keep for about 3 months.  To relieve cough, take 1 teaspoon as often as needed.

Skin Care:  honey can be used as a facial scrub or mask for all skin types.  When mixed with yogurt it makes a wonderful scrub.  The yogurt contains skin smoothing lactic acid, the honey is moisturizing and healing, finely ground almonds and oats add gentle exfoliating action and lavender essential oil is balancing for all skin types.  You can also make a mask with honey and lavender essential oil.  The honey is an excellent moisturizer that doesn’t leave the skin feeling oily.

Acne and Blemished Skin:  raw, unprocessed honey is excellent for oily, blemished sking because of it antibacterial properties.  It also has the ability to moisterize the skin without making it oily.  A honey mask combines cosmetic clay, raw-unprocessed honey and lavender essential oil.  The cosmetic clay absorbs excess oil from the skin and draws toxins out of the skin.  The lavender essential oil calms and soothes skin inflammation and helps heal blemishes.

Sunburns:  spending an hour in the early morning or later afternoon sun is healthy for your body and spirit, but too  much sun can cause serious skin damage. It is important to wear sunscreen and protective clothing between 10am and 4pm.  If you do happen to get sunburned, preparing a honey mask will help.  The honey will moisturize, and when add with aloe vera it will help cool and heal the burned skin.  Also added to the mask is lavender essential oil which also helps heal the burns and helps the production of healthy skin cells.

Honey Mask:

2 tsp raw honey

2 tsp aloe vera gel

2 drops lavender essential oil

Mix the ingredients.  Dampen your face with cool water; apply the mask to your skin and leave for 20 minutes.  Rinse with tepid water.

Lip Care:  your lips do not have oil glands, so it’s very important to protect them from the sun, wind and cold weather. Almond oil and beeswax create a barrier against wind and cold.  Honey helps the lips to retain moisture.  Here’s an easy lip balm to make:

4 tbsp almond oil

1 tbsp grated beeswax

1 tsp honey

Warm the almond oil and beeswax in a small pan over very low heat until the wax melts.  Remove from the heat and add the honey and stir thoroughly.  Pour into a small, wide-mouthed glass jar.  Allow to cool, stirring occasionally to keep the mixture from separating.  Store in a cool place, apply a small amount to lips as often as desired.

As you can tell raw honey has many health benefits.  Try some today.

Until next time,

Do you think you know all there is to know about nutrition, diet and food safety?  If you answered ‘No’, you are not alone.  The International Food Information Council Foundation (IFICF) recently conducted a survey and not surprisingly the amount of people that had an understanding  of appropriate diet and food safety was very low.

According to the survey conducted by the IFICF the 7 Diet Disconnects are:

1. Counting Calories:  Almost 69% of Americans who claim to be trying to improve their diet reported doing so in order to lose weight.  But surprisingly, only 15% of people know the actual amount of calories they should consume each day.
2. Food Safety:  Only 66% of Americans say they cook their food to the required temperature.  But only 29% report using a food thermometer to check whether their poultry or meat are ‘done’.
3. Breakfast:  Of all the people surveyed 92% agreed that breakfast is an important meal when trying to achieve a healthy diet.  However, less than half (46%) actually reported eating breakfast every day.
4. Diet and Physical Activity:  The majority surveyed, 88% to be exact reported being physically active at least once a week.  However, nearly half (44%) of these say they do not ‘balance diet and physical activity’ to manage their weight.
5. Carbohydrates:  Although they claim to be dieting correctly, more than two-thirds of consumers say they are trying to consume more of certain types of carbohydrates such as fiber and whole grains.  But sadly, only half are concerned with the amount of carbohydrates they consume.
6. Dietary Fats:  Consumer concern about the types and amounts of fats they include in their diet remains high and they are more aware of trans fats than ever, 91% to be exact.  Unfortunately, more than 60% of consumers don’t understand unsaturated fats are beneficial to your health.
7. Food and Beverages with Added Health Benefits: Just about 80% of Americans agree that consuming certain food and beverages can provide health and wellness benefits beyond the basic nutrition.  However, 50% or more of Americans say they currently do not consume food or beverages that contain these benefits, although many are interested in them.

After reviewing the results of this survey it is no wonder that most Americans are very unhealthy and that as a nation we are the most unhealthy people.  People must take notice and care of their health and it all begins with the types of foods we eat and the amount.  By simple moderation we can increase our quality of life.

Until next time…

Since I have been talking about Natural Remedies, I found it fitting to review the wonderful products made by Pillows of Lavender.

Lavendar as an essential oil is used for stress, insomnia and headaches.  I have used lavendar scents in my home for many years and used the lotions on my infants when providing massages.  They loved the massages and the lavender scent was soothing and relaxing to both them and me.

The product I was able to enjoy from Pillows of Lavender was the Comfort Neck Wrap. It was packaged beautifully and I can see the care that was taken in the presentation.  The product is beautifully made with a soft, comforting flannel fabric.  The wrap itself contains flax seed, lavender buds and peppermint leaf.  The post man was truly relaxed when delivering my package because the scent was strong and wonderful.

Another wonderful feature of this wrap is the ability to warm it up for added comfort.  The wrap is made to lie across your neck and shoulders to take your stress away.  It is perfect for those suffering from arthritis, tension, headaches, neck and back pain.

If you are in the market for a perfect Christmas gift, I encourage you to visit Pillows of Lavender.  They have several products to choose from that are divine.  Some of the products include, a comfort pillow set with a matching bonus eye pillow, the neck wrap, an eye/sinus pillow and computer desk sets.  You will not be disappointed with the workmanship and the presentation of these beautiful products. 

Be sure to come back when I will be featuring some other fantastic products.

Until next time,

Did you know that better health may be found right in your kitchen cabinet or garden? It’s true! If you enjoy spices such as sage, rosemary, cloves and cinnamon you are actually on the road to better health.

A recent study that was published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, there are several spices and herbs that reduce the formation of what are known as AGE compounds. These compounds have been found to cause inflammation and tissue damage which lead to clogged arteries and heart disease associated with diabetes. The research involved the testing of various herbs and spices to determine the phenol levels.

What is phenol? Phenol is a plant antioxidant that is thought to be responsible for blocking AGE. The research found that the most potent spices included extracts of cloves, cinnamon and ground Jamaican allspice. The most potent herbs consisted of sage, marjoram, rosemary and tarragon.

Let’s face it, it takes more than just adding the spices from your spice rack to ensure good health, but researchers noted, ‘There are reasons to be excited about work that will be done over the next few years.’

In the meantime, adding herbs and spices to your diet, especially if used in place of salt is an excellent choice. So, what are you waiting for? Pull out your favorite recipes and enjoy some rosemary and garlic potatoes, cinnamon spice muffins and start cooking! This is the time to Spice Up your Health!

Until next time,

Many tension headaches are caused by anxiety, nervous tension, eyestrain, tight muscles in the shoulder and neck area and poor posture.  Migraine headaches have been found to be caused by the expansion of blood vessels in the head.  Headaches can also be caused by colds and the flu as well as allergies, digestive problems and hormone imbalances.

Migraines can often be triggered by:

• Allergic Reactions
• Specific Foods
• Bright lights and loud noises
• Lack of sleep
• Smoking or exposure to smoke
• Alcohol
• Menstrual periods
• Birth control pills

Common symptoms of headaches and migraine headaches include:

• Dizziness
• Auras, flashing lights or dark spots
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Neck pain
• Usually worse on the sides of the forehead
• Sometimes on one side of the forehead
• Commonly last anywhere from 6 to 48 hours

Some natural remedies that have been found to help with headaches, tension headaches and migraine headaches include:

1. Chiropractic care - has been found to help with headaches because headaches have been linked to spinal problems.  The spinal condition is called a vertebral subluxation which is when areas in the spine are restricted or bones are out of alignment.  Migraines have been relieved with chiropractic adjustments because the misaligned neck has been corrected.
2. Aromatherapy - lavender eases physical and mental stress, and majoram has relaxing properties.  When you add 5 drops each of lavender and majoram essential oils to a basin of cool water.  Soak two washcloths in the water and wring out lightly.  Lie down and place one washcloth on your forehead and one on to the back of your neck.  Rest for 30 minutes.
3. Valerian - helps ease the pain of tension and migraine headaches.  Valerian is available in capsule form or in powder form.  In the powder form, take half a teaspoon of valerian extract diluted in warm water.  Drink the solution every 30 minutes until the pain has subsided.  In the capsule form, follow the directions on the container.
4. Herbal tea for tension headaches - Ginger will decrease the production of pain-causing chemicals in the body.  Chamomile and linden are mild relaxants that also help ease emotional and physical tension.  Take 1 cup of water, 1 teaspoon of fresh chopped ginger root, 1 teaspoon dried chamomile, and 1 teaspoon of dried linden.  Simmer the ginger in the water in a covered pot for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat, add the chamomile and linden and let steep for 10 minutes.  Strain and sweeten the tea if desired and drink it hot.
5. Footbaths work wonders - try immersing your feet in a bucket of water as hot as possible for 15 minutes.  While your feet are soaking, wring out a washcloth in icewater and place the cold compress on your forehead, temples and back of your neck, or wherever the pain is coming from.  The hot water actually dilates the blood vessels and increased the blood flow to the feet, while the cold compress constricts the blood vessels in the head, reducing the volume of blood flow and in turn reducing the pain.
6. Decrease the mucus - a large factor of sinus headaches is the accumulation of mucus in the sinuses.  Try eating spicy foods such as horseradish and hot peppers, which will increase the flow of blood and actually loosen the secretions of mucus in the sinuses.  The congestion is then relieved and also relieving the headaches associated with the sinuses.
7. Try a massage - a simple acupressure can help relieve a tension headache.  Place your fingers at the top of your spinal column, where your neck meets the skull.  Move your fingers along the base of the skull until you feel the indentation on either side.  These points will feel tender as you apply pressure.  Using the pads of your fingers apply pressure in a circular motion, the deeper you massage the better it will be.  Remember to breathe deeply and imagine the you are releasing the tension with each exhalation.  Continue for 1 - 3 minutes, it will be even better if you find someone else to do the massage so you can truly relax.

Be sure to come back to read more of the Natural Remedies series.

Until next time,

Many people suffer from this condition and many still will turn to prescription or herbal antidepressants at the first sign  of feeling down.  However, feelings are important messages from your body and mind and you must be attuned to them.  It is better to notice the message and take the appropriate steps to restore balance your life before resorting to drugs, herbal or otherwise.  With that said, there are herbal remedies as well as other remedies to help with your feelings of depression and some of those are listed below.

Herbal remedies:

St. John’s Wort is an herb that can help with depression.  It is available in capsule form and can be taken in a dosage of 300mg, three times daily.  It is important to understand that it may take at least 6 weeks before you will begin seeing the changes. Caution: do not take St. John’s Wort if you are pregnant or with other medicines, without consulting with your doctor,

Aromatherapy works:

An aromatherapy bath with lavender and bergamot relaxes your body and mind and also has mood elevating properties.  RUn a warm bath and add 10 drops of lavendar essential oil and 5 drops of bergamont essential oil.  Soak for a good 20 minutes and relax.

Walking helps:

A brisk walk will actually help you tremendously.  It will produce endorphins which are natural mood-elevating chemicals.  Next time you find yourself feeling down or can tell your depression coming on, try taking a brisk walk in your neighborhood every day and you will feel the difference.

Journaling:

Writing down your thoughts will help you gain an insight into your emotions.  Sit down and write for 20 minutes each day.  Don’t worry about your grammar, punctuation or whether you are making sense.  Just write whatever comes to your mind.  You will find that putting your thoughts down on paper will help you sort through painful emotions, clarify your decisions and keep your life on track.

Until next time,