When I'm starting to feel sick...

...here are the preventative measures I take to keep a cold at bay. 

1.  Drink more fluids.  I try to drink more water, juice, and herbal tea.  I love this kid's Cold Care Tea - I use 2 bags per cup to make it a little stronger.
 
2.  Up my local honey intake.  Local honey is important because the bees have gathered pollen from all the plants indigenous to your area.  The allergens in honey are delivered to your body in manageable doses - helping you to build up an immunity to them.  I try to eat wild local honey once a day, but when I am starting to feel ill I up my intake.

3.  Netti Pot.  I've only recently started using this - at the recommendation of my sister.  It is very effective though - removing irritating allergens and soothing inflammation in your nasal passages. 

4.  Essential Oils:  I use my Adult Cold and Flu Rescue (which I finally listed in my Etsy shop). 

It has a combination of Lavender, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, and Peppermint essential oils.  These oils are antiviral, antimicrobial, decongestant, and anti-inflammatory.  I roll it on my lymph glands on my neck, and on my wrists 3x a day.  Inhaling deeply after application. 
So far, I don't feel any worse than yesterday(when my symptoms first presented) - hopefully that means this thing will be short-lived.  (although I do feel like I am writing this post in a fog - hope you can understand my watery-eyed, sleepy-brain self).  I'm off to take a nap.  Stay well and warm!
jessica

Stress and Anxiety Anyone?

...so it's almost half way to Christmas and it's getting kinda crazy.  I am going to a party at 10am on Saturday, and throwing a party at 5:30pm Saturday.  I have been a little stressed.  I don't want to be - as usual there is this disconnect between who I actually am and who I long to be.  So if you are like me and busy, stressed, or anxious about holiday events, here are a few natural remedies to ease your mind and body.

(image from Hostess with the Mostess)

• Peppermint Essential oil - a popular and festive flavor found in many recipes this season.  Coincidence?  perhaps.  But peppermint essential oil has many indications for a busy time of year.  It relieves headache, mental fatigue, nervous stress, muscle pain, and migraines.  It is antiviral (helping to fight colds and flus), anti-inflammatory, expectorant, and analgesic.  I like to mix a few drops with safflower oil and rub it on the bottoms of my feet, then slip on some cozy socks.  If you have a cold - application to the chest will both reduce inflammation in the bronchial area and reduce the urge to cough (it is an antispasmodic too).  It is a stimulant, so I wouldn't use it before you go to bed - great to use right before a party or in the morning though.  NEVER put it in your bath. I did that once and it will freeze you.  You won't be able to warm up for quite some time.  Also children under 2 and pregnant women should avoid peppermint - it is a very strong oil.  
• Accupressure - unlike acupuncture, this is something you can do at home.  Again I would focus on the feet.  There is a point right beneath the ball of your foot that can calm overactive adrenal glands and reduce stress.  

Put a few drops of peppermint on this spot and press with your thumb

(or have your hubby massage it for you :)

• Massage - go see your massage therapist!!  You can buy a gift certificate while you are there for a gift - so not only can you relax, but you can knock one gift off your list.  Massage not only relieves the physical tension in your muscles, but provides you with an hour all to yourself to just lie still.  Mmmmm...sounds nice to me.  The therapist's caring touch can also relieve depression, calm anxiety, and boost your immune system (it moves fluid through the lymph system).
• Find the Joy -  remember WHY you are throwing that party or making that gift.  I love to have people in my home, be surrounded by friends, and bring them joy by fixing cute foods or planning fun games.  I want to find or make that perfect gift because I care about the people in my life so much and I want them to know how much I love them.  When you center yourself and remember the reason you are doing the things you do, it can remove some of the pressure.  

 (image from Craftily Ever After)

So I hope you all have a lovely weekend - free from stress and anxiety and filled with Joy, Peace, and Love.
joyfully yours,
jessica

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

One of the favorite flavor combination's of the season - now in a bite-sized cupcake version!  

This is an easy recipe and a sure hit at any holiday party.  

Here's what you will need:

Devil's Food Cake mix

eggs

oil

water

small, bite-sized peppermint patties

mini cupcake liners

mini cupcake pan

Step1:  Follow the directions on the cake box and mix all ingredients together.

Step 2:  Place the cupcake liners in the pan and fill to 1/4" below the edge of the liner.

Step 3:  Bake in the oven.  While they are baking, unwrap all of the peppermint patties.

3-4 minutes before the cupcakes should be done, open the oven and place one patty on top of each cupcake.  Let it continue baking for 3-4 more minutes - enough to melt the patties slightly so that they stick to the cupcake.

Step 4:  Let them cool, then remove from pan.

The best part - no time-consuming, messy frosting!  

Just garnish with little candy canes, or crushed peppermint.

Enjoy!

jessica

Headache Pain Management

Image from Scientificamerican.com

Many, many people suffer from headaches - tension, hormonal, sinus, migraine...sometimes I feel like I get in a rut where I am popping ibuprofen every afternoon.  I don't like doing that.  If you feel the same way, here are some simple, natural ways to ease headache pain, and ward off daily headaches. 
Yes, it means we have to be a little more responsible - but wouldn't you rather be responsible than be in pain? (some people actually answer No to that question - if that is you, this won't help you.)
We'll start with pain management:

• Aromatherapy:  These oils can ease the pain of headaches.  Peppermint, Lavender, Pink Grapefruit.  You can apply one or two drops to the inside of your wrists, rub together, and inhale deeply.  You can even use them all together if you like!  Just mix about 1 drop peppermint, 3 drops lavender, and 2 drops p.grapefruit in 2 Tablespoons of a carrier oil - massage this on your temples, and your neck/shoulders (better yet, have your hubby do that for you).     ***peppermint oil should NOT be used on pregnant/nursing women or children under 2***
• Ice:  This can be one of the most effective ways to treat any kind of pain.  Ice numbs the nerves and causes them to STOP sending pain signals to the brain.  This breaks the pain cycle.  Often when I have a headache, I put an icepack at the base of my neck and it really helps.  Just last night, I had a sinus headache, and the ice pack felt better on my forehead, so that's where it sat as I fell asleep.  Ice also reduces inflammation, which can be a major cause of headaches.
• Shunt:  This involves both ice and heat.  Run a footbath, or a regular tub, with hot water.  Place your feet in the water.  Place an icepack on your head.  This will draw the blood away from your head, to your feet and should ease some of the discomfort.

Headache Prevention:

• Hydration:  I will confess, I am the worst at this one.  I like to drink coffee - not water.  But I do feel  better when i drink water - and dehydration has been proven to be a major cause of headaches (especially ones that occur at the end of the day).
• Exercise:  Doesn't it seem like this is the remedy for everything?  Why can't we just be lazy....I guess we can and that's why we're in pain.  As you probably know, exercise increases endorphins (natural pain killers), it increases circulation, and does a myriad of other important things. (blah blah blah just go exercise.)

• Massage Therapy:  Especially useful for tension headaches, or stress-induced headaches.  Your L.M.T. can release the tension in your muscles, reducing the constraint on your nerves.  This does not have to be painful "deep tissue" massage.  Just a simple, slow massage can melt away many layers of tension.  A light scalp massage can be helpful too - this is a good one to use on your kids.

So there you have it - a few simple tips to headache pain management.  Let's try to be responsible for our health.  Those things I have mentioned are a lot cheaper than Dr. visits and OTC medication.  It IS easier to pop a pill, but is it better?  I don't think so.  It's also very empowering to know that you eased your family's pain.  YOU can change your circumstances.  We do need Dr.s for some things, yes, but let's try to be a bit more responsible in our health care (I'm speaking to myself here too).  I wish you good health today.
jessica