Cold and Flu Season

 Aromatherapy, Colds and Flu, Health  No Responses »
Nov 092010
 

42-15620395Seasonal viral and bacterial influenza is infection of the sinus, lungs and airways, and presents with one or more of the following symptoms: fever, runny nose, sore throat, headache, muscle aches and a general feeling of weariness. It used to be that winter was the most likely time you would get the flu. The typical flu season runs from late November to March, however, there are possible outbreaks at other times during the year.

There are many sensible ways to keep seasonal viral and bacterial influenza at bay. Common sense and scents can help. Create awareness in school and the workplace and adopt and share one or more of the following suggestions that can put your mind more at ease:

Wash your hands often throughout the day with pure soap. Avoid touching your eyes, nosecolds flu washing hands 220x165 or mouth as germs enter your body more easily this way. Steer clear of synthetic chemical antibacterial liquid cleansers that strip your skin of its protective flora and actually create bacterial rashes. We carry several lovely choices of pure, natural soap, Black Soap from Africa, made from powdered Cocoa pods and the peel of the Plantain, using Coconut and Palm Kernel oils, is a wonderful choice. This soap will amaze you with its wonderful cleaning power and clean smell. We use it for everything!  It comes in a bar, or liquid, including a handy 2 oz. size for your purse or backpack.  You can easily make your own hand-wipes, spritzing cut-up paper towels with our Healthy Skin Hydrosol and conveniently carrying in a ziploc bag.

To avoid spreading disease, stay at home if you are sick, unless absolutely impossible. If you sneeze and cough at work or school, cover your mouth with a handkerchief or tissue. Do your best to keep those germs from going airborne and infecting others, prolonging illness in the workplace or school. Avoid crowds, and especially close contact with sick people. Generally keeping a distance of about six feet between yourself and others helps reduce your risk of exposure.

Using aromatics can introduce antibacterial, antiviral protection into your respiratory, sinus and throat regions. First Defense™ is a proprietary blend of the most powerful, yet gentle essential oils proven to address colds and influenza. This synergy is handy to have at hand when you feel the need to keep germs at bay. It is available in a convenient inhaler, especially good for travel, and for teachers, who are constantly exposed to the colds and flu of the younger population. It is also available as a diffuser synergy.  

Proper ventilation significantly reduces the concentration of pathogenic bacteria and viruses76582_L_air_Fr_room_sp_140 in the air. Simply opening a window can help; unfortunately, this is not possible in many workplaces. If your workplace allows, use an environmental aromatic blend of essential oils like First Defense™, or Spring Breath™ in a personal diffuser on your desk to improve the air quality. You can also use them in a diffuser that works in the cigarette lighter socket in your car, or make a fine mist spritzer with the synergy suspended in water. You’ll find a wide range of aromatic diffusers here at Samara Botane, as well as the bottles and closures.  For routine prevention, you might also enjoy our L’air Frais™ Aromatic Room Spray, a bright, fresh environmental mist to clean and purify air.

Drink lots of water and eat sensibly. Foods that can boost your immune system include raw garlic (actually kills cold and flu virus), yogurt (immuno-stimulatory effects), green tea (powerful antiviral), fruits and vegetables (preferably fresh: full of vitamin C: apples are an excellent choice). If you get sick, avoid mucous-producing foods like milk, cheese . . . and, yes, ice cream! Pay attention to your nutritional needs and include vitamins and supplements as necessary. See your doctor and other health practitioners regularly, including your dentist.

Marcia’s Chicken Tortellini Soup for Flu Season 

colds flu chicken tort soup 260x1953 large chicken breasts (brown in olive oil in skillet, remove and cut into cubes, set aside-chicken should be white all the way through)

Sauté to soften in skillet (adding more olive oil if needed):
1 1/2 c. celery, diced
1 1/2 c. carrots, diced
2 small or 1 medium onion diced
3-6 garlic cloves, minced (the more the better)

Add above ingredients to stockpot with:
8 c. chicken broth (add water as needed) 
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped
3 c. spinach leaves, chopped (or 3 c. broccoli)
1 15-oz. can sliced tomatoes (do not drain)
3-4 Tbsp. Braggs Amino Acids (optional)
2 tsp. Dried Tarragon, ground in mortar & pestle to release optimum flavor  
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
cook at slow boil for 15 minutes
Add:
12 oz. fresh cheese tortellini pasta
cook for another 4-5 minutes or according to directions on pasta pkg.

Spoon into bowls, add:
freshly grated Parmesan for garnish, optional

This soup will keep well for several days refrigerated and can be reheated.

More tips for avoiding colds and flu:

no-smoking-symbol-140x139Quit smoking. Cigarette smoking is a high risk factor for influenza, and there is a higher mortality rate from influenza for smokers than non-smokers. Smoking causes structural changes in the respiratory tract and a decrease in immune response.

Dress properly. Thermo receptors (our body’s temperature sensory receptors) are concentrated on hands, feet, neck and head. Keep these parts of your body warm.

Modern life is stressful and many of us are worried, apprehensive and dealing with difficulties. This mental and physical state can lower your immune capability and create an environment for colds and flu to take hold. Pay conscious attention to reducing the stress in your life and pamper yourself – take time to relax. Luxurious aromatic baths and footbaths can soothe tired and sore muscles and calm frazzled nerves. Treat yourself to a therapeutic massage. Take long walks in the open air, away from the smog and traffic. Find time to relax with soothing music and/or a good book. Have a cup of tea with a friend. Talking to an empathetic ear can have a therapeutic effect.

We at Samara Botane hope you find these simple suggestions useful. We are here to serve through the aromatic life. You’ll find specific aromatherapy uses for each essential oil on the “uses” tab in the shopping cart on our website.

 Posted by Marcia at 6:23 pm

Flu Tips

 Colds and Flu, Health, Natural Home, Nutrition  No Responses »
May 132009
 

There are no known cures for colds and flu, so being prepared by building your own immune system is your best approach if you cherry_2008_300 don’t want to depend on a flu vaccination.   Here’s twelve great tips from the American Lung Association, People’s Medical Society, Family Doctor and Medscape that will reduce your chance for any cold or flu infection.  Don’t forget to check out the many wellness products and ingredients on our website to help keep your family ahead of the game when it comes to warding off cold and flu viruses.

(1)  Wash your hands!  Flu and cold viruses are spread by direct contact.  Germs can live for hours – sometimes weeks – on telephones , keyboards, doorknobs.  You can make your own hand sanitizer by suspending antiviral essential oils in aloe vera gel and saturating paper towels.  Cut them into smaller sizes and carry in a ziploc for quick use on the go.

(2)   Make sure you sneeze into a Kleenex, or handkerchief because virus germs will cling to your bare hands.  Use a tissue and throw it immediately away.  If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into the air, turning away from people. 

(3)   Colds and flu viruses enter your body through the eyes, nose or mouth.  Don’t touch your face!  Touching their faces is the most likely way that children catch colds and pass it on to parents and siblings.

(4)   Drink plenty of water!  Water flushes your system, washing out poisons as it rehydrates.  Minimum daily requirement:  36 oz.  You can tell if you are getting enough water if your urine runs close to clear; if deep yellow, you need more fluid intake.  Don’t mistake coffee, tea or soft drinks for plain old water  . . . they don’t count.

(5)   Take a sauna.  A German research study found that people who steamed twice a week got half as many colds as those who don’t.  One theory is that the air you breathe  in a sauna is over 80 degrees, a temperature too hot for cold and flu viruses to survive.

(6)   Get fresh air, especially in the winter months.  Staying indoors puts you in an environment with more germs are circulating, especially in crowds.  Sleep with a window open.

(7)   Get regular aerobic exercise.  Speed up your heart and pump larger quantities of blood throughout your system.  This will transfer oxygen from your lungs to your blood and increase your body’s natural virus-killing cells.

(8)   Eat foods containing phytochemicals.  Natural chemicals in plants give the vitamins in food a supercharged burst.   Eat copious amounts of dark, green, red and yellow vegetables and fruit.

(9)   Eat yogurt.  Some studies show that eating a daily cup of low-fat yogurt can reduce your susceptibility to colds and flu by as much as 25 percent.  It is assumed that the beneficial bacteria in yogurt may stimulate production of  the immune system to help fight disease.

(10)   Don’t smoke.  Heavy smokers get more severe colds and more frequent ones.  Even being around second-hand smoke profoundly zaps your immune system, dries out nasal passages and paralyzes cilia, the delicate hairs that sweep viruses out of your nasal passages.  Experts contend that one cigarette can paralyze cilia for as long as 30 to 40 minutes.

(11)   Cut alcohol consumption.  Heavy alcohol use also suppresses the immune system. and dehydrates your body . . . it actually takes more fluids from your system than it puts in.  This makes you prone to initial infections as well as secondary complications.

(12)   Finally . . . Relax!  Teaching yourself to relax can activate your immune system on demand.  Evidence shows that interleukins (the leaders in an immune system response against cold and flu viruses) increase in the bloodstream during relaxing meditation.  Train yourself to relax in a positive state by visualization (holding a pleasant picture or image in your mind).   Soothing music can aid this process.  Remember that relaxation is a learnable skill to create a state of mind; it is not simply doing nothing.

These tips provide a proactive approach to warding off colds and flu and make your whole life healthier.   We’ll be back next week to continue our Earth Day Every Day series.

Tealight_Candle_Blue_200  Special continued for another week (through Sunday, May 16):  Take an extra 10% off all Samara Synergies.   Good time to stock up on First Defense  for the family’s flu artillery or Calma for aiding sleep.  Many others to choose from.  Orders over $35 will also receive a free decorative tea light holder (pictured at left).    Enter “Colds & Flu #1” (no quotes) in promotional code on checkout page.
http://www.wingedseed.com

 Posted by Marcia at 4:42 pm

Eating Causes Global Warming?

 Climate Change, General Info, Health, Herbs, Networking  No Responses »
Jun 052008
 

I’ve recently read that our food system is responsible for one-third of global greenhouse emissions.  When you think about bananas being shipped to a U.S. port, then transported by container truck to a distribution point, then trucked across your state to your local grocer, this begins to make sense. 

Here’s a great little calculator to help you compare the relative carbon impacts of your food choices.  The nifty thing is – if you reduce emissions by your eating habits, you will also be eating healthier and maybe learning to grow your own garden and shop at your local farmer’s market (supporting your regional food supply).

You handmade products manufacturers might want to look into being a vendor at your local farmer’s market.  You’ll make good contacts for fresh herbs and flowers to use in your products.  It’s a great way to expand your networking . . . all the time helping the environment.  Excellllent!  (Stroking imaginary beard.)  

 Posted by Marcia at 6:04 pm

Our Failing Medical System

 General Info, Health, Legislation, Pharmaceuticals  No Responses »
May 152008
 

Most of my friends are pretty savvy when it comes to knowing about and using natural therapies.  Believe it or not, there used to be a time when medical doctors had more to offer their patients than a prescription for pharmaceuticals.  Now, after a quick 5-9 minute consultation, this seems to be their ONLY remedy.  Unfortunately, many people are hastily and needlessly drugged because they think doctors are trusted experts.  When this "expert" slips them this small slip of paper, people think, "This MUST be the best answer." 

I was shocked when the pharmaceutical companies were allowed to advertise prescription drugs as if they were just like the other consumables that slick advertising seduces us to buy.  Turning patients into consumers was a bold move that cleverly switched medical necessities into consumer choices and ultimately has undermined the authority of the FDA to enact more tempered regulation.  The Center for Media and Democracy’s Mary Ebeling has written Beyond Advertising: The pharmaceutical Industry’s Hidden Marketing Tactics, a thoughtful look at this disturbing trend.  "What is surprising is that public health advocates haven’t made pharmaceutical rebranding and off-label promotions of drugs and medical major issues", she writes.  It is puzzling to me that the increasing consumer desire  for all things natural hasn’t become a rallying call for a direct challenge to this practice by the pharmaceutical industry.

Even the British Medical Journal  has admitted that there is evidence that pharmaceutical advertising in medical journals is influencing doctors’ behavior more than they might admit to.  A follow-on debate is also published by the BMJ.  A study by two York University researchers estimates that the U.S. pharmaceutical industry spends almost twice as much on advertising and promotion than on research and development, contrary to the industry’s claim.  These statistics are a no brainer and one can easily connect the dots.

Most of you who read this blog are already making healthy choices to use natural therapies and embrace food and exercise choices to maintain health without a lot of prescription drugs.  The BMJ has also covered the rise of consumer groups in Europe who are rallying to prevent the EU from lifting a ban on DTP (Direct to Patient) advertising.

Privatization of hospitals, the percentage of costs that go to insurance companies and malpractice insurance costs are part of the problem for soaring health care costs.  Surely the increased expenses for pharmaceutical companies to advertise as heavily as they do is directly correlated with burgeoning health care costs to consumers.

Most bankruptcies in this country are because of catastrophic health care costs.  Four million Americans have no healthcare and just as many or more are underinsured.  It is time to demand a complete overhaul and implement a plan that promotes preventative therapies (including natural) and guarantees full health care for all Americans.   When Taiwan became a rich country, its citizens had been languishing in poor health for decades.  They moved quickly to universal health care and now its citizens are fully covered . . . and costs are far less than health care in the U.S.  The U. S. continues to put corporate profit above the health of its citizens, causing undo suffering.  We can do better. 

 Posted by Marcia at 3:33 pm
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