Let's begin our conversation on why I think of bone broth as "Liquid Gold" or my "Magic Elixer".  When I drink bone broth daily (1-3 cups per day) I feel amazing.  My joint pain fades, my skin looks great and my energy becomes really balanced.  What does bone broth do for your body:

ESTROGEN decreases as we approach menopause (or if we are on certain medications, chemotherapy, tamoxifen and more).

For many women this drop in estrogen produces dryness, not just in the vaginal area but all over. These women begin seeing dry skin, dry eyes and dry everywhere in between. Hormones, they control so much of our body; so what can we do to in order to moisturize our vaginal area and the rest of our body.

So What’s a woman to do?

Some suggestions I have found helped myself and many of my clients. Please feel free to leave me any comments below with questions.

The world we live in is filled with way too many toxins.  They are found in our food, our environment and just about everywhere we go.  The problem I see is that these toxins find a place in our body to live.  In some people they may create a digestive problem, weight issue and the list goes on. Toxins are stored in our fat cells.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 3/4 of Americans are magnesium deficient which creates many health symptoms that we all deal with on a daily basis.  A deficiency in magnesium can be linked to a variety of health problems from simple irritability to chronic fatigue.

Symptoms of Magesium deficiency:

Did you know that in most cases, first aid is right outside your door?  My first line of defense for cuts, bruises, itching, and bites is an herb called Plantain.  Plantain for many of you is called a “weed”.  I consider it prime medicine. 

 

Plantain is one of the herbs in my top 5 list of mandatory plants to have.  . This is the plant I teach children about first.   Plantain, at least here in the northeast, grows everywhere.  If there is a lawn that hasn't been sprayed, most times if you look you'll see plantain growing, especially around the perimeter.  

In my opinion, no kitchen should be without fire cider! For me Fire Cider is a tonic. 

I take small amounts of it daily as an inexpensive, effective way to treat or stave off colds & to break up congestion.  

Some of the benefits of Fire Cider's ingredients include:

For those of us who just love dandelion, I’d like to let you in on a little secret.  Dandelion is not just a weed in your garden, its filled with amazing health benefits.  

In fact, some say that if you have a lot of dandelions in your yard, they are there because you or someone in your household needs them. Dandelion roots can be harvested in the fall or in the early spring

Did you know that you can use herbs for spring allergies?  As I mentioned the other day, spring is the time for new beginnings.  The plants begin to flower and now we have pollen which for many creates heavy, stuffy heads, watery, itchy eyes and so much more.  

Instead of grabbing for an allergy pill you may want to use herbs and foods to both alleviate the symptoms in addition to helping to eliminate the problem.

Today, March 20, 2013 is Spring Equinox. Spring Equinox is one of only 2 days in the year when we have equal day and night. There are exactly 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. As you look online about spring equinox you will notice a lot of talk about balance. Balancing brooms, standing eggs on their ends, but what I really want to chat about today is "Do you feel balanced?"

Have you ever sat under an enormous white pine and felt the healing energy she gives us or taken a few pine needles,or a small twig and scraped the bark off and smelled the clean white scent she offers us? Pine is considered a sacred tree throughout much of Europe and many American Indian traditions. To the Iroquois, she symbolizes a balanced life, truth, peace and a clear life purpose.  The Seneca people see her as a dream of peace for all beings and many of the cultures believe that the Spirit of the Forest lives in the old pines. After the senseless murders last week in Newtown, CT, White Pine seems like the plant we should be working with right now.

For many of us sore, sprained and pulled muscles are something that happens once in a while, while others are constantly looking for solutions to these issues.  For a sprain your first line of defense should always be ice, which helps bring the inflammation down. In addition there are some herbal remedies you may find helpful. 

Have you ever felt like you are stuck in a rut?  You’re angry, aggravated and just need a little something.  Next time, reach for a little bit of motherwort tincture and see how all of a sudden things look a little brighter.

Motherwort is an interesting plant, as you look at her relatively innocuous flowers, just be aware that towards the stem they are very prickly and I’ve been stuck numerous times.  

We'll start with anxiety:

For me as soon as I see dandelion flowers popping out all over the place, reality sets in, Spring is finally here. 

The dandelion is a tough tenacious plant which is know for its ability to survive almost anything and to spread herself far and wide. The bright flowers look like little suns, full of energy and power.

When you look at the energy of dandelion, she is a tough cookie. Have you ever tried to pull a dandelion, her roots extend far into the ground.It reminds me that dandelion is so useful for people who are very intense. These people are hard-working, over-stressed and many times very irritable. They cram too much into every day.  They need to learn to let go just like the puff ball of seeds that the dandelion has later on in the season.  Does this sound familiar??