This post can now be found on our new BLOG at www.BEarthBLOG.com
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Educated Natural Living
In the "old days" what one read in a book or magazine was thought to be pretty accurate and we often based decisions on what we read. It was only with the advent of the Internet and self-publishing that more opinions emerged and we started to question what we were reading. Now, the tangled web we are in amazes me! In this day and age one needs to actually be educated in the field of natural healing and natural living just to be able to navigate the websites, online articles and off-line magazines and books.
I can't even read a magazine or book today without stopping every few pages and saying - "Hey - that is not true!" or "Wow! That is bad advice!"
Here is an example from a woman's magazine I picked up at the grocery store:
THE LIE (from the magazine)
(Article on saving energy)
"Cook your meals in your microwave oven, and you'll save time plus use 50% to 65% less energy than if you used a conventional oven."
THE REALITY (from me)
If you cook food with a microwave oven it will not save money because when you cook (or even re-heat) with a microwave you are destroying nutrients in the food. Food has no real value without nutrients so you will either find yourself more hungry later and need to eat more or you will find yourself depleated of nutrients over time and will need to purchase expensive supplements. Furthermore, a poor diet of microwave cooked food will cause health issues that will also cost you money.
This is just one example. However I see tens of examples daily as I browse the newspaper, magazines, articles and online sites.
So this little BLOG post is just a reminder....
Make sure you are educated in the subject you are reading about. Herbal and natural healing information in magazines and online can inspire me and give me new ideas. However, they are only useful when I also have the knowledge and tools to know how to cross-reference information and use the information I am given.
Do you know how to figure out the dosage of an herb you want to take after reading an article about it? Do you know how or where to cross-reference information about that herb? Do you know the most recent studies about the different trends in health (eggs, cholesterol, water,sleep, etc...) and how they compare to studies done ten years ago?
Without a lot of basic information a person can easily be misled through many online articls and even published books.
Make it a goal for yourself this year to become educated in some of the topics you read about most - you can take classes at a local community college, you can study a well-respected book on the topic and now you can even audit some of my online courses for a fraction of the cost it takes to be a full-time student. Check out the auditing possibilities at:
Audit Natural Healing Courses
Blessings & Health,
Kristie
www.HerbnHome.com
Monday, January 26, 2009
The Healing Power of Nurturing Herbs
Sometimes part of the healing process with a child (or any person for that matter) is the nurturing and reassuring feeling they get by "taking medicine". Somehow, this process evokes a healing response in the body, in addition to any healing power the medicine may have.
One of the many reasons I enjoy herbal healing with children so much is because I am able to allow them to heal themselves with herbs and they can even take a few extra sips or spoons of herbal syrup if they feel the need.
Because I only use very mild and safe herbs with the children like peppermint, chamomile, catnip, fenugreek and others, I am able to leave these herbs in drawers labelled "Stomach ache", "Fever", "Nerves", "Sleep", etc...and invite the children to use the herbs when they feel the need. I would never feel comfortable doing this with any OTC medicine as most can have serious side effects if taken in any excess at all. Of course the children have been taught how to use herbs and have been told all the safety warnings and they usually ask me first anyway...but the fact that I can feel comfortable leaving these "medicines" within their reach is wonderful.
Additionally, when my child feels the need to take more herbal syrup or tea because they want to feel they are "getting better faster" I don't have to say "no". I invite them to have an extra cup of peppermint tea or an extra spoon or two of chamomile syrup, knowing that they probably do not need it, but that it will not harm them either. And they feel better because they sometimes enjoy the process of taking the medicine. Somehow "taking medicine" makes a child feel special when they are ill. It helps a person feel nurtured. And those feelings can help a person heal.
If you would like to do this with your children make sure you are only using very mild herbs that are safe for children and that they know how to use the herbs and are supervised as much as possible in the beginning and that the place where you openly store your herbs is in a public place near where you are. I have posted before about the side effects of herbal medicines and how we must be cautious even with remedies that are natural. Over-use or misuse can cause a variety of problems, and taking herbs that are not suitable to your temperament can also cause a variety of problems (see previous BLOG posts).
If you would like some ideas on how to teach your child about herbs and natural healing you can check out some of the parent-child classes I am offering at www.TheAvicennaInstitute.com
Blessings & Health,
Kristie
www.HerbnHome.com
www.TheAvicennaInstitute.com
Sunday, January 11, 2009
HERBS: Winter Herbs for Your Blood Type
I found this wonderful chart online for those of you interested in eating according to your blood type AND season! This chart shows you what herbs, appropriate for the winter season, are ALSO good for your blood type. You can find the chart at:
http://www.recipenet.org/health/recipes/er4yt/herb_chart.htm
Blessings & Health,
Kristie Karima Burns, MH, ND
www.HerbnHome.com
It's the Little Things...
Sometimes it is the little things that help us lead a healthier and more holistic lifestyle - not the big changes! Here are three little things that have made very big changes in my life. I appreciate finding things like this. We spend so much time trying to improve our lives or make changes for the better. Sometimes we spend hours and many dollars and of course we always hear the saying, "If it sounds too good to be true it is". However, sometimes it sounds too good to be true and it actually is true! This is how it was with these three things for me. I am sure there are more...and would love to hear about yours too (please comment below this post on the BLOG) but these are the three that stand out for me the past month:
1. Lavender on the Drier Sheets. I get unscented drier sheets and put a few drops of lavender on them before I toss them in with the bedding. It helps the bedding to smell wonderful, the kids love it and it actually helps them to sleep better. We all sleep better with the lavender infused sheets and it is much easier than running the diffuser, putting it in the bath or rubbing it one someone's feet. It is also very very inexpensive.
2. The One-Server Blender: I purchased a small blender that has a little base on the bottom and then on the top it is a 16-ounce cup with a lid and a cap - much like a portable coffee mug or plastic drink cup you get from a gas station. You can make a smoothie in this little cup/blender and then take the entire cup off the top of the blender, put a straw through the lid and then enjoy it. It is easy to clean, the kids enjoy making their own smoothies with it, you can make individual flavors (since everyone around here likes different ones), you can take it out the door for a quick breakfast or snack and it encourages us to drink more smoothies. Since buying this the kids and I have eaten a lot more fruit and one more serving of something healthy means one less serving of something potentially unhealthy.
3. The Mini Vac: I have a mini vac near the dining room. Every time one of the children or animals makes a mess I (or even the kids) take the little vac down, vaccuum it up and it is done. I used to have to vaccuum the entire floor in the dining room area almost daily, but now with this spot cleaning method I don't have as much work to do. And that gives me more time to make homemade bread!
What are some of the little things that make a difference in your life?
Blessings & Health,
Kristie
www.TheNaturalLivingChannel.com
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