Category Archives: Natural Medicine Cabinet

Natural Medicine Cabinet Essential for Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

I’ve recently noticed that there have been a couple concerns of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease in the area. According to the Center for Disease control Hand foot and mouth disease is a common viral disease usually seen in children younger than 5 years of age. Symptoms include fever, blister sores in the mouth and a skin rash (most notably on the hands and feet).

The best way to prevent this disease is to wash your hands regularly and to avoid close contact with those that have been infected. This can be very contagious.

If your child has been exposed to hand foot and mouth disease it is important to stay hydrated.

 

There are 3 essential oil blends that may help to shorten the duration of symptoms: thieves essential oil blend, mountain savory, and purification essential oil blend. (personally if exposure has taken place I would put one of these in a diffusor preventatively too)

Mix one drop of essential oil of your choice with one tablespoon coconut or olive oil. Massage into the spine and/or bottoms of the feet. Use what you have available or alternate between all 3 oils. You can do this as much as every diaper change until symptoms are gone.

If you do not have any essential oils on hand you might try placing or massaging a clove of garlic on the bottom of the feet and put socks over it during nap time. The soles of the feet are porous and can absorb the garlic (and its antiviral properties) in fact the wearer of the garlic can actually taste the garlic usually in about 15 minutes. Here is a link to make a garlic poultice. 
Remember it always a good idea to contact your health care provider about any questions or concerns you may have before starting any treatment.

Natural Medicine Cabinet: Mouth and Teeth Health

I first heard about oil pulling when I was pregnant. It intrigued me and I didn’t really get it but I figured I would give it a go at some point. I just posted a blog of all of coconut oil’s great uses so here is another one to add to the list. 🙂

Growing up my parents took us to a dentist that we all referred to as “Dr. Dagger.” I don’t know if I’ve ever had a solid trust in dentists because they would tell me I needed things when I had no pain or issues and the one time I did have a pain it was dismissed as nothing until a few months passed and it ended up as an abscess and emergency root canal. Several years later another dentist told me that same tooth was still infected and needed a re-root canal to clear the infection. And I discovered my teeth always needed serious cleanings after my pregnancy even though my oral health care routine didn’t change much. I even bought the fancy tooth brush with a promise that would be the solution to my problems. It didn’t seem to be and now the next thing to purchase was a tooth pik. Arg! An article about oil pulling came across my news feed and her story really seemed to make sense to me. This article I read awhile back that says oil pulling is an Ayurvedic tradition and has been around for quite some time and touts oil pulling as a way to break up congestion and help with sinus problems as well (further digging shows at least anecdotally that for sinus relief you need to oil pull 2-3 times a day). So this is really the beginning of my oil pulling journey, day 2 to be exact.

What do you do?

Grab a tablespoon or so of coconut oil and put it in your mouth. Its cold out now so most likely it will be solid and take a few minutes to melt in your mouth. (this feels a little weird and slightly gross but once it melts its no big deal). Once the oil becomes liquid swish it around in your mouth for 15-20 minutes first thing in the morning. I know! This sounds like a huge time commitment. Here’s what I do, get out of bed pop coconut oil in my mouth and then go about my normal morning routine of getting dressed, making breakfast etc. By the time the eggs are done cooking its been at least 15 minutes. Make sure to spit your coconut oil into the trash and not the drain. Rinse your mouth a few times and then drink some lemon cucumber water.

oil pulling in action 🙂

Here’s what I noticed so far. My teeth look really white (someone noticed on day 1) and there are spaces between my teeth like how they look after a cleaning except without the gum soreness. I can’t ditch the toothpaste and floss so I’m compromising. My plan is to oil pull and brush in the morning and brush and floss in the evening. I will let you know how my next cleaning goes.

Do you oil pull? What benefits have you noticed? I’m curious!

Natural Medicine Cabinet: Cold and Flu Prevention

Here are 5 important items to have in your natural medicine cabinet during flu season!

Bone Soup

Making your own stock is great preventative medicine and is also great to use medicinally when you are sick as well. From a Chinese Medical standpoint making soup stock from bones is incredibly nourishing to the kidneysand the kidney system is most active during the winter months which is the best time to nourish them.  Bone soup is also great if you are suffering from digestive troubles. I made garlic beef stock yesterday with this recipe and added red lentils, carrots, celery, rainbow chard, and broccoli this morning for dinner tonight. An added bonus is the house smells delicious.

Apple Cider Vinegar

‎”Cold Season Prevention & Remedy #3 for Pregnancy or any time – Drink 1 – 2 Tablespoons of RAW-Unfiltered-Organic Apple Cider Vinegar each day. You can mix it in 8 oz of water or apple juice to make it more palatable. This improves your body’s PH balance and strengthens the immune system. Also fends off yeast, speeds healing of infections, soothes a sore throat, and relieves heartburn. We like Bragg brand.” -Mamaste Yoga
Also equally good if you are not pregnant. 🙂 For more info about apple cider vinegar check out here. Whatever brand you choose make sure it has the “mother” in it for optimal results.

Thieves Essential Oil

I know, I talk about this all the time. Thieves essential oil is a blend of cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, rosemary, and lemon. It was named thieves after the infamous band of apothecaries that would use these herbs and spices to cover their faces when robbing the dead bodies during the black plague. It is 99.9% effective in killing bacteria and other sickies and because its a natural source bacteria can’t mutate to it like anti-bacterial soaps. We diffuse thieves at home and in the office to clean the air and spray thieves on door handles and other surfaces. You can also put a drop of thieves in your water or tea if your feeling run down or have a scratchy throat. Young Living essential oils carries this essential oil blend and you can purchase here. You can learn more about using aromatherapy THIS Saturday in the first part of our 2 part series Introduction to the Everyday Essential Oils collection. Part 2 is Saturday Dec 7th.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D otherwise known as the sunshine vitamin is important for immune health especially for prevention of colds and flus according to recent studies. Living in the Midwest it is really easy to become deficient in Vitamin D in the winter months when its hard to get enough sun light. You want to make sure to get a high quality vitamin D3, this is the most easily absorbed form on vitamin D for our bodies and you also want to make sure you take it with fat because it is a fatt soluble vitamin. I like Innate Choice Vitamin D3 drops because it comes in olive oil. You can order this online or pick it up in the office, Dr. Scott carries it. 🙂 Here is some more good info on Vitamin D too,

Don’t forget that acupuncture is a great preventative tool as well. Studies have shown that acupuncture points carry higher concentrations of white blood cells and when stimulated give a boost to the immune system. You can also use acupuncture for a persistent cough, congestion or the onset or a sore throat. If you have a fever though please stay home and use the natural remedies above.

Natural Medicine Cabinet Essential for Winter Blues

Several  years ago I started wearing Joy Essential oil blend on my wrists and over my heart as perfume because I liked how it smelled. It was my go-to oil all winter long and I didn’t even think twice about it.  I wore it for 3 or so winters in a row and it really wasn’t until the 4th winter that I did not wear it that I noticed what a difference in how I felt.

Why smells for your mood? Your sense of smell is your only sense that runs through the emotional center of the brain. There are more interesting facts about your sense of smell here. 

Why Joy? According to the Essential Oil Desk Reference Joy is a blend of oils (rose, bergamot, mandarin, ylang ylang, lemon, geranium, jasmine, palmarosa, roman chamomile and rosewood) that produces a magnetic energy that brings joy to the heart, mind and soul. It inspires romance and helps overcome deep-seated grief and depression. The oils in this blend are thought to be uplifting in their scent as well as calming and rose is known to have the highest frequency of any essential oil.

The inner wrists are a great place to massage Joy into because of the calming acu-points found in this place as well. I like to put a drop or 2 on one wrist and then circle the wrists together. If I’m feeling anxious this almost always puts me at ease.

Joy is also a great oil to diffuse, inhale directly or add to bath water (make sure to drop onto bath salts and not directly into bath water for optimal results and safety)

If you are interested in purchasing Joy or a diffuser order here for the best deal or send me a message and I can help you get all set up!

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TERMS OF USE:
Medical & Health Information

Any information on this Page is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, cure, or treat any illness or disease: it has not been evaluated by the FDA. Neither are the products mentioned on this website meant to do the same: they have been evaluated by the FDA. Information here is strictly for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please seek a qualified health professional of your choice when making health choices for yourself or any member of your family – pets included. By proceeding to read articles / posts, look at pictures, watch videos, contact Sarah Canga, and listen to audios you agree and accept these terms.

 

Natural Medicine Cabinet Essential: Postpartum Support

Yesterday we talked about how the body is depleted after childbirth and susceptible to cold and eating nourishing and warming foods. Today I’d like to talk about placentas. Consuming the placenta after birth is not a new fad, it is something that has been going on in various cultures around the world for quite some time. In the U.S. it became more fashionable to utilize the placenta in the 70s and is often associated with the homebirth movement. According to recent studies women who choose to use consume their placenta for postpartum support in the US are educated, middle class, and have both hospital births and home births. You might be asking yourself why on earth would someone want to do that?!

It is believed that eating the placenta offers support for lactation, prevention of or relief from baby blues, replenishes iron supply from blood loss during birth, stabilizes hormones, reduces after-birth pains, reduces bleeding time after birth and as a way to fight fatigue. Some mothers also use the placenta as a way to transition smoothly when menses returns and when weening. In some cultures the mothers themselves do not use the placenta but instead give it to their own mothers to fight symptoms of menopause.

Traditional Chinese Medicine considers human placenta an herb and is known as Zi He Che and is a warming herb. As a Chinese herb placenta holds the benefits above but has also been historically used to treat infertility, impotence, decreased libido, low back pain, light-headedness, insufficient lactation, chronic wheezing and cough and night sweats to name a few. Because of Zi He Che’s super tonifying nature it is an herb that is not recommended to be taken long term and especially not if you have a fever, inflammation, mastitis etc.

The TCM method of preparing placenta includes steaming it with lemon and fresh ginger and then dehydrating it in strips which are then pulverized and put into capsules and taken for a short period of time.

I am a proponent of utilizing the placenta for postpartum support because it helped me tremendously after having my child. I was at risk for postpartum depression and that was my main reason for seeking a placenta encapsulationist. I was a little leery about taking it from the Eck factor and the first couple of times I would swallow a pill my mind would make me feel like gagging but I felt a difference pretty quickly after I started taking them. In a pill form they look like any other supplement and did not taste like anything. I experienced pretty much all of the benefits of taking my placenta as described above. I found it particularly helpful at calming my emotions when I went back to work and had to leave my daughter.

This past weekend I received a certification of completion from Tranquil Transitions Placenta Training and would be happy to answer any questions you may have about placenta encapsulation, tinctures or salves. I am available to prepare your placenta as well.

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TERMS OF USE:
Medical & Health Information

Any information on this blog is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, cure, or treat any illness or disease: it has not been evaluated by the FDA. Neither are the products mentioned on this website meant to do the same: they have been evaluated by the FDA. Information here is strictly for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please seek a qualified health professional of your choice when making health choices for yourself or any member of your family – pets included. By proceeding to read articles / posts, look at pictures, watch videos, contact Sarah Canga, and listen to audios you agree and accept these terms.

Natural Medicine Cabinet Essential For Sleep

I thought about what would be most appropriate for a natural medicine cabinet in regards to the current season and this is what I came up with… While there are many great products designed to give you a better night’s sleep usually a lack of sleep is your body’s way of letting you know something is amiss. How many times have you tossed and turned because of a problem at work, a fight with a friend, over indulging in food or drink? Lack of sleep can also be a sign of hormonal imbalances as well and are often seen in correlation with hot flashes.

The natural medicine cabinet essential this week is not another thing you need. The ultimate essential for sleep is paying attention to what your body needs. We live in a society that greatly ignores our natural cycles whether it be our seasons, menstrual cycles or sleep patterns.

According to Chinese Medicine the fall and winter are a time of moving inward. The energy that was so light and abundant during the summer months is now deeper and condensed. This is an appropriate time to pay attention to what your body needs. If you are feeling tired go to bed earlier. It is a natural part of the seasons now to hibernate. Take advantage of it!

The time change especially now when it seems like life is covered in darkness (i.e. leaving for work in the dark and coming home in the dark) is a great time to ditch the clock. If you are like me and revolve around a bed time let go of your normal routines. Get off the computer, turn off the TV and enjoy some quiet time or conversation. Its easier to listen to your body when you are not sucked into a lot of mental stimulation. This might not be a realistic daily routine and that’s ok too! Aim for one day a week to enjoy some quiet time and indulge in rest.

Check back tomorrow for a yoga nidra (sleep) meditation and Thursday for a Natural Remedy that is the equivalent to 2 hours of sleep!

 

Natural Medicine Cabinet Essential: Staying Grounded

My go to natural medicine cabinet essential when I’m feeling out of balance mentally and physically is Valor.

Valor is an essential oil blend that is known for its balancing properties. Physically it is sometimes referred to as a “chiropractor in a bottle” because this blend of oils can assist in keeping proper spinal alignment. Emotionally it has energetic balancing properties as well. The name Valor is fitting especially for times of change when you might need a little boost in courage.

The Essential Oil Desk Reference says Valor was formulated to balance energies and instill courage, confidence and self esteem. It helps the body self-correct its balance and alignment. 

Valor contains:

Rosewood (anti-infectious, antibacterial, antifungal and antispasmodic, is very grounding and strengthening)

Blue Tansy ( helps cleanse the liver and lymphatic system, helping one to overcome anger and negative emotions, promoting a feeling of self control)

Frankincense (is considered a holy anointing oil in the Middle East and has been used in religious ceremonies for thousands of years. It stimulates the limbic part of the brain, elevating the mind and helping to overcome stress and despair. It is used in European medicine to combat depression)

Spruce (opens and releases emotional blocks, fostering a sense of balance and grounding. Traditionally, it was believed to possess the frequency of prosperity)

Almond Oil (is used in this blend as a carrier oil. It is sweet to the taste and offers a rich source of vitamin E. In Ayurvedic medicine it is considered a nutrient for the brain and nervous system)

How to Use: 

When I’m looking to feel balanced and grounded I like to put Valor on the soles of my feet first thing in the morning and before bed. Put 3-6 drops of Valor in your non-dominant hand and circle with your finger clockwise. Massage your palms together and then rub on the soles of your feet and lower back. When the oil has been absorbed I cup my hands over my nose and take a few deep breaths with my feet planted firmly on the ground. Give it a try every day for a week and see what you notice. And don’t forget to let me know!

Don’t have any Valor? You can order here. Or send me a message and I will help you get all set up. 🙂

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TERMS OF USE:
Medical & Health Information

Any information on this website is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, cure, or treat any illness or disease: it has not been evaluated by the FDA. Neither are the products mentioned on this website meant to do the same: they have been evaluated by the FDA. Information here is strictly for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please seek a qualified health professional of your choice when making health choices for yourself or any member of your family – pets included. By proceeding to read articles / posts, look at pictures, watch videos, contact Sarah Canga, and listen to audios you agree and accept these terms.

 

2 last thoughts on Garlic

I came across these articles and wanted to share them with you as we close out our week on garlic. The first article is titled How Garlic Can Save Your Life from greenmedinfo blog. Here is the opening paragraph.

Research on garlic indicates that it may provide an ideal low-cost and safe alternative to drugs and vaccines in reducing the three most common causes of death in the world.

In a world mesmerized by the false promises of pharmaceutical industry marketing copy, as well as inundated with aggressively marketed dietary supplements, many of which are manufactured by the same companies making a killing off patented chemicals (Bayer owns One A Day, Pfizer owns Centrum), it is reassuring to know that the kitchen pantry will never fail us…

The second article from whydontyoutrythis.com is on a delicious sounding soup made with 52 cloves of garlic! I haven’t made it yet but if you get to it before I do please let me know how it is! Here is the opening paragraph…

Forget the flu shot. A soup based on more than 50 cloves of garlic, onions, thyme and lemon will destroy almost any virus that enters its path including colds, flu and even norovirus.

As we sneeze and cough our way through these dark months of contagious nasties, garlic is being hailed for its powers to halt viruses in their tracks. It has gained its reputation as a virus buster thanks to one of its chemical constituents, allicin.

A recent and significant finding from Washington State University shows that garlic is 100 times more effective than two popular antibiotics at fighting disease causing bacteria commonly responsible for foodborne illness. Read More on…

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TERMS OF USE:
Medical & Health Information

Any information on this website is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, cure, or treat any illness or disease: it has not been evaluated by the FDA. Neither are the products mentioned on this website meant to do the same: they have been evaluated by the FDA. Information here is strictly for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please seek a qualified health professional of your choice when making health choices for yourself or any member of your family – pets included. By proceeding to read articles / posts, look at pictures, watch videos, contact Sarah Canga, and listen to audios you agree and accept these terms.

Natural Medicine Cabinet Essentials: Medicinal Pickled Garlic

I came across this recipe several weeks ago and can’t stop talking about it! This is super easy to make and its delicious. Garlic is the perfect food for the Fall, lung/large intestine time of year.

What you need:

a mason jar, any size you like

enough cloves of garlic to fill your mason jar

apple cider vinegar (bragg’s is best, whatever you choose make sure it has the “mother” in it)

local raw honey

***If you hate peeling garlic as much as I do give this Garlic peeling trick a try, it really works!

Fill your mason jar with cloves of garlic and fill with apple cider vinegar to cover. Place in a warm place for 3 weeks. (if you place your jar in a sunny place the cloves of garlic may turn blue or green. This is normal and the garlic is perfectly fine. I had a batch that turned blue and then turned white again)

After your 3 weeks is up take half of the apple cider vinegar and set aside. You can use this for marinades or salad dressings. I’ve done both. I made a delicious pork tenderloin with this garlic infused apple cider vinegar and it was amazing. I also have used it as an oil and vinegar dressing for salad which was equally wonderful. Yesterday I used some to cook chicken with for a stir fry and the smell was mouth watering yum.  Its worth trying this just for the garlic infused marinade!

The other half of your vinegar you can place in a pan and add equal parts local raw honey. Heat just until the honey has blended with the vinegar so as not to kill all the good stuff in your mixture and pour back over your garlic. Set your jar in a dry cool place for another 3-4 weeks and then use as you wish. This should keep for up to 1 year.

The pickling process makes the garlic very easy to eat straight and with less of an intense “garlic breath” after effect. There is also an interesting phenomenon where when you eat one you will crave another. (the same is true for the marinade) Eat one clove a day for your health or 3 cloves a day to ward off a cold.

Let me know what you think!

Sarah Canga

p.s. If garlic breath is scaring you away from all the great benefits try 1 or 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley after eating garlic or chew on 2 teaspoons of fennel or cardamom seeds.

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TERMS OF USE:
Medical & Health Information

Any information on this website is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, cure, or treat any illness or disease: it has not been evaluated by the FDA. Neither are the products mentioned on this website meant to do the same: they have been evaluated by the FDA. Information here is strictly for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please seek a qualified health professional of your choice when making health choices for yourself or any member of your family – pets included. By proceeding to read articles / posts, look at pictures, watch videos, contact Sarah Canga, and listen to audios you agree and accept these terms.

Natural Medicine Cabinet Essentials: Thieves

This week let’s focus on keeping the immune system strong. Here is my immune system natural medicine cabinet essential.

 

What’s in a name? This blend of essential oils is named after thieves after a band of robbers from the black plague. This group of apothecaries couldn’t get into the towns to sell their goods so they would mask their faces in the herbs and spices found in this blend and steal from the dead bodies. The king of France finally caught up with them and promised not to kill them if they gave up their secret of how they could get so close to the plague without getting sick.

Thieves contains: cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, rosemary, and lemon. These oils are all highly antiviral, antiseptic, antibacterial, and anti-infectious.

From the Essential Oils Desk Reference: Studies conducted at Weber State University during 1997 demonstrated the killing power of these amazing oils against airborne microorganisms. One analysis showed a 90% reduction in the number of gram positive Micrococcus luteus organisms after diffusing for 12 minutes. After 20 minutes of diffusing, the kill rate jumped to 99.3%. Another study against the gram negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed a kill rate of 99.96% after just 12 minutes of diffusion.

 

How to Use:

Diffuse it! It’s currently diffusing in the treatment space at NAP so make sure to take some nice deep breaths while you get your acupuncture treatments.

Thieves is a great oil to diffuse preventatively or when you start to feel sick. If you don’t have a diffuser put a few drops on a cotton ball and place in air vents at home or in your car.

Place 10 drops into a spray bottle with water and use to spray in the air instead of toxic air fresheners.

Take it with when you travel and sniff on the plane. If you don’t want to take the whole 15ml bottle put a few drops on a cotton ball in a sandwich baggie and take some deep breaths from the bag through out the plane ride.

For a sore throat place a drop or two in a cup of hot water or tea and drink.

For a headache put 1 drop on tongue and push against roof of mouth.

For a pimple place a drop of Thieves in your palm and using index finger massage over blemish.

 

Young Living has a whole line of Thieves inspired products. I love the household cleaner, tooth paste and mouth wash!

You can order your own Thieves here or pick up a sample of Thieves at the office for $2.

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TERMS OF USE:
Medical & Health Information

Any information on this website is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, cure, or treat any illness or disease: it has not been evaluated by the FDA. Neither are the products mentioned on this website meant to do the same: they have been evaluated by the FDA. Information here is strictly for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please seek a qualified health professional of your choice when making health choices for yourself or any member of your family – pets included. By proceeding to read articles / posts, look at pictures, watch videos, contact Sarah Canga, and listen to audios you agree and accept these terms.