Stevia - More than a sweetener!

Have you ever wondered what stevia looks like before it becomes the powder or liquid sweetener you've heard you should use? Stevia is a leafy little plant that has amazing qualities. In fact, I deem it worthy to hold a place in a first aid kit! It's in mine!

Stevia is a super sweetener and depending on the processing of it (or lack thereof), it can be 40-400 times sweeter than regular sugar! That alone is pretty powerful, but there is more! It also handles heat well, so feel free to bake with it. Why is it preferable over sugar? Because it does not raise blood sugar levels and is beneficial for high blood pressure (although it does not affect blood pressure in normal ranges). For more information on that, please visit Stevia.com.

There is more to this little green plant than sweetness, though! In fact, it is great to rid the complexion of blemishes. It tones the skin and tightens pores. This is not why it is in MY first aid kit.... I keep it because of it's power to fight streptococcus bacteria. For those of you who deal with strep throat from time to time, you may also want some handy on a regular basis! Why? Because strep bacteria can't survive in an atmosphere filled with stevia. Doesn't that sound wonderful?

Here is what I do:
When using stevia, use PURE stevia,...not blended with chromium or inulin or anything else. (Those things are good for the body, but they don't contribute to fighting strep bacteria, and if you've ever had strep,...you want fighting abilities!) If you choose powdered stevia, you can use about a teaspoon of the powder in approximately 1/2 cup of warm water. Stir it together and gargle a mouthful. Swallow it. Ahhh.... you'll feel soothing relief....and think "good grief that stuff is sweet!" Get another mouthful and gargle. If you feel the need to spit it out, that's fine too,...but try to swallow at least one big mouthful of it. If you have liquid stevia in a dropper bottle, I use about 3 droppers of liquid to half a cup of warm water and do the same.

The results I've seen have been.... if I do this once or twice today, no more strep pain tomorrow. It's also good if it's a regular sore throat. Use it regularly as a mouth rinse / mouthwash to prevent a lot of colds or other infectious illnesses.

The information contained in this article is not intended to diagnose or treat, but is a statement of the authors experiences and refers to other information found on other sites, noted within.

Ginger Root Tea

Ginger root is quite ugly to look at and think "food", but it is one of THE BEST foods you can eat! It tastes great in different meals, but it also makes a great tonic for your health.

Whenever I have a sore throat or sniffles or other cold symptoms, ginger root becomes my close friend. A single cup of hot ginger-lemon tea warms me and soothes me better than even a bowl of chicken soup. I'll even share my recipe with you:

Ginger-Lemon Tea
approx. 2 inches of fresh ginger root, grated
1 fresh lemon
honey to taste
2 cups of water

Bring the water to a boil. Add the ginger root and let it boil for a few minutes (maybe 5-10). Remove from heat and squeeze juice from one half of the lemon. Stir it and let it sit to cool down to a drinkable temperature. Add honey to your liking and pour up a cup. Be sure you strain the tea you are drinking from! It's ok to allow the rest to remain in your pot to steep further. It will just make it a stronger tea. Sip on it and relax.
If for some reason, it is too strong for your enjoyment, you can add juice from the other half of the lemon or add more honey, or both! Refrigerate the rest and warm it before drinking it next time.

Ginger has been used for many digestive upsets and inflammatory conditions, and is quite helpful in most aspects of health. One thing to keep in mind is that ginger has a blood-thinning nature, so those who use blood-thinning medications should probably use it only occasionally, sparingly, and with the doctor's knowledge.

To your health!

Magnesium For Your Stress

Magnesium is an essential nutrient for all living things. It influences numerous bodily processes, including digestion, energy production, muscle function,......and RELAXATION of muscles. It assists heart, kidney, brain and adrenal functions too. Lack of sufficient available magnesium in the body can interfere with any or all of these processes.

Magnesium depletion can be caused by such things as mental stress, caffeine, sugar, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, high perspiration, low thyroid function.... many things.

Symptoms of magnesium depletion can be:
* Low Energy / Fatigue
* PMS / Hormonal Imbalances
* Insomnia / Body Tension
* Headaches / Muscle Tension
* Backaches
* Weakening Bones
* Anxiety / Nervousness / Irritability

Calcium has an opposite action to Magnesium. Calcium excites nerves while magnesium calms them down. Calcium makes muscles contact. Magnesium is necessary for muscles to relax. Calcium is needed for blood clotting, but magnesium keeps the blood flowing freely. It is easy to see that it is vital to keep these minerals in balance and that too little magnesium to balance calcium could be both uncomfortable and unhealthy.

Peter Gilham's Natural Calm is a good supplement choice. It is in a powder form that should be mixed in water. It is 100% water soluble and easily absorbed. It comes in flavors if you prefer a taste change. It's fizzy nature makes it a fun drink for children too. Yes, even children face daily stresses and physical challenges that bring about physical difficulties.

This and more information can be obtained at Robin's Herb Shop. Stop in and ask for your free sample while supplies last!

L-Tryptophan

It's Thanksgiving time, and tradition says "we must eat turkey!" Following our over-indulgence of deliciousness, we slump over on the sofa and get very drowsy. Is this because we've worked ourselves to death cooking all of that food and cleaning house in preparation for family gathering? Well that's probably a contributing factor, but one definite reason for the drowsies is all that l-tryptophan you ate!

You didn't know you were supplementing during your meal? That's the way foods work though! We get a lot of vitamins and minerals and SUPPLEMENTATION in the foods we eat everyday---and every Thanksgiving. That holiday turkey contains enough l-tryptophan to increase serotonin levels in the brain, which helps us to experience restful sleep and brighter, happier moods. If you enjoy feeling these things during the holidays, and find that you don't feel this way much during the rest of the year, you might consider supplementing with l-tryptophan. Nobody can eat turkey every single day. Sometimes you just really want a good salad, right? And that's the way it should be, eating a variety of good foods every day.

L-Tryptophan is available at Robin's Herb Shop, and many other retail herb shops. Stop in and try some! It could be Thanksgiving for you year round!

Head Lice Help

When we hear the word "lice", the common response is a shiver or feeling of dread. Some of us remember grade school days where kids were lined up and teachers with flashlights and combs and rubber gloves would pour through each head searching for evidence of lice. Those memories are uncomfortable for everyone,...especially those who ended up going home, feeling banished because some little insect discovered a new head to invade. And then there is all that itching and medicated shampoos and combing hair over and over and over and haircuts that seem to take self-confidence away too. It's no wonder we hate the word "lice!"

Lice don't target specific individuals. They are opportunists, and they will take advantage of anyone, child or adult. So prevention really is the best approach. How do you prevent?

• Tea tree oil shampoo is a great deterrent for head lice. Tea tree is a good deterrent for a LOT of pesky insects and is oftentimes included in insect repellents. It is good for the skin as well, easing inflammations and killing bacteria that cause irritations and discomforts. If tea tree oil is a regular presence for your body, then your body becomes an unfriendly presence for pests such as lice.
• Caution and awareness are good preventive measures also. Lice are transferred by head-to-head contact. That could mean sharing a brush or comb, or sharing a hat or coat. Girls with long hair are especially susceptible to lice. This little ounce of wisdom and education for children can help YOU avoid hours and hours of work to get rid of them.

There may be a time when lice still invade, so how to get rid of them is the next important information.

• Again, tea tree oil shampoo. Tea tree oil is capable of killing lice. Look for a shampoo from a reputable source. Don't settle for just anything just because it mentions tea tree oil. You want one that is going to take care of the problem. If you have to, add a couple drops of tea tree oil to an application of shampoo and apply it to the head like normal. Massage it into the scalp and leave it on for a few minutes to give it time to do some good. Tea tree will even penetrate the eggs and kill the lice inside.
  
• After rinsing your shampoo out, use some apple cider vinegar to rinse the hair again. Massage it into the scalp also and allow it to sit there for a few minutes. The vinegar actually begins dissolving the lice bodies and the eggs and helps to wash them away. Doing this twice per day is recommended.
• Invest in a high quality nit comb and comb out the nits. If you choose to cut hair short, you'll have less work to do combing, but definitely comb and comb until you see no more in the hair. Look close to the scalp and be thorough!
• Wash everything! Use hot water and launder all bedding, coats, shirts, towels, hats,... everything! You can even put a few drops of tea tree oil on a piece of white cotton fabric and toss it in the dryer to spread that bonus help into clothing.
• Remember that if one person in your household has acquired lice, chances are that all members are exposed in varying degrees and all are susceptible. Take care of everyone even if you only see evidence of lice on one person.
  

If lice come to your house, don't take that as a sign that you are a nasty person. It doesn't mean that at all. It just means you are currently unfortunate. The good thing about it is that you will have the opportunity to learn and implement new things into your health regimen and perhaps this will be the LAST time you ever experience head lice.

What's In YOUR Deodorant?

When I was younger, it was "the thing to do" when you turned about 12 or 13 years old to go out and purchase some underarm deodorant or antiperspirant. How did you choose what kind to get? I chose mine by what I thought I smelled good. I never bothered to read the label at that age. I didn't know what all those Latin words were anyway! As long as I smelled pretty and nobody saw sweat stains on my clothes, I was happy.

These days more information has come out about the ingredients found in deodorants and antiperspirants. If you've never thought much about them, perhaps it is time to do so. First of all, do you know the difference in an antiperspirant and a deodorant? Antiperspirants are designed to use aluminum zirconium to clog the pores and prevent sweat in the underarm area. Deodorants do not have that same function. They still allow the body to sweat, but their ingredients are formulated to neutralize or cover up odors in the underarm area.

It is a misconception that sweat stinks. It is actually the bacteria in the underarm that smells bad. Think about it. Has your face ever gotten sweaty? Did your face smell? Not normally, right? But the underarm does because that bacteria is multiplying quickly in the warm and covered area of your underarm.

We've heard all sorts of scary things about most deodorants and antiperspirants and their aluminum content. Most of these things are also misconceptions and scientific studies and research have dispelled the concerns. For example, deodorants containing aluminum do not cause breast cancer or alzheimers. Just because life-threatening illnesses might not be CAUSED by things like aluminum doesn't mean they are necessarily GOOD for us either. Have you ever noticed the armpit area of your shirt getting stains or the fabric seeming to thin and "bleach out"? This is a result of aluminum, not sweat. If it will eat through your shirt, what might it be doing to your skin?

So what alternatives do you have? There are several deoderants that are available. Some have scent, some do not; some are roll-on, some are spray; you can even use a thai crystal salt stone that lasts for months or more! Stop in and ask your questions. We carry several deodorants that have ingredients to care for your skin, NOT create a rash there.

Information in this article can be found at http://deodorantswithoutaluminum.com/

Bunions

Bunions

What are bunions?

The common bunion is a localized area of enlargement of the inner portion of the joint at the base of the big toe. The enlargement actually represents additional bone formation, often in combination with a misalignment of the big toe. The misalignment causes the big toe to move outward (medically termed hallux valgus deformity). The normal position of the big toe (straight forward) becomes outward-directed toward the smaller toes. The enlarged joint at the base of the big toe (the first metatarsophalangeal joint, or MTP joint) can become inflamed with redness, tenderness, and pain. A small fluid-filled sac (bursa) adjacent to the joint can also become inflamed (bursitis), leading to additional swelling, redness, and pain.

A less common bunion is located at the joint at the base of the smallest (fifth) toe. This bunion is sometimes referred to as a tailor's bunion.

What can you do for your bunions?

· Wearing wide-toe shoes allows more space for the toes, reducing constriction around the big toe. Also try going barefoot when the option is available.

· Use a spacer at night while you sleep to separate the big toe from the second toe to prevent pressure while you sleep.

· Soak your feet in a bowl of hot water with a couple tablespoons of Epsom Salts and soak for 10-15 minutes. It will soothe the pain, reduce inflammation, and reduce any stiffness in the joint.

· Chamomile, eucalyptus, cajuput, peppermint, ginger, cypress and juniper essential oils are recommended for helping various joint problems due to their analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.

· Arnica and Calendula have been used medicinally for centuries. They both have anti-inflammatory properties so may help reduce the pain and inflammation around the toe joint.

· Apply an ice pack 2-3 times per day to relieve swelling and painful inflammation.

· Cayenne pepper packs or salves can draw out inflammation and improve circulation to the area.

· Take 500 mg of bromelain 3 times a day to reduce inflammation of the joint.

· White willow also relieves pain on bunions.

· Hypericum (St. Johns Wort) eases shooting pains and tenderness in the foot. St. Johns Wort oil can also be applied topically. Dandelion tea is a natural diuretic that flushes away excess water from the body, relieving your swollen feet. Dandelion tea can potentially decrease uric acid build up resulting in less pain and discomfort.