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January 24th, 2010 — 2:30pm
Medicine Cabinet Part 3
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Be well,
PS Please go to my Shopping Supplements page and shop at Emerson Ecologics!
Tag: hydrotherapy
Medicine Cabinet Part One
January 17th, 2010 — 2:21pm
Medicine Cabinet Part One
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Be well,
PS Please go to my Shopping Supplements page and shop at Emerson Ecologics!
kids and headaches
December 2nd, 2009 — 1:25pm
My oldest daughter, Merrin, began to get headaches about a year ago. They are not very frequent and we have been good detectives and have pretty much figured out the triggers. Although, I thought I would write a little bit about headaches and kids and what we do as they can be pretty intense.
One of my very first child patients was a 7 year old girl. She was spending a lot of time in the school nurse’s office because she was having daily headaches. She was missing a great deal of school and her mom was concerned so they came to me for some help. There are 2 things that I initially ask with headaches…
1. eye sight ( straining etc)
2. diet
She had recently had an eye exam and her sight was fine so we dove into her diet. Her diet was pretty good except for the fact she drank a lot of juice so we decided to start there. I suggested that her mom switch the juice with herbal ice tea ( I believe I suggested the Tazo Sweet Orange) and she could add a little honey to it or just a splash of juice. I also encouraged her to give her daughter a water bottle for school.
The results were amazing! Almost immediately, she had no more headaches.
With Merrin, I am thinking her hormones are slowly emerging and she is growing. I encourage her to drink more water and to be aware of her body. If she feels a headache coming on, I have given her some ideas so she can be proactive with it right away. She carries a homeopathic remedy at school with her ( Belladonna 30c works well for her) and when she comes home she immediately does magic socks.
If your child is getting headaches, make sure their eyes are checked and then take a good look at their diet and lifestyle ( maybe they are a little stressed with friends or school work?). You never know, it could be a very simple solution!
Be well,
CASTOR oil
April 12th, 2009 — 1:37pm
What you need to know about castor oil.
Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained from castor bean/seed. Similar to hydrotherapy, castor oil has a long history of traditional medical use dating back to ancient Egypt. Although the healing properties of this oil are still unrecognized, the results have been apparent through the years people have been using it.
I use castor oil regularly as a pack applied to the abdomen. Like hydrotherapy, it enhances circulation and promotes healing of the tissues and organs underneath the skin. I believe it improves liver function, relieves pain, reduces inflammation and improves digestion.
Castor Oil Pack Treatment
Castor Oil packs aid in the elimination and detoxification of the body. I find it super powerful for adults and children who have stomach aches, and constipation issues. Watch the movie on Castor Oil here.
Indications:
There are many ways and reasons to use the castor oil pack. Most uses are for the digestion system, but many people use them for headaches, migraines, muscle strains and sprains. There is a fantastic book, The Oil That Heals, by William A. McGarey, M.D., that goes into detail success stories of castor oil treatments.
Contraindications:
Do not use with uterine growths, bleeding, pregnancy, and ulcers or while menstruating.
Supplies:
- Flannel cloth
- Bath towel (a towel you do not mind if the oil stains)
- Hot water bottle or electric heating pad
- At least 6 ounces of castor oil
Directions:
- Pour oil onto flannel (wet but not dripping)
- Heat up water for hot water bottle
- Lie down and place oiled flannel across belly
- Place towel over flannel
- Place heating source on top of bath towel
- Rest for at least 45 minutes
- When finished, place flannel in a container and put in fridge for next use (when you do it again, I suggest you add more oil)
Be well,
HYDROTHERAPY
April 12th, 2009 — 1:34pm
Hydrotherapy literally means “water therapy”.
Father Sebastian Kneipp, a 19th century monk, is said to be the father of hydrotherapy. He believed the healing properties of water optimize health by helping the body eliminate waste. There are many different types of hydrotherapy treatments but my favorite at-home is the application of hot and cold compresses. The body reacts profoundly. Hot water causes blood vessels to dilate or open and increases blood flow, allowing the body to remove waste from tissues. Cold application initially creates contraction or slight closure of the blood vessels, which pushes stagnant blood away, making room for renewal. Alternating hot and cold water improves elimination, decreases inflammation and stimulates circulation.
Magic Socks Treatment
These treatments are best when repeated for 3 consecutive nights.
Watch the video on Magic Socks here.
Indications:
Sore throats or any inflammations or infections of the throat, neck pain, ear infections, headaches, nasal congestions, upper respiratory infections, coughs, bronchitis, sinus infection, fever, or teething.
Supplies:
- 1 pair of cotton socks
- 1 pair of wool socks
Directions:
- Take the pair of cotton socks and completely soak in cold water. Be sure to wring the socks out so that they are not dripping.
- Warm feet up. It is nice to have a warm bath first and then do the wet sock treatment.
- Dry feet off.
- Put cold wet socks on and then the wool socks.
- Keep socks on overnight or during nap times. The socks should be dry by the morning.
Effects of the treatment:
This treatment acts to reflexively increase the circulation and decrease the congestion in the upper respiratory passages, head, and throat. It has a sedating action and many people will report sleeping better during treatment. This treatment is also effective for pain relief and increases the healing process during acute infections.
Be well,
the POWER of HANDWASHING
April 6th, 2009 — 9:52pm
I do not live in fear of germs or bugs or invaders – whatever you would like to call these creatures – as I really believe that our body’s immune system is super strong! However, I do think it’s important to help our body, in every way possible, to be healthy. And knowing that many diseases are due to poor hygiene, hand washing is an easy and simple way to help out our immune system.
Just like taking the time to chew our food we need to take our time to wash our hands with soap. Most physicians will suggest about a 15 second scrub with soap and then drying our hands with a towel.
The Mayo clinic has written a great article on the importance of hand washing so please take the time to read it and pass it on!
Be well,
kids and HYDROTHERAPY
March 30th, 2009 — 5:21pm
I remember when I first learned about hydrotherapy in school. I was struck by the history behind it. To me, hydrotherapy makes sense. The idea of applying hot and cold water to create dilation and constriction in the blood vessels which in turn pushes the blood around more optimally in the body just makes sense. With this process, we have more blood circulation that allows the body to bring in new white blood cells, or deliver nutrients optimally to organs.
I was easily sold on the concept. Then the truth came. We were deep into the depths of Portland Oregon’s winter and our professor asked us to end our hot showers with cold showers for a week. Yikes! Well, I gave it a try and was amazed at how it made me feel – awake and invigorated but also calm! I felt much healthier as well.
We do a lot of hydrotherapy in our house. Magic socks tops the list. Watch the kid’s crazy video below to learn more.
Merrin and Pearl will now ask to do the procedure if they are not feeling very well. Sometimes if there is a chest cough we will do a magic t-shirt. The thought of it is much more painful than the actual doings. It is so powerful that sometimes just doing it once will clear up the cough.
One other note I need to mention is that hydrotherapy is very calming so it is a fantastic sleep aid. Kids and adults will generally fall asleep soon after doing the magic socks and t-shirts.
Be well,