. a blogumn by Elise Rodriguez The greatest healing agent to have in our alternative medicine chest for cuts, scrapes and burns as well as irritated and chaffed skin is the herb Calendula. Calendula is an unprecedented healer for all types of wounds and skin irritations, suitable for everyone including kids and animals.  It is considered a bacteriostatic which means it prevents bacteria from living, thus keeping puss from forming and allowing the wound to heal cleanly and rapidly.  The timely use of Calendula can even prevent the formation of scars. Calendula is also a remedy for swollen and stagnant lymphatic glands which suggests it works on the lymphatic structures beneath the skin, healing wounds from the inside out.  This also indicates its use in healing wounds that are constantly exposed to water or are closed up.  The kind of wounds Calendula is most useful in healing look like or are cat scratches: red, swollen, tender, puffed up, infected. Careful observation of plants show us that they give clues to their uses.  Being a kind of marigold, Calendula is known as the “flower of the sun.”  This leads us to Calendula as a remedy for burns, especially sunburn.  I’ve found Calendula a superior remedy for burns, far better healing than aloe. Calendula can be used in all of its forms: gel, ointment, lotion, cream, oil, tincture or homeopathic pills: The gel is best used on superficial cuts, scrapes and burns.  However, it has a small amount of alcohol in it, so if the wound is pretty deep or raw, it will sting like a mother.  Cat scratches are just the type of scratch for which the gel is useful as well as scratches and irritations on your cat and other animals.  If they lick...

. a blogumn by Elise Rodriguez I was at a loss this month to come up with a bit of alternative medicinal knowledge when this hangover cure discovered the light of day while I was looking through my notes from at least 10 years ago for something else. It was given to me by my great homeopathy teacher, Richard Farr.  I figure this is something almost everyone could use so I give it to you. It’s unfortunate I didn’t realize it was at my disposal the numerous times I could have used it, but Farr knows his business so even though I don’t have empirical knowledge of its efficaciousness, I trust it will work.  I have, however, used Milk Thistle to help me survive the indulgence of too much alcohol, so I’ve added that bit in as a supplement to the original “cure.” Of course, as is the case with most herbal and homeopathic cures, the remedies have to be in your alternative medicine chest beforehand to make timely use of them when you need them. There’s no magic pill to make a hangover disappear on a dime, but you can take the following remedies to mitigate the ill effects of alcohol and its damage to the body; they will bring far more relief than just a strong cup of coffee. The remedies to mitigate and cure a hangover: Milk Thistle has an affinity for the liver and spleen and is known to decongest both.  It contains flavonolignans which help restructure liver cells to prevent toxins from penetrating the liver. It stimulates the regenerative ability of the liver by helping form new cells, making it a great liver tonic, and we all know what alcohol does to the liver. Nux Vomica is a polychrest...

. a natural prescription by Elise Rodriguez There’s a lot of hacking and coughing going on out there right now with the recent onset of a virus I like to call human kennel cough.  It seems right now about half the population has this virus, including yours truly.  The accompanying cough is a real bugger. It put me in mind of this herbal cough syrup recipe which is a good, soothing general cough remedy, covering most of the basic cough symptoms.  It’s not bad-tasting and is easy to make.  It can be used alone or along with other herbal, homeopathic or pharmacological treatments.  The use of this herbal mixture can palliate a cough but not always, so it’s okay to use a cough suppressant as well.  Heck, you could even add it in to the mix.  Mostly this cough syrup is an aid to keep the lungs open, functioning, and soothed and hopefully prevent further complications like bronchitis and pneumonia. Our natural cough syrup contains the following herbal extracts: Wild Cherry Bark – for dry, spasmodic cough Pleurisy Root – assists expectoration, reduces inflammation, diffuses fluid within the lungs Mullein – soothes irritated membranes, opens lungs, especially good for rough, dry coughs Eelecampane – expectorant, remedy for bronchitis Elderberry – antiviral, remedy for pulmonary problems, shortness of breath, asthma; soothes sore, hoarse throats Propolis (optional) – anti-inflammatory; antibacterial; soothes hot, raw lungs and sore throats. The addition of propolis is optional since some believe bees are harmed in the harvesting of it. Preparation: Into a 1 – 4 oz bottle put 1/3 honey or vegetable glycerin.  Add equal parts all of the herbs, doubling the Wild Cherry. If including propolis, make it an equal part as with the other herbs. Shake the mixture, hitting...

. a blogumn by Elise Rodriguez Diaper rash is a pain in your and your little one’s butt that can seem unrelenting in its attack.  It can be difficult to watch your baby go through this persistent discomfort and mom’s can feel helpless against this stubborn invader.  But with some understanding of what diaper rash is and knowledge of some simple herbal solutions, help is on it’s way. Diaper rash is caused primarily by wetness.  Our outermost layer of skin is designed to be a waterproof barrier.  In babies this layer of skin is much thinner so it’s more susceptible to damage.  When moisture gets trapped on the skin under the diaper the skin macerates and along with friction becomes broken.  Urine and feces also contribute to diaper rash because as urine breaks down it lowers the pH of the skin which then activates fecal enzymes that further irritate the skin.  Infants who have had a change in their diet (such as breast milk to formula or from milk to solids), have had diarrhea or undergone antibiotic treatment are more susceptible to diaper rash due to the change in fecal composition.  Whenever skin integrity is compromised there is an invitation for bacteria or fungus and sometimes these are wicked into the broken skin wreaking even further havoc. The Simpliest of Solutions The first and foremost solution to diaper rash is dryness.  Keep the area dry, dry, dry.  Along with that all you really need are these three inexpensive items: witch hazel, tea tree oil and calendula gel.  Witch hazel is an astringent.  Astringents shrink tissue and externally applied cause mild coagulation of skin proteins which dry, harden and protect the skin.  Tea tree oil is antiseptic and fungicidal.  It’s strong so never apply directly...

. a new blogumn about herbal wellness by Elise Rodriguez When you get that scratchy feeling in your throat or that tired, achy feeling and you think to yourself, “I hope I’m not coming down with something,”that’s usually the time you wish there was a magic pill to stop it from happening. But, you either just push on through or go to bed early and hope the rest is enough to stave off the inevitable. Well, there are actually many natural remedies available, herbal, homeopathic and nutritional, to help you either not get full-blown sick or lessen the severity and/or duration of a cold or flu. Because many of them are most effective right when you think you’re getting sick, it’s good to get them ahead of time so you can have them on hand. Here are the ones I like to use: Vitamin D Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin. It exists in almost every tissue of the body. There’s been a lot of research into it lately and it’s effect on the immune system. Essentially the common wisdom is that we tend to get sick in the winter when there’s less sun. The sun is a huge source for Vitamin D, so the less Vitamin D available, the more vulnerable our immune system. The amount suggested to me by a naturopathic doctor to take when you think you’re getting sick or exposed to sick people is about 30 iu per lb of body weight. So that’s basically 5000 iu for a 150 lb adult. This amount is only recommended for a short duration of about a week. Recently I felt weak and had that slight swollen lymph gland feeling. I took 5000 iu of vitamin D and never got sick. Wellness Formula...