Hello Everyone! As I sit down to write, on this frigid, windy, yet sparkling sunny, northern Maine, almost spring day, my blasted back deck thermometer says it is only 22 degrees outside, and a mere -5 if you take the wind chill into account!!! Unbelievable . . . it seems I live in the land of eternal winter. I must have hope that spring is coming soon . . . hope, hope, hope . . .
Today, as promised, I will wrap up the 4-part, Aromatherapy Cold & Flu Remedy series, by sharing with you a recipe for a warming bath oil and sweat session that will detox your sick body and make your sore, achy flu or cold-ridden being feel better fast. Yes, though it is late winter, the flu virus and myriad cold germs still abound. Do not let your guard down yet, my friend. If you're feeling sick or think you're coming down with something, partake of the following bath therapy as soon as you can, then don some cozy PJ's, and climb into bed. Nothing like a good night's rest to restore health to your sick cells. Enjoy and be well, my friend!
Surround Me In Comfort: Warming Bath Oil
Feeling all stuffed up? Got the chills, aches, pains, and general misery of a cold or flu or feel like you're about to succumb? Then a detoxifying sweat session with this bath oil is just the thing you need to ease your symptoms, open your sinuses, warm your core, and relax your entire body so that you can sleep soundly and get the healing rest you so desperately need. Ginger, thyme, lavender, palmarosa, and pine essential oils deliver antiseptic and antiviral properties, stimulate sluggish circulation, induce perspiration, relieve muscle tension and aching joints, and even relieve headaches due to congestion.
IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT partake of this heating therapy if you are running a fever, sweating, have high blood pressure, or are extremely weak and debilitated, as it will exacerbate your symptoms.
Ingredients:
- 20 drops ginger essential oil
- 15 drops palmarosa essential oil
- 15 drops thyme (chemotype linalool) essential oil - the "skin friendly" thyme - not as irritating
- 15 drops Scotch pine essential oil
- 10 drops lavender essential oil
- 1 cup jojoba base oil
Equipment Needed: Dropper (for measuring essential oils), dark glass 8-oz. bottle with dropper top or screw cap
Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus 24 hours to synergize formula
Yield: Approximately 1 cup
Storage: Store at room temperature, away from heat and light; use within 2 years
Application: 1 or 2 times per day
DIRECTIONS: Add the ginger, palmarosa, thyme, Scotch pine, and lavender essential oils drop-by-drop directly into a storage bottle. Add the jojoba base oil. Cap the bottle and shake vigorously for 2 minutes. Label and date the bottle and place in a dark location that's between 60 degrees and 80 degrees F for 24 hours so that the oils can synergize.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: This healing, detoxification process can be performed in the morning, if you are staying home for the day, and also again at night before retiring. First, you'll need to turn up the heat or stoke the woodstove (get the house nice and toasty) and make a mug of fresh ginger root, cinnamon spice, or decaf chai tea, or just make a cup of plain hot water with fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Run a hot bath, with the bathroom door closed, trapping the steam.
When the tub is nearly full, add 1-2 tablespoons of bath oil under running water and swish to blend. Ease into the soothing bath and lie back for about 20 minutes while you sip your tea or hot lemon water. Sweating helps release toxins from your pores.
Following your soak, gently pat yourself dry, and apply my recipes (found in the previous blogs in this "Cold and Flu" series) for "Winter Defense Oil" to your entire body and "Raven's Wings Foot Balm" to the soles of your feet. Put on pajamas and socks, and climb under the covers. Do this once or twice daily for a few days, until you are well.
Regarding diet while ill . . . don't forget to eat plenty of veggie/garlic soup or organic chicken/veggie/garlic soup and drink plenty of green smoothies made with raw kale, spinach, or arugula (add a banana to disguise the "green" flavors if you don't like them). These foods will stoke your immune system. Be sure to avoid any foods that can constipate and/or form mucus: dairy, cheese, yogurt, eggs, butter, cold/icy drinks, nuts and nut butters, citrus drinks, refined flours/sugars/white rice, fatty meats.
Here's a wellness tip: At the end of this summer, make all 4 of the recipes in this Aromatherapy Cold & Flu Remedy Series so that you are ready to fend off the onslaught of next winter's nasties! Perhaps you'll be able to sail through winter with nary an illness! Take care all you health seekers!
NOTE: Portions of this article were adapted from Stephanie Tourles' book, "Hands-On Healing Remedies", (Storey Publishing, c2012) - and used with permission. The information is true and complete to the best of Ms. Tourles' knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of Ms. Tourles. She disclaims any liability in connection with the use of this information. It is for educational purposes only.
Showing posts with label aromatherapy flu remedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aromatherapy flu remedy. Show all posts
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Aromatherapy Cold & Flu Remedies - Part 1: Raven's Wings Foot Balm
Hello Everyone! Happy New Year! Whew . . . January 2014 came in with an icy, subzero bang up here in Maine! Power outages, loss of heat, pipes freezing, large trees snapping like twigs under the weight of the thickening ice, super loud "frost quakes" strong enough to shake the house, and sooooo much snow shoveling . . . boy am I glad to see a January-thaw - even if it is only 45 degrees. That 45 feels more like 65 considering I was out snow shoveling over a week ago and it was minus 38 with windchills. Brrrrrrr . . . .
Well . . . all that talk of shivering and see-sawing of temperatures brings me to today's topic (the first in a series of 4) of natural ways to prevent a cold or the flu from taking hold . . . or if you've already succumbed, how to get better fast. It seems that when the temperatures fluctuate so much and the body is overexerted and stressed, people tend to get sick - at least that's a few of the factors.
Cold & Flu Symptoms
You know when a dreaded cold is coming on . . . your throat and voice feel a bit scratchy, your nose begins to run, your eyes resemble those of a frog, your energy dips, you get the chills, and in general you feel like a blob. Compound these symptoms with muscle aches, joint stiffness, occasional nausea, and fever, and you've got the flu. According to my wise old grandmother, influenza used to be called "bone fever" because you ache right down to your marrow and it hurts for someone just to touch you.
When you want relief from your misery, instead of reaching for some chemical-filled pill or ill-tasting syrupy medicine that will just leave your brain feeling clogged, why not rely on the following four remedies (they'll all be revealed over the next 4 blogs), with their analgesic, antibacterial, antiviral, and respiratory-soothing properties? They're guaranteed to help ease symptoms and bring comfort so you feel better soon. Combine these treatments with more-than-ample bed rest, hot organic chicken or vegetable-garlic-onion soup, lots of herb tea, and hot baths with purifying herbal oils, and you've go the recipe for healing!
It's important that you be proactive, and I strongly suggest that you make all four of these remedies before cold and flu season arrives so you'll be armed and ready for defensive health maneuvers and a speedy recovery if the season's nasties do take hold.
Raven's Wings Foot Balm
A foot balm to help relieve cold and flu symptoms? Yes, indeed! The soles of the feet are full of sweat glands and have an amazing ability to absorb the healing properties of herbs, especially in the form of essential oils. This is one of my ultra-favorite remedies when I'm suffering from a bad cold or feel like the flu is trying to take hold. It's chock-full of antiviral, antiseptic, and respiratory-channel-clearing properties - in short, it will help your symptoms fly away on raven's wings. This formula can also be used as a cold and flu preventive, as it fortifies resistance and general immunity and keeps microbes at bay, so you might want to use it daily prior to cold and flu season.
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons refined shea butter (unrefined shea butter will work, bit its stronger fragrance will often mask the amazing aroma of the essential oils - but not their therapeutic properties, though)
- 15 drops eucalyptus radiata essential oil
- 10 drops cajeput essential oil
- 10 drops ravensara essential oil
- 10 drops rosemary (chemotype verbenon) essential oil
- 5 drops peppermint essential oil
- 2 drops cinnamon bark essential oil
- 2 drops clove essential oil
Equipment: Tiny stirring utensil; 2 oz. plastic or glass jar or tin
Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus up to 24 hours to completely thicken
Yield: Approximately 1/4 cup
Storage: Store at room temperature, away from heat and light; use within 1 year
Application: 2 times per day
Directions: Warm the shea butter in a small saucepan (a 3/4-quart size works great) or double boiler over low heat, until it has just melted. Remove from the heat. Add the eucalyptus, cajeput, ravensara, rosemary, peppermint, cinnamon bark, and clove essential oils directly to your storage container, then slowly pour in the liquefied shea butter. Gently stir the balm to blend. Cap and label the container, and set it aside until the balm has thickened. Unlike beeswax, shea butter takes a long time to completely thicken, and this formula may need up to 24 hours, depending on the temperature in your kitchen. When it's ready, it will be very thick, semi-hard, and white (or creamy yellow if you've used unrefined shea butter).
Application Instructions: Massage a small dab into the sole of each foot and between the toes, twice per day. Put on socks immediately afterwards. I also sometimes massage a bit of balm into my chest, as I find that the scent and healing properties really relieve sinus and lung congestion.
BONUS: Helps heal cuts, scrapes, boils, insect bites, bedsores and skin ulcers, blisters, and any minor to moderate infection. Plus it smells wonderful!
NOTE: This article was written by Stephanie Tourles and portions were adapted from her latest book, Hands-On Healing Remedies (Storey Publishing, 2012). The information is true and complete to the best of her knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of Ms. Tourles. She disclaims any liability in connection with the use of this information. It is for educational purposes only.
Well . . . all that talk of shivering and see-sawing of temperatures brings me to today's topic (the first in a series of 4) of natural ways to prevent a cold or the flu from taking hold . . . or if you've already succumbed, how to get better fast. It seems that when the temperatures fluctuate so much and the body is overexerted and stressed, people tend to get sick - at least that's a few of the factors.
Cold & Flu Symptoms
You know when a dreaded cold is coming on . . . your throat and voice feel a bit scratchy, your nose begins to run, your eyes resemble those of a frog, your energy dips, you get the chills, and in general you feel like a blob. Compound these symptoms with muscle aches, joint stiffness, occasional nausea, and fever, and you've got the flu. According to my wise old grandmother, influenza used to be called "bone fever" because you ache right down to your marrow and it hurts for someone just to touch you.
When you want relief from your misery, instead of reaching for some chemical-filled pill or ill-tasting syrupy medicine that will just leave your brain feeling clogged, why not rely on the following four remedies (they'll all be revealed over the next 4 blogs), with their analgesic, antibacterial, antiviral, and respiratory-soothing properties? They're guaranteed to help ease symptoms and bring comfort so you feel better soon. Combine these treatments with more-than-ample bed rest, hot organic chicken or vegetable-garlic-onion soup, lots of herb tea, and hot baths with purifying herbal oils, and you've go the recipe for healing!
It's important that you be proactive, and I strongly suggest that you make all four of these remedies before cold and flu season arrives so you'll be armed and ready for defensive health maneuvers and a speedy recovery if the season's nasties do take hold.
Raven's Wings Foot Balm
A foot balm to help relieve cold and flu symptoms? Yes, indeed! The soles of the feet are full of sweat glands and have an amazing ability to absorb the healing properties of herbs, especially in the form of essential oils. This is one of my ultra-favorite remedies when I'm suffering from a bad cold or feel like the flu is trying to take hold. It's chock-full of antiviral, antiseptic, and respiratory-channel-clearing properties - in short, it will help your symptoms fly away on raven's wings. This formula can also be used as a cold and flu preventive, as it fortifies resistance and general immunity and keeps microbes at bay, so you might want to use it daily prior to cold and flu season.
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons refined shea butter (unrefined shea butter will work, bit its stronger fragrance will often mask the amazing aroma of the essential oils - but not their therapeutic properties, though)
- 15 drops eucalyptus radiata essential oil
- 10 drops cajeput essential oil
- 10 drops ravensara essential oil
- 10 drops rosemary (chemotype verbenon) essential oil
- 5 drops peppermint essential oil
- 2 drops cinnamon bark essential oil
- 2 drops clove essential oil
Equipment: Tiny stirring utensil; 2 oz. plastic or glass jar or tin
Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus up to 24 hours to completely thicken
Yield: Approximately 1/4 cup
Storage: Store at room temperature, away from heat and light; use within 1 year
Application: 2 times per day
Directions: Warm the shea butter in a small saucepan (a 3/4-quart size works great) or double boiler over low heat, until it has just melted. Remove from the heat. Add the eucalyptus, cajeput, ravensara, rosemary, peppermint, cinnamon bark, and clove essential oils directly to your storage container, then slowly pour in the liquefied shea butter. Gently stir the balm to blend. Cap and label the container, and set it aside until the balm has thickened. Unlike beeswax, shea butter takes a long time to completely thicken, and this formula may need up to 24 hours, depending on the temperature in your kitchen. When it's ready, it will be very thick, semi-hard, and white (or creamy yellow if you've used unrefined shea butter).
Application Instructions: Massage a small dab into the sole of each foot and between the toes, twice per day. Put on socks immediately afterwards. I also sometimes massage a bit of balm into my chest, as I find that the scent and healing properties really relieve sinus and lung congestion.
BONUS: Helps heal cuts, scrapes, boils, insect bites, bedsores and skin ulcers, blisters, and any minor to moderate infection. Plus it smells wonderful!
NOTE: This article was written by Stephanie Tourles and portions were adapted from her latest book, Hands-On Healing Remedies (Storey Publishing, 2012). The information is true and complete to the best of her knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of Ms. Tourles. She disclaims any liability in connection with the use of this information. It is for educational purposes only.
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