Archive for February, 2009
February 25, 2009
· Filed under Health Care, Natural Remedies, diy, herbs · Tagged aromatherapy, crafts, diy, healing, health, herbs, homemade, how to, plants, recipes, remedies, sickness
You’ve heard a lot about aromatherapy over the past decade, as it has gained in popularity. It is the use of oils of herbs and plants to alter mood and promote healing. Most of the oils are made from herbs and flowers, common ones like Lavender and Basil. Huge amounts of these herbs and flowers are used in the making of the oil (1,000 lbs of jasmine, for instance, makes only one lb of oil), which guarantees intense potency in every blend. You can always make your own oils if you wish, but many of these are already available commercially at reasonable prices.
Most commonly, the oils are used in the bath (The water should be no more than l00°F and the oils should be put in at the end) or in a diffuser or placed on a handkerchief and inhaled when you need a lift. Although the descriptions give general uses for healing, aromatherapy is limited to the external use of the oil. Usually just the inhalation of the oil, massage with or bathing in the oil. And since essential oils are very potent, they should always be diluted with a base oil such as sweet almond or grapeseed before being put on your skin. And don’t ingest any or get any in your eyes. So do not use the oils as listed internally; only fresh herbs or tonics are to be ingested this way, not the oils.
If you are pregnant or have a chronic illness of any kind, consult your physician before using any.
Here are some of the most common oils and their qualities:
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February 25, 2009
· Filed under Environmental Detox, Food and Drink, Home and Garden, recycling · Tagged chemicals, eco, ecology, green, health, non toxic, plastics, recycling, toxic, waste, water bottle
I have got to tell everybody about this great new item, Eco Canteen. It is a real life solution to a big environmental problem, the toxic plastic bottle. I have posted about plastic bottles in the past, at Toxic Plastics , but I have only begun to tap the subject. If you don’t get what all the fuss is about, then you need to read the posts I did previously after you read this one. I am sure you will be looking for an alternative as soon as you realize what a huge problem this has become.
Here are some real, scary and documented facts about plastic and plastic bottles.
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February 24, 2009
· Filed under Environmental Detox, Food and Drink, conservation · Tagged animals, chemicals, conservation, cows, dairy, eco, ecology, farming, farms, food, hormones, toxins
Many years ago I used to visit my cousins on their dairy farm in upstate New York. A foggy, sprawling area of marsh and farmland, the moors are kind of creepy. But they had what was considered to be a medium scale farm in those days, with a few lines of cows and a few milking machines. The cows were treated pretty well, milked when they could be milked and allowed to feed their calves after birth. The calves were sold off at auction later on, when they were ready. This was their operation, small, clean and profitable.
But times have changed. The need for milk production has exploded beyond the capacity of family dairy farms and the constant demand has fueled enormous operations that must produce 24/7 365. And, as with all other big business applications, money is the bottom line for the milk industry. The major contributor to these factory scale dairy operations and their profitability is recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone, also referred to as rBGH or rBST. This is an artificial growth hormone developed by Monsanto to increase dairy cows’ milk output. Industrial agriculture proponents proclaim that farming on a large scale, and using technology such as rBGH, is better for the environment. But is it really?
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February 17, 2009
· Filed under Environmental Detox, Hobbies & Crafts, Home and Garden, diy, herbs · Tagged chemicals, cleaning, cleanser, diy, eco, green, handmade, herbs, homemade, how to, natural, non toxic, projects, recipes, toxic, washing
We have all become really dependent upon antibacterial properties in just about everything we use. Even though they say that overexposure to antibacterial elements makes us more receptive to bacteria and also creates resistant strains in the environment, I just don’t feel right about cleaning without it. Conversely, I feel that as long as I do use antibacterial stuff I can do just about anything I want! Whether or not this is true and it’s very likely not true, I am still committed to antibacterial properties in my cleaning supplies.
The thing that does concern me, however, is the toxic chemicals that are being added to those products in order to create an “antibacterial” cleaning product. Isn’t there another, more natural, less toxic way to reduce bacteria in our environment? I mean, doesn’t nature have something out there that will kill or, at least, put a damper on bacteria? Being a herbalist and naturalist, I always go here first. And once I did, I found some great, inexpensive and long lasting substitutes for chemical antibacterials. Here are a few new recipes for all of you to try!
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February 17, 2009
· Filed under Environmental Detox, Home and Garden, recycling · Tagged books, conservation, ebooks, eco, electronics, green, paper, recycling
Electronic books have never really caught on with the American public. They seemed like the hottest idea ever for most unpublished writers and some small time publishers and millions of them were created. But they still sell for pennies if they sell at all. Consumers have snubbed them again and again in favor of a 500-year-old technology: ink printed on paper.
Realizing this preference for something people can hold in their hands and clean paper and type to read, electronic books have always focused on providing an experience that’s as close to traditional books as possible. I mean making it possible to print the book out on paper, staple it and read it. This still fell short of the ideal “book” construction people were used to, with the hard or paper cover and glued spine. It did not have the same “feel” as a “real book”.
So along came the gadgets with which to read the ebooks. Manufacturers tried like crazy to make them “book like” with a square shape that was thick but easily held in the hand. With a quick button that gave the same experience as turning a page. With making the backgrounds white with black type, just like a book. And, granted, sales of the Kindle and other readers have been hot. You can read my original post on E Readers to see the various offerings and what they are like.
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February 12, 2009
· Filed under Home and Garden, conservation · Tagged alternative energy, ecology, green, how to, power, projects, saving, utilities, windpower
Imagine this! Wind turbines you can just set up behind your house and have it run your electricity… all for free… or for, at least, only the initial cost of buying one and installing it. That would be wonderful, no? You would not have to wait for your city or county or state to figure it out and make it available; you would not have to cowtow to your neighbor in the hopes of getting a go ahead on a community project; you could just act on your own. Sounds very Democratic and American, doesn’t it?
Well, it seems that nowadays there are more and more options for those of you who do want a small wind turbine out in the yard or on your roof. These items admittedly range from the standard to the bizarre, and come in sizes that varying from powering several major appliances in your home all the way up to your whole house and beyond! There are all wonderful options for those of us who want to run out ahead of the pack and go green sooner than later.
Did you know that, in the right conditions, wind power can be much more economical than other renewable energy options such as solar or geothermal? In design and feasibility, traditional propeller-type wind turbines remain the best options for residential settings outside of urban areas. They are efficient and time-tested, and the leading manufacturers of these turbines have been at it for a long time.
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February 12, 2009
· Filed under Environmental Detox, Home and Garden, conservation · Tagged conservation, eco, gardening, global warming, green, plants, saving, trees
Those of us who love plants have always known they are vital to the planet. I mean, who could think they were useless? They have always absorbed carbon dioxide, created a home and food for animals and birds, as well as just making our environment more enjoyable and beautiful. Who hasn’t been grateful for the graceful tree when looking for shade on a hot, summers day?
But, according to scientists, plants have never been as important to the environment as right now because they are vital to reduce the impact of global warming. This has been recently reported by the BBC in an article about Professor Stephen Hopper, who is the director of Royal Botanic Gardens in London, England.
Professor Hopper was quoted as saying, “We believe that at no other point in history have plants been so important to people,” adding that plants “have importance as carbon sinks in a time of climate change.” As we all have always known, plants are vital to the air quality and environment and haven’t we always been told to grow houseplants to improve indoor air? According to Mr. Hopper, they are vital to reducing the impact of climate change and “vast numbers of humans” need them for medicine and food. In other words, we need to take care of plants!
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February 12, 2009
· Filed under Home and Garden, conservation · Tagged climate change, eco, gardening, global warming, green, plants, weeds
As all of you probably already know, most of our neighborhoods have been inhabited and sometimes taken over completely by invasive foreign plants and weeds. In some cases these were plants that local authorities would be nice to add to the landscape and now they have taken over the landscape and no one can eradicate them. In other cases, immigrants brought plants and seeds from their homeland and planted them in their gardens, only to have them become invasive and disastrous to native landscapes. Here in Florida some prime examples include Kudzo, Brazilian Pepper Trees and Vines, Chokeweed, Spanish Bayonet, Spanish Needles, Hedge Bindweed and Air Yams. These foreign cultivars are aggressive and destructive and, in some areas, they carpet the landscape and crowd all other plants out.
But what does all of this have to do with global warming and climate change? Well, according to a new study it is now believed that climate change will likely shuffle some of the most troublesome weeds from their native local to far away farms and ranches, reeking havoc with cultivated crops. This study shows that a warming climate will provide prime conditions for invasive plants to get a foothold, spread quickly and crowd out native species. This study was performed by Princeton University Researchers and was recently published in the latest edition of the scientific journal Global Change Biology.
In some cases the outcome could be good, such as forcing invasives out of the west and allow the re-establishment of native species, but this opportunity will be short lived and the window for action will be limited. According to Bethany Bradley, a biogeographer at Princeton University and lead author on the study, “We’re going to have to be in the right place at the right time before something else gains a foothold.” This basically means that if we want to turn a bad situation into a good thing, we have to be poised for action and swift to move.
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February 7, 2009
· Filed under Health Care, Natural Remedies, diy, herbs · Tagged aromatherapy, healing, health, herbs, homemade, how to, natural, non toxic, oils, remedies, sickness
Boy, oh, boy, do we need help with anxiety these days! I mean, seriously. Our economy is in a melt down, many of us have lost our jobs, violent crime is on the rise and health insurance is a rare animal. What on earth would you do if you got sick? I mean, right now? If you think about it, anxiety makes people sick more than any other mental activity. You worry and your heart and nerves go haywire. Losing sleep, fretting, building on your own fears. It’s like the 800 pound Gorilla. Anxiety. In the middle of your life.
If you know anything about herbs you know that many herbs are good for anxiety. Teas made of Chamomile, Kava Kava and Valerian make people relax and they work really well. But did you know that you can use essential oils, externally, to reduce stress? Did you know that certain odors and certain atmospheres are conducive to anxiety and others are conducive to relaxation? You know that a hot bath, candlelight, a glass of wine, soft music, all these things help us relax. But when the fear goes really deep, the bug a boos are keeping us frantic all the time, these usual methods fall short. I can grit my teeth through a hot bath and tap my foot through a glass of wine. And when I’m really wound up, soft music just makes me cranky.
At these times, when the world is driving your blood pressure through the roof, you need something that changes the environment entirely and works from the inside out. Smells, colors, certain flavors do this very subtly, working from the inside out, changing our moods. But did you know that essential oils have all of these properties? Through their odor and texture they create a taste in our mouths that is translated through our glands and tissue. We react to these subtle influences in the same way that we react to certain foods and aromas. Let me show you which oils work and how.
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