violet folklore » Taking Care

How I Took Care Of Myself This Week- Warding Off Evil

Amber of Violet Folklore — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 23:33:27 +0000

From Amber

And by "evil" I mean, of course, the common cold. As I posted about a while back on my other blog Nourished Mother in a post entitled I CANNOT Get Sick Right Now, So Here's What I'm Doing To Prevent It, I usually go all out and take every herb I can think of whenever I have any sort of acute ailment come up. Many herbalists would disagree with this approach, and I cannot recommend it for beginners because then you don't know how each herb effected you or which herb actually brought relief, but I will say that it has worked well for me thus far.

But last week, when Mycie was sick and I was starting to feel something myself, I decided to rely on only three herbs. And since they're pretty much the three most recommended plants for colds in the herbal literature, I figured I couldn't really go wrong. The first two I took in tincture form (herbs which have been macerated and then soaked in alcohol until the alcohol absorbs all of the herb's medicinal constituents, at which point the herb is strained out and the liquid is put in a dropper bottle for personal use or sale). These two herbs were, you probably guessed it already, echinacea and elderberry.

Echinacea is perfect for the early onset of an illness for two reasons: it is anti-bacterial and enhances the immune system. As both my & Sasha's former herb teacher (before we even knew each other or lived in Grass Valley!) Kami McBride said, it creates a sort of parameter around the unwanted bug and keeps it in it's place until it dies off (meanwhile helping to kill it). Okay maybe those weren't her exact words but you get the gist.

The third herb I used is probably already taking up space on your kitchen counter. It is the herb that both Rosemary Gladstar (herbalist extraordinaire and leading figure in the 70s herb revival- I think her book The Family Herbal should be the first book on every beginner's shelf- whether they have a family or not) and Dr. Andrew Weil (like I need to introduce him) say would be their choice if they could only use one herb for the rest of their life. It was also named by the amazing Stephen Harrod Buhner as the strongest antibacterial herb in his book Herbal Antibiotics.

(Boy do I feel guilty praising this extremely helpful and delectably delicious herb because, you see, poor Sasha is allergic to…)

Garlic!

Super simple, you already know all about it. But keep in mind that it has to be raw to have the desired effect. So, make pesto, or just grate some over food. Or make Garlic Tamari Honey, and ingenious recipe that I got from Kami. I say ingenious because when you're getting sick (or already there) you probably don't feel like making pesto. This you make ahead of time and can take in less than a minute.

Here's the recipe (again, from Kami McBride). Gather to yourself:

1 cup peeled garlic cloves (whole, not minced)

2 cups tamari

1 cup raw honey

Then put it all in a jar and let it steep! Only thing is, it needs to steep for at least 3 months. I steeped mine for a year, and plan on making plenty more of it and letting it steep for even longer. The reason it needs to infuse for so long is so that the garlic becomes soft and mild in the tamari (although I have been known to eat fresh raw garlic in a cold's-coming-on emergency, I much prefer not to!), taking out the pungent heat of the herb that aggravates some people's constitutions.

But also, the garlic infuses into the tamari, and the liquid can be used in marinades and whatever else (just don't heat it too much!). Mycie, not surprisingly for a two-year-old, doesn't really enjoy eating a whole clove of garlic, even if it has been soaked in tamari. So I cook up a grain such as quinoa or barley (soaked beforehand and cooked in plenty of water, a la Chinese congee, in order to make it digestible- the last thing a body that's trying to fight off illness needs is to divert the energy it could be using for healing to digest heavy food instead), and drizzle the garlic tamari over it. It's super duper yummy and I feel good knowing it's going a long way towards helping her feel better.

Seriously folks, this is so simple and easy to make- three ingredients, throw 'em in a jar (okay you've got to peel the garlic but I think you can handle that). Make it now so it's ready as soon as possible! Just because winter will be over in 3 months doesn't mean you won't be getting sick (in fact, I've read that people get sick more in spring than any other time of year). Plus, keep that year long steep in mind- it really is easier to take when the flavor is milder.

For more on the many magnificent medicinal benefits of "the stinking rose", check this out.

(And try not to worry too much about Sasha, she is a fine herbalist and knows just what to do in spite of her garlic allergy :-)

How I Took Care of Myself This Week- Baby It’s Warm Inside

Amber of Violet Folklore — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 05:01:00 +0000

From Sasha

So it's been cold. Reading the news, I am well aware that I will get little sympathy from most of you in the Northern United States (Seattle! Portland! Utah! I feel your pain!). Actually, we should expect some real winter weather here in the Sierra Foothills, since we are halfway up some of the biggest and snowiest mountains in the world… but honestly, since I've moved here, I've never seen snow til February, at the earliest. That makes this my first EVER White Christmas, and all of my favorite Christmas songs suddenly make sense… Yes! In the lane, snow IS glistening!
Yes! Winter IS a Marshmallow World!

But although I make my home at 3,000 feet in elevation, I have to tell you something quite honestly– we rent a place that is basically a lovely summer residence. It lacks insulation, double paned windows, and a sufficient heater. Our first winter, fresh from the temperate Bay Area, we froze like popsicles and came down with historically awful cases of the flu. As time goes on, we try to perfect the imperfect science of "winterizing" our house. Since we rent, we're not going to actually take any permanent or costly steps, but there are little things we can do. (Putting plastic sheeting on the windows, however, has been banned for "aesthetic" reasons.) (Not by me, I might add!)

Job number one is getting some space heaters in to supplement our way-small and way-wimpy propane heater. This one here is my fave, and it is one of the most reasonable and energy-efficient heaters on the market– you can get one at almost any hardware store for around $40. It directs the heat right at you via Infrared, like the sun on the Fourth of July; it makes those potentially unpleasant tasks like getting dressed or sitting and typing for long periods of time practically… tropical!

Job number two– and this is my masterpiece, even if it looks crazy right now!– insulating the living area under the loft. Our living room/kitchen are are under our sleeping loft, along with the heater, and the front entrance is a brutally Arctic two-story, vaulted-ceiling-ed, wall-of-windows No-Mans-Land. We use it to practice music in, since that heats you up naturally, but otherwise it doesn't see much use all winter long. So here is my job this year of making the "blanket cave". I haven't gotten around to putting uniform pieces of fabric over the wool blankets (collected all summer from yard sales with this specific purpose in mind), so it's pretty god-awful ugly, but at least you can see how I did it. It's airtight! The 25% German in me is sooooo pleased with my engineering job. Obviously, because who else would blog about their blanket cave but a German? (That's Chris' troll collection on the top shelf, by the way!) (He is another German, but I'm not sure whether that is related to trolls or not- you could make an arguement for it.)

Last but not least, one must generate some heat from inside one's own self. Normally a walk up and down the steep hill that is our road would do this, but when it's dark and icy, the blood starts to get pretty lethargic. Cold toes and fingers are a sign that circulation needs a boost, and my number one remedy for this– and almost every other ailment!– is powdered Ginger. This is available in the bulk spice department of your health food store, or in a little jar or box in the spice section at the regular grocery store. I positively couldn't live without Ginger in the winter. It's great for cooking, of course–we just made a fabulous chicken coconut pineapple dish with it last night– but it is also just perfect added to hot water to make an instant tea. Put in as much as your palette can stand, and sip it down hot– you'll feel the life returning to your extremities immediately! Ginger is considered a cure-all, health panacea in many cultures, and it is used for menstrual cramping, nausea, and poor digestion, among other things. Since it is a yummy-tasting food, not just a medicine, it's easy to establish a relationship with Ginger. The powdered is hotter then the fresh, by the way, and that's why I keep it around (honestly, the fresh also takes more work to grate, and when I'm cold I am lazy!)

Now the nice thing about being inside is that it slows me down (no easy task), and makes me more creative. Last week I was "stuck" at home because I couldn't get my car out to go to work, and there was no electricity (read: Internet). For the first time in years I rearranged all of my craft supplies so that they were easier to access, and in the process I rediscovered some of my favorite creations that had somehow never gotten unpacked from our last move! This is the "flatware" series, where I've attached some favorite small objects to some neat old silverware. Very appropriate kitchen decor, eh?

I just love mixed-media sculpture, and I'm hoping to do some more in the New Year. I made several jewelry purchases from Etsy that celebrate this aesthetic, and I was reminded that I love to make jewelry, too. Selling vintage clothes is going so well (thank you universe!), and I would love to have a little Etsy site with my artwork/jewelry too! I need to bone up on my jewelry-making techniques, but I feel very encouraged that Etsy is exactly where my potential audience shops. Just thinking of all of my failed experiments at selling my creations (hand-dyed and hand-painted clothing, "votive" candles of The Cure; does this ring a bell with any of you?) in my early 20s, I feel bad for myself, because it was so difficult to get to one's potential customers back then– and I honestly considered myself a failure! Thank the gawd-ess for the Internet, and for Etsy… these inventions really have the power to change lives.

Well, happy holidays to all of you- I honestly mean it when I say that I hope you are warm and happy! It's hard to have the latter without the former, as I can attest. Though the right hat really helps:

Ho ho ho ho and a field full of snow!

How I Took Care Of Myself This Week- A Good Old Fashioned Rub Down

Amber of Violet Folklore — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 05:12:00 +0000

From Amber
Two words: oil and massage. The great thing about these two words/things is that you need no one but your own self to use them to facilitate deep nervous system relaxation, nourish and replenish bodily tissues, and improve your sense of well being. Probably my most used form of herbal medicine is oils for external use, and I spend much of the warm months making these oils. Among my favorites are St. John's Wort, mugwort, violet leaf, and pine needle oil. In fact, I recently posted about the uses of pine needles at my other blog Nourished Mother, including how-to-make instructions:

What I have (re)discovered these past few weeks is the wonders of belly massage for digestive health and overall strengthening and toning of the abdominal area (which many traditions consider the body's "seat of power"). I was first told about this by an old healer friend whose style incorporates many teachings from different Asian and Polynesian traditions. He showed me how to lie down and rub my belly gently but firmly in a clockwise direction (like, if the clock were lying on your back with the 12 near your head and the 6 near your pelvis, rub in the direction the clock's hands would be moving in). Without going into too much detail, let me just say that you may be shocked at how quickly this facilitates digestive action. (Works GREAT for fussy children whose mood is being dampered by sluggish digestion i.e. ate crappy food the night before and are constipated).

Despite my declaration in that second sentence up at the top there, we all know there's nothing like receiving some nice, relaxing loving touch from someone other than yourself. As Sasha and I have apparently already blogged about two times here, our friend and Violet Folklore model Lucia gives mind blowingly good massages (I was so relaxed after my last one that I could barely pull myself up off the table afterward). And are we the luckiest girls in the world or what?, when we can't afford it she trades us for, you guessed it, vintage clothes.

My husband Graham is currently designing some promotional materials for Lucia (he is responsible for most of our images here at the blog and at Etsy and MySpace too), so he brought along our camera to my most recent session. What I love the most about Lucia's massages is that she goes where most massage therapists dare not: into the belly, lower belly, and breast tissue. Or maybe she only does that for close friends and fellow breastfeeding mamas. Nevertheless, it's amazing:

Of course, my daughter got a little jealous and wanted in on the action. No prob because Lucia also does pediatric massage! Graham snapped some pretty cute pictures of us on the massage table together. It was really nice to have her lying next to me so relaxed yet… awake ;-)

Massaging wound-up children with calming herbal oils is one of my most used secret mama weapons:

Whether from yourself, a friend, or a professional stranger, whether with homemade herbal oil, store bought olive oil, or even Jergens lotion (eek!), regular massage is a sweet, nourishing, and extremely effective health maintenance technique. Might as well make it a whole family affair while you're at it…

How I Took Care of Myself This Week- Sasha

Amber of Violet Folklore — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 05:01:00 +0000

From Sasha

Those of you who are just getting to know Violet Folklore may not realize that Amber and I are not only vintage clothes lovers, we are herbalists! In fact, that's how we met– we were taking an Herbal Apprenticeship together from our local herbalist Kathi Keville. We knew we wanted to be friends the moment that we saw each other, though little did we dream that we would open a clothing shop together on Etsy one day!

As we started up our store this fall– and threw ourselves into it with all of our time and energy– we both noticed that we were giving our health a lower priority, in the service of our all-consuming new endeavor. We also found that we had much less time to devote to our beloved herbal blogs, Kitchen Witch and Nourished Mother.

In an effort to satisfy our urge to educate and inspire others to greater health, and as a way of holding ourselves to a better standard of self-care, we decided to start a new series of weekly posts called "How I Took Care of Myself This Week". No clothing or makeup can replace health and happiness, which is our true Beauty– even Photoshop can't fake it for us forever. Here is my first post of the series– and here's to taking better care of ourselves!

This week was slamming busy at work (I am the office manager at a Naturopathic clinic), pre-Christmas stress was in the air, and it was finally getting really cold out. Naturally everyone seemed to be getting sick, and I felt like I was on the edge of fighting off something a few times myself. My number one remedy for this or any other combination of challenging circumstances? Nettle tea, of course. Here is is being poured from the mother mason jar where it steeped all night into "to go" jars for me and my hunny (can't have him getting sick either!). Nettle is just unbeatable for improving your basic vitality, and has a special affinity with the respiratory tract, one of my "weak links". For more on Nettle, and to learn how to steep your own tea, check out my post on my herbal blog here.

My two easiest and most effective standbys for revving up my immune system are tinctures of Echinacea and Medicinal Mushrooms. They are a little pricey, but they cost a lot less then missing days of work because you are down and out with a cold. Most health food stores on the west coast carry the Herb Pharm brand that you see here, and I stand by the effectiveness of their Echinacea– just remember that it is best taken before any serious symptoms set in. When you feel even the slightest bit off– or when you know you are going to a place that is enclosed and germy (like a school, a movie theater, or a party)– take it before you get there. Don't be moderate with the dosage, either, for this short-term, occasional use; taking too little is a waste of your time and money. I take two or three good droppers full three or four times a day if I'm feeling "off"!

These particular medicinal mushrooms I got at work, so you won't see the brand in commerce, but there are a lot of good ones out there now. (The lame-o companies don't seem to have quite "gotten it" yet about the mushrooms, which means mostly pricey, quality stuff is on the market at the moment.) These, combined with the Echinacea, seem to fully arm my immune system. If you can afford to, you can take mushrooms long-term as a kind of "supportive food". I try to take a few droppers full a day, more when I'm feeling that my immunity is lowered. If you are someone with chronic compromised immunity, of course, you should check with your health care practitioner before trying either of these potent remedies!!!

Of all the Emergen-C flavors out there, I swear that this one works the best (the picture is kind of blurry- it's the "Ruby Lemon Honey" kind). I think it's the enhanced Zinc. It makes it taste kind of weird, I admit, but it has the Power. This one only seems to be on sale at this time of year, so if you see it, grab a couple of them! I take one or two a day. The Vitamin C (along with lots of water) will also clear up your skin something fabulous… that's why I try to take this even when I'm feeling good. And yes, that is Elvis… he lives by the snacks. He is probably a little disappointed about our healthy choices, but it still seems to be his Happy Place in the house.

The seat of our health is in our digestive tract– that's where most of our immune cells live. Eating heavy, junky food that taxes our digestion, then, also brings down our immunity. Inthe afternoons at work, I get cravings for empty calorie foods like potato chips (yes, I have to admit to myself, even the baked potato chips are empty calories, despite being a huge improvement on the normal deep-fried ones), so it really helps to have a healthy alternative around. This week we got our first Satsumas in Nevada County- and there was serious celebrating! These are cheap. easy to peel, and their anti-oxidant power fights colds and flus. Eat the spongy pulp under the skin to get the most benefit. (My hunny thinks this is just plain weird, but I like the way it tastes!)

So that's a tour of my cupboard this week! Though I like to make all my own medicine whenever possible, pre-made and easy things like these come in really handy when I'm super-busy. Hope I've given you an idea or two for better health!