Posted on by Trisha

Stay Healthy Day 26: Use Herbal Remedies

This year, rather than relying on OTC medications if your family gets sick, consider using herbs. They’re inexpensive, fairly easy to obtain, and have few to no side effects — we can’t say the same about OTC or prescription drugs!

But, if you’re new to herbal medicine, you may not know where to begin. Try these 10 herbs to help your family stay healthy this winter.

🌿 Ginger is one of our favorite herbs. You can buy it in any grocery store (seriously, Walmart carries it) and it’s really inexpensive. Even the organic is only $5/lb. and a large piece might cost $2 (that will last weeks). Ginger is anti-inflammatory, it helps colds and sinus infections, general pain, stomach upset, and more. It’s also safe for kids of all ages (even babies), and pregnant and nursing women. It’s an all-round awesome remedy.

🌿 Mullein is often a go-to remedy for us. It’s been said to help with diarrhea, asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough, colds, flu, and lots more. For any respiratory infection, use a tea or a tincture made with mullein It can also help with insomnia. It’s fairly safe, including for pregnant/nursing women and children.

🌿 Elderberry is a very popular flu remedy, and for good reason: studies show it can reduce the duration of the flu from 6 – 7 days to only 2 – 3. It’s strongly anti-viral and fights many infections. Many people find it both effective and palatable. It’s safe for kids from around 8 – 12 months

🌿 Peppermint or spearmint are known tummy-soothers. They can also help with headaches, and peppermint may soothe sore throats (peppermint has a high menthol content that can cool the throat, but spearmint doesn’t). It’s also very safe for most. Pregnant or nursing women should be cautious because large doses can present a problem in sensitive women (cause contractions or reduce milk supply), but most women will not have an issue.

🌿 Catnip is one of our favorite herbs. It can help soothe a nervous child — it’s a mild sedative. It can also treat stomach upset, and may be helpful with coughs. It’s recently been shown to be an excellent insect repellent. We use it to help teething babies with great success, and it’s also great for general insomnia.

🌿 This plant is where marshmallow, the candy, originally came from! Today, the candy is made from gelatin and corn syrup, but the marshmallow plant remains in use for humans. The plant is very high in mucilage, which means that it helps to coat the digestive system. This means it is effective for coughs, bronchitis, whooping cough, diarrhea, and more. It also may be used topically, because it is anti-inflammatory, and it may help cuts, scrapes, and infections.

🌿 Turmeric root has gained popularity lately as a strong anti-inflammatory. It’s been shown to fight colds, infections, and even cancer. It’s also been shown to help liver disease, Alzheimer’s, and other chronic illnesses.

🌿 Acerola berries are extremely high in vitamin C. For this reason, it may be beneficial against colds, flu, whooping cough, and other common winter ailments. They’re also strongly anti-inflammatory.

🌿 For years, people have recommended Echinacea as a cold remedy — because it helps. It’s beneficial against colds, flu, bronchitis, UTIs, ear infections, candida, and more. People have used it for almost any infection. It can cause allergic reactions in some, so be careful if your family has allergies to plants/pollen.

🌿 Goldenseal root is a very expensive, rarer herb. It’s bright gold colored, and usually used topically. It’s good for cord care in a newborn baby. It can be used directly on diaper rash as a powder, including yeast or bacterial rashes. It helps get rid of both bacterial and viral infections (topically and internally) and soothes sore throats. Be warned that it’s very powerful, and it makes other herbs more powerful when taken in conjunction.
https://modernalternativemama.com/2013/10/18/10-herbs-to-keep-your-family-healthy-this-winter/

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Posted on by Trisha

Stay Healthy Day 22: Breastfeed

Did you breast fed? And if so, did you noticed something different about your milk when baby started coming down with a cold?

From a friend: Amelia was the first of mine I was truly successful with with bf so she was the first I noticed it with. One day, she’d started getting a little bit of clear nasal drainage and you could tell she just didnt feel the best. Over the next few days the color of her drainage changed and a cough came with it. At the time, she was far too young to get antibiotics or anything else for that matter (back then we were still all western med).

The change was so subtle at first that I didn’t catch it right off. This was my first time experiencing bf while having a sick baby. Several days into her little cold, I noticed my breast milk had DRASTICALLY changed color. At first I thought what the frick is this?! But digging deeper I learned just how common this is and in fact is a natural part of our bodies amazing capabilities.

When breastfed babies get sick, their mothers milk changes to accommodate babies needs and to gove baby what they need to get better. The breast milk changes and increases its anti infective properties so as to help baby get better. Kinda like having a built in natural antibiotic for baby. Higher levels of lymphocytes and granulocytes can be found in the milk of a mama with a sick baby. These are the infection fighting cells. Higher levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha, which is an infection fighting substance known as a cytokines, is secreted from the cells in the breast milk.

Breastfeeding has benefits for mom too including reduced risk for breast, ovarian and uterine cancer; reduce stress, anxiety and postpartum “blues”; reduced risk of osteoporosis; and natural child spacing.

Read more.

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Posted on by Trisha

New mama research list

Check out this great list of topics we feel every new expecting mother should look into. It’s great to be informed in advance to be able to make the best decisions for your family.

Also, check out these groups, pages and websites that provide additional information and support:

Natural and Holistic Living

Earthley

Modern Alternative Mama

Cloth Diapers for Beginners

Vaccination Re-education Discussion Forum

Hip Homeschool Mom Community

Wildschooling

Practical Homeschooling

Wildcrafting, Gardening & Herbalism

Foraging & Feasting

Home Birth – Assisted & Unassisted

Saving our Sons

The Badass Breastfeeder

Exclusively Breastfeeding Mommies

Natural Parenting 101

Chiropractic

Everyday Babywearing

Babywearing 101

CarSeat Safety

Car Seats for Littles

Biologically Normal Infant Sleep

Go Sleeping & Attachment Parenting Support

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Posted on by Trisha

Stay Healthy Day 11: Avoid scented candles and products

There’s a dirty little secret the fragrance industry would rather you not know about, however, which is the extreme toxicity of many of these products. Hidden behind their pleasant scents are typically chemicals linked to hormone disruption, reproductive problems, and even cancer.

Many perfumes sold at department stores, big-box retailers, and virtually everywhere else can aptly be described as poison – and this means that you could very well be sacrificing your health by wearing them…

I caution against using any synthetic perfume or cologne, or any other synthetically fragranced personal care product, as they’re almost always loaded with synthetic chemicals that have been linked to cancer, reproductive toxicity, allergies, and more.

And although the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) actually has direct authority to regulate harmful ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products, it doesn’t exercise it… The Environmental Working Group (EWG) explains:

“When you see ‘fragrance’ on a personal care product’s label, read it as ‘hidden chemicals.’ A major loophole in FDA’s federal law lets manufacturers of products like shampoo, lotion, and body wash include nearly any ingredient in their products under the name ‘fragrance’ without actually listing the chemical.

Companies that manufacture personal care products are required by law to list the ingredients they use, but fragrances and trade-secret formulas are exempt.”

What does this mean for a health-conscious person like yourself? When you purchase a fragrance, it could contain any number of the 3,100 or so stock chemical ingredients used by the fragrance industry. What blend is in most products you buy, exactly, is virtually impossible to ascertain, aside from testing it in a lab – and this is actually what the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics did…

Laboratory tests commissioned by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and analyzed by EWG, found a total of 38 chemicals not listed on the labels in 17 name-brand fragrances (such as Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Bath & Body Works, Old Spice, Calvin Klein, and more).2

The average fragrance product contained 14 chemicals that were not disclosed on the label (along with another 15 that were listed!). The report noted:

“Among them are chemicals associated with hormone disruption and allergic reactions, and many substances that have not been assessed for safety in personal care products.

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Posted on by Trisha

Stay Healthy Tip 8: Avoid glyphosate

Proponents of GMOs and Glyphosate-based herbicides and staunch believers in the EPA have long argued that low levels of glyphosate exposure are safe for humans. Even our own EPA tells us that Americans can consume 17 times more glyphosate in our drinking water than European residents. The EWG asserts that 160 ppb of glyphosate found in breakfast cereal is safe for a child to consume due to their own safety assessments, and yet renowned scientists and health advocates have long stated that no level is safe. Confusion amongst consumers and the media is rampant.

Glyphosate is the declared active chemical ingredient in Roundup and Ranger Pro, which are both manufactured by Monsanto, the original manufacturer of Agent Orange and DDT. There are 750 brands of glyphosate-based herbicides. Glyphosate based herbicides are the most widely used in the world and residues of glyphosate have been found in tap water, children’s urine, breast milk, chips, snacks, beer, wine, cereals, eggs, oatmeal, wheat products, and most conventional foods tested.

The detection of glyphosate in these foods has set off alarms of concern in households and food manufacturers’ offices around the world. Lawsuits have sprung up against companies that make food products that claim to be “100% Natural” and yet contain glyphosate residues. These lawsuits have been successful. Debates, using the argument that “the dose makes the poison,” have been pushed by media. Speculation is that these media outlets are funded by advertisers that make or sell these chemicals or have sister companies that do, and threatening their profits would be unwise for all involved – except the consumers.

Here are 12 reasons why there is no safe level of glyphosate herbicide residue in our food or beverages.

Babies, toddlers, and young children have kidneys and livers which are underdeveloped and do not have the ability to detox toxins the way adults do. Their bodies are less capable of eliminating toxins and therefore are particularly susceptible. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has stated that children, especially, should avoid pesticides because, “prenatal and early childhood exposure to pesticides is associated with pediatric cancers, decreased cognitive function and behavioral problems.”

Glyphosate does not wash, dry or cook off, and has been shown to bioaccumulate in the bone marrow, tendons and muscle tissue. Bioaccumulation of low levels over time will result in levels which we cannot predict or determine; therefore there is no scientific basis to state that the low levels are not dangerous, as they can accumulate to high levels in an unforeseeable amount of time.

“There is no current reliable way to determine the incidence of pesticide exposure and illness in US children.” -AAP Children are exposed through food, air, contact with grass and pets. How much they are being exposed to daily from all these possibilities is simply not something that we have been able to determine. Therefore no one is capable of assessing what levels are safe from any one modality of exposure because an additional low level from other modalities could add up to a high level of exposure.

Ultra-low levels of glyphosate herbicides have been proven to cause non-alcoholic liver disease in a long term animal study by Michael Antoniou, Giles Eric Seralini et al. The levels the rats were exposed to, per kg of body weight, were far lower than what is allowed in our food supply. According to the Mayo Clinic 100 million, or 1 out of 3 Americans now have liver disease. These diagnoses are in some as young as 8 years old.

Ultra-low levels of glyphosate have been shown to be endocrine and hormone disrupting. Changes to hormones can lead to birth defects, miscarriage, autoimmune disease, cancer, mental and chronic illness.

The EPA Allowable Daily Intake Levels (ADIs) of glyphosate exposure were set for a 175-pound man, not a pregnant mother, infant, or child.

Glyphosate alone has been shown to be chronically toxic causing organ and cell damage. Glyphosate herbicides final formulations, have been shown to be acutely toxic, causing immediate damage at low levels.
The detection of glyphosate at low levels could mean the presence of the other toxic ingredients in glyphosate herbicides on our food. Until studies are done, one must practice the Precautionary Principle. The label on glyphosate herbicides does not specify the pesticide class or “other”/“inert” ingredients that may have significant acute toxicity and can account for up to 54% of the product.
Regarding the label and low-level exposure: “Chronic toxicity information is not included, and labels are predominantly available in English. There is significant use of illegal pesticides (especially in immigrant communities), off-label use, and overuse, underscoring the importance of education, monitoring, and enforcement.” – AAP. Exposure to low levels of glyphosate herbicides can occur through pregnant wives or children hugging the father who is a pesticide applicator. The chronic health impacts such as rashes which can, years later, result in non-Hodgkin lymphoma, are often ignored, especially by low income or non-English speaking users dependent on their pesticide application occupation for survival.

The EPA has admitted to not having any long-term animal studies with blood analysis on the final formulation of any glyphosate herbicides. The EPA cannot state that the final formulation is safe.

For approval of pesticides and herbicides, the EPA only requires safety studies, by the manufacturer who benefits from the sales, on the one declared active chemical ingredient—in this case glyphosate. Glyphosate is never used alone.

The main manufacturer, Monsanto, has been found to be guilty on all counts by a San Francisco Supreme Court Jury in the Johnson v Monsanto. This includes guilty of “malice and oppression” which means that the company executives knew that their glyphosate products could cause cancer and suppressed this information from the public.

Clearly, it is time for food and beverage manufacturers to have a zero tolerance for glyphosate residue levels and for the US EPA and regulatory agencies everywhere to stop ignoring the science and to revoke the license of glyphosate immediately.
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/news/12-reasons-why-even-low-levels-of-glyphosate-are-unsafe/

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Posted on by Trisha

Signs of vaccine reaction

Sadly, vaccine injury is ignored and denied in our society — people claim it’s “only one in a million” (it’s not) — so we have not been taught to recognize it when it happens. A lot of reactions that may be related to vaccines are called “coincidence.”

If you or your family has any of these symptoms, especially if they began shortly after a round of vaccines, consider investigating — and detoxing.

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Posted on by Trisha

Stay Healthy Day 7: Rethink Shots

Vaccines:

👉🏻 Have not been subject to toxicity studies for many of the ingredients such as aluminum and mercury, which are known neurotoxins.

👉🏻 Have not been studied for adverse effects in the combinations in which they’re given (multiple shots in a single day for infants and children).

👉🏻 Cannot be guaranteed to provide the benefit of immunity for which they are given.

👉🏻 Are used to “prevent” benign childhood diseases, diseases which actually “teach” the immune system how to work properly.

👉🏻 Vaccines are “unavoidably unsafe” and contain “unavoidable” viruses, phages (viruses that infect bacteria), and contaminants. No other drug or medical product is similarly manufactured – if contaminants are found in them, the product is recalled. The FDA even recalls food when contaminants are found.

Want to learn more? Grab this FREE guide.

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