Katie 3/25/16 “10 Herbs for Wilderness Emergency First Aid”

Last week, there was this great online conference called the Plant Medicine Summit. I listened in to as many recorded podcasts as I could before they expired (they were only posted for free for 48 hours, unfortunately). I am really eager to share some notes I took from those presentations! It was all about using nature as medicine.

One presentation in particular was exactly what I had been listening for: a detailed breakdown of which plants are good for what purpose. Nicholas Schnell talked about how to use herbs in the wild for emergency first aid. He seemed like the kind of guy who had experienced some crazy adventures in his life. His knowledge of plants and their powerful properties was so inspiring to me. I want to be him when I grow up.

I shall share my notes about the 10 herbs he went over in the podcast.

Yarrow

Nicholas told us something really amazing about yarrow. One of his friends cut his leg down to the bone with a machete, so they put yarrow tincture  on the open wound. Within a minute, the bleeding had stopped. I find that to be so impressive! Something like this can mean the difference between life and death, depending on how long it takes medical assistance to arrive.

Yarrow is good for the blood and regulating blood flow. Some other beneficial uses are for bloody noses, hemorrhoids, menstrual flow, and such. It will calm or stop bleeding if taken internally for these things. You can also use it topically for cuts, bruises, blisters, hematomas, toothaches, mouth sores, and for pain.

Yarrow is also good for helping with digestion, acid reflux, and Crohn’s disease. If you have a cold, flu, or fever, put yarrow into your bath and it will help you get well faster. He said that plants also have spiritual properties, and that yarrow can be a boost for mental fortitude.

Calendula

Also known as marigold, but make sure you have the right genus. This lovely flower is good for wounds, bruises, inflammation, swelling, and scars. It can soften old scars and also help new wounds to heal without a scar. Use topically for chronic pain. It fights fungal infections, yeast infections, thrush, and similar infections. The spiritual property of this plant is for healing spiritual wounds. It can be good for people who beat themselves up or have damaged sensitivity in their soul. Sounds as good as Mother’s kisses on our owies!

Echinacea root

Story time again! Nicholas was out hiking with his friends when one of them realized he had been bitten, his arm swelling rapidly. Turns out later it was a brown recluse spider bite. Nicholas was carrying echinacea tincture on him and they applied that to the bite. The brown recluse has a nasty bite, taking weeks for the inflammation to die down and sometimes causing permanent nerve damage to the area. In this case with the use of echinacea, the swelling was gone in a few days and healing up great, no damage done.

That being said, it’s pretty self-explanatory that echinacea is good for venomous bites of all kinds. Apply it to bites from ticks, spiders, snakes, etc. It can be taken internally or topically. Echinacea is powerful for infection. It will heal chronic infection, even if it’s the kind that has been dragging your energy down for years. It kills bacteria and is a great assist to viral infections. You definitely want this in your medicine cabinet!

Blackberry root

This is good for your gut. It alleviates diarrhea, food poisoning, and the flu. You can brew tea or make a syrup from the root for infants as well as adults. You could also soak it in vinegar for a week and press it out and take that internally for another form. The spiritual properties of blackberry are fascinating. You can hang a bunch above the bed for help with spiritual and psychic disturbances, being afraid of the dark, and protection from darkness. It can help you to be opened up to psychic experiences and overcoming suppressed intuition if you’ve struggled with that. I would love to see some examples of this and test if this old belief is truly effective!

Chamomile

Chamomile also makes good baths as it is very calming. It will help alleviate anxiety taken as tea or aromatically. It is really good for aches, cramps, and pain from ailments such as stomach ache, intestinal issues, food poisoning, and even overeating. It is also good for acid reflux. In essence, it’s a powerful digestive aid.

Elderflower

The berry from this plant is more commonly used medicinally (and deliciously), but the flower is also potent in its healing abilities. It can be used for all ages, like blackberry. Make a tea from the flowers for colds, flu, and fever. In the case of skin rashes, chickenpox, and other such skin issues, a bath with these flowers would be a great relief. Taking it internally also alleviates skin problems.

Plantain leaf

Take this internally for relief for sinus allergies. Use it topically as a poultice on a wound for increased healing effects, or to help remove slivers, bee stings, and metal shavings. It helps move things to the surface of your skin so you can pull them out.

Ginger

You probably already have an idea of ginger’s health properties, especially when it comes to helping with digestion and stomach issues. Take it in a tea with some honey for nausea, vomiting, indigestion, overeating, and etc. Due to its “hot” nature, it is also effective in clearing mucus. I made ginger and thyme tea when I had some really bad congestion, and it cleared me up right away. It’s delicious with some honey. I will definitely be drinking it any time I feel a bit stuffy!

Goldenseal root

This is a great antibacterial plant that can fight a myriad of things. It kills bacterial and sinus infections, lung infections, and is also good in cases of food poisoning, drinking bad water, intestinal issues, and other stomach issues. You can also use it topically for ruptured discs. Powerful stuff!

St John’s Wort

Last but not least! This can be made into an oil (add it to olive oil or jojoba) or poultice and applied to burns for some much needed relief, including sunburns. It also is awesome for nerve pain or inflammation, and general pain relief and calming of muscles. Spiritually, it is used for overcoming old habits, coming to the light, and healing from spiritual trauma or dark intentions placed upon you.

I hope you learned something new! I sure did. May we apply this awesome knowledge to our lives and be the healthier and more protected for it! In my next post, I’ll share what I learned about using herbs for children and some skin care products you can make yourself from herbs.

Live well,

Katie

Claire 3/18/2016 “What is Rest?”

Last weekend I definitely took Katie’s post to heart. The day she posted it, I went to a hair salon and got my hair cut. Afterwards I walked across the street to a bread store and bought a loaf of pumpkin chocolate chip bread. Later that day I had a photoshoot with a friend for my upcoming graduation, then avoided homework like the plague the whole weekend. It wasn’t a very productive weekend, except for the fact that it was indeed quite productive for my health: mental, spiritual, and physical.

This week, however, was crazy-hectic!

Monday: I had two classes and Family Home Evening (we watched a movie), but on top of that I had to finish a book, read more of Northanger Abbey, and took a midterm for my Tuesday classes.

Tuesday: I had three classes back to back from 8am-1pm and a rehearsal for a big concert we’re doing in Salt Lake City today and in Rexburg tomorrow.

Wednesday: I just had my two classes, but I had to make sure all my homework for the rest of the week and Monday and Tuesday of next week was done. I also went on a date with my roommate to watch Peter and the Starcatcher which was being done on campus (she needed to do it for a class).

Thursday: I had my three classes back to back and then another rehearsal.

Today: I had to wake up at 6:30am so that I could be at the meeting point for the concert I’m in by 8am. I’ll be on the road, rehearsing, and singing in a concert all day today in Salt Lake City. Then tomorrow I have the concert again in Rexburg.

So, how do I balance all of this stuff? Well, the short answer is I don’t. The long answer is that I feel so overwhelmed that sometimes I let stuff slip, even though it’s all important. I’ve found that the best thing to do when I’m busy like this is to just relax, figure out what I need to do and organize all of that first, and then fill in the cracks with stuff I want to do.

For example, this week I’ve somehow managed to do yoga every day. Even if it’s just a few minutes of peace in the morning, it is so worth it!

So as you go through the next few weeks and months and you start feeling the way I do now, just remember to slow down, breathe in deeply, and prioritize everything you need to do.

Live well,

Claire

Katie 3/11/16 “Treat Yo’self”

Dear reader, I hope you’ve scheduled some personal time for this weekend. If you’re reading this, that is a good sign that your health is important to you (or maybe you just really love me). You’ve made an awesome commitment, and I’m proud of you! Health and wellness is something every person should prioritize, since it dictates our whole life. I’m going to ask you to do yourself a favor this week.

You work hard. Life demands everything from you and sucks your energy away. Hopefully most of that energy goes into things that fill your heart with joy: family and friends, creative projects and talents, fun opportunities. However, you and I both know that rarely happens. By the weekend, we’re spent and ready to relax. What I’m asking is for you to take this precious time and put it into something that will benefit you, instead of vegging on the couch.

Treat yourself! With your precious free time, fill it with what you’ve been wanting to do. Fill it with something that is special and different than your normal routine. Get a massage. Read a good book. Listen to a new album. Paint a room. Ride your bike. I want you to do something that benefits you. I want you to do it at your own pace, too. If you’ve been dying to try out your new car on some backroads, go and speed along without anyone else to tell you to slow down. Maybe you want to break out your easel and paints and disappear for a day--don’t guilt trip yourself into letting the kids into the studio and taking up all your time and creativity. This brief moment in time I want to be all about you.

No, it isn’t selfish. Yes, your kids might whine a bit. Remember that you work hard and that it is not only okay, but necessary to cut out personal time for yourself. It can be very restorative and invigorating. It will pour fulfillment and ease into your life.

You deserve a little get-away. Don’t deny yourself, and don’t waste your energy on worthless and wrongly placed guilt for giving time back to yourself. You’d do the same for people you love, so remember that you love yourself, too, and give this gift.

If we all take a little time on occasion to slow down and work on ourselves, over time we will have more to offer. You’ll finish that great hand-carved kitchen table and enjoy all the people around it. You’ll master a new skill. You’ll feel healthier physically and emotionally and have a better version of yourself to share.

This life is all we have, so we really need to invest in ourselves. If we want to get the most out of our time, energy, and natural gifts, we have to prioritize those great needs. You are so worth it!

Have you called up the masseuse yet? What the heck are you still here for? Go!

Live well,

Katie

P.S. It’s finally been warm enough that I felt confident to get my potted plants into the ground. My mom gave me two blueberries and two grapes (and some other plants that didn’t last the winter) last fall. I have the crazy, burning gardening itch to play in the dirt (if you haven’t noticed) and gleefully dug some holes in my lawn for my little plants.

First, I pruned them up on a sunny afternoon. The grapes had some dead shoots and the blueberries needed a little bit of growing guidance as well. They look ready to take off now! They even budded out dramatically just a few days after the prune. Healthy cuts direct the plant’s energy into productivity.

I got those babies into their holes and covered them with woodchips. They look so happy to be planted! I want to train my grapes to go up and get some wire fence or something that they can grow on, so I zip tied them in the general direction I need them to go.

On April 1st, I get to plant my early seeds! It’s less than a month away, people! I can hardly stand to wait. I’m excited to enjoy my garden and share my learning process with you. Until next time!

Claire 3/4/2016 “Why Yoga?”

Hey all! 

It feels like forever since I wrote a blog post (I know, it’s only been a couple weeks)! Well, I’ve known for a few weeks that I wanted to write about Yoga, because it’s an important part of my routine. However, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write about exactly. There’s just so much about Yoga! Most of it I’ve learned through personal research and by looking up videos on Youtube. Recently, however, I joined this online community called Zenward. This is an online Yoga community focused on providing Yoga routines for Yogis from Beginning to Advanced. I absolutely love it, because our instructors could be from anywhere in the world, and I can do one routine over and over until I get it! Plus, I don’t have to go anywhere to exercise, all I need is my computer and the internet.

However, today when I went to do Yoga, I couldn’t get through the first five minutes of a ten minute flow that I’ve done half a dozen times. I couldn’t figure out why. Sure, I haven’t done Yoga for a couple weeks, but could I really be out of shape already?

For those of you who exercise regularly, you know that the answer is yes, but it’s probably not that simple of an answer either. There could be any number of reasons:

• Not enough sleep
• Not eating enough/well enough
• Not drinking enough water
• The shot I got in my arm yesterday which is still hurting after a day
• And it could even be as simple as motivation

It's hard to tell, but this is Warrior Pose. I don't have my arms
up just because I was in between poses.

That is why it’s SO important to stay on top of your workout routines. Not only that, but to also stay healthy, eat healthy, drink healthy. Really, it’s all about making everything in your body work harmoniously so that you can be in the best shape possible!

This is really hard on me. I was always a healthy kid, but my family wasn’t big on the whole exercise thing, and we did splurge and eat candy and other foods that aren’t the best for our bodies on occasion. This isn’t bad necessarily, it just didn’t teach me healthy habits. I’ve had to learn to create my own healthy habits as an adult, which hasn’t been easy on me. And I’m still learning!

Yoga helps me to realize how each part creates the whole. If one thing is out of whack, everything else will be too, and Yoga understands this. I don’t want to just practice Yoga when I’m on the mat, but I want to practice Yoga in all aspects of my life! And I want to have fun with it while I’m at it! Oh hey, look at that! I AM having fun!

I hope that you will consider these things when you are deciding how to be healthier. And remember, Yoga isn’t just a way to exercise: It’s a way of Life!

Namaste,

Claire

Katie 2/26/16 “The Miracle Elixir”

I’ll bet most of you have heard of it, that trendy, strange, fizzy drink all those strange kale munchers have been guzzling like it’s going out of style. Kombucha.

What’s all the hype about? After all, anything you read about kombucha says the health claims “lack scientific evidence.” And have you seen a SCOBY? That mother is friggin’ creepy, man. Why the heck would anyone want to drink something farted out by bacteria?

Trust me, you definitely want to be drinking this weird stuff.

People have been making and drinking kombucha for thousands of years. There are a number of fermented foods many cultures enjoy, and we know that these foods are good for us because of the live cultures and enzymes. We need probiotics and enzymes in our gut. They’re a huge immune and digestive boost, because of the detoxifying properties and build up of flora they contribute to.

Kombucha is full of probiotics, essential acids, and vitamin B. This site contains a list of the acids found in kombucha, and the particular benefit of each. It’s powerful stuff! The site lists a quote from the book Kombucha Tea for Your Health and Healing by Alick Bartholomew. It says:

“Another feature of Kombucha is that, biochemically speaking, it is an adaptogen, that is a substance which has no harmful effects, but which works on a wide variety of conditions by normalising the metabolism of the body, and bringing it back into balance. So, for example, if you have high blood pressure, an adaptogen substance will lower it, and if you have low blood pressure, it will raise it. Kombucha's adaptogen effect is seen mostly through its effect on the liver, the blood and the digestive system, where it normalises the acidity or pH.”

All the goodies contained in kombucha balance your pH levels. That is amazing! One of the biggest problems we face with our health today is the body being too acidic from the crummy food we eat. Kombucha will actively combat that, and restore balance to your body. Sound holistic and healthy to you, folks? It sounds like a blessing to me!

What the heck are you waiting for? Brew up a batch of your own and start enjoying the benefits. It’s easy and cheap! Two of my favorite things!

These directions were written by my mother, who makes excellent kombucha. I also included some links at the end for flavored kombucha and some other brewing info.

(SCOBY: Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast)

(Pictured: SCOBY in kombucha liquid)

When you get your new SCOBY and its kombucha liquid, cover the jar with a clean cloth (or paper towel secured with a rubber band) until you are ready to make your tea. Keep it at room temperature, too. Kombucha needs to breathe, so never use a sealed lid. Also, never use anything that is anti-bacterial like soaps, bleach, etc., because they will kill the SCOBY’s bacteria and it won’t grow.

You will need:

1 glass gallon jar

Large metal pan to boil water

14 cups of water, dechlorinated (I just boil it and it takes the chlorine out.)

1 cup sugar

8 tea bags: try green tea, jasmine green tea, black tea, white tea, or a combination of them; all work great. Most herbal teas don't work because they have too much oil in them.

Clean glass bottles with stoppers for storing finished kombucha (I purchased these at a store where you get beer making supplies. Make sure you get bottles with stoppers that won't pop off or you will have a big mess everywhere. I use the bottles with the rubber and metal stoppers.)

Plastic funnel that will fit into the neck of the bottles

Clean cloth or paper towels

Rubber band

Towel to cover the gallon jar to keep it in the dark

Bring 14 cups water to a boil; pour into clean gallon jar and stir in 1 cup sugar until dissolved; add tea bags and cover with a clean cloth or paper towel secured with a rubber band. Let tea bags steep until water is completely cooled to room temperature. Remove tea bags from cooled tea and add the SCOBY and two cups of kombucha to the gallon jar of prepared tea. The tea must be completely cooled or you will kill the SCOBY.

(Pictured: Glass gallon jar, steeping tea)

Secure a clean cloth or paper towel over the top of the jar to keep dust, bugs, etc out of the jar; then store in a warm, dark place for 7 to 10 days.

After 7 days, take a clean straw and dip down into the kombucha tea past the SCOBY and lift some of the mixture into the straw. (I just take a few dips with the straw and put it into a little glass so I can taste to see if it tastes how I want it to taste or not.) If it tastes good to you at 7 days, then you can bottle it up. Refrigerate so that it stops fermenting and doesn’t become kombucha vinegar. (Unless you want kombucha vinegar!)

(Pictured: Kombucha ready to be bottled and enjoyed)

Be sure and reserve 2 cups of the kombucha tea with the SCOBY so you can start a new batch of kombucha. Always use two cups of kombucha with each SCOBY when making a new batch. At this time, you can also separate the SCOBY "mother" from the "baby" and you will have two SCOBYs so you can make two batches at once; make sure to use two cups of kombucha tea for each SCOBY. Also, be sure to sanitize your hands and jars thoroughly before handling the SCOBY. You want to keep that culture healthy and pure.

I separate my SCOBYs each time because I want to have several going at the same time to make a lot. Right now, I have 4 gallons going because I separated my SCOBYS and used the kombucha to start 4 gallons worth with the 4 SCOBYS I had. If you only want to do one gallon at a time, just leave the SCOBY in one piece and add it to your new batch of cooled tea with two cups of kombucha. You do not have to separate the SCOBY if you don't want to.

To make flavored kombucha, you may add fresh fruit, dried fruit, grated ginger, juices, or just about anything else you can imagine for flavor.

There you have it! Some of you may be thinking, “What about the sugar and caffeine? Those aren’t good for me!” Absolutely, they are not. However, the SCOBY feeds off of it. By the time your kombucha is ready to drink, it’s eaten all the sugar and caffeine. There are only very slight trace amounts of it left, leaving you with a bottle full of health instead.

If you live near me and want a SCOBY to start your own kombucha, let me know. I’ve always got little baby SCOBYs who need good homes!

Live well,

Katie

How to make kombucha (and lots of other info about health benefits)

How to make flavored kombucha

Claire 2/19/2016 "My Bullet Journal"

By Claire Enos

A few weeks ago, I mentioned the idea of using a bullet journal and I posted a link to a how-to guide as well.  I was so inspired, I immediately started my own! I bought a journal and the first thing I did was start doing it exactly how they said to set it up in the video. However, there were some parts I didn’t particularly like, but I didn’t know how to do it the way I wanted, and I’m not good at art. I found another video on bullet journals and looked at how some other people were doing theirs. I soon realized that there are so many different and unique ways to do what I needed my planner/journal to do. So after a few bumps, I finally found something that works for me, at least for now.

I keep everything in my bullet journal. I would tell you, but why don’t I just show you? Here are a few pictures from my very own bullet journal, and then I’ll describe some other pages I have and tell you what else I use it for.

This is what the front of my bullet journal looks like. I wanted a nice sturdy journal that wouldn’t easily fall apart, even with constant abuse. I made sure it was fairly lightweight and had plenty of pages. I love the one I found, it’s by a company called: Blueline. If you pay close attention you can also see that I have tabs at the top. Those tabs take me to individual months. I only have two at the moment because it’s only February, but by the end of the year there will be a lot more!

This page is at the very front of my bullet journal. On one of the videos I found, the girl who was showing off her bullet journal had a word that she wanted to use as a guide for her year. I thought that would be cool, so I chose the word “Explore” because that’s exactly what I hope to do this year! Around the word I have other awesome quotes about traveling and exploring, and then a bigger quote on the next page. I tried doodling the Charmed symbol but it didn’t work. Oh well, I’m sure with practice I’ll get better! ;)

This is how the video I shared at the beginning suggested doing the monthly log. With each date of the month written on each line. I found I didn’t like it much and didn’t really use it as you can see. Later I found a better way of logging stuff on a month to month basis. I will have a picture farther down in this post.

This is my daily task list page, where I put each of the things I need to do in any specific day, things such as appointments, rehearsals, homework assignments, etc. Obviously the formatting changed from the first time I did it to the next. Now I’ve pretty much figured out how I like it, but it took a little work figuring out what I liked! As you can see, I love colors. You’ll see more colorful pages ahead!

On this page, you can see that I doodled a little bit. It is totally fine to doodle as much as you like! It makes your bullet journal YOURS. On the next page, I have my goals for the semester which I wrote up and wanted to keep somewhere safe. I taped it to the page that I track my habits on, that way when I go to mark my habits I can remember to contemplate my goals and see if I’m staying on track or if I need to do better at something. It’s just an easy way to keep track!

This where I track my habits. It doesn’t matter if I forget a day or something, as long as I’m keeping track and seeing where I can fix my habits. I have my weekly as well as daily habits listed here and I mark them off as I do them. I love this page because it keeps me on track with my goals!

This is my ABSOLUTE favorite page in my bullet journal! I love how colorful and ME it is. This is how I now do my monthly log, I just do it as a calendar and then I can put important appointments and birthdays and everything in it. Then each week I transfer them over to the weekly log. This way I can remember everything that’s important. Like that the 14th was Valentine’s Day, and I had no class on Monday because it was President’s Day! <3

This is my weekly log for last week as well as my daily logs for last week. As you can see I have a format I do things in now and I’m sort of figuring this thing out. It’s so versatile and I love it!

I think the best thing about this is that it can do whatever I need it to do.

Besides the pages I’ve shown you, I also have notes from church, my expenses and finances, other doodles, sometimes even class notes if I’ve forgotten my notebook! And I plan on doing a lot more with it as the time goes on. For example, I might even include a log for my blog posts and the dates I’m supposed to post! And, I also have a page for my essays, where I submitted them to, and when. So I can keep track of where I’ve submitted to and what essay I sent them.

I hope this has been as fun and educational for you as it has been for me! Let me know if you do this, and if you have any suggestions I am always looking for new, more colorful, fun suggestions for using my bullet journal!

Live well,

Claire