Summer Solstice

"If I had to choose a religion, the sun as the universal giver of life would be my god."  --Napoleon Bonaparte

Our Summer Solstice tradition: Harvesting St. John's Wort in our secret spot.

A few small gifts, a celebratory breakfast, and our summer nature table

It wouldn't be summer without a trip to the beach.

The Spring Equinox (also called the Vernal Equinox)

We welcome the balance of light and dark today and the beginning of the spring season. It is a time of balance, rebirth, and renewal; a special time for intentions, new projects, change, and growth.

As we celebrate today, our little part of the world is still adorned with winter's snow, however, despite the snow and cold I can feel spring and have been feeling her presence more strongly this past week. Remember that the last cold bite of winter  is strengthening all the buds and seeds and small plants (us too!) that are starting to emerge from the earth--this last bit of winter toughens them and will help keep them strong and healthy through the rest of the spring, summer, and fall. The overlap of the seasons is magical, and all together necessary, as all aspects of the natural world are.

Celebrate the coming of warmer weather, soft dirt, longer days, and young plants today. Here are some ideas:

·         Grow something (inside or out)

·         Sprout something

·         Create a spring alter in your home with objects that remind you of spring

·         Drink warming, sunny-colored mead

·         Drink tea using herbs from last year's spring or herbs that first show up at the start of spring, like nettle

·         If you have fresh, young nettle or dandelion greens steam them and eat

·         Take hair from your brushes & lint from your drying and bring out side for the birds to collect for their nests

·         Create a meal in honor of the equinox (eat eggs, a sign of fertility)

·         Dye eggs with natural dyes

·         Clean/organize a space that hasn't been touched in awhile

·         Make a space for creativity/creative energy in your home

·         Create a space in your home for growth of something--drawing, writing, babies, spirituality

·         Take a walk outside and find signs of spring (collect objects for your alter)

·         Start clearing your garden, if you can, or begin planning out your garden map

·         Clean your yard and neighborhood of litter with friends and neighbors

·         Wear bright colored clothing

·         Practice balancing yoga, dance, or stretching

·         Burn incense that is sweet and invigorating to cleanse the air

·         Do a white sage smudge ceremony with your loved ones

·         Meditate on rebirth. What parts of your life need to be given new life and awareness?

Spring!

 First harvest of edible, young stinging nettle tops!

This small batch went into soup. 

We will continue to harvest for our yearly supply of tinctures, vinegar, & dried for tea.

Seaweed Seed Bars

These whole food energy bars are super easy to make and have
a great salty-sweet flavor--the perfect snack.
They're a tasty way to incorporate more seaweed into your diet.
Kelp in particular helps assist healthy thyroid function and contains Iodine, Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Vitamin B1, B2, B12 and polysaccharides!

You will need:

1tbs powdered kelp
2 cups of sesame, pumpkin, flax, and sunflower seeds
(or any combination of seeds--also, nuts work great too)
½ cup of maple or brown rice syrup

Directions:

The first grind nuts/seeds in a food processor. You’ll end up with a nicely mixed, coarsely ground blend, which you then pour into a bowl.
Next, add the syrup and stir it into the nut/seed mixture.
Spread the mixture onto an oiled (I use coconut oil) cookie sheet, pressing it out until it is about 1/4” thick (it helps to wet your hand because this mixture is very sticky!)
Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.
Cut into squares while still slightly warm.

Herbs for pregnancy and beyond...

A number of herbs that are excellent for supporting physical and emotional well-being also can be safely taken by the breastfeeding mother during the postpartum period. Indeed, several such herbs actually help support breast-milk production and quality. Herbs that are nourishing sometimes are known as nutritive or tonic herbs; those that support the nervous system, helping to relieve stress and tension, are called nervines; and those that promote breast milk are referred to as galactagogues. One of the beauties of herbs is that one plant can have many actions and serve many functions.

Nutritive (Tonic) Herbs: Good for Nourishing

• Ashwaganda (Withania somnifera). An herb from the tradition of Indian Ayurvedic medicine, ashwaganda enjoys wide acceptance in the U.S. herbal community to help adapt to stress; thus, it is classified as an herbal adaptogen. Adaptogens gently support the adrenal system, reducing irritability and jangled nerves, while serving as a gentle support to the immune system. Ashwaganda generally is taken as a tincture or as a tea with a small amount of milk and honey. Dose: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon tincture twice daily; 1 to 2 cups tea daily.

• Gotu kola (Centella asiatica). This is another herb that comes to us from Ayurveda. It is known both as a tonic for connective tissue (making it excellent to include in formulas for restoring uterine ligament tone) and as an excellent nervous system and cerebral tonic. As such, it’s said to reduce nervous exhaustion and promote mental clarity. Use it in teas or take as an herbal tincture. Combine with ashwaganda or any of the nervines described below to benefit the nervous system.Dose: Same as ashwaganda.

• Hawthorn berries, leaves and flowers (Crataegus spp.). Typically, hawthorn is used as a heart tonic, and indeed it provides many benefits to the cardiac system. I frequently blend the berries, leaves and flowers in formulas for stress reduction and use the herb as an overall gentle tonic. Hawthorn combines well in teas with lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), rose hips (Rosa spp.) and spearmint (Mentha spicata), making a flavorful and refreshing beverage and medicine. Dose: 1 teaspoon tincture twice daily; 1 to 2 cups tea daily.

• Milky oats (Avena sativa). These make a nourishing tonic for the nervous system. Oats themselves have long been used as a healthful food for mothers and children — they’re very high in vitamins and minerals. Oats also are known to provide vigor and energy to horses. In the form of a tincture of the fresh, milky seeds of the plant, a new mother can take oats over a long period, even many months, to provide gentle calming effects. Dose: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon tincture one to three times daily.

• Nettle (Urtica dioica). This herb is particularly nutritive, containing trace minerals and vitamins, especially iron, potassium and silica. The herb is used to treat anemia and weakness and to stabilize blood sugar. It’s especially called for if you’re feeling stressed or physically or emotionally drained. Nettle tea is delicious alone or in combination with other herbs, such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa) or spearmint. Dose: 1 to 3 cups tea daily. Prepare by steeping 1/2 ounce dried herb per 2 cups boiling water for 30 minutes.

• Red raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus). Known mostly as a prenatal tonic, this actually is a general nutritive herb that makes an excellent tea. It’s rich in minerals, tones the uterus and is a pleasant addition to teas. Combines well with nettles, mint, rose hips and many other beverage herbs. Dose: Same as nettle.

Nervines: Stress and Tension Relievers

• Ashwaganda.

• Catnip (Nepeta cataria). This herb’s gentle but reliable relaxing qualities make it an appropriate nervine for new mothers, and these qualities, much as with chamomile, lavender and other aromatic herbs, are imparted to the baby, helping reduce colic and fussiness. Its mild taste enhances a tea, but it’s also effective in tincture form. Dose: 1 to 4 cups tea or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon tincture three to four times daily. Prepare by steeping 1 tablespoon dried herb in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes.

• Chamomile (Matricaria recutita). This herb relaxes the mother, and through the breast milk, provides gentle relaxation to the baby. Taken by the mother, it also can help allay milk colic symptoms in the baby. Although you can take chamomile as a tincture, it’s best to drink as a tea, steeped for only 10 minutes to ensure a pleasant flavor. Drink throughout the day or shortly before bed to promote restful sleep. Dose: Same as catnip.

• Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). This lovely herb lends itself well to teas and can be used in tinctures. Both forms provide deep but gentle relaxing actions for the nervous system. It’s beneficial when there is difficulty sleeping. Dose: 1/2 teaspoon tincture one to three times daily; tea, same as catnip.

• Lemon balm. Classically known as the “gladdening herb” because of its uplifting effects on the mood and emotions, it’s a gentle nervous system tonic, typically used as a tea. Its delicate lemony flavor blends well with other tea herbs, and when used by breastfeeding mothers, its calming effects are conveyed to the baby through the breast milk. Dose: Same as catnip.

• Milky oats.

• Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora). Use skullcap short- or long-term to support the nervous system, reduce tension, promote restful sleep and treat irritability. It’s also helpful for mild forms of postnatal blues, the result of inadequate sleep, exhaustion and overstimulation. Generally taken as a tincture, it combines well with many other nervines and tonics. Dose: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon tincture two to four times daily.

Avoid These Herbs While Breastfeeding
The following herbs should not be used while nursing unless otherwise directed by an expert qualified in the appropriate use of the substance.
Alkanet (Alkanna tinctoria)
Aloe (Aloe vera, A. ferox, A. perryi)
Basil* (Ocimum basilicum)
Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa)
Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus)
Borage (Borago officinalis)
Bugleweed (Lycopus virginicus)
Cascara sagrada (Rhamnus purshiana)
Chinese rhubarb (Rheum palmatum)
Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)
Elecampane (Inula helenium)
Ephedra, ma huang (Ephedra sinica)
Garlic* (Allium sativum)
Joe Pye (Eupatorium purpureum)
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
Male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas)
Purging buckthorn (Rhamnus catharticus)
Senna (Senna alexandrina)
Stillingia (Stillingia sylvatica)
Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
* May be safely used as a culinary seasoning.
Source: Botanical Safety Handbook (CRC, 1997)

Galactagogues: Breast-milk Promoters

• Blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus). This herb has a long history in promoting breast milk in new mothers. It also has properties that help allay uterine bleeding, making it an all-around beneficial herb for the postpartum mother in the first few weeks. It can help offset mild irritability and also is a good general digestive tonic, particularly when there is sluggish digestion. This herb is bitter, so take a tincture rather than a tea. Dose: 1/2 teaspoon tincture three times daily.

• Dandelion leaf (Taraxacum officinale). Much like nettle, this is a highly nutritive green plant, rich in trace minerals and iron. The best way to take dandelion leaf to promote breast milk is as a fresh green vegetable cooked with a bit of lemon and butter for flavor, taken several times per week. The fresh spring greens are the least bitter and are quite delicious. Use in tincture form for treating constipation. Dose: 1 teaspoon tincture twice daily.

• Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare). Another herb classically listed among those that promote breast milk, fennel has a mild, pleasant taste. It makes a palatable tea, or use it as a flavoring for other, more bitter tinctures for promoting milk. Dose: 1 to 2 cups tea daily. To prepare, steep 1 teaspoon seeds in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes.

• Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum). This herb has long been used to encourage milk production. Take it as a warm tea while trying to establish or improve the milk supply. You may take it alone or in combination with other galactagogues and nervines, and it also may be used in tincture form. Dose: Same as fennel.

• Nettle. This is perhaps my favorite herb to use for enriching and enhancing breast-milk production, while providing optimal nutrients and energy for the mother. I often recommend it in large quantities — as much as 1 quart of strong tea daily — as an adjunct part of the diet, but even a cup or two daily, several times a week, will bring significant benefit to the overall well-being of the mother. Nettle also can be eaten as a fresh green, but be careful of the sting during preparation. Cooking destroys the sting.

Best Breastfeeding Diet
The optimal breastfeeding diet, like the best pregnancy diet, is full of nutrient-dense foods. These are foods that contain a maximum amount of nutrition with a minimum of empty calories from sugar and fat. A yogurt smoothie made with fresh fruit is nutrient-dense food loaded with protein, minerals and vitamins; potato chips are empty calories, providing mostly fat and salt.
Foods that are nutrient dense include yogurt, eggs, beans, fish, tofu, chicken, sweet potatoes, leafy green vegetables and vegetables in general, avocados, sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, peanut butter, hard cheese, whole grains and fresh fruits. It’s simple to build your diet around these foods, as there are so many options.

New Mama Nutrition
Paying attention to nutrition during pregnancy can be time-consuming and exhausting, as you try to eat carefully to ensure your baby’s proper growth and development. Many women find this awesome responsibility almost overwhelming and are relieved when pregnancy is over and they can go back to eating “normally.” However, nutrition during breastfeeding is also important. William and Martha Sears, in The Breastfeeding Book (Little Brown & Co., 2000), sum up nutrition and breastfeeding this way:
During lactation, as during pregnancy, your body nourishes your baby’s body. Just as your blood carried the nutrients your baby needed to grow and develop in the womb, your milk furnishes all the nutrients your baby needs after birth. Mothers over the world make good-quality milk for their babies, many of them with less than adequate diets for themselves . . . A mother’s body guards valuable nutrients during pregnancy and lactation. Calcium, for example, is absorbed more efficiently and less is excreted. There’s no need to obsess about having to eat ‘just right’ while breastfeeding. In a nutshell, good nutrition while breastfeeding means eating foods that are good for you — and a bit more than you would normally consume.
During the first few days postpartum, you have unique considerations. First of all, many women are nervous about having a bowel movement soon after birth. Avoiding constipation and difficult elimination is the key to healthy digestion. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, drink ample quantities of water and keep away from hard-to-digest foods, such as peanut butter, dairy products and red meat (with the exception of red meat cooked in stews). Raisin bran muffins made with blackstrap molasses are a natural laxative, as are stewed or soaked prunes.
Although pregnancy is a natural process, it still puts strain on your body. The body also needs to expend energy for healing after birth, and if there has been significant blood loss, iron and other nutrients must be replaced. Furthermore, breast milk production, believe it or not, requires even greater caloric intake than does pregnancy. This is because you are continuing to provide primary nourishment for a rapidly growing baby undergoing not only enormous physical development, but also tremendous brain development in the first six months after birth.
Traditional foods for women in the immediate postpartum period are amazingly similar cross-culturally. Foods typically include soups or stews with grains (for example, barley stew); meat and vegetable soups (like chicken soup); plenty of eggs, chicken and grains; and starchy vegetables (sweet potatoes, winter squash). Fruits in season may be encouraged as well. Cooked raisins and jujube dates feature prominently in the dietary recommendations for Chinese women who recently have given birth. Such foods nourish the blood, while the protein in them helps with the speedy and effective repair and replenishment of body tissue.
Avoid foods that might irritate the breastfeeding baby, including spicy foods and vegetables in the cabbage family, as well as foods that might inhibit elimination in the mother.
Returning to Your Healthy Weight
This is definitely not an appropriate time to diet. Your body, especially if you are nursing, naturally will lose weight after birth. However, returning to your pre-pregnancy size usually takes several months, at least. A healthy diet and moderate exercise over time will ensure this. Dieting only serves to deprive you and the baby of essential nutrients. If you have gained excessive weight during pregnancy, or simply want to be more trim than you are now, having just given birth, an excellent balanced diet is the best way to meet your goals. If weight or body image are of significant concern to you, speak with your doctor or midwife for information on how to eat right for breastfeeding, or seek the assistance of a qualified nutritional consultant. Adjusting your diet to include healthful, high-quality foods protects your nutritional status, allows you to produce abundant milk and helps get your weight under control.

Excerpted from Natural Health after Birth (Healing Arts Press, 2002) by Aviva Jill Romm

http://www.herbcompanion.com/Health/Heroic-Herbs-for-New-Moms.aspx

http://avivaromm.com/files/articles/pregnancy.pdf

Herbal popsicles

The best way to enjoy herbs in the summer! Enjoy things like popsicles & ice cold drink only when it's really hot...cold liquids actually slow down your digestive system. Our bodies function better when drinks are room temperature.

The herb or herbs you choose are up to your preference. I really enjoy lemon balm in the summer for its relaxing, calming qualities
Proportions are up to how strong you want your popsicles to taste and how many popsicles you're going to make...

Boil herb or herbal blend in half water and half organic juice or lemonade for about 20 minutes.
Strain and pour into popsicle molds and freeze.

Enjoy on a hot day!

Some good combinations...

Apple juice & Lemon Balm
Berry juice & Hibiscus flowers
Lemonade & Peppermint
Lemonade & Oatstraw
Pineapple juice & lemon verbena

Homemade vanilla extract

store in a dark, cool place for at least 2 months

Springtime Nettles

It's early spring! Start looking out for young Stinging Nettles....one of my favorite herbs and the first plant that made me curious enough to start an herbal apprenticeship. I have a strong connection with the nettle plant and feel obliged to say "Thanks!" every time I see it.

Nettles are among the most nutritious of wild foods. When they are cooked, the sting disappears, leaving behind an herb packed with more vitamins and minerals than you can imagine. Stinging Nettle is truly a super-food and very bountiful on the east coast of MA. Search for nettles in the early spring when they are still young and low to the ground. Make sure to bring gloves if you don't like being stung...it can be quite painful if you're not used to it! Cut the top 1/3 of the plant, give thanks to it by offering a pray, some hair, or tobacco, and put in your bag or basket. Bring it home to tincture, dry to tea, or make this soup:

Spring Nettle Soup
(adapted from a recipe from Susan Weed)

6-8 cups of nettle tops

6 cups water (or bone broth...even better)

1/2 chives, chopped

2-3 carrots, chopped

1-2 leeks, chopped

3 tablespoons miso

1-2 potatoes, cubed

salt & pepper

butter

1 cup yellow dock leaves (optional)

1/2 cup dandelion leaves (optional)

Directions: Wash vegetables and greens. Saute greens, leeks, and carrots in some butter for 5-10 minutes. Add bone broth or water and potatoes. Bring to a boil then simmer for at least a half hour. Add salt, pepper to taste and miso just before serving. Puree for rich green soup. Enjoy!

Herbal Protocol for Treatment and Prevention of the Flu by Mary Blue

An herbalist perspective is one that the flu is a “ housecleaning”. Our bodies are flushing out the virus or bacteria and other toxins. Herbalists use herbs and food to encourage this cleansing, to prevent co-infections,increase white blood cell count, to relieve pain, promote restful sleep and help lesson the severity of the symptoms of the flu. Herbal Protocols can help no matter what strain of the flu it is.

Prevention

Food: Eating a diet that is rich in organic veggies and low in processed,fried and sugary foods is a great way of staying healthy and getting over the flu fast if you do get it. A toxic body has a harder time fighting off viruses and bacteria because it is too busy processing toxins and cannot support the Immune System, the Circulatory System, and the elimination processes in their fight to rid the body of pathogens.

Great foods to prevent the flu

Local organic veggies, local GMO free Meat and eggs, Organic Grains,Organic Fruit and Veggies, Miso, and unpasteurized fermented foods.(Fermented foods are high in Vitamin C, are very cleansing, and have a beneficial effect on the digestive system.)

RAW GARLIC is one of the most important flu preventatives. You can eat it with a spoonful of honey (which has anti-bacterial properties.)Turmeric, Cayenne, Ginger, Sage, Thyme, and Oregano are all herbs that can help prevent the flu. It is great to incorporate these into cooking.

Things to avoid!

Sugar. It feeds Bacteria/ Viruses. (think about bread or beer, you add sugar to the bacteria and it grows. The same things happen in our body.)

Coffee. Coffee dehydrates the body and depletes it of vitamins and minerals, especially b vitamins that help support the immune system.

Alcohol. Alcohol clogs up our liver and can inhibit the immune system. It also turns into sugar in the body and can feed bacteria/viruses.

Processed Food. Food with preservatives, food coloring, fried foods, etc,keep our bodies at an overworked state. The liver and other organs become stressed and literally clogged up. Keeping your system clear and clean will help you stay healthy and recover quickly.

STRESS: The effects of stress on immune system functioning and overall level of wellness have been studied and well-documented. Chronic Stress can raise cortisol levels and weaken our immune system and make us more susceptible to colds and the flu, as well as more serious health problems.

Herbs (Prevention)

Note: You do not have to take all of these herbs at once.Pick one or two from each category, and work with them.

Adaptogens: Astragulus Tea, Tincture or Capsules, Siberian Ginseng Tincture, Reishi Mushroom Tincture or Capsule, Holy Basil Tea. Adaptogens help our body deal with stress.

Anti-bacterial, Aromatic: Sage, Oregano, Thyme, Ginger.

These culinary herbs are not only good to cook with, they are great for tea! These are all great for a sore throat and breathing in the steam from a hot cup of tea will clear clogged sinuses.

Tonics: Nettles Tea, Alfalfa Tea, Comfrey Tea.

Tonics are high in vitamins and minerals and give our bodies a boost of nourishment.

Nervines: Oatstraw Tea, Lemon Balm Tea, Chamomile Tea.

Nervines help nourish our nervous system and can help deal with daily stress.

Detoxifying Herbs: Dandelion Tincture, Red Clover Tea, Chickweed Tea, Cleavers Tea.

Immune Herbs: Echinacea Tincture, Licorice Tincture or Tea, Astragulus Tea, Tincture or Capsule. (do not take Echinacea for more than 1 week at a time).

Treatment

There is no cure-all herb or food for the flu. The herbs/foods listed below help our bodies deal with the pathogens in our system. They support our circulatory system, elimation system, the liver, kidneys and more! These herbs may help induce sweating and reduce fevers, or produce interferon, which in turn produces white blood cells, or help us sleep, which can be hard when you have the flu.

Food (Treatment)

It is best to stick to simple foods as to not clog up the system and make the body work too hard digesting complex meals. Soup: Miso in vegetable or chicken broth. Soup is good because the body doesn’t have to waste energy with the digestion process. It can just soak up vitamins and minerals from the broth.

Grains: Brown Rice, Quinoa

Veggies: spinach, kale, carrot, broccoli and RAW GARLIC!! Some acupuncturists think the swine flu is a hot condition, therefore they recommend staying away from hot, spicy foods. If it is not the swine flu, then cayenne pepper, ginger and other hot spicy herbs and veggies can be very beneficial. These foods can help induce sweating and mucous membrane cleansing.

RAW HONEY is a natural anti-biotic. Mix it with a clove of raw garlic.

Herbs (Treatment)

Note: You do not have to take all of these herbs at once. Pick one or two from each category to work with.

Immune Support: Astragulus Tincture, Tea or Capsule, Boneset Tincture or Tea ,

Andrographis Tincture, Licorice Tea or Tincture, Turmeric Capsules or Tincture.

Anti-viral/ Anti-bacterial herbs: Elderberry Berry/Flower Syrup or Tea, Sage Tea,

Oregano Tea, Thyme Tea.

Adaptogens: Astragulus Tea, Tincture or Capsule, Holy Basil Tea.

Tonics: Nettle Tea, Alfalfa Tea, Oastraw Tea.

Febrifuge: (induce sweating) Yarrow Tincture or Tea, Elder Flower Tea or Tincture

(febrifuge herbs are best taken in hot water)

Strong Nervines: (sleep) Skullcap Tincture or Tea, Valerian Tincture, Lavender Essential Oil, Chamomile Tea or Tincture

Anodyne: (pain reliever) White Willow Bark Tincture, Valerian Tincture, Meadowsweet Tincture

Demulcents: (sooth the mucous membranes, especially with a dry hacking cough) Marshmallow Root Tea, Slippery Elm Bark Tea(Demuclents can only be taken in tea form)

Expectorants: (only if the cough is actually producing mucous) Mullein Tea, Coltsfoot Tea

Cough Suppressants: Osha Root Tincture or chew on root, Wild Cherry Bark Syrup, Tea or Tincture, Holy Basil Tea.

Herbal Decongestant Steam

Take 2 quarts simmering water and add 5 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil. You can substitute Eucalyptus Oil with White Pine needles or Sage/Thyme leaves. Turn off heat under pan and breathe in steam. You can hold a towel over your head to collect the steam. Keep eyes closed.

Herbal Anti-Bacterial Bath

Fill a bathtub with hot water, add 1/2 cup sea salt and 25 drops lavender essential oil, 25 drops tea tree essential oil. Make sure you do not have a high fever before getting into a very hot tub. If you do have a high fever take the bath in lukewarm water.(Remember fevers are our bodies way of heating up to kill pathogens. Very

high fevers are dangerous, but a low fever is actually good)

Supplements

Colloidal Silver: 2 squirts three times daily (strong anti-biotic)

Vitamin C: 2000 mg daily

Vitamin D: get your sunlight!!

*Vitamin D has been proven to help with flu prevention.*

If you haven’t had much sun exposure, take a supplement when sick or when those around you are sick.

Anti-Viral/ Anti-biotic Hand Wash

20 drops grapefruit seed extract

30 drops tea tree essential oil extract

1/2 gallon water

Antiseptic Spray for Surfaces

1/4 cup Vodka

1/2 gallon Water

30 drops Tea Tree Oil

30 drops Lavender

Essential oil. Disinfect door knobs switches , handles, toys and other

surfaces that are commonly touched.

Air Sanitizer

Simmer water on low heat in a pot with 15 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil or

15 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil or Lavender Essential Oil. Steam room

every 7-10 hours

OTHER HELPFUL TIPS

*SLEEP!!!

*Stay home and avoid sharing items with household members (pens,papers,computers, remote control. sheets, towels, eating utensils, food.)

*Wear a surgical mask when around others.

*Clean sheets, bedding and clothes every day.

*Caregivers should wear disposable gloves and wearing a mask when giving care.

Source: http://www.farmacyherbs.com/whatshappening.html

Mary Blue, Activist, Herbalist, and Community Organizer is currently the Practicing Herbalist, Education Coordinator and Director of The Peace Gardens Botanical Sanctuary at 7 Arrows . She lives in Providence RI , where she has been farming ¼ acre for 7 years and sells her herbal medicines and products at local farmers markets.Mary has taught numerous free garden/ nutrition / herbal workshops to children and high school students in Providence She currently teaches adult classes here at 7 Arrows and offers classes and workshops to groups and organizations all over New England.She is a founding member of the Annual Northeast Grassroots Community Herbal Convergence organizational committee and Bio-Justice, 2007, a counter conference to the annual Biotechnology Conference is Boston MA . She is the founder of The Cemetery Street Community Clinic, and co-founder of Providence Recycle-A- Bike.She is a member of NEHA (Northeast Herbal Association) and was a guest speaker at their 2007 annual retreat.