Foot Baths for the Elderly

The holidays are a time to spend with family. I believe that they are also a time to go out of your way to give rather than receive. It's a time to try new things before the new year. It's time to show your love to those who are important to you and thank them for all they do.

My herbalist and acupuncture teacher suggested I give the gift of an herbal foot bath to my grandmother, and I thought that was a great idea, as it would be relaxing for her and give us time to talk together while also caring for her body.

Tonight I did a foot bath for her for the first time. She was excited that I was going to stick around to visit and was happy to chat about what she was thinking about, her hard work as a young farmer, and about what I was up to. Her feet splashed around in the old enameled basin that I found in my garage, which was most likely my grandmother's at one point

To do this, I found myself a large basin. I also found my set of massage stones, black round smooth stones, that I could place on the bottom of the basin for an extra sensory experience.

I then made a strong tea by steeping pine branches with a satchel full of lavender and eucalyptus. Mmmm. I placed that in a container to bring to grandma with the basin and stones.

I warmed up the water and took off Grandma's socks. She sat in her glider and splashed her feet in the warm water while we chatted about the news and life in general, past and present. When the water finally cooled, I took her feet and massage them with apricot oil. I think she liked is more than the foot bath because she said I could stay all night if I liked to rub her feet.

She loved it and I think she slept peacefully even if she said she couldn't smell the lavender and pine :) .

Happy Holidays to you all, and I hope you are all able to take time to give back with compassion. Peace!

Cilantro & Coriander- A Delicious Herb For Your Circulation

Cilantro/Coriander is a love it or leave it herb. Many people enjoy eating cilantro fresh and use coriander in their curries and soups. Others can't stand the smell. But for those who enjoy it, cilantro and coriander can offer great health benefits when eaten either as fresh leaves or dried seeds.

First off, cilantro is RICH in many vitamins and minerals. It is particularly known for its vitamin A and K content, with 225% and 250% of your recommended daily intake respectively. It is also rich in many vital vitamins including folic-acid, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin-A, beta carotene, and vitamin-C. It also contains many of the minerals that are essential to good circulation and red blood cell production. 

Coriander is also high in anti-oxidents, and most people know that anti-oxidents are necessary for anti-aging and protection against many illness that appear as people grow older. Eating cilantro while you are young will help to protect your body as you grow and age (along with a healthy diet and exercise, of course!) 

coriander and cilantro

This recipe includes cilantro as a lovely garnish. I think the more the better on this dish. And if your cilantro plant has gone to seed, green coriander seeds do well too. It's really yummy!

Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes

Yields 8 to 10 side-dish servings; 6 main-course servings.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded if desired, then minced
4 to 5 cups vegetable broth as needed
2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into
1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 cups dried lentils
1 bay leaf
1 pound Swiss chard, center ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/3 cup finely chopped tamari almonds, for garnish (optional), available in health food stores
1/4 cup chopped scallions, for garnish.

1. In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, garam masala, curry powder and jalapeno. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

2. Stir in 4 cups broth, sweet potatoes, lentils and bay leaf. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, partially cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. (If lentils seem dry, add up to 1 cup stock, as needed.) Stir in chard and salt and pepper, and continue cooking until lentils are tender and chard is cooked, about 30 to 45 minutes total.

3. Just before serving, stir in cilantro, lime zest and juice. Spoon into a large, shallow serving dish. Garnish with almonds if desired and scallions.

Wikipedia Entry

Hand and Foot Scrub

granulated sugar scrub

You don't have to spend $25 for a bottle of expensive body scrub. Look around in your kitchen, and you are sure to find the ingredients for making great body scrubs. Sugar, cornmeal, lemon juice, and cooking oils aren't just great for cooking, they are also great cleansers for the skin.

pumice stone

Here are a couple of recipes to pamper your hands and feet from the book Secrets of the Spa by Catherine Bardey.

Apricot Oil & Sugar Hand Exfoliator

1/2 cup granulated sugar
 2 tbsp. apricot oil
juice of 1/2 lemon

Combine ingredients and immediately rub the mixture on hands. Rinse with warm water. Pat dry and moisturize.

Lemon juice

Cornmeal & Pumice Foot Scrub

1/2 cup dry cornmeal
2 tbsp. avocado or olive oil
1 pumice stone

Mix cornmeal and oil. Spread on feet and rub skin with a pumice stone, concentrating on heels and callused areas. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

You are always welcome to try different oils and exfoliating ingredients, like oatmeal, clay, jojoba oil, almond oil, avocados, and essential oils. I personally love brown sugar in my sugar scrubs, and a little bit of citrus essential oils. Do what you like, and what feels and smells good to you!

Natural Moth Repellent on Pinterest

lavender makes a great bug repellent!

I've been working on a collection of ideas for natural, herbal moth repellents on Pinterest. Check it out here!

Sciece Supports Health Benefits of "Mindfulness-Based Practices"

Yoga meditation pose at "The Bean" in Chicago

According to ScienceDaily.com, there is new evidence that supports the health benefits of mindfulness-based practices like Zen meditation for those with health problems. This scientific review focused on Zen meditation, yoga, Buddhist stress reduction techniques, and cognitive therapy as practices that helped many issues, particularly those suffering from depression and chronic pain.

Of course, the study reminds people that these practices should be used in conjunction with conventional treatments. I agree that one suffering from mental health issues or chronic pain should not entirely rely on mindfulness practice, but I also think that the study did not give those who truly practice mindfulness to its greatest extent enough credit for the benefits that can be had from this practice. Of course, practicing mindfulness, in whichever way you choose, requires a change of our conventional lifestyles in the United States, in its pace, structure, and consumerist nature.

Have any of you found that mindfulness practice, whether it was yoga, meditation, breathing practice, Alexander technique, or other practice, has helped with mental or physical health? Why would you choose or not choose to use these practices to treat ailments?

I'm curious to hear about other people's experiences. For me, yoga and breathing techniques that can be used at work often help me to cope with stress which can reduce the onset of chronic headaches, along with drinking water and chiropractic adjustments. I believe that more research should be done to continue looking into the benefits of mindfulness for those who suffer from depression and chronic pain.

Want to be up to date on herbs? Try the Herb Research Foundation!

Occasionally, I like to look up the most recent research in the herbal spectrum. When I do, I often turn to the Herb Research Foundation website.  I'll always find the most up-to-date info about herbs, supplements, and other natural products on their website. Also, I like a more scientific approach to my natural medicine, and this site caters well to this. Much of the research and articles have studies backing their claims, which is great information to use when talking to others about the benefits of herbs and supplements.

The Herb Research Foundation was founded in 1983 by Robert S. McCaleb, who is a leading authority in the U.S. on scientific and regulatory issues regarding herbs. According to their website, their mission is "...to foster improved world health and well being through the informed use of herbs..."


Here is a sample of some of the articles they offer, to give an idea!

Three Concentrations of St. John's Wort Effective Against Depression

IL Senator Proposes Tougher Regulation on Supplements

In particular interest, I recently found a post about the proposed benefits of kombucha. Here's an article that supports the thought that it is beneficial, although there has been recent backlash against kombucha in mainstream media- Indications That Kombucha is Beneficial Against Liver Disease.

If you are curious about a particular herb or remedy and want to see the latest research, check the Herb Research Foundation's website! You might find just what you need.

Meet the Northside Chicago Composting Club!

WORMS!

Sorry if I grossed you out there, but these are my red wrigglers. They're family and I love them, so I thought I'd share a family photo.

I'm starting a new vermi-composting club on the Northside of Chicago. In order to include everyone, I'm calling it a composting club, just in case you have a simple composting bin. However, in urban areas I've found that vermi-composting is the way to go for year-round, urban composting.

Oh by the way, vermicomposting is worm composting, if you didn't guess. It's the fancy word for it.

You may have read my other posts about vermicomposting from previous blogs. You can find my previous posts here and here. One is my very beginnings of composting, and the other is what I learned a year later.

If you want to learn more about my club, contact me or check out my new page on this blog. I'm excited to get started!