DIY Bottled Water

We all know how important drinking water is to our health.  (If you don’t know how vital it is, watch this video.)

We’ve also heard that every household needs to store at least 1 gallon of water per person per day (to last 14 days) to use during natural disasters and emergencies.  Purchasing this much water can get spendy, especially if there are several people in the household, and if you change it out every year, as suggested.

The bigger issue, in my book, is that most “stored” water is in plastic bottles that leach carcinogenic chemicals into their contents.  Adding to the health concern is the fact that the quality of the water being bottled is of unknown origin and there are no regulations in place to ensure quality standards.

What’s the solution?  Create your own bottled water!  When you’re canning your harvest this fall or at any time of year, can filtered water for storage.  This way you know the quality of the water and the (stable) glass jars will keep the water pure without adding the toxic contaminants that plastic bottles do.

It’s so easy to do this, too.  Whether you’re canning in a pressure canner or a hot water bath, you can always fill up the empty jar spaces with jars of water.  This is great when you can a small batch of something and have leftover room in the pressure cooker. Using jars of water like this, also keeps the food-filled jars from toppling over into the empty spaces.

HOW TO:

Boil filtered water.  Fill hot sterilized jars – pint or quart – with hot water, leaving 3/4 inch of headspace.

Secure with prepared, sterilized caps and rings; tighten.  Place in canner along with other food filled jars you are canning.

Process all for the amount of time the canned food needs to run.  Make sure the process time is at least 10 minutes.

Date the food jars with labels or with a permanent marker on the lid.

Congratulate yourself on a job well done!  You’ve eliminated plastic bottles from winding up in the landfill, taken care of yourself and your family members, and have saved money in the process.  And you can rest easy knowing you’ve got great quality water when you need it.

 

The Stings

I’m talking about those from bees, wasps & hornets, not a rock band.  Bees are much less aggressive than their nasty counterparts but their bites can still cause discomfort and irritation.

The wasps seem to be everywhere this summer and in great numbers.  Here are some tips to help avoid getting stung as well as some treatments for if you do:

  • If you’re getting followed/buzzed by one of these critters, don’t panic or do fast movements as this gets them riled up and more determined to get the attacker, that would be you, in their eyes.
  • When you spot a nest either up high or in the ground (you’ll see them entering and exiting), get out of this high traffic area immediately but again, not whirling & twirling.  Eradicate the nest with a commercial wasp & hornet spray (I recommend the foaming type for best results) in the evening at least 2 hours after dark.  This ensures that the buggers are less active and therefore less likely to be flying about to come after you.  Wear protective clothing to cover your entire body – including your face & eyes – and gloves.

If you get stung, follow these steps to ease the effects on your body:

  • If you are allergic to stings, always carry a bee sting kit with you.  When you are stung, get to urgent care or ER asap.
  • Remove the stinger immediately with tweezers or your fingernail.  If you’ve been stung in an area that is inaccessible, get someone to remove it for you.  The stinger holds the poison so its removal is critical to lessening your body’s reaction.
  • Swab the area with rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to disinfect and reduce the chance of infection.

The following herbal and natural solutions can help soothe the itch and irritation, fight bacteria and reduce inflammation:

  • Put a quart of water on to boil for an infusion while you mix up and apply the following paste.
  • Mix 1/2 Tbsp. baking soda and ½ tsp water in a small dish.  Apply in a generous but not super thick layer to the sting area to cover a circle approximately 3 inches in diameter.  The paste will dry and become flaky and fall off in pieces.  Repeat applications over the next few hours for a total of at least 4 or until the paste is gone.
  • Vinegar or lemon juice, salt and meat tenderizer can be helpful too.  Use what you have available.
  • Make an infusion of: dried Nettle leaf (Urtica dioica).  You can add fresh or dried mint leaves, lemon balm and/or lemongrass.  Put all the herbs in a large teapot or heatproof jar and pour the boiling water over them.  Lid the pot and let steep for 10 minutes.  Strain and drink the entire pot over the next few hours.  The histamines in the Nettle and other herbs will activate the body’s histamine response to get rid of the poison that you’ve received from the sting.
  • Apply pure aloe vera gel to the sting area 3 – 4 times per day, either directly from a fresh cut leaf or from a bottle.
  • Put a couple of drops of lavender, chamomile or tea tree essential oil on the sting area and rub into skin until absorbed.
  • You can also take 1 Nettle capsule (Oregon’s Wild Harvest is the best brand) 3 times daily in addition to or in place of drinking the infusion.

Wasps and other varieties of stingers with wings are smart: I swear that the night after my recent morning sting – we’re talking at least 12 hours later – a wasp started buzzing me as I was spray painting some lamp bases: he associated the spraying sound to that of the wasp killer spray I had used on the in-ground nest 24 hours prior!

Outsmart them with your steps of calm evasion and natural treatments should they get you.

Plant Talk: Rosemary

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Lore & History:

  • Native to southern France
  • Her name – Ros marinus – means “fond of the sea”, not surprising since the plant thrives along the Mediterranean coast
  • Garlands were worn on the head while studying in ancient Greece to improve memory
  • Symbol of remembrance, friendship & love: worn at weddings – esp. bridal bouquets – and used at funerals by tossing branches in with the dead
  • Long held belief that it wards off evil spirits: it was said to not grow in the gardens of evil people – a good personality tester!  Rosemary’s leaves were placed under the bed pillow to do away with nasty spirits and ward off bad dreams.
  • Branches were burned in the 14th & 15th century homes to ward off the Black Death.
  • The wood of the plant was used to make lutes & burned into charcoal, then crushed into a powder to keep teeth healthy.
  • In WW II, Rosemary and Juniper were burned in French hospitals to kill germs – a practice we’d be wise to modernize and implement today with all of the MRSA and other community virus & bacteria outbreaks.

Healing Qualities:

  • Stress reducer
  • Stimulant of nervous & circulatory systems, also pelvic region.
  • Heart tonic
  • High in calcium, Vitamins A & C, iron, zinc, potassium & phosphorous
  • Excessive dosing can cause death

Uses:

  • Culinary
  • Bath
  • Household: as disinfectant
  • Teeth & gum care
  • Hair care
  • Insect repellant

May Provide relief for:

  • Headaches
  • Indigestion
  • Colds, flu & fever
  • Insect bites
  • Respiratory ailments
  • Dry and damaged hair
  • Premature balding: acts as preventative

Culinary Uses:

  • Pungent, distinctive flavor which harmonizes well with poultry, fish, lamb, beef & game – particularly when the meat is roasted.
  • Great with tomatoes, eggs, cheeses – especially goat cheese!
  • Combined w/ fresh garlic, it makes a lovely infused olive oil to pair with peasant bread chunks as dippers -perhaps with a touch of balsamic vinegar!  Use the infused oil in salad dressings, marinades…let your creativity pour out!

Healthy Holidays Tip #5

Love greatly.  At this point of new beginnings, how do you measure where you’ve been, what you’ve accomplished, and where you want to be?  Is your measure any of the following:

  • Amount of money earned?
  • The number of emails you wrote (and those you deleted)?
  • Lessons learned?
  • Moments of courage when you busted through fear or an old pattern?
  • Hikes you took?
  • The innumerable hugs you shared with children and loved ones?
  • Belly laughs that still make you chuckle when you think back to their source?

The empty canvas of the coming year rests before you, awaiting your creation.  Choose what serves and supports you, your family and the world.  Let your first choice be love for indeed, as trite as it may sound, there is no greater force in the universe.  All else stems from it and either upholds it or destroys it.

May 2013 be a year filled with love, joy, health and happiness for you.

Heather

Healthy Holidays Tip #4 – Get Moving Outside!

Get moving outside!  Walk, hike, ski, board, snowshoe, run…and take in your daily dose of Vitamins G and N.  Hunh?  Be outside on the Ground and in Nature.  We need the restorative power of nature more than ever before as we create greater connections (handcuffs?) to technology and spend less time outside.

Why should we do this now, it’s winter and the holidays?

  • Stress is reduced.  A study at the University of Washington shows that the real thing, e.g. taking a hike, is more powerful and effective in reducing stress than a technical replacement such as watching ‘Animal Planet’.
  • When we reduce our stress levels, immunity is boosted.  Perhaps you can ward off the holiday ‘cold’ or flu by doing this practice.
  • Creativity and clear thinking are increased when we take a break from the tech toys and lower stress by being active outside.
  • Sleep is improved.
  • Our mood and self-esteem are elevated; we just plain feel better when outside and afterwards.  That stroll with Aunt Martha, your dog, or by yourself could be a great antidote to the holiday blues.

“We need the tonic of wilderness.” said Henry David Thoreau.  So go get wild – even if it’s walking around the neighborhood.

Get well and stay well through your outdoor wildness.

Healthy Holidays Tip #3

Be grace-full.  With the devastating events of last week, we can all use some extra grace to weather this traumatic time and heal:

  • Give yourself, everyone you encounter, and the world extra patience and understanding.  We are all so broken, tender, and vulnerable right now – as individuals, as a nation, and as a planet that just a wee bit more understanding in any given moment is an offering of peace and healing.
  • Honor and value your emotions of grief, sadness, pain, anger, or confusion.  Cry it out (tears are one of the best healers around), write it out, talk it out with someone ‘safe’, shout it out into the darkness.
  • Be graceful and kind to your body: don’t overtax or criticize it.  Sleep, rest, meditation, Reiki, aromatherapy, walks outside – especially in the snow! – are all gentle ways to support your whole being.
  • Watch the wonderful movie “I AM” written and directed by Tom Shadyac.  It will change you.
  • Sit or stroll by a river, lake or the ocean.

However you choose to be grace, know that you are one of many fragile flames lighting the darkness.

Heather

Healthy Holidays Tip #2

Build up and maintain your immunity.  There are many more stressors on our systems over the holidays than during the rest of the year:

  • The weather is colder which draws on more of our body’s reserves
  • We are busier with more social activities and “have-to’s”
  • Richer food and drink are everywhere
  • Tension tends to run higher between people and family members
  • Expectations are increased, both those we put on ourselves and those imposed by others

Do what you can to strengthen your immune system and be willing to ask for and receive additional help and support.  Some suggestions available from Iris Healing Arts:

  • Fresh Air FareTM is an effective immune helper in addition to its many other benefits for healthy travel and allergy symptom relief.
  • Electrolyte Stamina Paks are convenient, easy to use and inexpensive.
  • Custom aromatherapy blends target your unique system and healing needs.
  • Reiki and Reiki-romaTM treatments provide deep relaxation so the nervous system can calm down and do its job.

Call me to order any of these products or to schedule a Reiki or Reiki-romaTM session.  Iris Healing Arts is here to support your vibrant health, help and happiness!

Healthy Holidays Tip #1

Start strong.  Shift your thinking about “holiday preparations” to first preparing yourself.  Taking care of you first will yield a much more enjoyable and perhaps meaningful holiday season.  Here are some suggestions:

  1. Begin well rested.  Sleep is restorative not only because it allows the body its much needed downtime, but because it is also when the body does the lion’s share of its healing work.  Naps are good!
  2. Take 5 minutes of stillness and quiet and write down the 3 things that are most important for you to experience during the holidays.  Is it time with friends and family?  Great food?  Making and preparing gifts to give?  Decorating your home?  Maybe a getaway scheduled for a time-out from the frenzy?  Now use this as your guide for how, where and with whom you spend your time.
  3. Stock up with the supplies that support your health:
  • Vitamins and supplements that you already take (this is not a good time to start a new regimen)
  • Fresh whole foods – think fruits and vegetables – and other ingredients for quick, simple meals
  • Great books and movies to relax with

Add or subtract from the above list with whatever works for your health, happiness, and wholeness.  As it says in The Jump Journal: Discover what works for you and do it.  Discover what does not work for you and don’t do it.