You already know about brushing and flossing the teeth to reduce bad breath. If you’re brushing to no avail, try brushing your tongue.
You can also use a tongue scraper, which are available at chain drugstores and health food stores nationwide. The scrapers may help get rid of bad breath- and help prevent it as well. Scrapers cleanse tongues of millions of tiny bacteria that most people miss when they freshen their mouth, morning and evening.
Furthermore… A spoon will work nearly as well.
For fresh breath, mix together baking soda and ground cinnamon. Scoop the mixture onto a toothbrush and brush away lunchtime bad breath, or your morning coffee breath.
This is what I do: add two to three drops of the peppermint essential oil to a glass of water. Take a healthy swig, gargle and rinse well.
A nice spice is anise or aniseed, which tastes like licorice. It’s an effective breath freshener. Chew a pinch or two. It will also aid in your digestion! Aniseed is available at the spice counter of many supermarkets.
In the event you or a loved one gets stung by a wasp, there is a traditional and effective remedy for the sting.
All you need is half an onion and tweezers.
Remove the bee or wasp’s stinger with tweezers and immediately rub the freshly cut side of the onion-half over the stung area.
Onions contain flavonoids, some of which are known to reduce inflammation. Onions are also anti-inflammatory and antibacterial and have disinfecting properties.
*Did you know…the only wasps that survive winter are the queen wasps. Queen wasps hibernate during the winter inside the old nest or construct a small “golf ball” sized hibernation cell.
Something I hadn’t written about in the LOLA book because I didn’t know enough about its health benefits: Grounding, also called Earthing.
According to Dr. Mercola, Grounding or Earthing is defined as placing one’s bare feet on the ground whether it be dirt, grass, sand or concrete (especially when humid or wet). When you ground to the electron-enriched earth, an improved balance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system occurs.
The Earth is a natural source of electrons and subtle electrical fields, which are essential for proper functioning of immune systems, circulation, synchronization of biorhythms and other physiological processes and may actually be the most effective, essential, least expensive, and easiest to attain antioxidant. It is important to understand that inflammation is a condition that can be reduced or prevented by grounding your body to the Earth, the way virtually all of your ancestors have done for hundreds if not thousands of generations.
In addition, Earthing decreases your exposure to potentially disruptive electromagnetic fields.
How to bathe away stress and tensions by making this simple and soothing bath essence.
You’ll need a large teacup of dried or fresh organically grown lavender flowers + 2 large teacups of boiling water.
While you are slowly running your bath, place the lavender flowers in a glass bowl or pot, and pour the 2 large teacups of boiled water over the lavender flowers and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain, then add the solution to the warm bath water. Stay in the bath no longer than 15 minutes, then go to bed immediately and rest.
Lavender contains many essential oils, some of which are relaxing and soothing. Warm water helps the skin absorb these oils and they can be inhaled from the steam too. Lavender also has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties which can help to heal wounds.
Did you know…that chili peppers contain a substance called capsaicin, which gives peppers their characteristic mild to intense spice when eaten. Did you know as well…that capsaicin not only reduces pain, but its peppery heat also stimulates secretions that help clear mucus from your stuffed up nose or congested lungs.
My favorite way to add chili peppers to my diet is with chili oil. You can either buy a ready-made bottle at your local organic market or make it yourself. All you need is a medium sized glass bottle with a pouring spout. Add whole dried chilis and chopped ones to the bottle and fill it up with organic extra virgin olive oil. Let it sit for a few days before using it. I add the oil to egg dishes, and any potato, rice or vegetables. It’s delicious!
*When chopping the chilis, be extra careful to wash your hands immediately after.
The word “antibiotic” literally means “against life.” And that’s what these nasty pills do – though they may heal your body of the harmful bacteria they’re designed to kill, they wipe out all of your beneficial gut flora in the process. All of it. Plain and simple. The bacteria that has flourished inside of your warm tummy & intestines since birth, that has helped you to avoid infections and viruses, that has made your digestion smooth and flawless is now history.
Without your beautiful gut flora you will likely develop a yeast overgrowth, otherwise known as Candida – so brace yourself! This can come with some unpleasant symptoms, ranging from simple digestive upset to depression to chronic acid reflux. You may even have an uncontrollable craving for sugar. This is the yeast yelling for nourishment! After completing my 14 day slew of antibiotics for an H-Pylori infection, I was presented with all of those new symptoms plus some. My insides felt toxic. And though my H-Pylori was gone I faced a new challenge – healing my body from the antibiotics.
Let’s define another word, shall we? Probiotics. Translated it means “for life.” Now, this sounds much nicer, right? Probiotics are beneficial yeast and bacteria. There are over 400 stains of them found in nature. These are what you need – and lots of them! Even if you don’t have a yeast overgrowth these beneficial bacteria can help with digestion, disease resistance, nutrient absorption, and even lactose intolerance. Probiotics can be consumed in supplement form or in the form of food.
In supplements you want to look for at least 5 to 10 billion live bacteria per capsule. Some may need to be refrigerated, and if so, it’s important that you follow the instructions so the bacteria stay alive. It’s also vital that the product guarantees a certain number of bacteria be alive by the expiration date. You don’t want to be taking dead pills!
If you want to get your probiotics from food, the easiest place to start is plain or greek yogurts. Try to find one that contains at least 5 active cultures including lactobacillus acidophilus. Also, unpasteurized is best because heat can damage the beneficial bacteria. When you’re ready to move on introduce yourself to fermented fruits & veggies, kefir, tempeh, and Kombucha (my favorite!). Dairy is an ideal source of probiotics because it helps to buffer stomach acid and guarantees that the bacteria survives in the gut.
You can also combine these with prebiotics, which act as food for the probiotics and help them to fully do their job. While probiotics act in the small intestine, prebiotics act in the large intestine. The combination of the two creates a synergistic effect in the body. Prebiotics can be found in raw oats, asparagus, rye, bananas, artichokes, and many other common foods.
Healing your tummy takes time and patience. You must be gentle, and understand that antibiotics don’t play well with your gut. Send your cells positive thoughts, treat your body with love, and be confident that you can heal yourself!
1-Lavender has a calming effect, reducing anxiety, and promoting relaxation. It also can alleviate migraines, toothaches and menstrual pain.
2- Lavender has antimicrobial qualities and can relieve itchy scalps. Use a few drops of lavender essential oil in a hydrosol spray.
3-Lavender is edible and can be enjoyed in ice-cream. It has positive digestion and antioxidant effects!
Mint is a wonderful natural remedy!
Drinking peppermint tea not only freshens your breathe but improves your breathing when you have a cold. Rub a drop of peppermint essential oil on your temples to relieve symptoms of sinusitis.
Drinking peppermint tea helps sooth an upset stomach, and reduces nausea.
To make mint tea, just add a handful of rinsed leaves to a teapot and add hot water. Let it steap for 5 minutes before pouring yourself a cup.
Keeping mint sprigs in a glass jar full of water in your kitchen (or anywhere where there is a little sunlight) is a great way to keep it fresh longer. It could also sprout roots eventually. Plant the stems in a small pot full of soil, and make sure it has a dish underneath to catch the excess water. You’ll be able to harvest mint leaves whenever you need them!
Maya Penn: Why Manuka Honey is Awesome!
Manuka honey is a honey made in New Zealand and Australia by bees that pollinate the native manuka bush. It’s commonly used to treat wounds infections and other conditions. I take manuka honey for a sore throat. I also put it on cuts and scrapes. I put manuka honey on my pets if they have boo-boos. The honey actually helped with my cats eczema! The honey is not harmful to pets if they try licking it off. Manuka Honey has more healing properties than any other type of honey and it also tastes great on foods. It possesses an anti-inflammatory effect and has an antibacterial level said to be four times greater than standard antiseptic. It’s also been used to clear up acne (which I tend to get a lot of!). Manuka Honey with a UMF rating between 10 and 16 is considered best.
If you don’t already add turmeric to your smoothie, juice or pureed carrots for dinner, you probably should! When you consider that turmeric has wonderful healing properties and is packed with antioxidants, including vitamins A, C, and E, and may help prevent cataracts, adding a spoonful to your curry will make it taste just that much better. Turmeric also provides powerful anti-cancer properties and its curcumin has anti-inflammory effects, including relieving rheumatoid arthritis.
Eat sweet potatoes! Sweet potatoes are packed with magnesium,which helps relax blood vessels and relieves tension and pain. Eat them baked whole or sliced into slices.
Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and sprinkle with mineral salt and bake at 250 F for 2 hours, flipping them only once.
Add Cinnamon often to your oatmeals, juices, smoothies and couscous because it’s a powerhouse of health benefits! Cinnamon contains a compound that kills a variety of illness causing bacteria, including the dreaded E.coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus auras. Research shows that cinnamon can also stop the growth of the Asian flu virus, helps lower blood pressure and regulate menstrual cycles. In addition, cinnamon has a tranquilizing effect that helps reduce anxiety and stress. Choose organically grown cinnamon.
If you need to use cinnamon sticks, choose real cinnamon which is the soft Ceylon cinnamon stick, instead of the hard stick kind called cassia which isn’t real cinnamon and doesn’t have the health benefits that the Ceylon cinnamon has.
What do you like to add cinnamon to?
Go natural when treating a blister and heal it fast by soaking it in salt water, then dabbing it with witch hazel or lavender oil. You can also use calendula and natural aloe vera, both which have healing properties. And don’t forget to put on a fabric band-aid on your blister if you are going to wear the boots or shoes responsible for your sore feet.
When dining out…Ask for water without lemon wedges.
Did you know onions can absorb toxins? learn more about the mighty onion here and here.
Add to a cup of hot water and let steep for 5 minutes before drinking.
Plants, trees, moss and bark are some of the wildcrafted ingredients used in Juniper Ridge’s natural scents.
Learn more about Juniper Ridge here and here.