JULY 10, 2023 STOP THE PAIN WITH BOSWELLIA

Who doesn't suffer from aches and pains ? We all do at one time in our life. Whether it is a neck sprain, a back ache or some muscle inflammation. For most of America it is so easy to buy over-the-counter (OTC) remedies as Motrin, Naprosyn or Alleve. For others it is easier to call their doctor and get a prescription for another non steroidal, as Meloxicam (also known as Mobic).  There is an easier approach. First is to change to an anti-inflammatory diet. This includes few, if any processed carbohydrates, as breads and pastas. It has less high glycemic (high sugar) fruits and vegetables. It also means less red meat. This is not a diet but rather a dietary lifestyle.

The second step is to start to exercise a little more. Move those muscles. Walk to work or walk to the nearest train station. If you drive to work, then walk outside during your lunch break if weather is permitting. It means stop being a couch potato at your work desk. It means you need to be motivated. This is a lifestyle change.

The third step is to investigate supplements and herbs that are used against inflammation . These might include Omega 3 fish oils, Primrose oils, MSM, Proteolytic enzymes , and Cetylmyistolate. The herbs that might be helpful for your aches and pains include Ginger, Turmeric and Boswellia. You might be saying Boswellia what? It is a common herb that many do not use because few know anything about it. There is lots of information on Boswellia. Boswellia serata is derived from a tree that grows in a dry climate such as in India. An exudate in the plant is called Oleogum resin . This resin is used in Ayurvedic medicine where it is called Salai Guggal.

Boswellia does reduce joint pain and swelling. It is a non-steroidal. I feel it especially works on joint flexibility. The acids within the compound are great for protecting the joint connective tissue. There are no side effects from Boswellia. It is catching on as the studies now indicate that this herb is great for arthritis.  Studies did compare Boswellia to a well known anti inflammatory called Ketoprofen. Boswellia was found to improve blood supply to the affected areas which is vital. It has been used in rheumatoid arthritis. This past Monday I saw a woman with new onset mild rheumatoid arthritis.  She already has been prescribed steroids and now Plaquenil. There was no discussion from the rheumatologist as to decrease the patients gluten products. Since she did feel better off gluten ( 80% of all autoimmune diseases do better without gluten), Boswellia would be an excellent choice for such a patient with no side effects or interactions with her conventional methods.  The action of Boswellia is similar to non steroidal anti inflammatory conventional drugs.

So wouldn't you rather take an herb rather than a drug? I know I would and I DO! Oh yes, I forget the most important aspect of Boswellia versus a non steroidal. The non steroidals as Motrin and Alleve are prone to cause gastric ulcer bleeding.

Until tomorrow…

JULY 6, 2023 HONEYBEE FAITHFULNESS

MADISON, WI, June 29, 2023 — Honey bees are more faithful to their flower patches than bumble bees when it comes to returning to collect more pollen and nectar, according to a study by U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service scientists.
 
Overall, 76 percent of honey bees in the study revisited the same plot of alfalfa flowers in contrast to just 47 percent of eastern bumble bees.

But size does matter, especially to bumble bees. They were more faithful to larger flower patches, while the likelihood of honey bees returning to a flower patch was not affected by patch size. Large patches in the study were nearly 15 by 15 yards, each planted with 225 plants, more than twice as many as the small patches, which were about 10 by 10 yards with 100 alfalfa plants each.
 
To remain faithful to a specific location, an insect or animal requires reliable spatial memories enabling them to navigate complex landscapes and repeatedly return to the same site. Both honey and bumble bees have demonstrated this ability to return to previously visited foraging locations, so there must be other species-specific factors to explain the differences in patch fidelity observed between the two species, explained ecologist Johanne Brunet with the ARS Vegetable Crops Research Unit in Madison, Wisconsin, who led the study along with postdoctoral associate Fabiana Fragoso.
 
Differences in patch fidelity could be the result of bumble bees' more explorative foraging behavior — their willingness to invest individually in foraging, often visiting more than one type of flower per foraging bout — compared to honey bees' more highly developed communication system — the honey bees' well-known waggle dance. Honey bee foragers perform the dance when they return to the hive to share the location of valuable food sources with other foragers; bumble bees do not.

REPRINTED FORM THE AMERICNA BEE JOURNAL FOR EDUCATION POURPOSES ONLY

Until tomorrow…

JULY 5, 2023 INSECT BITE REMEDIES

Insect bites and stings are very common in the summer. Some may cause discomfort, unless you suffer from a severe allergic reaction. The best course of treatment is to soothe the pain and reduce swelling. Of course, you could get the stinger out. The stinging insect ( as the honeybee) inject the toxin through a stinger at the tail end of the abdomen. The reaction is usually local.

This weekend I got stung by 5 hornets. There was a hornet nest under a metal daisy in my back garden I got st8ung while I was weeding I immediately called Fox Pet Control to remove the hornet nest No spray could be used as my honeybee hives are 25 feet away. The stings were painful much more than my honeybee stings ( which I get regularly) while tending to my bees and stung for health reasons


Some quick remedies:

A. FOLK REMEDIES
1. Some old folk remedies are to use the juice of a cucumber, onion or radish to sooth the pain
2. Bathe in baking soda and water if stung all over the body
3. Compress with apple cider vinegar and /or lemon juice
4. I use fresh garlic on the wound

B. HERBAL REMEDIES
1. Marigold petal on a bee bite ( I should have thought of this this weekend- as marigold plants are in the front of the house)
2. Cover the bite with a macerated plantain leaf ( usually not always available in Fire Island, but can be found upstate)
3. Witch hazel is great , but not effective on bee stings, but better on mosquito bites

C. HOMEOPATHY
1,  Apis can be used once the stinger is removed. Vincent removed all of my stingers. He was amazed at the size of the stinger.
2. Hypericum can be used with great results

To make an insect bite oil:

1. 1 teaspoon of lavender essential oil
2. 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Store the bottle in a glass bottle with a tight lid. Glass bottles better than plastic.

To make a bite/sting poultice

1. 1 tablespoon of echinacea root tincture
2. 1 tablespoon of distilled water
3. 1/2 tsp of lavender essential oil
4. 1 tablespoon of beconite clay

combine the  mixture and then add to the clay. Stir slowly till all absorbed. The paste should be tacky enough to stick to the skin. Apply directly to the bite and store in a glass container in a cool place.

Until tomorrow…

JUNE 29, 2023 KEEP HEALTHY LUNGS

" Knowledge of what is possible is the beginning of happiness." George Santayana
Just knowing you can happy should be enough. Sometimes it is not, and we each search for happiness. Happiness might be in your own backyard, but then again it might not be. Knowledge is a very powerful tool. Do not waste the knowledge you can acquire in your lifetime. Learning is part of life.    


We all need to keep our lungs healthy There are many common respiratory ailments as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema ( also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease- COPD), pneumonia, cancer, sinusitis and  even allergies 

These are some helpful tips for healthy lungs:

1. Get regular exercise, especially aerobic
2. Do exercises to build your abdominal wall
3. Consider yoga, tai chi and belly dancing
4. Deep breathing every day . You can do meditation breathing 4-7-8
5. Avoid exercising in polluted air
6. Do not smoke
7. Avoid building or the work area with poor ventilation

8. Use all natural cleaners

9. Change heating/cooling filters monthly Check your house for mold
10. Test your home for radon
11. Keep pet clean and brushed to reduce shedding
12. Reduce the humidity of your home
13. Cough occasionally to clear your lungs
14. Do not overeat
15. Improve your diet; check your food allergies
16. Drink plenty of water
17. Keep the bowels moving
18. Do some bodywork
19. Remove old carpeting and replace with wood floors

20. ALWAYS KEEP A CLEAN HOME

JUNE 28, 2023 GINSENG

There are eleven different species of ginseng. It is a primary adaptogen Other ginseng like Siberian and Indian ginseng are similar to ginseng but have different properties. Ginseng contains the alkaloid ginsenosides which the other two do not have. These ginsenosides decrease inflammation and pain from chronic disease Chronic disease for example is neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and cardiovascular heart disease.

I love ginseng for enhancing mental focus and helping concentration issues . It has been studied in patients who have Alzheimer’s disease. It helps the body cope with stress. It reduces anxiety and promnotes a sense of calmness.I use it for treating chronic fatigue

It is great for sexual wellness and sexual performance in both men and women This is one herb that most individuals should take

Until tomorrow…

JUNE 27, 2023 NIGELLA ( BLACK CUMIN )

This is one interesting herb with many antioxidant properties. I have used many times especially for patients with pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. Nigella ( Nigella sativa) seeds historically were found in ancient Egyptian tombs.

I have seen this herb lower cholesterol as well as alleviating inflammation of the body. It protects the liver. I have also seen it regulate bloodf sugar kevels in patients with diabetes,

The other name you might know is Black Cumin. Its blooms vary in color from white to pink

I feel it is a herb that we do not use nearly enough

Until tomorrow…

JUNE 26, 2023 DEPRESSION

I rely on two flower essences for comfort in the elderly. One is Cherry Plum and the other is Sweet Chestnut. The former is for "fear of the mind being over strained" while the other is for the "person who is anguished and stretched beyond endurance." In the field of homeopathy I prefer Ignatia for depression from a loss. I have seen many older individuals who have lost their spouse and more upsetting is the loss of a child. I know some homeopathic remedies and utilize them as often as I can.

The amount of herbs I use for depression and anxiety vary from individual to individual. I love the nervines in this regard. I use lemon balm (Melissa officiales) borage, limeflower, rosemary and vervain.

Ginseng is an herb I use for depression. It is useful for memory and confusion as well. I am careful not to use too much ginseng in the elderly as I have seen my reverse reactions.

Two remedies I learned from an elderly herbalist include using sage and cloves for lifting the mood. Both can be used as teas or can be added to food. As far as sage, I like the taste. When it comes to drinking clove tea, I usually add some chamomile, wild flower honey and even peppermint to help the taste. I am not fond of plain clove tea.

A gift for an elderly friend: A FRAGRANT POMANDER

1. Push cloves into an Orange or grapefruit

2. Attach a piece of ribbon and hang up for them when you visit.

3. It will freshen anyone's home and senses.

Until tomorrow…

JUNE 22, 2023 29 YEARS and PROPOLIS

 I always want to celebrate my sober anniversary. Yesterday I celebrated twenty nine years sober. As far as I am concerned it is the single most accomplishment  that I am most happy with. I am not saying that graduating different levels of education are not important. These accomplishments are also proud moments. For me my biological/birth and my sober birth are in the same month- JUNE. June for the longest time kept me frozen. It was the month that I performed CPR on my mother forty one years ago. It held me in guilt for a long time. June is also the month my parents were wed. Unfortunately they never celebrated their twenty five anniversary together, but  now in a better place without suffering . I truly miss both of them ! It was difficult for my father to understand why anyone would destroy themselves with an addiction. But it happens . I am not unique. Anyone who is not in a twelve step program does not understand the importance of another year of sobriety.
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As an addict in recovery, I can speak for many people that sobriety anniversaries are extremely important. They are major accomplishments! I cannot express the utter amazement I experience every passing year of continued sobriety. As my anniversary month was approaching I began to reflect on the past twenty nine years. I am proud of myself for the work I have done. It was NOT just stopping the addicted substance. It was working the twelve steps of a recovery program. It has been utilizing all the steps in my daily life.  

Sobriety birthdays are an event that is nothing like a regular birthday: it's not something we dread as we get older, but rather it's another year of freedom from addiction. Another 365 days of rebuilding our lives and going from complete self-loathing to find meaning and purpose. I have found meaning in my life and the life around me. I am peace. I have a purpose.

For me happiness could be the first spring rain. Happiness is spending time doing nothing with a loved one. Happiness is saving the bee population and using its hive products to heal individuals. Propolis is one of  those bee products that have been used for million of years. There have always been bees and there have always been beekeepers. Propolis is a sticky resin which seeps from the buds of certain trees. The bees gather propolis, and it is sometimes called " bee glue" The worker bees ( which are always females) take the resinous material and add salivary secretions and wax flakes to it and use the be propolis is two ways. First, they use the bee propolis to reinforce their wooden hives boxes, and second it is used to protect the hive from bacterial and viral infections. Every part of the hive which is made from bees are used. This includes the bee propolis, the bee wax, the bee pollen, the royal jelly, and course the honey.
Propolis consists of 55% resinous compounds and balsams, 30% beeswax, 10% aromatic oils and 5% bee pollen. Propolis is not as simple as it sounds on paper. It is a complex structure which contains potent terpenes and benzoic, caffeic, cinnamic and phenol acids. It is very high in flavinoids which as humans we find very helpful as an anti oxidant. Most plants which contains medicines contain flavinoids.

Save the bees !