Practical tips for a warm and healthy winter

PRIME – January 2015 By Jonathan Evans Herbal Information Specialist, the Herbarium First, let me wish you all a happy and healthy New Year. Fight the flu with essential oils I noticed in the news that this year’s flu vaccine may not match up with the strains that are expected. Health officials recommend people at risk get the flu shot anyway, just in case. For the rest of us, there are several things that you can do to help you avoid coming down with the flu. We all know about washing hands and using sanitizers, but there is a big problem with the hand sanitizers out there. It is all the same strength. Recently I was in a hospital emergency room (helping someone, not as a patient) and kept washing my hands with the cleaner provided in every room. Then I realized what I was doing. One of the reasons we have what are labelled “superbugs” is because we keep trying to kill them with the same strength cleansers, over and over. These little devils can mutate very quickly. Ever heard of MERSA – methicillin resistant staph aureus? This is one tough cookie and it is everywhere now. One way to protect yourself from all kinds of infection is to add essential oils to your hand sanitizers, and keep changing the formula to keep the germs off balance and not allow them the opportunity to mutate. Mother Nature offers many ways to keep the bugs in check; all we have to do is to pay attention and use the gifts available to us. Using oils such as lemon myrtle, tea tree, lavender, lemongrass, rosemary and other high antibacterial or antiviral oils can really go far to protect you. You do need to add 20 to 40 drops of each oil or two to a bottle of sanitizer for it to be effective. Keep warm with cayenne As a traditional public service, I need to remind any of you who are required to be outdoors for extended periods in the cold or have friends or family who have to be outside, to be sure and sprinkle cayenne pepper in your boots. I have given this advice to police, firemen, postal workers, military personnel, school crossing guards, department of public works and water department workers, not to mention parents of youngsters who plan to be out in the snow. Cayenne pepper helps to draw the blood to the surface and it will keep you feet warm for many hours. If your feet are warm, the rest of you is warm and much more comfortable. You only need a teaspoon to a tablespoon, depending on how big your feet are to do the trick. Try it, you’ll like it. Treatments get doctor’s OK I just had a notice from a customer who was so pleased with the results of trying some simple supplements to help lower his blood pressure. The fellow was having some very uncomfortable side effects from his medication. We gave him some of our free information on cardiovascular health and he tried hawthorn berry extract, and a chelated magnesium. When he went to see his doctor, his blood pressure was textbook, and to his credit, he informed his doctor what he was using. The doctor was quite pleased and was supportive of his efforts. Apparently the doctor was familiar with using these items. Again, buyer beware I don’t think a week goes by without someone coming to the shop and saying” I read this on the web, how come (fill in any supplement or herb) is not as good as this guys supplement?” to which I answer “How do you know the info on the web is correct?” That is the rub to many of us who have toiled in this field for decades. Why on earth do so many people believe just because information is on the Internet it must be true? Or, just because it was on television it must be true. Here is my simple rule: believe 50 percent of what they said on line or on TV, and never ever buy the products they are selling without some kind of investigation. Chances are you can find a superior product for a whole lot less locally. I cannot tell you how many people have come to the Herbarium with tales of woe and loss of a lot of money because the product sounded so good, and there were so many testimonials on the website,etc, etc. Just remember folks, when its on the web, you have no one to ask, no one to talk with, no guarantee of quality, no source information, and on and on. If you can afford to waste your money, good luck. – Jonathan Send your questions to Jonathan via email at herbarium258@gmail.com, or by regular mail to: The Herbarium, 264 Exchange St., Chicopee, MA. 01013. If requesting additional info, include a self-addressed stamped envelope.