Accepted, again!

So today I got an e-mail from the Examiner saying that I was accepted as the Knoxville Natural Health Writer (actually I got to pick from a list of open health writer titles and I chose Natural Health)!

I am still at Suite 101 so no worries about that the only thing is, how should I seperate the two pages?
Rather than have articles seem redundant and my readers not bother reading both of my pages, I decided to make Suite 101 my more national, general natural health page with articles that apply to all people and my Examiner page, which is a more regional section, more about East Tennessee, Appalachia, and the like.

So on my Examiner page, coming soon, you will find articles like 5 Wild Medicines in Your Back Yard and interviews with local, health conscious people while on Suite 101 you will find articles for the general public like the current How to Choose an Herbalist and The Essiac Cure for Cancer.

I'll be sure to keep up with my blogging as well, since this is where I post my research and my informal thoughts on health.
Hope that you all like the articles I post and learn something from them!

The Essiac Cure for Cancer

Getting the information about Essiac out to the public has weighed on my heart ever since I read an interview with Dr. Gary Glum sent to be from Marijah McCain from Herbal Healer Academy as part of my herbalism lesson 1.

Here is the 2 part article I wrote for Suite 101:
Part1 http://herbalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/the-essiac-cure-for-cancer-pt-1
Part 2 http://herbalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/the-essiac-cure-for-cancer-pt2

Here is also a video on how to make Essiac that I found very helpful followed by Part 3 of a documentary done on Rene Caisse and Essiac.



"The medical profession will never let you do this to us."


Please read and watch and comment.

Leave Light Footprints

I love to travel! Those of you who know me know I plan to travel as much as I possibly can in this life (I'm even planning a trip to New Orleans in September to get married!!!!).
Having said that, I am also all about doing what I can and encouraging others to do what they can to take care of this wonderful planet we live on, even when we're traveling.

Samantha Brown of the Travel Channel did a show in Hawaii not too long ago (or at least it was on my t.v. not too long ago) that talked about eco-vacationing. Eco-vacationing (this isn't really a term Brown used or that I've seen, its just an easy way to get the idea across) is when you take care of the environment with smart decisions on vacation!
Brown encouraged not leaving trash on the beach (duh!) and recycling whatever you use that can be recycled. You also might want to look into green hotels or B&Bs (yes they're out there!) to stay at. While we aren't readily able to do this, Brown also did an infomercial sort of thing that encouraged people to come to Hawaii and to take care of the beautiful beaches. However, you can make youre own press release by video taping yourself on vacation adn talking about the lovely things you see and how to preserve them and uploading it on YouTube for us to watch!

Here is an article I found on a blog that was found through the Raw Directory through Pure Jeevan.
I like the advice to ditch the vacation packages and resort stays for a more local, cultural and eco-friendly stay. Having never been to a resort...I can't say for sure that resort stays are not good for people and the environment but being a fan of Rachel Ray, I am all for talking to the locals, eating local, and checking out the local diggs (just seems like more fun).
I am also a huge fan of B&Bs! They are sooo cute and obviously local owned (which means they know where the good places ot eat and shop are too).

Anywyas, check it out and tell me what you think! Do you travel lightly? Have you stayed at a Green hotel or B&B? What sort of eco-travel or eco-vacationing tips do you have? Do you have a YouTube press release you want to show?

Herbal Beauty Products

Herbalism isn't all medical and learning where wild plants grow. Most herbalists are female and they like to look pretty just like any other woman.
Herbs and oils can be used to create beuty and bath products. Many bath and body products found at the mall or superstore are filled with chemicals I can't pronounce much less know if they'll harm my sensitive skin or worse. By making my own products, I know what is going into the product and into my body (remember that 80% of what goes on the skin goes into the body).
Luckily enough, I not only found recipes online on how to make everything from lip balm to shampoo but also videos, mostly through Mountain Rose Herbs (where you can find many of the needed ingredients) and Herb Mentor.

Bath Salts
Bath salts are a great way to relax after a hard day. They make your skin feel soft and smooth and often are mixed iwth scented oils that help you relax both mind and body.
To make your own you will need:
A cup each of White Kaolin Cosmetic Clay, Sea Salt, and Dead Sea Salt. A half cup each of Epsom Salts, Borax (be careful that you get borax that has not been mixed with unsafe chemicals like bleach and other toxins), and Baking Soda. 1 teaspoon Lavender Oil (or whatever oil you find most relaxing).



Lip Balm
Everyone has used lip balm and I feel that a natural lip balm is doubly important because not only am I taking in the 80% that seeps into my skin but I also have a tendency to bite my lips so I am also eating whatever I put on them. There are many companies that make natural lip balm but they are also $1+ a tube! In the video below, you can see how to make dozens of tubes in one go which you can store up yourself or share with others in a much more economical way.
To make your own you will need:
2 ounces of Bees Wax, 1 cup of Calendula infused Sweet Almond Oil (or just the almond oil, or the almond oil infused with whatever herb you desire), 1 teaspoon of Anise seed oil (or another essential oil you prefer).



Herbal Shampoo
Herbal Essences smells good and has a memorable commercial but there's nothign truely natural about this product. The perks of making your own shampoo include being able to choose the scents you prefer as well as knowning that all the products are natural.
To make the Herb Mentor shampoo recipe you’ll need:
8 oz distilled water
2 teaspoons of dried rosemary
2 teaspoons of dried rose petals
3 ounces liquid castile soap
3 Tablespoon aloe vera gel
¼  teaspoon of jojoba oil
30 drops of pure rosemary essential oil
 
This video is not an Herb Mentor Video but one based on the recipe from Rosemary Gladstar. I like this video not only for the pretty music included but because it includes oil combos for oily hair, dry hair, blonde hair, etc.
 

 
There are tons of different recipes and way to make your own beauty products online or in books. Just do a simple search on Google or even YouTube to find how-to videos. I have found videos on how to make everything from perfume kits to face and body creams. Most importantly, have fun and be healthy!
 
Love and Light
Happy Chick

Featured Garden: Kitty's Wildflowers

I have been wanting to show a feature on this blog for some time that focuses on beautiful local gardens. Finally I grabbed the camera and ran down to my fiance's grandmother, Kitty, and with her permission took dozens of photos of her beautiful flowers and pond and statues. Here are just a few of the best I took.

Here is the entrance, once you pass through. I love it when all that climbing plants creep over the trellis.

One of my all time favorites, Black Eyed Susans! These grow next to the gate like a warm, sunny welcome.

Here the Black Eyed Susans and the Cacti get along nicely, showing the variety in Kitty's garden.

Here is a view of the garden from the gate. Everything sort of slopes uphill towards the fruit trees in the back.

In her little man-made ponds are dozens of lily pads for the frogs to play on (they all hopped off at my arrival). This gorgeous Lotus peeps up through the murk for a photo-op.

I said all the frogs hopped off, however, this big fellow stayed to represent them ^_^

Here is another favorite of mine, Blue Thistles! They remind me of Fairies and mythical creatures.

Here I snuck up on a Butterfly feasting on some Echinacea and was so excited I took a dozen or so pictures before it flew away ^_^ Echinacea is a lovely herb with many healing properties including being an aid in remedying cancer (I see a future Herb of the Month).

This is Kitty's little bird haven with bath and house. Sadly, my cat, Halloween, loves to hide around here an look for her favorite bird snack, Dove. Here is also an overhill view towards the garden gate. You can also see some of the Mole beans that drive off the burrowing pests that like to eat bulbs and the like.

This little fellow was brought home from Germany (you can sort of see where the sphere says Wilkommen). He's the gnome who guards the bridge (much nicer than a troll) which connects Kitty's garden to the outside world (aka, the side yard).

I wouldn't do Kitty's garden justice unless I showed some of the plants that grew along the front and side of her house for they are just as much a part of her garden as those in the back.

I love the wild, tropical look of this flower and was sad to see that it was the only one growing from the leaves of the rather large plant.

Here are more brilliant flowers! These lilies are lovely and seem to grow all over the front.

Thank you Kitty for letting me stalk your garden for an hour or so!

Do any of you have a garden you'd like to share? Send me pictures! I'd love to see them ^_^

Homeopathic Doctors (and their differences)

As I am sure you all have seen my How to Choose an Herbalist article on Suite 101, I also wanted to draw attention to another Suite article
Find Homeopathic Doctors, Natural Health and Homeopathic Healing by Susan Laverie.
I found it to be very informative on how to choose a qualified homeopath and to know who you're dealing with as far as natural healers and their initials.
 
I wanted to show this article for the same reason I wrote my aricle, in these times of uncertainty, it is important to find health practitioners (allopathic and alternative) that you can trust.

I am a Published Health Writer!

I was recently accepted by Suite 101 online magazine.
Last night my first article, How to Choose an Herbalist, was accepted and published on their site.

I'm hoping that you all find the article helpful  (an well written of course).
Please comment and feel free to request other articles on various natural health topics. I will do my best to keep my readers...well...reading ^_^