Those of us who are bath lovers know this simple secret, there are a myriad of issues that can be eased or even relieved by taking a bath or two. Yup, a hot steamy bath can do wonders for your health. The process of steeping yourself in hot clean water is an ancient elixir that is an established tradition in most if not all old cultures. The benefits are numerous. The heat creates movement and flow of our blood and various liquids allowing the blood to be cleansed and the body hydrated and lubricated internally. The heat also flushes the muscles with blood and triggers relaxation and pain relief from sore, overworked, or tight muscles. Warm water opens the pores in the skin and allows for a gentle detoxification and cleanse. There are a number of sauna/spas in seattle that are great for a day of pampering or treatment (sorry guys, mostly for women- such as the hot house on capital hill or the women’s korean spa-but Banya 5 is a great co-ed option). But staying at home and taking a homemade bath can be just what the doctor ordered too! And don’t be afraid to spice it up a little, adding a few key ingredients will turn your bathroom into your own spa or clinic for whatever ails you. For an uplifting, envigorating, mood lightening experience try orange or lemon essential oils, flower essences, a tea bag of eucalyptus, rosemary, peppermint and/or basil, or our Deep Steep honeydew and spearmint bubble bath. Or for a luxurious treatment for tired, dry, undernourished skin try evaporated milk, your favorite lotion or oil, a tea bag of calendula, comfrey, and or chickweed, a few drops of aloe, or our Aura Cacia Milk and Oat bath. If you have been working all day, or dancing all night, you may want some muscle soreness remedy, try a couple handfuls of epsom salts, a little Bath Therapy mineral bath powder, Olbas herbal bath, or a tea bag of juniper berries. For those of us who have a little too much stress, and not enough sleep in our lives try lavender or catnip essential oils, Uncle Harry’s serenity mix, or EO’s rose and chamomile bubble bath.  And for those times when we need a little detoxing try equal parts powdered kelp and clay, or Dr. Singha’s mustard bath followed by a cold rinse and brisk drying. (for an easy on the fly option for any of the above try our premixed epsom salt and essential oils from Shepard Moon Concoctions found in the bulk section)

All of these are merely suggestions to get started and treat yourself to a lovely healing experience, go ahead and customize your own bath with just what your body needs, and it will gratefully respond to your herbal brew with greater health, happiness, and longevity.

Do you find yourself wheezing and wishing for oxygen this time of year?

… The plant and tree allergens wizzing through the air and into your lungs?

“Why is this happening to me?” you ask yourself. “What is going on?”

Well…

 

All allergies are a bit of a mystery in terms of how they affect each individual in different ways or not at all. Some people spend the spring looking as if they’ve been chopping onions. Some can barely climb a hill without gasping for breath, while others exposed to the same substances have no reaction whatsoever. In a basic sense (some MDs might object to my oversimplification), allergies are a sort of auto-immune disorder. The body identifies something that is usually physically benign as an intruder that needs to be ejected. One of the ways it reacts to remove the intruder is to send an inflaming agent called histamine to the location of entry, often the respiratory tract. Histamine also constricts muscles, all of this resulting in reduced breathing ability. In response to this seasonal problem, the pharmaceutical industry has created “anti-histamines,” which, unfortunately, often come with a set of undesirable side-effects.

 

The good news is that nature has its own anti-histamine called quercetin, which one finds in various types of foods, such as borage, grapes, apples, and capers. It falls into a category of compounds called bioflavonoids, which, interestingly, are the pigments that give our fruits and vegetables their array of yellows, reds, and blues. By inhibiting the production and delivery of histamine, as well as other inflammatory compounds, quercetin reduces the negative effects of spring allergies, especially those that cause adverse respiratory symptoms.

 

In addition, quercetin has shown that it may reduce the risk of certain types of cancers and conditions, particularly colon, prostate, breast, and lung cancers. As an anti-inflammatory, it assists in reducing swelling of arthritic bones and joints, often combined for this purpose with other natural anti-inflammatory agents, such as turmeric and bromelain. It has also been found helpful in reducing the effects of heart disease, eye disorders, high cholesterol, not to mention reducing the frequency of canker sores and other mouth ailments.

 

Wow, “super-food,” indeed…!

 

Although, as we’ve been told, we can never go wrong with an apple a day (organic of course!), aside from eating foods rich in quercetin, we can also take quercetin supplements, which may be more effective in times of severe distress. We have several brands available here at the store in the Supplements section.

 

Just ask one of our friendly Rainbow customer service representatives for assistance!

 

It’s been estimated that 700 of the 100,000 species of mushrooms known to us are used for food. * Beyond their culinary use, many people associate mushrooms with either potentially poisonous substances or tools for psychoactive experiences, usually invoking raised eyebrows when suggested as part of one’s daily health regimen. In fact, numerous benefits, too many to list here, can be attributed to many varieties of fungi. For thousands of years in the eastern hemisphere mushrooms have been used for medicine. Here in the west, we are just beginning to recognize them for their immune-enhancing and anti carcinogenic properties.

In botanical terms, mushrooms are considered the “fruiting bodies” of spores that are released to wind and weather to find an ideal home for new growth. Fairly recently, mycologists discovered that the medium formed from the spores and out of which the mushrooms eventually grow, called the mycosphere, takes on the important responsibility of transporting minerals and nutrients to the roots of plants. As Paul Stametz, the primary mycologist for New Chapter, describes

“Not only are mushrooms a protein-rich food source for humans, but the byproducts of mushroom cultivation unlocks nutrients for other members of the ecological community. The rapid return of nutrients back into the ecosystem boosts the life cycles of plants, animals, insects (bees), and soil microflora. The soil that fungi produce sustains, ultimately all life. The complex activity of mushroom allies allows habitats to achieve degrees of biological intensity that are absent in fungally impoverished habitats. It is the fungal web that holds habitats together.”**

As modern stress and the overuse of antibiotics weakens our immune systems, humans are discovering their own habitat embedded in this “fungal web” that Stametz mentions. Unlike other plants, whose medicinal qualities are often synthesized into drugs, the active components of mushrooms have a molecular complexity that makes them difficult to reproduce. These complex molecules, known as “beta-glucans,” give mushrooms their immune-boosting, anticancer, and antitumor responses.

Here in the store, customers will often recall a certain time of year when their usual immune supporting supplements fail them, or they are employed in ways that constantly tax their immune system, either through stress or exposure to disease pathogens. At this point, I often recommend an immune-supportive mushroom complex, such as Host Defense by New Chapter, 5-Mushroom Formula by Mushroom Science, or Original Seven by Electic.

At Remedies, we offer mushroom products in capsules (and some liquid forms) from three outstanding companies – Mushroom Science, New Chapter, and Eclectic. Here’s an overview of what we offer.

Mushroom Science (www.mushroomscience.com)

Maitake, Agaricus blazei, Coriolus VPS, Maitake Gold 404 (liquid), 5-Mushroom Formula, Coriolus PSP, Cordyceps, Reishi Gano 161

New Chapter (www.newchapter.info)

Native Man, Native Woman, Mental Clarity, Host Defense, Breathe!, Cordyceps, Reishi, Maitake

Eclectic (www.eclecticherb.com)

Mycetoblend, Original Seven, Reishi, Cordyceps, Shiitake, Maitake

For more specific information about these products, please visit the company websites.

* — [Maitake King of Mushrooms: The amazing broad-range healing powers of an ancient food and remedy, by Shari Lieberman, Ph.D. and Ken Babal, C.N, Keats Publishing 1997]

** — [Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, by Paul Stametz, Ten Speed Press, 2000.]