After months of planning we are improving the layout of the store and updating many things. We’ve created a new and much wider stairway to our library, recessed our probiotics and omega oils cooler, taken away some walls and are currently installing a new floor made from bamboo. Next up we will be switching our vitamins and bodycare departments to opposite sides of the store. Everything is on schedule (and thankfully within budget!) and we expect everything to be done by mid-March. If you haven’t already - please join our email list for announcements and special offers.

Make Way for “Fungi Perfecti”

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I’ve been hearing for years about the company mycologist at New Chapter, Paul Stametz, who up until recently helped them put out the immune formula “Host Defense” as well as their fairly extensive line of mushroom concoctions. No longer associated with New Chapter, Paul has started his own company Fungi Perfecti and taken along with him the trademark name “Host Defense” as the title of his new line of mushroom products. Mr. Stametz probably has more to say about fungi than anyone you’ll ever meet. As I once quoted from his Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms:

“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.”

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I’m excited to be carrying some Fungi Perfecti products in our store, including “MyCommunity”, the new immune booster, which is the “Host Defense” formula made the way Paul Stametz intended.

We have quite a few customers who regularly purchase homeopathic remedies from our store, including patients of some notable local homeopaths. So, it is part of my job at Rainbow to have more than a layman’s knowledge of the intricacies of homeopathy. Some people who shop here aren’t even aware that homeopathy forms a distinct branch of natural medicine, almost entirely different from an herbal approach, either Western or Chinese. Briefly describing the medicine to these people often invokes a blank stare of either disbelief or confusion, or both.

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Homeopathy, in a simplistic explanation, is based on the idea that a substance that either directly or energetically stands behind a series of symptoms as a cause, can also be the cure for that set of symptoms. Apis mellifica, for example, is quite literally made from bees and, in most cases, would be the most appropriate remedy for beestings as well as quite a few other skin eruptions that present themselves in similar ways. Now here’s where a homeopath loses the staunch pragmatist, who innocently asks why she would want to consume dried up bees, or mercury, or arsenic, or any of the other potentially toxic homeopathic substances.

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Without beating around any bushes, here’s the answer: if you were to crush up the homeopathic pill called Apis mellifica and place it under a microscope, you would not find any molecular traces of the original bee. At most, you would find sugar and an edible binder of some kind. What was once the bee has been diluted in hundreds, maybe thousands of times more water than original material and then dispensed as a remedy, which, from my own experience and that of thousands of others, works wonders. Why? No one really knows for sure. But it most likely has to do with the essence of the bee, that energetic implant of the bee that is left behind, something of the bee that we cannot see.

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So, as you can see… with some particularly skeptical customers, or with those who need the support of “proof from clinical studies”, I have good reason to avoid this explanation. For those, I sometimes suggest a good introductory book on homeopathy, such as Household Homeopathy, by Vinton McCabe, or The Complete Homeopathy Handbook, by Miranda Castro, both of which we sell here in the store.

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Some final words of advice on purchasing homeopathics: it’s always best to consult a homeopath. But otherwise, prescribe remedies for yourself judiciously. You might come across something that in your own mind you are certain is the “right remedy”. After my “magical” explanation, people have a tendency to get reckless, thinking, “What harm can be done if all they are is sugar pills?” Even if you’re sure you’ve got the right remedy, start with a low potency. Too high a potency of even the right remedy could cause serious side effects.

Fears around H1N1 or Swine Flu, and flu in general, are mounting as we head on into flu season. Keep in mind that excessive fear will negatively impact your immune system, which will ultimately be your best defense.

Some facts to bear in mind:

* Some people die from the flu, but most do not. There are 36,000 deaths from flu-related complications every year. The deaths from H1N1 do not so far represent a substantial increase of those, partly because, for unknown reasons, the virus has not proved as virulent in the US as it was when it first appeared in Mexico.

* Natural, non-invasive solutions for immune support exist. While vaccinations are the preferred course of action according to world health authorities, there are valid concerns around the efficacy and safety of that approach. Do your research on this. Important to note is the success rate of homeopathic medicine in preventing flu-related deaths during the epidemic of 1918. The death rate was 28.2% among those people treated with what we would today call “conventional medicine”, while only 1.05% of those treated homeopathically met the same fate.

To attempt to prevent the flu without vaccination, if that is the route you choose, here are some recommendations:

* Wash your hands frequently.

* Get adequate rest.

* Have homeopathic flu remedies on hand to take at the first onset. This would include gelsemium and byronia, which were mentioned as the primary remedies used to control the 1918 epidemic.

* Recent studies have  shown that full-spectrum elderberry extract,  such as Immunity Take Care by New Chapter, effectively blocks the H1N1 virus.

* As an alternative to the vaccinations, a homeopathic remedy made directly from viral strains is available, possibly at our store in the near future. Please call and ask our naturopath for more information.

Hello all you parents out there!

we have started a group here at Rainbow for parents.  a place to chat about whatever is going on in your family life these days.  a place to connect with other parents, share your stories, learn a thing or two from other savvy parents like yourself, and be a part of your community here in Seattle.

we just finished up the second week and i have to say, it is so lovely.   we enjoy some tea, and get to know each other.  very laid back…

so, we get together on Tuesday mornings at 9:30.  my name is melissa and i am the hostess…i have to get back on the floor at 10:30, but by all means, everyone is welcome to hang and keep chatting.  And people are tending to do so….it’s great!

hope we see you here one of these Tuesdays….

peace…melissa

ok, so this tea journal is about more than one herb.  I was planning on sticking to the one herb at a time…but the temptation of these two herbs blended together got the best of me and I can’t seem to make myself drink any other teas right now.

Roasted Chicory Root & Roasted Dandelion Root….these are the herbs that make up our new Rainbow Roast.  I have been experimenting with amounts and cooking times.  At first, I did my usual, more is better thing and used a heaping tablespoon for one cup…and I also only steeped it for about 10 minutes.  I was anxious to sip the roast.  It was good.  However, I just did not know how good it could be.  The next time I made it I used about the same amount of Rainbow Roast, except I made it in a pot, using about 6 cups of water.  I then brought it to a boil and simmered for around 20-30 minutes.  It was even more delicious.  It was not at all bitter, and was very smooth.  I add a little half and half or soy milk and a squirt of agave.  MMmmmmmm.  I also do not recommend using a french press…i tried that and it just was not a good as really cooking it down a bit.  You can even add more awter after it simmers if it cooks down too much, and it still is rich and yummy.

You can find our new Rainbow Roast near our pre-made tea blends, to the right of the herb counter.  i suggest checking it out.  If you are trying to kick the coffee altogether it is a good option, or maybe switch your afternoon cup to one of the Roast as a way to cut back on caffeine.  We all love it here at the store.

The key to preventing or lessening the severity of cold and flu symptoms is maintaining a healthy, effective immune system.  The best way to ensure this is through proper nutrition from your diet and appropriate supplementation.
Let’s look at a few of the nutrients which help us to stay healthy:
- Vitamin C stimulates the immune system’s ability to produce interferon, a natural virus-killing glycoprotein.
Hundreds of studies reveal that consuming generous amounts of vitamin C can empower the activity of white blood cells by anywhere from 100% to 300%.  Individuals who take 1 to 3 g of vitamin C daily consistently report fewer colds than the ones who do not supplement with this vitamin.
In a study conducted by the Naval Medical Research Institute, vitamin C plasma levels of 28 men on a 68-day submarine patrol were checked frequently.  The ones with the lowest plasma levels of this vitamin came down with twice as many colds as did the sailors with the highest vitamin C plasma levels.
The biochemist G. Ritzel conducted a controlled study with school-aged boys.  Those who began taking 1,000 mg of vitamin C per day reported that their number of colds decreased by 45% and their sick days per cold decreased by 30%.
A recommended dosage of vitamin C for boosting your immunity is 250-500 mg two to three times daily.
- Well-documented for protecting mucous membranes, Vitamin A is another preventer of colds and flus because it boosts the immune system.  Naturally-occurring vitamin A is fat soluble and stored in the liver; it can, therefore, be toxic in large amountsalthough most people must take at least 100,000 IU of active vitamin A daily for a period of months before developing any signs of toxicity.
A recommended immune-boosting dosage is 5,000-10,000 IU of vitamin A per day.
- What is not generally known is that many of the B-complex vitamins are crucial to the immune system’s ability to defend us.  According to Mark Mayell in Off-the-Shelf Natural Health, “Vitamin B6 is the most important of the B vitamins for keeping your immune system working optimally.”
- Zinc supplementation multiplies the number of white blood cells, lymphocytes, and cellular antibodies and revs up their fighting ability.  Zinc deficiency seems to play a role in the development of auto-immune diseases, in which the immune system attacks itself or other body tissue.
- Vitamin E enjoys a growing reputation as an immune stimulant that can boost the body’s ability to resist various diseases.  Studies indicate that taking optimal levels of vitamin E improves antibody response and T-cell activity.  Vitamin E’s effect on the immune system is thought to be partially due to its role as an antioxidant that protects the thymus and lymphatic tissue.
- One of the great American folk remedies is the immune-stimulator echinacea, used for centuries by Native Americans to conquer colds.  Echinacea’s reputation as a substance that activates white blood cells, boosts the immune system, and short-circuits colds and other respiratory infections has made it America’s most popular healing herb.

Reference: Langer, Stephen, M.D., and Scheer, James F.  Solved: The Riddle of Illness, Second Edition.  New Canaan, CT, 1995.

I feel a civic responsibility to state some facts relating to our disposable bag use in retrospect of this recent decision.

• An organization called Progressive Bag Affiliates successfully spent 1.4 million dollars to overturn the city’s recent bag ordinance, which would have required most retail and grocery stores to charge consumers 20 cents per plastic or paper bag. It was the single largest amount of money spent on a public initiative in recent history, 15 times that of the proponents’ efforts combined.

• The opponents to the ordinance stated that we should allow people to be responsible for their own bag use and reuse. So far, Seattle has not proven to be very responsible, using 360 million disposable bags a year and recycling only 5.2 percent of its plastic bags.

• Right now, according to The Independent, a “plastic soup” of waste, which is growing “at an alarming rate”, and now at least twice the size of Texas, is floating around the Pacific Ocean. [See this video from Oprah Winfrey]

• Paper bag production, requiring the milling of trees and more fossil fuel, is actually worse on the environment than that of plastic bags.

If only the “Reduce, Re-use, Recycle” campaign had been successful, and Seattle residents had truly been “responsible”, the bag tax would not even have been on the agenda, and all that money wouldn’t have been spent trying to protect commercial interests. In fact, I see many ways it could have actually benefited public health, freedom, and welfare. But corporate public relations experts, such as those at Progressive Bag Affiliates have really mastered their ability to convince us that what’s good for them is ultimately good for us.

While  working in the Seattle neighborhood of Leschi I walked around an abandoned corner lot. There was broken-down house on it that was boarded up and fenced in. As I walked by the lot I noticed a few things that set me in a dreamy mood. Lining the chain link fence were several rose bushes blooming in bold pink. Growing in a rock ravaged pile  were several globe artichoke plants, towering and in bloom. As I continued in awe down the sidewalk a sweet musky fragrance wafted my way. I looked up on the big soft leaves of a fig tree, full of fruit–some had let go already and become a pink smear underfoot. It was such a lovely juxtaposition to witness. Since then I’ve noticed fruit laden shrubs spilling on to the sidewalk in the central district–salmonberries, gooseberries, white red and purple. several fiery shades of plums and the purple kind that are pastel purple and blue. I passed by thick downy plots of borage in full bloom–which I haven’t seen along the sidewalk here before. Calendula abounds as well as Himalayan blackberry. I was touched when I passed a home that had obviously cultivated their  curbside patch of blackberries– allowing them to  grow tall and thick in a 2×4 ft area– enough to hang over the sidewalk as an offering for the tempted passerby. Another abandoned home  had apples spilling onto the roof -layers lying in the grass– tiny yellow plums mottled the sidewalk and exuded a intensely tart and balmy aroma. This time of year is all about the bursting of fruits and flowers and smells and color — a sensual abundance overload-soak it up!

Roses have been on my mind.  I have just been loving something about rose.  As I have been reformulating the tea blends we package here at Rainbow, I find myself wanting to add some rose petals nearly every time.  I also ran across an old journal of mine from during one of my pregnancies…I had written about roses, I was loving them then too, maybe why I added a touch to the Nursing Mother’s Tea.  After all the roses in my mind, it felt fitting to have rose be my first single herb tea to drink for a bit…get it in my body and see how it felt.

I found a source for organic rose petals, so happy about that.  They are currently $3.15/oz.  The petals are a very dark pink and smell  amazing.   My first cup of rose tea was while here at work.  By happenstance I picked up a white tea mug (I’ll tell you why that is important later) and filled one of our disposable paper tea bags (by Finum) with about 2 Tbsp of rose petals.   After pouring hot water over the tea bag, into the cup, it immediately began to infuse the water with a delicate pink tone.  Oh and there is why the white cup is key…it really allows you to see the beautiful colors change and for me, totally enhanced my tea drinking experience.  It was exciting, I know…I really thought about that word choice, exciting…but it does fit, I was excited about the color of this tea and it showed up as all warm and fuzzy and big in my heart area.  After a few minutes the color changes to a pink/orange-ish color…as the rose petals, still in the paper tea bag, turn from their dark pink to a pale white pink. The aroma of the tea is like sticking your nose right in the jar of dried rose petals.  I swear, I don’t think it changed a bit.  The taste is pleasant and subtle.    The taste took my mind to that rose garden in Woodland Park Zoo.  The tea and that garden both bring up this whole Victorian vibe in me.  Not something I am accustomed to feeling in this modern city…unless you go to said rose garden in Woodland Park.  What a beautiful and serene place…takes me right out of Seattle and into a fantasy world where I expect to see characters from Alice in Wonderland popping by.  I was just there yesterday and fell in love with it all over again.  This time of year is when everything is in bloom.  I highly suggest a trip there…bring a cup of rose tea, I was wishing I had mine.

Another tea time, I steeped the rose petals in my metal tea cup with strainer.  The taste was just not the same.  It was slightly bitter and had this strange, sorta numb feeling in my mouth.  I was trying to remember, did I just brush my teeth?  (see, i have three loud active kids…for me it can be easy to forget whether I just brushed my teeth or not)  You know how things taste and feel weird in your mouth after you brush your teeth?  I didn’t even finish the cup…so my recommendation, do not brew rose petals in metal.

I have to say I have felt inspired to be more loving to myself these past two weeks, to take better care of my body and spirit.  Could be coincidence.  Could be the rose infusing my heart with self-love.  Whatever it is, it’s feeling good.