blog

How to Prevent Flu

It is that time of year when everyone you know is fighting the flu.  So what can we do to prevent it?  It comes down to some basic principles and simple remedies to have on hand.

To avoid flu first off it is most important to get enough rest, relaxation and a good natural foods diet.  Making sure our schedules aren’t too filled with activities, especially for young ones this is important as they are growing and need their rest.  Children 6-11 years old need at least 10 hours of sleep a night!  Sometimes more if they are being particularly active or having a growth spurt.  So, making sure they are getting their sleep is super important.

By natural foods diet this means eating with the season, not too many sugary juices or fruits,  more soups, squashes and whole grains, and making sure they are drinking enough water.  Sugar can be a tricky one, but try and eliminate the concentrated sugars as they can really suppress the immune system.  Herbs to add to foods for this time of year are cinnamon, ginger, garlic and Elderberry.  Elderberry is a great one as most kids love to take Elderberry Syrup as it tastes so good and is an excellent preventative for viruses, there are also some great chewable varieties available now too.  Also having a multi-vitamin is a good idea this time of year especially one with Zinc and Vitamin D3.

Finally if you do end up getting the flu, drink plenty of liquids, rest and a fantastic tea is a combination peppermint, yarrow and elder flowers, equal parts and drink freely.

Heres to staying well!

‘Make Tea Not War’

Making tea can become a meditative ritual as well as relaxing and rejuvenating.  For me it helps me to slow down and focus on what I am about to do, and become more present in the moment…
read more

Autumn

Autumn is here, the time of harvest and a time to pull inward.  As we gather together on all levels, storing food; warm clothing; and planning for all the winter activities, it is a good time to assess where you are in your mental and physical health.  It is my hope to give you some thoughts and ideas of how to look after yourself during this transition to make it more pleasurable and healing.
read more

Herbal Vinegars

Herbal Vinegars are a wonderful and healthy way to use all those fresh herbs growing in the garden or out in your backyard.  It is said that Hippocrates, the father of western medicine, relied on two things to keep healthy:  honey and apple cider vinegar!  Apple Cider Vinegar on its own has many health benefits, such as enhancing metabolism; tonifying digestion; regulating the acid/alkaline balance of the body, clearing the skin and helps to build the bones.  A lot of the older food type remedies which were fermented are being found to have immense nutritional and health value, such as yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha as well as vinegar.
read more

Spring Equinox

Spring Equinox is when the tilt of the Earth’s axis is neither away form or towards the Sun, the center of the Sun being on the same plane as the Earth’s equator.  In ancient Pagan and European practice this was a time when the Sun was returning to it’s fullest height and life was celebrated as the plants returned with the warmth of the sun.

read more

Allergy Season

Springtime is here and for some of us that means the onset of sneezing, wheezing and puffy eyes.  Allergies are an immune system response to a foreign substance, such as pollen, chemicals, mold, etc.  It is not completely understood why some people have allergies and some not and why some people have spent their lives allergy free and then one year develop them.  Up to 1 in 4 people suffer from allergies and the U.S. is thought to spend up to $18 Billion per year on OTC medicines on allergy symptom relief, which have their place but can have side effects such as drowsiness and depression and are costly.  A more holistic approach to healing could have more long lasting effects and cost a lot less!

read more

Phytonica on ‘The Doctors TV Show’

Phytonica is so excited to announce their first appearance on tv!  One of our first Spas to carry the Arnica Action Oil is One Steamboat Place up in Steamboat Springs, and their Spa Director, Erica Louis, was invited onto the tv show The Doctors.  The episode was all about Heat Therapies.

One Steamboat Place is one of the only Spas to offer the HAY treatment:

read more

Winter Pick Me Up

Winter is a wonderful time to cook and experiment with new recipes.  It is -8 F outside and I was feeling a little dry in my skin and hair, so decided to make it spa day and wanted to share these simple recipes that you can easily make at home.  The wonderful thing about ‘natural’ skin care that I learned early on, is that we can use very simple ingredients such as almonds, vinegar and honey and voila you have a face mask!

read more

Aromatherapy Self-Massage with Herbal Oils

The benefits of self-massage are many.  We do not always have the luxury of having someone to give us a massage and yet it is so good for us, so why not do it ourselves!  Aromatherapy self-massage is truly about promoting health.  This idea of nurturing our bodies with herbs and healing touch to help support our body/mind cope with all of the modern day stressors is key to staying vibrant and healthy.
read more

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice is the darkest day of the year, and this year we will have a full moon, lunar eclipse, so it will be even darker! This is a time for going inward, and as we are withdrawn inside, the inner realms expand.  The world of Spirit, imagination, dreamtime and as the outside is so dark, it allows our true inner light to shine at it’s brightest.  The solstice was thought to be the Sun’s Birthday as it is the longest night of all the year, the next day is the return of the Sun.  The traditions of Yuletide and Christmas show us  this with all of the lights, decorations and the celebration of life as we move into the next cycle.

read more

Earth Element

It is the season in the five-element tradition of Earth, the time of harvest, reaping what you have sown through the spring and summer.  This is a time when we move from the Yang energy of summer to the Yin energy of fall and winter.

“The days shorten, and evenings are heavy with humid haze.  The flowers, which were ablaze yesterday, are today drab and fading, their colors mottled and dull after the bloom of summer has left them.  It is like the end of a wonderful party when everything is just losing its sparkle and the proper time has come to bring things to an end.” ~ JR Worsley

read more

Back to School

Well, the time is here…packed lunches, homework, parents meetings, friends, schedule, etc.  I always find it a little tricky to transition from the lovely summer schedule of no schedule into school time where we have to get up early, be on time, etc.  This requires a little more attention and focus.  It is important for parents and children to get this time right so there is plenty of support, rest and nourishment to deal with all the new people, activity and surroundings.  There is also the hope that this will keep kids healthy and strong and less likely to get ill in the fall.
read more

Topical uses of St. John’s Wort

St. John’s Wort

St. Johns Wort, Hypericum perforatum, has been well known for it’s anti-depressant action in recent years.  It being an w wonderful herb for people who need to relieve some mild-depression or anxiety.  Most people are unaware of it’s topical uses and how effective it is in this form.  St. John’s wort contains flavonoids and hypericins (which are responsible for the anti-depressant action), and when used topically has this wonderful rich red color.
read more

Summer Solstice and The Fire Element

This is the time of Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, when the Sun reaches it’s peak  fulfillment and changes direction and begins waning in energy.  In Nature everything is peaking, leaves are out on the trees, flowers in full bloom, and the crops are established.  It is a time to enjoy what one has, as our cups are full.  This is a time of transformation, the Sun is considered to be the energy that transforms the destructive forces with the light of truth.  A good time to look at what brings you fulfillment in life and how it can transform you to be a better person.
read more

Summer Spritzer

Here is a wonderful summer drink made with both fresh and dried herbs to help keep you cool during the hot days of summer!

Ingredients:

2 sprigs fresh lemon balm

2 sprigs fresh spearmint

1 tbsp dried licorice root

2 tbsp dried hibiscus flowers

1 cup of organic apple juice

1 cup sparkling mineral water

1/2 lemon or lime

Take the fresh herbs, wash and chop lightly to get more surface area and put all the herbs in a large glass jar (about 3 pints) and add freshly boiled water, let sit for about 15 minutes.  Strain into a clean jug (careful it’s still hot!) and let cool completely in the refrigerator.  When cool add the apple and lemon/lime juice with the sparkling water and serve over ice.  You now have an incredibly refreshing, cooling and calming summer time drink to enjoy and share with family and friends!

Melissa officinalis – Lemon Balm

Melissa officinalis or Lemon balm is a member of the mint family.   Originally from the Mediterranean, it now grows all through Europe.  The Arabs were the first to recognize it’s virtues, using it for melancholy, mental illness and epilepsy.  Paracelsus said that ‘the essence of balm given in wine every morning will renew youth, strengthen the brain, relieve languishing nature and prevent baldness’.  The name Melissa is Greek for ‘Honey Bee’, relating to why beekeepers will rub their hives to attract the bees.
read more

Spring Cleansing

Spring Cleansing

Spring is a time of new beginnings, life is moving up from the earth, sprouting up towards the new found sun. Traditionally this was a time when all of the stored food was no longer available and people had to naturally fast until the new crops or harvested food could be eaten. Living with the cycles of the earth they perhaps lived a more balanced, in-tune lifestyle. During the winter there would have been a lot of meat, fats and rich foods eaten and the first greens of the spring would of naturally helped the body cleanse itself of this diet, adding highly active nutrients and minerals to refresh and rejuvenate the body.
read more

Yoga and Arnica Action Oil

Yoga and self-massage provide excellent practice in slowing down, we become aware of and reconnect with our bodies; through this awareness we are often reminded of an old injury, such as a stiff neck or places we hold tension. It would seem obvious that as one makes contact with the vessel that bears these burdens, anything that enhances this healing is most certainly warranted. Arnica action oil brings additional benefit to people who practice yoga by bringing them closer to their core being. Yoga means union, union of movement and breath, union of mind and body, union of muscle and bone, union of thought and action and with arnica action oil it can bring union of plants and humans.

read more

What is a Medical Herbalist?

The modern Medical Herbalist combines traditional knowledge with the latest discoveries of scientific research.  A holistic approach is taken wherein therapy is individually tailored to meet each patient’s specific requirements. The nutrients and energy of the plants are used to improve the capability to deal with stress, maintain the body’s immunity and increase vitality in order to meet life’s many challenges.
read more

Wood

According to the five elements we are entering the phase of Wood.  The time of spring when life is rising up and beginning to move again.  In order for the Wood element to flow naturally, here are some guidelines:

• chi guides the flow of fluids and nourishment; so we have to keep the chi flowing by keeping the body moving.  Exercise, dance, walk, run, take up a practice like martial arts or yoga.
• Eat moderately and add more raw foods to your diet.  Raw food has more chi and stimulates our chi.
• Add sour/bitter foods:  vinegar, lemon, quinoa, romaine lettuce, dandelion greens, watercress.
• Avoid saturated fats, intoxicants, chemicals/pesticides and processed foods.
• Awareness of emotional state and letting go of old stored emotional patterns.
• Get out in nature and observe spring coming to life!

Benefits of Arnica Action Oil

Phytonica started with the production of the Arnica Action Oil (AAO) the formulation was developed for Helen’s partner, Stephen Joffe, a world champion Thai Boxer, at this time his martial arts students used AAO to help them recover faster from their intensive training regimes. From this application the benefits of the use of our therapeutic grade product, held for all was clearly evident.

Arnica Action Oil is a combination of Arnica and St. John’s wort flowers infused in Almond and Olive Oil with a specific blend of essential oils of Lavender, Ginger, Juniper, Sage and Rosemary. All concentrations have been formulated according to European safety standards, the Oil can be used for children and pets.

read more

Herbal Medicine

Herbal Medicine is using whole plants to help restore balance and health with less side effects.

Phytonica’s objective is to aid people in their quest for optimum health by restoring balance and supporting the natural healing process utilizing clinically effective plant based medicines.

Phytonica’s name comes from Phyto which means plant and Tonic which means invigorating medicine, this helps to define Phytonica’s slogan: “the energy of life from plants”.