Tag: Simple Living

Herbal Remedies

Making Medicinal Teas

Kristine

Updated March 1, 2022

“Herb teas, properly prepared, are warming and soothing to the soul. They provide essential medicinal qualities and healing energy. Preparing and drinking herb teas involves us in the personal process of healing and teaches us to be conscious of the role we each play in our well-being,” says herbalist, Rosemary Gladstar.

Certainly, herbal teas are an important part of boosting and maintaining health. If you’re new to herbalism, they are a great way to get started. Making tea is one of the simplest and most inexpensive ways to prepare herbs medicinally. There is no complicated equipment or processing required. In fact, you probably already have all the tools you need in your kitchen.

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Healthy Living, Non-Toxic Home

Improving Indoor Air Quality with Houseplants

Kristine

 Did you know that many of the synthetic building materials used in building and furnishing newer buildings are known to emit toxic compounds, including formaldehyde?

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), most indoor air pollution comes from sources that are inside of the building. These chemicals, called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), can cause acute reactions at low to moderate levels of exposure and serious health issues in people who are exposed to high levels.  VOCs are most commonly released from things like adhesives, carpeting, upholstery, man-made wood products, copy machines, cleaning products, and pesticides. This problem is compounded by the fact that most newer buildings are constructed to be as airtight as possible to conserve energy used on heating and cooling the building. Thus, pollutants are trapped inside and have little opportunity to dissipate outside.

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Main Dish, Recipes

Spicy Nettle & Tofu Soup

Kristine
Updated February 26, 2022

This past winter was long and cold — as Midwest winters often are. To cope, I cooked a lot of soup for about five months straight. Now that the weather has been warmer, I have been taking a break from this comforting dish. But, some chillier temps and cool spring rains have had me craving a warm bowl of soup again.

This light, spicy soup utilizes one of my favorite foraged springtime greens, nettle. Fresh nettle greens are quite delicious and extremely nutritious. But, if you don’t have any or don’t know where to get them, you can substitute any other spring greens you have on hand, like spinach, chard, collards or kale.

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Healthy Living, Holistic Healing

Natural Relief from Spring Allergies 

Kristine

Updated May 20, 2022

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, April showers and May flowers can bring you a lot of discomfort. And you aren’t alone. Hay fever (an allergy to mold or pollen) affects 30 to 60 million people nationwide each year.

Springtime is especially rough for sufferers since this is when trees are beginning to produce pollen. Additionally, all those spring showers, especially those accompanied by warmer temperatures, encourage mold growth. Spring breezes worsen the problem further by carrying these allergens far and wide.

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