The Pagan Heart
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November-December 2005 Issue
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Spoil Me...Please Recipes
Fighting Off the Winter All the celebrating at winter can lead to some uncomfortable issues. Dry skin, flaky scalps, upset tummies, stuffy noses, and bad breath being just a few of the by-products of all the food, the winter chill, and the heated air-conditioning indoors! Here are a number of home remedies to help you enjoy your holiday.
With winter comes shorter days. The reduced sunlight and overcast skies can bring us down emotionally and leaving us prone to bouts of SAD. A simple remedy to help combat winter depression is increasing your dairy consumption. SAD is partially caused by the lack of sunlight, and the body clock falling out of synch with the sun's rhythm. Milk contains soltriol (a form of Vitamin D) which may trigger the release of mood-boosting hormones that can keep us tuned into the sun's natural rhythm, and this aids in fighting SAD
Stuffy noses, head colds, runny eyes - all part and parcel of winter time and very very annoying. How can you enjoy all the fragrant aromas of the Solstice dinner with all the trimmings if your nose is all blocked up and your throat all raw? Truthfully, you can't. Unfortunately, we haven't yet found a cure for the common cold - the best bet is to boost your immune system with healthy foods, stay warm but not overheated, ensure the air in the house gets freshened periodically by opening up a door or two, and drink lots of water. As for the symptoms, there are some things you can do to combat those. A stuffy nose arises when an irritant enflames the sinus tissues - they get all swollen and blocked up. This can - in turn - affect the ears and your balance, the mouth and taste, and the throat. The easiest way to work on a stuffed nose is to make it run - yes, I know that's an icky thought, but at least the germs and mucus are then leaving your body. It also helps to clear out any irritants in your nasal passages contributing to the stuffiness, such as dried mucus. So grab an onion, slice it open, and hold it up to your face. I know that sounds horrid, but it really works quickly. It's the principle behind menthol lozenges - irritate the nasal passages to unblock the sinuses - and it's a lot quicker. Once your nose is unblocked, use eucalyptus oil (in a burner) to keep it that way. And eat hot spicy foods. What better excuse to dig into a tasty Thai curry? The hot spices have an added benefit - in your congested state your sense of taste is greatly reduced and most foods taste bland. This often leads to a disinclination to eat. Digging into a hot and spicy chicken soup however offers flavours your poor palate can appreciate. The other thing I recommend is saline for the sinuses. While it won't clear up the congestion in and of itself, it does provide soothing relief (especially if you chill it first) and it helps kill the nasty bugs and wash out the gunk. This in itself will alleviate some of the congestion.
Mix the ingredients together and use a dropper to squirt a few drops up each nostril whenever needed. If you have a very congested head and are totally stuffed and glugged up, you may need to really clean out the sinuses. Start by mixing up a double batch, warm it to blood temp, lie down on a bed your side with your head over the edge, and gently drip saline into one nostril, allowing it to drain through the other and your mouth. Once you have dripped half the batch through one nostril, roll over and repeat on the other side. This will thoroughly flush out the sinus cavities. Sounds disgusting, I know. But this is very effective - it's called a neti. And if your sinuses get that bad, this will not seem anywhere near as unpleasant as it sounds right now.
Now that your nose is functioning, what about your stomach? All the rich food and overindulging of the season can cause a fair amount of discomfit. Get in the habit of having a plate of herbs at the table - aside from looking and smelling pretty, they provide a tasty way of settling the stomach and promoting digestion post-meal. Parsley, basil, mint, carraway, and anise seeds are all good ones to use. Aside from helping settle the stomach, they also help clean the breath. All that dairy, fatty food, and sugar will lead to a build up of nasty plaque and make your breath a little less than fragrant. Try and boost your fresh fruit and vegetable consumption, and keep up the water. Hard to remember to do in the middle of winter when faced with traditional roasts and such. Minty-Rosemary Mouthwash Talking of breath fresheners, why not whip up a batch?
Boil the water, add the mint, rosemary, and anise, and steep for 20 minutes. Cool, strain, and then add the myrrh - store in the fridge.
Of course what would any winter herbal advice be without something for the skin and hair? Dry and lifeless is not the look. With the constant exposure to dry heated air and chilly winds, hands suffer a lot. An old tried and true remedy is to rub in two thin coats of rich moisturiser, and then slip on a pair of cotton gloves before bedtime. You can also massage a drop of olive oil into each nail, cuticle, and fingertip to condition and protect your nails from becoming brittle.
Blend the first three ingredients together and slather generously over the hands. Leave on for 15 minutes and then rinse clean. Smooth on a thin layer of the emollient cream afterwards. The avocado mixture sloughs off dead skin cells while also moisturing.
To help fight winter dandruff and condition hair, why not mix up this simple potion? Boil four cups of water with eight large tablespoons of dried thyme for 10 minutes. Strain and cool. Use a quarter to rinse hair after a shampoo and rinse. Don't wash out and don't condition. Instead follow it up with:
Mix the ingredients thoroughly. Place a drop on the fingertip and gently massage into the scalp where needed. Use a comb to part hair into 1-inch portions and work from hairline back across scalp. This will alleviate dry, tight skin, itching, and flaking. I find it works best if used after washing hair and towelling dry. After massaging it into scalp, comb it through hair and then dry and style as usual. |
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