The winter season often brings with it an old deep impulse to go dormant and hibernate. We work more comfortably with these seasonal rhythms by nourishing our selves & our families with yummy seasonal foods. While spring and summer are active times (at least here in the Northern Hemisphere) for movement and cleansing - think salads, watermelons, cucumbers and cold soups, winter calls for foods that warm, nourish and mineralize our bodies, such as soups, stews, dense foods and baked goods.

Drinking Red Raspberry Leaf tea is one thing a pregnant mama can do that nourishes her uterus, her baby, and her immune system all at the same time! Many of us midwives suggest that at the top of your list would be drinking red raspberry tea infusion throughout pregnancy, and especially during the third trimester and after birth!

Historically, pregnancy tea has been safely used by herbalists and midwives for nourishing all aspects of pregnancy, birth & postpartum for generations. And, contrary to internet dogma, red raspberry is most recommended to help PREVENT miscarriage, not cause it. (See my previous blog on red raspberry for more information and references.) This infusion is tasty, and nourishing for the whole family!

Flower remedies are a type of natural remedy rooted in balancing emotional states with the use of flower dilutions, in a similar fashion as the micro-dosing of homeopathy. Pine is one of Bach’s original 38 essences, it nurtures the positive states of self-acceptance, self-forgiveness, and the release of excessive guilt and misery.

….Long long ago, in the time before 'The Pandemic’, you may recall that there was just being “sick.” This blog speaks to the good, old-fashioned practical approach to support our healthy immune state. This is helpful to resist and recover from all kinds of illnesses. As always, don’t hesitate to consult with your own trusted health care experts. Let's talk about how to hold on to your health, even when you're being continuously exposed to 'what's going around'.

Even though many physicians routinely suggest giving over-the-counter meds like Tylenol to bring down a fever, the body’s defense system remains inactive when the fever is artificially suppressed. This means that treating a fever with acetaminophen (Tylenol) may actually lengthen the illness! Luckily there are natural approaches that help the body with its heat without nullifying the fever benefits. The following technique, lemon leg wraps, is astounding.

Dying is a topic most people vigorously avoid, until they can’t. We’ve found that many natural modalities, such as essential oils & flower remedies, bring comfort & relief to the entire range of life experiences, including dying. And, as a midwife who's personally gone through a number of up-close family deaths, I can say, gently, that there is indeed healing & wholeness to being present in the dying, as well as in the birthing that's usually my focus.

Hand, Foot and Mouth disease spreads easily through day care centers and kindergarten classes. It brings great misery to families, is highly contagious, and can be hazardous to the immune-compromised. Let’s review it’s symptoms and typical course, which will help you choose your best natural, therapeutic response

Throughout time, each culture and most religions have had their own methods of purifying a space, sick room, or temple. Clearing your new house before you move in is a way of releasing it’s past, and starting with a sort of “clean slate” for the future. Clearing your house, in your own way, supports the presence of your home in being a nurturing haven for your family. There are many ways to cleanse a space. And, there is no exact recipe or perfect way to do this. The intention is to invoke clearing, cleansing, and release.

Our modern palate has little idea of how special cabbage has been through the ages, how its mild flavor and crisp texture is wonderfully adaptable, and how beyond brilliant it is for our health. Cabbage is rich in a number of really healthy nutrients, such as vitamin C, sulforaphane, indole-3-carinol (I3C), and Vitamin K. I reinvent this cabbage recipe a few times a year. It checks a lot of boxes for me – it feels warming in cool weather, cooling in hot weather, a little exotic when I’m wanting carry-out, and healthy when I’m trying to stay on track.

Canker sores are small mouth lesions that unfortunately cause great pain! They often last a few weeks, but here are many approaches that you can add to your family’s ‘natural medicine chest’ to ease the pain, speed healing and prevent reoccurrence.