Seeking Joyful Simplicity

Your best life after 40 - living with purpose and vibrant health. Empowering you with a holistic approach: nourishing foods, herbal remedies, and self-care to reduce overwhelm, manage your weight, and enjoy vibrant health in your 40's, 50's, and beyond.

Seeking Joyful Simplicity

Easy Fermented Garlic and 5 Recipes

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The humble garlic offers powerful health benefits including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties to combat colds and flu, and much more. Fermenting garlic adds healthy probiotics and offers even greater protective benefits. Making fermented garlic is really simple and here are five easy and delicious recipes for using your homemade, probiotic-rich garlic

The humble garlic offers powerful health benefits including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties to combat colds and flu, and much more. Fermenting garlic adds healthy probiotics and offers even greater protective benefits. Making fermented garlic is really simple and here are five easy and delicious recipes for using your homemade, probiotic-rich garlic..

Garlic – Delicious Medicine

The humble garlic offers powerful health benefits including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties to combat colds and flu, and much more. Fermenting garlic adds healthy probiotics and offers even greater protective benefits. Making fermented garlic is really simple and here are five easy and delicious recipes for using your homemade, probiotic-rich garlic.

Health benefits of garlic: 

  • Stimulates the immune system
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Thins mucous
  • Lowers cholesterol
  • Strong Antibacterial and Antiviral properties
  • Garlic has powerful anticancer properties

Garlic truly is a powerful super-food.

Fermented Foods – Health Benefits Go Beyond the Gut

What is fermentation? Fermented foods are foods that have been through a process where natural bacteria feed on the sugar and starch in the food creating lactic acid (lactofermentation). This process preserves the food, and creates beneficial enzymes, as well as adding probiotics.

Historically, diets worldwide were rich in fermented foods – a process that occurred naturally and was used as a method of preservation. Today, our foods are produced and shipped long distances, and sterilization methods are used to keep foods safe. Unfortunately, we now consume sterile foods and we are suffering the consequences of eliminating natural sources of probiotics from our diets.

Health Benefits of Fermented Foods:

  • improved digestion and nutrient absorption
  • increased nutrient synthesis (like vitamin K)
  • improving symptoms of depression
  • reducing inflammation
  • strengthening the immune system
  • preventing pathogens from colonizing the digestive tract
  • a protective role in metabolic diseases, including diabetes and obesity

Directions – Easy to Make Fermented Garlic

Ingredients/Equipment:
Garlic
Sea salt
Water (filtered)
Glass jar
Plastic Bag

Directions:

Peel your garlic cloves and place in a glass jar
Mix 1 Tablespoon sea salt to 1 cup of water. This forms the brine.
Make enough brine to cover the garlic. Use the plastic bag filled with the sea salt brine to weigh down the garlic so it remains beneath the brine.
Ferment 1-4 weeks then cap and refrigerate. It will continue to ferment in the refrigerator, but slowly. Can be used as food and medicine.

What are some ways to use this wonderful fermented garlic?

Using fermented garlic in recipes that don’t require heat which destroys the probiotics is the best way to take advantage of your fermented garlic.

Here are my favorite fermented garlic recipes:

Garlic Butter

  • 1/2 c. butter, softened
  • 2 – 3 cloves of fermented garlic, pressed
  • sea salt and pepper, to taste

Combine ingredients and enjoy!

Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella Salad with Fermented Garlic

Combine quartered tomatoes, basil leaves, chunks of mozzarella, olive oil, and garlic cloves. Great served on bread or whole grain crackers.

Garlic Salad Dressing

  • 2 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice, or a good quality vinegar
  • 1/3 c. olive oil
  • 1/2 t. sea salt
  • 1/2 t. oregano
  • 1/2 t. basil
  • 2 cloves fermented garlic, pressed

Combine and enjoy!

Hummus Recipe

Homemade hummus is so easy and so versatile. Here is a basic recipe, but you can get endlessly creative.

  • 2 garlic cloves, mashed and roughly chopped
  • 2 15-oz cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
  • 2/3 cup of tahini
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Combine in a food processor and enjoy!

Easy Pumpkin Seed Cilantro Pesto
*See full post on Pumpkin Seed Pesto HERE

Ingredients

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
2 cups cilantro leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 clove minced fermented garlic

Instructions

Infuse the cumin and coriander in the olive oil on low/medium heat for about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and allow to cool, then add your minced garlic.
Add pumpkin seeds and cilantro leaves to blender or food processor and pulse a few times.
While blending the cilantro and pumpkin seeds, slowly add your olive oil, pausing to scrape down the sides.

Uses:
Serve on bread, pita chips, as a dip for vegetables, on grilled fish, on pasta, and mixed with cooked vegetables.

The humble garlic offers powerful health benefits including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties to combat colds and flu, and much more. Fermenting garlic adds healthy probiotics and offers even greater protective benefits. Making fermented garlic is really simple and here are five easy and delicious recipes for using your homemade, probiotic-rich garlic..

Fermented Garlic As Medicine

I sometimes take a clove of fermented garlic when I feel the first symptoms of a cold coming on. Combined with raw honey, fermented garlic is excellent at stopping or shortening the common cold. You can read more about the health benefits of garlic in Simple Foods for Cold and Flu.

These 4 Simple Foods Fight Cold and Flu – Sage, Ginger, Garlic and Honey

In Health, 
~ Michelle

Aging Gracefully or Letting Ourselves Go – What Does Aging Gracefully Really Mean?

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Women aging gracefully - with courage, joy, and authenticity. We can love our bodies, care for ourselves, support each other, enjoy our strengths, and be proud of who we are becoming. 

Women Aging Gracefully

I spent my early twenties preoccupied with the shape and size of my body. During my thirties, I was busy with raising children and finding balance between family and career. And despite the inevitable changes that come with 3 pregnancies and aging, by my early forties I had reached a happy acceptance of my body.

But already that “happy acceptance” is changing. The woman staring back at me from the mirror and photos is not someone I recognize. My mind and spirit are still young, but my body is aging. How strange to feel so disconnected from the physical changes and the body I inhabit!

Will it always be this way, my mind feeling one way, while my body takes on a new shape? And now I wonder, what does aging gracefully mean?

Defining Grace

Grace is often defined as: Smoothness and elegance of movement. Dignity. Refinement and style.

So then, if we are to age gracefully, are we to slide into old age with dignity, refinement and style? Perhaps.

But what about those of us who still carry a youthful mind and free spirit, and the words “dignity, refinement, and style” feel stuffy and confining? Hiking muddy trails, acting silly, and getting sweaty in the garden don’t seem particularly “dignified”, but certainly are part of my image of aging gracefully.

The older women I find most inspiring are those who continue to act with joyful vigor and aren’t afraid to define for themselves what aging gracefully means.

If you Google “women aging gracefully”, almost all of what you find is related to physical appearance and fashion. The youthful looking older woman is held up as our role model, as well as the fashionable older woman.

Is our appearance all that defines us as women? Where are the role models for aging women that emphasize the deeper values of personal integrity, strength of character, authenticity, self-awareness, and simple confidence? 

Loving Our Body

Can we learn to love our older bodies despite the effects of aging?

I am striving to embrace my body and honor it for how it has served me. I remind myself of how this body has given me three beautiful children, and carried me well through my 48 years on this earth. It has handled the abuse I have given it and yet continues on.

I want to care for my body – with good food, vigorous exercise, and fresh air. But there is a fine line between caring for our bodies and the battle we so often wage against ourselves.

Does my expanding waist line and wider hips mean I am not trying hard enough, or is it an inevitable result of aging and shifting hormones? Shall I exercise harder, be stricter with my nutrition, and watch my weight?

Should I accept things as they are and learn to “age gracefully“? Or does accepting these changes mean I am simply letting myself go?

Do I cling to the previous version of me, or do I embrace my new self with all the outer and inner changes that come with getting older?

Living with Authenticity

For women, we may struggle between taking care of ourselves – and becoming overly preoccupied and dissatisfied with the changes that come with getting older. Sagging boobs, weight gains and a changing body shape, hair loss (and hair in new places!), wrinkles, loose skin, age spots – there is a billion-dollar market ready to help us fix what’s wrong with us.

Ultimately, I believe to look good, we need to feel good. Feeling good requires us to take care of ourselves. No magic lotions or creams can fix poor habits of nutrition and physical activity. For us to enjoy our aging bodies, we must make self-care a priority.

We have a difficult relationship with ourselves – there is the conflict between want we should be doing, and what we are doing. Too often we become unhappy with the shape of our bodies, we lack motivation, and we fear becoming fat, dull, old women.

Can we accept our changing bodies with unconditional love, despite the negative messages our culture sends? I believe we can.

I believe that no matter what, we can carry ourselves with confidence, and dare I say, grace. We can embrace the changes that come with aging, and make them our own. We can love our bodies, care for ourselves, support each other, enjoy our strengths, and be proud of who we are becoming.

And most importantly – we can choose to live with authenticity.

Let's redefine what aging gracefully means. Does my expanding waist line and wider hips mean I am not trying hard enough, or is it an inevitable result of aging and shifting hormones? Shall I exercise harder, be stricter with my nutrition, and watch my weight? Should I accept things as they are and learn to “age gracefully“? Or does accepting these changes mean I am simply letting myself go? Do I cling to the previous version of me, or do I embrace my new self with all the outer and inner changes that come with getting older? How do you define aging gracefully?

I believe we must each define for ourselves what Aging Gracefully means, and there is no one-size-fits-all definition.

My approach to aging gracefully includes:

  • Finding a healthy balance between striving to be my best and accepting the reality of living in an older body
  • Choosing not to focus on my limitations, but instead to appreciate my strengths
  • Instead of striving for weight loss, I am staying fit
  • Instead of dieting, I am focusing on nourishing foods
  • I will not forget the value of good sleep
  • I am finding healthy ways to manage my stress
  • I am embracing my age, not hiding it
  • I am living with authenticity – with courage and joy in the woman I am today

There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age. ~ Sophia Loren

My question for you is this – How Do YOU Define Aging Gracefully? How will you take care of your changing body? Will you offer yourself compassion and acceptance?

With much affection,
~Michelle

You might also enjoy this article by Suzanne Braun Levine – Learning to Appreciate the Body You Have

Autumn Gold Tea Blend – Make Your Own Nourishing Herbal Infusion

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The herbs in this tea blend are nourishing and warming. Perfect for supporting our immune systems as we transition to the new season. This DIY fall tea blend contains the anti-inflammatory turmeric, providing health benefits and a delightful golden glow as embrace the brisk fall season. Make your own nourishing herbal infused tea and stay healthy this fall and winter.

Food and nutrition is the foundation of good health.  Herbalists always start with nourishing herbal infusions, and I drink one nearly every day. The herb combinations I use change with the seasons, and with the arrival of fall weather, I am choosing warming and immune-boosting herbs. Here are the herbs for my autumn gold tea blend and some of their benefits.

The herbs in this tea blend are nourishing and warming. Perfect for supporting our immune systems as we transition to the new season. This DIY fall tea blend contains the anti-inflammatory turmeric, providing health benefits and a delightful golden glow as embrace the brisk fall season. Make your own nourishing herbal infused tea and stay healthy this fall and winter.

*This post contains affiliate links to herbal producers I use and trust. If you purchase by clicking on these links, I may receive a small compensation, at no additional cost to you. I participate in the Amazon Services Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Thank you for supporting Seeking Joyful Simplicity.

DIY Fall Tea Blend – The Herbs

Nettle (Urtica dioica)

Nettle packs a lot of nutrition and forms the base of this nourishing tea blend. Nettle leaves are high in minerals including iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. Also high in vitamin A, vitamin K and many trace minerals, nettle is used both as food and medicine. Nettle is wonderfully nourishing and helps support healthy hair (you can read more about how nutrition and diet impacts your hair HERE.)

Spearmint (Mentha spicata)

Spearmint adds flavor, supports the digestive system and lungs, has antimicrobial properties, and increases circulation.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Lemon balm is a lovely aromatic herb with many health benefits. Studies show lemon balm has strong antiviral and antibacterial properties, offering protection from colds and flu. Lemon balm helps increase alertness, relieves anxiety, and adds a delicate lemon flavor to the blend.

Rose Hips (Rosa spp.)

Rose hips are the fruit of the rose, containing the seed. They contain more vitamin C than oranges and are believed to stimulate white blood cells, an important part of the immune response.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

There is a lot of research confirming the health benefits of turmeric, including: antibacterial and antiviral properties, powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties, and more. Studies show turmeric to be more effective than many common prescription medications.

In addition to its amazing health benefits, turmeric adds a lovely autumn gold to our tea blend, and because it stimulates the circulation, is a warming herb.

Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

Mild and sweet, the flavor of dried licorice root is nothing like the licorice candy. Licorice root is underappreciated for its well-documented and powerful medicinal properties, including: adaptogen, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and expectorant.

*Licorice root can cause adverse side effects and interfere with some prescription medications. It is recommended to limit the use of licorice root to small amounts for short periods to avoid side effects. (Do not use licorice root daily for more than four weeks duration).

Assembling Your Tea

Purchasing dried herbs in bulk is the most economical way to work with herbal remedies (when you can’t grow your own.) These dried herbs can be used individually, or combined for tea blends, and you can use them to make herbal tinctures, oils, honeys, and vinegars. I recommend Frontier and Starwest Botanical brands. You can order both of these brands online through Amazon.

Herbal Infused Tea Blend

This tonic tea blend is a beautiful autumn gold and offers nourishing and warming herbs to keep you warm and healthy.

“Parts” can be whatever measurement you prefer – teaspoon, tablespoon, ounces, or grams. I made 1/2 quart of dried tea mix with this recipe using Tablespoons as my measurement. I then use 1 tablespoon of tea combined with 8-ounces of water for tea making.

Ingredients:

4 parts Nettle
3 parts Spearmint  leaf
3 parts Lemon Balm
1 part Rose Hips
1 part dried Turmeric
1/2 part dried Licorice Root

Directions:

To make your tea blend, combine the dried herbs in a glass mason jar with a lid and store. To brew, add 1 tablespoon of tea blend and steep with 8 ounces of water for 10 minutes.

This would make a lovely homemade gift to share with friends and family.

If you have any questions, let me know!
~ Michelle

For more on staying healthy using food as medicine:

These 4 Simple Foods Fight Cold and Flu – Sage, Ginger, Garlic and Honey

Health Benefits of Turmeric

4 Herbal Remedies for Stress – Finding Relief from Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

These 4 Simple Foods Fight Cold and Flu – Sage, Ginger, Garlic and Honey

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Marketing and commercialization by the pharmaceutical and health food industries tries to convince us that taking responsibility for our health is difficult. We are encouraged to buy expensive products and to rely on the “experts” to guide us in our choices.

Treating our colds and flu at home doesn’t require complicated recipes or difficult to obtain and expensive ingredients. We can use simple foods for cold and flu. Combing raw honey with garlic, ginger, and sage makes an effective and great-tasting medicine for the entire family.

Treating our colds and flu at home doesn’t require complicated recipes or difficult to obtain and expensive ingredients. We can use simple foods for cold and flu. Combing raw honey with garlic, ginger, and sage makes an effective and great-tasting medicine for the entire family.

The content on this site may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. SeekingJoyfulSimplicity.com is a participant in the Amazon Services Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Thank you for you for supporting Seeking Joyful Simplicity. ~ Michelle

Traditional Foods as Medicine

When you feel yourself with the beginning of a cold, there are some simple things you can do without turning to  store-bought medicines or remedies. Many of our common kitchen ingredients have been used for thousands of years as both food and medicine.

In our modern world of medicine today, the pharmaceutical industry continues to churn out “new” and “improved” medicines for us to buy, and bombard us with advertising, and the FDA regularly recalls drugs discovered to cause harm.

But we can rely on simple foods that connect us to the earth and our ancestors. We can use the remedies that have been available through the generations. Research is confirming these foods as powerfully effective in supporting our immune systems and keeping us healthy.

Four Simple Foods for Cold and Flu

  1. Raw Honey
  2. Sage
  3. Fresh Ginger
  4. Fresh Garlic

There are so many foods that support our health, but I chose these four because:

  • They are have a long history of use as medicine
  • Are easy to obtain
  • Have extensive research confirming they are incredibly effective
  • They taste great!

These four foods are effective medicine when used alone, but work even better together. Synergistically, these foods fight colds and flu by:

  • Destroying the bacteria and viruses that make us sick
  • Stimulating our immune system (such as increasing white blood cells)
  • Preventing viruses from reproducing, essentially stopping a cold or flu in its tracks

Sometimes when we use food as medicine, we need more than we can comfortably consume. Medicinal honey is a great way to enjoy the nourishing and healing properties of plant medicines, and honey is an excellent way to pull and concentrate the medicinal properties in the plants. Using good quality local honey, we can enjoy the medicine of the plants and the medicine of the honey.

Treating our colds and flu at home doesn’t require complicated recipes or difficult to obtain and expensive ingredients. We can use simple foods for cold and flu. Combing raw honey with garlic, ginger, and sage makes an effective and great-tasting medicine for the entire family.

Benefits of Raw Honey

The World Health Organization (WHO) lists honey as a demulcent, which means it is a substance that soothes dry, irritated membranes. Honey is effective for soothing coughs and sore throats, and it has antimicrobial properties (nature’s way of preserving the honey for the bees!) These antimicrobial properties help us fight the cold and flu viruses.

Honey is an excellent way to extract and preserve the medicinal properties of the plants. And the great taste helps us take the medicine we need.

But beware, most “honey” sold in grocery stores is highly processed, meaning the honey is heated to such a high temperature that all the medicinal qualities are destroyed. In addition to this heating process, the “honey” is diluted with water, corn syrup, and often found to be contaminated with chemicals and heavy metals.

Sadly, most of the large national honey distributors import honey from countries with poor quality standards, and the FDA is unable (or perhaps unwilling) to test more than a very small percentage of the honey industry. *If this disturbs you, and you want to learn more, this is an excellent resource.

Your best choice is to buy organic honey from a trusted source, or better yet, buy local raw honey. Raw honey does cost more, but when making medicine for ourselves and our families, using raw honey is essential.

Raw honey can be used to make some truly indulgent infused honeys. Consider indulging yourself with rose honey, lavender honey, mint honey, and more! Check out my herbal honey recipes – Herbal Infused Honeys .

Benefits of Sage

Treating our colds and flu at home doesn’t require complicated recipes or difficult to obtain and expensive ingredients. We can use simple foods for cold and flu. Combing raw honey with garlic, ginger, and sage makes an effective and great-tasting medicine for the entire family.

 

Sage is a plant used as food and many kinds of medicine for thousands of years. For colds and flu, sage kills the virus and bacteria responsible for our respiratory infections, relieves our cough and sore throats, and because sage has astringent properties, it’s excellent for treating drippy sinus. Sage can be used alone as a tea, or as a gargle to sooth a sore throat.

Avoid medicinal amounts if you are breast-feeding (slows lactation).

Benefits of Ginger

 

Ginger is an incredibly versatile food and medicine that has been used for thousands of years. Traditional uses and current science agree that ginger has potent antibacterial and antiviral properties. Ginger also has strong anti-inflammatory properties and several large studies have shown that ginger is as effective at treating aches and pains as Ibuprofen. And by increasing circulation, ginger has a warming effect; perfect for the cold seasons.

Benefits of Garlic

Treating our colds and flu at home doesn’t require complicated recipes or difficult to obtain and expensive ingredients. We can use simple foods for cold and flu. Combing raw honey with garlic, ginger, and sage makes an effective and great-tasting medicine for the entire family.

For over 5,000 years garlic has been used as food and medicine. Garlic stimulates the immune system, helps thin mucous, and acts as an expectorant. Like ginger, garlic has anti-inflammatory compounds that help relieve the discomforts of cold and flu.

The Cooking Detective has a well-researched article on the 39 Health Benefits of Garlic. 

Avoid medicinal amounts if you’re on blood thinners or antibiotics.

Easy Steps to Making a Medicinal Honey

Click here for your easy-to-print PDF: Cold and Flu Recipe

Supplies:

Instructions: 

  1. Fill a clean, dry jar 1/3 to 1/2 full with loosely chopped sage, ginger, and garlic.
  2. Cover ingredients with honey, stirring lightly to remove air bubbles.
  3. Add more honey as needed to completely cover the herbs.
  4. Cover and allow to infuse. The longer you leave it, the stronger the flavor. You can use within a few days, but I like to give mine a week before straining into a clean jar.

You don’t have to strain the honey, but I prefer to strain mine for a smooth honey and take it by the spoonful.

Dosing:

During acute illness:

  • Adults – 1 teaspoon every 2 hours up to 10 doses daily
  • Children over 1 year – 1/2 teaspoon every 2 hours up to 5 doses daily.

Summary

When I think about making medicine at home for myself and my family, I want to keep it simple and accessible. I have used these simple plant medicines, and I see how well they work. Unlike the store-bought cold medicines which simply suppress our cold and flu symptoms, the plant medicines work deep, supporting and strengthening our body’s immune system.

I’m excited to share this simple traditional medicine with you. I encourage you to give it a try, and let me know how it works for you! And don’t forget to share this with others.

Do you have a traditional remedy for colds and flu? Maybe something shared in your family?

~ Michelle

Here are some more of my favorite homemade remedies:

Honey-Vinegar Cough Medicine

Easy Fermented Garlic and 5 Recipes

 

 

Please Note: the information provided here is not intended to replace professional medical advice and care. It is simply my perspective for you to consider as you make good choices for you and your family’s health. Seek the support and care of a physician and/or complementary care practitioner you trust, and above all, listen to and trust in yourself. Be well!

Natural Remedies for Joint Pain – Using Herbs, Diet, Essential Oils

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Painful joints can have such a devastating effect on the quality of our lives and make us feel much older than our chronological age. Living with vibrant health requires good self-care, but it can be hard to stay motivated when we are experiencing pain on a daily basis. Although there are many causes for joint pain, reducing joint pain naturally with diet and herbs can offer significant relief.

There is a surprising amount of research supporting the use of herbs, supplements, essential oils and dietary changes for reducing arthritis and joint pain.

Natural Remedies for Joint Pain

Diet and Joint Pain

Making adjustments in our diet can lead to significant relief for most types of joint pain. Focus on reducing foods that increase inflammation, and include more antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables to reduce and soothe inflammation.

Eating well doesn’t have to be restrictive, or difficult. It’s all about finding a healthy balance that works for you. Pay attention to the signals your body sends.

Reduce inflammatory foods

  • Simple sugars
  • Processed foods high in omega-6 fatty acids (safflower oil, corn oil, canola oil)
  • Saturated and trans fats (processed foods)
  • Refined carbohydrates
  • Alcohol
  • Gluten and casein (for many people)

Increasing your intake of anti-inflammatory foods will help the body reduce the inflammatory response. Aim to include these in your daily and weekly meal plan: 

  • Antioxidant rich fruits – strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, elderberries, goji berries
  • Antioxidant rich vegetables –cabbage, kale, spinach, sweet potatoes, winter squash
  • Antioxidant rich herbs and spices – clove, cinnamon, turmeric, cocoa, basil, ginger, thyme
  • Homemade bone broth made using bones from grass-fed, organic beef and chicken

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties similar to ibuprofen and COX-2 inhibitors. Research in 2012 found ginger extract reduced inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis as effectively as steroids (Source). Earlier studies showed reduced osteoarthritis pain in knee and hip joints with daily supplementation for three months.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Recent research supports the use of omega-3 fatty acid supplements to reduce inflammation and joint pain (source, source).

Omega-3s block inflammatory cytokines and prostaglandins, and are converted by the body into powerful anti-inflammatory chemicals called resolvins. Taking 1,000 mg of fish oil supplements once a day for 8 weeks reduced pain and improved functioning in people suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee. And getting more omega-3s helped people with rheumatoid arthritis reduce their reliance on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Turmeric/Curcumin (Curcuma longa)

Research confirms powerful anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric.

Turmeric has a long history of use in the ancient Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine systems, and today there are thousands of peer-reviewed research articles demonstrating the health benefits of turmeric. Curcumin is the chemical in turmeric that reduces joint pain and swelling by blocking inflammatory cytokines and enzymes. Several studies using a turmeric supplement demonstrated long-term improvement in pain and function in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

You can read more about the Top 10 Health Benefits of Turmeric and here is a great Recipe for Anti-inflammatory Tea.

Capsaicin

Capsaicin is the substance responsible for the heat in hot peppers. Research has shown significant pain relief for osteo and rheumatoid arthritis with the application of capsaicin cream four times a day for two weeks. Capsaicin is available as a topical cream, gel, or patch. You can also make your own cayenne salve for pain relief. The Herbal Academy has a simple, but highly effective recipe using cayenne, ginger, and turmeric – Warming Ginger Cayenne Pain Relief Salve.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate

Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are structural components of cartilage, and help support and cushion joints. In addition, glucosamine appears to have natural anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties.

Studies on the effectiveness of these popular supplements for treating pain and swelling associated with osteoarthritis have been mixed.

Although no serious side effects have been found with taking these supplements, both glucosamine and chondroitin may interact with blood thinning drugs like warfarin (Coumadin) and should be used with caution.

Real Bone Broth

Did you know you can get both glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate from homemade bone broth? Real, homemade bone broth using (organic, grass-fed) chicken and beef bones will provide you with a great source of joint-supporting nutrients like glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, collagen, and gelatin. You can read more about the ways bone broth supports healthy joints and overall health here.

SAM-e

SAM-e acts as a pain reliever and has anti-inflammatory properties. Research shows it may stimulate cartilage growth. Studies show the use of SAM-e offers similar pain relief as NSAIDs, but without the side effects.

Evening Primrose Oil

Evening primrose oil comes from a flowering shrub native to North and South America. The seeds contain high levels of gamma-linolenic (GLA), an essential omega-6 fatty acid. Research on the use of evening primrose oil for reducing joint pain in rheumatoid arthritis is not conclusive, but there is some evidence it can reduce morning stiffness and offers anti-inflammatory benefits.

Natural remedies for reducing joint pain using herbs, essential oils, and food. Painful joints can have such a devastating effect on the quality of our lives and make us feel much older than our chronological age. Living with vibrant health requires good self-care, but it can be hard to stay motivated when we are experiencing pain on a daily basis. Although there are many causes for joint pain, reducing joint pain naturally with diet and herbs can offer significant relief.

Other Natural Remedies for Joint Pain

Epsom Salt Soaks

High in magnesium and sulfates, Epsom salts are easily absorbed through the skin to provide quick relief as they lower inflammation, reduce muscle spasms and relax tense areas.

There are two effective ways to use Epsom salts –

Add two cups of Epsom salts to warm bathwater and soak for 20 minutes, or create a compress by diluting two cups of salts into a gallon of water and soaking a towel in the salt water for several minutes. Apply the towel to the sore area and re-soak after 10 minutes.

Essential Oils for Joint Pain

Essential oils are rapidly absorbed through the skin, delivering benefits quickly.

Frankincense and Myrrh Essential Oils

The active components in both frankincense and myrrh have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties (source), and research shows the combination of frankincense and myrrh to be most effective in reducing inflammation and pain in joints.

Peppermint and Eucalyptus Essential Oils

Applying peppermint and eucalyptus oils to spots that are inflamed and swollen will help relieve heat, swelling, and discomfort (source). The cooling menthol of these oils help remove heat and discomfort as the oils are absorbed. In animal studies, these oils were able to reduce swelling and fluid retention.

Pain-relieving Remedies to Make at Home:

Click on the links for (FREE) pdf files to save or print.

Anti-inflammatory Tea

Arthritis Relief Lotion with Frankincense and Myrrh

Arthritis Massage Oil

Wishing you health and pain-free living,
~ Michelle

Please Note: the information provided here is not intended to replace professional medical advice and care. It is simply my perspective for you to consider as you make good choices for you and your family’s health. The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and maintaining health. Herbs, however, can trigger side effects and can interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, you should take herbs with care. The information provided has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not meant to diagnose any disease, nor is it intended to treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Seek the support and care of a physician and/or complementary care practitioner you trust, and above all, listen to and trust in yourself. Be well!

The Power of Gratitude (in an unhappy world)

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How to Use Gratitude to Be Happier

It can be hard to find peace and contentment in our current culture. The news is filled with violence and discord. Judgement, name-calling, and anger are a common thread in social media. And although social media and the internet are great ways to bring us together, they can also cause us to feel inadequate when we compare ourselves to others who seem so much happier, healthier, wealthier, and wise.

So often we focus on what is wrong in our lives, we forget to notice all that is right.

“If the only prayer you say in your entire life is thank you, that will be enough.” ~ Eckhart Tolle

How do we do we practice gratitude, and more importantly, how do we feel gratitude - when our world seems to be falling apart around us? How do we find gratitude when we are in pain, angry, overwhelmed, or just plain feeling miserable?

Focusing on the good in our lives, even the small things, causes a powerful mental shift. But did you know that thoughts of gratitude also affects us in a chemical way? Thinking of the many blessings in our life can alter our brain chemistry by causing a surge in the ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitters, and the more we practice gratitude, the stronger and longer-lasting the positive effects.

But how do we practice gratitude, and more importantly, how do we feel gratitude – when our world seems to be falling apart around us? How do we find gratitude when we are in pain, angry, overwhelmed, or just plain feeling miserable?

Excerpt from Oprah Winfrey’s The Wisdom of Sundays, Life-Changing Insights from Super Soul Conversations:

“I know it’s not easy to be grateful all the time, but I’ve learned that it’s when you feel the least thankful that you are most in need of what gratitude can give you: perspective.

It was Maya Angelou who taught me what she believed to be the true purpose of giving thanks. After I called her years ago, upset and in tears over what I thought someone had done to me, she stopped me mid-sob and said, ‘Stop your crying right now, and say thank you.’

I was confused and asked, ‘Why?’

‘Because,’ she said in that deep, wise, Maya Angelou voice, ‘you know God put a rainbow in every cloud. The rainbow is coming. Say thank you even though you can’t see the rainbow. It’s already there.”

How to Practice Gratitude

  • Start small. Find ONE THING you are grateful for, and then find another.
  • Start practicing gratitude by setting aside a devoted time each day to write five new things (or more) that you are grateful for.
  • Dedicate a few minutes each day to write down five new things you are grateful for – these can be small things like the sound of birds singing outside the window, or a delicious meal you enjoyed.
  • Make gratitude a practice when you are struggling with anxiety or overwhelm – when you wake in the night and your mind  won’t stop and you feel your anxiety rising – STOP and remember your gratitude.
  • Practice gratitude before you slide out of bed each morning.

How to Feel Gratitude

Our culture is hyper-focused on the negative – unfortunately, bad news is what grabs our attention and it’s what sells.

If we aren’t careful, after awhile our brains become trained to look for the negative (it’s a survival instinct.) But practicing gratitude, we start to see more of the good all around us.

Practicing gratitude affects us both physically and emotionally, and only takes a few moments. 

Don’t rush it; gratitude works best if we feel the emotion of gratefulness for the blessings in our life, big and small. 

I encourage you to work with the practice of gratitude. 

So, set your intention, make time, and start feeling the power of daily gratitude.

With affection
~ Michelle

P.S. ~ I’d love to know, have you tried practicing gratitude? How did you feel?

Designing a Life You Love