Dogs can actually catch your cold or flu. Who knew?? Like us, they can come down with a whole slew of respiratory bugs: cold viruses, flu viruses, bacterial respiratory infections such as kennel cough (Bordatella). Dogs even have a doggie-specific flu virus, “canine influenza virus” and the symptoms are similar to our own annual people version of the flu…achiness, fatigue, fever, runny nose, wet cough.
’Tis that time of year. You know… When all of your best intentions about not scarfing down mass quantities of holiday delectables go out the door. What to do when you’re at a holiday gathering and your belly is starting to bloat like a hot air balloon, but you forgot to wear stretchy pants? Well, if you planned ahead, you take out your little brown bottle of digestive herbs.
Gut health isn’t as complicated as it sounds. But a vast majority of people all over the world are plagued with stomach problems brought about by irritable or sluggish digestion, despite eating all the right stuff and exercising too. Why does this happen and what consequences can it bring about?
Wait, you might be thinking, mints can be bitter? Yup…not all mints have a lovely aroma and flavor. But this doesn’t mean they aren’t great medicine. Some of my favorite all-time herbs are bitter mints. In fact, I just processed pounds-worth of one of them, motherwort, yesterday with my herb-growing friend.
Crystals have been used for healing purposes for generations. Some crystals can aid your mental health, helping you achieve all around mental balance. Here are three crystals perfect for clearing and calming your mind (and they're really pretty too!).
Many do it yourself herbal beauty and health products start with herb-infused oils. From lip balms to massage oils, the backbone of any herbal, oil-based product is a well-infused oil. While essential oils add a particularly aromatherapeutic effect, herb-infused oils tend to add a more deeply healing quality to your herbal products.
Arthritis can strike at any age—the condition doesn't reserve itself to the elderly. And the pain this condition causes can be considerable. Medications can help alleviate the suffering, but they tend to come with a host of unpleasant side effects, rendering the remedy worse than the cure.
If you like to cook, drink tea, or simply enjoy a variety of tastes for your sophisticated palate, you have undoubtedly used ginger at some point in your diet in several different ways. Available for ingestion as a fresh root, a powder, a whole leaf, and even pills, ginger has played a large role in kitchens and medicinaries for centuries all over the world.
By now in this Ayurveda 101 series, we’ve developed a deep understanding of the Mahabhutas, their archetypal qualities, and how they show in every single aspect of our lives.
I’ve written before about some fantastic plant allies for dealing with panic attacks that are also helpful for day-to-day anxiety and tension—though some of these botanicals may be a bit too sedating when you’re trying to shave off some tension and relax