he's not getting better

so after another difficult night, callum is now not eating
his fever has broken each morning, but this latest development along with the inconsolable crying has led us to making sure of what it is

of course i had hoped that his cousins had only given him a cold or the flu, but apparently there is more to this

i am trying not to be upset. moral is i suppose to not visit family if they are going to interact with your child when you are sick. i worry too, because callum was born a preemie, and we had been advised by the nicu nurses that he may be more at risk for infection. amazing that we went 11.5mths without even a cold given that we were told that more than likely he'd need hospital care again within his first 6mths.

but i am upset

i really like a lot of the dr. sears info out there and have read several of his books, and this article about coughs, colds, and sinuses is immensely helpful in determining whether you need to seek medical attention for your child, and distinguishing the many common symptoms of childhood illnesses:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/T081000.asp

fighting off illness

so callum got a late easter gift from his cousins - his first illness
steve and i were so happy that it looked like he'd make it through his first year without getting sick.
but at 11.5mths, he is full on unwell -the ear infections his cousins had must have been worse than that because callum does not have an ear infection - he does however have free-flowing mucous and a dry cough with elements of mucous to it.

when it comes to illness, i try and use only natural things, anything that can trigger the body's natural ability to heal itself.

callum is just under a year, and this makes it tricky, as several natural remedies are contraindicated for the under 12mth crowd.

one of these remedies is raw honey, which has been shown to be more effective for coughs than your over the counter, synthetic cough syrups. but 12mths+ only

so i have turned more to homeopathy and aromatherapy, and good old hydrotherapy

a few of the things being done...

baths with a few drops of eucalyptus - like a natural form of vick's vaporub sans alcohol and petroleum based gels

take a baby jar, add a teaspoon of salt, and add two drops of eucalyptus. seal it with the lid. open and breathe in as required - a nice jolt to the system

coryzalia - love this - another boiron product that has been helping with cal's symptoms

steams - i found another use for our electric fondue pot - add lots of water, a few drops of eucalyptus and use as a humidifier. now that a lot of the mucous has been flowing out, i switched over to lavender as it has a gentle sedative effect and relaxant.

i've been doing a few immune boosters myself, as well as taking natrum muriaticum and my usual course of vitamins, and of course a round of boiron's oscillococcinum.

am still upset he came home sick, but we are working our way through this - and hopefully the cough starts to resolve soon so we can finally enjoy some early spring walks

cinnamon - spices of life

cinnamon's turn:

as an essential oil -
- known as an aphrodisiac
- anti-depressant
- reduces pain and frequency of headaches
- relaxes muscles, painful joints, menstrual cramps
- increases circulation
- enhances the action of enzymes - so helps with metabolism
- anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial
- immune system booster

1/2tsp cinnamon a day lowered blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes, published in Diabetes Care in 2003. The same study found it also lowered cholesterol.

i love cinnamon and add it to lentils and in the coffee maker, or with lemon juice and hot water.
so many benefits and ways to cook with it.

Spice Up Your Life - and live better!

people who know me best know that i almost rabidly love all things natural for remedies.


i love homeopathy - i'll write about that later, naturopathy and tcm


however, you don't have to get all complicated when it comes to health. could your next health improvement be lurking in your spice cabinet? i've obviously posed what i believe is a rhetorical question so YES YES YES!


from ginger to turmeric, cinnamon to garlic - there is magic waiting in your cupboards....and i plan to look through some of the spices of life!

Self Massage of the Face - Acupressure Points, Massage for Relaxation, Flights

I am really proud of a lot of the articles i write. but i love it when my passion for travel and massage can be blended and used on my work website.

so, if you haven't read any of the 1000++ articles i have written over the years, this is one i am particularly proud of. it was a lot of illustrations, writing, and editing - all which came together in -

Self Massage of the Face - Acupressure Points, Massage for Relaxation, Flights

now, i am not reprinting the entire article here because it is simply too lengthy for this blog. but it is essentially a massage routine that i created, wrote down, and illustrated. best of all, you can do it yourself, on yourself.

i am hoping to come up with other self massage routines for travel - a lot of time, but well spent.

we need more natural medicine in the world

...and i am not just talking about homeopathy and naturopathy and tcm - i love them all, and have used them all



but i am talking about the medicine that our own, human, bodies provide.



the benefits of breastmilk are just beginning to be recognized - not just for infants, toddlers and their mothers, but for the immuno-supressed as well.



consider this - "When there is milk available some milk banks will distribute it to adults who are immuno-compromised. Preliminary research indicates that breast milk can have nutritive, immunologic and palliative effects for cancer patients (Radetsky, 1999). Adults with GI disorders and organ donation recipients can also benefit from the immunologic powers of breast milk." wikipedia



it is both obscene and criminal to me that there is only one human milk bank in canada - in bc. what are we doing? why are we not considering natural products made by humans, for humans?

we need more research, and to respect the incredible powers within the human body.