Taking Back Your Health

We’ve all been there before, at the crossroads of where we are and where we want to be. Most succumb to complacency, but there are those who have the tenacity to endure what it takes to make the changes necessary to progress forward.

So you want to change. Awesome. Are you committed to actually making the changes you desire?

If you want to lose weight, it’s not merely about calorie deficits and diets.
If you want to avoid toxins, it’s not simply about buying products labeled “organic”.
If you want to be healthier overall, you need to do more than just run a mile per day, or do a few power squats.

It’s about adjusting your mindset and lifestyle. It’s about self discipline, and having the desire to learn, grow and be better a little bit each day.

Working with clients, I see this a lot. People complain and ask why they aren’t losing weight yet in a particular program, yet upon asking them about their lifestyle, it’s clear they have yet to do the hard work. Signing up for a program isn’t a cure all — there’s a lot of work to be done on an individual level.

No matter how many diets you go on, when said diet comes to an end, most are back where they started before long. Adopting a different lifestyle will set you up for success now and in the future. Changing your mindset will set you up for success not just in the health and wellness department, but in life itself. You have to commit to doing the thing you don't want to do in order to get to where you want to be. You have to give up the things that are holding you back. Cut them out of your life and replace with something better. It’s really that simple.

Make the commitment and stick to it. You’re the only one standing in your way.

Elderberry & Chaga Immune Support Syrup Spritzer

PHOTO: Heather Barnes

“Children who get their feet wet must learn to take their medicine.” — Mary Poppins

I get it, sometimes people don’t want to feel like they’re taking medicine, even if it’s tasty. Luckily with the Elderberry & Chaga Immune Support Syrup from Modern Herbal, you can get your daily dose of herbal goodness in exciting ways, such as this herbal spritzer.

This spritzer is great for summer days, or fancying up your table at breakfast time (or any time, really.)

This is also a fantastic way to try weaning off of soda if you’re a soda drinker. The carbonated water mixed with the sweet elderberry syrup is a palatable way to get that soda fix without the excessive amount of refined sugar.

This is also super easy to make…. and customizable to your likes. Not to mention the fact that this drink is loaded with herbal nutrients and immune supporting power!

INGREDIENTS:

• Modern Herbal’s Elderberry & Chaga Immune Support Syrup

• Seltzer water

• Any additional items you want to add, I prefer a squeeze of lemon or lime. Orange would be great too.

• Ice cubes (optional)

HOW TO MAKE:

• Simply add a tablespoon or so of the elderberry syrup to an 8oz glass

• Add ice cubes if you prefer them

• Fill the rest of the cup with seltzer

• Add a squeeze of your desired citrus (or crushed blueberries!)

• Gently stir and enjoy

It’s that easy!

If you make this, please take a photo of it and tag me on Instagram, so I can see! @_modernherbal_

Pantry Items: Make Your Own Peanut Butter

Over the past few years, we’ve been trying to buy in bulk as much as possible and make our own items. By making our own items such as oat milk, peanut butter, aioli, we can control what’s in the product, leaving you with the cleanest ingredients. I know we don’t all have the luxury of making all items from scratch all the time, but you can start small. Once you start, you’ll feel empowered to keep going. Before you know it, two years will have passed and you’ll be making your own pasta at dinner time!

Listed below are some items we started making at home, and loose recipes that we follow. I will be adding to this continually, so please be sure to check back.

I think it’s pretty clear that all peanut butter is not created equal. Most conventional peanut butters are made using hydrogenated oils and other ingredients that have been genetically engineered.

Artificial trans fats are produced when vegetable oils are subject to extreme temperatures or pressures to solidify the fat and increase shelf life, flavor stability and palatability (FDA 2013). These modifications benefit the manufacturer but are detrimental to the consumer's health. Health experts at the Institute of Medicine recommend "that trans fatty acid consumption be as low as possible" (IOM 2005). The CDC estimates that eliminating artificial trans fats could prevent up to 20,000 heart attacks and up to 7,000 deaths each year (Dietz 2012). In 2013, the FDA made a tentative determination that trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils (the primary dietary source) should no longer be generally recognized as safe (FDA 2013). Some trans fats do occur naturally in meat and dairy products. These natural trans fats may be of lower concern; some studies have found them to be beneficial, while others have found their effects to be neutral (Chardigny 2008; Mozaffarian 2009; Wang 2013).

Scientists have not determined whether GE food poses risks to human health. Still, consumers have many good reasons to avoid eating genetically engineered ingredients, including limited safety studies, the development of "superweeds" and increased pesticide use. For more information on the topic visit: http://www.ewg.org/research/shoppers-guide-to-avoiding-ge-food Note: The presence or absence of genetically engineered ingredients or ingredients derived from GE crops does not affect a product's overall score. [ewg.org]

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular peanut butter brands on the market. Click on the brand name to read the EWG report on each product.

Skippy Peanut Butter: Roasted Peanuts, Sugar, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils [cottonseed, soybean and rapeseed oil] to prevent separation, Salt
*Note, Skippy does have a natural variety of their peanut butter, but natural doesn’t always equate to healthy — this variety still has the same amount of sugar in it. Peanut butter does not need sugar….

Jif Peanut Butter: Peanuts, Sugar, Contains 2% or less of: Molasses, Fully Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils [Rapeseed & Soybean], Mono and Diglycerides, Salt

Justin’s Peanut Butter: Dry Roasted Peanuts, Palm oil

Santa Cruz Peanut Butter: Organic Roasted Peanuts, Organic Palm Oil, Contains 1% of less of Salt

There are some delicious natural/organic peanut butter brands out there, but you’re going to pay a good chunk of change for the convenience of having someone else make your peanut butter for you. OR, you can purchase raw, unsalted peanuts in bulk and make your own — save your health, save a lot of money. All you need is a food processor and a little patience.

My recommendation for store bough peanut butter is MaraNatha. It’s organic, creamy with a deep rich flavor, and it contains two ingredients; Roasted Peanuts & Salt. We’ve been buying this for a while now, but decided to make our own to save some money and trips to the store.

DIY Peanut Butter:

I don’t make recipes for a living, so I don’t have exact times or amounts here, but let this be a guide for you to make this as you like.

The easy way: 2 cups peanuts = ~1 cup butter

1. Buy raw organic peanuts in bulk from the bulk section in your local grocery store or health food store.

2. Dump peanuts onto a cooking sheet and bake in the oven at 300 or so until they’re roasted. You don’t want them burnt, but you want them to have some color. The kitchen air will adopt the aroma of roasted peanuts hinting at their readiness.

3. Once the peanuts are done, set them aside to cool for a few minutes.

4. Add peanuts to the food processor (I use a 6 cup capacity Cuisinart)

5. Pulse peanuts about 10 times

6. Process on low until drops of oil are visible, about 5 minutes or so

7. Depending on the consistency you want it, continue processing, scraping the bowl down occasionally

8. Once desired consistency is desired, add kosher or pink Himalayan sea salt to taste

9. Pulse 2-3 times to mix in the salt and adjust salt until desired taste is achieved

Scrape into mason jar with a rubber spatula, label and store!

The hard way:

1. Put your nuts or seeds into a large bowl

2. Cover the nuts or seeds with a mixture of 1-2 tablespoons sea salt per 1 quart of water. It is suggested that salt helps activate enzymes that help to break down phytate. But I was unable to find any study supporting this claim.

3. Soak the nuts or seeds for 7 hours or overnight

4. Rinse the nuts or seeds well in a strainer or colander

5. Dry well—a half day to a full day in a dehydrator (like this one) or in an oven set to no higher than 150 degrees Fahrenheit

6. Once dry, start the steps above under “The easy way”

Soaking your nuts, seeds & grains removed some of the phytic acid naturally found in these food items. Consumption of large quantities of phytic acid can pull vitamins and minerals from the body, leaving you depleted! Read more about this here: https://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/why-you-need-to-soak-nuts-and-seeds/

Enjoy your fresh AF peanut butter :)

Are You Using Chemicals To Clean Your Home?

We are surrounded by chemicals, toxins, endocrine disruptors, respiratory irritants, carcinogens, you name it. The last thing you want to do is to contaminate your working and living space with them under the guise of cleaning.

Cleaners do not need to be toxic. Sure, there will be times when maybe you need something extra strength because vinegar and baking soda isn’t cutting it, or your cat just threw up a chipmunk in the house and you’re completely grossed out by cleaning that spot with peroxide (I may be speaking from experience on this one). That’s fine. But more often than not, you’re just cleaning applesauce off the kitchen table, or chicken stock from the counter, this doesn’t require bleach or extra strength all purpose cleaners.

As we’ve “advanced” in our society, most have become germaphobes. Not every living organism needs to be wiped off the face of the Earth. You don’t need to nuke your kitchen counters on a daily basis. Some microorganisms are beneficial, if not necessary for optimal health.

Case in point, YOU. You’re loaded with bacteria, good and bad. Your health depends on bacteria, LIFE depends on bacteria. So let’s stop nuking everything and creating chemicals clouds in our homes and workspaces. You can still have a sparkling clean, fresh smelling home without the use of conventional cleaning products created and marketed by people who don’t care about you. Sorry, but that’s the honest truth. They just want to sell you their product. If Proctor and Gamble really cared about you, they wouldn’t add endocrine disrupting, carcinogenic chemicals into their air fresheners.

Let’s carry on.

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HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS:

You’ve read through the introduction, now it’s time to get to the details. Let’s start with a healthy home.

Everywhere we turn there are hidden synthetic chemicals & toxins in products, even the ones carefully marketed and “health washed” as natural. Long term exposure to these synthetic chemicals are responsible for issues such as hormone imbalances, fertility issues, respiratory distress, neurological disorders. As a collective whole, we need to stop supporting companies who are knowingly putting toxins in their products to save a minuscule amount of money.

You deserve to clean your home without breathing in or absorbing toxins.

LET’S START WITH ALL-PURPOSE CLEANERS

We all know this is the go-to spray bottle for everyday clean ups;

• Toddler spilled their bowl of frozen blueberries on the floor? All-Purpose Cleaner to the rescue.

• Wiping down the counters after baking some bread? APC to the rescue.

• Spilled your cocktail? APC to the rescue.

You get the point.

Below are a few top cleaning brands and their listed ingredients. Do you know what all these are? Take a look, click on the links to see the EWG’s report on these beloved brands.

Simple Green: Water, C9-11 Alcohols Ethoxylated, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Carbonate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance, Liquitint Colorant

Lysol Disinfecting Wipes: Alkyl (50% C14, 40% C12, 10% C16) dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, Water, Ethanol, C9-11 Alkyl Glucoside Propylene Glycol Butyl Ether Ethanolamine, Fragrance/Parfum

Mr. Clean Multi Surface Cleaning Spray: Water, C10-16 Alkyldimethylamine Oxide, C9-11 Pareth, Carboxymethyl Inulin, Sodium C10-16 Alkylbenzenesulfonate, Sodium Carbonate , Sodium Citrate, Benzisothiazolinone, Perfume, Polyoxyalkylene Substituted Chromophore (Cyan), Polyoxyalkylene Substituted Chromophore (Yellow)

Mrs. Meyers Multi Surface Cleaning Spray: Water; Decyl Glucoside; Fragrance; (Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool); Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil ; Cananga Odorata (Ylang Ylang) Flower Oil ; ethylene brassylate; linalool; gamma-undecalactone; geraniol; cinnamyl alcohol; 3a,4,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-4,7-methanoinden-6-yl acetate; hexyl acetate; benzyl acetate; phenethyl alcohol; cyclamen aldehyde; butylphenyl methylpropional; phenethyl salicylate; amyl salicylate; 2-t-butylcyclohexyl acetate; methyldihydrojasmonate; allyl heptanoate; hexyl cinnamal; citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) peel oil; 2-phenoxyethyl isobutyrate; dipropylene glycol; Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract; Lauryl Glucoside; Sodium Citrate; Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate; Citric Acid; Capryleth-4; Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate; Methylisothiazolinone; Benzisothiazolinone

How do you feel after reading the ingredients and seeing the EWG’s report on these products? Concerns for cancer, digestive damage, allergies, respiratory effects, cancer, developmental/endocrine/reproductive effects, damage to DNA, respiratory effects, general systemic/organ effects, nervous system effects, skin irritation/allergies/damage, damage to vision.

I don’t know about you, but you won’t find any of these products in my house. This is where cancel culture needs to step in — cancel the synthetic chemicals!! Products such as the above and the like have been banned in my house for at least the past 5 years. 5 years ago, however I still thought Mrs. Meyer was ok, but take a look at that long list of unpronounceables…..

When you’re reading through the ingredients, you’re most likely thinking that all the ingredients are there, listed out for the consumer to see, that’s not the case however. The word "fragrance" or "parfum" on the product label represents an undisclosed mixture of various scent chemicals and ingredients used as fragrance dispersants such as diethyl phthalate. [ewg.org]

Fragrances have been linked to a staggering number of health risks including, but not limited to; allergens, hormone disruptors, asthma triggers, neurotoxins & carcinogens. The punchline: fragrances are highly toxic. Most contain phthalates, which have been linked to cancer, human reproductive and developmental toxicity, endocrine disruption, birth defects & respiratory problems.

So the question is why are manufactures not responsible for putting these chemicals on their product labels?
Why are they not held liable for pushing out toxic products under the guise of safe cleaning products?
Why are people still supporting these companies by purchasing their products?

It’s time to stop.

SOLUTION:

We’re all in a different place in our lives, some people are able to spend a few minutes each week making their own products, other people want nothing to do with that and would rather purchase from a store, and that’s ok. This guide is here to help you know what brands to purchase from and which ones to steer clear from. Most of the well known brands are no-no’s…. Sorry, walk down any cleaning aisle in your local Target, Walmart, Hannaford, etc and just keep on walking. The smell of that aisle should give it away. However, if you’re in those stores, stock up on some baking soda and white distilled vinegar — those will come in handy for cleaning your home, you may want to get some bulk peroxide as well. More to come on this after the brands that actually care about your well being.

Here are some companies that create quality, naturally based All-Purpose Cleaners without harmful chemicals:

Meliora All Purpose Cleaning Spray: Potassium Cocoate, Sodium Cocoate, Glycerin, Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Water

All of their products are as clean and simple as can be. I cannot recommend them enough. You can purchase the refill solution for a minimal cost as well as the glass bottle to store the cleaner in. Not only are you saving your system from synthetic chemicals, but you’re ridding plastic from your home. It’s a win win! I highly recommend this company for laundry detergent as well. Also note, when I first purchased from this company, I only bought the unscented products. I am sensitive to fragrances. However, the last purchase I made, I decided to try the lemon scented laundry detergent and was happily surprised with the outcome. The fragrance is from essential oils and it is subtle. No overwhelming, in your face scents here — phew!

Use this link above for $5 off your first purchase.

I honesty haven’t found many other products in this category that I can stand firmly behind. There are other clean brands out there such as Seventh Generation, Eos, Better Life, etc, but this Meliora is the cleanest one I’ve found aside from making my own.

Which brings me to the second best option

DIY ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER

There are a few varieties of cleaner you can make. To start, you’re going to need a reusable spray bottle. You can repurpose an old spray bottle, buy a plastic one from your local Walmart/Target or purchase a nice glass spray bottle. My preference is always glass, but of course you have to be careful of dropping and breaking it. If you use an old bottle, be sure the previous cleaner has been throughly cleaned out & aired out. As for buying a new plastic one, that’s fine as well, but you’re bringing plastic into your home, aaaaaand you have to worry about BPA and other toxins in the plastic. Ok, just use the glass spray bottles — you can buy them here on Amazon.

The Down & Dirty Cleaning Spray:

For those times you’ve run out and need something fast. [due to natural acetic acid in the vinegar, this spray is not recommended to spray on natural stone, tile grout, or wood.]

Ingredients: Water, Vinegar, Essential oil of choice

1. 2 cups water

2. White Distilled Vinegar

3. 20 drops essential oil of choice [amount may vary depending on your scent preference, and essential oil.]

   1. Essential oil recommendations;

      1. Lemon

      2. Lemon & Thyme

      3. Tea Tree

      4. Sweet Orange & Cinnamon

      5. Peppermint [also keeps ants and spiders away]

(also feel free to play with combinations of oils.)

Blast of Citrus Cleaning Spray:

This formula takes a bit more time to create, so be sure to start a new batch when you’re beginning to run low to avoid a gap in cleaning spray. [due to natural acetic acid in the vinegar, this spray is not recommended to spray on natural stone, tile grout, or wood.]

Ingredients: Water, Vinegar, Fresh Lemon Peel or Orange Peel — whatever citrus you’d like to use [lime, grapefruit, lemon, lime, mandarine, your choice, OR mix them all]

1. 2 cups water

2. White Distilled Vinegar

3. 20 drops essential oil of choice [amount may vary depending on your scent preference, and essential oil.]

   1. Essential oil recommendations;

      1. Lemon

      2. Lemon & Thyme

      3. Tea Tree

      4. Sweet Orange & Cinnamon

      5. Peppermint [also keeps ants and spiders away]

DIY Natural Softscrub:

Softscrub isn’t the cleanest cleaning product around. Used for mainly dirty surfaces, this product can easily be made at home, using toxin free ingredients. You can use this on many surfaces, counters, floors, tile, grout, pots and pans, stubborn schmutz, etc. Take a look at these Softscrub ingredients; Water, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Alcohol Ethoxylate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Bicarbonate, Fragrance, Preservative, D-Limonene, Linalool.

Make your own — save your health and money.

INGREDIENTS: Baking Soda, Castile Soap, Coarse Salt, Lemon juice or about 10 drops of Lemon essential oil

1. Depending on what you’re looking to clean - a large area or small, pour 1/2 a cup of baking soda into a bowl, add Castile soap until a thick paste is formed, sprinkle in about 1 tablespoon of coarse salt then add lemon juice or essential oil. Mix together.

2. Apply the mixture to your surface [bath tub, sink, burnt pan, paint on the table from the kids arts & crafts time, etc….]. If it’s a large area rub it down gently to disperse the mixture over the whole space.

3. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes before scrubbing and rinsing.

4. Admire your clean, sparkling surface.

As always, what’s listed on here is my opinion and things that have worked for me in my household. If they don’t work for you, I implore you to figure out something that does.

You've Been Lie To.

Are you aware that you’ve been lied to your entire life? That you’ve been lied to on what real health is. What wellness really is. On how to live. About who you are…

What if I told you the healthcare industry is knowingly making and keeping you ill, numb, dependent on the system, relying on insurance, on pharmaceuticals. (Speaking of pharmaceuticals…. do you know how they’re made, or what is in them?)

It’s a vicious cycle really, one most aren’t open enough to realize let alone escape. Most don’t escape. It’s been designed that way from the beginning. Designed to keep you trapped in their system. Sick and dependent.

Don’t believe me? Well, let’s keep going.

John D. Rockefeller

In the early 1900s John D Rockefeller and crew got together and decided to change the definition and meaning of medicine and healing. Rockefeller, considered the wealthiest American in history, got his riches by securing a monopoly on America’s oil market. He decided to then capitalize on the healthcare model as well by changing medicine from plant made to medicine made from byproducts of the oil refinement process.

Sounds healthy doesn’t it?

• Read more about this here

• Read their book length report, “Medical Education In the United States & Canada” also known as the Flexner Report read here

There was a slight problem though, holistic care was heavily relied upon in America at this time. Holistic healing was used throughout the world for centuries. Read this link for a brief history of herbalism.

— PROPAGANDA —

During this time, a smear campaign was devised against natural healing modalities. This propaganda directed and shaped the modern medical establishment we have today.

Homeopathy and natural remedies were slandered and demonized and few were imprisoned.

To guide the transition and change the minds of other doctors and scientists, Rockefeller donated more than $ 100 million to colleges and hospitals and set up a charity called the General Education Council (GEB). This is the classic carrot and whip approach.

In a very short time, all medical colleges worked and acted in a coordinated and uniform manner. All students learned the same thing, and medicine was limited to the use of patented antitrust drugs.

Scientists received huge grants to study how plants cure disease, but their goal was to first identify which chemicals in the plant were effective and then recreate a similar chemical – but not identical – in the lab that could be patented.

A pill for every patient became the mantra of modern medicine.

[quote]

Today’s Rockefeller medicine is emergency medicine. It’s symptom suppression, it’s not real health. Real health is treating the whole person with food & nutrients, herbs, & lifestyle changes.

Before modern medicine, we had healers who could diagnose illness by looking at the color, shape and tone of your tongue, by feeling your pulse, with the use of medical astrology and your birth chart. We had healers that new exactly what herb you needed to rebalance your body, to move stagnant blood or tone certain organs. Not only did we have healers that were extremely connected to the body and nature, but most people knew the basics of herbal medicine, and how to take care of themselves.

Do you think most doctors today are fully capable of diagnosing illness? I’d suggest you ask anyone suffering from Lyme, a chronic disease, or an autoimmune condition.

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What if I told you that today, 80% of the world is still using plant medicine and “alternative” healing methods for their health and wellness. Are you aware that America is considered an unhealthy country? That most of the people are obese, diagnosed with heart disease, auto immune conditions, cancer, diabetes, and so on….

— THIS ISN’T A COINCIDENCE —

The lies don’t stop at the medical industry:

• You’re being lied to about what is in your food.

• You’re being lied to about what is in your cosmetics.

• You’re being lied to about what is in your cleaning products, your furniture, your mass produced clothing.

• You’re being lied to about what is in your drinking water, in the air you breath, what’s being sprayed in the sky, what’s being injected into your body, into your children’s body for “immunity”.

• You’re being lied to about farming, the consumption of animal products.

• You’re being lied to about nutrition.

• You’re being liked to about pretty much everything.

Most things that are commonly known to be the truth…. are utter bullshit.

Do a little research.

On what? It depends on how far you want to go… start slow and light, it gets intense.

Some of these are bogus, but there are some topics on here you need to know about.

Some topics in the image above are bogus, but there are some you really need to know about if you don’t already.

I know that some have decided to dismiss this write up before reading to the end, but here you are finishing up my rant. Thanks for keeping an open mind.

What is Fire Cider?

I’m sure you’ve heard someone mention this before, or seen it at the store, but what IS Fire Cider?

The term “Fire Cider” was recently in the legal system because a Massachusetts company, Shire City Herbals, decided only they were allowed to call their product Fire Cider and tried to Trademark the name. They attempted to sue some herbalists for using this name for their products. Thankfully three spicy herbalists took a stand against this and were able to free up the long held traditional name Fire Cider for public use.

Ok, so what is Fire Cider? It’s a tonic with an apple cider vinegar base loaded with common kitchen ingredients, and herbs of choice to regain and/or maintain health.

Everyone who makes it will have a slightly different twist on their recipe. Some like to make it mild and sweet, others fiery and spicy. Some are purists and do not like to add a menagerie of ingredients.

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

Boosting immune systems
Clearing out nasal congestion
Helping to get over an illness
General well being
Gastrointestinal problems
Heartburn
Mental clarity
Energy
And so much more depending on the ingredients infused with the cider vinegar.

Fire Cider has been passed down generation to generation, slightly changing along the way.

If you’re interested in knowing more of the story of fire cider as well as make your own with a variety of delicious recipes, I’d highly recommend supporting those who took on the legal system and freed the Fire Cider name by purchasing the book Fire Cider: 101 Zesty Recipes for Health-Boosting Remedies Made with Apple Cider Vinegar by Rosemary Gladstar and Friends. It’s a wonderful book.

In Biblical Times, vinegar was enjoyed as an energizing drink, a nourishing food, and a disinfectant for wounds.

ROSEMARY’S ORIGINAL FIRE CIDER:

1/2 cup grated fresh horseradish root
1/2 cup or more chopped onion
1/4 cup or more chopped garlic
1/4 cup or more grated ginger
Cayenne pepper, fresh (chop it) or dried to taste
Apple Cider Vinegar (raw and organic)
Honey

Place the herbs in a half-gallon mason jar and add enough vinegar to cover them by 3-4 inches. Seal the jar with a tight fitting lid. Place in a warm spot and let sit for 4-6 weeks. Shaking the jar everyday or when you remember to help the maceration process.

After the 4-6 weeks, strain out the herbs into a clean bowl, squeezing as much of the goodness out with cheesecloth as you can. Warm honey so it mixes into the vinegar well and add to taste. Your fire cider would be spicy with a touch of sweetness to help balance fiery ingredients.

Bottle, label and enjoy. It will keep for several months unrefrigerated in a cool pantry, but it will last a very long time in the refrigerator.

Take a shot glass daily, dilute with water, add to sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon for a sparkling savory drink.

Take more frequently if you feel a cold coming on. 1 tsp every hour or two.

DON’T WANT TO MAKE YOUR OWN?

BUY IT HERE: https://www.modern-herbal.com/the-apothecary/firecider

Transitioning To A More Natural Lifestyle

Tired of finding out about synthetic chemicals in your favorite products? Don’t like the idea of taking over the counter drugs anymore? Want to make changes to your lifestyle but aren’t quite sure how?

Hear me out. Making a lifestyle change takes work and dedication. It can also become overwhelming due to the abundance of clashing information on the internet. It’s ultimately up to you to determine what works best for your body. But here is a good place to start. I’ll be posting some blogs in the coming months that outline some changes you can adopt to start living a cleaner life. However, don’t just trust what I’m saying as the right way.

Do your own research.

The first step towards making a change is action. Start by evaluating your life: what you put in your body, what you put on your body, the cookware you use, toothpaste you brush with, chemicals you clean with, etc… Pick one area you want to start with and begin swapping out what you have with cleaner alternatives.

If you make small changes toward your goal every day, or every month, you’re going to look back after a certain period of time and see how far you’ve come. This type of lifestyle change is extremely rewarding. You deserve to live toxin free, to eat food and use products that don’t contain unnecessary chemicals, pesticides, fillers, flavors, colorings, fragrances, etc.

The trick is to start slow and continually make small changes that will make a drastic difference in the long run.

You can do this. You want to do this. And you’ll be so happy once you do.

Now of course everyone is different, our priorities vary, our drive varies and our timelines vary — that’s ok. So you broke down and ate a Snickers bar instead of an organic brand with less crap in it…. Own it, move on, and make a better decision next time.

This is your journey, there will be ups and downs.

The time will come when you’ve removed yourself from food and products containing harmful chemicals and additives for a certain period of time. You’ll wander back to old faithful and buy yourself that Snickers again only to realize how disgusting it actually tastes. The fake flavoring, fake chocolate taste, not to mention wondering how many ounces of cockroach carcass you just ate….. you’ll be running back to the organic dark chocolate brand, trust me. I’ve been there.

Did you know that per the FDA there has to be a certain amount of bugs or bug parts, rodent hair, fecal matter, etc, in your food before it's deemed unsafe? So that beloved Snickers bar can legally contain 30 or more insect parts and a lovely dash of rodent hair. Eat up!

Also, did you know that the FDA allows harmful chemical additives and pesticides in your food that are and have been banned in other countries such as Europe? Follow The Food Babe for more information on this.

Potassium bromate and azodicarbonamide (ADA): These additives are commonly added to baked goods, but neither is required, and both are banned in Europe because they may cause cancer. (https://www.cornucopia.org/2019/01/additives-banned-europe/)

There’s a lot go look out for these days. You can’t simply trust a government agency to look out for your best interests or health. The FDA is incredibly corrupt, as is the CDC, the WHO, and Big Pharma to name a few.

My hope is that through these blog posts, I empower you to take action and start looking into the items you consume on a regular basis rather than blindly consuming what is marketed toward you.

There are thousands of brands out there, but they’re all owned by a handful. Small independent companies that have values are being bought out at an alarming rate. Even some formerly trusted organic companies are now sell outs to the corporate monster, for example, Annie’s Organics is now owned by General Mills, Tom’s of Maine is owned by Colgate. And it’s not just the food industry. Cosmetic companies, supplement companies, the media… Time to wake up and start learning what the world is really about.

It’s all about money, folks. Money and power.

So vote with your money. Support your local herbalist, baker, seamstress, farmer, maker, food truck… Keep it small and keep it local.

The information I provide on my blog is based on my opinion, what has worked and works for me. I am sharing this with you to give you a path to walk down. Your opinions and choices may vary depending on what you research and learn. I am always open to new information and others opinions. If you have something you’d like to discuss shoot me an email at kimberly@modern-herbal.com or DM me on instagram @_modernherbal_

Birth Story: A Lesson in Control and Healing

Two years ago on March 5th my water broke — 8 weeks early. 

I ended up in the hospital from March 5 to March 23, the day before my birthday. It was a hard time in my life, a hard time in my family’s life. These trying weeks were a difficult lesson in control; while we can research, plan and have an outcome in mind, higher powers sometimes have other things in store for us. I apparently needed to be shown again that sometimes things are out of our control and to trust the process.

It’s taken me these past two years to come to terms with what happened, to reflect on the events and heal not only physically but mentally from the traumas that occurred. It might sound like a long time to come to terms with something like this, but the first year, I was sort of living in survival mode raising a toddler and preemie newborn after having a major surgery. This isn’t a woe is me story, I know many people have gone through much worse. This is my birth story, raw and real with my inner thoughts, worries and frustrations. I’ve grown a lot from the events that transpired during and after my hospital stay. 2019 was a beast of a year, testing me on many levels, but here I am stronger now than I was then. That’s life, right? Going through hardships, learning and growing, but that doesn’t mean the process is easy by any means.

Perhaps the way we heal from a past trauma is by collecting all the thoughts and emotions surrounding it and boldly expelling it from our being, to make it tangible by writing in a journal, or embracing vulnerability by sharing it with others. Allowing traumas to sit within and fester leads to deeper, long term issues. We don’t deserve to be manipulated by past trauma. 

It must be released, to be seen — raw and real. 

Only then can you be free to move on. 

To do that myself, I am sharing my birth story in honor of my daughter Rowen’s 2nd birthday. I’m certain I unintentionally left out some major and minor details, but given the state I was in at times, and the time that has passed, parts of this were difficult to remember.

March 5, 2019

I woke up to wet sheets. Confused, I felt around. My underwear was wet too. There was this one time in college during my angry, self destructive years where in a drunken delusion I almost peed in the corner of my room thinking it was the toilet. Other than that disaster of an evening, I can’t remember the last time I came close to peeing in the bed.

My 2.5 year old leans over from her side of the bed and looks at me lovingly with her warm, bright eyes. “Baby’s coming.” She said without hesitation, before I even spoke aloud what was going on.

This can’t be, I think to myself. I have 8 weeks left in this pregnancy. “Baby better not be coming yet.” I snap back to the sweet big sister to be.

I roll myself out of bed, belly protruding. It’s getting harder each week to get myself out of the bed with this growing belly. It is big but still has a way to go. Making my way to the bathroom to attempt to empty my bladder, I feel the warm liquid continuing to slowly leak between my legs. Shit, my water broke.

I researched so much more for this birth after ending up in the hospital during my first unmedicated home birth, but it never crossed my mind to read about pre-mature birth. 

I call my midwife in a slight panic while trying to remain calm. “Come over as soon as you can.” She says. We pack up Maisie, I stuff a towel in my pants and we drive the 30 minutes to our midwife, Katie.

I wasn’t having any contractions, and thankfully the test came back negative for amniotic fluid. The best thing to do at the time was wait to see what happens while remaining on bed rest for the day.

We drop Maisie off at childcare, I call out of work, and we make our way home.

Isaac is so caring and waits on me hand and foot, bringing me snacks, drinks, and whatever else I need. We binge watched Netflix to try to keep our minds off what was happening. Though had I known what was coming, I would have been preparing and writing a list of necessities, researching premature deliveries and being present with what was happening. Hindsight and all that, right?

The end of the day is approaching, Isaac is getting ready to pick Maisie up from daycare. I stand up and tell Isaac we need to go to the hospital. The midwife had told us to go if the situation didn’t get better by the end of the day; and it didn’t. I took another test which revealed it was in fact amniotic fluid leaking.

We call Isaac’s parents to pick up Maisie for the night, thinking I would see her again in the morning, baby sister in my arms, I give her a big hug and kiss, said, “I love you, see you soon.”

But I didn’t see her soon. In fact, over the next ~4 weeks, I was only able to see her, to hug her, to kiss her and be there for her 2 times. She went to sleeping next to me in bed all 2.5 years of her life to not seeing her mama for ~4 weeks. It was heart breaking.

Things are a bit fuzzy at this point.

I am rushed around being pulled here and there, seeing different nurses and doctors, texting with my midwife. It is chaos.

I’m sitting on a patient table, squirming a bit in an attempt to get comfortable. The abrasive disposable paper underneath me crinkles and slides around. The nurse places her cold hands on my inner knees and spreads my legs as she penetrates me with a cold foreign object to check to see if my uterus is opening, she tells me I need a steroid shot and antibiotics right away.

Of course I fight this recommendation. Having not done any research on the steroid shot I didn’t want it because I wasn’t given full disclosure on it. After being heavily persuaded I gave in. “It’s what’s best for your baby.” I was told. To this day I haven’t looked up this product, it’s ingredients or side effects mostly because I’m afraid I’ll read what I was injected with and will live with regret. But maybe it did help, I’ll never know. I do however wish I held off on taking the antibiotics. I was pumped full of them for what felt like the whole 4 weeks. They insisted I needed them to ward off any infection that may arise from my bag of waters being broken since we chose to hold off on labor induction until the last possible minute. Maybe if she hadn’t stuck a foreign instrument up into my cervix, there wouldn’t have been any risk of exposure to bacteria and infection. This is exactly why it’s so important to be your own advocate, to know what you’re getting into and to have information on as many angles as possible. I know these doctors only wanted what was best for me and the baby, but I also know that antibiotics are incredibly hard on the body and I wasn’t sure what the side effects on an unborn child were. I could have easily just taken colloidal silver instead. I absolutely hated being in this position of ignorance.

Since it was confirmed that my water did break, I had to be transported to another hospital, one with a solid NICU unit and could handle premature babies.

I am loaded up onto a gurney and put into the ambulance with all sorts of gadgets attached to me to monitor my blood pressure, my pulse, the baby, and who knows what else.

It is an hour drive to Springfield, MA, but it feels intensely longer. I am trapped in a small space, alone with my thoughts and shallow conversation. The voices of the nurse and EMT fade out as my mind drifts elsewhere. I watch the headlights behind us from the ambulance window. Isaac is following behind.

We arrive at the hospital. 

It is late. 

I am exhausted.

My mascara is smeared down my face from crying, my nose red and swollen. The fluorescent lights are piercing, the humming of the bulbs irked me while I am being wheeled up to my room. I thank the ambulance drivers and the nurse who graciously traveled along with me. Part of me feels guilty for drifting internal and not participating in the small talk, but I didn’t have it in me.

The room is stark but large; it is a birthing suite. I am instantly greeted by the nurses on the floor, my vitals are taken yet again. I get into the bed and am attached to all sorts of devices, one to monitor the baby, one to monitor me, my temperature is taken, antibiotics are administered. 

My new reality is the nightmare I had envisioned, it is exactly the opposite of how I was planning this birth to be. It was to be at home, free moving, natural, dim lit... this is cold, bright and invasive.

I am interrupted every two hours or so throughout the night to get my vitals checked. The bright lights come on by surprise, the loud cart wheeled over to me, the nurse pulls out the thermometer and guides it toward my mouth without a word spoken. I quietly comply by sitting up and opening my mouth, allowing her to place it under my tongue. Pills are handed to me from a small paper cup. I always asked what they are just to be certain. At one point I reach a level of exhaustion and frustration enough to ask the nurse if she could leave me alone for a few hours so I could actually get some sleep.

The next morning I had a meeting with the doctors to go over the plan, to discuss the situation and get on the same page with what’s to come.

I am dreading this.

Over the next couple of weeks, I am woken up every few hours for vital checks, have daily meetings with the doctors and am working part time remotely for my job. I fill my spare time binge watching The Peaky Blinders, reading about herbs and trying to mentally prepare myself for the coming weeks. The nurses gave me the “ok” to move about the room finally. I try different techniques to turn this breech baby head down.

The medical team and I came to an agreement to put off any sort of induction until at least 34 weeks unless something happens. I request an external cephalic version, but am denied since the baby didn’t have adequate waters surrounding her. They are afraid moving her with that amount of manual force could cause more problems. I had this procedure with my first baby. It was one of the most painful experiences of my life to this point, second only to having an unmedicated birth but I was hopeful we’d be able to do it again to turn the baby head down and avoid a cesarean. We discussed a natural birth in breech position but the doctors were certain it would end in tragedy. “If the baby takes too long to come out, your uterus will close around her head, and we will have to cut your uterus to save her but she will most likely suffer.” That was told to me often. They also admitted they were not trained in breech births and did not feel comfortable with that decision.

After much deliberation, anger, tears and resentment we made the agreement that the baby will enter the world via c-section. I am heartbroken. They will not consider “seeding” after the procedure. I have to pick my battles carefully. After a few conversations of them telling me there aren’t any benefits and they hadn’t done it before I moved on. Next, we discussed vaccinations. I mentioned we would be holding off on the vitamin k and hep b shots as well as the eye ointment. The doctor is not thrilled about this and insists that the baby at least needs the vitamin K shot. I learned my lesson with my first child and told her we will be holding off.

During these discussions, I made the request that if the baby ends up in the NICU and has to be fed there before my milk comes in I would like her to have donor milk and am not comfortable giving her formula. I am denied. The Director of Pediatrics quickly let’s me know that since the cut off age is 34 weeks for donor milk, and the baby would most likely be born at 34 weeks, she misses the cut off. I made my case and asked for them to reconsider or I’d have someone bring me donor milk for her, which is apparently against hospital policy. The Director slyly said to me, “we will give your baby donor breast milk if you agree to giving her the vitamin k shot.” I paused for a moment to compose myself and said to her firmly that we will be holding off on the vitamin k shot and they will be giving her donor milk until my milk comes in. Two days later they agree to my terms.

It’s astounding how defensive doctors get when you question the drugs, procedures and recommendations they push. It’s as though other patients don’t question anything or advocate for themselves, simply allowing someone else to make decisions about their body without hesitation.

I can tell that every doctor who visits me for consultations views me as a nuisance. One doctor rolled his eyes at me. Another pair chuckled to one another as though me asking to push off delivery to 36 weeks was an uneducated and absurd question. They told to provide them with studies on keeping a baby in the womb past the 34 week mark since they did not allow that in this specific hospital, nor in most US hospitals. It was the most frustrating, emotionally tolling 4 weeks — constantly having to advocate for myself, asking why on recommendations about specific procedures or medications, etc. After pushing to keep the baby en utero for an additional two weeks, the doctor came back and said he read the studies I provided him with and since it’s common practice in Europe to do it, they are willing to grant me another two weeks before the c-section if that’s what I want. I view this as a victory. I then had to weigh the pros and cons of staying in the hospital away from Maisie for an additional two weeks or just getting everything over with and going home as soon as possible. I made a decision that felt as right as it could, and I was pleasantly surprised with the validation I received. 

The days and nights drag on. I miss Isaac and Maisie so much it hurts. I was about an hour and a half away from home. We talked on the phone but it wasn’t the same. We use FaceTime a few times but each call ends in tears with Maisie having a breakdown asking me to come home. It is crushing.

At one point she ends up with a fever. It kills me to be away from her unable to support her like I’ve always done before. She used to get terrible respiratory illnesses that needed a lot of extra support including a nebulizer. Thankfully this time it is just a fever. Until this event, Maisie hadn’t been away from me for more than about 9 hours max, she slept next to me in the same bed most of her life. Luckily Isaac, his parents and my close friends are amazing and helped us get through these trying times. Maisie got to sleep over at her grandparents house for the first time, she loved it, while she and Isaac had been given the opportunity for some quality bonding time.

I checked into the hospital the beginning of March, at this time children under the age of 12 were not allowed to visit due to flu restrictions since I was in the same building as the NICU. Maisie came to visit maybe 2 times which was needed, but emotionally taxing for us both. We had to visit on the main floor in the waiting room. My nurse was wonderful and arranged for us to visit in an empty meeting room the next time. 

At this time, Maisie is 2.5 and can’t quite understand what is going on. We play, snuggle, and talk. She sits in my lap touching with the IV site on my bruised hand in curiosity, while kissing it because she says it looks like it hurts. I’m wheelchair bound, getting up from time to time to draw on the white board with her. It’s getting late. Isaac and Maisie have an hour and a half drive back — he still needs to cook dinner, and get her ready for bed since he has work in the morning. Maisie’s disposition changes from happy to sad and confused asking why I can’t come home, and where her baby sister is. She leaves in tears, I kiss Isaac goodbye, and erupt into tears when I get back to my room. 

The next day I make my way down to the gift shop and find the sweetest little orange kitty stuffed animal. I know Maisie will love this the next time I see her. His name is Cobbler…. He ended up staying with me for the duration of my hospital stay and is still a favorite “lovey” in the household.

During my hospital stay, I had a few visitors. My friend Susan stopped by while in the area with a thoughtful care package, which contained a meditative coloring book. I color a few pages in and send pictures of them to Isaac to show Maisie. My dad and step mom came up one day from Connecticut unexpectedly to say hi and show their support. While we were chatting about the circumstances, my Dad bursts out with, “maybe there’s a reason why your water broke early. Maybe there’s something wrong and your body knows it and is trying to get rid of them problem.” My step mom hits him in the shoulder without thought, “DREW! That’s not something you say to someone in this situation.” I could sense his mortification. While I changed the topic and shrugged off his words, later that night they infiltrated my thoughts, keeping me up all night wondering what was wrong with the baby or me. I am able to reign in my negative thoughts, calm myself down and visualize a healthy baby.

Isaac comes to visit as much as he can, bringing healthy snacks, coconut water, tea, and water from home. I am a water snob and cannot stand the taste of most water, and am always concerned with fluoridation. Hospital food, if you’ve never had it for an extended period, is awful. You’d think being a place of healing, their nutritionists would create menus and source quality food, but that’s not the case. Sadly they have a limited budget and the food is of low quality, containing lots of unnecessary synthetic ingredients. Every morning I call and order breakfast; scrambled eggs, toast and fruit. The eggs taste like they’re the pre-scrambled boxed variety, the jam for the toast is made up mostly of corn syrup, sugar and natural flavor. I do, however, enjoy the juice boxes. Each day there is a different option for lunch and dinner. I remember one of the soups being pretty decent, as well as the lasagna. I’m sure to some I sound like an ungrateful, pretentious snob, but I don’t care, at home I buy the highest quality food my family can afford. I don’t want my loved ones ingesting unnecessary chemicals, toxins and flavorings that can lead to health and gut issues down the road. Why does any person in the hospital or anywhere for that matter need artificially flavored and colored jell-o, or orange “cheese” on their meals? 

I’m finally learning to let go a bit and just take what comes at me. Control what I can, let go of the rest.

Shit food? Well at least I’m not going hungry.

Water tastes like dirty and chlorine? Well at least I am able to hydrate.

Nurse wakes me up every two hours? Well at least I am in a place that can handle my current situation and I have someone checking in on me.

Can’t see my family? At least I have medical professionals to make decisions with.

It’s March 16th.

I’ve been at the hospital for two weeks now. Something is off. I am having continual light cramping. Am I having contractions right now? I hold off saying anything, but then decide to bring it up with my nurse on my next vitals check. She tells me it’s nothing, but to let her know if anything progresses. 

My friend Lynda is coming up from New York for the weekend. My travel partner in crime aka Travels with Snacks. She shows up with lots of goodies, and a couple games to play. She is planning to stay the weekend after taking the train up from Manhattan, but the trip ended early when the human growing in my uterus decides it is her time to shine.

Lynda introduces me to the game Blockus. We laugh as always, eat snacks, talk through hard topics. She’s my sister, and always knows how to help me work through troubling times. She got me through some really tough times with my mom in the past. I am so grateful she is here.

During our Blockus game I start feeling some more cramping but ignore as long as I can. Am I seriously having contractions, I think to myself. I finally say it out loud that I was having them. We take a walk down to the cafeteria to see if it is just a fluke. They start getting stronger. She pushes me to call the nurse in and to let them know. I have a hard time walking back up to my room, having to stop for a second to deal with this cramping. Is this it? 

The nurse doesn’t believe I am going into labor. She tells me they are Braxton Hicks contractions. She leaves and said she will check back at a later time.

Lynda and I keep chatting and I mentioned the strangest part of this situation is having to decide what day my second daughter’s birthday would be. Taking the element of surprise and organic nature of natural delivery out of the question felt wrong. It isn’t my place to decide when she is born. Her due date was supposed to be April 27th or so but here we are deciding what day in March she’d be cut out and pulled from my body. 

I’m not sure how much time has passed but the contractions are becoming painful. 

The doctors come in to speak with me and it is decided that we’d move forward with the c-section soon. They suggested the next day, March 17th, but I didn’t want her living the rest of her life having her birthday on Saint Patrick’s day. I push for the following week if we can make it that long, but then she’d share a birthday with me. March 18th started to feel right, but I was worried about the residents being hungover for the surgery since it was the day after the biggest drunken day in the US.

The contractions are becoming unbearable… This is really happening, these aren’t Braxton Hicks, I am in labor. Today, March 16th is the day.

Isaac is an hour and a half away at work. Maisie is in childcare. I call him to let him know what is going on. I let him know that the baby is coming today. He better get here before this baby comes I am thinking to myself, I don’t want to do this alone. Lynda stays with me until Isaac gets to the hospital. I am beyond grateful. He closes down his food trailer, and leaves work making arrangements for Maisie. After packing a couple bags, he made the trip to Springfield, MA.

I spoke to the nurse at about 11 that morning, it is now 18:00, my contractions are torturous. I am in pain. Knowing I’d be having a c-section for the last week, I did not think I would have to undergo the excruciating pain of contractions as well. I had an unmediated birth with Maisie, and while I was looking forward to another natural birth, I was not necessarily looking forward to the amount of pain and sheer mental strength involved in birthing a child. But here I was, in a terrible amount of pain, being prepped for major surgery.

We call my midwife, Isaac arrives, Lynda heads back to New York.

From here until I was on the table was a blur. I am laying on the gurney, a new IV is shoved into my vein, the room fills up with doctors and residents. The doctor tells me that one of his resident students will be performing the surgery, not the doctor I had originally met and chatted with, but I am assured she has done several of these procedures before and he would be right there overseeing her work. A lesson in control….. it’s going to be ok I tell myself.

Isaac dresses in the scrubs the nurses give him — he looks good in scrubs, we share a good laugh about his current attire. He rips the booties as he attempts to put them over his shoes. I think to myself, what is the point of putting scrubs on now when he’s going to walk across this level into the operation room? Whatever.

It is now roughly 21:00, I wonder how dilated I am, breathe…. These contractions, wow….. why the FUCK am I not in surgery yet, I feel like I am going to have this baby naturally if we don’t get moving.

Finally I am brought into the operating room. I am sitting upright with an open back gown wincing in pain through each contraction while the anesthesiologist attempts to put a needle in my spine. The buzz of the fluorescent lights is amplified and feels like it’s burning a hole in my brain. HOLD ON NOT YET, I yell as my stomach hardens like a rock with a contraction…. Breathe, breathe, breathe, I squeeze Isaac’s hand. I feel a pinch in my back. The epidural is in. This will numb the lower half of my body for the c-section. Getting a needle put in my spine is not the most pleasant experience I’ve ever had, but all of a sudden all the agony from the contractions disappears. 

Finally, some relief.

Wait, I can’t move, 

I can’t feel anything,

I have no control. 

It is time....

The lights are bright and buzzing, the room is cold, I lie here naked on the table from the chest down surrounded by at least a dozen strangers. 

I am exposed

I am vulnerable

I am scared, but I have Isaac and Katie, my midwife here, and at least pain from the contractions are gone.

The anesthesiologist is at my head. He is an older gentleman, it seems he loves his job. He’s telling me jokes, trying to calm my mind. It works a little. Katie and Isaac are to my left. I can hear the medical team chattering about. 

The first incision is about to be made. My heart races, my mind goes to places it shouldn’t but I quickly pull it back. A battle is taking place in my mind, one that will continue throughout the surgery and rest of the week.

There is a lot of tugging, pushing and pulling going on, it’s harrowing. I’m told I should only feel pressure but this doesn’t feel like pressure. I can feel my organs being moved, I cringe and moan in pain. I’m trying to be strong but it hurts, it fucking hurts. The doctor asks me if I’m ok. I say I think I’m feeling too much, that it shouldn’t hurt like this. They continue on saying that I will feel pressure. The pain grows. 

The chronology gets murky here. There is chattering, people are moving about. I can’t see anything. I had asked for a clear curtain so I could see what was going on, but this one is solid, what is happening? I am one of those strange people who need to watch as a needle is entering my veins while blood is being drawn, or watch as my wound is stitched up. It kills me not seeing what is happening, but maybe it’s for the best. 

Time keeps passing.

The baby is out! They bring her over and place her on my chest. I am out of it. She’s breathing!! She’s beautiful... she’s so so tiny. Maisie was 8lbs 11oz and 21.5” — this little one is a peanut in comparison at just under 5 lbs and 17”. I am told they were able to do extended cord clamping, which I was pushing for. I am so relieved. Our first meet is cut short, so much for that beloved golden hour, but they need to keep her warm and make sure her vitals are ok. 

They pull her off my chest and take her from me, I can’t see her, can’t hear her, can’t touch her. 

They are putting my organs back in place. I am moaning in pain, this is torture. The doctor makes the decision to give me morphine. Oh thank god, relief. The feeling of people inside my body is bizarre; I feel my organs moving, my uterus being shoved back into its home. My thoughts are interrupted by Katie grabbing my hand and talking to me about baby names out of no where. I wonder why she brought this up so abruptly. I’ll later learn it’s because the resident hit an artery while putting me back together and I was hemorrhaging blood on the table. I had no idea. The drugs are hitting me… I feel weird. I am numb. 

I don’t remember anything else.

They were able to stop the hemorrhage, the procedure was finished and I was moved to post op. The baby was up in the NICU, much healthier than expected.

Hours later I wake up in my hospital room, it’s a different room than I’d been in before the surgery. It’s much smaller and has two beds. I haven’t the slightest clue what time it is. The baby was born around 10pm, I think it’s around 3am maybe? I feel a gush if warm liquid flowing from between my legs, it can’t be urine, I have a catheter.... I’m bleeding. Isaac is sleeping in the bed next to me. I wake him up to tell him I’m bleeding, I call the nurse’s desk.

“Hi, this is Kim, I think I’m bleeding.”

“Ok, we will come take a look, are you bleeding a lot?”

“I don’t think so, but am not sure I felt a big gush then it..... umm I’m feeling it again. It’s a lot.”

A nurse runs in to check on me, seeing the amount of blood she calls for a doctor. I hear the emergency code over the intercom system. Quickly there are about 5 people in the room working on me. I feel the blood spilling from my body.

I’m gushing blood, Isaac is holding my hand.

I’m terrified, and so tired.

I hear them say they can’t get the bleeding to stop.

Isaac is going to be left a single dad with two little girls to raise on his own.

Luckily his parents are amazing and only live 10 minutes away.

I didn’t have a proper goodbye with Maisie.

My second daughter won’t get to meet me.

I want to meet my second daughter.

I want to name her. What is her name?

I want to see these girls grow up together.

I want to have more adventures with Isaac.

I want to be around to see our grandchildren.

They’re sticking me with some sort of shot — right into my thigh, I wonder what it is.

I look at Isaac and tell him how much I love him. I pray silently for them to stop the bleeding. 

I’m oddly calm now as the medical team works furiously to find and stop the bleed. I’m tired. I just want to go to sleep. I just want to go to sleep. Let me go to sleep.

They stopped the bleeding.

I don’t remember anything else.

The nurse comes in and wakes me up to take vitals at some point. I’m barely conscious. I’m so tired, leave me alone, let me sleep.

I can’t keep my eyes open. What is she saying to me? I wonder how the baby is. When can I see her? Is she ok, does she know I love her? Does she know that she is loved? Is she comfortable?

I mumble some sort of response to the nurse. It is apparently incomprehensible. She draws my blood, checks my vitals and leaves. I fall back to sleep.

After the hemorrhage, the doctor needed to monitor the tone of my uterus. If it was soft and mushy, there could still be a bleed. The way they checked this is by having me lay on my back while they pushed their rigid fingers deep into my abdomen until they could feel if it was shrinking properly and if it was the proper tone. This was excruciating. As if I wasn’t in enough pain already having my abdominal muscles cut, organs moved around, baby pulled from my body and uterus shoved back in place. My abdomen was bruised beyond belief from having this done multiple times a day.

I don’t know how much time has gone by, but I’m told I need to try to walk to the bathroom and pee on my own. Just leave me alone, I want to sleep. Why can’t I be left alone to sleep!? I haven’t woken up naturally since I was checked in to the hospital. I’ve been woken up multiple times a day for the last 2 weeks.

They remove the catheter by pulling the tube out — that is an odd feeling...

Since I refused any medication stronger than ibuprofen, the tiniest movement is torturous. Why am I so stubborn? Why don’t I just take the strong pain killers? I’m not breastfeeding yet, but I will be pumping soon and I don’t want to give that to my baby. I feel like my abdomen is going to burst, shooting my organs out simultaneously. 

It takes a while, but I finally make it to a seated position. With help, I make it to my feet. I take two steps and am hit with a rush of heat, my head and face are tingling, I instantly start sweating, my vision is blurred. 

I’m going to pass out. 

I’m helped back into the bed. A new catheter is inserted, “we will try again tomorrow.”

I wake up in the middle of the night soaking wet with sweat and shaking uncontrollably. I am freezing. My body is clenched, I’m shivering beyond control and am in some of the worst pain of my life.

Make it stop.

Isaac helps me change my shirt. The nurse brings in some more blankets the heated ones are the best but the heat fades quickly. The violent shaking finally stops, I feel some relief from the pain and I’m able to fall back asleep.

NOTE: I’m pretty sure the chronology before and after the blood transfusions are off. I don’t remember much before the transfusions - the pumping and first visit may have taken place after the first transfusion.

I woke up again in a panic. “I need to pump. The baby needs breast milk.”

From this point, no matter how tired, how much pain I’m in, how much I don’t want to move, I pump, every two hours for 25 minutes.

It is painstaking. Nothing is coming out. My body hurts, getting to a seated position is nearly impossible. I probably need to eat; to drink. I pump again, nothing. I refuse to come to terms with feeding my child formula. I have just a few more days of donor milk left before I need to produce something for my baby. Maybe a visit will help.

With Isaac’s help, I manage to get myself into a wheelchair and am rolled down the hallway. We check into the NICU, wash our hands and make our way to baby’s spot. She’s so tiny, she’s so beautiful. She’s laying there by herself in a tiny little clear plastic crib with an IV attached to her. She is sleeping, and calm. I don’t know what day it is, I don’t know how long she’s been out of my body for. I feel guilty for not being with her this whole time. Is she lonely? I cry.

I cry because I’m grateful she is a warrior and came out of my body thriving.

I cry because I’m grateful all the medical issues happened with me and not her.

I cry because I’m helpless and can’t be with by her side.

I cry because I hope she feels loved and is comfortable.

I cry because I’m in so much pain and want to be there for her.

I cry from sheer exhaustion, I need to cut this visit short, I am too weak to be sitting upright and out of bed.

We return back to the room. My mom, sister and brother in law are waiting for me. SURPRISE!

They drove 7 hours from northern Maine to surprise me with a visit. I am a terrible host, I lay in bed hardly vocal, in pain, an emotional wreck with no energy but I still try to engage in conversation. I’m not sure how long they stayed. I’m grateful for the visit, but feel guilty they drove that far for such a lousy visit.

They leave, I fall asleep.

Mid dream, I’m woken up for a vitals check, “Your pulse is much too high; and your blood count is much too low. You’re going to need a blood transfusion.” The doctor said to me.

“No, no, no. I don’t need a blood transfusion, I’m just tired.” I replied.

“Your heart is working too hard to keep up, you’ve lost too much blood, you need a transfusion”. 

Who’s blood will I be getting? What sort of life did they lead before donating their blood? Did they get paid to donate their blood, or did they do it out of the kindness of their heart? Do they have diseases they don’t know about? Did they test the blood enough? What if the bag is mislabeled and they give me the wrong blood type? Will this change my inner workings? Will my DNA change? I don’t know anything about blood transfusions.

An abundance of questions flooded my mind. What if I have some sort of allergic reaction to the blood? I am grateful there is a blood bank, and that I am able to receive much needed blood, but it just didn’t feel right. After a difficult conversation with Isaac, I agreed to the transfusion, though still hesitant.

I sit there in my bed and watch as the red liquid slowly made its way through the clear tube. My heart drops as it approaches my vein. The foreign blood enters my arm. There are certain religions that do not take transfusions no matter what, even if it means they will die. While I don’t want to be sitting here injecting myself with alien blood, I want to live, I need to live and move on from this to be there for my children, to grow old with my husband. I’m told without the transfusion it will take about 6 months/weeks (?) for my body to create the amount of blood I’ve lost, I probably will not be able to breastfeed, and I will be extremely weak and easily exhausted, that it’s too hard on the heart and I should not check out with such little blood in my veins.

It takes about 4 hours for the bag to empty. I’m told my ghostly lips and face have some color in them again.

I finally start producing colostrum during pumping sessions. 

Later on my vitals are checked again, my pulse is still too high, and blood count too low…. “You might have an internal bleed, we have to run some more tests.” I am told I may need surgery again to close up an internal bleed and cannot wrap my head around going back under the knife, being cut open again and stitched back up. What if they hit another artery? What if I don’t come out of this next surgery?

I can’t remember if I had a cat scan or an MRI, but I had to drink some nuclear looking liquid against my better judgement. I don’t want it. I am told it will not pass through to breastmilk…. I don’t believe them, but drink it anyway — or maybe it was injected, I can’t recall now. I was helped onto my back and into a machine. When the procedure was complete, I could not get back up. The bed didn’t transition to a seated position like my hospital room bed. I’m going to be stuck here, just let me lay here for a while, it’s fine. But the nurses help me up and I am wheeled back to my room.

My vitals are checked again, the doctor comes in later on to tell me the results of the procedure. Thankfully there wasn’t an internal bleed that they could see, but they will continue to monitor the issue since my levels should be higher. With that, they decided I needed another transfusion since my blood levels were still too low. 

The next transfusion came and went. I am starting to build up a little more strength each day, even just figuring out how to get to a seated position is a huge win. I am finally able to get out of the bed and walk to the bathroom. An incredible amount of mental focus is needed to get through the pain involved in getting up to go to the bathroom and back to the bed, but it’s progress. The nurse keeps offering me oxycontin when she brings my ibuprofen, I politely decline.

At one point during a shift change the nurse missed an ibuprofen dose. I called her in to let her know it’s been 6 hours, I am hurting bad, and I’m supposed to take the medication every 4 hours. I usually feel the medicine wearing off by 3-3.5 hours. She told me she did not miss a dose and would be back later… I went 8 hours without any sort of pain killer. After she administered the next round, she realized she had made a mistake and did indeed miss a dose. Ouch.

After a few days the nurse came in and told me I could take the tape off my incision. She helped me peel back the adhesive tape, exposing a gnarly looking incision and gruesome bruising. I spray colloidal silver on it several times a day to speed up the healing process and ward off any infection. I place a pad over it to keep the seam of my pants from rubbing up against it. 

I am able to get down to the NICU more to see our little one in her bed a little more. I am able to try breastfeeding each visit, even though she can’t stay awake enough to latch.

After 4 days her name finally comes to us. Rowen Helene Kaufman. It was a toss up between Elowen and Rowen, but a strong soul like her deserved a strong name. We decided spelling her name Rowen vs Rowan was more feminine considering the name itself is traditionally a masculine name. To this day it suits her perfectly. She’s fiery, strong, and resilient just like the Rowan tree.

Isaac and I are sitting with Rowen, he is feeding her my breastmilk through a syringe. She drinks some and small droplets fall from the corners of her mouth down her chin. She’s so beautiful. Watching him feed her is the best thing in the world right now. I hold her close to me and kiss her head. Everything is going to be alright. 

A week later, the day before my birthday, we’re getting ready to go home but some tests need to be run on Rowen first to be sure she’s ready to be on her own. She didn’t need much in the NICU thankfully. The doctors are amazed at how strong and healthy she is. They tried to tell me my dates must have been wrong and that she’s older than we think. Not the case, I said. I know my dates are correct. I declined a few more supplements they want to administer to her before she leaves their care, of course they were disappointed in my decision. I kept my snarky thoughts to myself.

We leave the NICU with more breastmilk than we need, having a decent amount of frozen milk for the freezer stash. I am beyond grateful we are able to breastfeed, that Rowen is so strong and healthy. I know I have a long recovery ahead of me, but knowing that I am able to go home with my family is the only thing that matters. Finally seeing Maisie for more than an hour for the first time in one month was such a relief. 

We did it.

The road to recovery was hard. Being at home after everything that happened with a newborn and a 2.5 year old was hard. The nights were long, I was still in a lot of pain. For while I would still wake up freezing, soaking wet with sweat, convulsing. Getting to a seated position to change my shirt in a regular bed was a challenge. I was accustomed to my hospital bed, which transitioned to a seated position and handles to help pull myself up. I had to wake Isaac up several times to help me, and he did so without hesitation. Time passed and things started getting a bit easier, we started getting into a rhythm of normalcy.

Here I am two years later, finally starting to feel like myself. It sounds like a long time to get over something but the first year was all survival mode. Exercise is getting easier. I was told I could have started doing this 9 weeks postpartum, but I honestly don’t see how my body would have been able to handle that. It’s said that mothers need to heal for one year after having a baby. Why does the Western world push women to “get their bodies back” so quickly? Let your bodies heal, it takes time. I think that’s another reason why I didn’t want to take the stronger pain killers. Pain is a symptom, if you suppress that pain, you’re pushing your body past it’s current capability. In a traumatic situation like this, that could have been detrimental to my body, especially since I had two bad hemorrhages. I was as gentle as I could be with my body after this surgery. As I started feeling stronger, I incorporated harder tasks. Yes, I pushed myself, but at a level my body could handle because I was in tune with the pain, I did not mask it. I stopped taking the Ibuprofen about 2 weeks after the surgery. It took an odd amount of time to get feeling back in certain areas; bladder sensation, touch on my abdomen, etc.

This took place 2 years ago; some memories are a fuzzy and I’m certain I left out a lot. I’m sure Isaac’s side of the story would be interesting to hear at some point as well. Especially when I was missing more than half my blood and apparently made no sense when I opened my mouth to talk. I still don’t know what happened during my time in post op, nor how long I was there.

We are so fortunate that Rowen needed minimal intervention. Some of the babies I saw in the NICU broke my heart; born at 20 weeks, some hooked up to all sorts of medical devices, etc.... These families must have endured so much. A family I’m friends with was dealing with a similar situation down in the Boston area. Talking to them through the ordeal was helpful. So to all my friends and family who helped even in the smallest way, thank you, we appreciate everything you did for us.

Every birth story is different, yet each mother goes through the same transcendence. Bringing a life into this world is a true feat.

Women should be honored and cared for on a much deeper level for the sheer mental and physical strength and endurance the process takes. Instead, by mainstream society we are expected to get back to work just weeks after the hardest day or days of our lives. Our bodies aren’t even healed yet before we’re supposed to “get back to it”. All the while, we are caring for a newborn baby, and for many, other children as well.

Things are changing. There has been a resurgence of midwifery services that honor mothers in traditional ways, giving selfless postpartum care, bringing a village of support together. I had the honor of being cared for by Sacred Transitions Midwifery. The postpartum care was truly amazing; I was given a floral milk bath, brought meals, belly wrapped and a solid network.

As for Rowen, she is the sweetest little firecracker around. She yells at me to snuggle her in the middle of the night after I tell her “milkies are closed”. She hugs piñatas at birthday parties instead of hitting them, and has so much light in her. The amount of love this child has in her is astonishing. Watching our two girls grow up together has been a beautiful journey. There are good days and bad days, but I wouldn’t change anything because where we are right now is wonderful.

To all the women out there, I want to empower you to share your birth stories; the good, the bad, the beautiful, the scary, raw and real. You never know what memories will pop up as you’re writing your story.

— Kim

What is Fire Cider

I’m sure you’ve heard someone mention this before, or seen it at the store, but what IS Fire Cider?

The term “Fire Cider” was recently in the legal system because a Massachusetts company, Shire City Herbals, decided only they were allowed to call their product Fire Cider and tried to Trademark the name, and attempted to sue some herbalists for using this on their products. Thankfully three spicy herbalists took a stand against this and were able to free up the long held traditional name Fire Cider for public use.

Ok, so what is Fire Cider? It’s a tonic with an apple cider vinegar base loaded with common kitchen ingredients, and herbs of choice to regain or maintain health.

Everyone who makes it will have a slightly different twist on their recipe. Some like to make it mild and sweet, others fiery and spicy. Some are purists and do not like to add a menagerie of ingredients.

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

Boosting immune systems
Clearing out nasal congestion
Helping to get over an illness
General well being
Gastrointestinal problems
Heartburn
Mental clarity
Energy
And so much more depending on the ingredients infused with the cider vinegar.

Fire Cider has been passed down generation to generation, slightly changing along the way.

If you’re interested in knowing more of the story of fire cider as well as make your own with a variety of delicious recipes, I’d highly recommend supporting those who took on the legal system and freed the Fire Cider name by purchasing the book Fire Cider: 101 Zesty Recipes for Health-Boosting Remedies Made with Apple Cider Vinegar by Rosemary Gladstar and Friends. It’s a wonderful book.

In Biblical Times, vinegar was enjoyed as an energizing drink, a nourishing food, and a disinfectant for wounds.

ROSEMARY’S ORIGINAL FIRE CIDER:

1/2 cup grated fresh horseradish root
1/2 cup or more chopped onion
1/4 cup or more chopped garlic
1/4 cup or more grated ginger
Cayenne pepper, fresh (chop it) or dried to taste
Apple Cider Vinegar (raw and organic)
Honey

Place the herbs in a half-gallon mason jar and add enough vinegar to cover them by 3-4 inches. Seal the jar with a tight fitting lid. Place in a warm spot and let sit for 4-6 weeks. Shaking the jar everyday or when you remember to help the maceration process.

After the 4-6 weeks, strain out the herbs into a clean bowl, squeezing as much of the goodness out with cheesecloth as you can. Warm honey so it mixes into the vinegar well and add to taste. Your fire cider would be spicy with a touch of sweetness to help balance fiery ingredients.

Bottle, label and enjoy. It will keep for several months unrefrigerated in a cool pantry, but it will last a very long time in the refrigerator.

Take a shot glass daily, dilute with water, add to sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon for a sparkling savory drink.

Take more frequently if you feel a cold coming on. 1 tsp every hour or two.

DON’T WANT TO MAKE YOUR OWN? BUY IT HERE:

https://www.modern-herbal.com/the-apothecary/firecider

Slow Down, You May Be Missing Something.

Everyone is rushing; rushing out of the house in the morning, rushing on the drive to work, rushing to complete a never ending to-do list, rushing to get home after work, rushing to get dinner ready, rushing to get the kids to bed, and repeat…

We’re rushing through life to our death and missing crucial moments along the way.

Do you ever stop to think about your existence as you did when you were a child, or a teenager? Why are we here, what is our purpose?

We’re here to experience something, to make connections and to grow.

The next time you find yourself rushing, make yourself aware of it, and stop. Slow down, allow yourself 5 minutes, go outside. Quiet the noise in your mind; look, listen, and feel. Pay attention. What do you see; the trees dancing in the wind? What do you hear; the peaceful sound of snow touching the ground? What do you feel; maybe you feel present for the first time in a while.

When you slow down and take a moment to really feel what’s going on around you, you’re opening yourself up to receive. You’re always given what you need, you just need to be open enough to accept it.

Have you ever been drawn to something, but weren’t sure why? I find myself having these experiences all the time, but instead of suppressing them, I follow along to see what’s to come of it. A few years ago I found myself incredibly drawn to dandelions. At the time, I had no idea why I was suddenly so drawn to a common weed. I took pictures of them, picked a few to put in small vases in the house, then I started reading about the plant and realized it’s been misunderstood for decades. A plant that was once revered for it’s potent medicine and healing actions was now viewed as a pest and continually sprayed with toxic chemicals to kill it off because for some reason, people feel the need to have perfectly manicured lawns without a spec of color. I personally would much rather my entire lawn be made up of dandelions than grass but I digress.

In following through with this intuitive push, I started having this insatiable desire to learn and understand the plants around me. When you’re walking through the forest or along the street, do you ever pay attention to the plants around you? Next time, stop and take a look, you never know what herbal ally could be close by, calling your name. 

For decades, plant medicine has been suppressed, labeled as quackery thanks to the likes of John D Rockefeller. Though there has been a surge, people are waking up and are looking for alternative ways to heal. Thanks to the dedication and hard work of herbalists and healers all over the world, people are beginning to understand that while allopathic medicine has it’s place, a holistic approach to supporting the body is the way to go.

We all have innate intuition, all of us. We need to give ourselves the time to listen to it, to follow through and to have faith that it’s pushing us in the right direction.

Why I Avoid OTC Cough Medicine & Support With Herbs Instead.

A cough is the body’s natural mechanism for removing foreign matter from the throat and lungs. Contrary to popular belief, you’re not doing your body any favors by taking an over the counter cough syrup. Most of the main steam brands contain cough suppressants; this is the opposite of what you want to do when your lungs are in need of some extra support. Why suppress a cough when your body is working to remove something from your lungs that could potentially fester and develop into something worse.

So how should we approach working with a cough, how do we support our lungs in order to fix the underlying issue causing the symptom?

First, in order to determine what route you should take when a cough arises, you need to identify what kind you have; is it a wet cough, a barking cough, or maybe the annoying dry hacking cough. Understanding the different types is key in determining what herbs to take. There are of course blanket remedies that can cover a broad spectrum, but the best way is to customize your plan of attack based on your symptoms.

My biggest reason for suggesting herbs or homeopathic remedies instead of over the counter allopathic cough medicine is of course, the ingredients. I’ll go over lung supporting herbs toward the bottom, but first let’s air out the dirty laundry and take a look at the ingredients in one of the well known over the counter cough syrups.

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS:
Dextromethorphan HBr 60 mg ......…........... Cough suppressant
Guaifenesin 1200 mg ………………………………… Expectorant

INACTIVE INGREDIENTS:
carbomer homopolymer type B, copovidone, D&C yellow #10 aluminum lake, hypromellose, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, silicon dioxide

Are you familiar with what’s in here? Let’s break this down

Dextromethorphan: This chemical is listed as a cough suppressant. It doesn’t sound that bad right? Stop the cough, that’s what we want after all isn’t it? Yes, we want to stop the cough, but we need to do it the proper way, by fixing the underlying issue, not by tricking the brain into thinking we don’t need to cough.

This chemical "crosses the blood-brain-barrier and activates sigma opioid receptors on the cough center in the central nervous system, thereby suppressing the cough reflex.”

Dextromethorphan is a common antitussive agent found in many over-the-counter cough and cold preparations. Dextromethorphan is often found in combination products containing antihistamines, decongestants, ethanol, or acetaminophen. It is listed with a chemical status of “acute toxic”. First of all, “medicine” listed and approved by the FDA should not be acute toxic, nor should it be crossing the blood-brain barrier. No thank you. This is what is being marketed towards parents as the best way to treat a cough for themselves and their children. It needs to stop.

Let’s continue.

“It has a role as a NMDA receptor antagonist, a neurotoxin, a xenobiotic, an environmental contaminant, an antitussive, a prodrug and a oneirogen.”

Again, it’s approved by the FDA for you and your children to ingest when sick, yet it cannot be flushed down the toilet, discarded in the trash, or thrown outside because it’s an environmental contaminant.

“Expired or waste pharmaceuticals shall carefully take into consideration applicable DEA, EPA, and FDA regulations. It is not appropriate to dispose by flushing the pharmaceutical down the toilet or discarding to trash. If possible, return the pharmaceutical to the manufacturer for proper disposal being careful to properly label and securely package the material. Alternatively, the waste pharmaceutical shall be labeled, securely packaged and transported by a state licensed medical waste contractor to dispose by burial in a licensed hazardous or toxic waste landfill or incinerator.”

Let me repeat this part, “dispose of by burial in a licensed hazardous or toxic waste landfill or incinerator”. This does not sound like something humans should be consuming, especially when their bodies aren’t functioning at 100%.

Take a look below at the GHS Classification (Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals). GHS was developed by the United Nations as a way to bring into agreement the chemical regulations and standards of different countries. GHS includes criteria for the classification of health, physical and environmental hazards, as well as specifying what information should be included on labels of hazardous chemicals as well as safety data sheets.
Reference:
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ghs/

Ref: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Dextromethorphan

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The next active ingredient is Guaifenesin, listed as an expectorant, this drug acts as an irritant to gastric vagal receptors and is used to thin out mucus in order to expel it from the lungs.

It is a propanediol derivative……

What is a propanediol? It’s a sweet colorless, viscous, hygroscopic liquid used as an antifreeze and in brake fluid and also as ahumectant in cosmetics and personal care items although it can be absorbed through the skin with harmful effects.

While it is believed that guaifenesin is known to thin out heavy mucus for easier expulsion and manage chest congestion, it is not known whether the agent can reliably mitigate coughing. Nevertheless, on March 1, 2007, the FDA received a petition asking the FDA to notify the public that some antitussives, expectorants, decongestants, antihistamines, and cough/cold combinations are not known to be safe and effective in children under the age of 6 years. They settled at changing the labels to note that guaifenesin is not for use in children under the age of 4 years. It was endorsed by FDA in 2008.

This remains the only legally marketed expectorant in the US.

References:

• https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Guaifenesin

• https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/glyceryl+guaiacolate

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So we covered the active ingredients. Let’s briefly go over the inactive ingredients.

• Carbomer homopolymer type B: A high molecular weight copolymer of acrylic acid and a long chain alkyl methacrylate cross-linked with allyl ethers of polyalcohols. Cosolvent mixture of ethyl acetate and cyclohexane is used as residual solvent. This polymer is used as controlled-release agents, bioadhesives, topical gels, emulsifying agents etc.

• Copovidone: A co-polymer made by N-vinyl-2- pyrolidone and vinyl acetate. It is used for coating agent or binder. Copovidone is insoluble in water, so dimethyl formamide (DMF) was used as the eluent. In this application, even though DMF is used as the eluent, adding lithium bromide into the eluent is effective. Lithium bromide was added for analyzing copovidone. It’s made using vinyl acetate, which is classified as an irritant, health hazard and highly flammable, as well as suspected to cause cancer.
  
  GHS Hazard Statements for Copovidone: H225: Highly Flammable liquid and vapor [Danger Flammable liquids]

  H332: Harmful if inhaled [Warning Acute toxicity, inhalation]

  H335: May cause respiratory irritation [Warning Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure; Respiratory tract irritation]

  H351: Suspected of causing cancer [Warning Carcinogenicity]
  
  References:

• https://www.shodex.com/en/dc/06/07/48.html

• https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Vinyl-acetate#section=Literature
  

• D&C yellow #10 aluminum lake: This is used as a colorant. I have found limited information and scientific studies on this. The EWG.org has it scored as a 2-8 based on it’s usage. It’s used topically and internally. The EFSA reports that Yellow 10 intolerance/sensitivity has been reported in humans.
  
  Reference:
  https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/701830-DC_YELLOW_NO_10_CI_47005_LAKE/
  

• Hypromellose: Formerly known as hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), is the most commonly used cellulose to control the release of a drug in a controlled manner, effectively increasing the duration of release of a drug to prolong its therapeutic effect.
  
  It is produced by processing pulp cellulose with caustic soda, then reacting with methyl chloride and propylene oxide.
  
  Reference: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7840944_The_use_of_Hypromellose_in_oral_drug_delivery
  

• Magnesium hydroxide: This is commonly used as an antacid and laxative. It’s chemical classification is listed as corrosive and an irritant. Additionally, magnesium hydroxide has smoke suppressing and flame retardant properties and is thus used commercially as a fire retardant.
  
  GHS Hazard Statements for Magnesium hydroxide: Reported as not meeting GHS hazard criteria by 510 of 596 companies.

  Of the 6 notification(s) provided by 86 of 596 companies with hazard statement code(s):

  H302 (26.74%): Harmful if swallowed [Warning Acute toxicity, oral]

  H315 (73.26%): Causes skin irritation [Warning Skin corrosion/irritation]

  H318 (25.58%): Causes serious eye damage [Danger Serious eye damage/eye irritation]

  H319 (74.42%): Causes serious eye irritation [Warning Serious eye damage/eye irritation]

  H332 (26.74%): Harmful if inhaled [Warning Acute toxicity, inhalation]

  H335 (73.26%): May cause respiratory irritation [Warning Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure; Respiratory tract irritation]
  
  Reference:
  https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Magnesium-hydroxide#section=Classification
  

• Magnesium stearate: Magnesium stearate is widely used in the production of dietary supplement and pharmaceutical tablets.
  
  Although considered to have a safe toxicity profile, there is no available information regarding its potential to induce genetic toxicity. It has been widely used for many decades in the food industry as an emulsifier, binder and thickener, as well as an anticaking, lubricant, release, and antifoaming agent.
  
  Its chemical classification has it listed as an irritant.
  
  GHS Hazard Statements for Magnesium Stearate: H315 (32%): Causes skin irritation [Warning Skin corrosion/irritation]

  H319 (37.14%): Causes serious eye irritation [Warning Serious eye damage/eye irritation]

  H335 (32.57%): May cause respiratory irritation [Warning Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure; Respiratory tract irritation]

  H413 (61.43%): May cause long lasting harmful effects to aquatic life [Hazardous to the aquatic environment, long-term hazard]
  
  References:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5655391/

• https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/11177#section=Spectral-Information
  

• Microcrystalline cellulose: (MCC) is a term for refined wood pulp and is used as a texturizer, an anti-caking agent, a fat substitute, an emulsifier, an extender, and a bulking agent in food production. The most common form is used in vitamin supplements or tablets. Pharmaceutical grade MCC needs a high-quality pulp, and uses wood as the most common source.
  
  A holistic integrative health practitioner stated the following about MCC, “Our cells cannot stop the micro-nano particles from entering them, and once there, these particles, especially from cellulose from wood, which is what Microcrystalline Cellulose comes from, are not able to be absorbed, but float in and out of the cell membranes, and basically clog up tiny places in our bodies, bio-accumulating as we ingest more, and cause background inflammation to rise.”
  
  References:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3003160/

• https://www.intechopen.com/books/pharmaceutical-formulation-design-recent-practices/microcrystalline-cellulose-as-pharmaceutical-excipient

• https://www.integrativeholistichealth.org/information/dangers-of-microcrystalline-cellulose-filler-in-pharmaceuticals/
  

• Silicon dioxide: Also known as synthetic amorphous silica (SAS), is used by food manufacturers as an anti-caking agent in spices, or creamers, to ensure fine flowing powders or to absorb water. It is made up of aggregated nano-sized particles and is used for a plethora of reasons for example;
  • Blasting agents, grinding materials, friction agents, general abrasives.
  • Agent for soaking up liquid.
  • General adhesives and binding agents for a variety of uses.
  • Additive for products to promote hardening, used in paints and varnishes, plastics, etc.
  • & More.
  
  It’s classified as a health hazard.
  
  GHS Hazard Statements for Silicon dioxide: Aggregated GHS information provided by 1712 companies from 40 notifications to the ECHA C&L Inventory. Each notification may be associated with multiple companies.

  Reported as not meeting GHS hazard criteria by 122 of 1712 companies.

  Of the 39 notification(s) provided by 1590 of 1712 companies with hazard statement code(s):

  H350 (11.76%): May cause cancer [Danger Carcinogenicity]

  H372 (66.04%): Causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure [Danger Specific target organ toxicity, repeated exposure]

  H373 (21.01%): Causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure [Warning Specific target organ toxicity, repeated exposure]
  Several animal studies proved this chemical as a tumorigenic: Carcinogenic by RTECS criteria; Blood: Lymphoma including Hodgkin's disease.
  
  References:

• https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Silicon-dioxide#section=NIOSH-Toxicity-Data

• https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2018/01/18/EFSA-raises-red-flag-for-silicon-dioxide-safety-over-nanoparticles#
  https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/5088

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Now that’s a lot of information to take in.

To summarize, over the counter cough medicine is made up of potentially hazardous chemicals. There isn’t anything natural about them. They suppress symptoms by tricking the brain into thinking nothing is wrong. Some of these chemicals cross the blood-brain barrier, and may have carcinogenic effects.

So what can we do to avoid over the counter drugs and get rid of a cough with a more natural approach?

There are several ways.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve made a variety of herbal concoctions to support the lungs and body system when a cough developed. This happened mostly because my daughter used to get severe respiratory illnesses with heavy wheezing, shallow breathing and a deep set cough. It was scary, and sadly the allopathic route failed us. I was determined to support her from home naturally.

I started by switching the Albuterol the doctor prescribed us in her nebulizer for colloidal silver. The Albuterol opened up her airways, but it was a temporary solution, and she’d be back to wheezing in no time. Her lungs seemed to have developed a dependence to the Albuterol. She needed to use this on a consistent basis in order to breathe properly. The colloidal silver on the other hand opened up her airways and seemingly reduced the wheezing and shallow breathing, as well as extended the time between uses. This was a game changer. Thankfully she hasn’t had another bout of this severe illness for over a year after using the colloidal silver through many previous illnesses of this magnitude.

Before I started brewing my own silver, I used the brand Sovereign Silver. I highly recommend everyone having a bottle of this in their medicine cabinet. I’ll have more on this in a different post.

Next, I make a fresh garlic salve consisting of lots of fresh crushed garlic, coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil. This is applied to the back, chest, and feet at least 3 time a day, every 2-3 hours is best. Please note, you will smell like the most delicious loaf of garlic bread. I may share this recipe in a later post.

For the cough, I like to make an herbal cough syrup depending on what type of cough we’re dealing with. Again, please avoid suppressants at all costs. A cough is the body’s way of getting rid of any foreign matter in the lungs. To suppress this mechanism will draw out the illness and can potentially develop into something worse, like pneumonia. Get that mucus out, naturally!

For a wet cough, also known as a productive cough, we want to thin heavy mucus and expel it from the lungs. It is best to use an herb with expectorant properties. By clearing out the congestion, we support healthy lung function and ultimately stop our coughing by fixing the root problem, not by suppressing it.

Herbs with expectorant properties can include, but certainly aren’t limited to the following;

• Elecampane

• Hyssop

• Ginger

• Garlic

• Mustard

• Evergreens like Pine, Douglas fir, and Poplar buds.

• Mullein (also a demulcent)

• Usnea is another great herbal ally that can be used for wet coughs, this is best in tincture form.

The herbs above will help expel mucus. But if you have a dry, hacking cough you’ll want herbs with demulcent properties.

A demulcent herb is rich in mucilage and can soothe inflamed tissue. Herbs with demulcent properties include, but are not limited to;

• Marshmallow root

• Slippery Elm

• Licorice Root

• Linden

• Plantain

• Mullein

These herbs will moisten and soothe a dry hacking cough, offering welcomed relief. More often than not, dry coughs are accompanied by spasmodic coughing. This is an uncontrollable, and annoying cough, usually ending in a headache. I like to add Passion flower to my tea or syrup blends for a calming effect. Anise Hyssop & Wild Cherry Bark are other great herbs for combating spasmodic coughs.

Wild Cherry Bark makes a tasty cough syrup gentle enough for children, while Anise Hyssop works wonders in tea blends.

For a barking, croup like cough, I simply offer the homeopathic tablets spongia tosta at the first sign, and use the garlic paste mentioned above.

There are many lung supporting herbs available, some even right outside your door. I cannot end this blog post without further discussing one of my favorite lung supporters, Mullein.

Mullien, Verbascum Thapsus, is a plant that grows prolifically in my area of Southwest New Hampshire. It’s fuzzy leaves and tall yellow flowers make it easily recognizable. Rich in mucilage and saponins, mullein is an expectorant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-spasmodic useful for bronchitis and dry coughing, and as a general tonifying herb for the respiratory system (Hoffmann, 2003; Hardin, 2009). Mullein leaf, makes a delicious tea, just be sure to strain carefully. The little hairs may cause irritation to some.

Reference: Hoffmann, David. (2003). Medical Herbalism. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.

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Knowing some simple tips and tricks on how to soothe coughs using natural remedies is a huge step in taking control of your own health. Over the counter cough syrups can have devastating long term effects on the body, but herbs have beneficial effects!

With that I leave you with an easy to make cough syrup that can be made using culinary ingredients most people have in their home. This cough syrup uses Thyme as the main herbal ally.

Thyme is known to treat upper respiratory infections, bronchitis, and whooping cough. This comes as no surprise considering thyme flavonoids relax tracheal and ileal muscles*, which are involved in coughing, and also reduce inflammation.

Ginger is also a key contributor in this syrup. A natural antibiotic, ginger is also an amazing anti-inflammatory and contains phytochemicals that can boost your immune system to help remedy the root of your cough.

Ingredients:

• ~ 1/2 cup fresh thyme

• ~ 1 organic lemon, juiced

• ~ 2-3” fresh grated ginger root

• ~ 1.5 cups filtered or steam distilled water

• ~ 3/4 cup raw local honey

To make:

1. Put roughly 2-3” of fresh grated ginger root into about 1.5 cups of water.

2. Bring water to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

3. Turn off the burner/heat & add in about 2 handfuls of fresh thyme (with stem) - roughly 1/2 cup.

4. Add the juice from 1 small organic lemon.

5. Cover and steep for 4-12 hours.

6. After steeping, strain, making sure to squeeze out all the juice from the ginger and thyme - don’t leave that behind! Using a cheese cloth works well.

7. Put the liquid back on the burner on the lowest setting. This will allow the honey to melt into the decoction without killing off any of the beneficial properties of the honey.

8. Add about 3/4 cup of local RAW honey. Do not use standard store bought honey. Please be sure it’s raw honey otherwise you’re just sweetening this without any benefit. Add a small amount at a time until you have the proper ratio. You’re going to want roughly a 1:1 ratio liquid to honey.

9. Once mixed, allow the syrup to cool and pour into a glass bottle. Keep refrigerated.

Dosage:
Adults: 3-5 tablespoons per day
Children: 3-5 teaspoons per day

NOTE: Do not consume large amounts of thyme if you are taking blood-thinning medications. Always consult your primary care physician before taking this syrup. Do not feed honey to children under 1 year of age.

*Thyme References:

• http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbclip/300/review44454.html?ts=1606931173&signature=6c0b45aac478a7495b3e88cdded6bcce

• https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3ebc/74410ab7929b2b8184d3f1c7b21fd23afe58.pdf

*The information this site is for educational purposes only, and has not been approved by the FDA. Modern Herbal does not give medical advice, intend to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. 

Please use all herbs under the advice and counsel of your local herbalist, midwife, spiritual advisor, and/or doctor.