It is common for all of us to feel a little down after the excitement of the holidays and the New Year. If you are feeling a bit adrift, know that you are not alone! Some years we burst forth with great plans for the New Year and some years we are too spent to enter the year with that level of enthusiasm and drive. And that is ok. We are not all about fake or toxic positivity here.

But what can we do about it?

💙 Get Outside
Don't forget that the outdoors are still calling you in the wintertime! You can make it easy--you don't have to make a trek to a park or make the commitment to go hiking, although you can if that works! If there's a lot of snow outside, spend some time with your kids or have a social distance friend date where you get creative making some snow art! Or if the snow is mostly gone, take a walk around the neighborhood and take in wintertime's stark beauty.

💙 Consider where you're spending your energy 
How are you feeling about where your energy goes each day? Are you consuming a lot of negative news all day? Are there boundaries that feel right in terms of screen time or social media? Are there people in your life that you need some boundaries established with? By reclaiming that time and energy, you give yourself more chances to spend time doing what you do want!

💙 Schedule quiet down time 
We all know that only things that get scheduled actually GET DONE.  Let's take a moment and remember that you are what makes your life and your family's world go round so your physical and mental health is important! Whether it is a bit of quiet yoga time, a soak in a bath, or quietly coloring a mandala you deserve a bit of quiet time!  Let's find a spot to fit it into your week!

💙 Reflect on what is working
Take some time to think about one or more changes you made last year that you feel good about. Celebrate them! Reflect on how it feels to have this change in your life, and continue reminding yourself of the habits you already practice that are supportive and nourishing that you are proud of.

💙 Reach out to friends who need you just as much as you need them
Remember that if you're having a rough day and could use some support, chances are there are multiple people in your life who are in the same boat. Text a few friends and ask them if they want to chat, your voice might be just what they needed to hear that day! Don't forget to tell your friends how much they mean to you!

💙 Find one small habit to shift
If you're still feeling like something needs to shift for you to feel your best, try to find a small thing in your life that you could tweak, rather than something huge to radically transform. Habit changes are best accomplished when we take the time to gradually shift one small thing at a time. As a health coach, I can help you choose the right habit to focus on. and follow up support calls are just $30 for 25 minutes. If you could use this level of support in looking at habit changes, schedule a health coach appointment here! And read more below about my health coaching practice.


For herbal suggestions this is where we have some wonderful mood lifting and energizing herbs.

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💚 Choose an adaptogen to nourish your energy levels
Adaptogens build energy reserves rather than depleting them like coffee or other stimulants. If you don't know which one might be right for you schedule a quick consult appointment at the link below.

💚 Try a mood lifting herbal tea
Such as my Loving Heart or Damiana Delight. Loving Heart gently nourishes your tired spirit and heart. Damiana Delight is mildly energy lifting and mood lifting. Or choose a Tulsi tea from your local grocer. Try 1-3 cups per day! Pick-ups can be made at the link below.

💚 Try an uplifting bath
Here is a recipe for bath bombs for the bath that will recharge your spirit! If you are not a DIYer, try Dr. Teal's Bath Salts which are available at many stores.

1 Cup Epsom Salt
1 Cup Himalayan Salt
10-12 drops of an essential oil that is gentle on the skin (Mandarin, Rosemary, Rose Geranium etc.)
Add 1/2 cup to your bath once the tub is full. 
Enjoy!

💚 Schedule an appointment with me! 
Herbally we have SO many choices and ways we can lift and build you up to make 2021 be the best year that it can be!  Let's get started now!
Hope to hear from you soon,

Kate

Immune Support Suggestions
I would like to share additional information regarding each immune support topic from last week. If you have not read the March 13, 2020 blog, please do before reading this.

#1 Hygiene - One tool many of you have in your tool kits are essential oils.  Do not use them excessively but put them to good use now.  They will be especially helpful if someone in your house is diagnosed with COVID-19.  Even now as you are still going out to the store and on errands they can be very helpful. Use them to make a hand sanitizer easily by adding 10-20 drops of oils like Tea Tree and Frankincense to a 1 oz spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol and a bit of aloe vera gel.  Hand washing IS best but you will find times when you are out and about that you may want to sanitize immediately (think grocery store carts and PIN pads!)  
 
#2 Adaptogens - Many people are not yet ready to think of this outbreak in the long term view that will be needed.  For those who are not exposed currently and are taking safety precautions, the next most important thing for them is to reduce their STRESS. Stress depletes the body's ability to respond to immune challenges.  As an herbalist we use nervines (herbs that nourish and calm the nervous system) and adaptogens (herbs that strengthen the body's resilience) to help.  Mitigating stress is key RIGHT NOW.  There are a lot of mind/body suggestions out there for calming and I suggested a couple in my last newsletter but if you need additional support for this please reach out.  *Some adaptogens are best not taken when actively ill so make an appointment with your herbalist to discuss your custom remedy and how to proceed if you become ill.

#3 Supporting wei-qi -  Now that you have more time at home implement a daily practice of the Qi Gong routine I shared last week.  Increasing our wei-qi and our lung health is good preventative medicine right now!  

#4 General immune support - Kitchen medicine like eating warm, nourishing soups, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, and citrus fruits are part of a healthy lifestyle.  These are things we can all do and should do. Remember that good health doesn't come in a bottle.  All these little choices add up!
 
#5 Immune stimulating herbs - Many people often reach of elderberry and echinacea to boost the immune system. These are just 2 of the more common ones.  Right now there is information floating around stirring up fears about immune stimulants.  I didn't get too deep into this discussion in the previous newsletter and was possibly too vague as people begin to panic when they read about cytokine storms.  First of all understand that every answer is nuanced so when I say that I might "reconsider" elderberry syrup for those who are ill it does not mean stop.  It means reconsider.  I am going to be looking at whether or not they have already been using it as a preventative and how it has been working for them. Has it been enough? Are there better herbs given their particular needs?  Do I need to move on to my next protocol?  There are many herbs for me to choose from and layers in that decision.   Also as I mentioned previously, herbalists walk a thin line in how we practice so sometimes we have to be a bit vague. We can not come right out and make claims like drug companies can.  With regards to elderberry, in particular, in the last newsletter I shared the perspective from the Science and Art of Herbalism program (the Rosemary Gladstar program that I teach here in Omaha).  I have continued to read what a variety of prominent herbalists have shared.  Here I will also share what my first herbal teacher Nicholas Schnell shared on his page recently.

Elder Berry Safety with Acute Viral Infections
There is much mis-information going around that elderberry will cause a "cytokine storm" if taken during an acute infection. This is simply not true and not based on clinical facts. Elderberry is an immune modulator and anti-viral. It can affect IL-6 to some degree. However, calling this a cytokine storm is misleading. Considering it is one of the most researched herbs for viral influenza, I think it creates more confusion in the public.
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Dr. Eric Yarnell: I already posted about this but here it goes again to quash this nonsense: forget about all the in vitro crap that suggests Sambucus (Elder) would cause a cytokine storm. Look at the human clinical trials in influenza using Sambucus, another disease where we know cytokine storms cause severe morbidity and mortality (PMID 26189369). Sambucus has not caused cytokine storms in influenza, quite the opposite: symptoms improved much more rapidly with Sambucus than placebo (hardly in line with Sambucus causing aggravation and cytokine storms) (PMID 9395631, 15080016).
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#6 - #7 Immune amphoteric and modulating herbs and alteratives -  I defined these herbs a bit and gave some herbs to consider for my more knowledgeable clients and so that clients understand some of what I am considering in my formulations.  If you do not have the individual knowledge of which of these herbs to choose then if you get to the point of needing these items you might want to schedule a consultation with your herbalist. 

#8  My office and client protocols - I will remain open as long as I feel it is the right thing to do for my family and my community.  Starting next week all appointments will be via Skype or phone.  For refills and pick-ups I ask that you be very specific in your appointment notes so that we have the items ready for you. We would be glad to bring them out to your vehicle if you text us when you arrive.  This is especially helpful if you have children.  We will be sanitizing all touched surfaces should you choose to come in.  We can also mail them to you if you note that on your appointment note.   We will bill via Square for purchases so that we mitigate passage of germs in the payment process. We will not be answering questions and or socializing at herb pick-up time. It will be a quick in-and-out process.  If you have questions and are looking for advice you will need to make an appointment.

I am making available a "pro-active" immune support blend and an "active" immune support blend that can be purchased for $40 for 4 oz. to help people be prepared.  If you are a current client and become ill you can email me and I will make a more specific blend, if applicable, and it will be mailed to you.  I will only be making custom formulations related to immune support for CURRENT CLIENTS.  A current client is someone who has had a consultation with me in the last 2 years.  

I am committed to being here for you as I can but I also acknowledge that at some point myself and my staff may have to quarantine.  Many clients may have very mild symptoms and all of this may see over-reactionary but for some of my clients with immune challenges this is the protocol that is required in order to keep them health! 

I will share a quote that was often said when I was in the Army that I find highly applicable right now.  

"Failure to prepare, is preparing to fail!" - Benjamin Franklin

Be well my herbal family!  Your health and vitality is of the utmost importance to me!

-Kate