How to Sleep Better When You Travel

When you travel, it is hard to be productive for work - or really enjoy a vacation - when sleep deprivation is screaming in your head.

I know.

Because I have struggled with sleep, too.

So, I’ve tried several sleep tools and supplements and now have a combination that helps me.

Try these. Mix them with your own ideas.

And get a great night’s sleep again!

Top Foods for Prebiotics and Probiotics

Your gut health strongly impacts how happy you feel and the health of your body.

What impacts the health of your gut?

Most importantly is how much good and bad bacteria live there.

You get to determine which ones hang out in there. Did you know that in just a few days you can change - yes, change - that ratio of good to bad bacteria in your gut?

Through the right prebiotics and probiotics.

Feeling happier and thinking clearer is only a few days away.

In this short video, I introduce you to the top foods for prebiotics and probiotics.

What is a prebiotic and a probiotic?

A prebiotic is the fiber the good bacteria love. Hint: Some of the foods with prebiotic fiber are superstars because of other compounds you’ll discover in the video.

A probiotic is the good bacteria itself.

Some of these foods will be new to you.

Here’s your 7 Day Challenge:

Over the next 7 days, eat a few prebiotic foods and at least one probiotic food.

Here’s to your healthy gut and your happy brain!

To learn more … Join me at the Nourished Festival

https://www.nourishedfestival.com/gluten-free-expo-spring

Or check out my Nourish Your Life workshop

http://www.thevireolife.com/video-store

How to Make Herbal Teas from Scratch (Easy)

Why rely on the boxed powdered teas when you can easily make your own with fresh ingredients.

You can grow some beautiful bushes, dig dandelion from your yard, or order pure herbs from two of my favorite online herb shops. (Check them out below.)

How do you know which herbs help what?

And once you have some herbs in your hands, how do you make them into tea?

Watch my friend and me mix it up in the kitchen - chopping, grating, and all the fun you can have with a little hot water.

As a bonus, I get “revenge” on my high school home ec teacher. Well, not exactly. But it makes us laugh.

https://www.highgardentea.com/

https://mountainroseherbs.com/

Eat and Drink This for Stress

Does your stomach tighten up when you feel nervous?

Does digestion get difficult when you are stressed?

Or do you get tired easily when you feel overwhelmed?

Then it is time to break out the pesto sauce for dinner and drink some basil tea — holy basil, that is.

Regular basil and holy basil, also called tulsi, look very different. They both grow super easy. Whether in your kitchen window herb garden or in your edible landscaping, these are two herbs you want for health.

Listen in to find out how to use each differently.

(Here’s the link to learn how to make basil herbal infusion)
http://www.thevireolife.com/blog/2018/7/11/six-easy-steps-for-herbal-infusions

What’s your favorite basil recipe?

Why You Should Eat Your Yard (Maybe)

Several “weeds” can be safely eaten, even with medicinal benefits.

Red and white clover are two. Red clover especially has phytonutrients that can adjust with hormones. Which means some people will benefit and others would not - so check with your doctor before consuming on a regular basis.

It’s also high in vitamins and minerals. Great in teas or salads.

Calming Ways to Use Chamomile

Chamomile is widely known and used for mild insomnia. But did you know you don’t have to drink it? If you feel restless or anxious before bedtime, you can also use chamomile in a bath or footbath to enjoy the calming effect.

Chamomile likes to grow in full sun

Chamomile is also an anti-inflammatory, due to its essential oil, azulene. This may also help to lower fever. To use a gargle for sore throat, make a double-strength tea.

A cup of chamomile tea is also a digestive aid, both through calming and the bitter compounds in it.

For some individuals, chamomile has an immediate calming effect. (That would not be me.) For others, chamomile needs to be used a few times a day over several days to help. (My hand is raised on that one.)

Fresh from the garden

Chamomile is considered safe for children.

How much? 1 tsp dried herb to one cup water for tea.

Prepping chamomile to dry in the dehydrator

My experience with chamomile out of our garden: Dried and fresh taste very different. Fresh has almost no taste. Dried chamomile has a mild sweet taste.

Resources: Medicinal Herbs - Rosemary Gladstar. The Simple Book of Herbs - Lisa Bedner, R.N., Herbs for Stress and Anxiety - Rosemary Gladstar.

9 Ways to Enjoy Rosemary

I trimmed back a rosemary bush and had to come up with several ways to use a ton of rosemary.

Of course, my favorite way is #9!

Six Easy Steps for Herbal Infusions

Making an infusion is similar to making tea.  Once you know which herbs you want and if you are using fresh, frozen, or dried, the rest is easy.

For this example, I am using fresh Holy Basil from my garden.  Holy Basil is an "adaptogen" - which helps the body adapt to stress.  

Step One:

Harvest the stems and leaves before flowers form, in early morning, just after the dew is off. That's the ideal. However, these I harvested at 5:45 a.m. because that is when I needed to make my infusion.  Also, the tops had flowered, so I used them.  Amount?  Enough for 2+ tablespoons fresh per cup of water. (If using dried herbs, use 1+ tablespoon per cup of water.)

Step Two:

Rinse off any obvious dirt.  

Step Three:

Strip the leaves and flowers to use.  (Some people also use the stems.)

Step Four:

Chop Coarsely.

Step Five:

Place the herbs in either a mason jar or a french press.  When I began making infusions I used a mason jar and then strained the herbs through a cheesecloth.  If you are going to make infusions several days a week, invest in a french press to save you time.

Steep for 4 hours minimum.  The longer the herb steeps (generally), the stronger the infusion.  I either make my infusion at night and let it steep overnight to drink in the first few hours of the day, or begin steeping in the morning and drink during the afternoon.

Step Six:

Drink the infusion within a day or two, putting it in the refrigerator if over 12-24 hours.  Or freeze the infusion in ice cube trays.  This is especially useful for infusions you want to use as herbal remedies.  For example, if you want sweet basil, chamomile, and mint to steep together for 4 hours to help with digestion or headaches, you don't want to wait 4 hours for relief.  Having it made and frozen, you can pour boiling water over 2-3 cubes and have instant help.

If you have questions, or ways that you make infusions, I'd love to chat in the comments.

Patience Pays Off

These simple pictures don't reflect the emotions they evoke in me. This is an "oh, my" step in a personal journey. We planted this chamomile and coneflower this weekend.

SO?

Have you ever had something that you worked (and worked) toward and no matter how hard and long you worked it seemed to get further away?

Two and a half years ago Doug Traxler and I decided to turn our side yard into a Medicinal Herb Garden. With the help of Nashville Foodscapes and Lisa Bedner, RN and certified herbalist, the soil was prepped, the plants selected, and the garden designed. But then ...

All of 2017 was spent re-weeding. (Ok, not all. We did go to a friend's wedding in CA.) We would weed a section, then by the time the next section was weeded, the bermuda grass would reappear in another area. Evenings. Weekends. Over and over.

This spring we started weeding again.

But you know what happened? Enough of the deep roots were out that there were fewer and fewer weeds and grass. As fewer weeds came up, there were fewer to go to seed.

(Is anyone seeing a life lesson here, too?)

So, this weekend, after making the final layout of one of the herb beds, I was able to plant my first herbs in this garden.

As I sat listening to the rain, I felt such a sense of wonder and hope. "Wow. Something I had begun to feel discouraged over, finally has a tangible proof that IT CAN BE DONE." (Yes, there is still much more to do, but I have hope.)

If you are struggling to make something happen, drink a cup of chamomile tea (not from my garden yet, though ... it's not grown enough) and remember IT CAN BE DONE.

Basil in a Bag ... now you can try it at home

A few weeks ago I planted some basil seeds in pre-bagged product.  (See video here.)

Four of the six seeds germinated.  Now, what to do with them?  Eat with tomatoes, of course. Make a basil tea as medicine (yep - details are in the video). Store for the winter.  (Watch to learn how.)

Happy growing.

Remember, you can find your path and fulfill your potential.