the good ol' castor oil pack

Castor oil, which is made from the castor bean, has been used medicinally for thousands of years. Castor beans have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs, and in ancient Rome, the plant was commonly referred to as the Palma Christi (or "palm of Christ") because of its unique ability to heal whatever it came into contact with.
Today, we use the oil topically in what we call a "castor oil pack" originally introduced by Edgar Cayce in the early 1900's. The pack is generally applied over the liver and/or the majority of the abdomen, often heat is applied either through a heating pack or hot water bottle and left on for about 30 mins.
What does the pack do? Well, it stimulates the flow of your lymph, reduces inflammation, and stimulates blood flow to the application area, all of which aid in you're body's ability to eliminate waste via your liver and GI. It can also be applied topically to areas of inflammation/aches/pains and will significantly aid in the reduction of inflammation and increased healing. The pack is useful to do once a day, a few times a week to really help assist the bodies ability to eliminate efficiently, reduce inflammation, boost immune function, and calm the nervous system. It is a very calming treatment and great to do before bed. Topical castor oil is also a great remedy for babies with colic. A small amount of warm oil can be massaged into their bellies and left to soak in, having a soothing affect.
How does one go about doing a castor oil pack? Good question... first here is how not to do it:

and now, here is how to do it:

Supplies needed:
*cold pressed castor oil (can be found at your local pharmacy)
*flannel cloth (cotton or wool; 20"-40" x 24"-48")
*plastic wrap (optional)
*an old towel or two
*hot water bottle or heating pad
*two safety pins to hold towel in place (optional)
*glass storage container (9x9" pyrex dish or similar container)

Directions:
1. Fold flannel to fit over abdomen and pour oil onto it until well moistened but not dripping wet
2. Lie down placing flannel directly on skin over treatment area (focus on the area shown in yellow, but don't feel limited to this area)
3. Next cover with plastic wrap and/or an old towel (the plastic is because the oil will stain fabric, but I just have a couple designated castor oil towels)
4. Place your heat source over the treatment area
5. Lay back and relax for 30-60 mins
6. When done, place flannel back in an airtight glass container and it can be reused over and over for a few months, reapplying oil to the flannel as needed
7. To get the oil off your skin after the treatment, hair conditioner works great... just apply and wipe clean or hop in the shower and wash off
(Repeat 1x daily as often as possible)

skin deep... and then some

As the weather gets chillier, our cheeks get rosier and for most of us, our skin gets drier. How many times have you gone to get dressed in the winter and thought to yourself, "oh man, look at how dry these legs are... oh well no one will see them..."? Right? Well, you're not alone.

It's easy to dismiss our skin during these cold months because well we don't have to wear shorts or swim suits anymore. But, our skin does a lot for us all year 'round. For one, it is a primary form of detoxification and elimination. Our skin breathes, excretes and absorbs, making it important to take care of it just as you would any other organ in your body.
So, take some time for your skin... it'll thank you! Here are a few suggestions:

KEEP YOURSELF WELL-HYDRATED

As our bodies become dehydrated, our skin cells lose their water content, which decreases the plumpness of the skin cells, diminishing our healthy glow and our overall health. We should all be drinking about half of our body weight in ounces daily. So, if you weigh 200 lbs that is 100 oz (roughly 10-12 cups of water daily) and so on. Keeping a water bottle with you and sipping throughout the day is an easy way to insure that you are well hydrated.

DRY SKIN BRUSHING

Okay so you brush your teeth, your hair, but your skin?! Yep. Not only does dry skin brushing help to remove impurities from the skin's surface and pores, but it also stimulates the lymphatic channels which are just under the skin's surface. All throughout our bodies, we have vessels carrying lymph, an important part of our immune system, but unlike blood vessels, there isn't much pressure within lymph vessels. So, it's good to stimulate lymph flow daily through contracting our muscles/exercising, alternating applications of hot and cold water in the shower, and dry skin brushing. Its easy to do and can just become a daily habit like brushing your teeth.
All you need is a brush with natural bristles (found next to the loofahs etc. in the bath and beauty section of most stores). Start at the feet and work your way up with small, light strokes towards your heart as the diagram to the left shows. It is important to do on dry skin, so taking a few minutes to do so before jumping into the shower everyday is a good idea and your body will love you for it!

KITCHEN FACIALS

One of my favorite things to do whenever I get a free morning is to make a facial (or body if you're adventurous) mask with whatever goodies I have on hand in my kitchen. I often use things like oatmeal, honey, green tea, yogurt, avocados, bananas, olive oil etc. to whip up a quick mask and then sit down and sip some tea for a half hour or so before washing it off. Here's a yummy moisturizing mask I've been wanting to try out... just try to resist licking your fingers after applying this one:

Chocolate facial mask
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3 tbsp. heavy cream
2 tsp. cottage cheese
¼ cup honey
3 tsp. oatmeal
Mix all ingredients together in a blender and smooth onto face. Relax for 10-15 minutes, then wash off with warm water.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU... LATHER UP WITH?

Really. Everything we put on our skin absorbs into our system. Here are a couple of helpful sites suggesting what to buy (phthalate and paraben-free products) and what not to buy when it comes to skin care products.

SUPPORT THE OTHER ORGANS
OF ELIMINATION/DETOXIFICATION

There's a lot of buzz around the word "detox" and from the sound of it, you'd think that I'm implying that you have all this toxic gunk in you that needs to come out in one big flush. It is true that in this day and age, we are exposed to a lot more chemicals and toxins than ever before. But, when I say "supporting elimination" I am mainly referring to the waste that our own bodies produce daily, which we are constantly needing to eliminate.
We produce CO2 in our lungs that needs to be breathed out efficiently, urea in our urine needing ample water intake to flush out, and waste products in our bowels needing the help of proper bacteria to keep a healthy balance of flora inside our guts. So, if one or more of these pathways are stressed or not functioning properly, it can put stress on the elimination processes of our skin.

How can we support our organs of elimination?
*For our lungs: Deep breathing
*For our GI systems: Getting probiotics into our bodies daily, either through naturally fermented food/drink or supplementation
*For our kidneys: Drinking plenty of water
*For our livers: Castor oil packs

Pictures: girl with leaf, skin brushing, chocolate facial, deep breath,

wool socks for your woes...

Lions and tigers and SWINE FLU? Oh my!! Fortunately, we are past the peak of this year's swine flu outbreak, but will soon be in the midst of the seasonal flu and boosting the immune system is going to be extremely beneficial as we enter into the holiday season. There are many things we can do to boost our immunity, but one of my favorite ones is a simple at-home treatment called warming socks:

The warming socks treatment is recommended at the first sign of any upper respiratory congestion. It is helpful in sore throats, ear infections, headaches, migraines, upper respiratory infections, coughs, bronchitis, sinus infections, and/or maintaining overall wellness.

This treatment works best if repeated for at least three nights in a row, or as instructed by your physician. Warming socks are best done before going to bed, leaving them on while sleeping. It's an especially effective and easy treatment for children during nap time as well.

Supplies:

• 1 pair white cotton socks
• 1 pair thick wool socks
• Towel
• Warm foot bath or warm bath
  

Directions:

• Warm feet first in a bath by soaking feet in warm water for 5-10 minutes or taking a warm bath or shower.
  
• Take a pair of cotton socks and get them wet with cold water. Wring the socks out thoroughly. You don't want them dripping wet. (ankle socks work well for this... there is no need to have the wet socks above your ankles)
  
• Lie down. Place cold wet cotton socks on feet. Cover with thick dry wool socks. Cover up under your blankets to avoid getting chilled.
• Keep the socks on overnight or as long as you can. The wet cotton socks will warm up quickly and be dry in the morning.

Effects of the Warming Socks Treatment:

This treatment works to reflexively increase the circulation and decrease congestion in the upper respiratory passages, head and throat. In addition to this, the treatment has a sedating action and many patients report that they sleep much better during the treatment. It's effective for pain relief and increases the healing response during acute illnesses.

sock picture via flickr