What herbs do you use to retain your natural hair color?

   I am a people watcher and over the years always noticed that women that color their hair look younger than the women that let it go gray.  I hadn’t really decided what I would do when the time came, but knew that I would prefer my hair to stay its natural color. I never liked the idea of dying my hair and don’t like how it looks when people have the big gray stripe growing and growing until they dye it again.  I also dislike the smell of the dye and the thought of using chemicals never appealed to me.
   
    Dr. Christopher has the answer for every problem and he happens to talk about it in the Herb Lectures CD’s.  Yarrow is the herb he talks about using as a hair rinse.  He tells the story of women he knew that had beautiful strawberry blonde hair that over the years went white.  She came in one day to see him and her hair was back to strawberry blonde.  She quickly mentioned that she didn’t dye it, she was reading over her notes about using the yarrow tea as a rinse to bring the color back.  She was so happy that it really worked! He also talked about a latino man who had gone gray who used it to bring his hair back to black.

     I have been using the BF&C Hair & Scalp Massage Oil along the front of my hairline for the past year or so for thinning hair.  I started to notice that I was getting less and less white hair along with the new hair growth.  I decided that I needed to do more for the rest of my hair.  I had in my notes that Rosemary tea works well for darker hair and I happened to have some of the whole herb.  I call my hair sparkly - my hair is coming in white here and there. It wasn’t bad, but getting more and more sparkly.  I decided that since I had the Rosemary I would give it a try.  I made a tea in the usual way, 1 tsp herb to 8 oz. of water.  I put the tea in an old conditioner bottle along with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.  Lemon juice could also be used instead of the vinegar, it is a great replacement for conditioner. It detangles the hair folicles, seals the cuticle, and balances the hair’s pH balance.  I use the Rosemary & Vinegar instead of conditioner. After shampooing with BF&C Shampoo I put the Rosemary tea on my hair. I leave it in while I finish my shower and rinse it out at the end.  People are noticing the difference already and asking me what I am doing.

    This is so inexpensive and easy to do! So much quicker and easier than dye, and my hair will stay the same color all the time. An 8 oz. bag of either tea costs about the same as a box of dye and will last a lot longer!  I mix up a cup of tea and it will last me about 5 days.  It would be fun to hear back how many people try this and how long it takes for their natural color to return.  I am thrilled at the prospect of keeping my natural hair color for life!

Do it yourself healing success stories...

The thing I like most about using natural medicine at home is when something happens we can take care of the problem right away, instead of having to go to see a doctor.  Our early experiences were with ear infections.  Having gone the doctor route at first with our son and with his ears never getting better it was a relief to finally find the Herbal Ear Drops that ended that cycle.  We built up his immune system with home made Anti-Plague (Super Garlic Immune Syrup) and he became our healthy one. 

     My niece  had an experience a few weeks ago when her little 16 month old son was suddenly crying hysterically. She found that a wasp had gotten under his shirt and had stung him quite a few times.  She has been using the essential oils lately and grabbed the lavender oil and put it on his tummy and rubbed it around. Within seconds he settled right down and was fine.  It is great to see nieces and nephews learning more and using these great products with their families.

    Lavender soothes bites, itching and inflammation.  It is a well known burn remedy, cooling the burn and aiding in healing without scarring.  Use it on sunburns to soothe and heal without peeling.  It is a very relaxing oil, use in the bath, use it with fractionated coconut oil on the shoulders, massage it in and feel the muscles relax.  Put it on your kids pillow at night and they will quickly fall asleep.  Use it when you don’t know what to use, what do you have to lose?

    Another niece told me that her ten year old son is going through one of those clumsy stages and tripped one night badly scuffing and bruising his leg.  She put the Blue blend on his leg and in the morning there was no sign of the injury from the night before.  She diffuses X-Plague all winter long to keep the bugs away and it does a good job of things and smells great too!

    I like to keep a roller bottle of Blue mixed with fractionated coconut oil on my night stand because sometimes  I wake up during the night with my neck hurting.  I’ll roll it around my neck and shoulders and rub it in and drift back to a good night’s sleep. 

    My cousin will order three of the 4 oz. jars of Complete Tissue and Bone Ointment at a time.  They use it liberally on boo boos that happen with their four kids.  She is starting to use the essentail oils and loves how quickly and effectively they work.  She loves the quality of the oils and the affordable pricing that makes it easy to have on hand for her family. 

    What are your success stories?  If you don’t have any, then now is time to get started.  Check out our sale pricing on all of the products we carry. Order some and start having your own success stories! 

Have a great month!
Kathryn

Rebounding brings the fun back to exercise!

 

   All three rebound models are now in stock
Herbs First has the best pricing on the internet!
Lifetime warranty means worry free purchase!

    Exercise is a vital component in health, yet it seems to be one that people get out of the habit of doing.  I have had a rebounder for many years. It is a low impact exercise that is fun for all ages!  When we have kids come to our house they go straight for the rebounder.  Jumping is fun and irresistible and good for you too!  
    Rebounding reduces body fat; firms arms, legs, thighs, abdomen, and hips; increases  agility; strengthens muscles overall; provides an aerobic effect for the cardiopulmonary systems; rejuvenates the body when it's tired, and generally puts people in a state of mental and physical wellness. There are at least 33 ways the body responds to regular rebounding, detailed at the links below.
    There are three models to choose from:
Standard - $259.00
Half Fold - $309.00
Ultimate - Quarter Fold - $340.00
    Half fold includes a carry case and quarter fold include a carry case and dolly. All models include Keep on Rebounding DVD & Al Carters Lecture on CD and lifetime warranty.  No other rebounder has a lifetime warranty.  These rebounders are built to last, but if it doesn’t ReboundAir will replace any part without charge (for home use).  Standard and Half fold can be used by people weighing less than 300 lbs.  The Quarter Fold Rebounder can handle weights up to 400 lbs. 
    Rebounding is a great way to start the day and end the day and everything in between.  ReboundAir Rebounders are in gyms all over of the United States.  Here are some great videos where you can learn more about rebounding: Free UPS ground shipping in the lower 48 states.  Click here to order your rebounder today!
    Read our other blog posts on how rebounding increases your health : http://herbsfirst.blogspot.com/2012/12/get-healthy-by-rebounding.html
http://herbsfirst.blogspot.com/2010/07/lymphatic-system.html
http://herbsfirst.blogspot.com/2009/10/arm-yourself-with-great-flucold.html
Have a great month!
Kathryn Mechling

Ravintsara oil treats Shingles as well as Sinus Congestion

A customer called a few weeks ago asking me about the Ravintsara essential oil that we carry.  She hadn’t been able to find it anywhere, and when she talked to other stores about it they told her that Ravensara and Ravintsara are the same thing.  Not so.  Here is what our website teaches about these wonderful oils.

    Ravintsara reduces pain and headaches, is antiviral, and effectively used for shingles and herpes zoster.  For shingles, add Melissa and Ravintsara to St. John’s Wort oil and apply liberally several times daily. Is decongesting, anti-inflammatory, helps clear sinuses, chronic allergies. It is an immunostimulant and good for all respiratory concerns. Excellent for colds and flu.

    Ravensara helps the respiratory and cardiovascular systems to harmonize. Lymph drainage is facilitated and is also a beneficial oil for joint pain, digestion and water retention.

    There are some similarities in these oils, but as you can see, Ravintsara is very effective for shingles and herpes zoster.  I talked to my mother-in-law a few weeks ago and she mentioned that she thought she might have shingles.  Shingles is caused by the herpes zoster virus and appears as a painful rash as well as headaches and other symptoms. The rash can occur anywhere on the body and most often appears as a stripe of blisters that wraps around the persons torso.  The pain and itching can be quite distracting.

    I recalled the conversation with my customer and bought a bottle of the Ravintsara. I filled a roller bottle with fractionated coconut oil and put in 10 drops of the Ravintsara and gave it to my mother-in-law. Several days later she remarked that it worked really well for the pain and itching.  After rereading the instructions next time I would add the Melissa to it as well.  I’m not sure where the St. John’s Wort oil can be found.  I’m happy my mother-in-law was helped by this little oil and will look forward to using it for sinus issues. 

    We hope you will enjoy using our essential oils. We carry both Raventsara and Ravensara as well as many other single essential oils as well as oil blends. Garden Essence Essential oils are affordably priced, which make it easier for you to take care of yourself and your family.

Click here for Garden Essence Essential oils single oils A - J
Click here for Garden Essence Essential oils single oils L - Z
Click here for Garden Essence Essential oils essential oil blends
Click here for a wide variety of carrier oils
Roller bottles can be found at the bottom of each essential oil order page.

Have a great month!
Kathryn Mechling

Herbal Formula for Healing the Lungs

    I like to listen to Dr. Christopher’s Herb Lectures when I am running errands and I have learned a lot over the years.  It is interesting how something he says will click when you know someone that can be helped with the information.  Dr. Christopher was talking about healing the lungs and gave a formula for it.  I had to stop the car to write it down.  When I got back to my computer I was curious if it was the Lung and Bronchial Formula and it was.  The only change is what we sell in prepared form no longer has the comfrey in it.  He stated that this formula can heal the lungs of any problem.  He also mentioned to take 2 - 3 cups of comfrey root tea every day to greatly aid in the healing.

    COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary (PULL-mun-ary) disease, is a progressive disease that makes it hard to breathe.  It is a disease that the drug companies are targeting lately, and I have seen many commercials for drugs for this illness.  I know two people that have this disease, one was a smoker and the other’s lungs were damaged due to acid reflux. Hopefully they can rebuild their lungs with this wonderful formula.

    Dr. Christopher always advises people to cleanse when they are dealing with a serious health issues, as well as follow the Mucusless Diet.  You can learn about this as well as information on healing just about any disease on the Herbal Legacy website.

    Lung & Bronchial is available in vegicaps & glycerine extract.  The original formula is available in bulk powder by its original name of Respfree and contains: Comfrey root, Mullein leaves, Chickweed, Marshmallow root and Lobelia. This combination of herbs has been used historically to help relieve irritation in the respiratory tract, lungs and bronchial system. This is an aid for emphysema as well as other bronchial and lung congestions such as bronchitis, asthma, tuberculosis, etc. This formula is extremely valuable in strengthening and healing the entire respiratory tract. It promotes the discharge of mucous secretions from the bronchopulmonary passages. Thus, it helps to clear the oxygen passageways.

    I love taking care of myself and my family with natural medicine. Problems can be treated  quicker, and natural medicine is affordable and it works!

Alternative medicine for hayfever and allergies!

Spring is just about here and for people that struggle with hayfever now is the time to do something about it before allergies kick in.  A good way to combat this problem is to do a three day cleanse. This flushes the toxins out of the body so that it is better able to combat the pollens. For people that have had allergies for many years they may also want to do the extended herbal cleanse.  The cleanse kits are only $110.50 for a six weeks cleanse and includes 4 - Lower Bowel, 4 -Liver & Gallbladder, 2 Kidney, and 2 Blood Stream Formula. (Available in extract and capsules)

    Another great help for allergy sufferers is to boost the immune system with the Immune System Formula, so it will be strong and less affected by the pollens. Allergies are an overactive immune system response, so by building it up people will have a better chance of not being affected by pollens.  (Available in capsules)


    Many allergies can be traced to weak or fatigued adrenal glands. The Adrenal Formula can strengthen, tone and rebuild the adrenal glands while giving the body more energy and relief from allergy symptoms. (Available in capsules)

    It is always best to correct the cause rather than endlessly search for relief from the symptoms. With a cleansed body and a built up immune system the body should be better able to handle the onslaught of pollens. It is time to enjoy spring instead of being miserable through it.

    Should symptoms arise we have wonderful formulas to help you through:

    Sinus Plus is for sinus problems that plague so many people during allergy season. Since breathing is a big part of life, there are times when this formula is a real help. It does a good job of opening up the airway. (available in extract and capsules)

The Nasal Cleansing Pot is also a great help for people with sinus issues and for as weird as it sounds it really makes a big difference and is quite easy to use.

    Immucalm is a formula that I didn’t understand, so I didn’t use for a long time.  I have come to love this formula, and the more I learn about it, the more I am amazed at the ingenuity of the person that put these herbs together. Immucalm was designed to calm yet strengthen the body's immune responses. Often, we believe that we are allergic to certain foods, plants or animals, but in reality our immune system may be overreacting. Immucalm helps calm the overreacting immune system, which in turn alleviates the symptoms. (Available in capsules)

    Western Botanicals has great formulas for these problems:  Allergy Formula is an immune calming formula, and Sinus Allergy is a wonderful sinus and allergy formula. Western Botanicals also has Immune Boost Formula which is great for boosting the Immune System, and Ginseng Plus for the Adrenals.  These formulas are available in capsules, extract and syrup.

    We hope as spring time comes that you will have a wonderful allergy-free year.

Natural healing without the negative side effects

I listen to the news while I am preparing dinner and have noticed that the drug companies are sponsoring the news.  It will forever amaze me to hear all the side effects of various medications and wonder why would anyone ever want to use them after hearing about them? With all of this advertising doctors are noticing that people come in naming the medications they want. It seems the advertising is working for the drug companies, but why are people turning a blind eye to all of the side effects?

    Some of the really dangerous drugs are psychiatric drugs. The Columbine High School shooters were on psychiatric drugs at the time they shot their classmates in 1999. Suicidal tendencies and violent, destructive thoughts are some of the admitted behavioral side effects of mind-altering prescription medications. Due to the “privacy act” it is getting harder and harder to get disclosure on more resent shooting suspects. Read more about drugs and NOT guns are the problem.

    Herbs and Essential Oils are great alternatives to medications.  I have been using Mindtrac off and on for over 15 years for anxiety/stress related issues.  I have used Mindtrac when I need it for a day, a week, a  month or several years, and I always know when I don’t need it and have no problems discontinuing use.  David Christopher recommends taking Relax-Eze along with Mindtrac - I have used both formulas alone but never together.  I started taking Relax-Eze along with the Mindtrac and am amazed, this has been my best beginning of the year ever.  I am always stressed with the added work at the first of the year and suffer from seasonal depression.  I love these formulas, there are no negative side effects and no need to visit a doctor to get a prescription. I am in control of when I need it and how often I take it - and I feel great!

    Some great essential oil blends for anxiety/stress/depression: Belief, Citrus Blend, Composure, Happy Memories, Oasis, and Release.  Essential oils should be mixed with a carrier oil, as they are strong and for the most part not meant to be used “straight”.  I use the Fractionated Coconut Oil as the carrier oil because it has a very long shelf life.  I always have empty roller bottles to mix the oils.  Fill the roller bottle with the carrier oil, and add up to 10 drops of your choice of essential oils, either  blends or singles of your choice. Use on the bottoms of feet, back of the neck, wrist, etc.  Diffuse them into the air with an oil warmer, put a teaspoon or so of carrier oil and add a few drops of essentail oils. 

    Sleeping pills are another source of drugs that have  side effects similar to the psychiatric drugs. Nite Cap is a great essentail oil blend for sleep.  Most relaxing oils are flowers and I don't like the smell, so putting it on the feet is a great place to use them.  A bottle of Nite Cap will last me a couple of years using it in the roller bottle with a carrier oil.

    Yesterday I cricked my neck and immediately felt the tightness in my neck and shoulders.  I made a roller bottle of “Blue” which is a new blend we added for inflammation and sore muscles.  I can't believe how well it is working, I feel much better!  So worth it to have things on hand when you need them!

    Essential oils are affordable and easy to use. Many people are switching from the network market brands to our Garden Essence Oils.  Our regular pricing is half to one third of the price for the same quality oils.  This month save 30% on Essential Oils through 11:00 am MT February 28th. 
 
    For those of you who would like to donate to a great cause, feel free to share the WUB with our sweet Elaina, who is Hollie's daughter.  Hollie proccesses our orders from home for Herbs First, so she can take care of this sweet girl.  Elaina is in need of a new bed and Gypsy Essentials plans on making this dream a reality for her. Learn more about Elaina and donate directly at this link. To donate scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page.  $290.00 has been raised so far. Thank you so much, any amount will help!

The Flu of 2013

I have been rather proud of myself that I have stayed healthy for so many years. I don’t know what happened this year, but I joined the flu club and it was no fun at all.  I decided to use some essential oils internally to see if that would help me to kick it faster. Along with Anti-Plague capsules and Lung and Bronchial I took Oregano, X-Plague and Respiratory Problems, about 3 drops of each in an empty capsule about three times a day. Oregano boosts immune system to fight infection, cold and flu. Respiratory Problems blend is used for pneumonia, upper respiratory problems, and especially useful for viral infections.  X-Plague is highly anti-viral and antiseptic to help protect the body from the onset of flu. I used the X-Plague/Glandular combo on my neck, feet and chest as well. I kicked it in a day, the day after I felt great and went on with life, but then relapsed on the third day which was much worse than the first. Not fun.

   The first night I woke up in the middle of the night with that heaviness in my chest that says, you are in trouble!! laid in bed for a few minutes thinking about the herbs that I have and what would be best to knock it out of my chest fast. I remembered that I had a bottle of Herbal Antiseptic which contains many of nature's finest and most potent natural germ and bacteria fighters: Myrrh gum, Goldenseal root, White Oak bark, Olive leaf, Garlic bulb, Plantain leaf, Black Walnut hull, Habanero Cayenne pepper, Tea Tree essential oil. Herbal Antiseptic formula kills germs on contact and protects wounds from infection and is intended for external use, but I felt like I needed to take it for my lungs.  I put a dropperful into an empty capsule and took 2 capsules of Lobelia with it to help loosen up the phlegm.  Within an hour I was coughing up the gunk and the heaviness went away.  It kept trying to get into my lungs, so I kept taking it for a few days to help me get over it along with the Adrenal Formula to help build up my energy.

   This is one nasty flu bug going around and I sure am grateful to have so many good herbs and oils to help me get over it faster. Essential Oils are 30% off this month, a great time to stock up and save on your favorite essential oils.

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Winter is not the best time to ship liquids to states that are experiencing very cold temperatures. We ship from Utah and it has been below freezing here for most of this new year.   Liquids can FREEZE in the winter months.  Alcohol extracts freeze at -10 degrees, glycerin at 15 degrees.  It may be best to wait until the weather is warmer or ship the quickest method. If you choose to order liquids in the winter we are NOT RESPONSIBLE for any breakage of bottles due to freezing. 

    We hope you are staying healthy, the reports we are hearing is this is the worst year in many years for colds and flu. Many classrooms in the schools have half of the children home sick. David and Fawn Christopher’s latest radio show addresses how to take care of sick people.  During Christmas they had quite a few sick family members they were taking care of.  Listen to the show to learn how to handle this situation. 

    We have written many blogs in the past that you can refer to for help with colds and flu.

    Learn how to make Anti-Plague which is Dr. Christopher’s amazing formula that will knock out just about any illness.  This is very potent and not for everyone but I can personally attest to the effectiveness of this formula.  We have a page with all the herbs in it to make it easy to order all the ingredients you need.  We also have it prepared as Dr. Christopher’s Super Garlic Immune Formula, or Western Botanicals Anti-Plague. This is a great formula to have on hand for cold & flu season.

    Still thinking about getting a flu shot??  Listen to the radio show and read this blog to learn about some great alternatives to help keep you healthy through the season. 

    Learn about a homemade cold tonic to help fight the bugs and other formulas to help get you back to being healthy.

    We love Western Botanicals and they have a lot of great formulas for colds and flu.  They have Anti-Plague in syrup and capsules, which is great for people that can’t handle the taste of they syrup.  Also many other formulas that are amazing for building the immune system to help you get well and stay well. Click on the link above to learn about more great formulas to help get you through the season.

    If you are sick or are getting sick, get off all the sugar and milk products.  Eat lots of citrus fruit including oranges & grapefruits.  Fruits and veggies will help the body to cleanse to help you to get over illness sooner.  Think light when it comes to food drink lots of juices and water. 

Please take care of yourselft and stay healthy this winter!!

Are guns the problem or is it psychiatric drugs?

    We have a link at Herbs First to David & Fawn Christopher’s A Healthier You radio show that is broadcast live on the internet on Saturday mornings from 9:00 to 10:00 am Mountain Time - you can listen to the recording of the most recent show at the above link.  It is important for people to listen to this show, because David is talking about the fact that psychiatric drugs mess up people’s thought processes.  Many people have committed suicide that never had suicidal thoughts before medication.  Many of the people that are mentally unstable and on these medications are the ones that have gone into schools, movie theaters and malls,  killing people.  Mental issues can be corrected through diet and herbs without the violent side effects that medication has. David has done extensive research on the fact that the medication is the problem in these violent situations.  This is likely the only place you are going to hear this information.  Please note that only the newest show is available for free listening, the above post was the newest show when this blog was posted.  You may have to subscribe to access this show.

    The second half of the show David answers people’s questions.  This is often my favorite part of the show because you never know what he will end up talking about.  One caller was asking for help with arthritis and I learned a new way to treat it with David’s answer. He talked about using Immucalm, which I know is helpful, but in a larger dose than I would have thought to use.  This information is for any autoimmune disease from Chronic Fatigue, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Juvenile Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis and so on.  David suggests taking five capsules five times a day of Immucalm for two weeks and then go down to 3 capsules three times a day and see how you do on that dose.  If symptoms are worse going down then stay with the 5 caps five times for a while.  He says that it may take a year or so, but staying on the higher dose will help the over-active immune system to calm down and overcome the disease. Of course people need to be working on the diet as well, because diet is the main component to every healing program. If it is too costly to buy the capsules, get the bulk - purchase equal parts of Astragalus and Marshmallow and mix them together.  1/4 level teaspoon will be about equal to each capsule, so 1/2 tablespoon would be about 5 capsules.  These two herbs are very mild tasting, so I would just mix it in water and drink it down five times a day. A stick blender is the handiest gadget to have around for mixing herbs into juice or water and well worth the investment. 

    A Healthier You radio show is another great way to educate yourself.  Listen free to the latest show, or sign up to be able to access many years of shows for $60.00 a year.

    We appreciate all of our loyal customers and wish you a healthy and Happy New Year!