Herbal Blends for a Healthy Winter, Part 1

MIX UP AN HERBAL BREW FOR A HEALTHY WINTER

Aromatic herbs have been used to ward off infectious illness and to bolster good winter health for literally thousands of years. Burning herbs was the most ancient way to do this, as burning releases the germicidal essential oils into the air. The ancient Egyptians burned huge piles of aromatic herbs in the middle of the town square as part of the “public health” program. Herbs such as rosemary, juniper and thyme were burned in European hospitals until relatively recently. The practice of “strewing herbs”, dried herbs sprinkled on the floor, was the medieval housewife’s way of disinfecting the household. The essential oils were released as the herbs were crushed underfoot.

Perhaps one of the most grisly stories is the story of a gang of thieves who steeped a combination of germ-busting herbs in vinegar and poured the brew over themselves to protect them from infection while they plundered money and valuables from the bodies of Plague victims.

It’s the essential oils in aromatic herbs that do the job. With a few bottles of affordable essential oils, plus a few empty blending bottles, you can mix up your own brew for a healthy winter. You can usually buy empty blending bottles where you buy essential oils. You can also recycle your empty essential oil bottles by cleaning them out with “Everclear” alcohol followed by soap and water.

Here's a good blend for maintaining clean air in your home or workplace. The easiest and most effective way to use your blend is to diffuse it in an electric diffuser, or you can put 15-20 drops in a pan of steaming (but not boiling) water on your stove or wood stove. This puts the power of the oils to work in the ambient air as well as your lungs.

MOLD BUSTER
Essential oil tea tree-8 parts
Essential oils clove-1 part
Essential oil oregano-1 part

Household molds have been proven to be one of the leading causes of chronic sinus problems. Before you shut up the house for the winter, treat your crawl space with your moldbuster blend. This is also a great blend for adding to your wash water (10-12 drops mold buster blend in a small pail of water) for cleaning your kitchen and bathroom.

See Part 2 of this series for a personal crud busting blend you can sniff or diffuse to keep you healthy at home or on the job.

Essential oils can also help keep your budget healthy. Lost time from work, trips to the doctor and prescription medicines are very expensive. Sickness costs, wellness saves. Good winter health using aromatherapy and essential oils is natural and very effective.