Herbal Blends for a Healthy Winter, Part 2

In Part 1 of our article about winter health, we explored the historical use of herbs to ward off illness and clean the air. We also offered a good moldbusting blend for your home or office. Now we will introduce the same blend (and add a personal care blend) from the point of view of modern science. And we will share essential oil recipes which are excellent as cold and flu remedies.

French physicians and chemists started exploring the germicidal action of essential oils in the middle of the 20th century. Essential oil eucalyptus was clinically shown to be a stronger germicide than carbolic acid, which was the standard of the day. French battlefield physician Dr. Jean Valnet used eucalyptus oil with great success in treating wounds during World War II, after losing many soldiers to gangrene before he started using the oil.

Dr. Valnet continued his essential oil research when he returned to civilian practice and wrote what is still considered one of the finest texts on clinical medical application of essential oils. It has been translated into English.

Australian soldiers were issued bottles of tea tree oil as a “medicine kit in a bottle” during WWII. The army was utilizing centuries-old knowledge of this native Australian plant. Modern testing methods have proven tea tree to be a powerful bactericide, and an especially powerful fungicide. The primary component of essential oil clove is specifically effective against special strains of mold. Essential oils oregano and thyme have tested at average 90% and 70% effectiveness in killing a broad range of bacteria. Oil oregano is also effective against molds and the bacteria specific to sinus infections. Essential oils are proving effective against even antibiotic resistant microorganisms.

Essential oil lavender, as well as the oils of most other plants in the same plant family (lamiaceae) have demonstrated anti-viral activity, as have oils with a high citral content (examples: melissa, lemongrass)

Here's a personal care blend you can mix up as a cold and flu remedy to help keep you healthy during the cold and flu season.

The easiest and most effective way to use your crud busting blend is to diffuse it in your home or workplace using an electronic diffuser. Electronic diffusers are affordable and easy to use. This blend also works well in a vaporizer or humidifier, though the essential oils may "etch" a line on the plastic.

You can also make up a personal inhaler of your crudbusting blend for pocket or purse. This is very helpful for use during air travel, when you are forced to breathe everybody's recycled air on the airplane.

COLD & FLU BUSTER (Crudbuster)
Essential oil eucalyptus-2 parts
Essential oil tea tree-2 parts
Essential oil lavender-2 parts
Essential oil thyme-1 part

Start using your cold & flu buster blend at the first hint of illness, especially if people around you are sick. Prevention is the cheapest and most effective form of health care. If you travel or work in crowded places, you can sniff your crud busting blend from a personal inhaler or a tissue. This very effective practice goes back for centuries and is backed by sound science.