Confession of an HERBALIST

Sometimes life throws you a curb ball to see if you are truly committed to your own values and believes.

The last few days were definitely my testing period about the healing power of my herbs that I love and know so well due to my Herbalism education.

Long story short, I came down with the worst fever and cough. Usually before I get sick I experience little warning signs like sluggishness, little scratchy throat, little heavy mucous in my throat, but this time it came from feeling fantastic to absolutely terrible.

This was a new scenario since herbs work the best when taking at the first sign of discomfort and sickness. I am talking specific about Echinacea, Olive leaves, ginger, mullein and peppermint tea.

Well this time around I had no time to nip it in the butt, it was a full blown cough with very high fever.

So I did what most herbalist do, sweat out the fever. This belief is not new, your body increases its body temperature to kill off the virus.  But be hold, my fever kept rising and rising, so I tried more potent herbs but nothing. I even wear apple cider vinegar socks (you soak the socks in Apple Cider Vinegar you put them on and then you should be able to lower your temperature) nothing,

Around a temperature of 104 F I realized I needed something more powerful, so I found an IBUPROVEN but it expired 2007, but I tried it anyway – well nothing. Here I am finally committing an HERBLISM SIN of taking medication and it did not even work.  Finally it came to me I am going to take one of those fantastic cure it all TYLEONOL COLD AND FLU MULTISYMPTOM LIQUIDS, it gets rid of your cough, stuffy nose, achy pains in  your joints and it can even reduce your fever and put you to sleep.

I told my husband to run over to Walgreens and get me one of those heavily advertised bottles. I have seen those advertisings a million times on TV in the past 5 years but never once did I think I would ever need it.

Well I am sad and happy to tell you it worked. It erased all my symptoms and within an hour I got out of bed and started doing laundry- just kidding with the last part.  

 I haven’t taken medication for a long time so I forgot how quick and powerful medication can be.

Herbs are gentler and slower with its healing powers but at the end you can actually heal the body with the herbs not just cover up the symptoms but in this scenario I knew I needed something stronger.

As an Herbalist we are proud to constantly tell everybody and anybody that we never take any medication, and in case we do we are trying to keep it a secret.

We are living in such a dualistic world.  Yes, it is true that in today’s world too many people take instantly a pill for any kind of bodily discomfort without ever giving the body time to heal itself. But on the other hand there are extremists in the holistic field, who risk their own health before they would ever take a synthetic medication.  

As an herbalist in the 21st century we should reflect to our clients and the public that it is possible to live in harmony with the pharmaceutical and herbal world. 


Birgit your Herbalist 

Usually we don’t think of September being a month of new beginnings but for all the teachers and school children September is a month of the unknown and new beginnings.

It is fun to watch my children getting all excited at the first day of school. They are excited to meet their new friends, new class rooms and new teachers. New beginnings are filled with fear and excitement. Unfortunately we as adults are more likely trained to avoid anything new and unknown due to old and not so good memories from childhood.

I have been very adventurous as a child (moved to America all by myself for a whole year than I was 20) but now in my 40s I rather like safety and security. But with that mindset I might not discover new interests, new friends or new hobbies.

I was once reading that only a mind that keeps learning new things stays healthy, young and joyful.

My husband and I just moved into a new neighborhood. Now I get lost on the roads to find a Starbucks, I don’t remember the names of my neighbors even if they told it to me several times, I don’t know where my nearest mailbox is and I don’t know where to go for a short run or walk.

I am completely lost but in a good way. Anytime I go shopping, or run errands I have to plan or ask to find my way. Every day is new.  Even in the morning when I get up, I try to figure out how to turn on that new dishwasher or cook on that new stove.

Life is definitely not on autopilot.  Going through some changes like this makes me realize that we sometimes live a life with the least resistance which means we rather do the same things over and over again instead of having to go through the struggle of adopting new habits and routines.

Every day I ask my clients to adopt new eating and lifestyle changes. Most of my clients struggle for app. 21 days, but once they get through the first 3 weeks they feel more in ease with their new routine and habits. Scientifically it is proven that we can break any bad habits within 3 weeks. But within those 3 weeks we need to be completely focused of making that change.

So remember if you think you can’t get rid of your daily coffee, try it for 21 days and I bet with you the coffee that you will drink on the 22 second day might not be as tasty anymore as you remember.

Come and discover something new this month, be more adventurous with your daily choices. You never know if you like to eat mushroom ice cream if you never try.   (Yes, I tasted it and it was actually amazing, at the mushroom festival last Sunday)

Birgt your Herbalist

SPRING

After a long cold winter we are heading towards light and warmth.  We should all mirror nature and by doing so we will be more aligned with our own strength, desire and happiness.  We would doubt ourselves less and have less fear from the unknown.

I once read that a tree never gets upset about losing its leaves, never once does a tree or nature worry that there won’t be any new growth coming its way.

I have a lot of clients who are plagued by fear. Fear about changing their diet.  Fear of taking herbal supplements. Fear of what other people might think if they stop eating meat. Fear that their body might have a deficiency of protein and they will succumb to muscle weakness and hair loss. Fear of being an outsider at social events if they would explain that they no longer eat dairy or meat.

Most of my coaching days with my clients are spend calming their fears and worries of the unknown. Fortunately at the end my clients are able to overcome their fears and end up with better health, better skin, better mood and more self-esteem. All what it took was the courage to step out of the MASS THINKING and embark on their own intuitive believes. 

Once you are lined up with your own intuitive believes and desires, life can feel like a flow just like nature flows from one season to the next. 

If you feel like your health is a struggle, examine all your options and don’t listen to your fears. Give it a try, I have never seen somebody ever regretting eating healthier, and meditating more.

Unfortunately our brains are wired with an implemented thought to reject any new unknown changes. It goes back to the beginning of mankind. BY being cautious and fearful we had a higher chance of survival. But there were always other people out there who risked their own life to show us another way. 

Here is a link about 37 thing dying people say they regret: 
http://www.viralnova.com/regret-when-older/

Read through them and find your favorite one, here is my favorite one:

#33)WORRYING TOO MUCH!

Let this SPRING, spring you closer to your own personal development.

Healthy living

Birgit

Today is the first day of January 2014 and most of us are already starting our New YEARS resolutions.  It is proven that the majority of New Year’s Resolutions are broken within the first 3 weeks of January.  Looks like the odds of keeping   new resolutions are very slim.

Most of you already know that I have a 4 year old daughter Lisa.  My 4 year old teaches me every day to use my words wiselyJ.   If I happen to say “Don’t slam the door”! Well, all of you Mom’s out there know that this just triggers a respond that will make her SLAM THE DOOR.

Unfortunately our sub consciousness is not any better than a 4 year old. Just think of a statement like: “I won’t eat any cookies this year”! Well the moment you made this decision, your sub consciousness will want to have a cookie. You might spend more time thinking about eating cookies than you have ever done before.   

Success lays in the way we phrase our New Year Resolution. If we start our New Year with something negative, we will be doomed to fail.  Start your Year with something positive.

Here is an example:

I will eat more vegetables to feel healthier, happier and lighter--- INSTEAD OF ----I have to lose 5 pounds!”

The difference between the two statements is energetically.  Losing weight is always a slight threat for our sub consciousness since naturally our bodies are meant to hoard fat in case we won’t have any food in the future. By trying to focus on LOSING, you are already in an internal debate. The body does not want to lose fat but your mind does. Internal conflicts always end up bad.

But what if you focus on feeling lighter and healthier? Both our sub consciousness and consciousness are concerned about the wellbeing of the whole body.  The promise of feeling healthier and happier is appealing for the body and mind. Most likely you will be more successful with a statement like this since there wasn’t a threat against your nature.

Rephrase your New Year’s Resolutions and keep your focus on something positive, affirmative and loving. Positive statements are naturally more energetically.  How do you know if your statement has a higher energy vibration?  Well, think of a baby that smiles at you!  It makes you feel warm within your heart and it might even bring out a smile. Right?   Well, now think of a dead tree? This image made you feel empty and sad within your heart, almost to the point that you did not want to finish the thought of that imagination. Well. Your New Year’s Resolution should make you feel warm and happy within your HEART.  

Once you can feel it within your HEART your resolution won’t just happen, it actually will transform your whole body and wellbeing. Stay on the positive vibration of things and you will have a fantastic YEAR 2014!

Happy NEW YEAR to all my crazy friends who actually read what I am writing :)
Birgit your Herbalist 

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

Today is Dec.10th and I am forced too slow down due to a snow blizzard. Most of my clients had to reschedule which suddenly freed my usually very busy calendar.

The first thing I realized was that I have had hardly time to get into a Christmas Spirit.

I associate Christmas Spirit with listening to Christmas Music, planning Christmas Dinners, playing with my children, and finding enough time to meet friends at a Christ Kindle Market.

Unfortunately there are lots of things that I have to take care of during this special time that does not keep me in a calm, relaxed Christmas Spirit.  And I am sure that I am not alone with this.  We all get so distracted with shopping, baking cookies and making our holiday cards that at the end we are looking forward to having this time pass by as quickly as possible so we have some sort of normalcy again.

Most of my clients are constantly in a waiting or holding pattern of their life. What I consider a holding or waiting pattern is to wish for tomorrow or for the end of this year due to some hard emotional or physical struggles. 

Some people know that I have been a flight attendant for several years.  During those years as a flight attendant I learned some of the most valuable lessons of life, which was to never expect you arrive on time or even at your planned destination.  Yes, that’s right sometimes we planned to arrive in L.A. but ended up in Baltimore due to some mechanical problems.

Life is just like the airport business. Yes, it is good to make plans but it is even better to live moment for moment. Every single day is different. Most of us have some idea of what we will accomplish today but at the end of the day we weren’t able to follow through due to physical, emotional or other bigger circumstances. Situations like this can bring up anxiety. And anxiety is a physical form of feeling out of control. 

So today I will start to take each moment as a gift. Each day I will focus on the things I almost finished instead of thinking of all the things I still have to accomplish. 

I will take time out of my hectic schedule to enjoy the laughter of my children. I will enjoy a moment alone with my old dog KEKO since I am not sure how many more months or years I will have her on my side. I will stop whatever I do right now to give gratitude to all the great things I was able to experience  this year.    Today, I will dance in the SNOW instead of waiting to have it stop snowing.

I no longer want to be in a RACE instead I like to be part of something great called “LIFE”.

Merry Christmas and  may this holiday bring peace and comfort to you all.

Birgit your Herbalist 

Positive outlook and positive thinking are the most important component for a long healthy life. Unfortunately we live in a world that is addictive to NEGATIVITY. Just turn on the TV, most of the news is about crime, corruption, gossip and murder.

Thanks to our FIGHT & FLIGHT respond our body responds physically the same way to stress and fear as it responds to true physical danger. During a perceived danger our digestive system and immune system stop working, our brain can no longer think clearly, our muscles cramp up, our hormones stop working and our heart rate speeds up.

Once we experience chronic DANGER or should I say “ STRESS”, our adrenals turn from overdrive to exhaustion and we end up with insomnia, irregular blood pressure, indigestion, chronic infections, blood sugar fluctuations, infertility, mood swings  and weight gain. With adrenal exhaustion we live in a constant feeling of EXHAUSTION. Our mind is constantly in a blank, and we have difficulties to find excitement within our daily life. Usually around this time addictions to food, sugar, fat, salt, alcohol, coffee and chocolate are on an ultimate high. Our addictions distract us from our daily worries, problems, fears and disappointments.

WE PHYSICALLY ABSORB OUR OWN FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS- GOOD OR BAD

Deep seated disappointments, fears, anger, regrets are sabotaging our health.  Did you know that every single thought has a physical impact on the body? Every time we have a thought or feeling, our body releases tiny chemical proteins called neuropeptides.  There are more than a thousand different neuropeptides- each triggering its own specific physiological effect. When our mental and emotional state is out of balance, the resulting neuropeptides cause physical symptoms to appear.

Here are just few examples from my emotional iridology studies that show the relationship between mind and body:

·         IBS: these symptoms are common in people who would rather not discuss or reveal their true feelings.

·         Mouth:  involves finding something hard to swallow.

·         PANCREAS:  weakness in the pancreas can occur if somebody does not feel loved, nurtured, needed,                 appreciated, acknowledged or rewarded.

·         SKIN: somebody is getting” UNDER YOUR SKIN”!

·         KIDNEY:  storage of deep seated Emotions or negative experiences. Inability to forgive- It “PISSED YOU               OFF”.

·         BREAST: breast issue is related to NURTURING.

·         HEART: emotional issues, depression- IT IS BREAKING MY HEART!

·         GALLBLADDER: hatred, bitterness and anger

·         Headache:  due to not listening to your own deep needs and gut feelings

·         PAIN in the NECK: not forgiving yourself of having made a mistake

When I was a little girl I heard from my mom saying this is all just a placebo.

She was suffering from asthma but every time she went to her Asthma specialist she immediately felt better before she even started the new prescription. 

20 years later I have my own Holistic Practice and I am still amazed about the human mind. I have two types of clients. The first type has immediately relief from their symptoms through my suggestions and guidance and the other type has no change at all despite the fact that I spend more time with them guiding and coaching them. I can’t help myself of realizing that there is more to that than just suggesting herbs and foods that are proven to heal.

Helping my clients to feel better is my most important duty as an Herbalist. Some of my clients come to me due to the disappointment of not being helped by the medical world. Due to this matter I can’t help myself of not thinking about my Mom’s word PLACEBO.

Placebos are used during medical research. A typically research divides subject groups into two groups. One group receives a PLACEBO in a form of a sugar pill and the other group receives the necessary medication needed for the research. If a drug company likes to reveal the results they compare the results from the medication to the results of the PLACEBO. Most of us assume that taking a placebo is equal to doing nothing! But is this really true?

So what does the word Placebo really mean? Well, WIKIPEDIA defines the word placebo as “I shall please”, translated from Latin. It also states that a placebo is a stimulated or otherwise medically ineffectual treatment for a disease or other medical condition intended to DECE IVE the recipient. It further states that prescribing a pure placebo is considered BAD MEDICINE, since it introduces deception and dishonesty into the doctor-patient relationship.

Having trust and believe in a CURE is everything. After years of helping clients I know for sure that anytime a client is coming to my practice without BELIEVING into the healing power of plants and foods, that person will find no healing.

In 1994 a surgeon called Bruce Moseley actually took the whole belief of a placebo into his surgery room. He operated on 10 men with severe arthritis knee pain. 5 of those men did not receive the surgery but instead he stabbed the placebo patients’ knees three times with a scalpel during surgery   to make it look real. The placebo worked. Six months after surgery, the 10 patients still didn’t know whether they have been faked out or not. But all of them reported less pain.  Here is the article in case you are interested to read about it http://www.nytimes.com/2000/01/09/magazine/the-placebo-prescription.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm.

Our mind is the most powerful tool towards healing. If we can’t trust and believe, the body can’t find the right energy  to heal itself.

We are a form of energy so is the whole world around us. Having a placebo is more than ”NOTHING”’!  The placebo effect points to the importance of PERCEPTION, and the brain’s role in physical health. We all know about stories from people who come back to health through the power of prayers. But isn’t praying just another form of believing?

I love to work with the power of placebo. Not in the point of describing sugar pills but in the form of changing my clients thought process. Believing that our body can heal itself is the first step towards healing. There are still so many things about the body and mind that we don’t understand, for example why do people experience pain in a leg that has been amputated years ago?

I once heard from a famous energy healer that we not only have a physical body, we also have an energy body. She said that we can visualize it as a shadow floating above the physical body.

Complete healing can only come by working with the energetic and physical body. Any form of positive energy which can come through positive thinking, spiritual prayers, meditation and positive affirmations will affect our energetic body.

Next time you have to decide between different healing methods choose the one that speaks to you. The one method that feels right within your heart. The one that you KNOW will bring healing. A knowing that comes from the heart not from the mind!

Don’t get side tract from other people’s opinions especially if it is about the right treatment for cancer. People can find healing through all sorts of pathways through prayers, chemotherapy, hydrotherapy, acupuncture, Reiki, massage, herbs, meditation etc. Always ask yourself if you truly and deeply belief in what is offered to you! If you have the slightest doubt, find something else. 

The mind is the ultimate healing power, not the type and form of therapy.

You need to know what speaks to you! What form of therapy do you feel is the right one for you? Once you made your decision BELIEF FULL HEARTED.

Birgit your Herbalist 

Have you ever wondered that the older we get the more we think about what to eat, when to eat and how much to eat.

After several years as a Holistic Nutritionist and Herbalist I came two following conclusions why we lost our natural touch to food:

Lack of creativity in our lives

Most of us are born with a big imagination and creativity. Unfortunately once we embark throughout our current school system, most of us stop dreaming and creating and we become complete left-brain thinkers.

My husband is an artist and he told me that at times of his creativity he could spend a whole day in his studio without ever feeling hungry or thirsty. He told me that he was so emerged into his creativity that his whole body just glowed in excitement without ever showing the need for a bathroom or snack break.

What if we enrich our lives again with creativity?  We could teach ourselves how to paint, draw, knit, stitch, write, sew, play an instrument, sing etc. The options are endless but high in value for our bodies.  There is no need to become an expert in it as long as you enjoy the creative outlet. We humans are meant to be creative. If we get stuck in a job or life that does not let us explore our own creativity we succumb to a depression where food is the only creative outlet in our lives.

Too much nutritional information

For the past few years even if you had no interest in finding out what food is good for you or not,  you won’t be able to escape the flood of information about nutrition.

Every single day you can find articles about the next best thing to eat to stay healthy, slim and energized.

But too much knowledge in the field of nutrition does not always mean better.  In my practice most of my clients know already what they should and should not eat. But unfortunately my clients get so overwhelmed with all that access information online that they jump around from one diet to the next without realizing that there is only one reason we eat: “Our bodies can’t supply essential nutrients by itself; we need to provide those through our daily food”!  Eat to live, not live to eat.

Take a break from your nutritional research, instead ask yourself if you ate something nutritional today,  if not go into the kitchen and have an apple. J

Obsession about the way we look

We all know that most of us women are concerned about the way we look! Most of us live in a constant internal battle of wondering how to get those last few pounds off so we can rock the bathing suit just like HEIDI KLUM.

But wait, Heidi Klum has a person trainer, personal chef and a personal nutritionist.  So in case you don’t have as much help, don’t obsess about it. Remember she made her fortune by wearing a diamond bra on a runway J

I have met so many different women in all kind of shapes and forms and one thing struck me the most, the prettier the women the less the saw their own beauty.

Wake up to your own beauty! Learn to love yourself from the inside out. Once you have a positive vibration and a personal love affair with your body, you will lose the last few pounds.

Throughout the whole article I just meant to say one thing stay kid-like, which means learn to be more carefree and worry free. Once you think lighter you will feel lighter.

Have a great summer your Herbalist

Birgit

WHERE IS OUR BALANCE?

Last Christmas my husband surprised me with a weekend SPA retreat at the Poconos.

The moment I received the gift I was excited and worried. I was worried that I would miss my family or that I would get totally bored. Evidently my husband reminded me that throughout the year I kept asking to be somewhere where nobody is yelling MOM every few seconds.

The few days at my retreat were like I was sleep walking.  Everything was taking care off.  The food was amazing, the scenery breathtaking and the peace – positively overwhelming. 

Between my Qui Gong, Reiki or stone massages I was relaxing in front of a fireplace with one of my favorite books without needing to be anywhere. 

After I came back I was immediately surrounded by their familiar noises barking dogs, kids screaming and phone ringing.  A few days later I completely forgot about my vacation until one of my friends asked me about it. 

The weekend up in the mountains definitely taught me that we all need more “Balance”.  Balance between fun, work and daily routines.

Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine believe that every disease manifests out of an imbalance in Ying and Yang. Diseases like cancer, migraines, GERD, depression, anxiety, heart attack, etc. are all modern health problems due to our lack of balancing our inner energies.

Ying is associated with female characteristics like love, rest, peace and calmness. Yang is more associated with the male characteristics like power, strength, competition and restlessness.

It’s been said that the Western World is more yang and the Eastern World is more Ying. But there is always a small Yang within Ying, and a small Ying within Yang.  

Try to find more balance within your life. If you feel like you are spinning out of control due to stress, stop and enjoy more peaceful moments or weekends away from your routine.  If you feel like you have lost your spark for living and nothing gets you excited anymore, you need to get back into the driver seat of your life to discover your hidden interests and passions.

Our lives are filled with opposites. Opposites are a natural occurrence.  What would summer be without winter? What about living in a country like Norway where there is no darkness during summer?

Our bodies feel energized and balanced by following the natural waves of being. Have you ever noticed that after days of working long hours you long for a quiet calming weekend? That’s your inner voice talking to you, that voice is your natural compass. That compass guides you throughout life to secure a healthy and fulfilled life. Unfortunately when we stop listening to that voice we start getting lost which can manifest into disease.

In my practice I have seen it too many times that my clients with migraines, chronic fatigue, thyroid dysfunction and cancer are people who have lost their compass towards balance. They show physical discomfort within their voice/throat (acid reflux, sluggish thyroid, frequent sore throats) which is the metaphor for their voice within Reiki (blue chakra)

Here are a few suggestions how to balance Ying and Yang physically, nutritionally and emotionally.

NUTRITION:  

-too Yang (high protein diet) change to a vegetable based diet

-too Ying (high raw food) change towards heavier foods like grains, meat, fish into the diet

-too Yang (high cooked food) add more raw food

-too Yang (high intake on herbal supplements), get your nutrients from food

-too Ying (low intake of calories), eat more foods with higher calorie count

-too Yang (spicy food) eat more simple tasting food

EXERCISE:

-too much cardio, add more toning

-too much kick boxing, add more meditation

-too much SUMBA, add more Vbarre.

-too much weightlifting, add more running

EMOTIONS:

-too much alone at home, go meet your friends and socialize more

-too much of a partier, try to stay home every once in a while

-too many arguments in a relationship, try to agree every once in a while

A balanced YING and YANG brings harmony, peace and equanimity which are the foundations for the happiness of our soul.

 

Birgit your Wellness Coach 

We all heard of the end of the MAYAN CALENDAR on Dec. 21st 2012. Since nobody really understood what that meant, the media took the matter into their own hands and informed the whole world about the upcoming end of the world.  

I was one of the people who were pretty much confused about all this, until I saw the movie on YouTube called “2012 Crossing Over”. I know I can already hear you, telling me that you can’t believe everything you see on YouTube or Internet, but the message from the movie was resonating with me.

The way I understood the message was, that the ERA of hatreds, conflicts, jealousies, competitiveness and materialism is coming to an END! Evidently for the last 2000 years our earth has been primarily leaving in the DARK AGES, and now finally after Dec. 2012 the whole world is shifting towards Unity, an Universal feeling of being “Interconnected” human beings trying to make the world to a better place.

More and more people receive important information from each other and not from the public Media or government, thanks to the Internet.

I grew up without Internet anytime I mention this to my 10 year old daughter she can’t even grasp that thought. All of my knowledge came from local newspapers, local bookstores, local radio stations and public schools. It was very hard to receive a worldwide view. But nowadays everyone can voice their opinions publicly, I know there are good and bad things on having everyone come together online, but most of the time we, the people can start up an online Revolution for great causes without having to march on the street in front of a government building.

You are wondering now already why I am talking about all this, well the natural health industry had an enormous benefit from the end of the “DARK uneducated AGES”.     Every day tons and tons of articles are being published on webpages about the body’s ability to heal itself.

More and more people belief and experience the power of alternative therapies. Skype, Twitter, YouTube and Online Educational Classes educate people about healing techniques like EFT (Emotional Freedom Tapping), Reiki, Acupressure, Iridology, spiritual healing, Herbal and nutritional cleansing.

For me as an Herbalist and Iridologist our future seems promising despite the efforts of the pharmaceutical companies and FDA to shut us down. We no longer have to hide, all what we have to do is keep publishing articles to educate the public that they have options in times of sickness and dis-ease.

Just look at the cancer industry. For the last 20 years the medical world is trying to find the CURE but meanwhile the cancer patient is getting educationally empowered to find their own “Cure”.

Birgit your Wellness Coach