Healthcare: What’s the Next Move?

Second to global climate disruption, I think healthcare is the most important thing we should be talking about in America.  There is not a one of us who hasn’t either had our own problems with our health insurance coverage or who knows someone who has.  The stories of family financial devastation, denied healthcare and resultant illness and death portrayed in documentaries and on the news is staggering.  This failing system can be directly attributed to draconian policies of the big health insurance giants to increase their own profits. These insurance companies have taken extraordinary measures to deny health coverage when you need it most, and even hired computer software companies to routinely design programs that cut payments to healthcare providers,  which add additional patient co-pays, resulting in billions in revenue for the health insurance industry.  They also stand up there with Wall Street financial institutions in big salaries and bonuses for execs and incentive payment to employees who manage to produce high denial numbers.   The idea that pre-existing conditions should null and void all your good faith payments over the period of time you are in good standing is ludicrous to most doctors and nurses.   In fact, most doctors and nurses stand with the people in crying for massive change.  Sure, I know people who say they are perfectly satisfied with their healthcare provider.  However, they also tell me that their premiums and co-pays are steadily increasing, making healthcare one of their biggest household expenses.  And what does that say to the 50 million uninsured Americans and the 50 million more of those underinsured?  Those of us with small businesses are hard pressed to adequately insure our employees and maintain minimal profit margins.

It’s nice to know that our new president is using the words “prevention” as needing to be a part of the equation.  Certainly those of you who practice safe aromatherapy at home know all about that.  This is important, and we’ll deal with that in another post in more depth to do our part to hold his feet to the fire.

But, how should we now respond to the continuing debates in Congress and the aggressive dilution of effective legislation by lobbyists for the health insurance industry?  Sure, we’ve signed petitions and sent emails indicating that 72% of us want single payer.  Is that really enough to bring about the reform we desperately need?  At one point the insurance industry promised to trim 1.5% of its costs and reprogram the money into healthcare.  Two days later, they rescinded the offer.  Their testimonies on the hill shed a public light on just how out of touch those execs are with the real world out here and glaringly portrayed them as not very interested in the human aspects of healthcare.   As Congressman Dennis Kucinich reports, “of $2.4 trillion spent annually for health care in America, $800 billion goes to the activities of the for-profit insurer-based system. “ This means that one out of every three health care dollars is siphoned off for corporate profits, stock options, executive salaries, advertising, marketing, lobbying and paperwork."  These costs are anywhere from 15-35% in the private sector as compared to Medicare (our existing single-payer system) which has only 3% administrative costs.  Those politicians who take campaign funds from the private healthcare firms are taking the money and refusing to listen to us, the people.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t trust the current for-profit health insurance companies . . . in fact, only 4% of  all other Americans trust them.   I want better for my family, and I want to know that every American is equally taken care of. 

The current bill going through committee in the house (HR3200) excludes single payer from the bill . . . and consequently from the debate, in spite of overwhelming support for single payer by the American people.  Canada, England and most European countries already provide universal health care.  Here in the U.S., hundreds of labor unions, thousands of physicians and nurses, and virtually millions of American stand behind a single payer healthcare plan.  Are we going to sit back and let capitalism wage war on democracy?

Contact your representatives and senators now and tell them to support HR676 (currently with over 85 co-sponsors in Congress), which calls for a universal single-payer health care system in the United States.  It’s a no brainer.    

Every Day Earth Guide, continued

I want to continue exploring gardening ideas that will address climate disruption and help each of us in our local environments.  I certainly have noticed drastic changes in our state that can only be attributed to either increased warming, or, conversely, increased rainfall and ice/snow.

As an example, trees in old growth forests are dying in increasing numbers and most scientists conclude that longer, hotter summers are the primary cause.  This trend is affecting both young and old trees, in crowded and sparse stands and at different elevations.  The reason is warmer average temperatures across the West, says Nathan Stephenson of the USGS Western Ecological Research Center, which creates greater stress on trees from lack of water, leaving them vulnerable to disease and insects.   The rising death rate could produce a cascading decline that leads to less habitat for fish and wildlife, an increased risk of wildfires and vulnerability to sudden forest die-offs.  The study examined data between 1955 and 2007 in 76 research plots in BC, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and Arizona, and has no predictable conclusions and is challenged by some who resist the idea of climate change or disruption altogether.

In my own garden, I have seen a couple of plants mysteriously die, some well established trees (native and non-native) just giving up the ghost abruptly.   For the past several years, I notice that cool weather crops (lettuce, leaf vegetables) simply cannot sustain into late summer and bolt even with good mulch and shade cloth.   Here are some thoughts that might help you avoid frustration in the garden while learning more about the changing climate in your area.  Investing in a little research with your county extension agent might also save you cash otherwise invested into a disappointing garden that’s not designed to stand up to a changing climate.

Plant Selection  I’ve finally outgrown the habit of choosing non-native, non-local and hybridized species which sometimes don’t do well under the best conditions and are certain to fail to thrive with the challenges that come with global warming.  Look for heritage varieties that you can save seeds or take cuttings from.  When purchasing plant starts, make sure you ascertain that they are from a local greenhouse and are grown specifically for your area.  If you live in an area where rainfall is predicted to drop, check out regions close by with less rainfall and choose native plantings (especially large trees and shrubs) that thrive in a more arid climate.  Here in Puget Sound, we are trending to more rainfall, more snow, longer and colder winters, so I will adjust accordingly.

Lawns   I have never been a fan of mowing grass (and I doubt you are, either) so I’m slowly turning the golf-course sized lawn the previous owner put in into other planting areas that more suit my lifestyle.   In one part, I am letting the grass give way to the native moss and turning it back to a natural forested area.  This will serve as a privacy barrier as well as eventually reverting back to a self-sustaining ecosystem.  I covered good ideas for maintaining healthy lawns in the blog on May 5.

Mulch, Mulch, Mulch  Adding layers of biodegradable organic matter to the soil surface of your vegetable and flower beds serves as both a protective barrier and nutrient source.  This will make a huge difference to water retention and help with weed control.   An investment into a good composting system and worm bed will pay you back in spades.   I’ve learned over the years that maintaining good soil is the primary chore for a healthy garden.

Animals and Insects  Beneficial critters will need to adapt to the inevitable changes in the plants they rely on, either directly or indirectly.  The timing of natural events in relation to breeding that has been fine tuned over millennia is being thrown into disarray.  We can help by planting species that are beneficial and provide food sources for insects, birds and other animals that help our gardening efforts.  The recent concern in the decline of butterflies and bees is a concern and providing habitats such as Mason bee blocks and planting butterfly attractors will be a great boon to your success.    

This will give you some ideas to start with and we’ll revisit this in later blogs.

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Flu Tips

There are no known cures for colds and flu, so being prepared by building your own immune system is your best approach if you don’t want to depend on a flu vaccination.   Here’s twelve great tips from the American Lung Association, People’s Medical Society, Family Doctor and Medscape that will reduce your chance for any cold or flu infection.  Don’t forget to check out the many wellness products and ingredients on our website to help keep your family ahead of the game when it comes to warding off cold and flu viruses.

(1)  Wash your hands!  Flu and cold viruses are spread by direct contact.  Germs can live for hours – sometimes weeks – on telephones , keyboards, doorknobs.  You can make your own hand sanitizer by suspending antiviral essential oils in aloe vera gel and saturating paper towels.  Cut them into smaller sizes and carry in a ziploc for quick use on the go.

(2)   Make sure you sneeze into a Kleenex, or handkerchief because virus germs will cling to your bare hands.  Use a tissue and throw it immediately away.  If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into the air, turning away from people. 

(3)   Colds and flu viruses enter your body through the eyes, nose or mouth.  Don’t touch your face!  Touching their faces is the most likely way that children catch colds and pass it on to parents and siblings.

(4)   Drink plenty of water!  Water flushes your system, washing out poisons as it rehydrates.  Minimum daily requirement:  36 oz.  You can tell if you are getting enough water if your urine runs close to clear; if deep yellow, you need more fluid intake.  Don’t mistake coffee, tea or soft drinks for plain old water  . . . they don’t count.

(5)   Take a sauna.  A German research study found that people who steamed twice a week got half as many colds as those who don’t.  One theory is that the air you breathe  in a sauna is over 80 degrees, a temperature too hot for cold and flu viruses to survive.

(6)   Get fresh air, especially in the winter months.  Staying indoors puts you in an environment with more germs are circulating, especially in crowds.  Sleep with a window open.

(7)   Get regular aerobic exercise.  Speed up your heart and pump larger quantities of blood throughout your system.  This will transfer oxygen from your lungs to your blood and increase your body’s natural virus-killing cells.

(8)   Eat foods containing phytochemicals.  Natural chemicals in plants give the vitamins in food a supercharged burst.   Eat copious amounts of dark, green, red and yellow vegetables and fruit.

(9)   Eat yogurt.  Some studies show that eating a daily cup of low-fat yogurt can reduce your susceptibility to colds and flu by as much as 25 percent.  It is assumed that the beneficial bacteria in yogurt may stimulate production of  the immune system to help fight disease.

(10)   Don’t smoke.  Heavy smokers get more severe colds and more frequent ones.  Even being around second-hand smoke profoundly zaps your immune system, dries out nasal passages and paralyzes cilia, the delicate hairs that sweep viruses out of your nasal passages.  Experts contend that one cigarette can paralyze cilia for as long as 30 to 40 minutes.

(11)   Cut alcohol consumption.  Heavy alcohol use also suppresses the immune system. and dehydrates your body . . . it actually takes more fluids from your system than it puts in.  This makes you prone to initial infections as well as secondary complications.

(12)   Finally . . . Relax!  Teaching yourself to relax can activate your immune system on demand.  Evidence shows that interleukins (the leaders in an immune system response against cold and flu viruses) increase in the bloodstream during relaxing meditation.  Train yourself to relax in a positive state by visualization (holding a pleasant picture or image in your mind).   Soothing music can aid this process.  Remember that relaxation is a learnable skill to create a state of mind; it is not simply doing nothing.

These tips provide a proactive approach to warding off colds and flu and make your whole life healthier.   We’ll be back next week to continue our Earth Day Every Day series.

  Special continued for another week (through Sunday, May 16):  Take an extra 10% off all Samara Synergies.   Good time to stock up on First Defense  for the family’s flu artillery or Calma for aiding sleep.  Many others to choose from.  Orders over $35 will also receive a free decorative tea light holder (pictured at left).    Enter “Colds & Flu #1” (no quotes) in promotional code on checkout page.
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Every Day Earth Guide, continued

Today is wet, cold and blustery here in the Cascade foothills, but we are braving it and continuing to get the garden ready to plant this week in the hopes that we don’t have another freeze.  The picture at left is meant to give you one of many creative ideas if you are bored with grass in your parking strip in the city.  This is across the entire 60’ double lot in front of our Seattle (Queen Anne hill) house in the mid 90’s, a veritable field of Flanders’ poppies.  As one neighbor commented back then, “It appears we aren’t in Kansas anymore, Marcia!”  Annual wildflower mixes are inexpensive and can be directly sowed in spring for easy-care color and scent and will last well into late summer.  The key is to prepare good soil by tilling peat moss, leaf mold and additives (and hand turn to aerate well), smoothing surface before sowing the seed.  We made extra concrete walkways to allow crossing through without walking in the bed itself, although we did have the occasional “urban deer” as I called those moving too fast (joggers, kids on skateboards) to avoid tromping through. As you can see, little damage occurred and most walkers in our neighborhood went out of their way to pass by and enjoy the display.

TOO MUCH RAIN TO MOW?  If the lawn is wet because you’re getting more rain than you are used to, try spraying your mower blades with vegetable oil to help keep cut grass from sticking.  This will allow you to cut when grass is still slightly wet.  Keeping your grass at least 3”-4” tall will keep most weeds at bay by preventing them from getting sunlight to sprout.  Use a mulching mower and leave grass clippings to break down and provide healthy nitrogen (this provides about half what your lawn needs) as it breaks down.  Healthy grass should be aerated and fed (composted lightly) twice a year; not doing this will promote more weeds.  Remember: healthy soil/healthy plants/fewer weeds.   Talk to an expert to find the best grass seed combination for your climate and soil.  Reseeding should be done in the fall when you expect at least six weeks of 50-70 degree weather, the optimum temperature for grass seeds to sprout.

YOUNG FRONDS OF FIDDLEHEAD FERNS (also known as ostrich ferns) can be a delicious food.  The new fronds will be lighter in color than the rest of the plant, about 2” long and 1 1/2” in diameter.  Fiddleheads are safe to eat if cooked, they taste like a cross between asparagus and green beans.  They can be stir-fried or steamed, but they should never be eaten raw.  Cook no longer than 5 minutes for best flavor and texture.

THE MOST NUTRITIOUS GREENS to grow in your garden (or choose from your organic green grocer) are:
Arugula has a slightly peppery flavor; used in salads.
Beet – young leaves are best. Delicious lightly steamed.  When
     cooking the beet itself, add the leaves to the pot for extra taste
     and nutrition.
Dandelion – young leaves not exposed to pesticides are best.       
     Their bitter taste is excellent for digestive health.
Endive – a type of chicory that grows in a small, cone-shaped     
     head.  Has pale leaves and is slightly bitter for salads. 
Kale – My favorite garden green; choose thin stems/frilly leaves.
     Stir fry, steam, add to soups and pastas . . . many uses in
     cooking.
Romaine lettuce – full of vitamins and minerals.
Spinach – Very high in nutrition; can be eaten raw or cooked.

Special this week only (through Sunday, May 9):  Take an extra 10% off all Samara Synergies.   Good time to stock up on First Defense  for the family’s flu artillery or Calma for aiding sleep.  Many others to choose from.  Orders over $35 will also receive a free decorative tea light holder (pictured at left).    Enter “Earth Day#4” (no quotes) in promotional code on checkout page.
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Every Day Earth Guide, continued

As we continue to look at simple ways to be kinder to the Earth in our every day lives, I become acutely aware of our climactic changes and challenges.  Here in the Cascade foothills in Snohomish county, WA, we are noticing a trend of colder winters and more often several feet of snow when we used to rarely get inches if any at all.  Early Spring is wetter and floods now happen earlier in the year and longer in duration and intensity.  Wind storms are more prevalent and there are more downed trees to deal with.  And, it’s hotter in the summer months, making it imperative to pay closer attention to the garden plants to insure they are well watered, mulched/composted and sometimes shaded from the sun’s intensity.   We continue the discussion with more ideas to create the optimum circumstances for success in the garden.

A COMMUNITY GARDEN is a wonderful way for urbanites to grow a flower and vegetable garden when you don’t have the space or want to interact with others in the community to create a more green urban environment.  This is also a fabulous way to introduce young people to the joys of growing their own food.  Here’s a few resources in larger cities.
Houston TX:  http://www.urbanharvest.org/
Buffalo NY: http://www.urbanroots.org/
Denver CO: http://www.dug.org/home.asp
Rutgers University has a community garden self help guide: http://tinyurl.com/c83fvu
If you start a community garden, make sure that the soil is tested to insure there are no contaminants like lead or other hazardous chemicals that might permeate the crops grown.  Some communities are starting gardens for the poor to help supplement the diminishing budgets of our older citizens and those who make do with less.   All of these endeavors are rewarding, and again, a good place to introduce children to a sense of ‘community’ while connecting them with Nature.

PLANTING SIMILAR SPECIES of vegetables, like broccoli with cabbage or Brussels sprouts should be avoided as they will compete for nutrients.  Companion planting is aesthetically delightful and helps improve soil while keeping pests at bay.  Here’s a great companion planting guide: http://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html

DIG DEEP when preparing soil for planting.  Digging adds air pockets which help repel root-dwelling insects and oxygenate the soil.  This helps plants put down healthy roots.  This is perhaps the single most important thing you can do to condition the soil.  All organic gardeners I know prefer to turn soil by hand after using a garden tiller.

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Every Day Earth Guide, continued

Last week, we talked about ways to be more gentle with the Earth in our everyday lives.  It’s warm and sunny here in the Cascade foothills, so I thought I’d continue with ideas for your lawn and garden, thinking this might be where your attention is joyfully focused at this time.

GROW HERBS IN YOUR GARDEN; they are easy to grow and help encourage birds and butterflies, as well as other useful insects.  They are a great choice for planting between other flowers and vegetables to increase diversity.  Planting basil, oregano, cilantro, sage and tarragon alongside vegetables will remind you to use them together.  Having herbs in your garden is one more thing you can take off your shopping list.

LARGE PLASTIC BOTTLES can be used as mini-greenhouses, an excellent protective covering for seedlings.  Cut off the ends and there you go.

RAIN BARRELS are probably going to be a necessity in the future to help conserve water resources.  They now come in a range of sizes, shapes and colors.  Try a decorative one on the deck with a rain chain for melodic ambience and drain it under the deck into the deck-side plantings.   You’ll be surprised at the savings on your water bill and your plants will love you.

SOAKER HOSES AND DRIP IRRIGATION can reduce water waste by as much as 70 percent because their delivery system sends water directly to the roots, unlike sprinklers, which waste water through evaporation.

TRADITIONAL HEIRLOOM SEEDS are a better choice than hybridized newer varieties.  ORGANIC NATURAL FERTILIZERS like fish emulsion, bone meal and seaweed-based products are far better than synthetic alternatives. 

Special this week only (through Sunday, April 26) take 10% additional in addition to your 5% web discount off all hydrosols.  Enter “Earth Day#1” (no quotes) in promotional code on website
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Celebrate the Earth Every Day

The time has come to take our responsibility for stewardship of our bountiful planet more seriously.  Focusing our attention only one day a year to honor the Earth isn’t going to solve the myriad problems we are creating.   These problems will grow to overwhelm our children and grandchildren as we continue to ignore the realities of global warming and chemical pollution.  The signs of collapsing ecosystems,  endangered and disappearing species are all around.  In our busy lives, we sometimes procrastinate necessary changes.  We need to learn better ecological habits to reverse a destructive trend before it is too late.   This is the beginning of a series of short articles that will contain simple, yet effective ways to replace harsh chemicals that pollute the environment with safe, gentle natural alternatives and make our lives more in tune with the natural world.  We hope you join us in making these sensible choices.

HOUSEPLANTS act as natural air filters, through photosynthesis, using carbon dioxide and water and releasing oxygen as a waste material.  How symbiotic is that!  You can find delightful houseplants that require little care for every room of the house and never have to purchase synthetic chemical air fresheners again.  These commercial products only mask smells and coat nasal passages with chemicals that diminish your sense of smell.  Samara Botane has a lovely variety of natural environmental aromatic products to keep your home environment, car or camper fresh and clean.  Made with antiseptic and antiviral essential oils, they also limit germs and exposure to viral pathogens.  These come in synergies to use in a diffuser and aromatic room misters.  You can also make your own antiseptic spray by simply adding a few drops of essential oil to a spritzer bottle filled with water.  Try tea tree and lavender, sweet orange and cedarwood, rose geranium and lemon.

HOMEMADE WASHER SOAP can be made by mixing 1 cup baking soda with 10 drops each of lavender and grapefruit essential oils, adding drop by drop and mixing thoroughly.  Add 1 cup of borax and 1 cup of powdered castile soap.  Mix well and store in an airtight container.  Add 1/2 cup to each load of wash.   For really tough stains, dissolve 1/2 cup borax, allow to cool completely.  Add 1 cup distilled white vinegar and 6 drops eucalyptus essential oil.  Soak soiled clothes in this blend for 2 hours before laundering.

Special this week only (through Sunday, April 19) take 20% off all essential oils.  Enter “Earth Day#1” (no quotes) in promotional code on website
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