What’s your goal?

Moms -

Do you have a goal?

I’m not talking about curing your child’s autism or potty training your 10 year old –  a goal just for YOURSELF?  Something that feeds your soul?

Do you want to:

• Knit?
• Swim?
• Shower without interruption or consequence?
• Learn a language?
• Dance?
• Have a conversation with adults?
• Have your nails done?
• Sing really really loud?
• Do something that brings you joy?

Autism moms are amazingly strong women. They go to the mat for their kids day in and day out. They dream the impossible – and realize those dreams. But in doing so, they often forget to nourish themselves.

The ‘experts’ always tell us to take care of ourselves. Put your oxygen mask on first before assisting others.  Take time for yourself. P-L-E-A-S-E.  Who has time when dealing with autism? Who can afford a massage when there are endless supplements to buy?

But guess what? The well eventually runs dry. Burn out. I’ve been there and it is ugly, sad and terrifying.  It can be so hard to admit, but we are better parents when we have a break.  The road to recovery will not abruptly end if we take 10 minutes for ourselves. Really, it won’t.

So, do you have a goal?  Something that sparks that fire inside you?

Please share your thoughts.  And please, take a few minutes to do something today that feeds your soul.

Kia Ora.  Be Well.  Be Healthy.

The summer cold is here :(

This week I have run into so many people who are sniffling, coughing, froggy and just plain miserable with the summer cold. The good news is that relief is as close as your back yard and spice rack.

The hands-down best remedy for the common summer cold is …..drum roll please… creeping charlie.  Yes, the bain of every homeowner’s existence will actually cure the common cold.  Pick a few pieces, chop it up, cover with boiling water and voila…relief.  Of course, you may want to strain it and wait until it is cool enough to drink.

For sore throats, the cooking herbs of thyme and sage can’t be beat. These herbs can be used fresh (see instructions for creeping charlie) or dried from your pantry. If using dried herbs, the typical ratio is 1 tsp dried herb to 8 0z of boiling water. Steep at least 10 minutes, strain and drink.

Its that simple!

Herbs for Autism does sell Creeping Charlie (called Ground Ivy) in tincture form, but why buy it when your neighbors will beg you to pick theirs??!!

Kia Ora. Be well.  Be Healthy.

An herbal alternative to tonsillectomy

In April, my daughter was diagnosed with sleep apnea.  Per the doctor, her tonsils were “enormous”  - a size 4 on a scale of 0 to 4. He recommended immediate surgery and referred us to an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist. Lucky for us, the ENT was booked for more than a month which gave me time to get a treatment plan in place.

Using herbs and cupping, I have successfully treated clients with enlarged tonsils and other glandular problems of the throat and enabled them to avoid surgery. So naturally, I turned to these modalities to heal my daughter.

My herb of choice for these conditions is Figwort, also known as Scrophularia. Species of Figwort grow in North America, Europe and Asia. It is a potent herb and should be used in very small doses – 1 or 2  drops  a day- even if commercial bottles say to give more.  My daughter took 2 drops per day and in a month’s time, her tonsils shrank from a size 4 to a 0.  The ENT was surprised that we were even sent for a consult and no surgery was needed.  That is the power of herbs!

Figwort and other herbs can be purchased on-line or in local herb or health food stores.  As most commercial products are made with grain alcohol, Herbs for Autism offers organically-grown, gluten-free herbal tinctures, including figwort.

For more information on the risks of surgery for sleep apnea, check out my recent post, “Can an adenoidectomy lead to speech problems?“

Can an adenoidectomy lead to speech problems?

Recently, my daughter was found to have mild sleep apnea and we were referred to an ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialist for a surgery consultation. I was very apprehensive about this visit, because I am strongly against removing body parts – particularly important ones! But still, I went to the appointment with an (somewhat) open mind.

The tonsils and adenoids, which are typically removed in cases of pediatric sleep apnea, are composed of lymph tissue and are part of your immune system. They serve as the first line of defense versus airborne illnesses and pathogens that enter through the mouth.  Removing them just doesn’t make sense to me.

Upon examination, we learned that while my daughter’s tonsils had decreased in size from a 4 to a 0 (more on that soon!), her adenoids were enlarged and causing a partial blockage.  I thought the recommendation would surely be to operate. Thank goodness, I was wrong.

We learned during our visit, that removing the adenoids can cause hyper nasal speech (or velopharyngeal incompetence).  Hyper nasal speech occurs when too much air goes through the nose while talking. In other words, it can sound like a child is talking through their nose.

My daughter, non-verbal until about 5 years ago, still has apraxia of speech which makes communication a challenge.  Her doctor was concerned that an adenoidectomy would cause further speech problems and make it even more difficult to communicate.  Therefore she did not recommend surgery.  We were very relieved!  We are now concentrating my daughter’s herbal treatments on reducing the inflammation in her adenoids so that she can breathe easier on her own…naturally.

For more about keeping the lymph system healthy, check out our recent entry “The importance of exercise.”

Coming next…an herbal alternative to tonsillectomy.

The importance of exercise

Now that the warm weather has come to most of North America, its time to get our kids moving!

Exercise is critical to proper lymph function. Our lymph system is our body’s trash can.  When we are inactive, our lymph becomes stagnant and is less effective in removing toxins from our body.

Walking, running, jumping, kicking, climbing, digging – it doesn’t have to be complicated.  Just get moving!

We will be blogging again soon!

My apologies for the terribly long time since posts. Here at Herbs for Autism we have been building new office and teaching space, hosting three-weeks of herb training for practitioners, wildcrafting and dealing with life on the spectrum.

Thank you for your patience. I have so many posts rolling around in my head. I can’t wait to get back to blogging.

Happy Spring!

Happy Faschnaut Day!

Faschnaut (Donut) Day is one of my favorite holidays!

It was with great pleasure that I strolled into my local donut shop this morning with my (GFCF) daughter and ordered a feast.  I always have frozen GFCF goodies stashed away in my freezer for gluten emergencies (like the last minute birthday party!) so I thought I was all set with the extra empty bag I ordered. I’d go home, slip in her treats and she’d never know the difference.

Wrong.  After frantically emptying the freezer I found no donuts. No donuts? How could this be?  My daughter was so excited for donut day. Donuts are a rarity in our house. I had no choice but to fess up.  And bake – quickly.

Here is what I whipped up.  The following recipe is GFCF but does have some items that are typically contraband like banana, vinegar and eggs.   My apologies. Desperate times called for desperate measures and today I was desperate.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup of brown rice, ground in blender into a fine powder
• 1 tsp gfcf aluminum-free baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 TBSP cooking oil (safflower, sunflower, etc)
• 1 smashed banana
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (to make it rise)
• Water
• Spray cooking oil (optional)

Mix all dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl mash the banana and add all the wet ingredients. Stir well. Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Add water to get to the consistency you want. Not too thick, not too thin.

Spray a donut pan with oil or coat with cooking oil using a paper towel. Pour in batter. If you don’t have a donut pan, you can pour the batter into a muffin pan about halfway full. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until a fork inserted comes out clean. If using a muffin pan, cut circles out of the middle to form a donut shape.

Note: I made up this recipe on the fly. They looked like donuts (see above!) but I’m not a baker as my husband will gladly attest!  If you have any suggestions to improve this recipe, please post them!