Do you keep food on hand in case you get hungry? Do you have clothing (at least one extra set) in case you need to change your outfit? How about soap? You know, just in case you’d like to be clean? Of course you do. You probably also pay your utility bills just in case you need to use the phone…air conditioning…water.

You may even have a spare tire in your vehicle - just in case.

You like to be prepared for the expected and the unexpected.

What about in matters relating to your health? Do you have non toxic ways to deal with insect bites, the flu, or those cuts, scrapes, and burns that invariable happen in life? You know what I mean…

The chiggers you and you husband got into on a hiking expedition all because you had only enough insect repellant to use on the children.

The bad toothache & you can't get to the dentist right away.

The allergies that just won’t go away and you can’t sleep at night.

As often as I get calls/questions about chronic or preventive natural health care, I get calls about the acute, the little emergencies in life. Often it’s a search through the cupboards to see what will suffice because there isn’t time to go somewhere to get what would have been best, most helpful.

This issue of Tools for Health shares a few ideas of things you may want to keep on hand in the event of the unexpected…which of course should be expected!

If you subscribe to this newsletter and know someone else who would enjoy receiving Tools for Health, please pass it along. If this issue was passed along to you, take a minute to subscribe by visiting Natural Health Coach for Women, then pay it forward to someone else!

In This Issue

• An Herbal First-Aid Kit
• Resources for Your Own Research
• Reminders about classes, online classes/chats, teleconference calls, etc.

NOTE: To receive the best results I recommend only high quality resources. Look for herbs, supplements, and other resources mentioned in Tools for Health at My NSP Natural Health Coach and Natural Health Coach for Women.

An Herbal First-Aid Kit

Obviously, what you have in your Herbal First-aid kit will be somewhat different than what I have. We all live in differing climates, family situations, and health circumstances.

Here are a few of the items I keep on hand, several of which also stay in my purse. Use these ideas as a spring board to flesh out your own ‘on hand’ supply.

Some Basics

• Golden Salve – I use this in place of antibiotic type salves. This can be mixed with essential oils and/or specific herbs to enhance particular properties. Recently I combined Golden Salve with some essential oils and applied to a puncture wound. It is healing beautifully. Here’s the recipe:
  

  1 drop frankincense
  2 drops geranium
  2 drops lavender

  Mix with ¼ teaspoon beeswax base ointment (Golden Salve) and apply to wound two to three times daily.

  Cover with bandage between applications. If the wound is oozing and needs to be dried, place 1 drop of tea tree on the bandage, or drop it neat onto the wound if skin is not sensitive to tea tree.

  It has worked wonders more than once. By the way, the book from which I discovered this recipe is Aromatherapy for Body, Mind, and Spirit, by Larissa Jones. You can get a copy at LarissaJones.com

• Peppermint essential Oil – I keep a small bottle at home and one in my purse to relieve headaches (including migraines), nausea, pain, and to freshen breath. I rarely get headaches, but have been able to share the peppermint oil with a number of friends because I keep it with me. Sometimes with migraines it didn’t take it completely away, but they all reported it lessened the severity quite a bit. Since they were away from their usual resources, they were very happy to have this help!

• Tei Fu massage lotion and Tei Fu oil blend – both of these are a mainstay in our home. I have also used them to encourage lymphatic flow to alleviate such things as sore throat (swollen glands), sore/tender breasts, tight neck and shoulder muscles.

• Guardian Essential Oil Blend – this has been used in a foot soak to aid healing of wounds. Also, when diffused, it can help to guard against those ‘germs’ everyone is so fond of sharing.

• Elderberry Defense – We take this seasonally when the flu & such happen to be making the rounds. Last October a friend and I took a road trip with our two teens. As often happens, one started getting a cold then another… I had started taking the Elderberry Defense at the beginning of the trip as preventative. When the colds started, I tripled my amount. I was the last to get the cold, and, unlike my traveling companions, barely knew I had even been affected by it. I love this stuff!

• Black Ointment – used for its drawing properties, it can be applied to slivers, warts, infections, acne, boils.

• Lavender Essential Oil – Wonderful for mild burns, and is very calming. It can help when having trouble falling asleep.

• Chamomile – both for nervous and digestive issues. A great tea can be made by opening the capsules. Also, a poultice can help relieve gum pain (this from a very appreciative son-in-law).

• Garlic – great natural alternative to antibiotics!

• Activated Charcoal – can be used internally for chemical or food poisoning as well as diarrhea, gas, and stomach flu. Used as a poultice, it can also help with itching bites and stings.

• Aloe Vera Gel – another help for minor burns & can also be soothing for scrapes and similar injuries.

• Capsicum Extract – stops bleeding…fast!

Resources for Your Own Research

• Sunshine Sharing: A monthly four page offline newsletter packed with great health information. I send these at no cost to everyone who is a Nature’s Sunshine member through me.

• I’ve already mentioned LarissaJones.com. She has wonderful information on essential oils.

• HerbalGram.org: An excellent in-depth resource with a handy search option. Lots of information available even for non members.

• The Complete Guide to Nature’s Sunshine Products, by Steven Horne. This has been an invaluable resource. Even in the unlikely even you would choose not to use Nature’s Sunshine products, you would do well to follow the principles in this book for overall health and healing.

  I have 5 copies left of the original edition I would be happy to share with you at $25. Offer available only until the supply is gone, obviously. Call Natural Health Connections at 863-676-8736 or mail your check (made out to Teri Hayes) along with shipping information to

  Natural Health Connections
  C/O Teri Hayes
  2537 Fox Run Court
  Lake Wales, Florida 33898-8999

  Or you can purchase the 2nd edition at Steven’s web site for around $30 plus shipping and handling.

Reminders about classes, online classes/chats, teleconference calls, etc.

Natural Health Connections currently offers two online classes/chats at the following times:

Wednesdays, 3:00 PM Easter Standard Time

Simply sign in; you don’t need a password, just your name.

Thursdays, 9:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

Again, simply sign in, you don’t need a password.

Reminders are sent to those who live in the local area about classes here. If you’d like to be on that list, reply to this email and we’ll be happy to add you.

Did you listen to the June NSP teleconference call? I always learn something new, and highly recommend this resource.

http://www.mynsp.com/naturalhealthcoach
Click on ‘Opportunity’ then click on ‘Events’ for the upcoming schedule of calls and other happenings.

Teri Hayes is a Certified Natural Health Consultant, Herb Specialist, and Certified Reflexologist

You can e-mail her by replying to this newsletter or visit her at Natural Health Coach for Women

The herbs and supplements she recommends to clients can be found using this link.

Comments? Ideas? Feedback? I’d love to hear from you! Reply to this newsletter and tell me what you think!

To schedule an appointment, online or offline, go to the Health Questions page, choose the option that best suits you, and follow the directions.

The suggestions in this e-newsletter are meant to encourage personal responsibility for health and are not given as medical advice. For your individual health concerns such as chronic or acute warning symptoms, in emergency situations, or when in doubt, seek the advice of your primary personal health car practitioner.