Chamomile

Chamomile, nature’s Spring wonder-herb

Fresh chamomile looks like mini-daisies

Each Spring we pick chamomile (word is from the Greek ”χαμομήλι” or little apples of the ground ) and have posted before about these spring pickings! This year due to much snow and rain there was an abundance of chamomile everywhere … nature’s “wonder drug” can be used for many medicinal purposes and helps calm the mind as well as our body.

  1. Picking season can range from early April to early May
  2. Only the buds should be plucked, you can use the ”hand comb” technique, leaving the roots in ground to allow it regrowth.
  3. Pickings need to be dried out at least 2 weeks. Once dried can be stored in glass jars for use any season (for drying use cool dry areas, careful of windy spots and consider a tulle cover).
1 week drying vs. freshly picked buds

Does wonders for one’s skin, stomach, great for anti-cancer and anti-diabetes regimens considered one of nature’s miracle teas (see article) . And it turns out is terrific anti-anxiety drink for pups !

Picking chamomile in the fields of white -gold is a great way to get sun and our protective vitamin D!

Skin or eye minor irritations? Take one teaspoon of your dried chamomile with two cups water and allow it to boil — you use a sieve and a piece of paper towel to remove any micro-leaves. Allow liquid to cool slightly and use cotton swabs, gauze, or small cotton towel (careful it will ”yellow“ your towel, so keep one to reuse) skin (for minor acne) or eye 👁 compresses.

To add highlights to your hair — after final shampoo and rinse use at as a rinse to add highlights and shine. More on healthline, or watch this helpful video:

Homemade chamomile hair rinse

Chamomile and oregano are both natural antiseptics. Wonder herbs and comfort stomach teas 🍵 !

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The importance of light

One month in quarantine. There is light at the end of the tunnel with the Covid19 insanity and seemingly as some experts say there are some medications in the works (see Vox post). There are many side effects with some people, and individual differences with treatment (I do not want to talk vaccine as the nature of this disease transforming into subtypes is very concerning), and confusion of symptoms see blog post by Paleohacks.

Until then it’s important to keep up with keeping healthy in these seemingly “dark” hours, remember to follow the rainbow after the storm. Keep building immunity, walk daily at least 20 minutes in your home (loved this 15 minute video), on sunlit days at a distance, in your neighborhood away from that screen! With or without your pet or kids. Slow or fast, just keep it up!

You can see, learn, and run into amazing nature! Even people you know !

I am running-walking more despite the fact I have more online work staying up later, as we all lose our patience, gaining a few pounds /kilos! As each year we picked our chamomile — that wonder herb that can be even used as an antiseptic eye compress (see Spring pickings). This time closer to home as all are cleaner due to less traffic! It’s amazing to see how nature should be. We all need to do immunity building and social (physical) distancing.

A Poppy for your thoughts…

Sunlight makes our world function as it is important for plant photosynthesis, it increases our melatonin (the brain hormone Serotonin goes up and is important for mood and sleep), increasing doses of vitamin D for better health! Those of us who suffer from seasonal affective disorder understand this well. Some who do get enough light may need special lamps in darker winter months. And as experts recommend it’s the “blue light” that matters in light therapy.

Do you also know that sunlight disinfects? It is a Greek term called heliotherapy so it’s a good idea to hang out your clothes (even your shoes sole side up), sleep blankets, comforters, and pillows for a natural “bug killer”. My good ER doctor friend in the frontlines (🙏we pray for her!) and also has her own site healthyselfhealthyworld, uses it for her gear as we know those are sometimes scarce and it can be a risk.

I find myself doing leg exercises as I’m on hold for a half hour or more for calls or online purchases — it doesn’t work people, and no I cannot wait for one week for supermarket orders ! So take the risk with your “gear” (mask and gloves, antiseptic!) …. in the evening listen to immune building music 🎵 as it seems to work for many and that light from your candle can be a great source of inner peace and a “heavenly place” to pray or meditate.

Find your inner peace


These two weeks millions around the globe celebrate(d) Easter (Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox one week apart). As Jesus once said “I am the Light of the World” at no other time have we needed our faith — regardless of one’s religion — as prayer and meditation are beneficial to the brain and the development of neural synapses and emotional stability and expression.

Absolutely loved my friend Isabelle’s photo inside her apartment in Austria for Easter! It reminds me how city living especially needs strategic placement of real or artificial light.

One blogger talked about her experience in quarantine with a view of the NYC Empire building lit up red to symbolize the heartbeat 💗 of the city and keep people going in this Covid19 pandemic (Beautybeyondbones Easter post for 2020 on NYC’s Beating Heart).

Keep writing my friends to spread that light to the world.

Spring pickings

FA6C45A9-89C0-4C00-AC03-56CCE1A3C830I love Spring and visiting the countryside of Greece to partake in nature’s bounty. During peak pollen season I suffer greatly from allergies but I take the chance (and my antihistamines if needed) since the experience is a wonderful way to gather sunlight in the form of Vitamin D, as well as overall healing for the spirit.

As it turns out due to climate changes, the number of sufferers has been increasing according to the World Allergy Association’s WAA 2016 report. AND March 24th is world tuberculosis (TB) awareness day. So many things to be aware and health literate about (see past allergies post)!

Years ago, I read a book about a doctor who has worked with clinics around the world (Peru, Russia, Haiti)  and on his own building hospitals in downtrodden areas of Haiti and increasing awareness around TB. The book by Tracy Kidder published in 2003 was titled “Mountains Beyond Mountains.” This was the real-world story of how one person can make a difference in world health matters…. hail the idealists! However 16 years later TB is back at its peak in many parts of the globe including the Mediterranean due to population flux and lack of taking antibiotics appropriately (too many, wrong doses).

This hits me every time I see grand hotels built in the mountains as it was believed that clean air — more oxygen in essence — would help cure people thus many of these seemingly sanatoriums are considered exotic locations for other purposes (thankfully) today whether it be for skiing, sightseeing or simply taking a break! One of my favorite grand must-see hotels is the Mt. Washington hotel in New Hampshire’s Bretton Woods which dates back to the early 1900s was the place where the formation of the World Bank began after the famous Bretton World Conference to deal with the aftermath of the World War, as well as a later movie with Jack Nicholson called “The Shining”. Note, financial literacy is ONE part of health literacy is an entire new section to ponder for this blog…. stay tuned.

I posted a question about SPRING activities on a social media site,  “Each Spring since living here, I pick chamomile (despite pollen symptoms 😁) to remind myself the importance of nature helping calm the mind as well as our body with necessary healing. What do you do? Do you recognize nature’s bounties or simply pass them by?” Perhaps it goes along with the question about awareness as posed “do you stop to smell the roses?” or other small flowers, I certainly hope so!

Even though one should pick chamomile in late April or even beginning of May, I did so today …and here are some steps for that wonderful tea. Does wonders for one’s skin, stomach, great for anti-cancer and anti-diabetes regimens considered one of nature’s miracle teas (see article) . The word in Greek is χαμομήλι stems from the words “chamo” and “mile” meaning the apple of the earth …hmm sounds similar to “an apple a day keeps the doctor away!”

4 easy steps:

1) ensure the herb is indeed chamomile by smelling it first, and noticing the high hill-like shaped yellow middle (since some  mini daisies look similar!)

2) pick many tips and stems (careful don’t damage any roots to allow for regrowing) as if running a comb through nature’s “hair”. Enjoy each moment using all your senses of sight, smell and touch.

3) take home and allow it to dry for a week and more so it can be stored in glass jars for use any season (for drying use cool dry areas, careful of windy spots and consider a tulle cover).

4) boil yourself a nice cup of chamomile tea and you’ll feel healthy and calm even just recalling that lovely day you picked it!

I close with a quote by past U. S. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt with an image of my wonderful tea …. all well worth it.

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