The benefit of ’small batch’ production is that it allows me to evolve the formulas to treat today’s presentations of common ailments. Take Cough Stopper as an example: this year’s coughs in both children and adults have tended to be related to the strains of influenza currently in circulation. Recent research has shown which herbs have particular efficacy in addressing these strains as they affect the lungs, and it is these herbs which I’ve been able to introduce into my new production run. It will be available both online and in stores on Wednesday, January 6, so be sure to stock up to address your child’s cough without resorting to pharmaceuticals–whenever possible I suggest a natural approach, at the very least as a first resort. Always be sure to consult with a trusted healthcare provider to make sure that Cough Stopper or any herbal supplement is the best approach for your child.
Today I’m in the process of writing a formula to address the symptoms of Swine Flu in kids. In Germany, China, Taiwan and Japan, a great deal of research is underway to find the most effective antiviral herbs to address this current strain of flu. The formula is nearly complete, and I’ll be producing it this week; I’ll update the blog as soon as it’s done…
Today was spent finishing my extraction of the latest version of Stuffy Nose for kids, and it came out fantastic–aromatic, slightly bitter, upward moving, expansive and slightly diaphoretic. Even though kids’ taste buds would be horrified at that description, vegetable glycerine was added at the end both as a sweetener and preservative, so the taste is perfectly palatable.
A friend came over to watch football during the final stage of extraction, and I had him sample it (he had a stuffy nose); the first thing he said was that it made his mind “clearer”, and like he was more “awake”. Even though Stuffy Nose isn’t a Qi tonic or an otherwise stimulating formula, the effect on his Mind makes sense in the Chinese medical framework: a common cause of ‘muzzyheadedness’/clouding/”brain fog” is sinus congestion, which causes Phlegm to block the clear flow of Qi to the Mind. Clearing up his sinus congestion had the effect of opening up the channels and internal pathways to allow Qi and Blood back to the brain, so he felt clearer and more awake. (It’s pretty impressive how that works, I think. It never stops to amaze me the ways in which the herbs function in the body.)
The new batch will be available the week of 1/19, so if your little one has a head cold or is sinusey, pick up some of the most recent batch of Stuffy Nose and let it get to work.
