October is here. A time for wandering through pumpkin patches, getting lost in hay mazes, tasting hot apple cider, and enjoying autumn’s spectacular, colorful array of fall foliage. Besides “leaf crunching” and cider-sipping, this is the time of year when the warming, sweet scents of spices begin to fill the air and that will [...]
A Wholistic Look at Mental Health Oftentimes, psychiatric disorders have their beginning in childhood, or even in utero, and continue through the lifespan. With the alarming rates of people with diagnosed and undiagnosed psychological struggles, when they finally do get addressed, usually it is only at the surface level. (source, source) If we [...]
For several months now, I’ve been focused on optimizing brain health. After a whole series on using essential oils for psychiatric issues, I discussed how specific essential oils could be used to keep cognition sharp in later years. Recently, I have transitioned to the importance of starting to support emotional imbalances earlier beginning prenatally [...]
In the previous article, I highlighted some of the changes that occur during cognitive development. I will dive into more details about the evolving adolescent brain. With a basic understanding of these processes, both parents and their teenagers will be better able to appreciate what is reasonable to expect from the other. In this [...]
In this article, you will learn the basics on how the brain develops. This is important knowledge to have for parents to communicate more effectively with their children and to set realistic expectations. This understanding will also be beneficial for those who wish to build healthy relationships across the lifespan. You will also discover [...]
Labor Day signifies the bitter sweetness of an end to summer and the anticipation of the start to a new school year. For September 2019, it is estimated that over 50 million U.S. students will head back to public schools, approximately 5.75 million kids will return to private schools, around 1.7 will resume homeschooling, [...]
As the last week of the summer months approach us, the winding down has officially revved up. As I noted last week in my article, essential oils are a perfect companion to help stay serene during this time of fall transition. One of my favorite oils for anxiety is lavender, but citrus oils are [...]
Moving from the Summer Wind-Down into Full Force for the Fall Can you believe that it is already past mid-way through August? This means the flames of campfires are beginning to lose their smoke and sizzle and pencils and highlighters are populating the grocery store shelves. For parents and little ones, this also [...]
Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) is a well-known culinary herb that belongs to the Asteraceae (daisy) family. It has many common names including estragon, dragon wormwood, and false tarragon. Tarragon is found and cultivated in many regions of the world. Variations in its chemical makeup occur based on location, harvesting techniques, season, and manufacturing. I previously [...]
