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<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><font color="#371a94" style="font-size: 14px;" class="">Beloveds,</font><div class=""><font color="#371a94" style="font-size: 14px;" class=""> I wanted to share a post from Karin Uphoff (our local herb queen extraordinaire!) about taking good care of ourselves during all that is unfolding at this time. Lots of love and good health to all!!! Sue</font></div><div class=""><font color="#371a94" style="font-size: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div class=""><font color="#371a94" style="font-size: 14px;" class="">Here it is:</font></div><div class=""><div class="hv4rvrfc osnr6wyh dati1w0a" style="padding-left: 16px; padding-right: 16px; padding-bottom: 10px; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; color: rgb(28, 30, 33);"><div class="cwj9ozl2 j83agx80 btwxx1t3" style="flex-direction: row; display: flex; font-family: inherit;"><div class="j83agx80 ew0dbk1b cbu4d94t irj2b8pg" style="flex-direction: column; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px; display: flex; font-family: inherit;"><div class="knvmm38d qzhwtbm6" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; font-family: inherit;"><span class="knj5qynh oo9gr5id d9wwppkn qv66sw1b mau55g9w aigsh9s9 iv3no6db fe6kdd0r nxhoafnm hpfvmrgz c8b282yb hzawbc8m jq4qci2q ik7dh3pa a8c37x1j keod5gw0 oi732d6d c1et5uql d2edcug0 a3bd9o3v" dir="auto" style="line-height: 1.3333; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 0.9375rem; color: var(--primary-text); word-break: break-word; font-family: inherit;"><h3 class="gmql0nx0 l94mrbxd p1ri9a11 lzcic4wl hzawbc8m aahdfvyu" dir="auto" style="color: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; outline: none; font-family: inherit;"><div class="nc684nl6" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;"><a class="esr5mh6w nhd2j8a9 kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 rz4wbd8a lrazzd5p qt6c0cv9 p7hjln8o r7d6kgcz rq0escxv f1sip0of e9989ue4 oygrvhab qu0x051f i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr gpro0wi8 a8nywdso lzcic4wl nc684nl6 jb3vyjys hcukyx3x oajrlxb2 oo9gr5id g5ia77u1" href="https://www.facebook.com/karin.uphoff?__cft__[0]=AZVNlHTOZto7ghWdEftume_ZLOzDG1mhSBSIfzJBwwcMXRrKLPHp2oBfCnuOQEbkMTfAxmhI17dJxLb3iMjBnLfJaH1aS6bsp4thhvTSnrzbsLPVZCHvIYbrIfu_CbMljTF_Wx7nXHz6Or9pENAj7_t_2QfHivE4kWlYgfL57x1Wcc3QmIiGCjwnO2iugFpNc8k&__tn__=-UC%2CP-y-R" role="link" tabindex="0" style="color: var(--primary-text); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; outline: none; list-style: none; border: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; text-align: inherit; font-weight: 600; display: inline; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;" class="">Karin Uphoff</span></a></div></h3></span></div><div class="knvmm38d qzhwtbm6" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; font-family: inherit;"><span class="d9wwppkn mdeji52x e9vueds3 qv66sw1b mau55g9w aigsh9s9 fe6kdd0r nxhoafnm hpfvmrgz c8b282yb hzawbc8m ik7dh3pa a8c37x1j j5wam9gi keod5gw0 m9osqain oi732d6d c1et5uql d2edcug0 knj5qynh" dir="auto" style="display: block; word-wrap: break-word; max-width: 100%; font-size: 0.8125rem; min-width: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.2308; color: var(--secondary-text); word-break: break-word; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;" class=""><span style="font-family: inherit;" class=""><span class="dhp61c6y owwhemhu bipmatt0 q3lfd5jv t1p8iaqh cebpdrjk tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 k5wvi7nf dp1hu0rb pk4s997a qowsmv63 iyyx5f41 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p" style="align-items: inherit; display: inherit; align-self: inherit; height: inherit; justify-content: inherit; min-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; width: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; max-width: inherit; flex: inherit; max-height: inherit; align-content: inherit; font-family: inherit;"><a aria-label="September 14 at 9:58 AM" class="esr5mh6w nhd2j8a9 kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 p7hjln8o r7d6kgcz rq0escxv f1sip0of e9989ue4 gmql0nx0 oygrvhab qu0x051f i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr gpro0wi8 b1v8xokw a8nywdso lzcic4wl nc684nl6 jb3vyjys hcukyx3x oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1" href="https://www.facebook.com/karin.uphoff/posts/10158707002274785?__cft__[0]=AZVNlHTOZto7ghWdEftume_ZLOzDG1mhSBSIfzJBwwcMXRrKLPHp2oBfCnuOQEbkMTfAxmhI17dJxLb3iMjBnLfJaH1aS6bsp4thhvTSnrzbsLPVZCHvIYbrIfu_CbMljTF_Wx7nXHz6Or9pENAj7_t_2QfHivE4kWlYgfL57x1Wcc3QmIiGCjwnO2iugFpNc8k&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-y-R" role="link" tabindex="0" style="color: inherit; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; outline: none; list-style: none; border: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; text-align: inherit; display: inline; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;" class="">September 14 at 9:58 AM</span></a></span></span><span class="jpp8pzdo" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;" class=""><span class="stjgntxs rfua0xdk pmk7jnqg ni8dbmo4 ay7djpcl q45zohi1" style="height: 1px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); width: 1px; font-family: inherit;"> </span><span aria-hidden="true" style="font-family: inherit;" class=""> · </span></span></span><span class="g0qnabr5" style="white-space: nowrap; font-family: inherit;"><span class="dhp61c6y owwhemhu bipmatt0 q3lfd5jv t1p8iaqh cebpdrjk tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 k5wvi7nf dp1hu0rb pk4s997a qowsmv63 iyyx5f41 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p" style="align-items: inherit; display: inherit; align-self: inherit; height: inherit; justify-content: inherit; min-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; width: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; max-width: inherit; flex: inherit; max-height: inherit; align-content: inherit; font-family: inherit;"><span class="ormqv51v l9j0dhe7" style="position: relative; top: -2px; font-family: inherit;"><i class="hu5pjgll m6k467ps sp_fZmXPQ-HPGA sx_0cff1f" aria-label="Shared with Public" role="img" style="vertical-align: -0.25em; filter: var(--filter-secondary-icon); background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v3/yn/r/yQcpb4V_5ht.png"); background-size: auto; display: inline-block; height: 12px; width: 12px; background-position: 0px -967px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"></i></span></span></span></span></span></div></div></div></div><div class="" dir="auto" style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; color: rgb(28, 30, 33);"><div class="" dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="dati1w0a ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc ihqw7lf3" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" style="padding: 4px 16px 16px; font-family: inherit;"><div class="j83agx80 ew0dbk1b cbu4d94t irj2b8pg" style="flex-direction: column; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px; display: flex; font-family: inherit;"><div class="knvmm38d qzhwtbm6" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; font-family: inherit;"><span class="knj5qynh oo9gr5id d9wwppkn qv66sw1b mau55g9w aigsh9s9 iv3no6db fe6kdd0r nxhoafnm hpfvmrgz c8b282yb hzawbc8m jq4qci2q ik7dh3pa a8c37x1j keod5gw0 oi732d6d c1et5uql d2edcug0 a3bd9o3v" dir="auto" style="line-height: 1.3333; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 0.9375rem; color: var(--primary-text); word-break: break-word; font-family: inherit;"><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab c1et5uql ii04i59q kvgmc6g5 hcukyx3x" style="word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: inherit;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;" class="">As i am having techno-glitches in posting to my website, i will just put my latest blog post here as it is relevant now. Thirty years ago i drove through flames and smoke while our neighborhood burned and exposure was heavy for weeks. These are the things that help me every time i get re-exposures:</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab ii04i59q o9v6fnle c1et5uql hcukyx3x" style="word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: inherit;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;" class="">Wildfires have become more than a seasonal event here on the West Coast. Many people have been exposed to unhealthy air and continue to become exposed for prolonged periods. Over-exposure to smoke causes symptoms such as: watery or dry/red eyes, fatigue, persistent cough, phlegm, wheeze, scratchy throat or irritated sinuses, headaches, shortness of breath, asthma attack or lung irritation or Irregular heartbeat and chest pain. It is up to each of us to take care of our precious respiratory systems as best we can, especially in these Covid19 times. Lung tissue is designed to maximize the uptake of oxygen and release of CO2, an exchange that happens through our tiniest blood vessels; capillaries. Lungs may feel compact the way they are lodged in our rib cage, but they actually have the surface area of a tennis court! The alveolar breathing sacs bunched together like microscopic grapes located at the end of your bronchial tubes are the work horses of your lungs. About 480-million of them are what expand and contract when you take a breath, moving air as well as pumping blood. Your lung tissue is heavily protected by white blood cells and cilia (tiny hairs) that help sweep out pathogens and particulate which collect in mucus and are expelled via coughing. However, very small particulate, as happens in smoke or toxic gases, can damage delicate lung tissue or (in the case of gases) enter the body via the bloodstream. This triggers an immune response and can burden the immune system. To reduce the chance of this happening and lift the load on the body’s immunity, the following self-care measures are suggested.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab ii04i59q o9v6fnle c1et5uql hcukyx3x" style="word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: inherit;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;" class="">Limit exposure time by staying inside and creating a clean air environment via fans, air-filters (HEPA filters best). Reduce exposure to indoor toxins by suspending use of perfumes, non-organic/biodegradable cleaning and body-care products, smoking, wood fires. Where you don’t have air filtration systems and must flush your space with outdoor air, wait for a time of ‘moderate’ air quality (typically very early morning), open doors and windows, spray plant-based essential oils through your space (eucalyptus/lemon grass/rosemary/thyme/lavender etc.) and run fans. Then shut back in. When you are out, wear an N95 mask if you have one. No N95? then wear a surgical (paper) mask under your double or triple layer cloth mask. Though not considered protective enough for smoke, it will still reduce exposure to harmful particulate.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab ii04i59q o9v6fnle c1et5uql hcukyx3x" style="word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: inherit;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;" class="">Take a daily dose of herbs that assist your respiratory system whether in the form of tea, tincture or capsule. Teas are especially nice because steam from the herbs also enters your nose as you drink. Here are three simple combinations which you can elaborate on:</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;" class="">1) Fresh-grated ginger root + slippery elm bark powder + thyme + cinnamon = for cold damp smoke environments when you need mucus to move.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;" class="">2) Mallow (common leaf or root, or marshmallow root) + mullein (leaf or root) + calendula + peppermint or yerba Buena = for hot, dry conditions to help soothe and repair rough bronchial passages. </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;" class="">3) Yerba Santa or horehound or grindelia + mullein leaf + half the amount of licorice (or raw honey if you can’t have licorice) and lobelia inflata = this is for deeper expelling of material from lungs when you’ve had high exposure.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;" class="">The above suggestions are steeping teas requiring you pour boiling water over them, cover and sit for at least 15 minutes or more. There are many herbs around you that help in similar ways such as: sage, rosemary, pine needle, oregano, plantain, coltsfoot, echinacea leaf and comfrey leaf – use what is available. There are also roots and bark that can be simmered and are ones often found in tincture formulas such as: elecampane, osha, spikenard, pleurisy, echinacea root, astragulus etc.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab ii04i59q o9v6fnle c1et5uql hcukyx3x" style="word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: inherit;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;" class="">Clear your nasal passages daily by using a nasal (netti) wash or bulb syringe filed with warm (boiled then cooled) salt water to which you can add herbal aids or colloidal silver. A saline-based nasal spray will also help if nothing else. Our nose hairs trap particulate but finer dust and spores can travel up the nose to sinuses where they irritate passages causing inflammation. If your nostrils suffer dryness (this usually causes bleeding), then using your pinky finger, swab the inside of each nostril with coconut oil, jojoba or olive oil.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab ii04i59q o9v6fnle c1et5uql hcukyx3x" style="word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: inherit;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;" class="">Steam inhalation can help clear blocked sinuses and also re-moisten overly dry nose or lungs. Herbs that reduce inflammation to the tissues can be added as essential oils or as chopped fresh herbs added to the hot water and heated like a tea. Helpful are yerba Buena, eucalyptus, rosemary, thyme, sage, mint, lavender, pine/fir needle or bark, bay laurel (careful it’s strong!).</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab ii04i59q o9v6fnle c1et5uql hcukyx3x" style="word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: inherit;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;" class="">Wash your eyes if they are red or irritated. This is easy to do using an eye-cup from the drugstore or the right diameter shot-glass. Only use boiled salt water that has been cooled or a bottled eye rinse. To your boiled water you can add herbs like calendula or sage but filter out particulate using paper towels or coffee filter. You can also drop tincture of goldenseal or Oregon grape or colloidal silver into an eyewash water. Small metal, wood-ash and glass dust from fires can irritate eyes, sometimes even scratching the fine tissue.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab ii04i59q o9v6fnle c1et5uql hcukyx3x" style="word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: inherit;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;" class="">Use an herbal throat spray when you leave the house before you put your mask on. Two to four sprays in the back of your throat will serve to protect this tender tissue. Propolis-based sprays are especially good for this as they create a temporary ‘second skin’. Herbs like echinacea and spilanthes, grindelia, licorice, honey or mint are often combined with propolis to help numb, soothe and fortify protection.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab ii04i59q o9v6fnle c1et5uql hcukyx3x" style="word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: inherit;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;" class="">Drink extra water as your mucus membranes are working overtime and need to keep flowing, so does your lymph system. The body demands extra water while detoxing itself. You can add natural cooling demulcents to the water like aloe juice, cucumber, coconut water, flax or chia seed soaked water or sea weed.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab ii04i59q o9v6fnle c1et5uql hcukyx3x" style="word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: inherit;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;" class="">Eat an anti-oxidant rich diet of berries, green grasses (alfalfa, wheat, barley etc.), fresh vegetable juices, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and lean protein. Avoid dairy, refined flours, heavily processed foods and sugar as these tend to increase sticky mucus production. Supplemental antioxidants like vitamin C/E, NAC (N-acetylcysteine), selenium, alpha lipoic acid, CoQ10 and liver detox formulas, teas or foods (milk thistle/dandelion/burdock/yellowdock).</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab ii04i59q o9v6fnle c1et5uql hcukyx3x" style="word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: inherit;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;" class="">Rest and de-stress when possible, even 5-10 minutes to check in with your feelings and connect with your heart (tears are detoxing too!). A bedtime or stress-relief tea or sleep formula can soothe nerves: California poppy, chamomile, passionflower, lavender, kava or St. John’s wort, cannabis/CBD etc.</div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>