The Modern Hippy

     Per request of friend/reader Yoshi, I’m putting up a couple of youtube videos for a more visual approach to neti pot instruction.
     The first is very thorough. The second is to the point and has no speaking whatsoever. It is just right though. Her approach seems to say, “Get off your ass and do it!” The first video I thought good because it’s done by a normal looking guy, not some crazy hippy chic. And he apparantly started to do it because of a suggestion from his wife whom watched Oprah.
Enjoy!

And….

For the other Neti Pot posts click here:

Neti Pot – The Modern Hippy’s First Experience

Neti Pot – The Modern Hippy’s Second Experiment & Directions

On a side note:
     While at work today, surrounded by other hippy massage therapists (Yes, at the moment I have a job, as a fill in contractor. So it’s okay, I’m still in control of my schedule and am working for a respectable clinic, not an assembly line. I’m still damn the man, but setting up one’s business takes time when you are lazy and recovering from a rough year.), I was asked how I was feeling. Meh, I said, but I bought a neti pot and that and essential oils, are helping me a lot. No antibiotics for me! Each person had their own thing to say about neti pots and how wonderful they are. I love this hippy town!

Neti Pot and Sea Salt

     I will be singing the neti pot’s praises for a long time! I used it again this morning in and out of the shower. Let me say, I was very nervous, being a bit of a chicken when it comes to nose/sinus stuff. Yeah, so I had done it once before, but I was still nervous. Maybe it was because I had been in so much pain last night. Not from the neti pot experiment, but just from feeling like poop, forgetting to take my fish oil pills, sitting in a chair all day, not being able to nap properly, having a monstrous sinus and tension headache AT THE SAME TIME! It was so pathetic and bad that I cried four times, over silly things like dropping the chicken sausages on the floor and not being able to see where one rolled. Yup, that’s how ridiculous I am when I’m sick. But that’s not the point. The point is, today I feel much better. And today, I was able to get the water to come out the OTHER nostril! And I got to see it happen!

     I tried it in the shower, still made the back of my eyes feel cool and tear. And I coughed a lot. Today though, I was brave and curious enough to try it in the sink – while watching myself in the mirror. Sorry, no photos, I still have some self respect, or is it self consciousness?

     Per request of a friend and occasional reader, Yosh (hope you don’t mind the mention), of the modern hippy, I will be giving instructions and other information about using the neti pot.

     First, what you’ll need is a neti pot. Funny I know. Can you tell I’m feeling better? Please wash your neti pot out and thoroughly rinse. You don’t want soap behind your delicate eyeballs – imagine that headache! Then decide where you are going to do it. Over the sink? In the shower? I suppose you could do it outside if you’d like. Where ever it won’t matter if you splatter. (Hahaha, rhyming too!) Measure out 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. Unrefined is okay, I used it. I wouldn’t recommend any of the colored sea salt. No need to dye your sinuses, plus that might cause problems I don’t know about. I DO NOT recommend using iodized table salt, as brands like Morton’s actually contain dextrose, an artificial sweetener. Artificial sweeteners are not meant for sinuses! Let alone eating, but once again I digress.
Fill the neti pot with warm water. I used warm tap water, though when I get a filter I’ll probably use that. Mix until the salt is completely dissolved.

     Now comes the fun or scary part. Remember, you will be breathing through your mouth through this, your nose will be busy. Lean forward, tip your head to about a 45 degree angle. If you aren’t leaning forward enough the gunk will flow down the back of your throat and make you sputter and probably gross you out a little. Stick the spout of the neti pot in one nostril. Make sure there is a good seal and the water won’t sneak out. Steady your hand if you are shaking. Very slowly tip the pot. Can you feel the water enter the bottom of your nose? Good. Keep pouring slowly and wait unti for a funny feeling behind your eyes. It’s almost out! Try to remember to breathe, but breath holding is acceptable if you don’t hold it too long. It’s a very strange sensation to be breathing while water is running through part of your breathing apparatus.

     Something to remember is that you are in control of how much water flow there is. The more you tip the pot, the faster the water will flow. I’m a fan of slow flowing.
Also, the more you do it the better you will get, the easier everything will be.
Rinse through both nostrils. I didn’t use the whole saline solution that time. I was still getting used to it. I think I used about a third of it. Do what is comfortable for you, and what gets you the best results. I’ve read that some people use a whole pot for each side of the nose.
When you stop rinsing exhale gently through your nose to help the gunk out. Use a tissue or do this over the sink. I’ll say this again: Do blow gently to avoid hurting yourself. Also, don’t plug either side of your nostrils. Allow things to come out on their own, without the closing of one side.
Then wash your neti pot!

After you are done see how you feel. Can you breath better? I could. It felt strange, but good.

Some considerations:

     I read that if you can’t blow your nose (though I’m not sure if this means “don’t have the ability” or “it hurts too much”) consult a health care professional first. If you are sensitive like me, go slowly, don’t rush it. Children should be closely supervised! Don’t share!

Where to get a neti pot?

     I got mine from our local co-op. If you don’t have a natural food store, or supplement store, try a pharmacy. You can of course check online! Etsy has some cute stuff, if you’d like something handmade and unique! If I hadn’t been so desperate, and hadn’t put buying one off until the last minute I would have gotten one there.

One last note.
Why use a neti pot?

     It’s a great way to clean out your sinuses. If you are like me and have sinus trouble, use it. If you have allergies, use it. If you live in a polluted area, use it. If you live in a dusty area, use it. If you have a cold, use it. If you have pets, live in an old house, or live in a small place, or work in a poorly ventilated place, smoke, go camping, have kids, use it. “Have kids?”, you ask? Why not? You could win the gross out competition and show them that there are natural ways to deal with your sinuses. Just don’t let them play with it unsupervised. Maybe wait until they are older to show them, just in case.

     For the last few months I’ve been reading what my library calls “consumer education” books, such as The Omnivore’s Dilema and Fast Food Nation. It all started when I decided to educate myself more on the US food system,and “environmental toxins”. The whole thing started with The Compassionate Carnivore by Catherine Friend.

     I make jokes about how I’m on a depressing book reading binge. Honestly, it’s true. I’m addicted to learning new terrible things. The books I’ve read recently are: Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, The Omnivore’s Dilema by Micheal Pollan, The Compassionate Carnivore by Catherine Friend, Drop Dead Gorgeous by Kim Erickson, and now The Hundred Year Lie by Randall Fitzgerald.

      I’ve learned that diseased cows were slaughtered and sold to us. The pesticides sprayed on our foods aren’t just of the surface of the skin, but also in the parts we eat. Cheap food is subsidized by the government, so the actual cost is not what we pay. Once calves are old enough to wean they are shipped to feed lots and fed corn, which they aren’t built to digest. Their diet of corn has caused health problems with the cows and has created a crazy, often deadly e. coli bug. I’m learning that there really is little comprehensive testing of drugs before they are released to the unsuspecting public. And once they are released they are only taken off the market once people get really sick or die. And enough people have to do that before they even think about reacting to “protect” the public. Also, our water systems can’t filter out the chemicals that get flushed down the toilet in one way or another. So the rest of us, whom don’t want to or don’t have to use these meds are ingesting small amounts every time we go to the sink for more water.

     I’ve already made the decision that some time this year, once we have enough money and once I decide which water filtration system is best for the price, that we will become filtered-water-drinking people. I’ve also decided most fruits and veggies we eat will be organic. I buy wild fish, organic humanely raised beef as I can afford. We almost never take pills to ease a cold. All of our old meds – such as expired tylenol – are waiting for me to find the time to take them to a proper disposal place, because as I said, flushing them will only pollute our water.

     I have arguments with myself over what is best for our dog and cat to eat. Should I go completely raw? What is the appropriate amount of protein, carbs and fats for them? Is is a good idea to supplement their diets with a little canned food or dry food as long as it doesn’t contain artificial ingredients? How many vaccinations do they really need? Or do they need them?

     I was reading something a few days ago that mentioned drinking warm lemon water in the morning and before bed will help the colon to expel mucus. Gross sounding I know. However, the colon is incredibly important to health. Dirty colon, dirty body. So I bought a couple of lemons and gave it a try. A few couple of days into this lemon experiment, while I was drinking my lemon ginger tea, I realized that while citrus fruits aren’t among the Top 10 fruits and veggies to eat organically, I was placing the whole lemon slice in the hot water. So what was on the peal was going into my tea, thus into my system. Shoot. Now I’d have to buy organic lemons.

     After realizing my lemons needed to be organic I was feeling discouraged. I’m trying so hard to be healthier and mindful about what is healthy for the environment, but there is always something more. When those negative thoughts sneak in I try to remember this: just reading, learning and trying different things out is a big step forward. So many people don’t try. They don’t care, or believe that what they are ingesting is a “safe” amount. Safe as said by companies that sell them, or by the FDA, USDA, EPA, or CDC, or whatever other three or four letter organization. The thing is, if you dig a little, you will find people within these organizations, doctors, scientists – are thinking more along the realistic big picture. Perhaps it is safe to ingest that tiny amount of whatever synthetic ingredient found in your convenience meal. However, if you eat mostly processed “convenience meals” and less unprocessed whole foods (fruits and veggies etc.) those tiny “safe” amounts accumulate. Is the bigger amount still safe? Probably not. They didn’t test for that. Oh and by the way those chemicals that are supposed to be safe are not getting processed out of your body as fast as they should be, or at all.

     What is a hippy girl to do? Not give up! Keep reading, keep changing, keep pushing forward to find more. I’ll finish using those non-organic lemons. Next time though, I’ll buy organic. Remember the victories. I now buy only organic potatoes, apples, and carrots (among other things). I feel better than ever before. I don’t feel guilty about flushing old meds because I’ve changed. I won’t do that. A cleaner, healthier self is a work in progress, not an over night miracle. So when you start to obsess, or freak out, remember you aren’t alone, and something is better than nothing.

Soup Planned

     It’s soup season again! Though I prefer summer weather I love fall foods! Squash, corn, and soup are the foods for us in autumn. I’ve enjoyed two new soups made by friends and family in the last two weeks. For the whole summer, four different soups! All wonderful. I will be making my own renditions of the most recent soups over the next couple of days.

     The first soup I’ll be making is a Mediterranean soup with a chicken base, with tomato and clams for a different taste. My mom first made it two weeks ago. It was so good, it may become a favorite.

     The second soup, as made by a good friend, was a vegetarian black bean soup. It was spicy and thick. Rick even said that the way it was made he didn’t feel like he was missing meat. At the moment money is tight. Meat is expensive when compared to veggies or bulk dried items. Money saved is good. Nutrition kept is even better.

New Soup Goals

     Last year, I spent the fall and winter, and even a few summer days perfecting chicken soup. I discovered roast chicken makes the best stock and froze a ton of it. This years plans are to experiment outside the basic chicken soup. I want to add beans, use only stock, try vegetarian (for fun and financial). I want a soup to discover a soup I’ve never had before – or make a soup, I’ve never made before. It will be an exciting soup searching journey! Gluten-free of course!

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