One of the least spoken about challenges in a post petroleum age is wellness and healthcare. Our present-day pharmaceutical and medical technology is very much petroleum-based, and hence, much like food transportation and energy, our healthcare system is threatened by the decline of the oil supply.

Petrochemicals are used in the manufacture of hundreds of prescription and over-the-counter medications, and are the base for most commercial body and facial care products. Heart valves, IV tubing, hip and knee replacements, and other medical devices are produced with numerous plastics and other petrochemicals.

Throughout much of the world, plant-based medicine is still used for most chronic complaints with greater success reported than those choosing modern pharmaceutical medicine. And this is not just in developing countries. Throughout Europe, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including acupuncture and herbal and homeopathic medicine, is used nearly as often as Western medicine for the treatment of disease. In Germany, 98 percent of all pharmacies now sell homeopathic medicines.

With a broad view of the whole person, including their diet, environment, and situation, CAM has a primary focus on the prevention of the disease in the first place, making detection and diagnosing, along with their often invasive and expensive practices, unnecessary. And the person need not suffer.

For example, if a woman has a severe mold problem festering in the basement of her apartment building, which begins to travel up through the walls, and settles into her cupboards and clothes closet, and she experiences daily headaches, her doctor might prescribe a medication without asking about her home environment, and order a battery of tests. After reviewing all the test results, they may or may not ever come to a conclusion about why she is having headaches. She may spend years taking the medication, experiencing low-grade side effects for which she may need a second medication, and her body may begin to have new symptoms caused by the mold in her walls.

On the other hand, a CAM practitioner, whether an acupuncturist, naturopathic physician, or herbalist, will first provide simple remedies, often plant-based, for her pain, and then begin to ask the woman a number of questions, and search for the root cause of her condition, and what changes may have taken place around the start of her symptoms. In this way, they will search together for the problem that has caused the headaches, the imbalance within her life, and be able to address that root cause, and thereby eliminate the headaches altogether.

In the United States, many believe that we have the greatest health care in the world. We certainly spend significantly more per capita than those in any other country. But the United Nations’ Healthy Life Expectancy Report (the HALE report), released in 1997, which measures how healthy we are during each year of life, showed that we were 24th in the world. The latest UN HALE report shows that we have fallen to approximately 33rd. And in June of this year, CNN reported that the U.S. has fallen to 38th in overall life expectancy.

We would likely spend less money and feel healthier throughout life if we moved toward a more integrated approach to wellness, choosing nourishing, mostly local food, safe herbal remedies, and other simple strategies to address nagging chronic complaints before they fester into greater imbalances and more serious disease.

Pharmaceutical medications have their place, but our modern medical approach is to hide symptoms, and not associate the small stuff with a growing health threat. We are a complex whole, and what we ignore or suppress can become a more complicated concern.

There is a growing body of research showing that community-based support for the ill, disabled and aged populations improves good health and longevity and costs far less. Loneliness and lack of social support have been linked to higher mortality rates, and increased risk of cancer, heart disease, and viral infections.

As we move toward a post oil society, we would be wise to learn about our local plants and other allies provided by the natural world. Regardless of where we live on the planet, we have an abundance of plants to support optimal health and well-being, and to treat most chronic disease. And this is especially true here in Vermont. Our natural world is alive with hundreds of plant medicines with a long, rich history of supporting people’s health and vitality. And we have an abundance of great teachers and practitioners of plant wisdom.

There is a saying in herbalism that whatever we need to restore good health and emotional harmony will come to our backyards. I once had a profound experience in this way. When my daughter turned sixteen and began to practice her independence, she acted out in ways that were extremely challenging for me.

On a warm spring evening during this difficult time, I went to our backyard to decompress. I lied down on the ground to feel the earth, and realized that I was lying in a bed of Star of Bethlehem flowers. There were thousands of them; they covered our entire yard. In herbalism, Star of Bethlehem flowers are used for comfort and reassurance of our spirit!

Now, I had lived there for more than seven years at that time, and had never seen a Star of Bethlehem flower in my yard, nor in our neighborhood. I lived there for two years more, and the following spring, I could only find about a dozen of these precious little flowers. They came to me when I needed them most, and seemed to have moved on when they were no longer needed.

Hippocrates told us “Let your medicine be your food, and your food be your medicine.” Using foods and herbs as medicine is safe, cost-effective, accessible to all, and our best first line of defense—both now and in the post petroleum world.

Many thanks to Leda for your wonderful editing expertise. You’re the best!

Have you continued to use DEET-based (N, N-diethyl m-toluamide) insect repellents because you thought that it was the only thing that can really prevent mosquito and black fly bites? The good news is that it looks like we may finally have other serious options.

‘So, what’s the problem with DEET?’ you ask. Both the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics have recently implied that DEET may not be as safe once thought.

The EPA website states:
“As long as consumers follow label directions and take proper precautions, insect repellents containing DEET do not present a health concern. Human exposure is expected to be brief, and long-term exposure is not expected.”

Brief? Where do you suppose those people live, anyway?

The EPA report also requires manufacturers to remove any child safety claims from products sold with low levels of DEET.
“The scientific data on DEET does not support product label claims of child safety based on the percentage of active ingredient.”

And products that contain both DEET and sunscreen may be a more significant concern for us,
“since directions to reapply sunscreens generously and frequently may promote greater use of DEET than needed for pesticidal efficacy and thus pose unnecessary exposure to DEET.”

Now,the American Association of Pediatrics still recommends the use of DEET to repel mosquitoes and prevent disease; as long as you adhere to the following precautions:
• In formulations of less than 10 percent.
• Applied sparingly, according to product label instructions.
• Only to exposed skin, and not to a child’ face, hands or skin that is irritated or abraded.
• After the child returns indoors, treated skin should be washed thoroughly with soap and water.

Now that’s not exactly what one might call a glowing endorsement!

Prevention is an excellent avenue for mosquito bite control. The following suggestions may help:

• Wear long sleeves, long pants or slacks, and long socks when outdoors if weather permits.
• Reduce or eliminate mosquito breeding locations. Empty any standing water around your house, including toys, containers, flower pots, drainage ditches, tires, etc.
• Change water in bird baths and splash pools every two to three days.
• Replace or repair all screens. Even a small tear can let a tiny hungry mosquito into your home.

Now, let’s get back to the good news that I mentioned earlier.

There are several botanical essential oils that may be found in ‘natural’ bug dope products. One is now FDA approved. Another should be. The rest may work a little bit, but I wouldn’t want to rely on some of them out in the deep woods, (and I’ve tried).

A couple of products containing lemon eucalyptus essential oil [researchers identify the active ingredient as: p-menthane 3,8-diol (PMD)], are now registered with the EPA. In two recent scientific publications, oil of lemon eucalyptus was tested against mosquitoes here in the US. It was shown to provide protection similar to repellents with low concentrations of DEET.

Another potential solution is neem. For centuries, people in Asia have used neem to keep mosquitoes away from their rice fields, crops, villages, homes and themselves. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s database, includes a 1993 article from the Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association:
“Two percent neem oil mixed in coconut oil, when applied to the exposed body parts of human volunteers, provided complete protection for 12 hrs from the bites of all anopheline (mosquitoes that carry malaria) species. Application of neem oil is safe and can be used for protection from malaria in endemic countries.”

Neem is also shown to be helpful for dry, cracked skin, rashes, acne, psoriasis and eczema, so those with sensitive or problem skin will have a safer option to choose.

A report from the National Research Council, published by the National Academy Press, stated that neem
“deters certain biting insects more effectively than the synthetic chemical called DEET”.

But what is neem and is it truly safe?

Neem oil is pressed from the leaves of the Neem tree. The Neem tree is indigenous to India and Sri Lanka. The Indian people have revered every part of the neem tree for countless generations. Early writings of neem’s curative powers date back to 5,000 years ago. It has been used for countless conditions and has come to be known as “the village pharmacy”. There have never been any reports of side effects.

Neem has been used since antiquity as an insect repellent for people, their homes and food crops. Researchers have found that neem prevents mosquitoes from landing on us for up to twelve hours and may also keep ticks, biting flies and sand fleas from bothering us, as well. Several compounds in neem have been shown to be more effective insect repellents than DEET, and are probably much safer, too.

Organix South out of Florida has a great product called the Herbal Outdoor Spray containing high quality neem oil, along with some lemony essential oils. It goes on easily, smells great and seems to really keep the bugs away! It’s not allowed to be called a mosquito repellent, but it certainly acts like one! They also make Neem Oil for the Garden, and just like it sounds, it keeps pests from getting to your crops before you do. They also provide us with the only certified organic neem oil in the US (and they’re available in other parts of the world, too.)

I met a guy last week whose dog comes in with numerous ticks just about every day, nine months a year. When he uses the neem oil on her coat before she goes out, she returns tick-free. (See the spray recipe below.)

It would only make sense to replace potentially harmful chemical pesticides, repellents and fertilizers with health promoting botanical products. When we protect our environment, we improve our own health and that of all life on Earth. Neem has been used to keep the lawn, garden and plants healthy, all the while enhancing flower production and crop yields.

Eating raw garlic or taking a garlic supplement with the oils intact has been believed to prevent mosquitoes from landing on people or pets. The only garlic supplement that I use is Garlicforce from New Chapter; potent, powerful and I don’t smell like garlic because of the digestive herbs inside. Garlic is also believed to prevent fleas on people and pets. (Garlic powder, by the way, doesn’t work.)

Plant calendula, marigolds, lavender and mint around your yard. Biting insects don’t like them, so fewer will hang around.

Other essential oils used over the years to repel biting insects include:
Clove
Thyme
Cedar
Citronella
Lemon balm
Rose geranium
Pennyroyal
Lemongrass
Eucalyptus
Peppermint
Tea tree
Lavender

These essential oils may be added to high quality carrier oils, including almond, sesame, coconut, avocado or jojoba. Add 15-30 drops of a single or combination of the essential oils per tablespoon of carrier oil. If you use Oshadhi oils, you may only need 8-15 drops per TBSP.

To make a spray:
Fill an 8 oz spray bottle with the following:
5 oz purified water or witch hazel
2 oz aloe vera gel
Add 20-30 (or more) drops of neem or lemon eucalyptus oil.
150 drops of the essential oils listed above, if desired.
Shake well. Spray on and rub into exposed skin.

Maybe this year, you and your loved ones will finally be mosquito free and you’ll get to feel really good about it!