Recipe to Reduce Phlegm

Lots of people seem to be dealing with congestion  and cough lately. If you didn't like the last remedy for congestion give this one a try from senior acupuncturist Miriam Lee, its not quite as messy.

Take 1 winter pear (dark skinned variety)

* Remove skin if phelgm is white

* Leave the skin on if phlegm is yellow

Cut the pear in half, remove and discard the core. Fill the hole with appx 1 teaspoon of rock sugar. (break up the sugar if necessary) Place pear with sugar in a pot and add 1 cup of water. 

Cover the pot with a lid. Boil 15-20 minutes. Eat the pear and drink the liquid.

If the congestion is deep take twice a day. If a cough is keeping you up at night take before bed. If phelgm is worst first thing in the morning take then to facilitate expectoration.  

Cradle Cap Remedys

A usually very simple remedy for cradle cap is to rub olive oil or coconut oil onto the effected area. I personally like to put the oil on before bath time and then gently massage the area while baby is relaxed in the tub allowing any flakes to wash away.

You could also try adding some aromatherapy as well.

Lavender is great for skin issues. For cradle cap place 1 drop of therapeutic grade essential oil in 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and massage into skin.


Melrose is a therapeutic blend of essential oils that is also useful for skin conditions like cradle cap. Use the same ratios as lavender and coconut oil or mix one drop of lavender and melrose with your coconut oil.

Rose Ointment can be used in place of coconut or olive oil and can also be mixed with lavender and melrose. Rose ointment is ideal for dry, chapped skin.


Sometimes an oil massage isn't enough to kick cradle cap completely. A possible culprit could be a deficiency of biotin.

Biotin is a water soluble B vitamin that is essential for bodily health. It helps the body to process fat and sugars, and it helps form a critical process in fat production in the body. Since biotin is so involved with creating the building blocks for basic body functions at a cellular level, it's very important to have a sufficient supply of this nutritional element.

 Its recommended for pregnant and lactating mothers to have 30 micrograms of biotin a day. Here are a few foods to add to mama's diet while nursing even if cradle cap isn't an issue.

* Swiss Chard

* Carrots

* Almonds and Walnuts

* Chicken Eggs

* Strawberries and raspberries

* Halibut

NAP carries custom blended young living essential oils and places an order on the 2nd of each month. Email sarah at clnap dot com for more information.