get into - Weleda.com

Spring–Summer 2010 | Issue 7 

Heal through Nature | Compost for riches 

Connect with your baby | Alleviate allergies 

Experience sweet almonds 

FREE 

COUPONS INSIDE 

get thegreen 

into 

our cover face: Brighid Kennedy is our beautiful “you 

could be we” cover model winner. She loves the natural 

beauty of Weleda and the way the products make her 

and other women feel. Turn the page to read more…

Five years ago, i turned organic. 

although my back-to-the-roots awakening 

came not so long ago, it was still a time 

when the now all-abuzz “green” adage 

was hardly in vogue. But with the help 

of Weleda, i literally embarked on a life 

journey—deep into the 

thicket of all things natural. 

inspired by the subtle yet 

genuine scent of Wild rose 

Body Lotion, i rediscovered 

my deep-seated connection 

to nature and began making 

changes—one natural facial 

moisturizer, one organic 

apple, one Biodynamic ® 

glass of wine and one indigenous cashmere 

sweater at a time. 

inherently, by birth, we are all shades 

of “green”—natural and organic. as we 

grow up, it is easy to lose touch with our origins 

through exposure to processed foods, 

synthetic household products and not-sohealthy 

skin creams. i know all too well. 

This was once my world. But just as these 

choices are habit forming, the healthier 

eco-options are equally as addictive. When 

you give them a dabble, you begin to crave 

the healthier alternatives and the perpetual 

empowerment of making these choices. 

With this issue of we, we offer tips from 

our own “eco” experts and others on how 

to turn ever more green for the sake of a 

healthier personal environment (your home, 

body and family), which translates to a 

healthier and happier world 

(p18). Whether you roll up 

your sleeves and start composting 

(p25), or make time 

to give your baby a nourishing 

massage (p10) or simply 

spend a few minutes each 

day outdoors (p14), you’ll 

feel a refreshing difference. 

i certainly have. 

so, into the green we go. We’d love to 

hear from you along the way. after all, this 

is a lifelong journey. email us at editor@ 

weleda.com, share stories and connect with 

us on Facebook (facebook.com/weleda) and 

Twitter (twitter.com/weleda) and explore 

our blog (usa.weleda.com) for fresh ideas 

on living healthfully and holistically. But 

perhaps most importantly, have fun! 

Jennifer Barckley 

we, Spring–Summer 2010 | Issue 7 

(published since 2007) 

Published by Weleda North America: 

1 Closter Road, P.O. Box 675 

Palisades, NY 10964 

we is a free biannual publication 

we editor-in-chief: 

Jennifer Barckley 

for Weleda North America 

Tel: 1.800.241.1030 

Fax: 1.800.280.4899 

usa.weleda.com 

editor@weleda.com 

Reprinting of articles is not 

permitted without permission 

editorial contributors: Jennifer 

Barckley (jb), Julie Dennis (jd), 

Michael Kelly (mk), Dena Moskowitz 

(dm), Carrie Ruehlman (cr) 

photo contributors: S. Meadows, cover, 

2-5, 18; I. Kalan, 6-7; Weleda Archive- 

Germany, 8, 10, 32, back cover; B. von 

Woellwarth, 9; Tree Hugger Project, 15, 

17; M. Kelly, 25-29; S. Cardinal, 29; 

B. Varrasso, 30; we readers, 34 

copy editor: Theresa Everline 

art direction/design: Michael Kelly 

Designs, michael@mlkelly.com 

www.mlkelly.com 

printing: Allied Printing Services, Inc., 

an EPA green power partner 

Biodynamic ® is a registered certification 

mark of the Demeter Association, Inc. 

ingredients 

6 

10 

14 

18 

30 

AT WORK WITH THE WORLD 

6 A sweet organic story 

SPA-IFICATION 

8 Cultivating Beauty 101 

AU NATUREL 

10 Connecting with 

your baby 

COVER 

14 Heal with nature 

18 Into the green 

BIODYNAMICS ® 

25 A feast of compost 

29 Eat organic…cake 

OVER THE COUNTER 

30 Liberating yourself 

from allergies 

our cover face: Brighid Kennedy is our beautiful “you 

could be we” cover model winner. She loves the natural 

beauty of Weleda and the way the products make her 

and other women feel. Turn the page to read more…

I am we: 

Brighid Kennedy, 26 

Hailing from the Pacific 

Northwest, our new face of 

we, Brighid Kennedy, came to 

New York for our photo shoot 

and truly graced us with her 

Weleda radiance. We haven’t 

stopped smiling since. While 

on set she took a break to tell 

us what keeps her glowing. 

Meeting Weleda 

i grew up on Bainbridge 

island, right off the coast 

of seattle, in a great community 

with lots of forests, beaches, parks 

and friendly people. i fell in love with 

Weleda when i was working up the street 

from a Whole Foods. i love using Weleda 

products because they are all natural, so 

my skin not only feels good afterward, but 

i feel good knowing the products are safe. 

everything smells fabulous, and my skin 

just seems to glow when i use them. 

When i found out i was going to be 

the cover model for we i couldn’t believe 

it. i started jumping up and down and 

crying. i was so excited. i get to represent 

a company that is so wonderful and makes 

“ Something that I love about the we magazine is that 

it helps people who are interested in living a more 

natural lifestyle figure out steps they can take to live 

healthier—for themselves and the environment.” 

 

 

 

 

thegreen 

get into 

 

 

 

 

COUPONS INSIDE 

FREE 

women feel so good about 

themselves. With Weleda, it 

feels like women are honoring 

themselves just as they are. 

My favorite product... 

okay, products 

i love the iris Day Cream—that is my 

favorite. it’s the only face cream that doesn’t 

make my face break out, and it doesn’t 

feel oily. i also love the salt Toothpaste. 

it’s unlike any other; it’s so fresh and 

minty and still salty and it’s one of the few 

toothpastes without fluoride in it. 

In my free time 

This past summer i started an organic 

garden with [my fiancé] Evan and Maddie 

[my soon-to-be stepdaughter]. We really 

wanted to live in a more sustainable way 

and to teach Maddie the whole process of 

growing food so that it doesn’t seem like 

it just magically appears at the grocery 

store. We have been composting and using 

the soil to give nutrients to the garden, and 

we don’t use any pesticides or herbicides. 

After the Shoot: A Facebook Post 

My New Years wish was to be open to new 

opportunities...and what an adventure this 

one has been! i have been having a great 

time with my auntie and grandmother 

in Baltimore trying out everything [from 

Weleda]! The Pomegranate Regenerating 

Body oil and Birch Body scrub are our 

new favorites!! i can already tell a difference 

in the tone and softness of my 

skin since landing in New york, and 

with all your help i know i will be glowing 

for our July wedding!! so much love 

and thanks to everyone at Weleda!!! 

Love, Brighid 

4 we magazine spring–summer 2010 5 

BeHiND THe sCeNes 

Top: Brighid on the set in New York. 

Bottom: After the shoot; Brighid with Weleda 

Director of Communications and we editor- 

in-chief Jennifer Barckley and Communications 

Manager Carrie Ruehlman.

SPA-IFICATION 

t h e s w e e t o r g a n i c 

a l m o n d s t o r y 

Chapter 1: The discovery 

suNLigHT. soft, green grass. Bees murmuring. 

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. organic 

almond shells crackle underfoot. it feels like 

paradise. The pure presence of nature— 

trees, bees and all—comes through here, 

alive and awake. it’s a fresh reminder that 

going organic yields palatable benefits. 

as irena Kalan, Weleda’s head of 

international sourcing, walks among the 

organic sweet almond trees, she smiles. 

even though it’s winter, the air feels light 

and sunny. and she is happy. a dream 

is blossoming before her eyes: Weleda’s 

almonds are growing—organically. 

In the beginning 

in 2005, Weleda headed west to the world’s 

largest home of almonds, California. The 

company partnered with Caloy, a sweetalmond-oil 

processor, and gustav Hees, a 

german-based supplier of specialty oils for 

cosmetics and other products, to purchase 

carefully refined oil for use in skin care 

products. all the while, however, Kalan 

and her team held on to her dream of finding 

organic almonds that could be pressed 

into fine, sweet almond oil—something 

in short supply when it comes to organic 

products. according to one almond farm 

in California, less than half a percent 

of California’s entire almond market is 

organic. of these, all are grown strictly for 

the food market, leaving nothing remaining 

for other uses, such as skin care. 

To bring its vision to life, Weleda’s 

international sourcing team searched 

worldwide. The oil needed to be organic. 

it needed to be purchased at a price that 

kept the end products accessible to customers. 

and there needed to be a partner 

passionate about organics—open to growing 

hand-in-hand with Weleda. 

With the help of its oil supplier, 

Weleda’s next (organic) chapter began— 

in spain. sprawling over 100,000 acres of 

the countryside of the valencian community, 

not far from the city of alicante, lies 

the Cooperative Society of MAÑAN. This 

almond haven, dedicated exclusively to the 

cultivation of this important plant, bears 60 

percent of spain’s almond harvest. Fifteen 

percent of the land is certified organic, 

yielding 3,000 tons of organic almonds. 

For Weleda, this is where possibility and 

the future converge. 

Just the beginning 

agricultural engineer Frederico samper 

works to ensure everything runs smoothly 

between the local farmers and the cooperative. 

The quality has to be just right. 

The harvests must be collected. and the 

farmers must be paid. earning close to 20 

percent more than if they farm conventionally, 

the farmers cultivating organic 

almonds also receive a gift from the 

spanish government: more than $400 for 

every two and a half acres farmed organically. 

When samper joined the cooperative 

in 1998, they began transitioning some of 

their land to organic, and if demand from 

Weleda and others continues to increase, 

even more ground could be converted to 

organic growing. 

as with all agriculture, there is no 

guarantee. one too-warm season can 

dramatically affect the yield of the trees. 

This uncertainty is particularly true with 

organics, where farmers are more tuned 

to and reliant on nature’s powers to bear 

fruits rather than dependent 

on synthetic fertilizers and 

sprays to protect crops. 

In March, if all goes ac- 

cording to seasonal plans, 

the almond trees—blossoming 

with soft, light-pink flowers 

—begin to nourish and ripen 

the nuts for which they are 

revered. in most plants the 

growth energy moves upward 

to create the fruit, but in the 

case of the almond, all the 

6 we magazine spring–summer winter-spring 2009 2010 7 

AT aT WORK WorK WITH WiTH THE THe WORLD WorLD 

plant’s power is given to the seed, also 

known as the almond nut. This strength 

is stored in the form of vitamin- and 

essential-fatty-acid rich oil, making it 

nutritious and nurturing—ideal for the 

care of sensitive skin. From the end of 

august through November, the sturdy 

nuts are shaken from the trees and left 

to dry, naturally, on the ground. Before 

winter comes, the almonds are collected, 

sorted, dried, shelled, electronically- and 

hand-selected, blanched in hot water to 

remove the inner brown skin and finally 

prepared to be sold and eaten for food 

or pressed into fine, organic almond oil 

for Weleda skin care products. 

A bright future 

This is just the beginning. The organic 

farmers of MAÑAN will continue to 

lovingly care for their soil and their 

precious almond trees. They will nurse 

their plants through rain, drought, too 

much sun, too little sun—all for a better 

life: for their health, for the planet’s and 

for yours. as the sun streams between the 

almond branches, it is clear—together we 

are cultivating a brighter tomorrow. jb 

The next chapter: Upcoming issues will provide an 

up-close look at the organic almonds of Spain and 

this special cultivation cooperative. Stay tuned! 

The hills in Spain where trusted workers (opposite) 

harvest our organic almonds.

CariNg for oUr SKiN should be quite 

simple. and it is—with a little help from nature. 

Simplicity, health and lasting beauty are best found 

in pure, natural ingredients. 

While you and your skin are naturally balanced 

and beautiful, your skin and entire body are often 

pulled out of this balanced 

state in response to hormones, 

aging, diet, stress and the 

environment. With Weleda’s 

products, formulated to 

enhance your body’s ability 

to restore itself, your skin will 

be healthy and happy—ever 

after. With an almost 90-year 

history of cultivating beauty 

with 100-percent-certified 

natural skin care—specially 

formulated with natural, organic and Biodynamic ® 

ingredients—Weleda offers a rich array of timetested 

expertise. 

We are happy to share our deep insight with 

you through our products, this magazine, our website, 

our blog and our facebook and Twitter fan 

pages. We also pose your individual questions to 

8 we magazine 

Cultivating 

Beauty 

101 

i have very sensitive 

skin, and i seem to 

react to almost everything. 

What can i 

use to have happy 

and healthy skin? 

–M.S. 

Lilith Schwertle, our European holistic skin care 

expert and esthetician, and on these pages she provides 

answers. So read on and then send us your 

skin care ponderings. in upcoming issues we’ll offer 

solutions to a selection of your questions. Visit us at 

usa.weleda.com for more information and to 

contact us. Keep the conversation going 

by following our blog and joining us on 

facebook and Twitter (see p24). jb 

LS: Weleda’s hypoallergenic 

and fragrance-free almond 

Facial Care is specifically made 

to soothe very sensitive skin. 

The complete line includes 

only a few, very effective natural 

ingredients—including 

nourishing sweet almond 

oil and antioxidant-rich plum kernel 

oil. almond Facial Care reduces skin 

irritation and feelings of itchiness while 

fully moisturizing sensitive skin. To 

begin, use almond Cleansing Lotion in 

the morning and evening: apply it to a 

damp cotton pad and massage it softly 

over your face without rubbing. gently 

towel dry and follow with a moisturizer 

according to your needs—either 

Almond Moisture Cream for warmer 

seasons and for when your skin is feeling 

less dry, or almond intensive Facial 

Cream for extra support and protection 

on colder, drier days. For extra nourishment 

and a naturally beautiful glow, use 

the Almond Intensive Facial Masque 

at least once a week. you will soon feel 

a little less sensitive and 

i love your products 

but have not yet tried 

your facial creams. 

Can you tell me the 

difference between 

your moisture creams 

and day creams? 

–P.B. 

instead, radiant and 

renewed. 

LS: Finding the right 

Weleda facial cream is 

quite easy. our moisture 

creams are extremely 

light and very refreshing. 

They provide immediate 

hydration for whenever 

your skin feels dry or 

in need of a little care—throughout the 

morning or day. Moisture creams are 

ideal for use during the warmer and more 

humid spring and summer seasons. Weleda 

day creams and intensive facial creams 

are perfect for all-day protection, helping 

your skin adjust to situations such as air 

conditioning, heating systems and other 

environmental factors. These nourishing 

creams are ideal for dry skin and for use 

during colder fall and winter seasons. Both 

Weleda moisture creams and day creams 

are a great base for makeup, and they 

deeply care for and moisturize your skin 

all day and every day. 

spring–summer 2010 9 

SPA-IFICATION 

Below and opposite: Lilith Schwertle, Weleda 

holistic skin care expert and esthetician 

i’ve noticed that 

many of your 

products contain 

nut oils. Why is this? 

–M.M. 

LS: Nut oils are 

precious gifts from 

nature. The sun leads 

their development 

process, so nut oils 

are both incredibly 

warming and nourishing 

—helping you 

feel cozy and centered when you eat 

them or wrap your skin in their light 

embrace. They contain a special mix of 

saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, 

which are essential for the metabolic 

process in the skin and body. each oil 

has its own character, offering a special 

cocktail of nutritious ingredients that 

support the skin so it stays healthy, bright 

and glowing from the inside out. so feed 

your skin with their goodness! 

for additional skin care tips, visit usa.weleda.com.

SPA-IFICATION 

Keeping in Contact 

geNTLe Hugs, soft clothes and loving 

hands—such feelings of touch are the 

first forms of communication your 

baby understands. your baby’s skin 

is always working, sensing heat, cold, 

pain and pressure. after all, touch is 

the most developed sense at birth. But 

during their first six months of life, 

newborns are unable to regulate their 

body temperature. a massage with 

warming, natural oils provides a “second 

skin” of moisture protection for 

10 we magazine 

your child, along with innumerable 

emotional and physical benefits. 

Gaining ground 

Though massage has been practiced as 

a healing therapy since ancient times, 

only over the past few decades has 

research shown how beneficial massage 

can be for infants and children. a 2006 

study done by Touch research institute 

at the University School of Medicine in 

Miami showed that premature infants 

experienced healthier weight gain and 

less crying behavior while being massaged 

with moderate pressure several times daily 

over the course of just five days. 

For healthy infants, the benefits 

from massage include decreased sleep 

problems, improved skin condition, 

more efficient blood circulation and 

better waste elimination. a 2009 study 

in the Journal of Neuroscience has 

shown massage to improve children’s 

brain development and visual function. 

The good effects continue long past 

infancy. For toddlers and older children, 

massage increases body awareness 

and relaxation while helping establish 

routines. other typical results after one 

month of daily massage include reduced 

fussiness, improved alertness, better 

sleep and a stronger immune system. 

“i very much encourage infant touch 

and massage,” says New york midwife 

Kate Prendergast. “The overall sensory 

development of the infant is supported 

by skin-to-skin contact and stimulation.” 

Connecting through touch 

“Touch is so powerful for babies,” says 

Patricia Pol, an infant massage therapist 

and doula. in the infant massage classes 

Pol teaches at Weleda’s spa in New York, 

she helps parents to see daily massage 

as a time away from distractions, when 

spring–summer winter-spring 2009 2010 11 

au NaTureL 

they can fully concentrate on their baby. 

Parents gain an important quality: confidence 

in their ability to care for their 

infant. When massaging the baby’s front 

side, critical eye contact occurs between 

parent and child. With its sustained eye 

contact, soft words and gentle contact, 

infant massage is a wonderful practice for 

new fathers. “it helps them actively participate 

in care giving, which takes away 

the awkward feelings that new fathers 

often experience,” says Pol. 

Baby massage couples myriad health 

benefits with an opportunity to build 

emotional bonds. With just a warm 

touch, parents can create something 

invaluable: an environment of trust. dm 

for more information on an infant massage class 

near you, contact the international association 

of infant Massage ® . 

Infant Massage 

The best time for a massage is after your 

baby has been fed and bathed, preferably at 

the same time each day to promote a healthy, 

daily rhythm. Your baby can be in diapers 

or undressed and covered with a soft blanket, 

so that only the area you are massaging is 

exposed. Use a 100 percent certified natural 

oil such as Weleda Baby Calendula 

oil, which includes lightly nourishing sweet 

almond oil, anti-inflammatory calendula 

and soothing chamomile. Your baby’s face 

can also benefit from the nourishing moisture 

content and natural waxes in Weleda 

Baby Calendula face Cream, which helps 

nurture and protect extra-delicate facial skin. 

Keep a hand towel nearby and use the oil in 

moderation until you find the right amount 

so you are able to safely move your baby. 

See p12 for detailed instructions on 

how to massage your baby.

SPA-IFICATION 

Connect: a simple massage to establish trust and health 

FRONT SIDE 

facial massage, using a small amount of 

Calendula face Cream 

1. Place both thumbs 

on the sides of the nose 

and move out toward 

the temples. 

2. Move thumbs across 

the cheeks to the chin. 

3. Place your thumbs 

on the upper lip and 

stroke outward and 

downward in a circle 

around the mouth to 

support the sucking 

muscles. 

all-over body, using 

Calendula oil 

1. slide your hands 

from the shoulders down the arms. 

2. rub the chest, belly, legs and feet, 

allowing your hands to make full contact 

with your baby, embracing the shape 

of his or her body. 

Chest and belly, using 

Calendula oil 

1. Place both hands in 

the middle of the chest 

and make circular movements. 

stroke upward 

toward the shoulders. 

2. stroke down along 

the sides of the body and 

back to center. 

3. Make slow, clockwise 

movements on the belly. 

Hands and arms, using 

Calendula oil 

1. Move your hands 

from the wrists to the shoulders, gently 

squeezing. 

2. slowly move your hands from the 


shoulders to the wrists, gently wringing. 

3. Take each hand and rub your thumbs 

from the center of the palm to the outside. 

4. stroke from the ball of 

the thumb toward the finger 

tops so that the fingers 

spread themselves. 

feet and legs, using Calendula oil 

1. Hold a small foot in one 

hand. using the other hand, 

move from the ankle to 

the thigh, gently squeezing. 

repeat with other leg. 

2. For each foot, stroke with 

the thumbs from the sole to the 

outside, then rub the sole with 

a flat hand from heel to toes. 

BACK SIDE 

all-over body, using Calendula oil 

1. starting at the shoulders, move 

down the back, bottom and legs toward 

the feet. 

2. squeeze upward from the bottom 

and across the back, avoiding 

the vertebral column. 

3. Lay one hand on your 

baby’s bottom where the 

legs begin. With the other 

hand, stroke from the shoulders 

along the back to the 

bottom. 

4. gently squeeze the bottom 

together between your 

hands. 

5. slightly lift the feet with 

one hand, and with the 

other hand stroke in one 

long movement from the 

shoulders to the feet. 

Congratulations! You have now nurtured your 

baby and your bond with each other. 

©2009 Weleda Inc. 

CULTIVATE RADIANCE WITH 100% CERTIFIED 

NATURAL SKIN CARE FROM WELEDA 

Available at Target winter-spring 2009 13 

‰ 

AT aT WORK WorK WITH WiTH THE THe WORLD WorLD 

BEAUTIFUL SKIN 

starts with beautiful 

ingredients 

The way we see it, beauty comes from plants like sunfl ower, 

pansy, rosemary, chamomile, and calendula, all grown organically 

or biodynamically and plucked at the peak of freshness. Together, 

they’re the powerful blend of nutrients you’ll fi nd in Skin Food. 

This rich, moisturizing combination of natural ingredients keeps 

your skin soft and smooth, nourished and radiant from head to heel. 

+ usa.weleda.com

SPA-IFICATION 

The next time you’re feeling sad, 

go hug a tree. Contact with nature 

may be just what we need to soothe 

our souls, ease our nerves and mend 

our heartaches. research shows 

that nature has a wonderful effect 

on our minds, moods, health and 

ability to heal. When we are outside 

soaking up the sun, walking in 

the grass and listening to the birds, 

all our senses are activated, making 

us feel truly alive and engaged. We 

are at home in the world. 


Not so very long ago, humans moved 

through the world at nature’s pace. Time 

was marked by the changing seasons and 

the cycles of the sun, moon and stars. 

unfortunately, we now spend most of our 

time on our sofas and on our Blackberrys, 

in our cars and at our desks. often our only 

glimpse of green is a screensaver image. 

“We don’t connect with nature as we 

once did in decades past,” says sara snow, 

green-living expert and host of sara snow’s 

Fresh Living. “i remember when i was in 

college, and i called my mom and told 

her how stressed i was about exams and 

typical college stuff. she sent me a card 

that said, ‘What you need to do is go 

outside and watch the squirrels.’ That’s 

how i was raised. No matter if you were 

bored, busy or tired, you went outside 

and connected with the earth. That is 

one of the most powerful things that we 

as humans can do. People underestimate 

that power.” 

Ecotherapy to the Rescue 

researchers are just beginning to understand 

the impact nature has on our psyche 

and health. a growing number of psychologists 

are practicing ecotherapy, also called 

“green therapy” or “earth-centered therapy.” 

ecotherapists believe that many of 

our modern-day maladies—stress, anxiety, 

angst, depression—stem from our disassociation 

with the natural world. Linda 

Buzzell, co-author of ecotherapy: Healing 

With Nature in Mind, is convinced. 

“Despite the fact that we have evolved in 

harmony with nature for millions of years, 

humans over time developed this sense 

that we are somehow separate or apart 

from nature,” she says. “We’ve lost our lifesupport 

system.” 

a few simple changes can radically 

shift how we feel. “reconnecting with 

nature results in a host of psychological 

miracles,” Buzzell says, “including lowering 

depression, improving our sense of 

well being, calming our anxieties, raising 

self-esteem and giving us a sense of 

belonging to the great whole.” 

increasing disconnection from nature 

has been especially detrimental to the well 

being of our children, according to richard 

Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods. 

Louv, who coined the term “nature-deficit 

disorder,” makes the persuasive case that 

interaction with nature has practically 


disappeared over the last few generations. 

according to a Kaiser Family Foundation 

study, children age 8 to 18 now spend an 

average of 6.5 hours a day indoors on 

computers and watching Tv. 

in response, some schools have begun 

planting gardens and taking more field 

trips. The 23 kindergarten students at 

the Waldorf school of saratoga springs 

in New york spend three hours each day 

outside—rain or shine. Waldorf schools, 

which emphasize learning through experience, 

have long valued being in nature. 

Students at the Green Meadow Waldorf 

school in Chestnut ridge, N.y., spend at 

least 45 minutes outdoors daily. “We’re 

spring–summer winter-spring 2009 2010 

15

SPA-IFICATION 

Make Nature a Part of Your Life 

Here are a few simple things you can do to enjoy 

the many benefits of connecting with nature. 

Plant your own backyard 

garden. Or help 

out at a community 

one. Visit the American 

Community Gardening 

Association’s website 

(communitygarden.org) 

to find a garden in your 

area or get tips on how 

to start one. 

Reconnect with 

nature in your neighborhood. 

“A tree on the 

street, if contemplated 

and touched, offers its 

blessings during a busy 

day,” says ecotherapist 

Linda Buzzell. 

building their bodies by walking and running, 

climbing over trees and jumping 

over streams,” says Leslie Burchell-Fox, 

an early-childhood teacher at the school. 

“Being in nature impresses on their 

senses who they are as human beings 

and how they need to care for the world 

around them.” 

Proven Effective 

a growing body of research shows that 

reconnecting with nature substantially 

improves our health. a 2007 university of 

essex study found that daily walks outside 

Take up birdwatching. 

Or hang a birdfeeder 

outside your window 

and watch the birds 

flitter about. 

Grow plants. Place 

potted plants on your 

terrace, or create an 

herb garden on your 

fire escape. “A simple 

pot on a windowsill,” 

says Buzzell, “slows us 

down to the pace of a 

seed, a seedling, a leaf 

and a flower.” 

Go on an outing. Join 

a local outdoor adventure 

club or sign up 

with the Sierra Club for 

one of their Volunteer 

Vacations to help clear 

a hiking trail or assist 

on an archeological dig 

(sierraclub.org). 

Volunteer on a farm. 

Find one through World 

Wide Opportunities 

on Organic Farms 

(wwoof.org). 

can be as effective at treating mild to moderate 

depression as medication. a study 

by richard ulrich compared the recovery 

records of gallbladder surgery patients who 

had a bedside window view of either trees 

or a brick wall. Patients who could gaze 

at nature called the nurses less frequently, 

required less pain medication and were 

released from the hospital sooner. 

given such findings, hospitals are 

becoming more willing to incorporate 

green healing spaces. as a landscape 

architect and director of the Therapeutic 

Landscapes Network, Naomi sachs raises 

awareness of the importance of green 

spaces and healing gardens in health-care 

facilities. “research has found that people 

respond positively when the ratio of hard 

surfaces—paths, walls and stairs—to plant 

material is 2 to 3,” she says. “it doesn’t 

have to be flowers—just greenness and life, 

which create a contrast to the architecture 

and buildings.” 

according to Buzzell, any form of 

nature-connection will help us, from animal-assisted 

therapy to simply imagining 

nature during meditation. Farm therapy 

is becoming popular, especially in europe, 

where patients suffering from mental distress 

are prescribed agricultural work. The 

Netherlands is host to 600 “care farms” 

that are a fully integrated part of their 

country’s health services. 

Reconnect with our World 

To reconnect with nature, find a method 

that suits your individual preferences. For 

some, walking outside will do the trick; 

others may choose gardening or petting 

their dog. it helps to think of getting out- 

16 we magazine spring–summer winter-spring 2009 2010 17 


doors as preventative medicine. Don’t 

wait until you feel frazzled, overwhelmed, 

stressed or depressed to check yourself 

into nature. 

Buzzell can even envision a day when 

your primary care physician will prescribe 

nature-connection. “interacting 

with our environment is a need that is 

deeply rooted within us,” she says. “our 

connection with nature is our strongest 

experience with the sacred. Whether 

it’s hiking in the woods or staring at the 

stars at night, these are things that are, 

and always have been, deep in the human 

psyche and soul.” so what are you waiting 

for? Find a tree, and give it a squeeze. cr 

The photos for this article 

are courtesy of the Tree 

Hugger Project, an ongoing 

work of environmental art 

by Agnieszka Gradzik and 

Wiktor Szostalo. The project 

focuses on the rediscovery of 

our relationship with nature, 

while providing a fun, collaborative 

and apolitical way of 

standing up for the environment, 

sharing contemporary 

art and reaching out to a 

larger community. You can 

see more photos and read 

about their amazing work at 

treehuggerproject.com.

The world iS in flux. from 

rising global temperatures to the 

disappearance of honeybees, the 

changing face of our planet is 

causing many of us to want to get 

back to our roots, tread lighter on 

the earth and live a more organic 

lifestyle. increasingly we are 

realizing that we can’t wait—the 

planet can’t wait—for us to act. 

empowered, hopeful and entering 

a new era of consciousness, we 

are choosing to make a difference 

under our own roofs by embracing 

a simpler, more sustainable way 

of living. 

for many, making the decision 

to go green is easy, but walking 

down the actual path of change 

is sometimes more difficult. We 

spoke with a few of the country’s 

top eco-living experts to find how 

they made the transition and how 

we all can do the same. 

spring–summer 2010 

19

A Movement Underfoot 

sara snow, host of get Fresh with sara 

snow on the Discovery Health network, 

says that over the past few years, she’s 

seen more people take an interest in where 

their food comes from, what cleaning solutions 

they use in their home, and what 

ingredients are in their body care products. 

“People want to create the healthiest 

home possible for the sake of their bodies 

and the planet,” says snow, who is also 

the author of sara snow’s Fresh Living: 

The essential room-by-room guide to a 

greener, Healthier Family and Home. 

This newfound approach is affecting 

everything from the cars we drive to where 

we buy our food to the soap we use in the 

shower. Sixty-five percent of Americans 

believe that reducing toxins in our 

bodies is critical to staying healthy, 

according to the Natural Marketing 

Institute. Meanwhile, the number of farmers’ 

markets in the u.s. grew more than 

13 percent last year. “eating locally and 

not using chemicals in everything—these 

are not new ideas,” says snow. “They’re 

simply a throwback to the way our grandparents 

and great-grandparents grew up.” 

anna getty, author of the new book 

Easy green organic, says many of her friends 

chose to transition to a more organic lifestyle 

because their children had eczema 

or allergies. eczema, an inflammatory 

skin condition, causes red, itchy rashes. 

Common in infants and children, it is 

thought to be triggered by exposure to 

certain household products like soap or 

detergent. “Making a change because 

your children are unhealthy is smart,” 

getty says. “But you don’t have to wait for 

something bad to happen. Let’s change as 

a preventative measure.” 

Fork Over for Organic 

To make the greatest impact on your 

health and the environment, getty suggests 

switching to organic versions of 

the foods your family eats the most. 

By avoiding pesticides and herbicides, 

organic farming methods keep our soil 

and waterways cleaner and lessen the 

risk of long-term damage to our health. 

To help decide which produce to always 

buy organic, getty recommends downloading 

the environmental Working 

Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides 

(ewg.org). 

another good practice is buying 

locally grown produce. shopping at farmers’ 

markets, which often offer fresher and 

more nutritious food, keeps money in the 

community and reduces food miles— 

especially significant since produce grown 

in this country travels an average of 1,500 

miles before it gets sold. 

To dramatically cut food miles, consider 

planting a backyard vegetable garden. 

For many of us, the desire to plant seeds 

and grow food is innate and fulfills our 

wish to reconnect with the earth. There 

has even been an upswing in the number 

of people raising backyard chickens and 

honeybees. “People want to take control 

of their own food production,” says Zem 

Joaquin, founder of the blog ecofabulous. 

com. “growing our own food means we 

know where it comes from.” 

Face Forward with Natural Beauty 

our increasing desire for what’s healthier, 

organic and more natural means we are 

moving away from skin care products 

made largely with synthetic chemicals. We 

are seeking out products that are clean, 

uncontaminated and rooted in nature, 

with ingredient labels we can comprehend 

and our grandmothers might recognize. 

While “green” living and natural skin 

care may seem a trend, it’s a sustainable 

one. Long before these buzz words existed, 

Weleda began making skin care with only 

natural materials. For almost 90 years, 

even as chemicals became the norm in 

beauty products, Weleda stayed true to its 

deep philosophy and understanding that 

organic and Biodynamic ® ingredients from 

our gardens and others around the world 

are, quite simply, the best for you. “Like 

nature, our body has a natural rhythm for 

everything, and we interfere with it when 

we bombard our skin with synthetic chemicals,” 

says Weleda esthetician Patricia Pol. 

“Natural products will restore and support 

your skin’s inherent rhythm.” 

Pol suggests reading product 

labels closely for major ingredient 

offenders, including sodium laurel 

sulfates, phatlates, parabens, petroleum-derived 

ingredients a n d 

dimethicone. “These chemicals are 

associated with skin irritation, allergies and, 

in the case of parabens, even cancer,” says 

Pol, referring to a 2004 study by British 

researchers that found parabens in breast 

cancer tumors. “These synthetic chemicals 

don’t belong in our bodies, and we simply 

don’t know the effect they have on us over 

many years of regular use.” 

What’s more, natural ingredients are 

just as effective—if not more so—than their 

conventional counterparts. “Chemical 

ingredients simply mask symptoms and 

often create their own problems,” says 

Pol. “On the other hand, plant-, seed- and 

fruit-based ingredients work with your skin 

to help balance its moisture and oxygen 

levels. and unlike petroleum-based products, 

natural care closely matches your 

skin’s own make-up and works in harmony 

with our skin so that it can be its healthiest 

and most beautiful.” Fruits like the pomegranate—the 

main ingredient in Weleda’s 

Pomegranate Regenerating Body Care— 

are rich in antioxidants proven to help 

support the skin’s natural renewal process 

and protect it from free-radical damage. 

Nut oils such as sweet almond oil contain 

fatty acids that boast anti-inflammatory 

properties. essential oils are used to create 

beautiful, singular and wholly natural, 

aromatherapeutic fragrances. 

researching brands before you buy 

will help make your choice easier. When 

20 we magazine spring–summer 2010 21

unsure if a product is truly natural, 

look for third-party natural and organic 

certification from certifiers like NaTrue 

or NPA. 

Pol recommends starting your transition 

to natural with a line made especially 

for sensitive skin, such as Weleda’s almond 

Facial Care, which is hypoallergenic and 

fragrance-free, perfect for skin not yet 

accustomed to potent, natural care. 

“sometimes the skin can react as it moves 

through the detoxification process and 

learns how to regenerate healthy skin cells 

on its own,” she says. “start your transition 

with products containing soothing 

ingredients, such as almond, chamomile, 

calendula or jojoba. after a few weeks, 

you can gradually move on to age- or skintype-specific 

ingredients.” Eventually you 

will start to see and feel a difference. your 

skin will be calm, glowing and balanced— 

a true reflection of your organic, healthy 

lifestyle. 

Create a Healthy Habitat 

at home, simple changes such as switching 

to nontoxic cleaning supplies will help 

protect your health and the planet’s. “you 

can literally clean your entire home using 

five ingredients from your kitchen: olive 

oil, white distilled vinegar, lemon juice, 

baking soda and a natural liquid soap,” 

says snow. americans generate more than 

1.6 million tons of Household Hazardous 

Waste (HHW) a year, according to the 

Environmental Protection Agency. These 

chemicals can pollute our water and air, 

triggering asthma symptoms, among other 

problems. To dispose of unused bottles 

of household cleaners, seek out a special 

HHW disposal facility instead of throwing 

them into the trash. search for a location 

by zip code at earth911.com. 

Making changes at home doesn’t need 

to mean extra effort or money. Consider 

lowering your thermostat and washing 

clothes in warm and cold water instead 

of hot. Then use the money saved on utility 

bills to purchase green items, such as 

organic cotton sheets and towels. as for 

furniture, Joaquin suggests shopping in 

second-hand stores. another idea is to 

choose furniture made from FSC-certified 

wood or reclaimed materials, which use 

less of the earth’s resources. The best part 

is that many of these salvaged pieces have 

character and charm that newly manufactured 

pieces simply can’t muster. 

other green choices help create the 

least toxic environment possible for your 

family. For instance, you can find lowvoC 

or zero-voC paints, which 

release fewer toxic fumes into the air. PVCfree 

shower curtains and toys are also more 

readily available after concerns of a possible 

link to cancer were recently raised. 

steering clear of these items makes the air 

in your home cleaner and safer. you will 

notice the difference. 

When it comes to fashion, going green 

doesn’t have to mean giving up on style. 

Conventional cotton farming uses about 

25 percent of the world’s insecticides. 

Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to find 

fashionable clothing options made from 

organic cotton, hemp and linen. “some 

cutting-edge designers are doing amazing 

things with milk fibers, mulberry dyes and 

responsibly harvested silks,” says Joaquin. 

soy dyes are safe and now commonly 

used in organic fabrics. “Heavy metals in 

most dyes can be absorbed into your skin, 

especially if you don’t wash the clothing 

before wearing it,” says Joaquin 

Many websites provide valuable information 

and tips for greening your home. 

Check Healthystuff.org and Healthy- 

Child.org for information on alternative 

products and ecofabulous.com for sustainable 

style tips and eco-designs. 

While the very notion of greening your 

life may seem overwhelming, fortunately 

many green experts and companies like 

Weleda are here to help. and remember: 

it’s not about a total upheaval or making 

the transition all at once. “it’s about babystepping 

your way through a series of 

changes so you are always improving and 

moving toward a more organic lifestyle,” 

says snow. “Try for at least 2 to 10 percent 

of your grocery purchases to be organic 

and go from there. eventually, in a few 

months or maybe years, you’ll look in your 

pantry and go, ‘Wow! i’m buying 90 percent 

organic.’ if we are all willing to make 

Greening your life doesn’t 

have to be overwhelming and 

sudden. It can be gradual, 

reassuring, and yes, organic. 

Make Change Happen 

22 we magazine spring–summer 2010 23 

one small change, then collectively that’s 

how massive change happens.” 

it may sound idealistic, but if you 

change your lifestyle, you really can help 

change the world. getty says that when she 

started adopting eco-friendly habits, her 

friends soon followed suit. “When you are 

enthusiastic and love it, the people around 

you will get excited and inspired, too. it 

only takes one person to inspire change,” 

she says. “It will spread like wildfire.” You 

will feel the difference in your heart and 

see it in your family’s health and happiness. 

“in my life, i feel healthier, i look 

better and i have more energy,” says 

getty. “i see how much healthier my 

children are because of the commitments 

i’ve made. By more and more people 

committing to this lifestyle, we can make 

change happen.” That’s true for each of 

us—and our greater world. cr 

for additional tips and information on healthy, 

natural skin care and green living, peruse The 

Weleda Blog at usa.weleda.com.

We BiTs 

CulTIvATE CoNNECTIoN 

Your connection with Weleda goes well beyond the pages of we. Fan us on 

Facebook, follow us on Twitter and read The Weleda blog to become a part 

of our online community. 

Why join? You’ll get tidbits of information about our company, our people, 

our retailers and our products, as well as special offers and sneak peeks— 

just for our online friends that you won’t find anywhere else. You’ll also 

receive skin care and healthy living tips, links to interesting stories and 

information on organic living. To boot, you can take part in fun contests 

and giveaways for your chance to win your favorite Weleda products. 

Our blog is where you can discover our story and our Biodynamic ® 

Gardens, receive healthy living tips from Weleda parents, get information 

about our homeopathic and anthroposophic medicines and hear from 

our team members and guest writers, who regularly share their personal 

stories and impressions. 

We’d also love to hear from you! Tell us what you like, or don’t like. Ask us 

any questions. Give us feedback. Tell us what’s blossoming in your world, 

and we’ll tell you what’s blooming in ours. 

See you online! We look forward to hearing from you! 

A Feast for 

Your Garden 

Enrich your every day with compost 

EVERY MORNING we peel a grapefruit 

or maybe an orange, piling up 

scented rinds on the counter. Next we 

turn to making green juice. Lettuce, 

celery, carrots, the occasional cucumber, 

all pour forth precious nutrients, leaving 

behind vegetable fibers and pulp. Later 

in the day, we brew coffee; three cups 

worth filtered and dispersed into an 

afternoon wake-me-up, leaving behind 

caked grounds in one convenient basket. 

Throughout the day we make a point 

to recycle newspapers and refill water 

bottles, but the organic scraps of our 

daily rituals are left to amass in garbage 

cans and landfills. What if we could 

turn them into gold? 

“Black gold,” the nickname for 

humus, is the yield from the organic 

alchemy of composting—the controlled 

transformation of everyday refuse into 

hard-working soil. Collected in a heap 

or bin, compost (material on its way to 

becoming humus) is a mixture of socalled 

“browns,” dry, carbon-rich matter 

such as fall leaves, dead plants, soiled 

cardboard, even egg shells; and wet, 

nitrogen-rich “greens,” such as fresh 

leaves, tea bags, seaweed and manure. 

it is a veritable feast for macrofauna 

including earthworms, mites, millipedes 

and nematodes, as well as microfauna 

such as bacteria and fungi who break 

down the material, producing nutrientrich 

soil plentiful with helpful microbes 

and other beneficial microorganisms. 

other than this macro- and microfood, 

all that is needed is air and water, 

balanced so the in-progress compost is 

damp—like a wrung-out sponge—but 

not soggy. Too much water produces 

a stagnant heap; too much air dries 


25 

BIODYNAMICS ®

it out, decreasing or even halting microbial 

activity. after two months to a year, 

depending on how vigorously the compost 

is maintained, the mass will reduce 

by half, with green and brown matter 

indistinguishable. 

This mature compost, with its rich 

brown color, even texture and earthy 

smell, is ready for use on indoor or outdoor 

plants as well as crops. Best spread 

near the plant’s surface one to four inches 

deep, it can also be placed in a burlap sack 


and steeped in water, with the resulting 

“compost tea” providing a nutritious spray 

for thirsty soil. 

Healthy Diet, Healthy Planet 

Just as we should nourish ourselves with 

only the best, fresh-from-the-earth foods, 

so too we should feed our plants—and 

the earth itself—only the best organic 

ingredients. genetically modified food 

or herbicide-treated flora won’t be 

found in a well-prepared compost bin. 

Mine your own black gold INSIDE… or OUT… 

Composting at home is simpler than you might 

think, and missteps are easily remedied by adjusting 

the composition of the heap or bin. all you 

need is air, water and a healthy balance of 

“browns” (wet, carbon-rich matter) and “greens” 

(dry, nitrogen-rich matter). a 2:1 ratio of brown 

to green often works best. of course you also need 

a place to compost. Depending on your home, 

you can do so inside or out. 

vERMICoMPoSTING 

Location and structure: You can compost 

almost anywhere in your home, but it’s 

best to use the kitchen, where most of the 

content will be generated. You will need 

a critter-proof bin (plastic or metal; 8-12 

inches deep with a cover) into which you 

can drill a dozen or more quarter-inch air 

holes near and on the cover. 

Building and maintaining: Create a base 

(3-5 inches) of dry, brown material (leaves, 

strips of newspaper) and 

moisten it until it resembles 

the consistency of a 

damp sponge. To put 

the vermi (Latin for 

“worm”) in your com- 

post, add red worms 

(Lumbricus rubellus or 

Eisenia fetida). A pound of red worms 

(800-1,000 of them) can service each 

square foot of space and will consume 

as much as half a pound of compostable 

matter per day. Feed them your kitchen’s 

organic refuse, such as fruit and veggie 

scraps, tea bags, eggshells, paper napkins 

and flowers. Reduce the risk of fruit 

flies by first washing all food scraps with 

cold water. 

While a mixture of materials will speed 

up the composting process and allow in 

more air, whenever you add in new material 

be sure to add a layer of newspaper 

or bedding. Keep everything moist using a 

spray bottle and aim for a constant temperature 

range of 55-75 degrees. 

Keeping it going: When the contents of the 

bin resemble dark, earthy humus (after 1 to 

4 months), you can move it all to one side 

and fill the empty side with new bedding 

and content. The worms will 

migrate to the new material in 

the course of a month, 

leaving you with humus 

that makes for a perfect 

addition to your window 

boxes, potted plants or 

small garden. 

in Biodynamics ® , where composting is 

integral to the sustainable, self-fueling environment, 

farmers treat the compost with 

certain components called “Preparations,” 

which promote the conditions that lead to 

an even healthier end product. ingredients 

include yarrow flowers, chamomile flowers, 

stinging nettle leaves, stems and flowers, 

oak bark, dandelion flowers, and a spray 

made of water and valerian flowers. 

in his 1924 class on Biodynamics ® , natural 

scientist and founder of Biodynamics ® 

THE HEAP 

Location and structure: Situate your heap 

(or outdoor bin) conveniently enough that 

you can easily reach it and moisten it. Find 

a spot a few feet away from other structures, 

partially shaded, well drained and 

clear of weeds and grass. A screen or fence 

can help keep out unwanted four-legged 

visitors. While a heap can be as wide as 

12 feet and any length, you might want to 

start with a smaller base of approximately 

4 square feet. 

Building and maintaining: Cut your 

ingredients into small pieces and avoid 

layering to allow for a more efficient process 

and a more uniform end product. Put 

in anything that can decompose: green or 

withered plants and weeds, hay, straw, 

lawn mowings, tea leaves, coffee grounds, 

27 

BIODYNAMICS ® 

(and Weleda) Dr. rudolf steiner shared 

the importance of composting with 

farmers seeking ways to regenerate their 

crops: “With compost we have a means 

of kindling the life within the earth 

itself.” indeed, this is literally the case, 

with mature compost delivering healthy 

microbes and hearty nutrients to hungry 

soil. Joseph Brinkley, a Biodynamic ® farming 

specialist at grgich Hills estate, a 

vineyard in rutherford, California, further 

explains that Biodynamic ® composting 

fruit and vegetable trimmings—even 

meat and fish scraps.* The process can 

be encouraged and enhanced by adding 

the Biodynamic ® Preparations, but this 

should not be undertaken without some 

study and expert advice.** Add water and 

turn the pile regularly to introduce air. The 

in-progress pile should feel as damp as a 

wrung-out sponge. Cover it with a 1-inch 

layer of straw to help keep an even temperature 

and protect its contents during 

the process. 

Keeping it going: Every new compost pile 

should be started with some existing compost 

to aid in the process. If you have the 

space—and the need—try keeping three 

piles going; one that is being built, one that 

is maturing and one that you are utilizing. 

*organic meat or fish, while compostable and 

part of the Biodynamic ® process, are usually 

not advisable for at-home composting, as they 

tend to attract fruit flies indoors and four-legged 

visitors outdoors. 

**if you are interested in composting biodynamically 

and using the Biodynamic ® Preparations, we 

suggest contacting the Biodynamic farming and 

gardening association (biodynamics.com). 

spring–summer 2010

provides “spiritual nourishment” to the 

earth and its inhabitants: “after so many 

years of policies and practices that encourage 

the ruthless exploitation of the land, 

Biodynamics ® is our way of truly healing 

the earth.” 

Giving Back to the Community 

The Environmental Protection Agency 

reports that one quarter of the solid- 

waste stream in the united states is 

compostable, meaning that a good deal 

of potential humus gets thrown away. 

However, as more and more people real- 

ize we cannot keep taking without giving 

back, composting—popular among 

organic and Biodynamic ® growers—is 

becoming a part of the lives of salespeo- 

ple and engineers, writers and reference 

librarians. resident consumers are com- 

posting their clippings and scraps at 

home, but it doesn’t stop there. Composting 

programs have sprung up in communities 

as diverse as elementary schools and prisons. 

at grgich Hills, they are composting 

100 percent of the grape materials used 

in the winemaking process. 

Most remarkably, this movement is 

not just relegated to suburban and rural 


areas. The city of san Francisco, in its 

attempt to generate “zero waste” by 

2020, enacted an ordinance in october 

2009 requiring residents to compost 

their organic scraps or be fined. san 

Franciscans embraced the plan; before 

the law officially went into effect, resi- 

dential and commercial collections 

reached 500 tons per day. 

even if you live in a city that does not 

collect your compost, there are opportunities 

to recycle your kitchen scraps, with 

many community gardens, farmers’ markets 

and even some health food stores 

offering compost collection. For an option 

even closer to home, composting can be 

done in an urban backyard or even inside 

a small city apartment using a worm bin. 

(see the sidebars for ideas on how to start 

and successfully maintain a composting 

project.) 

Just because our fruits, vegetables, 

leaves and clippings have finished their 

work in our kitchens and yards, it doesn’t 

mean they have finished their work in the 

world. Through composting, they continue 

giving energy to the earth, feeding 

the trees and shrubs that in turn will keep 

feeding and shading us. mk 

Organic almond cake 

From the kitchen of Weleda 

Naturals chef Brigitta Ulmer 

Serves 12 (small slices) 

Almonds have been touted for millennia 

for the nutritional benefits they pack 

inside. Their accolades include ranking 

No. 1 as the most nutrient-dense tree 

nut, and they are revered as an excellent 

source of vitamin E, magnesium, fiber 

and phosphorus. 

With this delicious recipe you can 

have your almonds and eat them, too. 

Afterward, treat yourself to a Weleda 

Intensive Almond Facial Masque. It’s 

just what the cook ordered. 

Cake 

1 cup grated, organic carrots 

5 organic eggs 

7 ounces (a bit less than 1 cup) packed, 

organic brown sugar 

1 pinch of sea salt 

4 tbsp organic all-purpose flour 

1 ½ tsp baking powder 

11 ounces peeled and ground organic 

almonds / organic almond flour 

1-2 tbsp brandy (optional) 

Butter and breadcrumbs (to coat the pan) 

For the icing 

7 ounces (a bit less than 1 cup) 

powdered sugar 

3 tbsp rum (or water) 

3 tbsp organic lemon juice 

Method 

Preheat the oven to 350° F. 

1. Peel and grate the carrots (and mix with 

brandy if adding) in a large mixing bowl. 

2. Add the baking powder and flour, 

and mix. 

3. In a medium-size mixing bowl, separate 

the egg yolks from the whites, and cream 

the yolks with the brown sugar and salt. 

4. In a separate bowl, cream the egg whites 

to a solid foam. 

Slowly and thoroughly stir the flour- 

mixture into the foamy egg yolk, brown 

sugar and salt mix. Add the egg whites 

while constantly stirring. 

Grease the cake pan with a small amount 

of organic butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. 

Pour the dough into a 10-inch 

coated baking pan, and bake in a preheated 

oven (350° F) for 50-60 minutes. 

To prepare the icing, mix the rum (or 

water), powdered sugar and lemon juice 

until it reaches a spreadable consistency. 

Once the cake is completely cool, evenly 

spread the icing over the cake and garnish. 

For best results wait 24 hours before 

cutting the cake. 

Garnish with 12 small marzipan carrots 

(if available) or sprinkle with ground, 

organic almonds. 

Enjoy! 


29 

BIODYNAMICS ®

In spring vibrantly colored flowers inspire 

our days after the passing of cold winter 

nights. Summer fills our senses with scents 

of rose, jasmine and honeysuckle. Then in 

fall, star thistles bloom and crisp air prevails. 

The period from spring through fall 

displays a remarkable seasonal procession, 

but it is also the time when uncomfortable 

allergy symptoms are likely to appear. 

When the weather begins to warm, 

a series of maturing plants can trigger 

what is commonly called hay fever; however, 

such symptoms appear well beyond 

the summer months when hay is gathered. 

For example, birch, elm and oak 

cast out pollens in the spring; grasses 

such as bermuda, orchard and sweet 

ACHoo! ol oGy 

liberate yourself from Seasonal Allergies 


vernal follow in the summer; and ragweed, 

tumbleweed and sage make their 

presences known in the fall. 

To Sneeze or Not to Sneeze 

Karyn schwartz, seattle-based homeopathic 

consultant, generally moves through 

the seasons without a sniffle. Then surprisingly 

one day she’ll find herself beset with 

the all-too-familiar reactions: sneezing, 

watery eyes and a runny nose. “i realize 

how quickly and forcefully the symptoms 

can suddenly appear,” she says. Whether 

or not we react to pollen at all can be 

unpredictable. sometimes symptoms 

appear like clockwork during one particular 

season, while at other times we might 

be affected only sporadically—or even not 

at all. our internal environment provides 

clues as to why this is so. 

When pollens enter the body, typically 

our systems will quietly respond by 

sending white blood cells to gobble up 

the unfamiliar particles, diffusing them 

without any notable reactions. But a 

sensitive immune system might have 

a heightened response and produce 

substances known as histamines, which 

initiate seasonal allergy symptoms. 

From Symptoms to Solutions 

“There are so many things you can do to 

lessen the severity and frequency of reactions,” 

schwartz says. “you really do have 

a huge say in managing those symptoms.” 

Dr. Lynn Madsen M.D., a Portlandbased 

homeopathic practitioner, believes 

conventional medicines 

have a place. “Judicious 

use, especially for the 

short term, can bring 

relief of symptoms,” she 

explains. 

For example, antihistamines 

keep histamines 

from attaching to our 

cells and therefore help 

avert potential symptoms, 

though drowsiness 

may result. also popular 

are decongestants, 

which help calm nasal 

irritation, allowing air to 

pass through more freely. 

But these can also contribute to nervousness 

and sleeplessness. steroidal sprays, 

another common drug, can control acute 

symptoms by helping to decrease swelling, 

although they may cause dryness of the 

mouth and nose. 

For Madsen, there are definite limitations 

to conventional medicines. “The 

over THe CouNTer 

issue is more about how they suppress 

symptoms, rather than produce inner 

healing,” she says. Fortunately, alternatives 

exist. a variety of therapeutic and holistic 

natural options help bring our bodies back 

into balance while providing relief. 

Natural Ease 

unlike conventional drugs, natural remedies 

such as homeopathy and a healthy 

diet not only provide symptomatic relief 

but can also work to strengthen the body’s 

own resistance, allowing us to enjoy lasting 

health from the inside out. 

one way to bolster the immune sys- 

tem and minimize inflammation is to 

enjoy an abundance of nourishing whole 

foods including fresh fruits and green vegetables. 

Many fruits and vegetables contain 

organic antihistamines such as bioflavonoids, 

or pigments, 

which are responsible for 

the plant’s lively colors 

and have been shown 

to reduce the release of 

histamines. 

Beyond a balanced 

diet, history and science 

support the use of 

homeopathy for both 

long-term health as 

well as freedom from 

acute symptoms such 

as sneezing, wheezing 

and stuffy head. Based 

on the premise that in 

small dilution “like cures 

like”—a belief that can be traced back 

as far as Hippocrates (468-377 BC)— 

homeopathy, founded by Dr. samuel 

Hahnemann (1755-1843), was designed to 

support the body’s innate healing process. 

Homeopathic ingredients and restorative 

plants known to help ease flare-ups 

include european elder, barberry, yellow 


31

phosphorus and wood sage. all of these are 

found in Weleda’s sinus allergy Formula. 

When Madsen treats patients, “I start 

with [Weleda] Sinus Allergy Formula. 

Many people report it is as effective or 

more effective than an antihistamine for 

relieving congestion.” 

european elder, also known as 

sambucus, traditionally has been used to 

help alleviate congestion by “removing 

some of the heat in the body,” schwartz 

explains. in homeopathic medicine, wood 

sage is used to soothe respiratory inflammation, 

and barberry reduces pressure 

Wood-sage Wood-sage (Teucrium 

scorodonia) is native to the woody, hilly 

regions of europe and Tunisia and is often 

used in homeopathy for calming the 

respiratory tract. 

Common Barberry Native to africa, 

asia, europe and North and south 

america, barberry (Berberis vulgaris) 

is traditionally used in homeopathy to 

relieve the frontal headaches 

and congestion 

that can accompany seasonal 

allergies. 

Eyebright since the 16th century, many 

herbalists have championed eyebright 

(Euphrasia officinalis) to treat various 

eye diseases and inflammation of the 

eye area. This powerful plant, which 

contains tanning, bitter 

agents as well as 

flavonoids, comprises 

more than 99 percent 

of the entire formula 

of Weleda euphrasia 

3X eye drops. These preservative-free 

eye-relievers harness the natural anti- 

Homeopathic Healing Helpers 


in the head by decreasing swelling in the 

mucus membranes. yellow phosphorus, 

another key ingredient in Weleda sinus 

allergy Formula, is used in homeopathy to 

open blocked nasal passages and decrease 

irritation of the respiratory tract. 

So when flowers are blooming, grasses 

are swaying and majestic oaks shower us 

with pollens, don’t be afraid to breathe 

deep. embrace these seasonal changes 

by incorporating Mother Nature’s healing 

remedies, including homeopathy, 

to support your radiant health spring, 

summer and fall. jd 

inflammatory and antiseptic qualities of 

eyebright to soothe swelling of the tear 

glands, eyelids and veins—relieving the 

eyes throughout the allergy seasons. 

European Elder in homeopathy, 

european elder (sambucus nigra) pacifies 

an irritated respiratory tract and 

helps reduce the congestion 

and wheezing that 

may result from a sensitivity 

to pollens. 

yellow Phosphorus Discovered in 

germany and used medicinally since 

the 17th century, yellow phosphorus 

(Phosporus) has historically been used 

as an expectorant and also to ease 

headache pain and heaviness. 

©2009 Weleda Inc. 

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you and your customer have complied with the terms of this offer. Any other use 

constitutes fraud. Consumer must pay all applicable taxes. Coupons not properly redeemed 

will be voided. NO DOUBLING and no reproductions will be accepted. Cash value 

1/100¢. Limit one coupon per purchase. u.S. retailers send coupons to: WELE/Universal, 

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for: Weleda Iris Cleansing Lotion, 3.4 FL OZ; Iris Cleansing Lotion Classic, 3.4 FL OZ; 

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Weleda Wild Rose Facial Care 


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you and your customer have complied with the terms of this offer. Any other use 

constitutes fraud. Consumer must pay all applicable taxes. Coupons not properly redeemed 

will be voided. NO DOUBLING and no reproductions will be accepted. Cash value 

1/100¢. Limit one coupon per purchase. u.S. retailers send coupons to: WELE/Universal, 

P.O. Box 222510, Hollywood, FL 33022-2510 Canadian retailers send coupons to: WELE/ 

Universal Unit 7-262, 91 Rylander Blvd., Scarborough, ON M1B 5M5 Canada Coupon valid 

for: Weleda Wild Rose Cleansing Lotion, 3.4 FL OZ; Wild Rose Facial Toner, 3.4 FL OZ; 

Wild Rose Moisture Cream, 1.0 OZ; Wild Rose Day Cream, 1.0 OZ; Wild Rose Night Cream, 

1.0 OZ; Wild Rose Intensive 

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.34 OZ; Wild Rose Intensive 

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1.07 OZ

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1.800.241.1030 

editor@weleda.com 

1 Closter Road, P.o. Box 675 

Palisades, Ny 10964 

usa.weleda.com/we 

We believe beauty isn’t something 

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Carefully. Lovingly. And certainly 

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Those things aren’t beautiful to us. 

Look through our ingredients and 

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These come together in meaningful 

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