Morgan County Herbal Therapy

01/27/2026

Sleep – part 1

“Sleep like a baby.” A phrase obviously coined by someone who has never been a parent. Sleep was never a problem for me – falling asleep or staying asleep – even when working nights for about 30 years. Then menopause hit – and things have not been the same since. This series will be over things that can hopefully help you sleep if that is also something you struggle with.

Why is sleep so important? I’m sure that it is not a surprise that your performance (of any type) is affected by lack of sleep. It can decrease your reaction time, increase errors, impair your memory, and reduce your motivation. Losing sleep can cause elevated cortisol which can lead to insulin resistance and greatly affect immune function. People that suffer from insomnia are much more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety.

Sleep allows our bodies to heal and our moods and hormones to stabilize. Growth hormone is only one of the hormones that is secreted while we sleep and is responsible for regeneration of tissues and immune functions. Sleep is imperative for good mental health.

Before we get into herbs and flower essences to help with sleep, let’s go over some simple sleep hygiene: What are ways to prepare our bodies and brains for bed?

Preparation for sleep takes place starting in the afternoon. It is best to avoid caffeine or stimulant containing items after about 2 pm. That mid-afternoon coffee or soda you have to help you get thru after-lunch meetings may be sabotaging your sleep. So might be that after supper workout – it’s best to avoid strenuous exercise for at least 3 hours before your bedtime. Eating can also affect sleep. Going to bed with a full stomach can contribute to night-time indigestion and reflux. A light snack with protein and complex carbs can be helpful if you find yourself waking after 2-3 hours of sleep.

Maintaining a routine is helpful, no matter what shift you work. Things like spending time in the sun every day and sleeping in complete darkness take advantage of your Circadian rhythm to promote restfulness

Avoid blue light for 2-3 hours prior to bed. This is light from sources like computers, electronics, and phones. Blue light can work as a stimulant and suppresses melatonin production (the sleep hormone). Prepare your bedroom with comfortable clothing (or none), comfortable bed linens, and a comfortable mattress.

Try to avoid using your bedroom for anything but sleeping and s*x. Avoid alcohol – while it’s a depressant, it can contribute to insomnia. And for a lot of us, we have to watch our fluid intake to avoid those middle-of-the-night bathroom trips.

Ways to relax before bed:

Reading a book under warm white or yellow light
Warm (not hot) bath or even a footbath
Lower the lights in your home an hour before bedtime.
Very light exercise, like some yoga poses or tai chi
Journaling. This can sometimes help with circular thought that plague many of us at night.
Prayer/meditation.
Sleeping in a cool room (but with enough covers that you stay warm)
Add a white noise machine or earplugs to avoid stimulating noises.

I’ll cover herbs starting next week. In the meantime, maybe some of these suggestions can help you get the rest you need. Good night.

01/19/2026

What Can I Do for My Anxiety – Pt 5
Not gonna lie – it’s been a week. And I have been using a few flower essences for my own anxiety. It seems the last few years have made my anxiety a little more prevalent. If this is your first visit to this series, here are the other parts:

What Can I DO For My Anxiety? Pt 1 – Simple Thrift and Herbs

What Can I Do For My Anxiety Pt 2 – Simple Thrift and Herbs

What can I Do for My Anxiety – Pt 3 – Simple Thrift and Herbs

What Can I Do for my Anxiety- pt 4 – Simple Thrift and Herbs

Part 4 also has a link for the post explaining flower essences. Flower essences certainly have a place in treatment of anxiety, although I would suggest contacting a flower essence practitioner to formulate a blend specific for what you may be dealing with. In addition to the essences listed last week, these may also be of help:

Larch: This FE is great for those terror-inducing talks or speeches that have to be made. Perhaps it’s in front of a group of coworkers, or it’s that really uncomfortable conversation you need to have with someone close. Larch helps give confidence in finding the right words when you think your speech will fail you.

Cerato: If a decision is giving you anxiety, and you feel you have the need to ask a dozen different people their opinion, Cerato may be helpful. Cerato, like Larch, is about boosting confidence in your own abilities and trusting your intuition.

Impatiens: Great for well – impatience! I find my anxiety starts to ramp up when things do not flow timewise like I feel they should. If your anxiety has that little edge of anger due to time – someone’s late, you’re late, they’re early… Impatiens may be the right choice for you. It does help with impatience, but also just helps to smooth out timelines (at least in my head, and when it only involves me!)

Clematis: This is not traditionally used for anxiety, but I find it helpful for folks that tend to have the ‘I’m late for work, I’m gonna get a ticket, I’m gonna lose my job, I’m gonna end up living under a bridge’ type of anxiety. Clematis helps to keep us grounded (yes, I use it often). It’s good for the ones of us that are very forward looking, sometimes to the point we lose where we are. Clematis helps to keep us anchored.

Pink Yarrow: This one is not one of the original 38 essences discovered by Dr. Bach and may be a little more challenging to find. I find that for many people, their anxiety is associated with relationships. Pink yarrow is great for boundaries. It says, “I want to have a relationship with you. Here is the door. You cannot just bust down the wall or come in thru the window.” It can be incredibly helpful to those that struggle saying ‘no’ to things that do not serve them well.

I hope this series has been helpful. Please feel free to leave me comments and give me ideas of what more you would like to see or hear about.

Until next week, may your time be great, caffeinated, and not require medical care or bail money.

01/11/2026

What Can I Do for my Anxiety- pt 4
Sometimes herbs are not the best choice. While they can be amazingly helpful, some of them interact quite a bit with pharmaceuticals, and some are just not for certain people. As an example, I’ve found if I use chasteberry (Vitex agnus-castus) I tend to get depressed. It is a great choice for other people – just not me.

Flower essences are a bit different. If you choose the ‘wrong’ essence, there is no effect at all. But if you choose the right one, the effects are dramatic. If you are unfamiliar with flower essences, here is a primer:

Flower Essences 101 – Simple Thrift and Herbs

Using flower essences for anything requires sitting with your emotions for a bit. What is the root of your anxiety? Is it fear? Fear of what? Is it overwhelm or shame or guilt? I would suggest making an appointment with a flower essence practitioner like myself to drill down a formula that best fits you, but if that is not an option, here are some common (Bach) FEs that are available at most health food stores.

Rescue Remedy (Five Flower): Rescue Remedy, a blend of 5 flower essences, is great as an all-purpose flower essence: the Tylenol of flower essences, maybe! Rescue Remedy contains the flower essences of Star of Bethlehem, Clematis, Cherry Plum, Rock Rose, and Impatiens. Some of these are specific for anxiety, but this blend is a great one to just have on hand for overwhelming emotions of any type.

Rock Rose: specific for panic attacks. It is most often used in the blend above, but can be used alone. Indicated for when you feel you don’t have any control of your body – that ‘flight’ part of fight or flight episodes.

Mimulus: for KNOWN fears (can you name it?). I have used this with Rock Rose when I had to go where there were snakes (I’m terrified of them!). It helped me to at least be able to function, where without it, I don’t know that I could have completed the tasks I needed to do. If you can name your fear (failure, water, a person), Mimulus is for you.

Aspen: for UNKNOWN fears. The kind of nebulous ‘something’s not right and it’s gonna get me’ kind of fear. It can be just as debilitating as a known fear, but you can’t really put a name to it.

Elm: for feeling overwhelmed. Perhaps your anxiety is related to a fear of letting others down or of failure, but there is just so much of whatever it is overwhelming and setting off your anxiety.

Mustard: I think of this one more for depression, but it could fit with anxiety, too. The mental picture I have of this is the cartoon character that has the rain cloud over his head. The feeling comes out of nowhere, and is just all of a sudden there.

I am trying to keep these pieces on anxiety bite-sized. Thinking about the subject can be overwhelming for some people – and they fit better on FaceBook this way. I’ll be back next week with another 4-6 flower essences for anxiety. I hope you all have a peaceful week.

01/03/2026

What Can I Do For My Anxiety - Pt 3

We'll continue with herbs this week. I think a dozen is a nice round number, so here is another six. For parts 1 and 2 of this series, here are links:

What Can I DO For My Anxiety? Pt 1 – Simple Thrift and Herbs

What Can I Do For My Anxiety Pt 2 – Simple Thrift and Herbs

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): Lemon balm is a warm, slightly dry herb that is an amazing nervine. Drinking a cup of tea just takes everything down a notch or two. According to Charles Garcia, https://www.instagram.com/curandero50/, lemon balm in white wine is great for emotional trauma. Celestial Seasonings also makes a tea with the major ingredient being lemon balm called Tension Tamer. The picture for Melissa off. is one of anxiety and depression – palpitations, unable to get grounded or turn off that excited hamster in your brain. It also helps with hyperthyroidism. It doesn't hurt that it has a really pleasant lemony taste. A combination of Melissa and valerian is amazing for helping with sleep.

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca): This is another mint, like lemon balm, that works well for anxiety that comes with palpitations and restlessness. Motherwort has more cardiac effects than lemon balm (it can be used for a-fib and is more blood thinning than lemon balm), but works well in combination with lemon balm.

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): Ashwagandha is an adaptogen. Very (very) simply, adaptogens help you adapt. They help you keep proper balance, conserve energy, and cope with stress (physical and emotional). In some ways, ashwagandha’s properties are oxymoronic – it helps with energy and sleep, it elevates mood while calming it, and it tones (tightens) while lowering blood pressure. Ashwagandha can help balance cortisol and decrease stress hormones at night, making it ideal for helping with sleep.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra): Licorice can be a great addition to any other above herbs for short-term use. Licorice helps to support the adrenal glands and allow for appropriate production of cortisol. While I would not use it alone for anxiety, it could be a really nice adjunct to herbs that are not very palatable, like skullcap or kava kava.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa): I tend to think of turmeric more for depression than anxiety, but if your anxiety has symptoms of lack of energy and feeling dull-minded, it may be for you. There has been a study (I can’t remember where, but I know Aviva Romm has quoted it often) that 1000 mg of turmeric a day is as effective as Prozac. It is one of the best herbal anti-inflammatories and newer studies show it can increase dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain, as well as protect neurons from oxidative stress.

Mimosa (Albizzia julibrissin): Also called silk tree or sensitive plant, this is considered almost invasive in Texas. I think this is my favorite because of memories I have of walking through a grove of mimosa trees in bloom. It is a beautiful plant, and just the quietness of the grove was amazing. I have found the tincture of this plant can give an instant lift to my mood, not surprising as its constituents have shown effects on serotonin and promote dopaminergic activity.

There are other herbs as well - these are just the ones I am most familiar with. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of assistance in helping you formulate something to help with your anxiety. Also please reach out to a local counselor - counseling truly is the long-term solution.

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12/28/2025

What Can I Do For My Anxiety Pt 2
HERBS

I thought I could get this covered in a couple posts, but I think it will be longer. You can review part I here:

What Can I DO For My Anxiety? Pt 1 – Simple Thrift and Herbs

There are many many herbs to use for anxiety, and it may take a bit to find your favorite. These are in no particular order, just as I thought of them. I would suggest using most of them as a tea for a couple reasons: In my experience, alcohol does not improve things long-term. Yes, it’s not like you’re drinking ounces of tincture, but energetically it just feels bad with anxiety or (especially) depression. If an herb is best used as a tincture, I will note that under the herb. So – let’s get started!

Saint John’s Wort (Hypericum perfoliatum): For a while a few years ago, you found this in product form EVERYWHERE. Hypericum is used for depression, fear, insomnia, anxiety, and feelings of worthlessness. To really feel an effect, it needs to be taken for 4-6 weeks. It’s a great herb if you are not on any pharmaceuticals. Hypericum is detoxified using a lot of the same enzyme systems as HIV meds, anti-rejection drugs, MAO inhibitors, SSRIs, seizure meds, blood thinners, pain medication, and anti-depressants (and that’s not an exhaustive list). I don’t tend to add SJW to my formulations except for short-term use as a nervine (specific for nerve pain caused by the herpes virus). It just interacts with too much and there are other herbs out there, like…

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita): Very mild herb that is even safe for children. Works well for nervous tension and nightmares – these folks are hot, irritable, cranky, and really don’t want to be comforted. Nothing you can do will help them, they are sure of it! Chamomile can be sedating to some people – something to watch for.

Milky Oats (Avena sativa): This is one that I prefer to use in tincture form, but tea also works. Oat is considered a trophorestorative for the nervous system. It is a gentle soothing remedy for anxiety that presents as exhaustion, inability to concentrate, physical weakness (especially in the limbs), and a headache.

Kava kava (Piper methysticum): This herb is for short term use only. It helps with anxiety, stress, and muscle tension by reducing hyperexcitability of neurons by effecting the sodium and calcium channels. It can be quite sedating, but in my experience, people get very relaxed and VERY chatty. I would advise using kava for a known stressful time (like the holidays!), but using it very short term. Long term use of kava can lead to liver issues. Usually, they resolve after stopping the herb, but again – why risk it when there are other options?

Linden (Tilia cordata): Another gentle herb. This one is great for relaxing nervous tension, especially if this creeps up on you later in the day. If one of your symptoms is palpitations with your anxiety, this herb and motherwort will be your friend. Linden decreases adrenal enlargement. It contains quercetin, which has beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system.

Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora): The is good for anxiety that comes with a dull headache and inability to pay attention that is worse with noise, bright lights, and odors – That ‘just too much stimulation’ feeling. Tea is more sedative than the tincture – so a cup of this at bedtime is a really nice way to settle in. It does tend to be bitter, but would be nice with some lemon balm added, and maybe some honey.

Oh my. So many amazing herbs for anxiety, that I will have to add more next week. This may turn into having more parts than I thought!

ETA: If you are pregnant or taking medications, please clear these with your provider.

12/20/2025

My Favorite Herb Books

More posts on treating anxiety are coming, I promise. They just require a little more research on my part and a little more attention to detail than what I have in me at the moment.

So…. I know it’s probably a little late for ordering for Christmas presents, but if you get a few bucks for a present, you might like these also.

Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth by Dr. Sharol Tilgner. This is my favorite and most used book. It is appropriate for those just starting out in their herbal journey and seasoned professionals alike. The book is divided into several parts: suggestions on what to use for a particular condition, a materia medica (list of herbs with uses, cautions, and detailed descriptions), formulations (recipes for herbal products), and instructions of how to make herbal preparations.

The Energetics of Western Herbs by Peter Holmes. These were some of the most used texts when I was in herb school. They are written more from a Chinese medicine viewpoint, but include botanical drawings, attributions/characteristics of plants, uses, and a bit of history. Tilgner’s book above is somewhat limited in the number of herbs – this set has a lot more. It is more of a comprehensive materia medica with fewer sections on general use.

WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants by the World Health Organization. This is volume 4 of – I don’t know – maybe 9 or 10 by now, although the latest volumes are only available online, not print. While the US doesn’t tend to put a lot of money into studying herbs, other countries and the World Health Organization does. These volumes are arranged like a materia medica (lists of plants) with drawings of chemical structure, lists of various constituents by chemical names, and studies listing all the particulars: number of participants, actual hypotheses that were being tested, and outcomes. These books are not for everyone, but if you are studying herbalism from a more structured evidence-based viewpoint, you may really like them. I think they are great because they allow me to ‘argue’ with people that think herbalism is not a valid medical option.

Herbal Formularies for Health Professionals by Dr. Jill Stansbury. This is volume 4 of a five-volume set. Very well written at a more professional level than just ‘throw the herb in some vodka and hope for the best.’ She does use some herbs that are VERY low dose (and the dose makes the poison). I would not recommend these for a beginning herbalist. The formulations she uses are well thought out and balanced but can be edgy with using herbs that I would not consider safe for anyone but a professional herbalist with good insurance to use.

Herbal Materia Medica by Michael Moore. Not really a book, more of a pamphlet. This is the primary source I use for making tinctures. Michael Moore combed through many old sources and texts to find the best ratios for individual herbs. This does not really contain much about the herbs themselves, other than what ratio of herb to alcohol and the percentage of alcohol to use. In my opinion, it’s a must have if you are planning on making your own tinctures.

Invasive Plant Medicine by Timothy Scott. Last but certainly not least, is this book. I like to take it with me out in the pasture (as you can tell!). We have so many plants that we think are useless – Russian olive, bindweed, thistle and are considered ‘noxious’ weeds. They are not. They absolutely can be invasive, but some have amazing uses. I really wish Tim Scott would do another volume with additional invasives. This book is also arranged by plant with botanical drawings and maps of common areas of growth but also has historical uses and quotes from explorers and native American herbalists.

Hopefully these titles can give you some reading options when the seed catalogs get overwhelming! Merry Christmas!

(There are photos of all of these on my blog at simplethriftandherbs.com)

12/13/2025

What Can I DO For My Anxiety? Pt 1

When I asked what you guys would like me to write about, I heard ‘ADHD’ and ‘anxiety’ from my FB friends. I think the 2 are very much related – some of the same symptoms, and anxiety seems to be a key piece of ADHD. Since I know a little more about anxiety, I thought we could start there. It’s not a small subject and seems to be appearing more and more in patient charts that I see – especially for younger people.

The definition I found of anxiety seems about right: excessive worry, fear, or dread that interferes with daily living. It can manifest in physical symptoms like increased heart rate, chest pain, shortness of breath, restlessness, insomnia, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating (this is not an exhaustive list). If you are having some of these symptoms for the first time – please PLEASE first get all physical causes eliminated. Get checked out by your doctor.

If other illnesses have been ruled out, I highly suggest counseling for long-term or persistent anxiety. I will give other suggestions, including herbs and flower essences in part 2, but counseling should teach you to deal with the root cause of your anxiety, whatever it is. My suggested therapeutics are more for acute anxiety than chronic.

In my opinion, some anxiety is normal. Feeling nervous walking down a dark street in the not-so-safe area of town? Normal. Watching where you step when you are in rattlesnake territory? Normal. Not leaving your house because you are terrified of being mugged or bitten by a snake? Probably not normal.

So, if you have the ‘not normal, interfering with daily life, I need to do something about this’ type, what are some things you can do while you are waiting to see a counselor or physician?

Mindfulness, meditation, prayer. Acknowledging there is a problem is the first step to solving it, and naming something gives you some amount of power over it. Praying is always good – again, giving it over to a higher power. If you are not a religious person, meditation or mindfulness practices are easy to google. Set a short time limit of 5-10 minutes (which I know seems like eternity when you are stressing) and focus on your breathing. I like the practice of naming 1 thing you can taste, 2 things you can smell, 3 things you can hear, 4 things you can feel, and 5 things you can see to help break the panicking mindset. Another is to look up at all the corners of the ceiling and focus on each one for several seconds. I’ve been told this helps the primitive areas of the brain realize that there is no danger sneaking up on you.

Cut back on stimulants. If you are doing coc*ine or me*h, stop if possible. It’s very unhealthy. Legal stimulants can exacerbate anxiety as well – caffeine, taurine, guarana, other things found in energy drinks. Mar***ana can also contribute to anxiety. It’s a bit of conundrum – what you started using mar***ana for becomes the symptom of both withdrawal and excess. While mari***na is not considered a stimulant, it can provoke anxiety.

Look at your diet. There is a huge link between our gut microbiota and health and our mental health. If you have a known food allergy/sensitivity/intolerance, it can be contributing to your anxiety. It’s kind of a chicken or egg thing: Does the food intolerance cause the anxiety (due to social situations or concern about being dosed) or does the anxiety exacerbate food allergy symptoms (nausea, itching, brain fog, restlessness, increased heart rate, dizziness, etc)? Inflammation in the gut can affect production of serotonin (the hormone that helps to regulate mood, sleep, cognitive functions, and contentment) and nothing will irritate your gut more than eating what you know you should avoid.

Slow down if you can. I think we sometimes feel we are judged on how busy we are and how much we accomplish. Getting things done on time and correctly puts a big weight on us mentally. See if taking some things off your plate lessens the amount of anxiety you feel.

And now – to totally just add something to your plate (!) – think about doing a food and symptom diary. Most people I know do not correlate what they eat to how they feel unless they are eating something new or in unusually large amounts. It doesn’t take much to have a reaction to a food your body does not like, and sometimes it will not show up immediately as your body can react to allergens by releasing endorphins as well. We humans are quite complicated, you know.

I’ll be back next week with herbs and flower essences for anxiety. In the meantime, breathe, pray, eat good food, and try not to be so hard on yourself. Love you, my friends!

12/06/2025

Fighting the Gunk
Gunk. Maybe it’s the flu, maybe it’s COVID, maybe it’s RSV, maybe it’s some other ‘viral upper respiratory infection.’ It’s making its seasonal rounds again, even in my household. The man caught it first, and I am trying to fight it off. So – how do you do that?

If you can, avoid it. The man didn’t really have a choice – I think he got exposed from a co-worker that he was in close proximity to for about 8 hours in a truck cab. Sometimes you just can’t avoid it, but cleaning your workspaces and frequently touched items daily with some kind of cleaner (lysol, cavi-wipes, whatever you have) will help. Viruses can live on hard surfaces for up to a week. I have a coworker that before every meeting wipes down the table, chair arms, keyboard, mouse, etc. I need to be more like her. Doing this at work and at home (counters, light switches, door handles, toilet handles, your CELLPHONE!!!) will cut down your exposure immensely.

Wash your hands. Frequently. Don’t touch your face or run your eyes. You have all those holes in your face that the virus can just waltz into like it’s auditioning for ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ Don’t make it easy for them.

Watch your diet. Lots of good protein and healthy fat will help boost your immune system – think soups and stews. They taste really great this time of year and are a great way to get more onions and garlic into your system (more on that in a minute). Limit your sugar intake. Consuming sugar (in any form – the original study was done with orange juice) can limit production of certain cells integral to immune function for up to five hours. Sugar also contributes to inflammation (more work for the body) and decreases white blood cells’ ability to engulf pathogens. Skip that sugary latte if you’re starting to feel funky.

Up your supplements for a few days. Vitamin D is key to help keep things out of your body. I’ve written before how it helps with cellular junctions – you want things tight where no germs can slip in (quit touching your face!). Vitamin K2 helps the body absorb Vitamin D better, so if you are shopping, look for a supplement that has both. Vitamin C – one of those vitamins that you can’t really overdo. Like magnesium, if you take too much you may not leave the bathroom, but it is unlikely you will have more significant issues.

Rest. I promise that the dirty dishes, reports, laundry, staff meetings, etc. will still be there when you feel better. Your body needs rest to repair and recover from the gunk.

Hydrate. Fevers and breathing issues will drain your body of moisture. Water and tea are great ways without sugar to make sure you don’t dry out. A humidifier is also great this time of year, whether you are sick or not. Eat ‘moist’ foods – soups, stews, smoothies (although watch the sugar). One of the man’s symptoms is a headache. Staying well hydrated can prevent this.

Alliums are another way to hit back at viruses. Alliums are vegetables like onions and garlic. There was a WHO study that showed ‘aqueous extract of Allium sativa’ (onion juice) was effective in killing quite a few bacteria and viruses. So maybe the old wives’ tale of putting a cut onion next to your bed when you are sick is not as crazy as it sounds. Adding onions and garlic to your soup right at the end (so the heat sensitive constituents aren’t destroyed) is a great way to get some ‘onion juice’ into your system. Somehow, an onion juice smoothie just doesn’t sound as good.

If you have a lot of congestion, doing a steam with thyme may help loosen up a lot of gunk and also allows inhalation of vapors that are antimicrobial. Pour boiling water into a bowl, add a tablespoon or so of thyme (the herb), then sit with your head over the bowl. Cover your head with a towel to trap more of the steam. Do this carefully so you don’t burn yourself. Try to breathe in the steam for about 10 minutes. You may need to let the bowl cool for a bit first.

Drinking pineapple juice will help loosen up mucus and thin it out. The bromelain in pineapple works to break up the protein strands in mucus so you can get rid of it easier.

In a pinch, a cup of hot water with a teaspoon of poultry seasoning will help. Poultry seasoning usually contains sage, thyme, and rosemary – all of which are antimicrobial herbs.

I have mixed feelings about treating fevers. There is so much that depends on the individual, but I will throw this out there: I try to not treat fevers on myself. In fact, if I start feeling chills, I take as hot of a shower as I can stand, wrap up, and climb into bed with extra covers. Fevers are our body’s way of trying to kill off bacteria and viruses – I try to help my body out instead of fighting it by using tylenol/ibuprofen/aspirin. That is what is right FOR ME, AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME. Do your own due diligence (I hope you check everything out that I say against other sources!) before deciding to do the same.

Avoiding the gunk (prevention) is key, but if you get it, I hope the suggestions above help.

HAPPY HEALTHY HOLIDAYS!