My Life in a Healthnut Shell.

My Clay Cleanse Experience

2011-09-30T10:03:00.001-06:00

The time finally arrived. I had been recommending the Clay Cleanse for years and know of many, many people who have done it with fantastic results. I myself had been unable to do it because I've been either pregnant or breastfeeding for the last 4 1/2 years. You never want to do a cleanse while pregnant or breastfeeding. Those toxins can end up in baby through your blood and through your milk.

I definitely felt the pressure in doing this cleanse, since I'm the one who put it together. This was good, because the first two days was definitely tough and that pressure got me through. I was really tired and I wanted to eat really bad. I'm such a snacker so I had to retrain my mind so I wouldn't just grab this or that and throw it in my mouth. I did the coffee enema's each night and they definitely gave me an energy boost and took away my headache. I'm amazed how well they really work. I know enema's may really scare people, but they can definitely make things easier.

Day 3 was still pretty tough, but not near as bad as day 1 and 2. I knew relief was around the corner, so it got me through day 3. Everyone talks about how easy it gets on day 4, and they were right! Day 4 I had great energy, no hunger pains, and I felt so much "lighter".

I started passing the weird stool on day 2 and it continued through the whole cleanse. I know some of it comes from the psyllium, but I definitely saw things that I hadn't been consuming come out as well.

By the end of day 7 I was so ready to eat again! My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach and I ate WAY too much food! Start slow, people! Because my digestion had been shut down for days, it didn't really kick in well and I was BLOATED! I know it will be hard, but I really think you should break the cleanse slowly with fruits and veggies in small amounts until your digestion kicks in full steam again. Taking enzymes can help as well.

I continued to finish out my clay and psyllium by taking it twice a day. It still absorbs toxins, even when you are eating again. Just be sure and take it an hour away from your vitamins and supplements.

My skin looks better, my energy level is better, and my digestion is better. Don't forget to replenish with probiotics when you're finished! It's essential!

I'm continuing to get emails from people who are doing the cleanse. Jump on board! You'll be glad you did!

The Much Anticipated Clay Cleanse

2011-09-21T10:16:00.001-06:00

I put this cleanse regime together a few years back. After much time and researching, I pulled together what I thought to be the Ultimate Cleansing Regime. This cleanse is a combo of the Sonne's cleanse with my own suggestions thrown into the mix. My guess is that at least 30 people have completed this cleanse, although I continue to find out that more and more have done it. Word spreads when something works... I designed this cleanse to not only strip the "plaque" off the walls of the gut, but I added the spirulina to help not only with nutrients and energy, but it also helps rid the body of heavy metals. This fish oil helps keep you alert, and the fat in the oil helps curb your appetite. The Vit C is a powerful antioxidant and in higher dosages like this, can help move the bowels.

Sonne's 7 clay is amazing stuff. It is negatively charged so it absorbs positively charged things in the body like metals and toxins. I've even been putting it on my face with great results and also doing clay footbaths. I can literally feel it pulling stuff out of my feet. It is wild! I've watched my husband complete this cleanse 3 times. Each time I took note of how he felt, what came out (lots of dark tarlike plaque and even little green gallstones), his energy level, etc.

I've also gotten tons of feedback from others. Everyone seems to love it. Maybe not so much the first 3 days, but after that it's quite easy and when they're finished, they're so glad they did it. Many are now doing it once a year. From the feedback I've gathered that the first 3 days can be rough, but once day 4 hits people get a wave of energy and have no problem keeping up with their typical daily activities. Many continue to exercise even. They aren't hungry, but of course they still miss food. I have not yet embarked on this cleanse. I've been pregnant or breastfeeding for the last 5 years. Then I wanted to wait until it was warm outside because I know from past experience my body gets too cold if I cleanse in the winter. My husband is getting his wisdom teeth out on Monday, so it's the perfect time for us to do this together.

I'm going to go ahead and post the directions. Please, if you have some sort of medical condition or health issues, contact your Health Practioner before doing this or any kind of cleanse.

The Supplies (I've found it will cost $100 or less. And remember you won't be eating so you won't be buying food for the week)

Sonne's 7 Clay Psyllium Husk Powder (at least 50 servings in the container)

Spirulina Caps or Tabs (at least 150 caps/tabs in the bottle)

Carlson's Fish Oil (at least 100 caps in the bottle)

Non Acidic Vitamin C like Ester C or Asorbyl Palmitate 1000 mg (at least 100 caps in the bottle)

Natural Laxative like Aloe Lax or Enzymatic Therapy's Laxative Blend or Cleansemore by Renew Life

*optional* Liver Cleanse or Super Milk Thistle by Enzymatic Therapy

Strong Probiotic like Renew Life 50 Billion or Dr. Ohhira's

Non acidic fruit juice like Apple

This cleanse can be done 7-10 days. Minimum of 7. No eating!! But please, drink lot's and lot's of water. Kombucha tea is also great. No other liquids allowed You're going to do 5 cycles of each, every day..

First thing in the morning 1 tbsp of Sonne's 7 mixed with 1 tsp of Psyllium powder. Add 1/4 cup of juice and water to your taste. Shake well and drink immediately.

1 1/2 hours laterTake 3 spirulina, 2 Fish Oil, and 2 Vitamin C

1 1/2 hours later another clay drink, 1 1/2 hours later supplements...repeat total of 5 times each.

If you're over 200 lbs you can do 6 rounds. Drink lots of water! Before bed each night take the laxative as directed. You need your bowels to move each day. It is essential! If they're not moving, take more laxatives.

Please also consider coffee enemas. They'll take away any headaches almost instantly. They also help detox the liver. Info on how to do those is here: http://www.roadtohealth.com/am/publish/article_15.shtml

After you're finished, take the probiotic as directed to replenish your gut with good bacteria now that it's been cleaned. Don't break this fast with carbs..please! You'll regret it! Start with steamed or raw veggies, broths, etc. Slowly introduce meats and last add back dairy and grains. That's it! I'll be blogging my results. I'm adding the Liver Cleanse as I feel I'm dealing with some liver congestion. I'm breaking out the week before my period, and that's a sign that your liver needs cleansed. I'm excited to see what comes out...literally! :)

Lithium: The Power Mineral for Your Brain

2011-09-21T10:14:00.000-06:00

When you mention the word Lithium, most people automatically think of mental illness. But this natural mineral does far more than help people with psychological issues. Lithium's usage began after it was discovered in Texas, that counties with the most lithium in their water supply had the least amount of homocides and suicides.

I came across lithium's amazing properties after I was asked to write an article on bipolar disorder. It was then that I discovered it could benefit nearly everyone. Especially those over 50. Research is showing that lithium actually protects and increases your brain cells. It has shown amazing results in preventing and treating alzheimers and dementia. Parkinson's disease has also improved in people who supplement lithium. Studies have shown that it increased grey matter in 8 out of 10 patients in just one month! Incredible!

Some researchers and doctors are recommending that anyone who is on any sort of medication that effects the brain, (anti-anxiety, anti-depression, etc) supplement lithium daily to protect their brain cells. Dosage for lithium needs to be small and in the Lithium Orotate form. Lithium Orotate is more bioavailable and much safer than prescription lithium. 10 mg a day is recommended for anti-aging benefits of the brain. We now carry Lithium Orotate at Wayne and Mary's and it is pretty inexpensive. On prescription meds for depression, have a family history of alzheimers, or starting to forget things yourself? Give your brain a boost with Lithium!

Soy, How I Loathe Thee...Let Me Count the Ways.

2011-09-21T10:12:00.000-06:00

I really do loathe soy. We started off on a bad foot from the beginning. I started working at a healthfood store close to 11 years ago. I started buying up all the "healthfoods"... Soy protein powders, soy protein bars, tofu, etc. I thought "wow, I'm eating so healthy. I'm going to really start feeling great!" Not so much! I began blowing up like I was 6 months pregnant and was embarrassingly gassy.

I didn't put two and two together for a while. I really believed soy was good for me...so why would it make me feel so gross? Once I finally realized that it was soy that was the gassy, bloating culprit..I cut it out of my diet. It wasn't until several years later that I learned that soy was much more than just a food intolerance for many people. It is unfortunately much more.

My dad is a farmer. He actually grows soybeans and I remember when the industry started to shift and they started pushing soybeans as "healthy human food". Until then it was used mostly for animal feed. The feed company...probably Monsanto, gave us chocolate covered soybeans as a Christmas gift. This is when soy started getting huge as a healthfood. And it wasn’t by accident. These “Big Bean” Corporations planned out the whole marketing push. Soymilk started becoming more popular as did the many fake meats that use soy as an alternative protein.

Let me just get to the point and stand up on my soapbox here for a minute. Why is soy so bad? I mean, it's just a bean, right? Here are the main reasons soy should be avoided.

1. Unless it specifies Non-GMO on the label, it is genetically modified. And even if it's non GMO, unless it says organic, chances are it's been sprayed heavily with pesticides.

2. Soy interferes with your thyroid function. If you have any thyroid issues, avoid soy like the plague!!

3. Soy contains phytoestrogens, which act like estrogen in the body. This is a HUGE reason not to give your baby soy formula. Just 2 cups of soymilk a day has shown to alter menstrual cycles. Just think what several bottles a day could do to a tiny baby!

4. Soy products contain aluminum because they are acid washed in aluminum tanks

5. Soy contains phytic acid or phytates, that actually block important minerals from being absorbed in the body.

6.Soy is not a complete protein, it lacks the amino acids cysteine and methionine.

7.Soy is a high allergen food and ranks up there with peanuts, milk, and eggs.

The issue I push the hardest is baby formula. Regular dairy baby formula is bad enough. Now they’re using SOY of all things to feed these tiny little babies. If a baby is soy fed, it’s like the baby is getting the equivalent of 5 birth control pills worth of estrogen a day! This is crazy!!

If your baby is dairy intolerant or even if they’re not and you formula feed, please check out this link! Your baby is worth it!!
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2010/09/video-hypoallergenic-baby-formula/

And lastly, not all soy is bad for you. Fermented soy like miso and tempeh are fine. They have been cultured so the phytic acid has been greatly reduced and they become much more digestible as well. I could continue to write, but I want to keep my posts short. You can find a lot more info just by doing your own internet searches on “dangers of soy”.

Your Second Brain

2011-09-21T10:09:00.000-06:00

I say it constantly when people come to me with bowel issues and they also deals stress and anxiety. "You know this is even in the Bible....Your bowels are the seat of your emotions" The world "Bowels" is used to describe the seat of your emotions in the KJV. People like to make fun of the many uses of bowels in the Bible, but I believe they used that word for a reason.

I do not find it coincidence that the scientific research is finding that our guts produce more serotonin than our brain, or that some doctors are now calling the bowels the "second brain". Depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, OCD, turrets and even autism are now being attributed to a lack, not in the brain, but the second brain, our gut!I honestly don't have the time to delve into it all, but it's coming up a lot in my practice lately and I can clearly see the connection in people.

Those with ADD, OCD, turrets, and autism should look into the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) diet, get on a super strong probiotic (I prefer Dr. Ohhira's), and an L-Glutamine supplement to rebuild the mucosal ling of the intestines.

The studies have been out for more than 10 years that over 90% of people with ADD have leaky gut syndrome. Leaky gut allows toxins to seep through the gut lining and into the bloodstream and therefore into the brain. Leaky gut is connected with the other disorders mentioned as well. The GAPS diet, probiotics, and L-Glutamine can heal the gut and those people can actually be restored to normality.

For those with anxiety and depression, I would again recommend a strong probiotic like Dr. Ohhira's. Yeast overgrowth is very likely in these situations, so a Yeast Elimination Diet and Candida Cleanse could greatly help as well. Not sure if you have candida? If you've been on several antibiotics, birth control, tired all the time or have sugar carb cravings take this questionaire http://www.yeastconnection.com/pdf/yeastfullsurv.pdf
I know this is short, but I encourage you all to do your own research on this. There is so much out there! This is a broad subject and many many people's lives have been changed for the better once they realize that it's not their brain that's causing the issues, but their bowels.

Antibiotics: Are They Always Necessary?

2011-09-21T10:07:00.000-06:00

I've experienced it myself several times. You go to the doctor (or in my case the pediatrician. I haven't been to a regular Dr. in 10 years), they diagnosis you and then write a prescription for antibiotics. They inform you that they are "just in case". You are then supposed to fill the prescription and give yourself or your child the antibiotics, messing up the intestinal flora and immune system, "just in case". This makes absolutely no sense to me!

Let me give you an example. My son who was about 1 1/2 woke up one morning and there was a ton of wax coming out of his ear. The wax looked to be mixed with blood. He had no symptoms of an ear infection. He was happy, had no fever, and no other signs of illness. I took him to the Dr. because I wanted to know if his eardrum had burst. The Dr. looked in his ear, didn't see anything unusual and proceed to write me a prescription for antibiotics, "just in case".

At this point most Mom's would say okay and give their child the antibiotics not knowing they had a voice. I spoke up and said "I'm not really comfortable giving him antibiotics when you don't see anything wrong." He politely said "Okay, well let's skip that then and we'll have you bring him in next week just to check on him." Funny, how easy that was. And honestly it's happened many, many times. This is just one example!

Out of my 3 children, only one...my oldest has been on antibiotics. Both times were very necessary. She had an infected belly button from a bug bite and it was looking bad, and the other time she caught pneumonia. I am not opposed to antibiotics when necessary. They are an incredible medicine when truly needed. Problem is that we've over prescribed them to the point that bacteria has become resistant to many of them. Stronger and stronger antibiotics are becoming necessary for these resistant bacteria.

I am not encouraging you to not listen to your Doctor., but what I am saying is to get proactive. Do your research and ask your Doctor lot's of questions. If your child has an ear infection, ask if you can do the "wait it out" method before you give them antibiotics. You can also ask if you can do the antibiotic drops instead. Drops don't disrupt the intestinal flora. Another option if you or your child needs antibiotics, is the shot. Yes, shots hurt but it doesn't disrupt the intestinal flora and gets immediately into the system. It's much better for the immune system than oral antibiotics. Most parents don't like shots so the Doctors don't offer it. You will have to ask.

Other questions are important too...like is this viral or bacterial? If it's most likely viral, than why am I getting a script for antibiotics? Are there other alternatives? Letting the Doctor know that you want to avoid antibiotics unless completely necessary helps them understand what you're looking for.

I once had a pediatrician (not my own) tell me that she writes a prescription most times, not because it's necessary, but because she can tell that the mother wants to walk out with medicine. This is extremely disturbing to me. Prescription drugs are not harmless. I wish she'd say, "you know what, this is a virus so there's no drug we can prescribe, but go to the pharmacy and get Vit C for kids and give her 250 mg every 2 hours." There are Doctors out there who do this, but they are very few.

Point of this article? Find your voice in the Doctors office. Ask lots of questions and make it clear what your expectation is. And if you do fill the script for antibiotics, please take a very strong probiotic when you are finished.

I am constantly talking to people who have been on round after round of antibiotics, and their immune system is shot. It becomes a sick cycle and they can't seem to recover. Your intestinal flora is crucial for your immune system, your digestive system, your nutrient absorption, and even your mood (you produce more serotonin in your gut than in your brain!).

And to round this up...two of my favorite alternatives to antibiotics are: Mesosilver- Non-toxic collodial silver. AMAZING stuff. You can put it in your eyes, nose, and ears. Put it on your skin and take it internally. Great for bladder infections, nasally for sinus infections, ear infections, and skin irritations. North American Herb and Spice Oil of Oregano- My go to for sinus infections, yeast infections, and fungus. It can disrupt your flora a bit..nothing like antibiotics though. Just in case follow with a probiotic.

Nourishing Health: Where to Start

2011-09-21T10:01:00.000-06:00

The whole transition to a healthier lifestyle can get overwhelming. You may have even thought you were healthy by eating low fat meals and drinking diet soda. The way I personally choose to eat is pretty opposite of mainstream "healthy". I eat a lot of saturated fats via butter and coconut oil. I eat eggs and I believe the yolk is the healthiest part! I eat red meat and drink full fat milk. And these are all from quality sources.

My milk and butter are from a local farmer who pasture grazes, no corn. My eggs and meat are also from local sources that do not use pesticides or hormones.Some people complain that they can't eat healthy because of the cost. It's just simply not true. You may have to be more selective, but we live on a very strict grocery budget for our family of 5. A great tip is to save up and buy your meat in bulk. We are going to purchase 1/4 of a cow. This includes steaks, ground beef, roasts, you name it for $3.50 a pound! The meat will last us about a year and it saves us so much money! Typically, that kind of grassfed hamburger alone runs $4-$5 a lb!

So, if you're interested in transitioning to a different way of eating, I recommend the book Eat Fat Lose Fat. You can purchase it on Amazon and we also carry it at Wayne and Mary's. It's not about losing fat necessarily. It's more about how certain fats are good for you and don't actually make you gain weight.The Weston Price Foundation is another great place to start. You can see if they have a Chapter in your area. It will be full of like-minded people sharing tips and recipes and even how to do it on a budget!
http://www.westonaprice.org/local-chapters/find-a-local-chapter
Also some great websites include:
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com

http://www.nourishingourchildren.org/Home.html

http://nourishedkitchen.com/

http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/ http://www.nourishingdays.com/

http://thenourishingcook.com

Notice all the Nourishing in the titles? That's because a) They all love Sally Fallon's book Nourishing Traditions and b) The food they promote is amazingly nourishing..so nourishing in fact, that you'll find you eat much less and are satisfied. Good luck on your journey of "Nourishing" you body!

Natural Leg Vein Solutions

2011-09-21T09:57:00.000-06:00

I've been spotting some spider veins on my legs. I know, I'm vain (yes, that was a bad attempt at a pun). I so badly never wanted to get them. But, I'm nearly 31 *gasp*, I've had 3 children, and not to mention the fact that I'm a chronic leg crosser.

I know that honestly I'm blessed because so many women have it far worse than I. Many women deal with pain with their veins as well. I've decided to start supplementing to prevent further vein issues. Prevention is really key to great veins.

If you don't know the difference between the two kinds of veins I'm referring to:

Spider veins- these are essentially broken capillaries. They are smaller and can look like a spider in shape.

Varicose veins- these are larger veins, that have become distended and fill with blood. The veins are no longer able to prevent the backflow of blood. They can become large, bulging and even painful.

Vein health does go beyond vanity. Varicose veins can cause pain, swelling, and a sense of heaviness. Surgery is always an option, but it's quite expensive. The good news is that there is a natural much more inexpensive ways to not only prevent vein issues, but treat exhisting ones.Varicose and Spider veins are very genetically tied. If your mother, aunts, or grandmother had them than you are susceptible as well.

There are a few key things that can substantially help prevent and treat both varicose and spider veins.

Horse Chestnut- This is #1 for vein integrity. It tones the veins and blocks the enzyme that can break down vein and capillary walls.

Butcher's Broom- It's anti-inflammatory, astringent, and also tones the veins

Grapeseed extract- A powerful antioxidant that helps repair the structure and function of the veins.

Bioflavanoids- Vit C, Hesperidin, Rutin, and Diosdim are some of the top bioflavanoids used for veins. They help with the structural integrity of the veins and prevent free radical damage. They are also anti-imflammatory.

There are many other things that I could type on about but I want to keep this short. If you want, you can look up Natto for varicose veins. It's also great for Deep Vein Thrombosis. I am currently taking Nature's Way Leg Veins OPC's. If you're pregnant please don't take this kind of supplement internally as the safety is not determined. You can take bioflavanoids while pregnant, though. Topical is another way to go. It doesn't work as well as internally, but if you need extra relief or you're pregnant it would be a good option. Planetary Formula's Horse Chestnut Cream or Aloe Life Leg Gel are both great topical formulas.And just a little FYI, all these things are also great for hemorrhoids :)

Does Sunscreen Really Save your Skin?

2011-09-21T09:53:00.000-06:00

Controversal subject #1... Sunscreen. Your Dermotologist tells you to wear it and they've gotta be right..right? All across America, we are slathering a Chemical Cocktail on ourselves and our children, in order to "Save our Skin". The reality is that we are doing more damage than good.

Did you know that Sunscreen is classified by the FDA as an over the counter drug? And the sad part is that these "drugs" are not tested and regulated like they should be. New non-FDA studies are showing that these sunblocking chemicals have side effects when absorbed through the skin. They are also finding that the addition of Vitamin A to sunscreen turns toxic and cancer causing when exposed to sunlight.

So what do you do now? I say, don't wear sunscreen! I can't remember the last time I put it on. I'm a huge proponent of Vitamin D, and you can't make D without sun exposure. Maybe you are super fair skinned or you're going to be out for extended periods of time. If so, you can purchase a natural sunblock that is mineral based.

Zinc oxide and Titanium dioxide are the only safe sunscreens. Most Health Food Store carry the natural sunblocks, but be sure and read the label. For whatever reason some of these natural brands are still making some sunscreens with chemicals. Most that use only Zinc and Titanium Dioxide will specify Mineral on the label. The one I keep on hand for my kiddos is All Terrain Kids Sport Spray. I love the idea of the ease of a spray and it's also water resistent. I know Aubrey Organics line is also chemical free. Alba Botanicals makes a Mineral sunscreen as does Jason Organics. These sunscreens are all reasonably priced and I know at Wayne and Mary's Nutrition here in Sioux Falls, they are 20% off this summer.

Natural Relief for Ear Infections

2011-03-22T20:11:00.005-06:00

I experienced the very first ear infection in our family a few months back. When you realize that I have 3 kids ages 4, 3, and 1, this seems like a miracle. This proves to me that breast feeding, chiropractic care, limited sugar and pasteurized dairy, and vitamins and supplements really do work for kids. I had chronic ear infections as a kid, so it's obviously not genetics. My daughters ear infection showed me what can really work, and work well. I'll talk more about her story in a bit.
So many times we confuse earaches with ear infections. Earaches can be caused by teething or even a cold virus that is increasing pressure on the ear. It's very important to distinguish between the two and to let your pediatrician know that you want antibiotics only as a last resort. One pediatrician even told me she has to read the mom to see if the mom is expecting a prescription. She said even if the child may not necessarily need antibiotics, she will write the script for the mom's peace of mind. So, be sure and let your Doctor know what you expect. Many times I went in for a diagnoses and did my own treatment as I'm not a fan of antibiotics, steriods, and the many other common presriptions they use for children's issues.
There are 2 different kinds of actual ear infections. One being as Dr. Green calls it the "vanilla" infection or OME (otis media effusion) Germ filled fluid is present, but antibiotics aren't needed. A "red" or AOM (acute otis media) infection on the other hand is insanely painful and inflammed. So be sure and ask the Dr. if it's an OME or AOM infection. He'll be impressed you studied up. These "red" kinds of infections need pain relief which I'll get to later. The revolutionary 2004 AAP/AAFP ear infection guidelines teach us that even these "red" infections are often better treated without antibiotics! The body is usually able to kill and drain the infection on its own. Antibiotics work for a select group of children, but it can actually do a lot of detriment to the rest. Overuse can create a breeding ground for resistant bacteria. It's also killing so much of the beneficial bacteria in the body that are important for the gut and sinuses. So the cycle can continue again and again. Antibiotics don't build your immune system, but can do quite the opposite. Health begins in the gut..but that's another blog post for another day.
Ultimately, the decision whether to use antibiotics will still be presented to you by your doctor. You have the option to "wait and see". This means you have the Doctor write the script and then after a 48-72 hour period, if their is no improvement or it has worsened, you can go fill that script. Be sure and talk through all this with your Doctor. Most are comfortable with the wait and see approach.
So if you decide to forgo antibiotics, what are some natural alternatives? First and foremost, I agree with Dr. Green (one of my favorite pediatricians) when he says pain relief is more important that antibiotics. I'd much rather give my child a few doses of ibuprophen than give them a bunch of antibiotics. If you can relieve the pain, like I said, most ear infections will clear up on their own.
Another great option is Chiropractic Care. An adjustment can help the fluid drain helping with relief of pain and faster healing. Make sure the chiropractor specializes in children. Some have limited experience or education in adjusting kids and babies.
Drops are great for pain relief. There are homeopathic eardrops now sold everywhere from big box stores to your local health food store. Herbs for Kids makes White Willow and Garlic oil drops. I've had friends have great results with those. White Willow is what they make aspirin out of, so it helps numb and the garlic helps kill bacteria. These drops are supposed to be warmed, and the heat helps with pain as well. Xylitol is something that is supposed to be great for prevention of ear infections. It works by inhibiting the bacteria, Streptococcus pneumoniae, which is one of the major causes of ear infections. Nature's Plus Inner Ear Support and Kal Ear-a-sarus are great. You can also let your kids chew xylitol gum or suck on the mints. For little ones, you can buy it in the sweetener isle of your local store and put a 1/2 tsp in their food or drink. Spry is a great brand of Xylitol gum and mints. I use their toothpaste as well.
What was my daughters miracle cure? Well, I did have her adjusted and I used garlic oil drops, but she still could not sleep without ibuprophen because of the pain. When it got to 72 hours from when she first started complaining, I started to wonder if she was that select few and might really need antibiotics. Then I remembered I had a little bit of Purest Colloids Mesosilver left. I couldn't believe I had forgotten about it. It had been packed away from when we moved. I got it out and put a couple drops in her ear and had her lay there for 10 minutes. I then gave her a tsp to swallow. I did this 2 more times that day. She slept through the night and didn't complain again! Mesosilver is seriously amazing. I'm going to write an entire post on it as I've seen it do incredible things in my family. And it's non toxic, safe for kids, and has an infinite shelf life. I've put it in my eye for an eye irritation, nasal washed with it for sinus infection and allergy relief, and used it in my daughters ear. Each time it yielded fantastic results. I have more stories of what it has done that I'll include in my post on Mesosilver. There is truly nothing like it on the market. I'm currently getting the local health food store here in Sioux Falls where I'm now practicing (Wayne and Marys) to carry it. If you're not local you can order it on the website www.purestcolloids.com

A Thrifty Mom's Dream

2011-02-23T12:15:00.005-06:00

I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! As with everything I blog about, I have to use it and be 100 percent sure it's awesome before I go blabbing about it. I pride myself on being the researcher and skeptic that I am. So many people get sucked into the latest this or newest that, and with no strict regulations on natural health products it's hard to know what to buy and what's a scam.
That being said, I've been processing this one for a while. It is the "it" thing here in Sioux Falls and all my Mom friends have been riding this train for a while. Even with it's popularity, I had to try it and research it for myself as it really almost seemed too good to be true!
So what is it? Well, what would you say if I told you you could throw away your cleaners and still disinfect your house? I'm talking floors, mirrors, kitchen counters, and even dust while eliminating 99.9 percent of bacteria. And I'm talking all bacteria from MSRA to Staph, Strep and even viruses like pneumonia and the flu!
Let me introduce you to Norwex. As the name implies, this company was based in Norway. Now several Scandinavian countries use Norwex products to disinfect their hospitals. Someday I hope America catches on.
They have several products, but I'm only going to talk about my favorites. The first being the
amazing Antibacterial Cloths, Towels, Mops, Window Cloth and Dust Mitt. If any of you have or clean with microfibers, you know how much better they clean and absorb water than your typical rag or towel. Norwex turned it up 100 notches. Do I sound like a salesman yet? I assure you
it's pure excitement as I'm super pumped how well these actually work!
Imagine one human hair split lengthwise 6 times. This is your run of the mill microfiber from walmart or whatever. Now split that hair 100 times. This is a Norwex microfiber and this fineness is why Norwex microfibers can pickup 99.9 percent of bacteria off the surface and not cross contaminate. Even if you used disinfecting spray, your spreading the bacteria around as you continue to wipe with a regular rag or microfiber. Same goes with a mop. You are also getting bacteria on your hands if you're not wearing gloves. There is no cross contamination with Norwex! I have studies I can get to you if your still a skeptic. Most cleaners are protein based and leave a residue for more bacteria to grow on. Since you're only using water and Norwex Microfiber to pick up all the residue, there's nothing left for the bacteria to grow on.
Now it gets even better. The microfibers sterilize themselves. There is a patent pending micro silver woven into the fibers that kills the bacteria! No more musty washcloths, no more washing after one use for fear of spreading germs. Just rinse it out after you wipe something down and hang it to dry. You do want to launder them once a week or so with non lint producing things like jeans.
Have I convinced you yet? Of course for me, seeing was going to be believing. I read all the info, heard my friends raving about it and how much money it saves them a month to not buying cleaners or face wash anymore. Yes, the body pack and face cloths will take off your makeup (even waterproof mascara) all while washing off any bacteria. Some friends use them in the shower and forgo soap because the cloths are disinfecting there bodies as well! No body
odor folks! Bacteria is what makes ya stink!
I remember the first time I got my Enviro Cloth wet. My countertops were a mess, my glass top stove had gunk on it and my stainless steel appliances were fingerprinted. I thought, "I can't imagine how this is going to get the baked gunk off the top of my stove or leave my stainless
steel streak free, but here goes." The countertops wiped down nicely and then I got to my stove. No lie, I wiped things off with ease that I usually would have taken some cleaner and a lot more elbow grease. Okay, now to the fridge. I had a window cloth and figured I'd have to use it to shine up the fridge cause surely with only water, this cloth would still leave streaks? Not a streak to be seen! Stainless steel cleaner is now thrown in the trash! And I can tell you I've done this time after time now with the same results!
Now, my mirrors. Cleaning mirrors with water? Surely not? I wiped the mirror down with my moist enviro cloth and then dried it with the window cloth. Perfect..better than Windex with no stinky smell and far better than the stinky Vinegar I was using that left streaks! I finally started to really understand why all my friends are batty over this stuff! And the best part is that these cloths will last a LONG LONG time and will retain their effectiveness. I'm talking YEARS folks! The cloths even have a 2 year warranty!
Just think how nice it would be to have a bath towel that not only absorbs more water, but doesn't smell like mildew after a couple days. Or being able to mop your floor with only water and know it's virtually bacteria free! Even if you've gone green with your cleaners already (as I was). Norwex pays for itself after a few months! And kids...don't get me started on kids. Eliminating soap in their bath? Kids with eczema or sensitive skin will truly benefit from this. They even make kid packs in bright colors.
I wanna talk about one more product and then I tell you how to get ahold of this stuff. My last post was about mattresses. For those of you who can't afford to get a natural latex one that naturally repels dust mites, Norwex makes a product for your Mattress. Their Mattress Cleaner is enzyme based and just 12 to 15 sprays for a queen bed every 4 months will keep the dust mites at bay. It naturally "eats" the organic matter (aka skin cells, etc) that dust mites feed on. Their carpet cleaner is supposed to be amazing too, I haven't tried it will but will let you know when I do. No chemicals...okay, I'll shut up now.
So, how can you get your hands on Norwex. Well, the best way is to have a party! Norwex is similar to companies like Pampered Chef in that the hostess walks away with free stuff. Norwex is probably the most generous company out there for hostesses. With an average party, the hostess usually walks away with $200 to $250 worth of Norwex products. Wouldn't it be nice to send your guest home knowing that you helped them save money rather than feel guilty that they may have bought a bunch of stuff they didn't need! Because I liked Norwex so much, I signed up to be an affiliate. I figured I could either rave about the stuff giving someone else the business or actually make some money myself. I've been making vitacost.com and other businesses money through my blog...I figured it was time to make some of the profit myself! So... I'm now looking for party holders! You can be anywhere in the USA. I will send you everything you need including demo product, and you just Skype me in to talk about Norwex. I will be in Kansas City in the next few months so I can do parties in person while I'm there and I'm always available in the Sioux Falls area.
If you don't want to have a party, you can also buy Norwex products directly from me. Granted it's not free this way, but you'll still be saving money by not buying cleaners anymore. And there are specials every month so be sure and inquire. Investing in 1 Envirocloth is all you really need to get hooked:) I can get you a catalog or you can go to
www.Norwex.com and check everything out.
I just want to be real with you again for a second. I get approached ALL THE TIME, by people saying "You should sell this or that", and every time I just couldn't do it. I just couldn't justify selling something to someone that a. They didn't need and was going to cost them $$$ every month and b. That I could find cheaper but a different brand elsewhere. No offense to anyone doing a MLM or whatever. Most are good products, I just personally couldn't do it. And not only that, but I know not only is it going to make every Mom's house cleaner and greener, it's going to save her money each month, not cost her more! I'm all about saving money... if you couldn't already tell by my blog...and Norwex saves you money!

So, if you have any questions at all..comment or facebook me or email me at dochealthnut@gmail.com. I'm booking parties now! And I'm excited! Did I say that already??

Or check out my website http://www.amandabox.norwex.biz

Happy Cleaning!

Best Bed for your Buck, Back, and Health!

2011-02-02T11:49:00.006-06:00

If you've followed my blog, or know me personally, you know that I am a deal hunter. Living a healthy lifestyle is expensive, but I do it on a budget that most people would never believe. It takes a lot of searching and time, but it's totally worth it to me. Some of you don't like to spend hours searching and researching so you read my blog because I do it for you! Ha! This is why I blog. I can hardly stand to keep it in! I love sharing a good deal!
All that said, we've been in the market for a good mattress...for years really. We just haven't had the money to drop on a brand new mattress and when we did, I didn't just want some old thing of craigslist. I'll buy all my furniture off craigslist, but a mattress is different. Mattresses can have creatures living in them...yuck!
Our mattress is probably 20+ years old (it was my mom and dads) so it was in awful shape. Needless to say, our backs suffered because of it. I knew I wasn't going to get a mattress with springs. Not only are they not good for your back, studies have shown the springs can act as a sort of antenna and conduct electromagnetic frequencies!
My husbands been pushing the tempurpedic for years. I personally did not want to pay that kind of money for a mattress, but he insisted they were "the best". He knew people that had them and loved them. Well, after researching I found out they were not in fact the best. Don't get me wrong, some people love their tempurpedics, but there are numerous websites with complaints about how they get body indentations and that they won't replace them unless they're over 3/4 inch deep. There are many other complaints about sagging and the fact that they get really hot. This was enough for me to say no way to that price tag! I read on to find out that the mattresses have a chemical like odor that can last for days after opening! Ummm...what are these memory foam mattresses made of? They are not natural! I don't want to be breathing in that stuff night after night! The chemical factor alone would be enough for me to say no.
My searching led me to natural latex beds. They offer a similar feel as memory foam, are all natural, and don't break down. Site after site, I read reviews about different latex beds. Most had great reviews, but man...I just didn't want to shell out $2500 to $3000 for a bed! We really wanted a king, but at this point I figured we were just going to have to stick to a queen. I would recommend not just going to your local mattress store and buying a latex bed. Most latex beds are un-natural talay or a blend of natural and synthetic latex, which will lead to sagging. 100% natural dunlop will not sag. The 100% natural latex also repels dust mites, bed bugs, and they're naturally anti-microbial.
What about "organic" beds? If you have the money, go for it. I would LOVE to have a horse hair and wool bed. But when I can buy a decent car for the price of a bed, well, it ain't happenin'. King beds on most websites for natural wool, horsehair, and even latex beds were upwards of $10,000! Most ran around $5-$6,000 for a king. Way out of my price range! But, the website I got my bed from does make an organic version. I just didn't want to pay an extra $300 dollars for the "organic" slipcover over the all natural latex. The price trumped the "organicness" for me, but if you have severe allergies or chemical sensitivities, the $300 would be worth it for you.
Are you ready?
Da, da, da, da..... Drumroll please!!
http://www.sleepez.com/
I could not find a bad review for these beds, and you can customize your his and her sides to your liking! You have 90 days to exchange out your layers if you decide you want it softer or firmer. It also comes with a 20 year warranty!

Here's the catch...I'm going to let you in on a little secret... I was going to buy the 8500 King bed. We like a firm bed and so there was no need to buy the 10,000 or 13,000. The salesman said the thicker the bed, the softer you can make it. Anyhow, I was prepared to pay the nearly $1,700 dollar pricetag as it was so much cheaper than the other natural latex beds. Then, I noticed on the homepage it said SPECIAL. I clicked on it to find beds that weren't anywhere else on the site. $1395 for a King??? What??.. and it's only 1/2 an inch thinner than the 8500 King which was $1675??!! I called to see why the huge price cut and he said that it's because of the cover the bed goes inside. The 8500 has a thicker/softer cover than the 8000. I thought, shoot I can buy a cushy mattress topper for $50...why pay $300??!!
So, just to clarify...we bought the 8000 King for $1395 and we love it! We got firm/med/soft and it's plenty firm for us. Shaun is very helpful and will help you create a bed for yourself, and like I said, you can always exchange the layers if you'd like it a little softer or firmer. And did I tell you you'll be avoiding sales tax and it's free shipping??!! What an amazing deal! If you went to your local mattress place you're going to be paying around 6%+ in sales tax!

Here's some comparisions...

Tempupedic King- Full of Chemicals, but potentially comfortable $1700+ ($1700 is the bottom of the line mattress)

Habitat Natural Latex 8" King- (also had great reviews) $2100 plus shipping!!

Sleep EZ Natural Latex 8" King- $1395 free shipping!!

I promise that I spent literally days searching and my personal conclusion is that www.sleepez.com makes the best bed for you buck, your back, and your health!! And remember the are coil free and all natural latex.

Here's a plus as well. I called to see if they offered a referral program as I was going to write this blog post. They do! I'm not greedy. If you order a bed and love it, spread the word and make some moola! It's not much, but hey, anything helps. I can assure you that I was going to write this post anyhow, I just can't contain a good deal:)

If you decide to order one, email me at dochealthnut@gmail.com or facebook me and let me know you're ordering. You can also ask me questions about the bed if you want. You can email Shaun at Shaunm@sleepez.com for any questions and let him know Amanda Box referred you or call their toll free number.

Thanks and happy sleeping!

Alligator got your skin??

2011-01-06T15:58:00.003-06:00

Second to seasonal affective disorder, dry skin is my biggest complaint during the winter months. I've had several people ask me how to combat it, so here's my recommendations.

1. Buy a Humidifier!! Not just one either. One isn't going to make a dent unless you live in a tiny apartment. We have 4 humidifiers that we've collected through the years. We have one in each bedroom and one in our living area. This will help with not only your skin, but a dry scratchy throat and chapped lips. And of course it's a must for the cold or flu. Be sure and change your filter as needed and clean it every few days. I run a little hydrogen peroxide through mine to kill any germs. I'm a big fan of the warm mist ones because most of them kill bacteria. Drs. quit recommended them because they are hot to the touch and can burn if kiddos decide to touch them. So please use caution.

2. Switch from lotion to pure coconut oil. I use it on my body and I rub my kiddos down with it. You can feed it to them while you're rubbing them down:) And yes, you eat it too!! It won't make you fat, I promise. It actually burns fat. Read my previous article.

3. Dry brush your skin daily. This will slough off your old dry skin. Read my previous post about it's many benefits.

4. Eat more fat!!! Good fat that is. Raw milk, raw butter, avocados, cold pressed olive oil (1tbsp a day or more), coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut butter, and grapeseed oil.

5. Primrose and borage oils are rich in GLA which are nourishing for the skin. Take 4 capsules daily for extra dry skin. You can also double up on your fish oil. Your brain and heart will thank you too:)

6. Skinfood by Weleda is a great moisturizer for the winter months. A little goes a long way. It's great for baby's chapped cheeks, dry elbows, or for a dry tight face. It's become a skincare staple in our home.

Hope this helps! I just discovered I now live in the 8th coldest city in the USA, but alas, my skin is not dry. It works!

Product Reviews

2010-11-09T20:11:00.003-06:00

I've been trying several new products and I wanted to wait at least a month before I reviewed them. I get so excited about trying new things. It's like an adventure for me. I wish supplement and natural body care companies would hire me to do reviews. That would be a dream!
With winter on it's way and cold a flu season at its height, I stocked up on immune boosters for myself and my kids. I also tried a couple new skin products too. Here's what I tried and what I think!

Source Naturals Herbal Wellness Peppermint- Great stuff, aside from the taste. It's really hard to make Echinacea and Goldenseal taste good since they're so bitter. I learned that adding it to some water made it easier for my kids to take. I will be re-ordering this in the larger size. My girls started to get sick and this nipped it in the bud. There aren't many good formula's out there for kids that are strong enough in my opinion. This formulation is great.

Source Naturals Immune Chewable- The ingredients looked good, but this tasted so bad I had to send it back. My girls aren't even that picky, but they wouldn't touch this.

New Chapter Immunity Take Care- This is a little overpriced for an Elderberry Lozenge, but they taste great (most lozenges are bitter) and they guarantee that it's in your bloodstream within 30 minutes. I trust New Chapter and there potencies. This is great for adults and children.

Bio-Chem Wellmax- AMAZING! I actually grabbed this at Whole Foods on the clearance shelf because the ingredient list was fantastic. What a great product! I cannot even begin to tell you the stress I've had over this last month, and inevitably, when I'm stressed, my defenses are down and I get sick. Not this time! I really believe it's the addition of Bee Propolis and NAC which is not commonly in these sort of immune blends. You start out with 3 tablets twice a day for 3 days. You then take 3 once a day for 8 weeks, take a week break, and then repeat the 8 week cycle again. You want to take a week break after 2 months with any product that has a lot of echinacea in it.

Source Naturals L-Theanine Serene- I've been recommending this for stress and have been unable to take because I was breastfeeding. Now that I'm down to only 2 feedings a day, I thought I'd have it on hand for those days when I'm about to pull my hair out. It works every bit as good or better than I thought it would!! This is a must have! Keep it in your purse so you have it with you and take as needed.

Solaray Adrenal Caps- My adrenals have definitely taken a hit over the last 4 years. Having 3 children 4 years old and under drains me and deprives me of much needed sleep. This is my go to product for adrenal restoration. It's very inexpensive and gives the extra boost I need. If you rely on a lot of caffeine, live a high stress lifestyle, or get too little sleep, you probably have exhausted adrenal glands. This is a safe and inexpensive way to get back your energy.

North American Herb and Spice Oreganol Cream- This stuff is incredible, as is anything from North American Herb and Spice. They are the best of all the oregano products on the market. I've come to the realization that they are totally worth the higher price tag. With my love of oregano oil, I HAD to try this cream. I just turned 30...*GASP* (wow, it still hurts to say it), and I'm always on a mad hunt for anti-aging products. This formulation is packed with the highest ranking antioxidants in the world! And the stuff is completely natural. How natural, you ask? So natural you could eat it. It's made of bee products like honey, propolis, and royal jelly mixed with some amazing herbal oils like oregano, lavender, and St. John's Wort. Warning..this stuff burns for about 60 seconds after you apply it. The cost of beauty is painful sometimes. It doesn't burn any worse than my 10% glycolic acid cream, so I'm used to it. It's bringing blood to the surface bringing circulation to the skin which heals and rejuvenates. I can guarantee that this cream is the only all around antibacterial, antiviral, antiparasitic, antifungal and antioxidant cream on the market. It would awesome not only as a face cream to prevent and improve the signs of aging, but great for cuts, sores, fungal infections,and so much more. This cream is truly the "cream dela cream" cure-all folks.

Reviva Labs Hydrogen Peroxide Scrub- This is really not a scrub at all, but rather a detoxifying wash. The hydrogen peroxide and collodial kaolin clay draw out impurities on a cellular level. I really like it a lot and my skin looks great after using it. I still require a real gritty scrub to really remove the dead skin though. Not positive if I'll purchase it again, but it's a nice product if you're looking for something a bit milder than a grainy scrub.

Hope you enjoyed.

Virus Butt Kickers

2010-10-06T09:24:00.002-06:00

With the Flu season right around the corner, I thought I'd list some things I like and use for prevention and treatment of the flu. Realize you may have to spend around $50+ a month on supplements for prevention, but think how much money you'll save by not missing work and not having to go to the Doc! It's totally worth it. Oct-Feb are the months that you want to focus on increasing your immune system. You wouldn't necessarily need to take these year round unless your immune system is running on the low side for some reason.
I don't take all of these at once, but I'll pick and choose a couple and sometimes switch it up the next month.

New Chapter Life Shield Immunity- a blend of mushrooms for deep immune support.

New Chapter Supercritical Sinus and Respiratory- Great for treating and preventing sinus infections, colds, and the flu. Packed full of herbs like garlic, oregano, echinacea, and elderberry.

New Chapter Immunity Take Care- Elderberry lozenges perfect for kids or those pregnant or nursing. New chapter uses a patented process to insure the quality and strength of the elderberry.

Cold Snap- A blend of Chinese herbs formulated to be taken when the weather suddenly changes and therefore sickness starts to flourish. Great for respiratory issues and colds.

Oregano oil- A powerful natural anti-parasitic anti-viral anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial. I've had luck with the cheaper kind like Solaray, but have been purchasing the North American Herb and Spice which is the best and most powerful. They make a plethora of Oregano products including a new nasal spray!

Vit C- Ester C and Ascorbyl Palmitate are my favorite forms. Ester C is great to use for the Vit C flush where you take 1000 mg every 30 minutes until your bowels move and then 1000 mg every 4 hours after than. You can do this upon feeling the beginnings of sickness and it can stop it from multiplying. I'm using Ascorbyl Palmitate right now because it's fat soluble so it stays in your system longer.

Honey Gardens Elderberry- A blend of raw honey, propolis, elderberry and apple cider vinegar. Great for kids and pregnant and nursing moms. Elderberry is a powerful antiviral. You can also dilute it with water and call it "juice" and get your children to drink it. I took this every hour last time I was sick. It's something you don't have to worry about ODing on because it's food.

Bee Propolis- Powerful Immune Booster and Antioxidant. Good for kids too. Try and hide it in their food because it can be quite bitter.

The Master Tonic- Refer to my blog post about it. Make yours immediately because it take 3 weeks until it's ready! Gargle a tsp and swallow every day!

Vitamin D- At least 35 IU per pound of body weight a day. Increase dosage if you're sick! I triple or quadruple dosage when I'm sick. I do that for 3-5 days.

Emergen-C- This is my kids "juice". They get a half of a pouch a day, and a full pouch if they become sick.

I could keep adding to this list, but these are my favorites.
Don't forget to keep taking your multi, fish oil, and probiotics daily. These are foundational supplements and should be always taken! Also, stress greatly effects your immune system so try and keep your stress levels down. Refer to my old blog post to see some great things to take for stress as well!

Big Bad Birth Control

2010-08-19T10:34:00.005-06:00

There is a lot of controversy surrounding birth control pills. I'm not going to write a humongous post on it. I'm just going to highlight some things I feel are important. If you want more info and more research, please look into this further. www.mercola.com is a great site to start with.

Birth Control was the first "medicine" designed to be taken when your not even sick. That in itself sounds so wrong to me....

First, let's cover the 3 things that the pill does in order to prevent you from getting pregnant.
1. Prevents your ovaries from releasing eggs
2. Thickens your cervical mucus, which helps to block sperm
3. Thins the lining of the uterus so that implantation of the egg would be difficult.

Number 1 and 2 sound okay, but if you believe life begins with conception, then number 3 should worry you. Number 3 means that if an egg is fertilized (and we know that ovulation can still occur while on the pill), it will have a slim chance of attaching to the uterian lining, therefore causing you to miscarry. You have anywhere from a 1% to a 28% chance of ovulating while on the pill. Do the math.
Kind of a scary, huh? And I did my research and this applies to all hormone based birth control, including the Nuvaring, Depro Shot, and the IUD.

If the miscarry risk alone is not enough to scare you away, lets talk about the slew of health risks that these synthetic hormones do to your body. I'm sure you've heard about hormone replacement therapy causing an increase in breast cancer. Well, these are the same hormones that are in the pill (just in different ratios). The synthetic hormone progestin increases your chance of breast cancer as much as 8% per year of use!! This is astounding to me! The pill is also connected with an increase chance of heart attack and stroke. And these chances are real, people. They're not just the tag on at the end of the birth control commercials. I just read a story in Heart Health for Women by Dr. Sinatra. He had a 30 year old patient have a heart attack. No one would have realized what was wrong with her and she would have died. Luckily he was smart enough to look at her history and saw that she was on the pill and smoked, creating a deadly combo.

Hormonal birth control has a load of health problems associated with it. We've talked about breast cancer, but it also increases the risk of cervical cancer. Blood clots are a possibility and if your pill contains desogestrel your risk of dying from a blood clot doubles! The pill also increases artery plaque contributing to heart disease. If you're on or have used the pill long term you can have problems gaining muscle mass, have thin, brittle bones, and it can dimish of your sex drive. And most of you know the weight gain, the irregular bleeding, and changes in mood they cause. It also depletes riboflavin, B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin c and zinc. All of this in the name of convenience. Is it really worth it?

There are more side effects like systematic candida, contributing to the pain and growth of cysts in women with PCOS (polycystic ovary disease), the inability to get pregnant once you go off of it, and so much more. The risks to me, far outweigh the benefit of preventing pregnancy. If you don't take the pill perfectly every day, the percentage of prevention changes to from 99% to 95%...and who takes it perfectly??

So, what can you use instead? Natural Family Planning works amazing once you really know what you're doing (percentages are among the highest in preventative methods). Diaphrams with spermicide and cervical caps are another option. Condoms...well let's be honest, nobody likes them, but they do work. Your OB-GYN can fit you for a diaphram or cervical cap and they'll write you a script for it. They cost about $50 and they last for 2-4 years. I am currently using a diaphram and I wish I had known about it's benefits earlier.

If you're stubborn and won't budge on hormonal birth control, please take DIM. It's a supplement that filters out excess estrogen. Vitanica makes a product called OC Companion. It contains DIM and other nutrients that hormonal contraceptives deplete.

I am laying the smack down, so to speak, but I too am guilty. I too, took birth control. The pills made me crazy, so I switched to the Nuva Ring for over a year (the nuva ring has about half the estrogen) and took DIM to filter out even more of the estrogen. My attempt to "control" my chances of getting pregnant outweighed my knowledge of how bad the stuff was for me. Once I heard the statistics on it causing miscarriages, I stopped. The fact is, that even 1% is a chance. I know several people who have gotten pregnant on the pill and on an IUD. It happens. Try as we may, ultimately, God is in control.

The Master Tonic

2010-08-04T14:50:00.002-06:00

By now, if you've been following my blog, you know I'm a sucker for cheap home remedies that you can make yourself. I finally got around to making a batch of Master Tonic. I took it when I felt a cold coming on and it stopped it that day! Another reason why I'm now hooked on Master Tonic is that it's safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding! You are so limited in what you can take for your immune system during those times, so this is a fantastic remedy to have on hand! It's just food!

It is quite simple to make Master Tonic, although it is stinky. I think it's well worth it. I made a small batch the first time, just to make sure it would work. Next time I'm going to make a quarts worth. Personally, I gargle and swallow a tablespoon or 2 a day. When I was feeling a sore throat/cold coming on, I took a 2 teaspoons and gargled it and swallowed every hour or so. Gargling helps kill the bacteria lingering in the throat and can also wash down any viruses hanging out there. Your stomach acid can kill viruses, so it's good to get them out of the throat!

You'll want to use equal parts of each ingredient. The only one that might be hard to find would be the horseradish.

1 part garlic cloves
1 part onion
1 part horseradish root
1 part Ginger root
1 part hot peppers like jalapeno
Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (Like Braggs)

Blend in your blender (if you have an awesome blender like a vitamix) or grate each ingredient and dump into a jar. You can't really grate peppers, so finely chop them. Pour apple cider vinegar in until it fully covers the ingredients. Put on the lid and shake. Shake every day as often as you think to for 3 weeks. Strain the mixture through an unbleached coffee filter. Take it as needed or once a day as preventative!
Garlic is anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic, anti-fungal and anti-viral. It also has a host of other benefits for the heart like lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.
Onion has very similar characteristics as garlic.
Horseradish is great for the sinuses, making this incredible for sinus infections!
Ginger is fantastic for circulation, nausea, digestion, inflammation and the list goes on.
Peppers help with circulation and also kill bacteria lingering in the throat when you gargle with them.

This tonic is also great for kids if they'll take it. You could leave the peppers out if you think they'd take it without the heat. My kids will take it as is. They think it's a game to get to gargle it.

Cheers to Master Tonic. Word of caution, don't kiss your spouse right after taking it:)

Health Foods that I love...

2010-07-27T15:17:00.001-06:00

I thought I'd tell you about some foods that I love to use, that might go unnoticed on the store shelves of your health food store. I LOVE fermented foods. They're one of the healthiest things you can put in your body. If you want to give your gut some lovin', eat some fermented foods...and I don't mean Activia or some other sugarladen yogurt..
Some of you would be surprised to know that there is fermented cottage cheese. Nancy's brand makes it, and although it has a little "kick" like yogurt, it's very delicious. It's packed full of protein as well. 14 grams per 1/2 cup!
Another great fermented food that people seem to forget about is saurcraut. Be sure and read the ingredients though. Some add vinegar and you don't want that. A good German sauerkraut will never have vinegar. Bubbie's makes one that is in the fridge section of health food stores, but I'm currently eating one straight from Germany:)
Kim Chi is basically the same thing as sauerkraut but has a totally different flavor. I'm not a huge fan, but a lot of people love it.
Kefir is another great fermented food/drink. Some brands have more "fizz" than others. I believe Helios is the fizziest (I like it fizzy), but most brands just taste like liquid yogurt. Always buy plain and sweeten with stevia. Most yogurt and kefir that is flavored is packed with sugar! Speaking of Yogurt...have you tried the "Greek Gods" brand? Delish!! It's like heaven!
And of course, Kombucha. You gotta love Kombucha. Refer to my old post to find out how to make your own!
Bread..I love Bread, but Gluten and Yeast bloat me up and make me look 5 months preggo... so I stick to sprouted bread. Although there is Yeast and Gluten in most sprouted breads, there is significantly less. And since it's sprouted, it's alive,just like fermented foods are alive! I eat the Food for Life Raisin 7 Grain bread (same company as Ezekiel) every morning. I like the 7 Grain better because it doesn't have sprouted soy, and I have an intolerance to soy. I also enjoy Alvarado Street Sprouted Barley and Sprouted Sourdough. Their bread seems moister to me than Ezekiel. I also eat the Ezekiel Tortillas and Ezekiel Corn tortillas quite often. The tortillas are completely yeast free. Manna bread is a delicious sprouted bread that is yeast and gluten free and is like a dessert! It's so yummy and has no added sugar!
For those of you who just can't get into the sprouted bread (my husband), try breads that are fermented and yeast-free like authentic sourdough. Most artisan breads are fermented, but you'll have to label read to make sure. French Meadows is a brand who's entire line is yeast free. I was unable to find it at Whole Foods, but Nature's Pantry carries it. Fermented breads are not only free of added yeast but the phytic acid is fermented out of the bread. Phylates (phytic acid) is in raw grains, nuts and seeds. It makes bread hard to digest, and it binds to calcium and zinc, leaching it out of your body! In turn..it's not good for you at all!
This is my theory to why the French and Italians are so skinny when they eat a lot of bread!! It's artisan bread so the body is processing it better. That's just my theory!
So, my goal is to make some fermented bread. My husband has been begging me to make "Fresh Bread" and my response is always "So we can get fat?". So I'm going to bake him fresh bread now, but it's going to be fermented and healthy! Here's the video I'm following. Serene is amazing by the way. She has a house full of adopted kids and still feeds them all so healthy!

Make your own Deodorant

2010-06-11T21:47:00.004-06:00

I get so excited when I find something that you can make for cheap, that's natural, and it really works. I've been using natural deodorant for close to 10 years. First it was out of sheer pain. Regular deodorant was causing me to breakout in welts. I didn't even know about the dangers of aluminum at that point. Most natural deodorants didn't work for me. I finally found Alvera Aloe and Herb and Alvera Almond. I have been using them for years, but I have to reapply for it to keep working. It also isn't an antiperspirant so I was always self conscience when it was really hot out that I'd soak my sleeves.
When I saw this recipe for homemade natural deodorant I had to try it. I tweaked it a little, cause well... that's what I do. I had all the ingredients on hand already. If you still have your old deodorant stick, just screw it back down to the bottom and fill it with this. If not, you can just apply it with your fingers. It only takes a thin layer and if you add antibacterial essential oils, it'll last all day. I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that once applied, it's clear and isn't white or chalky! If you're not using natural deodorant already, it may take a week or two for your body to adjust...just FYI. The total cost to make this batch is probably only about $1.50!!

1/4 Cup Baking Soda (I use Bob's Red Mill Aluminum free, not pictured)

1/4 Cup Arrowroot Powder (Some people like to use cornstarch, but corn has so many pesticides and can encourage candida so I passed on it)

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

10+ drops of essential oil (Some antibacterial ones are Tea Tree, Lavender, Thyme, Myrrh, Lemon, Grapefruit, Peppermint) (I used lemon, peppermint and myrrh)

Mix it all together. You can add more or less to get the consistency you like:)

Fat Phobia

2010-06-10T13:58:00.002-06:00

Fat Phobia...Fear of eating fat. At least that's my definition. I definitely do not have this fear. I can't even begin to imagine how much fat I eat in a day. I put at least a tablespoon of pasture butter on my Ezekiel Toast each morning, eat full fat yogurt, eat avocados, drizzle olive oil on my vegetables, make dressing with Safflower oil, and saute in Coconut oil... I'm probably forgetting even more. Oh yeah, I am. Eggs...I eat LOT's of omega 3 eggs. They will not increase your cholesterol. Don't worry.
Avoiding fat is only good when it's bad fat. You want to avoid fried foods, hydrogenated oils, and basically any kind of processed foods even if they say "trans-fat free". Corn oil, soy oil, canola, and "vegetable oil" are not good for you. They're full of pesticides and do not contain the healthy omega's you want in an oil. Making your food from scratch and eating fresh food is always a great way to avoid unhealthy ingredients.
I am sooo sick of all the diets that focus on calorie counting and rob you of the nutrients and healthy fats your body needs. They seem to promote artificial sweeteners and processed foods all to avoid the forbidden fat and calories. These 1990's based low-fat diets have our nation brainwashed. Yes, you can lose weight on these diets, but there are healthier ways to lose the same weight. Anytime you cut calories you'll lose weight, it's not rocket science, but avoiding good fats will starve your body and brain of what it needs to thrive. And don't even get me started on HCG!!!
A great oil to start with is coconut oil. It may seem hard to believe, but this oil will actually help you burn fat and it stimulates your thyroid. Other healthy oils like primrose, borage, and flax oil help you burn fat as well, just not as well as coconut. Just make sure and get extra virgin, cold pressed coconut oil and any oild for that matter. I have an entire blog post devoted to coconut oil. If you're perimenopausal or in full fledge menopause, you might consider flax oil or blackcurrant oil. You'll have to get the blackcurrant in capsules and you cannot cook flax oil.
I'll say it again, and I feel like I've said it a hundred times... If you want to lose weight in a healthy way please, please, please...before you shoot yourself with HCG or replace your meals with shakes filled with artificial junk, buy The Fat Flush plan and try it first. You could also try the Fast Track Diet and Detox plan. Both books are by Anne Louise Gittleman and can be purchased on Amazon.com for very cheap. Anne Louise is a forerunner in Women's Health, Weight Loss and Detoxing. You will not be disappointed.
Fear sugar, Fear artificial sweeteners, Fear MSG, Fear refined carbs, but please, do not fear good health fats:)

Clear and Healthy Skin

2010-05-20T14:08:00.004-06:00

I feel like a bit of a hypocrite writing this because my skin has been less than it's best lately. All the ups and downs of being pregnant three times in the past 4 years has done a doozy on my hormones. Plus the fact that because I've been pregnant or breastfeeding I haven't been able to do any cleansing!! Cleansing and detoxes are really essential for clearing up your skin. Your skin is your largest eliminatory organ so if toxins can't be processed through your liver and out your bowel quickly enough, they'll find another way, via the skin.
So, on the subject of cleansing for good skin, I'll recommend a few for you to choose from. You always want to start with the colon and then move to the liver...or do one that cleans both simultaneously. Don't attempt to do a liver cleanse before a bowel cleanse...the results won't be good.
You could do the "Clean that colon for realz" cleanse I have posted here on my blog. This is a "No Food" cleanse, which sometimes is easier if you're working. Finding and preparing specific foods can get taxing. I also recommend the Fat Flush Plan or the Fast Track Detox Diet..both by Ann Louis Gittleman. You can get the books for pretty cheap on Amazon. I love Ann Louis's approach to balancing the whole system (hormones, liver, colon,) in order to get the best results possible. The Fast Track is a 8 day detox and the Fat flush is a 2 week. You'll be amazed by the result with any of these cleanses.
Another great thing I've gone without for months and finally bought again is Reviva Labs Glycolic Acid 10% cream. AMAZING stuff. I was using Retin A for my blackheads until I got pregnant and read it was pretty dangerous stuff. What Retin A does is eat off the top layer of skin. That's what blackheads are... they're not dirt, but skin that didn't slough off like it should have and the skin cells clog the pore. I switched to the Glycolic cream and have gotten the same results as retin A! The jar is around $20 and lasts 6+ months. Don't use it on skin with regular pimples because it will irritate and burn them. You could just try and apply around them if you don't have but a few. It's great for wrinkles as well. Since it's eating off that top layer, you'll produce more collagen and you're wrinkle won't be as deep! It also lightens sunspots.
Some supplements that I've found work great for skin are Evening Primrose or Borage oil (these help with moisture and elasticity and breakouts from PMS and hormones) and Solaray's Skin Blend SP-4. The Skin Blend is an herbal blend of blood, liver, and skin cleansing herbs. It works great if you feel like you are detoxing through your skin. There are other things out there that work for the skin, I just like recommending the ones that have helped me personally or people I know.
I've mentioned this before, but I really like the line of skincare called Mychelle. Dr. Haushka is good too, but ultra expensive.
Oh...and let your skin get some sun! Vit D does wonders! Also infared light is the newest thing for collagen production and skin renewal. There are spas around with infared saunas and now some tanning beds are incorporating the red bulbs.

The Horrors of Hair Dye

2010-05-12T17:38:00.002-06:00

I thought to write this because I just dyed my hair. I haven't put regular hair dye on my hair in probably 5 years. I have gotten highlights a few times and only because the stuff doesn't touch your scalp when you get foils. I love dying my hair and I used to change colors all the time. It was a way I found to express myself. Once my hair started breaking off and I ended up with nearly no bangs left for my wedding, I started to think about what I was doing. I started a hunt for dye that wasn't so harsh. I found what I was looking for.
Hair dye is FULL of chemicals. Research has connected a lot of it's chemicals to cancer. It also contains several metals like nickel. Hair dye has been shown in studies to show up in urine within 24 hours...Scary huh? That means that junk gets absorbed in your system, which is why they say don't dye your hair while you're pregnant.
The safest way to color your hair is Henna. The bum deal with Henna is that it can't lighten your hair, but if you want to cover gray, go red, or darken your hair it's perfect! It's also a natural conditioner which is a plus. It looks and smells like dirt, so you know the stuff's gotta be totally natural:) I've used the colorless Henna in the past to add moisture and body to my hair.
The dye I use now is Naturcolor. It's made in Italy and is free of chemicals. You can buy it at Whole Foods and it's only a couple bucks more than what you buy at Walmart. Remember that just because something at the drugstore says "Ammonia Free" or "Gentle" doesn't mean it still isn't packed with harmful stuff. There are some other brands at Wholefoods that are herb based, but I read the ingredients and they don't compare to how natural Naturcolor is. They're still leagues above most drugstore or salon products, though.
I was super pleased to find out that Aveda uses vegetable based color and there permanent hair color is 97% natural!! So if you like to have your hair done at a salon, find an Aveda salon. I'm going to do this next time:)
Best of luck!

The Supernatural is Natural

2010-05-11T14:41:00.001-06:00

This post is going to be less about what to take and more about what I think:)

I get super frustrated with the mentality that alternative medicine is weird, hippy, new age, or useless. I think we've become a bit brainwashed in America. We get sick, we go to the Dr. wanting a prescription to make us feel better. Most times we could fix the problems ourselves without a prescription with side-effects. This goes for so many things whether it be sinus infection or cholesterol. What is better about taking a precription than an herb or a vitamin? I'll never understand.
God created the plants and the trees. He spoke and it was.
If you research about herbs, or homeopathics or essential oils, you'll read about frequencies or vibrations that those herbs, plants, or flowers each have. Don't lose me now...this is not new age, it's science. Everything has a frequency, even our bodies!! Part of how essential oils and some herbs work is that they carry a healing frequency that when we put it onto or into our body, helps heal! This is how sound and music can heal the body as well. If our bodies frequency is off from a sickness, depression, etc, these healing frequencies help bring our bodies back to a healthy frequency. The chinese call it qui, some call it energy, whatever it may be...it's all basically the same. Make sense? I personally think that frequencies are the remains of God's voice after he spoke and created it. That's just what I think... It makes sense in my natural-minded head:)
I love this kinda stuff because it shows me how amazing our God is. It's so interesting to see how He designed it all. And we just know a tiny, tiny bit. The more I study, the more facets I see of our Father. He's just so clever:)

P.S. I do think there is a place for allopathic medicine. People need surgeries, vaccines for deadly viruses like smallpox, and antibiotics (which sadly, I believe are overly prescribed).

Skip the Gatorade and drink this!

2010-04-29T16:42:00.005-06:00

I should have talked about this under my pregnancy post because it helped me so much with my restless legs and heart palpitations during pregnancy. This stuff is nature's Gatorade...only a million times better. It's Coconut Water (I know, me and my coconut stuff, right?)
It is packed full of Potassium and Magnesium, two things that are needed to prevent muscle cramps and help with restless legs. Magnesium has been shown to help with heart palpitations and racing heart beats. You can take these minerals in pill form, but you'll get the most benefit getting them from natural sources.
Most sport drinks are just water, high fructose corn syrup, artificial color and a little salt. Sure, you lose sodium when you sweat, but you lose other valuable minerals too. Coconut Water also has naturally occurring calcium, phosphorus, and iron! It's naturally sweet and very thirst quenching. It's a bit expensive, but I believe it's worth it. A large bottle/box is about $5 and has several servings in it. There are also blends of it and other juices like mango and passionfruit. I drank 2 passionfruit coconut waters after giving birth to my last baby and it was SOOOO satisfying. I would recommend packing a few in your hospital bag to take with you when you have your baby! Nothing the hospital can give you will replenish those lost electrolytes like coconut water!
Another good way to get your electrolyte/minerals is to use trace minerals. You take just a few drops a day. Personally, I can't stand the taste. Maybe there's a good tasting trace mineral supplement out there that I don't know about, but I'm yet to find it. The makers of Emergen-C, Alacer, make an electrolyte powder which tastes pretty good. I used to use it before I discovered coconut water. I would take some sort of electrolyte replacement,especially if you're sweating a lot during exercise or summer heat. Electrolytes are important in every function of the body, including our life-pumping heart!
Man, I wish I lived on an island where coconuts were a dime a dozen! They're so amazing! I use coconut oil, coconut butter, coconut milk, coconut creamer, and coconut water! I even eat coconut ice cream when I have a sweet tooth! I heart coconuts forever!

Sun=Health

2010-04-19T09:23:00.004-06:00

Just a short tidbit. Please go out in the sun now that it's so nice out. It should be a daily health ritual for you. Not only does it boost your Vit D levels that are directly connected to your immune health, but it boosts your mood!
Of course you don't want to get burned, but 20-30 minutes exposing a lot of your skin (wear a tank top and shorts) is all you need. Don't succumb to the FEAR of getting a little sun. A light golden tan is healthy and will not give you cancer. Baking your skin to leather and getting a lot of sunburns can...
And don't forget that if you do use sunscreen use a mineral based kind. You can pick up Burts Bees at just about any store now, or go on Vitacost and search mineral sunscreens for a wide selection. Your local healthfood store will have them too.
Another tip...take astaxanthanin. It helps your skin not burn in the sun and is a wonderful antioxidant. It's not too expensive either.
So get out there today and get your daily D!!

Sugar Coffee Scrub..and it's edible!

2010-04-17T07:43:00.005-06:00

I just made some more scrub yesterday and I thought that I should post the recipe. I never really use exact amounts...even in cooking, which is why I say I'm a great cook, but I can't bake :) Anyhow, you just need 3 ingredients...

Organic Sugar
Organic coffee (ground for drip, anything finer will leave black streaks on the skin)
Oil (I used safflower, you could use Olive or Grapeseed too.)

If I were to guesstimate I probably used about a 1/3 cup of sugar and around 2 tbsp of coffee. You'll find the combo you prefer. I added oil and mixed and added oil again until it was the consistency that I like. You won't want it runny, but not so loose that you can't scoop it up to rub it on your skin. Make sure you put it in an airtight container, like tupperware. It should keep for a month or more outside of the fridge. Keep it in your shower so you won't forget to use it!

I like sugar scrubs vs. salt because I think the salt ones burn sometimes. Using coffee gives the scrub the benefit of caffeine, which brings circulation to the skin. I use it on my face and body and it leaves my skin baby soft. And I also sneak a few tastes, cause it's sooo yummy:)

Stress!

2010-04-14T09:03:00.004-06:00

Stress!!! We all have it in varying degrees. Some of us are plagued with anxiety, some people get down and lose hope. One thing we know for sure is that stress is not good for us. It's hard on our heart, raises our blood pressure, compromises our immune system, and all around ages us inside and out.
There are a gazillion things you can take for stress. This is another reason why I'm so glad I worked in Health Food stores for years. You see what people come in again and again to buy something because it's working so well. The supplements range from mild to strong enough to possibly even make you a little sleepy. Sometimes you have to try a couple things to see works best for you and your body. Don't give up if one thing doesn't work. Listed below are some great things for stress. I'll give a short description of each. I'm listing them from mildest to strongest.

B Vitamins- If you're taking a good multi you should have enough. If not, you can buy B Stress combos which work well for some people.

Holy Basil- I'm taking this right now. You will feel a noticeable difference in your typical day to day stress level. You can drink the tea, or if you want more of a punch, take the capsules. Some days I have both:) Enzymatic Therapy makes the best Holy Basil pills. Source Naturals come in second.

Rhodiola- This does double duty. It decreases you stress level and increases your energy! Can't beat that!

Relora- This not only helps with stress, but stress eating!!

Rescue Remedy- This works amazing for some and not at all for others. You can even give it to children and pets. Great for trauma and works almost immediately because it's in an alcohol base and you put it under the tongue. It's all natural flower essences. Google it to find out more.

Kava Kava- Be careful with Kava, you can take to much of it... It's great for relaxation. There are kava bars in the island it originates from..meaning people drink it in a bar like they would beer. It's been compared to marijuanna without the trippy aspects of it, but it's similar in relaxation properties. Great for anxiety.

Valerian- An herb for the nerves. Some people take it for sleep. Others are so stressed, it helps with their anxiety.

L-theanine- An amino acid that increases dopamine and Gaba in the brain. It is said to be connected with brain waves associated with relaxation.

Gaba- It increases production of alpha brain waves to create a great sense of physical relaxation without decreasing focus.

I really like Theanine Serene by Source Naturals. It incorporates several of the things I have listed. There is also Theanine Serene with Relora for help with stress eating. It's not expensive at all!
And remember to keep you Vit D levels up. 35 IU per lb of body weight a day, unless you spend at least 20 min a day in the sun without sunscreen. D is closely related to mood.

Dry Brushing

2010-03-29T13:07:00.005-06:00

Do you want to get rid of cellulite? Do you have dry skin? Would you like younger looking and softer skin? Would you like better circulation? If you answered yes to any of these, I have a simple way to give you what you're looking for. It's called Dry Brushing and it's the latest thing that I've added to my day.
Dry Brushing is actually Brushing your skin with a natural fiber brush (which is what I use) or loofah. Dry Brushing stimulates lymph flow and circulation. A stagnant lymph system is connected to cellulite. Get that lymph moving and the cellulite will start looking so much better! Dry brushing helps get the lymph moving back into the circulatory system and the toxins circulated out. This is why it also helps with your immune system.
Dry brushing also helps bring circulation to the skin, which helps build better connective tissue and helps in rebuilding skin cells and firms the skin. The most obvious thing that Dry Brushing does is brush off old dead skin. This helps your skin look younger and stimulate your skin to produce more oil, keeping the skin soft and supple.
Your skin is your largest elimatory organ, but it can't always breathe like it should because it gets clogged with dead skin. Increasing circulation to the skin and brushing off the dead skin cells, keeps the skin eliminating wastes and toxins like it should.
Dry brushing also improves the nervous system, digestion, and tones your muscles! Now that you know, why not do this?
Dry Brushing is quite easy. I bought my brush off Vitacost.com for about $3. Here are the directions for Dry Brushing from the book "The Cellulite Solution"

Step 1

Use your fingers to gently massage the areas where your primary lymph ducts are. The ducts are to the left and right of your groin area and just below your collarbone. Spend only a few seconds on this portion of the massage, Gittleman advises. This helps open the ducts.
Step 2

Start your brush massage on the soles of your feet. Use a vigorous, circular motion. Start out pressing gently, and as your skin becomes healthier, press more firmly, Gittleman advises.

Move on to fast and short, upward strokes as you move the brush over your feet and then legs. Continue brushing upwards as you get to your buttocks, waist, stomach and breast areas.
Step 3

Use the circular motion on your palms, then move on to short, upward strokes again as you brush your hands and arms.

Move to the neck, and begin using downward strokes. Go out to your shoulders, down your back and down your breasts, stroking toward your heart. Avoid brushing your face.
Step 4

I would advice doing this before a shower so you can wash away any dead skin that's still on the surface. This process should take around 5 minutes. Remember, you always brush towards the heart:) Two other ways to get your lymph moving is by jumping on a trampoline or just exercising!!!

Have fun brushing!

What I do for my Kids:)

2010-03-17T10:04:00.006-06:00

I'm sure a lot of you want to know what I give my kids. I'm a real believer in just feeding kids "real" food. If you can't pronounce something on the label, why give it to you kid or even eat it yourself for that matter? This doesn't mean my kids have never had fast food or white flour. You have to be realistic, I think. Just listen to your own convictions. I'm not here to tell you what to do, but just share what I do.

I never gave my kids store bought milk to drink. I don't know why pediatricians recommend you do it. I guess the fat and Vit D or something?? If you can get raw milk, that is awesome for them. Go to realmilk.com to find a local farmer who sells it. Otherwise, I wouldn't even have given my kids milk. If you start them on water, they'll develop a taste for it and drink it when they're thirsty instead of wanting a juice or sugary drink to satisfy their thirst. Sometimes I put a little Emergen-C in their water and we call it juice:) Juice itself is pretty much just liquid sugar and I personally don't buy it. If I'm out of or can't get ahold of raw milk, I use coconut milk. Silk makes it now. It has some added sugar, but to me it's the next best thing if you've gotta have milk.
If your kids aren't into veggies, you can do a couple things to sneak them in. One would be to make them a green smoothie and the other would be to give them some yummy greens powder mixed with some water or if you're desperate mix it with juice. I started giving my girls Earth's Promise Strawberry Kiwi Greens powder as soon as they were using a sippy cup. I know there are other ones out there and I've heard that there's even a chocolate one. I prefer the Earth's Promise though.
I've tried about every kid vitamin out there. Some people are really concerned if it has fructose in it or whatever...It's such a tiny amount that I'm not going to make a big deal about it. I look more at avoiding artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners. I started out with Rainbow Lights Children's Vitamin packets and mixed it in their drinks. When they got older and could chew...well we've had everything from Nature's Plus Animal Parade, Rainbow Light Stars, to lot's of different Gummies. I'm excited that Garden of Life finally came out with a kids multi. It's about time!
Another thing I think is very important for growing kiddos is fish oil. A lot of things will say DHA added..it's usually just a marketing thing and there is hardly any in it. I started out buying the Carlson liquid fish oil in lemon flavor and now I get the Carlson orange flavor in capsules. At $18 for 240 caps...well that's 240 days of fish oil for about $20. Can't beat that! My kids just chew up the capsule and they love it! They ask for their "Fish vitamin" every day. Don't bother with stuff that says kids on it. It's the same thing...just labeled different and priced higher. If you want the Cadillac of fish oils for kids you could get Mercola's Krill oil for kids. He also makes a multi for kids that's pretty much perfect!
Another thing I give my girls Vit D drops. I give them 35IU per lb of body weight and round up. You can buy 400 IU drops 1000 IU, or 2000 IU drops depending on how much your kids weigh. Carlson's makes drops and I also like Country Life's gel caps. They're tiny and my kids bust them open with their teeth and chew it, just like the fish oil caps.
Last but not least I give my girls probiotics...not every day, but almost. I really like Udo's Choice for Children. When they were smaller I gave them Udo's Choice Infants blend probiotic. Jarrow also makes a good baby probiotic. This is great if you baby get's thrush or yeast. If you're breastfeeding, take probiotics yourself and then you can mix a little of the baby probiotic powder with some water or breast milk and give it to the baby.

The Nosefrida

2010-03-16T11:04:00.003-06:00

I have to give a shout-out to the Nosefrida. If you have or are having a baby...It's a must purchase! I can't even begin to tell you how fabulous this "snot-sucker" is. My second born had tiny little nostrils so she was stuffy every single night. My husband (he was the designated snot sucker) would have to suck her nose around 3am every morning. She would scream and it would take a while to calm her down. After some research I found the nosefrida and it changed my life!! I threw my bulb sucker in the trash!!
I love you nosefrida! And you can now buy them at Target.com Hopefully soon they'll be in the Target stores. They deserve to be! I found a quick video on youtube showing how it works:)
http://www.nosefrida.com/

Green Smoothies

2010-03-15T08:47:00.003-06:00

Well, I've hopped back on the green smoothie train and I'm loving it. I started making them a couple summers ago and quit. I decided to add protein powder this time around to keep my blood sugar stable, and to just sneak in extra protein that I"m sure I need anyways.
There are tons of Green Smoothie recipes out there. You can google Green Smoothie or go on Youtube and watch videos. My favorite greens to use are Organic Kale, Organic Spinach, and Avocados. I like to put in frozen organic frozen strawberries and frozen bananas. If I put organic before the word, it means it's on the high pesticide list and that's why I buy it organic. I know it's more expensive, but to me it's worth it. Thankfully bananas and avocados aren't on the high pesticide list. I'd say one smoothie (And they're really really big)...costs maybe $3.50. If you skip the avocado then $3. Most people will spend that on milk with a shot of expresso, so it's really not bad for a meal. I look for sales and stock up when I see them. And remember you're just using a handful of the kale and spinach...so it all lasts and makes several smoothies. Use whatever greens you like. There are tons of combos you can use.
I'll have to say that I love my new Ninja Blender. My Hubby saved up for me to get a Vitamix and I just still couldn't drop $350 on a blender....a least yet. I know how wonderful they are and if you have one, that's awesome. I picked up the Ninja for $40 at Target and it's been awesome. We had a magic bullet and it didn't blend the frozen stuff or the greens very well. I'm very happy with my purchase of the Ninja.
So blend yourself up a green smoothie. Here's my current fave:

Handful of Kale stem removed
Handful of Spinach
1 tsp maca powder (I got it in the raw section of Whole Foods)
1 tbsp Flax seed meal
1 scoop of Whey Factors vanilla
3-4 frozen organic strawberries
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 avocado
Coconut Milk or Almond Milk for liquid (I use coconut water if I'm using it before or after working out)
and a little ice
Blend and enjoy. And this can definitely be used for a meal replacement. It's packed with nutrients and it has plenty of protein as well.

My favorites cont....

2010-03-11T14:31:00.002-06:00

I've gotta tell ya...I'm feeling better than I have in a long time. I really think it has to do with cutting WAY back on my wheat and dairy consumption and adding a few new supplements. I don't remember the last time I've felt this amount of energy since having kids. It's quite refreshing!
Something else I added to my daily regime is Borage Oil. It's super high in GLA, which is what Evening Primrose has as well. Borage Oil just has a higher concentration of it. I initially bought it because it actually helps you burn fat and since I'm nursing, I'm really limited on what I can take that has fat burning properties. Ann Louis Gittleman talks a lot about GLA in her Fat Flush book (which I 100% endorse..she's amazing!). She say it helps you burn the fat that seems to stick no matter what you do. I honestly didn't know up till then that GLA did this. I knew of it's amazing benefits for the skin and that it helps those with PMS. This was the kicker for me. I love products that do several beneficial things and not just one. I ordered the NSI brand, but their are several great brands out there.
This last order, I made it a point to get something for stress. I really want to try L-Theanine or Gaba, but those are really too strong since I'm still breastfeeding. So I decided to order some Holy Basil. I have a whole blog post on Holy Basil if you'd like to know more about it. I've been drinking the tea for a while and decided to give the pills a try. I'm glad I did because I definitely feel more relaxed. I bought the Source Naturals brand because the price was amazing...although I know lots of people who have used the Enzymatic Therapy brand and rave about how amazing it is. I'll probably get it next time.
That's enough for today...as always, let me know if you have any questions!

More of my favorites

2010-03-09T09:20:00.005-06:00

I think that probably some of the best info I have for people is what brands to use. Having worked in Health Food stores for 5+ years, I was trained on all the different companies, their products, and their manufacturing processes. This is why I always say NEVER BUY YOUR SUPPLEMENTS FROM WALMART, or Sam's, or Costco...etc. Some of the good brands are now being sold at Walmart...but very few. Spring Valley, Nature's Bounty, and Nature Made...my opinion is a WASTE OF MONEY! There's really no telling how much or if any of what they put on the label is in the bottle. No one monitors herbs and supplements so it's up to the company to be honest and set up their own standards. This is why the stuff from Walmart is cheaper...they're not paying anyone or setting any testing up to make sure there products are good quality.
Having said all that...I certainly have my favorite companies and if you look at my supplements they're a pretty good mix of all different companies. Please get your supplements from a reputable store like a health food store.
Last week, I figured I'd stock up on supplements since we got our tax return:) I ordered some protein powder for Deryck and I since we're starting to work out, and I just need to increase my protein intake anyway. My favorite by leaps and bounds is the Jay Robb Whey Protein. It's so creamy and so delicious..but it's not cheap. He sweetens it with Stevia and uses milk that has no hormones in it...hence the price tag. If you don't like Whey, he also makes an Egg White and a Rice protein powder. Both of those taste good too, but they're not near as creamy. I decided to try another brand and save some money, so I bought the Natural Factors Whey Factors protein. It is also sweetened with stevia and is made with milk with no hormones. I think it saved me about $10, but I personally don't like it as well. I'm a little disappointed and wish I would have gone ahead and bought the Jay Robb. For the money though, the Whey Factors is great.
Something else that I got this order was Fat Soluble Vitamin C or Ascorbyl Palmitate by Source Naturals. Most Vit C is water soluble so it leaves the body pretty quickly, but the fat soluble form sticks around. Because of this, Ascorbyl Palmitate can perform more antioxidant activity. It is also recommended in the Perricone Prescription for skin because it aids in the formation of collagen. By the way, it is also called C-Ester, not to be confused with Ester-C.
Instead of writing one HUGE post, I'll try and post a couple more of the brands and products I'm using throughout the week.

What to take while Preggo

2010-02-22T17:54:00.009-06:00

Probably the most common question I get is "What do you take while you were pregnant?" I think people ask mostly because I had 3 crazy fast births. How fast do you ask? Well, Baby #1 came in about 45 minutes, Baby #2 in about 2 hours, and Baby #3 in around 45 minutes. The one common factor I had through all 3 births were the Red Raspberry Leaf capsules I took. Personally, I think my births were so fast because Jesus was more than kind to me, although the red raspberry helped I'm sure.

The red raspberry pills I took were Solaray brand. I took 2 a day 1st trimester, 3 a day 2nd trimester, and 4 a day the 3rd trimester. Red Raspberry can help prevent miscarriage, tones the uterus and helps with smoother contractions in labor.

I also took a prenatal vitamin, of course. During my first pregnancy I experimented and took just about every different one that a Health food store carries. My favorite by far was New Chapter and I got a nice discount on it since I worked there. I could take it on an empty stomach and had no problems! It's typically pretty darn expensive. Another new one that looks great and has extra D in it, is the Garden of Life Raw prenatal. If these are outside your budget, a good one for your money is the Rainbow Light Prenatal one daily.

Another thing that I took was fish oil. It's very important you get adequate DHA for the baby and yourself. My favorite by far are Carlson's fish oil. If you get it, just make sure it's certified to be free of metals and PCB's.

The last month I while pregnant with the girls...I took Evening Primrose oil (I didn't take it during my last pregnancy because the hubby was out of town a lot of the month and I didn't want labor to be too early). Evening Primrose will help soften the cervix. You can also insert it vaginally if needed. I took two capsules a day...500 mg each. Country Life was the brand I used. Primrose is also great to take afterwards. It helps you burn off that stubborn fat and is also great for your skin! It has many other benefits too and is quite inexpensive.

I took some blue cohosh the last month as well. I took Solaray's brand and took 2 pills a day. Blue Cohosh helps with regular contractions and gives the uterus a final toning which makes labor easier.

Alfalfa is great to take the last trimester. The natural Vit K in it helps with clotting and it's rich in Chlorophyll which builds blood, improves blood oxygenation & helps cleanse the body. Take 5 or more pills a day. It's food, so it's not something that needs an exact dosage.

Another great thing to take throughout the pregnancy is Coconut Oil. You can rub it all over your body and your belly to prevent stretch marks. It also has Lauric acid which helps kill bacteria and viruses. You can also eat it while breastfeeding to increase the Lauric acid in your milk. 1 tablespoon and day works. Spread it on toast or mix it in your smoothie...or even eat it straight. I just found out that my favorite ND Anne Louise Gittleman recommends 3 Tbsp and day...so go for it! And don't worry about it making you fat...it actually helps you lose weight! For more info on coconut oil, read my blog post about it.

Last, but certainly not least is Vitamin D. Unless it's summertime and you're out in the sun 20 min a day, you should take 35 IU of Vitamin D per lb of body weight. Same goes for when you're breastfeeding. You'll be amazed with how much better you feel and how much less you'll get sick with colds and the flu.

With my girls, I also induced myself with castor oil and pressing the accupressure points. I wouldn't recommend the castor oil induction unless you midwife tells you you could go at anytime. I wanted a little more control with when I went into labor... I didn't want to be surprised I guess.

With my little guy...well, let's just say I barely made it to the birthing center. I was dialated to 7 and wasn't even in labor yet. No need for castor oil with him!!

If you have any questions please let me know. I'd be happy to help! I know most of the herbs and supplements that are safe and not safe to take during pregnancy. Thanks for reading:)

Liver Gall Bladder Cleanse

2010-02-01T20:44:00.004-06:00

I just recommended this cleanse to someone who had just finished 3 WEEKS!!! of my Clean that Colon for Realz Cleanse. I figured I'd go ahead and post it for everyone!! So here is the amazing Liver Gallbladder Cleanse! It's quick, easy, and cheap! I just copied and pasted this from Helda Clark's site.

Drink apple juice for three days preceding the liver cleanse. For these three days, eat frugally, if you must, and then only small amounts of raw unprocessed fruit and/or vegetable salads. Every day take at least one full quart of high quality, unfiltered, preferably home-made apple juice. You should be able to see the sediments on the bottom of the container. The pectin in the apple juice helps to soften and flatten the stones in the gall bladder and liver. This will also help their passage through the bile ducts. This semi-fast also empties the intestines of their food content and makes the collection of stones less problematic.
Choose a day like Saturday for the cleanse so that you can rest the next day. Take no medicines, vitamins or other pills that you can do without. They could hinder success of the cleanse.
Eat a no-fat fruit breakfast and light fat-free lunch such as cooked cereals with fruit but no butter or milk. This allows the bile to build up and develop pressure in the liver. Higher pressure pushes out more stones.

2:00 PM. Do not eat or drink after 2:00 o'clock. If you break this rule you could feel quite uncomfortable later. Get your Epsom salts ready. At 2:00pm, mix 4 heaping tablespoons of Epsom salts in 3 cups of water, add 1/2 teaspoon of Vit C powder and pour this into a jar. This makes four servings, 3/4 cup each. Please keep in mind that the first serving begins at 6:00pm and the 2nd serving for the evening is taken at 8:00pm. The other two required servings are reserved for the following morning.

Place the jar in the refrigerator to get ice cold (this is for convenience and taste only). Take an optional rectal enema before 4:00 PM with distilled (not chlorinated) warm water to clean out your large intestines of any unwanted fecal matter. The cleaner your intestines are, the easier it will be for the stones to be eliminated. Besides, if you want to see just what you will be eliminating, it is more appetizing to look only for stones and not be turned off by pungent stool.

6:00 PM. Drink one serving (3/4 cup) of the ice cold prepared Epsom salts water. If you did not prepare this potion ahead of time at 2:00 PM, mix 1 heaping tablespoon in 3/4 cup of water now. You may add 1/8 teaspoon of vitamin C powder to improve the taste and to avoid 'the runs'. If you have no vitamin C powder then add a little citrus juice to improve the taste; but this is entirely optional. You can certainly drink a few mouthfuls of water afterwards or rinse your mouth. Get the olive oil, lemons and grapefruit out to warm up a bit.

8:00 PM. Repeat the above by drinking another 3/4 cup of Epsom salts water. You have not eaten since two o'clock, but you won't feel hungry. Get your bedtime chores done now. Don't answer your telephone and be prepared to stay by yourself for the balance of the evening. The timing of the actual cleanse is relatively critical to achieve success. Do not be more than 10 minutes early or late for anything that follows next.

9:45 PM. Pour 3/4 cup (measured cup) of your high quality olive oil into the pint jar. Pour the prepared 3/4 cup of squeezed grapefruit and lemon juice into the measuring cup, adding this to the oil. Close the jar tightly with its lid and shake briskly until well mixed, almost watery. Only fresh squeezed juice will do this.

Now visit the bathroom one or more times, even if this makes you slightly late for your ten o'clock drink. Be ready to go to bed and STAY in bed. Don't clean up the kitchen. Do it the next day.

10:00 PM. Take the solution to your bedside if you want, but drink it standing up. Drink the potion you have mixed. Lie down immediately. The sooner you lie down, the more stones you will get out. Put your knees up to your chest in a fetal position. Lie on your right side for at least half an hour. The oil/citrus juice mixture will go to your gallbladder and liver. These organs will not know what to do with THAT much oil emulsion, so they will spasm and throw off all the available bile - plus stones, gravel and crystals.

One half hour later - you may turn on your back with a good thick feather pillow. Try to think about what is happening in the liver. Think loving thoughts - your liver is sensitive and responsive to feelings of resentment, vindictiveness and hate. Try to keep perfectly still for about half an hour or at least 20 minutes. Visualize the cleansing action taking place. You may feel a train of stones traveling along the bile ducts like marbles. There is little likelihood of pain because the bile duct valves are open - thanks to the Epsom salts.

Relax and go to sleep. Let nature do her thing. Tomorrow you will be cleaner, much cleaner, and also healthier than before.

Next morning (early): Upon wakening, take your thirddose of prepared Epsom salt solution. If you have indigestion or nausea (highly unlikely), wait until this is gone before drinking the Epsom salts. Don't take this potion before 6:00 AM. It would be best if you don't get up and have someone else give you this potion. This drink will act as a mild laxative and provoke several later loose bowel movements. Drink more water than usual to replenish lost liquids.

2 hours later. Take your fourth (the last one - Thank God!) dose of Epsom salts.
Drink 3/4 cup of the mixture. You may go back to bed if you like.

After 2 more hours you may get up and take something into your empty stomach. Start with some fresh-made fruit juice. Half an hour later, eat some fruit. One hour later you may eat regular food but keep it light, uncooked and natural. By supper of the next day (Sunday) you should feel fully recovered and ready to slay a dragon.

How well did you do?
Expect diarrhea in the morning of the second day (Sunday). The ideal way to see what you are actually eliminating is to defecate into a white porcelain bowl or large white plastic bucket. The bowl or bucket is used instead of the toilet to also see the reddish crystals which collect at the bottom of the bowl (the stones float on top) and those crystals would ordinarily be lost somewhere at the bottomless hole in the toilet and you would have missed them. If you don't care to see the crystals - by all means, use the toilet.

Another way would be to use the toilet and look into it for the stones with a flashlight. Look for the greenish kind, since this is proof that they are genuine gallstones and not food residue. Only bile from the liver is green. The bowel movement (if there is any) sinks, but gall and liver stones float because of the cholesterol content. Eventually, you may have to eliminate up to 2,000 stones, in several sessions, over a period of a year or so, before the liver is clean enough to rid you of all allergies or upper back, or other symptoms, permanently. The first cleanse may rid you of them for a while, but as the stones from the rear of the liver travel forward, they might give you the same symptoms again. For best results, if this is the first time you do this, repeat the Liver Cleanse two weeks later because the liver cleanses in stages - moving deeper toxins and debris and parasites into lower and more shallow areas of the liver tissues. You may repeat this gallbladder/liver cleanse at two-month intervals until no more stones come out. Then, do the cleanse as a maintenance every six months. Two tablespoons of fresh olive oil per day will provide optimum liver performance.

Never purge when you are ill. Pregnant mothers should consult their pediatrician. The elderly should do this purge under the supervision of a health specialist. Drink lots of water during the second and third day.

Vit D..My favorite Vitamin

2010-01-10T11:43:00.006-06:00

I can't believe that I haven't done a post of Vitamin D. I'm in love with D. I always knew I liked summer so much for a reason. The sun always makes me feel so happy and so healthy. And it wasn't all psychological! The Vit D I was getting does make you happy and healthy! You ever wonder why people don't get the flu in the summertime? What about that depressed feeling so many of us get in the winter?? A lack of vitamin D is directly connected.
D is amazing. Here's a list of the systems and functions of the body that it directly affects
* Heart health*
* Cell formation and cell longevity*
* Skin health*
* Pancreatic health*
* Aging process*
* Sleep patterns*
* Hearing*
* Reproductive health*
* Athletic performance*
* Eye health*
* Vascular system health*
* Respiratory health*
* Immune health*
* Healthy mood and feelings of well-being*
* Weight management, including carbohydrate and fat metabolism*
* Hair and hair follicles*
* Strong and healthy bones, because vitamin D encourages calcium uptake*
* Muscles*
* Proper digestion and food absorption*
I took this list from www.mercola.com. Dr. Mercola is one of the biggest proponents of Vit D and even sells a safe tanning bed, which I would love to have.

We've been told that the sun is bad and that we need to stay away and slather our skin in sunblock. But think about it. Does this make any sense? God created the sun and we've been out in the sun for thousands of years. Why would the sun be this poisonous, cancer causing thing? It's not..We need the sun to live! You don't want to burn your skin, but a light golden tan is healthy for you. At least 20 minutes a day with 40% of you skin exposed is what you need.
But, those of us who live in parts of the world where that is not possible, it is important to supplement with Vit D. You want to make sure to take D3 the cholecaliferol form. 400iu a day just isn't going to cut it. You want to take around 35 IU per lb of your body weight. Even children! My girls get about 1000 IU a day and they haven't been sick since I've been consistent with doing that. Same with myself! I've yet to get sick since I finally started taking my Vit D daily. If you're sick, you can up your dose up to 20,000 IU for 3 days and then cut back down to the 35 IU per pound.
I can't even begin to tell you how much better I feel. During the winter, I wanted to crawl into a hole and sleep the day away. Now I feel almost as good as I do in the summer! Granted, I still hate cold weather, but at least I have some energy!
So go out and getcha some D! I'm really loving Country Life's 5000 IU D right now. I can really feel a difference!

Skin Care

2009-11-04T09:43:00.002-06:00

A lot of you have asked what I use for skincare. I'm going to write a quick post about what I use and what I think is the best stuff out there (that's affordable at least)

The company Mychelle is my favorite right now. Her line is all natural and it really works well. You wouldn't have to use her cleansers and toners, but her creams and serums are fantastic. Anything with Hyaluronic Acid is going to make your skin look great. It draws moisture to the skin and pumps up the lines and wrinkles. You can also take it internally. There are several liquid Hyaluronic Acids that you take by the tsp. I saw a differenc in my skin 30 min later! Bum deal is that it's about $30 a bottle. But, it's fantastic for your joints too so you get a nice double deal!
Another company I like is Juice Organics. They too have a great selection of serums and creams. Sometimes I'll use Avalon Organics cream cleansers because they are pretty cheap on Vitacost.com, but I'm not a fan of their creams at all.
Reviva Labs makes an amazing Glycolic Acid cream. I get the 10% cream. A little goes a long way, so it lasts me several months. It works as well as Retin A does in my opinion (I used to use Retin A and then read it can cause birth defects). It sloughs off the dead skin so it helps with wrinkles, blackheads and acne caused by clogged pores. Using a good scrub every 2 or 3 days helps with this as well. I like Desert Essences Refining bamboo body scrub a lot. It's for the whole body, not just the face and it works fantastic!
As far as makeup goes, you really want to make sure your foundation and powder are all natural. Not every mineral makeup is okay. A lot of times it's just regular makeup with minerals added. I'm yet to find anything that doesn't have junk in it at department stores except Physicians Formula's Organics line. It's really free of junk and works well. I use their concealer and have used their powder. I haven't used the liquid foundation because I don't personally like liquid foundations. I've tried many mineral powders from Bare Minerals to the stuff they sell at health food stores. I've found that my favorite by far is LA Minerals (www.laminerals.com). Their foundations are fantastic and don't have Bismuth Oxychloride in it which can be many so many "natural" mineral makeups. Bismuth can really irritate your skin and cause allergic reations. LA minerals also has sample sizes so you can find your color and if you like a matte finish or some sheen. I really like their bronzer as well. I'm sure there are other good mineral makeups out there, it may just take some searching. You really just want to make sure your foundations are free of mineral oil, parabens, talc, & are bismuth free.

Hope this helps. Feel free to post questions or if you have a favorite makeup/skincare line...tell me about it!

Milk..The Good, the bad, and the down right disgusting!!

2009-09-08T09:56:00.002-06:00

I feel terrible that I haven't posted in so long! I've had several people ask me the address for my blog and they're probably bored already!!
Anyhow, I've been meaning to post something on milk for a while, so here we go!
Let's break it down first and then I'll go over each one. The good would be Raw Milk from a clean source..The bad would be Organic Pasteurized Milk, and the down right disgusting is regular old milk.
We'll start with regular milk. The thought of it churns my stomach, because I know what's in it. Regular milk is full of pesticides (from what the cows eat), hormones (injected into the cows to make them produce more milk faster), blood and puss (from the mastitis they get from the hormone injections), and antibiotics (given to the cows to clear up the mastitis). Sounds pretty appetizing, huh? To top it all off, they pasteurize it to kill all the gross germs and bacteria and homogenize it so it won't separate. Pasteurization is probably good in this case cause this milk is FULL of nasty germs..but once you pasteurize milk it dead and useless. It kills not only the bad stuff, but the good beneficial components to milk as well. This is why they "fortify" milk with synthetic Vit D. They're trying to make the milk somewhat nutritious. Too bad that D2 is not good for you either! It's D3 that is safe and beneficial to take.
Let's talk about the puss and blood because this was the real kicker for me. Because these poor cows are give hormones to make them produce more milk (rBGH), they tend to get many cases of mastitis. This doesn't stop them from milking the cow, though. So, blood and puss from the infection end up in the milk. They call this puss and blood the somatic cell count and the USDA allows a certain amount in each batch of milk.
To clear up the mastitis, they pump the cows full of antibiotics. Those wind up in your milk as well. If that isn't enough, they put it in plastic jugs that release toxins. The skim milk has powdered milk added to it to improve flavor and texture and flavored milks are the worst batches of milk (that's why they're flavored!!)
Organic Milk should be good, right? Well, as far as the hormones, puss and blood, and antibiotics are concerned...yes, but, there is no nutrient value in this milk. If you think this milk "Does a body good", you're wrong. The pasteurization kills all the beneficial nutrients, enzymes, and good bacteria. This not only makes the milk "dead", but makes it difficult to digest.
Homogenization is bad as well. Milk contains something called Xanthine Oxidase (XO). It's not a problem for us until the milk is homogenized. Because the fat molecules are smaller after homogenization, some of this XO can pass through the intestinal wall and into the circulatory system. XO can cause lesion in the artery walls of the heart! The body responds by "bandaging" the area with cholesterol. This can cause an obstruction. So, all in all...Organic Milk, although much better than regular milk, still has no value.
Raw milk on the other hand is great! Dr. Mercola states.."Raw milk is an outstanding source of nutrients including beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus acidolphilus, vitamins and enzymes, and it is, in my estimation, the finest source of calcium available." I couldn't agree more! The main thing you want to look for is a clean, reputable source. Luckily, I've found one here in KC. Many IHOPers are using it. You can email cloverhillmilk@yahoo.com for more info. It's only $6.50 a gallon! Otherwise, you can go to www.realmilk.com and search your state for the closest supplier.
Before I found the raw milk source I used Hyvee's brand Organic Milk. It is not homogenized and is lightly pasteurized, not ultra pasteurized. If you don't have HYVEE you'll just have to check and see what's in your area.
Don't worry about the fat in milk. Butterfat is in there for a reason! It helps us absorb the vitamins and if the cow is grassfed it will have CLA (Conjugated linoleic acid) which actually burns fat!

My "clean that colon" cleanse

2009-07-17T17:25:00.004-06:00

This is a cleanse that I've put together and I've seen people have incredible results! It's my modified version of Sonne's cleanse.
Most cleanse kits that you buy in the health food store are good, but don't really clean your colon because you're still eating while taking pills. They might have some herbs for liver support, etc...but overall they'll just get you moving if you've been backed up. To truly clean the colon and get out the gunk that's been there for years and years, you have to fast while you cleanse. This combination uses bentonite clay, which absorbs toxins and psyllium powder, which is a fiber that sweeps the colon and absorbs toxins as well.
I use chlorella because it is excellent for detoxing metals from the system. If you've been eating tuna or salmon on a regular basis or have metal filling in your teeth.. it's highly likely that you have mercury in your system. The chlorella will help pull that out of your system along with any other metals you my have. (A side note: Cilantro is great for metal detoxification as well! Eat it or juice it!) Also, this potent green will help with your energy level!
Non-acidic vitamin C is in the cleanse for it's anti-oxidant properties and it's ability to heal tissue and build the immune system. It also has a mild laxative effect when taken in this larger quantity.
Fish oil is added for healthy fat and for focus and concentration. This will help with the "foggy brain" you get when you fast. The Laxative-3 blend is one of the best on the market. It draws water into the colon to clean it out, rather than using herbs that stimulate and cause cramping. You also won't grow dependent on it and have to take more and more like with most laxatives.
Optional NAC for Liver detoxification and antioxidant activity. NAC converts into glutithione which is the Master Antioxidant. The addition of NAC can help prevent detoxification symptoms and facilitate repair and rejuvenation.
The coffee enemas help with any headaches you might feel while detoxing. They also help flush things out and help detox the liver as well.
Most people who have done this cleanse haven't dealt with extreme hunger like with other detoxes and fasts. Some have reported extra energy after the 2nd or 3rd day!
This may seem expensive, but remember, you aren't buying any food for the week to 10 days.

Here it is!!

Yerba Prima Psyllium Husk powder 12 oz
Sonne's Detoxification #7 clay
Jarrow Formulas Yaeyama Chlorella -- 200 mg at least 300 tabs in the bottle
Ester C- at least 100 caps in the bottle
Carlson Super Omega-3 Fish Oils- at least 100 capsules in the bottle
NAC- at least 20 caps in the bottle (optional)
Enzymatic Therapy Laxative 3 blend or Nature' Way Aloe Lax

Cleanse

1 Tbsp Sonne's Clay
1 tsp Psyllium powder
1/4 cup organic juice like apple, mango, etc. No orange juice.(no sugar added)
water

mix and drink

1 and 1/2 hour later take pills

6 chlorella
2 vitamin C
2 fish oil
1 NAC (take only twice a day)

1 1/2 hour later drink same drink...1 1/2 hour later pills and so on until you've done each 5 times that day. Take 3 Laxative pills that night. Make sure you have a bowel movement each day. If not, up the laxative pills until you do. If you’re up for it, do an organic coffee enema each night. This will speed up the cleansing and also help with energy and headaches. Just brew 2 cups organic coffee and let cool. Try and retain the enema for a few minutes. Do all this for at least 7 days. You'll probably have enough to do around 10 days. NO FOOD

Remember to come off the fast with fruits and veggies and plenty of probiotics. I recommend drinking kombucha tea during the cleanse if you’d like and afterwards as well. Dr. Ohhira's probiotic would be great to take after the cleanse. If it's out of your price range, any probiotic would give some benefit.

How this became my passion

2009-06-25T12:12:00.003-06:00

This is for you, Jennifer :)
I have a kooky grandma. She's pretty hilarious actually, like a character of the Golden Girls or something. She chatters a hundred miles a minute and is very opinionated. One special memory I have of going to her house, is stealing as many of her chewable vitamin C's as I could get me hands on. They were sour and I still love sour stuff! I would eat those things till my tongue started bleeding! When she caught me, she would tell me how expensive they were and that I was only allowed to have one.
Grandma had a lot more than Vit C. I remember her cabinet being stocked with different herbs and concoctions she got from who she called "The Herb Lady". I always found it interesting, but didn't really look into it until later.
In high school and the beginning of college I was really into what I though was health food. I watched my fat and drank diet soda. It's so funny to think about because I'm the total opposite now. I love fat and avoid "diet drinks" like the plague:) I changed my major in college from sociology to kinesiology, but I found I wasn't nearly as interested in the fitness side of health as the nutrition. About that time I got tired of waiting tables and asked the Lord to guide me to a new job. I was driving past Suzanne's Natural Foods and the Lord said, "There it is, go in." I went in and applied with not an ounce of knowledge for vitamins and herbs. Suzanne hired me on the spot.
I became a sponge over the next two years. I loved everything about the health food industry! I gave up diet coke and started adding healthy fats into my diet. About a year into working there I said, "Lord, I want to do this for a living...not work as a health food store, but help people change there lives!" He said, "Grab that magazine off the shelf and look at the back page." There it was..Clayton College of Natural Health. I started my correspondence work the next month, and I'm still working on it! I finished my BA the year I got married, and I've been slowly, but surely trying to finish my Doctor of Naturopathy degree.
It's been hard to stay plugged in since I've had kids. Working in the industry kept me up to date on all the latest and greatest products and nutritional stuff. So in that respect, I really miss working at a Health Food store. I go through my phases of reading books and researching, but then I get exhausted from a week of chasing toddlers and slack off.
There are a few websites out there that are great. My favorite by far is Dr. Mercola on mercola.com. Some people say he's a quack, but he'll put out an article backed with research on something I've believed for years, but I didn't have the research behind. For example...the sun is good for you! Vit D is one of the most important things you could give your body! I don't buy his products because I know how to get similar things for cheaper, but I think he makes great stuff. Sign up for his newsletter and you'll get blown away!
A great book to invest in is Prescription for Nutritional Healing. It's like my health bible. You can look up just about any ailment and it will tell you what to take. Although I can tell the authors are vegetarian by how it's written, I agree with pretty much all their "prescriptions". They have it on amazon for less than $12! And it's a BIG BOOK!
Overall, my recommendations for people are a hodge-podge of mercola, things I've read, and insight the Lord's given me over these last 8 years or so. There is so much more I'd like to learn about like sound and light therapies, iridology, and muscle testing, but I need to finish what I've started first :) I still love all your questions and comments. It keeps this stay-at-home momma on her toes!
Hope this gives you a better idea of where I come from. Bless you all!

Ask me your questions and I'll give you your answers!

2009-05-31T20:55:00.004-06:00

I'm having a really hard time thinking of a new blog post....so I thought I'd ask you to help!! You tell me what you want to know and I'll start blogging my answers. Hope this works!!

B12 the Super Vitamin!

2009-05-21T10:24:00.006-06:00

Sorry for the long hiatus. I've been ultra tired with this pregnancy (I'm tired anyhow with 2 toddlers) and it has fried my brain. Anytime I tried to write something, nothing would come to mind. So, having read an inspiring article from Dr. Mercola on B12..I am revived. I've been a fan of B12 for a while and after reading this article I'm off to buy some soon. My prenatal is a one daily and in my opinion doesn't have enough...for me at least!
So...let's run down some of B12 benefits and what it does in our bodies!

* proper digestion, food absorption, iron use, carbohydrate and fat metabolism
* healthy nervous system function
* promotion of normal nerve growth and development
* helps with regulation of the formation of red blood cells
* cell formation and longevity
* proper circulation
* adrenal hormone production
* healthy immune system function
* support of female reproductive health and pregnancy
* feelings of well-being and mood regulation
* mental clarity, concentration, memory function
* physical, emotional and mental energy

Sounds like a pretty important vitamin, huh? This is why they give b12 shots to the elderly. Deficiency can cause a whole plethora of issues and can contribute to diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
But, a lot of us are deficient in B12 and have no idea. Especially vegetarians and vegans. B12 is found in meats and eggs..so if you don't eat those you're very likely not getting what you need. There are clear signs of deficiency-

1. mental fogginess
2. problems with your memory
3. mood swings
4. lack of motivation
5. feelings of apathy
6. fatigue and a lack energy
7. muscle weakness
8. tingling in your extremities
9. depression
10. pernicious anemia
11. sleep problems

Lack of B12 has also been connected to neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, cancer, and birth defects.
This is what really got me back on the B12 bandwagon. It's not just a lack of folic acid that can cause spinal bifida and such, but also a lack of B12! Infertility and repeated miscarriages can also be linked to a lack of B12.
And here's a little something for all you avid coffee drinkers out there. Coffee can reduce your B12 by up to 15%! Just another reason not to drink the stuff. Some day I'll write about my thoughts on coffee. Also, chronic heartburn or GERD can affect B12's absorption.
Not all B12 is equal. Sprays are the best, sublinguals are great too. And my favorite form is methylcobalamin which is the same form that the B12 shot is.
Hope this was informative and helpful!

My Daily Regimen

2009-04-07T18:59:00.004-06:00

Here are a few things that I take daily and that I recommend others take as well. There is a Gold and a Platinum version of some things on the list. The Gold is the best that I can afford. Platinum is what I would take if I had the money to purchase it. Sometimes you gotta do the best you can with what you have. That's what I try to do. Granted my regimen has changed some since I've gotten preggo. Right now I just take my Fish oil, Prenatal, Vit D, and Red Raspberry leaf.

1. A great Prenatal (of course this applies to all of you women of childbearing age!). The very best in my opinion is New Chapters Prenatal. Their whole food vitamins surpass all others. They actually ferment the vitamin so it turns into food. You don't get nauseous when you take it on an empty stomach either. I love New Chapter anything, but sadly it's super expensive. My second choice, which is what I take, is Rainbow Lights Prenatal One Daily. It's just one pill a day (New Chapters Prenatal is 6 a day I think) and it is a whole food vitamin as well. It's processed different than New Chapter, but I still think it's a good vitamin...especially for the price!

2. Fish Oil- Please refer to my blog post on fish oil for more info. I take Carlson's liquid Fish oil in orange flavor. It tastes like orange oil. They do make pills for those who don't want to swallow the oil. The platinum side of this is Krill Oil. It's packed full of antioxidants and is absorbed better than fish oil. Again, it's just really expensive!

3. Vit D- I feel like a different person since I've been taking Vit D during the winter months. Sometimes I think I have SAD (Seasonal Affected Disorder). The best cure for SAD is Vit D!! It has a huge list of other benefits other than boosting your mood. It's one of the best things to combat the Flu, helps you absorb your calcium, prevents cancer, and much much more. Think of it as the new Vit C. If you're coming down with something take a few thousand IU of Vit D! I take 2000-4000 IU a day. I'm pretty sure they're upping the RDA from 400 IU to 2000 IU if they haven't already. Don't worry about D in the summer if you're outside a lot without sunscreen, you'll get plenty!

4. Probiotics- Probiotics are a lot more than just Acidophilus. Commercials have made us belief that we'll get everything we need from a cup of sugar filled yogurt. Although it's better than none at all, a multi-strain pill/powder is better in my opinion. I'm not saying all yogurt is bad. Especially if you make your own with raw milk and don't add tons of sugar. There are several strains of bacteria that aren't in the yogurt that are in the pill form though. A lot of those strains help prevent sickness, sinus issues, and food poisoning. My probiotic is Jarrow-dophilis plus FOS. It has 6 different strains of bacteria plus FOS, which is like fertilizer for the bacteria. I don't have a platinum for probiotics. Jarrow-dophis is my favorite and it's reasonable!

5. Antioxidants- We've all heard of antioxidants. They are everywhere now! They even started putting them in 7-up! All antioxidants are not equal though. There is a scale that measures antioxidant levels called the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity). Even an apple has antioxidants, just not much compared to blueberries for example.
I take New Chapter's Supercritical Antioxidant. New Chapter's extraction process is far superior to just taking these herbs dry. It is so strong, they have to use a gelatin cap rather than a vegan capsule, because it will literally eat through a vegan capsule. You've gotta eat with these pills too because they are so strong! This antioxidant contains Turmeric, Green Tea, Rosemary, Parsley, Ginger, Peppermint, and clove. This combo was originally sold with a label appealing to smokers because it is so potent and did a great job in studies combating the oxidization and junk from the smoke! If you want to look young inside and out, take this product. It is my favorite and is reasonably priced on Vitacost.com.

Of course I take a new thing here and there... stuff for skin, stuff for my heart (I have a rapid heartbeat thing), and sometimes even for my hormones. I take Ionic Fizz Magnesium Calcium by Pure Essence when I feel like I need some Cal/Mag or I want more regular bowel movements (Magnesium makes you go!) And you can read my other post on Coconut oil, Kombucha, Tulsi, and there will be others to come. This is just my unwavering stuff that I commit to take every day. Hope this is helpful. A lot of people ask what I take every day so here it is. I love questions so ask away!

Stevia

2009-03-24T08:27:00.002-06:00

Those of you who know me, know that I love my stevia!! I love sweet tea and other sweet drinks, and stevia is what I use to quench my craving. Some of you have probably already tried stevia and noticed it had a bad aftertaste. Well, I would agree with you. Most brands have a bad aftertaste, but I've found one that has little to none! The brand is KAL. Whole foods and many other health food stores carry it. If not, you should be able to find it online. It's pretty expensive (around $12-15) for a small bottle, but this bottle has several hundred servings! Kal's stevia is so potent, it just takes the smallest pinch to sweeten a whole glass! They also make a vanilla syrup for coffee and recently I've even seen that they make packets for travel.
So why is stevia better than organic sugar, agave syrup, and other natural sweeteners?? Well, it's a natural sweetener with no calories, no sugar, and no glycemic index! It won't raise your blood sugar. And unlike nutrasweet and splenda, it doesn't have any negative side affects! Stevia has some medicinal benefits too. It helps balance glucose and also helps in lowering blood pressure.
A new product called Truvia is now on the market. It is not pure stevia, but is two compounds from stevia that have been isolated from the whole plant. There isn't a lot of research on how Truvia affects the body. In my opinion, when you try and "improve" on how God made something, it's going to be inferior in some way or another. Supposedly Coca Cola is going to start using this stevia compound in a new Diet Soda. I've personally tried Truvia and I still prefer my Kal Stevia.

The Wonders of Coconut Oil

2009-03-17T08:22:00.004-06:00

Although Fish oil is my favorite and in my opinion the healthiest fat, Coconut Oil comes in a close second. Coconut oil has Lauric Acid. The only other natural source of Lauric Acid is breast milk. Lauric Acid is antiviral, antibacterial, and anti fungal. Although Coconut Oil has been given a bad rap in the past because it's a saturated fat, it poses no risks for you. Not all saturated fat is bad. Fats are categorized in chains (short, medium, and long) and coconut is a medium chain fat. It is easily metabolized and has antimicrobial properties. It is the long chain fats that are so dangerous.
I can also assure you that coconut oil will not cause you to gain weight. There is such a "fat" phobia here in the US! Coconut oil can actually cause you to lose weight. They gave coconut oil to cattle years ago to try and fatten them up, but they ended up slimming down. Coconut stimulates your metabolism by increasing your thyroid's activity.
Coconut oil is one of the only oils that is safe to cook with at higher temperatures. Olive oil is wonderful for salads and such, but as it's heated the molecular structure of the oil changes causes it oxidize. This is a horrible and toxic thing to put in your body! Corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola oils are the same way. Plus these oils are omega 6 oils which just contribute to our Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio imbalance that I talked about in my fish oil post.
And this is not all folks!! You can rub this stuff all over your body! It was my ultimate fave while I was pregnant. It smells wonderful, has anti-aging benefits and protects your skin from free radicals! If you love to get a tan and slather up with baby oil, switch to coconut! It will help fight the sun damage! Coconut oil aids in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making the skin smoother. It also penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin to strengthen the underlying tissues. It's also great for wrinkles!

So if you want to lose weight, strengthen your immune system, moisturize and keep your skin from aging....Coconut oil is for you!! Eat it off the spoon, mix it in your shake, or spread it on toast. A tablespoon or two a day will suffice! I've recently been using Coconut Butter for supplementing and the oil for cooking. The coconut butter is creamier and more palatable for me.
Coconut milk has a lot of the benefits too! I love to add coconut milk to my cooking. It makes things so creamy and delish! The coconut water is now a popular product too. It's full of potassium and other electrolytes. If only we lived in the tropics and could go pick fresh coconuts!!
A couple tips.... Make sure the Coconut oil is unbleached and unrefined!! It should say Extra Virgin Cold Pressed on the label. Any health food store will carry it. Same goes for the coconut butter.

What to buy organic/What not to worry about

2009-03-09T14:48:00.002-06:00

Being on a budget definitely limits what I can buy organic. Thankfully there is a list of foods that register the highest in pesticides and a list of ones that are the lowest!! This has been great because i was buying things like organic banana's and there was no need to!!

Highest ranked in pesticides:

Butter (it's because of what the cow's eat!!)
Meat (again, the feed is the culprit)
Strawberries
peaches
spinach
apples
celery
bell peppers
potato
grapes
lettuce
Green beans
cherries
pears
nectarines

Lowest on the list are:

Avocados
onions
pineapple
asparagus
broccoli
bananas
cabbage
kiwi
frozen sweet corn
mango
eggplant
frozen peas

Organic food have been found to have higher levels of antioxidants and nutrients than conventionally grown. Another thing you want to look out for is GMO (genetically modified organism) foods. Most corn (chips, popcorn, tortillas, etc) and soy products are now GMO unless they say non-GMO on the label. They've also begun to sell produce that is genetically modified. A typical number on produce is 4 digits long. For example a banana is 4011. An organic banana is 94011. But a GMO banana is 84011. Look out for 8 before the 4 digit PLU on produce!! I've yet to find one, but it doesn't hurt to look. Especially at stores like Walmart.
Hope this helps you make easier decisions on what to buy organic and what not to worry about so much!!

DIY Laundry Detergent

2009-03-05T15:30:00.002-06:00

This is being posted by popular demand. I've been "trying" to use natural detergent for a while. I used a few different brands and non of them really got my clothes clean. I ended up using Purex Naturals for a while, and I'm sure it's not very "Natural" at all. Then, I came across a site that told you how to make your own Laundry Detergent! I got right on it because it saved me tons of money and didn't put chemicals all over our clothes! The recipe I use is my own version of one I found on the site. I didn't have the patience to grate a bar of soap, so I use Dr. Bronners liquid Castile soap in Lavender.

2 cups Washing Soda
2 cups Borax
1/2 cup Dr. Bronners liquid castile soap
1 quart boiling water

Basically, pour the boiling water over the Washing soda and borax and stir to dissolve. Pour in the Dr. Bronners and stir. Pour into whatever container you want. I use an old laundry soap bottle. Use 1/4 cup per load!!

You can also use vinegar as a rinse and a fabric softener. You can add it to a Downy Ball with some essential oils for extra fragrance. Don't worry, your clothes won't smell like vinegar!! I have a front loader so I add it to my fabric softener compartment.

Oxi-clean or the generic equivalent makes a good alternative to Clorox too. I put a couple scoops in with my whites. And don't bother buying the health food stores "non-chlorine bleach". It's just hydrogen peroxide! You can buy that for $1 at walmart!

I have nothing but good things to say about this detergent. My clothes get super clean and I save tons of money!! Hope you enjoy. Here's the original link! http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/

Oh, and I found the Arm and hammer washing soda at Price Chopper. Sometimes it can be hard to find.

Brazilian Chicken Curry

2009-03-04T11:37:00.003-06:00

I'm so glad that I found this recipe. I cook a lot of curry dishes, but this one definitely has a different flair. It has definitely become one of my favorites and it pretty easy to make. Hope you enjoy!
Brazilian Chicken

1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander
4 chicken breasts cut in chunks (I use Smart Chicken, no antibiotics, etc)
salt and pepper
1 can diced tomatoes drained or 3 fresh tomatoes chopped
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion
1 tbsp ginger
2 jalapeno peppers seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 can coconut milk

Mix cumin, cayenne, turmeric, coriander and salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss the chicken chunks in the mixture.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in skillet. Cook and stir the onion, ginger, jalapeno peppers, and garlic for 5 minutes or until tender. Remove onion mixture and set aside.
Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place chicken in skillet. Cook 10-15 minutes until no longer pink and juice runs clear.
Mix in tomatoes and cook 5 to 8 minutes. The acid in the tomatoes will loosen up the spices on the bottom of the skillet. Add onion mixture. Stir in coconut milk. Serve over rice. Also good with avocado chunks added to each serving. Cilantro also makes a great garnish. If you don't like things hot, than omit the jalapenos. I leave them out a lot because it's a little too spicy for my kids!

And what does Omega 3 do???

2009-03-03T19:54:00.002-06:00

I realized that I didn't tell you the benefits of Omega 3's! I just told you my favorite sources of it.
60% of people are deficient in Omega 3's and 20% have so little, it can't even be detected in their blood!!! Our brains are made of 60% structural fats, and not just any kind of fat!! We put so many trans-fats and omega 6 (vegetable oils) fats in our bodies, but those interfere with our absorption of omega 3!! We should eat a ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 (vegetable oils, nuts, etc) of 1:1 to 1:4, but we eat a ratio closer to 1:20!! Avoid sunflower, corn, soy, safflower, and canola oils. to improve your ratio. Olive, coconut, avocado oils, and organic butter are ok. There are symptoms to look for of fatty acid imbalance. They are:

Dry skin, Alligator skin ,"Chicken skin" on back of arms, Dandruff, Lowered immunity, Dry eyes, Frequent urination, Fatigue, Poor wound healing, Irritability, Dry, unmanageable hair, Frequent infections, Attention deficit, Hyperactivity, Learning problems, Soft nails, Brittle, easily frayed nails, Patches of pale skin on cheeks, Allergies, Excessive thirst, and Cracked skin on heels or fingertips.

DHA feeds your brain!!! Your dopamine and serotonin receptors are made of DHA!!! This is why it's so important that children to have adequate amounts!! Many kids with ADD and Hyperactivity would have fewer symptoms if Omega 3 where supplemented. Breast milk has naturally occurring DHA, but guess where it's coming from??? If you're not supplementing enough of it, it will come from your brain!!! I believe this contributes to the momnesia I talk about!!
DHA helps with focusing and mood and EPA, another component of Omega 3's helps with mood and stress as well!

Alright, so besides being so great for your brain...I'm sure you've heard about Omega 3 and it's cardiovascular benefits. It lowers bad cholesterol and raises good cholesterol! It lowers triglycerides and helps with arrythmias! What an amazing oil!!

How much do you take??? The ideal amount would be one Carlson's fish oil pill per 10 lbs of body weight (if one pill has approximately 180 mg EPA and 120 mg DHA), in two doses. Even if you could take half that, I think you'd notice a difference!! Especially those mom's out there who need help with mood, stress, and focus!!! I definitely notice a difference!

Amazing Omega-3's

2009-03-03T11:56:00.003-06:00

I'm sure you've all heard about Omega-3's and DHA in particular. They've added it to milk, baby formula, eggs, and more!! I'm a HUGE fan of Omega-3's, but I do believe some are definitely better than others.
There is only one vegetarian source that actually contains the important DHA in the Omega-3 family and it's an algae. Flax seed oil does not have DHA! Some of it is supposed to convert to DHA, but it is unproven how much or if it really does at all. So unless you're having hormonal issues, I don't recommend Flax seed oil. The seeds and meal are great for fiber though!!

My favorite supplemental form is Krill Oil. It has 50 times more antioxidants than Fish oil and is assimilated better in the body. Only down side is that it's way more expensive. I don't take it based on my budget. You're second best option is Fish oil. Not just any fish oil is good! You can't just go to Wally World and buy it expecting it to give you much benefit! You want a reputable company that has quality tested it to be free of Mercury and other PCB's. The best brand in my opinion is Carlson's. I take the liquid Orange flavor because again, it's better on my budget. My daughters drink it too! It doesn't taste like fish. It tastes like orange oil! You can buy it in pill form if you're not up for taking a teaspoon a day.

My second favorite Omega 3 form is eggs!! Organic Free range eggs are the best! If you can buy them locally, that's even better because organic eggs are not regulated. Organic eggs are superior to conventional for these reasons:
* 1/3 less cholesterol
* 1/4 less saturated fat
* 2/3 more vitamin A
* 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
* 3 times more vitamin E
* 7 times more beta carotene

It's really best to eat your eggs raw. I know, it sounds disgusting, but it's true. The more you cook them, the higher the chances they'll cause high cholesterol. Although, the chances are still much lower than what was once believed. And don't worry about salmonella. You're chances of getting salmonella from organic eggs is very slim. Conventional have 6 times more instances of salmonella than organic! Try hiding a raw egg in your smoothie, or you can just pull a Rocky!

My newest favorite way to squeeze in Omega-3's is Sardines. I love them! And because they're such a small fish, their contamination risk is very low. Be sure and read the ingredient list. Sometimes they have added junk. It should only say Sardines, olive oil, and salt on the label.

Oh, and I almost forgot!! Grass fed beef is yet another way to get some Omega-3. It's very expensive, but is worth the investment. I'll talk later about the meat industry. It's pretty scary!

So feed your brain and protect your heart!! Invest in Omega-3's!

My cure-all "Oil of Oregano"

2009-03-02T09:23:00.002-06:00

If you know me, you've heard me talk about Oil of Oregano. I'm a HUGE fan. It's done wonders for me and the others that I've recommended it to. It's probably the best thing you could take for a sinus infection. It'll knock the infection out quicker and safer than antibiotics.
Here's some other great things about Oil of Oregano:

Kills bacteria and organisms that contribute to digestive and skin problems (like candida/yeast/fungus)
Strengthens your immune system
Increases joint and muscle flexibility
Increases respiratory health

Oil of oregano is strong stuff so I'm a fan of the pills, not the oil in liquid form. If you can tolerate the taste, than go for it though. Just make sure it's close to at least 70% carvacrol (the active component). You'll want to eat when you take it because of the strength. As far as dosage...If you're battling an infection, I recommend 3 pills every 3 hours (if they're the small pearl sized pills). You'll want to take some probiotics when you're done taking it, because it is so strong it can kill some of your good bacteria in your body while it's killing the bad.
You can also apply the oil directly to toe fungus or nail fungus. If it burns too much, you can dilute it with some olive oil.
There is also a great book out there called "The Cure in the Cupboard". The whole book is dedicated to Oregano and it's many uses.

Curry, Curry, I love curry!

2009-02-27T14:56:00.004-06:00

This is my favorite soup to make. It is a Vietnamese Curry soup, and on a cold day like today, it's perfect to warm you up!!
Fun fact about curry... Curry powder contains turmeric which is a spice that gives it that beautiful yellow color. Turmeric has loads of medicinal components to it. It's an amazing anti-inflammatory and in some studies has been shown to work as well as prescription NSAIDS for treating arthritis. Turmeric is also a powerful antioxidant that helps in the treatment and prevention of many different cancers and cataracts. Some studies also found it useful for lowering cholesterol. And this is not all folks!!! It helps detoxify the body and protects the liver from toxins and damage from alcohol. Turmeric can also kill salmonella and protozoa that cause diarrhea!
Just eating curry once in a while won't give you enough turmeric to help though. You'll have to start taking it in pill form. The best brand in my opinion if New Chapter's Turmeric. The also make an antioxidant pill that has a lot of turmeric in it as well as green tea and other herbs. I've taken it and love it!

Alright so here's my Vietnamese curry soup recipe for you!

Vietnamese Style Curry Soup

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 onion
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic minced
2 Kaffir lime leaves
2 inch piece ginger minced
8 small potatoes, quartered
1 stalk lemongrass cut into 2 inch pieces
Small bag of baby carrots
4 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp red curry paste
1 can coconut milk
4 cups chicken broth
meat from a boiled chicken
4 cups water
cilantro for garnish
2 tbsp fish sauce

Heat oil and sauté onion until soft and translucent. Stir in garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and curry powder. Cook for about 5 minutes to release flavors. Stir in carrots. Pour in broth and water. Add fish sauce and red pepper flakes. Bring to boil. Then stir in potatoes and coconut milk. Simmer 40-60 minutes or until carrots and potatoes are tender. Add chicken. Serve with rice.
Whole foods carries lemongrass that is chopped and jarred in their Asian food section. It really helps to have it on hand. You can also freeze the lime leaves to have them around as well!

Tulsi Tea

2009-02-26T09:45:00.003-06:00

My second favorite tea besides Kombucha is Tulsi Tea. Why do I love this tea so much?? The flavor is good, but not fantastic. It's what this tea does to my body that I love so much! It decreases stress!!! And I can honestly feel the difference when I drink Tulsi regularly.
Tulsi, or otherwise known as Holy Basil, is an adaptogen. An adaptogen is a natural substance that increases your bodies resistance to stress, anxiety, fatigue, and trauma! Coffee does not do any of this! It actually causes the opposite effect. Coffee may temporarily help with fatigue, but soon after you crash.
The stress factor alone would be enough to keep me hooked on Tulsi, but it has even more health benefits!! It also
* Helps promote your respiratory system health
* Supports your healthy vision
* Gives you antioxidant protection against free radicals
* Helps you alleviate minor discomfort and irritation
* Provides you with a calming effect and relief from occasional stress
* Helps bolster your immune system
* Helps promote your healthy metabolism
* Balances the health of your digestive system
* Helps you maintain blood sugar levels in the normal range
* Provides you with skeletal and joint support
* Aids you in supporting normal cholesterol levels

I first became familiar with Tulsi several years ago when I worked at a health food store. We started selling Holy Basil pills and people were loving what it did for their stress levels. If you'd rather take a pill than drink the tea, I would recommend Enzymatic Therapy's Holy Basil pills. They're not too expensive and the company is very reputable.
I could go on and on about Tulsi and it's history and uses in Ayurvedic medicine, but this post is already getting very long. You're welcome to google it and get some more research on it if you'd like.
As far as the tea, you can buy it at Whole Foods and the brand to get is "Organic India". There are tons of different flavors to choose from. My favorite is "Indian Breakfast" which is a blend of Tulsi and Black tea. The Lemon Ginger is also a favorite of mine. I hear Tulsi is also tasty iced!
Cheers and I hope you enjoy Tulsi as much as I do!!

What's for dinner??

2009-02-25T16:12:00.006-06:00

Several people have told me I'm a good cook. It's definitely been a process. I would have to say working at a nice Euro Bistro for nearly 2 years really helped my palette, as did going to Thailand. I prefer ethnic dishes (I like some kick!), but once in a while I come across a dish that's not ethnic and the flavor blows me away!! There is a dish at Yia Yia's where I used to work that Deryck and I both love!! It's a shrimp pasta with a sage and sweet vermouth brown butter sauce. I crave this pasta regularly and with it being nearly $20 for a plate, I rarely get it. So, I did some searching and I think I've come as close to it as I'm gonna get! It might annoy a lot of you that cook by exact measurements out there, but I cook mostly by taste... so bare with me!
So this is what's for dinner tonight!!

Shrimp Pasta with Sage and Brown butter

1 organic stick butter
1/2 cup sweet vermouth
handful of fresh sage
1 clove minced garlic
6 baby tomatoes halved or 4 sundried tomatoes
handful of spinach
Shrimp shell off-uncooked
Whole grain Spaghetti noodles cooked al dente or 2 zucchini squash shredded (for the raw food people!)

Baked halved baby tomatoes at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Don't worry about it if you're using sundried. Cook butter in skillet of Med High heat until the butter starts to turn brown (about 4 minutes). Add vermouth, sage, and garlic. Simmer about 5 minutes. Remove the sage with a strainer spoon. Be sure a squeeze the sage so you're not throwing away butter and flavor!! Add in the shrimp and tomatoes. Cook until shrimp is pink. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Toss with the spaghetti noodles!! Another variation is to use chicken and ghnocci instead of shrimp and pasta.
Remember that it's worth the splurge on organic butter. I can tell you about the horrors of non-organic milk another time....plus it's FULL of pesticides...more than any fruit or veggie!!

Kombucha

2009-02-24T10:33:00.002-06:00

I'm sure a lot of you out there are familiar with Kombucha tea. You can pick up a bottle at nearly any Health Food store out there. If you buy some, just make sure it's unpasturized. Pasturization kills all the enzymes and good bacteria that make Kombucha the powerful health drink that it is. My favorite is Ginger Berry by GT's. At at least $3 a pop, these drinks could break your budget, although if you have to choose between this and a Starbuck's coffee drink, please choose a Kombucha! Fortunately you can make your own a home for pennies. You can purchase the scoby (which is what ferments the tea) online if you want. I've gotten a couple of ebay before. Or you can create your own scoby, which is what I'm currently doing. Once you get going, it's like amish friendship bread! You can pass out scobys to your friends so that they can make their own kombucha tea!
Here is a link for you: http://www.foodrenegade.com/2009/02/02/how-to-grow-a-kombucha-scoby/

And once you have a scoby use this recipe! Granted I would half this one because it makes 2 gallons http://www.foodrenegade.com/2009/02/06/how-to-brew-kombucha-double-fermentation-method/

So why drink Kombucha tea? Well, it's really one of the best things you could put into your body because it's ALIVE!!! Here's a link to it's health benefits http://www.foodrenegade.com/2008/12/12/kombucha-health-benefits/
And another tidbit... Kombucha contains S. Boulardii which is the bacteria that combats food poisoning, diarrhea, and helps with IBS symptoms!!!

I'm going to give it a go..

2009-02-24T10:26:00.002-06:00

Alright, so I'm going to try this blogging thing. Several of my friends have told me I should write a book with my little tips and suggestions and what not. I'm not ready to write a book, so I figured a blog was the next best thing.
I'm going to try my best to write a little something every day, whether it be a health tip, or a spiritual revelation. Please bear with me and my grammatical errors and misspelling. I have 2 toddlers. For those of you that don't know this, small children fry your brain cells. I'm sure there has to be some research out there. I believe it's call Momnesia. I have it. Just ask my husband. I used to be a quick wit. Not so much anymore.

Anyhow....On to the subject of the day. This is a little exciting for me!