FOOD.....

MERRY CHRISTMAS From a Child's Perspective

2011-12-08T10:16:00.001-06:00

This is absolutely PRECIOUS! Merry Christmas, and may the spirit of Jesus be in your thoughts and celebrations this year... (remember to pause my Blog page music player--lower right column- before watching)-

Dr. Oz and HOMEOPATHY, Part 1

2011-04-07T22:08:00.013-05:00

Simple. Safe. Cheap. These alternative cures will soothe your aches and pains without a prescription. Dr. Oz discusses the benefits of homeopathic...

(BE SURE TO PAUSE MUSIC PLAYER BY SCROLLLING DOWN IN RIGHT COLUMN!)

Please also visit my "HOW TO" introductory guide to Homeopathy: http://bodymindsoulfood.blogspot.com/2009/02/intro-to-homeopathy.html

IN CHRIST, MS. SALUBRIOUS

Dr. Oz and HOMEOPATHY, Part 2

2011-04-07T22:00:00.006-05:00

Simple. Safe. Cheap. These alternative cures will soothe your aches and pains without a prescription. Dr. Oz discusses the benefits of homeopathic

(BE SURE TO PAUSE MUSIC PLAYER BY SCROLLLING DOWN IN RIGHT COLUMN!)

Please also visit my "HOW TO" introductory guide to Homeopathy: http://bodymindsoulfood.blogspot.com/2009/02/intro-to-homeopathy.html

IN CHRIST, MS. SALUBRIOUS

Organic Candy.....What's the point?

2010-12-08T19:37:00.015-06:00

Someone would SeRiOuSlY search out a "healthy" version of candy? Isn't ALL CANDY UnHeAlThY for you?

IMHO, Candy doesn't HAVE to be "unhealthy"...it could just be "not healthy"! YES, there is a difference. Let me explain....

When you look at the ingredients on a 'typical' package of candy you might see as an ingredient any of the following: hydrogenated oil, artificial dyes/coloring, artificial flavoring, artificial sweetener, preservatives.

All of these ingredients can be considered 'unhealthy' or ANTI-NUTRIENTS (substances that, when consumed increase the body's need for more nutrients) These substances take so much extra energy for the digestive tract to process and eliminate, that the body is left with more nutrients burned up than are taken in. They also increase the appetite because the body is not getting the nutrients it needs. My advice is to steer clear of most anti nutrients if you want to maintain optimum health. Some commonly considered ANTI-NUTRIENTS : hydrogenated oils, white flour products, low-fat milk products (skim and 2%), processed meats (hot dogs, lunch meat), pastries, or anything that contains added sugar, fast food anything, chemical anything in foods.

HYDROGENATED OILS "are naturally healthy oils such as palm, kernel, soybean, corn oil or coconut oil and they heat it anywhere from 500-1,000 degrees under several atmospheres of pressure. They then inject a catalyst into the oil for several hours (nickel, platinum or even aluminum). The molecules in this new product are now closer to...plastic than to oil. In fact, hydrogenated oil is only one molecule away from being plastic. When you eat anything containing this material, just as the oil is now thicker...so too does your blood become thicker...right along with it. If un-hydrogenated oils are put into foods they would go bad very fast. This would increase the cost to the manufacturer. In fact the faster a food goes bad, the healthier they usually are. That's because the enzymatic activity which causes the foods to rot at room temperature also means that the enzymatic activity within your own body will be greater as well. Food is basically meant to digest itself so eating foods high in natural enzymes such as fresh vegetables, fruits and other raw foods means less stress on your own digestive system." Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/024694_food_hydrogenated_oils_health.html

ARTIFICIAL DYES are used in candy because they are CHEAP, plain and simple. Cheap isn't necessarily bad....until you examine closely the side effects of artificial dyes in children. Colorings in candy and foods used to be made out from natural resources: cherries-RED, blueberries-BLUE, tumeric-YELLOW and so on. "By the time the early 1900's hit, there were more than 80 types of dyes, none of them having been tested for short/long term affects. The dyes created were, and still are, derived from PETROLEUM ANILINE, and were first named coal-tar colors because the starting product was taken from bituminous coal. Laws were eventually made to attempt to control the extent and identify the colors, but nevertheless, very little research done on the safety of putting them in the human body." (http://www.fennogold.org/)

Check out my BLOG posting on chemical colorings and side effects.

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS: SPLENDA is a chlorinated sugar that is about 600 times as sweet as sugar. http://www.truthaboutsplenda.com/ (taken from my BLOG posting) "When the temperature of ASPARTAME exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in ASPARTAME coverts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. (Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants). The methanol toxicity mimics multiple sclerosis. ASPARTAME changes the brain's chemistry (by) changing the dopamine level in the brain. Dr. Russell Blaylock, neurosurgeon, said, 'The ingredients stimulates the neurons of the brain to death, causing brain damage of varying degrees.'" http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/aspartame.html

Candy containing naturally-based sugar and natural food coloring are not healthy by any means, but at least they are not as "unhealthy" as candy containing the "anti-nutrients" listed above! If there are occasionally times when you will want to celebrate something, and you don't want your child to take a hit on their immune system, I have found a couple of sites that we will occasionally be visiting for rare holiday treats. They use natural, food-derived colorings & flavors. The sugar sources in these treats/candies are not as processed as most candy (the more naturally-derived the ingredient; the easier it is on the immune system & digestive system!), contain no chemical dyes or preservatives and are made with natural flavorings. My daughters have chemical and processed food allergies, so I was absolutely ecstatic to find less "unhealthy" candy/treats!

This Christmas season we'll enjoy a healthy (quick mix) chocolate pudding made from REAL cocoa and natural sweeteners, this summer my daughters will enjoy roasting fruit juice based marshmallows over a fire, and we'll be bringing organic jello made from cherry juice and organic gelatin to potlucks through the year instead of just fresh fruit. (Organic Gelatin consists of up to 84% high-quality protein and is great for lubricating joints from the inside!) The natural candy store link actually has a candy breakdown list for children on special diets (no-soy, non-dairy, gluten-free, vegan, organic, or Feingold) more on Feingold for children with special needs: http://www.fennogold.org/

NATURAL CANDY/TREAT WEBSITES:

http://www.gobiofood.com/store.php?osCsid=7947f6e03189c839f17656dd40b7a417

http://www.naturalcandystore.com/category/organic-candy

Thanks for reading!

In Christ, Ms. Salubrious

******None of the above statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All of the information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. This BLOG should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******

Pumpkin Pudding (Variation) Dessert Sauce

2010-11-18T12:52:00.004-06:00

2-3 cups of pureed pumpkin,
1/3 cup organic half & half
1/4-1/3 cup REAL maple syrup
a pinch-1/4 tsp Fresh ground Nutmeg
MIX TO TASTE! Warm on stove to set ingredients and serve either: cold w/whipped cream
or warm w/sprinkles of nutmeg on top

****ADD homemade granola for a pumpkin pie-ish treat at Thanksgiving!****

A NEW MOVEMENT

2010-11-05T16:01:00.001-05:00

PLEASE PAUSE MUSIC PLAYER TO LISTEN, scroll down, right column. Thank You!

A Wake-Up Story from Healthy Child Healthy World on Vimeo.

The Woman's Herb: RED RASPBERRY (and LEAVES!)

2010-10-20T15:01:00.013-05:00

Red Raspberries are well-known for their sweetness--just pop one in your mouth to enjoy a mouth savoring experience! Not only are they delicious though--they are equally as healthy. The vivid fruit is rich in antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals in the body, preventing cell membranes damage. Raspberries are a valuable source of quercetin, an antioxidant that halts the release of histamines thus, minimizing allergic reactions. Being one of the FEW fruits that have low Glycemic index (3.8 g natural sugar per cup), the sweet fruit has virtually no effect on blood sugar levels, making it a sweet snack with minimal side-effects on those with high concentrations of yeast or pancreatic weaknesses. Benefits don't stop there though--many people overlook one of the most beneficial parts of the plant. The leaves!

"Some herbs seem to have a specific attraction to specific organs, in this case, raspberry leaves have an affinity for the female reproductive system, stimulating, toning and regulating the female organs more effectively than any other known herb. The tea is considered the supreme tonic for women to consume during their nine months of pregnancy to tone the uterus, nourish themselves and the growing baby, prevent miscarriage, and facilitate birth and placental delivery. English herbalist Henry Box praised red raspberry as the best gift that God ever gave to women. He said, "If the pains of childbirth are premature, it will make all quiet. If the mother is weak, it will abundantly strengthen her, cleanse her and enrich her milk." The first recorded use of Red Raspberry was in the 1500’s. Red raspberry leaf tea (Rubus ideas) has been used for centuries in Europe, China, and both North and South America. This popular tea has earned the reputation of "herb-supreme" among pregnant women. According to folklore it can relieve almost any discomfort of pregnancy from morning sickness to leg cramps." (BACK TO HERBS E-FLASH on Raspberry)

The leaves of a raspberry plant are probably one of the most beneficial plants for the human female body. Ranging in health benefits for women from childhood to pregnancy to menopause; the leaves have a multitude of healing properties. The leaves contain high concentrations of Vitamin C, E, A and B complex, all vitally important for the various stages a woman goes through in life, therefore helping those with most vitamin deficiencies. Since beauty to most woman is important, they will find impressive that raspberry leaf is an effective tonic on irritated skin--tightening the skin membranes effectively reducing secretions, inflammation and irritation, leading to tissue firmness. Doing the same thing on the inside of the body, raspberry leaf will curb diarrhea, intestinal and stomach upsets, along with nausea and flu symptoms. Raspberry Leaves contain the nutrient fragrine, an alkaloid which helps tone the muscles of the pelvic region so that the process of menstruation and pregnancy/delivery is easier, faster and less painful. "Red raspberry leaf tea does not induce labor directly. Instead, it strengthens the muscles of the pelvic and uterus, so that they can contract more efficiently during labor which is why there is widespread use of red raspberry leaf tea to induce labor" (BUZZLE.COM: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/red-raspberry-leaf-tea-benefits.html)

Here is a list of traditional uses of Red Raspberry:

PMS symptoms
Menstrual pain
Regulate irregular menstruation cycles
Ease the symptoms of morning sickness
Soothe and prevent bleeding gums, which many pregnant women often experience
Relax the smooth muscles of the uterus when it is contracting
Assist with the birth of the baby and the placenta
Calm cramping of the uterus
provide a rich source of iron, calcium, manganese, and magnesium

Traditional uses of Red Raspberry Leaves:

A valuable source of vitamins B1, B3, and E, which are valuable in pregnancy to help eliminate magnesium deficiency symptoms, common during pregnancy
Aid fertility
Promote a plentiful supply of breast milk
Help stop excess bleeding after birth
Treat diarrhea
Regulate irregular menstrual cycle and to decrease heavy periods
Relieve sore throats
Reduce fever

I personally have found Raspberry to be a most important asset to our family, beings that I have gone through 4 pregnancies, with 3 of them being girls. It is something I take in addition to my weekly vitamins by either popping in a couple of herb capsules, or making it as my choice flavor of tea for the day. In fact, it is the ONLY TEA I have so far found that my daughters do not insist me add raw honey to. After first hand experiencing the healing properties that Red Raspberry Leaf has to offer--it would be the ONE HERB I would use to prepare my body for pregnancy, and use it to recouperate with until fully healed. (most studies say your body takes 18 months to fully recover all nutrients lost to the baby during a pregnancy; assuming you take good qualitiy vitamins and eat a diet full of high quality protein and raw dairy, vegetables, nuts and fruit)

In Christ, Ms. Salubrious

******None of the above statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All of the information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. This BLOG should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******

SOURCES:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_raspberry_leaf
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080105190141AA62xdl
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/red-raspberry-leaf-tea-benefits.html
BACK TO HERBS E-FLASH EMAIL

In the Eyes of the Beholder

2010-09-15T16:06:00.012-05:00

Mark 8:25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly

Ezekiel 47:12 Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing."

Half of the U.S. population ages 20 and older has poor eyesight, according to a study in the August Archives of Ophthalmology.

It is estimated that more than 150 million people in the U.S. use corrective eyewear (Prevent Blindness America, 2002).

Among all individuals who report "serious difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses," 33% live in cities, 37% live in suburbs, 28% live in non-metropolitan areas (e.g., small towns) and 1% live in farm areas (Schmeidler & Halfmann, 1998b).

What can one collectively presume looking at the 3 above statistics?

Perhaps that "most people lose their eyesight as they grow older, needing corrective eyewear from something that rural living has to offer"?

Am I suggesting that one move to the "country" if they have poor eyesight? Absolutely not! But I will attempt to suggest a reason as to "why" the considerably higher percentage of people are from non-rural areas. Perhaps the people on farms having good eyesight have lived on a diet mostly of freshly picked vegetables and fruit that help them to nourish their sightseeing organs. Most people know that Vitamin A (from orange vegetables) helps to "feed" the eyes, but are there others? I ran across a great article at:

http://www.treelite.com/articles/nf/natures-field---july-20-2010.html that I'll share some excerpts with you:

"The sad thing is that one simple nutritional change could save many people's vision. That change is to get more antioxidant nutrients into the diet. Antioxidants are extremely critical to eye health because the eyes are extremely prone to oxidative stress and free radical damage. In fact, oxidative stress is the underlying cause of cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration."

Many people do not make the connection between diet and nutrition (me being one of them in the past. I found I needed glasses after my mom went back to work, with my diet offering meals with considerably less vegetables, being sacrificed for a busier, but comfortable lifestyle). Others may think that vegetable flavored chips, synthetic meal replacements, and fruit flavored cereals / fruit roll-ups make an exceptional form of a daily vegetable and fruit intake. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't even try THAT hard, but completely threw any diet-to-eyesight connections out the window! YES...I wear glasses now and have for over 15 years now. I'm trying to play "catch up" for those years 'lacking' in my diet, but it's VERY hard to do! I have found by not trying CONSIDERABLY hard (other than upping my raw vegetable intake) that I have for the first time in 15 years not gotten worse when I had my eyes checked, but even improved by a degree! After I heal fully from our latest addition to the family, I plan to travel down the road of improving my eyesight naturally. Here are some more tips I'll be following from the above article link:

Lutein and xeaxanthin, are yellowish pigments found in foods like spinach, kale, green beans, corn and egg yolks. They are also antioxidants that protect your eyes from the blue and near-ultraviolet wavelengths of light. Protecting the eyes from these wavelengths of light reduces the risk of macular degeneration.
Carrots are high in beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A. Both vitamin A and beta-carotene are very critical antioxidants for the eyes, meaning there is some truth to the popular belief that carrots are good for your eyes.
There are other carotenoids that protect the eyes, too. For instance, lycopene, a carotenoid that contributes to the red color of tomatoes, helps protect eyes from light and oxygen damage. It also protects the prostate and blood vessels.
The dark purple color of blue berries, huckleberries and bilberries is due to the presence of anthocyanodins. These compounds protect blood vessels in the eyes (and throughout the body) and enhance night vision.
The bottom line is that our eyes can help to guide our nutritional choices, so we obtain the nutrients our eyes need to stay healthy. An ingenious system, don't you think?

Find yourself living a busy lifestyle and plan to slow down later to a life with more vegetables and fruits?

Look for a supplement offering carotenoids, which are so important for the eyes! NATURE's SUNSHINE offers a product with beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lutein, lycopene, and zeaxanthin called: CAROTENOID BLEND. NATURES SUNSHINE was the first company to encapsulate herbs, back in 1972, and have thus been known for their disease-fighting properties. You might also search for a health product containing the herbs BILBERRY and TUMERIC, which have powerful anti-inflammatory properties that protect the eyes, liver, blood vessels and other tissues from damage. NATURES SUNSHINE also offers as a product: PERFECT EYES, which contains the carotenoids lutein, xeaxanthin, beta-carotene, lycopene, along with bilberry and turmeric.

Desire to see God's pathway clearer? Use His creation as an investment in your vision by increasing your raw fruit and vegetable intake. Your eyes may thank you come 40 years from now, and you're not needing to wear those unsightly senior citizen SUNGLASS BLINDERS for extreme sunlight sensitivity!

In Christ, Ms. Salubrious

Antibacterial soap....Et cetera

2010-05-13T10:07:00.007-05:00

Antibacterial soap is a better defense against infection than normal soap, right?

Unfortunately, that's false.

Three years ago, a University of Michigan team reviewed data and reported that antibacterial soap products in which TRICLOSAN is the active ingredient is no better than normal soaps at preventing infection. (triclosan is the big dog of antibacterial products)

According to a 2004 report in the journal Pesticides and You (yes, there really is a journal for everything!), triclosan is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent that's used in hundreds of products. But not just soaps. The chemical also shows up in Colgate Total toothpaste, Right Guard Sport Deodorant, and Solarcaine First Aid Medicated Spray.

And here's where things take a very dark turn: Triclosan may promote antibiotic resistance, which would actually make you MORE vulnerable if exposed to infections and hospital superbugs like MRSA and C. diff.

Early this year, Representative Edward Markey (chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment) asked the FDA to update the scientific review of triclosan.

In their response, FDA officials noted that recent research raises "valid concerns" about triclosan safety. In addition to antibiotic resistance, concerns include animal studies that suggest the chemical may interfere with hormone regulation.

So the FDA has started a new review of triclosan safety. Ready for a laugh? Agency officials say they'll have their report ready in the spring of 2011. D'oh!

Want to avoid triclosan right now? Why not? It's apparently not doing anyone any good. Just Google "triclosan-free" and you'll come up with thousands of websites that carry soap and other products that leave triclosan out of the mix.

And if you're wondering just how serious the problem of antibiotic resistance really is, consider that this danger was first recognized more than 80 years ago by one of the foremost medical scientists of the 20th century. His name: Alexander Fleming.

---ABOVE ALL TAKEN FROM HSIALERT.COM (The Health Science Institute)

My thoughts:

If you look under Antibiotic Resistance in the Wikipedia, it says, "Household use of antibacterials in soaps and other products is discouraged (as not being effective at infection control)" Makes you wonder if the use of antibacterial agents in common household products is either effective or harmless?

I first became aware of the potential downsides of antibacterial soaps from Dr. Mercola (The world's number 1 free natural health Newsletter resource), here's a similar article to the one I first read: Dr. MERCOLA ANTIBACTEIAL DANGER NEWSLETTER.

So, everyone wants to keep their family and children safe from harmful bacteria that can cause illness, right? What's the SAFE alternative you ask?

NATURAL, God designed antibacterial agents which have NO NEGATIVE effects on the human body:

VINEGAR -- as a spray on counter surfaces, toys, and bacteria-laden places. Article on vinegar's effectiveness: VINEGAR AS A BACTERIAL, MOLD, GERM KILLING PRODUCT. It's very inexpensive at the grocery store--give it a try!
LIQUID SILVER -- Practitioners in burn wards have known for a very long time that soaking bandages in a low concentration silver solution inhibits infection in burn victims; it literally saves their skin. Silver has long been used as an anti-infection agent with bandages or other medical supplies all around the world. VIEW SILVER BAND-AID PRODUCTS. Silver is also coming out in cleaning products/cloths: NORWEX SILVER CLEANING PRODUCTS.

Here's what our family uses as a quick antibacterial handsanitizer when out and about: SILVER ANTIBACTERIAL GEL HAND GEL. A little more spendy...but saves you from taking a chance with using TRICLOSAN on your kiddos!! They also sell a liquid version for antibacterial washings and for using with eye infections: LIQUID SILVER.

Little Djoulissa's Story

2010-05-02T14:04:00.013-05:00

I would like to share the story of the Meyers so that you can join me in praying for them. We go to a homeschooling academy/CO-OP and the mom, Mae, is one of the parents there so we have had many good faith/family/friendship talks over the past 2 years. I consider Mae a close friend of mine, being there for me with advice, love and encouragement when she knows I need them. She has such a loving and caring heart, and has such faith and strength in her times of trial, that I sooo admire.

This year the Meyers Family was approached to adopt a beautiful 2 year old named Djoulissa from a couple that was hosting her during her stay in the U.S. for her medical visa. This precious child has been diagnosed with Moebius Syndrome (including facial paralysis), CLUB FEET, malnutrition, and has severe developmental delays. The Meyers knew it was their calling to have her as a part of their family.

Here's a portion of their announcement e-mail:

"We are very excited to announce that we have a new addition to the family. Djoulissa -pronounce: jew-lisa (given name-not sure if we are changing it yet) was brought to our attention on Feb. 20th. God had put our family on someone's mind who knew that Djoulissa needed a home. They contacted us and asked if we were interested in adopting her. To say we were blown away would be an understatement-especially since we were not even thinking of adopting at this time. We said that we would pray about it and see where God was leading us-it is hard to ignore when God is opening doors all around you! We really felt that God had prepared us for her and her special needs over the last couple of years and that He is calling us to adopt her."

The Meyers family brought her home at the beginning of April, and started visits with doctors to diagnosis, treat and improve Djoulissa's health condition. Here is her excerpt from Djoulissa's CARING BRIDGE SITE (<--Click for link to site):

Wednesday, April 28, 2010
"Djoulissa was admitted to the hospital today. We went in for a feeding clinic and they took one look at her and said she is going up to a room! That was not in the plan today :) Right now she has a tube through her nose to feed her. The dr. said this is going to be a long stay. When I asked what 'long' meant he said that on the short end it will be 2 weeks. Please pray for her sweet little spirit and that she can put up with all this testing and that Doug and I will have the emotion and physical strength."

Friday, April 30
"They did find a bit of fluid by the heart and a vessel that they really don't want there. We will do another heart echo next week to check on things. I was a bit worried tonight with her being so lethargic and quiet. I bought her a couple of balloons (which always make her giggle) but she didn't even really look at them. I was telling a nurse about it and that she really is a fiesty girland I want to see that again. She sat up on my lap and preceded to hit the heck out the balloon. Never thought violence could bring such JOY to my heart :)"

"If I have not mentioned it before...this little girl is such a sweetie. She has the most beautiful eyes that smile even if her face can't. I am so very humbled and blessed to be this little girl's mother that it brings me to tears whenever I think about it. To be perfectly honest I worry. I worry about being a good mother to her, worry about providing everything she is going to need, worry about being a mother to SIX kids (I am so outnumbered), worried about stupid stuff that satan plants in my head --Then I read in this really great book that tells me that I should NOT worry-for what good does it do? Pretty good book and it hasn't failed me yet so I am trying really hard to follow its guidance. I still am not sure what God was thinking when He chose me to be her mother, but I know that He is a GREAT Father and He can use even the likes of me. Thank-you again for all the prayers. God has His hand on all of this and I really am excited to see where He takes us! "

Please visit the site regularly for updates, prayer requests and to show support to this loving family. We are so blessed to know them, and would encourage you to be a part of their journey God has for them! Thank you for reading.

In Christ, Ms. Salubrious

Daniel Fast Verses Moses Diet

2010-04-26T13:46:00.024-05:00

I believe that fasting can be a very powerful tool if done with pure intentions, in our private relationship with Christ. As it says in the Bible, (Matthew 6:17,18) "But when you fast...(fast)so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." There can be much bodily healing, cleansing and devotion that can come as a result of the fasting process, as proven in the Bible. It will also jump start certain bodily organs--such as the liver, stomach and intestines that regularly do cleansing, but can retain unwanted "sludge" so inconspicuously as our daily meals slither on through.

Fasting can restart our thought process dramatically. In our current society, our minds can get overpowered in feeding the dependency of the caffeine/yeast/sugar/fats that our bodies normally get on a regular basis, that we don't have the clariety to FULLY focus on life, much less our faith walk. As seen with many people who need their choice of drink or candy bar snack each day; our minds can get so pre-occupied with getting our next "food fix", that we don't realize how much of the day we spend thinking about that, rather than about our mission for Christ. A fast helps "reset the table" for our "daily feast" with the Lord.

There is a current "fasting" trend that is hitting the blog, twitter and facebook realms very heavily in the past few months. Here's just one of the many BLOGS I've read on it: THE DANIEL FAST. Tweeting about the Daniel Fast? Here you go: TWITTER! There is even a FACEBOOK Daniel Fast web page that you can join the ranks of: FACEBOOK . Here is a quick run down on the fast from http://www.daniel-fast.com/about.html :
1. Only fruits and vegetables 2. Only water for a beverage 3. No sweeteners or breads 4. No yeast 5. no artificial or processed foods nor any chemicals

I believe that this fast is a great example of a "modified fast" (as opposed to HARDCORE fasting, just involving water) for a short period of time. People do it to restart their bodies, while looking forward to their return of "normal life eating". People feel good consuming vegetables and fruits which are plumb full of detoxers, vitmins and minerals, along with magnesium that is a natural bowl cleanser. However, in long term eating, our body was made to function at it's best, alongside these vegetables, in "protein" mode; the greatest resource of this being from the complete protein found in meats, especially clean beef. Hence, the reason for our "canine teeth" given to us by God, and the reason God gave us to "EAT ANY ANIMAL THAT HAS A SPLIT HOOF DIVIDED IN TWO and that chews the cud. Of all the creatures living in the water, you may eat ANY THAT HAS FINS AND SCALES" Deuteronomy 14:6,9 Why did God take the time to suggest a food guideline? As a suggestion towards discovering good health for use in being a superior Christ follower. Without complete proteins and clean animal fats, our bones/joints will get frail and our muscle, organ and blood cells will not rebuild themselves properly. Many people are finding themselves to be anemic and deficient in iron because of their lifestyle fasting of consuming mostly just fruits and vegetables.

While I retain my stance that the Daniel Fast is a blessing to both onself and God for short periods of time; I strongly believe that a lifestyle eating habit change can be a more effective tool to serve God in the long run. With the Daniel fast, you have a set goal to "look forward to" in returning to processed foods; with a Moses Diet...that's the way life is....take it or leave it. With the Moses diet, it's pretty much the EXACT SAME THING as the Daniel Fast, but you retain optimal health through the continued eating of UNPROCESSED dairy and CLEAN grass-fed meats, and occasional NATURALLY-OCCURING sweeteners which are full of trace minerals if consumed raw (honey, maple syrup). Then, on the Moses Diet, you are so close to already doing a DANIEL FAST, that you may find it more benificial to do a water fast to be cleansed from impurities for short, but meaningful periods of time.

SO....What is the Moses Diet? Here's an excerpt from my previous BLOG POSTING, YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT:

In Be Healthy and Happy by Dr. M.H.Tabb, pg 27, he writes, "Moses ate HONEY, OIL, COW BUTTER, MILK OF SHEEP, LAMBS, RAMS and GOATS, SHEEP, and GRAPE JUICE(Deut. 32:13-14).... He ate plenty of QUAIL (Ex. 16:13)"...and in future tense, refers to "the increase of the fields", or PRODUCE. At 120, Moses still had the strength and eyesight of his youth" pg 26.

"Then God said, 'I give you EVERY SEED-BEARING PLANT on the face of the whole earth and EVERY TREE THAT HAS FRUIT WITH SEED IN IT. They will be yours for food.'" Genesis 1:29

"You may EAT ANY ANIMAL THAT HAS A SPLIT HOOF DIVIDED IN TWO and that chews the cud. Of all the creatures living in the water, you may eat ANY THAT HAS FINS AND SCALES. You may eat ANY CLEAN BIRD." Deuteronomy 14: 6, 9, 11

So, what is the biggest difference between present day Christians, many sickly at ages 40, 50, 60, etc, and Moses? Our diet and the diets of our parents and grandparents--what we eat, and in the forms we eat it. From all of the above verses, one can understand how to get many of the nutrients our bodies need: by eating Unsprayed FRUIT & Vegetables, RAW Wholemilk DAIRY, most CLEAN (ORGANIC) MEATS, raw natural sweeteners, raw nuts/seeds, ColdPressed oils and WHOLE GRAINS in their MOST NATURAL STATES-- the foods that God intended us to eat.

Contrary to popular belief, God does not mention and Moses did not ingest things like: sugar, high fructose corn syrup, growth hormones and immunizations in beef and dairy, soda-pop, preservatives, enriched flour, vegetables and fruits that are genetically altered, pesticides, herbicides, chemical dyes or MSG.

So, in contrast, the Daniel fast is eating the foods God specifically created for us for a short period of time, then returning to a typical American diet. The Moses Diet is eating the foods God specifically designed for our bodies day in and day out, only VERY occasionally eating out/eating the typical American diet. Fast food, candy bars, pastry products, sugar cereals, bottled drinks, etc are the exception, rather than the daily/weekly "norm". Please consider a Moses Diet, instead of just Daniel Fasting here and there. While fasting is good to restart the body, the Moses Diet was designed to sustain it. If you take your daily diet a step further, along with your choice of fasting style a step further....you are THAT much closer to your biblical ancestors and to you Savior's lifestyle!

The REAL Reason For Easter

2010-04-02T08:16:00.005-05:00

PLEASE PAUSE MUSIC PLAYER IN THE RIGHT COLUMN, BELOW to hear this video! Thank You!!

The Real Reason for Easter - Revelation Song

As I watched this video, the goosebumps I got reminded me of the truly great suffering that my Savior went through for me. From betrayals.....to hate....to so much more PHYSICAL suffering than any of us could possibly fathom! Yet, at times we may get wrapped up in only the commercial meanings of Easter (eggs, bunnies, candy--the fluffy, fun "cute" stuff). Easter was never meant to be just "fun" or "cute" ... instead it was meant to be a symbolically spiritual experience between us and the one who was sent to give us eternal life. It may start out MORE fluffy and cute for the little "tikes"--but as they grow and mature, so shall their understanding of the main purpose for celebrating Easter as we share more with them. Boy, that seems so much MORE meaningful than just embracing the peeps and egg hunts....doesn't it?

As our family heads off to church, family gatherings, and YES an Easter Egg hunt for our young daughters on Sunday--my prayer is that they will also keep the meaning of Easter in their heads that we have shared with them since they were babies. Each year as we give them a new Easter book with a depiction of Jesus' story...they ask more questions and we give more details. They are beginning to know the true meaning of why Easter began....alongside a bit of the fluffy cute stuff.

Happy Easter to you and your family!
Ms. Salubrious

OUR DOG STORY

2010-03-10T14:03:00.021-06:00

We adopted our 6 year old husky from the humane society in the fall of 2002. Over the next 4 years, we took note that she had only a few health problems. Some of the health problems she faced over these 4 years included: kennel cough, ruptured anal glands, torn leg ligaments, and a lack of appetite. She was on and off medications for these various problems, along with a few surgeries here and there. We experimented with several different brands of commercial dog foods, but nothing seemed to tickle her fancy--she didn't even go ga-ga over table scraps like most dogs did!

Our dog's road to natural health fell upon us in the spring of 2006. Leading up to this, the previous fall, she was chasing a rabbit and started limping; she had torn a knee ligament. My uncle and aunt's dog had just died from a staph infection after a routine teeth cleaning surgery, so my greatest concern was that our dog would have a similar result from her surgery the vet prescribed. The vet assured me that she would be fine. She had the surgery:

She was doped up on pain medication, anti-infection meds and within a few days would not leave her bed spot without being carried (just picture me carrying our husky to her food bowl and down a flight of stairs to go outside!) Our dog stopped eating, stopped pooping and laid on her bed lethargically from day to day getting worse. As we had visitors drop by, they made comments, "She's pretty much gone" or "She's given up on life; there's nothing you can do" and "Is that dog even alive still?"

After not having eaten for over 10 days, and drinking minimal droppers of water, I called the Vet, "You can bring her in to do testing to find out which body parts are shutting down...." SERIOUSLY? THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE FOR ME??? Well, you can imagine why we took the matter in our own hands then, with me spending late hours on the computer doing research on canine health. What I came up with was that her body was too weak from malnutrition to be able to recover from a major surgery. MALNUTRITION? BUT, how could that be since we fed her good brands of commercial dog foods?!?!

INSTEAD....my question SHOULD have been, "Are we feeding her the type of food that God created a dog to eat?" The answer would have been "no". In my research, I found a dog needs to eat a majority of their diet as protein, not as grains and carbs as most commercial dog food is made. OF that protein, it should be raw--just as a canine would eat out in the wild!

MY EXPERIMENT: I held a piece of raw meat in front of her nose--not having eaten for 10 days, keep in mind--and the RAW was KEY, because we had tried plenty of cooked meat! Her ears perked, her nose wriggled and she slowly accepted the food. Over the next few days as her appetite came back, we gave her an enema (yeah, gross!!) to get her bowels moving again (NATURES SUNSHINE LOWER BOWEL STIMULANT DROPS worked for ongoing flushing for the next few weeks) and fed her milk, raw eggs, bits of raw steak and hamburger to keep her eating. Within a week she was running around as her usual self.

Our dog is 13 years old now and has a healthy appetite, plays throughout the day, sees well, hear well, has all of her teeth, and even chases rabbits and other critters regularly around our yard. In fact, most new visitors think she's about 5 years, as their mouth drops when we tell her REAL age! She has not needed any medications or vet visits for health problems in the past 4 years (she doesn't GET health problems, in fact!), and is in GREAT SHAPE considering where she was before and directly following her surgery. She doesn't get the luxury of having special food bought for her....instead we have found a very budget-conscious diet plan for her....still involving raw foods. If you are interested in how we have done this--tune back in for my next BLOG POSTING on NATURAL CANINE HEALTH!

God Bless, Ms. Salubrious

Natural Health First Aid Kit

2010-03-06T15:10:00.008-06:00

INFECTION FIGHTERS:

Epsom Salt -- just regualr store boughten from any pharmacy, add 1-2 cups to baths to relax muscles and fight infection (1/2 cup to 1 cup for little ones)
Organic Apple Cider Vinegar -- a natural bacterial fighter. Add a few cups safely to any bath, even using it each bath through the winter time as a preventative measure. Taken internally is a tremendous immune booster, if taken daily.
GOLDENSEAL HERB -- the natural version of an antibiotic. Taken 1-2 capsules every 1-3 hours when infected with anything. If no improvement, take more often to see results. Drops available for kiddos: Goldenseal Echinacea
Morton Salt -- make "salt packs" out of 1 cup salt and a thin ziplock baggie. Apply to infected area for an hour at a time, doing as often as able, switching to new each round(time allowing) salt naturally draws toxins/infection out of the body.
Heat packs/Hot water bottle -- lay on infected area, opposite of salt packs. If no hot water bottle available, then use hot wach cloth is thin zip-loc baggie.
WOOL SOCKS --The COLD WET SOCK TREATMENT increases circulation to the feet. As the body tries to warm the feet, it causes the excess mucus in the body to break-up. Get a pair of cotton socks thoroughly dampened in icy cold water, or place wet socks in the freezer for a few minutes. Wring out well and put them on your child's feet, immediately following them with the dry wool socks. These prevent drafts, and also allow the feet to 'breathe'. Repeat if necessary.
Enema Kits/Stool Softener: LOWER BOWEL STIMULANT CAPSULES , for kiddos: LB EXTRACT, and the stimulant tea: SMOOTH MOVE TEA by Traditional Medicinals ENZYMES. Getting the stools moving (which get backed up and pushes mucus upwards with allergies and illnesses) is the fastest way to push something out of your body that doesn't belong!

BLADDER/URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS:

Cornsilk Herb Capsules work WONDERS for getting rid of bladder and UT Infections!
Organic Cranberry Juice (be sure to check label for no additives--R.W. Knudsen is most ideal brand)
CANTHARIS or STAPHYSAGRIA homeopathic remedies most common for treating bladder infections, found at many natural health stores

EAR INFECTIONS:

Lobelia tincture, essence, or extract to relax ear tissue and relieve pain. Apply to the gland under the ear, covering an area at least the size of a quarter
Sage and Fenugreek-Thyme help the body break up mucus
FERRUM PHOS and PULSATILLA are the 2 homeopathic remedies that help with ear infections the most. Pulsatilla assists the body in breaking up mucus and pus, and Ferrum Phos assists the body in cleansing the glands next to the ear, relieving the pressure that causes the pain.
Drops for pain/infection (DO NOT USE on children with tubes in the ears). Warm momentarily in a pan: (DO NOT PUT IN HOT DROPS, wait until it cools to a nice warmth): a mixture of 1-tablespoon COLD PRESSED OLIVE OIL, 2 drops Tea Tree oil and a clove of ORGANIC GARLIC. Only two drops of this mixture are put in the infected ear. Lie down 10 minutes on the opposite ear so the oil will go deep into the ear. Use a warm compress over the ear after the oil is in place to help relieve the pain
Cold Wet Sock Treatment (see description above)
Enema to get stools moving is the number one treatment to do, but many would rather try the others first....

SINUS INFECTIONS:

KALI BICHROMIUM is hands down, the best sinus infection/sinus cold homeopathic remedy, can be found at many natural health stores.
Fenugreek-Thyme Herb Capsules thin mucus naturally, take 1-2 every 1-3 hours. Take more or less for desired outcome.
Heat compressions/Hot water bottle on face
Salt Water Sinus Flush
Be sure to keep stools moving

RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS/COUGHS/SORE THROATS:

Salt/Hot packs applied to chest
COLD WET SOCK TREATMENT
"Throat Coat" Tea by Traditional Medicinals, Basil Tea or Thyme Tea mixed with raw honey willbreak down mucus and relieve sore throats
IPECAC, SPONGIA, and HEPAR SULPHURIS are the main cough/lung mucus homeopathic remedies to use.
Gargle with morton salt and water continually

FOOD POISONING/UPSET STOMACH/INDIGESTION:

Activated Charcoal Capsules absorb toxins and poisons in the system if taken shortly after symptoms appear.
IPECAC, NUX VOMICA, ARSENICUM and CARBO VEG are the top remedies for sickness from foods
STOMACH COMFORT CHEWABLES help with occasional acid relief, as does PAPAYA CHEWABLES and dried parsley and organic apple cider vinegar since acid problems most of the time stem from being an indicator that your stomach's enzymes are deficient in some manner (many times from too much sugar/processed foods)

BURNS/CUTS:

CANTHARIS homeopathic remedy is the best remedy for burns
Abundant Blessings CALENDULA SALVE made without Petroleum, very hard to find this natural version
Soaking the burn spot in liquid minerals for 20 minutes works wonders!!

HEADACHES:

Magnesium Complex provides relief for aches by increasing blood flow to those areas, as does FORMULA 303, a natural version of a pain med found at many natural health stores
HOT PACK/HOT WATER BOTTLE on achy area
Regular Chiropractic adjustments
Diet of little to no processed foods/sugars will do wonders if you're brave enough!

BLEEDING:

Using typical first aid measures, you can also add the remedy BELLADONNA to help stop bleeding. When our daughter gashed her chin and her shirt was covered with blood down to her waistline, within 5 minutes of taking the remedy, the blood was completely stopped.

BRUSING/SWELLING/CUTS/SCRAPES/PUNCTURE WOUNDS:

The 3 main homeopathic remedies that help the body fight associated pain are the following: HYPERICUM, ARNICA, SYMPHYTUM...or else they sell the combination remedy including all of these three by ENERGIQUE to be used with more mild symptoms.
Hypericum is for numbness, shooting pains and puncture wounds involving nerves
Arnica is the first homeopathic remedy to consider with sprains, strains, falls, trauma and injury: for bruising, bleeding and deep tissue pain. Works WELL in recovering from surgery once the body is set back to it's normal functioning mode. (NOTE: with a break or fracture,the body needs to be back in normal functioning mode for a remedy to work. Our daughter broke her elbow and didn't get much relief until directly following surgery--but had no pains meds in recovery while using ARNICA!)
Symphytum is for pain persisting long after an injury.

God Bless, Ms. Salubrious

******None of the above statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All of the information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. This BLOG should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******

Movie Preview: One Man, One Cow, One Planet

2010-03-03T14:30:00.007-06:00

A new movie just came out (on DVD) for all those interested in Organic farming, sustainable living and independent acreage upkeep. What's so special about THIS movie, that Ms. Salubrious wants to promote it? Well, when you come to realize how bad chemical sprays are in reflection to longevity health and preserving nutrients in top soil, you tend to search out alternative resources AWAY FROM using sprays to control weeds. THIS movie is a GREAT RESOURCE in doing this!

Not only does ONE MAN, ONE COW, ONE PLANET touch on the idea of recycling and composting, but takes it a step further in addressing a method for when no nutrients remain in the soil or the items of which you compost! Biodynamic farming uses a set of principles involving: homeopathy, physics, and astronomy (not to be confused with astrology). A Holistic Approach: just as natural health uses the WHOLE body to treat underlying symptoms, and as organic farming uses the ecosystem as a whole to sustain, biodynamic farming similarly takes an even broader approach of using further ecosystems to coincide with the plants being grown to create nutrients. Just like adding (molecular) potential energy to a homeopathic remedy by pounding it to use as kinetic energy--Vortexing (activating) Water, A Biodynamic Principal, gives molecular energy to the soil that no single nutrient can bring!

Here's the Theatrical Trailer for the Movie, PLEASE PAUSE MUSIC PLAYER IN THE RIGHT COLUMN, BELOW to hear this video! Thank You!!

Here are a few excerpts about the movie from the following website:
http://www.foodmatters.tv/_webapp_291494/Food_Production_-_A_Model_For_The_Future

Biodynamics is the oldest non-chemical agricultural movement in the West, predating, by 20 years, the organic farming movement.
"Mineral manuring is a thing that must cease altogether in time, for the effect of every kind of mineral manure, after a time, is that the products grown on the fields thus treated lose their nutritive value." - Rudolph Steiner (1861-1925)
Steiner was convinced that the quality of food in his time had degraded, and he believed the source of the problem was chemical farming's use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides.
Biodynamics revolves around using a set of eight homeopathic-like animal, mineral and plant based preparations.
Pest and disease control on a biodynamic farm is usually managed by developing the farm as a total organism/system. When specific pest and weed control is required products are made from the weeds and pests themselves.

This Too Shall Pass

2010-02-16T15:52:00.003-06:00

If I can endure for this minute
Whatever is happening to me,
No matter how heavy my heart is
Or how dark the moment may be-

If I can remain calm and quiet
With all the world crashing about me,
Secure in the knowledge God loves me
When everyone else seems to doubt me-

If I can but keep on believing
What I know in my heart to be true,
That darkness will fade with the morning
And that this will pass away, too-

Then nothing in life can defeat me
For as long as this knowledge remains
I can suffer whatever is happening
For I know God will break all of the chains

That are binding me tight in the darkness
And trying to fill me with fear-
For there is no night without dawning
And I know that my morning is near.

Helen Steiner Rice

Tips for Nursing Moms to Increase Milk Supply

2010-01-13T14:34:00.013-06:00

After having 3 bundles of joy, 2 of which I struggled in producing enough breast milk for them, I believe the famous quote we all know, could be re-written to say "The way to a BABY's heart is through their stomach". However, many mommies struggle in keeping their babies fully content in their feedings....thus leading to them heading towards the commercial formula aisle.

There can be a number of causative factors that will bring about a low milk supply. Stress, inadequate diet, lack of sleep, environmental toxins, imbalanced hormone levels, etc. HOWEVER, the good news is that you do not always need to figure out the cause in order to remedy the situation:

Some women find it helpful to increase a high quality vitamin intake-- NATURES SUNSHINE SUPER SUPPLEMENT is the one I have taken for the past 3 years. During my last pregnancy I increased the amount I was taking each day to combat fatigue, and even found it to be the answer for my hair that was falling out in clumps! (My body was calling out for extra nutrition as the clumps fell out as my symptom!) It also worked to increase my milk supply when I found I was headed down the same pathway of low milk volume as my other 2 previous babies.
Others get positive results by increasing complete proteins (beef, eggs, fish, etc), finding that their bodies are not getting enough nutrients to both heal/feed their body from the pregnancy and nourish another little life along with that. If you can only take SO MUCH meat as a protein, I enjoy this frosty milkshake as an added form of protein to my diet: LIFEQUEST PROTEIN SHAKES. The great news with this is there are no artificial sweeteners and it works as a good weight loss drink, beings only 5 grams of carbs per serving in the mix! (The chocolate is our family's absolute favorite!!)
HERBAL Teas that increase milk supply include RED RASPBERRY, FENUGREEK, MARSHMALLOW and "MOTHER'S MILK TEA" from Traditional Medicines.
Herbs that will typically bring about a substantial supply of breast milk are FENUGREEK and BLESSED THISTLE. Try taking one or the other, 3 capsules, 3 times a day for 3-4 days. Improvement should be substantial and within a few days. If not, then try the other one, and finally try them together if they don't work separate. When taken in moderation as above given, no side effects have been brought forth in studies, other than in some cases a maple syrup smell in the urine and sweat from those taking Fenugreek.
Changing your diet to a strict one of whole grains, organic vegetables/fruits, raw/organic dairy and grass fed/organic beef may bring about more milk.....but will for sure bring about a happier baby with the exsisting milk supply you have!

One of my friends who just tried some of this out was successful in drinking the "MOTHER'S MILK TEA" twice a day and taking 1 FENUGREEK CAPSULE with each meal. She recently wrote to me about her experience,

"In about 1 week, my production has almost doubled! I am amazed! Not only is (my baby) happier, but is sleeping better and I am able to store a couple feedings every day."

If you have tried all of the above in various combinations and find there has been no change, PLEASE CONSIDER a natural form of supplementation before using a commercial formula! A baby's digestive system can handle naturally designed nutrients much better than man-made. With my second child, nothing worked to increase milk production and she was such a big "snacker", so I supplemented with ORGANIC HALF & HALF from 3 months on. This contented her and she excitedly looked forward to her bottles of these between nursings! Organic half & half is natural and with the high amount of fat in it, baby will plump up nicely (our second daughter has the best muscle-tone & most natural body shape out of my 3--well nourished!!) ALSO, no worries about allergies like with regular milk.....the high amount of fat helps break down the proteins that babies cannot normally break down with just regular milk.

Doctors will "caution you" because they typically have gotten away from this idea with formulas coming around....but any grandmother or natural health practitioner will attest to using this in the past hundreds of years before formula existed. The babies years ago didn't get as many chronic and repeat ear infections like they do now days with formulas. I have a few other friends who did this and worked nicely as well.

God Bless, Ms. Salubrious

How Blissful the Sound of Two Coinciding Heartbeats....

2009-12-21T14:07:00.015-06:00

Talk to me three weeks ago, and you would find me saying that it was very difficult for me to get through a day without thinking about today's upcoming baby appointment. The thought crossed my mind MULTIPLE times a day. My worry: not hearing a fetal heartbeat and having to go through the similar events in July (GOD'S BABY POSTING) .....only this time right at Christmas. Having a secret of sadness from relatives, or else feeling obligated to share my sadness story with everyone at such a joyous time!

Being a Christian, I know we're supposed to trust God in everything: (Philippians 4:6-7) "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." But sometimes I need reminders. Reminders through prayer, from the Bible, from silent reflection, from friends and loved ones. This time I was reminded through a friend, with the words:

"Remember, 'Jesus is your life', and the Holy Spirit has taken up residence IN you! Try imagining your whole life, including that of your unborn, being acknowledged as belonging to God. Live in the knowledge of that humble submission. Our anxieties find no refuge when squeezed out by God's sovereign control." Those were the words God wanted to share with me....and He did, through a friend.

Those words were VERY POWERFUL to me, striking a cord of awakening. Like I said up above, I search multiple resources until I am able to sit comfortably with peace from the Holy Spirit within. Those words calmed me, brought me confidence and gave me trust back in my Savior. Not necessarily trust for the baby to remain healthy and alive, but trust that I would get through whatever darts my enemy may hurl my way.

I was doing so well up until today, then the same thoughts crossed my mind once again.

I prayed as I shoveled the driveway before leaving,

I prayed on the drive there,

I even prayed as I got after my kids to behave in front of others in the waiting room.

But the thoughts came back over and over again: "What if?......"

My only way of coping was to fire back with verses and prayers. I had to rewire my thoughts to positive ones, however impossible it seemed.

My midwife searched around my tummy for the heartbeat.

Multiple spots.....multiple uncomfortable smiles shared......multiple misses.

I had to turn my head to the wall as tears started to roll down my cheeks, "Lord, please....." I began to silently say a prayer of petition and.....

THUMP--THUMP, THUMP--THUMP.....I totally lost it--crying and laughing with amazement. We heard both mine and babies heartbeats together at the same time! The room formerly being filled with uncomfortable silence.....was now blasting with the fetal monitor's echoing rhythms of multiple heartbeats......what a glorious sound and what a blessing for us to share a laugh at the uniqueness of the situation!

The worry melted away.

The moment of trial had passed.

My only physical rememberence left is the pain in my arm from the 6 viles of blood being drawn infront of 3 apalled little girls.

NOW, nothing but a fading memory....

God Bless, Ms. Salubrious

They Brought Forth Gifts of Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh.....

2009-12-08T13:46:00.011-06:00

Ms. Salubrious at 5 years of age, belting out something only her heavenly father could be proud of....

Most of my memories of the Christmas story are of standing in the foreground of the manger scene as an Angel, singing of the glorious birth of my Savior. The manger scene was so miraculous to me: the animals, the angels, the earthly father and mother, the music that gave me tingles up and down my spine, and of course the baby doll that seemed to be REAL in my eyes. All gathered to celebrate the life sent to us from a loving heavenly father.

I remember watching in awe as the 3 wise men walked down the sanctuary aisle towards us bearing their gifts of splendor. I didn't give the gifts of Frankincense & Myrrh much of a second glance, but when the gift of gold came down the aisle, I couldn't take my eyes off of it! I had often wondered why the wise men didn't bring something of more value than just one gift of gold and 2 other "non-mentionables". In fact, to reiterate this thought, I recall a pastor's children's sermon on the gifts one year, with him saying that "the Frankincense & Myrrh 'may have been' something of value back then", as he was awkwardly trying to bypass the value of these to explain the gift of gold that everyone understood.

Recently......I ran across this excerpt from Healthquarters Ministries: December Newsletter. I was awed to discover that 'These resins and their essential oils were priceless medicines, worth more than their weight in gold!' In fact, I thought the explanation was so well-written that I included it all instead of paraphrasing it:

"In Biblical times, Myrrh was one of the most desired and expensive items in the world. It was also used in religious ceremonies and at the time of Christ it was also only available to the wealthy. It's not actually an essential oil, but rather the sap or resin from a tree.

Myrrh is anti-infectious, anti-viral, parasitic (worms), hormone-like, anti-inflammatory, soothes skin conditions, anti-hyperthyroid, and supports the immune system.

Myrrh is used for many skin conditions, such as chapped and cracked skin and wrinkles. It has one of the highest levels of sesquiterpenes. It is also widely used today in oral hygiene products.
Some uses of myrrh are for bronchitis, diarrhea, dysentery, hyperthyroidism, stretch marks, thrush, ulcers, vaginal thrush, and viral hepatitis. This oil may help asthma, athlete’s foot, candida, coughs, eczema, digestion, fungal infection, gingivitis, gum infections, hemorrhoids, mouth ulcers, ringworm, sore throats, skin conditions (chapped and cracked), wounds, and wrinkles.

Frankincense has been used in religious ceremonies for thousands of years. It was well known during the time of Christ for its anointing and healing powers. It was used to treat every conceivable ill known to man. Frankincense was valued more than gold during ancient times, and only those with great wealth and abundance possessed this oil.

Frankincense is high in sesquiterpenes, which helps stimulate the limbic system of the brain (the center of emotions) as well as the hypothalamus, pineal and pituitary glands. Frankincense is now being used therapeutically for its ability to improve human growth hormone production. Frankincense is used for asthma, depression, and ulcers. High in sesquiterpenes, it is stimulating and elevating to the mind and helps in overcoming stress and despair, as well as supporting the immune system. This oil may also help with allergies, bites (insect and snake), bronchitis, cancer, respiratory infections, diphtheria, headaches, hemorrhaging, herpes, high blood pressure, inflammation, stress, tonsillitis, typhoid, and warts. It increases the activity of leukocytes in defense of the body against infection.

Frankincense contains the following properties: anti-catarrhal, anti-depressant, anti-infectious, anti-septic, anti-tumoral, expectorant, immunes-stimulate, and sedative. "

If only people saw the value of these gifts today as the wise men saw these! To use these gifts for chasing away depression, funguses, infection, indigestion, asthma, immune system depletion , cancer, mouth problems, skin eruptions, blood pressure imbalances, and allergies the way God designed it! Would we have better results than the methods we use now days?Something to think about as you enjoy this Christmas's gifts and church activities.

There is a really good BLOG posting my friend Jennifer did last year over at "Oils For Wellness", mentioning these specific oils: OIL ARTICLE . She sells a high-quality brand of essential oils called "YOUNG LIVING", in which I have bought a few over the years and have been impressed with the results! I encourage you to check out her site and inquire with her of any questions you may have on essential oils!

Thanks for reading, may the Lord bless you in your pathway towards natural health!
Ms. Salubrious

******None of the above statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All of the information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. This BLOG should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******

A Couple of Favorite Recipes

2009-12-02T10:30:00.010-06:00

GUACAMOLE RECIPE

1-2 Avocados (mashed with a fork)
1 Big Roma Tomato-diced (or 1/2 can diced tomatoes)
1/4 yellow onion (chopped finely)
1-2 Key Limes-juiced (or else 1 tsp lime juice)
Pinch of Cumin
Redmond Salt to flavor
Handful Cilantro (I have made mine without this and it turned out fine!)

Mash avocados and add chopped veggies and lime juice....then TRY to stop eating it!!!

DEER JERKY MARINADE

1Tb Redmond's salt (sea salt is fine)

1/2 c warm water

1/3 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos

2/3 cup Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tsp-1 Tb course freshly Ground Pepper (depending on how strong you desire it!)

1/2 Tb garlic powder (pref. organic, so no fillers)

1 tsp Liquid Smoke

Cut 3-5 lbs of meat, 1/8' - 1/4" thick

I recommend marinating it for 12 hours if you like normal flavoring, 24 hours if desire a teeth-clenching bite of flavor!

Put in a dehydrator for anywhere between 2-8 hours.

God Gave me the Opportunity.....

2009-10-25T21:47:00.038-05:00

A woman with the nicknames: Ma-ha, Slugger Maroo, Princess, Asbestos Mouth?

You may be thinking that people must REALLY disliked her. In all actuality, all these names were given to my Grams out of love. You see, my Grams was the type of person that would just 'grin & bare it'. In other words, a real even-keel individual that you take for granted will be there for you whenever you need her. But, then life gets busy and you tend to overlook keeping atop of those times.......

I never quite grasped how fast the time would fly between these two pictures, until the time was no longer available. My Grams went home to her Savior on October 23, 2009.

We got a call a few weeks back that Grams wasn't feeling too well, and was asking for family. She felt the Lord calling her home; her body didn't want to function as well, and she desired for loved ones to help soften the adjustment. At this time, I started to spend almost every night with her. Helping get drinks, helping to find assistance in turning, covering/uncovering her body with her afghan for temperature comfort. I was fortunate enough to take home a piece of this particular memory with me. Here's my Gram's afghan, that has found a new home on our chair in front of our fireplace:

Pictured above: Sage (3yrs old) with Grams last October, 2008 with her Afghan on her lap.

My Grams found breathing, drinking, adjusting, sleeping....all these things took such immense man-power, that she sadly said, "I still can't believe this is happening to me", and "I feel so helpless"....this coming from a woman not needing NOVOCAINE during dental-filling procedures! Yes, she had reached a breaking point, and YET STILL found reason to smile, and remained optimistic for what lay beyond the shortsightedness of life here on earth! Even though she felt ready to go before God took her, I believe He would use this time as a tool to prepare ME for the loss. We spent one night polishing our fingernails together; I had hoped that that wouldn't be our final night (the nurses told me that residents typically desire to be dolled up as they feel life slipping away), so I said a prayer and Bible verse with every stroke of that nail polish brush......just so I wouldn't break down and cry in front of her. Oh, the next night I lost it while praying with her, but at least the nail polishing party wasn't dampened with tears!

The night before Grams left us, my dad came to visit as well. We enjoyed the laughter of memories that Grams seemed to also enjoy as she listened. After my dad left, I took the opportunity to sing to Grams a few songs (each of my girl's favorite hymns, along with one of my favorites: "As the Deer"--a song they would happen to sing during Sunday church worship 3 days later), prayed for her to find peace, and held her hand so long that my fingers grew numb. You know the saying of "holding some one's hand so long that you couldn't tell where your hand ended, and theirs began"? Yes, I found out what that saying is all about.....but didn't mind a bit! Upon seeing us, one of the nurses stopped to tell me that she just loved watching me with my Grams, because one could tell the deep love I hadfor her as I talked and sat with her.

I also got the opportunity that I had been praying about. When I had my miscarriage in July, I told my Grams that I had bad news to tell her. Without hesitation, her hands flew to her mouth and tears welted in her eyes."You lost the baby!" Yes. We had. But, God gave me the opportunity to give her good news before she, herself, left us. The night before Grams died, I told her "Grams, we're going to be having another baby! The due date is in June--wouldn't it be a blessing to have a baby born on your birthday,the 9th?" (just deep breaths) "Grams, will you hold my other baby until I get up there to hold it?" ( again.....just deep breaths) Now, just because God gave me the opportunity to tell her, doesn't mean he gave me the opportunity to feel completely fulfilled by it. I had to keep in mind I wasn't telling her for MY sake, but for HERS. OH, I knew that if I had found out a few days sooner, she would have given me a huge smile when I told her. Beings as it was, I had to assume that she heard me, and assumed that her heart did a leap with joy. GOD GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY....EXACTLY the way that I had prayed for it!

PICTURED BELOW: Grams holding one of her 10 Great grand-babies, Sophie, at age 3:

We got the call on Friday that Grams was in the process of passing, about 2 hours from when my mother had left her side. Typically there are a few hours between the time that my mom would leave my Grams, and when I would arrive for the night. During this time, the nurses said that her roommate hold her hand (even though my Grams complained about having to live with a crabby roommate!), and that Grandma had slipped away peacefully and quickly between the calls the nurses made to us. We had all made it a habit to say goodbye to her as we left each day like it would be our last.....I always got a smile out of my Grams, as every time I left I said "If you see God, before I see you next.....save a place for me up in heaven!"...a smile everytime, until that last night I saw her. I knew then that Grams would soon be leaving us. Now that she has, she will be welcomed among angels, and with my grandfather. "PRINCESS" is now re-united once again with "ACE".......

We all gathered around for a bedside memorial at the nursing home that the the nurses put on as a closure. During this ceremony, one of the nurses shared that she got the pleasure of telling Grams one day that someone (ME!!!) would be coming to take her for an outing outside. The nurse said from that moment on, she was a different woman; grinning, excitedly picking out her sweater, full of talk and excitement. The nurse said she would never forget how good it made her feel to see someone so excited over spending time with another. Here were pictures from her last two outingsthat the nurse spoke about:

ABOVE: Our last picture with Grams, on the Bike Trails

Sierra, 2 yrs, hitching a ride on Gram's wheelchair while at the zoo

Now that she has left, I keep wishing I would've taken her on more trips those last few weeks. I keep thinking I should've come to the nursing home earlier that day and been alongside her when she passed. I then force myself to accept the realization that it is all out of my control. I am not the one in control. God is. What happened is what was what was meant to be. My grams lived a good life, and left everyone whose lives she touched with pleasant memories of her. In fact, she made each of her Grandchildren and great-Grandchildren homemade block quilts and homemade hook rug wall-hangings, here are my girl's, pictured BELOW:

My wall-hanging from my childhood bedroom, that is now hanging in our "BOOK Nook ":
YES! Our future baby has a wall-hanging waiting set aside for the day he/she is born. What a special Great-Grandma to have, with such a vision for her Great-Grand children's future, even before she knew of him/her. She gives of herself, even after she is absent among us. God Bless her legacy!

Please, pray for her remaining family to be continually blessed in our memories of her, so that the comfort we seek in the loss of such an exceptional woman will draw showers of love. The Family Visitation will be Tuesday evening, and the Funeral will be on Wednesday early afternoon. Please keep the family in your prayers if you think of it at these times.

Like a Thief in the Night.....

2009-10-22T08:36:00.007-05:00

PLEASE PAUSE MUSIC PLAYER INTHE RIGHT COLUMN, BELOW to hear this video! Thank You!!

Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3

When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.Mark 13:7-9

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:12-14

My Grams

2009-10-09T22:16:00.058-05:00

In the past I have always been uncomfortable in discussing death and thinking about death......God is changing me in this respect. He has broken away my inhibitions by completely submerging me in the concept. I have dealt with 2 close deaths so far this year, and will be sadly expecting another one shortly. My mom's mom in January, you can read the full story here: Grandma Has Left Us . The next, quite interestingly, someone whom I had never met, read it here: God's Baby . My third one I'm mournfully anticipating is one of a woman whom I greatly admire, respect and love: My dad's mom.........my Grams. Her need for support and company right now, far outweighs any uncomfortablness I have of the situation. I have prayerfully, but confidently set aside any apprehensions of experiencing such a loss in person, and am wanting and desiring to be a part of her miracle with her!I have thoroughly enjoyed spending the recent increase in time with this special lady, someone who I've always "known", but yet not, in a sense. When you REALLY get to "know" someone, it is typically in their times of difficulty--how they react to others, how they react to discomfort, how they react to unexpected situations. My Grams is an exceptional lady who I currently have the blessing of getting to know on a deeper, adult level in her final days with us. She is someone who has always been familiar to me in my life journey, someone who I will be deeply hurting for, while in her absence.
If you were familiar with the basics on my Grams, you would find she was born in 1920, had 3 children (my father being her only boy) & lost her hard-working husband to a heart condition early in life. So has lived contently alone for the past 30 some years--spending most of her waking hours watching Mass on TV and praying with one of her many rosaries.

Spending several hours alone with her in a nursing home room, you would ALSO find out that she is an exceptionally selfless individual. When I spend the day with her, she wants to make sure my feet are up, wants to make sure my husband is functional without me, wants to make sure I have enough light during her sleep hours to read the book I can't quite focus on anyways, wants to make sure I am eating and drinking....all the while, not being able to meet her own basic needs. Most people would be focused on having help with various desires....not Grams. While overlooking her own needs, she is continually looking to have mine met.

Having lived so many years alone, my Grams is content and thankful in any one's presence, therefore one can't help but feel the same in hers. In fact, when I think of my Grandma, the first word that comes to mind is "peace". Everything about her is peaceful--her posture, her facial expressions, even the mood she puts out onto people for them to reflect back. In the company of others, she patiently waits for an opportune moment for conversation to come up......if none does, she will continue to sit peacefully with a smile on her face, all the while putting you completely at ease. Since we all would know what she is TYPICALLY like, it makes it a peaceful time to spend time with her NOW, knowing that she is completely happy with only smiles and silence if necessary.

I recall the first evening in her nursing home that I was blessed in spending with her. She was to be having her first shower.....something that in a nursing home is terribly unflattering, leaving no room for her typical discretion. I unquestionably volunteered to stay with her, knowing that for ANYONE, it would be a humiliating experience as a first time. Being familiar with my Grams unselfish nature, I knew she would've had me go, had I not volunteered. What a woman! She is always ready to face anything coming at her with a smile and confidence, no questions asked, no complaints to be filed. She is the perfect example of what I strive for in being submissive. Not submissive in that she lets others walk all over her...but submissive in that she respects others enough to bipass her own agenda.

That same night, I enjoyed her simple pleasure in me brushing her hair, holding her hand while falling asleep, and cozying up alongside her in her "new" and unfamiliar bed. We both knew that that bed would take some getting used to, so I think we both recall that evening with great pleasure, knowing that our simulated "slumber party" made the adjustment THAT much easier for us both. I stayed as late as a could, all the while bringing up childhood memories for both of us to enjoy. This memory is one of my favorite memories with her, because it was the first time she let me into her uninhibited heart.

Even though my grandma is now struggling for deep breaths, has to be turned over by having her body manually adjusted by others, and is limited with how much she is able to say.....she continues to keep a smile on her face while she remains optimistic about her short-term future. She knows what is around the corner, she has spent many years and many hours praying and waiting for this upcoming moment. Spending time with God in reverence and patience is something my Grams is familiar with.....and something that has greatly prepared her for her current life experience. I ask that you pray for her continued strength, and for a continued absence of pain to make her exit a "PEACEFUL" one....something she would be familiar with.

I am on my Grandma's lap, my brother Grant is next to us
My cousin Jody, my sister Heather, my cousin Amy

Typical silliness associated with memories of our Gram's house. Yes, that is me, resting a top of my father's head. Yes, those are Cheetos in my ears & nose. Yes, that is a Chocolate Covered Cherry hanging out in my mouth. Yes, this is our Christmas picture at my Gram's house that year.......

I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to read about this remarkable woman. I know this will be an immensly difficult time for us, no matter how prepared we are for it, and no matter how ready my Grams is. Please surround my family with prayers when we cross your mind in the next week.

God Bless.
Ms. Salubrious

Blessed Be Your Name

2009-10-06T20:18:00.001-05:00

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO PAUSE THE MUSIC PLAYER, IN THE RIGHT COLUMN, TO HEAR THE VIDEO.

I'm sure we could easily find excuses to seperate us from our Savior.....excuses that give rationalization for us not having to submit to Him. Excuses such as cancer, unemployment, infertility, drug & alcohol addictions, depression, disbelief, loss of loved ones, and broken relationships to name a few. Many of us 'deal with' some form of "possible" daily barriers such as these. Barriers to happiness, barriers to God.

But what some people have figured out, is that these "barriers" can instead become "bridges" to God. It's a matter of perception, really. Perceiving possible problems as, instead, being blessings. Maybe you have heard of someone viewing cancer as a blessing? Sounds odd....but some people do! They do this by looking at the problem as a way to draw closer to their maker.

When you have a relationship with someone (like God), you draw closer to them as you share more....whether it's sharing experiences, sharing insights, sharing burdens, or sharing simple talk. Sharing with God these burdens that we carry, essentially passes them onto Him, and off our own backs--"lightening the load" you might say! God WILL carry them for us, we just need to acknowledge Him and accept His help.

SOMETIMES these barriers are even needed for us to lean on His strength, and in doing this, putting aside our own. I have found that when God feels me puling away in my pride, self-confidence, and abilities......usually He finds some way to pull me back in, so that I acknowledge Him. Wether it be unfortunate circumstances......or blessings.

We can let our problems consume us, or we can consume them with the help of God's strength. Are you rationalizing an excuse as to why NOT to accept God's strength to enhance/replace your own?

Thanks for reading, may the Lord bless you in your pathway towards Him!

Ms. Salubrious

So You Have The FLU...Now What Do You Do?

2009-10-04T13:28:00.007-05:00

PRODUCTS that I would personally take if I came down with Flu symptoms are listed below. It is probably a worthwhile idea to take MORE things to raise the immune system than LESS....simply because the more varied support your body receives, the better it will be able to fight off the invading virus. Some of these are things to be taking regularly beforehand as a preventative, read more in this BLOG posting: Why do People opt out of the Flu Shot & What is Virus Shedding? Natural Fighters include:

Vitamin D3 --between 10,000 IU's -15,000 IU's /day for the duration of the illness, then cutting that in half for several days before going back to the preventative 5,000 IU's a day as a preventative. Here's ours: Vitamin D3
A extremely HIGH QUALITY multi mineral/vitamin that does not contain iron or copper, here is the brand we take: Super Supplemental Vit. & Min. w/o Iron (Natures Sunshine) We typically take 2, 3x day...but would "up this" to 4, 3x day during an illness. Keep in mind that you will need to get your body accustomed to this strength in nutrition gradually BEFORE you come down with something, so as not to force the body into "shock detox mode" while also fighting the Flu.....if you normally take it, your body will know what to do with it in a virus situation.
Zinc --ours from Natures Sunshine has 25 mg in each tablet. When coming down with an illness, we will take them throughout the day, up to 5-6/day totaling 125-150 mg. Zinc Link
High quality Bioflavinoid Vitamin C--1,000 mgs 4-5 times a day. There is high anti-inflammatory activity with Vitamin C as well as anti viral potential Vitamin C Citrus Bioflavonoids
INFLUENZINUM remedy, available for purchasing at: http://www.homeopathyworks.com/jshop/product.php?xProd=6391&xSec=63.
OSCILLO COCCINUM remedy, only taking doses shall symptoms GREATLY and NOTABLY worsen) GRIPPE HP from Energique. ALL three remedies can be tried out a an hour apart, until finding one of the 3 that slightly relieves symptoms. When one is discovered, one can take it whenever symptoms notably worsen. Take remedy 15 min. away from food/drink. Store all REMEDIES away from anything electrical.

All of these should be available at natural health stores in your area. These are all nutrients that can lessen symptoms, shall you exhibit some. But depending upon how healthy your body is, will make all the difference in your severity of symptoms and length of illnesses. Here are a few other suggestions:

Elderberry, Goldenseal, Echinacea are all herbs that can be taken in extract, syrup, capsule or drop form to give the immune system a huge boost as it's fighting. Here's an absolutely phenomenal product that has all 3 of these, plus zinc and Vitamin C: ACF (Accute Cold & Flu Formula) by BURIED TREASURE. They have "PREVENTION", "CHILDREN'S" and "FAST RELIEF" formulas on the market. If I had to pick one herb mixture to along with the above vitamins, minerals and remedies, it would be this product! Opting to take only one of these? Highly consider going with Elderberry! Taking two doses of elderberry flavonoids per day for prevention of flu, increasing to at least 4 doses upon exposure, increasing to every 2 hrs if flu symptoms begin. Here's a fabulous "TRADITIONAL MEDICINE" article on Elderberry's effectiveness: Elderberry flavonoids bind to and prevent H1N1 inf...[Phytochemistry. 2009] - PubMed Result

Looking for a natural disinfectant spray or hand sanitizer to keep on hand for when you're out and about?

Silver Shield Gel and SILVER SHIELD W/AQUA SOL from Natures Sunshine are the products you are looking for! Silver is a naturally occuring, God-given nutrient that kills bacteria and viruses on contact. Use the silvershield as a spray in the air surrounding you, on surfaces and on hands/face when out and about to be killing bacteria naturally and harmfully. Natures Sunshine leaders took Silver Shield with them on their trip overseas to work with Leprosy--no shots, just kept using Silver Shield to protect themselves. No one in their group got sick or had any changes in their blood test results (like alcohol hand sanitizers do!) This product can also be sprayed onto any wound to dis-infect it, in the nose or mouth to fight respiratory, throat or sinus infections, can betaken taken orally to fight any infection, and is even gentle but effective enough to use in the eyes with any eye irritations or viruses/bacterias!

In fact, SILVER is such a good sanitizer, there is a company called NORWEX that now weaves silver threads into their micro-fiber clothes to keep them from getting mildewy, along with killing bacteria on contact: NORWEX PRODUCTS or e-mail Heidi to see prices or order products: cleanchemfree.hd@gmail.com

Thanks for reading, may the Lord bless you in your pathway towards natural health!
Ms. Salubrious

Why do People opt out of the Flu Shot & What is Virus Shedding?

2009-09-30T01:20:00.020-05:00

To start, I will answer the question of "why do people decide NOT to get the FLU shot?" Well, the idea of putting a small amount of a substance in the body to jump start the immune system into fighting off a virus is a FABULOUS idea--if it didn't have the toxins and the actual LIVE virus to go with it! The contaminants in the vaccines cause blood and organ toxicity, while the actual virus in it causes shedding of the virus onto others. Polls and ingredients below are taken from this article: A case against the H1N1 swine flu vaccine,"A poll of doctors for Pulse magazine found that 49% would reject the vaccine with 9% still undecided. A second poll conducted by GP (General Practitioner) magazine reveals that Up to 60% of GPs have severe doubts over the proposed vaccine." Here's what is IN the H1N1 vaccine:

"The ACTUAL H1N1 VIRUS MUTATION" which will bi-pass all God-given pathogen fighting mucus-laden mechanisms of the nose and mouth which are naturally designed to be immune responders, and go straight into our blood stream, traveling to organs, muscle tissues, brain, and digestive system. (Leviticus 17:11 For the life of a creature is in the blood) "The human body is a marvelous, mysterious machine and to think we know better than it, is foolish at best and extremely dangerous at worst."
"The nutrient solution for the vaccine consists of CANCEROUS CELLS FROM ANIMALS. The vaccine - as Johannes Löwer, president of the Paul Ehrlich Institute, has pointed out - can also cause worse side effects than the actual swine flu virus."
FORMALDEHYDE - the preservative used for corpses
THIMERSOL - mercury
"Oil-based "adjuvant" know as MF-59 which contains two main ingredients of concern- SQUALENE and gp120. It is manufactured by the Chiron Pharmaceutical Company. Immune adjuvants in a number of studies have shown to be a cause of devastating autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and lupus."
SQUALENE is a type of oil. "Veteran vaccine risk assessor, Dr. Viera Scheibner, investigated squalene’s use as a vaccine adjuvant: 'Squalene contributed to the cascade of reactions called Gulf War Syndrome. GIs developed arthritis, fibromyalgia, lymphadenopathy, rashes, photosensitive rashes, malar rashes, chronic fatigue, chronic headaches, abnormal body hair loss, non-healing skin lesions, aphthous ulcers, dizziness, weakness, memory loss, seizures, mood changes.....'"

Even if you refuse the vaccine, you can get the virus via thousands of shot-infected people who are unknowingly shedding off live attenuated viruses that swine flu vaccines contain. This past week, as many citizens in our city were rolling up their sleeves for the vaccine, our family came down with a suspicious bout of muscle/headaches, disrupted digestive systems, and increased temps......2 days after visiting a grocery store where they had a line of flu vaccines going on. After taking a dose of our INFLUENZA FLU homeopathic remedy, all suspicious symptoms slowly withered away overnight. Hhhhmmm......

Now that we know WHY many people would refuse the H1N1 shot, let's look at things we should do if we are required to get it, or are infected by those who have taken the shot from this article: Urgent: What to Do If You Cannot Avoid Flu Shots or are Exposed to Virus Shedding (Please read the article in its entirety for further info). Here are a few tips from the article that Dr. Russell Blaylock, retired neurosurgeon and author shares, followed by the tips I have found to be effective :

"Starting now(as shots are starting), boost your vitamin D3 intake (if you have had electrical damage in the past, you'll want to take Vitamin A & D together!) ....supplementing at least 5000 IU's per day for adults and 2000 IU's per day for children. More won't hurt.Vitamin D3 is an immune regulator. That means it not only boosts your immune system to help you fight off any flu, it dampens an overactive immune system and protects you from a cytokine storm. Avoid common drugstore vitamin D or D2. "
"If you do get jabbed, Blaylock recommends you increase your Vitamin D3 dosage to as high as 20,000 IU's per day and 5,000 IU's for children for a couple of weeks, then cutting that in half for several days. Vitamin D3 is not a vitamin, but is actually a neural hormone explained Dr. Blaylock. He advises using a calcium supplement to increase Vitamin D3's efficiency. "
"It may be wise to use individual vitamins and minerals (for increased potency). Dr. Blaylock recommended everyone start taking a good multi mineral/vitamin that does not contain iron or copper but is high in selenium and zinc. Zinc deficiency was found to be high among young children who had serious vaccination consequences. Selenium is an excellent anti-viral as well as anti-inflammatory. There is evidence that toxicity from taking selenium with doses above 200 mcgs is bogus. Twice as much is recommended by that information source. In Japan, the average daily intake of selenium is 500 mcgs. And they have a lower cancer rate than the United States. The B complex is important, as are the selenium and zinc. High doses of buffered vitamin C, 1000 mgs four times a day, is what Blaylock recommends if you get stuck or sprayed. There is high anti-inflammatory activity with Vitamin C as well as anti viral potential."

Things that I, Ms. Salubrious, have found to be effective through the knowledge of my Natural Health Practitioners:

If the shot was injected, use the Electro-Magnetic Conduction (EMC) method explained here: EMC or 'RODDING' information, to Neutralize harmful substances in the body. This idea/practice closely ties in with how Lightening works--a matter of physics.
If the shot was injected or if you come down with symptoms of H1N1 or swine flu from shedding: take a dose of the H1N1 Homepathic Remedy if you can find a homeopathic consultant who is able to make remedies available for purchasing. If symptoms improve, but do not fully go away, take one more dose. In the case of not being able to find a practitioner who is able to make them, you can contact me for more information or else use the INFLUENZINUM remedy, available for purchasing at: http://www.homeopathyworks.com/jshop/product.php?xProd=6391&xSec=63. Information on how to take them is included.
Other remedies that can lessen symptoms, shall you exhibit some: OSCILLO COCCINUM (take 10-15 pellets for each dose, only taking doses shall symptoms GREATLY and NOTABLY worsen) and GRIPPE HP from Energique. Both of these should be available at natural health stores in your area.

So, in reference to my earlier comment of: "The idea of putting a small amount of a substance in the body to jump start the immune system into fighting off a virus is a fabulous idea!" I was referring to how the homeopathic flu remedies use absolutely no toxic ingredients, but combat the flu SUCCESSFULLY, CHEAPLY and NATURALLY. We take the HOMEOPATHIC version of the flu shot in our INFLUENZIUM HOMEOPATHIC once a month from October to April, along with a daily dose of Vitamin D3, as our "FLU SHOT", and we didn't get the FLU all winter last winter--something which is a first for me after years of taking Flu Shots! Another BLOG posting of mine on how to fight off the FLU: VITAMIN D in FIGHTING the FLU.

Thanks for reading, may the Lord bless you in your pathway towards natural health!

Ms. Salubrious

PAUSE MUSIC PLAYER IN RIGHT COLUMN TO HEAR VIDEO BELOW!

VACCINE RESOURCES:

Vaccines Ingredients - http://www.informedchoice.info/cocktail.html
National Vaccine Information Center - http://www.standupbecounted.org/tips.htm
Vaccine Information - http://www.nvic.org/
BOOK: Vaccines, Are They Really Safe and Effective? By Neil Z. Miller

The Skin.......The Absorber!

2009-09-24T08:57:00.011-05:00

Most people unknowingly underestimate how permeable our skin is! Did you know that you can wear any supplement against your skin or in a breathable material to gradually absorb the nutrients out of it? Any nutrient works as a medicine patch does, being absorbed through skin and entering the blood stream for the body to utilize. I learned this from our Master Herbalist, but "rediscovered" it accidently on my own when I was pregnant and very sensitive to things.

Here's the story: My husband was supposed to swallow a highly concentrated dose of 12 Vitamin C tablets for his health regimine in flushing out yeast from his body....but had forgotten them at home! So, I took all 12 Vitamin C tablets to town in my pocket to meet up with him on his work route. As I was driving, I got dizzy and nauseated, broke out in a sweat and had a continuous nose-run that I had to hold a kleenex up to my nose in order to keep it under wraps! After my husband and I figured out what was going on, we realized that the highly concentrated dose was so concentrated that it was "detoxing" me on my drive to town! After a while of having them OUT of my pocket, I returned to my normal self. May sound odd and may leave you in disbelief.....but try it out sometime.......being able to wear vitamins and herbs works great for babies and elderly that cannot swallow capsules and tablets.

The following resource was graciously given to me by a new BLOG reader (thanks again!)http://www.toxic12.com/Toxic12.html, and everything below is found in this resource:

"The skin is the largest organ in the body with the capability to absorb everything. The same ingredients that we use to clean and lubricate our cars, sinks and driveways should not be the same ingredients we smear on our bodies and take into our mouth. The following are 12 common toxic ingredients we should avoid at all costs:

1. Propylene Glycol (PG) and Butylene Glycol: Found in antifreeze. Acts as a “surfactant” (wetting agent and solvent). Penetrates skin and weakens protein and cellular structure. Strong enough to remove barnacles from boats. The EPA considers PG so toxic that workers are required to wear protective clothing and to dispose of PG by burying it in the ground.

2. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES). Detergents that pose serious health threats. Used in garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers – and in 90% of personal care products that foam. Animals exposed to SLS experience eye damage, depression, labored breathing, diarrhea, severe skin irritation, and even death. Your body may retain the SLS for up to five days and maintain residual levels in the heart, liver, lungs, and brain.

3. DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (monoethanolaniine) & TEA (triethanolamine): Hormone disrupting chemicals that can form cancer-causing nitrates. Restricted in Europe due to carcinogenic effects, yet they are still used in the USA. Americans may be exposed 10-20 times per day with shampoos, shaving creams and bubble baths. Dr. Samuel Epstein, Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Illinois, says that repeated applications of DEA-based detergents result in a major increase in liver and kidney cancer. The PDA’s John Baily says: “The risk is significantly increased for children.”

4. Sodium Hydroxide: The most recent addition to our personal care products. Found in crystal drain cleaners. Drano is 100% sodium hydroxide. This is a poison (caustic lye), yet a primary ingredient in adult and children’s toothpaste and cleansers.

5. Triclosan: Synthetic “anti-bacterial” with a chemical structure similar to Agent Orange. The EPA registers it as a pesticide, giving it highest scores as a risk to human health and the environment. It can change genetic material, decrease fertility and sexual function, and foster birth defects. Tufts University School of Medicine says triclosan can force the emergence of “super bugs” that we cannot kill. Its widespread use in antibacterial cleansers, toothpastes and household products may have nightmarish implications on future generations.

6. DMDM & Urea (Imidazolidinyl): Two of many preservatives that often release formaldehyde which cause joint pain, skin reactions, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness, and loss of sleep. Exposure also irritates the respiratory system; triggers heart palpitations or asthma, and aggravates coughs and colds. Other side effects include weakening the immune system and cancer.

7. Polyethylene Glycol (PEG): Carcinogenic petroleum ingredient that reduces the skin's natural moisture. Increases the appearance of aging and leaves you vulnerable to bacteria. Used in spray-on oven cleaners and cleansers to dissolve oil and grease.

8. Parabens… any parabens: Look for anything with the word paraben in it. Used primarily as a preservative. It’s a strong hormone disrupting chemical. Has direct links to breast cancer and heart problems.

9. Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40): Drying, irritating solvent that strips skin's moisture and immune barrier, making you vulnerable to bacteria and viruses. Made from a petroleum derivative found in shellac and antifreeze as well as personal care products. Promotes brown spots and premature aging. A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients says it may cause headaches, flushing, dizziness, mental depression, nausea, vomiting, and coma.

10. Mineral Oil: Petroleum by-product that coats the skin like plastic wrap, clogging the pores. Interferes with skin's ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne and other disorders. Slows down skin function and cell development, resulting in premature aging. Baby oil is 100% mineral oil!

11. FD&C Color Pigments: Synthetic colors from coal tar that deposits toxins onto the skin, causing skin irritation. Absorption of certain colors can cause depletion of oxygen in the body and death. Animal studies have shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic.

12. Fragrances: Too bad so many feel a need to leave a lingering odor behind. Fragrances may contain up to 4000 ingredients (including different animal urines for strength), many of them toxic or carcinogenic. Fragrances affect the nervous system, cause depression, hyper activity, irritability, inability to cope and other behavioral changes. "

I am reminded of the Bible verse: "He (the Lord) punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." Exodus 34:7 ). If we are not treating our bodies as a holy temple: (1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own) and if we are pelting cancer causing agents of chemicals at it through our foods, drinks, cosmetics, fabric softeners, yard sprays, house cleansers, shower soaps, gels and conditioners, then how can we expect our bodies to remain in an optimum condition to serve? Chemicals WILL NOT GET FLUSHED OUT OF THE BODY if the body does not have the extensive support system to do this! They can remain in our organs, muscle tissues and bones for months, years or even a lifetime.....thus leading to problems passed down to our children through "genetics" as un-expected genes, or causing cancer after months/years of dormancy.

(Compliments of my sister!) Here's a VALUABLE RESOURCE to check out how toxic Make-up brands are, & what brands to track down for good health: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/
Here's my BLOG POSTING on: Cancer-Causing Chemicals Found in Baby Shampoo
We use NATURES SUNSHINE SUNSHINE CONCENTRATE for several purposes because of the natural ingredients it's made with. It can be used as a household cleaner, a laundry-stain remover, bubblebath or shampoo. My girls love the natural clean scent, or add an essential oil of choice for an extra/different fragrence.
We also use NATURES SUNSHINE Sunshine Brite Toothpaste for clean teeth!

In Christ, Ms. Salubrious

An ALL-NATURAL, DELICIOUS, NUTRITIOUS, Children's VITAMIN gummy!

2009-09-14T16:02:00.031-05:00

LIMITED TIME FREE ITEM OPPORTUNITY at the bottom of the page--so keep reading........The company I do most of our family's ordering from, Natures Sunshine, has a new children's product line out called SUNSHINE HEROS! Sunshine Heros soft-chew products include the "fruit snack texture and bite" of a commercial gummi multivitamin, but with the potent-packed nutrients of a wholefoods vitamin, and without the sugar, chemical coloring and preservatives! Why pay extra money to get a vitamin when there are "perfectly good" vitamins available at cheaper prices on my grocery store shelves? HERE'S YOUR ANSWER:

Itemized below are a few of the non-nutrient ingredients (I would even go so far as to label the "ANTI-NUTRIENTS since they rob the body of valuable nutrients in the process of digestion!)listed on a leading "stone-age family"cartoon vitamin gummi; here's the link for you to see for yourself: COMMERCIAL VITAMIN

Artificial Flavors (chemically derived, harmful on neurological systems)
Aspartame (chemical sweetner; recent research showed a clear link between this substance & cancer)
FD&C Yellow #6 (contributes to abnormal cell growth & weakness of the liver)
FD&C Red #40 (increase hyperactivity, anger, rage, & irritability)
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (contributes to High cholesterol, obesity & heart disease)

Here are a few of the non-nutrient ingredients listed on a comparable Natures Sunshine HEROS Vitamin, and here's the link: NS HEROS SOFT CHEW

Natural flavors
Organic evaporated cane juice
NATURAL Colors from--black carrot juice concentrate, purple berry concentrate, annatto
Organic sunflower oil

IN ADDITION to the healthier ingredients than the commercial vitamins , NS HEROS vitamins also includes these WHOLE FOODS for additional immune-potency:

Mangosteen fruit
Cranberry fruit
Broccoli flower
Spinach leaves and stems
Asparagus stems
Carrot root
Tomato fruit
Acai fruit
Pomegranate fruit extract
Fruit Juice Concentrates: White Grape, Apple, Pear, Orange, Pineapple, Cherry, Strawberry, Blueberry.

SUNSHINE HEROES MULTIPLE VITAMIN & MINERAL (90 SOFT CHEWS)
A GREAT vitamin for kiddos, with all natural ingredients, so they're not having to strain their immune system by digesting chemical colorings & flavorings and hydrogenated oils just to get nutrients out of the vitamin they are given! This tasty vitamin provides 100% of the Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamins A, C, D3, E, B6, B12, folic acid, biotin, pantothenic acid and zinc.

SUNSHINE HEROES WHOLE FOOD-ANTIOXIDANT (90 SOFT CHEWS)
Modern diets often lack sufficient amounts of fruits, vegetables and other whole foods, making them low in essential nutrients and antioxidants needed for optimal health. The National Cancer Institute recommends eating at least 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. One serving of Sunshine Heroes Whole Foods Antioxidant offers the antioxidant power equivalent to two average servings of fruit or vegetables plus vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin C for extra antioxidant protection and nutritional support. (BTW,when they give serving recommendations for food meals, they refer to RAW veggies and fruits as a serving; for cooked ones, there's even less of a serving for the diet!)

SUNSHINE HEROES CALCIUM PLUS D3 (90 SOFT CHEWS)
Each serving of Sunshine Heroes Calcium Plus D3 provides 300 mg of calcium, equivalent to an 8-ounce serving of milk. It also provides 140 mg of phosphorus, which works closely with calcium in the body to build strong bones and teeth.
It also Provides 75% of the American Academy of Pediatrics new vitamin D3 guidelines. Vitamin D3 has proven to be the most potent form of vitamin D in all primate species, including humans.

SUNSHINE HEROES OMEGA 3 WITH DHA (90 SOFT CHEWS)

Take this for nicer skin, increased brain functioning and overall good health. DHA and EPA are essential fatty acids found almost exclusively in fish that live in deep, cold water. These fatty acids are key building blocks in every body cell.
Each serving of Sunshine Heroes Omega 3 with DHA provides 100 mg DHA and 20 mg EPA from fish oil. Helps enhance brain growth and development while also supporting the eyes and central nervous system.

SUNSHINE HEROES PROBIOTIC POWER (90 CHEWABLE "TABLETS")

This type of vitamin is the first one we started our girls out on, to build their immune system after being sick every week with colds, allergies and respiratory infections. Studies have shown that children age 1 to 6 years old who attended day care centers and were given milk containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus missed fewer days of day care than children not receiving the probiotic. Studies have also shown that a healthy intestinal bacterial colonization may reduce the risk of food allergies in infants. This product Aids digestion & intestinal function while Strengthening immune system response.

If you are a member of NATURES SUNSHINE UNDER ME, when you order 2 HEROS vitamin products, I will cover the charges of a complimentary NATURES SUNSHINE HEROS T-Shirt! Just send me your reciept with the 2 HEROS VITAMINS, and I will send you a check for $7.50 towards a T-shirt on your next order to Natures Sunshine.....$7.50 for the shirt, just for trying out a new vitamin!

T-SHIRT LINK to VIEW: SUNSHINE HEROES T-SHIRT (X-LARGE)

Sunshine Heroes T-Shirts—Celebrate the Season of Sunshine with UV activated T-shirts. Logo colors appear in sunlight and disappear while indoors! These attractive t-shirts are made from 100% preshrunk Ultra Cotton®, double-needle stitching throughout with a seamless topstitch collar. Available in Adult and Youth Sizes.

If you're not yet a member, here's MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION. You can sign up and order through the website: http://www.naturessunshine.com/us/products/index.aspx or call in to order and sign up at 1-800-223-8225. Upon product purchase receive a complimentary membership that you have no obligations of using again, but if you chose to, you get up to 33% off products. First order must total $40 to obtain membership, and BE SURE to sign up under Jesse or Hayley DeWitt.....send me the reciept, and I'll send you a check for a T-shirt!

VITAMIN D in FIGHTING the FLU

2009-09-01T16:30:00.006-05:00

PLEASE BE SURE TO PAUSE THE MUSIC PLAYER (BELOW AND TO THE RIGHT) TO HEAR THE VIDEO!

So, you want to know how to combat influenza/flu naturally? Vitamin D is definitely the place to start. Vitamin D doesn't necessarily make the immune system STRONGER, it makes it SMARTER. We will go into a few nutrients/habits at the bottom of the posting that build up the immune system, but for now we'll cover Vitamin D, and the role that God gave it in combating viruses. God designed our bodies to fight off infections and viruses, without the necessity of human interventions. He gave our bodies self-regulators called "antimicrobial Peptides"..... naturally occurring antibiotics, which are "upregulated" and increased by naturally occurring Vitamin D sources. Naturally occurring Vitamin D upregulates antimicrobial peptide output, and dampens the immune system branch that causes excess inflammation, leading to infections and health problems. (discovered by Professor John White, McGill University) Vitamin D may not be the "cure" for influenza, but it is the MAJOR WEAPON that God gave us to fight off influenza and the common cold.

The following information is taken from Adelle Davis's book, Let's have Healthy Children, page 193: When Vitamin D is adequate....it increases the absorption, retention, and utilization of magnesium, as well as calcium, and throughout life it decreases the loss of both minerals in the urine and feces. Without Vitamin D, rickets, a bone disease, is produced by the time a baby is 3-6 months old" It is well-known among TRADITIONAL MEDICINE practice, that kids with rickets get a lot of infections.....Traditional doctors diagnose the cause as beings that their rib cage is too soft to function properly. BUT....among NATURAL MEDICINE...it is known that a lack of Vitamin D causes the rib cage to be soft because of the inability to absorb enough calcium due to the lack of vitamin D present in the body system.

This just PROVES that that it is important to separate FACT from THEORY.

FACT: Vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium, which is needed to have a properly functioning rib cage.

THEORY: infections are caused by a soft rib cage

Vitamin D levels in people during the wintertime typically fall to 1/3 of the levels found in the summer times. What is the significance? Well, typically people are sicker during the wintertime, and typically we don't have near the direct sun rays that we do in the summertime.....and God designed the sun to be our major source of Vitamin D. (click here to view my BLOG POSTING on Vitamin D) So, in order to bring our bodies up to the optimum virus-fighting potential that God gave to us, we need to bring our Vitamin D levels up the optimum levels God gave to us. If you do not have access to direct sunlight (NO SUNSCREEN!!), then the next best resource would be Vitamin D3.....our family takes this brand, for quality assurance: NATURES SUNSHINE VITAMIN D3.(<----click on link) Several different natural health sources mention that adults should have anywhere between 4,000 to 6,000 I.U. (international units) of a naturally occurring (not synthetic) High Quality Vitamin D source, while children should have half of this. The synthetic form of vitamin Dadded to commercial milk and foods does not substitute,and actually does the body MORE HARMthan GOOD. You can have a little better insight into yours/your child's SPECIFIC NEED of Vitamin D by muscle testing/having a Master Herbalist muscle test for you. If you assume an amount, it may be below yours/your child's need.

If you are looking to strengthen the immune system, in addition to increasing the output-functioning of it with Vitamin D......we do these things AS WELL as take Vitamin D, as a precautionary measure against the FLU and COLDS.

Avoid all processed sugar and flour (which turns to sugar shortly after consumption) which LOWERS the IMMUNE system anywhere between 24 hours-2 days....however long it is in the intestinal tract for. (SUGAR BLOG POSTING)
Avoid processed/fast foods which lower the immune system as well
Protect yourself from Electoro Magnetic Radiation from cell phones, computers and electricity (BLOG POSTING ON EMF's)
TAKE SPIRULINA, BLUE-GREEN ALGAE, or ACF (Acute Cold and FLU) by Buried TREASURE as a WHOLE FOODS VITAMIN
Take BIFIDOLOPHUS, to increase the good flora in your intestine to combat the virus/bacteria that invade.
Take an INFLUENZA REMEDY every month from October to May--it's a flu shot in the natural version of a homeopathic remedy, with the most original form of FLU strain that there is.

What Musical Vibration Do You Display?

2009-08-24T06:00:00.005-05:00

PLEASE BE SURE TO PAUSE THE MUSIC PLAYER (BELOW AND TO THE RIGHT) TO HEAR THE VIDEO!

Romans 8:9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

Physics teaches us that everything has an individualized electrical/magnetic vibrational output. While, it is not USUALLY discovered or displayed in the manner of the above video, nevertheless vibrational outputs are very real. Vitamins, minerals, meats, water, even parts of the human body contain an energy field that can naturally attract it to any of these listed items. A wonderful example of this would be in Adelle Davis's book, "Let's Have Healthy Children", in which a study was conducted by Dr. Clara M. Davis with 6 month old orphan children, who had never had solid foods before, and were offered wholesome, God-designed foods in their natural states (meats; hard boiled eggs; salt, grains in an individualized, original state; cod-liver oil; raw milk; vegetables, etc) and were given complete free rein over their choices. Over the course of the experiment, not one single child developed an allergy, infection or illness. "A child whose bone structure was poor drank cod liver oil on his own free will 113 times, or until his bones were considered normal. The salt would sometimes not be touched for days and then eaten by the handful, even though the children grimaced as they ate it. One baby who was (found to be before the experiment) allergic to egg white, carefully separated yolks from whites, ate the yolks, and tossed the whites on the floor" (pg 219) Before bad eating habits set in, children have a natural attraction God has given to the for a means of survival--call it what you will, but all foods also have a specific energy vibration as well.

While supporters of the new age movement have taken this information and twisted it into the the idea that energy IS GOD....we, as Christians hold strong to our belief that energy is MADE BY GOD. Energy is a BLESSING for us to use in learning, teaching and even TREATING health problems through natural methods, 2 examples are: muscle testing (Dr. Mercola's Link, Health Quarters Ministries Link), and Homeopathic remedies (My BLOG LINK on REMEDIES) While there may be some people who practice holistic health care that abide by the new age movement, this can and is found in ANY field of medicine, including conventional. These health care providers can be made distinguished from Christian natural health care practitioners through their practices of taping into energy sources and using such words as "universal energy"& "forces" to reach altered states of consciousness and "godhood".

Wayne Cook and Dr. William Tiller proved that the human body has energy flowing in and around it(thus, the reason that electro-shock therapy, Defibrillators, and lie-detector tests work). Every energy has either a positive current (energy flowing clockwise), negative current (counter clockwise current), a neutral current (flowing vertically) or an oscillating energy that was found in rodents, swines, poisons, diseased tissues (VACCINES contain diseased tissues). He went on to discover that ALL THE UNCLEAN ANIMALS LISTED IN DEUTERONOMY Chapter 14 of the Bible had oscillating energy in them. He found in his study that eating any of these unclean animals (swine) caused problematic vibrations in the human body, and made a positive living environment for parasites and cancer. Along with this, he ALSO discovered that healthy foods have certain vibrations that match certain organs of our body....thus "feeding" the organs with nutrients meant by God to specifically feed! A few examples are: saturated fat and the Brain, black walnuts and the blood.

Knowing that foods, people, medications, chemicals and nature all have energy vibrations that God has given to us.....we can understand a little better why we might be attracted to certain nutrients & people, along with understanding why certain foods and chemicals may cause us harmful effects that we want to avoid. As a Christian, we put out "music", that others can pick up on through body language, talk and life style choices. When we live for Christ, we have a desire for the music that goes in to be equally Holy to our Lord as the music that comes out on display. The next time you think about putting something in your body, or letting something be displayed...be sure it is of significance to your Christian walk!

Nourishing the Health that God Gave to You

2009-08-12T06:35:00.009-05:00

Here's our family's health mission in a nut shell: Eat food close to it's original state that God designed it in, so that the body will function in a closer state to the way God intended for us to function in.

What are some of the deviations in food consumption that do not reflect this mission? Eating "ANTI-NUTRIENTS", which are substances that when consumed increase the body's need for more nutrients. These substances take so much extra energy for the digestive tract to process and eliminate, that the body is left with more nutrients burned up than are taken in. They also increase the appetite because the body is not getting the nutrients it needs. According to Dr. Lendon Smith, author of Feed Your Kids Right, the elimination of anti-nutrients in the diet will help the body improve in overall health and immune response. Examples of ANTI-NUTRIENTS:

Sugar/corn syrup -- more info: MY SUGAR BLOG POSTING
Chemical preservatives -- almost everything on the shelf at a grocery store not labeled "Organic" contains various forms of these.
Synthetic vitamins & minerals -- cheaper for processing, body can't recognize them as nutrients
Enriched flour products -- nutrients taken out & replaced w/synthetic ones
Low-fat dairy -- body needs fat to break down/utilize proteins
Pasteurized/Homogenized Dairy -- PLEASE READ DR. MERCOLA's ARTICLE on processed dairy, entitled: Why You Don't Want to Drink Pasteurized Milk
Processed meats -- most contain nitrites/nitrates toxic substances that can lead to Methemoglobinemia and have been banned in most European countries
Yeast -- promotes yeast overgrowths, which lead to NUMEROUS health problems: it's all in the book, The Yeast Connection. This book is mind-blowing!
Chemical food dyes -- more info: MY CHEMICAL COLORING BLOG POSTING

Let me go into specific details of products that fall into this category:

Most commercial cereals, escept whole grains & cheerios (safe to stick with cereals under 10 grams of NATURAL derived sugar)
ALL breads except for sprouted/ezekiel breads, whole grain flatbreads & tortillas
All pastries, cakes, unless made with whole grain flour & natural sweeteners
All fruit snacks, candy, kool-aid, soda pops, juices (unless fresh squeezed juices)
ANY sandwich meat not labeled as being without antibiotics & preservatives
Any dairy not labeled as WHOLE MILK
Enriched/Pasta and white rice (basmatti, brown, wild rice & whole grain pastas ok)

It's best to stick with eating foods that promote good health and high functioning immune systems:

Fruits and vegetables raw whenever possible, eating only clean meats, properly cooked (Leviticus chapter 11 for more information)

Whole grains, but limit even their presence in the diet
Clean/natural meat- meats grown naturally without antibiotics, hormones (that go to your body!!) and that are grass/vegetable fed (cows/chickens corn-fed to get "fattened" do the same to your body--fatten you! Cows/chickens fed grass and vegetables provide your body with those minerals included!!)

Natural Salt (The body uses salt to make the enzymes that digest invading microbes and parasites, as well as food. The only time salt has ever been found to be detrimental is when you have failing kidneys or are missing a kidney) REDMOND from Nature's Sunshine has naturally occuring minerals in their natural Sea Salt.

Lots of pure water (Your body needs water to make the mucus that surrounds and suffocates invading microbes, it keeps your lungs hydrated (protected), and is necessary to carry nutrients, oxygen, and immune cells to every area of the body) While tap water is clean, it is also FULL of chemicalsto get it that way! Using a reverse Osmosis unit in your house, or drinking bottled water is ideal.
RAW and WHOLE MILK Organic DAIRY the fats your body DOES need, should be taken with their origins--in dairy and meats. Your body NEEDS fats to break down and utilize proteins, and your body needs protein to stay healthy! Take your fats naturally in foods, and avoid them in chips, pastries andfast food....you'll be MUCH better off!!

Spirulina: Quick Immune Super-Builder

2009-08-01T23:22:00.005-05:00

Suzy Cohen is a pharmacist who knows that medications have their place, but she prefers to avoid the automatic rubber stamping of drug treatments. She also writes "Dear Pharmacist," a nationally syndicated column which also appears on the Healthier Talk website.

In a recent column, a reader inquired about a so-called "superfood."T.E. Chicago, Illinois: You mentioned "spirulina" in a recent column as a supplement to help boost thyroid hormone. I've never heard of this, is it a vitamin? What else is it good for?"

Suzy Cohen: "Spirulina is supercool, and it's a superfood. It's actually algae that grows in our oceans, springs and lakes. If you viewed it with a microscope you would see beautiful bright blue-green spirals, for which it is named. Spirulina is a single-cell organism that is capable of turning sunlight into energy, and it has been on earth for eons.

"Spirulina is a superfood because it has tons of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes. It's food, people of many cultures actually eat a version of it. Spirulina is a great source of vegetable protein and what makes it even more amazing is the detoxifying chlorophyll (the green pigment in plants).

"Chlorophyll eliminates body odor and cleans out the digestive tract. Because spirulina packs this kind of a punch, I think it is a good supplement for everyone, especially those of you who do not eat a lot of fruits and veggies. Spirulina could be of benefit to you if you have:

Chronic fatigue or anemia
Hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's or Graves' disease
Vision loss
Frequent infections
Pollen, hayfever, and/or mold allergies
Heart problems
Neuropathis pain or heavy metal burdens
Type 2 diabetes

You can read Suzy's detailed comments on how spirulina offers benefits for each of these conditions in her article "Spirulina is a Supercool Superfood" on the Healthier Talk website.

I have found 2 wonderful resources of authentic, fully potency Spirulina that our family uses and switches between: EarthRise Spirulina Natural and Natures Sunshine Spirulina .

Earthrise are chewables that our daughters pop in like candy, several times a day.
Nature's Sunshine brand are capsules for easy swallowing.

Spirulina does occasionally detox the system too quickly when first starting, so I would start out with adults: 1/day with a meal, Children 1/2 tablet a day. Adults can EVENTUALLY build up to 3 capsules a day, and children 3-5 tablets a day.

This is a WONDERFUL all-purpose vitamin for children, otherwise I would reccomend this one as well as a safe and effective, daily vitamin for children: Natures Sunshine Elderberry Plus Herbasaurs.

Chemical Food Dyes

2009-07-16T15:16:00.009-05:00

If you go to almost any child's birthday party now days, you will most likely find a colorful, brightly frosted birthday cake with colors so vivid, you can't possibly miss them. Yes, birthday parties and colorful cakes SEEM to go hand -in-hand, but do they necessarily HAVE to? Some may call it "common sense" to "need" a colorful birthday cake in order to celebrate, yet others may call it "materialistic" to "need" colorful birthday cakes. The same goes for blue applesauce, florescent cereals, green ketchup, purple "vitamins" and all colors of sugar drinks. So, why would someone opt out of those brightly colored chemical dyes in their child's celebration? Let's find out through a little bit of history, study, and effects.

"In the 1800's some manufacturers colored products with potentially poisonous mineral-and metal based compounds. Toxic chemicals tinted certain candies and pickles, while other color additives contained arsenic....." John Henkel

HISTORY

(Taken from http://www.fennogold.org/) Natural food colors were first used, but the cheaper chemical colorants quickly took their place because they were cheaper to make, easier to use, control and mix into foods and had limited flavor to alter the taste of foods. By the time the early 1900's hit, there were more than 80 types of dyes, none of them having been tested for short/long term affects. The dyes created were, and still are, derived from PETROLEUM ANILINE, and were first named coal-tar colors because the starting product was taken from bituminous coal. Laws were eventually made to attempt to control the extent and identify the colors, but nevertheless, very little research done on the safety of putting them in the human body.

SOURCES/EFFECTS

RED #40

Is usually in anything red, pink, purple, burgundy, or orange colored, possible foods: Popsicles, salad dressing, kids drinks and cereals, ice cream, & chips. It is also sprayed on many non-organic, fresh red apples, red potatoes, cherries and strawberries to enhance them with a more appealing look.

Holistic health views this food dye to have a negative/weakening impact on our killer cells: T-cells, macrophages and white cells. Abnormal cell growth in ANY AREA of the body, brain, bone or pituitary glands. Dr. Feingold did his own research to find that this food dye can increase hyperactivity, anger, rage, and irritability.

BLUE #1

Found in most any foods that are blue, green, purple, including many of the same items as those having Red #40 on them.

Ingesting Blue #1 can lead to illnesses involving the spleen,enlarged lymph nodes, weak veins, polyps in the brain and spleen, some tumors, chronically high triglyceride count, skin problems, weak immunity, abnormal cell growth anywhere in the body.

Yellow #5

Found in green, yellow, orange and brown items such as pickles, drinks, chips, medicines, Hepatitis B vaccine, soap, lotion and various toiletry items.

Yellow #5 in the body can lead to abnormal cell growth and weakness of the liver, abnormal cell growth in the prostate, ovaries, vagina, cervix, intestines, can lead to blood sugar imbalances, improper filtering of toxins out of the blood stream, bone marrow weakness and abnormal T-cell or white blood cell production.

ADDITIONAL ARTICLES WRITTEN ON THE STUDY OF DYES ON CHILDREN:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2984519.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3742423.stm

Much of the above information came from a "Blessed By Nature" Handout

Do You Put 100% Faith in Modern Medicine, or in GOD?

2009-07-08T12:54:00.015-05:00

PLEASE hit PLAY to watch the movie FIRST, so that it lines up with the intended song :)

There is definately a place for modern medicine--for emergencies and life-threatening surgeries/illnesses. HOWEVER, I believe pharmaceuticals are waaay over used, and the Pharmaceutical industry is focused too much on profits....please make careful to note that I view doctors differently than pharmaceutical companies, who sponser and fund their medical training.....the quote "DON'T KILL THE MESSANGER" can be applied to this situation.

It is our responsibility to seek out non-invasive measures of treatment for OTHER purposes beyond emergencies. If we don't seek it out, and we put 100% belief in one particular system....we may end up unknowlingly using the system for more than we should. God gave us plants for oils and herbs.....this is the least invasive way of healing from non-emergencies. My intention is to only make you think.....

I am personally one of the 42% that the video mentioned who have been directly affected by a medical mistake...an "experiment" on my right knee you might call it--words from another knee doctor who said that that type of procedure shouldn't have been done on anyone. What makes me know (along with the other doctor's words), that he messed up? He cut the leftover ligaments holding my knee in place to "balance it better", and ended up having to follow it up with YET ANOTHER surgery to attempt to correct the first "experiment". The results? Well, I have to be very careful not to have it fall out of placeduring exercise involving twisting and turning. Later, in my years of studying natural methods, I found that all you need is one shred of ligament in order to repair the entire thing with the proper nutrients. I have come to learn that I need to search out answers, rather than settling for them; I need to pray about decisions heavily before putting total trust in another person's actions if it may be potentially life altering; I will choose to seek out first and foremost, methods of healing that are not invasive, but rather natural ways.

In the clip above, it also mentions that "You're told to stay out of the sun, yet 50,000 people die from cancer each year due to not enough sun exposure". God made the sun to be our major acessable source of VITAMIN D. Without the proper levels of vitamins and nutrients supplied to our bodies on a daily basis, our bodies become suseptable to diseases such as CANCER.

Vitamin D --can be obtained naturally from the sun (ONLY WITHOUT SUNSCREEN), fish liver oils, and meat and dairy raised in the sun (organic ones are). SO, YES! Cows raised in the sun have enough vitamin D in them to pass on through their milk and meat--cows raised indoors in industrial corporate buildings are deprived of vitamin D, and therefore need synthetic Vitamin D added to milk in the processing.

"NATURAL SOURCES of Vitamin D increase the absorption, retention, and utilization of magnesium, calcium and phosphorus." pg 193, Adelle Davis's book, Let's have Healthy Children

"Studies have shown that calcium is retained efficiently only when 2,000 units of natural Vitamin D are taken daily. Vitamin D added to calcium tablets, (also commercial milk).... are not stable and should not be relied upon" as a source. pg 99, Adelle Davis's book, Let's have Healthy Children

I had always assumed the more sunscreen, the better, when dealing with health. But, since reading up on Vitamin D and its benefits, I now know to just limit the amount of time in the sun I spend with my children. We usually try to balance time outdoors between shade and direct sunlight. We also start early in the spring getting our bodies accustomed to the sun again by spending hours at a time outdoors. That way, when summer comes, our bodies don't get burned from being a couple hours in the sun without sunscreen. Sun is beneficial for your skin, burning skin is not, and sunscreen is not. If you plan on taking a trip to somewhere tropical, or have no shade on a long day outdoors, there are Natural Sun Creams (click on words for link), if you find you need one. If you start early, there's no reason for sunscreen if you don't over-do it it on any given day! God made the sun for a specific reason, along with making our skin be able to soak it up to detox for a specific reason.

Did you know that "sun spots" are acutally spots that your body is using energy from the sun to detox through, by bringing impurities to the surface? GOD DESIGNED nutrients to detox--too much of a certain nutrient (including Vitamin D from the sun) can speed up the detoxing process too much. So, in essence, a cancerous tumor your body was working on fighting (our body is constantly fighting and breaking up cancerous cells) is instead pushed to the surface to be labeled skin cancer instead of another form. Want more info on cancer? Here's another BLOG post of mine on cancer, click on the following word link: http://bodymindsoulfood.blogspot.com/2009/05/cancer-movie-not-to-miss.html

Dr. Mercola says in one of his newsletters: "Vitamin D levels in your blood fall to their lowest point during flu seasons. Unable to be protected by the body’s own antibiotics (antimicrobial peptides) that are released by vitamin D, a person with a low vitamin D blood level is more vulnerable to contracting colds, influenza, and other respiratory infections."

God's Baby

2009-07-02T13:28:00.023-05:00

God blessed us with a little miracle at the beginning of April 2009. I remember feeling a little "BLAH" that day, feeling sick to my stomach, with everything else out of sorts. It disappeared after a few days, so I just attributed it to some new juice I had tried..... LATER ON, I would find out that it was a baby that we would never know while it was alive.

At 10 weeks, when we discovered that I was expecting a baby, the baby had already passed away a few days prior, thus setting off "symptoms". It broke my heart to find out, but I know God has a reason for everything, and trusted that LIFE WOULD GO ON. I know under any other circumstances, as I looked down at my flat stomach laying in bed, I would be thankful for it's appearance, but tonight it would be most difficult to see it again considering the circumstances that led up to it.

Today as I found out about the loss, the day seemed so dark and lonely at first. My mind kept swirling with questions and thoughts--so much that I don't even remember driving home from the hospital. God DOES provide comfort in these dark of times, though, I just wasn't ready to look for it. So, even though I felt too weak to pray for myself (ever been there?), and too hopeless to even want to try, I had a gracious friend who God put in my path at the time offer a prayer to me that changed my outlook COMPLETELY. As the day's events unfolded, I would soon see that this WASN'T the horrible event that I kept thinking it was--this was an opportunity to teach our girls about life and death, and to know that God blessed us with a baby that he chose ME to lovingly carry for the blessed short time it was alive! An OPPORTUNITY, instead of a nightmare that my mind kept telling me it SHOULD be! As my focus of the days events changed, so did the actual events unfolding before my eyes.....

My miracles started as I talked with the Chaplin at Sanford Hospital to find out what becomes of the baby once it was"born". Some people may just want to move on and not glance back at the pregnancy-gone-sour, but I couldn't rest easy unless I knew what was generally accepted as the methodology of closure for the precious tiny soul. The Chaplin told me that he would be leaving when we were coming in, so the college campus pastor from my Alma-mater would be on call. I quickly realized that God wanted to give me a familiar comfort for tonight's surgery, something I had never even considered a possibility! I learned that he generally only works about 3 nights a month, and I "happened" to come in on one of those nights! (Happened? Not at all.......more like "was planned to be by divine intervention "!) My college pastor and I have kept up over the years--so he already knew we were expecting a baby, along with knowing our family dynamics, family values, and our family goals.

We decided as a family to do this together, since the girls had been there for the ultrasound, seeing the baby on the screen, and then seeing both their mama and the ultra sound technician brushing back the tears they shared at that moment. Yes, they knew, and were full of questions. Like I said, this was an OPPORTUNITY to share both the blessing AND the sadness with them!

When I got chauffeured into the surgery room, I soon realized that God's plan of comfort wouldn't stop at just my campus pastor friend, he was going to bless me with a room full of familiar faces! Out of the 5 people in my surgery room, I knew 3 of them! (and there were several rooms full of other people!) A classmate/friend from college was my anesthesiologist, one of my nurses was a friend who I had bought scrapbook supplies from for years, and my doctor was my very own, who happened to be on call tonight. YES, God had surrounded me with comforting, familiar faces for the surgery I had been needlessly dreading all day long! Quite awkwardly, most of the night I found myself not being able to hide the smile God had painted on me with such loving hands.

After surgery, we had a ceremony in our room with my college pastor, which was so very meaningful, that I couldn't hold back the tears. Although I may not remember all the words he spoke from the sheer magnitude of the evening, I do remember, that as we held hands he said that we were together as a family for the first time, and that the next time we would be together would be in the presence of our savior. AMEN.

Through this, I have learned that God's plan is God's plan. We may tell ourselves that we are in control but if God's plan is to have a baby in his arms, then so it shall be. Praise the Lord forevermore!

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

A Little Secret I've Been Keeping From Some of You

2009-06-23T22:38:00.001-05:00

I must apologize to everyone for not being up front with you on the reason my BLOGS have slowed down a bit. I just often forget that I have readers in the BLOGGER realm who are outside my Twitter, Facebook and E-mailing networks. I have kept the rest of them informed, but have overlooked my fellow BLOGGERS, so I apologize!

Since I'm not big on announcements, I'll make this into a prayer request. The reason I haven't been blogging as much is because my husband, Jesse, and I are expecting our 4th child, and would love to have you all uphold us in your prayers! I have been quite nauseated in the evenings, this being my absolute favorite time to BLOG, when the rest of our house is restful and quiet. I've always been a night owl, so it has been difficult for me to give up my favorite time of day to my mattress. What makes tonight different? I had an appt with my Master Herbalist today, and we're targeting the nausea with high doses of green olives, B6, grapefruit, enzymes and prayer! Tonight was an o.k. night.

Nevertheless, I am still doing a heap better than in my first and second pregnancies (please read a snip-it of my story, found on the website of my favorite Protein shake drink mix: Testimonies on "Quest" Protein Shakes ). As you can see, I'm no longer on prescription sleep aids, prescription nausea drugs, prescription acid reflux inhibitors, prescription allergy drugs, etc. I have worked with a phenomenal Master Herbalist between the pregnancies, so each one has been better than the last. Over the past few years, she specifically targeted building enzymes and healing my stomach from sugar damage in my youth--which had been causing acid reflux and vomiting for the 8 out of 9 months of my pregnancies!

During my appt today, my Master Herbalist commented ONCE AGAIN how surprised she is that we've made it through so many births with all of the trials I have gone through, along with all of the trials my husband has dealt with as well. My answer? We're just trying to further HIS kingdom one birth at a time! Seriously, though, God gives you strength when you need it most, and he has been by Jesse's and my side the entire 30 months that I've been pregnant so far in our marriage! Why wouldn't we keep trying, LOL?

This month, I plan to dedicate to all those mothers-in-waiting! I have a cousin, along with a few friends who are expecting babies as well, so I'm going to share with both them and the rest of you, my favorite pregnancy book, that promotes health in your pregnancies and babies.....all the way up to the time they graduate! You want a quick glimpse of the book to possibly get started on it before I reveal all of the juicy details? It's called: Let's Have Healthy Children by Adelle Davis (I also have the link in my sidebar, listed under BOOKS FOR BODY FOOD). This was my first book I read having to do with Natural Health, and it's a dinosaur, but one of the best for parents! The only thing is, I lent it to one of my friends, and I'll have to sweet talk her into "lending" it back for a month for me to BLOG about!

In the mean time, I pray that I can keep up on BLOG postings for you. I will also leave with you a glimpse of me at 9 months pregnant, so that you can envision me as you pray! (It's my BEST pregnant-picture-to-date, so don't crack any jokes!)

NEW MOVIE "FOOD, INC"

2009-06-16T13:09:00.002-05:00

PLEASE BE SURE TO PAUSE THE MUSIC PLAYER (BELOW AND TO THE RIGHT) TO HEAR THE VIDEO!

CURRENTLY HITTING THEATERS, the Full-length movie FOOD,INC

If you haven't educated yourself on the ins and outs of the Multi-Million Dollar Food Industry and the secrets it's hiding from consumers, now is the time!

I found the above trailer for the Movie FOOD,INC at: http://tinyurl.com/m39nlk. Dr. Ron Spallone utilizes Twitter, Facebook, Blogger to pass on health & wellness information daily to his followers. He had such a wonderful write-up on the above movie trailer, I wanted to include it in my BLOG POSTING for you to read as well:

"Deception… greed….profit…. 'the bottom line'… chemicals… artificial… toxic… inhumane… empty…synthetic…wrong?

Should those words be included in the description of our current methods of ‘manufacturing’ and mass producing the foods we eat? Should they be listed as ‘disclaimers’ outlining the very foundation of our current 'Food Pyramid?'

A new movie will be coming out shortly that unveils some pretty frightening data about what’s inside and behind the food we eat, what packs the aisles of our grocery stores and what lines the pockets of an absolutely monster industry.

'Food, Inc.' is the title of the movie.

Are we unknowingly using our mouths as a weapons to naively self-inflict the afflictions that we will ultimately suffer from? Is the drug dealer on the corner peddling things that much different than what lines the shelves of the corner grocery store?

How painful is it to watch someone you love pass? If you’ve ever had to hold someones hand as they suffer-you know what I mean.

Are we now facing the fact that much of what they suffered from and how they suffered might have been caused from ‘food’ choices and the industrial formulation and manufacturing practices?

This subject goes beyond ourselves, beyond our children. It’s multi-generational. Ultimately, if we don’t wake up and alter our motives, we’re on a path to effect the human species.
Here’s my one and only attempt at being a movie critic…If you only see one movie this year- this should be it!" --RON SPALLONE

Here is a schedule of viewings/locations: http://tinyurl.com/oh8azb

Here is the Official FOOD, INC website, Hungry for Change: http://www.foodincmovie.com/

IMPROVEMENTS:

2009-06-09T09:54:00.001-05:00

Here are a few of the changes I have noticed over the past 2 years in changing over to an all natural diet:

FRECKLES FADING and disappearing--MOST freckles are caused by over-taxed kidneys. Eating SEEDED watermelon and ESPECIALLY the black watermelon SEEDS on a regular basis, support and strengthen kidney functioning. (NOT to be confused with seedless watermelon, which is genetically altered, so that the body cannot identify it as food, and it actually harms the kidneys). Otherwise, here's a good herb-mixed support for kidneys: KIDNEY ACTIVATOR ATC CONCENTRATE, I take this when my lower back/kidney area aches on occasion.
ACID REFLUX GONE: When I was pregnant with our first child, I got acid reflux so bad I stopped eating and drinking--for days! Anything I would ingest would cause me such horrid discomfort that I would cry and rather deal with the hunger pains. Over the course of the next few years, I jumped from one prescription to the next, trying to releive it. I'm now to the point that my stomach enzymes are built-up enough I can eat green peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes.....all things I stayed away from growing up because of the discomfort that followed a meal with these included. The only way I know of building stomach enzymes properly is to go through a Master Herbalist--someone who has not only fixed that for us, but a whole list of things for our family!
Rough, cracked and dry feet turning to SOFT & SMOOTH FEET--having enough oils in the body to hydrate/replenish it from the inside out. COLD-PROCESSED olive oil, organic REAL butter, oils from raw nuts and seeds(sunflower, almonds, walnuts,etc)
NO NEED FOR DEODORANT--yes! There IS a reason why people never had to wear deodorant before: they didn't stink like some people do today! The people of today are detoxing heavy metals, chemical preservatives, food additives, household cleaning and yard chemicals, hydrogenated oils--stuff that stinky bacteria LOVE to use as a growing medium! I will admit, if I have had something not QUITE natural in my diet, I use a SALT ROCK on my underarms. A salt rock is JUST THAT--salt to destroy any unpleasant bacteria that my body chooses to push out. HOWEVER, I have known a few people who wasted their money on SALT ROCKS, only to be disappointed that it wasn't sufficient because of the diet they did not alter as well--they go hand in hand!
NO NEED for DE-CONGEST ANTS--These were a part of my "diet" as a child--I remember my doctor showing me an X-ray of my nasal cavities and telling me that some people just have a pre-disposition to having full sinuses! It didn't make sense to me why I had to suffer?? I grew up breathing out of my mouth since my nose was always so congested I would pass out if I relied on only my nose for air! After 30 years of breathing through my mouth, it is a habit hard to break, but I could easily breath through only my nose for hours if needed! no more de-contestants--no more processed sugar and processed foods on a regular basis.
No need for FANS/AIR FRESHENER in the bathroom--the less processed your foods are, the less your stools will have any smell to them! Unless someone is sick with a nasty virus, or ate a meal with unidentifiable ingredients--there should be no need to hold your nose!
No More TARTER-FILLED TEETH/BAD BREATH--Once you have proper enzymes in the stomach, and proper foods meant to go through it....one has less "breath" issues, less "plaque" issues, less "need" for brushing teeth. Don't get me wrong--we still brush for hygiene purposes, but don't desperately "need to" in order to talk with someone in the morning! HOWEVER, we use a toothpaste made out of calcium, since calcium is what makes teeth strong. Flouride only strengthens the enamal, and kills the root of the tooth since it's a toxic chemical. SUNSHINE BRITE TOOTHPASTE
EYE SIGHT improving--the last 2 visit I've made to the optometrist, my eyesight has improved--by enough to catch my optometrist's attention enough to ask if I have been eating large amounts of carrots. Ha, Ha!
EAR WAX--I never had a large amount growing up, just enough to clean out every so often. HOWEVER, our first child had ears so clogged you couldn't see inside for anything! We would clean them daily, and still not stay on top of it! In the natural world, ear wax is known to be a sign of insufficient calcium....either by not enough, or by not absorbing it. I'm not talking about the synthetic calcium "added" to cereals, milk and other unnatural products; I'm talking about a TOP-QUALITY raw dairy product with calcium already in it! Once we got our daughter on the right track with absorbing calcium, we no longer have a need for Q-tips for her! We gave her ORGANIC WHOLE MILK YOGURT (fruit break down the good bacteria, and your body needs the fats to digest the proteins in it) on a regular basis, which promotes proper digestion, therefore promotes proper calcium absorption! This is typically one of the first signs we will see in our family when one of us needs more calcium--itchy/waxy ears. Here's a FABULOUS LIQUID CALCIUM link for kids, otherwise I take this calcium, that also doubles as my vitamin supplement: SKELETAL STRENGTH. I can order either one with a discount, or else you can order directly from those links.

When an adult is getting proper calcium intake, they will sleep through the night without wiggly/restless legs (something I had for two years). Children will sleep better through the night, haveless "growing pains", along with get teeth in easier. Our 2 year old goes to the fridge to look for her liquid calcium when she's getting a tooth in--which is sufficient enough of a pain "med" for her!

A Cancer Movie not to Miss......

2009-05-28T13:39:00.002-05:00

PLEASE BE SURE TO PAUSE THE MUSIC PLAYER (BELOW AND TO THE RIGHT) TO HEAR THE VIDEO!

This is the trailer for the 2 hour long movie, "HEALING CANCER FROM THE INSIDE OUT"

I started watching the movie, and decided to re-start it after 10 minutes in. It had waaay too good of information not to share with you. In fact, I got 6 1/2 pages of notes off of it...that I'm not going to share in it's entirety, because I DO want to have you watch the full 2 hour movie for yourselves! Our 5 year old daughter watched about half of it, repeating quotes to help me get all the info--if it can keep her attention, you know it MUST be good! Here's the Amazon.com link if you would like to purchase it: http://tinyurl.com/d4q7jy. It does make a great "passer on" movie to those you love, a pre-gift for BEFORE someone gets cancer and doen't know where to turn, perhaps!

Here are some exceptional quotes from the movie:

"The medical community has been working on a cure (for cancer) for well over 100 years" --A "cure"meaning a drug....a REAL cure has already been found in diet. Not sure? Just check out any of the health institutes having success:

Kushi Institute Testimonials , Hippocrates Health Institute Testimonials , Health Quarters Ministries Testimonies

"14 years after the war (on cancer) began, a landmark study showed that chemotherapy, the main weapon in the war, was only somewhat effective for only 2-3% of all cancer patients.....things have not changed since then"

"Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy...seldom produce a cure" AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, 2007

"This disease on average has been going on for 10 years before they discover it, and will probably go on another 10, 15, 20 years before it kills them"

"Most cancers will not be detected by mammography until there are 4-10 billion cancer cells in your body (typically 8-10 years)

"The FDA has approved and patented 40 highly toxic cancer drugs, it is yet to approve a SINGLE non-toxic cancer therapy. WHY? Because natural cancer therapies are not profitable and cannot be patented"
"The FDA has deemed these incredibly toxic drugs to be safe and effective, despite the fact that a common side effect is death"
"Half of the FDA's funding comes directly from the drug companies it's supposed to regulate"

"Why was skin cancer so uncommon before 1900, when most people were outdoors?"

"You have to shift your thinking from being a helpless victim, to being someone who is willing to take charge of their own health"

"'Blueberries fight cancer'.....these are nutritional magic bullets, but they won't work unless the rest of your diet is designed to fight cancer. A few blueberries on top of your cheesecake won't make a dent against cancer....It is your entire nutrient profile that is going to fight cancer"
"Normally a cure is defined as an elimination of a disease, in a case of cancer, it means if you are still breathing 5 years after diagnosis....it's the only way to create an illusion that we're making progress in the war on cancer" (5 years is "safe" because it typically allows for the 8-10 year window needed to start another cancer mass from a single cell, if the cancer wasn't all gotten....)

"The National Cancer Institute, with enthusiastic support from the American Cancer Society, has effectively blocked funding for research & clinical trials on promising non-toxic alternative cancer drugs for decades" --Samuel S. Epstein, MD

"Each (Cancer) patient is worth , on average, 1/2 million dollars to the (Cancer) industry."

" The treatment for cancer and degenerative diseases is a national scandal. The sooner you realize this, the better off you will be" --Allen Greene, MD

"The cure for cancer will not be found under the microscope, it is on the dinner plate" --Paul Stitt, MD
"An estimated 4,000-9,000 women died not from their cancer, but from their treatment" --Discover Magazine Expose on Bone Marrow Transplant Therapy
"Women with breast cancer are likely to die faster with chemotherapy than without it" --Allen Levin, MD
"Bottled Death"--Vice President Hubert Humphrey describing chemotherapy before he died of bladder cancer.

So, you may ask HOW do the numbers always show that Chemotherapy is effective, and that it is beneficial? Drug companies skew the percentages by using RELATIVE NUMBERS instead of ABSOLUTE NUMBERS:

(Here's an example) Out of a clinical trial of 100 people using a specific CHEMOTHERAPY drug, the trial would expect 2 people to get breast cancer. AFTER the trial where all 100 people were put on the drug, let's say only 1 gets cancer. The reduction in cancer (by people being on this drug during this trial), therefore, was only 1 out of every 100, or an ABSOLUTE VALUE of 1 %. Not good enough to make drug companies look effective, because 1 % could happen by chance. BUT, since 2 people were EXPECTED to get it, and only 1 did, they could use the RELATIVE BENEFIT, which turns the 1 PERCENT ABSOLUTE BENEFIT into 50% RELATIVE BENEFIT. Most advertisements for cancer therapy will give you the relative benefit when giving you the results of a clinical trial for the drug.

So, you ask, what's the difference between Allopathic (Traditional, medicine Doctors) and Homeopathic (Natural Doctors)?

Homeopathy was started in 1796. Prehistoric Medicine incorporated plants, animal parts and minerals. However as technology and science advanced, plants were replaced with chemicals in medications, thus producing more serious side effects. As the two forces of patient treatments came head to head in America in the early 1900's, "Allopathy emerged as the victors, not because they had better medicine, but because they had made alliances with key business which saw that fortunes could be made with new emerging allopathic medical practices" and synthetic products that could be patented.

One of these such "advances" was used to treat George Washington with his sore throat. " To help relieve George of his symptoms, his doctor drained half of his blood during the course of the nights(Bloodletting). That didn't help, so they had George swallow 650mg of mercury, giving him in effect a fatal dose of of heavy metal poisoning. George Washington died the next day. He was killed by some of the best Allopathic (conventional) doctors in the country who were treating him for a case of strep throat"

Although the above scenario seems over the top and highly unsafe in this day and age....will we look at Chemotherapy in this manner 100 years from now, after enough people have lost their fight to cancer through this manner?

"By 1900 much of the public had had enough of these unnatural treatments, and homeopaths were stealing patients away from the allopaths at an alarming rate. Around this time, the American Medical Association was formed as a DOCTOR's UNION (interesting, huh?) to encounter the growing power of homeopaths. The A.M.A. set out to destroy the homeopaths and other competitors by branding them as quacks, while harassing and slandering them. Backed by big business that smelled money in allopathic treatments, they were able to change.....licensing laws to favor allopathic advances and drive out the competition."

"We never fought the HOMEOPATH on matters of principle. We fought them because they came into our community and got the business" --Dr. J.N. McCormack, American Medical association, 1903

I believe that each institution (allopathic and homeopathic) has it's needs. Medical establishments are a necessity for emergencies (accidents calling for replacements, repair, and life-saving measures) and homeopathy should be used for everything outside these parameters. Degenerative diseases, illnesses, bacterial infections, viral sicknesses, poisons CAN and SHOULD all be treated with non-invasive and natural practices that will not add harm to the already fragile state of the body. If you find yourself a good Master Herbalist (we search out good doctors, right?), you will only find yourself needing the medical establishment for it's strength of emergencies.

Upcomming Birthday/Event Party?

2009-05-26T12:00:00.004-05:00

Have you ever noticed how much anticiaption, energy, maddness and craziness can be found in the mentality of a child before, during and following Celebration parties? The excitement of a party, alone, can be a lot for a child to handle, and then we typically throw in sugar as a good measure on top of it. What's wrong with sugar, you ask? Well, the chemical formula for COCAINE is C17H21NO4. SUGAR'S formula is C12H22O11. For all practical purposes, the difference is that sugar is missing the 'N', or nitrogen atom... Sugar has 12 carbon atoms, 22 hydrogen atoms, 11 oxygen atoms, and may give children a HIGH closely mimicking that of a drug, along with an associated low through the night......which is why many kids do not sleep well following a "sugar fest". We had to cut out sugar for a few days and then closely look to identify it! (Desire more sugar info? Please visit: http://tinyurl.com/p9lz6l )

When first finding out about our daughter's need for an all-natural diet, I had searched for months to find a recipe without processed sugar, enriched flour, hydrogenated oils, corn syrup, aluminum, artificial flavors, etc. After trying a few "isch-kie" cakes, I stumbled upon a good-for-you cake that is absolutely delicious, and here it is! I found this Chocolate Cake Recipe on a website of a restaurant, which sells a piece for $15.00/each. The website posted that it always sells out before the end of the evening, and I've gotten rave reviews on it from our party-goers!!!

Even though the ingredients are not staples in a typical "American" cupboard, I have gotten accustomed to just always keeping these ingredients on hand. I didn't have any of these in my cupboard when I first made it, but have adjusted gradually over time.

My Natural Chocolate Cake Recipe Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 cups spelt flour

1 TBL and 1 tsp of baking powder without aluminum (Bob's Red Mill Brand)

2 tsp baking soda (again--Bob's Red Mill)

1 cup cocoa powder

3 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp Sea Salt

1 cup cold-pressed olive oil

3 cups REAL maple syrup

2 tsp of organic apple cider vinegar

4 tsp of Real Vanilla extract

2 cups of water

BE SURE TO MIX LIQUIDS and SOLIDS SEPARATELY and DO NOT OVER MIX WHEN COMBINING!! Lightly spray natural olive oil spray and whole grain flour on pan. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes on middle rack, and do not open door for first 30 minutes!

Here's my Natural Cookie Cake Recipe:

Ingredients :
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/4 cup black strap molasses
3/4 cup 100% real maple syrup/Agave nectar
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon real vanilla
2-3 cups whole grain flour (spelt, oat, whole wheat) you'll have judge the thickness
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3-4 cups Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)

I add oats, because I need a filler....our girls have such a hard time with any flour products, because they have been processed, so I always need to cut back and add more of a whole grain in! The cookies may be very thin or fall apart easily, so I usually end up making cookie "bars" out of it instead. Feel free to "tweak" the recipe and let me know if you can get it to stick together better!!

FROSTING: I whip up natural whipping cream, mixing in vanilla and real maple syrup to taste ...India Tree makes natural food coloring, since many kids also have a behavioral reaction to chemical food colorings. INDIA TREE kinda expensive, but we've made several cakes over the past few years with ours, and still have plenty left for many years.

Am I a Sinner?

2009-05-22T07:09:00.001-05:00

PLEASE BE SURE TO PAUSE THE MUSIC PLAYER (BELOW AND TO THE RIGHT) TO HEAR THE VIDEO!

I AM a Sinner.

I am selfish, I am unkind, I struggle in finding my faith in difficult situations, I don't always love, I can let pride rule over my decisions, I am lonely & don't always look to God for comfort in this, I am not very gentle, I choke when defending my Heavenly Father, I don't always know the best way to seek peace in situations, I greatly struggle with self-control, I am overly emotional, I worry waaaay to much, I have low self-esteem, and I don't always live life experiencing joy.

God created me to be perfect, in his image, and I have chosen to be otherwise. After so many years of sinning, it is hard for me to look back to how I acted as a child, when I was more pure. I would follow authority more readily, I had a joy for simple pleasures, and I didn't expect much, so was very thankful towards others. even though I cannot return to that life, he has blessed me with a bit of my childhood innocence, through my daughters. I am making careful note of examples of how my daughters can help me to live a better life:

3 year old Sage saying that if Satan doesn't listen to God, that she doesn't want to live like him.
5 year old Sophie asking to giveaway her money she has gotten from chores over the past few weeks. I asked her if she didn't want to save a little longer to buy a toy from the store? "No, I have 13 coins, and want to share every one of them!"
Sophie telling me, "I want to do your work for you because you are working hard. Let me take this over for you "(grabbing the washcloth out of my hand)
When I've been in a hurry to put them to bed, and forget to pray with them, Sage will gently say, "Mama, let's pray before you leave, please?"
Sophie has been offered sugar before (she has sensitivities to it) and will gently say "no thank you" because she knows it will cause her harm
When one is given something, and the other not, the first will usually ask if there is any more for the others. The reason for this, is that they will (most of the time) be breaking the item in 3's to share if there is no more.

We all have fallen short of the glory of God, me being one on that list. My girls are not angels, and do not always behave with the above mannerisms. However, they have not been living in sin as long as I have, so they may give in to goodness quicker than me. I CAN and DO learn from them everyday.....I re-learn the simplicity that God created for us to live in.

So, as I live in sin while crying for mercy and forgiveness,I thank the Lord that he made provisions out of sin! He sent us Jesus, who lived the life we all were SUPPOSED to live, by living without sin. Jesus CAN and DOES wash away our sin. I experience an enormous release when I choose to pray and ask for forgiveness....a release that ties me no more to those thoughts and burdens I feel when I'm carrying around my guilt. Does this mean that I don't struggle with sin each and every day? No, it means I can forgive myself because God forgives me--it gives me a clean slate to begin each new day with!

I am going to sin again today. I will also sin again tomorrow. This gives me incredible guilt and sadness to know this. But, I look to my Savior for strength in getting through each and every day that I sin, because he will help to release the burden that accompanies this sin. Thank you Jesus for your love and protection for me from myself!

Acts 13:38 Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

PASSED AUTISM

2009-05-19T07:50:00.000-05:00

PLEASE BE SURE TO PAUSE THE MUSIC PLAYER (BELOW AND TO THE RIGHT) TO HEAR THE VIDEO!

"AUTISM YESTERDAY" Autism is Reversible from JB Handley on Vimeo.

"It's trying to find the right recipe--for the things that work, the things that don't work"

"Right now we are almost exclusively doing HOMEOPATHY with Ryder"

"Any number of these means can make a difference, and making SOME difference is probably the greatest gift you can give your child"

Watching this video was a way to force myself to remember back to what Sophie used to be like, at one time Sophie:

screamed almost anytime we took a car ride, the entire way there and back
had loose stools until the age of 2 1/2, when we finally started working with her diet
walked on only her toes everywhere
would not look you in the eyes when talking with her
only ate a few select foods, most of them being simple carbohydrates, fruit and dairy
had a hypersensitive sense of hearing and smell that would set her off in tears
woke up screaming several times throughout any given night
wouldn't sleep in any later than 6:00 am
made grunting and whiny noises instead of talking to people
chose to play by herself with only a few select repeat toys
hid in corners screaming any time she was confronted or disciplined for her behavior
stimulated herself by twisting her hair and putting it into her ear every 5-15 minutes for the entire length of time she was awake
had purple circles/bags around her eyes and would catch repeat ear infections and respiratory illnesses
wandered off aimlessly without any notion that she was away from where she was supposed to be--completely unaware of other people and places.

After reading several books/websites on children healed from Autism, I have found the resounding theme for most recovered Autism patients are the following:

Getting the child away from environmental toxins (like the chemicals found in: yard & bug sprays, household cleaners, air fresheners, fabric softeners, automotive substances, etc)
Helping the child to detox the heavy metals and toxic ingredients from past immunizations: human diploid cells (originating from HUMAN ABORTED FETAL TISSUE), yeast, sucrose, thimerosal, formaldehyde, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, phenoxyethanol (ANTIFREEZE), a continuous line of monkey kidney cells, monkey kidney cell culture, monkey lung cells, monosodium glutamate (MSG) IMMUNIZATION INGREDIENT SOURCE: http://www.wnho.net/vaccine_ingredients.htm
Controlling a child's diet by eliminating foods with chemical additives, meats and dairy containing immunizations, avoiding casein and gluten until they build up the enzymes needed to digest them, and what worked best for our child was avoiding sugar, since most autistic children have an accompanying yeast overgrowth issue, which feeds off of processed and artificial forms for sweetener.
Doing your own research and not SETTLING for something that is not working, it is just wasting valuable time that could be used for recovery.

We are so blessed to have come so far with Sophie! People who don't know her well NOW may not assume her odd characteristics as being autistically related, but instead only "quirky". I know how far she has come since the forementioned behaviors above, and praise the Lord for her extensive recovery. Sophie is growing into a beautiful and alert young lady, with an interest in so many of God's wonderful blessings. God is the God of miracles, and I see it each and every day in our three daughters.

3 more related BLOG entries I've written on Autism:

http://bodymindsoulfood.blogspot.com/2009/03/book-review-hes-not-autistic-but.html

http://bodymindsoulfood.blogspot.com/2009/03/book-in-review-hes-not-autistic-but-by.html

http://bodymindsoulfood.blogspot.com/2009/03/quotes-from-hes-not-autistic-but-by.html

Have You Had Your Daily Dose of Formaldehyde?

2009-05-14T02:04:00.000-05:00

The above title may sound like one from a thriller movie, but it's actually taken from the reputable "Health Keepers" magazine, Volume 7, Issue 3. This article brings light to a toxic substance that fasely advertises itself as being a "health" and "weight loss" drink. Many adults, teens and even children drink it, as they have bought into this lie as a weight loss method--only to discover an addiction that is difficult to break free from. In the book "He's not autistic, But..." author Tenna Merchent describes her withdrawal from this particular toxic drink in depth, saying that she experienced noticeable and undesirable symptoms for 2 solid months!

So how is drinking diet soda related to drinking formaldehyde? Author Gen Whitt of Health Keepers Magazine describes how the process begins with Aspartame, a sugar substitute found in diet soda. " Aspartame has a complex chemical structure, one part of that being methanol, commonly known as wood alcohol. When consumed as part of the aspartame chemical, the methanol is broken down by the intestine into FORMALDEHYDE .... which is further converted into formic acid, the same poison conveyed by ant stings. One common practical use of formic acid is as an activator to strip epoxy and urethane coatings."

"Since it's 1981 approval, the FDA has published a list of close to 100 symptoms of aspartame poisoning. The FDA admits approximately 80% of their consumer complaints it receives each year are aspartame-related.....physical side effects are abdominal pain,asthma, burning eyes/throat, diarrhea, fatigue, heart palpation's, memory loss, mental confusion, irritability and even death." Yes, death. Now, as with any toxic substance your body may show less and less "surface" side effects from being pelted continuously with such a toxic substance. So even though they may think they are free of symptoms, the truth is that the body is pushing the toxins into the deep tissues, like bones, cells, blood, and even the fatty tissues of the brain.

Sure, one diet soda here and there may not effect someone enough to rush them to the hospital, but over the course of a few years/few decades, the symptoms of aspartame may show up as possibly:

cancer (anything toxic in the body that can't be detoxed naturally)
liver failure (the liver is responsible for ridding the body of chemicals)
kidney disease (blood is filtered & stores here the liquids to be excreted through the urine)
osteoporosis (when sugars are combined with caffeine, it doubles the amount of calcium excreted from the bones of the body)

No, I'm not just going to pick on the widely enjoyed diet soft drinks, because aspartame is also hidden very strategically in cakes, cookies, gum, and virtually any weight loss food. Author Tienna Merchant tells how her diet program (Weight Watchers) allows aspartame as a part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. My obvious question is, "Why would a HEALTH program allow as part of their program, a substance that turns into formaldehyde in the human body, thus destroying HEALTH"? Oh, yeah, because it's labeled "diet" and has been sold as a "diet" product for so many years. So, who's going to argue with them--certainly not the customers who are hoping to keep this as part of their diet plan!

I find it quite amusing that on the Diet Coke website, it says: "The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences has found that all beverages, including those with caffeine, CONTRIBUTE to total daily hydration. If you're not in the mood for water, it's OK to reach for something else you enjoy like a sports drink, tea or a soft drink."

Quite the contrary, on the website http://tinyurl.com/cllbde, (Diets in Review.com), it reads: "Soda, tea, and coffee are a few examples of diuretics, which dehydrate the body".

So, one may ask, which one is correct? I did a quick search for to see what I could come up with on urine and diet soda, only to discover several question/answer forums asking about why diet sodas make them urinate so much? I believe, then, that the answer to this debate is in the hands of the diet soda consumers! After all, Diet Soda processing companies have more to lose if the"truth" gets out about diet soda stripping our bodies of the 60-85% water content needed to sustain itself! I do not believe that Diets in Review.com has as much at stake as the diet soda companies do!

******None of the above statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All of the information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. This BLOG should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******

You had a Bad Day? How About This Guy?

2009-05-10T23:00:00.000-05:00

PLEASE BE SURE TO PAUSE THE MUSIC PLAYER (BELOW AND TO THE RIGHT) TO HEAR THE VIDEO!

If we could all look at our weaknesses in life as Nick Vujicic does--as a way to grow and succeed with God's strength--the world would be viewed very differently for most of us! He has a positive outlook on life even though he has missing limbs that he could understandably use as a crutch. But not only does he stay positive with his limitation, but he also looks at it as an opportunity to share his faith with others. What a blessing and inspiration for all who meet him!

The Perseverance that Nick has is an attribute to be admired. It is a valuable attribute for us to personally strive for--after all, look at the verses in the Bible on this subject:

Romans 5:3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance

James 5:11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered.

Revelation 2:19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

The next time you think that you just can't go on, or you feel overwhelmed with your responsibilities......think of God being your source of energy to persevere and push on ahead to enjoy your effort you put forth!

Natural Sweeteners

2009-05-05T09:10:00.003-05:00

All sweeteners are forms of sugar, supplying little or no nutrients to the body. Our goal should be to seek out sweeteners in their natural state, with minimal refining or processing involved. If we choose to do this, we will have fewer health problems, because we are eating a food that GOD created for us to enjoy, unprocessed and unrefined by people. Some of the following information is taken from a sweetener handout put out by Country Life Natural Foods, and the online Wikipedia.

Most of these can be substituted for sugar at a ratio of 3/4 cup of liquid natural sweetener replaces 1 cup of sugar, but then also reduce the other liquids in the recipe by 1/4 cup:

HONEY: contains relatively the same amount of sweetness (97%) as common processed sugar, but contains more calories per spoonful compared to sugar because of the denseness it has. It is 17% water, but also contains some minerals, and B complex vitamins.

MAPLE SYRUP: needs to be 100% pure maple syrup, otherwise you have fallen into the consumer trap processors are hoping for with their high fructose corn syrup and chemical maple flavoring. 100% pure maple syrup comes out of a treat a ratio of 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup...yikes....no wonder it's cheaper to buy corn syrup! Gade C maple syrup is HIGH in minerals, but low in sweetness, while Grade A maple syrup is high in sweetness, but it doesn't have many minerals left in it. We're very excited that our new Co-Op Azure Standard is Grade B, while most grocery stores only carry Grade A. We buy a gallon a month/2 months and do most of our baking with this, along with a "topper" for pancakes mornings.
Maple Syrup contains 50 calories per Tablespoon, but also contains small amounts of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and sodium, Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, Nicotinic acid and Pantothenic Acid(B5)...all nutrients needed by the body to function properly. Sugar has none of these, and is highly processed!

MOLASSES: is the by-product from the processing of sugar beet or sugar cane into sugar. The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or beet, and the darkness of it is directly relational to it's sweetness. Unfortunately, the best one for you (BLACK STRAP) is also the least sweetest. Black strap Molasses contains trace amounts of iron, calcium, zinc, copper and chromium.

DATE SUGAR: made from grinding dried dates, but less sweet than sugar. It contains trace elements of potassium, iron, phosphorus and fiber. Substitution--1cup to 1 cup.

STEVIA POWDER: extracted from the herb, and is much sweeter than sugar. substitution: 1/4 tsp of stevia to one cup sugar. when using in cooking, mix the stevia powder in the liquid from the recipe before adding the other dry ingredients.

SUCANAT: Unrefined brown sugar, powdered cane juice. Contains some vitamins, minerals and molasses. Substitute: 1 cup-1 cup

BROWN RICE SYRUP: made from brown rice and filtered water.

AGAVE NECTAR: a honey-like substance extracted from a cactus. Although there is slower absorption of it into the bloodstream than corn syrup and sugar, it's similarly processed/extracted from the plant as corn syrup, so I have decreased in my use of the substance.

CANE JUICE CRYSTALS: crystallized raw sugar from sugar cane juice. Can be substituted equally with sugar. In my opinion, just as processed as sugar, so just as harmful on your body as sugar.

Obviously some of these natural sweeteners will be better for your body than others. The less a sweetener is processed, the more vitamins and minerals you will get out of it for your body to utilize and balance your blood sugar levels with.

I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted from discussing all this sugar business the last few BLOGS.....I'm ready for something new! I will be saving my "50 ways Sugar can Ruin Your Health" BLOG (from the book: Lick the Sugar Habit) for another time, and will BLOG something of a different topic next time around. Until then, stay sweet!

Eliminating the Sugar Cravings Naturally

2009-04-28T15:08:00.000-05:00

My past two Blog postings (scroll down below) go over the effects and sources of processed and artificial sugars. After getting a handful of e-mails and Face Bk. messages asking about the how-to in getting over sugar "addictions", I decided to do a "surprise" BLOG posting in between my usually once a week scheduled postings. I mean, after all of the previous info, I couldn't leave you searching for the light at the end of the tunnel. So... look no further, you are there!

When I first heard my Master Herbalist say the words, "Cut processed sugar completely from you diet," anything said after that point was totally pointless--my mind froze on those unwelcoming words and panic set in. Sugar was something soothing to me, something comforting, and something that I had grown up with. I enjoyed it daily in my soda pops, in my store bought snack cakes, in the morning, evening, and even if I couldn't sleep in the middle of the night! Life as I knew it would forever be changed.....seriously, cut sugar out of my diet? But how and why?

I was born with several health problems, and accumulated several more along the way. In fact, my husband had told me shortly before our wedding that if I couldn't figure out a way to slow down the amount of coughing spells I experienced daily, he would refuse to walk down the isle with me for fear of me struggling to get through my vows! So, I did something that most people would have done: I went to the doctor and started getting prescriptions for steroid inhalers, which lessened the symptoms, but increased the amount of other health problems that were surprisingly starting to show up! Little did I know, that if I had taken the step of eliminating sugar from my diet, that I would have dropped the need for the inhaler, along with all the other prescriptions I was told to start on! Since sugar is in most everything processed, I would have had to re-vamp my diet completely, making most things from scratch. I would have to start buying food labeled as organic so that I would know the sweetener in it would be of natural origin. However, I did not discover this little secret until years later, when our daughters were born with worse health problems than I grew up with.

So......after I got over the initial shock of hearing the words "Cutting sugar from my diet" and had prayed endlessly about whether I should do it or not.....I began the process of discovery. The discovery of what I was unknowingly shoveling into my mouth, what the harmful effects of it were, and what the "recovery" and "healing" process was going to entail. After going through sugar detox, I have never felt so good in my life, and have never gone so long without an over-the-counter medication or prescription!

I first had to start by eliminating my cravings. To do this, I began taking BLACK WALNUT CAPSULES from Natures Sunshine Herb Co., which are well known for their cleansing properties of detoxing the body of sugar, amongst other things. I would take 2 capsules every few hours, whether I felt a craving or not. I also added to this regimen, Organic Black Strap Molasses, which is the part that is disposed of during the processing of sugar. Since the two were originally one substance, the body naturally re-combines molasses & sugar and flushes them both out after using the nutrients from the molasses (vitamin C and B complex). So, you are not only using the molasses as a "cravings buster", but also using it as a "sugar-detoxer"! I would take a Tablespoon of black strap molasses every few hours, opposite of the Black Walnut herbs. Between these 2 substances, and FULLY eliminating processed and artificial sweeteners and simple carbohydrates (that turn quickly into sugar once swallowed), the detoxing process will begin!

As the days go by, you will feel less drawn to processed and artificial sugars so that you can take less of the black strap molasses and black walnut capsules. Keep in mind, that your body will have to go through a detoxing and withdrawal process still, how extreme depends upon how much sugar you have in your body and how much you support your body with nutrients like Black Walnut Herb, Black strap Molasses, and good-for-you-foods. Some people are slightly uncomfortable or have awkward "side effects" while they eliminate the sugar, others are climbing the wall with anxiety and experiencing looser stools, while yet others will pass with flying colors and never look back. Once you are over the hump of the addiction and of detoxing, you will enjoy less health problems, less cravings and less over-eating! Just be sure to supply your body with plenty of ORGANIC protein during this time, so that you aren't tempted to "snack" on sugar and carbs....slowing the process.

Once you have eliminated processed sugars and artificial sugars out of your diet and no longer experience the cravings, you can occasionally enjoy sugar in desserts and "normal" foods if you desire. Here are a few things that can HELP your body not to get re-hooked or experience withdrawl following sugar consumption:

Eat/drink 3 ounces of HIGH FAT dairy before consuming sugary foods has been shown to reduce the negative effects of sugar on the body (organic: half and half, cream or cheese)
16 ounces of purified or spring water (not distilled or tap) after sugar is eaten helps reduce the high blood-sugar effect
Take VITAMIN 'C' CITRUS BIOFLAVONOIDS from Natures Sunshine before sugary snacks are consumed to help offset and lessen the drop in immune system response to sugar
Taking MAGNESIUM COMPLEX from Natures Sunshine after meals including sugar supports better digestion and assimilation of sugar. Since studies have shown sugar to be bad for the heart, and magnesium a necessary nutrient for heart health, the, sugar increases the need for magnesium.

Although these ideas will HELP your body---once you are completely detoxed it will be a shock for your body to have sugar ingested, because it is so highly processed and basically void of any nutrients to offset the negative aspect of it. This is the way it is meant to be, though, because God blesses our bodies with warning mechanisms that let us know when we ingest something harmful......sugar being one of these such substances.

Because you will still want to enjoy sweeteners in your diet, I will include a list of natural sweeteners in my next BLOG posting for you to substitute in your own baking and cooking. Keep in mind, most organic foods will have natural sweeteners in them...so you should be safe in buying and consuming these. BUT ALWAYS check the label, so that you can aren't "blindly" feeding you body with artificial and processed sweeteners! Psalm 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.

Sugar Sources

2009-04-26T15:24:00.001-05:00

In my previous BLOG posting, I went over the effects of sugar on the human body, analyzing just what sugar does once it enters the mouth. Now that we know the effects, let's take a closer look at the sources of sugar. Because sugar helps to sell a product, you can find it in many things that don't really NEED sweetening: ketchup, dry roasted nuts, salad dressings, sandwich meats, pickles, hot dogs, bread, juice, granola, .... the list could go on!!! Many of these foods were made in the past without sugar, but have had it added as a selling booster to increase sales and acquire repeat customer business. In order to maintain optimum health, you will want to AVOID foods that contain the processed and artificial ingredients listed below. If our body has to regularly deal with these intrusive substances, it cannot fight off viruses and bacteria as well, and will slowy lose nutrients, leading to degenerative diseases earlier than expected in life. Processed sugars can also inhibit the healing process of any problem that someone already has.

Sugar has also had it's name transformed and resources altered in order to protect it. It can now be found labeled in food products as: sucrose, glucose, dextrose, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, corn syrup, and high fructose corn syrup. We will just go ahead and call all of these PROCESSED SUGARS:

Sugar/sucrose: requires minor digestion (actually breaking down valuable stomach enzymes,by not working them to their full potential), brings little (if any) nutrients, causes a huge energy boost followed by plummeting blood sugar levels, and especially stresses the pancreas and adrenal glands.
Glucose/Dextrose: causes same surge in blood sugar as does sucrose
Brown Sugar: refined white sugar, with some of the molasses added back in to look less refined
Turbinado Sugar: One step away from being white sugar; 95% sucrose
Corn Syrup/High Fructose Corn Syrup: absorbed quickly into the blood stream, without the accompanying nutrients to maintain normal blood sugar levels (Health Quarters Monthly, 2001, Volume 37)

On top of that, people have even CREATED alternate artificial versions of sugar, not knowing that a they can be twice as harmful as a natural, processed product. Here is a list of artificial sweeteners approved for use by the FDA: aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, Acesulfame potassium , and neotame. These will be labeled ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS:

Aspartame--(owned by corporate giant Monsanto, the seed company rumored to want full control of the world's food sources) some researchers have suggested that a rise in brain tumor rates in the United States may be at least partially related to the increasing availability and consumption of aspartame. A recent research showed a clear link between this substance and cancer; a link that may be sufficient evidence for the FDA to pull aspartame from the market.
Saccharin--was the first artificial sweetener and can be found in found in Sweet' N Low, Tab, Diet Coke from fountains. It is 300 to 500 times as sweet as sugar (sucrose) and is often used to improve the taste of toothpastes, dietary foods, and dietary beverages. In 1977, Canada banned saccharin due to the animal research, and in the United States, the FDA considered banning saccharin in 1977, but Congress stepped in and placed a moratorium on such a ban.
Sucralose--a.k.a. Splenda, is found in Coke C2, Diet Coke with Splenda, Pepsi EDGE, Pepsi One, Diet 7Up. It is a chlorinated sugar that is about 600 times as sweet as sugar. for more on Splenda, please visit this site: http://www.truthaboutsplenda.com/
Acesulfame potassium--produced lung tumors, breast tumors, rare types of tumors of other organs (such as the thymus gland), several forms of leukemia and chronic respiratory disease in several rodent studies.
Neotame--is attractive to food manufacturers as its use greatly lowers the cost of production compared to using sugar or high fructose corn syrup--since it is between 8,000 and 13,000 times sweeter than table sugar. It is chemically similar to the artificial sweetener Aspartame.

The artificial sweetener information above was taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_sweeteners

Whether the added sweetener in our food products are taken from a PROCESSED source or an ARTIFICIAL source, if it is not from a NATURAL source, it can wreak havoc in our bodily systems. Not only does it burden our digestive systems, but it also aggravates the body everywhere our blood flows ....brain, organs, tissues, bones, and muscles. Anything that goes in our body that is unnatural can become a part of our body: being added on as fat cells, skin markings/festerings or even multiplying cells that are not "uniform" to our own (ie, cancer). It can also take away from our health, robbing our body of nutrients in order to "deal with" the sugar.

Because God designed our bodies to operate best with His food resources, if we choose to deviate from this course in order to follow the crowd or save on money by buying cheaper foods containing these sweeteners, then we may run into health problems earlier in life than we expect. In my next BLOG posting, I will give you a list of natural sweeteners that you can bake, cook and use with in various foods.

Aaaaah, Sugar, Sugar

2009-04-18T15:23:00.001-05:00

WARNING: This video is STRICTLY for entertainment--no educational aspect to it whatsoever! (Well.....I guess it DOES make an interesting connection between sugar and the harmful effects it has on the human body!!)

"The chemical formula for cocaine is C17H21NO4. Sugar’s formula is C12H22O11. For all practical purposes, the difference is that sugar is missing the 'N', or nitrogen atom... Sugar has 12 carbon atoms, 22 hydrogen atoms, 11 oxygen atoms, and absolutely nothing else to offer.' ..."

"...Today we have a nation that is addicted to sugar. In 1915, the national average of sugar consumption (per year) was around 15 to 20 pounds per person. Today the average person consumes his/her weight in sugar, plus..... corn syrup"

Both of the above quotes were taken from http://macrobiotics.co.uk/sugar.htm

Contrary to popular belief, sugar doesn't stay in your body only long enough to go through your bloodstream and digestive tract. Sugar can be stored for years as deposits in organs, bones, teeth, muscle tissues, and fat cells--leading to associated health problems in us. What we put into our body on a daily basis, can affect our health and disposition for the remainder of our lives, along with being passed on to our children at the cellular level!

How processed forms of sugar can effect the human body:

lower the immune system
negatively effect pancreatic function leading to diabetes
turn into fat cells leading to obesity
has even been found to have a positive correlation to 8 forms of cancer: colon, breast, rectum, ovary, prostate, kidney, nervous system, and pancreas (Haas EM. The Detox Diet, 1996: 48-55)
spikes and drops blood sugar levels throughout the day, which can contribute to several health problems that you wouldn't suspect a connection to sugar: anxiety, aggression sleeplessness, emotion problems, overeating and problems controlling the good bacteria/bad yeast levels in our digestive system.

Believe it or not, the damaging effects of sugar on the body are supposed to closely mirror that of cocaine, except the damages from cocaine are detected faster and take less time to reverse. (it take years to reverse health conditions associated with sugar, but it IS possible with a certified master herbalist)

Yes, it may SEEM like you could quit eating sugar/simple carbohydrates if you "chose to", but actually TRY doing it! People who have gone through all-forms of sugar detoxing (processed white, corn syrup, simple carbs, etc) for weeks at a time, have complained about crawling the walls with anxiety, along with having withdrawal symptoms of headaches, exhaustion, excess hunger, anger, heat flashes, fevers, loose stools, and heightened cravings. If a "food" can do this to me when I decide to quit eating it, my conscience tells me it's probably more of a "drug" than a food. So, why is it legal and IN virtually everything processed that we buy from the grocery store? I assume they keep it legal to appease to consumers, sellers, and processors! Imagine if they pulled all the foods off the grocery store shelves containing processed forms of sugar--there would be a shocking out cry from society! But, there would also be a decrease in the "need" for immunizations, clinics, medications, and "diets"! It is IN almost everything, to attract the customers who have a "sweet tooth".

Since the average person consumes 20-25% of his/her calories from some form of refined sugar(Lick the Sugar Habit, Nancy Appleton, PhD), let's take a closer look at what sugar does to the body:

"If you were to look at a drop of your blood under a microscope following sugar consumption, your white blood cells become increasingly immobile based upon the amount of sugar consumed. The more sugar, the less protection the body has against illnesses. During our 'sugar celebrations' (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Super Bowl, Valentines and Easter), the body really gets overloaded," (and may take several days to recover, while in the mean time, lowers your immune system, playing host to bacteria and viruses.) Could this be A CAUSE of why people tend get more colds, viruses, bacterial infections, and the flu....rather than getting them just because it's "colder" outside and we're indoors more? If you think about it, "The average American kid consumes 330 pounds of refined sugars every year--that's nearly half a pound a day--by way of soft drinks. A body in good health will have the stamina to handle such a challenge (a soda now and then), but the average kid is drinking 3-7 cans a day!" so, if we INCREASE this amount as we go to celebrations that promote eating and snacking (most of the time on sugary ones) the results may bring along more sickness than normal--taken from Health Quarters Monthly newsletter.

"Even if we meet the RDA of vitamins and minerals, but we also eat sugar, the sugar changes our body chemistry and our cells can't fully benefit from the vitamins and minerals. For example, researchers have found that ingesting sugar increases the rate at which we excrete calcium. Calcium depletion makes bones fragile and leads to osteoporosis." (Lemann J. 1967, Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70:236-45)

This week we took a look at the effects of processed sugars on the human body, which "is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God 1 Corinthians 6:19. In the following weeks, we will take a look at sources of processed sugar, alternatives to sugar, and things we can take to help our bodies deal better with sugar, if we plan to occasionally eat it.

Cancer-Causing Chemicals Found in Baby Shampoo ...

2009-04-13T06:40:00.002-05:00

More than half of the baby shampoo, lotion and other infant care products analyzed by a health advocacy group, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, were found to contain trace amounts of chemicals that are believed to cause cancer. Some of the biggest names on the market, such as Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo and Baby Magic lotion, tested positive for 1,4-dioxane or formaldehyde, or both.The chemicals, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has characterized as probable carcinogens, are not intentionally added to the products, and are not listed among ingredients on labels. Instead, they are likely by products of the manufacturing process. Formaldehyde is created when other chemicals in the product break down over time, and 1,4-dioxane is formed when foaming agents are combined with ethylene oxide or similar petrochemicals.The organization tested 48 baby bath products such as bubble bath and shampoo. Of those, 32 contained at least one of the chemicals, and 17 tested positive for both chemicals.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Baby products like shampoo and lotion are often advertised as being “pure” and “gentle,” and many parents assume they can trust these claims. But as it turns out so often in the realm of personal care products, there could be virtually anything in that bottle.

This latest study from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found that 32 out of 48 baby bath products they tested -- including some from brand names like Johnson & Johnson -- contained formaldehyde or 1,4-dioxane, both of which are probable carcinogens. And 17 of the baby bath products contained BOTH of the chemicals -- including the top-selling Johnson’s Baby Shampoo and Sesame Street Bubble Bath.

You wouldn’t be able to tell there were cancer-causing chemicals in your baby’s shampoo or lotion just from reading the label, though, as these chemicals are not listed. Rather, they are created during the manufacturing process and shrugged off as being in too minute of quantities to be concerned with. But other countries do not agree. Japan and Sweden have banned formaldehyde from personal care products, and the European Union has banned 1,4-dioxane. They’ve even recalled products that were found to contain it. In the United States, meanwhile, there are no regulatory standards limiting formaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane or, for that matter, virtually any other toxic chemical in personal care products -- not even those for your children. Just How Many Chemicals Are Children Exposed To?

In an average day, children are exposed to 61 chemicals in personal care products(ALONE), 27 of which have not been found safe for kids, according to a national survey by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). In fact, EWG points out that 77 percent of the ingredients in 1,700 children’s products have never been assessed for safety. This means that the simple acts of shampooing your baby’s hair, giving him a bath and putting on some lotion, several times a week or more, is exposing him to chemicals that could very well harm his health. Even though they are likely small exposures at each bath time, over time these exposures add up and may contribute to disease. EWG’s study highlights just what types of toxic ingredients you may be slathering on your child.

They report:
• In an average week, three-quarters of all children are exposed to allergens, neurotoxins, and hormone-disrupting chemicals in their body care products, in addition to the dozens of chemicals not assessed for safety at all.

• Many children's products contain harsh, industrial chemicals at odds with marketing claims on product labels. Products marked as gentle, mild, natural, or unscented routinely contain fragrance, synthetic and hazardous ingredients, and chemicals that can cause allergic reactions or irritate your child’s eyes and skin.

And if you can believe it, at least 41 percent of all products made for children actually warn parents to "keep out of reach of children"!It’s bad enough that personal care products intended for adults contain toxic ingredients, but children are especially vulnerable. Their skin can be up to 30 percent thinner than an adult’s, meaning they’re able to absorb more chemicals into their bodies. And the blood-brain barrier, which helps keep dangerous chemicals from getting into your brain, is not yet developed until a baby is 6 months old, meaning products used before this time should be as pure and safe as possible.Who is Responsible for the Safety of Your Baby’s Bath Products?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would be responsible for the safety of personal care products in the United States, if any safety regulations existed. As it stands, the FDA does not have the authority to require safety tests for personal care products. Instead, a panel called the Cosmetic Ingredient Review goes over the safety of cosmetic ingredients. Not only is this panel funded by the cosmetic industry, but it has yet to review a major portion of cosmetic ingredients that are already on the market. So there is absolutely NO government agency looking out for the safety of personal care products for infants and adults. It is actually perfectly legal and very common for companies to use ingredients that are known or suspected to be carcinogens, mutagens or reproductive toxins.

Which Ingredients Should You Watch Out For?
If you want to avoid the formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane that were detected in many baby products, you need to know what to look for since they’re not listed on the label, at least not in those words.

Common ingredients likely to contaminate products with formaldehyde include:
• Quaternium-15• DMDM hydantoin• Imidazolidinyl urea• Diazolidinyl urea

avoid 1,4-dioxane, a byproduct that could easily be removed if manufacturers chose to do so, watch out for these ingredients:
• PEG-100 stearate• Sodium laureth sulfate• Polyethylene• Ceteareth-20

Of course, this is only a short list of the potentially dangerous chemicals out there. To be truly safe when it comes to personal care products, you need to seek out personal care products that are so pure you could actually eat them. Coconut oil is a great example here, as it makes a great moisturizer that you can also eat. Olive oil is another one that you can use to deep condition your hair. No matter what brand you choose, I suggest you scrutinize the labels on your personal care products and cosmetics just as closely as you do your food. If you’re not sure what an ingredient is, type it into the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, and you’ll get all the information you need about whether or not it’s safe.

For Dr. Mercola's full story and resources, please visit his website article at: http://tinyurl.com/ckwn5t

We use SUNSHINE CONCENTRATE for several purposes because of the natural ingredients it's made with. It can be used as a household cleaner, a laundry-stain remover, bubblebath or shampoo. My girls love the natural clean scent, or add an essential oil of choice for an extra/different fragrence.

MY THOUGHTS ON ALL OF THIS INFORMATION:

Cancer-causing agents are now pelting us from all sides and angles! Our country is searching for a "Cure for Cancer", but how about the cause? Could it be that there are so many causes that we can't put our finger on just one?

The BLOG article: What is Cancer and What Causes it provides us with a very accurate explanation:

Internal Factors that Cause Cancer:
Hereditary Factors
Weakened Immunity
High Hormone Levels
Metabolism Mutations

External Factors that Cause Cancer:
Tobacco Use
Alcohol Use
Bad Diet
Radiation Exposure

Chemical Substances
Cell Phone Use
Asbestos Exposure
Sunlight (mainly over-exposure, burns)
Viruses

"The above list is not necessarily exhaustive. We may not know all factors that cause cancer. The most likely scenario leading to development of cancer is a combination of several factors - for example if a person who inherited a particular type of gene that predisposes them to developing that type of cancer makes poor lifestyle choices and lives in a bad environment would be exposed to a complex set of interactions between carcinogenic factors which could lead to development of cancer, because they are exposed to several risk factors we do know cause cancer. The more cancer causing factors you are exposed to, the bigger a risk of developing cancer exists.

Furthermore, while above listed agents are known as potential causes of cancer, exposure to these factors does not mean that a person would automatically develop cancer. Many aspects affect your body’s ability to deal with exposure to these agents. For example your age, whether you have inherited any genetic mutations, what you eat and drink, etc. - all of those factors can contribute to lowering or increasing your chances of developing cancer."

Of the internal factors causing Cancer, it's a good thing we can moderate hormone levels and build up immune systems naturally, if we are willing to seek out natural health advice in doing this....possibly eliminating half of the Internal Cancer-causing factors.

I am reminded of the Bible verse: "He (the Lord) punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." Exodus 34:7 ). If we are not treating our bodies as a holy temple: (1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own) and we are pelting cancer causing agents of chemicals at it through our foods, drinks, cosmetics, fabric softeners, yard sprays, house cleansers, shower soaps, gels and conditioners, then how can we expect our bodies to remain in an optimum condition to serve and reproduce? Chemicals WILL NOT GET FLUSHED OUT OF THE BODY if the body does not have the extensive support system to do this! They can remain in our organs, muscle tissues and bones for months, years or even a lifetime.....thus leading to problems passed down to our children through "genetics" as un-expected genes, or causing cancer after months/years of dormancy. God created our bodies to naturally flush out harmful substances, but we also need the proper "fuel" to do this: Raw antioxidant fruits, raw dark green veggies, good quality vitamins (I take SUPER ALGAE and SUPER SUPPLEMENTAL VITAMINS & MINERALS from Natures sunshine to make up for nutrients I'm not getting from foods faithfully each day) are all needed on a daily basis to help support your body in this elimination process.

Since our family is on the computer and phone on and off through the day, we have also protected ourselves against the "cell phone use" cancer causing factor by using our cell phone and universal PROTECTIVE CHIPS from .

Of the External factors: our family eats foods and uses items in our household which are of natural/God designed origin to ensure the safety to our family's health. The less we are exposed to in our own home on a daily basis, the more we are prepared for the problems we come in contact with beyond the walls of our home.

I will be praying that today's posting may help you in your life journey as a creation of God.

FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION, PLEASE VIEW: http://www.safecosmetics.org/downloads/NoMoreToxicTub_Mar09Report.pdf

Going Beyond the Commercialization of EASTER

2009-04-09T22:06:00.001-05:00

It is often difficult to separate ourselves from the commercial version of Easter, especially with having children. Plastic eggs, dyeable eggs, Cadbury Eggs, hallow chocolate rabbits, marshmallow "Peeps", baby chicks, baskets, bonnets, and of course the mother of all Easter festivities: the Easter Bunny himself! None of these have been overlooked as big sellers in the commercial market scene, in fact, most of these are EXPECTED to be a part of Easter.

So my question is this: What altered our focus of Easter being a meaningful holiday involving a Savior suffering a horrific death to give us eternal life, to one of a brightly-colored sugar fest? Sure, maybe it's fun to add a little "colorful egg and rabbit" side of Easter in, but does it necessarily HAVE to be at the expense of the originally intended meaning? Our daughters USUALLY set up an egg hunt of some sort, USUALLY dye eggs as an art project, but if this doesn't end up happening....it's not a big deal! They DO KNOW that they will ALWAYS go to church with their family on Easter and they will always read/receive a Christian Easter book on this day with/from their parents. No matter if we celebrate Easter with relatives, or we celebrate Easter with bunnies and eggs, I pray that we won't lose sight of the true meaning amongst all of the others.

If anyone else has a meaningful way to celebrate the Christian side of Easter, please leave it in the comments section below by clicking on "Comments". Our family is always looking for more good ideas to use and share.

Why Organic?

2009-04-07T09:05:00.002-05:00

PLEASE PAUSE MUSIC PLAYER TO BOTTOM RIGHT BEFORE LISTENING TO THE VIDEO. THANKS!!

Why Organic???

This question comes at our family from all angles, at all times. Yes, this video may be a humorous, but there is some truth in it. Although people try to save money here and there in their grocery bills, is this really the place we should be trying to conserve our money in? You may not think there is a connection between foods and health, but I encourage you to checkout the mind-blowing, life-changing full-length movie You Are What You Eat , and visit my BLOG link here as well. (you can purchase it at the website: http://www.foodmatters.tv/_webapp/Buy%20The%20DVD, or borrow it from our family if you live in the Sioux Falls vicinity--although there is a waiting list!)

Foods didn't have to carry a label of "organic" in the past.....additives have been slowly added over the past century without our initial consent, and without long-term studies on their possible effects! Pesticide, herbicide, & fungicide chemical sprays--even food coloring can be added without your consent (red apples, strawberries, etc can legally be sprayed with chemical coloring for added appearance, because if it's not organic, there are no regulations against this!) In fact, foods can be genetically modified by producers now days, and not have to be labeled as such! In the BIBLE, it reads: "In all your ways (including diet!!!) acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones." Proverbs 3:6, 8. If we are eating foods that have chemical sprays on them or have been genetically modified, we are not eating foods that are purely God's creation--which makes it difficult for one to argue that we are COMPLETELY acknowledging Him in eating it.

But we know these additives are in there, and our bodies will hold us accountable for what we put inside them on a daily basis. HOWEVER, IT IS ONLY NATURAL FOR PEOPLE TO OVERLOOK THESE ADDITIVES OR THEIR EFFECTS ON THE BODY, though, since 150 YEARS AGO FOOD DID NOT INCLUDE THESE ADDITIVES! But, that doesn't mean our body will be OK with it over the course of our lifetime! The liver, which was designed in us to filter toxins from the body, can get "full" or "sluggish" and thus show signs of breakdown, even at early ages. God created our livers to be only SO resilient, and we already breathe chemicals daily in the air as exhaust, bug sprays, yard sprays...not including then, the chemicals on our foods and medications we ingest.

Flavor: our daughters are used to eating organic fruits and vegetables and can tell when they're non-organic by the taste. We had gone to an "event" where someone gave them individual packages of what they thought to be "organic carrots", or so we were told. The girls each took a bite out of a carrot, and gave me various reasons why they didn't want to eat it, "mama, this doesn't taste right", "Mommy, this is icky", and our 15 month old took a bite, spit it out and let the package fall to the ground as she walked away. I wouldn't call this being "choosy" or being "spoiled", but rather "aware". They know what doesn't taste right or natural as the way God made it...as I did in the past without realizing it! I never much like raw vegetables or fruit...I needed the natural sugars from being cooked mask the chemical taste--by cooking or sauteing vegetables and fruit, you can acheive a taste to overpower the chemical sprays. Now that I eat organic, I can find myself actually grabbing for a bowl of raw broccoli, bag of raw carrots, or even a raw asparagus spear or two for snacks and actually enjoying it!

Allergic reactions: my sister had gone through most of life not eating certain vegetables because she would get a scratchy and swollen throat soon after wards. Seeing how our girls benefited from organic vegetables in improving their health, she decided to take a chance and buy an organic package of carrots while shopping one day. She was so thrilled to be able to finally eat carrots without any health problems resulting! No matter how much you try to "wash off" chemical spray residue, it has been a part of the fruit/vegetable since it's beginning, and is then a part of it's very core!

Dairy and Meat: (apology for the graphic explanation...didn't know of any other comparison) if a woman nursing a baby can pass medications down through her milk, why do people think this is any different from cow's milk and dairy? I once heard that one glass of non-organic milk can have as many as 40 different hormones, antibiotics and medications in it from all the different farm co-ops that produce/mix their milk together. AGAIN, just because you heat treat it to kill the GOOD and BAD bacteria, this doesn't mean you can filter out those additives that are a part of the core product. My nephew that I watched for the first 3 years of his life was born with a severe dairy allergy, and can now safely drink organic dairy because of working with a master herbalist and since organic dairy has no additives. Many people with dairy intolerance might find themselves being able to drink raw or organic milk just fine, because the source of their sensitivity lies within these additives/processing methods as well.

Dairy hormones can lead to early onset of puberty and can create problems with imbalances as an adult (you would not believe all the cases of people writing in with questions on hormone imbalances and problems--chances are that you know someone!) Antibiotics can, over time, create an increase in antibiotic resistance and also lead to yeast problems in children and adults, which causes a host of health issues ranging from yeast infections, skin disorders, infertility, along with many, many others. (You don't think you or your family has a problem with this? Please decide after you view the 4th quote down in this BLOG: Quotes from "He's Not Autistic, But..." by Tenna ... )

Just because something is generally accepted by society, does not mean it is the best thing to do, or that it is pleasing to God. We acknowledge Christ in our daily lives with prayer, fellowship, singing/humming, attire, parenting, marriage, finances, Bible reading, and actions--why not our stomachs as well?

STILL not convinced? For further explanation of additive effects, please check out this Dr. Mercola newsletter that was published just this week: Monsanto's Roundup Residues Cause Cell Damage