Never Fear! Kelp is on the Way!

Kelp is a miracle herb, in my humble opinion.  It is most renowned for its high iodine content. You might think you get enough iodine in your multivitamin, or perhaps in your salt, if you use refined salt.  However, unfortunately, these sources are not enough for most people.  

Iodine is most important for the healthy function of your thyroid.  Many of us overlook the significance of this little gland, located at the base of your throat, but if you don't take good care of her, she will let you know. You see, I like to think of the thyroid as the "depot" for the busy, busy circulating of hormones that takes place in your complex body around the clock. If you have had more than one or two kids, been on any type of steroid, or other hormone-based drug, and/or consume caffeine regularly, your thyroid needs some love and attention. A blood test is not a good read of your thyroid, as it will give a "normal" reading, when, in fact you may be suffering from low-thyroid, or hypothyroidism.  I'm not a fan of diagnosing here and there and everywhere, but rather, giving the proper care to the parts of the body that need it most.  Some of the most common symptoms of a weak thyroid are low body temperature, tingling in extremities, poor circulation, fatigue, trouble losing weight, hormone imbalance issues and hair loss.  There are, of course, a zillion more, but these are the most common.  Now, I have recommended a raw thyroid glandular for years as a way to boost your thyroid. I believe this has helped me immensely, to stay strong and active and healthy through the past 12+ years of 9 pregnancies and nursing. However, I have still not felt like my thyroid and adrenals were what they should be.  Why I waited so long to give kelp a shot, I'll never know.  Anyhow, it's mostly the iodine in kelp that's helping, but it should not be overlooked that kelp is also praised for its abundance of other minerals, of which we are all in need, its ability to normalize hormone levels, its antibiotic properties and many other functions.  

You may be bored by now, so I'll let you do your own research on kelp, but let me cut more to the chase. I bought some kelp from the most trusted and wholesome site for bulk herbs, bulkherbstore.com.  I bought the powder, and I stir a half teaspoon into a glass of water 3x, daily.  I hold my nose while I drink, as it smells like what I imagine the bottom of the ocean floor to smell like.  This could be because I'm in the middle of a first trimester. If you are not someone who can drink weird stuff, I recommend ordering empty gelatin capsules from the same folks, and fill the capsules yourself.  This is not a big chore at all.  It is quite simple.  Before I ordered their capsule-filler, I would put the powder in a bowl or cup and hold the big end of the gel cap with tweezers and dip it into the powder until it was full.  Then, I'd stick the other end of the gel cap on.  Done! Make some up while you're watching a movie or chatting with a friend. Nevertheless, you won't regret it! We're just a click away from bulkherbstore.com now, by clicking the icon on the top of our blog.  Hey, as an added bonus, if you are nice to your thyroid and and she has all the iodine she needs, if there is ever a nuclear fallout of some sort, a well-iodine saturated thyroid will block a good deal of that radiation, not to mention the barrage of radiation to which we submit ourselves daily.  : )

And, finally...You know I'm not a doctor and that nothing I say or recommend has been evaluated by the FDA. I can't treat or diagnose you.  K? 


Danneca

End-of-Summer Desserts

Ahhh....end of summer has left me with a sweet tooth.  My husband and I got to get away for a night recently and we found ourselves at a u-pick farm, munching on berries, peaches, etc.  We brought the blackberries and peaches home and the rest is history.  Hope you enjoy some of these dessert recipes.  There is life (and more of it) after refined sugar!

Graham Cracker Cake

This recipe is my husband's favorite that his mom used to make for him.  We now make it without sugar...

-1 box graham crackers (Whole Foods has a healthy version - no canola oil and no sugar.  Become a professional label reader!)
-6 cups rich chocolate pudding (see recipe below)
-3 cups whipping cream

Assemble this dessert the night before serving in a 9x13 pan.  Start with graham crackers and layer chocolate pudding on top - usually 3 layers, but there's no law on how many.  Finally, layer whipped cream on top, 1-2 hours before serving.

Chocolate Pudding

Mix in a sauce pan:

-2/3 cup plus 2tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
-1/4tsp. sea salt

Gradually stir in, making a smooth paste:

-2/3 cup warm water
-2/3 cup honey/agave nectar

Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat, then remove from the heat. 

Stir in:

-3 1/2 cups half and half ( I highly recommend using organic dairy!!!)

Place in a bowl:

-8tbsp. organic cornstarch or arrowroot
-1/2cup half and half

Thoroughly stir into the cornstarch paste into the chocolate mixture.  Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the mixture begins to thicken.  Reduce heat to low; stirring briskly, bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute.  Remove from heat, stir in:

3 tsp vanilla or brandy or rum or ???

Blackberry Peach Bourbon Pie

2 pie crusts (I use a pat in the pan butter crust, made with whole wheat or spelt. I roll it out and cut it into 4ths for         the top crust.)
4 cups peaches, sliced, or chopped
1 cup blackberries
1/4 cup bourbon
1tbsp cinnamon
1 very heaping tbsp. organic cornstarch or arrowroot
1/3 cup honey/agave nectar/maple syrup

Toss the peaches, blackberries, bourbon, cinnamon, cornstarch and honey together.  Set aside. Place the filling into the bottom crust and place the top crust over the filling.  Ventilate the top crust a bit. Brush with a little cream or an egg yolk. For baking, I place the pie into a 400 degree oven and bake for 10 minutes.  Then, I turn the heat down to 375 for another 10 minutes.  Then, I turn the heat down again to 350 degrees and lay a piece of foil over the top if it's browning too fast and the juices aren't bubbling thick and dripping yet.  After another 5-10 minutes, it's usually done.  We serve with vanilla ice cream.  For the ice cream, use your favorite recipe and replace the sugar with honey, sugar or agave with 2/3 the amount of sugar called for.

Mango Agave Sorbet with Tequila

(I think I stole this from Cooking Light...)
Ingredients

4 cups cubed peeled ripe mango (about 3 pounds)  (I used 2 bags of the Trader Joe's frozen mango - defrosted)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 3 oranges)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
1/3 cup tequila
3/4 cup light agave nectar
1/3 cup water
Preparation

1. Combine cubed mango, orange juice, lime juice, and tequila in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl, and stir in the agave nectar and 1/3 cup water. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
2. Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon sorbet into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 8 hours or until firm.


by Danneca

Tips for a Healthy Summer

As I write, I'm looking down the barrel of a tough track workout this evening.  We're waiting until the heat pulls back a bit before heading out to the track.  You've heard of the importance of replacing the electrolytes your body loses in the heat.  As you might imagine, I'm not a proponent of Gatorade or other "sports drinks."  Can anyone say, "gut-rotting sugars and food coloring?"  Okay, I'll settle down.  My point is this, there are MUCH healthier ways to replace those electrolytes.  Electrolytes are pretty much sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium.  One thing we like to do to replenish is this:  1.) Eat half a banana. 2.) Mix a pinch of salt in with a half cup of milk. 3. Drink a half cup of water mixed with a tsp. of Peter Gillham's Calm (a splendid magnesium supplement).  I KNOW you can come up with creative ways to mix up this routine.  Another VERY simple way to replenish is coconut water.  There are  a zillion brands out there and a zillion different prices, so get what's on sale.  We actually like coconut juice with the pulp.  Yummy!  Amazingly, this drink provides all of the electrolytes without the chemical sweeteners and other additives.  Staying hydrated is important, but tons of water is actually not the best option, so mix it up a bit on hot days with iced herbal teas and honey and/or some coconut juice.  You'll be surprised how rejuvenated you feel compared to drinking chemicals. 

On a different note, here's an idea for a cool summer treat! 

Popsicles

Ingredients: paper cups of your choice, popsicle sticks, other ingredients of your choice!

What I like to do is basically make a smoothie, pour it into paper cups, stick the popsicle stick in the middle of the smoothie and set it in the freezer to freeze.  After it's frozen, you just tear off the paper and you have a yummy frozen smoothie pop!  Today I put some goat yogurt, a banana and maple syrup in the blender, then added a bag of frozen blue berries.  That was it.  On other days, I'd be more creative, but that was all I could muster for today.  We'll enjoy these after our track workout tonight!  I like to do smoothie pops over frozen juice, as juice is pretty much just sugar.  I was thinking that herbal tea pops would be pretty refreshing too, though!  If your mixture is too liquid-y to hold a stick, let it freeze a bit before placing the stick.  Enjoy!!!!!!

A Couple of Tasty Fall Recipes

A few days ago, we had beautiful, chilly fall weather here in Northern California.  Baking yummy fall treats was just the distraction I needed to take my mind off of my 41-week pregnant belly.  Now, on this night, the windows are open at 8:30pm and it was 80+ today.  Go figure.  Nevertheless, several folks have asked for some recipes lately, so when there are recipes I haven't posted before, I like to make them available to all....enjoy!

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal (This from my friend Kori Hurley, via The Ungourmet.)

Ingredients:
3C. old fashioned oats
1C. pure maple syrup (Kori said she used half this with success.  I used 1C. honey and loved it too.)
2tsp. cinnamon
1tsp. nutmeg
1/2tsp. ground ginger
1/2tsp. salt (I always use sea salt)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4C. dried cranberries (I might use a touch more next time.  Raisins would also be tasty.)
1C. diced apple.  (I had a Granny Smith.  Loved this addition.)
1 & 1/2 C. milk
1C. pumpkin puree
4tbsp. melted butter (I actually doubled this.)
2 large eggs

Whisk milk, butter, maple syrup, pumpkin and eggs.  In a separate bowl, combine oats, spices, baking powder, cranberries and apples.  Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix just until combined.  Pour  into greased round casserole dish (I assume a square 8x8 would do as well).  Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Serve immediately, topping with milk.  I happened to have some leftover whipped cream.  We topped the hot oatmeal with this and it was divine.  MMMMM!!!!!

Peanut Butter and Carob Chip Cookies

I'm not a huge carob fan.  At all.  However, they go perfectly in this recipe, toning down the peanut butter and yet not taking away from it too much.  Of course, you could always do chocolate chips, but I want to avoid the sugar and really, there is no compromise in taste here.

Ingredients:
1/2C. butter
1/2C. unsweetened peanut butter
2/3C honey
1 egg
1 & 1/2C. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2tsp. (heaping-ish) baking powder
1/2tsp. (heaping-ish) baking soda
1/4tsp. salt
1C. carob chips

Cream the peanut butter, honey and butter until light.  Add egg to this mix and mix until almost fluffy (2-3min., occasionally scraping bottom and sides of bowl).  Blend flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt - the reason we do "heaping-ish" tsp. of the baking agents, is because of a little extra flour added when using honey, thus you need just a touch more of the baking powder and soda, to make the cookie texture just right.  Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and combine.  Add the carob chips.  Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Cool on pan for 2 minutes, then transfer cookies to a cooling rack.  Enjoy!


Danneca

Sweet Tooth Satisfied

I hate it when people look at my kids like they are starving children in Africa when my children (who, by the way are total believers in the movement), tell them that we don't eat sugar.  "You mean you never get treats?"  HA!  We have treats all the time!  Like the last 2 afternoons....this fall-ish treat takes 10 minutes and is SUCH  a treat.  Enjoy!

Healthy Carmel Corn

8 cups popped popcorn
1 cup nuts
1/3 cup honey
3 tbsp. pure maple syrup
2tbsp. butter

Spread popcorn and nuts out on greased baking sheet or 9x13 pan.

Heat honey and maple syrup in a small saucepan on medium-high heat to boiling.  Boil for 5 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted.  Pour mixture over popcorn and nuts, stirring until popcorn and nuts are covered evenly.  Try not to let the mixture sink to the bottom of the pan while stirring.

Let cool and enjoy!

This also makes a nice homemade gift at Christmas time, when nicely wrapped.

I don't often add the nuts.  I prefer the popcorn to be more heavily covered in the sweetness.  Either way, this totally satisfies my afternoon sweet tooth!!!


Posted by Danneca

Resurrecting Our Blog (!): Don't Let Achy Joints Slow You Down

Arthritis and joint pain can slow down active people of all ages.  This should not be, my friends.  Here's a quick and simple guide to improvement. 

First of all, for pain, there's a dynamic duo that for which I have testimonials from many.  Bromelain.  This is an enzyme, so if you want to use it for inflammation, you have to take it on an empty stomach, and preferably 30 minutes before eating.  It comes in capsules.  Get it with as few other ingredients as possible.  If you already take enzymes, you can use those, just take them before your meal and then after, as usual.  Second:  Tumeric.  This is a potent herb used in yellow curry.  We buy the powder from bulkherbstore.com and fill the larger gelatin capsules.  You can probably get them as capsules or a tincture at a health food store.  This, you want to take with food.  Tumeric is also great for fevers too, by the way.  Take these two daily if you have joint pain.  Keep uping the dosage until your pain goes away or greatly decreases. 

The second remedy is so simple, you won't believe it.  I stole this one from the folks at bulkherbstore.com.  Take the shells of 4 or 5 free range organic eggs and crumble them into a small pot or bowl.  Pour 2 cups of hot water over the shells and mix in 1tsp. vinegar.  Cover and let steep for 2 hours.  Strain and store in refrigerator.  Start with a couple sips a day until join pain subsides.  This is good for children and adults who don't suffer from joint pain too.  Those without pain should stick to 2-3 sips per day.  It's LOADED with calcium and vitamin D, so you don't want to overdo it. 

Third, make homemade chicken broth at least once a week.  Take the bones of a free range chicken that hasn't been slow-cooked.  Place the bones and everything but the kitchen sink into a large stock pot (no need to peel whatever you decide to place in the pot) - carrots, onions, garlic, celery, peppercorns, herbs, etc.  I just cut the onions and garlic in half, so they can release their stuff, but don't bother peeling!  The most important ingredient to this mixture is raw apple cider vinegar.  Use about a 1/4 cup, if you're making a half gallon or less, more if you've got a nice, big stock pot and room to freeze extra stock.  Cover your ingredients with water and boil for 1 minute.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 8 hours, preferably 12 or more.  This stock is so delicious, you don't have to put much into your soup to make it tasty.  I use it for making rice too.

Lastly, and for more long-term healing, eat foods that are kind to your gut and do a systemic cleanse twice per year.  Toxins, metals, etc. settle in our joints and make them stiff. 

Now off to the track, the trail, the garden and beyond....pain free!

Clearing Up Your Complexion

My sister and I both struggled with acne big time in college.  Everyone knows that this affects every area of your life.  If you or your teen are struggling with this, hopefully this post will help.  Here's what I'd do....

First of all, acne, like most ailments, is never caused by the same thing for every person.  As always, I can only help as much as you are willing to help yourself.  Sometimes this means checking out your diet.  Refined foods put a stress on the body and definitely contribute to acne for many reasons, one of them being that it causes a sluggish liver.  If you have acne, I'd start by doing a liver cleanse and do them every six weeks until your face is clear.  For teens who are involved in sports or other physically demanding activities, you may not be able to do it as often, but, the more, the better.  You can find out how to do this in my recent post on cleanses: "A Clean Start." 

One nice thing about my remedies for this is that they are not expensive.  I would purchase a bunch of bentonite clay or pascalite clay from either of these sources:  bulkherbstore.com or pascalite.com.  Immediately begin using it in these ways:

1.  Use as a mask 1 or 2 times a week by making a paste like this:  mix clay and pure water until a paste forms.  Cover affected areas with the paste and let dry for 30min.  Rinse thoroughly.

2.  Wash face twice daily by using the same paste, but instead of letting the paste dry, rub it on, scrubbing and rinsing.

3.  Drink it.  Mix 1 to 2 tsp. of the clay with 8-10oz. pure water and drink.  It doesn't dissolve, so you have to keep stirring as you drink.  Do this once a day until your acne clears up.  This clay acts as a sponge on the  inside and sucks up toxins from all over your body.  You MUST cure acne from the inside out.  Drink LOADS of water while you're cleansing this way. 

We all know most acne is due to hormonal surges and dips.  For this, you can dry taking black cohosh (get this in a tincture from your health food store and take according to pkg. directions).  Do this in ADDITION to the aforementioned remedies. 

This is a start and should clear up most acne.  If this doesn't help, you should take a good, hard look at your diet.  Sugar is an definite enemy to your skin (and the rest of your body)!    If you really want to attack fast and hard, you can also try taking chia seeds from chiaseedsdirect.com like this:  mix 1/3C. chia seeds with 2C. pure water, whisk for 3min. and store in fridge for 4hrs.  Take 3-5tbsp. of this mixture after EVERY meal. 

Lastly, examine your conscience.  Seriously.

A Clean Start

Well, I probably should have posted this in December when you were thinking about your new year's resolutions.  I'm hoping "better late than never" will be true for this post.  Everyone (except pregnant and nursing mothers) needs to cleanse at least once a year, preferably twice.  I'm not talking about your cupboards or baseboards here (someone else will have to post on that!).  I'm talking about systemic cleansing for your body.  There isn't one miracle cleanse,  but there are several that will give you a clean start for 2010.  I recommend doing them in this order:

Start with a parasite cleanse.  This one is the easiest, but more important than any of us care to realize.  If you have traveled abroad - ever - you have serious parasites.  If you eat pork or have pets you have lots.  If you eat meat or eat at restaurants you have some.  If you are alive you have at least a few.  Anyhow, these little boogers will cause some weird symptoms that almost no one will diagnose as being caused from parasites, including everything from joint pain, to nausea and dizziness.  A black walnut-wormwood tincture from the health food store will do the trick.  Place 10 or so drops under your tongue once or twice a day for 6 weeks.  DO NOT DO THIS if you are pregnant or might become pregnant within a month of the completion of this cleanse.  DO NOT DO THIS if you are nursing.

Next, time to move on to your colon.  There are several ways to cleanse your colon.  I like this way:  Mix 2tbsp. olive oil in 8-10oz. water, with the juice of a whole fresh lemon.  To this mixture, add as much good-quality cayenne as you can stand.  Drink this once daily for one to four weeks.  If you've never cleansed your colon, do it for the full four weeks.  If you're a  pro, you can do less.  During this time, to make this cleanse a more systemic cleanse (cleaning out your whole body), you should mix a couple teaspoons of bentonite clay in a cup of water and drink this once daily as well.  While cleansing, you should always drink LOADS of water.  As your colon lets go of the yucky stuff which has attached itself to the walls of your colon over the years, the rest of your body will say, "Hey!  She's cleaning up, let's get rid of our junk too!"  Thus, toxins and other junk will be released from your whole body.  If you don't have adequate water to take it all the way out, it will rest somewhere else in your body and cause as much or more damage as before.

Lastly, a liver cleanse is also important.  This can be done more than a couple times a year and if you want to avoid gallstones at any age, this cleanse is imperative.  If you have a stretch between pregnancies where you are neither pregnant nor nursing, I highly recommend this cleanse, as pregnancy can cause gallstones to form.  These cause backache, nausea and all sorts of allergies.  This one is a quicky, but a little more involved.  Choose a weekend when the calendar is free and you have a little help around the house.  Don't do this cleanse without doing the parasite cleanse first.  If you try to cleanse a liver with parasites in it, you will get very sick.  It is also recommended to get any dental work done prior to this cleanse as well, so that your mouth is relatively bacteria-free.  A toxic mouth can put a heavy load on the liver.  If you don't see a dentist, just swish with peroxide for a couple weeks ahead and a couple weeks afterward.  Here are the ingredients:
4tbsp. epsom salts
1/2C. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large or 2 small fresh pink grapefruit
4 to 8 ornithine capsules (from health food store, vita-cost, whatever)
Here's how to do it:
Take NO medicines, vitamins, or pills that you can do without.  Stop the parasite program the day before too.  Eat a no-fat b-fast and lunch, such as cooked cereal with fruit, juice and bread or honey, but no butter or milk...baked potato and veggies with salt only.  This allows the bile to build up in the liver.
2:00pm - Do not eat or drink after 2 o'clock (not even water).  If you break this rule, you'll feel icky later.  Get your epsom salts ready at this time.  Mix 4tbsp. in 3C. water and pour this into a jar.  This makes four 3/4C. servings.  Set the jar in the fridge to get nice and cold.  This can make it easier to drink.  The temp. is up to you.
6:00pm - Drink one serving (3/4C.) of the epsom salt mixture.  You can drink a few mouthfuls of water afterward to rinse your mouth out.
8:00pm - Repeat by drinking another 3/4C. serving of the salt mixture.  Timing is critical for success, so get all  your bedtime routines done at this time.
9:45pm - Pour 1/2C. olive oil into the pint jar.  Squeeze the grapefruit by hand into the measuring cup.  Remove the pulp with a fork.  You should have at least 1/2C. or more.  You may top it with a little lemonade for taste.  I usually don't because I just want less to get down.  Add this to the olive oil and shake hard until the mixture is watery.  Only fresh grapefruit juice will do this.  Now visit the bathroom once more, but don't be late for your 10:00pm drink.
10:00pm - Drink this potion and take 4-8 ornithine capsules to help you sleep.  Take it to your bedside to drink.  Get it down within 5 minutes.  Lie down immediately.  You might fail to get stones out if you don't.  Don't clean up the kitchen.  Lie down flat on your back with your head up on the pillow.  Use mind over matter here and picture what is happening in your liver:  Stones are traveling along your bile ducts like marbles.  It doesn't hurt because your bile ducts are open thanks to the salts.  Go to sleep.
Next Morning - Take your fourth and last dose of salts.  Don't do this before 6am.  Go back to bed, if you want.
2 Hours Later - You may eat.  Start with juice and ease your way into more as the day goes on.

Expect diarrhea.  You are looking for gallstones in the toilet.  They will be green from pea-sized or smaller to as big as a quarter.  Only green comes from the liver and not food residue.  For your first cleanse, you may only see chaff, which is good too.  The stones will float because of the cholesterol inside.  Feel free to count them.  You will need to release 2000 before your liver is cleansed.  That's why you can do this one more often.  Until you are rid of all of them, you will not likely experience relief from some of the side effects, because once you move some out, the others that are being stored in your liver move down into the gallbladder.  This cleanse can be done every two weeks, but not when you are sick.  If you feel, for some reason, that you have very large gallstones, I personally, can't recommend this.  I know some people fear them becoming stuck, rather than making them all the way out.  I haven't heard of this, but you should check it out yourself.  This program comes from the book:  The Cure for All Diseases.

Finally, you may do the bentonite clay as a cleanse anytime as well.  Again, no cleansing for pregnant or lactating women or for those who may become pregnant.  And, drink lots and lots of water.  Remember, I'm not a doctor, so these statements are to be judged by your own wisdom and have not been evaluated by the FDA.

posted by Danneca

If Mama Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy

Ever feel blue?  Unhappy?  Work/Husband/Children stressing you out?

I've been there.  More times than I can count.

While there have been times when my happiness depends on someone else changing their ways or other physical factors (sleep, hormone fluctuations, pregnancy, etc...), a simple way for me to change my outlook is to . . . be grateful.

That's it.

No magic potion, no secret pill.

Just gratefulness.

Thankfulness.

Contentment.

Stop comparing your house with your neighbor's.  Be grateful that you have a place to live.
Quit hounding your husband to finish the (fill-in-the-blank).  Be thankful that he loves you.
Don't stress about your kid fitting in.  Be content with the fact that you have children to care for.

Everyone is different.  You may be in between jobs.  You might not have a husband who loves you.   Maybe you want children but don't have any yet.  But you have things to be grateful for.  Everyone does. 

If you're feeling down, I challenge you to list things you are thankful for.  Write them down.  Post them on your steering wheel.  Write them on your bathroom mirror.  Keep a journal.  Find ways to remind yourself of God's blessings.

What are you grateful for today?

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Need to Let Go?

So, ever have trouble "letting go?"  I'm not a great emotional counselor.  However, if letting go of toxic waste that accumulates in your bowels is your problem, then I'm your gal!

Studies show that a large portion of doctor visits are to treat constipation.  Over-the-counter remedies can have side effects longer term and don't treat the root of your problem, which means you may as well buy stock in the company, because you'll be their customer for life.  Leaving the roots causes of constipation unresolved can be deadly - literally.

First of all, everyone should do a colon cleanse twice per year.  This would include those suffering from chronic constipation and those who have no trouble with healthy elimination.  There are plenty of inexpensive colon cleanses out there.  I like the list found here.

Those suffering from chronic or recurring constipation should look carefully at their diet.  Food sensitivities/allergies can be a cause.  Try keeping a journal of your diet for a couple weeks and see if you can find a correlation between the constipation and what you've eaten.  The biggest culprit is usually dairy, but there are certainly others.

You probably already know that fiber is a huge factor in proper elimination.  Fiber acts as a broom to your colon walls, loosening toxins, bad bacteria, and other waste.  To be frank, white flour should not be part of your diet.  At all.  If, and only if, you make it a point to have lots and lots of healthy fiber in your diet, the rare occasion of your favorite pastry, pizza crust or other treat can be tolerated and properly removed.  

Flax is an excellent source - grind a high quality flax seed in a coffee mill and add 1/4 cup per day to your yogurt or smoothie.  I don't recommend grinding it ahead ahead of time, as it immediately begins losing it's awesome health benefits, like it's healthy fats.  Another great fiber source is new to me, but has shown amazing results in my own experience already!  Who remembers the commercial:  "Ch-ch-ch-chia!"?  Chia seeds!  Order chia seeds from chiaseedsdirect.com.  Browse this website for info on how to use these.  It's super simple and chia is seriously one of the most perfect foods on the planet.  My husband and I have been using them for a couple weeks now and can already see muscle tone and are experiencing the benefits of its slow-release endurance energy.  More on this later.  You probably already know that fruits and and veggies are great sources of fiber and keep your bowels moving.  Psyllium husks are excellent for short term use or on an occasional basis (once/week for chronic constipation or as needed).  Avoid these during pregnancy, as the potential for releasing toxins into the placenta is high.  Whole grains are also excellent sources and should DEFINITELY be part of your routine diet.  Refined grains and sweeteners will rot in your gut, causing all sorts of problems including many cancers.  Eat whole grain foods and brown rice.  Period.

Drinking lots of water should be a no-brainer.  If there isn't enough liquid in your bowels when the waste is formed, it will become hard and difficult to eliminate.

If you are pregnant or newly post-partum, and already have a propensity to have a slower system, you will have to be vigilant about avoiding constipation.  One trick is to eat a piece of fruit that is juicy, like a peach, and as you eat it, drink an 8-10oz. glass of water.  Take a bite; take a drink, until they're both gone.  Do this a couple times per day after you deliver your baby or if you have skipped a day going to the bathroom.  I call it "poop fright" after having a baby - who wants to push waste out after childbirth?!?!

Here's to letting go of all that's holding you back!

**I've recently read that flax is a thyroid inhibitor, so if you are pregnant or nursing, or have thyroid issues, another source of fiber is probably best.  I'm not ready to jump off the flax wagon yet, as this was the first I'd heard of it and haven't looked more deeply into the finding yet. 




Posted by Danneca

Navigating the Cold & Flu Season Drug Free

Eeeewwwww! It's here! Cold and flu season has already greeted my household. My clothes from yesterday and today display the signs. The 3 youngest (ages 4mos., 22mos. and 3yrs.) have a cold. They each had slight fevers for less than a day. I'm not worried though. I am so thankful for the arsenal for this season that God has given me through years of research. I can't keep it all to myself. Here's hoping you can have some success and not have to trapse off to the doctor's office too often this year. Wouldn't it be marvelous if you could navigate this year's onslaught without the use of antibiotics and instead actually have your whole family come out of a cold/flu healthier than before? This can really happen if you learn a few simple but highly effective tricks that will kill the virus/bacteria and boost immune systems for the better, instead of weaken them, the way antibiotics do. Here are a few things I've found incredibly successful.

First, for overall health, you HAVE to cut back on refined sugar. Sugar perpetuates all sorts of things you don't want to deal with, but especially at this time of year, it collects mucus, making it tougher to keep the toxins out of your system. Cow milk also does this. At first sign of a cold, say bye-bye to the milk jug until you're past it. I could write post after post on milk, but that's for another day.

Second, yarrow. This is an amazing flu-stopping, fever-reducing herb. It is very bitter, but well worth it. My older kids will chug it all by itself, but they're used to concoctions of this sort. For the younger kids I make it with equal parts of peppermint and add lots of raw honey (babies under 1 yr., add maple syrup or molasses). I get my supply from The Bulk Herb Store. To make the tea, cover 1 heaping tsp. of yarrow with 8oz. boiling water. Steep for 10-20min. I add about a tsp. of raw honey to each cup, or to taste. Research on this herb shows that the tincture of this mixture was not as effective against flu and fever as the tea, so unfortunately, we have to drink it. The key to making this really potent against sickness is to catch it early!

Third, garlic. I get garlic powder from the same source, The Bulk Herb Store. I love this site. My sister turned me onto it a couple years ago and I have found it invaluable. I also by capsules from them and fill them with the garlic. Take as many of these as you like. My kids will take them. If yours won't, you can mix the garlic into their uncooked food. I also sprinkle a good green drink powder into the baby's uncooked food (usually plain goat yogurt) when he/she is sick. I like Garden of Life's Perfect Food for many reasons.

Fourth, cayenne. It is rare to need this, but for serious sicknesses, I have found it very useful. I get the powder and fill capsules for this as well. It heats up your gut and causes a great immune reaction and kills all kinds of bad guys.

These are my main go-to's in this season. I rely on The Bulk Herb Store for lots of other herbal teas, etc., which you can take a look at for yourself, but what I have posted today is what I have found to be the most successful, hands down. All of these are safe for pregnant and nursing mamas. Remember, the key with herbal remedies is to use them early and in abundance. You cannot simply take one capsule and a cup of tea and hope that will do it. We're talking 4 or more cups of yarrow and at least 3 garlic capsules. In the future I will post on how to help babies in cold and flu season. To your health!

Book Recommendations: Herbal Antibiotics, The How To Herb Book