Summer 2012

The lack of schedule to my schedule was starting make me wacko.  From mid-August to the end of May life speeds by @ 100 miles/hour.  Then, come June 1st, when school is out, it all comes to a screeching halt!  It always takes me a little time to adjust.  I had another teacher tell me that she felt ADHD during the first days of summer vaca.  I could totally relate; it was nice to know that I wasn't alone.  I couldn't seem to focus on one thing at a time which left me all over the place.

Drum roll please: I have recovered!  I've accomplished a chore chart for the kids w/ everyday chores so that I'm not using up all of my time to clean!  Gross! Unfortunately, that was a mistake made far too many times. I've got something on the calendar for at least 5 days out of 7 for every week through the end of July.  Many activities are subject to change per my discretion, dependent of course, on how Mama's feeling that day.  That's because, believe it or not, the big M is the barometer of the household! Not to mention, having too much going on will make it feel just as overwhelming as the school year ~ and that is SO not what this educator is striving for!

Two of my three chillens are set up in camps for the next few weeks, which will give me time to get things organized for the summer task at hand: what healthy lifestyle changes will I be making for my family and household this time? AND, (yikes, I started a sentence with and) how can I accomplish those tasks so that I'm not hearing, "Aaaah, MOM!" all summer long?

A few things come to mind ~ First, we like to entertain a lot over the summer.  There are a ton of families we plan on having over for fellowship and food.  They go hand in hand... We are also the house on the block where the kiddies from the neighborhood tend to congregate during the dog days of Summer.  With that being said,  our grocery bill significantly increases!  I want to be able to manage that food bill without comprimising our health.  This has already taken me through several cookbooks in search of budget friendly and health conscious meals for the summer menu.  Right off the bat, I was reminded of the energy saving qualities of the  crock pot.  Do you know how many healthy meals you can make in the pot?!  It's amazing.  You'll save on your energy bill by not heating up the place w/ the oven.  And.... (oops!) you'll also be able to stow and go! STOW the food in the crock pot to cook all day, and GO play with your kids!  Man, lovin' it already.  Yeah ~ I'll be posting some super, yummy, delicious slow cooker recipes.

Second, I've come to realize over the years that there is just far too much garbage in the products we put onto skin and scalp.  Even the el naturale labels lie.  I plan on finding some beauty recipes this summer too - because I KNOW they are out there!  With that, I'll share.

It's going to be a great summer!  Tootaloo ~

5 htp for headaches and insomnia

I've been using a 5htp now for about 2 months. I cannot brag on this stuff enough. Every time headaches or insomnia come up in a conversation I HAVE to share the good news on this product because it has totally saved my sanity.

In February of this year my headaches and insomnia had reached an all time disgusting high. I could not stand myself. I wasn't sleeping yet I was so desperate to. I would get a daily headache and nothing, and I mean NOTHING would help. I would end up with a severely upset stomach because somehow, in the craziness of this mind of mine, I would justify taking Advil or Tylenol (too much) thinking, "maybe it will work this time..." Desperation makes you crazy.

In one of my frequent trips to the library I'd picked up an herbal remedy book. Upon researching headaches, I stumbled on 5 Htp. Aaaaaaah! I could hear angels singing! I was psyched. I was beyond psyched. I read that it not only helps with headaches, it helps with insomnia too. Sold! I went straight to Vitamin Cottage and picked some up.

I began by taking two later in the afternoon. I noticed that it made me tired. I don't like dragging through the day so I decided that I could lower the dose and take one in the afternoon and one before bed. Without getting into it too much - I found that for myself it worked for me to take two about a 1/2 hour before wanting to go to sleep. I'd try to leave myself 7-8 hours of good rest time. That was foreign in itself. My body was used to running on so much less. But - I was open. I wanted to experience life with my body fully charged. So began the journey. The 5 Htp journey. I began to sleep SO soundly and so good. It took about a week of taking them religiously every night. My headaches slowly began to disappear. I started feeling my energy levels increase. I was happy. I was fun to be around. My kids weren't asking me, "Why are you in a bad mood, Mom?" anymore. Oh, life was good!

Word of advice - do give yourself plenty of time for sleep. Make it a priority. I felt groggy trying to wake up w/ anything less than 7 hours.

Also, a word of encouragement - I never felt like it knocked me out cold. I always stayed away from prescription medicine that others would tell me about for that reason. It was a fear of mine that I'd take something to make me sleep and one of my kids would wake in the middle of night with a stomach flu or something, and mommy would be out cold and unable to perform those dark-thirty, middle of the night, essential motherly duties that God blesses us with at birth. Not to mention, I am completely opposed to prescription meds. But that's another post...

I took it for about 6 weeks straight, every evening. For the last few weeks I've been taking it here and there. I still don't experience the "bang your head on a wall" headaches that I was getting back in February. I have been sleeping better too. I never wanted it to be something I take every night for the rest of my life. And it won't be. This is why - 5 Htp is basically tryptophan. You know the stuff in turkey that makes you sleepy afterward? Well, tryptophan converts to melatonin as you sleep. In a "normal" person who sleeps soundly on their own, melatonin is produced naturally. Melatonin is then converted into seratonin. That's the happy feel good chemical in the brain that keeps our moods in check. When levels of melatonin and seratonin are normal in your body, there is no need for 5 Htp. That's why you can't become addicted. It's beautiful!

It's nice to know that if I start experiencing insomnia and headaches again, 5 Htp is just an arms reach away. For someone who experienced insomnia for so long, it's very comforting to know that there is a solution! It's the difference between good wife versus evil wife and happy mommy versus crabby mommy.

I hope this helps others. It has truly saved me, and my family.

Homemade Organic Spaghetti Sauce

I am having some gal pals over this evening and I told them that I'd make us mean pot of spaghetti. I've made so many friends this dinner and never got any complaints.

I can't tell you how many times I picked up jars of Ragu to doctor up at home for a "homemade" spaghetti dinner. Nope - not any more. Some time ago this nice guy I know (who happens to be my husband now...) taught me how to make true homemade sauce. It's so delicious and so easy. I'll tell you how we make ours and you can tweek to your liking.

You'll need:

1 85/15 Frozen turkey log by Tyson or Jennie-O
1/2 medium yellow onion
1 small green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
3 cans Muir Glen organic tomato sauce
2 cans Muir Glen organic tomato paste
1 can Muir Glen organic diced tomatoes
oregano - tons
basil - tons
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by browning the meat. Add the onion (finely chopped) and the bell pepper (diced). As it's cooking, cover it with some salt, pepper, oregano & basil. In my opinion, you can't have too much Italian seasoning.

In a large pot, dump your cans of sauce, paste and tomatoes. Cover the top of the sauce with a layer of each oregano and basil. Don't skimp - blanket the sauce! Add the browned meat mixture and stir. Using a garlic press, add two cloves of fresh garlic to your pot. Stir. Let it bubble and cook on low. The longer, the better.

Ouila! How easy is that? I'll bet you'll never buy another jar or can of pre-made sauce again. And good for you. They are chock full of added ingredients that our bodies don't need anyway.

This recipe feeds my family of six with some left over.

Enjoy!

Home For the Summer

It's a brand new day! The kids are out of school for the summer and I'm home with them. We've been playing in the garden, weeding the gazillion weeds in the back yard, transplanting herbs - oh it's been fun! I planted echinacea and creeping thyme. These will come in handy come cold and flu season. They are both perennials - which means they'll produce year after year. Sustainable living - I'm all over it!

Indoors, I planted basil and dill. The basil is taking off. It should be at least 6 inches tall before trying to harvest any leaves. Looks like it won't be long now. The dill on the other hand, looking a bit yellow. I packed in some coffee grounds around it yesterday. Today it is standing and looking perky - but still yellow. Is this normal for dill?

So, I watch and I wait. I'm new to this gardening and planting thing. I guess in 5 years or so I'll be an expert!

Lemon Water

So - the lemon water worked for the sluggishness. I felt pretty good all day - until the evening when a headache came on. The same remedy is supposed to work on headaches too. I've not taken anything for it yet. So I'll try the lemon water again and go to sleep. I'm currently searching for natural remedies for headaches. I seem to encounter a lot these days. That's my body telling me something needs to be adjusted. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated and welcomed. TTFN!

Balance your Ph Level

I'm feeling sluggish this morning. Several books I've read mention drinking a cup of warm water with the juice of 1/2 a lemon squeezed into it to balance your Ph level and gain some energy. I'm going to try it. I'll post later on whether it did anything for me.

What's in your food?

This is great! Check out: www.labelwatch.com. You can find out what's in most of the food items that you bring home. The words in red or orange are what I call "danger" words. You can scroll and click on them for definitions. Note: Don't read before bedtime. Some of the labels may give you nightmares!

More on milk thistle...

A while back I posted an article on brewing milk thistle tea. I'd mentioned that it came in tea bags. Some time later, in my I'm going to learn as much as I can about food and nutrition and feel great in life quest, I found out that many tea bags have aluminum in them. Great! This is not the good stuff that we should be putting into our God given vessels. Hello, food industry - aluminum? Well, better than that - I found it - the milk thistle that is - in bulk at Vitamin Cottage's Natural Grocers. Man, I love that store! Anyway... You can purchase whole seeds and brew the tea yourself at home. Use about 1 tsp of seeds per cup of water. Bring to a boil and let it do it's thing for 20 minutes or so. Strain out the seeds. Sweeten the tea w/ Agave Nectar or Honey and ouila! You have for yourself homemade, good for you, milk thistle tea.

What's the big deal on milk thistle? It is a liver cleanser and detoxifier. When our livers are clean our bodies function better and we have more energy. We all want more energy right?

Here's a hint: Mix equal parts of milk thistle tea and green tea for a knock out, free radical fighting drink. Sweeten it up a bit and serve to the family with dinner.

Defending our immune system

It's been a rotten winter this year. Everyone from Grammy to child has fallen ill with something that's left lingering effects on our immune systems. It's been frustrating since we consume an 80% organic diet and take in plenty of vitamins. Are the viral and bacterial strains out there too strong for a good immune system? I have to wonder where I've gone wrong.

I recently found out about Co Enzyme Q10. It's working wonders on one family member - so much so that I'm currently investigating whether or not I can give it to all.

It works by regenerating impaired cells. No, it doesn't build new cells - as I've heard some claim. But it does take the cells that are out of shape and repair them so that they are functioning at optimum levels.

Does anyone know more about this stuff?

I'm back! More to come...

Transitioning to an Organic Diet

Don't let the transition to an organic lifestyle scare you. Organic food tastes better and is better for you as compared to non-organic food. Here are a few articles to get you started: http://www.ehow.com/how_6004166_make-switch-organic-food.html and http://www.ehow.com/how_6004249_shop-healthy-meats.html.

Homemade Organic Preserves

I don't know about you, but in my house, with three children, we go through a lot of preserves! PB & J's are popular with all of the kids! In my search for organic preserves I found that they are very expensive. During this quest for better health, when I run into a situation such as this, the first thing I ask myself is, "Can I make that at home myself?" In this case, as I sought out preserve recipes, I found that they are VERY EASY to make and at a fraction of the cost.

To make homemade organic preserves you will need: a bag of frozen, organic fruit (your choice), a box of Pectin (found in health food store), organic sugar (or honey), glass jars with lids, a large pot for boiling the jars when completed, and a smaller pot for boiling the fruit mixture.

Okay - I'm not going to tell you step by step how to do this because the directions vary depending on which kind of fruit you use and which type of sweetner you elect. However, it is all written out for you in the pectin directions. I promise you, it's as easy as boiling fruit, adding sweetner, adding pectin, and adding calcium water (which comes in the box of pectin). When you are done you put the fruit mixture into the glass jars, seal with a lid, and boil for a few minutes.

When you take the jars out of the boiling water (be careful!), place them on a hot pad and allow them to cool. Then you can store the jars in your pantry until ready to use.

No more will you have to spend $4.00 - $6.00 on a jar of organic preserves. You just spent that much to make three jars!

Here are some tips: 1) Start saving jars now. You can take the sticky label gunk off with a scrubby and some rubbing alcohol. If you are going to reuse the lids, boil them first to rid them of the germs. 2) Store the leftover calcium water in a glass jar in your refridgerator. You can use it next time you make preserves.

Kombucha Tea

Kombucha is an invigorating energy drink. Invigorating is the best word I can think of to describe the sensation felt after consuming it. It has been used in Asia for centuries and more recently made it's way to America where people are catching on to it's health benefits and energy giving properties. If EVER after drinking Kombucha, you feel worse than you did before you drank it, don't drink it again. However, I've never heard of this happening.

I've been intriqued with the Kombucha for some time now, but just recently began to dig deeper. Kombucha tea is brewed from a scoby, or "mushroom." No, it's not really a mushroom, it's a symbiotic culture Of bacteria and yeast (s-c-o-b-y is the acranym). It is made from a concoction of fresh black or green tea, a small part of the originally brewed tea, and the scoby itself.

If you've ever been in a health food store you've probably seen jars of Kombucha tea for sale. They come in different flavors and can range in price from $2.50 - $4.00 per 12 oz. jar. This is pretty expensive considering it's suggested serving is a daily dose. Guess what? You can make it yourself, at home, for not only a fraction of the cost, but it tastes so much better when brewed fresh.

Here is a link for a set of complete directions on how to brew your own tea at home:
http://www.ehow.com/how_6040525_start-kombucha-tea.html

Enjoy!

Milk Thistle for the liver

So one of the things that I've found was good for my daugher's Fibromyalgia is an herb called milk thistle. It is good for cleaning out the liver and intestinal tract - thereby cleaning out toxins. She won't take it in pill form because the pills are too large and won't go down. Recently, I found it in tea bags.

Upon brewing the new milk thistle tea, we found that it had little to no flavor. Unfortunately, my daughter won't let anything touch her lips that doesn't have a good taste - not to mention the other two as well.

My kids drink a LOT of iced tea. So, I put the milk thistle tea in with the green tea bags and brew them together. From that concoction, I make a great iced tea by adding more [filtered] water and sugar or Agave Nectar to taste.

We will overcome this

A whole new set of challenges face my family now. It started out slowly with my daughter; a spastic bladder condition at an early age, mild pain here and there, strange bumps under the skin, and terrible migraine headaches. "Is it normal for a teenager to be experiencing such ailments?" I would ask my friends. "Or maybe she is just a hypochondriac..." I'd think. But when the pain became too much for her we sought out medical advice. I didn't realize at the time that we would have to fight this monster for the rest of her life. It hit us like a brick a few months ago. Many blood tests and MRI's later, we received the diagnosis that my teenage daughter has Fibromyalgia. Oh man!

For weeks afterwards I felt nothing but guilt. This is a girl who complained about EVERYTHING! I really did not think anything was wrong with her. When I finally got my head out of the clouds and back down to reality, the mother bear came out in me. I knew we had to fight ~ I was not about to let thing overcome us, control us.

As I began to read about Fibromyalgia, I found it quite interesting that patients experience a higher degree of pain as compared to their healthy counterparts. She was indeed encountering a degree of pain that was too much for her. There is an increase in the flow of blood to her brain - a specific part of the brain, that increases the sensitivity to pain. I knew that the first thing we needed to do was inhibit the pain so that she could gain control of her life again.

I focused on educating myself about Fibro. With every spare moment, I was reading a book or researching on the internet. My biggest fear was that she would be on medication(s) for the rest of her life. That idea has NEVER set well with me, ever! This is what led me to make dietary changes not only for my daughter, but for the whole family. I have made some amazing discoveries about the the chemicals and additives that affect our bodies & minds through the food and drink that we allow into our systems.

Hence, much of the reason for this blog. With all this new insight, the only thing that I can think of is to share it. My hope is that what I am able to share in the coming days and months, will help others with their own personal monsters. Through a terrible diagnosis, I have found that an organic lifestyle aids in the healing and the well-being of not only my oldest's body, but it's so good for the entire family. I have three children, by the way... We are all reaping the benefits. I find myself wishing I'd made the switch to organic years ago. If you recall, in an earlier post I wrote about the importance of taking care of ourselves as single parents so that in turn, we will take better care of children? Organic living is the key! More is to come...

Why an organic lifestyle?

An organic lifestyle is the best thing that you can do for yourself and for your family. Our environment is filled with chemicals and toxins. These things enter our bodies at an alarming rate, mostly through the food that we consume.

Recently, one of my children was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. I'd already been transitioning to an organic lifestyle, however, the new diagnosis kicked it into high gear!

As I began to educate myself on what's best for myself and my family, I began to discover some very scary facts. I am SO intrigued by the wonderful changes that I want to share it with the world. I hope to do just that in the coming days ~ via my blog.

I hope you'll check back. I plan on adding a ton of information on a daily basis!