Are the Holidays Stressing you OUT!

I apologize for not writing in such a long time.  Currently, my day job has me working on a very important project that is just sucking up all my time plus the holidays.  You get the picture. So with all this work comes stress as well as fighting the mall traffic.  I went shopping the other night; mind you, I live in a small town, but geez.  I pulled up to the one and only Old Navy and I could not find a parking place.  Boy was that stressful! Therefore, I ordered it online. However, that got me thinking that if I am stressed you guys are too! 

 

So here is my attempt at providing you helpful tips to make it through those stressful times in your life.   Some pressure is good but stress is not. So here are my top ten things that help when I am frazzled!

  

   Star's Top Ten Stress Busters!

1.      Get your rest!  I know you are burning the candle at both ends.  Sleep is the only time our growth hormone is produced.

2.      Get your B-vitamins – load up on whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, rye, oats, and those dark green veggies.

3.      Eat magnesium-rich foods – stress can deplete your muscles of magnesium. Dark green leafy vegetables are full of Mg. Not your thing? Try pumpkin seeds, black beans, or scallops.

4.      Try using deep breathing techniques when you are stressful situations!

5.      Get a massage, or give one – we are social beings who physical contact.

6.      Listen to your favorite music!

7.      Laugh – force yourself if you have to. Laughing reduces your cortisol level and increases your blood flow. Do something child-like – swing, skip, reconnect with the things you love. Live in the moment.

8.       Avoid stimulants like caffeine, sugar, and alcohol. These affect your nervous system and stress your adrenals – they produce a stress response in your body.  Do not drink them!

9.      Make a list. When it seems like there are a million things racing around in your head, write it down and you can then check those last minute gifts off the list or buy the turkey, I promise it will feel good!

10.  In addition, maybe the most important thing, spend your time with the people you love. Work will always be there!  You can always give a gift late, but those special moments are once in a lifetime!

                 Wishing all my friends and family a Happy, Safe, and Calm Holiday Season!
 

Dry Itchy skin? Me too!

Sorry I have been remiss in writing about all the great holistic ways you can help yourself.  Unfortunately I have been really busy and did not even notice that is fall already.   Maybe that is why my skin seems to be going crazy! It is so dry and itchy!  I have dermatitis and discovered it when I turned forty years old.  I do have to say I am so glad I did not have it as a teen!  My life would have been miserable. 

So here’s some tips that I exploring to help me deal with it every day!  As we all know the skin is the largest organ in the body and the most visible, so any condition affecting it is impossible to ignore. The skin is not only exposed to cut, burns, bruises and scrapes, it can also develop diseases just like any other part of the body.

The medical explanation is that Dermatitis or Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition that produces blisters, redness, scaling, flaking, thickening, weeping, crusting, color changes and itching that can be very annoying. Many professionals say Dermatitis/Eczema is an allergic reaction when you come in contact with different materials, chemicals or plants, such as, rubber, latex, perfumes, gold, silver, poison ivy, soap, cosmetics etc. 

There can be many types of skin issues and it is best to be diagnosed by a dermatologist.  However, once you are instead of using steroids try these remedies.

Tip 1:

Here is a Skin wash.  You can find these ingredients in your local health food store.

Mix the following ingredients: 
1 tsp. comfrey root. 
1 tsp. white oak bark. 
1 tsp. slippery elm bark. 
2 cups of water. 
Boil for 35 minutes use it to wash the affected area.

Tip 2:

There are some things you can take orally to help from the inside out.

·         Vitamin B complex

·         Biotin pills (also note if you eat items with raw eggs that can inhibit the effectiveness of biotin pills and they are not absorbed.)

·         Flaxseed oil added to food

·         Fish oil pills-Omega 3’s

Tip 3.

Put Vitamin E on the affected area it calms the itching. Never use synthetic vitamin E because your body will not be able to utilize it. Synthetic vitamin E has a dl instead of a d in front of its description: dl-alpha tocopherol.

Tip 4:

Use a lotion made out of blueberry leaves this is proven to be fantastic relieving inflammation of dermatitis. I found a great site to buy this lotion.  It is called “the Blue Line” from Indian Meadow Herbals out of Downeast Maine. 

Check them out. http://www.imherbal.com/

I hope these tips help you and as the weather gets cold it is more important than ever to protect your body!

Love and Light to you!

Pickles, Pedicures and Toe Fungus!

Do you remember that I said in an earlier story that I am in love with pickles?  I love love love dill pickles. I can eat a whole jar of dill pickles myself if you let me.  However, let me warn you, the next day you do not want to be around me with the garlic seeping from my pores.  I think it is really is about the salty vinegar goodness that appeals to me the most. The garlic is just the bonus from the spicy goodness.  However, I digress my culinary tastes are not the point here.  This blog is strictly about vinegar.

I was speaking with a friend the other day when it hit me that I had sandals on with naked toes.  I commented in my embarrassment about how I needed a pedicure.  She looked down and said, “Hey do you have fungus on your nail bed?”  I laughed sheepishly and said “I don’t know, it is always yellow, I thought it was there because I do not let my toes breathe between pedicures”, she then told me that her doctor told her to take a cotton ball and use plain white vinegar or apple cider vinegar once a day on toenails that have fungus.  She said this was also good for diabetics especially because the toenails tend to get thick and ugly. 

When I did some further investigation, I found this works on toenails and fingernails.  In China, it was the prescribed medication to prevent the spread of viruses, while in Greece, ancient medical texts made reference of the different uses and qualities of vinegar. Today, apple cider vinegar is the most used for the treatment of fungal infections, being more useful as astringent than ice.  Whether white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, this is the cheapest treatment intended to eradicate fungal infections from toenails or fingernails. The acidity of vinegar relieves the itching and repairs the PH balance, necessary to combat fungi, the microorganism responsible for toenail fungus.

So try this regime, daily foot baths in a solution of 50% water and 50% vinegar. It is suggested to alternate and mix hot baths and cold baths, although in either case, it is necessary to keep your feet soaking for at least 30 minutes.  On the other hand, for better results apply directly on the base of the nail twice a day, and is even better than soaking your feet. However, you must make sure that vinegar will remain in place long enough to benefit from the solution.

So if you can stand the vinegar smell try it, all vinegars are non-toxic so drinking vinegar will not harm you of course but will kill that pesky fungi on your feet.  However, I say stick to the pickle juice to drink and 
pour the vinegar foot bath down the drain!

To better looking toenails for everyone!  Love and Light to you!

My heart is on fire for you!

Happy August to all of my friends out there in blog land.  It is the dog days of summer but I prefer to call it my heart on fire month.  For about two weeks I have been having heartburn throughout the day.  I said something to my sister and this seems to be her problem lately as well.   We both think it has something to do with the sweet tea we both have been drinking even though we live in different states.  Note to self, need to read more about tea!  So I have sworn off the notable culprits of heartburn like chocolate, coffee, and spicy food without relief! I guess I need to add tea to the list because of the caffeine and the sugar.  Who knew!   So here goes with the holistic remedies or granny medicine as my friend calls it.

The first attempt is with the Apple cider vinegar heartburn home remedy. If you're hardcore you can simply take a teaspoon of straight cider vinegar.

For something a little more palatable and with a good nose like champagne try this.

• Mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with a little sugar
• Add about 6 ounces water
• Add a little baking soda and drink while fizzy

Drink it down!  Apple cider vinegar, an acid, causes the esophageal sphincter to contract and keeps acid in the stomach. Yes i said sphincter... get your mind off Beavis and Butthead!  Not sure if this is going to work.  It just tasted kind of yucky.  I say kind of yucky because I have a fascination with pickles and vinegar.  But we will save that for another day. 

Here are some other remedies, some are common sense. But it’s time to try something else,  I will let you know what works!

·      Avoiding refined carbohydrates (sugar, white rice, white bread), even honey & other “natural” sugars, except Stevia. Reduce acid production so that even if the reflux occurs there is less to irritate the esophagus.

·      Eat small frequent meals so pressure in the stomach does not push contents back up.

·      Do not eat late at night. Allow several hours of digestion time before laying down. Acid stays in the esophagus longer when one lies flat. Stay propped up at least 30-45 degrees after eating or drinking & while sleeping. By placing 2 in. blocks under the two legs of your bed at the headboard, can helped tremendously!

·      Avoid caffeine for a while.

·      Avoid excitement or exercise immediately after a meal. 

·      If you have a juicer, juice a raw potato, peel and all, then add an equal part of water to the juice and drink it immediately after preparation, 3 times a day.

·      Fresh papaya and its seeds (or Papaya tablets) can be eaten to help with digestion.

·      The enzymes in pineapple are also good for digestion but, this is an acidic fruit and for some people is not the right choice. It depends on the individual.

·      Aloe Vera juice is incredible for healing of the intestinal tract

·      Vitamin B complex, 50 mgs, 3 times daily with meals is needed for proper digestion.

·      Massage. At the first sign of heartburn, massage the acupressure point between your solar plexus and navel. Massage this point first, gently in a clockwise motion and then slowly work deeper. This can actually relieve heartburn pressure and pain for months!

Well here is hoping you and I have a restful night without heartburn!

Guérison avec la lavande (Healing with Lavender)

My french is very rusty but curing is the same as healing some may say.  There are many companies out there today that use lavender in perfumes and lotions for good reason.  Many of your upscale salons also use it to create and ambiance of exclusivity.  However I was just turned on to it as a way to heal the many ailments I face each and every day.  Many of you might know by reading my blog that I am always searching for better ways to heal my aches and pains.  I must say I think I found something that does just that plus much more!  Recently a friend of mine turned me on to using 100% Lavender Oil to rub on swollen joints.  Of course you need to check and see if you are allergic but she said, “Rub it on the joint, go ahead”, I did and I have to say a few hours later my knee was feeling better.  That is when I thought I need to look into the healing properties of this lovely oil. After doing some research I found it helps with a multitude of ailments to include: sore muscles, acne, burns, earache, eczema, headaches and much more.

I am also told it lowers blood pressure and helps with stress. Plus you smell fresh and clean.  You can purchase this oil at your local health for store for about $10 for a 1 oz bottle but they do sell it in larger quantities.  So here it is a short list of things you can either combine or use lavender oil with to heal yourself! 

• Aching Muscles
  If you’ve spent a back-breaking afternoon in the gym or the garden, jump into a lavender bath to soothe aches & pains away. Apply Epsom salts & a few drops of lavender oil to the bath and soak away the tension.
• Acne
  Lavender is one of the most valuable oils for the treatment of acne, according to aromatherapists. “It inhibits the bacteria that cause the skin infection, helps to re balance the over-secretion of sebum, which the bacteria thrive on, and reduce scarring”. Add a few drops of lavender oil to a plain cream sold by chemists and use as a moisturizer or cleanser.
• Burns (minor)
  After you have cooled the area by immersing it in running cold water for 5 minutes, gently stroke on lavender oil. Pain relief is almost immediate, and burn usually heals without scarring.
• Cuts & Wounds
  To sooth pain apply lavender oil. It will prevent bacterial infection and aid scar-free healing.
• Earache
  Warm a bottle of lavender oil in hot water for a minute or two, then gently massage a few drops into the skin around the ears and throat. For babies & small children, add 2-3 drops of the warmed oil to a little olive oil and massage in the same way.
• Eczema
  Stroke infused lavender oil (a few drops of lavender oil & carrier oil) into dry, itchy skin—small children will find this especially comforting or add a few drops of lavender oil to calamine lotion, shake before use.

• Fevers
  For babies or small children, sponge them down very gently with tepid water to which you have added a drop of lavender oil. Take care not to let them get chilled. This works for adults too.
• Insomnia
  In a number of small studies, elderly psychiatric patients have been shown to sleep better and be more alert during the day when their sleep medication is replaced with lavender oil either dropped on their pillows, or placed in a diffuser on the ward. To help to induce sleep, put 3 or 4 drops of lavender oil on your pillow. For babies, add 1 drop of lavender oil & geranium oil in carrier oil and massage into babies back or a few drops in their bedtime bath.
• Menstrual Cramps
  Massage a few drops of lavender oil your lower abdomen or apply a hot compress onto the area, which a little lavender oil has been sprinkled.
• Shingles
  Combine a mix of lavender oil with, analgesic, antiviral & scar preventing essential oils neat or on compresses on the agonizing lesions of shingles. It usually produces a cure within 5-8 days.
• Sinusitis
  Lavender is one of several essential oils that aromatherapists recommend for inhalations to relieve sinusitis, add two drops of lavender & thyme oil to a bowl of near-steaming water and inhale slowly and deeply, with a towel over your head & bowl.
• Stress & Anxiety
  Keep a spritzer of Lavender Mist handy to spray on your face during the day, or apply lavender oil to your temples.

 Wishing you love and light! And hoping you sleep well with a dab of lavender oil!

You say Toe-may-toe and I say To-ma-toe

Today as I was talking with my sister she was reading me information about tomatoes.  Going on and on about how they are so good for you!  So I decided to do some research since I can take a fresh tomato and eat it like an apple.  And because now is the time for all my friends and family to go out to your green grocer or roadside stand and buy some of these yummy red balls of goodness.  I did not want to say veggie, although I think it is technically a fruit!  Oh never mind about that.  I did want to tell you that I did some research and it is the Lycopene that is the real star.  The red pigment contained in tomatoes is called Lycopene. This compound appears to act as an antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals that can damage cells in the body.

It is good for so many things.  I also just found out that tomatoes help men with Prostate Cancer.  I recently found out a friend's father was diagnosed with stage 2 cancer so please send blessings and love to Wayne.

If you have not thought about this food as a healing treatment-think again.  Here is a short list of wonderful and healthful reasons to eat tomatoes!  Just google tomatoes and Health and you will find much more on the topic.t

• Eating tomatoes, ketchup, tomato sauce and tomato paste-topped pizza more than two times a week can reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 21 to 43 percent according to Harvard University School of Public Health. Men who eat two or more servings of tomato products average a 35 percent reduction in prostate cancer risk. Lycopene is the key ingredient that helps with this!
• Cooking tomatoes in oil encourages intestinal absorption and results in a two-to-threefold rise in plasma lycopene concentrations.
• Tomato products are beneficial in aggressive cancers that have also spread to other parts of the body
• The best food sources of lycopene according to the Tomato Research Council in New York City: ( Amount of lycopene in one ounce) Tomato Sauce, Spaghetti Sauce, Ketchup (5 mg); Tomato Soup, Canned Tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Vegetable Juice (3 mg); Minestrone Soup, Vegetable Soup, Pink Grapefruit (1 mg)
• Lycopene helps women guard against cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia, (CIN), tumorous tissue growth in the cervix according to research from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
• Lycopene is a powerful inhibitor of the growth of breast, endometrium (inner lining of the uterus) and lung cancer cells.
• Tomatoes are good for the eyes. Lycopene, the most abundant carotenoid in the blood serum, was found to be the key antioxidant that guards against ARMD ( Age-Related Macular Degeneration), a condition that may cause blindness.
• Tomatoes are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Potassium
• Lycopene is an inhibitor to heart disease.

Well if that does not convince you I do not know what will.  Unfortunately, the tomato is included in the list of the top ten foods to which most people are allergic.  So if you are not allergic.....take a big bite today!

Love and Light to you all!

History Lesson for Today-The Black Plague!

OK, so I am not really going to give you a history lesson although I love history. I woke up this morning with a sore throat and thought to myself I do not have time to be sick.  So please excuse me is this article is not as clear as others.  I feel crappy!

In my dazed mood I remembered that I had some essential oils in the medicine cabinet and they are great for healing.  I ran across thieves oil and thought that is the ticket.  Thieves oil is a  blend that helps with not only a sore throat but many other virus born illnesses. 

So here is the history,  In the 12th century Europeans began producing essential oils. The first use of this blend of essential oil was used during the Plague of the 15th century. Thieves during that time would enter homes of the dead plague victim and steal what ever they could find but the amazing thing was the thieves would not become ill with the plague! This thievery went on for months until one day. The magistrate finally caught four thieves in Marseilles, France.  At the trial, the magistrate offered them leniency if they would reveal how they managed to avoid contracting the dreaded infection, in spite of their close contact with infected corpses. It was disclosed that these thieves were perfumers and spice traders who had rubbed themselves with a concoction of aromatic herbs (cinnamon, clove, and oregano).

This was the beginning of thieves oil to provide protection from germs and diseases. As we know germs, bacteria and respiratory viruses that surround us are at an all time high. They are now  stronger and  more antibiotic-resistant. This essential oil blend has cleansing abilities. It is highly effective in supporting the immune system and good health. Thieves is made from a blend of  clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus, and rosemary.  Most companies that sell this oil has their own proprietary blend.  You can buy it at any local health food store.

One note of caution for those of fair skin like me.  These oils are considered hot oils and too much can cause a burning sensation especially if applying to open wounds (not recommended).  These hot oils are natural enemies to bacteria and viruses making them perfect to use when you have a cold or even a sore throat.  Simply rub a bit on the infected area, such as outside of the throat and let the healing begin.

Until next time...Light and Love to all of you!

Pop'n and Lock'n with the Best of Them

This morning I woke up and it was raining, sticky, and hot.  Also, as I hip hopped out of bed I heard the pop and lock of my knees.  You thought I was doing hip hop moves and I was about to be the next contestant on "So you Think You Can Dance"!  Well maybe in my younger days, today it is just a flare up of  arthritis with a bit of swollen feet. Instead of popping an ibuprofen like most people do, I remembered what my friend Pat from work told me about the healing properties of pineapple. So after work it was straight to the grocery store to by crushed pineapple to see if I could get some relief.

In fact pineapples have been traditionally used as a medicinal plant in parts of the world where the fruit is in abundant supply. In Hawaii, for example, the fruit has been used by the native people as an effective cure for digestive problems and sore throats. Apart from being a rich source of vitamin C which we all need more of, the pineapple contains an active substance known as bromelain; which has been clinically proven to ease joint pain and discomfort. Holistic health care providers and Clinicians say it takes about 8 days to see real results so maybe I should buy some stock in Dole in the meantime.  As you can see I am a bit of a skeptic  but will definitely report back! So with spoon in hand and a big bowl of pineapple, I am ready to get rid of the Pop'n and Lock'n in  my joints.  Here's to only Pop'n and Lock'n on the dance floor!

Love and Health to you All!

What! Are you eating grass?

One of the strangest things happen when you get older.  You start to think wow...I wasted a lot of time and now I want to do something good for myself and others.  So that is when I took up the habit of telling everyone that I was eating grass,  I mean wheat grass!  To be perfectly honest it is more like drinking wheat grass.  I did some research on it and thought I would try it.  There are many people who think that wheat grass juice is simply a health food drink, something you get at one of those posh juice bars.  The truth is, there are books filled with long lists of uses and applications for this nutrient rich natural food. It's health benefits include: detoxifying from addictions, tooth decay, sore throat, skin problems, constipation, improving blood sugar, high-blood pressure and breathing.  So now the big question is where do you get it? And more importantly what the heck does it taste like?  To be honest, to me it tastes like a strong green tea. It really is not  bad at all.  What is interesting this super food can either come in powder form or frozen form.  I prefer the frozen ice cubes. I can drop in a 4 oz glass of water and drink it like a shooter.  It just makes it easier for me!  I have been known to be a very picky eater.  Like the time I was five years old and was in Florida with my Mom and Dad.  I cried because I wanted a fried bologna sandwich and it was 95 degrees.  Needless to say I was sent to sleep in the hotel and the rest of my family ended up with sunburns.  But that is another topic altogether and you can read about the remedy for sunburns in a previous blog!  Actually I am beginning to like the taste and  many people who regularly enjoy the health benefits of wheat grass choose to sprout it at home.  Too much work for me!
What kind of benefits am I getting from this green gunk?  I have been eating grass for about one month now and can honestly say it has helped with my inflammation due to thyroid disease and I have a lot of energy!  I think it is really working.    I buy my frozen green goodness at the local health food store in the frozen food section but you can google wheat grass and come up with a zillion places to buy it.  I really like the evergreen brand.
Check it out! http://www.evergreenjuices.com/index2.php#/home/

So try it! What can it hurt! You just might like it.   Love an health to all my friends!

Fishing Boats, SPF 90, and Looking Like a Lobster!

I am sure there of lots of you out there that have the same dilemma as me. It is what I call the burn and peel syndrome.  I have had it from an early age, although my Sister becomes a lovely color of carmel after only one day.  So much to my surprise when I received a call tonight and on the other end of the phone I hear, "Sissy, I am in pain....my back is on fire and it already has been two days", that is when it became apparent I needed to go into big sister mode even though I am the baby of the family.  "Did you wear sunscreen when you went out on the boat?", yes, "Did you take some ibuprofen?" yes, "Did you try vinegar?" yes, So once I realized the questioning was not working, I said, "OK, hold on, let me look in my holistic health book." There was a whole section on sunburns. What I read was astonishing.  It said to take a washcloth and soak in milk and apply to the sunburn.  Do it for 20 minutes and then make sure to shower so your skin does not smell sour. I relayed the information to my sister thenshe reluctently agreed. To say she was a skeptic is an understatement. About one hour later much to my surprise I received a text saying it worked!  She was feeling much better and she loved me.  The coolness soothes the initial heat felt by the skin and the milk will create a protein film that helps ease the discomfort.
So if you face this dilemma, take my advice, milk compresses work! However, my best advice is use  stay out of the sun you will look younger longer!  Enjoy your summer but don't forget the sunblock. 

Welcome to the beginning of my journey!

So I was talking with my sister tonight and realized that I have a talent.  I am a crack researcher and I love to find ways to treat ailments holistically.  I am not a doctor or even a person that plays one on TV!  I do however believe in living naturally and authentically.  I believe our bodies can heal themselves and I am on the search to see how I can heal myself.  So sit back take a moment to read on and hopefully I will inform and entertain!  Enjoy!