My immunity was shot back in my early 20s after burning myself out quickly eating junk, working nights, and generally not taking care of myself. It took years to rebuild, and still requires attention to this day.
The cool thing is that now I seldom get sick. When I do I generally have a longer recovery than I think I should, but again this is generally due to the way my body seems to work. My family also shares in my remedies and generally don't catch much that goes around, and if they do they just all bounce back much quicker than others.
My point and lesson is that I just need to not let myself get sick.
This may sound illogical, but it actually works pretty well for me most of the time if I stay on top of what I know I should be doing.
Nutrition really does seem to be the key. All the junk, fillers, and artificial ingredients really aren't meant to be assimilated into our bodies, and eventually they will rebel. Get plenty of water (rule of thumb is 1/2 an ounce per pound of body weight, or 120 pounds gets 60 ounces).
I hate swallowing capsules so the ones I take have to be worth my while. I've been looking into other options, but for now I do go the way of the tablet for my supplements. The vitamin we use is always Rainbow Light's Complete Nutritional System. This mighty product not only contains vitamins and minerals, but green foods, enzymes and some herbs for general health.
I also have come to using teas daily as well. My favorite formula is my stress relief tea that contains jasmine green tea, peppermint, licorice root, ginkgo, siberian ginseng, red raspberry leaf, and st john's wort along with some stevia. These herbs really support your immune system and taste pretty good as well. If you don't mix your own you can buy a similar, but not identical, blend at the Bulk Herb Store.
When I do feel something coming on I turn first to NOW's Allibiotic. This blend, in my opinion, is the equivalent to antibiotics. It is really strong, and I take it as directed for a week when colds and sniffles seem to start heading in the wrong direction.
I do like to mix herbs and try new blends all the time, but these are really my tried and true remedies that I use everyday. It does all go back to my feeling that herbs and nutrition, while they can be healing, are much more intended to keep you well... I guess I just don't want to have to get better from an illness, but keep well everyday....
Things have been of overwhelming proportions lately, but I recently read a post by a pretty cool woman who is a wife and mother that helped me take a stand on putting things to where I can better function.
I've been attempting to plan a menu that includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. This would be fine if I were solely a full-time homemaker, but I'm not. Even if I were, between a couple of kids, homeschool, appointments and stuff, sometimes too much, is too much!
I've taken alot of the stress of daily living off me by cutting back to preparing 1 meal a day. The kids were initially not happy, but quite frankly, I didn't really ask their opinions. I did ask for their favorite meals so that those would be the ones that we had for dinners.
Breakfasts are now toast with jam and milk. It's not like we don't have a ton of jams/jellies already stored, and I've gotten to the point with homemade, whole wheat bread that it really is a no brainer to pump out a couple of loaves.
Lunches are now sandwiches with veggies/fruits and possibly some chips, if I'm feeling generous, with milk or herb tea to drink. Sandwiches are also simple... PB&J, as this is #1 cheap, #2 healthy, and #3 easy.
Dinner is the one cooked meal of the day. This week the plan is:
Sunday: homemade whole wheat waffles.
Monday: clam chowder with salad and cheese muffins.
Tuesday: redbeans and rice with salad.
Wednesday: Spaghetti with salad
Thursday: Eggs and bacon
Friday: Beef teriyaki and rice
Saturday: steaks and pototoes
............................
I do encourage a daily snack if they are hungry, but so far it hasn't been needed. They also get a small bowl of ice cream after dinner as a treat on most nights.
I'm just relieved that at least this one thing has become less stressful, but still healthy.
Enough is enough, I've finally decided. I've had alot going on this year so far and it's kept me from exercise and been my excuse for falling off of the diet wagon.
So now, I've decided to kick it up a notch and instead of my nice ride and centergy classes, I've started back to running. For me, it really is all about sweating and getting the heart rate up, and nothing does this for me like running does.
I'm not stupid enough to think that I can pick up where I left off 5 years ago, so I looked around online, and at the recommendation of some friends I started the Couch to 5K program.
I did the week one of this, but it really wasn't enough for my body. I don't mean that I am such superior shape that it was easy, because that isn't right. I mean that if I'm going to exercise, I need more than 20 minutes.... my body needs to sweat for a good 45 minutes to an hour at least, or I tend not to see and feel the benefits.
So this week I kicked it up a notch with this program that gets you running a 10k over 13 weeks. I don't run outside, but on an indoor treadmill, and may never run any race at all, but I feel the need to really push myself more at this time.
I'm also limiting myself to only 3 runs a week and making myself rest as well. THat tends to be one of my issues... I get over-excited about things and over-do it, and then end up quitting because I'm burned out.
My running days are monday, wednesday, and friday for now, with yoga/strength training on tuesday and thursdays.
Right now I can't wait until Monday.... I get to bump up the running, and while I'm scared, I'm also really excited.
I also had alot of foot pain, like on the soles of my feet, last week. This week I decided to investigate running shoes and found a great pair (on sale, even) that make it feel like running on air.... I have had constant issues with foot pain, and they seem mostly gone from getting a great pair of shoes.
I got a pair of ASICS, as recommended on their website shoe fit guide for my particular foot type.
ALso.... what would running indoors be without my iPod? This is my playlist for this week... It's kind of a short list as I like to walk and run to the same songs... too many songs break my concentration (?)
Today is the shortest day of the year, and I can almost see the sun moving on its way across the sky...
It kind of amazes me when I think about how our society has built its traditions around this day, but that is neither here nor there, and I don't care to go there...
My point is that as seasons change we can remember the milestones of the past season and chose to move on. I like to remember the solstices and equinoxes of the year and do a housekeeping of sorts at these times....
So with the beginning of the new season I am choosing to do a gentle winter cleanse. You might say that this is stupid as it is a holiday week, but I tend to do better during times like this. It helps me to remember to not go overboard...
I've already started the No S diet. To do a cleanse of sorts I am looking more at adding in green foods daily, in addition to my green food vitamin.... maybe it's the decreased sun, but I'm feeling the need for more. I am also bumping up my omega 3-6-9. I am looking to leaner meats and eating more raw broccoli, greens and cabbages from the garden. We've also been doing more spinach salads, too.
Nettle tea is a good addition this time of year along with adrenal support. I like to use teas and the Stress buster formula is a good one.... and I also add licorice root to this blend.
I also just placed my first order with iHerb and was very impressed by their prices and quick delivery. You can use the code LIN172 to get $5 off your first order, and shipping is a flat rate $1.99 or free if you order more than $60.
It seems that right now is an incredibly busy time for just about everyone that I have come into contact with lately. Somehow my list of things to get done seems to be multiplying exponentially the more I cross off of it.
I don't feel as if I have anything to even post here... a few pictures, a recipe, but nothing worth the investment of the time it would take to do it....
But... not only am I spinning my wheels in the normal daily grind of life... I have discovered a new thing.... and I really am all about doing the new things in life, be it good or bad...
When I joined the gym with my princess earlier this month I was intimidated by the whole idea of spin class... I'm not much of a bike rider, and it just seemed really tortuous. So, of course, I had to go and try it out. THe first one was horrible, but now after 4 or 5 spin classes, I'm hooked. I still like basic aerobics, but I find that most classes are step classes that bulk my calves, and the dance-y ones aren't hard enough. I really need the cardio right now, and the spin classes are killer in more than one way.
So next week I've got at least 2 spin classes planned along with a step aerobics and a couple of weight/pump classes.
I'm eating what I ate before, but I've tried to be more diligent about cutting out sweets. I limit myself to one bottle (the smaller ones) of wine per week, and I'm drinking all of my water...
I don't usually weigh and measure until Friday, but my weight is down 5 pounds in just over 2 weeks. I'm still excited about exercise and can't wait until my next spin class....
The Bee Gee's 1977 hit song "Stayin' Alive" has just about the perfect tempo for performing chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), according to the American Heart Association.
The song has 103 beats per minute, and doctors recommend compressing the chest 100 times per minute in order to perform CPR, a resuscitation technique that can increase a patient's chances for survival by up to 300 percent -- but only if the chest compressions are done at the proper rate.
Reuters asked Dr. David Matlock of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria to explain why he settled on that song, since many others have a similar tempo. Unsurprisingly, he said that the name of the song was a factor, as was the fact that so many people already have it pretty much memorized. "The theme 'Stayin' Alive' is very appropriate for the situation," said Matlock. "Everybody's heard it at some point in their life. People know the song and can keep it in their head."
His small study involved playing "Stayin' Alive" while CPR students practiced CPR on dummies. Five weeks later, participants were still able to perform chest compressions at the proper rate by playing the music in their heads.
I've been out of vitamins for a few months now. I honestly don't believe that a supplement is necessary to be healthy, but I am also realistic enough to know that my diet isn't perfect and life gets stressful. Old health issues easily resurface if I don't stay diligent with certain supplements, and I've found one that works great for my needs.
I've been on the Rainbow Light Complete Nutritional System for YEARS... They are many other lines that have similar supplements, but these work well for me and are very complete.
In addition to being a great multivitamin with minerals, they are full of green foods, enzymes and herbs for energy.
The serving size is 3 tablets, but I only take 2 and get really good results. I honestly hate to take any pill on a daily basis be it a drug or a vitamin. These are big, nasty green things.... and I'd rather take 2 of these than to take a daily vitamin then green foods, then enzymes, etc, etc.....
This way you get it all at once in one tidy dose.....
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 3 Tablets
Servings per Container: 60
Amount Per Serving
% Daily Value
Vitamin A (50% Beta-Carotene, 50% Palmitate)
10000 IU
200%
Vitamin C (50% Calcium Ascorbate, 50% Ascorbic Acid)
This is going to be a busy week... It seems that the weeks we take off school are the worst as I try to cram as much as possible into them, and see how hard I can make things....
I've been doing pretty good with the exercise.... I got in 5 days at 1 hour a day last week, and I did yesterday and today to start off this week. No real weight loss yet, and while I'm disappointed, I'm not surprised. I let the diet go a bit last week, but I'll be looking more at both starting this week.
The main thing is to just stay diligent and not get discouraged and give up... My main problem is lack of sleep and rest due to constant 'stuff'. I'm working a ton this week so I know that something's got to give at some point. I just don't have a rest day planned until October 11th (?). Hopefully I'll make it until then.
I was going to post a menu, but work weeks tend to be fairly basic.... We had chicken today, and I'm using the left overs to make Em's Chicken and dumplings tonight so that the kids will have food tomorrow when Granny comes to visit. I'm also planning chili (but I'm telling the Prince and Princess it's red beans and rice as they like the one, but not the other for some weird reason), meat loaf (my favorite comfort food), multiple batches of muffins, and salad.
My main goal with such a busy time is to stay really prepared. If I let things get slack, I find that I just give in to convenience and go to Taco Bell or order pizza... This might be fine for one meal, but I also realize that it's easy for me to spiral out of control... one meal out puts everything out of order and soon all we are eating are nachoes.
This, it turns out, is my 200th post. I started this last year as a diary for myself, and it amazes me that anyone cares to read it at all... I've never thought that I knew a whole lot or had much to say, but I appreciate the wonderful comments and people that I have met thru this site.... I keep thinking that I'm going to shut it down, but somehow I think that this site has helped to save my sanity over the past year, and helped me to determine what my priorities in life truly are.
I had mentioned last week about using my grain mill to grind rolled oats into flour for a bread recipe. I know many people use 'micronizing' mills like the Nutrimill or Wondermill, but after I researched grain mills I chose the Family Grain Mill. I liked the versatility of it... it can be used manually or with the electric Bosch base, there are also many different attachments that can allow it to function in a variety of ways.
I like that I can gauge how finely the flour is ground... everything from lightly cracked to fine flour. I can also put the flour back thru again if it wasn't as finely ground as I would have liked. You are also not limited to grains and beans. Non-oily herbs and seeds may also be ground (but I haven't tried this yet).
It isn't quite as fast as the other mills, but it also doesn't heat the flour as much. It's generally in the 90-105 degree range when I've checked it in the past. It also doesn't grind quite as finely as a micronizer, but I've never had any complaints, either.
It works by stainless steel burrs or plates grinding the items placed in the hopper.
After seeing other mills demonstrated, I still think that I would buy this one again given the choices...
We have had a really good water filter under the sink for the past few years when it suddenly died this past week. We were thinking that we should go ahead and replace the current one, but then considered getting another variety of filter.
There are so many options to choose with the characteristics of the water produced spanning a large distance.
So... what we decided was to go very low tech... no full house system or fancy gadgets... We chose the Berkey system... It is basically a gravity filtration that can filter the nastiest water including rain and river water, and requires no power/electricity of any kind.
If nothing else it is shiney.... and I like shiney!
Also, our shower filters are still good, but we also plan on replacing them with the Berkey ones as well.
I'm one of those people who will pretty much try anything once. I like to think that I fear nothing and am not easily intimidated...
This is a pretty foolish attitude, but I would also like to validate it on some level by saying that I also know when to call it quits....
I recently started making kombucha... it's grossed me out for years, but I had never brewed my own and figured, "hey, lets give it a try!".
Well, I tried, and try as I like, I just could do it.... I did make a couple of batches, and it probably tasted how it was supposed to, but I just didn't like it. It took up alot of room in my kitchen, and I hate cluttered countertops. It is also visually gross.... So pretty much Mr. B was the only one who would drink the stuff, and he's honestly not that picky... So good-bye kombucha.
Maybe I was setting myself up to not like it, but the gagging sensation when I would drink it is more than I will suffer in the name of health.....
But then I got to thinking..... So often the world makes life into a competition. I do love a good competion, don't get me wrong, but sometimes you need to draw a line.
What I do in the name of health or nutrition (or even in the name of Christianity) is what I feel led to do... I once read an article called, More Vegan Than Thou... It was probably about 15 years ago by a vegetarian magazine talking about how vegan were attempting to "outdo" each other by how extreme they could become in their eating habits (yes, for my carnivorous friends, there are levels to veganism even).
I don't want anyone to think that because I make bread, or garden, or grow herbs or do whatever that I am living a perfectly healthy life. I also enjoy diet pepsi, drink too much coffee, and really love candy... I may try different things, but if I don't like it.. I won't keep it up. Life is too short to waste time doing the things you hate.
I guess the way I see it is that we are all on the same team.... looking for ways to be happy, healthy and productive.... we are also individuals with different needs and likes. I would prefer to learn from those on my team rather than to compete with them....
I've been working the past few days at the hospital and it's really been kicking my butt.... sorry for the bluntness. In addition I really think that the getting up at 5 am is not so good for me either unless I could get to bed before midnight... but it never happens.
So I'm tired and sore and mentally drained when I read thisblog and see this!
I think I may now know what my next project is going to be!
A few months ago I started exercising weekly with friends as a way to stay accountable for exercising and losing weight.... the unfortunate thing is that I haven't lost any weight or inches....
I tend to be one to gain and lose weight pretty easily, and though I've been holding onto an extra 15-20 pounds over the past 3-4 years, I thought that I would be at my goal by now.
Yesterday I was reading a study regarding weight loss that said most people don't exercise enough to really make a difference in their weight and most need to focus on calorie restriction....
I can't tell you how stupid I thought this idea was.... I used to exercise like mad and lost weight and kept it off. Of course you only have to exercise....
BUT.... then I thought about it some more..... Maybe I've not lost weight because I'm not exercising consistently, or not doing so hard enough.... maybe it's because I'm eating more to make up for the calories that I have burned....
I've actually gained weight this week because I've been psychologically gearing up for next week and I've been gorging myself with junk food..... I know that I'm doing it yet I still continue.....
So.... at this point I'm thinking that there may be a validity to the study....
I used to keep a strict diet also in addition to the exercise.... I'm beginning to think that this is really key for me....
Starting tomorrow.... I am going to do our exercise boot camp..... we will be exercising everyday this week..... I think that exercise is important on so many levels as far as health, but I'm not going to plan on it losing me any weight.....
I'm going to have to get serious about what I am eating and how much of it.... I find that with the more I cook and the more nutritious the food is that I eat I tend to think that I can eat more, but this is something that I seriously need to re-evaluate.
I'm going back to keeping a daily food diary with calories, carbs, fat, protein and fiber all counted. I've slacked off water and green tea lately and replaced them with diet pepsi and coffee.... this also needs to change.
I'm going to make sure I take my supplements this week along with essential fatty acids to maximize my energy.
I don't have any magic as far as herbal remedies that will burn off the fat.... there are some to help you feel less hungry, but none that will make it less of an effort on my part....
I guess my plan is
.... eat less
....be accountable for what I am eating
....eat balanced meals with a little bit of protein, carbs, and fat at every meal
....eat veggies and some fruits over grain or simple carbohydrates
One of the things that I do for good health is dry skin brushing.... think of it as having all of the benefits of massage except the good feeling part of it....
Now it's not exactly painful, but it is more of an aquired taste... essentially you have to get used to it...
Pretty much all you need to do this is a naked body and a firm, natural bristled brush...
My brush was about $5 online and is the Yerba Prima brand. It has a long handle to reach those out of the way places.....
Now what I do is, just before I get in the shower each morning (or afternoon as the case may be), I do a full body brushing... You do this BEFORE you get wet... the brush should also be DRY....
I start with my feet then brush up the leg and hip of one leg and then the other... I use a movement that is towards the abdomen/stomach. I then brush extra over the femoral/side of the groin area. I then do one hand-arm-shoulder and then the other. I then move to the back and brush from the spine towards the abdomen (lower back) and sternum/breastbone (upper back) around to the ribs. I then brush the upper chest with extra brushing over the sternum. Last I do the abdomen in a circular motion (clockwise to someone standing in front of you).
The reason for the extra stimulation over the femoral area and sternum is due to the presence of lymph tissue here... the additional stimulation here helps to strengthen this system...
You should brush each area vigorously a few times before moving onto the next area. Obviously you need to be gentle in sensitive areas...
So what's the point of doing this anyway?
There are many benefits to skin brushing.... exfoliation is one, but it can also tighten the skin and decrease the appearance of cellulite.
It increases cardiovascular circulation in addition to lymphatic circulation...
But who really cares about the lymphatic system??? The lymphatic system is your body's transport system of lymph, the fluid/protein part of the blood. The lymph system doesn't have a pump to move it and requires you to encourage movement either thru brushing or exercise/ muscle contractions. The lymphatic system is basically your body's immunity... it controls your body's ability to fight off foreign substances and carries metabolic wastes from the organs...
A good dry brush massage is one step in achieving better health...
Living day to day while seeking the truth in life. Finding wisdom through Christ in marriage and my children. Finding beauty in the world in which we live...
The Bee Gee's 1977 hit song "Stayin' Alive" has just about the perfect tempo for performing chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), according to the American Heart Association.
![wings_staticbanner_125x125[1]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3601/3654768638_b42323b4d5_o.gif)
