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Written by Courtney @ A + Life (originally published in April of 2015)
My Natural Birth Plans
I don’t have plans to take these to the hospital with me. I’m not going to be the girl who shows up with a bullet point, high lighted, step by step birth plan….. mostly because my plans are “hands off, please”. But, that’s easy enough to say, and not necessary to be printed out on a piece of paper.
I remember when I got pregnant with my first daughter, Abigail. Even though it had taken us a year to get pregnant with her, I was still fairly blissfully naive when it came to all things baby. First time parent, ah quite youthful, and just a bit uninformed. It was well into my 6th month or so, I was almost in third tri, when I was in Virginia to be a bridesmaid for one of my very best friends. We all got to talking about labor and delivery, and up to that point, I had planned to do whatever my Dr. told me and OBVIOUSLY get the epidural. Mostly, because I just hadn’t given it much thought. But the more we talked, and more and more of the women shared their stories about home birth, zero interventions, refusing induction and epidurals, the more I got to thinking….perhaps I should do some research myself?
Keep in mind that this was 2010, so it was basically the technological dark ages.
I got my hands on a copy of Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth and it completely revolutionized the way I thought about childbirth. From that point on, I knew that I was going to have a intervention free delivery and made all of my plans based off of that choice.
And if the years of praying and waiting for our second gift, Mabel, and the years of being a mama and taking care of a little one have done anything for me, it has been this: the pendulum of “crunch factor” has way swung and I only continue to up the ante on myself as I have choices.
The first time I read Ina May I totally, totally got her points. They made absolute sense to me, but I was like, DANG these people are weird as all get out. But rereading it this time around? I’m like, how can I get to “The Farm”(her “commune” for those of you who aren’t familiar with her) and live in a cabin and give birth there. Like, today. So, as I’ve said, it’s fairly obvious to see that I’ve continued down the all natural road and have no plans of putting the brakes on it anytime soon.
So, here is what I am already doing:
(This is all from consultations and advice from my naturopath)
- Prenatal + Iron
- Vitamin B Supplement
- Vitamin D Supplement
- Probiotic
- Tons of water
- Sitting on the birthing ball for a few minutes every evening
- Rereading my birthing books(bonus if it’s while I’m on the birthing ball!)
- Drinking Red Raspberry Leaf Tea
- And I’m starting to select birth affirmations and bible verses to start meditating on to prepare my heart and mind for labor and delivery.
The Plans For Me:
- Refusal of all pre-labor cervical checks
- Refuse any and all induction- obviously, to a reasonable extent. My first daughter, Abigail came on her due date, so I have no reason to think that this should be an issue. But, I’m perfectly ready to go up to 42 weeks if Mabel needs it.
- Once labor begins, labor at home for as long as possible. On the birthing ball, in the tub, eating and drinking, staying calm and composed.
- Once labor progresses to the point where we think it is wise to head to the hospital, then we will head that way.
- Once at the hospital, no IV(will concede to a heplock), no constant fetal monitoring(if possible), and laboring how it feels best.
- And that is basically it! I ended up wanting to push while reclining, that felt the most comfortable to me and my water didn’t break until completion so those were two non-issues last time that I hope will be the same again.
I mostly just want to be left to labor with Jim, my Mom, and my good friend who is a doula.
For Mabel:
To me, this is the section with the biggest changes from my previous delivery. I didn’t do a ton of research as far as what baby goes through and what the standard procedures are in the hospital after baby is born with Abigail. Obviously, it all turned out just fine, but there are certainly things I want to do differently this time around.
After Mabel is delivered, if all is well:
- I want her to be immediately placed on my chest for skin to skin and nursing.
- Delayed cord clamping
- Delayed bath
- Refusal of eye ointment
- Delaying the Hep B shot until a later pediatrician appointment
- Requesting that any and all checks, vitamin K shot, or other things be delayed until after the first nursing session or while she is on my chest.
- If possible, not use pitocin to expel the placenta and let it deliver when it is ready.
- And of course, keeping Mabel in the room with us at all times. Jim can go with her if they need to take her anywhere.
I’ve had a few different talks with my OB about my plans and she has been nothing but sweet and understanding about my ideas. Thankfully, I am a 100% low risk, textbook patient, so there isn’t any reason to worry much about how things will go. She also delivered Abigail and is aware of my previous labor and delivery, which I think helps keep our communication open. The hospital where I had Abigail has since closed it’s birthing center, but a brand new hospital just opened in March, so I should be using all new state of the art equipment and have been told that their birthing rooms are very similar to my previous experience(labor, deliver, recover all in the same room + room in with baby).
As my OB and I talked through my “plans” she just suggested that anything I say to the nurses about my desires to preface it with “Dr. B and I have already discussed this and she is aware of my wishes” or if she is present, just have Jim or my doula remind her of my plans(such as delayed cord clamping) so that we can achieve a great birth together.
So, at this point, in these last few weeks of waiting, I’m really just trying to prepare my heart and mind for what is coming. With Abigail, I was fiercely determined. And not so much nervous. This time, I feel anxious and scared because I can remember it hurting so badly. But, I know that it is what is best for me and for Mabel and I’m happy to choose it and do it the same way as I did with Abigail. I just need to get my head in the game before hand!
One verse that has particularly stood out to me that I have been memorizing in preparation for her delivery is a verse that showed up during this semester’s ladies bible study(we’re studying 1st and 2nd Thessalonians):
“We give thanks to God always for you all, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brethren beloved by God, that He has chosen you.” 1 Thessalonians 1: 2-4
Did you have a birth plan? What did it look like?
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I hate to admit it, but year’s ago, I thought “organic” was just a marketing ploy. I thought plastic bottles were all safe. I fed my family convenience foods that came in a box. I never gave any of it much thought. But over the years, I’ve learned that there are a lot of dangerous chemicals and additives, even in things you wouldn’t think would have any, and that avoiding them is hard! Searching the Internet can help, but a lot of the information is so overwhelming, it can be hard to know where to start.
I’m by no means an expert in living healthfully or organically, but these books and documentaries were really engaging and helped me learn how to make changes one small step at a time. Here are my top 5 books and documentaries that changed the way our family lives.
1. Fast Food Nation (Book)
I read this just after Super Size Me came out. It was the first time I had really thought about what was in fast food and what that could do to a person. This book starts out simply enough with the beginnings of modern fast food: the restaurants, how they started, how they created systems to make food quickly. Then it peels back that layer and starts going to the distributors, the factories and even the slaughterhouses. Hearing about the conditions, the additives and the lack of oversight will make you think about what you’re really eating at fast food places.
2. Food Inc (Documentary)
This engaging documentary will blow you away. A lot of the movie has to do with food laws: do you know if what you’re buying is genetically altered? What if the chicken in your dinner is cloned? Or from another country? You might be surprised to know all these dirty little secrets of food laws and the arguments both for and against each one.
3. Salt, Sugar, Fat (Book)
I borrowed this as an audiobook from my local library. Not only was it fabulous as an audiobook, but the content was life changing. The author talks about the history of cereal and how post-WWII, with women in the workplace, it rose to the breakfast food of choice by being convenient and choc-full of sugar (seriously, in the 70s they were open about it with Sugar Pops, Sugar Smacks and even Super Sugar Crisp). In the years since sugar became seen as a negative, some major companies have relied on false advertising about how students who ate certain frosted wheat cereal scored better in tests. These were false of course, and punished by the government, but those punishments were so small and so long after the offense that most people didn’t even know about them.
Salt, Sugar, Fat also talks about the soda industry as well as convenience foods like Lunchables. As a kid who grew up on Lunchables, I was horrified to find out the history of them and what goes into those delicious little squares of meat and cheese. This book also teaches you an important code word: cheesier. Whenever a company wants to sell more of a product, they make it cheesier. It ups the fat content which makes people crave it more. Once you hear examples of it though, you will not be able to stop seeing cheesier marketing everywhere you look.
4. The Human Experiment (Documentary)
I came across this a few weeks back as a recommendation on Netflix. It deals mainly with the chemicals in our everyday lives that are altering our health. It gives the example of BPA which we all know now was in our baby’s bottles just a few years back. Before that, there was data that showed that babies were being born with BPA in their bloodstreams, but the information was slow to get to the consumer. This movie also talks about chemicals you might not know about like the flame-resistant coating on children’s sleepwear, or the chemicals allowed in baby shampoo in the US that are outlawed in Japan. You start realizing that there are harmful chemicals in pretty much everything around you, the government knows it, but there are purposeful actions to keep you from knowing about it.
5. The Flavorists (60 Minutes, 2011)
This one has a sort of honorary spot on the list because it’s not so much a documentary as a 15-minute news story. In 2011, 60 Minutes was given a behind-the-scenes look at how flavors are created. It starts innocently enough with these scientists figuring out how to create fruity flavors in drinks, but then it moves on to how these flavorists make their products. All the flavors are chemicals. While natural flavoring may come from natural sources, they don’t necessarily come from anything you’d be interested in eating on purpose: like beavers. Then they talk to Dr. Kessler, the former head of the FDA about how packaged foods are full of additives that make the foods addictive and fattening. Can you guess what those additives are? Salt, sugar & fat…again. It’s a brief film, but will definitely change the way you look at the foods you find in the grocery store.
I admit that I’m not the best at knowing all the healthiest foods and in our family, we still do buy several things that are not healthy for us. However, knowing what to look for and the red flags has changed our habits tremendously. When we can easily find and organic option, we do. If we have the ability to make something ourselves instead of from a package or a restaurant, we make it. And when we are buying those packaged foods, we’re comparing the labels and looking for red flags and keywords. While we don’t make healthy choices 100% of the time, we’re doing it more and more and that’s better than where we started.
What have you watched or read that changed the way you look at chemicals in our lives?
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Written by Kari @ Live on Purpose, Contributing Writer
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if eating healthy didn’t have to be so complicated? I love talking to my grandmother, who is 83, and just listening to how different things were so many years ago. Do you know there was a day and time when people just ate. Yep – it was that simple. They grew gardens, they raised cattle, pigs, goats and sheep. They knew how to prolong their winter supply and utilize everything they had so it didn’t go to waste. Many towns had small, family owned markets to get stuff like flour, sugar and spices. There may have been more labor involved in their eating, but they never had to wonder if the food they were eating was “real” or “fake”, if it had chemicals sprayed all over it or if they animal had been treated humanely. They just ate.
Not so much today. Unfortunately, most people spend hours upon hours every week just trying to see if the food they are buying and eating is healthy or toxic. Think of all the label reading, menu scouring, waiter questioning and google searches that go into your weekly eating habits.
One of the most misunderstood and sometimes unheard of issues with our food supply today is GMO’s – genetically modified organisms. Yes, I teach classes, do consultations and host small group challenges – and so many people still have never even heard of the term, GMO.
When I first heard about this issue years ago, I was fascinated and have researched it over the past 10 years with somewhat of a vengeance. So much so, that I do everything I can to avoid eating foods with GMO’s as mush as I can, although I found that when we travel it’s not super easy.
What exactly are GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS Or GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS?
Without getting into controversy here, I want to mention that there is much debate on the ethical boundaries of GMO’s and the fact that many countries ban any products with GMO’s and it’s illegal to grow anything with GMO’s – yet The United States allows them, grows them and supports them and their health benefits. In fact, many third party studies have shown such damaging effects of GMO, so we should be more cautious about these considering they never had studies done with genetically modified ingredients in the past. It’s also good to point out that the FDA does not require labeling and doesn’t feel it’s necessary as long as the companies declare it to be
safe.
Basically, food is altered in an unnatural way that is damaging our soil, hurting family farms and is disrupting the healthy functions of the physical body, in humans and animals. When you understand that this is an area that is understudied and short term and long term effects are mostly unknown still, we need to have better diligence when it comes to consuming foods containing these.
Personally I think the biggest concern is that the government and agencies do not feel we have the right to know what foods on the market contain GMO’s. This is disturbing, so it’s a good idea to do research on these foods, which companies use them and don’t and how to know what to look for when you are grocery shopping.
Below you will find a good list of companies that are GMO-free! Although there is no complete list that I have found – these are good resources and helpful for those who don’t have the time to do the research themselves. Get acquainted with the names. Print off the list and carry it with you when you go shopping. Look for stamps on foods that say “NON-GMO VERIFIED” or “CERTIFIED ORGANIC USDA”. These simple steps will help you narrow down your selections so you know which foods are safe to eat. They may not be as safe as going to your backyard, but for those who have to buy their food at the store – these two things will make a huge difference in your food choices.
Choose dairy that states it’s from grass fed cows. Ask if your meat is raised and finished on grass – you don’t want meat from a grain-fed cow, even if it’s organic meat. When buying chicken and eggs – you want pasture-raised. This will be the healthiest and most beneficial to your body.
Shopping doesn’t have to be hard, but unless you do a little research and have some resources you can turn to – it may be a part of your weekly routine that you dread. Get informed, be proactive and shop easy!
- GreenPeace PDF Guide to NON-GMO companies – click here
- GMO-Free Foods from Nourished Kitchen – click here
- NON-GMO Companies by Healthy Family – click here
- NON-GMO Shopping Guides and Tips Downloadable – click here
A couple quotes to think on:
“As far as genetic engineering for food, that is the great experiment that has failed. They literally have the entire world market against them. All those dreams… the blind will see, the lame will walk… has turned out to be science fiction. They are basically chemical companies selling more chemicals. They’ve been able to spread these herbicide-promoting plants around because it is more convenient for farmers who can just mass-spray their crops. But they’ve given absolutely nothing to the consumer while causing more chemical pollution and contamination.” – Lawyer, Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the Center for Food Safety (USA)
“Any scientist who tells you they know that GMOs are safe and not to worry about it, is either ignorant of the history of science or is deliberately lying. Nobody knows what the long-term effect will be.” – Geneticist, David Suzuki, giving the 2008 Commonwealth Lecture in London
How will you be proactive when it comes to avoiding genetically modified foods?
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Written by Kari @ Living Strong Wellness, Contributing Writer
It seems these days that good, restful sleep is hard to come by. Not only with adults, but children as well. As this is not an exciting fact, it is a reality and I believe we have a wonderful variety of natural options to help us.
For instance, there are herbal teas, essential oils, supplements and something I want to share with you today – magnesium butter.
Ahhh, this stuff is amazing. Why do I love it so much? Because it provides our body something that is lacking so severely in today’s generation – magnesium.
There are many benefits of healthy magnesium levels. To mention just a few:
- Magnesium helps muscle and nerve function. Serving as calcium’s vital partner, magnesium will allow calcium to do it’s job to build muscle growth.
- Magnesium plays an important role in gut health. Without good levels of magnesium aid in the absorption of copper, potassium, vitamin D and zinc. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels, which will lessen the risk for diabetes.
- Magnesium can help lower blood pressure or keep blood pressure low by allowing your muscles to relax, contract and push blood through the arteries and veins without force.
- Magnesium helps melatonin (the sleep regulating hormone) stay balanced, which allows for more peaceful sleep.
- Magnesium can help balance stress hormones, eliminating stress and tension and allowing for a more relaxed state of being (which in return will help with rest as well).
The list goes on and on, but those five points alone should get people’s attention when it comes to supplementing with safe sources of magnesium. Data from 2012 stated that 48% of the American population, 79% over the age of 55, were deficient in magnesium. This isn’t good, especially when it is such a vital mineral and nutrient for our bodies.
Along with taking a liquid mineral supplement, we use magnesium butter every evening before we go to bed. We just spread a thin layer either behind our knees or on our inner arm (where the skin in thin) and that’s it! I have made this for several family members and friends and they all love it and can tell a huge difference in their quality of sleep (especially the adults…go figure)!
The recipe is simple and last a long time on the shelf! We always use it, so we go through a 4 ounce container in about 3-4 months (three of us use it). Since the recipe doesn’t contain water, it would probably last a good 6-8 months if kept clean (wash hands before using the butter) and can always be extended to 12-18 months or longer if refrigerated!
You can make this recipe ‘naked’, meaning adding no essential oils, or you can add your favorite calming and sleep inducing oils such as lavender, cedarwood, vetiver, ylang ylang or sandalwood! If you are using therapeutic grade essential oils, only use a total of 40 drops of oils combined for this amount, which is one cup.
The end result with the color will vary depending on the type of shea butter you use. We use a raw shea butter that has a deep, deep yellow tone and rich scent and amazing benefits that trump refined and bleached shea butters.
Whipped Naked Magnesium Butter
What You’ll Need:
- 3/8 cups virgin coconut oil
- 3/8 cups raw shea butter
- ¼ cup magnesium oil (how to make it yourself)
- ¼ cup almond or jojoba oil
What You’ll Do:
- Melt the virgin coconut oil and raw shea butter over low heat just until it’s all liquid.
- Add the almond or jojoba oil, pour into a medium glass bowl and allow to cool to room temp. You can leave on the counter for an hour or so or you can stick it in the fridge to speed up the process. I like the fridge :o)
- Using a hand mixer or immersion blender, take your room temp oil mix, turn on the blender and slowly add the room temp magnesium oil.
- Mix or blend this until it is creamy. You can’t have any separation, which means, no water droplets anywhere. This can take a few minutes if the oils are room temp. If they are too warm, it will take longer.
- Place the bowl in the fridge for around 30 minutes. You want to see it starting to harden and solidify.
- Once it’s solidifying, remove the bowl and using the mixer or blender with a whisk attachment, whip the mixture until light and fluffy! If you are adding essential oils, do it during this step.
- Store in a glass jar or container and place in a cool, dark place.
I hope you enjoy the wonderful benefits of this magnesium butter that is safe for you and your entire family!
What is your favorite natural solution for calming and peaceful sleep?
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]]>The post Dandelion: a Nutritious Healthful Weed appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
]]>The humble dandelion is often looked down upon for being a weed. It is a weed, but a nutritious healthful weed. By definition, a weed is a wild plant growing where it is not wanted; “a plant in the wrong place”. Many desirable, delicious, nutrient-dense plants are technically weeds. Once you see the goodness, you will not snub the dandelion any longer.
Dandelions – all parts except the stem – are full of vitamins, minerals and even protein. Dandelion greens are antioxidant rich. They are a great source for vitamins K, A and C. They also provide vitamin E and B1, B2, and B6. Dandelion greens are high in both calcium and iron.
They are also a good source of copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium and phosphorous. Someone should let Popeye know, there is more protein (and a complete protein at that) per serving in dandelion greens than spinach. All of these contribute to dandelions anti-inflammatory and detoxing abilities. Why are dandelions so nutritious and healthful? Their roots. They send down tap roots which can pull minerals and vitamins from deeper in the soil than many other greens.
Greens For All Seasons
For years, we have picked fresh, young dandelion leaves to add to salads in early spring. These earliest leaves are the least bitter and a tasty addition to other salad greens. Try the leaves in your favorite pesto recipe. Fresh greens of any size are a good addition to smoothies, too.
We use greens year round, so we freeze some of the larger leaves. We flash freeze them on cookie sheets, then seal in plastic bags. These greens are wonderful to add to soups, lasagne and other dishes where the greens are cooked. If using for tea, tear into smaller pieces prior to freezing. Dehydrating is also an option for long-term preservation, but the nutrients are best preserved frozen.
Fistful of Flowers
My children have brought in dandelions by the fistful since they were toddlers. There are numerous uses for these sunshine-y blossoms. You can batter and fry them – try it. Knowing that this is commonly done with squash blossoms made it easier to be brave and give this a try. You can use closed or opened blossoms with equal results. We also make dandelion infused oil. The oil can be used as-is for aching muscles and joints or turn this into a healing salve. The blossoms also make great tea. Still another use for the flowers is to make jelly. Sunshine in a jar! It should be noted to only use blossoms you know to be free from contaminants such as sprays or roadside exhaust.
Back to the Roots
We cannot let any part of this ‘weed’ go to waste. Digging up the roots and roasting them makes a great caffeine-free coffee substitute. I am not fond of coffee (I know, I should turn in my homeschool-mama-badge right now) so I’ve not tried this. This roast dandelion root coffee recipe also instructs harvesting and roasting preparations. The chai-style tea recipes at the bottom are on my list to try when we get some roots harvested. You can boil the root and eat it, but I’ve read it is very bitter. I’d only try this in drastic situations.
From roots to blossoms and the leaves in between, there are many tasty and healthful uses for the humble dandelion. Remove it from weed status and maybe even find a spot to cultivate it. The seeds should be pretty easy to find.
Have you ever used dandelion? What ways have used it?
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Written by Kari, Contributing Writer
Sometimes certain subjects aren’t exciting to talk about, but they affect our lives in more ways than we know. One of those is snoring. Yes, snoring and this is something that I have had to deal with in my 15 years of marriage. After 15 years of trying almost every way to eliminate this problem, it is FINALLY solved and we’ve had two months of snore-free nights. Now, I want to share with you how we got to this amazing place of peaceful and restful sleep – naturally!
First, lets look at some realistic statistics on this topic:
- 30% of people 30 or older snore
- 40% of people 40 or older snore
- 19% of adult females snore
- 59% of people who say their partner snores
- 5.6% of children snore habitually
- 28% of people who say they experience sleep apnea
- 38 decibels – the average decibel level of a snore
- Approximately 9% of all men and 4% of all women between the ages of 30 and 60 are affected by sleep apnea.
- Sleep apnea may occur in as much as 20 to 40 percent of the adult population that are snorers.
- The partner of someone afflicted with sleep apnea loses approximately one hour of sleep per evening and may wake up as many as 21 times per hour, a side-effect of apnea known as “Spousal Arousal Syndrome”.
- People that are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea are as much as six times more likely to be involved in a car crash then those without sleep disorders. This is due to the fact that they are drowsy from the condition.
- According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy driving is responsible for at least 100,000 automobile crashes as well as 1,550 fatalities per year.
Now that we know this, isn’t it time we do something about it? On top of it, do something about it naturally.
Many of you already know the wonderful benefits of using therapeutic grade essential oils. Now, for me, I was always skeptical when it came to the properties of essential oils, although I’ve used them over the course of the past 22 years – mostly just for the scent, not the health benefits.
A few months ago, I came to a point I was pretty fed up with my husband’s snoring. Not fed up with my husband, but with the nearly sleepless nights I was getting because of this issue. Not only that – but sleep apnea had become a part of this issue, which is never fun. Laying awake at night, listening to the person you love stop breathing for short periods of time, waiting to hear them start breathing again. I also knew how this was affecting him. Read the statistics above if you need a reminder.
As a last resort, I asked a friend who used essential oils if there were any known oils that would help with snoring issues. She went through her book and gave me the names of some oil blends that were said to help eliminate snoring. I went ahead and ordered them along with the handbook, still skeptical, but desperate for something to work. Something that wouldn’t involve pills, surgery or machines.
Before we began applying the oils, I read through the essential oils handbook twice to make sure I had knowledge before blindly slathering therapeutic grade oils over my husband. I learned the why and how of using oils, the application, the cautions and everything I needed to know to understand why these should work.
Finally, the experimenting again. That’s how I looked at it – an experiment and I only gave it a week. I didn’t even jump in with both feet – I guess I was just hoping for the best and going for it.
Well, long story short, I began applying these 3 oil blends alternately (very important when using blends) every night on my husband’s chest and back and I am happy to say that we have had two months of snore-free nights! At first I thought it was a fluke, so we decided to stop using the oils for a couple nights, but the snoring returned, so we went back to using the oil blends.
Since seeing the results personally of using therapeutic grade essential oils, I pulled out all the books and information I’ve collected over the past 22 years and have had my nose in those books drinking in everything I’ve overlooked all these years. I am now also taking classes through a highly respectable certification program and have become a distributor of certified therapeutic grade essential oils through a non-MLM company.
I chose this company because it was the brand I first used and saw results with and I liked the fact that I can offer them to my clients a lower price than those from other companies since all middle men are removed. They are a wonderful, small company that sells high quality, therapeutic grade essential oils that work wonderfully!
If you would like to try to get some much needed rest in your home, you can take the steps we took and purchase our “Quiet Nights ~ Stop The Snoring Kit”! The kit is already a savings of 25% and you can get an extra 15% off by using the coupon code STOPSNORINGNOW!
We hope you find much success in using these oils as we did!
What are your favorite essential oil blends for natural remedies?
statistics gathered from:
http://www.exploringsnoring.com/snoring-statistics/
http://www.statisticbrain.com/snoring-statistics/
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Written by Imperfectly Pamela, Contributing Writer
9+ years ago I decided to treat myself better. My food choices were crazy & fitness was, well, there was no fitness.
I had also just had my 3rd child & knew there needed to be a change. My oldest son had made a couple, very innocent comments about my weight. Things.needed.to.change.
I started slowly with some walking dvd’s (Leslie Sansone anyone?). They were 20-30 minutes. Totally doable with my homeschooling/new baby gig.
I also was taking things out of my diet due to problems for baby (breast feeding). I started reading a book called “Body By God” by Dr Ben Lerner. I felt strongly that he was right about his way of thinking.
“Your body is by God. God preprogrammed you to look great, have outrageous health, and experience incredible happiness. In the human body, God created a perfect design, equipped with all the organs, tissues, and cells necessary for health, production, and reproduction. The problem, asserts Dr. Ben Lerner, is when we as humans interfere with God’s design for our bodies. Junk food, high-stress living, and neglecting exercise are just a few of the things we do to hinder our bodies’ performance.”
So, I was well on my way to my healthy lifestyle. About a year after my 3rd child was born I had a reaction to some food. We will call it the “fatal pudding incident”. This brought along – Ambulance, fire trucks, Epinephrine and an ER. About 5 weeks later after being scared to death to eat anything, I found out I was allergic to ALL 3 THINGS IN THAT PUDDING along with a bunch of other things. As the years go on I have become allergic to even more.
While that does make eating out difficult, I have found a way. I always offer to bring things to friends houses to eat & I have no problem letting restaurants know I have a list of allergies & would like to be able to enjoy my meal there. They sent out the manager with the info I need & we are good to go.
As the years have gone on I have become addicted to my workout HIGH as I call it 
I do workout 6 days a week giving myself a true day of REST on Sunday. I may walk with my husband but I try to make sure I am giving this day to God & also letting my body rest from the work I have put it through during the week. I also try to take a week here and there to just do less intense workouts as well. Our bodies get stuck in ruts some times & we need to shake things up!!
My family (kids ages 19(married son), 16(son) & 9 (daughter) have all had their own journeys through this time of Mom getting healthy.
My oldest I call my drive-through/fast food son. I didn’t know any better. He played baseball most of his life & he is a healthy adult now though & follows a healthy way of eating for the most part. He knows the benefit of drinking lots of water & eating a balanced diet.
My middle child also plays ball. He knows the benefit of eating well & drinking lots of water but at this time is going through the teen sugar phase & just being a kid.
My daughter inherited food allergies from me 
She gets hives when she eats gluten & dairy (thankfully she isn’t as allergic as I am to it though). My boys suffer from acne almost from the time they hit puberty. I have explained to my daughter that if she sticks with eating like she does & drinking lots of water that we can, hopefully, keep her from having the same issues.
Our family watches what we do. They will eat what Mom/wife makes them. I have reminded myself of that regularly.
I have bad days. The days that those thoughts get in my head that I will never be good enough. I won’t ever reach the goals I have set for myself.
You know what? That is a lie. I am fearfully & wonderfully made. I was created in the image of my God & He knew exactly what He was doing!
This is a journey. A life-long journey. I am grateful you have chosen to follow along with me & maybe let me give you encouragement along the way or vice versa.
This is how I have chosen a healthy lifestyle, how have you?
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Written by Contributing Writer, Kari at Living Strong, Health & Wellness
Snack time!
Personally, I’m not a big “snacker”. I can go meal to meal without needing any extra food to keep me going. Although, having a family, I need to have a plan on hand for our meals and snacks and then I need to make sure they are ready and available to eat!
My kids, on the other hand, seem to need a snack every 30 minutes. I can understand why since they are on the go, non-stop, active kids. This can present a problem when you are wanting to feed your family healthy foods that nourish the body. Unfortunately, the quick and convenient, grab and go processed options you find on the grocery store shelves don’t make the cut for me. It’s hard enough to make sure they have nourishing and healthy lunches everyday – then to add in snacks to mix, that means more creative ideas are needed!
I know it would be easier to go this route, but I’ve spent too many years building a strong foundation of health in my family, this is one area I don’t want to skimp on. This means I need to be creative in the kitchen when it comes to snacks.
I have a long list of snacks that we rely on, but one of our favorites are these Nut Butter Bites! The kids love helping with them as well – which I think makes them even more enjoyable. Kids love helping and being a part of creating the food they eat.
These amazingly healthy bites are a great snack for my active kids and only a couple are needed for them to feel satisfied. Packed with protein from the nut butter, a healthy source of energy from raw honey, good and healthy fat from the coconut and extremely low in sodium – you can ‘t go wrong with these delicious treats! They are more like a dessert than a snack. That’s always a plus!
To top off these already great nut butter bites, roll them in sucanat (unrefined cane sugar), shredded coconut, cocoa powder or mini chocolate chips (we like Enjoy Life! allergen-free brand). Hands down, these are healthier than any overly processed and refined ‘snack’ you can get off a shelf.
Sure, there’s a few minutes of time involved, but isn’t your family worth it? Of course they are!
Along with many other healthy snacks, appetizers, beverages, main dishes and desserts, this recipe can be found in my cookbook, Real Food. Real Kitchen. So Good! I hope you and your family enjoy these as much as we do!
- ½ cup organic natural peanut butter (no added ingredients, just peanuts) or nut butter of choice
- ½ cup organic raw honey
- ½ – 1 cup organic unsweetened coconut, finely shredded
- ⅓ cup organic mini dark chocolate chips, soy-free (we like Enjoy Life! brand, allergen-free)
- sucanat (unrefined sugar) for rolling the bites (other options: you can roll them in coconut, chocolate chips or cocoa powder)
- In a medium size bowl, mix the peanut butter and honey until combined thoroughly.
- Add the chocolate chips. You can add more or less according to your taste (I always add the larger amount).
- Add the coconut in ¼ cup amounts until the consistency reaches a thick, yet semi-sticky state.
- You don’t want it so sticky that you can’t roll it, but you don’t want it so dry that it wont hold together. Find the happy medium.
- Once you are able to roll them and they still have some stickiness to them, roll into balls and then roll in the sucanat.
- Place on wax or parchment paper on a baking sheet or plate.
- Refrigerate for a while so they can harden up a bit, transfer to a glass jar and keep in the fridge.
What is your favorite healthy snack?
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**Please meet Reelika, a new contributor… she would love to hear from you! -Rachel
You are a great mommy. You want the best for your kids and family. It is the hope of many families to be able to provide organic veggies, fruits and berries to their family and especially to the kids. Unfortunately the downside of organic produce is the cost. But what if I told you there are ways that you can still provide the best organic produce to your kiddos without breaking your budget?
As a mom to an allergic toddler and having been diagnosed with hypothyroidism myself, I have done lots of research about the benefits of organic food. I am not a health care advisor, but I can share what has worked for our family and how you can do it too.
Organic produce has been very beneficial for our family. Since my toddler is allergic to many things, I provide him with several organic veggies, fruits and berries. He loves this delicious organic produce and is not a picky eater anymore. He used to be very hyperactive, but since switching to organic food, we don’t seem to have much of a problem with it anymore.
We cut back on other things, but invest into our health, so it keeps us away from pharmacies, doctor’s office and hospitals. Being healthy means also being more productive and happy at preschool, home and work.
Top 3 Tips on How to Afford Organic Produce
Tip # 1 – Organic Produce as an Investment
Don’t look at the price tag of the organic produce as a number; instead, see it as an investment. Compare it to the costs of medications, health care and doctor’s visits.
Chances are you have heard that non-organic food can contain pesticides and cancer-causing hormones or even GMOs. Research shows that pesticides can cause not only cancer, but also allergies, skin and neurological issues, ADHD, birth defects and much more.
Children are especially sensitive to pesticides due to their development and growth. You can either pay the farmer or the pharmaceutical business.
It is time to invest into your and your family’s health. The truth is, many people don’t think about it until they have some kind of health problem. I have to admit, I am completely guilty as I was one of them.
I never felt the need for organic food, until I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism during pregnancy. Since then I have invested into my health instead of the medications I had to use. In fact, medications were more expensive than my investment in organic produce, and I am so much healthier now.
Tip # 2 – Prioritizing Organic Produce
Take a look at what other monthly expenses you have – a new iPhone, expensive jewelry, eating out several times per week, new fancy toys, etc. If you can afford any of them, you can also afford organic produce. Find ways to cut back on monthly payments and use the money instead for quality organic produce.
I am always looking for ways to cut back on our monthly expenses. Saving water and lowering heating costs increases our grocery budget. A monthly budget gives you a crystal-clear overview of your highest expenses so you can make your own choices of where to cut back.
Tip # 3 – Making the Right Choices
It can save you big bucks if you are making the right choices. Be aware of when and which organic produce to buy.
Here is what to keep in mind while choosing fresh organic produce:
- If you bought expensive organic veggies yesterday, then find less expensive produce to buy next time you do groceries. It keeps your budget in balance.
- Meal plan and create a grocery shopping list. Buy the amount of veggies you are planning to eat so you won’t be wasteful.
- Be creative with organic veggies that are close to expiring. You can use them for smoothies, baking, or soup.
- Buy what is on sale or close to its expiry date. It can save huge bucks when the expiration date is close by. Just make sure you use it as soon as possible.
- Buy local. Any organic local veggie is always cheaper than an imported one.
- Prefer seasonal. Prioritize what is in season as it tends to be cheaper, and you can also freeze these for the non-seasonal time.
- Don’t buy pre-washed and packaged food, as these cost much more.
- Prefer healthy veggies and berries for snacks. Leaving chocolate, cookies and chips out of your grocery list saves you money for organic veggies, fruit and berries.
- Frozen organic veggies are great choices as well. Buy them in bulk and while on sale.
- Grow your own organic herbs that you can use for meals. You don’t need a yard to grow your own green leafs. All you need is a small space in kitchen or on a balcony to have your own organic herb section. I also have mini-tomatoes growing in my kitchen.
- Wash the produce just before using it so it will last longer.
- Citrus produce can last at least a week longer when stored in the fridge.
- Don’t forget coupons! Find the best deals and use them.
- Negotiate if possible. When buying directly from a farmer, use your negotiation skills. Offer to buy in bulk and don’t be afraid to ask for a discount. Most likely the farmer will be more than happy to offer you a discounted price when selling more. You can freeze the extra for later and will have saved big bucks.
Fresh organic veggies, fruits and berries are always going to be expensive, but investing into our family’s health and cutting back on our monthly expenses has made a difference for our well-being. Making the right choices keeps us on budget and provides a quality lifestyle. You can do it too!
Did I miss anything? How do you make organic produce affordable for your family?
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Coconut oil is a natural and healthy oil that has been utilized all the way throughout history by different cultures. People utilize it for a variety of completely different uses such as cooking and/or preparing wholesome dishes, beautifying and enhancing the complexion, and to attain health benefits.
You’ve probably have heard a lot about it since it has become mainstream on health websites, blogs and you might have even seen it on pinterest, sharing its advantages.
When you go to the beauty aisle of your favorite store, it’s almost undeniable that you’re going to notice that a lot of brands have used this oil into their products, but I think buying the real the deal is the best way to go if you want to get all the benefits to the max.
Coconut oil is one of the cheapest oils on the market which is great for all of us on budget and don’t want to chance spending a lot of money on something that you might want to try out first- which once you do you’ll wonder why you never tried it to begin with.
This helpful oil has so many things to offer but there are 5 benefits specifically that I want to share with you today.
Top 5 Health Benefits of Coconut Oil that Can Transform Your Health for the Better:
- Coconut oil has an excellent kind of saturated fat which can help raise your good HDL cholesterol.
- It can also give you a significant dose of antioxidants. Antioxidants are well-known for blocking free radicals, which basically means that they are able to help your pores and skin look more youthful and healthier.
- You can boost your immune system with coconut oil because it contains caprylic acid and antimicrobial lipids, which have antibacterial and antifungal property. Basically that means coconut oil can support in preventing sickness and rid the body of harmful bacteria in our insides and outsides.
- Coconut oil can help us absorb essential minerals that the body needs in order to be well. The components and fat that are found in coconut oil can also help our body absorb magnesium and calcium, which are extremely necessary for the health of our bones.
- For people who suffer with their blood sugar levels, coconut oil is an incredible option to try because it helps regulate blood sugar levels by improving blood glucose and the secretion of insulin.
In order to start benefiting from these five benefits, use coconut oil as your every day moisturizer and in your cooking as much as possible. Your dishes will without a doubt will be tastier and your skin, it will feel amazing. The next your at the store, make sure you put some coconut oil in your cart! 
What kind do we use? We usually buy Carrington Farms Organic Coconut Oil from Costco or Spectrum Naturals Organic Coconut Oil at our local grocer or online.
Do you use coconut oil? Do you mainly use it for skincare or cooking?
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