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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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Written by Kari, Contributing Writer
With school starting soon and routines getting back in order, if your child attends school, packing a lunch is a part of that routine. I’m not sure about where you live, but the choices for ‘hot lunch’ are not acceptable at my daughter’s school, so everyday is a ‘cold lunch’ day. I understand the convenience of your child eating hot lunch at school, but the overall consequences are nothing short of disastrous.
And no, I’m not exaggerating.
Understanding where food comes from, how it’s made and what ingredients or chemicals are in the food, it’s not too hard of a decision to make your child’s lunch if you are proactive in your child’s health.
A year or so ago they even made a decision to make school food “healthier” by getting rid of all milk choices over skim and 1% milk. How is this healthier? I like to inform other parents, who are health conscious like me, that having your kids drinking this low-fat and fat-free milk does nothing but deprive them of necessary fats and spikes their insulin levels every time they drink it. Not a habit you want your body doing constantly.
And now that they are wanting to add aspartame to the flavored milk – that makes it even worse. I won’t even go into the fact that the milk comes from conventional cows that have been pumped full of antibiotics and hormones. But serving our kids this kind of milk isn’t helping the obesity issue nor the type 2 diabetes epidemic among our kids.
So…how as parents do we keep our children well-fed during school? How can we make it simple, yet not boring? How can our kids enjoy eating cold lunch while most kids around them are eating hot lunch?
Well, I’m in my 5th year of making my children lunches for school and I have a pretty good handle on what works for my kids on a day to day basis. Not all of my suggestions may work for you, your schedule or your child’s tastes, but it’s a good starting point and can spark ideas in you that you can successfully implement in your house to make sure your kids have a healthy lunch box too!
Some items I like to have on hand to make packing easier are:
- thermoses for hot meals
- various size Pyrex bowls with lids that little hands can take off easily, but are strong enough to not cause leaking
- reusable snack bags (I have cloth/canvas ones, but sometimes I still use regular old Ziploc bags)
- insulated lunch bag
- ice packs (I always stick these inside Ziploc bags in case they break or leak – and this has happened several times)
- reusable utensils and stainless steel water bottles
*If you don’t want to send your kids to school with glass (some ages this may not be realistic), then find plastic containers that are BPA-free.
A few rules about the contents:
1. Always have protein in the lunch.
This is good for stabilizing blood sugar levels and helps keep tummies feeling full longer. Good choices are cultured milk (like Kefir or Amasai), fish, beef, chicken, turkey, bison, raw cheese, eggs, raw leafy greens, beans, legumes.
2. Include healthy fats everyday.
Those healthy fats are so important for our kids. They assist with cell repair, hormone function, brain health and more. They will also keep your kids feeling full longer. Examples of healthy full-fat foods: avocados, full-fat plain yogurt, whole milk cottage cheese, whole milk, cheese, nuts, grass-fed butter, eggs, coconut oil, etc.
3. Good, energy giving carbs!
Those kids need energy so they aren’t falling asleep during their long days. Good carbs are fruits, beans, legumes, whole-grain grains (sprouted or soaked are best), blueberries, raspberries, chia seeds, flaxseed, almonds, honey, quinoa, etc.
4. Clean water.
Make sure they have good, clean water to drink while they’re at school. Most schools allow your child to have a water bottle at their desk – or at least access to their water bottles while they are in class. Having water as the beverage option is perfect in lunches, especially since lunch is either before or after recess – they’ll need to stay hydrated.
Here are a few ideas from my house:
Leftovers.
This is always the easiest and most convenient. I cook healthy dinners, so they gets healthy lunches.
Soups.
During the colder months, the crockpot is my friend. Sending warming and beneficial soups (like chicken noodle or vegetable soup) is a fun change for kids.
PBBH.
For those days when my kids just want a sandwich, they get a homemade spread of peanut butter, butter and raw honey on real sourdough bread, with some Enjoy Life! mini chocolate chips sprinkled on top. They love it!
Healthy ‘sides’.
Think summer sun pickles, slices of raw cheese, chips and homemade salsa, homemade banana bread, roasted chickpeas, etc.
Probiotics.
My children get full-fat yogurt at least 3 times a week in their lunch. I add some raw honey, a tad bit of grade B maple syrup and chia seeds. Not only is this filling, but gives their immune system a good boost and will give them satiety and lasting energy.
Outside the box.
Have you tried cheese quesadillas? These take about 5 minutes to make in a skillet with tortillas, cheese and coconut oil. Fold in half, slice and put in a thermos so they stay warm. Pasta with meat sauce is always a winner. Noodles and butter with parmesan cheese. Sliced hard boiled eggs, raw cheese and crispy sourdough bites. Burritos and enchiladas are quick and easy and filling! We also do French toast, pancakes and waffles quite often. If we make any on the weekend, we make a bunch extra and freeze them, pop them in the oven while the kids are getting ready, prepare with grass-fed butter, grade B maple syrup, cut up in pieces and put into a thermos. It’s always a hit. You can also try homemade crispy chicken nuggets (grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free is an option) with a side of ranch dip made with yogurt and seasoning.
The possibilities are endless, especially if you do leftovers a lot. Just make sure you have some extra when you prepare meals and you’ll have a variety of lunch options for your child. Figure out what your child will and will not eat. How much time do they have for lunch?
If you put too much food in, it will most likely all come back home. If you find certain items they just won’t touch – exchange it for something else. I realized over four years that school lunches are a battle I choose not to fight. I can concentrate on certain items at home for breakfast and dinner or snacks rather than fighting everyday when they’re not getting consumed at lunchtime.
Try to stay away from controversial foods. By this I mean if your child drinks Kombucha – have them drink it at home instead of at lunch. Yes it’s healthy. No it’s not harmful. But we shouldn’t be those parents trying to ‘make a statement’ with items that may be controversial in the sight of the school leaders. Kombucha does contain small traces of alcohol – so leave it at home and pack water, milk (or dairy alternative) or spa water for a flavored water alternative. My daughter thoroughly enjoys her Black Cherry Chia Raw Kombucha – but she never takes it to school. Most of those above lunch ideas can be found in my cookbook, Real Food. Real Kitchen. So Good!
If you find your child feels left out when her classmates are eating pizza and cheeseburgers – then maybe you can plan a couple meals during the month where the leftovers she takes will be what her classmates will have for hot lunch, like pizza, just healthier versions. I’ve done this for my daughter and she was really appreciative that I did that for her.
Packing your child’s lunch doesn’t have to be a burden for you, nor does eating it have to be boring for them! My daughter gets more comments on her lunches and all the kids wish their mommy and daddy would make their lunch like hers! That’s a sign that kids are open for something new and creative when it comes time for lunch at school.
How do you make your child’s cold lunch fun and healthy?
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I have been doing a lot of research on blood sugar issues lately. I have never been tested, but I am pretty sure I am borderline hypoglycemic. My husband always says I treat eating like it’s my full time job because I am always trying to plan ahead and not go too long without eating or I become what we call around here…HANGRY! Hungry, angry, yup, you get the picture. It’s not a pretty sight. 
I always have to pack snacks when we go places so the “hangry mama” doesn’t show up.
Hypoglycemia is basically a fancy word for low blood sugar. If I don’t eat the right foods every few hours, I feel foggy, shaky and CRABBY! If I eat junk food or a lot of carbs I am a complete mess! Anyone else have these problems?
Low blood sugar and high blood sugar lead to a lack of energy, memory loss, shaking or dizziness and mood swings. Our brain actually uses about 25% of our bodies blood sugar, so low blood sugar affects us mentally, very quickly. In the long run blood sugar issues can lead to damaged organs and blood vessels, high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack, stroke and the list goes on.
It’s long list of issues I would like to avoid! Prevention is always key! A little research and planning can go a long way in preventing so many health issues.
These are my top FIVE tried and true blood sugar balance tips!
1. Fiber is your friend!
NOT fiber from packaged/processed foods promising to fulfill all of your fiber dreams. Instead, choose fiber from beans, peas and lentils. High fiber foods break down more slowly and help to steady your blood sugar.
2. Flaxseed and other heart healthy Omegas!
Our bodies need these essential fatty acids for numerous health benefits, including heart health. But they also help maintain a healthy blood sugar/glucose levels as foods break down in the body. I use ground flaxseed as it is super versatile. You can add it to recipes, sprinkle on cereal/oatmeal or use as an egg substitute. It doesn’t have a strong flavor so it’s easy to sneak into your menu! PLUS, it is a good source of fiber…double bonus!
3. Vary your diet!
It is too easy to get stuck in a rut eating the same foods everyday. It seems easy, but then becomes boring and we are tempted to go for less that ideal foods. I know I am guilty of this! Try a new recipe, cook a favorite food differently, spice things up a bit! Eating the same foods day after day doesn’t create the balanced diet our bodies need.
4. Choose low glycemic foods!
Or if a high glycemic food is on the menu, pair it with a low glycemic food to create balance. Low glycemic foods are those that break down more slowly so blood sugar levels are not raised too quickly.
5. Choose WHOLE Grains!
Again, this is not an easy one, as the average grocery store has boxes and boxes of prepackaged foods promising “Whole Grain.” Well, it seems to me that a whole grain should be just that…whole. Meaning not broken down, separated, processed, bleached and so on… Look for grains in their true form, no additives. Such as quinoa, oats, barley, buckwheat and rye.
Think twice before you eat. A little preparation and thought can go a long way in preventing serious blood sugar and other health issues.
What are your best tips for balancing your blood sugar?
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I must admit I have a slight addiction to honey…At least twice a day I have a cup of green tea with honey and rice milk. It’s like holding a little cup of heaven…mmm. Makes me feel so warm, cozy and content. I have tried other natural sweeteners, but honey always wins!
Besides being tasty in a cup of tea, honey has a long list of amazing health benefits. Awhile back I shared that one of those is healing eye allergies and pink eye with a simple Honey Eye Wash.
So what else can we use this amazing natural product for?
1. Maintain blood sugar and energy
With another year of school starting, we can all use an energy boost! Honey contains glucose and fructose so it gives a quick energy boost and maintains it unlike the crash of regular sugar. It is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and is more easily digested than regular sugar.
2. Immune booster
Honey can act as an immune booster, especially when using local honey. Local pollen will be in the honey making it a natural immune booster. Even if it is not local, honey contains antioxidants to strengthen your immune system.
3. Clear and soften skin
A skin mask of pure honey left on for 15-30 minutes can soften and clarify the skin. Wash off with warm water and feel the difference, instantly. To lighten and brighten the skin, mix a honey and lemon mask. Or for irritated skin mix a honey and milk mask. Check out this Holiday Honey Face Mask great for your skin as well as an frugal homemade gift.
4. Hair conditioner
A simple mix of honey and water worked into the hair conditions and cleanses. It can also lighten dark hair roots. Mix 1 tablespoon of honey with 6 tablespoons of warm water and coat hair. Rinse with warm water after 15-20 minutes.
5. Soothe an upset tummy
Drinking a warm cup of water with about 2 tablespoons of honey can calm an upset tummy. Antimicrobial properties in honey can kill bacteria and infection.
6. Soothe cough and sore throat
A spoonful of honey coats and soothes the throat. For cough, mix 1 tablespoon of honey in 1/2 cup of grape juice.
7. Cleanse and heal cuts, scrapes and burns
The antiseptic properties of honey clean out the wound and promote healing. Dab honey directly on the affected area. Mix with a small amount of olive oil if desired.
The antifungal, antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiseptic properties of honey make it such a powerful natural remedy! Remember, the darker the honey, the better. Never give honey to an infant under the age of one and be cautious about using raw honey under the age of three.
What is your favorite honey remedy?
*this post is linked to: Encourage One Another, Titus 2sdays, and WFMW*
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