Aaahhh!!  There’s nothing like it is there?   That first sip of your morning coffee…

I’ve been a coffeeholic since I was 17.  My Typing and Shorthand (tells you how OLD I AM!!) teacher used to brew a pot in the classroom every morning.  It smelled SO GOOD, I just had to try some.  Well, after that first hit, I was a confirmed addict.

In college I drank several cups a day, probably at least a potful.  Took Advil at night to knock me out so I could sleep and start all over again the next day!  This was WAAAYYY before I learned a thing about health….

Fast forward a few years. A few, like more than 20…   I’ve learned a few things about that cup of “morning inspiration”.

• Coffee (decaf or regular) is HIGHLY ACIDIC. 
• Coffee demineralizes your bones, literally takes calcium and other minerals OUT of your bones in a vain attempt to alkalize (alkaline is opposite of acid) the body – its trying to undo what you just did!
• Coffee is extremely harsh on your digestive system.  I know this from personal experience.  I had ulcers as a teen (I’ll spell all that out in another post) and when I drink coffee regularly, those symptoms creep back in.
• Commerical coffee is pesticide laden.
• Commercial coffee also tends to be moldy!  Ewwww!  Like we need more mold in our system!

Off and on through the years I’ve tried several “coffee substitutes” with limited success.  I’ve tried Caffree….eh…so so.  I even dug up dandelions, roasted the roots and made “coffee”.  Tastes good actually and is an excellent tonic but doesn’t REALLY taste like that first morning cup!

Just recently heard of Teecino.  I was skeptical at first and thought this was just another “so so substitute”. 

I was WRONG!

Teeccino (available at your local health food stores or online – I got mine from Amazon) offers these amazing benefits:

• Naturally caffeine free – not processed or decaffeinated with chemicals like decaf coffee.
• Non-acidic – actually helps restore alkaline/acid balance in the body.
• Natural energy booster – loaded with nutrients for real energy, not from stimulants.
• Contains Heart-Healthy Potassium plus soluble fiber.
• Contains Inulin, derived naturally from chicory root – improves digestion, elimination, and all over intestinal health.
• Its DELICIOUS and yes it does actually taste like coffee!  I’m telling you the truth!  I make it a little stronger than is recommended on the container because I like strong coffee.

I am currently weaning myself off of coffee and am down to one cup in the morning, followed by a cup of Teeccino.  Next week I’ll half that amount of coffee and up the Teeccino and so on until its all Teeccino.

Teeccino comes in several different flavors, like coffee:  Mayan, French Roast, Mocha (which is what I am using right now – YUMMMMY!), Vanilla, Hazelnut, etc.  Also, you put it in your coffee maker just like coffee!

One thing I’m looking out for is any gluten related reactions since it is made with barley.  According to Teeccino’s website, http://teeccino.com, there are scientific studies that find that BREWED Teeccino does not contain gluten.  However, if I do notice anything, I am going to try their Barley-Free Dandelion Teeccino, which comes in most of the flavors mentioned above.  After making my own Dandelion Root Coffee and liking it, I’m sure this will be delicious!

Try Teeccino and let me know what you think!

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If you’re one of the many that suffer at this time of year, this post is for you, especially if you’re looking for a real solution to the issue, not just to mask the symptoms (and make you feel drowsy).

I’m not going to go into the cause(s) of seasonal allergies – I’ll leave that to someone with more knowledge than me!  I’m a wife and mom who believes in the body’s power to take care of its own health when given the proper nutrition and herbs.

Herbs and Supplements For Seasonal Allergies:

• Nettles.  An overall tonic, a nutritive herb.  Nutrition powerhouse!  See previous post here.
• Peppermint.  Helps open nasal passages.  Use as a tea and/or steam.  Is high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and Vitamin A, among other nutrients.
• Chamomile.  Excellent tea and/or steam.  Opens up nasal passages and promotes sweating.  Very high in niacin, magnesium, and fatty acids.
• Eucalyptus.  Use in steam to clear nasal passages.
• Hyssop.  Expectorant and demulcent (helps expel mucus and is soothing to mucus membranes).  Use as a tincture.
• Thyme.  Anti-spasmodic (helps relieve repetitive coughing).  Use as tea.
• Red Clover Tops.  Anti-spasmodic.  Contains Vitamin C and Potassium, also Isoflavones (which help minimize mineral loss, thus Red Clover is also good for Osteoporosis).  See my post on Red Clover tops here.
• Mullein Leaf Infusion.  Also an expectorant and Demulcent.
• Flavonoids such as Quercetin.  Enhances the effect of Vitamin C.  Found in the skins of fruits and vegetables.  Available in Vitali-C Plus.
• Reishi Mushrooms.  Studies have shown that Reishi Mushrooms are affective against seasonal allergies and other health issues.  Available in Sunbright.

Other Ideas:

• Drink plenty of water since proper hydration is very important.  Water mixed with a Greens Powder, such as TrueGreens is best.
• Cut out ALL processed foods, including anything packaged.  No flour, no sugar.
• Eat plenty of fresh, raw veggies.  Lightly cooked is ok too.  Eat at least one big green salad daily (and no yucky chemical laden salad dressings!!)
• JUICE!  Get a good juicer – I have an Omega brand, LOVE IT!  Juice mostly GREEN vegs, plus a carrot, apple, berries.  No more than one carrot though as they’re “sugary”.
• Eat lots of onion & garlic.  Add onions to salads, garlic to stir fries and soups.  Also, eat garlic raw.  Its pretty much anti-everything! (You can cut up the clove and just swallow the pieces like a pill – if you chew it, you’ll remember not to do that again!)
• Make lots of vegetable soups.  Use a large variety of green veggies, especially leafy greens, onions, garlic.  I’m allergic to chicken broth, if you’re not, by all means make Mom’s Chicken Soup!
• Plenty of Body Balance!  There are many testimonials of Body Balance aiding seasonal allergies.  My husband happens to be one!
• Use a neti pot.  Use only distilled water!  Don’t use tap as you might get bacteria up into your sinuses which can cause a host of problems.
• Cut out dairy.  Cow’s milk dairy has been shown to worsen seasonal allergies.  (Our oldest daughter used to get ear infections as a baby after she stopped nursing.  I switched from the “organic” formula I was giving her to RAW goat’s milk – ear infections stopped).
• Eat lots of probiotics – good, raw yogurt, Kefir, Kombucha, all contain good bacteria.  “All disease begins in the gut”, or so an old saying goes.

Now you know you can actually improve your health instead of just masking the symptoms.  I believe that once the body is properly nourished, it can heal itself.

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Late last summer, Whooping Cough came to call. 

We don’t vaccinate our children and this was the one illness that I feared.  I was prepared, however, with my arsenal of natural health books and my mini “pharmacy” of herbal concoctions.

The illness itself lasted for probably 12 weeks.  A long time, yes, but I can tell you they were more ill with the Chicken Pox than this.  They’ve been more ill with the Flu.

I made them Cough Tea, which contains Red Clover Tops, (available at the Bulk Herb Store – link below in the pink box), and I spent day after day picking Red Clover Tops from our lawn and anywhere else I could find them.

I made fresh flower tea and also dried the flowers and made tea from the dried version.  Our two ill daughters drank more tea in those 12 weeks than ever before.  I made them new tea every 2 hours during the day.  Their coughing subsided a lot when I made sure they had that tea!

Red Clover Tops are anti-spasmodic, which means it lessens the repetitive coughing of whooping cough, bronchitis, etc.

Other Benefits of Red Clover Tops:

• Contains bitter compounds that increase the production of digestive fluids like bile.
• Is a blood purifier.
• Increases urine production.
• Is anti-inflammatory.
• Contains calcium, magnesium, chromium, phosphorous and potassium, also thiamine and Vitamin C.
• Is currently being used in many herbal Anti-Cancer remedies.
• Is considered a food, use the flowers in salads.

A few important considerations:

• Since it affects the blood, DO NOT use if you are taking blood thinners.
• Not for use by pregnant women.
• Store in a dark, cool place.  Refrigeration and even freezing are encouraged but not necessary.

I sweetened the girls’ tea with a little raw honey.  I also made them a natural cough syrup using freshly squeezed lemon juice (organic lemon!), raw honey, and raw grated ginger.  I gave them this by the spoonful several times a day.  It soothed their sore throats, and the ginger heated them up which helps the immune system do its job.

So was it fun?  No not really.  But it was an empowering feeling to deal with this illness fairly easily AT HOME.

God has given us plants and roots for healing.  Let us continue to learn wisdom and arm ourselves with the knowledge that we CAN take care of our own families.

Please share this post if you benefited from it.  “Like” on Facebook and share on Twitter.  Thanks!

WOOO HOOO!  It’s time to CLEAN!!!

Is that a normal sound at your house?

Well, it doesn’t REALLY sound like that at mine either but its close!

Following the previous post on clutter and The FlyLady, read it here if you haven’t already, comes this post.

If you’ve got kids, especially if they’re home a lot like ours (we homeschool), you probably thought, “Yeah right.  How am I supposed to do THAT with all these kids here all the time always leaving their STUFF (aka CRAP) laying around?”  This ones for you!

First of all, know this.  The kids don’t like the mess either.  THEY are also distracted.  THEY also can’t focus well.  THEY are also embarrassed to bring friends over.  In a previous post, I discussed how too much clutter and stuff affects children’s behavior.  Read it here.

Here are some simple tips to get things de-cluttered and get that mojo flowing:

• Sit them down and be honest about it.  Tell them that you need help and ask them for it.  You’ll be surprised at how eager they’ll be to help.
• Get on the FlyLady’s email list.  I can’t stress this enough.  When you’re starting out de-cluttering, it can be SO OVERWHELMING that you will give up.  Marla’s tips are broken down into teeny tiny doable steps.  15 minutes to a time.  Really.
• Get a timer!  Get a good timer (there’s a great one that I use on the Flylady’s site) and use it!
• Set that timer for 10 minutes and say “Everybody grab dirty laundry and throw it in the hamper!  GO!”   I am always SO SURPRISED at how fast the girls jump up and grab stuff and fly around when that timer comes out.
• Do a 10 – 15 min pick up every single day, no exceptions!  Once you get a home for everything (and get RID OF EVERYTHING that doesn’t!), the Quick Pick Up keeps the house looking “presentable” all the time.  Really.

One more thing that I have always done is make sure everything “has a home”.  The kids’ toys have always had a special “home”.  The blocks have their own basket.  The legos have their own basket, etc.  That way when we do the Quick Pick Up, they know where the stuff goes!

So what does all this have to do with “Naturally Healthy Energy”?  Well, how does it make you feel to nag, nag, nag at your kids and never get any response?  How does it make you feel when you LOSE IT and get angry over dirty socks on the living room floor and say things that you wish with all your heart had never been heard by those little ears?  I know.  I’ve been there!  Who hasn’t?

Please check out the FlyLady.  She’s a blessing and then some!

As always, feel free to “like” on Facebook and share on Twitter!

This isn’t going to be a post where I give you a recipe or a remedy.  This one might hurt.  It might make you take a good hard look at your surroundings.  It might make you see the TRUTH.  It might even make you mad!

When you get up in the morning, what is the first thing you see?  Is it a lovely, dust-free nightstand with a vase of flowers?  Bright sunshine filtering through sparkling clean windows?  If you answered yes, then don’t keep reading!  You’ve got it together and aren’t like the rest of us!

When you head out into the kitchen for your “cup of inspiration” (hopefully that’s Body Balance in that cup!), what does your kitchen look like?  Is the sink shining bright and waiting for a day’s use?  Or…is it full of all of yesterday’s dishes AND to top it off, you need to WASH your cup, if you can find it, before you can fill it!

If you’re a SAHM, do you bother showering and getting dressed (make up, shoes, and all) or do you just stick your hair up in a ponytail, throw on some old sweats and a T shirt and call it good enough?  Or worse, do you stay in your pajamas all day?

Now my question is this.  How does all the above make you FEEL right now?  Weighed down?  Spent?  Drained?

I know when I get up in the morning, if I didn’t finish the dishes AND PUT THEM AWAY the night before, I feel defeated, like I’m behind before I even start!  That feeling is NOT energetic and supercharged!

Clutter makes you feel bad, no way around it.  You feel guilty that your house looks like this.  You feel like a failure.

Its distracting.  You can’t focus.  You flit from one pile of papers to another, one pile of laundry to another, never finishing anything!  Sound familiar?

I want to share a secret with you.  Its The Flylady.  The Flywhat?  Flylady.  Http://flylady.net.

Marla Watson Cilley, aka “The FlyLady”, has been there.  She’s had a messy house.  She’s had the “Oh NO!  Somebody just drove in!” thought and been embarassed to death over the state of things (also known as CHAOS – Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome).  And she knows how to help.  One baby step at a time!

I signed up for her emails last year.  What a blessing it has been.

Its been at least 6 months since I started faithfully implementing her strategies for dealing with clutter, etc.  Is my house perfect?  NO!  I’m not looking for Better Homes & Gardens perfect or Martha Stewart’s idea of perfect.  I want a “homey” feel without tons of “undone” and half finished tasks!  Don’t you?

Ok, here’s what you need to do.  Go to http://flylady.net and sign up for her daily emails.  Grab a few of her tools while you’re there.  I use the RubbaSweepa, the purple cloths, and the timer every single day!

Start today and I promise you, you’ll be feeling better about your home in just a few days.  Maybe even by tomorrow morning!

I’ve had Vertigo off and on for nearly 10 years.

It all began with a virus and apparently every once in a while the virus rears its ugly head.

I woke up today feeling fine, or so I thought.  I was lying in bed thinking, “Ok.  Today’s Wednesday.  What do I have to do today?  Oh yeah, violin lesson at 1pm then softball practice at 3.  School this morning.  Ok, gotta get up and get moving.”  I swung my feet off the side of the bed, preparing to step onto the floor when, WHOA!  The room is spinning and I’m heading for the FLOOR!  What the….?

I laid back down.  “What the heck is going on?” I’m wondering.  Try again.  Sit up,  WHOA.  Lay down.  Great.  I know what this is.  My day has pretty much come to a screeching halt before it even began!

If you’ve ever had Vertigo, you understand!  It’s like you’re on a boat, offshore, in a storm with win blowing about 75 mph, the boat is rocking THIS WAY, then THAT WAY, and you go UUUPPPPP and DOOOWWWWNNN.  ugh.

I hollered to our 12 year old daughter over and over.  She was asleep.  No waking her up.  So I just waited.  I knew the 9 year old wake up after a while.  When she came creeping into my room, wondering why Mom wasn’t up yet, I asked her to please go wake up her older sister, I need her NOW.

In seconds, the oldest came running in, breathless, thinking I’m laying on floor dying or something.  “Oh, you’re just dizzy.”  (THANKS I’m thinking!)

I told her to find my bottle of Cocculus Indicus, my friendly “dizzy pills”.  Cocculus Indicus is a homeopathic remedy for motion sickness and dizziness.   She found it, gave me 6 little pills which I proceeded to put under my tongue for maximum effect.

20 minutes later, the dizziness was GONE!  I’ve never had this remedy NOT WORK.

I’m still taking it easy, am still a little “woozy” but hey at least I’m functioning!  Tomorrow all this will be over and life will go on.

So, if you or someone you know gets Vertigo, PLEASE try Cocculus Indicus.  I get mine at our local natural food store.  Its made by Boiron.  You can also get it on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Boiron-Cocculus-Indicus-Pellets-ct/dp/B00028NZGG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335977619&sr=8-1

There are no side effects that I am aware of.  At least I’ve never experienced anything in nearly 10 years of use.

Is there anything else that you use for dizziness/motion sickness?  I’ve also used Cocculus Indicus for seasickness, works for that too.  Anything you’d like to share, go ahead and post a comment.

As always, please “like” on Facebook and share on the Twitterverse!

Did you know that under one minute after exposure to common household chemicals these traces of these compounds can be found in every organ of the body?  Did you know that of the over 10,000 chemicals used in cosmetics, only 11% have been analyzed by the FDA?  One report from the EPA shows that chemicals in common household cleaners are THREE TIMES more likely to cause CANCER than air pollution!

A couple of posts back, I gave you lists of common chemicals in products you undoubtedly have in your home and how they affect estrogen levels and your health.  Here’s the link in case you haven’t read it yet – click here.  Please do all you can to eliminate these products from your home!

In that previous post, I told you I was still studying chemicals and the products there in.  Well, Here’s a link to a study done by the National Institute of Environmental Health Services regarding common chemicals and the effects on the body’s endocrine system and respiratory system (asthma).  There’s also a PDF link at the bottom of the page that links to a 20 page report on their findings.  Its pretty long (and scientific!) so I’ll break down some of it here:

• Parabens – preservative and anti-microbial agent.  Found in shampoos, conditioners, cosmetics, shower soaps, and lotions.  Linked to cancer, endocrine disruption (hormonal disruption), immunotoxicity, reproductive problems.
• Triclosan – anti-microbial.  Found in hand sanitizers.  Linked to endocrine disruption.
• Ethanolomines – Solvent in cleaners, emulsifier in creams and lotions.  Linked to asthma.
• “Fragrance” – Scent, masking agent.  Found in air fresheners, room deodorizers, carpet cleaners, perfume, soaps, etc., etc.  Linked to endocrine disruption.
• Perfluorinates – Stain resistance.  Found in carpets, upholstery.  Linked to endocrine disruption.
• UV Filters – Skin sun protection.  Found in sunscreens.  Linked to endocrine disruption.

This is only a small portion of the list contained in the study.  Another good site for research results is SkinDeep.  They have an exhaustive list of products and the chemicals contained in them.

Take control of your health and that of your family’s!  Do your own research, find out what you’ve got for toxic chemicals in your home and do what you can to get rid of them!  Your health and that of your family’s is worth it isn’t it?

Here’s a link to an All Purpose Cleaner that I make and use regularly.  It smells good and IT WORKS!

Here are some recipes for making your own shampoo, laundry soap, etc. They don’t contain anything toxic, they work, and in most cases they’re cheaper!

Window/Glass Cleaner

Homemade Laundry Soaps

Homemade Shampoos

Herbal Hair Rinses

More recipes soon to follow, facial products, body care products.  Simple and cheap and NO CHEMICALS!

Ok, this one took me a while to try because I thought the vinegar would smell NASTY!  It does not smell after your hair dries, and it makes your hair SO SOFT and manageable!  Really!

Herbal Hair Rinse

1 cup Cider Vinegar (I use raw cider vinegar)

3 cups Distilled Water

30 drops EACH Rosemary, Peppermint essential oils

OR  infuse herbs (rosemary, peppermint, chamomile, basil, etc.) in the cider vinegar for a month, strain out herbs, use remaining liquid in this recipe)

To use:  After shampooing, pour a handful of rinse onto hair, massage in, rinse out.  (DON’T GET IT IN YOUR EYES!  Dumb me, I got a bit in my eyes and let me tell you, THAT’S not going to happen again!  AAHHH!)

I must admit I have not tried this one yet.  However, I have made another recipe that was too “heavy” for my hair.  It might work for you so I am adding it to the bottom of this post.

I found this recipe on everyone’s new favorite Pinterest!

Homemade Coconut Milk Shampoo

1/4 cup coconut milk (canned or homemade)

1/3 cup liquid Castile Soap (Dr. Bronner’s)

1/2 teasp or several capsules Vitamin E

20 drops essential oils (Basil, Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary are all good for hair growth & health)

Mix together in an old shampoo bottle, shake.  Shake each time before use as the ingredients will separate.  Lasts for about a month.  Use about a teaspoonful each use.

Here’s the link to the original post on WellnessMama – http://wellnessmama.com/3701/how-to-make-natural-shampoo-easy-recipe/

Herbal Shampoo Recipe

This is the one that I have used and is a bit too heavy for my hair.  I will say, however, that the health of my hair improved greatly with use.

3 oz liquid castile soap

8 0z herbal infusion (I used chamomile and horsetail – 1/4 cup dry herbs in mason jar, cover with at least 8 oz boiling water, let steep or infuse for at least 4 hours, strain out herbs and use the leftover “tea” in this recipe)

40 drops essential oils (basil, rosemary, lavender, peppermint are all good for hair health)

Mix together in an old shampoo bottle.  Lasts for about a month.  Try it and let me know if it works on your hair.

Again, simple, simple, SIMPLE!

This one comes from Toni Salerno, http://cleangreenocs.com.  I found this recipe in Mary Jane’s Farm Newsletter (http://maryjanesfarm.com)

Homemade Window/Glass Cleaner

16 oz (4 cups) White Vinegar

16 oz (4 cups) Distilled Water

1 drop castile soap or 1 small bottle 98% rubbing alcohol

Mix together in a 32 oz spray bottle.  Use like Windex, etc.