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The Human Body’s Cry for Water

What Could Your Nagging Aches and Pains Be Saying to You?

You’ve probably heard that your body is 70-75% water. But what does that mean? For every 100 pounds of you, 70 pounds is WATER. If you were a 10-slice pie, 7 pieces of you would be WATER!

Think about what happens to a plant that isn’t watered or is cut off from a source of water… It shrivels up and dies!

Water is the most essential nutrient that your body needs to be able to function optimally, deliver to your cells what they need and flush out what isn’t needed. Many of us deny our bodies of proper hydration on a regular basis. When you lack the water you need, your body goes into rationing mode. Your most important organs (brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys) get the rations they need and the rest of the body gets whatever is left.

Some conditions that are often the result of dehydration are joint pain and arthritis, high blood pressure, digestion problems, asthma, headaches and migraines, neurological diseases and depression, just to name a few. 

Water is a miracle cure. Most people walk around mildly dehydrated and have many nagging symptoms to show for it. News flash: You don't have a Tylenol, Advil, Prozac, soda or caffeine deficiency. Treat symptoms first with WATER. 

Here are just a few things water does: 

-regulates body temperature

-transports nutrients and oxygen to cells 

-removes waste

-cushions joints 

-protects organs and tissues  

-increases the efficiency of the immune system

-prevents clogged arteries

-regulates hormone production that affects mood, attention and sleeping patterns

-Helps prevent memory loss

-Causes skin to appear smoother

-reduces inflammation 

-slows the affects of aging

Last but not least of all, water helps manage weight! In a dehydrated state your body secretes a hormone called aldosterone which causes water retention. It's like storing for survival mode. When you drink the water your body has been needing, it releases these stores and causes you to lose water weight! Use this calculation to find out how much you should be drinking: half your body weight in ounces plus 8oz for each half hour of high intensity exercise or 1 hour of low intensity.

So go grab a glass and fill it up with the good stuff - pure, clean, filtered water! Keep track of how much you’re drinking and let us know the difference you feel once you’re rehydrated!

What to know About Essential Oils That No One is Telling You

With the growing world of essentials oils we now have the power of aromatherapy at our fingertips.  Companies such as Young Living and DoTerra have opened our eyes to see the benefits of the use of this rich resource. But are they telling you everything you need to know? Essential oils can do more harm than good when not paired with the correct knowledge. 

Did you know, for example...

• Not all oils are okay for women in their first trimester.
• Internal usage of essential oils is not recommended. Be aware that every person reacts differently to herbs. You will be taking a great risk by adding this extremely concentrated herb oil to your diet.
• Therapeutic Oils are not regulated.  The name “therapeutic oil” is a marketing ploy. It causes the consumer to make assumptions about its quality.  However, the essential oil industry is not regulated by third parties and therefore no such title actually exists.  A grading system, quite frankly,  does not exist for the essential oil industry. 
Certified Organic is best when it comes to oils. This is the only current means we have to know to certain that the product is grown without  the use of GMOs and synthetic pesticides/insecticides.
• Those with heart conditions such as high blood pressure will need to stay away from some oils that can be considered stimulants.
• Do you have sensitive skin? Be careful when using most oils. Since they are concentrated, oils are meant to be used with carrier oils or some not at all in situations where sensitive skin can be irritated. Severe burns have occurred because of improper usage.
• Animals, such a your sweet dog, Rover, can be extremely sensitive to oils.  Do not assume because it is safe for you it is safe for your pets.

Before you start adding oils to your daily routine or recommending them for others, please do your research and seek the advice of a holistic practitioner or certified aromatherapist. Seek out local classes that are not affiliated with a certain brand of essential oils but are geared towards education and providing information on the oils themselves. 

Additional Resources:

Non-regulated (which is both good and bad) https://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductsIngredients/Products/ucm127054.htm

http://naha.org/assets/uploads/The_Quality_of_Essential_Oils_Journal.pdf

List of oils that may not be safe for pets

http://allnaturalpetcare.com/blog/2013/12/05/30-essential-oils-may-safe-pets/

Dermal irritants (skin sensitivity) and pregnancy safety 

http://naha.org/explore-aromatherapy/safety/

Sun-dried Tomato Tortilla Pizza

 



You can find many different types of tortillas in the grocery store.  Occasionally we enjoy purchasing spinach or the sun-dried tomato.  There are about six per pack. After my husband has taken his wraps to work, what shall I do with the rest?  Well, we always need lunch ideas because salad and sandwiches get boring with the kiddos.  Last week we put together a simple recipe for a pizza.  Which took less that 10 minutes total to make!

 

 

Sun-dried tomato tortilla

Couple of spoonfuls of organic marinara (tomato sauce)

One organic mushroom sliced very thin,

Feta cheese crumbles

Quartered two organic grape tomatoes (we call them tommy toes down here in the south)

Julienne a few leaves of organic spinach

YES that is turkey pepperoni you see (one of my son's snacks he picked out at the store-not the healthiest but mommy snatched a few-LOL)

 

Bake at 425 for around 5-7 mins...done!

 



What's on the shopping list?

Getting my list together...

I wanted to give you all an idea of what I will be ordering through the food co-op this week.  Sometimes it does take a little planning but absolutely worth it.  Instead of grocery shopping on Sunday evening, I will be ordering most of my goods online and have them the following Saturday.

First off my vitamins

Kids, myself and hubby are completely OUT!  We have been holding off until the buying club got started to order more so we could get the discount. We are going to try a couple of new things this month. It usually takes us at least a month or more to go through the vitamins and supplements so I budget accordingly. The kids want to try a new multi that I am okay with since these have the digestive enzymes (many kids vitamins do not contain them), wheat sprouts & spirulina too. Children Nutri Stars Children's Multivitamin $22.93 (120 chewables will last us 2 months-that's $5.76 a month for both my kids). Immune Support Formula (Alcohol-Free) Sweet Echinacea we keep on hand ALWAYS $8.47.
For Me & Hubby
FoodScience of Vermont B Complex-75, Marine Biotherapies Mangosteen with Goji & Pomegranate Juice (kids will enjoy this also), Nutiva HempShakes Chocolate ORGANIC, Natrol General Health Vitamin D3, American Health More Than A Multiple, Green Foods Organic Chlorella ORGANIC Chlorella Powder (to put in our smoothies). Under the bulk items there a few things I am pondering on too - Kelp powder is one of them! I may see if I can find some more super foods like the Acai one in capsule form to add on the website!

Now for our meals

We are stuck using some of the produce I canned and froze last year or head to the grocery aisle until seasonal produce starts to come in.  Meats I try and utilize them a couple of times.  For example I will buy the Organic Soy Free Whole Chickens and make homemade chicken broth to freeze.  Then we will have some of the chicken for supper one night. Left overs I will either use with a pasta or make a BBQ out of it.  So from a whole chicken I can get two meals and chicken broth!!!!  I tend to use  ground beef a lot, simply because it is so versatile.  I will more than likely get a small beef pack or ground beef in bulk (that way I can save a few bucks).  Trying to make two meals with any leftovers of meat helps out on the budget quite a bit.  My mother taught me early on how to stretch a dollar and it has paid off for us eating healthier.  I will grab some uncured bacon and save any drippings to use for just a little bit of flavoring on other things I cook (yes, like your grandmother use to do).  And then will I let hubby get online and order what he wants...the meat list could get LONG!

Personal Care Items

If I didn't make the soap (LOL) I would buy some! I will need to replenish our shampoo (we have been too busy to make anymore). I will be adding on the Avalon Organics Tea Tree that works pretty good.  It can be tough to try new things sometimes but I have found some really great products during the HEALTHY LIVING transition.  Burt's Bees didn't list their ingredients so I can't say how good it will be.  We need some arnica cream too!

Tea & Spices

I am out of plenty of herbs I will be purchasing a long list.  I love the fact we can get ORGANIC in 1 lb packages.  After going to Home Economist for years and purchasing by the ounce I am excited to get such a great price on them.  I like Nuvi green tea and will get some of it, plus a few others.  I will buy some peppermint leaf under Bulk items so I can add it to my teas.  Did you know with many of the items we have listed in bulk you can make your own custom teas?  We may have to work on a class for that.  In the meantime, there are certified organic teas made in Asheville, NC listed on the site.  We get them from a local distributor here in Mooresville.  I am out of Chili powder (the shakers are under spices not bulk) & sea salt.

Specialty Foods

The Rock the Red Jam is out of this world and I will be getting some of that (several great ones to choose from).  I will need to replenish my coconut oil (can't keep it around we use it so much)!  Nutiva seems to be a good company.  They did contribute to the Prop 37 initiative in California last year.    

Plants

I have started quite a few tomato plants (probably around 150) however they are still so tiny.  The plants that our farmer has are ready to be put in the ground...something to think about.  They looked nice and healthy too!  All started from certified seed!

As I add a few things here and there to the website, I am sure my list will increase!  Happy shopping until 4/7 at 11:59pm.

Love & Blessings,

Change the Food System

10 Things You Can Do To Change The Food System

-via a recent Facebook share we found this  Source: takepart.com/foodinc

We may not agree with each one of these, however I can see quite a few that we personally take part in to help our commUNITY and local food system!!!

1. Drink fewer sodas and sweetened beverages - If you replace one 20-ounce soda a day with a no-calorie beverage (preferably water), you could lose 25 pounds in a year.

2. Eat at home instead of eating out - Children consume almost twice as many calories when eating food made outside the home.

3. Tell schools to stop selling sodas and junk food - Over the last two decades, rates of obesity have tripled in children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 years old

4. Meatless Mondays. Go meatless at least one day a week - An estimated 70 percent of all antibiotics used in the U.S. are given to farm animals.

5. Buy organic or sustainable foods with little to no pesticide use - The EPA says more than 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the U.S.

6. Protect family farms by visiting your local farmers' market or work with your local buying club - Farmers' markets & Buying Clubs enable farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of each dollar spent by the customer.

7. Make a point to know where your food comes from by reading labels - The average meal travels 1,500 miles from the farm to your dinner plate

8. Tell your lawmakers that food safety is important to you - Each year, contaminated food causes millions of illnesses and thousands of deaths.

9. Demand job protections for farm workers and food processors, ensuring fair wages and other protection - Poverty among farm workers is more than twice that of all wage and salary employees.Tell your lawmakers that food safety is important to you

10. Support the passage of state and local laws to require chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus and menu boards - Half of the large chain restaurants do not provide any nutrition information  to their customers.

Complete Fullness in Christ

If you have neglect, rejection or persecution in any relationship with another person our normal reaction is to doubt our self-worth.  This is such a struggle! For our flesh wants to get angry, feel hurt and be frustrated with the person who has caused the hurt in our lives.  I have found by spending the last couple of years finding my true identity in Christ a complete fullness regardless of who does what to me!  Amazing love, joy, contentment, and peace that one only hopes to obtain in a lifetime.  I have been truly blessed by all of the struggles, trials, and tribulations set in my path that He allowed in my life circumstances to empty me only to be filled with His Love. In a way to be led by the Spirit so that you know every single second is guided by God, never doubting that what is going on is in control of God.  Every person and thing brought into your life is a blessing beyond measure regardless of how they treat you. How can I possibly say this? Because I know that God only wants Good for us and even when we feel like the turbulence is a bit much it is for our betterment some how, somewhere way down the road.  His Mercy, Grace, and Love are so abundantly present in our lives yet we forget to stop and acknowledge Him!  When you know your are consumed with the ONE who is Love and holds you all the time things start happening in your life that leave you in AWE of Him!  Every moment recognizing His Work in your life and being in full thanksgiving with your heart to Your Maker.  There is only Fullness or Completion when we understand who we are in Christ!  No other person or thing can give us comfort and fullness.  If at anytime you place your self-worth on the way someone treats you or your success in life you will feel a void and continue to fill it with things of this earth.  We are called to obtain treasures in Heaven ones that cannot be destroyed.  We are called to seek after Christ all the day long even in our sleep.
Once you obtain the fullness in Christ it is quickly recognized when the flesh starts creeping back in and wants to ruin everything.  The devil is so sneaky and at any given moment will try to attack the precious relationship you have with God.  What Jesus Christ did at the cross is by far the only way to receive the blessed gift of grace and eternal salvation knowing that we are such sinners by nature and weak oh, so very weak without Him.  So heed to this warning in never thinking you will not get tested!  You run the race God has set before you and trust in His strength, always keeping your eyes on HIM in all things!  He is our protector and our all in all!!!  Blessings and Love