tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21303865634779558892024-03-21T03:53:13.611-07:00Hopeful Holistic HealingNatural ways to heal: from my home to yoursAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-39372970524465271492014-10-19T19:02:00.000-07:002017-06-11T23:13:21.207-07:00My Battle With Topical Steroid Withdrawal: Month 4<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, here I am. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another month has gone by. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm still in pain.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm still uncomfortable. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Topical steroid withdrawal still sucks. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HOWEVER, I am SO much better than I was 4 months ago. My body is truly healing itself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 months ago I had to sleep with ice packs all over my body and now I don't.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 months ago my skin hurt so bad that I couldn't concentrate on anything else. That has gotten better.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is no pill or quick fix for this so I guess I have to go through my ugly duckling phase to be a beautiful swan who will eventually be pain free.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have not yet read my original post on my skin condition you can go </span><a href="http://www.hopefulholistichealing.blogspot.com/2014/09/confessions-of-topical-steroid-user.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am sleeping better at night now. I still wake up itching like mad a few times a night but I am able to get back to sleep most of the time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started taking dead sea salt baths which are amazing for detoxing the body and do wonderful things for the skin. The baths feel great while I'm in there but as soon as I am out and my skin starts to dry I am an itchy, red mess again. I can't wait until the day I can comfortably take a shower again!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been taking pictures of my progress. I would've never thought to do this but others who have healed from this condition recommend doing it so that you can tell the difference from month to month. It is such a slow healing process and it is so easy to lose hope that you will ever get better. The pictures really help to give hope of better days to come! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I take lots of supplements because I want make sure I am not deficient in anything. Here is a list of what I take and why:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Omega 3, 6, 9</strong>: Fish oil is not only great for the skin but an amazing anti-inflammatory.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Biotin</strong>: About 2 weeks after I started taking this my eyelashes and eyebrows started growing back with the quickness!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Turmeric</strong>: A great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Prenatal</strong>: Yes, it's a gummy because I'm still as kid at heart. I'm still nursing the little guy so I'll keep taking this for now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Calcium</strong>: Steroid usage can deplete the calcium in your body. Also, it's good to take it when you're nursing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Vitamin E</strong>: Great for the skin. The Garden of Life Vitamin Code brand is great because it also includes digestive enzymes and a probiotic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Vitamin C</strong>: Anti-inflammatory and good for immune system</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Magnesium</strong>: A lot of people are deficient in magnesium. It is great for the nervous system and can help with sleep as well if taken at night.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Vitamin D3 drops</strong>: Great immune system booster!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2tuoiAJouDScem-_n6tJqFHwwdtp3Jlgl350YSiC8XvbP75dRROHfz7LZF7fhazgPBQdtD24An5bWjEIG7mkVdCW4TbTXn_9eG7-IhpOMNpC1_5m3Hj5TwcbZP1IlHFuAXTjkS4Ypi-Q/s1600/20141014_103808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2tuoiAJouDScem-_n6tJqFHwwdtp3Jlgl350YSiC8XvbP75dRROHfz7LZF7fhazgPBQdtD24An5bWjEIG7mkVdCW4TbTXn_9eG7-IhpOMNpC1_5m3Hj5TwcbZP1IlHFuAXTjkS4Ypi-Q/s1600/20141014_103808.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They are not all pictured here but this is most of what I take daily</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
I know it seems like a lot but they have all been helping immensely and I feel so much better taking them coupled with a good diet.<br />
<br />
As I said in my last post, I really hate posting these pictures. It's really embarrassing for me and I hate feeling so ugly! But I know it won't always be this way so I will continue to raise awareness the best way I know how.<br />
Please visit <a href="http://www.itsan.org/" target="_blank">Itsan.org</a><br />
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRa-rR01wg0HsO9bxb_DlPUakCBEeKilJoSI0oW5OYeE2BVMqcE4kwCMffwj5xC4BATZrUjDuNy7F8-OL5uyqCGY5hFYHBl2L9X1Klgouz48r1tRKE91HNLQifNjJToP5zHsRaW7NiEYZ9/s1600/Photo+Collage+Maker_m7lqMX.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRa-rR01wg0HsO9bxb_DlPUakCBEeKilJoSI0oW5OYeE2BVMqcE4kwCMffwj5xC4BATZrUjDuNy7F8-OL5uyqCGY5hFYHBl2L9X1Klgouz48r1tRKE91HNLQifNjJToP5zHsRaW7NiEYZ9/s1600/Photo+Collage+Maker_m7lqMX.png" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The left side was last month (month 3 of withdrawal from topical steroids)<br />
The right side is month 4</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuluEhJeWIo92ZsYHQVanFkapE2Vq1l2HLvTrKWhALo9sOF0UaOKRrGbFYdjImKoqkyQJiQQ27LSk3cSAml8LCPWnGXa6l1vxz71RDzgCKelfTRQBf06Uj3ctfmEILlPMZwM6nZcbaQh-r/s1600/Photo+Collage+Maker_tt8jF7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuluEhJeWIo92ZsYHQVanFkapE2Vq1l2HLvTrKWhALo9sOF0UaOKRrGbFYdjImKoqkyQJiQQ27LSk3cSAml8LCPWnGXa6l1vxz71RDzgCKelfTRQBf06Uj3ctfmEILlPMZwM6nZcbaQh-r/s1600/Photo+Collage+Maker_tt8jF7.png" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">During week 1 I started to become red and burning everywhere<br />
Month 1 I lost most of my eyelashes and eyebrows with extra skin folds and wrinkles<br />
Month 4: Most of eyebrows are back (thank you biotin!), folds are gone, still have pink areas</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2QacJaEkejN3ksreETu9uf5UDJBGbHFm3YI53ZdFaGHFD33-RH-hwKHJSbMVfbssO1G5NUicGAmOnlf3vFWWOyOwJHrY4qFEA1BWuII97cIqA3KkifARwRn9unFZ4sQC4FFsPeFqqRF1/s1600/Photo+Collage+Maker_x9dUfj.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2QacJaEkejN3ksreETu9uf5UDJBGbHFm3YI53ZdFaGHFD33-RH-hwKHJSbMVfbssO1G5NUicGAmOnlf3vFWWOyOwJHrY4qFEA1BWuII97cIqA3KkifARwRn9unFZ4sQC4FFsPeFqqRF1/s1600/Photo+Collage+Maker_x9dUfj.png" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My neck and chest have been THEE worst areas. It is so very uncomfortable<br />
for me to turn my head or lift it up and down because the skin isn't<br />
movable.<br />
The top picture was month 3 <br />
Bottom picture month 4</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-18840005280421255002014-09-07T17:30:00.000-07:002017-06-11T23:13:21.203-07:00Confessions of a Topical Steroid UserSince this blog and a lot of my life has been dedicated to natural healing methods and holistic ways of getting and staying well, I have not (up until this point) talked about my steroid addiction. This article is going to be very difficult for me to write. This article will probably be very difficult for me to post publicly once I've written it. <br />
<br />
If you go back and read my very first blog post <a href="http://hopefulholistichealing.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-journey-to-holistic-healing.html" target="_blank">here</a> you will find that I had been to many doctors, changed my diet, started using essential oils, etc. in hopes of making the inflammation within (and without) my body go away. While all of that has changed my life and made my family and I healthier, it still never completely took away my original reason for trying to heal my body in the first place. <br />
<br />
It all started three years ago with a small rash on my face above my upper lip. I was diagnosed differently with each doctor that I saw and given steroid prescriptions by each one of them. I now believe that this rash was just a small amount of eczema resurfacing. I've had eczema on and off most of my life. I would just dab on that steroid cream and BAM, rash gone. It was the only thing I could use that would show immediate relief. Call me vain but if it was not on my face, I probably would've tried to hold off until a natural healing approach worked. I just was so embarrassed by how I looked and not to mention it was painful to talk and eat. So, I put steroid cream on it once in awhile.<br />
<br />
I have recently learned that steroids have a cumulative effect. Yes, even topical steroids. Your body remembers them. So, when I would use a little here and a little there over the years my body would "remember" the last time I used it as if I had never stopped. This is where the addiction can come in.<br />
No doctor EVER told me what harm steroids could cause. Not one doctor told me how potent of a steroid they were giving me and what it would do to me if I had long term use. One dermatologist prescribed me a topical anti inflammatory/immunosuppressant (not a steroid) Elidel and did tell me that it had a black box warning for skin cancer. Of course I was very cautious with that one!<br />
<br />
For THREE years I was applying steroids. It started with a mild steroid just on my face above my lip. Then, it spread to other parts of my face. After the mild steroids weren't working, a stronger one was prescribed. Then the rash started spreading to my neck, chest, arms, legs, back, SCALP! <br />
I eventually had to go on oral steroids because the topicals just weren't doing their job anymore. The oral steroids barely worked and I went off of those. I still had rashes everywhere.<br />
<br />
After I had my last son I got on my knees and poured my heart out to my Heavenly Father. "What is WRONG with me? Why am I in so much pain. Why won't it go away? Please lead me to my answer. Please guide me on my path so that I might help myself and others who may have whatever this is." I cried and cried to Him. When I got up from that prayer, I went to the computer and typed in "Topical Steroid Addiction". I had no idea where that came from. I had no idea why I typed<em> those </em>words in particular. I now know that I was being led. God had answered my prayer immediately in my moment of distress. I was led to a website called <a href="http://www.itsan.org/about/" target="_blank">ITSAN.ORG</a>. It stands for International Topical Steroid Awareness Network. Through this website I read about people just like me. People who started with something so small and ended up with something uncontrollably painful.<br />
<br />
I found out that THE ONLY way to get better was to STOP. USING. STEROIDS.<br />
I was so afraid of this! I knew what was going to happen because I had tried to stop before and everything got worse. But I wanted to get better so I chose to make a commitment and do it.<br />
<br />
Imagine the worst torture and pain you could ever experience in your life, then times that by 100. The first month I was itching down to the bone everywhere, burning like I had third degree burns, oozing, swelling, bleeding, feeling 'pin pricks', no sleep at all, shedding skin all over the place, etc. It was constant all day, all night and nothing made it go away. I cried for weeks. I cried and screamed in pain in the shower. I didn't want to go anywhere. I didn't want to see anyone. Most people didn't know what I was going through. I wanted to apply lotions because I was so dry but it burned so bad. I prayed and continue to pray constantly for strength that I DO receive. <br />
<br />
There is a dermatologist who 'discovered' this issue. Dr. Marvin Rapaport is a co-founder of the ITSAN organization. You can read more about him <a href="http://www.itsan.org/resources/dr-rapaport/" target="_blank">HERE.</a> There is also a short Questions and Answers video with him on YouTube that is very informative if you'd like more information. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JNVj6eAHDs&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Click here for video.</a><br />
<br />
A lot of doctors do not believe that topical steroids can cause an addiction issue. They know this can happen with oral steroids though. They will tell you that topical steroids can thin the skin but that's about it. I had been told by one doctor that I probably had lupus, another doctor said I had major adrenal fatigue, another said I had a thyroid issue, another said I had an allergy to gold and vanilla, another said it was probably some contact allergy that I would have to figure out. Not one said it could be my steroid usage. They all knew I was using them. I have since found that long term steroid usage can lead to these things or I should say the appearance of these things. The body is just so sensitive.<br />
<br />
My adrenal function is totally messed up. My body now needs to 'learn' how to use its adrenal glands again which are responsible for so many things in the body including the reduction of inflammation. My body now overproduces histamines. If I scratch my leg, my whole body will itch for an hour. I have "elephant skin" on my neck which is a thickening of the skin. The medical term would be <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003251.htm" target="_blank">lichenification.</a> I also had it bad on my eyelids but that is actually almost healed thank goodness! My skin is also so thin in certain spots that if I just bump up against it it will bleed. My lymph nodes are swollen as my body is trying to detox.<br />
<br />
This has been very hard for me since I just had a baby 3 months ago and the first 2 months it was not even enjoyable to hold him or feed him because it hurt to have anyone touch me. I feel guilty that I was not really enjoying my baby the way that I could have been.<br />
<br />
I am happy to report that I AM healing but very slowly. It has been three months and I am finally now sleeping at night. Some nights I still awake itching but I am usually able to get back to sleep fairly quickly. My first 2 months of healing I was up all night scratching myself until I bled. Showers are still an issue. It really hurts to be in water at all but I don't want to be stinky! I am just getting to the point where I can wear a little bit of make up and it doesn't drive my skin crazy. I lost most of my eyebrow hair and eyelashes but those have grown back a lot. I'm still very dry and flaky but I've found a cream that helps and my face doesn't burn like crazy as it used to.<br />
<br />
Reluctantly, I am going to post photos below of before and now just to show progress. This is so embarrassing for me but I really am trying to raise awareness. I know that steroids play a good part in the medical community but, like antibiotics, I believe they are overused and the full risks are not disclosed. If you or someone you know has to use a ton of topical steroids, orals or injections to control spreading eczema then they are more than likely suffering from steroid addiction. It will just continue to worsen and it causes many side effects including a weakened immune system.<br />
<br />
Please, PLEASE do not use them on your children like I did! If you go to Itsan.org you will read stories and see pictures of many children who have had to suffer through this. It is a nightmare for them and their parents.<br />
<br />
Dr. Rapaport has seen over 2000 patients with this skin condition and they have ALL healed from this. This gives me hope. Patience is key with this healing process as it can take months to years to finally heal. I still have good days and bad days. I have flares. I was in a constant state of a flare for the first month but now my flares only last days instead of weeks. I can't wait for the day when I am finally healed and can feel comfortable in my own skin again.<br />
<br />
<br />
Note: These pictures were taken with different devices, in different lighting, and on different days but you will get the idea.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRS6Qmjq5xQnIhyJRs-hhyAY4Y_zctVT3PnqVYNQW1CYsFtFwhyphenhyphenzItyYZ7QhYbKqrVzdI7H88EXq99Lzl4HSS_lQtDLBF2nlAD43GPz_TyxB4WXuIEQefSQGfSasylsR7JiWuKwjZUowTR/s1600/2014-07-21+10.50.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRS6Qmjq5xQnIhyJRs-hhyAY4Y_zctVT3PnqVYNQW1CYsFtFwhyphenhyphenzItyYZ7QhYbKqrVzdI7H88EXq99Lzl4HSS_lQtDLBF2nlAD43GPz_TyxB4WXuIEQefSQGfSasylsR7JiWuKwjZUowTR/s1600/2014-07-21+10.50.04.jpg" height="320" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My neck and chest at 8 weeks off<br />
topical steroids</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrLJKBnAICIgsl8HWrOpDTf5o3d8bj_tk-0lJICToG54mFrZnxgBYkMqsYavyJzraxS7XnfZ2TqMsB9HH5YsoJldCfxZ6Br9xq7gSH2RQzlhAFDJHRmgq1NvJXSVyHomGu8yXMD6aNDnA/s1600/IMAG0619-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrLJKBnAICIgsl8HWrOpDTf5o3d8bj_tk-0lJICToG54mFrZnxgBYkMqsYavyJzraxS7XnfZ2TqMsB9HH5YsoJldCfxZ6Br9xq7gSH2RQzlhAFDJHRmgq1NvJXSVyHomGu8yXMD6aNDnA/s1600/IMAG0619-1-1.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My neck and chest at 2 days off topical<br />
steroids.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxlujQgs75EFSBlllPrcTzjrSYDiAag-HJJ4DYwAkWhEkkJARHOkvPxLwUleNL2rckJ33rlSFkcQAd7bXD3KXXdf3EQwFi2ng6OZdD4F9f5riO3A5qPpmWVMbefOld5eDiRgRi7gyn0HF/s1600/2014-09-07+17.01.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxlujQgs75EFSBlllPrcTzjrSYDiAag-HJJ4DYwAkWhEkkJARHOkvPxLwUleNL2rckJ33rlSFkcQAd7bXD3KXXdf3EQwFi2ng6OZdD4F9f5riO3A5qPpmWVMbefOld5eDiRgRi7gyn0HF/s1600/2014-09-07+17.01.00.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My arm 8 weeks during a flare</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tBB8_5OCIjQsNTd1C7qDy2pH192oADVnStkdkkAduVFamY186GmK2nb8juKemcaxklaYmSPFpp2-ma9QWoCp4K1xPs1zSP3GBCvtNwb0LzbwdytgcSAoy8RdA6zqa-NTRgbDnfjCFlJh/s1600/20140704_101308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tBB8_5OCIjQsNTd1C7qDy2pH192oADVnStkdkkAduVFamY186GmK2nb8juKemcaxklaYmSPFpp2-ma9QWoCp4K1xPs1zSP3GBCvtNwb0LzbwdytgcSAoy8RdA6zqa-NTRgbDnfjCFlJh/s1600/20140704_101308.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4 weeks after stopping steroids<br />
(lost eyebrows, thick extra folds in<br />
eyelids)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The day I stopped using steroids</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My face now during a flare <br />
(3 months off topical<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My face now when I'm NOT<br />
flaring & eyebrows are<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-69897136304643343632014-06-29T18:02:00.001-07:002014-06-29T18:06:42.957-07:00My Home Birth Experience - Part 2: The Aftermath<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Part of my reason for having a home birth was not wanting any interventions. This included all bothersome, unknown people coming in and out of my room to check this and that for days on end. I realize that there have to be SOME examinations of baby and mama after birth to ensure that there are no complications. However, I feel that it is a bit over done in the hospital setting. I wanted as much private, quiet time with baby and family as I could get. Unfortunately, this never really happened for us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This "Part 2" of my story is not quite as happy as "Part 1". If you haven't read "Part 1" of my home birth experience you can go </span><a href="http://hopefulholistichealing.blogspot.com/2014/06/my-home-birth-experience-part-1.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">HERE</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> first, then come back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The difference between having a good midwife as a caregiver and having a doctor is like night and day. I emphasize the word "good" because I'm sure they are not all equal. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A midwife will spend hours upon hours getting to know you. Not only will they get to know where you are physically but also emotionally, mentally, spiritually. Why? It helps build a connection between the pregnant woman and midwife and this helps when its time for labor and delivery. A woman's body can relax so much more when she is in the presence of people who she knows care about her and love her. I can attest to the comfort of having only people who I knew in my room with me. It made me feel safe, loved and cared for. I don't ever recall this overwhelming feeling of love in a hospital with a doctor who really only knew me physically for a few minutes at a time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This next part may be TMI for some but it was pretty important to me. I have never previously had the desire to see any "parts" that came out of me besides my baby but this time my midwife asked if I was interested in seeing the placenta. I have to admit at first I said no. I really thought I would be grossed out by it. I overheard my husband and midwife talking about it in the other room. She was showing him this and that. This peeked my interest. So, I decided to let her show me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I suppose you would call a placenta a temporary organ? It is amazing to me how the body produces this organ and that once it is no longer needed the body expels it almost immediately. I found a picture online (I did not think to take one of my own!) and will post it here. There is a part of the placenta that is called "the tree of life" it is a bunch of veins together that look like a tree. They surround the umbilical cord. This fascinated me!! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I love this picture that I found. The thick piece in the middle that looks like the trunk of a tree is the umbilical cord. Obviously, the other side of it is connected to the baby. I just really wanted to share this part of my experience since it was something I had never been taught before even after having 3 kids previously!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZCzfuHwLr5Nfoqxfa-tYDZq5UaVmL7B_9K3oiTXsSLBKqwvpWNy_9gsK4AGVXsCPQfbj6vtaT81oTMp0yj5oPyzbY1_9Q5L1VoNLoT3P7fq5-KH24mB9v8hRdQ7_7cip1WDzxzNyYx_R/s1600/main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZCzfuHwLr5Nfoqxfa-tYDZq5UaVmL7B_9K3oiTXsSLBKqwvpWNy_9gsK4AGVXsCPQfbj6vtaT81oTMp0yj5oPyzbY1_9Q5L1VoNLoT3P7fq5-KH24mB9v8hRdQ7_7cip1WDzxzNyYx_R/s1600/main.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Photography by: </span><a href="http://www.janemccraephotography.com/gallery/newborn/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Jane McCrae Photography</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As you have previously read, Noah was a BIG baby. I was able to push him out naturally but I did have a little problem getting his shoulders out due to him being stuck in my pelvis. This is called shoulder dystocia. You can learn a little more about it </span><a href="http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/laborbirth/a/aa081801a.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">HERE</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After several attempts at pushing and several attempts of different maneuvers of moving his upper body, my midwife knew that we had to do something different to get him out quickly. His head was already out for a little bit while I was laying on my side. If you've read "Part 1" of my story you already know that she had me flip from my side to my hands and knees to open up my pelvis more. He needed to be pulled out because he was just not coming with my pushes. Unfortunately, in the process of all of this his humerus bone was broken. He was not moving his arm and because of this we knew we needed to have him looked at. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My midwife said that a lot of times a baby with shoulder dystocia will not transition very quickly. They may have a hard time breathing. Noah was such a trooper. He was SO healthy. He was breathing fine. His color was good. With the exception of a broken arm, he was perfect! However, we still needed to contact a pediatrician. This was the beginning of the horror of a story that would ensue.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The pediatrician told us to come in right away so I fed Noah for as long as I could and bonded as much as I could before he had to be whisked away. I could not go with him because I could barely walk and could be in danger of hemorrhage as well. So, my husband took him to the doctor who was about 45 minutes away. They examined him and said he was in perfect health but wanted him to have x-rays to see what was wrong with his arm. My husband told them that he would get the x-rays but first wanted to get the baby back to me to eat. The doctor threatened to call child services if he did not go to get x-rays immediately. My husband and I felt that nursing and me seeing my brand new baby was more important because this obviously was NOT an emergency situation. We had the arm immobile and he was only in pain if we moved it. So, guess what? We didn't move it!</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAkpUNrhhdLw-35wX2EoH5DJp3NcTNJ8GlpaRJmLSj_s6eF_hIFpPReQcGCj5h6WSPpyRWs3xshgTL6EKga2JQuGgJRy3x6eK1LXSdZP0tH4uHzEhyphenhyphenDnlNDlJiEJCdm9YbOvdihLcW4iT/s1600/20140614_022404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAkpUNrhhdLw-35wX2EoH5DJp3NcTNJ8GlpaRJmLSj_s6eF_hIFpPReQcGCj5h6WSPpyRWs3xshgTL6EKga2JQuGgJRy3x6eK1LXSdZP0tH4uHzEhyphenhyphenDnlNDlJiEJCdm9YbOvdihLcW4iT/s1600/20140614_022404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAkpUNrhhdLw-35wX2EoH5DJp3NcTNJ8GlpaRJmLSj_s6eF_hIFpPReQcGCj5h6WSPpyRWs3xshgTL6EKga2JQuGgJRy3x6eK1LXSdZP0tH4uHzEhyphenhyphenDnlNDlJiEJCdm9YbOvdihLcW4iT/s1600/20140614_022404.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This doctor called us about 10 times within a 2 hour period threatening us and urging us to get x-rays immediately even though we told her that we would. So, after I fed the baby and spent maybe another 30 minutes with him my husband took him to a local ER. He got the x-rays and found that he did in fact have a broken humerus. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">They told my husband that he would have to take an ambulance to Rainbows (over an hour drive) to be looked at by a specialist. My husband did not feel it was an emergency. Did I mention that this was 10 pm at night? My husband told them no. He would drive the baby himself after he took him back to me to feed him again before taking him on yet ANOTHER long drive. This was unacceptable to them. They said that if he did not allow the ambulance ride that when he got to Rainbows he would have to start the process all over again. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I got to feed my baby again and we all ended up falling asleep for awhile because we were so exhausted!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Meanwhile, we were receiving tons of messages from the previous pediatrician still threatening us and telling us we were putting our baby's life in danger and they will need to take action.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When my husband got to Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital in Cleveland at 3:00 am, a resident orthopedic doctor looked at Noah and determined that his health was perfect and his arm was broken. He said that they would not set it or cast it. They would most likely keep it immobilized (which is what we were already doing) but they wanted an Orthopedic Specialist to look at it. This Specialist would not be in until sometime between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm. At this time it was 5:00 am. Noah had not been with me for about 4 hours at this point and keeping him until noon would've meant being without him (and him not being fed) for 12 hours. They said that he needed to stay (even though it was not an emergency situation) and they would give him formula. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A little background info: My son Max (who is now 2) had to be given formula as a newborn due to a doctor putting me on a medication that would not be good for a breastfeeding infant. He developed milk and soy allergies. He could not drink any formula because he would vomit forcefully and end up extremely sick. To this day he has food senstitivies. We were NOT going to do this with another one of our children. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My husband told the doctor he would not be giving him formula and that he would take Noah back to me (another hour and a half drive) to be fed and that he would bring him back as soon as they got a specialist in the building to look at him. This doctor said if my husband left that he would call Child Protective Services due to medical neglect of our child. Even though we had been to THREE hospitals that day and my husband was exhausted from driving everywhere. We couldn't believe they were accusing us of medical neglect!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My husband brought Noah home. I was SO happy to see him. I hadn't slept in over 48 hours and was so happy to have him with me again! I fed him and we slept in bed together for a few hours until we received a phone call from Child Services. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The case worker at Child Services told us that we needed to get the baby in RIGHT NOW or we were risking him being taken away. We told them what the doctor told us about just keeping it immobilized and that we really needed some sleep but we would bring him back when we got some rest. Child Services was okay with this plan but after a couple of hours they called us back again and said that Rainbows was not happy that we had not brought the baby back yet and that they had called the police and would be at our house soon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Sheriff showed up not long after that and thought he got the wrong house. He asked to see the baby. He determined that the baby was fine and could not understand why Rainbows was saying that the baby was in danger and was in excruciating pain. When the Sheriff got there Noah was sleeping soundly and freshly changed and fed. His arm was immobilized in an ace bandage that we put on because the doctor at Rainbows failed to do anything in the 2 hours that my husband was there. The Sheriff called Child Services and told him the baby was safe and well taken care of and there was no cause for alarm. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Rainbows continued to call Child Services over and over. Our case worker even talked to our midwife to make sure that we were being looked after. She eventually told us that if we did not go back to Rainbows that we were risking getting our child taken from us. At this point we really did not want to go back to that particular hospital since they were harassing us! We asked if it would be okay for us to choose a different hospital and our case worker from Child Services was okay with that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We ended up in another ER that night. This time I went with my husband. I was in a wheelchair but I just wanted this to be over with and didn't want my husband to have to drive all the way back home again for Noah to be fed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">They took more x-rays and determined that he would not have a cast but would need an ace bandage to be wrapped around the arm to keep it immobilized. They gave us a fancier bandage then the one we had from home. I'm sure this bandage will eventually cost us a couple thousand dollars. This hospital also had us speak with a case worker. When we told them the story they told us they would not make their own report but would just contact our other case worker. Thank goodness!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We thought this would be the end of Child Services since we had done what they asked but they still wanted to make a home visit to make sure we were taking care of all of our children properly. Once they did this they saw that our family was very healthy and there was no cause for alarm. They said we would receive a letter in the mail saying our case was closed. We still have not received this letter. They said that Rainbows continues to call them daily trying to charge us with medical neglect. I don't think I will rest well until we receive this letter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I am paranoid that they will still try to take him from us. I cringe every time the phone rings when I don't recognize the number. I worry when my children fall or get hurt in any way. I am terrified of having to take any of my children to the doctor again for fear that they will think I've inflicted harm on them when I have not. I worry that we will not be able to afford all of the medical bills that will inevitably show up in our mailbox after all of this. Thank goodness he did not take that ambulance ride! I can't imagine what that bill would've been.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have spoken to several people including a nurse at the alternate hospital we chose and came to the conclusion that this sort of thing is not uncommon when it comes to home births. Some doctors feel that home birth in general is neglectful. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm hoping this fight is over and that we can continue to adjust to our life with a new baby. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I did get my beautiful home birth experience. I wish that the after birth experience was just as wonderful.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm just happy that Noah is healthy and fat and wonderful and scrumptious. We love him so much and those are the things I will try to keep focus on.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5333rPl8yWD5_XnJxgZo4Y4UVgrpIVtzqMjFGSvwjDLF8xlacz7lcl9MgsRXAapp-ZEHBb-ZiVOhi3krTmlABjkJ3t0H4fMwp5Cu1ENmMat46EWoy_LDNKsrMlEs_vvFmdm6zASxyCTm/s1600/20140629_0756116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5333rPl8yWD5_XnJxgZo4Y4UVgrpIVtzqMjFGSvwjDLF8xlacz7lcl9MgsRXAapp-ZEHBb-ZiVOhi3krTmlABjkJ3t0H4fMwp5Cu1ENmMat46EWoy_LDNKsrMlEs_vvFmdm6zASxyCTm/s1600/20140629_0756116.jpg" height="320" width="236" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Here is baby Noah at 2 weeks old. He still has his fancy, expensive bandage on!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3ymicLQtPB-RKgI2uf019S3RqBATAWP8AtCrOEreqMHXo9SeVyTy_38yuqh3I4V6bo3EJj_8fGyTOILxY2z5c4ClMYwx-cw9QgvP15276REa0LFkE4LILu4IspraeEF5_st1APRVF20H/s1600/20140613_2322118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3ymicLQtPB-RKgI2uf019S3RqBATAWP8AtCrOEreqMHXo9SeVyTy_38yuqh3I4V6bo3EJj_8fGyTOILxY2z5c4ClMYwx-cw9QgvP15276REa0LFkE4LILu4IspraeEF5_st1APRVF20H/s1600/20140613_2322118.jpg" height="320" width="252" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I did not originally plan on having a home birth. I did know that I wanted to have a natural experience this time. Having had 3 previous births with hospital interventions, I just knew that I didn't want to do it that way again. I researched information on inductions, C-sections, epidurals, etc. It did not take me long to realize how many risks are associated with these things. I had experienced some of these risks already in previous births. With any birth, whether at home or in a hospital, there will always be <em>some </em>possible risks involved. It seems that no matter how much you plan there is really no way to know exactly how things will work out. My birth story is definitely not the story I thought that I would tell. I had something a little different in mind. However, it was the most amazing, wonderful, fulfilling experience I've ever had. Without further ado, my birth story....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Earlier in my pregnancy I called around and looked up doula's in my area. There weren't a ton but I finally found one that I felt comfortable with. As we talked at our appointments about my birth plan and what I wanted out of my hospital birth, I soon saw that I needed to start looking into home birth. I admit that I was quite afraid of even considering it at first because so many people (people who have never researched home births of course) told me how much more dangerous it was than being in a hospital. I also had those who told me their birth horror stories and said that had they been at home something horrible would've happened. Unfortunately, I came to find out that a big reason there are birth horror stories are because of the interventions that hospitals use all too freely. I know that home birth isn't for everyone. However, I personally no longer believe that being induced should be practiced so regularly. Low risk women don't need to be afraid to birth at home. Women have been doing this for hundreds of years and here's a little secret...Our bodies know exactly what to do!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, lucky for me I found out that my doula worked as a team with an experienced midwife and that she was also a midwife's apprentice. I just decided to go for it and release my fear. I asked tons of questions and read as much as I could. This helped ease the fear of the unknown.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I really loved the personal relationship that developed over time with these ladies. It is so hard to get to know a doctor due to how quickly you are rushed through your appointments. I loved that my appointments were over an hour to give time to really ask questions and get to know each other. I ended up feeling like they were family by the time the end of pregnancy got there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not going to lie, this pregnancy was hellish for me. I gained more weight than I wanted, had skin issues that required treatment, was stressed due to outside circumstances and became overly emotional. It was certainly not what I expected but I dealt with things as they came.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I neared the end of pregnancy my baby boy seemed like he might be a little larger than the average but nothing really indicated he would be overly large. I had 2 eight pound babies in the past so I was no stranger to a larger baby. My belly started feeling much heavier than I had experienced in previous pregnancies. As I passed my due date I started to get a little concerned that he was going to be too big for me to push out naturally. Why did I think this? Because I've heard time and time again about how people have to be induced early because the baby is "too big" for their body. Again, I tried to release that fear and keep going. I tried everything I could to naturally get labor going at home. Walks, sex, bouncing on the yoga ball, walking up and down stairs were just a few things I tried. I was willing to let the baby bake the way he needed but if my body was ready then I was surely going to help to throw it over the edge! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At 6 days overdue I was really feeling fat and miserable and could barely get around. I was starting to think I'd be pregnant forever! I was feeling stressed with all the comments from people about how I should've had the baby already. I thought for some reason that it was my fault I wasn't going into labor. I felt like my body was broken and lost all confidence at the end.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This particular day I told my midwife how I was feeling. She told me that I needed to just believe in myself and that I can do this. I felt comforted by the things she said to help gain my confidence back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I finally decided to give up and leave it in God's hands. I prayed, meditated, and just convinced myself that it was okay. I felt my confidence come back and knew that baby would come when he was ready. I knew that no matter what everything would be okay. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I decided to just go outside with my husband and kids and just have fun with them. It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day. I picked strawberries, watched my 2 year old fish in our pond with my husband, did some gardening and then I did the ultimate; a ride on our four wheeler (don't ask me what on earth made me do that!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had SO much fun!! I forgot how stressed I was earlier that day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm sure you can guess what happened later that night. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Around 10:30 pm I started having contractions which were much like the Braxton Hicks (practice contractions) I had been having for weeks so I didn't think much of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then around 11:30 pm I noticed a slight pattern to them but I still didn't get too excited because that had happened a couple times as well. I wasn't convinced and also did not want to get excited and then stressed again if it was not the real deal</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I finally just went to bed. I woke up at 1:30 am with a powerful contraction. This contraction was enough to make me say "Oh! Well, THAT was different!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At this point the contractions were about 15 minutes apart so I was able to sleep between them. As time went on they just kept getting closer and closer. I finally woke my husband when they were 5 minutes apart. He said I shouldn't have woke him up yet because I had "a long way to go". He also didn't think I should bother the midwife just yet since it was the middle of the night. Not sure why, but I listened to him. I think the 'no confidence' factor came in to play again. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I kept telling him that she said to call when they were FIFTEEN minutes apart since this was baby #4 and she was over an hour away. He ended up falling back asleep. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I walked around a lot and watched television while standing and rocking back and forth. I took a shower. I was really hungry so I had a cheese stick and some applesauce. It was so nice to be able to do whatever I wanted while I was in labor! No more annoying hospital ice chips! No monitors and IV's everywhere! It was such a breath of fresh air.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By 5 am the contractions were 2 minutes apart and I really needed to breathe through them and concentrate. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My husband was still sleeping and I knew he didn't believe it was really going to happen because I had so many false alarms in the past so I just decided to call the midwife without waking him. She asked me if these contractions felt different than the ones I had been having previously. I said "For sure!". She said "We're on our way then!" She told me later that she knew it was the real deal just by the sound of my voice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I woke hubby again and at that point I was moaning loudly through contractions so he knew I meant business. The only thing that felt comfortable was standing and rocking. Sitting was horrid. Laying was unbearable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hubby started to get the bed ready and started setting up the birthing pool but I quickly realized I wouldn't be needing it since everything was going really fast. The contractions were one on top of the other. I felt nauseated and I was shaking. I told hubby to call and find out how soon my midwife would be there. He said 30 minutes! I knew from my reading that I was in transition because of the nausea and shaking. I knew it would be sooner than 30 minutes. It's really true that when you're at the point where you think you can't stand it anymore then you're almost done. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My body just started pushing on its own. I couldn't control it even though I wanted to because my midwives weren't there yet! </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I finally laid down on my side on the bed moaning and grunting with each push. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My 12 year old daughter must've heard me because she came in the room. I had not planned on my kids being present for the birth but it just ended up working out that way. I'm not sure when my 10 year old son came in but he was there too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My midwives finally arrived and I felt so relieved by that! I had already been pushing for a few minutes but she started helping my body by using counter pressure with some olive oil. I was still on my side but they needed to hold my legs for me because I felt weak. I kept pushing and could feel his head out but the rest wouldn't budge. I was feeling a little frustrated. All of a sudden she very firmly said "you need to get on your hands & knees now!" I could not do this on my own. I was so tired! I just felt a bunch of hands flip me. These women are strong! My husband helped as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My kids were in there watching mom in her most primal state. I remember thinking "I hope they aren't scared, I hope they aren't going to be traumatized since I didn't prepare them for this". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once I was on my hands and knees I felt her reach her hand in to get him out. He was stuck!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Turning onto my hands and knees helped to open up the pelvis more. All of this happened so fast that I really didn't know what was going on. I just knew he wasn't coming out with my really hard pushes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Later I found out that this really can be a potentially dangerous situation and thank goodness she had the training she had! She is such a powerful, smart, intuitive woman. She saved my baby's life! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had my husband and 2 comforting, kind ladies taking care of me. I was given water as I labored. Gentle words were spoken. I knew everyone in that room and I was not afraid at all. I felt so loved!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the birth was over I thought about how things may have gone had I been in a hospital bed with an epidural and on my back. How many interventions would have taken place to get the baby out? I certainly would not have been able to get on my hands and knees if my legs were numb. C-section? Episiotomy? Rips and tears to my perineum? Who knows! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I did have a very, very tiny superficial tear that did not require stitches. I couldn't believe it! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally, Noah made his healthy 10 lb 11oz entrance into the world at 7:16 am. We had already picked his name out and felt strongly that he was a little "Noah". It turns out that he was not so little! </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-o_EgoNRnxVkE-67ZHY2tvDIjID3V8KEITvPYqlPSlnR7a55S0K1dmxo2fC6X-IDkC1zNo2MSfbVNkmT5RPJWUgUhYe_HjLDuDz4N5-NKZ0cKSS4WoONcNV5kYFBl9XaB80QJX9IBf8D/s1600/2014-06-20+16.10.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-o_EgoNRnxVkE-67ZHY2tvDIjID3V8KEITvPYqlPSlnR7a55S0K1dmxo2fC6X-IDkC1zNo2MSfbVNkmT5RPJWUgUhYe_HjLDuDz4N5-NKZ0cKSS4WoONcNV5kYFBl9XaB80QJX9IBf8D/s1600/2014-06-20+16.10.21.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My water never broke so he was born inside of his water sac. Isn't that kind of cool that a little boy named Noah was born along with all of his water behind him? Maybe he was hoping to have an arc built in time for labor and that's what kept him so long? Silly boy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He is a wonderfully healthy, fat baby boy. Thanks to the skill of my midwives, help of my husband and the awesome power of my body, I had the home birth that I desired. I would not change a thing. I loved every minute. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Especially the minutes that did not involve contractions. ;)</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-83540197793365662532014-03-08T09:09:00.001-08:002014-03-08T09:33:37.104-08:0010 Things You Should Never Say To A Pregnant Woman<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJi3u7gMJ9qSWWxaTq-5IcV2_wQUGqku8Pr75DjHcUsj36Of-ftEr4I7AFhEsFSLqc5_-hEjjlkdQ9WdVMGtzQPT_811Sv_zFOdALjHi80cdcO4ExSZRU2l0S928LcxShm7uxsK57_C9lR/s1600/ID-100240208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pregnant Woman" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJi3u7gMJ9qSWWxaTq-5IcV2_wQUGqku8Pr75DjHcUsj36Of-ftEr4I7AFhEsFSLqc5_-hEjjlkdQ9WdVMGtzQPT_811Sv_zFOdALjHi80cdcO4ExSZRU2l0S928LcxShm7uxsK57_C9lR/s1600/ID-100240208.jpg" height="400" title="Pregnant Woman" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
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I realize that most people are well-meaning. Most comments toward a pregnant woman are not meant to be malicious attacks against what her parenting style will be, the way she looks or the choices she is making. I truly think that some people just have NO clue what to say to a pregnant woman. Guess what? You don't have to say anything at all about the pregnancy! It's not in the rules that when you see a baby bump you would be rude not to tell about your experience or how you think she looks. Pregnant women are totally okay with that. <br />
With that said, I am currently 27 weeks pregnant with my fourth child. I have heard it all before. I sometimes have a sarcastic sense of humor. I didn't write this article in anger or irritation. I absolutely love being pregnant and love that I will be holding another little bundle in a few months. It's all in good fun of course.<br />
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<ol>
<li> <strong>ARE YOU PREGNANT</strong>?</li>
</ol>
<em>What the pregnant woman hears</em> : "You are looking a little chunky in the mid-section. You either choked down one too many donuts or there has to be a baby in there!"<br />
<em>What she wants to say back but won't</em>: "No, I'm not pregnant. I swallowed a volleyball. They couldn't get it out at the ER so we are just leaving it in there for now."<br />
<em>What you could say instead</em>: "Hi, how are you. Nice to see you."<br />
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I know that curiosity sometimes gets the best of us. The problem is, what if you say this to someone and they are NOT pregnant? You have just completely insulted them by letting them know you have noticed their fat accumulation. <br />
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2. <strong>YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'RE READY TO POP!</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong> </strong><em>What the pregnant woman hears</em>: "You look like a beached whale!"<br />
<em>What she wants to say back but won't</em>: "I realize that I can't see my toes. Now stop comparing me to a hot air balloon."<br />
<em>What you could say instead</em>: "You are looking lovely as usual."<br />
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During the last few months of pregnancy a woman's abdomen tends to get larger and larger as she nears her birthing time. It is not necessary to point out over and over how large her belly has gotten. She is fully aware and does not need to know that YOU are aware also.<br />
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3. <strong>YOU'RE <em>STILL </em>PREGNANT?!</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong> </strong><em>What the pregnant woman hears: "</em>Something is very wrong with you seeing as how that baby is still in your womb. Go ride over a set of railroad tracks to ease my mind"<br />
<em>What she wants to say back but won't</em>: "Yes, I'm still pregnant. If I was not still pregnant I would obviously have an infant in my arms."<br />
<em>What you could say instead</em>: "Let's have lunch soon. I miss your company." <br />
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This question to a pregnant woman is just completely unnecessary. If she was pregnant the last time you saw her and still has a belly and/or she is not carrying a baby then you can bet your bottom dollar that she is still pregnant. <br />
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4. <strong>BETTER YOU THAN ME!</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong> </strong><em>What the pregnant woman hears: "</em>You are in such a horrible predicament. I am so glad that I'm not in your position. I would just shoot myself."<br />
<em>What she wants to say back but won't: </em>"I am currently creating a whole other human being. What super powers do you have?"<br />
<em>What you could say instead</em>: "The best part of pregnancy for me was.... What is the best part for you if you don't mind me asking?"<br />
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All I can say to this one is that it can ONLY be perceived as rude and negative. So, even if you don't mean it that way please keep it to yourself.<br />
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5. <strong>ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER ONE AFTER THIS?</strong><br />
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<em>What the pregnant woman hears</em>: "Are you planning on getting it on with your husband AGAIN with no protection? Have some control woman!"<br />
<em>What she wants to say back but won't</em>: "Are you serious? I'm still pregnant! I'm not thinking about doing this again yet. Sheesh..." <br />
<em>What you could say instead</em>: "I bet your baby is going to be absolutely wonderful!"<br />
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This is such a personal thing to ask someone. Family planning is for the family. There are things that you just do not need to know. It does not benefit you in anyway to know whether someone is planning on having 3 or 8 children. That is for them to plan and think about. You have no weight in that decision. If they decide to have another baby in 2 years, you will know about it then.<br />
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6. <strong>ENJOY LIFE NOW, WHILE YOU STILL CAN.</strong><br />
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<strong> </strong><em>What the pregnant woman hears</em>: "Life is going to suck in a few months."<br />
<em>What she wants to say back but won't</em>: "As a matter of fact, my attitude about it is completely the opposite. I will enjoy life so much more after the baby is born. That is why I am pregnant in the first place!"<br />
<em>What you could say instead</em>: "Life is going to be amazing with that new baby of yours!"<br />
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Most women who get pregnant on purpose don't do it thinking that they are going to endure a life of complete misery and pain. They are doing it for the joy. The joy of having a family. The joy that comes from raising a child. Of course there will be moments of sadness, some sleepless nights and other things that come along with parenthood but to imply that they will not be able to enjoy life again is just such a very negative statement and should be withheld. <br />
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7. <strong>GET ALL YOUR SLEEP NOW BEFORE THE BABY COMES.</strong><br />
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<strong> </strong><em>What the pregnant woman hears: "</em>You will turn into a flesh eating zombie in 3 months."<br />
<em>What she wants to say back but won't</em>: "Umm, sleep? I would like you to go buy a watermelon right now. When you go to sleep tonight stick it under your sheets and lay on top of it. Call me tomorrow morning and let me know how you slept."<br />
<em>What you could say instead</em>: "I will call you to find out what I can do to help once baby arrives. I'm here for anything you need"<br />
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It is a well known fact that newborns don't sleep through the night. It just so happens that when you're VERY pregnant, you can't sleep well either. It is just a tad uncomfortable. There is really no need to give this piece of advice even if you are well-meaning. Pregnancy can be tiring and having a baby will be tiring. Eventually life will go back to normal and everyone will sleep once again. She already knows this and so do you.<br />
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8. <strong>OH, IT'S TOO BAD YOU'RE HAVING <em>ANOTHER</em> GIRL/BOY.</strong><br />
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<strong> </strong><em>What the pregnant woman hears: "</em>You're such a disappointment."<br />
<em> What she wants to say back but won't:</em> "It's terrible isn't it? I am actually having a chimpanzee."<br />
<em>What you could say instead</em>: "Oh, you're having another boy/girl? That's so exciting! The boys/girls you already have are so adorable."<br />
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The woman doesn't actually get to choose what she's having. Whether it is a disappointment to you or not, she does not really need to know. Do not assume that it is disappointing to her unless she has said so. Even then, please try to be encouraging.<br />
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9. <strong>YOUR FOURTH KID? WOW, YOU'VE BEEN AROUND THE BLOCK A FEW TIMES!</strong><br />
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<em>What the pregnant woman hears</em>: "There was an old lady who lived in a shoe...."<br />
<em>What she wants to say but won't</em>: "Yes. I'm Jenny from the Block, don't be fooled by the bump that I got."<br />
<em>What you could say instead</em>: Nothing. Nothing at all.<br />
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Nursery rhymes and pop songs aside, a woman who is having more than one child has experience. She's done it before. No need to comment.<br />
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10. <strong>IT'S GOING SOO SLOW </strong><br />
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<strong> </strong><em>What the pregnant woman hears: "</em>I am growing impatient with your baby's incubation time."<br />
<em>What she wants to say but won't: "</em>I'm sorry that it's not going fast enough for you, is there anything I can do to make you feel better besides sit on the drier?"<br />
<em>What you could say instead: </em>"Have you done any fun baby clothes shopping while you're waiting for your precious one to arrive?"<br />
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Women are generally pregnant for about 40 weeks give or take a couple. It does not go faster or slower than that. <br />
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For most people, pregnancy can be exciting, interesting, mystifying, and fun. I'm sure that is why there is always a desire to discuss it when a pregnant woman is around. I truly enjoy talking about my pregnancy to others who have experienced it. However, there are boundaries that should be kept in mind when making comments. There are so many great things that can be said to a pregnant woman. Women who are expecting tend to be a little more sensitive than others so it would be wise to consider this prior to saying something. Also keep in mind that what you're saying has probably been said to her 8 to 10 times already that day. Make sure your comments are positive and uplifting. Otherwise, you may want to think about relocating.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><em>"Pregnant Woman" photo by Patrisyu at freedigitalphotos.net</em></span>
<meta property=”og:image” content=”http://hopefulholistichealing.blogspot.com/Pregnant Woman.jpg” />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-36001285709787633602013-10-09T13:24:00.000-07:002013-10-09T13:24:06.857-07:0035 Uses For Lemon Essential Oil<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyqu7FzpUWQIBiEMRvLWWdLxMhXmsnpdnqf3H24C27U4Z75qeE8Tx5XNeYWUy_eM5Q92bwWI1_qVEpJBk-l__LEz2H6YQlT-pMv9f-w0RfeJnxm81T1hBmXMwbIJ1ReNABghf0jMUCaYr/s1600/Lemon_15ml.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyqu7FzpUWQIBiEMRvLWWdLxMhXmsnpdnqf3H24C27U4Z75qeE8Tx5XNeYWUy_eM5Q92bwWI1_qVEpJBk-l__LEz2H6YQlT-pMv9f-w0RfeJnxm81T1hBmXMwbIJ1ReNABghf0jMUCaYr/s320/Lemon_15ml.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #926eb7;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lemon is known as a powerful aromatic, topical, and internal cleanser.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #926eb7;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lemon Essential Oil from doTERRA is cold-pressed from lemon rinds to preserve its delicate nature and potent properties. This oil</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span>truly has limitless uses. Here are just a few:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #926eb7;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #926eb7;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(I got these from</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #926eb7;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.doterraeveryday.com/101-uses/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://www.doterraeveryday.com/101-uses/</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> but added one of my own)</span></span> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #926eb7;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></strong></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #926eb7;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Home Use</span></strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #926eb7;"></span>1. <strong>A Cure for Laundry Neglect. </strong>Lemon essential oil takes out ALL odor when you forget and leave your load of laundry in the washer way too long!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2.<strong> Tame Oozy, Sappy Trees. </strong>Whether the sap is on your carpet, clothes or seeped into your skin, lemon oil is excellent for removing pine gum and tree sap.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3.<strong> Stop Grease in its Tracks. </strong>You just fixed your bike. Your hands are black and greasy. Soap alone won’t remove the grease, but lemon oil mixed with your soap will. Lemon oil is a great de-greaser!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4.<strong> Disinfect the Disgusting. </strong>You can add lemon oil to a spray bottle of water and attack what may be living in your range hood, on your tables, countertops and other surfaces. For some extra chemical-free firepower, a little vinegar is a traditional favorite.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5.<strong> Lose the Gas Mask. </strong>When you clean the gunky build up in your shower, do you practically have to wear a gas mask to survive the fumes? Go gas mask free and clean with lemon oil. Just a small amount of lemon oil will go a long way in removing hard water build up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6.<strong> Nourish Your Leathers. </strong>Whether you ride a Harley in style or cherish the patina of your leather sofa at home, your leathers are not maintenance free. Use a lemon oil soaked cloth to preserve them, and prevent leather from splitting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7.<strong> High Ho Silver. </strong>A lemon oil treated cloth is a great remedy for the early stages of tarnish on silver or other metals. You may not eat on silver every day, but bracelets, earrings, necklaces often need some love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8.<strong> Deactivate the Sticky. </strong>Lemon oil can help you avert a hair cutting crisis the next time you deal with gum in hair. Got kids with obsessive addictions to stickers or temporary tattoos? Works for those too. Not for wide receivers.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShOsXqlYxyBn620tap8IkbCesuCq9ENyr_wFj_Cu72rMHzQqm4rMgzz01Mu8dZtFmjmYbIMgTZKsN_BrE3vkZT5wDlFJA9ybj209EB6zwKIaDOJRXbH_KvrBqgbtTCyJWX3tQe9xHtnd0/s1600/ID-10043487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShOsXqlYxyBn620tap8IkbCesuCq9ENyr_wFj_Cu72rMHzQqm4rMgzz01Mu8dZtFmjmYbIMgTZKsN_BrE3vkZT5wDlFJA9ybj209EB6zwKIaDOJRXbH_KvrBqgbtTCyJWX3tQe9xHtnd0/s320/ID-10043487.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9.<strong> Love Your Luster.</strong> Bring your furniture back to life with lemon oil! Just add a few drops of lemon oil to olive oil for a non-toxic furniture polish. Lemon oil leaves a beautiful shine, prevents fine wood finishes from drying out, and replaces lost moisture in antique woods as it penetrates worn finishes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. <strong>De-Smudge Your Stainless. </strong>You don’t need to hunt down that “single use” stainless steel cleaner anymore. Multi-use lemon oil is great for cleaning stainless steel appliances. You’ll love the way stainless looks and smells!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11. <strong>Clean Granite or Porous Stone. </strong>What is living in the pores of your natural stone counters or floors? Lemon oil cleans deeply, seeps into stone and leaves you with a “real fresh lemons” aroma, rather than that fake lemon chemical smell.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12.<strong> Energize your Brush</strong>. If your toothbrush seems a bit tired, add a drop of lemon and peppermint oils to chase away that run-down feeling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">13.<strong> Quarantine Pungencies. </strong>Moldy kid’s sneakers, a baby’s blowout, potty training … it all adds up to an less than desirable aroma. Diffuse or spray lemon oil and neutralize odors at their source!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">14.<strong> Take the Spine Out of Scuffs. </strong>Got a scuff mark that just won’t go away? Lemon oil lifts scuff marks in remarkable ways!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">15.<strong> Curtail the Dank, Musty or Mildewed. </strong>Things get stored away. Things get old. Things don’t see the light of day. Chase away that “old smell” and inject new energy with a good lemon oil wipe down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">16.<strong>Stop Cutting Board Bacteria Palooza. </strong>Cutting boards can harbor bacteria in your kitchen. Nobody wants to taste the chemicals you have in your cleaning closet, yet most people love the taste of lemon!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">17.<strong> Control an Aphid Invasion, Naturally.</strong> Aphids — those pesky little bugs that dine on your roses and other plants. Lemon oil (or peppermint) with water in a garden spray bottle are a natural pesticide that kills aphids and their larvae on contact, but leave your plants looking lovely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">18. <strong>Spot-</strong><strong>Free Dishes. </strong>Add a few drops of lemon oil to your dishwasher soap container with each load. Your dishes will come out looking like new… spot-free!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">19.<strong> Refresh Bad Smelling Washcloths. </strong>When your kitchen washcloths smell foul and could use a boost, add lemon oil to your detergent, soak overnight, wash, dry and your kitchen will smell so much better!</span><br />
<span style="color: #926eb7;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #926eb7;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cooking & Food</span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">20<strong>. Energy Boost.</strong> For a quick, refreshing energy boost, combine a couple drops each of lemon essential oil and peppermint essential oil in a glass of water and drink up. Add a lemony taste to your bottled water.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">21.<strong> Zest Up Your Sugary Indulgences.</strong> There are an infinite number of ways lemon oil can add a bit of freshness to your sugary savors: Lemon frosting • Lemon meringue • Sour cream lemon pie • Lemon cakes • Lemon tart glaze • Lemon squares • Lemon cookies • Breathtaking, awe-inspiring lemonade</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">23.<strong> Pep Up Your Entrees</strong>. With lemon oil, there are countless ways to make the bland zippy, or the blah peppy: Roasted salmon & asparagus with lemon oil, Linguine & shrimp with lemon oil, Lemon oil drizzled over vegetables (especially broccoli), Lemon garlic shrimp … or to add a fresh kick to an already great salad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">24.<strong> Preserve What You’ve Got</strong>. Use lemon oil in a spray to keep your cut fruit fresh until serving.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #926eb7;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Body & Mind</span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">25.<strong> Ease Respiratory Gunkity Goop. </strong>When used with a humidifier, it’s a great way to slow wheezing, colds, cough, and other upper respiratory problems.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">26.<strong> De-scratch Your Scratchy Throat. </strong>Adding a couple drops of lemon essential oil to warm water & honey can change that yucky sore throat feeling, slow a nasty cough, and douse a fever. Lemon oil fights bacteria, as well as viruses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">27.<strong> Honeylicious Hair Highlights</strong><strong> …Chemical Free. </strong>Skip the expensive salon highlight treatment, and use lemon oil to create your own hair highlights. Just go in the sun after using with your hair product, and it will lighten your hair. Be careful, it works well!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">28.<em> </em><strong>Fight the Fungus Among Us. </strong>Tired of seeing that unsightly nail fungus? Lemon oil is great for nails, and can help fight against nail fungus.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">29.<strong> Halt the Nervous Nellie, In You. </strong>When combined with lavender oil and diffused into a room, you’ll find you feel less anxious, a better mood, more even keel, and well … linear.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">30.<strong> Clear Thinking & Clear Focus, Made Visible. </strong>A clear mind, a clean slate, a fresh outlook. It’s all good. Real good. Diffuse lemon oil and you got it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">31.<strong> Take the Heat Out of Cold Sores. </strong>When you have a gnarly cold sore that’s just begging for attention, douse it with a few drops of lemon oil and you’ll have a new best friend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">32.<strong> Nice Mood … No Really. </strong>Chase away the moody blues (not the band), with a bit of blah-reducing lemon oil. Whether you choose to diffuse it or apply topically, it’s hard to not improve your outlook with lemon oil around!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">33. <strong>Was That a Crusty? </strong>Next time you notice hard, crusty skin on your feet, (e.g. corns, calluses or bunions) regularly add a few drops of lemon oil and you’ll soon have softened skin!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">34.<strong> A Brighter Complexion.</strong> Lemon oil can help remove dead skin cells and exfoliate. For a homemade exfoliant, add 4-5 drops to a small amount of oatmeal and water for a homemade scrub. Feels great!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">35. <strong>Germ Killer</strong>. Use as a hand sanitizer. Just a drop on the palms and rub in!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">To order Lemon Essential Oil or other Essential Oils from doTERRA <a href="http://www.mydoterra.com/hopefulhealing/" target="_blank">click here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">"Lemon" by Master Isolate Images</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-35819104610824468612013-10-07T15:04:00.000-07:002015-04-01T06:41:39.738-07:00The Power Of Z's<strong><em><u><span style="font-size: large;"></span></u></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><u><span style="font-size: large;"></span></u></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><u><span style="font-size: large;">What's in a Z?</span></u></em></strong> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-iFSdIGS-E6g9CyhMdeuCyPlqi_H43KF5AuigUPnbSmQQfhIjEFW74hDELeaiL0Kj7J2SGXQmmNV2XJOTGQt_U3KeS9Y3BkIHa_zbncKafSTDaePSPoV8gPa3Oiylkp09rjlHFV4ZVRJn/s1600/zzz2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-iFSdIGS-E6g9CyhMdeuCyPlqi_H43KF5AuigUPnbSmQQfhIjEFW74hDELeaiL0Kj7J2SGXQmmNV2XJOTGQt_U3KeS9Y3BkIHa_zbncKafSTDaePSPoV8gPa3Oiylkp09rjlHFV4ZVRJn/s320/zzz2.jpg" height="320" width="284" /></a>I wanted to write a blog post about sleep since the last few years have been quite troublesome for me in the sleeping department. As I was researching and learning, a thought came to me: Why on Earth do people use the letter "Z" to represent sleep? Was "Z" just a lonely letter and someone felt sorry for it so they felt it needed to be used for something? Why don't we use, say the letter "A" when referring to waking up in the morning? "I can not wait until morning when I can catch some A's!" <br />
So, I decided to look it up. This has really no importance to the purpose of this blog but I was just so curious I couldn't help myself. <br />
It all started with comic strips! You know how when you read comics you see a lot of words that represent certain sounds and actions? For example, Boom! Pow! Crash! Bang! <br />
Those comic strip creators needed something to represent sleep. ZZZzzz just happened to sound the most like snoring. To me, snoring sounds a little more like Gnfffnnnss. But, hey, who am I to judge? They started using Z and it caught on and has been handed down for years as a way of representing sleep. Honestly, I was hoping to find something much more in depth and interesting about why Z was used to explain sleep. It's a fun fact nonetheless!<br />
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<strong><em><u><span style="font-size: large;">Why Do Older People Wake Up So Early?</span></u></em></strong><br />
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I wasn't sure if it just tends to happen as you get older or if it's just me but I seem to wake up on my own earlier and earlier as each year goes by. I remember when I was a kid I would wonder why my grandma would wake up before the sun came up and put the coffee on. I would think "Why would anyone want to get up this early!?" I certainly<strong> want</strong> to sleep in everyday but why can't I? <br />
Well, I realize that there are many factors that contribute to not being able to sleep. There are the obvious reasons why someone would get less sleep. These reasons would include things like stress, bladder issues, chronic illness, hot flashes in menopause, body aches, etc. I decided to find out what a <strong>less</strong> obvious reason might be.<br />
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Here's what I found:<br />
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When we get older our bodies produce <strong>less growth hormones and melatonin</strong>. These are 2 important sleep hormones. Melatonin effects our sleep cycle. When there is less melatonin being produced, people may find themselves getting tired earlier in the evening and waking up earlier in the morning. <br />
Growth hormone is something that children have a lot of. This is why they are able to sleep so deeply. Less production of this hormone results in a less deep sleep for us older folks. <br />
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So, what can we 'melatonin and growth hormone deficient' people do?<br />
<ul>
<li>Getting at least 2 hours of sunlight per day can increase melatonin production. </li>
<li>If you have trouble sleeping at night, limit napping during the day. </li>
<li>Some people choose to take melatonin supplements though I have not tried this so can't really recommend it. </li>
<li>Keep your body cool. As your body temperature drops, it signals to your body to produce more melatonin. </li>
</ul>
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<strong><em><u><span style="font-size: large;">Sleep Does A Body Good</span></u></em></strong><br />
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<em><strong>Memory booster!</strong></em> <br />
Through a process called "consolidation" your sleeping body connects and improves your memory of something that you learned while you were awake. You can learn new things through practice but the memory of that learned skill is only enhanced through proper sleep. I was very engaged by reading about this process of consolidation. If you just started a new job, be sure to get a good amount of sleep after learning something new and you will be sure to retain it better!<br />
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<strong><em>Inflammation reducer!</em></strong><br />
I have direct experience with this. When I stay up late and wake up early, I notice more aches and pains in my body and my skin issues are worse. Studies have found that there is a particular protein called a C-reactive protein that is commonly associated with heart attack risk and it was found to be at higher levels in people who slept less than 6 hours per night. That's incentive for me!<br />
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<strong><em>Lessen depression risks!</em></strong><br />
Less sleep can increase anxiety. Anxiety and depression generally go hand in hand. A common sign of depression is insomnia. A proper amount of sleep for an adult is 8 - 9 hours per night. Sleeping is a restorative process. Your body is rebuilding itself. This includes your mental <strong>and </strong>physical state. <br />
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<strong><em>Boost creativity!</em></strong><br />
Looking for some inspiration? While sleeping, your brain can reorganize what is in it. This can result in your creative side coming to a more prominent place. "Researchers at Harvard University and Boston College found that people seem to strengthen the emotional components of a memory during sleep, which may help spur the creative process". <br />
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I think we're all aware that sleep is important. After reading many articles, I'm realizing that needing sleep is not just about trying to avoid being so irritable that you bite your husband's head off. Getting enough sleep is not just about feeling rested. It is essential to life, brain function, and creativity. I hope that you have been inspired to catch some more Z's<strong> or</strong> Gnfnnnss, whichever you prefer. I am so excited to pursue a life of lots more sleep. Although, I'm not so sure my family will be quite as excited as I am about this pursuit.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources:</span><br />
<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/sleep/resources.htm"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.cdc.gov/sleep/resources.htm</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-sleep-disorder"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-sleep-disorder</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Sleep/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Sleep/</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20459221_5,00.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20459221_5,00.html</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleep_aging.htm"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleep_aging.htm</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.livescience.com/13666-older-people-sleep-wake-early.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.livescience.com/13666-older-people-sleep-wake-early.html</span></a><br />
<a href="http://longevity.about.com/od/sleep/a/sleep_aging.htm"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://longevity.about.com/od/sleep/a/sleep_aging.htm</span></a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-52160641991249901442013-10-01T12:56:00.001-07:002015-04-01T06:40:30.011-07:006 Natural Immune Boosters To Keep You Well This Flu Season <br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> With flu season approaching, our immune systems need all the help they can get. There are many natural ways to stay healthy through this time of coughs, body aches and sniffles. Here are 6 natural immune boosters to keep you kicking this winter.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmiBunTDqFWzjXByLIu8dNdD8cLJepiSY6HKUaDfnjdtB3ePAjGcJjb75obZyah_QicR54DAfudQ8qECYs9VaVCY1A1yNPh2p8CGrrROhdtGdtnDG6l5AjeljS3VjeRYIEGpt3dcDg1ux/s1600/kiwi1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmiBunTDqFWzjXByLIu8dNdD8cLJepiSY6HKUaDfnjdtB3ePAjGcJjb75obZyah_QicR54DAfudQ8qECYs9VaVCY1A1yNPh2p8CGrrROhdtGdtnDG6l5AjeljS3VjeRYIEGpt3dcDg1ux/s320/kiwi1.jpg" height="236" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Eat kiwi</u></span></strong> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Generally when we hear of foods high in vitamin C we think of oranges. Vitamin C is a nutrient that is vital to our health. It is an antioxidant, it can help repair body tissue, and help our body fight off illness. It is good as a preventative measure in fighting illness. The recommended value per day for an adult man is 90 mg/day, an adult woman 75 mg/day, kids (ages 9-13) 45 mg/day, kids (ages 4-8) 25 mg/day and kids (ages 1-3) 15 mg/day. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(</span></span><a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002404.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">source</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">)</span> One navel orange has 82.7 mg of vitamin C which is not bad. However, when you're trying to kick your immune system into gear, a kiwi packs a much more powerful punch at </span><a href="http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2329?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=Kiwifruit%2C+green%2C+raw" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">137.2 mg</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. If you can't find kiwi, eating one cup of red bell peppers will give you </span><a href="http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3485?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=red+bell+pepper" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">190.3 mg</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> of vitamin C. The human body can not hold much more than 2,000 mg per day of vitamin C so it is not necessary to go beyond that. Small amounts, more often throughout the day is better since vitamin C does not stay in the body for long.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u><span style="font-size: large;">Walk</span></u></strong> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Ummm, what? Yes, walk! Walk your little butt off. I know you're thinking "well, I already walk every day!" Be that as it may, <strong>more</strong> walking doesn't hurt! Instead of grabbing that close parking spot at the grocery store, park far away and walk that extra distance. Take the stairs at work. Take a walk around the block when you have time. Take the dog for a walk. Getting your blood flowing by walking contributes to good circulation, which
allows the cells and substances of the immune system to move through the body
freely and do their job efficiently. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(</span></span><a href="http://www.health.harvard.edu/flu-resource-center/how-to-boost-your-immune-system.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">source</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u><span style="font-size: large;">Make time for friends</span></u></strong> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I know your curiosity is killing you, right? How can <strong>this</strong> boost your immune system? Getting away from the usual routine of things more often can reduce stress. Chronic stress suppresses the immune system. If you are one of those people that has laughed until you cried with your friends, even better! Laughing reduces stress hormones and increases endorphins and growth hormones. Endorphins and growth hormones benefit the immune system. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(</span></span><a href="http://news.cancerconnect.com/laughter-may-boost-immune-system/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">study</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u><span style="font-size: large;">Reduce sugar intake</span></u></strong> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19ASCS_kiKCev6nmpZrmEF4yXUMHnJuZC-CHmmfoTVcjF3S-IzvpuiqbU8NxX4psj1pWn9tBY3KvCMuKL36i1cu-n8Qs9NUlgD9LTXZj26mbJgHpflTc8Vred7RxWHSQFDrhjnvjGMD84/s1600/sugar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19ASCS_kiKCev6nmpZrmEF4yXUMHnJuZC-CHmmfoTVcjF3S-IzvpuiqbU8NxX4psj1pWn9tBY3KvCMuKL36i1cu-n8Qs9NUlgD9LTXZj26mbJgHpflTc8Vred7RxWHSQFDrhjnvjGMD84/s320/sugar3.jpg" height="187" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Most of us know that we should reduce our sugar intake for many reasons. Here is one reason you may not know about. In a study conducted by the <em>American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</em>, it was found that 100 mg of sugar prevented the ability of white blood cells to fight off bacteria for 5 hours. This means that if you were to drink around 3 cans of soda (or something comparable like cookies, pasta, etc.) and your body was exposed to bacteria, you would be more susceptible to illness for up to 5 hours afterward. Reducing your sugar intake throughout each day will help keep your immune system healthy. So, next time remember to turn down that second cookie! <span style="font-size: x-small;">(</span></span><a href="http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/26/11/1180.abstract" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">source</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u><span style="font-size: large;">Learn the alphabet</span></u></strong> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Okay, so I had to make this amusing <strong>somehow </strong>because that's just how I roll. What I mean by learn the alphabet is finding out what vitamins you should consistently consume so that your immune system can work at it's optimal ability. Vitamins A, C (which was already discussed), D and E are great immune boosters. My favorite<strong> </strong>two vitamins to increase around this time of year are vitamin A and D. It is best to get them from food sources. However, if your diet is not the best then a supplement will suffice. Vitamin A helps the body make certain enzymes that can kill germs entering the body. It can keep the mucous membranes (inner lining of nose, throat, etc.) soft and moist. This helps the body to trap germs more efficiently that attempt to enter the body. Vitamin D can regulate adaptive immune responses. A deficiency in vitamin D can result in autoimmunity and increases susceptibility to illness and infection. Vitamin D is something humans get from the sun. Our bodies were meant to get it this way rather than from food. For those who live in an area like I do (Northeast Ohio), there seems to be limited sunlight and also it's freezing for half the year so I won't be out there enjoying the sun everyday in, say January. Luckily, for us Ohioans (and the like) it is still possible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D through food and/or supplements. I prefer using food over supplements for vitamin D when I'm not getting adequate sunlight. Foods such as fatty fish & eggs contain vitamin D. It is synthetically added to things such as milk, cheese, breads, and cereals. Unfortunately, trying to get vitamin D from some of these sources brings on another host of issues of consuming too much sugar. (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21527855" target="_blank">source</a>)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u><span style="font-size: large;">Be On Guard</span></u></strong> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-mSJMVrIdUGhBl532Vz6CWRmbR_o653C5Lco5j4rillSqMq7F-0Kw8Hw5ZsV8tyoPw6qt4sOpjhjPSqOUTcUTxjA9xT7MWbkDEQZPLuO25x9xsuCD6DFJbFC8iBxM6J0HmjcXhZCubHk/s1600/OnGuard_15ml.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-mSJMVrIdUGhBl532Vz6CWRmbR_o653C5Lco5j4rillSqMq7F-0Kw8Hw5ZsV8tyoPw6qt4sOpjhjPSqOUTcUTxjA9xT7MWbkDEQZPLuO25x9xsuCD6DFJbFC8iBxM6J0HmjcXhZCubHk/s200/OnGuard_15ml.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I use essential oils regularly in my home to help combat and prevent illness and have had great success! Essential oils are natural extracts from the seeds, stems, roots, flowers, bark and other parts of plants. Protective Blend is a blend of essential oils that are known for their immune boosting properties. The blend of wild orange, clove, eucalyptus, rosemary and cinnamon essential oils will kick that immune system into gear. Be sure to always look for the CPTG logo (Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade) when purchasing essential oils to ensure their safety and efficiency. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are more well known ways of boosting the immune system that should not be left off the list. These include but are not limited to: making sure to drink adequate water to flush toxins, take supplements if you're not getting proper amounts of vitamins from your diet, get 8 hours of sleep per night, take probiotics, keep the weight off, and wash your hands. These are all things that will contribute to keeping you healthy through this cold and flu season. Now, go out there and put your armor on!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice. Please see your healthcare professional if you have any questions regarding your health.</span></em></span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-34900502064771791212013-09-18T15:23:00.001-07:002013-09-18T18:13:47.365-07:00A Look Inside Your Child's Vaccine<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Vaccinations are a controversial topic these days. It seems you're either strongly on one side or the other. I hope that whatever "side" you're on, that you have done you're own thorough research on the topic. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I have spent years talking to different doctors, reading books and doing online research of vaccines. After all of this research, the biggest piece of advice that I would have for people is to do your <strong>own </strong>research. Make an informed choice. Although doctors can help us, ultimately we are in charge of our own health and the information we obtain.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> The purpose of this article is to start beginners on their search for information on what chemicals are going into their bodies and the bodies of their children. I was seriously misinformed because most of what I hear is media based or one sided. We are generally not given ALL of the information. This is some of the information that I did not know but wish that I would've known by researching sooner to make a more educated decision.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Most of what I share here will have links with the source in which I found it. Most links are from government websites such as CDC (Centers for Disease Control), etc. so that people who feel most comfortable with only "non-opinion" based studies have a more factual based research. These links are just a small resource so that you can start your research. They are definitely not the whole of it.</span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">INGREDIENTS</span>:</span></span></u></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> There are 69 doses of 16 vaccines that children are recommended to receive by the age of 18. I am only going to go over 2 vaccines here but please research the rest on your own.</span> </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-2.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Click here for the CDC Vaccine Excipient Summary</span></a><br />
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<b></b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><em>Influenza (Flulaval) vaccine ingredients</em> -</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">thimerosal, α-tocopheryl hydrogen succinate, polysorbate 80, formaldehyde, sodium deoxycholate, ovalbumin</span> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">What is <strong>thimerosal</strong>? </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I'll give you a short answer - mercury. But wait! You thought they took it out of all the vaccines, right? They have not taken it out of ALL vaccines. If you get your yearly flu shot, you are being exposed to mercury. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>Here are the potential side effects of mercury</strong> : kidney damage, affect behavior/central nervous system, liver damage, affect bone marrow, can cause depression, irritability, fatigue, tremors, respiratory affected, metabolism changes (weight loss).</span> (</span><a href="http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9925236" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">MSDS Thimerosal</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">)</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">What is <strong>polysorbate 80</strong>?</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Polyoxyethylene-sorbitan-20-monooleate, Tween 80 or polysorbate 80, is a viscous liquid used as an emulsifier or surfactant in foods, medicines, skincare products, and vaccines. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>Here are the potential side effects:</strong> "May cause adverse reproductive effects based on animal test data. No human data found. May cause cancer based on animal test data. No human data found. May affect genetic material (mutagenic)". </span></span><a href="http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9926645" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(MSDS Polysorbate 80</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">)</span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: black;">In this </span></span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16400901" target="_blank"><span style="color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">PubMed article</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: black;">that did a study on polysorbate 80, the results found that it was the causative agent of a pregnant woman going into anaphylactic shock. It can be especially harmful to those who have Crohn's disease according to </span></span><a href="http://gut.bmj.com/content/59/10/1331.full" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">this study</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: black;">This</span> </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8473002" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">PubMed article</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: black;">said this “<em>Treatment with Tween 80 accelerated maturation, prolonged the oestrus cycle, and induced persistent vaginal oestrus. The relative weight of the uterus and ovaries was decreased relative to the untreated controls. Squamous cell metaplasia of the epithelial lining of the uterus and cytological changes in the uterus were indicative of chronic oestrogenic stimulation. Ovaries were without corpora lutea, and had degenerative follicles.”</em> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> So, in more simple terms this means that Polysorbate 80 accelerated the maturation of the female rats, damaged the vagina and womb lining, caused significant hormonal changes, severe ovary deformities and ultimately rendered the young female rats infertile.</span><br />
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What is <strong>formaldehyde</strong>?<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> "Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable, strong-smelling chemical that is
used in building materials and to produce many household products. Formaldehyde sources in the home include pressed-wood products, cigarette
smoke, and fuel-burning appliances." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>Here are the potential side effects:</strong> Formaldehyde is a known cause of cancer stated by the EPA. "<em>CARCINOGENIC EFFECTS: Classified A2 (Suspected for human.) by ACGIH, 2A (Probable for human.) by IARC [Formaldehyde]. MUTAGENIC EFFECTS: Mutagenic for mammalian somatic cells. [Formaldehyde]. Mutagenic for bacteria and/or yeast. [Formaldehyde]. Mutagenic for mammalian somatic cells. [Methyl p. 2 alcohol]. Mutagenic for bacteria and/or yeast. [Methyl alcohol]. TERATOGENIC EFFECTS: Classified POSSIBLE for human [Methyl alcohol]. DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY: Not available The substance may be toxic to kidneys, liver, skin, central nervous system (CNS). Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage. Repeated exposure to a highly toxic material may produce general deterioration of health by an accumulation in one or many human organs.” And “Very hazardous in case of ingestion, . Hazardous in case of skin contact (irritant, sensitizer, permeator), of eye contact (corrosive), of inhalation (lung corrosive). Slightly hazardous in case of skin contact (corrosive).” EPA has listed Formaldehyde as a carcinogen</em>"</span> (</span><a href="http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9924095" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">MSDS Formaldehyde</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: black;"> They are now recommending that all pregnant women receive the flu shot.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><em>DTap (Pediarix) vaccine ingredients</em>:</span> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">formaldehyde, gluteraldehyde, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, lactalbumin hydrolysate, polysorbate 80, neomycin sulfate, polymyxin B, yeast protein, calf serum, Fenton medium (containing bovine extract), modified Latham medium (derived from bovine casein), modified Stainer-Scholte liquid medium, Vero (monkey kidney) cells </span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /><span style="color: black;"> What is<strong> aluminum</strong>?<br /><br /><span id="hotword"> A <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">silver-white</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">metallic</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">element,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">light</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">in</span> </span></span></span><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/weight"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">weight</span></a><span id="hotword" style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">, <span id="hotword" name="hotword">ductile,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">malleable,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">not</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">readily</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">corroded</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: pointer;">tarnished,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">occurring</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">combined</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">in</span> </span><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/nature"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">nature</span></a><span id="hotword" style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">in</span> </span><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/igneous"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">igneous</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span id="hotword"> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">rock,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">shale,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">clay,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">most</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">soil:</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">used</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">alloys</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">for</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">lightweight</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">utensils,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">castings,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">airplane</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">parts,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">etc.</span></span></span><span name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span style="color: black;"><strong></strong></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>Here are the potential side effects: </strong>"<em>Experimental research, however, clearly shows that aluminum adjuvants have a potential to induce serious immunological disorders in humans. In particular, aluminum in adjuvant form carries a risk for autoimmunity, long-term brain inflammation and associated neurological complications and may thus have profound and widespread adverse health consequences."</em> </span><span style="color: black;">(<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21568886" target="_blank">source</a></span><span style="color: black;">) </span></span><br /><span name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span style="color: black;"><em>“Acute Potential Health Effects: May cause mild skin, eye and upper respiratory tract irritation. Ingestion: May cause gastrointestinal tract irritation: May affect bones (osteomalacia), metabolism, blood, behavior (muscle contraction, spasticity, change in motor activity), liver.”</em> (<a href="http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9922853" target="_blank">MSDS Aluminum</a>)</span></span><br /><br /><span name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">I probably don't need to go into what calf serum and monkey kidney cells are. Animal DNA being injected into humans? Gross?</span></span><br /><span name="hotword" style="cursor: default;"></span><br /><span style="color: black;"> </span><span name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;">"<em>If you look on the inserts of some vaccines, you will see 'human diploid cells' and PER- C6 cells listed on the ingredients. What they don't mention to you on the insert is that these cells have been modified with an adenovirus so that they never stop reproducing- in other words become neoplastic, aka cancerous. The vaccines are cultured on these cells which are then purportedly filtered out, but evidently not all of them are removed or they wouldn't be listed on the ingredients. To see whether these 'cell substrates' are cancerous, they are injected into mice. If they cause tumors in adult, immune competent mice, the batch is rejected. But if it only causes tumors in immune-deficient nude mice, this is deemed acceptable to inject into your baby</em>."</span> (</span><a href="http://thetruthergirls.com/Immortal_Cell_Lines.html" target="_blank">source of quote</a><span style="color: black;">) (</span><a href="http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/01/briefing/3750b1_01.htm" target="_blank">FDA link to study</a><span style="color: black;">)</span></span><br /><span name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span><br /><span name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span style="color: black;"> <span style="color: black;">If you see the word "adjuvants", this basically is just a certain type of chemical compound in most vaccines that is used to throw the immune system into hyper-drive in order to fight off the strain of virus that is being injected. Sometimes the immune system can be thrown into overdrive for very long periods of time, up to a year or more. "<em>Chemically, the adjuvants are a highly heterogenous group of compounds with only one thing in common: their ability to enhance the immune response—their adjuvanticity. They are highly variable in terms of how they affect the immune system and how serious their adverse effects are due to the resultant hyperactivation of the immune system."</em></span> <a href="http://www.whale.to/vaccine/adjuvants.html" target="_blank">(source)</a></span></span><br /><span name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span><br /><span name="hotword" style="color: black; cursor: default;"> As I said these are only a few ingredients from a couple of the vaccines on the schedule. I would strongly encourage researching the other ingredients and all of the other vaccines.</span><br /><span name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span><br /><span name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"></span><br /><span name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span> <strong><u><span style="color: #38761d;">BENEFITS and RISKS</span></u></strong>:</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Have you ever heard this phrase regarding a vaccine "The benefits outweigh the risks"?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Most of us have heard this and most of us have probably <strong>said </strong>it at one time or another. Do you believe this phrase only because someone said it or do you believe it because you have done your own research? Most people know what the risks of a disease are but do we know what the risks of a vaccine are in order to truly say the benefits outweigh the risks?</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.immunize.org/packageinserts/pi_varicella.asp" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Click here to research package inserts of vaccines</span></a><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Let's take a look at the Chicken Pox Vaccine adverse effects (risks) and the adverse effects of the virus itself:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/v/varivax/varivax_pi.pdf" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Chicken Pox</span></strong></em></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><strong> (<span style="color: black;">varicella) vaccine package insert stated risks</span></strong></em><span style="color: black;">:</span></span><b><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></b><span style="color: black;"><b><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></b></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">"5.4 Risk of Vaccine Virus Transmission </span></em></b><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b></b><span style="color: black;"><em>Post-marketing experience suggests that transmission of vaccine virus may occur rarely between healthy vaccinees who develop a varicella-like rash and healthy susceptible contacts. Transmission of vaccine virus from a mother who did not develop a varicella-like rash to her newborn infant has been reported. </em><br /><em></em><em>Due to the concern for transmission of vaccine virus, vaccine recipients should attempt to avoid whenever possible close association with susceptible high-risk individuals for up to six weeks following vaccination with VARIVAX." </em><br /><br />This means that if you are around someone who has been vaccinated against chicken pox, YOU can get a strain of it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong></strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><em><strong>6.2 Post-Marketing Experience</strong> </em></span></span></span></div>
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</em></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Broad use of VARIVAX could reveal adverse events not observed in clinical trials. <br />The following additional adverse events, regardless of causality, have been reported during post-marketing use of VARIVAX:</em> </span></span><br />
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</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em><strong>Body as a Whole</strong> </em><br />
Anaphylaxis (including anaphylactic shock) and related phenomena such as angioneurotic edema, facial edema, and peripheral edema.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong><em>Hemic and Lymphatic System</em></strong><br /><em> </em> Aplastic anemia; thrombocytopenia (including idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)).<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong><em>Infections and Infestations</em></strong><br /><em> </em>Varicella (vaccine strain)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong><em>Nervous/Psychiatric</em></strong><br /><em> </em>Encephalitis; cerebrovascular accident; transverse myelitis; Guillain-Barre syndrome; Bell's palsy; ataxia; non-febrile seizures; aseptic meningitis; dizziness; paresthesia<em>.</em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong><em>Respiratory</em></strong><br /><em> </em>Pharyngitis; pnewumonia/pneumonitis<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><em>Skin</em></strong><br /><em> </em>Steven-Johnson syndrome; erythema multiforme; Henoch-Schonlein purpura; secondary bacterial infections of skin and soft tissue, including impetigo and cellulitis; herpes zoster.<br /><em></em><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I want to point something out in the above reactions. Notice that under Infections and Infestations it says (vaccine strain). This means that due to the vaccine, people were getting the virus but it was not the same virus you would catch if you were to contract it naturally. When you contract the illness naturally, you have lifelong immunity. This vaccine can last (if it works at all; everyone</span> is different) anywhere from 2 - 10 years.<br /><br /><u><strong><em>Risks of the Chicken Pox virus:</em></strong></u><br /><strong><em><u></u></em></strong><br /> The chances of death or complications from the chicken pox virus are extremely rare. When complications do develop, it is generally in those who are immune-compromised such as HIV patients and the like. In fact, the vaccine was specifically developed for those individuals in the beginning. Symptoms include fever, itchy rash, runny nose, headache. This lasts anywhere from 5 - 10 days after which, they are immune for life.</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><em> </em>This is just one case but to me it is fairly obvious that having a risk of seizures and encephalitis (brain swelling) is a much more dangerous risk than having itchy spots for a week. Do the risks outweigh the benefits? You decide. <br /><br /><br /><strong><u><em>Did Vaccines Save Us?</em></u></strong><br /><strong><em><u></u></em></strong><br />Here is a graph that the CDC lists on their website in the incidence of measles.</span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/6mishome.htm#Diseaseshadalready" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFw-s37dlxveObd6jRCzhyBbBGdC6wSxXV2OunRa2OmV01pdgfHFKfp71XChrZ7Qqo59XBtjoaxp27wqnSkVdv-n8kIXnYIdQuwB7T76xUSseqjWIEgnK_NpUcrqI3qcmYMA4vrpIh5egD/s320/measles_incidence.gif" width="320" /></span></a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em> </em> <span style="color: black;">With this graph being used it would appear as though there is no question the vaccine reduced the illness significantly. However, if they would've gone back further on their graph, you would be able to see a drastic declination of the illness over the 60 years prior. Below is a graph starting in 1900 showing the major decline of measles before the vaccination was ever introduced. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuU6p4a2YVKZ7b7uGl0WE2Uvcun-mcIvP0tAtlNyrouzznebWU0vcrf_jhwVX9e13-vhIet7Hp2ogg3tibky7GubhyphenhyphenyGZkrSJrRlGt9bX3DN5i6UHCxblanxbhZdTW4XYKAX9O62WTq1c/s1600/us-measles-1024x637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuU6p4a2YVKZ7b7uGl0WE2Uvcun-mcIvP0tAtlNyrouzznebWU0vcrf_jhwVX9e13-vhIet7Hp2ogg3tibky7GubhyphenhyphenyGZkrSJrRlGt9bX3DN5i6UHCxblanxbhZdTW4XYKAX9O62WTq1c/s640/us-measles-1024x637.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.healthsentinel.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2654:united-states-disease-death-rates&catid=55:united-states-deaths-from-diseases&Itemid=55" target="_blank">(Click here for source)</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Even though the graphs are laid out differently</span>, i</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">t</span> is still interesting to note that the CDC chose to leave out the years prior. It is difficult to make an informed decision when we are only given half of the information. This decline in illness prior to vaccination was also seen in Diptheria, Whooping Cough (Pertussis) and others. The Vital Statics of the United States gives this information if you're interested in researching further.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong><u><span style="color: #38761d;">MISCELLANEOUS LINKS AND INFORMATION:</span></u></strong><span style="color: black;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color: black;">Here is some information that I didn't know existed prior to 2 years ago</span>.</span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: small;"></span><br />
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<a href="http://vaers.hhs.gov/data/index" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: small;">VAERS-</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color: black;">This stands for Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. There were so many vaccine reactions and injuries that there is now an actual reporting system. You can go onto this site and review all of the reactions and reports of cases where someone had complications. Keep in mind that less than 10% of reactions are actually reported.</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/vaccinetable.html" target="_blank">This is a chart of recognized vaccine injuries</a> -</span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-size: small; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color: black;">Because vaccine manufacturers have been given legal immunity, a vaccine court has been set up to compensate for injuries known to be caused by vaccines, however it is extremely difficult to win a case.</span> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-152.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Supreme Court Case Re: Vaccine Injury</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"> -</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: black;">“no vaccine manufacturer shall be liable in a civil action for damages arising from a vaccine-related injury or death associated with the administration of a vaccine after October 1, 1988, if the injury or death resulted from side-effects that were unavoidable even though the vaccine was properly prepared and was accompanied by proper directions and warnings.” So, pretty much if your baby has brain swelling, seizures, death, etc. you're out of luck!</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><a href="http://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Laws/state-vaccine-requirements.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">State Laws Regarding Vaccines</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"> - <span style="color: black;">I was always led to believe that my child <strong>had</strong> to have his vaccinations before he could go to school. Every doctor told me this. They were either taught this and believed it or just plain out lied to me to get me to vaccinate, I don't know. Your child needing vaccinations to attend school is NOT true. It varies by state but in the state of Ohio you can provide a written note saying that you are not vaccinating due to philosophical, religious or medical reasons. There are other states that require exemptions forms. Some only allow medical exemptions, it just depends.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: small;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=1412fb7a471930ed&mt=application/pdf&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui%3D2%26ik%3D71e51cec6b%26view%3Datt%26th%3D1412fb7a471930ed%26attid%3D0.1%26disp%3Dsafe%26realattid%3D1446494916305747968-local0%26zw&sig=AHIEtbT3iEBFGNFxXMNnnMHT_DgPmczqJA" target="_blank">Information and graphs on Autism</a> - <span style="color: black;">It's hard to talk about vaccines without mentioning the controversy of autism. You will definitely never hear anyone involved with the vaccine industry admit that autism and vaccines are related. It is a study you would have to conduct on your own and come to your own conclusion. I decided not to base my conclusion solely on fact that the CDC said it. You've already seen in the above graph that they don't always give the full spectrum of information.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><strong><u>CONCLUSION:</u></strong></span><br />
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Dr. Russell Blaylock MD, a retired neurosurgeon, says this:<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>“When I was in medical school, we were taught that all of the childhood vaccines lasted a lifetime. This thinking existed for over 70 years. It was not until relatively recently that it was discovered that most of these vaccines lost their effectiveness 2 to 10 years after being given. What this means is that at least half the population, that is the baby boomers, have had no vaccine-induced immunity against any of these diseases for which they had been vaccinated very early in life. In essence, at least 50% or more of the population was unprotected for decades.</em></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>If we listen to present-day wisdom, we are all at risk of resurgent massive epidemics should the vaccination rate fall below 95%. Yet, we have all lived for at least 30 to 40 years with 50% or less of the population having vaccine protection."</em></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"> <span style="color: black;">Making an informed choice is about hearing all sides, looking up facts then deciding on your own. At the moment, we have a choice (though there are some states that are making vaccinations mandatory). When we have the freedom to choose, it is our responsibility to make a decision based on our own efforts. In any situation, not just in the case of vaccines, we can choose to just take someone's word for it. However, when those situations have to do with one's health and life it should not be taken lightly and done only because "the doctor told me to". </span></span><br /><span style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"> If you ask your doctor (believe me, I've talked to tons) they all give the same answers verbatim. You will be told that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks, that you need to vaccinate in order to provide safety for everyone involved and that adverse effects are very rare. This all sounds very convincing. <strong>Every</strong> child's brain and immune system is affected in one way or another with each vaccine. Brain swelling is not rare with vaccines. When children scream uncontrollably for hours and days after a vaccine, it is not because they are in pain at the injection site. It is because their brain can swell and cause intense reactions. I have spoken with hundreds of mothers whose children had this happen. It is NOT rare. Some have even considered the possibility that SIDS could be related to vaccines. However, I have no factual information on that as of now. You can research that on your own.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"> If you think a little deeper, you will realize that what doctors are actually saying by responding with "adverse effects are very rare" is that they DO happen. And guess what? They are happening to someone else's child. They can not guarantee that your child will not be harmed. That's why they have you sign that handy dandy form before they administer a vaccine. It leaves you responsible and them....not. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Although vaccine injuries are not as rare as you think, even if they were the vaccine industries and government are okay with subjecting "rare" cases for the good of the whole. Just imagine if <strong>you and your child </strong>were that "rare" case. Your government is okay with subjecting you to that so that 1,000 other kids could have immunity for 2 years from an illness that would generally not cause harm. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"> When my son got the mumps regardless of being fully vaccinated, I realized truly how ineffective they can be. I realize that not everyone will have this situation occur. I know that most parents have good intentions for their children and want to trust their doctor's care. But there is nothing ever wrong with going above and beyond and educating yourself. I will never regret the time I've taken to learn how to better take care of my family.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><em>This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice. Please see your healthcare professional if you have any questions regarding your health.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-77751294868847469282013-09-12T16:50:00.000-07:002013-09-12T19:00:46.443-07:00What Can Homeopathy Do For You?<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> For this blog entry <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I've compiled information from different sources to help those who don't know much about homeopathy to understand more fully how it can cure illness. If you don’t want to read through this information but you’re still interested in hearing how homeopathy has helped people, scroll down to the bottom of this blog entry and go to “success stories and links”.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></span>Homeopathy is a very old medicine that has a lot of
history. I have a brief explanation here but if you truly study the full
history you will find much more information about why it is not used as a main
form of medicine today, how the AMA was formed partially in retaliation of
homeopathy moving from overseas to the states, and how it had more success in
curing cholera and other diseases than conventional medicine did back then.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Brief
history</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">:<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Samuel Hahnemann was a German
physician 200 years ago. He ended up leaving his practice because he felt that
he was doing more harm than good with practices that they did back in the day
like bloodletting, poisonous doses of mercury and arsenic, etc. So, he went on
to translating medical and literary texts. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> While he
was translating one of the texts by a physiologist named William Cullen, he was
taken aback by this author's claim that the bitter and astringent properties of
Peruvian bark, which contains quinine, was the reason it was so effective in
treating malaria. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> He decided to test the physiological effects of the Peruvian
bark by taking small doses himself. Eventually his body did react. He ended up
developing symptoms very similar to malaria. He wondered whether the curative
power of Peruvian bark resulted from its ability to create symptoms similar to
those of the disease. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He started studying the records of accidental poisonings
from other common medicines from back then like mercury, arsenic, belladonna,
etc. He would test these poisons on himself and other healthy people (in homeopathy this is
called "proving"). In the process of doing this, he realized that
these "medicines" caused symptoms similar to those of the
illnesses that they were used to treat. Mercury was used to treat syphilis. The
Mercury itself would cause syphilis-like ulcers in a healthy person.
Arsenic and Belladonna were known to create certain types of fever and were
given as medicines for fevers. So, this is where "homeopathy" was
discovered. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong><span style="color: #a64d79;">Similia similibus currentur</span></strong>:<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This means 'let likes be cured
with likes'. Hahnemann made this Latin phrase popular within the homeopathic
community. This helped to describe his discovery that substances in small doses
stimulate the organisms to heal that which they cause in overdose. This really
was not something that was new to the world. In the fourth century B.C.,
Hippocrates wrote "Through the like, disease is produced, and through the
application of the like, it is cured." <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Part of the similia concept has similarities in conventional
medicine as well. Radiation is a cancer treatment, though it can cause cancer.
Ritalin, a stimulant, is prescribed to children who are hyperactive or
have ADD. Gold is used to treat arthritis even though it can cause joint pain.
Even though these medical treatments suggest a homeopathic principle, none of
them obey the other laws of homeopathy. (Discussed later in this entry)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong><span style="color: #a64d79;">The Body’s Healing Responses</span></strong>:<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After
this discovery of ‘like cures like’, Hahnemann realized that the body does so
much more than we think. Instead of assuming that symptoms represent illogical,
improper, or unhealthy responses of the body and that they should be treated,
controlled, and suppressed, Hahnemann learned that symptoms are positive
responses to all of the stresses that the body can experience. Symptoms
represent the body’s best effort to heal itself. Therefore, instead of
suppressing symptoms, therapy should stimulate the body’s defenses to complete
the healing process. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"In this context, symptoms are not
the disease. Symptoms <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">accompany</i>
disease. Symptoms are the evidence of disease. But treating symptoms is like
killing the messenger for bringing bad news. In fact, treating symptoms can
suppress the body’s natural responses and inhibit the healing process." <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Hahnemann recognized that
although the body is great at healing itself, there are times when it is not
always strong enough to complete the healing process. It often needs a catalyst
to stimulate its defenses, especially in serious acute infectious diseases,
chronic illnesses, etc. Hahnemann then developed a systematic method to help
find the right catalyst for an individual by prescribing a substance that would
imitate the body’s defenses. This would stimulate the body to heal <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">itself</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong><span style="color: #a64d79;">Hering’s Law of Cure</span>:<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Constantine Hering, a German
homeopath contributed this law to homeopathy. Simply put, it is looking at the
whole person, not just the physical ailment. A homeopath is not only satisfied
to hear that the symptom the patient originally came in for has improved. A
homeopathic practitioner needs to know all that has changed; mental, emotional
or physical. They need to know which things have improved or gotten worse. If
for instance, a skin rash has improved but the emotional health has not
improved then they would conclude that something needs to be changed within the
therapy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> When the right remedy is chosen,
the body generally heals from the “inside out”. For example, if someone has
arthritis and is given the correct remedy, they may see their mental health and
energy levels increase first while their arthritis may be aggravated
temporarily as the disease is shifting. The final thing to change would be the
arthritis. If however, the opposite happens such as the arthritis gets better
but the mental health has not improved then the person’s state of health is
thought to be deteriorating. This is a huge difference between conventional
medicine and the homeopathic approach. Western medicine looks at the symptoms
and treats them, if the symptoms are kept at bay, the person is thought to be
in good shape. The whole person is not considered.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When matching a remedy to the
person, all angles need to be considered. That’s why there is not <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">one </b>blanket medicine for a specific
disease. This is what makes homeopathy so unique and so powerful.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong><span style="color: #a64d79;">The Laws of Homeopathic Medicine:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<em>The Law of Similars<o:p></o:p></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 39pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: .25in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(already discussed above)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<em>The Law of Minimum Dose<o:p></o:p></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 39pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: .25in 166.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This law states that extreme
dilution will make the healing powers of a substance more powerful and at the
same time it eliminates any possible side effects. When you start at the
conventional dose and increase dilution, the medicine will start to become less
powerful. But as the dilution keeps increasing, and below a threshold the
medicine starts to become potent again. (This was a bit difficult for me to
understand at first since we are so used to conventional medicine’s rule that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">less</b> of something won’t work and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">more</b> of something can cause an
overdose). Getting used to medicines that work with energy is no small task. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<em>The Single Medicine<o:p></o:p></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 39pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: .25in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This law states that no more than
one medicine will be given at a time. The homeopathic remedies you see in the store that
are a “combination” do not follow the basic laws and principles of homeopathy. In
the book “Everybody’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicines” the author says this “A
homeopath does not prescribe one medicine for a person’s headache, another for
her stomachache, and another for her depression. The use of a single medicine
is a basic principle of classical homeopathy. As we’ve said, the homeopath
assumes that, although a person may have numerous physical and psychological
symptoms, he or she has only one disease, an underlying susceptibility. Using
the one medicine right for that time in the person’s life, whether the
condition is acute or chronic, effectively stimulates the person’s natural
defense system, helps heal the current illness, and raises the general level of
health.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<em>The Law of Potentized Dose<o:p></o:p></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 39pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: .25in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(Discussed below) Basically this
law has to do with how the remedies are made. Hahnemann found that just
diluting the substances was not good enough. They were not effective unless
they were shaken a specific way in between diluting.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong><span style="color: #a64d79;">How is a homeopathic remedy made?<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Please
go <a href="http://classichomeopathy.com/remedies/howmade.html" target="_blank">here</a> and read the short summary. It explains how a remedy is made
starting with the plant or substance it comes from. Then it also explains
potentization. This is a good explanation and I don’t know that I could explain
it much better myself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><strong><span style="color: #a64d79;">Extra
information:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Hahnemann
went further. Although side effects were reduced, these medicines were still
active chemical substances, and large doses could be toxic. He experimented
with smaller and smaller doses and found them still effective, in this way
further minimizing toxic effects. <br />
<br />
Through a stroke of genius, he discovered what we call today <i>serial dilution</i>.
He diluted smaller and smaller amounts of the substance with water and alcohol.
Unlike normal serial dilutions he added what he called <i>succussions</i> at
each dilution, striking the bottle firmly on a book one hundred times before
the next dilution.<br />
<br />
Provided the succussions were done, the medicine would still be active – even
more so – and completely without side effects. This became known as the </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Law
of the Minimum Dose.<br />
<br />
</i>The absence of side effects is not surprising. After dilution and
succussion, chemically there are few or no molecules of the original substance
remaining. This means the homeopathic remedy, at this stage of dilution, no
longer has a chemical or pharmacological action. So what remains, if
anything? <br />
<br />
It is believed that the turbulence of the succussions imparts a <i>memory</i>
of the original substance on the water molecules between each dilution and that
what is left is information that is stored in the molecular arrangement of the
water molecules. As an analogy, if you analyze </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a CD that you use in your computer, chemically
you will find it is just plastic; but your computer is designed to read the
physical information contained, in the same way we believe the body uptakes the
information message contained in the homeopathic medicine. This is why
homeopathy has been called <i>physical medicine</i>.<br />
<br />
Because the body responds only to physical information in homeopathic medicine,
if it is the wrong information, nothing happens; no harm is done; but drugs
have effects through chemical action regardless. If it is the right
information, the body learns how to remove the blocks that stop it from
rebalancing. In homeopathy, it is the body's innate healing wisdom that cures,
not the medicine, which is only a catalyst.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> This may
seem like a lot of information but these are actually just the basics. As you
can see homeopathy requires skill and insight. If you’re not sure what you’re
doing, your experience may not be the best it could be. As I’m learning, I have
had some successes and some failures. I would like to leave a few success
stories of my own and also that of others. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><strong><span style="color: #a64d79;">Success stories and links</span></strong> :</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My
toddler’s food allergies were cured with the use of homeopathy. All but one of
his food allergies remain which, according to his allergist, is now very mild. His
allergist told me to continue whatever it is that I’m doing because he has not
seen allergies go away so quickly. His soy allergy was fairly moderate and it
is so nice to not have to freak out now every time someone offers him a treat
while we’re out. We are going to continue to work with his digestive issues.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My 9
year old son was getting out of the van and accidentally closed the sliding van
door onto his first three fingers. He had dark bruising and swelling along with
a few cuts. We weren’t home at the time but when we returned home I gave him
the homeopathic remedy Arnica. I didn’t seem to see much of a change in him
with the first dose so 30 minutes later I gave him another one. Within 30
minutes of the 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> dose, his bruising, swelling and pain were gone.
In fact, he was feeling so good the next day that he was using that hand to carry
heavy items from the car and ended up re-injuring it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gave him another dose and again his swelling
went down within 30 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Some
surgeons use Arnica on their patients prior to surgery to reduce or even
prevent swelling and bruising. While homeopathy does not normally have remedies
that you give as a staple for certain ailments, Arnica does seem to be a good
one when bruising is involved. It is certainly not the only remedy for bruising
and swelling.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Homeopathy
has been used to treat colic, measles, ear infections, and even animals with
chronic illnesses! <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><strong>Links</strong>:<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/content/some-history-of-the-treatment-of-epidemics-with-homeopathy-1" target="_blank">Homeopathic success in curing cholera</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.homeopathyforwomen.org/autism_recovery_homeopathy.htm" target="_blank">Recent story of how homeopathy was used to cure autism in a young boy</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><u>Books used for this blog</u>:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines by Stephen Cummings, MD and Dana Ullman, MPH</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Complete Homeopathic Handbook by Miranda Castro</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Also used a couple of quotes by Sheri Nakken</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>Image at top by</u>:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Other_Health_and_Bea_g278-Hope_For_Cure_p13299.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">freedigitalphotos.net</span></a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-21944101500531076072013-09-10T20:02:00.001-07:002013-09-10T20:07:36.517-07:006 Ways To Help Your Child Become A Natural Healer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAzeStybH74jOezqkBBaNCB8nIAwexBGNYFDoOp88uAqWnYMaOr_AIPTRvnGpXJsN1wXeD9cOncRhZzTqAa95yAps3_4BSg072BoHNRtDR9g_xE1jdMdmhCjVfU9zV7fB4IFkHeqJ4a-A/s1600/biggerscan0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAzeStybH74jOezqkBBaNCB8nIAwexBGNYFDoOp88uAqWnYMaOr_AIPTRvnGpXJsN1wXeD9cOncRhZzTqAa95yAps3_4BSg072BoHNRtDR9g_xE1jdMdmhCjVfU9zV7fB4IFkHeqJ4a-A/s320/biggerscan0002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of us can be healers in our own homes. We don't need to be doctors or have a degree. There are many ways to heal the body that don't require synthetic drugs. The most important way to find out what natural things can heal what ailments (or whether they even need to be healed at all) is to educate yourself. There are plenty of people, books and online resources to help you get started. At the end of this blog entry I will list a few books that may help you start your journey. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I have a strong belief that if we are raising the children of today to know that there are other options, we may not have a future generation full of autoimmune ridden, allergy burdened, overweight, and very sick people. If nothing changes, nothing changes. It seems America keeps going down this long road of "pop a synthetic pill and everything will be alright" just to find that everything is NOT alright. In fact, most of the time one thing gets better and another gets worse. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> If we can try to remember and put to use the wonderful things that our Earth has to offer us that no man can truly duplicate, we may find that we are a healthier people.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Below is a list of suggested ways that we can help our kids learn to be natural healers. They can grow to become confident in the ability of their own bodies and eventually help others to do the same.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>1. Decide to make a change: </strong>When I decided to make a change within our home from a family that totally depended on synthetic substances to a family that is more natural minded, it seemed overwhelming. I would think to myself, "well, what about shampoos and laundry detergents and medicines and...." The list went on and on. It is important to realize that it may have to be a slow process starting with small changes. It is not as difficult as it seems when you work on one thing at a time. Sometimes there is no change until there is a motivation to change. Making changes <strong><em>before </em></strong>something negative happens is probably the wiser choice. Each of us continue to learn everyday but my whole family has had positive experiences that encourage us not to just reach for that bottle of cough syrup every time we have a little cough. I have found that we get sick a lot less often and we are more happy and healthy in general.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>2. Teach them how to verbalize their needs: </strong>Our children depend on us for pretty much everything. We can teach them independence but they will still need to depend on us for certain things until they reach a certain age. Helping a child to recognize what they need and learn how to put that into words can help them learn to become a healer for themselves and in turn they will be able to recognize others needs. I would like to share a story of how this can work. My 2 year old son fell, hit his knee, and was sobbing on the kitchen floor. I walked up to him, put my hand on his back and asked "Are you hurt?" He replied with a sobbing "Ye-esss-ss-ss" Then I asked "Do you need a hug?" He stood up and came over to hug me. Then my third question to him was "Do you need a tissue?" He told me "yes" and I went and got him a tissue for his tears and runny nose. The following day I had a very overwhelming day and I ended up sitting down on my living room floor to cry. He came up to me, put his hand on my shoulder and said "Why are you crying?" I told him I was sad. He said "Do you need a tissue?" I said "Yes". He went into the bathroom to get one. He then gave me the tissue along with a hug. I thanked him for seeing my needs and helping me. The moral of this story is that if we can ask questions to allow our children the opportunity to think about what they need in that moment, then they will learn how to help others in their time of need and also to ask for what they need when the time comes.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStODhRScxIM0gVH-EdBZ4sX_N93rKG4pFiBAcdyJJJuh864kxQ4BJhwpEd4kqrhfPRB2LMvjuDLTqrqcAIBrm41-NT5Q7291g-5Wb6QVkmLa8dnCQUXwMGFhuJMGC895GBZgPB8nk7Mll/s1600/Blogpicture2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStODhRScxIM0gVH-EdBZ4sX_N93rKG4pFiBAcdyJJJuh864kxQ4BJhwpEd4kqrhfPRB2LMvjuDLTqrqcAIBrm41-NT5Q7291g-5Wb6QVkmLa8dnCQUXwMGFhuJMGC895GBZgPB8nk7Mll/s200/Blogpicture2.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>3. Teach them how to take care of a plant: </strong>There are hundreds of thousands of plants that can benefit our bodies. It is just a matter of educating ourselves on what they are.<strong> </strong>If you have room for a small garden, let your children help you plant vegetables. If you don't have space or time for a garden, buy a pot, seeds and soil and plant something (anything!) indoors to teach them how to grow something of their own. This encourages confidence and can help them in the future with their own families. It is beneficial to have things such as herbs, aloe vera, and flowers that have health benefits. If you're not sure, pick one plant, learn about it, then teach how it works to improve health. You could even have a goal of learning about one plant per year. It can be something that you can learn and experience together. Make it fun!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJO8dgWSNP0zTuKWS7x-lzoHH8pFxRCkfLJ-4RBLT_7B7T66kkIqhhNBCepJXiQk6SMEqGvkSGHyHtDGVCNEXGB2KsYfAxwUEsNQDpbs90Bv3BO27X58IVrwl4TEwSC2KC9zTb358vDvSp/s1600/blogpicture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJO8dgWSNP0zTuKWS7x-lzoHH8pFxRCkfLJ-4RBLT_7B7T66kkIqhhNBCepJXiQk6SMEqGvkSGHyHtDGVCNEXGB2KsYfAxwUEsNQDpbs90Bv3BO27X58IVrwl4TEwSC2KC9zTb358vDvSp/s200/blogpicture.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>4. Teach them how to choose healthy food</strong>: In order to teach about food, we have to <strong>know </strong>about food. I have been studying nutrition for over 5 years. I have read many books, gone to conferences, spoken with personal trainers, learned from online research, experimented with my own diets and recipes, etc. I have learned so much. You can too! Teaching children to read labels and to know what they mean can help them in their food choices. Both of my older children read labels regularly and know what goes into their bodies. They used to asked me all the time what each thing meant and what was a healthier choice. Now, they don't have to ask because they already know. I allow them to make their own choices a lot because I know that they know the difference. If they choose a less healthy option (which sometimes they do!) then at least they know what they've gotten themselves into when that tummy ache comes later on in the day. They have learned well from those experiences. When they are well educated, children can feel confident in knowing how to take care of, nourish and heal their own bodies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> </strong><strong>5. Teach them how to cope with discomfort:</strong> We are all human. We will all experience discomfort. I spoke a little bit about </span><a href="http://hopefulholistichealing.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-trouble-with-tylenol.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fevers</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in a previous post and how it is not always necessary to give an <strong>o</strong>ver-<strong>t</strong>he-<strong>c</strong>ounter medicine for that. Finding different ways of coping with the pain and discomfort of being human will help children learn that it is okay to let our body ride it out and let it heal on it's own or that there are substances that are not harmful to us that can aid the body in healing. My kids (including my 2 year old) ask for specific essential oils for things that they need help with. Sometimes they know when to turn to our aloe vera plant for soothing comfort. For sore throats, my older son will request lemon tea with honey. For every OTC drug, there is a natural solution. There is no secret. It is just a matter of finding them and knowing what they are. Every time we choose not to put something that can be harmful into our body, we are one step closer to having a healthier body. Children have vulnerable bodies. Starting young can make it so they don't have to undo damage later in life that has already been done. When riding out the discomfort is not an option, teaching our children to know where to turn can help them immensely in their own lives and eventually the lives of others they will touch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>6. Teach by example</strong>: Most parents know that kids are like sponges. They soak up everything around them. If they see mom and dad doing it, they will repeat it. They pay attention to the food we buy, the pills we take, what we use on our skin, etc. Making choices that will be healthier for our bodies will motivate our children to do the same. I have even found that <strong><em>they</em> </strong>motivate <strong><em>me</em> </strong>at times! It is something that probably everyone knows but it never hurts to hear it again. If we are doing something that we wouldn't want our kids repeating, then we need to stop doing it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Becoming a healer in your home is all about taking matters into your own hands. It's about not having to run to the doctor for every runny nose, cough, and earache. There are situations when we do <strong>need </strong>a doctor but those situations are more than likely the minority. When we, as parents learn the alternatives then we can teach our children. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> These 6 things that I have listed are not the only ways to help children to become natural healers. Once you start, you begin to see that there are so many things to learn that you could spend a lifetime learning them. Deciding to change things within your own home can be the first step in changing a whole future of people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suggested Books:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Baby-Childcare-Practical-Holistic/dp/1578262054/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378867068&sr=1-1&keywords=holistic+children" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Natural Baby and Childcare: Practical Medical Advice and Holistic Wisdom for Raising Healthy Children</span></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Holistic-Baby-Guide-Alternative-Whole-Body/dp/1572246936/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378867068&sr=1-4&keywords=holistic+children" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Holistic Baby Guide: Alternative Care for Common Health Problems (The New Harbinger Whole-Body Healing Series)</span></a><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-65376302238295121902013-09-07T06:31:00.000-07:002015-04-01T06:37:28.114-07:00The Trouble With Tylenol<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1M0HSiJCiScYts2Y9RALIwNkkk-gCgxSDjWAOOlQgmDghuwljNNinibNuSphD5rzOnUPLNAzz5nMTTJFYy_6goaIzIgQ3VUqnvLl2TSph0niZUqrjiGxST0Jn8-LWlQIhhe3DvHwTAbb/s1600/IMG_1492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1M0HSiJCiScYts2Y9RALIwNkkk-gCgxSDjWAOOlQgmDghuwljNNinibNuSphD5rzOnUPLNAzz5nMTTJFYy_6goaIzIgQ3VUqnvLl2TSph0niZUqrjiGxST0Jn8-LWlQIhhe3DvHwTAbb/s320/IMG_1492.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a> <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are one of the many Americans that grabs that bottle of Tylenol (or any OTC pain reliever for that matter) to cure your ailments, you may want to think again. Most people have heard of the warning that it can cause possible liver failure in case of an overdose. What most people don't realize is that "overdose" doesn't mean taking an entire bottle. It literally means if you go over the recommended dose by ONE pill, you are putting your liver at risk. Many people do this regularly if the recommended dose does not provide them relief. If you have taken something such as NyQuil and Tylenol together, that would be considered an overdose. If you take Tylenol (acetaminophen) on a regular basis you could be damaging your liver. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to the FDA, from 1998 to 2003, </span><a href="http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/AC/09/briefing/2009-4429b1-01-FDA.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">acetaminophen</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> was the main cause of acute liver failure in the United States.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I think it is important to point out that even taken at the recommended dosage some people will have a change in liver function. Children are especially susceptible to this since their livers are so much smaller. Unfortunately, liver failure is not the only problem in children who are given Tylenol frequently. Using it frequently in children can make them susceptible to an increase in things such as seasonal allergies, eczema and asthma. Giving children acetaminophen after vaccinations is dangerous and unnecessary. When a child (or an adult) is given a vaccine, they are injected with many different things. Their body will try to process all of this. If they get a fever, guess what? That's okay! It is their little body doing what it's supposed to. Allowing their immune system to do its job by not throwing an extra chemical into a detoxifying organ (liver) is doing them a favor. A fever is one of your child's best defenses against infection. When they are given Tylenol their little livers are working hard on processing what's in the pain reliever WHILE they are also trying to manage all of the toxins and sometimes a live virus that was just injected into them. This can actually </span><a href="http://children.webmd.com/vaccines/news/20091015/tylenol-may-weaken-infant-vaccines" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>break down </strong>their immune system.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Fortunately, there are safe alternatives to popping these toxic pills! Below are some examples of what you can do for pain and fevers in place of OTC drugs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u>Natural alternatives for fevers</u></strong>:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<strong>Rest: </strong>Seems simple but sometimes we forget to do this as adults especially when there is a family to take care of. So, force yourself if you must!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<strong>Homeopathy: </strong>If you don't know much about </span><a href="http://drfeder.com/index.php?page=articles&action=viewArticle&articleID=73" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">homeopathy</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, I encourage you to learn. There are no side effects and if you know what you're doing, it is just as effective as a fever reducer. The homeopathic versions of Aconite, Belladonna, Ferrum phosphoricum, and Chamomile are all helpful for fevers depending on what other symptoms you are experiencing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<strong>Water with lemon: </strong>Drink lots of it! This helps your body flush out toxins and also helps to keep it cool.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4chitN3PBW2KdjzR-4WGx2ZhPfEKm6wZO-SdyLlunWq2BuG1B_8IgcKwmG2iAipwAihpsqDDd5I9q2pK0T4rf6yr2coOvKK-U56Skgyf3VhduHYN_e_H1UpWJG3PKHp2WdWv3frFQ2cj/s1600/Peppermint_15ml.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-</span><strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peppermint Essential Oil</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">: Rubbing peppermint oil on the forehead and back of the neck can help to reduce a fever and also any headaches that may accompany sickness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<strong>Frozen fruit: </strong>If you're not feeling well enough to make a smoothie, just pop some strawberries, blueberries, honeydew, etc. in the freezer for a few hours and eat as needed to keep you cool. Delicious, nutritious and effective!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<strong>Nothing: </strong>If you start to change your perspective and realize that fevers are a GOOD thing, then you may realize that you really don't have to do anything at all. Fevers resolve themselves without any help 99% of the time. Fevers are not dangerous in most cases. It really just depends on your comfort level.</span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Natural Alternatives For Pain Relief:</span></u></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<strong>Curcumin</strong>: The herb turmeric contains curcumin, a substance that reduces pain and inflammation. You can find both turmeric and curcumin in capsule form. The recommended dose for turmeric is 250 - 500mg three times a day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<strong>Arnica: </strong>This is a homeopathic remedy that we use in our house for bumps and bruises. This remedy works wonders and is completely safe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>-Fish oil</strong>: If you have chronic pain such as arthritis, sometimes an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Digested fish oil breaks down into hormone-like chemicals called prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation. We use cod liver oil in our house regularly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<strong>Lavender Essential Oil: </strong>This is good topically for minor cuts and inflammation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<strong>Chiropractic Care:</strong> When you have a healthy back that is properly aligned, you will naturally have less inflammation. The chiropractor is not just for those with back pain. Your back is connected to everything in your body. I could not live without my chiropractor for health and wellness!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<strong>Massage: </strong>There are plenty of licensed massage therapists out there that are not utilized quite enough. The art of massage can make a huge difference in pain and inflammation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I always suggest to people to have some of these alternatives on hand already BEFORE the fever or pain starts so that you will have it readily available. Our bodies are natural healers and sometimes need no intervention at all but if you are currently taking OTC pain relievers, think about changing to something healthier for that amazing creation that is your body!</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-40771036759072685872013-09-04T22:00:00.001-07:002015-03-28T11:29:06.860-07:00My Coconut Oil Experiment<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdkn4YjgA5OsB2Ni4Ehep2KcZgiPEE5gvKMx6Qltd6bApLMpS8umQeG0MFlmc9uUeyZCOGHdN6ziPE2twKXNGeFN5XaUd5BX9mrK-965Y3MKG8YEznSNU8wejjEYTTU-y9n2tYX9YGRS0/s1600/IMAG05145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdkn4YjgA5OsB2Ni4Ehep2KcZgiPEE5gvKMx6Qltd6bApLMpS8umQeG0MFlmc9uUeyZCOGHdN6ziPE2twKXNGeFN5XaUd5BX9mrK-965Y3MKG8YEznSNU8wejjEYTTU-y9n2tYX9YGRS0/s320/IMAG05145.jpg" height="265" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In my search for ways to heal my body I discovered this wonderful oil. I had been using organic, unrefined, extra virgin coconut oil for a couple </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of years just on my skin and other things topically but just recently did I stumble upon information about it's internal benefits. I decided to experiment for myself and boy, was I in for a shocker! I'm surprised they haven't yet made this into some kind of medicine to prescribe. Maybe they have! I had a specific reason for consuming coconut oil. Even if you don't have a specific purpose, incorporating coconut oil into your diet in moderation would be beneficial to your health.</span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Coconut Oil Benefits When Used Topically: </span></u></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Clears and heals diaper rash</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Cures external fungus</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Improves dry skin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Helps to improve skin issues such as</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> acne</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> eczema</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> psoriasis</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Conditions hair</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Helps with dandruff</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Aids in eliminating lice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Heals cuts/wounds</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong><u>Coconut Oil Benefits When Used Internally:</u></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Provides energy </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Promotes weight loss</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Kills viruses, bacteria and fungus</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Improves Diabetes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Can help those with Crohn's Disease </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Can help with Chronic Fatigue</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I originally started using it internally to boost my immune system by clearing my system of any bacteria, fungus or other toxins that were present. Other benefits came about that I was not expecting. This is mostly my opinion but I am pretty sure that most Americans (unless they are on a strict diet and have never had an antibiotic) have an overgrowth of something called Candida (yeast). We all have Candida in our body. It is actually a GOOD thing to have believe it or not. One thing it does is consume some of our sugars for us so that our blood sugar levels don't go crazy all the time. However, because it feeds on sugar it can multiply rapidly if we're consuming too much of it on a daily basis for all of our lives. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Bacteria and fungus love compromised immune systems. When we are given an antibiotic, our immune system gets weaker and allows things such as bacteria and candida to multiply more rapidly. If we are on antibiotics for long periods of time the chances are even greater. Steroids are also an immune system destroyer. When Candida and different types of bacteria are allowed to grow, it can cause things such as digestive disorders, joint pain, chronic fatigue, brain fog, low energy, acne, yeast infections, uti's, etc.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There is science behind why coconut oil is good for us and what it can do if you want to look </span><a href="http://www.coconutdiet.com/coconut_diet_science.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. From that page you can find other links to research done on this healthy oil. It does not seem as though FAT (oil) could be good for us because we are told everywhere "fat is bad! no fat! less fat!" but there are antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties within it's lovely, light flavor. It is actually healthy for the heart! It is digested differently than other oils. If you click the link above you will read: </span><br />
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<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="body" style="width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr><td rowspan="6" width="10"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Coconut oil is comprised of what are called medium chain fatty acids, or medium chain triglycerides...In nature, coconut oil has the largest concentration of these MCTs outside of human breast milk. Vegetable oils, on the other hand, are made up primarily of long chain fatty acids (LCTs). </span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It has been known for a long time in the scientific literature that LCTs tend to produce fat in the body, while MCTs promote what is called thermogenesis. Thermogenesis increases the body's metabolism, producing energy. People in the animal feed business have known this truth for quite some time. If you feed animals vegetable oils, they put on weight and produce more fatty meat. If you feed them coconut oil, they will be very lean."</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I decided to do my own testing of coconut oil. Below is a log of what happened to me from day 1 to day 7. I started out taking 3 Tbsp a day (I would not recommend this!). I had no idea how powerful this stuff is. I put it in a mug of warm water and added some lemon essential oil. It tastes good but has an oily texture.</span></div>
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day 1</span></u></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> No real difference or changes physically or mentally</span></div>
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day 2</span></u></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Felt a little more energy</span></div>
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day 3</span></u></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So much energy I did not know what to do with myself! I felt like I drank 3 cups of coffee. Lost 1 pound (wasn't trying but, okay)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u>Day 4</u></strong> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A lot of energy in the morning with the 1st Tbsp but then after lunch with the 2nd Tbsp I </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> started feeling like I was coming down with an illness, achiness, chills, etc. That lasted for a couple of hours then went away. I had so much energy at night I couldn't sleep. Noticed my skin condition improving. Lost another pound.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u>Day 5</u></strong> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started to realize that I was barely ever hungry. This oil revved up my metabolism like crazy and I ate a lot less at mealtimes. I also seemed to crave healthier foods rather than</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> chocolate (even though I love chocolate, I barely ever eat it. But I crave it a lot!) Felt sick </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (achiness, chills, joint pain) on and off throughout the day. Still not falling asleep most of the night. Skin looked great in problem spots and in general. Lost another two pounds.</span></div>
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day 6</span></u></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Decided to only do 2 Tbsp because I wanted to fall asleep easier. I did not take the evening </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> one. Noticed a great change in my digestive system. My skin felt soft in areas that had been dry and annoying. Energy levels beyond belief. Sick feeling on and off again. Still not sleeping. No weight lost.</span></div>
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day 7</span></u></strong></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Only did 1 Tbsp since I was still having trouble sleeping. Did not have quite as much energy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Skin still felt better in my problem areas. Lost two more pounds. Slept better. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When I started this experiment I did not realize that I should not have started with such a high amount. This contributed to my insomnia, joint pain, etc. The reason I was feeling sick at times and having joint pain is because there are symptoms that come along with killing the bacteria within your body. When these things "die off", they are still in your body and need to be eliminated. When you are killing large amounts of these unwanted toxins, all of your cleansing organs are working harder to eliminate them. Drinking a lot of water is key as it helps eliminate things a little easier. Another reason why my experience could have been so intense was that I was not eating any sugars. Eating sugar with the intention of cleansing your system is not very effective.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Coconut oil absolutely will eliminate unwanted bacteria from your body. I was able to feel this with my own experiment. It will definitely aid in weight loss! I did not think I would lose 6 pounds in one week. The best part? I have NOT gained that 6 pounds back since consuming the coconut oil. I thought at first it was water weight but when it stayed off I realized it must have been stored fat. I was not trying to lose weight but it was nice that it came out in my experiment so I could inform others of this benefit. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I would not recommend to anyone to start off taking 3 Tbsp a day. Immune compromised people should be very careful as well. I would recommend starting at 1 tsp a day and working up as long as you are comfortable. Everyone will be different.<br /> Consuming coconut oil just by using it in cooking will not have the same powerful effect but it will still be beneficial to your health. I use it for my family daily in cooking. I have noticed a profound improvement of the immune system of every one in my family since starting daily coconut oil, adopting a </span><a href="http://hopefulholistichealing.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-last-and-first-blog-post-was-just.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paleo</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> lifestyle, getting regular chiropractic adjustments and using </span><a href="http://hopefulholistichealing.blogspot.com/2013/08/ive-had-quite-busy-day-but-really.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">essential oils</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and homeopathy. Just adding ONE of these things can increase health. Organic, unrefined, cold-pressed, extra virgin coconut oil is an easy thing to add. If you decide to add this oil to your diet or cleanse your system, please avoid processed, refined, cheaper oils.<br /> I love using this oil and will continue to do so. Cleanse or no cleanse, coconut oil is very beneficial in more ways than one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">*<em><strong>Update </strong>- I've had a ton of responses on this wondering where to buy it. I get mine from health food stores such as Whole Foods. I buy the Nutiva brand but there are other good ones out there.*</em></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-36256957225547403962013-09-03T13:44:00.002-07:002013-09-03T19:23:12.328-07:0010 Ways A Stay At Home Mom Gets Paid <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you ever heard a mom say something like this "I do ALL this work. I'm a taxi driver, a cook, I clean, do laundry and I don't get paid. I should get paid for all I do!" I have to admit that I'm guilty of quoting something like this a time or two. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photograph by Jenne Cary</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> As I've developed a more natural and holistic lifestyle, I've realized that I can't only worry about what goes into my mouth or on my skin but also what goes on in my mind. Holistic living involves learning how to de-stress. Part of de-stressing is learning to be grateful for what you already have and live for right now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This list does not only apply to stay-at-home moms. This can apply to all moms, dads, grandmothers who take care of their grandchildren, etc. I only use the stay-at-home mom stance because that's my experience.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I created this list after thinking about all those little special joys in my life that I may not have been given if I weren't a mom, a "cook", and a "taxi driver". These are the ways that <strong>I </strong>get "paid", I'm sure you do too. </span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#1- Laughter</span></u></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This is one of my favorite things about being a mom. I would not laugh <strong>nearly </strong>as<strong> </strong>much if it weren't for my children. I still remember so many funny things that my kids have said and I laugh about them over and over. One thing that comes to mind is when my oldest son was 3, he was telling me his observations of what the colors on a stoplight meant. He said "Mom, I know red means stop. Green means go and yellow meeeeans.....maybe?" Obviously, he saw me confused quite a few times on what I should do at a yellow light! I have hundreds of these little quotes tucked right in my memory and I'm sure all moms do. On those days when you feel like you're unappreciated and you should receive payment, pull out one of those handy dandy quotes from that memory of yours and pay yourself!</span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#2-Accomplishments</span></u></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> What a wonderful feeling to see this little person (or even when they're grown!) who you have raised and taught accomplish something. When that accomplishment is huge to them, it is a huge payment to us as moms. I love to see my children proud of something that they've accomplished. When they reach a goal or create something that they are proud of, I've learned to not just say "good job" but to actually acknowledge all of the hard work and effort they put in. "Good job" does not really say much but "Wow, you've worked so hard on that. I saw all the time you put in. You must be very excited to be able to hang that artwork up now." says so much more! It shows that I was paying attention all along the way and was right there with them but that they do not <strong>need </strong>my approval or "good jobs" in order to go out and accomplish their goals and feel good about themselves. Eventually, they will have that little voice in their head that says "Wow, I worked really hard on this!" <strong>NOT </strong>"Wait! Where's mom!? I have to feel good". It may sound like I'm thinking too deep but my kids have really responded to this and it's much more sincere.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><u>#3-Friendships</u></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I don't know what I would do without my friends. Having good friends is so much better to me than any monetary gain I could receive. We all have friendships whether we're moms or not. However, there are certain people that I may not have created friendships with had we both not had a common interest; our kids. Being able to go to another mom and express feelings and know that they have felt the same way is such a relief. I could have never gotten through a couple of those potty training years if it weren't for my friends! Potty training can be excruciating. No joke.</span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#4-Education</span></u></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Being a stay-at-home mom presents a wonderful opportunity to learn how to be a teacher. Yes, you can teach math, the alphabet, and how to walk and talk. The most important teaching is how to raise another human being to be a source for good in the world. We learn how to teach someone to be independent even though we want to hold on. We learn how to discipline for their good even though we want to just give them the world. We learn to sacrifice and to teach sacrifice. We learn that we need to teach by example because they seem to be sponges that soak everything up. We learn to teach and we eventually realize that they've taught US a whole lot more than we've taught them.</span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#5-Love</span></u></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Love means different things to different people. I always claim that love is action. The word alone does not mean anything without an action behind it. In any close relationship we have to learn how the other person likes to be loved. Everyone is different. When you have more than one child, this can get tricky. My daughter likes to be taken out one on one and receive little gifts. My older son likes physical contact (i.e. hugs, back rubs, etc.). My toddler enjoys being sung to and talked to. Each child has their own needs. Have you noticed what individual needs <strong>your</strong> children have? I'm posing this question because it was not always so obvious to me and over time I had to figure it out. My children respond so well when I take time often to provide them with that one individual need that is unique to them. A lot of times just doing this simple action of love can prevent problem behaviors for attention. I <strong><em>love</em></strong> love.</span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#6-Youthfulness</span></u></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I sure hope that's a word because I want to hold onto that for awhile! Simply put, my kids keep me young. There are times when I wonder whether I would've gone for that bike ride or swung on those monkey bars had it not been for my kids. I really do like to swing on the monkey bars so maybe I would've done that anyway. I love to get on the floor and play. I love to blast the music and just dance with them. Forget all those wrinkle reducers and cellulite creams, bring on the kids!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><u>#7-Talents</u></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There are talents that I've gained and some that I forgot I had that have been brought back to the surface by being a mom. What is a talent that <strong>you</strong> use with your children? You may not have been able to use or develop that talent in the exact same way without being a mom. Maybe you're a seamstress who has perfected her skill by making a new child's dress every week or two. Or maybe you're crafty and come up with nifty gadgets for your child to take to school and share with their class. As we develop one talent, we are shown another and another. Some parents become coaches of their child's sports team. How fun! They probably would've never had that life experience without that child in their life. Talents are a fun thing to be paid with.</span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#8-Hugs & Kisses</span></u></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So, this one doesn't really need much of an explanation. I am okay with getting hugs and kisses from my kids any day. All day. For the rest of my life. That would be payment enough for me.</span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#9-Super Human Powers</span></u></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I'm really not being crazy here. First of all, if you gave birth then you have super human powers right from the start. Then, you move to super hearing powers. When that little baby is sleeping either in the next room or right next to you, you can hear every little sound, breath and gurgle they make. Do you think everyone else hears that? Nope, just you! My husband could sleep through my son crying and when he felt me move out of the bed he'd say "What's wrong?" Ummm, hello? Baby crying? I</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> always hoped that when I wasn't around, my super human hearing would be passed along to him somehow. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> After that, they start to get older and our super human protective powers kick in. For example, when my older son was about 4 he was playing in our boat that was parked in the driveway. I heard him screaming and I ran to him but the boat was up on a trailer and I would've had to take some time to climb up in there to get him. Instead of wasting time, somehow I was able to reach into a boat that was 3 feet over my head and pull him out of the middle of the boat. Do you think my arms were 10 feet long? It sure felt like they stretched that length! Super human protective powers commence! He was screaming because he was being stung by wasps (yikes!). Everything ended up being okay that day. None of us want to see harm done to our children and some go to great lengths to make sure that is accomplished. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The last (but not least) super human power I want to write about is my favorite one. The super human healing kiss powers. How many times have you kissed a boo-boo and healed it? I know it's been so many times for me that I can't count them all! I am so happy that being a mom makes my kisses have healing power. Favorite. Power. Ever.</span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#10-Appreciation</span></u></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When I talk about being paid with appreciation, I am not talking about receiving appreciation from others. We all know that being appreciated doesn't happen quite as often as we'd like. I'm referring to the appreciation that we develop for OUR mothers and those who have gone before them. Isn't it wonderful to finally have that true understanding of what our mothers sacrificed for us? I know that I found a greater love for my mother and grandmothers after becoming a mom. It connected me to them a little more. I would've never received that deeper love and connection otherwise. Sometimes I have thought</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> about how hard I was on her! She really should have never put up with me but she loved me the same way I love my own children in that there is really nothing they can do to make me love them any less. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drawing by </span><a href="http://sarahtrzcinski.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sarah Trzcinski</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This is just a short list of ways I feel I'm paid as a stay-at-home mom. I would say with all of these payments, I'm rich! I know there are many more than these ten. Next time you're having one of those "Ugh, I should get paid for this" kinda days, embrace your mommy hood and tap into that super human memory bank of yours and pay yourself in full!</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-70688108809999182422013-09-01T18:34:00.000-07:002013-09-01T18:38:04.539-07:00No Noodle Chicken Soup<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSyaeGaWE0JWOz-1uDz6aR_6R0jPR2oh89U9BdZaWzomPoaAAepBQ3TeAyiOZivKy75_D3bxmVgIxoIep2TmyKOdE09PxPuDmKb6Z-W864JvfrojdS1RD6EzpmPC1p-YQ2IQXwRJnJYLW/s1600/IMAG0538-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSyaeGaWE0JWOz-1uDz6aR_6R0jPR2oh89U9BdZaWzomPoaAAepBQ3TeAyiOZivKy75_D3bxmVgIxoIep2TmyKOdE09PxPuDmKb6Z-W864JvfrojdS1RD6EzpmPC1p-YQ2IQXwRJnJYLW/s640/IMAG0538-1-1.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I'm adding another blog post today to add to the Paleo recipe ideas. I have been making this chicken soup recipe for over 10 years but just within the last year have I decided to make the </span><a href="http://hopefulholistichealing.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-last-and-first-blog-post-was-just.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paleo</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> version which would obviously have <strong>no </strong>noodles. It is still just as delicious. </span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 chicken (3 to 4 pounds)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12 cups cold water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 onions, cut into 1-inch chunks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 & 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley (may use fresh)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon sea salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 & 1/2 teaspoons black pepper</span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Directions</span></u></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~Combine all ingredients in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 3 hours (until chicken falls off bones).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~Remove chicken from pot and cool slightly. Remove skin and take meat off bones. Tear meat into small pieces then return to pot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~Simmer and serve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*<strong><u>Note</u> </strong>~ <strong>Save your skin and bones to make freezable chicken broth!</strong> Put them in a crock pot, cover the chicken parts with water, add sea salt, pepper & garlic to taste. Set on low overnight. Wake up, strain the broth with a cheesecloth. Toss everything else out but the liquid. Put the broth in freezer bags or containers and you have your own chicken broth for future recipes! Make sure you write the measurement on the bag so you don't have to do it later. I do mine in 2 cup measurements. Good luck and happy eating!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial;"><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(If you like my blog posts, please go to the right side bar and click "follow" to receive notifications when I write. Thank you for your interest.)</span></em></span></em></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-52953181316348978612013-09-01T13:50:00.002-07:002013-09-01T15:03:41.640-07:00Simple Paleo Chicken and Zucchini Dinner<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I don't know about you but when summer comes around everyone tries to get rid of the zucchini from their garden because they grow like crazy! I will get 4 or 5 people who give me about 8 to 10 of them. So, I usually stare at my counter top in awe and say "What on earth am I going to DO with all of this?!"</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51osjBM0Ju1PnDFffdZiAt0wU9ACg7g6wlqQa7omX7EF65kRMTbQVcqbcyCBwFRqwohoBhdX6dLmdWv_d9o-V6inXv7XVseRO_rsscCdDZCVdkF0dVcfxpoUwgL9oTkTfL81XBL1hyr5_/s1600/paleo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51osjBM0Ju1PnDFffdZiAt0wU9ACg7g6wlqQa7omX7EF65kRMTbQVcqbcyCBwFRqwohoBhdX6dLmdWv_d9o-V6inXv7XVseRO_rsscCdDZCVdkF0dVcfxpoUwgL9oTkTfL81XBL1hyr5_/s400/paleo.jpg" width="313" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So, in keeping with my eating habit of avoiding sugar, etc. I needed to find a recipe to get rid of all of those zucchini!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I got the idea of this recipe out of a Paleo cookbook but made some tweeks of my own. My family absolutely loves this and there are usually no leftovers. Most of the time I don't have time to make really complex dinners so I try to find dinners that are super simple to make. If you're not sure what a Paleo lifestyle consists of, go <a href="http://hopefulholistichealing.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-last-and-first-blog-post-was-just.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Ingredients</u></span></strong><br />
<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></u></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 - 10 chicken drumsticks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon poultry seasoning</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon dried basil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 onion, cut into 1-inch chunks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 large garlic cloves, minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 & 1/2 cup fresh grape or cherry tomatoes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 large or 3 small zucchini, cut into large chunks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sea salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Black pepper</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><u>Directions</u></strong></span><br />
<strong><u><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></u></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">~In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the drumsticks all around with sea salt and pepper; add to a very hot skillet so the chicken sizzles. Sear the chicken for 7-8 minutes until browned on all sides.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">~Sprinkle the poultry seasoning and basil on top of the chicken then add garlic, onions and tomatoes to skillet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">~Cover; turn down heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">~Add zucchini and cook for 5-7 minutes. Make sure chicken is cooked thoroughly and zucchini is crisp tender.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">~Serve!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This dish can be served with a green salad mixture of romaine, iceberg and baby spinach with any added veggies you like. No sugary dressings though! Apple cider vinegar and olive oil mixture with garlic and lemon added is a great dressing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Can also be served with cooked carrots or baked sweet potatoes. YUM!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you like my blog posts, please go to the right side bar and click "follow" to receive notifications when I write. Thank you for your interest.)</span></em></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-49031876806652908172013-08-31T10:18:00.000-07:002013-09-04T05:57:53.814-07:00Paleo Style Lunches For Kids <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When I decided to change the way I ate, I also chose to pack healthier lunches for my kids. I didn't feel that it was fair for me to avoid sugars and unhealthy boxed foods but still buy this poison for my children. If you want to know more about my paleo diet of choice, go <a href="http://hopefulholistichealing.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-last-and-first-blog-post-was-just.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dGAyMaAg-3lpkDNUcpIgatMio2Nnhonc-H8H3c2BZHQu3Nf2Q7RN09AH2aAIsBDpntYo7GGq0Dcp9ELyKVvlOhD2HUMjEJn4cYGVEkzcA0iatSrCLzXko4Kl3pzIA7LusJeOkZX0RvXC/s1600/bentobox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dGAyMaAg-3lpkDNUcpIgatMio2Nnhonc-H8H3c2BZHQu3Nf2Q7RN09AH2aAIsBDpntYo7GGq0Dcp9ELyKVvlOhD2HUMjEJn4cYGVEkzcA0iatSrCLzXko4Kl3pzIA7LusJeOkZX0RvXC/s400/bentobox.jpg" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cucumber sticks (my daughters new favorite), peppers,<br />
sliced apples with almond butter for dipping, and blueberries.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My toddler is completely on board with whatever I give him. My older kids, however, were not so happy at first. They went through a time period in the beginning where they were craving sugar ALL the time. I realized that this would happen since our bodies do physically become addicted to sugar and foods that will process as sugar. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My older kids (ages 9 and 11) still do eat processed foods from time to time. I am rarely the one that gives it to them since I don't buy it. It may be school, church, family members, etc. I've decided not to deprive them when the opportunity presents itself. I feel as long as I'm teaching them healthy habits at home and their diet is healthy the majority of the time, then I'm happy with that. They have really adapted and actually look forward to all of the fresh food and colors that make up their lunch. Foods that they would never touch before (my daughter hated cucumbers), they actually request now.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_GIXTDJS9bDul2a1hhQxnPYWxcI3o2LKdGyEztWVnaU9lhkTF-B_z6IBGLuJXpNVhFe5WiNdJ87TBFuD2MurYQBqZ3wYKPyqyUx1ul5yE8-FDMjHs8RgGRVQRdjezo3ic2KENvk5vFUN/s1600/bento.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_GIXTDJS9bDul2a1hhQxnPYWxcI3o2LKdGyEztWVnaU9lhkTF-B_z6IBGLuJXpNVhFe5WiNdJ87TBFuD2MurYQBqZ3wYKPyqyUx1ul5yE8-FDMjHs8RgGRVQRdjezo3ic2KENvk5vFUN/s400/bento.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby carrots, celery sticks, a hard boiled egg, <br />
strawberries, and cherry tomatoes. Easy, right?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These lunches are super simple to make. It only requires a little time of cutting things up! I do all sorts of combinations with their lunches. I'm providing a couple ideas of what I've done and plan to add more ideas as time goes on. I bought bento boxes for their lunches so that I could easily separate the fruits, meats, dips, etc. These bento containers are not necessary. You could easily buy plastic containers with dividers from your local grocery store. The reason I chose the bento boxes was that they had a centerpiece that stays cold if you put it in the freezer over night. I like their eggs and meats to stay cold. If I add homemade mayo or ranch for anything then that is something that should stay cold as well. These boxes stack on top of each other and close up to a nice size. The kids love them!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hP2QPuzqWBeuMItXM02NivlUPDys-AIBSXr6XdYz2reY-BLyZTQo3VnsdVAyHS_plkatVYSpu9oGan_VkgsuDuCb2FGLEDFzS0wnl8437xld3HOFjllpWAWNbxcMGsG1TcFk8JAGt8OM/s1600/IMAG0544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hP2QPuzqWBeuMItXM02NivlUPDys-AIBSXr6XdYz2reY-BLyZTQo3VnsdVAyHS_plkatVYSpu9oGan_VkgsuDuCb2FGLEDFzS0wnl8437xld3HOFjllpWAWNbxcMGsG1TcFk8JAGt8OM/s400/IMAG0544.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Salad with tomatoes and peppers, homemade </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ranch dressing, strawberries and uncured turkey</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">lunchmeat with tomatoes inside.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I try to have hard boiled eggs, cut up veggies and fruits, uncured cut up meats, etc. in the fridge all the time (not always perfect at this). It makes it much easier when packing lunches. I have the kids help with preparation as much as time will allow with school work, activities, etc.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Other ideas include: homemade guacamole, salad, cole slaw, rolled up lunch meats with mustard to dip, homemade ranch for dip for the veggies, soup in a thermos, bananas with almond butter, raisins, pea pods, cinnamon cooked squash, and many, many more. Any different combination will work and variety is key. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I said, I will add more as time goes on and I get more pictures. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Once you're done filling the containers, stack them on top of each other then close the locking lid and Voila! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Now, my next venture is to get away from those poisonous plastic containers! EEEEK!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you like my blog posts, please go to the right side bar and click "follow" to receive notifications when I write. Thank you for your interest.)</span></em></span></em></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-17155898726027448002013-08-29T17:46:00.000-07:002017-06-11T23:16:57.827-07:00How Essential Oils Saved A Duck <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a story that I can't help but share with people. Essential oils can be beneficial to </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">animals as well as humans! In this case, they helped saved a life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PTn-iNE2fDR1CZMv1XGYutyd5s4Ip68KSMmC5igGZjcsUDM3UAGqKub55h2XO6_9rejNCsh9W8KPmlM76iXFxEzXR-xc5jkj6drpTOmp6ZRZeg6ifaAh_J8-oq4Wf9-wIprEGznFkdc8/s1600/IMAG0521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PTn-iNE2fDR1CZMv1XGYutyd5s4Ip68KSMmC5igGZjcsUDM3UAGqKub55h2XO6_9rejNCsh9W8KPmlM76iXFxEzXR-xc5jkj6drpTOmp6ZRZeg6ifaAh_J8-oq4Wf9-wIprEGznFkdc8/s320/IMAG0521.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Our neighbors bought 4 ducks a few years ago. They really enjoyed our pond. We didn't mind as they are so beautiful and it really brings life to the pond and yard. Ducks seem to be a little like rabbits. Let's just say that 4 ducks turned into more very quickly. We live in the country and unfortunately there are many wild animals out here. The eggs don't always make it to a hatching point since there is something out there that enjoys eating the eggs. Once they DO hatch, the babies start to disappear quickly.</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My kids decided that they wanted to protect a couple of the eggs from being eaten and take care of the ducks once they hatched. They did a good job of this because both ducks grew up to be healthy and happy. The kids let them go so they could swim the whole pond and not have to be so confined. After some time went by we noticed that for a couple days the white duck was sitting in the same spot and didn't appear to be moving. My husband went over to look at her and realized that she had a big, open wound with maggots in it. She appeared to be in a lot of pain and quite sick. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We had 3 options; let her die naturally, put her down ourselves, or try to save her. We chose the latter. We noticed that along with the wound, her leg was also injured. Whatever bit her (we think it may have been a snapping turtle due to the wound being underneath) took a good chunk but worst of all, injured her leg to the point where she could not open the webbing of her foot. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The first step was to remove the maggots (gross!). They were clearly going to eat her alive. They were buried so deep that we had to suffocate them. We used cornstarch and applied it to the wound. The maggots started to come to the surface so we could remove them with tweezers. My husband and I took turns doing this. It took 2 days to remove all of them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I decided to use essential oils. I didn't have a lot of information about which oils to use on which animals so I just did my best. I used lavender at times while we were removing the maggots to relax her and help with pain. She was very anxious at first but the lavender did it's job well. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Next, I used melaleuca (tea tree) oil because it is an excellent antibacterial and anti fungal. I created a "wash" with the melaleuca in it. I know that bugs and creepy crawly things don't like tea tree so I figured if there were any maggots or other bugs lingering it would take care of them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The following day I started using a blend made by doTerra called On Guard. It is a mixture of wild orange, clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary. In this situation, these oils would serve as a natural antibiotic to prevent infection from occurring. After all that work I certainly didn't want her to die from infection! I added a drop or 2 to her water and also applied the oil directly to her wound. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She had terrible diarrhea for 4 days as we were trying to help her recover and get to a stable point. Once I started the On Guard the diarrhea went away. After one week, she was ready to come out of her confined space and try to walk around. She had some trouble trying to gain balance again with only one working foot. She used her wing a little at first to balance but quickly learned how to limp around using her other leg. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It has been about 4 weeks since then and she is now out and about swimming the whole pond and enjoying her space and hopefully her life. Thank goodness for essential oils!!!</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-42519718357208360542013-08-25T13:32:00.001-07:002015-03-28T11:11:35.892-07:00What Is A Paleo Lifestyle? <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My last (and first) <a href="http://hopefulholistichealing.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-journey-to-holistic-healing.html" target="_blank">blog post</a> was just a brief introduction to what I hope to accomplish with my blog and how I got to where I am now in my life with natural healing methods. It was very difficult for me to narrow all of what I've been through into something short and readable. I hope I didn't fall short too much on that task. I'm happy to report that right now everyone is busy doing something else and my toddler is sleeping. It is not a happy report because it brings me joy for my family to be AWAY but it's more like I'm just happy to have a few minutes to write a blog post that won't take me 3 hours.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I wanted to focus a little on my way of eating since it has changed my life and it has been one of my successes. I have been through quite a few unsuccessful attempts at healing so I figured my first real post should be one that focuses on a success.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Most people have by now heard of the Paleo diet. For those who haven't I will give a brief description. The definition of the word Paleo means ancient or prehistoric. So, basically when you adopt a Paleo lifestyle you are eating the way people did anciently. When I say anciently I mean prior to agriculture, mass production, and the processing of grains. Eating Paleo is a way to go back to our roots and "hunt and gather" instead of depending on technology and all that boxed stuff that's no good for us. I don't always do the actual hunting and gathering myself since I could never kill an animal unless I absolutely had to (that's what husbands are for, right?) but I'm still able to maintain this way of eating without all the blood and guts. Well, maybe not<strong> fully </strong>without blood and guts. I will still find a dead, bloody deer laying on my kitchen counter from time to time or a furry little squirrel stuck in the fridge. I have slowly learned to get used to these things. I should add that if you're interested in eating this way there are plenty of farms that treat animals right and feed them what they're supposed to be fed so don't think you have to do the slaughtering yourself. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I have been taking a course in homeopathy (more on that in another entry) and my instructor mentioned that I may benefit from the Paleo diet based on some of the problems I am experiencing. That's when I started researching and finding out all of the positives that can come from it, the science behind it, and the terrible effects that processed sugar and grains can have on my body. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Since I now have all of this information in my brain that I won't be able to remove I can not look at a dessert or a bag of white rice without thinking of one word. This word is in BIG BOLD letters in my brain and it helps me when choices get tough because, hey, I'm human and this girl loves chocolate! The word, you ask? <span style="color: red;"><strong>INFLAMMATION</strong></span>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I will not get into all of the scientific explanations here but I will just give a brief overview of what these foods can do. These foods (namely processed and refined) are not always recognized by the body as food. </span><a href="http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fit/about-jillian" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jillian Michaels</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (LOVE her!) calls them "frankenfoods". The body does not know what to do with them so it always takes the easiest way it can to break them down. Most of the time they break down into sugars or sugar alcohols. Most people are aware of this but those darn foods are so good that no one really wants to think about it. What some don't know is that these foods can actually become damaging to the gut wall over time. This can cause larger particles (for lack of a better word) that should stay in your digestive tract to pass through the gut wall and then into your body/bloodstream. When your immune system finds these particles it goes after them and will create an antibody to hunt for more of the same. Sometimes these particles can have the appearance of certain tissues in your body. Your immune system becomes confused and can start attacking it's own cells rather than these particles. This is where the word "autoimmune" comes in. A few examples of autoimmune diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, eczema, and Celiac disease. Sometimes these diseases do well when removing the foods that are damaging to the gut. Most of our immune system is in our gut. Take care of your gut, take care of your immune system. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Remember that word INFLAMMATION that I can't remove from my brain? That is something else that is caused by these foods. When I removed sugars and grains, I removed my pain. When I cheat and have that chocolate bar once in awhile all of my pain returns temporarily until I get back to my normal diet. I generally have less inflammation of all areas of my body. I have not been eating this way long enough to share the long term effects. I feel that my body is the way it is from <strong>years and years </strong>of eating things that were no good. Therefore, I believe it would take years and years to gain what I want on the reverse side of that. I have a ton more energy since adopting this way of eating. I don't feel sluggish after eating a meal. I have a clear mind and less foggy thinking. To me, it is worth going against the "norm".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> What does the Paleo diet consist of? DO eat: Vegetables, fruits (less fruits than veggies), meat from animals that are raised the way nature meant it to be (grass-fed beef, wild fish, eggs, etc.), good quality fats such as coconut oil, avocado oil and also nuts and seeds. DON'T eat: processed grains, beans, pasteurized dairy, vegetable oils, sugars that are refined, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup or anything processed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I know most Paleo sites will say all grains are bad. I personally don't believe this. I believe that grains can be good but just not the way they are processed for us. There are tons of additives and things I can't even pronounce in bagged breads, crackers, etc. I would prefer to be able to pronounce what I eat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Cows are not meant to eat grains.They are meant to eat grass. Humans want their cows fat so they feed them lots of grains. This makes the cows sick (why do you think they need all of those antibiotics?). Grains will also change the chemical make up of the beef you consume. This is why it can be unhealthy. A grass fed cow is a healthy cow. A person who eats the meat of a grass fed cow is a healthier person.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Hopefully this has been somewhat informative. I actually sat in the same spot the whole time without having to get up and change a diaper or fix a shower curtain! Now that's progress...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2130386563477955889.post-39132167321500873642013-08-24T17:17:00.001-07:002015-03-28T10:58:41.174-07:00My Journey To Holistic Healing <br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This blog has been a long time coming. I was concerned that I wouldn't have enough information or that the information I had would not be useful to anyone. However, the more people that I've talked to and the longer time has gone on, I've realized how useful some of this can be to some who may find themselves in the same situations. So, with a little bit of extra time set aside (who has THAT?) and some encouragement from others, my blog has now finally arrived! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The purpose of my blog will mostly be to share what I already have learned about ways I've helped to heal myself and also my family and friends. With permission I may mention people, products, websites, etc. that I've used as aids in healing to hopefully help send others on their journey toward finding what may work for them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It would seem like these short blog entries would take no time to type. Remember that "time set aside" thing I mentioned earlier? My "time set aside" consists of having the laptop flipped open on the kitchen table while cooking dinner, managing the house, spending time with the kids, cleaning up the kitchen and all those other paradisaical things that make up the life of a stay at home mom. Let me just mention now that so far my 2 year old son has stopped me 4 times just within these first 3 paragraphs (<em>once for a drink, once to say hi and once because his toy toolbox wouldn't open and it was VERY important to get that screwdriver out!)</em> Hopefully I will be able to get out my thoughts in a clear, orderly fashion within the 6 hours it may take to type this all out since I will more than likely stop every time my children need me. Family is most important of course! Nevertheless, I will proceed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was never too into natural means of healing for a good part of my life mostly because I didn't have anyone around me who had experiences with it. I took my kids to the doctor every scheduled vaccine visit and gave them whatever drugs were "needed" at the time. I took antibiotics, acne medicine, birth control, anti-inflammatories, antidepressants, OTC drugs for allergies and eczema. I had NO idea of side effects of anything because I didn't know to ask and I trusted that because a trained doctor was prescribing them that I was perfectly safe. I was never informed of any repercussions of any of these meds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I will say now before I go any further that I am not anti-doctor. I believe that doctors have their place in the world. We need them. (<em>That darn toolbox got locked again and I am now wearing my toddlers sunglasses as I'm typing this because I look "cool</em>") I do, however, believe that there is so much more that we can do at home for ourselves and our families first before running to the doctor for everything and spending a ton of money on things that may help but can also do a lot of damage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My journey began after I had my 3rd baby two years ago. I had the perfect pregnancy. I gained about 15 pounds. I worked out everyday. I tried to eat as healthy as I knew how. My labor and delivery was even better. I went in at 9am and had my son at 3:47pm with no complications. I was SO happy. My older children adored this new baby and nothing in my world could go wrong at this point. Or so I thought...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I started losing weight too quickly, my hair was coming out in gobs (which is normal after pregnancy but this amount was scary), I was feeling sick all the time and a rash started to appear on my face. I was nursing at the time and was worried that I wasn't producing enough milk. I think of it as the storm after the calm! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I went to urgent care, a family doctor, an endocrinologist, 3 dermatologists and had blood work done so many times I lost count. No one could tell me why I felt and looked so bad. I wasn't having many mental/emotional difficulties at the time other than having a new baby in the house and having to adjust. I was diagnosed differently with each person I saw. I was given a new medicine from each person I saw. I was told to stop nursing for a time to take some of the meds. When I tried my baby on formula (every different one you could think of) he threw up forcefully and was very sick. When I took him to the pediatrician to let her know how sick he was she wanted to vaccinate him. I asked her how this would help his formula situation and the fact that he didn't have anything that he could eat?! She said that I would have to just wait until he was dehydrated to take him to the hospital. What?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> If I wasn't mentally strained <strong>before</strong> all of this, I certainly was <strong>after</strong> with all the doctors, meds, baby throwing up, side effects of meds, etc. (<em>I am now cooking chicken at the request of my kids and need to run upstairs because my older son just told me he broke the shower curtain. Never a dull moment!)</em> I realized at this point that I needed to do something different. The doctors couldn't help me, the meds couldn't help me and in fact, some hurt me. I just couldn't go on any further the way I was. I began searching for natural approaches.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I don't plan to get into much detail in this particular blog entry about all the things I've learned and tried for healing. In future blog entries I plan to focus on specific healing methods, what I use them for and whether they were/are successful or unsuccessful (I've had plenty of both!). These are the things I have either used in the past or still use today but will get into further detail later: <a href="http://hopefulholistichealing.blogspot.com/2013/08/healing-through-homeopathy.html" target="_blank">homeopathy</a>, chiropractic, herbs, <a href="http://hopefulholistichealing.blogspot.com/2013/08/ive-had-quite-busy-day-but-really.html" target="_blank">essential oils</a>, <a href="http://hopefulholistichealing.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-last-and-first-blog-post-was-just.html" target="_blank">diet</a>, meditation, massage, muscle response testing, detoxing cleanses and more. Also, in hopes of healing skin ailments I have made no-chemical, homemade make-up, lotion, shampoo and deodorant. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I hope that you will find what I have to say now and in the future helpful to you and your family. If not, maybe you can at least get a good laugh out of all the effort it takes me to write.</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781715403659192525noreply@blogger.com3North America41.288372084407087 -81.7382812528.366988584407089 -102.39257825 54.209755584407084 -61.08398425