Wellness Monday: What's Worked

Today I thought I would update you guys on what has worked for us on the home remedy/ wellness front.

We have been taking 1 TBSP of Apple Cider Vinegar (mix with a few ounces of grape juice) every day since the end of November. Not only did it help knock out the flu in December but it has helped get rid of sinus drainage (it thins mucus) but it has helped my insulin greatly. AT my doctor's appointment the beginning of November I was told due to being insulin resistant I would not be able to lose weight without cutting back to less than 1500 calories a day and take up running. I did not agree with the plan this doctor wanted me on. So I read up on some things and decided to give ACV a try. Since then I have slllllloooooowwwllyyy lost 10 pound, not gained a single pound and felt so much better. I had not lost weight in close to a year before that. Then a few weeks ago we ran out of ACV and I went a week with out taking it. During that week I gained 2 pounds. It was all the proof I needed that it is indeed helping my body.

All my kids have always taken miralax from the time they were a year old to around the age of 4 or 5. It helped them stay regular and after trying everything else we just figured that was the only way to go. Recently I read that Lemon Essential Oil will help with constipation do when I ran out of miralax (and that stuff isn't cheap) I decided to give it a try on Baby A. Sure enough after a few days of putting one drop on the bottom of each foot daily, she was able to go without any problems. THIS BLEW MY MIND! How can one drop on the bottom of your feet help your colon/ intestines??? I can't explain it but I can tell you it really does work!!

Back at the end of January I hurt my hand working out. I went to the doctor and found out it was tendinitis. They gave me a oral steroid and after a few days on it I was feeling better. Fast forward a few weeks.... I started having burning feeling in that same area. I knew it was trying to flare up again and I did NOT want to go back to the doctor so I decided to try a drop of Frankincense on the area that burned. Sure enough it took the pain away. I have to put a drop on it once a day but it is helping the pain and swelling so far.
I have also used Frankincense for sinus pain and pressure. If I feel it coming on one drop rubbed across my nose will take it all away. I typically have had a sinus infection or cold by this time of the year and so far so good!! Frankincense is a great anti-ageing oil (Young Living puts in most, if not all of their skin care products). I will add a drop to my moisturizer a few times a week to help keep my skin youthful.

When I was a child I got mouth ulcers all the time. Now Scooter gets them all the time. I can't tell you what causes them but I can tell you now what helps them heal up quickly. The other day Scooter had a bad ulcer on his lip. I read that a drop of purification oil will help them so I tried it. I actually just rubbed my finger on the top of the bottle to get just a tiny bit of the oil on my finger. I then put it on his ulcer. He said it tasted bad but the pain went away and it healed so quickly!!!

For now that is what we have seen work for us. With the allergy season just around the corner, we shall see if our daily elderberry syrup and spoonful of local honey will help with our allergies. If we do have flare ups (which I really expect us to have some) I have read that peppermint, lavender and lemon can help ease allergy symptoms. We will see if it works.

Wellness Monday: Thieves Essential Oil

When I first heard about essential oils, the one that everyone seemed to love was Thieves. I didn't think much of it but then I heard more and more about all that Thieves can do. I started listening and then started doing my own research. 

Here is what I have found: 

 *Can kill germs and mold in rooms when diffused (We all LOVE it diffused, smells great and kills germs) 

*Antiviral, antibacterial and antiseptic 

*promotes healing and prevents infection

*dilute with coconut oil (I use 1/2 tsp of coconut oil to a few drops of thieves oil) and rub on the bottoms of your feet to knock out illness. (this works....we have done it!) 

* you can add a few drops to your floor cleaner, laundry wash etc...to kill germs. 

* add a drop to orange juice to reduce phlegm and congestion 

** Thieves is considered a "hot" oil so it needs to be diluted (with coconut oil, olive oil, or Young Living massage oils) when putting it on the skin. 

** Young Living Oils are therapeutic grade so they are safe to consume in the recommended dose. Please consult your physician before consuming them if you have any hesitations or questions. 

I could go on and on and on but here are a few links I have found that show just how awesome this stuff is. 

Source 

Source 

When I signed up to be a Young Living Distributor I purchased the starter kit and also the Thieves Household cleaner to try. The cleaner is super concentrated. I wanted to mix up some cleaner as an all purpose cleaner. So I mixed one OUNCE of thieves household cleaner with 30 OUNCES of water and started cleaner my kitchen with it. I LOVE it!!! It has a wonderful smell (kind of like Christmas, which is the clove. Tim says it smells so fresh) and cleans great. I was skeptical since it was so diluted but it really does clean great. I bought the 14.4 ounce bottle of cleaner and you do the math.... it will last me a long time. 

You can use it for more than just cleaning your kitchen though. Here is a link that gives a few more uses for it:

10 Ways to use Thieves Household Cleaner 

So I guess if you are thinking about trying essential oils but are still not sure...... try Thieves! Lavender, Peppermint and Frankincense are a few others that I have tried a few times and beginning to LOVE. I will share about those once I have used them a little more. 

If you are interested in purchasing any of Young Living's Essential Oil products head to their website 

YoungLiving.com 

*Sign up for an account (click retail customer not Independent Distributor... unless you want to become a distributor)

*Check the I have been referred by a Young Living Distributor 

*Put my member number (My member number:  1639791) both the sponsor ID box and the enroller ID box *Fill out your personal information so they can ship it to straight to you

*Then start shopping. 

Young Living sells not only essential oils but also, Hair Care, Skin care (face cleansers, moisturizers, Toners, Masques), Oral Hygiene, vitamins, bath and shower products and SO much more. They have an entire line of products that are made with Thieves oil (sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer, hand soap, throat lozenges, mouthwash, dental floss, toothpaste and more)  

Go check it out if you are interested. 

Random

I am skipping Wellness Monday today because honestly I am so behind on so much due to sickness.

Baby A had a virus last week and Rascal had it over the weekend.

I am also suffering from what I can only assume is arthritis in my hand. My left hand is so swollen and the pain is so bad I have even wondered if I have broken it. I truly think it is due to some pretty strenuous exercises I did last week (Push-ups and Burpees about killed me).

We had ice come through last night and knock the power out for a few hours last night. The kids thought it was great fun to make a giant pallet in the floor and sleep all together in the living room. Today the kids are out of school and I am trying to catch up on so much house work.

I signed up to be an Essential Oil distributor this past weekend and I look forward to trying out a few oils to help our health (like Frankincense is great for arthritis so I can't get it fast enough!). Once we have tried them out and have our own experience with them I will be posting about them some on Mondays. One oil I am really eager to try is Carrot Seed Oil. Alone that oil has an spf or 30 and when mixed with coconut oil (which has an spf of 4) you get a natural sunblock of spf 34. If it truly works like they say it does, I will be so excited since Rascal must be careful about the sunscreen he uses.

OK that's about all I can type right now (due to my swollen hand). This week may be quiet around here but I must catch up around the house

Wellness Monday: Elderberry Syrup

Today's tip is about Elderberry syrup.
Elderberries are amazing little super fruits just take a look:

*if you happen to get the flu elderberries are more effective than tamiflu and kills 10 strains of the flu
* It fights viral and bacterial infections
* contains high levels of vitamins A,B and C
* stimulates the immune system
* a tablespoon a day (kids can take a tsp a day) keeps your immune system strong and works as a preventative for cold and flu (it's what we took when Rascal got the flu and none of the rest of us got the flu)
*can help treat allergies and asthma

Here are a few other sites with information on elderberries:
a blossoming life
examiner.com

When Rascal got the flu I knew we needed elderberry syrup. However the only place close was an hour away (one way). I made the trek anyways and bought 3 ounces (yes only THREE ounces) for $15.00! OUCH!! However it helped the rest of us not get the flu so it was worth every single penny.

Then I read that it could help with seasonal allergies and boy do we have our share of suffering with allergies in this house. I would be stupid not to at least try this stuff to see if it helps us with allergies too. So I ordered a pound of organic dried elderberries off amazon and prepared to make my own syrup. It's MUCH MUCH cheaper to make your own. I am guessing making my own cost me less than $8 and I got 2 pint size mason jars with this recipe. It's a no brainer to me.

This looks like a small bag but I had already opened it and used some for my recipe. This recipe barely made a dent in all those elderberries. One pound will last us several months I am guessing. 

  I used this recipe from Wellness Mama.

2/3 cup of dried elderberries 

3 1/2 cups of water

2 Tablespoons of fresh or dried ginger (I used fresh and if you peel it like a carrot, and then freeze it in an air tight bag, it will last longer and you can easily grate it with a fine grater to get your 2 tablespoons) 

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 cloves or clove powder (I used whole cloves) 

1 cup of RAW honey (I use local RAW honey) 

(here is what the dried elderberries look like) 

Place all ingredients EXCEPT THE HONEY in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the liquid has reduced by half (I simmered mine for a little over 45 minutes). After that removed from heat and allow to cool a little. 

Pour through a strainer into a glass bowl or jar and discard the berries. 

Let the liquid cool to lukewarm and add 1 cup of honey and stir well. 

Pour the syrup into a glass jar and store in the fridge and take daily. 

Kids can take 1/2 to 1 tsp a day and adults can take 1/2 to a 1 TABLESPOON a day for preventative. If struck with the flu, cold or any illness take the normal dose every 2-3 hours instead of once a day until symptoms disappear. 

This much syrup only lasts us a few weeks with all 5 of us taking it. However if you make it for less people this recipe KEEPS for several months or more in the fridge. Put all unused dried berries in the freezer to help them keep for a good long time. 

As always I am not a doctor and do not claim to know it all. However this is an all natural God made product and I feel it is safe for all over 1 year old (take out the honey and use real maple syrup instead and kids under 1 can have it). PLEASE check with your doctor about taking it. I talked with our childrens' doctor and he said it was completely safe for us to take. 

Wellness Monday: Turmeric

Today's wellness tip is all about Turmeric.  

Found in the spice aisle and it is full of SO many benefits:

You can make a special turmeric tea or even turmeric milk but we just use it in our every day cooking. We have put it in our scrambled eggs before cooking them, added it to rice or our favorite couscous, added it to chicken noodle soup, added it to baked chicken and I could go on and on and on. 

It has a pretty mild flavor when used sparingly (I just sprinkle it in while cooking, I rarely measure, and we have hardly noticed much a flavor from it) and be prepared because it does have a distinct yellow color that will turn your food yellow. That is why we use it in things that tend to have a yellow color. Here is a recipe for baked chicken that was AMAZING and it has turmeric in it: 

Spice Rub for 4 pieces of chicken thighs 

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder (can go down to 1/2)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of a skillet and a 9x5 baking dish)

Directions:

In a shallow dish, stir together all spices and 1 teaspoon salt. Coat chicken thighs with spice mix.

Warm the oil in a skillet and pan-fry chicken thighs, making sure each side is nicely browned.

Transfer chicken thighs to a greased (butter or olive oil) 9x5 baking dish. If you have any remaining spice mix, feel free to sprinkle it over the thighs, as this will reduce to a nice gravy. Put in pre-heated oven at 375 for 45 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Serve with basmati rice or couscous.

Of course I made changes to this recipe. We doubled this recipe, put our chicken thighs in a baking dish. Sprinkled all the seasonings on the chicken and then baked it until the chicken was done all the way through. This was SO yummy!! 

Turmeric is not a basic spice I would keep in my cabinet but after learning about all the benefits you can bet I won't be without it an more. 

If you would like a few more recipes for turmeric click here and check out this link. 

Wellness Monday: My Greatest Remedy Yet

I had another post started for today about turmeric but every time I would sit down and type out the countless things I had researched about it.... I went blank. It was ever so clear that I was not supposed to blog about turmeric this week but to blog about my greatest remedy I have ever found. So here goes:

OK I am going to get pretty real in this post. More real than I have ever been on this old blog. However I can't continue sharing with you guys how great these natural remedies are without telling you about the greatest remedy I have ever used. So let's start at the beginning shall we?

My name is Lindsey and I struggle with anxiety. 

It's real. 

In fact just typing that out brings tears to my eyes. 

I never really understood anxiety attacks until I had my first one while I was pregnant with Baby A. Let me tell you if you have never experienced an anxiety attack, it's not pretty. Not at all. My world seems to stop, everything starts to spin, I hold my breath without even realizing it, I get severely nauseous, then my heart starts with palpitations and then tears start to flow and I am left without any control over any of those things. After a day or so of this (yes my attacks have lasted for days) my stomach becomes severely upset, I have headaches that I can't get rid of, my eyes are so tired from trying to control tears that they become swollen, painful and throb. I can't focus on anything and I start having awful things enter my mind that I know are just stupid. At one point I was convinced that something was going to happen to either Tim or one of my kids and I would be left with a tremendous loss to deal with.

See it's ugly and it's hard and for years I tried everything I could to get over it. 

About 6 months ago I overcame anxiety. And I overcame it without taking any medication. Sure I still have my moments but nothing compared to what it was like those years. I was saved from restless nights, painful side effects, and horrible dreams. What was it that saved me??? 

JESUS CHRIST 

That right there is the name that saved me. 

That name right there, is the greatest remedy that is out there. 

He's far better than Apple Cider Vinegar and essential oils.  

Without him I would still be in the horrible mess I was in. Feeling like a fish out of water gasping for air. Feeling so alone even though I was in a crowded room. He took it all from me, embraced me with his unconditional love and showed me that HE has it all taken care of. 

Now I still had heart palpitations, and tension for a good 6 months after I gave it to Him. It wasn't that I was anxious, it was just the effects the anxiety had on my body took a while to slowly disappear. 

I know we all have experienced anxiety in some form or fashion before. Some may not have had it as bad as I did and some may have had it far worse than I ever had it. 

But one thing I know is for sure, Jesus is the remedy for ALL anxiety. 

Here is what I did to help give it over to Jesus. 

Philippians 4: 6-7 

Don't worry about anything; instead PRAY about EVERYTHING. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

I recited this verse every time I had an anxiety attack.  Once I was able to breath right and not throw up, I would then do just as the scripture says and tell God all about EVERYTHING (and boy did he hear a lot from me). I can't tell you how many times I fell asleep while praying to him. Not because I was tired (although I was but anxiety kept me from sleeping) but because it was as if I had laid my head in Jesus' lap and he held me tightly and I experienced that peace that the scripture talks about. I would wake up the next morning feeling SO loved and would think how awesome it was that the creator of the universe stroked my hair as I calmed down and fell asleep. Now I know that sounds crazy but that's the only thing I can possibly compare it to. He cares for me and you know what? The same God cares for you. He created you and wants you to come to him with all your problems and to let him take care of it all while you experience a peace that only HE can give. 

So there you have it... the greatest remedy that ANYONE could possibly find. 

I hope and pray that you find comfort in the Great I Am. He is there just waiting for you to give it all to him so stop trying to take over it yourself. 

If you struggle with anxiety and you have a min (or really 45 minutes), watch this youtube video. I strongly urge you to just take the time to watch it. Really.... it is that good.  I have 4 pages of notes that I got from Dr. Charles Stanley and his sermon Victory over Anxiety. It is a great sermon. 

Anxiety is a faith battle and I hate to spoil it for you.... but you will NEVER win that battle alone. Give it to Jesus. He will save you! 

Pets, Illness and Remedies

First I wanted to update you guys on a little home remedy that worked for us. Tim was starting to feel the usual sinus drainage that he (we) always get this time of year. I searched around and found some home remedies that we just happened to have here in the house and he tried them. First of all we now take 2-3 tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar a day so that helps fight off things. I read that if sinus head stuff starts, to start taking 1-2 tsp of ACV 3 times a day. The ACV actually thins the mucus and helps it drain much easier. Since it thins it, this also relieves any blockages. You can take this in the grape juice like we do or you can make an elixir: 

Sweetened Raw Apple Cider Vinegar Elixir:

• 1 1/2 cup of cold filtered water
• 2 tbs of apple or grape juice
• 2 tbs of raw apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp of stevia (powdered) if using liquid you only need a few drops.

We prefer to just mix a little ACV with a few ounces of grape juice and get it over with (it tastes horrible), I haven't tried the elixir though. 

 

Then we started adding a little turmeric in our food as we cooked. Tim put it in his scrambled eggs. You can buy turmeric in the spice aisle and I will post soon just how great this spice is to have on hand. He also added sauteed onions and garlic to his eggs. Onions are really good for you and garlic is a natural anti inflammatory and anti fungal and it helps to boost your immune system. So when you feel a cold or sinus junk coming on start adding more garlic and turmeric to your meals. It will help. 

Another thing he did was take a tsp of local honey and mixed it with 1/4 tsp of cinnamon. He only took this once (so far) but it can be taken twice a day starting at the first symptom of a cold or sinus junk and taken for three days. 

 

We also drink a lot of herbal tea this time of year and Chamomile (my favorite) and Green tea are excellent for sinus junk. 

Here is a website (<<<click here) You can check out for more natural remedies to knock out sinus drainage. 

He was waking up the end of last week with a sore throat and could really feel the effects of the drainage. After doing all this for a few days, I asked him Monday morning how his sinuses felt and he paused and said.... they aren't bothering me at all now! It was a hallelujah moment for me. Natural remedies WORK! 

I know it may seem like a lot to do but 1) you don't have to spend a day in the dr office being exposed to a number of other illnesses 2) it's mostly stuff you can find in your pantry or a quick trip to Kroger. 3) If you are already used to taking the ACV and drinking the herbal teas daily (like we are) these things are just part of your daily routine and they help.  

OK enough about that, I promise I am not trying to shove all this natural remedy stuff down your throat. If you want to skip over it, that's fine :) I just think seeing how well it works for us, it should be shared with others. When hesitant... check with your dr. 

One of the kids dropped Lucy a month ago and she hurt her leg. It only bothered her every now and then so we knew it wasn't broken. We let her lay on the heating pad for a few days and she was back to new again. She LOVED laying on the heating pad and was spoiled by it. Now Baby A sneaks over and turns it on for her even though she doesn't need it. LOL 

Earlier this week temps here dropped down into the single digits. Even though Heidi has a THICK coat and a doghouse full of hay, I couldn't stand to leave her out in the frigid temps. She was our house guest for a few days while it was so cold. And she LOVED it. 

Henry had a spell where he was using the bathroom all over our garage. This made us very mad... cat urine smells horrible. He had never done such a thing before and we couldn't figure out why all of a sudden he started doing this. We tried a few things and finally realized that he was sick. Of course we figured this out late at night and when no vets were open. So I googled to see if there was anything we could do to help him. We had a pretty strong feeling he had a Urinary Tract Infection. Well I found a few sites that suggested giving them a small dose of vitamin C in their food. It got great comments on it working so I figured, we'd try it and if needed we would take him in as soon as a vet office opened. Well guess what it worked!! I was shocked. Within 12 hours we could see a big difference in his demeanor and within a few days he wasn't peeing everywhere anymore. I also gave him kefir.. Laugh all you want but I think it helped too. I have to explain my reasoning for giving it to him. The grocery store was out of the strawberry kefir I always buy so I thought I would try the plain kind. Well my kids HATED it. I hated to waste it so I gave it to Henry. He LOVED it and may have become a tiny bit spoiled. :) 

I admit I know nothing about animals health and would have taken him to the vet if they'd been open. However, he was pitiful and the thought of leaving him like that all night and possibly the next day too was unbearable to me. Yes, he is just our mouser cat but there is no need to let him suffer. I was SO happy to see him up and acting like almost back to 100% the next day. 

Wellness Monday: Bone Broth

Ok please don't be turned off by the name of this. Really it is just high nutritious chicken stock.

I started making my own broth about 2 years ago and I was amazed at the difference in flavor. Little did I know that it had SO many health benefits too.

* It is rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium and phosphorus 

* Helps build the immune system

* anti-inflammatory  

* Is CRAZY good for your gut and improves digestion 

* promotes thyroid health 

* helps regulate hormones

* reduces joint pain

* fights infections so therefore it is AWESOME to eat and/ or drink when you are sick

* helps balance blood sugar 

 and SO much more. As I always say google it for yourself and you will be amazed. 

This stuff is really great to have on hand and I promise it is the easiest thing to make. My recipe below looks long and hard but I just tried to be very thorough with the steps. We always have some in the freezer and sometimes we will just heat some up in a pan and drink it for lunch or dinner with a sandwich or if I'm not terribly hungry this fills me up by itself. 

Here is the recipe:

Chicken Bone Broth 

1 carcass from chicken (or you can make beef both with beef bones etc...) 

1 onion quartered

2 or 3 carrots 

2 cloves of garlic 

all of the smaller center leafy stalks of celery or about 2 stalks of celery 

a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar 

Crockpot 

COLD Water 

**You can double this recipe. 

Ok this is what I do from start to finish. I apologize for no pictures. the next time I make it I will take pictures and update this post with them. 

**I buy the small chickens (about 4 or 5 pounds) and take out all the organs and insides, season the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic (do NOT add water) and then cook it in my crock pot on low for about 8 hours or on high for 5 hours or until done. Mine usually fall apart when I try to get them out of the crockpot. 

**Once it is all cooked. I pull the chicken off the bones and shred it (I freeze the shredded chicken in 3 meal size portions for chicken noodle soup, chicken and dumpling, chicken and rice or chicken tacos). Do NOT discard the bones and skin. 

**After you have all the meat off the bones, toss all the carcass back in the crockpot along with the onion, garlic, carrot and celery. No need to peel or dice them. Just toss them in the there. 

**Add COLD water until it just covers all the bones (about 4 quarts for one carcass) and add a splash of apple cider vinegar (maybe 2 TBSP) to the water and let that sit covered for 1 hour. The vinegar helps draw all the minerals out of the bones. 

**After the one hour is up set the crockpot on low and let it cook covered for 24 hours (yes TWENTY FOUR). 

*Once the 24 hours is up scoop the veggies out of the broth and throw them away. Then pull out all the bones. I strain mine through a fine colander and pour the broth in a bowl. 

**Now you can throw the bones away at this time OR you can make another batch. I like to get as much money as possible out of that one chicken so I start over and make another batch using the same carcass.

** Once you have strained the broth, I refrigerate mine for another 24 hours to let the fat solidify on top. Then I take a spoon and scoop the fat off and throw it away. The second batch I make is always weaker and has very little fat in it. 

**After I am finished with the second batch I mix the two batches and then freeze them in freezer bags. This typically gives me about 12 cups of bone broth. 

A few notes:

 If you happen to have chickens straight from the farm, you can throw the chicken feet in with it. I know this sounds gross but the feet have lots of cartilage and give lots of gelatin to the broth. It makes it even better for you. 

Also none of this has to be exact. If you don't have all the veggies then just use what you have. I never measure my water or apple cider vinegar. I just eye ball it. 

If you want to make really really rich broth you can freeze one chicken carcass until you have cooked another chicken and then use two carcasses to make this recipe. Again, I try to get all the money I can out of my chickens so I typically just use one at a time. Either way is fine. 

You can also make this on the stove top. I have never done it this way but I know it is possible. I just find the crock pot so easy! 

Ok so go make you some bone broth... oh and just to show you how I get all my money's worth out of a chicken.... here is a break down: 

I buy a 4 or 5 pound chicken for around $6 

I get 3 meals worth of shredded chicken out of that one chicken plus I get around 12 cups of bone broth. Love it!! 

Wellness Monday: Apple Cider Vinegar

When I was starting to look into natural ways to boost our immune systems and better our health the very first step I took was having us all take Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) daily. It is crazy how much this can do for you. Take a look:

(source)

(source) 

** It must be ACV with "the mother" in it and not the stuff you find by the vinegar's and pickles. I like this Bragg brand and I find a quart size bottle in the organic section of kroger and spend about $5 on the bottle. So far one quart has lasted over a month but I am sure as we up our intake it will not last quite that long.**

We have already seen that is takes away hiccups (1 tsp), it has helped me get rid of water retention, help Tim ward off another sinus infection, keep away the stomach bug (the girl right next to Rascal threw up in class and he had to pack up her things. I was certain he would be hit with it next but he never got it) and I truly believe that it helps Rascal kick the flu's butt and bounce back so incredibly fast. I am a believer for sure. I asked the kids pediatrician about us taking it and he told me that it will certainly not hurt us and will only help. He also said the kids can have up to 1 TBSP a day and we can have up to 2 TBSP a day. He also said that I shouldn't be concerned with the acidity in it because our stomachs have WAY much more acids in them and it won't hurt us. 

Right now this is how we have taken it... After dinner we all get 1 tsp of ACV mixed with about 2 ounces of 100% grape juice. Warning... if you try this, it smells like feet and tastes horrible. We find it is easier to take it with just a tiny bit of grape juice and hurry up and get it over with rather than trying to drink 4 ounces of it all. It's not good, I will be very honest. However the benefits have already far outweighed the taste and we have only been taking it for a month. Recently I started giving us all 2 tsp and I take mine after lunch and dinner. I have read that it will help with insulin and blood sugar and since I have issues with those I am taking a little after those meals. I may change this up some as I see what works best for me (I can't always remember to take it after lunch). Also you can take this many different ways. We just chose grape juice because something about the combination of the two gets rid of the stomach virus in your stomach. We have seen that work for us. 

If you want to read more about the benefits of ACV check out this link.She has tons of great information. Or you can just research it yourself. I found it so interesting that something so simple can really help our immune systems and over all health. 

** If you have any hesitations or questions.. please consult your doctor. I am in no way educated on it all and I am just sharing what works for us and has been okayed by our doctors.** 

Monday Wellness: Kefir

For today's Monday wellness post, I want to tell you about Kefir. This drink is SO healthy and my kids LOVE it. Now I will say that this product technically breaks the no processed food rule. However I feel the benefits of it far outweigh the processed, more than 5 ingredients and it has sugar in it. 

Kefir Benefits: 

* Improves your immune system

* Has antibiotic and anti-fungal properties

* helps stop unhealthy food cravings for sweet and sugary foods

*aids in digestion

*regulates metabolism

*Improves clarity of mind

*helps regulate blood glucose 

*anti inflammatory 

*fights off viruses, bacterial infections and diseases

* rich in vitamins minerals and protein

And SO much more!! Here is a link to a very good site with lots of kefir information  

You will want to check out that site!! (and even google around and do some reading on it yourself) 

Kefir is 99% lactose free and tastes like yogurt. My kids drink 4 oz every night after dinner for their dessert. They are always begging for more and licking the glass clean. I find kefir at Kroger in the organic refrigerated section (by the almond milks, organic milks and butters etc...) and it costs me a little more than $3 for a quart. It goes quick in our house so that is why we only give them 4 oz. A full serving is 8 oz and that has 20g of sugar, yet another reason to only give them 4 oz. We have diluted it with milk but I  have read that by diluting it, leaves less sugar and the kefir grains need the sugar. It seems like a big chemistry lesson to me so I don't question it, I just limit it. :)  

By giving it to them at night it allows the kefir to actually eat the bad things in their stomachs that could potentially cause viruses and so on. Also the sugar that is in it... if it does suppress their immune system at all (although I have read in countless places that it doesn't), then at least they are in my house for the next 12 hours or so and not at a school or germ filled public place. 

I promise I am not a germaphobic mom.... or maybe I am,  I am very cautious of where my kids are going and what they may be exposed too. I am sick of having sick kids so if that makes me a germaphobic or crazy mom then so be it. :-) 

Monday Wellness: Eating Right

Lately I have been doing all kinds of research on wellness related things. This includes: essential oils, kefir, apple cider vinegar, natural remedies, healthy eating and natural safe household cleaners.
Why have I started this?? Well 2013 left us all in the doctor's office more than we liked (we never like to go but you get the point). I was sick of taking the kids to the doctor and having them tell me "it's just a virus and it has to run it's course." Bam... I just wasted my day and money! My best friend has been telling me about some of her natural remedies for a while now and I began to really start thinking about trying some of them out. So that lead to my research which then lead to EXTREME feeling of being overwhelmed. There is SO much stuff out there for natural remedies and I had no idea where to start. After emailing my friend and another friend about what works for them. I start taking baby steps and slowly adding things to our life.

The first baby step we took was cutting out all processed foods again. Eating low carb left me with very little to no accomplishments and I felt tremendously better when we ate REAL food. So that was our step one.

I am back to making things from scratch and using NO white products. That means no white sugar, pasta, flour etc.. We use 100% whole wheat in everything. We LOVE this site for recipes and information on eating real food .
We also have cut out most sugar. The sugar that we do consume is all natural (like Honey, REAL maple syrup and real Homemade berry syrup). Did you know that for every Tablespoon of sugar you consume it suppresses your immune system for up to 6 (SIX) hours! So just think about that when your kids eat a bowl of sugary cereal and then head off to school where they come in contact with tons of germs. Here is a really interesting article about sugar and the immune system 
Basically we eat anything that we could grow ourselves, buy from a farmer or at a farmer's market and if it comes from a box then it must be organic and have 5 ingredients or less. We have found that even though we are buying a few of the more expensive organic products at the store, that we are still spending a lot less on our weekly grocery budget. You guys processed foods are EXPENSIVE!

I will admit I don't ban all sugar and processed foods from my kids diet. I might be the world's meanest mom if I did that. I do however make sure their bodies are in tip top shape to fight off illnesses by giving them real food at home (or even away from home when possible), limiting the amount of sugary treats they get anywhere and we also take apple cider vinegar daily and kefir every night. I will post about those two in the weeks to come. The benefits will AMAZE you!

So each Monday I will be posting about our journey to a healthier life. Look for posts about baby steps we have taken, essential oils, recipe or meal ideas etc... If you are like me you will find these VERY interesting and if you don't, well just skip over my blog on Mondays.

I want to add that I am in no way saying I know it all or even that we will not be going to the doctor. With Rascal's severe nut allergy, seasonal allergies, Scooter's asthma and even for things that are very evidently dr needed we will be going to our trusted drs. I am hoping, that by taking these healthier safe steps that we will be all together healthier and not running to to the store to buy some chemically laden medicine unless it is necessary. I am still learning and am VERY cautious before taking another step. I do feel very strongly about making sure my kids are living a healthy life because God gave them to me to care for and I want to make sure I am not slacking at that in any way.

So here is to a healthier 2014 that we spend glorifying God more and paying doctors less!