Clean Eating: Week 6

This week at the nutritionist we talked fiber.  Fiber is nature's plumber.  It helps the body in several ways:

• makes you feel full
• removes excess cholesterol from the digestive tract
• helps you poop
• regulates blood sugars.

There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble.  Most processed foods have insoluble fiber.  If a product has soluble fiber, you will see the fiber content divided into two separate sections.  Your goal is to get between 25-35 grams of fiber daily with at least 10% of that fiber falling in the soluble category.

Ways to Increase Fiber Intake:

• Eat 100% whole wheat bread with at least 2 grams of fiber per slice.
• Eat fresh fruit with skin when possible.
• Eat beans 3 or more times a week.  They have more fiber than oatmeal.
• Eat your veggies.  The more you eat the better.

Note... When increasing fiber intake, drink alot of water to help flush the "stuff" out of your body.

Good Sources of Soluble Fiber:

• northern beans
• lima beans
• kidney beans
• brussel sprouts
• artichokes
• pears
• black beans
• pinto beans

Northern beans will give you the most soluble fiber at 5 grams a serving.  Whereas, pinto beans will give you the least amount of soluble fiber at 2 grams.  There are many other sources of soluble fiber.  I merely listed some of the best sources for you to select from.

Whenever possible, you should always choose whole food sources of fiber.

This Not That:

bread...

• Ezekiel bread and 100% whole wheat bread over white bread
• whole wheat bread products over the white bread counterparts

examples: 

• Nature's Own 100% whole wheat bread
• Orowheat 100% whole wheat bread, sandwich thins, muffins and buns
• La Tortilla Factory 100% whole wheat low carb tortillas
• Flat Out bread

cereal...

• Kashi Go Lean, Cheerios, Kashi Cinnamon Harvest, Wheat Chex, Grapenuts over Raisin Bran, Granola or Muesli

crackers...

• Kashi stone ground crackers, all bran crackers, beanitos over saltines or butter crackers

protein bars...

• Kashi bars (3+ grams of fiber and 6 grams < sugar), South Beach bars (3+ grams of fiber and 6 grams < sugar), Think Thin bar, Kellogg's Fiber Plus Antioxidant bar over Fiber One bars, Fiber One brownies or granola bars

grains...

• whole wheat pasta over white pasta
• brown rice over white rice

fruits and veggies with 3> grams of fiber...

• sweet potato
• many beans
• lentils
• peas
• broccoli
• spinach
• carrots
• green beans
• summer squash
• kale
• brussel sprouts
• red cabbage
• turnips
• mustard greens
• banana
• pear
• orange
• apple
• kiwi
• berries

nuts 3> grams of fiber...

• almonds
• pistachios
• flaxseed
• pumpkin

All information was obtained from my nutritionist, the amazing Dr. Laura Mangum.

Goals For This Week:

• continue to decrease my soda intake
• continue to decrease my sweet tea intake and switch to unsweetened tea
• get 3 food groups in at lunch and dinner: record the food groups in my journal
• try not to double up on carbs at any one meal
• continue to walk 5000 steps a day: increase as often as possible
• try to eat at least one raw veggie snack a day: may use guacamole or homemade bean dip to ease into this routine
• eat almonds and fruit at other snack time or a Think Thin bar
• increase fiber intake and include 100% whole wheat and "whole" food sources as much as possible

Weight Loss This Last Two Weeks: 2 1/2 pounds

Clean Eating: Week 5

Over the last two week I have worked on making whole food plate meals.  I am really good at dinner.  It's easy: meat and a veggie.  Simple right? 

Lunch is a whole other ball game.  We are out and about on most days.  This means we are stopping for fast food or sitting down to lunch somewhere.  The nutritionist told me I should just not eat out.  She made it sound like it would be a simple task.  One you could conquer without much thought.

My problem is she has tried to revamp our entire eating in a month.  I am eating smoothies for breakfast on most days.  I am suppose to eat a whole food plate for lunch and dinner.  For snack, I am suppose to eat an apple and 1/2 ounce of almonds.  Plus, I am suppose to go cold turkey on both soda and sweet tea at the same time.  Well, she will allow me 3 sodas a week.

To me, that is alot of change in a short amount of time.  That much change makes me overwhelmed.  I need to conquer little bits to feel successful.  When I get overwhelmed, I tend to make poor choices and loose my motivation.

I meet with the nutritionist on Tuesday.  At my meeting, I am going to discuss the difficulties I am facing.  I am in desperate need of lunch ideas that are quick and tasty, but also realistic.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Clean Eating: Week 4

Just got back form the nutritionist.  Have a few goals set that should be manageable:

• must keep a DAILY food log
• 2 small sodas a week and 1 medium soda a week
• no more sweet teas:-/  only unsweet tea sweetened with stevia
• need to create meals based on the whole food plate model
• walk at least 5000 steps daily (ultimate goal is 10,000).

So, what is the whole food plate model?

Well, it's based on 3 important components: quality, quantity, and balance.  By balance, it just means that you are eating from 3 different food groups per meal.  Here are the food group categories: protein sources, healthy fats, carbs, and veggies.

Note: You may only eat 1 carb serving per meal.

High Quality Examples From Each Food Group...

Protein Sources

• lean beef
• bison
• chicken
• turkey
• fish
• low fat cheese
• low fat cottage cheese
• cage free eggs

Healthy Fats

• olive oil
• flax seed oil
• coconut oil
• grapeseed oil
• nuts
• nut butter
• olive oil based dressings
• hummus
• avocado
• olives

Carbs

• fresh or frozen fruit
• 1% or 2% milk
• greek yogurt
• whole wheat products
• brown rice
• quinoa
• barley
• oatmeal
• beans
• lentils
• sweet potatoes
• winter squash
• peas

Note: Minimize the use of potatoes, enriched flour and corn.

Veggies

• asparagus
• artichokes
• beets
• broccoli
• green beans
• brussel sprouts
• celery
• gardencress
• cabbage
• eggplant
• cucumber
• green onion
• carrots
• okra
• cauliflower
• mushrooms
• leeks
• kohlrabi
• kale
• collard greens
• mustard greens
• lettuce (variety)
• onions
• tomatoes
• pea pods
• peppers
• radishes
• sauerkraut
• turnips
• spinach
• summer squash
• zucchini
• watercress

Note: Try to eat half your daily vegetables raw.

Eating the food will not be near as hard as coming up with yummy ways to cook the food.  Hopefully, I come across some good recipes that I can share with you in the near future.

Happy clean eating everyone.

Cleaning Eating: Week 3

This week I have been sick.  Nothing major, but enough to kick my butt to the curb:  allergies, laryngitis, coughing, and a face that feels like an elephant has decided to take a nap on it.

When I am sick, the last thing I feel like doing is cooking, housework, laundry... well anything really.  Let's just call this week a wash.  Very little clean eating was occurring in my house and alot of soda drinking.  Soda just has a way of washing down the gunk in my throat.  It is like a miracle elixir.

As soon as I am back to my normal chipper self, I will begin my clean eating journey anew.  I am hoping Monday to be more precise.

For all of you that have been living the clean life, congrats on a job well done.

Homemade Peppermint Toothpaste

On my road to simplicity, I am always looking for one more way to buy less and make more on my own. I recently started using the No Poo Method to cleanse and clarify my hair. That got me thinking that making my own toothpaste was within reason as well.

I went in search of the perfect toothpaste recipe. The recipe needed to be two-fold: leave our teeth clean and healthy and prevent dental abnormalities. If the toothpaste would curb bath breathe, all the better.

I modified several recipes to settle on the following.

Homemade Peppermint Toothpaste

Ingredients...

3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
4 tablespoons baking soda
20-30 drops peppermint oil
2 drops grape seed extract
2 tablespoons xylitol

Directions...

Mix all ingredients.
Store in a mason jar.

*The use of a beauty spatula will help your little one apply a smaller amount of paste to his/her toothbrushes. It will also keep your toothpaste from becoming contaminated with germs.

Note:

Grape seed extract is know for its antioxidant properties. It also helps prevent tooth decay and bad breathe.

Xylitol prevents bacteria from sticking to your teeth. This helps prevent tooth decay. Chewing xylitol gum or sucking xylitol candies after meals helps stops or reduces the acid that would otherwise attack your teeth. Xylitol has been found to aid in hardening softened enamel.

Please feel free to share your recipe for toothpaste below in the comments.

Update:
Dentist suggested the use of a flouride rinse or a flouride gel you brush on your teeth.  Other than that I got the thumbs up on my toothpaste.

To Clean Your Plate or Not... Portion Control

You will clean that plate before getting up from this table!

Sound familiar?  Most of us have either said these very words or heard them at some point in our lives.  The thought was that there are people out in the world less privileged.  These people will go to bed and possibly wake up with an empty stomach.  We should not be wasteful of the gifts we have been given; therefore, cleaning your plate was the only option.

I think this mentality has helped Americans on our road to obesity.  We have been cleaning our plates so often that many of us no longer know what it feels like to be full (or for that matter, hungry).  If people would take the time to place the correct amounts of food on our plates, the wastefulness would diminish greatly.

I guess what I mean is that if we load our plates with the right amounts of lean proteins and complex carbs in the way of fruits and vegetables cleaning our plates will become very doable.

For one, most clean eating foods are less dense and more satisfying than the processed, dense counterparts.  Clean foods are packed full of vitamins and nutrients vital to our bodies' health and wellbeing.  When we detox our bodies of all the garbage we have been ingesting, our bodies will naturally crave those things.

Portion control is at the very foundation of making that clean plate a reality without forcing someone to simply eat for the sake of eating.

 Here are some guidelines to follow:

• 1 meat serving is about the size of your palm
• 1 grain serving is about the size of 1 hand lightly cupped
• 1 fruit or veggie serving is about the size of both your hands cupped together.

If we follow the portion control guidelines and prepare clean, healthy food options, cleaning your plate will be a breeze.  Plus, you will be giving your body the portions needed to thrive without the worry of overeating in the process.

Clean Eating: Week 2

I am beginning week 2 of my journey to clean eating.  I have an had a few set backs, but mostly successes.

Successes...

I prepared at least one clean meal a day... usually lunch. 
I did not buy sodas at the grocery store and keep them at home. 
I bought several new pantry items: wheat flour, oat flour, agave nectar, xylitol, and sea salt.

We tried the wheat flour and xylitol in a batch of oatmeal scotties.  I already had the butterscotch chips in the pantry and needed to use them.  The cookies were great, by the way.

I now have a new favorite snack: plain rice cake with 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter and 3 dots if agave nectar.  De-li-cious.

Struggles...

soda and fast food 

Ughhhh...  When I am out and about it is so hard to judge how long you will be gone.  It is also way to easy too pull  through the drive through and pickup something.  I must admit we went out to eat alot less than normal.  Going cold turkey and figuring out an alternative plan proved to be harder than expected.  Soda is just my weakness.  I am going to have a hard time with that one.

What I Have Learned...

A person needs 10 exposures to a disfavorable food before liking it.

Add tons of flavor to your food through the use of herbs, spices, vinegars, and oils.

Buy fat free or low fat versions of food.

Pack a lunch for days away from home or errands.

When you read a label, 20% of a daily allowance is high.  5% is low.

Do not skip meals.

Whole grains should be stored in a clear, airtight, glass container in the refrigerator.

Frozen grapes and bananas make a great warm weather snack.  This one is on my must try list.

This Week's Small Steps...

• Drink more water.  At least, one glass at every meal.
• Try at least 3 new clean eating recipes.
• Include a fruit at every meal.
• Include a veggie at every dinner.

Not much, but I think it is doable.  I am going to a nutritionist with my husband tomorrow.  We'll see what she thinks of my current goals and if there are any changes I need to make.

Clean Eating: Week One

I am in need of a major food overhaul. My husband has tried the zone diet with limited success. Paelo sounds too restrictive. With this need to overhaul my family's nutritional intact at the forefront of my mind, I began looking toward the source of food and where it comes from.

I stumbled upon a book by Tosca Reno called the Eat Clean Diet for Family and Kids. I am only on page 59 and well and truly hooked. The book is written with simple, "real" language that the everday Joe (or in my case Jane) can read without sitting hand and hand with a dictionary. This is already a selling point for me.

Here is what I've done thus far:
- taken notes as I am reading
- went to the store and purchased a few more fruits and vegetables
- bought a 7 grain bread that taste fantastic
- removed soda from the house... sigh
- made a list of food suggestions from the book (more to come as I read further into the book, I'm sure)
- scheduled time to go to the local farmers market
- located a delivery service for local products such as milk, produce, and meat
- explained the new eat clean philosophy to my boys
- found a friend interested in implementing eating clean to share struggles and ideas with.

Wow, I hadn't realized how much I have done already in just a day. I think this is a fairly good start.

Below I will share what I have learned so far in hopes to inspire others to join in and eat clean too.

Guidelines...
- Eat 6 small meals a day.
- Eat every 3 hours.
- Drink 2-3 liters of water daily.
- Lean protein and complex carbs should be eaten at every meal.

Note: Complex carbs are mainly fruits and veggies.
Lean protein consist of poultry, wild game, fish, and beans.
Juice should be diluted 1 part juice to 2 parts water.

Favorable Food Options...
- whole grain versus white flour
- Salba crackers
- Ezekiel bread
- rice bran
- chicken (poultry)
- fish
- wild game
- locally sourced meat (fresh... grass fed)
- beans
- unsalted nuts and seeds
- avocado (healthy fat)
- flax seed
- quino
- popcorn (air popped... no butter, oil or salt)
- plain yogurt - dried fruit (no added sugars)
- hard boiled eggs
- egg whites
- sea salt (not table salt)
- agave nectar (instead of sugar)
- 75% or higher dark chocolate
- Lara bars
- rice vinegar
- white balsamic vinegar

Small Changes to Begin Incorporating Today...

I will limit the amount of processed food I bring into my home.
I will no longer bring soda into my home.
I will prepare at least 1-2 clean meals a day.
I will not use cooking spray. I will put olive oil in a spritzer bottle to use in the place of "Pam".
I will not purchase white bread products.
I will slowly rid my home of processed foods. As we eat it, I will not buy more.
I will go to the farmers market.
I will make better meat selections at the store.
I will purchase sea salt to replace our table salt.
I will purchase agave nectar to replace sugar.

Well, there you have it! Some really simple things to begin the change from processed foods to clean eating. Any recipes or ideas are always welcome.

Hair Growth Oil Recipe

Since my youngest was born 6 years ago, I have been slowly loosing hair on my crown.  It is now moving further down the back of my head.  As a woman, it is very hard to except this as a given.

I have been scouring the internet to find some natural remedies.  I have found a few things that seem interesting enough to try.  The following is a conditioning oil combination that aides in hair growth through the stimulation of the scalp.

How to Make...

Mix 6 drops each of sage, lavender, and rosemary into 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.

How to Use...

Message into scalp.
Leave in or rinse after 20 minutes.
Final rinse should always be in cold water to trap in moisture.

source

Healing the Hurt

Everyone gets a boo-boo every now and then.  I know I sure do.

To solve all the little aches and pains, I use these super, cute boo-boo babies from Old Navy that I got for about $5.  The children in my class love them and I have alot less tears due to such a simple solution.

With the thought of boo-boo baby in mind, I searched for alternative solutions that were not plastic.  Below you will find several options I found: 

Boo-Boo Bunny Directions

Boo-Boo Owl Directions

Boo-Hoo Cold Pack Directions

Boo-Boo Goo... Directions for making a healing ointment.  Will create a separate post for this as well.

Boo-Boo Hot/Cold Therapy Bag... Purchase a pre-made boo-boo bag from etsy.

A little poem to attach to the boo-boo baby if you are gifting it.

If a boo boo has you feeling crummy,
Stick an ice cube in my tummy.
Hold it to your boo boo tight,
Soon everything will be all right!

Hope this helps you find the perfect boo-boo baby for your family.  I am not sure I found the perfect one for my boys, but the owls are too darn cute to pass up.

Books that Speak to the Soul

Two of my all time favorite books, Peaceful Piggy Meditation and 
Moody Cow Meditates, helps children to decompress and ground themselves.

I bought both of these books when my oldest son was in second grade and needed to learn how to calm down and focus.  He was behaving oddly at school and overall seemed to be overwhelmed.

Peaceful Piggy Meditation is focused on creating a special place in the home for meditation.  A few suggestions to create a spot of relaxation in your home include:

• a small cushion to sit on
• a smooth stone to rub
• soft music to drift away to
• etc.

Anything that brings peace and tranquility are welcome.

The book also includes a description of how children can meditate, as well as, directions on how to create a Mind-in-a-Jar Experiment.

I could go into detail on the experiment, but I wouldn't be able to do it justice.  It is such a simple thing that truly demonstrates a peaceful, yet active mind.




Moody Cow Meditates was a must have in our family.  All my boys (husband  included) tend to get angry a bit easier than most.  Nothing terrible, but it often leaves them in a  funk.

Moody Cow Meditates goes through the day of Moody Cow as he experiences several unsettling things.  After all, who wouldn't be upset by bad dreams and wrecking your bike?  I know, I sure would.

Anyways... when Moody Cow returns home, he is visited by his wise grandfather.  His grandfather creates a Moody Cow Mind Jar to help the little cow to calm and refocus his day. 

The directions for creating the jar are in the back of the book.  Basically, you drop colored sparkles into the water... one pinch for each angry thought you had during the day.  You watch the water quietly until all the sparkles have settled calmly to the bottom.  By the time, the last sparkle falls the angry feelings will have vanished or at least subsided a bit.

The concept is again very simple, but works its magic on the mind of children both young and old.

The next time your child is experiencing soul fever or just having a difficult day consider one of these awesome children's books as a source of guidance.  Your child might just smile again before bedtime.

What are some of your favorite go to books for children? 

What books help your child work through a personal dilemma big or small?

HCG Diet: Week 2

I have completed two weeks of the HCG Diet.

STATS...
5 pounds lost during week one
4.5 pounds lost during week two
5 total pounds of body fat lost
8 inches total lost from various areas of my body

All I can say is WHOOOO-HOOOOO.

But, I have a small confession to make.  I cheated.  I did.  It was so sad.  I just had to have a mini butterfinger on Valentines Day.  Evil I tell you.  I gained .5 pound from one mini butterfinger.  Not worth it at all.

AND... Yep.  Not just once did I cheat my friends.  I got a message.  I fell the other day and my back is killing me.  I did not even think about all the oil they slather over your entire body.  Gained another .5 pound.

I went to my weekly meeting with my Naturopath and she was very disappointed.  Before I left, she made me promise not to cheat again.  Guess what?  I got in the car and called Chilis.  I ate a grilled chicken sandwich and a few fries.  Plus, I ordered chicken and green chili soup for Saturday.

I must admit that I did look over the menu and order something that was lower in calories.  The kids grilled chicken sandwich and fries is right under 400 calories.  Not bad really.

You might be asking yourself... Why?  Why would you knowingly sabotage something that is working so well?  Cravings. 

I am completely full on the HCG Diet.  Rarely hungry to be honest, but often dissatisfied.  Since I only like a limited number of the foods on the diet, I am eating almost the same thing daily.  After awhile, you get bored.

I can say will all finality that I can go forth now and not have this terrible craving.  I can go forth and conquer at least another 2 weeks.

I think sometimes you have to make a choice.  I have lost about 3 days of weight loss, but I have lost a decent amount of weight in the time I have invested.  Sometimes sacrificing the loss is worth the mental ability to keep up the plan.

So... This next week I will be completely on track.  I will lose more weight and get one week closer to my final goal.

Ionic Water and Glass Water Bottles

image source

While on the HCG Diet I am drinking ionic water and loving it!  Iconic water has many added benefits including releasing excess body fat and stored toxins, normalizing blood pressure, supporting health colon function, resolving urinary tract infections, reducing chronic pain, providing tons of antioxidants.

I actually went into the local Naturopath yesterday and sampled 3 different waters: tap and two different ionic waters.  They store owner put a device in the waters.  The tap water was +400 for bad stuff (oxidants of some sort... to be honest I do not understand it all completely).  Ionic water #1 was -200 meaning it had that amount of antioxidants in the water.  The second ionic water was -400.

I cannot praise ionic water enough.  I am NOT a water drinker... just do not like it.  It's hard to describe, but ionic water goes down more smoothly and your body begins to crave it.  With the amazing benefits it contains, there is no wonder!

You can physically see the difference in water clarity.  I know you can taste the difference.  My youngest tasted my water and asked why it was so yummy.  I told him it was a different water for my diet.  When he wanted a refill, I asked him to go to the fridge like normal and get filtered water.  He requested the new,  "better" water.

Now, that's an accomplishment.

Since the water is ionized you have to be careful of the containers in which you drink it from.  Stainless still is okay, but glass is a better option because some metal containers have a coating on the inside to keep the liquid from tasting metallic.  It is unknown at this time if the lining leaks BPA's or not... I did not know this.  Yikes.

Glass Water Bottles:

• Love Bottle... An old school bottle that can be personalized.  Super cute, though not the easiest to clean... tiny opening.  $18 for 1000ml
• Life Factory Glass Beverage Bottles... Wide mouth, silicone cover.  Not as cute, but very practical.  $22
• Glass Water Bottle... If you are looking for a traditional plastic bottle look and feel, here you go.   Holds 20 ounces.  $13.99
• Urban Glass Water Bottle...  The words "allow peace" are printed on the bottle.  100% recyclable, no toxic leaching, and leak proof lid.  Holds about 14 ounces.  $22
• Takeya Modern Glass Water Bottle with Silicone Sleeve... Very modern looking design.  Comes with a silicone sleeve in a variety of color options.  25 ounce capacity.  $25
• Kor Water - KOR ONE Hydration Vessel... Comes in a variety of colors.  Hinged lid and fits most cup holders.  Holds 25 ounces.  $30

  Happiness and health to you all.

HCG Diet: Week 1

I started the HCG Diet on Saturday.  I have lost between 1/2 - 1 pound each day without hunger pains... promise.

HCG is the pregnancy hormone that allows you to get morning sickness and not starve the baby.  The body will start during "locked/stored" fat from all over the body in order to feed both mom and fetus.  I had no idea that our body had stored fat that cannot be burned unless your body is starved or overly exercised (and I do mean overly exercised.).

With the HCG diet, your body is able to go into a simi-starvation mode with no ill side effects.  In other words, that last 10 pounds you can never get rid of comes off. 

The HCG Diet is a very restrictive diet of about 500 calories.  I know... I thought I would starve.  Here is a run down of what I get to eat:

• BREAKFAST: apple, orange, or strawberries 20 minutes after taking my morning "meds". 
• LUNCH: 20 minutes before lunch... HCG and B12 again.  Then, I eat 3 1/2 ounces of meat and 1 vegetable.  The veggies are my biggest problem as 1/3 of the list I have never heard of and another 1/3 I just can't stomach.  I am sticking mostly to lettuce, cabbage, spinach, and tomatoes & celery on occasion. 
• DINNER: 20 minutes before dinner... HCG.  I eat the from the same food choices as lunch.  Only I cannot repeat a food in the same day.

The diet requires no calorie counting, points calculating, or food obsessing.  Food obsessing is what I do when I calorie count and point calculate.  I'd figure out how I could still eat the "good stuff" even while trying to loose weight.  It did work, but not long term.

So, I say 3 cheers for the HCG Diet.!!  When I go through maintenance, it will reset my metabolism and tell my body this is my new and improved weight.  About 80- 85% of people do not gain the weight back.

I'll keep you posted on my progress and weight stats as soon as my official weigh in.

Simple Cough Cure

1 TBS Lemon Juice
1TBS Honey

Mix well.  Heat for 45 seconds.  Mix well again.  Consume.

Really does the trick.

A Simple Approach to Healing

As this cold days drag on and the weather changes from wet to sunny in the blink of an eye, sickness is inevitable.  Last week, I had the flu and other various illnesses I caught from the children in my kindergarten class.  I thought that my family had skated by with their health intact, but alas my 8 year-old is down for the count.

What can you do to help your little ones when they just plain feel lousy? 

Well, to be honest it isn't always the same.  My boys get extremely irritable and moody amongst the sickness... as do most, I am sure.  You try something one time and it works fabulously and the next they can't handle it.

I try to stick to basics as a rule of thumb. 

We begin with a hot bath.  Lavender or chamomile essential oil is added to the bath as well as a bit of oil to soften the skin.  The bath is not long... only enough to warm the child and induce a bit of relaxation among the mayhem of not being well.  We apply lotion to the skin before returning to our jammies.  The rhythmic repetition of applying the lotion is very soothing and enjoyable for a sick little one.

After the bath and jammies, we gather the perfect healing blanket.  Any warm, snuggly throw will do.  The healing is in the comfort and feel of the blanket, not really the blanket itself.  I have been known to mist the blanket with a lavender water mixture to help soothe the soul a bit.  This works like quiet magic enveloping my boys into sleep.

After a nap or two or three, I try to get my boys to drink tea.  The kind of tea depends upon what ails them... lemon and honey for a sore throat, peppermint for sinuses, chamomile for the ickies.  If tea doesn't work, we go for water.  Sips of water here and there... as much as they will drink.

As for eating, I leave it up to them.  They will know when they are ready.  We generally try to start the boys out with soup... something brothy and not too hardy.

Here are several chicken soups to try:

• caldo de pollo
• grandmom's chicken noodle soup
• slow cooker chicken noodle soup

So, that's it.  I do not give my boys medication unless it is an absolute must.  I have various other remedies to try before hand.

What do you do when your boys need you by their sides, but are not well enough for lots of interaction yet?

We snuggle, read, curl up to watch a good movie (though most of the time is spent napping).  I think their favorite would be the reading... a really good chapter book full of lots of imagination.  Hugs and kisses work well too, of course.

How do you help your child when he/she is sick? 
What is your favorite thing to do to help ease the uncomfortable time of unwellness?

Posts of Interest:

• oil rub for the feet... deters colds
• warm foot bath... stimulates the immune system
• natural health remedies for children

Winter Time Blues: Healing of the Soul

The winter blues have hit.  Well, I actually hope it is the winter blues.  I am home from work because I feel awful.  I teach kindergarten and this week I  had 9 kids out on Tuesday, 5 on Wednesday and 7 yesterday.  Several confirmed cases of the flu.

I know I do not have the flu as I do not feel THAT bad.  I just think I body is not well.

Here are my plans to help deter my own personal "soul fever":
*The ideas below are in no particular order.*

• read... jump into the pages of a good story and loose myself in the warmth of the words on the pages.
• pedicure... pampering the feet heals my soul.  I do not get a pedicure often enough, but at times like this it is imperative to aide in the healing of my spirit.  The quiet time is a must during these cold, wintry days.
• lavender bath... a hot bath with lavender oil.  The steam helps clear the head of stuffiness.  The lavender relaxes the spirit.  The heat warms the body to the core.
• quiet meditation... peace, quiet, calm.  This is something the body needs in order to ground itself.  I am not a meditator in the true sense of the word.  I just do my own thing. 

Lay on your bed with your eyes closed.  Place a lavender rice pillow over your eyes.  Begin to breath in for the count of 5 and out for the count of 5.  Continue.  Increase the length of your inhale and exhale as much as you can.  Free your mind.  If you mind begins to wander, refocus on your breath.  Inhale for 10.  Exhale for 10.

Try to do this twice a day for 10-20 minutes each time.  I have noticed that my mood is much brighter and I feel less jittery on the inside if I can keep up this practice.

• drink... several cups of peppermint tea with truvia.  The tea will not only help to open the sinuses and clear my head, but warm by body from within.
• tei fu... a natural wintergreen oil that is applied to the temples and base of neck.  It can also be placed liberally on the palms and inhaled.  This is a wonderfully natural way to open the sinuses and relieve headache.

What do you do to help stave off the winter time blues?

How do you ground yourself during these cold days of winter?

What is your favorite ritual of self indulgence?

Natural Headache Relief

Headaches are one of the most bothersome ailments.  Most of the time your body feels otherwise fine, but the headache puts you down for the count.

There are many reasons for headaches such as eye strain (prolonged reading or computer use), allergies (congestion or the such) and emotional stress.

Here are some remedies that can hopefully provide relief:

• aromatherapy: peppermint, sandalwood, lavender, and eucalyptus: Use 100% pure products.  The higher the quality the better. 

In the Bath... Mix 8 drops of oil to 1 TBS unscented bath oil.

Facial Massage... Mix 6 drops of oil with 1TBS face oil.  Massage on face and neck using circular motion.

Inhalation... DO NOT ATTEMPT IF YOU HAVE ASTHMA OR RESPITORY ISSUES... Mix 3-5 drops of oil into a bowl of hot, hot water.  Place a towel over your head and the bowl.  Slowly inhale the steam.  Stop after approximately 5 minutes.

• ice pack:  Apply ice pack directly to the part of your head that has pain.
• pressure:  Apply gently pressure to the area in pain.  Press and massage for about 15 seconds.  Release and repeat.
• rest: Lay down in a darkened room.  Breath slowly and evenly.  Apply a rice pad that has been chilled in the freezer to your head.
• tea: Drink peppermint or chamomile tea.
• hot bath:  Take a hot bath and place a cool towel on your forehead.  Don't forget to turn down the lights and block out as much noise as possible.
• sinus pressure:  If you believe the headache to be caused by sinus issues, nasal irrigation and spicy food might help to relieve some of the sinus pressure.

Itchy Eyes? Want Relief?

My allergies have been ferocious the last couple of days.  I have spent endless hours rubbing at them only to make things worse.  I have finally decided it is time to take some action.

Below you will find several home remedies I have stumbled upon during my search:

• chilled cucumbers: reduces irritations, puffiness, and swelling: Place thin slices on the eyes until no longer chilled. 
• rosewater: coolest and soothes: Rinse eyes with rosewater several times a day.
• raw potato: reduced puffiness and other eye irritations: Place thin slices on the eye for no less than 30 minutes.  Rinse eyes thoroughly afterwards.
• aloe vera: reduces eye irritation: Mix 1/4 tsp. aloe vera juice mixes with 1/2 cup of water.  Use to rinse the eye.
• humidify: reduces allergens and moistens eyes: Place a cool air humidifier in the room you use most often. 
• green or black tea: soothes itching and burning: Moisten cotton balls and place over the eyes.
• check for a deficiency in vitamins A & B12

Sources: Home Remedies Livestrong

Lavender Rice Pillows

Materials Needed:

• half a yard of fabric
• 1 bag of rice 2-5 pounds
• several drops of essential oil

*I used lavender and orange oil.

Directions for Adding Essential Oil:

1. Dump rice into a large bowl. 
2. Add about 10 drops of lavender and 5 drops of orange oil onto the rice. 
3. Mix thoroughly with your hands.
4. Smell the rice and add more oil as needed.  I added 2 drops lavender and 1 drop orange oil until I was satisfied.
5. Allow rice to dry before using.

Directions for Rice Pillow:

1. Fold fabric in half.
2. Cut out a long slender rectangle approximately 5 1/2 by 12... I did not measure.  I also cut the fabric with the fold intact, so I would only need to sew 3 sides instead of 4.
3. Turn the fabric with both of the right sides facing in.  Using a sewing machine, stitch together 2 of the remaining 3 sides.  One of the smaller sides should be the one left open.
4. You will need to flip the fabric right side out.  I usually use a chop stick or bamboo skewer to do this.  Begin my flipping the fabric like you would turning a shirt right side out.  Then, use the chop stick to poke into the corners to ensure they are as square as possible.
5. Now, you are able to pour rice into the pillow.  You may want to make a paper funnel to make this process easier.  Once I used a funnel I had no problems.
6. Finally, use the machine to stitch the opened end closed.  I folded the material inward to make the edge look finished and the stitched through both pieces of fabric.  This end will look a bit different, but it was alot easier than hand sewing the end closed.

How to Use a Rice Pillow:
Microwave for 30 seconds.  Check temperature and reheat in 10 second increments until desired temperature is met. 

*My pillow stayed hot for over 30 minutes.*

For a cold pillow, place in the freezer for about an hour.  Check every 10 minutes there after until desired temperature is reached.