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Victory Gardens

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Springtime is one of my most very favorite times of the year, for many reasons…. Not the least of which is the anticipation of getting my fingers deep into the earth in preparation for seed planting time.

Spring this year has been somewhat challenging. Lots of distractions, an incredibly wet February and March, and a spirit of unrest that seems to have enveloped our world.

And yet….

The leaves and flowers continue to unfurl from the safety of their buds as if to tell us that life will go on, despite the circumstances at hand.

It makes me want to talk to the old timers…. The ones who were around as kiddos and young adults during WWII. What did it feel like, to have such a great unknown? To know that a loved one could be taken from them because they said yes to following God and their country? With only snail mail letters to communicate in the interim?

I hope a bearer or two of these memories will comment because I have a strong love of history and would love to hear the stories of resilience on the home front……the peace they perhaps held that surpassed all understanding even when the world seemed anything but calm.

Perhaps this was another reason the people at home returned to gardening in 1942-43? Canned food and buying from grocery stores instead of self sufficiency was a relatively new concept to the world back then.
It had only been about 25 years since the first grocery store (A Piggly Wiggly if you remember those!) opened and self serve grocery shopping had quickly taken over supplying the USA with food.

25 years. One generation. Many had already lost sight of where nourishing food must come from.

1942….. Not 2020.

And then World War II happened…. and it didn’t last days….it lasted years. 😥

Ask one of the old timers about those times. Invariably, one of their strongest memories will be the rationing of foodstuffs. Food was in short supply for a variety of reasons:

🍅The processed and canned foods they had become accustomed to buying at Piggly Wiggly suddenly were reserved for shipping overseas to the soldiers who were fighting and to our Allies who were bearing the brunt of the war devastation.

🍅Transportation of fresh foods was limited because of gasoline and tire rationing (priorities were placed on getting those to soldiers and to the war effort)

🍅Many farmers in the USA were off fighting instead of growing food.

🍅Imported food, especially the likes of coffee and sugar, were limited in supply.

Rationing books were issued. (I have one that belonged to my grandmother.) Stamps inside the books were for certain food categories, and if you had already used your stamp for that product for the month, you were not eligible to buy it until the following month rolled around. It prevented hoarding and encouraged creative menu planning. ( Hmmm …. Seems like we could use that principle these days for basic things like toilet paper!)

Suddenly, the skill of gardening became an asset again…. Not reserved for someone living on a farm. By 1920 tho, more Americans lived in cities than in rural areas for the first time in America’s history so this had to have been hard.

Real hard.😔

This situation was something they felt unprepared for, they had no land to make gardens. For others, it felt like they were being called home….. back to their roots…. and it was those whom the former leaned into and learned from….. And a beautiful thing began to sprout around the United States…..

Victory Gardens.

They began to sprout up across America and eventually across the world:

👩‍🌾People plowed up their beautiful front yards and lawns and began growing fruits and veggies.

👩‍🌾They pulled up their rose bushes and flowers and replaced them with edible foodstuffs.

👩‍🌾Pots and containers were used to grow gardens on back porches, patios, and stairways.

👩‍🌾Even public land was put to use….. San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park had one of the best public gardens in the country!

Neighbors helping neighbors. 👫

Sharing knowledge.

Sharing bounty.

Relying on God to supply no more or less than they needed.

Back to their roots.

The food, of course, was important, but so was the community idea of doing something for the common good, and the daily grounding… the resetting of emotions and release of nervous energy expelled just by getting dirt under their fingernails. In times like those, I am sure that gardening felt heavenly!

Anyone can do this…. Gardening.

All you need is Sunlight. Seeds. A container or two, or 12 (or a plot of land of any size). ….. And a desire to be part of the solution.

A time to heal.

A time to return to our roots.

If this post is calling to you, there are TONS of seed packets for sale at the feed stores. There are also half grown “teenager” plants if waiting is too much to bear.

Never gardened? Don’t let that stop you. You never know, you might pick up a new hobby you love while in this time of national time out.

The best growth comes during times of adversity…. Knowing that, our Great Nation should be due for a bountiful harvest. The Bible says it. This I know.

Garden on friends!

xoxo ~liz

#GodblesstheUSAandtheworld
#wecandothis
#strongerthanyouthinkyouare
#learnsomethingnew
#embraceyourdowntime
#youwillbeproudofyourfood
#springtime2020
#healthyfoodismedicine

#6 Viruses 101

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Post #6 CV 101…… What we Know to be True about Viruses (aka…. the care and feeding of a virus).

What?!? You don’t want to care and feed a virus of any sort?

Well, then….. let’s set the stage for what it might look like to create an inhospitable environment should a virus want to step foot into your personal space. 😉

Please refer to Post #5 for Action Points #1 & #2 ’cause I’m just gonna dive right in to…….

Plan of Action #3: Viruses (in general) cannot set up camp and unpack their “bug in” bags unless some things go awry in a body ⛺️

If a virus enters into your personal space, one of the first things its going ask itself is this:

“Does this body have impaired glutathione production?”…. or is it gonna put up a fight?”

What the what? I thought we needed a strong immune system to fight off any viruses? Yes, that you do. But let’s unpeel a layer of that onion shall we? 

Glutathione is something our body manufactures in every single one of its cells. It is often considered the most important cellular defense/ antioxidant that allows the body to prevent and fight infections and disease.

It also plays a crucial role in immune response, DNA repair, and the detoxing we must be doing constantly to ward off the damage done by medications, household (or other) chemicals, radiation, & our own metabolic wastes.

(Ya’ll… if we are laden with these wastes, chemicals, and broken DNA…. ain’t no way we will be able to effectively fight off bacteria, viruses, and destructive toxins that constantly assault our body).

HERE’S A BONUS IN THE DEAL, GLUTATHIONE IS ALSO THE PROTECTOR OF OUR IMMUNE CELLS. IT EFFECTIVELY FEEDS, PROTECTS, AND STRENGTHENS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND BOOSTS WHITE BLOOD CELL PRODUCTION (TO FIGHT INFECTION) …. …. THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF OUR LIVES IS LITERALLY DEPENDENT UPON GLUTATHIONE.

Normally, glutathione is recycled in the body…. except when the toxic load is too much of a burden, and/or the simple building blocks (which I will talk about in a bit) are lacking….And that is where trouble happens.😬

Who might have impaired glutathione production? ….well… glad you asked!

👵👴 The elderly

💉 The vaccine injured (another topic for another day)
🔥 Those with acidic internal environments (Remember, we need to be constantly striving for a slightly alkaline body pH…. all diseases…. including viruses, love an acidic environment)

🚬 Smokers

🍔🍟 Those who are nutritionally deficient. Not to make light of the current virus situation, but 1 in 5 deaths in the USA is related to nutritional deficiencies…. that’s 11 million people a year friends. 😳 #easilypreventable

💊💊 Those who are on certain medications. Some meds deplete glutathione in the body…. and this acquired deficiency usually gets misdiagnosed as a side effect (and more medication is prescribed instead of correcting the deficiency …. heavy sigh)

If you are taking medications in any of the following drug classes, you’ll want to pay special attention to how to help improve glutathione production:
💊Acid Blockers (ex: Nexium, Pepcid, Prilosec, Protonix etc)
💊Analgesics (ex: Acetaminophen or any product containing acetaminophen including Hydrocodone)
💊Antacids that contain Aluminum (please, in Jesus name, do not knowingly consume Aluminum anyway! 🙏
💊Certain Antibiotics (including amoxicillin, zithromycin, cephalexin and related, doxycycline, quinolones, and sulfamethoxazole )
💊 Anti-inflammatory meds: (NSAIDS, Steroids, and Aspirin)
💊 Diuretics (ex: Furosemide and HCTZ)
💊 Birth control and synthetic hormone replacement therapy
Ugggh. That was a long list 😔

How might we go about improving glutathione production, and in the process…. improve our immune function? #wehaveourways 

We need a sulfur donor! Sulfur (not to be confused with the drug class “sulfa”) is required in our very DNA, and it’s a major building block needed for Glutathione production.
Common sulfur food sources include broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, cauliflower, and watercress, and raw milk. Sadly, our soils (even on many organic farms) are depleted of minerals due to farming practices, so supplementation is a really good idea.

One of my most favorite YL supplements is called Sulfurzyme. As you might guess from its name…. it’s a rock star sulfur donor. 😉 I take it for a variety of reasons that I’m not even gonna go into today, but cannot imagine my life without it, especially now that immune health is a pertinent topic these days.

🍊 Secondly, glutathione production needs a natural source of Vitamin C. (Synthetic abounds…. try to avoid it if you can…. it’s derived from GMO’d corn). #justsaynotoGMO

My favorite source of naturally sourced Vitamin C is Young Living’s Super C Chewables. It also comes in a non-chewable form, but I take them daily as a healthy “treat” ’cause they’re kinda tasty!

Thirdly, glutathione production needs a source of Magnesium. Natural sources are always best ( dark chocolate, avocados, nuts, beans, chickpeas, pun’kin seeds), but once again…. soils are depleted of minerals, so I supplement. Young Living does not yet stand in the gap for us for this supplement, but I’ve found a plant based brand I feel comfortable recommending: NATURELO Magnesium Glycinate.

🍄 Finally…. selenium and Vitamin E… both are needed in small amounts. I take a supplement that has trace amounts of selenium, and that… in combination with mushrooms, grass fed beef, eggs, and oatmeal will do my body good.

Natural sources of Vitamin E include nuts, sunflower seeds, spinach and broccoli, so I’m pretty well covered there as well.

Other ways to boost glutathione production:
👉exercise! #justdoit
👉Vitamin B’s…. (folate, B6, & B12)
👉Milk Thistle
👉 Prayer & Meditation (would you believe that regular practice of these has been found to boost glutathione production by as much as 20%?) #Godwantsushealthy

Alrighty friends…. signing off for now. Stay tuned for Post #7… there’s lots more to unpack!

Holler at a friend who practices a Young Living healthy lifestyle (or at me) if this series has interested you and you’d like to learn more.

(and as always, this post is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or tell ya what to do in the case of a pandemic… I am not a doctor…. just a pharmacist who has been around the block a few times 😉)

xoxo~ liz

#knowbetterdobetter
#immunesupportiskindaimportant
#ThanksYL

#3 Corona Virus 101

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POST #3 Corona Virus 101…. Demographics
Based upon current info, this is what we can safely deduce…

👉 Most cases are hitting ages 30-79 years old, But the fatality rate was 14.8% in people 80 or older, likely reflecting the presence of other diseases, a weaker immune system…. LONGER EXPOSURE to pollution, toxins, and cigarettes or simply worse overall health. (see how this might skew the above overall stats?)

👉 Virus symptoms appear to be mild in ~80% of cases in children (a group not at risk!…. perhaps in part because they have had less exposure in their short lives to pollution, toxins, and cigarettes?) 

👉 Pregnant mamas? Info gleaned in a small group study revealed that the virus appears to be more mild in pregnancy…. But mamas can transmit to their babies. As for the mothers, “Covid-19 seems not to be especially severe in pregnant women, at least based on the small number in this study,” the scientists wrote. Well this is good news! I might also add that pregnant women in China know enough about 5G that they wear special clothing to protect their unborn children. For real!

A bit further digging (and a tiny bunny 🐰trail!), and I found that you can buy radiation protective clothing here in the US too!

👉 Personally, my greatest concern lies within this last group…. the immuno-compromised. 👈These people … these are the ones that are going to need all of our help. The virus is real, and although it does appear to be relatively mild if you are a healthy individual and are taking care of yourself, but the reality is that we have ALOT of unhealthy people in our world. Who would qualify as immunocompromised? According to the CDC…. that would include:
HIV/AIDS
Cancer & Transplant Patients
Rare inherited diseases that affect the immune system
(that’s pretty much their list 😳 )

My list of those who might qualify as being immunocompromised is quite a bit longer…. We here in the USA have been encouraged to be vaccinated against pretty much everything under the sun, and yet, we are one of the sickest first world countries in the world. #truthbomb This is another topic I have plans to discuss at some point… not now. But my concerns are on point. Really, anyone who is diabetic, has heart disease, compromised pulmonary function, an autoimmune disorder that is not well managed…. if you know anyone in these categories, I encourage you to encourage them to #dothethings that will help boost their immune systems.

There’s no time like the present to start boosting your immunity now. Details to come beyond what I’m about to write…. but let’s simply start today with the basics:
1.🍖 Fresh (not processed) foods
2.Clean filtered water (not soft drinks, junk juice etc)
3. Regular exercise
4.☠️🍞🍟🍭🎂🍩💉☢️☣️Remove as much of the toxin load as possible in food, beverages, household cleaners, synthetic air fresheners, body care products, and even cosmetics and replace these things with immune system boosting products whenever possible, or at the very least “green and healthy” products.

If you are a Young Living member, I do not need to fill in the blanks for you…. if you are not a YL member, I encourage you to reach out to someone you know and trust who can help with the immune supportive cleaning supplies, cosmetics, and alternatives for air fresheners that Young Living provides for everyone. Many of us have been toxin dumping for years, and we can guide you thru what we ourselves have successfully done.

Studies have shown that toxin load reduction begins decreasing within days of implementing the above 4 steps.

Stay tuned…… lots more to talk about.

xoxo~ liz

#knowbetterdobetter
#healthismoreimportantthantoiletpaperwhenprepping
#ThanksYL

Plenty of Ways to Avoid the Flu

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I spent all day yesterday working at the pharmacy, and I’m not going to lie…… I filled more antibiotics, antivirals, antinausea and (gallons!) of cough syrup than I have in a very long time. People are sick and the flu is kickin’ butt and taking names.

Surrounding that hectic day was the constant mention of the coronavirus in China that’s making the news everywhere you look.

Can we chat for a minute and put this into perspective? I bring the following information to the table not to minimize the current illness state of affairs, but to truly wonder at the power of the media……

😷The coronavirus (as of yesterday) has a current mortality rate of 2.3% of those 4520 affected.

😷 This year’s flu strain (the most recent stat I could find) has a current mortality rate of 0.049% of the estimated 9.7 million affected.

YET…. poor diet is killing people in the United States faster than both viruses combined. An estimated 11 Million people a year die in the USA as a result of a poor diet… that’s 1 in 5 people, people. THAT bothers me. A LOT.

Maybe people would pay more attention to healthy living if the media poured this type of information into us instead of the fear based stuff we’re getting.

And oh… by the way, there are plenty of ways to avoid both the flu and the coronavirus, and they 100% depend on a healthy diet especially containing natural and supplemental sources of the right kinds of magnesium, Vitamin D, C, & E, selenium, and iodine, an adequate pH in the body leaning towards a mild alkalinity, and keeping known toxins out of the body. All of these basic steps will actually go a long way towards healing what ails ya too 😘.

hugs and much love~ liz

#knowbetterdobettergetbetterstaywell
#stayawayfromthesugarespeciallywhenyouaresick
#Godgaveusallweneedifonlywedothethings
#fearmongeringreallybothersme
#ThanksYL

Winter Rest – part 2

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(Apologies for taking so long to get part II of my adrenal reset post out…. I’ve been taking my own advice and have been in Hawaii on a much needed business / vacation / relaxation time! 😉) #ThanksYL


I wrapped up talking about living a fear based lifestyle and how hard that is on the kidneys and adrenals. Fear can creep in to our life in insidious ways….. ways that we typically don’t even recognize as a fear. What may that look like in any of our lives?…. and how can we learn to eliminate it?


🔥Trauma: In my own educational and healing journey, I’ve learned a great deal about the damaging effects of trauma based emotions. #yowza! It’s a fascinating topic and frankly, if more people actually understood it, it would change the trajectory of both their life and their health. Trauma goes beyond the brain teaches our body (at a cellular level) that it must constantly be on guard and vigilant. This keeps us in a constant state of low grade “fight or flight” which I promise will not end well if not addressed. We MUST learn to slowly unwind, release your fear, find balance, and begin to heal.
👉 (If you’d like detailed help, please book a private session)


🔥Expectations: Do you feel like the earth may cease to spin on its axis if you don’t meet your own personal expectations or other’s expectations of you?
I exaggerated that slightly 😉, but truly…. a lot of stress comes from believing that everyone depends on you. It’s lovely to feel needed…. but often, these are personal beliefs we heap onto our own shoulders, and not reality. At least for these winter months….. give it a trial run and step back a little from your own expectations and see if the world doesn’t keep on spinning😘. #sayingthisinlovefriends


🔥With expectations comes Responsibility…. Lord have mercy, who doesn’t have this?…. fianancial burdens, high stress work environments (don’t get me started on that! Pharmacists were #3 in the suicide category for many years😳), family stressors…. the “sandwich generation” who takes care of both their kids AND their parents are particularly vulnerable.
Honestly, there’s not always a great way to get out from under true responsibilities, but hopefully the tips below 👇will help decrease the stress / fear load on your adrenals.


Winter Rest is important….. vital really… to health. That said, the following tips can and should be used year round to maintain optimal health:
🌸 Sleep! If your body is calling for it….. do it! During the winter, make an effort to get an extra hour of sleep each night. (If sleep evades you, again…. feel free to private message me for some non drug tips and tricks). Our body does its greatest healing during deep sleep.
🌸Unplug. Next to sleep, I think this is perhaps the most important and simplest way to rest. If you were born before 1990 (just typing this makes me feel kinda old😂), you’ll remember that there WAS life without cell phones and internet and we actually survived quite well. In fact…. we were a far healthier bunch of people than we are now as we are literally triggered each time our device dings or vibrates!
🌸 Stay in and don’t allow yourself to get caught up in the rat race. Read a book, nap, or allow yourself time outside in nature to get grounded and recharged. Grounding is vital to our balance and well being.
🌸Say No. For some of us, this is a word that is underused to our own detriment. Once I learned to do this…. saying no gracefully, I realized how freeing it was. Life is too short to say yes to everything everyone asks of you. It is a learned skill….. but one you’ll find of great value! #metoo
🌸Take a spa day or at least a “spa hour”…. even if it’s at home. Epsom salt baths with some calming therapeutic grade oils (like they do at the fancy places!) can be easily done at home at a fraction of the price. It will go a long way towards resetting your adrenals and cortisol levels. This isn’t selfish time… it’s called self care. You can’t care for others well if you yourself are not well😘.
🌸Yoga, gentle stretching, and acupuncture or acupressure are all excellent aids for adrenal resets.
🌸Foods that help with adrenal resets: walnuts, cashews, clove, ginger, fish, shellfish, eggs (organic free range is best!), cranberries, blueberries, apples, spinach, cauliflower, cabbage, and asparagus
🌸Adaptogenic herbs (plants that support the body’s ability to accomodate varying physical and emotional stresses):
🌿Ashwagandha- this is an incredible herb for a variety of reasons, but for the topic at hand… it is very helpful in supporting healthy cortisol levels. Do a little Google search to learn more about this oddly named herb. My two favorite supplements that contain Ashwagandha are called Endogize (typically for women) and Powergize (typically for men).
🌿Siberian Ginseng
🌿Rhodiola
🌿Curcumin
Not herbal, but Vitamin D3☀️ (levels can drop significantly in the winter… get bloodwork to confirm. If you do not have insurance or a doctor, I can help you get inexpensive labwork done).
Omega 3 Fish oil🐟 … but be warned…. much of what is available for sale is actually rancid and will only make the situation worse…. so best advice I would give you is to really know your supplement company well.😉
I hope this helps. I believe strongly that God gives us our experiences in life, good and bad, so that we can learn from them in order that we may use our life as a testimony and a map to help others. #payitforward
Looking back, I can see several points in my life where, by pushing myself beyond what the body is able to handle on a chronic stress daily basis , I could have very easily ended up a hot mess healthwise. I hear this phrase all the time…. “I’m not sure what happened. I was fine, and then all of a sudden I had all these health problems”. See, here’s the deal. The body is masterful at “running from the lion “…. but we can’t run forever. And when “the lion” finally catches you….it doesn’t just take a nibble.
Hugs and love, Liz
(I’m gonna go have a day on the beach now and continue my reset!☀️)
#ThanksYL
#knowbetterdobetter

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