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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

#7 Viruses 101

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Post #7: Viruses 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 Posts #5 & #6 for Action Points #1, #2, and #3 ’cause I’m just gonna dive right in to…….

Plan of Action #4: Virus infection is dependent upon our body’s pH.

To give you 10 seconds of science…. (ie: the how and why)…..  Viruses LOVE an acidic environment because they rely of acidification of the endosomal compartment to enact their warfare on our cells.

What is the proper pH of a healthy person? Ideally, we want our body’s pH to stay in the slightly alkaline range of 6.8-7.5 to help reduce the risk and lessen the severity of “bug” infestations.

In researching about pH and viruses, I found a study by the Royal Free Hospital and School of Medicine in London. That study concluded that raising the body’s pH to an Alkaline state increases the immune system’s ability to kill pathogens.

A healthy pH is directly related to a healthy oxygen supply in the body. Hmmmm……. is it any coincidence that our pH is also directly related to our body’s electrical frequency? Nope. #wearefearfullyandwonderfullymade

👉TAKEAWAY: The lower the voltage of a body’s cell = the lower the body’s frequency = the lower the body’s pH = the more apt sickness is gonna occur.👈

Here’s a cool thing… we don’t all have to run out and get test strips to test our pH, although you can certainly do that if you’d like. An easy and quick reference is dependent upon your emotions.

People with an alkaline pH tend to be predominately happy, joyful, calm, peaceful and are generally healthy. People with a more acidic pH tend to harbor emotions of anxiety, fear, anger, guilt, unforgiveness…..and they tend to catch lots of bugs and are prone to more body system dysfunctions.

(This is physics, biology, and neuropsychology all rolled up into one. Please refer back to my post on frequency and viruses if you need a refresher!)

Elevated levels of ☠️ carcinogens, toxins, exposure to indoor and outdoor pollution (this includes unhealthy foods and drinks) causes our cells to be unable to uptake oxygen efficiently. Indoor pollution (ie: what we deal with within our homes and offices) is actually more harmful than outdoor pollution.

Luckily, most of us are largely in control with, at least, our home indoor environment. As the gatekeepers, we have the authority to say what products we bring into our homes…… so it’s pretty important job if we are to stay slightly alkaline!

If you are new to the concept of removing toxins from your life, there’s no time like the present to start! (see previous posts in this series for pointers)
🛀 DETOX BATHS ARE AN EASY WAY TO START ALLOWING YOUR BODY TO RETURN TO A HEALTHY ALKALINE STATE.
HERE’S AN EASY DETOX BATH RECIPE:
3/4 CUP EPSOM SALTS
2 CUPS BAKING SODA
1/4 CUP BENTONITE CLAY
MIX TOGETHER, AND CONSIDER ADDING 8-10 DROPS OF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING ESSENTIAL OILS TO YOUR MIXTURE BEFORE ADDING TO YOUR BATH WATER: FRANKINCENSE, LEMON, ROMAN CHAMOMILE, LEDUM, GERANIUM, FENNEL, BLUE TANSY, AND/OR HELICHRYSUM.

Additionally, make sure your detox bath oils are good ones. I cannot speak for other oil brands in terms of purity, and only use Young Living essential oils myself because I know they are unadulterated and, thru their strict distillation methods, they are able to maintain the integrity of the constituents (the working parts) of the oils. #prettyisasprettydoes

Remember tho….. detoxing does no good if you don’t first stop exposing yourself to that which made you acidic to begin with. #kickthehouseholdtoxinsout #kicktheacidicemotionsouttoo

You can learn more about the farming, distillation, and testing practices Young Living exemplifies at http://seedtoseal.com/en.

Each oil bottle has an individual batch number that can be traced all the way back to the very seeds or acreage of trees that were planted and harvested. I wish our food supply did this! It gives me great peace of mind to know every effort is being made to keep the oils in their purest therapeutically active form.

Another way to encourage alkalinity, is a simple ingredient most of us probably have in our own homes: Baking Soda.

I’ll admit, baking soda in water doesn’t taste great, but we can all take and do things if it increases the odds of being healthy, right? I have opted to utilize a YL product called Alkalime when I feel like I’ve dipped my toes into the acidic side of the wellness pool. It tastes much better than baking soda in water, but I’ve used baking soda in a pinch.

Take a look at this historical piece of info regarding baking soda and illness that I found:👇

“SODIUM BICARB“The proven value of Arm & Hammer Bicarbonate of Soda as a therapeutic agent is further evinced by the following evidence of a prominent physician named Dr. Volney S. Cheney, in a letter to the Church & Dwight Company:
“In 1918 and 1919 while fighting the ‘Flu’ with the U. S. Public Health Service it was brought to my attention that rarely any one who had been thoroughly alkalinized with bicarbonate of soda contracted the disease, and those who did contract it, if alkalinized early, would invariably have mild attacks. I have since that time treated all cases of ‘Cold,’ Influenza and LaGripe by first giving generous doses of Bicarbonate of Soda, and in many, many instances within 36 hours the symptoms would have entirely abated. Further, within my own household, before Woman’s Clubs and Parent-Teachers’ Associations, I have advocated the use of Bicarbonate of Soda as a preventive for “Colds,” with the result that now many reports are coming in stating that those who took “Soda” were not affected, while nearly everyone around them had the “Flu.”
Recommended dosages from the Arm and Hammer Company for colds and influenza back in 1925 were:
During the first day take six doses of half teaspoonful of Arm & Hammer Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water, at about two hour intervals.
During the second day take four doses of half teaspoonful of Arm and Hammer Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water, at the same intervals.
During the third day take two doses of half teaspoonful of Arm and Hammer Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water morning and evening, and thereafter half teaspoonful in glass of cool water each morning until cold is cured.

This info ☝️ from Arm & Hammer historical archives is interesting, isn’t it? Our ancestors used some very simple things to stay well and healthy.  #anditworked

Plan of Action # 5 : Iodine
Iodine is absolutely critical to our immune system’s health, and approximately 97% of individuals in the USA are estimated to be deficient.

As long as we’re revisiting history, I stumbled across another interesting historical factoid about Iodine…. and I can’t recall ever learning it in pharmacy school. …. We definitely learned about iodine’s role in healthy thyroid function and that’s why I take a YL supplement ( Thyromin) that happens to have kelp (a natural source of iodine) in it to keep my thyroid happy….. but we’re talking about immune system function… not the thyroid today.

Interesting factoid: Did you know that it was once commonly recommended to mist areas with an iodine solution when there were viral outbreaks? I did a little perusing, and found a book (The International Record of Medicine and General Practice Clinics, Volume III circa 1920) that gave easy (but medically specific) instructions on how to do so… you can find it with a little digging on Google.

Then, I found this little jewel that was written more recently in 2009. Here is an excerpt (or you can read the full article also attached below)👇:

“When iodine was suspended in a solution, viral inactivation occurred at dilutions of 1/1,000,000. Aerosols inactivated many viruses within 30 seconds or less. Watery solutions such as Lu- [7,8,12] gol’s are the superior germicides. “

I’m wondering why nobody is doing this in virus laden areas nowadays? It’s cheap, easy, and harmless (unless you are a virus!). #IthinkIknowtheanswertomyownquestion $$$

OK…..I’m off to feed my farm-ily and soak in some nature.

Stay tuned…. Post #8 in this series is rollin’ around in my noggin.

And remember…. these are musings and observations based on what I know to be true about biology, physics, and history. Please do not interpret any of the above as diagnosing, curing, or treating. You do you. I’ll continue to do me 😘.

Stay healthy and be well!
xoxo~ liz

#knowbetterdobetter
#whatisyouremotionalpH
#ThanksYL

#2 Corona Virus 101

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Post #2 Corona Virus 101…. The Facts… let’s unpack them, shall we?

👉Fact #1:
NOTHING is secure about the statistics being presented…. NOTHING.
Current stats as of Friday 3/6/2020…….
101,714 confirmed cases and 3,461 deaths from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak as of March 06, 2020, 18:05 GMT….. remembering that this doesn’t even include mild cases that haven’t been tested or were tested with a false negative. If the rational person were to factor in the false negatives AND the mild cases that aren’t even tested at all…… the conservative estimate of deaths vs illness would be <0.1%, with most of those deaths having primary serious health issues already. (more on this in a later post).

👉 Fact #2: Corona Virus….. A cousin of the common cold virus with a ground zero in Wuhan China….. although strong evidence suggests that contrary to popular news coverage, this particular virus likely originated in a high security lab at the University of North Carolina several years ago. As is common practice, scientists from another part of the world (Wuhan, China in this case) bought into the research, and took some of the findings back home with them. #thingsthatmakeyougohmmmmmm
Additionally, this particular virus has, within its DNA, the written chimera (ie: a grafting) of an RNA snip of one of the HIV retroviruses…. something that is impossible to achieve in nature. Again,….. #thingsthatmakeyougohmmmmmm
This does NOT mean someone can get HIV from this virus… (so don’t go there mentally), but it does indicate manmade tampering and a “gain in functionality” which means the virus transmits more easily than the traditional common cold virus.

FOLLOW THE MONEY: This is a multibillion dollar business (if not trillion)…. Approximately 20 companies are vying for the right to make a vaccine….. whomever “wins” will make billions of $$$

👉Fact #3: Don’t compare to 1918 spanish flu or any other historical plague like event…. They were all Pre antibiotics, pre- better hospital care and most importantly…. before we had better hygiene practices.

👉Fact #4 251,000 deaths per year due to errors in medical care, 3rd only to heart disease and cancer…. WHY are we not talking more about THESE things? THIS topic should warrant pandemic alarm…. and all we hear are 🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗.

👉Fact #5 National Institutes of Health’s infectious disease chief, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said, “The mortality rate (of Covid 19) looks like 2% to 3% but could be much lower if many mild cases or infections with no symptoms are going undetected.” SARS proved fatal in about 10% of cases. The flu’s mortality rate is only 0.1% btw this year.

👉 Fact #6 Pollution (external and therefore internal) and the role it plays in disease and immune support…China has among the world’s most dangerous air pollution… Ya’ll…. have you noticed that even when there isn’t a pandemic virus in China, many citizens still wear face masks?

👉Fact #7 Smokers…. China, and some of the newer harder hit countries are still heavy smokers. In China, an estimated 354 MILLION people still smoke regularly. #healthhabitsmatter

👉Fact #8 the Germ vs Host Theory
I can’t take credit for this well written piece…. but it hits a homerun in truth and it’s THE reason I implement toxin free living suggestions in my health coaching. Either you are or you are not living this way. There really isn’t much of a gray area here.
“The big difference between the two is this: If your garbage piles up in your home for weeks or years, you will invite pests, rats, cockroaches, mice, ants…all sorts of unfavorables to your home. The Germ Theory states we need to continually bring something in to kill the pests, while the host theory states, “Hey, how about we take out the garbage?”

Dr. Julian Baldor, a surgeon, in a speech before the Florida League of Human Progress, talked about Dr. Bechamp as one of the greatest scientists of all time. He said, “Dr. Bechamp proved that our bodies become hosts to a germ only after chemical and mechanical changes have damaged our system and that as long as our bodies and tissues retain a high vitality and resistance, a germ, infection or disease will not make progress. Furthermore, the disease organism will not survive after its entrance into a healthy organism. For example, we see flies on a manure pile, and other parasites also. Some of these parasites may be dangerous and capable of producing disease under favorable circumstances. If, however, we remove the pile of manure, the parasites disappear at the same time. Which do you think is the more intelligent: To fight disease by swatting flies or removing the pile of manure?”
Pasteur was better connected, more well-spoken, and wealthier than Bechamp. When it came down to it, these proved to his advantage when their two scientific papers went up against each other. Pasteur won out, paving the way for the Germ Theory to gain in popularity. Bechamp fell into disfavor and his books listed on the Index of Librorum Prohibitorum (the index of books prohibited by the Catholic Church).”

👉Fact #9 …5G – What in the world? What does faster stronger cell phone reception have to do with the virus? This topic is for another post another day…. but understand this…. regular exposure to 5G very much has MUCH to do with how easily people contract a virus or bacteria. Wuhan was one of the first countries to roll out 5G and they have over 10,000 cell phone towers in their city. The citizens of the city simply cannot get out from under that radio frequency…. that frequency affects us at a cellular level. This (in addition to the pollution/toxin load) is VERY important to keep in consideration. #unplugregularly

…..more to come friends. Stay tuned.😘

xoxo ~ liz

#aintskeeredandyoushouldntbeeither
#knowbetterdobetter
#yourtoxinloadmattersnowandforever
#ThanksYL

Whoops…We Did It Again(smh)

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Yesterday, while at work in the pharmacy, we got official word of a voluntary recall on several brands of valsartan containing medications. A voluntary recall means that the drug company requests that products be pulled from the pharmacy shelves, and selling of that product cease immediately until new product is issued. It does not extend to the consumer level. You can read more about the recall itself here.

Recalls like this happen every so often in pharmacy, and are not usually call for alarm unless it happens to be one that extends to the customer level (not the case this time). That said, media caught wind of it and began reporting on the recall, causing fear and worry amongst customers who are on this particular blood pressure medication. I began and ended my pharmacy day yesterday fielding these many calls from customers who were fearful of continuing their medication even one more day, now that this information was known. 

Once you know something, you can’t un-know it.

The cause of the recall? It became known that one of the ingredients used in this particular medication is a ‘probable’ cancer causing agent.  (Ironically, one of the people I spoke to was a smoker. SMH!) Now, before you start calling your pharmacy wondering what you are supposed to do if you are on valsartan,  let’s take a look at the facts:

  1. Right or wrong, the alleged ingredient has been in the medication since at least 2015.
  2. The recall is not at the customer level (meaning that the situation has not given the FDA cause to issue a recall on dispensed medication too).  In fact, this statement was issued by the FDA: “Because valsartan is used in medicines to treat serious medical conditions, patients taking the recalled valsartan-containing medicines should continue taking their medicine until they have a replacement product.”
  3. “Probable” cancer causing agents should be fully excluded from our daily lives, but sadly they are everywhere you turn. The FDA and the EPA turn a blind eye daily as companies pump probable (and known) cancer causing agents into the environment, our homes, our food and drinking water, AND our personal care products. It’s no wonder that the cancer rate in the United States has skyrocketed since the 1950’s.

Visit the American Cancer Society website, you’ll see a list of  these ‘probable  (and known) cancer causing agents’ that people unwittingly use and allow into their lives.

Once you know something, you can’t un-know it.

I would advise stopping reading now if you want to remain blissfully unaware, because I’m about to give you the lowdown on just a few items on the FDA/EPA list.

Seriously. Stop now. 

Here are just a few offenders from the long list:

Giving you examples of known and probable carcinogens could easily consume my day, because this list just goes on and on and on.…… and ultimately I will bore you to tears (or wake you up to what you likely have in your home).  

I’m hoping by now you see my frustration in yesterday’s moment of media hyped hysteria over the valsartan recall. Of course it should have been recalled, but friends…… we have much larger fish to fry if we are going to worry about this.

I would venture to guess that each person I spoke to about the recall yesterday has more than 100+ known carcinogenic products in their home and garage that they willingly (but perhaps unwittingly) choose to expose themselves to on a daily basis.

SMH.

If you didn’t listen to me, and read this post to completion, you’ve got some decisions to make. What you can’t choose tho, is to now ‘un-know what you now know‘. Knowing gives you personal responsibility for the skin in the game (your own) and begs the next question….. what are you going to do about it?

Reality is this:  It’s not possible to avoid every carcinogenic or body damaging product out there, but there IS so much we CAN do to avoid the majority of them within our own home. There are also many ways to encourage detoxification of the body cheaply, effectively, and holistically.

If this post has you thinking that maybe it is time to wake up and clean up, I’d encourage you to start small in big ways. Get the ‘standard’ household cleaners out of your home…. one by one. When you run out of a product, don’t buy that junk again. Consider switching to Thieves Cleaner (a completely healthy way to clean).

Get the candles and formaldehyde laced air fresheners out of your home, and replace them with healthy diffusers. I promise…. you’ll sleep better, be happier, have fewer headaches, and….. if you diffuse the right oils, you’ll even boost your immune system and provide positive emotional support. This trumps possible and probable carcinogenic loaded products any day. Science backs this ya’ll….. as a pharmacist, I wouldn’t be here if it didn’t.

The cosmetic industry is rife with concerning chemicals. Use up what you have, but as you get close to needing more, consider ‘clean’ skin care and makeup. Yes, it does exist. I’d love to send you a few samples of whatever you’d like to see or try that is not only beautiful, but also loaded with health promoting ingredients. Ever heard of Savvy Minerals? If not, you are missing out.

This is one of the (many) things I love about Young Living. They stand in the gap for us where other companies do not. Scouring labels for toxins was time consuming and the print is small and fine (purposefully I think). I know I am taken care of safely with whatever I purchase for my family and our farm, and that we are taking personal responsibility for us….. because clearly, the governmental entities, are not doing enough of it.

If you’d like to learn more about living a more carcinogenic free life, please feel free to private message me. 

I am not perfect in my walk, but I’ve done it now for much of my adult life and would be happy to walk with you as you begin your journey. It’s never too late to start.

Hugs and love  ~ Liz


​References:

fda article
freeethoughtproject-baby powder
fda harmful ingredintst tables
poison papers
nbc news – chemicals cause cancer

In the Garden

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I am constantly amazed by God and all He has given us. He has given us everything we need from day ONE….. it was all there in the Garden…. and much he did with a little bit of humor and a wink. (I love that about Him…. he has a wry sense of humor at times!)

Pharmacy school has an elective class or two in something called Pharmacognosy: “A branch of knowledge concerned with medicinal drugs obtained from plants or other natural sources.”
This has fascinated me well before I ever even thought about going to pharmacy school (I did a term paper on herbal medicine when I was a Freshman). The list is terribly long, but here are some examples….
 Foxglove = Digoxin (heart)
 Poppy = Codeine (pain)
 Autumn Crocus = Colchicine (gout)
 Tobacco = Nicotine (insecticide/ anti-helminthic.. who knew!?!)
 Valerian = Sedative

In Biblical times, ‘superbugs’ and diabetes likely didn’t even exist except in the rarest of occasions. The prevalence today of these are the result of man messing with things we shouldn’t have. Go back and research the incidence of bacterial resistance and diabetes in ancient times. Neither one existed with any regularity, yet today, they are both epidemic. An oddity (back in the day) deserves an oddity treatment…. don’t you think? Here’s a few more…..

​Gila Monster spit = diabetes
Yesterday, I saw this… Platypus milk! ….. one of my most favorite animals may hold the key to this superbug crisis we currently have. I feel like God created odd creatures as a clue to man (back in the day)…. odd creatures for odd diseases.

God gives us clues to ourselves and His future plans for us ( Jeremiah 29:11). I marvel at how He put events, people, and opportunities in my life (even 30+ years ago), knowing that I would need these things later for what He has planned for me now.

Keep your eyes, ears, and heart (and even your gut) open. God speaks to us all daily. He nudges us in the direction he wishes us to go. It’s up to us to follow or ignore that nudge.

How has He used something in your past to prepare you for what’s going on in your life today?

​Hugs and Love, Liz

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