Self-Care

Toxin-free Spa Day

Liz James · September 5, 2020 ·

We run a pretty tight ship (as my Navy dad used to say) around here at the farm. We have many animals🐮🐴🐕🐈🐔 and many chores each day, every day, and letting things slack or slide can lead to chaos, crazy, and frankly just good ol’ “stank “! 💩 Lots of animals leads to lots of manure and sweat don’tcha know👩‍🌾👨‍🌾!
We aren’t stinky heathens out here in the country😉, we like a clean smelling house that is toxin free. Years ago, i used to be one of those “plug in ” gals with a fake fragrance smell throughout our whole house. That was before I knew better ….. back when I assumed Big Pharma was here devoted to our best interests too.

Thank goodness my eyes were opened 18 years ago…and i learned the truth about both. Those household plug ins will do a number on your endocrine system…. guaranteed. The good news is that your house can smell even better than that fake chemical smell when you bring out the diffuser 😍.

What do you want your home to smell like? I love the smell of a spa…. I rarely have the time to have a spa day, and I LOOOOVE the spa aroma (not to mention a good massage!). Take a look at these diffuser blends…. I’ll be giving them a try myself!
xoxo~ liz

diy spa scents

Sunshine Benefits

Liz James · July 22, 2020 ·

One of the fringe benefits of cleaning up your body (ie: ditching toxic ☠️ products) is pretty evident during the summer months. 🌞Sunburns and sun damage (tho they can still happen) usually become a less common occurrence.
Before I began cleaning up my diet, my skin care & personal care products, and our household cleaners and chemicals, it was not uncommon for me to get a decent sunburn a couple times a year. In college (years ago!), I got a few really memorable ones.😳
#thebabyoilyears #ThanksYLforallthetools
#ThievesHouseholdCleanerforthewin
Sun exposure is super beneficial on many levels, not the least of which is its role in the body’s ability to synthesize Vitamin D. We should strive for daily exposure to the sun, not hide from it! Many people fear going out in the sun because they burn so very easily, and while melanin plays a part in whether or not you are prone to sunburn, the reality is that the risk of sunburn and sun damage rises the more “polluted” the inside of your body is. I’m a blonde haired blue eyed farm girl, and have lived this fact.
There is a second part of this equation tho.
🌞In addition to ditching toxins, seek out foods that are high in antioxidants (like blueberries, wolfberries, kale, dark chocolate, beans, and pecans). These help bind up the damaging free radicals from both toxins and excess sun exposure.
I love that NingXia Red is loaded with both wolfberries and blueberries! It is a daily staple in our home.
🌞You’ll also want to eat foods high in lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant AND it also absorbs both UVA and UVB radiation. Reach for watermelon, tomatoes, red bell peppers, asparagus, red cabbage, and mangos as often as you can!
🌞Omega-3 Fatty Acids come into play as well! Does that surprise you? They help maintain our skin’s integrity and aid in a proper inflammatory response. In other words, they help our body cope with a little too much time in the sun. Walnuts, salmon, cod liver oil, flax, hemp and chia seeds are all loaded with Omega-3’s.
I try to get a handful of walnuts in my diet daily, but I ALWAYS take my OmegaGize3 (item #3097)!
🌞Foods high in beta carotene are also important. Beta carotene converts to Vitamin A in our body, and committing to a diet rich in carrots, dark leafy greens, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, apricots, and red bell peppers over time (10 weeks according to one study) provides natural sunscreen protection.
🌞Green Tea contains a flavanol known as EGCG
(epigallocatechin gallate) which has been found to help reduce skin damage from UVA light and also help support healthy collagen (the protein responsible for our skin’s elasticity).
Young Living’s organic Vanilla Lemongrass green Tea (item # 32205) is just as good iced as it is hot. ☕️ Organic tea (and coffee) is so very important because the traditional non-organic processing methods are loaded with ☠️toxins.
🌿Young Living does have an amazing sunscreen (SPF 50 item #24137) that is toxin free (most on the market are loaded with unhealthy ingredients)…. So this was a welcome addition in our home when it became available a few years back!

Enjoy that sunshine friends! 🌞It’s one of God’s ways of smiling on us and it’s an absolutely free health and wellness tool we all have access to.
Be well!
xoxo~ liz

#usethegiftsGodgaveus
#sunshineispowerfulmedicine
#ThanksYL
#ditchthetoxins

More Intervention

Liz James · April 20, 2020 ·

With all of the recent scramble and scurry to develop a vaccine for the CV, I’ve been pretty deep into study mode.

📚 I uncovered quite a bit of interesting information today, and wanted to bring you a few interesting tidbits and thoughts over the next few days….

I find it fascinating that, during the daily White House press briefings, there is nearly always a bit of discussion which revolves around tried and true “older” therapies that warrant some attention. #Babysbeeninthecorner

Hydroxychloroquine is the star player, of course, during these discussions…. it’s the man made cousin of quinine… which comes from the bark of the cinchona tree.

Pharmacognosy (the study of plants 🌿 with a medicinal purpose) is tremendously important. Really, it’s where the roots of pharmacy lie. The problem is that natural healing agents cannot be patented (as a rule), so there is no large money to be had by Big Pharma in pursuing treatments derived solely from plants. #BigPharmabelievesinprofitbeforepurpose

Quinine was banned as an “Over The Counter” (OTC) supplement in the 90’s because it was deemed “dangerous”, despite the fact that it has been around for, well…. as long as there have been cinchona trees 😉.

As more and more information is revealed about hydroxychloroquine (and quinine) , it appears there are more studies (deeply buried) suggesting other beneficial uses too. Fascinating stuff!… especially when you dig beyond the superficial.#dontbeafraidtodig

I’m hopeful that this pandemic will bring more of these uses to light and perhaps bring relief to some who have fairly significant disease states.

Hydroxychloroquine is not a drug without potential for harm, but certainly, given the pandemic situation, its benefits outweigh the risk for short term use, particularly for those whose lives depend on it.

To be clear, I’m not a fan of using medications as a crutch when self intervention could hold the cure (I’m not talking about CV here). However, sometimes medications can be used as a springboard for serious self intervention.

What does self intervention mean? We (us… all of us) are the ultimate responsible ones for our health… not our spouse, not our doctor, not our government. Self intervention is pretty simple…. it means caring enough about oneself to care FOR oneself:

Has diet been modified and improved upon to eliminate processed and / or non organic foods as well as any foods that may be triggers for poor health?

💪 Is regular and correct exercise being implemented as a regular routine?

Is stress being well managed?

☠️ Have toxins been removed as much as possible from the lifestyle? This would include common housecleaning supplies, body care products and makeup that are typically loaded with them. It also includes limiting exposure to electromagnetic frequencies 💻.

All of this matters a great deal. Relying on a medication long term will nearly ALWAYS have consequences in the manner of side effects and developed deficiencies the drugs will inevitably cause.

Self care is much like prepping, but without all of the extra toilet paper rolls stashed in the closet. 😉 I would argue that self care is a prepper’s most important project. Someone who has practiced self care for any length of time has a stronger immune system AND a level of confidence in their health that trumps fear. And THAT is perhaps the most important prepper’s tool of all…. the absence of fear.

Spring Detox

Liz James · April 9, 2020 ·

Psst…… Hey there friend! I see you and your struggle between patience and frustration, perhaps even moving between anger at being cooped up and concern for the welfare of others. You are not alone in this. Hardly. Let’s chat a bit, shall we? 😘

Springtime is the season of new and pent up energy bursting forth… it’s that way in nature, and we humans also have that tendency.

Spring cleaning….

Spring gardening…..

Western medicine doesn’t look that much at seasonal changes and how it affects your body (unless they are discussing seasonal allergies),…. but it is a core feature in Traditional Chinese Medicine. TCM looks at the physical (what can be seen), and also the energy (that which might be blocked or sluggish). Too much blocked energy, and something physical will usually result. Free flowing energy results in a higher body frequency which results in a happier healthier you! #highfrequencyrules #bethelight

AT THE HEART OF THE SPRING SEASON FOR TCM ARE THE LIVER AND GALLBLADDER. THESE TWO ORGANS PLAY A TERRIBLY IMPORTANT ROLE IN DETOXIFICATION OF OUR BODY. WINTER WAS A TIME FOR STORING RESERVES…. AND SPRING IS OUR TIME FOR SHEDDING THE ACCUMULATED TOXINS THRU INCREASED MOVEMENT THAT TENDS TO COME MORE NATURALLY WITH LONGER DAYLIGHT HOURS AND A SUN THAT BECKONS US OUTDOORS….. and we need to be doing this!

Grab a bottle of Juvaflex or Helichrysum, Lemon, Orange, Peppermint, Basil, Rosemary, Frankincense, or Geranium and apply over the liver or use the vitality versions and add a drop or two to your water.

Movement is critical to all parts of the body… but in the Spring season, it’s especially important to your liver. Exercise can be done anywhere… even in the comfort of your own home and neighborhood!

Grab a bottle of the amazing essential oil blend, Motivation, and go for a walk today. Your liver will thank you. Promise!
Failure to move makes blood sluggish, and accumulated toxins just don’t have the opportunity to leave the body as they should.

Signs that you’ve maybe not incorporated enough movement in your life recently?
frequent headaches
sluggish metabolism
frequent sighing
stress related digestive issues
chronic stress you can’t seem to shake
an odd feeling of a “lump in the throat “
irritability, anger, or frustration

The liver is also the organ that holds stress. One of the best ways to help your liver emotionally is to practice expressing your feelings. Express… and then let go of them. Don’t dwell on them unless they are positive ones! Holding on to your negative emotions ultimately will cause outward irritability, frustration and anger. One sign that you might be holding on to something is feeling like you have a lump in your throat (almost like the feeling you get in your throat right before you cry).

Remember…. different emotions live in different organs….. Anger is held in the liver. But for the “negative” emotion an organ holds, it also holds a good one too…. and we have the free choice to decide which one is going to be expressed. The “positive” emotion associated with the liver is compassion. ….. and ya’ll… I’m thinking right about now…. our world could use a little less anger and a little more compassion.

If you are wanting to get rid of anger, first have some compassion on yourself. These are stressful times and stress feeds anger. Instead, try looking for ways to express compassion to get your liver energy flowing:

Offer to go shopping for someone who needs to avoid people due to a health concern.

Clean out your bookshelves and donate books or games to an assisted living community library.

Offer to walk someone’s dog for them.

Share what you have with someone who has less than you do at this moment.

Call people to check on them… don’t forget about your extroverted friends. They are probably climbing their curtains right about now 😉.

And finally….. seek out ways to nourish your liver… Lemon vitality oil in your water….. beets, broccoli, asparagus, and goji berries are all very helpful ways to support your liver.

Goji berries….. hmmm, where have we heard of those before? You probably have some in your house….. at least I HOPE you do. 😉… Goji berries are also known as wolfberries… and the best, healthiest ones in the world can be found in our NingXia Red! Who knew?

Love your liver, and show some compassion to yourself and to others. We’re gonna make it thru this time alone together just fine. You’ll see. 😘
xoxo~ liz

#strongertogether
#ThanksYL
#youvegotthis

*****************
Not sure about the science of TCM? If you are like me, you’ll want proof. Go do some digging on your own… perhaps start here with a really interesting study:
******************

hindawi article

Victory Gardens

Liz James · March 20, 2020 ·

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