Category Archives: Health & Nutrition

Sniffing essential oil of Grapefruit is known to help curb your craving for sweets.

Sniffing essential oil of Peppermint is known to help reduce hunger.

A 2-week study demonstrated that people who sniffed essential oil of peppermint every couple of hours during the day felt less hungry and consumed less fat and sugar than non-sniffers.

If you have hypersensitivities to chemicals, do not Not NOT use a laundromat. If your washer is bust, wash by hand or find a neighbor who is equally sensitive and will let you use their safe machine.

If your machine has to sit for a while (as our did, because it was bust), open the door so the inside dries. (Dark plus wet equals mold and mildew.)

Front loading washers trap debris in the rubber door gasket and in the detergent dispenser. This debris collects stuff (like stinky fragrances) and holds on to them. It also stays wet. Dark plus wet equals mold and mildew.

If you were stupid and took your clothes to a laundromat, the oil-based fragrance they collected from the debris at the laundromat will next transfer to the debris in your own washer and contaminate everything you wash … over and over and over.

Even if you were not stupid in a laundromatty way, you still need to clean the gasket and dispenser monthly with a toothbrush, rags and bleach or vinegar. Even if you use safe, unscented laundry products, these things will still grow mold and mildew, which will gas you whenever you open the washer and make your clothes and towels smell like dirty feet.

Cleaning the gasket: Don’t forget to put your fingers inside the gap in the rubber gasket and pull forward to get at trapped crud.

Cleaning the dispenser: Pull it as far out as it will go, then look for a tab that releases it so you can remove it completely. After scrubbing and replacing everything, run a hot cycle without clothes to flush the machine out.

If your washer has gotten totally stinky, do the hand cleaning, then run the first no-clothes hot cycle with bleach, a second with vinegar and a third with just hot water. After that, clean monthly to avoid future problems. (I don’t tolerate bleach, so we used borax. Dunno if that helped or not. I should have taken chemistry.)

If your clothes are contaminated by oil-based fragrance and/or musty aromas that are being super stubborn, it might help to add essential oils to the load. Drip them on to a washcloth or sock or something and toss in with everything else. It helps. Don’t ask me why. (I wonder if I’d understand if I’d taken chemistry.)

Oils I used: lemon, tea tree, pine, eucalyptus, rosemary, lavender. I was desperate so used 3 drops each, 18 drops total, for a load of towels. It made an enormous difference and I could not smell the essential oils at all. So far as I could tell, they bound themselves to the toxic fragrances and flushed themselves out of my house.

Praise God and thank you all for your prayers and advice.

Unstable blood sugar levels are a common cause of poor mood. Sweet desserts and refined carbohydrates cause sharp fluctuations in blood glucose levels, which are marked by irritability, forgetfulness and digestive problems.

Nutritional imbalances and deficiencies interfere with proper brain function and hormone levels, causing poor concentration, feelings of guilt, lack of energy and other symptoms of depression. One study of nearly 4,000 people found that those who ate a lot of processed foods were 58% more likely to be depressed, while those who at more whole foods were 26% less likely to be depressed.

If you want to enjoy the holidays to the max, eat for nutritional quality. Choose fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and organic whole foods that are dense in nutrients and will not spike your blood sugar. And get off the couch. Regular exercise plays a key role in stabilizing blood sugar.

Supplementation can also helps fight symptoms of depression when certain nutrients are otherwise difficult to obtain from dietary sources. Omega 3 fatty acids, for instance, have been shown to help the function of the brain’s neurotransmitters and increase production of serotonin. The human body cannot produce omega 3s.

Often, drugs prescribed to treat depression are designed to increase the level of serotonin produced by the brain. These medications often carry dangerous side effects. Omega 3 supplementation, on the other hand, has been shown to reduce depression symptoms by as much as 53% without side effects.

Source: Email from our chiropractor

Further info @ http://www.sott.net/article/253187-Depression-Your-brain-on-sugar

Click on graphic to embiggen.
Chrissy’s Site Bites @ http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2003715830056011884EivFMT
Chrissy’s Site Bites @ http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2251992010056011884bcoQZp

I’ve been getting great feedback from folks about these. They’re by far the easiest and most economical way to use essential oils that I’ve ever tried. There are no carrier oils to dilute the therapeutic oils and the dispenser is small and lightweight, so you pay a minimum for diffusion.

Best of all, to my mind, is that these are totally personal, direct to the blood stream dispensers. You affect NOBODY but yourself when you use them, so even if the person sitting right next to you on the plane is allergic, it’s not a problem. And there are no oils, lotions or powders to soil clothing or irritate your own allergies.

The therapeutic properties of essential oils are well know, but I have no desire to have some FDA jackboot coming down on my neck for making illegal claims about what these blends can do for you.

So here’s the obligatory, keep the gummint off my doorstep, proviso … I chose the specific oils based on what experts in aromatherapy attest to their known therapeutic properties. I blended them with what I’ve learned about perfumery from research and experience. And I’ve tested them on myself and others.

Everybody’s body is unique. If you buy one and hate the aroma or it just does not work for you, I’ll refund your money and you can pass it on to someone else to try. (I suggest you swab down the tip with a bit of hydrogen peroxide first, just as a courtesy … seeing as you stuck it into your nose and all.)

I’m working on other blends. If you have a particular need, let me know. I provide free tester tubes of new blends in exchange for feedback about how well the blend is working for you.

To learn more about aromatherapy, check out my Essential Oils: God’s Pharmacy album.
Chrissy’s Site Bites @ http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/580611370UcGLuw

The difference in prices is because the price of essential oils varies enormously. E.g., Eucalyptus costs one penny per drop; Jasmine costs fifty cents per drop!  If you have questions or want to order, email Chrissy@ChrissyOriginals.com.

The standard American diet is responsible for a lot of our poor health, chronic disease and early death. Here’s why and what you can do about it.

Acid vs. Alkaline – Any Questions ? [8:58]

Below: Why I think this stuff is true … or … A short journey into more than you wanted to know about Chrissy

When I was a sophomore in college (ca 1974), I began to suffer some really bizarre symptoms (insomnia, could NOT sit still) accompanied by chronic, intractable pain. I was hospitalized, sent to specialists, and then released and sent back to college minus any diagnosis or treatment protocol.

Barely able to function, I soldiered on. Or I should say, I jocked on. It’s in the genes. Bruises heal; goals don’t. Yada yada. It was a crappy year, but eventually the symptoms subsided enough that, although I had been able to complete only a half year of course work, I was able to overload my junior and senior years so I could graduate before my 4-years-only scholarships ran out.

Fast forward about six years. The symptoms suddenly returned, but in the interim, I had begun seeing a chiropractor who did a lot with nutrition. I went to him and recited my complaints. He asked, “Are your lips dry?”  Well, yes. As a matter of fact, they were uncomfortably dry. And I hadn’t been out in the kind of weather that should make them feel that way.

He went off and came back with a handful of tablets and some water. I swallowed them and he said, “You have a potassium deficiency. You’ll feel better by the time you get home.” I left with a bottle of pills and he was right. I felt NORMAL by the time I got home! (And really angry about how much I suffered sophomore year!)

Fast forward lots more years during which I knew that I could keep the insomnia, agitation and muscle aches thing away by loading up on minerals when my lips got dry. Then somebody gave me a little pamphlet about body pH and some litmus strips. What the heck. It was free, right … so I tested my urine. It hit the “vinegar” color … which could explain the burning.

Over time, I learned that when my body was pH balanced, my poo would be well formed and easy to expel without straining or a ton of toilet paper. As I got more acid, it would turn into clay bombs that were too small to stimulate peristalsis and so would pile up until I was constipated. But, oddly, as I got even more acid, it all suddenly switched to bum burning diarrhea.  This surprised me. I figured diarrhea would be on one side, clay bombs on the other. But that isn’t how it worked.

Mostly, I’ve been coping with this issue by supplementing with minerals and, when I’m so acidic my skin hurts, I smooth Coral Calcium powder on myself which really helps. (I have no idea what an overly alkaline body is like. I’ve never been there.)

Lately, Dearest has been seeing a new chiropractor who is really REALLY into nutrition. He has introduced us to Dr. Axe and “Real Foods.” Recently, Dearest saw the video above in his office. It confirms a lot of what I have picked up over the years and includes some things I did not know.

For example, to bring acid to neutral, the body increases URINE production. This could explain why I’m always thirsty … and know the insides of every bathroom I’ve ever passed. Yes, I’m a pain to travel with. Probably just as well I’m home bound. LOL

The video also says that, to bring acid to neutral, the body steals IODINE and SODIUM, as well as calcium, magnesium and potassium. Okay. I knew about the latter three, but not the first two. Could be why I salt my food way more than Dearest … I sometimes just crave it so much I sprinkle salt on my palm and lick it off. Also, I recently began taking an iodine supplement … and I have so much more energy!

To summarize: Two things acidify the body … diet and stress. There are a lot of stressors we cannot change in our lives. Some we will need time and hard work to change, for which tasks we need to feel well, not exhausted. But DIET … diet we can control.

Dearest and I have been trying to follow some of Dr. Axe’s suggestions for switching our diet to real foods without breaking the bank or giving up or changing so much stuff that we feel all deprived and diet-y. We both look and feel SO much better!

Our Marines bought a juicer a while back and were so enthusiastic about how great they feel, we put “Figure out how to buy a juicer” on the trusty Round Tuit list.

Today, I got the video below from Dr. Axe about juicing. It’s got me thinking I need to move that item to the TOP of the list, especially since he says a good quality juicer only costs about half what I was thinking.

Juicing and Cleansing Your Body [6:36]

Bob asked for info about successful living with seasonal allergies. I thought I’d spread the love and post my response as a blog.

The most important concept to understand when choosing what to do or not do to stay well is Total Load. The immune system is the opposite of all other body organs and systems. When we are stressed, all other systems slow down; the immune system revs up. Therefore, anyone with an autoimmune disorder (like seasonal allergies) needs to be extra careful to avoid unnecessary stresses.

The absolute easiest place to exercise total control is in your bedroom. For many people, creating an oasis is the ONLY thing they need to do. Having a place where the immune system can get a total rest is often enough for many people to get their total load down to where they are asymptomatic or able to control their symptoms with a minimum of medication.

Your best investment for allergy relief is a good air filter for the bedroom. I like the Aireox best. http://www.aireox.com/FAQ.html

We tried several other brands, but ended up giving them all away, because I much preferred the Aireox for looks, portability, quiet operation, and the ease and cost of cleaning the cartridges. I’ve got one in every room I use. They run continuously on low and apart from a funky switch (they replaced it free), I’ve had no problems with them, despite the fact that some of them have been running non-stop since 1984. I also don’t find a need to replace the cartridges anywhere near as often as they recommend, probably because I have to keep my house so allergen-free anyway. I put a date sticker on the top when I put in a new cartridge. The last time the air coming out of my bedroom filter started smelling less than fresh, the sticker was five years old!

Creating an oasis is a nuisance, but it’s worth it to do it right from the get go.  We found it much easier to just move ourselves into the smallest bedroom. I have to have everything I use super safe anyway, so only my clothes are allowed in. They don’t even get laundered with anyone else’s stuff. The further you go from my air space (esp the bedroom), the less careful we need to be. Dearest’s clothes and shoes are in what normal people would use for outdoor coats. Coats and boots are in the basement. When anyone comes in smelly, they have to strip down in the basement and change.

But I’m extreme. Most folks get much better with JUST a really good oasis. That 8 hours a day of true rest with no immune stress gives them what they need to be well during the hours they’re out and about. But you really MUST NOT keep anything in the bedroom that you wouldn’t put in your baby’s crib. Seriously. I know a woman who knew better, but ditzed out and not only got her clothes dry cleaned, but brought them home and hung them in her bedroom closet. Then she laid down for a nap. Hours and hours later, after the paralysis wore off, she was able to remove the dry cleaning and air her room out. Lesson learned!

You can improve your breathing by using essential oils in the bedroom at night. This is another place the Aireox is really nice. The outflow is on top, so it’s easy to put an inexpensive “ghetto diffuser” on it, let the air filter push the essential oils around the room. I find about 4 drops on the gauze is plenty for a small bedroom all night.

I get an enormous amount of therapeutic benefit from essential oils. Learning the therapeutic benefits of each oil takes time. I was scared to even try them, because I was so allergic to fragrances. Then, one day, I met this lovely aromatherapist who was so compassionate about my fear that I was able to relax and let her teach me safe ways to try out just one oil at a time. This not only proved to be a safe way for me to find oils I tolerate, but also an excellent method for slowly investing in and learning about aromatherapy.

One bottle doesn’t cost much, usually less than $10. Some are more  costly, including some I now wouldn’t be without, but there are plenty of good, inexpensive ones to get anyone started without breaking the bank. Essential oils are sold by the ounce and used by the drop. You get a LOT of bang for your buck with this stuff! AND it doesn’t harm you, the way drugs do. The right oil at the right time is just 100% good for you. Even better, aromatherapy has a nifty feature to help you self-prescribe. When an oil or oil mix is right for your body, it will smell appealing to you. With allergies, this can be a huge help in deciding what oils to test. If I find an oil offensive at first whiff, I just don’t bother going further.

For night time breathing relief, eucalyptus, any of the evergreens (e.g., pine) and tea tree are all good, easy to find and inexpensive. Before purchasing, read the sections in my album about safety and choosing a brand and vendor. I buy my oils from Aroma Thyme. It’s a woman-owned home business with good prices, fast service and a wide selection, including carrier oils, empty bottles etc. so I can mix my own blends.

Only one oil I know of has antihistamine properties, but I use it and get good results: Tansy Blue. It’s not as easy to find as the more common oils like Eucalyptus and Lavender, but Aroma Thyme has it. By itself, it has a kind of sickly sweet smell that I don’t care for but any other oil, even one drop, eliminates the cloying quality. Note: It’s seriously BLUE. I never use it in massage oils because it stains. But one drop in my diffuser at night with a few drops of Eucalyptus … it’s fantastic.

I do not use any prescription meds. I do use an OTC antihistamine (active ingredient: chlorpheniramine maleate). It comes in bulk bottles in a cheap generic form and it works well without side effects.

I boost its effectiveness with a good Vitamin C source. It’s essential to AND destroyed by the process of clearing an allergic reaction, so people who have allergies require much, much higher doses than RDA. I have been using and getting good results from this one for about 20 years.

http://www.naturessunshine.com/us/product/vitamin-c-tr-1000-mg-60-tabs/sku-1635.aspx

The main thing to look for in choosing a brand is not cost, but purity and bio-availability. Some brands (cheaper ones) put so much binder in the tabs (so they stay together in shipping) that the pills do not dissolve in the right place in your gut for best absorption. NSP is really good about this, as are other companies. But NSP is the one I know, use and can recommend. (GP probably has some good recommendations too!)

You really cannot overdose on Vitamin C. It’s water soluble, so any extra is shed not stored. Actually, the worst it’ll do to you is give you the runs. I knew a guy once who took 8,000 mg after exposure to fresh paint. He didn’t get any sloppy poop, so clearly needed it all. (The vitamins you need to be cautious about dosage with are the oil solubles. They get put into body fat where they can become toxic.)

I like the taste of Vitamin C, so bite the tablet and hold it under my tongue for a half minute or so to get some of the C straight into my blood stream. It’s acidic, so not something to suck on for long, but when you’re hurting and need relief fast, this helps.

Another good OTC remedy is Alka Seltzer Gold. It’s just the salts without any aspirin or other extras. You probably have to special order it. Ask a pharmacist. It has an amazing ability to clear an allergic reaction with just body salts. It is salt, though, so if you’ve got blood pressure problems or whatever, consult your physician about what doses would be safe.

Take care to make changes that feel right. Change is hard. Go about it prayerfully. Avoid implementing changes that are more stressful than they are worth. We are each a complex organism composed of inter-related systems — physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Many studies (and common sense) have shown that we influence our bodies (esp the immune system!) as much with healthy or destructive emotions, thoughts and spirituality as we do with a bad diet, lack of exercise, etc.

Use as much care with feeding your mind and spirit as you do with feeding your body. It’s kind of pointless to go all organic in your diet, then read books or watch television that is filled with stuff that makes you feel angry or depressed. I saw a study once that showed people who had a favorite funny t.v. show to look forward to in the evening had more positive hormones in their blood ALL DAY. Laughter and positive emotions flood the body with good hormones so go out of your way to expose yourself to things that make you laugh out loud or feel all squishy inside.

Hope this barrage of information is more helpful than whelming! GD, feel free to add whatever you like. The rest of all y’all, ask questions. I’m happy to help!

Chrissy’s Site Bites: http://news.webshots.com/photo/2385985210056011884dnRylF
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If you live where Lyme (and related tick-borne diseases) are prevalent, you need to know that “Lyme” is just a slang term for more than a dozen infections that ticks can transmit to humans. I have a friend who has been fighting a tick infection for two years now. Her home is in a yellow, NOT in a red zone.

Go to http://www.cdc.gov/Features/StopTicks/ for info about how to identify ticks, do tick checks, and protect yourself, your yard and your pets.

TICK REMOVAL

Avoid folklore remedies such as “painting” the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. Your goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible, not wait for it to detach on its own.

Grasp the tick right next to the skin and slowly pull the entire tick straight up with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. Avoid touching the tick with bare hands.

Regular tweezers tend to squeeze deadly stomach contents into the wound. Google “tick removal device” and choose one. They’re small and inexpensive. One is designed to attach to your key ring or dog’s collar.

If the mouth-parts do break off, try to remove them with tweezers. If you can’t get them out, leave it alone and let the skin heal.

After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands, preferably with rubbing alcohol or an iodine scrub.

KEEP A TICK COLLECTION KIT ON HAND

Know what ticks look like. You can download and print images of the ticks indigenous to your area at their actual sizes for the different life stages. The CDC and Cooperative Extension sites have pictures and descriptions.

If you get bit and find the tick, you should collect it for testing. Treatments depends on correctly diagnosing which of the 20 tick infections you might have. Having the actual tick’s body and head can really help.

Put that in a small case with a tick removal device, a foil package of alcohol or Betadine to clean the wound and a small vial (old pill bottle) that has a clean label on it where you can note the time, day, and place of collection.

If you can arrange it, also keep a vial of 200 mg tablets of Doxycycline in your kit, especially if you are traveling or camping. It is the usual first line antibiotic for tick bites. The sooner you can start the Doxycycline (two a day), the better.

Early treatment is critical with tick-borne illnesses. It only takes 15 minutes to pass the infection into your system and another 15 minutes for that infection to get into your spinal column.

If you find a fat tick in your clothes, it has probably already fed on you. Put the tick in the vial, find and clean the bite and begin treatment with Doxycycline.

In some areas of the country, Lyme is a highly politicized issue, so it can be difficult to find a Lyme Literate physician during the first few hours and days when treatment is most effective. An emergency room might or might not give you Doxycycline.

If I was looking for a physician or pediatrician, I’d ask what their treatment policy is for Lyme. If they blow you off, don’t use them.

PREVENTION IS YOUR BEST PROTECTION

Tick-borne illnesses are the most common cause of the most serious infections in the United States at this time. Education, awareness and PREVENTION are the best protection you have.

Many physicians will not take these diseases seriously, and many will not treat them. Once one of these infections has become established in the body, it can take years of treatment before you are rid of it and the symptoms are very serious.

The tiny nymph stage when the tick is most difficult to see is the type that carries the biggest load of infection.

Pets can carry the ticks and the diseases into your home. Don’t let pets that go out of doors get up on the bed. The pesticide chip vets put in the neck of dogs and cats works pretty well.

The physical response to a tick bite can happen up to 6 months after it happens and these diseases can also be passed by blood transfusions, via sex, or to unborn babies.

Only 1/3 of the people who contract Lyme or a similar infection even remember having had a tick bite.

It takes about two weeks at a temperature 10 below zero to kill ticks and eggs. So this past winter has been very easy on them and the crop will be bigger.

All game needs to be butchered very carefully, and cooked well.  Infection is carried in the blood and tissue of deer but it does not make them sick.  Raw milk is not a good idea and none of the tick infections are tested for when raw milk is certified safe.

Ticks need moisture from the soil so they don’t live in the house very well and usually dry up on a day
or two if they fall off.

Gum boots without eyeholes are good prevention. (Where I live, the dairy farmers call them “shit kickers” for obvious reasons.)

You can spray Pyrethrum rated for ticks on gaiters to wrap around your lower pant legs.

Furry cloth like flannel, and hairy wool trap ticks so they can be disposed of later.

Always use a blanket or sheet to sit on the ground to be washed later. Camping stores offer clothes with pesticide manufactured into them.

If you are camping with sleeping bags use a sheet insert. Sheets should be light colored so you can see if they get into the bed and take steps if you find them.

Throwing clothes into the washer/dryer on high is a good tick killer. Hot air dries them out.

In small yard spaces, or dog beds, toilet paper rolls with pesticide soaked cotton inside is a fairly effective way to make sure your mouse population doesn’t carry ticks.  They take the cotton out for nest material and that kills ticks on the mice.  But mice have a home range of only a few yards so it is for a limited area like a porch or playpen.

Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On What Really Causes Heart Disease By Dr. Dwight Lundell
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/242516-Heart-Surgeon-Speaks-Out-On-What-Really-Causes-Heart-Disease

SUMMARY: The real cause of heart disease is inflammation in the artery walls. The cholesterol theory that led to the no-fat, low-fat recommendations caused Americans to change their diets to the very foods that cause inflammation in the artery walls! What should we eat? Read the article.

Years ago, coconut oil got a bad rep for increasing serum cholesterol … except the kind it elevates is the GOOD kind of cholesterol (HDL).

The video below talks about the successful use of dietary coconut oil in treating Alzheimers. They also say that Alzheimers begins 10 or 20 years before symptoms start and it’s related to diabetes, so if you’re at all concerned about either, switching to coconut oil is apparently a preventive as well as a treatment. Just be sure to get NON-HYDROGENATED coconut oil.

Below, Dr. Axe says coconut oil is valuable not only for the health of the brain and heart, but also for the thyroid and immune system. It is antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal and antibacterial. It also promotes good digestion and weight loss.

There’s a good article about cooking with coconut oil here:
http://www.draxe.com/discover-the-best-oils-for-cooking/

Sadly, the good kinds of coconut oil are pricey. Not that you can really put a price on health, but you have to have the money in the first place, right?  This is a good article on what to look for when choosing a brand you can afford and like the smell and taste of.

How To Choose A Good Coconut Oil by KristenM
http://www.foodrenegade.com/how-to-choose-a-good-coconut-oil/