Monthly Archives: November 2013

Mindful Eating for Thanksgiving

The spleen/stomach system according to Chinese Medical theory is responsible for the transportation and transformation of food. This system is what gives us usable energy. The quality of our health is determined by the essence we received from our parents (DNA) as well as our lifestyle habits. If you were born with good essence that’s great! The best way to keep it that way is to make sure you are living a healthy lifestyle or it will catch up with you.

The spleen/stomach relate to:

  • emotion: worry/over thinking
  • taste: sweet
  • pathogen: dampness
  • color: yellow
  • season: late summer and transitional phases
  • When our stressors cause us to over think or worry it can damage the spleen. You might know a few people who are worriers and have weak stomachs, this is because the spleen/stomach system governs both activities. If you are a multitasker this can also cause disharmony in your spleen/stomach making you feel anxious. The spleen/stomach system also keeps the blood contained. As a women, if you are living a stress filled life with no outlet you might experience spotting between periods, and other disharmonies with your menstrual cycle.

The spleen is a dry organ that hates dampness. What does that mean? Damp causing foods are sweet, especially empty sweet foods like processed cookies and candy. Dampness causes the body to feel heavy and weighed down metaphorically or literally with extra pounds. In order to keep your digestive system strong its important to eat warm foods.

Raw vegetables are considered cooling and are hard for your system to process. Always cook your veggies. Processed, deep fried, fast foods cause dampness in the body and damage your spleen/stomach. What you might not know is that it is important to focus just on your food while you eat. If you watch tv, drive, sit at the computer etc while you eat you are dividing the attention of the spleen with thinking and eating which ultimately imbalances your spleen.

The Dali Lama once said, “if the problem has a solution then there is no need to worry and if the problem doesn’t have a solution worry will do know good.” Easier said then done, but do your spleen a favor and let it go. 🙂
How can you avoid stressing out your spleen?

  1. Avoid refined sugars as much as possible
  2. Eat yellow foods with full sweet flavors such as squash, sweet potatoes, yellow peppers, or baby corn.
  3. Take life one moment at a time. Instead of multitasking, try to tackle one thing and complete it before moving on.
  4. Avoid living spaces and work environments that are below ground like garden apartments and basements. Keep yourself warm and covered when it rains or snows (dampness).
  5. Eat mindfully. Whenever possible eat with friends or family and enjoy their company and the food that you are eating. Notice the flavor of your food and chew! You might notice that you don’t need to eat as much as you used to.
  6. Unplug. Turn your cell phone and computer off when your work day is done. Even if all you do is turn your car off and sit for a moment of silence before going inside your home. Take some “me” time.

Why Having Friends is Good For Your Health

Why Having Friends is Good For Your Health

I wrote this blog a few years ago but it seemed fitting to review this Thanksgiving. 🙂

The introduction to the book Outliers describes the tiny city ofRoseto, Pennsylvania and the work of Dr. Stewart Wolf. Wolf conducted studies on the town in the 1960s and found that virtually no one under the age of fifty-five had died of a heart attack or showed any signs of heart disease while the rest of the country was undergoing an epidemic of heart disease. The death rate of men over the age of sixty five was half of what the rest of the United States was as well. Roseto’s death rates from all causes was actually 30-35% lower then expected.
Another amazing anomaly of Roseto was that there was no suicide, no alcoholism, no drug addiction and very little crime; no one was on welfare or had peptic ulcers. John Bruhn a sociologist involved in the studies stated, “These people were dying of old age. That’s it.” Wolf discovered that Rosetans were not on a special, healthier diet then other Americans either. Incredibly Rosetans took in 41% of their calories from fat. Rosetans also smoked heavily and many were overweight. Genetics also didn’t seem to be a factor.
Wolf discovered that the secret to Rosetans good health was their lifestyle. They lived 3 generations to a house and respected their elders deeply. Neighbors took the time to visit with each other and went out of their way to cook meals and simply support one another. In the 1950s when the medical community was used to the paradigm that our health depended on our genes and our individual lifestyle (perhaps it still is) it was nearly mind boggling to consider how the collective impacted not only the individual but the community as well.
I was excited to read these findings and thrilled at the book Outliersby Malcolm Gladwell (it’s an interesting read). What thrilled me most was the importance of community to our health. This is exactly the intention of Neighborhood Acupuncture Place’s approach to wellness by doing acupuncture in a shared space. The ancients have always prized community as a pillar of quality life.
Our society has more access to communication in a variety of ways and yet we have less and less physical contact. We know that if a baby has all of its needs met: food, clothing and shelter with the exception of being touched enough he will die. I can’t find any evidence that suggests that the need for touch, for understanding and companionship disappears as we get older. The majority of marketing these days convinces us that we need the “purple pill” to feel better, we own our IBS instead of our healthy bodies. It is through our diseases that we receive attention, feel loved and find identity. The goal of (community) acupuncture is the exact opposite. Through self awareness and a quiet space one can experience the body’s innate ability to heal itself. It is through the support of others that our health soars, as it is through supporting others that our health soars.

 

Perpetual Chicken Stock

Its Thanksgiving week already can you believe it? This week’s recipe is for stock. I know I have mentioned it a lot recently and I just did this last week so I thought I would share. Last week a friend and I made chicken pot pie with chicken legs. We saved the bones and made perpetual chicken stock. I don’t know about you but it is so very satisfying to make a meal and not waste a thing! From a Chinese Medicine perspective bone broth is super nourishing for the Kidney/Urinary Bladder system of winter and its great for your digestion and absorption of everything else you eat. Here is an article from Weston Price touting all the delicious benefits of homemade chicken stock.  

 

What do you need:

crock pot

chicken bones (or other soup bones, make sure they are organic or straight from the farm)

mason jars

2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

whatever other veggies you want for your stock I used the scrapes from our chicken pot pie (carrots, celery, brussel sprouts, onion, peppercorns, garlic etc) and some beet greens that were still in the garden.

water

Directions:

Put your chicken bones and veggies in your crock pot and pot with cold water and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (the ACV helps to draw the marrow and gelatin out of the bones where all the good stuff is). Cover and turn on high. After first round take out at least 2 cups of broth (I filled a mason jar) then replenish the same amount of broth you took with fresh water. Strain out veggies and just let bones remain. Cook on low for next batch. Again when it is finished take out at least 2 cups or another mason jar and replenish with equal amount of cold water. Cook on low again. You can continue this for up to 7 days. Now you have chicken stock for all your recipes. You can even freeze the stock in the mason jars! Just make sure to first cool the stock in the refrigerator before putting in the freezer and leave room at the top for the liquid to expand. If I can steal the turkey bones from thanksgiving dinner I will be doing this again. 🙂

 

Natural Remedy: Coconut Oil

Benefits of Coconut Oil

I originally posted this a couple years ago but its worth revisiting. Coconut oil is awesome and its white which means its especially great for the fall and lung/large intestine!

You may have heard me recommend coconut oil for a wide variety of ailments. I just came across this reference for many of coconut oils uses. Click the link or see below. I personally use coconut oil for rashes, moisturizer, shave cream/after shave, to keep stretch marks at bay (I didn’t get any stretch marks during pregnancy) and its delicious in a stir fry! Right now due to the weather it will most likely be in a solid form when you go to use it. Either run the jar under warm water until it starts to soften or leave on a heat vent.

December 20, 2011
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80 Uses for Coconut Oil

coconut oil 80 Uses for Coconut Oil
So what’s the deal with coconut oil?
Offering a myriad of health benefits, coconut oil is affordable, readily available and completely natural. I have completely fallen in love with coconut oil and use it for EVERYTHING. Literally. I buy it in 5 gallon increments and keep it all over my house. I even have some in the car. So here is a little information to inspire you to check out this amazing oil including 80 uses for it!
General information about Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil Is:
·       Anti-inflammatory
·       Antimicrobial
·       Antifungal
·       Antiviral
·       Improves nutrient absorption
Daily Dosage:
Here is a chart outlining the recommended daily dosage of virgin coconut oil for persons over the age of 12. Coconut oil may be consumed by children under 12 but it is advisable to check with a healthcare practitioner on the proper dosage. Any good naturopath will have the information at the ready.
Weight in pounds/kilograms Number of tablespoons of coconut oil daily
175+/79+ 4
150+ /68+ 3 1/2
125+ / 57+ 3
100+/ 45+ 2 1/2
75+ / 34+ 2
50+ / 23+ 1 1/2
25+ / 11+ 1
Type to use:
·       Expeller pressed coconut oil can be used for anything. It does not have a coconutty smell of taste.
·       Virgin coconut oil tastes coconutty and is great for cooking and baking where you want that flavor.
·       Food grade should always be used.
80 Uses for Coconut Oil
Personal Hygiene/Body
1.       Moisturizer – simply scoop some out of the jar and apply all over your body, including neck and face.
2.       Eye cream – apply under the eyes to reduce puffiness, bags, and wrinkles. Use on the lids in the evening.
3.       Preshave – coconut oil will prep skin for the pending damage caused by shaving.
4.       Aftershave – coconut oil will help heal your skin after shaving without clogging pores.
5.       Deodorant – coconut oil alone can be used as a deodorant, but even more effective in combination with cornstarch/arrowroot powder and baking soda!
6.       Hair Conditioner/Deep Treatment – use as a leave in hair conditioner by applying a teaspoon of coconut oil to your ends and then running your fingers through your hair to distribute the rest! For a deeper treatment, rub in a tablespoon of coconut oil onto your dry scalp and gently work through to the ends. Put a shower cap on to prevent transfer onto bed linens and leave on overnight.
7.       Hair Gel/Defrizzer – rub a little between your palms and either scrunch into hair (for curly hair) or finger comb in through from scalp to ends (for wavy/straight hair).
8.       Toothpaste – there are numerous recipes out there but I just mix coconut oil and baking soda and dab a little of the mix on my toothbrush.
9.       Make up remover – use a cotton swab and a dab of coconut oil and you would be amazed at how well it works!
10.   Chapstick – just rub a little into lips and it not only acts as a softening agent but it also has an SPF of about 4 so you get a little protection!
11.   Massage Oil – pretty simple; grab some and rub!
12.   Lubricant – it is an all natural, perfectly safe personal lubricant. Not compatible with latex!
13.   Sunscreen – see my post on natural sunscreen for more detailed information.
14.   Stretch Mark Cream – coconut oil is great at nourishing damaged skin. It may not be the magic stretch mark cure but it will help.
15.   Nipple Cream – works great to nourish cracked, sore, or dry nipples. Apply to a cotton ball and leave on your nipples between feedings.
16.   Diaper salve – very comforting on a rashy bum with no harsh chemicals. Also safe for cloth diapers.
17.   Cradle cap – having issues with dry skin on your baby’s scalp? Coconut oil will not only nourish your baby’s skin, it also helps eliminate cradle cap. Just rub a teaspoon onto scalp daily.
18.   Body scrub – mix coconut oil and sugar together and rub all over! Rinse off and your skin will be super soft! You can add in essential oils if you would like a specific smell.
19.   Healing – when applied on scrapes and cuts, coconut oil forms a thin, chemical layer which protects the wound from outside dust, bacteria and virus. Coconut oil speeds up the healing process of bruises by repairing damaged tissues. Plus, it smells a heck-of-a-lot better than anything from the pharmacy.
20.   Bug Bites – when applied directly to a bug bite, coconut oil can stop the itching and burning sensation as well as hasten the healing process.
21.   Skin problems – coconut oil relieves skin problems such as psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema.
22.   Swimmers Ear – mix garlic oil and coconut oil and put a few drops in affected ear for about 10 minutes. Do this 2-3 times a day and it usually works within one or two days.
General Health and Wellness
24.   Digestion – the saturated fats in coconut oil have anti-bacterial properties that help control, parasites, and fungi that cause indigestion and other digestion related problems such as irritable bowel syndrome. The fat in coconut oil also aids in the absorption of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, making you healthier all around.
25.   Fitness – coconut oil has been proven to stimulate your metabolism, improve thyroid function, and escalate energy levels, all of which help decrease your unwanted fat, while increasing muscle.
26.   Nose bleeds – coconut oil can prevent nose bleeding that is caused by sensitivity to weather such as extreme hotness and extreme coldness. This condition happens when the nasal passages become dry because of cold or dry air resulting to burns and cracks in the mucus membranes so bleeding happens. To prevent this just put coconut oil in you nostrils. Coat your finger with coconut oil and then lie down and coat your finger inside your nose. Doing this will strengthen and protect the capillaries in the nasal passages. A Vitamin C supplement will also help prevent nose bleeding.
27.   For breastfeeding moms, consuming 3 ½ tablespoons of coconut oil daily will enrich your milk supply.
28.   Helps with weight loss & controlling cravings.
29.   Helps keep blood sugar levels stable and/or helps with cravings in those with diabetes.
Health Problems (that coconut oil is known for aiding, relieving, or even curing when taken internally)
30.   Eczema – in addition to taking it internally, many have success applying it externally, some don’t
31.   Skin problems
32.   Toenail fungus
33.   Hot flashes
34.   Bleeding hemorrhoids (can also be applied externally twice a day)
35.   HIV
36.   Head lice
37.   Improvements in menstruation regarding pain/cramps and heavy blood flow
38.   Migraines (with regular use)
39.   Mononucleosis
40.   Parasites
41.   Thrush
42.   Relieve gallbladder pain
43.   Has helped some people improve symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland, results have shown subsequent thyroid blood tests becoming normal
44.   Energy boost
45.   Flaky, dry skin
46.   May relieve acid reflux and indigestion when taken with each meal
47.   Adrenal fatigue
48.   Alzheimers
49.   H. pylori
50.   Candida albicans
51.   Asthma, even in children
52.   Autism
53.   Cholesterol – improves HDL (‘good’ cholesterol) to HDL (‘bad’ cholesterol) ratio in people with high cholesterol
54.   Chronic fatigue
55.   Circulation/feeling cold all the time
56.   Stronger immune system
57.   Mental Clarity
58.   Depression
59.   Helps with inflammation in Crohns
Health Problems (that coconut oil is known for aiding, relieving, or even curing when applied topically)
60.   Athletes foot
61.   Back pain/sore muscles
62.   Canker sores
63.   Acne
64.   Cellulite
65.   Herpes (applied topically and taken internally)
66.   Genital warts (through topical application over 6 weeks, and coconut oil enemas twice a day depending on the location of the warts)
67.   Circumcision healing – although I am personally against circumcision, I have read that coconut oil is a really great healer for this.
Cooking
68.   Use 1 cup to 1 cup ratio when replacing other oils/butter in recipes with coconut oil.
69.   Replacement for butter/lard/Crisco/PAM in it’s solid form – greasing pans, pie crusts, etc.
70.   Replacement for various oils in liquid form – baking, cooking, sautéing, etc.
71.   Nutritional supplement – melt and add to smoothies.
Other Uses
72.   Insect repellent – mix coconut oil with peppermint oil extract and rub it all over exposed skin. Keeps insects off better than anything with Deet! Tons safer too.
73.   Great for dogs and cats for general wellness. Just add a teaspoon to their water bowl daily.
74.   Goo Gone – just mix equal parts coconut oil and baking soda into a paste. Apply to the “sticky” area and let it set for a minute. Then scrub off with an old toothbrush or the scrubby side of a sponge.
75.   Chewing Gum in Hair Remover – just rub some coconut oil over the stuck chewing gum, leave in for about 30 minutes, then roll the gum between your fingertip. Voila! It’s out!
76.   Polish Furniture – coconut oil with a little bit of lemon juice to polish wood furniture. However, I recommend you test it first on a very small, unobtrusive part of your furniture to make sure it works the way you’d like.
77.   Polishing Bronze – all you have to do is rub a little oil into a cotton towel and then wipe down the statue. It cleans and helps deepen the color of your bronze.
78.   Seasoning animal hide drums
79.   Seasoning cookware
80.   Moisturizing and cleaning leather products
Did I miss any? Do you use coconut oil for something not on my list? Please add it in the comments. I am always excited to find new ways to implement coconut oil!
Blessings,
Jennifer
Virgin Coconut Oil:
How it has changed people’s lives and how it can change yours!
BVCNOcover 80 Uses for Coconut Oil
freecoconutrecipes 80 Uses for Coconut Oil

Natural Medicine Cabinet: Cold and Flu Prevention

Here are 5 important items to have in your natural medicine cabinet during flu season!

Bone Soup

Making your own stock is great preventative medicine and is also great to use medicinally when you are sick as well. From a Chinese Medical standpoint making soup stock from bones is incredibly nourishing to the kidneysand the kidney system is most active during the winter months which is the best time to nourish them.  Bone soup is also great if you are suffering from digestive troubles. I made garlic beef stock yesterday with this recipe and added red lentils, carrots, celery, rainbow chard, and broccoli this morning for dinner tonight. An added bonus is the house smells delicious.

Apple Cider Vinegar

‎”Cold Season Prevention & Remedy #3 for Pregnancy or any time – Drink 1 – 2 Tablespoons of RAW-Unfiltered-Organic Apple Cider Vinegar each day. You can mix it in 8 oz of water or apple juice to make it more palatable. This improves your body’s PH balance and strengthens the immune system. Also fends off yeast, speeds healing of infections, soothes a sore throat, and relieves heartburn. We like Bragg brand.” -Mamaste Yoga
Also equally good if you are not pregnant. 🙂 For more info about apple cider vinegar check out here. Whatever brand you choose make sure it has the “mother” in it for optimal results.

Thieves Essential Oil

I know, I talk about this all the time. Thieves essential oil is a blend of cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, rosemary, and lemon. It was named thieves after the infamous band of apothecaries that would use these herbs and spices to cover their faces when robbing the dead bodies during the black plague. It is 99.9% effective in killing bacteria and other sickies and because its a natural source bacteria can’t mutate to it like anti-bacterial soaps. We diffuse thieves at home and in the office to clean the air and spray thieves on door handles and other surfaces. You can also put a drop of thieves in your water or tea if your feeling run down or have a scratchy throat. Young Living essential oils carries this essential oil blend and you can purchase here. You can learn more about using aromatherapy THIS Saturday in the first part of our 2 part series Introduction to the Everyday Essential Oils collection. Part 2 is Saturday Dec 7th.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D otherwise known as the sunshine vitamin is important for immune health especially for prevention of colds and flus according to recent studies. Living in the Midwest it is really easy to become deficient in Vitamin D in the winter months when its hard to get enough sun light. You want to make sure to get a high quality vitamin D3, this is the most easily absorbed form on vitamin D for our bodies and you also want to make sure you take it with fat because it is a fatt soluble vitamin. I like Innate Choice Vitamin D3 drops because it comes in olive oil. You can order this online or pick it up in the office, Dr. Scott carries it. 🙂 Here is some more good info on Vitamin D too,

Don’t forget that acupuncture is a great preventative tool as well. Studies have shown that acupuncture points carry higher concentrations of white blood cells and when stimulated give a boost to the immune system. You can also use acupuncture for a persistent cough, congestion or the onset or a sore throat. If you have a fever though please stay home and use the natural remedies above.

Lactation Cookies

There are a whole slew of slow cooker babies around Neighborhood Acupuncture Place these last couple of weeks. So I thought I would share my recipe for lactation cookies. If you’re not lactating you can eat them too they are delicious. 😉

If you are having trouble breastfeeding, if baby isn’t making lots of wet and poopy diapers get help sooner rather than later! Breastfeeding USA is an evidenced based mother to mother support group and the Algonquin meeting is the 2nd Tuesday of every month at Radiant Heart Yoga (1130 N Main St) from 10a-12p. Come to a meeting when you are pregnant so you know support is available. Come to a meeting if you have questions or need to get out of the house. (you don’t even have to worry about showering or getting out of your pjs if you don’t want to!) There is also a FB page if you have questions. Beth of BBBabies is an excellent lactation consultant and she will come to your house too.

Lactation cookies can give you a boost in your supply but they won’t fix your supply if there is a bigger issue happening. Nursing mamas get hungry and these are full of healthy fats, fiber and deliciousness. The black strap molasses, oatmeal, flaxseed, coconut oil and brewers yeast are considered glactogogues, meaning they support a healthy milk supply.

What you need:

1 cup coconut oil (don’t worry about melting if its solid)

1/2 c black strap molasses

1/2 c white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

2 cups of flour

2 cups of oatmeal

2 heaping tablespoons of ground flax seed

1 scoop of brewers yeast

a bag of chocolate chips or dried fruit

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Mix sugars, eggs, vanilla, and coconut oil. Add dry ingredients until mixed well. Stir in chocolate or dried fruit. If you are impatient grease an 8×11 pan and make bars or drop tablespoon size balls of dough on cookie sheets.

Bars bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cookies bake appx 11 min.

Natural Remedy for Winter Blues

In Chinese Medicine it is pretty clear that the body is interconnected. When one organ or
channel becomes imbalanced, the rest will start to become imbalanced as well. This is the
same reason why an acu point on the top of the foot can be used on the opposite side of the
body to treat a one sided headache.
Modern medicine is catching up to ancient wisdom.
Wayne Dyer reports that in recent Swedish study of serotonin levels people who extend acts of kindness raise their serotonin levels. Not only does the person acting kindly towards someone feel the effect, the person receiving kindness and those witnessing kindness also receive a boost in serotonin levels. 
How is that for interconnectedness? 🙂 Help someone, feel good! Accept help from someone, feel good! Watch someone help someone else, feel good!

I felt so impacted by this notion of raising serotonin levels that I made it a practice to be as kind as I could to those around me. Not only did my mood improve, I also felt like I had more energy, that I smiled more for no reason, that life didn’t seem so stressful. What did it really cost me to give the man standing on the off ramp of the freeway the leftovers of the lunch I couldn’t finish, or reaching for a bag of rice for a woman too short to reach it at the grocery store, cleaning the toilet that hadn’t been washed in a month (instead of arguing about who’s turn it was), leaving a couple extra bucks for a waitress, the list could continue. The most amazing impact of this experiment that I found was that people, strangers, began extending the same kind of kindness to me in small ways, in large ways. I have become acutely aware of the goodness returning in my life ten-fold.

Imagine the impact you could have, not only in your own life, but in all the lives around you if you started to look for the small acts of kindness around you instead of the disasters, if you consciously made an effort to be kind, or if you consciously made an effort to receive kindness. Remember its the little things in life that can make the most difference. *And a friendly reminder to all of you that are used to being on the giving side: learn how to receive!  🙂

If you are prone to feeling down in the winter months, change your perspective or check out yesterdays blog on our winter blue’s meditation. 🙂 If you are feeling isolated find a way to build community: take a class, volunteer, try something you’ve never done before.

Let me know about your random acts of kindness. Share a comment here or on the facebook page. I’d love to hear about it!

Meditation for the Winter Blues

Today’s meditation is more of a contemplation. 🙂

I was home yesterday with my little one and we already had a lot of pent-up energy despite a busy morning. It got me thinking…. everyone knows about spring cleaning but what about the other seasons? I glanced around my house and noticed a summer of fun (and housekeeping neglect) in dust bunnies and spider webs hanging out in the smallest crevices of our house. I grabbed my bottle of thieves cleaner and handed my toddler a dust rag and we got to work, mostly on our hands and knees deep cleaning the base boards, the stairs, vacuuming and dusting. We got to all those places that get missed when doing a superficial clean. We picked off all the dried, dead leaves on our houseplants and gave them a little extra TLC. I have to admit, my husband would make a much better housewife than I ever would at least in the cleaning department. I really have to be in “the mood” to clean but yesterday the inspiration hit me. It really felt like a moving meditation.

 

What was all that dust in those corners all about metaphorically? What was I hanging onto that was no longer serving me and causing stagnation?

It was time to clean up and let go.

What was so awful about winter? Why all the dread?

In Chinese Medicine acupuncture is just one branch of the whole system, feng shui is another component. Feng Shui is all about proper placement so that energy can flow smoothly in your environment. This can get complicated or it can be really simple. Do you feel good in your surroundings? If you do, awesome! If you don’t give your space a good clean and rearrange some furniture.

Another thing I noticed was that I am very resistant to even thinking about winter and how fast it is approaching, all this cold and darkness. Again, Chinese Medicine offers us a system of balance: brightness and darkness, hot and cold, yin and yang etc etc. Winter is a piece of that puzzle. It is a time to counterbalance all that bright energy and heat of summer. And, Winter is especially a time of reflection and going inward: a time to face one’s fears.

So my meditation for you today is this: when the mood strikes you grab a dust rag, your favorite music and move your body. Enjoy the untangling of your home and mind as you put everything back together again and then enjoy how good it feels to have a clean home!

Join me for a 4 week series of meditations to mindfully move through the holidays Nov 25-Dec 16 Mondays 12:00p-12:30p. You can find more info here. 

Natural Medicine Cabinet Essential for Winter Blues

Several  years ago I started wearing Joy Essential oil blend on my wrists and over my heart as perfume because I liked how it smelled. It was my go-to oil all winter long and I didn’t even think twice about it.  I wore it for 3 or so winters in a row and it really wasn’t until the 4th winter that I did not wear it that I noticed what a difference in how I felt.

Why smells for your mood? Your sense of smell is your only sense that runs through the emotional center of the brain. There are more interesting facts about your sense of smell here. 

Why Joy? According to the Essential Oil Desk Reference Joy is a blend of oils (rose, bergamot, mandarin, ylang ylang, lemon, geranium, jasmine, palmarosa, roman chamomile and rosewood) that produces a magnetic energy that brings joy to the heart, mind and soul. It inspires romance and helps overcome deep-seated grief and depression. The oils in this blend are thought to be uplifting in their scent as well as calming and rose is known to have the highest frequency of any essential oil.

The inner wrists are a great place to massage Joy into because of the calming acu-points found in this place as well. I like to put a drop or 2 on one wrist and then circle the wrists together. If I’m feeling anxious this almost always puts me at ease.

Joy is also a great oil to diffuse, inhale directly or add to bath water (make sure to drop onto bath salts and not directly into bath water for optimal results and safety)

If you are interested in purchasing Joy or a diffuser order here for the best deal or send me a message and I can help you get all set up!

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Medical & Health Information

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Gluten-Free, High Protein Pancakes (Waffles)

It’s no secret I have a sweet tooth. Whenever we go out for breakfast I always want to get the pancakes to satisfy my craving but know I will leave feeling yucky and not satisfied because I’ve missed out on protein and am overloaded with sugar. I came across this recipe and never have to feel I have to choose again! This was super simple, easy to make and was really delicious. I made the recipe with my waffle iron because I’ve never been a super pancake flipper but I think it would make equally great pancakes as the recipe was originally intended for. 🙂

What you need:

2 mashed ripe bananas

4 eggs

1 cup almond meal

1/3 c minced dates

1 teaspoon nutmeg

pinch of sea salt

carmalized ginger

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Mix ingredients together and cook how you would any regular pancake or waffle recipe. These come out fluffy and slightly delicate from the waffle maker. I used coconut oil to make sure they came off the maker easily. We topped with almond butter and honey but they were pretty good “plain” too. My daughter loved them as well. I also think these would be great as a pumpkin pancake if you switched out the banana for some homemade pumpkin puree.