One of my greatest regrets as a mom is that I did not know better about chemicals in our environment that directly affects not only our body but also our brain health.
Let me tell you a story......
Once upon a time there was a mom who loved her kids with a fierce passion. This mom was very intentional regarding media and social influences on her children’s lives. She made healthy meals 'from scratch' to nourish her children. It was important to her to give her children the best life possible. Unbeknownst to her, lurking in the background, were a lot of chemicals (she had unwittingly bought and brought into their space) silently affecting the body and the brain of those living in this home.
In fact, each bedroom had its own chemical fragrance producing wallflower quietly pumping out toxins hour by hour, day after day as they studied, as they slept. After this mom would cook healthy meals, if there was residual food odor remaining, she would fumigate the children’s safe space with a few squirts of chemicals and in a breeze the food odor was gone. She was unaware that the chemicals lingered longer to be inhaled into the children’s unsuspecting lungs and were absorbed through the skin - both ending up in their blood stream where it affected their young bodies and developing brains.
This adoring mom happily washed her children’s clothes in Tide and popped them in a dryer with Bounce dryer sheets. One of her favorite things to do was to light a candle in the kitchen when the kids were home. Scenting the air with pumpkin spice or sparkling cinnamon just smelled like love.
Valentines Day prompted the purchase of pink, red and white M & M's for the kids so they would know she loved them. Easter morning there were always baskets of treats for the kids - Skittles, M&Ms, Doritos.
Birthday parties meant sodas and pizza for everyone. Mountain Dew, Dr Pepper, Diet Coke.
Halloween through New Years meant ample opportunities for an increased amount of sugary candy, homemade fudge and caramel apples as well as sugary baked goods of Apple Pie, iced sugar cookies, Fudge brownies, and Cherry Delight. That usually meant less vegetables and water. She just didn't understand why 'the Most Wonderful Time of the Year' always seemed more like "Sick Season" filled with colds, flu's, sinus infections, strep throat, bronchitis for one or more family member. But never fear! Mom is here with all the OTC meds of Dimetapp, Sudaphed, Nasonex, Miralax, Pepto Bismol, Tylenol, Mucinex and Vicks Vapor Rub. If it really got bad she would use the humidifier WITH the Vicks Vapor Rub. And then there would be the Rx meds the doctor was eager to prescribe. Guafenisin, amoxicillin, Z-pack, a muscle relaxant - just in case - something to quiet the cough and codeine so you could sleep at night.
At Christmas she loved to lavish gifts on her kids, filling their stockings was so much fun! Bath and Body Works always had the best deals at Christmas! She loved getting the particular scent of the one they each preferred. Body wash, Body sprays, and Body lotions. Hand sanitizers in those cute little holders would make sure they were protected when they were out. And then there were the scented hand soaps. Candy cane at Christmas time pumpkin spice at harvest time, cherry blossom at Easter seemed to be a loving gesture towards her children. She wanted to give them more than the bar of ivory soap she had grown up on.
She loves her kids with a fierce passion.
#Sometimesoldwaysarebestways #marketingiseffective #noskullandcrossbonesonmarketingmaterials #believingitdoesnt makeittrue #sometimesmomoneyequalmoproblems
TEN long years of little sleep, no sleep, very erratic sleep and the occasional good night of sleep. Sound familiar? Ever find yourself laying in bed, the house quiet and 'everything as it should be' but your mind just won't shut off the 'what ifs', the 'if only's' or, you find yourself tossing over to your other side(one more time) looking to blissfully drift off to sleep and end up thinking about how you would rearrange your living room furniture? These nights lead to a LOT of googling "how to get a good night of sleep." The following are answers I found that actually work. Magnesium Glycinate. I'm going to leave the science to the googles. My experience is that it seemed to calm my whole body down including my mind in a very gentle way. I began by taking 2 pills right before bed. Soon I was taking only one before bed. If you have ridges in your fingernails or are prone to leg cramps you are possibly Mg deficient.
Blackout Curtains. ALL lighting in my room had to go. No red glowing dots anywhere, no phone in the bedroom. I also bought an alarm clock with a dial to shut off the light. And yes, put tape over the power cord lights.
Lavender Essential Oil. On the tips of both big toes right before bed. Thank You massage therapist. Essential oils vary from being very beneficial to your health (Young Living won out after researching SO many others). While others can be detrimental to your health (most other essential oils - no matter what the bottle says). So when you hear me speak about essential oils please know it will only mean Young Living.
Diffusing Lavender + Cedarwood. All.Night.Long. I am a big fan of diffusing. A diffuser is something you buy to put water and essential oils in to be dispersed as an aerosol to make the room smell nice & to accomplish health benefits. In my case, the diffuser made ALL the difference in the world in how well and how long I slept. When essential oils are diffused we breathe the oils in and within seconds they are in every organ of our body and have the ability to cross the blood brain barrier. THIS is why it's so important to only use the BEST essential oils.
Progessence Plus. It turns out I was estrogen dominant and my hormones were like an overturned apple cart. At first I used a bio identical (expensive) progesterone that insurance wouldn't pay for. And then I found this little gem! Progessence Plus. Created by Dr. Dan Purser out of a wild yam extract. Economical, efficient, and calming. Brought all my levels back in range.
So, this is my story of a long journey with many ups and downs. There is more to it but this gives you the high points that gave me the answers that I needed to find quality sleep consistently! Hit me up if you have any specific questions. I'm always happy to help!
Taking Tea is so much more than boiling water and adding a few leaves. It is a time to savor a place in our lives for the ritual of sharing. It is making room in our lives for the little extras that nourish the soul. It is a delicious time of tasting teas, enjoying a bit of food, but mostly...thoughtful conversation....or perhaps reflection if you are enjoying a solitary teatime.
Afternoon tea is a wonderful ritual that can bring people together and I think we can all agree that we need more of what unites us instead of dividing us! Women in particular are relational and I believe the simple ritual of taking time for tea together can be a 'tie that binds'. Taking tea is also a wonderful way to unite generations as it is easy to make teatime a multi-generational event.
A favorite Bible verse of mine is 2 Corinthians 4:7 For we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the power is of God and not of us. Hmmmm....Treasure in Earthen Vessels....This gives us each a chance to pour blessing into one another's lives. And that leads us to another verse in the Bible. Mathew 25:35 says "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. Is there someone you know who is hungry for some friendship, thirsting for some kindness, needing a drink of refreshment, longing to be important enough to someone to be shown personal hospitality at your kitchen table?
There were times earlier in my life when my very sanguine dad would pop over and inquire if I had time for some 'tea and repartee'. I must admit that as a mom of 3 kids I wasn't always thrilled with the request...you know the drill...laundry to do, meals to make, dusting, vacuuming, etc. etc. etc. Adding one more thing to my day seemed to be asking a LOT. And then my heart would soften and I would say 'sure, come on in'. Being raised by older parents I seem to know that time was fleeting. And you know, sitting here almost 10 years after their passing I look back and see what tiny moments it really took from my life as well as all of the treasure that was being imparted into my life. I don't remember what meal I cooked, or room I dusted but I have very clear memories of sitting at the kitchen table and (mostly) listening to the generational stories. Included in that conversation were bits of encouragement and hope all tied together with a ribbon of love. Those memories have grown sweeter with age and I consider myself blessed to have had those connections.
This same kind of connection is available to you but it will take a little of your time. I think I can promise you that if you take time to make time for someone (young or old) it could make all the difference in the world. It's the little things that really are the big things in the scheme of things.
So much love, Liz
There has been a shift in the world. My friends have noticed, I've noticed. Have you noticed this shift? People are waking up to the desire for natural wellness which includes clean eating and clean living. I think we are all hungry for the forgotten remedies of the past. So many of the old ways came without negative side effects or black label warnings. Plant remedies that work synergistically with our bodies. The same God who created us also created the plants for our good. When we use the life blood of a plant (the essential oil) our body knows just how to use it, where to use it and what to do when it is no longer needed. Contrast that with an unknown chemical that has been synthesized in a lab to do *this* in our body and then our body doesn't know what to do with the other parts of this chemical so it puts it *there* and our body tries to do what it always does...to protect us from foreign invaders and bring our body back to homeostasis. Natural remedies from the plants God gave us work with our bodies in a respectful way to bring us to wholeness.
People are realizing that 84,000 (not a made-up number) chemicals that we have unwittingly exposed ourselves and our families to are in everything from our personal care (hello toothpaste) and cleaning products to our clothing and furniture and are linked to the rise of all manner of dis-ease in our bodies. We are all getting wise to the concept of "greenwashing" and are no longer willing to accept marketing words and packaging to sway our consumer decisions. We want the real deal, the truly clean products starting with the seed of the plant, knowing who tended the garden it was grown in and what their farming methods were (NO pesticides!), as well as the reliability of the quality of the product that arrives at our door. As of this moment I only know one company willing to open their doors and show you their farms and allow you to see behind the proverbial curtain. In the 6 years I have been a faithful customer I have enjoyed a lot more "well days"(emotional & physical) than ever before which speaks very loudly to me.
Let's talk and let me tell you how simple it is to get rid of seasonal annoyances(really), have a truly wonderful night of sleep, enjoy healthy digestion, tame anxiety, find simple bio hacks to help your body when it falls under the wellness line. I have saved $$thousands on Doctor's visits by not needing to go these last 6 years. And in those 6 years I have been working consistently at detoxing all the junk I allowed in the previous 50+ years. You can too! 
While reading an article in Forbes magazine online I came across a startling statistic. Blue Cross and Blue Shield health insurance claims from 2013-2017 showed that early onset dementia and Alzheimer's disease diagnoses TRIPLED among insured adults in the US ages 30 to 64.
I think that is a surprising statistic that should cause all of us to pause and consider what might be impacting our 30 to 64 year olds in our country. And reflect on what level of impact we each are enduring.
So when was the last time you thought about the health of your brain? I think about it all the time. I had a front row seat when caring for elders for 8 years who were each diagnosed with dementia. Observing what they went through caused me to quickly decide that, as far as I had a say, NO crazy chemicals, medications or fabricated food product was worth enduring this level of decline. As a result I am a super sleuth when it comes to finding sources of toxins in my environment! Do you know how to uncover the dangerous chemicals large companies are allowed to put in their products? The products WE consume. For instance there is a very popular company that makes scented products that one might use in the bath and on their body. Many of these products have such strong (and potentially dangerous) chemicals that they are classified as a drug. Is that really something you want to take a chance with on your 3 year old daughter or your 63 year old grandmother? When you go down the cleaning aisle of the big box store does it seem to cause a headache or tightness in your chest? That is your body attempting to deal with the toxins that are assaulting your system. Think of it as your body speaking to you (or in this case shouting) to warn you of the dangers you are being exposed to. It's a very good signal to pay attention to! Much like you would notice a scratchiness in your throat before you are diagnosed with strep throat.
When we choose to use non-toxic chemicals, which are often plant based, our bodies know just how to manage these products. Our body can easily identify them and make use of them or choose to eliminate them. My favorite part of using the powerhouse of the plant oils is that there are no negative side effects. In my 60 year lifetime I have used very few prescriptions with the exception of antibiotics. Of the few drugs that I have used I have 3 permanent negative side effects that I will live with the rest of my life.
How I wish I knew then what I know now. Those side effects would not be a part of my life. My passion is to share with others what small steps they can make to make a BIG difference in their course in life. What you choose today will impact your tomorrow. Contact me and let's talk.
