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!
Afternoon tea becomes something far richer than a simple drink in this heartfelt reflection on hospitality, connection, and the quiet power of making time for others. Through the ritual of sharing tea, conversation, and a welcoming table, the post explores how small moments can nourish the soul, bridge generations, and offer kindness to those who may be longing for friendship or refreshment. With themes of faith, memory, and meaningful human connection woven throughout, it’s a beautiful reminder that the simplest invitations can leave the deepest mark.
Read more...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.
Freedom To Choose
When caring for my parents in their later years we had the opportunity to visit their general physician frequently….after hearing their complaint(s) it was common for the doctor to say “well Ralph (or Hilda, or Nancy), there just isn’t much you can do about old age”. This is one of those areas where I say, if only I knew then what I know now we would have searched for a different doctor! These very young at heart, motivated seniors kept having the mantle of “old age” placed on them by their health provider. They each took it as ‘you might as well give up and give in because there isn’t anything you can do to go against old age’. What I clearly know now is that much of their battle of “old age” was the accumulation of toxins that burdened their detox pathways and caused them to suffer from toxin overload. I often wonder how much this diminished each of their body’s healing ability. What if – the doctor had asked, ‘Ralph how much water are you drinking’ or ‘are you taking magnesium’, when dad complained about leg cramps at night? What if – the doctor had suggested cranberry pills when dad had frequent UTI’s – …..or at least made sure he had Probiotics following a round (or 2) of intense anti-biotics? What if - the doctor had suggested relaxing herbs or essential oils to help him sleep at night instead of giving him a prescription medication that altered his mental state? What if – the doctor had suggested digestive enzymes to Nancy when she complained of frequent bouts of indigestion instead of prescribing a medication with a side effect of memory loss? What if – the doctor had suggested Hilda take some Multigreens to boost her calcium levels instead of putting her on a medication with the side effect of bone cancer?
I won’t know the answer to these questions but just the question of “What if…..” has caused me to make different choices for myself. We all have the freedom to choose.
