Everyone knows the damage a big mouth can do, but have you ever considered the physical damage of opening your mouth?
Yes, breathing through your mouth is dangerous to your health! We must all become nose breathers from now on!
Having experienced episodes of hyperventilation often in my younger years, I thought I had outgrown them, and certainly thought I understood the symptoms, until recently. Some of the symptoms can be scary, but they are not life threatening: tight chest; feeling like you can’t catch your breath; tingling in hands, feet, and lips; dizziness or lightheadedness; among a few others.
Hyperventilation means that you breathe out too much carbon dioxide, which then causes an imbalance in the oxygen/carbon dioxide ratio. This can be caused by stress, which usually brings on an “attack,” of sorts; or it can be a result of improper breathing patterns, which can cause long-term difficulties such as lightheadedness or headaches, a racing heartbeat or heart and/or blood pressure problems, weak lungs, allergies (due to mouth breathing), chronic fatigue (due to improper oxygen/carbon dioxide balance), weak adrenals (chronic hyperventilation is like having your fight-or-flight response turned on all the time, which severely drains your adrenals), difficulty concentrating or remembering (brain doesn’t have enough oxygen), and can weaken all the inner organs (and cause eczema on the skin as well since mouth breathing causes more dehydration than usual).
Knowing that I have always been a mouth breather, I shall now attempt to keep my mouth shut and breathe through my nose and use my whole body to take deep healing breaths.
So, keep your mouth shut!
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Aug 23, 2006
Jun 25, 2006
My Exercise Treasure
Everyone knows that we need aerobic exercise of some sort several times a week, but I recently learned that we need other forms of exercise equally as much. There are five main areas of exercise that we need to keep in mind when we are getting our bodies into shape and keeping them as strong and healthy as they should be. (I'm talking about a reasonable amount of strength here, not body-building.)
Cardio-respiratory exercise, otherwise known as aerobics, is what gets you breathing harder and your heart rate up.
Muscular strength exercises, preferably using your own body weight for resistance, is what makes us strong. Push-ups are a great form of this type of exercise.
Muscular endurance exercises helps us to be able to work for longer periods of time and is the real muscle builder. Sitting in the squat position for as long as you can hold it will definitely build endurance!
Flexibility, or stretching exercises, improve our overall tone and flexibility, but mostly prevent us from getting hurt. A good stretch before and after exercise will help prevent the sore muscles that are a result of lactic acid build-up.
Neurological training keeps us coordinated, improves our balance, sharpens our reflexes, increases our body's speed to run or work, and helps make us more aware of the kinesthetics of our own body. Juggling and jumping on the trampoline might be good examples of this.
As I was contemplating these five areas, I realized that my favorite exercise is the only one that I could think of that incorporates all 5 areas into one training session. It is NOT necessary to do all 5 of these every time you exercise, but we should have a balanced approach to exercise on a weekly basis, at least.
Tae-Bo, by Billy Blanks, is my favorite exercise because it is just plain so much fun! However, it does clearly incorporate all 5 areas into nearly every workout. I like Billy's enthusiasm a lot. He really knows how to motivate! He is careful to teach how to accurately do the moves, so you won't risk injury. He goes through the moves slowly first, which help you learn them easily, but also he emphasizes the slow moves as a time of building strength, and when he speeds them up, as a time of aerobics. There are some exercises that he does for quite a while, working on endurance, and he always has plenty of neurological training incorporated as well. The warm-ups and cool-downs do what they're supposed to do. I was just looking at his website and noticed some testimonies of many people who have lost a lot of weight using Tae-Bo. That's a great benefit for those of us who need it!
Just as a side note here: once I took my children to a Christian Tae-Kwan-Do class to see what it was like, and they already knew everything they taught them because we had already learned all those moves in Tae-Bo. So, if you want to learn a little self-defense, Tae-Bo might be a good way to learn!
He has a children's version, which I haven't used, and a couple military versions for those like that type of exercise. Tae-Bo is equally good for both men and women, and older children.
I will not pretend that I endorse everything about these videos. I will list a few cautions here, so you know up front, if any of these might be a concern for you. Billy Blanks is a Christian and he does have some explicitly Christian videos. I have only done his very first Christian video and it was on the very easy side. I know he has several more out, but I don't know what level they are. His regular videos are not Christian, but they are not un-Christian in any way whatsoever. The music has a good strong beat, which is good for exercising, but there are no lyrics (of the ones I've done anyway), and I find the music reasonable for the situation (I'm a little picky about my music!). He does not use the mirror effect in aerobics that you may be used to, so it is a little difficult to follow sometimes. He will call out "left hand," for instance, and you would use your right hand to mirror him. It's fine once you get the routine down. Every once in a while, he says something a little humanistic (believe in yourself-type) and has a stretching exercise like the rising sun, which I don't really like, but I'm not sure if he really means anything eastern by either one of those; he doesn't appear to have any eastern tendencies in that direction otherwise. Although I am not thrilled with the clothes they wear on these videos, they are much better than most exercise videos.
I love Tae-Bo, especially on rainy days, or days that are either too hot or too cold, or when I'm not able to do other kinds of exercise.
Cardio-respiratory exercise, otherwise known as aerobics, is what gets you breathing harder and your heart rate up.
Muscular strength exercises, preferably using your own body weight for resistance, is what makes us strong. Push-ups are a great form of this type of exercise.
Muscular endurance exercises helps us to be able to work for longer periods of time and is the real muscle builder. Sitting in the squat position for as long as you can hold it will definitely build endurance!
Flexibility, or stretching exercises, improve our overall tone and flexibility, but mostly prevent us from getting hurt. A good stretch before and after exercise will help prevent the sore muscles that are a result of lactic acid build-up.
Neurological training keeps us coordinated, improves our balance, sharpens our reflexes, increases our body's speed to run or work, and helps make us more aware of the kinesthetics of our own body. Juggling and jumping on the trampoline might be good examples of this.
As I was contemplating these five areas, I realized that my favorite exercise is the only one that I could think of that incorporates all 5 areas into one training session. It is NOT necessary to do all 5 of these every time you exercise, but we should have a balanced approach to exercise on a weekly basis, at least.
Tae-Bo, by Billy Blanks, is my favorite exercise because it is just plain so much fun! However, it does clearly incorporate all 5 areas into nearly every workout. I like Billy's enthusiasm a lot. He really knows how to motivate! He is careful to teach how to accurately do the moves, so you won't risk injury. He goes through the moves slowly first, which help you learn them easily, but also he emphasizes the slow moves as a time of building strength, and when he speeds them up, as a time of aerobics. There are some exercises that he does for quite a while, working on endurance, and he always has plenty of neurological training incorporated as well. The warm-ups and cool-downs do what they're supposed to do. I was just looking at his website and noticed some testimonies of many people who have lost a lot of weight using Tae-Bo. That's a great benefit for those of us who need it!
Just as a side note here: once I took my children to a Christian Tae-Kwan-Do class to see what it was like, and they already knew everything they taught them because we had already learned all those moves in Tae-Bo. So, if you want to learn a little self-defense, Tae-Bo might be a good way to learn!
He has a children's version, which I haven't used, and a couple military versions for those like that type of exercise. Tae-Bo is equally good for both men and women, and older children.
I will not pretend that I endorse everything about these videos. I will list a few cautions here, so you know up front, if any of these might be a concern for you. Billy Blanks is a Christian and he does have some explicitly Christian videos. I have only done his very first Christian video and it was on the very easy side. I know he has several more out, but I don't know what level they are. His regular videos are not Christian, but they are not un-Christian in any way whatsoever. The music has a good strong beat, which is good for exercising, but there are no lyrics (of the ones I've done anyway), and I find the music reasonable for the situation (I'm a little picky about my music!). He does not use the mirror effect in aerobics that you may be used to, so it is a little difficult to follow sometimes. He will call out "left hand," for instance, and you would use your right hand to mirror him. It's fine once you get the routine down. Every once in a while, he says something a little humanistic (believe in yourself-type) and has a stretching exercise like the rising sun, which I don't really like, but I'm not sure if he really means anything eastern by either one of those; he doesn't appear to have any eastern tendencies in that direction otherwise. Although I am not thrilled with the clothes they wear on these videos, they are much better than most exercise videos.
I love Tae-Bo, especially on rainy days, or days that are either too hot or too cold, or when I'm not able to do other kinds of exercise.
The Memory of an Elephant
I have not exercised for almost a year now. Last summer, I had severe adrenal exhaustion and could no longer exercise, let alone even function! Shortly afterward, I had a foot injury called plantar fasciitis, which got so bad that there were days I would have to crawl because my feet hurt too much. In my research, I found that this can often be permanent. Between those two, I have not been able to exercise for almost a year, and so have gained a few ounces (OK, maybe more than a few!). I thank God that my adrenals are greatly improved now, and I was able to find some exercises that greatly improved the pain in my feet, but they still hurt and I cannot even walk one mile at an exercise pace.
I have been quite reluctant to even try aerobic exercise of any kind because I was afraid it would make my feet worse (which is unthinkable) and, from experience, I know that over-exertion one day can cause an adrenal relapse for many days. But I knew I desperately needed to do something, especially after a one-hour tour I took last week that left me totally exhausted.
Before I continue, I should give you a little background. Beginning in high school (many, many years ago!), I was in extremely good condition, lifting weights, walking 8-10 miles daily, jumping on the rebounder 30-60 minutes daily, and being on a volleyball or track team. After school, I joined the Army and continued working very hard physically and working out daily. After leaving the Army, I continued some sort of aerobics at least one hour daily, and was never afraid of good, hard, physical labor. I could work 18-20 hours a day, if need be, doing hard labor, and not take a break (sometimes I would get so caught up in what I was doing, I would forget to take a break!). In other words, for many years, I have been physically strong and healthy.
Until I got sick several years ago. I was able to recover after almost a year, but I have never been quite as strong. I did continue to exercise every day and work hard, however, until last summer, when it felt like my body just quit. My batteries ran dry and I just couldn't recharge them.
Fast forward to this week. I thought to myself, "I wonder what would happen if I tried some Tae-Bo?" I didn't have anything pressing for the next week, so I was willing to take a risk.
Did you know our bodies have a fantastic memory system? This can either be good news or bad news, depending on your past health, but your body remembers everything that has ever happened to it. For instance, if you are a mother who has been pregnant more than once, you may understand this well. For the first baby, it may take several months before you show, before you need maternity clothes. You may get back into your regular clothes, after the birth, quite quickly. However, when you get pregnant the 2nd time, and thereafter, your body says, "Aha! I remember doing this before!" And it quickly goes into pregnancy mode, you find yourself wearing maternity clothes much earlier on, and it takes a while longer to get your figure back after the birth.
Our bodies also remember lots of other things, too: the most we ever weighed, and the least we ever weighed (as adults); the healthiest we've ever been, and the sickest we've ever been; the strongest we've ever been, and the weakest we've ever been; etc. If you haven't been on a bicycle for a few years, you don't forget how to ride it, do you? You may wobble a bit at first, but you soon find your sense of balance again. You don't have to learn how to balance all over again, because your body remembers.
So, I decided to experiment with Tae-Bo this week. I hadn't done anything but sit on the couch for a year, so I thought I would just try 10 minutes the first day. I actually was able to do 15 minutes, after stretching my feet real well so there would be less risk of injury. From my research regarding plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the tendons and ligaments in the back of the calf and bottom of the feet), I read that it can take up to several hours after doing something to irritate the tendons and ligaments before you may feel the pain, so I gingerly waited all day for the pain to come. No pain.
I held my breath.
And the next day, I had enough energy to try again - the full 30 minute workout this time, and I could have gone even longer! I was pumped now! I had energy all day long!
Next day: no pain in my feet, no sore muscles, lots of energy! My body remembered doing this Tae-Bo workout time after time after time, and it very quickly went right back into the groove!
One more day of a full work-out and for the first time in almost a year, my feet are totally pain-free! I have lots of energy already, I am psyched up to work at getting in shape again (which will be easier for me than for someone who has never been in good shape to begin with), and I lost 1.2 pounds in 3 days! I don't know if my feet are ever going to hurt again, or if I will ever have adrenal problems again - I very well may - but I do know that I am on the right track again, and my body is anxious to get back to where it should be! I will keep in mind, though, that if I ever get lax, my body will be just as quick to revert to couch-potato status, since it remembers that extreme as well.
I don't know about the memory of an elephant, but I praise God for making our bodies with an incredible memory system.
I have been quite reluctant to even try aerobic exercise of any kind because I was afraid it would make my feet worse (which is unthinkable) and, from experience, I know that over-exertion one day can cause an adrenal relapse for many days. But I knew I desperately needed to do something, especially after a one-hour tour I took last week that left me totally exhausted.
Before I continue, I should give you a little background. Beginning in high school (many, many years ago!), I was in extremely good condition, lifting weights, walking 8-10 miles daily, jumping on the rebounder 30-60 minutes daily, and being on a volleyball or track team. After school, I joined the Army and continued working very hard physically and working out daily. After leaving the Army, I continued some sort of aerobics at least one hour daily, and was never afraid of good, hard, physical labor. I could work 18-20 hours a day, if need be, doing hard labor, and not take a break (sometimes I would get so caught up in what I was doing, I would forget to take a break!). In other words, for many years, I have been physically strong and healthy.
Until I got sick several years ago. I was able to recover after almost a year, but I have never been quite as strong. I did continue to exercise every day and work hard, however, until last summer, when it felt like my body just quit. My batteries ran dry and I just couldn't recharge them.
Fast forward to this week. I thought to myself, "I wonder what would happen if I tried some Tae-Bo?" I didn't have anything pressing for the next week, so I was willing to take a risk.
Did you know our bodies have a fantastic memory system? This can either be good news or bad news, depending on your past health, but your body remembers everything that has ever happened to it. For instance, if you are a mother who has been pregnant more than once, you may understand this well. For the first baby, it may take several months before you show, before you need maternity clothes. You may get back into your regular clothes, after the birth, quite quickly. However, when you get pregnant the 2nd time, and thereafter, your body says, "Aha! I remember doing this before!" And it quickly goes into pregnancy mode, you find yourself wearing maternity clothes much earlier on, and it takes a while longer to get your figure back after the birth.
Our bodies also remember lots of other things, too: the most we ever weighed, and the least we ever weighed (as adults); the healthiest we've ever been, and the sickest we've ever been; the strongest we've ever been, and the weakest we've ever been; etc. If you haven't been on a bicycle for a few years, you don't forget how to ride it, do you? You may wobble a bit at first, but you soon find your sense of balance again. You don't have to learn how to balance all over again, because your body remembers.
So, I decided to experiment with Tae-Bo this week. I hadn't done anything but sit on the couch for a year, so I thought I would just try 10 minutes the first day. I actually was able to do 15 minutes, after stretching my feet real well so there would be less risk of injury. From my research regarding plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the tendons and ligaments in the back of the calf and bottom of the feet), I read that it can take up to several hours after doing something to irritate the tendons and ligaments before you may feel the pain, so I gingerly waited all day for the pain to come. No pain.
I held my breath.
And the next day, I had enough energy to try again - the full 30 minute workout this time, and I could have gone even longer! I was pumped now! I had energy all day long!
Next day: no pain in my feet, no sore muscles, lots of energy! My body remembered doing this Tae-Bo workout time after time after time, and it very quickly went right back into the groove!
One more day of a full work-out and for the first time in almost a year, my feet are totally pain-free! I have lots of energy already, I am psyched up to work at getting in shape again (which will be easier for me than for someone who has never been in good shape to begin with), and I lost 1.2 pounds in 3 days! I don't know if my feet are ever going to hurt again, or if I will ever have adrenal problems again - I very well may - but I do know that I am on the right track again, and my body is anxious to get back to where it should be! I will keep in mind, though, that if I ever get lax, my body will be just as quick to revert to couch-potato status, since it remembers that extreme as well.
I don't know about the memory of an elephant, but I praise God for making our bodies with an incredible memory system.
May 22, 2006
Cats and Cockroaches
What do cats and cockroaches have in common? My cat dearly loves to catch cockroaches nearly every night (I don't think we actually have any in our house; the only ones I've seen are the ones who come in under the garage door while my cat waits patiently to attack!) As the cockroach makes it way under the door - poof! my cat pounces upon it straight away, only to let it go immediately. Then she picks the cockroach up in her teeth, ever so gingerly, not seeming to hurt it in the least, bounding across the house to deposit her most beloved gift in my bed, while I'm there, sleeping, on my lap. It always pleases me so much! Then, pounce! Let go! Pounce! Let go! On and on until the poor cockroach is so worn out it can hardly resist any longer. If I don't kill it first, after about an hour of torturous playing and batting it like a hockey puck, the poor thing finally kicks the bucket. But this cat just goes for the kill; she'll never eat them. My other cat, however, won't touch the things until they are dead, at which time she feasts on the delicacy. She doesn't seem to care for the prickly legs, though, so we have to be careful when walking barefoot, as we may step on a very small, neat little pile of cockroach legs. End of story.
However, cats and cockroaches have even more in common than being in the same food chain. Catnip! One goes nuts over it, while the other is repelled by it.
Did you know that a little catnip a day can keep the roaches away? Nepetalactone is a chemical found in catnip that repels roaches, Chris Peterson and Joel Coats, researchers from Iowa State University found.
I know that the only kind of cockroaches I like are dead ones, but the chemicals used to kill them are so toxic, I really don't want those chemicals in my house either. I wonder what would happen if I sprinkle a little catnip around the garage door, where they seem to enter. Or maybe I should try growing catnip plants around the perimeter of my home. Can't hurt. I know my cats would love them!
However, cats and cockroaches have even more in common than being in the same food chain. Catnip! One goes nuts over it, while the other is repelled by it.
Did you know that a little catnip a day can keep the roaches away? Nepetalactone is a chemical found in catnip that repels roaches, Chris Peterson and Joel Coats, researchers from Iowa State University found.
I know that the only kind of cockroaches I like are dead ones, but the chemicals used to kill them are so toxic, I really don't want those chemicals in my house either. I wonder what would happen if I sprinkle a little catnip around the garage door, where they seem to enter. Or maybe I should try growing catnip plants around the perimeter of my home. Can't hurt. I know my cats would love them!
My Stressbuster Lists
Here are 3 lists that directly relate to my energy levels.
List of Things I Enjoy Doing
(These things increase my energy, so I will continue to do them.)
Starting my day with 30 minutes in God's Word
Sing
Family devotions
Homeschooling my children
Taking field trips
Playing games
Fresh air
Exercise
Sunshine
Being with my family
Working with family/friends
Fellowshipping with a group of like-minded believers
Reading a good book
Sewing
Cooking (usually)
Baking
Studying God's Word
Studying Nutrition
Studying our Christian Hebrew foundation
Studying parenting
Studying homeschooling
Healthy "junk" food from Whole Foods (or should that be "healthy" junk food?!!!)
Relationships with people who know how to both give and take
Answering questions from people who are honestly seeking answers
Sharing what God has taught me
Organization
Blogging a small amount
Reading e-mail a few minutes per day
Reading the news a few minutes per day
Play piano
Play clarinet
Listening to teaching tapes while driving
A rare telephone conversation with a good friend
Things I Must Do
(If I do these with a good attitude, they will not rob my energy.)
Keep a clean home
Pay bills/taxes
Forgive
Errands that are of a necessary nature for this 21st century
Business telephone calls
Repair and maintenance of cars, home, and appliances
Eat a salad every day
Things I Neither Enjoy Nor Must Do
(Energy robbers that I need to remove from my life)
Watching movies in the evening
Relationships with people who do all the talking
Relationships with people who undermine my parenting
Relationships with people who question my every move
Relationships with people who falsely accuse me
Relationships with people who are easily offended
Relationships with petty people
Relationships with pessimists
Spending money on unnecessary items
Junk food
Spam
Window shopping (even online)
Reading print that is grammatically incorrect or spelled incorrectly
Talking to telemarketers
This is not a list with which to tag people. This is a challenge to anyone who wants to identify what is important in your life. This will be a working post, so there may be changes at later dates.
List of Things I Enjoy Doing
(These things increase my energy, so I will continue to do them.)
Starting my day with 30 minutes in God's Word
Sing
Family devotions
Homeschooling my children
Taking field trips
Playing games
Fresh air
Exercise
Sunshine
Being with my family
Working with family/friends
Fellowshipping with a group of like-minded believers
Reading a good book
Sewing
Cooking (usually)
Baking
Studying God's Word
Studying Nutrition
Studying our Christian Hebrew foundation
Studying parenting
Studying homeschooling
Healthy "junk" food from Whole Foods (or should that be "healthy" junk food?!!!)
Relationships with people who know how to both give and take
Answering questions from people who are honestly seeking answers
Sharing what God has taught me
Organization
Blogging a small amount
Reading e-mail a few minutes per day
Reading the news a few minutes per day
Play piano
Play clarinet
Listening to teaching tapes while driving
A rare telephone conversation with a good friend
Things I Must Do
(If I do these with a good attitude, they will not rob my energy.)
Keep a clean home
Pay bills/taxes
Forgive
Errands that are of a necessary nature for this 21st century
Business telephone calls
Repair and maintenance of cars, home, and appliances
Eat a salad every day
Things I Neither Enjoy Nor Must Do
(Energy robbers that I need to remove from my life)
Watching movies in the evening
Relationships with people who do all the talking
Relationships with people who undermine my parenting
Relationships with people who question my every move
Relationships with people who falsely accuse me
Relationships with people who are easily offended
Relationships with petty people
Relationships with pessimists
Spending money on unnecessary items
Junk food
Spam
Window shopping (even online)
Reading print that is grammatically incorrect or spelled incorrectly
Talking to telemarketers
This is not a list with which to tag people. This is a challenge to anyone who wants to identify what is important in your life. This will be a working post, so there may be changes at later dates.
May 7, 2006
Healthy Greens
I used to think that having lettuce daily counted as getting my "greens," then I progressed to eating Romaine lettuce, which is still not my favorite. But, thanks to a friend who is a much healthier eater than I am, I am now realizing that most of us just don't eat enough greens, plain and simple. Oh, I eat spinach now and then, but collard greens or kale or some such - no thanks! So, I have set about to find ways to incorporate this life-giving food into our family's diet, while still being able to enjoy our dinner!
This was my first attempt, and we tried it two different ways, really enjoying it both times. My friend informed me that greens are best cooked for a LONG time, so I decided to put them in a crockpot.
First, I chopped some onions and put them in the crockpot on high to cook a little while I prepared the rest of the ingredients. I added some healthy meat (you pretty much need it for flavor). I put in one whole steak once, which I cut into little pieces after cooking, and I diced one package of turkey bacon the other time. Both were great. Then I washed the greens and sliced and diced them. I chopped LOTS of tomatoes and put everything in the crockpot up to about 1 inch from the top. Then I covered it with water (you could add bouillon and/or s/p, if you want) and cooked on low all day. About 3 hours before serving, I added 2 cups uncooked brown rice, real quick. Rice only takes about 3 hours in the crockpot, so add it later. This particular crockpot is 6 quarts. I made this up, so the ingredients are very flexible. My friend did tell me that onions and tomatoes are a must with greens, so keep that in mind. I made mine slightly soupy.
This was my first attempt, and we tried it two different ways, really enjoying it both times. My friend informed me that greens are best cooked for a LONG time, so I decided to put them in a crockpot.
First, I chopped some onions and put them in the crockpot on high to cook a little while I prepared the rest of the ingredients. I added some healthy meat (you pretty much need it for flavor). I put in one whole steak once, which I cut into little pieces after cooking, and I diced one package of turkey bacon the other time. Both were great. Then I washed the greens and sliced and diced them. I chopped LOTS of tomatoes and put everything in the crockpot up to about 1 inch from the top. Then I covered it with water (you could add bouillon and/or s/p, if you want) and cooked on low all day. About 3 hours before serving, I added 2 cups uncooked brown rice, real quick. Rice only takes about 3 hours in the crockpot, so add it later. This particular crockpot is 6 quarts. I made this up, so the ingredients are very flexible. My friend did tell me that onions and tomatoes are a must with greens, so keep that in mind. I made mine slightly soupy.
Mar 18, 2006
A Great Stress Reliever
I've been studying a lot about stress recently, and there are LOTS of things to consider, but there is one factor that tends to stand out to me - rest. How much sleep do we need? The surprising answer to me is - enough! Enough for what? Enough to wake up well rested and refreshed and ready to jump out of bed to greet the day! How can we tell if we've had enough sleep? Our bodies do not oversleep; we don't sleep more than we NEED. When we have enough sleep, we will naturally wake up refreshed. If we have to use an alarm clock to wake up in the morning, or we have to drag ourselves out of bed, or we just feel like rolling over and going back to sleep, we have not had enough sleep.
This past summer, I had extreme adrenal exhaustion (with chronic fatigue), so I decided to try getting some extra sleep. I basically backed out of life for a while to recover. I slept in every morning (mostly) until I woke naturally. At first, I often slept 12 hours a day. I was REALLY tired! Over time, my sleep time naturally grew less and less to the point that I am sleeping less now than I ever have in my adult life. I also don't feel tired and dragging nearly as much as I always used to during the day. Sleep is so healing to our bodies.
I have used this principle with my children as well. I know some mothers who keep tight schedules for their families, including not only what time their children go to bed (and nap), but also what time they must get up. I've heard several moms ask why it's so hard to wake their children on time. Maybe they just aren't getting enough sleep. When children are growing, they need more sleep. Teenagers need even more! I let my children sleep, but I watch for any tendency to lay in bed in the morning also. I don't want to foster laziness! I do want them to greet each day with a smile!
Our bodies thrive best when they are well rested. I am able to do so much more now than I did when I was sleep-deprived every night. And I am not nearly so stressed either! Are you feeling stressed? Too much to do? Dragging? Don't feel quite right? Relieve your stress and get some rest!
This past summer, I had extreme adrenal exhaustion (with chronic fatigue), so I decided to try getting some extra sleep. I basically backed out of life for a while to recover. I slept in every morning (mostly) until I woke naturally. At first, I often slept 12 hours a day. I was REALLY tired! Over time, my sleep time naturally grew less and less to the point that I am sleeping less now than I ever have in my adult life. I also don't feel tired and dragging nearly as much as I always used to during the day. Sleep is so healing to our bodies.
I have used this principle with my children as well. I know some mothers who keep tight schedules for their families, including not only what time their children go to bed (and nap), but also what time they must get up. I've heard several moms ask why it's so hard to wake their children on time. Maybe they just aren't getting enough sleep. When children are growing, they need more sleep. Teenagers need even more! I let my children sleep, but I watch for any tendency to lay in bed in the morning also. I don't want to foster laziness! I do want them to greet each day with a smile!
Our bodies thrive best when they are well rested. I am able to do so much more now than I did when I was sleep-deprived every night. And I am not nearly so stressed either! Are you feeling stressed? Too much to do? Dragging? Don't feel quite right? Relieve your stress and get some rest!
A Great Air Purifier
Do you live and breathe in toxic air? Have you painted your house in the last year? New carpeting, wallpaper, laminate flooring, drywall, insulation, or other man-made products full of toxic chemicals? Have you bought new upholstered furniture, pressed-wood products, new clothes or shoes? Is your home environment outgassing? Or worse yet, is it a manufactured home? Most of us live in the city, which is toxic in and of itself, but even if we carefully choose a place in the country, reality is that we live in the modern world - a very toxic world.
There is good news about a brand new air purifier, though! Well, brand new, in that each plant will be brand new to your home! Live plants are the best air purifiers known to mankind. We all know that we breathe out carbon dioxide, which plants need to breathe in, and vice versa. This element exchange cleans the air around us and them. The more you fill your home with live plants, the purer your home air will become and, hopefully, you'll feel a little better.
If nothing else, it's a nice way to take dominion over God's wonderful creation!
There is good news about a brand new air purifier, though! Well, brand new, in that each plant will be brand new to your home! Live plants are the best air purifiers known to mankind. We all know that we breathe out carbon dioxide, which plants need to breathe in, and vice versa. This element exchange cleans the air around us and them. The more you fill your home with live plants, the purer your home air will become and, hopefully, you'll feel a little better.
If nothing else, it's a nice way to take dominion over God's wonderful creation!
Mar 16, 2006
Throw out the Microwave!
Ten Reasons to Throw out your Microwave Oven
From the conclusions of the Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical studies, we can no longer ignore the microwave oven sitting in our kitchens. Based on this research, we will conclude this article with the following:
1). Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term - permanent - brain damage by "shorting out" electrical impulses in the brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].
2). The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products created in microwaved food.
3). Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating microwaved foods.
4). The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term, permanent] within the human body.
5). Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.
6). The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in microwave ovens.
7). Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumors]. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in America.
8). The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood. 9). Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.
10). Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.
Have you tossed out your microwave oven yet?
After you throw out your microwave you can use a toaster oven as a replacement. It works well for most and is nearly as quick.
The use of artificial microwave transmissions for subliminal psychological control, a.k.a. "brainwashing", has also been proven. We're attempting to obtain copies of the 1970's Russian research documents and results written by Drs. Luria and Perov specifying their clinical experiments in this area.
Written by Anthony Wayne and Lawrence Newell ©Copyright 2005 Dr. Joseph Mercola. Copied with permission.
From the conclusions of the Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical studies, we can no longer ignore the microwave oven sitting in our kitchens. Based on this research, we will conclude this article with the following:
1). Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term - permanent - brain damage by "shorting out" electrical impulses in the brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].
2). The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products created in microwaved food.
3). Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating microwaved foods.
4). The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term, permanent] within the human body.
5). Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.
6). The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in microwave ovens.
7). Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumors]. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in America.
8). The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood. 9). Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.
10). Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.
Have you tossed out your microwave oven yet?
After you throw out your microwave you can use a toaster oven as a replacement. It works well for most and is nearly as quick.
The use of artificial microwave transmissions for subliminal psychological control, a.k.a. "brainwashing", has also been proven. We're attempting to obtain copies of the 1970's Russian research documents and results written by Drs. Luria and Perov specifying their clinical experiments in this area.
Written by Anthony Wayne and Lawrence Newell ©Copyright 2005 Dr. Joseph Mercola. Copied with permission.
Did God Create Splenda?
When I am considering what substances to put into my family's bodies, I always ask myself three simple questions, which I learned from Rex Russell:
- Did God create this for food? (and do I know exactly what He did create for food?)
- Is this food in a chemically unaltered state from that which God created? (refined, purified, homogenized, pasteurized, GMOs, chemicals, preservatives, anything I can't pronounce, etc. Cooking, cutting, juicing, etc. are all chemically unaltered forms of God's created foods for us.)
- Am I addicted? (sugar, salt, fat, caffeine)
I used to be very confused when I read different health "experts," as one would say soy is good for you and another would say soy is bad for you, eggs, artificial sweeteners, etc. Now I am perfectly clear on whether or not I choose to put anything into my body that God did not design to be there.
Did God create Splenda? Click here for more information on the harmfulness of Splenda.
Healthy Sugar
There are many different ways to view “healthy” sugar. Someone asked recently, “Which is better: raw or organic sugar?” That is similar to asking, “Which is better: apples or oranges?” I’ve done a little research and found out a few things about cane sugar in particular. I believe the most important question to ask when looking at sugar cane products is how refined is it? We all know that ordinary white sugar is highly refined and, therefore, toxic to our bodies. Everyday brown sugar is only very slightly better, having had a small amount of molasses added to that highly refined white sugar.
But there are LOTS of other choices out there now, so we don’t need to poison our children on a daily basis! I will start at the top of what I found in my research. Apparently, there is a NEW sugar cane product that will be out soon (at least I haven’t seen it yet), that is purported to be the highest in nutrients and the least processed. Shakkar, an Indian dried cane juice, is simply a pressed cane extract. Nothing more. I’ll have to check it out!
Next, and what I mostly use, is Rapadura, in which the sugar cane has been squeezed, dried, and ground, retaining most of the nutrients. This is actually the old, original recipe for Sucanat, which ended up being sold several times over to other companies, all of which changed the original Sucanat recipe to what it is now: separated sucrose (white sugar) and molasses (which is the first step of refining white sugar before they add all kinds of chemicals, toxins, and other lethal agents!). They then dry the separated sucrose and molasses, and reunite them in the current Sucanat recipe, which means that it is a good choice for sugar still, but with slightly less nutrients and is slightly more refined. Rapadura and Sucanat are both recommended. Other names for Rapadura, or a very pure, unrefined sugar are jaggery, gur, panela, and piloncillo, which may be found in import stores.
Then there is a whole list of “healthy” or “natural” sugars which are somewhat misnomers. They are definitely healthier than white or brown sugar because they do not use any chemicals or toxins in their refining process, but they are a little more refined, generally using high temperatures, even though they are often called “raw.” The most common of these, which are all similar in nutrient content and amount of refining are raw sugar (Sugar in the Raw), turbinado, demerara, evaporated cane juice, and muscavado. I use these once in a while, such as when I am serving something sweet to someone who will NOT appreciate my expensive good quality sugars or if I want a certain outcome, such as Sugar in the Raw in my iced tea, which is very good.
The second thing to consider in cane sugar products is whether or not it is organic. That question applies to sugar in the same way it applies to everything else. Do you care whether or not there are pesticides used in growing this food item? You can get these healthy versions of sugar both in organic and not. If it is available, and the price is reasonable, organic is better. But the amount of refining is of FAR more importance than whether or not it is organic.
Although I still keep a lid on how much sugar I allow my children, I feel much better knowing that I am using a plant in the form God intended it to be consumed – whole, pure, and unrefined. Well, mostly!
Have a sweet day – guilt-free!
But there are LOTS of other choices out there now, so we don’t need to poison our children on a daily basis! I will start at the top of what I found in my research. Apparently, there is a NEW sugar cane product that will be out soon (at least I haven’t seen it yet), that is purported to be the highest in nutrients and the least processed. Shakkar, an Indian dried cane juice, is simply a pressed cane extract. Nothing more. I’ll have to check it out!
Next, and what I mostly use, is Rapadura, in which the sugar cane has been squeezed, dried, and ground, retaining most of the nutrients. This is actually the old, original recipe for Sucanat, which ended up being sold several times over to other companies, all of which changed the original Sucanat recipe to what it is now: separated sucrose (white sugar) and molasses (which is the first step of refining white sugar before they add all kinds of chemicals, toxins, and other lethal agents!). They then dry the separated sucrose and molasses, and reunite them in the current Sucanat recipe, which means that it is a good choice for sugar still, but with slightly less nutrients and is slightly more refined. Rapadura and Sucanat are both recommended. Other names for Rapadura, or a very pure, unrefined sugar are jaggery, gur, panela, and piloncillo, which may be found in import stores.
Then there is a whole list of “healthy” or “natural” sugars which are somewhat misnomers. They are definitely healthier than white or brown sugar because they do not use any chemicals or toxins in their refining process, but they are a little more refined, generally using high temperatures, even though they are often called “raw.” The most common of these, which are all similar in nutrient content and amount of refining are raw sugar (Sugar in the Raw), turbinado, demerara, evaporated cane juice, and muscavado. I use these once in a while, such as when I am serving something sweet to someone who will NOT appreciate my expensive good quality sugars or if I want a certain outcome, such as Sugar in the Raw in my iced tea, which is very good.
The second thing to consider in cane sugar products is whether or not it is organic. That question applies to sugar in the same way it applies to everything else. Do you care whether or not there are pesticides used in growing this food item? You can get these healthy versions of sugar both in organic and not. If it is available, and the price is reasonable, organic is better. But the amount of refining is of FAR more importance than whether or not it is organic.
Although I still keep a lid on how much sugar I allow my children, I feel much better knowing that I am using a plant in the form God intended it to be consumed – whole, pure, and unrefined. Well, mostly!
Have a sweet day – guilt-free!
Mar 5, 2006
Overcoming Adrenal Fatigue
For years I thought I had chronic fatigue, but this last summer, I came across a book that changed my life: Adrenal Fatigue by James L. Wilson. This book not only clearly describes what adrenal fatigue is, but it has an extensive questionnaire to help you find out if this is your situation, including a section to help you figure out what is causing your own adrenal fatigue and how severe it is, and several other tests to help verify your questionnaire. The second part of the book devotes a chapter to each of the different aspects of adrenal fatigue, giving both stories and possible solutions for each cause. Therefore, everyone would have a different life “prescription” for recovering from adrenal fatigue.
By last summer, I had extreme adrenal burnout. Now, I am almost back to normal. If you are feeling stressed in life, which usually causes physical problems, consider checking out this book. I thank God for using many different things to bring healing into my life.
By last summer, I had extreme adrenal burnout. Now, I am almost back to normal. If you are feeling stressed in life, which usually causes physical problems, consider checking out this book. I thank God for using many different things to bring healing into my life.
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