Papaya to the Rescue!

     One of my most favorite natural cures came to our rescue a few weeks ago.  We made a quick trip out of town to take some time off and enjoy some shopping and museums in the big city.  On the way down, my husband started complaining of very bad stomach cramps. By the time we arrived at the motel, he was doubled over and in extreme pain.  I was discouraged. I imagined him huddled in the bathroom all night and one by one, the rest of us in turn.  So, I turned to my favorite magic tummy cure: papaya enzymes.

     This is one of my favorite cures because it works almost immediately. We had a friend that worked for us.  He arrived at work one morning and was doubled over with stomach pain (of course the donuts and mountain dew that he had for breakfast had nothing to do with it!!).  He took 5 of these pills and was better immediately. He was amazed and called them "magic pills". 

     The papaya contains natural enzymes in the form of bromelain that aids in digestion.  However, fresh papaya is hard to come by these days and very hard to carry around with you!  These pills solve the problem. When there is an upset in the digestive juices in your stomach, the outcome is a stomach ache.  Adding more digestive enzymes helps to restore the balance and take care of the problem.  Raw apple also works, but papaya pills are more concentrated.

    

 

     I purchase these at Walmart.  They are not very expensive and a good thing to keep around.  They taste great and are easy to chew. My kids think they are candy. Sometimes I wonder about their complaints about tummy aches.....they love having papaya and when one child gets some, they all get some!  When there is real stomach trouble, it works immediately to soothe the pain.  When we eat at a restaurant or have some meal that is hard to digest, I pass around the papaya to everyone as a preventative measure. I have jars of these pills stashed everywhere around the house in strategic places.  I carry a constant supply in my purse.  My husband, who doesn't do a lot of natural stuff, swears by them and carries a supply in his lunch bucket.

 

 

     This is another version that I like to use.  These are mint flavored and available on eBay.  They are different in that they have a slight mint flavor, which is good at comforting an upset stomach.

     In this season when stomach trouble is rampant and the flu bug is just around the corner, stock up on some papaya enzymes.  You may be able to ward off the  impending virus by adding some enzymes to your system.  I usually let the kids eat 2 at a time, but when there is a serious problem, you can take up to 5 every hour.  My mom insists that she kept a violent stomach bug away by taking papaya every hour when she first felt sick!  It's worth a try!

     Well, the papaya rescued our family vacation. Within a few  hours, the couple of doses of papaya pills did the trick and my husband was better and eating supper!  Thank you, papaya!!!

Happy Birthday, Truly

An open letter to our daughter, Truly, on the occasion of her 5th birthday.

Dear Truly-
     Today would have been your fifth birthday.  I cried my first tears today thinking of the wonder and excitement that a 5 year old would have on her birthday. We would have woken you early in time to open your gifts before Daddy left for work. You would have come down the stairs in your jammies, with sleepy eyes and messy hair to see your place at the breakfast table all decorated with streamers and balloons and our special dishes.  I can just imagine the delight in your eyes as you opened your gifts.  A 5 year old girl would most likely love princess stuff and anything pink and sparkly!
     Turning 5 has always been one of those milestone birthdays when a toddler suddenly transforms into a child. You would have started school this fall and would most likely have already known your alphabet and numbers from watching and playing with your siblings.  You would have started taking on some new chores, like helping sweep the kitchen and learning to wash the dishes.  Your sisters would have loved helping you learn and teaching you how to fix your own hair and pick out pretty outfits. 
      Your exit from this life left quite a hole in our hearts.  When your brothers and sisters are playing, I often look around and think, "Who's missing?"  Then, it dawns on me, that it is you.  Your siblings often mention you in passing.  Charity seems to be the most sensitive about your death, coming to me in tears saying that she misses you. We all do.
     When I read in Hebrews about that "great a cloud of witnesses", I wonder about how much of what  is going on down here on earth is visible to you in heaven.  We often wonder about how "old" you might be in heaven, or if you look like us, or what you do. No matter what "age" you are, you will always be a baby in our hearts!  The kids and I were discussing the other day about eye color and they asked about yours. I told them that you never opened your eyes here on earth, but most babies eyes are blue.  I think about the others that I know who are in heaven.  Perhaps you have spoken to your great grandma and grandpa Yowell today, or great Grandpa Tate or great Grandpa Deatrick.  I don't know a whole lot about what goes on in heaven, but when I read about all the celebrations that God designed for the Israelites, surely heaven must be full of celebration.  I hope they are celebrating with you today!
     We are not going to sit around and mope today.  Today is still a celebration.  We have designated this date on our calendar to decorate the house with our Christmas decorations.  The kids are excited to finally get the tree decorated and get the stocking hung and the greenery around the house. We will bake a cake to celebrate the day, just because we love having a reason to make cake as you surely know!  We will also go out to your gravestone and place some flowers there in remembrance.  Though we know it is just your body that is there, I think it helps the kids to see the flowers there.  We all take comfort in knowing that you are with our blessed Saviour!  We can't wait to see both He and you someday!
     Your short life on this earth taught us so much.  I thank our heavenly Father over and over for His wisdom in giving you to us for such a short time.  We learned so much about His goodness and grace through all of that time.  We love you, Truly Hope. 
                                                                   Lots of Love,
                                                                                Mommy



*To read all of Truly's story click here

Foods that Heal: Pumpkin

 

 

 It's that time of the year when we begin filling our houses with the delicious scents of the fall harvest. Pumpkin is always at the top of the list of favorite fall flavors. Though it is the main ingredient in our favorite desserts, pumpkin not only tastes good, it packs a strong boost to your health!

 

  
     Pumpkin breads, muffins and desserts are a great way to get super nutrition into your children as well.  Even canned pumpkin is a good choice.  The canning process does not require any added preservatives.
     So, what is in this super food?  The beautiful bright orange color should give a hint as to the type of vitamins that are in pumpkin.  Pumpkin contains high amounts of carotenoids, which are also present in carrots, which contain high amounts of vitamin A which we know to aid in eyesight.  Vitamin A also is a great immunity booster, preparing our bodies for the approaching cold weather! Carotenoids also assist your body in preventing cardiovascular diseases.
    Pumpkin is also full of other great vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C, which also helps to boost immunity, but is also effective in preventing signs of aging and helps your body produce collagen. The pumpkin is also a diuretic, which means that it is very effective in flushing toxins out of your body.  Magnesium, potassium and zinc are other vital nutrients that your body needs which reduce hypertension, support bone density and promote reproductive health.

     We all know that fiber and protein are essential parts of out daily intake, and pumpkin packs plenty of these! The fiber in pumpkin will aid in gastrointestinal disorders, but also helps lower bad cholesterol and helps to regulate blood sugar.
    When seeking good pumpkin recipes, find ones that use a good portion of it.  A cup in a recipe is a good amount, but a whole can full is better.  Paula Deen's pumpkin bars are good and include a whole can of pumpkin as well as 4 eggs-- super protein packed!!  The frosting is extra yummy and contains good amounts of dairy fat (sour cream and butter), though eat in moderation!! To add nutrition to the recipe, I substituted coconut oil for the vegetable oil and used whole wheat flour for half of the flour.(http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pumpkin-bars-recipe/index.html) My picky, protein hating 5 year old loved it!! :)

       Pumpkin is rather versatile and can be used equally in the place of sweet potato puree' (and vice-versa).  One of our favorite healthy muffin recipes is included below.  Enjoy your pumpkin this fall and also add some nutrition to your life!

Pumpkin Muffins
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin (or sweet potato) puree'
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup oil (I like coconut)
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine all ingredients.  Line muffin tin with muffin papers. Fill with batter 1/2 way up.  Bake for 15 minutes @ 350.

Foods that Heal: Honey

     Honey is one of the most amazing foods that the Creator gave to us.  I have known about a lot of its healing properties, but just in the past few months I have been doing more research and finding out much more!  It is amazing to realize that honey is the only food that we consume from insects.  When God promised the Israelites a "land flowing with milk and honey", they probably knew what amazing things could be done with honey.  It is also interesting to me to see that the Word is compared to honey. What an appropriate analogy as you will see soon!  Not only does it sweeten life, but also brings healing and restores life!

     Now, when I speak of honey, I mean a particular kind.  The honey that you reach for off the grocery store shelf has been processed and heated to kill any bacteria. In the processing and heating, vital nutrients are destroyed along with the good bacteria.  When you search for real honey, purchase it from a  bee keeper or health food store making sure that it is unprocessed, raw honey.
     Honey is such an amazing food.  It contains its own bacteria fighting powers so that the worst infections are kept at bay.  At one time, a bacteriologist set out to prove that honey was fertile ground for growing bacteria and in the process, discovered the opposite!  He placed actual typhoid and dysentery bacteria in honey and within 48 hours all the bacteria were dead!  Amazing!  Those of you in countries that suffer with these ailments should find a local bee keeper or invest in some bee keeping equipment yourself!  What a valuable and simple way to kill off germs!  The amazing thing is that honey is so pleasant to the tongue, it would be no trouble to get your children to take it. 
     The antiseptic properties of honey extend far beyond internal healing.  Any external wound or skin ailment would heal much more quickly if covered in honey.  Before the invention of penicillin, honey was used extensively in both world wars to effectively heal battle wounds and was even used to treat gangrene.  The emollient properties of honey  would also reduce scarring and keep a wound moisturized.  I read testimonials over and over again of individuals who had some type of skin ailment or wound that would not heal with modern medicinal tactics, and after hearing of honey's healing abilities, had the problem cleared up in just days.
     Honey is also an amazing food that never spoils.  I remember hearing about explorers opening up an ancient Egyptian tomb and finding vats of honey that were still usable.  Honey does have its own way of preserving itself by crystallizing, but add a little heat, and it is as good as new.
     Because honey is a by product of the bee, then it has already been digested.  So, it is very easy on the stomach.  Its smoothness eases stomach upset and soothes the intestines.  Little tummies would benefit from a spoonful of honey now and then.
     I have been amazed to see that modern doctors are now telling parents to give their children honey in the place of cough suppressants.  The moisturizing ability and its smooth stickiness allows honey to coat the throat, keeping coughs at a minimum and effectively soothing a sore throat. 
     Honey is a lower sugar, so the body is not overwhelmed with a sugar high, like it would be with regular sugar.  Honey is a very effective energy booster, yet also helps to relieve anxiety.  Anyone who suffers with allergies would benefit greatly by eating honey that is from their local area.  The bees collect the pollen from the local plants, giving the eater an immunization of some sorts from the plants that they are allergic to. High cholesterol, skin problems, diabetes, weight loss, infection: the list could go on and on.  I read so much on this topic, I was overwhelmed with the information. If you have a particular ailment that you are interested in reading about, I suggest researching that ailment to see if honey can be used to heal it.  I also read a ton of amazing information at  www.whfoods.com which gave a wealth of information on the healing powers of honey.
     One word of caution, doctors warn mothers of young children not to give honey to an infant younger than one year of age.  Unprocessed honey can carry bacteria that may be too strong for an infant to handle.  Honestly, with compromised immunity from being bottle fed instead of breast fed, more infants would be affected by these bacteria.
     So, support your local bee keeper today and add honey to your natural medicine cabinet.  Your children will be happy you did!

Sore Throat Remedy

     I've been plagued with an extremely sore throat and cough this weekend.  I think sleeping for over 2 months with an air conditioner blowing right on me has contributed to this illness.  My usual remedy for sore throat is to drink hot tea, as hot as I can take it. Well, 100 degree weather just makes drinking hot tea unbearable.  I made some slippery elm and comfrey tea yesterday and drank it on ice.  It didn't soothe much.
     My mom came to the rescue last night with a tea recipe she had read about and recommended to my sister when she had strep for a few weeks.  So, I tried it this morning (after searching for fresh limes in 2 different grocery stores!) and thought I'd share the recipe.  I drank just a small amount so far, but feel much improved already.

     Heat some hot water.  While it is heating take one lime and place it in warm water ( this aids in getting the most juice from the fruit, also works on lemons).  Put 4 teaspoons of honey, 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt and 1 teabag of choice in a glass measure.  When the water is heated (not boiling) pour 1 cup over ingredients and let tea steep. Juice the lime and add to the tea.  Sip throughout the day, do not drink all at once. I poured mine over ice and it has already seemed to help soothe the soreness a lot. 
    Another favorite sore throat remedy is Listerine.  I gargle with it before going to bed and the disinfecting power works very quickly to help it heal. Salt water is another great liquid to gargle with when suffering a sore throat.  Avoiding sugar is also a must. Sugar feeds any infection.  Anytime I am sick and eat any amount of sugar, I immediately get congested and feel worse.  Of course, increasing vitamin C in any form and taking garlic are also great for killing an infection. 
     So, sore throat, beware, I am armed and ready for the battle.  I hope you will be gone soon!

Lesson Learned

     I have been suffering from a foot malady this summer and I had to share my "natural" healing experience with you.  I have what seems to be athlete's foot between two of my toes. I always get it in the summer time (when I always wear sandals). A few weeks ago it started getting very bad.  It was swollen, and felt like the infection had spread to my foot.  I had veins near my toes that were red and hot. So, I did a little research to find out what I could do to speed up the healing process.

     The first thing I read is that fresh air helps it heal. Strange that I only get it when I'm wearing sandals.  I wrote down the various ingredients that I had on hand to try and make it better.  I walked around an entire afternoon with a raw onion taped to my foot.  The only difference it made was that I walked in a way that injured my foot and it was sore and swollen the next day.  I have baptized the toe several times in tea tree oil, to no avail.  I walked another day for a few hours with a raw garlic clove stuck between the two toes.  I soaked it in Epsom salts, which only  made my dry cracked heels even drier and "crackier". I applied oregano oil, which only made me smell like a pizza and which also stung in the extreme for over an hour!  I drank lots of comfrey tea, ate tons of vitamin C, and even sprinkled natural pink salt in my shoes (which also burned very badly!!).  The apple cider vinegar really helped with the itching, but just made me feel like a pickle.  This infection was just not going away!
     All the while that I was "suffering", my husband kept telling me to try his favorite remedy: Vick's Vapor Rub.  Well, I would argue that petroleum jelly isn't "natural" and that the salve would keep the foot from getting the fresh air that it needed. I was also afraid that the Mentholatum in Vick's would make it burn like fire and I didn't want to put that on an open wound. Finally, two days ago, I broke down and very precariously put a tiny bit of Vick's on the toe and put a sock over it and went to bed.  I was surprised that it did not sting at all-- making me feel like it wasn't working. :)  However, the next morning, the swelling and redness were noticeably better.  I gingerly added even more the next night, and had even better results the next morning.  I am almost over this infection, that has lasted over a month, in just two nights.
    So, the conclusion?  Experience is the best doctor. I often go to a website called Well Tell Me that is a great resource of experience. People sharing their experience with a certain malady and telling how they dealt with it and what worked for them.  Now, every body is different, and will respond to different methods in different ways, but to know that someone else is out there going through the same thing and having ways to deal with it is very valuable information.  Yes, I did research foot infections through that site, and no, there were no mentions of Vick's vapor-rub!!  I may have to add that!

Butter is Better

     I read this today and had to share.  I avoid margarine as much as possible, mostly because I detest the flavor and texture.  I love using butter in all baking and it is perfect slathered on a warm piece of homemade bread.  Remember that balance is the key to healthy living. Yes, butter is fat, but it is good, God-made fat. Wouldn't you rather eat something that was present in the Garden of Eden and specifically made for consumption by mankind than to fill your body with oils and chemicals that taste terrible and have drastic effects on your health?  Read on:

     "Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back.
It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of butter. How do you like it? They have come out with some clever new flavorings....

DO YOU KNOW.. The difference between margarine and butter?
Read on to the end...gets very interesting!

Both have the same amount of calories.

Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams; compared to5 grams for margarine.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.

Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.
Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few and only because they are added!
Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods.

Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years.

And now, for Margarine..
Very High in Trans fatty acids.
Triples risk of coronary heart disease ...
Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)

Increases the risk of cancers up to five times..

Lowers quality of breast milk

Decreases immune response.

Decreases insulin response.

And here's the most disturbing fact... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC... and shares 27 ingredients with PAINT

These facts alone were enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance).

Open a tub of margarine and leave it open in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will notice a couple of things:

* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)

* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no value ; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny micro-organisms will not a find a home to grow. Why? Because it is nearly plastic. Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?

Share This With Your Friends.....(If you want to butter them up')!"

     Yes, there are supposed "good" versions of margarine, but they are still fake versions of the real thing.  Remember, those of you that think that no-fat or low-fat is good, your brain is made of fat.  If your body does not consume enough fat, your brain will suffer.  Have you ever seen a fat alzheimers patient?  Brain scans of those who suffer from alzheimers show that the brain has literally disappeared or disintegrated.  Beware of what you eat.  Balance your life with a little bit of butter, your body and your brain (and your tastebuds) will thank you!