Gall Bladder

I have been experiencing problems with my gall bladder the past 10ish months.  I didn't know that is was my gall bladder until 7 months ago.  Then the more I have researched about it I realize that I had issues with it during most of my pregnancies as well.  Well  the past 3 days, I have had pain right under my ribcage, mostly in the middle until last night it settled on the right side-- gall bladder again.  The funny thing is with my past attacks, I have had no pain where my actually gall bladder IS, mostly just bloating and gas/burping and right shoulder pain, so this was new for me.  Last night as I was a bit worried about this new development in my gall bladder sickness, I came across a web site that has lots of info about healing your gall bladder.  There was a recipe for Flax Seen Tea  that helps with the pain.  I had some flax so I made it.  Guess what?  Totally works.  I don't understand HOW it works, but it does.   I am one happy person today!    So now that the attack is over I can be more vigilant about healing it. 


Flax Seen Tea for Gall Bladder Attack Pain:
1 TBSP organic flax seed
2 1/2 C water.
Boil Flax for 5 minutes. 
Steep for 10 minutes.
Sip slowly.
 
The recipe is found here.   There is LOTS of info about the gall bladder and foods to avoid, foods to eat, etc. Check it out here.


Here is some of what I do to help it heal:
Eat good organic Beets.  I planted several in my garden this year.  I actually don't enjoy eating beets- never have.  With my last pregnancy (almost 4 yrs ago) I was low in iron and my midwife asked me to eat more beets.  It would make me want to throw up!   But I know they are beneficial and have found a way that I can consume them-- Juice them.  They are excellent juiced with some carrots and maybe a cucumber thrown in there.  
I also take some supplements-- Standard Process makes an excellent vitamin called  A-F Betafood.   I use it almost daily and during an attack I up my dose.  That usually does the trick to stop the attack but is wasn't enough this time.
One thing I have noticed is that when my gall bladder is acting up- so is my thyroid.   Darn things go hand in hand.  So I treat my thyroid as well.   And when I say "treat" my thyroid I am not talking about going and having a blood test done by an MD and then good on medications to "correct" it.   That route has failed me time and time again.  I actually had LOTS of thyroid tests done very close together last summer and it always came out with very different results-- some showing hypo-thyroid, some Hyper-thyroid and no doctor could make since of it.  Some even went as far as saying the tests must have been done wrong.  I finally had one doctor finally admit that they never test the thyroid that often and have no idea if it is usual  to bounce around that much.  HA!  Then the whole "lets test it every few months and adjust your level of meds" theory is so totally completely wrong!  If it is normal to bounce around (which they admitted they have NO idea if that is normal or not) then they are medicating you unnecessarily!!!!   YIKES!
Whenever I have questions about my health and what is going on I have my wonderful Chiropractic husband do some nutritional testing on me.  BEST health care EVER! 

Relationship Between the Health of Your Teeth and Your Body

I have been researching Bio Dentists recently.  I developed a tooth ache and saw a regular dentist who determined that I needed a root canal.  NOT happening if I can help it.   Root Canals are the only medical procedure where we kill a part of our body because it is hurting and KEEP it in the body.  It never addresses the real reason it got sick in the first place.
As I have researched I came across something real interesting.  Teeth are connected to organs in the body just as the feet (in reflexology)!
Check out this website:   http://www.saveyourteeth.com/  .  Lots of good information.  I love the interactive chart at the bottom of the "Meridian Charts" page.
And, amazingly, my tooth that is sick also corrolates with my organs that are sick as well.  The body is amazing and all connected and is always trying to find balance and heal.
As it turns out, my husband actually had these charts in his HUGE binder of nutrional info.
I am treating my tooth ache with whole food supplements that I muscle tested for and have very little discomfort.  I will see a bio dentist in my area soon to get it fixed.

Juicing Tips

I have owned a juicer for  10 months now.   We had been wanting one but it wasn't a priority until we learned that adding juicing into your daily life helps you be more successful in weight loss.   I started juicing 5 days a week.  I like to juice first thing in the morning.  Later I add a protein snack to keep me going all morning.  I LOVE it.   I have lost 8 lbs and have kept it off-- even through I had some heart issues that meant I couldn't exercise for a many of those months.  And to be honest, I haven't exercised much at all looking over these last 10 months.  There were 2 months in there I exercised regularly-- to see if exercise would actually help heal my heart.   I have learned a few things about juicing and I though I would share.
*Keep it simple.  Juicing too many items makes it taste not so pleasant.  I like to pick 2 main veggies and add an apple (I like green apples) or half a lemon (without the rind).  
*Juicing cucumbers or celery adds lots of juice which is good.  Celery is a bit bitter and to be honest I hated it at first, but it has grown on me and I enjoy it.   Cucumber should be peeled if not organic.
*Celery is amazing.  It lowers blood pressure.  It helps those who get constipated and keeps you more regular.  It does that by relaxing the nerves associated with it-- it relaxes and does not stimulate.  But if you have low blood pressure-- beware.  That is me-- I would get dizzy when I added celery due to too low of blood pressure.  How low is low?   100 or less /  60.
*Beet juice is surprisingly earthy and delicious.  I hate eating beets and I have tried them many way and juicing is the only way I like them.  They are good for iron and building up healthy blood.  They are also amazing at healing the liver and gall  bladder.
*Kale is good for many things that I can't seem to remember, but one thing I will not forget is that it is good for the lungs- and right now that is great for me since I have bronchitis.
*Drink the juice quickly after juicing for best results.  Drink on an empty stomach and don't eat other food for 30 minutes.  That way your body has an easy time absorbing all the wonderful vitamins and minerals easily and put them to good use.
*Many people think juicing is not as healthy as eating the whole food-- fiber and all.  Even though fiber is important, realistically it is almost impossible to eat all the servings of fruits and veggies we need daily.  This allows you to get all of those servings in easily.  It gives your body THE best source of vitamins and minerals in a very easy to digest form.
*Juice organic foods as often as you can.   I only do organic beets as I got sick because of pesticides for juicing conventional beets.  You can peel beets but what a mess!  So buy good quality organic when you can.  Many items can be peeled if you don't have good quality organic or can't afford it.
*Juicing regularly takes up LOTS of room in the fridge.   We now have a fridge in our garage that is mostly full of juicing produce.
*I get organic carrots in huge bags at Costco for cheap.  :)
*Grow as much as you can. This way you can save money and have control of the quality of the produce.  I loved to juice fresh Swiss chard last summer that we grew.  This summer I am growing many more items to juice.
*Spinach is hard to juice.  If I want to include spinach I add it in a blender.  I juice the other produce and then put it in a blender with the spinach.
*Bananas don't juice. Neither do avocados or egg plant.  Add them in a blender if wanted.  I have not added avocados or egg plant so I can't tell you if it is good or not.
*Fresh Pineapple is a great way to add natural enzymes which help in digesting all food.
*Watch Fat Sick and Nearly Dead.   It just may change your life.

Colds and Fevers

Winter time is known for illness.   In our house we aren't sick very often.  Most of that is due to living a healthy lifestyle-- eating healthy less processed foods, regular chiropractic care, getting sunshine when we can (it is winter after all!), and not using anti bacterial products.  Yup, we don't even own bleach or lysol or the likes!   When someone is sick, I do not go around the house sanitizing.   What we do is use Essential oils.     For coughs and congestion, I use Lemon Eucalyptus essential oil.  I mix a few drops in to a "carrier oil"  like coconut oil (my favorite) or olive oil.  Then rub it on the bottoms of the feet of the sick person and their chest.  I do this at night before bed and sometimes in the morning as well.  Be careful as the oil on the bottoms of the feet if kept bare will be slick and slipping and falling may become a problem.  So avoid that and put socks on!   This helps loosen and thin the yuck making you cough and therefor helps you get over your cough quicker!  For fevers I usually let them run the course.  Fevers are the natural defense that the body does to burn and kill off the bug making you sick.   If they are really uncomfortable then cooling them a bit with a wet rag with some lavendar essential oil is one option.   If the fever is getting really high (over 103 *F) then  mix Peppermint oil with a carrier oil and rub on the bottoms of the feet.  Within 30 minutes for sure, the fever will be lower. And as always drink water!  No juices or soda or candy or sugar.  No food coloring and fake food (processed food).  Just eat good wholesome whole foods.

Homemade Yogurt

There are many sites that teach you how to make your own yogurt at home.  I have been doing so for a couple of years and have LOVED it.   I love having control on the ingredients that are added because store bought yogurt often has way too much sugar, artificial sugars/flavors/colors, or even the dreaded high fructose corn syrup.   The method I use in a combination of 2 different methods- crock pot and oven methods-- it is easier for me to do.

 

Homemade Yogurt

Ingredients:   Whole milk and a little bit of yogurt starter.

In a crock pot add whole milk-- measure how much you use.   I use 12 cups of milk and fills my crock pot.   How much milk you use will depend on how big your crock pot is.  Make sure it is at least half full.  Heat on high for 3 hours (many sites say to heat on low but that doesn't work for me).  Unplug the crock pot and time for 3 hours.  At this point (6 hours after starting),  add the yogurt starter.  One Tablespoon per cup of milk.  So for my 12 cups of milk, I add 12 Tablespoons of yogurt (which is the same as 3/4 cup).  For your yogurt starter, pick a plain yogurt that is just milk and the necessary bacteria to make yogurt.  No additional ingredients.  It may be written as cultured milk.  They usually tell you which active live cultures ( healthy bacteria) it contains.  Most have 5 different live cultures some have 2.  I have used  "Wallaby Organic" plain,  "Dannon  Oikos" plain  and some other brands with good success.   Mix it in gradually.  I do this by putting the yogurt starter in a bowl and slowly adding the warm milk and mixing with a hand whisk.  I keep adding a few more large spoons of warm milk and mixing between each addition. After mixing it with 2-4 cups of the warm milk,  I add it to the crock pot full of warm milk.  I mix it gently but well in the crock pot.  I then take the crock pot out and put it into a cold oven and turn on the light.  I have a very small European size oven.  The light produces a bit too much heat so I  put a couple hot pads in the door to vent the oven just a bit. Regular size ovens do not need the hot pads in the door. The light provides just enough heat to allow the live cultures to grow.  It takes about 12-24 hours.   I have never reached the 24 hour mark.  I usually keep it in the oven for about 18 hours.  I start the process  in the morning and by the time I am awake the next morning (between 6-7am) it is nice and thick and ready to be put in the fridge.   After chilling,  eat it how ever you want!   Our favorites is using it in smoothies (  in a blender combine: 1/2-1 cup yogurt, a handful of frozen fruit, a squeeze of honey, & big handful of fresh baby spinach.  If needed for little ones, I make a small batch and add their whole food supplements pre-smashed that they are needing-- the easiest way to get them to take them!), replacing the plain yogurt in recipes calling for sour cream, or  adding fresh fruit  and honey. The possibilities are endless!  My little 3 yr old likes it lemon flavored (natural lemon flavoring or Lemon E.O. with honey to sweeten.   Make it "greek" style by straining the yogurt using a coffee filter lined strainer.  The whey is strained out leaving a creamier and thicker consistency.  Remember to place strainer in a bowl to catch the whey!

One thing I have done a couple of times to get the texture to resemble more like store bought yogurt is to add unflavored gelatin.  Be careful how you add it or you will end up with clear gelatin globs.  Add it with the yogurt starter, then add the warm milk mixing VERY well.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Cleaning the Bath Tub

Several years ago I ran across an article in our city magazine on how make your own safe cleaners.  One I have continued to use for the tile and tub.


Tub and Tile Cleaner
Mix:
1 2/3 cup baking soda
1/2 cup liquid soap
1/2 cup water
as the last step, mix 2 Tablespoon vinegar.  Don't mix the vinegar too spoon as it will react too much with the baking soda.  Immediately apply, wipe and scrub.    If needed to help to clean some mildew, use straight vinegar and scrub in problem areas.  Rinse well.