Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Oil Pulling, All it is Cracked Up To Be?


I am sure you are hearing and see this all over the place, oil pulling for your teeth. This is something I learned about several years ago, however, I started pulling about two months ago. Most of my clients and others I talk with, think I changed my lifestyle and health all at once and that is it. Nothing could be further from the truth. My healthy lifestyle has been a journey and continues to be a journey. I did not changed everything all at once. I make changes when it works for me and I am ready to add in another healthy option, oil pulling is the perfect example.

What is oil pulling?
Simply, it is taking 1-2 tsp of oil, usually coconut oil, what I use, and swishing it in your mouth for 20 minutes. Spit it out into a trash can, DO NOT swallow. Rinse the mouth well and then brush your teeth.

It is really simple. It does take time, but there are some tricks to help with that. But, why do it? Here are some of the supposed health benefits:

  • Oral health
  • Gum and teeth health
  • Prevents plaque build up
  • Whiten teeth
  • Detoxes the body
  • Reduce headaches
  • Strengthens the jaw 
  • Help fight fatigue 
  • Helps with sleep issues
  • Hormonal balance
  • Heart health
  • Decreases allergies
  • Among many other things

There has not been any solid studies done on this to verify any of this. With that being said, why do it?
Everything in the body is connected. If your mouth is not healthy, it can cause a mirrored of health issues in the rest of the body. It is worth taking care of your mouth, for this reason.

My results:
My mouth has not ever been so clean. Plaque does not build up on my teeth, my teeth are whiter, and over all, my mouth is healthier.
I like to add a drop of peppermint oil as well, nice minty clean fresh breath and mouth.
Even if I do not see many of the other health benefits of oil pulling, I will continue to do it for the cleaner teeth and striving to take care of my over health.

For the best results, you are suppose to swish for 20 minutes first thing in the morning. I just do it when I take a shower. It does not mean this is first thing in the morning, it is when it works for me and that is when I shower, whatever time that is. At the end of the day, this is when you need to do, when you will do it. If the timing does not work for you, you will not do it, so then you do not have the benefits. This goes for anything, oil pulling, working out, down time, you have to do it when you will do it. Figure out that time and give it a try. Let me know how you like it.

If you would like more information about oil pulling, here is a book:
Oil Pulling Therapy, Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing 

Saving the world one stick of butter at a time.
God bless,
Jenn


Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Sniffing and Sneezing....


Itchy eyes, running nose, scratchy throat, awww yes, it is allergy season. How many of you suffer from allergies, seasonal or otherwise? I do, and it is not any fun. What can you do? Do you have to just suffer or take expensive medicine? Here are steps I have taken to help mine.

One of the first things to do is work on fixing the gut. This is where a lot of allergies stem from. The gut is over run by bad bacteria, yeast, fungus and whatever else is growing in there. These can puncture the lining and then what is in, comes out. We need to heal the gut and re-culture it. I have done this by:

  • Essential oils, oregano, lemon and tea tree
  • Decreasing/eliminating grain and sugar
  • Adding bone broth and gelatin 
  • Adding in good bacteria
  • Decreasing inflammation 


The only problem is, this takes time and I need relief now! Begin working on this for the long run to help the body heal. And for relief, here are a few things to help.

  • Drinking whole raw milk, if you can tolerate dairy. This will help heal the gut, bring in good bacteria, packed with nutrition, decrease inflammation
  • Eat local raw honey, fantastic for allergies, the bees take the pollen and make it a powerful fighter.
  • Eucalyptus oil is fantastic, add a drop or two in your shower, rub some on your chest, dilute some in oil and swab into your nose with a Q-tip
  • Lemon, lavender and peppermint oils taken together help decrease inflammation in the body from the allergic response. 

You can find all these oils here.
These are a few things that have helped me. What have you done do help your allergies?
Saving the world one stick of butter at a time.
God bless,
Jenn


Friday, April 4, 2014

Lime and Rosemary Marinade for Steak


In our house, we have come to really enjoy a tasty steak, grilled or on the stove. However, we do not like just steak, we usually do some type of dipping sauce with ours. I came up with this marinade and it is amazing. It makes a very tender, juicey, flavorful steak. My Hubby even said they were delicious! He had his favorite BBQ sauce already and did not even need it. I need no other words, this never happens.

What you need for 2 servings:
Steaks, you could do this with another cut of meat, like a roast in the pressure cooker or crock pot, cook accordingly if using one of those.
Zest and juice of one large lime
2 tsp of rosemary
1-2 tsp of tarragon
2-3 cloves of garlic zested or finally minced
1/1-1 tsp of honey
salt and pepper

How to prepare:
Zest lime and garlic into a bowl, then cut the lime and squeeze out all the juice. Dump rosemary out into hand and rub it between your hands as you drop it into the bowl, this helps release the oils in it and brings out the flavor. Put in tarragon, salt, pepper and honey. You do not need a lot of honey, it helps bring the flavors together, but also helps give a bit of char on the steak when cooked. The honey will crystallize when cooked and takes on a flavor all it's own, a nice touch. Mix it all well. Pound the steak some. You are not wanting to pound it flat, just some to break up the fibers. Place the steak into the marinade and coat both sides. Allow to sit for at least a half hour or up to a day or two. This really does not need a tremendous amount of time to soak up the flavors, I have done it for a half hour and it is very flavorful.
Cook steak in desired fashion and doneness. I have done this on the stove and the grill, both were very tasty. I like to get my pan or grill really hot, place the meat on, and allow to mark on both sides. This will take a few minutes per side. Then turn down the heat and cook the rest of the way through for your desired doneness. We like mead rare.

Serve with a side of veggies of some sort, asparagus, broccoli, a salad, my rhubarb and Brussels sprouts, really any side you want. This is a quick, tasty and nutrient dense dinner in no time.

I hope you enjoy!
Saving the world one stick of butter at a time.
God bless,
Jenn

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Weight Lose Challenge Follow Up

I could spend some time on a secluded beach!

Just when you think I forgot about the challenge I set you, and you were getting comfy not having to think about it, BAM, I am following up. It is April can you believe it! That means this month I go to Hawaii, so I have to follow up with you about our challenge. This keeps me honest as well. It also helps all of us to share our short comings, where we have strayed, what has helped get back on track and support one another.

I have done well so far. I did eat some tortillas a few times and some corn chips one night, it was very tasty. I enjoyed them very much! However, I did not allow this to through me in a down word spiral. I ate them, enjoyed them and the next day, I was right back on track.

You see, one of the keys to making a lifestyle change is getting back up. Evaluating the situation, why did you fall, what were the circumstances around it, where do you need to make a change, adjust and move forward. Do not dwell on your set back, acknowledge it for what it is, set a new goal, whatever you need to stay on track and get right back up. The sooner you can move forward, the quicker you will make this new lifestyle change.

My work outs have been going very well. I have pushed myself hard and even in these two weeks I have seen changes in my body. When I do not want to workout one day, or while I my muscles are burning and screaming bloody murder at me and I want to quite, I think about the beaches of Hawaii and I push harder. Mind over matter.

I am also doing better with my body image issues. I decided, what do I have to lose by hating my body, everything. What do I have to gain by appreciating the body God has given me, everything. So, then, why am I hating my body? I am still a work in progress, but much better than I was two weeks ago.

There is my confession, whats up, how I am doing. Now it is your turn.
I really want to hear from you, how are you doing?
What have you found to be the hardest thing so far?
Have you tried any new foods?
Have you tried any new workouts?
Where have you fallen? What helped you get back on track?
What has been your success so far?

Saving the world one stick of butter at a time.
God bless,
Jenn

If you find any of these posts helpful, please share them. The more support we all have, the better we all do.