Natural Fit and Frugal

Earth Paste a truly ALL NATURAL TOOTHPASTE!

2013-05-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but I have had problematic teeth in my lifetime. I can always rely on the dentist to tell me I have at least one cavity, no matter how hard I floss, brush and rinse. Even after taking a bunch of sugar out of my diet, I still get cavities.

I have been reading alot about oil pulling and people having success with it, but I have to admit it still scares me to not use flouride. But is flouride that good for us and is it really helping my teeth?

I contacted the lovely people that make Earth Paste, what exactly is Earth Paste?

It truly is an all natural toothpaste, not a yucky chemical in sight and nothing to worry about if you swallow it.

It is made up of quality ingredients including Food Grade Redmond Clay, Readmond Sea , Xylitol (you know that stuff that is in gum that is good for your teeth) Purified Water and Essential Oils.

They have a few flavors including Cinnamon, Lemon Twist, Wintergreen and Peppermint.

Ok so when I first squeezed it out it seemed odd, it was not the usual bleachy white color, it was brown just like clay.

After using it my teeth felt smooth and clean and it left a nice (real) peppermint taste.

I am going to trial it as I have a checkup in a few months, along with my oil pulling I will be interested to see what happens.

You can buy it here if it is something you would want to try.

The makers of Earth Paste which is Redmond, also sent me a bunch of other stuff

I would have to highlight my favorite from this group of stuff and that is the Organic Garlic Real Salt.

The taste is amazing and I can use it on anything. So far I have used it in mashed potatoes, on chicken, on fish and sprinkled it on my kale. It has a really good garlicky taste.

You can find out more about Redmond here on their website. So far I am really impressed with the quality of their products and will defenently be buying more of the food salts when I run out.

When good news reigns

2013-05-03T18:03:00.002-07:00

Ok so first off I have to let you all know that the natural cold sore cures worked. Right now I just have a faint red spot on my lip. Usually those darn things get pussy and huge and crack. Well the ice, tea tree oil and honey combo worked wonders.

That isn't really what I want to talk about though.

About a year after I left Australia my best friends mother passed away. She had been diagnosed with cancer a few years prior and battled hard to fight that tough fight. She had times where she was winning then the cancer would rear its ugly head again. Eventually cancer won that battle. Stealing a mother from 3 young girls and a wife from a husband that adored her.

So when I got some wonderful news today I was overjoyed.

5 years ago my Aunty was diagnosed with breast cancer, she has 5 children and 3 grandchildren (with many more to come). She is my mums sister and the first one in the family and hopefully the last to receive that scary diagnosis.

I am more than sure she was scared at times. I am sure it hit her hard. But she chose to fight, she chose to live life and enjoy it.

Today she got the news that after 5 years she is in remission. That beautiful word for a cancer patient. I feel like she has fought it and beat it. I am overjoyed whenever I hear a cancer survival story, I am overjoyed at the strength and fortitude that those diagnosed possess.

Cancer is an ugly thing, it has stolen way too many lives way too early, but it won't steal my Aunty's and that my friends makes me happy.

Natural cold sore cures

2013-04-29T08:09:00.002-07:00

I am currently sitting here with the beginning of a cold sore. I dont get them too often and I am thinking this one is due to sun and heat and too much at once.

They are such sore and unatractive things. I have tried a few things in the past to deal with them but with not much luck. So this led me to go looking for some more natural cures. Here is what I found.

Honey (manuka is the best) - I don't have any manuka so I am using my regular raw honey. We all know honey is a great healer so this one made sense to me. It also moisturizes a little. Dab some on 4 times a day from the first sign.

Ice - This is a new one for me. Apparently making the area around the cold sore, cold slows down the skins tissue metabolic rate preventing the feeding of the cold sore. Well why not, its free, its natural and I have it on hand. Put ice in a baggie or wrap it in a paper towel. Hold it to the cold sore for 15-20 minutes, 3-4 times a day. Do this when you get the tingling , burning its coming on phase and continue through the coldsores life span.

Tea Tree - Antiviral and Antibacterial, tea tree oil is your best friend. Use 100% tea tree oil at full strength, if you have sensitive skin you may want to dilute it with water to a 1-1 ratio. Use a Q tip to dab it on, once again starting at the first sign is going to be your best bet.

Try and moisturize your lips every now and then too. I am using coconut oil right now. I have used Lysine in the past which a lot of people swear bye. For me it hasn't worked so great.

We will see how this one goes with these new treatments. Do you have any natural cold sore treatments you can share with me?

Spring Container Planting

2013-04-26T13:25:00.002-07:00

Ahhh Spring seems to have finally arrived in Colorado. After several snow storms in April that resulted in a lot of snow, and a lot of much needed moisture the sun is shining. Temps today are in the 60's which is my favorite range.

Today I planted some lettuce seeds , two types a spring grower and a lettuce that grows all the way through Summer ( Excited about that one) I bought organic non gmo seeds and organic soil. I also planted basil and cilantro. I have never had much luck with cilantro , so we will see how that goes.

I also got seeds for peppers at the request of my little guy. I need to go and get a bigger pot for those. And some chard for me.

Due to our new apartment lifestyle I will be growing in containers , another experiment for us, life is full of experiments right now :). We bought wall mounted shelves from IKEA so we could go a little vertical.

I also saw that our local library is opening up some community garden plots, I am hoping to snatch one of those up so I can grow things like potatoes, carrots, beans, beets, etc.

You know what else I love about Spring, this guy returned.

Sourdough Fail!

2013-04-23T09:12:00.001-07:00

Ok so my sourdough experiment failed, I couldn't get it bubbling enough and it didn't seem to look like it as supposed to according to photos.

Soooo I bought a San Francisco starter and am waiting for it to arrive. I will be back on it once it gets here. Hopefully I can get it up and running this time.

In other news, the Spring snow in Denver is starting to get to my head. I think I need a holiday or vacation ;)

We are off to St Louis in June to visit family, I would really like to go somewhere new though, somewhere we haven't been yet.

Legoland and Disneyland are defenently on that list. We just have to plan well though because I also want to get back to Australia to see my family mid next year. We are aiming for every two years which is a good improvement over the 3-4 years it has been in the past.

Hope you are all having a fabulous day!

Sourdough Starter Day 2 & 3

2013-04-17T18:51:00.001-07:00

So I must say I am doing pretty good at sticking to the 12 hour schedule. My starter has grown considerably so I have had to scoop some off each time I feed it.

If you are wondering what the heck I am going on about, you can see here.

So Here are my updated photos of Day 2 and Day 3

Day 2,

It grew overnight, crazy, I had to scoop some off and place it in another jar. I had the thought to make pancakes or crackers with the leftover, yeah that didn't happen.

Day 3

Rather than show you a picture of a very full jar I thought I would show you that it is starting to bubble, this is a VERY good sign.

Its ok to feel sad sometimes

2013-04-16T07:31:00.001-07:00

In our little world of health and well being we get into the mindset that any thought that isn't positive is not OK. With Instant media right there we often feel the urge to express these sad/blue feelings. Sometimes it is just to get it off our chest and sometimes it is to get encouragement or even share these same feelings that others may be feeling. Sometimes all we get is replies that tell us to be positive, which lets be honest can just make us feel worse sometimes.

It is OK to feel sad sometimes.

Actually I think anyone that is positive all the time is probably hiding their feelings deep down and one day they may just explode all at once. Or sometimes they feel the need to be seen as a super positive person when they are really sad or mad about something themselves and they don't feel they can share it.

Yesterday was one of those days for me. Yes the Boston Marathon tragedy made me mad and sad. Mad that these things happen so often, made that our children have to live in a country where they see crap like this all the time and very sad for all those that were effected.

Yes my reaction was that I wanted to take my family back to Australia and live there, things like this just don't happen as often in Australia, my family over there doesn't have to worry when sending their children to school that a crazy guy with a gun might come in. For now Australia seems like a safer place.

Those that know me know this was just a gut reaction. Its OK to have those too. I talked to my sister for hours yesterday as I ranted through all my feelings. She said " I know its hard because I know you love it in the USA". And that too is true. I do love living here, I have been here 8.5 years now. So saying I want to move back to Australia was my way of expressing the frustration of the bad and sad event that happened yesterday.

I have also seen a lot of people saying, these things don't really occur regularly, unfortunately in this day and age, horrible man caused tragedies are happening way too often. More than they should be.

It is OK to feel sad, mad, frustrated, blue and question why ?

Actually having these feelings instead of hiding them often leads to meaningful discussions and thoughts that usually bring us back to a peaceful place.

I woke up this morning feeling normal and ready to get on with life, ready to take every second and live it with purpose and joy. Ready to pray for the families that had to go through yesterdays tragedy and ready to hold my family a little closer again.

It is OK to feel down as long as you sort through your feelings and come back to that peaceful place.

Making Sourdough from scratch - Day 1

2013-04-15T18:05:00.003-07:00

So I have decided to make my own sourdough. As you may have read before I have decided to take as much wheat out of our diets as possible, I am going with the 70/30 rule here as I still have wheat lovers in the house.

So why would I try and make sourdough if I am trying to cut out wheat. I remember reading an article in one of my natural living magazines that sourdough is one of the best breads you can eat. Reason being the fermentation process seems to break down the gluten in the bread, and fermented foods are really good at balancing acid in our bodies.

I have started with a really simple starter recipe

1/4 cup flour to 3 tablespoons of filtered water.

Each day I will post a picture of what the starter looks like, here is Day1

I purchased some cheese cloth from Target and some pretty jars too :)

I will add to it twice a day , 1/2 cup flour, 1/3 cup of filtered water.

See you tomorrow for Day 2's picture :)

New Traditions

2013-04-03T10:50:00.002-07:00

With a change in cities comes new traditions when it comes to holidays. This Easter was no different for us since moving away from family last June.

We sat down and thought about what would work, we didn't want to cook up some wild crazy big meal and I wanted to hike! We live in Colorado, it was going to be 60+, we had to get out!

So we ate brunch, really simple ham, baked potatoes and honey carrots, then we headed out for a hike.

It was a simple, beautiful day!

Here are some photos of our Easter hike at Eldorado Canyon State Park.

I finally did it - Natural Homemade Laundry Powder

2013-03-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

Yes friends I finally did it, I finally made my own homemade laundry powder. I had been thinking on this for a while but all the recipes I saw using fels naptha soap just wasn't cutting it for me. Why? Because I don't think fels naptha is necessarily good for me and my family, when researching I realized it was not a natural pure soap.

I have been using eco nuts which I was happy with and they were working out cheaper then traditional laundry products. My husband really wasn't impressed with his whites though and I must admit playing hide and seek for the bag of nuts, which sometimes ended up in the dryer, frustrated me.

So after listening to the guys from DIYnatural.com I realized that I could make my own. Finding an all natural soap that made it a worthwhile project seemed like a challenge. I was originally looking for lye soap, but at $5 + a bar that just wasn't going to make it cheaper on a load by load basis.

So I headed out to walmart (not my fav place but I knew if anyone would have it at a good price, well yeah).

I ended up finding everything I needed and here is the recipe.

Natural Homemade Laundry Powder

1 bar of natural soap , I used kirks original castile soap, nothing bad in there, coconut base. It was $3.13 for a 3 pack and they were 4 oz bars.

Take your bar of soap and grate it down.

1 cup of super washing soda and 1 cup of borax. ( some people worry about borax from what I have read I wouldn't eat it but I am not worried to use it for laundry or cleaning)

So take the 1 bar of natural soap, grated
1 cup of borax
1 cup of washing soda

Combine and there you have it, it takes all of 5 minutes.

Use 2 tablespoons and wash your heart out!

I washed a load of towels to try it out and they came out looking clean, smelling clean and feeling soft. I used a little vinegar in my bleach tray too!

GMO's You Should Be Worried

2013-03-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

So I have posted about GMO's before, you can read here. You can say this is another rant or you can take it seriously and research this crap (and gmo's are the crappiest of crap) yourself.

I listened today to a speaker on the Healthy Life Summit. Jeffrey Smith was informative and the information he talked about was compelling.

I took some notes to share with you all, I didn't get it all down but I tried to cover the most important parts.

So GMO's were introduced to our food sources very quietly in 1996. They did not want us to know probably because they knew we wouldn't like it.

Then Monsantos (the main company responsible for infesting our food sources with GMO) attorney became the FDA leader , he then went on to create policies that GMO's could not be tested. Aargh!!!

Scientists completed studies citing that GMO's could create toxins, allergens and health problems. These were strongly denied by Monsanto and the media took monsantos view up, GMO's were put on the market.

Here are some of the crops highly effected by GMO's

Corn
Soy
Papaya grown in China and Hawaii (unfortunately alot of Hawaii's crops are now infested with GMO's)
Zucchini
Crooked neck squash
Cotton
Sugar beets
Castor Oil

What studies have shown:

Studies have shown that animals fed Genetically Modified foods had some of the following issues

Sterility
Reproductive issues
Immune system problems
Accelerated aging
organ damage
insulin and cholesterol issues
gastrointestinal issues including leaky gut

Alot of these animals had reproductive problems including loss of babies, inability to reproduce, smaller babies with health issues and shrunken testicles

Dr's started getting interested in these studies and when patients would come in with these problems would suggest a non GMO diet. For those who took it up they saw healing within 2-3 weeks of changing their diet.

It has also been shown that the chemicals , specifically roundup, is an antibiotic, we eat the food , it kills off good gut bacteria and leaves the bad stuff. It can make holes in cells which then leak through to other parts of our body. Leaky gut is one of the big ones and there is thought that this is the cause of all the digestive problems that we are suffering from. I mean think about all the food intolerance issues people around you have, where did this stuff come from?

Jeffrey Smith was also saying that things like celiacs disease are quite possibly caused by GMO's. Eating GMO products can cause our immune system to be triggered a whole bunch easier and we become more sensitive to things that were once harmless (wheat). This can also result in a build up of protein in our bodies that can produce severe allergy reactions.

Studies are also showing that these problems may not show up till second or third generation. This makes me personally think we are most likely poisoning our children and grandchildren to come.

I have personal experience with this kind of thing, my dad was in Vietnam, got sprayed with agent orange. Me and my sisters have all kinds of funky skin conditions that when researching are problems related to agent orange, other veterans children have suffered severe disabilities.

Back to GMO's

This study shows just how much damage these things can do to our bodies. I urge you to read it!

There are things we can do and WE NEED to do to stop GMO's being allowed in our foods.

Buy Organic
Buy non-gmo certified foods (labelled)
www.nongmoshoppingguide.com
Check out www.responsibiletechnology.org
Sign up for newsletters and sign the petitions

There is also a movie you can watch it at www.geneticroulette.com.

We need to fight this crap for ourselves, for our children and for our children's children and please don't think it is not possible.

It has happened, it happened with the bovine growth hormones that were being injected in cows. People kicked up enough of a fuss that big places like Walmart, Target changed their milk to eradicate these hormones and now we see a lot less of it.

Keratosis Pilaris some new information

2013-03-25T07:23:00.001-07:00

For those of you that follow my blog you know I have struggle with keratosis pilaris. For those of you that are not sure what that is it is little red bumps on your skin that can almost make your skin look like chicken skin, yeah not so pretty.

I must say since cutting out a lot of wheat from my diet (I still sneak in a slice of pizza here and there) mine and my sons have gotten much better.

Listening to skintervention on the healthy living summit yesterday I learnt an interesting piece of information.

Keratosis Pilaris is caused by a vitamin A and D deficiency. And can be cured within 4-6 weeks.

So what do you do to help?

Eat foods rich in these vitamins such as livers (hmmm I am going to have to give them another try but I don't know), grass fed beef and get some sunshine.

There are also supplements such as High Quality cod liver oil and dessicated beef liver, you can get the beef liver at swansons vitamins for a good price and its from grass fed cows.

So next time I am at sprouts I am going to pick up some livers and give them a go. If I dont like them I will go for the beef liver pills.

I am learning more and more we have stripped so many key nutrients from our diets that this is causing alot of our health issues.

Do you eat livers?

More time in the kitchen

2013-03-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

I have realized as I spend more time working on getting myself and my family healthier I spend more time in the kitchen.

This means less time on here blogging!

I never considered myself as much of a cook but there is a passion now that drives me. I love making healthy versions of things especially for my son. To know I don't have to buy stuff from the store ,even if it is organic, loaded with sugar and other uneccesary ingredients inspires me to spend more time in the kitchen.

This weeks project have included homemade fruit rollups (recipe at the end)

And I tackled bars, this is a big one as Jack eats lots of bars, I wanted to make something grain free (his tummy seems to be responding to the grain free really well) something that had protein and a little chocolate on top.

So I found a recipe for homemade protein bars and they have done the trick, he loves them.

With ingredients like almonds, flax, dates, honey I like them too :)

I feel empowered knowing exactly what my family is eating and I feel it is well worth spending a little less time on here and a little more in the kitchen.

Here is the recipe for the fruit roll ups, super easy!

1 Mango
250g Apricots
Juice from one Orange

Peal the mangoes and slice up then throw it all in a pot on medium heat. Mix till they start getting kind of gooey. Then throw it in the processor till it turns into a puree. Use a non stick tray or parchment paper to spread it out on. Then you can either stick it in the oven on a really low (175) setting for 5-8 hours or I actually put mine in the car with the sun on it for the day then finished it off for an hour in the oven on the warming setting.

Once they are not sticky to the touch you can cut them in strips and roll them up in wax paper.

What have you made lately?

Grain Free Update and Healthy Living Summit

2013-03-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

My grain free week is going well. I have not had any major cravings and when I realized there was nothing in the house of substance to eat I got out the coconut flour and made this coconut bread. It is good with some butter and honey.

Tonight I made rice for the boys but I made coconut cauliflower for myself to eat with my curry. You can find that recipe HERE.

I wish I could come up with recipes by myself like these wonderful people do but I am just not there with the cooking geniuses of the world.

Sugar cravings are diminishing as are cravings for carb loaded stuff, I am enjoying my smoothie for breakfast.

The only thing I have noticed is that my bowel movements have changed a little so I probably need to up my fiber through more veggies etc.

Another thing I wanted to mention is that next week there is a Healthy Life Summit next week. It is online and you can listen to key speakers from all walks of the healthy living life.

Subjects such as

21 Day Sugar Detox
Skintervention
Healthy Pregnancy
Safe Agriculture
Hormones
GMO's

Any many many more important subjects will be covered.

You can check it out and sign up HERE

I need to look through and decide what I am going to listen too, each speakers info will be online free for 24 hours.

Let me know if you sign up !!

Grain Free Trial

2013-03-11T13:47:00.001-07:00

At least this week I am trying something different. I am doing a grain free trial. I have been reading wheat belly, a very interesting book with some compelling facts against eating wheat. One being that wheat has changed to become a fast growing crop and now has different effects on our bodies then it did 100 or so years ago.

Wheat also spikes blood sugar and causes you to gain weight around you mid section. It can cause many health problems and cause us to crave more wheat and sugar.

I have also been reading about alot of people that cut grains out of their diet and felt much better including not wanting to eat all the time, cutting cravings for wheat and sugar and losing weight.

I have a meal plan so that I can follow it easily and not be tempted. Although I was tempted at Starbucks today when I saw there new toffee blondie. I picked up a kind bar instead.

So this is my basic meal plan, hopefully I won't get bored

Breakfast - Shake including greek yoghurt, fruit, protein powder or peanut butter and honey.

Lunch - Eggs, Bacon and a bunch of fresh veggies or Curried chickpeas :)

Dinners - I am doing paleo recipes this week. I have actually been making paleo style dinners for a few weeks now trying to cut down on the carbs and grains.

Snacks - Unsalted unroasted nuts or apple with peanut butter and some cheese ( I love cheese) or yoghurt with protein powder, honey, cocoa nibs and berries.

I am going to monitor changes in skin, weight, cravings and energy.

I will report back next week and let you know how I am doing.

Small space gardening

2013-03-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

At this time of year I start to think about flowers and gardens and life returning to the trees and hills. Last year gardening season was kind of a bust for me. It was a transitioning time in life. We were moving and my son and I were travelling to Australia. I planted a few pots at our new apartments but it was nearly July bye the time we had settled and I got around to it so only flowers made an appearance.

This year I want to do more on our sunny little patio. I am not used to Denver planting guides so I have a bit of research to do as to when is the best time to plant and uncover my iris bulbs I have had hiding away for the winter.

This year I would like to grow my own herbs, I think this is all I can expect in the small space I have. One day I will have space again to get back into vegetables but for now I will enjoy smaller plants and frequenting the local farmers market :)

I would love to give cilantro, mint, rosemary and thyme a space in my 2013 garden. These are herbs we use regularly. I don't have much room but I have seen some cute ideas out there.

Things like this

I love this shoe hanger idea, I could put this over our storage room door

I also think something like this could work well in the little corner we have free out there

I love growing my own plants and i love getting my son involved.

What plants will you be growing this year and do you have any ideas for small gardens you can share?

Letting go of the anxious wonderings

2013-03-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

New experiences always bring out the anxious side of me. It always leaves me thinking too much. Are the conditions going to be right, will our little guy do ok, do we know how to get there, will it be fun or will we hate it. I can take these questions and work them over and over, once upon a time I would chew on them so much I would make myself sick to the stomach.

I am happy to say I am getting better though, I still ask the questions but now my answers are changing a little. I tend to think now, oh well I would be more sad if I didn't give it a go.

We took one of those new experiences this weekend and enjoyed every second of it, I let my nervous wonderings find there way to excitement instead and we all had a great time.

Letting ourselves go and experience new things is not just great for us. I have decided that I don't want to pass my anal nervous wonderings on to my child. I don't want him to fear new things and experiences. I want him to get out there and tackle his world and have fun doing it. I want this for myself too.

To do that I need to be an example, learn to let go and relax!

Pictures that Inspire Me

2013-02-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

This weeks Journaling Agenda from Folk Magazine is all about inspirations. So here are some pictures that inspire me to live a fuller life.

My Guys

I am inspired to be the best wife and mother I can thanks to these two guys. They give me so much that I just want to give back to them. My husband makes me thankful to be his wife with his considerate and caring nature, I want to be the best friend I can to him. My little guy is so smart and funny that I want to be the best mother I can, giving him the bright stable future he deserves.

Nature

Being out in nature inspires me to want to look after this planet we live on and preserve the beautiful things that God gave us to remind him of his love and grace. It also helps me feel balanced as a person. Many times I have felt uptight or like I was going to go crazy and being out in nature helped restore my calm.

Athletes

Athletes like this cyclist inspire me to keep pushing myself harder. When you watch an athlete like these cyclists pushing and pushing you realize you can do it too. There are times I have thought I can't do it anymore then being present at a bike race or a running race and seeing these athletes pushing through and enjoying it makes me know that we all have it inside of us.

Spring Allergies and Natural Remedies

2013-02-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

It is very weird that it has been snowing here but myself, my son and my friends are suffering from allergies. This will be our first Spring season in Colorado so it will be a test for our allergies. I suffered greatly back in St Louis and would dread Spring just because of the allergies.

So here are some things I have read about , some I have tried and had a little improvement with.

Local Raw Unfiltered Honey

You want to make sure you are eating local honey , the local honey will have pollen from your area. It is the process of building up immunity by taking in small amounts of the allergen. I did find this to lessen my symptoms in St Louis but getting local honey was not always easy so I wasn't consistent. Since moving here I have been eating local honey consistently. We will see what Spring brings.

Essential Oils

Ok I must say I haven't tried this one, I don't keep lavender essential oils in the house because it gives my husband headaches. If you try it let me know.

I tbsp honey
2 drops of food-grade lavender essential oil. BE SURE IT IS FOOD GRADE, if it says for aromatherapy only , you SHOULD NOT swallow it :) Just a friendly warning.

Drop it down the hatch!!

On the Skin

1 drop of lavender oil - apply to the base of the throat
1 drop of tea tree oil - apply to base of throat straight after lavender oil.
If your skin is sensitive you may want to blend it with a carrier oil and perhaps add one or two extra drops of the oil.

Diffuse

Diffuse or inhale roman chamomile, add a few drops to a diffuser. Roman Chamomile has been known to help lessen the effect of allergens on your immune system.

Neti Pot

If you still don't know what a neti pot is you can find info here. Neti pots are awesome to help flush allergens out of your sinuses. So if you have been out mowing the lawn or hiking and you are feeling your allergies take hold a simple saline rinse can wash the culprit out of your system.

Quercitin

A plant derived bio-flavanoid quercitin has been known to stabilize cells and prevents them from releasing histamine (allergies) . 1,000 milligrams a day is the recommended dose for allergy sufferers. Try starting six weeks before allergy season. Citrus Fruits, onions, apples, parsley, tea, tomatoes, broccoli, lettuce and wine all have quercitin in them, but likely you won't get enough from eating these foods alone.

Hopefully something here will help relieve your allergies. If you have another natural cure please leave a comment and let us know :)

Its not luck, its hard work

2013-02-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

I have had people tell me I am lucky to be fit and have lost weight and I just want to say . IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH LUCK.

It has everything to do with the effort you are willing to put in and lots and lots of willpower.

I don't just float around eating whatever I want when I feel like it and sitting on the couch doing nothing all day. Maybe when I was in my early 20's I got away with that ! These days it takes EFFORT.

I have to pull myself out of bed then choose to work out. If my little guy is at home I have to take the hour of quiet time and use it to workout. I make a conscious choice to do it. Here is what helps me make that choice.

An Exercise Plan
A meal plan
Laying my workout clothes out the night before
Keeping healthy foods in the house and nothing that would tempt me to binge on it
Thinking how crappy I feel when I neglect my body.

It takes time to create new habits but if you don't push through the first few weeks of change you may never create the habits you need.

I know this is similar to a post I wrote last week but I just feel like it is important and was kind of sick of people telling me I was lucky because I am fit.

Eating Healthy takes a Commitment

Getting Fit takes a Commitment

Neither is Luck!!

So next time you see someone that looks fit and healthy or makes a decision not to eat that cookie. Congratulate them on their willpower and commitment!

You can make changes, I promise!

2013-02-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Making changes to your life can be daunting, believe me I know it. I have made many changes in the past 9 years.

I got engaged to someone I had known online for a year and face to face for two weeks
I left the comfort of my family and home in Australia and moved to America
I went from making good money to finding work where I could
We had a child, that is always a huge change
I went from 175 pounds to 160
I started running which I swore I would never do
I went from 160 pounds to 150 pounds
I started changing my eating habits
I travelled to Australia with my four year old by myself and survived
I left for Australia from St Louis and flew back into Denver which was to be my new home
I went from 150 to 143 pounds by taking chemicals out of my life as much as possible, by eating naturally, lifting weights and interval training

That is alot of changes!!!

The point I am trying to get too is YOU CAN DO whatever you want in life but you have to get up and get to it You can't think that you need to eat healthier and then go grocery shopping and buy chemical laden processed foods. Yes I know it is easier and cheaper but so is being healthy in the long run. Think about the cost of cancer, heart disease, asthma, obesity etc etc , I have found you can do it on a budget. Buy what is in season, buy on sale, eat at home more and don't eat as much!

You also can't wish that you were thinner, stronger, healthier, had more energy. Well sorry again that doesn't come without movement, it doesn't come without sweat and it doesn't come without hard work. All it takes is a start, start walking, start moving more, start lifting tiny weights till you get stronger, JUST START!

I can tell you in all honesty that once you start the rolling effect works. You want to eat better, you want to move more, you want to live life with that extra energy and healthy feeling. You just have to take the first step, you have to make a move. There are plenty of people out there that have been in your shoes but have taken those first steps, find some of those people and use their motivation to your advantage.

Get out there and Enjoy Life!!!

Purple Potatoes are GREAT

2013-02-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried purple potatoes???

I hadn't until tonight. It was weird I was reading about them last week then when we hit Sprouts up on Sunday there they were, my husband was intrigued so he grab some and so started my love affair with purple potatoes.

Here are a few facts:

Yes they really are purple inside and out
They are full of antioxidants
Rich in anthocyanin a flavonoid shown to prevent cancers and boost the immune system
They are native to lake titicaca and cultivated in North America, South America and Europe
They tate good

We baked ours with the skin with olive oil and salt and they were delicious. Apparently you can use them just like normal potatoes but they are so much better for you.

So if you are passing through your produce section and you see these little beauties, pick some up and try them, they are delicious!

Sports Bras, the bad and they ugly!

2013-02-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

So I am between a 32-34 DD right now this is low for me LOL I have been right up in the J's after giving birth. Do you know how hard it is to find a sports bra that can fit a small ribcage a big chest and provide no bounce!

ITS FRUSTRATING to say the least. I have tried 10 in the past 3 weeks. Thanks to Zappos, Amazon and Lulemoon I was able to try them at home before deciding. I put them on jump around do some arm lifting up and down then I culminate my opinion.

This is what I have trouble with

#Bounce, I do not need black eyes!
#Chafing
#Side Boobs ( you know when they fall out the side)
#Too much cleavage, I do not need to be bending over doing weights and worrying about someone staring down my top.
#Racerbacks (can't big chested girls have pretty bras and shirts too)
#stretching , they will fit fine then 5 minutes later be all stretched out.

I have realized in my search for a sports bra that the perfect one really doesn't exist and I may have to settle for less. I know alot of woman with my problem double bra it, but why should we have to do this??? In this world of technology can't someone come up with a heavy duty, no bounce, racer back attractive sports bra for us well endowed runners and jumpers off the world?

I have been using the moving comfort Fiona for a year or so now but the metal hooks in the back got bent out of shape a while back and I have been just making do. With Summer coming up and a new back to show off I really want a racerback.

Here is what I have tried and my findings (I tried each in two sizes)

Moving Comfort Juno - Great Support BUT it chafed the side of my arms pretty bad to the point where it got a rash after 10 minutes of lifting weights. The material is very stiff and it does not soften on the edges. It also had the same metal clasps as the Fiona so I was concerned of the same thing
happening.

Champion 360 - I took a chance on this one because the reviews were good but there 34DD's must be lighter than mine because this bra offered no support, what so ever.

Shock Absorber Extreme Sports Bra - This one bared way too much cleavage for my liking and I could have compromised if the support was there but it just wasn't/

Shock Absorber Ultimate Gym Bar - The fit on this one just seemed funky, side boobs galore, I didn't really care for the back, it was really hard to get in and out of, like contortionist hard and once again a little too much bounce. So I would say this was an ultimate yoga gym bra.

Lulemoon Ta Ta Tamer II - I had read great things about this bra so today I went to the store to try it on. It was so cute, it looked cute and the straps are adjustable so you can cross them over or have them like normal bra straps, the colors and patterns are really nice but GOSH BOUNCE BOUNCE BOUNCE. There is no way I could run or even walk fast in this bra and feel supported , which was such a shame! I am thinking I may get one to just wear around though.

Shock Absorber Run Sports Bra - This is the one I have decided to go with. It does offer good support, it is tricky to get on though. The back is cute and racerback. Material is soft and comfortable. I am compromising on the stretch, it did seem to stretch out a little after wearing it for 10 minutes but the smaller size had me falling out everywhere. I am hoping this bra works for me in the long run, otherwise I may have to give up on the dream of support and cuteness!

Kindness goes a long way

2013-02-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

I am once again following the Folk Magazine Journaling Agenda and am excited to share my post this week.

So this post is about reflecting on a family moment which I think is perfect for Valentines Day as in our house valentines day is shared as a family. I don't expect my husband to treat me like a queen on the 14th of February each year, that should be done everyday!

So here is my picture.....

This picture was taken in 2010 on a family trip to Chicago. My little guy was 3 and even though this is not the most flattering picture of me this is a precious memory of our little family.

This was a dream trip for me, I love big Cities, I love the hum and buzz, I love the movement and energy. We lived in St Louis so Chicago really was a short drive for us to get to the hustle and bustle. This trip was a precious 4 days spent with each other exploring a new city. We found so many little spots in Chicago that we fell in love with.

We spent our days walking miles and miles ( we like to do that). This photo was taken my an older couple that you could tell loved their city. They wanted to take a photo of us because they remembered the days of their children growing up and not having family photos. They were very cute, cycling around the city. I love meeting people that live in the city you are visiting, I love hearing stories and seeing peoples love for their home.

They in a way made that trip for me, this photo made that trip for me , the kindness of two strangers flow through the memories and remind me that kindness goes a long way!

keratosis and Dry Skin Brushing

2013-02-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

I have suffered from little bumps on the back of my arms and top of my legs for a looong time, my sister is in sympathy with me as she has the same thing, apparently this is another one of those hereditary skin conditions we have been luck enough to be lumped with.

I have read many things about what it means to have these rashes but the best explanation I have found is that it is excess dry skin that blocks skin folicles and produces little bumps on your skin. I am self conscious about them but my husband always said he doesnt even notice that I have them. I notice them and I notice my poor son has them too.

For years I have tried things, including expensive peals and creams. The dermatologist tried to give me stuff for it but ofcourse it was laden with chemicals even though she said it was "natural". Well my arse it was natural, once I started reading the labels there was no way that stuff was touching my skin.

A couple of weeks ago I started reading about dry skin brushing. Basically you take a rough kind of brush (you want it to me made from natural fibers) and you rub your skin in a circular motion. So I got myself one and started rubbing my skin up. It hurts at first, it is a sensation you need to get used to but let me tell you, it is well worth it!! Basically it helps slough the dead skin off and helps your circulation, you feel a little tingly and very clean after a week or so.

Those little bumps, no longer on my arms and defenently looking better on my legs. I think it is a combination of the skin sloughing, the dead sea soap and then moisturizing afterwards , my skin is looking remarkably shinier and better!

I wish I had a before and after but I just didn't think it would work for this, I actually bought it for stretch mark reduction. I havent seen any of that so far but I am happy with the keratosis results.

Here is the brush I bought, I would suggest it for any skin troubles or even if you just want your skin to look better :)