Monday, 29 April 2013

It is Easy to Become 10 Years Younger ~ Down to the Cellular Level


It is never too late to turn back your age. Anyone can take 10 years off their age no matter how old they are. This is according to a Swedish news article I came across the other day. According to the news article, it is enough to walk for 20-30 minutes each day to knock 10 years off your age down to the cellular level. We often think we have to do strenuous exercises in order to make a difference in our health. So it is intriguing to know that a daily brisk walk can make such a difference. My 97 year old grandmother still takes her daily walks and my grandfather rode his bicycle to the day he died at the age of 88.

When we get older we lose muscle mass, our metabolism is less effective and we get out of shape. We can counteract this with regularly exercise. The best thing is that we can counteract it with simple training, such as daily walks.

Exercise is an universal anti-aging remedy and it affects every part of our body. Mai-Lis Hellenius, professor at Karolinska Institute, says we can postpone age-related diseases so we don't suffer for many years. This means we can live longer and be more mentally and physically active longer as well.

According to research, three hours of exercise per week can make our bodies a decade younger. The good thing is we don't have to go to the gym, we can just take a 20-30 minutes brisk walk everyday. This can help reduce blood sugar, blood fat and blood pressure. According to the article, it will also reduce inflammation, strengthen the bones and muscles, and reduce stress. The chances of developing heart problems, cancer and diabetes will be reduced.

Physical activity affects us all the way down to the cellular level. It affects the mechanisms in the cells and that's why we will notice so many positive effects once we start exercising. The ones that exercise more regularly has longer telomeres and they protect our chromosomes. The shorter the telomeres, the higher risk of dying younger, and the telomeres automatically become shorter as we age. But regularly exercise will keep them longer, and it will prolong life.

So keep in mind, it is not just regular exercise such as running, aerobics, or weight lifting that will keep us younger longer. The everyday exercise is just as important says Mai-Lis Hellenius. It is also the easiest to apply, we can move regularly at work, stand up when we work, ride our bicycles to work or walk to work if it is possible. If work is not close enough to walk to, then we can go for a walk during our lunch hour. 

It is never too late to start exercising, you can still get better health and a younger body even if you're 80 years old. 



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Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils  She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives. She also runs Naturally Sports & Wellness together with her husband.  
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.






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Friday, 26 April 2013

Produce on the Cheap: Locally Grown Foods (Part 1)

Photo Source: National Gardening Association

The USDA recommends that we consume a minimum of 4½ cups of fruits and veggies daily.  Unfortunately, since food prices are expected to rise about 3 percent this year (ouch!), affording this much fresh produce daily could be a tad challenging for some of us. So where can you find produce on the cheap?

The answer: By eating locally. This is Part 1 of a 2-part series about obtaining locally grown food to stretch your produce food dollar.

This week’s blog focuses on eating as locally as you can physically get; namely, right out of your own backyard garden.  According to Bruce Butterfield, the research director at the National Gardening Association (NGA), 39 million households in America had a home garden in 2011, an increase from 2008. A major reason that more households are growing their own food, according to the NGA, is to save money on their food bill.  Research suggests that, on average, a well-maintained food garden yields about a $500 return, when taking into account the gardener’s investment and the market price of produce.

While price is an important consideration among gardeners, the number one motivator and driving force for home gardening is taste. Yup, taste. As most local gardeners already know, nothing tastes more delicious than a ripe, summer tomato plucked right out of your backyard garden. In fact, NGA research shows that tomatoes are grown by more than 85 percent of home gardeners. This doesn’t surprise Butterfield, as “tomatoes are popular among consumers because of their superior taste, their good yield, and more entertainingly, they allow dramatic bragging rights to the most robust crop among your neighbors."

For first time gardeners, the NGA provides easy, step-by-step instructions on growing tomatoes that will be “warm from the sun and heavy in the hand,” chuckles Butterfield.   Plant some basil and along with a smidgen of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, you will be abundantly slicing up a delicious tomato salad nightly.

Are you planning a vegetable garden this year?  Please post your gardening tips below.

Follow Joan on Twitter at: joansalgeblake

Next week's blog:  Produce on the Cheap:  Farmer's Markets (Part 2)


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Thursday, 25 April 2013

Essential Oils & Ticks


A tick bite can very serious for humans and animals. Even though all ticks don't carry lyme disease, the chances are pretty high that you may contract it if you're bitten by a tick. Over the years I have come to know quite a few people with lyme disease. It is a very serious disease that can cause a lot of problems. 

What is lyme?
Lyme disease, Lyme borreliosis is an infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus borrelia. Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii are cause most of the lyme disease in Europe while Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of lyme disease in North America. Infected ticks spread the disease by biting humans. Some of the early symptoms may be fatigue, depression, headache and fever and the circular skin rash. If lyme is left untreated, some of the later symptoms may involve the central nervous system, joints, and heart. If the illness is treated early the infection and its symptoms may be eliminated. When the treatment is delayed or inadequate the symptoms can become more serious and difficult to treat.

How to prevent tick bites
Fortunately pests and insects don't like the smell of oils. It is important to apply the oils quite frequently and fortunately the essential oils have other therapeutic properties that will be beneficial.  

I use the oils in different ways:

Oils historically known to repel ticks and other insects are:
Lavender, lemongrass, citronella, Eucalyptus radiata, peppermint, rosemary, thyme, geranium, palmarosa, and palo santo. Gary Young recommends to dilute 20-80 and apply as needed.


How to remove the tick:
If you find a tick still attached to the skin, be very careful and make sure you remove it the right way. It is pretty easy to remove the tick with essential oils. Gary Young suggests to apply 1 drop neat thyme or oregano to make tick loosen from skin. These are hot oils but the main purpose is to remove the tick.

Palo santo is a great choice
Evelyn Vincent has experimented with palo santo essential oils with great result. Evelyn put ticks in three different jars, each jar contained a different essential oil to see which oil was the most powerful against the tick. The jar with palo santo killed the tick within 15 minutes, while the ticks in the jars with an antibacterial blend and peppermint were still alive after two weeks. She says the embedded ticks pull out when 2-3 drops of palo santo are dropped on the site, and the ticks are dead within 15 minutes or less.  

What I would do after the tick is removed
I would to what the Essential Oils Integrative Medical Guide suggests, I would apply 1 drop of my favorite antibacterial blend on the site to detoxify the wound.  I would also apply 1 drop neat peppermint every 5 minutes for 50 minutes to reduce pain and infection. It is said that the chances of getting lyme are reduced if the tick is removed in the first 24 hours. I would apply my favorite antimicrobial blend, tea tree (Melaeuca), lavender or my favorite antiseptic blend.

Antibacterial blend:
Citronella (Cymbopogon nardus), lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Melaleuca (Melaleuca alternifolia) lavandin (Lavandula x hybrida), and myrtle (Myrtus communis).

Antiseptic blend:
Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), naouli (Melaleuca quinquenervia), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), and clove (Syzygium aromaticum).

Antimicrobial blend:
Clove (Syzygium aromaticum), lemon (Citrus limon), cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), Eucalyptus radiata and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis CT 1,8 cineol).


Dress in long sleeve shirt and long pants when you are out in areas with lots of ticks. Save your small empty bottles of essential oils and fill them up with suitable oils when you go hiking.


Before you leave:

I recommend that you always perform a skin patch test when you try a new oil.

Check out my safety page to make sure you are aware of any contrindications before you use essential oils. Some oils are not suitable when suffering from certain conditions. Also, Read this Before You Start Using Essential oils. Some oils should not be applied prior to sun exposure so make sure you check this list before spending time in the sun.

Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:
If you're new to essential oils you might want to check out my Getting Started Guide. 

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Johanna is an aromatherapist and she is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives. 
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.






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Wednesday, 17 April 2013

The Sneaky Side of Sodium

Photo Source: AHA
According to research from Mintel, about six out of every ten Americans are trying to watch the sodium in their diet by cutting back on the amount of salt that they cook with and use to season their foods at the table.  Unfortunately, you have a 90 percent chance of developing high blood pressure at some point in your life, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Typically, the higher your sodium intake, the higher your blood pressure.   Having high blood pressure increases your risk for heart attack and stroke.

While it appears that Americans are getting more watchful about their sodium intake, we are still consuming more than double the 1,500 milligrams recommended daily and almost seven times the small amount that is actually needed daily for our bodies to function properly.  Cutting back on the amount of salt you use in the kitchen is a good first step, but unfortunately, over 75 percent of the sodium we consume sneaks in from processed foods.  In addition to retiring the salt shaker, we need to also be more watchful about the amount of sodium-rich processed foods we are eating.

Luckily, many food companies are trying to help the cause by reducing the  amount of sodium that they put in their products.  For example, General Mills has reformulated more than 250 products, such as their canned vegetables, soups, and cereals, to lower the sodium per serving.  They currently have a corporate plan in place to lower sodium by 20 percent, on average, across many of their products by 2015, according to Juli Hermanson, RD, Senior Nutrition Scientist at General Mills. 

To help you reduce the amount of sodium you consume from processed foods, the AHA has published a new book, Eat Less Salt, with plenty of tips and tricks.  Here are some of their Sodium-Saving Solutions aisle by aisle in the supermarket:

In the Seafood Aisle:
  • Frozen shrimp is often processed with a preservative that can jack up the sodium to over 800 milligrams per serving.  Read the label to find the shrimp with the least amount and buy the less salty fresh, not previously frozen, variety when you can.
  • Shellfish tends to be higher in sodium than other fish so don’t season it with salt or use salty marinades when you are cooking.
In the Poultry and Meat Aisle:
  • Beware that “all natural” poultry may be injected with salt and/or broth.  A teaspoon of salt provides 2,300 milligrams of sodium and a cup of broth provides a whopping 860 to 980 milligrams of sodium per cup.  Check the label on your bird before you put it in your cart.
  • Skip the marinades, which can coat your poultry and meat with 340 to 610 milligrams of sodium for each measly tablespoon used.  Use no-salt-added seasoning rubs for flavor instead.
In the Dairy Aisle:
  • Cottage cheese is very high in sodium so consider nonfat Greek yogurt instead for a snack.
  • While natural cheeses are salty, they actually have less than cheese products or processed cheeses.  Use a cheese plane in order to keep your portion to one paper thin slice.
In the Salad Dressing Aisle:
  • Fat-free salad dressing tends to have more sodium than their full-fat or low-fat equivalents.  Buy the full-fat variety and dilute a tablespoon of it with an equal part of balsamic vinegar.  Two tablespoons of this new combo dressing will have less sodium and fat than if you were to use 2 tablespoons of the bottled dressing. 
  • Skip the seasoned croutons, which can add over 200 milligrams of sodium for every ½ cup you use.  If you need some crunch, top your salad with a tablespoon of unsalted chopped nuts.
For more tips and over 60 heart healthy recipes, click here to order the AHA’s Eat Less Salt.

                                         Follow Joan on Twitter at: joansalgeblake
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Tuesday, 16 April 2013

Paola's Coconut Lotion Bars ~ Soothing and Bug Off Bars



We love lotion bars in our family and they have always been a big hit when we have given them to friends. A lotion bar is a great alternative to a liquid water-based body lotion. I make them for the whole family, and they make great gifts during the holidays. A body lotion bar contains oil and is solid, which makes it ideal for children to use.

Lotion bars are extremely cost effective since it melts on contact with skin. As a result, less of the bar is used. These bars are a little different than the other bars we made, these were made with coconut oil instead of liquid vegetable oil.

Paola has helped me make lotion bars before so she knew how to make them. She made three different versions for her girls camp fundraiser. This year the girls don't have a huge fundraiser bringing in money for the camp so they have to run their own individual fundraiser. Paola loves making natural products so she decided to make products to sell to raise money for her share. Last year her big brother, my oldest son, performed a magic show which covered almost the whole camp for all the girls and scouts at our church. Big brother is off to college now and I'm not sure people would enjoy another show two years in a row.

Version 1 ~ Lavender/Calendula Infusion
1 cup of lavender & calendula infused coconut oil
1/2 cup mixture of cocoa butter & shea butter. Paola used mostly cocoa butter and a couple of spoons of shea butter.
2/3 cups of beeswax
1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
Essential oils ~ 40 drops lavender


How to
  • First Paola mixed 4 tablespoons of lavender and 4 tablespoons of calendula with 2 cups of coconut oil in our tiny crock pot. She left it on the crock pot for about 2 hours and then she strained the oil. 1 cup infused oil was used for the lotion bars.
  • Paola started melting the beeswax first since the beeswax pieces were larger and took a longer time to melt than the butters. She melted the butters in a separate double boiler and added the melted beeswax to the butters. She used a double boiler and she was very careful and made sure that water didn't get into the mixture. 
  • Once everything was melted, she added the vitamin E oil and 40 drops of lavender, and quickly poured the mixture into silicon muffin cups. I don't remember how long we waited before we took them out of the molds, but you should wait at least 3-4 hours or leave them overnight.

Version 2 ~ Bug Off Bar
1 cup of coconut oil
1/2 cup mixture of cocoa butter & shea butter. Paola used mostly cocoa butter and a couple of spoons of shea butter.
2/3 cups of beeswax
1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
Essential oils - Paola added 40 drops of our antibacterial oil blend to the mixture, plus added extra drops on top of each lotion bar before they solidified. 

Our antibacterial blend contains the following oils:
Citronella (Cymbopogon nardus), lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Melaleuca (Melaleuca alternifolia) lavandin (Lavandula x hybrida), and myrtle (Myrtus communis).

How to
The same way as version 1minus the infused coconut oil step.

Version 3 ~ Lavender
1 cup of coconut oil
1/2 cup shea butter. Yep, Paola ran out of cocoa butter, unfortunately, she preferred more cocoa butter.
2/3 cups of beeswax
1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
Essential oils - Lavender

How to
The same way as version 1minus the infused coconut oil step.


Why these ingredients?

Shea butter
Shea butter is actually a wax in semi-solid form. It is made from the nuts of the Shea nut tree in South Africa. It is high in vitamin E, has a slightly sunscreen effect, and softens the skin. It is said to help with burns, dermatitis, psoriasis, and sores and may help reduce wrinkles.

Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter is a wax from the cocoa bean. It has emollient qualities and absorbs quickly into the skin. Good for all skin types, but avoid if prone to skin allergy reactions.

Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has wonderful antioxidant properties that protect the skin from free radical damage. Also, when coconut oil is consumed and used topically on our skin, it helps our bodies absorb other nutrients more effectively as well, such as Vitamin E, another powerful antioxidant nutrient that protects the skin.

- Coconut oil is anti-inflammatory. 

-Coconut oil may also help in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections.
- It is rich in lauric acid, which is known for being antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal, and contains no trans fat (even olive oil has some trans fat). It may help prevent wrinkles.

Antibacterial blend
  • Repels insects, bugs, and mice.
  • Is a good first aid oil and sterilizes wounds and cuts.
  • Is beneficial in neutralizing poison from bees, spiders, wasps and hornets.

Lavender
 Has traditionally been used for eczema, burns, acne, wounds, insect bites, minor cuts and scrapes. It's anti-inflammatory and soothing properties have a balancing effect on the skin. It's cytophylactic, which means it encourage growth of skin cells, is ideal for mature skin and treatment of burns.

Calendula
Has anti-inflammatory, astringent, vulnerary, emollient, antifungal and antiseptic properties. It has traditionally been used for wounds, diaper rash, stings, warts, varicose veins, fungal infections,abscesses, cold sores, bruises, cuts, sprains, sores, scar tissue, muscle soreness and more.


After making several versions we came to the conclusion that we like the bars with the highest amount of cocoa butter because it smells so good. Next time we make lotion bars we are going to make sure we  have plenty of cocoa butter at home.

Here is my daughter Paola showin off one of her small soaps.

Thanks for visiting!


Before you leave:

I recommend that you always perform a skin patch test when you try a new essential oil.

Check out my safety page to make sure you are aware of any contrindications before you use essential oils. Some oils are not suitable when suffering from certain conditions. Also, Read this Before You Start Using Essential oils. Some oils should not be applied prior to sun exposure so make sure you check this list before spending time in the sun.

Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:
If you're new to essential oils you might want to check out my Getting Started Guide. 



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Johanna is an aromatherapist and she is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives. 
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

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Paola's Homemade Solid Perfume ~ Safe for Teenage Girls ( Contains no Endocrine Disruptors)



My 13 year old daughter Paola made her own solid perfume as one of her products to sell to raise money for girl camp. Solid perfume is a great alternative to regular perfume, and it is easy to bring without having to worry about breaking a glass bottle. I don't allow my daughter to wear regular store-bought perfume since regular perfume contains hormone disrupting chemicals. Do you know that fragrance products targeting teenage girls contain many secret chemicals not listed on the labels? These hidden chemicals can be found in fragrance products from Hannah Montana's Secret Celebrity and Britney Spear's Curious to Calvin Klein's Eternity and Abercrombie's Fitch Fierce. 

These secret chemicals not listed on the labels contain chemicals that can disrupt hormones or trigger allergic reactions. It is not a good idea to expose growing and not fully developed girls to fragrances that disrupt hormones.  Fortunately, essential oils can be used to make quick and easy perfumes and other body care products that not only smell wonderfully, but also posses powerful healing properties.

Paola decided to use the a calming blend since she loves the fragrance so much. It is very suitable for a teenage girl that tends to be a little moody from time to time. It is also a very potent blend so many drops go a long way. 

The essential oils in this blend are:
Tangerine (Citrus nobilis), orange (Citrus aurantium), ylang ylang (Cananga odorata), patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) and blue tansy (Tanacetum annuum)


Ingredients:
Bees Wax
Carrier Oil (sweet almond oil, grapeseed, jojoba, or olive oil) We used apricot seed and it was fine.
Container. We bought some from Abundant Health

How to
Blend equal parts of bees wax and carrier oil and melt in a double boiler. About 2 tsp grated bees wax and 2 tsp carrier oil are needed for one lip balm container. Paola made a bigger batch, but the important thing to remember is to use equal parts bees wax and carrier oil. 
You roughly need 40-50 drops of essential oils per 1 tsp of solid perfume. Paola removed the mixture from the stove and quickly mixed drops of the calming blend into the melted mixture right before she poured it into the containers. She also dropped some extra drops on top of each small container before the mixture began to harden. She mixed it with a tiny spoon.

Paola had some leftover mixture so she poured it into some lids and just covered once hardened. You can use all kinds of containers. Next time we are going to make perfumes we will use tins or small glass containers instead of plastic.  Make sure that you mix all the essential oils prior to melting the ingredients, once melted you need to pour quickly before it hardens. Check out my blending guide for tips on how to blend essential oils for perfumes.


Some of Paola's products. As you can see, the perfume container is very small and is easy to put in a purse. I would not leave it in a hot car in the summer, or other hot places since it may melt. We get triple digits where we live in the summer times quite often.



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Before you leave:

I recommend that you always perform a skin patch test when you try a new oil.

Check out my safety page to make sure you are aware of any contrindications before you use essential oils. Some oils are not suitable when suffering from certain conditions. Also, Read this Before You Start Using Essential oils. Some oils should not be applied prior to sun exposure so make sure you check this list before spending time in the sun.

Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:
If you're new to essential oils you might want to check out my Getting Started Guide. 



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Johanna is an aromatherapist and she is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives. 
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

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