Our Most Valuable Possession

Water drop from grass

Our bodies are made of about 70% water so drink water. There is no substitute for water. I like to try and drink 1oz per pound of my body weight per day. I might go to the restroom a lot but it keeps me healthy. If you think you are hungry drink water. Many times your body is telling you it is thirsty not hungry.

Our bodies our worth millions of dollars so don’t put things into our most valuable possession, (our body) that will mess it up. I am amazed how many people use all kinds of harmful drugs, alcohol, tobacco, soda pop fast food and way too much sugar.

Avoid prolonged sun exposure. Avoid sunburns at all cost. Whenever you go out, carry your sunblock with you. It has been proven that sunburns are directly connected to skin cancer. Do not underestimate this. I got a sunburn once that was so sever it took 18 months for my burn line to go away. This was very dangerous.

Get proper sleep The average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Sleep helps keep your heart healthy, reduces stress, improves your memory, reduce your chance of diabetes and you will live longer if you are not sleep deprived.

Take care of your friendships It has been proven that people having many friends live longer. This is probably because it reduces the amount of stress.

You don’t realize how important your health is until it is gone. Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being, and not just the absence of disease. Many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health.

10 Facts About Essential Oils

Jasmine flowers1.  Essential oils have been used since early recorded history to support health and wellness.
The ancient Egyptians used many essential oils as medicine and their recipes are recorded in the hieroglyphics. There are 188 references to the use of essential oils in the Bible.  Today, essential oils are considered by many to be the leading edge of natural products.

2. Essential oils have been documented, through research, to have many beneficial properties.
Many essential oils can be supportive to the immune system, moods, skin, muscles and more. Many can be relaxing, uplifting, enhance clarity of thought and support emotional well being.  Each essential oil contains several to several hundred different kinds of molecules, each of which offers benefits in promoting good health, healing and regeneration.  The more oils we use, the better off we are.

3.  Essential oils can be used in many different ways.
They can be applied to skin, diffused in the air, added to bath, added to food and drink. The doctors in the European medical community prescribe oils to be taken internally, in addition to or in place of pharmaceuticals.

4.  Essential oils are absorbed easily by skin.
When they are applied to skin, they are absorbed easily and carried by the bloodstream to every cell in the body within minutes. They can increase oxygen uptake, enhance absorption of nutrients, enhance longevity and help our bodies detoxify.  By simply inhaling therapeutic grade oils, we can uplift our mood and increase our feeling of peacefulness and well-being.

5.  Essential oils are very concentrated plant extracts.
A single drop of peppermint essential oil is equivalent to 28 cups of peppermint tea. 5,000 pounds of rose petals are required to distill 1 pound of pure rose oil, making it one of the most precious and expensive oils on the market. The amount of plant material required for distilling explains why some oils are more expensive than others. And yet, since we only use a small amount of essential oils at a time, even oils that are expensive are often considered to be very economical.
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6.  Essential oil purity is absolutely critical!
Historically, essential oils have been used as food flavoring, as air fresheners, in veterinary preparations and for other industrial uses, so the quality of the oils was not important. Today, when using essential oils as a natural support to health and wellness, purity is absolutely critical. 95% of the world’s essential oils were created for industrial use. Many of the oils found on the market, even in health food stores, are of low quality.

7. Essential oils will last for at least 5 years (if not 10), so one bottle could literally last you a decade.
Hopefully that thought will help you realize the cost involved in purchasing some essential oils is well worth the investment. Because they are so concentrated and only a tiny amount is needed in anything you do, they’ll last you a very, very long time. The only exception to this rule is citrus oils, which will see a reduction in potency after a year or two. Citrus oils are used the fastest in my home so this is never an issue.

8. Essential oils are very small in molecular size,
which means they are absorbed well by the skin, making them perfect ingredients in personal care items intended to heal, soften, and nourish. However, they do not accumulate in the body over time. They simply offer up their healing properties, and then pass on through.

9.  Essential oils are natural and can’t be patented;

As such, you can expect that the large majority of mainstream healthcare practitioners will never recommend essential oils as therapeutic alternatives to drugs. More importantly, because essential oils cannot be patented, drug companies will not waste money studying them. This limits our scientific knowledge of essential oils greatly, and the majority of what we know about them are things that have been passed down through the ages of time for thousands of years of personal use and experimentation.

10. Essential oils are not really oils.
They do not contain the fatty acids that constitute what we would consider an actual oil. It has been said that essential oils are the life force or the soul of the plant

Good Health is Happiness

Fruits and VegetablesWhen my Grandma  would come visit our family for a week my mom would say don’t sneeze or cough or you might get one of Grandma’s remedies. Sure enough my brother Wes coughed one to many times so he got one of her mustard plasters. This is when she would put the powdered mustard on your chest in a steamy bathroom. It can even cause a burn on your skin.

I have an uncle that I never met, because he died when he was seven from a drug over dose because a doctor gave him the wrong prescription. As a result of this experience, my Grandpa became a Pharmacist to help educate others on medications.

I remember being told the importance of moderation when medicine is needed. Even now when I have a headache I ask myself is that medicine really necessary. I will most often use essential oils first. Essential oils are the oils that come from herbs and plants that come in a very concentrated form. When used properly they are very effective with no harmful side effects.

We live in a time when everyone loves reaching for the medicine cabinet. We need to learn better self control. Take herbs and essential oils instead of medications when possible. Use both the knowledge of the past with herbs and essential oils and the present with prescription drugs. Too many people run to the medicine cabinet with minor aches and pains.

Use prescription drugs with the knowledge of their positive and negative side effects. Every medication has a side affect, remember less is best. Herbs have been around for thousands of years. Don’t think it is crazy to take herbs and essential oils and lots of them. I heard it is very beneficial to take cayenne pepper and raw garlic daily to boost your immune system. It really works.

When I was a small child I remember eating fast food was a huge treat because we only ate out about two times a year. Now people eat three meals a day of fast food and drink soda pop by the gallons, then wondering why they are sick all the time.

We need to start living again, by eating nutritious foods. How about making home made food for our children for breakfast before they go to school. I am amazed when I see the morning breakfast program provided for many of the children at school where someone gets paid to pour our children’s cereal in the mornings before school. I should know I clean up the mess everyday at the elementary school I work at. I was raised on hot cereal, muffins or pancakes for breakfast that did not come from a box or a mix. Many people have no idea how things are made from scratch anymore.

We need to start moving again we need to walk more. I like to park as far as I can when I go to the store, instead of looking for the closest parking space. Good health should be a priority in everyones life.