Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Liquid Sunshine




I know the health posts on this blog are few and far between around here. Or really any posts for that matter. We have lots going on these days.

Honestly, I’m sort of “over” the internet right now and over blogging. I want to push through this phase because I know what is written here on this blog helps document our family’s life and has also been (hopefully) used for good.

After I heard feedback and stories from women who tried the OCM (Oil Cleansing Method) and saw amazing results, I was encouraged. The stories are still coming in.

Who knew something as simple as slathering your face with a bunch of oil that smells good could be so beneficial to our skin?

I love hearing stories of natural methods helping people and taking the things the Lord created to bring healing.

Enter Chlorophyll.

We had a customer out to the farm a few weeks ago who has struggled with severe anemia. And to top it all off, she is a mom of 8 kids. Not a good combination. I think anyone would need a nap after feeding that many kiddos.

She did some research and talked to her natural doctor. Her findings and doctor’s recommendation led her to try Chlorophyll.

She noticed an increase in energy very quickly and overall felt much better. I didn’t get into great detail with her, but as with most things I wanted to look more into this.

Energy??? I could use a little bit of energy myself. I’m all about that.

I happened to have some on-hand- I used it to treat an illness that Jason had came down with a while back (colitis). But, I had never thought about taking it for myself.

The things I read about Chlorophyll made me want to try it for myself. In my research, I’ve learned that this is an all around good supplement.

Here is a quote from this site:

“Chlorophyll is miraculous. It has SO MANY health benefits it makes it a true wonder-food. However, the most marvelous and amazing benefit it gives comes from the fact that its molecular structure is absolutely identical to hemoglobin except for the center atom. In hemoglobin this is iron, whereas in chlorophyll it is magnesium. This means that when ingested, chlorophyll actually helps to do the job of hemoglobin (hemoglobin is so vital to the health of our blood – in fact, blood is approx 75% hemoglobin). It helps to rebuild and replenish our red blood cells, boosting our energy and increasing our wellbeing almost instantly.”

Here are some other claims that come with using Chlorophyll as a supplement:

  • Help cleanse your blood
  • Aids in digestion
  • Increases oxygen in your body
  • Removes heavy metals from your body
  • Helps balance your pH levels
  • Detoxifies your liver
  • Anti Carcinogenic

As with anything, I encourage you to do some research before you decide to take this supplement.

I will most definitely continue to make this a regular part of my diet. I use the liquid form of Chlorophyll. Within a few days, I noticed an amazing increase in energy. So much so, that when I "thought" I wanted to take a nap, I could fall asleep. I've struggled in the past with digestive issues and this seems to be helping things move in the right direction also. Overall, I feel better.

I would recommend drinking this in the morning. I've heard from a few others that this has been known to keep them awake at night- which the hubbies might seem to like. Just sayin'.

There are a variety of Chlorophyll brands out there. I chose THIS one solely based on taste. The reviews all said that it was the best tasting one. A lot of the brands claim to be "tasteless". I refer to this as my "cup of fresh". It is indeed refreshing for sure!

You can also receive chlorophyll from eating RAW veggies including parsley, broccoli, brussell sprouts, and Spinach among a whole host of green vegetables.

From my understanding, Chlorella is referring to chlorophyll found in algae. Chlorophyll is simply the green pigment found in both plants and algae. So Chlorella is a specific type of chlorophyll; algae-based. Both are extremely beneficial to our health. I have found Chlorella to be very expensive and so I chose to use a liquid form of Chlorophyll instead.

You can view some articles on NaturalNews.com HERE pertaining to chlorophyll.

HERE is another article on The World's Healthiest Foods website.

Disclaimer::::: I am not a doctor. The things I speak about on this blog regarding health are things that I have personally benefited from using. This information is supposed to be used to inspire and motivate. And should not be taken as medical advice. The methods discussed here have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Summer Lovin'....some favs




I love summer. Let it be known that I don't love 110+ degree heat though.

So far, our summer has kicked off pretty awesomely.

I shot these photos of the girls playing with their new wagon a few days ago. They were sitting in the middle of the yard eating strawberries by the carton when the sprinklers came on.

This turned into instant fun and much laughter. I stopped what I was doing and grabbed the camera to capture it all. Such a fun unexpected moment. One minute you are sitting in a wagon in the blazing heat eating strawberries. The next minute you are drenched from head to toe leaping over sprinkler heads- clothes and all.









Summer lovin'.

Speaking of summer lovin'. Here are some things I'm majorly loving these days (in no particular order):

- Doing 5 LOADS of laundry and not folding ONE pair of socks. I'm loving our laundry in general- pool towels and bathing suits.

- Jason's sister and her sweet crew are here for the whole summer- really loving that! There are 7 children on this farm so needless to say they are all plumb exhausted at the end of the day. They are leaving to be missionaries in Haiti beginning in August. The Lord has totally moved in this situation and has done amazing (Would you expect any less??) things during their journey. Follow their story by clicking on the link above to go to their blog. You will be blessed!

- I'm also really loving Chlorophyll....a.k.a. Liquid Sunshine, as my friend Mandi referred to it as. It's the truth. I think it deserves its own post so that is in the works. I've seen amazing results in just 2 weeks of adding this to my diet.

- Earth Balls. You must make these. They are so addicting and really good for you. The recipe is really flexible. The possibilities are endless! This is a good treat or snack to take with you or have on hand. They are pretty rich so you can eat two at a time and feel like you just had a real treat. They also go well with a glass of raw milk!

(loosely adapted from the Whole Foods cookbook)

1 cup organic peanut butter
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup (I've used both of these)
2 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder or carob powder
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup hemp hearts (you can substitute sunflower seeds or chia seeds)

Mix the peanut butter, maple syrup or honey, and cocoa powder together. I use my Kitchen Aid mixer. Stir in raisins and 1/2 of the coconut . Put this batter in the fridge for about an hour until chilled. In a separate bowl mix the coconut and hemp seeds together. Get the batter out of the fridge. Roll the batter into small balls. Then roll the balls into the coconut and hemp seeds. Keep chilled until you serve it.

Hope you are enjoying your summer!