How to Stay Healthy

Hello!  How have you been?  I hope marvelous!!  I have nothing to complain about.  Life is good and Jesus is awesome!  :-)

With the way sickness has been rampant this winter, I thought I would write an article on how to stay healthy.  Most of these points are pretty obvious, but still need to be stated.

Rest
How many of you do not get enough rest?  This is the foundation to a healthy body.  The way God made these bodies, is that they need rest in order to stay healthy.  How many hours of sleep are you getting?  If that number is below 7 or 8, you need to make some life changes.  Turn off that T.V., stop scrolling through Facebook, or put down that book.  You cannot function, your brain cannot function without sleep.  Think about this.  Please.

Food
Eat your fruits and vegetables.  Remember half of your meal needs to be fruits and vegetables in order for your body to properly digest the food you are eating.  Can we do this 3 meals a day?  Maybe not.  But strive.  Add more fruits and vegetables to your day.  If we ate more fruits and vegetables we wouldn't have room for all of that junk food.

Sugar
Sugar is POISON!!  No kidding.  I really believe Satan either created sugar or gave a human the idea to create sugar.  I hate sugar.  HATE.  If we could all eat it in moderation, that would be GREAT!  But most of us cannot.  If you haven't watched the documentary "FED Up", I highly recommend you buy it or rent it.  It outs the sugar industry and is one of the best documentaries I have watched.  Sugar compromises our immune system.  We really DO NOT need our immune systems compromised this winter with all of the sickness going around.  Stay away from sugar!

Hand washing
I know this sounds like your mom talking to you now.  But honestly, it's the simplest things that work.  When you leave the house and go to the grocery or go where ever, use the little cart cleaning station stores have to wipe down your cart before pushing it and don't touch your eyes, nose or mouth until after you wash your hands.  We keep wet wipes in the car and the kids know to get the wet wipes out or the essential oil hand spray as soon as we get back in the car.  Then when we get home, it's straight to the sink to wash our hands with soap and water.  And not anti-bacterial soap.

Probiotics
I saved my favorite for last.

Probiotics.  Oh, how I LOVE probiotics.  You can get them anywhere nowadays but that doesn't mean they are worth you spending money on them.  I have bought several different brands and my favorite brand comes from doTERRA.  I am a Wellness advocate for doTERRA.  Ain't gonna hide that.  I LOVE their products.  They sell a probiotic that is amazing.  It is double encapsulated.  Which means it doesn't dissolve in your stomach, it dissolves in your colon and intestines.  Which is where you want the probiotics to go.  Most probiotics are destroyed in the stomach by our stomach acid.  But not doTERRA's.  It's the only probiotic I use and highly recommend.

If you want to go another route, start buying or making Kombucha.  This effervescent drink is full of probiotics and tastes delicious too!  Here's a link on how to make it.  And here is a link to why I drink it.

Here's a link to PB Assist, if you are interested.  If you already know someone that is a Wellness Advocate for doTERRA, please contact them to get your bottle.  1 a day is recommended. 

And here is a link to my doTERRA webpage, if you want to check out other products.  Or go to my.doterra.com/itstimetogreen 

Here is a link to make your own homemade hand sanitizer.

Did I forgot anything?  If I did, leave me a message!!  Gosh, I am full of links aren't I?  :-)

Stay healthy and keep living GREEN!!

Blessings,

Soothing Salve with Essential Oils

Here is the link to the awesome company that begins with "do"'s blog on how to make a Soothing Salve.


http://doterrablog.com/diy-soothing-salve/

Deodorant Discussion and Recipe

I used to use Dove anti-perspirant every day of my life.  Some days multiple times.  

No more.

Sarah, at The Healthy Home Economist sums it up wonderfully.  Read her post here.  We HAVE to start reading labels!!!  Have to!  

I used Tom's and thought it was time to try a homemade recipe.  I owe all the thanks for this recipe to my cousin Lisa (love you and thank you!).  I LOVE this recipe and I use it daily!!

So, before you make this, I want to make sure you get this.  Sweating is good.  Stinking is bad.  You want to sweat.  That is how our body rids itself of the toxins and pesticides we ingest every day.  So, you will still sweat.  You just won't stink.  Get it?  Good!!!  Now go make some good for you/safe deodorant.  It will take like a minute!!!  It is super easy!

Lisa's Homemade Deodorant
3 tsp Arrowroot powder (I use this)
1 tsp of baking soda*
Enough coconut oil to make a thick paste (I use this)
4 drops of doTERRA Melaleuca** essential oil (You can buy here.)
About 10 drops of doTERRA Lavender or Serenity (I used 8 Serenity and 3 Balance, hey why not?!)  (You can buy here.)

Yields: 1 ounce

Place ingredients in a bowl and use the back of a fork to mash everything up.  Transfer to container of choice.  I use a butter knife.

I use this glass container from Aroma Tools and love it.  I just store it under my sink in the bathroom.  I use the back of a finger nail, scrape a small amount out of the glass container, flip it around to my finger tips and rub it in my arm pits.

You can also clean out an old deodorant tube and put the deodorant in there, but that needs to be stored in the refrigerator.  It melts right on and leaves no residue.  

If any irritation occurs, slightly cut back on the baking soda next time.  I have a friend that this happens to in the summer.



*I have heard that some baking soda has unwanted ingredients in it.  And I know of people who buy Bob's Red Mill only.  I could not find anything bad about Arm and Hammer and that is what I had on hand, so that is what I used.  If you have any info regarding Arm and Hammer, please share it.  I would love to know.

**The Melaleuca is a MUST when making this recipe.  Melaleuca kills the bacteria that can cause the odor, but too much can be irritating.


~I only recommend, stand behind and use doTERRA essential oils.


Keep on striving towards Living GREEN!

Homemade "Gatorade" Recipes

Well, with all of this flu going around I thought it would be perfect to share some recipes that would help with dehydration.  And with spring sports starting up these recipes are doubly perfect.  :-)  

Let me begin by saying Gatorade is poison.  And I do not mean that jokingly.  Please do not buy it, drink it, or give it to your kids.  It is full of artificial food coloring, that has been proven to increase ADD and ADHD in our kids (and in adults too).  And has an ingredient list on it that only a scientist could explain.  Pepsi has made millions off of Gatorade.  Millions.  If in doubt of what to give your kids, give them water.  Please.  We get enough sodium in the food we eat.  They are not going to dehydrate because water doesn't have salt in it.

Read this article about kids and ADD (this article is good, but don't give soy milk to your kids or drink it yourself either) and this article on ADD is good too.  

Honestly, you don't have to believe me.  Just watch your kids behavior.  I was together with a group of teachers a few months ago and they referenced the "Fruit Punch test," I asked what they were referring to?  They told me that when there are class parties, parents will send in the big plastic containers of Hawaiian Fruit punch for the kids to drink.  And they said like clockwork, after the kids drink it they become out of control.  The combination of sugar, red food coloring and the other harmful ingredients in the Fruit Punch create out of control kids.  (Do your teacher a favor, don't send in anything with artificial food coloring in it (even those cute little colored cupcakes), go with white icing on mini cupcakes.  They kids will love them just as much.  And for a kid drink buy Honest Kids from Meijer.  It comes in pouches or large plastic containers.  (It isn't perfect, but is a lot better than red fruit punch.)

And you know the rule:  IF there are more than 12 ingredients in a "food" and/or you can't pronounce or understand what they are.....then you should not be drinking or eating it.  Very simple.  And if there is food coloring, especially Red 40...DO NOT drink or eat it!!

Why would you want to put poison in your or your kids body when you can make your own healthy version of Gatorade??  I just don't understand.

I ALWAYS recommend glass or stainless steel water bottles.  Plastic is not good.

So, here are a few recipes to pick from......


Homemade "Gatorade" Concentrate
1 cup lemon juice (about 6-8 organic lemons)
1/2 cup raw honey or maple syrup (Farmers market)
1 teaspoon Redmond Real sea salt (Meijer or WalMart)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Place in a pint mason jar and shake to combine.  Store concentrate in the refrigerator.  You can either add this entire recipe to 1 gallon of water or add 1-2 tablespoons to 8 ounces (2 cups) of water as you need it.  


Homemade Energy Drink
2 cups water or coconut water
1-2 tbsp maple syrup
Juice of 1/2 organic lemon
Juice of 1/2 organic lime
Pinch of Redmonds Read sea salt
Stir, add ice and enjoy.


Homemade Sports Drink (ginger is great for the flu)
3-4 slices fresh organic ginger (or 2-4 drops "do"Ginger essential oil)
1 cup r.o. water + extra
Juice of 1/2 organic lemon
1/4 tsp Redmond Real sea salt
1-2 tablespoons raw honey

Slice the ginger and put it in a small stainless steel saucepan with 1 cup water.  If your ginger is very large only use 2 slices.  Place on stove and boil for 5 minutes.  Turn stove off.  Let ginger steep in hot water, on hot burner, for an additional 5 minutes.

Meanwhile juice your 1/2 lemon.  Please use fresh lemons.  Most bottled lemon juice contains preservatives.

Pour the hot ginger water into a glass jar.  A quart mason jar works great.  Anything glass.  Then add your honey, lemon juice and sea salt. Put lid on and shake until honey and sea salt are dissolved or stir with a spoon.

Then add enough water and ice to make 3 cups.  Some who are sick with the flu prefer this warm or room temperature.  Do what you like.  


Homemade Orange Sports Drink
1/2 cup fresh organic orange juice
2 tablespoons organic lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Redmond Real Sea Salt
7 cups r.o. water
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c raw honey or 1/4 tsp clear liquid stevia or 1/8 tsp. powdered stevia

Mix the salt, baking soda and water until dissolved.  Some people put this in a small stainless steel saucepan and warm until all if perfectly dissolved.  But stirring should be good enough if you don't have time.

Add the orange and lemon juice and sweetener and shake or stir well until combined.  If the honey is too difficult to mix in, add it to your bullet  and blend.  Drink as desired.  Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.  


**Tips:  Freeze lemon, oranges and limes (individually) and free in ice cube trays in 1 tbsp servings.  Pop out and store in a glass pyrex bowl or ziploc bag in the freezer.  Pull out as you need.

For more recipes Google "Homemade Sports Drinks."  Or click here or here or here for a very indepth article. (One of my favorite blogs is at www.kitchenstewardship.com/ ).

Let me know which is your favorite!!

Happy and healthy drinking!!

Homemade Shower Gel (sorta)

I made shower gel the other day (sorta) and it was so simple I had to share. :-)  I say "sorta" because I didn't make the actual shower gel.  Whole Foods gets credit for that, I just jazzed it up a bit.  :-)

I went to Whole Foods and bought a big bottle of their unscented shower gel.  $4.99 for 32 fl oz.

This time was a trial run in my mind, so I only filled my 16 oz glass bottle 1/2 full with the 365 shower gel and then I added 15-20 drops of doTERRA Citrus Bliss essential oil blend and swirled it around to mix the oil with the shower gel.  I bought the 16 oz amber glass bottle and lotion type pump from here.

This made a FABULOUS, easy and inexpensive shower gel!!!  

Add a cute little waterproof label and cover the label in clear packaging tape (so the writing doesn't run in the shower).

(I am still in a testing time frame with the label.  I bought waterproof labels and used a black sharpie, which is supposed to be waterproof to make the label shown below.  The words on the label did not survive the shower.  So, that is why I suggest adding a piece of clear plastic packaging tape over the top of the handwritten label to see if that helps.  If not, the labels from my label maker are waterproof.  Not near as cute but will work.)

If you have any questions message me or click here.  The company that begins with "do" essential oils are the absolute best in my opinion!  I will NOT use or recommend any other brand.

I picked Citrus Bliss because it smells AWESOME and it brings peace and happiness to the mind and body and joy to the heart, promotes energy and is soothing .  I thought that would be a great way to start the day.  :-)


Happy Oiling!!

Happy Oiling!!

Homemade Hand Sanitizer Spray

This was one of the homemade gifts I made for Christmas this year.  I thought I would share the recipe.  I have Witch Hazel to use up.  So, that is why this recipe has it in it.  But after the Witch Hazel is gone I will be going a different route.

Homemade Hand Sanitizer Spray
(This recipe makes 1 1 oz bottle)

1 1 oz glass spray bottle (I buy mine here)
Reverse osmosis or filtered water
1 tsp Lemon Witch Hazel (Whole Foods, Amazon and Meijer carry)
8 drops Company that begins with "do" On Guard essential oil
1 400 IU Vitamin E gel cap (this is what I have so I am using them up, gave me 8-10 drops)*
Small kitchen funnel

Always first wash your hands.  Preferably with an On Guard hand soap (either homemade or bought). :-)

Fill your 1 oz glass bottle 1/2 way with water.  Sit glass bottle on counter top.  Carefully drop 8 drops of your On Guard essential oil into the 1 oz glass bottle.  Put lid back on On Guard (this is like liquid gold and you don't want to accidentally knock it over). 

Then using a sanitized straight pin, poke 2-3 holes into your Vitamin E gel cap in the same location and squeeze the gel cap over the glass bottle, allowing the Vitamin E drops to fall into the glass 1 oz bottle (if you squeeze to hard and the gel globs out all at once, that is ok, just gently run your finger over the top of the glass bottle allowing the Vitamin E to drop into the glass bottle).

Then place your small kitchen funnel carefully into the top of the 1 oz glass bottle.  Slowly pour the 1 tsp of Lemon Witch Hazel into the funnel.  Lastly, pour a small amount of water through the funnel, making sure you don't waste any of the Lemon Witch Hazel left in the funnel.  Then add water (either through the funnel or by carefully pouring it into the bottle) filling the glass bottle to the bottom of the neck of the bottle.

Place sprayer on top of glass bottle and tighten.  Shake well.  I gave these away for Christmas presents and have one in my purse.  

To use:  Spray liberally on hands and rub together.  Repeat as needed.

That's it!


*When you are purchasing Vitamin E oil, just make sure the label says that the oil is safe for internal consumption.  You can buy a bottle of oil, you don't have to but the gel caps.  When a product is labeled "not for internal consumption" the manufacture is not confident and is not standing behind the health and safety of this product to be used internally.  Well.....when we are putting hand sanitizer on our hands....where does it go????  Into our bloodstream (absorbed through the skin), thus far we ARE using it internally.  So just we are careful here.

Such a beautiful and amazing oil.  My kids get 2 drops on the bottoms of their feet every morning and every evening during cold and flu season.  Amazing oil!

Pre-made doTERRA On Guard Foaming Hand Wash

And, of course if you are interested in learning more about doTERRA essential oils, please contact me or visit my website at www.itstimetogreen.com and click on the doTERRA link.

Happy Oiling!!

Dena's Homemade Deodorant Recipe

This is the recipe for the deodorant Dena had with her when she was here teaching.

Thank you Dena!!



Dena's homemade deodorant recipe

1/4 cup unrefined, virgin, organic coconut oil

1 Tbsp organic baking soda*

2 Tbsp arrowroot powder, I prefer Bob's Red Mill

20 drops Company that begins with "do" Bergamot essential oil

20 drops Company that begins with "do" On Guard essential oil

Mix coconut oil, baking soda, and arrowroot with a fork until smooth.  Then add essential oils and mix with a mixer.  Store in a glass container with tight fitting lid.  Using your fingers apply a small amount to each armpit.



*(I have researched this and cannot find organic baking soda 
anywhere nor where it says that arm and hammer baking soda contains aluminum, fyi.   
Please let me know if you find different information.)



Note:  The company that begins with "do" essential oils are the only oils I use and stand behind.  

I will post a picture when I make this.

Happy Oiling!!!

Hand soap in glass...FINALLY!!

Oh my word!!!

Look what I made today...and it took minutes.  (Of course, that is thanks to my awesome hubby and his drill.)  :-)

I have been complaining forever that someone needs to make glass hand soap bottles.  I have even emailed Aroma Tools asking for this very item.

Well today, I saw something on Pinterest that had to be made....so here they are.  What do you think?

It was very simple.  All you need is.....
1 plastic ball jar lid (I used a regular mouth size and I buy mine on Amazon here)
1 glass ball jar (I used a regular mouth size) you can get these at Meijer and Walmart
1 foaming pump from an old bottle of hand soap
The tools you see below (or you can use a flat head screwdriver and a hammer and chisel out the hole you need)

This is how you get your hubby or boyfriend to involved in this project. :-)

Aren't the rocks adorable?!?

And that is it!!

I think these jars would be adorable too! 

Click here for the recipe for the foaming hand soap.  :-)

Note: after thinking about it, I don't know if the little river rocks were a good idea or not...I don't know what essential oils do to rocks...maybe the little glass marbles would have been a better choice...need to research here. :-)

Merry Christmas!!!