"Zapped" by Ann Louise Gittleman

I finished the book and couldn't wait to share this with everyone. You really
need to know this stuff.  I got it on I Tunes for 1.99, I don't know how long it will be that. It is $10.19 on Amazon.
This will really be an eye-opening guide for Anyone Who’s Plugged In
Are we going to give up our cell phones, laptops, and other electronics? Absolutely not. But emerging scientific evidence reveals that the very innovations that have changed our lives are also exposing us to an unprecedented number of electromagnetic fields—and that it’s crucial we make important changes to our home and work environments. Now, Ann Louise Gittleman has created the first step-by-step manual for fortifying your body, detoxifying your home, and protecting yourself and your family from electronic pollution (and her powerful fixes are easier than you might think!). Zapped is an empowering guide to living safely with the gadgets we can’t live without.

Vitamin B 12 Benefits

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that keeps your nerves and red blood cells healthy. It is responsible for the smooth functioning of several critical body processes.


It is possible for the body to develop a vitamin B12 deficiency. This deficiency is usually reported with symptoms of fatigue.

Strict vegetarians, heavy drinkers and smokers, pregnant and breast-feeding women, and the elderly usually require vitamin B12 supplements. Sometimes our body, mainly our digestive system, is not able to absorb this vitamin well. This can happen when a person has pernicious anemia, celiac disease, Crohn's disease, bacteria growth in the small intestine, or a parasite. People suffering from these conditions may need vitamin B12 supplements as well.

A deficiency in vitamin B12 can result in a host of illnesses like anemia, fatigue, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite, weight loss, depression, poor memory, soreness of the mouth, asthma, vision problems, and a low sperm count. However, vitamin B12 deficiency is rare as the liver stores enough reserves to last a couple of years.

The top 5 health benefits of vitamin B 12 are:

• It is needed to convert carbohydrates into glucose in the body, thus leading to energy production and a decrease in fatigue and lethargy in the body.

• It helps in healthy regulation of the nervous system, reducing depression, stress, and brain shrinkage.

• It helps maintain a healthy digestive system. Vitamin B12 also protects against heart disease by curbing and improving unhealthy cholesterol levels, protecting against stroke, and high blood pressure.

• It is essential for healthy skin, hair, and nails. It helps in cell reproduction and constant renewal of the skin.

• Vitamin B 12 helps protect against cancers including breast, colon, lung, and prostrate cancer.

Make sure that your body is getting enough vitamin B12 by incorporating these foods in your diet: liver, meat, eggs, milk, cheese and some varieties of fish.

Read more on Newsmax.com: Top 5 Benefits of Vitamin B12

Pomegranates are a super food !!

Pomegranate juice has become popular in the past few years, but does it really live up to the hype? It looks like it. Several recent studies have shown significant potential health benefits from drinking pomegranate juice.

Here are eleven:
Fights Breast Cancer
Studies in Israel show that pomegranate juice destroys breast cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. It may also prevent breast cancer cells from forming.
Lung Cancer Prevention
Studies in mice show that pomegranate juice may inhibit the development of lung cancer.
Slows Prostate Cancer
It slowed the growth of prostate cancer in mice.
Keeps PSA Levels Stable
In a study of 50 men who had undergone treatment for prostate cancer, 8 ounces of pomegranate juice per day kept PSA levels stable, reducing the need for further treatment such as chemotherapy or hormone therapy.
Protects the Neonatal Brain
Studies show that maternal consumption of pomegranate juice may protect the neonatal brain from damage after injury.
Prevention of Osteoarthritis
Several studies indicate that pomegranate juice may prevent cartilage deterioration.
Protects the Arteries
It prevents plaque from building up in the arteries and may reverse previous plaque buildup.
Alzheimer's Disease Prevention
It may prevent and slow Alzheimer's disease. In one study, mice bred to develop Alzheimer's disease were given pomegranate juice. They accumulated significantly less amyloid plaque than control mice and they performed mental tasks better.
Lowers Cholesterol
It lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) and raises HDL (good cholesterol).
Lowers Blood Pressure
One study showed that drinking 1.7 ounces of pomegranate juice per day lowered systolic blood pressure by as much as 5 percent.
Dental Protection
Research suggests that drinking pomegranate juice may be a natural way to prevent dental plaque.

Here is one way to enjoy my favorite Pomegranate juice.

Oprah's Favorite Pomegranate Martini recipe

1 oz vodka
1/2 oz Cointreau® orange liqueur
3 oz pomegranate juice

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker 1/4 filled with chopped ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

Chase those flies away!

1. Basil

There are about a million kinds of basil and new varieties being introduced all the time. Basil is a beautiful fragrant plant that grows easily in most climates. It even tolerates the dry, Texas heat pretty well.

Most people know fresh basil is delicious in pesto, tomato based dishes, and salads but did you also know that it is one of the best ways to keep flies out of your house? Just plant basil next to the doors, use as a foundation planting mixed in with your flowers, or plant in containers. The flies will stay far away.

You can grow basil in containers by your picnic table or on your patio and cut a nice size bunch of it to decorate the blanket with when you go to a remote picnic spot. As an added bonus, mosquitoes don't like it either. Choose your favorite, all the basil that I have tried works equally as well.

2. Bay Leaf

You can grow bay outside in the summer but you will need to bring it indoors during the winter months. You can buy dried bay leaf at the store if you find you are unable to grow it; the dried variety that you put in stews and soups works as well as the fresh for keeping pests away.

You can put one bay leaf in fifty pounds of wheat berries or organic white flour and it will keep the weevils out of it. If you don't happen to buy flour in those quantities you can add a bay leaf to a smaller sized container with similar results. Other items that it will protect are:

• Barley
• Cornmeal
• Oatmeal
• Quinoa
• Rice                                       

Most cereal products will be just fine for months with the bay leaves to protect them. Scatter a few leaves on the pantry shelves to repel moths, roaches, earwigs, and mice. Flies seem to hate the smell of bay leaves, too. Who knew they had such sensitive olfactory nerves?

3. Lavender   

Lavender smells wonderful and if you have never used lavender buds in cooking you should give it a try. In small amounts it adds a wonderful floral and citrus flavor to baked goods, meats, and even vegetables.

Lavender also repels moths, mosquitoes, and fleas.:

• Hang a bundle of it in your closet or lay a few sprigs of it in with the out of season clothes you are storing.
• Grind it to a powder and sprinkle it on your pet's bedding.
• Grow it in containers on your patio to repel mosquitoes.
• Grow it in your kitchen garden to keep rabbits out of your lettuce and spinach.

4. Mint

Mint, catnip, and pennyroyal planted around the foundation of your house can keep both ants and mice out of your home. Neither of these pests seem to like the smell and all but the most determined will head to a better smelling yard. You can also place shallow bowls of the dried mint leaves in your pantry to discourage mice.

Pennyroyal is also repugnant to fleas, ants, flies, and mosquitoes. Just be careful of it because large amounts of pennyroyal can be toxic to pets and children. You can place dried pennyroyal on your pantry shelves and it will keep ants away.

Just a quick warning about mice. They love anise. Keep anise in jars or it will draw mice to your pantry no matter how much mint you have out! You can use anise to bait live traps with excellent results.

5. Rosemary

Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs, not only for cooking and grilling but because it has a number of uses medicinally and as a household herb. As it grows it repels mosquitoes. Try planting it around your patio or any area that you use in the evenings to keep the air smelling fresh and the mosquitoes on someone else's property.

Rosemary also repels cats, so planting it around the kids sandbox is a good idea. You can use rosemary springs under the cushions to keep the cats off the furniture but beware - the oils in the rosemary can stain the cushions. Be sure they are the one sided type.

6. Sweet Woodruff

Sweet Woodruff has long been used to deter carpet beetles and moths. Just lay it beneath wool carpets (or other types). It may also deter ants. An added benefit is that it releases a sweet scent when you walk across your rugs.

7. Tansy

Tansy is another little known herb that repels flies, ants,fleas, moths, and mice. Its flowers resemble marigolds or yellow Bachelor's Buttons and it makes a great foundation planting. Tansy was traditionally used by churches as a strewing herb in the Middle Ages.

Original, Green, and Frugal

Herbs were the original household cleaners, disinfectants, and bug repellents. They had been used for thousands of years with good results before humankind came up with toxic chemicals in a can. These herbs are not only better for the environment; they actually improve the environment. Herbs continue to work for you when you have finished with them and discarded them to the compost heap. They enrich the soil, add nutrients, and some (like Valerian) attract beneficial earthworms.

Next time you are tempted to reach for the fly spray, reach for the basil instead.

How to Make Lip Balm from scratch and Recipe | Natural Soaps and Natural Lotions by SoapCrafters

Click this link to go to Soap Crafters direct

How to Make Lip Balm from scratch and Recipe | Natural Soaps and Natural Lotions by SoapCrafters

I have made some of their recipes and it was very successful, after the investment of some

basic ingredients you will certainly have better lip balm at a better price.

Lip Balm Recipe Makes enough lip balm to fill approximately 6 x 15ml jars

You will need:

20g White Beeswax
25g Soft Oil/Butter such as Shea Butter, Mango Butter, Coconut Oil
15g Cocoa Butter
40g Liquid Oil for example Sweet almond, Calendula, Avocado, Jojoba
Half a teaspoon of Natural Vitamin E Oil 3-4ml of Flavour Oil

Directions:

Cut the soft oil/butter into small pieces and place in a pyrex jug together with the beeswax.

Sit the jug in a pan of water over a low heat. The water needs to come about half way up the side of the jug. Never heat oils over a direct heat.

Warm the ingredients until melted then remove the jug from the pan. Take great care as oils can get very hot.

Add the liquid oil and stir gently until blended.

Add the vitamin E and flavour oil and stir well.

Pour the mixture into some lip balm pots.

Allow to cool completely before putting the lids on.

That's all there is to it!  

Pure and Simple: Clean Naturally with Plant Essential Oils

Ok, I admit, I am obsessed with using any essential oil for any purpose. I love reading about them and letting my readers know what I found. I am so sensitive to many chemicals that it was a necessity for me to find alternatives for cleaning and for personal uses. I got started with making my own lip balm and it took off from there discovering the wonders of essential oils. Tea Tree Oil is my favorite and you can find a whole post on this great oil elsewhere in my blog.

We put a lot of work into creating clean, healthy homes for ourselves and our families. And for most of us, our idea of a healthy home doesn’t include toxic chemicals. Yet many of us spray on and breathe in potentially toxic ingredients every time we use common household cleaning products.

Fortunately, nature has provided us with a bevy of alternatives to synthetic chemicals: Plant essential oils clean, disinfect and smell great. Studies have found many to have antimicrobial properties. Use the blends below for a house that’s clean and nontoxic. (As with any new product you introduce into your home, be sure to read the instructions for each ingredient to ensure safe and effective use.)

Surface cleaner: Add 7 drops lavender, eucalyptus, tea tree, cinnamon, clove, thyme, pine, grapefruit or oregano oil to 2 cups of water. Spray on surfaces.

Kitchen cleaner: Mix the following essential oils: 8 drops lavender, 10 drops lemon, 5 drops eucalyptus, 8 drops rosewood and 3 drops palma rosa. Combine 2 cups of water with 8 drops of the mixture and spray on surfaces.

Dishwashing boost: To add fragrance or to improve the antiseptic action of your liquid soap, add 10 drops of essential oils such as lavender, orange, bergamot or lime to 3 ounces of natural liquid dishwashing soap and shake well.

Floor cleaner: Combine 1/4 cup of white vinegar with 10 drops lemon oil and 4 drops oregano oil. Add to a bucket of water. For extra cleaning power, add several drops of dish soap, but follow with a clean-water mop so floors aren’t slippery.

Window cleaner: In a spray bottle, combine 1 cup white vinegar, 10 to 15 drops lemon oil and 1 cup water. Shake well before each use. In summer, repel flies by wiping windows with a cloth dampened with 2 ounces water and 10 drops lavender or lemongrass essential oils.

Air freshener: To keep indoor air smelling fresh, mix 8 drops of essential oil with 21/2 cups warm water. (Use a single scent or 8 drops of this combination: 5 drops bergamot, 10 drops lavender, 5 drops cinnamon, 10 drops lemon, 10 drops citronella.) Store in a spray bottle and shake well before use.

Flea killer: Mix 2 cups borax with 10 to 15 drops of essential oils. Try pine or balsam fir in fall and winter; and lemongrass, lavender or any citrus oils in spring and summer. Sprinkle on carpets, then wait a few minutes before vacuuming.

Hot tub cleaner: To disinfect and fragrance the water in a hot tub, add 3 drops of lavender, cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, thyme or grapefruit essential oil per person that uses the tub.

Buying Tips

Choosing high-quality oils is essential.

Know your terms: “Fragrance oil,” “nature-identical oil” or “perfume oil” aren’t the same as 100 percent pure essential oil. They may be combinations of essential oils and chemicals, or just plain chemicals.

Check the container: Avoid oils in plastic bottles or with rubber eyedropper bulbs in the top. These can degrade and contaminate the oil. Look for small (4-ounce or less) dark or opaque glass bottles.

Read the label: Look for the correct botanical (Latin) name to ensure you’re buying the right oil.

Benefits of Raw Honey

"Honey is cheap, making it potentially useful for treating wounds in earthquake-stricken and war-torn areas where running water is scarce and aften contanimated. It is being used in Iraq to treat burn wounds in children."

Honey is composed of sugars like glucose and fructose and minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium chlorine, sulphur, iron and phosphate.

It contains vitamins B1, B2, C, B6, B5 and B3 all of which change according to the qualities of the nectar and pollen. Besides the above, copper, iodine, and zinc exist in it in small quantities. Several kinds of hormones are also present in it. Approximately one half of the human diet is derived directly or indirectly from crops pollinated by bees. Today honeybees are an essential part of a healthy agriculture economy.

If you have allergies, honey can be beneficial. If you eat honey that is local to your area, it may help prevent your seasonal allergies. Bees use the pollen from local plants and eventually it ends up in your honey.

Honey may also be good for your skin. It has the ability to attract water. It is also safe for sensitive skin. You can use it as a moisturizing mask for your skin as well as your hair. To use it as a conditioner, mix the honey with olive oil. Be sure to wash your hair thoroughly before you go outside.

If you have a sore throat, take some honey.[ Honey has powerful antimicrobial properties, which can soothe your raw tissues. Pour a teaspoon of honey into a large serving spoon and then top off the spoon with lemon juice. Swallow the concoction (without water) every few hours until symptoms clear up. Some people add a pinch of black or red pepper to increase blood circulation to the throat.] Due to its natural anti-inflammatory effect, it will help to heal the wounds more quickly.It also has different phytochemicals--chemicals found in plants and different foods--that kill viruses, bacteria, and fungus making it a good substitute for wound dressings. The taste may also take your mind off the pain. There is evidence that honey diluted in water will help with your stomach aches and dehydration.

Do you have a cut? Honey is a natural antiseptic. Medical journals cite more than 600 cases in which honey was employed to treat wounds.By applying honey to your wounds, you prevent infections. Honey contains antimicrobial agents, which prevents infections by killing the bacteria in and around your wounds. When using honey it may help to heat it up before putting it on your wound (caution test the heat before you place it on the wound).Many types of bacteria can’t survive in honey, so wounds heal, swelling eases, and tissue can grow back.