Natural Health and Wellness

These flowers are the picture of beauty you will find on this great new blog link I've just added to the "Healthy and Nurturing" links here on "Alive!" GREEN FOR CHRIST Blogger, Fran McCollum, is a sister in Christ who is intentionally sharing the many discoveries she is making about caring for God's creation in a responsible manner & sustaining and improving the world God has entrusted to man's dominion. Fran has not only learned about, but she has implemented as well, the ideas and lifestyle of which she writes. You'll find many opportunities to share your thoughts and ideas. There is even a place to share how steps you've taken in becoming "green" have made a difference in your life. Everyone will learn from each other's stories, and the editor's choice for first place will receive a $20 LifeWay gift certificate. Visit GREEN FOR CHRIST via the link above.

Our salt lamp glows all day next to our bed. It's so refreshing to walk by it, especially knowing that the air has been renewed; a most peaceful night's sleep awaits. (We do turn it off at night as the brightness of the light does create some interference with our sleep.) Have just begun to use another one of these terrific lamps next to my computer. I look forward to an awesome testimony here, too. Solay has so many different natural and eco-friendly products available, I'll know I'll be spending quite some time in discovery. More reports to come from my first hand learning.

Fruits and vegetables are good for you. We all know that. But they can be expensive. What can we do to save the cost and still get the best produce money can buy? To get the most out of your produce and your wallet buy fruits and vegetables that are grown locally and in season. Fruits and vegetables begin to lose their nutritional value immediately after being picked. The longer they are in transit, the more nutrients are lost. Even though organic foods are more expensive, you are receiving more nutrients and less harmful toxins (herbicides & pesticides) from them. In addition, you are supporting your local farmers, which in the end can also save you money by helping their business grow! The best way to buy local, organic produce is from local farmers and farmer’s markets. You not only get your fruits and vegetables closer to their harvest time (less time in transit and on the shelf means more nutrition and less cost), but you have less people handling your food, less transportatio...

It is hard enough to get adults to eat enough fruits and vegetables, especially high-quality, raw ones. But anyone with a child knows that the task is much more challenging. Many parents worry about their toddlers who seem to eat very little. When they do eat, the foods of choice are not usually naturally colorful, fresh produce in large variety. And getting a school-aged child or teenager who is always on the go (and pressured by peers and the giant food marketing industry) to eat well seems like a very uphill battle. None-the-less, the value of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables and other naturally raw, nutritional foods are vital for not only the body, but for those growing minds and spirits too. Here are a few basic steps to begin the transition: 1. Transition Slowly. Slowly remove the more toxic & processed foods from their diet; 2. Replace processed foods with organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds; 3. Put healthy snack trays out in an accessible place for your child. S...

Kids of all ages love raw vegetables when served with tasty dips. These may include hummus, veggie dips, whole milk yogurt, nut or seed butters, healthy salad dressings and more! Apples - (wedges, diced or whole) Asparagus – (spears, steamed) Bananas - (peeled, whole or sliced) Bell peppers (all colors - sliced long) Berries (all kinds!) (fresh or frozen) Broccoli – (florets, steamed or raw) Carrots – (sticks or rounds, steamed or raw) Cauliflower – (florets) Celery – (sticks with or without nut or seed butter) Cherry tomatoes – (whole or sliced) Cucumber – (sticks and rounds) Green beans – (ends removed, steamed or raw) Jicama – (slices and sticks) Mushrooms – (small whole, cube large) Napa cabbage –(leaves) Peas (raw, frozen, or steamed) Radishes – (whole or slice sides, “petals”) Raisins - (just they way the are) Sugar snap/Snow peas – (whole, slivers) Sweet Potatoes/Yams – (sticks, rounds) Yellow squash – (sticks and rounds) Zucchini – (sticks and rounds) Want a fun meal with your ...

Why should we be concerned about children's health? Check out wht some experts are saying, and then know we can be a positve force in making a healthy change for our kids and ourselves! The US Surgeon General now ranks being overweight and obesity as the #1 public health concern. The disease consequences of obesity are greater than those of any infectious disease epidemic. Dr. William Sears: “We are eating factory processed nutrition which is genetically unknown food to our bodies.” Experts say: Approximately 70% of disease is directly related to what we eat and drink. Dr. David Katz : “This generation of kids growing up today will be the first generation to have a shorter life span than their parents.” Cancer kills more children than any other disease. Gale encyclopedia of Children & adolescents, 1998. Children at the age of 3 have fatty deposits in their arteries. Bogalusa Heart Study By age 12, 70% of all American children have developed beginning stages of hardening of th...

Here is another great video clip regarding health and the body.