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Category: Health & Wellness

The power of broccoli

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Broccoli is one of those foods you must always have in your grocery basket! 
I know I do. I often eat broccoli and in various forms, steamed, roasted, raw, in soups, stews and salads.
It’s been a staple in my kitchen for years.

Why do I believe broccoli is an essential part of my diet? Well,

  • It has strong anti-cancer properties. Studies have shown that is reduces the number and size of breast cancer cells.
  • One study shows that it helps to eliminate prostate cancer cells and reduce tumors by half.
  • It contains a high amount of fiber and antioxidants which work together to reduce inflammation and help with digestion and elimination. That, in itself, helps to prevent cancer from growing.

To me, this is THE most important vegetable we can eat. Plus, we have so many options on how to prepare it: In soups, stir fry’s, raw, steamed, etc. I truly believe everyone should make it a regular diet item throughout the week!

My favorite online shopping club

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When you shop on Tuesday, your package is scheduled to arrive on Monday, but it shows up three days later, on Friday morning before a hurricane hits. Just in time delivery or what some of my fellow shoppers would call a shopping club win.

I used to think that I had to choose between buying inexpensive toxic household and personal care products over those more expensive, safe, non-toxic products. That is until I found this amazing shopping club 20 years ago where I can have both…safe, non-toxic products AND affordability!

I was never more grateful for my online shopping club than I was during those Covid lockdown years! With the Covid lockdowns, empty shelves due to supply-chain issues and now these crazy inflation costs are even affecting big box stores like Costco, Target and Walmart. This shopping club just didn’t have those issues (although they did limit the number of hand sanitizers you could buy at one time). There were also no supply-chain issues. All thru the lock downs, I still got my monthly shopping order delivered right to my door on time.

All of the products and packaging are made in the US and that makes a huge difference. I also save money every month because of the just in time manufacturing and deliver.

Not only am I a non-toxic purchaser, I am a bargainshopper! I like a deal and I like saving. I can’t add up the thousands of dollars I have saved by shopping at my shopping club for my monthly household and personal care necessities over shopping at Walmart!

Cheers to 19 years since ditching the bleach and all the other toxic products I used to buy, beating inflation and putting my family first and never looking back.

I am a life-time happy shopper.

THE CANCER/FIBER CONNECTION 

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Colorectal cancers are the third leading cause of cancer mortality rates in the US with over 100,000 new cases of colon cancer and over 40,000 new cases of rectal cancer reported in 2020.

There is evidence linking that eating a high-fiber diet from whole grains and cereals can lead to a lower risk for colon cancer. Fiber also improves satiety and prevents overeating. It prevents obesity, which is linked to higher cancer risk. Healthy sources of fiber include barley, beans, nuts, fruits, and peas.

But getting enough fiber every day can be challenging. Women need 28 grams/day and men need 35 grams. So here’s my tip:

Russ and I add our Fiber mix to our protein shakes. By mixing it in the blender, you’d never know we were drinking fiber! Plus one serving of my favorite fiber mix is 15 grams! That makes it super easy to get the right amount every day!

But here are other ways to add 15 grams of fiber:

  • Breakfast: Switch from juice to ½ to ¾ cup of fruit on cereal, sliced on toast or eaten out of hand: + 2 more grams of fiber
  • Lunch: Swap 2 slices white bread for whole-wheat bread: + 2 grams of fiber. Instead of potato chips, choose 1 cup of raw pepper strips or other vegetables: + 1 gram of fiber
  • Afternoon snack: Instead of a candy bar, tide yourself over with an ounces of nuts: + 2-4 grams of fiber
  • Dinner: Replace part of the chicken or meat in your stir-fry, chili or casserole with ½ cup of black beans or lentils: + 8 grams of fiber
  • TOTAL: 15-17 grams of additional fiber

Fiber matters!

Safer for your home

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I learned that prevention was the way to go back in 2004. I found shopping with a responsible manufacturer who cared about safer ingredients actually mattered. This was especially important when it came to household products I use daily.

Now, I am helping as many people who would listen and are willing to make the switch.

Tide; Gain; Arm & Hammer and so many more national brands that you find in your.. -the worst by far all the Dollar stores. Most of the national brand and off-brand products contain Formaldehyde to some extent —not to mention several other well-known carcinogens. Most of which are known to cause skin issues and other allergic reactions. Besides containing fillers which serve no purpose, many of them can cause free radicals.

One surprising facts are that many of the 100 fluid ounce containers that claim to do 64 loads contain more water and fillers than actual detergents.

My favorite online shopping club has safe laundry soap that’s more affordable than Tide. It also smells amazing and cleans better because of it has the ability to break down enzymes – even in cold water. Plus, you use less— only 10 mLs (2 TBS) per load.It’s easy to use as it has a pump that pumps a pre-measured 10 mLs.

I love my laundry detergent:

  • Contains No Chlorine Bleach
  • Contains No Formaldehyde or Carcinogens
  • Contains No Phthalates
  • Is Biodegradable
  • Contains No Harsh chemicals
  • Contains No Fillers
  • 32 fluid ounces can safely clean 96 laundry loads

Today, with budgets tighter than ever, it’s good to know that one 32 ounce bottle can last me nearly 10-11 months. I couldn’t believe it, so now I date the bottle when I start a new one. It proves to me that I’m still saving money on my laundry. It comes in three favorite scents: Garden Lavender; Mountain Fresh and Scent-Free

MILK THISTLE 

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Milk thistle is a spiky purple flowering plant in the same family as the daisies and ragweed. It’s considered an herb, so the FDA does not regulate it. Milk Thistle encourages healthy liver function, promotes healthier skin, aids digestive health, boosts your immune system and more.

I first learned about milk thistle when my dog, Rusty, came down with Cushing’s Disease —a disease that affects the liver. The vet told me to get it and, if you know me, I had to research it. I discovered that Milk Thistle offers quite a few benefits — more than I knew. Then, I found out it was also good for diabetes.

Here are a few things I learned that benefit from milk thistle:

  • LIVER HEALTH. Helps to fight free radicals in the liver. Researchers believe it is the most well researched plant in the treatment of liver disease.
  • DIABETES MANAGEMENT. Some studies suggest that Milk Thistle can help lower blood sugar, but precautions are necessary for those with hypoglycemia.
  • BONE HEALTH. Studies show that Milk Thistle can strengthen bones, prevent bone loss and osteoporosis.
  • BRAIN HEALTH. Since Milk Thistle is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, it is suggested that it can help with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and help with slowing down cognitive decline.
  • CHEMOTHERAPHY AID. Milk Thistle is known to help with the different side effects of chemo and improve chemo results, but that may be because milk thistle is both an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory.

Recently the Wellness Company where I shop came out with a new supplement, Berberine.This Berberine has milk thistle added to it. Because I have diabetes and asthma, I am trying this supplement to support my liver and pancreas. I like the bonus of two supplements in one. I love it when I can get a double or triple benefit from one supplement. Saves me money!

Friends are the best kind of advertisement.

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Twenty years ago, I had a conversation went something like this:

Me: With a string of complaints about the need to take a nap to make it through the day after yet anther asthmatic attack. Back then I was on a lot of medications including sever corticosteroids.

My friend Debbie: You need to try this supplement pack.

Me: I already take quality vitamins. Doctor-approved and it costs me $120 dollars every month!

Debbie: You really should just try these. A few other customers have commented their asthma improved after taking these – especially this Provex – after a few months. You can easily try it. There is a 90-day money-back guaranteed and this one costs just $20.

Me: (not wanting to appear closed-minded) Okay, I’Il try it for ONE month – I said in my head only. I was totally skeptical of her company claims.

Well, in less than a month, my energy level was drastically different. I suspected a tricky ingredient
There was no trick. Just quality vitamins and minerals in a single supplements. Long story short: that $20 vitamin/mineral pack helped to improve my asthma, I was able to get off many of the medications and fewer attacks meant I no longer needed to nap. Plus, these saved me $100 a month in just the supplements, I was also saving on medications. Twenty years of feeling healthier and stronger.

I am forever grateful that my friend Debbie had that conversation with me that day.

Not all vitamins are created equal. Trust me.

Are you feeling depressed?

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DEPRESSION TIPS:

Shower. Not a bath, a shower. Use water as hot or cold as you like. You don’t even need to wash. Just get in under the water and let it run over you for a while. Sit on the floor if you need to.

Moisturize everything. Use whatever lotion you like that makes you smell yummy? Use whatever you want, and use it all over your entire dermis.

Put on clean, comfortable clothes. Put on your favorite underwear. Those ridiculous boxers you bought last Christmas with candy cane hearts on the butt? Put them on.

Drink cold water. Use ice. If you want, add some mint or lemon for an extra boost.

Clean something. Doesn’t have to be anything big. Organize one drawer of a desk. Wash five dirty dishes. Do a load of laundry. Scrub the bathroom sink. Pick up 30 things and put them away.

Blast music. Listen to something upbeat. Blast something that’s got lots of energy. Sing to it, dance to it, even if you suck at both but no one is watching so just have fun.

Make food. Don’t just grab a granola bar to munch. Take the time and make food. Even if it’s ramen. Add something special to it, like a soft boiled egg or some veggies. Prepare food, it tastes way better, and you’ll feel like you accomplished something.

Make something. Write a short story or a poem, draw a picture, color a picture, fold origami, crochet or knit, sculpt something out of clay, anything artistic. Even if you don’t think you’re good at it. Create.

Go outside. Take a walk. Sit in the grass. Look at the clouds. Smell flowers. Play in the snow. Put your hands in the dirt and feel the soil against your skin. Make a snow angel or go sledding.Throw snowballs.

Call someone. Call a loved one, a friend, a family member, call a chat service if you have no one else to call.

Talk to a stranger on the street. Have a conversation and listen to someone’s voice. If you can’t bring yourself to call, text or email or whatever, just have some social interaction with another person. Even if you don’t say much, listen to them. It helps.

Cuddle your pets if you have them/can cuddle them. Borrow a doggie to play with. Take pictures of them. Talk to them. Tell them how you feel, about your favorite movie, a new game coming out, anything.

These tips may seem small or silly to some, but this list helps keeps people alive.

Things to consider:

At your absolute best you won’t be good enough for the wrong people. But at your worst, you’ll still be worth it to the right ones. Remember that. Keep holding on.

In case nobody has told you today I love you and you are worth your weight and then some in gold, so be kind to yourself and most of all keep pushing on!

And, finally, find something to be grateful for!

Using a safer budget-friendly sunscreen

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Most people seem to think that sun-screen is only for the warmer, summer months. You know at the beach, playing ball and the rest. But the sun still shines in winter and, if you participate in outdoor snowy sports, the glare from the sun is so much greater than one would think. Plus, many people head to warmer climes to escape the snow and they need to take care of skin
protection as well. There’s never a time you shouldn’t be concerned about sun damage.
Painful sunburns can happen anywhere and at anytime.

So for on-the-go UVA/UVB protection, I grab Sun Shades Sport SPF 50 Sunscreen. Sun Shades Sport features dermatologist-recommended avobenzone and an exclusive natural blend of vitamins and antioxidants. This sunscreen helps protect skin against signs of premature aging and environmental damage for 80 water-resistant minutes and sprays on evenly for protection without feeling sticky or tacky on your skin.

Water-resistant, it protects against harmful UVA and UVB sun rays with quick and complete spray-on coverage.

  • SPF 50
  • Sprays onto the skin in a complete, uniform layer 
  • Feels natural and clean on your skin 

Using a safer alternative that is budget-friendly is what matters most to me

When a little means a lot

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When it comes to cleaning your laundry, a little does a lot with MelaPower 9x!

In fact, MelaPower is so powerful that all it takes is one pump (10 mL or 2 tiny teaspoons) to clean an entire load! And while you may be tempted to add more, don’t. Using too much detergent can stain your clothes or leave them looking dingy and less vibrant. It can also lead to buildup in your machine that leads to stinky clothes!

If you have a load of heavily soiled clothes, you can add the occasional second pump, but it’s more effective to treat potential stains with PreSpot. PreSpot and MelaPower are designed to work together to keep your laundry clean and looking new longer! Need an added boost of scent? Add MelaBoost!

Using the recommended amount of MelaPower is the best way to keep your laundry clean and fresh and your washer smelling its best!

This is just a small sample…

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Dangerous chemicals, flavor enhancers and food dyes are just some of the reasons why other countries ban these foods while Americans consume them without a thought.

Yet, our country has some of the highest rates of Cancer, autoimmune diagnoses, ADHD, etc.
Knowledge is power.