Relief From Cold Sores

Today is Thursday!!!

You know what that means? And I'm on time, even!!

Thursday is Herbs Day!! ya-hoooooooo!

So, today my friends, we're discussing something I just heard. Melanie texted me last night and said swishing chamomile tea helps relieve the pain and speeds healing of canker sores.
Even more important for me is that a chamomile tea bag pressed against the lips reduces pain and speeds healing of cold sores by 82%.

All I can say about that is WOW!!!!!

This is why she sent me the text. Not because she thinks I'm such an awesome blogger and wanted to give me material to share. Although, I'm pretty sure if she ever read my blog, she would think I'm just darling at it. *blink, blink...batting my eyes*

No, she shared it with me because about a month or so ago, I went to the lake in my parents boat and very stupidly opted out of a hat and sunscreen.....


So, this is what I looked like afterward.

Melanie laughed at me until I sent this photo. Now, she sends me info I can use.


She just laughs at me for other stuff now!

This lovely picture of me is submitted into Food Renegades Fight Back Friday. (I know, I know...its Thursday is Herbs Day..But, its Friday now.....But, it says Thursday.....Its confusing...Just go with it. Have a cup of chamomile tea. You don't need a cold sore to enjoy it.  You can throw the bag away. Its okay.)
If you want to read more from other real food lovers and healthy livers check it out HERE!

Tibetan Rites

OOPS!!

A few days ago,   I said "Tomorrow, I'll tell you what the Tibetan Rites are."
I don't know why I quoted it. I probably didn't say it exactly like that but I'm too lazy to go back and check to see what exactly I did say. But that's the gist.

If you're stickler and are going to complain that I didn't say THAT specifically, then let me know. I won't care.......but at least I'll know. :)

What ARE the Tibetan Rites? you ask?
And why would they benefit me? you wonder?

Well, let me tell you.

I went to a yoga workshop years ago in McKinney. I talked my great friend and workout buddy whom I like to refer to as Miss Cardio into going with me. She literally runs circles around me. We took our kids camping for a week one summer to all different campsites in Central Texas. I suggested we take some workout clothes and squeeze in some time and check out the YMCAs around, as we could go for free. She said "That would be great and I was thinking we could take some running shoes and run at the campgrounds while the kids hung out and played at camp!" I wholeheartedly (well not really...maybe halfheartedly as I don't enjoy running so much) agreed.
So one morning we got up and she said "Lets go run!!" I was like...'BEFORE BREAKFAST?!?!??' "Well.....okaaaaay." I thought it wouldn't be so bad. How long could we actually go before breakfast?
We went WAAAAAAYYY too long. After about 20 minutes with no food, I'm done. So, my stomach, breakfast clock, goes off and she's just running away....
At one point, I tell her that I have to walk. She says "okay, I'm just going to run up and back", She says this very enthusiastically. Did I mention during this whole time she NEVER stops talking?
So, it ends up being like this: She's talking and running AROUND me and I'm walking very annoyed that I'm not EATING. It was exactly like the cartoon with the big bulldog and the little terrier running around.

Remember that cartoon? With Spike the Bulldog and his little buddy Chester??

Yeah, the big one is me.......

She's Chester.......

Anyway. I tell you all THAT so you'll know that she HATES yoga. Too slow for her. But, I talked her into going to this masterclass before the workshop with me. It was weird. It was storming, there was chanting and moaning and Oh Lord!! She said "I feel sorry for you!" in regards to me being there all weekend for the workshop. I was a little worried about it too...

It turned out the be the BEST WORKSHOP EVER!! I told her that and she said "Are you being sarcastic?"
No!!!! I love that guy (our instructor, John Deminico) I want to marry him!!! He's so enlightened.(turns out I think he's gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. :)

Anyway, at one point, he says "I never teach yoga anymore except in workshops." He said that every morning he just does the Tibetan Rites. It takes about 15 minutes a day and it will keep us away from the Clinque counter its so anti-aging. "Its the fountain of youth!" he says.

Uhhhhhhh.......Count me in!!! In a room full of women, he had us at "looking younger"!
I had been  looking at him thinking he looked okay for his age.....about mid fortiesish.

Then he said..."I do this every day and I'm 65"!!!! OMG!! We were all like "Okay, screw the yoga workshop! You have to tell us about this!!"

So now, I'm sharing with you the fountain of youth.

You do each of these 5 exercises only 3 times to start off. If you can't do 3 reps yet then just start with whatever you can. You do the 3 reps for a week, then move up to 5 reps. Do that for a week, then move up to 7. If you get stuck at a set number and its still difficult, stay at that number for another week. One time, I stayed at 13 for about 3 weeks. Each week you only go up to the next odd number, i.e. 3, 5, 7, 9, etc up to 21. Never do more than 21. If you want to increase the physical challenge you can speed it up.

The premise of these rites is that they help balance your chakras. If you do more than 21, it actually has a negative effect.

So... Here they are:

#1 - Twirling
Stretch out your arms with the palms facing downward. Spin clockwise.

#2 - Leg Lifts
Lie on your back with your arms by your side, palms flat on the floor. Lift your legs and head at the same time and then lower. Inhale as you lower and exhale as you lift.

#3 - Camel Pose
Kneeling with hands on the back of the thighs and toes turned into the floor, arch back to look behind you. Use the hands to help support. Inhale as you arch back and exhale as you come back into the original position.

#4 - Table Pose
In a seated position (staff pose) with the legs extended in front of you and your palms flat on the floor halfway between your hips and knees, lift up the hips into table pose as you inhale. Lower back to the seated position as you exhale.

#5 - Up Dog/Down Dog
From plank position, inhale as you move forward into upward facing dog keeping your toes curled into the mat. Then exhale as you move back into downward facing dog.



Let me know what you think! I got all the way up to 21 at one time then I quit. I just started back up and I'm at 9 this week.

Homemade Pop Tarts

If you've read my blog much you'll know that I've only been doing the "real food" thing for about the last 10 years or so.

As you'll recall, I got most of my nutrition advice from Shape magazine. Okay, let me take that back. About 15 years ago I saw a nutritionist and he told me I should stop using non dairy creamer and use half and half instead. Also, that I should eat more fruits, vegetables, fat, and protein. He told me to give up my junky low fat, high carb, heavily processed diet.

Then, I overheard a very stylish homeschool mom who had recently lost quite a bit of weight say that she lost the weight by giving up boxed foods. I thought that was a smashing idea and I wanted to do it too!!!

So, I call my best work out buddy and we vow we're gonna make all our food from scratch! Man! This is gonna be great! We're gonna be healthy. Our kids are gonna be healthy. And we are AWESOME moms! Yeah!

Wait a minute........what about crackers???? Crap! Do we have to make crackers.

Ring, Ring.

Me: Hey, I just had a thought....what about crackers...Do we have to make our own crackers???

Her:  I don't know....I sometimes give my kids cheese and crackers on the way to sports practices....I don't know what else to feed them. I don't have time to make crackers.

Me: Yeah, me neither. Okay. So, we won't buy anything from a box EXCEPT crackers.

Her: Okay. Sounds Great! We're gonna be such great moms!

Then:

Ring, Ring....

Her: Do we have to make our own BREAD too?

Me: Well, I don't want to have to make bread...I'm busy. And, its TECHNICALLY not in a box....sooooooo,,,

Her: Okay, so we can buy crackers and bread and we'll make everything else we would normally get from a box.

Me: Sounds great!! We're gonna be Sooooooo healthy! Woo-Hoo!

one word:  pop tarts

mmmmmmm.....hmmmmmmm..

So a couple of years go by and I read an article that says this is the first generation in history that the kids are not expected to outlive their parents.

YIKES!!!!!

Okay, that'll perk up a mom.

The article also says that this reason for early death in our children is directly related to their diet.

Okay. Complete overhaul mode. For real this time.

I go through our pantry and throw out anything with hydrogenated oils in the ingredients list.

I don't care what Aibileen Clark says...Crisco is NOT the best stuff on earth!

The first, and dare I say, PAINFUL thing to go is....you guessed it.....POP-TARTS!

There was much crying, begging, pleading, gnashing of teeth, and all around general moping about this little deletion from our regular grocery trip. Everything else was pretty chill until you start messing with the dang pop-tarts!

I told him.."Honey, NO. When Kellogg's stops putting hydrogenated oils in their pop-tarts I will buy them again. Until then, I'll figure out how to MAKE some and they'll be even more delicious!!"

Well....I'm busy. I can't make pop-tarts. How in the heck am I supposed to figure out how to make pop-tarts???? I tried. I really did. I looked online. Remember dial up?

Yup. Guess how long I tried to look up homemade pop tart recipes? I did find one and it was long and drawn out and in the end quite disgusting.

So, my precious darling finally, finally got over the fact that we never buy pop-tarts anymore. Poor baby! Such sacrifice!

THEN...*angels singing*

Nature's Path comes out with ORGANIC TOASTER PASTRIES!!! In wonderful flavors like frosted chocolate, Cherry Pomegranite, Strawberry, Maple Brown Sugar, etc.

Whew!! Okay, life isn't so creepy amish anymore in the Pearson household. We've been buying those for a couple years now. I even ate one last night! I know, I know. I vowed to give up sugar until I lose 7 more pounds. But, my husband "cooked" it for me... (his words) and its RIGHT THERE. I can't waste it, can I?? Not when children in Africa are starving? In fact, it would be un-humanitarian of me NOT to eat it so....

Hey! Don't judge! You would have eaten it too! And stop looking at me......

But, look what I just found on Pinterest!!! A homemade pop tart that looks sparkly delicious. Seeeeee?

Pinterest IS productive! Somebody tell my husband....would you please?

I haven't made these little beauties yet (sugar give up, you know. Im back on as of this morning.) but, I'm going to make them for my family soon.

If you want to make them for yours, here is the link to the recipe Pop Tart deliciousness!

Its so simple and super easy to tweak to make even healthier and with different flavors!