My husband travels for business. I give him an herbal tincture to take on his trips to strengthen his immune system. This time, he got hit pretty hard. Look around, there are many many people catching colds, viruses, mystery illness and flus. Anyway, after a few days of him sleeping, resting, and fighting whatever it was that was winning the battle, I decided to disinfect the house with a vinegar, water, lemon and tea tree essential oil solution. I sprayed it all over the house - counter tops, toilets, shower, furniture, bedding. It made Jay and I feel so good and that the stagnant air and aroma around the house was lifted and refreshed! I also threw some baking soda on the counter tops and used the spray.
As I was scrubbing with this all natural solution to cleanse my surroundings, it occurred to me this was a great way to explain the benefits of scrubbing our bodies. I don't care if you are a man or woman, we all have different skin types of which could benefit from caring for our skin from time to time with natural products. You know if you work out in the sun for a living, your skin typically needs moisture and protection. If you are inside with recycled air your skin may be dry and also yearn for stimulation!
Aromatherapy is powerful. How often do you relate a song to a particular place or time? And how often does a scent remind you of a place or time? It is real my friends! As we inhale, smells travels across the olfactory nerves in the nose and up to the brain which triggers a reaction (this information is part of my Emilyisms book on recipes and tips). The essential oil is drawn into the lungs to provide physical benefits. So, back to the cleansing. It is just as important to clean off our skin. The skin is our largest layer and if you are really interested in a cleanse think about what you put into and onto your skin. Essential oils, oils, minerals such as salts, clay and mud allow our bodies to pull out toxins, tighten skin, rejuvenate cells and assist our body to stimulate, relax, calm, balance and more. I am just brushing the surface of my knowledge about cells but it appears these things are quiet important.
Cells are the building blocks of any living thing, plant and animal. Cells make up all known life. Every cell is produced from another cell by dividing and multiplying. Cells will be replaced when things break down or get worn out. Together they perform the functions of life. Since we are made up of cells and each cell has functions that ideally work together to form our healthy body, these cells are constantly wanting energy such as food, minerals, air, water, etc. So much of what is outside (our bodies) creeps its way inside (our bodies). Exfoliating can be a way to detoxify, rejuvenate and encourage new cell growth. There are also many environmental treasures in nature (for example, the beach, rain forests, green trees, parks) but also be aware of hazards.
There are many ways to 'treat' your skin, and as I was cleaning and scrubbing, I had this bizarre correlation between scrubbing the countertops to cleanse and scrubbing my body to cleanse. Imagine if the products were so pure they were practically the same. My body salts may include the following: baking soda, magnesium sulfate (otherwise known as epsom salt - this is a great product and can be found at many grocery stores and markets) and dead sea salts for the dry ingredients. You may opt to add a few lavender flowers or any other herb or flower of choice. The liquid could consist of one or a combination of oils and essentials oils. Add enough oil such as olive, sesame, grapeseed or a combination, then coat the salts. You can always add more if you want more oil. Essential oils are a bonus. Play around with your scents. Your body may crave a particular scent during a certain time of year or part of your life. Honor that request.
Get a brush and dry brush the dead skin off your body. Stimulate the lymphatic system. See how much you can tolerate- sometimes lighter and sometimes more aggressive with the brushes. Brush in circular movements and up towards the heart. Then exfoliate. You may also choose to exfoliate your body with the salts and oil and provide your face a clay mask. This will draw out toxins and tighten skin. Allow the oils to penetrate into the skin. The same for the mask. Allow to dry. About 20 minutes or longer. (Just about the time the needles need to work in your body during an Acupuncture treatment). Lightly pat yourself to dry. The essential oils, again, have so many medicinal properties. I make some that also repel bugs. So, after doing a luxurious spa treatment for yourself, you can hang outside and keep the bugs away! If you haven't already seen it, I posted a short video on making and applying a body scrub and mask. Check it out! bodyandmindenrichment.ning.com
Body and Mind Enrichment A unique way of exercising your body and mind!
Showing posts with label organic food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organic food. Show all posts
Monday, March 15, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Soups and Stews
This is a perfect time of year to load up on great nutrition. How, you ask?! Making soups and stews containing healthy, nutritious food is easy! Basically, you are making a broth - depending upon what you are going for, you can make it thicker or lighter. I go both ways! The longer you allow the flavors to blend together on a low heat the more you will taste all the robust flavors. Haven't you ever had red sauce and the next day, it tastes better?! The flavors have been marinading longer.
I work slowly when making a soup- meaning, I start putting a few ingredients in a little at a time on low heat. I may wait 5-10 minutes in between adding ingredients. Add vegetables such as carrots in the beginning to give them more time to soften. Onions create a nice, sweet flavor. Love and thank the food for what it will provide to you as you are creating this ceremonious meal. During the stages, I can relax or finish laundry, read, send a few emails - you catch my drift. It is a great way to add greens and other vegetables into your body. Pureeing food or drinking broths allows the body to quickly absorb all the goodness and is easier on our digestive system. It may also been used for weight loss. Soups may be lower in calories (that is without the flour, sugar and various thickeners). The food is already broken down. Often times people forget to chew food thoroughly. This put more strain on our bodies during the digestive process. Soups conserve more nutrients and vitamins.
Begin your soup as if you are making a tea - boil water and add your goodies. This is a great way to squeeze in tons of greens and other vegetables your body may not receive. Also, take note on how you feel after eating the soup. Energized, healthier?! Add ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper to the broth in the beginning just to name a few anti-inflammatory and anti bacterial helpers. Many herbs and spices are also good for digestion (many restaurants give you a mint or peppermint after a meal, right?). Then, add tons of color in your soup or stew. Mushrooms are extremely healthy including the specialty mushrooms. Add some! They have been used for centuries in stimulating the immune system, treating colds and flus, fighting infection and much more! This is a good time to eat your greens! If you don't want anyone to know the extent of what is in the soup, either puree or scoop out the leaves or vegetables after the food is soft and tender and the flavor is extracted. The liquid retains all those wonderful nutrients from the food.
During certain times of year when the kids go back to school and more germs are floating around, make some soup. When you are traveling (before or after a trip), load up on soup! Other herbs and spices you may want to add is dill, thyme, curry, marjoram, rosemary, bay leaves. Herbs to add at the very end would be parsley, cilantro and basil. Make a soup sock. Cut a square of cheese cloth, add some herbs such as those listed fresh and or dried. Tie and drop in stock. When you are done, pull it out and toss in your compost or feed the used herbs to your plants. Herbs contain many helpful properties to us all for digestion, skin, inflammation, and brain function just to name a few! If you grow something, research about it and use it!! I have so many tips and suggestions on making soups, feel free to hit me back with any questions! Happy eating and experiementing!
www.bodyandmindenrichment.org
I work slowly when making a soup- meaning, I start putting a few ingredients in a little at a time on low heat. I may wait 5-10 minutes in between adding ingredients. Add vegetables such as carrots in the beginning to give them more time to soften. Onions create a nice, sweet flavor. Love and thank the food for what it will provide to you as you are creating this ceremonious meal. During the stages, I can relax or finish laundry, read, send a few emails - you catch my drift. It is a great way to add greens and other vegetables into your body. Pureeing food or drinking broths allows the body to quickly absorb all the goodness and is easier on our digestive system. It may also been used for weight loss. Soups may be lower in calories (that is without the flour, sugar and various thickeners). The food is already broken down. Often times people forget to chew food thoroughly. This put more strain on our bodies during the digestive process. Soups conserve more nutrients and vitamins.
Begin your soup as if you are making a tea - boil water and add your goodies. This is a great way to squeeze in tons of greens and other vegetables your body may not receive. Also, take note on how you feel after eating the soup. Energized, healthier?! Add ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper to the broth in the beginning just to name a few anti-inflammatory and anti bacterial helpers. Many herbs and spices are also good for digestion (many restaurants give you a mint or peppermint after a meal, right?). Then, add tons of color in your soup or stew. Mushrooms are extremely healthy including the specialty mushrooms. Add some! They have been used for centuries in stimulating the immune system, treating colds and flus, fighting infection and much more! This is a good time to eat your greens! If you don't want anyone to know the extent of what is in the soup, either puree or scoop out the leaves or vegetables after the food is soft and tender and the flavor is extracted. The liquid retains all those wonderful nutrients from the food.
During certain times of year when the kids go back to school and more germs are floating around, make some soup. When you are traveling (before or after a trip), load up on soup! Other herbs and spices you may want to add is dill, thyme, curry, marjoram, rosemary, bay leaves. Herbs to add at the very end would be parsley, cilantro and basil. Make a soup sock. Cut a square of cheese cloth, add some herbs such as those listed fresh and or dried. Tie and drop in stock. When you are done, pull it out and toss in your compost or feed the used herbs to your plants. Herbs contain many helpful properties to us all for digestion, skin, inflammation, and brain function just to name a few! If you grow something, research about it and use it!! I have so many tips and suggestions on making soups, feel free to hit me back with any questions! Happy eating and experiementing!
www.bodyandmindenrichment.org
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