This specifically relates to teenagers…..very interesting. It frightens me to think of how many people have been put on medication without even taking into consideration how much sleep a person is getting or what they may be lacking nutritionally. Sometimes the lack of sleep can cause the depression and the depression can cause the lack of sleep.

A vicious cycle to say the least.

I have suffered through 3 kidney stones and my last one was an experience I’ll never forget.  The stone got stuck and sent me to the moon.  When I found out I had to have surgery to blast it into bits, I honestly didn’t care if I died on the table.  The pain was unbearable and untouched by the narcotics I was taking.  I’ll spare you the details.

So whenever I meet someone who has had a stone, there is an immediate kinship.  I’m always open to hearing their stories and sharing anything I may have found that would be helpful.

Well, this weekend brought my husband to his knees while he experienced first hand what it is like to have what seems to be like an ice pick being driven deep within his back.  He was literally rolling around on the bed and crying like a small child.  I felt so bad for him but once the pain settled down for a while, I was able to talk with him about the typical procedure that would take place if he were to see a doctor and provide him with a few natural alternatives if he was willing to try them.

To my surprise, he sent me on my way to do whatever I needed to do to start the process.  This may sound strange to some, but I was a little excited to get to work! 

I went to the local organic market and picked up something called ‘Stone Breaker’, a compound made by Herb Pharm. I highly recommended this product line and while Gerry was willing to try it, he noted that it could take up to 2 months for the stones to dissolve so he opted to try other remedies alongside this product.

I found the following recipe from an Amish cookbook and found it to be rather intriguing.

Amish Kidney Stone Remedy

6 beets
3 quarts water

Do NOT cut or peel the beets, including the root.  Clean the beets and place in a large pot filled with 3 quarts of water.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour so as not to evaporate the water.  Remove the beets and place the beet juice in a container to be stored in the refrigerator so the juice doesn’t sour.  Drink THREE 8 oz glasses a day until the remedy is gone.  Rarely does one need to prepare another remedy.  The stone should dissolve and never pass.

Snake oil?  Think again!  My husband had to prepare two remedies but the pain is gone and he never saw a stone.  We didn’t realize that this is actually used to cleanse out the body so he was sweating and felt really worn out and sick to his stomach from the cleansing properties.

Since he was feeling so yucky, he went to the doctor and has a urinalysis to check for an infection.  To our surprise he had a clean bill of health!  There was no blood in his urine and no white blood cells.

Plus, his blood pressure was lower than it’s ever been….just another benefit of drinking beet juice.  Amazing!  Pass this along to anyone you know who suffers from stones.  It’s worth it!

Oh My Gosh!!!! This machine is SO awesome!

I purchased a Vita-Mix blender last year and absolutely LOVE the simplicity of the delicious recipes! I highly recommend the Vita-Mix to anyone looking to live a healthier lifestyle and incorporate raw foods into their diet.

If you have kids (or a picky spouse) they’ll actually eat healthier without even knowing it!

Okay, so I’m a big fan of Chelsea Handler and I happened to be poking around on YouTube this morning and for some reason, this video was displayed on the video stream to the right.  Since this subject is totally up my alley, I decided to watch it and wow…..I had no idea about all the chemicals that remain in our clothing and are in our furniture!

As a parent, chemicals in my home are of concern and I’ve found that most parents would agree.  However, we can only do so much.  Knowledge is key!  Educating ourselves is important!  This gives us the power to decide  what to buy and what to refuse to buy.

Wouldn’t you agree?

Mental Illness isn’t something most people will want to talk about openly especially when it hits a little closer to home than the comfort zone.

I believe this is primarily due to a lot of people not being fully aware of what mental illness really is.  We tend to picture someone living under the bridge or roaming the streets with a wild look in their eyes.  It’s a stereotype that is not only false, but it also must be broken.

Mental illness comes in a variety of packages ranging from generalized anxiety disorder and depression all the way to schizophrenia and personality disorders.  Regardless of what misconceptions may be out there, it’s important to know that mental illness  affects millions of Americans annually.  For statistics on the subject, check out this site provided by the National Institute of Mental Health.

My reason for writing this is simply because I have struggled with anxiety and depression for years.  It’s not something I was even aware of until I was in my early 20′s.  I had another episode when I was 31 and it was at this time that a Dr. advised I see a mental health specialist.  For me, it was a very humbling experience to have to walk through the doors of an office that had a sign on the door indicating I had something “wrong” with my head.  At that time, it was embarrassing to say the least.   However, this experience would forever change my life for the better in many ways that one would not suspect.

It was at this time that I began looking into natural alternatives that I could use to supplement my body to promote a calming effect internally.  In my research I found that it is common for those struggling with both anxiety and depression to have a calcium and magnesium deficiency.  When these two minerals are taken together, they have a calming affect on the body.  That is why they are referred to as  “nature’s tranquilizer”.

It’s also important to note that natural supplementation typically takes longer than taking a pharmaceutical drug. It’s my opinion that natural remedies far outweigh jumping into the arms of Big Pharma with their long list of side effects and the hefty price tag.  It was a personal choice and one that I am thankful I made years ago.

Just a little note on calcium absorption.  Not all calcium is created equal.  In fact, it is very difficult for the body to absorb minerals.  Be careful when purchasing supplements of this kind because most of the minerals on the market aren’t as effective as they would like you to believe.  Additionally, there are those who will recommend drinking milk to increase your calcium intake for the day.  Contrary to this advice, science has proven that milk creates an acidic environment in the body which in turn causes the body to leach calcium from the bones.  Think twice before consuming the milk your mother may have told you would increase bone density.  For more information on the subject, visit this article at Natural News.

For additional information regarding health and wellness topics that include mental health, I recommend subscribing to Natural News.  It’s 100% free and they won’t try to sell you anything! 

There are a host of other things I have learned over the years that have proven to be highly effective in treating my generalized anxiety disorder.  Calcium and magnesium supplementation was only the beginning of my journey and I’ll be sharing more with you about other natural alternatives that have been extremely helpful for me.  It’s all a journey and there is nothing better than being able to help another on their journey.

If you have any questions, I’d be happy to share more with you.

I’m a sucker for flavor and there is nothing better in the morning than eating this delicious meal for breakfast.

I just toasted up a couple of pieces of Dark Rye, added a layer of cream cheese, topped with fresh spinach and a thinly sliced tomato.

For extra flavor I sprinkled a bit of Feta and pepper and  called it good.

I typically don’t use the spinach but was pleased with the flavor.  On a regular morning, I’d layer fresh basil and sprinkle with dill in place of the spinach and Feta.  Either way it is delicious and a great way to start the morning.

Try it and let me know what you think!

This pizza is on of Gerry’s creations and it’s
wonderfully delicious on a cold winter’s night.

He uses a store bought pizza crust, but if you’re up for the challenge,  I’d be willing to bet a homemade crust would
add a lot of flavor.

Once your crust is ready, smoother (yes, I mean that)
mayonaise all over the pizza crust as if you were putting a sauce on the pizza.  Top with fresh crab, avocado, tomato and any other toppings of your choice.  We prefer to keep it relatively simple.

Top the pizza with your favorite cheese.  Our family prefers mozzarella as it seems to compliment the flavor  of the avocado and crab.

Pop it in the oven and bake according to the instructions for the crust you have chosen.

Enjoy and let me know how you like it!