Recently, at one of my natural health classes, the subject turned to sweets. Someone was having a birthday so there was cake, pie, and ice cream involved. Yum! And I sincerely mean that.

In my opinion, if you are going to a party and they are serving sweets…eat them! The point is, don't eat sweets (i.e. white sugar and flour products) all the time. Occasionally, unless there are specific reasons for complete restriction of these products) won't cause the massive damage some of us tend to make it sound like it will.

Craving sweets may be another story though. Did you know that usually when a person craves sugary sweets it is because their body is in need of energy?

Sugar is quick energy, but after that sugar high, your blood sugar has a dramatic drop with some not so nice results. If you give your body some slow steady fuel it lasts longer, has fewer calories than a sugar snack and eliminates the 'dramatic drop'.

What is this wonder food you ask? Protein!

Blood sugar will still decline at night, but when protein is consumed before bed, it drops gradually. Doing this has helped children (and adults) who have nightmares; it has resolved bed wetting issues; and of course it does curb the craving for sweets.

So try something like a little cheese (real) and crackers, some peanut butter (on crackers or directly from a spoon!); a little left over meat from dinner; a small handful of almonds... It only takes a small amount.

Of course, we are talking about natural peanut butter, organic almonds, and cheese with no bovine growth hormones or antibiotics.

One of the women at the class mentioned that she has some jerky with no additives that may be a good snack instead of sugary foods. You’ll have to check through them, I believe it's the original and a few others that have no additives. Some do have MSG. But if you like jerky you might want to check out the good ones.

Here's what she says:

"If you click on products then jerky then single bags at the bottom it will bring you to the list then if you click on a flavor it will give you all the ingredients."

http://cindyp.jerkydirect.com

Note: As with all jerky, it does have some sugar. So if you are totally off sugar you won't want this. I am impressed, though, with the fact that the beef is raised without added hormones and without antibiotics.

Final point….simply choose your snacks wisely!

Have a healthy day,

Teri Hayes
Certified Natural Health Consultant

Natural Health Coach for Women | Herbs & Supplements | Tools for Health eNewsletter | Contact Me | The Basics | Silva Ultramind System

Aromatherapy and Essential Oils

As you already know if you are subscribed to Tools for Health, I teach classes both online and off. Below is a recent chat/class I did answering someone's questions on one of my favorite subjects - aromatherapy.

Irrelevant content has been edited out.

Enjoy!

[Teri-NHC] 3:27 pm: Cindy, your daughter who is a massage therapist is interested in essential oils?
[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 3:27 pm: yeah
[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 3:27 pm: i showed her the pack and she loved the looks of it in fact both daughters did

[Teri-NHC] 3:27 pm: I have my own set of essential oils and use them all the time
[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 3:27 pm: she's interested in it all and doesn't know where to start
[Teri-NHC] 3:28 pm: She needs a good basic book

[Teri-NHC] 3:29 pm: Aromatherapy for Body, Mind, and Spirit by Larissa Jones
[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 3:29 pm: she wants to take the clayton school but her teachers at massage school said it was good but not accredited in the places they thoughtit should be
[Teri-NHC] 3:29 pm: You might do a search on the authors name. I know she sells them directly from her site
[Teri-NHC] 3:31 pm: It really depends on what you want. She should check out the various possibilities and then ask people who've "been there, done that" to decide
[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 3:31 pm: ok I opened her site

[Teri-NHC] 3:31 pm: By the way, Larissa was my instructor for both my Aromatherapy and Advanced Aromatherapy courses
[Teri-NHC] 3:31 pm: Hi Meg!

[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 3:32 pm: hi Meg

[Teri-NHC] 3:37 pm: Welcome to my afternoon chat, then.
[Teri-NHC] 3:37 pm: Cindy and I were just talking about Essential Oils

[Meg] 3:38 pm: the oils will be okay with me

[Teri-NHC] 3:39 pm: Have you used them before?
[Meg] 3:39 pm: no can't say I did

[Teri-NHC] 3:41 pm: One thing you'll want to be aware of is ...stepping on one of my soap boxes... quality.
[Teri-NHC] 3:42 pm: Essential oils actually work on a physical and an emotional level when they are of high quality. Lots of what's available is of very poor quality or is diluted and sold as undiluted
[Teri-NHC] 3:43 pm: For instance, if Rose is sold for under about $100 a 5ml bottle, it's not good stuff
[Teri-NHC] 3:43 pm: It takes tons of Roses to make even a small amount of EO thus the expense.
[Teri-NHC] 3:44 pm: Gas Chromatography is a good way to tell quality, but we don't normally have access to that information.[Teri-NHC] 3:44 pm: ....tidbit of info...
[Teri-NHC] 3:45 pm: it takes about 100 pounds of fine lavender to produce 1 pound of essential oil
[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 3:45 pm: someone told me that eo's react adversely to homeopathics

[Teri-NHC] 3:46 pm: it takes about 4,000 pounds of handpicked flower petals of Bulgarian rose to make 1 pound of essential oil
[Meg] 3:46 pm: oh my
[Teri-NHC] 3:46 pm: that's why some suppliers dilute theirs and sell them for less.
[Teri-NHC] 3:47 pm: Most essential oils are between $10 and $20
[Teri-NHC] 3:47 pm: right, Cindy.
[Teri-NHC] 3:47 pm: Homepoathics should be taken away from food, essential oils, even toothpaste!
[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 3:48 pm: oh really
[Teri-NHC] 3:48 pm: It's not the EO's that react adversely, it's that they inhibit the function of the homeopathic
[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 3:48 pm: ok but doesn't mean you can do both just at different times
[Teri-NHC] 3:48 pm: Exactly
[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 3:48 pm: someone won't do oils for spiritual reasons
[Teri-NHC] 3:49 pm: ? makes no sense to me! What do they think is going to happen?
[Teri-NHC] 3:49 pm: Essential oils have been used for centuries for lots of different things
[Teri-NHC] 3:50 pm: In fact, during the middle ages when the plague was rampant, the glove makers (ie. leather workers) didn't get sick
[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 3:50 pm: how far apart do you have to use oils and homeopathics
[Teri-NHC] 3:50 pm: ...of course, among a few other groups of people. [Cindy..by at least half an hour, I would try for an hour]
[Teri-NHC] 3:51 pm: and it's been suggested that the reason they didn't get sick by and large, was because of the use of essential oils in the making of the gloves.
[Meg] 3:52 pm: really
[Teri-NHC] 3:52 pm: microbes can not live in essential oils and they can't develop an immunity to them.

[Teri-NHC] 3:54 pm: In fact, a much healthier form of waterless hand cleaner would be using an essential oil (just a few drops) in something like Herbal Trim Skin Treatment, or Aloe Vera Gel
[Teri-NHC] 3:54 pm: Far better for you than the antibiotic cleaners on the market...
[Meg] 3:55 pm: I find the antibiotic cleaners are drying to the skin
[Teri-NHC] 3:55 pm: which, by the way, are now being reported to be as bad as continual antibiotic use.

[Teri-NHC] 3:55 pm: Yes, I've seen that as well, Meg.
[Teri-NHC] 3:55 pm: So now you have an alternative!
[Meg] 3:56 pm: had to use it alot following Jim's transplant
[Teri-NHC] 3:56 pm: A couple of essential oils that are good to have on hand are
[Teri-NHC] 3:56 pm: Peppermint
[Teri-NHC] 3:56 pm: and Lavender

[Meg] 3:56 pm: I have them
[Meg] 3:57 pm: but never used them

[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 3:59 pm: what would you do with them
[Teri-NHC] 3:59 pm: I have used peppermint EO to get rid of headaches (sold a lot just by offering mine when at meeting & such to people with headaches), nausea, and of course breath freshener
[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 4:00 pm: what do you do with it just open the bottle or mix it with water
[Teri-NHC] 4:00 pm: Oh, and peppermint is great for when you do something that would normally cause a bruise. Just put it on the area and it won't bruise...or if it does, it will be extrememly little
[Teri-NHC] 4:01 pm: Peppermint oil can be used neat...which means straight from the bottle, but could also be mixed with almond or some other type of oil.
[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 4:01 pm: good for 90 yar old with very thin skin
[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 4:01 pm: you can almost see thru it it seems like
[Teri-NHC] 4:02 pm: Just be careful with her and use only a small amount at first till you know how she'll respond. Essential Oils work.
[Teri-NHC] 4:02 pm: I keep a bottle of peppermint in my purse all the time.
[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 4:02 pm: she ruises very easily and it's big purplish splats
[Meg] 4:02 pm: how do you use for a headache
[Teri-NHC] 4:04 pm: German research says to put it on the forehead, eyebrows to hair line, temple to temple.
[Teri-NHC] 4:04 pm: Depending on where the headache is, it could also be put at the base of the neck.
[Teri-NHC] 4:05 pm: It's also a good decongestant and is good for concentration
[Teri-NHC] 4:05 pm: I love the stuff, if you can't tell.

[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 4:06 pm: is it ok with the sinus homeotherapy and sinus relief
[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 4:07 pm: i'm going to get my daughter cured if it kills me
[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 4:07 pm: all the medicines she takes don't help her
[Teri-NHC] 4:07 pm: Like I said, quality is the big thing. I've seen the Chromatograph of two different brands of Lavender - both well known companies, one particularly well know as an essential oil company - and it was shocking

[Teri-NHC] 4:08 pm: Oh yeah, Cindy, if you are talking about homeopathy. Definitely
[Teri-NHC] 4:09 pm: You can't beat Lavender for burns.

[Teri-NHC] 4:09 pm: I keep that in the house all the time as well. Sunburns tend to happen especially when there are people here who aren't used to the climate.

[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 4:11 pm: that guide tells us how to use it[Teri-NHC] 4:11 pm: It's also balancing and calming to the nervous system, helps with wounds, infection, insect bites, insomnia, just to name a few.
[Teri-NHC] 4:11 pm: Yes it does.

[Teri-NHC] 4:14 pm: Well ladies, unless you have any questions, I'm going to head off.

[Teri-NHC] 4:15 pm: I hope this information was helpful to you both

[Cindyp FFSI DWB] 4:15 pm: it is i'm saving it and you should save it and put in the portal
[Meg] 4:15 pm: yes it was informative

Have a healthy day,

Teri Hayes
Certified Natural Health Consultant

Natural Health Coach for Women | Herbs & Supplements | Tools for Health eNewsletter | Contact Me | The Basics | Silva Ultramind System

Nausea in Pregnancy

My friend, just sent me the following interesting tips on surviving nausea in pregnancy. She doesn't mention the authors name, but does say that it was posted on LifetimeKindredSpirits.

Actual links were added by me so you would have some good quality resources.

My daughter who is 30 weeks along in pregnancy today (1st grandbaby!!) hadterrible nausea for about 4-5 months. Some things that helped . . .

• "Sea-Bands" --we made our own from elastic with buttons sewed on. You wearthem around your wrist with the button on the inside bottom, so it presseson a pressure point about 2 1/2 inches down from the line where your handmeets your wrist.

• Ginger --my daughter took capsules.

• Small, frequent, high protein snacks. (Carry snacks to nibble with youeverywhere)

• Avoiding smells as much as possible.

• Having someone else cook for her. She could cook, but then was to nauseatedto eat. If someone else cooked, she could get a lot more down. She said ithelped if she didn't "think" about food, just sat down and ate it.

• Eating and drinking again frequently after vomiting to "keep up"

• Raspberry leaf and / or peppermint tea

• Dandelion root tea or chamomile tea

• Taking a prenatal vitamin WITHOUT iron --until nausea subsides

• Taking a brisk walk outside each day

• Taking plenty of naps

• Taking Vitamin B6 (between 50-200 mg daily)

• Prayer.

Have a healthy day!

Teri Hayes
Certified Natural Health Consultant

Natural Health Coach for Women | Herbs & Supplements | Tools for Health eNewsletter | Contact Me | The Basics | Silva Ultramind System

A colleague forwarded a copy of Taylor's Time Tips in which I found a reminder of something I teach - both in person and at Natural Health Coach for Women - but which I sometimes forget to do myself!

SCHEDULE TIME FOR YOU

The airlines tell you to put your own oxygen mask on before attempting to help others. Similarly, you should make sure you schedule enough time for your own needs before responding to the time needs of others.

One way I've been taking time for me lately is with the UltraMind Course. It's a 9 chapter eBook and 30 minute audio you download. The course doesn't cost, and I'm learning some new ideas. You are welcome to see if it is something that interest you, too. Use the link below.

Listen to Free Silva UltraMind Training OnlineThis is the link!

Have a healthy day,

Teri Hayes
Certified Natural Health Consultant

Natural Health Coach for Women | Herbs & Supplements | Tools for Health eNewsletter | Contact Me | The Basics | Silva Ultramind System

Tina, a friend of mine, recently suggested I add an herb called bloodroot to my resources for health. Since I didn't know much about it, I decided to do a little research. Here's what I learned...

Chocolate -- Yum!

The other day I came across not one, but two articles on the delectable stuff and there is actually good news! Apparently hot cocoa has more disease-fighting antioxidants than tea or red wine, so all you hot cocoa lovers drink up.

Ki Won Lee, Ph.D., who is a food science researcher with Seoul National University in South Korea, and his colleagues performed a complicated chemical analysis of cocoa, black tea, green tea, and red wine. The found that cocoa had the highest levels of antioxidants, twice as high as red wine, and nearly 3 times stronger than green tea.

Lee does point out, "Even though a bar of chocolate exhibits strong antioxidant activity, the health benefits are still controversial because relatively large amounts of saturated fats are present. However, a cup of hot cocoa has a much lower level of saturated fats (0.3g per serving) than a bar of chocolate (8g per 40g bar)." (The study appears in 3 DEC 2003 issue of Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry)

The second chocolate article I came across while looking for some other information at The Green Guide. You will love this resource! The whole article is very informative. For instance, did you know the two chocolate companies who make up two thirds of the U.S. chocolate market as well as numerous other companies, "sourc[e] some of their cocoa from the Ivory Coast, where forced child labor has been documented on some chocolate plantations?" At the end is a chart showing which companies subscribe to which business practices (organic, shade grown, slavery free, etc.) If you're going to eat chocolate, you'll want to check out this article.

Read it & let me know what you think.

Have a healthy day,

Teri Hayes
Certified Natural Health Consultant

Natural Health Coach for Women | Herbs & Supplements | Tools for Health eNewsletter | Contact Me | The Basics | Silva Ultramind System

I have a friend who is becoming her own best health coach by doing some research on healthier living for her family. The other day she emailed me with this question...

"Since I've been checking into healthier foods, I've come across the great "milk debate" - I've never thought about milk before! - do you have an educated opinion about it that you'd share to enlighten me?"

Well... I don't know how 'enlightening' I was, but I did share my opinion with her. While I usually have "Got Milk" or one of many dairy products in my home, I do not believe that it "Does a Body Good" - at least not in the way the industry would have us believe.

Calcium in milk is not bioavailable. It is unusable by our bodies to any worthwhile extent. The pasteurization process destroys many minerals. Puss in milk is rendered 'okay' (for lack of a better word) by this same process. Doesn't all that make you want to gulp down a glass full? Me either.

However, there are good resources for this delectable drink - minus the puss. First choice would be straight from a cow that is totally grass fed and has had no hormones or antibiotics. A cow from a closed herd would be ideal.

Second, and in my opinion, a far better choice than milk of the average store shelves, is purchasing organic milk. This is the option I use because I don't have access to a milk cow. If you do a little checking you can determine which brands are better. Simply being organic, while definitely a step above the other, doesn't mean it's healthy for you. Look for non-homogenized milk from producers who mostly grass feed. One step above that is if the producers also use biodynamic methods such as composting, etc to keep the soil enriched and make sure the pasture is mineralized.

Here are two websites for you to do a little research on your own. First is the Weston A. Price Foundation. Type 'milk' in their search box on the left. Another resource is Not Milk. These sites have differing opinions, but valuable information with which to make an informed decision.

Teri Hayes
Certified Natural Health Consultant

Natural Health Coach for Women | Herbs & Supplements | Tools for Health eNewsletter | Contact Me | The Basics | Silva Ultramind System