Saturday, December 7, 2013

Discontinued Writing Here

Hi Friends,

I have discontinued writing at this site.  Please go to my website to see that my blog is posted there:
http://www.healthylife-solutions.com

I hope to hear from you.  Have a great day!
Lisa Purdy

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Herbal Antibiotics

Many people are looking for a natural alternative to antibiotics.  The overuse of antibiotic drugs has caused an increased growth in "superbugs", which are difficult to treat.  My philosophy is that if you use more natural methods to take care of the "little stuff", then maybe when you truly need the intervention of antibiotic drugs, they will work for you.  The other concern of using antibiotic drugs is that they destroy the beneficial bacteria in your intestines, causing a lot of problems.  Most natural alternatives do no harm to these good bacteria...keeping the intestines and immune system strong.  There are some fantastic natural antibiotics available...thy these:

Garlic:  The fragrant element of garlic, called "alicin", contains its antibiotic properties.  Sorry, but fresh, smelly garlic is the best!  Heat destroys some of the medicinal qualities of garlic.  So cooking with garlic is still good for you, but fresh garlic is best for medicine.  It has been said that one clove of garlic is equal to one dose of penicillin.  You will want to take a clove of garlic every four hours, for several days, to truly see the medicinal benefits.  I like to chop the garlic fine and put it in a spoonful of honey..."A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down", sings Mary Poppins.  Garlic is also available in capsules, not quite as effective as fresh, but easier to take and still worthwhile medicinally.

Echinacea:  The angustofolia variety, or white coneflower, is the one with the antibiotic properties of echinacoside.  Notice the ending on echinacoside...like homicide...it actively goes after the bacteria to kill it!  There is a huge difference in the quality of echinacea on the market.  Generally, "you get what you pay for"; so if the price is too cheap - expect the quality to be low also.  Also, be sure to purchase echinacea root, not herb, for the highest medicinal benefits.  Echinacea is very nice in a tea, or available in tincture or capsule form.  It works to stimulate the immune system to fight off sickness or infection.  It works best not to take echinacea all the time, but only for short time periods as needed, giving the body a rest break.  A suggested schedule might be to take it for two weeks and then rest one week.  It works best if you begin taking echinacea at the first sign of symptoms, or when you have been exposed to "something" that is going around.

Goldenseal:  It has anitseptic, antibiotic, alterative, and tonic properties.  Goldenseal root is usually expensive, so I tend to use it when I need to "pull out the big guns" in fighting something.  It has a special affinity to healing the mucous membranes, preventing infections of the skin, and as a tonic for intestinal assimilation.  Goldenseal may tend to lower the blood sugar, so hypoglycemics should be careful in using this herb.  The herb has a bitter taste, so I like it best in capsule form.  It is often used in combination with echinacea.  The most active ingredient of goldenseal is hydrazine, which accounts for its chemical effectiveness.  Another constituent, berberine which gives its root the wonderful yellow color, is effective against a variety of microbes.  Goldenseal grows wild in the woods of Ohio, but could be endangered by over harvesting.  Support the organic herb farmers by purchasing goldenseal that they have cultivated.

We have many effective herbs available to kill harmful bacteria and prevent infection.  I keep these three herbs in my cupboard all of the time...ready for use.  If you need to purchase these for your cupboard, come by the store, or go to my website at:  http://www.healthylife-solutions.com

Lisa Purdy is not a physician, and all recommendations are not to be considered diagnosis or prescription.  Any information given is for educational purposes only.  You are responsible for your own health choices.


Monday, September 9, 2013

Lactation Cookies



What a great idea!  These are made to help increase a nursing mother’s milk supply. They taste great and really work. It is recommended to eat 4 cookies a day. 
Ingredients
1 C butter
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
4 T water
2 T flaxseed meal (no subs)
2 Lg eggs
1 t vanilla
2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
3 C Thick cut oats
1 C Chocolate chips
2 T Brewer’s Yeast (no substitutions)
Preparation
Preheat oven at 375.

Mix 2 T of flaxseed meal and water, set aside 3-5 minutes.
Cream together butter and sugars.
Add eggs.
Stir flaxseed mix into butter mix and add vanilla.
Beat until well blended.
Sift: dry ingredients, except oats and choc chips.
Add butter mix to dry ingredients.
Stir in the oats and then the choc chips.
Drop on parchment paper on baking sheet.
Bake 8-12 minutes.

To read the articles where I found this recipe follow the links below:


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

What Causes ADD?

Attention Deficit Disorder doesn't have a single cause, and at this time there is no definitive test for the disease diagnosis.  ADD is a list of symptoms, which clustered together are considered indications of the disease. 

Symptoms of ADD include:  careless mistakes, failing to give close attention or in sustaining attention, does  not seem to listen, does not follow instructions, loses things, often forgetful, easily distracted, and has difficulty organizing tasks.


Causes of ADD include:  diet, food allergies or sensitivities, toxic load, and physical factors.  Remove as many of the causes as you can, and see a difference in your child's behavior and focus!

Diet:  eliminate sugar and processed foods!  Studies have shown sugar to contribute to destructive, aggressive, and restless behavior.  Sugar creates an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain...it is intoxicating and addictive.  Consuming excessive sugar robs the body of B vitamins and minerals needed for nervous system function.

Symptoms of allergies/food sensitivities include:  anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, insomnia, irritability, mental confusion, and personality changes.

Toxic load of chemicals, food additives, heavy metals, candida yeast, parasites, vaccinations, and fetal drug exposure.

Physical factors may include:  brain injury, adrenal glands, thyroid function, and low blood sugar.





My favorite book on the subject of ADD is by Skye Weintraub, ND..."Natural Treatments for ADD and Hyperactivity".  It is out of print, but we do have a few copies left in the store.

To order a natural supplement, FOCUS ATTENTION, go to our online store:

http://www.healthylife-solutions.net/?ns=1833-4

Lisa Purdy is not a physician, and all recommendations are not to be considered diagnosis or prescription.  Any information given is for educational purposes only.  You are responsible for your own health choices.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Antibacterial Garlic Salve

Looking for an alternative to antibiotics?  Garlic is the simple solution.  Available in any grocery store, keep it on hand to use for cooking or sickness.  Raw garlic is a potent antibiotic, with anti-fungal and anti-viral properties as well.  When crushed the garlic releases an enzyme which combines with an amino acid in the garlic to create allicin...the smelly and antibiotic quality of garlic. 

One of the simplest ways to use garlic, especially with children, is to make a salve which you rub on the soles of the feet.  The skin is sometimes called your largest organ.  We forget how many things are absorbed by the skin.  It is a great way to get medicinal herbs into the body.  Rub this garlic salve on your feet and see how quickly you taste it in your mouth.  It also may be rubbed on the chest or back to assist in healing an upper respiratory infection.  This salve may also be used on rashes, athlete's foot, or on any area to prevent infection.  Having the salve prepared and in the refrigerator makes it quick and easy to use when you need it.

Garlic Salve Recipe - In a blender mix:  1/3 cup coconut oil, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 8 cloves peeled garlic, 5 drops of lavender oil.  Blend until liquified, strain out any pieces of garlic, and refrigerate.  This recipe is taken from the book, Be Your Own Doctor, written by Rachel Weaver, M.H. (One of my favorite books.)

To purchase garlic in capsules or to read more about its qualities, go to our online store:

http://www.healthylife-solutions.net/?sn=290-0

Lisa Purdy is not a physician, and all recommendations are not to be considered diagnosis or prescription,  Any information given is for educational purposes only.,  You are responsible for your own health choices.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Twelve Learning Nutrients

It has been well documented that a child's learning ability and brain development is affected by diet.  Nutrient dense foods provide what is needed by the body for maximum mental and physical performance.  Today, we have an abundance of nutrient depleted packaged food products, which may contain more chemicals than actual food.  The first organ affected by malnutrition is the brain.  The brain is 2 % of the body's weight, but it requires 20 % of the body's energy sources.  The following list of twelve learning nutrients was taken from the book, Eating for A's, written in 1991, and is now out of print, but still is an excellent resource for information.

Make sure your child has these nutrients for learning:

Vitamin A - helps in the manufacturing of protein and DNA.  Deficiency effects:  Depression and apathy.  In infants, retarded brain growth.

Vitamin B-1, Thiamine - helps the brain process energy from glucose and proteins.  Deficiency effects:  fatigue, impaired memory, mental confusion, conduct disorder, irritability, impulsiveness, poor sleep.

Vitamin B-2, Riboflavin - helps maintain the nerve's myelin sheath, and assists in making energy available to the brain.  Deficiency effects:  impairs the growth of the brain in young children and contributes to behavior problems.

Vitamin B-3, Niacin - helps the brain produce essential chemicals, aids in the manufacture of protein.  Deficiency effects:  irritability, fatigue, poor concentration, mood swings, poor sleep.

Vitamin B-6, Pyridoxine - helps the brain produce essential chemicals, aids in the manufacture of protein.  Deficiency effects:  irritability, fatigue, poor concentration, mood swings, poor sleep.

Folic Acid - helps produce RNA/DNA...important in forming nucleic acids and in the storage of recent memories.  Deficiency effects:  apathy, impaired memory, irritability, withdrawal, slowing of all intellectual processes.

Vitamin C - helps in the utilization of protein, improves absorption of iron needed by the brain.  Deficiency effects:  fatigue, depression, hypersensitivity.

Iron - assists in the processing of nutrients required in brain activity, helps process neurotransmitters and DNA.  Deficiency effects:  conduct disorder, inattentiveness, hyperactivity, poor concentration.

Magnesium - helps get energy from nutrients for the brain.  Deficiency effects:  irritability, nervousness, lethargy, depression, confusion.

Potassium - required for normal levels of brain neurotransmitters.  Deficiency effects:  feelings of weakness, loss of appetite, nausea, irrational thinking, confusion.

Zinc - required in virtually every enzyme reaction in the brain; helps manufacture RNA, DNA, and protein; helps provide energy from glucose and protein.  Deficiency effects:  lethargy, irritability, poor eating habits, poor appetite, anorexia, fatigue, confusion.

Chromium - essential for glucose metabolism.  Deficiency effects:  poor concentration, impaired short-term memory, mood fluctuation, general feelings of tiredness.

A healthy diet is essential for the learning and behavior of children.  You also may want to provide a good multivitamin/mineral supplement - available on my website:

http://www.healthylife-solutions.net/?sn=3341-6

Lisa Purdy is not a physician, and all recommendations are not to be considered diagnosis or prescription.  Any information given is for educational purposes only.  You are responsible for your own health choices.



Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Hidden Corn?

Are you allergic to corn or trying to avoid GMO corn? 
Here is a list of surprising places to find hidden corn in everyday products:

cheese cultures
linings on "to go" cups
frozen vegetable bags
tea bags
juices
xanthum gum
natural flavors
free-flowing agents
vitamin E
multivitamin supplements
ascorbic acid
citric acid
cellulose
dextrose
xylitol
toothpaste
dish soaps

Reading labels gives you a quite an education!