I am not someone who has sturggled with anxiety or depression. I have always been able to look at the bright side of life. But about 4 years ago I found myself in a situation in which I could hardley get out of bed. The darkness was to great. I was afraid I would not make it through life with the darkness surrounding me. That in itself was a cause for anxiety. I had heard many horrior stories about depression and anxiety meds. I struggle with taking synthetic medications. The future looked bleak for me. It was at that time that I had to make choices for my health. We all have those times in our lives that we have to make choices to take control over our health.
On Saturday, May 8th at 7 p.m. I will be sharing my testimony how some essential oils changed my life. We have friends or events that have changed our lives but a few bottles of essential oils changed mine. Judith MePherson and I will be teaching a class on Essential oils and Emotions. For those of you who struggle help is on the way. I hope each of you can attend. Especially those of you who are looking for an alternatives to how you are dealing with life. The class will be held through Zoom. Please be looking for the email and link. There is hope.....
What is true beauty? What is it to you? As I have gotten older with more wrinkles and more body mass.....I have wondered this. Hollwood seems to set the standard on what beauty is and how to stay young....looking. But what about the everyday woman? There are many beauty products out there for us to try...hoping our wrinkles will disappear and our belly fat will shrink.
I was born with beautiful skin. I have stayed out of the sun since I was 25, mostly because I had 7 moles removed and every doctor said to stay out of the sun. This has really helped me with fine lines and wrinkles. Also, I do not smoke or drink. I do have frinends who have an occasional glass of wine and they have beautiful skin. So what is a girl to do when she starts aging?
I personally work at keeping my skin looking as young and healthy as possible. There are lots of products out there laden with chemicals that help. But as I have gotten older and the more I read I want as few chemicals as possible. I do eat well, of course those Peanut Butter eggs this weekend do not help my cause. Ha! But eating well.....drinking lots of water and adopting a regular exercise routine does help. Since my skin is sensitive, finding products that do not break me out in a rash has been difficult over the years. I believe finding a product that works for you also helps. So just in case some of you ask, recently I added a product to my routine that I love....and has really helped with my sensitive dry skin. https://www.youngliving.com/vo/#/quick-order/product-info-page/32953/false/shopping-cart..I also have some DIY oils serums I have made. Please contact me if you have any questions or would like some recipes.
Stress can also wear on your face and body. The Bible mentions a gentle and quiet spirit as being true beauty...1Peter 3:3-4.. Getting alone with the word of God and setting aside a time to rest is very BIG in me staying young. Having a few minutes to relax each day keeps my stress level low and puts a smile on my face.
I do not know what true beauty is to you but I know all the facial surgery in the world cannot stop time and aging. Find what works for you and makes you happy. A beautiful smile on someones face is true beauty to me......Joy keeps me young. What keeps you young?
Recently I had a friend to die. She had spent the past 5 years taking care of her mom. Many of us encourged her to take care of herself. But other family members were not able to be involved and the care of her mom fell to her. My friend ended up in the hospital one month ago and she never made it back home.
I just want to encourage everyone to take care of yourself. To be proactive where your health is concerned. Ask questions of your doctors and study all your options where medications and surgeries are involved.And be good to your body. Always drink plenty of water and get plenty of rest. Get a good anti-oxidant.Anti-oxidants get rid of potentially damaging oxidzing agents in your body. I am particularly of this one
Last week was an eye opening week for me. First let me say....I have very dry skin. It is not unusual for me to have itchy skin in the winter. But for almost 2 weeks it has been almost unbearable. I ended up taking Benadryl and dousing myself in lotion just to be able to get through the day and to be able to sleep at night.
So I sat down and to began to really think about why was this was happening. I quit taking my supplements wondering if those were causing the itching. I got everything out of my system.....and still it continued. I wondered if I had some disease or was there a medical reason why it was so bad. Now mind you I did not have a rash but it felt like I was allergic to something.
Well after much thought and some reading I realized it had to do with one thing....WATER. Yes, I had not been drinking enough water. I was exercising in 35 degree weather and drinking maybe 32 ozs. a day of water with coffee and herb tea. What most people do not realize your skin needs hydration through water. We need hydration in the winter months as well as the summer months. Once again I had fallen into the trap of NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER. So I immediately started drinking about 64 ozs with tea and coffee. Now 64 is not enough but it is a start. I have my cup with me as I am typing.
So the lesson learned here is DRINK YOUR WATER. Get some flavoring for your water or purchase some flavored waters to supplement your intake. Begin to take care of you skin in the winter months as well as the summer.
Okay one more resolution........EATING HEALTHER! Now I did not say "no sugar for 40 days" or "no carbs for life". I just want to eat healthy and hopefully gain a healthy body. For me I am watching my carbs. I can struggle with high blood sugar....so I do watch what I eat. I do not take any meds to control it so I have to watch what I eat. But sometimes I get repetative and need to break out and try something NEW. So this month I tried a Low Carb Chili recipe that I loved. I have to count out corn chips but I can add cheese and sour creme. One other piece of GOOD NEWS is that my husband loved it also. So much so that he ate it the next day as leftovers. My husband does not eat leftovers. This recipe is very light and not heavy. Many Chili's are. I think you are going to love it. Just remember to venture out and try NEW recipes. It is easy to get in a rut. Try a different a different vegtable. Maybe add zuchini to the chili. A little fruit in water or as a smoothie. Be adventurous. So here you go.....enjoy!
Low Carb Texas Chili
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) cut diced tomatoes
- 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1 can (14 ounces) beef broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Optional: 1 can (15 ounces) Black Soy Beans, drained and rinsed well
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Sour Cream
