For the above graphic to make sense, pleaseCLICK HERE to listen.
It is a song. It is the song “Times” By Tenth Avenue North. This song alone gives me chills, especially the end. But the version linked above was one that I had never heard and was played by KLOVE. I was listening in my car and had to pull over as I was listening…it touched me so. It is words of love from the very best Valentine…the God of this Universe. I just had to share it with all of you.
Happy Valentine’s Day from me to you!
Here is a video I share every year at Valentines day. It is called “The Father’s Love Letter” and it is full of scripture truths that God says about us. They use portions of it in the song linked above, but here is the video in its entirety. Enjoy!
I am a HUGE fan of coconut oil, for many reasons. I LOVE IT!
The main way I started using coconut oil was topically. This was because I read about how so many body lotions contain parabens and chemicals, and with my cancer history, I am being very purposeful about getting rid of as many toxins in this house and on my body as possible!
Its been all over the news that they are finding parabens in the breast cancer survivors breast tissue. My ears perked up with this because I have been in the beauty business for years as a cosmetologist, and parabans seem to be in EVERY beauty product. I have also met way too many young hairstylists that also battled breast cancer, and it has made us all say “hmm.”
Parabens are a group of compounds widely used as antimicrobial preservatives in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, including underarm deodorants. Parabens are absorbed through intact skin and from the gastrointestinal tract and blood.
Measurable concentrations of six different parabens have been identified in biopsy samples from breast tumors (Darbre, 2004). The particular parabens were found in relative concentrations that closely parallel their use in the synthesis of cosmetic products (Rastogi, 1995). Parabens have also been found in almost all urine samples examined from a demographically diverse sample of U.S. adults (Ye, 2006a).
Parabens are estrogen mimickers, with the potency of the agonistic response being related to the chemical structure (Darbre, 2008). They can bind to the cellular estrogen receptor (Routledge, 1998). They also increase the expression of many genes that are usually regulated by estradiol and cause human breast tumor cells (MCF-7 cells) to grow and proliferate in vitro (Byford, 2002; Pugazhendhi, 2007). Nevertheless, parabens as a class do not fully mimic estradiol in the changes in cellular gene expression nor are the effects of all parabens identical (Sadler, 2009).
“Parabens are estrogen mimickers.” This really made me pause, as my cancer and the majority of breast cancers are fed by hormones. I had symptoms of estrogen dominance for years and I often wonder if this contributed to my diagnosis.
As I have been trying to avoid parabens, I have been on a kick of making my own beauty products. There are some wonderful healthy organic body products out there, but they usually end up costing “an arm and a leg,” so have been quite motivated to make my own or to figure out a simple, inexpensive & healthy alternative.
I’ve also used coconut oil as my main cooking and baking oil for a couple of years now. The below recipe has been viewed over 632,238 times! It is one of the most popular recipes here at New Nostalgia, and for good reason. It is delicious. Funny how my most popular recipe was created by a mess up!
The above Oatmeal Whole Wheat Quick Bread is a great recipe to have on hand. It takes just minutes to throw together and it is good for you. I often make it when we are having pasta and I need a quick bread to dip in the sauce.
–I buy a large container on Amazon, I love the Nutiva brand. It is organic and wonderful. Trader Joes also started carrying coconut oil. Yay!
–Coconut oil is very unique. It is a solid up to I think 76 degrees, then becomes a liquid. So depending on the temperature of your house, you will either be scooping the oil if solid, or pouring it if liquid.
— For beauty purposes, I scoop some out and store in a small 8 oz mason jar. I love the Elite series glass jars. They have a nice wide mouth and are a cute shape. I also keep coconut oil in a small 4oz jar to throw into my gym bag.
8 stretches to do in bed, before bedtime, to help relieve stress and make you sleep better. I think this is brilliant. I have been so stiff lately! I have been spending time on my laptop in bed at night and I’ve noticed it is not good for my back! These stretches will feel very good.
Lazy Girl Fitness Site. This site has all kinds of ideas to add workout routines to your day. Toe lifts and leg lunges while brushing teeth for 2 minutes. I can do that!
“The newest way to shape up your belly, butt, and thighs without stressing your joints: Flip your workout upside down! These five ballet-inspired moves use one piece of equipment you’re sure to have in your home—a wall to gently increase your flexibility and range of motion. The result: You’ll isolate the tough to reach muscles that pull in your belly, lift your backside, and trim your thighs. “ Hmmm…it is worth a try! …………………. Do you do any at home workout routines? Got any tricks or tips to share?
These posts written by Todd (Amy’s husband) are designed to model a system of purposeful living. At least once a month, he spends time setting meaningful goals around one of seventeen core priorities.
While I still have a bit more research and learning to do, my preliminary thought is this is it. This is the best approach to food, diet, and nutrition.
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Prior to researching his site I thought Dr. Fuhrman was vegan. I have come to believe over the past couple of years that plant-based foods are most healthy, while animal-based and processed foods are to be avoided. Basically, I had come to believe that a vegan diet was the most healthy diet.
But Dr. Fuhrman is not a pure vegan. He is the father (creator) of nutritarian eating. A nutritarian diet has many similarities to a vegan diet, but there are some differences.
Most fascinating to me is the Health Longevity Equation created by Dr. Fuhrman.
H (Health) = N (Nutrients) / C (Calories)
Healthy life expectancy is proportional to lifetime intake of micronutrient diversity and quantity per calories. In other words, the bulk of our diet should consist of food high in nutrients and low in calories. Foods high in nutrients fill us up and keep us full much more effectively than foods low in nutrients.
These foods are outlined the Nutritarian Food Pyramid he created.
The next step for me is to write a new set of goals to deepen my knowledge of Nutritarianism and begin to modify my diet to include new foods.
Keep an eye out for next month’s Goal Setting & Reflection post to see my new set of nutrition related goals.
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Thoughts – ORIGINAL
Dr. Fuhrman is a board certified family physician, best-selling author, and nutritional researcher who specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional and natural methods.
I first became familiar with Dr. Fuhrman after watching the documentary Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead with my wife several months ago. He was only in the documentary for a few minutes, but I was intrigued by what he was saying.
I was specifically intrigued by the Nutritarian Food Pyramid which he developed and was highlighted in the movie.
Ever since watching that documentary I have been toying around with the idea of becoming more vegan (or maybe completely vegan). The key for me in making this switch is that I would have to thoroughly enjoy the food. It would have to taste good.
A thorough review of Dr. Fuhrman’s website is a good place for me to start. He is a leader in this field and can likely both provide me with great information and also point me in the right direction to new information as I embark on this journey to further transform my eating habits.
I’ve been making my own homemade laundry detergent for a few years now. As much as I loved my powder laundry detergent AND my previous liquid laundry detergent, I grew tired of grating soap. When I saw a pin on Pinterest from One Good Thing from Jilly on No-Grate Laundry Detergent, I clicked on it right away!
As a 2-time cancer survivor, I look at life with tangible knowledge that life could end at any given moment. None of us know how long we have here on this earth. This legacy series to my 3 girls…my lovelies… is my way of attempting to leave a legacy for them. To speak of what is most important for them to know from me, their forever Mom.
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Hello Lovelies,
It is a January snow day today and you 3 are just thrilled! It is 11:30 and we are all still in our jammies. You are all having fun on your iPods & I’m just sitting here thinking about what it is I want to tell you.
I will keep it short and simple.
The snow is beautiful outside, everything covered in white. I think of just yesterday when I stepped in mud on our walkway, tracking it all the way up our stairs, spreading the mess. Everything was brown, grass dead.
It seems like I just blinked, and woke up to all the mess now covered in pure white. It is so beautiful. I know when it melts the mud and gunk will be washed away, and the dead grass will be nourished to spring green again, come spring.
And it reminds me.
This is what Jesus does for us. He takes our mess, washes it clean on the cross, makes us pure white and new. Gives us life.
It is so easy to get stuck in our mess and forget that we have been washed clean. HE SEES US CLEAN. Our mess is removed “as far as the east is from the west.”
God sees us, covered in white by His Son. Pure.
Next time you are down on yourself, feeling funky & a mess, remember how your Creator sees you!
I make this simple homemade 2 ingredient lemon facial scrub about once a week. It is so easy to throw together, and it leaves my skin very soft, smooth, & exfoliated.
Start by juicing a half of a lemon. I like to use the lemons in my refrigerator that are on the verge of being too ripe to eat. This is a great way to use those lemons up!
Don’t underestimate the power of a simple fork! I have several fancy lemon squeezing gadgets, but when I am just doing a lemon half, I just grab a fork. It is amazing how much juice a simple fork can extract!
I add about 1/8-1/4 cup of organic sugar, and stir. This makes enough for several applications, but in time the sugar dissolves, so I usually let my girls know that I have homemade lemon sugar scrub and they love doing “facials” with it. They end up putting lots around their lips so they can lick it off. Lemonade! It is delicious and ends up being a great lip scrub, too! You could also take leftovers in the bath with you for a great body scrub.
I put some of the mixture into my palm, and rub in circular motions all over my face. It feels so good! I love a good scrub! I then let it sit on my skin a few minutes until it gets sticky and feels a bit hard. Then I get a microfiber facial washcloth nice and hot, and just lay it on my face for a few seconds. The steam opens the pores and softens the sugar mixture. I then wipe off and rinse well. I will often follow with a dab of coconut oil for moisture.
Lemons do have a lightening quality about them and I notice it has faded sun damage that I have on my forehead. It is also great for breakouts. It seems to really help with blackheads and just clearing the junk out of my pores. I love it!
2 Ingredient Lemon Facial Scrub
1/2 lemon
1/8-1/4 cup sugar
Juice lemon. Add the sugar and stir. Apply to face in circular motions and gently allow the sugar to scrub your skin. Let sit for a few minutes. Use a hot washcloth, lay on face to steam for a minute, then use it to wipe of scrub. Rinse well & moisturize. Use once a week.
