How many times have you not done something you wanted to just because you were afraid? Fear has, most likely, stopped you at some point in your life but it’s important to know the purpose of fear and to know how tight of a grasp fear may have on you. Often times, fear stops you from many things it doesn’t need to. Knowing how to use fear to your advantage will help you in so many ways.
Fear exists for a very important reason. However, this does not mean you should try to stomp it out entirely. You can live a much more fulfilling life by properly managing it. If you have a healthy grasp on fear and let it work as intended, GREAT WORK!
If you’re struggling with fear, you’re not alone. I am affected by unrealistic fears, as well. It can steal happiness or be immobilizing. It can keep you from having those extra rewarding moments in life but it doesn’t have to once you learn how to manage it.
This book is an encouragement to face fear head on and find that creative “jewel” inside. I found this concept of creative living beyond fear fascinating when listening to a podcast of Elizabeth Gilbert interviewing Marie Forleo. Both of these women are fascinatingly insightful ladies – I could sit and listen to them all day. Anyways, Elizabeth Gilbert was explaining a concept she talks about in her book: Big Magic- Creative Living Beyond Fear
How do you move beyond fear? Where do you even start? It feels like fear sneakily creeps its way into my life and I don’t even know it! So many times in my own life I have let fear hold me back in my health journey, too.
For example, if I have a busy day: I might feel extra anxiety to not miss breakfast because there may not be any food around at lunchtime (We live in America – like that is going to happen right ?!). 😀 Another “unrealistic” fear I let seep into my health journey – I better change my plan to start eating better today and put it off until tomorrow – because today we are going to go out to eat and I don’t want to fail the 1st day. Or how about this one – do you ever do this? I better not get up and exercise early today because then I’ll be too tired this evening and I have a big day ahead of me… I’m sure these things never happen to you, though… 😄
😨 Wow! Really?! This podcast really spoke to me on so many levels so I’d like to pass on what I got out of this one excerpt of her book:
By: Dr Jerry Petermann, 2016
Curious title? Yes, but illustrative for our discussion.
Often an analogy serves best to make a point. We will explore three.
The Barrel
In the world of pickles and whisky, a wooden barrel is the ideal storage vessel. Some people even advertise how their liquor or beer is aged in oak barrels. Laudable, as they even claim to make their barrels for that very purpose.
Now, in the construction of a well-made wooden barrel, the pieces known as staves, must be crafted with perfection to make a liquid tight construction. Even these “perfect” staves must be held in place by some external force; metal bands, to maintain integrity. Should some other external force be placed on the barrel, in most cases these bands will resist catastrophic failure. However, should an external force be applied to a single stave, the entire barrel might collapse, as together all are strong but individually, they are not.
The human body’s complex systems are rather like a barrel of wooden staves held together with “bands” of proper diet, exercise, mental well-being, hydration, supplementation and rest.
Now, comes our modern times with every fad diet, exercise program, supplementation plan and MLM products, hydration by Power Drinks or Vitamin Brews and mental health gurus of every type selling you on meditation, yoga or hiking in the Himalayas to be in contact the Ancient Masters.
Here’s the problem: our “staves” are pushed individually very hard by many of these products, plans and concepts. There is never a balance. And, like the wooden barrel, too much pressure on a single stave, our barrel can collapse!
Example: too much of one particular supplement “for your liver” can disrupt your uptake of calcium, another might be for a “blood cleansing” which is quietly wreaking havoc on your mental cognition and neuron function. Pushed too hard with one particular supplement, the body may malfunction (begin to collapse the barrel”) and you could end up in the hospital or even dead. About 20 years ago, an MLM was promoting a “Natural Weight Loss Program” by boosting a person’s metabolism. Great idea, except the company was using an old Chinese medicinal herb with natural ephedrine. Several people died…their “Metabolism Stave” collapsed completely. Too much of one thing without balance can be deadly.
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Certain headaches can point to certain areas of the body.
In Eastern medicine, the Gallbladder meridian runs along the side of the head.
It is believed if you can release the build-up of tension in the gallbladder meridian you can relieve the tension that is causing the headache. This type of headache is often located in the center of your forehead above the eyes. Usually not a major headache but more of a nagging type of headache. Maybe described more as a head tension.
It is kind of interesting how we came about researching this subject for you. I was at my chiropractor with pain by my right shoulder blade and sometimes a pinching sensation between the shoulder blades. My chiropractor said to me we have worked on this pain before and it seems to come back a day or 2 later. He said I wonder if it could be your gallbladder? This led me on a deep-diving journey towards several things I learned.
Without googling “digestive enzymes” would you be able to tell a friend what their roles are in our bodies? Would you be able to tell them how many are naturally produced in our bodies? Before I learned more about them, I would have had a basic description of what they do and why I need them and that’s about it.
Just the sound of the words digestive enzymes doesn’t sound all that interesting but, in reality, they’re actually very important. Enzymes support life! Specifically, digestive enzymes, help our bodies break down food into molecules so our bodies can pick them up and use them for essential functions.
Video with Dr Fuller – Enzyme Specialist
In the video, Dr. Fuller invited 7 people to learn more about how enzymes affect our overall health… but were told nothing in advance. Their blood was drawn before and 30 minutes after taking digestive enzymes. Wow! What a difference in blood cell movement! In case you didn’t know, blood cells are responsible for many things like delivering oxygen to the body and toxin removal, to name a few.
~See the oatmeal enzyme experiment & the live blood cell microscope
experiment by watching the 7 minute video.
The Answer is a Resounding YES! It is possible to stop and reverse cancer growth by simply eating healthy.
Cancer is an ugly word. It seems like there are more and more people getting diagnosed with some form of cancer everyday. We all know the damage it can do to our lives and others around us. So, before we dive into how to get rid of these cells, lets first learn what cancer is and how it survives and grows.
Cancer is where a group of abnormal cells grow and hijack the body’s normal, balanced system of angiogenesis (healthy blood vessel growth). The tumor needs nutrients and oxygen to grow and spread. It does this by sending chemical signals that stimulate blood vessel growth in the area, in turn allowing blood, oxygen and nutrients to be sent to the tumor to continue growing.
There is lots of great research out there explaining this process and how to stop it.
Dr. Li presents a new way to think about treating cancer, particularly anti-angiogenesis, preventing the growth of blood vessels that feed a tumor.
The crucial first (and best) step: Eating cancer-fighting foods that cut off the supply lines and beat cancer at its own game. It’s like scoping out a competitor before the big game. Once you know how to beat them, you can put your game plan into action and work towards that victory.
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You’ve been sitting at work for awhile and are laser focused on a project that is due soon. Maybe you’re in a long car ride, road tripping to your favorite destination. Then.. a pain begins which you know will be helped if you aren’t sitting anymore, but now is not the time to stand!
I have often heard people talk about this pain in the back of their thighs that runs down the backs of their legs. This can sometimes be Sciatic nerve pain.
Sciatica is a term used to describe radiating pain that travels along the path of the sciatic nerve, running from your lower spine through the buttock and down the back of the leg. It flares when the sciatic nerve is irritated or pinched by any range of problems in your lower back.
Many times when this pain flares up it is temporarily relieved by standing but, often times, will come back later on. The cause behind the pain doesn’t always go away on its own, so you may need to take action to keep it away.
To help with relief from Sciatic Nerve Pain – Dr. Steve has a really simple stretch that may just help you in your day.
This Stretch is called the Pirformis Stretch for low back pain and Sciatica.
The tightness in these muscles often happens from extended sitting, regularly bouncing on a tractor seat or even bumpy rides in a big truck.
I saw a quote similar to this recently and it really spoke to me. Immense amounts of stress can be relieved when we let go of things we cannot change.
Hello My Friend,
It’s Nurse Mary again, hope everything is going well in your health journey!
As you are probably aware, there are so many crazy things that are going on in our world today. We can protect our family and live a simple, safe, lifestyle but beyond that, we need to expect that others are doing their part and let the rest go.
That was a big stress reliever for me. Have you felt stressed by things going on around you? Even the weather can stress us some times but is it really worth stressing about? We can’t really do anything about it except maybe leaving home with a raincoat that morning…
So my message to you today is this: If there is something you are worrying about, evaluate it. Ask yourself: can you change it? Can you do anything about it? If your answer is NO, then leave it to God and move on with your day.
I know this is short and sweet but I hope it was helpful in your day.
‘⛄ Let It Go’ was the song and mantra for the movie ‘Frozen’ – and my granddaughter could sing every word of it!!! There’s something to be said for the feeling.
My children have taught me a lot about “Let it go”. For every decision, there are consequences – good, hopefully, but there are bad ones, too.
Sometimes, when you see someone, especially your child, making a bad decision you still have to let them do it. As a parent to say it’s difficult is an understatement! There’s a time to step in and a time to let them make their own choices and experience the consequences.
It’s easy to rejoice for a good decision – but heartbreaking to watch a bad decision unfold – wishing you were wrong about the outcome.
One thing is for sure:
Don’t allow it (unnecessary stress) for yourself – ‘Let It Go’. Keep believing in yourself and do the hard work to care for yourself.
At that point – Mary is right – be the encouraging person in other peoples’ lives. You never know what seed you plant which may take root in another person’s mind and heart 💝.
I appreciate Skeebo’s kind words and hope you have found encouragement from them as well.
Many of you have replied to me with your own personal stories and I appreciate you so much.
I look forward to hearing from you, Until next time – Be Well !
Mary Howard RN
You go through all 3 of these stages whether you get Covid 19 or if you have the Covid shot. Like a flu shot, if you take the Covid shot you go through the 3 phases in a much lesser degree than if you get the full-blown virus but their are still risks involved.
I felt drawn to share a little science lesson with you today. When I recently learned this it answered a lot of questions for me.
Hello! I hope you’re doing fantastic and enjoying the weather. No matter your age, I think we can agree that warmer weather just makes us happier people. The feel of the sun shining on our skin or the smell of freshly cut grass puts me in the best mood! If you suffer with allergies be sure to read my article on natural allergy remedies found here. They have helped so many people, including my own family.
There are so many things to do outdoors right now in this part of spring. If you’re like me you’re also looking forward to the possibilities of summer. We can get out and find a great deal at a garage sale or see our kids or grandkids play in their sporting events. Maybe, you’re getting out camping or fishing or tending your garden. Whatever your outdoor adventures include you’re sure to have to deal with some of the world’s most annoying little creatures. BUGS!
Do you ever wish you could create a safety shield around you to keep them away? For sure! My hand is always raised at that question but the catch here is the word “safety.” Have you ever looked at the ingredient list of most store bought bug repellents and wondered “What are some of these ingredients?” I certainly have and I’ve thought to myself that most don’t sound the least bit natural or safe to use.
Plus, who has time to research that long list?! If you’re like me, you don’t want to take any chances with your or your family’s health. Especially when there are other options that are safe, effective and have additional benefits! Also, they smell great unlike store bought bug repellents that smell awful.
So, “How can I get these natural remedies” you might ask? All you have to do is gather the desired ingredients and spray bottles to make your very own natural bug repellent. I use 2 oz. spray bottles I found on Amazon.com which is hyperlinked in the recipes below for you to easily find. You’ll also see these recipes are very easy to make and are ready to use immediately!
Watch our quick video and then download the info sheet about these oils and a separate pdf if you want to print your own labels.
Here is the printable PDF of these recipes and a Printable PDF of the bottle labels.
We used Avery labels 8160. Here is a link to those as well if you would like:
Avery Address Labels for Inkjet Printers, 1″ x 2-5/8″, 750 Labels, (8160)
*Tip: Adding 1/2 tsp rubbing alcohol to your 2 oz bottle will allow oils and water to blend better.
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These are the days. The days many of us have been patiently waiting for through winter. The days when we can get outside and enjoy beautiful weather. It’s when children come outside to play. When people get out to walk their dogs more and go to parks. It just feels so good. So good to get out of our stuffy houses or even just open the windows to let in fresh air. For me, time spent outdoors lightens my soul and gives me an energized youthfulness inside.
And it’s no wonder! There’s scientific research to back it up. Being outdoors reduces stress and blood pressure. It increases endorphin levels and dopamine production leading to an increased mood. Vitamin D is provided by the sun, which also increases our moods. There’s just this amazing happiness provided by the outdoors that can’t be found anywhere else. It makes me feel like this little girl.
But pollen is high this time of year. Sadly, many of us simply watch from indoors with windows closed or buy expensive medications that only last a few weeks, at most. Do you dread even going outside because of your allergies? I feel for you. I really do. Staying indoors would ransack my drive and steal my joy. I don’t know about you, but I count on this time of year to pick me back up after the long dreary winter. It’s not like we all haven’t had to do enough of that in the last year. Am I right?!
So, a friend of mine who struggles with allergies asked me, “Mary, what kind of things would you use if you were struggling with allergies right now?” Right away my mind went back to the basics. Lemon, Lavender & Peppermint. They have such an amazing synergistic effect. Together, they smell just amazing. Not only do they provide allergy defense but they also have additional benefits you can read about further down. So hang tight.
Lemon, Lavender & Peppermint are all 3 natural antihistamines! Combining the three together is like an allergy fighting super power and they complement each other well. Not only can they help get rid of those pesky allergies but they can also leave you feeling refreshed, calm and uplifted. What allergy medication can do that?
If you would prefer to listen to Lemon, Lavender & Peppermint content here is a handy video: