All posts by Suz

I was a Project Manager and writer for many years. I have had a passion for animal and human welfare, natural health and beauty and was laid off my corporate job this year, allowing me to go from a time famine to being able to start this blog and potentially inspire and help others on their journey to living their best holistic life.
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Digestion – Why Enzymes Matter

One thing drilled into me at Hippocrates was the slogan HOPE = Hormones, Oxygen, Phytonutrients, and Enzymes.   Eating a healthy plant-based diet that is preferably raw and nothing cooked above 118 is ideal. The reason to eat raw or utilize low cooking and dehydrated foods are to retain the vital enzymes in the food. When we eat cooked foods, the body expends a lot of energy digesting it and creating its own enzymes to do so. With cooked foods, the body utilizes cups of digestive enzymes vs spoonfuls to break it all down. Eating cooked foods slows down the entire process and depletes the body of enzymes.  Enzymatic exhaustion is aging.  Enzymes are the spark of life, the electric.  Hippocrates maintains that eating cooked foods causes digestive glucose cytosis – where your body engages white blood cells to go ‘on attack’. The immune system doesn’t recognize processed and cooked food as food. The thought process here is that a lot of energy the body spends ‘fighting’ cooked foods could be spent on detoxing and curing cancer.  At the very least, raw foods should be consumed with cooked and eat the raw foods first, followed by the cooked ones.


Enzymes help you alkalize.  An alkaline system is inhospitable to cancer.  Enzymes benefit cardiovascular and degenerative diseases. Digestion is the #1 thing. If you lack enzymes from your food, your body will borrow it from other places and that is not a good thing.  Enzymes are necessary to break down fats, carbohydrates and protein.  Getting enough enzymes helps regulate healthy weight.  It is recommended to take enzymes with each meal or snack regardless of whether the meal is raw or cooked.  I do not take an enzyme when I juice, however, as I consider juicing to be ‘pre-digested’, meaning it is all fresh raw ingredients, macerated into a juice without pulp (see my article on Juicing vs blending) so that the body has minimal work absorbing the nutrients.  I typically juice first thing in the morning as my ‘breakfast’ and then later eat a solid breakfast of salad, typically or hummus etc.

I love feedback so please post your success stories and comments after being on enzymes. ♥

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Supplements – Synthetic Vs Plant-Based

Are you concerned about the quality of your supplements?  Are you vegan and find it frustrating to assure that there isn’t anything animal based in the supplements you take?  Do synthetic vitamins provide the same quality as plant-based supplements?

About Me – I have been primarily organic with food and skincare the last 25 years and completely detoxed my home care about 20 years ago. Most of my life I lived primarily vegetarian and spent all of 2016 studying with Hippocrates Health Institute.  Hippocrates was a life-changing experience for me, where I learned how the higher up the food chain we eat (other animals) that we increase our body burden of toxins stored in our fat.  Plants do not store toxins the same way animals do.  When we filter our nutrients through another animals body, rather than getting those vitamins and minerals directly from the source (plants) we increase the body burden because our bodies, as animals, store anything that cannot be detoxed right away, into our fat to protect the entire system from shutting down.

No matter how cleanly you eat, you have a body burden.  The entire planet is polluted to a greater or lesser degree because of factory farming and an onslaught of chemicals in our air, soil and water which all move, they know no borders.

Therefore, we all must supplement to aid our bodies in getting the highest nutrition (soil erosion has wiped out vitamins and minerals) and help our DNA remain strong and repair.  If you plan on rearing children, your kids will also thank you for that genetic boost because that will be passed down!   On that note, I hear folks say that they have a history of heart disease or cancer and I want to assure you that 90-95% of cancer is from what you’re exposed to and 5-10% is genetic.  The body wants to heal and survive so give it the tools.

Here are my rules:
1)  Plant-based – The supplement must be plant-based and contain no synthetic ingredients because I believe the body, at a cellular level, doesn’t adequately absorb them or see them as food. What you want are the full spectrum nutrients you would get if you were eating optimally.  Seeing NOS which is Naturally Occurring Standard certified, on the label lets you know the product is not synthetic.

2) Organic (or wildcrafted) – The supplement must be organic so I look for certification there.  The reason is that generally the quality of the supplement is going to be better, more nutritious and being organic let’s me know it is non-GMO and that no pesticides were used.

3) Vegan – Both the product itself and whatever the softgel or capsule is made from should not be animal based.

4) Quality Control – How is the product sourced and how is it made, what is the process, or facility the supplement is made in because this matters to assure contaminates are minimized.

5) Value – I price check and ingredient check to come up with what I believe to be the best deal.

Back in the beginning of all supplements, every one was plant-based.  Then science found a way to synthesize nutrients which saves a ton of money but at what health cost?  Synthetics are a cheaper supplement to create because rather than harvesting live crops, the nutrients are synthesized in a lab.  They will tell you that doing things this way keeps the consistency, such as if one bottle has 500mg of C, the next batch will too because its a formula based on a synthetic and not a live plant where one plant is going to vary slightly from another.  While I do understand why synthetics are on the market,  in my training at Hippocrates, all synthetic based supplements were shunned.  The reason is that while we may know a particular thing, such as biotin is great, the issue is that when we take it as a synthetic, we are getting just biotin synthesized whereas when we take it in food form, from a plant, we are getting the full spectrum of nutrients in our supplement.  All things work together to form a whole.  This is how the body expects things to be because this is what happens naturally when we eat healthy food.  A salad, for example, will have numerous components, which the body knows how to break down and utilize.  As Hippocrates phrased it, “High doses are not required since biology’s orchestration enables your cells to fully embrace the unified chorus of superior elements.”
There are varied schools of thought but I believe that the body doesn’t recognize, at a cellular level, a synthetic vitamin in the same way it would recognize it in food and therefore, will not absorb and utilize it the same way with the same effects.

Hippocrates has their own brand, LifeGive,  which I use as well as reviewing and sourcing both through what I market as an Independent Consultant and online shopping.

Below is a link to Hippocrates if you are interested in going down the rabbit hole of knowledge.  The link will provide you with a free syllabus.

Essante and Miessence links below offer great organic and wildcrafted supplements and skin care and home care.

I’m available for any questions. ♥

www.miessence.com/puretemple/en/category/1/skincare

www.EssanteOrganics.com/Puretemple 

https://op.hippocratesinst.org/moreinfo/static/34  

 

 

 

Health & Wellness, Health Tonics & Elixers, Supplements & Super Foods

Detox Heavy Metals, Radiation & Other Toxic Substances; Spirulina, Moringa & Chlorella

Eating a healthy, predominately raw plant-based diet is the big step forward in anyone’s health.  Today I want to discuss a few of my favorite superfoods.  All of us need supplementation and with 95% of the supplements on the market being toxic or a waste of money, I strive as a vegan lifestyle coach, organic skincare Independent Consultant and affiliate marketer, to basically do the research and shop all day, reading ingredients, where things are sourced, then who has the best ‘deal’ on both quality and price (value) and write about it here.

See below for my links to inquire or purchase.  While this is my work, where I earn my living,  my first and foremost goal here is to educate (and I am always learning myself) because nearly my entire family was wiped out by cancer with two more on their way out.  Whenever I am running low on something, I shop, I look for the best value and I share that information in my blog to help you too. ♥

Here are my rules:  1)  Plant-based – The supplement must be plant-based and contain no synthetic ingredients because I believe the body, at a cellular level, doesn’t adequately absorb them or see them as food. What you want are the full spectrum nutrients you would get if you were eating optimally.  Seeing NOS which is Naturally Occurring Standard certified, on the label lets you know the product is not synthetic.

2) Organic (or wildcrafted) – The supplement must be organic so I look for certification there.  The reason is that generally the quality of the supplement is going to be better, more nutritious and being organic lets me know it is non-GMO and that no pesticides were used.

3) Vegan – Both the product itself and whatever the softgel or capsule is made from should not be animal based.

4) Quality Control – How is the product sourced and how is it made, what is the process, or facility the supplement is made in because this matters to assure contaminates are minimized.

5) Value – I price check and ingredient check to come up with what I believe to be the best deal.

Spirulina or Klamath Lake Blue-Green Algae  –   Known to purge the body of heavy metals such as mercury, this plant is knowns as the best nutrition in the ocean,  spirulina contains zinc, manganese, selenium, copper. We could live abundantly on just this plant and water. Spirulina has 58x more iron than spinach, enables the body to repair DNA and protein levels are 400x more than beef. Here we want the Klamath Lake spirulina as this algae is the purest form.

Moringa – Containing all 8 amino acids, one tablespoon is equal to 2 cups of greens.  Protein, calcium, iron and fiber are all great things in this nutrient-dense plant powder.  Great for post-workout inflammation and overall detox.

Chlorella  – Chlorella is a sea plant or seaweed.  It is a powerhouse of b12, biotin, vitamin a and is known for taking heavy metals and radiation out of the body.  This supplement is what I reached out to Naoto Matsumura and recommended a few years ago.  Naoto is the man who during Fukoshima fled with the rest then later returned to his hometown of Tomioka where he remained to take care of all the pets left behind.

Links to shop & prices :
Spirulina or Klamath Lake Blue-Green Algae  –I like Pure Synergy Organics as it is cold processed and stored in a glass bottle.  You can do powder however, it tends to clump unless mixed well into a smoothie.  I recommend the capsules, taken throughout the day and getting the powder in a blend for smoothies and salads.

Blends – Miessence Deep Green, which is a synergistic combination of Chlorella, Spirulina, Wheat and Barley grasses amongst others.  I am an Independent Rep for this brand because the entire line is clean and certified organic.  Their skincare is edible too!
https://www.one.organic/puretemple/en/category/1/skincare

Moringa – Moringa Source raw organic Moringa is a good value with 16oz for $15.99.  Kuli Kuli Organic Pure Moringa Vegetable Powder is 10oz for $24.35 which is higher but I chose this one as the company states that they source the plants in a sustainable way, utilizing growers in a network of farms across the globe.  I want the rainforests to be happy.

Chlorella – Anthony’s organic Chlorella powder is the best price but does not say where the Chlorella is sourced.  $13.00 nets you 8 oz.  I believe the bareoganics Chlorella is the best value, however, because the company assures that the product is raw (not heated where it would lose enzymes and vitamins) and is grown in stainless steel tanks to protect the chlorella from toxic substances and also assure a better flavor.  Blends – If you are looking for a great blend of superfoods, I highly recommend Miessence Deep Green, which is a synergistic combination of Chlorella, Spirulina, Wheat and Barley grasses amongst others.  I am an Independent Rep for this brand because the entire line is clean and certified organic.  Their skincare is edible too!
https://www.one.organic/puretemple/en/category/1/skincare

For those with allergies to Seaweeds or algae or wish to augment with other superfood combinations, another great blend of superfoods, I highly recommend is Essante Earth Greens which is a mix of Barley and Wheat, Kamut grasses, lemongrass, kale, amongst others and does not contain spirulina or chlorella.  I take all of these things in a rotation and do both the powder and the capsules, which are easy to do traveling or on the go.   Because all of their products are wildcrafted or organically grown, I am an Independent Consultant for Essante as well.
www.EssanteOrganics.com/Puretemple 

I appreciate feedback and encourage you to report back on what you are using and how it has helped you.

 

 

Emotional Rescue, Finances - Budget, Green MLM Opportunities!, Health & Wellness, Hippocrates Health Institute Training

Plan B How To Achieve When Life Throws Curveballs

A thing we each commonly share is that sooner or later, life will throw you a curveball you were not expecting.  Whether it’s the yacht or Jaguar needing maintenance,  the inner tube requiring a patch and Pacer engine exploding, or job or relationship loss, stuff will happen that we are in some way not fully and on all levels prepared for.

A friend was sharing his disbelief in how so many of us have day jobs, working for the man rather than for oneself, building up our own business.  I added my 2 cents which were promptly deleted on his post.  But I understand exactly why the majority of us work for the man.  I also totally get why many of us dream of being more in control by owning our own gig and I would love someone to join me and help me share the cool products I represent (see below).

For 26 years I worked at Sprint and made decent money the last decade of it.  Then I was laid off and went to work for ATT as a contractor and making similar money in contracting that paid $45.00 an hour starting out.  This was fantastic, I was working from home which is something I had been doing and wanted to continue doing, I was no longer salary and that meant far better control over my hours and scope of responsibility.  Earning $1800.00 a week and NOT working a minute over 8 hours each day was golden for me.  I actually did put in a few extra hours but that was my choice and I was free to make that up during the week by cutting out early when able to do so. I was not so overloaded as I was 95% of the time at Sprint, so I really had what everybody talks about when they spout on about a work and life balance.  I had that FINALLY!  I was learning something new and just loved my job. I loved my work at Sprint too, just not the long hours I typically put in and at no additional pay.   After months of being new and acclimating, I finally fit into the pecking order.  The team was cohesive except for one guy who was a rat and a troublemaker.  This little dude was on me from day one so I suppose he is pleased as Hawaiian punch right now as they kept him on the project and I was one of the laid-off people.

While working, I continued writing this blog, writing product reviews and answering plant-based lifestyle questions, sharing knowledge from my Hippocrates Health Institute training and selling organic skin, body and home care products as an independent representative of 3 great companies.

I love helping people and sharing why they should go organic, doing facials or helping them with a green detox or supplement but 3 years in, I pay a lot more to keep this blog going and my Independent Rep status,  than what I get paid.  Frankly, I am at a loss as to how I can earn $1800 a week take home pay doing my own gig.  So, yes,  Randy my friend,  I do understand your frustration as well as why folks have their day job, putting so much into that work that sometimes it squeezes out everything else.  Because life happens.  And as a business owner, an entrepreneur, I completely get how freaking hard this is to pull off.  In part, this is because I don’t just follow the money.  No, I fully research and vet what I am suggesting folks buy.  I read the ingredients and assure that there are no toxic substances in the label.  I will only talk about and recommend what I have already vetted as safe.  I price check to see what product between the 3 lines may be cheaper or better for you.  Then I talk about it.  I am not pushy and therefore I have few paying customers and give a lot of free advice out.  This would be why I really miss my day job but also brings us back to why having a plan b and preferably a plan c as well, is critical in life.

You can be filled with all the knowledge and enthusiasm in the world and still be sitting staring at a dwindling bank account.  You may take exquisite care of your vehicle but take it someplace and they put in a part you never needed and you cannot prove that they just took $1600.00 of your money that was utterly unnecessary.    You can never go back to a place that screwed you and you can get another job if you get laid off but it is the in-between, the plan b, that will keep you afloat and calmer when the feces hits the fan.

Back up plans are not always ideal, which is why they are back up and not primary plans.  First, you must exercise a level of control and realize that less can be more.  You compete with yourself and your highest good, not the Jones’s next door.   My neighbor sort of hoards stuff.  He gets most of it for free or really cheap.  But his garage is packed to the gills with stuff he doesn’t use or need.  Learn to let it go.  I just sold my car.  I had 2 and one paid off.  I kept the one paid off.  We have more space now and no car payment.  So whatever your current financial situation, a backup plan is respect and love for yourself. It is also respect and love for your family.

Steps to Creating a Backup Plan:
HELOCs – If you own a home where you have any equity at all, consider getting a HELOC, which is a Home Equity Line Of Credit that you never need to use but just have available in case of emergency.   Unlike a mortgage, in most states, there are no fees for this type of loan other than the interest carried on any balance.

At various times, I have used my HELOC to pay off a primary mortgage, a vehicle, to remodel that home as well as to remodel another home.

When using a HELOC or any other kind of loan system, this is not going to be ideal.  Of course, you can write off the interest on a HELOC at tax time but it is still money lost.  Use with discretion, and don’t be the one making the minimum interest-only payments or you will never get ahead or get the loan paid off.  I make double payments, at least, every month.  My goal is to get the loan totally paid off but also in doubling up on my payments each month, this creates more bandwidth in case I ever must tap into the loan again.

CREDIT – Don’t carry credit card debt.  Pay the balance in full each and every month which will save you money as well as help motivate you to dial it down if you are spending above your means.  If you currently have credit card debt, pay the higher interest rate first and get that knocked out.  Then go to the next highest rate card and so on.  You also want to pay your smallest balance first, depending upon how long that will take you and what the interest rate is that they are charging you in order to create cash flow.  Cash flow is king.  It helps create plan Bs.

Look for 0% interest when you get into a bind and need to extend something out.  We recently had a remodel that ended up being more and then more yet.  I swung some of the fixtures onto a zero for 6 months loan rather than having to pay in full when the bill came in.  At the time, I did not know I was getting laid off so I am very glad now that I planned ahead, just in case.

Savings – When working I loved to move my direct deposit into various accounts so some would be for immediate spending while others were dovetailed for savings.  Having this done automatically helps because even the best of intentions can get derailed otherwise.  Pretend it isn’t there and shortly you will have a nice little nest egg.

Respect For What You Have – Keep your things in good condition so if you tire of them or need to sell things off, they are ready for the next buyer.  From my homes to my cars, everything is in tip-top shape and maintained that way.  This means far less drama when it is time to sell something off.  Recently I sold the Jaguar.  To get it ready for sale simply meant a hose and soap.  It has recently been waxed and the interior leather treated so easy peasy.  My 24-year-old car would need a wax.  That’s it.  Both homes are market ready with the landscape on a regular maintenance schedule.  We rent out the one place but if we were ever in need of selling, it’s ready to go in a nice paying it forward way too (don’t ever forget about Karma).

Keep Your Resume Updated – Don’t ever assume you are safe.  Getting laid off came suddenly and shockingly.  We all tend to stack rank ourselves and I knew I was doing well and was not the troublemaker on the team so it came as a surprise when it happened to me.  Networking and keeping up with connections and a fresh resume takes the edge off.

Learn  New Skills – Look at emerging fields and at other ways you can apply the talents you currently have in a new way.  I’m a project manager, great at the minutia of where all the widgets currently are and where they need to be while making it look easy in front of a customer. These are valuable skills I can apply to anything from a construction or remodel project to implementing an API.  But I also adore animals and recently went through some heavy stuff with our resident Doberman and am currently studying CMT, Canine Massage Therapy to be an animal bodyworker. Like acupuncture, it is an emerging field for our fur kids and I will be one of the few in Dallas doing this a few weeks from now when I am certified.

Consider Blogging – You can become an Amazon Affiliate Marketer or write about your particular passion and gain a following.  For interested parties, check out my Getting Started page.  Just know that blogging takes time and patience to grow a business.  There are so many great niche markets out there to explore.

The Products I directly sell:

Essante –   Organic and Plant-Based Line Coconut water-based

Miessence –  Organic and Plant-Based Line that is Aloe Vera Based

Where I took my life changing training – https://op.hippocratesinst.org/moreinfo/static/34   For the free syllabus Online Life Transformation!

 

 

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Great Books About Animal Spirit & Healing

I always find it amusing when people try to differentiate ourselves far and away from the other animals as if we are not in any way similar or on the same playing field.  My husband will talk about ‘our animals’ and I will occasionally remind him that we are animals too.  In my lifetime of being around animals, predominately cats and a few dogs, birds and fish, I have come to the knowledge that they each have reasoning capabilities, a great capacity for love, forgiveness and joy, their own proclivities and desires, social decorums, ways of training others and being part of the family.  No cat you will ever have will be exactly like another.  Their personality differences are infinite snowflakes of uniqueness.  I will never have the capacity to know all animals but am amply blessed to know a few while I am here.  I have come to believe they are here to help us grow in the knowledge of right and wrong, of compassion and grace as well as aiding us in the retention of awe.  Each creature really is awe-inspiring and fearfully made.  It is a humbling responsibility to have a fur child in our family who trusts us on such a deep level to be their advocate through thick and thin, to always look after their best interest.  It is equally humbling to see that they give the very same dedication, if not even more so, to us, their human-animal companions.  I am currently studying CMT, Canine Massage Therapy, and on a progressive training there as I continue to learn more about them and myself.

I recently picked up The above book This is one of those really great books that’s hard to put down once you crack the cover.  Regardless of your religious beliefs, there is something beyond hunks of meat shaped like a cat or a person. That something is the breath of life, the spirit that motivates us behind the mind and body, that same light that fades from our eyes once we are gone.  I have been surrounded by quite a bit of death the last few years and witness how one foot is here on this plane while the other foot is in the netherworld.  People not on any drugs will awake here on this plane and tell you plainly that they were just speaking to deceased friends, relatives, their dog was there to greet them etc.  This morning, a friend of mine passed away.  Prior to Bobby’s death, he saw my best friends dead daughter Jennifer amongst others.  He would awaken here and be disappointed he had not already crossed over the rainbow bridge.    Bobby was ready to go and left us early this morning.  I believe we are all here with plans, with things to do.  But it wasn’t until reading The Spritual Nature Of Animals by Karlene Stange, that I came away with an awareness that they also have plans.  This struck a deep chord in me (see my other canine posts) as Rhett, our resident Doberman and I, have been through some heavy stuff lately which has all helped me to share new information with others to help them as well as set me upon a new career path.

Temple Grandin, upon the death of an animal,  asked in her book Animals Make Us Human, ‘Where do they go?’
She is speaking of the spirit, the light in the eyes, the thing most of us don’t really discuss that we all share, the breath of life that contains the spirit in the temporal body.

I do not advocate the killing of any of our fellow animals but I also realize that not everybody will go vegan.  I would much rather see a return (and saving) of our local farms who make efforts to raise animals humanely, who are in the meat or dairy business as ethically as possible than I ever would want to see what is happening, corporate farms with zero compassion taking over, wiping out our local farmers with their power and might who create substandard fare while creating a living hell on earth for our brethren animals.  Even if you don’t like pigs, perhaps you don’t like their ways or just don’t care, you have to understand they are loyal, fun loving and smarter than most dogs.  Dogs are as smart as that of a 4 or 5-year-old child.  That isn’t what you would call dumb.  The thing with dogs is that their emotional intelligence remains that of a 4 or 5-year-old too, regardless of how old they actually are.  Some humans remain at an infant state too but we’ll move off that topic.  ♥  While we may lose patience with an adult human acting a fool, it is very important to absorb at your core that no matter how smart your fur kid is, his emotional intelligence is that of a 4-year-old kid.  It is never going to mature beyond this so extend the necessary grace when that 4-year-old chews something up stressing out when you work late.  You’re the adult in this relationship, always.  Put things away, provide toys and other healthy distractions or own the consequences with grace.  It is true that as an animal ages, coupled with consistent,  firm but kind training or mentoring as I like to call it, good socialization as you would your human kids, they settle in and are far better behaved as they age which can give off the illusion that they are mature.  Yes but no…there will always be that child within and God bless this because we need reminding of awe and humility and innocence every day.

Randy Habib & Karen Becker have a great reference book, The Forever Dog. As a pet professional, as well as helping people and their animal companions detox their lifestyle, I am seeing far more people now  awaken to their holistic options. 

 Dr. Goldsteins The Nature Of Animal Healing is one of my reference books.  I learned about alternative heartworm treatments here as well as how bad all these annual shots are for our fur babies.  I haven’t had any shots since I was a child and I feel fine.  Why on earth do we ply our creatures with annual insults?  Also, I did not realize until last year that most of these shots, for us and them, contain mercury and other toxins in their mix.  Unless it is necessary, such as an area where Parvo is common or what have you, why put them deliberately in harm’s way?  Be judicious.  This book will help guide you there.


The book above is also a great book on Holistic approaches to wellness.  Many people argue this is silly woo woo stuff that doesn’t work, however, I have experienced first hand the healing of various homeopathic medicines and can attest that they are indeed effective.

Another fabulous reference book is Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health For Dogs & Cats.  This book teaches natural herbs and techniques, as well as recipes for home cooked meals.  Also, you can look up symptoms and diseases to help guide you through many situations.

What animal lovers library would be completed without James Herriot All Creatures Great & Small? Or perhaps the whole set, below.

Please post your own stories and comments, I love feedback and thanks for reading. ♥

Health & Wellness, Uncategorized

Detoxing The Lungs – Breath Better

The body was magnificently designed to detox every day.  The problem is that no body was ever built to withstand the onslaught we all face today.  Consequently, there is a rise in asthma and other chronic lung fatigue issues as our body burden of toxins increase.  People tell me ‘I’ll die anyway, let me eat what I want and do what I want’ but the point is in truly living and breathing and embracing life to its fullest while we are here.  Quality of life over quantity…but if you are mindful of doing daily detoxing and eating a healthy mostly raw organic plant-based lifestyle, then you will end up with both quantity and quality!  ♥

There are both active (exercises) and passive (pill popping) ways to detox and assists the lungs to do their job better and longer.  We are not merely bystanders, our health is not genetically writ but something we own by at least 90-95%.  Only 5-10% of your chances of getting cancer are genetic.  While your family tree and how your forefathers ate does affect the gene pool and make it stronger or weaker, you still have an amazing amount of control here.  I just want to drive this point home because so many folks say well, our family has asthma, or cancer, or high blood pressure, triple bypasses, diabetes or we are prone to be fat and just stop for a second and take a real hard look at how your beloved lived prior to getting their disease issues.  Don’t pass the buck here, eat better, stop smoking, detox your daily lifestyle.

Sorry I tend to get on a rant.  So the lungs… unless you are very careful to use only organic and natural cleaning agents, and environmentally friendly and toxin free furnishings, the average home contains about 10 gallons of synthetic chemical products.

From cigarette smoke, to pesticides,  from paints to household cleaners, to candles and incense or other air fresheners –  all can distribute toxins throughout the home.  One of the first lines of defense is purifying your air.  I recommend Rabbit room air purifiers. They are not cheap but they are the sleekest I’ve seen on the market with a 5 stage filtration, plus the customization is great!   I have owned some ugly air filtration systems in my day and am thankful now that I no longer feel the need to sacrifice style for health. Rabbit offers the Artists Series featuring images by Gustav Klimt, Katsushika Hokusai and original designs by Rabbit Air’s creative team, to offer you a sophisticated answer to stale air.

I leave mine on auto so that they automatically adjust the fan speed high or low as needed to filter the air in the entire room as much as twice an hour.

The Minus A2 – SPA 780 filters as much as 815 square feet while the Minus A2 -SPA 700A, filters as much as 700 square feet.  The unit stands on its own base or you can opt to wall mount it.

I totally dig the mood light, the LED lighting may be turned on so that it provides a soft mellow glow of soothing colours.  It automatically senses when it is dark or ‘nap time’ so I like to read in bed, then turn the light out for bed, watch the colours for a bit while I get myself organized and poof, it goes out a few moments later.  Perfect!

There are six stages of air purification and you can customize, as noted earlier, for Toxin absorbing, Pet allergy, odor, germs.  Many people who keep birds choose this filtration system since birds are very sensitive to bad air.

In our home, we really don’t have any place to ‘hide’ things like air purifiers or litter boxes.  It’s a modern home and not large.  These units are gorgeous!  We have people over and they comment on the filters because they present themselves as art.  As it is something that needs to blend in and look great and something I will see each time I enter the room, I am happy to fork over the cash for it.  We have our filters on auto ship as well.

Driving can be very dirty business, as can sitting in a dusty cubicle.  Working from home is such blessing but I recently found myself driving into the office far more than I planned and coughing due to the detritus level. I wanted something for the car and the office that was easily transportable, nice looking and with Hepa filtration.  The Tecool air purifier USB plugs into your car or laptop for easy peasy transition and comes in a soft white or black.   A coworker was chronically coughing one morning so I unplugged my purifier and plugged it into her laptop so she could breathe some fresh air.  Within minutes her coughing grew quieter and then stopped all together.  For $32.99 it’s a great deal.

If you are saddled with some lung congestion, such as from construction or just general pollution, while you work on clearing the air, I recommend Hyland Phosphorus as a natural homeopathic aid for cough or chest congestion. It works fast too!  I am never without this or Fenu-Thyme capsules which have two fabulous lung healing herbs to boost your lung’s ability to clear itself out.

Folks, as we age, the lungs take a real beating.  Support your lungs by cleaning your air, minimizing dirty environments and taking natural supplements to support them.

I originally purchased my Himalayan Salt Inhaler at Whole Foods.  It was over $50.00 when I left the store.  This is a steal.  The salt lasts at least 3 years and is a great detox as you sit back and watch a movie.  Do for 30 minutes at a time.  Feel the difference in your lungs.  This is great for preventing infections or when you have an infection.

Yoga is magical.  Its one of the rare modalities of exercise that join the body, the mind and the spirit, stacking the bones, aligning the body and mind, creating calm and ability to live in the present. To ease allergies and asthma, try Shining Skull Breathing.  Yogic breathwork significantly improves lung function as it works to calm the nervous system. For Shining Skull Breathing, inhale deeply through the nose and on the exhale, breathe out short powerful bursts, one every second for ten seconds.  That is your first set.  Do 3 and gradually work yourself up to more sets.  FYI, this breathwork will temporarily increase your heart rate.  Another yogic breath is to simply breath in deeply, counting to ten (or 4 or whatever you can personally do as you slowly and deeply inhale) hold for the same amount of seconds, then exhale for the same amount of seconds to even out the breath.

PurePet

PurePet Canine Acupuncture For Neurological Issues

Look closely, I call this ‘DobieTenna’ as Rhett has a needle in his head that appears to be receiving signals.

Hieronymus Rhett Thomas O’Brien Puppy (Big dog, big name) just had his 8th birthday in April.  His short name is Rhett.  He has always been a powerful dog and is so muscular that we have called him the Arnold Schwarzenegger of Dobermans as he is beautifully and massively built while at the same time, very agile.  We have downsized significantly but in our old place, we joked that he learned agility just navigating the rooms of the house without bumping into anything.  Agile.  Strong.  Rhett is also very personable, stubborn and demanding.  Fortunately he is equally as sweet and patient as he is demanding and stubborn or there’d be trouble.

Here’s a photo of the full scope and Rhett is being a very good boy.  At this point he has had several treatments but I want to take you back to June 4th.  I had lost my job just a few days prior.  We were in the throes (and holy bejeebus we still are) of a master bathroom remodel.  Funds are exceedingly tight.  I am a bit depressed but rah rah trying to stay upbeat when that Monday, after a good walk with my husband, Rhett begins acting all weird.  He’s weak, especially in the back and particularly his back right leg which he cannot put any weight on.  He’s panting, shivering and falling down.  After the trip to the emergency room where they take a wait and see approach, I figure we should try acupressure massage therapy on him.  I call someone to the house I know well and this does help but he is not at all right and needs a lot more.  I search out an acupuncturist and locate Spot On Wellness, for those in the Dallas area, he rocks.  Dr. Hartai does an initial treatment but it’s clear there are neurological issues that could be anything from Wobblers, some degenerative disease, a tumor or acute injury only now manifesting visibly.  He referred us to a neurologist for an MRI.  I actually started a gofundme to help out but beyond the first $600 which I am so thankful for,  nobody has contributed more recently so we are out of pocket about 2k and completely on our own on this because while there were discussions about chiropractic and acupuncture etc when I signed up with the insurance, apparently I am missing a rider I needed to have that would have covered all of this, less a $500.00 deductible.   I immediately got an appointment but also noted significant improvement from the first treatment.  The acupressure had helped a bit but the needles more.  It was recommended he have twice-weekly treatments and as he could not get in or out of the car well, that meant paying someone for house calls too.
Thinking logically through all this, I want to validate how the non- invasive treatments would work for my boy.  I already do not have funds for this anyway.  But I cannot allow my boy to suffer.

Should I spend the $500.00 deductible now to put Rhett through the MRI drama that will eat up at least 3k just for the test and more thousands for surgery yet  have a majority of that covered ($500.00 deductible and then insurance pays 80%) and KNOW what the issue is and treat it in a Western Medicine way which would mean I definitely wouldn’t have any cash for acupuncture treatments,  or be patient through the process of watching how acupuncture does for him?  Not easy decisions when your loved one is suffering, scared and weak and has no idea why or what happened.

IF you want my opinion right now, I find it utterly silly that dosing our boy with narcotics and putting him through an MRI scan and surgery to resolve is covered by my insurance but far less invasive and easier on everybody acupuncture isn’t…without paying more for a rider I didn’t know I needed until this happened and I called to begin filing the claim.

I am familiar with acupuncture, having work done to alleviate heartburn, hip flexor issues, hand issues, and swallowing issues with acalaysia, this weird disorder brought on by stress.  There is magic in this ancient practice.  Rhett went on twice weekly vet treatments plus at home massage therapy.  His improvement weekly was marked and uplifting.  Joyful.  From June 4th to today, 7/12, Rhett has gone from barely being able to stand up without falling down, to being able again to get up into his favorite chair, the tall bed, feel motivated enough and well enough to go see who is at the door. And bark.  He had even lost his bark.  Rhett can tell us who is at the door by how he barks. We know instantly if it’s someone we know, someone he likes or doesn’t.  And he has this amazingly resonant bass bark that rumbles inside your chest cavity that will floor you if you are not prepared for it.   When asking him to ‘speak’ for treats, he begins in a whisper.  You have to tell him louder and then he complies, gradually amping it up as asked to do so.  We did not train him to do this, it’s all his personality and peculiarity as a unique soul inhabiting our home and intertwining into our lives.  Rhett was able to again walk, then hike a leg to pee then trot, then canter and then gallop all without falling down.  His hind legs are still weak and his gallop is not full on but he can chase a squirrel in the backyard and look like he means it.  In truth he just wants to play with the squirrels, having played catch and release with them and rabbits as a puppy.  He loves and is fascinated by all life, all cats, all squirrels, all living creatures.  He doesn’t, as some dogs do, lump one cat into another or one squirrel as good as another, no…he literally wants to have a relationship with each being he meets.  He will nuzzle injured birds, and try his level best to appear small and non-threatening to meet another potential friend while on walks.  At parties, he knows how to mix and mingle with guests but also understands who is allowed in.  I have seen his full-on wicked Doberman side exactly once and guarding warning exactly twice and yes it is quite the frightening and magnificent spectacle to behold.  I understand how a Doberman or other powerful animal can be scarier than a gun.  Primarily because he knows exactly when to turn it on, he has fooled 99% of the people who know him into thinking he is a wussy lapdog.  A dear friend and neighbor, Keith once witnessed all 115lbs of Rhett engaging in play with our 7lb rooster and allowing the rooster to chase him away from the hens.  We joked that this was embarrassing and must never be spoken of.  Rhett bobbed and weaved and had fun with the rooster who I think really was trying to protect his harem of hens but Rhett meant no harm at all.   I have watched Rhett gracefully escort people he considers lost, off our property as well as look like he is hungry to tuck into the man who opened our front door unannounced. He has never needed to bite anyone as his warning has always sufficed.  Like my Boxer boy before him, I stand amazed at their brain and how they work things out all on their own, given the proper loving care, socialization and raising, really mostly all things we do with our human kids. I have had folks say…so he’s 8, right?  And Dobermans live, what to be 10?  Rhett has some 12, 14 & 16-year-olds in his line and sure, while he does have an expiration date like we all do, I love him and want to keep him around on this earthly plane just as long as possible.  He, like all spirits, will not be replaceable once he is gone.  Yes, oh you bet we will get another dog and love again, but it will not ever be the same.  It never is. That is the point, one of our lessons to learn here.

Life is precious.  Rhett depends upon us as any child would.  So he is getting therapy, it’s helping so much and I wanted to share this out for anyone in a similar boat not to throw in the towel too quickly or perhaps succumb to surgery too soon either because I feel as if I just watched a miracle unfold before my eyes as I watch my boy get back to his old strong and stubborn and exceedingly sweet self.

To speed healing, in addition to the vet work, I have him on some anti-inflammatory supplements.  We are using Infinite Hip and Joint, which is organic with Turmeric, glucosamine and .chondroitin and MSM, all great for us to take to keep us limber.

For his omega 3s and because all fish is toxic (there is plastics and pharma drugs in all fish plus mercury and other poisons thank you humans and factory farming for ruining fish) I give him seaweed, such as  Spirulina, Chinese Chlorella and Klamath Lake Blue-Green Algae and for his B12, Braggs Nutritional Yeast, which is a great way as a vegan (I am, he’s not) to get your B12 and is so delicious on popcorn.

Assisi Loop Option, the ActiPatch.

Your vet can prescribe an Assisi Loop, which is an electromagnetic field which pulses but you don’t feel it.  When near a conductor (such as tissue) the device will induce current flow, bringing oxygen into the area to speed healing while calming the pain signals.  The currents work in tissue from outside the body, no need to shave the fur, the magnetic fields penetrate through fur, hair, casts and bandages. You MUST have a prescription and the device will set you back $300.00 and for that, you will receive a minimum of 150 15-minute treatments.  Very simple to use, you push the button and it auto shuts off after 15 minutes.  (They do have one that is constantly on.)  After the battery is spent, the device is trash and you must buy a new one.  I have one now, but while I was waiting, and in a hurry to try this on myself and my dog, I located this device, the ActiPatch,  on Amazon.  There is a cheaper version but it doesn’t shut itself off.

Unless your pup requires acute care, such as post-surgery, you want the model that you can turn on and off for treatment so that you are not wasting the battery life.  For less than $30.00 you get 720 total hours of therapy (with ON/OFF switch) which yields 4 cents per hour of therapy.  This is a mini-me version of the Assisi loop which is more powerful.  The Actipatch is the ‘human’ marketed version, there is also the identical one marketed for pets that costs more and you don’t get the wrap.  Ha!  So order this one and save money plus get tape and a wrap and try it on yourself as well!

Now that I do Canine Massage Therapy and Acupressure (thanks to my boy being my inspiration) I am a HUGE fan of infrared light therapy devices and love that this one is powerful enough it requires only 30 seconds per area and self times.  Great tool!!!

See my other post on dog food recommendations, but it is very important to feed properly a clean diet.  I really like Dr. Harveys and the man will actually get on the phone with you too.

Rhett’s go fund me for any interested Animal loving parties ♥

https://www.gofundme.com/treatment-for-heironymus-rhett

Uncategorized

Breaking Up With Corporate America – The Fall of Ethics & Common Decency & How Millennial’s Serve Justice

This is my vent.  At my new job, looking forward to my  June 5th 1 year anniversary, I had sent a letter of thanks the afternoon of May 23rd to my employer.  I had been busy that week, we were readying for API deployments which I was managing the implementation of.  This is, or was, the day job that keeps/kept this blog afloat, along with my entire family as the primary breadwinner.
Well into my morning on the 24th, having logged in a bit of extra time all week and in the throes of responding to emails, I received a call to stop all work.  I had actually been let go yesterday, just nobody had bothered to tell me. No time to hand off work properly.  What kind of crazy is this?  How rude for the person taking on my work.

The bathroom remodel, which was supposed to take 3-4 weeks tops, has spanned two contractors and 3 months so far and went from 19k (guy didn’t have a clue on prices) to 32k.  While I have money saved, I was actually counting on regular paychecks to take care of this remodel.  Not only would having my bathroom back, getting my beautiful new tub (which has been sitting for months outside in the yard) actually situated in the house where it belongs, be quite lovely, my master closet is also in this bathroom.  This would be the closet where I could perhaps locate appropriate shoes and attire for an interview, were one to come up not on skype or phone that requested my physical presence with expectations of me putting some care into my appearance.

And I was now completely stressing over a very expensive stove for my inlaws that I had gleefully offered to pay for, not knowing the bathroom price would be significantly higher or that my job would vanish within a few weeks.  The ins just don’t understand my current (and very temporary) drama.  They’re in a jam and I have been shoring them up as agreed.  It will all work out in the end of it.

I continue to scan the finances to figure out what I really should keep and what I can let go of. Change is always a great time to sit quietly and meditate on what you need in your life and what no longer serves you.  All monthly donations to charities were canceled.  I can set those up again downstream.  YMCA membership?  Keep, I DO need my yoga!  We have re-worked the budget and I am not allowed in stores.  🙂

On June 5th our dogson, Rhett, a strapping handsome, smart and sweet Doberman, normally bounding about with full-on power and energy, went into a spiral.  After his morning walk, he kept falling down. Some sort of spine, nerve trauma and so suddenly we have no idea what he could have done to bring this on.   Rhett needs twice weekly therapy and acupuncture treatments.  On the upside, we have witnessed swift improvements and he is feeling so much better.  Not to beg, but I did set up a gofundme for him and the link is below if you know of any animal lovers, dog lovers, Doberman people, kindly help by sharing,  please and thank you.

Job from the bible comes to mind but that guy had it way worse than me so I am determined to remain thankful.  Still, what on earth happened to common courtesy?  What happened to warnings of layoffs pending, to having a conversation and providing some modicum of notice when someone is no longer needed? How is it that the worker bee is asked to provide notice when the business does not? What do these actions say about a future at any corporation or the morale there?  Do we put up with instability and fear or change our plans? When is the income level high enough to compensate for that fear and not knowing when yesterday was your last day there?   When a company is that freaking hard up to do a merger, provide extra bonuses for their execs, or make their bottom line and stock price heftier before announcements,  that they must turn to layoffs, especially without any notice, one has to question if the decisions which precipitated that action, are equally thoughtless.  While this, of course, affects individuals and their families, many of us also have employees counting on us,  a lawn service,  housekeeper, grocery delivery service, dog walker,  and we should take that seriously too because just as our income is affected by our employer, we affect peoples incomes too. Also, in some situations, we are not really in a good position to let these employees of ours go.  For example, I get sun poisoning if I stay outside too long, so the lawn guy stays.

While I am absolutely stewing over this, ruminating over my pissed offedness, and hurt, really so hurt,  I also know intuitively we co-create at least 95% of what happens to us. Next, when things do happen, there is reason and purpose behind it.  I am now opened up to find other work, another purpose.  I am also out a 98k salary.  All in all, quite the bummer.

My contract terms stipulated I must provide 2 weeks notice to leave my position,  while I received an ‘oh by the way this happened yesterday’ termination.    I have become an afterthought.  This makes me think of all the afterthoughts out there silently hanging with me.  Corporations today seem soulless, doing things on the regular that they would never have even discussed perpetrating 30 years ago. There was, feigned or true, an appearance of giving a damn, an understanding that there should be coverage provided to good workers with some grace, funded 401ks, healthcare and pensions and time off to enjoy life. In my 20’s the healthcare I never used was fully funded by the company.  I watched the pension die.  I watched the 401k stop getting matched. I watched 16 years of quarterly layoffs and spotty raises.  So many people back in the day worked for themselves or in their families business.  When you give up that control for working at someone else’s business, it makes sense to get some kind of return, not just weekly but to cover you in retirement years.  It sucks having what you have worked for crumble through no fault of your own. Not all of us want to work until we are 100. Not all of us will be capable.  I have seen ethics and compassion vanish over the last couple of decades and greed take over.  My husband, who is in management, complains of the millennials.  He is lucky to get even a day’s notice when someone quits. His last notice was less than 24 hours and said ‘thanks so much for the opportunity but I am moving on’.  This from a young dude my husband took under his wing and mentored.  It was his first job.  He could have moved up but decided to move on. Most don’t even give notice, they’ no call no show.’  The millennials are far more about themselves, what they want to do right now,  make right now than ever paying any kind of dues or putting up with anything they don’t like for any length of time.  I find quite a lot of humor in this.  It is the ultimate payback to the dispassionate care corporations have given their workers for so long now.  While I do feel sorry for my husband, he is a wise, ethical, caring and fair-minded man, I snicker at what has been wrought.  This is exactly what Corporate America asked for when they took us from long 8 hour days and weren’t satisfied with that into mandating exempts work until the job is done, 10, 12 and 16 hours per day and stack ranking us accordingly,   managing by fear. Getting the milk for free as they say.  Nothing is ever free.  Eventually, we pay for things the right way or Karma takes care of it later.  In the 50’s & 60’s, there was much talk of how technology was to have us working perhaps 4 hours a day and enjoying so much more personal time.  I want to know what happened to that? (Greed) When companies make the choice to disassociate from compassion towards their workforce, to buy up another company or do some other unnecessary thing, this is not balanced.  I see a lot of imbalance in most folks finances and I see the same insanity in many corporations. Obviously, a company is attempting something that is too much of a strain if they are unable to do that and also keep their daily work and workers going. They are not living in balance. And if your finances are a mirror of this, you are not in balance either.  The problem with your personal finances not being in balance is the stress it causes. Gone are the days when you could feel comfortable at work, settle in.  I believe everyone should have significant savings and manage all debts to increase their cash flow as much as possible.  Ages ago, I read Robert Kiyosaki’s book Rich Dad Poor Dad,(link below too) and at that time I was mired in credit card debt.  My mother had taught me that, but my dad was a very practical man and a saver.  This book really opened up my eyes to the spirit of money and all the ways we tend to abuse it.

No matter who you are or what you make, everyone needs to be thinking about a plan A, B & C.  Stuff happens that throws us off our game and shapeshifts us.  While you can feel how you feel, in that moment, it is also necessary to absorb lessons and to move on.  In order to do that, you have to sort through the wreckage, what worked, what didn’t and create a plan you can use next. All of this really helps if you already had a backup plan to turn to.  For me, I had some savings to finish the bathroom.   Job searching but I don’t believe my next role will be with any typical corporation after going through all that I have been through the last 28 years and in particular the insult a few weeks back. I am thankful for what I have earned and the education, but firmly believe we all deserve respect and very saddened to see a lack of the very basics in courtesy happening in Corporate America.  I am learning,  meditating on next steps,  determined to carve a new path forward thinking more like a millennial.  For those of you finding yourself in this or similar situation, I hope sharing my story and the interesting reading below helps you shed light on where you are today and where you plan to go.  ♥

Help Our Pup!  https://www.gofundme.com/treatment-for-heironymus-rhett?sharetype=teams&member=295754&rcid=r01-152951544828-f60b9c3bb15c4ec2&pc=ot_co_campmgmt_w
Interesting Reading:

Health & Wellness, Uncategorized

GMO, Organic, Wildcrafted & Natural – Why Go Organic?

Much of what we pay extra for today, was de rigueur in the 50’s.  Today it’s about speeding things up, playing with genetics and making as much money as possible at the expense of everything else.  Most of us make a living selling or supporting something, some product or company.  I do so as a marketer of Cleaner greener, eco and animal-friendly products, those that I market directly(site links below) and those that I market for others such as Amazon and CWG water purification.  (see my water purification article)  I take what I do seriously because there’s a ton of misinformation out there.  I do want to make money, but not at the expense of being disingenuous.

GMO’s  – These are Genetically Modified Organisms, kicked off by Monsanto to sell their Glyphosate laden Round-Up product and put a patent on God and do it one better as if we could ever one-up God. In fact, those of us who despise Monsanto and what they are doing call it God Move Over.  GMOs for short, these organisms, seeds/plants (and now insects and animals, no not kidding)  are engineered to resist death when the crop is sprayed with herbicide. The catch phrase is ‘Roundup Ready’.  This causes cancer-promoting hormones in the milk of non-organic cows which are fed GMO food, also laced with antibiotics to mitigate disease from the unhappy overcrowded never see sunshine separated at birth from their babies, dairy cows which are  kept continuously pregnant and also fed ‘enriched feed’ which consists of GMOs and dead cows, cats, dogs etc, everything that gets rendered for its last bit of usefulness. This is how Mad Cow got started, people!  Cows, um…don’t eat other cows.  They sure don’t willingly and knowingly.  When sheep and cows began being fed dead members of their tribe to save money, this is what happened.  But I digress….

Chemicals From Hell – 1/3rd of Monsanto’s revenue is based on Roundup. 300 million lbs of this poison is sprayed annually on crops in the US. RoundUp was declared a human carcinogen by the Royal health Organisation March 2016.  Some countries and jurisdictions are abandoning it, including stores but we have a serious problem here. There are now round up resistant weeds or superweeds. Roundup is also sprayed as a ripening agent for such produce as grapes, potatoes, wheat, barley, lentils & rye. Roundup is stored and absorbed into the crop which is completely unsafe! There are over 30 diseases that match a curve of when GMOs took hold.   And my neighbour got an earful outside spraying this crap on his lawn as he, a stage 4 cancer survivor, explained to me he cannot afford organic food and boy, this stuff works fast.  Yes, and it poisons our water, causes leaky gut and genetic mutations and superweeds, please neighbour just cease!  We are mostly bacteria. 10x more bacteria than cells in our body. Roundup ready plants kill gut bacteria and chelate all our minerals so we and our animals that eat GMOs are weak.  So what happens here is that Roundup is sprayed to kill everything off.  To keep the plants we want to grow alive, plants are genetically engineered to contain  BT Toxin (Bacillus Thuringiensis) in abundance.  BT Toxin is 1000 times more toxic than the spray.  How Roundup works, is that it blocks the shikimate pathway in plants but it also affects us, killing off good gut bacteria and messes up our signals that we are full. This toxin is an insecticide that breaks open the cell walls of the insect’s stomach.  They tell us that somehow this crap is safe for us humans and I call BS on that.  Rather, it causes Leaky Gut,  autoimmune disorders, Leukaemia, Parkinsons, heart disease, It can create allergies to, say, peanuts or some other harmless substance as well. Glyphosate  Is toxic to the mitochondria. Disrupts cytochrome, p450 (CYP) enzymes, promotes cancer cells, is an endocrine disruptor, promotes birth defects, produces formaldehyde.

I think I just beat up GMOs enough for the next, oh, five minutes, so let’s move on to natural and Wild Crafted stuff, shall we?

Firstly we all must read our labels, shop with reputable companies and understand that labels can be misleading.  There’s a ton of greenwashing out there.  Companies know that people prefer to get something animal and planet friendly and market accordingly.

Wildcrafted means the plant was picked out in the wilds, found in nature not planted by or managed by humans.   A benefit to wildcrafted is typically hardy plants, not genetically modified, full of nutrients in soils not tampered with by humans. Something wildcrafted has not been purposely sprayed with any pesticides so generally, you are safe there.

Pesticides – You want to avoid pesticides because not all of it washes off or out, both in our clothing or in our produce.  Sometimes the pesticide can seep into the fruit of a plant as well and lastly, you want to avoid pesticides because of what they do to our environment, our earth.

Natural – This word can mean many things and be very misguiding.  To get to the bottom of what the word natural means to a particular company, you have to go back to that company and ask.  Companies stamp a product natural to entice customers to buy.  In our minds, we believe natural to mean the ingredient was found and then used in its natural state, no chemical or synthetics added. This may not be true and it absolutely does not mean it is pesticide free.

Supplements – Synthetic or Plant-Based?   I believe it is important with supplements, to avoid synthetic ones and always go plant-based.  Per my training with Hippocrates Health Institute, Leukocytes will only eat food, not chemicals.  The body can be tricked to a point, but at the cell level, it will not be as effective for you.  You can test this doing a Spectra Cell analysis which is a great tool to see what you are deficient in.

In the case of synthetics, the argument here is that, rather than out in nature, the dose can be regulated and the very same from one batch to another.  But per Hippocrates, this means if you take a chemical vitamin C, for example, your blood will probably see it, but that DOES NOT mean your cells have it! Your immune system fights chemical supplements. Chemically derived nutrients do activate biomechanical stimuli which at first give the impression that the synthetics build our health too, but they do not provide the positive body chemistry changes at the cellular level. What is not in the cells ultimately doesn’t matter. 80% of these synth supplements come from big pharma.

Why Go Organic?  –  Firstly, anything organic is automatically free of GMOs and pesticide use.  It’s even better to see GMO free and Certified Organic on the label!  Typically, an organic product is higher in nutrition and quality.  The quality is going to vary based upon soil quality, travel time and any downstream processing.  Some farmers augment their organic soils to be nutrient dense and others may not be as passionate about that. You will have variances per crop.

I personally try to market and buy for my family only wildcrafted and organic.  Again, you still need to have confidence in the company you are buying from and monitor how you feel when using their products vs another, but when a company goes through the trouble to certify their ingredients as organic, that is a huge statement for that company to make and it also entails legal issues if that claim is false.  This is exactly why I shop organic and sell organic products for skin, home and body.  I believe strongly that in a very polluted world, this provides me and my clients, assurances of getting a better, safer potent and pure product.  I hear of companies that say they don’t want to pass the costs of certifying themselves organic onto their customers, that they actually do things a level above and beyond the USDA guidelines etc.  Color me skeptical.

The following rules are applied when the USDA approves a product to use their seal:

  • 100% organic – This means that product must contain 100% USDA certified ingredients (excluding water & salt), with no non-organic ingredients, and that their processing methods employed must be 100% USDA certified organic.
  • Organic –  This means that this product must contain a minimum of 95% organic ingredients (excluding water & salt). So only a maximum of 5% can be non-organic.
  • Made With Organic Ingredients – This product must contain at least 70% organic ingredients (excluding water & salt). With 30% of the ingredients being non-organic, the company is not allowed legally to display the USDA certified organic seal.

When you buy organic this means the manufacturer takes pride in their stewardship and product enough to jump through the necessary hoops to put certification on their label.  Many companies, such as the ones I rep personally for, go a step farther with 3rd party certifications too.  This may not mean that a non-certified essential oil or what have you is bad.  It does mean, however, that I won’t be buying it and I also won’t, without a caveat, be trying to sell it to you.  ♥

Here are the links to the companies I rep for.  Feel free to shop but if you are passionate about the planet, animals and helping people detox, feel free to join me!  Reach out with any questions. Also, see my blog about how each business works more in-depth.

EssanteOrganics.com  Organic and Plant-Based Line Coconut water-based

Miessence  – Organic and Plant-Based Line that is Aloe Vera Based

https://op.hippocratesinst.org/moreinfo/static/34   For the free syllabus Online Life Transformation!  This was the last training I took, a life changer.

 Additional Reading:

More info on going Organic:  https://www.organic-center.org/organic-fact-sheets/top-12-reasons-to-go-organic/

Supplements & Super Foods

Why You Should Leave Fish Off The Menu & Essante & Vegan Omega Oils


www.EssanteOrganics.com/Puretemple Where ingredients are plant-based, certified organic and wild-crafted.

Many folks, as I once believed, think eating sushi and fish in general, to be a healthy thing.  My vet keeps trying to cajole me into providing fish oil to my dog, for the omegas and joint lubrication.  As a plant-based lifestyle coach, I seek out and market green, pure,  eco and animal-friendly companies because Jesus Palomino there is a ton of crud out there to choose from and I know we can our omegas in other far healthier (and kinder) ways.  While we need Omega 3s, there are a few compelling reasons to leave fish off your list.  First, we have polluted the waters. All fish now contain plastics, pharmaceutical drugs, mercury and other harmful contaminants.  Farmed fish is no better with the over-crowding and GMO laden feed pumped with antibiotics to keep these stressed and crowded fish alive.  Lipid Peroxide is the oxidative degradation of lipids, causing damage to the cell membrane because free radicals steal electrons from the lipids in cell membranes.   Fish oils exposed to air become a poison. The fish lobbyists want to sell you omega 3 but it’s toxic. When fish die out of the water, the oxygen immediately makes the oils rancid. Fish do not stink when alive, but immediatly after begin the ‘fishy’ smell.  I keep fish and know it well.  The body is designed to produce essential nutrients like EPA and DHA from whole foods.  Next, we have over-consumed them.  There are other fish, whales, seals and polar bears starving and not just due to the dwindling sea ice, but because we have overfished the oceans that were once a plentiful bounty.  Fishing is no longer ethical, using crawlers that catch so many fish at one time with dire bycatch consequences.   Greed has corrupted us, and overpopulation, attempting to meet supply with demand has done such an insult to the earth.  And lastly, fish are sentient beings with their own feelings, likes and dislikes, they think and they feel especially the higher up you go.  For example, fish don’t need calculators, but I do.  Just a joke.  No, I really do need a calculator, and a notepad to write everything down.

Here are some ways you can get your Omega 3’s: Chia Seeds and their sprouts, Hemp Seed and oil, Raspberry seed oil, Flax seed meal and oil, pumpkin seed and oil, primrose oil, walnuts and oil, Fizner Oil, green veggies, most sprouts, green and blue-green algae.  I take Klammath Lake Blue-Green algae not just for this reason, but as a full-on detoxer. Pure Synergy Blue-Green Algae is a good source.

What I like about Essante, and why I am an independent rep for them, is that this company really focuses on pure ingredients.  They have just launched a patented probiotic guaranteed to grow in the gut (the only probiotic guaranteed to do that) and they have great superfoods (Reds, greens) and digestive enzymes which are necessary when eating cooked foods and beneficial for anyone including those on a raw diet.  The more you stress your body, the faster you age.  Give it help.  I have vegan friends who shun all supplements.  At Hippocrates, I confirmed my feelings that in this polluted world, no matter how we eat, we do need some supplements.  Choosing smartly is the key.  The more our world is corrupted, the more we need help and mindfulness.

Essante’s Omega (3,5&9) is organic flax seed.  This is cold pressed, unrefined.  This means you are getting quality ingredients that are not adulterated by GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) or any pesticides.   When doing your own comparison, note that the bottle is 90 capsules and the suggested dose is 3 times per day.  Clicking on the link above, selecting PH Nutrition, Supplements and Powders, will get you a lot more detail but for those who care about this (I do) the capsules are gelatin.  The company is slowly going vegan with their capsules and as I type this, that may have changed by the time you order.  Still, something to be aware of.  You can always poke a needle through and squeeze the goodness out onto a salad etc.  Each soft gel has 1g of healthy vital fat.  There is no heat in the processing and no metals.  It may surprise you but there is Mercury in our shots when we go to the doctor and also in a lot of our supplements.  None here my friends!  No preservatives, no funk.  No junk no funk. This is a US made product, not outsourced to Asia where regulation stinks and you get sub par quality.  (See my blog about Canine Kidney).  Like the next omega I will show you, Essante is also 3rd party certified.  This means they are woke enough to make something of value and prove this by engaging a 3rd party to confirm the quality.


Natures Way is also a great brand.  This omega uses algae and not flax seed. I love that the capsule is vegan, they are 3rd party tested and that it’s a plant based omega.  The price is great too.  That stated it is not organic as Essante is and does not confirm exactly how it is processed so I cannot confirm it is cold pressed which is important for retaining value in the product.  My thinking here is that if it were cold pressed, that would be shouted to the moon and back.  So….you get what you pay for, but this is a decent product.

So I had a cat, Flat Faced Ian, who shunned fish.  Now I believe she knew something I didn’t at the time.  I had to research stuff and got her on flaxseed because her tiny being went into congestive heart failure one day and was diagnosed with Advanced HCM.  I broke open capsules and gave her hawthorn berry and stuck needles through my flaxseed gel caps to add to her food.  We were told we had, at best, 3-6 months with her.  Years later, I took her to the vet for a checkup and they asked ‘shouldn’t she be dead?’ followed by ‘Why haven’t you brought her in up until now?’  I figured if she was dying in a few months, I was going to enjoy her, not stress her out with vet visits and next, try to do all that I could to keep her going longer in a natural way.  10 years later she was put to sleep due to a mass in her tummy that was blocking the exit.   Flaxseed and love kept that cat going.   In the end, though, we all meet it, don’t we? But the point is that we enjoy quality of life in the meantime.  And I am such a woosie I hope there is a rapture prior to my demise so that I can just perhaps be beamed up.  Cheers, all!  Feel free to post what you ended up purchasing and how the products worked for you as this helps others and that is why all of us are here. ♥