With all the stresses, noise and business of the world today, practicing meditation or any form of relaxation is critical to a health body and mind.
Showing posts with label better for you. Show all posts
The What, Why and How of Meditation
June 16, 2017
With all the stresses, noise and business of the world today, practicing meditation or any form of relaxation is critical to a health body and mind.
Essential Oils
September 11, 2015
My mom started using essential oils about a year ago, but I wasn't sold right away. Honesty, I though it was another one of Mom's 'things'! :)But, after using them a few times, I had more faith in them, and now I love to use them!
What are Essential Oils?
Each essential oil company has it's own standards in regards to the way them make their oils. We use a brand called, Young Living , and we love their Seed-to-Seal standards! Essential oils are simply the oils from botanicals. They can be use in so many ways, to promote healthier living in all aspects of life!
Oils I love!
Lavender: I love this one, and it's probably the oil I use the most! Here are a few ways you can use lavender to promote healthier living!
Each essential oil company has it's own standards in regards to the way them make their oils. We use a brand called, Young Living , and we love their Seed-to-Seal standards! Essential oils are simply the oils from botanicals. They can be use in so many ways, to promote healthier living in all aspects of life!
Oils I love!
Lavender: I love this one, and it's probably the oil I use the most! Here are a few ways you can use lavender to promote healthier living!
Burns: Appling a few drops to a burned area of skin can help relieve some of the discomfort.
Bug Bites and Stings: A few drops on a bug bite or sting can help to relieve some of the pain or itching.
Sleep: Smelling the oil or applying some to your sheets and/or pillows can help to calm you and help you sleep!
Thieves: This one is probably my Mom's favorite oil, for good reason too! Here are a few ways we love to use this oil!
Disinfectant: Thieves can be used to clean anything from the countertop to you hands, and it can help to disinfect the area.
Bug Repellant: Applying a few drops, or spraying it on your skin and clothing can help repel the bugs!
Cold/Canker Sores: My sister has used a few drops of this oil on her canker sores to help relieve the discomfort.
Purification: This is another one of my favorite oils to use, and I use it quite a bit too!
Acne: This is how I use this oil the most- Applying a drop of oil to a skin blemish or acne spot can help to relieve discomfort and some redness.
Insect Bites: Much like lavender, purification may used to soothe bug bites.
Stinking Shoes: A few drops into your shoes can help to, well, purify them and make them smell nice!
Lemon: This one smells so nice, I love to use it whenever I can!
Energize: A few sniffs of this oil can help to energize you and can be uplifting!
Cleaning: Adding a few drops to your cloth to clean, or diluting it in a spray bottle can be a wonderful way to get your house clean, without using harsh ingredients.
Essence Water: Add a few drops to your water for a nice, refreshing drink!
Please Note!
I am not making any health claims, but I am sharing with you the ways some essential oils can be used. They don't work the same for everyone, so some things might work for a certain thing for me, but not for you!
Obviously there are a ton more essential oils out there, so I encourage you to try a few out and learn as much as you can about them and the way you can use them! Going to a website like, Young Living, can give you some more info!
Please share this blog with a friend and family member! You can follow the blog via email, Google, Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett and on Twitter @ SpinachisGood.
I'm going to change my post schedule from every Monday and Friday to just every Friday! Hopefully this will give me more time to put more into each post!
Keep Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana
Meaningless Food Labels
April 28, 2015
There are a lot of food labels that seem to be healthy and good for you, but when you really get down to it, they really aren't that great. A lot of the food labels like Natural, Made With Real Fruit, No Nitrates and so on, don't mean exactly what they would like to lead you to believe they do. Knowing what these food labels really mean is helpful when choosing the healthiest food!
Natural
This food label may seem and sound like a good choice. A lot of people chose the 'natural' labeled foods because they think its better. But, the FDA( Food and Drug Administration ) has no regulations over this widely used term. Costumers have even sued, and won because the foods labeled as natural were found to be full of chemicals and additives.
Natural Meat
This food label would lead you to believe that the animal was raised naturally in the open air with grass to eat. However, this isn't that case. None of these things, raised out doors, let graze on fresh grass and treated naturally, have to be done to label the meat as natural. The animal could have been fed drugs all it's life and then enhanced with salt water and still be called natural!
No Nitrates
People may think that this means the products doesn't contain nitrates (A chemical preservative linked to cancer in animals ). However, this usually just means that a naturally based nitrate was used that chemically cures the meat the same was a synthetic nitrate does.
Trans Fat-Free
This food label leads a lot of people to think that this is a healthier choice. That this product is free of the unhealthy fats we all want to stay away from. The standard for this label is less than half a gram of trans fat per serving. Check the ingredient label for partially hydrogenated oil, the culprit ingredient. Thankfully, in late 2013, the FDA removed trans fat from the generally recognized as safe status so we should expect to see less of it soon!
Made With Real Fruit
Eating more fruits and veggies is something we all want to do, so this label is appealing to most of us. But, for so many reasons, it shouldn't be. Real fruit at the bottom of a yogurt container? Try sugar, high fructose corn syrup and food dyes. Food companies can feature fruit on the label as long as they use the word 'flavoring' . There have been several law suites over the deceptive labeling. So, to stay safe, skip the 'Made with Real Fruit' products and go for the real, unprocessed, fruits!
No Antibiotics Used
The over use of antibiotics is leading to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria and superbugs. According to the NRDC ( Natural Resource Defense Council) 80 percent of antibiotics sold in the US are used in livestock, most for the animals that aren't sick, but to prevent infection that might result from unsanitary living conditions. The good news is we can opt out of this crazy system! Chose meat that is certified USDA Organic, Animal Grass Fed Approved, Animal Welfare Approved, or certified humane. These labels have thorough certification. The meat will cost a little more, but it will protect you and your family's health.
No Hormones Added
Hormones are given to beef cattle to grow bigger and dairy cows to produce more milk. They are the key ingredients to the factory farm system. There are growing concerns that added hormones pose health risk for humans, animals, and the environment as they contaminate the soil, surface, and groundwater. Added hormones are prohibited in poultry and pigs, so be aware of those claims. The use of the term 'Hormone Free' isn't allowed by the USDA and the term 'No Hormones Administered' is unverified. Instead, look for products labeled USDA Organic, American Grass-fed Approved, and Certified Humane Raised and Handled as these are labels that require certification.
Now that you know what these misleading food labels mean, hopefully you can make better food choices. I know sometimes choosing the better food can be more expensive, but if it is better for your health, it pays off in the long run when you don't have as many doctor bills and you just feel better! Treating your body right and keeping it healthy is worth it!
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend! If you are new to the blog, please give it a follow and check back for more post on all things healthy living! You can follow the blog on Twitter @ SpinachisGood and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.
Keep Healthy and Safe!
H. Banana
This food label may seem and sound like a good choice. A lot of people chose the 'natural' labeled foods because they think its better. But, the FDA( Food and Drug Administration ) has no regulations over this widely used term. Costumers have even sued, and won because the foods labeled as natural were found to be full of chemicals and additives.
Natural Meat
This food label would lead you to believe that the animal was raised naturally in the open air with grass to eat. However, this isn't that case. None of these things, raised out doors, let graze on fresh grass and treated naturally, have to be done to label the meat as natural. The animal could have been fed drugs all it's life and then enhanced with salt water and still be called natural!
No Nitrates
People may think that this means the products doesn't contain nitrates (A chemical preservative linked to cancer in animals ). However, this usually just means that a naturally based nitrate was used that chemically cures the meat the same was a synthetic nitrate does.
Trans Fat-Free
This food label leads a lot of people to think that this is a healthier choice. That this product is free of the unhealthy fats we all want to stay away from. The standard for this label is less than half a gram of trans fat per serving. Check the ingredient label for partially hydrogenated oil, the culprit ingredient. Thankfully, in late 2013, the FDA removed trans fat from the generally recognized as safe status so we should expect to see less of it soon!
Made With Real Fruit
Eating more fruits and veggies is something we all want to do, so this label is appealing to most of us. But, for so many reasons, it shouldn't be. Real fruit at the bottom of a yogurt container? Try sugar, high fructose corn syrup and food dyes. Food companies can feature fruit on the label as long as they use the word 'flavoring' . There have been several law suites over the deceptive labeling. So, to stay safe, skip the 'Made with Real Fruit' products and go for the real, unprocessed, fruits!
No Antibiotics Used
The over use of antibiotics is leading to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria and superbugs. According to the NRDC ( Natural Resource Defense Council) 80 percent of antibiotics sold in the US are used in livestock, most for the animals that aren't sick, but to prevent infection that might result from unsanitary living conditions. The good news is we can opt out of this crazy system! Chose meat that is certified USDA Organic, Animal Grass Fed Approved, Animal Welfare Approved, or certified humane. These labels have thorough certification. The meat will cost a little more, but it will protect you and your family's health.
No Hormones Added
Hormones are given to beef cattle to grow bigger and dairy cows to produce more milk. They are the key ingredients to the factory farm system. There are growing concerns that added hormones pose health risk for humans, animals, and the environment as they contaminate the soil, surface, and groundwater. Added hormones are prohibited in poultry and pigs, so be aware of those claims. The use of the term 'Hormone Free' isn't allowed by the USDA and the term 'No Hormones Administered' is unverified. Instead, look for products labeled USDA Organic, American Grass-fed Approved, and Certified Humane Raised and Handled as these are labels that require certification.
Now that you know what these misleading food labels mean, hopefully you can make better food choices. I know sometimes choosing the better food can be more expensive, but if it is better for your health, it pays off in the long run when you don't have as many doctor bills and you just feel better! Treating your body right and keeping it healthy is worth it!
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend! If you are new to the blog, please give it a follow and check back for more post on all things healthy living! You can follow the blog on Twitter @ SpinachisGood and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.
Keep Healthy and Safe!
H. Banana
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