Coconut Oil....so very good for our bodies!

When I was pregnant with my son 34 years ago my Mom told me to use cocoa butter to not get stretch marks. She was right! I went through 3 tubs of the stuff in the 9-1/2 months I was pregnant. My stomach skin came back to normal for me after the birth. Such an inexpensive way to keep your skin supple. I am thankful Mom told me such a valuable secret. So now 34 years later I begin to seek out the cocoa butter and coconut oil. I have begun using coconut oil to cook with and to spread on my toast & breads. Being a lover of butter I was hesitant. I don't know why but when I finally made the first piece of toast with it I was sold. Coconut oil has so many benefits for you.
Coconut oil contains less calories than other oils and is often used for athletes for energy & endurance because its fat content converts easily to energy. It is not only good to consume but also wonderful for the skin & hair. When applied to the skin it has tremendous healing properties. When applied to the skin it provides a protective layer from bacteria & viruses.So needless to say I now will always have stocked on my shelves edible coconut oil also the kind for my skin & hair. I have begun to use it on my face instead of the $50 Dr Denese hydroshield serum I have used for years. Although I love my Dr Denese treatments and it worked wonders for me, I now will use this as the cost is so much less and I get the same results....if not better. I happen to think better results.
One product to take care of your body on the inside & outside! I love my Coconut oil!
 The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, 

antifungal, antibacterial, soothing.

Woman trying to help others with new book about divorce | YourSewickley.com

Woman trying to help others with new book about divorce | YourSewickley.com

2nd Book Released!

2nd Book Released!

DIET Verses "DIET" how we use a word changes its meaning

1. 

what person or animal eats: the food that a person or animal usually consumes

2. 

controlled intake of food: a controlled intake of food and drink designed for weight loss, for health or religious reasons, or to control or improve a medical condition

"a wheat-free diet"

3. 

regular intake of something: a continuous or daily experience of, or indulgence in, something other than food

"living on a diet of soap operas and game shows"

ADJECTIVE 

1. 

designed or promoted for weight loss: describes a food or drink that is intended for people trying to lose weight, usually because it is low in calories or fat, or contains a sugar substitute

"a diet soda"

Above is the definition found in the dictionary for the word diet. Just to let everyone out there know that when I reference the word diet in my blogs I am not referring to the meaning I have highlighted in pink. I use the term diet to represent those highlighted in blue. I have been fortunate in my life as to never having to diet in the respect to loose weight. If anything I have usually been under weight and had to use means to put weight on. The use of steroids also were not steroids to assist in body building to build mass of muscle or increase stamina, the steroids I used in the past were prescribed by my doctor to correct a spell from the MS being flared up. Or at least take the edge off of the problem. I do not advocate any type of dieting or binging or use of steroids. I am a believer in totally natural means of controlling your health with wholesome foods for nutritional value, exercise and the use of supplements to maintain and assist in keeping or getting your overall health in line to give you a better quality life.

My motto is Live Life Fully & Abundantly so UCanBeWell4Ever! So please if any of you have taken my blog the wrong way and are thinking I use steroids for body building means or take diet supplements please understand this is not my message. Nutrition, prayer and supplements helped me get into a remission once before 19 years ago and that is my goal again. 

Last Visible Sign of Steroids Gone....

I am so happy to see my smile lines on the sides of my mouth come back! My little chubby face is going away! All the visible traces of steroids are behind me now. I earned those lines. They give me character. I missed them. Now the person I see in the mirror is more like me. I am a happy lady. 
So done with the steroids last Friday...it has taken 1 week to return to normal for me. Let's hope they have not done any inside damage. 
A new symptom has taken control though. My right foot went numb over the past weekend. I started walking with a friend early in the week, the evening of the second day of our walk I had severe leg and foot cramps in both legs and feet that evening. It has left me with tightened muscles in leg and upon walking I now have a bit of a limp which will not leave. When telling the doc in April when I had a checkup that I was starting to get severe muscle spasms again he cut me short and said he was not concerned about that. He offered no help but to send me for PT 2x a week which actually tires me out and causes cramping in feet. Time maybe to fire him. Does anyone out there know of a good, reputable doc in the Pittsburgh area who handles MS cases? If you do please leave his name in the comment section. I have begun looking, not just for this reason but for several other reasons which are being made clear to me that it is time to move on. A person under a doctors care for 27 years should not have to endure such things when there are other meds available. I am doing all natural remedies but at times you just need something to get inside of you strong enough to get you past the pain. There is no need for undue suffering in my opinion. But, what do I know? I am not a doctor, but I do know MS since it has lived with me for 27 years. And I do know he could have handled the situation a bit better and perhaps I would not be in this shape right now. 
Happy Weekend Everyone......

DIET.....SUPPLEMENTS....MS

A very good link  (CLICK ON IT ) I came across this article today. If you do have MS or know of someone who does this may help you. As you know I am an advocate for using healthy eating and supplements to aid any type of illness which attacks our bodies. But we must make sure we do not exceed what our bodies require as then we could cause damage. Please seek a nutritionist if you are planning to use supplements along with your medication. I maintained a remission for nearly 19 years by using my healthy eating habits and supplements. Other health conditions which came to visit me over the years have played some roll in having my MS come out of remission along with stress of all sorts in life. But I haven't given up that foods and vitamins can heal our bodies. And oh yes, prayer works wonders also. Prayer brings a peace to you which is a great stress reliever. 
My moto is "if you don't move it, you loose it". So I push to keep moving, but I also have learned how to give in to when the little voice inside my head says "rest, you are allowed to rest". Guilt in resting too much is something I have had to deal with since my MS has come out of the remission. Sometimes people make me feel guilty about resting. But then I need to tell myself.....I am the only one who controls how I feel....not others....I am the one who makes myself feel guilty. Don't battle with yourself....rest when you need to. Then you will have some sort of energy to do what you want, or at least what you are able to do. If we listen to our bodies it can help us. 
Fatigue is our bodies telling us to stop and recharge. Don't push fatigue.....I have done this and it only makes you feel worse.
Enjoy your weekend!

Walking made me remember this home remedy ...(recipe for oil for spasms)

So 5 days into no tiny, tiny pills.....weight dropped significantly...old body is coming back to live with me.....funny how such tiny pills can blow your body up and let you feel uncomfortable in your own skin. POISON.....I hope to not need to take this road again anytime soon. Steroids are very hard on your body.  Vision is still blurry on and off, but no pain in eye. Other MS symptoms still reek havoc on my body on a daily basis. Just a constant reminder to me that I need to kick it's butt. 
I started walking with a friend yesterday. Haven't done much walking in 7 months let alone to do it for exercise. To think I was once a runner, body builder and an avid exercise buff. I dream of these days coming back to me again. I refuse to get rid of my exercise equipment in my home.....bike, eliptical, pilates machine, pilates bar and my all time fav "torso track" the best ab machine I ever tried. If I sell these I am giving up on what I am all about. I look at them with hope for my future. Anyhow back to walking.....we took the dogs for a walk or should I say the dogs took us walking. I huffed & puffed my way but I did it. Returned home and collapsed after a good meal and then the pain set in. The worst symptom of my MS for many years has been horrible muscle spasms which are like a giant charley horse in every muscle from your calf down through your foot which actually happens all at once pulling each muscle away from the bone and you can see the individual muscles take shape and tighten up. They have a mind of their own and all the screaming, crying in the world will not help. It is painful. It does help to be able to stand on your foot and try to make it lie flat on the floor but the trick is getting yourself to a standing position. They are paralyzing. They leave you unable to move at all no matter how hard you try. Crying does help. I have had full grown 200 pound men turn into wimpy, scared, panicked people when this happens with them around. They feel helpless to me and no man wishes to not be able to help their lady.  But the spasms are so painful and obvious that you can not hide them. I have had full grown men cry along with me. So this walking  thing, which I wish to continue doing because my muscles in arms and legs have lost a lot of strength in the past 7 months, is going to become a priority right now for me. 
Upon getting the spasms I remembered an oil I learned to make 27 years ago to help. I always had a jar on hand. Now I will start making it once again. Here is the recipe if any of you wish to make it. It is not only good for MS but any type of muscle soreness. 

• fill jar 3/4 full with extra virgin olive oil
• add dried chamomile, thyme,yarrow, sheperd's purse,St John's wort and sage
• place in sun (indoors is best on a table which gets sun) 
• once each day invert the jar so that herbs mix with the oil
• sit upright once again
• do this for 14 days so that the herbs infuse with the oil. 
• rub on sore or spasm area
• this will help immensely, but you may smell like a pizza for a bit!

So today I go to my cupboard and see what all I have and make a list of the herbs not on hand and I order some online from a herb shop. This oil will keep for many years.Do not refrigerate, leave it sit on your shelf in the bathroom or on your night stand. The longer it is around the better it becomes. Do not remove the herbs, they settle to the bottom so they will not interfere with what you use. A mason jar works the best. Preferably the smaller ones used for jelly as they have a wide neck and you can just put your hand in and get what you need. Make a batch today....even if you don't have MS...I am sure most of you get sore muscles or cramps once in a while.