another win for turmeric ginger tea (golden milk)

We are well into autumn in Australia,  and a few days ago another virus-bug-cold-cootie type thing tried to take over me, and again, with nature's help, I won! hehe! That's Sarah-3, cooties-0 so far! I know I gotta stop this gloating or I'll jinx myself!

Anyway, I followed my natural healing protocol and instead of feeling worse each day,  I felt better each day.  I used to be bad in a tearful, I'm dying way, (no, I'm not just a wimp, I used to feel great shame in how bad I felt, but I've realised in the last year how incredibly strong I am and have always been, dealing with so much, two organs that don't work  at all and multiple chronic illnesses, a virus to fight was always over over over kill...) so, now, with my new regime I just feel bad, not extremely-emely-emely bad ... Plus no doctors, no waiting for appointments, no 100's dollars spent at the chemist, no antibiotics, no spreading to lungs and and and....MONTHS of illness followed by awful flares and more disability... It just went POOF! And I could pretty much do something at home each day instead of feel myself slipping into a mucusy hole of mucus, pain, dispair and ickydom. Yes that IS a word!

Find the recipe here... TURMERIC TEA CLICK HERE FOR MY BLOG POST AND RECIPE

THE NEXT POINT OF THIS POST IS....I've not really healed completely in my gut, stomach, esophagus from the 20 yrs of harsh medications I was taking for my autoimmune diseases, or the 36 yrs of antibiotics, PLUS I still have to take 10 mg of prednisolone daily for my Addison disease which still plays havoc on my gut lining, I still have tummy issues, and I may always.  It does go away at times, but comes back, its no where near as bad as it was previously, before my healthy life changes, but I still get the gnawing uncomfortable something lives in there kind of feeling, swallowing can be difficult and nausea.  BACK TO THE POINT, IT ALL WENT AWAY WHILE I WAS SICK AND DRINKING MY TURMERIC TEA. AND now I've stopped for a day, the pain is back!! Gasp!! Light bulb moment! I researched again and yep, turmeric helps heal the gut! I take curcumin and ginger supplements daily, but this tea seems to settle everything down WAY more! Probably as it touches all the inflamed parts as I drink it  down. Capsules miss the initial tubing and dissolve in the stomach.

Also my pain and inflammation was less when I drink it, and I slept like a baby! I'm sleeping like I've never slept before on my beautiful healthy whole foods diet, but this was even better... Sleep is good, I'm still catching up on the many many years of only two hours sleep a night, so, yeah! That's huge for me!

Let's not forget how amazing the ginger is too! 

Before you say you can't eat spicy food... I was always one of those people who could never eat spicy food... Even tomato hurt my stomach, I had it all, GI irritation, GERD and IBS...  Food allergies, medications, then PPI's and antacids for the GI problems all contributed. Now I'm eating the right food for me and stopped a huge percentage of the damaging medications I was on, my stomach is much more balanced and healing. So, spicy doesn't hurt me now. I eat everything and the spice is doing what it is made to do... Wonderful healing things! Joy, joy happy happy, I love it!!

I fancy a curry now...Hehe!   I do recommend you do everything slowly and LISTEN to your body, use your common sense.... but I've lived my whole life in such discomfort and sickness... I'm going to shout the stuff that helps me from the rooftops if I can!  It stuff that is working for me, I will never share anything that I've not tried and tested.

Stay well friends, we have more power than we've ever been lead to believe!

Missing chocolate this mothers day???

Or got a mum who eats nothing but rabbit food? Are you scratching your head as to what to get her that's as sweet as she is for Mothers day? 

Why yes! You read my mind!!! 

What's that you show, healthy chocolates??? 

Do tell more! 

What do I need? 

To make the nut butter, check out my easy instructions by following this link

How to make nut butter

Then simply add everything to a blender, and combine. 

Press into cute chocolate moulds, harden in the fridge. 

And voila, you have a beautiful present for your mum, and she'll love you for it, even if she did have to make it herself. If you are like my son and have paws instead of hands.. Teehee!

The beaut thing about this recipe is you can use less maple syrup if you like, more or less cacao, or peppermint. Personalised chockie :-) 

Thanks Pippin, I love my boy! 

Happy Mothers day to all types of mums everywhere!  

don't get sick this winter...fight back naturally!

Can you believe it, I haven't had a cold, flu, virus, since before I began my holistic healing journey.  That is over 2 years!! The last time I was sick it lasted for 9 weeks, which was normal for me and I'm pretty sure that final bug threw me into the massive flare up of my arthritic condition, that nudged me onto the natural healing pathway...they do say things happen for a reason ;-)  I was one of these kids and adults who made a living being sick, or gave the drug companies and doctors their living I should say..that boat and vacation property, it came from me, yep..lol  My first memory is of being sick, I remember the doctors surgeries. I wasn't allowed to touch the toys in case I got sick haha!! Honestly, if it was going around, I got it, even if it wasn't going around lol!!  Yes!!  I spent a lot of time being sick and by the time I got to my teens knew exactly what to do and which antibiotic I needed lol. I had to take SO many courses of them, and when they didn't work I got antibiotic injections, along with more antibiotics...

Anyway, it was nothing unusual for me, I just got on with my days at home, morning TV, looking at books, crafts.  Back then it was better than school so I didn't mind so much. But now I do!!  I'm finally feeling the best I've ever felt in my life, I don't want to waste any time being sick with the unnecessary!

The other week I went to the shop, and it honestly felt like one of those video games where you have to avoid the attack of the monsters...this time the monsters were people sneezing and coughing!  I kinda felt like I'd be immune to it, but for as long as I remember I've avoided people who are visibly sick.  I would hold my breath, move past them, lag behind, it became a bit fun trying to speed walk through the aisles before they caught up hehe!

But alas, I was not invincible this time!  I got sick!!!!  NOOOOO!!!!!

This is no time to panic Sarah!! 

Honestly, my first thought was curl up on the couch and let it take me, but the responsible Sarah was firm, don't give up, fight, and so fight I did ;-)

Firstly I carried on eating everything I usually did, everything!  I believe that throwing some natural remedies on an unhealthy lifestyle and diet will not give the same punch.  I also took all my daily herbs and spices that double up as great virus busters, ginger, curcumin, nettle, apple cider vinegar, plus I added an olive leaf supplement, drank ginger tea with fresh lemon, and for the first time I made GOLDEN MILK! I thought taking the supplements was enough, but no, you feel this stuff working as its going down, it is amazing!!!  I still make it now.

There are loads of versions of this delicious milk to try, but this is my recipe, which of course I think is the best ;-)

I am not a fan of pepper, but you NEED it in this recipe.  The body can not respond to the healing properties of turmeric without it.

I use coconut butter to add creaminess, instead of using milk.  Here is my post on making nut butter and using it as a replacement for nut milks  http://sarahmedina.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/the-easiest-way-to-make-nut-milk.html

And for those who want to use regular milks in the golden milk, you can do a straight exchange with the water in the recipe.  

The other thing I did, besides take rest and keep warm, was get some fresh air, carry on with a simple version of my daily yoga routine to keep my energy flowing, pushing the unhealthy out while replacing it with healthy glowing healing energy.  

A couple of other great products I can't live without are these olive leaf, homeopathic throat and nasal sprays...  In my long history of throat and nose/sinus problems, these are the best I've ever tried. They last me for ages because they work first or second time, and don't leave me a mucusy mess when I stop using them.  I actually use the nasal spray each time I come home from the shops, or other place where germs can easily spread.

http://www.iherb.com/Seagate-Olive-Leaf-Throat-Spray-Raspberry-Spearmint-1-fl-oz-30-ml/16771

http://www.iherb.com/Seagate-Olive-Leaf-Nasal-Spray-1-fl-oz-30-ml/16766

Plus, I used my essential oils! These pictured below are all great for cold and flu relief, but of course I love eucalyptus, lemon, lavender, cinnamon and peppermint the best. Mix a few drops into some base oil like olive oil and rub some on your throat, forehead, back, chest and feet, rub between the palms of your hands and breath it in.  Much much better than any store bought product!

Yes, I love essential oils! 

Oil burner mix...its a lot, use what you have, but I have to say this mix was amazing!  And I love blending, mixing, creating recipes, looove it, so much fun!  It reminds me of being a child and making potions in the garden with plants, rocks, seeds, water and buckets, only I'm using the real things now.  I think we are born with a knowledge of what we need to do to live a healthy life, and we act it out with play, but most of this old wisdom is lost in this modern age and not been handed down.  I'm glad there is so much to learn and access now through the internet connecting us all, technology can be good.  

So, there you go!  Beat cold and flu before it takes hold, enjoy your rest day or two, because you'll be back on your feet before you know it ;-)

Update...I got another illness, a couple of weeks after this one, and beat it again! I feel like I've cracked another code or something, this natural way of living rocks! Yes I'm feeling the power lol

Creamy Coconut Melts

When first I gave up dairy there weren't a lot of options in the shop for substitutes. I didn't like soya milk, I tried rice milk and almond milk which tasted a bit better, but quickly became an expensive habit.  I made my own almond or coconut milk but this became quite a big task that needed repeating every few days, I just wasn't physically able to keep it up. I also didn't like the wastage, because I couldn't use the discarded grounds quick enough in recipes, and so, I stopped making that. I began buying tins of coconut cream to add to my warm beverages, recipes, dinners, and things like that. it worked great until I realised how many additives where in the can! (Fast forward and I feel so much healthier without the cans!)

In the supermarket today there are so many varieties of alternate milk, nut milk, coconut milk, in cartons and fresh in fridge. When I first began on my healthy eating quest I would have thought this was wonderful!  Today I look at the packed aisle and I know that the additives in those cartons and the piddly 2.5 to 3 percent actual nut that is used is a pure rip off and really not a healthy option at all!

This is an example of how much actual nut is present in most commercially  packaged nut milks.... Astonishing!

Although I enjoy drinking tea black now, I still like my coffee to be a little creamy, and I need to drink my morning coffee!  So what do I do? I make my own coconut butter on nut butter, let it set in little chocolate moulds and then put a pretty little morsel in my coffee or melt one in some boiling water to add to soup or whatever I need in. It is super easy, they don't go bad and they melt pretty easily.

When you do the comparisons, financially you're laughing, it takes me about 10 minutes to grind the nut butter in my coffee grinder (make sure you keep grinding until it has a smooth oily look) and set it in the moulds. They won't go bad and so can be made in advance, and ready to use when needed. And, if you are looking to duplicate what you buy in the shop, one of these in a litre of water would compare.  Just melt it in some boiling water, add another litre of water, and shake before you pour. Of course I would not be so stingy as this and use at least a tablespoon per cup of water ;)  The other benefit is you can use clean organic nuts or shredded coconut, with no additives, thickeners, emulsifiers, flavours...MSG... yep, you'd be surprised how much of that is hidden in pre-packaged milks!

Coconut

Cashew

The crazy thing I never liked about pre-packaged almond milk was its tendency to move in my coffee cup like it was growing and dancing.... Like some weird science experiment lol This does NOT happen by adding nut butter. Plus there is a natural sweetness from the nut butter, I use no sweetener in my coffee at all any more. You will notice sediment at the bottom of your cup, but I think it's delicious and drink it up or swish my cup to incorporate it with each mouthful..who needs an emulsifier, we have an arm and a hand, or a spoon, or we can put it through a sieve first if we are sensitive to the texture. Hey presto no waste, you're getting all the nutrient from the whole nuts, not throwing half away.

Through all my experimentation, this has worked the best for me by far, nicer, easier to keep up making it, easy to use, cheap, and no waste that's a big thumbs up for me!

....and they are SO cute, fun to make and pretty to use! Yay for cute fun things!

and I still get to enjoy my coffee...cooooffffeeeee.....

my all natural, wonder cream...

I've been experimenting with making my own body creams for nearly two years now, learning about the properties of oils, waxes, butters, creating different combinations, trialling recipe after recipe. I began by using eeevery oil I could find, they all sound SO good! I thought they had to be better all together ;-)

Since I'm so sensitive, I ended up using the oils etc straight on my face to learn the exact reactions, how well they absorbed, if I was allergic to any, etc. This recipe has been the best so far, using my favourite oils, the waxes can be interchangeable depending on bee or nut allergy. Its very simple but providing all my skin needs to deeply moisturise, replenish, and lock in moisture.  Less ingredients mean sensitive skin has less to react to, that's always a good thing.

Use on moist skin, straight after shower or bath for best results.  Your skin will be much more receptive to the oils with some water present, but once you add water to any cream or lotion recipe, bacteria begins to breed, so it's best to avoid the need of adding preservatives by following this simple step.  If you find your skin too oily after use, make sure you let it soak in for at least 20 minutes, before blotting with a tissue, and perhaps use less cream next time before trying another blend of oils... Don't give up, every skin is different.

Cream can be used around the eye area and make sure you include the lips! I never use lip balms anymore, this does it all. Hands and feet and unmentionable areas too ;-) I never need body cream anymore, even with my very dry skin and psoriasis, my home made natural soap is enough. (soapy blog post coming soon)

The apricot oil is great for irritated skin, penetrates deep into the skin softening fine lines, the coconut oil is a great anti inflammatory and used extensively for skin sensitivities. The jojoba sinks deeply into the skin, and helps prevent moisture loss, as does the wax, holding that crucial moisture in, so the skin won't dry out so quickly, meaning less lines, wrinkles and premature ageing.  I urge you to do some research on oils, and experiment away, it's very worth it.

My cream has no scent, but still smells pretty good.  It's very very easy. You can substitute the oils if you want, if you keep the ratios of oils and waxes the same you can't really go wrong. For example, I love what rose hip seed oil does for skin... But if I use it too often I become sensitive... However, with the cream I make for my sister I add 10 grams of rose hip oil, and take away 10 grams of the apricot... Easy!   Play around, it's fun. Not everyone's skin is the same and especially if we are sensitive, we all react a little differently.  Olive, almond and macadamia oils are also all amazing and great for sensitive skin.

Most importantly, don't be afraid of oils! They are wonderful, wonderful things, straight from nature. They are cheap, highly available, even on your supermarket food aisle shelves.  Trust me, once you find the right oil or combination for you, they will work so much better than anything you've ever tried for any skin problems and needs... Nature's miracle!

"But oil will make me greasy and give me break out's..." NO! Oils will not clog pores, cause blackheads or pimples! One very big reason these things happen is when our skin is lacking oil!  It super charges oil production creating these problems.  Put the oil in, hey presto, minimal skin problems and breakouts ;-)  If you've tried this kind of method before and had bad results, you may need a heavier or lighter oil. I encourage you to keep trying :-)

Where I buy my ingredients... 

At the supermarket... 

And online, click for link... 

In Australia Aussie Soap Supplies 

In the USA but great prices and cheap shipping Iherb

In the USA Brambleberry

Have fun! x S

Questions? or if you'd like to share your favorite oils, or recipes, please leave a comment :-)

bickies for breakie...

I did a bit of baking this morning, these are yummo, even if I do say so myself.   I always find this healthy type of baking so much easier than the conventional method, no rubbing butter into crumbs and all that hard stuff lol So it's not a daunting task to do before lunch, plus it's not bad for me, it tastes as good, no, better actually, but there is no guilt involved, fantastic!

I created the recipe to taste like a fruity oat biscuit but of course they have no oats, no grains, vegan too, with lots of coconut products, fruit and nuts.. all good stuff for my anti inflammatory diet.  I like to have something healthy but easy, a little sweet and yummy, on hand to eat in the morning, nicer still if it has some crunch to enjoy with my coffee. These little bickies are perfect!  They took about an hour for me to prepare, would be faster for a able bodied person. I go on to freeze them and take them out the night before.  They last me ages! 

Ingredients... 

1 cup dates pitted and chopped

1/2 cup sultanas 

1 cup walnuts chopped 

1/2 cup ground almonds 

1/2 cup ground cashews

2/3 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger (optional) 

1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt

1/3 cup maple syrup 

1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract

Water to combine if needed

Mix in fruit with the rest of the dry ingredients well

Then add the wet ingredients and combine. I do this all with my hands, arthritis means I can't use spoons to mix, but there is always a way, and it's a much funner way Hehe! Squish! Lol

Plop spoonfuls onto a baking tray and press down, there is no butter or gluten in these so they will bake exactly how you place them. 

Bake in a preheated oven at 160 C for 20 minutes. Yuuuummmmm! 

Makes 24 good sized biscuits. 

Hope you enjoy!  xx S 

natural baby wipes for my baby...

My furbaby, is just like his mama, very sensitive lol.  Poor little guy is always inflamed, itchy and has spots on his little tummy. I've tried so many things to ease this problem... I think it's grass allergy really. But another thing is he has long fur, so I use baby wipes to wipe his little doodah and tushy.  That was before I read how many chemicals and pretty nasty things go into the commercial baby wipes!

So research on my never fail Pinterest and I found a great coconut oil baby wipes recipe! So, I made it yesterday and it is working well so far and better than the commercial brands, yep, better! Fancy that!

So all you do is use a brand of paper toweling that works when wet. Put in a container, I unraveled my roll while pushing it into my container. Then in a separate cup, I melt a small amount of my natural homemade soap, (ends up being about 1 tablespoon), mix in to 1 1/2 to 2 cups of warm water with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and a couple drops of tea tree oil to keep things fresh. Viola!

Pip doesn't look below and scratch after I've wiped him,  and it is so much easier to clean that skirt and tail after he goes number twos!

And hopefully we'll have one completely happy puppy soon!

UPDATE...he is now practically itch free!!! But we have also washed all his bedding and carpets in a natural solution of vinegar and baking soda.  Story to follow shortly!!  We have been busy bees lol!