Author: Health Freedom Idaho

  • Herbal Honey an Ancient Medicinal

    Herb Infused Honey. Honey is medicine. Raw, unpasteurized honey is antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic. It helps build blood and actively promotes the healing of tissues. And according to Stephen Buhner,

    “Honey contains (among other things) a complex assortment of enzymes, organic acids, esters, antibiotic agents, trace minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, hormones, and antimicrobial compounds. One pound of the average honey contains 1333 calories (compared with white sugar at 1748 calories), 1.4 grams of protein, 23 milligrams of calcium, 73 milligrams of phosphorus, 4.1 milligrams of iron, 1 milligram of niacin, and 16 milligrams of vitamin C, and vitamin A, beta carotene, the complete complex of B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, sulfur, chlorine, potassium, iodine, sodium, copper, manganese, high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, and formic acid… and the list goes on. Honey contains more than 75 different compounds! Many of the remaining substances in honey are so complex (4-7 percent of the honey) that they have yet to be identified.” 

    All this and we haven’t even added the plant medicine.

    Also, herbal honeys are delicious and so incredibly pleasurable to make. Everything about the process is sensual and glorious, if a bit sticky (this is why we have tongues and window shades). There’s nothing quite so beautiful as honey lit up by sunshine. Combine that with the colours and scents of fresh herbs and you’ve got yourself a bonafide experience. Take your honey in tea, on toast, use it to make medicinal syrups or liqueurs or just eat it off the spoon.

    11412399_896425497069857_3916898294343928999_n

    Depending on the herb you choose, there are a couple of ways to make yourself an herbal honey—cold or warm infusion. More delicate plants like wild rose or elderflower do better with a cold infusion, while “tougher” herbs like rosemary or grindelia need heat to extract the flavour and medicine. Fresh herbs are much preferable to dried.

    A good rule of thumb is a 1 parts herb to 12 parts honey for a cold infusion and 1 part herb to 5 parts honey for a warm infusion. You want more honey in a cold infusion as you won’t be evaporating off the plant waters with heat. More honey means less chance of spoilage.

    Curious how to make a cold infusion of Wild Rose Honey or Warm Infusion of Grindelia Honey visit GatherVictoria.com

    Herbs best suited for cold infusions:

    Elderflower, Rose, Mint, Linden, Queen Anne’s Lace Blossoms

    Herbs best suited for warm infusions:

    Grindelia, Fir tips, Lavender, Yarrow, Thyme, Rosemary, Wild Bergamot, St. John’s Wort, Balsam root, Holy Basil, Sweet Basil, Calendula

    Herbal honeys make a wonderful gift and make a perfect host or hostesss gift.
    Remember to let the receiver know they need to place the sealed jar in a warm place out of direct sunlight and allow to infuse for 2-4 weeks. For a milder herbal honey, start tasting at 2 weeks.

    And a quick note: leave some blossoms for the bees! Forage responsibly, take only what you need and plant flowering herbs for our pollinating pals.

  • Classic Made Healthier Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

    Many families are switching to gluten free and reducing sugar. Concerns about glyphosate in the wheat, blood sugar and gut issues or a diagnosis of celiac doesn’t mean you miss out on the excitement of decorating gingerbread men cookies. This recipe by All Day I Dream About Food has taken the yuletide classic and made it gltuen free, low-carb and sugar-free. A classic made healthy so no one has to miss the Christmas fun.

    Tender Gingerbread Men Cookie Recipe

    Classic Gingerbread Men cookies made low carb and gluten-free. Perfect for decorating with your kids and giving as a healthy holiday gift.

    Ingredients
    Cookies:

    • 4 cups almond flour
    • 1 cup Swerve Sweetener
    • 1/4 cup coconut flour
    • 2 tbsp ground ginger
    • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
    • 2 tsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp xanthan gum
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil (or butter) melted
    • 2 tbsp Yacon syrup
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    Royal Icing:
    • 1/2 lb powdered Swerve Sweetener
    • 1 ½ tbsp egg white powder
    • 1 ½ tsp arrowroot starch OR 1/8 tsp xanthan gum (optional)
    • 1/4 cup lukewarm water more if needed to thin out
    Instructions
    1. For the cookies, preheat oven to 275F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
    2. In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, sweetener, coconut flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt and cloves.
    3. Stir in eggs, coconut oil, molasses and vanilla extract until dough comes together.
    4. Divide dough in half and turn out first half onto a large piece of parchment paper. Top with another piece of parchment and roll out out about 1/4 inch thick.
    5. Use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes and gently loosen and lift with an offset spatula. Place onto prepared baking sheets.
    6. Gather up scraps and reroll until too little is left to roll out. Repeat with second half of dough.
    7. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown and just firm to the touch. Remove and let cool 5 minutes on pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
    8. For the royal icing, in a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sweetener, meringue powder and arrowroot starch or xanthan gum.
    9. Add water and stir until smooth. Add more water 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.
    10. Pipe icing onto cooled cookies and let set 30 minutes or longer.
    11. *For crisper cookies, bake at 225F for 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. They will crisp up as they cool
    Recipe Notes

    Makes about 50 cookies when cookie cutters are about 3 inches tall. 

    Nutrition Facts
    Keto Gingerbread Men
    Amount Per Serving (2 cookies)
    Calories 141 Calories from Fat 105
    % Daily Value*
    Total Fat 11.7g 18%
    Total Carbohydrates 6.2g 2%
    Dietary Fiber 2.6g 10%
    Protein 4.6g 9%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    BE SURE TO VISIT ALLDAYIDREAMABOUTFOOD.COM for other classics made healthy.

    This article originally appeared at: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/classic-gingerbread-men-low-carb-and-gluten-free/.

  • Voices from the Vaccine Debate

    In critically evaluating the vaccine debate, this is what gives me pause… I ask myself, “what’s the motivation behind the message?” On both sides, there are experts trying to protect our children. But the real question is, “Who benefits? Who has something to gain?” And when you ask this question things become a little clearer…On one side is a multibillion-dollar industry that is immune from legal action. on the other side, you have mothers, fathers, educators and researchers who have nothing to gain and potentially everything to lose by being the vocal minority. So for me, I listen to the minority voice that has nothing to gain for speaking up..that  that’s what’s for the greater good.” – Augustine Colebrook

    Who are the families? What are their stories? Visit the Vaccine Prayer Community We Remember Tribute Page There are so many stories and too many families who have suffered due to vaccine injury.

    “I pray more parents take it seriously and at least do their own research before injecting their children with vaccines because they are told that’s what they have to do.”

    Picture

    Malakai received six vaccines at his 14 week check-up and died within 24 hours.

    “…We have also been in touch with a lot of moms from around the world who have also lost their babies within 24 hours of receiving a vaccine. Something is wrong with all these healthy babies dying. It’s not rare or uncommon this is happening every day. Our children are dying. We have to save each other.” 

    Read full story.

    Christopher Bunch
    August 14, 2018
    Christopher (age 14) became ill and was diagnosed with Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)  shortly after receiving the Gardasil (HPV) vaccine. He died within weeks. ADEM is a reported adverse effect of the  Gardasil vaccine. Listen to his parents PLEAD with the council in charge of making the CDC vaccine recommendations that turn into vaccine mandates for school attendance. 

    Here’s the heartbreaking words from his father’s public facebook post:  

    I lost my precious son this year in August from the HPV VACCINE. People try to compare them but there is no comparison. Yes I was and still am sad about losing my mother and grandparents, but the feeling of losing my child is by far the worst feeling in the world. Losing my mother and grandparents, they are supposed to go before us, it sucks, BAD! but it’s the way of life. We are NOT supposed to bury our child, NEVER! They are supposed to bury us. But thanks to the HPV VACCINE it didn’t work that way for my family and thousands more. One day Christopher Bunch we will have justice for you son. I PROMISE! I love you and we will never stop fighting for you. You are so loved and so very missed. #gardasilkilledmyson #NeverForgetChris #flyhighblueeyes

    Dawson
    April 7, 2018 – June 19, 2018
    Dawson died within 18 hours of receiving 8 vaccines at his 2 month “well baby visit.” His death has been ruled as SIDS. The doctor told his mother, “there are really no side effects
    to these vaccines.”
    Read Dawson’s Obituary.

  • Anti Vaxxer Public Testimony

    How are vaccine schedules were approved in the US? By the ACIP, most people have never heard of it, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. 15 experts int he field are chosen to make Federal recommendations on the vaccines. They are the committee of individuals that increased the vaccine schedule from 10 vaccines in the mid-1980s to the bursting at the seams 37 vaccines scheduled of today. Anti-vaccine individuals (as they are called by internal documents) have the opportunity to speak for 3 (sometimes 4) minutes on their concerns about the vaccines. Below is a video recording of those brief comments as recorded by the CDC. These are concerned parents and grandparents with a background in research, retired medical practitioners and parents who recovered their children from vaccine harm and those that buried their child from a fatal injection. 

    Here are the concerns, that remain unanswered and that alone should give you a moment of pause. 

    The reality is that vaccines aren’t approved for health and safety but for profit potential.

    <PUBLIC COMMENT BEGINS AT 50:51 mark>

    The ACIP – A Remarkably Powerful Committee of Appointees

    JB Handley describes the ACIP this way: 

    People often ask me how the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) went from recommending 10 vaccines for children in the mid-1980s to the bursting-at-the-seams 36 vaccine schedule of today. My answer, which always surprises people, is a four-letter acronym: ACIP.
     
    ACIP? Most people have never heard of it, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Locked away inside a single page on the CDC website, the ACIP is described as:
     
    “15 experts in fields associated with immunization who have been selected by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide advice and guidance to the Secretary, the Assistant Secretary for Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the control of vaccine-preventable diseases. The Committee develops written recommendations for the routine administration of vaccines to children and adults in the civilian population; recommendations include age for vaccine administration number of doses and dosing interval, and precautions and contraindications. The ACIP is the only entity in the federal government that makes such recommendations. [emphasis added].”
     
    The ACIP is a remarkably powerful committee of appointees. 
    Let’s say you’re Merck, a giant pharmaceutical company with vaccines as a primary business line. And, let’s say you have invested several hundred million dollars in developing a vaccine. Just for fun, let’s imagine the vaccine you have developed is for Rotavirus. Let’s say you would like to sell your vaccine to as many people as possible.
     
    Well, if you’re Merck, and if you want to sell your new Rotavirus to as many people as possible, you can pass through one door and one door only: the ACIP. If the ACIP approves your vaccine, you can write your ticket. If the ACIP denies your vaccine? Zero. 

    As Congress’ report notes:
     “The recommendation [by the ACIP] for routine use of a vaccine is tantamount to a Federal mandate for vaccine use.”
    It’s almost hard to comprehend the amount of pressure pharma would be under to “manage” the ACIP and give their vaccines the best possible chance for approval – there are literally billions of dollars at stake for a single vaccine.

    Why do they use the term Anti-Vaccine Activist? 

    Anti-vaccine activists. Why not call us a group of concerned parents/Citizens? The term anti-Vaccine is used in a derogatory way to dehumanize and discredit us as individuals. 

    Jaclyn Gallion, Washington Informed Consent / Testified at ACIP mark 1:08.48

    It’s degrading and derogatory. In the manner it’s being used here the label is meant to marginalize, discredit families, parents
    …oh they’re a bunch of crazy anti-vaccine activists” no different than calling us conspiracy theorists. They’re a bunch of prejudice Bigots. It’s unacceptable for them to treat concerned citizens this way.

    Since 2010 they have been attempting to ‘regulate the narrative.’ with instructions to public health officials and doctors to minimize the concerns and repeat the mantra that vaccines are safe and effective. Comments on Jaclyn’s facebook post by Ravi Kulasekere gone on to say: 

    The term anti-vaccine is bandied about quite freely by MSM (both media and medicine) and government officials as a derogatory term to instill in your minds that we should not be taken seriously. On the contrary we should be taken very seriously as I have shown you time and time again we have nothing to gain but everything to lose with our advocacy for the truth and transparency about the insane vaccine agenda. What we report on social media is the truth and what EXACTLY is being said by these people. Nothing doctored and nothing out of context, after all most things are live videos and you hear what they say anyway.

    Pay close attention to what they are saying because we have now mobilized and armed with science and logical reasoning have started to show up to testify at Statehouse hearings and public comment sessions on vaccines at state and federal level. Obviously they are nervous because they have nothing to say that is useful and can refute the concerns we have. So the plan and advice given to everyone in the pro-vaccine side is to keep repeating the same useless nonsense on their part and not to engage us or provide us with the information that can hep us understand and perhaps put our minds at ease. 

    Does that sound like transparency to you? 

    To me it looks like they have been caught with their pants down by a ever growing group of informed citizens and they are doing their best to pretend like we don’t exist. But we do and the more they act in this manner the better it is for us who want answers not whining by lapdogs of the pharmaceutical industry. Kudos to all the brave activists and advocates for truth. 

    In 2015 a Time article praised a group of researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who may, at last, have come up with a way to cut through the misinformation and get the truth across Don’t just tell parents to vaccinate their children, show them what happens if they don’t.

    That might have backfired on them. The researchers wanted to scare parents into what “MIGHT” happen to their children. The parents of vaccine damaged children share what ACTUALLY happened to their children. Sadly, those promoting and pushing the billion dollar vaccine movement as ‘safe and effective’ fail to realize that majority of anti-vaccine parents were parents who were pro-vaccine until they saw the damage it caused.

    The voice of parents of children damaged by vaccines is getting louder and bolder. The passage of the SB 277 vaccine mandate in California opened the floodgates of parents who #wedid and saw the movement of education through social media pushed through by TannersDad and others that had never been seen before.

    Perhaps the policymakers don’t realize that the greater the mandates, the stronger the resistance and the louder the voice of those damaged by vaccines.

    #Wedid Learn from Us so that your child doesn’t suffer the same fate. Here are some articles to start your research:

  • A Plant Can Do This? Why is it illegal?

    The recreational use of the cannabis plant to produce a “high” has overshadowed the myriad of industries that hemp is viable for and this is precisely how and why the plant has and continues to receive such bad press. A short documentary named The Hemp Conspiracy, looks at the benefits of cannabis outside of recreational use.The documentary maker said he created the video to explore the debate around legalizing cannabis.

    The video begins with a narrator asking: 

    “What if there was a plant that had over 60,000 uses, a plant that had the ability to heal some of the deadliest diseases known to mankind, could replace many chemical ridden medicines prescribed for problems such as depression and insomnia? A plant that could aid in the reduction of the growing and devastating effects of deforestation across the planet, a plant that was illegal for reasons that simply do not make sense?

    “That plant is cannabis.”

    The documentary investigates how the illegal plant could be used in a number of helpful ways.

    THOUSANDS OF BENEFITS

    There are three species of cannabis Sativa indicia and Ruderalis all of which can be split. Although usually, the Sativa type into an industrial compound referred to as hemp. This is where the industrial side of cannabis comes in. Hemp has been used for thousands of years, and its usability is unlike anything else it can be used for oil for cooking and converting the fuel. The seeds which are one of the most nutritional seeds on the planet. Supply every mineral and vitamin the body needs. It can be used for clothing and only requires half the amount of water to turn into fiber than cotton. It also requires no chemicals or fertilizers. It can also be used as housing insulation fiber boards.

    PAPER and PLASTIC

    Two main resources that can be produced using hemp by could have a profound impact on the planet and our lives is paper and plastic. According to a study conducted in 1916, it’s believed one acre of hemp over the course of 20 years can produce four to ten times the amount of paper than trees. Although the deforestation problem we are faced with today is attributed to many things, reducing the need for tree paper by using hemp, would still reduce the damaging effects of paper production. Which sees roughly four billion trees being cut down a year for that purpose. Yet less than nor point one percent of the paper we use today is made with hemp plastic which cannot only be made to be completely biodegradable. This would reduce the enormous amount of pollution on beaches and destruction to marine life. It can also be produced with little or no chemicals which we all know makes up the majority of plastic we used today.

    So how did this beneficial and non-intoxicating medicine become illegal? “It’s kind of simple,” says Martin Lee of Project CBD “It’s marijuana prohibition — that’s why it’s illegal…and it’s built on a mountain of lies.”

    A GAME CHANGING MEDICINE

    Scientists and researchers believe is the reason it has profound benefits in the first place so they have been able to identify 483 different chemical compounds within the plant 80 of which are called cannabinoids so far we do not know a whole lot about these 80 cannabinoids and their effects on humans. 

    Scientist argues cannabis has thousands of benefits

    Most researchers only been focused on a handful of them such as delta nine tetrahydrocannabinol. It is by far the most studied chemical which binds to the receptors in your central nervous system and immune system when heated causing you to get high. It is the only compound in cannabis to do so. This is the chemical that medical marijuana is most active in as it acts as a side effect free muscle relaxant anti-inflammatory antidepressant and current studies are showing that it could be used as a treatment for anxiety the side effects of chemotherapy cancer growth reduction Crohn’s disease chronic pain insomnia and multiple sclerosis just to name a few. 

    The next one is tetrahydrocannabinol acid which is the same chemical as the one just talked about but in its unheated form which means it’s a non psychoactive compound this is administered by juicing cannabis as you would wheatgrass or any other plant. It contains medical properties that are lost when heated this chemical is in its early stages of research but is thought to be an effective treatment as an anti-inflammatory and a variety of illnesses without any significant side effects and also will not give patients  the feeling of a high cannabidiol is similar and has been linked as an effective aid for anxiety nausea acne schizophrenia and many neurodegenerative diseases. However truth be told, these studies have not gone on long enough for us to know the full benefits cannabis. There’s a reason for that because it’s been illegal in any every country since the early 1900s.

    Why is it illegal?

    We have established that cannabis has thousands of industrial uses and many of these can be produced with a less of an impact on the environment than conventional products and that cannabis may have more medical benefits than any other natural untouched products in the world so why would something with all of these uses and benefits be illegal?

    Learn More: Watch the Video

  • The Cookie that Caused the Traditional Holiday Cold

    It happened every year, after an exhausting 24 hour car ride (driven in the middle of the night so the kids could sleep) we would arrive at grandma’s house and eat dozens upon dozens of sugary Christmas cookies. It was my grandma’s sugar cookie recipe and it was a Christmas tradition. We would eat them the whole time we were there. Inevitably, someone in the house would get sick and then it would spread through the grandkids and adults. Sickens during the holidays became a tradition too.We just thought it was because we were all in close proximity to each other and spreading germs. Those cookies were so addictive that we couldn’t stop eating them. My husband told me that one night he was tired and sleepy and not hungry but he still dragged himself to the kitchen and had another sugar cookie. These cookies were covered in sprinkles and they would fall off, so he ate them over the trash can as to not get them on the carpet. Good lord, it was crazy. 

    Fast forward many years, and I now know why we got sick. 

    As humans, we naturally crave a sweet taste. It is an essential part of balancing the other tastes found in nature such as salty, bitter, and sour flavors. But it felt like we were crazy addicts at Christmas time. So, what happens when we consume a lot of sugar? First and foremost, our bacteria shifts dramatically and makes more sugar-loving microbes that make us crave sugar like crazy. This, along with the key player in the reward system of our brain, set us up for control problems. That feeling of pleasure we get from food and other substances is made by dopamine. Dopamine receptors are all over our brain, and indulging in any addictive substance, such as sugar, brings on a deluge of dopamine. 
    Guess what happens when we eat a lot of sugar?
     
    Yep, those levels also surge and then we need more to stay satisfied. Neurotransmitters – namely epinephrine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine – have been shown to play a major role in controlling and maintaining homeostasis within the gut system in terms of nutrient absorption, blood flow, gut microbiome, local immune system, and overall gut motility and cravings. Hang on — I’m not saying you have to give it all up, but I’m going to tell you what to do to help yourself and bring the balance back. But first, let me tell you what goes on inside of your body. 

    There is a fact that you may not know about your body’s immune system:

    EATING ANY KIND OF SUGAR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REDUCE YOUR BODY’S DEFENSES BY 75% OR MORE FOR FOUR TO SIX HOURS.

    This is the reason my family always got sick at Christmas. We had way too much sugar during the holidays and it lowered our immune system’s ability to keep us well. Let’s talk about this in regards to vitamin C. In the 1970’s, Dr. Linus Pauling (one of the greatest researchers in the field of microbiology) discovered that vitamin C helps the body combat the common cold. But what he also found was how sugar can do the opposite.

    So it’s not a great idea, and especially if you’re sick, to eat any kind of sugar, because the white blood cells can’t get past the sugar to do their job. So this is why we all got sick every Christmas. Our bodies lost their superpower strength to keep us healthy because we were eating so much sugar and crashing our immune system again and again. 

    Want to avoid getting sick? In addition to washing your hands frequently and staying warm (mom was right … bring a sweater; viruses thrive in cold weather) perhaps the best way to prevent illness is to avoid eating excess sugar. Sugar weakens the immune system. 

    There are certain times of the year when you need to strengthen your inner micro-biome and the holidays is one of those times.

    Look at these great holiday inspired ferments: 

    KEIFER

    Kefir is my number one thing I consume every day. It sets my day off right. It balances hormones and blood sugar and, goodness, I don’t know what I would do without it. There are fifty bacteria in kefir. It will be a mighty force in your life and slowly change this whole world inside of you. 

    You just make a jar of Easy Kefir, which only takes 24 hours to make. Then when it’s done, add a few spoonfuls of this to small jars and fill them with milk. Let this ferment for 24 hours or until it’s thick and creamy, and then place in the fridge. You can even make chocolate milk kefir and boy, is it yummy. It’s such an easy way to make kefir and since it’s made from actual kefir grains, you get all the benefits of kefir without worrying about straining out the grains. Kefir is so nutrient dense that it will give your gut and brain what it needs and calm your body down while strengthening your immune system too! 
    Have it every day and just watch how you’ll change and sail through cold and flu season.
    KOMBUCHA
    Kombucha is a powerful detoxifier and will stop those craving for sugar quite effectively. Sugar is hard on your liver and kombucha will help support liver function. Kombucha will also supply you with a very powerful probiotic yeast that fights Candida and keeps not only the good bacteria in your body healthy, but the good yeasts too! When I have overwhelming cravings for food I know won’t be good for me, I always drink a kombucha first; and then if I still want it, I can have it but I never do. Kombucha works and it’s super delicious too. 
    Candy Cane Kombucha and let the microbes eat the sugar out of the tea. Then you’ll receive a holiday treat with tons of Christmas flavor and lots of bubbliness too! 

    Click Here

    And what about an interesting twist on Keifer water – gingerbread style featuring blackstrap molasses, ginger and spices.! 

    gingerbreadwaterkefir.jpg
    Gingerbread Water Kefir

    christmas-kefir-soda.jpg

    Christmas Kefir Soda  Christmas flavored kefir soda that’s super bubbly. The fruit adds extra food for the culture, which gives you extra probiotics too. This bottle can be used as a starter for many more bottles. Donna shares her recipes, and how to’s on her site Click Here

    These recipes and so many more are available at CulturedFoodLife.Com

    More Information

    Colds and flu aren’t the only reason not to eat sugar. Look through this list of other-sugar-related-ailments. If you are suffering from any of these, think about how much sugar you are ingesting. Here’s another article on a blood sugar stabilizing diet, it’s similar to the Mediterranean-type diet. This is a very simple and delicious way to cut back on the sugar.

    water-kefir-pot-icon.png

    This article originally appeared at: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/a-cold-you-can-beat-after-a-holiday-treat/.

  • To The Doctor That Injured My Child

    To The Doctor…” letter is from the mother of three children, including a vaccine injured son. You may recognize Hillary’s name from her powerful “Just a bunch of crazy mothers” soliloquy. Thank you Hillary for permission to share and for all you do to spread vaccine truth and protect other children and families from the harm and heartache that vaccines can and do cause.  

    by Hillary Simpson

    To The Doctor That Injured My Child:

    I’m sure you don’t remember me but I will never be able to forget you.

    I vividly remember your kind eyes and gentle touch, your sense of humor and calm energy. I remember the tiny toy duck that you always had with you. The one you would slather with hand sanitizer every time you walked into our room.

    I connected with you as a fellow mother and felt like you had my child’s best interest at heart. 

    I knew I had made the right decision by choosing you as our pediatrician and I felt lucky since you were in high demand at one of the nation’s top hospitals.

    I figured that I had won the Doctor Lottery and eagerly scheduled our well-baby checkups anticipating our conversation. You were always so nice.

    And then I started to question vaccines.

    I told you my worries, my concerns, the stories I had read and how something wasn’t sitting right with me. I talked to you about a delayed schedule and how I wanted to space them out. I asked you to make sure we only did the “absolutely necessary” ones.

    I listened intently as you reassured me that nothing would happen to my baby. I nodded in agreement when you told me that if I was an immigrant than I would feel differently because mothers in underdeveloped countries have seen the ravages of disease. I felt ashamed that my white privilege was suddenly so apparent and I finally agreed that at my son’s 6 month appointment he would have his second round. I walked out of your office feeling safer and more confident that I was making the right decision to vaccinate my child. 

    You handed me a neon colored VIS on the way out and assured me that in your 20 years of practicing medicine, you had never seen a single serious vaccine reaction.

    And then his 6 month appointment came. He received the DTap, the rotavirus and the HIB.

    I have never told you this outright so I will say it here, in the bizarre safety of social media. Those vaccines (the ones you told me were safe) injured my son.

    He screamed for weeks and arched his back, refusing to be touched during his “episodes.” The chronic diarrhea started and so did the double consecutive ear infections. His skin was inflamed, he stopped sleeping, he was always sick and then he started to regress.

    You told me that he just ate too many vegetables. You told me that lots of kids go through this. You told me that half a year of continuous ear infections and numerous rounds of antibiotics were “normal.” You told me there was nothing I could have done. You told me that I just had bad luck. You told me it was his genes. You told me that this is what babies are like.

    And then I stopped believing you.

    I started to research. Every single day. I looked up the vaccines, their ingredients and their known side effects. I read peer reviewed studies and books written by doctors. I found thousands of stories that mirrored mine exactly. I discovered the term vaccine injury. I unearthed the corruption behind the vaccine industry and most importantly I realized that I could heal him. I began our family’s journey into holistic medicine and gathered a tribe of #Crazymothers who echoed my experience.

    I began to feel strong.

    I had always known that my son had a bad “reaction” to the vaccines but when I came home one day from getting groceries and saw him standing by the window staring, rocking back and forth, ignoring my loud calls to him, I knew.

    I knew that if he ever had another vaccine, that I would lose him into the world of autism.
    I never went back to your office after that day. We moved and I looked for a holistic doctor and found an amazing Naturopath and Chiropractor who helped me bring my son back to this world. We did years of diet, vitamins, toxic elimination and treated everything without pharmaceuticals.

    So, Doctor, I am writing this to tell you that…

    You. Were. Wrong.

    You were wrong about so much I could never put it all in writing. 

    You were wrong about vaccine injury being rare. 

    You were wrong about my son being fine. 

    You were wrong about his health problems being normal. 

    You were wrong in telling my to give him Tylenol. 

    You were wrong when you told me only antibiotics heal ear infections. 

    You were wrong about vaccines not causing regressive autism and you were wrong to scare me into getting vaccines for my child.

    You were wrong.

    And you were also wrong about me. 

    You were wrong to think that I wouldn’t spend every waking second to try and heal him. 

    You were wrong to think that I wouldn’t catch on. 

    You were wrong to think that I wasn’t educated enough to read. 

    You were wrong to think I wouldn’t be appalled at the corruption of Big Pharma. 

    You were wrong in thinking I wouldn’t find millions of mothers saying “Me too.” 

    You were wrong in believing that I would stay silent. 

    You were wrong to think that I would eventually give up. 

    You were wrong to think that I would forget what you did and you were wrong if you ever thought I would forgive you.

    WE injured my child. I healed him.

    And because of that I will NEVER stop telling the world just how wrong YOU were.

    RESOURCES TO HELP PARENTS BECOME BETTER EDUCATED BEFORE VACCINATING:

    VACCINE INGREDIENTS from the CDC

    VACCINE INSERTS from the FDA

    HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS

  • 4 Types of Green Tea and Their Health Benefits

    The world of tea offers something for everyone, depending on your taste, mood, and health goals. All true tea comes from the tea plant Camellia sinensis. That’s right, black tea, green tea, white tea, and oolong tea all come from the same plant—everything else is technically a tisane! What makes them so unique in look and taste is the way they are grown, harvested, and prepared.

    And while all contain antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral benefits due to their shared catechin polyphenol, antioxidant content, each type contains its own individual benefits, which can help you better decide which will be your go-to choice. 

    Dr. Will Cole, leading functional-medicine expert share insight into the variety of Green Tea which he calls : the grounder.

    It is definitely the most popular, right now. While harvested later than white tea, green tea does not go through the same oxidation process that oolong and black tea go through. Like white tea, this allows for some of the highest levels of catechins, specifically the uber-beneficial compound epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

    It’s been shown in a number of exciting studies to be extremely powerful in a number of issues:

    • Boosts metabolism
    • Improves the skin
    • Slows down aging
    • Decreases cancer growth
    • Improves brain function
    • Protects from brain diseases
    • Reduces heart disease risk
    • Reverses diabetes
    • Decreases inflammation through boosting pro-antioxidant Nrf2 pathways and decreases pro-inflammatory activity.

    Green tea is a fun part of the kingdom. Like all the varieties of beer or wine, green tea comes in different forms that each can have their own individual taste and array of nutrients. Here’s how the different green teas rank:

    Matcha:

    Matcha is a green powder made from a specific kind of green tea leaf. Unlike many other green teas, plants used for matcha are first covered and grown in the shade for weeks upon weeks before they are harvested, resulting in boosted chlorophyll levels, which gives it the bright green color it is known for. Then the leaves are dried and ground into powder. Matcha has one of the highest concentrations of EGCG of all green teas, up to three times more than a typical sencha!

    Sencha:

    Sencha is brewed by infusing the whole tea leaves in water to produce a very mild and pleasant taste. Harvested early on in the season, sencha is made from some of the most flavorful top leaves. It’s no wonder that this is the most popular tea in Japan.

    Gyukuro:

    Similar to sencha, the biggest difference is that the leaves are also shade grown just like matcha versus in the sun, which results in a stronger, more intense flavor. Gyokuro is also touted as having the highest EGCG levels.

    Sancha:

    More bitter in taste, bancha has the lowest caffeine content of all green tea varieties. It is harvested from the same tree as sencha but later in the season, making it one of the cheapest, most commonly found green teas out there.

    The bottom line? All tea is super healthy, so choose based on your personal goals and flavor preferences.

    As with the importance of what’s in teas, it is just as important about what is not in teas.

    Says Julie Graves-LaForge an Independent Sipologist with Sipology by Steeped Tea (who are members of the Ethical Tea Partership).  The ETA is a community of tea producers that meet international social standards. They practice safety and opportunity for tea workers and their communities. They strive to improve tea producers’ sustainability; protecting soil, water, ecosystems and wildlife.  They provide education and training around good practice tea farming.

    To Learn More about Sipology by Steeped Tea visit http://mysteepedteaparty.com/myuniquepartea

    MORE ABOUT TEA BENEFITS

    This is what happens when you give up coffee for matcha.

    Portion of this article originally appeared at the site of 

    William Cole, D.C., IFMCP Functional Medicine Practitioner https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/the-healthiest-types-of-tea.

  • Why Stress Causes Sugar Cravings and How to Fight It

    Welcome to the holiday season – a source of ‘seasonal stress.’ Sugar plums and chocolate Santas, Christmas cookies and parties galore the hustle and bustle of expectations, additional obligations, and hectic schedules can mean disaster on your health. Why? Because the extra stress can induce a craving for sugar which in turn reduces your body’s immunity to sickness. Take a moment to slow down and reframe your mindset learn stress causes sugar cravings and how to fight it.

     Sweetdefeat shares their answer: 

    Understanding the connection can help you change your eating habits.

    You get into a fight with your friend and suddenly you simply need a sweet treat. You get an urgent work email and immediately head towards the office candy bowl. Or you’re feeling sad, so you sit down in front of a favorite movie with a pint of ice cream.

    We’ve all been there: craving sugar for psychological reasons that have nothing to do with hunger. It’s called “stress eating” for a reason. When you experience persistent stress, your adrenal glands release cortisol, which increases both appetite and motivation. Together, that makes you more likely to eat even when you don’t need it. Understanding how stress affects sugar cravings helps you recognize the signs, so you can can say “no” the next time a craving strikes.

    Sugar and Stress Eating

    For our ancestors, stress made them eat more, and that was a good thing. When humans were just trying to survive, eating sweets in the form of fruit meant better nutrition. Today, our stress responses are triggered almost constantly, by work, family commitments, or even the ever-present noise of city living. And the extra food is no longer a good thing: Research shows that chronic stress is linked to craving sweet and fatty foods, which contributes to the development of obesity and the host of ill health effects that accompany excess weight.

    When you eat sugar, your brain releases feel-good chemicals and its reward system is activated, just as it is by drug use. In fact, sugar addiction can be just as powerful as cocaine addiction. Research suggests that “the brain reward circuitry may be a key player in stress-induced food intake,” says a 2007 study published in Physiology & Behavior.

    The bad news is that your body is programmed to want sugar when you’re feeling stressed. The good news it that by recognizing the reason for your craving, you can make better choices.

    Reframe Your Cravings

    It’s hard to make cravings go away completely, though if you cut back on your sugar intake, they will diminish as your body becomes accustomed to your new low-sugar lifestyle. Here are five tips to help you kick cravings:

    • Acknowledge the craving. Recognize that your body is craving sugar, but doesn’t really need it. Once you learn to distinguish between true hunger and cravings, you can take the proper steps to fight the cravings.

    • Feed hunger with healthy options. If you’re truly hungry, have a balanced meal or snack with veggies, good fats, and protein, which has been shown to help stabilize blood-sugar levels.

    • Fight cravings with a lozenge. Sweet Defeat lozenges contain extracts from the plant Gymnema sylvestre and have been shown to reduce sugar cravings. The lozenge also temporarily blocks the ability to taste sweetness, so treats aren’t satisfying: the sugar doesn’t activate the brain’s reward cycle.

    • Take a walk. Remember how sugar releases those feel-good chemicals in your brain? Well, so does exercise, so that’s a great alternative to indulging in sweets. Research shows that taking a brisk walk can help reduce sugar cravings.

    • Plan for a treat. Cravings cause us to behave impulsively. Rather than eating a sugary treat when a craving hits, make yourself a deal: If you still want it in two hours, or tomorrow, then you can have it. Research shows that this if-then bargaining can help reduce unhealthy food consumption.

    Cravings can be hard to resist, but when they hit it’s important to remember that you are ultimately the one in control.

    This article originally appeared at: https://www.sweetdefeat.com/blog/why-stress-causes-sugar-cravings-and-how-to-fight-it/

    Learn More about the Impact of Sugar on your Health

    Eating Sugar Found to Cause Depression 

    Sugar is Carcinogenic

    How Sugar Effects the Brain

  • Is CBD Oil Safe For Kids?

    According to a 2013 study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, CBD oil benefits include  anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, antioxidant, antiemetic, anxiolytic and antipsychotic agent, and is therefore a potential medicine for the treatment of neuroinflammation, epilepsy, oxidative injury, vomiting and nausea, anxiety and schizophrenia. The pharmaceutical companies are aware of the health benefits and are trying to cash in with a synthetic product.  According to the Journal’s CBD market analysis, total CBD sales in the United States will exceed $2.1 billion by 2020, with $450 million of this figure comprised of hemp-derived CBD sales. Karnes thinks the CBD market will exceed $3 billion by 2021. As the cannabinoid becomes more readily available it raises the question Is CBD Oil Safe for Kids?

    Cyrus Partow, the founder of CBDNerds.com shares with us his answer to this question.

    CBD oil is a compound extracted from the Cannabis plant and because of this, is commonly associated with marijuana. The big difference is that CBD is different from THC in that it’s not psychoactive and has major benefits including the potential to treat several forms of epilepsy. In fact, the FDA recently approved of the drug Epidiolex which is a CBD based medication.  

    In general, CBD is not approved by the FDA as a cure for medical conditions. Because of this, doctors and pediatricians will not be recommending CBD to parents to help their children’s ailments. It’s been more and more shown that CBD can be a safe solution for adults and even pets, but is CBD safe for children?

    The answer to this isn’t definitive as there isn’t concrete research on CBD oil side effects and benefits with children. This doesn’t mean it’s not safe or effective. Here’s several things about CBD every parent should know before giving it to their kids.

    CBD can potentially help with Epilepsy and Seizures

    There’s a famous case where a 6 year old by the name of Charlotte Figi was given CBD oil to alleviate her seizures. This is after her being diagnosed with Dravet syndrome which is a condition that causes seizures in children. Symptoms could include not being able to move, talk, or eat on your own. In this specific case Charlotte was having over 300 episodes in a single week. After taking CBD oil her episodes fell to just 1 per week. Although there’s lack of clinical use data, there is research being done on Cannabidiol’s effects on childhood Epilepsy.

    Medical researchers have confirmed what some desperate parents have been claiming for years—that a nonpsychoactive component of marijuana known as cannabidiol (CBD) can reduce epileptic seizures in children.

    THC get’s you high, CBD does not 

    This is a very important fact because many people do not want to turn to a solution for relief if it gets you high, specifically your kids. CBD is non-psychoactive and will not get you high. If you decide to try CBD oil for your kids be sure to purchase from brands that have transparent 3rd party lab results showing there’s no THC. This Select CBD review clarifies the importance of only purchasing hemp extracts from the USA. Most reputable online brands will sell you only Hemp CBD since it’s illegal to sell THC products. 

    CBD oil can help with Autism and Anxiety

    Clinical studies show that CBD interacts with serotonin receptors which may cause reverses in anxiety like behavior. The evidence is still anecdotal but there’s suggestions that CBD is a potential candidate for treating Autism. One in 50 children have some form of Autism and symptoms can include limited social desires, repetitive movements, not being able to maintain eye contact and much more. CBD effects our endocannabinoid system. This network of cell receptors makes sure our body is balanced. It also which works with emotional responses and biological responses. CBD can work with Autism in regulating the CB2 receptors. Cell mutations on CB2 receptors are a factor in causes of Autism. Anywhere from 1/3 to 1/5 of children suffering from Autism also suffer from Epilepsy.  Cannabis oil has been shown to be 80% successful in helping autistic children.  

    Some Studies Suggest CBD can with ADD or ADHD

    It’s common for doctors to prescribe prescription drugs like Adderall which has incredible harmful affects that can last long term. In this clinical trial CBD was shown to reduce ADHD symptoms and even help with cognition and behavior.  CBD is really just a natural alternative without the same major side effects some pharmaceuticals have. 

    Avoid these types of CBD brands

    If you come across any brands that offer free CBD bottles or free trials do not purchase from them. Typically these companies sell products that are not 3rd party lab tested and could include a plethora of impurities and toxins. There are many quality brands that are transparent about their 3rd party lab tests and publish these on their website. Also be sure to avoid brands that don’t have the CBD oil ingredients on the bottle. This is a major red flag. Most quality companies have the ingredients posted on the website and bottle. It’s common to see CBD oil with coconut oil or even MCT oil. 

    There are many effective forms of CBD to give children.

    CBD Gummies are often the most popular since, well, they’re gummies! Kids love taking something that tastes good and is fun to eat. Another option is simply giving them CBD oil that’s mixed with coconut oil. Be sure to avoid Raw Hemp Oil as it doesn’t taste good and will be hard to give your kids. If THC is a concern then be sure to go with Isolate CDD rather than Full Spectrum since there are no other cannabinoids in Isolate.

    This article was written by Cyrus Partow, the founder of CBDNerds.com. Cyrus is a passionate CBD user who has tested a variety of different products and reviewed them. CBD Nerds is a site offering guides and resources around the most common CBD related questions. In addition, they offer reviews on products, brands, and more.

    Learn Specifically, How CBD Benefits the Human Body:

    *Relieves Anxiety– has an antidepressant-like and anxiolytic effect from cannabidiol in cannabis sativa

    *Neuroprotective– cannabidiol has clinical applications for neurodegenerative disorders

    *Relieves Pain– Cannabinoids have been found to treat pain without the same harmful addictive tendencies or side effects of opiods like percocet, oxycodone and vicodin

    *Reduces the Risk of Artery Blockage– thus making it effective for the treatment of high blood pressure and general stress

    *Anti-inflammatory– Cannabidiol CBD and its analogs have been determined to treat inflammation, which is the root cause of several negative medical conditions as well as cancer and arthritis

    *Promotes Bone Growth– as we age, our body breaks down over time, but CBD activates cannabinoid receptors to stimulate bone growth and bone mass

    Watch Dr. Judy Mikovits @ Healthmade.com