I stopped writing when I gave up my ipad. That pretty much sums up what happened. No drama, just no access. SO, here I am again! I don't know if I'll ever be as good a writer as I was four years ago when I started this blog, because I've been at this surviving-with-no-sleep-whatsoever thing for significantly longer and I feel like my brain is made of cream of wheat, buuuuut... I'm gonna give it a try anyway.
That's all. Just "I'm baaaack!"
I'll update about where we are now in the next post.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Remineralization, finding homeostasis, and a teenie tiny bread soapbox.
Aren't you glad that I have the habit of obsessively researching something before I bring you my conclusions?
I'M SO EXCITED TO BRING YOU THIS BLOGPOST!!!!
So, if you have read my previous posts then you know I've been spending the last three months of my life trying to learn everything I could about oral health and homeostasis (perfect balance in the human body). Since my daughter's first few teeth erupted and showed translucency, I knew something about our diet/lifestyle was insufficient at supplying the minerals necessary for strong, hard teeth.
Since then I've been working on giving my family healthy bodies (including myself) through diet. Essentially PREVENTING illness of all sorts by making our bodies strong in the first place.
SO, first things first, how does one find homeostasis? The most important part of achieving homeostasis is pH. A body's perfect pH is 7.45, slightly more alkaline than acid on the 0-14pH scale. Two easy ways to figure out what kind of body you have are either to pH test your saliva first thing in the morning (the test strips are fairly cheap on Amazon). OR, review your oral health. If you have the kind of mouth that contains teeth that are sensitive, have thin enamel, get cavities/caries fairly easily, or EVER contains bad breath or candida/thrush, you have an acid body. If you have the kind of mouth that rarely-if-ever has bad breath, rarely gets cavities or only the deep-crevice cavities, not surface ones, and gets tartar buildup frequently, you have an alkaline body. Neither of these are ideal (of course. We're trying to reach homeostasis, remember?). It's easy to see what kind of body I have. My teeth are sensitive, my cavities/caries are always surface, not deep-crevice, and I've battled one form or another of fungal infections (yeast infections, thrush, candida) all of my life. A high-acid body. Simple enough.
This is the most thorough list of alkalizing/acidifying foods I've ever seen. It's easy to use to change your diet to balance your body.
http://www.healingcancernaturally.com/acid-alkaline-food-table.html
Okay, here are my other tips for tooth remineralization and oral health, I 100% GUARANTEE these simple tips will improve your overall oral health. I know they will because I have experienced PERSONALLY the improvement. I realize I promised the photo evidence of said change, but I can't load photos with my iPad, which is what I'm writing this with, so that will be a separate post. Thanks for your patience.
These tips will not only help with oral health and remineralization, but help reach homeostasis in other ways too, like losing weight, and removing toxins from the body.
First, a fantastic website, read every article! You'll love it!
www.healingteethnaturally.com
1) ALWAYS, no never, no ALWAYS rinse out your mouth after eating or drinking ANYTHING that isn't water. Leaving food residue in your mouth feeds bacteria, which produces acid as a by-product. Acid weakens your enamel and causes caries. Sea salt water is best (1tsp sea salt dissolved in 1c water) is best, but plain ol' water is fine too. And along this same line of thought, only brush your teeth once a day! This is especially important if you have thin enamel. If it's too gross and you can't stand it, the second time you brush use plain water, NO TOOTHPASTE! Besides, you shouldn't be using toothpaste anyway. WHAT?! No toothpaste?! Yeah, I use Vicco tooth powder. It's from India. I FREAKING LOVE IT!!!! It completely takes away the sensitivity.
2) End every single meal with a HARD, high-fiber vegitable or fruit. Carrots, celery, or apples are great. We generally use carrots. The exercise of chewing these hard vegitables strengthen your teeth, gums and jaws, much like walking exercises your body and strengthens your bones. In addition, these vegitables help to alkalize the body, and get your saliva flowing, another important element in oral health.
3) Start your day drinking one full glass of water, and sip more water throughout the day, ESPECIALLY if you have a dry mouth. Saliva is absolutely ESSENTIAL to remineralization, it is the solution that carries minerals to your teeth on the outside (as opposed to your blood, which carries minerals to your teeth on the inside through the pulp). And if you are a mouth breathing type sleeper, invest in some dork-strips so you can sleep with your mouth closed, it will make a HUGE difference in your oral health.
4) Create for yourself a diet that encourages remineralization. You can do this by making sure that your total GRAIN consumption of ANY sort is 10% OR LESS of your diet. Each and every person's body is different, and use grains differently. Each person's body is sensitive to grains at different levels. If you are the type of person that has symptoms of hypoglycemia, or deals frequently with fungal infections of any sort, you are probably more sensitive and should eat even fewer grains than 10%. You'll know pretty quickly after the grain-reduction if that's how you are, because you'll start feeling better within a week or so. There are so many reasons why this tip will help you!!! Not only does your body break down most grains, turning them into sugar and acidifying your body, but they all (or most) contain phytic acid, a chelating element that steals your minerals, especially iron, calcium and phosphorus. Please notice, here that I said GRAINS, and not CARBOHYDRATES. The problem with a diet like the Adkin's diet is that your body absolutely NEEDS sugar and complex carbohydrates for fuel! Some examples of good complex carbohydrates are TUBERS! Which is to say, potatoes. Potatoes of every sort, the more colorful the better, are so good! And there are so many varieties available to us these days. Dark purple, red, yellow, and sweet potatoes are all fabulous.
5) Don't consume pre-processed foods! This is a big one, I know, because who has time these days to cook everything from scratch?? Let me tell ya though, if you believe the B vitamins in whole grain bread are necessary to your body (and they are), but you don't want that ol' phytic acid to steal away your minerals, the easiest way achieve both is baking your own bread. Here is the recipe I use, only I always use bread flour crossed with buckwheat flour.
http://simplysogood.blogspot.in/2010/03/crusty-bread.html
The long proofing time causes the phytic acid to break up, but retains the vitamins. All grains benefit from overnight proofing or soaking. Oatmeals that you soak overnight before or instead of cooking are healthier than oatmeals you just cook. Breads/rolls/tortillas that you proof overnight (or the longer the better) will be healthier than ones you use more yeast in, but don't proof as long.
6) Take a high vitamin butter oil/cod liver oil supplement. Fermented is better. They contain lots of vitamin D (of several varieties) in addition to vitamin K2, a vitamin ESSENTIAL for proper absorption of calcium. Another good indicator of poor calcium absorption is unexplained TIREDNESS. If you aren't anemic, and have been getting enough water and sleep, but still find yourself more tired than not, you might have a calcium problem. Calcium is essential for your body to get oxygen to your cells. Which brings me to #7.
7) ALWAYS make sure you take in your calcium with meals! Never just chug a glass of milk or just take a calcium supplement with water. Your stomach acid must be active to break it down, absorb it from your food and get it into your body. And part two of this calcium intake tip is keep your dairy products RAW or FERMENTED. Raw milk, goats milk, buttermilk, kefir and yogurt are good examples.
8) Eat organic, non-GMO or home-grown foods. Why? Because these unaltered foods contain more vitamins and minerals, straight up. And that's besides them just plain tasting better.
9) EAT GOOD FATS!!! This low-fat high-grain diet America has been encouraging is killing us all. Anybody ever wonder why, if that stupid diet advice were sound, America is fatter, and more sick than its ever been? I don't buy that it's because things are better diagnosed than a hundred years ago. I'm sure things are easier to diagnose, medicine has changed significantly since a hundred years ago, but I certainly don't think that's the whole story. Our health is poorer, even if we are living longer, thanks to those great changes in medicine. I really could go on and on about that and offend lots of people, but I'll just leave that dead dog lyin' there.
10) And last of all, though certainly not least important, take a trace mineral supplement. Because most of our foods these days have been altered in some way, usually to make them more disease resistant, or richer in color, or to enhance a certain taste, or they're cooked beyond all recognition, they don't contain as many vitamins and minerals as they used to. EVERYTHING we eat is... Weaker. Less nourishing. So we either need more of it, which, less face it, I'm pretty sure America doesn't need to consume MORE food, or we need to replace what we're missing out on.
Oh man! I hope this is helpful to you all! I wish you each GOOD HEALTH!!
Here's my reading list on the subject. Hahaha, they're all over the place as far as PURPOSE, but the information is good!
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, by Weston A. Price.
Eat fat, lose weight: the right fats can make you thin for life! By Ann Louise Gittleman.
Cure Tooth Decay, by Ramiel Nagel.
The Maker's Diet, by Jordan S. Rubin.
I'M SO EXCITED TO BRING YOU THIS BLOGPOST!!!!
So, if you have read my previous posts then you know I've been spending the last three months of my life trying to learn everything I could about oral health and homeostasis (perfect balance in the human body). Since my daughter's first few teeth erupted and showed translucency, I knew something about our diet/lifestyle was insufficient at supplying the minerals necessary for strong, hard teeth.
Since then I've been working on giving my family healthy bodies (including myself) through diet. Essentially PREVENTING illness of all sorts by making our bodies strong in the first place.
SO, first things first, how does one find homeostasis? The most important part of achieving homeostasis is pH. A body's perfect pH is 7.45, slightly more alkaline than acid on the 0-14pH scale. Two easy ways to figure out what kind of body you have are either to pH test your saliva first thing in the morning (the test strips are fairly cheap on Amazon). OR, review your oral health. If you have the kind of mouth that contains teeth that are sensitive, have thin enamel, get cavities/caries fairly easily, or EVER contains bad breath or candida/thrush, you have an acid body. If you have the kind of mouth that rarely-if-ever has bad breath, rarely gets cavities or only the deep-crevice cavities, not surface ones, and gets tartar buildup frequently, you have an alkaline body. Neither of these are ideal (of course. We're trying to reach homeostasis, remember?). It's easy to see what kind of body I have. My teeth are sensitive, my cavities/caries are always surface, not deep-crevice, and I've battled one form or another of fungal infections (yeast infections, thrush, candida) all of my life. A high-acid body. Simple enough.
This is the most thorough list of alkalizing/acidifying foods I've ever seen. It's easy to use to change your diet to balance your body.
http://www.healingcancernaturally.com/acid-alkaline-food-table.html
Okay, here are my other tips for tooth remineralization and oral health, I 100% GUARANTEE these simple tips will improve your overall oral health. I know they will because I have experienced PERSONALLY the improvement. I realize I promised the photo evidence of said change, but I can't load photos with my iPad, which is what I'm writing this with, so that will be a separate post. Thanks for your patience.
These tips will not only help with oral health and remineralization, but help reach homeostasis in other ways too, like losing weight, and removing toxins from the body.
First, a fantastic website, read every article! You'll love it!
www.healingteethnaturally.com
1) ALWAYS, no never, no ALWAYS rinse out your mouth after eating or drinking ANYTHING that isn't water. Leaving food residue in your mouth feeds bacteria, which produces acid as a by-product. Acid weakens your enamel and causes caries. Sea salt water is best (1tsp sea salt dissolved in 1c water) is best, but plain ol' water is fine too. And along this same line of thought, only brush your teeth once a day! This is especially important if you have thin enamel. If it's too gross and you can't stand it, the second time you brush use plain water, NO TOOTHPASTE! Besides, you shouldn't be using toothpaste anyway. WHAT?! No toothpaste?! Yeah, I use Vicco tooth powder. It's from India. I FREAKING LOVE IT!!!! It completely takes away the sensitivity.
2) End every single meal with a HARD, high-fiber vegitable or fruit. Carrots, celery, or apples are great. We generally use carrots. The exercise of chewing these hard vegitables strengthen your teeth, gums and jaws, much like walking exercises your body and strengthens your bones. In addition, these vegitables help to alkalize the body, and get your saliva flowing, another important element in oral health.
3) Start your day drinking one full glass of water, and sip more water throughout the day, ESPECIALLY if you have a dry mouth. Saliva is absolutely ESSENTIAL to remineralization, it is the solution that carries minerals to your teeth on the outside (as opposed to your blood, which carries minerals to your teeth on the inside through the pulp). And if you are a mouth breathing type sleeper, invest in some dork-strips so you can sleep with your mouth closed, it will make a HUGE difference in your oral health.
4) Create for yourself a diet that encourages remineralization. You can do this by making sure that your total GRAIN consumption of ANY sort is 10% OR LESS of your diet. Each and every person's body is different, and use grains differently. Each person's body is sensitive to grains at different levels. If you are the type of person that has symptoms of hypoglycemia, or deals frequently with fungal infections of any sort, you are probably more sensitive and should eat even fewer grains than 10%. You'll know pretty quickly after the grain-reduction if that's how you are, because you'll start feeling better within a week or so. There are so many reasons why this tip will help you!!! Not only does your body break down most grains, turning them into sugar and acidifying your body, but they all (or most) contain phytic acid, a chelating element that steals your minerals, especially iron, calcium and phosphorus. Please notice, here that I said GRAINS, and not CARBOHYDRATES. The problem with a diet like the Adkin's diet is that your body absolutely NEEDS sugar and complex carbohydrates for fuel! Some examples of good complex carbohydrates are TUBERS! Which is to say, potatoes. Potatoes of every sort, the more colorful the better, are so good! And there are so many varieties available to us these days. Dark purple, red, yellow, and sweet potatoes are all fabulous.
5) Don't consume pre-processed foods! This is a big one, I know, because who has time these days to cook everything from scratch?? Let me tell ya though, if you believe the B vitamins in whole grain bread are necessary to your body (and they are), but you don't want that ol' phytic acid to steal away your minerals, the easiest way achieve both is baking your own bread. Here is the recipe I use, only I always use bread flour crossed with buckwheat flour.
http://simplysogood.blogspot.in/2010/03/crusty-bread.html
The long proofing time causes the phytic acid to break up, but retains the vitamins. All grains benefit from overnight proofing or soaking. Oatmeals that you soak overnight before or instead of cooking are healthier than oatmeals you just cook. Breads/rolls/tortillas that you proof overnight (or the longer the better) will be healthier than ones you use more yeast in, but don't proof as long.
6) Take a high vitamin butter oil/cod liver oil supplement. Fermented is better. They contain lots of vitamin D (of several varieties) in addition to vitamin K2, a vitamin ESSENTIAL for proper absorption of calcium. Another good indicator of poor calcium absorption is unexplained TIREDNESS. If you aren't anemic, and have been getting enough water and sleep, but still find yourself more tired than not, you might have a calcium problem. Calcium is essential for your body to get oxygen to your cells. Which brings me to #7.
7) ALWAYS make sure you take in your calcium with meals! Never just chug a glass of milk or just take a calcium supplement with water. Your stomach acid must be active to break it down, absorb it from your food and get it into your body. And part two of this calcium intake tip is keep your dairy products RAW or FERMENTED. Raw milk, goats milk, buttermilk, kefir and yogurt are good examples.
8) Eat organic, non-GMO or home-grown foods. Why? Because these unaltered foods contain more vitamins and minerals, straight up. And that's besides them just plain tasting better.
9) EAT GOOD FATS!!! This low-fat high-grain diet America has been encouraging is killing us all. Anybody ever wonder why, if that stupid diet advice were sound, America is fatter, and more sick than its ever been? I don't buy that it's because things are better diagnosed than a hundred years ago. I'm sure things are easier to diagnose, medicine has changed significantly since a hundred years ago, but I certainly don't think that's the whole story. Our health is poorer, even if we are living longer, thanks to those great changes in medicine. I really could go on and on about that and offend lots of people, but I'll just leave that dead dog lyin' there.
10) And last of all, though certainly not least important, take a trace mineral supplement. Because most of our foods these days have been altered in some way, usually to make them more disease resistant, or richer in color, or to enhance a certain taste, or they're cooked beyond all recognition, they don't contain as many vitamins and minerals as they used to. EVERYTHING we eat is... Weaker. Less nourishing. So we either need more of it, which, less face it, I'm pretty sure America doesn't need to consume MORE food, or we need to replace what we're missing out on.
Oh man! I hope this is helpful to you all! I wish you each GOOD HEALTH!!
Here's my reading list on the subject. Hahaha, they're all over the place as far as PURPOSE, but the information is good!
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, by Weston A. Price.
Eat fat, lose weight: the right fats can make you thin for life! By Ann Louise Gittleman.
Cure Tooth Decay, by Ramiel Nagel.
The Maker's Diet, by Jordan S. Rubin.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Orphans, widows, and a fail that is greater than I can stand.
This post is directed to Christians everywhere, but even if you not a Christian and you are reading this, I hope you are moved to action anyway.
Today I experienced one of those moments of extreme emotion, sadness, desperation, that it leaves you sobbing so hard you can't breathe, and you feel like if the sobs press any harder everything inside you will be forced out your mouth and you will DIE of your sorrow. My sorrow was poured out before the Lord for the families, the CHILDREN I know are out there starving to death, even as you read this.
Today was the day at our church where the men and women that go to visit our orphanages and other places we serve in Africa share their experiences after returning home to the US. These Sundays are always a yay-boo for me. I was fourteen years old when the desire to go into foreign missions and serve in orphanages struck, and ever since then I can never get enough of foreign mission testimonies. I am always RIVETED, awe-struck, and still somehow sickened with guilt and desperation.
I am nothing. I'm not worth anything to anybody, not a doctor or a dentist, not a philosopher or an evangelist. I have no expertise in anything useful like an electrician that can give power and water to a village that hasn't had water in over two years because their breaker box for their solar well burnt-out and we couldn't get a new one in. I'm not wealthy enough for my money to make much of a difference, no matter how much I give (and I do). Us trying to help the starving, sick and orphaned in Africa is like trying to put out a wildfire with an eye-dropper. Absolutely impossible. But SOME is better than NONE. And I have SOMETHING. I have breasts that give milk. I know how to grow food, and how to tell others how to do it. I know how to keep a goat or chickens, and how to kill and dress them so they will nourish a body instead of poison it... And greatest of all I have LOVE. I have so much love and nurturing to give to children that are desperate to receive it. But still I sit here in my home, with my wonderful husband, and beautiful children, absolutely impotent. It breaks my heart. I hear about the mothers of the village whose well we fixed ullulating in overwhelming happiness (words that don't even remotely describe their elation) at finally having water again and all I can do is cry. WATER. Something we Americans call a basic necessity is an unknown luxury for just about everybody there. I am so desperate to give the NOTHING'S that I have, and I can't. I think so often about it... Think, "would I leave my children here? How could I take them? Who could I even trust to raise them how WE want them to be raised? I would rather die without them then see them go hungry, but would they understand? How can any parent choose someone else's children over their own, even if the children in question are starving and you know your own would be well cared for? Because I know as a child, I would have resented it, not understood it." These are the thoughts that are ever swirling in my mind. And then there's the amazement that the Lord saw fit to give me to parents that love me, in a country where it is beyond EASY to get food, and water, and electricity. And how, in my adoration of my Savior and the precious gift He's given can I NOT consider it?
While there are 94 verses in the Old Testament that reference how we are to care for the poor, widows and orphans, the ones I will post here are from the New Testament, words from the mouth of Jesus Christ, and men that knew him.
Matthew 25:34-40
Then the King will say to those on His right hand,"Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me."
Then the righteous will answer Him and say,"Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give YOU drink? When did we see You a stranger and take YOU in, or naked and clothe YOU? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison and come to You?"
And the King will answer and say to them,"Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brotheren, you did it to me."
And James 1:27
Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted by the world.
I want so desperately to please my Lord! To be obedient to Him and do as He commands! To be found a good and faithful servant. And I want so much for the Church to be as He desired, to do His will on Earth as it is in heaven and care for widows and orphans in their affliction!
Church, we are FAILING. We are allowing the STATE to usurp us and care for those WE should be caring for! Would that the State be put out of a job by us followers of Christ because each and every one of us chooses obedience and serves those in need! Please church, take up this cross again and serve! There are many things we can do! Whether it be giving of our financial blessings, or taking in foster children because we have the room for them, or knitting hats to send to the poor, or collecting clothing to give. There are many SOMETHING'S, if we would only take a moment to DO them. We may be trying to put out a wildfire with an eyedropper, but SOME IS BETTER THAN NONE!
Give give give! Serve serve serve! And most of all, PRAY! Pray unceasingly for those that ARE able when we are not. For those that God HAS chosen to go when we are to stay.
And finally, I leave you with a POWERFUL hymn that I love,
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5593AppZNY
Let your heart be broken for a world in need.
Feed the mouths that hunger, sooth the wounds that bleed.
Give the cup of water, and the loaf of bread.
Be the hands of Jesus, serving in His stead.
Today I experienced one of those moments of extreme emotion, sadness, desperation, that it leaves you sobbing so hard you can't breathe, and you feel like if the sobs press any harder everything inside you will be forced out your mouth and you will DIE of your sorrow. My sorrow was poured out before the Lord for the families, the CHILDREN I know are out there starving to death, even as you read this.
Today was the day at our church where the men and women that go to visit our orphanages and other places we serve in Africa share their experiences after returning home to the US. These Sundays are always a yay-boo for me. I was fourteen years old when the desire to go into foreign missions and serve in orphanages struck, and ever since then I can never get enough of foreign mission testimonies. I am always RIVETED, awe-struck, and still somehow sickened with guilt and desperation.
I am nothing. I'm not worth anything to anybody, not a doctor or a dentist, not a philosopher or an evangelist. I have no expertise in anything useful like an electrician that can give power and water to a village that hasn't had water in over two years because their breaker box for their solar well burnt-out and we couldn't get a new one in. I'm not wealthy enough for my money to make much of a difference, no matter how much I give (and I do). Us trying to help the starving, sick and orphaned in Africa is like trying to put out a wildfire with an eye-dropper. Absolutely impossible. But SOME is better than NONE. And I have SOMETHING. I have breasts that give milk. I know how to grow food, and how to tell others how to do it. I know how to keep a goat or chickens, and how to kill and dress them so they will nourish a body instead of poison it... And greatest of all I have LOVE. I have so much love and nurturing to give to children that are desperate to receive it. But still I sit here in my home, with my wonderful husband, and beautiful children, absolutely impotent. It breaks my heart. I hear about the mothers of the village whose well we fixed ullulating in overwhelming happiness (words that don't even remotely describe their elation) at finally having water again and all I can do is cry. WATER. Something we Americans call a basic necessity is an unknown luxury for just about everybody there. I am so desperate to give the NOTHING'S that I have, and I can't. I think so often about it... Think, "would I leave my children here? How could I take them? Who could I even trust to raise them how WE want them to be raised? I would rather die without them then see them go hungry, but would they understand? How can any parent choose someone else's children over their own, even if the children in question are starving and you know your own would be well cared for? Because I know as a child, I would have resented it, not understood it." These are the thoughts that are ever swirling in my mind. And then there's the amazement that the Lord saw fit to give me to parents that love me, in a country where it is beyond EASY to get food, and water, and electricity. And how, in my adoration of my Savior and the precious gift He's given can I NOT consider it?
While there are 94 verses in the Old Testament that reference how we are to care for the poor, widows and orphans, the ones I will post here are from the New Testament, words from the mouth of Jesus Christ, and men that knew him.
Matthew 25:34-40
Then the King will say to those on His right hand,"Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me."
Then the righteous will answer Him and say,"Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give YOU drink? When did we see You a stranger and take YOU in, or naked and clothe YOU? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison and come to You?"
And the King will answer and say to them,"Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brotheren, you did it to me."
And James 1:27
Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted by the world.
I want so desperately to please my Lord! To be obedient to Him and do as He commands! To be found a good and faithful servant. And I want so much for the Church to be as He desired, to do His will on Earth as it is in heaven and care for widows and orphans in their affliction!
Church, we are FAILING. We are allowing the STATE to usurp us and care for those WE should be caring for! Would that the State be put out of a job by us followers of Christ because each and every one of us chooses obedience and serves those in need! Please church, take up this cross again and serve! There are many things we can do! Whether it be giving of our financial blessings, or taking in foster children because we have the room for them, or knitting hats to send to the poor, or collecting clothing to give. There are many SOMETHING'S, if we would only take a moment to DO them. We may be trying to put out a wildfire with an eyedropper, but SOME IS BETTER THAN NONE!
Give give give! Serve serve serve! And most of all, PRAY! Pray unceasingly for those that ARE able when we are not. For those that God HAS chosen to go when we are to stay.
And finally, I leave you with a POWERFUL hymn that I love,
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5593AppZNY
Let your heart be broken for a world in need.
Feed the mouths that hunger, sooth the wounds that bleed.
Give the cup of water, and the loaf of bread.
Be the hands of Jesus, serving in His stead.
Friday, May 25, 2012
FDA FAIL!
Before I begin, let me forewarn you, this post is full of reading "homework," so I apologize for that. If you're not interested, just skip it. :)
Apparently the FDA has forgotten its purpose. Please hop over to the address below, this is the FDA's mission statement. Their whole entire purpose is to protect us from toxic crap.
http://www.fda.gov/aboutfda/whatwedo/default.htm
HERE, you will see a descriptor of propylene glycol. A substance added to shampoos, cosmetics, and sprayed on the outside of your bread to prevent spoilage. Oh, and did I mention, ANTI-FREEZE. Nice. Oh, and it causes kidney damage. The FDA allows this. Non-toxic? I think not.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/substances/toxsubstance.asp?toxid=240
Here is an article about parabens. I know, it's not really known how harmful parabens are. The blogpost below is pretty thorough. And this is my view on the subject, even if I didn't write it.
http://chemicaloftheday.squarespace.com/most-controversial/2011/3/17/are-parabens-natural.html
Okay, and finally, here are some other foods that contain ingredients that are not listed on the packaging.
http://www.veganproducts.org/sugar.html
http://www.healthyeatingadvisor.com/food-labels.html
http://www.healthyeatingadvisor.com/geneticallymodifiedingredients.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/033162_food_ingredients_chemicals.html
Now, I do realize this is a lot of outside-my-blog reading... But if you're interested at all in this subject, you'll find these interesting.
Let me summarize the above information for you.
The FDA was created to, and still claims to, protect the public from toxic or hazardous substances in our medicines, food, cosmetics and other products. It not only is failing to do so, but is blatantly doing the opposite. Please note, I am a hard-core capitalist, and am NOT saying the FDA should be making everything ILLEGAL. It's a company's right to put poisonous crap in their products if that's what they want. What I AM saying is that the FDA should be informing people about what they're consuming, and make it illegal to put an ingredient in a product without it being stated on the label. Foods that are genetically modified should be so-labelled. Foods and cosmetics that have been treated with toxic chemicals like chlorine, or parabens, should be labelled. Why do they force cigarette companies put horrifying pictures on their packaging but not a diseased kidney on a product containing propylene glycol?
White sugar made from can sugar consistently contains cow bone char, but it's not labeled so! If you are vegan by moral choice, your white sugar probably contains an animal product! It's sick. This subject literally makes my stomach turn because I (and you, too) will never be able to fully trust that a product is as-labelled. I'll never be able to tell if something really is "all natural" "kosher" "vegan" or "organic." Because there are no hard guidelines for what those terms MEAN. How can we be voting with our purchases, encouraging our local stores to provide healthy, natural, chemical-free products if we can't even trust them to be providing the information to MAKE those decisions?
The FDA has failed us all.
Apparently the FDA has forgotten its purpose. Please hop over to the address below, this is the FDA's mission statement. Their whole entire purpose is to protect us from toxic crap.
http://www.fda.gov/aboutfda/whatwedo/default.htm
HERE, you will see a descriptor of propylene glycol. A substance added to shampoos, cosmetics, and sprayed on the outside of your bread to prevent spoilage. Oh, and did I mention, ANTI-FREEZE. Nice. Oh, and it causes kidney damage. The FDA allows this. Non-toxic? I think not.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/substances/toxsubstance.asp?toxid=240
Here is an article about parabens. I know, it's not really known how harmful parabens are. The blogpost below is pretty thorough. And this is my view on the subject, even if I didn't write it.
http://chemicaloftheday.squarespace.com/most-controversial/2011/3/17/are-parabens-natural.html
Okay, and finally, here are some other foods that contain ingredients that are not listed on the packaging.
http://www.veganproducts.org/sugar.html
http://www.healthyeatingadvisor.com/food-labels.html
http://www.healthyeatingadvisor.com/geneticallymodifiedingredients.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/033162_food_ingredients_chemicals.html
Now, I do realize this is a lot of outside-my-blog reading... But if you're interested at all in this subject, you'll find these interesting.
Let me summarize the above information for you.
The FDA was created to, and still claims to, protect the public from toxic or hazardous substances in our medicines, food, cosmetics and other products. It not only is failing to do so, but is blatantly doing the opposite. Please note, I am a hard-core capitalist, and am NOT saying the FDA should be making everything ILLEGAL. It's a company's right to put poisonous crap in their products if that's what they want. What I AM saying is that the FDA should be informing people about what they're consuming, and make it illegal to put an ingredient in a product without it being stated on the label. Foods that are genetically modified should be so-labelled. Foods and cosmetics that have been treated with toxic chemicals like chlorine, or parabens, should be labelled. Why do they force cigarette companies put horrifying pictures on their packaging but not a diseased kidney on a product containing propylene glycol?
White sugar made from can sugar consistently contains cow bone char, but it's not labeled so! If you are vegan by moral choice, your white sugar probably contains an animal product! It's sick. This subject literally makes my stomach turn because I (and you, too) will never be able to fully trust that a product is as-labelled. I'll never be able to tell if something really is "all natural" "kosher" "vegan" or "organic." Because there are no hard guidelines for what those terms MEAN. How can we be voting with our purchases, encouraging our local stores to provide healthy, natural, chemical-free products if we can't even trust them to be providing the information to MAKE those decisions?
The FDA has failed us all.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
That awkward moment when reality runs up to you an kicks you in the FACE.
Since I had the PPP (Pretty pretty princess, our daughter), my focus on nutrition has... Died off. I am a BELIEVER in breastmilk. I believe whole-heartedly it's the most perfect food, that it provides everything your baby needs. The problem is, if there's nothing there for it to GIVE to your baby stored there in your body then your baby doesn't GET anything. With two children two and under it is VERY EASY to forget to take my multivitamins, or even EAT. On any given day you could ask me at the end of the day what I had eaten and I probably wouldn't be able to tell you.
And I was blissful in my ignorance.
Until there came reality to kick me in the face.
The PPP's first teeth were coming in. Started off like any baby's teeth coming in, just a little line. And we were excited for them, and glad that our sleeplessness would ebb soon. But then they came out more and formed the actual teeth.... And they were CLEAR. When I say clear here I don't mean like "free and clear" I mean like TRANSLUCENT. I completely freaked. But don't worry, this story has a happy ending!
And got on Google. I simply typed "translucent teeth" and voila, a whole new world of nutrition and deficiencies was revealed to me. I read as many sample pages of "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration" as were available to me on Amazon. I thought, "oh God. This is MY fault. I did this to her!"
Why wasn't I more careful? I knew she was getting all her nutrients from me...
Aaaanyway, I kept up with my research, took notes, and finally came across a blogpost called "How I healed my child's cavity" and I was hooked. Riveted. I've suffered from thin enamel and weak teeth my entire life, and certainly more sensitive ones more recently.
I knew some things had to change, mainly our diet. We were eating a lot of foods high in phytic acid. Bread, grains, nuts... now, at this point we have NOT gone grain-free. And I'm not even convinced it's GOOD for you to eat a grain-free diet. I'm not convinced that phytic acid is Public Enemy Number One. My take on this phytic acid debate (which, if you don't know what I'm talking about, definitely look it up and come to your own conclusions) is this: you need to be consuming more minerals than the phytic acid can steal from you. Do you have to remove all high phytic acid foods from your diet? No. If you are vegetarian or vegan you DO have to try to soak or sprout your beans, nuts and grains to remove most of the phytic acid and increase its other nutrients.
What I have been doing to help increase my nutrient intake is first, taking my multi (almost) every single day. Then I've also been trying to increase the whole meat foods in our diet (when I say whole meats, I mean meat that still has fat, bones and all still attached... So, whole roast chickens, bone-in chicken pieces for fried chicken, oxtail soup and the like), while decreasing the amount of grains-only or mostly-grain meals (like cereal and milk for breakfast). In addition to these I have started taking Fermented Cod Liver Oil/Butter Oil mix. I truly believe this has had the most effect. I've been taking it for two weeks at a double dose (1 full teaspoon instead of half a teaspoon) and seen an OBVIOUS, PHYSICAL change in the PPP's teeth. They're almost completely solid now.
In addition to her benefits, I've also had a SIGNIFICANT reduction in my own tooth sensitivity. This past Sunday I was eating some Kettle chips (a "junk" food I really enjoy, but one that had always caused me some pain in my teeth before), and my JAW got sore from chewing before my teeth did! Because they never did get sore!
I'm going to keep on with the double dose until this bottle is gone, and then I'll start taking the regular dosage. I'm so impressed with this fermented cod liver oil that I'm probably going to get Ely another flavor all for his own DESPITE the high cost. This will be a repurchase for as long as we are capable of purchasing it. And I'm gonna keep up with all the other high-mineral diet changes and post again in a few months with before-and-after photos of MY teeth, whether there's changes or not, so everyone will know definitively.
Whew! Don't wanna jump the gun, but, get on this band wagon! I'm lovin' it!
Thanks for readin'. Be blessed.
And I was blissful in my ignorance.
Until there came reality to kick me in the face.
The PPP's first teeth were coming in. Started off like any baby's teeth coming in, just a little line. And we were excited for them, and glad that our sleeplessness would ebb soon. But then they came out more and formed the actual teeth.... And they were CLEAR. When I say clear here I don't mean like "free and clear" I mean like TRANSLUCENT. I completely freaked. But don't worry, this story has a happy ending!
And got on Google. I simply typed "translucent teeth" and voila, a whole new world of nutrition and deficiencies was revealed to me. I read as many sample pages of "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration" as were available to me on Amazon. I thought, "oh God. This is MY fault. I did this to her!"
Why wasn't I more careful? I knew she was getting all her nutrients from me...
Aaaanyway, I kept up with my research, took notes, and finally came across a blogpost called "How I healed my child's cavity" and I was hooked. Riveted. I've suffered from thin enamel and weak teeth my entire life, and certainly more sensitive ones more recently.
I knew some things had to change, mainly our diet. We were eating a lot of foods high in phytic acid. Bread, grains, nuts... now, at this point we have NOT gone grain-free. And I'm not even convinced it's GOOD for you to eat a grain-free diet. I'm not convinced that phytic acid is Public Enemy Number One. My take on this phytic acid debate (which, if you don't know what I'm talking about, definitely look it up and come to your own conclusions) is this: you need to be consuming more minerals than the phytic acid can steal from you. Do you have to remove all high phytic acid foods from your diet? No. If you are vegetarian or vegan you DO have to try to soak or sprout your beans, nuts and grains to remove most of the phytic acid and increase its other nutrients.
What I have been doing to help increase my nutrient intake is first, taking my multi (almost) every single day. Then I've also been trying to increase the whole meat foods in our diet (when I say whole meats, I mean meat that still has fat, bones and all still attached... So, whole roast chickens, bone-in chicken pieces for fried chicken, oxtail soup and the like), while decreasing the amount of grains-only or mostly-grain meals (like cereal and milk for breakfast). In addition to these I have started taking Fermented Cod Liver Oil/Butter Oil mix. I truly believe this has had the most effect. I've been taking it for two weeks at a double dose (1 full teaspoon instead of half a teaspoon) and seen an OBVIOUS, PHYSICAL change in the PPP's teeth. They're almost completely solid now.
In addition to her benefits, I've also had a SIGNIFICANT reduction in my own tooth sensitivity. This past Sunday I was eating some Kettle chips (a "junk" food I really enjoy, but one that had always caused me some pain in my teeth before), and my JAW got sore from chewing before my teeth did! Because they never did get sore!
I'm going to keep on with the double dose until this bottle is gone, and then I'll start taking the regular dosage. I'm so impressed with this fermented cod liver oil that I'm probably going to get Ely another flavor all for his own DESPITE the high cost. This will be a repurchase for as long as we are capable of purchasing it. And I'm gonna keep up with all the other high-mineral diet changes and post again in a few months with before-and-after photos of MY teeth, whether there's changes or not, so everyone will know definitively.
Whew! Don't wanna jump the gun, but, get on this band wagon! I'm lovin' it!
Thanks for readin'. Be blessed.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Surviving the life of a mom with young children.
Today is library day. A day I often sit back and consider my life. Reflect on the small changes for good I've made in the last weeks and shore-up my determination to do BETTER.
This week the kids have been getting up two hours earlier than they have all their lives. The sun is up earlier? They have been getting up earlier and therefore my days have been getting longer, and my normal store of patience is not lasting the whole day. I. Have. Been. Feeling. MEAN. And I hate it. The day creeps up to its end and I look at my attitude throughout the day and it makes me so mad at myself! Why do I act this way??? Are they related? I don't know, maybe.
I think to myself how much I want balance. How I want to have a "visitor-worthy" clean house, cook all our meals from scratch, make sure the kids are clean, fed and happy... And basically just make my husband proud to be married to me, and my God want to call me His good and faithful servant. When days don't go the way I wish they would, the kids need MORE of me than I think I have, and all I want in life is for us to be happy and look back on this time as the happiest in our lives, THIS is how I survive:
1. I freaking PRAY. "Be anxious for nothing, but in all things by prayer and supplication, and with thanksgiving, make your requests known to the Lord."
2. I sing songs of praise and thanksgiving to my Lord. I have found it's very difficult to maintain a bad attitude when singing.
3. I keep extra watch on my nutritional habits/frequency of eating. Ladies especially are susceptible to a hunger-induced bad attitude! Seriously, right?
4. I spend more time snuggling and hugging and kissing my babies! Oxytocin (the love hormone) will do wonders for happiness level!
5. I KEEP ON AND KEEP ON reminding myself WHAT KIND of children I want and then MODEL that for them. You want children of peace? Model a peaceful attitude for them. Be a parent they can be proud to have and they will be children you are proud to have.
6. I think back on my life before the Lord so graciously blessed us with children and I whisper to my son how grateful I am to have him. I think things you have to fight to have you are always more grateful you've got... And we waited a long long time for these kids. I am so grateful I literally can't even THINK about how grateful I am without my eyes tearing up a little.
7. I drink coffee. A lot. Probably too much, lol. But it makes me feel happy, and more peaceful, more focused.
8. I recognize that these years won't last forever and someday I WILL be able to have a "visitor-worthy" clean house all the time, but now is not that time. And then I see my boy cleaning up all by himself with no prompting and I think maybe those times will come sooner than I expect.
9. I spend time OUTSIDE! I have a tendency to feel SAD (seasonal affectiveness disorder) or cabin-fevery when I don't get enough outside time. I put the kids in the garden cart and drag them around while I weed and water, voila, everyone is happy.
10. I give us all, including myself here, some GRACE. Not all these days are like all the others. Some are better, some worse, but it's all fine.
HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE. Circumstances are not my master! It doesn't matter WHAT is happening, I can CHOOSE to be happy anyway.
This week the kids have been getting up two hours earlier than they have all their lives. The sun is up earlier? They have been getting up earlier and therefore my days have been getting longer, and my normal store of patience is not lasting the whole day. I. Have. Been. Feeling. MEAN. And I hate it. The day creeps up to its end and I look at my attitude throughout the day and it makes me so mad at myself! Why do I act this way??? Are they related? I don't know, maybe.
I think to myself how much I want balance. How I want to have a "visitor-worthy" clean house, cook all our meals from scratch, make sure the kids are clean, fed and happy... And basically just make my husband proud to be married to me, and my God want to call me His good and faithful servant. When days don't go the way I wish they would, the kids need MORE of me than I think I have, and all I want in life is for us to be happy and look back on this time as the happiest in our lives, THIS is how I survive:
1. I freaking PRAY. "Be anxious for nothing, but in all things by prayer and supplication, and with thanksgiving, make your requests known to the Lord."
2. I sing songs of praise and thanksgiving to my Lord. I have found it's very difficult to maintain a bad attitude when singing.
3. I keep extra watch on my nutritional habits/frequency of eating. Ladies especially are susceptible to a hunger-induced bad attitude! Seriously, right?
4. I spend more time snuggling and hugging and kissing my babies! Oxytocin (the love hormone) will do wonders for happiness level!
5. I KEEP ON AND KEEP ON reminding myself WHAT KIND of children I want and then MODEL that for them. You want children of peace? Model a peaceful attitude for them. Be a parent they can be proud to have and they will be children you are proud to have.
6. I think back on my life before the Lord so graciously blessed us with children and I whisper to my son how grateful I am to have him. I think things you have to fight to have you are always more grateful you've got... And we waited a long long time for these kids. I am so grateful I literally can't even THINK about how grateful I am without my eyes tearing up a little.
7. I drink coffee. A lot. Probably too much, lol. But it makes me feel happy, and more peaceful, more focused.
8. I recognize that these years won't last forever and someday I WILL be able to have a "visitor-worthy" clean house all the time, but now is not that time. And then I see my boy cleaning up all by himself with no prompting and I think maybe those times will come sooner than I expect.
9. I spend time OUTSIDE! I have a tendency to feel SAD (seasonal affectiveness disorder) or cabin-fevery when I don't get enough outside time. I put the kids in the garden cart and drag them around while I weed and water, voila, everyone is happy.
10. I give us all, including myself here, some GRACE. Not all these days are like all the others. Some are better, some worse, but it's all fine.
HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE. Circumstances are not my master! It doesn't matter WHAT is happening, I can CHOOSE to be happy anyway.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
That weird thing I tried: oil pulling
Day 1. Did it after breakfast. Oops! A couple things other people haven't mentioned: the oil (coconut) starts to taste bad the closer you get to the allotted time, like... Milk on its way out. Also, my TONGUE felt really really clean! Gums had no visible change. Teeth whiteness, no visible change (of course). I did brush my teeth first, I'm not sure if you're supposed to or not...
Day 2. Did it first thing in the morning. DIDN'T brush my teeth first. Tasted WAY grosser towards the end than the first day. I choose to look at it as a good sign. It's weird. It's really weird... But my mouth does feel cleaner. I don't know if this has to do with oil pulling, but I've had a headache all day, and my throat feels sore.
Day 3. I think I might be sold. I know I know, ALREADY?!? But this morning I woke up sick still, and my gums were sore, so then I brushed my teeth and did the pulling and they STOPPED HURTING!!! It felt great. I know some people get the gag reflex from the coconut oil, but it's been fine for me... So whatever. Gums are less sore feeling, but not necessarily a lighter pink or healthier looking yet. Teeth are DEFinitely not whiter. We're getting together the ingredients for remineralizing toothpaste, so I'll add that to this whole thing when we do.
Day 4. Okay, so full blown sick with cough this morning. Decided to still pull, but after 12 minutes I started to cough, accidentally swallowed some of my oil, choked and threw up. Freaking fantastic. Ugh. SO, I only got 12 minutes in, and I wish someone had posted a warning about doing this when ill. Side note: gums are starting to feel amazing... Teeth still the same as far as I can tell.
Day 5. No pulling, still coughing. Day 6. No pulling. Day 7. No pulling.
Day 8. I pulled today, first thing in the morning before drinking anything, after brushing. But only for 15 minutes. It felt great!! So, you're supposed to rinse with warm water three times after, but today I rinsed twice with warm and the final with cold, and I could feel the water GOING BETWEEN EVERY TOOTH!!! Something I literally haven't felt in years. Like I said, my teeth are too crooked to floss very well. Ew! Sorry. Anyway, gums, pinker! Less sore! They even feel... Like... TIGHTER against my teeth. Firmer. Teeth, I THINK I noticed them being whiter for the first time today. We'll see. Tongue feeling cleaner too! YOH can notice the difference breath-wise at the end of the day on days that I do oil pulling too. Hm.
Days 9+10. Pulled 15 minutes first thing in the morning, rinsed and finished with brushing with the remineralizing toothpaste. Mouth feeling good gums and tongue-wise... Definitely healthier... But I have a tooth I'm concerned about. Next week I'll be adding fermented cod liver oil to this regime, hoping to strengthen my teeth enough so that they don't hurt when I eat really hard foods (like kettle chips), and get Pru-Pru's top primary incisors completely opaque instead of half transparent like they are.
Days 11-14. Yay! I've been faithful! Even on Sunday when we needed to get ready for church.
Okay, so now that I've been doing this for two weeks, here are my conclusions: I am totally sold! It is WEIRD. But you get used to it! After the first few days using the coconut oil solid at first I started putting the jar under hot water in the sink (it literally takes like ten seconds to heat enough for you to pull), and that's a lot better, ick-factor-wise. Gums are definitely feeling better overall, that was the first change I noticed and the goodness has continued. If you "pull" hard enough I really think this is as good as flossing and your gums don't accidentally get damaged. Tongue is SO clean feeling every day after I do this! I've always been a serious tongue brusher, but it's never felt so clean as pulling makes it feel. And like I said, hubby noticed how nice my breath is, even first thing in the morning. Teeth are slightly whiter. I was really skeptical of this one. I DON'T think they feel less sensitive, but I haven't started using the fermented cod liver oil yet, so we'll do an update after that, but they are slightly whiter. Hm! I'm going to continue this and write another update with all the other dental changes I've made, but that's what I have to report so far.
Day 2. Did it first thing in the morning. DIDN'T brush my teeth first. Tasted WAY grosser towards the end than the first day. I choose to look at it as a good sign. It's weird. It's really weird... But my mouth does feel cleaner. I don't know if this has to do with oil pulling, but I've had a headache all day, and my throat feels sore.
Day 3. I think I might be sold. I know I know, ALREADY?!? But this morning I woke up sick still, and my gums were sore, so then I brushed my teeth and did the pulling and they STOPPED HURTING!!! It felt great. I know some people get the gag reflex from the coconut oil, but it's been fine for me... So whatever. Gums are less sore feeling, but not necessarily a lighter pink or healthier looking yet. Teeth are DEFinitely not whiter. We're getting together the ingredients for remineralizing toothpaste, so I'll add that to this whole thing when we do.
Day 4. Okay, so full blown sick with cough this morning. Decided to still pull, but after 12 minutes I started to cough, accidentally swallowed some of my oil, choked and threw up. Freaking fantastic. Ugh. SO, I only got 12 minutes in, and I wish someone had posted a warning about doing this when ill. Side note: gums are starting to feel amazing... Teeth still the same as far as I can tell.
Day 5. No pulling, still coughing. Day 6. No pulling. Day 7. No pulling.
Day 8. I pulled today, first thing in the morning before drinking anything, after brushing. But only for 15 minutes. It felt great!! So, you're supposed to rinse with warm water three times after, but today I rinsed twice with warm and the final with cold, and I could feel the water GOING BETWEEN EVERY TOOTH!!! Something I literally haven't felt in years. Like I said, my teeth are too crooked to floss very well. Ew! Sorry. Anyway, gums, pinker! Less sore! They even feel... Like... TIGHTER against my teeth. Firmer. Teeth, I THINK I noticed them being whiter for the first time today. We'll see. Tongue feeling cleaner too! YOH can notice the difference breath-wise at the end of the day on days that I do oil pulling too. Hm.
Days 9+10. Pulled 15 minutes first thing in the morning, rinsed and finished with brushing with the remineralizing toothpaste. Mouth feeling good gums and tongue-wise... Definitely healthier... But I have a tooth I'm concerned about. Next week I'll be adding fermented cod liver oil to this regime, hoping to strengthen my teeth enough so that they don't hurt when I eat really hard foods (like kettle chips), and get Pru-Pru's top primary incisors completely opaque instead of half transparent like they are.
Days 11-14. Yay! I've been faithful! Even on Sunday when we needed to get ready for church.
Okay, so now that I've been doing this for two weeks, here are my conclusions: I am totally sold! It is WEIRD. But you get used to it! After the first few days using the coconut oil solid at first I started putting the jar under hot water in the sink (it literally takes like ten seconds to heat enough for you to pull), and that's a lot better, ick-factor-wise. Gums are definitely feeling better overall, that was the first change I noticed and the goodness has continued. If you "pull" hard enough I really think this is as good as flossing and your gums don't accidentally get damaged. Tongue is SO clean feeling every day after I do this! I've always been a serious tongue brusher, but it's never felt so clean as pulling makes it feel. And like I said, hubby noticed how nice my breath is, even first thing in the morning. Teeth are slightly whiter. I was really skeptical of this one. I DON'T think they feel less sensitive, but I haven't started using the fermented cod liver oil yet, so we'll do an update after that, but they are slightly whiter. Hm! I'm going to continue this and write another update with all the other dental changes I've made, but that's what I have to report so far.
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