Thursday, March 26, 2015

Self-Reliance Tip of the Week - I LOVE YOU OLIVE LEAF!!


Get on over here you little rascal!

When I was a kid, as a joke if you mouthed, "olive juice" to someone, you'd get a startled reaction. They thought you were saying, "I love you." Try it. Well, I love everything olive. I love it's fruit, oil, juice, leaf, tree...all the way to its roots. Lemme' tell ya why.

Most people use the fruit for eating as well as the oil. We all know that olive oil was what they used in Biblical times for their lamps to see after the sun had gone down. The oil also has proved champion over and over for healthy skin and hair. But, did you know that the leaf is also used as a medicine?

Tara Pierce, a Certified Master Herbalist says, "Olive leaf was first used medicinally in Ancient Egypt and was used to mummify the pharaohs (man, I thought twinkies would do that...moving on). In the early 1800's, pulverized leaves were used in a drink to lower fevers. A few decades later, green olive leaves were used in a tea as a treatment for malaria. Today, numerous scientific studies have been conducted to investigate the beneficial properties of olive leaf extracts. The reported benefits range from promoting increased energy and healthy blood pressure, to supporting the cardiovascular system and the immune system."
 
Here are other amazing properties of olive leaf extract: 

  • It's antioxidant capacity almost double that of green tea extract and 400% more than vitamin C! 
  • It is effective in relieving chronic intestinal inflammation
  • It helps balance insulin resistance
  • In studies, its antioxidants were shown to be effective in treating some tumors and cancers such as 
  1. liver
  2. prostate
  3. colon 
  4. skin 
  5. and breast cancer

It is also effective against various infections like: 

  • influenza
  • the common cold
  • Candida infections
  • meningitis
  • Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)
  • encephalitis
  • shingles (Herpes zoster)
  • HIV/ARC/AIDS
  • chronic fatigue
  • hepatitis B
  • pneumonia
  • tuberculosis 
  • malaria
  • dengue
  • and severe diarrhea
I have taken olive leaf in capsules before for some infections. It worked well. When I used it for strep-throat, it wasn't able to kick it, but that can be easily remedied with goldenseal root. 

The cool thing about using herbs is that if taking it one way doesn't work for you (like my daughter with an overactive uvula tries to throw up anything capsule-ish), there is more than one way to take it. You can do teas, extracts, capsules or hide it in your food. I prefer capsules with many of the bitter herbs, because it is really hard to hide something like goldenseal in your food. But, luckily, olive leaf is very mild. 

The next time you feel like telling someone you love them, mouth the words, "olive juice" and you'll know it is more than double the love.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Self-Reliance Tip of the Week - The Slippery Slope of Detergent


I was talking with a friend a few weeks ago and we were discussing the chemicals in detergents that can make us sick. She told me that her daughter kept getting sick over and over. With some help, she was able to realize that it was her clothes detergent that was weakening the little lady's immune system where she couldn't fight anything. This resulted in doctor visit after doctor visit. When she stopped using that clothes detergent, her daughter got better and those issues haven't returned. Whew! I love it when we are able to avoid something and it blesses us!

Now, why would chemicals do that to our bodies?

Here is a fairly short list of chemicals in laundry detergents that don't necessarily have to be put on the label (by law like packaged food does):

  1. Ethanol – Linked to nerve disorders
  2. 1,4-dioxane – Considered unsafe to breathe under any circumstances
  3. Ethyl acetate – A narcotic that is a hazardous waste
Here is the scientific stuff on wiki- look under "toxicology": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1,4-Dioxane#Toxicology
Yeousers! Even if it smells nice? Dangnit!

Which detergents have the highest concentrations of...lets say 1,4 dioxane?

David Steinman from the Green Patriot Working Group (GPWG) did a study which evaluated 20 conventional and natural brand laundry detergents on how much dioxane was present in them. Here’s what he found.
Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/028846_laundry_detergents_dioxane.html
Conventional brands – Amounts of dioxane
Tide (Proctor & Gamble) – 55 parts per million of dioxane(ppm)
Ivory Snow Gentle (Proctor & Gamble) – 31 ppm
Tide Free (Proctor & Gamble)– 29 ppm
Purex (Dial Corp.) – 25 ppm
Gain 2X Ultra (Proctor & Gamble) – 21 ppm
Cheer Bright Clean Detergent (Proctor & Gamble) – 20 ppm
Era 2X Ultra (Proctor & Gamble) – 14 ppm
Arm & Hammer (Church & Dwight Co.) – 5.0 ppm
Wisk 2X Ultra (Sun Products Corp.) – 3.9 ppm
Woolite Complete Detergent (Reckitt Benckiser) – 1.3 ppm
All Laundry Detergent (Unilever) – 0.6 ppm
Dreft Powdered Detergent (P&G) – non-detectable
Sun Burst (Sun Products Corp.) – non-detectable
What about dryer sheets?
  1. Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer
  2. Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
  3. Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders
  4. Limonene: Known carcinogen
  5. A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage
  6. Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list, eyes and respiratory tract irritant
  7. Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
  8. Chloroform: A Neurotoxin, anesthetic and carcinogen
  9. Linalool: Causes central nervous system disorders
  10. Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled, extremely flammable.
How can we get around this? 

#1 - One way to get around it? To make your own. There are tons of recipes out there. Some make sense, some don't. Here is a link where one person compared commercial laundry soap to 4 "home made" recipes. http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/green-cleaning/which-homemade-laundry-detergent-recipe-best/#.

This recipe seemed to work the best:

½ cup borax
1 cup washing soda
1 bar Fels-Naptha soap
3 gallons water
5-gallon bucket with a lid

1. Using a box grater, grate the entire bar of Fels-Naptha soap. You’ll end up with a pile of little soap curls. 
2. Pour 4 cups of water into a large pot and bring to a boil, then lower the heat until it’s simmering. Add the entire pile of grated soap, handful by handful, and stir with a wooden spoon until it’s all dissolved.
3. Pour 3 gallons of water into your bucket. (Make sure the bucket is clean first.) Pour in the borax, washing soda, and pot of soap; stir until dissolved.

4. Cover the bucket and let the mixture sit for 24 hours.

The mixture will be a little clumpy, so give it a good stir before using. The globs will dissolve in the washing machine anyway. Use 1 cup of detergent per regular-size load. Makes 52 loads.

Cost per load: 7 cents

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/green-cleaning/which-homemade-laundry-detergent-recipe-best/#ixzz3Us1bN13y
Follow us: @HouseLogic on Twitter | HouseLogic on Facebook

#2 About a year ago I talked about soap nuts (found here http://runningfoxes.blogspot.com/2014/01/self-reliance-tip-of-week-yes-i-am-soap.html) They are so easy! They clean! And they are so cute! I could just pinch their cheeks... if they had any. 

Here is another recipe with using soap nuts even for SHAMPOO!!! Crazy!! http://wellnessmama.com/8441/soap-nuts-shampoo/

#3 Make your own soap

Many many years ago, the pioneers made their own soap with the fat from a slaughtered pig (yummo) and ashes from their fire. We can follow their example...but in a little less messy way :) . Three simple ingredients and a few pieces of equipment can get you started. 


When it comes to being self-reliant with your clothes detergent you can avoid some health problems by not having these chemicals in your clothes that you wear every day. When we are able to break away from purchasing the "easy" and make our own for "better", we often find ourselves blessed in more than one way. 

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Self-Reliance Tip of the Week - To Wheat...Or Not To Wheat...That Is The Question

Image result for wheat

Wow! Do you believe ALL the people that have become "gluten free" over the last few years? It is incredible. If wheat is for man (D&C 89:17), why in the world are so many men (and women) having such a bad time with it? It's a fad right ? Well, lets check this out a little closer. 

A few things to consider with wheat:

  • Much of today's wheat is genetically modified to contain more and more gluten which creates softer breads- that in itself causes known health problems (dangnit!)
  • Wheat flour (especially the "enriched" varieties) is not a "live" food especially after being baked at high temperatures. It creates excessive mucus after we eat it, which leads to health problems (dangnit!)
  • Pesticides and herbicides that are sprayed on wheat also cause glandular and digestive problems (DANGNIT!!)

With those few ideas...it is a wonder ANY of us can eat it! 

Is there a way around any of this? 

Dr. William E. Ellis who is a retired osteopathic physician and surgeon (located in Arlington,Texas) has done extensive research on the effects of cows milk on human beings. What he has found is quite surprising in regards to allergies. He said, “Milk and milk products are harmful to many people, both adults and infants. Milk is a contributing factor in constipation, chronic fatigue, arthritis, headaches, muscle cramps, obesity, allergies, heart problems and poor absorption..."

Part of the reason these allergies exist is because milk is a contributing factor in causing allergies, "by diminishing hydrochloric acid necessary to digest protein, causing the undigested protein to enter the bloodstream and promote allergic reactions."

(Herbal Home Health Care pg. 24)

Way around it #1: 

Avoid dairy - calcium is abundant in dark green food. Try grain or nut milks like rice or almond milk as a substitute. 

What else can help us around it?

What is more savory than luscious baked breads, biscuits, and pastries dripping in amazing toppings like butter and glaze...yummy hummy! Its like eating little cherubs! MMMmmmmMmMMMmm! But... (ALWAYS a big but!) like in the second point we considered earlier, high temperatures kill anything good that was in the wheat. There are also natural things ( enzyme inhibitors) in the wheat that make it hard to digest if water hasn't broken them down yet. 

Way around it #2:

Sprout the wheat. When we take a little extra time to sprout the wheat, many intolerant to wheat bread (etc etc), have found that they can handle sprouted wheat berries. During this process the berries are turned from a "grain" to a "vegetable". They can be tossed into tons of stuff like soups, salads, and even Peanut Butter Energy Balls http://runningfoxes.blogspot.com/2013/11/self-reliance-tip-of-week-april-16th.html (I would add like 1/4 C to this recipe). This way, they don't even need to be cooked. They are nice a plump and the longer they sprout, the more nutritious and sweet they are. If you do sprout them, and it still causes problems then you should still avoid it. 

How to sprout wheat:
1 qt jar
2 C. dry wheat berries
4 C filtered water
Ring for jar
paper towel

Add wheat and water to your jar. Let it soak 24 hours. Drain the water, put the paper towel under the ring and screw it on. Lay the jar on its side. Let is sit in a warm place for 24 more hours. The berries will have little happy white sprouts on top. 



Anything else? 

One of the biggest reasons people get sick (no, it isn't all bacteria and viruses) is because our lower intestines (the large ones) are lined with years of built up gunk...kind of like glue. When this happens, we can't absorb good vitamins, minerals and other essential things because they can't get through that built up sludge. When we clean the colon, the body begins to heal because the body can absorb what it needs. 

Way around it #3

Clean the colon.

The easiest way I've understood to get this done is to use this formula. 


I've read review after review how it has helped people get rid of this junk in a gentle way. But remember, any herb or mild food that is meant for our use will do very little good if we will not eat what we are supposed to. It is available at Indigo Mountain too. 

With the question of "to wheat or not to wheat"...only you can answer that question. What I can tell you is that when we eat food given to us by our Father and we consume it the closer it is to how He gave it to us, the better it is for us and for future generations. Even if you are gluten intolerant, don't be afraid to store wheat. It would be a great bartering item. 

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Self-Reliance Tip of the Week - Be Nice To Israel, and Leave Their Land Alone

Inline image 1
You know those kinds of kids...the one the teacher always looks out for. Teacher's pet maybe? What does Teacher see in them anyway? This is how many countries of the world see Israel. It seems America's leadership is leaning that direction in a serious way...like "I forgot to drink my V-8 today" kind of lean. So, what's so special about them anyway? They are such a tiny country, why should we play nice? Why does it matter so much?

Several months ago I did some highlights on Israel and what was prophesied for them and why. Catch up to speed on this part of the discussion here:


Next, the Lord said this about their land:

"Lev 25:23 ¶ The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land [is] mine; for ye [are] strangers and sojourners with me."

The Lord promised it to them. End of story. 

On the news when we hear " Land for Peace" deals/ talks , we should be leaning more to, " America, get ready for a natural disaster!" Now, why would I say that? It seems every time American leaders try to take a piece of Israel's land, destruction happens here. It is never about peace truly...it is about taking Israel off the map. Take a good look:

  • October 30, 1991
As President George Bush, Sr. is opening the Madrid Conference to consider "Land for Peace" in Israel's Middle East role, the "Perfect Storm" develops in the North Atlantic, creating the largest waves ever recorded in that region. The storm travels 1,000 miles from East to West (instead of the normal West to East pattern) and crashes into the New England coast. Thirty five foot waves crash into the Kennebunkport home of President Bush.

  • August 23, 1992
When the Madrid Conference moves to Washington D.C. and the Peace Talks resume, Hurricane Andrew, the worst natural disaster ever to hit America, comes ashore producing an estimated $30 billion in damage and leaving 108,000 homeless in Florida.
  • January 16, 1994
President Bill Clinton meets with Syria's President Hafez el-Assad in Geneva. They talk about a peace agreement with Israel that includes giving up the Golan Heights. Within 24 hours a powerful (6.9 on the Richter scale) earthquake rocks Southern California. The Northridge earthquake becomes the second most destructive natural disaster to hit the United States, behind Hurricane Andrew.

  • January 21, 1998
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu meets with President Clinton at the White House and is coldly received. Clinton and Secretary of State Madeline Albright refuse to have lunch with him. Shortly afterwards on that day, the Monica Lewinski scandal breaks into the mass media and begins to occupy a major portion of Clinton's time.
  • September 28, 1998
Secretary of State Albright works on the final details of an agreement in which Israel would give up 13% of Judea and Samaria. Hurricane George, with winds of 110mph gusting up to 175mph, slams into the United States Gulf Coast. Hurricane George stalls. Clinton meets with Arafat and Netanyahu at the White House to finalize this land deal. Later Arafat addresses the United Nations about declaring an independent Palestinian state by May 1999. Hurricane George pounds the Gulf Coast causing $1 billion in damage. At the exact time Arafat departs the country, the storm starts to dissipate.
  • October 15-22, 1998
Arafat and Natanyahu meet at the Wye River Plantation in Maryland. The talks are scheduled to last five days with a focus on Israel giving up 13% of Judea and Samaria. The talks are extended and conclude on October 23rd. On October 17thawesome rains and tornados hit Sothern Texas. The rain and flooding in Texas continue until October 22nd and then subside. The floods ravage 25% of Texas and leave over $1 billion in damage. On October 21, Clinton declares this section of Texas a major disaster area.
  •  November 30, 1998
Arafat comes to Washington again to meet with President Clinton to raise money for a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as the capital. A total of 42 other nations were represented in Washington. All agreed to give Arafat $3 billion in aid. Clinton promised $400 million and the European nations $1.7 billion. On the same day, the Dow Jones average drops 216 points, and on December 1, the European Market had its worst day in history. Hundreds of billions of market capitalization were wiped out in U.S. and Europe. 
  •  December 12, 1998
Clinton lands in the Palestinian-controlled section of Israel to discuss the "land for peace" process. The House of Representatives votes four articles of impeachment against Clinton.
  •  May 3, 1999
The day Yasser Arafat is scheduled to declare a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital the most powerful tornado storm system ever to hit the United States sweeps across Oklahoma and Kansas . Winds are clocked at 316mph, the fastest wind speed ever recorded. The declaration is postponed to December 1999 at the request of Clinton , whose letter to Arafat encourages him in his "aspirations for his own land." He also writes that the Palestinians have a right to "determine their own future on their own land" and that they deserve to "live free today, tomorrow and forever."
  •  October 11, 1999
Jewish settlers in 15 "West Bank" (Israel) settlements are evicted from the covenant land in Israel. Dow Jones financial averages loses 5.7% in the worst week since October 1989. On October 15 the Dow lost 266 points. A hurricane slams into North Carolina. Next morning, October 16, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake rocks the Southwest in the fifth most powerful earthquake in the 20th century. The earthquake was centered in the California desert and did little damage but it was felt in three states.
  •  September 11, 2001
At 11am that morning, the American UN Ambassador was to present a final proposed agreement to the United Nations assembly for the establishment of a Palestinian Arab State on Israeli Jewish Land. At 9 am on 9/11/01 terrorists attacked the Twin Towers in NYC, closing down the City and the UN. The proposed agreement was never voted on
  •  August 2005
Jewish families were evicted from their homes in the Gaza communities as part of Ariel Sharon's "Disengagement" plan. This disengagement was a response to the American Foreign Policy pressure being exerted by Condoleeza Rice. As the world watched the Jews being removed from their homes, a weather system was forming in the Atlantic. This storm became Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed New Orleans , Louisiana (Miss Rice's home state) and an area the size of Britain , rendering thousands of Americans homeless and leaving thousands dead. Hurricane Katrina also spoiled the "Southern Decadence" weekend planned by the homosexual community for New Orleans and supported by the mayor of New Orleans. By September 7th, further parallels were becoming apparent. The Mayor of New Orleans, having been heavily criticized for ineffectiveness has ordered troops (local people) and police to evacuate all residents who refuse to leave. The police chief has expressed reservations about tackling defiant householders as it would be a "PR disaster."
  •  May 19-23, 2011
“Acting President” Obama on May 19th, makes a public speech demanding that Israel should go back to pre-1967 borders and allow the formation of a Palestinian State.  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel declares that pre 1967 borders are indefensible and Israel will never let that happen.  Three days later the second deadliest tornado disaster (in terms of deaths and damage, #1 occurred in 1925) hits Joplin Missouri, destroying a large part of the City.  The next day, another tornado hits Oklahoma. The storm heads east and becomes one of the most destructive series of storms in US history.
  •  August 28, 2012
The national GOP Platform is released.  Within the article is a statement of support for the division of Israel into two separate states.  That morning a tropical depression in the Caribbean develops into hurricane Isaac.  Over the next several days, Isaac follows the same basic path as hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans.  Isaac hits land just a few miles off the course of Katrina ON the same exact day.  Interestingly, they two hurricanes hit exactly seven years apart on the same day, the celebration of Gay pride in New Orleans.  Although not as storm of a storm as Katrina, it was larger in size.  Swells reached 11ft in the New Orleans area and some levees strengthened after Katrina were still breached.

I read a book a few years ago called "The Harbinger" by Johnathan Cahn. It is a FANTASTIC read! In the book he addresses the things that happened in America just after 9/11 and relates it to what happened to Israel when they were attacked (*cough* because they didn't repent). His allegory quotes Isaiah 9:10 which says:

"The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars"

What does that even mean? Here is a partial explanation (there are MANY layers to this) - because of the shock wave created by the collapse of the buildings, very few surrounding buildings survived undamaged. One building was left untouched (are your chills ready?) it was St. Paul's Chapel, which was protected by a sycamore. That sycamore was damaged and had to be removed. Guess what it was replaced with? A cedar. What does that have to do with the price of beans in Nova Scotia? Well, we know Isaiah loves symbols. Sycamore is a soft wood "easy to be entreated", cedar is a hard, "prideful" wood. For a short time after the 9/11 attacks, America united. Then, not long after, they became very prideful and even more wicked. Wanna know something else crazy? This little church, left undamaged, was the place where George Washington knelt to dedicate this land to God!  


America and Israel are both lands of promise. Both countries must be obedient, because God will not be mocked. Their destinies are interwoven.  Destruction follows disobedience. America must stand with Israel and help protect and defend her. We do not want to be on the opposing side of Israel...ever. So, be nice to Israel or Teacher's gonna get'cha.