Raw Juice

I have been through the Green Smoothie revolution and have done really well with it. The greens give me energy and the whole mixture has done great things for my digestion. However, as I have changed my diet I have more of a craving for the vegetables than for the fruit in the smoothies. That is where the raw juices come in. I LOVE THEM!!! Even my 4 year old complains when his glass is less full than mine. :)

Here is the recipe I am using with some variations.

  3 stalks celery with the leaves intact
  1 apple
  5 carrots
  1 head of romaine
  1/2 cup water

or

3 stalks celery
1 bunch of fresh parsley
5 carrots
1 apple
1/2 cup water

I blend these in my awesome Blendtec blender and then strain through a sock that I have set aside for straining only. I like doing it this way because my blender is so easy to clean and the Blendtec breaks the food down to the cellular level. I watched some youtube videos on juicing with a Blendtec that made up my mind against purchasing a juicer. I'd rather have just one appliance to keep track of anyway. :)

Using a variety of greens will assure a variety of vitamins and minerals in your diet. I am sure there are thousands of recipes for raw juice but these have been my favorite lateley.

Happy Healthy,
~Elisa

Almond Mild Recipe

This is the second time I've written this post. The first one got deleted just as I was ready to publish it! I DO NOT like it when that happens!

This is the recipe I have come to use after about 4 years of making it. I have tried lots of different variations and this is the easiest and tastiest for me.

Step 1:  soak the almonds for 12 to 24 hours. 

I try to soak all of my nuts, grains, and seeds before using them. Not only does it predigest them so they are easier on the body but it is also said that the nutrition content rises by 300 percent! There are even some vitamins present after sprouting that were not there before hand.

Step 2:  freeze the almonds you are not using right away.

They will be good covered with water in the fridge for 2 or 3 days but I like to freeze them so they are for sure not gone bad by the time I want to use them again.

Step 3: blend 1 cup of almonds and 1 cup of water for 30 seconds on the highest setting.

This will depend on your blender. I use a Blendtec - it is the best blender I have found.

Step 4: Add 2 packets of Stevia, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 3 cups of water.

Step 5: Blend on the Wholefoods setting in a Blendtec or just until very blended.

Step 6: Add cold water until at an 8 or 9 cup volume.

Step 7: Strain. ( I guess you could strain this at Step 5 and then add water to dilute)

I have a tube sock that is set aside for this purpose. It works really good for me!

Voila! You have almond milk! Yum.

I use it for everything that calls for regular milk. It does not have animal hormones,antibiotics or any of the other bad stuff that is in cow milk these days.
Almond milk is full of vitamins and healthy fats and plus -it is also a very economical way to go.

Try your hand at making Almond milk and let us know what you think!

Homemade Daily Facewash

I have been pondering face wash for about a month. I make a face scrub that is awesome but it is not something I want to use every day - just when I need to exfoliate.  For my son I have wanted to make something that will help his occasional acne breakouts and for me I wanted something that will tighten, rejuvenate, moisturize, and clean really well. (Am I asking too much? :) Well, I came up with something great!

The base of my new wash is either going to be Castille soap for its simplicity and cost effectiveness, or the soap from ForeverGreen called Silk.  I like the fuller texture of the Silk but having tried this new face wash with the Castille Soap, I am thinking it might be the way to go.  It is natural and good for the skin and has been around for ages.

The second ingredient in my new concoction is Jojoba oil.  It is the closest thing to the oils in a human body so it works really well for skin care.  In Europe people use plain olive oil to wash their faces (oil dissolves oil). I have tried that, and it is an ingredient in my face scrub for that reason, but I really like the lightness of the Jojoba oil and the benefits of how closely it resembles my own skins oils.

The third ingredient that I am really excited about is PURE from ForeverGreen.  It has vitamins and minerals from Marine Phytoplankton that has 400 times the energy of any plant on earth.  It is so complete that it fills every need the body has for vitamins and minerals.  Normally this PURE is meant for being taken internally but I know a woman who has been putting it on her face and she has had worrisome spots go away!  After I heard her say that, I have been thinking of how beneficial it would be to have vitamins and minerals being absorbed through the skin.  It would be the complete opposite of absorbing the chemicals in many other facial products. I think I'll also have an after-wash  that can stay on the skin with this PURE in it.
So, I added Pure to the face wash and I am excited about it. Here is a link to the brochure about it.
https://www.poweredbyforevergreen.org/content/library/PureBrochure.pdf

The last ingredients I added are Frankincense and Lavender essential oils.  These will aid the Jojoba oil in making the texture of my skin soft.  They will rejuvenate my skin and keep wrinkles at bay.  I have read that the ancient Egyptians used Frankincense in their rejuvenating masks. They knew about it even then!
The lavender is not only for the awesome calming smell, but it is used on burns and scars and will definitely be great for my face and the rest of my body.  It is restorative and a great combination with the Frankincense. Also, most oils are antimicrobial so it will help with acne.

For my son, I am substituting the Frankincense and Lavender with Tea Tree oil.  He doesn't need to worry about skin that is getting older but he does need the anti-acne effects of the Tea Tree.  He could also go for a liver cleanse that would do his skin lots of good.

I made some of this face wash and have tried it a couple of times. I like how it cleans but does not dry out my skin.  A friend of mine is also trying it (Hi!). She texted me the day after I gave it to her and told me she likes it and wants more!  Yay! Success. I found something that will be great for me and it will help others too.

Anyone reading this can feel free to make their own face wash.  The ingredients can all be found here  www.5900975.myforevergreen.org  or I will be making it available on my website   www.isntitdivine.com  .  If you just can't wait and need some now :)  - email me at info@isntitdivine.com or call me at 307-749-4024 and I'll make some for you!

Happy Healthy,
~Elisa

Horrible Hearburn to Heavenly Hope :)

My husband has enough faith in essential oils to come to me when he is starting to feel sick.  The other day was very stressful and he had a bad case of heartburn. As soon as he told me, I put 2 drops of Ease essential oil in a glass of water and had him drink it.  A few minutes later he told me that his heartburn was going away, and within 10 minutes he said it was GONE! (and it didn't come back!)
  The next day I heard him telling his friend about how cool that was. :)
  An even faster way of taking care of heartburn is to put 3-5 drops of Ease essential oil under the tongue. I have heard that it works instantly.
  Ease essential oil is only $25.95 wholesale at www.5900975.myforevergreen.org. It has 200 drops in it, so it's going to last for a long time and it also helps with belly aches and digestion issues. I think that's a pretty good deal!
Here's to no more heartburn in 2011!
Happy Healthy,
~Elisa

Natural Clothes Softener

   For more than a year, I have been using vinegar in a Downy Ball for our clothes softener.  It does a good job at softening and it does not leave a film on the clothes like other softeners do.  One of the things I have noticed with this is how absorbent my kitchen and bathroom cloths are.  

Another thing the vinegar does is it cleans hard water deposits that build up on the inside of the washer and the hoses.  Even if you don't want to switch from your favorite softener, running a load with vinegar every couple of loads will help your washer stay 'ungunked'.

  Using vinegar instead of softeners with perfumes is very beneficial to people with skin sensitivities.  My husband and little boy have sensitive skin and the vinegar has been great for them, no more itchy skin.  I also make our laundry soap to help with their skin. This http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm is the recipe I use. I add either Lavender or Citrus essential oil to it for a great natural scent. I buy those here because of their purity and unparalleled scent.  www.5900975.myforevergreen.org

  You don't need to worry about the smell of the vinegar :) - it goes away completely when the clothes are dried.  I add 3-5 drops of essential oils to the Downy Ball too for the smell ( I love the smell of my laundry washing), and the antimicrobial effects.  I use Guardian blend when I want to make sure viruses and germs are being killed and I really like Lavender or Orange on our clothes too.  Another way to get these smells on the clothes is to put a few drops on a cloth in the dryer.

White vinegar helps with whitening so when I add it to a 'whites' load, I fill the downy ball to the top and add the essential oils.  When I do a 'colors' load I only fill the ball 1/4 to 1/2 way full.

  Try it out and see what you think. It is one more way you can be in charge of your health.

Happy Healthy,
~Elisa

Skin problems

Probably the most common thing I have people ask me about are issues related to skin. So many people have eczema, rashes, dry skin, oily skin, psoriasis, etc. and lots of them are looking for ways to take care of it naturally. I don't blame them as the alternative is cortisone creams and ointments known for their side effects.  Two of my sons have had eczema so I know the dilemma. I say had because they no longer have it with  changes we have made to our diet, and other changes I will discuss here.

  First, as with most skin problems, the liver needs to be addressed. Skin problems are often a symptom of a toxic overload in the liver. It is very simple to clean the liver by doing a cleanse with Lemon and Peppermint essential oils. Recipe: 

• 1 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 drop lemon essential oil
• 1 drop Peppermint essential oil
• 1 cup water (I prefer distilled - to be talked about in another post)

Stir all of the ingredients together and drink first thing in the morning on an empty stomach for best results. This is a gentle cleanse that does not require you to modify your schedule at all. Do this cleanse for 30 days and then reevaluate if it is needed again.

Another thing to think of with skin issues is dairy. Many times an allergy to wheat and dairy show up in rashes. When we stopped consuming dairy and wheat my sons eczema went away. No more rashes. We now substitute milk with almond milk which is very cheap if you make it at home, and we use grains like rice, millet, quinoa, spelt, and oats.

Lavender and Chamomile are two very good essential oils to use on rashes. I dilute them with grape seed or jojoba oil and put them in a roll on bottle to use wherever there is a rash. I know a couple of people who have done this with good results. Lavender and Tea Tree are good for rashes in a bath with dead sea salts. The Lavender is soothing and healing, the Tea Tree is cleansing and healing, and the Dead Sea Salts draw out impurities and toxins from the skin.

There are many essential oils that are good for the skin. The oil to use depends on the issue.
Blemishes = tea tree
Cracked skin = Rosemary ct. verbenone, Sandalwood, Myrrh, Patchouli
Eczema = Lavender, Geranium, Chamomile, TLC, or Quiescent mixed in an ounce of Message Oil
Rosacea = Moon on the cheeks
Scars = Lavender, Helichrysum
Skin Tags = Lemongrass
Wrinkles = Fennel in Message Oil, Frankincense, Parlmerosa, Salndalwood

These ideas are just skimming the top of what the oils can do. I highly recommend the book Nature's Farmacy by Lorene Davies. Some people call it their essential oil Bible because it is so comprehensive. It can be bought at http://everydayaromatics.com/divine where you can also learn about the histories, facts, uses, etc. of essential oils. This 494 page book teaches about how to use essential oils but it also goes into diet and other health factors. Great resource.

So, through eliminating dairy and wheat from the diet, drinking lots of clean water, doing a liver cleanse, and using essential oils, many skin problems can be taken care of naturally and easily. The oils can be bought through http://everydayaromatics.com/divine (Lavender, Peppermint, and Lemon essential oils are FREE for first time buyers), or to get them at wholesale prices go to www.5900975.myforevergreen.org .

I hope this helps someone.

Happy Healthy,
~Elisa
www.isntitdivine.com

My first Post On This Blog

  I have been posting on Facebook and Twitter about things that have been happening to my family as a result of using essential oils. (all good things:)  Those posts are so limiting because of the short length that I have to keep them. I want to be able to tell the 'behind the scenes' view of what is happening with my family.
   Not only are we using essential oils, but we are incorporating them with the use of herbs and whole foods nutrition too. Putting them all together makes for a powerful experience! How empowering it is to keep a kid home from school because a cough is starting, and send them back to school the next day with NOT ONE symptom of having been getting sick!  This has happened a handful of times this fall so I know it is not coincidence. When it happens more than a couple of times, you can be assured that it will happen again!
   My husband has not been missing work because of sickness, I am not getting pneumonia every year like I had for 3 years, and I am not afraid to visit family that might pass something on to us. When we are boosting our immune systems with oils like Defense blend and Kids Wellness, eating whole foods, and taking our herbal vitamins, our health is astounding! I hope I can blog about what we are doing to stay well and inspire others to action for their health.
   I do have to give credit to my Heavenly Father for leading me on this path of wellness. I feel very led in the things that I have been able to learn. Seminars I have been able to go to, herbal courses that have been made possible, people I have met, and the assurance that I am on the right track have come from Him. Now I hope I can be led by Him to help others that stand in need of this kind of knowledge. :)
  I think the first place someone should go if they want to improve their health naturally would be http://everydayaromatics.com/divine.  This is a site that answers questions, provides facts and insight, and you can try the 3 most used oils for free(lavender, peppermint, and lemon)! A ton of information comes with them and you can see for yourself how transformational the oils can be. When you go to the link it asks for your email address so you can get a free 16 page wealth of information. The only person who then has your email address is me. I use that information to send occasional emails and information - your email is safe with me!

   So here we go on this blogging journey. May it be inspiring to someone.