My world is clean and green! What about yours?

Biting irony, isn’t it? Now we have to protect our babies and ourselves from deadly industrial chemicals. At first was lead found in children’s toys, then melamine in pet food. This time baby’s formula is “enriched” with the same dangerous chemical.  What are these two chemicals that attracted the whole world’s attention?

• Lead is  a poisonous metal. It can damage the brain and other parts of the body. Anybody can be exposed to this toxic metal. There is no safe age to be exposed to it. You or your children can eat or drink lead contaminated food or water. You can be breating dust containing lead or it can come in contact through your skin. As the experts say, lead is the most harmful to children especially those younger than age 3 because it can permanently affect their growth and development. If a pregnant woman is exposed to lead, she can pass it to her unborn child (fetus). Lead can be passed to a baby through the mother’s breast milk.
• Melamine is a nitrogen containing molecule that has several industrial uses. In some parts of the world it has been used as a FERTILIZER.  In other countries melamine and polyacetal formaldehyde based resins are used as ADHESIVES in plywood, surfacing coatings and molding compaunds. Can you imagine the strenght of these ingredients? Consumer First Aid and Health Information (www.emedicinehealth.com) reported, animals that have been fed with melamine-tainted food made from Chinese ingredients may be present in fish, pork and poultry. FDA says that health risk to humans is low. How health risk to humans can be low if this chemical has been used as fertilizer in agriculture and adhesives are part of construction materials? It doesn’t make any sense, does it? Obviously FDA can play its card by telling the American public that melamine isn’t registered fertilizer in the U.S. Another irony of fate. So, why we still have here food products with added melamine, which is another myth created by Chinese suppliers who try to insure the world that this toxic ingredient (melamine) is high in nitrogen and can artificially boost protein content.  You don’t need this artificial boost of protein. You can safely get your protein content by eating natural, whole foods.

So, Moms and Dads think twice before you buy “Made in China” toys for your kids or any other products produced there. The list of not safe Chinese products can go from powdered milk to tainted toothpaste, medicines, toys, pet food ingredients that killed and sickened people and animals in North and South America. These two facts that can tell you a lot and put you on alert: (more…)

It looks delicious

Our speed-fire culture has trained us to do as many things as we can handle. Juggling too many activities and tasks in hope that you are being efficient? What about your health? You cannot be efficient and accomplish you daily multi-task if you are not healthy.

The first step to keep your health in control and prevent sicknesses is much easier to undertake than your other tasks. Just forget about all this hype about detoxification miracuously coming from plastic jars with “veggie” capsules. After you spend $200 minimum on “Detox” nutritional supplements, these magic compounds can kill good bacteria and flora in your body. Now what? You have to bring it back, by other words, to rejuvenate your body. It means that you have to buy another plastic jar with capsules which supposedly will help you to recover what was lost from your body during the “first tour.” Spend again $200 to “correct” a drastic cleansing?!

Why do you have to go through a such experiment with no guarantee? Does it make any sense to you? It doesn’t make any sense to me and never did because our bodies are built to be strong and have an ability to self-sustain the unexpected illnesses. (more…)

by Svetlana Konnikova

When I was a child my mama told me a story about one small and clever animal who used his instincts to survive by foraging for just the right “medicine” from Nature’s green pharmacy. I adapted this story that takes us back to our natural roots to my own words and told it to my children. They understood what it means to be in harmony with Nature and all she provides.

They admired how the small and clever animal successfully treated and healed his wounds. It became my children’s favorite and they requested it time and again. Sometimes you can see this small animal in our own backyards, depending on where you live. Each time the story is told by someone new, the words are bound to change, but the moral remains crystal clear. Trust in Nature to be healed.

As you see, even a small animal knows that Mother Nature is the best healer. How can we explore and make useful Nature’s green pharmacy? It is not difficult at all, as you might think. Look in your kitchen cupboard for yellow onion, garlic, cabbage, or ginger. You can make five amazing home remedies and treat headaches, acne pustules, stubborn cors, burns, travel sickness and other problems.

Remedy One: Rub the highly anticeptic cloves of garlic (peeled and cut open) on acne pustules and other infected pimples.

Remedy Two: Crush garlic and apply to stubborn corns to draw them out. Fold a bandage into three layers with the garlic in between and roll over the finger or toe.

Remedy Three: Cut one slice of yellow onion and put it on incsect stings–you’ll get rapid relief.

Remedy Four: Lie down and apply washed fresh cabbage leaves as a plaster to the forehead and temples for 15 minutes to soothe a burn or bruise or to relieve headaches.

Remedy Five: Chew a piece of crystallized ginger or eat ginger candy or cookies to prevent travel sickness such as nausea and vomiting during long journeys in a car or boat.

Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

Your comments are welcome. I love to hear from you.

 by Svetlana Konnikova

If you life is empty and you have nothing to do in your spare time, you become bored and mislabel your condition as stress. And indeed, being bored can lead to distress. Stimulate yourself intellectually. Maintain a consistent process of self-improvement and you will find your life is full. The remedies for boredom are simple:

• Don’t devote too much of your time to watching TV. Its alarming drama can add to your tension.
• Read an interesting story or an uplifting article and stimulate your imagination.
• Keep a rendezvous with a friend. Meet for lunch every week and communicate.
• Indulge your interests by doing to the theater, a concert or art exhibition.
• Choose what you like and make it part of your relaxation regime.
• Read a good book and satisfy your soul’s starvation.
• Form a book club and meet with other people once a week to read and critique a short story or book.
• Go to conferences and meet other people to boost your intellect.
• Listen to music or discuss the latest news events with your family or friends.
• Exchange your ideas and broaden your scope of interests.
• Every day explore new impressions and acquire new knowledge.
• Plant seeds in your garden and watch them grow.
• Select flowers to fill a beautiful bouquet.
• Keep fresh cut flowers and plants in your house. They will greet you every morning and will bring beauty to your life, along with freshness, fragrance, good feelings and a fine mood.
• Allow yourself to take time off from your responsibilities, relax and have fun!

Don’t have enough time? You are not alone complaining about it. Here is a solution: give yourself a gentle push past your inertia to satisfy your soul’s desires.

Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

 by Svetlana Konnikova

The only way to minimize the negative effects of stress is to manage stress before it manages you. You can devise your own personal methods to gain control over it. It does not have to be difficult to manage stress. Simple guidelines and tips will help you to turn your stress into ”a good exercise for heart and soul,” to recover from distress and rebalance your internal, psychological health. Interpret these concepts in your personal way, add new ones of your own, and minimize the harmful effects of stress on your well-being. 

Practice proper nutrition

Scientists and physicians confirm that eating a balanced diet, low in fat and rich in vitamins, is a powerful defense against the toll that stress can take on you. Make sure you get enough of magnesium, an important mineral that relieves muscle cramping and strengthens blood vessels and the heart. Dizziness, high blood pressure, trembling, and itching of the fingers can be indication of a magnesium deficiency in the body. To ensure that your body has sufficient magnesium, try these simple remedies:

• Drink a good quality mineral water.
• Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Grate two-three organic carrots, add a minced onion and olive oil. This salad will give you a daily dose of magnesium.
• At least twice weekly make a glass of fresh carrot juice and drink it before breakfast. It’s a strong blood purifier. It will help you to cleanse the body of physical and psychological impurities.
• Mix thyme, sage and linden. Make a hot, herbal tea and drink it.  It will “relieve the soul of tension.”

Create a joyful family time

• Make a fresh and healthy dinner for your family. Create delicious homemade meals. Keep a pleasant conversation. Let your husband and children enjoy your culinary skills and each other!
• If you, your husband or your children have problems, disappointments or any requests, talk it out after dinner.
• Think positively. Love, inspire, amuse, and believe in them. It is mutual. You’ll get the same treatment back.

(more…)