The Most Adorable Parenting Moments . . . .

25 Of The Most Adorable Parenting Moments In The Animal Kingdom

Image credits: David Lazar

There’s no love in this world like the love of a mother or father for a child. It’s beautiful and often times can be seen across species barriers. We’re not the only ones capable of it, and these heartwarming photos of animal parents will show you that for sure.

We tend to separate animals into two different categories based on how they rear their children. Those are the R and K categories. K categories include animals like cats, elephants, and humans. They have few babies but have longer gestation periods. Their offspring tend to require more care and for much longer time. The R category is more focused on quantity for survival. Here are some great examples of K animals:

Image credits: Laurie Rubin

Image credits: Anton Belovodchenko

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Image credits: Wolfgang von Vietinghoff

Image credits: Udayan Rao Pawar

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Image credits: Andre Pretorius

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Image credits: Igor Shpilenok

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HEALING OUR EMOTIONS with HERBS and CHAKRA BALANCING

We are like the shining sun, and our sickness, like passing clouds which appear to extinguish the sun’s rays. Our original nature is wholeness: HEALTH. We are perfect, infinite energy.

Then where do our illnesses come from?  All illness of the mind, body or emotions is an effect of our ignorance of this perfect Self, causing us to unwittingly invite our disease by treating our body carelessly and by burdening our mind and nervous system with negative thoughts and emotions, allowing the limiting ego to rule us with its fluctuating anger, greed, and deceit.  We abuse our body with too much of the wrong kinds of food and too little rest and exercise.

The same way the Creator gave us 12 organs and various systems to make sure our bodies function in accord with the Universe to facilitate a harmonious life on this physical plane, S/he also gave us the 7 Energy Centers (chakras or hubs of spinning energy) in our body to connect us to the spiritual and emotional plane.  Each 'chakra' serves a particular purpose for our spiritual growth and physical stability.  Just like energy that flows through our physical body – when it is off, we feel sick, tired or out-of-sorts.  When the 'chakra energy' doesn't flow harmoniously through our bodies, we feel insecure, disconnected and emotionally imbalanced.

Just as you can use exercise and alternative healing methods, herbs and vitamins to heal and restore energy and health to the physical body, you can use chi exercise, meditation and alternative healing methods and crystals to heal and restore energy and health to the spiritual and emotional bodies.

We will begin to share the definitions of each of the chakras, the herbs, yoga postures and crystals for healing the mind, body and emotions. For more complete information on this weeks subject, please visit my website section CHAKRA ENERGY CENTERS, where you will find fuller postings of this week's article on healing the emotions with herbs, crystals and chakra balancing.

The 1^st Chakra: ROOT CHAKRA is the source of our life force and forms the vital foundation for all the higher chakras, and is located at the base of the spine (coccyx).  It rules our physical energies and governs our vigor, heredity, survival, security, passion, money, job and home.  This chakra aids us in our everyday survival, and is actually the basis of both our masculine and feminine energy.

If your root chakra is open and functioning harmoniously, you will experience a deep, personal relationship with Earth and nature. You will be rooted in life and filled with satisfaction, stability and inner strength. If unbalanced or malfunctioning, your thoughts and actions primarily revolve around material possessions and (in)security, as well as your overindulgence in sensual pleasures, such as good (exotic) foods, alcohol, sex, etc. Your inability to let go of these tendencies often manifest themselves in the form of constipation and gaining weight, as in overweight. For you, life on earth is NOT a pleasure.

Standing postures in yoga helps to balance the energy of this Chakra and protein enriched foods are beneficial for attaining this equilibrium; the Water Element (kidneys and bladder) and organs of elimination are connected with this Chakra, and some of the herbs for the kidneys/bladder include juniper berries, parsley, gravel root, plantain, uva ursi, chaparral, burdock, marshmallow, golden seal and purple loosestrife.

The 1st ROOT CHAKRA: located between the anus and the genitals, is connected with the coccyx at the base of the spine and opens downward (“grounding us,” connecting us with the Earth). The color for this chakra is black, sometimes red; red is also the color of anger and/or vitality!

Your current diet may be deficient or over-indulgent of the foods necessary to maintain a healthy balance of the emotions and chakras.  To help ground your root chakra, eat plenty of “root” vegetables: carrots, parsnips, radishes, beets, onions, garlic, etc; protein-rich foods: eggs, beans, soy products, grains: quinoa, kasha, Haritaki and chia seeds, nuts (butters) and the spices: horseradish, hot paprika, chives, cayenne and peppers. Some of the herbs for the kidneys/bladder include juniper berries, parsley, gravel root, lotus root, plantain, uva ursi, chaparral, burdock, marshmallow, golden seal and purple loosestrife.  The crystals that help balance this chakra are Azurite, Bloodstone, Chrysocolla, Hematite, Obsidian, Boji Stone, Golden Topaz, Black Tourmaline, Carnelian, Citrine, Red Jasper, Smoky Quartz.

Out of balance, this chakra can manifest various physical ailments such as interruptions in the cycle, frigidity, impotence or tumor related diseases, or as migraine headaches or frequent bladder trouble. As you surround yourself with crystals, adjust your diet to 'feed your spirit' and focus your daily thoughts and actions, you will find that the negative qualities of the Root Chakra (impatience, fear of annihilation, death wish, violence, anger, over-sexed or impotent, vengeful, hyperactive, impulsive and manipulative) will subside as your meditations and daily thought processes are directed by your Spirit and you will instead become based in security, sense of one's own power, spontaneous leadership, active and independent. These small and gradual changes in our daily lives can help break bad eating habits, behavior, thoughts and relationship patterns.

Join our FREE Monthly HEALING MARKETPLACE every 1st Saturday 

(Healers welcome) and a 1-hr $10 Workshop on the Basics 

of Making Herbal Formulas (see Newsletter for more 

details and location).

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SCHIZANDRA BERRY TEA ~ Replace Morning Caffeine and Take Before Bed to SLEEP BETTER

The system in our body that regulates metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, sleep and our moods, is known as the Endocrine System.  It is made up of 7 Glands, which are directly connected to our 7 Chakras.  The glands produce hormones that are secreted directly into the bloodstream and influence all the functions of the body. 

Stress is at that heart of many of our health conditions. When the body is stressed, your capacity to adapt is reduced, which can wreak havoc on the immune, nervous and inflammatory response systems (the endocrine glands).  Inflammation occurs when tissues are injured by bacteria, trauma, toxins, heat, or any other cause.  The damaged cells release chemicals that cause blood vessels to leak fluid into the tissues, causing swelling: inflammation.  This helps isolate the foreign substance from further contact with body tissues.

Herbs that help the body manage this “stress,” and are called “adaptogenic herbs.”  Some herbs that do this are: ashwagandha root, astragalus, schizandra, wild oats and American ginseng (which also supports normal levels of stamina and endurance).

My personal favorite that I take regularly is schizandra. Instead of starting your day with a cup of coffee, try schizandra berry tea to stimulate your mind or at night if you are too high strung to sleep.  That seems contradictory, doesn’t it?  Well, unlike caffeine, schizandra stimulates the nervous system without creating an excitatory effect, as it provides a mental boost without the jitteriness.

SCHIZANDRA is known for preventing early aging, increasing lifespan, normalizing blood sugar and blood pressure.  As an adoptogen, it increases resistance to disease and stress, as it increases physical performance, endurance and raises energy (even at the cellular level); counteracting the effects of sugar and improving the health of the adrenal glands.

It is very powerful protecting the liver from poisons and treating hepatitis and various liver diseases.  It also stimulates the immune system and speeds up recovery after surgery (of any kind).

Join our FREE Monthly HEALING MARKETPLACE every 1st Saturday 

(Healers welcome) and a 1-hr $10 Workshop on the Basics 

of Making Herbal Formulas (see Newsletter for more 

details and location).

You can Sign up for NEWSLETTER here. You can also subscribe to this Blog

~ simply submit your email address above ~ so you can receive every Post

directly to your Inbox. ALSO, don't forget to share your favorite

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Dr. Yosef Ben-Jochannan - R.I.P.

Crystal Healing for the Emotions, Spirit and Body - SPRING WORKSHOP

When I decided to start this Blog in February of 2014, I wanted to launch it with some information that would be critical to your health, and clearly something you could benefit from and learn and implement into your daily living.  And my first article was on this very subject.  So, going full circle, I also decided this month to offer a  workshop in healing our emotions and Spirit.  I hope you can join us on April 18th.  Here's  a bit more on understanding the chakras and our endocrine system.

Few people truly understand that the Creator provided us with an inherent system in our bodies to help us heal our emotions and balance our Spirit.  That system is the 7 Chakra System.  In Her wisdom, the Creator also endowed us with a system of glands that influence and control our body's rate and quality of maturity, metabolism of nutrients (from the foods we eat) and how well our body actually functions: the Endocrine (7) System.

Each of the seven chakras is located at specific points along the spine, connected through a series of nerve plexes to major organs such as the heart, throat, and the crown of the head. When you look at a chakra chart, you don’t see the underlying network of glands (and their nearby organs) governed and influenced by the chakra system . . . BUT THEY ARE WHAT MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO MANAGE OUR STRESS, DISEASE AND Y\OUR EMOTIONS.  It's just that no one every taught us that we had those resources built right into our bodies!

I will be teaching a 3-hour workshop 

on this very subject next Saturday, April 18th.  

DON'T MISS IT.

The function of the chakras are very intricate inthat they are an energy system that communicates with the body via biological systems, such as the endocrine glands and nervous system, to keep it balanced and healthy.

Overall, this network of glands is incharge of producing, regulating and distributing hormones throughout the body.  Released intothe bloodstream, hormones play a pivotal role in the body's aiblitiy to mature, metabolize nutrients, and function.

Each of the chakras in the body is paired with an endocrine gland and governs its function:

·         Root chakra (1st) — Reproductive glands (testes in men; ovaries in women); controls sexual development and secretes sex hormones.

·         Sacral chakra (2nd) — Adrenal glands; regulates the immune system and metabolism.

·         Solar Plexus chakra (3rd) — Pancreas; regulates metabolism.

·         Heart chakra (4th) — Thymus gland; regulates the immune system.

·         Throat chakra (5th) — Thyroid gland; regulates body temperature and metabolism.

·         Third Eye chakra (6th) — Pituitary gland; produces hormones and governs the function of the previous five glands; sometimes, the pineal gland is linked to the third eye chakra as well as to the crown chakra.

·         Crown chakra (7th) — Pineal gland; regulates biological cycles, including sleep.

Disturbances in the subtle energy of the chakras translate into physical manifestation and symptoms which are associated with the corresponding glands and organs. The Chakras are considered energy centers that influence our being at many levels, including the physical and biological levels.

DON'T MISS MY APRIL 18th WORKSHOP

Join our FREE Monthly HEALING MARKETPLACE every 1st Saturday 

(Healers welcome) and a 1-hr $10 Workshop on the Basics 

of Making Herbal Formulas (see Newsletter for more 

details and location).

You can Sign up for NEWSLETTER here. You can also subscribe to this Blog

~ simply submit your email address above ~ so you can receive every Post

directly to your Inbox. ALSO, don't forget to share your favorite

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8 Natural Ways to Get Rid of House Flies

Shoo, fly! Don’t bother me! When they manage to make their way into your home, house flies are unpleasant and annoying to have around, with their incessant movement and relentless buzzing. Much worse than that, though, is the fact that the common house fly can carry dangerous diseases such as cholera and typhoid fever, tuberculosis, salmonella, and dysentery, as well as spreading the larvae of parasitic worms. And since they love to land on any exposed food (ingesting it and vomiting it up to break it down for digestion — eeww!), they can easily pass these illnesses on to you. Here are 8 natural home remedies to get rid of these insect pests.

• Get rid of their source. If you notice an unusually large number of flies buzzing through your home, check whether you can see where they are coming from … your outdoor compost pile or the carcass of a wild animal, for example.
• Screen openings. Put up screens on your windows and door, and be sure to keep them closed. If you do not want to invest a lot of money in purpose-built window screens, buy inexpensive wire mesh by the yard at your hardware store. Tack it up in the window frames to control flies and other insects.
• Keep your house clean. Impeccable housecleaning is advisable, especially in the kitchen and the bathroom. Close all indoor garbage cans and compost bins and take care to empty them frequently. Cut off the flies’ food supply; avoid leaving leftovers — including pet food — out uncovered.
• Use common scents. Buy a bottle of natural eucalyptus oil. Flies are repelled by the strong scent of eucalyptus., especially lemon eucalyptus. (They prefer the perfume of rotting garbage.) Put the eucalyptus in a heat diffuser or dab a few drops of diluted oil directly on your skin. Camphor is an alternative, which may also be dispersed with a heat diffuser. The only problem is that humans as well as house flies tend to dislike its odor. Citronella, in the form of candles (use these outside only) or applied to the skin or clothing, will ward off both flies and mosquitos.
• Plant herbs. Basil, mint, and rosemary are easy to grow indoors or out. What’s more, these plants are pleasant-smelling to us humans, but objectionable to flies. The best herb of all for house fly control seems to be lavender, which is extremely versatile and may also be used to relieve a number of physical and emotional woes, in addition to adding flavor to your cooking.
• Spice up the ambiance. The fragrance of cinnamon and cloves, once again, is considered quite pleasing to most people, so much so that these spices are used to scent the kitchens of houses for sale; however flies tend to disagree.
• Boil up a pot of malt vinegar. This won’t add curb appeal to your home sweet home but it will discourage house fly infestation. Just don’t allow it to scorch or you could end up with a stench that you’ll find as unbearable as the flies do.
• Darken your rooms. Flies have an innate tendency to head towards the light — what we’d consider a romantic or relaxing shadowy atmosphere does nothing for them. So if you’re sitting down for a quiet supper or conversation with friends, consider dimming your bulbs. A fringe benefit is that the lower wattage will save you electricity as well as giving the cold shoulder to unwelcome insect “guests.”

Laura Firszt writes for networx.com.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/8-natural-ways-to-get-rid-of-house-flies.html#ixzz3WvDL3u3R

COMMON FOODS Most of us Refrigerate But Should Not

There are times when the labels on the foods tell us clearly whether we need to keep the food item in the fridge or not. But what happens in other cases when you need to guess what to do? You may be surprised that in many cases you guessed wrong. In fact, storing certain foods in the fridge can change their flavor or texture, or speed up their deterioration and make them moldy.

Many of us actually store some of the foods mentioned below in the fridge, whereas they are really best kept on the kitchen counter or in the pantry.

Here is your guide for storing 20 common foods:

Vegetables

1. Tomatoes – If tomatoes are stored in the fridge, they start to lose their flavor and texture. Keep them on the counter out of the plastic bag in a bowl or a basket. If you want them to ripen faster, keep them on the counter in a paper bag. If they become over-ripe, it’s time to cook them to make a tomato sauce. You can also read my article how to fight cancer and heart disease with tomatoes.

2. Potatoes – Refrigerating potatoes will change their flavor as the starch brakes down, and you will get sweet and gritty potatoes. Store them in a paper bag in a cool dark place like your pantry or a cupboard (plastic bags trap moisture and promote mold).

3. Onions – Storing onions in the fridge can make them moldy and soft because of the humidity in the fridge. It is best to store onions in a paper bag or in mesh bag in a cool dark and well ventilated Don’t keep the onions near the potatoes, because if stored together, the onions will rot faster. Once you cut the onions or slice them, they can be stored in a sealed container in the vegetable drawer in your fridge.

4. Garlic – Storing garlic in the fridge can make it moldy so it deteriorates faster. It can also make it sprout, so it is best to store garlic in a cool, dark and well ventilated. If you love garlic, read my article how to use garlic as a medicine.

5. Winter squashes – winter squashes such as butternut, spaghetti, acorn and delicata are best to be kept at room temperature in the pantry.

Fruits

6. Bananas – Green bananas should be kept at room temperature, as refrigerating them prevents proper ripening. Ripe bananas should be kept at room temperature in you intend to eat them within a few days. If spots start to develop on the skin and you don’t want the bananas to over-ripe, store them in the produce drawer of your refrigerator after they are fully ripe. The banana skin will continue to turn brown, but the fruit inside will remain firm and perfect to eat. Find here 7 good reasons to eat bananas.

7. Melon & watermelon – Whole melons and watermelons have the best flavor when kept on the counter at room temperature. Once they are cut, store in the fridge. Also read my article about 13 reasons to eat watermelon.

8. Apples – refrigerating fresh whole apples will affect their taste and texture over time, so they can be stored them on the counter if you intend to eat them within a week or two. To keep them longer than that, you will need to refrigerate them.

9. Citrus fruits - Most citrus fruits like oranges and lemons will keep at room temperature in a cool dark place for several days or about a week. After one week store them in the produce drawer in your fridge.

10. Stone fruits – unripe stone fruits such as peaches, nactarines, apricots and plums are best to ripen at room temperature. Once they are ripe, eat them or store in the fruit drawer to increase their longevity.

11. Avocado – Unripe avocados should be left at room temperature. Once they are ripe and you don’t want to eat them right away, keep them in the fridge. Find here 11 healthy reasons to eat avocado and what to do with the pit.

12. Dried fruits – No need to refrigerate them.

Oils

13. Oils – Oils don’t need to be refrigerated as it will make them thick, harder and cloudy. They should be kept in a cool dark place. Also read my article about the best cooking oils for healthy heart.

Grains

14. Bread – Refrigerating bread will make it dry. If you intend to eat the bread within a few days, store it on the counter and freeze the rest. You may also want to have a look at my previous article about 8 scary ingredients you didn’t know where in your bread.

15. Nuts – Nuts can be stored in a cool, dark place, or if you buy bulk nuts, refrigerate them to increase their life shelf. Read about the amazing health benefits of nuts and seeds here.

Herbs & Spices

16. Fresh herbs – You don’t need to refrigerate fresh herbs as they lose flavor, get dry and absorb smells of the food around them. It’s better to keep them on the counter in a cup of fresh water. If you want however to store them in a fridge, make sure to store them in an air tight container. If you are interested in herbal remedies, you can find more useful information in my e-book the Herbal Remedies Guide. This e-book will teach you how to treat common ailments using herbs.

17. Spices – Ground spices don’t need to be refrigerated. Store them in airtight containers in cool dry places. The airtight containers will protect them from moisture and oxidation.

Other

18. Coffee – Coffee will lose its flavor and absorb odors if kept in the fridge. Store coffee in an air tight container in a cool dark place. Find here how to clean your coffee maker to prevent mold in it.

19. Honey – You don’t need to store honey in the fridge as it can cause it to harden and crystallize. Store in cool, dry area, away from direct sunlight and keep tightly covered. Also read my article about 13 ways to use honey for your health.

20. Peanut butter – you don’t need to refrigerate an opened jar of commercially manufactured peanut butter. Just store it in a dark place at normal room temperature and it will last for about 3 months. Refrigerating it will extend shelf life to additional 3-4 months. As for natural homemade peanut butter, if you plan to consume it within a month or so, you don’t need to refrigerate it, but keep it in cool place.

SOURCE: http://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/common-foods-you-should-not-refrigerate/?utm_source=getresponse&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=healthy_natural&utm_content=20+Common+Foods+You+Should+Not+Refrigerate+%2B+More+Health+Posts

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