Flu Remedies- DIY SUNDAYS

I am currently battling the flu. It was so bad that i took some of my kids on a field trip and i left my cellphone. The worst part of it all was i did not realize what i had done until a colleague tried to call me and got someone else.

With this in mind, i wanted to share some flu remedies that i know. Please bear in mind that i do not have a medical certificate and therefore this is not an expert opinion. Please do your own research before trying these.


Garlic and Honey

This is a stable in my home. I grew up with my mom using it for our colds and flu and now i use it for my daughter.


1 head of garlic

1 cup honey


The garlic should be crushed and added to the honey.

This mixture should be sealed in an air tight container and allowed to sit for a day.

The longer the mixture is allowed to marinade the strong the potency and the better it is at treating the ailment.

I usually take 1 tsp of the honey three times daily.



Hot Ginger cinnamon tea


1 teaspoon of ginger

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of honey (or as you like)

1 glass of hot milk

Use all the ingredients to make the tea.

Ginger: Have antiviral properties, little sedative properties encouraging the rest needed and anti inflammatory properties which decrease the mucosal congestion of the throat. Ginger also has pain relieving, antiseptic and anti-oxidant properties.


Cinnamon: cinnamon has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.


Honey: honey contains multivitamins and antioxidants, along with antibacterial and antiseptic properties. It’s very helpful in flu especially to people suffering from asthma. There is a say my doctor always says it to me “you will never catch a cold if you take 1 big tablespoon of honey with half lemon juice every morning”



Fruit salad

Throw Couple of oranges, bananas, grape fruit, guava, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries and you will have a very rich plate, loaded with vitamins, antioxidants and other healthy elements and vitamins. You could also use honey as syrup and increase the overall health benefits.


Garlic Potato Healing Soup

1 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed with a mortar and pestle
2 cups chopped potatoes
7 cups good-quality vegetable stock or water
1 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon butter
Croutons for garnish (optional)

1. Simmer potatoes and caraway seeds in stock or water for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are very soft.

2. Add crushed garlic and butter, stirring to combine thoroughly.

3. Serve hot with croutons on top, if desired.
Serves 2.


If you have any additional flu remedy you would like to share please leave a comment letting me know. 

Fall in the tropics..........

It's like the heavens knew i needed a relaxing day. So, from last night it has been raining none stop. This i think is crazy awesome!! I live in Jamaica and i must say the weather has been unbelievable hot. With this in mind, a rainy for us is like a refreshing fall day.I know it sounds crazy but it is true.

Therefore, it is back to bed for me. I will snuggle up under the covers and cough my throat out. I promise i will not feel pity. I will just smile at the knowledge that today will be one of those days when time stands still. Even if it is only for me.

Cruel to be Kind?

Lovelies,

Your girl had a rough week and an eye opening day. I really wanted to cry because i could not believe people can be so hateful and cruel. It makes me really wonder what has this world come to, when people tear others down just to feel good about themselves.

I really don't want to go into details because, to be honest, they are not worth my blogging time. So i will wipe my tears and COUNT DOWN the weekend. Have a fabulous weekend!!!!!

Are you your own obstacle? - Positive Wednesdays

First, thanks to all my fellow bloggers for their comments confirming that i was not the only person experiencing problems with blogger.

Second, sorry for the late posting of this weeks postive wednesday. I am fighting the flu, well to be honest, it's not a fight. The flu is whipping my you-know-what!!!!All of this is smack in the middle of my new role of events planner. I promised, you will get detailed updates soon. Right now i want to share what i found. I hope it helps.

Are you trying to stick to a fitness plan, improve a relationship, eliminate fast food from your diet, or be a better parent?  Whatever your goal, was there a time when you thought you couldn't do it? This is a natural reaction when things get tough.

It's easier to find ways to justify your actions than to get over the hurdle. This week, eliminate the hurdles and barriers you've created. If you find yourself saying, "I can't" or "I don't have time," then re-analyze your goal.

 If you really want to achieve it, then make the time or take a different approach (get up earlier, stay organized, learn the skills).  Find time for you and your goals.


POSITIVE QUOTE

Most barriers to your success are man-made. And most often, you're the man who made them.

 - Frank Tyge

Resource site: sparkpeople.com

Dealing with Computer Addiction - DIY Sundays

The personal computer can be an incredible time saving device. You can use it to bank online, order refills foryour prescriptions, shop for clothes, gifts or food. You can send an e-card, email or read a newspaper. The downside to this incredibly helpful technology is that it is so easyto get swept up into the cyber world and lose track of thereal world that is right in front of you.
 
1) What does your computer mean to you?
The first thing you should do is sit down and give some serious thought to exactly what your computer means to you and how it functions in your life. Is it just an entertainment tool or are you using it for business?

2) Set ground rules.

You want your computer to benefit your life which will mean setting some ground rules. These will vary widely per your individual circumstances. Give yourself an appropriate timelimit when online. If you have a family at home, don'tallow your computer time to take away from real face-to-face quality time with them. Nothing online is as importantas being with your loved ones. If you use your computer asa social tool, as most people do in this day and age, besure that you also get out in the real world and interact with other live, breathing humans.

3) Give your inbox a break!

Take a good hard, long look at email you receive. You canand should control what you allow to enter your email box.If you have friends or family members who forward you everyjoke or virus warning to make its way around the Internet,it's perfectly acceptable to ask them politely to stop. Remove your email address from all but the very most important newsletters.

4) Printing is OK sometimes.

If you enjoy reading online news articles but can't seem tobreak yourself of the habit of following every linkimbedded in the stories, you can always print out thearticle and read the hard copy-be discerning, please, so asnot to generate tons of paper clutter). You can also carrythese printed stories with you in your purse for time whenyou might be waiting with time to kill.

5) It's OK to delete.

Just like you don't have to read every email you receive,there's also no rule out there that says you have to download and view every (or any for that matter) of the plethora of video clips or Powerpoint shows that people love to send to everyone that they've ever met. It's okayto simply delete the email.

6) Make a plan before you get on the computer.

Say for example that you have one hour to spend. Jot down alist of the things you know you need to accomplish in thattime frame. If you spend 10 minutes doing online banking,15 minutes to read and reply to email, 15 minutes to placean online order or two then that will leave you 20 minutesleft to spend on an online forum or social networking site.

7) Use a timer.

If you find yourself frequently losing track of time andspending more time than you planned, start setting a timer.Once the timer goes off, be true to your decision and putdown the mouse. Avoid the trap of saying just 10 moreminutes. In that 10 minutes, you could have thrown in aload of laundry or filled and started the dishwasher--or better yet, have snuggled with a child or a pet.

8) Use computer time as a reward.

In order to avoid feeling guilty while you're online, useyour computer time as a reward for time spent on less pleasant tasks. For instance, you can promise yourself that if you spend 45 minutes and vacuum the house, then you getto spend 15 minutes online doing whatever you please. If you prefer to work in baby steps or in 15 minute blocks,than give yourself baby steps on the computer, say 5 minutes to check the latest headlines or leave a post on the GON forum!

9) Don't check for email every second.

Even if you use your computer primarily for business, it'sstill easy to get sucked into the black hole of time. Avoidchecking your email every 10 minutes.  Work email is aconvenience, but it can quickly become very inefficient ifoverused.

10) Stand up and stretch once in awhile, for goodness sakes!

Be sure to get up from your computer frequently, walkaround a bit, stretch your legs, shake out your arms,wrists and fingers. Have a drink of water and rest your eyes.

Resource site: www.getorganize.com

Do You Look in the Mirror?

What do you see when you look in the mirror? We often see what we want to see when we look in the mirror. For some of us, we see lines that are not there or weird shadows and minute flaws that in fact makes us prefect. Many say it is society that has created a era of women who are chasing after the myth, perfection. But we cannot blame society for all of our ills. Well we can but let's be real. We have to instead weak up and decide what we want. Or better yet, we need to decide which you, you want to be.

Last year, i did just that. I decided to step outside the box and be who i want to be. So i cut my permed hair and started to lock my hair. Now let me tell you,  it was not an easy progress. I turned up at work and everyone did a double take. Basically i had little or no hair. Kids started to laugh and my colleagues looked at me weird but i did not care. I knew what i wanted and society's perception of beauty was not going to stop me. So i walked out proudly and eventually the reactions dissipated. People adjusted and moved on. A year later i am able to make a bun with my hair. I am regularly referred to as Empress, Princess or Queen by members of the public.

I am relating all of this to say,  you must determine for yourself what is beauty and what makes you beautiful. So when you look in the mirror you should see beauty radiating. You should embrace your prefect imprefection. 

Positive Wednesdays- Knee Jerk Reaction

I wanted to share this video because I use it to keep me grounded. It is not my view to force religion down any ones throat but i thought there are some great points that are worth hearing. I hope you find it as valuable as i have.

DIY Sundays- Essential Oils

Essential oils are liquids that are distilled (by steam or water) from the leaves, stems, flowers, bark and roots of a plant. Highly concentrated, these oils contain the 'life force' of the plant and are one of the great untapped resources of the world. This life force contains the powerful healing properties of the plant and helps provide our family and home with health and pleasure without polluting our bodies or the environment.

Here are my top 4 Essential Oils and why you should have them in your home:

1. LAVENDER:

If you have nothing else, this is the oil you should have at home. Not only does it smell out of this world but lavender is a natural antibiotic, antiseptic, antidepressant, sedative and detoxifier that promotes healing and prevents scarring. It also helps with burns. I use it when my kids have cuts or sunburns. I put it on my pillow at night to help me sleep, and if I had a particularly stressful day. You can use it as a spray (add distilled water and put in a spray bottle) when one of the kids have a cough or cold to prevent it spreading around the house and to promote quick healing.

2. TEA TREE:

Found in Australia, the Aborigines have used this plant for centuries for its antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. Tea tree is helpful for all sorts of infections, acne, fungus (including the hard-to-get-rid-of nail fungus) and athlete's foot and is a fantastic all-natural household cleaner.

3. PEPPERMINT:

Jamaicans have long known the healing properties of mint tea. However, the distilled oil is 100 times more powerful. It is an excellent digestive, aids the respiratory system and is antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. Peppermint oil can be used for gas and bloating, bad breath, headaches and fatigue. Just a tiny bit rubbed on the stomach can help indigestion. Instead of popping a pill next time you have a headache, try rubbing a few drops on your temples and breathe your headache away.

4. EUCALYPTUS:

Eucalyptus oilis great when my kids were babies! It can be used for chest problems and colic, a few drops on a cotton ball in the crib helped to clear stuffy noses in minutes. For older kids, who have a bad cough, you can rub five drops on their feet at bedtime and their coughs will quickly subside.

Taken from: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20110420/health/health3.html