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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Wash Your Hands

Warning! This might be unpleasant to some people.

How often do you wash your hands? Think about it.

I love that hand shaking is a great way to greet someone, but when you are about to shake someone’s hand, have you ever wondered what that hand has just experienced?

Just the other day I accompanied a friend to the hospital to have some necessary tests done and while we were waiting for the doctor to see him, I witnessed a disgusting event.

A woman who seemed to be in her mid-fifties was picking her nostrils. She proceeded to conduct a thorough examination of all the crevices that her finger could access, not caring that I was staring at her with a disgusted expression on my face. Even when my eyes widened when our eyes met, she continued as if it is a normal and accepted thing for her to do. I eventually had to turn away.

How often do you see a man peeing by a light post, a wall, near bushes, anywhere along the roadside?

How about persons who believe that they are being very clean by carrying a small wash rag which they use to wipe their faces, into which they are always coughing, blowing their noses? It’s also the same rag they throw over one shoulder.

What about someone who sneezes into their hands. Or blows their nose, wipes it away with their hand, flash the mucus away and wipes the hand on their clothes?

At a fast food restaurant; ever seen the servers with or without gloves, handling the utensils, cashing, or wiping their faces then using their hands to nudge your food onto the plate?

Ever seen a chef turns his head to sneeze or cough? Or cough right over the food as he cooks?

At a restaurant, do you wash your hands in the restroom then turn off the tap and open the door with your clean hands?
Now you understand why we bless our food as well as the hands that prepared it.

This is just some of the disgusting things I’ve seen and why I believe we should all heed the phrase: “cleanliness is next to godliness” and ‘wash your hands’.

For God’s sake, wash your hands as often as you can with soap and water if you want to avoid getting sick and spreading illnesses. It’s probably impossible to keep your hands germs free but you can limit the accumulation of them on your hands throughout the day.

Using hand sanitizers is only an alternative to proper hand washing when you do not have access to soap and water.

Wash your hands:

*before, during and after you prepare food.
*before and after you eat.
*before and after you touch a sick person.
*before and after treating a cut.
*before you touch your face.
*before you handle your contact lenses.
*before holding your baby.

Wash your hands:

**after you handle raw meat.
**after blowing your nose or sneezing into your hands – then wash your nose.
**after using the toilet.
**after changing your baby.
**after handling anything dirty.
**after doing your chores.
**after playing with your pet.

Notice how many times I’ve said “wash your hands”? Prevention is my middle name....

Friday, November 19, 2010

The Effects Of The Digestion Process

The human body is composed of various kinds of cells and by looking at the body from this perspective is the best way to comprehend what free radicals are.

The chemical bond of a cell is composed of various types of molecules that are held together with one or more atom.

The composition of an atom is: nucleus, proton, and electrons where the sum of the protons determines the total amount of electrons that will be around the atom.

The role of the electrons is to manage chemical reactions that occur inside the atom as well as the substances that makes the atoms form molecules. Much like planets, electrons revolve around the atom in one or more shells.

A atom is considered full when two electrons occupy the innermost layer. When the second layer is filled with electrons, the process starts all over again

The most important thing in determining the structural characteristic of an atom is the number of electrons in the outermost shell.

Maximum stability is reached when the atom has a full outer shell. This is the ideal condition every atom seeks to attain and is achieved by the following conditions:

Picking up or dropping electrons that will either occupy or leave the outer shell

Bonding together with other atoms and sharing electrons to complete the outer most shell

The most common way atoms achieve stability is with sharing electrons with other atoms. In this way the atom is able to achieve maximum stability.

Frequently, the bonds remain intact so that the atoms do not become unpaired. However, when this does occur the highly unstable free radicals are formed and they react quickly to obtain their own stability.

The ideal way free radicals attack is by locating the nearest molecule they can find that has achieved maximum stability and start stealing electrons. Once a molecule is attacked, it too becomes a free radical. This process creates a chain reaction that continues until it causes cells to become damaged.

Common times when free radicals occur are during metabolism as well as when the body is fighting off bacteria or viruses. Pollution, cigarette smoke, radiation, and pesticides are other times when free radicals can occur.

Most of the time the body is able to fight off free radicals, but if antioxidants are unavailable or if there are too many free radicals, cellular damage can occur. As you get older free radical damage gets more progressive.

Author: Dr. Lorna Mistranski


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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Aloe Helps Wounds Heal Faster

I just wanted to share another use of the aloe with you. I normally put a slice of aloe gel in the container of drinking water for my dogs.

Well, recently one of my dogs had an urgent operation and you know how dogs are – licking, grooming themselves and it seemed that after a couple of days he somehow ripped out the stitches and was left with an open wound.

I called in the vet and he came that same morning and performed a little surgery on my pet. Do you know what he asked me for after the operation? Some aloe, yes, aloe vera – he said that it would help the cut to heal faster, and not only that but, with aloe on the area dogs don’t really trouble the wound because they don’t like the taste. But I argued that my dogs are accustomed to having aloe in their water so it may not work.

This is what he did – after stitching the wound, he applied the purple lotion, smeared aloe gel all over the wound and surrounding area, then sprinkled it with wound powder.

Of course, it worked. Two days later the swelling had disappeared and it was healing nicely. It seemed to me that the aloe minimized the itching also as my pup didn’t try to scratch it. A week later you wondered “what cut”? “where”?

There you have it, another aloe episode.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Coconut Wonders

Coconut is another natural wonder food that can help save your life. It has only been recently that modern researchers have begun to fully discover the amazing health benefits of this amazing fruit.

Coconut looks like a large green American football and when you remove the outer covering it resembles a brown nut with two eyes and a mouth. You can pierce the "mouth" to get to the water inside. Usually, the browner the nut the older the coconut. In Jamaica we discard the water and use the hardened white meat inside the older brown coconuts in our baking and cooking, eg: custards, rice and peas, etc. The young coconut is the one best for drinking and has the green colouring.

Coconut water can aid in hydration – my vet recommended it along with glucose when my puppy was barely eating due to early pavo symptoms. It saved his life and increased his appetite. So, you know what? I gave it to my son to increase his appetite and now he loves to eat the jelly.

If I’m feeling tired it acts as a great pick-me-up drink (I like it cold or straight from the “nut”). My mother who had high blood pressure all her life, found out that any medication she took caused her life-threatening complications. For over 50 years she used one glass of water from a young jelly coconut with juice from one lime, two or three times per week to keep it under control. She lived to see her 90th birthday without blood pressure drugs. Last year my husband was diagnosed with elevated blood pressure and was placed on medication. He took one tablet, threw the rest away and started his regime of coconut water and lime. Now we don’t even need to add the lime as often, about once per month. He’s drug-free.

A friend who has won the battle with cancer has been researching and experimenting with the fruit says he uses the water and the jelly in most of his juices. I’ve recently changed my cooking oil to coconut oil because I found out that it’s much healthier than any other oil, even extra virgin olive oil!! Apparently it helps to increase thyroid function and boost metabolism which helps the body to lose the pounds. Also, I love the smell; it reminds me of cocoa butter :)

Again, get the young coconuts to drink because they give the best benefits, they contain the purest unsaturated fat and have the most rejuvenation properties that our body tissues need.

Check out more about coconuts at http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/

This is just another one of nature’s wonder foods to keep you off drugs. Drink up the jelly coconut!

Once again I am unable to post a pic for this blog. My apologies.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Mosquito Be Gone!

Living in the tropics, I am always battling mosquitoes. Sometimes when I have visitors over I offer to sell them some by the dozen. But seriously, when it comes to the rainy season these guys multiply to millions, I’m sure, and they can spread diseases like malaria, dengue fever, not to mention the itching and allergic reactions.

The aloe gel quickly takes care of the adverse reactions but how do we get rid of them? Or even get them back down to a manageable quantity?

Some of us use bug sprays, burn mosquito coils that can harm us as well as the mosquitoes, or we light “no mosquito” candles, some of us even burn “bush”, and lately others have been using mosquito zappers that resemble a tennis racquet with a button for basically shocking them.

Well I’ve received a great tip from a friend that truly works: Listerine!!! Yes, it works. Put some in a spray bottle and spray around the area you occupy like your floors, lawn, around your door and window jambs, etc. Don’t spray it directly on your furniture or appliances they may be damaged. Spray it in the air and like magic these little vampires disappear.

Now that I’ve discovered this new trick I can avoid the bug spray on my skin. Try this. It even last longer than the bug spray – I hear about 2 days. Let me know how long it last for you.

NB. Wanted to add a pic but something isn't working.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Got a Pill?

Imagine this:

You take a pill to relieve a headache, backache or whatever aches you.
You pop several to ensure a balanced vitamin and mineral intake.
A trip to the pharmacy gets you the medicated acne ointment you need.
Bad sunburn from a long day at the beach and you make another trip.
Oops! Another trip for something to treat your psoriasis, insect bite, whatever!
On to the health food store to get a health drink...

I eliminate all of the above and more just by taking a few minutes to visit my backyard to cut a leaf of good old aloe vera.

Here's to aloe vera. The best pill. The one pill. It surely rocks!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Aloe and You - Burns

Aloe is an excellent first aid treatment. It contains a unique blend of polysaccharides, and other compounds which accelerate the healing of the skin’s surface.

Ever been so busy in the kitchen, with four different things cooking and forget to use a pot-holder? How about using an oven mitt that’s just not thick enough? It’s happened to me.

First degree burns – that’s when you get a burn but the skin is not broken, light scorching, sunburn
Second degree burns – when you get a blister and broken skin, like bubbling skin

I have used the pure or raw extracted aloe vera gel to completely heal wounds like these. First I use the aloe as a cleansing/soothing agent, (tried using cold water to cool it first once and it left a scar so now I know to never use anything else). For aloe to work its miracle you must treat the burn immediately!!!

For a first degree burn simply keep rewetting the affected area and as aloe is absorbed quickly into the skin, the pain is eventually reduced to nothing. The skin becomes regenerated and in a day or two you wonder if you really got burned at all.

For second degree burns this works fine too but you may also cut a piece of the aloe pulp and strap or bandage it to the area – replace it when it dries out or scrape the pulp to make it wet once more and put it back on the wound. Usually after about two days the burn becomes like a first degree burn. What is also great is that there is never any infections and barely or never any scarring.

A nurse tells me that she has used the pure aloe gel to treat all kinds of burns, not just temperature burns, in her out-patient clinic and has seen remarkable results.

I’ve never had a third degree burn (when all layers of the skin is destroyed) but I hear it does an amazing job with it. If you have had this experience, please share.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Fighting is Life

I have come to a conclusion lately. Fighting is not a bad thing. Really. It can be difficult sometimes when your positivity is being undermined. What am I talking about? I’m not talking about a physical engagement here I’m talking about the mental fight. For example:

You made a decision to lose weight but then there is someone telling you that you don’t need to lose weight (even though the doctor says you need to lose 30 lbs) or you look ok, you look good. But looking good doesn’t mean that you are healthy! Heck, no!

Can you imagine what would happen if you just gave up because somebody told you that you cannot be who you want to be, you cannot be a success, you will never lose weight, you cannot love him/her, you can’t this, you can’t do that?

I mean you have to fight for what you really want, fight to be successful, fight to lose weight, fight for love, fight to be sane sometimes, fight for life, fight for it all!

You have to believe in yourself because once you stop believing it’s all over. Reggae Legend Bob Marley has a great song ‘Get Up Stand Up’. Listen to what he said “get up, stand up, don’t give up the fight”

I talk endlessly about my miracle plant but trust me, using aloe isn’t always convenient. I have to fight to maintain my convictions. Sometimes I can’t be bothered to peel and extract the juice but at least I make sure then that I have a cut leaf right by my kitchen sink.

Make no doubt about it, I’m not giving up the fight to lose weight....


Keep away from small people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too can become great.” – Mark Twain

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Positive Words

GOD HAS A POSITIVE ANSWER:

You say: 'It's impossible' God says: All things are possible

(Luke 18:27)

You say: 'I'm too tired' God says: I will give you rest

(Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: 'Nobody really loves me' God says: I love you

(John 3:1 6 & John 3:34 )

You say: 'I can't go on' God says: My grace is sufficient

(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: 'I can't figure things out' God says: I will direct your steps

(Proverbs 3:5- 6)

You say: 'I can't do it' God says: You can do all things

( Phil ippians 4:13)

You say: 'I'm not able' God says: I am able

(II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: 'It's not worth it' God says: It will be worth it

(Roman 8:28 )

You say: 'I can't forgive my self' God says: I Forgive you

(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: 'I can't manage' God says: I will supply all your needs

( Phil ippians 4:19)

You say: 'I'm afraid' God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear

(II Timothy 1:7)

You say: 'I'm always worried and frustrated' God says: Cast all your cares on ME

(I Peter 5:7)

You say: 'I'm not smart enough' God says: I give you wisdom

(I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: 'I feel all alone' God says: I will never leave you or forsake you

(Hebrews 13:5)

I did not collate this so credits to the person who did. We should all be more positive.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Aloe for Constipation

Old people in Jamaica will tell you that these days we have too many different drugs messing up our bodies so they like their (old-time remedies) traditional herbal medicine. When it comes to constipation, what do you think the remedy is? Yes, aloe vera. Or as known by some of us “synkle bible” or “single bible”.

Aloin is in the yellow sap of the plant, somewhere between the green leaf and the gel. It is like a laxative, purgative medicine that causes the bowels to empty themselves. Each time you cut a leaf to prepare your juice or gel, a little of the sap drains into your preparation and for that reason persons should be cautious and start with small portions of the juice to determine what is right for them. Too much aloe containing the yellow sap will cause diarrhea.

One or two tablespoons several times a day seem to do the trick for some, while for others a glass twice for the day is sufficient to regulate their bowels. Also I see where a whole leaf is cut up and eaten to solve the problem. I have also seen many now put the cut leaf or the cut peels into a bottle or jar of water in the refrigerator to soak. They then drink it in moderation - a 1/2 glass two times for the week and each time they have a drink they replenish the water in the container.

Personally, I just like to have one or two tablespoons in my juice every other day like a tonic. I believe that because I make it a regular part of my diet I have never had any constipation problems.

Here’s to aloe keeping my digestive organs in check.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Aloe Vera and You – Healthy Drink

Aloe vera juice is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals - an essential source for maintaining circulatory and digestive health, energy levels and many cell processes.

Some of the vitamins present are vitamin A (Beta-Carotene), B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5, B6 (Pyridoxine), B12, C (Ascorbic Acid), E, and some folic acid. It’s got minerals such as calcium, sodium, iron, potassium, magnesium and copper.

Now that you know that the aloe vera contains these vitamins and minerals, what are some of the foods you would you have to eat naturally to be sure you are getting them all? You would have to eat:

Tomatoes or tomato juice, carrot, broccoli, pumpkin, spinach, cabbage, okra, black-eyed peas, asparagus, brussels sprout, avocado, white rice, sweet potato, mango, banana, orange, strawberry, watermelon, eggs, milk, liver, chicken breast, fish, lean ground beef, shrimp, etc.

That’s just too much food for me – I’d rather have a little of those foods and a great aloe drink.

So you have heard that drinking the juice of the aloe vera can help keep you healthy, right? And you decided to go out and buy a bottle “just to try it” and what happened? You had one glass and expected a miracle!

Well I believe it’s a miracle drink but it doesn’t work like that. You see it’s like the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” – you want to have a small drink of aloe on a daily basis. The commercially bottled type is less potent so 1/4 glass or so daily works fine for most persons. If you extract the 100% juice yourself then you want to take a tablespoon a day or every other day as your body can manage. Remember, each one of us is unique and your body may react differently, so start with small doses and determine what is right for you.

Delicious & Healthy Aloe Drink Recipe:

¾ glass *orange juice mixed with ¼ glass aloe juice (commercially bottled)
OR
1 glass *orange juice mixed with 1 tablespoon pure aloe juice extract

*optionally this may be your favorite fruit juice

That’s all for now.

Mevonnie
My Miracle Plant