Nurture and Protect

Today is Tuesday, May 27^th (My deceased mother Janice’s birthday)

The Topic or Question of the Day:

Nurture and Protect

     Nurturing and protection is what mothers do for their children. My mother was one of the best. I had 3 sisters and we were very well cared for. We also had a big garden in our back yard that my dad mostly tended and I remember eating sweet peas in the pod, warmed by the sun that were better than candy. I compare the importance for protecting and nurturing our bodies with the way we protect and cultivate our plants.

We protect our plants by:

1. Building fences and walls to protect from animals
2. Using insecticides to prevent infection
3. Using plant food to nourish soil
4. Planting flowers, mint, use gum? To keep certain insects away
5. Watering

We protect our bodies by:

1. Feeding proper food
2. Drinking water, hydration
3. Using sunscreen
4. Brushing and flossing our teeth
5. Taking care of our back while lifting something
6. Building “fences and walls” to protect us from indulgence

However: We can do everything we believe is “right” and still experience a storm that rips through our gardens or a strange disease that overtakes our produce just like in life. There is often not a concrete reason for cancer and other devastating diseases. My own father ate what I would consider healthy, never smoked or abused alcohol, stayed approximately the same weight his whole life, and was a man of integrity. He contracted lung cancer and died in 6 weeks.

This doesn’t mean we become fatalists and give up on trying to tend our bodies, it just means we are not in control of everything. We control the things we can.

1. What we eat
2. What we drink
3. The attitude in which we eat and drink (the why).

Quote or Tip of the Day:

Nurture your body, and protect all your thoughts

Don’t be a fatalist, and do what you ought

Take Action Today:

Keep a food and drink log today (I do this periodically)

Keep track of why you ate what you ate. Hungry, bored, sluggish, craved?

 

A New Lipstick?

Today is Wednesday April 16^th

The topic or question of the day is:

Did you know the ladies of King Louis XII’s court used fresh lemons to redden their lips?

I can’t say I have ever tried that!  I would caution you to think about how you consume lemons in both positive and negative ways. Lemons and limes are wonderful for cooking, flavoring, their high vitamin C content, treating reflux, and for cleaning purposes.  Limonene, extracted from the fruit is also used in household cleaners to give the orangy, lemon smell.

The downside of consuming lemons and limes in excess is they can cause loss of tooth enamel from the citric acid content of the fruit, add bacteria to your glass of water, and can upset a delicate stomach.  I saw a segment on TV a while back about the bacteria placed in your water when ordering it with a lemon.  The server often cuts the lemons on the run and touches the rim of the glass a lot and many times their hands are not clean.  It was pretty disgusting.

The phytochemical found in these citrus fruits is called limonene and it may be helpful in preventing and treating various cancers. Time will tell.

Tip or Quote of the day:

To get the most juice from your lemon, submerge it for 15 minutes in hot water before squeezing.

If you only need a little juice here and there, poke a hole in the fruit with a pin.  Just squeeze out what you need and store in the refrigerator for later use.

Take action today:

1. Start storing your lemons in a jar of water with a tight lid in the refrigerator. They will last longer.
2. Think twice before ordering lemon or lime in your water. You never know where the hands were before the person cut the lemon and placed it on your glass.