BLOGGING from my HEART

Young Living Foundation

Young Living Foundation

I am amazed at how much the D. Gary Young – Young Living Foundation does across the world.  I want to take a moment to talk about this part of the company I represent because helping people is so near and dear to my heart.  All administrative fees for any of the projects operating through the foundation comes directly from the Young Living Corporate monies.  All donations to the foundation go directly towards the project designated.

FUN FACT: As a Young Living member you can request to work on any of the current projects they have going.  All ages and any skill level is appreciated.  There is always something that a pair of helping hands can offer to the less fortunate.  Contact the Young Living Headquarters in Lehi Utah if you would like more information about going on one of the philanthropy trips with the foundation.

The foundation was founded in 2009 and has since focused on unlocking possibilities by providing tools and resources to those whose needs receive far too little.  It is the mission and vision of the foundation to provide long-term solutions to many parts of the world. They are committed to empower individuals to achieve their potential and defy limitations by providing wellness and education opportunities to undeserved communities.

Imagine a world where children are provided with the resources and opportunities necessary to become confident, self-reliant leaders who can take control of their families, and change their communities in a positive way.  This is happening folks, it is made possible by the foundation and here are some of the project partners.

NEPAL – A Nation in Desperate Need

In 2015, two major earthquakes in Nepal claimed nearly 9,000 lives and destroyed more than 900,000 homes, tragically leaving millions without a roof over their heads. After visiting Nepal in January 2016, Young Living Founder and Chairman of the Board D. Gary Young became overwhelmed with the devastation that still exists in a nation that is slowly recovering. Many victims are still struggling to survive as sub-zero temperatures and heavy rains render their makeshift shelters painfully inadequate.

112 Homes and Two Schools

After seeing and experiencing the desperate need for homes to be rebuilt, Gary and the Young Living Foundation immediately put a plan into action. In Yarsa, a mountain village completely destroyed by the earthquakes, the foundation is rebuilding 112 homes and two schools. In addition to rebuilding the primary school, we will also build the first-ever high school in the village so students will no longer have to walk two hours each way to go to a secondary school.

Empowering a Village, Strengthening a Community

To help us accomplish this and supply more than 50 jobs to unemployed locals, we’ve set up a brick-making plant in the area. Not only will the brick-making plant supply jobs to locals who are currently unemployed, it will also make use of an over-abundant local resource: mud. Gary has been spearheading the project and has traveled to Nepal multiple times to guide the construction efforts. We have also hired local construction workers and engineers and are using local equipment and materials where possible. More information can be seen here https://younglivingfoundation.org/rebuild-nepal

THE YOUNG LIVING ACADEMY in Chongon, Gauyaquil, Ecuador

While living in Ecuador to discover and cultivate natural essential oils indigenous to the area, Young Living Founder and Chairman of the Board D. Gary Young noticed several children entering a run-down building in the small, rural town of Chongon. He passed the building nearly every day on the road to the Young Living Farm outside of Guayaquil. One day, he decided to take a look for himself. Inside he saw 42 first- through sixth-grade students crammed into one tiny room, forced to share limited supplies and sitting at broken tables while their volunteer teacher gave lessons on a damaged chalkboard.

Gary and his wife have a passion to serve so I am not surprised they took on a project to build a school and educate these children. Young Living Co-founder and CEO Mary Young wasted no time and went to work to give the children of Chongon the best schooling possible. It started with building a new, advanced school from the ground up. In 2009 the Young Living Academy opened its doors to 83 students. Word got out quickly and more students with dreams to succeed pleaded to join the academy. There was no way we could turn them away.

The Young Living Academy soon took in 100 students, then 150, then 200. It continues to grow and expand and now educates nearly 340 students in grades K–12. I sponsor a child out of my monthly “THANK YOU” check I receive from Young Living.  anyone can sponsor a child by contacting the Young Living Foundation.

They are continually adding space to the school in order to accommodate the increased number of children needing a good education. As a member you can request to be added to a work group that goes to the location in order to help build or remodel as needed. You can find out more here https://younglivingfoundation.org/young-living-academy-ecuador

HOPE FOR JUSTICE

The mission here is to end human trafficking and slavery, in our generation.

With more than 20 million slaves in the world—more than half of which are women and girls—human trafficking is one of the most devastating social issues of our time.

Hope for Justice uses the following four-tiered strategy to bring freedom to the least, the last, and the lost. In fact, more than 90 percent of victims who go through Hope for Justice’s restorative programs never return to trafficking—that’s the highest percentage among nonprofits battling modern-day slavery.

You can find out more about this project here https://younglivingfoundation.org/hope-for-justice

SOLE HOPE

Enter Sole Hope. What started as an effort to remove jiggers has evolved into a holistic approach that provides medical care, relief, education, and jobs for people in Uganda. Through various initiatives and programs, Sole Hope uses real-world solutions to benefit as many people as possible.  The foundation provides clinics, durable shoes and education about jiggers to the people here.  They also provide ongoing support and an outreach house. Sole Hope offers hope, healthier lives, and freedom from foot-related diseases through education, jobs, and medical relief. One of the organization’s primary focuses is to help children and adults become and remain jigger free.

What are jiggers?

Jiggers are sand fleas that burrow into hands and feet. Once embedded, the female jigger lays eggs and creates egg sacks up to the size of a pea and continues to multiply by laying more eggs. Found in sub-Saharan climates, these parasitic insects lie relatively undetected on the dirt floors of homes and schools in Uganda. Children in Uganda are particularly vulnerable as they often play barefoot in the dirt.

 

 

 

 

The wounds can become so irritating and excruciating that normal childhood activities—such as walking, running, playing, and even attending school—can be significantly limited.  If you are interested in helping there is a pattern available which you can use to cur denim out of old used jeans.  If you are lucky enough to know how to sew and have a machine, feel free to sew up a few pair. You can host a shoe cutting party if you’d like.  Find out more about what you can do to help here https://younglivingfoundation.org/pausing-shoe-cutting-parties

 

AFRICAN HEARTS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION

African Hearts operates a rescue program for children living in the Kisenyi slum.  This slum is considered the largest in Uganda and one of the biggest in all of the African Continent. The meals program has expanded from 3 to 5 days per week. Prior to this the children scavenged the trash heaps looking for food. The conditions here are not even something we as privileged Americans can imagine in a worst case scenario. Remember, your donations are so important and 100 percent of every dollar donated will help our partner African Hearts feed and educate children living on the streets in the Kisenyi slum in Kampala, Uganda.

 

STREET CHILDREN – Spread the word about street children and give them a voice by using the social media graphics below. To donate you can click here now https://younglivingfoundation.org/african-hearts

HEALING FAITH in UDGANDA

A person dies every 60 seconds from malaria in Africa. A majority of those deaths are children under the age of five. It’s a disease that far exceeds the death toll of HIV/AIDS. Since 2011, Healing Faith Uganda has been a champion in the fight against malaria in Eastern Uganda and we were thrilled to partner with them in 2015.

Healing Faith Uganda provides malaria education, prevention, and treatment to families and children. They focus on the smaller, more remote villages where families have limited access to aid and children are more susceptible to malaria.

With funds raised at the Young Living 2015 International Grand Convention, The D. Gary Young, Young Living Foundation was able to purchase over 4,000 mosquito nets for Healing Faith Uganda. The foundation and several members went on a humanitarian trip to Uganda to deliver the donation, and they were able to hang a net over every bed throughout the village of Wasaki!

In 2016, the foundation has helped Healing Faith increase its impact by 1,000 percent! They’ve gone from hanging 400 nets in a month to more than 4,000 a month thanks to the generous contributions of our donors.

Through Healing Faith Uganda, a single donation of just $5 provides a mosquito net that can protect three to four children from malaria.

To donate now you can go here https://younglivingfoundation.org/healing-faith-uganda

DISASTER RELIEF

2017 brought about huge hurricanes in the gulf.  The Young Living Foundation has two ongoing disaster relief funds going for both Houston, Texas and the island of Puerto Rico.  If you would like to donate you can do so here https://younglivingfoundation.org/disaster-relief

Balkan, Taiwan, Dubai and Oman Farms

Balkan, Taiwan, Dubai and Oman Farms

BALKAN BOTANICAL FARM located in Manolovo, Bulgaria, this is one of our carefully selected partner farms.

Located in Bulgaria, one of the most valued rose-growing regions in the world, the Balkan Botanical Farm specializes in roses and has expanded its essential oil farm offerings to include Roman chamomile and valerian as part of its partnership with Young Living. The Balkan Botanical Farm builds upon the deep history and worldwide recognition of botanical farming in the region. This region specializes in cultivating superior roses. I use Rose oil on my face every morning in my DIY face serum.  I have noticed age spots beginning to fade and fine lines and wrinkles beginning to disappear.

Oils from this farm: Roman Chamomile essential oil, Valerian essential oil, Rose essential oil

Fun Fact: The Balkan Botanical Farm is also involved in promoting local cultural events, regional festivals, and educational opportunities for workers and their families.

TAIWAN COOPERATIVE FARM located in Taitung, Taiwan is a cooperative farm which is actually made up of smaller individual farm operations that each focus on different oils.

Like each unique operation, each oil has its own story and background that include its preservation, generational history and family significance, and the ingenuity and innovation necessary to create it. Oils from this farm are Jade Lemon, Hong Kuai, Xiang Mao and Camphor Wood.  Jade lemon is another one of my favorites.  It has a sweet citrusy scent which is so emotionally inspiring.

MAYDI FRANKINCENSE DISTILLERY located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This is the farm where we get our Frankincense resin. The trees are actually scarred and will produce a sap like resin that is then harvested and used to distill the essential oil.  

This region has long revered frankincense for its luxurious fragrance and properties. The esteemed benefits of the frankincense tree are now available to homes around the world, and Young Living’s longstanding partnership has played an integral role in the process of making Frankincense oil more accessible. Frankincense is very earthy and has a grounding effect when inhaled, applied or diffused.  Frankincense can also support the respiratory system when needed.  There are so many great uses for Frankincense I couldn’t even begin to list them all here. In this location there is a distillery set up.

ARABIAN FRANKINCENSE DISTILLERY located in Muscat, Oman is where the Sacred Frankincense essential oil.

The limestone cliffs of Oman’s Dhofar Mountains provide the perfect environment for the frankincense tree to grow, and Young Living is the first and only company in the world to obtain permission to distill and export Omani Sacred Frankincense oil and bring it into the Western world. The Boswellia sacra trees in this region carry a rich history, having been harvested for the past 5,000 years. Today, their resin is harvested by the same method and on the same schedule as their ancestors, so they continue this centuries-old story.

It is the Sacred Frankincense that is distilled here. The same process that was used in Biblical times is still used today. If you ask what the difference is between the two frankincense oils, personally I like Frankincense as I feel it has a more earthy fragrance and I lean towards the earthy smelling oils a lot more.  The Sacred Frankincense has a slightly softer, somewhat sweet smell to it.  As far as how they work, I couldn’t say one is better over another for me.  If I am out of one and I feel the need for some Frankincense I will use what I have on hand.

 

 

Australia and France Farms

Young Living’s Simiane-la-Rotonde Lavender Farm is located in charming Provence, a region of France renowned for its beauty, fragrant lavender fields, and summer-long festivals. Because of its history and breathtaking views, this farm has become a popular destination for essential oil lovers, artists, and visitors looking to breathe in the captivating spirit of the special location. Oils and product from this farm are Lavender, Clary Sage, Rosemary, Lavandin and Einkorn Wheat.

Lavender is called the “SWISS ARMY KNIFE” of all essential oils.  There are more than 150 uses for Lavender essential oil.  I keep 5-6 bottles on hand at all times and boy do I use them! I would be lost without my lavender oil.  I use it in many of my DIY products.  There is a bottle in the kitchen, one in my purse, another at my bedside to help promote a nice restful sleep and one in the kitchen just in case I might get a bit close to the fire. You know that lavender is very soothing and beneficial to the skin, and that’s why I keep it in the kitchen.

PERTH SANDALWOOD FARM located in Perth, Australia is where the company gets oil for the Sacred Sandalwood essential oil. While this farm is headquartered in Perth, the sandalwood plantations extend across Australia’s tropical northern outback. I absolutely love sandalwood.  I make a solid perfume with this oil and carry it with me. I love to just open it up and smell it, it is so uplifting to me senses and emotions.

This location utilizes a remarkable approach to protecting precious sandalwood trees from India’s growing black market by bringing seeds from India to be cultivated on this farm. Once safely planted in their new home, these trees are cultivated with the industry’s highest standards of quality, sustainability, and environmental stewardship.

OUTBACK BOTANICAL RESERVE located in Darwin, Australia is where we get Blue Cypress.

Australia’s Northern Territory outback sets the stunning backdrop for this location’s plantations of Australian cypress pine trees. Drawing on ethnobotanical use in the aboriginal pharmacopeia, the founder of the Outback Botanical Reserve actually stumbled upon a new, now patented method of distillation that resulted in Blue Cypress essential oil. This oil’s many benefits are still being researched to this day.

Northern Lights, Finca & Dalmatia

NORTHERN LIGHTS FARM is located in Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada.  This is one of our corporate owned farms, located on the Alaska Highway. I really want to go to this farm and experience the Northern Lights, and distill some Northern Lights Black Spruce.  After extensive searching and research this property was purchased in 2014.  This is a main source for Black Spruce essential oil, which is used in many of the blends. This land remains free of synthetic chemicals or fertilizers.

 

This is a picture of the sky and the beautiful Northern Lights that occur during certain times of year.  It is something on my bucket list to see the display of Northern Lights one day.  I’m going to make a trip and at the same time make arrangements to visit the farm!

 


Another beautiful picture of the peaceful and serene surroundings at the farm in Fort Nelson, British Columbia.  Other oils that are produced at this farm are Ledum, Yarrow and White Spruce.

 

FINCA BOTANICA FARM is another corporate owned farm located in Guayaquil, Ecuador.  Here is 2000 acres of lush, rich soil located in a tropical climate.  A clinic is located here as well, at this clinic there is an opportunity to receive care for your body using natural essential oils.  Spa treatments, massage and more.

The Finca Botanica Farm in Guayaquil, Ecuador, has 2,000 acres of rich soil that provides year-round harvests and lush botanical life – all thanks to the tropical climate. The farm is proving to be the perfect place to harvest oils that are in short supply throughout the world, such as helichrysum. Building this farm and its state-of-the-art distillery started as a passion project for Gary Young.  The tropical climate helps to nurture the botanical life and the year-round harvests.

Oils produced at the distillery located onsite are Ylang Ylang, Palo Santo, Mastrante, Lemongrass, Eucalyptus Blue, Dorado Azul, Ocotea, Plectranthus Oregano, Rosa Muerta, Cardamon, Geranium, Hyssop, Ishpingo, Rosemary, Ruta, Thyme, Vetiver and the chocolate products.

Here’s a fun fact: Palo Santo essential oil comes from the dead fallen trees located at the farm. Most of the oil is found in the trunk and roots of the tree and they remain on the ground for 2-4 years before they are actually harvested. It’s possible to get an all expense paid trip to this farm for 2 if you reach the Platinum level within the Young Living company! There are several trips given for each rank attained beginning at Silver.

The D Gary Young Foundation has built a school at the farm.  Here children can attend all grade levels and receive a superior education. Graduates from the Young Living Academy are choosing to attend universities of higher education, which is something not many of the children in this area have an opportunity to do, especially the females.  This school is offering a lot for the families in this area of Ecuador.  Young Living is also providing jobs for the people at a good wage, helping to make the living there better for them.  The school was built entirely out of donations to the Young Living Foundation. All administration fees are paid for out of Young Living corporate.  You can also sponsor students with a portion of your Young Living Thank You check.  I sponsor a young girl myself.  I am happy to say I get a Thank You check every month from Young Living just for sharing what essential oils and oil infused products have done for my family and others.

DALMATIA AROMATIC FARM is a corporate owned property and distillery located in Split, Croatia

Dalmatia’s landscape reflects its deep cultural roots and makes an ideal home for the botanical helichrysum. That’s why this farm was founded with the intention of becoming a sustainable source for the popular Helichrysum oil, but the location has since continued to grow and cultivate even more botanicals.   Oils cultivated and distilled on sight at the distillery located at the farm are Helichrysum , Sage, Juniper and Bay Laurel. Those are some of my absolute favorites right there.

I have been to Croatia in the past and it was beautiful.  I intend to return once again and will include a visit to this farm as well when I go back. Fun fact: Did you know that Helichrysum loves to grow in rocky soil? This farm was discovered with the helichrysum plants already flourishing on the land, but needed a bit of care to get it up to par.  A distillery was also built at the location and it is flourishing today! Here is a picture of the helichrysum plant growing there.

Idaho, Utah and Hawaii

Skyrider Wilderness Ranch in Tabiona, Utah is one of Young Living’s newest locations! This is where many global leaders meet for retreat and other events that are hosted here. Nestled in the hills of Tabiona, Utah, this ranch is close to Gary Young’s heart.  This is where the company grows the unique einkorn grain.  Young Living has Einkorn Flour, Einkorn Pancake and Waffle Mix, Einkorn Rotini and Einkorn Spaghetti.  This grain is one of the earliest forms of wheat used by man and is easy on the digestive system. Of course it is NON-GMO and all of our products are grown without the use of chemicals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a photo of einkorn heads.  The harvest is done the old fashioned way, with a horse drawn harvester.  The fields are beautiful and the buffalo still roam out here at the ranch!

St. Maries Lavender Farm in St. Maries Idaho is where everything started for the company! This was decades ago when Gary Young brought pure, authentic lavender and melissa seeds from France and planted them on the 200 acres of this beautiful piece of land.  Today, this farm holds 120 acres of organically grown melissa, making it the largest producer of Melissa essential oil in the world.  Lavender, Melissa and Idaho Tansy are produced here.

Kona Sandalwood Project on the Big Island, Hawaii is a partnership location.  Currently they are doing a reforestation project here to preserve the cultural values.  At this location only the dead or dying sandalwood is harvested to maintain the ecological balance and to follow the deeply rooted Hawaiian belief in humans’ responsibility to maintain a respectful relationship with the native lands of Hawaii. Royal Hawaiin Sandalwood is harvested at this location.

 

Highlands Flat Tree Farm, Naples, Idaho

This farm located in Idaho is near and dear to my heart since I spent a week in 2015 working there.  It was such a life changing experience, I have not had such an experience since then.  It was January of 2015 that I along with 29 other members of the team I am under attended a week long work/learning adventure here.  We did it all, planned meals, cooked, cut trees, prepped product, cut trees, hauled trees with draft horses, distilled and even bottled and labeled our own 5 ml bottle of Idaho Balsam Fir.  Yep, right out of the tap at the distillery!

This farm is home to beautiful conifer trees from which essential oils derived from the great outdoors are produced.  It’s the location of the annual Winter Harvest and Spring Planting projects.  Members are allowed and even encouraged to participate firsthand in the Seed to Seal process.  This farm is in a rural, peaceful setting.  Here you can experience the thrill of working at the world’s first fully automated, state-of-the-art essential oils distillery.

Oils that come from this location are Idaho Blue Spruce, Idaho Balsam Fir, Pine, Idaho Ponderosa Pine and Western Red Cedar.

There is a team of draft horses here that help to bring trees in narrow areas where the trucks cannot get into.  It was a first time experience for me when they allowed us to use the team to bring trees up out of the forest.  I love horses and these horses are some of the biggest I’ve ever seen up close and personal.


I happened to be there during Winter Harvest, but I would love to go back at spring planting time to experience that part of the Seed to Seal process.  They have nice wood cabins, a full kitchen, shower and bathroom areas, laundry facilities and hot tubs onsite that use the floral waters from the distillery.  Nothing is better than sitting in a hot tub of Idaho Balsam Fir floral waters.  These waters are collected off of the steam chambers in the distillery, they smell great, and are so relaxing.

 

Young Living’s Seed to Seal Guarantee

Young Living’s Seed to Seal Guarantee

With a vision “to bring Young Living Essential Oils to every home in the world”, no other essential oil company has been around longer than Young Living.  Nor does any other company enforce the same strict principles on their corporate farms, partner farms or Seal-certified suppliers. I love that the company I represent carries a SEED TO SEAL GUARANTEE with every product they produce and package.  Young Living introduced the Seed to Seal promise as a symbol of the commitment they have to provide your family with the best essential oil and oil-infused products in the world.  The Seed to Seal promise ensures that with every targeted supplement, every skin care solution, and every pure essential oil you use, you are enjoying the benefits of their global resources, industry leadership, and decades of innovation. This results in a pristine final product that you know is created with conscientious sourcing, science and standards.

Young Living sources from corporate-owned farms, as well as partner farms and Seed to Seal certified suppliers that adhere to their partnership principles.  This empowers them to source conscientiously with priority on quality, sensitivity to community impact, and mindfulness toward the local ecosystems.  Ultimately, this empowers you to feel fully confident using Young Living Products.

When Young Living says a farm adheres to our Seed to Seal Partnership Principles they mean it! To be a partner farm you must meet the following 5 requirements:

#1 AN ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP

The sourcing and Executive teams hand select renowned suppliers of premium botanicals and building relationships with them for decades. They continue to foster and expand those relationships daily.

#2 SEED TO SEAL SPECIFICATIONS

ALL FARMS whether a partner farm or corporate owned farm, or Seed to Seal certified supplier must sign declarations that they will follow our strict Seed to Seal specifications.

#3 BINDING AGREEMENTS

Young Living backs up signed Seed to Seal declarations with legally binding contracts that require the partners to deliver on those declarations.

#4 STRINGENT TESTING

Young Living has spent MILLIONS of dollars on a state-of-the-art lab with cutting-edge testing instruments, as well as a world class team of researchers. If the team finds that a supplier’s product doesn’t meet the demanding standards, it never reaches the warehouse.  Trust me this happens.  Product has been refused, thus causing a shortage or out of stock situation until product can be sourced that does meet the strict testing.

#5 ONGOING AUDITS

In addition to it’s testing, Young Living verifies the quality of the oils via a third-party audit of the supply chain.  The intricate global sourcing network is designed to bring members superior products, and they are proud to have implemented and objective audit process.

While the quality of the products begin in the fields, it’s proven in the lab with research from the R&D team’s 180 years of combined experience.  They also test product samples as needed with two independent, respected, and accredited labs.  They create pure, effective formulas to provide your family with products that contain the cleanest and most innovative ingredients available.

Young living is the leader of the modern day essential oils movement and a close partner with the earth, it’s part of thier stewardship to do business responsibly from sustainably sourcing rare botanicals, to uplifting local communities, to going above and beyond to comply with local environmental rules. Young Living chooses to partner with sources they know produce pure essential oils and ingredients ethically and legally, setting a top-tier standard for sustainability that you can trust.

Young living farms stand apart in the essential oil industry.  That’s why their essential oil farms play such and integral role in the Seed to Seal promise.  They have invested unprecedented time and resources to ensure that these standards are prioritized at each of the corporate-owned farms, partner farm, and Seed to Seal certified supplier.  This ensures your home and family get the very best nature has to offer.

WHISPERING SPRINGS FARM, Mona, Utah

This farm is extra special because I have been here and planted product, as well as checked out the distillation facility.  This farm grows Lavender, hyssop, Clary Sage, Peppermint, Goldenrod, Balsam Fir, Melissa, Roman Chamomile, Juniper, Blue Yarrow, Spearmint and German Chamomile. A little side note is that if you attend convention in Utah then you will be able to go and visit this farm, see the distillation and possible plant or pull some weeds.  None the less, you can say you have had a firsthand look and been able to see the production of the purest essential oils on the plant!

The Whispering Springs Farm is an iconic farm, not only to Young Living but also to the essential oil movement and the wellness community. This lavender farm is just a short drove from the Young Living Global Headquarters and is home to events such as and Annual Easter Egg Hunt, the Lavender Day Festival, the Essential Oils and Animals Conference, and the Fall Festival Draft Horse Show and Rodeo.

Here there is a product store, a small lake to enjoy or paddle boat, an arena for jousting events, a horse barn where they store the beautiful draft horses, a distillery, picnic area, small play town and playground for the kids.

Remember, the farms are open for visitation, just call ahead to check on the hours or to set an appointment before you visit a farm.  Here is the number and address for the farm if you are ever nearby.

  •  (800) 371-0819
  •  3700 N Highway 91, Mona, UT 84645

 

 

Organic Cornbread

I’ve made cornbread for years. Tonight even my husband said, “whatever you did different, keep doing it!”. The only difference was that I’ve slowly started to use more organic ingredients in my cooking. 1 C. Organic cornmeal 1/2 C. Organic flour 1 tsp. Aluminum free baking powder 1/2 tsp. Himalayin Pink or Sea Salt 1/2 tsp. Organic baking soda 3/4 C. Organic Buttermilk 1/4 C. Olive oil 1 Free Range Organic Jumbo egg(I have chickens) Tad of coconut oil Preheat oven to 450 degrees Place cornmeal in a bowl, sift together remaining ingredients into cornmeal. Add buttermilk and oil and mix well, add egg and mix well. Place in glass baking dish oiled with coconut oil, bake 15-20 mins Like I said, I’ve used this for many years, but tonight I used all organic ingredients. It was much more flavorful.

TWISTED SWEET LIES – IS HFCS on YOUR HOLIDAY LIST

TWISTED SWEET LIES – IS HFCS on YOUR HOLIDAY LIST

CHEMICAL OVERLOAD?? COULD IT BE HFCS? 

Crazy angry kids, shouting and aggressive behaviour?

 

Rosalie here,

Read this and at the bottom is a link to schedule a FREE STRATEGY session with me so we can set up a plan to get you on the road to better health!  IF YOU ARE READY NOW, JUST SCROLL RIGHT ON DOWN AND LET’S SCHEDULE IT RIGHT NOW SO WE CAN TALK RIGHT AWAY!

Have you ever thought those HORRIBLE behaviours and outbursts could be from a TOXIC CHEMICAL OVERLOAD??  And do you know about HFCS? You might think is just plain sugar, but it’s not. HFCS is from the corn plant, innocent right?  NO!  It’s a genetically altered corn plant, highly processed and in almost all of our processed and packaged foods. Stop giving it to your kids and see if it doesn’t make a difference right now, today! READ THE LABELS of everything you buy, it’s even in that healthy thing called yogurt!  Surprise, surprise!

The following is from Dr. Mark Hyman’s website

IF YOU CAN’T CONVINCE THEM, CONFUSE THEM – Harry Truman

The current media debate about the benefits (or lack of harm) of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in our diet misses the obvious. The average American increased their consumption of HFCS (mostly from sugar sweetened drinks and processed food) from zero to over 60 pounds per person per year.

During that time period, obesity rates have more than tripled and diabetes incidence has increased more than seven fold. Not perhaps the only cause, but a fact that cannot be ignored.

Doubt and confusion are the currency of deception, and they sow the seeds of complacency. These are used skillfully through massive print and television advertising campaigns by the Corn Refiners Association’sattempt to dispel the “myth” that HFCS is harmful and assert through the opinion of “medical and nutrition experts” that it is no different than cane sugar. It is a “natural” product that is a healthy part of our diet when used in moderation.

Except for one problem. When used in moderation it is a major cause of heart diseaseobesity, cancer, dementia, liver failure, tooth decay, and more.

Why is the corn industry spending millions on misinformation campaigns to convince consumers and health care professionals of the safety of their product? Could it be that the food industry comprises 17 percent of our economy?

The Lengths the Corn Industry Will Go To

The goal of the corn industry is to call into question any claim of harm from consuming high fructose corn syrup, and to confuse and deflect by calling their product natural “corn sugar”. That’s like calling tobacco in cigarettes natural herbal medicine.

In the ad, the father tells us:

Like any parent I have questions about the food my daughter eats–-like high fructose corn syrup. So I started looking for answers from medical and nutrition experts, and what I discovered whether it’s corn sugar or cane sugar your body can’t tell the difference. Sugar is sugar. Knowing that makes me feel better about what she eats and that’s one less thing to worry about.”

Physicians are also targeted directly. I received a 12-page color glossy monograph from the Corn Refiners Association reviewing the “science” that HFCS was safe and no different than cane sugar. I assume the other 700,000 physicians in America received the same propaganda at who knows what cost.

In addition to this, I received a special “personal” letter from the Corn Refiner’s Association outlining every mention of the problems with HFCS in our diet–whether in print, blogs, books, radio, or television. They warned me of the errors of my ways and put me on “notice”. For what I am not sure. To think they are tracking this (and me) that closely gives me an Orwellian chill.

New websites like www.sweetsurprise.com and www.cornsugar.com help “set us straight” about HFCS with quotes from professors of nutrition and medicine and thought leaders from Harvard and other stellar institutions.

Why is the corn industry spending millions on misinformation campaigns to convince consumers and health care professionals of the safety of their product? Could it be that the food industry comprises 17 percent of our economy?

But are these twisted sweet lies or a sweet surprise, as the Corn Refiners Association websites claim?

Here are 5 reasons you should stay way from any product containing high fructose corn syrup and why it may kill you.  

  1. Sugar in any form causes obesity and disease when consumed in pharmacologic doses.Cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup are indeed both harmful when consumed in pharmacologic doses of 140 pounds per person per year.When one 20 ounce HFCS sweetened soda, sports drink, or tea has 17 teaspoons of sugar (and the average teenager often consumes two drinks a day) we are conducting a largely uncontrolled experiment on the human species.Our hunter gatherer ancestors consumed the equivalent of 20 teaspoons per year, not per day. In this sense, I would agree with the corn industry that sugar is sugar. Quantity matters. But there are some important differences.
  2. HFCS and cane sugar are NOT biochemically identical or processed the same way by the body. High fructose corn syrup is an industrial food product and far from “natural” or a naturally occurring substance. It is extracted from corn stalks through a process so secret that Archer Daniels Midland and Carghill would not allow the investigative journalist Michael Pollan to observe it for his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma. The sugars are extracted through a chemical enzymatic process resulting in a chemically and biologically novel compound called HFCS. Some basic biochemistry will help you understand this. Regular cane sugar (sucrose) is made of two-sugar molecules bound tightly together– glucose and fructose in equal amounts.The enzymes in your digestive tract must break down the sucrose into glucose and fructose, which are then absorbed into the body. HFCS also consists of glucose and fructose, not in a 50-50 ratio, but a 55-45 fructose to glucose ratio in an unbound form. Fructose is sweeter than glucose. And HFCS is cheaper than sugar because of the government farm bill corn subsidies. Products with HFCS are sweeter and cheaper than products made with cane sugar. This allowed for the average soda size to balloon from 8 ounces to 20 ounces with little financial costs to manufacturers but great human costs of increased obesity, diabetes, and chronic disease.Now back to biochemistry. Since there is there is no chemical bond between them, no digestion is required so they are more rapidly absorbed into your blood stream. Fructose goes right to the liver and triggers lipogenesis (the production of fats like triglycerides and cholesterol) this is why it is the major cause of liver damage in this country and causes a condition called “fatty liver” which affects 70 million people.The rapidly absorbed glucose triggers big spikes in insulin–our body’s major fat storage hormone. Both these features of HFCS lead to increased metabolic disturbances that drive increases in appetite, weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, and more.But there was one more thing I learned during lunch with Dr. Bruce Ames. Research done by his group at the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute found that free fructose from HFCS requires more energy to be absorbed by the gut and soaks up two phosphorous molecules from ATP (our body’s energy source).This depletes the energy fuel source, or ATP, in our gut required to maintain the integrity of our intestinal lining. Little “tight junctions” cement each intestinal cell together preventing food and bacteria from “leaking” across the intestinal membrane and triggering an immune reaction and body wide inflammation.High doses of free fructose have been proven to literally punch holes in the intestinal lining allowing nasty byproducts of toxic gut bacteria and partially digested food proteins to enter your blood stream and trigger the inflammation that we know is at the root of obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, dementia, and accelerated aging. Naturally occurring fructose in fruit is part of a complex of nutrients and fiber that doesn’t exhibit the same biological effects as the free high fructose doses found in “corn sugar”.The takeaway: Cane sugar and the industrially produced, euphemistically named “corn sugar” are not biochemically or physiologically the same.
  3. HFCS contains contaminants including mercury that are not regulated or measured by the FDA. An FDA researcher asked corn producers to ship a barrel of high fructose corn syrup in order to test for contaminants. Her repeated requests were refused until she claimed she represented a newly created soft drink company. She was then promptly shipped a big vat of HFCS that was used as part of the study that showed that HFCS often contains toxic levels of mercury because of chlor-alkali products used in its manufacturing.(i) Poisoned sugar is certainly not “natural”.When HFCS is run through a chemical analyzer or a chromatograph, strange chemical peaks show up that are not glucose or fructose. What are they? Who knows? This certainly calls into question the purity of this processed form of super sugar. The exact nature, effects, and toxicity of these funny compounds have not been fully explained, but shouldn’t we be protected from the presence of untested chemical compounds in our food supply, especially when the contaminated food product comprises up to 15-20 percent of the average American’s daily calorie intake?  
  4. Independent medical and nutrition experts DO NOT support the use of HFCS in our diet, despite the assertions of the corn industry. The corn industry’s happy looking websites www.cornsugar.com and www.sweetsurprise.com bolster their position that cane sugar and corn sugar are the same by quoting experts, or should we say misquoting … Barry M. Popkin, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has published widely on the dangers of sugar-sweetened drinks and their contribution to the obesity epidemic. In a review of HFCS in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,(ii)he explains the mechanism by which the free fructose may contribute to obesity.He states that: “The digestion, absorption, and metabolism of fructose differ from those of glucose. Hepatic metabolism of fructose favors de novo lipogenesis (production of fat in the liver). In addition, unlike glucose, fructose does not stimulate insulin secretion or enhance leptin production. Because insulin and leptin act as key afferent signals in the regulation of food intake and body weight (to control appetite), this suggests that dietary fructose may contribute to increased energy intake and weight gain. Furthermore, calorically sweetened beverages may enhance caloric over-consumption.”He states that HFCS is absorbed more rapidly than regular sugar and that it doesn’t stimulate insulin or leptin production. This prevents you from triggering the body’s signals for being full and may lead to over-consumption of total calories. He concludes by saying that:“… the increase in consumption of HFCS has a temporal relation to the epidemic of obesity, and the overconsumption of HFCS in calorically sweetened beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity.”The corn industry takes his comments out of context to support their position. “All sugar you eat is the same.”True pharmacologic doses of any kind of sugar are harmful, but the biochemistry of different kinds of sugar and their respective effects on absorption, appetite, and metabolism are different, and Dr. Popkin knows that.David S. Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, and a personal friend, has published extensively on the dangers and the obesogenic properties of sugar-sweetened beverages.He was quoted as saying that “high fructose corn syrup is one of the most misunderstood products in the food industry.” When I asked him why he supported the corn industry, he told me he didn’t and that his comments were taken totally out of context.Misrepresenting science is one thing, misrepresenting scientists who have been at the forefront of the fight against obesity and high fructose sugar sweetened beverages is quite another.
  5. HFCS is almost always a marker of poor-quality, nutrient-poor disease-creating industrial food products or “food-like substances”. The last reason to avoid products that contain HFCS is that they are a marker for poor-quality, nutritionally-depleted, processed industrial food full of empty calories and artificial ingredients. If you find “high fructose corn syrup” on the label you can be sure it is not a whole, real, fresh food full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. Stay away if you want to stay healthy. We still must reduce our overall consumption of sugar, but with this one simple dietary change you can radically reduce your health risks and improve your health.While debate may rage about the biochemistry and physiology of cane sugar versus corn sugar, this is in fact beside the point (despite the finer points of my scientific analysis above). The conversation has been diverted to a simple assertion that cane sugar and corn sugar are not different.

The real issues are only two.

  • We are consuming HFCS and sugar in pharmacologic quantities never before experienced in human history–140 pounds a year versus 20 teaspoons a year 10,000 years ago.
  • High fructose corn syrup is always found in very poor-quality foods that are nutritionally vacuous and filled with all sorts of other disease promoting compounds, fats, salt, chemicals, and even mercury.

That being said, I would watch what I give to those littles we love this Holiday Season.  You owe to them and yourself.  If you want to give a gift, give a gift of good health, no toxins this year.

I know I’ve been giving you a lot of information.  But here is a list of 20 dangerous toxins I am positive you have in your home and some of their side effects.  This is TRUTH folks.  Do you really want to continue doing the same things?  Do you really want to continue to ignore the TRUTH?

It took me ZERO DAYS to decide what to do once I started discovering the truth about TOXINS.  What have you decided so far?  You have 2 choices.  Remain the same or make a change.  What are you going to do?  If I haven’t heard from you yet, then I am going to assume you have chosen to remain the same and ignore the TRUTH.  I would ask that those of you I have heard from, pass this along and share the TRUTH with those around you.  

Labels on cosmetics and body care products are a tough code to crack. The industry is so shockingly unregulated that it’s usually impossible to trust the claims that manufacturers place on their products. A word such as “natural” can be used by anyone for anything. Even “organic” is misleading. Companies are supposed to use an organic label only if ALL ingredients are certified-organic, but they can also say it’s “made with organic” if it contains a minimum of 70 percent certified-organic ingredients. Regardless, 30 percent still leaves a lot of room for toxins. Are you willing to risk it with the 30% mark?

The whole industry has a “innocent-till-proven-guilty” approach to ingredients. Unless a chemical used in beauty products is proven to cause harm to human health, it is classified as GRAS, or “generally recognized as safe.” This classification is upheld by the U.S. FDA and hardly has the best interests of consumers at heart. Remember the FDA is the same group that approves all of the deadly medications out there.  The same poisonous and deadly medications that they end up recalling a short time later after enough people have died or experienced severe side affect.  How long will you be comfortable trusting them?

Do you carry around toxins in your handbag? I bet you do.  I did for many years, and if you are like me, you didn’t know any better.  Got some red lipstick in there? Hand or body moisturizers? Sunscreen? Because you are concerned about toxins in the environment I’d thought you’d like this information! After I found out about this I no longer carried a TOXIC HANDBAG.

 

Synthetics, PHTHALATES, dyes and other horrid chemicals in our personal products are known to cause cancer, joint and muscle aches, problems with memory and concentration and more. I know you are interested in finding out why you are having headaches daily.  I understand why you may be wanting to give up and succumb to the medications you are told will help you.  I know you are tired of being sick and tired.

 

You have the right to know the dangerous TOXINS that are in personal products.  Big corporations lie to us everyday. If you knew there was an answer wouldn’t you want to know?  If you did know the answer wouldn’t you want to start doing what it takes to change things.  When you find out, you are going to also want to share it with those you love and care about.  You will want to share the information with your mothers, sisters, daughters and other people in your circle of close friends and family.

 

It’s horrible being lied to every day.  It’s horrible that the advertising companies think we are so dumb all they need to do it cover up these dangerous toxins with pretty packages and make them smell pretty.  It’s degrading to me that they see women being dumb and willing to purchase anything that might make us feel, look or smell pretty, all the while they are filling us with TOXIC poison. They first fill our eyes and minds with advertising lies, making promising claims of beauty.

 

But it doesn’t stop there.  These same companies are making us sick, disrupting our hormones and thyroids.  The very things that make a woman tick is being destroyed by these TOXINS.  Is this what you want for your daughters and granddaughters, or your friends and yourself.  How much longer are you going to ignore the truth?  I’m giving you just a few things in this report, there is so much more to the big picture of consumable poisonous TOXINS. We can FIX THIS NOW! Let’s put a stop to this!

 

So here you are sick.  You are tired.  You experience headaches.  You have emotional mood swings that affect your family life, your work and school life.  They affect every relationship you are in.  You can no longer control your emotions and can’t figure out why.  You have high blood pressure and more stress because of all of this. I feel your pain, I was in the same place.

 

************************YOUR PROBLEM is NOT YOUR PROBLEM***************************

 

Your problem is that you don’t know what you don’t know. It very well may be the cause of TOXIC poisoning, you are frustrated not knowing the cause of all these ill feelings. Feeling alone and lost and not knowing can be so frustrating!

 

I know your frustration with feeling sick and tired all the time.  I feel your pain if you’ve gone to Doctors with constant headaches with no explanation.  I know what it’s like to be exhausted all the time only adding to stress and moodiness. I was always tired and had no motivation.  My exhaustion took time away from my family.  My hormones were going crazy and I had horrible mood swings.  My thyroid was out of whack. I was told it was due to my age and perfectly normal.  All I needed were a few prescriptions to be filled and I’d be fine.

 

I was able to change all that by making better choices for myself and choosing non-toxic products and using essential oils for my emotional well-being.  It saved my family life and my sanity!  I didn’t just save myself from the toxins but, I also saved myself from the side effects I would have experienced after starting the cycle of taking medications.

 

Did you know there are dangerous toxic chemicals in makeup, deodorant, lotions and other body products?  What you put ON your skin goes IN the body.  Our skin is the largest organ of the body and the first line of defense against sickness and disease. Things like FD&C and D&C are suspected carcinogens.

 

“Fragrance” is a cover up word to protect ingredients companies really don’t want to reveal to protect their secret formula. Phthalates are known endocrine disrupters and have been linked to certain cancers. Tricolson is widely used antimicrobial chemical that’s a known endocrine disruptor — especially thyroid and reproductive hormones, and a skin irritant. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) / Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). This surfactant can be found in more than 90 percent of personal care and cleaning products (think foaming products). SLS’s are known to be skin, lung, and eye irritants. Formaldehyde, Toluene(a potent solvent that can dissolve paint), and Propylene glycol are just to name a few. To really find out what is in the products you use, you can check out the EWG’s Skin Deep Database to research toxic chemicals that could be in your cosmetic and personal care products.

 

Fortunately there is an answer, a safe non toxic alternative when it comes to your face and makeup. Here I only discuss about using alternative and natural personal body products such as soap, deodorant, shampoo, facial moisturizers and more. And folks it is not available in stores.  If non-toxic is where you want to go, I’VE GOT YOU COVERED FROM HEAD TO TOE!

 

Years ago I decided I was not going to keep POISONING my face and my body every day!  If you knew you could do something about what was making you sick, wouldn’t you do something about it?  I was so ready and finally had a place to start.  I found out I could fix my problem myself without doctors or medications.  I didn’t need to be sick and tired anymore.  No more time wasted sitting in a Doctor’s office or wasting money for medication.

The best thing we consumers can do is read ingredient lists carefully in order to avoid chemicals that are known to be harmful, even though they continue to be widely used. Go grab your shampoo, your moisturizer, body lotion, maybe that favorite candle you just think you can’t give up……………go on, I double dog dare you!  Go get a few things right now and let’s see if any of the following items might lurk inside.  Look at the ingredient list and let’s see what you have that’s making you sick.

 

 

 

Coal Tar: A known carcinogen banned in the EU, but still used in North America. Used in dry skin treatments, anti-lice and anti-dandruff shampoos, also listed as a color plus number, i.e. FD&C Red No. 6.

DEA/TEA/MEA: Suspected carcinogens used as emulsifiers and foaming agents for shampoos, body washes, soaps.

Ethoxylated surfactants and 1,4-dioxane: Never listed because it’s a by-product made from adding carcinogenic ethylene oxide to make other chemicals less harsh. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has found 1,4-dioxane in 57 percent of baby washes in the U.S. Avoid any ingredients containing the letters “eth.”

Formaldehyde: Probable carcinogen and irritant found in nail products, hair dye, fake eyelash adhesives, shampoos. Banned in the EU.

Fragrance/Parfum: A catchall for hidden chemicals, such as phthalates. Fragrance is connected to headaches, dizziness, asthma, and allergies.

Hydroquinone: Used for lightening skin. Banned in the UK, rated most toxic on the EWG’s Skin Deep database, and linked to cancer and reproductive toxicity.

Lead: Known carcinogen found in lipstick and hair dye, but never listed because it’s a contaminant, not an ingredient.

Mercury: Known allergen that impairs brain development. Found in mascara and some eyedrops.

Mineral oil: By-product of petroleum that’s used in baby oil, moisturizers, styling gels. It creates a film that impairs the skin’s ability to release toxins.

Oxybenzone: Active ingredient in chemical sunscreens that accumulates in fatty tissues and is linked to allergies, hormone disruption, cellular damage, low birth weight.

Parabens: Used as preservatives, found in many products. Linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity.

Paraphenylenediamine (PPD): Used in hair products and dyes, but toxic to skin and immune system.

Phthalates: Plasticizers banned in the EU and California in children’s toys, but present in many fragrances, perfumes, deodorants, lotions. Linked to endocrine disruption, liver/kidney/lung damage, cancer.

Placental extract: Used in some skin and hair products, but linked to endocrine disruption.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG): Penetration enhancer used in many products, it’s often contaminated with 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide, both known carcinogens.

Silicone-derived emollients: Used to make a product feel soft, these don’t biodegrade, and also prevent skin from breathing. Linked to tumour growth and skin irritation.

Sodium lauryl (ether) sulfate (SLS, SLES): A former industrial degreaser now used to make soap foamy, it’s absorbed into the body and irritates skin.

Talc: Similar to asbestos in composition, it’s found in baby powder, eye shadow, blush, deodorant. Linked to ovarian cancer and respiratory problems.

Toluene: Known to disrupt the immune and endocrine systems, and fetal development, it’s used in nail and hair products. Often hidden under fragrance.

Triclosan: Found in antibacterial products, hand sanitizers, and deodorants, it is linked to cancer and endocrine disruption. Avoid the brand Microban.

 

Now I’ve given you some TRUTH, what will you do with it?

I want to help you get started now!  I want to help you end the feelings of being lied to, the feelings of being confused and overwhelmed.  I want to help you figure this out and fix it now before it’s too late.  I have a form you can fill out to answer a few questions.  After I get to know a little about you, we can set up a quick phone session.  We can strategize together and get you to the next step in becoming TOXIC free.  Here is the link: https://rosalielopez.wufoo.com/forms/z241dsl06hfm1d/

 

 

Can we talk about it a bit? I’d really like to help you set up a plan to start a journey of toxic free living.  Get on the road to better health and wellness, there is no better time than this.  I want to give you the gift of health this Holiday Season.

 

 

You can do this!

Rosalie

P.S. You owe it to yourself to start somewhere.  The alternative is to DO NOTHING and continue on a road to MORE SICKNESS and DISEASE.  Stop that now.  Here is the link: https://rosalielopez.wufoo.com/forms/z241dsl06hfm1d/

 

 

Chicken Caprese Pizza

This has got to be one of the most incredible things I have tried, eva! I mean I love caprese chicken and I certainly love me some pizza, so why not try them together?  It was a huge hit, I’m telling you, huge!

I assure you this is as tasty as it looks, a delicious twist on a pizza, but yet very satisfying.  My niece and I love to cook and we can get together and come up with some strange, but tasty dishes.  I want to say this one is tight up there as I might call it a number one hit wonder!

CHICKEN CAPRESE PIZZA

INGREDIENTS

1 12 ” Pizza crust of your choice

2 TBL virgin organic olive oil

2-3 cloves coarse chopped organic garlic

8 oz fresh organic mozzarella ball

Whole fresh organic basil leaves

2 Whole fresh organic roma tomatoes

3 Tbl organic wild honey

3 Tbl organic balsamic vinegar

1 chicken breast, organic wild raised, cooked and chopped into small bite size chunks.  You may use 1/2 to 1 cup left over cooked chicken cut into bite sized pieces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oven to 410 degrees

Place crust onto parchment paper

Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with chopped garlic.

Slice mozzarella thinly and place slices onto crust

Slice roma tomatoes and arrange slices over cheese

Arrange basil leaves, as many as desired.

Add chopped chicken as desired.

Bake until cheese is bubbly and melted, I prefer a bit of browning on the edges.

While pizza is baking make a reduction of the honey and balsamic in a shallow pan. To do this bring honey and vinegar to a bubbly boil and turn off heat.  Drizzle over hot pizza immediately after removing from the oven.
Thank you for joining me in the kitchen once again.  Please share this and some of my other recipes.  I have a lot of healthy and alternative recipes if you suffer from gluten intolerance and want a grain free life.  There are many grain free, and paleo delights if you take a look around.  Thank you for enjoying part of your day with me in the kitchen.

Rosalie Lopez, Things That Warm the Heart