Castor Oil

The Handsome Castor Tree Provides Shade Over This Patio

Castor oil, long revered for its use internally as a gastrointestinal stimulate, immune booster and general tonic, also has many beneficial topical uses. Seed oils are life-creating oils, since they're the energy base that feed seedlings when they germinate.   First cold pressed Castor oil was one of the world's first medicinal oil's because it naturally contains a unique and beneficial mixture of triglycerides or fatty acids. About 90% of Castor seed oil contains the unusual hydroxy fatty acid ricinoleate (ricinoleic acid). Ricinoleic acid inhibits the growth of many viruses, bacteria, yeasts, and molds, like its derivative undecylenic acid. Also, "topical application of ricinoleic acid, the main component of Castor oil, exerts remarkable analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects."
 Pure cold pressed Castor oil has been used or time-tested for centuries throughout the world for its medicinal properties long before any government agency was created to regulate medicines. In addition, the time-tested pure cold pressed Castor oil of the past was both tasteless and odorless, so if you find Castor oil that tastes or smells bad, you can be assured, it's not pure cold pressed Castor oil.
Pure cold pressed Castor oil was used for or on:

Abrasions: topical analgesics (pain relievers), disinfectant, protected abrasions and promoted healing.
Allergies: a cotton swab (i.e., Q-tip) dipped in oil is gently inserted into nasal canal and then swab is rotated in a circle. A few minutes later fluids run from nose and congestion clears, providing rapid pain and pressure relief without a bitter after-taste.
Antibiotics for infections: a teaspoon/day with meals and plenty of fluids for 5 days.
Arthritis: rubbed on affected area for some pain relief.
Burns: topical analgesics (pain relievers), disinfectant, protected burns and promoted healing.
By midwives to initiate labor (16A).
Cuts: topical analgesics (pain relievers), disinfectant, protected cuts and promoted healing.
Dental or tooth problems (e.g., abscesses, infections, etc.).
Decongestant: a cotton swab (i.e., Q-tip) dipped in oil is gently inserted into nasal canal and then swab is rotated in a circle. A few minutes later fluids run from nose and congestion clears, providing rapid pain and pressure relief without a bitter after-taste.
Deodorant: was applied under (clean) armpits to prevent odor causing bacteria growth.
Ear infections: a couple of drops in ear (tilted head helps oil into ear canal) for a couple of days.
Hair oil
Lacerations: topical analgesics (pain relievers), disinfectant, protected lacerations and promoted healing.
Laxative
Lubrication: used as a personal lubricant, e.g., applied under foreskin of uncircumcised penis to prevent bacteria growth, etc.
Skin disorders: used on all skin disorders (e.g., herpes, cold sores, warts, etc.).
Skin problems: used on all skin problems (e.g., acne, etc.).
Sunburns: topical analgesics (pain relievers), disinfectant, protected sunburns and promoted rapid healing.
Weight loss
Worms or Parasites
Source: Kristina's Oil

Here's just a few natural beauty creams containing castor oil:

 Or just use it straight from the bottle! Here's my favorite brand:

From the Heritage Store

Is Your Water Slowly Killing You?

Using bottled water won't help you avoid this danger.

There's nothing that frustrates me more than seeing a  practice continued out of habit or stubbornness, or, even worse, for Filthy Lucre when clear evidence exists to prove that practice outdated, unnecessary or even dangerous. Such is the case with routine fluoridation of drinking water.

This before unheard-of,  unproven, practice became widespread in 1945 and has been ostensibly touted as a method of protecting teeth from decay ever since. Funny that, at first, the American Dental Association was adamantly against the inclusion, saying:

We do know that the use of drinking water containing as little as 1.2 to 3.0 parts per million of fluoride will cause such developmental disturbances as osteosclerosis, spondylosis, and osteropetrosis, as well a goiter; and we cannot afford to run the risk of producing such serious systemic disturbances… 

http://www.fluoride-osteosarcoma-law.com/fluoride_water.html

Some claim the practice was started as a convenient way to dispose of dangerous industrial waste for a profit!  

Most commercial water filters do not remove fluoride. Check here to see if yours does.

Read here for more about the dangers of fluoride, especially to children and how we can actively work for removal of this poison from our drinking water.

The Ultimate "Kitchen Sink" ExfoliatingTreatment

As far as "beauty treatments" go, I learned something a long time ago: Our grandmothers got it right! Anything and everything you could ever need for healthy and beautiful skin is in your kitchen (and costs a mere fraction of what you'll pay for an "official" facial. Here's my much coveted and highly effective facial scrub recipe (please share liberally with friends, unless they own a spa or facial treatment center!):

2T uncooked brown rice

Grind rice to a course sand consistency in your coffee mill.

Gently whip one farm-fresh egg white. Add to ground rice.

Stir in 1-2 T raw honey.

Situate yourself (sans clothes, of course) on the edge of the bathtub--feet in the tub. Beginning with your face, scrub the rice, egg white, honey mixture onto your face in small circles, avoiding the eye area except to make a few inner-to outer-eye sweeps on the under-eye area. Work the forehead in an angled up-and down motion, back and forth in one direction and then the other. Work the cheek area in circles. Work the jaw and chin in small circles as well. Don't forget to scrub the lips--better than cosmetic surgery to plump and brighten. With any remaining exfoliate work the chest, shoulders, backs of hands, elbows, knees, feet, etc., etc. Just be sure to cover the tub drain with netting or cheesecloth or incur your husband's wrath over the eventually clogged drain!! (Been there! Done That!) Repeat this treatment once a week and congratulate yourself on saving hundreds and looking fabulous!!

HIT for Health

Aerobic training (training at a target heart rate of between 65% and 85% of maximum) has long been considered the gold standard of fat-burning. Sustained aerobic activity of 20 or more minutes for 3-5 times per week effectively increases endurance while using a high percentage of fat as fuel. But in the last 15-20 years substantial new research indicates that high-intensity training (HIT), or short-burst training (SBT) is even more efficient at burning fat and provides a whole host of added benefits as well.

HIT calls for a repeating segment (lasting 30-60 seconds) of high intensity (or full-out) effort. During the recovery period between segments some cardiovascular effort is maintained (for between 30-90 seconds) at a much lower intensity. The short-burst intervals can be accomplished during a variety of exercise methods: all-out, sprint-type runs interspersed with slow jog/fast walk recoveries; all-out effort on a stationary bike, followed by slower recovery; intense bursts of jumping rope, jumping jacks, or any plyometric-type drill. 

 

Not only does HIT produce superior fat-burning results during exercise, research shows that EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) is present after HIT as well, meaning that the body continues to burn excess stored fat up to 24 hours after the training session. More surprising is the finding that HIT is highly effective in increasing endurance, long thought to be the sacred benefit of only long, low-intensity aerobic training. A 2005 study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that after a two-week SBT program, a group of non-athletes actually doubled their endurance level. (Note: Elite or competitive endurance athletes would still incorporate sport-specific endurance sessions into their training programs. However, the implications for the general exercising population of this and similar studies are phenomenal.)

And there’s more! A recent study confirms the “anti-aging” effect of HIT due in part to its ability to cause an upswing in the natural levels of Human Growth Hormone (HGH). Here’s a great article on the physiological details behind HIT’s “fountain of youth” properties: Mercola Article

Although it is probably wise for a completely sedentary individual to first build some type of base aerobic fitness level, barring some specific health condition (heart, joints, lungs), HIT can be incorporated into just about anyone’s fitness routine, regardless of current fitness level!!  An otherwise healthy, but cardiovascularly unfit individual will peak out (heart rate wise) a lot sooner and at much lower intensities than a trained person. Accordingly, the novice’s intervals will look a lot different at first: shorter and less intense (comparatively speaking). Start where you can and build to eight, 30 second intervals with low intensity aerobic recoveries of 60-90 seconds between each. Perform this routine after a brief warm-up and follow with a short cool-down. The whole session should take no longer than 20 minutes. Done twice a week, this training method will give you maximum benefit in the shortest amount of time.

Seven Foods You Should Never, Ever Eat!

I recently came across this list from a Prevention magazine online article. Here are the foods, but I recommend checking out the link for a brief explanation on the why for each of the items as well as some options to substitute in the forbidden product's place.

Canned Tomatoes

Corn-fed beef

Microwave popcorn

Conventional Apples

Milk produced with artificial hormones

Non-organic potatoes

Farmed Salmon