#18 Green Tea for You!

 Tired of drinking the same old tea or cup of coffee?  Well Green Tea may be just the "hot cuppa" that you are looking for.  Add it to your daily regimine, even just once a day.

 

Research has shown the benefits to be outstanding.   The powerful antioxidants in this tea have been found to:  lower your chance of heart disease and cancer, bring down blood pressure, facilitate weight loss faster, prevent arthritus, and keep allergies away. 

 

Sip it slowly and savour.  Need a healthy, cool summer drink? Serve it cold over ice with a twist of lemon.

 

I have found a local (Greater Victoria) tea source that is excellent.  They also ship their teas as well, so their teas know no boundaries.  Check out www.stillwatertea.com

 

The Founder of Still Water Tea, Angela Graye, is a mother of five children.  "She is fully committed to promoting peace, tranquility, relaxation, and rejuvenation within oneself.  healized that going non-stop for what felt like 24 hours in a day was very unhealthy.  This is what motivated her to promote tea.   Notonly for it's health benefits but also for its natural, calming effects." (excerpt from Still Water Tea's  web site"about us")

 

Image courtesy of zirconicusso/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#17 Sunshine

 

Let the Sun Shine In

 

It is that time of year where we are seeing the sun more and more.  Take advantage of this brilliant source of warmth and rejuvination.

Inside  Draw the curtains open, make sure the sun has every opportunity to come into your home.  Take a cat-nap on the floor.  That's right, take a bit of wisdom from our feline friends and find a ray of sun, then lie down in it even if just for a couple of minutes.  Feel the warmth of the natural light envelope you.  If your wee ones are with you, have them lie down as well and to keep them occupied tell them how kitties love basking in the sun, then ask them to pretend they are kitty cats - get them purring.

Outside  Even as little as ten minutes of sunshine a day will boost your vitamin D levels and make you feel good. 

• Go for a stroll. 
• Parking somewhere?  Park a little further away and walk that much longer. 
• At work?  Take your coffee break outside. 
• If you are at home with your little ones make sure you invest in some solid backyard toys and give everyone a backyard break. 
• If your little ones are napping, open your front door and sit on the steps, close your eyes, breathe, listen, and enjoy.

Image courtesy of Tanatat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

#16 Stuck at Home Sick Tips

When You are all Sickies and stuck at home!

When you and your young children are all sick and stuck at home it can feel like each hour stretches on endlessly - you wiped out and yearning to "sneak" even a two minute lie down, and they, cranky, coughing and getting bored with being inside.  So......what is a Mom to do and not to do?

Here are a few ideas: 

• Do not get out the play dough recipe.  Making Play dough and runny, snotty noses are not a good match, while this might be a no-brainer, I was tempted by the "time factor" to get out the play dough recipe and give it a go.  That is until I saw my son take his hand and swipe it across his runny nose then wipe it all over his sleeve!
• Make smoothies - great for nutrition and fun for the kids to pick out the fruit (wash well).  Our favourite smoothie is made of frozen strawberries, frozen spinach, bananas, yogurt and milk.  The fun part for my kids is taking turns pressing the button to make it WHRRRRRRR.
• My all time standby is taking a whiff of my Vicks Vapour stick - useful and comforting with no sticky mess.
• Bath play time for your little one, no matter what time of day.  My favourite "sickie" bath scent is Life Brand's Hypoallergneic Vapour Bath with eucalptus, menthol, and rosemary.  Run bath, toss in a bunch of bath toys (Infantion Bath Tub Pals are great!) and a bath book, then sit back and watch your little one play away while getting clean and loosening their congestion (and yours too!).  While you are immersed in that steamy bath air imagine that you are really in a tropical paradise.
• Sleep.  Pretty basic tip, isn't it?  But one we Moms have trouble following!  When you finally get your little one(s) in bed, be it nap time or night time, do not, and I repeat - do not, feel compelled to use this time as "me time", or time for any other tasks.  The greatest task at hand for you is getting healthy again, and this means SLEEP!
• Your little one's attention span is going to be even shorter when he or she is not feeling well, so make sure you have some creative ideas on hand and interchange them frequently.  A few ideas:  Simon Says, playing "School" complete with paper and crayons, a favourite cartoon, building towers with cardboard boxes and then knocking them down, reading a book, practicing animal sounds, building a fort with a blanket or chair, or erecting an indoor popup tent and tunnel, have a summer picnic on the living room floor complete with picnic blanket and snacks.   The bottom line: just remember to go with the flow, mix it up, and make sure to include some physical activity (while monitoring your young one's sickieness)!
• Drag yourself to the shower soon after waking up.  I know, this can be so hard when you are so terribly tired and feel out of sorts.  It is easy to put it off, but don't - a shower will get all the bacteria off, and the hot water will refresh you.  Make it a short one if you must (with wee ones we don't often have a choice!). Here is a tip:  Alternate four times of approx. 30 seconds each between hot and cold water - it is very reviving and gets your circulation going.  This is the same premis behind the cold dunk pools at many hot springs resorts.
• Keep warm.  Allow yourself to cozy up in your PJs or favourite sweatpants and puffy sweater - all day!  Often when we are sick we are chilled easily.  The key here is to keep yourself comfortable.
• Nourish yourself. Have lots of soup on hand if your appetite is diminshed or your throat is simply too soar to eat.  DO NOT eat tomato soup if the latter, its acidity may irrate your throat.  I especially love butternut squash, chicken noodle, cream of mushroom, or sweet potatoe soup when I'm not feeling well, and the kids love these soups too especially if I throw in a few "wormies" (egg noodles).

Do you have any suggestions for when you and your little ones are sick? 



Image courtesy of  David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

#9 A little bit of yoga that you can do!

This "yoga" is something that anyone can take part in. Give it a try!

Deep Breathing

- Relax as you sit straight in a chair.

- Close your eyes. Imagine a peaceful place.

- Slowly and smoothly, inhale and exhale, through your nose, each time letting your breath become longer and longer.

- After 20 repetitions, return your breath back to normal.

Benefits?

You increase the level of oxygen in your blood. This inturn, helps to inrease your mental focus and does wonders to alleviate stress.

Photo courtesy of Free Digital photos

Image'>http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=2522">Image: sakhorn38 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

# 4 Know your coconuts.

Know your coconuts. No, I am not referring to breast self examinations, although that is really important and something that every woman should do. I am referring to coconuts, specifically - coconut water.

Coconut water is an amazing drink that I discovered late in my recent pregnancy, and I've been hooked ever since.

Aside from loving the refreshing taste, it is very healthy and nutritious for mothers and nursing moms too.

Did you know that coconut water is an excellent way to rehydrate and is also chalk full of all natural electrolytes? It is nature's Gatorade. For this reason it is great energy booster for those busy times and also for when/if you are nursing baby.

According to the Baby Center Website "coconut water contains high levels of lauric acid which is what is used by the body to make monolaurin -– a disease fighting fatty acid derivative. Lauric acid has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties which protect the body against various infections and boosts the immune system."

I won't take any more of your time by writing about about the why you should give coconut water a try (please note, coconut water is different than coconut milk), just google "coconut water benefits" and you can read for yourself.

There are many brands out there. Where we live I have come across approximately five, my favourite is Grace Foods Coconut Water. I prefer the sugar free with the yummy pulp, but you can get it with or without pulp and/or sugar. The other brand that I'll buy when I can't get a Grace is Blue Monkey. Lastly, another type I love is all natural and not found in a can, rather in it's purest form, a young coconut. I've found these tender coconuts in stores at times and while there is a bit of work involved in getting to the water, it is well worth it!

Cheers - to your health!

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