Smoke Signals

Grandma:  "What is it?" Kids:  "Just more of Dad's bugs." (☉_☉) The Chief has been growing from seed, raising and cultivating our food & medicine for more than 15 years.  He is the green thumb, not I.  He prefers to be recognized as a seed sower, and by the size of our family, this rings true, in more ways than one.    So this is why you can find our home literally filling up with ladybugs, fruit flies (to feed the ladybugs), worms (yup- we have a worm farm), praying mantises, green lacewing eggs, assassin & pirate bugs.  Oh MY! ...Just when you think the mini fruiting chamber (mushroom cultivating) in your bedroom is getting a bit wild.   What do all the bugs have to do with growing food and medicine you may wonder. Well we are only as healthy as the food we eat, no? The food we eat is as healthy as the soil it feeds on and the environment it thrives in. In other words, healing the land is part of healin...

CBD Dosing 3 main things to consider; The concentration of CBD Your body chemistry Your WHY - are you taking it There isn’t a “one size fits all” dosage and there will be some trial and error while gauging your proper dosage. Also keep in mind, one’s physiology will change while using CBD, as your receptors interact within your Endocannabinoid System this will create shifts in one’s optimal dose. So how do I begin? Concentration Know the amount of CBD in your product. If your product is not disclosing this information, this is a red flag. I always suggest starting small and increasing gradually. You will find many saying start with body weight but I have found this to be hogwash. I believe it is more about how your Endocannabinoid system is to begin with and some are especially sensitive to it while others require much more and this doesn’t seem to have anything to do with one's size or body weight. See, I am one of those 'sensitive types...

photo credit theleafonline.com So now that the 80 year ban on industrial hemp has FINALLY been lifted      (._.)ƪ(‘-‘ ƪ)(ʃ ‘-‘)ʃ (/._.)/   why would you care? Well we have long been supporters of this civil liberty because; 1.) If natural, Creator given plants are illegal than we are NOT living in a free country.  2.) Hemp is beneficial to us. 3.) Hemp is beneficial to our economy. 4.) Hemp is beneficial to the environment! Today we are going to focus on its benefits to our health. So by now you may have heard that we actually have an endo cannabinoid system.  This is a real biological system within us just like our digestive, lymphatic/immune, endocrine, exocrine, respiratory, renal, nervous, reproductive, cardiovascular, muscular, & sensory systems.   Endo means " originating within the body ".  When studying the Cannabis plant in the 60's, researchers discovered a web of receptors, enzym...

We are continuing our series of blog posts on FDA approved chemicals that may increase aging. If you missed #1 you can find it here .  Yeah, it's true.    As you are selecting these products to aid your skin, they may in fact be the thing that is making you feel and look older.    FDA APPROVED INGREDIENT #2  Paraben Parabens are a class of widely used preservatives in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. Chemically, they are a series of parahydroxybenzoates or esters of parahydroxybenzoic acid. These CHEAP preservatives are commonly used to increase the shelf life of a product. They keep products looking and smelling great for longer space (than is natural). First introduced in the 1950s, parabens were to keep the product from spoiling by preventing it from being able to grow mold and or bacteria. Today, however, we have remembered to appreciate mold and bacteria.  And we know that all are not bad.  In fact if it ...

FDA APPROVED INGREDIENT #1 Sulfates Sulfate is a salt that forms when sulfuric acid reacts with another chemical. It's a broader term for other synthetic sulfate -based chemicals you may be concerned about, such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). Introduced in the 1930’s, sulfates revolutionized the health and beauty industry.  Sulfates were powerful, inexpensive and easy to acquire. Best of all, they were responsible for the foaming lather we’ve come to associate with being clean.  The effectiveness lies within their ability to lift the grease and grime off of skin and hair, dissolve (emulsify) it and then rinse everything down the drain. picture courtesy of beautybyearth.com Sulfates are powerful, cheap and everywhere  – not just in lathering shampoos, body washes, face cleansers and toothpastes, but also in household cleaners, laundry detergents and dish soaps. In fact, because they are so effective, sulfa...

In Ayurvedic medicine, one of the oldest whole body healing practices, oil pulling is most common. I was introduced to this practice many years ago and to be fair, really did not give it much thought. I thought it sounded like yet another gimmick and kinda 'woo-woo'. I tried it however because although my mind can keep me 'boxed in' my actions seem to get me out. d(￣◇￣)b However, the mid is an amazing thing.  Consequently I disliked the oil pulling experience, very much.  To sum it up, "Yuck!".  I did not like the texture, the taste and it kind of made me feel ill.  ( ̵˃﹏˂̵ ) That was that. And quite a few years passed by until I thought about it again. ....................................................Fast forward....................................................... This time I was older. And I had been awaking with a 'yuck' taste in my mouth. So I reconsidered the oil pulling thing again.  I reasoned that maybe this t...

It is trending, ditching the plastic.  Just as smoking tobacco has become "dis-tasteful" to some, plastic has become to others.  ...But unlike tobacco's counter part, it is only natural to desire to see cleaner beaches, roads and forget about how much trash is put out each day. The Native Americans had many practices set in place with their respect and wisdom for the land and its resources. And as history goes, the industrial age brought great expansion and has inevitably landed us to today where technology allows for us to see just what all our advancements have actually done. It is kind of a catch 22 in a way.  And now we are found in a cusp, so to speak.  Are we going to continue the way we have been going for the last century? Many find this revolutionary.  Opportunities arise for catching the wave.  But for some it brings a tidal of anxiety and uncertainty. As a family that continues to grow, we get all of the above.  We do. And hav...

"At the end of the day, your feet should be dirty ...."  (~Shanti)  Your feet are your carriage.  Your only carriage.  And they often go for long periods of time with no attention whatsoever.  Especially in the colder seasons when they are covered up by socks and shoes for the better part of the day.    Personally I do my best to be barefoot as much as possible.  I just delight in the feel of the earth on my soles.  In the picture below my feet were getting a tranquil, enchanting, zen-like experience from this lush green grass like stuff surrounding our garden. I'm not so sure about 'grounding' or 'earthing' as it seems a bit woo-woo for even me but I do know that this just feels great!  And perhaps there may be something to it hence the reason why I hate shoes.   Buddha says, "The foot feels the foot when it feels the ground."  And just maybe we feel a sense of belonging when our feet engage with the soil?...

"Do you sell deodorant?" Me; "No. Sorry."  And for the past year I ponder about it.  ...... Should I ?

Ever wonder why bones and other tissues are able to heal and regenerate, but not teeth? We are told that the same vitamin (well hormone actually, speaking of "vitamin" D that is) & minerals that are good for making strong bones are also good for our teeth.  So might it be possible to aid our teeth back to a better state of health as well as say, a broken bone? And do our teeth really tell the state of our overall health, like many a dentist  preach?     In fact, all of the above is what many doctors have been saying for a long time now. Dr. Weston A. Price, Sir (Dr.) Edward Mellanby, Dr. Thomas E. Levy, medical researcher Ty Bollinger & others all conclude that diet affects oral health and your oral health determines your overall well being.  According to many more doctors, the same bacteria that cause gum disease can also cause heart disease.  And thus having more plaque in your mouth can lead to or be a symptom of having more p...