Patra's Top 5 Favorite Things

At least for this week :-)

#5 Starbucks Venti, One Splenda, No foam Latte

This really needs no explanation except why they spelled my name like this, for which I have no answer.

#4 Tarte - Lights, Camera, Flashes™ Statement Mascara

What it is: 

An amped up, ultrablack mascara that lengthens, curls and magnifies lashes for an intensified look, while instantly increasing lash volume by up to 752 percent. 

Why I love it: 

It really does magnify my lashes. And I love the wand. It has a harder bristle than most to help comb out my lashes.

#3 Tarte - Best In Faux Extending Fibers

What it is:

An easy-to-apply, faux lash system with sculpting fibers that enhance lash length and volume to create the appearance of false eyelashes. 

Why I love it:

I really wanted to try that OTHER “Lash Extender” out there on the streets, but I thought it looked just too spidery. I stumbled across this at Ulta and I LOVE it. I love that it looks natural, it’s easy to apply, and that if I run out I can just go pick up some more at the store without having to order it AND the mascara together.

 

#2 Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

What is it:

ASCP is a decorative paint developed by Annie Sloan for which she is credited in starting the painted furniture revolution in recent times. 

Why I love it:

Chalk Paint® is very easy to work with. It very rarely requires any preparation, such as sanding or priming, and can be used indoors or outside, on just about any surface - from wood to metal, and matt plastic to terracotta. It can revitalise old furniture, walls, ceilings and floors with ease. It's easy, fun and makes amazing results accessible to everyone.

And finally....

#1 Online Auctions!!!

What is it:

Have you discovered online auctions? It's total Crack. I can't get enough!  It's hands down my most favorite thing in the world right now.  I can’t stop. I have filled up our garage with unloved and underutilized pieces that I have high hopes for.  My husband says that our garage looks like a thrift store hit it.  You be the judge:

Why I love it:

I can bid on a piece, walk away, take the kids to the bathroom (they are FOUR, not FOURTEEN), feed them, break up fights, and when I come back I know if someone has outbid me.  The online auction takes place over a couple of days so you don't have to stand out in the heat and bid on something under duress!!!  I take these pieces that need some love and use Ms Annie Sloan's paint to make them beautiful again!

My favorite online auction is Rusty By Design

And there you have it.  My top 5 Favorite Things 

Patra Philips

patra.philips@sbcglobal.net

Live Happy, Healthy, and Wealthy!

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Here Comes the Sun!

This is not an article about wearing sunscreen. As a lover of summer and the sunshine that comes with it, I want to put forth some positive press about the sun. Our biggest and brightest star out there tends to get a bad rap because of its harmful UV rays. I would guess most families are headed to the beach this summer (good times!) or are hanging out poolside where there are many good reasons to enjoy the sun. Your body receives and truly needs benefits from the sun that are tough to obtain from just food or supplements.

Please don't get me wrong, in giving three cheers for the sun I am not promoting a lack of sunscreen or use of tanning beds. We should all use common sense and avoid risks such as skin cancer. I just want to remind and comfort this audience that some exposure to the sun can actually boost one's health (there is a reason "sunny days" has a happy connotation)!

The National Institutes of Health recommends 15 minutes in the sun WITHOUT sunscreen a couple of times a week.  Why?  Vitamins, minerals, and hormones oh my!

1. VITAMIN D

Our bodies NEED sunshine for the natural use of vitamins. Vitamin D is the biggest benefit (often called "the sunshine vitamin") which helps our bodies in the following ways:

• bone health 
• anti-cancer* 
• immune system support 
• losing excess fat 
• decreasing asthma symptoms 
• strengthening teeth 
• protection against dementia and brain aging 
• heart disease 
• fighting insomnia and depression 

*Optimizing vitamin D levels may actually help prevent as many as 16 different types of cancer including pancreatic, lung, breast, ovarian, prostrate and colon cancers.

2. CALCIUM

Vitamin D is like a big brother to Calcium. Your body relies on vitamin D to be able to absorb calcium. If you don’t have enough vitamin D, you cannot form enough of a hormone called Calcitriol. Without this hormone, you’ll have insufficient calcium thereby causing your body to take calcium from your skeleton (no bueno). This, in turn, weakens your bones and prevents growth of new bone, say the experts at National Institutes of Health. Calcium also allows your blood to clot plus optimal function of muscles, heart and nerves. 

3. MAGNESIUM 

While Vitamin D is like a big brother to Calcium, its BFF is Magnesium. When one is low, so is the other. The sun provides vitamin D which in turn gives the body sufficient use of magnesium. And why do we need magnesium? 

• proper growth and maintenance of bones 
• best performance of nerves and muscles 
• neutralizes stomach acid 
• moves stools through the intestine 

4. ENDORPHINS
I saved the best benefit for last...that happy natural high one gets from sunshine!

In a recent news story, NBC reported some beach goers having addict like reactions from the sun. They reported evidence of endorphins equivalent to those received from ingesting pain killers such as OxyContin. I believe it regarding the endorphins but addiction, really? Seems a bit extreme to me. Can't a girl get a freckle or two + sunshiny happy without being called an addict?! I say go have your fun in the sun this summer with confidence that you're gaining vitamin d (and calcium and magnesium!) to boost your health. If you are not a fan of the sun's rays, live in a climate where the sun doesn't peek out much, or have to be inside for that pesky thing called work, you can add foods rich in vitamin d to your diet.

OR better yet, make sure you're giving your body the benefits of vitamin D (and its little brother Calcium and BFF Magnesium)

Stacie Tracy 

stacietracy@icloud.com

Let's Talk About ... Candida

If you Google Candida, you will be bombarded with images of yeasty overgrowth in the girly or manly parts.  I want to stress that, although it can certainly manifest this way, this is NOT what I'm writing about today.

  

"What, on earth, is Candida?"

Candida, or Candidiasis, is a fungus.  It is a form of yeast and a very small amount of it lives in your mouth and intestines.  Its job is to aid with digestion and nutrient absorption.  When we die, it helps the body with decomposition.  However, when overproduced, Candida produces very long root-like structures that penetrate intestinal walls leaving microscopic holes which allows toxins, undigested food particles, bacteria and yeast to enter the bloodstream.  This condition is known as “Leaky Gut Syndrome” which can cause food allergies and many health problems.  These root-like structures also cause considerable damage to the walls of the intestines resulting in malabsorption of nutrients.

"Yuck, that sounds terrible!  What are the symptoms??"

The top 10 most common symptoms are:

• Skin and nail fungal infections. 
• Feeling tired and worn down or suffering from chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia
• Digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, or diarrhea
• Autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma or Multiple sclerosis
• Difficulty concentrating, poor memory, lack of focus, ADD, ADHD and brain fog
• Skin issues such as eczema, psoriasis, hives, and rashes
• Irritability, mood swings, anxiety, or depression
• Vaginal infections, urinary tract infections, rectal itching or vaginal itching
• Severe seasonal allergies or itchy ears
• Strong sugar and refined carbohydrate cravings

"ACK!  I have many of these symptoms.  How does this happen??"

The healthy bacteria in your gut typically keeps your Candida levels in check.  However, several factors can cause the Candida population to run amok: 

• Eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugar (which feed the yeast)
• Eating a diet high in beneficial fermented foods like Kombucha, sauerkraut and pickles
• Drinking alcohol 
• Taking birth control pills
• Living a high-stress lifestyle
• Taking antibiotics that kill too many of those friendly bacteria

"How can I test for it to see if I have it?"

Your doctor can order a blood test, stool test or a Urine Organix Dysbiosis test (a fancy name for checking for candida waste product).  You could also drink a glass of red wine at night just before you go to bed. The next morning, when you wake up, go look at your tongue in the mirror. If your tongue is white then there is a very high chance that you have Candida.

OR you can do the Spit Test.

The Spit Test:

Put a clear glass of water by your bed the night you want to do the test.
When you wake up in the morning, before doing ANYTHING else, collect some saliva in your mouth and spit into the glass of water.  Make certain to spit out saliva only, not mucus.  Watch the water for a a few minutes and see if the following starts to occur.

 Look for:

1. Strings or legs hanging down from the saliva.
2. Heavy looking saliva at the bottom of the glass.
3. Gloomy specks suspended in the water.

If, within 3 minutes after spitting into the water, you see “strings” hanging down sorta looking like an octopus with its tentacles or “particles” sinking to the bottom, you most likely have an overgrowth

"HELP!  I have it!!  What do I do?"

You can adapt your diet. This involves changing to a low carbohydrate diet and eliminating as much sugar as possible. Sugar is Crack to Candida. It seriously goes into withdrawals when it doesn't get it. You will start to have severe cravings for refined carbohydrates like candy, desserts, alcohol and breads. Other names for sugar are:

Aspartame, carob powder, corn starch, crystalline carbohydrate dextrin, dextrose, disaccharides, galactose, glucose, levulose, malts of any kind, maltitol, maltodextrin, maltose (malt sugar), manitol, mannitol, mono-saccharides, sucrose, Nutrasweet, polydextrose, polysaccharides, ribose, saccharin, sorghum, suamiel, succanat, xylitol.  

Candida doesn't care.  It sees them all as FOOD.    

Using diet alone could take three to six months before the candida is back under control. Taking a probiotic will help speed this along.  

"Great!  I want to start right away!!!"

A note of caution:

While Candida is dying off, you may experience "die-off" symptoms.  Die-off symptoms are caused by high numbers of yeast being killed off, which releases a high number toxins into the system.  This is also know as the Herxheimer’s reaction, or yeast die-off phenomenon.  Die-off symptoms resemble the flu and can be very uncomfortable.  If the symptoms become too much to bear, it can be temporarily alleviated by taking an Epsom salts bath.  Epsom salts draws toxins out through the skin and helps minimized die-off symptom.

(add two cups, or 500 grams, of Epsom salts to warm bath water)

There are many sites on the Internet to help you with your lifestyle change.  My favorites are:

http://drjennsrecipes.com/

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/

http://www.mercola.com/

For more information on Candida, watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xraG0ulMkqw

Articles sources:

http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/how-to-overcome-candida-naturally

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/

Patra Philips,
patra.philips@sbcglobal.net
Live Happy, Healthy, and Wealthy!

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