I've been battling with that pesky pimply-arm thing for the last, ohhhh, ten years or so, right? Well, since we've moved in with the -laws, it has slowly trailed down onto my left forearm, now reaches to my right inner elbow and I just noticed yesterday that it's starting to creep over my left shoulder to connect to the other arm. Yes, like a hideous bolero jacket. What the truck is going on?

I decided to copy my rockin' sis and do some dirty work. I mentioned it to Teresa (Herb School Goddess) when I got attacked by sawgrass digging up jewelweed in a murky ditch, and she said it seemed like I had a B-vitamin deficiency. Wha-what? B-vitahuh? How is that possible, I must ask, for moi to have any sort of vitamin deficiency, what with my food intake? Garp.

So, here's the original write-up by Dr. Thomas Cowan, to which I returned after doing a [literal] ton of digging for additional information that actually made sense and which also eventually pointed me back to my starting place:

A strategy for dealing with acne begins with effective "bowel cleansing" and healthy bowel flora (the normal lacto-bacteria that live in our intestines). This has always been considered the cornerstone of every natural acne treatment. The best remedy for this is ... to eat about 1/4-1/2 cup of fresh, unpasteurized traditionally made sauerkraut every day and then take one teaspoon of Swedish Bitters in warm water before bed. You can make the sauerkraut yourself following the recipes in Nourishing Traditions. There is also a brand called Bubbies, found in the refrigerator section of a good health food store. There are also scores of other lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits and drinks described in Nourishing Traditions that you can try. Sauerkraut, however, should be the cornerstone of treatment as the high sulphur content of the cabbage is especially valuable in skin cleansing. (Cabbage juice is valued in Irish folk medicine for giving a beautiful complexion.)

Another area of importance is the inclusion of the proper fats in the diet (such as good quality butter and olive oil) and excluding the commercial vegetable oils and hydrogenated margarines and shortenings. [You] should also take 1/2 teaspoon or 3 capsules cod liver oil daily and 4-5 capsules of evening primrose daily as supplements.

Raw foods should be included liberally in the diet, including vegetables, fruits, milk and even meat. At the same time, sodas, sugar and junk foods [should be declined] as much as possible.

Finally, there should be some attention to sweating and the general cleansing of the skin. If [you are] athletic, exercise heavily, then brush [your] skin vigorously (with a loofah) and then rinse off in cool-cold water. This is like a skin "exercise." If [you are] not athletic, one to three saunas weekly followed by a cool shower will aid detoxification. You might also look into a good herbal skin treatment. I recommend the Hauschka Cosmetics products, available from Raphael Pharmacy (916) 962-1099. They have a trio for acne treatment that consists of capsules containing silica and herbs, a special face lotion for acne and a cleansing cream.

I also located this letter on the WAPF website:

Your website neglects to mention high doses of the water-soluble vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) for curing acne. It does wonders, without of course the damaging effects of Accutane.

Ted Sawyer
Des Moines, IA

Thank you for sharing this important piece of information with us. Good sources of pantothenic acid include nutritional yeast and liver. Other nutrients that help in the treatment of acne are vitamin A (available in cod liver oil, organ meats, egg yolks and butter) and zinc (available in shellfish and red meat).

So that equals...
1/2 cup Sauerkraut per day for SULFUR, as it detoxes the skin
1 teaspoon Swedish Bitters beferr bed, as a bile-stimulator
Consumption of proper fats, like raw butter and olive oil {check!}
Bump up Cod Liver caplets to 3 per day {check!}
Look into the Evening Primrose supplement for GLA [the manufacture of which is compromised by a lack of b vitamins (mentioned above by Teresa) and compromised Thyroid function (common issue in my family)]
Raw Foods, veggies/fruits/milk/meat/ {check!}
B Vitamins in the forms of Nutritional Yeast and Liver
Vitamin A in the forms of cod liver oil, organ meat, egg yolks and butter {check!}
Zince in the forms of shellfish and red meat {check!}

--
Looks like I'm not doing quite as well as I could be. Here's an average day:
Breakfast:

• 2 mugs yerba mate plus 1 tbs maple syrup each
• 2 eggs or 1 egg plus 1 yolk cooked in 1tbs coconut oil
  
• sprouted wheat toast with excessive use of raw, pastured spring butter
• 2 caplets cod liver oil to supply 10k IU Vitamin D
• 2 pieces natural bacon
• 1 cup raw milk
  

• Beef broth-based Vegetable Soup with a Grilled Cheese sammy (sprouted wheat bread, raw milk cheddar cheese, toasted in organic butter), drunk with a home-made kombucha/mate tea/pomegranate juice blend over ice
• Roast Chicken with Coconut Peanut sauce, raw cheddar cheese slices, sourdough wasa crackers, olives, crispy almonds, drunk with water or kombucha
• Leftover Red Meat Curry (real recipe name!) with iced mate tea or kombucha

• asian pear or peach from the farmers market and a handful of crispy nuts
• cup of coffee with raw cream and 1tbs maple syrup
• hunk of raw cheese

Now, I'm noticing that, while I do consume kombucha fairly often, I'm not including other fermented foods in my diet. I regularly do the bitters and nutritional yeast thing, but truly not consistently. So, it looks like a prescription for sauerkraut and bitters, an additional cod liver oil caplet, buying evening primrose caplets, possibly an additional egg yolk, and consistent use of bitters and nutritional yeast. :D

Here's to day 1! Woohoo, smoothie time!

**Forgot to mention my unfortunate Starbucks obsession. I have a quad grande breve white mocha or cinnamon dolce latte about three times a week. According to their website, the white mocha has 54g sugar, and the c.dolce has 39g. Could it be the sugar and ultra-pasteurized doodoo contributing to my backne? We'll soon see. I'm turning a cold pocky shoulder on the white devils for a little while. Yes, soon we shall see, but know this; I'll miss you, Starbucks!
(Such a sad, sorry individual I am!)

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So, it is BEST, though if you google it, it has to be with the periods in place, as in the subject header. I found this really cool link to a bunch of videos, so I'll definitely take a peek later this evening.

The B.E.S.T. woman happens to be our doc's sister and apparently, also a Reiki Master. Hmm! Basically the science behind it all is that mental stress can change the way your body functions. If you are feeling run down [yeis], have any persistent issues [menstruation is persistent], and experience the sensation of feeling unbalanced [that's right], then you may want to look into this possibility- especially those peoples who have had an intense emotional trauma in their lifetimes.

While I haven't had an intense emotional trauma, I have been feeling incredibly unbalanced lately and do have a rather strong-willed voice in my head, at times so strong I must stop what I am doing and be calm for a minute before moving on. Too much going on, no time to stop and reassess what we're doing and where we're going, feeling as though there is a lot at stake, etc. Nice and crazy, eh? It has been happening since I started menstruating again and began attempting the 'calm-assertive' state ala Cesar Milan and to be more attentive to the state of my home.

Hellooo, feeling stressed?! I'm running around, unable to focus on anything, resisting something building in my brainspace. Braincavity, more like it. But enough of the drama- there's stuff to be done! The babe has awakened from our walk with Max, so it's time to get our eggie on. [siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh] It's also time for coffee.

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Leetle plants

Those big guys are the cukes, and I think they'll be ready for transplanting pretty darn soon! I'm so excited our experiment worked; the egg cartons were a great idea. I'm planning on moving the rest of the seedlings next week, to a big tub and various pots and such. And I'm probably going to give some a'them boogers away- I certainly don't need twelve pumpkin or watermelon vines. ;)

IMG01614

On a side note, tbird woke up thirty minutes into her *one* nap on Monday, but yesterday slep for three hours in the car. I think she's going through another of her complicated phases- clingy, molars and talking all at once. She's practically eating her entire hand when she chews her fingers, they're so far back in her mouth. Poor thing, so the strawberries definitely did not get any attention earlier this week. Which is bad, because they need it! I'll probably cut this batch up for freezing today, just to get them taken care of before they die on me.

This weekend, we're heading to my in-law's beach house to help pack up the remainder of their stuff. Closing is on the 13th, yay for them! Unfortunately, this is the house that almost killed me with allergic rhinitis four years ago. I always remember the places that kick my ass with dust mites. In high school, it was an older home we stayed in for a religious retreat. In college, it was the basement of a church for a wedding reception. I'm glad we went to the pediatrician yesterday, because I picked up some homeopathic delciousness for nasal congestion and the runny/itchy head issues that my girl and I both suffer from. Hopefully it will make a difference this weekend!

Also at our pediatrician's office, I asked our doc about alternatives for menstrual cramps, since I rely pretty heavily on ibuprofen for three to four days of every month. That adds up to a lot per year, and a lot of stress on my kidneys, which is no good. She recommended this product I'm not even going to try to spell, but I know it's got Arnica and Belladonna and probably some Chamomile, but she also recommended I see someone about my energy, and you know I'm not referring to how much I can do in a day. I'm excited to look into it a little more- and I left her brochure in the basement, so I can't tell you much more than the fact that the woman's been practicing homeopathy for 30 years and is a master in whatever this stuff is called. I think it's BEST? I just googled it and found nothing, so I may be incorrect. It sounded exactly like something I would like to do, so when I find the sheets, I'll post about them.

For now, I hear the chitlin hollering at Sesame Street, so I'd better run. I have an excess of eggs today, so I need to get jumping on making deviled eggs and egg salad and lemon curd and some meringues. Its my night to make dinner, so what would be better than eggs benedict at night? Yom yom! Have a wonderful hump day!

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heeeey!

Berrieland

But, no rest for the wicked [or those with excess produce] as we've gotta get half those girls in sugar and half in freezer bags for winter. A good portion of my raspberries were already moldy this morning, so the fire's on to get the jam jamming.

:) I just couldn't resist! Happy Monday to you all.

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Iron is heating up, so I'm taking the opp for posting! Yay! I went on a girlfriends trip to Myrtle Beach for four days w/o the babe and it was AWESOME!! One of the gals is sick right now, and we're all boosting our immune systems to steer clear of getting the ick, too.

and the effing kid just woke up from her nap. Figures, eh?

Well, I'll be quick. I've got our fourth round of kombucha batches mellowing on the stovetop and I just pulled these delish whole wheat rolly things from the oven. Yom, I say. I made them specifically for Tabby, since she loves anything bready (that's my girl!), and since her Grandpa likes to give her cookies, I wanted an alternative for them with the 'treats' issue.

I've also done a load of laundry, with another in the dryer currently, and if she really is up, I'm going to go do the holiest of holies... clean out the refrigerator. Gack. Until then, the iron calls!

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Hey! My mom recently sent this product recommendation for Sally Hansen's Lip Blush Plumping Balm and says it's the bomb. I googled it and everybody's raving about the stuff, though on Sally's site they mention 'marine sphere fillers' and 'peptides' that magically do both the bee-sting look and this color enhancement thing. I'm really intrigued, I have to say, though you know I had to look at the ingreds. What this stuff is really plumping is some serious paraben activity. Argh. Stupid science.

And as long as we're on the topic of Science, let's hop on over to Gravity. I wanted to let you gallies know about this FRIGGING AWESOME sleep tank I ordered a few weeks ago at Bravissimo, that site I kept sending my sis back before the wedding. It's geared toward girls with the big (and I mean b-i-g-g) boobies. I just received my gorgeous yellow sleep tank in the mail and I LOVE IT!

I know I mentioned going to several places to check different sizes for bras- especially since mahn larders are shrinking. I was pretty happy with the 34DD I tried on at Nordy's, but they wouldn't let me try a 32DDD/E! I was pretty surprised- if I'd been more insistent, I know they would have relented, but it was really irritating. I think brands like Freya and Panache automatically size a bit smaller in the chest measurement, so in defense, I can see how a smaller size from these companies would be a bad thing.

I know you're thinking '32 Whaaa?' But I'm telling you, my chest measurement is 33", and after reading a ton of stuff on the Bravissimo site about fit, I wanted to try several different sizes that were snug enough around my chest and full enough in the right areas around my boobs. The goal being (just like the Panache bra) having the bulk of boob weight being carried by the band around your chest, instead of your shoulders, therby preventing shoulder dents and creating back fat. Lovely! Yet, delightful because suddenly there's this tiny waist and amble decolletage, which rocks.

So, I went to this other place at the mall called Soma and got this bra in a 32DDD and I love it, too! (the straps are wider at the shoulder in the larger sizes.) I admit that it was tight as fricking hell for about three days, but now it's perfect. I got it almost four weeks ago and I just had to tighten the shoulder straps for the first time this week, though I also noticed that the girls have gone down a bit more. (sigh)

Hennyways, check it out, ladies! here's the link to the Bravissimo commercial, which is totally cute and mentions sizes for each of the girls shown. Kind of shocking, eh?

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My daughter is actually sleeping long enough for me to shower, get ready AND check my email. While I would say I don't know what to do with myself, that would be inviting catastrophe of the worst kind and my to-do list is long enough to drape as the scarves that are currently fashionable.

I got these new capris at Target yesterday. I'm not really a capri kind of gal since the bottoms don't encircle my calves evenly- they lean out at the back and in the front, lie smoothly against my shins. So, big deal. Even though these guys do this, I really loved the rest of the fit and am willing to go out on a limb since my fashion schooling from my utterly cosmopolitan sis. At her wedding in Cali early this month, we went through all my clothes and she taught me how to layer and accessorize, and I'm so glad! I feel so much more put together now and so much more attractive, which is really important when you have a rather spirited, adventurous toddler, a grumpy 80-lb dog and a new hormonal cycle. Gah!

Forgot to mention yesterday that I've resumed drinking both Raspberry Leaf and Dong Quai teas to assist in said hormonal difficulties. RL supports the menstrual cycle, helps tone the uterus and aids in cramp relief. Dong Quai ("the Queen of Herbs") is a hormone-regulator. So far, the first menses is pretty ok- no real cramps to speak of and the flow is low. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, though, so I'll post when/if things change.

OT, I just downloaded the new Lady Gaga and the (kind of) old Fergie albums. I've been trying to hit the treadmill and firm up my mama belly before my beach trip in May, and Fergalicious is the bomb for being up in the gym just working on my fitness.

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Started menstruating again. Two years without and it's kind of exciting, like I've just started and I'm thirteen again. I can definitely do without the drama, though; I'm feeling generally pissed off, though I know in part it is because of the big storm we finally had. All that boiling atmospheric energy coming our way, and that's a good description of my internal forcast; tightly wound, unexplainable antsiness, like I'm going to snap at any given time. To quote a great kung fu warrior, "get ready to feel the thunder!"

To celebrate, I've ordered some cloth menstrual pads from VulvaLoveLovely on etsy. I'm also thinking of trying Crea8tiveMama's bounty, though I want to test the first set prior to ordering more. I just like it that she says every month is a party in her panties. Ha!

So Max has been a bit of a basket case since Monday, and that's another gauge on which to stay appraised. He must be picking up on my instability- come to think of it, so is Tabby; she's been running around like a lunatic and doing things she knows she's not supposed to do, all the while watching me with this gleeful, shit-eating grin. Little turd.

And she just woke up an hour early. shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

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Saint Paddy's Day!

guiness float ala marthastewart.com

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hi there! Thursday morning over here is grocery/errand day. Woo, I get out of the cage for a couple hours!

holy smack!

My Guayaki package arrived yesterday with two new niceties- Organic Energy Shots! The hubs and I split the two different flavors this morning and dayayayayamnisthisshitunbelievable!!! Obviously, um, it works. I've already accomplished so much that I think I need to take a break, but OH I still have so much energy to burn, I could go on and on, and really oooooon, so I'll try very hard to leave it at this:

If ever your getupandgo is either broken or out of gas or you need to concentrate and you just can't at all... Just try this stuff. Seriously? It'll knock your socks off. It'll knock them into next week. So drink up and enjoy the time travel!

--
Amendment!
by 3pm, I was totally wiped. Let this be a lesson to all ye caffeine hawkers! Only use it if you reaaaaaally need it. Gah, I'm going to bed.

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