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its that time of year again where we give gifts that matter and some that don’t. Often a gift only lasts for a day which I must say is sad and not what the spirit of Christmas is all about. If you’ve wondered how to make your gifts stand out, I may have an idea for you that will make yours last all year long. Giving a gift that lasts is a way to send your love everyday.

Give the Gift of Cooking Spices – Order spices in bulk and divide them up into little gift bags or spice jars for family and friends. Herbs like Oregano, Basil, Cinnamon etc will not only offer a healthy gift choice but will last for months. Each time they use them, they will think of you and bonus their home with the wonderfully pleasant aromas of herbs and spices you choose for them. Even someone who doesn’t cook often will be inspired when they open this gift from you. Be creative with packaging and labels to make it a truly personal home made gift. Cooking Spices are a gift that is easy on the budget with no rules. Include as many or as few of your favorite herbs that you can afford plus whatever is left over becomes a bonus gift to yourself.

Organic Homemade Soap Baskets – This gift idea needs no introduction since everyone loves homemade soaps. Scents include: vanilla, mint, ginger, lilac and roses. The aromas are wonderful and make for a personal gift any time of the year.

Sea Salt or Pepper Gift Sets – Here is an easy Christmas gift that everyone will find interesting and pleasing to the taste. Sea salts and Pepper are available in several flavors and colors that are fun to try and enjoy. Add your own spice jars or custom made decorated gift bags and you have a nice gift idea for friends, family, neighbors and co-workers.

Herbal Teas make a Great Gift – If you have a tea drinker in the family, what better way to introduce them to interesting flavors beyond the standard supermarket tea brands. Include a pretty tea set along with different organic teas and you have an interesting and tasteful gift.

Garden or Sprouting Seeds Kits – If you have family or friends who are thinking about gardening next summer, what better way to support their efforts then to give them a seed kit. Suggested ideas can be garden seeds, flower seeds for outdoor gardens or spices and sprouts for growing in the kitchen.

Flavored Popcorn Assortments – Another fun idea is that is an easy on the budget Christmas gift is flavored popcorn. You can package the popcorn seeds into serving size gift bags and include different flavoring bags in each one. Some ideas can include different sea salts. lemon pepper, garlic or my favorite…nutritional yeast. If you haven’t tried this on popcorn, you are really missing out. Go a little more elaborate by adding some chocolate chips or nuts, your favorite oils in little bottles if you wish. Add a basket or Christmas tin with a fancy bow or ribbon and you have a pretty themed yummy gift.

I have always wanted to add Apple Cider Vinegar to my diet but have struggled to turn it into a regular habit. My good intentions usually only lasted a few days but then it would be months before I would try again. Years later, what I realized was that I just didn’t like it.

My dad swore by ACV and regularly attributed his good blood pressure readings and calm stomach to his daily intake of ACV. He is in his 80’s now so it certainly doesn’t seem to have had any bad effects on his health. He would just add it to his water and drink it down in an impressive, no hesitation, manner.

Every time I tried to drink ACV, it was definitely not impressive. I basically went from the shot glass swallows followed by chugging water as quickly as I could. Or sometimes instead, I would add a tablespoon or two to a tall glass of water and sip it down in a slower type fashion. I had hopes it would grow on me like all the die hard users said it would but it just wasn’t happening for me.

And then one day, almost by accident, cause I wasn’t really looking for it, I heard a lady explain how she makes ACV on Youtube. This was a defining moment for me. Cause ever since, I can actually say I really enjoy drinking it now and because of this recipe, I have been enjoying it everyday for several months.

Here’s how I make it, simple and easy. The ingredients I use are all near the stove on a shelf so it only takes a minute or less to put it together. You can change it up any way you like to suite your taste.

My ACV Ingredients List:
Apple Cider Vinegar
Cinnamon Powder
Ginger Powder
Nutmeg Powder
Cayenne Powder
Black Pepper
Pink Sea Salt
Stevia Extract Powder

Since I have my spices all in shaker bottles, it makes putting it together a snap. Use a large glass cup big enough to hold a regular size water bottle. Start by adding 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar, then shake the following into the cup. 3 shakes cinnamon, 2 shakes ginger, 2 shakes cayenne pepper, 1 shake nutmeg, 1 shake sea salt, 1 shake black pepper.

Once the spices are in, pour a full bottle of water in and give it a stir. I then dip the spoon into a small jar of stevia about half way. The stevia will stick to the spoon just enough to sweeten it up without being too much.. Tap a little off if needed. You can adjust this to your own taste and should get a good feel after you have done it for a few days. After that you will just know when its right. Give it a good stir and drink it with a straw.

Note: When I say shake, I mean that I hold the spice bottle opened over the glass and give it a downward shake with my hand just like when you add salt to your meal.

So there you have it…my afternoon version of Lemonade. I can now say I honestly love my ACV Recipe and hope you do too!

While thinking about the yearly reminder to get a flu shot, I decided to see if I could find out how many people actually die from the flu each year. Since I am older, the fact that I haven’t known someone personally that actually died from the flu makes me wonder. In an effort to do a little research, I was surprised to hear that the CDC flu death numbers are based more on modeling then actual death certificate data.

If this is something you are surprised to hear too, you will probably find the following letter to the CDC worth reading. Not only does the author suggest that the influenza death numbers are false and misleading, he gives a good overview of the important facts that should be addressed and fixed .

As an example, the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), states that in 2001, of the 62,034 deaths attributed to influenza and pneumonia, only 257 were actually attributed to the flu and of the 257 included, only 18 cases were identified as flu virus positive. The rest of the deaths totaling 61,777 were attributed to pneumonia instead.

When we hear the constant reminders of how important it is to get the flu shot always referenced with how many people die each year, it makes me feel like maybe the public is being misled. If you are interested in this topic or want to see it for yourself, the link to his letter to the CDC is posted below.

CDC Influenza Deaths: Request for Correction from HHS

If you are anxious about the Coronavirus, you are not alone. Watching the regular news will give you the impression that there is little to worry about but what if the experts are wrong? If you are like me, searching for information doesn’t seem to satisfy my need to feel safe.

Because I have grown children who work in the public sector and their children are in public schools, I am concerned. Recent news reports are suggesting that some victims of the virus have not been to China. I secretly wonder if the coronavirus is in our food or water supply already. Sounds like a conspiracy theory right? Maybe…Maybe Not!

There are articles online that say the coronavirus was made in a NC University Lab and then shared, given or sold to a lab in Wuhan, China. Even Scarier, a Bioweapons Expert says it was created to be used as a biological weapon for war. Because we may not get the real truth on this any time soon, we need to take note of what happened in China and begin to take steps to protect our families now.

If a family member comes down with the cornavirus, you may or may not want to send them to the hospital. Depending on how things go, you may decide to shelter in place. It is important to get prepared and have supplies in case the stores shut down. You need to plan ahead and decide if a family member gets sick, how you will care for them. If the exposure time is up to 24 days possibly, it may be too late to quarantine them from the rest of the family.

Besides stocking up on food and water, you should begin taking supplements, probiotics and foods that will help build your immune system. Since the pneumonia is the biggest issue with this virus, try to get herbs or products that help with congestion and flu symptoms asap. If you wait too long, it may be too late if a pandemic hits.

It is a good time to start doing some deep breathing exercises everyday to bring fresh oxygen into the lungs and body. Continue this especially if you get sick. Make a conscious effort to breath deeply and slowly to expand the lungs and bring oxygen into the blood stream every day.

Don’t forget to order green tea in bulk like Moringa Powder and Matcha Tea. Both are super foods power packed with nutrients for the body. You can start by drinking tea at night. Adding a little Cayenne Pepper, Turmeric or similar herbs to the mix can help boost the immune system ahead of time.

I will be stocking up on sprouting seeds as a backup in case food becomes scarce. Sprouts are easy to store and if you have access to fresh water and sunlight, can be grown in a few days. Sprouts are a great survival food that can easily sustain your family long term if needed by providing much needed enzymes and nutrients to the body.

Buy Elderberries! They have Phyto-chemicals called cytokines that help stop the flu virus from entering healthy cells and can block key viral proteins creating a very efficient immune response. Researchers discovered that elderberry extract fought off the flu virus even when applied late into the infection. If taken early, it can cut the time you are sickness in half. A 2011 study revealed that elderberries can help fight influenza A, B, and certain gram-positive or negative bacteria that is responsible for upper respiratory infections.

Some things I am planning to research and consider buying in the next few days is a product that can be used to purify water, phlegm reducing herbs, and natural antibiotics options that could be used in place of medicine. I will be stocking up on elderberries, sprouting seeds, vitamin c and anti-viral cleaning supplies like hydrogen peroxide.

Resources:
China Using High Doses of Vitamin C for Coronavirus
Elderberries for Flu and Coronavirus
Bioweapons Expert – Dr Francis Boyle on Coronvirus
Elderberry Syrup Recipe

If you have visited the doctors lately and been warned that your Diabetes HbA1C Test came back high, the culprit could be the mouthwash or breath freshening strips you used before your appointment. We recently learned about this issue when a friend mentioned his HbA1C results were 8+ causing the doctor to diagnose him as diabetic and prescribing him with medication.

Continue reading Does Mouthwash Cause Diabetes?

Check out the Natural Health News website that updates regularly with the latest health info. This is a good resource for anyone who wants to keep an eye on what’s happening now. includes independent news sources from around the world.

Washington State Legislators will hopefully soon consider a vote to empower parents to have more say over their vaccine choices when they visit the doctors office.

“Holly’s Law” HB 1019 is named in memory of Holly Maria Stavola who died of a vaccine adverse reaction called encephalopathy after her second dose of the MMR vaccine.  The new law, if enacted would require parents to be told before receiving any vaccine of several key important facts that could help in their decision making.
Read More about the WA Vaccine Law Here