Anti-Viral Immune Boosting Tea - Part Two

I absolutely love anything 'garlicky'. So it is no surprised that I researched the health benefits of eating this wonderful allium (member of the onion family).

Although mainstream science doesn't support its antiviral/antibacterial benefits, I know firsthand that garlic has helped myself and my children get rid of some nasty colds. Garlic by itself is a good but pair it with honey (anti-viral and anti-bacterial) and lemon (antioxidant rich) and you've got a surprisingly tasty cold remedy. Try this tea when you feel yourself coming down with a 'bug'. 

• Boil 5 organic garlic coves in 3 cups of distilled water for 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat and let it steep for 20 minutes.
• Add 1 tablespoon of raw honey and 1 tablespoon of organic lemon juice. 
• Let the concoction cool to a comfortable temperature, drink and enjoy!

Anti-Viral Immune Boosting Tea

My daughter recently came down with a cold so I searched my cabinets for herbs that have proven antiviral properties. I'm not a fan of commercial products currently on the shelves because they treat the symptoms but don't go to the root of the problem: a virus has overtaken your body as a result of a compromised immune system. So what can you do to help your family without breaking the bank? Try this anti-viral/immune boosting tea.

1 tablespoon dried lavender (antiviral)
1 tablespoon dried rosemary (antiviral)
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice (loaded full of vitamin C)
1 tablespoon of raw honey (antioxidant and antibacterial)
1 cup of water

Place one cup of water in a small pot. Bring to a boil. Add herbs and lemon juice to the boiling water and allow to steep for five minutes. Strain herbs out and pour tea into a mug. Stir in honey and enjoy. Drink this tea three times per day.

Remember to drink at least 8 cups of water every day.

DISCLAIMER: The medicinal information provided on TotalLifeProsperity.org is intended for research purposes only. It is not meant to be used without qualified medical supervision. Herbs have powerful effects on the body and can cause serious harm or even death if used incorrectly. You should consult your health care provider before using herbs on yourself or on anyone else.

Tips for beautiful and HEALTHY skin

We’ve all heard that our skin is our biggest organ. However, with society’s attention focused on maintaining popular organs (i.e., heart, brain, lungs, etc.) we tend to forget about our skin.  The emphasis of this article is on the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin.

Let’s first look at the reason we have skin. Quite obviously, it covers and protects everything within our body, keeps bacteria and disease out, maintains hydration, regulates our body temperature, provides us with sensation and many other functions. Shouldn’t an organ this important be nurtured?

To ensure our skin is at peak performance to properly function, we must eat the right foods, drink plenty of water, get enough exercise, and protect your skin. If you’re not too sure about this statement, give this experiment a try at your own risk…

Eat nothing but fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water, and exercise three times a week for one week. Your skin will become noticeably clearer and healthier.

Obviously, most of us can’t abide by such a strict regiment for the sole purpose of gaining healthier skin. So what can the average person do to improve their skin?

Incorporate a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Fruits and veggies are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. Antioxidants combats free radicals which wreak havoc on your body including your skin. Some meats contain a healthy dose of Selenium. Selenium is an antioxidant. Chicken, red meat, shellfish and fish are rich in Selenium.

As stated in our recent article, drinking an adequate amount of water will ensure that the vitamins and antioxidants from the nutritious foods you’ve ingested will be carried to your skin.

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise! Exercise increases circulation throughout the body which results in nutrients being effectively carried to the skin. The many benefits of working out (other than making you overall healthier) are reducing acne breakouts and fighting the signs of aging. Acne prone skin improves dramatically with exercise because  testosterone-related hormones such as DHEA and DHT are released. And exercise is a great stress reliever! Consult your physician for the amount and length of exercise necessary for you.
The sun can be your skin’s worst enemy. Overexposure to the sun can result in sun burns, skin cancer, pre-mature aging, and wrinkles. Everyone, no matter your skin color, should wear sunscreen. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends an SPF level of at least 30. Be sure to wear sunscreen everyday! 

These suggestions are not hard to incorporate into your daily life. Start with adding one more serving of fruit, drinking two more glasses of water or walking for 20 minutes every other day, buy an SPF 30 sunscreen. Your skin will thank you for it!

Get more sleep...starting this week!

This article was obtained from http://www.healthfinder.gov/. For more information on this topic and many others, please visit their website.

The Basics

Everyone needs to sleep. A good night’s sleep helps keep your mind and body healthy.

How much sleep do I need?
Most adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. If you are having trouble sleeping, make changes to your routine to get the sleep you need.
Kids need even more sleep than adults.

• Teens need at least 9 hours of sleep each night.
• School-aged and preschool children need 10 to 12 hours of sleep.
• Newborns sleep between 16 and 18 hours a day.

Why is getting enough sleep important?
Getting a good night’s sleep can have many benefits.

• You will be less likely to get sick.
• You will be more likely to stay at a healthy weight.
• You can lower your risk of high blood pressure and diabetes.
• You can boost your brainpower and your mood.
• You can think more clearly and do better in school and at work.
• You can make better decisions and avoid injuries. For example, sleepy drivers cause thousands of car crashes every year.

Does it matter when I sleep?
Yes. We have a natural cycle for when we feel tired and awake. Sunlight plays a big role in this cycle.
Our “biological clocks” are set to make us feel the most sleepy between midnight and 7 a.m. Our biological clocks also help us stay alert during the day, although many people have a sleepy period between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Our natural sleep cycle is very hard to break or change. When people have to work during the night, they can have trouble getting enough sleep during the day. People who travel to a different time zone can also have trouble sleeping.
Get sleep tips to help you:

• Work the night shift
• Deal with jet lag (trouble sleeping in a new time zone)

Why can’t I fall asleep?
Many things can make it harder for you to sleep, including:

• Stress
• Pain
• Some medicines
• Caffeine (in drinks like cola, tea, or coffee, and in some medicines)
• Sleep disorders, like sleep apnea or insomnia

If you are having trouble sleeping, make changes to your routine to get the sleep you need. For example, try to:

• Follow a regular sleep schedule
• Stay away from caffeine in the afternoon
• Take a hot bath before bed to relax

How can I tell if I have a sleep disorder?
Signs of a sleep disorder can include:

• Difficulty falling asleep
• Trouble staying asleep
• Sleepiness that makes it difficult to do daily tasks like driving a car
• Frequent loud snoring, pauses in breathing, or gasping while sleeping

If you have any of these signs, talk to a doctor or nurse. You may need to be tested or treated for a sleep disorder.
To learn more about sleep disorders:

• Watch this short presentation about sleep disorders.
• Check out this Guide to Healthy Sleep [PDF - 451 KB].

Take Action!

Small changes to your daily routine can help you get the sleep you need.
Change what you do during the day.

• Exercise earlier in the day, not right before you go to bed.
• Stay away from drinks and foods with caffeine (such as coffee, tea, soda, or chocolate) late in the day.
• If you have trouble sleeping at night, limit daytime naps to less than 1 hour.
• If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation. This means no more than 1 drink a day for women or 2 drinks a day for men. Alcohol can keep you from sleeping soundly.
• Don’t eat a big meal close to bedtime.
• Quit smoking. The nicotine in cigarettes disturbs sleep.

Set a bedtime routine.

• Go to bed at the same time every night.
• Get the same amount of sleep each night.
• Make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet.
• Avoid eating, talking on the phone, or watching TV in bed.
• Try not to lie in bed worrying about things. Learn to manage stress.

If you are still awake after staying in bed for more than 20 minutes, get up. Do something relaxing until you feel sleepy.

Check out more tips for getting a good night’s sleep.

If you are concerned about your sleep, see a doctor.
Talk with a doctor or nurse if you have any of the following signs of a sleep disorder:

• Frequent, loud snoring
• Pauses in breathing during sleep
• Trouble waking up in the morning
• Pain or itchy feelings in your arms or legs that may happen more often at night
• Trouble staying awake during the day

Even if you aren’t aware of problems like these, talk with a doctor if you feel like you often have trouble sleeping.

Keep a sleep diary for a week and share it with your doctor. A doctor can suggest different sleep routines or medicines to treat sleep disorders. Talk with a doctor before trying over-the-counter sleep medicine.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

Raise Your Hand to Stop Diabetes This November

Mary Ann, from Bound Brook, NJ, has witnessed the ravages of diabetes firsthand, but she will not let it get her down. “My mother and grandmother both died from diabetes. It is a killer, attacking about every organ you have,” she said.

Now Mary Ann and her brother both have diabetes. “People need to know about diabetes and how they can prevent developing type 2 diabetes or diabetes complications,” she said. “I want to stop diabetes, so I manage my disease well by taking my medicines, checking my blood glucose regularly, watching what I eat and staying informed,” she said.

During American Diabetes Month® this November, the American Diabetes Association is encouraging people to join Mary Ann by taking action and raising their hand to Stop Diabetes. There are many ways to becoming involved by visiting facebook.com/AmericanDiabetesAssociation, stopdiabetes.com, calling 1-800-DIABETES, or texting JOIN to 69866 (standard data and message rates apply).

Nearly 26 million children and adults have diabetes in the United States, including 608,000 in Georgia. An additional 79 million Americans are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association estimates that the total national cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States is $174 billion. Further published studies suggest that when additional costs for gestational diabetes, prediabetes and undiagnosed diabetes are included, the total diabetes-related costs in the U.S. could exceed $218 billion.

Diabetes is a serious disease. If it isn’t managed, it can damage many parts of the body, leading to heart attacks, strokes, amputation, blindness, kidney failure and nerve damage. But there is good news: diabetes complications can be prevented or delayed by properly managing blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Eating healthy, being physically active and quitting smoking also can help lower the risk of diabetes complications.

Recent estimates project that as many as one in three American adults will have diabetes in 2050 unless we take steps to Stop Diabetes. We need to rally together, raise our hands, and pledge to end a disease which puts a serious emotional, physical and economic toll on all those affected.

For more information in English and Spanish call 1-800-DIABETES or visit stopdiabetes.com.  Also, follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AmericanDiabetesAssociation) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/AmDiabetesAssn).

Content provided by: www.diabetes.org (11.12.11)

Healing. You already have it!

Many Christians today accept sickness or even minor ailments as 'a part of life'. Have you heard believers say, 'If it is God's Will, He will heal me.'? Since when did we, as believers, become so comfortable with defeat (yes...physical illness is defeat) when the Word proclaims that Jesus already bore our infirmities? Matthew 8:17

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we profess that He died for not only our sins but our sicknesses too. Through His death burial and resurrection we obtain complete victory over every attack of the enemy.

Meditate on Ephesians 1:19-21 (KJV):

19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.

The Word you've just read says that we have the same power and authority within in us that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. That's a lot of power!

However, the enemy has snuck in and deceived many into believing that we are powerless to overcome ailments. However, if you take the attitude that sickness is the enemy trying to steal what the Lord has already given us, you become more aggressive to retain what is yours.

If someone gave you house free and clear and a complete stranger tried to take it, you wouldn't just give it up so easily, would you? That's an analogy for the healing that all believers have been given through Jesus Christ.

"Then where is it?", you say. It's in the spiritual realm waiting for you to receive it. Have faith in what God says is yours, verbally proclaim it, and receive it. The enemy will try to slip doubt in there but don't yield to it. Hold steadfast to what is yours...complete healing.

Healing isn't something that we're trying to obtain...WE HAVE IT! Despite your physical symptoms, what the doctor says, or what your family says...YOU HAVE HEALING!
Click on the 'Scriptures for Health and Healing' tab at the top of this page for reference scriptures and continued reading.

Divine Health Confession

Heavenly Father, I thank you for blessing me with divine health. Your Word says in 3 John 1:2 that above all things you wish that I prosper and be in good Health even as my soul prospers. I declare today that I am prospering in every aspect of my life. I declare that I am in good health. I declare that my soul is prosperous. 

I resist anything that is contrary to what the Word says I am. I rebuke any plan of the enemy that seeks to destroy my mind and/or my body. Father I believe that Christ has bore my sins in His own body on the tree, that I, being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness, by who stripes I was healed (1 Peter 2:24).

I am not praying for healing in the future but I am emphatically stating right now that I AM HEALED! Father I pray that if there be any doubt within me, you would remove it now. Oh God help my unbelief. Even though I may physically feel pain, I remain steadfast that I am healed. I will not let the physical realm override what was already given to me in the spiritual realm...DIVINE HEALTH.

I do not just pray for my myself. I life my family and friends in prayer for divine health and long life. Your Word says that the prayers of the righteous availeth much. According to the rights given unto me through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I speak divine health right now! It is these things that I ask in your son, Jesus', name. Amen.