Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Do you suffer with Irritable Bowel Syndrome?  (IBS)  If you do, here are some home rememdies you can try to help alleviate some of your symptoms.

Some IBS sufferers experience diarrhea.  In this case, it is important to drink plenty of fluids to keep from getting dehydrated.  Others suffer with constipation.  Fiber will help to get things moving if this is the case.  If adding fiber to your diet, do so gradually as otherwise it may cause gas and bloating until your body is used to it. 

Peppermint tea may help to calm a nervous stomach, but if you also have acid reflux, you will want to avoid peppermint.  It can make the reflux worse. 

Some things to avoid if you have IBS include milk products, caffeine, fried food, and spicy foods.  It may also help to eliminate sugar, or at least cut back on it.

Learn to control stress and other negative emotions.  Concentrate on your breathing.  Take deep, slow breaths.  After practicing this for a while, it will soon become second nature. 

Fennel and dill have both been known to help ease IBS symptoms.  Eating yogurt, too, is good for IBS.  Our digestive systems need the "good" kind of bacteria that is found in yogurt.  Make sure your yogurt contains live active cultures.  It will say so on the carton.  Not a big fan of yogurt or want to avoid the sugar that yogurt can contain?  Then buy a probiotic supplement such as acidopholus.   This contains the same "good" bacteria.

As always, check with your doctor before taking any herbal supplements.  Some can counteract certain medications.

Friday's Favorite Five's

It's hard to believe another week has flown by!  It was an uneventful week, but I did find five blessings. 

1.  I don't usually work on Mondays, but I did this past week.  I was kind of dreading it as I know that
     Mondays can be busy.  It turned out not to be so bad afterall.  It was an enjoyable day at work. 
     That is always a blessing!

2.  I dropped my digital camera last week and it broke.  I bought a really nice new one yesterday at a
    very reasonable price.  I am very grateful to have a camera again!

3.  We've  had some beautiful spring-like weather the past couple of days.  I spent some time outdoors
    today,  and it sure felt great!

4.  I planted seeds yesterday for 25 tomato and pepper plants.  I planted them in various containers,
    and they are all in front of the French doors waiting to sprout and be replanted outside in May.

5.  I made some blueberry muffins this afternoon from blueberries I had bought at a farmer's market
    last summer and kept frozen.  They sure taste like summer!

                                                                             


   Share your blessings from the past week by visiting Living to Tell the Story and linking up.

Have a great weekend everyone!


                                                                               

Friday's Favorite Five's

Happy March everyone!!  Where I live, March came in like a lion.  We have more snow than we've had all winter.  But it is beautiful.  I had other blessings this week, too, and if you want to participate in telling about your five favorites, click here at Living to Tell the Story and link up.

1.   We now have LOTS of beautiful snow.  It looks like a winter wonderland.  I am thankful that we have a snowblower to deal with all of it!

2.  I bought a new chair for my spare room that is being remodeled.  I found it on Criag's list and got it and a new couch for the living room for an unbelievable price! 

3.  I spend a day on the couch this week.  I've been having some stomach issues and decided to take it easy.  It felt so good reading and relaxing and lazing about.

4.  I watched a favorite old Disney movie - "That Darn Cat."  It was so much fun!!

 5.  I spent a day organizing the shelves in my home office.  Got rid of some stuff and really tidied up those shelves!

Hope you all had a great week .  Enjoy your weekend!                                     
                                                                                  

Friday's Favorite Five's

Another week has rolled on by.  It was an uneventful week here, but I was still able to find some small blessings.  They don't always have to be huge and spectacular, do they?

1.   I made a venison stew one night this week and added some carrots that I had frozen early
      last fall .  They were from our garden and were delicious.  I kept a few back to eat as a snack later,
     but discovered they were too soggy to eat fresh after being frozen.  But they sure were great in that
     stew.

2.  I took a break from the computer this week and it felt really good.  It had become a real time-
     waster. 

3.  I had orders this week for 4 dozen eggs.  That left me with none, temporarily.  I wanted to fix my
     husband a late breakfast/early lunch of scrambled eggs, and had to wait until a few were laid.  I
     went down to the coop and found three eggs.  I brought them back up to the house to prepare, and
     they were still warm.  I thought, "Now that's fresh eggs!" 

4.  We had our taxes done this week.  That is always a good thing to get over with!

5.  I got my electric bill in the mail and found that not using my dryer has really paid off!  What a
     difference in the amount owed when I don't use it.  Sometimes I would wonder if hanging my
    clothes is really worth the effort.  Now I am convinced that it is.  Always a blessing to know that
    I don't HAVE to pay these big companies my hard-earned money!

I hope you all had a wonderful week.  Share your blessings by linking up atLiving to Tell the Story.
                   
                                                                             

Frugal Living and Household Tips

I'm starting a new series here on frugal living.  Afterall, homesteading is all about living frugally.  Today, even people that don't homestead want to live more frugally.  Just what does the word frugal mean?  According to my Merriam-Webster dictionary it means thrifty or careful management, especially of money.  I think most of us are concerned about managing our money carefully.  I don't know about you, but my money doesn't come so easily.  I have to work for it, and I don't want to waste one penny of it.  I thought this would be a great place to share our frugal living tips and household tips that can help us save money.

What about all those household cleansers we buy?  They can be expensive, not to mention all the chemicals that are in them.  Does anyone here have a homemade/natural cleaning product they use?  I mopped my floor this morning.  I haven't used a mop in years.  I don't like the idea of reusing a mop after it cleans a dirty floor.  Nor do I want to buy the disposable swiffers and other products like that.  That can get costly.  I use a clean  rag or washcloth.  They can either be washed afterward or thrown away.  Quite a few years ago I had a beautiful white kitchen floor.  It got to be too dirty for me to be able to clean it myself with good results.  I hired a professional floor cleaner.  I asked him what I should use to mop with.  He told me to never use anything stronger than dish soap!  He said most floor cleaners in the store are much too harsh for your floor.  He said you really don't need to use anything but water to mop with, but if you don't like the idea of not using some kind of cleanser, then stick with a little dishsoap.  That is all I have been using ever since.  Two small drops in a bucket of hot water works great.




                                                                                     


                                                                         

Help for Acid Reflux

I know I've mentioned before that I have acid reflux.  I take prescription medication daily, which I wish I didn't have to do.  I am still believing that some day I will be able to discontinue it.  I have read all I can about home remedies and natural alternatives to treat this bothersome disease.  Here is what I have learned:

1.  Keep apple slices with you and eat one when you have a flare-up of heartburn.  For some reason,
     apples aid in stopping heartburn.

2.  Take 1 tablespoon of honey twice a day.  This aids in the regrowth of tissue, and is especially
     important in repairing damage to your esophogus.

3.  Watch what you eat.  Avoid spicy and acidic foods.  Avoid chocolate, citrus fruit and juices,
     peppermint, garlic, onions, and tomato-based foods.  Limit coffee.

4.  Drink a glass of water after every meal.  Water keeps the sphincter (the little thing that the acid
     leaks  out of )  clean, which seals the stomach, keeping acid and gas out of the esophogus.

5.  Apple cider vinegar is supposed to be wonderful for acid reflux sufferers.  Don't use the typical
     kind that you find in the grocery store.  Buy raw apple cider vinegar, which contains the "mother"
     of vinegar.  You will see little pieces of something floating in the vinegar.  This is the "mother"
     which has wonderful properties in it.  I can't explain it.  I usually buy the Bragg brand.  Read all
     about the health benefits of apple cider vinegar here.  Apple cider vinegar helps you digest food
     more quickly and keep stomach acid in your stomach.  Add 1 oz to a glass of water and drink daily.
    You can add a tablespoon of honey if you want to make it sweeter.  I really don't mind the taste,
    though, and actually find it refreshing.

6.  Wear loose-fitting clothes.

7.  Eat smaller meals.

8.  Don't lie down immediately after eating. 

9.  Elevate your head at night.

10. Chew gum for half an hour when you feel that burning sensation.  Chewing gets the saliva
      flowing and helps wash the acid away naturally.

11. Take gingerroot in capsule form just after you eat.

12. There are a class of herbs called "bitters."   Three of these are genetian root, wormwood, and
      goldenseal.  You can take this is capsule form or liquid extract just before eating.

13. Avoid tobacco smoke - your own or someone else's .  It relaxes the sphincter and increases acid
      production.

14. Avoid fizzy drinks.

15. Some medications aggrevate heartburn, including antideprssants and sedatives.


So there you have it.  I haven't tried all of these.  But I swear by the apple cider vinegar drink.  As always, before you take any herbs, please check with your doctor first.

Friday's Favorite Fives hosted by Living to Tell The Story

Welcome to Friday's Favourite Fives.  You can join in the fun of listing your five favourite blessings from the past week by linking up here.    Some of my blessings include:

1.  Well, this doesn't sound like a blessing, but my husband's back was acting up very badly.  (He injured it in 1994 and has had problems ever since.)  He was put on complete bed rest for the entire week.  Where's the blessing in that?  I got to have him home all week and got to take care of him!! 

2.  I enjoyed baking some cookies for my husband.  I love doing things for him. 

3.  Last Saturday (before throwing his back out) my husband and I spent the day at a local flea market where I had an Avon booth.  I didn't sell a whole lot there, but did generate some good business by handing out books.  Twice this week I received orders on my website from people who got my books at the flea market.  The total from those two sales was just under $200.00!!  That was a wonderful surprise!

4.  I have really been keeping up with my exercising, and this makes me feel so good!  I thank the Lord for my good health.

5.  A nearby town is keeping their gas prices down.  While I was down there for a hair appt, I filled my gas tank at a much lower price than what I have been paying.  That is definately a blessing!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!