Last week I started to get symptoms of the flu-like plague that has spread like wildfire through almost everyone I know.  Most people that experienced it told me it lasts anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks and to just brace myself for misery.  Being the scientist that I am, I decided to use this misfortune as an opportunity to do an experiment on myself.  I have been reading a lot about vitamin C lately and decided to see whether it shortened the duration of this dreaded cold.

My main complaint during this time was being so congested that I couldn’t sleep.  Coincidentally, I found that when I started my experiment by taking 1,000 mg of powdered vitamin C dissolved in a little bit of water mixed with apple juice my congestion was immediately relieved for about 30 minutes.  This dose is on the high end to take all at once, but I wanted to take it further and actually find out how much vitamin C I needed (our bodies need more when we’re sick or under stress) by undergoing a protocol called a “Vitamin C Flush”.  Here is a link to the instructions that I followed:

http://www.perque.com/pdfs/Pt_Ascorbate_Slush_FIN.pdf

The vitamin C which I used, and which is the best type of vitamin C for most people to use for this protocol is a fully-reduced, buffered vitamin C powder such as the one we sell at Marilyn Farms (Vitamin C Powder).

Without giving away too much info, I wanted to share with you that in order to get the…desired result…I had to take 25,000 mg of vitamin C over the course of 24 hours.  That is a LOT more than it normally takes me when I do a flush, which showed me that my body really needed the extra boost.  I was able to beat the 3-week flu in 2 days, and I credit that to vitamin C!

NOTE: Please talk to your physician before making any dietary or supplement changes.  This blog is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner.

I have always loved limes. They add a zesty kick to fresh fish, salsa’s and even water. It wasn’t until my roommate began commenting on how I consistently drink lime water that I began to really think about why my body craves and absorbs lime so well.

Lime has been found to aid with digestion, skin health, and weight loss.  Personally limes for me are a great way to allow my body to relax after dinner and help with digestion. I also add a little bit of salt so that it not only gives me the benefits of lime but the salt (celtic salt) helps me absorb water faster and reap the benefits of being hydrated. Here is a closer look at some of the benefits of limes.

Digestion: Just the smell of limes induces the first step of digestion which begins with salivating. The acids that limes contain help with the breakdown of food. The natural oils found in limes encourage digestion and increase digestive juices.

Skin Care: The oil in limes is also beneficial to your skin. Lime oil can revive your skin by protecting it from infections, adding shine and reducing body odor.  Just be sure to dilute the essential oil in a carrier oil like coconut or jojoba – plain lime oil on the skin can burn!

Weight Loss: A glass of water with lime juice is an excellent fat burner as well as a brilliant refresher and antioxidant drink.

If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of limes you can also visit this fun website where I found this great information!

http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/health-benefits-of-lime.html

The weather has been so gorgeous here in Iowa the past few days that my thoughts keep wandering to gardening…and more importantly (at least in my food obsessed opinion), to the delicious produce that comes out of gardens!  Here is a link to a great website that gives tips on how to garden no matter where you live or how much space you have, and it even provides resources for where to find locally grown produce to supplement what you grow in your own garden.  Enjoy!

http://coolfoodscampaign.org/your-tools/garden-guide/

Here is the link to a New York Times article that does a good job of simply explaining the problem with detergents and why it’s important that each of us make responsible choices when buying household products.  I have found that a safe (and cheap) alternative to commercial cleaning products is to use vinegar as much as possible for cleaning and to buy homemade laundry soap from my friend Annie, who is planning to make her recipe available through Marilyn Farms.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/garden/26greenhome.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

Two weeks ago my husband and I went to the dentist (one of our favorite friends, actually!) for x-rays and an exam which revealed that my husband had 4 little spots of decay on his teeth that were not quite cavities, but were soft spots that would require drilling and filling to keep them from becoming cavities.  The dentist scheduled this to be taken care of two weeks later when he would have more time.

In the meantime, I figured since we had two weeks anyway why not perform a little experiment?  Since xylitol is supposed to kill the bacteria that causes cavities I made a solution of 1 heaping Tbsp. xylitol mixed into 8 ounces water and put it in a little mason jar with “Xylitol Rinse for Teeth” written on the lid.  I kept this jar by the bathroom sink for my husband to swish with every night before he went to bed.

After 2 weeks using the xylitol mouthwash my husband went back to the dentist today and guess what?  The dentist couldn’t find even one of the spots of decay that showed up on an x-ray 2 weeks ago!  Pretty amazing!  I think I just found my new favorite method of cavity prevention.  It tastes sweet and won’t hurt you if swallowed so it would work well for children and it has the added benefit of making your spouse taste like sugar when they kiss you goodnight.  If you really wanted to be fancy you could add a squirt of Marilyn Farms Tooth & Gum tincture to give your gums extra support, but as you can see the xylitol works pretty well on its own!