Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Using Herbs and Supplements to Help Fight Cancer


http://www.drkellyturner.com/2014/04/using-herbs-and-supplements-to-help-fight-cancer/

The main difference between chemotherapy and vitamin or herbal supplements is that most chemotherapy is designed to kill cancer cells, while most supplements are designed to strengthen the immune system so that it can then remove cancer cells.  The hope is that, by creating an internal environment that is incredibly strong and healthy, cancer cells will not be able to thrive.
 
Today’s fruits and vegetables contain much smaller amounts of vitamins than they did a hundred years ago.  This is due to pesticide use, a lack of trace minerals in the soil, and the harvesting of fruits and vegetables long before they are ripe in order to transport them across the country.  Consider this staggering fact: today’s fruits and vegetables have up to 40% fewer vitamins and minerals than they did just 50 years ago.  Given this widespread lack of minerals and nutrients in the food supply, you can see why supplements may be necessary for maintaining health in today’s world.
 
However, when it comes to the science, the jury’s still out.  Sadly, this is because many herbal supplements can not be patented, and therefore large pharmaceutical companies have very little incentive to conduct research on them—because they would not be able to make money off them.  Nevertheless, smaller studies have shown that various supplements do indeed have cancer-fighting properties.  For example, numerous studies done on epigallocatechin (ECGC)—a compound found in green tea—have found that it actively kills cancer cells, while other studies have found that mushroom supplements such as “turkey tail” increase the number of natural killer cells in cancer patients.  Additional studies have shown that high doses of vitamin C, high doses of turmeric spice, and daily doses of probiotics all help to boost the immune system’s cancer-fighting capabilities.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Easter in Mexico

Easter in Mexico

 

http://festivals.iloveindia.com/easter/traditions/easter-in-mexico.html



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvd78BKFOf0

Easter is one of the most important Christian festivals, celebrated all over the world wherever people following Christianity reside. It is considered to be one of the most auspicious days of the Christian calendar as this is the day of the resurrection of Jesus Christ after crucifixion. On this occasion, the followers of Christianity pray in church and also, celebrate the day as a day of merry making and joyous festivities. Though major rituals and traditions of Easter remain the same throughout the world, you can observe a little variation as per the local traditions. Read this article to know about the Easter celebrations in Mexico.

Easter celebration in Mexico is a fusion of Christian rituals and native Indian traditions. In the days of imperialism, the Christian missionaries as a part of their effort to convert non- Christian Indians to Christianity, allowed indigenous people to blend their customs with Easter rites, and many of these customs appear in passion plays. But in the face of a cultural onslaught from American media vehicles, many of Mexico's age-old traditions are falling out of favor in large cities such as Guadalajara.

Easter in Mexico is a little different from the rest of the world. In Mexico, it is a combination of Semana Santa (Holy Week - Palm Sunday to Easter Saturday) and Pascua (Resurrection Sunday until the following Saturday). On Palm Sunday people use elaborately woven palms. Weavers ply their craft outside churches, and worshipers follow the priest into church with the woven fronds. Later, those palms are traditionally hung on the doors of Mexican homes to ward off evil.

In many communities across Mexico, locals stage Passion Plays depicting Biblical events such as the Last Supper, the Betrayal, and the Procession of the 12 Stations of the Cross, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. The enactments are often spectacularly staged, costumed and acted, with volunteers preparing for their roles for nearly the full year leading up to Semana Santa. In many communities, flagellation along with real crucifixion is included. The performances are often wondrously dramatic, costumed and enacted, with contestants planning for their roles for about a year leading up to Semana Santa.

The most spectacular of Easter traditions in Mexico is the burning of a Judas effigy filled with firecrackers. This custom, which takes place Holy Saturday, was outlawed in Guadalajara in the 1960s when several people died from a massive explosion, but it still continues in rural areas. Judas effigy is now a popular way to express anguish over some contemporary person, frequently an unpopular politician. So every year it becomes interesting to see who gets burnt in effigy this seasons’ ‘Sábado de Gloria’.

5 Ways To Eliminate Garden Pests Without Nasty Chemical Pesticides

http://www.organicauthority.com/5-ways-to-eliminate-garden-pests-without-nasty-chemical-pesticides/

 

5 Ways To Eliminate Garden Pests Without Nasty Chemical Pesticides

1. Sticky Traps – These can be purchased or made at home using a rigid material of a particular color that’s coated with a sticky substance. First you make sure the material is the right hue (colors like yellow, white, light blue and red each attract a different group of garden pests), then wrap in plastic wrap or a plastic bag (this makes it easier to remove trapped insects and reload), then cover that in organic adhesive like Tangle-Trap.

2. DIY All-Purpose Spray – Developed by the editors of Organic Gardening magazine over many years, this insect spray combines the repellent effects of garlic, onion, and hot pepper with the insecticidal and surfactant properties of soap. It’s particularly effective against leaf-eating garden pests, but apply only when necessary, as it can be fatal to pollinators and other beneficial insects.

3. Parasitic Nematodes - Don’t be scared by the word “parasite.” Or that other unfamiliar word. This term simply describes microscopic organisms whose life mission is to destroy pests that live underground. Beneficial nematodes move through the soil, they enter the body cavities of their target garden pests and release bacteria that kill that pest. Best of all, they’re completely safe for people, pets, and the environment, and are compatible with other beneficial insects. Orcon sells beneficial nematodes that eliminate more than 230 different kinds of soil dwelling and wood boring insects, including Japanese beetles, cut worms, wire worms, weevils, white grubs, fungus gnat larvae, flea larvae, and subterranean termites.

4. Beneficial Insects – Sometimes the best way to fight fire, is with fire. Orcon also sells a variety of beneficial insects, creepy crawlers that are known to be the sworn enemy of garden pests like aphids, flies, mealy bugs, and brown garden snails. Simply unleash these good bugs into your garden, and they’ll fight the bad bugs on your behalf.

5. Backyard Chickens – If you’re raising chickens on your property, you’ve got a built in system for controlling garden pests. Chickens (along with guinea fowl and ducks) love to eat Japanese beetles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you’re not too squeamish, picking them off plants by hand works nicely too. “Even if you don’t let your chickens scratch in your garden, your handpicking may be more enjoyable because you’ll have something tasty for your birds when you’re finished collecting the beetles,” explains Mother Earth News. In late spring, when Japanese beetle larvae are close to the soil surface, letting wild, bug-eating birds work over the area can have a lasting impact, too. Several readers shared that having nesting pairs of robins and bluebirds (which feed insects to their young) is the best way to keep Japanese beetles from getting out of hand

Monday, April 14, 2014

HOW SAFE IS MEXICO ~ MY BLESSING

HOW SAFE IS MEXICO

MY BLESSING


As I sit to write this piece, I turn the page of another year of living in Mexico. One wonders how safe living in Mexico is…. well, I must say that I have enjoyed this adventure and would not trade it for anything.

The climate here in Ajijic is fantastic and the people have shown me how to enjoy life. It’s laid back and not fast paced. I feel like I turned the clock back to the 60’s.

Last week was the test of all tests. Dan, my husband was experiencing high blood pressure so we went to the doctor. Our family physician speaks English and practiced in the states before coming back to Mexico. He performed a simple test in the office and felt that Dan would need to have an Echocardiogram. This was scheduled on a Saturday at Hospital de la Santisima Trinidad. At this time I met a cardiologist, Dr Jose Pascual Salas Llamas who advised me that he had a blockage. The doctor was only around the age of 24 and started medical school when he was just 15 he is a brilliant human being and a very passionate person. He showed me the area to be concerned with as they were doing the procedure. I have experienced in the past Dan having tests done for his heart for he already had eight stents. During an office visit the doctor would just explain verbally the situation and state this will have to be done, but I have never had someone show me exact proof.

The next step was to schedule him in for surgery and take care of the blockage. This took place on a Tuesday at 10:00 p.m… I am not pretending that I was not scared, but the doctors made me feel safe. I was able to watch from a window and see the stents being placed near his heart. Both docs’ came out from time to time to explain what was being done… I was in awe for the personal treatment I was given. I am now convinced I can trust the physicians here in Mexico more then ever.

http://chapalamed.com/


 

http://www.cardiogdl.com/index_eng.html


 

 

Dan is home now and everything will be fine with the help of the doctors controlling his blood pressure. From my experience with cancer, I learned that the only one that can make the healing work is YOU. What it boils down to is your attitude, your diet and exercise which has a great part in keeping your heart and the rest of the body intact.

To rap things up, how safe is Mexico? My experiences living here and using the medical services has been wonderful and I have no complaints.


Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Celebration

Celebration




On April 2, last year we decided to pick up and leave the States for Mexico.


It’s been I and my husband’s journey to help regroup and get healthy without a lot of stress. We have changed our whole thinking and lifestyle to make life a better place for us.

What a year it has been, for we have experienced the Mexican Culture and enjoyed the way of life in Ajijic. I have been posting throughout this blog our new home and the surroundings of the experiences that Dan and I have had. It has been truly a blessing and a fabulous way to heal ourselves.

There are two things that stand out this year that I would like to share. First are the MRI’s that we had a couple of months ago which shown that we are cancer free and the other is I am getting closer for the publishing of my book which I wrote regarding the experience of having cancer and managing it without surgery, chemo nor radiation. These were my mile stones!!!

I have been so busy creating bed spreads and making food dishes to share with the community that I have not posted events that we have been to this past month. We went to the Mardi Gras parade and carnival. Attached are some pictures showing the parade that we saw along with other random sites that we have been attending.













































































I will keep writing and showing the sites around Mexico, this is to show others that it is safe here and how one can live in comfort without worry.

I have come across some wonderful families from the USA and Canada that are traveling with kids. They have been all over Europe and are now traveling all around Mexico. How exciting for the children not just learning about other cultures, but to experience it first hand. I wished I had done this with our daughter, there is so much to explore in our world that we need to just stop and an enjoy it.







Until next time, check out this web site of one family’s experience on the road.