Some of Kathryn's Favorite Naturals

Hello Hello! Elizabeth has been trying to get me to sit down and blog for some time now. Well I can make excuses(which are GOOD ones), but I have yet to sit down and do this. So here we go! First blog post and this is what I am feasting on while I post: Gluten Free Sweet Potato Squash Pie with a dollop of homemade Coconut Whipped Cream! Recipes to come!

So I wondered what to blog about first and decided to just tell you about a few of my favorite things in my 'natural medicine cabinet' right now. The first is this: Barleans Omega Oils-Fish Oil

This has been the best $30 I have spent each month since October! Last winter was rough for my youngest two children, ages 2 1/2 and 1 at the time. They began having respiratory trouble in October '12 and continued to have off and on trouble until October '13. They were prescribed Albuterol inhalers and steroids after the first round and we learned to watch the distress signs of 'asthma like' breathing. We had several ER visits over the course of the year and both children had a hospital stay. Lyla for 2 nights in October and James for 5 nights in January. I tried to start watching for triggers that might bring on these 'asthma like' spells and tried to avoid taking them places that might be a trigger. It just seemed that every time they caught a cold, it would go straight to their chest and cause some of these breathing issues. The last 'episode' we had was in September '13. In October I spoke with a friend about my concerns with Lyla and James and he suggested I try giving them Omega Oils, specifically fish oils. So I bought a bottle of this Barleans Omega Swirl. It comes is several different flavors. Tastes great! I have been giving the kids, and myself, a spoonful just about everyday since. They have had colds, but the crud has not settled in their chest as before. The Omega Oils are great for opening up the airways. Well there are many other benefits as well. That could be another post! ;) So maybe the kids are just having a better year? But I truly believe that these oils have made a difference!

Alright, next on the list is Kombucha!

I had never really heard of this until I was at the health food store one day and because of my large vitamin purchase got a free bottle of Garden of Life Raw Kombucha. It says that it is good for immunity and digestion. I hadn't really taken many of the pills though, just every now and then, if I thought about it.

One day I happened to purchase Green Tea with Kombucha. I have been drinking this tea quite often throughout the winter, as Green Tea has many health benefits and again, the benefits of the Kombucha in it. I could really tell a difference when coming down with a cold and drinking the Green Tea daily. An added benefit, I lost a couple lbs that week from the Green Tea. (Not that I was trying to) So, after reading some blogs about Kombucha in its natural state I have gotten a few bottles to try.  They have a little 'wang' to them, but palatable and tasty, in my opinion. So, the big reason I mention this. This week the girls came down with a stomach bug. I hear to drink grape juice 3x a day to avoid getting sick. Well I started drinking my Green Tea with Kombucha and got out my bottle of pure Kombucha and drank it. I also made sure I was taking my probiotics and digestive enzymes. You see, I have been on a battle to get my gut as healthy as possible, well for years, but even more so this past year. If your gut is healthy then you are much healthier and happy as a whole. (Again, another blog post!) Ok, so yes, I came down with the stomach bug and felt horrible horrible, but never got *sick* like the kids did. I am contributing that to the fact that I have been working on superior gut health and drinking all this Kombucha. 

Ok, well Like Elizabeth says, we are NOT Doctors, we are just stating what we have had experience with and what has helped us/our family to improve our health. I have some more favorites from my medicine cabinet that I will post later. For now, naptime is over and I must find snacks for these ravenous wolves, I mean children. ;)