Movie Review: The Business of Being Born

This is an excellent movie for those contemplating birth plans, who believe they have been called to motherhood, or anyone who is just plain interested in learning more about something you didn't know or were not too informed about. The Business of Being Born lifts the veil on the inhuman protocols and procedures carried out in hospitals for child birth. Anyone opposed to or serving as a threat against the medical and pharmaceutical industry can expect to be under a lot of criticism but this documentary sheds a lot of light on the importance of experiencing natural child birth for both mama and baby.

If you have been expecting your birthing experience to be similar to what you see on TLC's "A Baby Story" this documentary will have you thinking again. I would definitely rate this film a 5/5 and a special shout out to all the women who have chosen to take a stand in natural childbirth and the use of midwives. Even those women that would of liked to have given birth naturally with the aide of a midwife & doula but couldn't due to certain issues during delivery, you did all you could! Let's keep God's way of bringing life into the world by all means!

Where does your Joy come From?

This may be a silly question to some, but it is rather legitimate if you think about it. Where does your joy come from? Does it come from the things of this world? You are only happy when you are around your good friends, or when you have eaten your favorite meal, or when you are at work or when you can see yourself getting married? For me, a couple of years ago I would of responded to that question by saying "I'll be happy when I move to Georgia!" or something along those lines. It wasn't until this past year that it became clear to me that, thinking that way was nothing but idolatry, and more than that it was causing me to lose focus on what the Lord would have me to do and concern myself with *now*.

"It is good for me that I have been afflicted,That I may learn Your statutes"- Psalm 119:71

"Do not boast about tomorrow,For you do not know what a day may bring forth"- Proverbs 27:1


"Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry"- Colossians 3:5

Through affliction I learned that true joy and fulfillment comes from Christ alone. Not living in a new city, not making more friends, not anything at all but Christ. Why? Because he promised that He would never leave us or forsake us. With that said, you can be anywhere and be content and happy because you have the risen Lord with you!

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you."-Hebrews 13:5

The Lord is good and richly gives us all things for our enjoyment (1 Timothy 6:17) so we can be happy when we recognize that he has blessed us with good things and good people and when he has caused us to be a blessing. Who can't help but be filled with joy when you are bouncing a bubbly baby on your lap, or who can't help but be filled with joy when you hear some great news, that is all wonderful but the issue comes when we are moved, and swayed back and fourth in our emotions in absence of those things. When our mind is fixed on Him, our joy remains.

"You will show me the path of life, In Your presence is fullness of joy, At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."- Psalm 16:11

Continue to be filled with the Joy of the Lord!

God's purposes cannot be manipulated

Lately I have been reading through the book of Genesis and today I was reading chapters 32-41. In these few little chapters, one thing I that kept sticking out to me was the fact that there were some instances where these chosen people of God at one point in time or another tried to manipulate God's will for them. There is the account of Abraham and Sarah not waiting on the Lord for the child of promise but even through this, God's purposes prevailed. Then there is the instance of Jacob and Esau, where Rebekah had Jacob dress up like Esau so that he could obtain Isaac's blessing, there are a few others but these stood out to me today.

Even though God used the mistakes, unbelief, and disobedience of his chosen people, they still had to pay the consequences for their actions. But more importantly, we can see the Sovereignty of God in all of those situations. I can look back on my own life and recount the many times I have tried to manipulate God, and I can also recount how every one of those times I tried to do that, it *never* worked out lol. As a matter of fact, a lot of the time it bought me back to square one, but the point is, God is sovereign.

"The counsel of the LORD stands forever,The plans of His heart to all generations."-Psalm 33:11

"A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps"-Provebrs 16:9

"There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless it is the LORD’s counsel—that will stand."- Proverbs 19:21

Haven't these verses of scripture been proven true in the bible and how much more in our own lives? What a relief that is! To some the thought of God being ruler over their lives and having his own plan he is interested in working out seems daunting to them but to us it should give us a deep since of joy, rest, and peace.

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."- Romans 8:28-29

What's My Favorite Drink Right Now?

Well, if you really must know I simply must tell you! It is Iced Echinacea Tea with Raw Honey! Oh my goodness, this stuff is so good!  I purchased this tea quite some time ago. Got it because I felt a sore throat coming on but didn't think to drink it anymore as it was nasty to me drinking it bland. But lately I have been doing some research on ways to boost your immune system and then I remembered the box of Echinacea that has been sitting in my house for the past 7 months. So, I decided to give it another go but this time with some raw honey to sweeten it up.

All you do is brew the tea as usual and sweeten with the raw honey to your desired taste. Raw honey has plenty of healing benefits it's self so these two combined are a winning team! Keep in the fridge until cold and enjoy!

I drink mine out of a mason jar because I think it's kinda cute and it is convenient just in case I'm on the go and there is a lid. Also, it is naturally BPA-free  so don't have to worry about any chemicals leeching into my drink like I would using a plastic container. Hope you try this drink for yourself one of these days, See ya next time :)

God's Will in a Nutshell

A little while ago, a group of friends and myself were going to do a Conference call discussing the topic: "God's Will: What does it mean?" As we talked about it more in depth it became clear that none of us really knew or had a proper understanding of what all that entailed. Most of us were struggling with figuring it out ourselves especially for practical things in life such as "Is it God's will for me to take this job?" or "Is it God's will for me to start my own business." A bit confused and unsure of where to start, we decided to reschedule the show for another time, preferably when we had more understanding of the topic at hand :)

In the meantime, the Lord has saw fit to make it plain to me on what the will of God is, at least part of it. So far, it seems that in the end, it only boils down to two things, Trust and Obedience. So here I will share what the Lord has been teaching me thus far....

First, it is always good to review and read the life of Jesus. Plenty of times he says "I came only to do my Fathers will" Jesus also says "It is not those who say to me 'Lord, Lord' but those who do the will of my Father in heaven." That kind of leaves us to wonder, well, what does that mean...technically speaking? Let's break down this scripture in Matthew 7:21-23 for starters....

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"

We can picture people coming to the Lord saying "Lord, have we not done all these good things" These are people who have set captives free, even prophesied accurately and if we look at 1 Corinthians 14:1 Prophecy is the greatest gift to be desired due to its ability to minister to all that listen, so on the outlook of things, these were people doing a lot of good things but Jesus, the one who discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart, the one who does not look at the outward appearance as man does but looks at the heart, tells these people that he *never* knew them and on top of that, that they were workers of lawlessness, which in other words means they were workers of disobedience.

So if it is a lifestyle of disobedience that will get the "good workers" cast out of heaven, that can only mean that  obedience is what defines the true follower of Christ. As Christians we are strongly encouraged to live a life of good works, to even be eager about doing them, but the trouble comes in when we believe that we are justified and made acceptable to God by all we've done, rather than a simple trust in Christ as our savior which indicates a lifestyle of obedience (John 14:21-24, James 1:22-25).

Knowing the will of God, isn't so difficult after all is it? Trust and Obey. We will not be perfect in this life as our sanctification will continue to be worked out up until Christ returns (Philippians 1:6) but, in a general sense our lives should no longer be characterized by sin and the sinful nature but rather a life that is controlled and led by the Spirit, for those who are led by the spirit of God, it is those that are the sons (and daughters) of God  (Romans 8)  There may be more to add to this but I kind of feel like the scriptures speak for themselves, I will end with a few more scriptures...

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."- Romans 8:1

"By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. "-John 15:8-15

"If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."- Matthew19:17

I am in no way promoting or trying to say that we are saved by works either but rather our good deeds, good fruit, and life of obedience is evidence of God's grace at work in our life. It is proof that He who began a good work in us is continuing to bring it into completion, that no man can boast, as a matter of fact, when you notice these good things happening in your life, it humbles you and causes you to be filled with so much joy for the Lord has a firm grip over your life! What security there is in knowing and being confident of such truth!

So to sum up everything shared here, it is clear, a life that is pleasing to God, a life that is in alignment with God's will is a life that is submitted to Him, a life that obeys the commandments, and a life that no longer yields to the sinful nature but allows itself to be controlled by the spirit. Maybe in another post we can discuss how to apply God's will to practical situations, but if you look at it like this, if you have the spiritual applications right first, the practical applications will fall right in place won't they? Matthew 6:33 says so :) Anyway, I hope this has been a blessing to you, in the meantime, May the Lord continue to bless and keep you :)

Homemade Jamaican Beef Patties

Hey guy's! Today was my first time making Jamaican beef patties. I love these things and since there are no authentic Caribbean cuisine restaurants in my town, I figure may as well make some myself!

The recipe used was really good. They have such a tender, savory flavor and the crust was nice and flaky.

Thankfully, they do make organic, non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening and that works just as good without having to consume all the negative, un-nutritious things that lard and regular shortening has in it. Feel free to give this recipe a shot unless you have your own and know how to make it. The only thing I altered was the use of vegetable shortening instead of regular shortening and I used this type of flour, which is a better alternative than commercial, bleached white flour. Anywho, hope everyone had a terrific day today and remember, whatever you do, do it all as unto the Lord :) Take care!

Kombucha or Keifr?

Today was my first time trying Kombucha. I have been reading so many positive reviews on this power house of a drink that I decided to try it out myself. It has a "vinegery" taste, almost the same thing as drinking slightly flavored ACV.


Which do I prefer? As far as taste, I really enjoy the Keifr. It is basically like drinking a yogurt smoothie and, I am a *huge* fan of greek yogurt so that is a plus. However, I really liked the way my body felt overall after drinking the Kombucha. My body felt more energized, I was way more alert and just felt really good in general.

If Kombucha had the taste of Keifr it would be a win win situation! But, if I had to choose between the two, I would probably choose the Kombucha, even though I don't really care for the taste. It really does revitalize the body. Keifr works good too don't get me wrong, especially for the digestive system but there were immediate, noticeable results after drinking the Kombucha. So...Kombucha it is!

Psalm 103

"Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
The Lord gives righteousness
and justice to all who are treated unfairly.
He revealed his character to Moses
and his deeds to the people of Israel.The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
 slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
The Lord is like a father to his children,tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
Our days on earth are like grass;
like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
The wind blows, and we are gone—
as though we had never been here.But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
of those who are faithful to his covenant,
of those who obey his commandments!
The Lord has made the heavens his throne;
from there he rules over everything.
Praise the Lord, you angels,
you mighty ones who carry out his plans,
listening for each of his commands.
Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels
who serve him and do his will!
Praise the Lord, everything he has created,
everything in all his kingdom.
Let all that I am praise the Lord."


You guy's, this scripture bought so much joy to my heart today! There have been a lot of things I have been seeking God about, sins that have been made clear to me in my life and even though the Lord disciplines us, sometimes, if we sit still enough to listen he will answer us and one thing that I have come to learn when the Lord rebukes is that instead of it making you feel hopeless and what not, you feel all the more motivated and encouraged to obey Him and do what's right from then on out! This scripture means so much to me on so many different levels that I wanted to share it with anyone who is feeling discouraged about things in their life. Don't be downcast, rejoice! that He deals with you as his own! He is full of mercy, slow to anger, and abounding in love. He doesn't deal with us as our sins deserve, He is so good and so good to us! I hope this Psalm ministers to you!

When God Test's Our Hearts...

What happens when God tests our hearts? When the thing we desire so greatly is asked to be given over to him and placed in his hands, to lay it on the altar so to speak? I remember back when I was living in Georgia and attending a church service by Charles Stanley, cannot remember the title of the sermon but I do remember the heart of the message and it pretty much came down to this: Don't hold on to things too tightly. Anytime we hold on to something more firmly than we cling to Christ, you can almost bet that you will lose it. But anytime we turn that person, that situation, or circumstance over to Christ, we gain. Not always the way we desire, and sometimes so, but in the end we are sure to reap something out of it.

Sometime ago I was speaking with a good friend, and we were talking about some of the things we had been through recently. One of the questions she asked me was "Well, do you think you have grown spiritually through this? And what is something you have learned?" I went on to say that honestly at that point I could not tell if I had grown any but one thing that most certainly became clear to me was, in the midst of any trial the question can almost always boil down to this "Is having Christ worth more than anything else?"

"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."-Matthew 10:37-39

This scripture serves as a comfort and a terror, especially when the truth of your heart is opposition to what it says. But that is the comforting part also, at least the Lord loves you enough to show you your error now, while there is still time to change it. What a loving God and Father we serve!

What about when Abraham had his heart put to the test, and the rich young ruler? It is good to read those stories again. You get a glimpse of a servants heart that was *willing* to go all the way with the Lord, even if that meant giving up the very thing he desired most. It turned out not only for his good but for all of our good in the end didn't it? (Gen 22:1-19) Amen :)  But we also get the story of the rich young ruler, who after having received the word with joy turned away because to him, the cost of the cross was too high (Mark 10:17-25). A very sad and unfortunate ending.

We can look at this positively or negatively. Jesus promised us this though:

"So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life."- Mark 10:29-30

What an encouragement! If we live for Christ we can expect to gain (Php 1:21)! We will gain more of Him, more spiritual fruit, deeper relationships with brothers and sisters in the Lord, provision that you can acknowledge only came from the hand of God and we can also expect persecutions, trials, and hardships, not so we can lose heart but so our faith in Him can be proven all the more sincere and stronger! God is so great!

I hope that you have been greatly encouraged by reading this post today, it has strengthened my heart just by writing it. Trust in the Lord with allll your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.

Trying to Pray with A Hardened Heart

Trying to pray with a hardened heart is like trying to talk to God through a visible brick wall. It is utterly useless. There has been something that has really been bothering me for the past couple of days. It has even been having an effect on my sleep as well, not sleeping as peacefully as normal. So this morning, it hit me that this "thing" needed to be prayed about, but as soon as I started to pray, it was like the Lord made it clear as day to me that my heart was hardened towards him.

It is sinful to have a hardened heart. For one thing, no matter how much you pray and claim to be waiting on God to show you something or answer your prayers, you will not be open to receive it because with your heart hardened that means you are set on your will and doing what you want more than what God desires. Remember Pharaoh? So if you pray for God to show you his will but deep in your heart you want and are set on your desires, don't be surprised if the Lord doesn't show you anything, you wouldn't receive it anyway! When we come to the Father in prayer, we must be humble and totally open to his will and broken of our wills. Not saying we shouldn't pray what we desire because we are encouraged to do so, but if our heart is bent on what we want more than God's will, we will only end up more frustrated.  God reveals his will to those who will do it. The Lord is never harsh in his dealings with us. He is sooo patient! If your heart is hardened toward God about something, don't try to deny it or play it off, confess it, repent of it, and keep that open communion flowing between you two because once you have cut off that communion with God, it only leaves you open to the lies of the enemy.

No need to beat yourself up if you have fallen short in this area like myself, when it comes to Christ he always provides a solution, there is always hope with him. Just repent and ask the Lord to renew your heart towards him and apologize. When our sin has been confronted it really grieves us to know that we have grieved God, it hurts a lot, like a dagger in an open wound. But nonetheless once we repent the Lord has cast our sin as far as the east is from the west! It is true!

God is good. He knows whats best for us and he can be trusted.

" Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life."-Proverbs 4:23

Forsaking the Feminist Mindset and Embracing Biblical Womanhood

Physician Wholeheartedly Gives Up Medical Practice to Be a Wife and Mother of Eight Children for the Glory of God! from Douglas Phillips on Vimeo.


This is such an amazing testimony. In a world where women are encouraged to be in control, independent, pursue careers over home and raising children, pursue money over marriage, it is truly a sacrifice to forsake all of that in order to pursue the high calling Christ called women to by being keepers at home. Like this woman in the video, I too was raised to be a feminist. To go to college and make lots of money so you wont need to be dependent on anyone. The funny thing is that years ago, this wouldn't even be possible, but in today's society, women have the open door to live out the feminist dream. It is so dominant that it's literally pushing men out of work.


As Christians we are told and expected to be totally dependent on Christ. To not have our own agendas but to be open to the leading of the Lord, to be humble, and submissive to Him. Up until recently, I didn't see a problem with me working 4, 16 hr days a week or trying to go to school so I could get my nursing degree, after all, I wasn't married, didn't plan on getting married anytime soon and didn't have any kids so why not? Everyone is different and for some this may be perfectly fine but if you know the Lord has placed something different on your heart then pay attention to that and embrace it. For most women, they will be married, and blessed with children to raise. There are a few exceptions of women who have given their lives to missions or to live their lives in full service to others that are abandoned or overlooked and the Lord gifts women to fulfill such callings. If that is not you then God has a different purpose planned for you :) The main thing to be mindful of is that God does have a purpose and plan for your life. If you are a true believer, rest assured that plan is not going to seem too popular with your surrounding peers or to people you know. You may even have loved ones, family members pressuring you to take heed to the feminist movement but Psalm 1 tells us not to walk in the counsel of the wicked but to delight in the word of God, where we will come to know his perfect will for our lives (Romans 12:2).


If God has called you away from the career field and independent, feminist attitude, just know it is for your good! And if it seems as though He has you doing things that seem insignificant, ask yourself who are you comparing yourself too? Others around you? Who very well may be in total rebellion against God or ignorantly following the ways of the world? Remain faithful to what the Lord has given you to do. It doesnt matter how big our small, he could be preparing you for a family in the future, to love your husband and raise a nation for Christ like the woman in this video, or to run an orphanage like Amy Carmichael, who knows! One thing is for sure, obedience is better than sacrifice, and anyone who has ever lived to obey the Lord, has never regretted it. Take care until next time!

Oil Pulling

DISCLAIMER:
The information offered on this blog is solely my personal opinion based off of my own research and personal use. It does not serve as a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or health care provider before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested on this blog. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.

Have you ever heard of Oil Pulling? I started looking into it after last fall when I started having serious issues with my wisdom teeth. The pain was so unbearable, I could barely sleep. None of the over the counter gels worked, so, that led me to make a dentist appointment.  I had to undergo 2 sessions of deep cleaning. It had been 3 years since my last dental visit and my gums were very unhealthy. Even after my deep cleaning, I noticed there was a sore around one of my wisdom teeth. My dentist injected an antibiotic around it, and that helped temporarily but even weeks after the treatment, the sore would not heal, and the pain returned.

That is when I started to do more research on natural treatments to help cure gum disease and oral problems. Oil Pulling caught my eye as it was not something I had ever heard of, and it seemed pretty simple to do and better yet, all of the ingredients needed were already in my home so there would be no need to pay more money for another dentist appointment. With it's roots in oil gargling linked to Ayurveda medicine, people have been using oil pulling as a means to cure many ailments, it is not only limited to oral healing. There are testimonies of people being healed from arthritic pain, bad breath, chronic skin conditions that even extended juice fasts could not heal, allergies, migraines, eczema, and many others by simply doing one simple method, oil pulling.

Oil pulling consists of swishing (sip, suck, and pull through the teeth) sesame oil, sunflower oil, or coconut oil in the mouth for 15-20 minutes. The swishing, activates certain enzymes and those enzymes draw toxins out of the blood which is why it is very important not to swallow any of the oil, it is very toxic. If you are doing it right, the oil should become thinner and lighter in color, if the oil is still bright in color, it has not been pulled long enough. After the 15-20 mintues, spit the oil in the sink and immidiately wash and rinse your mouth out. It is encouraged to simply use your fingers to prevent recontaminating your mouth again with your toothbrush. Make sure to disinfect the sink after each oil pulling session as many harmful bacterias are present.

For best results, do this on an empty stomach, preferably before breakfast. For faster results, this may be done up to 3 times daily for chronic conditions.

You can use any oil you would like to use, but sesame oil and sunflower oil are highly recommended. I use coconut oil as I have noticed it makes my teeth whiter. You may get the same effect using the other oils but, one of my friends tried using coconut oil also and said it not only helped her wisdom tooth pain as well but she also noticed her teeth appeared to be whiter. And remember, the key to optimal overall health is a strong immune system, a balanced lifestyle that consists of work, rest, and leisure, a balanced diet that consists of fresh veggies, fruit, and organic meat if you have access to it and can afford it, green smoothies/juice and more importantly, an enduring faith and relationship with Christ! Take care!

Toothpaste Review: Kiss My Face Triple-Action Aloe VeraToothpaste

I purchased this toothpaste a couple of day's ago and decided to do a review on it for those interested in purchasing fluoride free and sodium lauryl sulfate-free toothpaste. There are so many blogs, youtube videos, and websites explaining the dangers of these two chemicals, it is almost unavoidable. However, Triple-Action Aloe Vera toothpaste by Kiss My Face is Flouride-free and SLS free.

It is one of the first toothpastes that claims to help prevent tartar and plaque build up that I actually noticed to work. It also claims to help whiten teeth but it is too soon for me to tell if it does that (not that my teeth are yellow or anything, ha!)

My teeth felt clean and have continued to do so throughout the day. I like this toothpaste and would recommend it to anyone interested.

The Many Benefits of Raw ACV with Mother (Apple Cider Vinegar)

DISCLAIMER:
The information offered on this blog is solely my personal opinion based off of my own research and personal use. It does not serve as a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or health care provider before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested on this blog. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.


If you are like me, raw, organic ACV has become a staple item in your home. With its versatile uses and affordable pricing, it continues to prove it's value time, and time again. I have been using Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar. There are other raw vinegars out there, you can even make your own but I am really impressed with this brand and as of now, see no need to test any other ones.

People have been using ACV for centuries to cure various types of aliments. It has been known to treat everything from pet fleas, to pet allergies. Taken regularly, it has the ability to strengthen the immune system, lower insulin levels (especially after eating), keep the body alkaline, and aid in easier digestion. Below there will be a list of some ailments that have been cured and treated by raw, organic ACV.

• Acid Reflux/Heartburn
• Bad Breath
• Gas/Bloating
• Bladder Infections
• Joint pain/Stiffness
• Sore Throat
• Acne
• Allergies
• Bowel Irregularity

I have used ACV to help treat my seasonal allergies. Earlier this spring, they started flaring up again. I took 2 Tablespoons of Braggs ACV mixed with water once every 2 weeks for a month and I have not had any allergy symptoms since. That was 2 1/2 months ago! I also use Braggs ACV as a hair rinse when washing my hair. It helps to remove any build up which may be there from old products, and it gives my hair that squeaky clean feel and natural shine! It is also excellent to use as a facial toner to help remove any dead skin on the surface.

My grandma, whom suffers from arthritis, has been using pain rubs for a while now and they only seem to work for a couple of hours. I offered to make her a concoction which consisted of raw, organic ACV mixed with some essential oils. She said it has helped her with the stiffness and pain in her joints greatly!

Recipe used for arthritic pain/stiffness: 1 part Bragg's ACV, 5-10 drops of 100% pure Eucalyptus essential oil. Shake together in an airtight container or an old medication tube. Rub on needed areas. Do not ingest.

There is a difference between regular distilled vinegar and the raw, organic vinegar with mother. Distilled vinegar is clear and has no nutritional value whatsoever. It is a dead food as all the nutrients have been stripped during the pasteurization process. Raw vinegar with mother (the strand-like substance in the bottom of the bottle), has a brownish color with visible mother and is full of living nutrients and active bacteria.

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ACV is not limited to medicinal uses only, it is also known for it's cleaning purposes and as a detox agent. Raw ACV is a great way to remove toxins from the body as it's healing abilities causes one's body to become more alkaline, therefore making it easier to eliminate toxins. To use as a Detox:

• Mix 2 Tbls of Bragg's or your choice of raw vinegar in 2 liters of purified water. Shake well and drink throughout the day. It is not encouraged to add sweeteners to this, as the purpose is to cleanse the body. However, if you cannot tolerate the taste (Raw vinegar is very pungent) you may use a small amount of raw honey. Not processed honey.

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And last but not least, I would like to share some cleaning purposes that Raw ACV can be used for. For cleaning uses, you do not always have to use raw vinegar. White distilled vinegar can serve as an excellent substitute. However only use raw, organic ACV for detox and medicinal purposes, not distilled vinegar.

• Fabric Softener: Simply add 1 cup of vinegar to your rinse cycle. The vinegar will help eliminate static, soften laundry, and make your clothes/towels extra soft!
• Deodorize garbage disposal: 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup baking soda, let sit for 5-8min, then pour hot water down the drain.
• Use to remove soap scum in your bathroom.
• An all natural disinfectant: Place 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water in a spray bottle. Spray on desired area, let stand for 10 minutes. Wipe clean.

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There are plenty of other uses of this great all natural product. Hopefully this short list was enough to convince you to go out and purchase some for your own home or to put that bottle to use if you already have some and are not sure what to do with it. You will not be disappointed! Take care :o)

<3 Jazz