Taking care of me

My garden routine has added quite a bit of muscle building exercise to my routine, and I am loving it!  Exercise plays a special role in self care. My brother just helped me get the old bike ready to ride and I am looking forward to a summer of bike riding!  Time outside is definitely beneficial in so many ways! I spoke to the owner of India Tree and she had mentioned to me she would be moving back home. When I asked why, she said she missed the trees.  I completely get what she was talking about now! When I lived in California I missed the green so much! Florida was a wonderful paradise for me because of the weather, but being back in Michigan, I realize that being away from a city and submerged in nature is the best environment for me!

Diet is also a crucial part of self care.  Growing healthy fresh food in our own backyard supports the great healthy eating habits I have come to love!  For instance, today I have eaten a vegan sloppy joe with vegetable pasta salad and sauteed vegetables. I find the healthier I eat, the more likely I am to continue eating healthy and crave sugar less.  I did go for quite a few years without eating sugar at all. I have been consuming it once again, but I am very conscious of my sugar choices. I have also decided to integrate honey back into my everyday routine.  My brother knows a beekeeper and he brought me a huge jar of fresh wonderful local honey!

Raw honey is an excellent source of antioxidants, it is also great for your digestion!  Honey also improves wound healing, lowers cholesterol and triglycerides and is great for your heart.  Honey is also a wonderful cough suppressant and taking a teaspoon of local honey daily can help build immunity to allergies.

I tend to use as many natural products as possible, and I like to make my own products. Currently some of the products I am using include: essential oil – I wear lavender essential oil daily, I also enjoy keeping a scent from essential oils in a diffuser.  Aromatherapy is a wonderful stress reliever! I use coconut oil instead of lotion and I mix some lavender with the coconut oil. I use tea tree oil and eucalyptus for any cuts or scrapes. I also love mixing essential oils in with my baths. There is nothing like a nice hot aromatherapy bath – I like to add epsom salt and baking soda to mine!

I am enjoying the positive impacts of charcoal masks for my face – although that isn’t something I have ever made myself.  I also use rose water on my face daily. One of my favorite recipes I will be sure to share is for a sugar scrub. I have also in the past made my own deodorant, although I will be trying one of the many natural deodorants available because I was not satisfied with the results of my homemade version.