New Online Magazine Opportunities

I'm both honored and excited to announce the upcoming launch of the magazine named after this blog. There was a struggle with the name of the magazine, but it was determined that "It's Your Life" fits with the natural living theme of the magazine.

With a desire to educate others in how to live a happy, healthy, natural life the name of the blog seemed to fit. After all it is your life and you have choices to make in regards to how you live it. Do you want to continue living sick and tired or are you sick and tired of it? Now this magazine gives no guarantees, but instead seeks to open minds to the various health and mental problems many suffer. What most do not know is how complex our bodies and minds truly are and what it can take to make or keep them healthy.

Through my journey to a happy, healthy, natural lifestyle I have learned alot and continue to learn. Sharing the experiences I have had personally and the inspiration of others who have also overcome physical and mental health problems without drugs is what this magazine brings to its readers. Striving for a unique magazine that has never been done before we have come up with some great ways to help our readers lead a happy, healthy, natural lifestyle.

What You Will Find in Our Magazine

• Unique articles geared towards natural healing of various health and mental problems 
• Articles geared towards physical fitness its importance and the many benefits it brings
• Self sufficiency on various levels rather you just want to grow your own food or strive to be totally off the grid
• How to avoid GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and improve your health along with unique recipes
• Superfoods are important for our bodies as they bring various vitamins and minerals other foods do not. 
• Herbs for health, healing, and growing
• Detoxing and avoiding heavy metals and other toxins
• World news that makes a difference to our health
• The mind is a terrible thing to waste yet so many of us do find out how powerful your mind is and how it can bring you peace, happiness, and financial freedom
• You will be introduced to coaches who can make a difference in various aspects of you life.
• Homeschooling is an important part of the natural living lifestyle as our children were given to us to raise and bring up. Each issue will include a topic with links for study, knowledge, and fun.
• All advertisements will be geared towards natural living if it be those who create, provide, or can bring to us something that effects our life in a positive manner.

 

This magazine incorporates all these topics into one magazine by writers who are either living what they write about or have a strong passion for the mentioned topics. 

Call To Action

• We are seeking more bloggers passionate about these topics to write for us in exchange for advertisement with a live link and bio.
• If you have a product you would like to advertise geared towards natural living we will do it in exchange for a link to the online magazine on your site, will include a live  link time span to be determined.
• FREE issue for those who will put up a link to the magazine in their sidebar for that issue
• If you have a topic you would like to see written about that no one else has addressed email me @ edjumpoff@yahoo.com.

These terms are for a limited time only to be determined.

The deadline for the first magazine is Monday March 16, 2015 contact Joyce Wheeler editor, writer, publisher, and co-designer for more information @ edjumpoff@yahoo.com.

April is Autism Awareness Month if you or someone you know has dealt with this health problem naturally we want to hear from you. We are seeking an article on a family who done this and know that they are out there. So, many families deal with autism and they need to know that if caught early enough it can be eliminated.

Maintaining Your Weight During the Holidays

 

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The holidays are upon us and with them comes food, lots and lots of food. There are all sorts of parties, office parties, family parties, friends’ parties, Christmas parties, and New Years parties. With these parties comes food, so what can you do to still participate, but maintain your weight. There are a number of things one can do to maintain their weight while still partying.

Think About it

Thoughts to process while at a party are that there are more parties and food to come. What time of the day is it? If the party is a night you should refrain from eating at all for two reasons. The first being that food is energy for our bodies and odds are you are sitting, talking, and drinking. You are not burning any calories this way. Secondly it is bad for the digestive system. You will go home go to bed with undigested food in your stomach which cannot digest probably.

Moderation is Key
Moderation, eat in moderation, do not fill up a plate with gobs of food. Make healthy choices, view the options before grabbing a plate and decide which foods have the least amount of calories. If there is something you want that contains high calories make that the smallest part of your plate.  Sweets, we love them, but here too moderation is key. If there is an appealing pie or cake that makes your mouth water, cut a sliver. Sweets that do not have to be cut are easier to just take two or three at the most.

 

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What are You Packing 

Traveling for the holidays is something a great number of people do. The one thing many fail to pack is work out gear. No matter what type of work out you do there is a way to continue during your holiday travels. This can get a little tricky, like taking your tread mill, or your weight bench and weights. Instead think of ways you can modify your work out. It might not be the work out you are used to, but just remember, something is better than nothing. If you have a health club membership to a chain like Snap Fitness, check and see if there is a location close to where you will be staying. If you are staying in a hotel try to find one that includes a gym.

Combined Eating  
Combined eating is an important factor for maintaining your weight during the holidays. Foods digest at different rates, if eaten in the wrong order foods are left undigested. Fruits digest the fastest, eat these first and alone. Vegetables are next, eggs, and fish also digest quickly only a half hour. Cheese takes up to five hours, and meats vary depending on what it is. Be aware with meats they take anywhere from 2 to 5 hours to digest. Fats also digest at a slower rate, lastly do not eat protein and carbohydrates together as they cancel out each other’s enzymes. This explains why we feel lazy and horrible after Thanksgiving dinner, stuffing, turkey, and potatoes should not be eaten together.

Using these simple suggestions will aid you in having a happy, healthy, holiday meals.

What tricks do you use for maintaining your weight during the holidays?

A Lesson From the Country Life

Living in Chicago gave me no education in a variety of survival skills. One such skill is making a fire. Eight years ago I married a man from West Tennessee, and moved there. We had 16 acres, mostly wooded, and no central heat. In the basement was a wood burning stove, and that was our main source of heat. There were two propane fireplaces also in the house, but we just used those in the mornings as a chill chaser.

If you have ever been to West Tennessee you would know that it is very hilly, and our land was no exception. What a work out we would get hauling logs up a hill to the truck. I was in the best shape ever, not to  mention mowing with a hand mower, sorry a little detour. Once the truck was loaded it was back to the house to unload, and bust 'em up, as my husband says.

What I learned is how to tell dry wood from wet wood, this is important when building a fire because you need both. You also need some kindling to get it all started, that was easy we always had twigs laying around. But once again it does no good if your kindling is wet, easy if it doesn't break easily than it is wet. For the logs you could tell by the weight. Wet wood still contains water making it heavier, dry wood is lighter due to lack of water.

For a good fire start with some kindling and paper to get it started. Once you have a good fire going add some dry wood, than some wet wood on the top before you know you will have a fire like this one. The fire has to continuously be tended to, moving logs around, adding more kindling, and more logs.

In Tennessee we learned about a lumber yard that would let us get scrapes. We paid a set amount, no matter how we were hauling it, it cost the same. They would come and scoop up the scrapes, and dump them in the truck. If we could fit more it was up to us to fill it by hand. The kids hated this because once we got back it all had to be unloaded and stacked up. Up point no heating bill, and those scrapes helped us build fires that warmed that three story log house. Miss getting out of the shower and stepping on a nice warm floor. Gosh I sure miss those days in the woods, splitting it, stacking it, what a peaceful time.

While we have central heat here in Louisiana we don't need it alot. We made sure we had a fireplace at least to save on the electric bill. We are slowly clearing some trees, and use the wood for fire, but we still need some kindling, and dry wood. Wood left from the previous year is our dry wood, and the awesome gentleman up the road who does wood working gives us his scrapes.

I'm always cold in the winter, so for me building and tending to the fire is a great way to keep warm. You know what It's my life, and I'm living it to the fullest. I love my life, thank you Father, I am truly blessed.

A Visitor For The Week

My daughter has been here since last Saturday from West Tennessee. It's nice because the boys always go to winter camp with the church for the weekend before Thanksgiving. My daughter comes down, and we have some mom and daughter time.

We have developed a tradition, we go to the local Renaissance Festival. It's funny the first year we
 took all kinds of pictures, last year a few, and this year not one. Picking up something from the festival has also become a tradition, along with soup in a bread bowl, ohhhhh so good.

Baton Rouge 2013

Wednesday we went to Baton Rouge. It was cold and very windy, I look sad in the picture, not true I was stinking freezing. How she mustered that great smile I don't know. Armed with just that sweater she is now sick sleeping on the couch. She is leaving Sunday, and I feel like I'm missing out on some great time with my Goose. Love how the wind grabbed my hair just as the picture was being taken.
 
Why Goose? Because she as silly as a goose. She loves taking pictures, and having fun, below are some photos of us having fun. 

West Tennessee we had a nice snow fall, and looked all around for something to make a sled out of. We finally found the car carrier under the porch, and had a blast sliding down the hill.

Just being our silly selves

She loves taking pictures in a vehicle.

Browsing a local unique store.

An outing at Hobby Lobby.

Renaissance Festival 2012

Renaissance Festival 2011

Another vehicle shot

On Thanksgiving we had our first full real food Thanksgiving meal. I found some organic cranberries at Whole Foods, and Goose made them for us using this recipe. It was soooo good, and her first time making it. I have now nominated her as the official cranberry sauce maker for Thanksgiving.

Doesn't this look good?

I don't eat cranberry sauce, but this was on my plate.

Okay, she's awake now, so I'm done sharing. The natural medicine is working well just wish she would realize that is why everyone is getting better so fast. Oh well it took the boys awhile to get with the whole natural thing. Forgot to mention all three of the kiddos are sick. Speaking of looks like it's time for more elderberry syrup, one tablespoon every hour.

Real Food Friday Link Up is going on now through Dec. 2, 2013. Stop by and see what real food others are doing, or link up your real food posts, organic only please. Also it says the last link up, but due to the disappointment of many it will continue.