Evening Tonic for Pain

This Evening Tonic has changed my life in 2 days...or should I say NIGHTS!  Here's what I did for this Evening Tonic Recipe...

Rooibos
Chamomile Flowers
Peppermint
Valerian Extract*

I took equal parts Rooibos and Chamomile Flowers and put them in a tea infuser strainer, then added a pinch of dried peppermint leaves and 1/4 teaspoon of Valerian Extract from Ojio.

I added water to my teacup and let sit for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Not only did this help me get to sleep and stay asleep it seemed to help my pain issues.  My knee is getting much better pain-wise but now it's really tight and stiff.  This seems to help in the evenings!

According to the product description on their website...

This potent natural extract of the Valerian herb is naturally sourced and more effective as an herb of Ayurveda. 

Potent natural extract. 

Popular Ayurvedic herbal remedy for anxiety. 

Used for a millennia as a sedative and sleep aid. 

Found in herbal folk remedies around the world.

 I'm totally LOVING this product and others from Ojio and will be blogging more about them very soon!

Herbs & Home

Just a quick post regarding herbs and home stuff.  I posted another lengthier post earlier today if you would like to check that out by scrolling down as well.

Check out this herbal tea (tisane)!  It's from a company called Cha Tale in the UK.  They have some of the best tasting herbal teas I have had so far and I drink a lot of tea!  I'm not usually that fond of herbal teas.  Mostly because when I drink tea I want to drink tea and have it TASTE like tea!  Most herbals aren't that tea-like.  Another reason I wanted to post this herbal tisane is because of the Cassia Seeds you see on the bottom.  They have a TON of health benefits including those for eye health and I have been focusing on eyes lately!

This next one is a combo of Pandan Leaves and Lemongrass.  NOT by the company I mentioned above but I still wanted to blog about it because of all the benefits of Pandan Leaves more specifically regarding pain relief.  I have an upcoming article and recipe for this tea over at The Raw Food World NEWS Site so be on the look out.

This past week hubby confirmed that the kidney stones he has gotten time and time again are directly linked to his Crohn's.  After tests it was found that they were made up of calcium and sodium.  It's not so much that he consumes those two things much it's that because of his Crohn's those two things don't break down like they should.  So now he's focusing on lower calcium and lower sodium foods, however, he is a meat eater, and because of his Crohn's can't eat many raw fruits and veggies or even some of his cooked veggies he used to call favorites.  If you are new to my blog - it's true - our house hold is a mixed diet household.  This is becoming more and more common these days.  On top of everything else he has to make sure that he's eating low fiber foods, too.  A few random things we have found that meet all of those rules are spaghetti, rice crispies, and apple sauce.  I will do occasional posts with additional findings.

Focusing on My Lymphatic System

For the next 3 days - minimum - I will be doing a detox of sorts - while focusing on my Lymphatic System.  

There are a few things that I want to heal with my body and I feel the Lymphatic System is the perfect place to start.  I have 2 confessions to make up front.  ONE - I've never done this before so it's a learning process - so it's rather fitting that I am posting it here on my blog - My Blissful Journey.  And TWO - as much as I try and do things to improve my life and situation - it doesn't mean I don't have bad habits.  To get a little personal here - the older I get the less comfortable I feel about going undergarment-free (if you know what I mean) and I know that is BAD...I really have to change that.  It's suggested that women go at least 12 hours every day without that kind of support.  Because I have felt physically uncomfortable doing so I haven't for quite some time...so one of the things I will be forcing myself to do during this time is wear a camisole when I get home at the end of the day.  This might sound like a 'small thing' but it's going to be a challenge for me.  

Having said that...some of the other things I will be focusing on over the next 3 days (which will probably turn into all of this week) will be hot and cold compresses on problem areas, hot and cold showers, deep breathing, yoga, walking, and natural deodorants.  Some of these things I do on a daily basis such as wear a natural (non-aluminum) deodorant.  I rarely (close to if ever) wear make-up and I don't even use lotion, etc.  If need be I will be using Grapeseed Oil and/or Coconut Oil.  Another thing I will be doing more of this week is Oil Pulling and I tend to do that with Coconut Oil.

Now...on to what I HOPE to consume...of course this is all based on whether or not I can find these items in my area which has been a complete challenge as of late.

Plantains - altho - not RAW - I do have some in my freezer that I intend to bake.

Leafy Greens - you will see me doing a LOT of salads this week - so that means - I will most likely be posting those with my home-made dressings!

Cranberries - I really doubt I can find fresh ones right now but I do have a stash of dried that I have from my shipments from The Raw Food World.

Raw/Soaked Nuts & Seeds

Coconut, Avocado - Again, our fresh coconut situation here is grim so I'm unsure how this will come into play but I have been rather Avocado-Happy, lately!

Echinacea - as well as other herbal tonics and tisanes

Garlic/Ginger/Turmeric - I eat these in some form almost every day but during this time I hope to incorporate them into other ways, too!

Seaweeds, Spirulina, Chorella

Citrus - whole, juice, in dressings - you name it!

Consume more fruit on empty stomach - such as more fruit based mono meals

Cantaloupe - if possible I would like to make some Cantaloupe Juice and/or Milk

Apple Cider Vinegar (mixed with water and possibly garlic, Agave)

LOTS of Water and Water with Lemon!

I will probably be doing some juicing and smoothies this week, too!  At least that is my goal.  One I would like to try was from an old Dan McDonald Video - 2 Apples, handful of Grapes, 1 Lemon, and a chunk of Ginger.

These are just some of this things I would like to work toward this week.  I'm challenging myself with many of them to try and stay consistent but also try and do some healing.  Please drop by with encouragement this week!  I would appreciate it!