If you've never tried "detoxing", let me enlighten you somewhat. Over the past several years after moving several times & being under some challenging stress (w/my mom's illness & subsequent passing), I found myself not feeling very well overall. Exercise was very difficult as I didn't seem to have the energy to go very far... and I always seemed to be rather tired with very little effort.
I had blood test after blood test done... and nothing was showing up. Thought it might have been my heart and arteries, and had various tests done there -- nothing wrong with the heart. Had MS testing done... nothing. My sister thought it was my thyroid... nope it wasn't that.
You can imagine how frustrating this can be if you've ever had something wrong in your body, but couldn't quite put your finger on it, and regular doctors can't find anything! But I was determined to find a way to feel better overall, even if how I felt didn't have a name, and especially to get back to exercising! I tried a few detox programs that lasted a month here or there... and, with the exception of losing about 7 lbs and feeling better for just a few weeks, didn't feel like those programs were helping me overall.
I mentioned something to my massage therapist who said her husband is a Detox Specialist. After doing a series of tests that measure the organs through the acupuncture meridians, he can determine if my organs are healthy or not, and then with the use of herbs & a change of diet to Raw Food, start to heal these organs and the illness. I was told this detox program takes 9 mos to help heal the organs... not one month! So I decided to give it a try! '-)
I wanted something that would make me FEEL like I was making progress in healing my body, and not have a program that just lasted a month, and temporarily made me feel good, only to come back shortly after... similar to all the diet programs of my past. :-/
In March, I had the test first which is done by touching an electrode to the fingers & the toes (both hands & feet), then got a printout of how my organs were doing (not so well... no surprise). I was also given a one hour discussion about how the body works, what foods are best for it, and how it can be healed. I was then given (2) bottles of Gods' Herbs and proceeded to add drops to water/juice, 3x per day and changed my diet to eat more raw food, and eliminate food & cooked foods that are harmful to my system.
After 2 months, I was feeling BETTER than I had felt in a long time! :-D So of course I decided to "test" it by having some "naughty" food, thinking it was "oK" to go back & eat the way I used to eat. I also had friends in town and found myself not eating properly because I didn't want to speak up for my own needs. So, I paid for it... I became VERY VERY ILL over one or two days... and this taught me that I had to stay on the raw food diet & continue with the herbal drops if I want to feel better!
It's definitely a BIG change for one's body & lifestyle to go to a raw food diet!! It definitely makes life rather challenging especially while away on vacation. I cannot eat typical local fare as it will make me ill. And since I don't like that feeling, I eat what I'm supposed to eat. It's definitely a choice... Fortunately there's a lot more raw food & organic restaurants popping up, as well as organic fruit & veggie shops appearing around the world. But if you're like me... you might just have to bring what you like to eat, and supplement with other local organic & raw food.
So, if you have something awry in your body, and you're not sure what the problem is... consider a Detox Specialist who can help determine what's wrong in your body & help to heal it. You may not find out EXACTLY what the problem is... but you'll understand that chamges need to be made in order to feel good & enjoy life again! :-)
Check out: Massage Therapist, God's Herbs, Raw Food, Detox Specialist
This past weekend, while doing a walking tour of the wonderful & beautiful Historic Inns of St. Augustine, I stopped into the Old Drug Store at the corner of Orange Street & Cordova Street to visit Old City Remedies. I had visited their shop in the past just prior to moving here & purchased some soap, but this time decided to purchase an ounce or two of Tea they have available (in addition to other handmade bath & body products)! They have a huge selection of teas... black, red, green, white, rooibos, organic herbal, oriental... you name it, they have it!
First I tried their sample tea, I think it was Red Berries Fruit Melange, which was a melange of different fruits including blueberries (great antioxidant). I was very VERY surprised at how deliciously thick this tea was and enjoyed it's naturally sweet flavor which was not overpowering!After drinking the sample, I got busy sniffing all the samples of tea, and decided on two: Cocoa Cardamom: black tea, cocoa chips, cardamom, & cinnamon. Smells like cocoa tea! :-D Lemon Chiffon Rooibos: South African rooibos, lemongrass, marigold flowers. This truly smells like lemon chiffon, but the rooibos & a hint of lemon shows through when enjoying the tea!I'm looking forward to trying some of their organic herbal teas as well. They have a website that includes a large selection of their popular teas in a variety of areas and all their handmade products as well, but it doesn't include the flavors I mentioned above! Be sure to ask them for those flavors or... you'll just have to visit St. Augustine to find them! '-DVisit: Old City Remedies
I've discovered a whole world of *new* natural & organic products in the natural food markets after moving here this Fall! One particular product that really stands out is Ecover. They use plant-based ingredients & fragrances, it's biodegradable, and their containers are recyclable. I haven't had any irritation issues with the product either... which is a nice plus! 
They have a variety of products available, but the products I've used most often since I've moved here are their fabric softener which comes in several nice soft scents, this one being "Sunny Day". I also like that they print the ingredients on the bottle as well as on their website. This is something that I myself feel is important especially with skin sensitivities... and people have a right to know what's in the product their buying for their own bodies! :-)My clothes & towels come out so much more softer now as compared to other organic fabric softeners, and I can tell you I've tried them all!! To me, it's worth it to pay a little more for something that works -- as the saying goes: You get what you pay for! '-)Visit: Ecover
I found a wonderful store just two doors down from my favorite organic body products shop on St. George St, here in St. Augustine... Scents of St. Augustine! A nice variety of soy candles greet you as you walk into the shop... but these aren't just your average soy candles! The owner, Carol, creates her "unique" candles by adding a variety of butters to the candles so they can be used as a lotion on your skin as well -- Moisturizing, nourishing, & healing! So, after lighting the flame, and the wax melts... you can dip your fingers in (since soy wax isn't that hot), and smooth some on your skin at the same time! Magic to your senses as well as your skin! '-D 
One thing I've found is that it's hard to find a REALLY GOOD candle that uses essential oils and still smells great! But, Scents of St. Augustine has a variety of essential oil scents as well as fragrance scented candles. I've already tried the Peppermint Eucalyptus (essential oil) and Sunflower (fragrance). Both smell wonderfully while burning, and just as nice when not burning -- leave the lid off to scent your room! In fact, the peppermint eucalyptus had a very nice soothing & relaxing scent. I have to say that these candles are just as wonderful to burn & have as long a lasting scent as the others I used to sell -- but of course the fact that they can be used on the body is even MORE of a bonus! :-D And they're double wicked too, which means that the candle burns evenly down the jar until there's none left, so then you can reuse the jar! '-) The candles come in a variety of sizes as well from 4 oz. to 12 oz. She also makes an "Odor Eaters" candle which I'll be ordering soon... and am looking forward to trying! Be sure to check out & order from their website, unless you'll be up here sampling them yourself!! I know you won't be disappointed!Visit: Scents of St. Augustine
... with some of Jackie's new Old Fashioned Laundry Soap, that she'll shred for you too! :-D After unpacking many boxes, I finally found the laundry soap I purchased from her before I moved! As you may already know, her laundry soap is handmade and is scent & color free! I ordered mine pre-shredded, which means she shreds it for you... makes it lighter to ship that way too! And when it arrives, the package smells SO Fresh & Clean! There's a REALLY EASY recipe that comes along with the soap, so be sure to buy a bottle of orange essential oil* from her too... and don't forget the handmade bar soap!Visit: Handcrafted by Jackie Turbot*Orange essential oil is recommended as a degreaser. Have Fun!!
The BEST way for me to know whether a new town that I'm considering moving to is the right place is when I find THREE (3) handmade soap & body product shops, especially when one is organic & vegan!! :-D JACKPOT!! LOLOf course, I'll share these three wonderful shops with you... they all have a website, but it's worth visiting St. Augustine to check out their distinctive little shops & smell all the goodies to spoil yourself with! The first place I wandered into is called Bath Junkie. It's an interesting shop with lots of colorful soaps, soap beads, bath salts, bath products... and empty bottles, etc. Your delite & treat is to custom create & blend your own bath & body products! Even though they have products made with essential oils, I actually found a handmade soap made by Nikki's Naturals. I tried Cranberry, and was greeted with a soap having a variety of oils with a spunky cranberry scent! It lasted a long time too... as I'm still using it! Apparently the Pet Soap is very popular on the 'net with a lot of pet shops; since I don't have a dog, I can't say how good it is. Anyway, Nikki's Naturals is a one woman soap company (just like Jackie's) out of Arkansas. Her soap is definitely one to try as it's available in a variety of scents, sure to please everyone, including your dog(s)!The next shop... Hickory Ridge Organics was definitely a TREAT! Originally when I sought out this shop, I was looking for Dead Sea Salts in particular. I found a wonderful jar of Lavender Dead Sea Salts, and also Vanilla Ylang Ylang. I decided to try the Lavender and was NOT disappointed! The first night I used it in my tub it was SO relaxing with little bits of lavender seeds floating around, I had the deepest night's sleep afterward! :-D LOL It had a very nice strong scent of Lavender; 
I'm looking forward to trying the Vanilla Ylang Ylang next! The owner, Lisa, and I had a really great conversation about organics available in the St. Augustine area. She also included a free sample of Lavender soap for me to try... that's next on my list! Next time I visit, I'll be purchasing a few bars of her soap as well as the perfume! She has a website also, and I noticed she has an interesting type of soap available also... Felted Artisan Soap! Sounds interesting, huh? :-D With an order from her website, you receive (2) Free soap samples, which is a nice bonus, PLUS Free Shipping for orders over $50! Very nice incentives for shopping online! '-D I also learned that the B&B I stayed at, the Centennial House, has contracted with Hickory Ridge to purchase their soap & body products for the B&B! A very NICE choice!! This B&B was also a wonderful place to stay... I'll elaborate more in another article. '-)The last shop I visited was in the "Oldest Drugstore" on Orange St. After looking at a variety of antique drug store products (of which I noticed they had no antique Johnson & Johnson items) further perusal of the shop in the back led to a variety of handmade soap, face, & body products, as well as large glass jars of blended tea, all made by Old City Remedies. 
I purchased a small package of Peppermint Dead Sea Salts as it smelled so minty fresh, I could imagine it clearing my sinuses while bathing with the salts! I also purchased two handmade soaps: Pear Berry and Black Licorice. It was really a tough decision... as the Vanilla Silk smelled like warm caramel, but I decided to try that one the next time, along with the facial products. I did try a sample of the shea butters -- very nice, looking forward to purchasing a container of that also!Stay tuned for more tidbits from my north FL visit to St. Augustine, the oldest city in the U.S.!
Found a truly wonderful soap @ Whole Foods a few weeks ago, and even my friends agree that it's a wonderfully scented soap & very luxurious! 
While shopping I came upon a table with huge blocks of soap and little pieces cut off. I bought several scents to try & gave some to a Lavender-loving friend. Very aromatic & nicely priced, Hugo Naturals also has a nice variety of body products, baby hugo, & soy candles products available at their website! Go get a sample of this bar at your local Whole Foods... or just take my word for it & order it! '-D
Posts
