Selling My Hair Again

Here's an unusual way to make a few dollars.

I grow my hair out really long and then cut it once every few years and sell the growth. 

When I first started doing this I could wait 3 years between hair cuts. As I have gotten older my rate of growth has started to slow. My hair is thinner than it used to be, too. 

(There are other factors besides age, though; diet, hormones, multiple pregnancies, treating my hair a little rough,...) 

Honestly, my hair growth has not slacked off that drastically. I used to get 6 inches in a year and now I get 5 inches in a year.

June was the month I wanted to cut my hair. 

The buyer who bought the last hair that I sold commented that he would be interested in buying again. I told him that it was going to be 4 years before I cut my hair again, but I would let him know when the time came.

Having saved his shipping address from 2019, I wrote him a letter and told him my asking price and that I had some pictures and videos of my hair that I could share via email in order that he could see the product.

He was happy that I had remembered to contact him and he said he would buy my hair again.

Score for me! $150 without having to pay any ebay fees.

Ways to get a high price for hair:

These factors can help your hair be the best quality possible and, therefore, fetch a premium price.

Keep your hair in good condition. I like to wear my hair in a bun all the time. Other protective styles include braids, French braids, French knot, Chignon bun, and Heidi braids to name a few. 

Hair is weaker when it is wet. Waiting to brush and detangle your hair until it is dry can help you avoid unnecessary breakage.

Keep your hair away from heat. Curlers, straighteners, and blow-dryers can all weaken your hair.

Minimize the use of chemicals on your hair. Things like dyes, bleaches, and perms can negatively effect the strength and texture of your hair.

Take good care of your health. Nonsmokers and non-drinkers are able to get a higher price for their hair.

I hope these tips help, if you're interested in trying this with your hair.

Let Thy Food Be Thy Medicine

 Two ways to eat fresh onions and garlic

Why eat fresh garlic and onions? These bulbs contain a component called Allicin among other health promoting components. Allicin inhibits the reproduction of bacteria and viruses. I don't know all the science, but you can read more HERE on Herbazest.com.

Whenever I am fighting a bacterial or viral infection I try to consume as much garlic as possible.

Most of the time I straight up eat garlic cloves. But, eating garlic can be way more pleasurable.

For onions try this Tomato Onion Salad.

Dice half an onion and a medium tomato.

Mix together with salt, pepper, basil, a couple tablespoons of mayonnaise and as much apple cider vinegar as you like (2ish Tbsp. for me).

This salad was so delicious that last time I was sick I was eating this salad twice a day. That makes 1 whole onion a day! I think that it did me a lot of good and it was real food as medicine.

I love garlic! There are many ways that I get fresh garlic into my diet. I've made a garlic and oil emulsion as a salad dressing. That is a good way to get a few fresh garlic cloves with a meal. My family has a tradition of making what we call Garlic Salad, which is a garlic spread made from cooked eggplant pulp, bread crumbs, olive oil, vinegar, and salt. It is similar to the Lebanese dish; Baba Ganu. I quit adding the bread crumbs and I like it much better that way. (I never told my Grandma.Shhh)

One of my favorite ways to eat fresh garlic in a meal is a variation of Huevos Rancheros.

I mix 3-4 cloves of minced garlic with a couple ounces of cream cheese.

Spread the cream cheese mixture onto toasted corn tortillas.

Top with a fried eggs and chopped cilantro.

And, for a added boost for flavor and health promoting capsaicin, add Tabasco sauce or your favorite hot pepper sauce. 

There you have it! Two ways to make food your medicine by utilizing the flavors of fresh onions and garlic!

I hope you enjoy!

Let me know if you have tried any of these before or how you use food as your medicine!

Psalms 104:14 

He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle,

 and herb for the service of man:

 that he may bring forth food out of the earth;

How I Got Rid of Leg Cramps

I tried taking a few different types of Calcium/Magnesium supplements when I started having leg cramps in the night. 

This is what ended working for me. Of course, what worked for me may not work for you. Please talk to your Doctor and do your own research. :)

The combination that worked was a Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, and Vitamin D supplement from Walmart taken before bed along with a teaspoon of Natto.

This Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc,
 and Vit. D from Walmart

Natto? What is that?

Natto is a fermented soybean condiment common in Japan. I buy Natto at our local Asian market in the frozen foods section. 

Natto comes with a piece of thin plastic
over the beans to keep it from drying out. 

Packaging of frozen Natto

Natto comes in packages of 4 small
containers

Why would I take Natto with Calcium/Magnesium?

Natto contains massive amounts of vitamin K2. I heard on Dr. Paul's podcast (Against the Wind) that, while vitamin D3 is essential for the body to absorb Calcium, vitamin K2 is essential for making sure the Calcium gets deposited in the right places; building bones as opposed to arthritis, etc.

I had to take 4 capsules of the Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, and Vitamin D supplement at night before bed along with a teaspoon of Natto to be free from cramps all night. If I only took 3 capsules I would be on the verge of a cramp all night. If I took 4 capsules without the Natto I would be on the verge of a cramp all night. I needed to take 4 capsules with Natto before bed to have good results.

This is highly anecdotal and not scientific at all. I wanted to tell my experience here. Maybe it can help someone out there to figure out what combination of supplements they need to take to get rid of their leg cramps.

I didn't have to have many cramps to feel desperate to find a solution. They are so painful! And at the moment of muscle seizer one feels so helpless! 

If you have any tips for dealing with leg cramps please leave them in the comments below! :)

Fire Water: Home Remedy For Cold and Flu

Fire Water

Home Remedy For Cold And Flu 

Particularly Healing For Sore Throats

Recipe:

1/2 cup Boiling Water

1 tsp. Cayenne Powder

1 tsp. Salt

1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

Mix cayenne pepper, salt, and boiling water. Stir until salt is dissolved. Add apple cider vinegar. Take 1 tablespoon every 15-20 minutes until flu is gone. To treat a sore throat gargle each dose before swallowing.

This is my favorite remedy for sore throats. I have used it many times. The ingredients are simple and effective.  I always have them on hand, unlike the ingredients for Decongestant Tea, which are a little more specialized. I, also, really like how effective the Decongestant Tea is, but I don't always have all the ingredients.

This recipe is taken from Be Your Own "Doctor"  by Rachel Weaver. I love this book! I highly recommend you order yourself a copy! Rachel Weaver is a midwife and master herbalist. She has lots of experience and advice on treating common ailments naturally. I purchased her book from Nature's Warehouse. Their store is in Kidron Ohio but you can buy the book on their website. Here is a link.

The Wonderful Pineapple Weed!

I just learned, this month, that Pineapple Weed is Wild Chamomile!
I have long loved the scent of Pineapple Weed. Years before I knew the plant even had a name I would pick a bud whenever I passed a patch in the driveway, give it a pinch and smell the sweet aroma. The fragrance is so fruity and tropical.

I have tried for a few years to grow Chamomile, only being successful this year. I noticed that my Chamomile plants looked uncannily like Pineapple Weed. So, I decided to do some reading about Pineapple Weed. One of the first things that I came across is, that Pineapple Weed is, in fact, Wild Chamomile. I was super excited, because I get excited over these kinds of things. :)
Now I have been going out and picking Pineapple Weed buds every few days to dry for tea. I really enjoy Chamomile tea. The flavor of Chamomile is unique to that herb. I brewed a cup of Pineapple Weed tea and was very happy to find that it tasted just like Chamomile tea. It is indeed Wild Chamomile. :)

Decongestant Tea

This tea recipe came from my sister-in-law and it really works! I have used it several times and always been impressed with how much better I feel after drinking this tea. It seems to break up congestion quite effectively.  While it is not the most pleasant tasting tea, neither is it completely terrible. I like the spice flavors of the cinnamon and cloves, along with the orange zest.

Decongestant Tea

1 quart boiling water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or 1/2 cinnamon stick broken up 
1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tea bags of green tea
1/4 teaspoon orange peel
1/8 teaspoon of Thyme (or more)
4 cloves or 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves 
1 peppermint tea bag (optional)
1 clove of garlic, crushed

Steep for 20-30 minutes. Drink with honey, sweetened to taste. 

Lavender Oatmeal Bath Soak Recipe

I made this for my mother-in-law's Mother's Day gift.

I just tried it (5/18/17). It seemed to help with my sun burn. It was very soothing. Normally a sunburn, like what I had, would cause enough damage to make my skin peel about week later, but with the help of this healing soak my nose didn't peel at all! I was definitely grateful for that. :)

Lavender Oatmeal Soak Recipe

1 cup Epsom salt
1 cup oatmeal, ground in a blender until fine powder
1/2 cup baking soda
10 drops tea tree essential oil
15 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops frankincense essential oil

Mix well until the oils have been thoroughly distributed and blended. I used my food processor to make sure it was mixed well.

Store in a jar or container.

For a calming and relaxing bath stir 1 cup of mixture into a warm bath. Soak for 20-30 minutes.

Home Remedy For Earaches

This is a simple home remedy for earaches that has helped me a great deal.

Garlic Oil

1 clove garlic, crushed
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

In a small bowl mix garlic and oil together. Let sit for a few minutes (3-5) to allow garlic to infuse the oil. With head tilted to one side put a few drops of the oil into the hurting ear. Make sure the oil trickles all the way down the ear canal. The oil trickling down may feel quite unnerving, but it usually will bring immediate relief when it reaches the ear drum. Put a piece of cotton ball or wadded up tissue into the ear to keep the oil from running out. I put this into my ear periodically when I have an earache throughout the day and especially at bedtime until my earache is gone.

 Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to take the place of your personal physician’s advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.