WATER, WATER, WATER

As I sit here this morning and enjoy my big glass of water, I think to myself all of the wonderful benefits it is providing my body.

Water is one of nature's most important gifts to mankind, it really is!

It is the most essential element in maintaning a healthy lifestyle.

Here's a list to just name a few;

•  necessary for digestion and the absorbstion of food
• helps maintain proper muscle tone
• supplies oxygen and all the right nutrients to your cells
• rids your body of waste
• serves as a natural air conditioning system
• helps metabolize stored fat, so a significant factor in losing weight
• hydrates your skin, especially in pregnancy (helps reduce stretch marks)
• helps the body to detoxify
• helps build up your immune system
• decreases the risk of colon cancer, bladder cancer, breast cancer and so many over diseases

P.s. This list could go on and on and on......

The recommended amount is to drink at least 8 glasses of water daily. I say drink 12!!!
I love my water and I am pretty much drinking it all day, always refilling my water canister. I have never been one to drink pop or juice (unless it's real juice from a juicer) and I only have my organic coffee in the morning..Because we all know those early mornings with the kiddies could really use that added boost!

So what was the whole point to this post??

Drink your WATER ladies and get your children started early. My son has been drinking water since introducing him to a sippy cup, he never drinks juice (once again unless real "juicer" juice) and absolutely loves it. I am so blown away when I see the crap people drink these days....just sugar, high caloric yuckiness!!

So when you wake up in the morning, start your day off right. Enjoy a nice tall cup of cold, refreshing water!!!

Reminds me of those milk ads.... Milk, does the body good!! Not anymore it doesn't......that's a whole other story I will get into later.

WATER... DOES THE BODY GOOD!!......that's more like it.

The power of Witch Hazel

So as promised I said that I would give some tips. The first tip I would like to get out there is a tip for all you ladies suffering from sore legs. As we get further along, some of us are get blessed with the gift of what we call varicose veins (yuckie!!) and with them come the sore, aching, and throbing pain. Well at least that is what I feel! For some, we may not actually see the veins but we can feel them brewing underneath or like most its just the pain that comes with all that pressure of our babies and we get swollen.  I know with me, my legs get so sore after a day of walking around (and when your running after a toddler and just doing regular mom stuff it just can't be avoided). With my first pregnancy, my god where my legs ever bad. I was working on my feet all the time and at the end of my shift my feet where ballons, I had no ankels, and my legs where just unbelievibly sore.

So this is where my sister introduced me to witch hazel. Witch hazel is an astringent that contains resin, procyanadins and flavonoids, all in which have soothing anti-infammatory properties. It can be found in most pharmacies, so its very accessible.

I think most of us know how important it is to have our sore legs elevated, but some of us may not know that by adding a cloth soaked in witch hazel can add to this releif. Now I'm not talking lying on the couch or in bed, I mean get those legs up ladies. Lie against the wall and have your legs up as close as you can get to a 90 degree angle and take the cloth and rub down towards you. This will make you feel so much better..I promise!!!

Hemorroids anyone? Yes, that's right I just said what I once thought was embarrasing. With the joys of pregnancy, come many other things that aren't so joyful. This is something that just happens, and we as woman just have to accept the small upsets that come along with having babies. I never got hemmoroids with my first pregnancy untill after delivery, and OMG was it ever painful !! With this pregnancy I can openly say that this little girl is giving mommy lots and lots of presure. So yes....I'm having some fun with that embarrasing shh shh thing we call hemmoroids. So what is the point of all me telling you this, oh yes, the witch hazel. You can also soak a cloth in witch hazel and apply to the "shh shh" spot and it reduces the swelling and gives you some relief.

On one last note, I just have to tell you one of the best things witch hazel has helped me with. After delivery we all know that we are very very soar down there. So what I did before I had the baby was soak my pads in witch hazel and put them in the freezer. Then when it was time to go to the hospital I packed them in one of my lunch bags and once I got situated I had them stored in the freezer. After the delivery, sure enough I used them like you would any other pad and let me just tell you it helped sooth amazingly!     

So there you so....WITCH HAZEL....go out and get some, I promise you won't be sorry.