Oil Pulling with Coconut Oil to Relieve a Tooth Ache and More

Welcome to The Cherry On Top.

I'm coming in here quick with information on oil pulling. If you're not familiar with the term it's simply swishing coconut oil around your mouth and it's an ancient Ayurvedic practice. You can do this for all kinds of reasons. Freshen your breath, clean out cavities, whiten your teeth and clean out bacteria. Gargling with coconut oil can help with a sore throat as well. Isn't that awesome?

I've been having some discomfort in two of my back teeth, including my gums. I grabbed my huge jar of coconut oil and started swishing around a big ole chunk of the stuff. I did it for at least 10 minutes while I brushed my hair and got ready for bed. One of my teeth stopped hurting immeditely and the other felt much, much better. After just a few minutes?!

I did this for a few days and noticed the tiny grey spot on one of my teeth disappeared.

One of the most important things to remember is to spit in the garbage can. Otherwise, your drain will clog. Very important! My long hair is bad enough! Hehehe...

We've had blistering cold, here in Germany. My lips were a disaster. Chapped and full of blisters. I started putting on something from the pharmacist, but it got worse. I applied coconut oil instead and had immediate relief. The blisters were gone in 3 days.

Coconut oil, organic and cold pressed, is by far one of the most important items to have in your house. You can use it for literally, everything. I buy it in bulk. I brush with my teeth with it, use it in my hair, on my skin. We cook with it and I often put it in my infusions. I can't think of anything besides maybe water that I use more than coconut oil.

Here are my lotion bars I just made using, you guessed it, coconut oil, shea butter and bees wax. This stuff is amazing! I've got really bad dry skin at times. These lotion bars keep my skin quenched for days. Nothing has ever worked for me like these.

Make up remover (Try not to get it in your eyes, but don't panic if you do. Close your eyes for a little while, take a nap or go to sleep and you'll wake up fine. I do this often.)

Sun Screen I live in a somewhat colder climate where summers are not too brutal. I'm naturally blonde with what I might have called, fair skin. Since I stopped eating processed junk/food along with seed oils (all of them) and started using coconut oil as sun screen, I don't get burned and I get an amazing lasting tan. Isn't that nuts? There actually is a little bit of UV protection in both coconut oil and olive oil. You may have to apply it often. I put on light weight garments to keep the sun off, once I've had enough exposure.

Lip balm, deodorant, nail growth and nail fungus. Use on minor cuts and burns, too. I use it on my hands and really rub it into my nails as well. They look so great and shiny which is ideal because I just recently read how crazy toxic nail polish is. So, I won't be using that any more.

If this kind of thing floats your boat then here's another great item from grandma's cabinet.

Years ago, I wrote about the amazing benefits of apple cider vinegar. Wow! It's nearly as awesome as coconut oil. I've grown to love it even more. I'm even make it myself now that I learned how crazy easy it is and nearly free. Seriously?! I used to add a teaspoon of ACV to a small glass of water, but now I just drink the teaspoon because I make awesome ACV. I've found the most perfect apples for it. The apples just so happen to grow on a public lot around the corner from my house. The tree is pretty old and the apples are small and more yellow than read. They are crazy, crazy sweet and I harvest them from the ground, late in the season. It's so sweet and delicious, I barely taste the vinegar.

Did you know that ACV is just the parts of the apple you don't eat and water? I know, right?! So, when I'm making apple sauce, apple oatmeal or apple butter, I take some of the skin and core and add them to my huge pot of fermented apples that I keep under the sink. I cover my fermentation projects (I'm up to so many, lately. More of that, later.) with tea filters and a rubber band. I even grew a gorgeous mother. Eek! I've been doing this for years and you should, too. I just recycle large glass jars from mayo, pickles and stuff like that. Our local butcher gives them away at times. That's a major score.

Add your apple leftovers to a jar. Not the brown yucky stuff. I leave out the the stems and seeds, too. Pour water over the top and put it in a warm, dark place for several weeks. How long depends on how tangy you want it. I just leave mine permanently and add and replenish when necessary. When the fruit gets mushy, usually. Watch out for green, hairy molds. A bit of white residue is ok. That's more than probably yeast. If ya feel uncomfortable, just throw it the heck out. Try to keep your fruit submerged under the water and don't forget to put something breathable over the top. A paper towel and rubber band would do, too.

Again, do your research and check this other old blog where I talk about using ACV and it's benefits. I noticed I got a bit of an energy kick when I took it in the morning. See if it works for you, too.

Look at this enormous apple we got this harvest. One those tiny trees!

If I've got an iffy looking or tasting batch of ACV, I use it to clean.

We've got a tiny yard, but take a look down our driveway. It's full of food in the form of 5 fruit trees, 3 blueberry bushes, goji and the under growth is all herbs, strawberries and more. I throw our dishwater here so pumpkins, tomatoes and somehow, miraculously a fig tree is now growing, too. 

I'd love to include links to the place I learned about the coconut oil pulling trick, but just mentioning his name will flag my blog. I blogged about autism and our terrible experience after our youngest got a particular medical intervention that you or your kid probably got, too and my blog pretty much disappeared after that. I didn't even say anything bad or controversial, but that's just the way the world is swinging these days. The truth is something we are not allowed to know.

Probably why you may not have heard about the amazing benefits of natural things like herbs, teas, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, castor oil and more of your grandma's treatments that really worked. Things that more than probably surround your home. I hope to help you out with that. As long as the internet police allow it.

I'll show off more about those lotion bars and much more DIY stuff that's pure, natural, organic and good for ya.

Enjoy your apple cider vinegar adventures and don't forget that coconut oil, too!

What The Heck is a Mispel and What Can You Do With Them

Welcome to The Cherry On Top.

Have you been foraging this fall for food finds? I'm seeing a lot of pumpkins out in front yards either for sale or for free. There are still a few nuts to be found. The apples and pears are just about all rotten or picked by the birds. If you also live in a northern, chilly climate you may find other edible treasure out there.

We've got a very interesting tree that grows throughout our village and is our village's name sake. It is called a mispel (in Flemish). Mespilus germanica is the latin name. I'm not sure if there is an American or English language equivalent. The mispel is really unique in so many ways.

The only recipes I could find were a liquor and jelly. Boo! Let's change that!

The stature is really more bushy than it is tree like. I wouldn't say it is a pretty tree. The leaves are long and fingerlike. One of the best things about the mispel is that the fruit is ready when most other food is long gone. I picked a huge bucket of mispels and there were hardly any  insects on them. Only an adorable lady bug and another beetle critter that was all black with a few yellow spots.

I didn't think to get a picture of the tree. I'll pop out and get one or two for ya. (There were no leaves! I'll take one, later.) 

Above, you can see the fruit. The interesting part is you have to wait until the fruit is rotten. I know, right?! No wonder no one wants this tree in their yard. That might not be entirely true for every use, but it the lore in the village. So, I went with it. The oddity of it was fascinating.

If you're wanting to try one of these, I've got a few tips from my experience. I went for ones that were either on the ground or if they were on the tree, I chose the ones that were a bit squishy. Below, you can see the progression of rot. Each stage tastes different. That lighter green is really, really hard and the one dark one on the end is totally mushy inside and that's what ya want.

In the recipes I read, they used another process that I'm not at all crazy about and that's putting the fruit through a food mill. For me, that's totally ugh. I used it once to make current jam because of all of the little seeds and stems. I thought it was a ton of work and I hardly had anything left at the end to work with.

My process is mega simple, but it is tedious. You only need a small, sharp knife. I used a tiny cutting board and had a few containers for the good stuff and for all of the crap. By crap I mean the outer skin and the FIVE HUGE pits inside. It doesn't leave you with all of that much "meat", if ya know what I mean.

It was a lot of work, but I was just so curious. It took me about one minute per piece of fruit. I put on some tunes and heated up a lovely cup of herbal tea to make the process more tolerable. I also sat on a stool half way through the process and I did one large pot over two days. (About an hour each day.)

The size of the fruit is roughly the size of a plum or maybe a lime. The consistency is a bit like a fig, in my opinion. The taste...that's a tough one to explain. It is totally unique! Hehehe...The closest thing I can think of is indeed, an apple, but it's also a touch sour or maybe pungent?

Cut the fruit in half. Remove the 5 large seeds.

My goodness! I hope you are not put off yet. My explanation sounds nearly dreadful. So, I guess I better keep moving on and get to the awesome part. 

Scrape the meat off the seeds if there is some. Squish out the meat and remove with the knife.

You can see the size of my pot. It holds roughly, 2 full cups of the fruit. My cake was beyond delicious.

There's a look at the cake. I also used the mispel mush in oatmeal along with some fresh apple. I think the fruit is mega versatile. I'd use it with just about any other non citrus fruit. A banana might balance out the flavor perfectly. I'll let ya know, soon.

Freezing them is also in the near future. If I can get around to preparing the fruit, again before it actually does rot. I only came across one piece of fruit that really was rotten. It was black and most unappetizing. Taste the flesh to see if it's just right? You can just eat it right off of the tree, apparently. Of course, you must discard the skin and seed.

I recently made the most delicious wine mountain peach butter and I plan on using what I've got left of the mispel flesh for another tiny batch of mispel butter. Here's a recipe similar to the peach butter I made that you could use for your mispels. Use mispels in yogurt, smoothies, pancakes, on toast with some cinnamon...

Pairing it up with cinnamon is perfect. I'm thinking pumpkin would be a great combination as well. How about sweetening it with maple syrup? Mmmmm....I used honey, cinnamon, apple and mispel for my oatmeal and if you're not a Cherry groupie you may not know that I sauté my fruit in butter when I make oatmeal. Next time, raisins or dried cranberries in there?

For the cake, I used a recipe for oatmeal apple cake and just switched out the 1 1/2 of cups of apple with the mispel mush. I added walnuts that I also collected right next to the mispel tree.

What are you baking this winter? Anything unique as mispel cake?

Thanks for hanging with The Cherry.

Happy baking!

 

Some Tips on Helping People with Anxiety

Welcome to The Cherry On Top.

Last year, I started a series on anxiety. The first installation was about my personal experience with anxiety. How it all started. How I diagnosed myself. My experience with antidepressants and some of my thoughts on a possible connection with depression.

This post, we'll focus on how you can help others with anxiety or what you can ask of others if you are suffering from anxiety. I realize that not everyone will have the same experience and we all have different ways of dealing with issues. Again, I'm not a doctor nor a psychologist. These are just suggestions.

One of the biggest issues was leaving the house. In the previous edition, I mentioned how difficult this was. I found myself taking a lot of deep breaths because breathing was taxing. I felt flush and I felt like I could vomit at any moment. Sadly, my husband had zero sympathy for me and would not let me get out of going out, no matter what. A part of me thought it might get better while I was out, but it rarely did. It just wore me out, totally. It was so embarrassing! Sitting there for hours, quietly taking deep breaths and trying not to pass out or puke while people look at you kind of strange and continually ask if you're ok. Ugh!

I'm a bit torn suggesting to just stay home because I know in the case of depression, staying home can be the worse thing you should do. I suppose staying home wouldn't really fix anything either and I certainly wouldn't not leave the house for months at a time. You could try to stay home if it really isn't important that you go out. If it's your job, then that could be a whole other story. If you find yourself anxious before work, you may have stumbled on to your trigger.

If you're reading this, hoping to find some ways you can help someone you know and or love with anxiety, I suggest you try to always be calm. Try to keep a lid on your intensity. Don't tease too much or sneak up on your friend, family or partner. Consider your partner, etc and the things that stress them out. For example, driving. Drive how you think they would drive. (I know that might be tough!)This was huge for me. Slow down. Don't drive aggressive if possible and keep an eye out for stressful body language. Closed eyes, white knuckles, gripping handrails, etc.

If you're feeling frustrated by their anxiety, leave the room. Your reaction could make things worse. Try to be patient. I often tried reminding myself that my thoughts were ridiculous. That nothing I ever imagined actually came into fruition, but that never helped. I wouldn't beat them over the head with that one, but a calm reminder every now and then may help.

Get comfortable with being patient because this takes a long time to get over. You won't be able to do it for them. They have to do it. Remind them you're there to help when you can and be strong in your conviction that they will get better. If you see any improvement, make sure you tell them. Positive reinforcement is a wonderful tool.

Keep your schedule open whenever possible. Don't plan too many things. Try staying home more if your home is a relaxing place. If it isn't, see what you can do to change that. Maybe you could clean up a little more around the house, cook more often, do some shopping, spread the work with others even the kids. Encourage them to go for a walk, do some yoga and meditation. Get out in nature whenever possible and see how they do? Think of things you know they love to do and be mindful of the kind of tv you watch and music you listen to. Are the shows stressful? Is the music intense?

No matter what, get outside and take a deep breath. Even if it's just a few minutes and build up.

You won't be able to do the hard part for them, but perhaps you can remind them what part that is and that's what we'll get into for the next edition. Practicing mindfulness is the answer. It could take years until the results start ushering in, but once they do, you'll never go back.

Distractions helped me out, big time. Stay busy! I'm talking very, very busy. As soon as you feel yourself drifting into another cycle of negative thoughts, stop. You may even want to start doing something physical to help you stop, like snapping your fingers or if no one is around, shout stop! I used to act like I was pushing something big and heavy as if I were physically pushing away the bad thoughts.

If you have to stop yourself a million times in five minutes, that's ok and normal. Stop that train when it goes off of the rails and put yourself back on the right track. Pay close attention to everything you do as a means to keep your mind focused. That's what mindfulness is and we'll dive deep next time on this.

The worst thing you can do it just lie around. Get up and get busy!

Distractions help. If I was lying in bed, wanting death to take over, I'd start doing complex movements like swing my arms one way and try to swing my legs another way. Try making circles in a rightward motion with one leg and a leftward motion with the other. Complexities like that will take all the focus you've got!

Try out this thing called Emotional Freedom Tapping. It's another way to distract yourself. It didn't help me a darn bit, but it might help you. There are a lot of videos out there on it. Here's a source that you could use to get you started or at see what it's all about. It's a super easy way to get kick started.

Praying is awesome! Recite poetry, read a book and force yourself to focus by continuing to stop and go back if your mind starts wandering, again. Practice gratitude. Make a list of all the things you're grateful for. Do it before you go to bed and read it when you wake up. I often stop myself from "the thoughts" and start listing all of the things I'm grateful for and smile even if I really don't feel like it.

You've got a lot to start doing. 

- Find those triggers and see what you can do minimize or delete them.

- Keep an open schedule if possible.

- Stay busy.

- Try EFT.

- Keep away distractions by using distractions.

- Practice gratitude.

If you're wanting to help someone with anxiety:

- be patient (it could take a long time)

- stay calm

- stay away from stressful tv/music/situations/conversations when possible

- try fun or engaging distractions

- help reduce stress at home or work

- encourage any kind of positive behavior where you can (Don't give into negative or damaging behavior. You're a person, too and that won't help anyone, anyway.)

Come back and read more about mindfulness. It's a game changer and not just for those wanting to ditch anxiety or depression.

I hope you're feeling better already!