1. Give a daily probiotic.  Probiotics have been shown to reduce occurrence of fever, cough, colds, and the need for antibiotics. Kids under 12 can take a powder, chewable, or liquid form, and older children can take an adult dose capsule.

2. Use a saline nasal rinse. A quality nasal rinse kit can significantly reduce the number of upper respiratory infections in children. Although this process might be difficult with kids under the age of 4, older children usually have no  problem with using a nasal rinse.

3. Give a daily dose of Vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is known to help support a healthy immune system. Children who spend time outdoors during the summer months normally get a good amount of Vitamin D3 from sunshine but time outside is significantly reduced with the start of school. Beginning in the fall, consider supplementing to ensure a healthier immune system in your little ones!

Now that school is in full swing, it's time to get serious about making sure your kids are feeling their best. It doesn't have to be complicated! Here are a few things you can easily do...

• Clean up their diet - Eliminate sugar, "artificials" (dyes, flavors, preservatives), and caffeine. 
• Give them time for unscheduled play without electronics - Bring back old-fashioned fun, such as board games, puzzles, arts and crafts.
• ​Make sure they get a good night's rest.

See? That's not too hard! 

These supplements are a great addition to your efforts...
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GaiaKids Sleep and Relax Herbal Syrup - Getting a good night's rest is essential for physical, mental, and emotional health. If your child needs help in this area, consider using GaiaKids Sleep and Relax Herbal Syrup. The synergistic herbal blend in the Sleep and Relax Syrup helps promote a sense of calm that will support a good night's sleep.

Kid's Calm - Kid's Calm is a gluten and GMO free multi-vitamin made with 24 organic fruits and veggies, Omega-3 DHA and EPA, vitamins, minerals, calm magnesium, balanced calcium, and amino acids. This award-winning combination will help children focus, maintain calm energy, and feel their best. This multi is great for supporting mental, as well as physical, well-being.

GaiaKids Calm Restore Herbal Drops - School can be stressful for many children. Thankfully, there are natural ways to support calmness in your child. GaiaKids' Calm Restore Herbal Drops was developed by a naturopath and is formulated to promote gentle calming. Calm Restore helps with occasional nervous irritability, sensitivity, and excitement.

​Start where you are. Don't lament the fact that you're not where you want to be yet. Make a point to do something. When that change becomes easier, add another. Steps in the right direction, however small, are better than no steps at all.

Focus on additions, rather than subtractions. Instead of thinking about what you're giving up - free time on the couch, your favorite soda, or Friday night pizza binge - think, instead, about what you're gaining. Focus on adding an extra glass or two of water, an additional serving of vegetables, or a few more minutes of exercise each day. Challenge your self to keep making positive additions, with the understanding that these types of additions add value to your well-being and quality to your life!

Make it a family affair. Get the whole family involved. Set weekly goals for water consumption or trying new fruits/veggies and make it a competition. Get outside and exercise together. There are lots of fun activities that double as exercise.

Of course, these simple ideas are only the tip of the iceberg, but they should provide some inspiration for making every choice count!

Live Naturally: How is your beef different than what one would find at a grocery or discount store?

Renee: Our beef is raised with no hormones or antibiotics - ever. The cows are born on our farm and are with us until they're taken to the butcher. They're never confined and are completely grass-fed.

Live Naturally: Are there any health benefits to choosing beef from Grady Ranch over other beef products?

Renee: Absolutely! Grass-fed beef has only half the saturated fat and is, overall, 4 - 6% lower fat. It's higher in Omega 3 and 6. Also, grass-fed beef is higher in Vitamins E, C, B, and calcium, magnesium, potassium, and beta-carotene. You can check out American Grassfed's website for more information on all of the amazing health benefits. 

Live Naturally: One question of concern for many us is, are your cows treated humanely? 

Renee: They definitely are. In fact, as I mentioned before, our cows are on our farm from birth until we take them to an Animal Welfare Approved butcher. During their time with us they are never confined and are able to freely roam and forage.

Live Naturally: Do you have any tips for cooking grass-fed beef?

Renee: Cooking grass-fed beef is a little different than cooking conventionally raised beef. We've had great success implementing the tips offered on American Grassfed Association's website.
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Live Naturally: Ok, so now that we know grass-fed is the best choice, couldn't we just look for "grass-fed" or "pasture-fed" on the beef labels at the grocery store? Why is it so important to purchase our beef from an American Grassfed farm such as Grady Ranch? 

Renee: Surprisingly, those labels don't always mean what you think they mean. According to Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, "the label 'grassfed' is ill-defined and open to abuse. Most consumers assume that a grassfed claim means the meat is derived from cattle that have continuous access to pasture and consume grass and other forage exclusively throughout their lives. This is not always the case." I would highly suggest that consumers who are interested in purchasing quality beef take the time to familiarize themselves with the information in this eye-opening study. 

Not only did I have those amazing benefits, I reversed the progression of gum disease! To learn more about my experience and to find out how easy it is to implement oil pulling into your daily routine, read my personal story here.

Add to soups, stews, beans, rice, and pasta - Helps to draw out the food's natural flavor

Soak fruits and vegetables - Cleans and revitalizes 

Use in coffee and tea (including green tea) - Enhances flavor
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Preserve produce - Blanch green vegetables before canning or freezing to enhance natural flavors and preserve color

​Revitalize sick plants and flowers

Pet care - Use as drinking water for animals to reduce odors

How do you use your alkaline water?

Healthy Quinoa Nachos from Fit Foodie Finds

Healthy Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins from Half Baked Harvest

Cauliflower Pizza Bites from Wicked Spatula

Homemade Beet Hummus from Daily Burn

Is "walking in a winter wonderland" wreaking havoc on your hands? It's no secret that the colder months can leave our hands dry and chapped, but don't be tempted to turn to chemical-laden, over-priced commercial solutions that only serve to mask the problem.

It's super easy to make your own all-natural exfoliating hand scrub to slough off those dry, dead skin cells that are synonymous with winter. 

Winter Hand Scrub

2/3 cup sugar 
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
10 drops of peppermint essential oil

Place ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Using a generous amount, thoroughly scrub your hands in a massaging motion.
Rinse well with warm water and follow up with a chemical free lotion - or even pure, coconut oil!

** TIPS AND NOTES **
- Almond, jojoba, or even olive oil can be used in place of the grapeseed oil
- If possible, use non-GMO, raw, organic sugar
- Store any unused portion in a covered container, such as a small mason jar
- Peppermint oil is one of our favorites for winter, but feel free to use any oil of your choice: lavendar is great for relaxing and lemon, orange, or grapefruit are excellent for a quick mood boost

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With the holiday's upon us, we chose Stress Away essential oil for the 3rd oil in our essential oil challenge. Stress Away is a blend of Copaiba, Lime, Cedarwood, Vanilla, Ocotea, and Lavender. It is a power house oil that can be used for many different things, like stress and anxiety, but it's also is great for skin issues such as acne.

I started by using one drop in my diffuser necklace every morning. I liked the way it smelled so much that I also use it as perfume on occassion. I also use it in my diffuser at home to help with insomnia. Debbie uses it before going to the dentist to help with anxiety and stress. With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, Stress Away is the perfect oil to use. Whether fighting the crowds and traffic while shopping, or dealing with the added stress of family gatherings, Stress Away is an oil you want in your arsenal!

Stress Away Benefits:

• stress
• anxiety
• depression
• sadness
• anger 
• rage
• ADD & ADHD
• relaxant
• restores equilibrium
• promotes confidence
• sleep issues
• headaches
• lowers blood pressure
• skin issues and acne

Stop by Live Naturally and get yours today!!