Ivy Moon: herbs, botanics, and energy works

05/16/2022

Do you know which dog vaccines are necessary? Read this article and download our free PDF chart. Be ready when you get that reminder from your vet!

02/07/2022

"A lot of people call me a w**d but I'm a friend and come to help you!
When you see me, remember that I'm the ONLY one who wants and can grow in that particular spot.
Because:
Either the soil is too compact/hard / stomped and I want to loosen it for you with my roots.
Or there is too little calcium in the soil - don't worry, I will replenish that for you with the dying of my leaves.
Or the soil is too acidic. But I will also improve that for you if you give me the chance.
Or a mixture of the above reasons, of course 😊
I'm here because your soil needs my help so best you let me grow without disturbing me! When everything is fixed, I will disappear again, I promise!
Are you trying to remove me prematurely with my root? However meticulous you are, I will return 2x as strong! Just until your soil is improved.
You can even tell by my growth at which stage my help is at. If my leaves are flat on the ground then I'm far from ready but if they all reach up then I'm already a long way on my way.
Something completely different is that I am 1 of the first bloomers in spring so I will announce spring/summer for you.
During the day when it's hot, I open my flowers but in the evening when it cools off I close them again quickly. In fact, if it's not hot enough during the day I won't open them at all!
My flowers are some of the first food for insects after hibernation and unlike most other plants, I have pollen AND nectar, not merely one OR the other! And I am generous with them! 🤪😉
My flowers are even delicious for you people by the way, did you know? I used to be called ′′honey (or gold) of the poor′′ because my flowers are so sweet in e.g. jam, sauce or salad!
But wait until the end of May or later before you start picking and even then, don't pick everything yet! The biodiversity and bees will be very grateful!
Have a dandy day 😘😊"
- Poem by Paula Kok - Den Boer

02/03/2022

12/28/2021

Start adding blueberries to your pet’s diet today! 🫐 👍

To learn more about the benefits of blueberries for your pets, read today’s blog post: https://bit.ly/3H4lhl4

12/28/2021

What else can we do to improve our brain?

First off, you want to eat real food. When I say real food, I mean whole, organic, fresh, local, and unprocessed food. If it has a label or a barcode or has ingredients you can’t pronounce, wouldn’t find in your pantry, or that your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize, you should probably avoid it. Foods like that tend to live in the middle aisles of the grocery store, so shop the periphery where the single-ingredient foods live (like meat, fruit, and veggies).

You also need to eat colorful plants. Focus on eating lots of colorful fruits and vegetables that are naturally loaded with brain-boosting phytonutrients. The deep reds, yellows, oranges, greens, and blues mean these foods contain powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, detoxifying, energy-boosting, and brain-powering molecules. Enjoy an array of colorful plant foods like blueberries and dark leafy greens like kale, Swiss chard, spinach, watercress, and arugula.

And don’t fear fat! Eating plenty of healthy fats help support brain cell communication, neuron function, and cellular integrity. In fact, around sixty percent of your brain is made up of DHA–an omega-3 fat that you get from algae and fish. Make sure you include a couple servings of healthy fat per meal—foods like avocados, MCT oil, wild-caught salmon, nuts, and seeds are brain food. My brain worked pretty well before, but embracing fat pushed my mental clarity through the roof.

Make sure to always include protein. Quality is key. We need about 30 grams of protein per meal to build muscle. When you lose muscle, you age faster and your brain takes a huge hit! (And, as you age, your need for protein increases.) If you consume animal protein, aim for quality protein, like grass-fed meat, pasture raised eggs, and wild-caught fish or if you prefer plant-based protein, always opt for organic and non-GMO nuts, seeds, legumes, and rice, and try to mix it up at each meal (oh and always balance your plant-based protein with healthy fats).

If you feel like you’ve tried everything, consider working with a Functional Medicine practitioner to further explore what could be at the root of your brain fog.

12/20/2021

When you consume these subpar fats, your cell walls also become subpar. Instead of being flexible and responsive to intercellular communication, cell walls become stiff and rigid. The more rigid the walls, the slower the cell functions and more vulnerable it becomes to inflammation.⁣⁣
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Most people label all fats as bad and lump them all together in a box. The truth is that all fats are not created equal. There are good fats, questionable fats and bad fats. Our government, media, scientists and doctors have advised us to eat the wrong types of fats for too long.⁣⁣
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You want to ensure your body has the fats it needs to construct high-quality cell walls. That means eating more omega-3 fats. Cell walls made from omega-3 fats are more flexible, which allows cells to respond more quickly to messages.⁣⁣
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These “good” fats also help your body produce prostaglandins otherwise known as the hormones that cool off inflammation.⁣⁣
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Optimal sources of omega-3 fats include small cold-water fish like wild-caught salmon, sardines and herring, organic flax and h**p seed oils, walnuts, Brazil nuts and sea vegetables.⁣⁣
Scientists suspect that early humans ate almost equal amounts of omega-6 and omega-3 fats. ⁣⁣
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Our hunter-gatherer human ancestors got healthy omega-6 fats from seeds and nuts. They got their omega-3s from eating wild game and fish as well as foraging for wild plants.⁣⁣
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As people began to refine oils from plants, the ratio became skewed more toward omega-6 fats. This created a drastic imbalance in the modern diet, making us more vulnerable to diseases such as cancer and heart disease.⁣⁣
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The more omega-3 fats you eat, the easier your body can cool off, which means less inflammation that forms the root of nearly every chronic disease, especially those impacting the brain and the heart.⁣⁣
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Besides eating plenty of wild, fatty fish, optimize your fat intake with nuts and seeds, grass-fed butter (or ghee if you’re dairy sensitive), avocados, grass-fed meats, extra-virgin olive oil and olives.⁣

12/16/2021

11/19/2021

The truth is, dementia is a very big problem that’s becoming bigger every day.⠀⁣⁣⁣
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What’s the link between Alzheimer’s and diabetes? ⠀⁣⁣⁣
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Well, new research shows insulin resistance, or what I call diabesity (from eating too many carbs and sugar and not enough fat) is one of the major factors that starts the brain-damage cascade, which robs the memory of over half the people in their 80s, leading to a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.⠀⁣⁣⁣
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Here’s the bad news/good news. ⠀⁣⁣⁣
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Eating sugar and refined carbs can cause pre-dementia and dementia. But cutting out the sugar and refined carbs and adding lots of fat can prevent, and even reverse, pre-dementia and early dementia. Sugar causes pre-diabetes and diabetes, which often leads to significant memory loss. ⠀⁣⁣⁣
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Chronic stress takes a toll on your body and brain. Stress shrinks the hippocampus, the memory center of the brain. So, find your pause button every day and make time for some stress relief. Relaxation isn’t a luxury if you want to prevent or reverse dementia. Whether that involves deep breathing, meditation, or yoga, find something that helps you calm down. ⠀⁣⁣⁣
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Lack of sleep can cause impaired brain function, leading to CRAFT syndrome, which stands for “can’t remember a _____ thing.” Studies show poor sleep becomes a risk factor for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. Aim for at least 8 hours of quality sleep every night.⠀⁣⁣⁣
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We now know that physical activity can prevent and even slow down the progression of cognitive decline and brain diseases like dementia. Even a 30-minute walk can help. More active readers might want to incorporate high-intensity interval training or weight lifting.

11/13/2021

A staggering two million plastic bottles are bought every five minutes all over the world. In the USA only 23% are recycled and over 100 million plastic bottles per day are trashed.. [read more]

10/02/2021

How To Make Fire Cider... A Potent Cold & Flu Remedy:

► https://herbshealthhappiness.com/how-to-make-fire-cider-a-potent-cold-and-flu-remedy/

09/23/2021

This is pretty awesome... Are you going for a walk today?