Friday, March 31, 2017

A Spoonful Of Castor Oil Can Do All This

Before I started making soap, I basically used olive oil for cooking and coconut oil for my beauty needs. It wasn’t until I started exploring all of the unique properties of different oils that I began to widen my horizons. One of the ingredients I use often is castor oil — and for good reason.

Of course, castor oil is great for your skin, but this healthy oil can be ingested as well. Perhaps some of you were force-fed a spoonful of this oil in your childhood and since then, you’ve never touched the stuff. If you can relate, you’ll be happy to know that your guardian meant well. Better yet, they were encouraging positive health.

Is castor all it’s cracked up to be?

If you were fed spoonfuls of castor oil as a child, consider yourself lucky. For thousands of years, people have been experiencing the positive effects of castor oil. Until recently, however, the true power of castor oil wasn’t confirmed within the scientific community.

Although this oil was categorized as safe and effective, researchers did not quite understand how it worked — until now. While studying various fatty acids in terms of their ability to bind to certain receptors, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research got a hit with ricinoleic acid.

This fatty acid makes up approximately 90 percent of castor oil. Based on its use in traditional and alternative medicine, the researchers wanted to further investigate. They found that, when ingested, the ricinoleic acid in castor oil bound to specific receptors in the intestine and uterus — which highlights how this oil encourages labor-inducing and laxative effects.

Some of the ways you’ll benefit from castor oil

Whether you were given castor oil as a child or not, there’s no better time to incorporate it into your diet. Here are just some of the ways that you and your loved ones can benefit from regular spoonfuls of this health-boosting oil.

Promotes pain relief

Whether you are suffering from muscle and joint pain, or can’t seem to improve monthly menstrual cramps, castor oil can assist you. Let’s face it, no one wants to be in pain. Unfortunately, far too many desperate individuals seek powerful pharmaceutical pain relievers.

Based on this oil’s anti-inflammatory properties, it is able to target sore joints associated with arthritis or injury. Within one 2011 clinical trial, researchers found that castor oil significantly improved symptoms among rheumatoid arthritis patients. When given 30 to 40 milliliters for 15 days, joint pain improved by more than 50 percent and stiffness decreased by more than 48 percent.

More research

This effect has been documented in a number of studies, including another clinical study published in Phytotherapy Research. Researchers gave patients with knee osteoarthritis a castor oil capsule three times daily for four weeks. They gave another group of patients the drug known as diclofenac sodium, also taken three times daily for four weeks.

After the completion of this study, both treatments significantly improved symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. However, adverse drug reactions were high among diclofenac sodium users. In comparison, castor oil did not produce any harmful side effects. It was concluded that this beneficial oil can be used as an effective therapy option for those suffering from this disease.

For those who suffer from bad menstrual cramps, castor oil can also help during this uncomfortable, painful time of the month. As the uterus contracts, it triggers the release of prostaglandins, which are related to both inflammation and pain. Generally, higher levels of this chemical will result in greater menstrual pain.

Many homeopathic doctors will recommend natural solutions for this type of pain, including the use of chamomile, acupuncture and exercise. One highly beneficial treatment option is a castor oil pack. Apply oil directly to your skin, cover with a piece of flannel, apply a heating pad and allow to sit for 30 to 60 minutes.

Acts as a natural sleep aid

According to recent reports and surveys, an estimated 27 percent of Americans have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep most nights. At least 68 percent struggle to sleep at least once a week. What’s even more shocking is that 41 percent of people use over-the-counter sleep aids, taking them for a year or longer.

The misuse of these sleep aids is highly concerning, especially when natural remedies are available. Many individuals have stated that castor oil improved symptoms of insomnia. Believe it or not, many individuals will rub small amounts on their eyelids to encourage a better night’s sleep.

Promotes regular bowel movements

As mentioned above, researchers in Germany uncovered the mechanisms of castor oil. Unlike past theories, they found that ricinoleic acid binds to the EP3 receptor gene. When consuming this fatty acid, found in castor oil, you essentially activate intestinal and uterine smooth-muscle cells.

As you can imagine, this is why castor oil has been used for centuries as a natural laxative and continues to be used in order to clean out the intestines before a bowel examination or surgery. According to one 2010 study, castor oil may also be an effective solution for constipation symptoms among the elderly — testing those who had been constipated for 10 years or longer.

It’s important to note that excessive use of castor oil may lead to diarrhea. If you drink one teaspoon of pure oil daily for three consecutive days, this should be enough to relieve associated issues. If you cannot stand the taste, simply mix each dose into cranberry or prune juice to counteract the bitterness.

Prevents infection and enhances immune function

When taking castor oil daily, researchers have found that you can effectively increase the production of T-lymphocytes, which are known to play a key role in immune function. Researchers saw this within one double-blind study which examined lymphocyte values among 36 healthy subjects.

When the researchers applied a castor oil pack, as described above, they found that T-11 cells increased within a 24-hour period following treatment. This increase showcases the body’s ability to boost defense mechanisms — leading to an increase in antibodies. More specifically, T-cells are able to identify and destroy fungi, viruses, bacteria and even cancer cells.

Potentially prevents cancer

Based on castor oil’s effect on the lymph system, many researchers are interested in how this natural remedy influences certain cancers. Although more research needs to be conducted, it appears that castor oil can inhibit tumor growth. Within one study, published in the International Journal of Toxicology, castor oil extracts were shown to actually suppress tumors in mice.

Researchers found a similar effect when studying castor extract in relation to melanoma, as apoptosis (or death) was observed in cancer cells. Researchers have documented these effects while studying colon, prostate, ovarian and breast cancer cases as well.

It will enhance your natural beauty regimen

As mentioned, I use castor oil in my soap recipes, replacing a small amount of olive oil with this beneficial ingredient. Although the health benefits of castor oil are impressive, its positive effects do not end there. Whether you’re suffering from tired-looking eyes or an itchy scalp, castor oil is a safe and cost-effective option. Try some of the following uses for yourself:

It can effectively target both dry scalp and dandruff. Simply massage a small amount into your scalp, targeting itchiness and flaking. Experts recommend that you mix this oil with an egg white and two to three drops of tea tree oil. Massage into wet hair and rinse with warm water after a few minutes. This remedy can also promote hair growth.
Reduce the appearance of dark, tired eyes by applying castor oil around the affected area before bed. It’s said that castor oil will soothe puffiness. With regular use, it can even target fine lines.
If you’re pregnant, castor oil can be rubbed onto your skin to improve elasticity, reducing the development of stretch marks.
It can repair both dry lips and hair, preventing cracking and split ends.
Castor oil can promote positive skin health by moisturizing the skin, healing inflamed skin and reducing pigmentation.

Whether you’d like to condition your hair or soothe itchy skin, why not make your own castor oil mask? Some of the best ingredients to mix with castor oil for this purpose include honey, eggs, coconut oil and olive oil. There are hundreds of possible combinations, so get creative!

It can help remove warts and cystic acne

Little known fact, but castor oil can actually help remove warts. Each morning and evening, rub castor oil onto your wart until it disappears.

Report:
The TRUTH About Coconut Oil (secrets exposed)

Castor oil can also help cystic acne, which can be highly painful. By targeting inflammation and bacteria, you will naturally reduce the frequency and severity of breakouts. Simply put a small amount of castor oil onto affected areas before bed.

How should I take castor oil?

Whether you are using castor oil for topical application or are planning to consume it, it’s important to select the highest quality in order to ensure optimal effectiveness and safety. You will want to look for a cold-pressed option from a reliable brand — check your health food store.

The recommended dosage will depend on how you plan to use this oil, along with your age and any other medical conditions you suffer from. Like all products, follow the guidelines as directed on the label. Do not take for more than seven days, unless stated by your doctor.

For healthy individuals, a common dose will be one teaspoon, once daily. This amount will help you achieve regular bowel movements, improve blood flow and promote positive health. When applying to your skin, the risks are very low. This oil is free from common allergens, drying agents and synthetic chemicals. To be safe, perform a skin patch test before applying.

Castor oil packs

Many people use castor oil packs since they’re so easy to administer. When applied to a specific area, the castor oil will draw blood circulation and increased biological energy to the affected area. It is so easy and painless that anyone can utilize this healing pack.

To optimize benefits, you will want to select a quality source of castor oil — but also be mindful of the cloth you use. When purchasing cotton flannel, be sure to source sheeting that is pesticide-free. You want to promote the release of toxins from your body, not contribute to increasing levels.

Where to find it

You can find this healing oil at your local health store or online. Some varieties will specifically say “For external use only.” Please be sure to read all labels and instructions. Since castor oil has labor-inducing effects, please speak with your physician or midwife if you’re pregnant.

If you’re like me, once you explore the benefits, you’ll quickly begin to notice all of the other incredible oils available, including avocado and walnut oil. When you have a selection of oils on hand, including beneficial essential oils, you’d be amazed at what you can whip up for health, cooking and beauty.

— Krista Hillis

Monday, March 20, 2017

Raising Awake Children in a Broken School System

By Nanice Ellis

Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

Why don’t we tell our children the truth about The System as soon as they are old enough to understand?

Regrettably, I was not awake enough to tell my young children about the game that we are all playing, and that their participation is optional. Fortunately, my kids woke up and after years in the traditional school system, they each independently saw through the holes in the system, and they left before they could be rewarded with completion. I’m the proud parent of three brilliant, and awake, high school drop outs. Luckily, by the time they had the wisdom to make their own choices, I had the courage to support them.

We are waking up but if we are still raising children in an antiquated school system, so what? We are just passing along the hypnotic trance to the next generation. I want to be clear – there are excellent and well-intentioned teachers, but they too are restricted, and pressured, in many of the same ways that distress our children.

Systematic Programming

Traditional schools, in the U.S and many other countries, are training grounds, intentionally constructed to prepare children for The System. Public and many private schools are designed to program children to be asleep and stay asleep so that they will later follow along as adults. Our innocent kids are systematically programmed with worthiness issues, depression and the abhorrent need to fit in. Once a child is programmed for twelve or more years, he or she is well primed to move into the “real world” with beliefs and behaviors that feed and perpetuate a systematic agenda.

Schools are structured, in such a way, that rewards are given for following along, being good, doing as you are told, memorization and repetition. Punishment is given for speaking out, thinking for yourself and not following along. Schools effectively teach students to feel powerless and to question their worth at every turn – breaking the precious spirits of our impressionable children.

In many ways, schools use a military template in order to roll-out obedient citizens; long structured hours, endless homework, tests that create anxiety, and ceaseless memorization, with little time for recess. Keeping children sitting at desks all day also disconnects them from their bodies and the wisdom that is in the body. Many schools even look and feel like depressing military barracks.

When I was a kid, I would sleep walk as a result of PTSD from school stress. Years later, I would still have nightmares that I failed a test. I would wake up sweating – needing to remind myself that school was over. There is even more school stress these days than when I was a kid.

It is not uncommon for pre-teens to be on Prozac or other depression/anxiety medication because they are overwhelmed, anxious or depressed. An eleven year old should not even know stress! Kids should be free to create and express – to enjoy life and especially to delight in learning. No wonder the teenage suicide rate continues to increase.

Medicating Our Young to Stay Asleep?

Raising Awake Children in an Antiquated School System - Blue Pill - Matrix

Of course, there are children who don’t respond to school programming and do not go along with the agenda. These children are diagnosed with ADHD or ADD, but what we are calling a disability or a problem is actually natural creativity – energy that has no positive channel for expression in a school environment. Schools cannot handle “normally evolving children” – so these children are labeled and diagnosed in order to have an excuse to medicate – and sometimes separate.

But that is only part of this problem, the real problem is that in order to appease teachers and school officials, many parents agree to medicate their children. Giving our kids dangerous drugs to stay asleep is like forcing them to take the blue pill in the Matrix! These children are asking us to evolve and we are responding to them with sedation.

The Death of Imagination

Our greatest power to consciously create lies in the “mental technology” known as Imagination. Everything begins with imagination. It is stronger and more powerful than any action that we take in the world. Isn’t it interesting that traditional schools shut down imagination?

If you cut off a child from his imagination, you have cut him off from his power to consciously create his life. The System does not support imagination because it needs people to follow along and do what they are told in order to feed and sustain it. If everyone used their imagination and thought for themselves, most dysfunctional systems would break-down very quickly.

To The System, a child’s imagination is the enemy, and therefore must be suppressed at any cost.

Unknowingly, we, as parents, do the same to our children – only because it was done to us, and we have been brainwashed to believe that children must let go of their imaginative powers in order to succeed in life – or rather to succeed in The System. When we are awake, we can easily see that true success comes from the power of one’s imagination and the freedom to express it – ultimately manifesting in tangible results.

Let me be clear – there are some schools that support and encourage the free and natural development of children, but the schools to which I am referring are established, and run, by government institutions that are invested in keeping future generations in line and asleep.

Higher Learning

Education is essential, but there is a huge difference between memorizing information that you will never use and being able to learn something because it will positively impact your life, or open your mind in some expansive manner, allowing you to create and contribute to humanity.

There is so much to learn in this world, but traditional schools don’t address the most important elements of life, like communication skills, relationship skills, growing food, building homes, nutrition, natural healing, and the list goes on. If schools taught our children to be self-sufficient, confident and well-equipped for real life, The System would crash, or at the very least, dissolve naturally over time.

What Can You Do if Your Child is in The System?

I am certainly not saying that we should take our children out of schools or not put them there to begin with. I am saying that if we must send our kids to traditional schools that, at the very least, we tell them the truth in a way that is empowering and freeing and we not allow The System to raise our precious children for us.

If your child is in the traditional school system, it is imperative that you be a strong parent and resist the pressure of teachers and school officials who try to tell you how to parent.

Take your power back as a parent.
Take a stand for your children.
Stop caring what others say about you or your children.
Don’t be bullied by school authority figures – who want you to bully your own children.
Support your children in thinking for themselves.
Overcome your own fears of breaking free.
Find other parents who think like you.
Form support groups for parents – and for the children.

Let Us Become Responsible for Our Children’s Education and Development

Instead of teaching children how to get along in a dysfunctional world, why don’t we teach our kids how to create their lives based on their highest values? Whether you are a parent or a school teacher, you have the power and ability to teach children to:

Trust inner guidance.
Make positive choices.
Use their imagination.
Be able to say no and set boundaries.
Think for themselves.
Experience inner power.
Develop intuition.
Acquire skills for self-learning.
Gain high self-esteem.
Express inner confidence.
Master communication skills.
Experience and process emotions in healthy ways.

This might mean that you first embrace these things for yourself so that you can teach your kids, but that is also the point.

Raising awake children in a broken school system - Carlin - Teach Children to Question What They Read

When I took a stand for my children, each time the school initially fought back but ultimately backed off. I watched the school system (and a conventional ex-husband) bend in surprising ways to support each of my children.

It is important to acknowledge the restrictions placed on your child’s teachers, but this doesn’t mean that you should take no for an answer. Your child’s teachers can be your best allies in creating a superior school experience. And, don’t be afraid to kindly and respectfully educate your child’s teachers to a more enlightened approach to teaching. We are all learning and waking up together.

Most of all, trust yourself as a parent, and don’t be afraid to go against the grain, in support of your children.

My three children have excelled in extraordinary ways – for example, when my son, Travis, broke free of the school system at sixteen, he took all that “military time” he would have spent in traditional school and he used it every day studying things that he was truly interested in. In under two years, he mastered a musical instrument, taught himself how to draw portraits, developed communication skills, become an expert in body building and he even started his own business at the age of seventeen. If he had followed along like society demanded, at this time, he would be scratching his head and moving into the next phase of an inauthentic life.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, we must own the education experience for our children and not leave it in the hands of a broken system that is asleep and that is invested in keeping our kids asleep. We must create a school experience that, first and foremost, supports the well-being of the child – mind, body and spirit. Then we must structure education in a way that empowers children to thrive and to use their minds in ways that support the growth, empowerment and sustainably of the world. Education should instill confidence, inner strength, wisdom, intuition and the ability to learn.

Eventually our school systems will be built on this fundamental foundation, but until then, we as conscious parents must bridge the gap by raising conscious children and helping them to develop these essential attributes, in or out, of the current school system. This requires that we wake up and pay attention – that we are not afraid to speak the truth to our children, nor do we hesitate to empower them to think clearly for themselves. As parents of awakening children, we must be fully awake ourselves, and we must embrace the courage to raise and support extraordinary children.

Children who think for themselves grow up to be adults who change the world!

Zest Point – The Power of Choice

From the editor…

Magic happens. Miracles happen. But nothing happens until you choose.

You have the power to create the life you really want through your power of choice. Are you ready to choose?

Nanice Ellis’ book “Zest Point – The Power of Choice” can help you learn how your power of choice can empower you to transform your life, overcome challenges, open your heart to love and joy, and be the change you want to see in the world.

“Zest Point – The Power of Choice” is available now on Amazon in kindle and paperback editions.

Previous articles by Nanice Ellis:

About the author:

Nanice Ellis main 150x150 Are You More Awake Than Your Family? 12 Ways to Heal Family Relationships for the Holidays

Nanice Ellis has been a professional Life Coach for over 17 years, successfully coaching women and men from all over the world. She is also an author, Theta Healer and Master Neuro Linguistic Practitioner.

Helping people to make quantum jumps in their lives, Nanice’s very unique coaching style is often referred to as the “Nanice Effect”. By using powerful and proven manifestation techniques, Nanice coaches people to tap into the power of the Universe and live their dreams, bridging the gap from the imagination to the realization of that dream. She works with leaders, coaches, healers and anyone who wants to live life to the fullest. You can learn more about the coaching programs offered at: Coaching Programs with Nanice.

Nanice is the author of several books, including the inspirational The Infinite Power of You! and Even Gandhi Got Hungry and Buddha Got Mad! She is also the host of radio show Chai with Nanice. Her books are available at: Nanice.com/6/Books and here on Amazon.

March 20th, 2017

Something Extraordinary is Happening in the World – and Most People Haven’t Realized

By Gustavo Tanaka

Guest writer for Wake Up World

Most of us haven’t quite realized there is something extraordinary happening…

A few months ago, I freed myself from the standard-procedure society. I broke the chains of fear that kept me locked up into the system. Since then, I see the world from a different perspective: the one that everything is going through change and that most of us are unaware of that.

Why is the world changing? In this post, I’ll point out the eight reasons that lead me to believe it.

1. No one can stand the employment model any longer

People working with big corporations can’t stand their jobs. The lack of purpose knocks on your door as if it came from inside you like a yell of despair. People want out. They want to drop everything and run. Take a look at how many people are willing to risk entrepreneurship, how many people are leaving on sabbaticals, and how many people are suffering with work-related depression, and burnout. We are reaching our limits.

2. The entrepreneurship model is also changing

The vortex of entrepreneurship was once to find an investor and get funded — to be funded was like winning the World Cup or the Super Bowl. But what happens after you get funded? You get back to being an employee. You may have brought in people not sharing your dream, not in agreement with your purpose, and soon, it’s all about the money. The financial end becomes the main driver of your business. People are suffering with it. Excellent startups began to tumble because the money-seeking model is endless.

A new way to endeavor is needed — and good people are doing it already. Over the past few years, with the explosion of startups, thousands of entrepreneurs have turned their garages into offices, to bring their world-changing, billion-dollar ideas to life.

3. The rise of collaboration over competition

Many people have figured out that it doesn’t make any sense to go on by yourself. Many people have awakened from the mad “each man for himself” mentality.

Stop, take a step back, and think. Isn’t it absurd that we, 7 billion of us living in the same planet, have grown further apart from each other? What sense does it make to turn your back on the thousands, maybe millions, of people living around you in the same city? Every time it crosses my mind, I feel blue.

Fortunately, things are changing. Sharing and collaborative economy concepts are being implemented, and it points towards a new direction. The direction of collaborating, of sharing, of helping, of togetherness. This is beautiful to watch. It touches me.

Related reading: Are You Part of the New Trickle-Up Economy Yet?

4. We are finally figuring out what the Internet is capable of

The Internet is an incredibly spectacular thing, and only now — after so many years — we are understanding its power. With the Internet, the world is opened, the barriers fall, the separation ends, the togetherness starts, the collaboration explodes, and the help emerges.

Some nations saw true revolutions that used the Internet as the primary catalyst, such as the Arab Spring. Here in Brazil, we are just starting to make a better use out of this amazing tool.

Internet is taking down mass control. The big media groups, who controlled the mainstream news and deliver the message they want us to read, are no longer the sole owners of information. You go after what you want. You bond to whomever you want. You explore whatever you may want to. With the advent of the Internet, the small are no longer speechless. There is a voice. The anonymous become acknowledged. The world comes together. And then the system may fall.

5. The fall of exaggerated consumerism

For too long, we’ve been manipulated to consume as much as we possibly can, to buy every new product launched — the newest car, the latest iPhone, the top brands, lots of clothes, shoes, in fact, lots and lots of pretty much anything we could our hands on.

Going against the crowd, many people have understood that this approach is way off. Lowsumerism, slow life and slow food are a few types of actions being taken as we speak, changing how we live and pointing out the contradiction of how absurdly we have come to organize ourselves. Fewer people are using cars. Fewer people are overspending. And more people are swapping clothes, buying used goods, sharing assets, cars, apartments, offices.

We don’t need all of that they told us we needed. And this consciousness of new consumerism can take down any company living on the exaggerated end of it.

6. Healthy and organic eating

We were once so crazy we accepted eating anything! It only needed to taste good, and everything would be alright. We were so disconnected that companies started to practically poison our food, and we didn’t say anything!

But then some people started waking up, enabling and strengthening the demand for healthy and organic eating. This is only going to get stronger.

But what has this got to do with economy and work? Just about everything, I’d say. Food production is one of the basic fundamentals of our society. If we change our mindset, our eating habit and our way of consuming, corporations will have to respond and adapt to a new market. The small farmer is getting back to being relevant to the whole chain of production. People are even growing plants and seeds inside their homes as well. And that reshapes the whole economy.

7. The awakening of spirituality

How many friends do you have who practice yoga? What about meditation? Now think back, 10 years ago. How many people did you know by then who practiced these activities?

Spirituality, for too long, was for esoteric folks — those weird-like and mystic people. But fortunately, this is also changing. We’ve come to the edge of reason and rationality. We were able to realize that, with only our conscious mind, we can’t figure out everything that goes on here. There is something else going on, and I’m sure you want to get hold of that as well.

You want to understand how these things work — how life operates, what happens after death, what is this energy thing people talk about so much, what is quantum physics, how thoughts can be materialized and create our sense of reality, what is coincidence and synchronicity, why meditation works, how it’s possible to cure some ailments using nothing but bare hands, how those alternative therapies not always approved by regular medicine can actually work sometimes.

Companies are providing meditation to their employees. Even schools are teaching the young how to meditate. Think about it.

8. Un-schooling trends

Who created this teaching model? Who chose the classes your kids have to take? Who chose the lessons we learn in history classes? Why didn’t they teach us the truth about other ancient civilizations?

Why should kids follow a certain set of rules? Why should they watch everything in silence? Why should they wear a uniform? What about taking a test to prove what you actually learned?

We developed a model that perpetuates and replicates followers of the system, and breeds people into ordinary human beings.

Fortunately, a lot of people are working to change that, through concepts such as un-schooling, hack-schooling and homeschooling.

Related reading: Raising Awake Children in a Broken School System

Final Thoughts

Maybe you’ve never thought of all this, and even may be in shock. But it’s happening. Silently, people are being woken up and are realizing how crazy it is to live in this society. So take a moment: Look at all these new actions, and ask yourself if everything we have been taught so far is normal. I don’t think it is.

Thankfully, there is something extraordinary happening.

About the author:

Gustavo Tanaka is a Brazilian author and entrepreneur, trying to create with his friends a new model, a new system and maybe helping to create a new economy.

Visit Gustavo’s website at gustavotanaka.com.br