Make The Most Of Brushing Your Teeth!

Thanks to electric toothbrushes, we've all been trained to brush our teeth for 2 minutes - 30 seconds for each four zones of the mouth.  You could just stand there and stare at your face in the mirror or you could create killer calves. That's right, while I'm polishing my pearly whites, I'm also doing calf raises.

Use your free hand to steady yourself using the counter and...

First 30 seconds, feet facing forward











Second 30 seconds, feet pointed slightly in













Third 30 seconds, feet pointed slightly out

Last 30 seconds, feet facing forward (and feel the burn)

That's it!  Now spit, rinse & shake those calves out.

No Complaining Challenge

It all started with this image coming across my Facebook news feed.

Challenge accepted I proudly proclaimed to all my FB peeps.  Challenge promptly ended.  Perhaps starting this challenge while at work was not the wisest choice.

OK, next day, new day, challenge begun again. Damn it, I didn't even make it an hour?!?!?

I was not about to give this up - I wanted to see how my life changed - I was determined!  How hard can it be to not complain?

INCREDIBLY HARD!

We love to complain!  We are creatures of habit and we use complaining as a commiseration tool.  We use it to fit in with our peers.  It helps us to connect with perfect strangers when we are in the same frustrating situation.  It's a good thing...or is it?

Complaining brings a heavy dose of negativity, an energy shift in our environment, our spirit, our soul.  It's not healthy, it's not useful and it  doesn't bring the best out of us.  Face it; do you really like being around Debbie Downer; the person who constantly complains about everything?  Of course not, she rips through your good mood and leaves you physically and mentally drained.  Don't be a Debbie Downer!

But how do you stop?

Instead of chucking the challenge every time, I lost it, I became mindful of my complaining.  This challenge was forcing me to own my complaining, to be responsible for the vibe I was generating in myself and putting out into the universe.  I began catching myself, sometimes in mid-sentence and saying to myself, you're complaining, stop & reset (a Ctrl-Alt-Del for the mind).  And eventually the challenge turned into a practice.  I didn't beat myself up about it, I mean; I've been a seasoned complainer the majority of my life.  But, by being aware of it, I was slowly turning my my Debbie Downer ways into Little Miss Sunshine ways!

So the challenge is over, this is now a daily practice.  I strive to eliminate my complaining every single day - it's a struggle, but one worth fighting. 

Will you accept the challenge?

My Horror Story With Essential Oils...

Ok, my story isn't really all that bad, but it's a great warning for any of you interested in working with essential oils.

In true Healthy Hoff fashion, I went on one of my tangents and dived in head first into experimenting with some essential oils recently.

I had read that combining Lavender Oil with Frankincense Oil could create an effective concoction to remove sun spots.

Lesson 1: Know what you're working with.

I knew how potent 100% oils could be, but I went ahead anyway with no additional research to determine what I was working with.

Well, I burned myself.  I spilled both oils all over my hands, which resulted in a mild chemical burn.  Initially, nothing happened and I didn't think anything of it.  In fact, I didn't even wash it off; I just rubbed it into my skin.  BIG MISTAKE.  I should have washed it off immediately.

About one in the morning, I woke up scratching my hands like a mad man and could not stop!  When I finally did get up, my hands were bright red and HOT! At that time, I did not make the connection to the "oil spill."  I grabbed a tube of Benadryl and off to work I went.  Throughout the day I applied the Benadryl, but my hands still burned.

I went through the usual list of suspects: stress, allergic reaction, flesh eating bacteria (you can never be too thorough).  But, in the back of my mind I wondered if the essential oil had anything to do with it.  See the problem was that I had red blotches going down my forearms and the oil never got there; hence my perplexity.

The next day, hands still inflamed, I noticed a definite rash on my feet.  OIY!  Either this thing is spreading or I've got multiple problems.   

Lesson 2: Seek medical help.

This time I ignored my typical response to simply wait it out and called the doctor ASAP!  Funny thing, you say chemical burn and suddenly the doc isn't booked after all. 

So I was right, I just didn't understand how I was right and my doc put the pieces together for me. I definitely had a chemical burn on my hands from the initial contact.  And since our body absorbs 60% of what we put on our skin and I didn't wash off the essential oil, both oils went right in my bloodstream and began an assault on my body; in the form of rashes.  In fact on day three, I woke up to find my legs covered from waist to toe in really, really bad large red blotches.  I'm so glad I got the scoop from my doc before that little discovery because I would have gone into full on panic mode.


What to do?

Lesson 3: Wait & hydrate!  

That's right, I just needed to wait until the essential oils worked their way out of my system and the best way to speed that along is by drinking lots and lots of water.  The doc did give me a topical cream for the rashes and burn and a pill to combat the itching.  But, I opted against the steroid cream and questionable side effects of the pill and relied on Coconut Oil & Calamine Lotion and lot and lots of water instead.  Within about seven days,  I was ready for my bathing suit again.

Lesson 4: What did I learn?

So the moral to this story...respect the oils.  They seem all harmless, but some can be pretty potent.  If you're going to work with oils, do your homework and learn to properly use them.

Also, this experience really emphasized just how much are bodies absorb what we put on our skin and where it goes when it does - everywhere!  So think of that next time you apply make-up, perfume, moisturizer, deodorant, use cleaning products...check the ingredients, is there anything in there you wouldn't want in your body?

As for me, I'm going to put my oils on the shelf for now, until I have the time to properly educate myself and continue to workout products with harmful or questionable ingredients out of my repertoire.

By the way, it only took 2 teaspoons worth of oil to cause a weeks worth of misery.

Good times,

Contrast Hydrotherapy

About six weeks ago, I narrowly eluded a very nasty fall.  I did so by slamming my hand against a wall to break my forward momentum.  By doing so, I severely jammed my index finger.  While not bad enough to seek medical help, it has been plaguing me ever since - taking its good ole' time coming around.

On my last visit to my acupuncturist, I asked if there was anything she could do and she recommended Contrast Hydrotherapy. 

Here's The Deal:

Contrast Hydrotherapy works by quickly changing tissue temperature from hot to cold and back again, thus increasing circulation and speeding healing.  The increased circulation results in an increased delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the injured tissues, allowing white blood cells to distribute appropriately and allowing tissues to eliminate toxins, metabolic wastes and the by-products of inflammation.

It is effective for tissue type injuries such as sprains and strains and stubborn ligament issues.  It can also be affective for shin splints, tennis elbow, Achilles tendinitis and even plantar fasciitis.

What To Do:

• You'll need two containers big enough to fit the affected area
• Fill one with ice water
• Fill the other with water as hot as you can tolerate
• Submerge the affected area for 3 minutes into the hot water
• Then, submerge the affected area for 1 minute into the ice water
•  Repeat 3 times, ending with the ice water (if you have arthritis, end with hot)
• Do daily until you're better

Got a larger area to cover?  This same concept can be achieved using the shower - even better with a detachable shower head.  But beware; sudden circulation changes over a larger area can bring dizziness or fainting.  This same technique can be achieved with the use of a heating pad and ice pack.

The Verdict:

I've only been doing this a few days, but the swelling has gone down (I can wear my rings again!) and my finger doesn't hurt as much.  I still don't have full bending ability, so I know I need to continue.  All in all, not a bad free DIY therapy.

Check it out!

Source: 
http://saveyourself.ca/articles/contrasting.php
http://www.seekinghealth.com/blog/hydrotherapy-contrast

Why Omega-3's?

Omega-3s are referred to as essential, because our body cannot create them, we must ingest them.  However, fish and supplements (DHA/EPA) are not the answer.  Instead, to receive optimal benefits, it is best to consume omega-3s via plant-based foods, such as ground Flax Seeds.

But let’s, back up, why are Omega-3s so great?

For starters they are highly anti-inflammatory and protect against heart attacks, stroke and dementia, while limiting the severity of arthritis, depression and even dry wrinkly skin and dry scalp.  They are absolutely necessary for brain and retinol development in a growing fetus.  Omega-3s also keep our hair, skin, and nails healthy and they also maintain/improve our sight and intelligence.  As well as help the body assimilate insulin and help prevent cancer cell growth.

Keep It Healthy!

Source: Main Street Vegan by Victoria Moran

To Juice Or To Blend, That Is The Question

This is the question I faced when I decided I had to get more fruits and vegetables into my diet.  Drinking a combination of them seemed like an ideal solution, but what method would provide the best results?


Juicing by definition is the extraction of juice from a fruit or vegetable.  While the soluble fiber will remain in the juice, the insoluble fiber is removed along with the pulp.  This makes the nutrients more readily available to the body in much larger quantities than if you were to eat the fruits and vegetables whole.  Can be an instant shot of energy as you will absorb the nutrients within 30 minutes. 

While you can get more produce into a juice than you can a smoothie, you need to use more produce in order to get a reasonable amount of juice. 

Juicers take more time to clean, with lots of different parts.  You may need to cut up larger produce in order to fit in the shoot. Juicers can be loud!


Blending utilizes the entire fruit or vegetable, thereby including the

fiber.  Therefore, you will fill up faster and remain fuller longer.

This is the method used to create smoothies, a thicker version of juice.  Typically ice or frozen fruit is added for consistency and to keep the friction of the blender from "cooking" the food.

You may need to cut up larger produce in order for the blades to catch and blend correctly.  Best to add a little liquid as well to ease in the blending process.

A blender is very easy to clean.  Blenders can be loud!


Each method requires a different type of appliance.

Juicing: A Breville Juicer as seen in Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead (Documentary focused on healing through juicing) 
Quality machine is at least $150 & up.

Blending: A high powered blender, such as a Vitamix
Vitamix starts around $349 & goes up.


Benefits of Both

Both methods help alkalize the body.  Both methods can help greens become more palatable.  Both provide a way to get more fresh veggies and fruits into your diet.  Both can be an excellent way to use up "leftover" produce at the end of the week.  Both can make you feel better, more alive, more energized!


My Personal Experience

After watching Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, I caught the juicing bug.  At first I craved pure, sweet, apple juice, so I went to the store and bought a Jack LaLanne Power Juicer.  Eagerly, I got my new toy home, opened the box and closed it right back up.  There was no way in hell I was going to clean that thing on a regular basis.  I diverted my attentions toward the Vitamix to make smoothies instead, because of its super easy cleaning.  My love affair with the Vitamix held my interest for a few years.  But then, I got the juicing bug again.  I wanted to check out what all the health experts were clamoring about.  This time, I took a page from Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead and got a Breville Juicer.  Now, I juice sometimes and blend at other times.  I like them equally as well and at the end of the day, I'm getting my fruits & veggies in!


Sources to get you going:

Blending:
Vitamix Lady
Hoff's Bulk Green Smoothie

Juicing: 
Reboot Your Life 
Sherbert Lemonade Juice


There really is no wrong way to go, simply go with whichever method you will enjoy and stick with and there's nothing wrong with doing both!

Keep it Healthy!

Working Out & Runny Noise, What's The Deal?

Every time I hit the courts for a game of tennis, my nose start running like it's the height of cold and flu season! 

Turns out, this is quite common.  The heavy breathing typically experienced during a quality workout causes larger amounts of air to enter the nasal passages.  If outside, that means sucking in greater amounts of irritants like car exhaust, pollution and pollens.  If inside it could be mold or pet dander.

Sneezing and a runny nose are the bodies natural defense of keeping these irritants from reaching your lungs. 

So, a runny nose in this case is actually a good thing.

Someone pass the Kleenex.











Source: Shape September 2012

WWXD?

Eggs are good or bad?

Is Mediterranean the best diet?

Should I take this new supplement?

We are inundated with health advice every day from well-meaning friends and family to media “experts.” One day something is good for us, the next day it isn’t. It’s enough to drive you crazy.

This barrage of health & wellness advice will never stop, but there is one thing you can do to cut through the noise. Align yourself with an expert such as a doctor and then filter new information through their ideology.

Pick someone who you fundamentally agree with, look up to, respect. Then whenever you get the latest and greatest information, ask yourself, “What Would X Do?

My mentor is Dr. John McDougall. He is a well-respected, longstanding general physician who believes in and practices medicine through diet & lifestyle changes, turning to medication and surgeries as a last result. I believe and trust his approach to health & wellness. I have read many of his books, have seen him lecture and have even had one-on-one consultations with him. I admire and respect him, so whenever something new hits the presses, I ask myself, “What Would McDougall Do?

Luckily for me, McDougall is a rather outspoken health & wellness proponent and has commented on just about everything you can think of and continues to do so.  So, I never have to wonder long about a topic.

Next time you’re confused about the latest and greatest health advice, ask yourself, WWXD?

Keep it Healthy!

The Healthy Hoff Cookbook!

Hot Off The Presses!

Cooking With The Healthy Hoff: Quick, Easy Meals, Fueled by Plant-Based, Oil-free Whole Foods!

 

Cookbook now available on Amazon!!!

This fun, easy & sometimes funny, cookbook features 21 of my favorite plant-strong recipes!  

From breakfast to dessert, I've got something awesome for all your meals.  I'll show you how to make old school oatmeal super quick & tasty.  Put a new spin on the traditional salad, with my 5 Day Salad.  Blow you away with my OMG! Broccoli Cheddar Soup.  I didn't forget that vegans love Mac & Cheese too!  And I don't even know which is better; the Pretzel Bark or I Can't Believe It's Not Dairy Chocolate Shake!"  All this and many more will have your friends & family taking back what they said about vegan food being tasteless & boring!

Even Morticia makes a guest appearance in the book!

Available now on Amazon!

Check it Out!

A Lesson In Patience

Recently I visited to the beautiful shores of Presque Isle in Erie, PA to celebrate my birthday.  I visit this quaint little town yearly to soak up the rays on their one of their eleven pristine beaches!  It's a very relaxing, laid back couple of days devoid of the nagging, "We have to see that, we have to do that..."  Because frankly, there is little to be done, but just enough to keep things interesting.

But, that's not what this piece is about...

Last year I took up tennis - I love it!  I love it so much that I play it every day I can regardless of the weather.  So naturally, I did some Google research before leaving on my getaway to scout out the local tennis courts.  Luckily, Erie is a tennis town!  So much so that everyone plays tennis - everyone!  On our first day in town, the first two locations (12 courts total) we attempted to play at were packed!  While, I had a lengthy list of courts to choose from, my annoyance level was high and escalating!  "Don't these people have jobs - I'm on vacation, dammit!"

Now, these were really nice courts, courts I would have loved to play at, but that wasn't going to happen.  So, I picked a random court on my list and plugged it into Helga, Helga is my personal GPS system (don't ask).  Anyway, Helga took us into some very shady and questionable area of town.  I instantly felt at home because it looked like the backstreets of Cleveland, where I once resided.  My boyfriend on the other hand has never lived in Cleveland and was questioning my sanity and our safety.  Where the hell was Helga taking us?

This is where Helga was taking us!  A modest little, weed ridden tennis court overlooking the best view of my tennis life!  I doubt there are country club courts overlooking a view like this and this one was free!  While working on my backhand, I got to watch giant sail boats drift by and feel the gently breeze blow off the lake.  It was awesome and an experience that I would have missed had the other courts been available.  Who knew such a gem was tucked away like this? Great birthday present!

Patience, sometimes life leads us in directions we can't understand until we get there.

Aluminum & Alzheimer's

Exposure to Aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer's Disease for over 25 years.  The most common way we are exposed is through cooking.

To minimize your risk, never cook with uncoated Aluminum pots & pans and if you must use Aluminum Foil, buffer your food with a piece of parchment paper first.


Source: 
http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?query=Aluminum+%26+Alzheimer%27s&v%3Aproject=nlm-main-website

What Your Poop & Pee Can Tell You!

Because some things you just need to know...
Source:What Your Poop and Pee Mean

Live Your Happy

Have you ever noticed that we are all so busy in our pursuit of happiness, that we actually forget to enjoy the happiness?

We are in constant pursuit of the best:

• education
• career
• house
• car
• mate
• clothes
• fill in the blank

And once we get the best, we want it even better.  It's a never ending ride.

I am guilty of this myself.

I love to watch those travels shows and envy the people who travel all over the world and stay at those posh resorts - fantasizing that someday that will be me.  Recently, I found myself lounging poolside at one of those posh resorts.  Ironically, it was my Veganism that brought me to such a lap of luxury.  And was I enjoying it?  Of course not, I was living the dream and not even realizing it.  Luckily for me, just before leaving for my travels, I stumbled upon the quote pictured above and at just the right moment, it popped into my mind.  Right then and there, I put the brain on pause and lived in the moment for the rest of my vacation.  Aside from the super posh surroundings, it was by far the best vacation of my life!  Days later, I am still feeling the after glow.

So, boys & girls - today's lesson is, stop and enjoy the moment.  Celebrate all that you are and all that you have achieved thus far.  Get off the "Pursuit of Happiness Ride" from time to time and actually be happy.  Then go back to being the ambitious person that got you to that happy place.

Live Your Happy!
The Hoff

Natural Weed Killer

It's Spring time!  That means blooming flowers, budding trees and lots of weeds.  The latter part means lots of chemicals being sprayed to kill those weeds.

But think about, do you really want to inhale something designed to kill a living thing?  Do you really want your kids rolling around in a lawn sprayed with chemicals?  Do you really want to schlep that chemical into your house on your shoes?

Um, no.

Instead fill a spray bottle with 100% White Vinegar.  Then when the sun is high and the day is hot, spray to your hearts' content without the hazardous health risks. 

Keep it Healthy!
The Hoff

Is My Acidophilus Alive?

I have pondered this question many times...

Acidophilus is the scientific term for Probiotics.  And we all know we need Probiotics regularly thanks to all those Activia commercials.  But in reality, you would need to eat one pound of yogurt a day to get the recommended daily allowance.

Instead, it's best to get your Probiotics in supplement form since the amount needed to be beneficial is so high.  A quality Probiotic supplement will contain around 50 BILLION organisms per dose, with 10 strains of beneficial bacteria.  

Probiotics contain live microorganisms (Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. salivarius, L. bulgaricus, L. casei, L. bifidus, and others) - billions of them!  This is the healthy bacteria, AKA, Flora that we need in the gut to keep things balanced in the body (ahem - yeast infections).  This healthy Gut Flora keeps us from getting sick and overall out of whack.  Sadly, these little guys start to die off about as soon as they are produced.  This death can be sped up by how the supplement was shipped, stored (in fridge (ideal)/on shelf) and you never can tell how long those little bottles have been sitting on the shelf.


So how do you know if those little buggers are still alive in there?


Dr. Michael Klaper, practitioner of preventative and nutritional medicine, has this nifty little trick to find out:

1. In two bowls, pour 1/4 "milk" (soy, cow, etc.)
2. In one bowl add 1 tsp of the Acidophilus/Probiotic powder
1. Crush tablet into powder
3. Keep bowls at room temperature overnight
4. In the morning, compare the two bowls
1. The Probiotic bowl should show signs of the milk curdling, a film of yogurt, bubbles of carbon dioxide or smell like sour milk
1. If any of the above is present - IT'S ALIVE!!!
5. If there is no noticeable difference, allow to sit out one more day
1. Still nothing?  Get your money back!

Keep in mind that a round of Antibiotics can completely wipe out your healthy gut bacteria.  For this reason it is crucial to follow-up a round of Antibiotics with Probiotics because it takes the body forever to replenish on its own (something your MD fails to mention).  If you want to continue your Probiotic usage while on Antibiotics, be sure to space them out (one in the morning, one in the evening), because the Antibiotic will kill off your Probiotic immediately when consumed together - it is their job to seek & destroy all bacteria after all...

Keep it Healthy!
The Hoff


Source:
DoctorKlaper.com/Questions & Answers - Acidophilus

Food Allergies & The Grieving Process

I used to think that the grieving process was reserved for mourning the death of a loved one.  Then I learned that this process applies to being diagnosed with an illness: chronic, incurable or terminal.  In reality, the grieving process can occur for any kind of loss - big or small.

Just recently, I have come to realize that grieving can accompany the diagnosis of a food allergy, intolerance or sensitivity.  Because when one receives such a diagnosis, it's inevitable that you will need to let go of that food - no matter how familiar, comforting or engrained in one's life.

The 5 Stages of Loss & Grief:

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

These stages don't necessarily happen in order, everyone and every circumstance is different.  Not everyone will go through all five stages.  Stages can be revisited.  Sometimes stages can occur at the same time: denial & anger, depression & acceptance, etc.  And sometimes, it can take years to get through the process - if ever.

I have many food allergies and have gone through the grieving process with each diagnosis, even though at the time I had no idea I was doing so.  Now that I recognize it, it makes it no easier to deal with, but at least I better understand my thoughts and behaviors.

Four years ago, I was diagnosed with a soy & gluten allergy.  Although I sought diagnosis, that made it no easier to accept.  At that time in my life, I was going through radical changes, mostly beyond my control and I opted to deny the diagnosis.  Not because I didn't believe it, I just couldn't handle it.

Fast forward four years...I'm finally pass the denial stage and right into acceptance & anger, with a little bit of depression thrown in for fun.  I'm finally paying attention to the symptoms that have been plaguing me and accepting the connection to my soy & gluten intolerance.  You see, four years ago I was handed a bomb shell, I was diagnosed with an animal protein allergy - that if ignored, would have dire consequences.  While I had gone vegetarian by choice years prior, that choice was stripped away and I now had to abstain from all animal-derived food or ingredients.  While the benefits far outweighed being chronically ill, the loss was no less severe.  I never denied this (some things you just know), I never bargained, I didn't even get depressed, although I have had a private pity party from time to time.  I simply went straight from acceptance to anger and frankly have remained there ever since.

And this is where I find myself yet again.  Anger.  I'm pissed off that I now have to remove two more food groups from my diet, just because my body can't handle them.  I'm angry that I can't eat like everyone else.  I'm angry that I have to find new meal solutions to replace the meals I have grown to love.  I'm angry that I can't make a vegan version just as good as my mom's chili!  I'm angry that being in any social situation with food just got that much harder.  And I'm angry that I have to constantly explain & defend myself to those around me: friends, family, co-workers, waiters/waitresses...like I'm doing this just to be difficult. 

But from that anger comes a sense of empowerment.  While I can't control how my body reacts to certain foods, I can control the food I consume and thereby stop the damage.  So while, I am mourning the loss of delicious gluten filled bread and veggie soy burgers, I find solace that I am once again helping my body heal and repair itself and thereby reaping the benefits of my sacrifices.

The Hoff

Source:
http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/the-5-stages-of-loss-and-grief/

You're Going to Live Over 100 Years!

I don't know that for sure, but researchers are suggesting that this age might be the new norm.  As of today, there are over 70,000 people over the age of 100 and more on the way!

Check these facts out:

In the 1800's life expectancy was 35 years
In the 1900's life expectancy was 47 years
In the 2000's life expectancy is 77 years

Sensing a pattern?

Ok, these life expectancies are for the average person - someone eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) and not doing much to foster their health.

Now lets do a little math:

Start with 77 years and add the following years, when applicable:

+6 yrs - non-smoker
+6 yrs - >1 drink per day
+6 yrs - BMI between 19 -24
+6 yrs - exercise at least 7 hours per week
+3 yrs - for being a woman
+3 yrs - for being a married man
+1.5 yrs - not using street drugs

If you can say yes to all but one of the above, your life expectancy jumps to around 106!  Wonder how many years can be added for following a whole foods, plant-based, oil-free lifestyle?!?!

The United Nations estimates that there will be over 4 million centenarians worldwide by 2050.

Can we say, up your 401K contributions?

Keep it Healthy!

Source: Life Beyond 100

Medical Costs Revealed!

Ever go in for a procedure only to be shocked a month later as to what your insurance decided not to cover?  Even worse, have no insurance?

Next time, get the low down on the costs first!

The FairHealth Consumer Cost Lookup, run by nonprofit group FAIR Health, will help you do that.

From root canals to MRIs, this site can give you an estimate as to what you might expect to pony up.

This site is free, super easy & quick to use - no registration required!

Here's what you do:

1. Select either Medical or Dental
2. Enter your Zip Code
3. Indicate Insured or Uninsured
4. Enter the CPT code (if you know it) or browse through a list of services/procedures

That's it!  You now have the upper hand, which could cause you to confront your Doc as to if the procedure is absolutely necessary or just standard protocol.

Be informed!
The Hoff

Sore Throat Guide

 Sore Throat Guide

Allergy
Symptoms: Sore throat, itchy, watery eyes, pressure headache & clear nasal discharge
Try: Local Honey

Viral Infection
Symptoms: Sore throat, runny nose, cough & congestion, fever (sometimes)
Try: Raw Garlic, salt water gargle

Bacterial Strep
Symptoms: Sore throat, fever or headache or stomachache, swollen lymph nodes, abdominal pain, no congestion, cough or runny nose
Seek: Medical Treatment

*Disclaimer

What's That Smell?!?

Please be considerate to others that may have fragrance sensitivities.  We all like to smell pretty, but the act of wearing perfume/cologne in public can trigger migraines and even asthma with those who have scent allergies.  

We usually suffer in silence, but suffer nonetheless.