Grace’s Blog

I hope this brightens your day.  It is a true story about my husband Andy and his adventures with skunks.

One morning Andy came into the house and announced, “I think we have a skunk living under our deck.  I can smell him.”  Oh that’s just great, I thought.

That evening, Andy prepared his usual bowl of ice cream and went out to the back fence to watch to see if a skunk came out.  About 8:30 PM, sure enough, out came a skunk, but not just one, but six!

That does it, he thought.  They are dead.

He watched as the skunks went around the end of the house and across the street. Our neighbors to the south watched, and the neighbors to the east watched, all laughing as the traffic stopped to let the skunks cross the road.

The next day, Andy called Animal Control, the Humane Society, and the County.  No one got rid of skunks, but they did offer to rent a trap for a $45 deposit plus $5 a week.

Forget that!  One lady advised that after he trapped them, to take them ten miles from our home and turn them loose.  Andy asked where she was located and as she started to give her address, she stopped and asked, “Why do you want to know that?”

Well, she was ten miles from us.  She didn’t think that was funny.

So off to the store Andy went.  He decided to buy some rat poison.  After looking at the boxes, he wasn’t so sure it would do the job. And he surely didn’t want skunks dying under our porch. 

Andy came home and called our vet.  He said to put moth balls under the porch and that would drive them out.

Back to the store Andy went.

It was now a Thursday evening.  Andy got 3 boxes of moth balls and proceeded to dump them under the deck.  I soon had to close my windows on the west side of the house.  The mixture of skunk and moth balls was more than I could take.

Friday morning we left for a family reunion fully confident that by the time we got home on Sunday the skunks would be gone.  WRONG!

When we arrived home we still had skunks.  “That’s it!” Andy declared, “Tomorrow they die.”

Early the next morning, Andy goes into town and gets an exhaust hose.  He came home, covered the deck with plastic and sealed it up the best he could.

He hooked the exhaust hose to his truck and stuck the other end under the deck.  Next, he got a shovel and went out by the wood pile and started digging a skunk grave.

For two hours the skunks were gassed.  Andy wanted to make sure they were dead.

It was soon time to go in after the skunks. 

The first plank of wood came off the deck.  No skunks were there.  Then off came the facer plank of the deck and there Andy could see one in the far corner.

“There they are,” he declared.

“Are they dead?” I asked.

“Yep, they’re dead.  They’re just laying there with their feet up in the air.”

Break time came for lunch so Andy came in to eat.  After lunch he went back out to finish the job.  And there staring back at him from where he took out the first deck plank were the two eyes of a skunk!

“They’re alive!” he yelled.

He grabbed the water hose, turned on the water and started spraying that skunk!  The skunk ran out the end of the deck and started across the yard towards the neighbors.

He turned and challenged Andy, stomping his little feet at him.

Andy picked up a piece of railroad tie and threw it at him.  He hit him good.  The skunk just rolled over with his feet up in the air. 

That one is dead he thought as he watched him to make sure he didn’t get up.  Off he went to get the shovel to bury the first one.

When he came back, the skunk was gone.  He only stunned it.

That was enough for one morning’s adventure.  That evening when it was time for the skunks to come out, our neighbor and I watched from a distance as Andy shinned a flashlight under the deck.

Out came 4 skunks.  We knew there were more, but they didn’t come out.

Off came another plank of wood as Andy searched for their hole.  He still couldn’t find it, so he took the water hose and squirted up under the deck.  Out came one and as Andy was chasing him with the water hose, he turned and found another one at his feet!

Andy squirted him with the hose, and the skunk turned around and shot back!

Another skunk came out and headed toward me.  I took off and left poor Andy alone to fend for himself.

Andy pulled up the next plank and put the water hose down the hole and began to fill it.  Out came another skunk and took off.  We decided the skunks were now all out.

Andy poured a bowl full of moth balls into the hole and washed them down.

You can imagine how things were smelling by now.  The house stunk, the porch stunk and Andy stunk!   Score:  Skunks 2, Andy: zip!

The next morning Andy ran more water down the hole and no skunks came out.  He repeated this again the next morning and no skunks came out. 

At last we were free of skunks and moths too, I might add.  Andy won the battle but didn’t score any points.

The deck is all back together and sealed so that critters can’t get in again without digging.  At least we can tell when uninvited guest decide to move in.

Our neighbor was over the other day.  She said she smelled skunks in her back yard.

 Shaklee Dist.

Grace Just For Fun skunks

I happened to catch the Oprah Show yesterday (Wednesday, March 24, 2009). It seemed like I was watching a science fiction show.

Did you catch it?  If not, go to Oprah.com and see what’s going on in the field of science.  Amazing things!

There was a guy who had lost the end of one of his fingers.  He got some stuff, who knows what, from his brother.

He applied it to the end of his finger, wrapped it in a bandage, and like magic his finger re-grew…fingernail and all.  It was un-real.  You have to go and see it.

Dr. Oz was showing Oprah all the new things science is discovering to help us live longer healthier lives.  Good stuff.

At the end of the show, Dr. Oz said there was one thing everyone could start doing now to help the body live longer.  Start taking a resveratrol product.

I would encourage you to look at my February 24, 2009 post for the article on resveratrol.  It will be a good review.  Remember, not all resveratrol products are created equal.

The resveratrol product I use and recommend has another anti-aging ingredient in it.  This product has been patented twelve different ways to protect the formula and the technology to produce it. 

Resveratrol mimics a calorie restricted diet.  Some of the guests on Oprah’s show practice a calorie restricted diet. 

This means they eat fewer calories than suggested for their height and weight. They get their calories from nutrient dense foods.

Following a calorie restricted diet is really hard to do. I know it is for me.  I take my resveratrol in a liquid tonic each day.  Delicious!  It also increases mitochondria which give me energy.  See my Mitochondria post of March 2, 2009.

Shaklee Dist.

Grace Anti-aging, Health, Human Body mitochondria, resveratrol

How important is your heart?  I think you would agree, it is extremely important.  Without it, you wouldn’t be here.

Most people know the importance of taking care of their heart, but doing so sometimes proves to be difficult.

Heart disease is one of the major killers of our time. It is affected by diet, genetics, lifestyle, smoking and a bunch of other factors.

Our hearts beat day in and day out without us taking much notice until something goes wrong.  Then it is usually an emergency.

One substance that is critical to the heart is CoEnzyme Q 10 or CoQ10.  It is responsible for producing energy in the cells.  That includes the cells of the heart and other organs.

If there ever was a need for energy, I think the heart would qualify.  In clinical studies, researchers found that CoQ10 promotes the heart’s ability to pump blood.

The body is a magnificent creature.  It is able to synthesize many of the essentials needed for a healthy life, including CoQ10 which is found in every cell in the body.

Unfortunately, CoQ10 peaks in the human body around 20 years of age and goes down from there.

There are also medications that decrease the body’s CoQ10.  Statin drugs, which are given to heart patients, decrease CoQ10. 

This doesn’t make much sense to me. On the one hand, Doctors want to help the heart patient and on the other prescribe a medication that depletes the nutrient the heart needs to stay strong.

Unless a patient knows this side effect and supplements appropriately, the heart will continue to get weaker.

Unfortunately, most supplemental CoQ10 is poorly absorbed by the body. Finding a high quality bioavailable supplement is essential.

It is estimated that about 60% of the population in their fifties and sixties are deficient in CoQ10.

Learn more about CoQ10 and the choice you can make to supplement.

Shaklee Dist.

Grace Health, Human Body CoEnzyme Q10, Heart Disease

On March 31, 1980, Time Magazine featured a revolutionary treatment for cancer on its front cover: Interferon. 

Natural interferon is produced by the body, but a renowned scientist discovered how to produce it as a synthetic drug.

His discovery offered new hope for patients with a number of types of cancers as well as Hepatitis C and other illnesses.

Synthetic interferon is very expensive and very toxic to the body.

After his discovery of the synthetic interferon, THIS DOCTOR began a long an arduous 40-year journey to find natural plant extracts, which would help the body produce more of its own natural interferon. 

He evaluated hundreds of compounds and over 200 different herbs and isolated four botanicals, which had the most profound effect.

Everyday we are exposed to dangerous microbes through the air we breathe, the foods we eat, the objects we touch.

There is one thing that stands between the dangers lurking about us and what protects us.  It is our Immune System.

Our immune systems are under attack from pollutants, stress, lack of sleep, smoking caffeine and on and on. 

What can a person do to protect themselves? 

USE A PRODUCT that will strengthen the immune system and help ward off illness.

 Only one company has the world-wide rights to this product. 

LEARN ABOUT NATUAL INTERFERON.

Understand how it boosts the body’s production of natural interferon and optimizes your natural immune response process.

 Shaklee Dist.

Grace Health, Human Body immune system, interferon

My Mother passed away September 1, 2008 at the age of 89.  She lived a long life and was a wise woman in many ways.

When Mother would visit her doctor he would sometimes say something like this, “Because of your age, you should be on this drug.”

My mother would read the side effects and say, “Why would anyone want to take this?  I’ll go home and take some more of my good supplements.”  And she would.

My Dad will soon turn 96.  He lives at home and does not take prescription drugs.

I recently came in contact with GWEN OLSEN, a courageous woman. Click on her name to get to her web site and watch her videos.

She has granted me permission to post her information.  I appreciate her willingness to come forward to tell her story and allow me to share it. 

It has long been my belief that as a country we are over-drugged, over-fed and under nourished.

 Think of a vehicle.  What does it run on?  Most likely it is gas or diesel.

What would happen if someone put milk, water or juice into the fuel tank?

There would be one big mess and the vehicle would not function at all!

What about your body?

Your body was made to run on water and nutritious foods.  When foreign matter is put into it, how long and how well do you think it will run?

 Amazingly, our bodies are very resilient.  They are very forgiving to the abuse inflicted on them.  But eventually they will break down and stop functioning.

How much better off would they be if they were treated as a fine piece of machinery instead of being taken for granted?

Have you watched or read the ads for the drugs on the market?  Have you listened to the side effects?  The cures sound worse than the disease!

 The person that lives within the body is the person responsible for its health.  Only one body is issued to each person. 

Yes, there are times when drugs are necessary and even essential, but for the rest of your life??

Get educated, take responsibility for the health of your body.  Make your life count.  Help those you love.

Shaklee Dist.

Grace Health, Human Body drugs, Health

Susanne made a comment on my last post, this is my response.

My suggestion to you is to do your research.  A company claim takes more than their “say so.”  If the science behind the product is not important to you, and you like the product, I see no harm in using it.

But if you are looking for a sustainable product, and by that I mean are you building a home-based business with this product?

If so, you need to be informed as to why this particular product is superior to others on the market and I will assure you there are dozens and more out there.

Ask the company where their published peer reviewed articles have been published.  

Who did the double blind studies?  Are articles in newspapers, magazines, books, etc., factual, proven, and who wrote them?

I looked at your company’s web page.  It doesn’t say a lot.

Their product philosophy is vague. 

Where do the raw ingredients come from, how are they tested for purity, and what proof is there that the antioxidants and vitamins are there? 

Have they been proven in this product to be effective?  Is it a vitamin drink, a high priced fruit juice drink? 

Nowhere did I see it as a super food.  What makes it a super food?  Where is the science that proves it is a super food?  Is it hype or science?

As I mentioned before, if you like it, I see no harm using it given the information on the web site which is very little.

I am not knocking the product, I’m asking the questions.

If this is a serious venture for you, do your homework.

For an example of a superior antioxidant/polyphenol product, click HERE. 

Shaklee Dist.

Grace General

Making the claim that your company has the “best supplements” on the market has been around for a long time.  So how can a consumer know which are the best?

Ask the question, who does the scientific research and proves the products work?

The Gold Standard for any product claim starts with the science.  Once a company makes a product and proves that it works, it submits its research for peer review. 

This means the scientific community looks at all the data, tries to disprove it, and if it passes their scrutiny and validation, it is submitted to a reputable scientific or medical journal for publication.

This is a long, expensive process. Most supplement companies have never had even one article accepted for publication.  Makes one wonder why?

 Why would they subject their product to a peer review?  Could it damage their reputation?

 Beware of who does the research, who will benefit, and if it is real science behind the product.

 What You Should Look For

Look for studies done on real people, not in test tubes, in culture dishes, or on animals.

Have double blind studies been done…that’s when a person doesn’t know if they are taking the real thing or not.

Have the studies been done by reputable companies or universities?

Studies should be done on the finished product as formulated by a particular company.

What are the product claims…have the clinical trials been done on their particular product or is a company using phrases such as “our product contains xyz ingredients proven to blah, blah, blah.”

Maybe the xyz ingredients have been proven to do “blah, blah, blah,” but were studies done on their particular product and proven to work?  Big difference.

One 50 Year Old Supplement Company spent millions of dollars to prove their product was better than others on the market.  Called the 50th Anniversary Study.  No one had ever done a study like it.

If the results were good or if they were bad, they would be published.  Big Risk?  Not to this company.  They had confidence in their products  because they do over 83,000 annual quality controlled tests.

 An interesting thing happened.  Other companies started using the 50 year-old company’s research to validate their products.  Ethical??  I think not! 

It was the largest study ever done with long-term supplement users. It was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the UC Berkley School of Public Health.

They found that people who took this 50 year-old company’s supplements had markedly better health than people who took either no supplements or other brands of multivitamins.

How can other companies validate their multiple vitamins with a study that produced these kinds of results?  The study was published in the Nutrition Journal, Oct. 2007.

From the study, new technology emerged, and smart pills were developed.  They know where to go, where to dissolve and where to absorb. 

An exclusive, breakthrough delivery system, clinically proven to create a foundation for a longer, healthier life.   

Shaklee Dist.

Grace Health, Human Body clinical trials, supplements

Crickets, grasshoppers, termites, beetle bugs…no, no, no.  Wrong kind of bugs.  There are people who eat them though.

I’m talking about bacteria. Good bacteria.

In the U.S. we don’t like bacteria. I’ve already discussed how we try to kill all bacteria to live in a germ free environment. (Anti-bacterial soaps)

But without bacteria, all the waste we produce would never decompose.  What a mountain of garbage that would create.

If all we eat and drink did not decompose and pass, there would be a world of hurt.  Maybe there is.

From all the advertisements for digestive problems, I would suggest, there is.

Good and bad bacteria are a part of our digestive system.  We want to have more good than bad. 

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly….not an old movie.

The Good…beneficial bacteria, help the body dispose of waste.

The Bad…harmful bacteria and yeasts also inhabit the body and are kept in check by the good guys. 

If there are not enough good guys to do this, the bad take over and do a number on the body’s health.

 The Ugly…once the Bad guys take over…big health problems began to surface.

Bladder infections, vaginal infections, yeast infections.

The use of too many antibiotics (they kill the good guys) may contribute to the development of infections such as staph, strep, and pneumonia.

Digestive problems including constipation or diarrhea, gas, bloating, belching and indigestion may occur.

Are you getting the picture? 

These are the mild ones.  If not corrected, more serious conditions such as acid reflux disease, hemorrhoids, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s, IBS, and more could result.

There is a war going on in your body between the good and the bad bugs.  Who will win?  What can you do to help the good bugs?  Eat More of Them.

For a more detailed report, go to our Environmental Family Health Web site newsletter archive and open the newsletter “Want Good Health? Eat Lots of “Bugs!”

It is the sixth from the bottom on the right side.  User name and password will be provided in the box that pops up.

Shaklee Dist.

Grace Health, Human Body bacteria, digestive problems, infections

Why would a billionaire entrepreneur spend 20 Million Dollars and five (5) years researching the Multi Level Marketing Industry? 

What major trends are driving this industry? 

WATCH A VIDEO to learn what those major trends are and why someone would spend $20,000,000.00 and five years researching MLM.

What is his BUSINESS MODEL for growing wealth?

A smart move for someone who doesn’t have $20 Million would be to follow this intelligent, successful, entrepreneur businessman.

Shaklee Dist.

Grace Home Based Business MLM, Multi Level Marketing

Triclosan—Creating Super Bugs

 How many times do you tell your children to wash their hands?  All around bugs or germs are waiting to attack us.

 Doctors and nurses have become aware that washing their hands is important in keeping germs and infections from spreading.  The media has mentioned that those in the medical profession don’t wash often enough.

 Enter Big Business.  They are in the business of marketing products to consumers.  They have jumped on the band-wagon of providing products to “kill” germs. 

Experts look for the next big marketing opportunity and this is one they have embraced.

Mothers everywhere see antibacterial products as an answer to their “germ” wars.

Hand washes and soap sanitizers.  You see them everywhere.

One of the ingredients used in these anti-bacterial hand wash products is Triclosan.

It can cause a variety of health problems and recent research suggests that it also creates resistance to bacteria or “super bugs.”

If you keep up with any health issues at all, you’ve no doubt heard of them.

These “super bugs” resist antibiotics.  Think of those consequences…bugs we cannot kill.

Our immune system is designed to take care of bacteria that could invade the body. 

Keeping the immune system operating at optimal performance should be our greatest concern.

Quick tip:  Rubbing your hands together vigorously for 30 seconds or more can kill germs.  If you can’t wash, rub.

 Shaklee Dist. 

Grace Health super bugs, Triclosan