Jul 11
5
Organic Labelling
When you see the label Organic you may think that it’s safe to use… that’s what you are lead to believe. With all the chemicals being used today from pesticides on our fruit & vegetables, Sodium laurel Sulphate in our personal Care products and many more harmful ingredients in our everyday products all around the home. All those ingredients on the labels and printed in such small print it becomes confusing and overwhelming to read the labels. We are lead to believe if you see that Organic status that it is safe and thus taking away that confusion.
Think again… it’s concerning to find that in some cases to be labelled as organic only 70% of ingredients needs to actually be from organic sources. So what about the rest of the Ingredients?
If you see 100% Organic then the ingredients are meant to be 100% Organic or form Organic sources. If you see Certified Organic then 95% of ingredients are Organic or from Organic sources. So back to reading confusing labels and how does the average person know what the standards are?
The (ACOS) 2010, previously AOS 2006, standard also states that onus is on the operator to ensure compliance. This is the standard of the Biological Farmers of Australia. It also says that – ‘it is used directly by majority of industry certifying organic products’. So what about the rest? There also seems to be some loopholes for imported products. So how do we know if we are getting safe products? You don’t! It raises more questions than it answers.
Do your research and learn about your ingredients and the labelling standards we have in Australia. For my family we trust in a company that does all research and testing for us….
To Your Health and Success! Remember prevention is better than the cure..
Posted in Health & Wellness by .
Jun 11
15
A Healthly Diet In This Modern World
We all know that it’s important to have a healthy balanced diet to maintain health and wellbeing. Eating a variety of foods from the 5 food groups is a must, the food groups are as follows:
- Vegetables
- Breads and Cereals
- Fruit
- Dairy
- Meat/alternatives
Eat plenty of Vegetables and drink plenty of water………. BUT is this enough. In today’s modern society things are very different. Our foods today are lacking the essential vitamins and minerals our bodies require due to early harvesting, soil deficiencies and chemical pesticide spraying. The 1992 Earth Summit Report indicates that the mineral content of the world’s farm and range land soil has decreased dramatically. In Australia by 55% over the last 100 years. Our supermarket shelf products are full of artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives and lots of other nasty additives. I am removing them from our diet and have noticed an improvement with my daughter Tashy within weeks. Australians are facing a health crisis as documented by NSW Health in the “Pain Matters – Nutrition and Pain” article published in 2009.
There is scientific evidence to support the use of vitamins and minerals in the management and prevention of a range of diseases.
Research shows:
- In 2002, a publication by Annette Dickson, Ph.D. The Benefits of Nutritional Supplements - Council for Responsible Nutrition talks about the simplicity and importance of daily supplements and how they can assist in presentation of disease.
- Harvard School of Public Health published an article Vitamins The Bottom Line mentions vitamins are a way to get all the nutrients you need to be healthy.
- Natural Solutions to good Health talks about increasing energy levels and also helps the brain functions of our children.
- The Wellness Express -Issue 4 June 2011 How Do Multivitamins Benefit Your Health talks about the deficiencies in soils and how multivitamins have been recommended by various medical institutions.
- Southern Cross University Media Release in 2007 talks about evidence that supplements are part of a good nutritional mix.
Current guidelines suggest supplementation with at least:
- Omega 3 fatty acids
- Vitamins and minerals
- Probiotics
Our society tends to wait for a health crisis and then try to repair it rather than preventing it in the first place. I am committed to sharing this gift of what I have learnt with others in the hope that more people take the preventative approach rather than wait for the crisis to happen.
To Your Health and Success! Remember prevention is better than the cure..
Posted in Health & Wellness by .
May 11
22
Personal Care Products
Do you really know what’s in your Personal Care products, watch this video below to learn the truth.
Creating Healthy Homes everywhere, particulary with regards to personal care and cosmetics products. You can make a difference. Share this information and you will make a difference. Email dee@deerobinson.com.au for information on safer products.
To Your Health and Success!
Posted in Health & Wellness by .
In my quest to have healthy children and a healthy home I have gained so much knowledge and I was asking myself…
‘Why didn’t I know this and why didn’t anyone tell me sooner?’
Our History
Both of my girls have been diagnosed with Coeliac Disease around Christmas 2010, the change to a Gluten Free diet has been great. Initially it was overwhelming as I cook because we need to eat not because I have a passion for cooking…..
Breanna would have terrible pain in the tummy several times a day to the point she would tense up from it. Since removing Gluten it improved a lot but did not disappear. A doctor advised me she would have to learn to control it. Breanna suffers from ulcers quite regularly and in my research I found that as they are reoccurring she may have vitamin deficiencies, including iron deficiency, and folate, zinc, or vitamin B12 deficient. When I asked the doctor about this I was advised that her latest blood tests showed nothing lacking other than a slight lacking in Protein. Breanna also has a mild case of Cerebral Palsy and has accomplished so much in her young life that if I can do anything to make the rest of her health better I will.
Tashy has various allergies and would break out in HIVES several times a week in the warmer months, a blood test revealed dust mites allergies but due to it being around more in the warmer months I believe it’s also seasonal. There would be days I found no reason at all so I believed some foods would set it off also. Trying to narrow down why this happens is really hard. A doctor advised me that since it wasn’t life threating as in not causing any breathing problems then this is just how it is. Tashy has eczema as well and if not managed she will be constantly scratching and breaking out. Tahsy also has so much energy and doesn’t sleep well. I love her energy that’s what makes her Tashy but she needs to sleep. She just can’t settle and go to sleep but once she is asleep she goes ok most of the time but this is a recent change she used to wake all night long as well.
I refuse to accept that all of these health concerns is just how it should be.
What I do now – Coeliac
I have removed Gluten from the girl’s diet and found a big change so I researched as much as I could and this leads me down many paths.
There is lots of talk around why so many are now being diagnosed with Coeliac Disease and I have asked so many the question and done so much research. Here are the main opinions:
Too much wheat in our diets, wheat is in so much of our food products, such thickening agents the list goes on. (There is now beginning to be a shift and more and more Gluten free products are becoming available) The reason there is wheat in so much is it is cheap for companies to use. (A little like what is happening with our Personal Care Products and Cleaning Products, I’ll get to this shortly)
Diagnostic methods these days are far better than in the past so more are being diagnosed.
I can’t say for sure why but I believe it’s a mixture of the both of the above.
Other Ingredients
In my journey I was left wondering if Gluten has made such a difference and I didn’t realise it was in so much then what else am I missing…. If I look at other ingredients maybe there will be other significant changes to our lives………
I looked more at foods and found there’s lot I need to avoid and that they may make a difference with Tashy and her sleep and much more, here is a link to check it out for nasty additives, I carry it with me so whenever I’m shopping I can check it out.
http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/information/nastyadditivecard.pdf
Supplements
I have also learnt from my research that the soil which grows our produce isn’t like it used to be and is lacking a lot of the minerals that we used to get from our fresh fruit and vegetables. So while you think you are eating a healthy diet it is actually lacking. Also produce can be harvested early and stored for long periods of time. Early harvesting and storage conditions affect the quality of our produce. By quality I mean the goodness in them, for example Antioxidants which helps fight the free radicals we have in our bodies are lacking due to the early harvesting, conditions and length of time they are stored before being available to the public to purchase.
Good quality (and I stress good quality) supplements can give us what we are lacking and improve all aspect of our health and wellbeing. It can even work on allergies and eczema which is just what my family needs. I have tried some supplements long term with no real change at all so that is why I say good quality or you may as well throw your money away.
Supplements are not a substitute for a healthy diet but an addition to your diet…..
Personal Care & Cleaning Products
I looked into the ingredients in these products and found lots that are questionable but 2 that I will talk about are firstly Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) which can be found in toothpaste, shampoo, bubble bath and is also used in engine degreasers, floor cleaners and so on. It has been linked to Cancer and is a skin and eye irritant. The other product is Propylene Glycol which is used as a humectant food additive, found in cosmetics, toothpaste, shampoo’s, antifreeze, solvent and so on. It has been linked to Cancer, is a skin and eye irritant and also a neurotoxin.
Again why do they use these ingredients…… it is cheap option for companies to use.
The more research I did the more confused I was. Some said in small doses it’s ok, others said it was bad no matter how low the dose. The above 2 ingredients are linked with allergies, eczema and much much more. I was asking myself…
‘How do I know the truth and what to do?’
Then it hit me…. It’s all about choice and my personal choice….. Do I want to risk it…NO. Do I want a change for the girls and their health…..YES. So I have to get rid of all the nasty chemicals. I’m in the process of changing over so much in my house and have found some great products. If anyone wants any further info ask me I and I will help where I can. I will be doing lot more posts on my research, findings and my opinion….
For years I would just go to the shops and buy what on the selves trusting that it wouldn’t be there if it was harmful. Not thinking enough about what was in our products. Now I always ask myself do I want to RISK it…No I don’t…. Ask yourself the same question……
Please comment and give me your opinions as this is another way we all learn. Knowledge is a great thing….
NOTE: I want to make it clear that this is based on my own research and is my own opinion. I want to share what I have learnt with others as it has been shared with me. Why do I want to share….. If I can help someone else then that’s a good thing.
Posted in Health & Wellness by .
Apr 10
9
Attitudes
Change your attitude and you can change your life.
What is attitude?
It is how we view the world our positive & negative perspectives, viewpoints, or outlook of a person, place, thing or event.
Your experiences shape your attitude to everything. It’s important how you react to your experiences that make all the difference in our attitudes. We develop our attitudes over time and form habits and our actions become automatic. Attitudes are a learned process so we can change them and learn new attitudes.
I recently read a book that told a story about how people perceive things differently and I want to share that story with you:
One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip the father asked his son “How was the trip”
“It was great, Dad.”
“Did you see how poor people live?” the father asked.
“Oh yeah” said the son.
“So what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father.
The son answered:
“I saw that we have one dog and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.”
With this the boys father was speechless.
Then his son added, “Thanks Dad, for showing me how poor we are.”
As you can see from this story their perceptions were very different. The way we view things is important to our attitudes, have an open mind and look outside the box as not everything is as it seems.
Ways attitudes may change is by gaining knowledge, personal development training can help to learn the skills you need to look outside the box and react differently. Life experiences also change our attitudes as what happens to us shapes who we are so use your experiences to gain something positive and change your attitude and your life.
If you have a good attitude you can take on the world.
Posted in News Personal Development by .
Dec 09
15
The Power of One
The Power of One……
Please support the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
In the month of October the 5th Annual Breast Cancer High Tea was held in Fernvale. The purpose of this High Tea is to raise much needed funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation which will be used for research into Breast Cancer.
Please visit http://www.nbcf.org.au/page.asp?subcategory_id=18&page_id=149&category_id=3 to get more information on the Breast Cancer Research.
It’s a day that is enjoyed by all and many thanks go out to Carolyn Schmidt and Linda Zelinski who do most of the organising for the day. Carolyn and Linda along with Bronwyn Ogg, Leanne O’Connell and Maree Lansdown made a beautiful quilt to raffle on the day. I have to say very talented ladies.
Also a big thank you to Carolyn’s Mum Beverly Harris who not only cooks and provides gifts for the day but also helps to get the location ship shape for the event. Others also help out by baking for the High Tea and donating gifts to raffle and help with collecting money and selling raffle tickets on the day. Special guests are invited to entertain the guests. One year Breast Cancer nurses came out to share their knowledge and inform the guests how to examine their own breasts. A lady from Bunnings came out to give handy tips on gardening and plants. This year Jodie Bunyan demonstrated some easy desserts.
So what is this power of one that I speak about? Well one person had an idea, one person donated gifts, one person baked cakes, one person helped to make a quilt on so on and so on. So you can see that one person can so easily turn into many and from this idea came an event that raised $2917 in 2009 and a total over 5 years of around $10,000. We can all make a difference, the power of one can help to move mountains. No matter who you are where you live or what you do, YOU can make a difference. Everyone is unique and has a significant role in this universe to be able to make a difference. Thank you to all the Wonderful Women involved in making this fundraiser a success.
BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THIS WORLD.
Here are some recipes from the day. Enjoy they are yummy!
Self Serve Strawberry Surprise
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 2 X 300 gram block of HIBA dark chocolate fudge
- 2 punnets of strawberries
- 1 litre tub of good quality vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup of cream
- 600 mls whipped cream
- 1 cup of roasted hazelnuts
Method
- In a saucepan place the cream and one block of fudge to make a fudge sauce (you could replace with bought fudge sauce). Place over a low heat and melt the fudge slowly, stirring occasionally.
- Hull two punnets of strawberries and place on a serving platter.
- Scoop a tub of good quality ice cream on top of the strawberries.
- Spoon whipped cream over the strawberries and sprinkle with roasted hazelnuts.
- Shave the second block of fudge over the dish.
- Drizzle with lashings of fudge sauce and serve
Ginger Nut Log
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 300ml thickened cream
- 2 tablespoons icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 250g packet ginger nut biscuits
- 1/2 cup sweet sherry
- 50g dark chocolate, shaved, to decorate
Method
- Beat cream, sugar and vanilla until thick. Spoon a little cream down the centre of a serving plate (this will hold biscuits in place).
- Dip 1 biscuit into sherry. Spread 1 side of biscuit with 2 teaspoons of cream. Stand upright on plate. Repeat with remaining biscuits, sherry and cream, pressing together to form a log. Spread remaining cream over log.
- Refrigerate for 6 hours.
- Sprinkle with chocolate shavings. Serve.
Oct 09
12
One Flaw In Women
For those that have been touched by Breast Cancer, please support the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
I received this as an email and I was recently inspired to post this by an amazing Woman who makes the world a better for all that she does and all that she is.
To all the Wonderful Women out there don’t forget your worth, remember you are important and take time to to take care of you.
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God, doesn’t give you the people you want, he gives you the people you need. To help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you and to make you into the person you were meant to be.
One Flaw In Women
Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don’t take “no” for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They’ll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideas.
They give moral support to their family and friends.
Women have vital things to say and everything to give.
HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.
Posted in Inspirational News by .
Sep 09
22
Mayonnaise Jar & Two Beers
Here is an email I received which helps you to realise what is important in life. Also to think about how to manage your time.
___________________________________________________________________________
Mayonnaise Jar & Two Beers…
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar he shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full.. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’ The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else—the small stuff. ‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first—the things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’ The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.
LIFE ISN’T ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS… IT’S LEARNING HOW TO DANCE IN THE RAIN!
Sep 09
9
Peace Within
I want to start another section for my BLOG with Inspirational stories and saying’s that I have found over the years. These have helped to motivate and I tend to refer to them when feeling lost or off track. I hope they can get you back on track as well.
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‘May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.’
Posted in Inspirational News by .
Sep 09
3
Passion and Purpose
You may feel at times that something is missing from your life or as I ‘ve said before “Is this as good as it gets”. Well it doesn’t have to be that way. You need to look at your passions and then you will know your purpose and which path to follow. I want to help you work out what your passionate about and how to put this into practise.
What is Passion?
The definition for passion is a strong feeling about a subject or person, usually of intense desire and attraction. So it’s those things in life that make you light up and crave more of.
What is Purpose?
The definition of purpose is the cognitive awareness in cause and effect linking achieving a goal in a given system, whether human or machine. Purpose serves to change the state of conditions in a given environment, usually to one with a perceived better set of conditions or parameters from the previous state. This change is the motivation that serves the locus of control and goal orientation. So your purpose is what you are meant to achieve from setting goals.
So as an example my passion is knowledge and learning in the field of personal development and my purpose is to help other’s learn and have abundance in all area’s of their lives.
So start the search and write down as much as you can to help work out what it is your passionate about.
What do you love doing?
What is it that you do for pleasure on the weekends, the things you really enjoy? What hobbies do you love? Write down as much as you can about what makes you happy.
What type of people are you drawn to?
Look at the people in your life that you admire and the types of people you are naturally drawn to. What is it specifically that you like or admire about them? What work do they do in their lives? What do they do for fun?
What do you love to read?
What are the topics you find yourself reading about, this may be the thing or things that you are passionate about.
Research and use the Internet
Do as much research as you can about the things that you are interested in and they may also lead to other paths.
Brainstorm
Once you have your list written down brainstorm it some more, write down whatever comes to mind. Then visualise yourself doing these things. What on your list stands out when you visualise it? When you follow your passions and live a life of passion you will find your purpose.
Remember to stay focused and don’t give up.
Resources
Take The Passion Test by Chris and Janet Attwood.
Posted in News Personal Development by .
