As I write this, we were supposed to be on a bus from the Montego Bay airport to our beautiful resort on the Jamaican coast. A few short weeks ago, I was so excited at the prospect of the warm Jamaican sun, relaxing music, amazing food, lying on the beach in the shade of palm trees... Less than a month ago, I was planning what to pack, and debating whether to kennel the dog or try to find a house sitter. Only just over 2 weeks ago, we decided to cancel our trip "just in case"...

Now, all flights to Jamaica in the next several weeks have been canceled, and the resorts are officially closed until May.

How quickly things can change, and how drastically a tiny virus can change the lives of millions of people...

For years, people have given me weird looks when they hear that we can our own food from the garden, or how much time I spend harvesting and preserving vegetables every summer and fall.

Now, it's not so funny. Grocery shelves are sparsely stocked in many areas, and people are afraid to leave their homes. My husband's multiple weekly shopping trips have diminished to less than one. Fortunately, there is little that we actually need to buy. Last week, we prepared all of our meals for the week without going grocery shopping at all!

This is the time of coronavirus - a time when homesteading doesn't look so crazy after all...

My, how things can change in a week...

I was just thinking how, last weekend, I served in the toddler room at church taking care of some cute little 2-3 year-olds. Other than an increased emphasis on using hand sanitizer, there didn't seem to be much discussion of the coronavirus, and from what I could tell, the congregation was approximately the usual size. The only alarming incident of the day was when a two-year-old escaped her parents in the crowd after the service and could not be found for some time. (Don't worry - after walking around the entire building, I was able to locate her and return her to her parents.)  :-)

One week later, church services and gatherings - as well as schools, universities, library classes, and sporting events - are either cancelled or being held virtually or at a limited scale. (Much to our sadness, my husband and I also cancelled his 50th-birthday trip to Jamaica which we had been looking forward to for many months now.)

As connected as our world is today, a global pandemic was just a matter of time so we should have been prepared, but it's still incredibly alarming. Thank goodness the virus isn't more deadly, as this could be much worse...

Even so, the disruption to our everyday lives is already startling in its scope. Kids are home from school, businesses are shutting down or cancelling events, parents are missing work, stores can't keep shelves stocked, the stock market is hitting daily lows, the travel industry is plummeting (and during the busy spring break season)... It feels like we're inches away from panic in the streets - yet the virus has really only just begun to spread in most countries.

Our job now, as a society, is to do our part to control the spread of the disease. The success of any proposed government action is going to depend on our willingness to participate in control measures. Thankfully, there are a number of things we can do to protect ourselves from the coronavirus and therefore slow its spread throughout our population.

Last week, we talked about a few of the hazards of not getting enough sleep. Unfortunately, this is a problem that far too many people struggle with in today's world.

Like many others (including myself), you've probably had the experience of feeling like you're dragging your feet just to get through the day, feeling dead-tired by dinner time, being foggy-headed at work most of the day, and downing cup after cup of coffee just to try to stay focused.

In fact, people often treat lack of sleep as something to be proud of - even as a sign of how hard they work!

But there IS a price to pay, and the guest article below discusses some of the negative consequences of sleep deficit disorder.

Regardless of the reason for it, lack of quality sleep significantly affects your health, performance, safety, and even your bank account--although you may not even realize it...

Sleep...

We all need it to survive. In fact, you can live for more than twice as long without food than you can without sleep!

It's one of the most natural things in the world, and it's something that most of us enjoy greatly. Yet sleep continues to be elusive for millions of people in today's modern world - and few of us get enough of it.

There are a number of potential causes for our sleeplessness - from stress, to lack of exercise, to that ubiquitous "blue light," but the factors that contribute to your lack of sleep can vary for each person, so it can be difficult to narrow down an exact cause for your own sleep issues.

However, for many people, one thing that can help significantly is to create an environment that is conducive to rest, and then to maintain a consistent bedtime routine before you retire. 

This month's "Freebie" is designed to help you do just that...

For some reason pancakes sound really good to me today, and when I was looking for recipes to share with you this week, I kept coming across tasty-looking pancake recipes...

This old-fashioned buckwheat pancake recipe is delicious and flavorful, and perfect for those with food allergies as it is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and also free of refined sugars! This was likely unintentional, as this is a 1920's recipe, so it was more based on frugality than trying to avoid specific ingredients. If you didn't have your own chickens or cows, you likely couldn't afford to buy milk and eggs (or keep them fresh), and whole wheat flour didn't store particularly well, so buckwheat was often a better choice.

This recipe takes advantage of the age-old miracle of fermentation to create light, fluffy, and flavorful pancakes, but it's a great fit for the busy modern world, too. Just whip up your batter the night before, let it sit overnight, and you can have a healthy breakfast on the table in the morning in under 10 minutes!

Save a cup of the batter (you can keep in the fridge), and just add to it the next day (and so on) to make your pancakes. It's a quick and easy way to make pancakes every day of the week if you want!

How much do you think about soil?

I'm willing to bet...not much. Even in all our heated discussions of climate change and the future of the planet, the soil beneath our feet doesn't often take center stage - or even garner much of a mention.

Yet the health of our soil is actually a hugely important aspect of the health of the planet. The current destruction of our soil by large-scale, unsustainable agricultural practices is an often-overlooked element of climate change - and it also provides one of the greatest opportunities that we currently have to combat or reverse the destructive warming of the planet.

This interesting video discusses some of the challenges and opportunities facing us when it comes to regenerating our soil and turning the way we eat into a positive for the planet rather than a negative. (And no, this doesn't mean going vegan.)

For years, it was believed that our bodies were destined to develop signs of aging such as wrinkles, weak bones, weight gain, painful joints, chronic illness, and more.

However, we are learning that, in fact, these symptoms don't have to be inevitable - at least, not at the accelerated rate that we see them happening today. Every day, it seems that we learn more about our body's biological capacity to renew and regenerate itself.

While accelerated aging and chronic disease are widely accepted as "natural" in today's world, the truth is that as humans, WE ALL have the power to actually change our bodies and our minds using scientifically proven dietary, lifestyle, and mindset techniques. By making healthy choices and informed decisions, you can actually change your health destiny, creating radical resilience, healing, and vitality, instead of disease, as you age.

Every cell and tissue in your body has the ability to regenerate and heal. It's just a matter of learning the techniques to provide your body with the nourishment and support that it needs to do what it was originally designed by our Creator to do.

This month's freebie contains 15 powerful tips and techniques for helping you implement nature's tools of resilience and regeneration. Grab your FREE copy of this revolutionary guide here, or learn more below!

For several decades, artificial sweeteners were touted as the "solution" to weight gain, which has long been linked to high consumption of processed sugars.

Throughout the 1980's and 1990's, pink and blue paper packets of chemicals replaced sugar packets on every restaurant and cafe' table, and consumers downed gallons of artificially sweetened drinks with seeming impunity. "Diet" sodas replaced the regular kind on store shelves and fast food joints. Even candy and desserts began to be made with artificially produced sugar alternatives.

But obesity rates did not decline (in fact they continued to increase unchecked), and eventually, consumers began to wake up to the potential hazards lurking in these sweetly flavored substitutes. Over the past few years, researchers have uncovered some alarming facts about artificial sweeteners - and the truth is not all that sweet... In fact, not only have some studies found that consumption of "diet" sodas may actually increase weight gain, but there are some truly troubling health consequences of long-term consumption of these chemicals.

Today's guest post explores the bitter truth about artificial sweeteners and shares some healthier alternatives.

I'm still wrapping my brain around the fact that it's 2020... It seems like a momentous number. We are now entering the third decade of the 21st century! 2010 seems like it was just a couple of years ago, and it's hard to believe how fast the past decade has flown by!

I don't always make resolutions... Sometimes I just set goals instead. But this year, I felt like resolutions were resonating with me more strongly, so below are my top 3 for 2020.

But first, you may be wondering, what's the difference between a goal and a resolution? There may be varying opinions out there, but for me, a goal usually has a specific endpoint and desired result, whereas, a resolution is ongoing. For example, a goal may be to lose 20 pounds by December 31st, while a resolution would be to work out at least 3x per week, or to call my mom at least once a month, etc..

However, when making a resolution, try to make them actually mean something. Too often we just make the same resolutions as last year (which we didn't keep), or throw something out there like, "I'm going to exercise more" just because we think we should. Think about how you want to grow as a person this year, or what area of health you would like to improve, or whether your relationships could use some nurturing, and then make a resolution that you will actually keep because it means something to you - not because you feel like you "should"!

If you haven't made any resolutions yet for this year, check mine out below for some inspiration, and feel free to share your own as well!

Happy New Year! 

I'll be back next week with my annual list of resolutions to inspire you, but I wanted to get your your January freebie right away this week, as I know you may be kicking off the new year with your own healthy resolutions!

CBD is all the rage right now, and while there is some controversy over it, it is getting rave reviews from many users for a number of healthy uses from reducing stress and depression, to better sleep, pain relief, and more. I encourage you to do your due diligence before using CBD oil. Make sure you are choosing a formulation suited to your needs, and use high-quality (and preferably organic) sources. 

One great way to use CBD oil is to add it to your healthy smoothies. Smoothies can be a light and delicious way to consume lots of healthy and nutritious whole foods, and they are often used as part of a detox or cleansing program. These programs are especially popular at the beginning of the year, when you may be wanting to start the year off eating clean, and "detox" from all the unhealthy excesses of the holidays.

Regardless of whether you are doing a detox, or you simply enjoy a healthy smoothie for breakfast now and then, this FREE recipe book will teach you how to add the health benefits of CBD oil to your smoothies. Grab your copy here, or learn more below.