Hi everyone, Hope your weekend was fabulous! I definitely enjoyed mine. So we've been talking about what you'll need when making your own organic natural skin care products. We've discussed tools, jars, oils. In today's article I'll be going over herbs. I like this part. I think growing your own little herb garden is fun and a great way to add a little green somewhere in your life. Not only can you use them for cooking, you can use them for beauty products, too. You can control the environment and what goes into them. We know that herbs have been around forever and have been used for a ton of different things. They are medicinal, nutritional, full of flavor, definitely fragrant. Their cleansing and skin-pampering properties have been respected for many, many uses. So as we go along in making our own products and you come across a herb that you really like inform yourself about it and see what it requires, how you can get the most out of it, its current and historical uses, and what the books recommend for its uses. This is an excellent way to educate yourself and will help when making your own products. So all the herds, flowers, berries, seeds, barks, and roots we will be using will be easy to find and will be used in the dried form unless noted. If you're growing your own herbs you may want to dry them yourself. If they are recently dried you'll have maximum aroma, and nutrients, this will make your product incredible.

If you are drying herbs that you've grown there's a few things you'll need to know or remember.

*Always use a sharp knife or scissors when cutting your herbs. You'll want to do this in the morning
*Harvest your roses, calendula, chamomile, or lavender when the bud is matured and the flower has recently opened
*Make sure you do not have any pests and disease on your herbs
*Avoid overdrying
*Dried herbs should be kept in a cool, dry place away fro sunlight. Glass jars, ziplock bags, plastic containers work well

When hanging your herbs to dry gather them together make a bundle and tie a string or use a rubber band to hold them together at the stems. You'll need to hang them upside down in a well ventilated area, out of the sunlight. Ideally the temperature should be between 65-85 degrees. Don't forget to label your bundles, and keep them separated. It may take anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks or more to completely dry your herbs. If your drying roots and seeds they may take much longer due to their moisture content. When your herbs are dried they'll be a little brittle, buds will feel dry and a bit crisp, roots will be pliable, and berries, seeds, and bark will be hard and dry. You can also use a screen to dry herbs or tightly stretched out netting. This will allow it to dry quicker, and you'll want to use some cheesecloth to make sure the herbs stay debris free. Wrap the herbs in cheesecloth, then place in the netting. If you're doing this outside make sure you check your weather!

When growing your own herbs, make sure they get the right amount of sunlight, water, and you are using good soil. It is the best way to get organic natural ingredients for your organic natural skin care products. I enjoy my herb garden and so do my family and friends! Have a great day and till next time OrganicBeautyGirl...

So you have your new juicer and are ready to make all the vegetable juicing recipes you can. Before you buy lots of different vegetables to juice, you need to know some basics that will help you break into a vegetable juicing diet.

You must integrate vegetable juice into your diet with baby steps. Juicing allows you to absorb more nutrients because the vegetable juice is already removed for the pulp for your intestines to take them in. However, not all vegetable juice can be digested that easily, especially the green leafy vegetable juice that is very rich. It is better to use vegetables that are easy to consume first, such as celery, zucchini, beets, carrots, and cucumbers.

Use recipes that are based on a combination of these. After a while, when there are no issues with digestion, slowly add in some dark greens like broccoli, lettuce and spinach. Eventually, you should have no problems with almost all vegetables.

It is not a good idea stick with the same few vegetable juicing recipes that you enjoy. Try out juicing recipes that include vegetables you may not like. Reduce the amount it calls for if you need to and use other fruits and vegetables you like to mask the taste. That way, you won't get too used to a narrow diet. Your body may have a difficult time adjusting to changes in your eating habits otherwise. You also insure that you are getting a many vitamins and minerals. I would suggest using your favorite juicing recipes every 3 days or so, and the other days to try new things.

Many people don't like to deal with the taste of vegetable juice because it is may be too rich in nutrients and too bitter. If it is bitter, then sweeten it a little! Add some carrots and beets. Alternatively, you can use apples, grapes and other fruits to give it an enjoyable taste. If it's too dense, dilute it with water.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic neurological disorder that produces symptoms such as confusion, decreased dexterity, insomnia, lack of motor coordination, memory loss, shaking, stiff muscles, and tremors. Stem cells are an undifferentiated group of cells, which, depending on their surrounding conditions, are capable of developing into other types of cells such as liver cells, kidney cells, brain cells, or any of the other 260 different types of cells that make up the human body.

When Dr. Mehmet Oz appeared on Oprah Winfrey's show in March 2009, he showed a section of the human brain where lines are not present in a person who has Parkinson's disease. He believes that stem cells could be placed in that area to regenerate the damaged brain. He predicted that the use of stem cells to treat Parkinson's disease would begin in about eight years. What he obviously does not realize is that a clinic in Mexico has been using placental stem cells derived from placenta (afterbirth) to successfully treat Parkinson's for 18 years! That's about how long actor Michael J. Fox (known in the early '80s as Alex P. Keaton on the hit show Family Ties) has been living with the illness.

Since Mr. Fox is an advocate for stem cell treatment, it surprises me that he hasn't taken advantage of treatments offered in other countries. Maybe he doesn't know the treatment is available. But it is, and ISCI founder Rita Alexander is a first-hand witness of the results seen in patients who have been treated for cancer, cerebral palsy, dermatomyositis, diabetes, hepatitis C, HIV, immune deficiency, kidney disorders, multiple sclerosis, migraines, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson's, retinitis pigmentosa, rheumatoid arthritis, spina bifida, and stroke. Rita has personally received several treatments to relieve the debilitating effect of rheumatoid arthritis.

James Devlin is a resident of Hawaii, but his paradise became a nightmare 15 years ago when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Unwilling to accept the reality of continual mental and physical decline, he sought answers around the world to stop the disease from taking over his brain and his life. His symptoms were the standard Parkinson's package including stiff muscles, decreased dexterity and coordination, insomnia, memory loss, confusion, and tremors in his arms which made it difficult for him to feed himself. Normal daily activities such as dressing, eating, and writing became increasingly challenging. James was prescribed a long list of medications to manage the increasing number of symptoms. Two and a half years ago, he found the road to recovery from PD at the International Stem Cell Institute (ISCI).

When Rita first met Mr. Devlin, he was very stiff and rigid, battling constant tremors as he made his way through the airport. When he returned to the clinic six months after his first placental stem cell treatment, his body was relaxed, he walked with ease, the excessive tremors were gone, and a big smile replaced the vacant facial expression he had just a few months before. After several additional stem cell treatments, James Devlin has been able to eliminate all Parkinson's medication and spends his days surfing in paradise. At 67 years old, he enjoys a 75 percent recovery.

Unfortunately, not everyone is physically and financially able to travel to Mexico. That is why Rita Alexander started ISCI in April 2008. She wishes many more people who are suffering with Parkinson's disease knew there were stem cell treatments that could change the course of their lives. ISCI assists with patient education, pre- and post-treatment support, travel logistics, and financial matters regarding treatment. Her goal is to help people access treatment that is already available and to bring the treatment to the U.S.

For more information about ISCI or to arrange a consultation or schedule an appointment, please visit http://www.iStemCelli.com or contactRita Alexander, Executive Director at International Stem Cell Institute, at 800-609-7795.