A Torn Heart

My heart is torn in two. Your Happy Hearts.com or Tuff Phit.com? I guess with all things in life you have to be willing to divide your time. For those of you who are new to reading YHH.com due to my BC summer, Welcome! I wanted to give you a little background information and update you on future things to come.

I started YHH several years ago as a blog to keep myself accountable to a healthier lifestyle. Through the years, YHH saw several changes in post styles as well as appearance. (I thank my long time readers for going through the changes with me.) I hopefully have grown in my writing over the years and kept you entertained. I look back at some of my old posts and wonder how I ever had companies agree to work with me in product reviews. I believe I have come a long way since then. I have tested several fitness items, as well as organic products on YHH. It's fun to bring readers an honest review on products as well as to test them.

This past April, as many of you already know, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. After two surgeries (and maybe more to come) plus a daily pill, I am able to move forward. It's not as easy as that last comment makes it appear, but that's the most general I can be.... unless I write a book. (Which I am working on too!)

All summer I dedicated myself to Your Happy Hearts by changing it up to become organic, bringing cancer awareness, and sharing God's healing power. I shared with you my Susan G. Komen photo shoot, the Race for the Cure, as well as my New Balance new title of "Honorary Team New Balance Member of the Year".

Now, finally being able to get back in the gym, I am posting again at Tuff Phit.com. Without anything to write about, while being away from fitness for eight months, my Tuff Phit blog sat and waited for me to be able to workout again.  I am ready to get moving and follow my original dream of being more involved in the fitness industry. I am studying again to be certified as a Personal Trainer (with NFPT) as well! I am hoping in the next few months, I will be posting YouTube videos on exercise movements, healthy cooking in the kitchen, and photos of myself as I build my muscle and regain my strength.  Tuff Phit can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tuffphit. Please "like" Tuff Phit for more interaction and see a more personal side of me. I love questions and comments too. (Of course YHH has a facebook too!) Tuff Phit will be setting up a twitter account for those who tweet!

Your Happy Hearts will continue to bring you organic living/health related posts. So don't go anywhere.

Please subscribe to Tuff Phit.com for fitness and gym equipment related reviews!

From my heart to yours,
Angie Christine.

How To Make Toothpaste

A dear friend of mine, Diane Kidman, writes and runs DK Mommyspot and An Uncommon Thread and is also the author of "Herbs Gone Wild; Ancient Remedies Turned Lose". You can now purchase her book as an ebook on Amazon for only $.99! I trust Diane to always bring great remedies and recipes to her articles and posts, and that they have been tested and tried.

So when she posted on how to make toothpaste, I thought this was something I really needed to share with my readers. So I do not take credit for this recipe and give it all back to Diane. We must take Fluoride out of our lives as well. Don't let anyone tell you it's good for you. It was, back in the day, when it wasn't IN anything. But now it's not only in your toothpaste but tons in your water. (Unless you are on well water as I am). Having a filter on your faucet is the best protection from too much Fluoride.

So here's Diane's recipe:

While it may sound like a complicated process, learning how to make your own natural homemade toothpaste couldn’t be easier. Chances are, you already have some of the ingredients rattling around your kitchen; and if you don’t, they’re easy to find and inexpensive.
Here’s the recipe:
2 Tbs. baking soda
2 Tbs. organic coconut oil
1/2 tsp. organic raw honey
3 – 5 drops essential oil such as spearmint, peppermint, cinnamon or clove
Just a dash of sea salt or Kosher salt
Dump all these ingredients into a bowl and smash it all with a fork, mushing the coconut oil into the mixture until it looks just like – well, just like toothpaste. Scrape all the well-mixed paste into a glass container with a tight fitting lid and use just as you would your regular, expensive, and not-so-natural paste.
That’s it! You’ve just learned how to make a natural and homemade toothpaste at a fraction of the cost of store bought brands and is safe enough for even the youngest teeth in the family.


So with that..... I am off to the kitchen to make some toothpaste. Enjoy!
From my heart to yours ~ Angie Christine

Homemade Apple Chips

Homemade Apple Chips everyone in the family will love! I was making these in the fall and they are also great for the holidays.

Here's how to make your own healthy apple chips:

First use a small amount of olive oil to lightly grease your pans. Smear it around evenly with your finger tips. If you don't use the oil the apples will NOT come off. Believe me, I have tried both ways. You can use stone or metal cookie sheets. Both work nicely.

Next, slice up your apples. I use the Pampered Chef slicer. No I am not using the guard. But I do recommend it! (If you cut yourself, you can't say I didn't warn you! :) I rotate the apple around the core. Some pieces will be bigger than others. If you feel they are too big just break them in half. I use red and green apples for variation in flavor.

Thermography Breast Exams

Thermography Breast Exams are an up and coming way of replacing Mammograms. Every women is at risk for breast cancer these days. It is on the rise in younger women and not your "grandmother's disease" anymore. In the 1950's it was 1 in every 20 women ages 50 and up. Today it is 1 in every 8 women and as low as age early 20's. We must take time to do self exams and make those appointments to be checked by a physician.

I have talked in the past about self exams. As these are good for finding the tumors, by the time you find one on your own, it would have to be about 1" in diameter. That means it's already well advanced. So yes, finding it within the time span of one exam and another is important, but so is using technology to find it before you do. Meaning it would be even smaller and easier to treat.

What choice do you have when it comes to the detection device used? Here's a few tid bits on each machine and what it does.

 

Report: BPA in Kids' Canned Food

This report is taken from the Breast Cancer Fund's site. I subscribe to their updates and received this email on BPA's found in Kids' canned foods. Of course I believe all foods should be eaten as natural and as raw as possible. No processed foods! What is a processed food? If you bought it and it was made up for you already, it was processed by someone else and loaded with chemicals to keep it "fresh" on the shelf longer.

What happen to the old fashion days of making our dinner on our own? Oh yes, we are to busy. But are you to busy to be sick? Are you to busy to fight some disease in your family and make numerous trips to the doctor? I am.

Please take time to read the report below and take it to heart. It's not only for your heart's health but your children's as well.

Product testing by the Breast Cancer Fund has uncovered bisphenol A, the estrogenic chemical linked to breast cancer in lab studies, in canned foods marketed directly to young kids. BPA in Kids' Canned Food, the Breast Cancer Fund tested six different canned foods marketed to and consumed by kids:
• Annie's Homegrown Cheesy Ravioli
• Campbell's Disney Princess Cool Shapes, Shaped Pasta with Chicken in Chicken Broth
• Campbell's Spaghettios with Meatballs
• Campbell's Toy Story Fun Shapes, Shaped Pasta with Chicken in Chicken Broth
• Chef Boyardee Whole Grain Pasta, Mini ABC's & 123's with Meatballs
• Earth's Best Organic Elmo Noodlemania Soup

Jane Iredale does it again!

Oh how do I write a quick review? I just can't on this one. So please take the time to read it. It could be the best holiday gift you find for that PERFECT someone. 

I previously wrote a review on an amazing little lip balm where Jane Iredale donates 100% of their profits to breast cancer awareness from each purchase. (Thank you Jane Iredale for your support!) So when they asked me to try their NEW, HOT OFF THE PRESSES lip balm, I didn't hesitate to say YES.

Beautifully wrapped with a sprig of lavender on the signature sealed Jane Iredale tissue paper, I was excited to open it up and see what this special holiday surprise was. Sugar & Spice ChoholoLicks! The case in which the lip balm slides in to, creates the illusion of a candy bar. As I slid the balm out, I was giddy (yes, I used the word giddy) about the packaging. I opened the case and was wowed by the scents which flooded my kitchen. Four smooth lip glosses in colors of Blood Orange, Espresso, Very Berry, and Chili Pepper. I picked up the lip wand and gazed for just a moment, trying to figure out just how it worked. When I pulled on the end of the wand and the brush popped out, I seriously made a little gasping sound. Yup, I was that impressed.

Warning: The only thing I would warn you about, and I don't think it's a flaw with the product, more a flaw with the user, was the unexpected softness of the lip-balm. I was expecting it to be more solid than it was. Usually the kind with wands are hard and you have to press down with the brush and wipe it across the surface over and over. I pushed a little too hard my first time. I put a deep gouge in my first color choice. It took a few uses to smoothed it out.

Tea Forte' Review

Tea Forte' "Tea over Ice" is a beautiful and TASTEful idea.  After opening the carefully packaged Brewing Pitcher Tea Set, and smelling the wonderful scents in the 12 Over - Ice Portico collection, I was excited to try it out for myself.

The larger pitcher on the bottom is filled with ice. The smaller top pitcher is filled with steaming water. Placing the pyramid tea bag in the hot water and steeping for 2-3 minutes, you can have amazing flavored tea. The adorable metal stem and paper leaf atop the tea bag, slide through the hole of the steeping jar's lid and hold the tea bag in an upright position. The first tea I tried was the Pomegranate Blueberry black tea. The smell was fantastic and it darkened quickly.

Nature's Gate Giveaway

Nature's Gate has just about anything you would need for an natural home.  Hair, Bath and Skin care, deodorants, oral, facial, acne, and sun care. These products are free of Sulfates, Parabens, Phthalates, PEG, EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Animal ingredients and no animal testing.

I am so pleased with the shampoo and conditioner from Nature's Gate. I finally found something I feel safe using, smells great, and foams up in the shower. Lavender and Aloe Shampoo is created for dry or damaged hair. My hair had been through the wringer with old coloring and then hi-lights to boot. So switching to an organic plant based color and using natural shampoo and conditioner, I have gotten my hair back into great shape. I have been using this shampoo for about a month and a half. As I don't shampoo my hair everyday, because of the length and style time, I am still using the same bottle. A little does go a long way. Nature's Gate price is only $7.99! May be a little more expensive than your grocery store shampoo but way less than salon prices. I feel they are reasonably priced for being a product made with mostly natural ingredients!

Lavera Naturkosmetik Giveaway

Lavera Naturkosmetik is another great site to get eco-chick makeup. They offer not only makeup up but hair care, body care, toothpaste, anti-aging, men's skin care, baby care, and much more.

Their makeup is designed for sensitive skin. No product is made with harsh chemicals. They are made of pure organic plant oils, herbs, flowers, and essential oils. This company is Cruelty Free and Gluten Free. Most importantly, for us cancer conquerors, they are free of parabens, petroleum and synthetic preservatives, emulsifiers, and fragrances.

I had the opportunity to try their Long Lash Mascara. Now I personally lack in the area of long lashes and am always seeking out something to extend those lashes. As this was a great mascara, and I do use it almost every day, I did not find it to make my lashes Kim Kardashian long. I believe you have to have some what of an eye lash for it to extend to a visible difference. With that aside, I DO like this product, the way it smells, and it's long lasting power. But wasn't 100% excited with the lengthening aspect of the mascara. The fact it is natural I will continue to use it. I do NOT use any store boughten, over the counter, chemical makeups. I am totally organic on all my cosmetics at this time! A side bonus, this mascara does not clump. I can't stand a mascara that leaves you with bunched together lashes. You do get a nice soft appearence with Lavera.  This mascara retails for $22.50.

The Fight Like A Girl Club

I stumbled upon the Fight Like A Girl Club while doing breast cancer research. I wanted to see all the different organizations out there and get a feel for what they stand for. This one grabed my attention with their amazing eye catching web page.

Breast Cancer Fund.org

I stumbled onto the Breast Cancer Fund organization through an organic makeup company. I have been reading through their site and am very impressed with their point of view. Once you are diagnosed with breast cancer, sometimes the only answer is seeking treatment from doctors. I believe God has given doctors a lot of answers and we have come a far way in healing those touched by this disease. If caught early enough, surgery could be the answer with no chemo or radiation, like in my case.

But to go around ignoring that chemicals and our environment are not playing a roll in causing cancer, is just ignoring the situation. But maybe you don't know where to start or what to change? Please see my easy to use tab "What I Use" for a great place to start on changing your chemical intake with cosmetics and all beauty products.

Betty Ford's Ultimate Fight

Growing up in Michigan, I have always had a special place in my heart for the Ford family. The Ford name is a household name in these parts. It represents not only our Ford car industry but also the Detroit Lions with the National Football League.

President Ford  passed away at the age of 93, the longest ever living president! I was thrilled to be able to attend the viewing of his casket in 2006, standing in line for a chance to stand in silence in front of his American flagged draped casket and pray. I also got to sign his guest book that will forever be shown on display inside. The gun salute and the jet planes that rushed over the Grand River was something I will never forget.