supplements

Vitamin C is one of the most helpful of all vitamins. It can give your immune system the boost that it needs to help you get through cold and flu season without a single sniffle, make you recover faster from common illnesses and let your body recuperate from injuries quicker too. While you probably know that fresh fruit and some juices are high in this vitamin, you might not realize that other foods contain the vitamin too. There are some simple and easy ways to boost your daily Vitamin C intake without spending a lot of time or money.

Cool Treats

Kiwi is a fruit that is extremely high in Vitamin C and one that you’ll see appearing on grocery store shelves in the late spring. Instead of just cutting one in half and eating the inside with a spoon, use kiwis to beat the heat on a hot summer day. Peel the furry skin away from the fruit, toss the fruit in a blender with a small amount of water or your favorite fruit juice to create a thick liquid. Pour the liquid into an ice cube trap or a popsicle tray that you freeze for several hours or overnight. You can also pour the liquid into a ceramic dish and freeze. Scraping the top of the liquid every few hours turns this simple recipe into a granita.

Make Your Own Veggie Tray

Some of the veggies that contain a lot of natural Vitamin C include red and green peppers and broccoli. The next time you bring home groceries from the store, wash those vegetables in cool water and cut into thin strips or small pieces. Divide the veggies into small bags that you keep on the top shelf of your refrigerator or in another convenient spot. When you’re in the mood for a snack, you can grab one of those bags and enjoy all the benefits of Vitamin C. You can dip those veggies into peanut butter, hummus or your favorite dip.

Change the Way You Cookout

Hosting a backyard cookout is a great way to relax and have fun with friends, but if you’re like most people, you probably stick to the same foods and condiments. Don’t top your hot dogs with the same old ketchup and mustard. Try reaching for a jar of sauerkraut instead. Though it might seem hard to believe, sauerkraut is high in Vitamin C. You can use store bought or make your own. If you feel like trying something even more different, consider topping grilled burgers and dogs with kimchi, a spicy Asian condiments that is high in Vitamin C.

Grab and Go

One of the easiest ways to increase your daily intake of Vitamin C is with vitamin supplements. When you buy vitamins online, you can purchase supplements that contain all the vitamins and minerals that you need. Instead of changing your diet, you can down a vitamin on your way out the door in the morning, once you finish a workout or even before you head to bed. These supplements are available in smaller bottles that are perfect for keeping in your desk drawer at work or in your bag too.

Make Your Own Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Tomatoes contain a lot of Vitamin C, but when you choose canned or jarred tomatoes, you’ll get less of the vitamin. While sun-dried tomatoes are a better option, many companies pack those tomatoes in jars with oil that detract from the flavor of the vegetable and add to the calories that you consume. You can make your own sun-dried tomatoes at home. All you need is a few tomatoes that you slice thinly and a place to set those slices in or near direct sunlight. The sun will dry out the moisture in the tomatoes. You can do the same thing in a food dehydrator or in an oven set to the lowest temperature.

Whether you buy Vitamin C online or make some changes to your diet, you can get all the benefits of this great vitamin. Use simple recipes and ideas to increase your daily intake of Vitamin C and to eat a little healthier.

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I’ve had many friends and acquaintances ask me recently about how calm my children are.

Is that a good thing?

Calm is not the point. Connected to self during any and every experience is the point. Can a child learn to be with themselves when they are anxious, happy, angry sad…? That’s the point. That’s emotional intelligence.
Lisa Dion

I know that my kids do get rambunctious, but they always seem to be calm and collected when it really counts. When other kids are ricocheting off the walls and their parents are embarrassedly hushing them and stage whispering threats, I am usually inwardly smiling at my kids’ stellar behavior.

See my Pinterest board on parenting. I am constantly learning. I am certainly no expert!

Whereas I find my friends’ compliments a great affirmation, I can’t take all the credit here.

I think most of us have intelligent, active kids. Society often teaches that we have to stifle their natural exuberance or break their wills.

I strive to have a great relationship with my children. They trust me. They know I want what’s best for them. I seek their opinion and strive to satisfy their needs and desires.

We’ve run the gamut with making sure our kids are healthy and productive.

Elizabeth was “off the charts” for ADHD when she was about 5-7. We went the medication route for about a year. She stopped eating. She is super skinny anyway, so that didn’t work for me at all. I looked into more natural ways to manage her moods and focus abilities. We changed our diet and started eating more naturally. If it has lots of unpronounceable ingredients, we rarely eat it.

Now, we do have healthier treats (without a lot of sugar and additives and dye!) but we occasionally eat things we shouldn’t. We use Annie’s mac and cheese rather than Kraft. We eat lots of fruits and vegetables. We buy the best meat, dairy, and eggs that we can afford. I limit the prepared snack items we keep on hand.

I rely on essential oils and dietary supplements for brain health.

Then, in my research, I discovered cod liver oil. I cannot praise its properties enough! The kids are calmer, more focused and attentive, complete their school work quicker than before. Some of this is that they are maturing and growing up these last few months, but I know the cod liver oil helps. Our kids love the Cinnamon Tingle flavor. I take the orange capsules. There’s no flavor, no aftertaste, and no reflux or burps.

We’ve taken this liquid multivitamin for years. I highly recommend a multivitamin since our diets are just never good enough. The kids have so much more energy when they take this daily. It’s worth the expense.

I also take Evening Primrose oil capsules and a multi-B complex in addition to cod liver oil every day. I try to take a multivitamin too, but I find if I remember to take my oils and B, I’m energetic enough.

Also? Our skin looks radiant.

We go outside lots for fresh air and sunshine. I think it helps the kids to be active and loud and act like children in the freedom of our back yard or the park. Daily walks help me too.

These essential oils are the ones we use daily.

Thieves oil maintains our immune systems. We rub it on our feet before bed. We rarely get infections now! When Tori recently got a cold, it was much less than previous years.

Lavender works wonders on the little cuts and scrapes and skin abrasions so common in kids. Alex and Tori have dry, sensitive skin and break out around their mouths periodically, but after a couple days of lavender oil, it’s all gone. Tori knows to dab it on herself when she starts breaking out. We also limit her milk intake.

Frankincense helps brain development and heightens spiritual awareness. There’s a reason it was a gift to Jesus and it is a precious substance. I put it on my face Sunday mornings before church. Tori loves the scent and often asks me to massage her face with it. It helps moisturize skin better than commercial products!

I use several happy oil blends like perfume every day to help me conquer negativity and moodiness. I have suffered from low grade depression since I was about 12. I can’t tell you how much better I feel since using these oils. I sometimes put oil blends on Tori to help her if she’s going to be experiencing a tough situation, like our church Christmas pageant. She’s painfully shy and it gives her strength to get through it.

I use a peaceful blend often on Kate to keep her from bouncing off the walls. I often use it in my bath water after a tough week (before you think: “Ew”…I shower daily, but I only get to lay in a bath weekly, if I’m lucky!).

Liz has come such a long way from when we were at our wits’ end with her lack of focus and hyperactivity. She is learning how to manage on her own and recognize her mood triggers and find memory helps to learn better. She is learning that when her blood sugar plummets, she needs to eat. Her attitude is affected.

Tori isn’t quite so much the space cadet with her supplements and oils. We’re learning what works best as she grows and matures.

Of course, prayer and mindfulness are also extremely important.

The things we do work well for our family. I don’t know what issues you may have with moods, behaviors, allergies, etc. I am not a doctor. I’m just a mom. These are just our experiences.

The kids often watch me and take my lead. If I stay calm and teach peace, they learn this and will practice it.

Calm is not the same as regulated.

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Easy Ways to Increase Your Daily Vitamin C Intake