Maggie cough remedy

MAGGIE’S COUGH REMEDY

¼ teaspoon Cayenne

¼ teaspoon Ginger

1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar (an organic one, like Bragg’s, is preferred.)

2 Tablespoon Water

1 Tablespoon Honey (use a locally produced raw honey, if possible.)


Dissolve cayenne and ginger in cider vinegar and water. Add honey and shake well. Take 1 Tablespoon as needed for cough. Hoo-wee.

Note: this doesn’t dissolve perfectly. Always shake well before using.



If you make this in small batches as the recipe is written, there is no need to refrigerate.

If you prefer, you may refrigerate this. It keeps as long as you need it. I like to make small batches (it is so easy to mix up.) and use it up in a just a few days.

Bob Strong Miracle

Dear friends:




On July 29, 2012 Bob had a massive cardiac arrest. He spent 15 days in the hospital. Here is a brief description of Bob's ordeal. We were at home getting ready to go to bed. Our grown daughter Robin was spending a couple of days with us so she could go to the doctor's office on Tuesday. They were walking down the hall toward 2 of the bedrooms when suddenly Bob fell. She yelled at me that he fell and was not breathing and started immediately giving him CPR. I ran to the phone and called 911 and opened the house so they could get in. They arrived in about 5 minutes and got his heart going again and put a ventilator in to get him breathing. They then took him to UMC where they worked on him in the emergency room. Finally they transferred him to MICU where he spent the next 6 1/2 days in a coma. They medically induced the coma to protect his body while they put him in a hypothermic state for 24 hours. After they warmed his body back up and the drugs were supposedly out of his body, they started trying to get him to wake up.



They were unsuccessful and finally told us that his kidneys were shutting down, he had pneumonia caused by the CPR, they could not even find out what heart damage was done as he was too fragile to be taken to the heart Cath lab and that they feared brain damage because he was unresponsive to any stimulation or to the EEG test. Finally on Saturday August 4th, we gathered as a family to hear what the doctors had to say and they offered little hope for a normal recovery. We had them discontinue life support and gathered together for a prayer which I led. Basically what I said was that the doctors had offered us little hope but that we believed in miracles and that we were asking God for a miracle. They discontinued life support and told us to stay close by as they thought he could go at any time.



Miraculously, throughout the day, Bob's body began to respond favorably as he started to breathe on his own, his kidneys started functioning again, his blood pressure stabilized, his heart rate stayed fairly normal although the rate was irregular. About 6:15 p.m. as I sat by his bed, his eyes changed to where I thought he was finally seeing me. I asked him "Robert can you see me?" and he replied "Some". That was the beginning of our miracle.



Throughout the evening he began to ask questions about what happened and where he was. We told him what had happened he wanted to know where it happened and where he was. He asked this several times. He recognized all those who had gathered to see him and we were relieved as it soon became apparent he still had his humor. One of the most amazing things was that early in the waking up process, he kept saying something over and over again. Our son Brad was with me and we told Bob we were so sorry we could not figure out what he was saying. Finally Bob said "Usana Magnesium" as clear as day. Our granddaughter Tiffany immediately looked it up on her iphone and was amazed at the hundreds of health benefits of magnesium. It was then that I knew were getting the whole package back. Bob was going to be fine. He still had his memory, his knowledge, and his humor. What more could we ask for!!!



I asked our son Jimmy to help get his nutrients restored and his fluid, which had to come from the doctor and he did. We had to leave at 11:00 p.m. but when we called the next morning, he was sitting up in a chair, talking with the nurse and responding to commands. He knew all the vital stuff they kept asking him and continued to improve. When the doctors began making their rounds they were amazed. One of the neurology doctors came in he just said "wow". Later that day they transferred him to the 5th floor and everywhere he went they referred to him as the "miracle man".



On Tuesday they did an angiogram and installed 3 stints. Meanwhile they did another eco-cardiogram and determined his injection faction was dramatically improved and that he had a cardiac arrest which is different from a heart attack. They installed a defibulator on Friday. We were at the hospital until Monday afternoon and are now at home. He continues to improve daily and we are overcome with the love and prayers shown by so many people all over this nation. We can hardly believe what all happened but we believe with all our heart that God favored us with a miracle and we will never fail to give him the glory.



I have several heroes that I am eternally grateful for. First our daughter Robin who was with us who was able to do the CPR and do it well, our son Jimmy who was my advocate with the doctors and nurses when I needed it the most, our son Brad who talked on the phone non-stop so I wouldn’t have to and was on Facebook to keep everyone advised of what was going on. He even was able to contact  Bob's good friend in Mexico, Oscar Soto who drove 20 hours one way to be at his bedside, our son Kevin who made three round trips from Fort Stockton in one week and communicated with a whole other set of family and friends, and finally our granddaughter Tiffany Decker who is a NICU nurse who was able to make us understand what was going on and made us question some things that might have made a difference in his care.


Once again thanks so much for caring and praying.

Love to all

24 Million people now have Diabetes in the USA

8 percent of the US population now have diabetes and that number continues to rise rapidly. Why? Lack of exercise, poor diet, and rising obesity due to poor eating habits are big contributors. Diabetes occurs when levels of blood sugar in the body rise above normal and stay elevated. The term for sugar is glucose and is the major source of fuel for all the cells in the body.

Our food is converted into glucose. The pancreas makes the hormone insulin which helps open the cells up to receive glucose and other nutrients. If there is not enough insulin in the bloodstream to help those nutrients get in the cells, they starve to death. People with type 2 diabetes produce insulin, but their body does not use the insulin properly. This insulin imbalance cause glucose to build up in the blood instead of going into the cells, which cause the cells and therefore the entire body to malfunction, which leads to diabetes.

The good news is that type 2 diabetes is completely and totally preventable and in many cases also totally reversable. One of the biggest risk factor for diabetes in insulin resistance. Insulin is supposed to take the glocose from your bloodstream and escort it into your cells for fuel. Without this escort service, your cells don't get the fuel (energy) they need, which causes problems with your metabolism and shortens your lifespan, leaving you feeling like you are running on empty, while the unused fuel(sugar) accumulates in your blood.

You can stop diabetes naturally. Step 1: Let low glycemic eating be your guide. There are a number of lifestyle factors that influrnce your risk of developing diabetes but the greatest culprit is the food you eat. Learn to determine the glycemic index of the foods you eat. The GI of a food depends on the amount of carbohydrates it has in it and whether they are in a form that is absorbed quickly or whether they are released slowly during digestion.

Most vegetables (except for potatoes) are considered safe even though they do contain carbs, their effect on blood sugar levels is so low that their GI doesn't register. However if you tend to consume a lot of high-glycemic carbohydrates such as white breads, rice, pasta, potatoes, sugary desserts, soda, fruit juices, crackers, and most cereals you will constantly spike your blood sugar. The constant spikes overwhelm your ability to utilize your insulin properly. When this happens your risk of diabetes skyrockets but your risk of excessive weight gain also skyrockets. A diet that is high-fiber, low -fat, with lots of cold-water fish, poultry and eggs will help start you on the way to better health. The glycemic index of the foods you eat should be under 55. To find out the glycemic index of specific foods, check the free online database at www.glycemicindex.com.

Step 2: Engage in regular physical activity. Every time you engage in physical activity you are reducing the risk of developing diabetes. According to a study by the National Institutes of Health, men and women diagnosed with pre-diabetic glucose intolerance who exercised regularly lowered their risk of diabetes by 58 percent - far better than the 31 percent protection offered by the diabetes drug Glucophage. It doesn't matter what king of exercise you engage in, as long as it is done on a regular bases. It can be as simple as walking 10,000 steps. Get an inexpensive pedometer to keep track. Aim to exercise at least 5 days a week for 30 minutes.

Step 3. Take safe sensible supplements. Start by taking a pharmaceutical iron-free muti-vitamin. Then take increased dosages of Vitamin D3, magnesium, chromium picolinate, and alpha lipoic acid. I recommend The Essentials by Usana Health Sciences. Contact me for information on how to get the at a wholesale price.

We have found that these recommendations also work for people who want to lose weight. You can change your life and lose weight for the last time as well as prevent diabetes. If you already have it, we can help your reverse it. Check out our website. www.kstrong.trinityhealthweightloss.com

Top Ten Basics of Optimal Health

Bob and I have been coaching people on how to get control of their health for over two years now. Below are listed certain basic habits that promote optimal health (and healthy weight). In some instances we have been successful in helping some individuals reverse their Type II diabetes. Check out our website: http://www.kstrong.trinityhealthweightloss.com/

1. Eat a healthy diet that incorporates fresh fruit and vegetables avoiding fast food

2.Drink plenty of clean pure water - Most people need at least 10 glasses a day

3. Manage your stress.

4. Strive to walk 10,000 steps daily or 35 to 45 minutes of exercise 5 to 6 days a week

5. No one gets enough vitamin D so consider supplementation

6. Limit toxin exposure

7. Consume healthy fat. Eat more Omega 6 coming from fresh fish, flax seed oil, walnuts

8. Cut down on sugar consumption but also eliminate all artificial sweetners like Splenda, Aspartame, etc. and use Stevia, Xylitol or other healthy sweetners

9. Take a high quality pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements

10. Get plenty of sleep - Get at least 7 hours of sleep each day
Remember, leading a common sense, healthy lifestyle is your best bet to produce a healthy body and mind, and increase your longevity.

Fortunately, you can still take self-responsibility, educate yourself, and make better, healthier choices. By implementing these changes to your life, you are building a healthy mind and body, and thereby safeguarding yourself against a multitude of health problems and serious diseases.

Healthy Food does not have to taste bad. Mock mashed potatoes

Today marks the beginning of self accountability. For the past two years Bob and I have been coaching teams on how to lose weight with the added benefit of reversing type 2 diabetes. When I first embarked on the journey I did a 5 day Reset program which helps reverse the body's cravings for bad carbs. I lost 23 pounds the first 6 months and have been coasting for awhile. I would like to lose an additional 15 pounds and have identified my weakness and it is the lack of enough exercise so I plan on taking action so I can be more fit in all areas of my life.


We have coached many people with great results but I have long felt the need to blog about the experience with the benefit of sharing tips and receipes for others on this lifelong journey.


I am sharing a receipe for "Potato Cauliflower Mash" which will shock you as to how good it is. This is a low glycemic, low carb receipe.

1 head cauliflower trimmed
12 oz potatoes peeled
1 Tsp butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

Peel potatoes, cube and cook until tender. Trim the leaves from the cauliflower and cut in 1/2 inch cubes. Place in a microwave safe bowl and add 3 or 4 tablespoons water. Cook until tender 12 to 15 minutes. Drain all liquid from potatoes and cauliflower and combine in a bowl and whip with mixer. Add butter and salt and pepper to taste. For a creamer texture, you can add milk, a tablespoon at a time. Enjoy. Check out my new weightloss website:

http://www.kstrong.trinityhealthweightloss.com/ Check out the 10 day jumpstart.

Bob's mother's death

Bob's sweet mother Maxine left this world to be with Jesus on December 3rd about 3:05 a.m. She had Alzheimer's so the last 4 or 5 years have been challenging for Bob. About 3 weeks before she died we had to move her to Quail Ridge to a Alzheimer's facility so things were going to get worse for her. She did know Bob the day before she died so that was good. She was in good health for the most part and so we are glad she did not have to endure what was sure to come had she stayed with us for awhile longer. The hardest thing to endure was typical of the disease and that was the anger and rage at the caregiver, Bob and the outbursts of profanity that was so unlike her.

Most of her life were devoted to sharing the gospel of Jesus and trying to help those in need. She had a hard life in that she lost a son Richard at 8 years of age and another son, Raymond when he was grown. It would be so hard to outlive your child.

I wanted to write this blog to share what an experience we had in laying her to rest. First we had a small funeral for her here in Lubbock, Texas and that went very well. She wanted to be buried next to her husband Ray who had died in 1996 and her youngest son Richard in Dakota City, Nebraska, so Bob had to work with not only the funeral home here but another one up there. Sanders Funeral Home delivered the body to Delta Airlines in Dallas on Saturday evening and we took a plane out on Tuesday morning. We were supposed to arrive in Sioux City, Iowa at 3:46 in the afternoon. The only airlines that go into Sioux City, is Delta-Northwest so from Lubbock we had to fly to Memphis, Tenn, then transfer to a flight that went to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and from there we were supposed to transfer to a plane that would take us to Sioux City. Before we left, Bob's cousin Irene, called and said a blizzard was on the way and maybe we should postpone things but knowing how unpredicatible the weather can be, we decided to take a chance and go on after talking with the director of the funeral home there.

While in Memphis, we got word that the boday did not arrive in Omaha, so they were not sure when it would or where her remains were. Poor Bob got on the phone with the funeral home in Sioux City, and then his cousins to cancel the funeral which was scheduled the next day. After arriving in Minneapolis, after several hours of delay, they cancelled our flight. We decided to try to get closer to Sioux City if possible so we flew into Sioux Falls, South Dakota where we spent the night. The next morning we rented a car and drove down to Sioux City.

We were able to have the services the next day as they located Mrs. Strong in Minneapolis and finally got her remains in Sioux City. The blizzard did come as predicted so we were at the cemetary with temperatures at -5 degrees with a wind chill of 17 below zero. The crowd was much smaller due to the weather being so nasty, but we finally did get her laid to rest.

Next came the challenge of trying to get our flights changed to the next day. So we flew home a day later than planned.

Wish you could plan not to leave this earth in December, in the middle of a blizzard. We missed Rose's performance in the Nutcracker and also Cody's Nutcracker performance and Brianna's Choir concert due to our untimely travels. So sorry for this for the girls sake.

Here it is December 16th and I don't have all of those 32 presents purchased or wrapped or any of the decorations up. I am feeling extremely sorry for myself. I am sure that as time passes we will laugh about all of this as it was an unbelievable experience. I understand Maxine was a little fire-cracker in life and she sure went out with a bang. Bob was lucky as was I to have a good woman for his mother. We will miss her but we would never want her back the way she was.

Birthdays

Whew!! Birthdays are special especially for little ones. Not so much for old ladies like myself. Recently Bob and I went to one of our great grandson's 2 1/2 year old party. Why a 2 1/2 year old party you ask? Well Ryan's birthday is December 22nd, not a great time to have a birthday let alone a party. How do I know.....because my birthday is December 23rd. Anyway it was a great idea to have a 2 1/2 year old party.

They had it at a big health club here called Bodyworks for Women. they have a wonderful indoor children's pool with two slides, big buckets that periodically fill with water that dump water all over the place, big valves like fire fighter valves and things to climb on and so on. The place was crawling with little people and their parents.

Even my youngest granddaughter, Silas who is one year old wanted to be part of the action. She thinks so is so big. I came directly from work and did not have a bathing suit on. Not sure I want one on right now either. I got soaked trying to keep silas safe. Her bigger brother Memphis loved it so much. He must have gone down the slide 100,000 times.

I am writing about this with a bit of nostalgia. It brought back memories of my dear sweet mother. She loved parties especially family parties and she would have loved this one. It was filled with little people having a good time and their parents watching them carefully. Mother had a few more grandchildren than I do ( I have 18) and quite a few more great grandchildren. She was never happier than getting together with the family. I hope there will be times in heaven when we get together with all our loved ones to celebrate the love we have for one another. I sit here crying, longing for her and the sweet memories we shared but glad she has gone on to be with Jesus. I guess it strikes me most when I am enjoying something I know she would have loved.