memoryWe all have memory problems from time to time. You know what I mean. Like the times when you go to get something in the other room and then you are standing there scratching your head trying to remember what you were going to do. It has happened to all of us but it seems to be a little worse as we get older.

When we are school ages we are getting our brain stimulated all the time with learning and tests. Once graduation is over and you are out of school, the constant stimulation of the brain tends to be much lower.

When I was in junior high and high school I used to play a card game called Speed. They key was to get your cards played and go out before the other players. As a young parson I was really fast. In the past few years I have tried to play this game with some young people and was trounced. I no longer have the quick thinking ability I had in my childhood. We all get older and just as our bodies need exercise, so does our brain. You know the old saying, “Use it or lose it.”

Here are a few ideas for supporting a healthy brain:

1. Get plenty of sleep. That can be a challenge as we get older. If you are anything like me, and you have a hard time relaxing when it’s time to go to sleep, you might find Lavender Essential Oil helpful. Lavender is known for it’s calming, relaxing and balancing effects, both physically and emotionally

2. Never stop learning. Read, read, read. Reading is a way to exercise your brain. Start a new hobby or learn to speak a foreign language; do anything that causes the brain to think.

3. Strengthen your brain. Mental exercises are important for keeping the brain youthful. Simple mental exercises can include things like memorizing a poem, doing crossword puzzles, and playing word games like Scrabble. I play Word Chums with my husband and a couple friends. I have noticed that I am much better at it than I was when I started playing. In the beginning I had a lazy brain and didn’t feel like making the effort to find a higher scoring word. Now I am loving the challenge.
MindWise
Games are a great way to have fun while stimulating your brain. I may be a 57 year old woman but I still love to have fun and play games. Mark and I enjoy racing with Mario Carts 8. Every now and then I like to add a little spiced rum to the mix. 😉

Daily mental chal­lenges will keep your brain alert and young, especially when you try things that you have never done before.

4. Get moving. In addition to strengthening the heart, exercise has been shown to promote the production of brain cells. In a University of Illinois study, adults who walked for 45 minutes three times a week improved their abil­ity to perform cognitive tasks by about 15 percent.

5. Increase your daily intake of antioxidants. Free radicals weak­en cell walls, including those in the brain. Antioxidants protect cells by dis­arming free radicals. Young Living’s NingXia Red is a great way to support your healthy brain and body.

MindWise is another of Young Living’s products that supports normal brain function. MindWise combines exotic sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) nut oil with proprietary MindWise oil and Memory blends for a unique, powerful brain function-supporting serum. Native to the Amazon rainforest, sacha inchi nuts have a desirable nutritional profile that includes protein, linoleic acid, and α-Linolenic acid. Their high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids and unmatched percentage of omega-3 fatty acids make them a popular vegetarian option. Medium chain triglycerides (MCT) and premium grade essential oils complete the MindWise oil blend.

The proprietary memory blend features ALCAR, GPC, and bio-identical CoQ10, ingredients that have been studied for their support of normal brain function. With a unique, quick-absorption emulsion delivery system and generous amounts of vitamin D3, MindWise is a premium supplement that supports improved memory function and overall cognitive health.

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These gingersnaps are very intense flavor. I am a fiend for gingersnaps. These are a bit like a cracker. I use a mixture of einkorn and almond flour, along with Swerve Sweetener to make the carbs lower.
Each cookie has 8 carbs and 17 calories.

3/4 cup blanched almond flour
3/4 cup Gary’s True Grit Einkorn Flour
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely grated
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
5 drops Ginger Vitality Essential Oil
5 drops Cinnamon Vitality Essential Oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup Swerve granulated Sweetener

In a food processor combine einkorn flour, almond flour and salt. Pulse in baking soda, vanilla, ginger and other spices. Add Vitality Oils, pulse in butter and Swerve until dough forms.
Roll batter into a long tube about the diameter of cookie size you want. Refrigerate for a couple hours. When firm, slice in 1/4 inch thick slices. Place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350° for 7-10 minutes until golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheets.
Serve

Gary’s True Grit Einkorn Flour

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Ingredients

1 cup cacao nibs
1 cup Young Living’s Organic Dried Wolfberries
1 cup hemp seeds
3/4 cup coconut butter
2 tablespoons Young Living’s Blue Agave
Dash of sea salt
Dash of vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean
2 drops of a Young Living Vitality essential oil of your choice (See recommended Vitality essential oils below)

Recommended Vitality essential oils: Lemon Vitality, Cinnamon Bark Vitality, Clove Vitality , Orange Vitality, Tangerine Vitality

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a food processor except for the cacao nibs and hemp seeds. Process until completely broken down into small pieces. Add the cacao nibs and hemp seeds into the process. The cacao nibs should break down to about half their size. The hemp seeds should be visible. Form into bite-sized balls with a small ice cream scoop, place on a baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm.

This recipe was originally featured in the January 2014 issue of the Essential Edge News.

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I have been wanting to make up some moisture sticks for around my eye area and lip balm. I used containers I had around the house because I never got around to ordering from Amazon. 😉 I will next time.

I love the way this recipe turned out and will definitely make it again soon.


Ingredients needed:

3 TBS Coconut Oil
2 TBS Beeswax
1 TBS Bee Pollen
1 TBS Propolis
15 drops Frankincense essential oil
10 drops Myrrh essential oil

(I used 2 tablespoons of YS Organic Bee Farms – Multi Bee Power Royal Jelly in place of Bee Pollen and Propolis)

Directions

Melt the coconut oil, beeswax, bee pollen, propolis together in a double boiler to keep it from scorching. A pan of water with a glass bowl on top works if you don’t have a double boiler. If using essential oils, let the mixture cool a bit so you don’t damage constituents in the oils.

Stir in the frankincense and myrrh essential oils and pour the mixture into a heat-resistant container. Do it quickly, though, because it will start to harden right away.

Equipment You’ll Need

lip balm tubes

I didn’t like the oval because it feels like I am putting deodorant on my face. 🙂 I will get the round container for the moisturizer sticks.
Deodorant Twist-up Empty Containers for moisture sticks, heel balm etc.

frosted-cookies
Ingredients
Cookies

1 cup almond flour
1 cup Gary’s True Grit Einkorn Flour
1 cup natural sweetener – I used Swerve
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
3 drops Jade Lemon Vitality Essential Oil
(option: 2 cups almond flour instead of 1 cup each einkorn and almond flour)

Frosting

1/2 cup confectioners/powdered sweetener Swerve has both granular and powdered confectioners)
3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 drops Jade Lemon Vitality Essential Oil

Other oil options: lemon, orange, tangerine, lime, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, peppermint, ginger

Instructions

Cookies
Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sweetener. Add eggs, vanilla extract and mix until combined. With the mixer running on low, slowly add baking powder, salt, einkorn and almond flour, beating well after each addition. Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and place on baking sheet; flatten dough balls to form discs covering with plastic wrap and lightly pressing. Space cookies 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies for 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack.

Frosting
Whisk together all frosting ingredients until smooth. Whisk in additional sweetener as necessary. When cookies are completely cool, spread frosting onto cookies using butter knife.

Serving size: 1 serving (Total recipe makes 16 servings)
Protein 3.65g, Fat 16.88g, Cals 170, Carbs 3.09g, Fiber 1.50g — NET CARBS: 1.59g

Gary’s True Grit Einkorn Flour

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