About Becky Hastings

I am a wife, a mom, a grandmother. I am passionate about Jesus and health - the two are intricately woven - and I am passionate about helping others who desire to learn more about both.

How Great Life Can be – Naturally!

Posted on July 9, 2024 by Becky Hastings

The world seems to be exploding with high quality information on the best route to health and avoiding illness. I’m thrilled to have found this high quality 22 minute video exploring the topic Do Vaccines Make Us Healthier? 2024 Updated version. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this factually based short video to all parents, expectant parents, grandparents, or even those who may one day become parents.

A report on the eye-opening results of three studies released recently to compare the overall, long-term health of vaccinated and unvaccinated subjects. Rather than focusing on the short-term, symptom-suppressing effects of vaccinations–as manufacturers and public health agencies do–these studies assessed whether the influence of vaccines on a person’s body in general led to overall healthier or unhealthier lives. Everyone who cares about the future health of themselves or their families should consider what the data in these important studies reveal in order to make a truly informed decision. Update (2024). Courtesy Greg Glaser and Dr. Brian Hooker

How can we find out if vaccines make our babies and children healthier? Do vaccines adults take make them healthier? If they don’t make us healthier, why are we taking them? Why are they recommended?

The video highlights three recent studies comparing the health of the vaccinated versus non vaccinated. Each study approached the topic from a slightly different angle.

Study 1 by Brian Hooker and Neil Miller. Both men have been investigating vaccines for decades. Their study looked at selective health outcomes of 2047 children.

Study 2 by Dr Paul Thomas and James Lyons Wilder, PhD compares rates of illness and doctors office visits for a large population of children based on their vaccine status. Dr Thomas gives an overview of this study in the following short video:

ARE VACCINATED KIDS HEALTHIER THAN THE UNVACCINATED?

Study 3 is a survey by the “Control Group“, an independent, worldwide, long-term study of the health outcomes of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-free. A citizen led initiative, open to anyone who has chosen not to be jabbed.

I found the first video courtesy of Just Call Me Jack who writes a blog entitled Totality of Evidence. He presents a written review of the same in Vaxxed vs Unvaxxed Studies. Jack, from Australia, dives into the details of the three studies mentioned in the video that examine the vaccinated versus non vaccinated. He has also added information on four more studies. I highly recommend his blog if you’d like more information comparing the health of the vaccinated verses non-vaccinated.

I found Just Call Me Jack because I did a search for “unbiased search engines” and found https://www.mojeek.com/. I searched for “Dr Paul Thomas study vaxxed vs unvaxxed.” The top 10 links on Mojeek are dramatically different than the top 10 links I found on Duckduckgo using the Brave Browser.

Listen to two doctors discuss the health of their patients noting the robust health of the non vaccinated children.

All this demonstrates that it can be very difficult to find the truth. There are enormous efforts to keep the general public from finding out the FACTS contained in this video. It’s not easy to find the papers and studies that demonstrate the woeful state of health in the vaccinated population. There are powerful financial forces that are best served when the population is sick and uninformed.

I pray this information will be a blessing to many. We need to spread the word as far and wide as possible.

Becky Hastings collects information on health and tries her best to discover and share truth. By God’s grace, through Jesus Christ, I was saved, blessed with a husband of over 40 years, and five precious babies all grown up. I now get to delight as eleven grandchildren grow! Together we can help each other discover a healthy path in this crazy upside down world.

Searching for Effective Non Toxic Cancer Treatments

Posted on July 8, 2024 by Becky Hastings

Everyone knows someone who has received a sudden cancer diagnosis. The older we get, the more people we know impacted by cancer in some way. Far too frequently we hear of another friend, family member, or acquaintance who has just had a diagnosis of cancer.

This increasing cancer rate which is born out by statistics that I don’t even need to share, has two impacts on me:

I desperately want to help. I’ve heard of so many people who successfully radically altered their lifestyles and beat cancer, that I have hope that anyone can do it with the right information and right support.
Personal vigilance! Sometimes we can find ourselves in a state of fear. We can be lured into complacency and feel there is nothing we can do, cancer may be inevitable. No one is helped by living in a state of constant fear or dread. When faced with overwhelming statistics on cancer rates we have a choice. Information empowers me to make daily lifestyle choices that promote health.

I have been interested in the topic of health since 1979 when I was introduced to the subject of Nutritional Chemistry by a sweet old professor and his wife who taught a course at Vanderbilt University. They presented solid facts and evidence of exactly how what we eat affects our health – and as a bonus they had a weekly taste opportunity of something healthy to eat that most college students had not been exposed to.

In the last twenty years I’ve focussed on longevity. How to live well for your entire life is my goal. As my nearly 90 year old mother has repeatedly warned me, “growing old is not for sissies.” Growing old with aches, pains and dtysfunctioning organs is NOT fun, so how can we live well AND long?

My search has led me to several pivotal Cancer Prevention books.

The one I am reading currently is at the TOP of my list and has inspired this blog. If you have cancer currently, if a loved one has cancer, I HIGHLY and URGENTLY recommend this book by Tanya Harter Pierce, Outsmart Your Cancer: Alternative Non-Toxic Treatments That Work (Third Edition). This book is a labor of love and offers extensive investigation into the history of alternative cancer treatment. Tanya gives details of 21 of the most effective options for today. Did you know there are 21 PROVEN EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE CANCER TREATMENTS? Tanya has done the hard work of sifting through the many layers of facts and with a clinical perspective, guides the reader to understanding more of the physiology of cancer and how each treatment method is effective, as well as the approximate costs involved.

If you have a serious diagnosis and haven’t been given much hope with traditional therapies and don’t have time to read the entire book from the beginning (which I would highly recommend to everyone), I would suggest you skip straight to chapter 14 which covers 714X. This is something I have never heard about and seems like a powerful option for those who desperately need one.

Next I would go to chapters 9 – 12 which cover Protocel. This is also the first time I learned of this.

Next read Chapter 13 on Flaxseed Oil and Cottage Cheese. A very simple, easily accessible approach that has powerful testimonials backing up the effectiveness.

Chapter 16 describes in details another very effective treatment option I had never heard of: Cesium High pH Therapy.

Finally, you can go to her website, https://outsmartyourcancer.com/ and get more easy to implement tips for recovery, such as these:

Stop Eating Refined Sugar and Refined Wheat

Be Wary of Needle Biopsies

Don’t Wait Until All Conventional Treatment Has Failed To Try an Alternative Approach.

Avoid Mammograms
https://outsmartyourcancer.com/about-the-author/tips-for-recovery/

I like this book best because every historic effective treatment is described fully in a chapter with a list of resources at the end of the chapter. She is not writing about her personal experience, but has investigated a broad range of approaches and includes testimonies based on her interviews with people who were cured from many different types of cancers and used a variety of different approaches.

I’m not finished reading the entire book, and may well find more gems in pages 265-441. But I know some people currently in the battle with whom I urgently want to share this information.

I pray that every person suffering from cancer will first and foremost pray and seek God with all their heart and mind – as Jesus instructed us. Jesus’ words “how much more will God give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” are a powerful reminder that God wants to lead and guide our lives.

A dear woman still in her thirties recently passed from a brain tumor. She leaves 3 girls behind. Her journey with cancer was short and severe. It’s too late for me to share what I have learned with her. The beautiful part of her story is that God brought a nurse to her hospital room that shared the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ with her during a dark time. She received God’s offer of forgiveness and over the last 10 months of her life experienced a powerful spiritual transformation. She became part of our local church and boldly testified to the dramatic change in her heart. She did not achieve victory over her cancer in this life and her family will miss her, but we rejoice because she did receive ultimate victory.

If the information contained in this book is shared widely with all cancer sufferers, the statistics for cancer would dramatically change.

Please share this information with those you know are searching for answers. This information will not be offered in the mainstream even by those who purport to lead the fight against cancer. I believe this information is vital for everyone – whether you have a cancer diagnosis or not. Preventing cancer through lifestyle changes is powerful. Having this information BEFORE you need it can make all the difference in navigating which treatment options you choose.

Other books I have read that are inspiring and helpful:

Chris Beat Cancer by Chris Wark

The Truth about Cancer: What You Need to Know about Cancer’s History, Treatment, and Prevention by Ty Bolinger

What you need to know about Folic Acid, Folate and neural tube defects

Posted on July 3, 2024 by Becky Hastings

I have been aware of this topic for a long time. As a breastfeeding counsellor for decades, I had many breastfeeding moms that were told their baby’s tongue tie was connected to ingesting folic acid — either through food or prenatal supplements –during pregnancy. I’m not sure about that, but one thing was clear, the number of tongue ties increased drastically over the years I volunteered helping moms and babies.

Dr Sam Bailey from New Zealand has done a deep dive into folic acid that I found extremely insightful. Here are some things I learned in this comprehensive detailed video (which I have a link for below) :

The fortification of foods with folic acid was first suggested in 1991 and mandated in the USA in 1998. This would explain the sharp increase I noticed among moms struggling with tongue ties.

In this video you will also receive an in depth investigation into the history of folic acid recommendations as well as many helpful suggestions for how a pregnant mom can insure her baby has the best health possible.

I highly recommend this video for all pregnant women.

How to be our healthiest self? Avoid processed foods as much as possible. Most of them contain folic acid, especially commercially made cereal and bread products. Especially avoid labels that state “enriched” or “fortified”. Buy local fresh foods and cook for yourself! Find local suppliers of stone ground whole organic flours.

Folate, the natural form of folic acid is found in leafy greens, beef liver and lentils, among others.

Folate vs Folic Acid.

You might be aware that you should avoid supplements listing folic acid which a synthetic molecule manufactured in a laboratory. But you may not know that even if you see the word ‘folate’ in the ingredient list on your vitamin tablet, what the tablet may contain is synthesized folic acid. If you see “DFE” which means dietary folate equivalent, you can know that the tablet contains the synthetic version. Eating whole foods will provide higher quality nutrition than a tablet.

What type of birth control is safe?

Posted on July 2, 2024 by Becky Hastings

I don’t claim to have the answers, but here is an example of one type that has caused a lot of women a lot of problems.

The Paraguard Copper T – IUD is No Longer Recommended

The Copper T IUD is No Longer Recommended and is currently in litigation for breakage of the arm during removal with retention of fragments in the uterine cavity. Other issues include heavy bleeding, disruption of vaginal microbiome with recurrent vaginal infection, copper toxicity or sensitivity, etc. Instead of the Copper T IUD, use a barrier method such as the diaphragm or cervical cap (2-3).
From Copper T IUD No Longer Recommended by Jeffrey Dach MD

For more detailed information see “Everything Hormones” by David Brownstein and Lindsey Berkson

Another article with a lot of facts on what happens to the body when this small device is implanted.

EP 69: Why the Copper IUD is Not a Safe Form of Birth Control

So, WHAT’S A COUPLE TO DO?

For further information as well as some suggestions on effective safe alternatives:

Copper IUDs: The Problems With Paragard

Dr. Ryan Monahan, DAOM, LAc, IFMCP. completed his Masters and Doctoral degrees of Eastern Medicine summa cum laude at Emperor’s College in Santa Monica, California and completed his Functional Medicine training with both The Institute for Functional Medicine and The Kresser Institute for Functional and Evolutionary Medicine.

The safest and most effective approach to natural, non-hormonal birth control is a combination of the Natural Cycles App in conjunction with intravaginal neem oil injected five minutes prior to sexual intercourse.

In clinical study, Natural Cycles App has been found to be 93% effective against pregnancy, while neem oil was found to be 96.2% effective against pregnancy in a 2018 study involving 238 women.

The integration of both approaches together would be a significantly effective method of birth control, as well as not only safe, but actually beneficial to vaginal health. Neem oil has been found to decrease instances of leucorrhea, UTIs, STDs, yeast infections, candida, gonorrhea, genital herpes and HIV.

Moving off of disruptive, toxic birth controls is one of the most important steps a woman can take in reclaiming control over her health and sovereignty over her own body.

https://www.peacefulmountainmedicine.com/post/copper-iuds-the-problems-with-paragard
Ryan Monahan, DAOM, LAc, IFMCP

I’ve been exploring the details of contraception for over forty years. I found these current resources helpful for young couples and wanted to make them available.

Preparing for a “well” baby visit

Posted on July 1, 2024 by Becky Hastings

Many parents have reached a point of skipping all “well baby” visits. But new parents may feel a need to have a regular assessment by a professional just to ensure everything is good with their baby’s progress and development. The “well baby” visit has been programed into us from an early age and it can be difficult to ignore promptings to make an appointment for that 2 mo, 4 mo, 6 mo, etc visit. We all want to be seen as a ‘good’ parent; we want to act responsibly.

Since the covid narrative was unleashed on the public more people than ever are questioning the necessity, the risk, and the benefit of ALL vaccines recommended by the CDC. Public acceptance of the latest experimental injection has clearly plummeted as indicated by the low numbers of people getting ‘boosters. With greater awareness than ever of the potential for harm from a product given to a healthy person in order to “protect” them from becoming sick, parents and many medical professionals are seriously questioning the childhood vaccine schedule as never before.

I’ve been extremely encouraged by a growing list of high profile doctors who have completely changed their view of childhood vaccines in just a couple of years. Dr Suzanne Humphries was an early adapter to understanding the lack of science supporting childhood vaccines. She states that any doctor who spends just a few hours digging into the research on vaccines must question what they were taught in medical school. Dr Peter McCullough, Dr Pierre Kory, Dr Paul Thomas, Dr Tess Lawrie, and many others are now outspoken about the risk and dangers from childhood vaccines and most conclude that a rational evaluation of risk versus harm suggests that it is best to avoid all the recommended vaccines.

The World Council For Health wrote A Common-sense Approach to Childhood Vaccines is Now Needed which concludes with the following statement:

In the current circumstances, the World Council for Health urges parents to consider childhood vaccination very carefully and adopt a common-sense, “Safer to Wait” approach to the vaccination of your boys and girls.

Don’t fall for the vaccine fearmongering and guilt-provoking propaganda.

For the sake of all children and a healthy society it is time that we question our blind faith in vaccines, the corporations that produce them, and the regulatory bodies and supranational organisations that enable and profit directly or indirectly through their authorisation.

The World Council for Health will continue to bring you supportive information and resources to help you optimize your family’s health naturally. Be assured that reducing infectious disease and maximizing your children’s health is rooted in wholesome nutrition, good physical and mental hygiene, a healthy outdoor lifestyle and your unconditional love.
https://worldcouncilforhealth.org/news/statements/childhood-vaccines/

No matter what your current understanding is in regards to the necessity or safety of childhood vaccines, most people agree that children are given far too many vaccines and too many at one time. Comparing the vaccines recommended for babies today versus the recommendation for babies from 1986 is quite drastic.

Combine this knowledge with the health of children today and the incredible rate of neurologic problems faced by an overwhelming number of children. Autism is just one example. There are allergies, asthma, other neurologic symptoms, diabetes, etc. Our children today are not healthy. Ask any teacher who has worked decades in the school system.

This type of information should be the forefront of investigation by everyone charged with the health of our children. However, strong financial interests put enormous pressure on all aspects of our health care providers to ignore the truth about vaccine harm. Doctors are generally facing a large debt from their training and are rewarded for maintaining the status quo.

If you still feel you must go for a well baby visit, and haven’t been able to find a doctor who encourages a healthy intact immune system (i.e. no vaccines) you need a solid plan to withstand the pressure most parents will experience when a professional seeks to get you to comply with their agenda.

Here is a strategy for how to maintain peace of mind and still attend a well child visit from someone who has been researching vaccines for a long time. In the process of following this strategy, you will also learn a lot about the shots that are recommended for all children – a one size fits all approach as decided upon by the ACIP committee fo the CDC.

An excerpt from Preparing for the “Well-Baby” or “Well-Child” Visit if You Don’t Plan to Vaccinate by Marcella Piper Terry.

How can I prepare myself? What can I do to ensure I am not coerced or bullied? What can I take with me to let the doctor know that I have not made a snap decision, and I am not just listening to others’ opinions?

Here is my plan:
1. Find out exactly what vaccines my children are “due to receive.”
2. Call the doctor’s office and ask which brands of vaccines they use.
3. Find out what the ingredients are in those vaccines.
4. Print the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for those ingredients.
5. Print the vaccine manufacturer’s inserts for each vaccine.
6. Print out the state law regarding school attendance.

I will put everything in a binder (actually, I’ll get two copies of everything so I can leave one with my doctor and have one to keep).
https://marcellapiperterry.substack.com/p/preparing-for-the-well-baby-or-well

Read the full article for a lot more information about this strategy and details of where you can find all that information she suggests you take to your doctor.

While I never felt the need to take our five children to regular wellness visits – that was decades ago and a lot has changed. Parents today feel a lot of pressure ‘to do the right thing’. However, perhaps the most important thing you can do is ask more questions and seek to find the answers for yourself without relying on the ‘experts’ to tell you what to do. Once you inject a vaccine, it can never be ‘un-injected’. Far too many families have deep regret that they did not investigate the topic of vaccines more thoroughly before their child was harmed or even killed because of the “wellness” shots. Millions of parents all over the world are struggling to find ways to heal children harmed by vaccines. Inform yourself before you face strong pressure to give your baby/child more vaccines.

Even doctors have experienced personal vaccine injury. Many are questioning their position. If more parents follow this strategy many more doctors will be faced with facts they never learned in medical school. They may not change their minds immediately, but the information will be clear for them if they are willing to investigate.

The good news is that millions are now aware of vaccine harm and more children than ever are growing up ‘organic’ – raised completely without vaccines. Every study done confirms that children without vaccines are healthier, smarter, and happier. Parents can have confidence in rejecting the sales pitch of the medico-pharma industry. God knew what He was designing. His plan for your baby can be trusted.

If you find my writing helpful, please share with your friends, young parents, pregnant or hoping to be pregnant. We can make a difference one person at a time.

Are Statins a good choice?

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Becky Hastings

Is lowering cholesterol good for me? Does lowering cholesterol levels lead to a longer better life?

Medical information. What is the most reliable source? You might have been diagnosed with “high cholesterol” and are told you need to take a statin. When you are prescribed a statin, it is generally expected that you will be taking this drug for life. Are there any risks? Should I just trust my doctor and take it? Does the fact that “most cardiologists are taking statins themselves” enough of a reason to take this $15 billion drug?

From an article by Jan Wellmann from 23 May 2024 on Substack:

Talking About Fats, Cholesterol, and Statins

https://janwellmann.substack.com/p/talking-about-fats-cholesterol-and?r=xwr6b&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true

There you will find a 1+ hour interview with Dr Malcolm Kendrick, a Scottish General Practitioner, heart disease specialist, and author of several books: “Doctoring Data”, “The Great Cholesterol Con”, “The Clot Thickens” and “Statin Nation”.

Malcolm offers a uniquely honest perspective on the healthcare industry and the harm caused by the cholesterol narrative. He uses data and shows how a lot of the information we have been presented is relying on “doctored data” and not true facts.

Of 27 major placebo controlled trials on statins only 1 was not funded by the pharmaceutical industry. That study showed no benefit from statins. All the pharmaceutical funded trials showed a benefit. However, even for those studies, the benefits are incredibly small.

Since 2000 there have been no positive trials on statins. In the most favorable study from UK “The Heart Protection Study” there is no data showing any benefit for women at all. If there is a positive result the news will trumpet it, but they will not report any negative outcomes. Another study known as 4S by Merck showed a higher fatality rate for women taking statins compared with those who did not take them in the control group.

Lipitor claimed to reduce the risk of heart attack by over 30%, yet the data showed there was no reduction in fatal heart attacks and no reduction in overall mortality.

One study recoded 94% of people taking the drug had adverse effects.

Dr Kendrick describes himself, not as “anti-statin” but “Anti terrible research that is manipulated and corrupted to sell medications”.

How much longer will you live if you take the statin? According to the two most positive clinical trials (4S and HPS), amongst secondary prevention (those who are at the very highest risk – because they have already had a heart attack or stroke) after 5 years you can expect to live 6 additional days from taking the statin. So you endure all the side effects for a few extra days?? Is it worth it?

Can you stop taking statins once you have been taking them? According to Dr Kendrick, there is no danger in stopping and there may be plenty of benefit. He suggests stopping for a few weeks and notice if the side effects are reduced or disappear. Start taking the drug again and confirm if the side effect returns.

The claim that cholesterol leads to cardiac disease was a sales pitch for these drugs from the get-go, now a $15 billion market. According to a new BMJ study, “Is LDL cholesterol associated with long-term mortality among primary prevention adults? A retrospective cohort study from a large healthcare system,” even the “bad” version of cholesterol, LDL, is associated with lower mortality risk.

Statins convey no health benefits, but plenty of side effects:

Muscle pain and weakness, including muscle breakdown leading to early mortality in 50%.
Liver damage
Digestive problems
Increased blood sugar levels
Neurological side effects (including dementia)
Increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke
Skin reactions
Fatigue

Extract from the study: “New Study Confirms Higher LDL Levels of ‘Bad’ Cholesterol Are Linked to Reduced Risk of Death in People Who Do Not Suffer from Coronary Disease.”

“A 22-year study published in BMJ Open on 177,000 people found low LDL cholesterol is linked to higher mortality than cardiovascular disease. Researchers say the lowest risk of long-term mortality was detected in the LDL range of 100–189 mg/dL, which is much higher than current recommendations. Cholesterol is produced 80% internally by the organism itself, in the liver, and is necessary for healing damage to the body, for the production of cell membranes, steroid hormones (progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, cortisol), and vitamin D, while it constitutes 40% of the nervous system. The study finds that, preventively, to assess cardiovascular risk, LDL levels are of little importance. More weight should be given to the triglyceride/HDL ratio and to examining the calcium score, which are the most reliable predictive indicators. The results of this study confirm evidence from many similar studies published in recent years and disconnect total mortality from total cholesterol and LDL levels.” https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/14/3/e077949.full.pdf?with-ds=yes

Swimming Aids?

Posted on June 12, 2024 by Becky Hastings

We can learn from the tragic experiences of others. I never knew these devices had such a bad track record. Several of my grandchildren have used them. Praise God they are all learning to swim now.The following information comes from:

Judah Brown Projectn

The puddle jumper. It’s the flotation device moms love. They are cute. They look fun and inviting and they give our kids independence in the water. We think they keep our kids safe, but do they really?

This post is extremely hard for me. I was that mom who put my beautiful 3-year-old baby boy in one of these devices. The packaging told me it would help him stay safe. Other moms told me it would help him stay safe. All I wanted to do was to keep him safe. That’s it. That was my sole reason for buying and using this device.

I put it on him every time we went to water (which was usually a pool).

I learned after my beautiful baby boy drowned that the unintended things he learned while using this device were a major factor in his accident.

This is why…

1) Puddle jumpers automatically put children in a vertical position in the water. They teach a head up and arched and feet down position and that is also known as the drowning position. Puddle jumpers teach children muscle memory for that position so that when they get in water, they will automatically go vertical, whether they have the device on or not. This makes drowning faster.

2) Puddle Jumpers can teach children to bicycle their arms and legs in order to propel through the water. This expends huge amounts of energy and contributes significantly to drowning incidents because it cannot be sustained for very long for young kids. They have the wrong body proportions under the age of 5 to stay in a treading position for more than around 30 seconds before they submerge and begin to drown.

3) Puddle Jumpers can and often do prevent kids from learning to reach their arms out in front of them for any swimming stroke and from putting their heads in the water to help get into a horizontal (swimming and breathing position) in the water. Ask swim instructors and they will tell you that they can spot a puddle jumper kid anywhere and that it takes these kids twice as long to learn to swim on their own because of the poor body positioning that these devices teach the kids.

4) This one applies to ANY flotation device used in pools frequently with young children. ANY flotation device can create a false sense of security/safety for the child. The child thinks they can swim because they have built confidence in the water with the device, using it consistently during swim times. At young ages they don’t know how their own bodies react in the water (without a flotation device on) because they have been wearing them every time they get into a pool. They then don’t make the connection that the device is what is keeping them floating and not themselves.

The way they see it, they have always been able to float and do so with very little effort each time they play in the water, so they should be able to do that every time. They don’t see that it’s the device that is keeping them up and that without it, they can’t swim or float.

So, when the opportunity arises for them to get into water when they aren’t supposed to be in it, when you are momentarily distracted, they are much more likely to do so without the device, thinking they can swim on their own, when they really can’t. That’s when the false sense of confidence can cause a drowning.

70% of all child drownings happen during non swim times, when kids aren’t expected to be in or near the water. That could be when you are getting snacks ready for them or tending to another child or when you are done with swimming for the day and don’t expect them to be near the water anymore.

We have story after story of kids who survived their drownings (talking about not just puddle jumpers but any flotation device) and how they didn’t think they needed it to swim and that’s why they went in without it. From the kid’s own mouths.

5) ANY flotation device can create a false sense of security for adults. Adults tend to not be as vigilant around the water when they put their kids in these devices. So, as an example, during a break when a parent might be attending to another child, their little one may have their device off temporarily and because the parent has trained themselves not to have to be as vigilant, they have a lapse in supervision for a few seconds. In that time, the little one can end up in the pool without the device that holds them up in the water and can drown. Drowning in this age group only takes 20-30 seconds. It’s fast and it’s silent. It doesn’t look like it does on TV.

6) Puddle Jumpers are coast guard approved but you need to know that the coast guard only evaluates and approves devices for use on a boat, in open water. They do not even evaluate ANY devices for use anywhere else, including pools.

Pools are controlled water. Open water is uncontrolled and unexpected things can and do happen there with frequency. This is why anyone who goes to open water should have a life jacket on. But this is not the case with pools.

Pools are where kids should be learning their limits in the water, developing a healthy respect for it, learning to save themselves and then to swim in it, practicing their skills there. That can’t be done when they are always in a device.

My son thought he could swim because I put this device on him during swim times and he learned and adopted all of the points above. He went to the water without his puddle jumper when I looked over at the deep end of the pool to make sure my other kids were doing ok. That’s all the time he needed to sneak back to the water without me and without his device.

And I inadvertently taught him the confidence to do that by always using the device with him and encouraging his independence with it.

I should have taught him what his own body could and couldn’t do in the water. I should have had one on one touch supervision with him in and around the water until he could swim. I should have gotten him into lessons that would teach him what to do if he ever fell into the water on his own, instead of the mommy and me lessons I had him in.

My son drowned. He died. He was only gone from my sight for a minute or two.

It only takes 30 seconds.

Why not puddle jumpers? Because your child’s life is not worth the risk that using these devices can and do pose.

Do you have a puddle jumper or flotation device story? Would you share below?

#dontletthemdrown

#beavoice

#saynotopuddlejumpers

Easy Drop Scones

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Becky Hastings

My mother in law was an expert scone maker from Scotland. I tried to learn from her, but the process of cutting the butter into the flour became a roadblock, so I quit trying! Then I found this extremely easy version. It may not be 100% the same authentic result, but it’s so easy and it comes very close! This is my experience and modifications to the recipe found here:

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/easy-drop-biscuits-recipe

Preheat the oven to 450°F, with a rack in the top third.

The recipe calls for self raising flour. Since I never buy self raising flour, this is the equivalent: For every cup self-rising flour use one cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp baking soda.

This recipe is ridiculously easy to scale up (or down). Simply use equal amounts of flour and heavy cream, by weight; each biscuit uses about 1 ounce of dough. So if you use, say, 4 ounces (113 g) of flour and 4 ounces of cream, you’ll make 8 biscuits. Or 12 ounces (340 g, or 3 cups) of flour, 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) of cream — 24 biscuits.
Mix the flour and cream until smooth and cohesive. I have found that I generally need more moisture than is provided by the 1:1 ratio, so reserve some cream to add as needed. In my experience, 400 g flour needed almost 500 g cream – maybe more to get to a thoroughly mixed dough. Another option is to add dried fruit, like raisins or dates. I cut up one date and mixed into the flour before adding the cream.
For standard-sized biscuits, scoop 1-ounce balls of dough onto an ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheet; a tablespoon cookie scoop works well here. Leave a couple of inches between them. Not into scooping? Pat the dough 3/4″ thick and cut biscuits with a cutter instead, if desired. OR gently roll dough into one or two large cylinders. Use dental floss to cut into round discs.
For larger biscuits, simply scoop the dough into 1 1/2-ounce balls, to make 8 biscuits; or 2-ounce balls, to make 6.
Brush the tops of the biscuits with cream, butter, milk, or water; this will help them rise.
I haven’t tried this yet, but the alternate recipe below, says put them in the freezer for 30 minutes before baking.
Bake the biscuits for 10 minutes, until they’re light golden brown on top. Bake larger biscuits a minute or so longer, or until they’re baked all the way through; break one open to make sure. Internal temperature +/- 200 when done.
Remove the biscuits from the oven, and serve warm, or at room temperature. Store leftover Easy Drop Biscuits, well-wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
I have baked them directly on a pizza stone. It may cook too quickly and prevent full rising, but the bottom was brown!
The FULL SCONE experience includes serving them with butter, your favorite jam (mine is jalapeño blackberry jam from a local supplier!), grated cheese, and whipped cream.
Here is a different recipe with tips for YOUR BEST SCONES! Including pop in freezer for 30 minutes prior to baking for a rest for the gluten and increased flakiness: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn /guides/scone

Hope you ENJOY your experience with these easy scones! My biggest problem with the is the temptation to eat too many!

Best Introductory Health Talk Ever!

Posted on April 10, 2024 by Becky Hastings

I LOVED this talk with Ari Whitten and Dr Kevin Conners. I literally had tingles while I was listening. Ari explains simply how simple health is. I wish everyone I know would listen to this short wisdom packed conversation. Dr Connors has his own incredible story of helping people find alternative routes to healing cancer of all kinds – including his own. What is health? How do we achieve it? How do we maintain it? This short conversation is packed full of powerful truth that anyone can implement!

The Myth of Disease & Defining True Health with Ari Whitten – #43

A Natural Approach to Mastitis

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Becky Hastings

The following information is for educational purposes only and should not to be considered as medical advice. For medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment please consult a healthcare provider. Journeyboost is not liable for risks or issues associated with using the information on this site.

Mastitis is inflammation of the breast usually associated with breastfeeding. Mastitis can be extremely painful and may cause fever and other flu-like symptoms. Many doctors will immediately prescribe antibiotics to treat mastitis, especially when fever is present. I personally breastfed all five of our babies, each for an extended period of time, and experienced mastitis several times. Once, when our fourth baby was just under a year old, I developed a quick case of mastitis that progressed into a breast abscess that had to be surgically drained. At the time I was under a great deal of stress with a major move and three active older children to care for. I’ll spare the details, but it is something that all moms will want to avoid if possible! Breast soreness without fever or flu-like symptoms may be caused by a plugged duct and can be easier to conquer without antibiotics if you act quickly. Throughout my 16 years of breastfeeding, I ended up taking antibiotics several times because I didn’t know of other effective ways to heal.

My last baby weaned in the early 2000s and there has been a huge amount of learning and sharing of information through social media platforms and the internet since then. I recently asked for natural approaches to healing mastitis and received a treasure chest of insight which I wanted to collect and store to benefit moms who may be in need.

There are good reasons to try and avoid antibiotics unless there is absolutely no other effective ways of treating. Antibiotics are known to wipe out all the healthy gut flora. Many of us seek to eat healthy food and keep our guts healthy and whole. Wiping out our good intestinal flora with powerful antibiotics can destroy what has taken a lifetime to develop. Intestinal flora is very beneficial to overall health. Many chronic illnesses (think allergies, eczema, other skin issues, etc.) are caused or adversely impacted by ‘leaky gut.’ If you do decide you need an antibiotic, make sure to prioritize boosting your gut flora with pro-biotics, and especially with natural fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and kombucha.

The first response below provides a comprehensive framework for treating mastitis from a midwife that I know personally. Her first point – 24 hours in bed – with your baby (most of the time) is what your body needs most. The only reason to get out of bed is to use the bathroom! Mastitis with a fever is a strong signal to mom to slow down and take it easy. My midwife friend has a lot of experience and has seen the following protocol work.

An addition from the midwife:

Another commenter shares how using ice instead of heat was helpful to her:

Article on homeopathic remedies for Mastitishttps://joettecalabrese.com/blog/3-homeopathic-remedies-for-mastitis/

The commenter below recommends sunflower lecithin – which many women find helpful to prevent plugged ducts. My daughter did find it helpful when breastfeeding her first, but later realized her baby developed a rash after she started taking lecithin. When she stopped, the rash stopped. So, every person is unique. We all have to pay attention and maybe keep a journal so we can get better at listening to what our body is telling us!

Poke root, allicin (from garlic), and ingesting colloidal silver were all shared as helpful natural antibiotics for mastitis. You can get allicin capsules, but “the very best way to obtain allicin is from eating fresh garlic that has been crushed or sliced. Fresh, uncooked garlic should be crushed, sliced, or chewed to maximize allicin production.” See more on allicin here.

Even once you start feeling better, be sure to give yourself time to fully heal and regain strength. Reduce stress as much as possible. As a mom with a young baby, I enjoyed this reminder:

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait til tomorrow
For babies grow up we learn to our sorrow
so quiet down cobwebs,
dust go to sleep
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep

By far the best assistance for curing mastitis is a hungry cooperative baby. When babies are small they can sometimes be encouraged to suck more by standing and rocking or swaying while the breast is in their mouth. This is more taxing in terms of energy – and not possible when following the 24 hours in bed rule – but something to keep in mind if you are facing what you think might be the start of mastitis and you are eager to encourage more sucking on the breast.

Are you interested in learning more on the role and effectiveness of antibiotics? Dr Sam Bailey from New Zealand shares a. unique perspective here.

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Author Archives: Becky Hastings

About Becky Hastings

How Great Life Can be – Naturally!

Searching for Effective Non Toxic Cancer Treatments

What you need to know about Folic Acid, Folate and neural tube defects

What type of birth control is safe?

So, WHAT’S A COUPLE TO DO?

Preparing for a “well” baby visit

Don’t fall for the vaccine fearmongering and guilt-provoking propaganda.

Are Statins a good choice?

Swimming Aids?

We can learn from the tragic experiences of others. I never knew these devices had such a bad track record. Several of my grandchildren have used them. Praise God they are all learning to swim now.The following information comes from:

Judah Brown Projectn

Easy Drop Scones

Best Introductory Health Talk Ever!

A Natural Approach to Mastitis

What am I missing? What has worked to help you conquer mastitis? Leave your tips in the comments below.

About Becky Hastings

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So, WHAT’S A COUPLE TO DO?

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Don’t fall for the vaccine fearmongering and guilt-provoking propaganda.

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We can learn from the tragic experiences of others. I never knew these devices had such a bad track record. Several of my grandchildren have used them. Praise God they are all learning to swim now.The following information comes from:

Judah Brown Projectn

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What am I missing? What has worked to help you conquer mastitis? Leave your tips in the comments below.

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