Many years ago in what is now Central Utah, a range of volcanoes erupted, sending volcanic ash into the waters of the ancient Sundance Sea. The water in this sea evaporated, leaving behind a bed of mineral-rich bentonite clay.

Redmond Clay is one of the best brands of bentonite clay available on the market. It is a white, sodium- and mineral-rich clay that comes from deep within the earth and is from a Jurassic source. The land the clay is mined on is in Redmond, Utah, and people in the community have been using it medicinally for years.

For many generations, Native Americans carried a ball of this mineral-rich clay with them in their packs. They dissolved the clay in water and ingested it with meals. Clay, a product of Mother Earth, was a natural medicine used for fighting many stomach ailments, dysentery and food poisoning.

Historical Uses Of Medicinal Clay

For centuries, many books have detailed the medicinal benefits of bentonite, even though no one has ever been able to explain what makes it such a great healer. Dr. Ernst Meyer-Camberg, a European doctor, stated in his research papers on clay that it may provide relief in serious cases of poisoning.

An author named Raymond Dextreit wrote a book called Our Earth Our Cure: A Handbook of Natural Medicine for Today that describes cases in which clay accomplished amazing results. He argues that the clay acts symbiotically in the body.

In World War I, both Russian and French soldiers received clay as part of their rations. They used it for illness and to treat cuts and wounds. Dextreit says that the clay draws toxins to itself, thus making it a perfect poultice for injuries.

If taken internally in water, the clay absorbs many times its weight in toxic substances and moves it through the system to be eliminated. People have even reported that they feel relief from flu symptoms after drinking the clay water.

Animals Eat Clay

Many cattle ranchers have piles of clay delivered to their farms for their animals to eat. The cattle naturally gravitate to it when they are sick. It is a form of self-medication for the cows.

Intestinal Problems

The Redmond Clay Company started experimenting with clay found in veins deep within the earth, examined the previous research done by the European scientists and did their own studies on the Redmond Clay. To their amazement, it helped people get better from all kinds of ailments including diarrhea, constipation, heartburn, stomachache, acid indigestion, hiatal hernia, acid reflex, diverticulitis, colitis, rotavirus and helicobacter pylori bacteria.

Skin Problems

The clay has been successfully used for external issues like burns, bee stings, wounds, spider bites, acne, athlete’s foot, bruises, arthritis, cuts, diaper rash, eczema, infections, mosquito bites, sores that won’t heal, sprains, twisted ankles and inflammation.

Burns And Bruises

I use Redmond Clay for any burn. It takes the pain away instantly and heals the blister quickly. One example: After my daughter-in-law burned herself with a curling iron, I made some mud, put it on the burn and bandaged it. The burn was better the next day. It works for all burns, sunburns, cuts and bruises.

My husband, a contractor, had an accident in which he mashed his thumb. The digit turned black and blue and was throbbing with pain. I put the clay on his thumb and had him wear a latex glove over it. The next day, his thumb was fine, and the bruising was gone.

Diaper Rash

To use it for diaper rash, just sprinkle the dry clay powder on the baby’s bottom. It seems to clear up diaper rash very quickly.

Clay Baths

Some people take clay baths. To do so, sprinkle about one-half cup of dry clay powder in the bathwater, mix it up and soak in it for 30 minutes or more. It helps detoxify the body, drawing out toxins and infections from the skin.

Footbath

For a footbath, simply put three tablespoons of clay in a pan of water and soak your feet in it for 30 minutes. It draws toxins from the feet and detoxifies the body.

In Your First-Aid Kit

Because it has worked so well for all these other issues, I put Redmond Clay in my medical kit. I use it for relief rather than running to the doctor. Consequently, I keep it mixed up and ready to use in a solution of clay and water and have it in the kitchen cupboard and the bathroom medicine cabinet.

The Redmond Clay Company has been around for 30 years, and there have not been any cases of reported allergic reactions or adverse effects from taking the clay. The company says that with all the research that has been done, they are just scratching the surface of what the clay can do.
Because it has so many uses, I recommend you keep it in your 72-hour emergency kit, as I do.

Redmond clay comes in a premixed, squeezable bottle that is ready to use; or you can buy the powder and mix it yourself.

To prepare the Redmond clay for external use, mix the powdered clay with just enough water to make a gel the consistency of mud. Use a glass cup or small glass-canning jar. If you don’t use it all, keep a lid on it. If it starts to dry up, just add a little more water and mix it up again. Use the mud like you would a gel, cream or poultice. Put it on about 1/4 inch thick; cover it with gauze, a bandage or plastic wrap; and leave it on overnight. The next day, you will be amazed at the result.

Internal Use

To use the clay internally, mix 1 teaspoon of the dry, powdered clay in half a glass of water (preferably filtered water). Stir it up and let it sit for six to eight hours. Then, drink it.
If you have a hard time drinking the clay sediment at the bottom, just drink the clear liquid that is full of minerals, but it is better if you can drink the whole thing.

The clay goes through your intestinal system and absorbs poisons and toxins as it moves through, pulling them out of the body to be eliminated with waste material. It is good to make a large amount of clay water, let it sit for the prescribed time and then drink it several times a day, depending on how sick you feel.

Redmond Clay Daily Detox is a natural toxin-binding clay in capsule form for those who don’t want to drink the clay water. The capsules can be used every day.

Redmond Clay works inside the stomach to bind itself to harmful toxins. As it moves through the intestinal tract, it collects toxins and can help move along and eliminate trapped waste found along the intestinal walls. Daily use of Redmond Clay can help support a healthy digestive system. It is packed in vegetable-based capsules.

If you want to learn more about Redmond Clay there are two books I recommend. One is We Eat Clay (and wear it, too!), and the other is The Healing Power Of Clay.

Redmond Clay comes in powder form as well as premixed first-aid clay and facial mud for acne and facials. It also comes in capsules for internal use.

Redmond Clay, books and other clay products can be purchased from my website. To purchase healthy, gourmet, ready-made meals prepackaged with a 15-year shelf life and requiring only the addition of boiling water, go to http://www.peggylayton.efoodsglobal.com/. Watch the 10-minute video and click on the try-it-before-you-buy-it button. You can try three free meals that serve two to four people each for just $9.95 shipping.

Even if you live in the city, you can take advantage of farmers markets and other venues for organic produce when it is in season.

Growing your own organic fruits and vegetables guarantees the freshest, best-tasting nutrient-rich food. Tending your organic garden also offers a very personal and spiritual experience.

One of the best ways to stay healthy year-round is to eat in the season thereof. This simply means that when certain foods are in season, you eat as much of them as you can and preserve the excess by canning, dehydrating and freezing.

Have you ever noticed that you crave seasonal fruits and vegetables? That is because our bodies need the nutrients we get from the different foods that are grown in those seasons.

If you don’t grow a garden, you can shop the local farmers markets and purchase the organic foods you find there. This is the best way to avoid sprays, chemicals, pesticides, additives and preservatives; and you will save money on your food bill each month. Locally grown produce is better for you because it hasn’t been picked while still green and shipped thousands of miles to get to your local supermarket.

Even if you live in the city, you can take advantage of farmers markets and other venues for organic produce when it is in season. Most farmers sell off their abundant harvest at bulk rates. You can bottle or put up the excess food. This will ensure that you will have seasonal foods year-round. This is much more nutritious, and it will keep you out of the grocery store and help you avoid impulse buying.

During World War II, the concept of the victory garden was introduced to the nation. Individual backyard gardeners and farmers produced the same amount of food as did the entire commercial-farming industry. More than 20 million Americans planted victory gardens, providing food for their families and neighbors. The effort was a great success.

The economic crisis of 2011 is demanding the return of the backyard gardens as a way to ensure each and every family is self-sufficient in hard economic times. Saving your own seeds from your personal harvest is a way to lower your cost of living. Eating the food you have grown provides the best nutrition that you can get. (Source: Heirloom-organics.com, Victory Gardens of WW II)

Getting Started Growing A Garden

1. Prepare a plot of flat ground that gets full sun during the day. Figure out how much growing space you have. Turn over the soil with a shovel and add compost or other organic material. Till it with a hand or motorized tiller to mix it up. Rake it to level it out.
2. Plan out the garden plots and plant accordingly. A garden planned in advance will save you a lot of headaches in the future. Lettuce can be grown in tight quarters, but tomatoes need to be spaced about 2 feet apart. Growing and spacing requirements are provided on seed packets, in catalogs and on nursery tags.
3. You can grow vegetables in containers or in pots on a patio or porch. Lettuce is a great pot plant. Certain varieties of tomatoes will grow well in a hanging basket. Plants that climb and have vines, such as cucumbers and pole beans, can be trained up a metal fence, chain link or a trellis to take up less room.
4. Grow the vegetables you enjoy eating. Some examples of vegetables to plant are beans, peas, tomatoes, sweet corn, onions, carrots, broccoli, potatoes, zucchini squash, cucumbers, radishes, lettuce, spinach, melons and strawberries.
5. If you are a beginner, you can purchase books on growing vegetables and gardening. Don’t be afraid to try growing something.
6. Herbs such as parsley, thyme, basil, chives and oregano — and any other herbs you like to cook with — can be planted between flower beds.
7. There are two planting seasons: cool weather, in the spring, and hot weather, in the summer and early fall. The most common cool season crops include beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, onions, peas, potatoes, radishes, spinach and turnips. Warm season crops include beans, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, melons, peppers, pumpkins, zucchini and other squash and tomatoes.
8. Starting your own seedlings in the spring and transplanting them in the summer is the least expensive way to get plants. However, you can purchase seedlings that are already started at any nursery.
9. If you are going to purchase plants from a nursery, these are the best ones to get: eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. These plants tend to do better when started in a greenhouse and transplanted in the garden later.
10. Seeds that are best started right in the ground include beans, beets, carrots, chard, corn, cucumbers, lettuce, melons, peas, pumpkins, zucchini and other squash and turnips.
11. Squash and cucumbers are two vegetables you can plant as either seeds or seedlings. I have had better results with them by planting the seeds right in the ground. It seems that the plants go into shock and take as long to grow as the seeds do.
12. Seed packets have a limited shelf life. Look for the seeds that have been packed for the current year.
13. Purchase seedlings when your soil is ready to plant. Keep them watered, and don’t let them sit around for more than a few days. Buy healthy-looking seedlings with green leaves. They should stand up straight and be stocky. They should not have yellow leaves or any bug damage.

Choose The Best Garden Seeds

Non-hybrid seeds: The best seeds to purchase are heirloom open-pollinated seeds, or non-hybrid. Saving seeds is possible only with open-pollinated seeds. These seeds are also called heritage seeds. These are the best kind of seeds to buy. You can save the seeds from year to year and dry them out, then plant them the next season and they will grow the exact same fruit, vegetable or grain. Open-pollinated varieties display certain horticultural traits, such as: fruit color, leaf shape, flower color, etc. This means they are stable within the variety, and seeds saved from these plants will be the same as the parent plant in subsequent plantings. The variety will not be cross-pollinated with any other plants of species.

Hybrid seeds: These seeds have been genetically modified to produce only one crop that is true to form. The following generations of plants cannot be counted on to produce the same variety. The hybrid is definitely cross-pollinated with another similar species that might have a different trait. The offspring will be genetically different than the parent plant. The scientists who cross-pollinate these plants are trying to come up with a better, more hardy plant. However, the seeds can be used only once, and that can create a shortage of seeds. If you save the seed and plant them the next season, you might get some strange fruit you don’t recognize. Most seeds purchased from a nursery or store are the hybrid type. If you are stocking up on these seeds, you will need to purchase them every year.

The Advantages Of Stockpiling Non-Hybrid Garden Seeds

Better Nutrition: Seed varieties are bred for resistance to diseases and pests, appearance, transportability and other commercial reasons. Nutritional content is not one of the considerations, but profit is. When you grow open-pollinated (non-hybrid) varieties, you are growing original strains with much higher nutritional content than varieties that have been bred for color, storability, portability, etc. Growing your own garden ensures the food you produce is much more nutritious than commercially grown produce. When food is grown in Mexico or other countries, we have no control over how it is grown, what chemicals are used or what fertilizers and minerals are or are not in the soil. We also cannot control whether or how much radiation is used to kill the bacteria. The food is picked before it has ripened and it is shipped hundreds, even thousands, of miles before we purchase it. The plants are sprayed to keep them from ripening too fast in transit, then sprayed again to get them to ripen. Have you ever noticed that the vegetables in the grocery store taste blander rather than rich in flavor like their homegrown cousins?

Variety: We can participate in saving many original varieties of seeds. Once the food supply has been genetically altered to the point that there are no more original strains of vegetables left, we will be at the mercy of the genetically altered seed companies like Monsanto. This won’t happen with non-hybrid seeds because we can save many varieties of our own seeds from year to year, and we will be in control of these seeds.

Self-sufficiency: In hard times, recessions and depressions, food is security. You will be able to take care of your family and even friends if you have the skills to grow food. You will have better health because you will be ensured the highest nutrition available. You can save foods like potatoes, carrots, onions, apples and squash in a cool, dry garage. They will keep all winter, as long as it doesn’t freeze.

Shortages of food: If the food supply is jeopardized and food cannot be transported for thousands of miles, home gardening is a way to ensure your family members will have the food to sustain them in a crisis. Look at it as food insurance. The economic crisis facing the United States and the world right now is causing the price of fresh produce to go up. When an economic downturn drives inflation up, the cost of real goods, like groceries, skyrockets. It becomes unmanageable very quickly, with items like loaves of bread costing 10 times more than normal. It sounds unbelievable, but this has actually happened many times throughout history.

Trade or barter: For a self-sufficient person to be truly prepared, he must have plenty of non-hybrid seeds available for personal use, storage and bartering. Seeds are an excellent alternative investment to paper money, as well as gold and silver. You can’t eat money or precious metals, which means food is the best investment. Growing your own food is an invaluable skill. Organic open-pollinated seeds must be in the hands of the organic backyard farmers. There is a huge movement sweeping the country right now. The small organic farmers are banding together to collect, save, sell or trade their seeds. It is called seed exchange. This movement is preserving the hundreds of heirloom seeds so they are not genetically altered or cross-pollinated and lost.

Peggy Layton is the author of seven books on the subject of food storage and preparedness. She and her husband grow a backyard garden every year and live off the land during the growing season.

Peggy bottles and dehydrates excess produce. Peggy and her husband keep winter vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, squash, onions and apples in a root cellar they built. During the winter, when produce is less plentiful, they grow food in their greenhouse, and they gather fresh eggs daily from their chickens. Provident living is a way of life in their home.

To purchase a variety of heirloom garden seeds that can be grown from year-to-year with seeds that can be saved, go to my website, www.peggylayton.com, and click on the “Garden Seeds Non-Hybrid” link on the left sidebar.

I have been testing out emergency food storage meals that have a 15-year shelf life. These meals are packaged in Mylar® pouches, serve four people and are ready to just add water and cook. I find them delicious, convenient and easy. For more information or to order go to www.peggylayton.efoodsglobal.com.

If you’ve ever been jealous of people who hardly ever get sick and look years younger than their physical age, mull this over: Everyday lifestyle choices divide those who look forever young from the too-soon-decrepit. What you decide to eat and drink, how much time you set aside for sleep and your exercise habits all contribute to your resilience and personal energy.

You make these choices every day. Beneficial lifestyle decisions lead to personal growth and wellness. The other path leads to decline and premature aging.

Pouring It On

There stands the glass and what you choose to pour into it exerts a powerful influence on the state of your health. Unfortunately, if you’re like most of us, you’ll guzzle a soft drink or two today. The average American imbibes 16 ounces of soda pop a day, the highest per capita consumption in the world. That’s a poor choice. Soft drinks contain high fructose corn syrup, a sugary contributor to our obesity epidemic.

And don’t think diet soda is a better choice. The artificial sweeteners used in diet drinks are addictive, problematic chemicals that distort metabolism. Ironically, studies show that they don’t even help you lose weight. Instead, research demonstrates that the more diet soft drinks you take in, the more you’re liable to weigh. Plus, other studies show that if you drink a diet soda every day you raise your risk of stroke by more than 60 percent.

Better choices for beverages include water and herbal teas which have no calories and satisfy your thirst. Plain water is often best since water is so important to the body’s physiology. Overall, the human body is about 60 percent water. Water comprises 70 percent of your brain, 90 percent of your lungs and 75 percent of your muscles. In addition, water is essential to nutrition, digestion, absorption, transportation of vital nutrients and elimination.

To calculate your ideal water intake per day, take half your body weight in pounds and consume that number of ounces. For example if you weigh about 150 pounds you should drink 75 ounces per day. An easy way to drink enough is to down a quart of water first thing when you wake up and sip the rest throughout the day. That type of program can help normalize your blood pressure and take off unwanted pounds. For example, my husband brought his high blood pressure under control by drinking a full gallon of water every single day.

Herbal teas are helpful because they both detoxify the body and provide extra hydration. If you need sweetener in your tea, use the herb stevia. At the same time as it sweetens, stevia stabilizes blood sugar.

Eat Six Small Meals Daily

If you want to feel more energetic (and not get sick as often), whole foods are the kind of real foods that are richest in vital nutrients. For the best nutrition, choose foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. These include raw fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Buy them fresh and eat them fresh. For, while processed foods are filled with health-threatening preservatives, natural, whole foods have the phytonutrients your body needs to fight disease.

Read food labels and avoid foods filled additives like the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG). Also choose to not eat foods made with white flour and sugar. Otherwise a diet of processed foods will make you gain weight and feel sluggish.

Daily eating tips:

• Eat a good breakfast. A couple of eggs can help you eat less the rest of the day. A protein drink with fruit or berries and flax seed can also sustain you until lunch.
• Eat smaller meals and eat more often.
• Eat organic whenever possible to avoid toxic chemicals and fertilizers. Grow your own garden and shop for whole foods at local farmers’ markets.
• At the supermarket, stick to the outside aisles of the grocery store where the whole foods and produce resides.
• Eat raw or unpasteurized dairy products like whole raw milk (or even goat’s milk), yogurt and unpasteurized butter from a dependable, local dairy farmer. Yogurt contains friendly bacteria vital to a strong immune system
• Avoid fast food.
• If you must eat out, choose vegetables and lean meats. Places like authentic Mexican restaurants can provide fresh salads. Eat rice and beans; in combination, their amino acids offer a complete protein.
• Stick to reasonable portion sizes: three to four ounces of meat (lean chicken, fish, lean ground beef); a tablespoon of olive oil; a half cup of starchy foods like whole grains; an ounce of nuts.
• About two-thirds of your meals should be vegetables along with 25 percent as protein in the form of lean meats or other protein foods. About 10 percent should be whole grains.
• Snack on raw fruits and nuts.
• Limit your salt. Too much salt can cause a rise in blood pressure. A lot of processed foods are loaded with sodium to enhance the flavor of the food.
• Avoid MSG. Research demonstrates that MSG can triple your chances of obesity. It can also trigger migraine headaches and other allergic reactions. I am chemically sensitive and if I eat MSG, I am sick within 20 minutes.
• Limit your intake of fats such as oils, margarine, trans fats etc… use healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil, flax seed oil and fish oil.
• Ban junk food from your house. It is too tempting. Keep healthy snacks around like beef and turkey jerky. Also stock dried fruits, nuts, whole grain crackers and brown rice.
• Do not eat late at night. Nothing by mouth after 8:00 p.m. (except water).  Late snacks and meals stimulate digestion and disturb sleep.
• Avoid sugar as much as possible, indulging in sweets no more than twice a week. The more sugar you eat, the more the body craves sweets. If I must eat something sweet I take one taste and that’s all I need. That keeps me from feeling deprived.

Regrow Your Body Today

Exercise boosts immunity and it is the best way to ensure that your constantly re-growing body grows back stronger. The trillions of cells in the body live briefly, die and are replenished over and over again in endless cycles. Your bones, blood cells, hair, muscle and brain cells are always in a constant state of renewal. Consequently, you physically transform into a new or renewed person about every three to four months. In this process, exercise is one of the choices you can make to offset damage to the body’s structures that accumulate over time. Exercise strengthens the cells and helps them resist disease. Lack of exercise leads to cellular degeneration.  

Our bodies were designed for movement. When you exercise, your physiology shifts into a healthier gear. Of course, exercise requires focus and concentration to start and maintain a long-term program. But if you commit to consistent exercise, you can produce astounding results:

• Exercise on a regular basis can cut your chances of a heart attack by 75 percent.
• Exercise can double the legs’ muscle strength in three months.
• Exercise can keep your brain younger, significantly reducing your chances of losing brain function as you age.

Sleep Your Way To The Top

Adequate sleep is also essential for good health and staying healthy. Research shows that when you skimp on sleep or sleep badly you increase your cancer risk, weaken your memory and even increase your chances of being unemployed!

In addition, a study at the University of California at San Diego found that if you sleep less than five hours a night you increase your risk of a heart attack and shorten your life expectancy. The optimum amount of sleep seems to be about seven to eight hours a night.

It should be obvious that all of these healthy lifestyle choices are fairly simple to implement. But after you decide to make these choices, you have to actually incorporate them into your daily schedule.

And you’ll love the end result: A more vigorous you!