this week

we have made some adjustments and changes to our diet this week (madison specifically), in the ongoing pursuit of total healing for our girl’s skin. we eliminated everything that her most recent allergy tests showed some reaction to … we’ve previously dabbled in eliminating some things but it felt like time to just *go for it.*

here’s what was eliminated this week:

egg, garlic, corn, oats, potato, pea, navy bean, soybean, whole wheat.

my desire was that there wouldn’t be a big sense of “loss” around food but that i would find replacements and ideas that would be satisfying.

here’s what was on the menu for the week:

:: breakfast consisted of some organic meat (nitrite-free turkey bacon or chicken-apple sausage) plus gluten-free toast and a fruit/berry smoothie.

:: snacks were the “nut” bars, some kind of fruit (organic fruit bar), gluten/corn/oat-free dry cereal, etc.

:: lunch typically was leftovers from dinner.

:: dinners: crockpot bbq chicken legs + brown rice + roasted cauliflower; lentil + sausage soup (i sneak in lots of greens and red cabbage to soups); spaghetti with rice noodles; pot roast + brown rice + steamed broccoli; soup using leftover roast with beef broth.

each day, maddie took cod liver oil, quercetin (to reduce overall allergic responses) and lots of water and nettles tea.

most of all, i am just thankful that these changes didn’t feel overwhelming or unmanageable … my girl did it! i am just praying for some improvement that can be seen and felt in her body.

juiced :)

a dear friend just gave me an amazing new juicer … something i’ve been *wanting* for sooo long, but have never splurged to buy. i am over the top excited!! (so much so that when she gave it to me, i came home and immediately began effusing to my hubby about it … only to find that after about 5 minutes of my obnoxious giddiness, he was on a live skype call and the other guy had heard everything. lovely. lol)

i have come across so much great information, testimonials, and encouragement about the benefits of juicing. now i need to assimilate all that info, relocate some resources, and jump in!

after having it just 24 hours, we’ve already tried: carrot juice, apple/spinach/pineapple; orange; apple; watermelon/blueberry. all – amazing!  there is nothing like putting an entire orange down a chute and pure, sweet orange juice pouring out. love!

please, share your insights and ideas on juicing. what have you loved? i am particularly interested in the health benefits inherent in different recipe combinations.

big changes

i have known for some time that i *needed* to make some big, foundational changes in the food that we eat. maddie has a stubborn health issue that, at its core, is a systemic issue that cannot be healed separate from radical food changes.  i know this.

i’ve struggled with this so deeply; why is it so hard to make these changes??  why can’t i do what needs to be done for my family?? as the one who does all the meal planning and preparation, the responsibility falls on me. my family will eat what i have available and what i prepare – what a burden, gift and responsibility!

the reason big changes have been hard? i’ve realized that i have prioritized comfort and happiness in the moment, with healing in the long term.  my new mantra: healing over feelings.

because we are *desperate* for healing. after one particularly heart-breaking night with my girl, dealing with the physical and emotional pain of this health issue, i knew: IT IS TIME.   i have researched my tail off and have been challenged/convicted/encouraged/informed to such a great degree. for some time, i have  kept coming back to the GAPS protocol, knowing it would be a good path for our family.

so, here’s what we are doing:

effective 5/24, we eliminated: sugar, honey (and all other sweeteners, except stevia); all wheat and gluten products; all processed foods; all fruits and high carb veggies.

we are eating: a wide variety of veggies; fish and meats; oats; coconut milk; quinoa and brown rice; seeds; and pretty much everything else that isn’t on the list above. 🙂

(we will be adding fruits back shortly but are eliminating for now, in order to kill potential candida fungus).

we are also adding: cod liver oil (already been doing it); vitamin c in big doses; a probiotic; and lots of garlic (anti-fungal).

i have sort of “combined” some components of GAPS, anti-candida cleansing, and other “diets” (paleo, atkins, you name it). i believe maddie’s body has been highly inflamed due to excess sugar consumption which has been a barrier to healing.  maddie has food allergies (nuts and dairy, plus eggs showed up again) so those aren’t an option (for many of these diets, ie GAPS, there is a big emphasis on eating nuts, eggs, etc … so i am having to modify).

we are believing for healing and for restored health!! i am so proud of my girl: no complaints at all so far. she has tried to “negotiate” some disallowed food items (the frozen meatballs that have wheat) but has readily accepted my “no.”   i am praying that GOD blesses her exceedingly, abundantly and that He gives me strength and determination to stay on this path as long as needed.

thoughtful link …

as a woman who is passionate about healthy living, i really appreciated the insight and thoughts shared by this (one of my favorite) blogger here  and here …

i believe there is much to uncover in scripture about healthy living, real foods, and how GOD sustains and provides. i also believe that our human efforts will never amount to the complete picture of healing and wholeness – that comes only through the redemptive work of a savior, Jesus Christ, sent by YHWH, in His infinite love.

exercise – i need a plan and a goal

hubby and i took the girls to one of our favorite local parks this evening, for a picnic and some play. as he and i walked around the “track” at the park, we talked about exercise.

i am realizing that i love when i have an exercise plan and am executing it. for example, a few years ago i determined to run the local pear blossom 5k. for a non-runner, this was a huge feat … but i was ready for the challenge. i am very competitive, and have good follow through when i set up a very clear plan. for that run, i trained for 3 months, without fail … and the feeling of crossing the finish line was *awesome*.

i want a plan like that, but have almost too much information/ideas/”programs”/ possibilities. i read so much, including and especially about health and wellness. and, i have dabbled in so many things lately but nothing with consistency (tennis, yoga, the shred workout video, bike rides, walks, jogs, etc etc).

on one hand, i’ve enjoyed the yoga classes that i’ve tried recently, and can imagine doing that on a regular basis. it was a surprisingly good workout that was also soothing and stretching, which i love.

on the other hand, i just received a fabulous bike, and can imagine riding regularly and with a plan … doing cardio and enjoying it (imagine that!).

then again, i think … maybe i should run again (it felt so good when i went the other morning); maybe a running program  a few days/week,  a couple days of strength training, and a day of yoga??

i told mike that what i would *love* is to meet with a personal trainer; one that wasn’t attached to a particular workout “program” (must do “crossfit” or die, for instance) but was rather extremely knowledgeable about the human body as well as whole food nutrition (the most important part of any workout program, in my opinion).

alas, we don’t have a budget for a personal trainer. so i need to simply make up my mind … create a plan with specific goals in mind (ie, a distance goal for running) and then DO IT!

goat’s milk – delight!

i fell in love w/goat’s milk after trying some last fall … raw, unpasteurized, delicious goat’s milk. just when i tried it and fell in love, the farmer who supplied it ran out of her supply … for the winter! i called several other local farms, tried one (that tasted super goat-y, eck!) and finally am so thankful to have a weekly supply from a local provider. i pick up a full, delicious jar every wednesday, and drink it in a few days!

i initially sought out goat’s milk as a hopeful alternative for my daughter, who is allergic to dairy. turns out she is also allergic to the milk from goats. =( darn! but she loves her coconut milk and i am thoroughly enjoying my wednesday treat.

one cool thing: the supplier of the milk (“the land of milk and honey, llc” – how cool is that?!) provides a “real milk education handout” that must be read and signed before purchasing milk. it contains disclaimers about raw, unpasteurized milk; and then provides detailed info about the content of the milk … much of what i’ve read and what initially prompted me to try it.

some snippets:

“the downside of pasteurization is that it destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, alters vitamin b12, and vitamin b6, and also kills beneficial bacteria. heat alters milk’s amino acids … vitamin C loss in pasteurization usually exceeds 50%; loss of other water-soluble vitamins can run as high as 80%. pasteurization alters milk’s mineral components such as calcium, chlorine, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulphur … pasteurization destroys all enzymes in milk – in fact, the test for successful pasteurization is the absence of enzymes.”

there is SO much more info about the benefits of “real milk” … check out here: http://realmilk.com/where.html.

pantry must-have: coconut oil

::

i am so grateful to have discovered coconut oil! it has become an absolute staple in our home; we use it daily. there are innumerable benefits – a simple google search will get you started if you want to learn more.

in our home, here are some of the ways we enjoy it:

:: it is an excellent skin moisturizer! it is great all over the body … healing and moisturizing for ezcema, but also for me (i use it on my face and body when i run out of my regular products)

:: it is great eye makeup remover!

:: i use it as my fat/oil in all my baking (replacing butter as my daughter is allergic to dairy) and it tastes wonderful!

:: i use it to saute anything at higher temps (olive oil is not ideal when raised to a high temp in cooking) … sauteing veggies for soups; frying fish in a pan; popping popcorn, and the list could go on.

:: it makes great chocolate!

:: we just discovered that it is a great hair product for my daughter! after combing out her curls, we run a little melted coconut oil through the ends and the curls holds beautifully without becoming frizzy!

i keep it in my cupboard; it does melt at higher temps but solidifies again once cool. easy, tasty and healing!

His Words, my little cards

here are my cards ... nothing fancy but covered with words of Life

i was reminded last night at bible study about these cards.

they were life and breath for me during some difficult and dark months this fall.

beth moore had long recommended writing scripture down and carrying the cards, and i always intended to do it … but finally decided to last fall.

i poured through God’s word and wrote down verses about hope, His love, healing and life  … and i literally carried these cards with me, reading them over many times a day and often right before i fell asleep at night.

His Word is life; He heals and redeems and it was (and is!) indescribably crucial for me to meditate on His truth throughout my days.

making kombucha

i am blessed by amazing friends who have taught me so many things … one of them is how to make kombucha! what a frugal, nourishing probiotic drink that i incorporate in my life daily. and i love the taste! this batch makes enough for a week or 2. i try to keep a new batch “brewing” in the pantry while i am enjoying what is ready to drink in the fridge. (i made a batch today and took these pics~!)

i think my friend kelly gave me this recipe …

Kombucha (makes 2 quarts)

3 quarts filtered water
1 cup sugar
4 tea bags of organic black tea (you can mix in a couple green teas with the black if you like)
1/2 cup kombucha from a previous culture
1 kombucha mushroom

(here’s the mushroom: =)

Bring three quarts filtered water to boil.  Add sugar and simmer until dissolved.  Remove from heat, add the tea bags and allow the tea to steep until water has completely cooled.

Remove tea bags.  Pour cooled liquid into a four quart jar (1 gallon–GLASS). and add 1/2 cupkombucha from previous batch.  Place the mushroom on top of the liquid.

Cover jar with a towel and rubber band…so it can breath although not allow dust or other in.  Wrap with a towel or place in a dark warm place.

In about 7 to 10 days the kombucha will be ready, depending on the temperature.  It should be rather sour and possibly fizzy, with no taste of tea remaining.   Transfer to covered glass containers and store in the refrigerator.

When the kombucha is ready, your mushroom will have grown a second spongy pancake.  This can be used to make other batches or given away to friends.  Store fresh mushrooms in the refrigerator in a glass container, never plastic.