My Green Mama

Gluten-Free Muffin Love

2011-03-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

I decided to do some gluten-free baking this morning to mix things up a bit around here. Feeling adventurous, I decided to create my own recipe for some peach muffins, since I LOVE peaches, and they are starting to come into season. In fact, I have my very own peach tree. (Here's to hoping it produces fruit this year!) Since I also love peach cobbler, I thought it would be super tasty to make a peach cobbler muffin. I pulled a bunch of potential ingredients, as well as the usual baking as sundries and went to work, hoping they would turn out.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Yum-o!!!! You would never know they are gluten-free! And with the almond, coconut and flax, they even have some redeeming qualities. I am sure you could pour the batter into a small loaf pan as well - adjusting the baking time, of course. You could even drizzle a bit of powdered sugar icing over it or just slather a touch of butter. SO GOOD!!! I am definitely adding this recipe to my gluten-free collection. Just thought I would share. :)

R’s Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler Muffins

1C almond flour
2T coconut flour
2T flax meal
1t baking soda
1/4t sea salt
2t cinnamon
3 eggs
1/4C grapeseed oil
1/4C + 1T peach preserves (I use Fredericksburg ones from Costco)
1T honey
1t vanilla
1/4C finely chopped (about ¼ in) fresh peach

1.Combine all of the dry ingredients.
2.Add the wet ingredients.
3.Stir in the fresh peaches.
4.Pour into well greased muffin tin (2/3 full).
5.Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes.

So super easy! Now, if I can just stop us from eating them all...

Vita-Blessing / Vita-Curse

2011-03-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

Oh, VitaMix!!! Why oh why can you make so many naughty pleasures!?!?

The temptation became too great for me this weekend. After getting yet another allergy test that stated that I have no allergies to dairy (PTL!!!), I couldn't resist making myself a coffee drink in the VitaMix. And oh, what a coffee drink it was!

The Experiment

I am not a straight coffee drinker, but chocolate with a hint of coffee? Well, that is another story. I decided that if I am going to cheat, I am going all the way. (I am an all-or-nothing type of girl!)I started out with some milk and Ghirardelli cocoa powder and blending that until frothy. Keith brewed up an extra strong pot of malibu blend coffee that has a hint of pralines and coconut. We added a couple shots to the mix, along with some fresh whipped cream (organic, of course). Add some ice cubes, blend on high, top with whipped cream...

Move over, Starkbucks!

Oh. My. Goodness. Smooth, chocolately creaminess with a hint of gourmet coffee. Amazing!!! MUCH better than a mocha frap at Starbucks. Keith and I tried to hide the divine concoction from the girls, but alas they made their way into the kitchen. Maybe it was the sound of the jet engine on our counter, you think?? We tried to slowly administer a tiny bit to Lily, as the child needs no help in the energy department.

We had tons of coffee left over, so I froze the rest into an ice cube tray for later. WAIT. LATER??? This is not good. NOT GOOD AT ALL.

"Everything is permissible but not everything is profitable."

Funny how the small things in life have deep and powerful lessons behind them. Just as I can use the VitaMix to make some amazing healthy meals to nourish my family, I can also use it to potentially harm my family's health by overloading them with ice cream and coffee drinks. Even delicious ones! A hammer can build up or tear down. Same for a VitaMix. It just goes to show that God uses all circumstances to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in us. In our case, self-control. I pray that we use this marvelous tool to build up the health of our family more than tearing it down. Maybe the Lord will supernatually make broccoli smoothies taste like mocha fraps. Hey, this is JEHOVAH, you know. For all this, Lord, we are thankful. :)

Vita-LOVE

2011-03-11T08:28:00.000-08:00

Love at First Blend

I never knew I could hold so much love and admiration towards a kitchen appliance. Oh, how I wanted this machine for a long time, and Wednesday the day finally came. You know you have hyped something up when the mailwoman casually walks up to the door, sets down the package,rings the door bell and busily turns and strolls back to her car only to be startled by the screaming coming from behind the door. “MOM!!!! IT’S THE VITAMIX!!!!

I ran down the stairs, lept over a couple very enthusiastic children, threw open the door, snatched up the box and immediately took it to the kitchen to unpack. As I am carefully unpacking the box, the girls are chanting “VitaMix, VitaMix” and dancing around the island. Maybe I played up the visions of homemade ice cream a bit too much… I quickly demoted my coffee maker from its choice position on the kitchen counter, and replaced it with the VitaMix. I must say, it is an imposing machine. I admired it a bit before responding to the girls’ cries to look through the recipe book. This machine is more than a mere blender. From smoothies to specialty drinks (mocha cappuccino, anyone?), soups to dips and salsas to bread batter, it can almost make anything!! And cleanup? Just fill it halfway full with water and a couple drops of dish soap, turn it on high for a few seconds, rinse and your done.

I must admit I was quiet intimidated by the thing. I’m a decent cook, but this has the potential to take me to another level. Perhaps afraid that the machine wouldn’t live up to its hype, I let my shiny new VitaMix sit there in its proud position for the night.

I was determined to this ride for a test drive today, so when lunch time rolled around, it was VitaMix time. I quickly threw some frozen blueberries, coconut milk and ice in the thing and within 30 seconds, I had slush. COOL! I gave the girls a bit and poured the rest into some popsicle forms for later. Now the real test: vegetables – and lots of them.

HOLY MOLY!!!

It’s a bit like throwing your veggies into a jet engine. This thing could liquefy a tire iron!!! I left it running for about 4 minutes and came back to piping hot soup. AMAZING!!! The machine was but not the soup. It was gross. Bad combo of flavors – bleck! But, the texture was divine. Ditching the nasty soup, I decided to just have a salad. I tossed some more veggies into the container and in 2 seconds – no lie, I had perfectly chopped veggies. Cleanup was 30 seconds. I am loving this!!

The girls are pumped for berry-picking season, as visions of strawberry and peach ice cream and blueberry sorbets dance in their little heads. With the awesome power of this machine, I will occasionally slip some greens into those glorious concoctions. I can hear it now. “Thanks, Mom, but why is my ice cream green???” Hee hee!

We love you, VitaMix!!!

It's Not Cheese, But...

2011-03-08T11:33:00.000-08:00

I LOVE cheese. LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUV cheese. Even dog food would taste good with cheese on it! (don't worry, never tried, just a theory) Alas, tragically all dairy products are a banned substance on my gut regeneration program.

Life without cheese was just getting be to too tough on this cheese connoisseur, so I went on a seemingly fuitless search for a suitable substitute. Looking through several vegan foodie blogs on the subject of cheese, I kept reading rave reviews about this new "cheese" carried at Whole Foods. "It tastes just like cheese!" "It melts!" "It stretches!" "It's delicious!" "It's incredible" "It's AMAZING!" "It's the answer to world peace!!!" Okay, I made the last one up, but you would think that this "cheese" could be the answer with all the over-the-top accolades it was getting.

My first thought, honestly, was, "these people are nuts! They wouldn't know a good cheese if their lives depended on it. These people rave about tofu, for Heaven's sake!" You see, I am a cheese snob. I admit it. But, humility and yearning started to set in after I made my girls one too many grilled cheese sandwiches. MUST... HAVE... CHEESE.

Enter Daiya

I caved to the reviews of the vegans and drove across town to get a few packages of Daiya "cheese" to test. The "cheese" is shredded and comes in two flavors: cheddar and mozzarella. It's dairy-free, gluten-free and preservative-free with no artificial flavors, which are all positives. I grabbed two of each, figuring that if it tasted anything like cheese, I am going to stock up.

We rushed back home, and I quickly steamed up some broccoli and cauliflower to sprinkle it on. Excitedly, I ripped open the cheddar flavor bag and poured it on my veggies, a bit heavy-handed. I gobbled down the first bite and... CHEESE! Well, for the most part. It's more like the cheese packets for the microwaveable Kraft mac 'n' cheese than a fine aged cheddar, but it tastes like cheese none the less. As far as the melting and stretching part, it does change shape into a stretchy blob, but what can you realistically expect of flavored pea protein?

Overall, I am satisfied with this Daiya "cheese". I am really looking forward to making a gluten-free flax meal pizza crust and trying out the mozzarella flavor. Add some homemade tomato sauce, fresh garlic, spinach and onions, and walla!! Vegan deliciousness. It also keeps me from being too snarky while my kiddos devour their REAL grilled cheese sandwiches. For that, Lord, I am grateful. :)

"You wash your hair with WHAT???"

2011-03-08T07:30:00.000-08:00

Once I started reading the labels on food, I began reading the labels on EVERYTHING. That includes anything from crackers, fruit snacks, lotions to the topic of today: shampoo and conditioner. At first, I thought if I bought any "natural" shampoo and conditioner, my hair would be more luxurious, the itchy scalp would disappear, and all would be dreamy in the hair world. NOT SO. Lots of those so-called natural hair products still slip sulfates into their formulas. If you don't know about sulfates, they cause hair loss over time. Not good. Plus, these suckers are $10 - $15 dollars a bottle - a VERY small bottle. What a racket. So, what's a girl to do? I knew I was not going to go back to the regular stuff, so it was time to think out of the box.

Research time!!!

After much searching, I have found a formula that made sense and has saved lots of cents!!! I chunked my expensive, pseudo-natural shampoo and conditioner for a solution of water, baking soda and borax along with a solution of raw apple cider vinegar and water as a rinse, and my scalp feels the best it has in quite some time, and my hair loss is greatly diminished. I simply comb in some organic plant and nut oils with lavender (hair oil from Tropical Traditions), and my hair is just as shiny and manageable – and healthier! - from simple ingredients God created. PTL! And the cost? I can get a 13.5 pound bag of baking soda for about $6 at Costco. A sizable box of borax(a natural mineral) can be found on the laundry aisle for close to $3. Bragg's raw apple cider vinegar is a bit over $5 dollars for 16 ounces. Water? Free. :) I simply put the mixtures (1:5 solutions, 5 being water) in squeezable condiment bottles, and we are good to go! The clear bottle is the baking soda, and the red bottle - complete with the word "KETCHUP" in bold letters and a 1950's era waitress holding a cheeseburger - holds the vinegar solution. LOL, I promise I am not enjoying ketchup and cheeseburger (I only hallucinate about them) in my shower!!! It may not be conventional, but it works!

Going Glory Days (or Not So Glorious)

2011-03-05T19:29:00.000-08:00

Looking Back at History

As some of you may know, my intestines really don't like me. I can understand with how I treated them over the years. Mom and Dad both worked and did the best that they could with the time and knowledge they had. Back then all people knew were the four food groups and to eat some from each. No one thought there was any difference between fresh and canned veggies.(Organic what??) My diet consisted of Dominos mushroom and pepperoni pizzas, McDonald's cheese burgers, donuts on the weekends, lots of ham and bologna and cheese sandwiches and Doritos. And milk. LOTS of milk. I would drink 5-6 glasses a day. Milk does the body good, right? (Apparently not.)Dad did cook dinner for us most nights, and we did get a bit of "the good stuff" - mostly out of a can and doused in ranch dressing or cheese. We just didn't know, you know? My intestines were growing angry...

Fat = SATAN

When I was in college, the "carbs good, fat very bad" diet was all the rage. Anyone else fall for this one? I must have purchased thousands of boxes of Snackwell's during that time never looking to see that they had replaced the fat with loads of sugar and preservatives. My diet was mostly potatoes, pasta, bread. Have you all ever done paper mache? What do you use as glue? Answer: flour and water. What was I eating most? Answer: flour. And considering our bodies are made up of 70% - 80% water... I ate glue during college, and my intestines were downright ticked.

Looking back, I can clearly see how my diet, couple with years of antibiotics, ravaged my digestive system. I am thankful for how long it lasted. Given the continual assault it endured, I need to be even more mindful that there is no such thing as a quick fix. I have tried them. I cannot reverse 30 years of damage in 30 days. But, what I can do is try to give my body the best nutrition possible and start the process, and that's where I am.

Hallucinating About Cheeseburgers

2011-03-05T18:13:00.000-08:00

Wow, it has been such a long time since I blogged! Well, here I am over a year later looking for the same answers to the same health questions. I thought if I tried blogging about it, maybe it would make the process a bit easier, and maybe I can help someone along the way...

The Not-So-Enthusiastic Vegan

After much research, I recently found a natural, gut regeneration program that looked very promising. After reading a 200+ page book about the process, I decided that I need to commit to this program. One problem: veganism. Not to offend any vegans out there, but I am a protein eater. And by protein, I mean meat. A bowl of beans cannot come close to competing with a perfectly grilled ribeye (medium rare, oh yes). Don't get me started on cheeseburgers and the most divine baby back ribs to ever grace your lips made by my sweet husband. BUT, I am committed... so no meat. Not even a bite. All I can eat is mostly steamed veggies and whole grain porridge. God help me. :)

I had my first hallucination about cheeseburgers a couple days ago. Juicy, delicious 100% beef with a slab of perfectly aged cheddar on a fluffy, mouth-watering bun toasted to perfection with a slather of organic butter (hey, it makes me feel better!). It looked delectable; it smelled divine; it tasted... like barley porridge. Jolted out of my reverie by the utter blandness of my breakfast, I stared with more than a tinge of jealously at my children happily devouring their scrambled eggs and cinnamon toast.

So, this is my lot. And surprisingly, I am thankful.

There's a lot to be said about delayed gratification. There is a lot to be learned in the waiting, in the process of healing. God, in His incredible grace, is using these moments to teach me lessons way beyond food and health. It's about waiting, enduring for His best. And the moments of weakness are invaluable opportunities to trust Him more.

The Struggle

2009-12-08T22:10:00.000-08:00

I haven’t updated in quite some time, so I thought I might as well do just that. So, let’s get to the heart of it:

I am struggling.

The Thanksgiving holiday began the slide. Over the Thanksgiving holiday I took a cooler of food for myself. Since I am allergic to turkey, my only choice of meat was ham, and boy was I ever sick of it. There was only one vegetable that I could “legally” have, so I fudged on dairy so that I could have mashed potatoes. I made myself my own gluten-free pie (again, it had dairy, which I am not supposed to have), which wasn’t the greatest, but I ate it anyway. The worst of the whole holiday was a trip to On the Border. As I watched family eat chips, queso and salsa, I can honestly say I was miserably jealous, but I was trying to keep myself composed as much as I could. The family member (who will remain nameless) that was next to me was constantly complaining about how they could find absolutely nothing on the menu. It took all of my energy not to haul off and slap them! Try going to a Mexican restaurant when you can’t have corn, cheese, sour cream, rice, chicken or pinto beans. That certainly narrows down the menu! Alas, I ordered the fajitas with no tortilla or cheese and survived.

It was so hard not being able to eat what “normal” people eat. I don’t feel “normal”. I guess I’ve just begun to feel sorry for myself. I have slipped and starting eating dairy and chocolate – two things I am supposed to avoid. Oh, and potato chips. Lots of potato chips. You would have thought that I would have gained weight by now. Nope. I weigh less than the before having two children and less than I did in high school. I guess that’s one good thing about a slightly overactive thyroid. But, my struggle is not about weight. It's about feeling healthy, alive and energetic again.

I am sabotaging the plan. Why? I have asked myself that a lot in these past few weeks, and the one thing I keep coming back to is belief. If I am honest with myself,I don’t really believe this is going to work. After 20 years of struggling with an intestinal mess, I have become rather jaded. I’ve been through so many different treatments, and they have only produced temporary, nominal results. I know that if I don’t believe it is going to really fix it this time, I won’t do it. Plan and simple. Sabotage. Sabotage.

One of the toughest parts of this whole intestinal mess is something I never talk about to anyone other than my husband, but I might as well, since I am on a roll. Because I am toxic, my body has learned to expel toxins through the only reliable avenue it has, and that is my skin. I have struggled with deep, cystic acne since I was 12 years old. One time the pain got so bad in high school that I had to go to the dermatologist to have 10 cortisone shots injected into my face. I still have to ice down my face every week or so to relieve the pain. I have been on every antibiotic possible (that really screws up your intestines), every cream and lotion, blue laser treatments and the dreaded accutane (run far away from that one). You name it, I have most likely tried it. I’ve spent thousands. Nothing has worked. The cysts persist. They are very painful, and it’s just embarrassing. I am too darn old for this! One thing I have learned over the years is the art of make-up, but that only lasts for so long. The cause is internal, and I just can't seem to fix it.

I am just not making progress. And it is my fault.

So what do I do? What do I really want, anyway? I am kind of at a crossroad. Do I take a chance and believe, or do I just forget it and live with it? This diet is crazy hard and takes a ton of preparation. I stink at even drinking enough water a day. It makes me realize the unhealthy relationship that I have with food - almost like living a thin version of a Biggest Loser episode over and over again. (By the way, GO DANNY! :))But what is the alternative? Do I dare hope again?

I need to decide. But oh, the Christmas parties. The cakes, cookies, holiday fare. Not to mention the all-day cookie-cooking-fest that I have to participate in. (Thanks, Mom.) What do I do? What do you think I should do? The Christmas season is the HARDEST time of the year to be restricted like this, but I guess it would be the best time to test my resolve, if I have any.

I’ve just lost belief and hope. I guess I need to go find some – quick. But for now, I am stilling hanging in there.

And I'll have a slab of butt-kicking, too!

2009-11-02T12:44:00.000-08:00

Okay, this is the OFFICIAL day to start all the diet changes. So far so good... I think I am going to have my green smoothie for dinner... You know, change it up a bit! When you are limited on choices, it is definitely the little things.

So, I have decided that if I am going to make a huge change in my diet, I might as well make one in my activity level. So, with much fear and trembling last night, I located my workout clothes and set them out for the Y visit this morning. I sat for quite some time with my lock, trying to remember the stupid combination! After many tries, I finially got it right, so that was my sign that there was no turning back...

I discovered that one way to get myself to the gym is to post it on Facebook. I would feel pretty silly if I just sat on my tail instead, so it is my form of motivation. I must say, I was dreading going to the gym this morning. When you have been out of the game for some time, you know you are rusty. It's just trying to figure out how rusty...

And let me be honest: Working out at the Y at in the mornings is a humbling experience. That's when the uber-fit stay-at-home moms and trophy wives come. I swear, most of these folks have 2% body fat. These ladies have not seen a cheeseburger in quite some time. I know I am not a big person, but there is definitely a difference between "thin and firm" and "thin and flabby". Luckily I ran into a friend (yeah, Alia!) so that I would not have to walk into Body Pump alone. For those of you not familiar with BP, it is a weightlifting class - mostly bar, some dumbbells. Lots, LOTS of reps. You lift weights for every major muscle group in your body to very loud music. (Good thing, so you don't hear the moaning as much!)

I used to take this class on a regular basis last spring, so I knew the setup routine so as to blend in as much as possible. I recognized some of the "regulars" that are still there, especially one tiny woman who effortlessly lifts twice the weight I can while she pops her gum. Ugh. All the uber-fit folks get up in front, while I strategically hang out on the second to last row. That is my spot - at least for now. And so the music started. Okay, lift...

I know black is said to be slimming, but does it hide shaking!?!? After about 500 squats, I had sea legs. But wait, that is just the FIRST muscle group. By the time we got to shoulders, after going through squats, cling and press/ dead lifts, bicepts, chest, tricepts, my "push-ups" were more like a "hover and pray"!

But, I made it. :) After class, I drug my jello-body into the sauna for a bit, hoping that my muscles would loosen up a bit more so as to not be bed-ridden tomorrow. Oh, tomorrow... An hour and 15 minutes of sheer butt-whoopin', otherwise known as kickboxing. If I can walk, I will be there. You know where you will find me: on the second to last row, of course - for now. :)

ANSWERS!!!

2009-10-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

It's 1:00 in the morning, so this may not be too coherent, but I thought I would share my test results.

Well... who would have thought???

Today I had the doctor appointment I had been waiting for for a long, long time. True, real answers to all of this crazy, digestive mess. It is not very often that I am actually excited to go to the doctor, but this was one of those days.

I had almost everything tested: food allergies, cholesterol, kidney function, hemoglobin, thyroid panels, vitamin D status - you name it. I listened to the results as though I were listening to the most fascinating story ever told... one with lots of twists and turns.

I knew, KNEW he was going to tell me that I am allergic to all dairy products. I just knew it. I bathed myself in the stuff for YEARS, so I just knew dairy was going to be a big allergen... Test results: no dairy allergies. WHAT!?!? Crazy!! Not even a blip. Amazing. I still cannot have them for 3-6 months (they are highly constipating), but cheese, we will meet again one day. YES! :) One that I was right on: gluten and wheat. Bye, bye bread.

But, my biggest allergen is... corn. Can't touch the stuff. Huh. Guess Mexican is out.

Some other strange ones to me were chicken and turkey. Apparently poultry does not settle well with me, but I have no reaction to beef. (Bring on the steak, yeah! Sorry to all the vegans out there...) Kidney and pinto beans and rice are out, as well as crab. Oh, and a sad one to any woman: chocolate. BOO!!!

I have to eliminate all these foods for 3-6 months, then I will be tested again to see if my gut has healed enough that I can tolerate some of these foods again.

Some other interesting findings: I am anemic and have hypoglycemia. So, now I am going to be on iron and have to watch out for foods that cause major sugar swings, like simple carbs. Apparently my thyoid is working too hard (hyper), so I am going to have to watch that as well. The doctor is hoping the diet changes will help, otherwise I may have to go on some type of thyroid medication. My kidney function is a bit low. (creatinine too high and eGFR too low) Combined with other tests, he thinks that is due to chronic dehydration, so I am going to have to really up my intake of water. This is another thing that is going to have to be monitored and checked up on in about 3 months. My vitamin D levels are too low. The low end is 32, optimal is 50. I am at 24.6, so I have been put on a daily D3 supplement for that. Oh, and I am not absorbing / getting enough B12, and that is affecting my hemoglobin levels as well, so there's a supplement for that, too. I also have candida albicans overgrowth from past, chronic antibiotic use. Joy.

I think the most suprising result to me was my total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. They are both surprisingly high. My LDL is over 30 points higher than it should be... Huh. (At least my triglycerides were low.) I really do not have a bad diet, so the theory is that because my digestive system is soooooo slow, I am reabsorbing cholesterol that I should be eliminating. He also thinks that this is the reason that my skin has been so cystic.

So.... I have been put on a diet that eliminates all of these problem foods, along with loads of water and supplements each day. Oh, and those famous green smoothies! I will be drinking a quart of the stuff every day for 3 months. Good thing they taste decent. :)

I am so happy to have some direction. I know it is going to be hard to follow the diet - and remember to take all of the supplements, but I am excited and ready for the positive health changes that are to come. Please pray that I can stick to it - especially through Thanksgiving and Christmas! (Turkey allergy, GEEZ!)

Rabbits envy me...

2009-10-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

Oh... green smoothies. Day 1, easy. Honestly, the smoothies really don't taste bad at all. The greens I have used thus far - spinach and kale - have such mild flavors that you don't even taste them. It is a bit scary for me to think how long I am going to be on these things at this volume.

Day 2... Easy? Not so much. Visions of cheeseburgers dancing in my head. (Curse you, cheeseburger!) I have never coveted a grilled cheese as much as the one I fed my girls tonight! I am hoping this gets a bit easier as time goes on... I've already lost 2.5 pounds since, well, yesterday. I must have eaten the equivalent of two heads of lettuce today. Oh, I can have salads, too. And avocado, my saving grace. The thing I look forward the most to? Chewing. I am most certainly getting my greens! :)

I just need to stay positive. You don't realize how much emotion is wrapped into food until you have to consciously avoid so much of what your diet has been. There is no such thing as just grabbing a sandwich - or a bag of anything, for that matter. I realized today in looking at the days ahead that I am not going to be able to eat hardly any of the typical Thanksgiving food this year, because my body just can't handle it at this point. It really makes me question why I eat what I eat. I realize that the food I "romanticize" is just plain bad for me. Do you ever hear someone say, "oh, the lettuce is soooooo good at the Cheesecake Factory!" I don't think so... I've rewarded myself, my husband, my kids with unhealthy food. Am I creating unhealthy emotional ties to food in my children? I don't know what the answer is, quite honestly. I am coming to understand that I use food as a punishment as well... I guess these are just things I ponder about.

I don't really feel any different yet, but I don't expect to. It's way too early. I am really anxious to get the results from my blood tests. There is just something about having real test results in writing, isn't there? I NEED the results to tell me not to eat dairy or wheat. I need something concrete, because I don't think I have enough willpower on my own for the long haul. The cravings are nuts!

When my doctor reviewed my case and history, he was very optimistic, but told me the healing process could take up to a year. In a world that seems to just want to take a pill to "fix" it and go on, a year seems so long to me. Answers from all the doctors in the past have been to take a pill and go on. Where has it gotten me??? There has to be another way. For me, going about the healing process from a natural direction is a must. I have tried all the other options, except the last, drastic one - having a large portion of my colon surgically removed. That is just NOT an option at this point. There just has to be another way!

So, after literally years of research, I going to go the natural way. I just have to. If I truly believe that using food and lifestyle changes to heal disease actually works best, then I am going to have to live it out. It's a step of faith for me. I want to be a good example to my family and everyone around me, and I have to do this. What if someone I know could greatly benefit from my experience and find the healing that they need? You just can't put a price on that.

Smoothie, anyone?? :)

Ode to Hypocrisy - Let it all out...

2009-10-16T20:15:00.000-07:00

Has it been this long since I have posted??? This is going to be sort of a “come to Jesus” post for me…

Let me start this off like an AA meeting: “Hi, my name is Rebecca, and I am a food hypocrite.” The last couple months have been laced with cheeseburgers, fries and cakes.

And I was doing so well…

I made a commitment early in the spring to start working out again. I had some friends to work out with at the Y, and I actually found myself enjoying going to the gym on a regular basis for the first time in a long time. And I was starting to feel a bit… better. Well, the workouts lasted until this summer when I was sidelined by a surgery. No more working out for two months… Boo. Well, that became a trend…

But, I did something that I had never done. I gave up wheat, dairy, corn and sugar. I basically ate nothing that came out of a box or had a label. Let me tell you, that makes your trips to the grocery store a whole lot more limited, but certainly less time-consuming! I stuck to the plan and even made it through the food-laden Fourth of July holiday weekend. I lasted a whole six weeks. And I felt a bit better… I think.

Then I completely gave up.

Oh, I am sure it was for a number of reasons. I try my best to make everyone happy and not raise any eyebrows – most of the time, but I have learned that people take the way you eat very, VERY personally. Almost like how you raise your children. On several occasions I was made fun of or criticized. “Oh, that is SO impractical. I could never eat that way.” “Don’t you want some cake, just this time?” “Wow, you really are a health nut (emphasis on nut)!” “Well, you can’t make me give up my Diet Cokes and cheeseburgers!” You know, I try to have thick skin, but that has never been a strong suit of mine.

Yet, the number one reason that I gave up is that I have been in a silent, awful battle… for the last 20 years. And I am so tired of the fight.

You see, my digestive system has basically gone haywire. I have more intestines than anyone should ever have, especially someone my size. And for the last year, they have basically gone on strike. (I know that is TMI for some of you, but it is what it is.) So, I am being slowing poisoned by my own body. Yup, I am officially toxic.

I have been to so many doctors… I’ve been misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia. I’ve even been prescribed an asthma inhaler. Huh? I’ve been on countless medications and supplements. (You should see my supplement stash! You got an ailment; I’ve got a supplement.) Having a serious digestive disorder can affect your life in so many ways. It can even make you feel like you are losing your marbles! I feel so sorry for my husband and my girls… It has been so frustrating to not be able to be there with them fully, to not have the energy to be the wife and mother I am supposed to be. I only pray that I can make it up to them in the years to come. And Jesus, I am so sorry, too…

I may be down, but I am not out. I just saw a new doctor who practices integrated medicine (both traditional and natural modalities), and I am hopeful. I gave vials and vials of blood to be tested for all sorts of digestive disorders, food allergies, thyroid panels - you name it. Hopefully there will be answers. In the meantime, I am going to begin a very restrictive, all-raw green smoothie diet. I’ve read that they taste really good… but I am not sure about that! I’m nervous but hopeful. Maybe this will be it. I scoped out the “greens” section at HEB tonight – not bad. Hey, at least I should have good hair and skin after all of this!

I really don’t know why God has allowed this into my life. I do believe He has drawn me to this new doctor, who is a Christian, for a reason. I know he will work this all out for His glory. I just pray for His perspective. And a little peace would be nice, too. :)

So… this is my journey. I am going to be chronicling this “experiment” for the next 30 days to hold myself accountable to follow the plan, and maybe, just maybe help someone else in the shadows along the way. Feel free to read my wordy posts and comment away. And, if you think about me, please say a little prayer for me. Heaven knows I need it!

Healthy Eating, Kid Style

2008-03-19T15:29:00.000-07:00

It is one thing for you to eat healthy - and quite another for your children to do the same. It is tough all around. Well, when faced with the predicament of Abby eating something I really did not want her to eat at an Easter party at school, what do you do? I did the best that I could and surprised her with a creative sandwich for her lunch. I think it went over well. :)

You know, you do what you can, even if some think it is a little nutty. :)

Live Up to What You Know

2008-02-12T08:57:00.000-08:00

This phrase has really stuck with me. I heard it in a message by our pastor, in which he was telling us that as God's Word is revealed to us that we are responsible for the wisdom and knowledge that we have graciously been given. Wow, that is some responsibility. Thank goodness for the working of the Holy Spirit to help... "live up to what you know."

"Live up to what you know." (Around my house my 5-year-old knows it by a slightly different phrase: "Do what you know is right." Comes in handy quite often...) This phrase has wonderful implications in spiritual matters, but I believe it is an over-arching principle that can be applied to all areas of life, including how we take care of our bodies. Actually, for me, taking care of my body is a spiritual matter. God gave me this body to use to further His kingdom, and that takes a lot of energy! Well, how can I serve Him fully if I always feel run down? How can I care for the family He has given me if all I want to do is lay on the couch? God, in His infinte wisdom, has given us wonderful, healing foods to repair and fuel our bodies (you truly are what you eat). Unfortunately, there is a tremendous amount of food out there that threatens to rob us of our very health, and many times it is hard to discern what is truly good for you.

And I must admit, at times I have done a lousy job of caring for the body He has given me. Part of my motivation for starting this blog is to make me be accountable for my health, to "live up to what I know." I have read too much, done way too much research, pondered too many studies and seen too many changed lives to not be accountable for the knowledge that I have gained. I only have this one body and this one life, and I need to do my best to nurture and care for it. And so, my quest has begun.

And it is hard. I can't tell you how many times I have been made fun of and downright ridiculed. I have been the topic of many jokes. I say this not for sympathy but to demonstrate that it is tough when you make choices that are against the norm. It is really tough when you make them for your children. I really understand that it is odd today not eating at fast food restaurants and never drinking a Coke. It is kind of strange that I read every label on every food product before I buy them. Eating socially is so ingrained in our culture, and I fear we eat what we do for many of the wrong reasons. I know I have. But, I feel I must, I have an obligation to "live up to what I know."

Please hear my heart: I am not trying to make anyone feel guilty for what they eat or don't eat. That is your choice. And I am certainly by no means perfect (just ask my family... I have a real weakness for chocolate shakes...). I just want to see you well, see us all well and living in wonderful vitality. That is my passion. And we must give ourselves grace. We all slip up from time to time, but let's keep pressing on, to "live up to what we know!"

Bottom line: I want to see you living in extravagant health, fulfilling God's purpose in your life. Please let me know if I can be of any help to you, if this blog is of any help to you. Do any of you want to start a nutrition and fitness 90-day plan? I would love to hear from you!!! I know, it won't be easy, but it is and will definitely be worth it.

Gotta be Omega-3!

2008-02-12T08:13:00.000-08:00

The FDA, USDA and all the folks (and lobbyists) who put together the famous - or infamous - food pyramid have done the American people a real disservice. You see, for decades they have vilified fat. Now, there are definitely some fats we should avoid - like eating lots of saturated fats and especially trans fats. But, there is a group of fats out there that are absolutely essential to your health, and without them, poor health is soon to follow...

What are these fats? They are known as essential fatty acids. They are called essential because our bodies cannot produce them, and therefore we must get them from our diet. The 3 basic types are omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9. The one that is sorely lacking in our diets is omega-3. In fact, we get too many omega-6 fats - typically from plant-based oils, which are in everything. I have read that the optimal balance should be between 1:1 to 4:1 omega-6 to omega-3 (depending on the expert). The balance is critical for proper health. Unfortunately the typical American has a balance of between 20:1 to even 50:1! That is terrible!

So, why is omega-3 so very important? There are tons of reasons, but let me list a few here. Every cell has a membrane made out of lipids (another name for fats) call the phospholipid bilayer. This membrane is critical for letting the good stuff in and keeping the bad stuff out. Omega-3s help maintain the ingetrity of our cell membranes. Did you know that our brains are made up of about 60% fat? Omega-3s help to maintain good cognitive function. Another organ greatly helped by omega-3s is the heart, and fish oil (a source for omega-3s) is widely known as a must-take for heart patients. The following recaps the results of 3 recents studies:

Three new studies add strongly to the growing evidence that consumption of fish and fish oil supplements can reduce death from heart disease.

In the April 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, investigators from the Harvard School of Public Health reported that women who consumed more fish and fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids) significantly reduced their risk of heart disease. In this study, among 85,000 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study, those who ate fish 2 to 4 times per week reduced their risk of heart disease by 30%, compared to women who rarely ate fish.

Similarly, in a study published in the April 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital reported that men in the Physicians' Health Study (men who had no evidence of prior heart disease) who consumed omega-3 fatty acids had a significantly reduced risk of sudden death.

And finally, investigators from Italy reported this week in Circulation that consuming 1 gram per day of omega-3 fatty acid supplements resulted in a significantly reduced risk of sudden death among survivors of heart attacks.

While a major benefit of fish oil in these studies appears to be a reduction in sudden death from cardiac arrhythmias, omega-3 fatty acids also appear to reduce triglyceride levels, reduce blood pressure, and stabilize the blood clotting mechanisms. Thus, there are several pathways in which fish oil can potentially benefit the cardiovascular system. The evidence that omega-3 fatty acids benefits the heart, thanks to these three studies, is now nearly irrefutable, and will no doubt become widely accepted by the medical community.

Pretty impressive. Omega-3s also cool inflammation in the body and help people who suffer from all types of inflammation, even acne.

So, where do we get omega-3s? Well, there are 3 types of omega-3s: EPA and DHA, which are from animal sources, and ALA, which is from plants. What the body really lacks - or at least most bodies - is EPA and DHA, which is mainly found in larger, fatty fish, such as marckel, sardines and salmon. I wouldn't recommend consuming lots of fish, due to the overwhelming amount of mercury in the majority of our seafood (one of the high costs of industrialization). ALA can be converted into EPA and DHA in the body, but the conversion rate is very, very low (sorry, vegans and vegetarians). (FYI: A good source for ALA is walnuts.)

The best option is to find a very high quality fish oil, one that is mercury-free. For those of you who rarely get out in the sun, I would suggest cod liver oil, since it is very high in natural vitamin D. I personally take krill oil, which is actually from a shellfish that is very high in omega-3s and an antioxidant called astaxanthin, which is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier. As with all supplements, it is important to find high quality. Mercola.com is a good place to research which would be the best.

Bottom line: Every body needs to take omega-3s. There are so vital to your health and provide so many great benefits. Honestly, you cannot live without them - that's why the are essential. :)

What You Need to Know About Sugar and Insulin

2008-02-11T12:01:00.000-08:00

In the last week or so I have had several conversations about sugar metabolism and diabetes, both which hinge on the action of insulin. So, what exactly is insulin? Lets take a look at this molecule and why you want to keep your insulin levels low and cells highly responsive.

Here is a good explanation on insulin by Dr. Ron Rosedale:

We come from a time of feast and famine when if we couldn't store the excess energy during times of feasting, we would not be here because all of our ancestors encountered famine. We are here because our ancestors were able to store nutrients, which they were able to do because they were able to elevate their insulin (which is a hormone) in response to any elevation in energy that the organism encountered.
When your body notices that sugar is elevated, it is a sign that you've got more than you need; you're not burning it so it is accumulating in your blood. So insulin will be released to take that sugar and store it. How does it store it? Glycogen.
Your body stores very little glycogen at any one time. All the glycogen stored in your liver and muscle wouldn't last you through one active day. Once you fill up your glycogen stores that sugar is stored as saturated fat, 98 percent of which is palmitic acid.
So the idea of the medical profession recommending a high complex-carbohydrate, low-saturated-fat diet is an absolute oxymoron. A high-complex-carbohydrate diet is nothing but a high-glucose diet, or a high-sugar diet. Your body is just going to store it as saturated fat, and the body makes it into saturated fat quite readily. (click here for full article)

Yikes... High insulin levels also negatively effect magnesium absorption by the cells, which in turn causes blood vessels to constrict, which raises blood pressure... It also causes sodium retention and is a powerful stimulator of the sympathetic nervous system. Not at all good for the heart. In fact, studies have shown that those already prone to have a heart attack are mostly to suffer one after having a high-carbohydrate meal. Elevated insulin levels are closely correlated with high triglycerides (excess sugar is also metabolized into cholesterol and triglycerides in the liver). Not good. Have you noticed that people with diabetes suffer from more illness? One possible reason is that vitamin C and glucose (sugar) are shaped very similar and use the same receptors to enter the cell. When there is too much glucose in the bloodstream, vitamin C gets crowded out. And if you are taking calcium for strong bones and have high insulin levels? You literally flush it down the toilet. And some may even end up in your arteries. You can obviously see where this is going: poor health and rapid aging. Ugh.

A lot of attention has been given lately to insulin resistance (or syndrome X, metabolic syndrome...). So what is it? The way it helps me to understand it is with the following analogy:

Say you go to a concert where they play REALLY loud music. At first it is so loud that you cover your ears, but over time you become accustomed to it. After you leave the concert, you talk quite loud because your hearing has been affected. But, over time, you hear normally. But, let's say you go to this very loud concert every night. Over time, your hearing becomes permanently affected and now you must wear a hearing aid... The loud music is like sugar and insulin, blasting into your bloodstream. Under a normal response, your cells respond to the insulin. But, over time, just like being at a loud concert every night would eventually damage your hearing, your cells lose some of their ability to "hear" insulin because of the continuous assault of all that excess sugar. Result: insulin resistance - and all this can lead up to diabetes, where the pancreas can not live up to the insulin demand and begins to malfunction... and all kinds of bad things can happen.

And, countless studies have proven the fact that sugar feeds cancer. (link for excellent article on sugar and cancer) And remember the discussion on beneficial bacteria (see previous post)? Well sugar feeds bacteria - the BAD bacteria. And that bad bacteria can cause leaky gut syndome, allowing undigested food particles and toxins into your blood, causing a major immune response and all sorts of inflammation. (New research shows that inflammation is a major cause of obesity.)

You see, it is super important that your cells remain responsive to insulin, so that your poor pancreas does not have to continue shelling out truck loads of the stuff.

Bottom line: The best way to keep your cells responsive to insulin is to keep your sugar intake low. Even whole grains metabolize into sugar, so try to limit these and get your nutrients from veggies. (Plus, lots of people are allergic to wheat - or to the protein in wheat called gluten - and may not even know it, but we will save that one for another time.) If you are going to eat a carbohydrate, try to combine it with a protein and/or a fat to lessen the glycemic load (measurement of how quickly sugar hits the bloodstream) of the meal (more on that later as well). This is tough stuff, I know. (Trust me, I am definitely talking to myself as well. ) Research shows that sugar can be even more addictive than heroin and goes through the same "addiction pathways." But cutting sugar has so many benefits, such as slowing down the aging process and disease, that it outweighs having large amounts of it in your diet. After cutting sugar for a while, you will notice that your cravings will subside, and your overall health will improve.

We want to be around to fulfill our ultimate purpose in life, right? God gave us these magnificent bodies. Let's take care of them - and a great way is to cut sugar. :) Anybody out there up for taking a challange to eliminate it for 3 weeks? Starting next week that is what I am going to do (I figured this week is a bust with Valentine's). I would love to hear from you!!!! Leave me a comment if you are up to it, and we will conquer sugar together! :)

Tomorrow we will cover the good fat that we all desperately need. And this type of fat can help keep the mind sharp, the heart in great shape and body thin. Stay tuned!

Detergent on a Tree

2008-02-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

For those of you with skin allergies or who are environmentally conscious, I have found something for you! They are called Soap Nuts. Yup, Soap Nuts.

They are the fruit off of the soapberry tree, and they produce saponins that gently wash your clothes without any chemicals or additives. Apparently there are lots of folks who swear by them (Natives in India have used them for centuries...) Click here for more information.

After some researching I have discovered these trees can grow in Texas. You can even buy the seeds on Amazon... I may have to grow myself some detergent! :)

Fuzzy Math at the FDA

2008-02-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

Okay, my five-year-old can tell me that 0.5 does not equal zero. Apparently, this knowledge has not yet filtered to the FDA.

We have all heard about transfats these days. These nasty fats cause all kinds of health issues, among them elevated levels of trigylcerides (Can anyone say heart disease?). Well, the FDA in recent years finally started making the food manufacturers put transfats on the label - but with a big escape route: If the transfat in a serving is 0.5 grams or less, they can claim it as transfat-free.

Since when did 0.5 equal zero? Apparently I don't understand this reasoning, except to say that it is a shameless way to trick the public. Notice that the loophole is 0.5 grams PER SERVING. This is key, folks. Has anyone noticed that serving sizes are getting increasingly smaller? Hmmm... I noticed a box of cookies that proclaimed itself to be transfat-free per serving (again,this is key), so I checked out the label. The label said it was transfat-free, but the serving size was ONE measly cookie. Now, who would eat just one, tiny cookie? That is ridiculous! But, it said it was transfat-free, so I looked at the ingredients... Transfat-free? Not even close.

How to spot a transfat: If you see anything on the label that starts with "partially hydrogenated", congrats, you just spotted a transfat. What burns me up is the lengths the manufacturers go to cover these things up and try to trick the public. Ugh.

Bottom line: read the labels. If it says transfat-free, check the ingredients. Anything partially hydrogenated, put it back on the shelf. Your health - and your children's - will thank you for it.

The Evil Lurking in Our Food

2008-02-06T06:33:00.000-08:00

Today's Topic: MSG (a.k.a. monosodium glutamate)

A very quick history: MSG first came to the US in the late 1940s and is used as a flavor-enhancer - a cheap one at that. It is basically used to make bad food taste decent. The process by which it was made was fundamentally changed in 1956 into one of bacterial fermentation. This is when the adverse reactions really started making a scene... So, what's the big deal about MSG? Plenty. Let me explain.

MSG is what is termed an excitotoxin. (excite-o-toxin) What does an excitotoxin do? Here's an analogy to explain. I am sure you all have seen rust before - especially on old cars. That is caused by oxidation and is slowly destroying the car. What MSG does at the cellular level is it causes the cell to rust, through allowing calcium in the cell that acts as a highly oxidative force once inside. The calcium bounces around like a ball in a pinball machine, wreaking havoc. The cell goes from brand-new BMW status to old, rusty beater. Not good. But it doesn't stop there. Eventually the cell can't handle the "rust", and it goes through apoptosis. In other words: IT DIES. The cell is "excited" to death. You may think, like a car, that you at least will get several years of good use out of the cell. This is where the analogy stops. Excitotoxins can kill a brain cell within just ONE HOUR of exposure. One hour.

Even worse is the fact that MSG can cross the blood brain barrier. That means your brain cells are fair game. On top of that, older folks and young children are more susceptible to its effects. Yikes. So, what are its effects?

The effects of MSG are many, but here are a few:

- neurological damage, even in unborn babies
- cell death
- headaches, migraines
- skin rash
- heart irregularities
- seizures
- depression
- reproductive disorders
- stunted growth

There are many more, but you get the point. And MSG's effects are cumulative, meaning the stuff sticks with you.

So, what is it in? There is a common perception that if you avoid Chinese food you're safe. WRONG. It is in salad dressings, soups, favorings, most packaged foods, virtually all fast food (McD's, Chick-Fil-A...) - even vaccines and BABY FORMULA. Click here. This makes me furious.The manufacturers are pretty sneaky these days about wanting to hide this nasty stuff, so they put it under all kinds of names, like gelatin, autolyzed yeast extract, etc. Here's a link to a link of the hidden names for MSG. Click here.

Also, here is a link to a lecture given by Dr.Russell Blaylock, a well-known neurosurgeon and expert on excitotoxins. Click here.
I know it sounds dull, but this is an EXCELLENT presentation on the horrible effects of MSG on the body. I highly recommend it.

Bottom line: avoid MSG like the plague. Read the labels. I cannot stress how awful this stuff really is for you. I know this is hard to avoid, but again, your health - and the health of your children - will thank you.

Bacteria Are Your Friends

2008-02-05T13:22:00.000-08:00

Well, some bacteria...

With all the buzz about antibiotics these days - and their ill effects, it is really important to mention probiotics. PROBIOTICS? These are the friendly bacteria that live in our gut that are absolutely critical to our health. (Lactobacillus, acidophilus... There are many strains.) Why? Several reasons, but among those are proper nutrient digestion / absorption and immune function. Did you know that they account for about 60% of our immune function? Wow... And recent studies have shown that pregnant moms that take priobiotics give their little ones a better chance of NOT suffering from allergies. Pretty cool. These little guys are awesome for your health, but they have 3 main enemies: antibiotics, the SAD (Standard American Diet) and chlorine.

So, what happens when you take antibiotics? Well, as you know, antibiotics were designed to kill bacteria, and they are very good at their job. The problem is that they are not very discriminating at all. Gone are the good bacteria as well. This presents a problem.

If you have a diet consisting of all natural, raw foods, naturally fermented foods (kefir, sauerkraut, etc.) and very low sugar intake, over time you could rebuild the probiotic population. But, not many people have that type of diet. So, what happens on the SAD - or Standard American Diet? This is where it gets messy... We Americans take in way too much sugar (in all its various forms), and sugar is exactly what feeds the BAD bacteria, among them candida albicans, which can cause all kinds of nasty health issues - including organ failure in severe cases. Ugh.

And then there's chlorine. Most municipal water supplies add chlorine to kill... you guessed it: bacteria. So, what happens when this chlorine hits our gut? Yup, it kills bacteria - good and bad.

So what are we to do???

Bottom line: we all need a good probiotic. Do some research and find one that will work for you. Or, check out my link at the right and read about the kind I take (Total Flora Support). Even if you haven't taken an antibiotic in years, the effects can last and last. If you have to take an antibiotic, make sure that you are taking a probiotic at the same time. Try to drink filtered water and cut out as much sugar as you can. I know it's hard to do, but your - and your children's - immune system and health in general will certainly thank you.