A bit of my story...

I've had Lyme disease for 4 years now. On one hand, my life has changed so much for the better/healthier (something about all things working for good, ya know), but on the other hand, I feel like I have missed about half of my own life the last 4 years. I've seen so many improvements as I've changed my diet and lifestyle and taken all my "natural medicine". But yet I have not gain victory over this invader. My stuggles include fatigue, pain (like last week I couldn't walk on one toe for a day), and occassionally a muddled brain or wacky emotions.

But I was reminded the other day that God can heal my soul DAILY. You see, I believe He can heal my body--either slowly or quickly. But he can heal the hurt of the struggle today. I don't have to carry that around. I'm so thankful.

Today, I'm having a really good day. If only all days could be like this! I feel almost normal. And I'm fighting to see that one day they will!!! But today I'm just thankful for today. I'm thankful for the chance to share with others how miraculous the food God made for us is. I'm thankful I better understand how to care for my body and how to teach this to my children.

What a great day--and I thought I didn't like Halloween! No fear and no candy at our house, but this is a great day!

The scientific basis for Traditional Diet

Have you heard of Nourishing Traditions, the Maker's Diet, or Sue Gregg cookbooks? Or maybe of soaking grains, drinking raw milk, and eating fermented foods? All these are based on the research of Dr. Weston A. Price. This video summarizes his findings as well as those of Dr. Pottenger, who studied diet and reproduction. Take a few minutes to watch this short movie and let it motivate you to take action to make a small change in your diet today.

How to be clean AND healthy...

Our society is germ-a-phobic. We have anti-bacterial everything. But do you know that antibacterial soap contain an ingredient that can turn into chlorine when mixed with water. So, just wash your hands in bleach (read with sarcasm, please.)

Last year, I switched to castile soap, specifically Dr. Bronner's. I buy a large bottle and put maybe 2 teaspoons in a foam soap pump (buy foaming soap and throw out what comes in the bottle) and it lasts forever. We're only on our second bottle and we use it for hand washing, for body wash, and for homemade diaper wipes. (By the way, if you want to use it more than for hands, don't get the peppermint, which can be too strong on for body wash on sensitive areas. )

If you don't think soap matters much, consider the onions-on-your-feet test (from this earlier post) and remember your body is absorbing all those ingredients you can't pronounce. The Bible talks a lot about hand washing, but they only used water. So, I figure water's the main point, but I still use a bit of soap anyway.

This is a great change to make b/c it's another one that can save money and take chemicals out of your environment. And it's an easy switch to make. Winter is a perfect time to try this out b/c I found my hands were not so dried out by washing. So you can save money on lotion (most of which are not good for you anyway.)

Remember slow and steady wins the race. So what are you doing this week to move towards health?

THE Wellness Workout

The T-Tapp Wellness Workout is one of the BEST health tools I have. It's simple, effective, and short. It makes exercise easy and has lots of extra health boosts built-in and is really unique. The website has lots of exercises online, so you can try before you buy. I really have never tried anything SO incredible. Everyone of my friends who tried has also been amazed.

It has helped people: lose weight and inches without dieting, tone, improve health dramatically (such as getting off diabetes medication or overcoming Chronic Fatigue symptoms), change posture, and get their body back in a few weeks after childbirth. It builds Core muscles and you are working multiple muscles with every exercise. You can get to fat-burning mode in the simple 15 min. workout. If you are healthy and have time, the 45 min. "Total Work-out" really tones your body.

It does NOT involve: jumping, weights, equipment, or need a lot of space. There is no music. No floor work.

My Story: The first thing that convinced me was doing the "organs in place" exercise and finding that I lost a pants size in a couple weeks b/c my baby belly was going back in it's place after 2 years!

I have a co-infection of Epstein-Barr virus and so I was always too tired to do any exercise. Once a week, I was walking to church which is 3 blocks away and that was tiring. I tried doing a treadmill or some weights and the next day I could hardly do anything beyond getting out of bed. Not from soreness but from fatigue and a general increase of symptoms. I had read the incredible testimonies on the website and decided to try the Basic Workout. (I should have gotten the "T-Tapp More Workout".) Unfortunately, I tried doing it everyday and the whole program and had the same problem of basically collapsing. But b/c of the wonderful customer service, I found out how I could adapt the program and do it every other day and not wear out. In fact I found I that I HAVE to do it every other day if I want to keep my energy up. Even the adapted workout is hard for me to do, but about 20 min. afterwards, I feel great!

You see it helps greatly in 2 areas: it helps your back and your lymph systems. I used to have a place in my back that was almost always out of adjustment despite chiropractic visits. I started doing the workout and found I never need any kind of adjustment! My chiropractor doesn't know what to think, but I've seen the exact same results with my husband and a friend! And the spinal alignment affects your overall health in many ways. Second, it helps your body flush out toxins with unique moves that work you lymphatic system. An added bonus for me is that I actually have a consistent measure of how I'm doing (For example, I can tell my back is stiffer or this move was easier, etc.)

Everyone needs to exercise. T-Tapp makes if easy AND more effective. You can't ask for much more.

A Soda a Day Keeps Good Health Away!

I recently saw in a home magazine about a new study that a single serving of soda (what's that--half a can?) raised the risk of metabolic syndrome by 44% (Boston Univ. Med School) They were surprised to find the same was true for diet sodas! From what I read, diet sodas are worse for your body, so I'm not surprised.

Another study a few years ago was published in USA Today (see http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-06-08-diabetes-soda_x.htm ), shows that women who drank at least one sugar sweetened soda were 85% as likely to develop type II diabetes. They seemed to say sugar sweetened sports drinks were a problem, too.

Not to mention that refined sugar has been linked to things like heart-disease! The sugars in sodas are something like the top source of calories in this country. And we wonder why we have a health crisis!

Remember your grandma told you not to eat too much sugar? Remember the old phrase, "you are what you eat?" So, next time your sweet tooth starts to take control, eat some sprouted grain toast with a bit of honey or drink some herbal tea with honey. It will give your body the nutrients that it's really craving and may save you from some ugly disease! Better yet, drink water. You might want to read more about drinks in my archives: http://lymeadehealth.blogspot.com/2007/09/drink-to-health.html

Choose to drink for your health! Just one little step at a time can make all the difference.

The not-so-merry-go-round of Lyme disease..

Can you relate to any of the following?

Do you know that feeling after finishing a major test like an SAT? Maybe too mentally exhausted to return phone calls or make any decisions? Do you know what it feels like for your body to ache, so that you'd really rather just sit still? Do you know what it's like when, after a bad cold, you don't have acute symptoms, but find you need to sit down or even lay down after a very little activity? Or to have give yourself a 2 minute pep talk to get yourself to get off the couch (and the TV's not even on!) Now imagine you are out in public, taking one of the few available chairs while an elderly lady stands.

Can you imagine what it's like to try to share something and find you are mixing up words or can't remember a word for the 5th time that day? Have you ever dealt with depression, but it wasn't based on any thought or sad circumstance? Or have you ever been under stress, and afterwards found it hard to relax again? Now imagine it happening with minor daily stresses and lasting an hour. Have you ever gone out to one of your weekly activities (say church) and been able to act normal, only to get home and find your are either physically or emotionally drained, and it will take you at least a day to recover?

Now picture all these symptoms on a roulette wheel, which changes sporatically. Though the intensity level is sometimes affected by how much you do all the right things (eat right, special exercises, supplements, medicines)--all of which take energy and/or mental clarity to remember to do them.


Then, think about how you would feel when you can't pull your fair share in life--at home, at church, etc. Or when you have to tell your kids "no" again b/c "Mommy's too tired." And when you do finally have a good day, there are so many things you are behind on that you get overwhelmed trying to figure out where to start and how disappointing it would be when the next day, you feel too poorly to finish what you started the day before. And how when symptoms are constantly changing, it would be hard on family members to be understand your ever changing needs and not think you were lazy or unmotivated when you don't feel like doing something.

That will give you a small picture of my experience and some insight for those trying to understand this not-so-merry-go-round of Lyme or other similiar "invisible" illnesses.

Clean without chemicals AND save money!

You can safely disinfect countertops (proven in studies) by filling 2 spray bottles with things you may already have at your home: white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide (3%). The mistake I first made was to put them in the same bottle (it makes something totally different-oops!) Some you take the 2 separate bottles and spray one and a time on counters, cutting boards, or whatever and it disinfects. Or spray them on veggies and rinse off to clean them. Use the the hydrogen peroxide with baking soda to scrub stains, such as bathtubs and toilets. Use the vinegar and peroxide for windows and mirrors. And throw out all those toxic cleaners and don't spend money on them again!

Now for those of you that aren't convinced that the chemicals in your house get absorbed, you might want to try this experiment. There is an old home remedy to put onions on your feet for a cold. Try this. Slice an onion. Put a couple slices in a bag on the floor and stick your feet on them. Within minutes, you'll have a faint taste of onion in your mouth! So, think about touching the sink faucet if it's cleaned with bleach and remember chlorine is a carcinogen. Then think about how stuff gets absorbed into the air, which never really gets out of your house. Then think of the how cheap hydrogen peroxide and vinegar are!

Till we all have cleaner and healthier homes....

Skin Brushing helps that?

Ok, so I started blogging here when I was doing SO much better. But shortly after I reached that point, I've been under tons of unavoidable life stress, so I'm not at the top of my game these days. But I just had to share a cool story.

I was recently on a last-minute trip (think possible job change/move) and due to the stress and lack of my normal diet and lack of a full night's sleep, I started feeling bad. I woke up the second morning feeling nauseous, but kicked it with the rest of the Kombucha/ginger drink I had! Unfortunately, the same thing happened the 3rd morning and I had no more drink. When I did finally move, my eyes were horribly bloodshot and the black circles which were there the day before were horrid. I wish I had a picture.

Well, I remembered the day before that it had also seemed to help when I skin brushed. (I'll explain what it is in a later post. ) So, I spend 5-10 min. skin brushing and at the end I don't feel nauseous AND the red is TOTALLY gone from my eyes and the black mostly faded. If I had a picture you wouldn't believe that it was only 5 min. later. And I don't brush my face--just the rest of my body!

Now, in all honesty, I should confess, I went to breakfast and only drank tea and well it eventually came back up. Skin brushing is not a cure-all. In fact, none of this stuff I talk about is. But the thing with my eyes was a sign of how such a simple act can really increase our health.

And my goal is to get as much of these health building pluses in, trusting it will eventually win my health battle. So, look for the little signs that things are helping. The big changes (in our lives and our bodies) come slowly. But don't be afraid to pray for a miracle!

PS--Anybody tried this for pregnancy nausea? It makes me wonder if it would help. But I'm not personally able to test this one out right now!

Food--Created or still evolving?

Today, I feel like philosophizing. I'm not a dietitian, a theologian, or a philosopher, but these are my musings. If you don't have time to read ramblings, skip to another post!

The Apostle Paul taught that God's power and divine nature are clearly evident in what he made. (That's in Romans 1:20 in your Bible.) So, my question for those of you who believe in a creator is: why do we think we can improve on what God has already done?

Now, I'm not as committed as my raw food friends to making NO changes, but I'm talking nutrition here. Why do we think that "low fat", "reduced calorie", and "Dr. Joe-Blow's diet" food could really be better for us than what God created? I see an alarming trend of declining health in our country, especially when I look at the health of the babies in my community. I could say much on this, but I would rather stick to the point.

If we look at the world as evolving, we will naturally try to help the evolution along with "brilliant" ideas like gene modification or creating sweeteners with no calories and all nutrients removed or heating the milk to high temperatures to kill bacteria that would not exist in a clean environment.

For me trusting that God's creation is good, means trusting that it is designed to be what my body needs. He doesn't need our help to create a more perfect food. Think of every time you eat a God-made food it's like a deposit in the "Health Saving Account" of your body and every time you eat something that is altered by man it's a withdrawal. My standard of altered by man is could I create it at home or even better, could ancient people do this? So, high fructose corn syrup may comes from corn, but it doesn't qualify as natural in my book. Scrambled eggs=deposit. White flour=withdrawal.

So, my encouragement for the day--make sure your body's "Health Savings Account" is in the positive--in fact keep it ready for the high expenses that come with flu seasons, an electronic world, and stress. And you'll be surprised at how many little problems can go away and how you don't have to catch every bug that comes around! Even with Lyme Disease, I rarely worry about catching a cold even when "everyone" is sick. It's one time it's nice to be different. Health isn't luck--it's a lifestyle choice. If you've enjoyed better health than the average, thank your parents and grandparents and keep it that way.

Grains...a few more thoughts....

I want to add a couple last things.

First, though I mentioned the freshly ground grains, I failed to explain the how. In Sue Gregg cookbooks, she has a special way of putting whole grains in the blender that grinds them up! (See the recipe link from last post.) But if you have some money to invest, a grain mill and a Bosch mixer are the way to go for making bread. A grain mill grinds whole grains into flour. And the Bosch mixer then makes the dough so efficiently, you can skip the rising and punch down process, so it only takes a few minutes!! I've seen it done, but am still saving my money for this personally. A great site for both of these appliances as well as information about how to make and soak bread is www.urbanhomemaker.com .

Secondly, I want to pose the what is "natural". For most of mankind's existence, the grains had to be hand-ground and then soaked and then the bread made (no Bosch to knead for them!) So, how much bread should we have? Well, I know if I had to make bread that way, we would probably eat less of it. So, be sure you watch that you don't let your grains replace your fresh fruit and vegetables!

How do you get soaked or sprouted grains?

So, your considering how to soak and sprout your bread, but you don't know how to do this.

If you'd like to buy bread this way you can find sprouted bread at most health food stores and many grocery stores. My favorite is "Ezekiel 4:9" bread and tortillas. I've found where I can get it locally for only $2 a loaf, though it is often more expensive. You can check out their website at http://www.foodforlife.com/ for more info. or to find a store. I especially like their cereal (all other cereals are banned from our house since I find out puffed, flake, and shaped cereals are basically not digestible.) I like all their bread products, but haven't like their pasta. Their bread is maybe tougher and drier than you are used to, but that can be helped by warming the bread and adding butter or olive oil.

Or you can make it yourself! The advantage here, is that is tastes as good or better than if it were not soaked! Soak your flour in buttermilk, yogurt, kefir, or water with 1 Tbsp whey lemon juice or vinegar per cup of water. Then cover and let stand on the counter. The minimum time is 7 hour and up to 24 is best. Don't add your eggs or milk yet and it really is good to leave it out. (Takes some mental adjustment for some of us!) Then add the rest of your ingredients and your ready to cook it. This can be applied to rice, beans, oatmeal, muffins, pancakes, and on and on. Some of the breads come out better b/c of this process. Note: there is no point in doing this with white flour, as there aren't more nutrients to release!

My explanation is a bit simplified. I highly recommend Sue Gregg's cookbooks, which are being edited to include this process. (Even the books not yet updated come with information on how to convert the recipes.) Meals in Minutes is a great book that has been updated. I've found her cookbooks to be the best I've ever seen. She doesn't assume you know what your doing (which I sometimes don't!) She gives you lots of instructions, adaptation tips, and even helps you put menus together. Try her pancakes/waffles by visiting http://www.suegregg.com/recipes/breakfasts/blenderbatterwaffles/blenderbatterwafflesA.htm

Of course if you want the full lesson you can read Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions, but when I borrowed it, I was disappointed in both the recipes I tried. The instructions were not good enough. BUT the information on diet and nutrition (half the book) is excellent. So, I will own it as a resource, not really a cookbook.