Making a New Year's Resolution to Get in Shape?

I love T-Tapp. It's one reason I hardly need a chiropractor anymore. They currently have the Basic Workout on VHS for only $15. So, for you penny-pinchers that have a VHS players, you can now try T-tapp with just a bit of Christmas money. Why T-tapp? Read this post. And notice that post was over a year old--and it's still my favorite!

Go to the store and click Super closeouts on the top left. I'd be happy to share how I do a modified Basic Workout if anyone is dealing with health problems similar to mine--just e-mail.

I wanted to share the link to the 12 days of Christmas you-tube that I posted last year, but it's changed. It was posted last year and got 8 million hits and so the group has gotten back together now and made an album. http://www.sncmusic.com/ is the group's site or you can still see the original video at: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/straight-no-chaser-12-days-of-christmas/4229357834 Merry Christmas!

May 2009 bring you good health and good cheer! God Bless You!

Hit the beach for fertility?

This report comes from Australia--at it actually is summer there. Vitamin D is important for health and this study now shows it affects fertility too. When NUTRITIONAL deficiencies were corrected half of the male fertility went away!! (apparently some of those with other "minor" treatments.) So, half of those guys could have saved a lot of money and possibly embarrassment by hanging out in the sun and/or eating a better diet. The most natural source of Vitamin D is sunlight. Second best is a high quality fish oil, like Carlson's , which comes in oil, flavored oil for kids, and tablets.

Apparently, the Vitamin D affects female fertility as well. Read more at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/22/2397775.htm?section=australia

Interestingly enough, I read some information from the Weston A Price foundation that most traditional cultures had males and females eat special foods shortly after they were married b/c they considered these food important to the health of future children. Some of us barely change our diets for pregnancy. I wish I'd thought more about it BEFORE I had my children. :)

Just makes you wonder how many diseases and problems are avoided altogether with a good diet. Well, I'm betting (with my organic grocery dollars) that it's a lot. :)

A "Normal" Breakfast

I just had to share about breakfast! Yum. Today we had whole-grain pancakes that taste almost like white flour pancakes (made in a blender with Sue Gregg's recipe.) But the really exciting part is that we got to have butter. Real butter! It is made from raw pasture-fed cow's milk and made by a little old lady and sold on her farm. We just found this source of butter, so I'm really excited. Normally we buy pastured organic butter at the store, but my family can't have it b/c of allergies, so I'm the only one to use it. But I think the raw butter they can have (I'll let you know if I'm wrong--they CAN have raw goat milk, so I'm hoping raw cow's milk is the same.)

And then to top it all off, real maple syrup--I wouldn't touch Aunt Jemima's syrup with chemical flavoring and corn syrup which doesn't taste great and is horrible for your health. So, yes, maple syrup is expensive, but it is our treat to replace soda, candy, etc, so I find it worth the cost! Maple syrup is always great for your health--how many sweeteners can claim that?????

Now I really like to add eggs to balance it out, but we didn't this morning--but with the new butter, it was quite satisfying!

A "Normal" Meal?

As I was eating dinner the other night I was considering how normal my meal seemed but how different it truly was. We had Hamburgers and Fries! YUM!

So, why is that different?

Well, let's start with the buns--I made them earlier in the week. First, we ground the whole wheat grain in our grain mill and then soaked it with raw Apple Cider Vinegar overnight for all our bread for the week. They next day, I made it using natural ingredients, such as honey for the sweetener. When I made the bread some of it I made into rolls and then squished them flat for hamburger buns! The fresh bread tastes so good!

And then there's the meat--it was actually ground venison! I can't really taste the difference on a hamburger. This is my low cost way of getting meat without hormones or antibiotics. Wild food is much better than something "caged" in a barn. And I get the extras from the hunter in my family--what a blessing!

Next there are the fries--they are store-bought--GASP! But there are sweet potato fries made with good oils (and I think they are organic--but I don't have the package any more!) I love to add Real Salt (that's a brand name) as I really enjoy my salt!

How about the toppings? Besides Organic green leaf lettuce, we have homemade ketchup (with organic tomato sauce, honey, tamari, raw apple cider vinegar, fresh minced garlic, and Real Salt) and Mayo (store-bought and made with grape seed oil.)

I guess that's about it for a "normal" meal at my house! It is possible to be healthy without giving up all your old favorites--if you are willing to invest a bit of time in the kitchen. And it's an investment that will pay great dividends!

Fermented Salsa--Probiotics and Enzymes the natural (and free!) way

I did it! I made fermented salsa! It really tastes pretty much like salsa, but it's got great probiotics in it. Let me share my recipe.

Add to Mason jar (makes almost a quart):
6-8 organic tomatoes, peeled, seeded & diced
1 med vidala onion, very finely diced
1 med green pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 med jalapeno, mostly seeded (gotta have a few for spice) and finely diced
roughly 1 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove of minced Garlic
roughly 1/2- 1 tsp dried oregano
1 TBSP sea salt
2 lemons' worth of juice
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar (Bragg's or another raw vinegar)

Add enough water to cover top of veggies after smooched down. Cover jar. Let sit 48hrs or so on the counter to ferment. This turned out more like Pico de Gallo (how do you spell that?), but if you put it in the blender for just a second it's more like traditional salsa. If you blend very long at all, it turns into liquid, so be careful! Or you can blend half of it so you keep some nice pieces, but get more liquid. Refrigerate after 48 hours.

The last 3 ingredients are key to making sure it develops good bacteria, not bad, so don't skip any of those. Make sure your tomatoes and green peppers are organic (or homegrown, un-sprayed) and you use the raw vinegar.

Why ferment? There are lots of health benefits, but do you know that traditional food was fermented to preserve it. So, refrigerators let us cheat and skip the fermenting part and it's made it hard on our health. That's why people need digestive enzymes and probiotics--we don't eat fermented food! But do you know that yogurt, pickles, sauerkraut, vinegar, and many other "normal" foods were originally fermented. Now they have the taste (from processed vinegar) but none of the health benefits. I think that's why a lot of people do better on a raw vegetarian diet--they get more enzymes. But I think the traditional diet is actually best b/c of the fermented food!

If you try my new recipe, be sure and let me know what you think!

Homeschooling

I wanted to invite you to visit my homeschooling blog. You can read all my thoughts, experiences, and encouragements about being a chronically ill homeschooling mom.

Lymeade Homeschool

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program....

My new menus

As I mentioned, I've been re-doing my menus--boy, I'm not getting through this project very fast. I'm being too much of a perfectionist on trying to get my recipes just right, etc. My goal is to finish my first set of recipes and grocery list today. But I did want to share my menu list--as requested :). Maybe it will help you think of recipes you can eat.


Week 1
Bean Burritos (Double Portion and Freeze)
Javanese Dinner (Double Portion and Freeze)
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Chicken Broth/Tomato Rice Soup

Bread: Tortillas, 2 Loafs, and Cinnamon Rolls
Lunch: Cashew Chicken Salad

Week 2
Fajitas
Hamburger
Tomato Zucchini Pasta
Chicken Curry

Bread: Tortillas, 2 Loafs, and Hamburger Buns
Lunch: Farmer’s Omelet

Week 3
Mac and Cheese
Easy Lasagna
Tuna a la King
Taco Chip O’le (Double and Freeze)

Bread: Biscuits, 2 Loaf and Rolls
Lunch: Fried Rice

Week 4
Chicken strips
Pizza (Left over chicken for pizza?)
Quesadillas
Quiche

Bread: Tortillas, 2 Loafs and Pizza Crust
Lunch: Taco Salad



Extras to freeze or just as an extra menu :
Chicken Tetrazzini
Barbecued Franks ‘n Beans
Sausage Strata
Enchilada Casserole

Majority of my recipes come from Sue Gregg cookbooks--especially Main Dishes and Meals in Minutes. The Meals in Minutes cookbook is full of recipes to fill your freezer. Amazon has it (as listed in the box on the left side) or Sue Gregg has her own website.

Yes, this is a lot of cooking--everything is homemade--but that's why I plan the menus out so that I can save time on the planning, shopping, preparing end (as well as only making mistakes once!) and put it into the cooking. B/c of my health--my husband helps out with a lot of this (another reason to plan it so it's all laid out) and I may be just dreaming that I'll actually make the bread each week! But my 7 year old is really excited about learning to make bread and she can grind grain all by herself (just pour, turn a switch and watch until it's done!)

Also, we eat "breakfast" for dinner as an unplanned meal (eggs, pancakes, or in an emergency, Ezekiel cereal!) and usually at least one meal can be eaten 2 nights a week. And leftovers and sandwiches for most of our lunches. Hope this helps as you evaluate what you actually eat and plan for healthier, easier meals. I'd love to hear about any healthy menus you plan out.

Honey--more reasons to do things the natural way!

I've been using honey as my sweetener since we got rid of sugar in our house. I get it locally and raw. My basic health philosophy says things in a natural state are usually good for you. But this video explains how honey can help you sleep better--which can even help you learn better and lose weight. Guess I'm going to start having 2 Tbs. of honey every night--after all, I need my beauty sleep. I've been hearing so many people say how well it worked for them--I can't wait to try it.

Menu Make-over: making healthy meals even better!

Well, after 2 years of eating the same food, we decided it was time for a change. Partly b/c we were tired of some recipes, but also b/c we've discovered some allergies in my daughters that were making some recipes hard to fix.

So, this time I had made up a rating system for our current recipes. Mom, Dad, and older daughter got to rate each item from 0-3. Our three year old added a point to items she loves. As it turned out, we are keeping all the items that scored 7 or higher and getting rid of anything 4 or lower. Some of the middles may be back-up meals--I'm still working on it. Since I had 6 menus before I cut it down to 4 this way and am adding in a few other meals. I'm also planning one lunch meal a week (as in preparing something instead of having leftovers or Almond Butter and Jelly sandwiches.)

I'm also making several other improvements. My new menu includes when I'm buying a whole chicken to cook in my slower cooker and make broth. And that week has a soup recipe and a meal that requires chicken and broth for the sauce. The rest of the chicken and broth I can freeze.


My latest health improvement is making bread as I received a grain mill and Bosch mixer for Mother's Day and my birthday. YEAH! The fresh ground flour in recipes SO good. So, my menu includes making dough once a week for bread, rolls, cinnamon rolls, pizza crust, and even hamburger buns (not all the same week!)

Another improvement is I'm actually planning on which meals to double and freeze and including this in my recipes and grocery list. AND I'm actually typing up my recipes and putting them in a binder in page protectors. (I did this the first time I made menus--but not with the second, most recent menus.)

I can't wait til I'm done! I'll have my very own cookbook. I plan to type up all my recipes I use and store my cookbooks away for the next time I decide to tweak my menus.

If you didn't catch my earlier post on menus, see Menu Planning Simple and Easy for how to get started.

So, anyone want to join me?

PS--I'm been on a summer sabbatical from blogging! Hopefully I'll get back to blogging more soon.

Healthy Perspectives--How eating healthy can change your worldview

I never expected that healing my body could result in so many shifts in perspective. Let me share a few of them with you:

Waste not, Want not...I think I should join the clean plate club. Not that I make anyone eat all of their food, I just don't throw it out. Why? B/c we actually are investing in good food--and it costs time, energy, and money--enough that we can't afford to waste it. So I want to sop up the sauce with my bread or scrap the bits of food out of the pan or save the 2 bites of food that no one is hungry for. Not out of food, but b/c I'm really liking my food! I have always been a bit of a saver in that I don't like to see things get thrown in the trash, but the shift has been in the value and importance of my food.

Fear Chemicals, Not Dirt... Cleanliness is important. I'm not about to drip juice from raw meat and leave it on my counter. But I'm not going to be cleaning with bleach either! I now worry more about antibacterial hand soap than the bacteria themselves. In the Bible times people simply used water--so I why do I need chemicals? I think it's b/c our bodies are weakened, so we don't fight off the germs well, but the chemicals only make them weaker.

We've gotten most chemicals in our home replaced, but you know it seems you can always find more! Like last week, I realized that that green strip on a razor is some sorta aftershave--when it gets wet--it has a soap-like texture. Who knows what it is since it doesn't seem to have a label. But it we can take medicine through a patch, why do we not worry about what we put on our skin???? So, I soaked my razor and scraped it off and plan to look for cheap razors that don't have that! Sounds crazy, I know, but after I go to the trouble to filter the chlorine out of my bath water and add Epsom salts and make the water very hot to help me detox, I can't stand the thought of adding who know what chemical in to the mix. Again, when it costs me something (time and money), I value it and protect it!

Have your perspectives changed any?

Healthy and convenient snack idea!

Great find! I love Lara bars--raw food with only 4 or so ingredients to take when out and about. Now I'll have to try making them at home following these instructions:

http://enlightenedcooking.blogspot.com/2008/02/home-made-lara-bars-energy-bars-part-3.html

I don't eat Lara bars much b/c of expense....maybe I can change that! :) Enjoy.

Vitamin E--Friend or Foe?

Some studies I saw recently said it could be harmful. Of course other studies show how great it is. Why do the experts not seem to agree? Is it b/c it's so complicated? Actually, I think it has much to do with the way vitamins are made in general. Very few companies actually test the products the labs make for them and many labs are careless. They don't always use high quality ingredients. They also make many different products with the same machines, so the products are contaminated from other products or harsh cleaners. And then there's the fact that God didn't make vitamins in isolation, but as a part of the whole.

So, overall, whole foods are always a better choice. And don't forget that organic products have been shown to contain more vitamins than typical supermarket food. So, I suggest spending your money on organic food and forgetting your multi-vitamin--if it comes down to choosing.

But we live in an unhealthy world and sometimes need a boost of some product. In this case, I think it's worth every penny to get a high quality brand. From the testing that I've seen to companies I trust are RBC and Young Living (both sold thru distributors--one day I may sign up and sell these myself!) From the store, I like Garden of Life, as Jordan Rubin believes in whole foods as well.

So, while I have used Vitamin E as a replacement for Advil for cramps, I've now switched to Primrose Oil (don't worry--it comes in a capsule). Both products work well, but Primrose oil is in a more natural state, so I choose it.

So, next time you see a study on vitamins, remember, the effectiveness of the vitamin is strongly influenced by the quality of the product used. And then make sure you are eating a healthy diet full of vitamins!

Water--it does the body good!

I've been drinking 2 glasses (4 c.) of water in the morning as I mentioned a while back. It's called the Japanese water cure. Actually, one of the glasses has apple cider vinegar and honey in it too.


My response to it: Wow! I can tell my body is flushing out (talk about being regular...) It think it affects the way I feel in general, too.

Some say you shouldn't drink too much water at once, and I do see that spreading out the drinking has some general advantages, but my experience says drinking the glasses in the morning works.

I also drink my water room temperature--it's less work for the body which has to maintain it's temperature--unless you are out in heat or something.


I was reading recently on Dr. Mercola that distilled is really not good for you. I've heard both side of the argument, but I was finally convinced. I saw the molecular picture of distilled water vs. regular water and they were not the same. So distilled water is altered and it also is bad for your body's ph levels. BUT don't worry about a glass--it's the habit that matters.


Ok, so to drink healthy water you have to carry it with you. Which leads to...."What kind of bottle?" Personally, I use glass. :) We buy our Kombucha (as opposed to making it) in 16 oz bottles, which are perfect to clean and refill and take along. Now, you might worry about it breaking, but the other day I actually dropped one, while standing on to concrete and it showed no sign of damage! That's thick glass for ya! One thing I really like about the glass bottles is we have many of them, so I can fill them all up and just grab one when I'm ready to go.

Of course, you can also go with stainless steel if you prefer. It's recently be brought up on a forum I'm on that Nalgene bottles are not healthy after all. But think about it--even before the tests came to light. Plastic is a mixture of chemicals. Not a great thing for your food or water. And sometimes the water tastes plastic-y b/c it probably is! Metal and glass have been around for ages, so they are the "safer" choice. But do skip the aluminum, which is linked to Alzheimer's.

Especially with summer coming up, make sure you give your body the water it needs.

Why did God make Pigs if we are not supposed to Eat them?

A friend ask me if I had thoughts on this the other day. And yes I surely do, but first let's talk again about catfish.

Why do people buy catfish for their fish tanks? Because somebody has to keep the tank clean. And God created a fish to do it. And he created shellfish to be a natural water filter. Pretty cool, huh? I call catfish "the janitor fish."

So, my idea is that God also created pigs to be the clean-up crew on land--or maybe the barn-yard. After all, they do eat "slops". But no way I'm going to be choosing to eat the barnyard janitor or the janitor fish! Would you eat a rat?

I think one reason we don't get this is our Bible translation. "Unclean" is not a word. "Dirty" or "filthy" would be the correct English translation for the foods like pork. I mean would your old English teacher except a paper that said "My socks were unclean b/c I stepped in the mud."

But instead, someone choose/created a word that we don't use and so it sound like some deep spiritual concept, when I think God really meant--"hey these foods are dirty--don't eat them. Oh, and wash your hands if they are dirty and don't go touching dead things--and then you won't get all the sicknesses the other guys have." I'm not a Bible scholar and don't speak Hebrew, but this is just my personal lose translation of parts of Levitcus. Why do we make it so complex and then throw it out as not relevant? Then we eat what ever diet some expert tells us to eat, usually based on a study funded to promote a product or industry.

Now, to take it a step further, why do we have bad bacteria, viruses, and germs? Well, I believe these bacteria are to mini janitors. They decompose waste and dead things. Unfortunately, when part of our insides get a little "dead" these critters start decomposing us before our time. If we had strong bodies, we would be left alone by most bacteria. One purpose of good bacteria (like acidophilus) is to protect us from bad bacteria. But we live in an imperfect world and unhealthy culture, so few of us are strong enough to keep bad bacteria away. But I have hope that my children and grandchildren will have stronger bodies than me!

Every created thing has a place. But not all of them belong in our body!

Fast Food = Fake Food

My husband offered me a bite of his Sonic Shake the other day (which he bought to be social). It's been years since I've had a Sonic shake (3 years of eating healthy and another 2.5 living where there was no Sonic.) In my memory, it was something very yummy. So, I decided I would take just a bite to try it--a small bite. I couldn't believe the results.

First, it tasted good for about 1 second--it tasted sweet. After that, it didn't even pass for good! The banana flavor was totally fake, the texture poor, and generally, I could tell it was fake food. I didn't use an ounce of self-control to say I don't want any more. Quite a bit went in the trash.

Then, about 5 minutes later, I noticed my stomach didn't feel good. A couple more minutes go by and my head starts to hurt. None of this is overpowering--but folks this was one bite. Sure, my body is not in great condition, but that was not food!!! One of my daughters tried it and didn't like it either! And she loves ice cream. Of course the preschooler, didn't mind--but I think she's just not old enough to tell.

Ok, now I'm sure someone will point out that Sonic's shakes are not that good and try to convince me if I got a shake from this restaurant or this food at Sonic, it would be different. BUT my point is that until I started eating whole foods, I couldn't taste the difference. But now that I've given my body a chance to experience real food, I can trust my intuition on what food I need and what's no good for me.

And even better, this was a great lesson for my daughter on why we don't eat all this "yummy"- looking food. Next time some fast food restaurant advertising hooks her, I'll just tell her it's probably just like that shake.

Start to think about what passes for food. I really think there are a lot of people in this country who are consuming very little real food. No wonder we have a health crisis. Even their meat and vegetables are full of chemical (pesticides, antibiotics, preservatives) and may even be genetically-modified.

So, my challenge for you this week is simple--try to eat more food--that is food the way it was created!

Sleep..ah the bliss!

Do you know that if your too tired, you can't sleep? At least that's been my problem lately. I got on something from my "doctor" for adrenals and now I can sleep at night! I was getting past the point of exhaustion before dinner and then unable to relax. None of the other insomnia remedies were working for me.

So, now I can follow my own advice: Go to bed early. Do you know that every hour of sleep before midnight is supposed to be twice as productive? Talk about saving time. I do know that it is more natural to sleep when it's dark and wake when it's light. The daylight programs your body and so it's also best to sleep in complete dark.

Let me list a few effects of not sleeping: lack of clarity in thinking, inability to cope with stress, lowered immune function, not producing some certain chemical that prevents cancer (real scientific, I know!), and of course TIREDNESS!!

In Biblical times, dreams were considered to be from God. So, when Joseph told of a dream about 12 bales of hay bowing down, his brothers got mad! They took it as symbolic, but true....unless Joseph was making the dream up. And in fact, it was true. Most dreams though are not prophetic, but rather just processing our emotions. But think of it this way--you can pay a counselor to help you process your emotions or you can sleep. (Not that counselors don't have a place, but substituting for sleep is not one of them!)

I'm always talking about taking things in steps--well this is definitely a process. I consider going to bed 15 min. earlier progress and rejoice in that. Take time to rejoice in your little victories this week and thanks for letting me share mine with you.

PS--now you know why my post count is low this month--less sleep leads to less productivity and creativity!

Kitchen Essentials--Tools for the Natural Cook

First let's dream.... Your setting up your wedding registry and already health conscious (wish I was back then). What should you put on it?

• Stainless steel pans without the non-stick (preferably waterless cookware, like Saladmaster)
  
• A Cast iron pan or griddle (to replace non-stick) By the way, it also works to have a hot pan and cold oil--even eggs don't stick bad!
  
• Glass and Corningware-type oven and storage containers (avoid plastic.) If you get enough, you can double dishes and freeze half so you have frozen dinners with none of the processed food!)
  
• Stoneware for non-stick oven needs (such as muffin tins, bread dishes, and cookie trays)--I LOVE Pamper Chef's. Avoid aluminum and non-stick pans.
  
• A toaster oven (for reheating, since microwaves are NOT the best).
  
• A grain-mill (fresh flour is much healthier.)
  
• A Bosch mixer with food processor and blender attachments. You'll use these for everything since it's much healthier to cook from scratch. The mixer is MUCH better than a bread machine.)
  
• A garlic press and a homemade salad dressing mixer container (again, I love Pampered Chef's!)
  
• A Juicer (the kind the juices carrots and such--like the Juiceman Jr.)
  
• A few plastic storage containers (a very few! I try to avoid plastic, but use a tall approx. 2 cup kind to freeze chicken broth in. Since it's frozen, I don't worry about the stuff getting into it. If you prefer, you can pop them out of the container and store in something else once their frozen. I love having 2 cups of broth already measured out for me (the measurements are marked on the side.
  
• A large crock pot (so you can put a whole chicken in it and make broth.)

Well, now, that's my list of kitchen essentials. BUT, in reality I don't even have all of those yet. And it's almost 10 years too late for a wedding registry. So instead, I'm saving up for stuff and have been slowing gathering tools for a healthy kitchen.

Do you have a favorite kitchen tool I didn't include? If so, please share it.

A daily diet soda could cause tumors!

Just one more experiment that confirms, if God didn't make it, it's not meant to be food.

In the following link, you can see a picture of what happened when mice were given daily aspartame (Equal/Nutrisweet) to equal 2/3 of that in a single can of soda--adjusted for their body weight.

http://myaspartameexperiment.com/

Two things I found interesting. One, the results took time to show up. The experiment lasted 2 years and 8 months. Most experiments are done short-term without considering the cumulative affect. The difference is this one was done privately by a lady who wanted evidence to show her family. This is why I think the Weston A. Price study is one of the most accurate. He examined the diets of people who had eaten certain foods for generations vs. those who had switched to modern foods. And the differences were dramatic. Most modern studies are done short-term and only consider one or two aspects of the diet.

Second, they were only given aspartame, not diet sodas. Diet sodas (or sodas in general) have lots of other man-made substances, like artificial flavors. So, it is likely that drinking diet cokes (as we say in the south) is worse than this experiment even shows!

Eating Out Survival Guide

How do you eat out (or even at someone's home)? Well, very carefully.

The main trick I have up my sleeve (or I should say in my purse) is my make-up bag with health stuff. I have a little glass bottle with an oil and vinegar dressing (homemade) in it. I have a mini salt shaker (designed for camping) with Real Salt in it. I have digestive enzyme capsules. And I have Hydracel, a product of RBC, which neutralized chlorine in water (since I usually order tap water) as well as makes it easier for the body to absorb.

I use my dressing from everything from salads to baked potatoes. I often order salads as they can be fairly healthy without the salad dressings. But avoid or at least limit the bread (or croutons or tortilla strips.) I can tell a tremendous difference in both health and feeling full from the meal if I strictly avoid white flour.

Two restaurants that I seem to be able to find good food are Jason's Deli and Cracker Barrel. Jason's Deli has organic lettuce, apples, and carrots on their salad bar. They also have whole grain crackers sweetened with agave and yummy hummus. I think it's MSG and hydrogenated oils that they completely took out of all their food. I also like places like Subway or one of the places that makes burritos b/c I can pick and choose what I want (and pile up the raw veggies), so I feel a bit more in control.

Cracker Barrel offers whole wheat sourdough bread. I'm sure it still has some white flour in it, but it is sourdough (which is like soaked grains!) And they have real maple syrup and will bring you olive oil and apple cider vinegar for a dressing. Definitely better than the average.

Other tricks include: drinking Kombucha or an Apple Cider Vinegar drink before going to aid digestion; eating extra healthy at home before and after the digestive system can handle a bit of stress; and remember to limit my food (since I never seem to get full on non-tradition foods.)

Choose food that's better from what you are offered or what's on the menu. Raw food is great. Vegetables are good. Avoid the dairy (b/c it's not raw)and breads (unless whole grain). Go light on the meats. Less processed food is good--look for whole foods instead of likely processed foods. Don't be afraid to ask for things like real butter or honey or olive oil, even if they don't seem to go with your meal (especially at a restaurant). And enjoy the atmosphere and the company! Unless you are ill, it probably won't matter if you eat "bad" food occasionally. It's your habits that matter.

Healthy chips?

Well, I'm not sure I believe chips are healthy. As of yet, I haven't tried making my own, so they are still a processed food at my house. But I thought I'd share my trick for making them super delicious by adding only healthy stuff!

First, take a organic chips that have no hydrogenated oils. Place in a bowl. (Unsalted or with sea salt is best).

Second, put several scoops of coconut oil on the chips--spreading it out a bit.

Third, sprinkle with RealSalt. This is the way salt should be--healthy and good for you! These days I crave salt--apparently that's due to adrenal fatigue--common with chronic illness or just modern-day stress.

Fourth, heat (in a toaster oven or oven, of course, since microwaves are neither healthy nor helpful for food texture.)

This is a great way to get chips that are as good or better than the restaurant chips that are so tempting. It's amazing what heating them alone does. Don't cheat on the organic part unless you find some actually labeled "NO GMO's". Otherwise you're likely eating mutated/indigestible "food"!

One day I'll actually figure out how to make my own chips and maybe then I can claim they are healthy. Until then, at least I can make them decent. I have to have something to eat guac and salsa with. I'm from Texas!

Fighting Lyme Disease the Natural Way

I tend to focus my blog on general health advice, but I've noticed some people looking for info on Lyme disease, so I'll try to share some pointers. It's a little intimidating b/c Lyme is intimidating. Any doctor who is confident of curing you....well, they are probably wrong!

First off, I'd say go to a naturopath or an osteopath, or a Lyme specialist of some kind who knows about more than antibiotics. That way you can do testing to find out what your body needs most. You'll likely have several organs or systems that need support or rebuilding. If possible find someone who has seen complete healing of chronic Lyme disease (I did!)

Now--What you can do on your own or suggest to your Doc.:

A ZAPPER! I love my zapper. (And no it doesn't kill bugs--at least not the flying kind!) It's a little blue box connected to 2 gel pads you put on your skin. It sends a very small amount of electricity through you at a specific frequency. It works like the old cartoons of an opera singer shattering a glass. The correct frequency "shatters" certain bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Each living creature has been found to have a unique frequency. So, I run my Zapper for the Lyme bacteria and the Epstein-Barr virus (since I have that too!) The great thing is once you buy it (a couple hundred dollars or so) you can use it over and over. The gel pads lose their sticky and have to be replaced and it uses batteries--I use rechargeable ones for this. It also has a general cycle that can be used for general illnesses at any time. You buy the specific programs separately and they have them for everything from cancer to childhood illnesses.

OK, so the Zapper sounds, well, like nothing you've probably ever heard of. But the first time I ever used it was after a weekend where I had pushed myself to the point I could hardly turn my head to look at my girls in the back seat of the car. (I can tell when things are bad in my body by the stiffness in my neck). I didn't know what to expect, but within minutes I could tell the difference in my neck. By the time it was finished, my shoulder were loser than they had been in a long time. It was like the hour or so of wearing the Zapper around wiped out a weekend of pushing myself. Amazing! I try to do it once a day on each of the cycles (Epstein Barr and Lyme), but sometimes I don't accomplish that. I'm not exactly a model of discipline right now! :)

Second best thing I'm trying right now: MMS (Miracle Mineral Solution). I like it b/c there have been studies showing amazing results with MMS with curing AIDS and malaria. There are testimonies about Lyme disease too. And it's super CHEAP! It just kills off general bad things in your body. Some people use it to clean out the general parasites and germs we carry around in our body. There are no known side effects.

Using MMS for Lyme disease--you start with 1 drop and slowly add drops as long as you have no signs of nausea. One person (not the creator of MMS) suggested "pulsing" by taking a day off every 4th day when using it for Lyme disease.

I honestly can't tell you how well the MMS works simply b/c the Zapper was already helping me so much, it's hard to tell much difference. I didn't have any major symptoms to measure. But it's an easy thing to take and I'm almost up to 14 drops, so hopefully I'll get a good progress report from the dr. at my next appointment.

So, those are 2 Lyme specific treatments worth investigating.

And I'd also recommend a traditional foods diet, drinking a daily ACV drink , Kombucha (another drink), and T-Tapp (exercise program). If you are not ready for a major diet change, at least eliminate sugar. It feed the Lyme disease. I've found even small amounts really affect me.

I'm currently reading The Top 10 Lyme Disease Treatments: Defeat Lyme Disease with the Best of Conventional and Alternative Medicine. If it's as good as it looks, I'll post a review. So far I'm really excited about it.

Lyme disease is a growing and hidden problem with no easy answers. It's so important to know how to build up your body to overcome (or for the rest of you just avoid) Lyme disease. If you have Lyme disease and have questions, I'd love to help in any way I can. Please e-mail me.

Removing Easter egg dye the non-toxic way!

Yep! My fingers were almost pink and purple for Easter Sunday. I opted for the simple Egg Dye kit my kids got as a gift with eggs we don't plan to eat. Of course we didn't have any newspaper to keep the counter clean, so it looked stained, too. BUT baking soda did the trick. 99% of the dye is off my fingers (I can still tell were it was, but I don't think anyone else would notice.) And the counter is clean.

Baking soda makes a nice hand scrub--it's not rough at all but still scrubs. Now all I need is to figure out how to put it in a soap and sell and I'll be ready to retire early :)

Wishing You a Blessed Easter with Clean Fingers!

How not to eat toxic dyes for Easter!

I was debating letting my kids use the dye kit for decorating Easter eggs. I've come up with a couple of viable solutions. You see one daughter is actual allergic to red dye (and would only want pink eggs.) Not to mention, I don't trust chemicals in my food. God didn't create Yellow Dye #2, ya know?

One buy cheap eggs at the store and throw away instead of eat.

Second is to hollow out the farm eggs we eat and decorate. (And have omelets with all the raw egg I drain out.)

Third is to be adventuresome and try to make some natural dyes. I don't know what I'll do, be somehow, we are planning on having fun.

Here's a great article with info on making natural dyes using foods like berries. It also talks about decorating tips and how to hollow out the eggs.

And I bought my kids chocolate covered raisins with a natural sweetener to exchange for the candy they will get at the Egg Hunt. So, hopefully they won't be disappointed. If you need ideas for non-candy filled eggs, try pennies, plastic rings, cute erasers, fuzzy chicks, or even prize messages (for things that won't fit in eggs.)

Well, happy Easter! I'm looking forward to celebrating as I'm hoping this is the year I get to experience a partial physical resurrection in my own life. (ie. healed from Lyme disease) So, I love to here about the power of God over death--an enemy I can feel in my body daily. And I can rejoice in my spiritual resurrection. I am so blessed.

Lymeade Lady's Guacamole--Recipe for a yummy immune booster

Guacamole is one thing I really like to make. I don't have an exact measurements as I do it all to taste and avocados can vary in size. But it's pretty easy to make and great for your health.

Cut avocado into 6 pieces. Peel skin. (this prevents waste and mess.) Mash with a fork into bowl. (Save seed to store with leftovers, though I never have any!)

Add to taste:
Finely chopped onion (about a half on a small onion)
Minced garlic (1-2 cloves)
Sea salt (such as real salt or Celtic Sea Salt--I use about 1/2 to 1 tsp.)
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice (you can also use lime--it would fit the recipe name better!)
Cayenne pepper (small amount to give kick- maybe an 1/8 tsp., but better to add too little than too much)

Avocados are one food you can eat non-organic without much worry--it rarely needs pesticides. But get them fresh. I prefer the onion, garlic, and lemon to be organic and the cayenne pepper to be "non-irradiated".

Ok, so you have this great guac. Think carefully before you spoil it with hydrogenated, genetically modified corn chips. But at least find some healthy chips! I'm currently working on making homemade sprouted tortillas--if it works I might branch out to making chips. But for now I get organic chips with good oil.

If you want to go way healthy, try dipping carrots in it. I came up with this when I was breaking the fast with my first Master Cleanse . It keeps it in the raw food category and is surprisingly really good. Definitely the way to go if your under the weather and looking for a good way to eat raw onion and garlic without suffering!

Happy eating! Please let me know if you have suggestions for the recipe!

Water: Can it cure you?

I read recently about how the Japanese believe drinking water first thing in the morning and not eating for 45 min. can cure many ailments. I am in the routine of drinking an Apple Cider Vinegar tonic in the morning. The recommended about is about 2 1/2 cups. So, I decided to start drinking a glass of water after my Apple Cider Vinegar Drink. I know I've been to the bathroom more for sure! And I think it is having a positive effect on me.



The thing I like about this idea, is it seems to be an easy time to drink more water. If you drink too much water during a meal, it can dilute the digestive juices. And it's hard for me to remember to drink between meals. I'm just too busy. When I worked, I just had a water bottle on my desk. But now that I stay home, I really have trouble getting enough water in. I saw it recommend in one place to add a small bit of sea salt....maybe one day I'll be brave enough.



Don't forget to make sure you have a good water filter or other source of pure water.





Here's some links to a couple different sites about the Water Cure. The first one tells about a doctor in Iraq who discovered how much water alone could cure while he was in prison and how no other tools. The second 2 mention the Japanese theory of treatment.



http://deepfitness.com/3637/Could-Drinking-Water-Cure-Your-Ailments.aspx

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=34306&sectionid=3510210

http://prettysmartnaturalideas.wordpress.com/2007/12/10/36/

Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic

It's easy, it's cheap, it's sweet, and it boosts your health. The Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic. If you've being reading here for a while, you probably already know about it, but I thought it deserved a post to spotlight it. It's what I recommend to start making healthy lifestyle changes.

Recipe:
Add:
2 tsp honey and
2 tsp of Raw Apple Cider Vinegar to an
8oz glass of water

Don't bother with typical grocery store vinegar. It won't help you. You need to get something raw with the strands floating around in it. I use a brand called Bragg's. Anytime I need vinegar (of any kind) I use this.

You may have heard vinegar is acidic. Most is, but the raw ACV works just the opposite in your body.

Hints: You can always add more honey until you like the taste until you get used to it. I add it to room temp. water and it mixes well. Others add a bit of hot water to dissolve the honey and then add the chilled water.

Raw ACV has enzymes to help you digest the other over-processed food in your diet and that it has good bacteria (like yogurt). This is the strands you see in it. I like to drink it when I'm going to eat out or take some to make drinks on a trip.

According to my Amish Home Remedies book, you can use this for upset stomachs, when you are about to come down with a cold, or to prevent the worst signs of aging. How? Basically it just helps your body do what God made it to do. And with food poisoning or stomach viruses, it puts good bacteria in your stomach which cancel out the bad germs.

So, concern joining me in drink ACV drink every morning (about 20 min. before breakfast) and let's see how young we can stay!

Is that soy your eating? Think again--it might be DRANO!

Our family pretty much avoids soy. The only exception is organic tamari sauce. It's not GMO (you only know that if it's organic) and it's fermented so it can actually be digested. (By the way, if you wonder why you should be concerned about this, here's more about GMO's.) And 50% of soybeans are GMO and are not labeled as such.

But today I learned even more about how wonderful soy is not. They even finish off the processing with the same chemical that we all use as Drano to unclog our drains. Anyone know what the Drano label says to do if accidentally swallowed?

If you want to do further research, here's the article:
http://thedoctorwithin.com/index_fr.php?page=articles/magic_bean.php The Drano part is under the processing section.

But you know, soy stuff should be a bit intuitive. You could prove to me that Drano is not used with soy beans and I still wouldn't eat soy. I mean, beans don't magically turn into cheese or meat or butter, any more than they grow into a beanstalk to the clouds! If it didn't obviously come from a bean, it's probably not how we were intended to eat it.

Add to this the knowledge that native people have--beans and grains need to be soaked before they are eaten or made into bread or whatever. The soaking get rid of the toxins, like the phytic acid--something soy has a a lot of.

Sometimes I imagine God teaching Adam and Eve how to prepare food and it being past on for centuries only to have us moderns think we know so much better how to prepare food. The natives all did stuff we don't and science shows they were healthier. So, I'm slowing trying to re-incorporate these things in my life to see how much health I can get back. Hope your on the journey with me!

Easy solution to Candida or Yeast Issues?

I found this simple idea today. Take one to 6 tsp. cream of tartar daily (just a little less than bowel tolerance--meaning, um, if things are runny, you are taking too much). I haven't actually tried this one, but it's cheap and simple, so sounds good to me.

And it makes sense too. Cream of tartar is the waste product from fermenting grapes. So, the yeast can't survive well in it's own waste.

Here's a link about it all: http://www.docsprefer.com/creamoftartar.html

And of course, don't forget to be eating the good bacteria. Before refrigerators, people fermented to preserve things. But our bodies still need pro-biotics and the best form is food. Kombucha and raw apple cider vinegar are my 2 favorite forms, though I'd like to start making kefir soon. But I remind myself--one step at a time. I'm not there yet. But I know where I want to go!

Are you depriving your kids to make them healthy?

When it comes to children, it can be very difficult to help them be healthy in our culture. It becomes even more important not to take away things but replace things. So, for example, "candy" at our house is carob chips with a healthy sweetener. And sometimes I make chocolate milk or hot chocolate with organic cocoa powder and honey and milk. UMMM! I'm not so sure I should be recommending chocolate, but I do recommend finding a treat that's healthy or (semi-healthy). And the other day my husband mixed honey and organic cocoa powder to make chocolate sauce for pancakes. WOW!

We make our own macaroni and cheese and our own chicken nuggets. Both of these are more work than the average meal, but some of the girls' favorites. And it's critical to me that my children know that healthy can be fun, yummy, and even sweet. Otherwise they'll go to someone else's house and pig out. And my oldest daughter doesn't even like regular macaroni and cheese anymore. I think she's developing a taste for truly good food.

A pet peeve of mine is how frequently candy is handed out to children. If you consider that sugar is not only bad for your teeth, but connected to heart disease, diabetes, and suppressed immune function, these acts of "kindness" no longer seem kind. Everyone has to find there only solution to this problem, but my daughter has learned to so no to any candy offered and if she doesn't get a replacement, I will offer her something when she gets home. Sometimes it's a healthy treat--sometimes it's a bit of money toward something she's saving up for. And she's quite ok with this. Of course, since we homeschool, this does not happen as often as it may for others. But I think it's not a big deal, b/c we have healthy treats often.

And be sure and help your kids see that the food you don't want them to have can make them vunerable to catching colds and likely to have real health problems when they are adults. It does help my daughter to understand that she doesn't want to end up sick like mommy! I mean who wants to be miserable for a week or a life just to have store bought candy. Especially if there's homemade goodness available.

The moral of the story: desserts may be healthy! Especially when they increase will-power to say no to the real junk.

And if you don't have children, you can apply this to your "inner child". Don't deprive yourself either!! Enjoy the goodness of created, natural food and you won't want to go back! Don't give up foods--replace them. And you will make it for the long haul on your health journey.

Film about Lyme

I recently found this movie trailer, though the movie itself is not out yet. I thought even the trailer was informative for someone who is looking to learn about Lyme disease.

www.openeyepictures.com/underourskin

As the point out, it's a growing problem. But Lyme can be defeated by a strong immune system. All the more reason for everyone to watch their diet and lifestyle. Small changes can make a big difference. Keep up the good work.

Cure for Colds--Home Remedies Amish-style

Once when I was up in Amish country, I picked up a little book called Home Remedies From Amish Country. It's a great book of old-fashioned health aids out of your kitchen cabinet. Here's a few:

--Use honey on burns. (It's the best thing I've ever found!)
--Rub vinegar on forehead, temples, palms, and bottoms of feet to reduce fever. (I use Apple Cider Vinegar)
--Use clove oil directly on a tooth to numb tooth pain. (They even say you can put a whole clove in a cavity--haven't tried that one.)

In fact the Amish Home Remedy book is the first place I discovered the Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic and the Master Cleanse. The Apple Cider Vinegar lists SO many things it's useful for: bruises, food poisoning, colds, and avoiding symptoms of "aging" to mention a few.

So, how does this fit into staying healthy. Again, diet, avoiding chemicals/toxins, and washing hands are how we stay healthy. But these home remedies are great for simple problems. They are not as strong as other natural medicines, but that's b/c they are not really medicine, but rather food. "Let you food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food."

And they are cheap and usually available. Like the time I sloshed hot water on my hand at a restaurant. I just got some honey from the counter and put a small piece of napkin over it and I was all fixed up. The book is not really well organized as it just lists all the ideas that various people sent in. But I really like the solutions I've found and the book was well worth it. I even gave them out for Christmas one year.

If your really interested in the book, you have to order it by mail--these are Amish people!

Abana books ltd, 6523 Township Rd, 346 Millersburg, OH 44654.
Send check or money order for $10 plus 7% tax if you live in OH.
(And no, I don't make any money off this!)

Cooking Soaked/Sprouted Brown Rice

Take a pot and add:

4 1/2 c. water (prefer filtered or purified)
4 Tbsp. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (like Bragg's) or lemon juice, buttermilk, yogurt, kefir, or whey
2 c. brown rice

Stir and cover with lid and leave for at least 7 hours on the counter. (If you have less time, do as long as possible, any bit helps).

In same pot, add 1 tsp. sea salt (opt.). Bring water to a boil for 5 min. uncovered. Then boil covered on low heat for 30-45 min. Do not take lid off early. Check to see if water is absorbed and rice is tender. If not, do not stir, but cover and cook another 10 min. or so until done.


--------------
If you are curious what this does, you might look closely at the rice before you cook it. You can see it looks like a sprouted seed, though I rarely pay attention any more, so no promises that it will every time--I don't actually check. But the sprouting is something that changes the grain and makes the nutrients more digestible and also helps those with sensitive stomachs.


This recipe takes no extra time, just a bit planning. It should cook quicker b/c it is soaked. If you like, double the recipe and keep the extra for another meal. It's very soft and SO good for you. Sometimes I just add a bit of scrambled eggs, some coconut oil, tamari, and some veggies (like onion, pepper, or shreds of carrots) and make a meal of it. Or I add it to some chicken broth and make some soup.

For more info on soaking and sprouting grains, see: http://www.suegregg.com/about/c.htm. At the bottom of the page is an excellent brochure you can print out. Sue Gregg cookbooks are my favorites. You might also want to read this previous post.

Cure for Colds and Ailments--Homeopathic

The best way to fight a cold is avoid it. Nutrition and cleanliness play a key part in this. Do you know the Bible tells us to wash our hands, get rid of things with mold, and that we are dirty if we do things like touch something dead? Only in recent history has hygiene been understood.

But sometimes we get sick or injured or need help with chronic problems from the years before we understood about good nutrition. I've found that it's helpful to have multiple tools in my tool box. Today, I'll start with homeopathic, b/c it's the one I used today!

Here's my over-simplified, unprofessional explanation of what homeopathy is. Homeopathics work on principles of energy. A small particle of a substance is shaken and then diluted and shaken and diluted again. Somehow, in this shaking, the substance's energy affects the water. And when we take this small amount of substance, it is completely safe. And the energy works with our body to heal. However, the trick is that only the right remedy works. And the remedies are based on lots of very specific symptoms that should all match (like cold hands, small pupils, fearful, etc.)

Now, how do you start? Well, I never really knew what to do with it until I found a great book: Easy Homeopathy which makes it simple. It gives you an introduction to homeopathy, detailed information about the 7 most commonly used homeopathic remedies, and lists the possible remedies for basic problems. So, we bought the 7 remedies from our health food store and I love it. When one of the kids is really sick, one of them usually fits their symptoms and their symptoms are usually less in 30 min and gone in less than 24 hours. If you use the wrong remedy it doesn't help. And occasionally nothing will fit, but that's a good reason to have multiple tools in your toolbox!

Now, what I used today. I happened to be reading something today about fibromyalgia and how arnica montana (one of the homeopathics) is good for the bruised feeling. I did have a spot on my back that was hurting and felt very bruised. I'd had it for a couple days and tried 2 different things on the spot that normal work great, but with no real help. (I often get awful knots in my upper back and shoulders from Lyme disease.) We have this remedy in pill form, but also have arnica massage oil, so I opted for the oil. Within 15 min., the bruised feeling was gone and has not returned even half a day later! That's a solution I won't soon forget! When homeopathics work, they don't work halfway!

Make Your Recipes Healthier by Substituting Healthier Ingredients

While a few of your recipes may not be worth the trouble, many recipes can be salvaged by substituting good ingredients. It's simple. Here's some suggested substitutes:


Salt ------------>RealSalt or Celtic Sea Salt

Sugar---------->Sucanot or Honey or Maple Syrup or Agave or Stevia

White Flour---->Wheat Flour (Pastry Flour or "White Whole Wheat" are lighter than regular Whole Wheat)

White Flour for thickening---->Corn Starch or Arrowroot Powder

White Rice---->Soaked Brown Rice

Canned Beans------> homemade beans (preferably soaked)

Vegetable Oil----->Extra Virgin Olive Oil (if not heating) or Ex. Vir. Coconut Oil (if heating very high)

Milk---->Raw Milk

Margarine---->Butter

Vinegar (balsamic, white, or whatever)----->Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (like Bragg's brand)

Soy Sauce----->Organic Tamari (organic is essential with soy to avoid GMO's)

Canned Vegetables---->Fresh (if possible) or Frozen Vegetables

The goal is to use quality ingredients in whole food cooking. If you replace the staples in your pantry, you'll find that cooking healthy can be simple.

Too tired of trying to be healthy?

Choosing health is work, especially in the western world. As hard as I'm fighting to overcome a major disease, it can really wear you out. But I was encouraged by something I found in the Bible:

"So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit."

Though Paul wasn't talking about health, it still applies. IF we don't quit, we'll get a reward. That's what I'm fighting for. Don't give up your fight. Health is worth it. You've got to have health to achieve almost anything. You need to be healthy to think straight (ask me how I know!)
You may not see the fruit of your small changes today. Honestly, most improvements take time if you do them naturally. But you will if you don't give up!

Menu Planning--Simple and Easy

If you're like me, you not usually satisfied with menus others have, b/c it doesn't suit your taste or your budget or your healthy standards. But it sure would be easy to have it all laid out. In one month, you can easily have a month's worth of menus you love without doing much more work.

It's easy to do and you'll have your grocery list ready without any work every week! So, here's the plan:

1. Make a list of your family's favorite meals. Be sure to write down the cookbook and page number. Determine how many meals you need to fix a week. We do 4-5 dinners and eat leftovers (or hot dogs!) the other days. Or sometimes we fix something new on one of the other days. Decide how many weeks you can go without repeating a meal. The first set of menus I did was 4 weeks. The second set was 6 weeks. You could start out with only 1 week if you are still searching for healthy recipes. And just add a week at a time as you find more good recipes.

2. Start grouping your meals into menus. I made my list a word document, so I just clicked and dragged the meals around. Make sure to balance quicker-to-prepare meals with more time consuming ones. I also wanted to spread out meals with rice, meat dishes, chicken dishes, and Mexican dishes, so my similar meals were spread out. I'm big on variety! Print out this master list and stick it on your frig so you can see your menu choices for each week, including the cookbook page number.

3. Next, on a new document, make a grocery list for all the ingredients needed for Week 1. Group the lists by sections of the stores (or by separate stores if necessary) and leave space to write in additional things. Also, make a list of things you probably don't need, but might need to check to make sure you have enough of. I actually write down something like check: beans (1 cup), so I know exactly what to look for. You might also want to prepare double proportions of some meals and freeze half. You'll have frozen meals with out eating processed food.

4. Continue making the grocery list for each week. I did this only when I needed it, so it took me 6 weeks to finish this process. You could also do this all at once. It's easiest to print the next grocery list a week ahead and when you run out of something, just add it to next week's list.

5. Perfect it. Did you realize you didn't have enough of something? Fix it on your grocery list. Did you realize you want a certain side to go with a dish? And it to the menu and the grocery list. You might want to add notes on your master menu page about which things need to be soaked a day ahead (for those of you who soak your grains.) After another round of using the list, you should have any kinks worked out. Just think of all the mistakes you won't make! You could also add in lunches.

6. (optional) Type up all your recipes for the week on a single page. Put it in a sheet protector. Then, you save yourself having to look up the recipes and can add in notes to yourself (like use the big pot or start the rice at this point.) You could also make this a once a week cooking plan. Figure out which recipes could be made ahead, such as casseroles. You can cook and freeze some meals. Chop up some of the vegetables. Make a loaf of bread and a salad for the week. Get creative and make it work for you.

Advantages of this system:

--You save hours a week of: deciding what's for dinner, making a grocery list, stopping by the store for something you forgot or for a last minute meal plan, go back to the other side of the store for that produce that you didn't see at the bottom of the list.

--Since you are cooking the same things every so often, you get good at and more efficient, especially, if you make notes to yourself. Before you know it you'll be a professional chef.

--You prevent tons of frustration b/c you can learn from your mistakes and not repeat them. Oh, wait, you probably don't forget to buy things, forget to soak things, not understand the recipes, etc. Maybe it's just me!

--AND don't forget, you will end up eating healthier this way, b/c if it's this easy, you will cook at home more often and have time to cook from scratch. Planning makes it possible.

PS--Almost all my recipes come from Sue Gregg's cookbooks. Meals in Minutes is a good one to start with. It makes cooking healthy easy.

One question I had was what to do if you don't know what recipes you like. I suggest that you try to find a week's worth of meals(even just 4). At least you can use this menu every couple weeks and use the unplanned week to experiment with new recipes until you find some more you like. Then you can add a week at a time as you find what you like.

Cancel your cable to get smarter and lose weight!

Ok, so that's not a promise, but here's one lady's story: http://www.columbia.edu/~ip71/w116/2006/03/why-you-too-should-cancel-cable.html

Not my typical health topic, but this could be a boost to your health! Why? Did you know your mind is less active when watching TV than when sleeping? "Educational videos" is an oxymoron. And you will learn to think more independently about taking medications (drugs) and eating the normal, but unnatural diet pushed by TV. Think of the stress you could reduce if you use your time better or just give your brain some quiet to think. AND putting that money toward better quality food will overtime have a HUGE impact on your health.

Personally, for a time we were unable to get TV. When I had the option again, I didn't want it! We don't even have an antennae.

I collect my favorite movies, and get others from the library. (I research what movies I want to watch online, I order them from the library online, and can get up to 5 for a week with no charge! Who can beat that? All I have to do is go to the library once a week and I ) I can even watch CNN live online and watch the few other "important" things I miss on YouTube a day later.

My TV's main use? T-Tapp videos for me and ballet, Math lessons, and German movies for my girls. Who needs cable?

Breaking the food code--Is health intuitive?

I believe the Creator meant food choices, health, and "medication" to be obvious and intuitive. Let me give you a few examples:

If your circulation is bad, cayenne peppers (as food or as a supplement) helps. Hmm...they are "hot."

Carrots are good for your eyes and when you slice them, they look like an eye.

Tomatos are good for your heart and what part of our body are they most like?

When you burn your finger, you stick it in your mouth. The best thing for a burn is to replace the lost water immediately. Don't numb it with ice until after you've run it under the water a minute.

When you eat only whole foods, you will find your body craving things and communicating quite clearly. But if you eat artificially tampered with food, your body craves the wrong things. For example, your body expects sweets foods to have plenty of nutrients. But when you eat white sugar or white flour, your body actually uses up stores of nutrients to digest this stripped food. So, it craves more food. I find I never really feel full (or at least content) when I eat out unless I avoid bread.

If you want to read more about created food, try this post.

Eat it or wear it--it doesn't matter which

It's winter--the time when our lips and hands tend to dry out. But before you pick up a bottle of lotion or a tube of chap stick, you might want to know what thing--you're body absorbs most of what you put on it. That's why you can wear a patch to take in medicine. So, look at those ingredients and ask yourself if they are edible. If it's not, it's probably adding toxins to your body. Maybe your body can handle a bit of that, but mine can't! But before you get too stressed out....

Wait..it's a food, it's a lotion, it's medicine....no, it's coconut oil. I LOVE coconut oil in place of lotion. It's solid, but melts almost instantly when you touch it. I discovered it when I had a runny nose and the skin hurt so bad and I decided to experiment. But since I've realized how great it is for dry skin.

Another good trick for your hands, is get rid of your regular soap and use Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap. A 32 oz. bottle lasts between 6 mon. and a year at our house and is only about $10. I fill up old foam hand soap containers with about a tablespoon of the soap and the rest water. (Just try and see if it's too thick or too thin) and that's our very CHEAP and non-toxic soap. I will worn you, the bottle is covered with religious writing, but not Christian ones. But, it goes under you sink for refills, so I don't worry about it.

When I first switched to this soap, I was shocked at how quickly my dry skin disappeared. But this year I needed the coconut oil b/c I'm washing my hands so much due to potty training my sweet daughter who has also had a runny nose!

Well, all the talking about dry skin reminds me--I need to drink some more water!

Cure for Cancer?

I found this interesting article today. http://media.www.studentprintz.com/media/storage/paper974/news/2007/01/23/Opinion/Scientists.Cure.Cancer.But.No.One.Takes.Notice-2667600.shtml
I pretty much avoid drugs of any kind, but I thought it was interesting that they found a drug recently that seems it might stop cancer. Right now the cancer cure seems almost as bad as the disease and not a sure thing. I've seen several natural things that are also used on cancer patients. But what is exciting about this drug, is for those who prefer traditional medicine, it might be a lot less painful and more effective treatment. But what is so sad, is that it's something that does not have a patent and so will not likely be picked up by the drug companies. Man, do I think this system is broke. But I hope some doctors will be able to utilize this treatment and improve the traditional medical approach to cancer. And I can keep hoping and working to see that the natural approaches have more freedom to share the cures and helps they offer.

Is your body suffering from health debt?

I used to think, "I'm healthy--Why worry?" Now I realize, it was sorta like saying, "I can make the payments, so what's wrong with adding more credit card debt?" Our bodies are able to handle amazing amounts of stress, toxins, and germs. But eventually the scales tip if we add more negatives than positives. Alot of people wouldn't dare treat their cars as badly as their bodies! And we wonder why we should care what's good or bad for our bodies when we seem "perfectly healthy". Of course, we may not realize that small things, like catching lots of colds or skin problems or allergies or frequent headaches, may be a sign we need to look closer at how healthy we really are.

For me, when I was under a lot of pressure and still not paying attention to my health, I got Lyme disease. Can you say "Wake up call!" So, now I'm trying to tip the scales back. The more small health changes I make, the more the scales get close to normal. And right now, I'm feeling like a real person again! (Those with chronic illness will know what I'm talking about.) It really works.

But, I've wised up, when I get the scales back to reading "healthy", I'm not going to be satisfied. Nope! I've learned my lesson and will be getting a good store of healthy habits so I'm ready for the flu season, for an epidemic, for stress, or whatever. You see, I've been a slave to disease already, and I won't be foolish to end up being a slave a second time. And my hope is that as I share what I find "tips the scales", my readers will learn from my mistakes and store up lots of good health before the hard times come.

Homemade Health Tonic...set those germs on fire!

Well, I recently tried a homemade "cure-all" medicine. When it called for peppers, we left the seeds in and boy is it hot! (I like salsa, but go for the mild, so some might not agree.) Next, time I'll leave out the seeds. Anyway, I wanted to share it with you. In the winter, it's great to have something for when you start to come down with a cold. And it's made out of food, so no side effects. I'm taking it once or twice a day right now b/c I have a bacteria (Borelia burgdorforia) and a virus (Epstein-Barr) I'd like to kill. My husband is taking it to keep from coming down with a cold that he started to get a couple days ago--so far so good!

It's the Master Tonic and is a natural antibiotic. Here's the link: http://www.annieappleseedproject.org/nattonfromri.html

It does take about a week to make and I don't actually gargle like it says (since my germs aren't likely in my throat and well it's too hot for me.)

Health Spa at Home

I recently put together for myself a list of things I could do to boost my health. I got to try it out partially one day and I'm using this list to help me do a much as possibly on a daily basis. One thing I wanted to do was try to eat foods that allow the body more energy to heal, so I leaned toward the vegetarian, though I don't really do this every day.

I took out all my meds/supplements and a few Lyme specific things so I could share with you a plan for a health boosting day. Take a few things. I admit I'm an idealist, so even I don't accomplish all the things I plan out, but I like to shoot for the stars and reach the moon!

Morning:
Skin Brushing
Apple Cider Vinegar drink
Breakfast (Fresh Carrot Juice and Fruit)

Mid-morning:
Immunopower (Immune boosting essential oil on feet)
Sit in Sun (15-30 min)
Kombucha (fermented drink)
T-Tapp or jump on mini-tramp

Lunch:
ACV drink
Lunch (Salad and Soup from Chicken Broth)

Afternoon:
Ningxia Red Juice
Rest (take some deep breathes)
Spicy Lemonade
Fruit for snack

ACV drink
Dinner (Carrot Juice as 1st course and no processed food for meal) and Tonic (post coming soon!)

To bed by 10 (Early to bed...makes a man healthy....it's really true!)


Until we claim our health back!