Saturday, April 28, 2012

No Lab Here!


Good Morning! Breakfast doesn't have to be hard. This AM on my plate:  

3 eggs scrambled (rich in omegas which fight inflammation.EVERY body has some inflammation)
cilantro (great detoxifier removing heavy metals and other toxic agents in the body) 
zucchini (lowers cholesterol, high in manganese, anti-inflammatory)
celery (full of folic acid & fiber) 
tomato (rich in fiber, Vit A, C, & K, lycopene, helps fight cancer!!! not to mention natural laxative)  

The protein, fiber and nutrients in this breakfast will take me way further than any bowl of cereal on the market! Plus, the colors here are full of "whole food" vitamins that my body will completely soak up. When you understand the benefits going into your mouth and what they will FOR your body, it's easier to consume. If I eat foods that were produced in a lab, it will take a lab to digest them. The longer the shelf life, the longer it takes to digest. This took me maybe 10 min to make. I got you Rachel Ray! Bon Appetit! 


Friday, April 27, 2012

What's your WHY?

A fun benefit to eating RAW and CLEAN ( meaning I eat next to no processed foods) has been inevitable weight loss. I had NO clue how harsh the ingredients were in our daily consumption. NONE!  On this quest of getting healthier & trying to balance my hormones naturally, I have discovered that consuming dairy and gluten both interfere with my body's ability to produce its' proper balance. I still remember the day when I learned dairy was a culprit; I immediately waived goodbye to flavored yogurt & cheese that were still part of my daily diet. Today, I only use plain FAGE greek yogurt and just this week found a lady who makes her own Kefir! I'm SO EXCITED to learn more from her. As for cheese, I'll admit it's a love I struggle to let go of but I have cut down considerably! The reasoning behind why dairy products can cause hormone imbalance is due to the hormones and antibiotics that are given to cows; then transfer over to the dairy products we consume. They are  again chemicals that our body doesn't recognize and causes us to internally shift or become "off."

As for gluten, I'm still working on this area but again have reduced considerably!  I'm even stepping out of my comfort zone and reaching for coconut flour or almond flour instead of whole wheat. Coconut flour surpasses whole wheat benefits by far in both protein and fiber! Highly recommended! Plus, you are consuming the pesticides that are sprayed on the wheat fields across America. Unfortunately, another culprit to hormone imbalance.

Since I cleaned out our pantry in early January, (and started feeding the birds in the back) I am down 14 pounds. To quote an old friend, "Once on your lips, forever on your hips." -James Charvet  Well, Jimmy, let me tell ya, I've heard "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels" but I say nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels.

CHEAP toilet bowl cleaner that's clean enough for your mouth!


Another part of this detox quest is GETTING RID OF HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS. I love how these three ingredients are what they are and I can pronounce ALL OF THEM! Not to mention, they could and sometimes do, go safely in my mouth at any given time.

So as I have mentioned in earlier posts, my husband had lost his ability to sleep naturally on his own. When healing his Central Nervous System began, he would still lay awake around the clock. So a "rest stop" came to me and I was introduced to doTERRA essential oils. (Thanks Amber!) After using these oils, my husband now sleeps ON HIS OWN WITH NO HELP!  The health benefits are truly endless. So in this photo, there is Melaleuca essential oil to help clean toilets! My advice going forward, FLUSH first, then drop in the baking soda (1/2 cup) and vinegar (1/4 cup.) Together they react in quite a bubbly manner! ( I learned the hard way and made a volcano mess on the counter.)  The Melaleuca (10 drops) helps go & tackle bacteria and give it a fresh smell.  

Call me radical...The trek ahead is healthy!

Going Glass


Our family (well pretty much me but my husband and son have adapted very well) has made some pretty radical changes since the New Year. Having been at rock bottom as far as health goes, any changes for the better, no matter how radical in my book ARE TOTALLY WORTH IT! Since Rob's healing process began in early January (a few months ago) I have been full throttle in researching a healthier lifestyle. I had got to a point in my life where my dreams of any future were shattered and I found myself daily pleading with God to bring healing. This part of the journey seems like a gift more than a chore of making these changes. After realizing that we were ALL toxic, I had NO problem listening, soaking it in and taking steps to our better life. 


As a female, I have known since the birth of my son that my hormones have been "off." I never wanted to take the time to go to the doctor as I didn't think it was that big of a deal and I've always been anti-meds anyway; assuming since my OBGYN at the time, did in fact prescribe for a possible solution. I never ended up taking those meds as they would have effected my milk production at the time. 


Since our new fork in the road has arrived, I love how God whispers to us at times and allows us to change our course. Now it seems like at every rest stop along the way, He delivers more guidance and more tools for me to draw upon as the "CEO" of my family. The latest tool is GLASS! Storing in plastic can be toxic to the body when it comes to hormone production! (Who knew?) Unfortunately, this also means bottled water. According to David Wolfe on "Hungry for Change," he comments about all bottled water on the market today. In order for the water to be non-toxic, the plastic bottles would have to sit for a year (hollow) in order to detoxic their toxic properties. We all know that NO company has this kind of patience when it comes to making money so they bottle the water as soon as the plastic is done being molded. AND what gets me? THE FDA SAYS THIS IS FINE!!!  The government in my opinion is a whole new post so we'll save that for later.   


So my project lately has been saving anything glass and transferring over things slowly. It's a process and for some, too overwhelming. I get that. BUT when you've looked at death straight in the face, (for me it was planning our future as a single mom without the love of my life) that was the most overwhelming. This is simply my way of bouncing back, enjoying God's gift of a second chance. With that said, I will RECYCLE and definitely REDUCE our use of plastic, however, I choose now not to REUSE. We are going glass!