Cheers to a happy gut!

Ages. It's been ages since I last blogged. Ages. 

I've always loved to write; it's just finding the time to do it for the public. It's been a year of growth. In fact, that's been my word for this year. GROW. I'm still reeling in all the areas to which this word applies and has applied but here's just one...

If you know me, you know I'm a 'natural granola' gal who's always learning & seeking new ways to heal the body naturally. I was pretty much born low maintenance with very little to bring me joy & happiness. As long as I have my water, flavored sparkling or plain soda water, these are my go to, anywhere I go. Recently a new drink came out called Poppi. It has an apple cider vinegar base with prebiotics but before you cringe, (if you don't like ACV, hear me out!) ACV has a ton of natural remedies to help heal the body, inside & out. This particular mom came up with the idea wanted to help restore her families gut flora (or stomach acid) and designed this 'sparkling juice,' if you will for the masses! IT TASTES LIKE SODA with no funky after tastes!!!! I decided to buy a case at a local warehouse and before I knew it, every single can was GONE. I had not been the one drinking them! I was in shock because I figured there's no way my family will consume ACV drinks. When I bring it out at the sign of a cold or flu, they gag & would rather any other remedy.

We've never been a soda buying family so when my guys noticed something new other than my waters, they were quick to pop a top. Before I knew it, I was having the conversation of asking "who was downing these Poppi's that I had in the outside fridge?" I even tried to explain they were APPLE CIDER VINEGAR based and they couldn't believe it. Nor did it deter them from finishing off the entire case! 

Poppi has recently added other stores to their distribution list and I went out today looking but the shelves were empty. This is where Amazon is handy and can ship to your front door. Click the link below and try them for yourselves. If you do, shoot me a message and let me know what your taste buds think! 

Happy Healing! -B 

 

Retrospect Rewind

Today is June 24, 2020. This year is only half over and yet it feels like the marathon of all years. This will definitely be one to go down in history, for every family I'm sure. I'm doing my best to focus on the positives around me because the enemy could (and sadly has) devour anyone's spirit in a second with all that is playing out in the world today.  

I can hardly believe it's been six years since I last wrote on this blog. So much has happened and played out that I'm tapping my nails at where to even begin. 

The Riley's Ride started off as a blog documenting our family's journey so that we would have something to look back on. I also have a love for writing so it was a great outlet for me in that way. Since 2014, we gained Riddick, a male black lab puppy, lost him to kidney failure as ironic as that is with the Mr.'s health issues, gained Miss Letty Riggins, a female black lab puppy who now lays at my feet as I type. She is almost six now and has brought me more joy in my life than I knew possible. I know deep in my heart that she is a gift from God after losing Riddick. 

                                      

                            (This is Miss Letty)

Riddick was our family's first dog. It took many years convincing the Mr. that we 'needed' one. We surprised our son getting off the bus in 3rd grade with him and we even caught that on video. Riddick was only with us for four short months. I was in a physical pain that I had never felt before. My heart was bro-ken. The Mr. was in Norway so I was alone to figure it out. After sorting things through, I was advised to get another one to help soften the blow this grief was causing. BEST advice truly. It led me to find Miss Letty Riggins. 

For anyone who has met Letty, she is adored. She is calm, obedient & super smart as I continue to teach her new tricks still. The Mr. calls her my shadow as she follows me everywhere. She smiles almost as if it's on purpose. She's my shot-gun rider and would rather go with me than be left behind. However, at times, in our heat, she understands the word "stay" and does very well at home alone. She is inside with us, sleeps with my son and doesn't seem like the average dog. We have an unspoken language. (Ohhh if she could only talk!) Her eyes tend to communicate with me as if I know exactly what she's saying. In the morning, she'll wait for me to arise before coming out of my son's room. If the Mr. is up before me, it won't matter. I don't know if she knows by scent or how but I'm fascinated nonetheless. During this whole quarantine season, we have a morning ritual of going to play and then for a walk. If I'm having a lazy morning, she'll come to me, put her face in my lap and look at me as if to say, "I know you know what time it is. Grab your shoes and let's go." I guess you could say she's a great accountability partner too. 

 

There are so many other rituals that Miss Letty has too. She knows when it's time for my son to get home from school because she'll go to the window and watch, just waiting for the big yellow bus to arrive. 

At night before we go to bed, when 8pm rolls around, she'll once again come to me, putting her face in my lap or on the bed beside me with her subtle reminder to brush her teeth. It's hilariously precious.  

A few years ago, I had her teeth cleaned. I really hated seeing her put under so when the vet told me that it was possible to train a dog to remind you to brush, I was all ears. He said that he'd seen it with another family who had a St. Bernard. He said, "At the same time each evening, simply sit calmly on the floor with a dog's toothbrush and dog's toothpaste, and brush uppers and lowers. Then give the dog an enzyme chew. They will look forward to that chew. It will help remove any plaque left on their teeth." Sure enough, I tried what he said and in no time at all, Letty was coming to me nightly for her teeth to be cleaned. That was almost four years ago. 

Needless to say, the last five plus years have been filled with more knowledge about natural medicine, which I'm extremely passionate about, more education about nutrition, lifestyle diet changes, and our immune boosting dog. Yes, I even heard it the other day. Having a dog can boost your immune system. I'm so thankful for Miss Letty Riggins. I knew years ago that living life in good health would be living a wealthy life. Today, I still agree.      

Crest toothpaste embeds plastic in your gums

Allow me to step on my soapbox for this post.

I visited my favorite dentist today and while cleaning my gums, my hygienist asked me what kind of toothpaste I used. I happily replied the au naturel, fluoride FREE doTERRA toothpaste. She said that was one of the best out there and then continued to tell me about the article on Crest toothpaste that just came out. The just of the media outbreak is below:

Crest toothpaste embeds plastic in our gums

Unfortunately, upon returning home, I did find one of the tubes listed with plastic, in our bathroom being used by my better half. However, in order for him to continue to be my better half, I was happy to give it to the trash man, in the trash. I realize that we all have our own journeys to travel in life. It is because of my husband's health issues, that I've absorbed a ton of information on healthier living. We've made a lot of changes; I've decided to alter more drastically. I just feel better. Knowledge has empowered me to make better choices, for me and my family. Fluoride FREE toothpaste is something I'm still trying to convince my husband on but for now, Crest is no longer welcome in our home. After all, I was one again cavity free.

What's in your toothpaste?

Happy Spring Babies!!!

It's spring time and there seems to be babies everywhere! Last night, I stayed the night with a friend of mine who just had twin boys. Her husband was on shift at the fire station so I was honored and blessed to help out. After all, my own son is eight years-old now and my sleep has surely caught up.

One thing my friend and I tried to remember come this morning, was what time did we wake up to feed these little guys throughout the night. She was way better than I but with how fast my night flew by, it was hard to remember.  I do remember keeping a log years ago so that I could remember later on.

So tomorrow I head to the dentist where my dental hygienist is due next month with her first: IT'S A GIRL!  With little sleep and no motivation to run out, surprisingly my (very little) creative juices came through. (Thank you Pinterest for the flow.)

After deciding to make one myself, here is what I came up with.

 

I found an old wood frame that was no longer being used which I then painted and sanded - just a bit. Then I typed up my rendition of this brilliant idea. I reached into the school supplies tub for a brand new dry erase pen which I velcro'd onto the frame. Then I wrapped it.

I didn't have any baby wrapping paper but I have plenty of grocery bags, just for this reason. I used to stamp back in the day and so they were pulled out. I found some ribbon, just begging to be used also and BAM! There ya have it. Simple. From the heart. Practical. I hope she likes it. Happy Spring babies!

 



God's good graces

It seems with each long lapse of time that goes by and I don't blog, I wonder where the time goes. Even just in a conversation this morning with little man, he was commented how fast time flies, AND HE'S ONLY SEVEN!

Shortly after my husband was healed and our ride in life was really seeing blue skies, I heard the Holy Spirit say to me one day, "Hold on. He's not quite finished." It helped me to take a precautionary step back & just enjoy the present because I wasn't for sure when the blue skies would darken again.

Well last spring in April, my husband was working off the coast of West Africa when his company RAN OUT OF BOTTLED WATER. He returned home on his normal rotation in May & revealed this jaw dropping news to me.

Ok side bar, we as Americans truly are spoiled and have no idea how much. I was going off like a spoiled, entitled American about how these guys NEED water to work out there, in those conditions and what seems to be the problem. I had a really hard time wrapping my mind around how this could have happened. Then my husband reminded me, "It's Africa."

He was not feeling well all of May while he was home and we knew then that the water outage that was replaced with SODA- of all things, was part of his fatigue. Well, he returned to W. Africa at the end of May only to have his conditions worsen. By June 2nd, he had been helicopter'd off, to an African hospital, where they found kidney infection & he was trying to pass some stones.......again.

When my love & I met almost 12 years ago, he was ill then. We just hadn't quite pin-pointed with what. We knew kidney stones & infections were diagnosed but they soon became an annual family member (only he was the one giving birth.) Then, annual became bi-annual & then quarterly, then monthly.

No doctors could ever seem to reveal WHY my husband is the champ at producing & delivering these stones, until now, and she's not even a medical doctor. (More on Lula later)  If I was a betting gal, we could have collected three digits of stones by now. So far this summer, he had 16 removed & passed 3.

Which leads me to now, reflecting on our only year, 2012 -which also adds up to our families lucky number five, where we had NO...I repeat NO health concerns. Oh how heavenly it really was. We were able to dream and guide on God's grace. We were tremendously blessed by Him and His favor towards us. He was able to lift us out of a decade of funk!  Everyday was a new gift waiting to be unwrapped. (Maybe that's where my time went!)

We have definitely come a long, long way from where we once were, but as time continues to unravel new concepts & tools to better understanding health, I'm afraid we still have a long way to go.

A new season, but better view.

Fall is here and my heart is smiling. A year ago, my heart was forecasting  the future as a widow,single mother, and dreading a funeral within reach. Now, health in our family has been restored and I have never been so grateful for the daily, small things in my life. My husband and son, below, are able to do father/son things and as I sit back and soak it all in, my heart is praising Jesus for His restoration and renewal. He says He makes ALL things new and this phrase alone brings tears to my eyes...because I believe first hand, 

it's true.  

This was the first year that D played flag football. At first, he was very timid and wasn't quite sure of the concept as it is very different from soccer. As soon as his daddy came in from work and showed up at the game, he was scoring touchdowns that had us all on our feet! So fun!

Today, D is learning a new sport and a new love for football, that these two share deeply. My husband has a new lease on life and able to travel the world through his work.  

I continue to learn more and more about healing naturally and I have never been so happy in my life. 

Thanks to Marna- Paleo Pumpkin Muffins

So fall is in the air; I can feel it!!! A childhood friend used to adore the fall season. It always reminds me of her but I also appreciate the use of the oven again, cozy pumpkin smells and the fall foliage getting ready with colder days. 

A friend stopped by a couple weeks back and we got to talking about health and nutrition. Surprise, surprise- I KNOW! But alas, I continue to learn and appreciate the different perspectives on food that align for all one purpose; to feel and arrive at optimum health. 

I did a little study of my own after talking with her and consumed some yogurt and air popped butter popcorn one night. The next day, I did NOT feel so hot. I ached and was sore all over. As I reflected back on what I ate the night before, I was SOLD on giving PALEO a shot.  

It's been two weeks and I've not only naturally dropped 4 more pounds (eliminating grains, legumes, cheese, yogurt and BUTTER!) but when I ache in the morning, I know it's my muscles that were worked the day prior and not due to food consumption. With this post, I hereby stand and eat...my...words!  Butter, I am afraid you are on hiatus for now.  

Which all leads me back to this blog that I have been following for awhile but now more than before! 

Living Carroll happens to be a girl who I went to school with growing up and it's her story with her family. One day, she posted these muffins where her kiddos thought they were cupcakes! WHA? 

After eating all natural foods for awhile now, the taste buds really change and are more sensitive to sugar. With our windows open all day today and our A/C finally off, I was ready to give these treats a bake!   

THANK YOU MARNA!!!! Not only does my house smell like fall but my waistline has not suffered from this savored treat. 

This recipe is based on the recipe found here.

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups almond flour
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup Raw honey or Coconut Nectar
• 2 tsp almond butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350℉.
Mix all ingredients and pour evenly into tins.

Coat muffin tins with coconut oil (or use paper muffin cups and add 1/2 tsp melted coconut oil to batter).     (I used the bite size muffin tin and put in for 10 minutes)

Bake reg. muffins for 25 minutes on the middle rack.

With my pumpkin patch going crazy, I'm excited to have fresh pumpkins to work with! 

Happy baking people! and Welcome fall!