28.1.15

TRUTH: The Cause of Sickness & Disease

For you and your loved one's health PLEASE read. 
If you don't want to read my ramblings fine, but I beg you to listen to the youtube links in this post. It has been placed on my heart that everyone needs to know this information. What you do with it is up to you but I urge you to seriously think twice about what you are feeding your body, your children, your loved ones...
God did an amazing job of designing our bodies, to fix/heal themselves, to run smoothly, to be healthy and strong. He provided us with good food to nourish ourselves. We have to do very little to this good food and it will provide us with amazing benefits, both physically and emotionally. What is sad is God's design and purpose is constantly being pushed to the side, which makes our lives so much more complicated than they need to be. When it comes to food we have the choice to eat something that comes directly from nature or we can eat something that is artificial, man made, genetically modified. Some or many pay no attention to what they are putting into their mouth or onto their body. I admit, I was that person for many years. As long as the so called food tasted good that is all that mattered to me. I never thought of the effects the food could have on my body. Besides some skin issues, and not wanting to get out of bed in the morning, I was thin and felt fine, so why should I worry? Life is very busy, I get that; people don't want to take the time to read labels, to cook "healthy" meals, but what they aren't realizing is that by not doing so there will be detrimental effects to their health. Food is either medicine or poison!

Do you know that the more man gets involved with the food process, the unhealthier it becomes? It can be literal poison to your body, causing inflammation. After an extended period of use, the toxic chemicals overwhelm your gut health and the body no longer has the ability of healing itself unless you make significant changes on moving away from the offending products. If no action is taken on your part, sickness and disease will keep multiplying until you die. That sounds fun, doesn't it? Medication is just a bandage, it does nothing for the root cause.

I am no doctor, have had no professional health training, but I have EXPERIENCED many health issues and have also EXPERIENCED some wonderful healing. I have witnessed many people die, all different ages. I've watched my great grandma live into her 100's, my grandma just turned 92 and is doing fantastic. When I hit my early 30's I felt as if my 90 yr old grandma was running circles around me. Why I thought? Why do I feel stuck in an old person's body? Brain fog came after having my daughter. After dealing with secondary infertility and being diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and Graves Disease I had a strong feeling it was the food... my diet. But the specialist told me, food has nothing to do with it, so I pushed my feelings aside. From that day on my health issues only got worse UNTIL I significantly changed my diet! There are thousands of people who have seen the same results. Before I changed my diet my little girl had a horrible allergic reaction after eating nutella. Her tongue and throat were swelling shut, her heart rapidly beating. I was in shock. I took her to the clinic where she got shots to counteract the allergic reaction and to normalize her breathing. I had this crazy sense of calmness that my daughter's health was not in my hands but the Lords, even while the panicked doctor had another higher up doctor on the phone. What scares me after that incident is hearing about other children who die from a peanut/nut allergy. Allergies are becoming more and more common. WHY? Some people think doctors are just more aware of symptoms and diagnosis now. Is that really the truth? I beg to differ as I have witnessed our own health turn around almost completely after changing to a healthier diet. I've heard other people's stories of both healing and sickness and it all comes down to FOOD!

Why is this issue so important to me? I don't want others to suffer when they don't have to. I don't want children being sick when it can be prevented. God willing, I want to live a good, long life... feeling happy and energized and I want that for my family as well. I have had lots of health experiences, sadly a lot of my issues were passed onto my daughter at birth. I don't want this to happen to other mom's to be. I want their babies to be as healthy as possible right from the beginning. There are plenty of other environmental toxins people have to deal with. Many readers know a lot about my health journey ~ secondary infertility, hyperthyroid, Graves Disease, hypothyroid, body tremors, heart palpitations, fatigue, weakness (hard to even climb a few stairs), anxiety, hormone imbalance, ringing in ears, constant congestion, swollen lymph nodes, lumps, allergies, intolerances, acne, rashes, spitting of blood, spasms in intestines, Celiac Disease, Candida, leaky gut, hypochlorydria... Saw several doctors, many tests ~ Brain MRI, cancer tests, spit tests, x-rays, unltrasounds, SIBO test, countless blood labs, radioactive iodine, some antibiotics, medications. Since my thyroid was killed I do need constant medication (which is man-made and contains harmful fillers) and if the dose isn't right my health gets much worse, but other then that nothing but diet has helped. If I would have listened to my gut feelings I would still have my thyroid and am sure I would be back to feeling 100% by now. I made a mistake and took a doctors advice without knowing what I was getting into. Which honestly good has come from that too, because I found a new passion in health and food and probably best of all, my relationship with God has become so much stronger. I know who to rely on now and I thank Him for His grace daily. I am healing! I hope my story will give others hope. I hope it will make another person's life a little easier.

Let my struggle be used for good!
But when Jesus heard it he said, "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." ~John 11:4

If you still don't understand the food/health connection I will open up myself entirely and share something I haven't shared with anyone but my husband. A year ago when I was really struggling I also had a large breast lump, (yeah, something I didn't want to share but now its like who cares because if my story helps someone else then awesome!) anyway, it was big enough that the doctor's eyes got real big when it was felt and I was rushed to the hospital for immediate x-rays and set up for cancer screening shortly after. Luckily since the lump was movable it was believed to be non-cancerous but I was supposed to have check-ups and x-rays done every few months. The doctor/nurse said the lump would more then likely grow more during different stages of the month, never saying it will or can dissolve. At that time I knew how important food was and I knew with the work I was doing to rid my body from the excess Candida that my body would heal itself in time. I never returned to the cancer facility or to the hospital for more x-rays. I knew God was in control and guess what, with food and His amazing design, the lump is GONE! Completely gone! Praise the Lord! I have seen so much healing in my body from where I used to be. If my daughter and I are around sick people and catch a bug it does not last long (we eat all organic, clean food), where as my husband can get it and be sick for days (he eats clean food and man-made, plus has a flu shot). I might not get sick if I wouldn't kiss him. Ha! I'm not worried, I believe in my body's ability to heal and His nourishing food. My body fights off sickness quickly now. God is good!

If you don't want to believe me on how serious your health is connected to the food you eat, I beg YOU to listen to these two talks. And if you do believe me, thank you, but still listen to them!!! The one by Jeffrey is lengthy but very good so try listening when your getting supper ready, cleaning up or riding in the car...


309 - GMO Food Allergies & Gluten Sensitivity - Jeffrey Smith


After listening to these talks, I know my health issues were caused by the genetically modified food. Not realizing it back then, I was addicted to the processed junk, macaroni and cheese - all time favorite, tv dinners with the brownie, chicken nuggets, pizza, pasta, bread, desserts, m&m's, ice-cream, specialty iced coffees... that is what my taste buds craved. Veggies were not on my list. Now I assure you they are and I LOVE them! My daughter does too and actually told me she was glad she had allergies so she could eat this good food. A couple days ago she also told me she feels yucky if she eats the "other" food. (Other meaning processed food, artificial candy from school.) I don't let her eat that junk any more. It turns my stomach seeing all the artificial candy kids get at school and at parties. When Kaelyn wanted a piece of candy she brought home from class I read her the ingredients list on the back and she went and threw it in the garbage!!! This mama's heart skipped a beat with pure happiness. No, it is not always so easy but I know how precious health is and I will do everything in my power to keep my child as healthy as possible.

The main GMO foods to stay away from: corn, soybeans, cotton, canola, & sugar beets. (90% of sugar beets in the US are genetically modified and a lot of it is made into table sugar.) Remember all these can come in different names on ingredient lists. Over time consumption of these foods will cause inflammation and autoimmune diseases unless it is only in small amounts, with the majority of your diet being clean veggies and meats. I am all for supporting organic grown foods and small farms that don't alter nature. As Jeffrey Smith stated, a GMO is like saying God Move Over. GMO's are like a silent war going on in our country. The outcome is devastating, not everyone knows about it. I urge you to be skeptical of man-made products that you use in/on your body. Someone may be just making a buck off you and harming your health. It is sad! Please watch what you feed children. They don't realize what is good vs. harmful. Teach them early on. It will be hard at the beginning but it will get much easier and they will thank you for it in the future. God created everything so perfect and good, His works should not be changed! I pray that people will change their focus of money to doing good for others.

"For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you." ~Proverbs 2:10-11

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." ~Proverbs 1:7

"If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land." ~Isaiah 1:19


Thank you for taking the time to read this and please, please listen to the links!

21.1.15

What we ate Wednesday & a recipe! { for Health }

{Sesame Tahini Salad}
I have been having fun in the kitchen lately. First I made a few little changes to my gluten free buckwheat bread and like it even better. Crazy how a few little tweaks can make significant changes. I will be sharing the recipe later on. I'm off all forms of grain right now as I am on a strict Candida diet/detox once again. Maybe the end of February/beginning of March I'll be able to make the bread again and make sure it is good enough to share. :)

Other recent kitchen experiments include a meatloaf made from liver and grass fed beef. I never looked forward to Kaelyn whining about liver and onions for supper so I decided to try and hide it in a meatloaf experiment. Guess what? She loves it!!! In a crazy way the liver gives a tomato taste to the meat. I'm not sure I love it but it isn't bad and hey its a huge win when she doesn't complain about eating it. She even asks for it several times a day! (I didn't tell her there was liver in it and not sure when I will disclose that information. Ha!)

My favorite experiment has been clam chowder. Oh my goodness, this soup was something I really missed. My grandma used to make it every Christmas eve and it was my favorite soup! After my daughter and I were having so many food allergies/food intolerance issues I didn't think I would be able to enjoy it again. Not too long ago it hit me what I could use instead of potatoes and dairy and it turned out to be a big hit! Yay!!! My family loved it so I tested it on my grandma to see what she thought and she was amazed! Last Sunday we had an impromptu get together at our house and I fed them the clam chowder and it continued to get the thumbs up. So I will be sharing that recipe soon. I never measure ingredients so I should probably go back and get some idea of amounts.

This last week I've been loving this salad I created with sesame tahini. I may be slightly addicted. :)
If you would like specifics, here are the links to several of the ingredients I use and really like:
Kal nutritional yeast flakes ~ gives an awesome cheesy flavor for those who can't have dairy/cheese, and the flakes also contain many beneficial vitamins
turmeric ~ don't need to add but gives a nice burst of flavor and turmeric is a great anti-inflammatory ingredient
Himala sea salt ~ not like refined table salt, HimalaSalt  contains essential minerals
Bragg's olive oil ~ there are many to choose from but I am currently using this organic extra virgin olive oil
sesame tahini ~ could grind your own sesame seeds into a butter or use this spread if you are short on time. I love this spread but it is a bit spendy. It is organic, raw and stone ground with good nutritional value.
pumpkin seed butter ~ I've added this in with the tahini and it tasted good. Good source of iron too.

As far as the meats go for the healthiest version, I make sure the chicken or turkey is free of antibiotics and hormones and no other ingredients are added. Free range and organic are best but hard to find around here. Always get organic celery. The chemicals they spray on some veggies can be extremely hazardous to our health, so make sure the celery and leafy greens have the USDA organic label on them.

Experiment all you want with this recipe. Amounts all depend on personal taste. Seed butters are a wonderful dressing alternative and they are full of nutritional health benefits. Hope you like it as much as I do!

16.1.15

I WILL heal from my illnesses naturally in 2015!




In the couple new years prior I have always hoped that it would be the year that I regained my health and not have any setbacks. I never had the positive this is going to be it kind of year, until this year. I have done so much reading and listening to health talks in the last year (plus praying and reading the Bible) that I now really believe I have gained the knowledge I need to entirely overcome my health issues. I have already come a long ways from where I was five years ago but I don't just want better, I want completely restored health. I know I made a huge mistake having my thyroid killed in the past due to a Graves Disease diagnosis, because I learned the body can heal itself given God given knowledge through prayer and His clean healing foods. It is proven that your cells are constantly renewing and your body is working on healing itself when given nourishing foods and eliminating toxins/stresses! That bit of information was so exciting to me and I already knew that with God anything is possible.


I am completely driven and determined to overcome my illnesses and to share with others how I did it so others don't have to suffer the way I have. Right now I am still fighting the Candida beast in my gut, working on balancing hormones, healing Leaky Gut, overcoming anxiety, food intolerances and getting my liver working in tip top shape.
It isn't an easy list to overcome. I've tried the doctor's way and only gotten worse by most of their suggestions. I've experienced more healing by natural means.
With that said here are the main points I am focusing on to regaining my health this year:

1. {Trust in God for guidance and healing} This is a huge step. With so many things to try in this world, from doctor's advice to the huge amounts of vitamins, supplements and foods on the market, it can be overwhelming and hard to know what will work the best for you. When you ask God for help on knowing what is right for your body, He does give you feelings on direction. It is amazing and don't go against what He is placing on your heart!

2. {Nutrition} I like to think of the Bible verse, "Everything is permissible"-but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"-but not everything is constructive. Corinthians 10:23 There is a wide range of food to choose from. It is up to us to select the nourishing foods that will help our bodies. This is definitely not easy but God can give you great strength in removing offending foods that you enjoy eating. Trust me, I know this one as I have given up ALL my previous favorite foods. But the Lord has showed me so many other amazing foods I had been missing.

3. {Connect with nature} Being a Christian I believe God created us from dust and in some crazy way we can get a powerful balance from the earth. Being out in nature, taking in the sunshine and breathing deep breaths of fresh air can do so much good for the body. This step has been hard for me in the cold winter months, but I have noticed how important it really is to one's well being.

4. {Sleep} Wow, this one is powerful. This is the time the body heals. Time and darkness play critical roles in the quality of sleep. I've always been more of a night person and pushed back bedtime to get more things done. I need to make sleep more of a priority.

5. {Stress & Toxin Reduction} Negative energy is always being thrown at us. I'm pretty sure we can never entirely get away from it, but there are some important steps we can take to reduce stress and toxins. Thinking positively can greatly affect our mood. Helping others is helpful to you and the receiver. Focusing on deep breathing several times a day can really help stress levels/anxiety. Somewhere around the time of my Graves Disease diagnosis I forgot how to breathe correctly. My heart palpitations messed me up, and I think I got stuck with short quick chest breathing through my mouth, which was not good for me and reduced the amount of good oxygen from getting into my body. Toxins are all around us, but we can have pretty good control over the ones in our food, household items and the like. Exercise and sweating is one good way for eliminating toxins from the body.

So those are the main points I am currently focusing on. If you are dealing with illnesses, never give up hope.
I suggest focusing on the scripture Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not evil, to give you a future and a hope!" Praise the Lord for this promise!

If you have some good naturally healing suggestions, please share in the comments.

13.1.15

The After Glow of Christmas

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, 
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
Mathew 5:16
I feel that 2015 is going to be really good. If you choose to look at the brighter side of every issue how can things not go well. Lately I've been looking at my daughter in awe, she has this certain glow about her. She's sharing such kindness and beauty from her heart with me. Last year in Sunday school she came home all excited because in class she had learned that her name meant pure beauty. And really her heart is. I pray that her heart will always stay beautiful in this not so easy world and that she will keep on shining like she does today. She is capable of impacting so many, just like you and me. She raises the bar for me to try to do even better and I am thankful for this push, I am so thankful for her.
 She shines in singing songs to the Lord whether among many people or by herself at home.
She does not stay silent. :)

 She shines in front of crowds. She tells me confidently, she will speak in front of all those people for God! ♥
She shines with peacefulness as she sleeps and 
wakes with love for family as she can't wait to spend time together.
 She shines with fun and laughter. It doesn't take anything extraordinary to make her happy.
She shines with such a caring personality.
Keep on glowing my girl, keep on sharing the good with others around you.

I pray that the after glow of the Christmas season will last all year through and beyond and that we will share it with others. I hope you are having a wonderful week, if not what can you change to make it better? Don't let the glow fizzle. Make 2015 good.