Now Live! New Website & Blog ~ Enduring Health Journey

My passion... to share our story of difficulty, to share what we have learned, to encourage and inspire you to live a healthier, happier lifestyle, and above all... to hopefully grow and strengthen your faith. A year ago, I thought if we (my daughter and I) could get better, if we could overcome most if not all of our health issues, I would share our story with the world. I am so happy to say God has blessed us greatly in knowledge, in hope and encouragement, and in health. He has driven Enduring Health Journey to become a reality. He has showed us the power of purpose, prayer and perseverance and we want to share it with you. We are in the beginning stages of a new blog, website, twitter space and instagram. We hope you will join us; we pray you will be blessed!

The Greatest Gift of All ~ Part 3

Be sure to read Part 1 HERE and Part 2 HERE before reading Part 3. Thank you!

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You would think after receiving the ultimate gift from their father, the childrens' lives would go smoothly and everything would be good. But this was not so. Although both children accepted the same perfect gift each used it differently in their lives. Neither entirely understood the benefits of such a great gift for it was beyond what they could imagine.

The daughter took her father's words to heart. She knew how much he loved her, she knew how much she loved and missed him, and she knew she wanted her father's ways to continue. By living a life like her father, she knew many others around her would be touched and blessed. Changing her way of living was not an easy task. She found that controlling her tongue as well as her negative thoughts to be two of the most difficult challenges. She would also have to get out of her comfort zone and reach out to others. But she pressed on. She wanted her life to be a tribute back to her dad, a thank you for loving her beyond measure. She would imagine her father looking down upon her with a smile on his face with every good step she made. She did what she did not because she felt she had to for her father, but because she wanted to and because of the love she felt for him. Her heart had changed... it had grown. She learned that doing good was not the easiest route to take but somehow it was definitely the most rewarding. Yes, she faced trials from time to time, sometimes she wondered if she was going to survive the struggling and suffering, but she would refocus her mind on the positive, on her father, what he would have done in her situation. Her father's letters gave her great hope and inspiration during the difficult times. After patience and endurance through the battles in her life she was always able to overcome them and feel more powerful than before. She grew thankful for the difficult times because looking back, she could see that through the journey she was learning new and important lessons. She was becoming a better and stronger person. She was feeling freer from struggles that would have previously made her feel miserable long term.

People around her were always watching. Some were quick to cast judgement on her. They didn't take the time to get to know her, but then there were others who were drawn to her, one's that didn't even know why their paths joined hers but in time they were touched by her. They learned new things about themselves through her kind words and actions. They were drawn to her for the good and it made them want to be better... for themselves and for others. She was also encouraged by them. There was an indescribable strength through the positive actions.

The brother was going through life completely different. He said he accepted his fathers final gift at the same time his sister did, but the acceptance did not make it into his heart. The acceptance of the gift only made it in his mind. He went on with his life saying many things his father did and did some good deeds but he remained focused on his own works. He was still driven by worldly things... money, his company, his own desires of things he wanted and wanted to do. He couldn't see the power that his father was giving him through his final gift. He didn't allow his heart to be open for change. His mind was always racing on what he thought he needed to do next. This was quite the opposite from his sister. She would allow her mind to rest on her father and his ways and words and allow them to guide her. But the son, he was guiding himself which made for very difficult times and he continued to grow weaker. It felt like he was always fighting against someone or something. He didn't realize that the biggest battle was going on inside himself. He did things because he thought he had to. He didn't see any use for controlling his tongue and controlling his own mind was not even a thought. To him life was just going to happen, he didn't see how he could have any impact on it for the good. Even though his father was on his thoughts from time to time, he remained in his own works and because of this he could not truly prosper in any area of his life.

The sister saw how her brother was struggling. She could see the war that was going on within himself. She tried to make him see that the ways of their father and the love for him had to be embedded in their hearts. She tried to get her brother to read their father's letters but he always responded that he didn't have time for that. This hurt her for she knew how life could change for the better for him if he just took the time and put his focus on their father, his ways and words, and allow his mind and heart to be renewed. But the sister knew that she could not push him, that if she did it would only drive him farther away. So she went about her day, focusing on the good, focusing on her father and what she could do for someone else. Because of showing great love, the daughter felt so full, so happy and blessed in return. She couldn't think of living life any differently. She wanted the same for everyone around her. She wanted everyone to feel loved. She realized that EVERYONE had been given this amazing gift. The ultimate gift was given a very long time ago and it is passed down to each generation. The daughter wants everyone to know the great power that dwells within each believer. She knows by watching her brother and others around her that there is a choice to accept this great gift... not just to accept it through mind and word but in the heart. By truly accepting the great power and love, it completely changes a person. It makes them live for the good, it makes them do good, it makes them love in a new way, it makes them see life so differently... there is no longer a darkness but light and hope in all situations. The sister does not know what any given day will bring, but she is certain that good will come from it. She prays that one day her brother will experience this light... because there is no greater gift!

The End.

Initially I didn't know there was going to be a part three. But I felt it laid on my heart that many people aren't realizing the amazing gift that dwells within them. This power is just waiting and wanting to be used. God gave US, you and me who believe in Him, the Holy Spirit to dwell within for a purpose. It isn't meant to sit in us and do nothing until the day we die. We are meant to be transformed, to do good and amazing things right now in this life. The Bible is filled with so many letters explaining how it is best to live our life. It tells us how to overcome evil that we will experience. It explains a good part of God's will for us. I have never been so excited to learn... it is like discovering the best kept secrets, but the crazy part is it shouldn't be a secret. We are meant to share the good exciting news, but somehow Satan has such a strong hold on this world, so many people aren't hearing/learning the so called secrets to living a better life! Jesus came to Earth to show us by His actions the ways we should go. We are suppose to learn from what he did and said. Sure we can believe in Him and believe that he died on the cross for our sins to save us and have eternal life, but I feel that there is so much more that is not being taught, even in many churches. Jesus died, so we could be given the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, so we can be the hands and feet of Christ. Jesus paid the ultimate price so we are able to overcome Satan's evil doings! We should be thanking God for His amazing gift by loving Him and doing the good that He showed us to do. He wants us to pray continually for guidance, and if we really are being true to His ways, He will answer our prayers, He will be glad to guide us, He will show us His great love. I am certain of this. So long I didn't make the time for Him. I didn't make the time for a relationship with Him. I didn't realize what I was missing and through that journey I learned that I was really hurting myself for not taking the time to get to know Him. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was allowing Satan into my life and even allowing him to work through me. And although my journey has been a rough one, I am so thankful for it, because God has drawn me closer to Him by experiencing those difficult times. I now know that God was after my attention the whole time. He loves me and He loves you. He is OUR Father who wants the best for us. We just need to give Him our time, our focus and allow Him to work through us. Our Father has a great plan for us. Are we willing to let Him move us?

Healing Power of Raw Milk

For awhile now I have truly believed in the healing power of food. Food is medicine. Meaning food that is organic and as close to God's original creation will benefit us. If man gets in the way and tries to alter food the healing power seems to be, no, IS destroyed. I don't really know when it happened that man thought they could create something better than God. I have found this to be true from personal experience. Trying raw milk this summer confirmed my beliefs. Kaelyn was allergic to milk since she was a baby. When my health turned for the worst and I removed many foods from my diet, I found dairy was a big issue for me also. I was sad because I really liked dairy products. After cutting it out I kept getting this feeling that milk should work for me. But no matter what we tried from the store, like 100% grassfed homogenized butter, Kaelyn and I would both break out with rashes. I was frustrated. I had been doing quite a bit of health research around that time and had come across a few readings that several people with dairy allergies could actually tolerate raw milk. This was exciting news, but where could I get my hands on raw milk? A farm a couple hours away was already swamped with customers wanting his raw milk and my husband was not for raw milk at all due to safety health scares at that time. Since then my belief in the healing power of God's given food increased. I was watching and experiencing my own body heal through food, herbs and prayer. Hearing stories from my 92 year old grandma about her and her family drinking a lot of raw milk growing up really made me want to try it. Without going into much detail on my grandma, she does not seem her age, she is active, keeps up her own big house, gardens, and if her or her siblings happen to fall they bounce right back up. No broken bones! There has to be a good foundation for this type of exceeding health. Anyway as time went on I had a conversation with another couple about raw milk near our area. (Thank you June and Jason!!!) I kept the information in my mind. I had been feeling for quite awhile that we were not getting enough calcium in our diet. After seeing that my teeth were not looking so great... like some translucent spots on them I knew we HAD to get more calcium. That night I told my husband to please go to the nearby dairy farm and see if we could try some raw milk. He finally changed his mind and decided we could try it! Turns out the farm had one jug of milk that hadn't been spoken for and that we could try it. If it worked for us we would have to buy a cow share as required by state law at that time.

Well we tried it. I was nervous giving it to Kaelyn since she had always reacted very noticeably in the past to dairy. At first I blotted some milk on her wrist and then by her mouth. This is a good test to see if you are highly sensitive to a food. She did not react! So she drank some. She loved it and still did not react. Milk continued. My teeth looked better within 24 hours of drinking the milk and Kaelyn's eczema on the back of her arms was reducing! Praise the Lord for His good gifts! How he worked out a place to get it right near us and its healing qualities amazes me.
David has been stopping at the farm weekly for the last couple months+ to pick up our glass bottled milk. Last week we took a family trip to the farm. It was Kaelyn's and my first experience there. We were met by happy cows going to graze in the pasture, chickens and quite a few happy, healthy children. The kids were so full of energy and loving I couldn't keep from laughing. Kaelyn loved it there even though she was being pulled in all directions by the kiddos. :)

I am not saying raw milk will work for everyone. (Although raw goat and sheep milk is even easier tolerated than raw dairy as it is easier to digest.) If I had the milk before I eliminated a lot of the Candida in my system I'm not sure it would have gone over so well. I feel my body would have been too congested. It just happened that the timing was right and everything aligned. God had it planned out perfectly! So now we are enjoying raw milk every day. Yay! And what's even better, the state just changed its rules and we no longer have to own a cow share. Yep, we don't have to own part of the cow in order to get milk which means if we want more milk we can get it! So exciting... atleast for us! :)

Some may be wondering why raw milk works and not pasteurized dairy. The main reason is when raw milk is heated, beneficial bacteria and enzymes that the body needs are killed. Pasteurization prohibits the milk from working in the body the way it was originally meant to. Short explanation... the good is destroyed by the heat. Man, get the hint... DON'T mess with God's design and we would all be better off! End of rant.
More information on the health benefits of raw dairy vs pasteurized can be found on Dr. Mercola's site HERE.

One of the lessons I have learned is if something keeps coming up in your mind and you can't let it go, God wants you to do something with the information. He speaks differently to each person. Just listen, accept and do. Good will follow. :)

Have a awesome and blessed day!

Journey to Healing {Part 1: Essentials}

Shortly after the new year, I blogged that this WILL be the year I heal. Even though I've done a Candida detox twice before without success I am still determined and sure this will be the year of regaining my health naturally. It is only the beginning of March and I have seen so much improvement already and such nasty things coming out of my body! Yay!!! Nothing is more exciting than seeing advances when you have worked so hard for so long.

First and foremost my praise goes to the Lord for the healing. I don't know how many prayers I have said for healing but still tried every so called health tip I came across. After eating so clean for such a long time and not seeing a big improvement I became really frustrated. It wasn't until I really asked God for guidance on what I needed to do/take that helped me on my healing journey. The end of last year/the beginning of this year I have done my best to listen to Him. As always, he answered and led me to two crucial products that have helped me significantly!

The first product is organic Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth. What is that you ask? Diatomaceous Earth is finely milled silica shells of ancient microscopic freshwater plants called diatoms. What is so amazing about these little silica shells is that when you mix the powder with water and drink it, the diatoms run through your body attracting and absorbing fungi, protozoa, viruses, endotoxins, pesticides, drug residues, E.coli and heavy metals! The good stuff in your body is left unharmed. Pretty darn amazing if you ask me and it comes from the earth, made by God! You can get a lot for not much money. It kinda tastes like drinking sand but I have no problem taking it as I can see it working. After two months of use I noticed/saw the biggest changes so far. So it isn't something that is going to happen overnight... like everything good, it takes time. I worked up to taking 1 flat tablespoon mixed in spring water. I actually mix it in half of a glass of water, drink it right away and then drink a big full glass of plain water right after that. It is a good idea to drink a good amount when you take the Diatomaceous Earth to get it moving throughout your system. 

I just have to note that it was the day I asked God for guidance that I came across the Earthworks site who sells this stuff and what I thought was so awesome was their About Us page actually talks about God and Heaven! I knew in my heart this stuff was going to help me. So far I have not been disappointed and it even has so many more uses! So anyone who is struggling with health issues and not seeing the results they would like to see even after drastic diet changes, I strongly encourage you to look into taking Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth. Make sure it is FOOD GRADE! If it isn't food grade it would harm your health!

The next big essential is good, strong probiotics. You have probably heard the importance of probiotics by now. Your body needs plenty of healthy bacteria to crowd out the bad guys in your gut. Every time an antibiotic is taken, the good bacteria is being killed. You need to repopulate the good! If the bad guys out number the good, sickness and disease will overcome you. One of the problems I found was finding a good probiotic to take. Even the ones my doctor recommended didn't seem to do anything for me which made me feel like I was wasting a lot of money. Since many health conditions are caused by the imbalance of beneficial bacteria, one needs to restore a good balance. Again I prayed about it and came across Saccharomyces Boulardii and Bio-Kult. Saccharomyces Boulardii is recommended for those struggling with Candida/yeast issues. Clinical and holistic nutritionist Christa Orecchio has had Candida herself and successfully overcame it with Saccharomyces Boulardii (and Diatomaceous Earth). After listening to many of her health talks I was excited to give Saccharomyces a try and it has worked well. After using Saccharomyces for about 3 weeks with no other fermented foods, I added in Bio-Kult which comes from the UK. It contains 14 live strains of good bacteria. (My daughter also takes this as it is safe for children too.) Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride is one who helped formulate this probiotic and I trust her work as she has helped heal many. I currently use both of these probiotics and upped the amount towards a therapeutic grade level per Campbell-McBrides recommendation. After taking them in combination with the DE, I have seen and feel great results. Sure, I have gotten some die off reactions, which are the not so fun feelings of the toxins dying in my body... head spinning, not feeling so well, fatigue... but it is fairly short lived and since I know what it is from I can control it by backing off a bit if I need to. Knowing my body is working on removing the nasty stuff keeps me focused on pushing forward to restored health. Praise the Lord for allowing our bodies to heal themselves given the right conditions! I am currently starting to make my own sauerkraut to get in more fresh probiotics. I have done many kitchen experiments already this year... water kefir, sourdough and now sauerkraut. It has been fun, but sadly our bodies weren't quite ready for everything we tried. In time...

A clean diet free of all processed food is a huge and helpful step. For quite awhile I wasn't seeing a big benefit from it. My doctor suggested I try Betaine HCL to see if my stomach had enough acid to break down the beneficial food I was eating. Sure enough I wasn't getting the good nutrients from the food I was eating. I kind of knew my body was missing important nutrients due to the horrible ridges on my fingernails but at the time didn't know much about Hydrochloride. I thought I was missing some vitamins. Slowly my nails are becoming smoother! Anyway, if you think your body isn't breaking down food properly ask your doctor if you can do the HCL test. You simply take a pill after you eat a meal with protein; you should then have a warm burning sensation in your stomach which means you have enough acid. If you don't feel anything your digestion is needing some help. I got up to the max amount of seven pills and didn't feel anything. After time and more healing I have been able to cut down to one a day and sometimes don't even need any!

I share these items with hopes it will help someone else going through a similar situation. I wish I would have known about them and tried them on my first Candida detox round, but I remain hopeful that the third attempt will be a charm. :) I linked to the actual products I use and think are amazing. Please don't hesitate to ask me any questions about the items. I will do my best to answer.

With these healing essentials I also continue to focus on these points that I previously shared. I haven't been doing the best with spending time outdoors since it has been so cold around here lately, but that will soon be changing... warmer weather should be arriving this weekend. Yay! So excited to get outdoors! I love being out in nature and breathing the fresh air. The photos above were taken on a ride back home. The sky was amazing. A South Dakota landscape can be quite beautiful. ♥

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...

TEDxMileHigh - Robyn O'Brien - Patriotism on a Plate

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!

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!

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.

What we ate Wednesday { for Health }

{gluten, dairy, egg, nut and yeast free pizza}

I have so much I would love to share on here... just need more hours in the day.
Since I didn't get our menu up last week, I'll share what we ate the last two weeks. With pheasant season going on we had a new option available in our menu planning. Sorry vegans, we totally live off the land. I tried the vegetarian diet for a short time when I was real sick and oh my goodness I thought I was going to starve to death. I could eat a whole 9x13 pan of a bunch of veggies, quinoa, coconut oil, avocado and sauerkraut and still not be full! My body requires meat to feel full and just better overall. I also enjoy clean meats from the wild. I know everyone's body is different and our requirements are all different, so I just encourage everyone to eat what works for them and what makes them feel good. :)

Anyway, here is our food list that works well for our fight against Candida, Celiac Disease, Leaky Gut*, multiple food allergies and intolerances:

Tuesday: walleye, asparagus
Wednesday: Lunch-walleye, green beans, Supper-goose, sauteed brussel sprouts in garlic
Thursday: 100% grass fed beef roast, creamed spinach
Friday: roast leftovers
Saturday: Breakfast-pancakes, Lunch-liver with onions, sauerkraut and avocado, Supper-creamed veggie broccoli soup
Sunday: Breakfast-leftover pancakes, Lunch-hubby grilled turkey and 100% grass fed hamburgers, Supper-Soup leftovers and homemade bread
Monday: ground turkey in zucchini/broccoli/onions/kale/garlic
Tuesday: homemade pizza (like pictured above topped with lettuce)
Wednesday: pheasant, creamed spinach and swiss chard
Thursday: Lunch-homemade chicken sausage with sauerkraut and avocado, Supper-chicken breast and asparagus
Friday: beef roast, candied green beans
Saturday: Breakfast-teff porridge, Lunch-liver with onions, sauerkraut and avocado, Supper-leftover roast & beans
Sunday: Breakfast-teff porridge, Lunch-hubby grilled hamburgers and turkey like previous Sunday, Supper-turkey with sauteed beet greens, zucchini, onion and garlic
Monday: "cheese"burger soup (to create a fake cheese I use blended cauliflower, nutritional yeast, turmeric and a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice)
Tuesday: ground chicken sausage with sauerkraut, candied green beans

Like the previous What we ate Wednesday posts our breakfast usually consisted of goat kefir or goat yogurt, homemade chicken sausage and veggies, or meat/veggie leftovers. K likes to have certified gluten free oatmeal a few mornings out of the week. Lunch for Kaelyn and I consists of leftovers reheated on the stove. I heat Kaelyns before school and she takes it in a thermos. The days after we have pheasant and turkey, Kaelyn often enjoys the meat in a lettuce salad for her school lunch.

*I have to say teff porridge (which is a newly added food to our diet, original friendly food list found HERE) doesn't seem like the best option for us yet. Our body is still struggling with digesting the tiny grains. So if you are struggling with several health issues I would suggest leaving it out. I don't believe your body will get any benefit from it if it can't be digested properly.

Hope this list inspires you in the kitchen for the remainder of the week!

Quick Self Allergy Test

Sorry, this is a wordy post, but had to share my experience. In the last post I touched on the subject that I found I had even more allergies than I previously knew about. I started the day by feeling the size of the lump in my neck. I do this regularly. I've had it for about a year and a half. The doctors wanted to cut it out and biopsy it but I had the strong feeling that I could overcome it naturally. The doctor who wanted to cut it out was clueless about gut health and how the whole body works together, so it was an easy decision for me to not return. After getting real strict with my diet and only eating Candida friendly foods that I believed were safe I really felt like I could heal myself. Well on this particular morning I still felt the lump there, yes, it has gone down significantly in size, (it used to be like the size of a gumball and now was about pea size) but I was frustrated it was still there after working so hard. I openly said, "God, why is this lump still there? What am I doing wrong? Please show me!!!" Then I went on with my day. That afternoon I was making a loaf of bread that I thought was working really well for my daughter and I. It was egg, dairy (cow), gluten, wheat, nut, nightshade and yeast free. When I was scooping the batter into the pan I decided to try a dab to see how it tasted. Who doesn't like to try dough/batter when they are baking? :) Anyway, I guess I was being messy and the batter dripped down my lip and went onto the skin below my lip. Not thinking much of it and I just wiped my lip and continued getting the bread dough in the oven. Not long after I felt my lip/skin getting itchy. A few minutes go by, and it is still bothering. I go to the bathroom and see that my skin is red, inflamed and it is still itchy. It hits me that something in the batter does not like me. Oh no! What can it be? I thought everything was safe that I was using. I do not like bland food. When I make food, I tend to go spice happy and add other foods that will give bursts of flavor. So my bread is no plain bread. My first thought was it was the goat yogurt I put in this batch (a newish food brought back) so I decided to put a dab of it on my lip/skin area that hadn't been inflamed by the dough batter. Nothing happened, so I proceeded to try the rest of the ingredients I had used. I gave plenty of time between each item to see if something would happen. Sure enough, when I came to ginger, my lip stung like crazy and my skin turned red. It didn't stop until I washed it off. When my skin returned to normal I continued with testing to see if there was anything else. (the gluten free flours, onion, garlic, other seasonings...) Cinnamon and oregano also reacted. I use oregano in EVERYTHING! I love it for flavor. I was not happy at all. At first I was thinking, God, I've already taken out soooo many foods and now this?! I gave up sugar, my seasonings were my replacement to get by and now I have to take these out too??? I felt like breaking down. I started to think if I had one more reaction to food I would completely lose it. It is NO easy task giving up all your favorite foods (favorite foods back then anyway) and then when you find out you react to things that are supposedly healthy, it isn't easy to take. My daughter was freaked out when she came home and saw I had an allergic reaction to cinnamon. She loves cinnamon and uses it often and we were both worried she would react the same way since we have so many of the same health problems. But praise the Lord she didn't react!!! To be honest I had a small pity party for myself. Then I realized God had answered my prayer that I had spoke that morning. When I asked why my neck lump was still there. He showed me! He had guided me to figure it out! How amazing was that?! I was filled with hope pretty quickly. The next day when Kaelyn asked if I was still sad and upset about the seasonings I couldn't have, I said no. I really felt like everything was going to be fine. I had a sense of peace that came over me and I didn't have any more negative feelings about it. God is good!
I had been shown a pretty simple way to test for allergies. Not sure why I didn't think of it sooner as when Kaelyn was a baby she would also break out in rashes from foods she ate that got on her skin first. We should have known right away to remove milk and egg from her diet right away when we saw those signs, but silly us, I think we were in a bit of denial and waited for official tests from the doctors that ended up showing what we already knew.
A ways into my own health struggles I really wanted my doctor to do allergy tests on me. She wouldn't. She said they are unreliable, that doing your own elimination food tests are a better route to go. I wasn't too happy at the time, because I wanted something fast and simple to tell me what I couldn't/shouldn't have. I had already done my own 2 week elimination diet of main food categories and knew several foods I responded poorly to. My doctor wanted me to retest all foods again but leave them out for 3 weeks and gradually reintroduce one at a time again. Well I got the same results by doing just the 2 week elimination and then gradually adding one back at a time. I can go into more depth on that process in another post if someone is interested.
Back to the easiest test we found, not saying it will work for everyone or for all kinds of allergy testing but it is certainly an easy one to try for a first stage test. Just mix a dry ingredient with a tiny bit of water and put on your lip and down into the skin below, no need to add water if it is a liquid. If you get a stinging and itching sensation that won't go away with red inflammation, you aren't reacting well to it and should remove the food for a good amount of time. Your body can heal itself so the good news is if it is a good healthy food that you are reacting to, in time you should be able to bring it back into your diet. Your gut health just needs time to restrengthen and heal.
Here is a picture of me about an hour and a half after one of my reactions, I think this one was from the oregano...

The inflammation had looked quite a bit worse but I didn't think to take a photo until it was going away. This is me in the all natural by the way, no editing, no make up... I hadn't even done my hair that day. Who has time for that? :) Really I don't care what I look like in the photo I just wanted to share my experience in hopes it will help someone else figure out their offending foods.

My learning doesn't end there. After my allergy testing experience I was a little worried about other foods I may be eating that I may be allergic to and not know it. Well, thank the Lord for his nudging in my life because he led me to the most amazing revelation. After Jesus died for us, he gave us His Holy Spirit to live in each and every one of us, right? And I guess I was originally thinking that was how He guides us, which is true but the part I was missing is just how powerful He is and ALL the things He can help us do. God is the most powerful, the number one HEALER and He lives in ME and you!!! It really hit me, I don't need to take anymore evil going on in my body. The Lord lives in me and can overcome it! I just have to believe, trust, and remember what all Jesus did for me (and everyone else) on the cross. I can allow my body to let the Holy Spirit overcome any sickness, disease, or other negativity in my body.  I don't know about you but that sure got me excited! And guess what, my neck lump is almost gone!!! So, so thankful! I strongly encourage you to turn to the Lord when you think a struggle in your life is too strong. Give it up to Him to overcome. I will go into more depth on my revelation soon.

What we ate Wednesday { for Health }

{ beet greens and stems }

It wasn't very long ago my mom called and asked if I could eat beet greens. I had never tried them before and when I looked up information on them it looked like I should be able to. So I decided to make a veggie dish by sauteing them with zucchini, yellow summer squash, kale, fresh parsley, garlic and onion. It turned out so good! Even my six year old loved the dish! That is one good thing about all our health issues/allergies, it pushes us to try new foods, to eat veggies we normally wouldn't and for the most part we end up really enjoying them. Beet greens and stems will definitely stay on our menu list. :) Thank you mom for sharing your veggies!

So onto what we ate this last week; hope it inspires you in the kitchen:

Wednesday: Lunch-homemade ground chicken sausage and bone broth soup, Supper-goose and gravy on homemade bread
Thursday: fresh caught goose (from my dad) with sauteed greens veggie dish (liked described above)
Friday: cooked veggie mix with bone broth in creamed zucchini soup, homemade bread
Saturday: Breakfast-teff porridge (second attempt on making this, this one turned out good!), Lunch-opened face homemade bread with chunks of goose and veggie cream sauce, Supper-chicken breasts, sauteed broccoli with a drizzle of lemon juice
Sunday: Breakfast-K had leftover teff porridge, I had homemade chicken sausage with avocado and sauerkraut, Lunch- Salmon grilled on cedar (by hubby) with lemon drizzle and browned asparagus, Supper-opened face homemade bread with chunks of goose and veggie cream sauce leftovers
Monday: chicken, cooked cauliflower/spinach/fresh parsley mix
Tuesday: creamed spinach with ground turkey

Like last week, breakfast usually consisted of goat kefir or goat yogurt, homemade chicken sausage and veggies, or meat/veggie leftovers. I had salmon and veggies a few mornings which was delicious! Love Hubby's Sunday grilling! K likes to have certified gluten free oatmeal a few mornings out of the week. Lunch for Kaelyn and I consists of leftovers reheated on the stove. I heat Kaelyns before school and she takes it in a thermos.

My crazy health journey continues as I found out I have even more allergies. Seriously!?! You probably are thinking what else is left to take out after the long list of foods I already can't have. Well seasonings, ginger, cinnamon and oregano are all out for me. I'll admit I was NOT a happy camper when I found that out... the hard way. More to come about that in the next post. I keep on learning, not always willingly...

What we ate Wednesday {for Health}

Every so often I will try and share one of our weeks menus with you. Hopefully this post will help inspire food planning for someone trying to eat healthier, working on overcoming illnesses through food, or maybe it will just give an insight to what we eat to those who are curious. :)

Here is what we ate this last week...

{allergy free pumpkin spice pancakes}

{Kaelyn likes hers topped with ghee, cinnamon, nutmeg and a touch of stevia. I choose pumpkin butter and cinnamon.}

Wednesday: duck, salad, sauteed broccoli
Thursday: cabbage casserole
Friday: ground beef in bone broth soup with homemade allergy free bread
Saturday: Breakfast-pancakes, Lunch-chicken breasts and sauteed veggie mix (zucchini, summer squash, beet greens, kale & onions), Supper-beef roast and candied green beans
Sunday: Breakfast-leftover pancakes heated in the toaster on low, Lunch-grilled hamburgers & hotdogs done by hubby (I don't eat the hotdogs) with sauerkraut & avocado and candied green beans, Supper-liver and onions with sauerkraut and avocado and sauteed veggie mix
Monday: goose, cooked beet greens and kale dish
Tuesday: roast, candied green beans, fotatoes (cooked cauliflower that tastes like potatoes)

Breakfast usually consists of goat kefir, homemade chicken sausage and veggies, or meat/veggie leftovers. K likes to have certified gluten free oatmeal a few mornings out of the week. Lunch for Kaelyn and I consists of leftovers reheated on the stove. I heat Kaelyns before school and she takes it in a thermos.

*When on my strict Candida diet I did not eat any form of grains or drink much goat kefir, but otherwise this is a similar list of meals I ate during those months. Just recently I added in the homemade bread and pancakes and so far they have been going good. (Praying they continue to!) I make up my own recipes using mainly buckwheat and teff.

If anyone has questions or would like more info about something please ask. I'd be glad to share! Happy Wednesday!
 

Bread and Health

Most people eat bread without thinking too much about it. Growing up, bread was one of my favorite additions to a meal. Mom's homemade buns right out of the oven with melted butter was one of the best treats. As I grew older we heard more about health benefits of wheat bread vs white but still I enjoyed either one. Bread didn't become a big deal until we learned of my daughter's wheat/gluten and egg allergy. Boy did that narrow down the kinds of breads one could enjoy. We tried a variety of kinds from the health food aisles and nothing was very good. Many were dry and pretty tasteless and if you happened to find one with taste, it wasn't good. When my health was failing (Celiac Disease, leaky gut, hypochlorhydria, Candida...) I worked hard on overcoming many of my illnesses and all bread was removed from my diet. Something that worked for me while detoxing/cleansing my body was removing all grains, including gluten free grains. I recently felt my body was ready to reintroduce some of the grains/flours again. It had to be a homemade bread though with no sugar, yeast, soy, nuts, eggs, or gluten added. I wanted the healthiest bread I could get yet have some good taste. Praise the Lord, my first experiment turned out pretty darn good. I have now made it a few times and Kaelyn loves it and asks for it at every meal and snack time. :) I'm still working on some tweaks and want to try a different size loaf pan before sharing the recipe.

I need to add what a difference flours can make. Teff flour was one of the gluten free flours I used for the above pictured bread that turned out good and worked well for our bodies/tummies. One day I ran out of teff and decided I'd try millet. Not only was the bread a lot more crumbly but Kaelyn and I both got horrible rashes shortly after eating it. Apparently millet is a high glycemic food which could be a reason we reacted poorly. Thank the Lord, there were no feelings of explosions in my stomach and no major setbacks! Not too long ago I would have been curled up on the couch with horrible stomach pain and seriously bloated. This time my symptoms consisted of an itchy rash on my face but it was gone by the next day. Now we know, millet is out of my cooking. :)

For quite some time I had been worried about the foods we ate, what vitamins we were missing, trying different products in hopes of becoming healthy quickly. Ha, ha there is no real quick health cure, at least not to a seriously damaged body like mine. Anyway, one day I was talking to the Lord (yes I pray a lot during the day) and said I have done all I can do, it is all up to You to heal me, I give up trying to do it on my own. I'm sure He shakes His head at me several times a day when I think I can do things on my own. Ha! Trying to learn that lesson. It is hard to be patient. I asked Him to just guide me on foods and work His healing touch through my body. The good news is I know He is answering my prayers! Healing is happening! I needed to step back, simplify and pray. Once in awhile I still do worry/get nervous about trying new foods. I would love to reintroduce honey but I do not want a big setback and I really don't want the Candida in my gut to get out of hand again. It will be awhile before I try it, but I know I have to do better about relying on Him... for everything. I am definitely a work in progress. :)

A verse that spoke to me today:

Do Not Worry

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, 

what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 

Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. 

And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a 

single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
Luke 12:22-26

Friday Favorite {Recipe}

After a complete diet change and lots of time experimenting in the kitchen, I feel I have learned a lot and have come up with some pretty good allergy friendly/Candida free recipes. I have to admit, I was scared of cooking or sharing my food with others in public. I knew my taste buds changed a lot after eliminating sugar and eating totally different foods. When our family bible study started, everyone was suppose to bring food to share beforehand. I was a little freaked out about it. Kaelyn and I couldn't eat other people's food so I had to prepare a main dish that everyone could have. I was worried that no one would like/eat what I made... it doesn't always look the most appetizing. I had to focus on my family though and I knew what I could cook that my daughter liked and was good for her. So one of my first dishes I made for others was my cabbage casserole, and to my great surprise it was a hit! People (without food issues) were asking how I made it! This was shocking to me! And recently I made it for a church potluck and it went over the same. More people wanted the recipe so I figured I'd share it here as well.

These organic ground turkeys are a little less than a pound. I purchase them in the frozen health food area in HyVee. Their price is better than specialty health food stores.

I like quite a bit of seasoning for lots of flavor. Beware, the more turmeric you add, the yellower the dish will be. I like to make a large pot full so we have leftovers and K has some to take to school for lunch.

{click on recipe image card then right click and go to print}

Hope you enjoy the dish. Have a fantastic weekend!

What We Eat for Enduring Health

Several bloggers blog about what they wear. Well unless you really want to know our latest and greatest thrift store/second hand finds, what we wear wouldn't be all that thrilling. :)

What I do get asked often is "What do you eat???" This question always pops up when someone finds out all the allergies and food intolerances my daughter and I have to deal with. The list of foods we can't have is pretty long: dairy, wheat ~ all gluten products, eggs, peanuts, nuts, nightshades which include potatoes, peppers, tomatoes to name just a few of the main ones, corn, soy, legumes, fructose, starches and sugar. Even gluten free grains were out while healing from Candida. Sadly my daughter is a mini replica of her mommy when it comes to her health. Pulling sugar, fructose and gluten free grains from a kid is not easy. We do the best we can but she still has a little here and there. We never use any processed sugars. K uses stevia here and there otherwise we use some fruit for her sweetener,but it is rare. She still has a ways to go on controlling her Candida, but I'm hopeful we will get there.

Prior to my illnesses I was a pasta, pizza, burrito, bread and chocolate loving girl. Veggies were not high on my priority list and honestly, I don't think I ate a salad until I was in college. Sad. I had no idea how horribly I was impacting my own health and my future daughters. But as they say, you learn from your mistakes. My health was failing big time shortly after the birth of Kaelyn. I saw many doctors and really nothing was helping, I was only getting worse even after being treated for Graves Disease. So I started researching and going with my gut feelings and decided food might just be my best medicine... and it is. (But I also do really need my thyroid medication since my thyroid was killed.)

So what does a girl do, that had never eaten all that well or spent much time in the kitchen?... you learn to cook and experiment with food. You give up time creating art (or something else you love to do) to make time creating healthy,nourishing, yummy dishes for you and your family to eat. And now I can say, I see what a blessing my health struggles have been. Not only did it make me rely on God to remain hopeful and to keep going, but I was able to find and try so many new foods that are healthy and I now love! I've come to the conclusion if you don't like a veggie, you aren't cooking it right.

If any of you are dealing with health/food issues I hope you will find a little kitchen inspiration...

{making zucchini chips}

My daughter is addicted to these. They take forever to bake but when they are out, I don't think the two pans last more than 5 min before they are gone. These are baked with coconut oil, turmeric, nutritional yeast flakes and Himalayan sea salt.

Zucchini is an amazing veggie in the multiple uses it can have ~ chips, pasta, creamed soup, breads. It just needs a creative hand and it can be a wonderful replacement to otherwise harmful foods.

{allergy free zucchini lasagna ~ one of my favorite dishes!}

{cucumber water ~ adds a fresh punch of flavor}

For the longest time I was missing my pasta. Zucchini to the rescue again... and my mom for giving me her nifty grater to use, we now have wonderful grain free spaghetti noodles!

Kid approved! :)

When a vegetable can serve different purposes, meals can become a lot more interesting. Like zucchini, cauliflower can make a great substitute. I love making cauliflower into an alfredo like sauce or even fake mashed potatoes. My six year old really thought I had given her real mashed potatoes when in fact it was cauliflower. The key is to mix it with some meat broth, a little onion and seasoning and blend it up very smooth. Delicious!

Here is a more complete list of foods that have made me feel so much better and keeps our daughter healthy, if she shys away from this list she usually catches a bug pretty fast:

Meat:
Chicken, Turkey, Salmon with no added ingredients, organic is preferred, fresh caught fish, wild game (venison, goose, duck...), bison and beef that is 100% grass fed. I would like to try pork but haven't found a clean one. Have to be aware that gluten is put into most "natural flavorings" and spices usually contain nightshades.

Veggies:
Asparagus, Lettuce, Bok Choy, Celery, Cucumber, Radishes, Kale, Avocado, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collard Greens, Swiss Chard, Garlic, Green Beans, Onion, Spinach, Summer Squash, Turnip Greens, Zucchini, Black Olives, Seaweed (Kaelyn loves Kelp! I may not have told her it was actually seaweed. She also really likes SeaSnax... which are strangely addictive.)

Healthy Fats and Oils:
Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Animal Fats, Cod Liver Oil, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Ghee. Ghee is clarified butter and is technically a dairy food but casein and lactose have been removed so most people can tolerate it even if they are dairy intolerant. It has worked wonderfully for us as our butter replacement.

Seasonings:
Cilantro, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Oregano, Parsley, Thyme, Turmeric, Himalayan Sea Salt, Celtic Sea Salt and Nutritional Yeast Flakes. Nutritional Yeast must say "Flakes" which is a deactivated yeast so it won't harm a Candida sufferer; it is a great "cheesy" flavoring that is high in nutrients. All the seasonings I use are either fresh from the garden or USDA organic dry seasonings. I only purchase organic seasonings since many commercial spices are irradiated and can change or damage your body's cells, some can even contain other nasty contaminates.

Fruit:
Only a little fresh Lemon Juice for flavoring.

I also use Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar for cleaning veggies and when making bone broth soup.

I think that is everything I have been using in my kitchen. The links go to the actual products I use everyday. I can usually get a better price when ordering from Vitacost. I order quite a bit at once so shipping is always free and it's usually delivered in four days.

I have tried a lot of different healthy diet lists before coming to this one. Nothing else gave me relief. I found I have to have enough meat and healthy fat otherwise I am constantly hungry. I've only used the foods on this list for about six months. For about a year, year and a half, I have used the above list plus tried some gluten free grains and honey here and there but my stomach still wasn't happy and I was not digesting well. The one site that really helped in my progress is Healing Naturally by Bee. Be sure to check it out if you or a loved one are dealing with any serious health issues. It is not just for Candida sufferers! Remember to follow your gut instinct. You will know what works for you and your body... everyone is a little different. I believe everyone would do best from a clean, organic diet. Foods that are as close to nature as possible... the way God intended. These foods are what will help heal you. The more man gets involved with foods the worse they are for you... I have learned this from experience.

A couple weeks ago we brought back Goat kefir and it seems to be going over well. I would love to try raw dairy but it isn't available around us. I've heard a lot of dairy intolerant people can handle dairy in the raw form. Interesting. A couple days ago I also tried making bread again so we will wait and see how my body likes the reintroduction of some gluten free grains. I am praying there won't be anymore setbacks!

If you are dealing with similar health issues and/or have any questions, need support, whatever, please email me or leave a comment! I would be glad to chat with you.