Which diet for you?

I have been getting lots of emails about special diets for kids on the spectrum, diets for leaky guts, diets for female issues, etc. The burning question is what diet will fit the need at hand. The problem is, each person is different so there isn't an exact diet to follow. Don't get me wrong, there are a good handful of diets out there that serve as a wonderful outline for following but you need to take it all in with prudence.


When I first started realizing that Tate had issues with leaky gut and Autism; I read everything I could get my hands on. My first very favorite read was "The Viscous Cycle" by Elaine Gotschall. The book gave me a huge intro into gut issues and lead me to take on the SCD diet it outlined. The Simple Carbohydrate Diet is a diet that took out all grains and uncultured dairy and many more things to heal the gut. I followed that for Tate for a year. We saw great improvements but in the end, with the limited food selection, he became allergic to eggs and almonds on top of all the other things he was allergic to.


We then tried a few other diets which each came with some good and not as good points. The problem was not the premise of the diets, but the premise that Tate could not fit into a diet. No one really can fit into one particular diet. We all have different dietary needs. What we need to do is tweak along the way, listen to our bodies and change as we see fit. The problem we have in our eating today is that we don't pay attention to what our bodies are telling us.


For instance, I am a believer in cultured dairy. Pure, good, raw dairy. I have cultured it for years. We don't drink fluid dairy. I have made yogurts, used pastured butter, raw cheeses , etc. Then, in an effort to heal some ailments in our family, I decided to tweak a little of what I was feeding my family. I have a son who was suffering from acne. He is a good eater, he is healthy and has done everything to help his skin. I believe completely that skin issues are a manifestation of problems with diet. Through my motherly gift of inspiration, I knew that he needed to go off all dairy. In addition, I had a son with a rash on his backside that has been persistent for quite some time. He LOVES yogurt. Tate, or course, can't handle dairy at all and hasn't had it for 5 years. My husband and number 3 child have stuffy noses. Even with my cultured, raw dairy; I believed whole heartedly that dairy had to go. I have some good troupers in my house who obliged their mother and wife and went with it. Amazingly, not surprisingly, the rashy backside completely healed, only to return when he ate yogurt one day. He decided that that was not worth it. My stuffy nose group sound much clearer; the one with acne knows completely that his acne is a result of dairy intake along with hormones. If he eats it, he will have large acne eruptions by the next day. If he doesn't, it is much, much more under control. I never knew I had an issue with cultured dairy until I quit. I realized that when I did eat cheeses or dairy products, I felt bloated. I no longer have that feeling and my stomach is nice and flat. I feel great and absolutely desire no dairy, whatsoever. 


It was a little challenging at first removing all dairy as an enchilada just isn't the same without cheese. But, it is now easy peasy and I find food actually tastes  much better without it. Really, we don't miss it. There is a wonderful coconut ice cream that we enjoy as a treat to substitute when you just have to have ice cream. 


If you want to feel better; if you want to heal your body and change your life; you will never, ever go wrong with taking the garbage out of your life. Take away the sugar, the uncultured dairy ( or all of it), the processed foods. Going gluten free is always good to help heal the body. Don't eat soy products. Eat organic foods. Eat local. Cook things yourself. Limit your meats. Drink green smoothies. Drink lots of water. Don't drink soda! 


If everyone just stuck with those basic rules, a majority of disease would be gone. Weight would be under control. 


If you have eczema or stomach discomfort, keep a food journal and try to pinpoint what is making you sick. If you avoid that food for some time, at some point you will probably be able to eat it again. Tate used to be allergic to over 32 known allergens; we are down to about 3. You can heal your body. 


Listen. Pay attention. Do your body a favor. Eat for your health and vitality. When you adopt this behavior, you will stop feeling that you are depriving yourself of certain foods; you feel that you are blessing yourself with certain foods. 


I had a great email from a husband who was thrown into a gluten free/ paleo diet after his wife emailed me a couple weeks ago. Their son had just been diagnosed with Autism. I gave the wife my lecture on going gluten/dairy free for their son and didn't hear back. The usual. Few go with it. When I saw the email from the husband, I thought I was going to get the lecture from him about what I told his wife. Quite the opposite. It was an email telling me of the amazing changes in their lives after just a week or two of the diet. He has diabetes and after just one week, his insulin levels have decreased by one half. Amazing. They are convinced. I am so proud of them! It always works. Always. 


You can still enjoy food, if not more, when you start eating right. Food will start to taste better. 


I made these little gems below today from the wonderful blog, The Sprouted Kitchen. You can find the recipe here. Soooo yummy. A little guilt free Almond Joy. Dairy free. Gluten free (when using gluten free oats).The only sweetener is a little maple syrup. A perfect treat for a girl who loves her chocolate. 

I am so not deprived. My mouth and tummy are very happy. Eating healthy can be delicious. 

Getting Cultured: Kefir

Many of you probably have no idea what Kefir is or why in the world you would want this in your diet. The idea of taking on something new in the kitchen can be overwhelming until you understand why it is so important in our diet. I am fairly new to the "kefir" scene, maybe a year into the process and I will share all I know so you may also catch the "kefir bug" at your house.


What is kefir? The word "Kefir" actually comes from a Turkish word "Keif" which means "good feeling". Already sound good? Kefir is a cultured product meaning it is left to ferment to create the healthy organisms in the drink. It can be created from milk or water or even coconut water. It is an enyzme-rich food that contains an overabundance of friendly bacteria to help balance out our inner vessels. 


Kefir is better than yogurt for our bodies. It contains complete proteins, essential minerals and the much needed B vitamins.  We lack so much of this in our diets and with the overuse of antibiotics destroying our friendly bacteria in our systems, kefir will help restore that balance.


When our system is out of balance, meaning the bad bacteria overtakes the good bacteria, we become sick. Our bowels are irregular in most cases, we have yeast problems, allergies, skin issues, auto immune diseases and much more. The daily intake of kefir will help to heal our bodies.


In our house, we use water kefir and milk kefir daily. Although drinking milk kefir is very beneficial, we don't drink milk around here due to some allergies. The process of culturing milk kefir breaks down the lactose in the milk which is a main source of allergy but it still contains many other proteins as well and I am not ready to challenge that in a daily drink, yet. But, I know it is great in smoothies and many drink it daily without issue. For me , I use my milk kefir in any recipe calling for buttermilk, milk or sour cream. It makes the fluffiest and lightest baked goods around. I used it in my buttermilk syrup recipe, for my coleslaw and just about everything else I could think of. Since the kefir is cultured, it is so much easier to use by the body. This is true especially if you are using goats milk although a little stronger of a flavor. Milk kefir is so easy to do. It takes very little work. If you love using buttermilk than this would be a much better option for you. Finding buttermilk in the store that is free from additives is near impossible. This is just the straight milk but loaded with the good things. Of course, by cooking it you are killing much of the good bacteria but you are still getting the benefits of a cultured food for better digestion.


The water kefir is my favorite to drink. My friend Kara has me hooked. It becomes fizzy like a soda pop and when you add juice, it tastes like a sparkling juice. I always have some brewing on the counter and drink it daily as do my children. I have been experimenting with flavors; grape, lemon, cranberry lemon, apple, etc. Some have been better than others. 


How do you make kefir? It begins with kefir grains. You put them in the bottom of a glass container like a mason jar. I use the quart size for the milk kefir and the half gallon size for the water kefir. For the milk, you just add the milk (I prefer the raw milk) and give a little stir with a plastic or wood utensil. You then lightly cover and put it in a dark cupboard or closet. Usually within 24 hours or less you will have some thick and creamy kefir. The longer it sits, the thicker and more sour it gets so it is your choice. It is good to stir it a few times while culturing. You then strain the grains in a plastic colander and store the kefir in the fridge. You rinse the grains and begin again.


The water kefir feeds off of sugar. The sugar is broken down in the process so no need to worry about that. You want to use a sugar that is not processed. I use Sucanat  but you can use whatever you like. Coconut sugar won't work but you can use honey or any of the raw sugars. You cover the grains in water, add some sugar and let it sit for 24-48 hours. After that time period, you strain off the grains and then add juice to the kefir. I then let it sit for another 24 hour period to get good and fizzy. I then put it in the fridge to chill. The longer it sits out, the more alcohol you are making so just beware. Any food fermented has some alcohol, even a piece of ripe fruit. There is such a minimum amount in Kefir unless you let the fruit juice step to go beyond the 24 hours. 


If you are interested in becoming "cultured" around your house, I have lots and lots of water kefir grains and some of the milk kefir grains. I won't ship them but if you live around here, you can shoot me an email to come get some. They are $8 per tablespoon to get you started. They grow like crazy so you can share them as well. I will also give you complete instructions at that time. 


Seek knowledge. Don't be content where you are. The more I learn I realize the more I don't know. Isn't that exciting? 

Taking Care

5 out of the 9 of these little monkeys are mine. They are all adorable. I love them all to pieces. I want them to keep growing strong and healthy and free from all the disease in the world. Problem is....they are making choices. One of them even drives. Many of the others have bikes and can ride to the store themselves with their very own money.


What that means is that I don't have control. They are going to buy treats. They are going to go to lunch at fast food places. They are going to break all the food rules I have at one time or another. That is just the honest truth.


I have been thinking about that today and wondering what my defense will be. How will I counteract that? 


Two things:


Education  
&
Overcompensation


I was talking with a mom today with two very young children. She was talking about this lingering cough the 2-year-old had , his rounds of antibiotics and confusion over what to do. She was tired of always being in the Dr.'s office. It reminded me of my early days with my first child. I did the same thing. I didn't know what to do and I relied on the Dr. for all the info regarding this child's health. Boy have I come a long way. I have been "educated" and my children have been greatly blessed for it. The antibiotics stopped with the first one and my eyes were opened from that point on. I want to do all in my power to shed all the light and knowledge I have  upon my children so they will make good choices because they realize it is what they need to do for their body; not what their mom wants them to do.


I had to chuckle inside the other night when I was talking to my son about some acne on his teenage face. I was telling him we should do a liver cleanse to help clear it up a bit and he said,


    "It is just because I ate real bad this weekend; my acne is related to what I eat."


Why this is so funny is because I have told this to him for years and he wouldn't believe me at all. Now, it was like it was his idea! The brainwashing is working.


Now onto overcompensating. I am going to fill them to the brim with all the fighting power of nutrients I can while they are in my grasps each day. I will arm them with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals so when they are chugging down the illegal 32 oz or dish of fast food Orange chicken, they will be armed to get it out of their system. 


I love the smoothies as you know and do them pretty regularly in the morning but after really reading the "Green Smoothie Diet", I am committing to morning and night green smoothies and as much raw goodness in between. It is my defense system. I just finished reading this book and every one really should read it. It is full of information that makes you want to change your life to eating better and downing the green drinks. Thanks Green Smoothie Girl! It is the best $10-$12 dollar purchase you will make this week. Check out Amazon for the best deals out there. See my previous smoothie post for a link.


I am amazed at how many children are allowed to not eat their veggies. It is truly an act of love to make them eat those greens. They will learn to like them but only if you persist. 


I had my grandparents over last night and served a big salad with our pasta. My grandfather is 89 and still will hardly eat a veggie. My grandmother told my mother today that she was amazed that all my children ate salad, like it was some Christmas miracle. 


Be the mean mom and make them eat what is on their plate. 


If you also have a problem getting down the veggies, take the Green Smoothie challenge: 30 days of 1 full quart of green smoothie daily. You can drink it anytime during the day but you must drink it all. After the 3o days, see the difference in your life. Use all different sorts of produce with at least 50 percent veggies. No sugar. For the kids, 1 pint a day will work. 


The new year is coming. Time to reevaluate and change the paths of life. Arm the kids with fighting power and knowledge. Arm yourself with energy and vitality. What better thing is there? 


Say no to drugs. Say yes to greens. 

Drink it up

This is what should greet you each and every morning. This should be your "go juice", or as we call it in our family; our "Super Juice." It is a glass full of all you need to get the engine running and the immune system pumping. It is enough vitamins and minerals to kick the daily FDA out of the park. It is so very easy but so many just don't do it. 

We are talking green smoothies. You can change the green to pink with some berries so the kiddies don't even know your little green secret. You can put just about anything you have in the fridge into this concoction and make it as healthy as you like. The important thing is that you make it a daily routine. 

I love supplements but supplements should be exactly that: a supplement not a replacement. You should do your best to get your nutrition from food, not a pill. The pills are used when you are lacking nutrients or need to catch the body up when the system isn't working right. If you use fresh, organic veggies and fruits in abundance each day, your body will praise you by supplying you with health and vitality. 

I don't really go for taste anymore when I make smoothies because my gang will drink anything I throw at them now but if you are still trying to win over the masses, here is a basic smoothie recipe that can be altered any way:


Frozen berries or fruit, try to use organic as possible or fresh frozen yourself.


Raw spinach, a good handful


A banana or two for creaminess and sweetness


chunk of cabbage


Flax seed meal or oil


Any other fruit and veggies you want


Add some ice and some natural juice like orange, apple or pineapple; no sugar added, organic if possible.


Blend up and drink right away!


You can also add some Kefir or yogurt if you like to cream it up. I love to make mine really green with kale, bok choy, cucumbers, etc. I also add some carrots sometimes and lemon.  Possibilities are endless. Whatever it takes to get them down.


I love the info given by the Green Smoothie Girl
on her website and love what she does in her home. She drinks a quart a day and fills up a pint jar for each of her kids in the morning. They have to drink it by the end of the day. Of course, drinking it right away is best for the nutrition factor but get it down anyway you can. I just bought her book with ideas on amazon.



It is a great place to start. 

Smoothies should be a part of every ones lifestyle. When I do classes with moms just starting out, they always tell me there is no way their child will drink it. I make some up and without fail, every single child there will drink it and usually ask for more. You can't taste the spinach and with the berries and a good blender, you can't even see the green at all. 

Juicing is also a great way to start the day and a good way to use up garden leftovers. It uses way more produce but it also gives you more nutrients per cup. We rotate around here depending on what we have on hand.

Use produce in season. Use fresh and organic. You may spend a little more on produce but  you will save at the Dr. You are so worth it! 

Drink up!

Nuking

years ago when we were poor college students, we lived in apartment without a microwave. With little money and little kitchen space, we decided to not get a microwave. I wondered how we would thaw food. It amazed me how very little I missed it and somehow we made it for 2 years without a microwave. It took a little planning ahead for meals sometimes but it worked. 


We have one now and it is used to reheat and thaw on occasion. I have never cooked in it and would never treat it like an "oven" to prepare meals but, I put in a frozen muffin or thaw butter now and then.


However, thanks to one of my great friends, Terri, who knows lots and lots, she has reminded me today on her blog that I need to quit the microwave altogether. Take a moment and read her post and listen the the video. Ignorance will never save us. I love to hear how other countries ban things and in America we keep it around. The Soviet Union banned the microwave in the 70's. Why do we insist on killing ourselves in America through indulgence? Listen also closely to the information about heating up baby formula in the microwave and what it does to the ingredients. Funny how they have always said to not heat up breast milk as it will kill the nutrients. Why is it any different from any other food?


Many of us are trying really hard to have good foods in our home. We go through the effort to buy organic, grow it, cook it and learn what our bodies need and then we nuke it. We destroy what is good. I love these little reminders and although some days I wish I didn't know anything, I am sure glad I have ladies out there to remind me. We all need support groups. We all need pep talks. 


Nuking is out. Guess I need to go get a toaster oven again. Maybe I will tell Santa.


Read Terri's post here:thirning.blogspot.com/2010/11/dangers-of-microwaving-food.html


From another reader, Earth Mama, read here:http://aspiringearthmama.blogspot.com/2010/09/microwave-free-living.html


Few minutes later.....




Since I am one to dive in all the way when I learn and decide to make changes, this is what I just bought: (love the internet, couldn't wait for Santa.)

Don't really know where I am going to put it but I am excited for that brown box to come, nonetheless. You can even dehydrate in it! It has a defrost feature so that is my main draw and a way to heat up some left overs without heating up the whole oven.Had to have it....for the kids health, you know.

Falling for it?

I read labels. Always have. But, even if you are a label reader, do you know what you are reading? Do you believe what "they" are telling you? I have read a few this week that made me shake my head about the deception going on.

My organic cheese package had a statement right on the front: 

     "The FDA states that no significant difference has been shown between milk derived from cows treated with artificial hormones and those not treated with artificial hormones."

Apparently, the FDA doesn't know where to look for it's data. How come the use of hormones are banned in other countries with it's livestock? How come we have countless studies of how the artificial hormones in our livestock is correlated with the increase of early puberty? Who knows what other problems it causes but other countries have seemed to figure it out. Come on FDA! Really.

    I then read the label of a Yoplait Light that a little one was eating and it said right on the front:

     " With Aspartame & other Sweetener!"

It was in big letters like it was a celebration! It really should have read, 

     "Now, with new cancer causing , artificial sweeteners that may have less calories but have side effects linked from everything from arthritis to brain tumors." 

    Once again, aspartame is banned in most countries. Lucky America. We can get it in everything.

      One of my very favorite labels are those dawning the cereal boxes. Cereal doesn't take up residence in my pantry but today apparently was "cereal day" at the High School. Pretty sure that was made up by a few kids but nonetheless, my High Schoolers went out the door with some plastic bowls, spoons and a container of milk. Ugh. At least it was organic, raw milk but the mere idea that it was going to be poured over sugar cereal took real self control for me. They are big, I can't make every decision for them. One bowl won't kill them but really......lunch? Anyways, my son had Froot Loops. How could he? 

    
Well, right there on the box, it let him know he was making a "Smart Choice." The green check mark reaffirmed that. Good to know. I had no idea he was making a good food choice when he drove himself to the store to pick out this box full of "essential minerals and vitamins". Glad the "Smart Choices Program" is watching out for him.  Are you falling for it? 

The world is deceiving us. America is the center of it. Did you know that the Italian government requires that the school lunches are organic? They even get mozzarella made fresh daily. Another reason I want to move there. American school lunches are ridiculous. Uncrustables....a lunch??!!! What the heck. White pasty, chemically processed bread, crust removed and pasted together with purple high fructose jelly and plastic, sugar filled peanut butter. Yum. That's brain food right there. You could also choose the yogurt cup. Trix. It is packed with sugars; the fake ones, food coloring; a variety of those also and hormone filled milk. Another great choice.  Wonder why we lead the world with ADD, ADHD and autism? 

Bottom line: The government is not looking out for us. Money rules these agencies. YOU must take control. Grow it, make it, buy organic, buy local. So very worth it. You get one body. Real food for Real People. 

The benefits of Probiotics

What are Probiotics? 

     Probiotics are the good bacteria that help our gastrointestinal system work properly. Because of the overuse of antibiotics, the drugs we subject ourselves to, toxins in our world, pesticides and the diet that we eat today, many people are greatly lacking the "good" bacteria in their systems. The good bacteria helps to boost the immune system and crowd out the bad bacteria. It helps to create healthy and regular bowl movements and strengthens the stomach linings so we can absorb the nutrients in our food. It helps our systems to be balanced. If we are unbalanced with the bad outweighing the good bacteria, we have a much higher risk at having allergies, infections, diseases and inflammations. 

People who have chronic diarrhea especially need probiotics in their system to get everything back on track. If our bowls are not regular, we are not getting the nutrition we need. Even if you are eating well, if your stomach is not working properly, you cannot absorb what you are taking in. The stomach lining needs to be healthy for us to be healthy.

If you have been on antibiotics recently, it is especially important to be on a good probiotic for a while to make up for the damage that was done. This is the same for treating for yeast/candida. Probiotics should go hand in hand to combat our illnesses. 

There are many different probiotics out there with different strains and counts. It is a good idea to rotate your probiotics as with all supplements to give your body the best opportunity for recovery. Kefir is a good way to get some probiotics along with homemade yogurt, if you can handle dairy. Culturing for 24 hours is optimal as the proteins are broken down. New Beginnings has some great probiotic supplements that are usually only available through the Dr.'s offices. We   love the Probiotic Support, VSL #3 and Ther-biotic Complete supplements around here. I know many of the Coscto's sell the VSL #3 behind the counter without a prescription if you ask. 

Healing our bodies takes time. It takes understanding of how the system works. You can't take a drug and be done with it. You have to heal it from the inside out and at the grassroots. The goal is to be able to not have to take supplements and to get what we need from our food. Tate used to be on about 15 supplements a day. Today, we are down to about 7. His body is being healed and someday I have hopes he won't need any, except what we want to give him for normal everyday health. It was well worth it. 

Stay healthy. You have one body. Don't abuse it. You will pay, now or later.

Supplement orders are Due Friday for this next order. I can now order the Probiotics so shoot me a quick email if you need some. I am also trying to get the orders together for the kefir and yogurt cultures. Need a few more to make the group amount. Super easy to do! Don't be shy. Click here to see the Probiotic list at the Apothecary Shoppe.

Tis the season

I  just ate two pumpkin cookies from miss Molly and a handful of candy corns. It is Halloween, but nonetheless, I am sick to my stomach. I am sure there are a few little princesses and superhero's out there with the same syndrome. And, it is only the beginning of the "sweet" season. I made a deal with my young ones that if they kept only 10 candies and threw out the rest, I would take them to Dairy Queen. They haven't been there in years. They instantly took the deal. Glad to have the candy out of my house.

Want to know a little bit why? Jonell Francis, the creator of the Feel Good Foods yeast cleanse program explains a little bit about sugar. In her words:

    "Sugar is the most acid forming substance known to man. Dairy products and meat are next (as is chocolate). Refined sugar is not only a silent killer, but a mineral thief and pH disruptor in the process. Sugar also shuts down the immune system for about 8 hrs after consumption. Which is one reason we celebrate flu season about a week after Halloween when the holidays begin.

For every gram of sugar you consume, you can lose up to 8 grams of calcium just processing all the acid it creates.  In addition, you'll experience a significant drop in magnesium and other essential trace minerals including B vitamins."

Had to quote that one directly. It makes sense though why the germs seem to come out this time of year. We can't fight them off with all the sugar in our systems. Even if we are eating great, the sugar will come in and rob us of the good. Sugar also feeds cancer cells that loom in our bodies and yeast that lives in all of us.

Now, I am not one to deny sugar completely. Life needs a little sweetness sometimes. But, what happens is we let that refined sweetness creep into everyday life. It should be special. A "treat". I have had too much this week and when you start letting yourself indulge, you start to crave. Time for the fresh vegetable juice tomorrow and a few yeast capsules to kill the yeast I am feeding with sugar. I can feel the difference. The cookies were great. I don't regret it but I don't want to add to it. I want to keep my kids healthy this season to keep our track record of no flu for who knows how many years. 

Stay healthy out there. When sweetening up around your house, try to use raw honey, coconut sugar, stevia, fruit and sucanat in moderation. Your body will thank you. 

Happy Halloween! Hope you had a great one.

The Salt of the Earth

Salt often gets a bad rap in the health conscience world today. However, salt is vital to our beings. Salt plays a crucial role in the digestion of our food. It begins the moment the salt first hits our taste buds. The mere taste of it will activate the primary digestive enzyme in the mouth and then as it is ingested, it continues it's good work. Sodium chloride (salt) creates hydrochloric acid which is critical to the breakdown of food. Those who eat a "no salt" diet can suffer greatly. Salt is needed. Pure and simple.

The problem we have today is the type of salt we are ingesting. Regular table salt that is most commonly used is refined. What refining means in the salt world is that it is treated with a caustic soda or lime to remove all the traces of magnesium salts which are beneficial to the body. They remove the magnesium because it brings in profits to sell the magnesium. They will also add in alumino-silicate of sodium or other desiccants and bleaches to make the salt whiter and flow easier. When the salt is finally packaged, it is so stripped of the natural trace elements that it now becomes unusable by the body. In fact, it becomes harmful.

Our processed foods today are loaded with this junk table salt. It is one of the reason's we Americans are killing ourselves. It is cheap and it tastes good. That's what we are famous for.

There are alternatives. Healthy alternatives to getting the salty taste we crave (moderately, of course). There are sea salts that are sold everywhere from Walmart to Williams Sonoma. They are much less processed than the table salt but if you want to go a step beyond and make the salt actually healthy for you, Celtic salt is where I put my salt bucks.

Celtic salt is salt taken from the earth in it's natural state, from the sea. It is hand harvested and laid out to dry in the sun. It is completely unrefined and retains the trace elements as given by the Creator himself. It is slightly gray in appearance and has a richer flavor. I love to cook with it. I keep it in a glass sugar shaker by my stove. It does cost more but how much salt do you need everyday? A few bucks more is definitely worth your health.

If you haven't done your shopping on Amazon yet, check it out. I have given you a link at the end of this post for a great deal on 5#'s of the Celtic Salt I like. It will last a very long time. You can also buy smaller sizes. I will try to put up weekly deals from Amazon that I find so you can save some money on the good healthy products I love. You will save bundles over shopping at a health food store. Most of the time you won't even have to pay shipping if you spend over $25 on items. Super deal. So keep your eyes on my sidebar for the best deals of the day.

Good fat, bad fat.

Back in my working days, I worked along side one gentleman who was a "weight freak". This is totally different from a "health freak" only the "weight freak" thinks he is actually the "health freak". It is sort of a problem we have here in America. You see, the weight freak wants to look good. He likes to work out. He falls for all the sensationalism of "slim down" products. He thinks that working out 2 hours a day and pounding down a protein bar and eating "low fat" is what healthy is. At all cost he wants to keep that days of yor teenage figure (not today's teenagers, mind you).

Problem: That weight freak is killing himself.

Back to my story. My co worker ate anything "low fat." He would cringe at my delicious, healthy, brought from home lunches that had butter or nuts as ingredients. Real cream, real cheese. You know. "fattening foods." I would tell him over and over that his fat free , store bought Rice Krispy treat bars would kill him, not my butter laden food. I assured him that I would retain my figure and still eat real food. I would be healthy. I would joke with him that if he kept eating all those "low fat" labeled foods in neat little containers ,with no real food ingredients ,but few calories, (run on, I know) , he would die of a brain tumor.He joked that I would die of a heart attack. That argument went on for years. It ended only because he died of a brain tumor. It was no longer a joke. Ironic, but True story. Of course, many reasons can contribute to cancer, I know that. But, I do know that diet can play a very important role just as the role of diet can fight cancer when it strikes. He fed his body continually to feed cancer cells.

Our bodies need fat. It is essential for cellular functions on every level. Fat signals to our bodies that we are full. Fats feed our brain. Fats help us to absorb vitamins and minerals. Fats help to bind histamines and get them out of our body. When you deprive your body of fat, you are doing a huge disservice to the body on a whole. However, the type of fat you need is not the fat you are going to get along with a super size portion of fries. You want the good fats. The fats that are in nuts, avocados, seeds, coconut oils, olive oils, flax seed, raw milk and butters, raw cheeses and eggs. Without them, we don't absorb important vitamins.

It is also important to get a balance of the Omega 3 and 6. Our diets today are heavily weighted on the 6 side. They are in the seeds and some nuts and in our cheaper oils, like the soybean variety. The important omega 3 oils are in fish, flax seed and walnuts. Cod Liver oil is a great source of Omega 3 and 6. If supplementing, please make sure you get a top quality brand that is mercury free. I prefer Carlson's brand. It can be purchased at most health food stores or from New Beginnings. If you are an allergy sufferer, Cod liver oil is a great way to help get the histamines out of the body.

Of course, as with everything, moderation is key. The good fat is easier to process and therefor used by the body better. If you overdo, of course you can gain weight but that is with anything. If you don't eat fat, that full feeling takes longer to come to. Fat actually signals to the brain that you are "done." Ever went on that fruit and veggie diet and could eat fruit all day and never felt full? You need it. Kids especially need it. Their brains are growing and they need fat to make it , well, fatter. A tsp. or so a day of Cod Liver oil is great for kids or try using some flax oil in your salad dressings. Avocado's are a great source of fat. Try to make a pudding out of it. My friend Terri told me about it and it is great for the little ones who don't know the difference. One avocado, some cocoa powder , a little honey or coconut sugar and blend it up. Add a little banana if you want and you have some chocolate pudding. It has the exact same texture as the real deal and my little guy thinks it is the bomb. He doesn't know he is getting brain food. He is just impressed that he is getting "choclit".

I have never, ever bought anything that says "low fat." Almost without exception, the fat has been replaced by something that should not be edible. The body knows what to do with fat, it doesn't know what to do with plastic. You are a real person, eat real food. Just eat a little less of it.

I just ate a delicious homemade biscuit with sprouted spelt and kefir topped generously with real deal butter. Yummy. Two of them. I had a scrumptious spinach salad with fruit, soaked nuts and a dressing made with coconut oil and raspberries. The "weight freak" would cringe. I devoured. I feel full. I feel healthy. My brain feels fat but I do not. Eat up. Get "fat", the real kind.

What Everyone Should know.

I suppose I never really grew out of that 3 year old "why?" stage. I am never satisfied with a simple answer. I need to know why. I need to figure out everything from beginning to end. I am not content with "that is just how it is" or "it just happened". I want to know the ins and outs. It is exhausting.

A trip to a doctor is never simple for me. I don't go in, take what they say as gospel and leave with a prescription; but you all know that by now. If they body is ailing, I want to know how it happened not what to do to put a band aid on it. I will never settle for the "we don't know" routine or "there aren't answers" gig. The body never gets sick or attacked just because. There is always a reason. Always. That has been my quest. My passion.

Why are so many of my friends; good moms and wives , sick, broken, exhausted, depressed, compromised in every way before they even hit 40? Why are there so many kids with problems that just never existed a few decades ago? Why is it that I can teach a class and at least half of the class comes up afterwards telling me their story of health struggles that go unanswered and of their kids who are failing to thrive? What has changed and what is the root cause?

I have asked these questions for the last several years , at least, and studied intensely in the last several months and what I have learned is something that is so very seldom discussed. I even called Dr.s offices this week and they didn't even know how to test for it. Naturopaths will know what you are talking about most of the time and there are amazing books out there, but the mainstream world is clueless. It is time you know what may be rocking your world. I warned you that this is going to be long. But, we all need to know. We all should be searching for answers.

YEAST. CANDIDA. We all have it in our bodies. It is nothing new to the world but what is new is how it has taken over our bodies. How it has destroyed. It is how we feed it, how we let it take over that we need to understand. Let's chat.

In our bodies we have the good bacteria that are the soldiers to protect us from all the bad that is around us; the toxins, the germs, the heavy metals we intake. They guard the stomach, line the intestines, keep the harmful yeast in check. However, the good soldier bacteria can be destroyed which allows the evil yeast to overtake. They are destroyed by our worlds overuse of antibiotics, contaminated foods, stress, hormones, steroids, etc. When the good bacteria are then taken out, the yeast can overtake the body. The yeast thrives in the body. They love sugar, carbs, cheese, processed foods. Perfect; that is America's daily dish and if we didn't have enough hormone problems of our own, let's add it to our food as well! The yeast attack the mucous lining of the body which are everywhere in the body. Mucous membranes keep the body lubricated but when yeast attacks, they go into overdrive. The yeast actually grows into tissues. They permeate and by doing so, go from the stomach to the bloodstream. They release toxins, creating a poisonous body, if you will. They cause all the mucous membranes to inflame and attack instead of protect the body. Once the yeast is allowed to flourish , it spins out of control until it is stopped.

Because the body is now attacking itself, we have autoimmune diseases created. Those auto immune diseases that Dr.'s just can't explain. Bet your doctor never checked you for yeast. Women are far more susceptible to have yeast issues as our hormones are more apt to get us into trouble. Especially when pregnant.

What does yeast feel like? Many of you have had the annoying yeast infection but that is just one area. Yeast can start as a stomach issue: nausea, bloating, cramping, pain, constipation or diarrhea, colic in babies, colitis, chron's. Yeast starts here. You may start to get food sensitivities. Allergies get worse. Headaches are very common, migraines even. You can become hypoglycemic or have hypothyroidism as the endocrine system is compromised. You may get endometriosis or other reproductive disorders , bone aches, inflamed joints, coughs, asthma,stuffiness, sore throats. Any area of the body can be inflamed as histamines are released. Immunity is compromised.

Neurological issues may arise as the yeast toxins affect the brain. There are forgetfulness, speech problems, spaciness, vision issues, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, etc. ADD and ADHD in children, autism, developmental delays.

You can become sensitive to smells and chemicals that never bothered you before.(big one for me). The skin can be a tell tale sign; acne, rashes, itchiness, eczema.

You go to a doctor and they prescribe you with thyroid medication, depression medication, Ritalin for the kids, antibiotics for the cough. They never look at why the body is working against itself. It is a vicious cycle as the pills create even more havoc. I have never heard of anyone being healed from an autoimmune disease by drugs. Only masked.

The yeast must be killed. The environment in the body needs to be changed so that the good bacteria can come back in its stead and once again protect the body as it should. The good news is that there is a way to do it. It doesn't have to be expensive. It is natural. You can feel good again. They body can heal.

If you suspect a yeast issue; treat it. The body will never heal if the yeast is not in check. If you have some issues, I can almost guarantee that you have troubles with yeast. The body generally is not sick if the good bacteria is doing its job and is not compromised. It will only help.

If you have access to a naturopath, ask for an Organic Acids Test. It will tell you if you have a yeast issue and trouble with bad bacteria, which goes hand in hand. If you don't , treat it like you do. You can try a spit test that may indicate if you have an issue. Spit in a cup of water first thing in the am before you eat or brush your teeth. Not the clearing your throat spit. Just spit and if the spit starts to string down to the bottom, it is yeasty. If it stays in a ball at the top, you usually are asymptomatic. I had three kids just tested on the Organic Acids Test and their spit help true to this test.

I firmly believe that we should all do a little yeast cleanse now and then. The more I learn about yeast, the more I am understanding the link between almost everything under the sun, even acne, fertility problems and weight gain. If my little Tate starts to get goofy, aggressive or spacey again, I know our yeast is back. Once you have a gut problem, you are almost certain to have a problem now and then.

What can you do? Here is why I am ready to blog about this now. I didn't really have a good natural product that I wanted to tell you about before. I have been experimenting, having my naturopaths office experiment, and reading up on everything I could get my hands on. I found a great product. It has all the components that I have studied about being the best way to treat naturally and it is in one great little package. Better yet, she is letting me carry it. This lady, Jonell Francis is a mother warrior like myself and many of you. She was having severe health problems for 10 years with no answers. She didn't take "because" for an answer and found the answer. She cured herself and now, so many others with her yeast products. I have talked to her for the last couple of weeks and found a kindred spirit.



She has a great cookbook, "The feel Good Cookbook", cleanse kits and drops for kids. The ingredients are simple and pure, no harmful fillers. She has amazing success stories and testimonies on her products. You can visit her website here.
You can read her stories and look at the ingredients contained. I would never advocate or carry a product that I did not have faith in. I can't wait to get this to you.

I do not want these sweet little children and sweet, dedicated moms to slip into the trappings of auto immune disease that are robbing them of life. We cannot become what we are to be in this life if we are sick. We cannot serve as we want, grow as we would like. It is not fair. We must take our health into our own hands. We must not let Dr.'s tell us what to do or give us the band aide solution. You must fight for your health, eat clean and listen to your body. Our world is polluted. I am convinced that that is not going to change but we can change.

If you have questions, please email or call me. There is so much to share but then I would just be writing a book. You can read some great books out there also if you want to become an expert. Some of my favorite reads are The Yeast Connection, The Yeast Connection and The Woman, The Yeast Syndrome, Nourishing Hope and Back to Health: A Comprehensive Guide to Managing Yeast Related Illness. They are all great reads.

If you would like to try these products, I will be ordering on Friday.

The Cookbook is $25.95 plus tax.

The Cleanse Kit which is recommended for teenagers to adults that comes with a fiber cleanse, yeast beater capsules and Glutamine for $69.95 plus tax.

Yeast Beaters Capsules, 120 ct. $25.95 plus tax.

Yeast Beaters Capsules, 240 ct. $42.95 plus tax.

Kids Yeast Beater drops, $25.95 plus tax.

There will not be any shipping for in state orders but I will ship out of state if needed for an additional charge, depending on the order.

I will be happy to answer any questions. I am hearing great reports on the kids drops and eczema. Huge results.

When treating the yeast, it is very important that you have a probiotic to help put the good bacteria in the body and help destroy the yeast as well.

Saccharomyces Boulardii by New Beginnings is a probiotic specific for yeast. It is $20 for the bottle.

Please email me for orders at goodman-7@cox. net . I hope to have my store website up in a week so that subsequent orders can be made through that site. Here's hoping. If only we had 36 hours a day.

Thanks for listening. All of my kids are being treated right now, along with myself. I will keep you posted.

Per Jonell's website, here are some of the symptoms she is seeing evaporate with the Yeast cleanse treatments:

Athlete's Foot
Aggressiveness/Anger
Bedwetting
Bladder Infection
Bowel Irregularity
Candida
Chronic Sinusitis (Congestion)
Constipation
Cradle Cap
Dandruff
Depression
Diarrhea
Eczema
Endometriosis
Fatigue
Herpes virus
Mouth Sores
Oily Hair
Irritable Bowel Syndrome/Spastic Colon
Itchy Skin
Joint Pain
Menstrual Cramps/Afterbirth Pains
Rashes/Hives
Respiratory Infection/Bronchitis
Seasonal Allergies
Sleeplessness
Sugar Sensitivity
Tooth Decay
Thrush
Urinary Tract Infection
Vaginal Yeast Inf

Eat a Rainbow Every Day.

Sorry for the lack of posts, it was Spring Break so we did a little relaxing around here. I didn't get to leave town on the account that my oldest is not allowed to leave town for spring break because he is on the baseball team for his high school, and no break for them. How ridiculous is that? I mean, isn't he my child? Can't I decide if he can leave town for a week. Ridiculous. We managed to have some fun regardless and a break is always nice.

But back to nutrition. If you live in my house or are even a cute neighbor child who eats regularly at my house, you will know what it means when I ask if you have eaten a rainbow today. And no, fruit loops don't count. As you can see by the picture above, we are talking real food - real beautiful, bright, natural foods that feed the body and mind. You see, the Lord created a color code, if you will for food to let us know what goodness lies within each beautiful created specimen of nourishment. The color of a food will give you clues into what vitamins are contained within. By eating all different colors, you will be getting different kinds of vitamins. If you are stuck on let's say, the yellow group, you are depriving your body of important vitamins. If you live within the white group, well, you're in trouble.

Produce that are in the yellow, red and orange group are usually loaded with Vitamin A and C. They help with vision, skin health, immunity, heart health , cancer prevention,healing and pregnancy health, to name a few.

Dark Leafy greens are loaded with nutrients like Vitamin K which aide in bone health and the production of proteins in the body, Vitamin E which is a rich antioxidant, Riboflavin which helps to release energy from foods, Folate which is extremely important for the health of a baby in the womb and for the health of the mother, Calcium for our bone health and the binding of other important minerals and Iron; just to name a few.

Beside the vitamins that lie within produce, there are very important disease-fighting chemicals that help the body to fight toxins and wastes that we accumulate from being a part of this world. The orange and yellow varieties contain carotenoids and the green varieties contain carotenoids along with anthocyanins. To get the maximum benefit of phytochemicals to boost our immune systems, we need to get both of these. By eating a variety of veggies and fruit , we can make sure that we are feeding our body the nutrients it needs.

Now, I hear over and over that "my child won't eat veggies" and it makes my toes curl. We pretty much come to this world wanting sugar and all things that resemble it. Our tastes are developed. Very few children start off wanting broccoli straight from the womb, although I had a niece who would eat my broccoli straight from my garden like a grazing cow at the age of two. However, most of the time it is a forced habit. We need to offer a variety all the time and insist that they eat it. Insist, not suggest. It should not be an option. You are the mother. You make the rules. If you don't insist on it now, they may never develop the taste and never eat it as they get older. I take dinner to my grandparents and my grandpa won't even eat a salad. The habit needs to be learned while at a young age.

Try to eat produce as undercooked or raw as possible. Season like crazy. There are so many delicious spice mixes out there. The photo above was our dinner one night. Since we are for the most part meatless, fajitas are a little different now. Those beautiful veggies were stir fried leaving a still crisp texture and seasoned fully with a great fajita seasoning. I seasoned them the same way I would meat just with veggies only. I then made some homemade Spelt tortillas and then grilled them right on the BBQ with a little cheese and tossed the veggies on top. We folded them Quesadilla style and gobbled them up. You would never miss the meat. We ate our rainbows and ended it with some sweet, colorful fruit. A perfect meal served up on our picnic table outside in the perfect Arizona weather. Scrumptious.

If you are the type that cooks up a separate meal of chicken nuggets or mac and cheese for your picky little ones, stop it now. They will only eat that if you keep feeding that habit. Dinner is what you make. Period. No other options. I had a 4 year struggle with my extremely picky autistic child who would live only on chips and muffins. I had to pry his mouth open, shove in the food and make him keep it in. Four years later, he will eat everything I give him. Onions, raw peppers, raw broccoli, whatever. It was a long battle but what a pay off. He will thank me one day. It can be done. Persistence is key.

Eat your rainbow everyday. Get your vitamins naturally. Do your body a favor.



PS. Don't forget to place your BEE Box order. A rainbow in a box!

***Tortilla recipe per request:

Tortillas:
recipe swiped off Kara Bagley's blog. Check out her link to the right or take her class to learn to make these great tortillas.

1 1/2 cup white flour
1 c. whole grain flour

1/3 cup Spectrum shortening, coconut oil or whatever you have
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder or cumin (opt.)
1 cup hot water

Place flours, fat and seasoning(s) into mixing bowl. Cut in shortening with wire whips. Change to dough hook, start mixer and add water until dough pulls together. Add more white flour if dough is too wet. Let dough rest for 15 minutes. Divide into 12 equal pieces and shape into rounds. Roll out each round with plenty of flour or press in a tortilla press. Cook 45 seconds each side on high heat (450 degrees). Use a nice pan that holds heat so that you don't have to wait for it to come back up to temperature between cooking each one. Wrap in towel to keep warm and moist. Of coarse you can make any size you'd like, just make sure your pan is the right size to accommodate. Can make by hand if needed.