Breaking Free - Truths for Healthy Living

Organic Skin Care Products–My Favorite Things

2012-06-12T14:09:00.001-04:00

About a month ago, Dr. Sara emailed me about her new favorite skincare products. I quickly checked it out and when I was at my local organic/natural market I was thrilled to see they carried the entire line.

I have been faithfully using the following and my skin has never felt or looked better! OK, maybe when I was a little girl but that was almost 40 something years ago. Moving on!!! I’m thrilled with how they have helped even out my skin tone and literally lines are disappearing!

photo credit Jamie D. Photography

I love love love this product known as liquid gold! I also use it on my hair (the ends) each night before I go to bed…I awake to super soft hair too – NOT oily!

I faithfully use these daily and love them!

ACURE makes products for the face, body, and hair. I will be adding many of them into my daily healthy body regimen!

Remember what you put on your body, goes into your body. Your skin is the largest organ that works with the detox internal organs. Be very careful with the products you use. They truly effect your overall health and wellness!

You might like to know that our oldest daughter has been using the products for oily skin and seeing incredible results as well.

I look forward to hearing your testimonies from using this product line as well.

PS I drink plenty of water too – which is the most important thing you can do for your skin and body!

True Inspiration

2012-05-31T16:23:00.001-04:00

Watch and share!

7 of the Most Unhealthy and Potentially Cancer-Causing Foods by Kevin - Renegade Health

2012-05-27T08:30:00.001-04:00

You know they’re bad for you, but do you know how bad?

We often like to classify healthy foods, super foods, not-so-healthy foods, and unhealthy foods, but in today’s health-obsessed culture, it can all get a little confusing. Today, we’re going straight for the jugular.

What are the seven worst things you can swallow down your gullet, as far as your health is concerned? We’re not saying don’t ever eat them—just be aware of the potential damage. Here are seven baddies best left off your grocery list from now on.

1. Processed Meat: Meats preserved by smoking, curing, or salting, or that contain chemical preservatives, are linked to an increased risk of colon cancer. Most are manufactured with a carcinogenic ingredient known as sodium nitrite, used to turn packaged meats a bright red color so they look fresh. A 2005 study from the University of Hawaii found that processed meats increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by 67 percent. Hot dogs, in particular, are made up of meat scraps, including organs, nerve tissue, bone pieces, and other unsavory animal parts. Animals that donate them are likely to have been fed grains laced with hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, and fecal matter. After a detailed review of more than 7,000 clinical studies covering links between diet and cancer, the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) declared that consumers should stop buying and eating all processed meat products for the rest of their lives. These include bacon, sausage, hot dogs, sandwich meat, packaged ham, pepperoni, salami, and virtually all red meat used in frozen and prepared meals.

2. Soda: It’s loaded with calories, sugar, and artificial ingredients, and has no nutritional benefit. One can of soda contains the equivalent of ten packets of sugar. According to studies, most popular diet and sugared sodas are nearly as corrosive to dental enamel as battery acid, leading to an increase in tooth sensitivity and cavities despite good dental hygiene. A study from the University of Minnesota found that people who drank as little as two soft drinks a week faced almost double the risk of pancreatic cancer. Dark-colored sodas contain a chemical known as 4-methylimidazole (4-MI), a byproduct of chemical processing used to create the artificial dye that gives these sodas their color. Animal studies have linked 4-MI to cancer. Pepsi and Coca-Cola recently announced they would modify the coloring to avoid a cancer-warning label newly required by California law. A UCLA study also directly linked soda with obesity.

3. Regular Potato Chips: They’re full of artery-clogging trans fats, high glycemic carbohydrates, sodium, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. High temperatures used to cook them typically cause the formation of carcinogenic substances like acrylamide, which is also found in cigarettes. Clark University professor Dale Hattis is quoted as saying, “I estimate that acrylamide causes several thousand cancers per year in Americans.” Even those with reduced trans fat may contain acrylamide.

4. Microwave Popcorn: Chemicals in the lining of the bag, including perfluoroctanoic acid (PFOA) are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to researchers at UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals caused liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancers. Microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize, and migrate into your popcorn. Many manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015. Until then, it’s best to pop kernels the old fashioned way.

5. Farmed Salmon: According to David Carpenter, M.D., director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany, farmed salmon is not only lower in vitamin D than wild-caught, but higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, flame retardants, and pesticides including DDT. “You can only safely eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer,” Carpenter stated. These fish are also typically treated with high levels of antibiotics.

6. Conventional Apples (and Other “Dirty” Fruits): According to a survey by the Environmental Working Group, apples are the most pesticide-contaminated produce on average, with pesticides showing up on 98 percent of the more than 700 samples tested. Other highly contaminated produce included grapes, strawberries, cilantro, potatoes, and oranges, all of which had more than 90 percent of samples testing positive for pesticide residue. In addition to being toxic to humans, pesticides may increase the risk of some cancers, with some studies indicating that maternal exposure may increase the risk of lowered child I.Q. and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Choose organic for these items.

7. Canned Tomatoes: The lining of most canned foods contains bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical that acts as an estrogen and disrupts hormonal activity in the body. Studies show that BPA may be linked to heart disease, intestinal damage, and infertility and other reproductive issues. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is widespread exposure to BPA in the United States. Though all canned foods are of concern, tomatoes are particularly dangerous because their high acidity causes BPA to leach into them. University of Missouri endocrinologist Frederick vom Saal, Ph.D., notes that you can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that’s a high enough level to impact people, particularly children.

Photo courtesy bdoublet via Flickr.com.

Sources
“Processed Meats Declared “Too Dangers for Human Consumption,’” Colorado State University. http://www.nationalreview.com/the-feed/248644/processed-meats-declared-too-dangerous-human-consumption#.

Robin Lloyd, “Acids in Popular Sodas Erode Tooth Enamel,” LiveScience, March 21, 2007, http://www.livescience.com/7198-acids-popular-sodas-erode-tooth-enamel.html.

“Study: Soda Linked to Pancreatic Cancer,” CBS News, February 9, 2010, http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-204_162-6189455.html.

“Coke, Pepsi Skirt Cancer Warning Label,” ABC News, March 9, 2012, http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/03/09/coke-pepsi-skirt-cancer-warning-label/.

Kim Lamb Gregory, “UCLA Study Directly Links Soda with Obesity,” Ventura County Star, September 17, 2009, http://www.vcstar.com/news/2009/sep/17/ucla-study-directly-links-soda-with-obesity/.

Reader’s Digest Editors, “The Worst Foods You Can Eat,” Reader’s Digest, http://www.rd.com/slideshows/the-worst-foods-you-can-eat/#slideshow=slide4.

“7 Foods Experts Won’t Eat,” Wake Up World, http://wakeup-world.com/2011/10/06/7-foods-experts-wont-eat/.

Bryan Walsh, “Apples Can be Tainted with Pesticides—But You Still Need Your Fruits and Vegetables, Time Science Ecocentric, June 13, 2011, http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2011/06/13/apples-can-be-tainted-with-pesticides—but-you-still-need-your-fruits-and-vegetables/.

Commitment

2012-02-21T07:34:00.001-05:00

I’m excited to announce that this week marks 4 weeks of my commitment to exercising 4-5 days a week.

I am slowly starting to see the benefits of it. My body is already starting to firm up and I’m loving how my clothes fit now. Four weeks ago I was feeling uncomfortable in my clothes. Not anymore.

I actually wake up excited to head downstairs to start my 30 minute work-out!

Pretty soon I will be able to head outside and walk many laps around our property.

Not only is exercising worth it for all of the health benefits, but I AM WORTH the commitment I have made to gain them.

You are worth the commitment to. Have you made it to yourself yet?

What you need to know about GMO!

2012-02-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

The first video is a short intro to the dangers of eating GMO foods.

The second is a full video explanation about what happens when you introduce GMO products into your body.

I will be sharing information about gluten in the next few days as well.

Another Amazing Product

2012-02-15T10:02:00.001-05:00

This is a new one for me, thanks to Dr. Sara.

All I can say about it is, I LOVE IT! Oh my is it delicious and so good for you!

I drink one ounce in the am and pm. I actually look forward to it!

Here is a link to the product I am using. I get it directly from Dr. Sara.

Goji juice has historically been used to provide a variety of health benefits, such as:

Help you feel younger and more vibrant
Support the health of all the cells in your body
Support men's and women's health
Improve your immune system
Increase your cardiovascular health
Boost your energy levels and stamina
Fight free-radical damage

Now, though, scientific research has taken it to the next level, by documenting specific, exact goji health benefits...

There are over 19 scientifically proven health benefits that this goji juice offers you - each of these health benefits has been proven and validated by at least one double-blind, placebo-controlled, peer-reviewed scientific research study.

The Health Benefits:

Less Fatigue
Improved Athletic Performance
Increased Energy
Reduced Stress
Feeling Calmer
Increased Ability To Focus
Sharper Mental Acuity
Better Quality Of Sleep
Easier Ability To Wake Up
Feeling Healthier
Feeling More Content
Feeling Happier
Improved Bowel Regularity
Higher Antioxidant Levels
Enhanced Immune System

I will keep you posted on how I feel after using this for a month. From all that I have read and heard about this product, you begin to feel a difference within the first two weeks. I am hoping to have five of the 19 benefits – the rest will be a BONUS!

Wishing you a blessed day!

Take the Time to Read…

2012-02-14T09:55:00.001-05:00

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/feb/13/feds-shut-down-amish-farm-selling-fresh-milk/print/

and then learn all you can about how your health rights are being taken away more and more each day!

If they can tell you what you can’t drink, what makes anyone believe they can’t control all that you eat, as well?

Montasano is taking over the agriculture industry throughout the world – one farm at a time. It is becoming extremely difficult to grow anything that is not genetically modified (NON GMO). Fight for the local farmers in your area, support their efforts to grow organic crops. Your health and that of all future generations depends on it.

An Update Worth Sharing

2012-02-06T07:41:00.001-05:00

Six months ago I embarked on a new health journey. I didn’t know what to expect or how to truly go about all the changes that were asked of me. Yet, I took each step one day at a time, praying that I would see even just a small change during my hair analysis retest.

Well, I’m thrilled to report there were some major changes for the better! Minor changes too – all for the good.

My body is slowly catching up to what is going on internally and I am truly on my way to reclaiming my health.

A big change that I have noticed is that within the first few days of exercising again, my body began to sweat – very easily and quickly.

This is a HUGE change for me personally. If I wasn’t in a 2 hour dance class with 20 other dancers or walking in the heat of the summer, I didn’t sweat. Not one drop. Maybe above my lip. But no where else.

Sweating allows the body to release toxins…which helps the body cleanse itself from the inside out.

Some changes that I don’t like but are par for the course with how long my adrenals have been taxed; is early menopause. All the women reading this over 47 know how uncomfortable that is to go through. Well, I turned 44 today and have been dealing with these symptoms since I was 29. All because my adrenals don’t function correctly.

The plan is in two years my adrenals will begin to work correctly and some of my feminine issues will begin to subside. Menopause will be almost done and I will begin to feel “normal” physically. No matter whether that plan pans out how I hope or not, I’m just thrilled to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel for my adrenals to work correctly.

I continue to enjoy eating organic grass fed animal protein and actually crave it now. I still eat tons of fresh organic vegetables daily. We as a family remain GF (gluten free) and DF (dairy free). My diet is full of wonderful additions and new recipes. I mean to share them but can’t seem to find the time to type them out for you. Many recipes that I love are right here on my Pinterest board.

Accountability

2012-01-30T07:22:00.001-05:00

“Thinking well is wise; planning well, wiser;

doing well wisest and best of all.”

Persian Proverb

I want us to hold each other accountable.

Who’s with me?

I’m looking to encourage and to be encouraged.

I’m looking to share recipes that I love and have you do the same with me.

I’m looking to share healthy tips with you, and have us begin implementing them together.

I’m looking for us to do this health journey “together”.

I don’t want you to feel alone as you make positive changes in your lives. Nor, do I want to feel alone doing them.

I want you to know someone is praying for your success to meet all the goals you set for yourselves.

I would love to know you are out there praying for me to meet mine.

“God does not want us to do extraordinary things; He wants us to do ordinary things extraordinarily well.” Bishop Gore

I would love if you sent me an email every now and then to make sure I’m still putting my health first – that I’m exercising, spending time each day being still, focusing on what I can change in my life, and finding peace in what I can’t.

I want to be the best wife and mother I can be, and I know that means taking care of me first. I know that means I have to resist allowing time to slip away from me each day. I know that means eating healthy. I know it means making sure I get enough sleep each day. I know it means drinking enough water each day. I know it means praying and spending time with, God, each day. I know it means focusing on Him and thanking Him for all that He does daily in my life. I know it means finding my strength, comfort, peace, joy, and hope in Him. I know that without doing these things – I will never be all that He created me to be.

“I am not bound to win
but I am bound to be true;
I am not bound to succeed
but am bound to live up
to what light I have.”

Abraham Lincoln

Today, is the only day I need to focus on…

So again, I ask you, “who’s with me”?

Let us run the race through life together, cheering each other on towards the goal of breaking free from all that we have allowed to stop us from being all He created us to be.

Fun + Change?

2012-01-26T13:36:00.001-05:00

Two words that don’t usually go together.

Most of us will do everything we can to avoid change in our lives.

Change means we are out of control.

Change means we have to be flexible.

Change means we have to trust what is ahead us, is for our good.

But sometimes change is fun and we enjoy it.

Like for example the change I made this week, which may be really vain and silly to some, but it was a big change for me…

I have had dark brown hair (my natural color) for the last 3.5 yrs. Yet, for the last three months I have been longing to change it to red. But couldn’t bring myself to really do it, until this week. Now, I’m so glad I did.

As you know, I made a huge change 6 months ago with my diet. I had been a die hard vegan for 9 years until this past August. That change was hard to do, but very necessary for my health.

Here I am 6 months later comfortable with my new diet (GF, DF and eating animal protein) and truly thankful that I didn’t reject the advice being given to me. Each change came with their own set of challenges, but I met them head on and pushed through.

Today, I made another change all for the purpose of optimal health – for me and nobody else but me. I began to exercise again. I could list a 100 good excuses why I stopped walking daily, but none of them matter. It was a choice, and I allowed life and how busy it gets raising 9 children, being a wife, starting a photography business, loving on my in-love’s as we all faced dad’s cancer again, and then finally last week winning the battle, get in the way of me taking care of me. Not any more.

This morning, I dropped the children off at a school, ran a few quick errands and then hurried home. I got myself a bottle of water and headed to the basement to rebound and then use our elliptical machine. I know that sounds pretty basic and even slightly boring. However, I assure you, it was anything but basic or boring. Within 10 minutes I began to sweat. THIS IS A HUGE CHANGE for me! I was a classically trained dancer from a very young age and never sweat during an hour long dance class. I would only sweat during the very hot and humid days of summer (even then, not so much). But any other form of exercise, I barely broke a sweat at all.

My body is healing. Slowly, but surely it is changing from the inside out. I can’t see the changes taking place, but I can definitely feel them on a day like today. It was so encouraging to me. I ran to the phone to call my husband. Like most of you, he wasn’t as excited as I am. But he was thrilled to hear my joy.

The point of this very long story is that even hard changes are for our good. It may take years for us to see the good in them. But if you give it time and persevere through the challenges, you too will see good come from the positive changes you are making in your life.

Can I get an AMEN? How true is that quote? It has proven true over and over again in my life. I could write a book with that as my title!!!!

This quote is how I’m choosing to live…

and hope to be known!!!!!

I hope you took the time to read the post I shared last week with tons of wisdom for taking back your health and breaking free from your personal challenges in 2012. If not, then go now and stop letting fear of change stand in your way of becoming the most amazing you, be all that you were created to be!

Live life to the fullest. Love with reckless abandon. Laugh until your side hurts. Dance as if no one is watching. Do the things you never got around to doing last year. Make a list of all the things you truly want to change in your life and begin checking off that list today!

I’m here cheering you on! You can do it!

How to Reclaim Your Health in 2012

2012-01-23T06:03:00.001-05:00

Wow, it is hard to believe we only have 8 days left of January! This month has flown by for me and I never got to wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Yesterday, I received this excellent email from my previous homeopathic doctor in PA. His advice is always wise and sound. He and his wife are wonderful examples of living life to the fullest and doing it with grace, peace, lots of laughter, and love. They seek out the truth and weed out all the fades when it comes to excellent health tips. Which I appreciate. They have eaten the same way for many years and it shows – they are vibrant and youthful; with a natural glow to their skin and bright white eyes. Their good health inside definitely shows on the outside.

May their words inspire you to seek do great things this year to improve your health and how you live your life!

Many times I have been asked for suggestions on what to do to stay on the sunny side of wellness. As there are a multitude of wonderful products, wellness breakthroughs and new services that come out every year, I thought it may be helpful if, on occasion, I pass along a few recommendations that Heather and I have personally used and found helpful.

Enjoy REAL Food and Support Your Local Farmer

The first recommendation I would like to share is to make nutrition a high priority and make it a point to keep expanding your knowledge. This can never be stressed enough! Your diet determines your body chemistry and that is what contributes, in a very large degree, to your state of health or illness. However, as every one has their own unique metabolism, I have compiled a list of pretty simple and standard nutrition guidelines that can be followed to optimize your health:

1) Your food should be as fresh as possible and organically grow, preferably from your local farmer or farmers market.

2) Prepare your own food to best control not only what is IN it, but what is NOT in it. This increased cost in time and money to eat healthy is one of the best investments you can make for you and your family’s health. The market can tank along with the Euro, but your health and wellbeing is a priceless commodity that sustains you 24/7.

3) There should always be A LOT of color on your plate. Colors are green, orange, red, purple, yellow etc., not brown, cream, beige or white.

4) Dr Joel Fuhrman has it right by telling his patients and readers to make your salad your main course. You can substitute veggies, cooked or raw, for salad. The perimeter of your plate is enough space for the meat, other proteins and starches.

5) Have your dense carbs in the morning which will allow the rest of the day to use that as fuel. Stick only to protein and veggies in the evening. (Snacking on starchy carbs later in the day is an excellent way to grow a very nice spare tire.)

6) Absolutely NO SUGAR! NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS OR HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP. Processed and fake sugars are the epitome of something that gives a few moments of pleasure in exchange for a lifetime of misery.

7) Make sure you get your essential fats (Omega 3’s) from vegetable sources (flax, chia, olives, coconut), and/or fish oil, either at the original source or a high quality supplement.

8) Nutritional supplements are necessary for most people to have complete nutrition. I would recommend a ‘whole foods’ based one. A daily dose of 2,000 - 5,000 units of vitamin D3, especially in our climate, is good for most people. It’s also a good idea to have your Vitamin D blood levels checked to see if you are within a healthy range.

9) Drink plenty of high quality filtered or spring water daily. You are made up mostly of water so it is axiomatic that your health will be determined to a large degree by the quality and sufficient amounts of that water.

10) Think of “greens” as a totally separate food group and eat this group often! A great way to get large amounts of fresh, raw greens without having to spend half-an-hour chewing is with green smoothies. This may be an acquired taste or texture for some, but the benefits are worth it. Not only are they highly nutritious, but very fast and easy, with no cooking and little clean up. An entire ‘meal’ can easily be made, enjoyed and the mess cleaned up within 10 minutes!

Eat Your Greens!

In my family, we have fun with this and take turns making the morning green smoothie breakfast-of-champions! Heather uses a straw to get them down easier.

Here is our basic recipe:

(Use only organic produce whenever possible)

1 large avocado (peeled/ de-stoned)
1 apple
Greens (kale, collards, dandelion, spinach, chard, parsley, celery, etc..)
1 cup frozen mixed berries
water
flaxseed oil

Depending on what we have on-hand, we spice up the above recipe with raw cocoa powder, goji berries, coconut oil, bee pollen, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, etc. There are lots of excellent recipes and good dietary information on the internet e.g. greensmoothiegirl.com.

Smoothies are best made with a high speed, powerful blender. The choices today are either a Vitamix or a Blendtec which is what we have. To get an idea of what these can do and also for a good laugh, look at the ‘Will it Blend’ videos on YouTube.

Move That Body!

Once your body is nourished with REAL food, I would recommend a daily dose of physical movement. The benefits of exercise have been well documented, but the type and duration varies according to many factors including body and metabolic type, level of physical fitness, and general state of health.

In my opinion, nothing can replace daily outdoor activity. This allows the healing power of the sun and nature to be experienced. Even a simple walk outside, for a minimum of 20 - 30 minutes a few times a week, can significantly increase a persons’ well-being. Try gardening, biking, hiking, skating, or any other activity that gets you moving outdoors and increases the joy factor in your life.

To complement, there are many indoor activities that are extremely beneficial. In our home, we use and have benefited greatly from the use of two machines: the Teeter Inversion Table and the T-Zone Whole Body Vibration Machine*. These two machines have released years of pain and tension in my spinal column within a few months of daily use. My old injury of jumping off a swing in full cycle and landing flat on my back has finally been rectified. Having these machines at home ensures daily use as there is little or no need for excuses. It’s common in the mornings to have us all in our PJ’s ‘hanging’ or ‘vibing’ at 7 a.m.!

Whole Body Vibration Technology

Heather and I were first introduced to the T-Zone Whole Body Vibration technology in Canada last summer. I found the decades of research and list of health benefits quite impressive. The benefits included increased muscle strength, improved circulation, reduction of joint pain, assistance in weight loss, improved coordination & flexibility, and a general sense of well-being. It all made sense. I thought if NASA adopted this technology to keep astronauts’ bones and muscles strong while in zero gravity, just think how great it would work on our bodies here on planet Earth. So, in July, a machine was shipped to our home and it’s been a daily 10-minute addiction every since.

NOTE: If you live in and around West Chester, PA this is a great opportunity to spend time with Dr. Prociuk and his wife Heather. Because of our personal and very positive experience with this technology, we wanted to share this with you and extend an invitation to experience the benefits for yourself. Just drop in during office hours and take a ‘test drive’ on one of our machines. For those who are interested in a more in-depth inquiry, I will be giving a free 30 minute demonstration followed by a Q & A on Saturday, January 28th @ 3:00 p.m. and Saturday, February 25 at 3:00 p.m. in our West Chester office. As space is limited, please call Heather @ 610-701-5702 if you plan on attending.

Keep on the Sunny Side

The last and final point I would like to make is a simple statement, but worth pondering: Good health can only be achieved when there is a clear intent to have it. That said, my wish for you is to start off this new year with that intent.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. I hope you found a few suggestions here to keep your health and wellness top-of-mind.

To your health -

Peter J. Prociuk, M.D.

www.drpeterprociuk.com

Another Favorite Product

2011-09-21T20:39:00.001-04:00

I’m not even going to try to cover all the amazing benefits of this oil. We are using it daily to build up our immune system and help us to fight off the common cold/flu.

Thieves Oil is a blend of five essential oils that are scientifically documented to be highly anti-infectious, antiviral, antibacterial, and antiseptic. Thieves’ essential oil is a safe and natural way to care for your family’s health.

If you want to learn more about it – click here.

I purchase it through Young Living. I buy all of my essential oils from them.

You will not believe all the uses for this one oil. They now have many products that are made just from this oil to clean your house, hands, freshen your breath, brush your teeth and throat lozenges.

The moment you or your child are starting to feel sick – a drop on the bottom of your feet at night – rub feet together – put socks on and off to bed. Then 3 x a day 1-2 drops in 2 oz of water. Many of my friends have told me it gets rid of strep throat in three days. I’m all for that! But if you use this product throughout the cold/flu season on a regular basis at least once a day in water or a 1/4 tsp of raw honey – you will seriously limit your chances of getting sick.

The best plan for staying well during the cold/flu season is:

Get enough sleep.
WASH your hands with soap and water (OFTEN)– not just hand sanitizer. That actually stops you from having the good bacteria on your hands, etc.
Limit/avoid all sugar products.
Drink plenty of water.
Eat a well balance diet – high in organic vegetables and fruit.
Get enough sleep. NOTE to self – go to bed earlier to ensure you get enough sleep during the week!

My Journey Continues…

2011-09-21T11:21:00.001-04:00

Have you ever walked a mile and felt like you walked only a moment? Have you ever driven home and can’t even remember the drive? Have you ever walked into a room and completely forgotten why you entered it?

That is how I have felt many times since I began this journey only six weeks ago.

I have felt lost and yet, so familiar with where I am.

I have felt alone and yet, so filled with comfort and peace.

I have felt unsure and yet, more sure of my choices in regards to health than I have in a very long time.

A verse was given to me this morning and it completely reflects where I am on my journey…

But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.

Psalm 73:28

I have been drawing closer to God through this health journey and asking Him to help heal me in a new way each day. I pray for wisdom with my food choices and how to do what is best for my body each day. Sometimes that is resting. Sometimes that means eating a little more throughout the day. Sometimes it means not eating a food I used to enjoy (because my body no longer likes it). Sometimes that means trying new things. Sometimes it means learning how to cook a food I used to but forgot the best way.

I have new favorite recipes. I have a new weekly lunch menu for our children. I crave foods I never imagined I would ever eat again.

What are they you might be asking?

Well, my top favorite things to eat now are scrambled eggs with GF toast, my homemade chicken salad, salmon salad, egg salad and the best BBQ chicken I have ever tasted. Daily for my mid-day snack I eat sliced red/green peppers, cucumbers with hummus. I eat an 8 oz container every day. YUM! YUM! So far chickpeas are the only beans my body can tolerate as I continue on my journey towards healing!

If you would like me to share my recipes – I’ll post them soon.

Student First

2011-09-03T16:08:00.001-04:00

For the last three weeks I have spent time relearning many things about my health and how to truly take the best care of my body.

Which means, I am once again the student.

For years, I have comfortably filled the role of teacher. A role I love and continues to challenge me to seek the truth not just for myself, but for all those I love and have taught over the last 8 years. However, in order to be a great teacher, one must always be willing to remain a student.

I had to be willing to let go of what I thought was the best way for me to regain health, in order to learn all that I can now. What I am learning is helping my body heal one day at a time. I am thrilled to be the student once again. What an awesome journey this continues to be. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for all that I learned and followed. I needed the knowledge that I clung to and lived by to heal some major health challenges I was facing. However, the time has come where the lifestyle choices I was making were no longer helping my body and I began to feel sick again.

Seeking optimal health is a journey – it means that along the way I must be willing to go where the path is leading even when I truly believe the path I am on is just fine. Guess what? I don’t want just fine! I want the truth and to walk on the best road for my health.

Photo credit Ashley Sisk

I don’t believe there is only one way of eating forever when it comes to health. I believe there is one way to heal for a season (and that is how I have lived for the last 8+ yrs.). And when that season ends it is vitally important to know what is best for your body from that day forward. No season lasts forever and when we try to force them to remain, the consequences can be very damaging to our health. In more ways than we ever imagined.

That is what has happened to me. Living as a vegan suited me well for almost 9 years. But then as I mentioned a few weeks ago, I found out it was no longer helping me heal my body.

Until I was able to find out what my body was lacking and needed, optimal health could not be attained. Nor was I ever going to heal what has caused me much suffering for the last 16 yrs of my life. Sure my digestive tract has been working much better for the last almost 9 years. But I still had my fair share of issues when I ate certain things. Which didn’t really make sense to me. My adrenals seemed to get more and more shut down over time and I began to have many issues with my menstrual cycle. I already knew that my adrenals produce too much cortisol – which tells my body to stay in a state of fight or flight all day long. Let’s say that alone is pretty exhausting. But add in parenting 9 children, being a wife and all the other things I do each day – my body was starting to feel over-stressed more and more.

My new health journey began in July when I went to a new chiropractor in MD. He is a gentle older man and his staff was lovely. He mentioned to me that a vegan diet has it pluses and minuses. That I might want to consider learning about the A.S.H Diet and Inflammation Free Diet. I should mention he is a fourth generation chiropractor and very wise. So I took his recommendations and wrote myself a note to check them out when I got home.

But before I left the office his receptionist began to tell me about other supplements that might help with the challenges I face. Meanwhile, a patient of his introduced herself and she shared her personal journey with me. Then she offered me a card with a name of the naturopath that has been helping her heal from some major health challenges that were similar to mine. I tucked the card into my pocket with the information the chiropractor gave me and promised myself I would look at them both later that night.

A week went by before I took the time to investigate all that he shared and to contact the naturopath. I was not surprised what I learned from the books he mentioned and knew that I would need serious data for me to make some of the changes suggested in the books.

Within hours of me reaching out to Sara an email arrived back and we quickly dug into what was going on with me. By the time she had my second email she wrote back, “I’m confident the testing I do and the program put together from it will help your body heal.” Sorry for being doubtful after hearing stuff like this before, but I needed more than her confidence that her program would work.

However, it didn’t take long before I knew God clearly had sent me to this naturopath and that she would be used to help me truly heal my body. We went back and forth many times via email and were excited to meet the following week to do my hair test. Let’s just say she is a blessing from the moment I met her and continues to be a gift from God in my life.

Sara has already helped me retrain my thought processes, so that I could open my mind to what my test results showed. Most of it was not a surprise. I knew my adrenals were taxed. I knew my thyroid was struggling because of it. I knew my digestive tract still wasn’t working as it should. I knew that was affecting my gallbladder. I knew that my adrenal fatigue is what has been causing my erratic BP issues over the years. I knew all of that. What I didn’t know was how badly. I didn’t realize how depleted I was in so many vital nutrients and how toxic my body was in others. The one that has been giving me the most trouble is copper. You can do a search on the health challenges associated with high copper. You will be amazed how much this one mineral effects our health.

The results showed that I needed to be 100% gluten free (GF). This wouldn’t be too hard since I was already eating 85% that way. It also showed that my body needed animal protein. I had already been prepared to hear this because Sara mentioned that to me after discussing my current health challenges. Many were similar to hers years ago. That was a much tougher thing for me to hear after being a vegan for almost 9 years. Again, she was prepared for my reaction and had to deal with the very same news. She was a vegan/vegetarian for 15 years. So she knew exactly how I was feeling and how I would feel for the weeks to come. More confirmation she was the exact person I needed to be working with to help me heal many things going on.

After our 2.5 hour consultation, I left her office with hope and yet, many questions. She has been diligent to answer every single one and help me understand what is already happening to my body as I make the changes suggested from the results. I began a new supplement regimen and added in a few things that will help my body rebuild my immune system. It is weakened because of my adrenal issue. She has helped me find the best homeopathic remedies as well. Sara is also teaching me how to help build up our children’s immune systems so they can fight off things much easier now that they are in school.

My closest friends and family have been unbelievably supportive on this journey. Our children have done amazingly well with adding in new foods. I am so proud of them. I have learned how to cook things again that have not been on our table in years. Only this time I’m cooking them with the purest and most organic ingredients. We are loving the addition of animal protein in our diet. They can’t thank me enough for the delicious, fresh and varied lunches they receive everyday in their lunchboxes. Their friends and teachers are amazed at what I pack each day as well. I am thrilled with the 10 dishes I create for them each week and I know that I am giving them exactly what their bodies need to be fueled up for learning!

I am NOT eating dairy. Nor will we be adding that back in. We will not be eating any pork products either. Everything we have added back in is organic and in the purest form I can find. It is NOT the main portion of our diet either. We are still eating a plant based diet with animal protein added into our meals. Which for us has been a wonderful addition.

We are beginning to test the children now. A few at a time and will make adjustments necessary for them to get what their bodies need as well. The key to optimal health is not just four things: drinking enough water, using the best salt, eating healthy fats and exercise. Those are all integral to our health. But we need to be doing them in the right ratios for our body chemistry and be sure that we are getting the right minerals to help our body function optimally. The only way to know what your body needs is to get the hair analysis done. It is not as expensive as you might be thinking. It is not covered by insurance. Yet, it is worth every penny we paid to have it done. NOTE: I agree with the comment below that one should practice the eight laws of health:

Wholesome nutrition, proper exercise, enough water, adequate sunlight exposure, keeping ones life in balance (i.e. not going to extremes), breathing plenty of fresh air, getting enough sleep at night (preferably in the hours before midnight), and having faith that God will take care of everything.

Had I not found out what I did – my health would have increasingly declined and I would be dealing with much bigger challenges than I already do.

I can’t stress enough the importance of knowing what your body needs and doesn’t. Only then can you truly be on the road to helping your body be balanced. The beauty of this program is that it constantly changes. Why? Because you constantly change every four months. Your body is never the same. So what it needs now, it might not need in four months. I don’t want to overload my body with the things it doesn’t need just because they are healthy to eat. Nor do I want to deprive my body of what it needs just because I chose to live a certain way.

I am so thankful that many of my friends and family are also working with Sara. They too are finding that the road to health is not what works for everyone – but what works for their body. This is not eat for your body type. This is eat for YOUR body. Eat to live not live to eat.

Rest assured that your plan will be just for you. You will be taking the supplements your body needs and as it heals, adjusts and balances. Your supplements will change too.

I will be sharing many of my favorite recipes in the coming weeks. I will also share what my test results show in 3 months when I get tested again.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Sara. Together, she and I will support you on the journey to heal for your body.

One of My Favorite Things

2011-08-13T20:53:00.001-04:00

Is delicious and very nutritious!

Pumpkin Seed Butter is a valuable source of omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), and omega-9 fatty acid. Pumpkin seeds are a known source of magnesium, zinc, vitamin E and phytosterols, and have been used in both folk remedies and modern scientific studies for its benefits with bladder and prostate health. Traditional Chinese Medicine regards pumpkin seeds as a source of fertility and health for men and women.

This is simply the best-tasting Pumpkin Seed Butter available. There are no sugars added, or any kind of fillers like hydrogenated oils, starch, additives, stabilizers or artificial preservatives.

Ingredients: organic pumpkin seeds and oil, Celtic Sea Salt®.

I can’t wait for you to all try it and then come back here to let me know what you thought. Remember since it is made of pumpkin seeds – it is GREEN! I love to spread it on rice cakes, GF bagels and toast. It is also wonderful smeared onto a baked sweet potato.

How would you like it if I do this on a more regular basis?

In the coming weeks I will begin to share my new health journey and all that I am now learning. I need some time to process the changes I need to make and understand it all so that I can best share it with you. I look forward to introducing you to my new naturopath as well. She is a godsend for sure!

One Step at a Time Towards Optimal Health!

2011-07-31T20:23:00.001-04:00

I started walking one week ago as part of my new health journey and I’m LOVING it! I started out 20 minutes each day and now I’m up to 45 minutes a day with one day of rest. Which means I’m walking about 3 miles a day! YEAH!

Here is a great article I found on the health benefits of walking and why you should join me!

Written by the Mayo Clinic Staff

Walking is a gentle, low-impact exercise that can ease you into a higher level of fitness and health. Walking is a form of exercise accessible to just about everybody. It's safe, simple and doesn't require practice. And the health benefits are many. Here's more about why walking is good for you, and how to get started with a walking program.

Benefits of walking

Walking, like other exercise, can help you achieve a number of important health benefits. Walking can help you:

Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol)
Raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol)
Lower your blood pressure
Reduce your risk of or manage type 2 diabetes
Manage your weight
Reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety (improve your mood)
Maintain lean muscle
Increase cardiovascular endurance
Reduce the pain and joint swelling that accompanies arthritis
Improved sleep
Stay strong and fit

(Walkers have less incidence of cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other killer diseases. They live longer and get mental health and spiritual benefits.)

All it takes to reap these benefits is a routine of brisk walking. It doesn't get much simpler than that. And you can forget the "no pain, no gain" talk. Research shows that regular, brisk walking can reduce the risk of heart attack by the same amount as more vigorous exercise, such as jogging.

Preparation helps avoid injury

Use proper technique
Walking is a great exercise because it's so simple to do. But using the correct posture and movements is essential.

Proper walking technique

Walk with smooth movements. As you walk forward, roll your foot from heel to toe. Avoid coming down hard with your heel on the ground.

Walking isn't as likely to lead to injuries as other types of exercise. Still, take time to prepare yourself to prevent injuries, such as blisters or muscle pain.

Get the right gear
Be sure to wear comfortable footwear. Choose shoes with proper arch support, a firm heel and thick flexible soles to cushion your feet and absorb shock. Before you buy a new pair, be sure to walk in them in the store.

Also dress in loose-fitting, comfortable clothing and in layers if you need to adjust to changing temperature. If you walk outside, choose clothes appropriate for the weather. Avoid rubberized materials, as they don't allow perspiration to evaporate. Wear bright colors or reflective tape after dark so that motorists can see you.

Warm up
Spend about five minutes walking slowly to warm up your muscles. You can walk in place if you want. Increase your pace until you feel warm.

Stretch
After warming up, stretch your muscles before walking. Include the calf stretch, quadriceps stretch, hamstring stretch and side (iliotibial) stretch.

Cool down after each walking session
To reduce stress on your heart and muscles, end each walking session by walking slowly for about five minutes. Then, repeat your stretches.

Getting started: Focus on the basics

As you get started, remember to:

Start slow and easy. If you're a seasoned walker, keep doing what you're doing. If you've been inactive and tire easily, it's best to start slow and easy. At first, walk only as far or as fast as you find comfortable. If you can walk for only a few minutes, let that be your starting point. For example, you might try short daily sessions of five to 10 minutes and slowly build up to 15 minutes twice a week. Then, over several weeks' time, you can gradually work your way up to 30 to 60 minutes of walking most days each week.
Measure the intensity of your workout. As you walk, measure the intensity of your workout by checking your heart rate. Knowing your heart rate allows you to increase the intensity to maximize your workout or slow down to avoid overdoing it.

To find out if you're exercising within the range of your target heart rate, stop walking to check your pulse manually at your wrist (radial artery) or neck (carotid artery). Another option is to wear an electronic device that displays your heart rate.

Set goals and track your progress

The good news is that walking — even only a modest amount — provides health benefits. For maximum benefits, work your way up to 30 to 60 minutes a day within your target heart rate zone, most days of the week.

To achieve these benefits, it can help to set goals, track your progress and take steps to stay motivated.

Set realistic goals
If your goal is to walk two hours a day 365 days a year, you might be setting yourself up to fail. Set realistic goals for yourself, such as 30 minutes five days a week.

And you don't need to do it all at once. Build walking into your schedule today. For example, walk for 10 minutes on your lunch break.

Track progress
Keeping a record of how many steps you take, the distance you walk and how long it takes can help you see where you started from and serve as a source of inspiration. Just think how good you'll feel when you see how many miles you've walked each week, month or year.

Record these numbers in a walking journal you create for yourself or log them in a spreadsheet on your computer. Another option is to use an electronic device — such as a pedometer — to calculate time and distance for you.

Stay motivated

Starting a walking program takes initiative. Sticking with it takes commitment. But when you think of the potential health benefits, it's well worth your effort. Over time you'll likely feel more invigorated. To stay motivated:

Make it fun. If you don't like walking alone, invite your spouse, partner, friend or neighbor to join you. You might also join a health club and use a treadmill.
Vary your routine. Plan several different walking routes for variety. But if you're walking alone, be sure to tell someone which route you're taking.

Sometimes things happen to keep you from sticking to a regular walking program. Don't be too hard on yourself when this happens. You don't have to let a few days off sabotage your plan to reach a higher level of fitness and improved health. Just revisit your goals and get walking.

You'll be glad you started

Even though the first steps of any journey can be the most difficult, it helps to keep your goals foremost in your mind. So remember, once you take that first step, you're on the way to an important destination — better health.

I hope this inspired you to join me –

What are you waiting for? Let’s go!

If you would like to read another great article about the health benefits and walking – click here!

Raw Vegetable "Pasta" with Tomatoes and Herbs

2011-07-21T22:25:00.001-04:00

Recipe by Whole Foods Market

Serves 6

Try this delicious "pasta" made from strips of summer squash and zucchini tossed with tomatoes, olive oil and fresh basil and oregano for a dish packed with bright flavors.

Ingredients

2 zucchini squash, shaved thinly lengthwise with a vegetable peeler
2 yellow summer squash, shaved thinly lengthwise with a vegetable peeler
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
5 oil-packed sundried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
1/2 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
1 teaspoon finely chopped oregano

Method

In a large bowl, gently toss together all ingredients. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 6oz/169g-wt.): 60 calories (25 from fat), 3g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 210mg sodium, 7g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 3g sugar), 2g protein

Yum Yum Grilled Veggie Tostada

2011-07-18T13:37:00.001-04:00

Another great recipe from Whole Foods Market

Serves 6

Grilling brings out the natural flavor and sweetness of zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper, eggplant and onion in these savory tostadas. Grill whole wheat tortillas for a crispy base and top with fresh salsa, sliced avocado and a squeeze of lime.

Ingredients

1 pound tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing tortillas
2 teaspoons chili powder
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into thick strips
2 yellow squash, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick rounds
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
6 (6-inch) whole wheat tortillas
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
Lime wedges for garnish

Method

Put tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, black pepper and jalapeños into a medium bowl and toss to combine. Cover and chill.
Preheat grill to medium heat. In a large bowl, mix together oil, chili powder, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and garlic. Add peppers, squash, zucchini, eggplant and onion and toss to coat.

Working in batches, grill vegetables, flipping halfway through, until tender, 5 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a platter as done. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with olive oil and grill, flipping once, until just crisp and lightly charred on both sides, about 3 minutes total.

Place one tortilla on each of six plates and top with vegetables, salsa and avocados. Garnish with lime wedges and serve.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 19oz/549g-wt.): 380 calories (160 from fat), 18g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 490mg sodium, 47g total carbohydrate (12g dietary fiber, 12g sugar), 10g protein

Lemony Cabbage-Avocado Slaw

2011-07-17T14:16:00.001-04:00

by Whole Foods Market

Serves 6

Creamy avocado and bright lemon make great partners in this colorful salad.

Ingredients

6 cups finely shredded purple and green cabbage
1 small red, orange or yellow pepper, chopped
1 ripe avocado, diced
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup shelled hemp seeds
3 tablespoons cilantro leaves
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Method

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl, until avocado is creamy throughout.

Nutrition

Per serving: 110 calories (60 from fat), 7g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 115mg sodium, 10g total carbohydrate (5g dietary fiber, 3g sugar), 3g protein

A New Journey

2011-07-14T06:00:00.000-04:00

Is about to begin for me in the pursuit of truth and health.

Which means my desire to feel my best is way more important to me than my need to be right about what I currently know and am doing.

God continues to teach me that there isn’t necessarily one way of doing everything all of the time when it comes to our health and parenting. We need to change and grow as we learn about each area of our lives. Along my journey I have added things in and taken other things out. I have opened my mind to trying things I never imagined I would – which is a reminder for me to NEVER say NEVER!

I will be sharing my experience here with all of you in hopes to educate and inspire you to seek the same truth for yourselves.

I believe I may be eating some humble pie along this path and must be willing to truly give this over to God to see it through. I trust He has lead me here to heal His way and in His perfect timing!

Two weeks ago I went to see a new chiropractor and while getting ready to check out I was introduced to a patient of his who has dealt with many of my current health challenges.

#1 Adrenal Fatigue/Stress

#2 Hormonal Imbalances

She and I got in touch after our initial meeting, which led me to a practitioner in our area who deals with both issues. I just found out that she is also a born again Christian and has traveled down many roads that I have to find the truth about health. Our experiences have been different and yet we share many of the same beliefs.

In the coming weeks I will share more about Sara and the test she is running on me, along with the results, and the detailed outline on how to begin healing my body.

You might remember me suggesting a few weeks ago to have a blood test done to learn about what your body needs and what you are truly absorbing/not absorbing. Well, this test is better than that and it gives you extensive information about your body,the optimal diet for your body’s current needs and how to achieve that step by step.

Until I have the results and know more about it personally I will not be sharing more on it. So please be patient as I walk this out in front of all of you!

My husband recently asked me, “what would you be willing to give up or change in the pursuit of truth and finding it?” I think I am about to find out.

Please pray for me as I seek God’s wisdom and grace to not only listen to what I learn, but to apply it to my life!

More Tips for Transitioning

2011-06-28T08:54:00.001-04:00

Why more tips?

Because transitioning from a cleanse where you are committed to eating a certain way and following a program - to nothing becomes a bit challenging for many.

The most important lesson I have learned from doing many cleanses in the past is that I truly need to be prepared for the next phase – meaning…

I prepare a menu for myself a few days at a time and then shop accordingly.
I spend some time cutting up veggies for me to snack on and always have fresh organic hummus available to enjoy with them.
I make soups a few at a time. They are good for about three days in a glass container tightly closed kept in the fridge.
If I am going to be out for a long time, I bring along a cooler with fresh juice, an avocado, raw crackers, and cut up veggies. Depending on the length of time I will pack myself a salad and soup too.

These are just some of the things I do to ensure I set myself up for continued success for eating to live! As you can see none of this is hard to do, it just takes forethought and a bit of planning.

Another thing I want to touch upon today is why you can still deal with health challenges after changing your diet. Why some struggle with poor digestion and absorption issues and how to overcome them.

Healing takes time. Even after doing a month long cleanse as we did, the body still has a long way to go to achieve optimal health. It didn’t get to where it is in a month, nor will it get to where you desire in only a month. You all know the saying, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Well, neither are your health challenges. Some of you may have been born with and will deal with certain health challenges for the rest of your life. Yet, there is still reason to change the way you eat to give your body all that it needs to feel it’s best. Sorry, but there is never a good enough reason to eat like a glutton and fill your body with toxins day in and day out. The body is amazing – yet, it can only take so much. Your health is totally reflective of everything you put into your body – both physically and mentally. Eating to live is a daily choice. So take it one day at a time and focus on the goal vs. the immediate gain. “Time heals all wounds”, is another wise quote that is a wonderful reminder when our goal is healing from the inside out.
Doing a cleanse is NOT an excuse to go back to eating processed foods and drinking sugar and caffeine all day long. Please don’t allow yourself to believe that you cleaned out and now it is OK to eat just as you did before. Trust me, one month of eating this way only touched the surface of what is left behind and needing to be flushed out. Not to mention, the body will quickly go back to how you felt once you begin filling it with the foods you ate before the cleanse.
Please chew your food. Yes, your mom was right. Don’t just swallow your food. Take the time to chew it so that they body can properly digest it and absorb it. Lack of absorption and digestive issues begin with how well we chew up our foods. That is why eating blended soups and juicing is so healthy for us. Blended foods, soups and juices have already done the hard work for us. We don’t need to break down the food. Our bodies can relax and simply take in all the nutrition from what we are eating and drinking. Remember to ask your doctor (naturopath) to test to see what you are low on and if you are dealing with absorption issues. If you are, learn about digestive enzymes and how often you need to take them. You may need a good probiotic for a short amount of time as well.
Keep cleaning house! That’s right you need to take time to keep flushing out the toxins stored up in your body and do everything you can to heal your digestive tract. Learn how to safely do enemas at home. Find a good colon hydro therapist in your area and make an appointment to learn more about the benefits of having their treatments done. Have lymphatic massages done as often as you can to help flush out toxins and build up your immune system.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day (walking is free and you can do it anywhere). Just get yourself a quality pair of walking shoes (ladies that does not mean cute flip flops). You want to support your feet, ankles and knees, and allow the shoes to absorb the shock of every step you take. Swim now that it is summer. Rebound on rainy days. Go for a hike. Walk along the ocean in your bare feet. Go outside and weed your garden/yard. Just get moving!
You don’t have to be a raw foodist to experience optimal health. This might surprise many to hear and even bother some. But I don’t agree with being a 100% raw food eater only. I know many people live this way and believe eating raw food only - is the only way to achieve optimal health and sustain it. Sure there is a time and season for which to live this way. But forever, if not done right and with the proper guidance you will begin to become deficient on very important minerals, vitamins and protein. Not to mention you need to ensure you are getting enough healthy fats, etc. So, the good news for many of you reading this is - you can still enjoy eating grains and cooked foods. They just need to be in their natural form and NOT processed. Buy quinoa and rice that is NOT prepackaged with spices, etc. Make it fresh and add your own spices into whatever dish you are going to create. You can enjoy veggies steamed and slightly roasted. You can enjoy raw soups warmed to the touch. You can still eat pizza – just buy crusts that are made with quality ingredients and leave off the cheese. NOTE: If you are dealing with a serious health challenge then you won’t want to add in any grains or cooked foods until your body has gone through a complete cleanse – breaking down, rebuilding and restoring. Please go slow adding in grains and foods that are a bit harder to digest. Please avoid eating fruits and veggies high in sugar.

Even though I pointed out the above six things – none of them are a formula for guaranteed optimal health. Every body is different and needs to be dealt with on an individual basis. Your health needs are not the same as mine. Your life is not exactly like mine. HOWEVER, the truth in what I share will benefit everyone. We will all achieve our health results at a different pace and in a little varied way – because of how healthy/unhealthy our digestive tract is and what our specific health needs are at any given time.

Find a caring and knowledgeable naturopath to work with you, and share what you are learning, and together you can work towards optimal health. Ask them to help you learn more about what your body needs (what you are deficient in, are you not absorbing things, and if you need digestive enzymes, probiotics?) and then do everything you can to give your body those things!

Here are two more recipes to enjoy!

Herbed Alkalarian Butter
Shelley Redford Young

1 cup of Wilderness Family Naturals Coconut Oil
(I use Organic Extra Virgin cold pressed)
1/2 cup Barlean's Flax Oil
(you will find this in the refrigerated section of your health food store)
8 large garlic cloves
1 yellow onion
1/2 - 1 tsp. Real Salt
2 tsp. Italian Seasonings Spice Hunter (or your choice)
1 tsp. fresh Rosemary minced optional
2 tsp. minced sundried tomatoes

Directions:

Introduction: With Dr. Young's science based more and more around healthy fats, I have attempted to find another butter replacement. Many of you Alkavorians have been putting different oils (Udo's, Flax, Olive, and Essential Balance) on your steamed veggies and grains (Quinoa, Buckwheat etc), but now through the inspiration of Dr. Johanna Budwig who was a great advocate of the healing properties of Flax seed oil, I been able to come up with a combination of healthy oils and herbed seasonings that make a solid butter type spread. It melts beautifully once it hits something warm.. I call it Herbed Alkalarian Butter.

This is the Alkalarian's answer to butter. The coconut oil keeps the butter in a solid state (in the fridge) and the Flax oil gives it the rich golden appearance. Experiment with different herbs, spices and flavorings. Just put a paddy or two (a tsp. or two) over your steamed veggies or warmed grains such as Quinoa, Buckwheat, or millet or use it as a spread in your Tortilla wraps. It will melt on contact and spread a beautiful mix of herbs, seasonings, and healthy Omega and Lauric oils over your dish. Shiny and beautiful, and so good for you. Enjoy!

Dice the onion and garlic and put in a non stick pan with 3 TBS. of the coconut oil. Heat and cook until onion is clear, stirring as you go.

If desired, you may slightly brown the onions and garlic for a more roasted flavor. Then add the rest of the coconut oil and let it melt until clear. Stir to mix together. Do not cook. Take off burner.

At this point you may strain the mixture thru a strainer to take out the pieces of onion and garlic or you may leave them in.

Add salt, spices and seasonings of choice and the Barlean's Flax Oil. Stir mix well, and pour into small tubs and place into the refrigerator to set up.

Use on all your veggie dishes as a butter garnish or spread. Do not cook or fry with this Herbed Alkalarian butter as the heat will cause trans fatty acids to form. Keep the mixture raw and use only after you have cooked or warmed your food.

Great on the Zippy Breakfast!

Other suggestions: Add lemon juice to tang it up Use Frontier seasonings bottled without alcohol to enhance the taste.. example Mint or put fresh mint minced in the butter. Add diced pecans or almonds to make a more nutty butter.

My sweet friend Janice aka “The Beauty Chef” sent me this recipe for all of you to enjoy

Red Pepper Curry
2 red peppers (1/2 on the side)
1/2 pink lady apple leave out some for garnish
4 Tb. basil
1/2 of a med. red onion
1 small shallot
3 oz. raw pine nuts
1 avocado 1/2 out for garnish
1 Tb. curry powder
1 garlic piece
1 c. coconut water or almond milk
1 Thai chili or 1/2
1 tsp. Himalayan sea salt
2 Tb. chives chop and garnish some
1 lime (juice only and some zest for garnish)
2 Tb. olive oil or coconut or hemp oil
Edible flowers if available to garnish

Directions: Add everything to VitaMix or high speed blender except your garnish, blend till smooth then decorate your soup and enjoy with someone you love.

Week Four– Prepare to Transition

2011-06-21T10:00:00.000-04:00

I can honestly say that this has been one of the best cleanses I have done yet.

First, I was able to live out – anything worth having is worth working for. Every sacrifice made in earnest produces such sweet blessings.

I gave up what I did not need and what was stealing my inner balance, joy, peace and well being. I truly realized how much my body needed me to break some bad eating habits. Especially cravings for sweets. Which leads me to my next thought…

Second, I remembered pretty quickly how good it feels eating foods that the body immediately uses vs. feeling so tired, full or bloated after every meal.

Third, I am enjoying the time I spend preparing my meals and juicing. I now have a new favorite juice, soup and salad. The best part is that I look forward to making them – it has become a gift to myself daily. This cleanse has forced me to truly take care of myself. As a wife and mom of 9, I sometimes allowed the importance of that focus to slide behind everyone else. Without taking the best care of me – it becomes impossible for me to take the best care of those in whom I cherish.

Fourth, another truth has been showed to me over and over again – prepare for success or be prepared to fail. This means that I had to be sure all the ingredients I needed for juicing, soups and salads were on hand. It also meant that I needed to chop things a day in advance and plan out what I would be eating. I’m not really a weekly menu planner so this became another discipline added into this cleanse. I am organized and that helped me greatly with each weekly meal planning.

These are just some of the benefits that I personally experienced so far committing to this 30-day cleanse. My faith has grown leaps and bounds this month as well. I have experienced spiritual cleansing, which has healed me in ways no food ever could!

I just read this today (originally posted on Oprah.com April 5, 2011 by Susan Casey) and wanted to share it here.

Thing is, science is now catching up to something that nature has known all along: the rich greens, the vibrant yellows, the deep indigos of plants are key to our well-being. That meat we love so much? Proven to clog our arteries. Convenience foods-heavily sweetened and salted, laden with fat and chemicals-wreak havoc on everything from our immune systems to our moods to our weight. Here are the facts and they're not very pretty: Americans are the fattest people ever in history. Obesity, a body composition topping 30 percent fat, is the most pressing health crisis we face, with 34 percent of the adult population falling into that category (plus 29 percent of all children). If you add in the merely overweight it's closer to 68 percent. In the past 50 years the weight of the typical American citizen has increased, on average, by 25 pounds. If we continue at this rate, by 2050 every last person will have eaten himself into the danger zone.

"Every time you eat processed foods, you exclude from your diet not only the essential nutrients that we are aware of, but hundreds of other undiscovered phytonutrients that are crucial for normal human function," Joel Fuhrman, MD, writes in his new book, Eat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss, which stresses the importance of a diet full of high-quality produce. Mehmet Oz, MD, who wrote the foreword to Fuhrman's book, believes that even a slight shift away from meat can improve your health. "What we really want to do is have people nudge themselves in the right direction," he told me. "If you want to have a few bacon bits on your salad, God bless you, fine. That's not where we're losing the battle. We're losing the battle when you have sausage for breakfast, a big pastrami sandwich for lunch, and pork chops for dinner."

Yet we live in a mass-produced, big-box culture, where economic interests hold sway. Meat, corn, sugar-they come cheap, and we buy them. Plus, we tend to like the taste. But there are steep hidden costs in a food system that makes calories rather than nutrients-from the factory farms that treat animals like parts on an assembly line to the fact that obesity-related ailments like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes are skyrocketing and account for approximately $150 billion in healthcare

As I often do - I spent time this month reading books, articles and health blogs that challenged me to really think about what I believe to be truth as it relates to breaking free for healthy living.

As you can imagine, some things I agreed with 100% (like the portion of the article above) and others not so much. The debate about what is best for us will live on longer than most of us. Even with all the disagreements from the top doctors and programs out there – one thing is constant that no one can deny:

The healthiest diet is one with high in fresh organic vegetables, fruits and grains. Low in processed foods, high sugar, caffeine, dairy and animal protein. Everyone agrees that we must exercise at least 30 minutes a day and spend time relaxing, as well as, getting enough sleep each night (at least 7 hours).

Now the way each professes is best to do these things is where the discrepancies come in. How much of this or that? When to eat? What to eat with what? What time of day is best for exercise? How much water you should drink? How much raw food vs cooked?

I can’t tell you what will be best for you in each area – but I can tell you that incorporating what we have done so far this month is a great way to live forever! No one argues about the benefits of juicing, and adding in raw soups and salads to every meal. No one argues that we have to avoid sugar at all cost in our diets. No one argues that we have to eliminate processed foods and all the chemicals (additives, preservatives, antibiotics, steroids, pesticides, etc.) we ingest.

I am not a raw foodist. I am a vegan (which means I don’t eat any dairy or animal products). I eat cooked foods in moderation. As a family we eat yeast, gluten and soy free products. Sometimes we cant avoid one ingredient and we don’t allow it to ruin our meal or life. We enjoy eating wraps filled with all of our favorite veggies and hummus. We enjoy eating vegan burgers that may have an ingredient or two that we don’t normally include in our diet. Yet, with every bite our hearts are full of joy because we eat to live – NOT live to eat.

Our children drink water all day with chlorophyll drops and a green powder (filled with over 50 veggies in it). They all ask for my fresh juice daily. They don’t drink soda or fruit juice (they enjoy coconut water with fresh juice mixed in). They don’t eat candy or any store bought sweets. Only for birthdays or special holidays do we all eat a cupcake, cake or pie. They LOVE to eat fresh fruit (watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberries and fresh picked berries) when they are fresh and in season. We all enjoy coconut ice cream. And our children love daddy’s weekly tradition Pancake Saturday! (They are GF, Vegan and filled with coconut oil, flax seeds, cinnamon and other secret goodness!)

Our children don’t feel left out at parties, holidays or even when we go to amusement parks. Because they don’t see us complaining about what we don’t eat or can’t have. Sometimes they will ask for this or that. Depending on what it is they asked for – we might get a small portion for everyone to enjoy (popcorn, roasted nuts, etc). They see us enjoying what is good for us and living out what we teach them. They have watched me sit at the table with them this month while they enjoyed many of my favorite meals. When they see me eating raw veggies now – a few have stopped me making sure it is OK during my cleanse to enjoy.

I don’t stress over the small things. I don’t worry about finding perfection in our diet as a family. Honestly, this side of heaven it would be next to impossible. If you grow your own organic vegetables and fruit – that is the closest you will get to pure eating.

So as you can see there are many benefits to the discipline of a cleanse – not just for you but for those around you.

Children are taught by what is caught. They learn more from what we do than what we say.

Cleansing helps our bodies absorb the foods we eat and liquids we ingest. Our digestive tracts are very delicate, they need to be taken care of and treated with the utmost respect. When we don’t it causes malabsorption issues for many of us (especially the older we get). It also creates an internal environment where it is harder for the body to use any of the foods we eat, where we become deficient on things that are vital for the body to work optimally.

Thus, it is good to plan 3-4 cleanse a year. It is vital to our health to allow the digestive tract time to rest and heal. You can do 3-7 day cleanses. Or you can commit to 3-4 cleanses like this (30 days) a year. No matter what cleanse you choose be sure you are committed to see it through and are prepared to make the changes necessary afterwards to help your body remain healthy. Cleansing should not be an excuse to eat unhealthy the rest of year, nor should they be done without respect for the body.

The body is our holy vessel – created perfectly, wonderfully and fearfully by God. We should treat it as such and life as a gift - as it was so freely given to each of us.

Now, it is time to prepare all of us for the final week and the weeks to come.

Here is a sample of my daily routine and how I will incorporate other foods into this week (and weeks to come):

I start day each day with 1 tsp pHoursalts and 4-6 oz water.

Breakfast: 16-24 oz of fresh green juice

Lunch: raw vegan soup and salad (homemade dressing), wrap filled with fresh veggies and hummus

Snacks: fresh veggies cut up dipped in hummus, homemade salad and guacamole, small bowl of fresh organic fruit (alkaline and high in water content), one of my smoothies, raw crackers, vegan chips and fresh made vegetable breads.

Dinner: raw vegan soup, salad, GF rice or pasta, steamed or slightly sautéed (or grilled) vegetables, vegan chili, and many other main dishes that you can find recipes for in my book and on the sites I mentioned throughout our cleanse.

I drink 3 liters of water with green powder and chlorophyll daily. Sometimes more when it is very hot and humid out or during exercise.

Exercise – walking 30 minutes a day, swimming as the weather permits and I will begin doing some form of yoga to help my body stay flexible. I also enjoy rebounding.

One thing I get asked about a lot that I want to touch on is, “what supplements do you recommend that I take?”

First, I am not a doctor and as such can’t tell you what to take or not to take. I can only suggest things that I use and have found to be helpful to healing my body. I don’t think every supplement and vitamin should be taken for life. Some are just for a season (during a health challenge or hormonal change). I don’t believe anyone needs to take 15 supplements either if they are eating a well balanced diet high in alkaline foods.

It can be very hard to make sure you are eating enough of everything and not begin to lose your pure joy in eating for health.

Many vegans are low in B’s and should look into taking supplements or B-12 shots. It is important to have enough healthy fats in your diet – the brain and the body needs them! Please add in a variety of healthy fats daily to ensure you are getting enough omega 3’s and 6’s, and minerals, etc! I know many worry about vegans getting enough protein – a deficiency can happen if your body is not absorbing all that you are eating and your diet lacks foods rich in protein. (A great product that we found to help with all of these concerns is VEGA – we buy it from *amazon.com)

This is why it is important to ask your doctor (a naturopath will do this) for a blood test that will let you know what vitamins, minerals, proteins and hormones that are out of balance (it also checks for thyroid imbalances). I am not sure what the name of the blood test is – but when I had it done it showed my doctor that I was not absorbing certain things and that I needed to take an enzyme before meals and a probiotic for a while. It has been a while since I had that test done and may ask to run it again. Just to be sure that I am not dealing with any mineral/vitamin deficiencies and not in need of anything to help my body during this season in life!

1,000 Ways

2011-06-15T08:35:00.001-04:00

To enjoy salads and life!

Every stage of this cleanse brings a whole new appreciation for my personal motto -

“Do NOT live to eat but EAT TO LIVE!”

Each time I eat now my body feels so good afterwards and alive.

I enjoy eating once again and don’t see it as a way to be filled up. I see it as it was meant to be – to nourish my body from the inside out. My skin is glowing once again and my hair even feels softer in just 14 full days of putting all organic and natural things into my body.

The most amazing thing is happening to me spiritually – I am coming ALIVE!

True health only comes from taking care of yourself -MIND, BODY and SOUL! What you feed your mind is often more damaging than what you feed your body! Stress will give you diseases just as fast if not faster than any food you eat! Our mind is a powerful weapon or TOOL – one will kill you – one will heal you!

God has awoken me from a deep sleep or winter hibernation or dulling of my mind from all the stress I was facing for so long. Whatever it was – I’m OUTTA there!

I can’t thank God enough for the blessing of His grace and the gift of His love daily in my life.

I can’t thank Him enough for the LIFE I get every time I eat of His word. Talk about coming away full and completely satisfied. There is nothing like it!

I could spend every waking hour sharing all the goodness of God and it would never be enough.

When I thank God for the food I eat – it is from a deep place within me that says without YOU this food would be empty. It would have no life and I would feel the same as I did before – eating and eating in hopes of becoming full.

Some of you may be a bit turned off that I am sharing my faith. I will not apologize for it because it is the driving force in who I am. It is what truly heals the body and nourishes the soul.

I can’t help but spend my life sharing the goodness of God and how thankful I am to have all that I do because of Him!

So when you face trials and the hardship of sickness – I pray you will seek the gifts He has waiting for you. I pray that you will break free from the lies of this world and allow yourself to know that you know that you know you are LOVED, CHERISHED, UNIQUE and DESIRED with an everlasting love.

Doesn’t matter what you have done, where you come from or the mess you made of your life – God is waiting to wrap you up in the comfort of His strength, mercy, grace and love. There is a peace you can never imagine waiting for you. Life will still be life –but with Him on your side things matter so much less. Because He is the one carrying the burden in ways you won’t even understand.

Oh how I want you to taste and see the goodness of the Lord with me!

You think food tastes good – there is NOTHING like the LOVE of God to fill you up with a joy unspeakable! NOTHING and I mean NOTHING compares to what He does in the hardest of hearts and the broken of this world!

Now if you would like a wonderful resource – last winter I shared one of our favorite cookbooks HERE (1,000 Vegan Recipes).

Go back over the posts from last week and use the resources I shared for delicious alkaline recipes. You could spend years making a new salad every day!

Even if you did NOT join us in the cleanse I hope you are trying the recipes and adding everything into your daily life! Replace one meal a day to start with either juicing, a raw soup or salad (leaving off the unhealthy dressings).

One change at a time adds up quickly for BREAKING FREE and TRUE HEALTHY LIVING!

Week Three–Salads

2011-06-13T10:54:00.001-04:00

The beauty of doing this kind of cleanse is that from start to finish it is gentle on the body. The first week is the hardest for all to get through because the body is breaking down, so that it can release the toxins stored inside our digestive tract, tissues and blood.

As we continue on we are adding in chopped salads, which are a delicious piece to our cleanse and rebuilding our bodies.

NOTE: Please be sure you are juicing 2-3 times a day, while drinking enough water with chlorophyll to stay hydrated and flush your system of more toxins.

The key to making beautiful salads is to use the freshest ingredients available. Chopping them with your Cuisinart not only saves time, but will help you eat more vegetables at one sitting. Using the food processor also helps you and your family eat vegetables you would otherwise not enjoy. When new vegetables are chopped small enough and mixed in with things you enjoy with a variety of delicious spices, you will not know the new ingredients are even in the salad mixture. If you do not own a food processor simply chop up the vegetables into very small bites.

Salad recipes are also from Breaking Free-Truths for Healthy Living by Jill Samter

Relaxing Red Cabbage Salad

2 cups chopped organic red cabbage
¼ cup sesame seeds
2 T sesame oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt

Directions: Combine cabbage and salt in a bowl. Massage salt into cabbage. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Avocado Delight

2 avocados, diced (keep separate until the end)
1 cucumber, diced
1 small jicima, diced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 carrot, shredded
½ red onion diced
1 bunch parsley, chopped (cilantro or dill)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 sheets nori, slivered (use scissors)
juice of 1 lemon
2 T of olive oil

Directions: Mix all ingredients together and add avocado. Be sure not to mix too much or they will become too soft. This is really good served on or wrapped inside of red or white cabbage leaf.

Give me Life Salad

1 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 cup sunflower sprouts
1 cup pea sprouts
1 cup broccoli sprouts
grape tomatoes
1 avocado
juice of a lemon
2-3 T olive oil
Himalayan Crystal Salt to taste
Organic Hummus

Directions: Use your favorite sprouts, dice them up into bite size sections, cut up tomatoes and avocado and put into a bowl to mix together. Remember not to mash avocados – add last. Pour lemon and oil over mixture, salt to taste and put hummus either on top or on side of salad. We like to mix the oil, lemon and hummus together as our dressing. Have fun and add any veggies you are in the mood for to this mixture. Leftovers are great for stuffing into romaine leaves or organic sprouted tortilla wraps.

If you would like to replace a meal with a shake - Here are four of my favorite shakes found on page 164 Breaking Free- Truths for Healthy Living by Jill Samter. Simply blend all ingredients together until creamy and smooth…then ENJOY! You can add a scoop of ice into any smoothie as well.

Great Green Shake

Almond Butter Morning Shake

¼ cup spinach

¼ cup cucumber

1 cup coconut milk

¼ cup coconut juice (water)

1 medium avocado

dash of cinnamon

dash of vanilla

1 T organic raw almond butter

½ cup almond milk

¼ tsp alcohol free vanilla extract or grind fresh vanilla bean

Virgin Bloody Mary Smoothie

Energy and Beyond Shake

½ - 1 cup Tomato (organic) Juice or fresh tomatoes

½ cucumber peeled, seeded

1 medium avocado, diced

¼ tsp celery seed and spices to taste

sea salt to taste

½ T coconut oil

½ tsp of raw cacao powder

1 medium avocado

½ cup coconut milk

½ T raw almond butter

dash of cinnamon

dash of sea salt

Wishing you all a blessed week and know that I continue to pray for your healing through this journey!

This Weekend ONLY!

2011-06-11T08:42:00.001-04:00

Click on the link below or go directly here!

The Great Cancer Hoax: The Brilliant Cure the FDA Tried Their Best to Shut Down...

If you know anyone with cancer or who has been touched by cancer – I pray you will take the time to watch the movie being shown along with reading the article. It is ONLY free to watch in full this weekend - June 11 – 13, 2011.

TRUTH #1 Friends, you and I can have FULL confidence in healing our bodies. We don’t have to fear cancer. It does NOT have to own us even if we have to face it.

The truth is sometimes even more scary to face than the reality of disease.

Because we fight believing it is possible to be healthy after being told we must do x, y, and z or we only have such and such chances of survival. We can’t imagine going against the doctors because they know more than us and everyone else does it how they suggest. Our friends and family will think we are NUTS for trying anything natural. And there is NO proof that anything natural will work. Not to mention insurance won’t pay for anything we try naturally and it is too hard to find places near us to support our effort in doing this naturally. (Have you ever asked “why??” that information is NOT available – it is all there! We just have to dig for it!) Fear immediately creeps into our lives and often time wins. We walk down any road the doctors tell us and believe that our genetic make-up is more important than how we live our life.

TRUTH #2 How you live (eat, drink and think) has a direct impact on your health. More so than your genetic make-up. There are always the few who break this statement – they live to 90+ eating and drinking foods that would take others down within years. But that is NOT the norm in the world we live in today.

TRUTH #3 How you handle stress, who you hang out with, whether or not you exercise or have faith in God all directly impacts your health!

It is hard to live against the world’s stream (system) – you will feel lonely at times and for a long time you will explain why you choose to live your life the way you do. You will hear over and over again “Oh I could never do that.” or “Really you don’t eat (--------)?” “I could never do that!”

TRUTH #4 Most people don’t. Most will never support organic farming and demand NON GMO foods in every grocery store. Most will never question why things are done the way they are and just keep being led like sheep to slaughter. Most will never stop eating the toxic foods they do at mass quantities. Most refuse to see there might be another way to live. Most will reject the idea of anything alternatively until they have to face disease and possibly dying.

Isn’t that the human way – it takes something “bad” happening before we are willing to change any area of our lives?

We would never even seek God if life was easy.

We would never seek to learn anything about natural health if we always felt “good”.

Because we live in this false pretense that everything is fine and we can manage things perfectly as they are. Change is for others – not us.

I’m here to tell you that change is hard. If you think anything else it is a lie. Change is never easy and that is why so few do it.

We started out this cleanse with 40 people and I believe there are only 6 left.

I am not surprised. This is not new to me. I have seen it time and time again.

People email me and try to explain to me why they can’t do it. They explain why it is just too hard from them. They explain all the reasons and will try again some other time. (yes, there are times when it is best to stop cleansing and try again later)

Sadly, that time never comes.

I only wish they knew that I am not upset or disappointed in them. They are not doing anything to me. I just share what I know and pray it helps each of you in your journey to find the truth about health.

My faith and personal relationship with God is constantly growing because of the trials I face. Not because of the easiness of life. It takes certain situations to make me look up and NOT in. God allows them all for my heart to be stretched and my faith to grow in His faithfulness to see me through. They always force me to change how I view life – others, myself and the world we live in.

If left on my own I would be a mess with no direction at all. I’m thankful God lights a path unto my feet and gives me the grace to get back up and onto it when I have fallen off!

TRUTH #5 Even if you do all things “right” and live as naturally as possible – you and I have NO control of whether or not we will face cancer or death.

So then why do it? people ask me.

I can only answer that for myself.

Because the truth about health has set me and my family free. I have personally seen what my choices have done to my health and those that I love. I have watched 100’s of others be set free and live disease free as well.
Because nothing can change the truth and that is eating and living your life as naturally as possible lowers the risk of disease overcoming your body by 75% or higher!
Because I no longer believe I have to control my health – I simply desire to give my body all that it needs to resist and fight against disease! I rest in that and enjoy LIVING!
Lastly, because I don’t live to eat. I eat to live!

You can resist change and truth all you want – but in the end it will be that resistance that causes you greater harm.

My prayer for continuing this blog and sharing all that I do is that it will encourage you to seek the very truth I know is out there and let it change you from the INSIDE OUT!